Supernatural: Abandon All Hope
What? No Kiss for Sammy?
by Sylvia Bond
Supernatural Episode Review – Season Five, Episode 10
“Abandon All Hope…”
The ep starts out with a fat cat banker making a deal with a crossroads demon. In the middle of the day yet, and under a busy underpass somewhere in the Big City. What makes this deal interesting is not the deal itself, as I imagine that there are quite a number of CEOs, right this VERY minute, making the very same deal, to save their banks and their retirement funds and their own cigar-puffing-lardo behinds. What makes the mark in this scene is the male-on-male kissing. With tongues and everything.
Now granted, there are any number of hip shows for the under-22 crowd other than Show that have already done this with both genders, and done more than this, and they’re not even on cable. The trend seems to be to add this type of pushing the envelope, and Show is on the bandwagon. Considering its Show’s fifth season, I’d say it was about time. Except no one wants to see a CEO banker kissing anyone or anything, except maybe the public’s collective ass before they pay back all that money they squandered and stole.
Anyhow, Sam and Dean, our intrepid heroes, have determined that this particular crossroads demon, Crowley, has the Colt that Can Kill Anything, so they set a trap. I love the Huggy Bear reference, which by rights makes the boys Starsky and Hutch. Regardless of which one’s which, they use a scantily clad Jo Harvelle, neatly tidied up in classic black as though for a red carpet appearance as a decoy for the Demonic Goons. (And oh, how I do envy the artful disarray of her hair!) This gets the boys inside the Mansion so they can trick the demon into giving them the Colt. There’s some minor whumpage and struggling, but then, the scene takes an interesting turn.
Come to find out that Crowley wants the boys to have the Colt, and enough bullets to do the job right. He wants the old days back, and he wants Lucky out of the way. This low-key, darkly filmed scene gives us interesting lighting across the boys’ faces, and displays stark profiles that seem to symbolize the line that they are straddling. For indeed, when you make deals with demons, or trust demons, or even parlay with demons, you are coming perilously close to stepping into the darkness.
Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, it’s Sam who takes the step forward and comes close enough to the demon to take the Colt in his large, manly hand. Sam has always been the one, in my mind, who more easily crosses that line to take what he needs to battle evil. Even though, yeah, he’s messing with evil to do it, he’s willing to risk it. Didn’t the debacle with Ruby teach him anything? That when you lie down with evil, you risk becoming evil? But perhaps Sam, in that sassy head of his, feels he will be able to resist the temptation.
Sam (who can play both sides of the good vs. evil line) does a double-cross and pulls the trigger of the Colt in the demon’s face. Naturally, there are no bullets in the Colt at the time, because either Crowley knows enough about Sam, or he knows enough about how rising drama works on TV shows, but he’s got the bullets safe in his pocket. Still he hands them over equably, and I get the definite feeling that this is all going far, far too easily.
This is proven in the next scene, which is a happy, jolly drinking scene, and the gang is all there at Bobby’s house. I am always suspicious when scenes like this come too early in the ep. Plus I’ve been trained since birth that when victory celebrations happen in the first reel, then death and disaster will happen in the second reel, and that good people will die to give the story an emotional punch.
Though, during all this, I adored and applauded the scene where Sam and Dean are looking over their maps and books, drinking beer together. It was like old times as they conferred and discussed, and yes, dithered. (When the boys dither, you know all’s right with the world.) And I liked the bon mot that Dean delivers: “Sam Winchester having trust issues with a demon. Well, better late than never.” (I mean how many times do you hear either boy say their own last name? It had a nice ring to it as it rolled off of Dean’s lovely mouth.) And then there’s Sam’s semi-sarcastic, “And thank you again for your continued support.” Ah, brothers. Even when they aren’t getting along, they are.
Even if it’s a trap, which it doesn’t seem like it is, Dean proposes that he go off alone to use the Colt on Lucky. He’s taking up his big brother role, and leading the way, and slips in the statement that they (he) can’t afford to loose Sam. Sam objects, his face scrunching up in his best “don’t go without me” face. (It’s the most perfect little brother expression ever.) Dean’s about to say no yet again, when Sam drives his point home: “Haven’t we learned a damn thing? If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this together.” Really, this is the smartest thing they can do because each brother is one half of the hero that can vanquish just about anything. It’s a perfect bit of interaction between the brothers, and I love seeing them together like this.
There was an interesting little scene tucked away among all this. Dean spots Jo’s tight, jean-clad bottom. And like any red-blooded American male, and exactly like our biology has been programmed in us in order to ensure continuation of the species, he gets the sudden urge to spread some of his DNA around. It’s the last night of the world, after all. He saunters over to her like a tom cat and does that eyebrow thing and that glitter in his eye thing and then he does that leaning thing, all the while his mouth is moving, talking about their last night on earth, drawing her in for that kiss.
Yeah, we’re close enough to see those famous freckles and the velvet of his skin and all that is wonderful and Deanish, and you know what Jo does? She turns him down, saying she wants to respect herself in the morning. Oh, man, while I respect her decision, I do, I totally would have said yes. I mean, wouldn’t you? Even if she is right, that you have to maintain your dignity even if the end of the world is coming. But Dean so deserves a little nookie, and it’s been ages since he’s gotten some. I’d feel worse for him, but as she walks away, he doesn’t look so much disappointed as relieved.
Then the gang takes a group picture. Bobby sets up the camera and the timer, and they all huddle together in that self-conscious way people do with timed photographs like this. And the picture, again, bodes that an ill wind is coming their way. You don’t take pictures of things that will last, you take pictures of things that you know won’t last. Like this group, a motley crew of angels and bad boys, and mothers and daughters, atypical in so many ways, and I had to ask myself, which one of them will die? My money was on Bobby, of course, not just to be mean, but because I always figure that’ll have the biggest effect on Sam and Dean.
Next up, our little band of heroes arrives at their rain-spattered destination, a town that is completely deserted except for the 25 or so Reapers that the Soap Angel says he sees. It takes Show forever to get all their characters to arrive at the conclusion that if there are that many Reapers, then something bad is going down that will result in a lot of souls needing to be reaped. At the same time, the presence of that many people in black, standing immobile on rain-slick sidewalks and on rooftops, just waiting for the carnage to start, now, that was creepy.
