Supernatural: On the Head of a Pin
Get Your Own Pair of Wings, Damnit!
by Sylvia Bond
Supernatural Episode Review – Season 4, Episode 16
“On The Head of a Pin”
Watching this ep was a little like looking at the feed out of a seismograph, because the Richter scale of impressiveness would jump from a measly 1.0 (the size of a construction site blast) all the way up to 9.4 (the size of the Indian Ocean earthquake of 2004) without any warning at all, and then suddenly go back to 1.0. In between times, there were a whole lot of commercials, too much angels talking, and not enough boys angsting and emoting. Not enough of the boys, period. What was good was very good, and what was not was boring. I can’t say it any plainer than that. I kept asking myself What’s this happy crappy?
I’ll start in on the angels, who can’t seem to manage on their own, who wander around with vapid, blank looks on their faces, and who operate on an undramatic need-to-know basis, making allusions that could mean just about anything, but don’t, not really. There’s stilted talk of their “superiors,” and of getting information through a process known as “revelation,” and the whole setup smacks of Show having gone up to the very fine line of Judeo-Christian mysticism without ever actually crossing it. I’d say, if you’re gonna go there, then GO there. Otherwise, just make something up, because there’s plenty of people very well versed in this religion who would be willing to call Show out on its mistakes. Or its gall at playing at knowing what God’s designs are.
I didn’t clock it (though I’m tempted), but at least half (that’s 50% for you math addicts out there) of the ep was devoted to angels standing around and talking. And when I say that, I mean literally standing around and talking. It was like having one of those Fisher-Price See n’ Say toys called “The Angel Says,” and when you put the pointer on a specific character and pull the string, it would go a little something like this: Anna Banana says: “Yap! Yap! Yap!” Soap Angel says, “Blah, blah, blah. BLAH!” And Uriel goes, “Pontificate…pontificate, er, pontificate.” Fun, huh? Not hardly. Especially when your fingers might slip and you put the pointer on completely the wrong character and get bored to death, if you’re not already.
Being a savvy watcher of Show, I’m fully aware that the angel story has been developing itself (and I say itself, because there doesn’t seem to be anyone at the helm, there) for quite some time and needed to be brought to fruition. Otherwise, fans would be loosing their collective nut trying to figure out what’s going on with that. We needed to find out who’s good and who’s bad, and we did. Uriel is the bad dude who’s been killing angels, because only an angel can kill another angel, and now he wants to raise Lucifer up to his rightful place. (For all you heathens out there, Lucifer was God’s favorite among the heavenly host, and the most beautiful and prideful of the angels. Due to his lack of willingness to bow before Adam and the sons and daughters of Adam, he was Cast into Hell and started up his own mob down there.) Anna Banana has been trying to recruit the Soap Angel over to her side, her side being a call to very questionably question the word of God. And as for our buddy “Cas?” (Hey! Only Dean gets to call him that! Otherwise it becomes insipid.) He’s been waffling harder than a waffle at a Waffle House restaurant come Sunday morning. Which is exactly the time he should be in church.
The Soap Angel also takes up a lot of screen time being in battles. First there’s the battle with Alistair, where Anna Banana saves the day. Then, after his little Peter Falk/Columbo routine, when the Soap Angle finds out about Uriel, there’s an angel battle. There’s punching in a puddle as they scuffle and dance over the lines of a devil’s trap that couldn’t hold a fly, there’s ducking and weaving and falling and grunting and slamming of faces with hard metal objects. Which is what we call a scuffling dancing ducking weaving slamming puddle jumping angel battle. (Oh, Dr. Seuss, where are you when we need you?) The only good part about the fight was when it was over. Although there was, as I must most assuredly point out, the very fine spitting action courtesy of the Soap Angel. It was sharp and masculine and very effective. Would that everything else were so, because while I enjoyed finding out the truth, I found the telling of this part of the story too long; it simply took up too much screen time.
Then there’s Alistair. I’ve stopped making fun of his name because this character got more interesting to me. I think that this is so because bad guys, who are allowed to have good qualities, come across as more complex than good guys, whereas most good guys aren’t allowed to have bad qualities, and come across as a trifle boring sometimes. Anyway, Alistair enters the scene, riveting for all he’s bound hand to foot on a pentagram inside of a devil’s trap. He’s still got that corn farmer face and that faux Marlon Brando accent going on, and when Dean starts to torture him (to find out who’s been killing the angels), he’s all piss and vinegar and here’s mud in yer eye, ya bastard.
I respect him, at least more than Uriel. I know, it sounds strange, doesn’t it? But there’s Uriel, who’s been lying (which is a sin), and then there’s Alistair, who’s telling the truth, even if it is for his own gain. What’s not to like? What makes it even more interesting is the truth he’s telling: that when Dean came out of hell, he left part of himself behind. And that idea, that Sam might not be the only one who didn’t come back 100% pure, is what makes me start to shake inside at the delightful twisting awfulness of it. I’m such a bad fan, I know, to want this kind of suffering for Dean, but there it is.
And then there’s Sam. That old non-compromisin’, enterprisin’, anything but tranquilizing, right on Sam. He’s got lots to do with the overall story, but, sadly, not a whole lot to do during this ep, having been moved back to Guest Towel status with very little ceremony. He’s his typical, startlingly handsome self as he steps in to create a barrier with his body to stop Dean and the angels from tearing each other’s throats out. Then he’s hysterical when the angels swoop Dean away up in their fluffy but-none-too-pure-or-resourceful wings. I about choked on my wine when he looked around the suddenly empty and Deanless room, and said, helplessly, “Damnit!”
But here’s where it gets dark for our boy. Alone, he lets that Skank Ruby in the room. I experienced no joy upon seeing her, and was puzzled when he said he wanted more of “it,” and then Ruby goes, “I can get you more,” and I’m like bwuht? Oh, to have a picture of the expression on my face when that Skank Ruby straddled Sam’s lap. There was nuzzling and closeups and I thought they were going to go at IT again, for reals and for trues. Didn’t he swear off that Skank Ruby, or was my brain on vacation and completely missed the less-than-nuanced references buried inside comments that Dean, Alistair, the Soap Angel, and Uriel have been barking out for ages? But no, it’s worse than that, worse than that, WORSE than that.
