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feliciakwAll righty. An end-of-the-season round-up before we get to a triumvirate of excellent eps and major mytharc developments.
I wrote about Roadkill and Heart last year. Nothing new or particularly enlightening struck me, but I do want to say that I really enjoy the outsider POV of "Roadkill." And I think they were watching Sixth Sense when they wrote it, but I like the twist it gave us, and then gave us the condensed version of the ep from the Winchester POV. Ms. Raelle Tucker, you are missed.
"Heart" provides us with one of the scenes I analyzed in depth in this post. I think everyone reading it will appreciate the scholarship and attention to detail that went into that particular meta.
"Hollywood Babylon," or as Geo says, "Is that the one where Dean is a PA and hangs out at the craft table?"
I love this ep. It's a great stand-alone, and it gives us gleeful!Dean, who has found a place where he fits in in the civilian world. It gives us brother banter, and smart!Sam recognizing the real deal and warning the embittered writer.
I also like the in-jokes. And as I'm thinking about these in-jokes, which clearly make reference to the show being shot in Canada, and Jared having been on Gilmore Girls, the nods to various aspects of TV production, and all the in-jokes regarding the genre and the production crew and everything . . . these jokes work. And I'm going to venture to say they work because they don't cater to the fandom. They don't acknowledge or involve the fandom in any way, in contrast to the meta and self-reference we get in S4 & S5. The jokes here are one-shot jokes and throw-away lines, or send-ups of actual production team experiences. The fandom meta deal-y was revisited and revisited, and while I enjoy it in small doses, a little goes a long way.
Just something I noticed about the in-jokes here vs. the meta later.
"Folsom Prison Blues" is another nicely creepy stand-alone, with bonus under-cover op and unexpected Henricksen. I'm amused that Sam is disturbed by how well Dean fits into the jail social structure in much the same way as Dean is disturbed by how good a Fed Sam can be.
I like that we get a bit of backstory into John's time in the Corps. We also get confirmation that Dean does not smoke. However, being Dean, he most certainly recognizes the value of cigarettes as currency (and can clean everyone's clock at poker).
I like the PD, Mara Daniels. And I pretty much saw red when Henricksen told her that "the adults are trying to get some work done." I pretty much loathed him (and not in a good way) at that line. Because it was an extremely unprofessional way to address a professional, and though he didn't come out and say it, it smacked of chauvinism. Upon re-watch, I don't take it so harshly, but the first time I saw that scene? I'll tell you what: Special Agent Don Eppes wouldn't address a fellow professional in that manner. Not when he was acting in his official capacity as a Fed, anyway.
But anyway, yes. Smart!Winchesters, and Dean acting as distraction so Sam can get the job done . . . only to find that the job's not done. Great guest stars. And coronary event #4 for Dean.
Enjoy the respite, because next we amp up the angst and send the series off in a spiral from which it takes three seasons (or more) to recover.
I wrote about Roadkill and Heart last year. Nothing new or particularly enlightening struck me, but I do want to say that I really enjoy the outsider POV of "Roadkill." And I think they were watching Sixth Sense when they wrote it, but I like the twist it gave us, and then gave us the condensed version of the ep from the Winchester POV. Ms. Raelle Tucker, you are missed.
"Heart" provides us with one of the scenes I analyzed in depth in this post. I think everyone reading it will appreciate the scholarship and attention to detail that went into that particular meta.
"Hollywood Babylon," or as Geo says, "Is that the one where Dean is a PA and hangs out at the craft table?"
I love this ep. It's a great stand-alone, and it gives us gleeful!Dean, who has found a place where he fits in in the civilian world. It gives us brother banter, and smart!Sam recognizing the real deal and warning the embittered writer.
I also like the in-jokes. And as I'm thinking about these in-jokes, which clearly make reference to the show being shot in Canada, and Jared having been on Gilmore Girls, the nods to various aspects of TV production, and all the in-jokes regarding the genre and the production crew and everything . . . these jokes work. And I'm going to venture to say they work because they don't cater to the fandom. They don't acknowledge or involve the fandom in any way, in contrast to the meta and self-reference we get in S4 & S5. The jokes here are one-shot jokes and throw-away lines, or send-ups of actual production team experiences. The fandom meta deal-y was revisited and revisited, and while I enjoy it in small doses, a little goes a long way.
Just something I noticed about the in-jokes here vs. the meta later.
"Folsom Prison Blues" is another nicely creepy stand-alone, with bonus under-cover op and unexpected Henricksen. I'm amused that Sam is disturbed by how well Dean fits into the jail social structure in much the same way as Dean is disturbed by how good a Fed Sam can be.
I like that we get a bit of backstory into John's time in the Corps. We also get confirmation that Dean does not smoke. However, being Dean, he most certainly recognizes the value of cigarettes as currency (and can clean everyone's clock at poker).
