Could've used a few pounds
Tight pants points hardly reknown
She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes
And points all her own sitting way up high
Way up firm and high
Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevy
Workin' on mysteries without any clues…
Okay everybody, join in! Workin’ on our Night Moves…
You know that I couldn’t get that song out of my head last night. Dancing and singing along to it while getting ready for bed, just like I did when it first came out in the late 70’s when I was a kid growing up in the Detroit area. Bob Seger was our hometown boy so that was a very big song in my childhood. Yes, there were a lot of night moves in the Motor City for sure. Writer Robbie Thompson is from the Detroit area too, so he knows what that song means.
Wow. What can I say? I’m still having numerous happy fan girl fits over how great “Baby” was. How brilliant is the idea to do the whole episode from the point of view inside those four doors? The whole episode felt like we were right there for the whole adventure, as if we were an exclusive member of the family. It was an exciting and emotional ride. There's a certain comfort that comes with the Impala. She’s just as much our rock and our comfort as Sam and Dean’s. I love the Men of Letters bunker, don’t get me wrong, but adventures should always include Baby. Baby breathes life and personality and is truly an SPN Family home.
But the episode thrilled my inner critic as well. It’s one of the best episodes of the series, and definitely the best episode of the post Kripke era. “Baby” was more than an episode. It was a grand and bold achievement in filmmaking. Every single scene pushed the envelope and took us into territory we had never seen before, but it still managed to stick with the core premise, family. It reminded me why I fell in love with “Supernatural.” Two brothers, a classic car, and the open road. There was humor, camaraderie, heart to heart talks, MOTW action, and in the end three battered and bloodied heroes that saved the day drive off in the distance to the next adventure. That is "Supernatural" in a nutshell.
“Baby” could have easily failed, but luckily “Supernatural” has the right minds that are willing to take on a creative challenge. Robbie Thompson wrote an epic script, but the script isn’t what sells the episode. It’s the entire production. The acting and editing was extraordinary. There wasn’t a musical score in this episode, adding to the realistic feel of two guys on a road trip because it took away the melodrama, leaving only the classic rock in the background to enhance parts of the story. When the brothers talked, the conversations were earnest and real.
But the real coup came from director Thomas J. Wright, who took shooting scenes to whole new level. How so much story could be captured in the confines of the indoor car space is beyond me, but it was an epic achievement. That limitation opened up extraordinary possibilities. The opening car wash scene is brilliant. While I smile at the visual of Dean washing his car in shorts, this is Baby’s POV. She doesn’t notice Sam and Dean in gratuitous ways. No, she just enjoys the suds and the water from the hose as both her companions take care of her and talk shop. It’s a family thing, and she is every bit a Winchester as Sam and Dean.
Wright with his creative vision went places that I didn’t think was even possible. Because of the limited POV we got longer scenes. That also added to the realism of the situation, because we weren’t cutting back and forth to the B plot in real life. The fight sequences were long and that let us see more of the schematics. Surprisingly, that just made the sequences more entertaining. I loved watching what Dean went through when dealing with a severed head and body of a monster that won't quit. When watching the whole thing play out, it's really quite madcap.
Misha Collins was absolutely great in this episode and he literally "phoned it in" (credit for that joke goes to Misha himself). The framing was ideal! Castiel talked lore through the phone, which was sitting on the dash while we watched through the back window Dean have with his encounter with the monster Deputy. While Dean struggled in the background from a surprise attack, the main focus falls Castiel and the phone. It's hilarious! It drastically changed the way a fight sequence is done. Oh, but it is also the perfect setup for a Dean Winchester zinger. "I did shoot the Deputy." Nice shoutout to "Jus In Bello”!
But it didn’t end there. It just kept spiraling. The head ended up on the hood of the car pressed against the windshield, staring and hissing at Dean. No problem, one click of the windshield wipers takes care of that! But thanks to brainstorming with Castiel, the head can’t stay on the ground near the body. So let the trusty green cooler have some action too! Dean not only finds a place to put the head, but also gets a nice picture to send to Castiel. Yes, that’s a lot to take in for one scene, and it’s all perfect.
Think about it, exactly how do you shoot fight scenes inside a 67 Chevy? I have no idea how they pulled it off, but those were easily two of the best fight sequences we’ve ever gotten. The choreography was inspired and no doubt it involved a lot of perfect timing and coordination. I found it really smart to hide a lot of the violence by showing Dean punch his attackers with the seat obscuring the view. Again, it's the way Baby sees things, with less brutality but she still gets what's happening behind the scenes. Ditto with the earlier scene with Sam and his female guest. We get to imagine what happened behind that seat because that’s the way Baby sees it. I know that doesn’t help fan girls who wish for shirtless scenes, but this wasn’t the episode for that.
“Baby” proved once and for all it isn’t all doom and melodrama for these brothers. They still take little pit stops to questionable places for R&R. They still pick up diner waitresses and get laid in the back of the Impala. They still needle one other for their exploits through the use of classic rock. These brothers may have been through a lot, but they aren’t dead.
The only thing about the “Night Moves” scene that would have been more perfect is if we saw them singing more of the song together. I won’t quibble though for I’m doing back flips with excitement over what I got. I can’t believe that Sam had never used the back seat of the Impala for “personal release” before, or at least in the company of Dean. He was actually afraid Dean would get mad, but no, big bro went another way. This is the taunting and fun loving big brother we adore, breaking out the appropriate cassette tape to both show his pride and to give baby bro a hard time. I love that because of his exploits “Sammy” has graduated to “Samuel.” It’s Dean’s way of announcing baby brother is a man now. It’s funny too, because he got back the same correction, “Sam.” While Dean is pontificating the words of the greatest writer in rock (amen to the choice of Mr. Seger), Sam gets the snappy comeback.
Sam (singing along with the song): Out in the backseat of my brother’s 67 Chevy. “You started it.”
Together: “Working on our Night Moves…” Thud, happy convulsions, me.
