Thank you! I’m glad you liked it. I like it also that you agree with me on EVERY single poing because that makes my head barely fit through the doorways without grease on my ears. I think that the fight should have had another fight to balance it out with. Maybe, like someone said, a fight that would lead to boys wrestling.

Best Regards,

Syliva

Joan

I was wondering where you were! Thanks for stopping by!

I liked all the scenes you liked, and for exactly the same reasons. There was so much emotion during the fight scene it was on the verge of being painful. I totally love that the brothers are at odds, because it makes sense. Sam has been lying and Dean feels betrayed; I just hope that we get to see more like THIS and not so much MOW. You’re right, the MOW was cool and gross, but he was on way too much, but I think I’ve said that already!

I love how Show was able to put humor into this ep, they seem to do that rather well and both Ackles and Padalecki shine at the comedy; they have the best timing and facial expressions ever!

Plus, it’s already Thursday, and you know what that means! More BOYS! More Show! Happy Thursday, Joan!

Best Regards,

Sylvia

Hi! Sorry I am late. I was out of town, on a business trip, and my VPN connection
wouldn’t work so I wasn’t able to read your fabulous review until this morning.

Unfortunately, I need to keep this short, but I did want to point out several
things.

First and foremost, Jared and Jensen rock my world. I LOVE the WINCHESTER BOYS!!

Secondly, how much did Eric have to pay the censors to include those disgusting scenes?

Third, Dean hit Sam twice. Twice! The beginning, when Dean’s voice cracked as he said
‘Is there something you want to tell me Sam’, to the scene when Sam hung up the phone
was totally awesome. Intense, heartfelt, emotional…wow….just wow.

Fourth, when Dean told Sam ‘If I didn’t know you I would hunt you’, I felt my heart
sink and I caught my breath. I don’t think Dean could have said anything else that could
have stung more.

We had several Impala scenes……..WEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Sam finally let Dean know how he feels.

More secrets were revealed.
Finally, Jared and Jensen rock my world. Oh wait…I said that already.

Like you, I enjoyed the episode, but I wanted more time with our boys. I did like
the parallels between Jack and Sam. I loved Dean’s reaction to ‘Long Pig’.
And, when they burst into that young woman’s apartment. PRICELESS!!!!!

Take care
Joan

Back in the old days, you know, Starsky & Hutch ran at 50 minutes, with only 10 minutes for commercials, so they had time for all the little details that fans love so. I’m not sure why there has been such a reduction in actual story time, but I miss the old days, I tell you. I miss them. (The Pilot, I think, ran at a whopping 43 minutes, but I don’t think Show has hit that length since then.) So YES, thank goodness for fanfic, which fills all those gaps very nicely.

I totally disagree with you about the MOW! He was a good monster, yes, he was full of pathos and meaning, and set Sam’s problems off very well. But did he have to be on screen so much? A little less of him and we would have gotten more of the boys. That’s my story. : D Sticking to it now. Plus for all it was a Sam-ish kind of ep, there certainly was a lot of Dean; the reverse of which is not true when it’s a Dean-ish kind of ep, there’s usually not a lot of Sam. But, as you say, we have a lovely season coming. I have faith.

Best Regards,

Sylvia

P.S. Bi-BRO RULES!

I did love this episode though. I enjoyed the MOW because he was deliciously creepy and disgusting, and while I enjoy the mytharc, I do enjoy the one off episodes too – even though this one referenced the arc very heavily. Also, the two arguments between the boys were glorious and I have faith in show that over the course of the season we’re going to find out what went on in those four months, what’s going on inside their heads. And as much as the previous episode was Jensen’s, this one was Jared’s. Despite less screen-time. He was just superb in this and as you said, the boy has certainly grown into his bones!

Bi-bro all the way!!! Woo!

I forgot about the shirtless scenes! I have been asking for some of those for quite some time and have heard rumors….if you are spoiler free I won’t tell you what they are, but you could easily find out, I’ll bet. And they’re rumors about SAM, so…yeah. Hang in there, Thursday’s coming. Plus I’m sure there’s an SPN postcard LJ out there somewhere, just dying to do a new campaign. I’m game. (Although I think your request to have a Sam-centric ep would cause a riot, although it’s interesting that when there’s a Dean-centric ep, it doesn’t not.)

Thanks for expanding my mind as well, I always enjoy hearing what other people think!

Yours in Adoring BOTH Boys,

Sylvia

Yeah, Sam and his messy snotty crying … another reason I love Padalecki because he is not afraid to go there and look fugly which to me makes him beautiful.

Good point you made about Sam not asking about the Dad because it is too painful. I love when you make my mind expand.

Word! Mileage varies when things are left a mystery. I just think we are lucky that we love both boys. I feel sorry for all those nasty divided camps that they cannot experience the DOUBLE pleasure we get from our boys! They don’t know what they’re missing!