The Soap Angel goes off by himself, which is a big no-no in shows like this one, and even though everyone knows it, none of the characters ever listens. Naturally, he gets himself trapped by Lucky in one of those circles of fire that Show’s been using of late. This time around, the two angelic brothers have a tete a tete.
They discuss automobiles and Lucky’s fast-developing case of eczema, which is indicative of how his meatsuit can’t tolerate the heat of containing the Light Bearer. Lucky wants Sam as his vessel (because Sam is strong enough to take it), and while this particular transformation would be sexy as all get out (I think Evil Sam is hot), Sam cannot be allowed to go into the dark like that. Lucky tries to sell the Soap Angel to his way of thinking, but his evil powers have no effect on the Soap Angel. He’ll die first, he says, and that can’t happen any too soon, I say.
I liked the lighting here very much. For once, the Soap Angel doesn’t look like a washed out piece of paper. Instead, he’s lit by gold and yellow lights that make his eyes dark, and his hair even darker, and yes, I’ve got a thing for dark haired, dark eyed men. The Soap Angel really is quite pretty in this scene. As for Lucky, his skin is peeling off and he looks like he’s not bathed in weeks. The contrast between the two was done on purpose, I’m thinking. Or maybe the lighting guys just decided to give me a small thrill.
Meanwhile, out in the streets, Sam and Dean and Ellen and Jo saunter through the empty town, holding their cocked-at-the-ready weapons with insouciant ease like four gunfighters coming to the Not-So-OK Corral. I know I was supposed to be rather worried about what evil the gang might encounter, but I was very distracted by Sam’s thighs.
His thighs don’t get enough attention (or enough camera time), and they really, really should, because they are marvelous works of art. They are long and densely muscled, and in this scene, clad in nicely tight jeans that show off every curve and pulse and strut. And then the camera pans up and in for a bit of a two-boy closeup, and shows the wind whipping through Sam’s hair. I thought I was going to come apart, I honestly did. Who gave that Padalecki kid permission to be so beautiful, I ask you?
Alas, such happy notations are interrupted by the badness that comes in the form of Meg the Demon and a pack of hellhounds. Hellhounds are nasty because while you can hear them, you can’t see them. And when they are in attack mode, they come for you and don’t stop coming for you till they’ve ripped you apart like so much bloody meat. And unlike zombies, they’re fast.
The attack scene was filmed with herky-jerky handheld cameras, and edited in fast clips. There’s a little bit of Hellhound-Cam, a little bit of running and spinning and dodging and shooting, all mixed together with flashes of hair and legs so you can’t quite tell who is at risk. I thought it was marvelous. That is, until Dean got thrown to the ground and you just know hellhounds are pretty much the only thing that boy is afraid of, that and flying, so I knew he was going to get hurt. And while I like a little whumpage with my Dean, I don’t like what hellhounds can do to a gorgeous body like his; it’s just too painful to watch.
Except I don’t have to, because it’s Jo to the rescue. She’s cocking and aiming that gun in a cloud of blond hair and shooting bullets as fast as she can, saving Dean, saving the day, and then it goes bad, really bad. Jo gets taken down and there’s blood and torn muscle and running, and I thought oh no, not her!
My relationship with Jo has been a love/hate relationship. In the beginning, I didn’t like her because she was so young and foolish and green behind the ears, and yet she wanted to play with the big boys. I hated her cocky attitude, because I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep up and would slow the boys down. Plus, she threw herself at Dean like a little tramp, and she really shouldn’t have been the one to patch up Dean after Evil Sam shot him. Still and all, she’s got history with the boys, real history, not the fake, slap it together kind, so she grew on me.
Dean scoops Jo up out of the street, and the boys manage to get everyone holed up in a hardware store, and chain the doors shut. There is hasty first aid, and sad, dire, almost unspoken conversations, where Dean looks at Sam and Sam shakes his head. Jo is not going to make it, and I could see it coming, the Death Scene, written all over Jo’s pale face. (Someone on the Makeup Team has studied the effects of blood loss on skin, because Jo seems to fade to grey and then to blue white, and it’s really quite well done.)
In the midst of this, Dean raises Bobby on the CB radio for advice. I don’t mind that part, even though, yeah, I’d already figured out that something huge and nasty was going down. Bobby tells Dean that Lucky is about to break the Seventh Seal at the location for the Battle of Carthage, one of the bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War. All very well and good, but then the conversation continues.
During it, they discuss what needs to be done, even if Jo is dying. Dean needs some encouragement, and Bobby gets him to pony up. So, excuse me, what is Sam for? He’s right over there, Dean, and could do just as good a job, if not better, in helping to bolster your courage. Instead Sam is relegated to standing around, pouring salt, and looking sad and grim. What a waste of a perfectly good little brother.
But in spite of this, my hat’s off to Jo. She realizes that she’s got a 0% chance of making it, and 100% chance of not, but even so she fights the good fight. The plan is for the boys to make dirty bombs, and Jo will push the button and destroy the hellhounds, leaving everyone else time enough to get away. Jo’s logic is sound, and after all, she’s not sacrificing her life just to save a few Winchesters, no, she’s sacrificing herself to save the world. You can’t do scenes like this very often, or they will lose their punch; luckily the whole thing felt like getting whapped by a two by four in the face, which was effective and unforgettable.
There’s a quiet little moment as everyone says their goodbyes. That is, Sam nods and Ellen nods, and it’s Dean’s turn. This is the kind of scene that Ackles does so well, quiet and slow and still, barely moving a muscle, and yet making it work. Dean crouches in, low, and there aren’t many words for a situation like this one, but with a face like that, you don’t need any. He kisses her on the forehead, a brotherly salute, and then he kisses her on the mouth, and it’s a kiss full of grief and love and goodbye. Like death scenes, goodbye scenes like this one are scarce on the ground, and well they should be. You can’t overdo this much angst, because if you do, it loses its effect. Personally, I thought it was wonderful that they got to kiss at last, because they haven’t really, heretofore now. Though, yeah, I wished it wasn’t for such a dire reason.