“God helps those who help themselves.” For one, thank you Mr. Thompson for reminding the world that Dean does indeed read. It’s an interesting use of the proverb since it’s supposed to be a statement of self-initiative. “John” responded to Sam saying that they’ve turned out okay, “That was on you boys, you did that, not me.” The message was clear, only Sam and Dean can stop The Darkness and Sam shouldn’t be waiting for signs or any kind of help. It is rather compelling evidence that its Lucifer, isn’t it? The “Who are you?” question means Sam knows something is up. Also, kudos again to Mr. Wright for the gradual close ups on the faces of Sam and “John” as they went back and forth. It really added something spooky, proving this isn't a normal thing.
Did Sam have a dream or a vision? One could easily argue that Lucifer is reaching out to Sam in his dreams. He’s done it before. Or maybe it’s Michael, of course I’m saying that just to make the twist less predictable. Or maybe it's both. Or maybe its God as Sam hopes. But we know that when any version of John Winchester shows up telling Sam what he wants to hear, that ain’t John Winchester. (Welcome back to SPN Matt Cohen!) The visions (or dreams, whatever we want to call it) mean that Sam is indeed getting help from the great beyond.
I loved the talk that happened afterward, when the brothers were settled into their bench seat beds for the evening. No doubt there have been hundreds of nights like that. The things that they have talked about. No, I can't imagine talking about dreams and visions are always the topic of discussion, but I like that it was a chance for them both to come clean with each other. I’m not surprised that Sam didn’t talk about being infected until now. Judging by his reaction to the dream, he was still trying to reconcile what happened in his own mind.
It's been a while since we've seen both of them address at length (and I LOVED that it was a long conversation) fears and feelings about the current situation. Sam is clearly turning to faith while Dean believes they are alone in their mission to fix things. It's a call back to the epic journey of season two. It feels oh so right that Baby is there in the middle of it. Also, how interesting is it that Dean dreams the same dream about his Dad every so often and Sam dreams about Mary? Sam didn't know Mary. It explains while he feels so connected even though he never grew up with her.
This whole experience has Sam soul searching and the Impala chats in this episode really reinforced that. Maybe he was still buzzing over finally getting some after three years (??????) but is Sam truly wanting something more than the one night stand? How adorable was it that he offered his phone number to Piper? He truly isn’t a one night stand kind of guy, even if he knew what she wanted. This isn’t unlike Dean at the end of season five. Sam is hitting a certain age and has to think, “Is this all there is?” It’s a stark contrast to the “I love hunting” speech just a few episodes back (by the same writer nonetheless). I think he still plans to hunt, but maybe there is more to life than just hanging with your brother. He has needs. He did go back to the diner later when they were penny hunting and talk to the waitress during the first brilliant fight sequence in the car (was it the same one or someone else? I couldn’t tell).
You have to wonder about Dean too. I'm sure it felt really good for him to get out and “make mistakes” so to speak at another dive bar, but even he was hoping to find that specific companion. He was looking for his "Heather." It did get me wondering, what would it be like if Sam and Dean both tried to take on relationships while living the hunting life? Ask me a couple of years ago I would have never wanted to see that. But now, I'm wondering if it's a worthwhile experiment. I’d like to see them have more. No, I'm not talking about domestic bliss with a Lisa or Amelia. No, I'm talking about having normal companions that pop into the bunker once in a while. After all, Netflix only goes so far. A big twist to the dynamic really couldn’t hurt. But they have to save the world first. Again.
Yep, not a scene was out of place, not even the valet driver and her friend that decided to take a joy ride with Baby. It strangely ended up serving a purpose when the purse was lost in the back seat, a purse that just happened to have the copper pennies they needed. Do you think it was a twist of fate, a higher power intervening, or heck maybe even Baby herself? Whatever it was, it ended up saving Dean’s life, and technically Sam’s as well. It also makes you wonder how many stories Baby could tell if she could talk. How many times has a valet taken her for a joyride? Does she find such escapades thrilling, or they are what they are? How many of those backseat trysts have happened in her lifetime? What other adventures has she experienced when Sam and Dean weren't around, or even when they were sleeping in the Winchester motel? At 48 years old and counting, I'm sure there's a lot that she’s seen that no one will ever know.
Dean: Where’s the beer?
Sam: Underneath the smoothies.
Dean: Where’s the rest of the beer?
“Time heals all wounds, especially good times.” (Put that on a t-shirt!)
Sam: Even Swazye wouldn’t come to this place.
Dean: First off, don’t use Swazye’s name in vain.
“Oh, mistakes were made.”
“Don’t ‘Night Moves’ me.”
“Digging into the lore. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“Is everything a Bob Seger song to you?”
“When has death ever stopped a Winchester?”
“Welcome to the Winchester Motel. We don’t have cable, but we do have room service.” (Hands Sam a beer).
Sam: Goodnight Jerk.
Dean: Goodnight Bitch.
(Yes, that was the sound of millions of fangirls shrilling.)
“What’s a Netflix?” Or how about Castiel not processing how Orange can be the new Black? Dean’s comment on binging was too dead on.
Dean: Let’s go home.
Sam: You know what? (touches the dash). We are home.
“Baby” falls into “instant classic” territory, which is truly a rare thing for this show anymore. This is a “Mystery Spot.” This is “A Very Supernatural Christmas.” This is a “Changing Channels.” This is a “The French Mistake.” Overall grade, an A+. I do not give that grade lightly. I haven’t given that grade in years. As a matter of fact, the last one I gave was season eight’s “Sacrifice.” That was around the same time (slightly after) when Sam last got laid. Sam shouldn’t have gone that long and we shouldn’t have either. We have needs! Thank you, thank you SPN for this very precious gift.
But the episode thrilled my inner critic as well. It’s one of the best episodes of the series, and definitely the best episode of the post Kripke era. “Baby” was more than an episode. It was a grand and bold achievement in filmmaking. Every single scene pushed the envelope and took us into territory we had never seen before, but it still managed to stick with the core premise, family. It reminded me why I fell in love with “Supernatural.” Two brothers, a classic car, and the open road. There was humor, camaraderie, heart to heart talks, MOTW action, and in the end three battered and bloodied heroes that saved the day drive off in the distance to the next adventure. That is "Supernatural" in a nutshell.
