You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “Supernatural: Lazarus Rising”.
Article by Sylvia Bond
Sylvia Bond is a ten-year technical writing veteran with too many degrees under her belt to count. She lives in Colorado, but does not ski, preferring instead to spend her money and time at the annual Great American Beer Festival, taking road trips across the United States, and reading historical fiction from the comfort of her fluffy green arm chair. She has been involved in fandom since 1993 and been writing fanfic since approximately 1993. What she finds most amazing about fandom (besides the open heartedness of fans and the sheer amount of creativity) is how visible fandom has become. "In my day," she says, "we had to hide behind P.O. boxes to get fanfic. But nowadays, people wear t-shirts that shout their affiliation and share their shiny toys on the internet." It's a wonderful world. 33 Comments
-
[...] can read my review of the Supernatural episode “Lazarus Rising” at pinkraygun.com. Thank [...]
Leave a Reply
Additional comments powered byBackType
Althought I disagree with quite a few things here I did enjoy reading your take on things.
Nice review!
P.S. Sam’s eyes did not turn black in that scene I’ve seen it in HD and you can find
screencaps where white is visible. And Castiel’s wings were not black. That was the
shadow of his wings we saw.
Dear Sylvia
I haven’t been able to get this episode out of my mind since last Thursday. It WON’T leave my head. So many thoughts, swirling around in there. GAH!!!!!!!!!!
I knew it was going to be a great season premiere when I saw all of my favorite people listed in the opening credits and I have to admit I wasn’t disappointed.
Oh my! I can’t believe the show actually went THERE.
But, I am actually glad it did because as much as I love the darkness and evil and horror I really wanted Supernatural to explore the other side of the coin. I wanted the show to examine both good and evil. I am sure there is much more to Castiel than meets the eye since he did have ‘black’ wings, which I must admit freaked me out a little, I am excited about this new direction. Mr. Kripke has NEVER let us down so far so I am ready for whatever he has planned because I am certain it will be an interesting and enlightening ride!
Anyway, I thought the end was a satisfying conclusion to a magnificent episode.
It had everything a fan girl wants. Awesome bods. Man both Jensen and Jared look fantastic.
Sam getting darker…Jensen’s face when he saw his ‘baby’…the IPOD comment…More questions….more lies…although I hate that Dean and Sam CONTINUE to keep secrets from each other and we both know that CAN’T end well. Hand holding… Continuity…Character progression….storyline progression…a ‘knock your socks off’ ending….and we finally got a HUG!!!!!!!! I LOVE the expression on Dean’s face when we was hugging Sammy…his eye’s were closed. AHHHHH!!! It was so sweet and so worth the wait. But, I have to agree with you I had hoped for more but I will take what I got because our show is back and I can’t wait to see where Krike is going with this.
I read somewhere, in a Kripke interview, that he said fans wondered why the show was all about Sam and they wanted to know why Dean didn’t really have a connection to the mythology storyline arc. Kripke said that wasn’t true. He said he had something big planned for Dean and that we had to be patient. Well, Kripke you weren’t kidding!
I love that Dean is the one who was chosen. Seriously.
We have seen glimpses of his lack of faith over the last three seasons and I fully expect we will see Kripke delve much further into Dean’s beliefs this season. Dean can’t believe if he can’t see it so this is going to be a fascinating exploration of Dean’s character and his beliefs. I remember when Dean wanted to know why he was saved and the preacher told Dean, in the ‘Faith’ episode “that God guided him to look into his “heart” and found extreme goodness and a man that had a purpose, an important job to do that wasn’t finished”.
Joan
Dear Sylvia,
I have been reading your reviews for a while now and I just wanted to let you know how much I absolutely love them, so well written with great insights and LOL humour. I especially appreciate your love of both boys even though you are a Dean girl. I am a Sam girl who also loves Dean.
Now as for this episode …
I agree with you totally that there was too much Bobby. As much as the hugs and returning the amulet scenes were great, I think that if they had shown more emotional, reconnecting scenes between the brothers, then the lies and secrets would have been even more devastating. And I found it took WAY too long before Dean finally asked about Sam. It just didn’t feel authentic, you know, especially seeing as he didn’t even know if Sam was still alive.
