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feliciakwUpon further review, I find that this, too, will be an ep that will probably grow on me. As I said, I wasn't bowled over, and upon researching which eps these two writers have written, I find that this ep is pretty consistent with their previous offerings--okay as stand-alones, an interesting insight here or there, a great scene or two that I enjoy re-watching, some pretty dang creepy stuff, but not in my top list of favorites. In other words, the other eps these guys have written, none of them were OH EM GEE WHAT A GREAT EPISODE!!!!!111FLAIL!1, but were more along the lines of "Oh, huh. That was kinda fun and interesting." These writers also apparently like to give Jensen humor to play with, because I got a distinct sense of "Yellow Fever" in Jensen's portrayal, and lo, "Yellow Fever" was indeed one of the eps these guys have written.
But I babble. Shall we move on?
So, given the "Then"s, I thought we might pick up shortly after AAH. Not so much a ramifications ep, but a "gotta keep working to block out the pain" ep. A denial ep, you might say.
Where the heck have I seen the chief doctor before? He looks so dang familiar. *does imdb search* Ah! He was in Christmas Cottage. AH-HA! He played a Fed on TS!
Creepy things in the walls and duct work are creepy. (For things crawling through duct work, see also "Jump the Shark," which these guys also wrote.)
Thinking back to "Malleus Maleficarum," if the baddie wanted to really make this look like a suicide, she would have sliced vertical along Susan's arms. Still, very icky. (And I now want Gil Grissom on the scene to question why Susan would commit suicide in the middle of the floor in the middle of the room and not on her bed.)
Sam and Dean's interview with the doctor? Hilarious! So matter-of-fact and casual and just wonderfully played.
Cheery nurse is cheery. And says "Okey dokey." Bwah.
Sam and Dean's expository conversation about why they've taken the case: Interesting! A reversal from "Folsom Prison Blues," wherein Dean was the one who convinced Sam to go undercover--against Sam's better judgment--to help one of John's old comrades in arms (in this case, a fellow hunter). Excellent call-back. Also, is this Sam's sneaky way of trying to get Dean to talk to a professional about his (Dean's) grief over Jo and Ellen? Sam, you sly dog. However, you know Dean is going to find you out (see right there? He called you on it) and simply continue to repress. (Yep. There it is.)
Martin. Martin is a good guest character. I like him. Geo thinks that Martin went nuts from the pressures of working at The Centre.
I feel sorry for Ted. And with Sam's savvy for recognizing a potential actual witness, I like his knowing looks as he tries to suss out the situation.
Okay, in retrospect, is Dean pretending to be crazy with the chess game? Or does he really think someone is there?
Okay, I love Dean's Hannibal Lector/Anthony Hopkins impression. Ha! Oh, Dean. You amuse me so.
Also? I like his shrink. And I really like the back and forth Q&A they get going. I wish she had been real.
However, the "Let's talk about your father"? That's hitting below the belt, lady. John is the source of a lot of Dean's issues, it's true, but still, ouch . . .
I like how Sam can take one look at Dean and know that something is wrong. It's been awhile since he's been able to do that, yeah?
Wendy looks very familiar. And yes, Dean, a pretty girl can turn just about any unpleasant situation around for you, can't she? Heh.
"Back off, Dean!" Wow, Sam. Where'd that come from?
I had to chuckle at Sam going all CSI in the morgue. The only thing missing was Innards-Cam. And a face shield for the blood splatter. Speaking of which, why was there no blood splatter? Since when does Kripke skimp on blood? Of course, if there had been blood splatter, then they would have had to explain it to the nurse. Which the writers apparently didn't want to have to deal with.
"Somebody's coming!" Morgue drawers! They're going to have to hide in the morgue drawers! They're . . . caught. Well . . . that was awkward and embarrassing.
A wraith? "Wraith" is a really cool word. That drawing, though, is really rather icky.
