SPN Season Finale

[oselle]

I should probably wait to digest the episode and maybe watch it again but...I don't really want to watch it again. I thought it was slow and draggy and dull and at times annoying.

Dean gets yet another bitch-slapping about what a whiny-ass little titty-baby he is, and this time from Bobby. Is there anyone on the show at this point who hasn't told Dean he's a self-pitying jerk? I mean, seriously, is anyone left?

Meanwhile the real whiny-ass titty-baby goes off and murders some helpless, captive innocent because he thinks he got a nastygram from his brother. I'm not saying this to piss off you Samgirls. You Samgirls should be pissed off at the show for making Sam into the biggest fucking tool ever. I'm glad the episode ended with Sam and Dean reunited because I think by now Dean -- forgiving, loyal Dean -- is just about the only creature in heaven or on earth who could tolerate Sam's presence.

Dean spends half the episode uselessly pacing around in what I at first thought was an anteroom at The Vatican. I was literally afraid that the pope was going to make a cameo appearance. There was a creepiness to those scenes that made me think the "Dean's still in hell" theory was going to come true, but no. Just more dickishness from Zach, now with beer and cheeseburgers and "70 sluts." Sigh. I know, okay, I KNOW they put all that in there specifically to show what a dick Zach is and how he doesn't understand anything about Dean and has a very shallow and low opinion of him but you know what? All that just made Zach look really stupid and a stupid angel with apparently the worst powers of persuasion ever is not very intimidating.

Lilith supposedly knows she's the Last Seal and yet she still shows up at the pre-appointed place at the pre-appointed time. In lingerie. Sigh. Whatever.

Sam was always "the one" but Azazel had to recruit a whole "army" of demon kids and then stage an apparently unnecessary showdown?

The stuff with the dead nuns was grotesque and not in a fun, gory way. And ya know what, Kripke, ya fuckin pervert?? Even in 1972, most of those nuns would have been middle-aged and elderly women not nubile young things. But old bags aren't as much fun to slaughter and splay out, are they?

I didn't hate it all. Castiel continues to rock and I loved him throwing Dean up against that wall and the look of sheer bug-eyed terror on Dean's face when he thought Castiel was going to kill him. And then Castiel slathering that sigil on the wall with his own blood -- awesome. Castiel's in some seriously deep shit now.

Chuck putting his hand on Castiel's shoulder and Castiel giving him that glare of disapproval -- fantastic. Castiel's apparently a one-human kinda guy. And Dean's a heckuva lot prettier than Chuck.

They had their cake and ate it too with Ruby didn't they? YES she was evil but YES...she really did care for Sam! Whatever. She's dead. I hope she stays dead. I suspect we'll have Anna around next season to provide some requisite simpering and skin.

Overall, the most exciting thing I saw tonight was the first commercial for My Bloody Valentine...on DVD May 19th!! YAY!! Jensen in 3-D! Jensen in beater! Jensen flippin' out in mineshaft! Bring it on!

Comments

[janissa11.livejournal.com]

I ABSOLUTELY believed that was the Vatican, too. Not that the confusion was unintentional, but still -- hee.

I think I need to rewatch and throw things at the screen when Bobby shows up be a bit calmer. I KNOW my own initial reaction is comprised of sheer relief that I didn't have to wrestle with believing the boys were long-term estranged over the summer. THAT was the deal-maker for me: The boys wound up more or less on the same side again, and beyond that I think... well, quite honestly, I don't think I was asking for much more than that.

Let me know when you have the DVD, and I'll go grab a copy. We can squee at each other. I'm really, REALLY interested in seeing JA playing anyone but Dean, just for variety, you know?

[oselle.livejournal.com]

YOU NEVER SAW MBV IN THE MOVIE THEATER!?!? Boy, did you miss out. GIANT THREE DIMENSIONAL JENSEN!!!!!!!! I slogged through a snowstorm for that! And it was totally worth it!!