“Baby” could have easily failed, but luckily “Supernatural” has the right minds that are willing to take on a creative challenge. Robbie Thompson wrote an epic script, but the script isn’t what sells the episode. It’s the entire production. The acting and editing was extraordinary. There wasn’t a musical score in this episode, adding to the realistic feel of two guys on a road trip because it took away the melodrama, leaving only the classic rock in the background to enhance parts of the story. When the brothers talked, the conversations were earnest and real.
But the real coup came from director Thomas J. Wright, who took shooting scenes to whole new level. How so much story could be captured in the confines of the indoor car space is beyond me, but it was an epic achievement. That limitation opened up extraordinary possibilities. The opening car wash scene is brilliant. While I smile at the visual of Dean washing his car in shorts, this is Baby’s POV. She doesn’t notice Sam and Dean in gratuitous ways. No, she just enjoys the suds and the water from the hose as both her companions take care of her and talk shop. It’s a family thing, and she is every bit a Winchester as Sam and Dean.
Wright with his creative vision went places that I didn’t think was even possible. Because of the limited POV we got longer scenes. That also added to the realism of the situation, because we weren’t cutting back and forth to the B plot in real life. The fight sequences were long and that let us see more of the schematics. Surprisingly, that just made the sequences more entertaining. I loved watching what Dean went through when dealing with a severed head and body of a monster that won't quit. When watching the whole thing play out, it's really quite madcap.
Misha Collins was absolutely great in this episode and he literally "phoned it in" (credit for that joke goes to Misha himself). The framing was ideal! Castiel talked lore through the phone, which was sitting on the dash while we watched through the back window Dean have with his encounter with the monster Deputy. While Dean struggled in the background from a surprise attack, the main focus falls Castiel and the phone. It's hilarious! It drastically changed the way a fight sequence is done. Oh, but it is also the perfect setup for a Dean Winchester zinger. "I did shoot the Deputy." Nice shoutout to "Jus In Bello”!
But it didn’t end there. It just kept spiraling. The head ended up on the hood of the car pressed against the windshield, staring and hissing at Dean. No problem, one click of the windshield wipers takes care of that! But thanks to brainstorming with Castiel, the head can’t stay on the ground near the body. So let the trusty green cooler have some action too! Dean not only finds a place to put the head, but also gets a nice picture to send to Castiel. Yes, that’s a lot to take in for one scene, and it’s all perfect.
Think about it, exactly how do you shoot fight scenes inside a 67 Chevy? I have no idea how they pulled it off, but those were easily two of the best fight sequences we’ve ever gotten. The choreography was inspired and no doubt it involved a lot of perfect timing and coordination. I found it really smart to hide a lot of the violence by showing Dean punch his attackers with the seat obscuring the view. Again, it's the way Baby sees things, with less brutality but she still gets what's happening behind the scenes. Ditto with the earlier scene with Sam and his female guest. We get to imagine what happened behind that seat because that’s the way Baby sees it. I know that doesn’t help fan girls who wish for shirtless scenes, but this wasn’t the episode for that.
Brotherly Bonding
“Baby” was a huge and long overdue reminder of what we love about this show, and a lot of is was accomplished through the one thing that works the most, the brotherly bond. Often as fans we speculate what sort of talk happens between the brothers in those long road trips. This gave us the perfect idea. Did anyone notice that the brothers didn’t arrive for the case until 20 minutes after the episode started? Have we ever gotten to see the process of what happens when getting there? We’re usually left to wonder how they travelled across country so fast. The music, the eating in the car, the banter? Do you remember the days of Sam and Dean on a road trip, having fun, laughing, being honest with one another? I had completely forgotten until I broke out my DVDs of season two earlier this summer.“Baby” proved once and for all it isn’t all doom and melodrama for these brothers. They still take little pit stops to questionable places for R&R. They still pick up diner waitresses and get laid in the back of the Impala. They still needle one other for their exploits through the use of classic rock. These brothers may have been through a lot, but they aren’t dead.
The only thing about the “Night Moves” scene that would have been more perfect is if we saw them singing more of the song together. I won’t quibble though for I’m doing back flips with excitement over what I got. I can’t believe that Sam had never used the back seat of the Impala for “personal release” before, or at least in the company of Dean. He was actually afraid Dean would get mad, but no, big bro went another way. This is the taunting and fun loving big brother we adore, breaking out the appropriate cassette tape to both show his pride and to give baby bro a hard time. I love that because of his exploits “Sammy” has graduated to “Samuel.” It’s Dean’s way of announcing baby brother is a man now. It’s funny too, because he got back the same correction, “Sam.” While Dean is pontificating the words of the greatest writer in rock (amen to the choice of Mr. Seger), Sam gets the snappy comeback.
Sam (singing along with the song): Out in the backseat of my brother’s 67 Chevy. “You started it.”
Together: “Working on our Night Moves…” Thud, happy convulsions, me.
“God helps those who help themselves.” For one, thank you Mr. Thompson for reminding the world that Dean does indeed read. It’s an interesting use of the proverb since it’s supposed to be a statement of self-initiative. “John” responded to Sam saying that they’ve turned out okay, “That was on you boys, you did that, not me.” The message was clear, only Sam and Dean can stop The Darkness and Sam shouldn’t be waiting for signs or any kind of help. It is rather compelling evidence that its Lucifer, isn’t it? The “Who are you?” question means Sam knows something is up. Also, kudos again to Mr. Wright for the gradual close ups on the faces of Sam and “John” as they went back and forth. It really added something spooky, proving this isn't a normal thing.