The more of what Sam wants is demon blood because he’s convinced (and I agree) that Dean is not strong enough to withstand the rigors of torturing Alistair. He wants to protect his brother, and his motives are pure. I can see on his face his reluctance to consider himself as the stronger, more capable brother warring with his desire to save his Dean; there’s no joy for him here, just pure desire to protect, and surely that’s worth points in heaven? Regardless, it’s going to make him go Dark Side for sure. However, he loves Dean enough (more than enough) that this is of little or no concern to him, so it’s Dark Side here we come. I will admit I choked on my wine again when Sam wrapped his lovely mouth around the cut on that Skank Ruby’s arm and started drinking her blood. Her poisoned, tainted demon’s blood. (As an aside, the map burning trick performed by that Skank Ruby had overtones of a certain well-loved Western show from the 60’s. Bonanza anyone? Simply replace the map of Wyoming with a map of Nevada and you are there!)
Demonically empowered, off Sam drives to Save the Day. Watch. Watch Sam. Watch Sam drive the Impala. Watch Sam drive the Impala fast in the rain. Rainy, rainy, rainy. Fast, fast, fast. Go, Sam, go! Oh dear. Sam’s eyes are turning black. Black, black, black. Did you blink and miss it? Then you must rewind and watch again: Sam’s eyes turn BLACK. Oh, woe to the Republic. It has Happened. What will the Heavenly Father say? But even for all his sacrifice, by the time Sam gets there to be clean up relief pitcher for Dean, Dean has already crossed his own line drawn in the sand, so the dramatic impact of Sam drinking demon’s blood is made null and void because he wasn’t able to save Dean with it. Plus, disappointingly, it’s actually the Soap Angel who stops Alistair from killing Dean outright, when I was so, so, so hoping that ta-da, it would be Sam. At least I got to watch Sam doing his thing, spreading his manly palm and slamming Alistair to the wall, wrenching every necessary fact out of the demon with nary a furrow on his sweet, manly brow.
Sadly, missing scene is missing. What is the missing scene? Well, there’re two of them, and here’s where my disappointment in this ep starts to expand exponentially. The first missing scene is where Alistair pummels Dean to a pulp. Oh, granted, the idea of the scene was good, the sharp turnabout of power and dominance that has Dean in Alistair’s grip, but the whole scene jumps from Dean being beaten to Dean having been beaten, that is, we see the results but not much of the action. I feel gyped at the same time I feel kind of bad for wanting to see Dean being brought to such state of wretchedness.
The other missing scene was at the end of this pummeling, after Sam has saved the day by finding out that it’s not demons who’ve been killing angels, but something else. All of a sudden, we jump to hospital scene (and nice it is, too), but where, oh where did my beloved scene go, oh where, oh where can it be? The one where Sam kneels in the puddle of Dean’s blood and sweat and cradles his beloved brother to his manly bosom? Where’s the shock and dismay and the frantic calls to 911? Where is the RESCUE, I ask you, where??? I have been denied.
There is a saving grace to this ep and its name is Dean Winchester. Not that I’m not a Samgirl forever and for always, but I’m a little fickle in that if the one boy isn’t on the screen, then there’s the other boy who is, and just as easy on the eyes. Though, this time around, not so easy on the psyche, my psyche, which got all jumped up and anxious and worried about Dean from the moment the first reel starts to run to the closing credits. Though I dare you to try juxtaposing that sort of fannish love with the equally fannish desire to see him get the crap beat out of him, just try. You’ll come away as I did, needing more wine.
Opening scene is in the Impala, with Sam driving and Dean ensconced in the passenger seat. The fact that Sam’s driving in the first place means that all is not well. The fact that Dean’s all pale and curled up like a slug who’s just been dosed with salt means that things are going badly indeed. Moreover, he snaps at Sam to do whatever sneaky thing he’s going to do but to leave Dean out of it. The boy looks tired, but for him to admit it? In the parlance, we call this being at the end of your rope.
They arrive at the motel where there are angels waiting. When the angels tell Dean to come with them because they have a job for him, he tells them to frak the frak off. They zap him off to The Factory with its spinning fans and where bad things always happen. Dean continues to resist the angels’ request for him to get the information out of Alistair using the techniques he learned in hell. He tells them to frak the frak off again, but the Soap Angel bats his vapid eyes. Dean says, through gritted teeth, “You ask me to open that door and walk through it? You will not like what walks out.” But the Soap Angel insists, and Dean, with shoulders bowed, trundles the cart, upon which rests many instruments of demonic torture, into the room where Alistair is. And here’s where it gets good, very damn good.
Part of the goodness comes from what the scene is about, and that is the point at which Dean and his tormentor in hell (that’d be Alistair) get to perform their dark and twisted pas de duex once more. We finally see what we’ve been told about over and over again, that Alistair strapped Dean to the rack and tortured and flayed him for 30 years, 30 eternities, until finally Dean said enough. To hear about it is one thing, to see it (even in reverse) is another, and a really fine development in this particular story. Alistair is wonderfully caustic and defiant as he spends his time flinging bon mots like yer mother wears army boots and so’s your old man while grinning that rictus-inspired grin as he tries to make Dean stumble and fall from his intended course. He’s almost as much fun as Demon Meg!
Dean, for his part, picks up the tools of his trade like he’s never forgotten how, my favorite bit of which is when he tests the syringe that he’s filled with holy water. He stares at the jet and not the bubble, and he goes a little cross-eyed, which makes him look young and vulnerable and totally not suited for what he’s about. That’s the other part of the goodness, Dean himself, being dutiful and obedient although it kills him to do it and after which he will never be the same again. It’s his face that tells the story, the tightness of muscles that cannot hide the quivering beneath the surface, as well as the flat affect of his expression that tells me he’s getting absolutely no joy, no joy whatsoever, out of this whole thing.
