“99 Problems” – What Did You Think?
Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are outnumbered by demons, but are saved at the last minute by Rob (guest star Michael Shanks) and his townspeople, who are aware of the Apocalypse, and have been training to fight and kill demons. The small town is very religious and Sam and Dean meet Pastor Gideon (guest star Larry Poindexter), who introduces them to his daughter Leah (guest star Kayla Mae Maloney), whom he claims is a prophet. Leah tells the townspeople they must obey her orders if they want a spot in Heaven but when she starts turning the townspeople against each other in the name of the Lord, the brothers realize they must kill her. Charles Beeson directed the episode written by Julie Siege.
As usual, once the episode is done, come by here and just share in one or more sentences what you thought of it. One word sentences like “Awesome” or “Sucky” will do as well. See everyone later!
Okay, I thought last week’s ending was sad, but this was downright devestating. I feel like my heart has been shredded.
Holy.. I can’t even… I just.. I have no words… This show is going to give me a heart attack by the end of the season….
Interest twist on the Book of Revelation. The Whore of Babylon was really Rome.
This was also a let down for me. I really thought Michael Shanks would have a bigger role, the opening scene was really it for him. I was surprised. I would have expected him to have a larger part. The top for me was the pistol-packing padre. Larry Poindexter was really looking good. Hope we see more of him some day.
Liked to see the boys kicking ass again. That knife scene between Sam and Dean was great.
100th episode next week. Maybe Kripke & Co. will start to turn things to the lighter side.
Yes, I was really hoping for Michael Shanks to have a bigger role too. I still adore him as Daniel Jackson from Stargate.
The ending really caught me by surprise. You’re right, Elle; I didn’t think any ending could rip my heart out as badly as last week’s episode, but this one did!
I honestly don’t know what to think. I did like the episode and I love the Whore of Babylon twist but I would have loved more of Sam and Dean and Castiel and Dean working out the issues. What we got was good, but for some reason I wanted more. Also, doesn’t Dean have to say yes before becoming a servant of God, or was that the point? He made up his mind to do so and that was enough? I think it’ll become clearer for me after the rewatch. The whole thing freaked out Sam though which was good.
I’m hoping for the best. The boys have to get it together before the end.
You know, I was thinking too how Sam was upset, but really all he had to do was reach out and turn the impala around. He has all the powers he needs. Dean would be pissed, but to bad. The way they haver Dean written right now, he needs a good wake up call.
As for the servent of God, who knows what they mean. Nothing is what it seems in the SPN world.
Alice, I too would’ve loved more of the brothers and Cas working through things, but I’ll take what I can get. I was very glad to see Dean talk to Cas – I was hoping for a moment, though, again, I would have liked to see more there.
Just saw the promo for next week (my network doesn’t air the promo after the episode so I have to wait a bit and youtube it) – looks like we’re in for some more heartache and drama. Can’t wait!
Was the actress that played Lisa in the opening credits? I swear I need to pay more attention to those things. My favorite quote (don’t have exact yet). “I went to a liquor store.” “What happened?” “I drank it.”
“Are you okay?” “I’m amazing.”
“I don’t understand. Why do you want me to say my name?”
“I guess that’s what it’s like. Having backup.”
“Must be hard. Being the vessel of Heaven and having no hope.”
“Since when is it okay with you?” “Since the angels got the only lifeboats on the Titantic.”
“I found the sound of your voice grating.”
“I found a liquor store.” “And?” “And I drank it.”
“It actually means you breed with the mouth of a goat. It’s funnier in Enochian.”
“So then how do we go and Pimp of Babylon all over this bitch?”
“Sam of course is an abomination.”
“How do you manage it?” “On a good day you get to kill a whore.”
Here’s the motel sign outside: “Jesus is Lord. Stay 2 nites, get a free bible. Low rates, Pets OK.”
When Leah had her little seizure in the church, all I could think about was Grandpa Simpson doing the same thing in “The Simpsons Movie.” EPA! EPA! Is that wrong? 😀
Still trying to figure out the “true servant of Heaven” thing. I’m assuming that happened when he gave Castiel the pep talk.
As for the ending, I’ll just have to transcribe the whole thing later. It’s making me too much of a wreck.
I’ve got the clips for next week already! Downloading them now. Should be available in an hour or so.
correction Drunk cas made my day
I get it. I really do. Everyone has to hit rock bottom. Sam was first and he’s already swimming for the surface. Next was Bobby, then Cas and Dean. To me, especially the end scene with Lisa, makes me think Dean is pointed in the right direction, now he just has to decide how he’s gonna get back to the top. I don’t believe Michael is the vehicle for him to do that, but that’s just my opinion. GRIN
Seeing Sam start to “get” Dean’s current state of mind – excellent.
Seeing Dean choose Lisa and Ben as his “ideal” life – AWESOME. I want that life for him so bad.
By the way, where are the breaks for this roller coaster ride???
That’s two episodes in a row which started with the guys in mortal peril: my heart can’t stand the starts to these episodes, let alone the endings.
I thought the combination of a monster of the week relevant to the apocalypse was excellent. The religious fanaticism points were not subtle, but with the apocalypse so far on its way subtlety would have been left well behind.
