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llywelaForeign Naked Guy and Foreign Naked Girlfriend, who live opposite and share garden space with me, came home with a kitten yesterday. I swear, it's like they copy everything I do! It's this tiny, tiny bundle of fluff, six weeks old, black with white feet, called Socks. Still all wobbly and blue-eyed, it's such a baby. So they promptly left the back door wide open so it could escape and then shouted at it when it got outside! Idiots. Not a promising beginning, but hopefully they'll get the hang of how cats work! Poppy was fascinated with it, but I had to bring her in because she was scaring it just by being big, poor little thing.
It's been over a fortnight now since the finale of Supernatural's third season aired, the first spoilers about the general direction of season four are starting to come out, and hiatus is looking incredibly long. So I've pulled together a few notes and pictures to make the next List of Love in the series, this one for episode 1.08: Bugs.
Quite a few
…and other standout moments
I know this episode isn't a fave for many people – bugs aren't the scariest opponents ever, and the plotting is more than a little on the wobbly side. But when you look beyond the flaws, there's some really important character work going on that makes it well worth enjoying.
Here we go. In no particular order.
1. I love the insight this episode gives us into the brothers' conflicting memories of childhood events – each brother looks back on their shared past from an utterly different perspective and from the vantage point of completely different sets of priorities. Sam only sees what he resented about his upbringing, acknowledging nothing of the good. Dean, on the other hand, refuses to admit that there was anything wrong with the way they were raised, and won't allow himself to see anything to complain about, focusing only on the fact that there were important reasons behind all of their father's parenting decisions. Over the course of the seasons that follow they will slowly but surely come to meet in the middle, but for now, the gulf between their perspectives is immense.
2. I love the way Sam lounges so casually on the hood of the Impala, reading, while Dean hustles pool in a bar.
3. The bugs might not work well on camera, but hey: Dean + makeshift flamethrower = love. And you can see in these shots that he'd already been stung on the face a couple of times by the bees they used to film the scene!
4. In this episode, we see Dean homing in on free food for the first time.
5. I love pretty, pretty establishing shots. Check out that sky. So dramatic!
6. I love that the brothers squat for the night in an empty house, and that this is Dean's idea. Sam, fresh from his pre-law degree, is still hung up on doing the right thing as decreed by the laws of society and on disapproval of his family's more illegal activities. He can afford to indulge in this disapproval because he isn't the one carrying the responsibility of keeping the pair of them financially afloat. But for Dean, who is the provider of this little family, the notion of spending a night in a well-fitted empty house says much the same thing as his keenness to partake of free food while interviewing potential witnesses for a case: it's pure practicality. Not having to pay for a motel for the night means his hard-hustled cash will stretch that much further, and this house is a lot more comfortable than any motel they can afford, which isn't something he gets to experience all that often.
7. I love the way Dean cons Sam into being the one to explore the sinkhole, so typically big brother. And you know he'd never mock Sam into doing anything he actually believed to be dangerous.
8. Squatting in an empty house gives us the delightful (but sadly brief and limited) sight of Dean in a towel, enjoying the luxury of a steam shower.
9. "You watch Oprah?"
Sam's face: picture. And Dean's reaction as he regroups and decides to change the subject rather than attempt any defence. Mwah.
10. As previously noted, this episode gives us a couple of really important conversations between the brothers looking back on their shared past. So much of what we will later take for granted about the very different relationship each has with their father is first spelled out for us here, having been given a more general outline in previous episodes.
11. Here we have the first (and second) time the brothers are mistaken for a gay couple, and their reactions. Always good for a giggle, as long as the joke isn't overdone. Here, it is fresh and new.
12. Dean is Mr Empirical Approach.
13. Bless his heart, as the brothers head for their appointment at the university, Sam is so very careful to keep the box of bones covered up, lest anyone see. It's adorably Sam, to be so concerned about not attracting the wrong kind of attention.
14. There's something that just really appeals to me about the tiny scene of Dean stopping to ask for directions.
15. I'm not a person who has any problem with spiders, in general, but even so I'm always impressed – and a little squicked – when Sam so casually picks up the tarantula to return to his mischievous owner.
16. Sam gets to drive the Impala in this episode! This is noteworthy since from season two onward he will barely touch the wheel again. Not that he drives all that often even in season one.
