Alice’s Review: Supernatural 10.17, “The Inside Man” aka Be Still My Beating Fan Girl Heart
Be still my beating fan girl heart. You are still alive!
Just wow, wasn’t “The Inside Man” the breath of fresh air we all desperately needed? One of the biggest disappointments I’ve had with season ten is that everything I watch just feels off. It’s been hard to explain why, but last night reminded me why. Heart. Fun. Sentimentality. There’s a certain tone that makes this show unique from all others, and the loss of that tone in recent seasons has been very disheartening. Well, last night, we were given a gift. It was a very special gift that reminded us of what this show once was. Just like Sam at the end, I had my single man tear (okay, it was more than one) going when it was all over. I haven’t felt that way in ages. Thank you show.
A lot of the thanks falls on writer Andrew Dabb. I haven’t been Dabb’s biggest fan of late. He’s had more misses than hits and I called his outing before this, “The Things We Left Behind,” an unmitigated disaster. But Dabb proved that all you need to do is channel your inner sentimentalist and you can deliver something that’s new but feels classic. It was a chance to reflect on better times, a chance to find comfort in an old friend, and a chance to laugh, cry and cheer a little.
Managing three stories at once for “Supernatural” has proven to be an uncomfortable burden. When put all together, the stories often seems random, disconnected, and it often ruins the engagement of the story. With “The Inside Man,” that was never the case. It was a joy from beginning to end. I was drawn in immediately and the episode never lost me. The “attention getter”, aka the opening teaser, wasn’t relegated for once to the “blood spatter of the week” involving a total random stranger. Right away we were told that this time we’d be reuniting with an old friend. Talk about gorging on comfort food before the meal.
The return of Bobby reminded us under no uncertain terms how big of a hole his loss has left. He brings everyone together. Father figures do that. The absence of the father figure in a show heavily stressing Daddy issues has seemed to created a chasm for which “Supernatural” has truly not recovered from ever since season seven. Talk about the “don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone” metaphor. It’s mantra for this show.
Not to say that Bobby should be evoking the single man tear every week and making these manly men feel like they’re growing lady parts, but he has a certain warmth and sensibility that hasn’t been replaced by any other character. He helps make the crappiness of this world more bearable. He was the rock, the smart-ass, the cranky old coot that could plan for any contingency and see through any Winchester habit, like the brothers lying to one another. I call it the ability to bust the go to “trope” that so weighs down many of the stories. Without your center you get chaos and disjointedness. Kind of sounds like almost all of the plots since “Death’s Door,” don’t you think?
So yes, I laughed my ass off over the angel announcing, “The Bobbys are surly.” No shit Sherlock. I’m surprised Bobby hasn’t raised a ruckus in Heaven before now and whatever punishment he may be facing for his actions, I hope Sam, Dean, and Castiel has good sense to come up with plan to get him out of it. He deserves that much. We as fans deserve that much. Bobby must return. Castiel and Metatron better start working on that loophole.
But yes, this wasn’t just about Bobby. This was a return of the classic storytelling of the entire team in a seamless way. You have to give Dabb credit, he didn’t introduce any head scratching and drastic new canon or try to re-write previous history. He did his homework and actually wrote a story with continuity. My inner fan girl is squealing! He also introduced a Men of Letters character that was funny! I definitely want to see Oliver the mind reader back. His reaction to Castiel was priceless, as well as his line calling Sam “the hippie.” He wouldn’t believe that Castiel was an angel, because he’s an atheist! He can’t read angels minds either, which must have really thrown him for a loop. If they’re struggling with ideas for Castiel, they need to pair those two together again.
To my astonishment and surprised fan girl happiness, Castiel was awesome! He willingly went along with Sam’s risky plan and delivered with the badass nature that reminded us that he is not doubt an angel warrior. He and Sam really do make a good team and it’s gotten almost intuitive with them now. Castiel didn’t like that Sam was keeping Dean in the dark either, but he accepted that what they were doing was to help him. The highlight for me was his little action hero moment jumping into the sandbox, and then getting to bond with Bobby even for just a bit in Heaven. It reminded me of their quality time together in “Frontierland.” Man, have I told you how much I miss Bobby?
Okay, here’s a nitpick. Why oh why didn’t they steal Metatron’s grace and beat him up like a human before? Like when they had him on the MOL bunker all nice and secure? That really would have saved some trouble. I get hindsight is 20/20 but was there a good reason other than the writers didn’t want to pull that trigger until episode 17 but they needed him for some filler? I think it was a brilliant plan and I like how Metatron is now at Castiel’s mercy. Still, the plan to find Castiel’s grace sounds risky. Do you think it’ll actually happen? What happens if Castiel becomes a fully restored angel? It sounds like he’s ruined his chance of ever going back to Heaven again. You think he’ll finally get his own room at the MOL bunker?
