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Nov. 15th, 2008 08:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
llywelaI am made of fail this week where show watching is concerned. I still haven't managed to catch up on last week's Merlin, and also haven't yet seen the premiere episode of the Beeb's new supernatural drama Apparitions. I recorded it on Thursday night because I was absolutely knackered and knew I couldn't stay awake for it, just went to bed and zonked out instead. Must find a spare hour for an actual viewing. I want to see it because a) Martin Shaw, and b) I'm curious to see how the concept plays out. I'll get there in the end – just that this week has been manic and I'm shattered.
I did manage to watch the new SN, however. The recap for last week isn't up yet, I know – it is complete, honest, rather to my amazement given how little time I've had this week. It just needs more editing before I can post. I found that the closer I looked at the episode, the less I liked it, so the recap got a bit ranty in places and may need some smoothing over before posting. It'll be up in the next couple of days.
This week's offering, on the other hand? Felt like the real Show was back again.
I loved seeing the boys hustling pool together. I loved that Sam was the one doing the actual hustling, with Dean as his side man – it is the first time in three and a half seasons that we've either seen or heard of Sam being the one earning their daily bread. Even though he didn't actually close out the game and in fact lost his money, it was clear that before the interruption he was going to clean the guy out. Fabulous!
I loved that we got to see actual first aid. I did wonder why Sam was stitching himself up rather than popping Dean's shoulder back into place first and then letting him do the stitching, but I can live with it and come up with explanations. I just really loved actually seeing the first aid, rather than just having it implied. I especially loved how matter-of-fact both brothers were about it. There was no whining, no fussing and no stoicism. They just got on with patching themselves up because it needed to be done. Perfick.
I love that Sam compromised. I can't remember many occasions where Sam has been the one to back down and make the first move. At first, in that very uncomfortable car scene, he was characteristically adamant in his refusal to talk about his summer unless Dean talks about his first. So it felt like a sign of growth and maturity that he later recognised that sometimes you have to give a little even when it is painful to do so. It probably helped that Dean was so non-accusatory, just genuinely wanted to know and understand. And so Sam made his confession without Dean having given up anything first, which felt like something of a first.
Boy, but that must have been some awkward three-day drive. I'm puzzled, though…was Anna supposed to have been hiding out at that church for three whole days, without having been found? She must be starving! I liked her, what little we got to see of her. I really enjoyed her immense relief when the brothers found her, so delighted that someone believed her and didn't automatically think she is crazy. And I'm intrigued by her psychic powers and hope to learn more next week.
I was also a little intrigued by Anna's neat little précis of the divide in angelic ranks: some think Dean can help save the world, some don't like Sam at all. That doesn't sound like a united taskforce to me.
I love that the demon Dean recognised was called Alistair. Hee.
Judging by the flashbacks, it is now six months since Dean died, which means two months since Dean returned. So, Show is pretty much following Real Time so far this season – I wonder how hiatus will affect that?
I really enjoyed the flashbacks of Sam's time alone – they filled in an awful lot of blanks and explained so very much. They also tied in strongly with a lot of predictions about how the sequence of events might have played out. I was very intrigued by Ruby. When she first got out of hell and jacked the secretary's body, she was very much her old self, abrasive and demanding, goading Sam like old times. But it backfired on her and that's where the change in attitude came in. It was very much a deliberate choice, recognising that if she wanted to get Sam back onside she was going to have to change her tactics. Hence the "socially conscious' body of the unidentified coma girl, a host Sam can't object to.
I've always believed that Ruby is very clever and manipulative, and that belief was further cemented by this episode – as a character, she is intriguing, although I would still really love to understand her true ambitions. I think Dean was absolutely spot on when, after hearing the first part of Sam's story, he said she was playing mind games. She manipulated Sam's grief to draw him closer to herself and make him trust her: a very clever, slow long game.
She plays it very softly softly, expresses sympathy and understanding of his grief, facilitates his self-destruct by seducing him – there is nothing comforting about that sex scene at all; it is all about hate and rage and self-loathing. And then she strings Sam along further and integrates herself into his life and trust further by always referring back to Dean. Sam even admits in the episode that he started trusting her because she was saying all the things that Dean would have said. That's clever.
And the very first time Sam exorcised a demon with his mind was to save Ruby.
It was striking how very quick Sam was to agree to her deliberately tentative suggestion of using his powers. No hesitation at all. He absolutely jumped at the chance, and it couldn't have been more than a few days or maybe a couple of weeks after Dean first died. She'd already offered him the bait, Lilith, and that was all it took to reel him in. But even there she has been very clever, taking it very slowly and therefore maintaining control over Sam and his powers, making sure he remains dependent on her, both emotionally and otherwise.