I’m game for sending the postcards … for the bangs, the first aid, shirtless scenes, love scenes (I’m getting carried away!) and in all fairness, a Sam episode with 40 seconds and one-word dialogue for Dean.

Tonia

That scene in the clown ep? WORD. Double WORD. I could watch that scene with Sam a billion times and then some. It’s interesting that this ep was your introduction when Heart (and Skin) was mine, but I’d say you couldn’t go far wrong with all that angst and emo and tears. And Sam’s snot, bless him.

I tend to go with the underdog myself; my favorite cartoon character when I was a kid was Underdog, actually, and a perennial Halloween costume for years, until it wore out. So I think in the beginning, I felt that Sam was the center of Show, and poor Dean had no one to love him. Now, of course, I know that both characters are very well loved, and I’ve drifted towards Sam, and it’s not just the hair, honest! (A character in its own right, I LOVE that!) I think I’m becoming a Samgirl (and I feel I can be honest with you in this) because Sam’s character is deepening to a point where
what he wants to communicate is becoming a constant undercurrent when I watch Show. And really, he’s starting to be even more F’d up than Dean, so there’s THAT.

Because Sam’s inner workings are a mystery, fans have to fill in the blanks. Where one fan will say Sam is whining, another (to the exact same scene) will say he’s being strong and silent. Either way, fangirls have had enough, I’d say.

Maybe he doesn’t really seem curious about The Dad because it’s too painful, and The Mom is an unknown entity? Either way, it’s curious that he seemed rather more uninterested than I thought he would be.

Perhaps we should start some postcard campaigns? One for the BANGS, sorely missed by many, and another for a REAL first aid scene? Real as in one brother tending to the other one, in a bathroom, in a grotty motel somewhere, completely with bloody towels, stitches, and a Scooby-Doo bandage. Yes?

Best Regards,

Sylvia

I love Dean and Jensen a whole lot too but he doesn’t lack for praises (deservedly so). As for me, I will focus on Sam and Jared because he deserves high praises as well when given the few chances to shine.

You know I think all these comments about Sam being whiny is because his POV is sadly lacking and we only see the surface. If you see Sam coming from the perspective that he was a relunctant hunter and never had a chance being fed demon blood as a baby, I can understand his frustration at not being able to live a safe life. Even his Mom wanted the same thing. It seems we will have to wait still longer to be shown what the boys went through in those four months. Hopefully Show won’t neglect Sam’s POV again. Till we are shown that I’m afraid Sam will continue to be greatly misunderstood. Sigh! I understand and love you, Sammy!

I think Sam only mentions the Mom in that car scene because he never knew her at all and so it makes sense that he would be more curious about her.

Oh, and forgot to mention how I also long for a first aid scene. Come on, Kripke, we’re into Season 4 already!

Lastly I have to tell you how much I enjoy all your comments and descriptions about the Samhair. It just pleases me to no end. After the Impala, it is really the fourth character in this Show! I love Jared so much for his lack of vanity whatsoever concerning his hair being a mess and sticking out all over the place in some episodes. I do miss the bangs though!

Tonia

I’m wondering when someone will get the joke in the title of this ep….

Best Regards,

Sylvia

Tell us how you really feel! No, honestly, I love what you have to say here, except for the first part. I didn’t think Sam was whiny as much as I felt he’d made his mind up about what he was going to do, and wasn’t thinking twice about it. This is not the Sam I know, the Sam who thinks everything through. I am beginning to think that the skank Ruby’s influence might be going deeper than what we see on the surface. That is, she’s doing more than training the boy to use his mind.

The whole bit where Sam fought Dean to protect Ruby? Yeah, I didn’t even cover that in my review, because I think my brain was too befuddled by the whole thing. Doesn’t Sam love his Dean better than that skank Ruby? So I agree totally, why on EARTH is he keeping her around? It makes no sense whatsoever – unless we’re building up to some HUGE blow out and betrayal between Sam and her.

As for Dean leaving Sam? It’ll never happen. Never. Not even when hell freezes over. Part of me wants what you want, to see Sam find out how it feels to be left like that, while at the same time, neither boy deserves to be hurt more than they already are, they’re the walking wounded as it is! Though I’ll be honest, Show can pile on all the angst and emo it wants and I won’t protest it a bit. No, not a bit.

Best Regards,

Sylvia

And thank YOU for your lovely post!

Agreed. The parallel between Sam and the MOW was fine, good, yes, we GET it. Jeeze, Show, fangirls are a WHOLE lot more sophisticated than you’re giving them credit for! Anvils dropping is exactly the right way to describe it.

I don’t think you’re at all shallow going on about Sam’s hair, especially when it was lovely and long through the forelock like it was. Padalecki plays that hair like a damn violin and I found it VERY distracting. Sounds like you did, as well. (And I didn’t even mention Sam’s flame throwing abilities and sexiness, oh, I’m a BAD fan!)