17. "We had a plan, Matt. What happened to the plan?"
Hee. That line is so very Dean. I also love the characterisation in the minor disagreement the brothers had in the car preceding this scene, where Sam – channelling his own issues with John – had wanted Matt to force the situation with his father by telling the truth, rather than trying to think of a solution that might actually work, fast. That's so very Sam. And Dean's more matter-of-fact and sensible suggestion of faking appendicitis is so very Dean. That Matt chose Sam's path of open confrontation over Dean's sneakier yet more sensible suggestion, and therefore failed in the crucial task of getting his family out of harm's way, says something about Matt.
18. This is the only time we ever see the brothers sheltering under umbrellas. They usually just put up with getting wet when it rains. So just how bad was the rain that day, we wonder.
19. While Sam chats to Matt at the end of the episode, we can see Dean helping load up the removal van, helpful soul that he is. I can't quite believe the family managed to organise a move quite so fast, but never mind. We can go with it.
20. It tickles me that the professor who analyses the bones the brothers find is so easily convinced that they are students in one of his classes. Yeah, classes can run to a couple of hundred students – impossible to learn all of their faces.
21. Old Joe Whitetree mispronounces the word 'cavalry' as 'calvary' every single time, and it really annoys me every time I watch his expository scene.
22. Following a schoolboy into the woods could be construed as somewhat dodgy…
23. I love it when a case ends with genuine gratitude and a hearty handshake. Recognition is important, no matter how small the scale.
24. The insta-dawn really is a huge stumbling block to the credibility of the plot. But hey – for a second time in one episode we get to see the brothers peering through a hole. And it's kind of an amusing image.
25. "I wanna find Dad."
I love this whole conversation. I really like when they sit side by side like this to talk, like it's easier somehow to get the words out if they don't have to look one another in the eye. John's continuing disappearance is hurting them both so badly, and they just don't know what to do about it. They have tried everything they know to find him, but he doesn't want to be found and they don't know why he would cut them loose like that. They both know that Jessica's death, paralleling Mary's, has to mean something important, but without pooling their knowledge with John's they have no way to understand what that something is, and are just trying to feel their way through it all as best they can, and it is just so hurty.
Caps made by me.
Oh, and I've also updated my timeline for the show to include season three, if anyone's interested in taking a look. Let me know if I've missed anything obvious!
It's been over a fortnight now since the finale of Supernatural's third season aired, the first spoilers about the general direction of season four are starting to come out, and hiatus is looking incredibly long. So I've pulled together a few notes and pictures to make the next List of Love in the series, this one for episode 1.08: Bugs.
…and other standout moments
I know this episode isn't a fave for many people – bugs aren't the scariest opponents ever, and the plotting is more than a little on the wobbly side. But when you look beyond the flaws, there's some really important character work going on that makes it well worth enjoying.
Here we go. In no particular order.
1. I love the insight this episode gives us into the brothers' conflicting memories of childhood events – each brother looks back on their shared past from an utterly different perspective and from the vantage point of completely different sets of priorities. Sam only sees what he resented about his upbringing, acknowledging nothing of the good. Dean, on the other hand, refuses to admit that there was anything wrong with the way they were raised, and won't allow himself to see anything to complain about, focusing only on the fact that there were important reasons behind all of their father's parenting decisions. Over the course of the seasons that follow they will slowly but surely come to meet in the middle, but for now, the gulf between their perspectives is immense.
2. I love the way Sam lounges so casually on the hood of the Impala, reading, while Dean hustles pool in a bar.
3. The bugs might not work well on camera, but hey: Dean + makeshift flamethrower = love. And you can see in these shots that he'd already been stung on the face a couple of times by the bees they used to film the scene!
4. In this episode, we see Dean homing in on free food for the first time.
5. I love pretty, pretty establishing shots. Check out that sky. So dramatic!
6. I love that the brothers squat for the night in an empty house, and that this is Dean's idea. Sam, fresh from his pre-law degree, is still hung up on doing the right thing as decreed by the laws of society and on disapproval of his family's more illegal activities. He can afford to indulge in this disapproval because he isn't the one carrying the responsibility of keeping the pair of them financially afloat. But for Dean, who is the provider of this little family, the notion of spending a night in a well-fitted empty house says much the same thing as his keenness to partake of free food while interviewing potential witnesses for a case: it's pure practicality. Not having to pay for a motel for the night means his hard-hustled cash will stretch that much further, and this house is a lot more comfortable than any motel they can afford, which isn't something he gets to experience all that often.