Don’t know what to make of the ending. I don’t think we’ve enough data yet to be sure why Dean counts as a true servant of God for the purposes of killing this monster – Castiel’s opinion that he wouldn’t was not necessarily accurate. It’s what Dean himself thinks which seems likely to drive developments, though. No way off this rollercoaster yet, Tigershire.
We all know what kind of arrangements Dean is planning to make, right? This is the sad endings olympics.
I should stop watching these episodes before I go to work, I end up messed up emotionally with all that was happening here again.
Ah, my Sammy…. I loved his holding on to hope (by a thin thread, but still), and ‘what happened to us saving the world?’ And that was probably the best handing over the demon-killing knife while letting it stick in a demon, yeah, go Sam!
There were hilarious moments, and so much going on underneath, that I am left speechless. Cas drunk, okay, he needs a whole liquor store to get there, eh?
Dean, however, killed me in the end for the umpteenth time. This will get as sad as it possibly gets, I fear. did i mention how much I hate this show? 😉
Love, Jas
I miss those days of pranks and jokes
The little digs, the jabs and the pokes.
The plastic spoon and crazy glue
Hearing of the Nair in the shampoo
I miss those days of smiles and laughter
The attempts to embarrass and all the banter.
One liners spoken with wit and a smirk.
And hearing the words Bitch and Jerk
I miss those days before things got grimmer.
When their eyes were so full of life, they’d shimmer.
The days when their brotherly love was still so strong
Sitting side by side in the Impala where they belong.
I just…..miss those days.
Not talking to you anymore Karen, you made me cry again!
Now going to re watch, heaven help me, can it be next Friday now please?
You and me both, Karen. WELL SAID! Maybe some of the powers that be will see this! This goes in my SPN book too!
On a side note: Did anyone notice how green Dean’s eyes were? Usually they are all washed out by the lights. Okay—enough ramblings.
Methinks the big cheese a.k.a. king of the deadbeat dads might have had his/her/it’s ear to the ground, or, more accurately, a heart, thus, the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
If (and I realize I could be 172% wrong on this, merely throwing out one possibility) that’s the case and he/she/it is big with the testing, then he/she/it really is a grade A dick, saving the world in the end or not. If we’ve learned one concrete thing from the world of SPN, it’s that humanity is SO much better (save for fundie wackjobs) than the denizens both upstairs and downstairs. Fuck ’em.
Like others, would have enjoyed more Sam/Dean tête-à -tête, but I’d wager Kripke & Co. have *so* much packed in these last few, that’s it needs to be sped up a bit, which is the one major fault in an otherwise fantastic season. Just imagine all this offscreen, unfortunately.
Castiel’s liquor store line is all-time top five. “I drank it.” Awesome.
And even though Lisa and Dean were only on screen for a few moments, it was so heavy, it worked, mostly because of the lack of rambling exposition. Heart breaks for the dude. He just wants out.
Gah! I feel like someone hollowed out my heart. Damn you Kripke! That’s all I got right now. Everything keeps swirling around in my head, so I’ve got nothing coherent right now.
DAMMMM you Kripke. SOMEONE just give Dean a hug!
Karen, that poem was absolutely awesome and how I too feel about it all right now. God, you made me cry as I absolutely long for those days again!
As Lisa is my favourite lady for Dean (except for Jo, who is no longer available) I watched the scene with her feeling my heart being ripped in two for poor Dean. My God, how much more pain can he and us take?
As for him offing the whore, he had already sworn to be God’s servant back in “When the Levee Breaks”. Besides, I think that deep down even where he can’t know about it, he already has that faith that has kept him going all these years. He’s hit a great many bumps lately but I’m hoping his inner strength will recover and with Sam’s and Bobby’s help he and Cass will triumph along with the rest of Team Free Will. We must not lose hope.
This show is killing me! :cry::
My lengthy synopsis is available at moogi.com, direct link right here:
http://www.moogi.com/shows/supernatural/season5/episode17/15/
All comments are welcome!
Love, Robin
Karen, I second every line of your poem – I’d love to breathe once in a while, but we are going to a spectacular end. At the con Jared said the brothers would have to hit rock bottom to get anywhere near the relationship of the earlier seasons… I don’t think he was giving away spoilers (as everyone was tight-lipped) but there is some truth to it.
I can’t imagine it going on smoothly for the brothers. Bitter much? Well, not exactly, I call it realism…
Dean is broken. Sam barely holds on. I feel another article coming on, gosh where is the time when you need it!!!
I need a liquor store. I wish I could get drunk now. Take care, Jas
Given my penchant for sad endings, these last two episodes have been right up my alley, but man, they have been brutal. And no break on the horizon, it seems like.
I enjoyed this episode. I thought it was solid, and though it’s really hard to see Dean this way, I’m kind of glad they finally showed how his state of mind is affecting his work. Because honestly, I don’t know how you could care about anything in that frame of mind.
The part that killed me the most, though, was Dean’s line about “when I do picture myself happy, it’s with you and the kid.” I really hope he gets that chance because he asks for so little in life. Sam too, for that matter, but at least he got to experience domestic bliss for a while with Jessica, long ago and painful though it may be.
But things are only going to get worse before they get better, it seems.
Overall thought last week was pretty good – though not enough Winchester for my taste 😉 Cannot wait for tonight!