"Last act of a desperate man."

[llywela]

You'd think, being unemployed and all, that I'd have more time on my hands than I know what to do with. It isn't working out that way! So this recap has been pulled together and edited in fits and starts - please let me know if you spot any glaring errors.

Oh, Dean. Oh, Sam. Oh, boys. I found myself repeating those three phrases over and over while writing this! There are 27 pages this time, in which I ramble on about the brothers' respective states of mind going into this case, the keeping of secrets, return to form regarding witness interviews versus breaks in pattern at home, Dean's ability to be both good cop and bad cop all rolled into one and the contrast between the Sam'n'Dean perspective of this week versus the outsider perspective last week, Sam driving a rental, Sam looking fabulous in his suit, Dean looking lovely in his suit, Dean's reaction to his father's voice, the downward spiral of desperation, Dean's terror versus Sam's determined effort to remain rational, brothers and blinkers, the manipulative and sadistic nature of the Crocotta and the ripping open of old wounds, Dean's need for salvation, the weakness and inconsistency of the plot, brotherly loggerheads and role reversal, Sam's isolation, how terrifyingly little time remains, and much more besides.

To read the recap, click the link below:


"This is Herman Munster. Leave a message."

Header made using caps by marishna, and by rosely at Screencap Paradise

Comments

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Blimey, I think this has to be the longest comment I have ever, ever written by a mile! Usually I’m more of a ‘Nice work!’ kind of girl!

>> I'm not sure leaving Dean alone right now is the wisest decision,

No, and people keep making it. I was very angry at Bobby for leaving Dean in AHBL2. He had to know Dean would do something rash. It wasn’t any kind of stretch to think Dean might kill himself. Even if he gave Dean some space, but didn’t go far, it would have been more reasonable. And look what decision led to.

>> Dean prepares himself a nice big bottle of DIY holy water, then pulls back a rug and paints a devil's trap on the floor beneath.

My immediate thought was of the cost of repairing the floor after that.

>> Sam comes swooping in out of nowhere to snatch the little boy out of the path of the truck.

That was rather feeble, wasn’t it? It not like we haven’t seen things like that a million times before! Couldn’t he have gone playing by the pond or something? It might have made a nice link back to Dead in the Water, in an episode full of call backs to previous episodes (that annoyed me a bit actually. I’m all for continuity, but there is such a thing as overkill. On first viewing I found myself listing all the references instead of following the story).

>> That's illegal in the UK, but apparently not in the US.

It’s somewhat easier to drive and talk on the phone when the roads are all straight and the car is an automatic. I’ve always wondered how people manage to use phones without a hands-free kit – I’d wobble off the road before I got to the end of the street!

>> That's a worrisome thought for all of us cyber-geeks!

Oh yes, and the rubbish you find when you goggle yourself! For some reason a very daft conversation I had years go about trousers keeps coming back to haunt me.

>> Officer believes that he is coming home to confront – and try to kill – the man who murdered his daughter.

I didn’t notice he was a Police Officer. His rage then is quite understandable as a father, but inexcusable as law enforcement.

Dean’s fight with him was so very brutal. For all of its realism and what it is showing about Dean’s mental state, I do think it was a little excessive. I barely blink at the horror elements of Supernatural, but sometimes I feel the show gets very close to the edge of what I think is acceptable violence for TV. And that’s not even going into the way it fetishises guns to worrying level. I still love it though.

>> He strokes the bloody knife through Sam's hair, which is just creepy and gross

Shame the blood looks like jam – which is still unpleasant but in a very different and sticky way.

>> It's a very striking contrast to Ghostfacers last week, in which Sam was similarly captured and bound and had to be rescued by Dean. This time, Dean isn't coming to his rescue, so he has to save himself.

Obviously, Daggett was better with the knots in the scouts.

>> The brothers perch on the ends of their beds, sitting side by side as so often this season.

I do miss the days when Dean at least was doing something while they talk. These end of bed talks are static, repetitive and boring and they contribute to some of the flatness of the season. It’s as if some of the realisim has been taken away. It’s the small details that give the show life.

No idea how the Crocotta works, but I did think that it might not have been such a bad thing (if bleak and disturbing) for Dean’s soul to have been devoured by the creature. At least he wouldn’t be in hell.

Another error I noticed:

He knows Dean is desperate and hurting, jut days away from eternity in hell – that eternity in hell being the price for Sam's own life.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

I think this has to be the longest comment I have ever, ever written by a mile
It's good to talk!

My immediate thought was of the cost of repairing the floor after that.
Hee. I had a similar reaction in Crossroad Blues when the hellhounds started scratching up the floor. *G*

That was rather feeble, wasn’t it?
It felt very...abrupt and tacked on. Just there for the sake of keeping Sam occupied and wrapping up the b-plot as quickly and neatly as possible before moving on. The plotting and structure of this episode really are quite weak, which is worrying heading into the finale. I'd have thought they would have had plenty of time during the strike to make contingency plans, if only in their heads! But this episode really feels as if it was rushed into production.