Yeah, Ruby's in this for the long haul, and always has been. Dean's return must have been an absolutely enormous spanner in the works for her, but even there she has managed to twist the situation to her advantage, in line with her new tactics. She took a step back, encouraged Sam to do the right thing, remained meek and mild and helpful…and thus completely undermined all Dean's arguments against her. However little he trusts her still, he can't deny that she has been useful and kept Sam alive in his absence. And with Sam so wholeheartedly supportive of her, trusting her so completely, Dean is left in a very awkward position, as we saw with his fumbling apology, which was all about his relief that Sam is still alive and had nothing to do with trusting Ruby.
And then there was that dramatic cliffhanger ending, with the angels entering the fray, not to help but to complicate the situation even further. I really appreciate the small detail that whenever Castiel enters a scene his eyes immediately search out and lock onto Dean. That's very nicely done.
How the various parties are likely to react to one another next week? I can't wait to find out!
I did manage to watch the new SN, however. The recap for last week isn't up yet, I know – it is complete, honest, rather to my amazement given how little time I've had this week. It just needs more editing before I can post. I found that the closer I looked at the episode, the less I liked it, so the recap got a bit ranty in places and may need some smoothing over before posting. It'll be up in the next couple of days.
This week's offering, on the other hand? Felt like the real Show was back again.
I loved seeing the boys hustling pool together. I loved that Sam was the one doing the actual hustling, with Dean as his side man – it is the first time in three and a half seasons that we've either seen or heard of Sam being the one earning their daily bread. Even though he didn't actually close out the game and in fact lost his money, it was clear that before the interruption he was going to clean the guy out. Fabulous!
I loved that we got to see actual first aid. I did wonder why Sam was stitching himself up rather than popping Dean's shoulder back into place first and then letting him do the stitching, but I can live with it and come up with explanations. I just really loved actually seeing the first aid, rather than just having it implied. I especially loved how matter-of-fact both brothers were about it. There was no whining, no fussing and no stoicism. They just got on with patching themselves up because it needed to be done. Perfick.
I love that Sam compromised. I can't remember many occasions where Sam has been the one to back down and make the first move. At first, in that very uncomfortable car scene, he was characteristically adamant in his refusal to talk about his summer unless Dean talks about his first. So it felt like a sign of growth and maturity that he later recognised that sometimes you have to give a little even when it is painful to do so. It probably helped that Dean was so non-accusatory, just genuinely wanted to know and understand. And so Sam made his confession without Dean having given up anything first, which felt like something of a first.
Boy, but that must have been some awkward three-day drive. I'm puzzled, though…was Anna supposed to have been hiding out at that church for three whole days, without having been found? She must be starving! I liked her, what little we got to see of her. I really enjoyed her immense relief when the brothers found her, so delighted that someone believed her and didn't automatically think she is crazy. And I'm intrigued by her psychic powers and hope to learn more next week.
I was also a little intrigued by Anna's neat little précis of the divide in angelic ranks: some think Dean can help save the world, some don't like Sam at all. That doesn't sound like a united taskforce to me.
I love that the demon Dean recognised was called Alistair. Hee.
Judging by the flashbacks, it is now six months since Dean died, which means two months since Dean returned. So, Show is pretty much following Real Time so far this season – I wonder how hiatus will affect that?
I really enjoyed the flashbacks of Sam's time alone – they filled in an awful lot of blanks and explained so very much. They also tied in strongly with a lot of predictions about how the sequence of events might have played out. I was very intrigued by Ruby. When she first got out of hell and jacked the secretary's body, she was very much her old self, abrasive and demanding, goading Sam like old times. But it backfired on her and that's where the change in attitude came in. It was very much a deliberate choice, recognising that if she wanted to get Sam back onside she was going to have to change her tactics. Hence the "socially conscious' body of the unidentified coma girl, a host Sam can't object to.
I've always believed that Ruby is very clever and manipulative, and that belief was further cemented by this episode – as a character, she is intriguing, although I would still really love to understand her true ambitions. I think Dean was absolutely spot on when, after hearing the first part of Sam's story, he said she was playing mind games. She manipulated Sam's grief to draw him closer to herself and make him trust her: a very clever, slow long game.