Torture scenes like this are always harsh, but they have visual and aural cues that allow me to let my mind wander a bit and still keep track of the action. I wasn’t really concerned with how Alistair was suffering, only mildly interested in how long the host body would last, but was way more interested in seeing how long Dean could keep it up, my poor boy. When will he learn that blind obedience is not always the best course? Then comes the bit where some entity (turns out to be Uriel) releases the pipe that drips the water that washes away the chalk mark that the Soap Angel drew. Which thusly releases Alistair, which thusly makes the tables turn, at which point, I started to get worried. Really, really worried, because I knew that Alistair would show no mercy. And he didn’t.
He starts in on Dean like no time has passed since they were in hell together, and this is where the pummeling I told you about earlier begins, along with the nasty commercial jump that hides the majority of the pummeling. But what I didn’t mention before was the point where Alistair lifts Dean up by his chin to shove him back against the pentagram that’s serving as a rack, putting Dean right back where he’d been in hell, and I got completely nauseated.
I’ve never been tortured, and no one I know has, either. Insulted, or abused, maybe even battered, but not like this, tied up and immobile filleted with a none-too-sharp knife. Yet it took me not even an ounce of effort to imagine what it must feel like to be slipped right back into a space where there is nothing but pain and more pain, everlasting pain, as far as the eye can see. In that one moment, sick to my stomach, I wanted it to stop. Yeah, me, the bring-it-on-hurt-him-some-more fangirl was saying out loud, Make it stop.
This wonderful moment was brought to me by Ackles, who, frankly, can just stop now. It was that dull gleam in his eye at just the moment Alistair says the demonic equivalent of welcome home that killed me, and with the gorge thickening in my throat I knew I’d had enough. Really. Ackles can stop bringing it, can stop zooming off into the stratosphere with dialog so simple it would be inane in less capable hands, stop peeling away the layers of Dean like that till there’s nothing left but heart and soul and too much emotion to bear. And frankly, he can stop moving his face like that, in that lip-quivering, chin wobbling way that just breaks my heart. Oh, frak, where IS that bottle of wine?
Does he listen? No. Does he ever? No. Instead, he provides me with the deliciously disturbing hospital scene, which has loads of Deanish goodness. Sadly, there is not very much Sammish goodness. Instead, Sam marches about like an affronted diva, demanding that the Soap Angel fix Dean before another second has passed. (“Miracle. NOW!”) I only say that because of a) his Samhair, flying about like he’s a finely drawn animae character, and b) because he seems completely ineffectual and the Soap Angel doesn’t even flicker an eyelash to say no.
Sure, it’s sweet (very sweet) when Sam’s sitting at Dean’s hospital bedside, shoulders slumped and eyes tip-tilted downward in exhausted worry. But the moment passes, and for some reason, Show determines that the best course of action is to show the Soap Angel, rather than Sam, lingering at Dean’s bedside. Not that I didn’t like the conversation, but where the hell is Sam? Sam’s too hot for Show not to use him more than they do. Seriously. (Although I think I could live with less Sam if, when we did see him, we saw him more naked.)
On a more serious note, the poverty of Sammish scenes points to Show’s inattentiveness as to how good they are. Padalecki takes every single one of the tiny little minutes he is offered in this ep and makes Sam perfect. Sam’s all grown up now, killing demons and disobeying orders as he sees fit. Standing tall and decisive and beautiful, and Padalecki is so very good at lifting his chin and having that disdain in his eyes for the weakness of those who don’t understand what is at stake, and that is the continued safety of his Dean. (As well as the rest of the world, but they come a hard second to the other.) All without more than a handful of scenes and less than a page of real dialog. When is Show going to wake up and realize what they’re wasting here?
Back at the hospital bed, Dean and the Soap Angel have a very interesting talk about how Dean is the one written about in the Biblical prophesy of “a righteous man shedding blood in hell.” That Dean is, in effect, the one who brought about the breaking of the first seal and the ensuing Apocalypse if the demon army isn’t stopped from breaking the rest of them. That it’s up to Dean, finally, to put an end to it. Dean announces that everyone on the planet is screwed because he’s not the man he was, he’s not up to it, that he can’t do it. The Soap Angel says, “Blah, blah, blah. BLAH!” Which really, when you think about it, is not a very nice thing to say.
And then there’s Dean, he’s so battered that the bruises and swellings almost swallow up his prettiness. I say almost, because he’s prettier than the law allows, and it would take much more than a beating to cover that up. His nose looks broken, which makes me question the effectiveness of the nose breather thingy, but all in all, it looks real, so kudos to the Makeup Team. Really. Gold stars and everything. He sounds groggy and spent, his voice thick with meds and clogged with despair. The thin, exhausted tears he cries don’t so much fall from his eyes as they push up through his skin. He is deliciously wretched and yet still so profoundly moving, it almost hurts. All in all, this scene is everything I’ve ever asked for, for here we have first aid to the nth degree, but so horrible at the same time that I might have finally learned about asking for what I want, because look at what it’s brought me: the most pathetic, crumbled up leavings of a man I have ever seen. And he’s supposed to save the world?
What are the angels playing at anyway? Seriously, what are they playing at? What are those dumb wings of theirs for if not to symbolize the purity and strength of God’s love and the power to trample out vintages and grapes of wrath and stuff? They need to pull up their collected angel panties and take some of the burden from Dean’s handsome but exhausted shoulders. Or is Dean supposed to be the Christ in this scenario and save the world by sacrificing himself? Does that make Sam Lucifer? Oh, halp. Wench, wench! More wine!
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.
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What else are you if you have angels watching over you since you were born? You sacrifice yourself for your brother (and don't get me on the rant of Dean's issues with John's sacrifice compared to how they handled Sam's reaction to the sacrifice, that consisted of one line!) The fact that you did it because you couldn't face life on your own is brushed under the carpet. The fact that you resurected your brother because you didn't want to fai in the eyes of Dad? What are you if the demons take special interest in you because you are so magnificent? What is your character when you get special scenes in red thights written for you, even if it holds no meaning for the ep? Or a romantic love-scene with an angel, a scene that also had no meaning for the arc, unlike Sam's scene with Ruby that showed him hitting rock bottom? Those scenes were inserted just to show Dean's loveliness, nothing else. That the sign of a marysue.