I would rather have seen the season end with the boys estranged, I think. I'm glad they both contributed to Ruby's end, though, but man, do I have to give Dean props for sticking by Sam after everything that's happened. Can we please, please, please move past this "Dean's a whiner" shit by now? Please????

I like the St. Michael allusions considering that played a part in my fic but I don't want to see Dean possessed by an angel AT ALL. Dean crushing Lucifer beneath his boot is fine with me, though.

[oxer12.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was not thrilled with Sam offing some poor chick just because he was mad at Dean. I found myself wanting to club him over the head.

And yet, and yet...maybe I'm channeling Dean a little bit, because I WANT Sam to be redeemed. I know, I know, it's hopelessly naive of me.

Castiel's scenes with Dean literally make me bounce with glee.

[muffaletta.livejournal.com]

So much word for everything you said. Bobby can go live permanently in Hedonism for all I care-I am so done with him. I guess not only Dean's immediate family thinks his sole purpose in life is protecting widdle Sammy and being his big bwudder, with no intrinsic value outside that sacred role. Whatever, Kripke. At least Cas appreciates Dean.

And as much as it was nice to see the brothers working together, so, is this the end of that yearlong rift? Hand waved away in a few minutes? I want them to make up too but it needs to feel real, maybe with some character growth? You know, Kripke. The one where people change for the better? Like Sam maybe initiating fixing the relationship he pretty much destroyed? And Dean, holding onto his newfound realization that he is worthy of respect that Sam has not given and might not be capable of giving. Nope, instead we have Dean shocked into horror at the prospect of becoming his father that he rushes to grovel, er, apologize because no matter what Sam does, it's all okay. Really? Maybe Sam can give yet another half hearted, insincere roadside apology and we'll forget the lies/sneaking around/apathy at Dean's return/resentment/jealousy/betrayal/hate/attempted murder ever happened.

Sam acted like the dumbass the show's been setting him up to be this season and I'm not surprised his fans are upset. But no worries. I'm sure he'll shed a few more tears and all will be forgotten. There's never much accountability for Sam so why start now? This superficial bandaid approach isn't going to do much to endear me back to Sam's character, after all the stuff he's pulled recently.

But the Dean-Cas scenes rocked, Chuck didn't die(yay!), and Ruby did (yay!). So it wasnt' a total loss.

[pensive]

This ep made me run out of facepalm. And headdesk. BUT. CASTIEL.

//I didn't hate it all. Castiel continues to rock and I loved him throwing Dean up against that wall //

First time in...EVER that I shipped those two. HOOBOY let the slash bunnies attack!

//And then Castiel slathering that sigil on the wall with his own blood -- awesome. Castiel's in some seriously deep shit now.//

Ayup.


p.s. Kripke? Light in the floor is NOT AN ENDING KTHXBI

[emeraldus.livejournal.com]

As Ruby was explaining her ebil master plan and Sam's all wide eyed WHAAAT? I'm throwing up my hands and shouting at the TV, you're so STUPID! How many times has Ruby had to remind them, HELLOOO, DEMON! and yet it still does not take with Sam. SIGH!

Even with the short time she's been on the show, I think the actress playing Lilith woulda made a much better Ruby.

[smilla02.livejournal.com]

OMG! Bobby's speech annoyed me so much, I though I was the only one. It's a minor thing because this show gave me Castiel chosing Dean. I didn't realize how much I needed something like that to happen in the show. *is overinvested*

I agree with what you say and now I hope that we'll see some major bridges building from Sam as well. If he lets go of his pride, I can look at him and see him grow. Because, you see, Dean, when it comes to do the right thing by his family, always comes trough and that's enough to satisfy my Dean's love forever and ever.

I may hoe that this will be next season theme between Dean and Sam. Both wanting to kill Lucifer, together and working through re-building that trust and bond this last year has nearly completely broken.

Please, Kripke? Give me that?