Yes, I like Dean's doc. And the conversation. Though at her last question, "How do you get up in the morning," I expected Dean to reply with something like, "I just do." Or "How can I not?" Or something with a little more confidence than "That's a good question." Oh, Dean. *hugs him*
Also? All throughout that scene? Jensen looked really good. Yes, he did.
Sam was able to raid three nurse's stations and snag three letter openers. Obviously this place is not a high security facility that routinely treats dangerous patients.
Until Sam's little excursion. And wow. Angry, focussed Sam with a mission is not someone you want to cross, apparently. And yay Martin saves Sam from himself, and the doctor in the process.
This is Sam. This is Sam on a pharmaceutical feel-good cocktail. Oh, Sam. I really can't explain how this scene kinda hurts. 'Cause he's saying things that he's been thinking ("You've been half crazy for a while now. Since you got back from Hell . . .") and he's thinking Dean might be going crazy, and he's too high to be concerned. But he still loves his brother. Oh, Sam.
I want to know if the nose tweak was a Jared ad-lib. Because that would be fantastic!
Final scene with Dean's doc . . . Sympathy to cold-hearted condemnation in .005 seconds. It's a demon! Oh my gosh, it's a demon! IT'S MEG!!!!!!! OMG IT'S MEG!!! "I'm not real." IT'S MEG IN DEAN'S HEAD!!!! Wait. That . . . can't . . . oh. Not Meg. Rather, Dean's mental manifestation of his own sense of guilt. Oh, Dean.
Still, cool scene for the reveal. And I really rather like the actress.
Sam's conversation with the doc poses an interesting question. Sam renounces his belief in monsters, which essentially means, okay, I'm done "pretending." I'm sorry I almost hurt you, and . . . And what? He's ready to get out? He doesn't think there's a monster there anymore and he's ready to get Dean out of there? He wants to focus on getting Dean help? What's your plan now, Sammy? I guess we'll never know, because it's not about the monsters, it's about the anger.
So we had Dean's mental manifestation of his issues, which is his sense of guilt presenting itself as his sense of failure. Now we get Sam's mental manifestations of his issues, how he sees himself . . . as arrogant and lying and evil, and for all of that, a failure. None of this is news to us, and it's probably not actually news to Dean and Sam, either. But that those self-perceptions are what the wraith latched onto and exploited . . . those are the weak spots in their attitudes, the easiest for the baddies to grab onto and exploit. That should tell you something, guys.
But you know what else was really painful in this scene? When the camera reveals that Dean was sitting at a back table all along, just sitting, staring, eyes half-lidded . . . But Dean is still in there trying to figure it out. "What's happening? What's happening?" Oh, Dean.
The scene with Dean and Martin (did I really just write that? That's funny) is really good, too. I love the way Jensen plays it, and the interplay between the two actors. And the fact that Martin is the one who isn't all there, but right now, he's the one with the most steady sense of reality, and he keeps Dean focused and on task.
Also? Smart!Dean!!! \o/
"We're both gonna end up like a couple of drooly nutbags." So, Dean. What you're saying is that your retirement options are: old and hardened like Rufus; old and crazy like Martin; or old and Bobby-like (wheelchair or no). My advice? Choose door #3.
Martin might be a little unbalanced, but he'd still make a good member of the hunting support network.
I like the gal who's playing the nurse. And she reminds me of someone. Tracy Dinwiddie, maybe? In the coloring and bone structure, maybe? I don't know. But to me they look like they could be related. Anyway . . .
That last exchange between Sam and Dean . . . a little heavy-handed, but I liked seeing Sam actually acknowledge his anger and how long he's felt it. And obviously Dean's solution isn't the healthiest, but more and more, it's becoming their only option. Also? It reminded me of S1 Don Eppes on N3. Izhizha, you know which ep I'm talking about, where Charlie accuses Don of being too detached, and Don's response is "With everything I see in my job? You bet I'm detached! It's how I function!" Seriously, Don needs to take Dean out for drinks and hook him up with Doc Bradford or something.