I disagree that Sam doesn’t care about the body count because the first thing he did when he zapped the demon Flo back to hell was check her pulse and then said “Damn it!” when he realized the possessed human did not survive.
I agree with you that Castiel may not be totally what he seems to be and more of a fallen angel and that the boys are being used as pawns … that seems to more spell out Kripke to me.
One scene you didn’t mention that struck me particularly strongly was when the boys left the diner. Sam wanted the demons killed but Dean says there are three of them amd they only have one knife, to which Sam says “I’ve killed a lot more than that lately.” Dean replies that well the smarter brother is back in town and basically they’re going to do what he says. I just found his answer so dismissive of Sam. Maybe that’s why Sam sneaked out later. I don’t think also that Sam isn’t concerned about watching over Dean.
I think he is at a bad, guilty, hurting place where he failed to save his brother from going to hell and he failed to get him out. It’s almost like the ONLY time he feels good is when he can save people and stop demons … like he’s addicted and doesn’t want to stop.
As for Ruby, they replaced one bad actress for a worse one. Toobad, because the role of Ruby is really a pivotal one. What made the scene with Castiel and Dean great was the great acting by both. Imagine the Ruby scenes done by a great actress and well, the outcome would be so much more powerful as it was between Castiel and Dean. My personal opinion would be to have a cast an OLDER woman as Ruby. Of course, she would have to look amazing (as in Demi Moore or something). I mean this is TV. But can you imagine how hard it would be for Sam to resist having never had a mother figure (except for Dean! Heh!).
Lastly, I am really sick to death of Dean’s self-esteem issues and found it cringe-worthy when Castiel brought it up. Show, we get it so let go of the anvils! And as much as I love Dean’s funny quips, I found his “perky nipples” line so out of place in that scene, it fell so flat.
Whew, that’s it for me.
Looking forward every Tuesday for your great reviews.
Tonia.
I totally agree with your general review of the episode.
I am convinced that Sam is lying and he does in fact have something to do with Deans return,i guess we will find out what later on eh?
I love the direction Sam is taking this season,it has ben a long time coming and im am so looking forward to seeing how he develops now!
Also did you think the demon in the diner while talking to Dean seemed nervous of Sam?The way she kept glancing in his direction and especially after Dean hit her?
Loved your review.
I think when Dean finally “believes” himself worthy he will be able to hear the true voice of the angel. His self-doubt and not belief are what are preventing him from hearing Castiel.
And I love the grand theme of Good and Evil and how our boys are caught as pawns between the two sides, showing that there are shades of grey everywhere.
I have to confess I found Deans behaviour towards Sam esp in the motel room aggressive, unsympathtic, intimitating and for the first time I disliked Dean , he behaved like a petulant 4 year old in the car over the I -pod and hope I never feel like that again..
But having said that the premier was good and I look to see where they go this year with both boys .
Sylvia – I love your reviews and insights.
You are right, there was way too much Bobby. The reunion scene between Sam and Dean might have had more emotion if an audience hadn’t been present. (And Jim Beaver appears in three of the first six episodes – too much of a good thing.) The boys have become too dependent on him, so it’s time to back off.
Was anyone else unnerved by Dean slapping Flo in the diner? TWICE? Although she was a demon, something about that whole scene made my skin crawl. And the “perky nipples” comment was just silly.
So Sam is utilizing his powers for good now, huh? At least he is using them. The show has been moving in this direction for a long time, so it was good to see him diffuse that “bomb” inside.
The actress playing Ruby needs to go to acting school, like, yesterday. Unless she improves a lot in a short time, the character of Ruby will fall flat and not have the impact she did last year. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d only give Katie Cassidy a 6, but I still much prefer her over this new actress.
Although this is a moot point, really, I do not believe Sam is sleeping with Ruby. Like you said, it would be tantmount to rape, and no matter what emotional state Sam is in, he would not do that. I’m sure he remembers all too well how it feels to be possessed himself, so … no, just no!
All in all, this was a great season opener. I’m intrigued by Castiel – what is his mission? What is he all about? And by the new Sam. What awaits him? How far will he take his powers (or should I say how far will his powers take him)? It’s scary and exciting all at once!
Dear Telly,
Hey, thank you for liking my review, even if you didn’t agree with everything. The way I
figure it, there’s a million ways to interpret this ep, mine is just one of many.