And it goes on even in the spoilers for next ep: the man with low self.esteem automatically thinks everyone is hitting on him?
Sorry, but for me that screams marysyue loud and clear. And the only one to blame is Kripke.
I agree, it's getting too obvious right now. All Kripke is doiig right now is fanservice, plain and clear. The real story is in the background, the pretty is lifted to the front and a nonsensical story is spun around it to show-case the pretteh. The end of YF was pretty much confirmation on what the show is about right now.
Poor Jensen is forced to act OTT, like in YF. They have lost all subtlety when it comes to Dean this year. It's full throttle with the one emotion that Kripke is tying to push through at all costs. Which the last crying scene in this ep was a prime example of. Probably the reactions to the other crying scenes weren't enough so they are taking canons to kill flies now. Hospital bed, beat up woobie with the old daddy-issues crying to his angel about his weakness in hopes of getting sympathy. That is all Dean's been reduced to right now. Even if he gets a lot of screen-time. there's no forward momentum for the character.
Seems to be backfiring pretty badly and it's also boring, And need of exaggeration is the sign of bad storytelling.
That's exactly what I meant, that the sibling rivalry, added with all that other stuff, might have spilled over into fandom, and thusly, fans squabble. : D
I had the exact same kind of pendulum reaction, one boy had this bunch of qualities I liked, and the other boy had a bunch of other qualities I liked. Dean's hair, yeah, offputting, Sam's darkness, disturbing, yet he had those eyes, and the youngest child angst I could very much relate to. Yet Dean seemed more damaged, more interesting….and on and on it went. Finally I picked Dean, because he was the most troubled….and then I switched to Sam. : D
I might switch back, yes, because I'm that fickle! But I'm a serial monogamist as well, so it'll be a while yet, if ever, when I switch.
Dean was supposed to be acting OOC in YF. I thought it was a poorly written episode but hat was the point of the story. What are you referring to as the end of YF? The Eye of the Tiger video? Was there something wrong with them including that at the end?
I wouldn't expect Dean to be the same person after being in hell for 40 years. He's been in hell longer than he's been alive on Earth. He's spent more time with Alastair than he's spent with anyone else and it's obviously had a significant impact on his psyche. I think his reactions have been very reasonable. How do you expect Dean to act? When he came back at the beginning of the series the writers were criticized for writing Dean TOO normal and now they're being criticized for writing him too emo? He's struggling to deal with everything, and yeah, sometimes (THREE times to be exact) he's shed tears. I don't feel that Dean's emotional reveals have been exaggerated. and I don't think the point of Dean's tears is merely to gain sympathy. It's completely unreasonable to expect that Dean *wouldn't* shed tears … he's at the lowest point in his life right now. I would imagine Dean will start to climb back up and move forward as Sam begins to slide down.
So, if I'm to understand, the THREE times Dean has shed tears is just too much. Dean should not cry, should not angst, should not have daddy-issues, or show any real emotions at all … those emotions are reserved for Sam only. Dean should always and only be the bad-ass big-brother who's sole purpose is to support Sam. Dean should just forget about his own emotions and issues and just focus on Sam's. ????
EXACTLY. It seems to me that certain fans don't want Dean to have any angst at all because this somehow takes away from Sam. That if we have any sympathy for Dean this is just a horrible thing, the writers suck, and Kripke is only doing it for the sake of fanservice. No matter that it actually makes sense within the context of Dean's storyline that he would shed some tears — too bad! No one should be allowed to sympathize with Dean right now because Sam is not getting the same treatment in his storyline. I wonder if these same fans will criticize Sam if he sheds tears in some upcoming episode? Doubt it.
Dean was supposed to be acting OOC in YF. I thought it was a poorly written episode but that was the point of the story. What are you referring to as the end of YF? The Eye of the Tiger video? Was there something wrong with them including that at the end?
Dean was supposed to be acting OOC in YF. I thought it was a poorly written episode but that was the point of the story. What are you referring to as the end of YF? The Eye of the Tiger video? Was there something wrong with that being included at the end of YF?
Actually I'm glad the angels story has nothing to do with Sam because, geez, can we say slippery soap?
I have no idea what YF was supposed to be, it was just silly and yes, fishing for sympathy for a possibly (again) dying Dean. It's just that when the fishing is that abvious, for me it works the other way around. The thing is that dean chose this, he made the deal and it was all but self-sacrifice.
The show basically jumped the shark with the entire 40 years in Hell storyline, simply too much. As is Angels aving Dean and watching out for him while he cries and battles his self-esteem. It's been done to death already. dean's story has nothing new, hasn't had for seasons and Kripke should really be ashaed of the character assassination. If he'd let Dean emerge with a credible baseline, much like Sam's arc has been played out, it would have worked so much better than the woe-me arc that is reheated for Dean every damned season. It doesn't give the character opportunity to grow, it just puts things on him, like a new layer of paint. And that's what tires me most; Dean is going nowhere, he's stagnant and that is not interesting.
The end of YF was fanservice plucked in to save an episode that the writers must have known was sub par. Hence the public assurance from Kripke that Dean is not a dick . Oh Kripke, never fear, I know Dean is your little mary, you show it with all the little scenes of Dean plucked in here and there, that are without any point for the show at all.
And if Kripke ever does anything stupid like that to Sam or Jared, I'll bitchslap him silly. It's unfortunately not doing Jensen any favors either IMHO: I feel for the man and what he has to put up with.
Sam has never, not once, cried on the hood of the Impala. He has cried twice, over killing Madison and Dean's death, and that in 4 seasons! Dean has cried and angsted over his daddy-issues ever since S1 Something Wicked, his deal, his raw deal in life, having to keep the family together since the very beginning. Sam has never wallowed in self-pity to this extent. Sam has supported Dean since the beginning of S2, Dean has been wrapped up in his self-esteem, his need to control Sam because Dad told him to for four season now. So basically I've come to the conclusion that Dean has no idea who Sam really is, doesn't even want to know, he just wants to control him and do what Dad wanted. It's Dean that wants his little brother back, not the other way around. Does Dean even love Sam? I used to believe so, but not anymore. I really don't know what this Dean is supposed to be about, other than eternal angsting.