Anyway . . .
In conclusion: An acceptable stand-alone. Some shortcomings in the layout of the plot, but Jensen and Jared were so wonderful in this ep, and it was so nice having new Show, I'm willing to accept it for what it is. Not going on my list of Top Ten Favorites, but it was good to see the guys again.
But I babble. Shall we move on?
So, given the "Then"s, I thought we might pick up shortly after AAH. Not so much a ramifications ep, but a "gotta keep working to block out the pain" ep. A denial ep, you might say.
Where the heck have I seen the chief doctor before? He looks so dang familiar. *does imdb search* Ah! He was in Christmas Cottage. AH-HA! He played a Fed on TS!
Creepy things in the walls and duct work are creepy. (For things crawling through duct work, see also "Jump the Shark," which these guys also wrote.)
Thinking back to "Malleus Maleficarum," if the baddie wanted to really make this look like a suicide, she would have sliced vertical along Susan's arms. Still, very icky. (And I now want Gil Grissom on the scene to question why Susan would commit suicide in the middle of the floor in the middle of the room and not on her bed.)
Sam and Dean's interview with the doctor? Hilarious! So matter-of-fact and casual and just wonderfully played.
Cheery nurse is cheery. And says "Okey dokey." Bwah.
Sam and Dean's expository conversation about why they've taken the case: Interesting! A reversal from "Folsom Prison Blues," wherein Dean was the one who convinced Sam to go undercover--against Sam's better judgment--to help one of John's old comrades in arms (in this case, a fellow hunter). Excellent call-back. Also, is this Sam's sneaky way of trying to get Dean to talk to a professional about his (Dean's) grief over Jo and Ellen? Sam, you sly dog. However, you know Dean is going to find you out (see right there? He called you on it) and simply continue to repress. (Yep. There it is.)
Martin. Martin is a good guest character. I like him. Geo thinks that Martin went nuts from the pressures of working at The Centre.
I feel sorry for Ted. And with Sam's savvy for recognizing a potential actual witness, I like his knowing looks as he tries to suss out the situation.
Okay, in retrospect, is Dean pretending to be crazy with the chess game? Or does he really think someone is there?
Okay, I love Dean's Hannibal Lector/Anthony Hopkins impression. Ha! Oh, Dean. You amuse me so.
Also? I like his shrink. And I really like the back and forth Q&A they get going. I wish she had been real.
However, the "Let's talk about your father"? That's hitting below the belt, lady. John is the source of a lot of Dean's issues, it's true, but still, ouch . . .
I like how Sam can take one look at Dean and know that something is wrong. It's been awhile since he's been able to do that, yeah?
Wendy looks very familiar. And yes, Dean, a pretty girl can turn just about any unpleasant situation around for you, can't she? Heh.
"Back off, Dean!" Wow, Sam. Where'd that come from?
I had to chuckle at Sam going all CSI in the morgue. The only thing missing was Innards-Cam. And a face shield for the blood splatter. Speaking of which, why was there no blood splatter? Since when does Kripke skimp on blood? Of course, if there had been blood splatter, then they would have had to explain it to the nurse. Which the writers apparently didn't want to have to deal with.
"Somebody's coming!" Morgue drawers! They're going to have to hide in the morgue drawers! They're . . . caught. Well . . . that was awkward and embarrassing.
A wraith? "Wraith" is a really cool word. That drawing, though, is really rather icky.
Yes, I like Dean's doc. And the conversation. Though at her last question, "How do you get up in the morning," I expected Dean to reply with something like, "I just do." Or "How can I not?" Or something with a little more confidence than "That's a good question." Oh, Dean. *hugs him*
Also? All throughout that scene? Jensen looked really good. Yes, he did.
Sam was able to raid three nurse's stations and snag three letter openers. Obviously this place is not a high security facility that routinely treats dangerous patients.
