Threads: Supernatural 10.08 “Hibbing 911”
I broke my own rule. I read reviews and comments about “Hibbing 911” before “Threads” was completely finished. I just couldn’t help myself. I liked the episode so much that I was curious if the Supernatural family was basking in the rare phenomenon of a universal love fest. What I found was very interesting. The reaction to the story was far from unanimous. In fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a varied range of opinions about an episode. Still, I have to count myself among those who really, really liked “Hibbing 911”. I laughed all the way through it. Superb acting, witty dialog, familiar characters, careful attention to detail and a token broment all blended together to make this a first class episode for me.
First of all, putting Sheriff Mills and Sheriff Hanscum together was a stroke of genius. Kim Rhodes and Briana Buckmaster, who partnered for the first time as Jody and Donna respectively, were such a strong acting team that they commanded equal stage presence in scenes with Jared and Jensen (which is shockingly impressive). Briana’s delivery of Donna’s homespun reactions and colloquialisms was hilarious, paired with Kim’s expressive peeks into Jody’s no-nonsense self-reliance and confidence.
Kim Rhodes tweeted “Because it bears repeating: I am the Tommy Lee Jones to [Briana’s] Will Smith. #Supernatural #womeninblue” [a reference to the movie Men in Black]. Jody was the seasoned veteran who not only knew about the bizarre and unexplainable but had to now teach the newbie what is actually out there in the big bad world. Donna was the naïve rookie who delivered fast, punchy dialogue. Their characters were perfectly balanced. Jody’s hard-core, all-business outside hid her sentimental pushover tenderness, paired with Donna’s powder puff exterior that masked the don’t-mess-with-me core – “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” as Doug put it.
The continuity, strength and believability of these two supporting characters elevated this episode over so many other MotW episodes. We had met both of these people before. We knew their history and could immediately jump back into their lives. We learned that Alex stayed with Jody and they are struggling through a semi-normal mother-teenager relationship. We met Donna’s ex-husband, Doug, who turned out to be as much of a jerk as previously advertised. Jody connected with both Sam and Dean’s primary storylines, incrementally adding just one detail each to their situations.
In short, we were invested in these characters. Their stories were not only a part of the Supernatural universe, they expanded it. Their characters grew. They made new friends. They gained knowledge and skill. Like Bobby, Ellen, Gadreel, Kevin, Castiel, Crowley and a few others you could probably mention, their characters were worth watching. They carried their own stories with finesse and their own unique style. They were good. That is what made this episode for me vastly superior to “Ask Jeeves” for example, or what makes Alice love and me * ahem* dislike the Ghostfacers episodes. I didn’t like the farcical, rich family in “Ask Jeeves” so the episode didn’t work for me. Alice really likes Ed and Harry so she laughs at their jokes and enjoys their stories while I don’t.
I have to be honest and acknowledge that I probably loved this episode because I recognized so much of myself in Jody’s character. Jody reacted exactly the way I feel when faced with super happy individuals. All my life, people have said to me “Smile! Why are you so serious?”
Whenever that happens, I want to roll my eyes
and fight back the gag reflex that results from the rule that everyone has to be perky all day long.When Jody said, “I haven’t been able to shake that ray of sunshine since I got here” I found a kindred spirit. Then she said out loud what everyone ever would want to say, “Oh for the love of God. What is wrong with you?? You are just a douche!” to defend a sweet woman who was letting an insulting bully walk all over her. Jody was a confident woman who wasn’t afraid to tell off a jerk. I like this girl. I also identified with her worrying about children while she was at an out-of-town business conference, sneaking away to call home when she was bored and stuck with people she didn’t know. I admired her self-assuredness to investigate the suspected monster situation by herself. She wisely informed the experts of the possibility of trouble but said she would call if the situation escalated. I identified completely with her having to tell off the vendor who tried to talk to her and Donna about “girly” guns, having had people frequently ignore, assume or insult my executive standing based on gender. Both she and Donna took their jobs seriously and were obviously accomplished in their field, yet they were not portrayed as obsessed about their careers, nor lacking multi-faceted lives. They were single women, one with a family, one without, who were competent in their careers yet simultaneously had personal frailties and challenges. To me, that was realistic and substantial character development.
