New Show!!!
Sep. 19th, 2008 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
This has been kind of a stressful and depressing week, overall. I'm not going to talk about that, though, because season four of Supernatural started today (yeah, okay, last night - but it was today for me!) And that was absolutely the best kind of distraction I could hope for. :-)
I intended to just scribble down a few thoughts as first reaction...but my brain had other ideas, and once the meta started it just never seemed to end! Read on if you dare. *G*
Lazarus Rising
"We have a pile of questions and no shovel."
Okay, first thought: whoa. And whoa. And WHOA. Awesome. Intense. Intriguing. Just whoa. Mytharcical whoa.
Lots of thinky thoughts coming out of this one! Already. Overriding the meep and squee, even! Please bear with me while I think aloud for a moment
A little Bible study. The Book of John tells the story of Lazarus, a friend of Jesus Christ, who lived in a town called Bethany. One day, John tells us, Lazarus became seriously ill, and his sisters Mary and Martha immediately sent word to Jesus, believing he could heal their brother. However, Jesus delayed setting out for Bethany for two full days, and when at last he reached the home of his friend, Lazarus was already dead and buried. "If you had been here, my brother would not have died," Mary chided, and Jesus wept. Deeply moved, he ordered the stone be rolled away from the tomb and then called to the dead man to come out. And Lazarus walked out of the tomb alive, still wearing his burial shroud.
"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."
So, this episode is called 'Lazarus Rising', for fairly obvious reasons. The parallels between the story of Lazarus and Dean's experience are striking. Lazarus had sisters who loved him and wanted him to live. Dean has a brother who loves him and wants him to live. Lazarus, having had his life restored, walked out of his tomb unaided. Dean, having had his life restored, climbed out of his grave unaided. Each had his life restored by an outside agent: Lazarus was brought back to life by Jesus as a demonstration of his Godhood, and Dean ? Well, if we take this episode at face value, it seems that Dean was brought back to life by an angel because God has a job for him to do. A modern day miracle.
Now, I'm always rather uncomfortable whenever a TV show (or film) starts to play around with Christian theology. Or any other kind of religious theology, for that matter, just that Christianity is the one I know best. But let's face it: Supernatural has been heading in this direction for quite some time now, so this development really shouldn't be that much of a surprise, when you stop and think about it. And yet it comes completely out of left field and leaves absolutely everyone gasping.
But is everything quite what it seems? Well, that remains to be seen. Is Castiel genuine, is he twisting the truth, or is he outright lying? On this show, it is never safe to take anything at face value, that much experience has taught us, so we shall have to share Dean's scepticism, at least until further evidence is forthcoming.
For now, though, let us look back. In Faith, way back in season one when Dean had his very first miraculous healing, the captive reaper was controlled by Sue Ann but it was the genuinely devout Roy le Grange who chose Dean, out of all the needy people in his tent that day, to be healed. "A young man with an important purpose. A job to do. And it isn't finished," was how he described Dean, when called upon to explain his decision. "Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you," is how Castiel explains Dean's resurrection in this episode. Same song, different verse or is Castiel simply employing a line he thinks likely to convince Dean? Is he really doing God's will, or has he struck out on his own, for whatever reason?
We could also look back to Houses of the Holy, in season two. "I like to think of them as more loving than wrathful," Father Reynolds rather hopefully said, before agreeing with Sam that Scripture in fact describes angels more as God's warriors. And we all remember that the 'angel' of that episode turned out to be merely a misguided spirit. Traditionally, we remember, the devil began life as an angel, cast out of heaven for refusing to bow to man the demon Casey told Dean that story in Sin City last season. So far, the pieces are all fitting together. But whether the picture they make will eventually resemble the story Castiel is telling well, only time will tell.
Castiel is kind of cool; the actor does a really good job, coming across as wonderfully ambiguous. But there is certainly nothing benign about him. He might not kill Bobby there'd be no forgiveness for that! but he does blind Pamela, however inadvertently, and seems to have no compunction whatsoever killing human hosts just for the sake of putting the frighteners on those demons that Sam follows to town. Also angels can possess people? Like demons? Well, if the devil started out as an angel, cast out of heaven, that figures, I suppose. I like that Dean takes this as a black mark against the so-called angel. Claiming consent is all well and good, but Castiel still allowed the host body to be stabbed through the heart it's a very fine line to be treading, that kind of power. If he really is an angel, he certainly seems more in line with the wrathful Old Testament variety than the loving and peaceful version seen singing praises (although still terrifying folk) in the New! So for now, the jury remains out.
Dean
"Whatever this is, whatever it wants, it's after me. That much we know, right? I've got no place to hide. I can either get caught with my pants down again, or we can make our stand."
Dean's return from the dead is a wonderful mystery with which to open the new season so much more effective than the oh-so lame seven deadly sins last year! The tension that inevitably results from this mystery is really, really well done, affecting each character differently. And lo! it is all so, so good.
Man, I love the opening sequence of Dean waking up in his coffin. First with the flashes of bloody eyes and screaming flashes of hell, way more effective than anything graphic could be and then gasping awake, struggling to breathe, having to fight his way out of the coffin. I love that of course he gets a face full of soil as he shoves the lid open, but has no choice but to keep going, keep digging his way up, air running out and all. It's been done before, obviously, the concept of digging his way out of his grave, but still very effectively pulled off here. And whoa, the flattened trees circling the grave. When we know, from past experience, just how much Dean knows what a tremendously bad sign that is.
I really love that Dean is so hoarse when he first wakes up, and it takes quite some time for his thrashed voice to recover he still sounds husky when he reaches Bobby's. Could be because he's been dead for four months, voice box unused or it could be because he's been in hell screaming in agony for four months, voice over-used. It's a really nice touch, added to how the first thing he does when he finds the gas station is chug back a bottle of water. He's been walking in the hot sun for some time; he's been rotting in the ground for some months; he's been burning in hell for some months: whichever way you look at it, he needs that water!
I can't help wondering why Sam picked that particular place to bury him, I must admit. He died in Indiana. So why take him to Illinois for burial? Random? Or not? Curious.
