I’m gonna warn right now. If you haven’t seen tonight’s episode, “Of Grave Importance†you might not want to read this. We will be discussing the episode and revealing plot details. You have been warned!
Even though there were some wonderful parts in “Of Grave Importance,†I’m afraid to say the episode was a mixed bag. Before digging in though, let's jump to the oh so shallow goodness. A Dean shower scene!!! The only thing that was missing was more soap. Oh, and a flimsier shower curtain, but I’ll digress. We haven’t had this since season three, so I’m counting my blessings in droves. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
(thanks to sweetondean for the prompt photo)
Also, Bobby is back! Yay! I was so elated to see him on the screen. This ghost life hasn't been easy, but it's great he could learn things like being zen from his own kind. It all turned out to be a valuable lesson.
I so wish I could gush over the rest, but alas no. Once again, the flow of the episode was choppy and the scenes just didn’t blend well together. The editing again was too hurried, didn’t take time to properly build the suspense and take advantage of what should have been a creepy ghost story. Actually, it wasn’t a well done ghost story at all. For one, it's completely depressing that the helpful ghosts got killed off. What’s wrong with a happy outcome for some of these beings once in a while? Reward for breaking pattern and being helpful? I’ll stop there though, because there’s plenty more here to stir up a good debate.
The story was Bobby and Annie’s, and their time together was great. It was nice to see Bobby on a hunt again and with someone that he had great spark and chemistry with. She also could relate to the ghost predicament which was very helpful. The scene when Annie was overcome by the site of her body, choosing to move on, was just beautiful. Oh, and she once up on a time banged Bobby, Dean, and Sam (soulless)??? Man, she got around. Is that what female hunters do? I must say, I don’t blame her with the brothers. I’d get into the hunting life for that. What did you all think of Annie?
The ending bummed me out completely. I get where Sam and Dean are coming from, sort of. They had a right to be shocked. And dismayed. After all, it probably took everything they had to say goodbye to Bobby. However, I’m a little confused. In their conversations in both “The Slice Girls†and “Party On, Garth,†Sam and Dean decided that it wasn’t Bobby because they didn’t want to set themselves up for disappointment. At least that’s the impression I got. Am I wrong in this assumption? They even showed the comment in the preview, "It's not Bobby because we want it to be." They now find out it is Bobby and they’re concerned about the natural order? Didn’t that cross their minds during all that time when they were debating that Bobby was still around? They’re hunters that are all too familiar with ghosts, why didn’t that come up in prior conversations?
I accept that they were probably feeling some very mixed emotions at the time, but that’s a complete 180 from “this can’t be real.†They have been burned in their lives by fighting the natural order, but how can they be hard on Bobby taking that route when they’ve done it themselves countless times? I need more time to analyze this, but a few things didn’t add up to me. What do you make of Sam and Dean’s reaction?
Do you think Bobby made the right decision to stick around and help Sam and Dean? (Responses of “They shouldn’t have killed Bobby to begin with,†cannot be used). I loved Dean’s line that Bobby could have been in Heaven having a beer at Harvelle’s. That’s a complete turn around of Dean being there in Heaven himself and not liking how it wasn’t real. What about the foreshadowing that Bobby being a Ghost won’t end well? Bobby did mention that his life wasn’t any good, so why should his death be? He knew the risks, so didn't he have that right to choose?
Also, Sam and Dean couldn’t see Bobby before the whole episode, then he gets zapped by evil ghost dude, wakes up, and suddenly he can be seen by them? That didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I’ll entertain all theories on how that happened. Perhaps I’m missing something in ghost mechanics.
I’ll also entertain theories why after the conversation in “The Slice Girls†when Dean speculated that Bobby was attached to the flask, Sam didn’t put two and two together then and realize the flask wasn’t around when he contacted Bobby? Sam does miss things from time to time, but he’s not that slow. I especially find it weird since this episode and “The Slice Girls†were written by the same writers. Did they not check their own continuity? Or were they taking the fall for Adam Glass missing continuity in the last episode? Either way, it seems kind of sloppy to me.