Did Sam have a dream or a vision? One could easily argue that Lucifer is reaching out to Sam in his dreams. He’s done it before. Or maybe it’s Michael, of course I’m saying that just to make the twist less predictable. Or maybe it's both. Or maybe its God as Sam hopes. But we know that when any version of John Winchester shows up telling Sam what he wants to hear, that ain’t John Winchester. (Welcome back to SPN Matt Cohen!) The visions (or dreams, whatever we want to call it) mean that Sam is indeed getting help from the great beyond.
I loved the talk that happened afterward, when the brothers were settled into their bench seat beds for the evening. No doubt there have been hundreds of nights like that. The things that they have talked about. No, I can't imagine talking about dreams and visions are always the topic of discussion, but I like that it was a chance for them both to come clean with each other. I’m not surprised that Sam didn’t talk about being infected until now. Judging by his reaction to the dream, he was still trying to reconcile what happened in his own mind.
It's been a while since we've seen both of them address at length (and I LOVED that it was a long conversation) fears and feelings about the current situation. Sam is clearly turning to faith while Dean believes they are alone in their mission to fix things. It's a call back to the epic journey of season two. It feels oh so right that Baby is there in the middle of it. Also, how interesting is it that Dean dreams the same dream about his Dad every so often and Sam dreams about Mary? Sam didn't know Mary. It explains while he feels so connected even though he never grew up with her.
This whole experience has Sam soul searching and the Impala chats in this episode really reinforced that. Maybe he was still buzzing over finally getting some after three years (??????) but is Sam truly wanting something more than the one night stand? How adorable was it that he offered his phone number to Piper? He truly isn’t a one night stand kind of guy, even if he knew what she wanted. This isn’t unlike Dean at the end of season five. Sam is hitting a certain age and has to think, “Is this all there is?” It’s a stark contrast to the “I love hunting” speech just a few episodes back (by the same writer nonetheless). I think he still plans to hunt, but maybe there is more to life than just hanging with your brother. He has needs. He did go back to the diner later when they were penny hunting and talk to the waitress during the first brilliant fight sequence in the car (was it the same one or someone else? I couldn’t tell).
You have to wonder about Dean too. I'm sure it felt really good for him to get out and “make mistakes” so to speak at another dive bar, but even he was hoping to find that specific companion. He was looking for his "Heather." It did get me wondering, what would it be like if Sam and Dean both tried to take on relationships while living the hunting life? Ask me a couple of years ago I would have never wanted to see that. But now, I'm wondering if it's a worthwhile experiment. I’d like to see them have more. No, I'm not talking about domestic bliss with a Lisa or Amelia. No, I'm talking about having normal companions that pop into the bunker once in a while. After all, Netflix only goes so far. A big twist to the dynamic really couldn’t hurt. But they have to save the world first. Again.
The Not So Usual Monster Hunt
In all this gushing, I have even touched upon the heart of the story, which is why we even had a MOTW. I always love it when a MOTW story ties into the overall arc of the season and this one did perfectly. Suddenly a dormant creature, who’s name I didn’t get but Ghoulpire works, is trying to recruit an army because The Darkness is coming. It’s the same thing John in the vision said to Sam. Why are the monsters as scared as the angels and demons? What is it about these people that we don’t know? That’s why I wish each episode would give us answers. I’ll be very disappointed if this fear of the Darkness gets addressed maybe in the midseason finale and then not again until episode 16 or 17. But hey, that’s a quibble I’ll save for next week. Right now, my bliss is still riding too high.Yep, not a scene was out of place, not even the valet driver and her friend that decided to take a joy ride with Baby. It strangely ended up serving a purpose when the purse was lost in the back seat, a purse that just happened to have the copper pennies they needed. Do you think it was a twist of fate, a higher power intervening, or heck maybe even Baby herself? Whatever it was, it ended up saving Dean’s life, and technically Sam’s as well. It also makes you wonder how many stories Baby could tell if she could talk. How many times has a valet taken her for a joyride? Does she find such escapades thrilling, or they are what they are? How many of those backseat trysts have happened in her lifetime? What other adventures has she experienced when Sam and Dean weren't around, or even when they were sleeping in the Winchester motel? At 48 years old and counting, I'm sure there's a lot that she’s seen that no one will ever know.
Best Quotes and Other Touches
I laughed when Dean was spraying the car with water and then the next scene it’s raining. “Figures,” he said. Yes, I always wash my car before it rains too!Dean: Where’s the beer?
Sam: Underneath the smoothies.
Dean: Where’s the rest of the beer?
“Time heals all wounds, especially good times.” (Put that on a t-shirt!)
Sam: Even Swazye wouldn’t come to this place.
Dean: First off, don’t use Swazye’s name in vain.
“Oh, mistakes were made.”
“Don’t ‘Night Moves’ me.”
“Digging into the lore. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“Is everything a Bob Seger song to you?”
“When has death ever stopped a Winchester?”
“Welcome to the Winchester Motel. We don’t have cable, but we do have room service.” (Hands Sam a beer).
Sam: Goodnight Jerk.
Dean: Goodnight Bitch.
(Yes, that was the sound of millions of fangirls shrilling.)
“What’s a Netflix?” Or how about Castiel not processing how Orange can be the new Black? Dean’s comment on binging was too dead on.
Dean: Let’s go home.
Sam: You know what? (touches the dash). We are home.
“Baby” falls into “instant classic” territory, which is truly a rare thing for this show anymore. This is a “Mystery Spot.” This is “A Very Supernatural Christmas.” This is a “Changing Channels.” This is a “The French Mistake.” Overall grade, an A+. I do not give that grade lightly. I haven’t given that grade in years. As a matter of fact, the last one I gave was season eight’s “Sacrifice.” That was around the same time (slightly after) when Sam last got laid. Sam shouldn’t have gone that long and we shouldn’t have either. We have needs! Thank you, thank you SPN for this very precious gift.
panel management
Comments
I couldn't believe what I saw. It was my show again. I have been struggling so much over the last few years, trying to remember why I fell in love with this show. I like the show, but the little things like the brotherly humor, the light moments, actually having sex with women, and just capturing the spirit of the road trip has slowly disappeared from the formula. I was practically in tears to see it all back. Yep, I'm clinging to this high as long as possible until next week's lame MOTW filler episode ruins it all for me again.
