random ramblings
May. 29th, 2008 10:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
My cat has taken to scaring away any other cat in the neighbourhood who ventures into our garden. And y'know, she's still not full-grown yet, so I don't know what they're all so scared of. She doesn't even mean to do it. She just bounces at them, all inquisitive, and they scarper! Little Miss Bundle of Energy.
I had to visit my doctor yesterday for a prescription review – I usually see the nurse for those, but she wanted me to see the GP this time. It's been years since I saw my GP! In fact, Doctor Daniel even commented on that fact, expressing her amazement that I've been registered with the practice since 1977 and she has never seen me. I had to explain that I was registered with Doctor Gibb until her retirement about 10 years ago, and have been pretty healthy since then! The one time I really was ill was when I had that infection in my jaw, and went straight from the dentist to the hospital without ever taking in my own doctor along the way. Anyway, while I was there, I mentioned that my sister has been diagnosed with PCOS, and Doctor Daniel said to make a double appointment in a couple of weeks' time to discuss it. There's no rush, but I would like to know, one way the other.
I havetwo - after today's post make that three more job interviews lined up, one two next week and one the week after. It is frustrating how long the recruitment process takes - I applied for these jobs weeks ago.
The rain has been horrendous this week. I had to bring a pot of seedlings back into the house and drain them because they were drowning! I'm now waiting for it to become consistently dry enough to put them back out again.
I just finished watching Gilmore Girls season five. Only two seasons to go now. I think season four was my favourite, overall – it was the one season (so far) where it felt like they were consistently dealing with the issues raised, rather than brushing over the surface of those issues and then ignoring them.
As far as season five goes, I've loved seeing Luke and Lorelai together. It is the first time we've seen Lorelai in a relationship where she actually lets the guy in – more importantly, where she lets the guy share her concerns for Rory. She has always, always held her men at arm's length, especially where Rory was concerned, keeping her girlfriend self and mother self completely separate. That was the main reason the relationship with Max failed. And Jason didn't even try, showed little or no interest in sharing that part of Lorelai's life. They were boyfriends, casual, even when Max was almost at the altar; Luke is a partner. The difference is glaring.
The relationship debris is kind of worrisome to contemplate, though – part of that thing where the show never really deals with anything below the surface. I mean, Jason's life was pretty much ruined by Lorelai and her family. Richard completely screwed him over for no reason other than selfishness and disloyalty, and then Lorelai left him just when he needed her support most and immediately took up with Luke, which just goes to show how little she really cared about him in spite of their lengthy relationship. Yes, it was about family loyalty, her decision to leave him because he was suing her father – but that storyline never went anywhere. There has been no lawsuit. It's like Jason never existed. And that's kind of unsatisfying, leaving major plot strands dangling like that.
Why did Richard and Emily separate? It was never clear, and then it was like it never happened.
Rory continues to be my least favourite character, her behaviour and attitude annoying and angering me consistently. Lorelai's relationship debris has nothing on Rory! And…logically, I can understand why she is the way she is. All her life everyone around her has done nothing but bolster her ego, telling her how special and wonderful she is. She has never learned how to deal with disappointment or failure. She has also never learned how a stable and healthy relationship works, because she has never experienced one – Lorelai never had any such thing while Rory was growing up. It was always just the two of them, and even that wasn't a normal mother-daughter relationship. So, I can understand how Rory became who she is. It just really isn't appealing to watch. She leads guys on, but then has no idea how to follow through, or even if she wants to. She is consistently attracted to guys who treat her badly, and the one boyfriend she's had so far who was decent and loyal and treated her like a princess, she walked all over time and time again. Dean would have been so much better off if he'd never met her. And…she likes to play the card of being an ordinary girl from an ordinary town, denies being rich – but at the same time takes full advantage of the trappings of wealth that come from being Richard and Emily's granddaughter, and can be the most horrible little snob. The hypocrisy is frustrating because no one ever calls her out on it.