She plays it very softly softly, expresses sympathy and understanding of his grief, facilitates his self-destruct by seducing him – there is nothing comforting about that sex scene at all; it is all about hate and rage and self-loathing. And then she strings Sam along further and integrates herself into his life and trust further by always referring back to Dean. Sam even admits in the episode that he started trusting her because she was saying all the things that Dean would have said. That's clever.
And the very first time Sam exorcised a demon with his mind was to save Ruby.
It was striking how very quick Sam was to agree to her deliberately tentative suggestion of using his powers. No hesitation at all. He absolutely jumped at the chance, and it couldn't have been more than a few days or maybe a couple of weeks after Dean first died. She'd already offered him the bait, Lilith, and that was all it took to reel him in. But even there she has been very clever, taking it very slowly and therefore maintaining control over Sam and his powers, making sure he remains dependent on her, both emotionally and otherwise.
Yeah, Ruby's in this for the long haul, and always has been. Dean's return must have been an absolutely enormous spanner in the works for her, but even there she has managed to twist the situation to her advantage, in line with her new tactics. She took a step back, encouraged Sam to do the right thing, remained meek and mild and helpful…and thus completely undermined all Dean's arguments against her. However little he trusts her still, he can't deny that she has been useful and kept Sam alive in his absence. And with Sam so wholeheartedly supportive of her, trusting her so completely, Dean is left in a very awkward position, as we saw with his fumbling apology, which was all about his relief that Sam is still alive and had nothing to do with trusting Ruby.
And then there was that dramatic cliffhanger ending, with the angels entering the fray, not to help but to complicate the situation even further. I really appreciate the small detail that whenever Castiel enters a scene his eyes immediately search out and lock onto Dean. That's very nicely done.
How the various parties are likely to react to one another next week? I can't wait to find out!
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no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 09:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 09:15 am (UTC)Edit - as for why the statue bled tears...it's curious, definitely. I think it was intended as a sign of the demon's approach, an omen, given how very powerful it turned out to be. But maybe Show has something else up its sleeve!
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Date: 2008-11-15 09:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 11:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 12:37 pm (UTC)Totally! Drink is the universal coping strategy. *G*
Sam did seem to be revelling in the challenge of stitching himself up - probably in part because Dean was kinda incapacitated and in part because Sam has got used to taking care of himself and takes a kind of vicarious pleasure in it - a control thing.
Burble away to your heart's content!
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Date: 2008-11-15 01:37 pm (UTC)Is this a show thing? Don't give the viewers any information to go on to start piecing things together?
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Date: 2008-11-15 03:30 pm (UTC)Possibly we are not supposed to ask these questions...*G*
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Date: 2008-11-15 03:51 pm (UTC)Probably we aren't supposed to ask the questions.
I do think that the show is showing the slow slide into the dark side of Sam ... just so there's the battle between good and evil at the end .... the apocolypse fought out between the two brothers.
And I STILL didn't hear the demon being called Aleister! (Trying to do more than one thing at a time!)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 03:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 05:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 05:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 06:02 pm (UTC)Watching Sam make out .... even with a demon .... I don't think I could bear to watch that again :)
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Date: 2008-11-15 06:07 pm (UTC)Can you watch online on the CW's website?
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Date: 2008-11-15 06:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 05:52 pm (UTC)I think the other thing was that Ruby set it up for Sam before Dean died by making him feel like if he'd only taken her up on her offer sooner he could have defeated Lilith and saved Dean.
Sam and Ruby are a unit and I wonder if part of Dean's distrust of Ruby stems from feeling as though he's the outsider when he's used to being a Team with Sam?
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Date: 2008-11-15 06:05 pm (UTC)That's very true - another factor in that very clever game Ruby has been playing right from the start. I'd still really love to know what her ultimate agenda is - Lilith couldn't have always been the primary target, since she only really rose to dominance in the course of last season. There has to have been another goal initially in Ruby's mind, and probably still at the back of her mind. Lilith is the target for now, I'd guess, because a) it is a surefire way to Sam's heart, b) Ruby wants revenge for her recent stint back in hell, and c) Lilith is an obstacle to whatever it is that Ruby wants.
I wonder if part of Dean's distrust of Ruby stems from feeling as though he's the outsider when he's used to being a Team with Sam?
I think that has to be at least a part of it. I mean...he has hated the very idea of Ruby since the moment he knew she existed. She's a demon, end of story. Knowing that Sam has forged such a strong bond with this demon - replaced him with her, in effect - must not only feel like a terrible betrayal, but also very threatening to his own place in Sam's life.