[ariadnes-string.livejournal.com]

Okay--this is what I get for watching the episode in real time for once: completely and utterly distracted by the pretty that is Jensen Ackles....

I mean, some part of my brain was going "cheesy sets (a harp!!), plot holes, why did they leave so much exposition for the finale, why are they spending so much time milling around?" but most of me was just rolling around in DEAN'S FAAACE!! DEAN&CAS!!

I guess it was patented SPN: a plot that makes almost no sense in the service of hitting a few emotional high points: Bobby telling Dean he's a better man than his father (I know, ridiculous, but possibly the first time anyone's said it out lout); Dean on the phone to Sam telling him they're still brothers; Dean telling Cas what he can do with his paradisiacal peace (I particularly liked that one!); Cas choosing Dean; Sam with his little boy voice "Dean?"; shirt-clutching...

Totally agree with you about the misogyny. The one that really got me was the image of two big men gutting a tiny woman held between them with a serrated phallic instrument. I mean, I wanted Ruby to die and everything, but that was a little OTT....

[ginzai.livejournal.com]

I definitely had some issues with the finale. It still doesn't feel like a full-on season end to me - it feels like AHBL I and next week is when we get to the REAL ending. Too much time in exposition, hanging around and doing nothing.

As for your quibbles... Yeah, I totally understand where you're coming from. I wonder if Lilith actually was working to break the last Seal right there though. She didn't want to in 4x18 and she made that odd comment about "let's go save the world", which makes me think she had other plans, ones that were stopped by Sam and his need for vengeance.

I didn't mind Ruby's death so much. Well, that's not true, I've always wanted her to be evil or at least to have her own motives that had nothing to do with Sam and we did get at least that much. If her death disappointed me, it wasn't in how Sam and Dean killed her, it was in how she let herself be killed. Ruby used to be a badass, wherefore art though badass Ruby? Definitely nowhere to be seen in S4, that's for damn sure. Ruby used to be able to fight. I miss that, a lot.

Castiel just made me happy. Gloriously happy.

As for Sam and Dean... Man, the thing that gets me here is that I really WANTED them to reconcile - but only after several episodes in S5. I wanted Sam to get a taste of what it is to have to go chase after Dean for once. I wanted more than just a small "oops, I doomed the world, totes my bad" apology. I wanted Dean to reject that role, the one that sees him forgive and forget and repress every single bad thing his family has ever done to him.

And I don't think we're going to get it. And if we did get it, it would be like kicking a sick puppy. Sam broke the last Seal, he's pretty much ended the world. If Lucifer manages to sneak a peek into the angels' information hotline and finds out about Dean's "destiny", then he's going to be after Dean in a hot minute.

In one day, Sam has killed an innocent woman, drank her blood, killed another (if not innocent then definitely at least not fighting him) creature, ENDED THE WORLD, set THE force of ancient evil onto his brother's tail, and so on. The sheer amount of aaaaangst Sam is going to be feeling is huge. If people were worried about Dean for having broken the first Seal, it's going to be even worse with Sam because there's no second chances there. At least when Dean broke the first Seal, they had 65 more opportunities to set things right. Now, there are none. Not unless two humans can manage to avoid angels, demons, and figure out how to reseal Lucifer, all on their own. Which, no doubt they'll do, or the end of S5 will seem very bleak indeed, but right now it still looks pretty hopeless and has to be far worse from within the SPN verse.

Point being, Sam is going to feel like absolute shit. As well he should! Dean, being Dean, though, isn't going to pile more on top of that right now. He broke the first Seal, he knows the pain that causes, to be manipulated in that manner. So all the poor treatment in S4, the fact that Sam didn't even seem to care that Dean had returned from Hell, that Sam gave up the quest to free Dean within a MONTH, the strangulation, the constant jeering of being "weak", that thrice-damned "boo hoo".... All of that's going to be brushed aside because Sam has been shattered and Dean's too good a person to piss on the shards.