I need a rewatch before I can form totally coherent opinions, but other than moving the Bobby situation forward, not a lot happened. Again, I was hoping for something a little more emotional when the boys and Bobby were reunited. I get that the shock was too much though for that to happen, but that doesn’t change that cheated feeling. When the most emotional moment of the episode came from a ghost seeing her body, something might be off.
Time to speculate away! While speculating, share what you thought about the episode overall.
Comments
That's an interesting point about Sam's line. I'll have to check out that scene again. I did like the ep overall, but not love.
As for the boys' reaction at the end, to me, it falls into the "watch what you wish for" category. Yes, all this time they secretly hoped that Bobby was there helping them as a ghost but only as an option that it was not done willing. He somehow got trapped into this world. What they found out instead was that he willingly chose this path. That is why they are cross with him. It's not "naturally" done this way . . . and by this time in their lives, the boys who have bucked the natural order of things more than once themselves know that nothing good comes out of things going against the "natural" order.
Overall, I thought is was a good episode . . . and I introduced both my parents to Supernatural for the first time tonight so I was kind of glad it was mostly filler and I did not have to try to explain leviathans to them . . . it was tough enough explaining the ghost rules to them.
That's so true, it did seem to be a "watch what your wish for" scenario.
I hope your folks liked it! I can't get mine to watch. I wouldn't want to try and explain everything to them. That's why they watch procedurals.
Think of it like Cas having to 'touch it' (a little part of Bobby's soul in Frontierland). The powerful villian ghost was touching Bobby when he was salted and burned and all or some of his power was transferred to Bobby, ah la! Bobby's now so powerful that he was visible to Sam and Dean...
Yeah, I know.
I certainly didn't hate this though. It's nice to see a ghost episode from the perspective of a ghost, especially one we've been missing lately.
Dean and Heaven. Well, even though Dean has expressed his distaste with Heaven I don't think he begrudges anyone else the enjoyment. I would hazard to guess that since his conversation with Pamela in "Dark Side of the Moon" that he realizes Heaven is good for most people. Just not good for Dean himself. Plus, I feel like what Dean really wants is rest and peace for Bobby. After everything they've been through. His anger at the end could stem from the fact that Dean can't believe Bobby choosing to stay instead of giving himself rest, like what Annie said she wanted.
I also agree the episode was a little all over the place. It wasn't bad, and it'll certainly get many rewatches from me just to see those two boys faces again when they realize Bobby is really, truly there; and of course when they see him.
As for Bobby being visible somehow? I'm gonna go with the fact that since the evil ghost guy (whose name I've totally forgotten already) was "killing" ghost Bobby when he got salted and burned, some of his "power", as Victoria called it, transferred to Bobby and he now has a lot more control over his "ghostness".
I can't wait for my iTunes download so I can rewatch the episode. The sound on The CW is so crappy and for some reason both J's have taken to mumbling their lines on occasion so I missed some of the dialogue. Plus, it always takes a few views before I have a real opinion on an episode. But again, overall I enjoyed it, it's not one of the best eps, but it's so much better than that string of bad early s7 eps (eps 3, 4, 5 I'm looking at you).
In "The Slice Girls" Dean implied that Bobby was attached to the flask. He waved it at Sam. In "Party On, Garth" Sam said he did the talking board after that beer disappeared. What I'm trying to figure out is why didn't it click in "The Slice Girls" then that he wasn't successful because the flask wasn't there. I say it's because Adam Glass didn't do his homework! There just seems to be a disconnect with the way those facts have been presented. I'll go back and examine those scenes for the review and see if I missed anything.
I'm with you on the sound. It was bad. I end up hearing so many things differently when I get it on iTunes.
I liked this ep, but I haven't figured out where it ranks yet.
I think the show was trying to correct the impression that Bobby loved Dean best, so they explained away why Sam hasn't been connected to that story (the talking board and Sam not being in any scenes where Bobby was trying to show himself to Dean.