I do enjoy the complexity of the character dynamics that comes about from Ruby's place on the show, especially now that she is well established.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 08:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 08:16 pm (UTC)I was thinking more that if the dislocated shoulder was the obstacle to Dean doing the stitching, it could maybe be quickly popped back in and Sam saved the job of sewing up his own arm. However, not being medically inclined, I have no clue how practical any of it would be! And I suspect that Sam actually preferred doing it himself, that he liked the control. Plus, yeah, Dean was spitting out blood. It's so inconvenient when they both have injuries at the same time...*G*
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Date: 2008-11-15 08:40 pm (UTC)It's interesting. This is the first time we've seen the boys in patch-up mode, so it's hard to say if Sam self-stitching is new, or accepted practice. Certainly Dean didn't seem at all antsy about it, just mildly sympathetic -- while not bitching about his own hurts -- so I get the sense Sam's been self-stitching for a while now. Here's a visual: Dean teaching Sam how to tie his shoelaces, shortly followed by Dean teaching Sam how to stitch his own wounds. *g*
And yes, given the shift in dynamic between them this season, even if Dean had wanted to do the stitching Sam wouldn't let him. But also also, given the way Dean was favouring that shoulder for the rest of the hotel scene, chances are he'd not have been functional to stitch.
I think what I like most about the scene is the matter-of-factness about it. Given that the show's fandom is predominantly female, what I constantly find is fans trying to push a female agenda/modus operandi onto the relationship between two men. Drives me nuts. *g* Boys do not relate like girls. And even though these are two of the most emotional men ever committed to screen, they are still men. Not to mention this is not the first stitch and pop me session they've conducted. Doubtless they've lost count by now!
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Date: 2008-11-15 08:54 pm (UTC)The matter-of-factness was what really appealed to me about that scene, too. So many fanfics go overboard on either fussing or stoicism or both, so this utter practicality (and air of familiarity with the process) was perfect. We can now project this back onto every occasion ever when we've seen them end an episode hurt!
The self-stitching just got the brain ticking over, asking questions much as you've raised here - is this new or routine? Is it just because of Dean's shoulder or would Sam want to do it himself anyway? Mostly because it's the first first aid scene we've had! In three and a half seasons. So we've always wanted to know but never had anything to go on, so the first crumbs we get, we instantly want more...
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Date: 2008-11-15 09:47 pm (UTC)It's the show's tonality choices that I find fascinating. I mean, I found the tone of Sam's encounter with Ruby to be note perfect. No love there, just desperation and a need for oblivion. Drinking and drugs didn't make the pain go away, so maybe fucking himself insensible might work. Filling the void with a demon is better than not filling the void at all.
I love that Sam's making very bad choices, and that Dean's now enabling him because if he's not around he can't pick up the pieces and more than anything he needs to pick up the pieces.
And I'm wondering why they've chosen to go with a patching up scene now. Is it part of the motif of healing between them? If you look at the end of Wishing Well, with Dean gently but firmly refusing to share his feelings with Sam -- for the first time ever, because up till that point Sam nags, Dean resists, Sam nags some more and Dean gives in was their SOP -- you've got them estranged. And Sam's obviously feeling that, and resenting it, with his very pissy snark in the car about Dean going first with a story about Hell, and Dean's reaction, which is also pissed. And then, on a dime, you've got Dean asking Sam to talk to him, not in the bossy big brother barking an order way, but in a genuine and heartfelt plea for enlightenment.
Man -- this is one tangled knot of a show. The more you pick at the threads of the relationships, the gnarlier everything gets!
Oh - btw, Sam doesn't know at this point that Dean has a personal relationship with Alastair, does he? Because he got pegged down the stairs before he could overhear Alastair taunting Dean. And that would explain why Dean's deflecting response to 'who was that demon' wasn't challenged. Huh.
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Date: 2008-11-16 07:25 am (UTC)Yes! It's that complexity that's so gripping. They are both so bound by their human limitations, which is what keeps bringing them into opposition with the angels. Like now - they've been sprung working together with a demon. How do they explain that one in a way that any angel will sympathise with? Ruby's game plan has totally undermined Dean's arguments against her, and he's got his back against the wall now. He's having to go along with Sam (and consequently Ruby too) whether he likes it or not because he won't lose Sam. That conversation with Castiel at the end of The Great Pumpkin made it clear where Dean stands: he is on Sam's side, end of story.
Is it part of the motif of healing between them?