And I'm generally okay with that, but what a let down from what I'd hoped!

[oselle.livejournal.com]

The sheer amount of aaaaangst Sam is going to be feeling is huge.

I want to give you a more thorough response, but right now I only have time to ask: so what? So fucking what about Sam's angst? Nobody gives a shit about Dean's angst, no matter WHAT happens to Dean, whether it's his fault or not, and no matter what the circumstances, everyone just tells him to STFU and man up, princess, and quit whining (even when he's not) and that's okay. That's perfectly fine. So I don't see why l'il Sammy should get coddled over this the way he's been coddled his whole fucking life by big bro and just about everyone else. I don't want to see Dean turn on him or give him the ass-kicking that he so richly deserves but I sure as hell want to see Sam manning up himself and taking full responsibility for what he's done. For what HE HAS done, not for what Ruby "made" him do or for what Dean "let" him do. WHAT HE HAS DONE of his own free will -- and so easily too, not even after 30 years of torture. Of his own free will and gladly. Enthusiastically.

I want to see Sam owning up to his actions and taking the lead in dealing with the consequences, not whining to Dean about how sorry he is and "Waaah, I'm a monster" and all that shit, while God, Lucifer and every angel and demon in between is going to be bearing down on their asses because of Sam's unspeakable pride, selfishness and sheer stupidity.

[ginzai.livejournal.com]

Oh, I get that. If they allow Sam to wallow in his misery about what he's done (the horror, the horror!), I'm going to be pissed. My whole thing leading into the finale was that what I wanted was for Sam to face the music for once. Have some consequences for his actions. For four seasons, every single thing he's done wrong has been wiped away and forgotten and it's been such an utter tragedy for his character. It's weakened Sam and Sam's storyline and it wasn't until S4 when it looked like he might actually have to face the music for once that I became interested in him at all. Why would I care about Sam if he could do horrible things and never even have to feel guilty about it? That's like making someone into a sociopath and then not even having the decency to play the story out.

Man, and they took away the entire out of the demon blood addiction. If it was all Sam's choices of his own free will, then everything he has done has been on him. Strangling Dean, killing God knows how many people, all of that was Sam. And that makes me a bit nervous, because how do you come back from that? How can the show make an aggressive, violent prideful murderer into one of the heroes again? Not to mention that he was addicted or what was the entire point of 4x20 and 4x21?

I will admit that I want Sam to realize what it means that it took Dean thirty freaking years of torture to break, whereas it took Sam a mere twelve months. Extenuating circumstances, sure, and Sam didn't know what he was doing, fine. I get it. But after everything he's spouted about who is "weak" and who is "strong" this season, I want him to take a good long look at that particular hard truth and I don't want it to be a melodramatic, overblown scene where Dean immediately forgives all wrongs and comforts him and convinces him that he's been strong all along.

I don't want to see Dean turn on him or give him the ass-kicking that he so richly deserves but I sure as hell want to see Sam manning up himself and taking full responsibility for what he's done.

I think you phrased that about perfectly. I don't want to see Sam have to go groveling back to Dean, but yes. Consequences. Let's see them be faced.

[kjfri.livejournal.com]

I missed the first half of the show and it seems to me, after reading many of these reaction posts, that I didn't miss too much (just a couple dead nuns, a Bobby lecture, Zack spouting off). No worries.

Yes - Sam did appear to be the biggest tool in the box, did he not? And why did Lilith feel the need to prance around in her best honeymoon neglige? Although I did get a tiny, wee bit of joy that 2 'women' (can we consider them women, or are they female demons, or does one become asexual once demonized? eh whatever) pulled the best joke ever on our Sammy. Course, it might just reinforce the theory that Eve was responsible for the fall of man...oh, much too early for thoughts like that...nevermind me.

I loved Chuck putting his hand on Castiel, too - although I don't understand - I thought the archangel only protected Chuck from harm, Castial wasn't there to harm Chuck, so what got the bug up the archangel's pants?