Sam would be better off without him, really. Unfortunately Sam is so guilted with Dean's deal, even if we ever are shown it, that he's choosing to destroy his own self in the background. And that story would have been far more interesting if it was ever told. it's idiotic and self-destructive, granted and it's good that kripke doesn't show it because no way he'd be able to do the story justice. Unfortunately he's shown that by screwing up Dean's arc totally with all the inconsistencies his desperate need for fanservice is producing.
I agree with Sylvia. I think sibling rivalry has a lot to do with it, as does the anonymity of the internet, and the need to express your passion in a safe place. Excellent insight.
One other thing that might come into play, and I know it does for me personally, is freedom of speech. If Jared wasn't happy, if he didn't like where Sam was being taken, would he be able to say so? Actors who complain openly about their characters or story lines aren't usually well regarded, by their co-workers and peers, or the studios and execs involved. (*eyes Katherine Heigl*) Jared is naturally talkative, and he obviously gets asked a lot of questions about the show and his character, so he can't avoid the issue altogether. So he'd either have to lie, or risk the potential for fallout if he told the truth. He doesn't seem the type to harp on the negatives anyway, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if he chose to give us the rosy view of things.
I'm not saying he doesn't feel that way, or that he's lying about Sam and his feelings about things. I don't have a clue what goes on in that gorgeous head of his, and I don't pretend to. But that, for me, is why I have a hard time accepting the hand Sam has been dealt in the show, despite Jared's expressed enthusiasm. If Jared is truly happy with things, then that's awesome, and as a Jared fan, that makes me happy. As a Sam fan, I'm still rather disgruntled though. I came into Show as a Jared fan, having followed him from Gilmore Girls, but I was initially a Deangirl. Something about Dean appealed to me, and it still does, but somewhere along the line Sam stole my heart, and I doubt I'm gonna get it back. I do agree with whoever it was on here that said when they were a Deangirl, the story was all about Dean, and now that they're a Samgirl, the story's still all about Dean. That's how I've always seen it too.
The angels are total morons! Uriel goes around killing angels only from their garrison and Cas has no clue something is up? He has doubts about what he is doing to Dean but not about his brethren dying when he know that angels by only be killed by other angels? Or Cas needs to go back to angel school, he must have slept though it. Plot hole of magnificent magnitude.
Sam also cried at least in ELaC, the Pilot, and his eyes were getting awfully moist in Wendigo as well, just to name a few examples. I'm not complaining over Sam's tears – he had valid and legitimate reasons for crying. But here's the thing: so has Dean for every time we've seen him crying.
Dean has cried over John's death, he's cried about the guilt he feels about torturing souls, he cried when he tried to convince Mary to save her life, and again in 4×16 when he was told he would need to save the world. Dean only ever cries at epic moments in his life, the ones that make or break you. Sam's the same way. Neither of the boys are big on breaking down in tears and sharing their sob stories, even when their brother actually would love for them to share (Dean wanting to know about Jessica, Sam – at first – wanting to know about Hell, et cetera). Dean's early S4 stoicism about Hell was completely unrealistic and likely the only reason he was able to have it to begin with was that his memories were repressed. He's gained them back now and is being confronted with the enormity of his actions in Hell and their consequences; is it any wonder that he's falling apart?
I would wish the brothers would split for a while, but not because I think either of them is better off without the other. I think they both need a chance to catch their breath and regroup (also, Sam's epic reaction to Dean leaving would be awesome to behold) and I think you're right that Sam tore himself to pieces in guilt over Dean's deal. However, it seems you might be glossing over the darker parts of Sam's character, ones that have been there since S1 and make him (imho) a fantastic, fascinating person to watch. Dean has daddy issues, sure, but Sam does as well and his /brother/ issues are even more interesting to watch and his are of a considerably different sort that Dean's. Likewise, Sam dwells on things he can't change and goes to extremes in his opinions on what should be done about them. In S2, long before he showed any signs of going dark side, he was forcing Dean to promise to kill him and then getting upset when Dean (wisely) did not following his possession by Meg. Sam might not have cried over his "destiny", but he's angsted over it far, far more often than we've seen Dean remember Hell. And again, there's nothing wrong with that at all; it was necessary for Sam's character arc and it gave a huge amount of insight to his character, even if it wasn't portraying him in the most badass of lights.
I'm not quite sure why you seem to have this heavy dose of Dean!hate. Isn't it possible to love both brothers and be interested in both storylines? Or even if not, to enjoy when the focus is on one of them, even if it's not the one you prefer?
I was the one who said that the story always seemed to be about Dean to me, regardless whether I was a Deangirl or a Samgirl. : D
I agree with what you say about Padalecki, that he comes across as a normally positive person, certainly his interviews show him as an engaging young man who is probably happy to have such a cool job, regardless. So he always has something nice to say.
But then…any actor worth his salt has something nice to say about his co-workers, his director, the script, whatever. It's common practice (it seems) to be positive and upbeat and full of praise.
I'm not saying the actors are lying, and certainly it wouldn't get you very far if you were constantly full of vitriolic spew about everything, but I've yet to hear anything else OTHER than the positive glowing feedback. Which leads me to believe that, at least for some percentage of the time, the person in question is concentrating only on the positive and leaving out the frustration, the petty jealousies, the fights, the rants, the negative aspect about their job.
The only time recently that I've seen anyone say anything negative was James Callis who played Gaius Baltar on BSG, and he was totally kidding.
Then again, at my own job, if my boss asks me (as she has) about how thus and such is going, I'm apt to say something that will present the situation as a challenge that I will successfully meet. I'll say something like, "I was frustrated with thus and such, but I think that if I…" and "Working with so-and-so made me realize that…" And thus put a nice "growth opportunity" spin on the whole issue, letting my boss know it SUCKS but in a good way. If that's possible. It's all very PC, but it leaves me wanting to scream sometimes! Or forcefully suggest that there be more nekked nudity on Show, preferably Sam's.
I try to remember that when I hear actors waxing poetic about EVERY LITTLE thing about their jobs.
I thought it was you who said that, but then I couldn't find it and I was getting confused, so I just let it go. But I couldn't agree with you more.