Ellen, ever the mother lioness, determines that she will not leave her beloved Jo-Anna Beth alone to die, and what mom would? Besides, someone has to unchain the doors and let the hellhounds in. She sends the boys off, enjoining them not to miss. Then she sits beside Jo and holds her daughter in her arms as they wait for the inevitable end, and yeah, I cried, okay? I cried even harder when Ellen looked over to see that Jo had faded into death, and that Ellen was alone with the hellhounds and the button and the bombs. Still, it made a nice juxtaposition that was in keeping with their characters. Jo makes the sacrifice to save the world, and Ellen pushes the button in revenge because those bitches killed her baby. Listen, I’m telling you, don’t mess with moms. They will hurt you, big time.
I will miss Jo’s sassy smiles and her cascade of beautiful hair. I’ll miss her pining after Dean and wanting to be a hunter, though at her death, I would say she became that. With a capital H. And I will miss Ellen’s no-nonsense tone, the acerbic way she didn’t take any funny business from anyone, and the way her sharp eyes didn’t miss a trick. My hat’s off to Alona Tal and Samantha Ferris for creating characters that I connected to strongly enough that I cried when they died. There’ll be a place for Jo and Ellen in heaven to be sure. Though, this being Show, they could always come back as ghosts, could they not? Or maybe an angel yanked them both out of there in time, but messing around like that would just negate the scene. It would be cheating. Ellen and Jo have to remain dead or the scene doesn’t work.
Sam and Dean find the site for the Battle of Carthage, and are hiding in the bushes. They have a short conversation. Sam says, “Any last words?” And Dean shrugs and says, “No, I think I’m good.” And after a pause, Sam says, “Yeah, me too.”
And even though they exchanged meaningful glances, here’s where I get a wee bit pissed off. Because let’s just stop a minute and think about this. On the one hand, with so much shared history between the boys, maybe there isn’t any need for words, and I could see how maybe Show was trying to play it like that. Or maybe Show was demonstrating how the brothers still aren’t getting along, and so, yeah, even at the end, there’s no communication.
But I know these brothers, I’ve watched them lo these many years. If it was coming down to the End of Days, really and truly the apocalypse, then they’d have something for each other, no matter what else was going on between them. Even if it was just a nod, or a last “Bitch” and “Jerk” exchange. We had way huge conversations between Dean and Bobby, and between Dean and Jo, we had kisses. And yet for Sam, Dean’s got nothing but bubkus.
With all the kissing that went on in this ep, it really chaps my hide that there was no kiss for Sammy. Heck, Jo got two kisses and means less to Dean than Sam ever did. So why not have Dean pull Sam close or even tip his head sideways to get Sam to come close and then kiss him goodbye on the forehead with regret and remorse and a good dose of angst? What would that have hurt?
A simple, brotherly kiss not only would have been nice, it would have meaningful and made the scene that much more effective. It would have signaled that yeah, things are really dire and grim and that the boys’ lives were actually at risk. It would have ramped up the emo in this scene till it was almost off the charts, and it would have been beautiful. Besides, if anyone deserves kissing, it’s Sammy. (Side note, yeah, fans complain alright, but they complain because they care. The second they stop complaining is when you ought to start worrying that they’re watching something else.)
Amidst the gathering of zombie-like people, they espy Lucky digging in the dirt. We find that he’s burying the women and children that he’s already used in his rituals, and you realize that underneath the dirt, there’s a pile of skulls and bones right beneath his feet. (Mark Pellegrino’s Lucky continues to be a wonderfully insidious and slimy character, and I hope he keeps his edginess in place and while the boys will surely best him one day, I hope it’s because they outthink and outmaneuver him and not because he suddenly turned nice.)
Ever in tandem, the boys set their trap. Sam taunts Lucky, allowing Dean to move in and shoot Lucky at close range. Lucky goes down, but bounces back after a second or two and it turns out that the Colt’s power to kill him was just a rumor that he planted himself. Now, I’m assuming he planted the rumor in order to get Sam close, because there the boy is in living color and within arm’s reach. It wouldn’t take too much effort on Lucky’s part to inhabit Sam’s meatsuit, but luckily there’s a rule (well, it’s more of a guideline, really) about angels possessing humans: they can only do it if the host is willing. And since Lucky’s an angel and Sam is definitely not willing, there will be no possession today.
But there is some Dean whumpage, as Dean gets flung into a tree and lays in the grass beautifully unconscious. Which gives Sam and Lucky the opportunity to have a conversation in the half-dark, amidst the bodies and the bones and the carnage, and the unconscious brother, who Sam stands over like a very angry young god. There’s actual brotherly touching too, when Sam reaches down to check Dean’s pulse. Dean’s alive, thank goodness, otherwise we’d have rioting in the streets.
The conversation between Lucky and Sam isn’t new, because it’s still about Lucky trying to convince Sam that there is no other way out of this mess but that Sam allows Lucky in. Sam will never do that, he’s all bluff and bluster and his chin juts out and his shoulders are wide, and he’s a marvelous mess of fear and barely bridled rage. It’s this rage, Lucky tells him, that will benefit Lucky occupying Sam’s body. Sam’s rage can make him powerful and very difficult to beat, but at the same time, Lucky’s right: Sam’s rage is his weakness, and I thought it clever of Show to play off of this. Although I did get a little weary of the obvious comparisons between Lucky and his brother Mike, and Sam and his brother Dean, I do like watching Sam’s face as he struggles through his guilt about the whole mess.
Anyway, Lucky does his creepy ritual, taking a bunch of souls in order to break the Seventh Seal and pave the way for the Pale Rider (Death) to come to earth and start wreaking havoc. Meanwhile, the Soap Angel, still looking all golden and dark, manages to make his escape from the Circle of Fire.
I was pretty much convinced, and by Show itself, that the idea of the Circle of Fire is that once an angel’s in there, he or she will be in there until someone else puts the fire out. There was never any addendum to that particular idea, yet here we see the Soap Angel manipulating objects outside of the circle, namely a bolt on a pipe, which he untwists with his mind. So that sort of ability takes the sting out of all those other times angels were caught in the Circle of Fire and the whole thing takes on a retconnish air, if you ask me. The Soap Angel zaps to the Hill of Golgotha and then zaps out again, taking Sam and Dean with him. Sam and Dean do not save themselves here, alas.