So many other details added to the entertainment of “Hibbing 911”:
· “What the cuss?? A vampire?”
Briana’s delivery of that line makes my top 10 best lines of the series (right up there with Kevin’s “What’s happening?”). I laugh out loud every time I hear it! During the episode’s live tweet, I sent Jenny Klein, the writer of “Hibbing 911”, a tweet saying “This is priceless! Great job.” To which she replied, “Thank you….she ROCKS – [Briana] kiiiiled that line.”
· “Could we get real please?” Jody is so no-nonsense. She had no patience for the sheriff and his deputy stone-walling her! Then she told Sam, “Screw You Winchester!” She may be my new idol.
· How about Donna saying “Stuff you Dean!”, and “Hakuna Matata, lady”. Crowley has competition for best delivery of superb snarky lines!
· Donna tapping her teeth to emphasize that she was freaked out by the vampire sighting. Another wonderful comedic addition by Briana.
· Blood splatter all over a care-free smiley face was so perfectly Supernatural. A horror show that inserts irony and humor into the gore. They did it again with blood pouring out of the bottom hole of the dumpster. I laughed. Hubbie was all “Ohhhh, grossss!”
· Only 24 chairs were set up for the plenary session at this convention? It’s supposed to cover all of Minnesota and the Dakotas! There were obviously more than 24 people at the convention. That scene was so awkwardly bad it was mockingly funny.
· Dean can do puppy dog eyes!
· Last week it was Deano, and this week it is Jodio. I think they’re starting a trend!
· Attention to detail with the sunblock.
· Loved that Jody called Sam. Again, continuity that they have the closer, more comfortable, friendship.
For all its high points, there were a few low points in this show, though, that have not gone unnoticed. I have to scratch my head a little at the idea that vampires will eat the flesh of their victims. Granted, the point was being made that an ethical vampire was trying to teach his family to not be wasteful. The concept of honoring a kill by consuming or using all parts of the body is not new, and is commendable to the extent that a killer’s respect for the circle of life mitigates their brutality. So this addition to canon is shaky, and probably completely unnecessary, but I’m willing to give it a pass to see if it is ever explained further or mentioned again. I also didn’t understand the need to bring up a transgender monster. Why go there at all? It wasn’t relevant to the story, in fact it wasn’t relevant to anything at all. There has been so much discussion about Supernatural’s treatment of sexuality, gender biases, etc., why in the name of good writing would they choose to use this particular subject as the object of Dean’s frustration…yet again?? There was also the fat shaming. In contrast, that seemed logical to me since the subject was raised so significantly when Donna’s character was introduced, so that got a pass from me also.
I also have to admit that I really wish we were being given a great deal more myth arc each week. This is not a criticism of this individual episode as much as it is a preference for the season. The formula for these past several episodes is reminiscent of season 1 – a half-hour monster story bookended with five minutes of the brother’s quest both at the beginning and at the end of each show. Early in the series, the plots were eventually woven around the myth arc – Sammy’s headaches turned visions, powers of special children, finding messages from Dad, etc. because we had to be slowly pulled into the complexity of the Supernatural universe. After nine seasons of being to Hell and back with both boys, though, I’d like a great deal more of myth arc to start appearing in season 10. Many viewers are thrilled with the back-to-basics approach and I have to allow that they are probably due for a few simpler episodes given the sweeping stories of the past few seasons, but I always miss the bigger picture.
There was a little myth arc threaded into the sheriff’s hunt, though, which we can look at together…
MoC Dean…
When Dean challenged the deputy by saying, “Is there a problem?” then said, “Oh, pal, the FBI doesn’t do cute”, did anyone else think that Dean got just a little too intense there? It looked like he might start a fight with the deputy.