It’s interesting what you say about Padalecki, how he manages to shine in spite of not have a great deal of opportunity to do so. That kind of comment has come up before, and I’m beginning to realize how true it is. He did such a good job with the reaction scene in the motel, he made Sam’s heart break open right there, and all that messed up emo and angst was in his eyes. It was lovely. Maybe Show thinks that if we got too much MORE of this type of acting from Padalecki that our TVs would melt, I don’t know. Doesn’t stop me from wanting more like this, just the same.

Note how during the time travel scene discussion that Dean barely mentions The Dad, and Sam doesn’t say anything about him at all. Rather like he, um, doesn’t care about John?

As for wanting Show to end an ep with a closeup of Sammy? I think we’ll have to sing for our supper on that one; it’s starting to look like there are some contracts out there stipulating that eps have to end with closeups of Dean’s face. Not that I mind, but it’s the Dean AND Sam show, not the Dean show.

Best Regards,

Sylvia

We did get a little bit of being inside Sam’s head this week, true, but the one statement “I’ve been alone for four months” doesn’t even begin to cover it in my book. He’s as damaged as Dean is, but in his own way. Although I don’t think Dean can recover any more than Sam can – at least, they can’t recover if they don’t learn to depend on each other again. That’s the interesting thing I’m noticing, that Sam’s turning to Ruby, and Dean’s turning to no one. Oh my, I see great suffering and angst in the boys’ futures! Hurray!

Best Regards,

Sylvia

Hey, thanks for the heads up! I’m so glad Show decided to see reason and give us the scoop on Sammy! And, yeah, too, much MOW, around 10 minutes too long, by my reckoning. Like you say, it would be very nice for us to get more on how the boys are relating these days, just in general, not even to do with a gig. The motel scene was excellent, but WAY too short. More boys! I demand more boys on Show! Oh, such greedy fans we are. But heck, while I certainly wouldn’t want Ackles and Padalecki to die of overwork, I think they are young and tough enough to take it.

Thanks for your lovely post!

Best Regards,

Sylvia

Thank you, I’m glad you liked it!

You make an interesting point about the changes in Sam for this ep, yeah, a little strange. I think the issue with Sam is that he’s using his powers instead of the knife, thataway, he’ll sacrifice himself and not kill the victims. Does that sound reasonable? I think he’s trying to be purer than pure, which sorta gets negated by hanging out with that skank Ruby. As for Sam’s God, I agree with you there, he’s using the weapons that he knows will get to Sam. Plus, Sam’s reaction was priceless!

Best Regards,

Sylvia

Once again I thoroughly loved your review. I couldn’t agree with you more that Show should have devoted less time to the MOW. Perhaps then the parallel between Jack and Sam would have appeared less like anvils hitting us in the head repeatedly.

Apart from that, I absolutely loved this episode because yeah BEST FIGHT SCENE EVER between the brothers and also because finally, finally we get a glimpse into Sam’s lovely head. He really had me tearing many times especially his revelation that he wanted to trying to turn his curse and use it for someting good. Broke. my. heart.

Both Jensen and Jared were amazing but I give special kudos to Jared’s acting because his moments to shine are really fewer. He was perfection indeed. I also have rewatched several times (yes, I have no life) and he was just breathtaking. The look of devastation on his face when Dean tells him the angels and God are against him was just so painful to watch. It make think back to Houses of the Holy and how for someone who prayed every day and hoped a Higher Good would save him, how shattering that must have been for Sam to hear. Also when Sam has his meltdown, God the way he told Dean to stop the car and when he yelled, “I’m a whole new level of freak!” … awesome, awesome, awesome.

I agree with you totally about the car scene when Dean reveals his time travel. Such a pivotal moment, you think Show would have given us more … very disappointing. But I found it especially touching and sweet that Sam asked if the Mom was happy. Also revealing that Dean made no mention of how the Mom hated the hunting life and wanted out … hmmm.

As for the last scene in the car, I think he is being honest about not using his powers. But just as Jack turned to save someone he loved, I fear the same for Sam. At this point he stills feels he has a choice. Will that be his redemption or his damnation? Especially telling was after he said he was through with his powers, that he also was through with everything. I got the feeling that he was through trying to be understood and praying to be saved and that if he was doomed, then he was going down always making a choice for good. I saw Sam’s reflection more as a metaphor of the alienation he feels. I think at this point, Show should have ended the episode with a shot of Sam’s reflection and it would have been extremely poignant.

Lastly, on a shallow but satisfying note, I also dearly love all scenes when Sam bends his head and his hair flops forward. And Sam flamethrower = Sam scorchingly hot!

Thanks for your great (as usual) review.

Tonia