Okay, continuing the saga of love for this opening sequence, I love that we have a date, right off the bat 18 September 2008. Dean's been dead for four months, we are told. And this fits my timeline perfectly! People, ignore the Superwiki timeline because it is wrong. Use mine instead! *pokes* Ahem. I love that Dean checks his body for scars, because the last thing he remembers is being ripped to shreds by a hellhound. The scars are gone, unlike the last two occasions both Dean and Sam still bore the scars of their fatal wounds for a while after the demonic deals that saved their lives in season two. Interesting.
I'm so happy that Team Supernatural remembered Dean's tattoo! And it is intact! Oh, but the handprint brands are way ominous, nicely setting up the mystery that runs right through the episode: who was it that pulled Dean out of hell, and why? By the end of the episode we have an answer to the first part of that question, but the second is likely to take rather more explaining before all is fully understood.
Dean doesn't remember hell, yet, and I love that Sam can't resist asking and is so relieved to hear of the memory blank. But he's already having flashes of memory and boy, those are way creepier than any full-on representation of torture could ever be, so I hope the show continues to keep it vague, for viewers at least, however much Dean begins to recall so it seems safe to say that there is returning memory, trauma and angst still to come in that department.
"So you get to just stroll out of the pit, huh? Tell me what makes you so special?"
"I like to think it's because of my perky nipples."
Heh. So, the demon doesn't believe that Dean doesn't know, and Dean doesn't believe that the demon doesn't know it all adds up to a tangled web of mystery and tension. "You don't know who cut me loose and you're just as spooked as we are. [ ] Whoever it was, they want me out. And they're a lot stronger than you."
It's fascinating to see how right he is no matter the provocation, and in contrast to her threats, the demon doesn't lift a finger against him, and neither do either of her companions. They're scared. Curiouser and curiouser! How long can this last, I wonder surely Dean can't possibly get through the entire season with the demon population of the world too scared to touch him. It'll be interesting to see how this develops.
But I wonder: is Lilith going to be pissed that her prize has been stolen, or does she maybe have rather more pressing matters on her mind and has long since ceased to care about the fact that Dean Winchester sold his soul to her fair and square? One thing's for sure: there are a hell of a lot of conflicting forces in play now. The writing team have certainly got their hands full pulling all those miscellaneous threads together.
I really love that having been so steely and confident while facing off with the demon, Dean is so relieved when they get outside. He's very good at appearing more confident than he really is, and I like having tiny moments that demonstrate this. It is great to see how very much on form he is in this episode he was so badly beaten down by the events of seasons two and three, but seems to have come through it all stronger than ever. However worried he is about what happened, and however traumatic his returning memories might be, he seems to believe in himself now in a way we haven't seen since the early days of season one. I just hope that this self-belief will continue to grow rather than withering away once more.
"This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith."
Still, Dean might believe in himself a little more these days, but that doesn't mean a statement like "I'm an angel of the Lord" is going to go over well. *G* Dean does not believe in angels and he doesn't want to believe in angels, because he has seen too much evil going unchecked. It's a solid, consistent character point one that has been reiterated often enough that hindsight says maybe it should have been obvious that such disbelief would be more seriously challenged at some point, whatever Kripke might have said about not delving into angelic mythology on the show! So if Castiel is for real, Dean is going to take a hell of a lot of convincing that there is a good reason for that lack of divine intervention and an even better reason for stepping in now.
Man, it's creepy to see the EVP and whatnot following Dean around, though; no wonder he's so very spooked. No coincidence, of course, that the moment he is alone for the first time since he reached Bobby the 'angel' tries to contact him again, resulting in a lot of broken glass and bleeding ears. Scary stuff, and I really like that Castiel admits to making a mistake there. "Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong."
Kinda makes me wonder if maybe Sam will turn out to be one of those special people able to look upon that true visage? Because Sam's always had his super specialness going for him, whereas Dean's selling point has always been that he isn't special. So will Sam's psychic mojo and/or demon blood be a plus or minus in this regard, I wonder?
Anyway, the point is that, whatever he is, Castiel is not all-knowing. I really like that he seems to be figuring Dean out throughout their conversation, as if he was given a name and task but not much else to go on. It all adds to the impression of him as foot soldier rather than puppet-master. And, given the power this foot soldier has already demonstrated whoa is that a scary thought!
Also, those shadowy crow's wings? Wicked!
"Why would an angel rescue me from hell?"
"Good things do happen, Dean."
"Not in my experience."
"What's the matter? You don't think you deserve to be saved."
"Why'd you do it?"
"Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you."
Yeah, somehow, this being Supernatural, that is not comforting at all!
Sam
"I don't know if what I'm doing is right. [
] But what I do know is I'm saving people. Stopping demons. And that feels good. I wanna keep going."
If Castiel is for real, if Dean has been brought back from hell by divine intervention, then surely the reason why has to revolve around Sam. It's all about Sam it's always been all about Sam. Dean's whole life has revolved around his little brother, and so did his death, so why should his resurrection be any different? One thing that seems clear from this episode is that Sammy is in a very bad place indeed right now, hardly surprising after everything he's been through, sliding down a very slippery slope toward possible damnation. And if it does turn out that he is heading toward his intended role as 'anti-Christ', leader of a demon army, without even realising it, the cosmic scales tilting a little too far in favour of evil well, then, maybe that's a very good reason for a little divine intervention, bringing back the one person who stands any chance of redeeming him.
It's possible. But it is just one theory among many possible theories, and only time will tell.
Sam's role in this episode is really rather low-key and subdued, and that fits well with his conflicted state of mind. Oh man, his face when he sees Dean for the first time is just perfect absolute shock and devastation and disbelief. And the confrontation is perfect Sam not believing that it is Dean, Dean believing that Sam did something to bring him back
"So, what now I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch-boy? I didn't want to be saved like this."
"Look, Dean, I wish I had done it. All right?"
"There's no other way that this could have gone down now tell the truth!"
"I tried everything, that's the truth. I tried opening the devil's gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal. All right? You were rotting in hell. For months. For months. And I couldn't stop it. So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Sammy. You don't have to apologise. I believe you."
Oh, boys.