That’s Dean’s “I could drop you in a second” look!
The first time down this road, the Mark made Dean progressively more impatient, then rude, then combative with people. It really seems to be happening again. Dean seems to be retracing all the same steps in his journey to having the Mark “push him”. Last time the big step change came when he got his hands on The First Blade, which hopefully is well and completely out of his reach this time. Still, the Mark needs to be fed by him killing, repeatedly, brutally, and with increasing frequency so it looks like Dean is fighting for his life here. He reined it back in when he offered the olive branch to the deputy, but then the vampire kill scene? At first I thought the MoC had taken over, but after watching the fight a few times, it actually looked more like Purgatory Dean then MoC Dean. Dean’s lethal fighting skills were super-charged in Purgatory, and that looked like the Purgatory scenes more than a blinded by rage, MoC bloodbath. So was he telling the truth when he told Sam,
Dean: Yeah, you know for the first time since I’ve been back, I didn’t feel like the Mark was pushing me.
Sam: First time?
Dean: All I know is that back there killing those vamps, I felt like me again.
Sam: Alright. So, that’s ….good. Right?
Dean: yeah.
Sam: K, Well let’s go with that.
With “Americana”, the brothers’ “family bonding” music, in the background, I melted, instantly. Those boys could talk about taking out the garbage to that song and I would get all mushy inside. Then Dean began rubbing the Mark on his arm. Was he reflecting on what he has to constantly fight within him? Was it nagging at him just then? Was he lying to Sam that he felt like himself? To me, Dean looked sincere when he admitted that for the first time, he felt like himself. If that was the first time he felt like he was acting independently, though, he was de facto admitting that stabbing the maid repeatedly was MoC fueled, as we suspected. Last episode, he pulled it back in when talking to Cole, but his fighting skills were pretty darn impressive in that alley (just as impressive as his vampire-killing precision). We are probably not going to know for sure how much is Dean and how much is the Mark until Dean himself tells us (and Sam), though.
The Stories… and the Truth
Given that Dean has been able to control himself lately, it seems that he is more aware of what is happening to him this time so rather than lying to himself, he is accepting and fighting it internally. Had he been lying to Sam up to this point, though, or was the truth too painful for him to admit? Why was Sam so calm and accepting of Dean’s denials? After what they both just went through, can Sam really afford to be patient and trusting? I get why Dean isn’t showing his panic. Dean hides all his emotions. As he told Jody “Nothing I can’t handle”.
That’s consistent with his character. He let his frustration and worry slip out when talking about his lack of progress on the MoC research,
so his reactions are understandable if not overtly being shared with us through conversations with Sam (or Castiel). Sam may also need to believe that his efforts to find and revive Dean were not in vain and it is still possible to save his brother. His responses to Dean’s confession were more questions than reassurances, betraying his own unacknowledged confusion and fear about Dean’s future.
Both boys seem to be holding onto truths they need, or want, to believe rather than the tragic reality that is barreling down on them. Did Sam really “forget” to tell Jody about finding Dean, or is he holding his breath waiting to see if Dean is actually rescued? If he doesn’t truly believe the crisis has passed, he may not want to prematurely send out an “all clear” announcement. Neither of them really knows what the “truth” of the situation is yet.
Monsters…and their Families
“Hibbing 911” again examined the idea of an ethical monster. Starr (the hippie vampire) portrayed Sheriff Len Cuse as a ruthless killer who turned innocent victims into his family, then “taught us everything we know” about stalking and consuming prey. He professed to having found his conscience, though. “Don’t you want to know why I stopped?” Obviously he was stalling for time, but this season has gone out of its way to give us detailed stories about monsters’ lives, perspectives and motivations. Some have embraced their grisly powers: Starr, Rowena, Olivia and Tasha (Kate’s sister) but others have fought to not lose their humanity: Len, Kate and Dean. Then we were shown humans who almost became monsters but were saved before they lost their humanity, namely Cole and Sam.