The reason I think that is because in past years, ghosts did not have to stay in the one place where their 'object' was. They were running all over towns killing people in their quest of 'unfinished business.' Now, all of a sudden, they are confined to the place where their object of attachment (the way they are able to stay here and not move on).
And why is it that Annie did not meet her reaper yet? Unexplained and made no sense.
I think Sam and Dean have accepted breaking the natural order for themselves, but they don't want anyone else to suffer for them. They've suffered a lot from being resurrected/buc king the natural order and know a lot of pain is going to come from it. (Though it could also be that Death's lesson from AIS has sunk in.)
I also think there's the fact that it's like having to start mourning for Bobby all over again, knowing the inevitable fate of a ghost. They were nearly catatonic that first week after Bobby's death and now they might have to go through it again? I'm not surprised there's some anger/frustrati on flying around as a defense mechanism, particularly from Dean.
As for Dean's reaction I took it as character growth over the last 7 years. He's said in the past that if he had the chance he would have gone with Tessa the reaper he also said he wouldn't have brought Sam back as well.
He doesn't want Bobby to suffer they know what happens to Angry Ghosts. So unless Castiel Angel's up and brings Bobby back to life, he needs to be put to rest for good.
I liked Annie, funny as hell she did all 3 of them, can't blame her I totally would if I could. =) I was sad she was dead though, wish she stayed around alive that is.
But overall I enjoyed the episode nice good ole fashion ghost hunt :)
I'm giving Sam the benefit of the doubt that his brain has been pretty scrambled most the year. And maybe he didn't want to think to much about it because it might get his hopes up. (It's probably a bit of a continuity error honestly but not really enough to bother me).
I liked Annie too, especially that moment when she sees her body. I would of liked her to have scenes with the boys too, especially given she'd had uh relations with ALL THREE of them (which is wrong and funny-I agree the boys I understand I mean how many women could resist-but Bobby-I love me some Bobby but...Then again I'm glad he got a little something something).
I think it fits perfectly within Bobby's character to stick around and help his boys. I wasn't sure if this ghost Bobby would be end up being a jump the shark type of thing for me, but I thought it worked nicely. Oh, the only seeing him at the end I thought was because he'd absorbed some of that guys energy, since that is what the guy had been doing to other ghosts and when they burned as he was doing it to Bobby it had a backlash effect.
I didn't really find the episode creepy really (I didn't really care that the ghost were taken out they didn't really seem that happy-hopefully their at peace now like Annie). I agree the editing has been an issue in a few episodes recently.
But I did enjoy it (and it is a definite rewatch-in fact already have)because the focus for me was on the relationships and Bobby. And they did have several little moments in there. Is it pathetic of me that I loved when Dean grabbed Sam and yell his name when he was in danger? And them in the restaurant talking about Annie (the look on Sam's face when he admit had sex with her too was precious). And I loved that whole scene where Dean's in the shower (no towel only scene was a miss for me-but even wet Dean is very nice) and finding the message on the mirror.
So it hit a lot of beats for me. I'm hoping the next one hits even more I'd like some more emotional scene with Bobby and the boys too, but I thoroughly enjoy this one. I give it a 8.5 probably.
I really enjoyed the episode. I loved that it was a ghost hunt and that we saw things from the ghost perspective. It felt like an episode from the early seasons - a huge plus point in my eyes as I'm someone who considers S1-3 to be the classic years.
Loved all the Bobby and Annie scenes. I'd have liked to have seen more of Annie, I wish she'd been introduced at an earlier time in the series so we could have seen her a few times before she got killed off.
I loved that the boys worked together and didn't separate in this episode and that they weren't doing their Fed routine.
This episode had my emotions going up and down like a yo-yo. For example the restaurant scene was fabulous, Sam's face when he talked about his 'encounter' with Annie was priceless
The last scene was so sad, I loved Sam wondering if maybe they could make it all work, he looked so very little brothery in that scene. Dean's ever so resigned 'what are the odds it ends well' was so gut wrenchingly ominous.
