SPN - 8.12 - "As Time Goes By"

[feliciakw]

Watched my download this morning. And I'm not sure what I think in my first blush reaction. Will have to re-watch and ponder.

My immediate reaction was that I liked the ep. Nice adventure, examination of the family dynamic, backstory.

I'm intrigued that there was a secret society of "elite" hunters (though they would never call themselves that). However, I dislike the disdain with which this "elite" sect looked down on hunters. Because the society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. (With apologies credit to John W. Gardner)

And I'd lay money on Ezra Moore ("Time After Time") being a Woman of Letters.

I'm both twitchy and intrigued about John's family backstory. And yet, nothing that we learned changes anything of John's experience. He (and apparently his mother) knew nothing of this secret society, nor why Henry never came home that night. (I'm with Dean. Freakin' time travel. Makes my brain hurt.)

And I would think that John fans would really like this episode. The boys have come to an understanding of their father. They don't gloss over his faults, but they certainly accentuate the positive in as far as recognizing that he took care of them and was there for them, that he did the best he could. Of course, I saw this balance appear back in S6, and imo it's been pretty consistent since.

Another layer of mythology, though, makes my brain hurt. I wasn't real keen on the angels getting John and Mary together so that their sons could be angel vessels. But whatever. Now we have the added layer of getting the Hunters (Campbells) together with the Letters (Winchesters)--so indeed the two could be joined in one family! \o/ I just talked myself into it, I think. Oh! This cosmic arrangement makes sense! Getting the "brains" (Winchesters, John's bloodline, Dean) and the "brawn" (Campbells, Mary's bloodline, Sam . . . hold that thought . . . ) together in the same family, with each quality strongly present in both sons, who are to be the vessels of the archangels, SO THEY CAN STOP THE APOCALYPSE! (Which of course the angels in all their political maneuvering and impatience wouldn't get.) \o/ \o/ \o/ That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I also find it really interesting that Dean, usually considered the "brawn," came from the Letters side of the family (the angels highlighted John's bloodline with Dean), while Sam, usually considered the "brains," has the bloodline that is (by default) highlighted as coming from the Hunter side of the family. (While at the same time, Sam took after John in a lot of ways, with Dean taking after Mary.)

Dean has time and again proven himself to be smart (and this episode is no exception), and Sam, with his stature and build, obviously carries some brawn of his own.

I hope that made sense. The multiple layers are making my brain hurt. Yeah, I'm gonna need to chew on this.

And though the circumstances were extremely tragic, how fortunate, nay, blessed, was Henry to have his grandsons with him when he died, in battle, defeating an apparently indestructible demon.

Okay, at this point, I want to re-watch the ep.

There was a lot of other cool stuff going on in the ep, too. Lots of amusing lines . . .

Henry to Sam and Dean: Have you ever exhumed a body before?
Me: Daily. Do you know what a salt-and-burn is, Gramps?

Abaddon was freaky (though Lilith was the first demon, and she was killable. Why not this chick?).

*toddles off to the wiki* Serge directed this one. Cool! And Adam Glass wrote it? Point to you, sir.

Not sure about this new Pandora's box of supernatural info. Throw it into the fires of Mordor, or lock it up in John's storage locker? Hm . . . And where is the super-warded place where they're supposed to drop the box?

So Dean and Sam are legacies. Not sure I want to go to one of those frat parties. A little too weird for my liking, I think.