Back at Bobby’s place, the TV announces that the apocalypse is well under way, and Show delivers a nice little tag scene. Well, nice isn’t the word I would use for it exactly, but it’s an effective tag scene, filmed in dark tones. And it shows us that unlike Ash’s death in Season 3, the deaths of Ellen and Jo will affect our band of hunters. We see Bobby taking the picture that he probably developed himself (everyone’s gone to digital now and you’d have to wait a week for Safeway to do it for you, and they’ll probably loose it anyway, so I assume he did it himself), and he throws it into the fire.
In any other show, this might be a tad overdramatic, because after all, why would you throw away the last picture of you and your friends together? It felt like the idea of the photograph had been inserted with a purpose, instead of being an organic development of the characters. Because as far as we know, Bobby was never an avid photographer.
But although I had the feeling of the whole thing being inserted, I liked the symbolism of it. Because the boys have so few pictures of the family, and certainly very few after Mary died (I’m thinking of those old photos we saw in the episode Home, the ones where it looks like the boys and The Dad are on a camping trip, when you know full and well they’re not hunting deer), any photograph takes on huge significance. However, some things are so precious that you neither need nor want a photo of them. Not to mention the fact that there are some images that the camera simply cannot do justice, so there’s no point in trying. The memory will have to be enough.
We get some lovely closeups of Dean and Sam looking grim and sad and beaten down as the photo burns. Dean, especially, looks positively grey from the strain of having to allow Jo and Ellen to make the sacrifice they did. Add to that the fact that the Colt wasn’t the magic bullet, so to speak, that it was cracked up to be. Did they die in vain? That’s the question Dean’s going to be asking himself for the rest of his life.
Where do we go from here? The road the boys are on has been leading them down into the Slough of Despond for quite some time, and there has been no Gaius’s Inn to offer them surcease. I gleefully predict more blood and carnage, and hopefully sooner rather than later. I’m a terrible fan like that to want more suffering for the boys, but they’re so good at it, and watching them in peril is better than sex, better than ice cream. And I like ice cream a lot.
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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I think there can be some survival's guilt involved in the burning picture's scene too.
And Ellen and Jo most definately did not die in vain. Like Dean said – if they had a snowball's chance in hell, they had to take it. They had to risk. The risk did not paid of, but that does not mean that it was in vain. Not trying would have been worse.
Oh, sure, survival’s guilt, I can buy that. : D
And I don’t know, while Ellen and Jo might not have died in vain, I think that Dean might feel responsible anyway, even if they made their choice to die for the greater good, something Dean is willing to do himself. I just thought, when I saw his expression at the end, that this was yet another twist of fate that would eat at him.
I was surprised you didn't mention my favorite Sam scene of the episode when we saw him holding Jo's hand just quietly sharing his strength with her. I loved that scene, so understated but so real for the relationship they had. No tearful goodbye or last words, just holding on to her trying to keep her strong.
You know, I did see that bit, and you’re right, it was understated….but got all caught up in Dean actually kissing Jo!
You know, I did see that, and yes, it was very understated and real…but I think I got caught up in Dean kissing Jo – finally!
Watching Jo-Ellen-Dean interactions were draining. Especially Ellen. It totally sucks to be in a situation where you know your child is dying and you know you can't leave them alone and to know what kind of a death awaits you? Man, that's horrible!!!
It also doesn't help that "Alona" looks like a 5 yr old. I purely felt the need to cry just because she looked like a little girl and not the grown up she's supposed to be. I still think Alona was casted wrong. She always had the sister dynamic with the brothers!! Although Alona did fantastic in this episode.
Dean not having any last words for Sam…Speaks a lot of about the unresolved issues between them. Sure they are working in tandem for the world's sake, but I believe if it weren't the case…they would have walked their separate ways any minute.
Burning the photograph…I saw it as their way of having a funeral for their hunter friends.
Now to the lighter bits…Did anyone else catch Sam do a double take before Dean walks over to Jo
I utterly, completely and totally share your disappointment with the lack of farewell words between the brothers. Or perhaps I should say the lack of brother moments at all, excepting the little one over the beer. There were Dean/Jo, Dean/Bobby and Ellen/Jo but scarcely any Dean/Sam moments. OK, so maybe we should be patient because the issues are still there, yet I wonder if we'll ever have a good tight hug like old times again.
Maybe it's only me, but I'm starting to be annoyed with Castiel always popping up to save the boys. I remember how they used to save themselves and each other in past seasons, so why all of a sudden they need Castiel to do that all the time? All in all, it was a good epic episode. Not my favorite because of the aforementined reasons, but still there were great moments – like the Harvelle's deaths – and it did raise important questions. For example, what "the hell" is going to happen in Detroit? Why is Lucifer so sure of Sam's yes? And last but not least, how can we survive until January 21st?
"Dean needs some encouragement, and Bobby gets him to pony up. So, excuse me, what is Sam for? He’s right over there, Dean, and could do just as good a job, if not better, in helping to bolster your courage. "
Certainly not in Dean's recent experience. Last season, when Dean was at his most vulnerable and struggling with his PTSD, Sam grew to resent his brother for being emotional vulnerable and weak, as we saw revealed in S&V, TMATEOTB, and WTLB. So I don't blame Dean for being reluctant to show Sam any kind of emotion that could be viewed as a weakness. He's been there and done that with Sam, so I think he made a good decision to talk to Bobby here as he was struggling with his emotions. Plus Dean was just confronted by hell hounds and I'm sure the trauma of that, and of his hell experience, came flooding back, especially after seeing Jo ripped apart by them. I think Dean still needs time before he'll be able to feel comfortable being emotionally vulnerable, showing weakness, in front of Sam. And we all know what happened last time Sam felt that he had to take care of things because his "weak" brother couldn't handle it. And it was not good.
I think this episode was titled appropriately. It was bleak, but that was the point. There's a price to war, and it was particularly personal for the brothers this time. I'm sad about the loss of Ellen and Jo, but they went out like soldiers, and I thought that was a fitting end for them. It seems (if Luci is reliable) the timeline for Sam saying yes to Luci has been moved up from Dean's AU version in which Sam said yes in 2012, now it's in 6 months, and still in Detroit. Luci does seem to have Sam's number. He's pushing all the right buttons, just as Ruby did. Sam's lack of response to Luci's taunts concerns me greatly. Even Dean wasn't buying what Luci was trying sell him during their confrontation in TE, and told him so. Come on Sammy.