It should be the single best moment of Sam's life, receiving such a miracle but nothing is ever that simple. Sam loves his brother more than anything. He wanted him back, wanted him out of hell and out of pain. But he had conceded defeat. He'd accepted that Dean was gone for good and he'd moved on moved on in ways that he knew Dean wouldn't approve of. As a result, having Dean back in his life can't be clean and simple. There is relief and there is delight and there is joy, but there is also guilt and deception and awkwardness and tension. And that's how it should be for Dean's death to have its full meaning, there has to be payoff. On this show, life does not come cheap there is always a price to be paid. Right now, the price being paid by the Winchesters for Dean's resurrection is the fracture of the intensely close bond he and his brother had shared.
"What don't I know about that kid?" Dean says of Sam to Bobby. Good question. Dean knows Sam inside out, can predict which alias he'll be using Wedge Antilles? Oh, Sam but at the same time, he no longer knows his brother at all. They have been apart for four months, four months that Dean currently has no recollection of but that Sam had to live through, every agonising moment, and it changed him. No question. It just remains to be seen how long it will take Dean to realise just how much his brother has changed. How long it will take for the gloss of Dean's return to wear off and grim reality begin to set in.
"What did it cost?"
"The girl? I don't pay, Dean."
Well, the girl in the motel room should be Dean's first clue that Sam isn't quite the brother he left behind Sam never used to bring girls home when Dean was alive! Sam's reaction is adorable, once he's over the shock of Dean being alive pure teenager whose parents have sprung him with a girl in his room, squirming and trying to tell himself not to be embarrassed . But then there's the reveal that this wasn't just a random girl after all. It was Ruby definitely the same girl, right? And that changes everything.
For one thing well, the obvious implication of the scantily clad girl in Sam's room is that he is sleeping with her. Fair enough if it is just a girl he brought home from a bar someplace, two consenting adults and all. But Ruby is a demon. She might consent, but the girl whose body she is using can't. Would Sam really do that? Because that is dark. Wrong.
So maybe they are just sharing a motel room, then, living together just as Sam and Dean have always lived together on the road. More convenient for them both. Either way, it implies very clearly just how comfortable Sam has become with her Dean left a massive hole in his life, and Ruby was well placed to slide in and fill it, whispering seductive comfort in his ear, maybe encouraging him to cut off all contact with Bobby, who was the closest thing he had left to family. And that's troubling.
It's also troubling because Sam lies outright to Dean's face about Ruby. He lies by omission when she is in the room, Ruby acting dumb to reinforce the impression that she is a casual conquest and Sam playing along without so much as blinking. And he lies again later, when Dean asks what happened to Ruby and Sam tells him she is dead. It is scary how good of a liar he is, and that Dean absolutely cannot tell. Ruby clearly has Sam's ear, and a lot more of his trust than he is prepared to admit, even to himself. And I still don't trust her intentions in the slightest.
It is troubling to see Sam brushing the recent past off so lightly when Bobby points out that he never returned any calls, the way he just shrugs he should have called but was pretty messed up, like it's no big deal it seems that he has been way off the rails with only a demon for guidance, and now that he unexpectedly has these more positive, human influences back in his life he's off balance and back-pedalling.
"Once I figured out I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some pay back." And he says it so casually. That's maybe the scariest part. "All by yourself. Who do you think you are, your old man?" Nice one, Bobby. Touché. Sam has been getting more and more like his father as the seasons go by John was also very good at convincing himself that he was doing the right thing, no matter what.
Because Sam is using his psychic powers to hunt and destroy demons. He's using his psychic powers to hunt and destroy demons under Ruby's guidance the way they both talk about what they've been doing, it is very much a partnership. And he's not only using his psychic powers to hunt and destroy demons, but he is lying about it. No misleads or half-truths here; he outright lies to Dean's face. Trying to find the right moment, he says to Ruby later, but there is no right moment and he knows it. He doesn't want to tell Dean because he knows how he will react the right moment would have been when Dean asked him straight out.
"You didn't want me to go down that road, so I didn't go down that road. It was practically your dying wish."
It is kind of frustrating that the scene in the car is so dark, as Dean asks Sam how he escaped from Lilith and Sam 'fesses up to his immunity, but it is also kind of fitting that it is so murky as Sam out and out lies to Dean, both about Ruby and about his powers he even looks Dean in the eye as he says it. He's way defensive, as well, sounding so outraged at the suggestion, even as he lies. Yeah, Sam is in a very bad place.
And, man, sneaking out in the middle of the night to get his own way having been overruled earlier it is so Sam. I thought he'd grown past that. In Time Is On My Side he stood up for his own convictions, demonstrated that he was an adult capable of making his own decisions, equal partner rather than subordinate, taking orders from no one. But then here he is again, sneaking away in the night like a rebellious teenager. It just goes to show how uncertain he is of the rightness of his actions. But he doesn't want to stop, and that feels very dangerous.
Dean believes Sam when he claims to have gone out for a burger that's the third time in this episode Sam has lied to him outright, and Dean hasn't been able to tell. This time, though, he knows that Sam left behind the demon-killing knife, so has no reason to suspect that he'd go after the demons alone. And Dean lies, as well, about what he's doing. He's been back all of two days, and already he and his brother are so very divided their balance has been well and truly shattered, and it is going to take time to rebuild. It hurts, seeing such a gulf between them. And yet it feels right after everything that's happened, things can't be how they were.
Sam's shiny new demon-extracting power is very scary. It's like he just crushes the demon right out of the body. He believes he is saving people, and sure, he saved anyone else from being killed by that demon, but until I see a host survive the process I won't be convinced. I mean, he expresses regret that the host doesn't survive, but doesn't seem surprised. And he was already way past the point of being overly troubled by collateral damage in S3, well and truly into the realms of the end justifying the means. And just look at Ava. And Jake. Unlocking these powers has never been a good thing in the past, and surely can't be now, which is why Dean has always been so dead set against it. And Ava didn't have a demon coaching her.
"Sam, he's going to find out, and if it's not from you, he's going to be pissed."
"He's gonna be pissed anyway. He's so hard-headed about this psychic stuff, he'll just try and stop me."
"I'm not exactly in your brother's fan club. But he is your brother. And I'm not going to come between you."
