SPN - 5.12 "Swap Meat" - the long rambly

[feliciakw]

Well, in spite of last night's ep making me very nervous for about the first half, I really did enjoy it. The case was different and gave the guys (and Sam and Dean) some interesting and fun stuff to work with. It was arch-connected without being weighted down with it.



First, I'll be upfront and say that this ep contained two of what you might call my hot button issues: satanism, and being trapped in a body that's not your own. But more on that when we get there. Right now I'll just say that's why my stomach was in knots for the first half of this episode.

There is no "then." There is only now.

And this whole opening sequence? I'd bet money Jared had waaaayyyyy too much fun with it. He just looks like it. He's got such a flair for comedy, and for playing things up without going completely OTT. I particularly liked the straw getting stuck on his lip. Ha! Jared really shined in this ep, I think.

You know what else I like? That the woman at the bar isn't a PYT (pretty young thing). It's nice to see a little variety in the age range of the woman the guys (or in this case, the clueless, overexcited teen riding in one of the guys) pick up. *shrug*

But then we get to see what the kid whose riding around in his body looks like. And the whole body swap plays out a lot like Quantum Leap. :-)

Oh, I really like the family Sam and Dean are helping. You remember way back in "Phantom Traveler," when someone for whom John and worked a case before contacted Sam and Dean? It was so nice to see that again. To see civilians who knew at least some of the score and knew enough to call the guys. And the fact that the woman used to be their babysitter? Nice additional texture. And of course Dean is all about reassuring the child in the situation. I loved that.

Sam and his salad shake also cracked me up. As did Dean's snark.

Then Dean being oh-so-subtle in asking if Sam thought about having a wife and kids. Sam has changed so much over the last five years. That's not his thing anymore. But Dean. As Sam has lost interest, Dean has started wondering what he's missed. He's mentioned so often "in passing" that he wants the wife and kids and white picket fence. Oh, Dean.

Tranqu dart to the neck: never a good thing.

Love the dynamic of confusion when Sam meets Gary's family.

I find Gary's eagerness to please amusing. Dean just finds it confusing. (Oooh, that rhymed.)

Aaaaannnndddd . . . letting the maid in is the first clue.

And this. This right here. When Gary dumps all their phones into the dumpster. That's when my stomach started clenching and my heart rate went up and I just got really, really uncomfy. Because that's John's old contact number! That's all their old and alternate contact numbers! Not only that, but. A body swap is one thing. But a body swap with no allies who know what's going on? Sam is now totally cut off from Dean and this is so not good. Give Sam back his body, you brat!

Gary screwing with the Impala. That's the second clue. The blocking and shooting of "I'm really, really sorry" . . . "Shut up!" made me laugh. Ha!

Also, I knew from previous eps (and Geo's knowledge of cars) that the Impala is an automatic. Here again is confirmation.

"I think I got asthma." And a bajillion (more) asthma fics are born! Ha!

Love the Star Wars t-shirt!

"One leather jacket, one sasquatch." Ha! Yes. The Adventures of Leather Jacket and Sasquatch. That works.

I also love the way Sam puts together a profile of Gary as he goes through the room.

Then we get to the box. And the occult paraphernalia. My stomach clenched into further knots when Sam pulled out the black cloth with the goat head printed on it. It seriously gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Luckily, there's Sam's petulant "AlrightI'mcomiiiing!!!" to make me laugh. Jared just plays that so well.

Also, I love that Sam has zero time for subtlety when he's asking questions at the breakfast table. It shows just how much he's changed in his approach when something is super urgent.

I can't really define why, but I like the interplay between Dean and Gary (or maybe it's that I like how Jensen and the young actor play it) during the Maggie Briggs exposition.

And when Gary tells Dean to turn up the music, it reminds me of the siren from last season sharing Dean's interests. Dean so wants someone to share his interests with. And I love Dean's sly little lip pout as he turns up the music. Hee! Jensen has some of the best expressions.

Where have I seen Nora before? It's driving me nuts! I used to be so good at this.

Satanic spell book. Remember those heebie-jeebies I was telling you about? But Sam is on the case. So I'll let myself breathe.

Dean and Gary heading into the basement, and yet again, something tries to trip Dean's "something's off" alert.

And then Gary's pointing the shotgun at Dean's back? Gary, what's up with that, dude? Not only is that not a good idea, but that's rock salt in that gun, and though it won't kill Dean, it will make him very angry. And probably bring back memories of Dr. Ellicott, which wasn't really a high point in the guys' reconnection. So, you know.