Poor Bobby. Poor boys.
My impression is that Dean did want Bobby around but was upset that Bobby CHOSE to stay. If Bobby had gotten stuck then Dean might have been more understanding, but Bobby deliberately messed with the "natural order". I think this played into Dean's "what's dead should stay dead (unless it's Sam)" mentality. I think Dean prefers to be in control of the situation and in this case, Bobby was in control.
I'm guessing that Bobby could be seen after the tussle with the head ghost either because he gained mojo from the ghost or that when the ghost pulled his ghost force from his body he became able to be seen. Certainly it seemed to be related to Bobby being attacked by the head ghost.
There were lots of holes in the plot. Not only the non-explanation of how Bobby was seen, but also why the ghosts were trapped in the house. When Bobby and Annie entered the guarded room I was certain they were going to find a spell that kept Reapers out of the house. Then they would break the spell and all the ghosts would have a chance to choose to move on, but no, I guess the bad ghost was just that powerful. I like the Reaper barricade idea better, myself.
On the upside I liked Annie and Bobby was amusing. I actually felt the brotherly bond in this one. Sam and Dean were actually working together and in synch. So YAY! for that.
All in all I thought this was charming and amusing and needed tweaking to make it come together a little better. I do wish that the helpful ghost hadn't been brutally murdered, but then it turned out that her bones had been burned and in the end that's pretty much what they did to all the ghosts, minus the pulling of their energy first.
I think this is an episode that I will enjoy if I don't examine it too closely. Nice brother interaction, some fun dialog, a couple of good female characters and plot holes you could drive, well not a truck, but a small wagon through.
And the guy(sorry can't remember his name) said something about keeping them here- I'm assuming he meant the ghosts. So I got the impression that he somehow trapped the souls from moving on.
The moment where she bore her soul about her loneliness etc was really poignant and also had shades of Dean in it. (And I guess she’s learned the hard way why it’s best to hunt with a partner). I’d still class her more of a strawberry blonde than a redhead though.
The final scene shows that, to a certain extent the boys are back in their old roles. Sam is hopeful that this crazy thing will work (though whether he was saying it for Dean’s or his own benefit, I don’t know) and Dean is almost endorsing being dead (I can feel the depression being cranked up after this...). His look of incredulity when Bobby says that he chose this and also his reference to being ‘stuck here’ is hugely telling. Way to enjoy life, dude. And I’m sure Dean’s guilt for not being thrilled that Bobby is back is going to sit heavy with him as well.
Dean does have a fair point. What are the odds it’ll end well because it never ends well for those guys. For the most part, all the good intentions they’ve had over the years have ended up arseways. Bobby’s look at the end is equally as interesting as Sam and Dean’s comments. Is he disappointed that Sam and Dean aren’t thrilled he’s back? Is he, only now, thinking of how this might truly end? I think Annie’s spiel about loneliness and being ready for some peace hit him hard. Even now that he can make himself visible again it’s still going to be a hugely lonely, and awkward, existence for Bobby.
Actually it’s going to be really awkward for Sam and Dean as well. Imagine knowing that there’s always someone watching, popping up at will. ‘Me time’ will be a thing of the past....
Bobby went from angry to being Zenned up pretty quickly. Now, I guess he could do yoga and meditate and stuff because he seems like a well-travelled and pretty open minded kinda guy but even with that, it’s very quick. In one moment he wasn’t able to move a coin yet in the time it took Dean to take a shower he was able to solidify himself enough to write him a message. Either Bobby is a very quick learner or Dean takes really long showers.
Some quick thoughts before I go back to bed (or get up for the day).
Ghost Bobby is kinda stroppy.
Anyone with a good enough screen could probably get Dean’s phone number from that shot of Annies phone on the ground.
When Dean was reading the message on the mirror he was wearing a towel (well, either that or towel coloured jeans).
There’s an emergency to get to the graveyard in order to burn the Van Ness bones so Sam and Dean walk to the crypt and then gently tap away at the headstone. I know ‘More haste, less speed’ but any hope of finding second gear there, lads??