This story focused on something so aptly that again has been missing, the plight of both brothers. Both of them are spiraling, and this week we got to truly see how much it is scaring both of them. It scares me, that’s for sure. Dean no doubt is slipping again. We’ve seen it before. Yes, I was a little skeptical with the sudden “he’s getting worse.” He should have been gradually getting worse weeks ago rather than fretting about the fact that he might get worse. The nightmare was powerful and very effective. Why? Because the focus wasn’t on Dean. We know he is suffering. It’s Sam watching in horror his struggling brother and being helpless to stop it. The fact that in Dean’s subconscious terror cried out in desperation for his brother speaks volumes. This isn’t a problem that Sam can fix with a gun. That makes Sam’s plight more desperate. Dean’s too, and I love seeing in such a powerful way both brothers in peril.
Dean’s issues are predictable, but it certainly didn’t make them any less chilling. He’s blase and just waiting for the chips to fall, giving into the those urges to be a classic jerk. He’s not totally back to his demon days, but he’s on that path for sure. I felt sick for those college kids he setup in the bar at the pool table, but I was supposed to. Too often like with the aforementioned “The Things We Left Behind” Dean has been doing in low lifes that we couldn’t give two craps about. Dean taking the watch from that kid was the ideal harsh touch to show how much of himself he’s losing. It wasn’t a prize he needed to win. He just did it for cruel fun and that kid wasn’t due a comeuppance.
Still, I loved watching Dean and Crowley bond again. I’m not sure which character I’ve been most disappointed with this season, Castiel or Crowley. If I have one big criticism of this episode, it’s the reveal that all this time, 17 episodes now, Crowley has just been in one long mope. He’s been putting up with his mother because he’s been taking a page from the Winchester playbook and choosing to value family, even if his mother has been making him miserable. Yes, it’s heavy handed given the return of Bobby, but still I loved Dean’s “family don’t end with blood speech.” It’s all delivery and it’s perfect. Not only did Dean kill with that speech, but Crowley’s reaction was brilliant. It was the kick in the pants he needed. I also love that the King of Hell isn’t afraid to drink umbrella drinks in public, especially when he downs scotch in the lair.
My least favorite part of the episode was Rowena, but her plot has dealt with well. She wasn’t over the top in this one. Her failed death spell on Dean reminded me so much of Sam being immune to the white ray of death from Lilith and Samhain. I half expected Dean to use the “demon ray gun” line that Sam did. That’s okay, there were enough callbacks to moments past. I’m assuming that Dean didn’t slit her throat because of his fear of what it would trigger inside himself and not out of loyalty to Crowley. Either way, her dismissal by Crowley was awesome. He finally saw the difference between her and what the Winchester’s have. She wouldn’t be giving him the time of day if he wasn’t the King of Hell. I like the idea of her being on her own, plotting her revenge outside the comfort of the lair. It makes her more evil, more diabolical, and far less annoying. I hope anyway. She can only be taken in small amounts.
All in all though, the whole twisted, busy story came full circle back to Sam, thus completing my happiness. We’ve so needed a clear Sam POV. No doubt, this entire Mark of Cain ordeal has been eating away at Sam slowly. It was never more apparent than him taking a tender moment in his room alone to read some fatherly advice at a time when he needed it the most. Just read these words:
“So, this is weird huh. Look, I just wanted to say Cas told me what you’re doing for Dean and I’m not asking you to stop, but maybe going behind his back is not the best idea. Your brother, he can be stubborn, but I think he’d understand. And I know it’s the life, doing a little bad so you can do a lot of good, but sometimes the bad’s real bad, and the good, it can come at one hell of a price.
I ain’t there on the ground and whatever you do, I know you’ll make the right choice. You’re a good man Sam Winchester, one of the best and I’m damned proud of you son. I was content up here, but getting a call from you, it’s the happiest I’ve been in forever, no matter what it costs. So stay safe, keep fighting and kick it in the ass.
Bobby”
Sam has to know how risky pursing the solution for the MOC is, but at what lengths will he go? Will he take Bobby’s advice that the price to pay for good is too high? After all, Metatron’s words spelled out how far he has to go to find the solution. It involves a great power, and the one who created the Mark of Cain in the first place, Lucifer. I don’t think Metatron was offering that as a practical solution, but the idea is planted in Sam’s head now. He knows how to get to Lucifer. He has that connection. The question is, will he again choose to risk sacrificing himself, going with the insane plan to engage Lucifer, or will he finally remember that this need to risk all for his brother isn’t worth the consequences? I still remember The Trickster’s words in “Mystery Spot”; “This obsession to save Dean? The way you two keep sacrificing yourselves for each other? Nothing good comes out of it. Just blood and pain. Dean’s your weakness. And the bad guys know it, too. It’s gonna be the death of you, Sam.” The death of him or much worse? Does Sam after all these years know when to stop?
But yeah, if you’re gonna kill a fan, just end with the single perfect man tear. This time the visual is stunning. Sam, alone in his room. There it is all exposed, that private agony that’s slowly destroying him. That’s foreshadowing with a capital F. It’s about freaking time.
Other Notes
– Door 42! Yes, it’s predictable since that reference has been used before, but you can’t deny the answer to everything. I’ve even educated my kids that when in doubt, the answer is 42.
– Who jumped when Dean saw the black eyes in the mirror. I did! Great job overall by director Rashaad Ernesto Green (a first timer I believe).