The monsters’ families also played a significant role in their chosen paths. The presence of their families’ love saved Cole, Dean and Caroline. Olivia’s family did what they had to do to save her life, but when they could no longer support her, the short rein they held on her turned out to be a noose that choked her to death. Others like Sheriff Cuse and Kate, didn’t have (or couldn’t risk) the support of human love, and were destroyed or abandoned by their supernatural families. We have yet to see if Rowena will be the death, or the redemption, of Crowley (and visa-versa). If this pattern predicts future plots, Sam will indeed be able to save Dean…and maybe Jimmy Novak’s family will be able do what the supernatural angels have as of yet failed to do – save Castiel.
So…
Like many (but certainly not all) Supernatural fans, I have a strong preference for the brothers’ myth arc to be laced heavily into every episode. I have perhaps been spoiled by seasons where their mystical story vastly overshadowed their hunting activities. Would it have been so hard for Sam to have opened up to Jody about his doubts? Alternately, Sam could have pressed Dean about “being pushed by the Mark” so we could have learned more about Dean’s status and Sam’s thoughts. Season 10 isn’t following that model, though. It is presenting us with plots that alternate between all or nothing at all on the brothers’ stories. So, we have a choice. We can let go of the story we want to hear or expect to be told, and accept that truths are often slowly forthcoming. Critics argue that we can be getting so much more. I actually agree with them, but we can simply choose to celebrate exceptionally good episodes with great characters and light-hearted comedy as we wait for the tragedy to hit our boys yet again. Just like last week, we can be like Sam and say, “K, let’s go with that”…..for now. I loved “Hibbing 911”. So that’s good…right?
Screencaps courtesy of www.screencapped.com
- I’m the Co-Editor-in-Chief, Social Media Manager (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), Live Tweet Moderator, reviewer and feature writer for The Winchester Family Business. Before joining the Supernatural Family, I worked for 22 years at a global consulting firm, but after years of long hours, high pressure and rigorous demands, I quit corporate life to raise my children. After my first Supernatural convention, I was driven to share my shock and awe in a two-part essay that The WFB was brave enough to post, and my second life calling, that of being a writer, began. My first published book, Fan Phenomena: The Twilight Saga was released in late 2016. Please share in my cross-fandom excitement by following its Facebook page @FanPhenomenaTwilight and my personal Twitter account @LSAngel2. You can read about this whole miraculous transition in my chapter in Family Don’t End With Blood, published in May 2017.
Hi Nightsky – glad you enjoyed this one; it was just okay for me. Liked the sheriffs and their chemistry but the story/dialog/pacing fell a little flat. And I had a tough time getting past the change in vampire lore; some changes in canon/lore can make sense (i.e. Rowena explaining the different types of witches) but, given the volume of vampire lore built up on the show over 9+ seasons, this just didn’t add up for me. I know a lot of people were fine with it but it took me out of the story. And, again with the vampires as the MOTW? There were legitimate complaints about S6 but I give Sera Gamble a lot of credit for at least trying to expand the SPN monster universe that season.
One of your colleagues on the site wrote a comment or article about lowered expectations and, in that light, I’m not as critical of the show this season and do enjoy it. But, the mytharc is both meandering and not being integrated in to the weekly stories that well. IMO, the show would not have lasted all these seasons with the MOTW-only formula. Some of this might have to do with their efforts to turn this in to more of an ensemble show but, in the past they have pulled off some outstanding Bobby-centric and Castiel-centric episodes so I don’t think that’s the problem. And, after being promoted to a regular, we’re sure seeing a lot less of Mark Sheppard this season, aren’t we? OK, I’ll stop whining now. Looks like they start moving ahead on the MoC next week; looking forward to that.