The curator in the museum talks like Dumbledore.
Did Dean call for ‘Slimer’ when he was in the house?? That’s so funny. I wonder if those guys used ‘Ghostbusters ’ as a kind of training manual?
Seriously, you’re going to go into an old house where there have been several deaths/disappea rances/whatever , fill the place up with lighted candles and then get to getting it on on a filthy couch? Have all teenagers got a death wish or something. I think I'm going to put a ladder against a wall, crack a pavement under it and get a black cat to walk over and back in front of it and then sell tickets to all teenagers. Let then get their kicks that way.
Sam and Dean in a real restaurant with a tablecloth and real cutlery was so cool! Beats a greasy diner top. And Dean’s ‘Are we being stood up?’ was hilarious. Seriously, is being dead any excuse for standing up Sam and Dean?
Seems there is a hell of a lot more to ghosts than we originally thought. Might be cool to explore that more. I wonder if Bobby, knowing what he know now, will be able to kill ghosts now. Actually, when you think about it, it's really not that surprising that there are so many ghosts around. I dare say that if I had an untimely death and a reaper came looking for me to go with him/her I'd be like 'Hell, no', especially if you don't know where you're going.
Did Van Ness do the hand in the chest thing to Sam? And seriously, there has to be some health related side effects to that.
How did Annie have Dean's number if Dean went underground? Did he not take a bit of Franks advice on board??
‘You know she and Bobby had a thing, right?’ Sam, you are such an auld woman for the gossip! And ‘I didn’t have a soul?’ (cue rueful grin) is the best excuse ever. Actually, that whole scene was pure gold.
Dean did not, in fact, get a haircut.
Sam did not, in fact, eat the taco. I was a little excited to think we’d see him eat something that wasn’t green and stalky but alas no.
If (when) Bobby decides to pass on, there is going to be a string of women there waiting for him. That could get awkward.
And.... the curator had (not entirely obviously but I saw it and I wear glasses) cold fog breath.
Quote:He probably called her and at least left a message when Sam was dying in the insane asylum. He went through all of Bobby's contacts.
Quote: Ditto!!!
I'm thrilled you loved the episode. It honestly wasn't a bad one. I had a few questions afterward and it sounds like there are many great answers here! I love the way fans see things.
First off, I like a good old haunting episode, and I thought this one had an earlier season feel to it. Despite the screwed up canon and lots of little stuff that could be talked about, I thought it was a solid episode. I liked Annie and how they handled the two Winchesters under her belt angle.
For the first time this season, I was moved. In the ending scene, Dean was clearly absolutely devastated that Bobby is hanging around and JA acted it beautifully. Dean knows nothing good ever comes from the Supernatural.
In fact, I thought in the scenes between Dean and Bobby that the looks they were giving each other were ominous, not to mention the dialogue between Annie and Bobby. Yes, all was presented as being heartwarming, including the music cues, but that wasn't matching the acting that was going on between the two of them. I don't know if this will go anywhere coherent or not -- there is not a lot of coherency these days.
So, I liked the episode, but I am still one super pissed off lady because: the one consistent story that has been told this season is Bobby's and Bobby is a support character! Sam's story is over. I don't know now whether Dean had a story or not. Was he drinking because of his depression over Bobby? Well, Bobby is dead, but he's not gone. Was he drinking because the flask had to be in the show so Bobby's ghost story could play out? Is Dean just a tool for the Bobby story like Sam was a tool for the re-introduction of Cas?
We've had three Bobby-centric episodes now (it took 2 to kill him off), and there's the Becky episode, the Garth episode, a Buffy alum episode, and Cas had two pretty much Cas devoted episodes. Now, we all knew the last episodes would be somewhat Sam light, because babies are the bosses and that's the way it should be, but why in the hell couldn't the show use this opportunity to focus on Dean and a story, instead of a support character. It's not like I haven't waited many, many years for one.