Exactly. That's exactly what I mean. It's all about the spin you put on it, and actors are so rarely negative about anything. In the interviews I've seen, and the times I've seen Jared in person, he's always been happy and positive and upbeat. Even when people try to get him to answer a question that you know doesn't have a good outcome; like "What was it like working with Paris Hilton?" or "What movie/show do you regret ever being in?", he rarely gives an out and out negative answer. He might say something like "Well I'd have to get back to you in a New York Minute," with a big grin, in response to the movie question. But then he goes on to explain that he says that because he didn't take the role seriously enough and he feels that he should have turned in a better performance, or something to that effect. Typical Hollywood spin doctor type thing. The closest I've personally heard him come was when someone said something like "So, rumor has it that Paris Hilton is annoying" and Jared broke in to say "No, that's the truth, that's not a rumor" or something like that.
He's not perfect, and he's got to have negative feelings about things, he just doesn't express them in a public venue. Or at least, he doesn't make a habit of it. So why would we think he would feel free to express displeasure about Show? I can't imagine he would. And that's exactly why what he has said about Sam and the season hasn't affected my feelings about those things at all.
I thought it was you who said that, but then I couldn't find it and I was getting confused, so I just let it go. But I couldn't agree with you more.
Exactly. That's exactly what I mean. It's all about the spin you put on it, and actors are so rarely negative about anything. In the interviews I've seen, and the times I've seen Jared in person, he's always been happy and positive and upbeat. Even when people try to get him to answer a question that you know doesn't have a good outcome; like "What was it like working with Paris Hilton?" or "What movie/show do you regret ever being in?", he rarely gives an out and out negative answer. He might say something like "Well I'd have to get back to you in a New York Minute," with a big grin, in response to the movie question. But then he goes on to explain that he says that because he didn't take the role seriously enough and he feels that he should have turned in a better performance, or something to that effect. Typical Hollywood spin doctor type thing. The closest I've personally heard him come was when someone said something like "So, rumor has it that Paris Hilton is annoying" and Jared broke in to say "No, that's the truth, that's not a rumor" or something like that.
He's not perfect, and he's got to have negative feelings about things, he just doesn't express them in a public venue. Or at least, he doesn't make a habit of it. So why would we think he would feel free to express displeasure about Show? I can't imagine he would. And that's exactly why what he has said about Sam and the season hasn't affected my feelings about those things at all.
I can't speak for *bright, but yes, I thought there was something wrong with it being included at the end of Yellow Fever. It was hilarious, and awesome, and don't get me wrong, I liked it, and I've watched it many, many times. But it didn't belong there, at the end of the episode. As an extra on the DVDs, or part of the gag reel, or even an online bonus, it would have been totally awesome. Putting it at the end of the episode, as a much touted special event, combined with the fact that Jensen has gotten most of the screen time, and even most of the promo exposure (especially when it comes to the episode stills), this season, made it feel like a slap in the face to me. And judging from other fans response to it, I wasn't the only one.
Exactly. Plus I always get the feeling that he really loves loves loves playing Sam, plus he's got another full season after this one, so that this is the perfect time for him to wallow in this character.
And even on a bad day when it's rainy and wet and he's been given a script that has him showing aspects of Sam that aren't pleasant or fun, or that don't give him enough to do, or if there aren't enough green m & m's in his trailer, well…on a bad day it's still better than making cardboard boxes in Buffalo. He's in his element and more power to him.
I hope he is having the BEST TIME EVAR! And, if in the meantime, Samgirls want to rant and rave that he's not getting treated the best, or given enough opportunity, I'm sure that's good for his ego too. The boy deserves it, for being not just a nice guy, but a REALLY nice guy who also happens to be so smoky hot in the looks department it's almost dangerous.
Best Regards,
Sylvia "Pollyanna" Bond
Actually I was thankful they gave us something other than a ton of commercials since that episode ran even more ridiculously short than others this season.
I'm guessing the new writer's story didn't give the normal minutes or couldn't stretch to do so. If the minutes were there for the story, we would have gotten this as an extra on the DVD.
Yellow Fever had all kind of troubles, one of which IMO was create the perception Sam doesn't care about Dean anymore. Of course no one said the same about Bobby eventho it also made him look as unconcerned as it did Sam.
I just put Yellow Fever down to the curse of the six that No Exit started in Season 2. No Exit, Red Sky at Morning, and now Yellow Fever – all the sixth episode of their respective season.
The hing is that Sam is messed up, just as messed up as Dean, but his grief manifests differently. He goes cold, cruel and dangerously vindictive. Not very flattering traits, not at all.
But are we shown this? Barely. And this is what's lacking this season. Sam's going to turn evol and we have very little understanding for his decisions in the matter. The Sam hatred after SV was a clue to the writers' inability to write scenes that show that; it's all on Jared's shoulder to show it. And in this case, 3 scenes per ep is not cutting it, not when the eps is filled with the same angsty, manly tears and angelic fangirling over and over again. A darker character is always more difficult to write, if you still want to keep them heroic. If Kripke wanted to make Dean darker, he's failed miserably.
Sam did angst in approx. 3 eps, then he withdrew and angsted internally, without tears, just with changed behavior. There was none of this shove it down your throat that I'm seeing with Dean's angst. They pile more and more angst on him, until I grew totally numb. Like whatever.
I don't hate Dean, I'm tired of him. Tired of having to constantly see the story through his psyche since it never develops. And that's why I'm not watching anymore. And seeing that many have the same problems with this arc that I have, I don't think you can blame only the audience, or even what you call Dean-hate for the reactions to it. It's like emo-porn at this rate. And pornography isn't exactly known for its splendid characterization.
Unfortunately, that's the way Kripke's chosen to tell Dean's story.
From all of the episode reviews and comments that I've read, fans and reviewers LOVED the video being included at the end of the episode. Apparently the episode ran short so they included it. I still don't see the problem.
That's what I had heard the episode was short.
And don't forget what else we got from this. We got a cute interview of both the boys talking about how it happened. That was fun to watch also.
Of course we could have had extra commercials instead. Maybe that would have made the ones who complained about it happier.