The power that Emily has over Lorelai and Rory both is fascinating. Emily decided that Dean wasn't good enough for Rory and set out to split them up, and it was easy for her, and she got away with it and nobody ever said a word about what a rude and hurtful thing it was she did, or criticised Rory for allowing it to happen. Rory can be so weak; she gets that from Christopher. And then Emily similarly decided that Luke wasn't good enough for Lorelai and set out to split them up, and again it was easy for her. She didn't get away with it that time…but for all Luke's bluster about how they reunited because they wanted to, the fact that it didn't happen until Emily backed down and gave her blessing is glaring. Lorelai tries so hard to maintain her independence from her parents, but she can never quite achieve it, and the tiniest word of praise or affection from them melts her like nothing else, and that dynamic is powerful and feels very real. We are always in thrall to our parents, one way or another.
And…I've rambled on about Gilmore Girls enough for one day, I think!
I've also been marathoning Supernatural since season three ended, and have just finished season one again. It never ceases to amaze me how much hindsight adds to this show. Going back to season one having just seen Dean give his life for Sam in the season three finale is all kinds of poignant. The Pilot just made me incredibly sad, seeing that happy little family being torn apart and knowing how much worse is still to come. Seeing the brothers so young and innocent, still – even Dean, who from the start has been so much more battle-hardened than Sam – never dreaming what lies ahead of them, for all the harsh circumstances of their upbringing. And…throughout the season Sam keeps going on and on about how he's cursed and death follows him around, and he doesn't understand any of it, and all I can think is: Oh Sam, if only you knew. He doesn't say things like that any more, not now he knows why. And every time he is snotty to Dean I want to smack him and tell him to appreciate his brother while he's got him! LOL
Scarecrow hit harder this time around than it usually does, with its themes of human sacrifice - compare the abhorrence felt by both brothers at the mere suggestion here with Sam's willingness to consider the notion in Jus in Bello - and of leaving and letting go. And Something Wicked packs a greater punch than ever in the wake of A Very Supernatural Christmas. The final scene especially, as Sam regrets the fact that Michael now knows that monsters are real, and laments his own loss of innocence, which Dean would dearly love to give back to him. Now that we know just how and when Sam learned the truth…now we have context for this exchange, and that context makes it all the more poignant.
I now feel all kinds of nostalgic for Meg. I haven't minded Ruby; the character has been intriguing, and the actress has done a decent job. But then going back to season one and seeing Meg…it just brings it home how much more screen presence Nicki Aycox has compared to Katie Cassidy. And there was so much more intrigue to the character, back then when we knew so little about demons in general.
Going back to season one really gives a timely reminder of just how unusual demons were back then. Phantom Traveler was the first time the brothers had ever dealt with one, and as late as Devil's Trap they were still massively ignorant of what demons were and how they worked. Meg and her 'brother' were the first human casualties of exorcism or the Colt and, given how commonplace that kind of collateral damage has become, it is sobering to look back and remember how hard those first casualties hit, for Dean especially, as the one pulling the trigger. It would have been unthinkable then for Sam to be the one to kill the host body in order to rid the world of the demon inside. Dean always took that burden on himself, shielding Sam with all his might. But Sam has changed so much, in season three especially, become so much more ruthless, and there can be no going back from that.
Re-watching season one has also made me mourn John Winchester all over again. Or…not so much mourn him but the fact that he never really got to see the men his sons have become. We never got to see him learn to fully accept them as mature and independent hunters in their own right, never got to see him drop his guard and let them in, getting to know them as adults and friends as well as his sons. We only ever caught a glimpse of his close but guarded and very unequal relationship with Dean, and his personality clash with Sam, were never given insight into how he really ticked. We never got to see the three of them working together as a true team, rather than a military unit, and the boys never had the chance to know their father as a person. But that, of course, is the whole point. It's what makes John's death such a tragedy, the fact that it was too soon and too sudden and no one was ready, and everything was left unsaid.
Couldn't help wondering, watching Devil's Trap with John ordering and begging Sam to shoot him and take Yellow-Eyes out with him, if it would have made a difference if John had been able to bring himself to open up and share everything he knew with his sons. If Sam had known, then, what was to come and what Yellow-Eyes had planned for him and how it would all work out – would he have been able to do it? Or would the necessity of killing his father in the process have still been impossible to overcome? It is hard to say; the Sam of Devil's Trap was not the ruthless Sam of late season three, but the constant of both scenarios is the influence that Dean has over his brother.