Yes, I liked the episode, but I also think that it could not have been clearer that when Bobby is around, the brothers become Bobby apprentices. As long as Bobby is around, the Winchester boys will never reach full adulthood and become the best hunters on the planet. They will never reach the level of Dead-Eye-Shot-I n-The-Dark JediBobby. They will never be as smart as good ole Bobby. Bobby needs to go away permanently -- Sorry, Jim, you're a great guy.
P.S. Who didn't love Dean's shower hair? And where's the damned Impala?
On the negative side - I don't understand why reapers didn't come into this house. If the bad ghost had some power to keep spirits from moving on, that should have been part of the episode. I thought the dialogue seemed a little stiff. And Bobby was wrong when he said that Sam and Dean slowed down after he left - they slowed down long before that. This was Sam and Dean (especially Sam) dumbed down to embarassing levels.
One other part that I did like was Sam and Dean's reaction to Bobby's decision. It felt more real than their previous hopeful tone, given all they had seen. Something to consider is that Sam and Dean have never been comfortable with people making sacrifices for them. Remembering Dean's reaction when he realized John had sacrificed himself for him, and Sam's reaction when he realized Dean had sacrificed himself, it makes sense that the news that Bobby was in a bad place because of them would trigger a mixed reaction.
One final point - this episode was like a lot of others this season that showed Dean really being the lead on the case. He was the one speaking with most of the other characters, and he was the only one we really got a strong reaction from about Bobby's decision. I'm tired of Sam being wallpaper or just the research guy.
EDIT: Sorry to bring this topic up again. I know it's been covered to death. Sam's passivity just really bothered me in this one (and several others this season). I just went through the episode again noting the types of comments. Whereas Dean initiates all of the action with comments like lets get rolling or time to burn his bones, Sam mostly asks questions (which makes him look a little slow) or makes observations about research. Dean has the phone calls with Annie, is contacted by Bobby, pushes the serious issues with Bobby, and even walks a couple of steps ahead of Sam a couple of times. Dean's written as the stereotypical male, and Sam's written as the female in this relationship. It's these subtle cues that most people wouldn't even notice that lead to the impression that this is Dean's story. And it wasn't always like this. Sam used to initiate a lot in the earlier seasons. It was more of an equal partnership back then.
I must say I liked the scene when Bobby walks into the house with the boys and he sees all the ghosts and introduces himself "Hi I'm Bobby and I'm a ghost, here for a little ghost orientation", he even introduced himself in French, "Je m'appelle Bobby"! LOL.
I think Ginger mentioned it first, and I agree with her on this, I think the boys finally see Bobby after Van Ness tries to kill him because some of his ethereal mojo got transferred to Bobby. As for Dean's reaction to Bobby deciding to stick around after death, it had a little of "beware what you wish for" quality to it. He so wanted Bobby to be around, but he's also sorry that he is because who better than hunters to know what happens to ghosts after some time. Hell, even that ghost in the house told Bobby what happens to ghosts that stick around for too long.
That last scene between Sam & Dean in the car was quite sad. Sam is trying to be an optimist about Bobby still being around and Dean is talking about the natural order of things. I'm thinking Death really got to Dean when he told him in "Appointment in Samarra" what happens when you mess with the natural order. That's all the Winchesters ever do, and it never has a very good outcome. It'll be interesting to see how TPTB handle having ghost Bobby around and for how long.
In parting I want to thank Tim the Enchanter for making me spew my coffee with this line: Plus, another woman that Sam slept with died. Some things never change. Speculation for next season; Sam joins a monastery. The female population will be devastated, but somewhat relieved.
Quote:
Sam trying to be optimistic may also be him showing concern for Dean. I thought that scene showed Dean absolutely devastated, because both Dean and Sam know what happens to ghosts and that they will have to burn the flask. Now, it may not be until the end of S8, but this episode left no room for a ghost not turning vengeful.