I absolutely agree with you that the myth arcs being woven into the majority of the series’ episodes was a huge factor in Supernatural’s success. I feel it was even done in s8 & 9 fairly well – we may not have liked the brothers fighting (well, ok , we hated it entirely and completely) but the larger story was always there. I’m wondering if these first 8 episodes were heavily influenced by the 200th episode. By that I mean that maybe they predicted they would pick up new viewers with all the non-genre coverage the show’s milestone received (TV Guide, major newspapers, etc), so they wanted the next few episodes to be lighter, more easily understandable. I hadn’t focused on that thought before, but that would be consistent with my S1 observation above. The placement of the 200th ep to me was an obvious reason why they had to cure Dean so quickly. I can totally buy into this theory. What do you think?
Great point… had always thought that was the reason they “un-demonized” Dean so quickly. Didn’t want to use the word cure because he’s clearly not out of the woods. But that is an excellent theory on why the early part of the season has been so mytharc light. The solid ratings would support that.
I agree with you 🙂 I really really loved the episode. I’m loving this season so far. Not big plots about heaven and hell, no. This season feels personal. About the brothers being brothers and trying to fix Dean , about Cas trying to make peace with his past. Yes, this is so my bag of tea.
I’m glad this is working for you! All fans should get equal times of happiness!
I loved this ep as well. I am one of those who actually enjoys the motw more than myth arc as well unless the myth arc concerns the boys personally. I too am finding this season to truly be about the boys….about their problems and dealing with them together….I don’t need angels or we’re on the brink of the end storyline…..I like it small and personal….saving people and hunting things. I enjoy seeing familiar characters who are strong and intelligent and funny and can help support an episode along side the boys to lessen their load. all in all, i’m thrilled with this season so far. carver told us flat out in an interview that this season would be personal and character based. he also told us it would be a slow build up to the myth arc….it would sneak up on us….so we know it’s coming, it’s just a matter of time…..i’m very patient and am enjoying the journey to getting there so far.
that being said, I agree with most of what you said. I found jody and donna a delight to watch and i enjoyed their onscreen chemistry. I really did enjoy every minute. I didn’t realize it before, but now that you said it i totally agree with you that sam didn’t forget to tell jody about dean….i think you’re right….i think he didn’t say anything because he’s not sure that he’s truly got dean back yet. kind of like when people don’t want to announce they’re having a baby until the first trimester passes……;)
i don’t think sam was really buying into what dean was telling him….but i think he thought dean needed to hear it…..i don’t doubt that sam will become more vocal concerning the mark …i really do think that’s the basis for the second half of the season….see…that’s the part where mytharc sneaks up on us:D
thanks again for such an enlightening review.
[quote]carver told us flat out in an interview that this season would be personal and character based. he also told us it would be a slow build up to the myth arc….it would sneak up on us….so we know it’s coming, it’s just a matter of time[/quote]
I’m glad you remembered Carver’s description. I usually ignore his interviews because he likes to mid-direct and what he says usually upsets me! Do you remember which interview this was? I’ve started to draft a hiatus article where this would be very relevant! Thanks for adding this perspective. I found it very interesting!
i’d have to look it up. carver doesn’t do many interviews….it was either one of the comic con interviews…or one of the post comic con interviews….it wasn’t too long ago….it was one of his more positive interviews too…I remember being excited about it. it’s there …I just have to look. luckily he didn’t do that many so hopefully it won’t take too long….i’ll get to it as soon as I can.
Thanks for the research assistance!
I know there is more out there and i’m still looking for you….but here is a snippet of an article written on oct 7, 2014. This is the link: http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/10/07/supernatural-season-10-premiere-post-mortem-jeremy-carver/
[b]So once Dean and Sam are back to normal, can we expect this personal mythology to be an all-encompassing venture, or will we get back to the case-of-the-week format?
[/b] It’s both. We’ll come out with a small handful of mythology episodes to start the season, then we start to get into some of the standalones, but they always involve issues that are still lingering, especially with the boys. The season-long mythology sort of unfolds in a much more personal and a bit more slow-moving way this year, but I think because it’s so personal, it’s going to pack something more of a punch.
here’s a snippet from another article….which pretty much lays out the way the myth arc will eventually be playing out….