But Gary burns the body and saves Dean, so good for him. I still want to slap him, though.

Another tranq dart. I did mention how that's never a good thing, right? Also, Gary's friends are in on it. Ack! Sam!

I must be really noticing the minor roles in this ep, because I like their waitress, too. It's like, she's got an actual personality. And that's just from serving drinks and taking Dean's sandwich order. And she's not a PYT either. Not a flirty little thing, just an attractive woman who's pleasant to her customers.

And Dean? Honey? I would have thought you'd learned your lesson after that whole he-witch poker-for-years thing. Bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg? I can hear the arteries slamming shut as I type this.

Now, this whole conversation is so very poignant. Not really angsty per se, but . . . yeah. Dean wants to be able to share a drink and celebrate with his brother. But that's not usually Sam's style. And Sam must be drunk if he's telling Dean that Dean is a good guy. That just hurts a little. And then the look of suspicion Dean gets when Gary repeats it sincerely. Just . . . gah. And then the random hook-up that's the clencher. Because yeah, Sam is a happy drunk, but a random hook-up isn't Sam in any capacity.

The plot thickens! This was all a plan to kill Dean? What?

Okay, so we knew that all the demons are out to get Dean. But now there's a bounty, and all the witches and such are out for him, too? Along with the fringe groups that Zachariah has recruited? Sam. Dude. You've got your work cut out for you.

Okay, so Nora isn't a total idiot. She's actually got a brain and a sense of self-preservation. But Trevor? Yeah. Idiot. Gary? He might be on his way to MIT, but he's also an idiot.

Gary? Just FYI: angry!Dean is not someone you want to mess with. Especially when messing with Sam is what made him angry. Just sayin'.

Trevor? That's what happens when you deal with demons. Which is why you just. Don't.

Okay, the voice mails that Dean listens to. Shouldn't those be in Gary's voice, since they were made with Gary's vocal chords?

"Either you start talkin', or I start waterboarding." I cannot tell you why I like that line, and Jensen's delivery of that line. But I do.

When demon!Nora is telling Gary all he has to do is say yes (thus giving Lucifer permission to take over Sam's body), it suddenly occurred to me: with the Enochian sigils etched into Sam & Dean's ribs, can angels even enter their bodies? Such sigils keep angels out of buildings, right? Anyway . . .

Demon!Nora beating up on Dean is just wrong. Unless she knocked him around harder than it would seem, or Dean was playing defense because he didn't want to hurt Nora.

But Gary steps up to the plate and starts the exorcism. So yay. And I really rather liked the tag-team exorcism. Heh! Plus, it's nice to see an exorcism again, demonstrating that the knife isn't always necessary to get the job done. Ya know what I mean, guys? 'Cause, with an exorcism, Nora gets to live to see another day.

But Dean is in some serious pain there. *hugs him gently*

Yay Sam is back in his own body! *sigh of relief*

I said it before, I'll say it here: I love Dean giving Gary the smackdown. Telling it like it is. " 'My bad' ain't gonna cut it. If you were of voting age, you'd be dead, because we would kill you. And if you don't straighten up and fly right, we will kill you." Because, Gary? In case you missed it, that's what they do. They hunt and kill evil. You even assisted, buddy. And since you were practicing the black arts, with the express purpose of killing Dean? Yeah, that'll put you in the evil column in their book if you don't get your act together.

On the flip side, now that Gary and Nora have seen how it works and seen the error of their ways, I kinda wonder if they'll do a little Scooby gang ghostbusting of their own.

The exchange between Sam and Gary by the car is interesting. Sam knows what to tell Gary, knows what to say, because Sam has been there in both respects. He was a rebellious youth who didn't like his father's plans for him, and he used to want the normal, school focused life that Gary has. Sam, how times change.

And Dean. Oh, Dean. "Or we don't know what we're missing." Yeah, Dean has dreams, too.

Sam asking Dean to turn down the music and Dean being denied his loud music . . . oh, boys.

So overall, a thumbs up to this ep. I also notice that the teleplay was written by one of the writers who's been on-staff for a while. Don't know if that makes a difference, but I think it helped.