Going by the gutted expression on Dean's face in that final shot, he appears to have nearly abandoned all hope at this point. And just what is going on with Michael, anyway? That's a plot point that needs to be addressed ASAP, I feel.
I hope we'll see Crowley again. It's always great to see Mark Sheppard. I thought all of the actors brought their A game in this episode. And although it's not Edlund's best, it's still FAR better than the last few episodes have been, to me. The other writers on this show really need to rise to Edlund's level, IMO.
January 21st?? Ugh!
"Luci does seem to have Sam's number. He's pushing all the right buttons, just as Ruby did. Sam's lack of response to Luci's taunts concerns me greatly. Even Dean wasn't buying what Luci was trying sell him during their confrontation in TE, and told him so. Come on Sammy. "
Sammy is a deceiver – not unlike Lucifer himself. Remember what the he-witch said? 'There's more to you than meets the eye'. So who knows what he's capable of? I trust our Sammy will surprise everyone when his time comes.
You're much more positive to the ep than I am. *g* I went in expecting very little but got even less.
I think this was the eppisode that tipped the scale for me and finally made me pack my bags. I knew it the moment I cared more about Jo and Ellen than I did abot the boys. And show has reached its limit with retconning for me to swallow anymore.
Salt now holds hellhounds away long enough to let the boys make bombs? Ellen even had to open the gate for them? Huh? And now Edlund etcons himself by saying Detroit will happen in 6 months, not a couple of years? Planning, dear Mr. Edlund is A and O when you write a long arc. It was a tottally unexplained shift in the time-table. Couldn't tthey have used the same date in the script for The End? Plus, he makes the boys seems like morons. Dean, the man that has read Odysseys had difficulties pronouncing (understanding?) functional morons? The leader does nothing but outh off to any opponent without even having a shred of a plan? How did he think he'd get Lu shot without a diversion when he told Sam he couldn't come along? Bad leadership, bad! It's the details that drive me crazy with this show these days. Edlund is one of the worst sinners in that department when it comes to scripts. he makes beautiful. explosive and visually vivid stories, but emotionally his scripts remain lacking for me. An those horrid pauses for drama that you mention. *facepalm* Again, makes the boys look like morons so Crowley is basically right. Which has me asking how they survived at all up till now?
And a devils trap? How many times has that plan backfired for them?
And Cas being able to use his powers from inside the magic cicle? Pretty convenient. I can't stand when writers don't even take a minute to remember what happened before. Soap-angel (love that!) now seems more powerful than the archangels and if that is true, we are royally screwed.
The acting was fine – oh, the scene with Sam holding Jo's hand almost broke my heart and it did affect me more than Dean's goodbye kiss. Dean's goodbye kiss was sweet and touching, but I got the ibe that this is going to start the mirror arc of Sam mourning Jess and John mourning Mary and I know I can't buy that one if that's the intention. Just the prospect of another Dean is mourning arc has me running away. We've seen it trice already, enough! Find something new for Dean to emote over.
Ferris and Tal rocked the scene and I would have loved to see more of them before they were 'ganked'. It kind of felt like tragedy for tragedy's sake and the emotional resonance was lacking, except in that one moment between Jo and Ellen when Jo died. That one spoke directly to me.
But the brothers? I get the feelig that Sam is tying and trying and trying and all he gets is 'Meh' from Dean. I'd love to know why because no. the ctirime, especially since the cime was committed to ave Dean, does not warrant such a punishment. Sam is pretty much sailing alone in this arc, no real contact with anybody and it's tiresome to watch.
Earlier, the emotional resoansse in their scenes were instantaneous. Just one look between them was enough because you knew they were connected. Even their anger at each other felt better than this non-committed, and what I feel, very one-sidedly emotional, relationship. I'm asking myself more and more if Dean's hanging onto Sam just to not lose his humanity? If that is so, he already has and I really don't wanna see that. Ad why Sam is hanging on, I have no idea since Sam barely has lines anymore.
And the story is pretty much stalled. What did we learn this episode? that the Colt doesn't kill everything? Who would have guessed that Lu wouldn't die in episode 10? We already know that Sam is like Lu and Dean is like Michael? We've been told that over and over. Nothing new at all there either.
This episode felt oddly flat despite gruesome deaths and all. The lack of brotherhood is glarig and it's enough for me to let this show go. I hink my mourning period of Sam'n'Dean is over. It is a pity because it could have been so much more. It was so much more.
I'll still catch up on your review though, because I adore them! Maybe somewhere along the line there will be an episode (Ok a Sam-centric one because he is the character that I still have a myriad of questions about) that will finally round up show for me. Because I really wanted to know the brothers fate. But if not, that's fine
"And now Edlund etcons himself by saying Detroit will happen in 6 months, not a couple of years? Planning, dear Mr. Edlund is A and O when you write a long arc. It was a tottally unexplained shift in the time-table. Couldn't tthey have used the same date in the script for The End?"
We don't know if what Dean saw was an actual future or rather an AU construct of Zach. Also, Dean already changed the future by calling Sam. It's not a retcon. It wouldn't make much sense if nothing had changed and Sam was still set to say yes in 2012 when the events have already changed.
"Dean, the man that has read Odysseys had difficulties pronouncing (understanding?) functional morons?"
LOL! Of course Dean understood what functional moron was! He just couldn't come up with a snarky comeback, much like his response to Ruby's "shortbus" comment in MM. It's consistent characterization for Dean. Sometimes he's just not quick enough with the witty comeback.
"Bad leadership, bad!"
They only came up with this plan after Sam was already part of it. And Dean is only human. Of course he feels overwhelmed. He's a human trying to fight a war between Heaven and Hell. He shouldn't have all the answers. He shouldn't make all the right decisions. He's a very human leader who's trying his best and I am glad that Dean was shown to be struggling with making the right decisions. He sought advice from Bobby, who he trusts. He's considerate of other's opinions. That's part of what makes a good leader.
"I get the feelig that Sam is tying and trying and trying and all he gets is 'Meh' from Dean."