– Major kudos to the actor that could replicate the Hannah dewy eyes! Castiel was enamored, that’s for sure. I half expected Sam to tell them to get a room. I’m glad Hannah is still in charge of Heaven and keeping order, but she really needs a vessel. After a while, using that guy would get really weird.
– I absolutely love the return of the great lines. Most belong to Bobby, but the winner goes to Metatron. “Asstiel.” Bwah! Honorable mention, someone FINALLY mentioning that Crowley and Rowena are Boris and Natasha to go with Sam and Dean’s moose and squirrel. You win Dean!
– Enough with Sam “borrowing” a second hand car every time he needs wheels. That white truck was hideous. The Impala needs a little brother or sister, aka Sam and Dean must have a second car! I vote for him getting something more permanent, and not a Dodge Charger. How about one of those classics in the MOL garage?
– “Kick it in the ass.” We love you Kim Manners, and miss you very, very much.
Overall Grade, an A. Not just that, I’m putting this in the warm fuzzy classics department with episodes like “The Song Remains The Same,” “Weekend at Bobby’s” and “Fresh Blood” to name a few. I’m clinging onto this warm feeling like glue for the next two weeks until the show returns because I don’t expect this feeling to last once the whole ominous story kick starts again.
(Screencaps from SpringfieldSpringfield.co.uk)
just in case if anybody notices. But supernatural is dropping in ratings from one week to a another. The ratings drop too 0.6 with only 1.74 millions viewers. This is not good. We are wanting for the other shoe to drop. Like the word cancel.
It’s already renewed for Season 11 Debbie. So cancel isn’t a worry.
Not to mention, the issue isn’t how low the ratings are, it’s how low compared to other shows on the CW. It’s doing fine.
(ETA: I checked TV By The Numbers and it turns out there was a blackout in Seattle, one of the major markets. So that would cause an at least .1 drop. Arrow was super low too, and that’s the number two show).
That explains it! I saw parts of it but other parts were a black screen. Very annoying. I thought it was a CW issue since I could still get other channels.
Lovely review. Agree with all your points except getting Sam his own car — it feels like cheating on Baby.
I couldn’t agree more what a great episode. I hadn’t thought about the Mark having an influence on Dean while hustling the kids. But I did think it was a jerk thing to do to take the watch. I was waiting for Dean to give it back and he didn’t. That makes sense the Mark was starting to take control. Dean’s reaction to his black eyes made me jump too. Screaming for Sam in the bunker (I think they used the same scream form S3 on purpose because Dean really is in hell right now) poor Dean, poor Sam totally freaked at what Dean is going through and then his desperate plan (and by the way my perfect heaven sitting in a comfy chair reading my favorite book and listening to Sam on my radio). I loved Crowley in this episode finally remembering he was Crowley and sending Rowena packing. Probably in the first encounter with Metatron in the bunker Cas had been tasked with bringing him back unhurt. Cas was being trusted so stealing grace was off the table (but not beating the hell out of him). I loved the psychic he was fun (he’s not an atheist any more and I laughed out loud at hippie Sam). Some of those Men of Letters were kind of cool. And then Bobby….Deaths Door was on TNT this morning. To see Bobby again helping, smart and loving his boys. Surly Bobby is the best. I like the idea that maybe punishment for Bobby might be banishment to earth and back to his shortened life. I loved his letter to Sam. Something that Sam really needed to hear but I don’t think he will listen. Sam is stuck, he hasn’t ever been able to save Dean and sure isn’t going to let anything stop him this time. Even if it kills him or Cas or whoever it takes I don’t think Sam is going to stop. So yes the lies will continue.
Thank you for your review, how great is it that we have a classic episode to talk about finally.
Love the review, Alice, and I share your enthusiasm for this episode. Loved all the Bobby shoutouts and references like “The Gambler” from Weekend at Bobby’s” and the “angel radio”. I have one observation and one very wee little complaint: I think this is the first time we have seen exactly where the boys’ rooms are in the MOL bunker in relation to each other. Sam had to run down the hall quite a ways to Dean’s room, although he heard him yell out pretty clearly. I am a little surprised that their rooms are so far apart. My little complaint is that Sam did not try to awaken his brother from a pretty nasty nightmare. He has done so before, when Dean was having nightmares following his time in Hell. Dean has done so for Sam following Jessica’s death. Just seemed off to me in an otherwise very emotionally tied-together episode. I guess the theory would be that he would not want Dean to be embarrassed or maybe that he wanted to see how bad off he was and then Dean settled down so he didn’t have to intervene. I think that, being so concerned about his brother, and going to such great lengths to save him, he’d be right there, waking him from whatever Dean perceived a threat, even in sleep. What are your thoughts?
PS: I laughed right out loud at the “surly Bobbys”!!! Those poor angels didn’t know what hit them!
I think you got it right as far as the nightmare went. I was thinking the exact same thing. I wondered why Sam waited, but then Dean settled down. I think if it had gone on longer, he would have woken him up. As you said, Dean’s woken him up from nightmares too so he knows how embarrassing and disorienting it can be. I imagine he didn’t want to do that unless he had to.