That's a really nice way of looking at it. And it ties in with Sam backing down and being the one to compromise and let go of his pride and start talking first, for just about the first time ever. I think Dean's attitude played a bit part in bringing that about - coming to his brother so gently, no accusations, just a heartfelt plea. It paved the way for Sam to open up, which was what's needed.
I've been trying to figure out how much of Dean's conversation with Aleister Sam might or might not have heard. He got flung down the stairs, but them clearly clambered back up to see the demon menacing his brother, and flung himself back into the fray. He was off-screen so we didn't see if he paused long enough to hear any words, or just reacted. I tend to suspect he would have just reacted without hesitating and therefore not really heard anything, because Dean in danger always sends Sam into a blind panic.
Thanks for chatting - it's great to discuss this kind of stuff :)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-16 12:27 pm (UTC)Yes -- the progression from stop using your powers, God says so, to not interfering during the exorcism of Samhain, to not even trying to object against Alastair. It's like he's just given up trying to influence Sam. Which is very sad.
On rewatching, I think it's clear he has no clue that Dean knows Alastair. And Dean has no intention of telling him. I suspect that next week Alastair is going to reference their past in front of Sam, who is going to see just how shit scared Dean is of him, and that will open the door to Dean finally talking about what happened to him in hell.
And yes, the chatting is so much fun!!! Also -- your ep reviews/essays? Fraeaking awesome!!!!!!
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Date: 2008-11-16 04:08 pm (UTC)That does seem to be true. I think I said something like that in my recap for It's The Great Pumpkin...
*tries to remember*
Yes. It's when Dean talks to Castiel at the end and is so staunch in his support of Sam. It strikes me that the events of that episode have made him realise more strongly than ever that Sam is going to make his own choices regardless of what Dean thinks, that he doesn't have the influence or authority over his brother that he once had, so instead of trying to guide/control Sam's actions he must decide whether or not he trusts him. And that is a very fine line.
Also, ta muchly. I love talking Show, and I really enjoy the recapping process, because it kind of cements everything in my mind. And also because I have a lousy memory so it helps to have something to look back on and remember how I originally reacted!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-16 11:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-17 06:54 am (UTC)Damn, that is a heartbreaking thought. It's one that's occurred to me a few times since Dean made the deal. It kind of sits alongside that nasty suspicion at the back of my mind that we could eventually see Sam flinging himself on the holy hand grenade, as it were - that that will be how Sam takes his turn at self-sacrifice. Not to save a loved one but to try and remove his powers from the playing field so that no one, whether good or bad, can have them.
...I try not to dwell on such thoughts. *G*
*visits your journal* I see you've been on the poorly side - feeling better now?
Also, very big congrats on the forthcoming publication of your Star Wars book. I am very impressed :)
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Date: 2008-11-17 08:45 am (UTC)I'm still coughing. It's really boring. And still not sleeping properly, which is also boring. I love my sleep!!!!
And thankyou for the congrats-- it's all very alarming, really! *g* Enormous potential for falling flat on my face. Splat!
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Date: 2008-11-17 08:40 pm (UTC)I'm probably completely wrong. I just sometimes get the feeling something like that could play out.
I don't know much about the Star Wars novels as such - I know that there are loads that continue the story for, like, an entire generation beyond the films? I'd ask where yours fits in, except I don't know enough to make the question sound intelligent! I'm very impressed, anyway. I'll send zen twishes for universal praise and adoration instead of splatting. *G*
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Date: 2008-11-17 08:47 pm (UTC)There well could be a blaze of glory thang. Arrgghh, the waiting!
I'm doing 3 SW novels -- all set in the prequel trilogy era, between films 2 and 3, dealing with the Clone Wars as a backdrop, and mostly focusing on the primary characters and character relationships and angst and trauma, with lightsabres. *g* Honkin' great fangirl in fangirl heaven, y'know?
Also? Was thinking about Bobby. Sigh. First of all he had to go through coping with Dean losing Sam. And losing Sam himself. And then, a year later, he's coping with Sam losing Dean. And him losing Dean, which is worse because they have a different relationship. And my God, not just losing Dean, but having to see him torn to shreds, knowing the kind of death he experienced, and having to get him out of that house and cleaned up and buried ... all the while trying to cope with Sam who is destroyed. Because I'm thinking Sam's flip to cold and quiet didn't happen straight up. 'He got real quiet'. So he wasn't quiet to start with, he was in pieces and Bobby was the only one there to hold everything together, even while he's devastated by losing Dean too. It's not something that's really been addressed but man. Poor Bobby!!!! No wonder he was drinking.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-17 09:00 pm (UTC)Oooh, prequel era. All those holes to fill in. Very cool.
