SPN - 8.15

[feliciakw]

In short, this ep didn't really do anything for me. It felt very flat. I didn't really feel a connection to the guest characters, I wasn't particularly impressed with the "witch bar," it was just . . . weird.

About the only thing that stands out in my mind right now is Dean's explanation about Kate and Benny versus Witch Detective James, a reasoning I buy from Dean.

Also, there's homage to past seasons, and then there's using past seasons as a crutch. (This was one of my [many] complaints about Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.) They're getting very close to the point where callbacks to past seasons draw attention to themselves rather than enhancing the current story.

However, the Winchesters finally succeeded in killing a witch, which is something I don't think they've ever successfully done before, have they?

Also, I don't know much about Being Human, but as I understand it, it's about monsters trying to come to terms with their monster-ness? Or something? This ep felt, in some ways, like "Bitten," wherein the monster's story was more important than the Winchesters' story (and not connected to a Winchester at all, unlike Benny, who has a very strong connection to Dean's story). It just . . . doesn't feel right. It doesn't really feel like it fits. Maybe if "Bitten" hadn't left such a bad first impression, I'd be more inclined to give this a one-off pass. But it just . . . felt flat.

I'll re-watch when I get my download, and maybe the ep will improve upon re-watch, but first blush reaction is meh.

Sam's coughing up blood. Already. That little power surge must not have sat well with him, and now I'm wondering if he's actually the one that's cut out for these trials. After all, Dean can look an angel in the eyes as it dies, without his own eyes getting burned out of his skull.

Will Sam never learn that keeping secrets from Dean is a Bad Idea? Oy.

Or as Geo said, "Oh, what now?!?"

Comments

[gluisa88.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wasn't impressed. Maybe my second reaction would be better but I don't really want to watch it a second time.

The sex scene was annoying- do we really want to see a sex scene between two random characters we've never seen before? I certainly don't.

The flashbacks felt out of place and jarring. At the end, I was like, "Oooh, that's why they included those" but still, it didn't work for me.

From the very first scene, it felt awkward and contrived and I kept hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it really didn't. But that last scene was good.

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

The only reason for the random sex scene, that I can see, is to show the nature of the relationship. More than just "master" and assistant. More than just deep friendship. They wanted to show us, as well as dance around forbidden fetishes without actually "going there." But honestly? Bleh.

Yeah, this one will take a second go just to figure out all the WT??? of it. Like the flashbacks.

From the very first scene, it felt awkward and contrived and I kept hoping it would get better.

Exactly. George got a kick out of the Three Stooges debate, but even that felt kind of awkward and forced, which shouldn't be for these two guys.

[gluisa88.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got that but I felt like they gave it too much time- I felt a lead in was all that two one-episode characters needed! :P

Besides, it's not like they didn't spell it out for us later on anyway.

Heh heh, even Jensen seemed uncomfortable when he was interviewed about he episode. Well... I don't know if uncomfortable is the right word, but not exactly enthusiastic with it. You can kinda tell in interviews when he's not 100% behind an episode :P

[ficwriter1966.livejournal.com]

Not even to mention the "wrong in so many ways" of having a black woman call the pretty white man "master" and walk around in a dog collar.

Or the nudge-nudge-wink-wink of "Ooh, look. He's HAVING SEX WITH HIS DOG."

This one goes into the bin with "Bitten" and "Ghostfacers."

[feliciakw.livejournal.com]

Personally, I liked "Ghostfacers." It's not among my favorites, but it didn't leave me nearly as cold as "Bitten" or as indifferent as this one. I liked it as outsider POV and as a send-up of the reality ghost hunting shows.

But this wasn't even outsider POV. This was showcasing guest characters to . . . try to introduce another underground community, I guess? I mean, it opens up some many WT??? questions, like the fact that witches become witches (usually) by giving their souls to demons. And none of them recognized a hunter when he walked into the room? The 900-year-old witch Patrick from "Curious Case" made more sense in the SPN world than these guys. Heck, so did Don Stark and his wife. Anyway . . .

The racism/misogyny didn't really hit me, but I can certainly see how that would be a trigger, button, and issue for people. (Under different personal circumstances, I'm sure I would be cringing.) I don't really want to comment fully on what I saw them playing at, here in my public journal, but . . . um . . .

And oh, did I flash to some fic tropes from a previous fandom. But that's just me. (Specifically, certain AUs of The Sentinel where the Sentinel and Guide are psychically linked, and the Guide serves the Sentinel, etc. Meh.)

And . . . yeah . . . I'm trying to block out the sex thing completely from my brain. It was just awkward and bad. I mean, we saw it coming from 10 miles away, right? And it was . . . just ugh.

(I did mention bad fic, right?)