Great episode. I always enjoy it when an episode turns out to be a gem. I do ache every time Bobby comes back (except ghostBobby) because I always forget how much I loved that crusty old guy between appearances. I agree with much of what you said in your spot-on review. The stories were woven together seamlessly and I was actually interested in all of them. Even the Rowena scenes, when she dropped the act and exposed her true colors and feelings. For whatever reason I loved the low key conversation between Crowley and Dean. Nothing flashy or fancy or violent. Just Dean imparting some home truths. I’m oddly pleased to see that Crowley trusts Dean more than Mommy dearest. Very satisfying to see mom get the boot. The last scene was so very sad and touching and also brilliantly acted by Jared. I am so glad Sam got some love and validation from Bobby when he so badly needs some hope. I am just going to soak up the feels of that scene and that episode. Thank you Alice.
Great review Alice! It was really nice to see everything flow so seamlessly. It makes you ask yourself why they can’t manage to do that more often! ?! I was just thinking about the Dean/Crowley scene at the bar. Remembering Cains prophesized kill list I was kinda shocked when I realized that Dean stayed around waiting for Crowley believing that he would want to fight because of what was supposedly done to Rowena. You would think that Dean would have taken off trying to AVOID a confrontation so that he could prevent fulfilling said prophecy. Sloppy writing or does that mean something? Me, I believe DemonDean was primarily in the drivers seat. Dean was acting more like DemonDean than our Dean during that entire conversation. The way he held himself, his attitude, the way he drank, his choice of words initially “not really”… the only thing missing was the black eyes but he didn’t flash them in the past when he was DemonDean unless he chose to. What do you think? Are you shocked Dean hung around considering tbe circumstances?
I agree that Dean’s behavior was very reminiscent of Demon Dean, but it almost doesn’t make sense. When Dean first got the MOC it wasn’t turning him into a demon, it was killing him if he didn’t satisfy it by killing things. Then at that point I guess he would have become a demon? So why is it now turning him back into a demon? I guess the rules regarding the MOC have always been a little fuzzy, but if it automatically turns Dean into a demon then Sam never should have been able to cure him in the first place. Maybe that will all be explained. And there clearly must have been a whopper of a conversation between Dean and Crowley since Dean is hiding the whole thing from Sam. But that whole relationship seems off because Demon Dean should want to kill Crowley for his betrayal in turning him over to Sam, and human Dean should want to kill him because he’s still claiming souls for hell. The whole thing does not compute, so I’m very curious to find out what’s going on.
He’s not turning back into a demon, the cure didnt completely work. DemonDean is just reemerging gradually. I don’t think Dean is completely aware or maybe not aware of it at all. I don’t think even Crowley knows though he may suspect?
Isn’t that what Cain said to Dean? “There is no cure, there is only remission and relapse”. I think we always knew that Dean wasn’t cured of the Mark.
Yes remission and relapse regarding the MOC but I’m talking about DemonDean and Sam’s attempt at the cure as a separate issue. I don’t know if that side of Dean was weakened or went into hiding or… but I do believe the cure didn’t completely work. Jensens actions in the different scenes were a definite tip off.
According to Castiel after the “cure” Dean was cured of being a demon but not of having the Mark. I don’t know how that all worked to tell you the truth. I don’t think Dean is a demon. I think he is something much worse and far more powerful or has the potential to become worse. Crowley has no power over him nor do witches. I think that when Crowley came to the bar he no intention of fighting with Dean. I think he came to see what Dean had become. Common demons are under Crowleys rule and Rowena can easily kill them with spells. But not Dean. He may have been cured of being a demon but a Knight of Hell is something completely different. And one with the MOC and the Blade sounds like he is invincible.
They actually asked about the spell from Ruth that played Rowena. That spell. wasn’t first curse spell level but powerful enough.
Afterbuzz review ([url]”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i7ZD2TgHzM”[/url])
It was a huge deal it had no effect on Dean. But I’ll let everyone see for it themselves. 🙂
They had quite good interview at the same time but the quote mistake was bad! :p
– Lilah
That was a REALLY fun clip to watch and I sincerely appreciated you posting it for us, Lilah. Thank you! While I have not been enjoying the character of Rowena very much, I thought the actress who plays her was well spoken and charming. I truly enjoyed hearing both actors share their little memories of things that happened during the filming of their SPN scenes. One of the parts that really made me giggle was when the actress who plays Rowena was discussing her scene with Dean when he had the knife to her throat and had her bent back over the bar. The interviewer said something about how tenderly Dean seemed to be holding her neck – – and the actress admitted that the first time Jensen did that, she was so overcome being so up close and personal with Jensen, staring up in to his gorgeous green eyes and face that she completely forgot her line! All I could think was: don’t worry lady, that reaction would have happened to ANY of us! “It’s like looking in to the sun!” 😀
That just made me appreciate Travis even more. He seems like a good guy. It was interesting hearing Ruthie too. Love that accent. So cute the little crush thing she has going on for Jensen. 🙂
You know I have to agree with samandean10 that the whole MOC/demonDean/demon cure/Knight of Hell thing is a bit murky. I am not sure I understand it all completely.
You and me both…..
Me either……! I am trying to figure out exactly what Dean is in danger from because it seems different now than when he first got the mark and it also seems different than how it affected Cain. ??????!?!??!?!??!?!?!??!?!? Huh?
