SPN 5:20

[oselle]

I've received one question wondering where my usually timely episode review is. Well...I was really tired on Thursday night and seriously, didn't find the episode interesting enough to post about. Not only was it boring but I couldn't follow it. It just seemed really disjointed and pointless to me. I don't know why they teased us with that nifty 28 Days Later-style opening bit and then dropped it altogether. I did enjoy Crowley an awful lot but he dominated the episode so much that he seemed to be doing a one-man show. I don't know why Brady mattered at all, and I don't know why they made such a big deal out of Sam and Dean ganging up to shiv him in that alley. And where the fuck was Pestilence? I thought after last week's ending, Pestilence would be the focus of this episode. I thought this episode would mark the beginning of the Croatoan epidemic that would eventually lead to the world we saw in "The End." Are they anticlimactically going to gank Pestilence offstage so they can just go after Death unimpeded?

Another few things. I've often (and fondly) mocked the way Dean can come out of crushing physical abuse with nothing more than a few flattering abrasions, but they gave up on even that much in this episode. Dean gets beaten to a pulp by Brady, we see him wiping his face but then, literally moments later, he doesn't have a scratch on him. Where's my pouty split lip? Where's my pretty little Mary-Sue cheekbone scratch? I don't think it's too much to ask that the show at least live up to my expectations on this score. The next time Dean gets a pounding he'd better have a nice, photogenic laceration to show for it.

Also: twice now they've shown that flashback to Famine's ring, which makes me LOL because one of the really annoying things about that episode was that we never saw Dean cutting off Famine's ring. In fact, I recall bugging out because Dean was just standing there the whole time and I was like, "The ring, Dean! Get the ring!!" Key details like that should happen onscreen, I think.

Finally, I mysteriously have NO recollection of Bobby ever being possessed and trying to kill Dean. When the hell did that happen? And what on earth would make Sam think that he's capable of booting Lucifer out once he's in, just because Bobby was able to do that to Meg? That's stupid.

Finally, I also had to laugh at the preview of next week, with Death telling Dean, "You can't cheat death." Does he have any idea who he's talking to? Dean has literally cheated death three times, and that doesn't even include all of the massive injuries that would instantly kill or irreparably maim any lesser human, but are basically the equivalent of a papercut for Dean. A pretty papercut.

Comments

[fates3.livejournal.com]

Yea, that was a lameass episode. Crowley was amusing, but he's about the only character who DID anything! Oy!

As to Bobby being possessed: in "Sympathy for the Devil," the first episode of this season, Bobby was possessed by some lower level demon. It wasn't by Meg. He was WITH Meg, but he wasn't possessed by Meg. She was played by Rachel Miner.

Anyways, Bobby was possessed, he and Meg and a couple of other demons were there with Dean. (Sam had left the room earlier) Meg ordered the demon inside Bobby to kill Dean, but instead, Bobby managed to take control for a second and stab himself in the gut instead. That's where he ended up paralyzed.

What is really ass lame about this is that Sam seems to conveniently be forgetting about the fact that he WAS possessed before, by Meg herself, and he didn't do jackshit in the way of controlling her. She murdered a man, tormented Jo, shot his brother, and beat his brother to a pulp, and Sam wasn't able to control her once.

If he couldn't control a lower level demon like Meg, when she almost killed his brother, how the hell does he think he's going to control the frakking DEVIL, when he's trying to destroy THE WORLD!!

*bangs head on keyboard*

And maybe someone should remind Sam that he wasn't able to control the Devil in the future, when the Devil stepped on his brother's neck and broke it :-/

This Show. If it weren't for my love of Dean and Jensen, I swear, I think I would have quit a long time ago. It's idiocy is getting a wee bit ANNOYING!

And, oh yea, LOVED the snippet of scene with Dean and Death! I totally LOLed over Death saying that to Dean, but I get the feeling he's talking about a deal Dean's making, not about Dean actually dying.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Bobby's possession clearly made a HUGE impression on me. That's not at all how I remember Bobby becoming paralyzed. I though Zachariah had had something to do with it. Whatevs.

Sam seems to conveniently be forgetting about the fact that he WAS possessed before, by Meg herself, and he didn't do jackshit in the way of controlling her.

I guess we're supposed to assume that this is the new-and-improved post-Ruby Sam. It sure seems like Sam is assuming that.

[fates3.livejournal.com]

Actually, it could be open for interpretation. I always thought it was Bobby stabbing himself that did it, and the show has always seemed to act like that's it. But yea, Zach did use that as a threat against Dean when he was trying to "convince" Dean to say yes to Michael. But his threats to Dean and Sam were ended, so I don't know that his threat to Bobby really went through...but not sure.

I guess we're supposed to assume that this is the new-and-improved post-Ruby Sam. It sure seems like Sam is assuming that.

Well, Sam always does like to think a LOT of himself, LOL! Boy is never short of arrogance. So, yea, doesn't surprise me that he thinks he can handle it. Idiot never learns. I just hope Show doesn't actually have him be able to control Lucifer in some way, even for a second, cause I'm gonna cry "FOUL" and "BS" as loud as I can if they do.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

We've seen time and again that Sam's pride and arrogance get him in hot water. Of course this time, I'm sure it'll be juuuust fine.