Heh. I don't get the feeling that Sam is trying any harder than Dean. Dean has done his fair share of apologizing, even more so than Sam. I don't think Sam fully realizes the depth of his betrayal of Dean with Ruby, but I think he will eventually. The brothers are not totally reconciled yet, but I would not expect them to be. They'll get there.
I will say that it was stupid of Dean to agree to let Sam go with them. It's what Lucifer wants — to confront Sam and plead his case. And that's exactly what he did. Lucifer could simply threaten to kill a lot of humans in order to get Sam to say yes. So Sam actually going to Lucifer was really very stupid.
Sure, Dean’s human. So is Sam. He’s also allowed to be overwhemed, scared, struggling.
Regardless of who he turned to, Dean fell to pieces. Not much of a leader here. And I don’t know why only Dean is allowed to be a leader.
I wish they had kept Dean human, but to me he isn't anymore. he's too perfect, too tragic and too OTT in all senses that I can't relate to him any longer. He has no responsibilities any longer since his trip to hell excuses everything and makes the characters development moot; he's already the ultimate selfless hero, period. The character has nowhere left to go since he already is everything. Such story telling is to me very boring. and that's all on the writers, damned them.
I can't get the deep betrayal either., since Sam did what he did to spare Dean who himself told Castiel he wasn't capable. Sam took it upon himself and did some majorly stupid things but for Dean to still be pissed at him? Sam didn't do it to be heroic, he did it because he felt there was no other way. I thought that came through rather clearly at the end of S4 but maybe it's just me.
I think the 6 month thing was a sudden idea for the finale. The writers clearly have no plan and are writing this as they go along. That why a couple of years became May next year. It's also clear that sam's possible story will be halted until 5.21, as usual when Lucifer finally has convinced Sam to say yes off-screen *groan*.
"he's too perfect,"
How is Dean "too perfect"? You just explained how he was a bad leader without a plan. He was shown to struggle with his decisions. That's not perfect. You also assumed he did not understand the term "functional moron". Is Dean still holding a grudge for Sam's betrayal? Probably somewhat, but they're working together as a team, drinking beers together, joking around, and communicating more honestly than they've done in the past. I think Dean is working to try to get past it. But I do think Sam's betrayal will always be something between them. Sam choose to be with a demon, who he heard laugh in Dean's face as she told Dean that she wished she could be there as his flesh ripped off in hell. That betrayal is gonna sting for awhile.
"Sam took it upon himself and did some majorly stupid things but for Dean to still be pissed at him? Sam didn't do it to be heroic, he did it because he felt there was no other way. I thought that came through rather clearly at the end of S4 but maybe it's just me."
Yes, Sam felt he had no other choice but it's clear to me that there was much more to Sam's motives than merely doing it all to "spare Dean". He wanted revenge against Lilith even when he knew that killing her would not bring Dean back. And when Dean returned, Sam felt that Dean was too weak and afraid and that he was "stronger, smarter and a better hunter". He felt that HE deserved to be the one to destroy Lilith and not Dean ("oh that's right, the angels think it's YOU"). He also liked the feeling of power and control that using his powers and drinking the blood gave him. He preferred being with Ruby and just wanted to get away from his bossy big brother (of course this doesn't explain why he hooked up with Ruby when "bossy big brother" was dead and in hell…). I do agree with you that Sam's motives for his actions of last season came through quite clearly in the later episodes of S4, especially IKWYDLS, ASS, S&V, JTS, TMATEOTB, and WTLB.
Yes, I know show is trying to sell me this on the textual level *points to you post*, Problem is that I am not buying it. Someone on the production team forgot to tell Padalecki to make his character the one-dimensionally, like Kripke said, selfish and proud, little brother. I'm sure he would have sold that too, had he know that was Sam's sole motivators.
And since I bought the things I was shown; the absolute powerlessness, the despair and suicidal actions of a desperate man trying to offer up his soul for his brother – I am now totally lost.
Since kripke changed his mind about hat to do with propSam once again over the summer hiatus, I am just lost. And I have no energy and little interest in handing the constant cognitive dissonance show is giving me.
See what I mean? I'm not coming across very well sice my brain is fried right now. I'm not saying that the bad leadership is show's message at all. It's my interpretation of what I see not what I am told. And herein lies the discrepancy of the perfect dean show is selling and what I am interpretating. Perfection does not interest me, never has and never will and I mourn the Dean I loved, the one that called Sam bitch and teased him endlessly for his geeky self. The brother that in spite of his irritation over the nerdiness, still loved his little brother, faults and all. The Dean that was learning to see that everything wasn't black and white, the Dean that constantly grew, that's the Dean I miss so much I could cry.
Hi bright I think you're a little harsh on Dean. He's been through hard times and that can change a person. I, too, miss the old demonstrations of affection badly but I'm sure he still loves Sam more than anyone else. Just give them time. On the other hand, as a Samgirl I love and applaud your wholehearted defense of Sam. After all the Sam bashing I've been seeing out there, it's refreshing.
Hmmm, did I come across as harsh on him? Nah, it's just me not buying perfection. Every time anyone tries to sell me that, I get suspicious. *g*
I get that Dean is textually awesome and perfect, I do. I just find it kind of boring to watch. I'm sure he loves Sam too, to death, but he doesn't trust his loser little bro and who would at this point? I wish he'd beat him up instead of being passive-aggressive about it though.
I'd find Dean whacking Sam over the head a relief at this point. it'd be Deanish and perfect since I have a hard time interpreting the passive-aggressive behavior as growth. Me and Kripke are on opposite sides of the definition of maturity and personal growth, that much is clear.
I'd love for Dean to lay it all out there, speak his mind about his loser bro once and for all. Tell Sam what he really feels. Just to make things clear. Because not even I get the entire picture at this point. And with Dean being perfectly clear, it's all on Sam's shoulders to process it and make adjustments. That to me would be the mature thing to do.
If Sam doesn't get it then, then I'd buy that Sam is the the arrogant selfish bastard show wants me to think he is.
Right now, both characters are lost on me.
"Someone on the production team forgot to tell Padalecki to make his character the one-dimensionally, like Kripke said, selfish and proud, little brother."
If Sam's only motivation was to spare Dean because he felt there was no other way, as you said, then yes, *that* would be one-dimensional. As I pointed out, Sam's motivations were much more complicated than that, as we were shown throughout S4.