Maybe they’re making this up as they go along and each writer is putting his/her own spin on the effects of the MOC, instead of Carver having figured out and communicated some hard and fast rules. That would not surprise me at all, but it makes for very confusing storytelling.
MAYBE they are?[i] maybe?[/i] I was just rewatching the episode (one of the very few times I have done that this season) Metatron ‘hung a lampshade’ (Link for that here) ([url]”http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LampshadeHanging”[/url]) on how much they are making it up when he said about the mark: [quote]I was just making up crap, trying to buy time until I could screw you over… what?! it worked before! [/quote] Followed by Castiel saying he is telling the truth. Yes the writers are mocking us 😮
Oh, and, writers? having Castiel definitively saying that Metatron is lying and then later it turning out that he was NOT lying and Castiel was just wrong is ALSO cheating, since Castiel supposedly has superhuman senses and if he wasn’t 100% sure about something would say so instead of exaggerating / misleading his listeners.
OK, that’s brilliant. I never caught on to Metatron being a metaphor for the writers, who seemingly are making crap up as they go and hoping we won’t catch on. I bow before your powers of perception.
So I have a question. After Sam tackled the angel https://33.media.tumblr.com/1195260aaf8805d2cc3972d62ed7260b/tumblr_nm7bvdmp5C1sr0pqfo5_250.gif in the playground so that Cas could make his slow motion leap into the doorway, what happened to the angel? Did Sam kill him? Throw him through the doorway as well? Stand around and share a smoke waiting for Cas to come back? What happened?
It was probably one of those Sam scenes that they cut out in editing because they decided we don’t really need another Sam shot. 😉 It’s funny that they left that out. Did the angel jump into the doorway from the opposite direction of Cas? Did anyone check to see if the angel Sam tackled was one of the ones seen later in Heaven? Share a smoke? Sammy would never put a cigarette to those glorious lungs! Maybe share hair care tips…
I think they talked it out off screen and the angel was called to take care of surly Bobbys? 😀
– Lilah
Yes, the Bobbys were surly!
That was one of my very few quibbles with the episode. The angel should have either thrown Sam around or taken him into custody, or he should have immediately followed Cas to heaven and intercepted him and Bobby. I guess it’s just a minor detail, but it irked me a little.
Yeah the lower level demons and angels are a little bit lame. He probably just knocked the wind out him for a few seconds to distract him. They did just leave that hanging. I don’t think Sam killed him though unless that was one of the “dark” things Sam is supposed to be doing.:)
Was there a clear visual on the angel Sam did tackle? I’m going to do a rewatch for reasons… and I will research and report back with my findings. Seeing Sam tackle him was nice!
It always makes me chuckle when you say you will research and “report back with your findings.” Although, ahem, the last time you said you’d do that you never reported back. So you better get on the ball or you’ll get fired from your non-paying job!
My bad I’m ashamed that I so miserably failed my non paying job which I actually enjoy 1000xs more than my actual job! Mea Culpa! I will do my utmost not to let you guys down this time. I haven’t started my rewatch yet but will in about an hour. Realize tho that you are going to have to cut me some slack and allow me some additional time so that I can make sure that I thoroughly review Deans nightmare, my motivation being purely scientific. There was a lot that went on during that scene that deserves, nay, demands further investigation. The sweating, the furrowed brow, the groans, the thrashing about, the shouting of “No! No!” and “Saaaaaammmmmmm!!!! There are important nuances here that must be studied for…reasons… THAT I will NOT be reporting back on. 😉
I tell you what. Because I’m feeling magnanimous, I will split the non-paying work with you. You can thoroughly scrutinize every aspect of Dean’s nightmare, which I’m sure will entail numerous re-watches, including some in super slow-mo. While you’re doing that, I will further investigate the other part of that scene, to wit, Sam’s run through the bunker in his pjs, holding the gun. You know that I’m all about equal time for Sam, so the best way to ensure that is if I take care of it myself. You’re welcome.
I don’t know about you but I’m still “scrutinizing”… Just trying to be professional here… I think after I’m done I will have to revisit the barefooted Sam sprint down the bunker hallway. Just to make sure you don’t miss anything, you understand. This of course will entail an even longer allotment of time before I get to the Sam tackle of the angel. Hmmm… I believe the tackle itself may need to be investigated as well. The angle of Sams body, his hair whipping majestically around his face, the look of determinat-
Your lack of professionalism is starting to concern me. Your assignment was to analyze the tackle to obtain a clear visual on the ANGEL, not on Sam’s body and majestic hair as he launched himself through the air, flying like some beautiful …but I digress. I see that I am going to have to relieve you of your duties and conduct this investigation myself. I will report back to YOU with my findings.
You criticize MY lack of professionalism and yet I notice that it has been 3 hours now with nary a word from you. I hope that you keep extra batteries on hand in case your remote dies on you from all that slo-mo! But sadly, now that I think of it, I probably do need to be relieved of my duties as once I moved on after diligently, painstakingly researching the nightmare scene to search for the Sam tackle scene I came across Dean Bar/Pool, and got distracted yet again. For reasons.