[emeraldus.livejournal.com]

Bobby seemed to get control back at the threat of violence against Dean but Sam, when Meg was behind the wheel, couldn't seem to exert any influence at all when she's using him to do Dean serious harm, so what makes him think he can get control from Lucifer, when he couldn't from Meg? To quote Buffy, your logic does not resemble our Earth logic.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I saw an interesting speculation that, if this really had been the last season, Kripke's often-mentioned "five-year plan" would have ended with Sam allowing Lucifer to possess him...and then with one final act of will, hurling himself into the prison. Presumably it would have been up to Dean to then bar the gates or perhaps, to throw himself in after Sam and somehow seal both of them and Lucifer in for all eternity. This might have been a heartbreaking way to end the series, but it sure would have been the ultimate expression of the old Winchester "saving people, hunting things" ethos. And talk about there not being a dry eye in the house. Of course now we've got Season Six to deal with, so we're going to have Sam magically able to do something that no one has ever attempted...not just overcome a possession, but possession by an archangel.

[roque-clasique.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

I do hang on your words about SPN... you strike a good balance between being critical but also appreciative when there's cause. I don't like straight hating or straight squeeing, and I trust you to tell the truth. Plus we get pissed about the same things. WHERE is the beaten aftermath???

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I'm happy to squee when I think it's warranted. I just wish it were warranted more often. I expect too much from this show. But then again, no I don't. I just expect it to be good, and I don't think that's too much to ask.

[jeez-louise.livejournal.com]

Damnit, I thought you'd successfully traveled in time and watched next week's episode. (Cause, if that's the case, why not go forward two weeks and watch the finale too?) You've got your episode numbers off by one. I agree that this episode wasn't too well written, but I was thinking back to "When The Levee Breaks" and how I thought it was a pointless filler episode too. They have to wait and smush everything into the finale.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

LMAO thanks for the heads up. Fixed it. The funny thing is I originally HAD it as 5:20 and then went in and CHANGED it to 5:21. DUH.

[ariadnes-string.livejournal.com]

*waves* I never watch the episodes at 9pm on Thursdays, but I always read your reviews, so I was a little sad (maybe a little worried) not to see it, too--

Glad it was just that you had the same reaction I did--half bored, half "Wha....?"

I don't know why they made such a big deal out of Sam and Dean ganging up to shiv him in that alley.
Me either--though JP's wacky ninja stealth posture as he approached him with the knife cracked me up.

And what on earth would make Sam think that he's capable of booting Lucifer out once he's in, just because Bobby was able to do that to Meg?
And John with the YED. In fact, Sam is the only major character not to be able to shake off possession momentarily....

[oselle.livejournal.com]

JP's wacky ninja stealth posture as he approached him with the knife cracked me up.

OMG...I thought it was just me. "Wacky" indeed. That was the most unintentionally hilarious thing I've ever seen on this show. And Dean laying down the saltline all sooper serious-like...Jensen can usually sell me on just about anything but even that was goofy.

In fact, Sam is the only major character not to be able to shake off possession momentarily

And even if he ever HAD been able to do it with a lesser demon, there's no reason to believe he could do it with Lucifer who IS NOT EVEN A DEMON.

[oxer12.livejournal.com]

Overall, I liked the episode, but how are they going to wrap this all up in 2 more eps?

I thought the promo for this coming week was one of the best promos I've ever seen, and it was better than the episode we were watching. That song was great!

[oselle.livejournal.com]

The promo was great, as was the longer promo they ran at the half-hour mark (which was a sort of "greatest hits" of the entire past season, set to the same song).

[kjfri.livejournal.com]

Seriously, you read my mind everytime! I felt the exact same way about this episode - what the hell was the point of it all? - why do the boyz have to put Lucy back in the cage if there are demons plotting against him as well? what about the virus? and Crowley-although he seems pretty cool, he had more screentime monologuing than the boys. And, yeah, how can Dean get the crap beat out of him and then Sam didn't even notice he was tad bloody and bruised, and I would think 4 kicks to the midsection from an all powerful demon would leave some bruised/cracked ribs, wouldn't you? Oh well, it was still pretty while it lasted. I'm in it for the long-haul...too late to turn back now.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm in it for the long haul too, but they always do seem to have anemic episodes like this just when things should really be picking up steam.

[muffaletta.livejournal.com]

I couldn't believe this was Edlund's final mytharc episode-I had to force myself just to stay awake, only to reaize that the dang storyline didn't even make any sense (but hey, at least Jensen was Pretty.)

I wish I knew what happened this season. It's kind of like Kripke changed directions so many times, he lost track of the story he was trying to tell and then just gave up.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

This episode was so weak that I couldn't even believe it was one of Edlund's. After giving us two great episodes this season, this is what he writes when it's down to the wire? Considering Edlund also wrote "The End," I really thought this ep would be about the start of the Croatoan pandemic...brought on by Pestilence, of course. Instead we got 40 minutes of the admittedly entertaining Crowley and a lot of pointless filler about the guy who killed Jess five years ago.

[laurie-ky.livejournal.com]

First, a disclaimer. I was pretty sleepy when I downloaded the episode and watched it, so I might have missed something. I figured that Sam and Dean killed Brady's demon, to release him from Brady because he had been Sam's friend before he was possessed. My thinking is that they knew there was no hope of Brady being alive when the demon left, so it was out of respect for an old friend of Sam's that they did it.

Laurie

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I may have gotten this wrong since the ep wasn't really holding my attention, but I seem to recall that the demon said that Sam had never even known the real Brady at all. The demon had possessed Brady for the specific purpose of worming his way into Sam's life, so whatever memories Sam had of Brady as an "old friend" were all based on deception. That isn't to say that it wouldn't be merciful to free an innocent person from possession, but it wasn't mercy I saw on Sam's face there at the end, it was anger and revenge.

[parakaleo.livejournal.com]

The demon said that Brady hadn't been Brady since the middle of their sophomore year. Sam had apparently known him enough to know when that had happened--Thanksgiving break when Brady came back totally changed (and not in a good way). He talked about Sam trying to help Brady thru this (drug/alcohol abuse, I think?).

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Yes, you're right. Like I said, I wasn't entirely paying attention!