Your theory about Dean dismissing the visions is as good as I can come up with. Yet he did have one, whether he wants to admit it or not! I wonder if he'll start having more and then tell Sam. I was impressed that Sam came clean this time. I guess to incidents was enough to rattle him. I think it's probably Lucifer and if that's the case he won't leave Sam alone. Sammy is definitely in for a bumpy ride going forward.
Quote:
I think there are lots of reasons why the show lately hasn't seemed as good as the earlier seasons, but for me one big reason is the bunker. I love the idea of the MOL, and the endless possibilities for stories it provides. And when the boys first moved into the bunker I found it so touching that they finally had a home (although Sam was reluctant to regard it as such). I also know that logistically there were good reasons for the bunker because there was finally a standing set, and fewer crappy motel rooms to set up for filming. But to me the show has lost something important by giving the brothers a home base. That whole vibe of the endless road trip accompanied by the classic rock sound track, which set the show apart from almost anything else on TV, has largely vanished. It was different when Bobby's house was kind of a home base, because the boys still spent the majority of their time on the road, cooped up together in Baby or in motel rooms. It was that time together in and around the impala, and in those kitschy motels that propelled most of the fun and meaningful and emotional brotherly conversations that have been in such short supply lately. Sometimes I think the bunker is the reason why the writers have fallen into the rut of secrets, fights, and unresolved issues between Sam and Dean- the brothers can just retire to their rooms and avoid each other. Even when the brothers hit the road for a case, they very rarely have scenes set in motels, and even the scenes in Baby have often been quite brief. I've been really missing the road trip aspect of the show for awhile, and this episode accentuated what has been lost. Maybe 11 seasons on the road would have gotten boring, but I feel like it might be time to blow up the bunker. OK, that might be a little drastic. :) But I would really love to see the boys spend a bit more time on the road and in Baby. After all, that was Kripke's original vision: two brothers in a muscle car, on a never-ending road trip across America, all set to classic rock.
I"m still on cloud nine and loving it. Oh must mention I'm the New occasional HUNTER that visits the bunker for some Sam lovin' I got the job last wk LOL
We should have an episode like this for number 200. It wasn't like Locke wasn't out before number 200 so could have inspired something similar to give Baby not only her due but remind us why we all fell in love with the show.
It was an instant classic and after last week and a lot of durge we've had in the past couple of seasons it was the episode that everyone wanted and what the audience deserved.
Agree with you on everything, Alice. A+ across the board.
Real conversations, and no forced broments.
Intuitive and engaging camera angles.
They also managed to omit two of my greatest hates of the post-Kripke Supernatural, and really helped keep me captivated:
1) No ridiculous sets and background lighting. The entire episode felt and looked natural. I felt like I was right there.
2) No score. Something that has been misused, with certain tracks over-used, since the start of season 6. And it's only gotten worse. Was great being able to hear the brother converse without ill-used sounds taking you out of the scene. These guys have great chemistry, and even with half-hearted dialogue, can deliver a far more engaging scene than some crappy synth sounds attached to some violins.
.. and to cap it all off, we got vintage Cas.
Dean: "Thanks Cas! Good work. Way to come off the bench."
Cas: "What bench?"
I expect to watch this a couple more times before the weekend is over.
To paraphrase a sentiment from the 200th episode: Others have their version of Supernatural. This version was mine.
Quote:Mmmm try shirtless scenes with veiny Sam with yellow eyes. :3
Quote:Not sure if a twist of fate or a higher power. I'm torn between the two.
I was kind of hoping Sam would be a ghoulpire for a bit. We've had Dean be a monster for a bit so why not Sam?
And TBH means the veined Sam right? He didn't even go rabid, plus it didn't last long.
It may not have been Sam there, but it was a representation of a full demon Sam.
I too have felt the bunker has changed things dramatically in the show and miss the road trips and motels so much. But, I also miss Bobby and his cranky wisdom, and so many other aspects and characters. But we move on, it's up to the writers to make the bunker a little more interesting and not just by having random monsters crash and trash the place.
This Ep gets an A from me also, it moved quickly even with the long conversations. The action scenes were brilliant, the perspective was nearly lifelike, not just a voyeur Impala, but an active participant in her own way.
Great review Alice. Thank You
there it was my show again! The one I knew was there all along but hardly ever saw anymore.
Can Robbie write all of the episodes from now on? Please? Thank you all Supernatural people. You did good!
Gobsmacked to see John driving the Impala! Kept thinking this is too good to be true. Anyway, I hope the following episodes don't disappoint.
Only problem was, unable to see Dean in his shorts! Please correct that in the future guys.
I too really want to know why Piper didn't want Sam's number and I wonder how the hell someone as big as Sam could have been in that back seat with her and not even have shown an arm? Come on show, we needed to see shirtless, disheveled, post-sex Sam! I get the feeling that Sam's comments were Jared voice over because I'm betting they filmed that scene when he wasn't there. Bummer.
And lastly, I could have done without watching those two girls riding around for several minutes and instead would have liked for Sam to have been shown in the last fifteen minutes or so before the end of the show. I know it was a plot device to get the purse in there, but it sort of felt like a waste of time to me and the way she peeled out of the parking lot, I thought for sure that Dean was going to be chasing her down, lol. Anyway, instead of two scenes of Dean beating on people and getting beat up (which I had quite enough of the last two seasons), it would have been nice to see he and Sam maybe fighting together from the Impala's point of view. Instead, Sam was sent away and apparently had quite the beat down himself and saved some people as well, but we didn't get to see any of that.
Anyway, all in all, it was fun and unusual and had some fantastic scenes and POV from everybody and we got to see Matt Cohen maybe being Lucifer and just all around really good. :)
Quote:Like you, I was disappointed that they did not discuss the events of the past two seasons and the resulting huge rifts in their relationship. There will be no better opportunity for that conversation than Baby provided, so I fear it is a conversation we will never hear.