That may be Dean's story for S8 -- angsting between not wanting to burn the flask and knowing he should burn it. (God, I hope not another emo Dean story!) It may end up being that Dean just can't do it and Sam has too. That's what family is for, after all, making those hard decisions... like the Amy thing, given to the other brother.
Although that is something I hope Carver changes -- remakes of the same stories with the other brother.
Alice: May I ask a rather odd question? Is it just me or do the current SPN episodes "LOOK" different? This is hard to explain but visually, when I look at episodes from early seasons and compare them to the "look" of current seasons, there just seems to be a total change. I don't know how to express this clearly - but to me, it's like the camera just captures the action as it happens in front of it.
It feels very simplistic, very straightforward - where in early episodes, the camera work seemed much more considered and tremendously added to my visual experience. Early episodes were kind of "grainy" and that really added to the overall tone of the show. Now it feels too "smooth", too canned - and much more lack luster. Someone else mentioned that they are putting too much make-up on Dean and that she liked it better when she could see Jensen's natural freckles. And that is a part of this, too. In the beginning there seemed to be an attempt to make the boys seem natural, like real people. (Granted they were GORGEOUS "real" people, but you get my point!) Now it looks like I am watching movie stars portraying "real" people.
Am I making any sense?
I only find this true for SPN. If I switch the channel to Fringe, the quality is good. I don't notice a problem with Nikita either. When I watch those SPN episodes on my laptop, they look much better. Although I don't watch the older SPN episodes very often on my TV set, I don't recall having the same issue with them. I've been wondering why this is.
In season four, the show switched to using digital cameras. Seasons 1-3 were shot on 35mm film cameras. That changed the look somewhat. The type of cameras they were using still had somewhat of a grainy quality to them a little, especially the studio cameras. They didn't have the clarity that the location cameras did. They also didn't handle lower light very well.
In season six (and seven), they started shooting with the Arriflex Alexa digital cameras. That really changed things. Those cameras work more like traditional film, but they have a clarity to them that you don't get with regular film. They can do a lot more with them. They are used on location and in the studio. That has affected things a lot, because the grainy quality is all but gone now. They have changed the visual experience for sure. Because of these high quality cameras and HD, the makeup artists have to really make the boys look pretty now. Every single little flaw shows up now.
Hopefully that answers the question!
Did they also change camera men? I mean, I just don't see the same kind of effort into producing visually stunning moments . . . like right off the top of my head: remember right after Sam & Dean just left Lenore's house and they were talking over the roof of the Impala? Sam got in and the camera locked on Dean staring back at Lenore's house with a gorgeous sun halo effect. OR When Sam & Dean had Gabriel trapped in a holy oil fire circle in that giant warehouse and the camera pulled way back to show a perfect reflection in the pool of water on the warehouse floor. Those are just two examples off the top of my head but they typify the style of camera work we see in earlier episodes. I don't see that anymore. Now it seems to be straight on "just capture a clear image" photography with no artistic images. I find that to be lack luster and boring.
Know what I mean?
There have been some visually stunning moments in later seasons. The one that comes to mind for me is from "Frontierland" with Sam and Dean in the graveyard. That was an iconic shot. There was another one in "Family Matters" I think with the sunrise coming up over a barn that was just amazing.
What you're probably seeing is a change in the tone from the editing. I'm not sure what's going on there, but this season in particular, the editing has been very choppy. They haven't really been going for those glory shots after the big scenes. I've noticed scenes aren't hanging on particular shots as long as they used to either. They've been guilty of cutting back and forth too much in a frenzy. I think that's why some of the emotion has been lost, but I'm sure that's not the only reason. Writing plays a role in that too. I'm working on a editing comparison article, but it likely won't be ready until Summer Hellatus now.
I read that they're trying to cut down 46 minutes worth of first cut into 40 to 42 minutes in the editing room. If that's happening every episode, no wonder the editing has been shotty. That's too much chopping to do justice to the story. I don't know if they've done that in prior seasons. Either way, maybe if they tried to balance out the scripts a little better, that wouldn't be a problem. But again, that's me not having a lot of inside info, just going off of interviews I've read and what I'm seeing visually.