And double yay! to My Bloody Valentine - now I just have to figure out how to get my boyfriend to rent and watch it with me, with minimal criticisms from him?

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I am REALLY hoping that next year will have them putting their relationship back together. The fact that they didn't actually hug seemed like a good sign to me, but I may be grasping at straws. They seemed ready to go to such depths to separate them this season I just hope they want to sink their teeth into a new brotherly order next season. Because...come on, Sam has to grow up. I didn't hate him in this ep or anything, but his thinking was completely wrong and a lot of it came from the way he's always been raised as opposed to Dean, and both of them have to break out of that.

It's like somebody elsewhere said--it's like Bobby said, "Hey Dean, you kow how you've been a doormat for your family your whole life? Could you do that some more?" Because no, that's not really a problem that Dean has, walking away from family when they get difficult. The idea that he would think family was supposed to be feel good is kind of laughable. When's it EVER felt good outside from maybe brief moments with his mother in the past. (I hold on to this view that Mary would kick all sorts of ass on Dean's behalf if she were alive.)

So the thing is in the last ep when Sam was hellbent on going to hell he was all "Let me take the wheel for a change!" and while he was totally wrong about that (because he was planning to drive them right into a ditch marked HELL) if he really wants to be an equal partner he needs to deal with some of his issues. Without having everybody yelling at Dean to just be the responsible one the way they've no doubt been telling him since he was 4 years old.

Seriously, I'm a youngest child and even I'm siding with the older sibling here.

OMG, though, I LOVE Castiel. I know some people who hate the character but I just totally think he's a great plot mechanism and character at once. He's and ANGEL. He doesn't know any right vs. wrong outside of what God says and what God says not. There are humans who frame morality the same way and he's an angel. It was terrifying for him to take that step with Dean. And I love that he probably wouldn't do it for anyone but Dean. That is, that Dean's really unique enough as an individual that Castiel would believably develop a bit of a man crush on him and *admire* him and instinctively see that this is what GOOD looks like even when he doesn't look good. I especially like the contrast b/w him and Zach who just sees the guy who likes hamburgers and sex and beer.

[tskterata.livejournal.com]

I was frustrated that Dean spent most of the ep locked in a room or chasing after Sammy. Again. Although I loved the Castiel – Dean moments - and I love that Castiel really cares for Dean and wants him to have the peace that he deserves.

Bobby’s speech was jarring to me and seem OOC. I think the Kripke knew that after last week’s blow-up, they couldn’t just have Dean go after Sam without some external force working on him, and while I don’t disagree with the choice of it being Bobby as cattle-prod, I think the speech he came up with was insulting to Dean’s and Bobby’s characters. Enough with the “Boo Hoo’s” and the “Man up’s” already. No one on that show has consistently done the hard job for the greater good like Dean has. Since I still want to like Bobby, my fanwank is that Bobby knows that Dean will never forgive himself if he abandons Sam (no matter how much he may deserve it) and something bad happens to Sammy. So in a panicked and emotional moment, he hits Dean with the insults to wake him up and get him to listen, and then softens it by telling Dean that he’s a better man than John ever was (and he is). Not what I wanted to see, and not well done IMO, but that’s the best wank I have.

In regard to little brother Sammy. I was glad that this ep made it clear that Sam has been wrong all season. That he let his pride guide him and that he made very bad choices – not Ruby, not the demon blood - Sam. I know that there are fans out there that equate Dean selling his soul to save Sam and eventually breaking the first seal (after 30 years of torture – ahem) with Sam demoning up to protect Dean by killing Lilith and breaking the last seal – but I don’t see it that way. I'm not convinced that Sam wanted to kill Lilith to protect Dean. I think he wanted to kill her to be the Big Man and get revenge for her beating him in the contest for Dean’s soul - by dragging Dean to hell before Sam could figure out a way to stop her. He wanted to kill her to satisfy his pride. If it had really been about his love for Dean – wouldn’t he have shown Dean some compassion this season instead of lying to him and calling him “weak?” I really hope we don’t have to suffer through too much poor Sammy and his guilt next season. I hope that Sam “man up’s” and acknowledges how badly he fucked things up and makes amends.