Comments

[sarcasticval.livejournal.com]

Wasn't Nora played by Sarah Drew? She's been in a ton of stuff, most recently Glee and Grey's Anatomy. Also, she's two years older than me and playing a 17-year-old. Maybe there's hope yet! ;)

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

Nope, I figured it out (with the help of imdb). She was on an episode of Wonderfalls, and she's been in an episode of Numb3rs. So that's where I know her from. *nods*

[sarcasticval.livejournal.com]

"Nope"? I didn't say you'd know her from those shows, just that she'd been on them as her most recent body of work. Unless, of course, you're referring to my ability to play a teenager and a ridiculously outdated age. :P

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

Um . . . miscommunication, maybe? Usually when I say I know I know someone from somewhere, it becomes a back-and-forth of "Well, do you watch this? Do you watch that? He/she played blank on thus-and-so." A jog-the-memory kind of thing. That's what I thought you were doing.

As far as being able to play a teen when she's going on 30, she does have one of those child-like faces that will probably look perpetually young and sweet when she's not purposely glam-ed up.

:)

[sarcasticval.livejournal.com]

Ah. I was confused because I linked to her entire body of work. I was like, did I get the actress wrong? I'm pretty sure it was her!

[just-ruth.livejournal.com]

I had a big problem with the episode and you hit the nail on it - with the anti-possession tattoo and the sigils in the bones, how was Gary even able to poke his seventeen-year-old self into Sam's body?

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

Ah. Dodger_winslow addressed that particular topic quite well, I thought. Sam wasn't possessed, wherein someone else moves in, but the original soul is still there. He was body swapped--Gary didn't move in; rather he made Sam trade places with him. And as far as we know, the anti-possession tattoos only work against possession, to keep demons (and ghosts?) out. They apparently don't work when someone wants to rip Sam (or Dean) out of their own bodies. The tatts protect against possession, but apparently not other forms of black magic. It might be a quibble or a handwave, but it makes sense to me. (Let's just hope Bobby has some sort of anti-body swapping solution in one of his many tomes, yeah? ;-) )

As far as the rib sigils go, I guess we'll have to wait and see. We know it's a sigil to hide the guys from angels, but the sigils that get painted on buildings don't hide the buildings, they just keep angels out. So maybe it's different kinds of sigils on the guys ribs.

[leelust.livejournal.com]

Sadly i wasn't impressed with JP's acting there and expected much more. Just saying.
The plot holes in this ep was huge (like in previous one but there was at least interesting character development). It was nice ep but absolutely unnecessary.

And the fact that the woman used to be their babysitter? Nice additional texture.
That was one of many lines that made me suspect a lazy writing because really? A babysitter? When Dean was 16 and was totally capable of caring for Sam? But no babysitter when Dean was 9? Come on! Considering that that woman looked very similar to Mary's type and her daughter looked about 13 y.o. i suspect another JtS there.

Then Dean being oh-so-subtle in asking if Sam thought about having a wife and kids. Sam has changed so much over the last five years. That's not his thing anymore. But Dean
I wasn't convinced it's not Sam's thing anymore. I thought he said that just because he wanted to convince himself because couple of eps ago he was ready to start that 'normal' life again.
As for Dean he dreamt about having a family from S3 (at least) but right now it looks more like him realizing with more and more possible him saying Yes to Michael he won't get a chance to have a family of his own so his words about having a family sounded like a good bye to that dream, imo.
The ep in whole was kinda sad because we were told once again that Dean's family will never appreciate him *sigh*

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

When Dean was 16 and was totally capable of caring for Sam? But no babysitter when Dean was 9? Come on!

You have a point, yes. And if I'm doing my figuring correctly, Sam was actually 11-ish, but that was the last time they stayed with this woman. Which made me think they'd stayed with her many times before. She also mentioned that John would be gone for up to two weeks. Yes, we know John left the boys by themselves, but as far as we know (contrary to what fanfic would have us believe), he only did that when he only expected to be gone a few days. And the specific stay-over they were talking about took place during the summer, so the boys wouldn't have been in school (as they were in After School Special), either. And Dean has mentioned having a babysitter before. This just confirms to me that he might have been telling the truth rather than simply creating a point of connection for the kid he was interviewing.

So all in all, I liked that little additional tidbit of information. It showed that their lives weren't as one-dimensional as fic often portrays it.

I also liked that there were some civilians who knew them as Winchesters, who remembered them from a time before John knew they were up against a demon, before the Big Giant Destiny was looming, before things started spiraling out of control. I appreciate that from my own (less dramatic) experiences.