My first viewing was problematic (Seattle had problems with the broadcast) so any light that can be shed is appreciated. It WAS great to see Sam tackling anyone. Instead of being tied up or unconscious! Go Sam. It’s also great to see Jared back in fighting form. But I still wince. Didn’t he originally break his arm when he tackled the female zombie many moons ago? And he was chair surfing at Seacon. Sheesh. Bubble wrap him I say.
OK, you DEFINITELY have to elaborate on the chair surfing thing! It’s no wonder that boy is always hurting himself. Did he surf in your direction?
I wish! I can’t remember exactly what prompted it but he jumped on one of those tall stools that they sit on at cons. It must have been the afternoon panel because they stand during the morning (gold) panel. There is a great photo out there somewhere and the look on Jensen’s face is priceless. You can see he is thinking what we all were “Do NOT hurt yourself!” I’ll see if I can find it.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBh829eXIAEPRk7.jpg
Thanks Leah. That cute smile on Jared’s face along with Jensen’s look of concern is indeed priceless.
Did you see the look of concern on Jensens face when Jared was chair surfing! I swear I told my daughter when we watched that I would bet for that second for Jensen, the audience, Hell, the Con ceased to exist. Those eyes were lazer focused on Jareds movements. It’s so great to see how much they look after each other. They are so adorable together.
They really are!
What’s really scary is it looks like Jared is standing on something that is sitting on the chair. 😮
I read that he didn’t break it then but they had to write it in because he had broken it prior. I seem to remember it was a scene where Sam gets hit over the head with a phone (rotary, not cell. :)) Jared knew he hurt it but didn’t realize how badly which ultimately made it worse? Im thinking I’m correct, but I’m sure others can fill in or correct me. Didn’t he get hurt too in the real life bar fight he and Jensen got pulled into back in Season 1? Maybe he hurt himself then but ignored it and then ended up injuring himself again on the set? I don’t remember. I would have loved to have seen that fight tho!!! Early “Sam” and “Dean” fighting with jerks in a bar…
Oh yeah. That’s right. But now I can’t remember exactly how it did happened? WAS it that motorcycle trip/barfight thingy where it happened? Or was that another injury? I can’t keep his injuries all straight.:)
I knew I was gonna love those actors when I heard they had each others back in that fight!
If I remember correctly…. Jared broke his left hand in the 1st season bar fight (the one where he and Jensen kicked butt!!), then his right wrist in the second season episode where he’s hit over the head with the phone (can’t remember the name…). Supposedly he fell wrong and broke the wrist but thought it was a sprain. They were half way through filming the zombie episode when he finally had it looked at and was told he needed surgery. Filmed Simon Says whacked out on pain meds. Then he broke a rib when he fell skiing in season 8… then the broken and dislocated shoulder in season 9/10 which also needed surgery. He’s accident prone for sure… but then again, just look what he gets up to!
Good heavens. I think Jensen got rug burn once. 😀
Yeah from wrestling with Osric and Jared! You could see the burn on his forehead and the bottom of his chin in the episode with Crazy Martin and Benny in the scene where Dean talks about Etouffee. His chin looked swollen to me too.
I think it was from wrestling with Misha and Jared, not Osric. Here’s the video of Jensen trying to explain that incident… hehe… “impromptu fight training class” HA!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGn-BFECqrE
🙂 Boys.
I was at that con when Jensen told that story! Toronto too, which is where the wrestling actually happened. The wrestling match between Jared, Misha and Jensen became legendary among the crowd!
Why anyone Osric’s size would want to take on someone Jared’s size is BEYOND me…. Zen Master Chau
And yet Osric technically won the fight. I would’ve loved to see video of huge Jared grappling with tiny Osric, and Osric clinging to Jared like a little monkey.
Dear E – Here’s a fun fact: Osric Chau in the real world is a Kung Fu master! It isn’t that Osric challenged Jared (because there was no contest there!), rather it was that Jared was goofing around and CHALLENGED Osric! (Isn’t that just like Moose?) Check out this vid of Osric and his brother to see what Osric is capable of: Your text to link ([url]”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF4oe_jpkFE”[/url])
Holy crap, that was amazing! Thanks for posting it. Now I’m wondering how Jared got out of the scuffle with only a shoulder injury.
OMG. There are no words. Who knew? Kevin could soooo whip the Winchesters asses. At the same time! Talk about floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee!
I wonder if Jared ever saw that clip before foolishly challenging Master Chau???
Wow! No wonder they call him Zen Master Chau… he’s pretty nimble aint he? I remember Jared remarking that in the first episode that Kevin appears and Sam has to chase him down as Kevin is running away with the angel tablet, that he literally couldn’t catch Osric, he was too quick! Ha!
Dear E: Because I so enjoy hearing about what goes on during the actual filming of SPN, may I also share one more tidbit about when they were filming the episode titled “The End” in Season 5? You know in the beginning of the episode when Dean is in the alley with the little girl who was infected with the Croatoan virus and that whole horde of infected people start chasing Dean? The director had to keep instructing Jensen to run more slowly because the extras could NOT keep up with him. Each time they filmed it, Jensen was so far ahead of the extras that they were not appearing in the frame with Jensen. Finally, an exasperated Jensen said: “I’m not even running at half speed anymore! How do I look genuinely afraid if I am just running 1/2 speed?” The director commented that Jensen is so athletic and runs so fast that no one could keep up with him.