Poor Bobby. :( I'm happy for Jim Beaver that he has a regular gig now, but I miss seeing Bobby. I love the relationship he has with Dean, and how very different it is from his relationship with Sam.
You know, when NRFTW first aired I was desperate for S4 to pick up exactly where it had left off, so that we could follow Sam and Bobby through the immediate aftermath and grieve with them and see exactly what happened and how they both reacted. Then after the long, long summer I was delighted with what we got in Lazazrus Rising - I was more than ready to move on. But then, seeing the flashbacks in this week's episode, which told us so much but still left so many blanks, and comparing them to what we heard from Bobby back at the start, and then reading your comment...it all kinda makes me want to see all that immediate aftermath in detail again!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-18 01:40 am (UTC)Yeah, I miss Bobby heaps. I love that dynamic. And I was appalled that JB felt he had to address some of the internet nastiness coming from certain sections of the fan base. I swear, sometimes I'm embarrassed to be a fan, I really am.
And yes, many prequel holes. In fact, being very cautious about what I say ... I fill in one or two from AOTC in the first book. Wheee *g*
As for picking up immediately after No Rest, the restrictions of tv storytelling really impact. But man, when I think about the mess ... and the family in the basement ... and what Bobby had to deal with. I get an sniffly, I really do.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-18 07:43 am (UTC)OMG I felt so awful about that. I wanted to email him or something to say 'please don't ever go near TWOP again, because they encourage spite! Most everyone I know adores Bobby!'
I'm gonna have to look out for your book now when it appears in the shops, so I can bounce and leaf through and not have a clue because I haven't seen any of the films since they were first released.
when I think about the mess ... and the family in the basement ... and what Bobby had to deal with. I get an sniffly, I really do.
NRFTW just broke the entire fandom. So powerful. And now knowing what came afterward...I mean...Dean is like the son Bobby never had. Sam is a favoured nephew, but they just don't connect the same way. Whenever I think about it I hurt so badly for them all. Dean in hell, and Sam falling apart, and Bobby losing them both, effectively. It's all so messed up.
Darn Show putting us through all this. *G*
no subject
Date: 2008-11-20 01:48 am (UTC)Well, thank you if you do buy the book. *g* Though I think it's quite self explanatory, in terms of picking up the pieces from the films.
As for this season on SPN, man oh man, I am wrecked. The parallel that's being built - Sam and Ruby, Dean and Anna. Both turning outwards to someone who can maybe, a little bit, understand where their heads are at. Sam's been touched by a demon, Dean's been touched by an angel. Both these women can understand them in ways the other brother can't, and perhaps never will. There's a level of shorthand contained in their mutually exclusive experiences that's just setting them up for all kinds of trouble down the road.
Love it!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-15 11:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-16 07:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-21 06:03 pm (UTC)Yes, and it's great seeing Sam grow, the changes he's made over the years.
It's fascinating reading your take on Ruby. For a long time, I wondered if it was all manipulation, but I'm really beginning to think that it's something else. She acts and reacts like a woman in love, and where the show is going with that, I don't know, but I find it intriguing.
I really appreciate the small detail that whenever Castiel enters a scene his eyes immediately search out and lock onto Dean. That's very nicely done.
Yes! I am so desperate to see where the Castiel storyline is going. But so long to wait for more! Gah.
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Date: 2008-11-21 06:50 pm (UTC)Part of me is starting to think that maybe Show does mean for us to accept Ruby at face value: nothing more than a 'good' demon. But I really hope not, because it is so much more interesting to think of her as calculating and manipulative - I want her to have a stronger motivation than love. I mean, whatever feelings she might have developed for Sam (can demons feel love? I've no idea any more!), she didn't meet him by chance. She deliberately sought him out, and researched him thoroughly beforehand, learned as much as she could about the YED and his plans. So that indicates that she definitely had plans for him, however much her thinking might have changed (for whatever reason, love or re-strategising) along the way.
I think I'm going to struggle with meta all season, really - with new layers of understanding being revealed all the time and with so many twists and turns, my brain feels ready to explode! I don't think I'm really going to get a firm handle on it all until it is all over and we can look back with hindsight and piece all the clues together. Right now the picture is just too incomplete to really understand, which makes writing meta hard.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-22 10:09 pm (UTC)I just write fic, rather than meta, and sometimes it gets jossed, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's fun to play with ideas along the way. And that way I don't get too invested in my own theories - I enjoy playing with them, but I don't particularly expect to be right.