I also agree with you that the episode was very Sam-light towards the end. This was confirmed upon my rewatch of the episode this morning. Sam was barely in the last third of the ep, even if you count the silent images of him flirting with the cashier and running after the impala. This could have been easily rectified by having him participate in the first of the THREE fights Dean was involved in, the one between Dean and the Deputy. Even my Dean girl daughter noticed Sam's absence in the last chunk of the ep. But I have decided to shrug it off (for the most part:)) because the ep was fantastic in every other way, and because this is about the best writing RT has ever done for Sam. RT is an excellent writer, but most of his eps (including Fan Fiction) have been Dean-centric. Sam often had only superficial involvement in the action and his dialogue and interaction with guest stars was often rather generic and meaningless to the plot. At least in this ep, the fantastic scene between Sam and "John" was the single most significant one in the ep. We also got to hear some wonderful Sam POV (a rarity in RT eps) and got to see smart Sam, funny Sam, capable hunter Sam. Would I have preferred that the brothers be equally involved in the episode? You betcha. But after two seasons in which I thought the character was often sidelined and had minimal involvement in much of the story, this episode put a terrific (if too brief) spotlight on his wonderfully complex character. And I also enjoyed so very much that the old Dean is back, and that we are seeing a return to the brotherly relationship of the first few seasons, which has been MIA the last few seasons. If the writers start writing Sam as a supporting character again, as they have done so often the past few seasons, I will definitely be bitching and moaning about it. But I am cautiously optimistic that that will not be the case this year, because it appears that his story line will be as rich and significant as Dean's.
Also, the missed opportunity in the Impala talk scene had me rolling my eyes a bit. I waited and waited for Dean to say something and then when he didn't, I thought, well we still have the rest of the episode, and then Sam disappeared so.....
And I agree 100% that Sam should have been a participant in at least one of those fights. I mean, it was supposed to be a BROTHER episode so showing the brother's fighting together seemed logical to me. Like I said, some missed opportunities that in my opinion would have made the episode an A+++ for me, but a B is better than all of the last two seasons so points for that.
It is clear to me that RT's interests are in order of importance:
Dean
Dean's car
Charlie
Dean's problematic brother.
How about we look at Dean's problematic DEAN once in a while?
Since we haven't had any chat about how Dean is supposed to be different from last season - in fact he isn't entirely free of the effects of the mark since he is linked to Amara some way - I find my self watching and waiting for him to fly off the handle at Sam in every interaction. Hence I didn't find this episode all that cuddly.
For example the 'you didn't tell me about your visions' line came across as having a lot of anger behind it. I honestly don't know how it was supposed to come over, especially since Dean is keeping (and has always kept) much more important secrets from Sam. Sam's secrets tend to be about Sam, Dean's secrets tend to be about Sam's survival. But it has long been a show ... and fandom, and reviewer .... trope that a secret is only bad if Sam is keeping it.
Perhaps they intend to finally address some of that this season. Though I highly doubt it. This episode was pretty much what I was expecting it to be and I notice that while Jared really has praised it, it was always backing up Jensen's enthusiasm more than expressing just his own (and I don't doubt Jared's enthusiasm at all), in the meantime Jared, when asked, said that his favorite episodes were later in the season. So maybe?
Overall I was watching this and thinking of the old Smith's song: "You just haven't earned it yet: Baby". Though I know I am in a minority.
On a positive note I like Sam getting laid. Nice to see him getting some affection in his life even if only fleeting. (I also liked the bait and switch of us thinking it would be Dean getting 'Heather').
1. Lucifer was always honest with Sam, why the phrase about deceiving?
2. There was never any particular connection between Lucifer and Sam, Michael and Dean. They were intended to be vessels, nothing more. Lucifer spoke to Sam when he was free, but evidently after he had been released he could speak to anybody he wanted. Nick is a proof. We were never shown any special connection, moreover Michael ended up in Adam's body, does it mean that Michael has many special connections? That sounds ludicrous.
3. Both Michael and Lucifer had been Sam's inmates for so long, that Sam should know them perfectly and should recognize them in any disguise.
4. At present there is more connection betwen Lucifer and Dean, than between Lucifer and Sam. Dean and Lucifer were beares of the same evil. Doesn't everybody think it would be easier for Lucifer to use that connection and to get in touch with Dean in that case?
5. The idea with Lucifer is cliched and predictable and that's why in rather bad taste from literary point of view.
I haven't known that, and that explains a lot.
Yes this was a perfectly ok story and a clever premise and the way it was shot probably should get it nominated for something, I am not saying much against it for innovation.
But for me it is important for the health of the show that the writer who gets the most uncritical reviews shouldn't be entirely allowed away with rewriting show history and shoving important story-points under the rug every time he writes an episode - as he does often and insidiously. For example look at the THEN section of the episode (which is supposed to give us an idea of what the episode is working from story-line wise): God, Impala, Sexy Dean with Impala, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat (oh Sam is equally visible here!), John, sexy Dean with impala, repeat, Sam saying 'this is my fault'. (the order may be off but the number of hero shots of Dean is correct). Frankly that is exactly what the episode gave us so ... yay for the quality of the abstract I guess? ;)
It is irritating and it is disrespectful to Sam as a character and even to any coherence to be seen in Season 10 to dismiss what ACTUALLY happened with this sort of visual shorthand.
But as I said nobody from the show has ever paid any heed to the damage their story-lines do, they write them and then pretend they didn't happen that way. What can you do?
So yeah, if this is a lighthearted blame-free episode then lay OFF with the one-sided blame game. Pick one, writers, you can't have it both ways.