That's a curious line for Ruby to be taking, and a worrying line for Sam to be taking. Dean being back has certainly complicated things for them both, well and truly disrupted whatever little set up they had going. It must be so strange for Sam, to be so overjoyed that his brother is alive at the same time as finding it rather inconvenient. And Ruby has rarely been so conciliatory about Dean before, but has always accepted his role in Sam's life and used it as leverage. So, she could be sincere, or this could be reverse psychology or it could be that she is as scared of whatever brought Dean back as all the other demons.
Okay, and I realise that I sound incredibly negative about Sam...but it's just because I care enough to worry, honest! He's in a bad place, and I want him to be able to pull himself back out of it again eventually.
Other Brother Moments
"I've been killing a lot more demons than that lately."
"Well, not any more. The smarter brother's back in town."
Kinda striking that Dean is quite prepared to let the three demons go on the basis that it is three against one, with Sam wanting to charge in and take them all out man, they really have reversed roles since season one!
I love seeing Sam give Dean's amulet back, that he's been wearing it it's low key, but still beautiful. I've wanted this scene for months!
Hug! Two-sided hug! Man. Twice in this episode a hug is not only given but also returned by these gruff manly men: Dean and Sam preceded by Dean and Bobby. We haven't seen that since Shadow in season one! Too many one-sided hugs. *shakes head sadly*
Bless, Sam looks so shocked when he sees the handprint burned onto Dean's arm Dean hadn't warned him about that one. He showed Bobby right away, though, which is interesting. I can't help wondering if the brand will heal and fade, or if the makeup department are going to have to recreate them every time we see Dean's bare shoulders from now on. Not that this happens all that often, of course.
I love that when the demon threatens Dean, Sam is instantly so tremendously protective, ready to leap into action, absolutely not prepared to let anything happen to his brother when he just got him back. But Dean just waves a hand and he backs down. This is why Sam needs Dean.
Oh, man clothes sharing! Because Dean dug himself out of his grave, so obviously his grave clothes would be filthy, so obviously he would need to get changed. But he goes to Bobby's first, being unable to contact Sam, and therefore has to borrow clothes from Bobby, which clearly isn't ideal. And then, well, whatever Sam did with Dean's effects, he clearly doesn't have them with him because we see Dean wearing Sam's clothes, and the sleeves are too long, the shirt just hanging off him. Because Sam is a giant, and Dean, although tall, is not. That's adorable attention to detail.
So has Sam got Dean's clothes and stuff stashed away someplace, such as John's lockup, I wonder? Or will Dean have to acquire a completely new wardrobe for himself?
Also adorable is Dean's reunion with the Impala even as he shockingly admits that he almost forgot about her. I love that Sam immediately hands him the keys, doesn't hesitate to give back to his brother what was his. But he also doesn't apologise for having claimed full ownership and committed the cardinal sin of installing an ipod jack! Man, Dean's disgruntled reaction is fabulous. Dean is not a fan of change. And, of course, Sam also doesn't apologise for taking the Impala when he goes off on his own later.
Bobby
"Sorry. Can't be too careful."
Oh man, Bobby's reunion with Dean is absolutely perfect in every detail, from his outrage at the phone calls to his utter, utter shock when he opens the door and finds Dean standing there, through his absolute disbelief, attacking and fighting what he believes to be a shapeshifter or revenant allowing himself to be convinced, but still having a splash with the holy water, just to be on the safe side. Hee, that's the Bobby we all know and love, ever cautious. But, oh man, his reaction when he finally realises that this really is Dean and he really is alive, the way he just crumples and grabs hold and clings. If there was ever any doubt that he loves Dean like a son, surely there can't be any longer. He's always been closer to Dean than to Sam; they understand one another in a way that Sam has always kind of been excluded from.
But Bobby loves Sam, too, and man, the last few months have been rough for them all. Poor Bobby he must have felt he'd lost them both, when Sam took off and stopped returning his calls. It clearly hit him horribly hard just look at how heavily he's been drinking. Dean's accusation that he should have looked after Sam better couldn't have helped. Dean should know better than anyone that when Sam sets his mind to something there's no moving him and Dean didn't exactly let himself be looked after either, when Sam died. It must be so hard to be in Bobby's position, to care about those boys so much and yet always be on the outside of their exclusive and co-dependent family bond. His reunion with Dean is a lot more comfortable than Sam's, though, overall, lacking all that guilt and deception; they are not so heavily co-dependent any more, perhaps. We'll see.
This is not the first time Dean has driven a stolen car to Bobby's I wonder what Bobby does with them all later *G*
Bobby describes in detail the condition Dean's body was in chest torn to ribbons, insides reduced to slop. Ick. So, Sam apparently insisted that Dean be buried so he'd have a body to come back to, and Dean expresses relief about this. But I still maintain that it would make no difference if he'd been burned if something is powerful enough to drag him out of hell and restore his body, it is powerful enough to reconstitute that body no matter how destroyed it was, even if reduced to ash.
"No demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned."
I like that Bobby keeps asking how Dean is doing, if he feels different, long after accepting that it really is the real Dean back from the dead he is a cautious man, and he knows as well as Dean does that in their world no miracle ever comes without a heavy price to pay.
I like Bobby's psychic friend, Pamela. She's just the right kind of feisty and flirty see, this is the kind of person that should be drawn on when Show wants to introduce a new recurring female character. Someone who is experienced and capable and actually able to comes up with the goods when they agree to help, where all Ellen and Jo ever really did was offer vague support that never really materialised. But Pamela is also kind of impulsive and over-confident, and that's her downfall I guess we won't be seeing her again, alas. Although I suppose where there's life there's hope. If only she had been prepared to back off with just the name.
I like that Dean expresses guilt that she is blinded because they went to her it's typical that Dean is the one to shoulder the blame, though.
Dean's a lot more comfortable taking Bobby into danger against Castiel than Sam he is just never going to get past that protective big brother urge. It's pretty reckless to risk Bobby, though he's already seen this thing burn Pamela's eyes right out of her head.
Wow, but Bobby's graffiti in that deserted barn or whatever is way impressive.