"And herein lies the discrepancy of the perfect dean show is selling and what I am interpretating."
Dean was presented as being passive-aggressive on a *textual* level in this episode, but I think that's a very realistic response (I have to admit to being a bit passive-aggressive myself on occasion!). Dean was also shown to struggle with his leadership duties on a textual level in this episode. Both are examples of the show NOT presenting Dean as perfect.
Dean still loves his brother, which Ackles is able to convey even if the words aren't said. Even when things were at their worst, I've never doubted the brother's love for one another. And I think Dean has shown tremendous growth over the course of the series. He's come to see his father for the very flawed human he was, but he still loves him. Dean sees that Sam is flawed and he no longer places Sam on a pedestal, but he still loves him. Dean found that he could be happy on his own. But he made a mistake when he told Sam they were better off separated, and he apologized to Sam for his error. He made a mistake by trying to return to the big brother / little brother dynamic when they got back together. Dean recognized his error and apologized to Sam again. Dean has made mistakes along the way, but he picks himself up, apologizes when he feels he needs to, and continues on.
I do think you're missing quite a lot in Dean's characterization because you're convinced Kripke is intent portraying Dean as perfect. I don't think this is the case at all. Dean has made mistakes and so has Sam. They're only human after all. I adore them both.
I admit I kind of lost interest in the character the moment Kripke ran to defend Dean's honor, (blaming the writers!) when fandom went insane about him being called a dick.
That's when I realized Dean was the golden child of the show and I knew the bell had tolled.
Interesting and witty review (Soap Angel, lol).
One thing though:
Angels have been able to manipulate the world beyond the holy fire circles before: Raphael blew out the windows in a house and got a hurricane going on outside while he was trapped and Gabriel pulled Castiel out of wherever he'd stashed him while he was in one (and compared to those feats of power, Castiel's plumber tricks are nothing special and so within reason). Demons have done the same thing while in devil's traps, too (see Meg-in-Sam, Casey, etc.), so it's hardly retcon.
Yeah, I've been calling him that for a while, ever since the first time he showed up; on of my favorite soaps is Kirk's Original Coca Castile soap, and the spelling is awfully close…
And angels being able to do things outside the fire? Still seems retcon to me, I mean, why put them in one at all if they can just get out? It seems that sometimes the traps work (circle of fire, or the devil's trap) or sometimes they don't, depending on the needs of the plot – which throws me. I remember Raphael doing that, but I don't remember Gabe saving Castiel…..
I had a feeling that the boys wouldn't kill Lucifer this ep, seeing as it's only episode 10. And we all know how the writers enjoy drawing out these story lines for as long as possible! So i guess I kind of started watching the episode knowing (or at least thinking) that nothing would be achieved, which may have affected the way I percieved it. I enjoyed the ep, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn't seem very important to me. Even in the last few episodes that have been on the more humorous side, we've learned things about sam and dean, and seen lots of interaction between them. Despite my reservations about the episode which I can't seem to put into words (It's more just a feeling, you know?!), I'll admit I still cried when Jo and Ellen died. I always felt that if Dean was ever going to end up with anyone, it would have been Jo. Even though she got on my nerves in season 2. And I think the two characters always had a bit of a connection, more so then sam and Jo. So I felt very sad for Dean in that goodbye scene, which was perfectly executed by Jensen as usual. (continued)
Part 2: That fact that the boys didn't exchange goodbye words didn't bother me at all. It kind of seemed right. I think they've been in that situation way too many times before, that the need for words has passed. I think the fact that they didn't say anything actually made the scene a lot more powerful and portrayed their connection really strongly, because it showed that they didn't need words to know exactly what the other was thinking and feeling at that moment. Overall I liked the ep, and can't point out any particular problem I had with it, but still something about it didn't sit right with me. Great review, thanks sylvia
List of things I treasured from this episode
Well, I wanted a dark and depressing episode filled with angst and misery and Kripke delivered. He must have read my letter. Now, I also requested ‘loads of whumpage’ and ‘cuts and bruises’ but alas…there was very little of that. However, overall this episode had almost everything a Supernatural fan girl could want.
#1 –What a heartbreaking episode! It was gloomy, cheerless and heartrending. I cried and what a relief it was to actually feel something!
#2 – Jo and Ellen’s goodbye scene. They were strong women who died like soldiers in battle. I got a lump in my throat when Jo said she wasn’t leaving which lead to many tears as Sam held Jo’s hand and Dean kissed Jo on the forehead and then on the lips.
It was tender and poignant and silent. No words were necessary to express their regret, loss and remorse. Finally, the flood gates opened as Ellen and Jo spent their last moments together as mother and daughter.
#3a – Sam and Dean…sitting around the table…drinking beers and dithering.
#3b – Sam kept checking to see if Dean was still alive…after he was knocked unconscious
#4 – The entire sequence of events…after everyone arrived in Carthage. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. What a rollercoaster ride it was!
#5 – Crowley was remarkable. I absolutely savored each and every moment he was on the screen. Gold stars AGAIN to the casting department.
#6 – Castiel sure looked yummy this episode.
#7- Castiel got the better of Meg. That was awesome!
#8 – Dean and Jo’s ‘last night on earth speech’ scene. It was sweet, sexy and endearing.
#9 – Sam and Dean interacting with Crowley…at this mansion. Their interplay was intriguing and thought provoking.
#10 – Everyone hanging out at Bobby’s. I don’t know..it just felt right.
#11 – “Sam Winchester having trust issues with a demon. It’s about time”. “Thank you for your continued support”. HEE!
#12 – “Haven’t you learned anything? We are doing this together”.
#13 – The closing scene…quiet and solemn
#14 – Castiel and Lucifer – collectively trying to get the better of each other.
#15 – “I think I am starting to feel something” LOL
End of part 1
part 2
Things that made want to throw something at the TV
#1 – Sam and Dean had nothing to say to each! HELLO! Okay, I realize they are still trying to find their footing, as brothers…and I also realize they do not usually wear their emotions…on their sleeves but a ‘bitch’ ‘jerk’ exchange would have been nice. Which, by the way…is ‘Winchester speak’ for “I love you”. Or, a warm embrace would have even sufficed but I have to admit….A ‘kiss’ would have been even better. They gave us a onscreen kiss earlier and seeing Sam and Dean kiss would have been much more satisfying. My TV screen would have melted.