So many twists and turns along the way. I could go on and on about the parallels and contrasts that can be drawn between various episodes, but I've already rambled pointlessly on long enough! Time to press on with season two, methinks…
I had to visit my doctor yesterday for a prescription review – I usually see the nurse for those, but she wanted me to see the GP this time. It's been years since I saw my GP! In fact, Doctor Daniel even commented on that fact, expressing her amazement that I've been registered with the practice since 1977 and she has never seen me. I had to explain that I was registered with Doctor Gibb until her retirement about 10 years ago, and have been pretty healthy since then! The one time I really was ill was when I had that infection in my jaw, and went straight from the dentist to the hospital without ever taking in my own doctor along the way. Anyway, while I was there, I mentioned that my sister has been diagnosed with PCOS, and Doctor Daniel said to make a double appointment in a couple of weeks' time to discuss it. There's no rush, but I would like to know, one way the other.
I have
The rain has been horrendous this week. I had to bring a pot of seedlings back into the house and drain them because they were drowning! I'm now waiting for it to become consistently dry enough to put them back out again.
I just finished watching Gilmore Girls season five. Only two seasons to go now. I think season four was my favourite, overall – it was the one season (so far) where it felt like they were consistently dealing with the issues raised, rather than brushing over the surface of those issues and then ignoring them.
As far as season five goes, I've loved seeing Luke and Lorelai together. It is the first time we've seen Lorelai in a relationship where she actually lets the guy in – more importantly, where she lets the guy share her concerns for Rory. She has always, always held her men at arm's length, especially where Rory was concerned, keeping her girlfriend self and mother self completely separate. That was the main reason the relationship with Max failed. And Jason didn't even try, showed little or no interest in sharing that part of Lorelai's life. They were boyfriends, casual, even when Max was almost at the altar; Luke is a partner. The difference is glaring.
The relationship debris is kind of worrisome to contemplate, though – part of that thing where the show never really deals with anything below the surface. I mean, Jason's life was pretty much ruined by Lorelai and her family. Richard completely screwed him over for no reason other than selfishness and disloyalty, and then Lorelai left him just when he needed her support most and immediately took up with Luke, which just goes to show how little she really cared about him in spite of their lengthy relationship. Yes, it was about family loyalty, her decision to leave him because he was suing her father – but that storyline never went anywhere. There has been no lawsuit. It's like Jason never existed. And that's kind of unsatisfying, leaving major plot strands dangling like that.
Why did Richard and Emily separate? It was never clear, and then it was like it never happened.
Rory continues to be my least favourite character, her behaviour and attitude annoying and angering me consistently. Lorelai's relationship debris has nothing on Rory! And…logically, I can understand why she is the way she is. All her life everyone around her has done nothing but bolster her ego, telling her how special and wonderful she is. She has never learned how to deal with disappointment or failure. She has also never learned how a stable and healthy relationship works, because she has never experienced one – Lorelai never had any such thing while Rory was growing up. It was always just the two of them, and even that wasn't a normal mother-daughter relationship. So, I can understand how Rory became who she is. It just really isn't appealing to watch. She leads guys on, but then has no idea how to follow through, or even if she wants to. She is consistently attracted to guys who treat her badly, and the one boyfriend she's had so far who was decent and loyal and treated her like a princess, she walked all over time and time again. Dean would have been so much better off if he'd never met her. And…she likes to play the card of being an ordinary girl from an ordinary town, denies being rich – but at the same time takes full advantage of the trappings of wealth that come from being Richard and Emily's granddaughter, and can be the most horrible little snob. The hypocrisy is frustrating because no one ever calls her out on it.
The power that Emily has over Lorelai and Rory both is fascinating. Emily decided that Dean wasn't good enough for Rory and set out to split them up, and it was easy for her, and she got away with it and nobody ever said a word about what a rude and hurtful thing it was she did, or criticised Rory for allowing it to happen. Rory can be so weak; she gets that from Christopher. And then Emily similarly decided that Luke wasn't good enough for Lorelai and set out to split them up, and again it was easy for her. She didn't get away with it that time…but for all Luke's bluster about how they reunited because they wanted to, the fact that it didn't happen until Emily backed down and gave her blessing is glaring. Lorelai tries so hard to maintain her independence from her parents, but she can never quite achieve it, and the tiniest word of praise or affection from them melts her like nothing else, and that dynamic is powerful and feels very real. We are always in thrall to our parents, one way or another.
