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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. 31 Comments
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[...] can read my review of the Supernatural episode “In the Beginning” at pinkraygun.com. Thank [...]
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You know, just when I think this show can’t surprise me anymore, they gift us with ‘In the Beginning’. Now, of course I should know better by now, because this show is so much more than just a television show. It is Kripke’s baby and he has nurtured it and raised it with so much love and care.
This episode rocked on so many levels and I am still trying to wrap my head around it. Here it is, almost a week later, and my head is still spinning. I was also spoiler free so I wasn’t prepared for the goodness or the joy or the gut-wrenching pain which transpired before me on the screen.
For long time fans, the episode was so completely satisfying and rewarding that it is not even funny.
We finally know why Mary told Sam she was sorry in the ‘Home’ episode. You know how much those particular words have tormented me for years. I even commented on it awhile back. And, Mary was a hunter! She was a hunter!!!!! I never saw that one coming. She was the one who started it all and that was something she never wanted for her children. And, John used to be innocent and sweet. Ah…I still have hope for Sammy.
Jensen Ackles is sublime. Like you, he still gets to me after four years. His character went through the gamut of emotions and I fell more deeply in love with Dean as the hour progressed. I had to re-watch his scene with Mary four times. His interaction with Mary just blew me away. I almost felt like an intruder. It was such an intimate exchange and yet I couldn’t stop watching. The pain Dean expressed and felt was palpable and so excruciatingly real. I am drawn to complex men and Dean has so many layers. His character is so fleshed out and yet, Jensen still manages to bring freshness and depth to an already complicated character. He continues to evolve and grow, but yet he still remains true to Dean Winchester’s persona. His astonishment of knowing his father used to be sweet and kind and the realization that his mother never wanted this for her children cut me deeply. And those tears Jensen cried..well…they HIT me hard.
There were several other key scenes that I loved. The scene when he meets his grandparents. The scene with the Impala! The scene outside the diner when he said his mom was a babe. I LOVE that Sam is always on his mind, even when they aren’t together. Even though Sam wasn’t there, I still felt his presence. There were other scenes too…Dean in priest’s garb…..Grandpa wearing the same outfit. Dean meeting his father when he was a young man. Dean and his grandfather when his grandfather was possessed. And, the scene where Mary made a deal! Oh my gosh!! She was the one who started it all. I think it is ironic that John died before and I believe his innocence died with him.
Castil had to send Dean back alone so he could experience the past and see what really happened thirty-five years ago. Dean has to see it to believe it so Castil didn’t have a choice. It was the only way he could get through to Dean.
I could write a book about how much I loved this episode. The guest stars were perfection. I loved seeing a young Dean and a young Mary. And, the guy that played Samuel. He was amazing. When he was possessed, let me tell you…he made my skin crawl.
A good television show entertains but a great television show profoundly moves me and affects me to my core. Supernatural is a great television show and ‘In the Beginning’ ranks as one of the best hours of television I have ever experienced. So many questions were answered but others were posed. I am fearful for what is coming but I am excited about what lays ahead.
Yes we know why she said sorry to Sam pity Sam doesnt isnt it?pity Sam doesnt get resolutions to his sl,s. Pity Sam is just a plot line rather than a human being.
Pity alot isnt it.
But hey as long as Dean gets his family moments , stuff Sam .
Sylvia. I meant to say a young John not a young Dean. Oops! Sorry. Joan
Hey, Sylvia, so you rode the Back to the Future ride 10 times? I rode it 5! So I’m half the nut that you are.
I didn’t over-analyze (or, really, analyze at all) the time travel aspect of this episode. It is what it is, and, for me, its only purpose was to explain to Dean what YED did to Sam (the fact that Dean was able to meet his younger version of Mom & Dad was just icing on the cake!) and how YED came to know of his family. It was a heartbreaking and bittersweet journey and I was also GLAD to be witness to it.
Jensen Ackles rocks, doesn’t he? Every adjective in the world has been used to describe his acting talent and none of them are sufficient. He truly, truly is gifted.