And maybe Sam’s eyes didn’t turn black, and I’ll take your word for it. My point, I think,
was that the way the scene was filmed, how dark it was, with his hair in his eyes, and that
doubt that’s being planted about Sam’s position on everything – made me feel that they had
turned black. As for the wings, again, it’s what I saw, if I had HD, maybe I would have seen
it differently, but I only saw black wings, not white wings and a shadow. And being spoiler
free, wouldn’t have seen any insights to the contrary, if you see what I mean. But I really
appreciate your insights.
Best Regards,
Sylvia
Dear Joan,
How lovely to hear from you again, and what a wonderful start to a new season! Show has taken a lot on its plate, I agree with you there, all the religious stuff, and Sam’s powers, and Dean’s “destiny,” and whether or not Ruby and Castiel mean to truly help or harm. It’s a LOT, but I think Show and Ackles and Padalecki are UP to the challenge, and they were in fine form this time around.
As for Sam and Dean, I think we’re going to find out more about them this season than we did last season, even though they seem to be at odds now, I think they will be there for each other. Like you, I adored The Hug, and the HUGE ending, which only creates more questions than it answers! And you know, I never get that the show was always about Sam and now it’s going to be about Dean. To me, it’s always been about Dean…at least he seemed to be the focus. Now Sam seems to be the focus, and here everyone is saying it’s now all about Dean? Where have I been all this time, eh?
And I love what you pointed out about Dean’s faith. Like you say, we’ve had several eps
about him that dealt with his lack of faith, but you forgot the one where he says he doesn’t believe in Santa (the name of which I forget), where he wants to know why he’s not getting hooked up every Christmas! At the very least, it seems to point out that he lost his faith when VERY young, poor baby. I can’t wait to see what Show is going to do with this whole concept!
See you next Tuesday!
Best Regards,
Sylvia
Dear Tonia,
How lovely of you to post a comment like this! I am a Deangirl, yes, but if you’ve read the reviews since BUABS, you’d be noticing a shift in emphasis towards Sammy, Sam, Sam. I admit it, it’s true. Yeah, it’s going like that.
I like your point about how the emotional connection would have made the tenseness and coldness between the brothers more marked. Show needs have to have light to show the darkness, so to have the boys be “all systems normal” just doesn’t make sense. Besides, I like angst!
As for the body count issue, and Sam’s lack of reaction, I should have been a bit more clear. In the past, Sam comes APART when someone dies at his hands, or ex-possessed victim dies instead of survives. Here, he’s more pragmatic about it, saying “Damn it,” without hardly a flicker of angst, at least it seems that way to me. I’m totally buying into the whole Sam going darkside bit, and so, his lack of reaction (no tears or snot) seems to be a part of that.
And oh, yes, that scene, very subtle! I have a word limit of 5,000 and try not to go over it, and so sometimes critical little tidbits like this get left out. The whole “I’ve killed more than that lately,” comment to me seems more significant than Dean’s stomping around and playing the big brother card. I mean, I agree, Dean’s doing it, and Sam’s statement gets swallowed up by Dean overlooking it, but it’s VERY important. Just how many are we talking here Sam? And the way he says, “kill” rather than “took care of,” also speaks to the changes in Sam. It’s interesting that you think that he’s hurt by this and THAT’s why he snuck out. I tend to think that he snuck out because were he was going, Dean would object mightily, even though Sam’s been on his own for AGES and has grown up far too much to be following orders!
And really, the most important thing I left out about this little scene was how DELICIOUS the boys looked in the sunlight, how tall and strong and windblown and utterly beautiful!!!
This actress won’t make it as Ruby, I fear. She doesn’t seem to be presenting the strong, self-sufficient thing that could crawl back from “far far away” where Lilith sent her. Fans are really objecting to her, as well, maybe it’s a personal thing, because we all know, don’t we, that her presence only bodes ill!
Tired of the self-esteem issue, eh? Heck, I’m looking forward to symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome from Dean, because that’s going to get messy and wonderful, and Dean suffers SO well. As for his nipples, I love it when Dean refers to himself like this, because he knows how beautiful he is.
Thank you again, I loved reading what you felt about this ep!
Best Regards,
Sylvia