SPN 8.01 - "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

[feliciakw]

Well, welcome back to another season of SPN. I wasn't going to do my long and ramblies, and I probably will only do as they strike me, rather than every ep. (Watch, I say that now, and it turns out to be a season with a lot to talk about.)

There's a lot of great stuff in this ep, a lot to chew on, and a lot we don't know. Where to start?

Dean: Well, third time's a charm, as they say. They did a wee little bit with Dean and PTSD when he returned from Hell. Of course, at that point in time, he was miraculously healed by an angel, but they made nods to it. Then it was Round #2, with the difficulty of adjusting to civilian life with Lisa. Even when he wasn't hunting, he was in hunting mode, and always taking precautions to protect his family. Now we have Dean truly returning from the battle field, having lived in full and constant fight-or-flight for a year. He's gained a brother in arms out of necessity for survival. And Purgatory was pure. Combat was uninhibited by shades of gray. It was kill or be killed. He did what he had to to survive. Dean has always liked the black-and-white cases, and his kill-or-be-killed experience in Purgatory would be just that. He's a man on a mission.

(I'm just hoping his compassionate, humane side hasn't been suffocated completely.)

I loved the reunion. Testing Sam with holy water, borax, and silver knife. Then when Sam wouldn't do the same to him, he dramatically reminds Sam of the importance of these tests, the necessity that Sam not take him at his word that he is who he says he is. (Perhaps he was trying to prove it to himself as well?)

But that reunion was also kind of hurty. These are not the Sam and Dean that we left at the end of S7. Dean has spent a year in Purgatory, and it's taken a toll on him. Sam turned his back on the hunting world. I'm not at all surprised that the reunion felt subdued. Neither is the person he was when they parted company.

Then there's Benny. A mysterious, dubious comrade in arms, with whom he's made some sort of bargain. Thus far, I like Benny, and my inclination is that if Dean trusts him, I want to trust him. But . . . we can't trust him. Will he turn on Dean? Will he try to turn Dean? Will he betray Dean? Will he rescue Dean in Sam's absence? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

What I do know about Benny is that he's from Louisanna, and I believe his last name is Lafitte, if the name on the post leading to his grave is any indication. He makes me think that he's been a vampire for a very long time (though only in Purgatory 50 years). Makes me wonder if we'll have any historic or period flashbacks.

Another thought that went through my head: We have another guy to add to the convention circuit. Should be fun.

You all know that this actor played Eli in "Bloodlust," right? It's only a matter of time before someone writes a fic explaining how the twin brothers of this family were turned.

And then there's Sam. Sam, who did not look for Dean, and we certainly know how much of a betrayal Dean views this. But . . . this is Sam. Whenever things get personally or emotionally difficult, particularly where family is concerned, his first inclination is to retreat. To run. To turn his back on it.

I sort of get what Sam's saying about how they "agreed" to stop sacrificing themselves for each other. But really, I don't remember Dean ever telling Sam to "live a regular life." What I remember before Dean was dragged to Hell was him telling Sam, "Keep fighting. Take care of my wheels. Sammy, remember what Dad taught you. Remember what I taught you." Sammy, you're the one who told Dean to go lead a regular life with Lisa. And if you hadn't, I highly doubt Dean would have. Just sayin'.

And you know, as I think about it, I think maybe there's more to Sam's side of the story than we were presented in this ep. He was guilted into taking the dog, and as I ponder, I wonder if she didn't have an ulterior motive upfront. We don't know nearly enough about her from this one ep, but . . . I'm not inclined to trust her. (Interesting how I'm inclined to trust a vamp because Dean does, while I'm disinclined to trust Sam's girlfriend. This would seem to indicate that I'm inclined to trust Dean's judgement more than I am Sam's. But, I think given the history of the characters, there's foundation for that, yeah?)

Anyway, when Sam tells Dean, "There was a girl. And then there wasn't," that tells me that he snuck out for good, with no intention of returning to her. He's ditching the girl for his brother, and I don't quite know what to think of that, either.

Sam and the dog. I couldn't help but harken back to Dean nearly punching the hospital administrator guy in "Death's Door" when Sam told the vet tech, "This is an animal hospital! You save animals! Save this animal!" Not unlike Dean telling the hospital administrator "Do your job! Save him!" And in my mind, I hear more than just desperation for the dog in Sam's voice. My brain fills in "Save this animal! [Because I can't save my family!]"

I'm really liking Kevin. Smart, resourceful, clever. Quite a different prophet from Chuck. Yay, Kevin!

Specific things I liked about the ep:

~ Dean showing up in the woods. Warrior!Dean is awesome. (And more than a little bit hot.)
~ Who is the mysterious shadow watching Sam's (probably Amelia's) house????
~ Dean testing Sam, then himself, for Sam's sake, because Sam is too trusting.
~ The telling little bits, like Dean skipping dinner (why???), the staring at the vending machine (so
many choices, and are any of them safe?), the joy of a burger.
~ There is a door out of Purgatory that is specifically for humans to get out.
~ The brother-in-arms thing he's got going with Benny. (Even though Benny is bound to cross Dean later.)
~ Sam giving Dean a burger and fries. Dean being so surprised and joyous. (This makes me wonder what ~ Dean ate in Purgatory and how. Did Benny help him find edible meat and vegetation?)
~ Dean's new weapon. "What's that?" / "Purgatory." (Though it's not what I thought it would be.)
~ Kevin's cleverness, the way he tricked Crowley.
~ And perhaps most important: Having a new ep to watch. \o/

Things that make me nervous:

~ Dean's hardened attitude. I really hope Dean's compassionate side is still there, if buried.
~ The sense that Dean is going to go darkside. We've had Sam go darkside, Cas go darkside, and Bobby go darkside. Dean is the shining light in an otherwise murky, muddy, tar-stained world. Yes, his light is a little faded, and sometimes it fritzes, but it's always there. I don't want to lose that.

Really looking forward to next week's ep. Not as great a season opener as S2 and S4, but certainly engaging, intriguing, and entertaining.