Until Sam's little excursion. And wow. Angry, focussed Sam with a mission is not someone you want to cross, apparently. And yay Martin saves Sam from himself, and the doctor in the process.
This is Sam. This is Sam on a pharmaceutical feel-good cocktail. Oh, Sam. I really can't explain how this scene kinda hurts. 'Cause he's saying things that he's been thinking ("You've been half crazy for a while now. Since you got back from Hell . . .") and he's thinking Dean might be going crazy, and he's too high to be concerned. But he still loves his brother. Oh, Sam.
I want to know if the nose tweak was a Jared ad-lib. Because that would be fantastic!
Final scene with Dean's doc . . . Sympathy to cold-hearted condemnation in .005 seconds. It's a demon! Oh my gosh, it's a demon! IT'S MEG!!!!!!! OMG IT'S MEG!!! "I'm not real." IT'S MEG IN DEAN'S HEAD!!!! Wait. That . . . can't . . . oh. Not Meg. Rather, Dean's mental manifestation of his own sense of guilt. Oh, Dean.
Still, cool scene for the reveal. And I really rather like the actress.
Sam's conversation with the doc poses an interesting question. Sam renounces his belief in monsters, which essentially means, okay, I'm done "pretending." I'm sorry I almost hurt you, and . . . And what? He's ready to get out? He doesn't think there's a monster there anymore and he's ready to get Dean out of there? He wants to focus on getting Dean help? What's your plan now, Sammy? I guess we'll never know, because it's not about the monsters, it's about the anger.
So we had Dean's mental manifestation of his issues, which is his sense of guilt presenting itself as his sense of failure. Now we get Sam's mental manifestations of his issues, how he sees himself . . . as arrogant and lying and evil, and for all of that, a failure. None of this is news to us, and it's probably not actually news to Dean and Sam, either. But that those self-perceptions are what the wraith latched onto and exploited . . . those are the weak spots in their attitudes, the easiest for the baddies to grab onto and exploit. That should tell you something, guys.
But you know what else was really painful in this scene? When the camera reveals that Dean was sitting at a back table all along, just sitting, staring, eyes half-lidded . . . But Dean is still in there trying to figure it out. "What's happening? What's happening?" Oh, Dean.
The scene with Dean and Martin (did I really just write that? That's funny) is really good, too. I love the way Jensen plays it, and the interplay between the two actors. And the fact that Martin is the one who isn't all there, but right now, he's the one with the most steady sense of reality, and he keeps Dean focused and on task.
Also? Smart!Dean!!! \o/
"We're both gonna end up like a couple of drooly nutbags." So, Dean. What you're saying is that your retirement options are: old and hardened like Rufus; old and crazy like Martin; or old and Bobby-like (wheelchair or no). My advice? Choose door #3.
Martin might be a little unbalanced, but he'd still make a good member of the hunting support network.
I like the gal who's playing the nurse. And she reminds me of someone. Tracy Dinwiddie, maybe? In the coloring and bone structure, maybe? I don't know. But to me they look like they could be related. Anyway . . .
That last exchange between Sam and Dean . . . a little heavy-handed, but I liked seeing Sam actually acknowledge his anger and how long he's felt it. And obviously Dean's solution isn't the healthiest, but more and more, it's becoming their only option. Also? It reminded me of S1 Don Eppes on N3. Izhizha, you know which ep I'm talking about, where Charlie accuses Don of being too detached, and Don's response is "With everything I see in my job? You bet I'm detached! It's how I function!" Seriously, Don needs to take Dean out for drinks and hook him up with Doc Bradford or something.
Anyway . . .
In conclusion: An acceptable stand-alone. Some shortcomings in the layout of the plot, but Jensen and Jared were so wonderful in this ep, and it was so nice having new Show, I'm willing to accept it for what it is. Not going on my list of Top Ten Favorites, but it was good to see the guys again.