I love learning little details like that! I remember thinking in the early seasons when both Jensen & Jared would so EASILY jump 10 foot fences that they must be very athletic. And hearing the actor who plays Cain describe how much he admired Jensen’s athleticism while watching hour after hour of him filming the fight scene with the three demons in Cain’s kitchen. I LOVE hearing these little details!
Who would ever think dem bow legs could run so fast! Is there anything that man cant do? God broke the mold there…
Yeah, but I believe our little Zen Master/young grasshopper has quite the background in martial arts?
E I think you are correct. Tho I thought it was the same side hand/wrist, but I probably have it wrong. Man, that guy is accident prone, isn’t he? No wonder Jensen was concerned over the chair surfing.
I still wonder how Jensen ever got that scar on the right side of his chin! Plus people claim his nose was broken at one time but I’ve never read anything official on that either.
Jensen had his forearms sliced up during the season 4 opener when Cas’s voice blows up the gas station because Kim Manners wanted to use real (tempered) glass instead of the candy glass they usually use for the visual. Jensen says he still has a battle wound from that scene on one arm.
You can still see it! I keep trying to catch a look at the scar on Jensens right? palm from the time he was practising for the gunfight with the Phoenix… 😉
He also said something about some lack of feeling? in his elbow when he hit the gravestone in that fight with Yellow Eyes. How these boys suffer for their art! 😉
Poor Jared though. Jensen gets dinged up here and there but Jared breaks bones! Ouch. Maybe he should up his calcium intake. 🙂 I wonder why he is so prone to injury? They are both 12 yr olds. Does his height make him tippy? Kidding. He really is an athletic and fit person.
Leah: Have you ever heard how Kim Manners described Jensen and Jared? Kim said that if both guys were dogs, Jensen would be Rin-Tin-Tin but Jared would be Pluto. If you are old enough to understand why that is a PERFECT description of our guys, then you should also see why Jared would get banged up more than Jensen!!! 😀
suzee51: I am indeed old enough! And I do understand .:D He is an exuberant and goofy pup at times. I saw that quote early on in my Supernatural magazines. I knew I was going to love these two actors. He also said that “Every day I threaten to kill them both. They do nothing but have fun, it’s very hard to make them listen and pay attention”. He also said they create a festive atmosphere. They may have grown up a lot since then but some things never change.
Did you save all of those magazines? Is there a lot of good behind the scenes info and interviews in them? I’m disappointed that they never came out with an Official Companion to Season 8. My daughter has all of the earlier ones and they have a lot of interesting info in them.
I sure did. I have every one until they stopped publishing them. Full of BTS stuff. I loved getting them! They also interviewed every actor who guest starred. Plus directors and nearly the head of every department that helps make the show! Tons of stuff.
You don’t happen to live in Pennsylvania so I can borrow them from you, do you?:) I regret that I came so late to the fandom that I missed out on all of the info that was published in the early seasons.
Sorry I am in Seattle. I would love to share them. Just hop a plane!:D
Lovely review, Alice. This episode did something I wasn’t sure was going to be possible – it got me sucked back into SPN again after not having watched for many episodes (I think my last episode was the last Claire episode, when ever that was). I guess I’m a very shallow gal as all it took was a pretty Sammy tear. Well, that and some decent Sam action and Sam POV.
I loved everything else too: Dean, Crowley, the Sam and Castiel scenes, the psychic guy was great fun and I hope we see him again, and especially Bobby. That letter scene, the “You’re a good man Sam Winchester, one of the best and I’m damned proud of you son”… it was a lovely, lovely scene. Why oh why did they kill Bobby off? Sam could really use his love and support right now. Bobby’s letter was awesome but if only Bobby was there, down on earth, next to Sam, helping him and Dean through all this. Poor Sam looked so lost and alone in that last scene.
The Lucifer mention definitely piqued my interest and I’m very intrigued to see where this may (or may not) be heading. It’s a good feeling to be back in love with Show again and not bored. 🙂
The “kick it in the ass” was a nice touch. Kim Manners is most definitely very missed.
This was a great episode. It was old-school Supernatural in a way, or Season 8 variety anyway. Not sure why we can only have these episodes once in a while…used be we could have this sort of thing all the time 😀
It was great to see Bobby, I am not one of the people who think the show is not complete without him but it is great to see him every once in a while. And they at least don’t mess with HIS characterisation the way they do with everyone else to fit the needs of the story. I agree with E on the annoyance value of why Sam is being lectured (by the show) – on lying, of all the hypocritical things – but I am willing to let it slide this once for the benefit of the rest of the letter which was really sweet. 🙂
I so want this to be a sign of good things to come. I hope it is, I hope Sam as a character is being let out of the doghouse and be allowed the win he deserves.