Considering that that woman looked very similar to Mary's type and her daughter looked about 13 y.o. i suspect another JtS there.

Oh, that occurred to me as well. And I also kind of wondered if it might have crossed Sam and Dean's mind. But it obviously wasn't important to the story, and the only thing we have are suspicions independent of the episode. *shrug*

I wasn't convinced it's not Sam's thing anymore. I thought he said that just because he wanted to convince himself because couple of eps ago he was ready to start that 'normal' life again.

Sam gave up on that life back in ELaC, or told Dean he did, anyway. And as time has progressed, he's gotten more and more away from Sammy the College Student, what with everything that happened with the YED and Dean going to Hell and letting his desire for revenge take over. I think he's too focussed on his goal of stopping Lucifer to want a wife and kids.

couple of eps ago he was ready to start that 'normal' life again.

Normal in the sense of non-hunting, yeah. But I don't think at that point he thought he could meet a nice girl and settle down and make babies. He knows that odds are he'll never be able to do that.

As for Dean he dreamt about having a family from S3 (at least) but right now it looks more like him realizing with more and more possible him saying Yes to Michael he won't get a chance to have a family of his own so his words about having a family sounded like a good bye to that dream, imo.

On this point, I think we're saying the same thing only differently. Dean has had this dream for a while, and I don't think for a moment that he's ever thought it could really happen. But that doesn't mean he doesn't still have the dream and want it, and it is very hard to realize you want something like that and will (probably), due to circumstances beyond your control, never have it. Believe me. I know.

we were told once again that Dean's family will never appreciate him

Huh. I didn't get that from this episode at all. But then, I'm reading things here and there that a lot of people are getting things out of this season that I don't see at all. And what bothers me about this season doesn't seem to bother anyone else. I'm watching it on a different level than everyone else is, apparently. Which is really nothing new, I guess. It happens quite often.

[leelust.livejournal.com]

But it obviously wasn't important to the story, and the only thing we have are suspicions independent of the episode.
Oh, it wasn't important to the story, i agree. And i also don't mind civilians involved at all. Ot's just for me another JtS episode is more fits John's MO that sudden desire to gave the boys a babysitter (as some fans mentioned to leave the boys with a stranger for a long time would bring an attention of child service and John couldn't afford it but if said babysitter was his lover she could turn her eyes from that little moment).

Sam gave up on that life back in ELaC, or told Dean he did, anyway
That's my point. He was forced to make that decision (as Dean mentioned it was sudden and with no baes in it) and since then Sam didn't have time (or will) to sit and think about what he wants from his life and considering his deeds in S4 now he can't confess even to himself about what he really wants. That's why i wasn't sure he was sincere in his words.

But I don't think at that point he thought he could meet a nice girl and settle down and make babies.
It's not what i meant. There are 2 main options for Sam right now - to hunt or not to hunt. I think girl and babies go woth territory so to speak if he'll choose No Hunting way. Right now Sam is driven by guilt not his view of his life in the future.

Huh. I didn't get that from this episode at all. But then, I'm reading things here and there that a lot of people are getting things out of this season that I don't see at all.
Hmm... i didn't find that in your reviews. I think you see things as the are.
But anyway what i saw i think you saw also - that as it was in 122 Dean's main clue that something was wrong with the member of his family was said member confession that he likes Dean. That triggered Dean in 122 when he recognized that something was wrong with John and that was the last proof for him in 512 when notSam said nice things about Dean and insist he likes him. That's rather sad.

[ficwriter1966.livejournal.com]

"Nora" used to be Hannah on Everwood. I understand she was also on Mad Men. Excellent actress. But I have to tell you, I am GUFFAWING at all the fans who are impressed with "how good she looks." She's 29!!!!! Yes, she looks younger than that, but they're talking like she's 60. Perspective, ladies: you need some perspective!

I think Bob Singer's excellent direction (and Jensen's ever-present awesomeness) carried this up a few notches from what it might have been. There was still a ton of frat-boy humor in it, but being that Bob is (gasp!) older than we are, and has a lot of experience with good product under his belt, he seems to have found ways to smooth that over. You go, Bob.

I worried about the phones a great deal, too - but I'm explaining in my head that yes, Dean made Gary fish them out of the dumpster. They *need* those phones. Although they've had to ditch phones before.