I agree that Dean's reaction was pretty mild. But as I said, watching the show and Sam's reaction to Dean questioning and then confessing, I was tensely waiting for Dean to get angry or start blaming Sam for past transgressions when he realized that Sam hadn't told him about being infected. And unless Dean has told Sam everything that Amara said to him, then it's a bit hypocritical of him to get upset with Sam about not being completely honest. I was speaking personally, because I feel conditioned by the show in the last few seasons to expect a harsh reaction from Dean. You might say that it was the MOC storyline and Dean wasn't himself, but that hasn't always been the case. I know many other Sam girls who feel this way, but I know not everyone does.
As you said, they are working as a team at the moment and I wish as much as anyone that they continue to do so. I just feel like there was no transition to how they got to this place. They jumped from Sam kneeling on the floor waiting for his brother to kill him, to all of the sudden everything's great and we're bantering like it's 2005 without one iota of discussion about any of it. I'm not just talking about Dean apologizing or thanking Sam for saving him, but even Dean maybe having some reaction to the fact that he had just killed a whole bunch of people in a short amount of time. Evil people for sure, but people, not monsters. That's what I thought the conversation they had in the car was going to be about, so I was disappointed that it turned out to be Sam confessing and Dean being disappointed in him and then dismissing his concerns about his visions.
Just my opinion. I know it is not shared by everyone as evidenced by the enthusiastic response to the episode. I still liked many things about it, I just was hoping for more.
I was just reading on someone's blog about how though she is a Dean girl, she really gets mad at him for being such a frustrating ass at times. And even she gets tense now wondering what his reaction is going to be whenever Sam tells him something he won't like, such as about getting infected. It ain't just us Sam girls.
I agree with this statement. I don't think they will rehash everything, even in a three minute conversation. If I had to be selective, I would like to see Dean address his feelings about almost killing Sam and for sam saving him. On the upside ... we do see old Sam back in Season 11- need to change speech, making good choices, working alone Smart Sam, more assertive Sam.
Sorry ya'll. I'll shut up now. :(
Dean's "I read" was another nice callback. He said the same thing back in "The Monster at the End of This Book" after showing that he knew who Kurt Vonnegut was.
I find the last couple of seasons a little too cluttered, filled with stories that involved one of the brothers in danger and the other one fighting to safe him which led to disputes and secrets between them. When the core of Supernatural is the brotherly bond, the humour and the fighting things, saving people. I hope the show will now continue on the path laid out in the beginning.
Thanks for your review, Alice! Always good to read it.
Tom Wright - I'm in awe. The opening gambit alone had me grinning like an idiot - the toy soldier in the ashtray, the LEGOs in the vent, Sam & Dean's initials, then broken glass, blood and a battered Dean - an incredible homage to past episodes leading us right into the present story, and all wordlessly. My Christmas Wish is that they include a Director's behind-the-scen es feature for Baby on the Season 11 DVD so we can see how it was all put together.
Kudos too to Robbie Thompson: the brothers conversation in the Winchester Motel was perfection and the humour spot on, unlike *ahem* last week
Did anyone else notice that Matt Cohen completely changed the modulation of his voice in this episode compared to past appearances? He sounded way more like JDM. I don't know if it was a conscious choice on the writer/director 's part, or if MC has just been doing his homework, but A+ to him too.
This is one episode I'll happily rewatch repeatedly.
I loved your review. What a fantastic episode. I actually got all giddy and goose bumpy watching it.
I'm not sure who is sending Sam these visions, but I am hoping it's either God or a servant of his. I would love for it to be Gabriel. ;)
This is the type of experimental and out of the box episode that I feel that this show should have been doing for the past 2 or 3 years now. I think that Bitten was another attempt at a concept episode, but it had so little of the brothers in it that it didn't work as well (although from a creative standpoint, that was a really terrific episode IMO.) Anyway, a show as old as Supernatural, with a built in and dedicated fanbase is in a unique position to be taking these kinds of chances. My hope is that with the positive feedback that they've gotten from this episode emboldens the writers to take more of these kinds of chances either later in this season or next season.......ye s, I believe there will be a season 12. :)
I throughly enjoyed this ep. it was funny, relaxing, comforting and huggable. But Sam's absence toward the end there really stood out like a sore toe. I know Baby couldn've been in two places at once, So since she was with Dean thats what we saw, maybe there could have been away to have both boys around the impala ??? Loved it though - Great review Alice Thanks
'You don't ever have to say that, not to me.' So words have been said between them it's just that some fans don't care for what has been said or the words written. I don't know why people keep hanging on hoping for a brotherly rehash of past misdeeds because it's pretty clear it isn't going to happen. They are men, that's how they roll.
I agree that Sam did it out of love .So not like Dean for sam...as the situations and motivations were different.
And the Amy debacle was ridiculous. Sam wasn't stable at the time, Dean (and Sam) knew she was killing and did what he had to do. He made a judgement call. If she hadn't been killing he would've let her go the way he did her son. Sam even agreed that Dean was correct in doing what he did.
I really wouldn't hold my breath for any grand apologies.
Deans reaction to the visions based on their combined history with other entities screwing with their minds... was rather unDeanlike, considering all that's going on, especially with The Darkness and not knowing what it wants or is capable of, so I'm not sure what to think of that. If I were Sam I'd be keeping an eye out for both of them.
And I agree. The Mission Statement is just a starting off point for their relationship as well (not just mowing down innocent people to achieve their goal). The writers have also got to change how they write the brothers. I think most fans want to see the brothers united, liking each other. And like Jensen said at the last convention it's not a dictatorship. Sam isn't his subordinate. Dean isn't the "leader" of TFW. They are equal partners. That is why Dean wasn't happy about Sam keeping the infection from him but he wasn't furious either. Bigger picture and all. I want to see that theme continue for the rest of the series. And I think that boils down to how the brothers are written. No more sanctimonious judgment's from either one of them would be so nice for a change. I still want them to sacrifice anything and everything for each other but I don't want to see the usual "this brother did worse things than that brother" writing that tends to pit fans against each other. It makes for unpleasant viewing IMHO.
That is why I put more weight on this episode than just a stunt or bottle episode. I think there was some important character development and hopefully the rest of the writers follow up. This appears to be a statement of how the brothers are going to relate to each other at least for this season. I hope I'm right. No more brothers at odds.