I thought Rowena and Crowley were great this week. I like their interaction, I wonder will they have a lot more since Rowena is out on her ear? From a demon’s point of view I am not sure why he felt the need to banish her? Maybe he has decided to be more human? But it sounded like he has plans for mischief with Sam and Dean.
It was great to see Dean actually having a reaction to the MOC too, and an understanding of what it is meant to do and it is nice to see that he actually does care what it will do to Sam – there has been little evidence that he is even interested that Sam will die at the hands of Dean’s vessel when Dean ‘dies’ (if I understand Jensen correctly) – just that Dean doesn’t want to be deadand that is so completely out of character for Dean it is really causing a logical hole in the story. The amount of menace from the MOC has been basically non-existent this season also. So Dean’s nightmare was really as long a time coming as Sam’s emotional break at the end of the episode.
So happy to have both my boys back.
I loved seeing Castiel being an active part of the storyline too! All round it was great to see them all!
I totally agree with whoever said why couldn’t we have this as a multi part episode? I will be pretty surprised if there is any continuity next episode from this week, and it is sad that SPN no longer has that going for it ….
“I hope Sam as a character is being let out of the doghouse and be allowed the win he deserves.”
Drat, I still don’t know how to quote from someone’s post, but you’ve nailed my biggest worry about the last few episodes eilf. Things are seemingly coming to a head for both Sam and Dean and I honestly have no idea which direction the story will go. Either Sam does somehow manage to save Dean, but at great cost to himself (which is my preferred scenario- Sam the hero). Or Sam makes a choice that ends up going bad and Dean has to sacrifice himself to save Sam (no! no! no!). Or Dean somehow cures himself with no help from Sam (hate this option). Or the final option, Sam makes a bad choice, can’t save Dean and gets in deep trouble himself. (hate this too!). Whatever route they take, I fervently hope it sets up an actual story line for Sam for next year. I just cannot take another year of do nothing, say nothing Sam, squandering Jared’s talents. This episode showcased all of the characters, and underscored just how much Sam/Jared has been missing in action. He was phenomenal and I hope we get 6 more episodes of smart, determined, tough, forceful Sam. That is all I want in my Easter basket!
I have a lot of worries about what they are doing. Mostly because the show they are making these days isn’t the show and the characters I watched up to Season 7. I really want to enjoy this episode as a single moment of Supernatural-ness in this brave new Carver world … but like Alice I am afraid that it is a one-off.
It was fun though.
PS Use the ” icon – it is 10th from the left – you get a thing that looks like this (quote)[/quote] (approximately) and then you put the text between the two brackets in the middle.
HTML works this way always – it is pretty logical as a language – if you do (i) italic [/i] you get [i]italic[/i] and (b) bold [/b] you get [b]bold[/b]
(you use square brackets [ ] at the start and at the end though instead of the round ones I used)
Hmm, still working out the kinks
[quote]I have a lot of worries about what they are doing.[/quote]
Eureka! Thank you eilf. I suppose it should have been obvious what to do, but I am a bit of a tech doofus. Back in the day, in the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I used a weird contraption called a typewriter. Maybe you could go see one in a museum.
Well you seem to have got it now 😀 You can also type first (or copy and paste), [quote]then select the text and then click on [/quote] the “. Which is actually the better way to do it, sorry, my bad for making it more complicated than necessary. 😉
The problem with trying to explain HTML is if you try and write it out exactly correct for someone … it isn’t visible to them and if it IS visible then it is wrong ….
[quote]Well you seem to have got it now :D[/quote]
Now I’m just showing off my mad new skills! I tried it the second way you suggested, and gosh golly, that worked too. I’m like a kid with a shiny new toy– I want to play with it as much as I can.
Thanks for a great review for a great episode. I’ve just been re-watching season 7 and have been thrown back into active grieving for Bobby. I still miss his character greatly. It was heartwarming to see him again and I was reminded of what a wonderful contribution his character makes to the dynamics between Sam and Dean. I was a bit saddened to see that his heaven was him alone reading and listening to country music. (What was he reading, by the way?) I somehow would have hoped that his heaven would include his wife, Karen, and maybe younger, carefree versions of Sam and Dean.
Hi Vashti,
Bobby was reading some trashy book by Torri Spelling because he admitted in the truth episode that he really liked her, so that was a nice an humorous bit of continuity. And I think that Bobby i is alone in his heaven because in Dark Side of the Moon Sam and Dean learned that all people were alone in their heavens except for a very rare few who get to share their heaven with someone else. Not only that, the heavens are carefully controlled by the angels, and that it’s sort of like The Matrix, where people are in their heaven, existing, but not really aware that they are in heaven. For Bobby, it was always that moment in his chair and time doesn’t pass for him. Thats why Ash was so unique in heaven and was operating as a kind of rogue, moving from heaven to heaven and keeping intel on people. That became the moment that Sam and Dean realized that being in heaven wasn’t such a great thing; better than hell, but certainly not the paradise that they would have everyone believe.
The Supernatural view of heaven freaks me out — it’s DEFINITELY better than Hell, but it’s lonely and I’d feel claustrophobic. At least there’s an escape hatch (silver thread in a rug in Bobby’s heaven), but you escape just to find yourself in a space-ship-like white hallway — so not paradise, imo!