Others have mentioned that the "babysitter" might not actually have been a...babysitter. That as Leelust says, she might have been friendly and solicitous to John, had an admiring eye for his cute kids, and provided some aid and comfort to a weary soldier. The fact that John kept coming back says a lot, as the only other people we know he went to for shelter were Bobby and Pastor Jim. I'm going to go with that explanation, because if Sam were 11 years old ("the summer before 6th grade") and Dean 15, the only person "babysitting" would have been Dean.

As I mentioned to Dragons, it's gotten to the point where, if I'm not completely appalled by an episode, it goes on my "good" list. My standards are a lot lower than they used to be. They still do some excellent episodes, but they're fewer and farther between. Which is a shame. And I don't want there to be *anything* I openly despise. I hated Changing Channels, and Metamorphosis, and Yellow Fever, and Fallen Idols, and Sam Interrupted. HATED them. The "now you see it, now you don't" Apocalypse makes me absolutely insane. And I wish that weren't the case. I want more wheat and less chaff. With only 10 episodes to go before the finale, I'd expect them all to focus on the Apocalypse. And be good stuff. But I doubt that that expectation will be fulfilled.

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

The truly frustrating thing about "Nora"? All the shows people are telling me I don't know her from . . . I don't watch any of them. *gasp* I know. I've never seen Everwood or Mad Men or Glee or Grey's Anatomy. So it's got to be from somewhere else. I'll have to look up her imdb entry or something.

I see what you and Leelust are saying, and I explained in my response to her why I think it's at least 50/50 as to whether or not she was "really" a babysitter. A combination of the babysitter explanation and the "woman giving aid and comfort" explanation. Because yes, Dean was 15 and well old enough to babysit an 11-year-old Sam, but Donna (that was her name, right?) mentioned John leaving them for weeks, which we've not previously heard of him doing purposely. Whenever we see Sam and Dean on their own, John gets unexpectedly detained. "If I'm not back by Sunday, call Pastor Jim." (Something Wicked) "Dad will be here for Christmas. He always is." (AVSC) "You're going to be another week, at least?" (After School Special) But if he knew he had to leave them for weeks at a time, during the summer when they didn't have school to keep them busy, I think this indicates that John was more conscientious than a large portion of fandom gives him credit for.

Oh, my squee is definitely not what it was back when I was introduced to S1 and S2. But they have not yet tripped my BIG give up Show triggers yet (though they've come dangerously close). But my give-up-Show triggers are different than everyone else's. And as long as Jensen is present, chances are I'm with 'em till the end.

[sarcasticval.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I'm obviously not privy to the same conversations as you, but everything I've seen (and my own interpretation) isn't that oh my god, 29 is, like, SO OLD!, but rather she looks shockingly like a teenager despite her age. It's a fact: you look different at 30 than you do at 16. Not necessarily better, not necessarily worse, just different. (Just look at the leads of our show!) It's not that she's ready for an AARP card, but being able to knock 14ish years off your age like that and have it still be believable is pretty darn impressive.

[leelust.livejournal.com]

Sorry, i'm butting in.
My standards are a lot lower than they used to be. They still do some excellent episodes, but they're fewer and farther between. Which is a shame. And I don't want there to be *anything* I openly despise.
Hmm... ITA. It's a shame and i don't know why having such meaty material from S4 they chose not to use ut and instead went on the road they went that wasn't impressive at all.
But actually i was going to ask you why did you hate 511? I saw your reply to Dodger and i took it you hated plot holes there? But 512 has huge plot holes too. I mean there were plot holes in 511 (actually a lot of them) but didn't you like the characters development there? It was surprisingly interesting for me and helped me like the ep a lot.

[luvwinchesters.livejournal.com]

I actually enjoyed this episode quite a bit. It wasn't my favorite or anything, but it was pretty good. I did think it took Dean a bit long to figure out what was going on with Sam, but I'll handwave it. Maybe he knew something was going on, but didn't know what exactly, so maybe he was just playing along. I don't know. Reading the reviews of this episode here and there, I feel like I'm in the minority...I really like Season 5. I really do. I'm really excited about the rest of the season too. Things usually build in the first half and then in the second half we hit the ground running. I'm nowhere near ready to jump ship.

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

Yes, I enjoyed it very much, too. And it is quite depressing to see fans that I used to love to read getting fed up and leaving Show. Especially when it's over stuff that I just don't see and don't think the production staff intends to be there. I won't even get into specifics, but . . . I'm just of such a different perception than so many in the fandom.

Now next week, I'm not too sure about, simply because I'm not a fan of Anna. But I won't go into that.