I like the PD, Mara Daniels. And I pretty much saw red when Henricksen told her that "the adults are trying to get some work done." I pretty much loathed him (and not in a good way) at that line. Because it was an extremely unprofessional way to address a professional, and though he didn't come out and say it, it smacked of chauvinism. Upon re-watch, I don't take it so harshly, but the first time I saw that scene? I'll tell you what: Special Agent Don Eppes wouldn't address a fellow professional in that manner. Not when he was acting in his official capacity as a Fed, anyway.
But anyway, yes. Smart!Winchesters, and Dean acting as distraction so Sam can get the job done . . . only to find that the job's not done. Great guest stars. And coronary event #4 for Dean.
Enjoy the respite, because next we amp up the angst and send the series off in a spiral from which it takes three seasons (or more) to recover.
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Date: 2010-07-06 10:02 pm (UTC)And I'm going to venture to say they work because they don't cater to the fandom.
So much agree with this. If i can be ok with fandom involving in S4 (because it was first time and in small dose) in S5 it became unbearable. I wish someone would tell them at comic con that that theme is no longer funny or likable.
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Date: 2010-07-07 12:49 am (UTC)And I LOVE Madison. It's too bad she had to be a one shot. Part of me would have loved if she got to go on and find her Pack and just leaves Sam with the promise that she'll be a nice werewolf and only chow down on cattle alongside Lenore. Because she just rocked! However, as much as I'd have liked her to stick around-the emotional core of the episode wouldn't have had the same impact. Ahh Madison! We hardly knew ye. Too bad this couldn't have at least been a 2 parter.
The others in this group, aren't faves. They each have favorite parts, but as a whole nothing too wooby about 'em. Hollywood Babylon is cute and Folsum Prison is fun in its way. Roadkill...? 'sall right.
But I can't really focus on them once you toss Heart in the mix. Wereolves... Nekkid!Sam... Just too much to love there. :-)!
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Date: 2010-07-07 04:32 pm (UTC)You know me. Dean is the character that speaks to me. That's not to say I can't see Sam's POV, but Dean is my default. And the thing that gets me with that last scene and that last bit is that Dean wants so freakin' badly to spare Sam having to kill someone he cares about. (Well, he up until this point usually did the killing dirty work, but this especially.) "I got this one, Sammy. You don't have to do this." Guh!
But Sam wants to honor Madison and her request. It's something he has to do, and Dean can't protect him from it. *hugs them both*
And yes, Madison was very cool.
"Roadkill" has kind of grown on me. It's one of those that's a really good story, but not necessarily at the top of my re-watch list.
HW Babylon is just hilarious to me, and FPB is a solid, creepy story with added complications.
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Date: 2010-07-07 05:07 pm (UTC)But as much as she was loving her new life- she was still noble enough to give it ALL up rather than hurt anyone else. *SIGHS*
At least she had the memories of Sam!Nookie to carry her into the great beyond.
And it's sad she was a doomed character because she really was so awesome. I'm not sure if she was my favorite Sam Girlfriend. Because Sara and Jess were also pretty great. Gosh, even Dr.Fake!Siren had a lot of potential... hmmm. This is probably going into a whole different topic, but most of Sam's girls were pretty awesome... and yet he spent most of 4th Season with RUBY! BLARRRGH!! Whereas Dean's girls? Well Cassie broke his heart, Anna went rogue, Jamie was ok I guess and now Lisa? Well, I guess we'll see. But what bugged about Lisa was when he came to her door the first time all suicidal she just begged him to come in rather than haul him in the door and lock him up. If she was really as athletic as he said she was, she totally could have done it. So, the jury's still out on Lisa.
But overall? Sam's girlfriends seemed better than Dean's girlfriends... but he still got mixed up with Ruby. *scratches head* Much too ponderous for this topic.
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Date: 2010-07-07 05:36 pm (UTC)Of Dean's gals . . . Cassie annoyed the heck out of me, but I think that was more the lack of acting chops the actress was displaying, rather than the character. Anna was great until she was revealed to be a fallen angel. Jamie? I love Jamie like chocolate. (You can tell from my icon.) She was smart and sharp and not afraid to use a gun. I really hope people give Lisa a chance. I liked her when she first showed up, and she genuinely cares about Dean. She couldn't rightly wrestle him into the house, I don't think, because she didn't actually know him very well, and let's face it, he was mixed up in some hinky stuff. And Lisa doesn't seem the force-him-to-do-something type. But the fact that she took him back in when he showed up on her doorstep not dead, and seems to be willing to help him out . . . Hey, anyone wiling to help out Dean is okay in my book. And if we get a bedroom scene out of the deal next season, I call it a win.