Ooh the spoiler! So curious as to where they are going with Dean's connection with The Darkness.
Even that sentence that you quoted I highlighted with ****SPOILER**** . Maybe you could fix that so those who don't want to be spoiled can be warned.
Can you help me to understand some details? Amy killed some people in the past and promised that she will never do it again. But Dean was right to kill her. Benny killed some people in the past, but promised not to do it again. Dean was right to let him go.
Amy killed some scumbags and it made her a monster. Dean killed some scumbags, but it didn't make him a monster.
Can you share some criteria how to make judgements? I'm a little bit at a loss here.
As far as Dean goes it was self defense. Overkill? Yes. But Dean warned them not to attack him any further and to back off as he knew he might not be able to control himself if they didn't. They were armed, they outnumbered him they thought they had the upper hand. They foolishly poked the bear and paid the price because of the MOC. I doubt Dean would have killed them if he had been just normal Dean. The only one questionable in that ordeal would be Randy because I don't think he was in the group that was content on harm.
As far as Benny goes he killed in the past, he wasn't killing in the present, he was living off bagged blood. Dean said if Benny started dropping bodies that he would take care of him. Benny knew if he crossed that line that Dean would have no other choice than to kill him.
You see, I think that he was wrong with Amy and right with Benny. He was wrong that he didn't trust Sam's judgement, as Sam was wrong not to trust Dean's judgement. But at least Sam didn't rush to kill Benny behind Dean's back, he gave Benny a chance, which Amy never had.
As for your justification of Marked Dean's actions. You contradict yourself:
on one hand you're saying, that killing people, even if they are scumbags are wrong (and I'm with you here) and a normal Dean wouldn't do that (and I'm also with you here), on the other hand you're saying that Dean controlled the Mark and Sam's actions to free him from that Mark are unjustified.
These all are situations which should be judged from the same positions, not to shift them according to actions of which brother is being discussed.
Good lord ..I never said Sam was perfect.so much melodrama here.good lord.
Quote:wrong judgement according to me.Like how he let Benny go.She said she will stop .If she did not he should have killed her.Oh! and he went behind Sam's back.The one who berated Sam for keeping secrets became the one who kept secret from Sam (not the first time).Oh and the salty fans " Sam is such a meany for not understanding why Dean kept it a secret".While Dean had no trouble giving benny a pass because of Benny's words *facepalm* he had no trouble killing Sam's saviour.
Yes Dean needs to put complete trust in someone who is not of his right mind and had just unloaded his gun in a warehouse at a hallucination.
You speak as if Sam has never, ever, ever, kept a secret from Dean. Past or present. And Dean was right to give Benny a pass as it was never shown by Show that he ever started killing once he got topside. Canon. If Dean hadn't killed Sams saviour, Sam would still be in Purgatory so I.don't know what your point is there. Dean fully intended to bring him back, Benny decided to stay.
But is a nice way of commenting say whatever you want to accuse us Sam supporters of and then say you do not say this but it is pretty close.If you want to waffle around you do so but I just detest this kind of waffling.Quote:I never said that you did not say so I just addressed the context you said that.Quote:Yes he should because his and Amy's relation was established before that.She was Sam's friend and saviour and Sam wanted to give her a chance and Dean was wrong not to.You talk as If the whole time till then Sam was just going around with a gun shooting things. smh.But it suits your needs so sam was just simply not in right mind.Sam was in the right mind at that time.Quote:Sam has kept secrets from Dean .But the reactions are different.Sam deals with Deans secrets than and there while Dean harbours a grudge...dredreg it up again and again and does not deal with it.This a character trait which I find in Sam which I appreciate.when Sam forgives he forgives and moves on.
Quote:And canon also did not show us that he did not kill any people.But it did tell us that he did kill people.canon.But I know that it was that pesky Martin who said that so it is not reliable. I trust martin's words .
Quote:Sam's saviour was Amy .If she had not saved Sam then there would a very different supernatural.Th at was my point.But In that Same token Sam was benny's saviour as he got him back to where he was comfortable and that is purgatory .and Benny is comfortable in purgatory.
1) seeing how they spend the time during travel.
2) the brotherly banter.
3)direction.
and things I did not like
1) Jerk bitch (am\lways sounds better in banter sitation but did not like it here)
2) sam lite 3rd part
3) Dean still not telling Sam about Amara (if he has told then I wanted a scene of Dean telling Sam this which they have not shown).and then being all you did not tell em.why?
4) lack Baby and Sam only scene.
So overall not as good as the first two episodes but better than the third.
So, here we are, almost at the next episode and I'm only commenting now. I haven't done this in a while. This year threw me for a curve ball, and I barely have time anymore for a decent watch of my TV staples, but I had to comment on this episode, because holy feels! Yes, it really is episodes like this that remind us of why we fell in love with this show in the first place, and for me it's exactly the same as you: two, guys, a car and the open road, fighting the good fight. It's these kinds of episodes that, even though I always enjoy watching, truly reignite that old spark of love for this show. It's when they get back to heart of what Supernatural is truly about at the end of the day: family. And what better way to showcase that than by celebrating perhaps the most underrated member of our little family, Baby, who has always been there for our boys, and I'm sure always will; the one constant in their lives that has never changed even if so much else has.
This episode was a masterpiece from beginning to end, and has easily made it's way onto my classic SPN list. In fact, it's the first episode since I think Fan Fiction that I re-watched almost immediately and quite possibly loved even more than the first time I watched.
And honestly, shrilling doesn't quite cover my reaction to Bitch, jerk. It actually took everything I had not to run around my house screaming (I would have if it wasn't about 11pm when I watched and I didn't think I'd freak the neighbours right out).
I'm one of those fans for whom Seasons 1-3 will always be the best and this episode gave me all the things that had me falling in love with Supernatural from The Pilot and all the things that keep me watching all these years later - Sam and Dean and Baby driving down the highway fighting the bad guys.