"The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it."

[llywela]

Wales-Germany last night was a much better game than Finland on Saturday. We lost, obviously, but who wasn't expecting that? It was an open, flowing game that was a lot of fun to watch. Germany's first goal was excellent - 30 yard strike! - and their second a fluked own goal. Wales held their own and had their share of goal-scoring chances, just lacked that cutting edge. We have a very young and inexperienced squad - this campaign will have been a good learning curve for them to build on for the future.

Right. Recap time.

Okay, so this recap seems to have been bubbling away in the background forever. Between lack of free time and the sheer density and complexity of the episode, it really wasn't easy to write! I'm still not happy with it. I know I've left out stuff I meant to say, repeated myself in places and not expressed myself clearly in other places. But it'll have to do! I can't spend any more time on it, and it is quite long enough already.

So, here we go: far too many pages in which I ramble on at great length about Dean's depression and Sam's emotional shut-down, Castiel's pathological inability to think outside the box, why Alistair was always in control of the torture session and how Dean was set up to fail from the start, Sam's growing superiority complex, a detailed deconstruction of why Alistair has to have been lying through his teeth about John, Sam drinking demon blood, treason in the angelic ranks, Dean's role as unwitting agent of the Apocalypse and the soul-crushing impact of this information, Sam's awesome new power and righteous rage, Castiel playing at CSI and learning to think for himself, Uriel's betrayal, growing factionalism, the meaning of free will, and much more beside.

To read the recap, click the link below:


"We raised you out of hell for our purposes."

Screencaps found at Screencap Paradise, marishna and oxoniensis


Anyone who actually makes it through the entire thing deserves virtual cookies and gold stars. Also, do tell me if I've made any horrendous mistakes anywhere.


And now we shall see how long it takes me to catch up with 4.17...

In Other News, did any of the other Brits on my flist catch the Beeb's new Tuesday night drama All The Small Things the other night? I really enjoyed the first episode - looking forward to seeing how the rest of the mini-series pans out.

Comments

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

I think my brain is now dead. Squished.

[karenmiller.livejournal.com]

Because of doing that meta, or because of Monster? Or both?

When I can take a break from rewrite insanity, I'm goin' to dissect another Dean/Castiel scene. I can feel that turning into my ongoing thang. Because damn! Those two!

Also? Collins is frickin' genius. What he can do without a line of dialogue is so beautiful it makes me want to weep. The director in me runs squealing in circles. Because sir, you are a bona fide ac-tor.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Eh, I prefer JA, myself *G*

Oh, and both. Plus, show in general. Plus busy, busy Life and lack of sleep!

[karenmiller.livejournal.com]

Well, they're both marvellous. One of the reasons their scenes sizzle, I think. But I've grown so used to JA - *g*. And now here's someone else stepping up to the plate and serving back whatever he serves, just as hard.

It's not that JA and JP don't have chemistry, because they do. I'm not quite sure what's going on. Could just be the content of their scenes, which in and of itself contain a totally different dynamic. Maybe that's it. Because the dynamic is so different, the performances are different.

As I think I said in another comment somewhere, for me the key is that his whole life, since he was 4, Dean has been someone's soft place to fall. He was Sam's and he was John's. He never had his own soft place to fall, not even Bobby. Though Bobby came closest. But now, at this terrible time in his life, against all expectations, he has Castiel. The angel has become his soft place to fall. Castiel's become -- or is becoming -- the big brother he never had. Which is so not the job Castiel signed up for! And yet it would appear he's embracing the role. Which is so curious. As is the fact that Dean's letting it happen, too. Bit by bit, he's relaxing into the relationship. And that's not something he ever expected for himself, or even dared to ask for. I don't think he ever knew how badly he wanted it.

I would love to know how much of this was planned in advance, and how much it's developed as a result of the casting.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

I would love to know how much of this was planned in advance, and how much it's developed as a result of the casting.
I'm fairly certain it was the latter - interviews consistently state that Castiel was only originally intended for a couple of episodes. They've been feeling their way through (and making a lot of this up!) as they go along.

As is the fact that Dean's letting it happen, too. Bit by bit, he's relaxing into the relationship. And that's not something he ever expected for himself, or even dared to ask for. I don't think he ever knew how badly he wanted it.
Totally. He's just so utterly wiped out, he can't pretend not to be. And then there's this being that knows everything anyway, so there is no need to even try. But the relationship remains thorny because there is still a massive gulf in understanding and outlook. Makes for an interesting dynamic.

[karenmiller.livejournal.com]

Also????

Get some sleeeeeep!

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

But it's mid morning and I'm in work! I can't see my boss approving of mid-morning naps...*G*

I have the whole weekend to myself, though, which is unheard of. No Friday night commitment, no Sunday commitments, no Smal sleeping over... Bliss!