#2 – Jo said NO! HELLO again! Okay…I realize she was trying to save her self-respect but when Dean asks you to ‘make merry’ all thoughts of self-respect GO OUT THE WINDOW!!!!!! I mean…it is Dean Winchester! There is no way I would have any restraint if that man was that close to me….with those eyes…and those freckles…and those lips! She is a better woman than me because there is NO WAY I would have turned him down. No freaking way.
#3 – Sam and Dean honestly need to find a way back to each other. I know they have always had some form of conflict but deep-down…I know they still love and respect each other. They are making in-roads but I want them to resolve all of their issues and regain their trust in each other so that they can win the battle which is looming on the horizon.
Things that made me stop and think
#1 – Sam and Dean had to be rescued again. I am glad Castiel was there for them but I want them to find away to win themselves.
#2 – Detroit came up again. In ‘The End’ future Dean said that was where Sam said “Yes” and in AAH Lucifer told him the same thing. He said he would say yes in six months. HOLY CRAP! That means he says yes BEFORE the season ends if Lucifer was telling the truth.
#3 – The look…on Dean’s face…in the closing scene…was haunting
#4 – ‘War and Death’ have been unleashed on earth…when will we the others make their appearance?
#5 – Lucifer is too powerful for his human vessel
#6 – Hitler was on Crowley’s TV screen
Closing thoughts
I think this particular episode will be a turning point. I think the remainder of the season is going to be utterly dismal. I hope our boys somehow find their inner strength so they can gain momentum and swing the pendulum in their favor. Things are looking bleak right now and I don’t foresee a return to light and brevity anytime soon. Poor Sam and Dean! Their lives sure are downright miserable right now. And, life is not going to get any easier for them. They are slowly falling into a deep, dark abyss and they must be discouraged because they aren’t winning the battle.
There are so many thoughts and questions swirling around in my head. I am so worried about Sam and Dean and what the future holds for them.
Finally, I am also a glutton and I want to see bruises and blood and our boys battered. I believe we are going to be in for a bumpy ride, Sylvia.
BTW, I am going to miss your witty and engaging reviews! This particular one was stellar. I absolutely loathe these long hiatuses. It means I don’t get to hang out with our Winchester boys or you. I know it’s coming every season but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
I do hope you have a wonderful holiday season. I will see you again on January 26th, 2010.
Take care, Joan
One final thing I neglected to mention….I was watching the beauty of Sam…Jared Paladecki sure has grown up!
Amen! I've been noticing that for a while. The college boy from season 1 has grown up for sure. If you watch older episodes you'll know what I mean. : )
Hi Andrea
Oh my! Yes Jared has really grown up.
It honestly looked like a kid, in the first few seasons but this year…he just takes my breath away.
Joan
Oh man, I caved and watched this episode because I read the spoilers that 2 favorite characters were going to die and I had a feeling that it would be Ellen and Jo. And once again, I'm sorry I did because once again they isolated Sam and once again it we get to see the big-epic-you-can-see-from-space Dean manpain which Ihave become totally immune to. Sorry but every time that happens, my heart sinks and I cannot enjoy the episode.
You're right, Sylvia, Dean should have turned to Sam for support. It almost made me wish they killed Bobby instead and I have grown to love Bobby ever since he gave Dean the tough love smackdown and told Sam his door would always be open to him. Whatever mistakes Sam made, he is nor the only one at fault and Dean was hardly there for him either last season and season 3 for that matter. But I guess going to hell always tips the balance against Sam. That's a case Sam will never win. *sigh* Not how I see it but anyways …
I think Samantha and Alona acted their hearts out but I did not cry. Their death scenes were so played out to manipulate OTT emotion by Show that I kind of resented it. Again, Sam and Alona were magnificent. It's the writers I blame and specifically Edlund who I really do not care for. His episodes always lack soul to me.
I guess my biggest problem was this Dean/Jo thing which Show told us was never a thing and all of a sudden it was now. I think Alona was miscast for Jo. She always exuded a little sister vibe and I felt had more chemistry with Sam. Dean's type to me would fall more towards a woman woman, someone like Cassie the demon, or Tessa the reaper, or even Jamie from MM. I was so proud of Jo for turning Dean down. It was such a nice twist and showed great character development. And I found Dean's kiss just before Jo dies to be so condescending.
But the main 3 things that gutted my heart was Ellen saying, "Dean, kick it in the ass". Why just Dean? Why not, "Boys, kick it in the ass"? and Dean having no words for Sam when that could have been their final moments alive together. You're right again, Sylvia, how awesome would it have been if they had exchanged "Bitch" and "Jerk". Lastly, I would have liked Sam to exchange a few words with Lucy. I guess Edlund is so indifferent to Sam he can't even be bothered to write dialogue for him.
Just want to end by saying again that Samantha and Alona gave excellent performances and Jared, how I love the way he conveyed fear and terror, rage and vulnerability and all with few to hardly any words. The only soul left in this show is in Jared's eyes.
Tonia, I agree with some of the things you said. As far as writing is concerned, Sera Gamble is, hands down, the most Sam-friendly of the writers. You can always count on her to treat Sam as an important character. I love her for that.
"The only soul left in this show is in Jared's eyes."
THIS!
Damn that Ackles chap for stealing the show. How dare he be so awesome and shine so brightly that he leaves other capable but not as awesome actors in the shadows. Dean gets to connect and have little one to ones with all characters because he is the heart and soul of the show, he's the best character EVER!!!!Sorry I'm just trying to balance things out a bit around here, hehe. We are so lucky to have an amazing cast, shame they've just gone and killed a couple.
Well, Dean should have his only show then. What the use for the other "capable but not as awesome actors" if Ackles is so wonderful and perfect? Or maybe Sam dies at the end and get out of the way so Dean and Castiel can have the show all to themselves. Don't count with me as a viewer though. Without Jared?? Not for me.
Yeah, balancing things out … I know how you feel and I would love me some of that … for Sam and Jared, the other half of this awesome team who still manages to be awesome even when treated as a Guest Towel, hehe.