7. I love the way Dean cons Sam into being the one to explore the sinkhole, so typically big brother. And you know he'd never mock Sam into doing anything he actually believed to be dangerous.
8. Squatting in an empty house gives us the delightful (but sadly brief and limited) sight of Dean in a towel, enjoying the luxury of a steam shower.
9. "You watch Oprah?"
Sam's face: picture. And Dean's reaction as he regroups and decides to change the subject rather than attempt any defence. Mwah.
10. As previously noted, this episode gives us a couple of really important conversations between the brothers looking back on their shared past. So much of what we will later take for granted about the very different relationship each has with their father is first spelled out for us here, having been given a more general outline in previous episodes.
11. Here we have the first (and second) time the brothers are mistaken for a gay couple, and their reactions. Always good for a giggle, as long as the joke isn't overdone. Here, it is fresh and new.
12. Dean is Mr Empirical Approach.
13. Bless his heart, as the brothers head for their appointment at the university, Sam is so very careful to keep the box of bones covered up, lest anyone see. It's adorably Sam, to be so concerned about not attracting the wrong kind of attention.
14. There's something that just really appeals to me about the tiny scene of Dean stopping to ask for directions.
15. I'm not a person who has any problem with spiders, in general, but even so I'm always impressed – and a little squicked – when Sam so casually picks up the tarantula to return to his mischievous owner.
16. Sam gets to drive the Impala in this episode! This is noteworthy since from season two onward he will barely touch the wheel again. Not that he drives all that often even in season one.
17. "We had a plan, Matt. What happened to the plan?"
Hee. That line is so very Dean. I also love the characterisation in the minor disagreement the brothers had in the car preceding this scene, where Sam – channelling his own issues with John – had wanted Matt to force the situation with his father by telling the truth, rather than trying to think of a solution that might actually work, fast. That's so very Sam. And Dean's more matter-of-fact and sensible suggestion of faking appendicitis is so very Dean. That Matt chose Sam's path of open confrontation over Dean's sneakier yet more sensible suggestion, and therefore failed in the crucial task of getting his family out of harm's way, says something about Matt.
18. This is the only time we ever see the brothers sheltering under umbrellas. They usually just put up with getting wet when it rains. So just how bad was the rain that day, we wonder.
19. While Sam chats to Matt at the end of the episode, we can see Dean helping load up the removal van, helpful soul that he is. I can't quite believe the family managed to organise a move quite so fast, but never mind. We can go with it.
20. It tickles me that the professor who analyses the bones the brothers find is so easily convinced that they are students in one of his classes. Yeah, classes can run to a couple of hundred students – impossible to learn all of their faces.
21. Old Joe Whitetree mispronounces the word 'cavalry' as 'calvary' every single time, and it really annoys me every time I watch his expository scene.
22. Following a schoolboy into the woods could be construed as somewhat dodgy…
23. I love it when a case ends with genuine gratitude and a hearty handshake. Recognition is important, no matter how small the scale.
24. The insta-dawn really is a huge stumbling block to the credibility of the plot. But hey – for a second time in one episode we get to see the brothers peering through a hole. And it's kind of an amusing image.
25. "I wanna find Dad."
I love this whole conversation. I really like when they sit side by side like this to talk, like it's easier somehow to get the words out if they don't have to look one another in the eye. John's continuing disappearance is hurting them both so badly, and they just don't know what to do about it. They have tried everything they know to find him, but he doesn't want to be found and they don't know why he would cut them loose like that. They both know that Jessica's death, paralleling Mary's, has to mean something important, but without pooling their knowledge with John's they have no way to understand what that something is, and are just trying to feel their way through it all as best they can, and it is just so hurty.
Caps made by me.
Oh, and I've also updated my timeline for the show to include season three, if anyone's interested in taking a look. Let me know if I've missed anything obvious!
no subject
Date: 2008-06-01 06:56 pm (UTC)That's if it survives long enough, if they don't have the brains to keep the door closed...
Carol
no subject
Date: 2008-06-01 07:05 pm (UTC)