Could it be that's what you're seeing?
After reading your explanation I believe that is exactly correct. It isn't a change in camera work, it's a change in editing that for me is significantly eroding the overall effectiveness of recent episodes.
Thank you for bringing things in to focus for me, Alice!
from what i saw , i liked this episode but not loving it. i think the problem with these episodes is that they have too many story-lines right now , and they kinda messed up of fix them all together in a not-rushing way. i'm with you on that "editing" thing , i guess it totally ruined the scene where bobby was getting zapped by the ghost-killer and dean and sam were trying to find the bones and yada yada. it was too rushed! i mean i was like : no bobby! please stay and then BOOM! they burned the bones! it was like 20 seconds!
other than that , i do agree with dean , because he loves bobby and he doesn't want bobby to suffer like he did. he is not supposed to be here because of John's deal , and now he still feels sorry for being brought back like this . but i don't think that he would say the same thing about Sam! maybe natural order doesn't work for dean when its sam's death we're talking about!
any who , great review with important points.
I like Annie. She reminded me of a younger Ellen. And getting with both our boys? My hat is off to you, lady. I enjoyed seeing her and Bobby work the case together. She figured out in a few hours where the skeletons in the closet were, so to speak, when the hooker ghost didn't know after how many years? Bless her fancy lady heart.
I am beyond happy to have Bobby back and helping the boys. I don't think it's at all unusual to want something that you know you shouldn't, and then be conflicted when you get it. And of course knowing Dean, he probably feels guilty and is blaming himself for Bobby not being at peace.
So we had a ghost story with a twist, a cool lady hunter, the return of Bobby, some brotherly moments (in the restaurant - "are we getting stood up?". And the conversation in the car), the setup to a very satisfying Leviathan resolution to come, and lots of emotion, which for me is what this show does best. Did it end on a depressing note? Sure. But Dean is not going to stay mad at Bobby long, and Bobby has a long way to go before he turns, and as we all know, with this show, anything can happen.
I agree with you, Alice. The writing isn't consistent, but I don't think it's this set of writers fault. I believe that Glass may be the one who made the error. His error wasn't corrected. Continuity has suffered on the show and mainly with his episodes. Also, I find him to be a lack luster writer. I was very hopeful last year since he came with such great credentials, but now I know that he is my least favorite. I also find that the something is missing with the editing. Lately, I have found that to be sloppy too. Too much of the good stuff is being left on the editing room floor. The stories are suffering because of it.
I did like the shower scene. I did find it strange that Dean left the door open. I thought the door should have been cracked. Oh....and to answer someone else's comment from above....Dean likes long showers. Check out Bugs! He was in that shower most of the night! Sam was quite irritated with him when he went to get him out of the bathroom. Sam pounded on the bathroom door in order to get him out of that shower!
Annie reminded me of Ellen. Both were women with a lot of spit fire! I wasn't surprised about Bobby's attraction. I was a little surprised at Dean and Sam's attraction to her. I guess it might be that fox hole syndrome. And if that's the case, then did Anna and Cas experience the same since they were in the same fox hole for many, many years??? Just wondering....
ANNIE: Very, very, very lucky girl to have had 'foxhole' moments with Sam, Dean, and Bobby. I envy her.
BOBBY: Maybe his new situation will be used as a tool to deal with the Leviathans? After all, they're both denizens of the Other Side now. Also, I think some of Van Ness' powers moved into Bobby--which could be useful in the fight against the Leviathans.
DEAN & SAM: great acting, as usual. Although we could have done with a more extended, sheer-shower-cu rtain scene.
WHAT HAPPENS TO GHOSTS (after staying too long on earth): Reminds me of a Wincest fiction I read in 2010. In that fiction, Dean died after saving Ben in S2(?) and became a ghost. As a ghost, he still helped Sam, but it was clear that, had he remained a ghost, he would eventually become a murderous, crazy one--from loneliness and not being able to communicate with those who live.