And…I've rambled on about Gilmore Girls enough for one day, I think!
I've also been marathoning Supernatural since season three ended, and have just finished season one again. It never ceases to amaze me how much hindsight adds to this show. Going back to season one having just seen Dean give his life for Sam in the season three finale is all kinds of poignant. The Pilot just made me incredibly sad, seeing that happy little family being torn apart and knowing how much worse is still to come. Seeing the brothers so young and innocent, still – even Dean, who from the start has been so much more battle-hardened than Sam – never dreaming what lies ahead of them, for all the harsh circumstances of their upbringing. And…throughout the season Sam keeps going on and on about how he's cursed and death follows him around, and he doesn't understand any of it, and all I can think is: Oh Sam, if only you knew. He doesn't say things like that any more, not now he knows why. And every time he is snotty to Dean I want to smack him and tell him to appreciate his brother while he's got him! LOL
Scarecrow hit harder this time around than it usually does, with its themes of human sacrifice - compare the abhorrence felt by both brothers at the mere suggestion here with Sam's willingness to consider the notion in Jus in Bello - and of leaving and letting go. And Something Wicked packs a greater punch than ever in the wake of A Very Supernatural Christmas. The final scene especially, as Sam regrets the fact that Michael now knows that monsters are real, and laments his own loss of innocence, which Dean would dearly love to give back to him. Now that we know just how and when Sam learned the truth…now we have context for this exchange, and that context makes it all the more poignant.
I now feel all kinds of nostalgic for Meg. I haven't minded Ruby; the character has been intriguing, and the actress has done a decent job. But then going back to season one and seeing Meg…it just brings it home how much more screen presence Nicki Aycox has compared to Katie Cassidy. And there was so much more intrigue to the character, back then when we knew so little about demons in general.
Going back to season one really gives a timely reminder of just how unusual demons were back then. Phantom Traveler was the first time the brothers had ever dealt with one, and as late as Devil's Trap they were still massively ignorant of what demons were and how they worked. Meg and her 'brother' were the first human casualties of exorcism or the Colt and, given how commonplace that kind of collateral damage has become, it is sobering to look back and remember how hard those first casualties hit, for Dean especially, as the one pulling the trigger. It would have been unthinkable then for Sam to be the one to kill the host body in order to rid the world of the demon inside. Dean always took that burden on himself, shielding Sam with all his might. But Sam has changed so much, in season three especially, become so much more ruthless, and there can be no going back from that.
Re-watching season one has also made me mourn John Winchester all over again. Or…not so much mourn him but the fact that he never really got to see the men his sons have become. We never got to see him learn to fully accept them as mature and independent hunters in their own right, never got to see him drop his guard and let them in, getting to know them as adults and friends as well as his sons. We only ever caught a glimpse of his close but guarded and very unequal relationship with Dean, and his personality clash with Sam, were never given insight into how he really ticked. We never got to see the three of them working together as a true team, rather than a military unit, and the boys never had the chance to know their father as a person. But that, of course, is the whole point. It's what makes John's death such a tragedy, the fact that it was too soon and too sudden and no one was ready, and everything was left unsaid.
Couldn't help wondering, watching Devil's Trap with John ordering and begging Sam to shoot him and take Yellow-Eyes out with him, if it would have made a difference if John had been able to bring himself to open up and share everything he knew with his sons. If Sam had known, then, what was to come and what Yellow-Eyes had planned for him and how it would all work out – would he have been able to do it? Or would the necessity of killing his father in the process have still been impossible to overcome? It is hard to say; the Sam of Devil's Trap was not the ruthless Sam of late season three, but the constant of both scenarios is the influence that Dean has over his brother.
So many twists and turns along the way. I could go on and on about the parallels and contrasts that can be drawn between various episodes, but I've already rambled pointlessly on long enough! Time to press on with season two, methinks…