It’s somewhat easier to drive and talk on the phone when the roads are all straight and the car is an automatic.
Yes, I'd imagine it is. Here, the roads tend toward narrow and bendy!

I didn’t notice he was a Police Officer.
When we first see him taking the call, he's in a locker room that could be anywhere, really, but the other guy in the room is wearing police uniform.

For all of its realism and what it is showing about Dean’s mental state, I do think it was a little excessive.
It was definitely hard to watch. The horror elements barely make me blink, either (except the hand in the waste disposal. And the teeth and maggots really did squick me out. But other than that!) but the violence really does seem to be on the increase, and I'm not sure it is necessary. At least not always.

These end of bed talks are static, repetitive and boring and they contribute to some of the flatness of the season.
The end-of-bed talks are stacking up now. On the one hand, I can see why - Sam has always tended to just sit around while talking, with Dean fidgeting and keeping his hands occupied, but I can believe that Dean would need to be still for some of these deep-and-meaningful conversations. The still, for me, adds to the sense that he is pretty much resigned to his fate and preparing himself for it. I miss the activity, though.

I had a lot of trouble with the car arguments in the middle of the season - especially the ones that we just landed in the middle of at the start of the episode. They never quite sat right with me, going into such intense arguments cold like that. I always wanted build up to know how each brother had reached the state of agitation he appeared to be in. Plus, as you say, static. Movement always adds to the realism of any conversation - I know back in the days when I wrote fic I always felt that action dialogue was more natural than static dialogue, keeping the characters busy while they talked.

It’s as if some of the realisim has been taken away. It’s the small details that give the show life.
I've fretted over the loss of those small details all season. It feels as if they have got so much to cram into every episode these days that a lot of the depth and nuance has fallen by the wayside, and that is disappointing.

Wow, this has been nitpicky! But we pick because we love!

Ta for pointing out errors. I never catch 'em all myself, no matter how many times I proof-read. What's wrong with that sentence, though? It makes sense to me, but that could just be because I know what I meant.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

I'll get to the rest in a minute, but I think you meant 'just' than 'jut'.

I had three betas at one point and I still find typos in those old stories (missing words tends to be my thing).

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

*gapes* I was staring right at it and still couldn't see it!

*is blind*

I spot typos and missing words every time I look through my old recaps, which I don't do often because I always want to completely re-write them!

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

I got over that desire (mostly). The story I really want to rewrite is the one I haven't even finished (after 4 years!!!)).

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

>>Here, the roads tend toward narrow and bendy!

I know! I once drove overnight from Holyhead through the mountains, probably far too fast, and it was terrifying! They're all full of bloody traffic too.

>>When we first see him taking the call, he's in a locker room that could be anywhere, really, but the other guy in the room is wearing police uniform.

I gave it a quick look. It's terribly hard to spot. If he had managed to kill Dean, he would had a lot of explaining to do to his colleagues.

>>Except the hand in the waste disposal. And the teeth and maggots really did squick me out.

I had no problem with the maggots. The waste disposal, the saw and the fingernail were are a bit icky, but nothing too bad. I work in Construction Health and Safety and my boss regularly tries to freak me out with pictures of skin diseases and impalements without success, but it's the descriptions of people cutting themselves which give you the uncomfortable shivers. The moment in SPN that always gets me, even though I know it's coming, is the impact of the car crash.

>>The still, for me, adds to the sense that he is pretty much resigned to his fate and preparing himself for it. I miss the activity, though.

Maybe, although sadly, most likely a victim of the cost thing, they could vary the locations a bit though from just car and bed. Even if it was just sitting on other bits of furniture in the room.

>>hey never quite sat right with me, going into such intense arguments cold like that. I always wanted build up to know how each brother had reached the state of agitation he appeared to be in.

It feels like you're missing the best bits.

>>I know back in the days when I wrote fic I always felt that action dialogue was more natural than static dialogue, keeping the characters busy while they talked.

Tell me about it. I find that very difficult.

>>Wow, this has been nitpicky! But we pick because we love!

;D

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

I once drove overnight from Holyhead through the mountains, probably far too fast, and it was terrifying! They're all full of bloody traffic too
Oooh, I know that road. Lethal in bad weather!

most likely a victim of the cost thing, they could vary the locations a bit though from just car and bed. Even if it was just sitting on other bits of furniture in the room.
The new episode has a really nice scene of action dialogue - Sam on the laptop and Dean eating while they talk. And it is brilliant, so natural and believable and brotherly. I want more conversations like that!

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Lethal in good weather too if you ask me!

>>The new episode has a really nice scene of action dialogue - Sam on the laptop and Dean eating while they talk. And it is brilliant, so natural and believable and brotherly. I want more conversations like that!

It can be done!

The maggots made me laugh after what we were saying last night. And I was going to mention eyeballs too. Eyeballs, now they do make me squirm.