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Okay, so overall? This intense, action-packed episode sets up all kinds of potential awesomeness for the season ahead, a season that looks set to be full of mystery and intrigue, with the brothers Winchester each being guided whether reluctantly or not but opposing forces. Just how likely it is that either Castiel or Ruby is telling the truth remains to be seen. Where the increasingly religious aspects of the mytharc are concerned, Show is kind of skating a fine line, and I hope to heck they can keep their balance. If they can, maybe this season can live up to its hype and turn out to be the very best yet!
So...yeah, this was rather longer and thinkier than I intended. Stand by for the full recap (fuller than this? Is that possible, I hear you ask?) sometime next week.
I intended to just scribble down a few thoughts as first reaction...but my brain had other ideas, and once the meta started it just never seemed to end! Read on if you dare. *G*
Okay, first thought: whoa. And whoa. And WHOA. Awesome. Intense. Intriguing. Just whoa. Mytharcical whoa.
Lots of thinky thoughts coming out of this one! Already. Overriding the meep and squee, even! Please bear with me while I think aloud for a moment
A little Bible study. The Book of John tells the story of Lazarus, a friend of Jesus Christ, who lived in a town called Bethany. One day, John tells us, Lazarus became seriously ill, and his sisters Mary and Martha immediately sent word to Jesus, believing he could heal their brother. However, Jesus delayed setting out for Bethany for two full days, and when at last he reached the home of his friend, Lazarus was already dead and buried. "If you had been here, my brother would not have died," Mary chided, and Jesus wept. Deeply moved, he ordered the stone be rolled away from the tomb and then called to the dead man to come out. And Lazarus walked out of the tomb alive, still wearing his burial shroud.
So, this episode is called 'Lazarus Rising', for fairly obvious reasons. The parallels between the story of Lazarus and Dean's experience are striking. Lazarus had sisters who loved him and wanted him to live. Dean has a brother who loves him and wants him to live. Lazarus, having had his life restored, walked out of his tomb unaided. Dean, having had his life restored, climbed out of his grave unaided. Each had his life restored by an outside agent: Lazarus was brought back to life by Jesus as a demonstration of his Godhood, and Dean ? Well, if we take this episode at face value, it seems that Dean was brought back to life by an angel because God has a job for him to do. A modern day miracle.
Now, I'm always rather uncomfortable whenever a TV show (or film) starts to play around with Christian theology. Or any other kind of religious theology, for that matter, just that Christianity is the one I know best. But let's face it: Supernatural has been heading in this direction for quite some time now, so this development really shouldn't be that much of a surprise, when you stop and think about it. And yet it comes completely out of left field and leaves absolutely everyone gasping.
But is everything quite what it seems? Well, that remains to be seen. Is Castiel genuine, is he twisting the truth, or is he outright lying? On this show, it is never safe to take anything at face value, that much experience has taught us, so we shall have to share Dean's scepticism, at least until further evidence is forthcoming.
For now, though, let us look back. In Faith, way back in season one when Dean had his very first miraculous healing, the captive reaper was controlled by Sue Ann but it was the genuinely devout Roy le Grange who chose Dean, out of all the needy people in his tent that day, to be healed. "A young man with an important purpose. A job to do. And it isn't finished," was how he described Dean, when called upon to explain his decision. "Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you," is how Castiel explains Dean's resurrection in this episode. Same song, different verse or is Castiel simply employing a line he thinks likely to convince Dean? Is he really doing God's will, or has he struck out on his own, for whatever reason?
We could also look back to Houses of the Holy, in season two. "I like to think of them as more loving than wrathful," Father Reynolds rather hopefully said, before agreeing with Sam that Scripture in fact describes angels more as God's warriors. And we all remember that the 'angel' of that episode turned out to be merely a misguided spirit. Traditionally, we remember, the devil began life as an angel, cast out of heaven for refusing to bow to man the demon Casey told Dean that story in Sin City last season. So far, the pieces are all fitting together. But whether the picture they make will eventually resemble the story Castiel is telling well, only time will tell.
Castiel is kind of cool; the actor does a really good job, coming across as wonderfully ambiguous. But there is certainly nothing benign about him. He might not kill Bobby there'd be no forgiveness for that! but he does blind Pamela, however inadvertently, and seems to have no compunction whatsoever killing human hosts just for the sake of putting the frighteners on those demons that Sam follows to town. Also angels can possess people? Like demons? Well, if the devil started out as an angel, cast out of heaven, that figures, I suppose. I like that Dean takes this as a black mark against the so-called angel. Claiming consent is all well and good, but Castiel still allowed the host body to be stabbed through the heart it's a very fine line to be treading, that kind of power. If he really is an angel, he certainly seems more in line with the wrathful Old Testament variety than the loving and peaceful version seen singing praises (although still terrifying folk) in the New! So for now, the jury remains out.
Dean
Dean's return from the dead is a wonderful mystery with which to open the new season so much more effective than the oh-so lame seven deadly sins last year! The tension that inevitably results from this mystery is really, really well done, affecting each character differently. And lo! it is all so, so good.
Man, I love the opening sequence of Dean waking up in his coffin. First with the flashes of bloody eyes and screaming flashes of hell, way more effective than anything graphic could be and then gasping awake, struggling to breathe, having to fight his way out of the coffin. I love that of course he gets a face full of soil as he shoves the lid open, but has no choice but to keep going, keep digging his way up, air running out and all. It's been done before, obviously, the concept of digging his way out of his grave, but still very effectively pulled off here. And whoa, the flattened trees circling the grave. When we know, from past experience, just how much Dean knows what a tremendously bad sign that is.
I really love that Dean is so hoarse when he first wakes up, and it takes quite some time for his thrashed voice to recover he still sounds husky when he reaches Bobby's. Could be because he's been dead for four months, voice box unused or it could be because he's been in hell screaming in agony for four months, voice over-used. It's a really nice touch, added to how the first thing he does when he finds the gas station is chug back a bottle of water. He's been walking in the hot sun for some time; he's been rotting in the ground for some months; he's been burning in hell for some months: whichever way you look at it, he needs that water!
I can't help wondering why Sam picked that particular place to bury him, I must admit. He died in Indiana. So why take him to Illinois for burial? Random? Or not? Curious.