“The Mark of Cain is still present. If you’re wondering whether Dean’s new demonic state will bring up those pesky trials that nearly killed Sam in season 8, there might be more to the picture. Namely, the Mark of Cain is still around and getting in the way of pretty much everything. “They’re going to see new difficulties in trying to cure Dean, because 1) There’s not a demon possessing Dean. This is Dean’s own soul that was twisted, so that’s a bit unique. And 2) It’s not just the demon-ness that’s the problem, it’s the Mark of Cain. So there’s some added dimensions here in terms of levels of difficulty,” Carver said. [b]First and foremost, the boys will be worried about the Mark. “It’s still around, and it’s very much a question for the first run of episodes if it still has an effect on Dean or not. And it’s very much on the boys’ minds as they plot out a game plan for the next batch of episodes after Dean is healed.[/b] In other words, the boys are very much focused on healing their relationship and healing one another.”
there is still the article out there with the exact wording I used….still looking for that one…but hopefully what is here so far will reassure any worries or doubts you may have held.
http://www.examiner.com/article/supernatural-jeremy-carver-on-season-10-theme-returning-characters-and-more
http://tvline.com/2014/10/06/supernatural-season-10-spoilers-demon-dean-castiel-big-bad/
Thank you for finding those interviews. It will be interesting to revisit Jeremy’s comments after we see what happens in the mid-season finale.
My favorite kind of Carver interview or summary is when he says Sam and/or Dean did something and there are consequences 🙂
LOL
It felt like the last two seasons put a huge wedge in the bond between the brothers and I personnally like this seemly slow but necessary rebuilding of their bond before it can be tested again in ending the MOC situation. I’m willing to be patient in the hopes of a big payoff in the end. (fingers crossed) The MOTW episodes seem a good way to accomplish this and we have gotten some issues resolved and other stories moved forward.
I really enjoyed Jodi and Donna and like you felt they were able to hold their own nicely with Sam and Dean. I liked revisiting both Jodi and Donna’s personal stories and the fact that they both proved they were competent and up for the task.
The trashing of canon is a never ending problem in the Carver years and while I don’t know why they do it, because it does seem intentional at times I have decided it just is what it is.
I also wanted to say thanks for a nice review but accidentally hit submit first by accident.
You are welcome! It’s always nice to hear that people like the review!
Nice review,
I wish I could write like you. You can put both plus an minus points in such a delicate manner. I don’t have much more to comment than that your threads are on point. I also loved Jody and Donna and they can hold their act with the boys perfectly fine. Also those minus points I can see and agree on. The biggest hiccup was the vampires. They could have been also some new monster. I was expecting them to be also something else.
If they are running out of monsters to use which I highly doubt they could also invent new ones for example Thinman (Even if it was based on Slenderman) In Alice’s review I gave example like Langoliers. (ick) Don’t know if it is the budget or why can’t do more not human monsters. I have watched Constantine and it has pretty good efects and it is hard to compare the two shows together. If you can maybe take a look at it.
I thought Dean was acting intense like you said and the fight scene also made me lift a brow. Sometimes I feel like I am seeing things that are not there and I question if it is what I think it is… We will see next week. 🙂
– Lilah
Lilah, Thank you so much for your compliments on my writing. The tact came from 22 years as a management consultant – having to tell clients they were screwed up without insulting them!! It also, though, came from a little of what I revealed about myself in this review. I have had to learn to package my strong opinions in understanding the other person’s POV. There is always the other side of the story and this world needs more compassion and empathy. Thank you also for the vote of confidence in the Threads series. I almost gave it up for this year, but readers’ comments that they liked this analysis convinced me to continue it. I’m so glad it helps you enjoy Supernatural! I want this show to go on for many, many more years!
Alice is the one who can comment on Constantine. Her sister site, TV for the Rest of Us, reviews Constantine. You actually just gave me an idea for a comparison article….