"I have no idea what YF was supposed to be, it was just silly and yes, fishing for sympathy for a possibly (again) dying Dean. It's just that when the fishing is that abvious, for me it works the other way around. The thing is that dean chose this, he made the deal and it was all but self-sacrifice. "
YF was silly, I agree. But it certainly wasn't about fishing for sympathy for Dean. It seems to me that these writers were trying to make fun of Dean's post-hell trauma and play it for laughs. That doesn't seem to me to be the best way to play for sympathy for Dean if that was the goal, which I don't believe it was.
The deal certainly was self-sacrifice on Dean's part (as Sam making a deal himself was), but yes, the deal was Dean's choice. He took full responsibility in NRFTW and admitted that it was all his fault. He went to hell rather than have Sam take any risk by using his powers, and Dean is now dealing with the aftermath and consequences.
"The show basically jumped the shark with the entire 40 years in Hell storyline, simply too much. As is Angels aving Dean and watching out for him while he cries and battles his self-esteem. It's been done to death already. dean's story has nothing new,"
Nah. Adding the angels to the mytharc and Dean's hell storyline has been wonderful for the show. We already had demons who were ready to follow super-special Sam because he is the Demon King-to-be. We've seen Sam pull the woe is me card time and time again as well. So I think the angels have been a great addition and have expanded the mythology. In fact, in reading mainstream media reviews, it seems to me that most feel Dean's angel storyline has been the best part of this season and I love how they have integrated Castiel's storyline into the show and I find Dean and Castiel's ever evolving relationship totally fascinating. And thank goodness the ratings for those first few episodes of this season were so great that the the CW decided not to cancel it after this season. Yay!
Personally, instead of more commercials, or the video, I would have preferred that they put those minutes into the story where they belonged, and where they would have done the most good. The video was great, and I'm very glad we got to see it.
As far as the reviewers and comments that were made, maybe it was all down to where you looked. I remember having a conversation here, with Sylvia, about how the video was hilarious and wonderful and unless they did something similar with Jared as the star, it was wrong, unbalanced, and out of line for them to put that video on the end of an episode instead of the gag reel or DVDs. 10 episodes down the line, there's been no change in the balance of the show, and despite several more shorter than they should have been episodes, there has been no Jared counterpart to that video.
I'm not trying to tell anyone who liked the video and thought it was perfect that they're wrong. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm just telling you why I thought it was wrong.
"It doesn't give the character opportunity to grow, it just puts things on him, like a new layer of paint. And that's what tires me most; Dean is going nowhere, he's stagnant and that is not interesting."
I find Dean's storyline totally fascinating this season. He FINALLY isn't just all about SAM and SAM'S destiny. I appreciate that the angels have forced Dean to reexamine his stance on his faith and of angels and God. And yeah, he keeps getting punched in the gut and put through the wringer and yet he finds a way to keep going. I'm fascinated by Dean's struggles to deal with a world (including Sam) that changed while he was away. I am really enjoying watching him try to manage all of the external forces around him as they try to break him and upset the brotherly dynamic and I love that the brother's relationship has been shaken up. Perhaps what doesn't kill him will make him stronger! The season isn't over yet. It's juicy stuff. And Jensen has been knocking it out of the park every damn episode with his performances.
"Does Dean even love Sam?"
Seriously? So because Dean has his own issues and is struggling this season, suddenly he doesn't love Sam? That's just ridiculous.
BOTH boys have cried. BOTH boys have angsted over their issues. So what? How does Dean's angsting take away from Sam in any way? I didn't feel that Sam crying and angsting in Playthings took away from Dean in any way.
Sam has certainly wallowed in self-pity about Jess, about everyone around him dying, about his demon blood, about going evil. He sure has.
And wasn't it Dean who has told Sam that he's proud of him (Scarecrow)? And wasn't it Sam who didn't like who Dean was in S3 and he told him he wanted his big-brother back (Fresh Blood)?
Dean isn't perfect, nor would I expect him to be. But there's certainly more to him than angst. And I guess if Sam is just staying with Dean out of guilt, then you are correct, Sam would be better off leaving. I'm sure Dean wouldn't want Sam to stay with him because he feels he owes Dean.
Which sort of implies that that Skank Ruby has been evil all along.
I don't think you're along…the branch is starting to sag with the combined weight of all the fans who agree with you.
I always used to wonder how Jensen felt, doing such an incredible job and yet still being the sidekick character, so I totally know where you're coming from. At times, though, I wonder if we aren't projecting our own dissatisfactions with the way the characters are treated onto the guys. Heaven knows, fandom doesn't care about the concerns that they actually DO air (mostly: they're exhausted and want more characters, fandom says "Suck it up!")… it's *our* concerns that we're more interested in.
I dunno, just something to think about. Jared's been pushing publicly for evil Sam since season 2, so I see no reason to doubt his sincerity about it, but I agree neither boy would probably say it in public if he was unhappy. Whether JA was happy all those years while Dean had nothing to do but tag along after Sam, whether JP is unhappy that Sam's finally going evil, it's hard to say.
Jared has been pushing for evil!Sam for a long time, you're right. I don't doubt that he's sincere about that. He's offered that bit of information up unprompted too often for it not to have some truth to it. What I would question is his happiness with this season, and the way it has played out for Sam so far. Like I said, I don't claim to know what goes on in his head. But if I were him, and if they really are kept in the dark about future plans for episodes as much as they've said they are, I can't say that I would be thrilled with what has transpired thus far.
I agree with Sylvia. Even if Jared is genuinely, sincerely happy with everything about Show, it can't hurt his self-esteem any to see the fans clamoring to see more of him. He seems to love what he does for a living, and if people want to see more of him, that's proof he's doing it well. Nothing wrong with letting him know that. He deserves to know.
"I don't hate Dean, I'm tired of him. Tired of having to constantly see the story through his psyche since it never develops. And that's why I'm not watching anymore. And seeing that many have the same problems with this arc that I have, I don't think you can blame only the audience, or even what you call Dean-hate for the reactions to it. "
Hmm. And yet every single post of yours is dedicated to criticism of Dean and suggests that there's some sort of evil plot by Kripke against Sam/Jared or something. I've gotta tell you, it's totally ridiculous to me. And it appears to me that you do hate Dean for whatever reason. So I'm not blaming "the audience" for your *personal* reaction, because I certainly believe it is extreme and atypical, at least among the fans who love BOTH brothers. [to be continued...]