Okay, continuing the saga of love for this opening sequence, I love that we have a date, right off the bat 18 September 2008. Dean's been dead for four months, we are told. And this fits my timeline perfectly! People, ignore the Superwiki timeline because it is wrong. Use mine instead! *pokes* Ahem. I love that Dean checks his body for scars, because the last thing he remembers is being ripped to shreds by a hellhound. The scars are gone, unlike the last two occasions both Dean and Sam still bore the scars of their fatal wounds for a while after the demonic deals that saved their lives in season two. Interesting.
I'm so happy that Team Supernatural remembered Dean's tattoo! And it is intact! Oh, but the handprint brands are way ominous, nicely setting up the mystery that runs right through the episode: who was it that pulled Dean out of hell, and why? By the end of the episode we have an answer to the first part of that question, but the second is likely to take rather more explaining before all is fully understood.
Dean doesn't remember hell, yet, and I love that Sam can't resist asking and is so relieved to hear of the memory blank. But he's already having flashes of memory and boy, those are way creepier than any full-on representation of torture could ever be, so I hope the show continues to keep it vague, for viewers at least, however much Dean begins to recall so it seems safe to say that there is returning memory, trauma and angst still to come in that department.
"I like to think it's because of my perky nipples."
Heh. So, the demon doesn't believe that Dean doesn't know, and Dean doesn't believe that the demon doesn't know it all adds up to a tangled web of mystery and tension. "You don't know who cut me loose and you're just as spooked as we are. [ ] Whoever it was, they want me out. And they're a lot stronger than you."
It's fascinating to see how right he is no matter the provocation, and in contrast to her threats, the demon doesn't lift a finger against him, and neither do either of her companions. They're scared. Curiouser and curiouser! How long can this last, I wonder surely Dean can't possibly get through the entire season with the demon population of the world too scared to touch him. It'll be interesting to see how this develops.
But I wonder: is Lilith going to be pissed that her prize has been stolen, or does she maybe have rather more pressing matters on her mind and has long since ceased to care about the fact that Dean Winchester sold his soul to her fair and square? One thing's for sure: there are a hell of a lot of conflicting forces in play now. The writing team have certainly got their hands full pulling all those miscellaneous threads together.
I really love that having been so steely and confident while facing off with the demon, Dean is so relieved when they get outside. He's very good at appearing more confident than he really is, and I like having tiny moments that demonstrate this. It is great to see how very much on form he is in this episode he was so badly beaten down by the events of seasons two and three, but seems to have come through it all stronger than ever. However worried he is about what happened, and however traumatic his returning memories might be, he seems to believe in himself now in a way we haven't seen since the early days of season one. I just hope that this self-belief will continue to grow rather than withering away once more.
Still, Dean might believe in himself a little more these days, but that doesn't mean a statement like "I'm an angel of the Lord" is going to go over well. *G* Dean does not believe in angels and he doesn't want to believe in angels, because he has seen too much evil going unchecked. It's a solid, consistent character point one that has been reiterated often enough that hindsight says maybe it should have been obvious that such disbelief would be more seriously challenged at some point, whatever Kripke might have said about not delving into angelic mythology on the show! So if Castiel is for real, Dean is going to take a hell of a lot of convincing that there is a good reason for that lack of divine intervention and an even better reason for stepping in now.
Man, it's creepy to see the EVP and whatnot following Dean around, though; no wonder he's so very spooked. No coincidence, of course, that the moment he is alone for the first time since he reached Bobby the 'angel' tries to contact him again, resulting in a lot of broken glass and bleeding ears. Scary stuff, and I really like that Castiel admits to making a mistake there. "Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong."
Kinda makes me wonder if maybe Sam will turn out to be one of those special people able to look upon that true visage? Because Sam's always had his super specialness going for him, whereas Dean's selling point has always been that he isn't special. So will Sam's psychic mojo and/or demon blood be a plus or minus in this regard, I wonder?
Anyway, the point is that, whatever he is, Castiel is not all-knowing. I really like that he seems to be figuring Dean out throughout their conversation, as if he was given a name and task but not much else to go on. It all adds to the impression of him as foot soldier rather than puppet-master. And, given the power this foot soldier has already demonstrated whoa is that a scary thought!
Also, those shadowy crow's wings? Wicked!
"Good things do happen, Dean."
"Not in my experience."
"What's the matter? You don't think you deserve to be saved."
"Why'd you do it?"
"Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you."
Yeah, somehow, this being Supernatural, that is not comforting at all!
Sam
If Castiel is for real, if Dean has been brought back from hell by divine intervention, then surely the reason why has to revolve around Sam. It's all about Sam it's always been all about Sam. Dean's whole life has revolved around his little brother, and so did his death, so why should his resurrection be any different? One thing that seems clear from this episode is that Sammy is in a very bad place indeed right now, hardly surprising after everything he's been through, sliding down a very slippery slope toward possible damnation. And if it does turn out that he is heading toward his intended role as 'anti-Christ', leader of a demon army, without even realising it, the cosmic scales tilting a little too far in favour of evil well, then, maybe that's a very good reason for a little divine intervention, bringing back the one person who stands any chance of redeeming him.
It's possible. But it is just one theory among many possible theories, and only time will tell.
Sam's role in this episode is really rather low-key and subdued, and that fits well with his conflicted state of mind. Oh man, his face when he sees Dean for the first time is just perfect absolute shock and devastation and disbelief. And the confrontation is perfect Sam not believing that it is Dean, Dean believing that Sam did something to bring him back
"Look, Dean, I wish I had done it. All right?"
"There's no other way that this could have gone down now tell the truth!"
"I tried everything, that's the truth. I tried opening the devil's gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal. All right? You were rotting in hell. For months. For months. And I couldn't stop it. So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Sammy. You don't have to apologise. I believe you."
Oh, boys.
It should be the single best moment of Sam's life, receiving such a miracle but nothing is ever that simple. Sam loves his brother more than anything. He wanted him back, wanted him out of hell and out of pain. But he had conceded defeat. He'd accepted that Dean was gone for good and he'd moved on moved on in ways that he knew Dean wouldn't approve of. As a result, having Dean back in his life can't be clean and simple. There is relief and there is delight and there is joy, but there is also guilt and deception and awkwardness and tension. And that's how it should be for Dean's death to have its full meaning, there has to be payoff. On this show, life does not come cheap there is always a price to be paid. Right now, the price being paid by the Winchesters for Dean's resurrection is the fracture of the intensely close bond he and his brother had shared.