But I’m not holding my breath.

[ginzai.livejournal.com]

You know, for years I've thought your brain must is a particularly wonderful thing because it produces this utterly beautiful thinky-thoughts and no matter what you are writing about, I always have a great time reading them.

Because...come on, Sam has to grow up. I didn't hate him in this ep or anything, but his thinking was completely wrong and a lot of it came from the way he's always been raised as opposed to Dean, and both of them have to break out of that.

That's a fantastic point. Dean practically raised Sam and I think a lot of Sam's general blithe attitude about having to face the consequences of his actions is because Dean would have (and has) forgiven him just about anything. And I think Dean will forgive Sam even this because when it comes to Sam, Dean is entirely too empathic and has his own trauma about being mislead into breaking a Seal. He knows what it's like. All season along, Dean has been speaking from a place of experience, warning Sam from taking the path Dean himself walked. And all season long, Sam's ignored him and now has wound up at the exact same place.

I can see Dean wanting to give Sam an out for that, because he knows so intimately what it feels like to suffer the weight of that much responsibility, to know that he's committed that terrible an atrocity, but I sincerely hope that Sam refuses to accept it. Dean broke after thirty odd years of torture, Sam didn't even break so much as blissfully follow Ruby down the road of good intentions.

And absolutely agreed about Bobby. I saw an interview with Jim Beaver discussing the finale and how Bobby thinks Dean is doing a much better job than Dean thinks he is, but I didn't feel that love last night. There was nothing in 4x21 or 4x22 to make me think Bobby supported Dean's actions and a significant amount of criticism of them. Oh, and that's exactly my issue with the Bobby!rant as well. When has Dean ever failed to put his family above himself? At what point has he ever been selfish enough to do so? And Bobby knows that! He's chewed Dean out before for those very sacrifices!

I love your take on Castiel, btw! The contrast between Castiel, who knows Dean and gets him, and Zachariah was just astounding. I hated Zachariah in 4x17, but I love that here he continues with his "hot cars, hot women, sex, and food" temptation theme, as if that's all he can picture a mere smelly human could ever want. Base satisfaction and nothing else. But Castiel offers Dean peace and when Dean rejects it, Castiel switches sides. Because Dean is right, and Castiel knows it - no matter how terrified he must have been to betray his orders.

[agentotter.livejournal.com]

Lilith supposedly knows she's the Last Seal and yet she still shows up at the pre-appointed place at the pre-appointed time. In lingerie. Sigh. Whatever.

Mebbe I'm dumb, but I thought that was the whole point? Ruby and Lilith were working together all along -- Ruby says that Lilith is the only one who knows what Ruby was really doing. Lilith was there on purpose... sacrificing herself so that Lucifer could rise. Er, I guess.

Re: but supposed lucifer is IN sam...

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I don't think they're going to go that route but who knows. They certainly makes some...interesting choices on this show.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I want Sam to be redeemed too but I don't want the redemption to be an easy handwave so that everyone can just "move on." I'm sure there are viewers out there who don't want to "wallow" in Sam-angst but surely an entire team of professional writers could find a satisfying middle ground between lazy handwaving and lugubrious wallowing.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

is this the end of that yearlong rift?

Jeez, I HOPE not. Since their reunion came in the last few minutes of the episode, and with Lucifer about to bust up out of the floor, I'm going to assume that there was no time for a real reconciliation. But when the show does return I hope they devote a little more time to Sam and Dean healing their relationship than:

SAM: Dean, I'm sorry. Really sorry.

DEAN: Forget it man.

Or something like that.