Maybe you feel that by knocking Kripke and the show that this will prove that Kripke was wrong to send Dean to hell, to include the angels in the mytharc, and to finally give Dean is own mytharc storyline? Maybe you feel it makes Sam look better if you explain all the ways in which we *should* hate Dean? "Dean shows emotions — hate him! Dean sheds tears — hate him! Dean angsts — hate him! And see, now that Dean has his own storyline, he no longer loves Sam — hate him!" Dean is an emotional guy right now and yeah, he's showing more of his emotions than he has in the past. So what? It's not some evil plot against Sam just because Kripke wants to explore some of Dean's issues right now. [to be continued...]
I think Kripke's done a pretty good job with both boy's storylines so far this season, with the exception of YF (ick). Dean is definitely darker and I think the show has done a great job slowly revealing the changes that have occurred in both boys throughout this season. It certainly wouldn't be realistic if Dean was exactly the same as he was in S1. Unfortunately there will be "fans" who believe that Dean shouldn't change at all … that he should just suck it up, go back to the Dean of S1 and be ALL ABOUT SAM again — so that we could get back to the Sam show already. *sigh*
Yes, well since Sylvia and most people here are "SamGirls" and from what I can tell, believe that the show is somehow plotting against Sam and Jared, I guess it makes sense that certain fans would view this video as wrong. Personally, I visit many forums and sites, and I didn't see a single complaint about it from fans of the show (and even fans who had no idea about Supernatural until this video showed up on youtube). On the contrary, it seems to be a huge hit within fandom and youtube. I'm certainly not saying that you are not entitled to your opinion. I just don't agree that it slights Jared in any way.
I have to confess, I don't understand the hostile way the majority of your posts read. Are the "certain fans" who don't think that video necessarily belonged in that slot somehow less deserving of a voice than you or the people who agree with you are? Do the people who don't agree with the direction this season has taken not have the right to voice that opinion? There's no rule that says we all have to agree, or that one group is right and the other is wrong. In my opinion, Sylvia's reviews are as balanced as the episodes allow them to be. If it's a Dean-centric episode, then it only follows that the review will be similarly structured. She is far more objective and reasonable than my own responses to Show usually are, and I enjoy reading her take on things.
And as long as it's positivity towards Jared, that's fantastic, and more power to everyone doing that. I've just seen too much hatred towards Kripke, and even Jensen, coming alongside the wish to see more of Jared. It's not gonna hurt HIM, because he's not the one being accused (probably falsely) of things, but hatred toward them, in the name of Jared, based on nothing but a fan's own dislike of a storyline? It doesn't sit well with me. But then, obviously those fans can do whatever they want. *shrugs* I just don't think it's really fair to lay blame the way some people do, when no one actually knows what's going on.
Everyone has the right to voice their opinions, but everyone also has the right to react to those opinions. Deangirls were SAVAGED in season one, for saying he probably should have a place in the plot or his mentor role was gonna become irrelevant once Sam grew up. Samgirls, unfortunately, are now reaping what their predecessors sowed back then, as this savaging set the precedent for the way the fandom would handle show concrit… although no debate I see going on is anywhere near as bad as some of the things I saw leveled at Dean fans back then. Gosh, you'd think we drank the blood of puppies, when all we were doing was talking about story structure! *laughs* Fandom is a crazy place sometimes.
Anyway, yeah… as for the video, I bet it's better to be the top credited star of a show than to have a little outtake tacked on to the end of the episode. Jared's still coming out on top, as far as resume building goes.
That's unfortunate, that fans were cruel to each other, even at the beginning of this fandom. I wasn't a part of the fan community online at that time, so I don't know how bad it got, but I still hate to hear that. I'm not sure I agree with the logic that Samgirls as a group have somehow earned mistreatment, because of what happened back then though. That doesn't seem right at all.
Top credited? How so? Because his name shows up first at the beginning of the episode? That doesn't make him anything special. Someone's name has to come first when they run the credits, since they only show one name at a time. As far as I have ever heard, they're both listed as leads in the series, in equal standing, and so the show would carry the same amount of weight on both of their resumes. For one of them to benefit more from their part in the show, wouldn't one of them have to be the star, and have the other listed as a supporting role? That's not how I've ever seen or heard of them being billed. Am I missing something?
I really enjoyed your review! And I completely agree, I'd be more okay with seeing less Sam if we got to see more of Sam.
Nekked, right? : D
Thanks for coming by!
I just want to tell you that you're a wee bit awesome. Thank you for your defense of Dean; it brought a smile to my face because it's all so aptly phrased and all of it true.
Oh, I'm not saying Samgirls as a group have earned the same as what those early Samgirls dished out. No one deserves that. What I'm saying is that the fandom culture was created early… criticism of the show = bad fan. What is set down early is hard to break away from, and I doubt most Deangirls are gonna feel inclined, after what was done to them.
But yeah, Jared is top-billed. Jensen's second-billed… it's not equal billing. The assumption in fandom over the years has been either that it's because Sam was the lead character initially, or because Jared has better representation. *shrugs* Either way, though, he still gets the benefit of that.
I guess that's ultimately up to each person. Mistreating someone just because you were mistreated previously isn't the way to handle it though. That goes double if the person you're being cruel to isn't even the one who wronged you in the beginning. Two wrongs don't make a right and so forth.
I'm not trying to argue with you, but I still don't understand the "top billing"' issue. How does Jared have top billing? And what benefit does it give him? The only thing I've ever seen that doesn't represent them perfectly equally is the credits to the show. Someone's name had to come first, both in the credits, and on imdb, since they only list one name at a time. I'm not a Hollywood expert, but I don't see how having his name first gets Jared anything special. Who knows, maybe they flipped a coin way back in the beginning and Jared won. I'm not trying to belittle your concern, I just genuinely don't understand why it's a big deal.