"What don't I know about that kid?" Dean says of Sam to Bobby. Good question. Dean knows Sam inside out, can predict which alias he'll be using Wedge Antilles? Oh, Sam but at the same time, he no longer knows his brother at all. They have been apart for four months, four months that Dean currently has no recollection of but that Sam had to live through, every agonising moment, and it changed him. No question. It just remains to be seen how long it will take Dean to realise just how much his brother has changed. How long it will take for the gloss of Dean's return to wear off and grim reality begin to set in.
"The girl? I don't pay, Dean."
Well, the girl in the motel room should be Dean's first clue that Sam isn't quite the brother he left behind Sam never used to bring girls home when Dean was alive! Sam's reaction is adorable, once he's over the shock of Dean being alive pure teenager whose parents have sprung him with a girl in his room, squirming and trying to tell himself not to be embarrassed . But then there's the reveal that this wasn't just a random girl after all. It was Ruby definitely the same girl, right? And that changes everything.
For one thing well, the obvious implication of the scantily clad girl in Sam's room is that he is sleeping with her. Fair enough if it is just a girl he brought home from a bar someplace, two consenting adults and all. But Ruby is a demon. She might consent, but the girl whose body she is using can't. Would Sam really do that? Because that is dark. Wrong.
So maybe they are just sharing a motel room, then, living together just as Sam and Dean have always lived together on the road. More convenient for them both. Either way, it implies very clearly just how comfortable Sam has become with her Dean left a massive hole in his life, and Ruby was well placed to slide in and fill it, whispering seductive comfort in his ear, maybe encouraging him to cut off all contact with Bobby, who was the closest thing he had left to family. And that's troubling.
It's also troubling because Sam lies outright to Dean's face about Ruby. He lies by omission when she is in the room, Ruby acting dumb to reinforce the impression that she is a casual conquest and Sam playing along without so much as blinking. And he lies again later, when Dean asks what happened to Ruby and Sam tells him she is dead. It is scary how good of a liar he is, and that Dean absolutely cannot tell. Ruby clearly has Sam's ear, and a lot more of his trust than he is prepared to admit, even to himself. And I still don't trust her intentions in the slightest.
It is troubling to see Sam brushing the recent past off so lightly when Bobby points out that he never returned any calls, the way he just shrugs he should have called but was pretty messed up, like it's no big deal it seems that he has been way off the rails with only a demon for guidance, and now that he unexpectedly has these more positive, human influences back in his life he's off balance and back-pedalling.
"Once I figured out I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some pay back." And he says it so casually. That's maybe the scariest part. "All by yourself. Who do you think you are, your old man?" Nice one, Bobby. Touché. Sam has been getting more and more like his father as the seasons go by John was also very good at convincing himself that he was doing the right thing, no matter what.
Because Sam is using his psychic powers to hunt and destroy demons. He's using his psychic powers to hunt and destroy demons under Ruby's guidance the way they both talk about what they've been doing, it is very much a partnership. And he's not only using his psychic powers to hunt and destroy demons, but he is lying about it. No misleads or half-truths here; he outright lies to Dean's face. Trying to find the right moment, he says to Ruby later, but there is no right moment and he knows it. He doesn't want to tell Dean because he knows how he will react the right moment would have been when Dean asked him straight out.
It is kind of frustrating that the scene in the car is so dark, as Dean asks Sam how he escaped from Lilith and Sam 'fesses up to his immunity, but it is also kind of fitting that it is so murky as Sam out and out lies to Dean, both about Ruby and about his powers he even looks Dean in the eye as he says it. He's way defensive, as well, sounding so outraged at the suggestion, even as he lies. Yeah, Sam is in a very bad place.
And, man, sneaking out in the middle of the night to get his own way having been overruled earlier it is so Sam. I thought he'd grown past that. In Time Is On My Side he stood up for his own convictions, demonstrated that he was an adult capable of making his own decisions, equal partner rather than subordinate, taking orders from no one. But then here he is again, sneaking away in the night like a rebellious teenager. It just goes to show how uncertain he is of the rightness of his actions. But he doesn't want to stop, and that feels very dangerous.
Dean believes Sam when he claims to have gone out for a burger that's the third time in this episode Sam has lied to him outright, and Dean hasn't been able to tell. This time, though, he knows that Sam left behind the demon-killing knife, so has no reason to suspect that he'd go after the demons alone. And Dean lies, as well, about what he's doing. He's been back all of two days, and already he and his brother are so very divided their balance has been well and truly shattered, and it is going to take time to rebuild. It hurts, seeing such a gulf between them. And yet it feels right after everything that's happened, things can't be how they were.
Sam's shiny new demon-extracting power is very scary. It's like he just crushes the demon right out of the body. He believes he is saving people, and sure, he saved anyone else from being killed by that demon, but until I see a host survive the process I won't be convinced. I mean, he expresses regret that the host doesn't survive, but doesn't seem surprised. And he was already way past the point of being overly troubled by collateral damage in S3, well and truly into the realms of the end justifying the means. And just look at Ava. And Jake. Unlocking these powers has never been a good thing in the past, and surely can't be now, which is why Dean has always been so dead set against it. And Ava didn't have a demon coaching her.
"He's gonna be pissed anyway. He's so hard-headed about this psychic stuff, he'll just try and stop me."
"I'm not exactly in your brother's fan club. But he is your brother. And I'm not going to come between you."
That's a curious line for Ruby to be taking, and a worrying line for Sam to be taking. Dean being back has certainly complicated things for them both, well and truly disrupted whatever little set up they had going. It must be so strange for Sam, to be so overjoyed that his brother is alive at the same time as finding it rather inconvenient. And Ruby has rarely been so conciliatory about Dean before, but has always accepted his role in Sam's life and used it as leverage. So, she could be sincere, or this could be reverse psychology or it could be that she is as scared of whatever brought Dean back as all the other demons.