This superficial bandaid approach isn't going to do much to endear me back to Sam's character, after all the stuff he's pulled recently.

I'm convinced that the writers have a weird blind spot about Sam. They probably think they spent this season making him "go darkside" and that it was all very cool and scary but they really just made him look like a selfish, prideful, horny idiot who turned his back on his one living family member to follow his demon girlfriend around like a little puppy. I do not understand how anyone could think it was a good strategy to make one of the show's main characters so thoroughly contemptible.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

The intensity between Dean and Castiel is off the charts and I don't even mean that in a slashy way. Dean really has no one else at his back and Castiel has just betrayed heaven and endangered his very existence to help Dean. The bond now between these two is so unique and compelling and it's the one thing in Season 5 that I'm really looking forward to seeing more of.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

As Ruby was explaining her ebil master plan and Sam's all wide eyed WHAAAT? I'm throwing up my hands and shouting at the TV

Truth is, Ruby inexplicably bamboozled just about every single character on this show...not all of them as badly or for as long as Sam, but no one and I mean NO ONE even seemed to notice Ruby's sudden personality makeover, no one ever really tried to find out what her motive was for "helping" Sam, no one ever questioned how the fuck she got out of hell after Lilith had supposedly sent her "far, far away"...the list goes on and on. When you have to turn all of your characters into idiots to make something work...yer not doin it right.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Castiel choosing Dean

This is a very big deal since Dean seems to have so little help right now. And Castiel really sacrificed himself to help Dean...if the other angels get hold of him now, I think there's going to be something far worse than a visit to "bible camp" in Castiel's future.

[pensive]

It doesn't have to be slashy at all. But wow you're right on with the intensity.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

The many closeups of lovely Jensen certainly did keep me entertained during all that slow agony in The Vatican. Didn't you just love the way his eyes popped when Castiel slammed him up against the wall? I don't know if he thought Cas was going to kill him or send him back to hell right then and there or what but I have never seen Dean look so terrified.

a plot that makes almost no sense in the service of hitting a few emotional high points

That is about as good of a nutshell description of SPN as I've ever heard. But I need structure. The emotional high points don't even do it for me if there's nothing to link them together. Though shirt-clutching...I do like shirt-clutching. Sucker, thy name is Oselle.

The one that really got me was the image of two big men gutting a tiny woman held between them with a serrated phallic instrument.

You may recall that there was a huge, HUGE flap at the end of last season over how misogynistic the show is and I didn't buy into it. I still think that's a little too strong of a word but I will say that they are getting into some pretty dicey territory with some of this season's material: Ruby getting tortured while buck naked (why?), an entire roomful of dead and apparently teenaged nuns, the second most powerful demon in the universe running around in her push-up nightie, and even introducing one female angel to have her accomplish nothing more than giving Dean a backseat ride.

Taken altogether, you sure do get the impression that the writers have a very one-sided opinion of what sort of role women are supposed to play in this show. If Castiel had been developed as a female character, all that great intensity between him and Dean would no doubt have been squandered on a few steamy scenes -- it would have been far more important for Castiel(le) to be "hot" than to make her a rich and fascinating character on her own, and more important for her and Dean to have sex than to forge a complex and compelling relationship between the two of them.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

He broke the first Seal, he knows the pain that causes, to be manipulated in that manner.

Dean is a far more charitable soul than I am because the circumstances that led to each of them unwittingly breaking Seals are so wholly different. Dean was tortured into it, driven to it after 30 years of unspeakable torment. Sam offered himself up willingly to the manipulation. He forgot all about his brother mere months after Dean's death and damnation and lustily hopped on the express train to perdition to satisfy his own self-importance. As I've already said, I don't want Dean to piss on Sam, but I want Sam to know what he's done, I want Sam to admit what he's done, no matter how much Dean will try to comfort and reassure him (and you know Dean will do just that). Sam has to have a reckoning with himself.