You said it all in your review so I don’t have much to add, except that I’m hoping the “To Be Continued” ending really means that this week Dean will find out SOMETHING about what Sam is doing. I don’t know that I expect a full-out confrontation, or for Dean to know everything that is going on, but I’m hoping Show will throw us a bone. Get the brotherly angst show started! I’ll be tuning in….
Take care!
Hi Sylvia,
I agree with you totally. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this episode. I especially loved how they tied in the back story so amazingly with all the we seen so far. It really proves Show had a plan from the beginning and is not just winging it as they go along (JJ Abrams, are you listening?). I so totally respect Show for that. I mean we get references back all the way to the Pilot for God’s sake, when Sam says, “You think Mom would have wanted this for us?” and Dean says, “So, what are you gonna do? You just gonna live some normal, apple-pie life? and Sam replies, “No, Not normal. Safe”. You know, after this show ends and we know the whole story, it will be really awesome to go back and rewatch from the beginning and really appreciate the brilliant way the story was all unfolded.
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED how we got to see characteristics of the boys in both their parents (and grandparents)… Sam and John’s sweetness, how Sam dresses like the Dad in plaid shirts and walks hands in pocket, Dean and John’s love of Metallicar, Sam and Mary wanting out of the hunter life and to be safe, Sam and Dean wanting a family, Dean a peacemaker like his Grandma, Mary butting heads with her Dad like Sam. I could go on and on.
Which brings me to Sam, I was surprisingly and wonderfully satisfied even though I missed Sam despite his lack of physical presence because the story was so much about him front and centre. But I agree with Tina (*waves) and I so LONG, LONG, LONG for Sam to interact with his Mom and family too. Had also Jared been paired with a great actress as Ruby instead of the piss poor one they cast, Sam’s storyline would have had great impact despite the lack of screen time. I hope Show will deliver soon … it is getting frustrating.
Lastly, I agree as for the endgame, let everyone die EXCEPT Sam and Dean and all their beautifulness.
Tonia
Hi Tonia , I just want Sam back the show is something I am enjoying right now.
Many Sam fans would love to see him treated like a Winchester again but wether Eric will go there I dont know?
Sam deserves the payoff for his sls otherwise why give them to him? which is why right now his being threated like a plot device rather than a character.
Hopefully this week we get back to Sam Winchester.
Great review, Sylvia! This episode was so brilliant! Yeah, there were a few paradoxes due to the set-up that possibly could’ve been tightened, but the acting was just so amazing, and the story was so heartbreaking, and the casting was just spot-on perfect. Everyone had good chemistry with one another, and there was enough creepiness in that father-daughter kiss to remind us that this IS a horror show, after all.
This season is just freaking amazing.
I agree we really need to do something about this lack of shirt removal. Why are these boys so shy when we know they have works of art underneath all those layers. This episode made me cry because it was so heartbreaking to see Dean burdened yet again. I so didn’t expect John to get his neck snapped like that.
Oh if only Grandma went for the guy without screaming becuase it did look like she was willing to shoot him. Maybe on some level she felt a kinship with the very pretty boy with her name or at least the boy’s version. Hey the boy’s version of my name is Bobby. I am so not liking Castiel although I will admit to him being hot.
I’m “new” to SPN. Sure, I tried it out in Season One, and gave up about 3 or 4 episodes in – nothing about the show really grabbed me.
Now, thanks to reading Sylvia’s recap/reviews each week, all the enthusiastic posters to each of her columns, and after seeing some truly disturbing commercials during the summer for the new season, both Lisa and I gave the show another chance.
SPN is now on our short-list of the best things on TV right now. Right after “Mad Men.” Can’t wait to see where this is all going.
Hi Sylvia,
So, today I swollowed my shyness and decided to write. Your insight into Show and it’s characters blows me away, we’re on the same wave length and when I read your reviews i’m always exclaiming to myself “That’s what I thought too!”, lol. So, thanks for doing such a fantastic job with your reviews and please keep them coming 
I’ve been reading your reviews of Show for a long time but never had the courage to comment
I’m so interested in what direction their taking Sam. I’m excited for the Epps. that will show us what dear Sammy has been up to with Ruby and when Dean was in hell. I have a bet with a friend’s grandma (62 and a big fan of the show) she thinks Sam will never go darkside and I think he will. Only Kripke will tell