The comparison article sounds good. I have liked Constantine but it has other issues that comes from other genre shows. Mainly the first season feeling like a copy of Supernatural for example. But seeing the monsters and effects of Constantine makes me wish the same for SPN. Just because it deserves them. Constantine also has grimmier look like SPN has in S1.
– Lilah
i was more confused than anything about expanding vampire lore instead of using a new type of monster. i thought maybe it would have to do with perhaps seeing benny again in the future….then again, they could just want to expand on an old monster because they enjoy doing it….don’t scratch my head too much about stuff like this…though it would be nice to see something new….maybe they’re saving them because we do have a few more years left in us:D
i had pondered this thought elsewhere regarding dean and it still kind of has my senses tingling. dean’s first kill …he was quite ravenous, as though he was starved…the mark was starved…now we’re on the third kill and dean’s all calm….I’ve been wondering if that’s even worse….is he calm because he’s killing more and the mark is being sated?…is a serene dean worse than a ravenous one? he keeps trying to convince sam and more importantly himself that he’s more himself and he doesn’t feel pushed by the moc….but from the looks of the promo…i’m kind of wondering if he’s feeling that change again….???? 😮
About the vampire changes, Farawayeyes has a great theory that they changed the vampire lore on purpose. I encourage you to read her review. After the recap, she gets into some really good parallel and symbolism analysis that explains the vampires. She also very much agrees with you about Dean’s “state of mind”.
Hi Nightsky. I, like you, enjoyed this episode very much. As an almost 50 year old fan of the show, I appreciate that the writers put so much care into creating believable, relatable female characters. I saw a lot of myself in the character of Donna even though I wish I could more like Jody. The monsters part wasn’t all that intriguing but, considering how entertaining Jody and Donna were, they didn’t need to be. Some have been calling this a MOTW episode but I was happy to see the monsters take a back seat in this one.
Another detail I liked was the guy who, while taking out the trash, decided to go after some cigarettes he had hidden. A lazier writer would have just had the guy go out there and get attacked. By including little details like the hidden cigarettes, now the character becomes more human. I know this is a small thing but, sometimes, small things matter.
Thanks for your review.
Someone made the point that the guy being killed after sneaking cigarettes was a subliminal message that “smoking kills”. I thought that was pretty cute.
Hi Nightsky – I loved this one as well. In fact, so far I’m loving this season more than the last 3 or 4 just because the boys are getting along and have that connection that was so strong in the first 3 seasons. Sammy really is caring about Dean and I love it!
The lady sheriffs were so much fun. I’m really disappointed that so many fans don’t agree. Sometimes I wonder what it is they really want to see. As long as the Winchesters are saving people and attending to the family business, love each other and carry on as brothers do, I’m so happy this show that I love is still ongoing. May it go on for many more years!
As far as the vamps eating the victims, it didn’t bother me as they could have mutated a bit. Remember “jefferson Starships” when Eve was trying out different versions of monsters? One was a combo vampire and wraith. I don’t suppose they all dropped dead when Eve did and they were changing their habits like werewolves not changing with the full moon anymore. Perhaps all the monsters have added a little something to their usual modes.
One bad guy I’d really like to see again is the Alpha Vamp. He had such a presence and also a beautiful voice. So many great characters and some of them are still alive.:D Wonder how Benny is faring in Purgatory? How is Missouri doing? I even wonder about Roy LeGrange once in a while. Claire Novak is supposed to appear soon. I hope it is the same actress. And I’m like Alice in that I really love Ed and Harry, the Ghostfacers. I hope they get reconciled eventually.
I have found it is impossible to predict how fans will react to an episode. We have so many different things we look for in the show. Maybe that’s why the WFB poll is so interesting to me. It gives me one barometer on fan reactions. I usually try to keep quiet when I don’t like an episode so that it doesn’t ruin it for people who liked it.
actually not confused anymore regarding the expansion on vampire lore. as I was trying to search for the article with the exact wording, I discovered an interview where carver had said that he would be writing new twists on monsters when asked if we would be seeing new ones this season. not that we won’t see any new ones. 😀