Okay, and I realise that I sound incredibly negative about Sam...but it's just because I care enough to worry, honest! He's in a bad place, and I want him to be able to pull himself back out of it again eventually.
Other Brother Moments
"Well, not any more. The smarter brother's back in town."
Kinda striking that Dean is quite prepared to let the three demons go on the basis that it is three against one, with Sam wanting to charge in and take them all out man, they really have reversed roles since season one!
I love seeing Sam give Dean's amulet back, that he's been wearing it it's low key, but still beautiful. I've wanted this scene for months!
Hug! Two-sided hug! Man. Twice in this episode a hug is not only given but also returned by these gruff manly men: Dean and Sam preceded by Dean and Bobby. We haven't seen that since Shadow in season one! Too many one-sided hugs. *shakes head sadly*
Bless, Sam looks so shocked when he sees the handprint burned onto Dean's arm Dean hadn't warned him about that one. He showed Bobby right away, though, which is interesting. I can't help wondering if the brand will heal and fade, or if the makeup department are going to have to recreate them every time we see Dean's bare shoulders from now on. Not that this happens all that often, of course.
I love that when the demon threatens Dean, Sam is instantly so tremendously protective, ready to leap into action, absolutely not prepared to let anything happen to his brother when he just got him back. But Dean just waves a hand and he backs down. This is why Sam needs Dean.
Oh, man clothes sharing! Because Dean dug himself out of his grave, so obviously his grave clothes would be filthy, so obviously he would need to get changed. But he goes to Bobby's first, being unable to contact Sam, and therefore has to borrow clothes from Bobby, which clearly isn't ideal. And then, well, whatever Sam did with Dean's effects, he clearly doesn't have them with him because we see Dean wearing Sam's clothes, and the sleeves are too long, the shirt just hanging off him. Because Sam is a giant, and Dean, although tall, is not. That's adorable attention to detail.
So has Sam got Dean's clothes and stuff stashed away someplace, such as John's lockup, I wonder? Or will Dean have to acquire a completely new wardrobe for himself?
Also adorable is Dean's reunion with the Impala even as he shockingly admits that he almost forgot about her. I love that Sam immediately hands him the keys, doesn't hesitate to give back to his brother what was his. But he also doesn't apologise for having claimed full ownership and committed the cardinal sin of installing an ipod jack! Man, Dean's disgruntled reaction is fabulous. Dean is not a fan of change. And, of course, Sam also doesn't apologise for taking the Impala when he goes off on his own later.
Bobby
Oh man, Bobby's reunion with Dean is absolutely perfect in every detail, from his outrage at the phone calls to his utter, utter shock when he opens the door and finds Dean standing there, through his absolute disbelief, attacking and fighting what he believes to be a shapeshifter or revenant allowing himself to be convinced, but still having a splash with the holy water, just to be on the safe side. Hee, that's the Bobby we all know and love, ever cautious. But, oh man, his reaction when he finally realises that this really is Dean and he really is alive, the way he just crumples and grabs hold and clings. If there was ever any doubt that he loves Dean like a son, surely there can't be any longer. He's always been closer to Dean than to Sam; they understand one another in a way that Sam has always kind of been excluded from.
But Bobby loves Sam, too, and man, the last few months have been rough for them all. Poor Bobby he must have felt he'd lost them both, when Sam took off and stopped returning his calls. It clearly hit him horribly hard just look at how heavily he's been drinking. Dean's accusation that he should have looked after Sam better couldn't have helped. Dean should know better than anyone that when Sam sets his mind to something there's no moving him and Dean didn't exactly let himself be looked after either, when Sam died. It must be so hard to be in Bobby's position, to care about those boys so much and yet always be on the outside of their exclusive and co-dependent family bond. His reunion with Dean is a lot more comfortable than Sam's, though, overall, lacking all that guilt and deception; they are not so heavily co-dependent any more, perhaps. We'll see.
This is not the first time Dean has driven a stolen car to Bobby's I wonder what Bobby does with them all later *G*
Bobby describes in detail the condition Dean's body was in chest torn to ribbons, insides reduced to slop. Ick. So, Sam apparently insisted that Dean be buried so he'd have a body to come back to, and Dean expresses relief about this. But I still maintain that it would make no difference if he'd been burned if something is powerful enough to drag him out of hell and restore his body, it is powerful enough to reconstitute that body no matter how destroyed it was, even if reduced to ash.
I like that Bobby keeps asking how Dean is doing, if he feels different, long after accepting that it really is the real Dean back from the dead he is a cautious man, and he knows as well as Dean does that in their world no miracle ever comes without a heavy price to pay.
I like Bobby's psychic friend, Pamela. She's just the right kind of feisty and flirty see, this is the kind of person that should be drawn on when Show wants to introduce a new recurring female character. Someone who is experienced and capable and actually able to comes up with the goods when they agree to help, where all Ellen and Jo ever really did was offer vague support that never really materialised. But Pamela is also kind of impulsive and over-confident, and that's her downfall I guess we won't be seeing her again, alas. Although I suppose where there's life there's hope. If only she had been prepared to back off with just the name.
I like that Dean expresses guilt that she is blinded because they went to her it's typical that Dean is the one to shoulder the blame, though.
Dean's a lot more comfortable taking Bobby into danger against Castiel than Sam he is just never going to get past that protective big brother urge. It's pretty reckless to risk Bobby, though he's already seen this thing burn Pamela's eyes right out of her head.
Wow, but Bobby's graffiti in that deserted barn or whatever is way impressive.
Okay, so overall? This intense, action-packed episode sets up all kinds of potential awesomeness for the season ahead, a season that looks set to be full of mystery and intrigue, with the brothers Winchester each being guided whether reluctantly or not but opposing forces. Just how likely it is that either Castiel or Ruby is telling the truth remains to be seen. Where the increasingly religious aspects of the mytharc are concerned, Show is kind of skating a fine line, and I hope to heck they can keep their balance. If they can, maybe this season can live up to its hype and turn out to be the very best yet!
So...yeah, this was rather longer and thinkier than I intended. Stand by for the full recap (fuller than this? Is that possible, I hear you ask?) sometime next week.