shinysylver | Entries tagged with spn season 2

Date watched: Monday, March 7
Episode: 2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1, 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2

All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1 & Part 2 These episodes end season two by bringing the special children storyline to a head. Closing out that story also closes out the first chapter of the series and our focus turns from saving Sam to saving Dean in season 3. The massive release of demons at the end of the two parter also has serious repercussions for the rest of the series. Gone are the days when an occasional demon was a big deal, instead demons become an omnipresent threat.

All of our surviving special children return with a few new faces in order to fight to the death for Azazel’s pleasure—he only wants the best one after all. Free will is still the name of the game and Sam and Andy refuse to play Azazel’s game while Ava has already embraced the dark side.

We also find out in the first episode that Mary knew Azazel when he came for baby Sam which brings up all sorts of questions that aren’t answered for awhile about Mary’s background. It’s an intriguing little tidbit setting up later stories.

The end of part one is extremely emotional when Sam struggles to do the right thing only to be killed right in front of Dean. Seeing Dean lose it is powerful, especially as this is the first time one of our leads dies—it hasn’t become practically expected yet.

Watching Dean internalize Sam’s death as his fault just hurts. His obsessive need to care for Sam is so much of his identity that he doesn’t know how to exist without it. We’re also reminded that despite all of the braggadocio Dean really has next to no sense of self worth and a whole lot of survivors guilt left over from his father’s sacrifice. All of which leads to the epically bad decision to sell his soul for Sam’s life. Not only that, he gets a bad deal for it. One year may be better than his dad got, but it is still not a good deal. *sigh*

The season ends with the Devil’s Gate opening and Sam and Dean finally killing Azazel with the surprise assist from their father who took advantage of the open Gate to escape Hell. Killing Azazel had been their goal since the pilot so all in all it was a fitting end the first chapter of the series.

Random thoughts:

-I always kinda liked Jake. It’s too bad he gave into Azazel.
-Sam seems to get a bit too much pleasure out of killing Jake…it’s not unwarranted given the circumstance, but it is unusual for him. Enough that Dean and Bobby seem wary. Even so Azazel’s taunts about it fall flat.
-It was rather surprising to see the Roadhouse burn and that whole new avenue of the show be closed down, Ash being killed with it. It’s my understanding that the writers didn’t think the Roadhouse fit the tone they were going for and wanted a clean slate. I don’t necessarily disagree, but I do think there was some missed potential with Ash.

So I've been neglecting the full series rewatch I started last year, but there's nothing like a con to get me motivated to dive right back in. Today mom and I watched 7 episodes and she cracked me up by thinking it was only half that many. It really did fly by though. That's how much we had been missing massive quantities of Supernatural in our lives. :D

Date watched: Sunday, March 6
Episode: 2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign, 2.15 Tall Tales, 2.16 Roadkill, 2.17 Heart, 2.18 Hollywood Babylon, 2.19 Folsom Prison Blues, 2.20 What Is and What Should Never Be

Born Under a Bad Sign continues exploring the fear that Sam has about his destiny. When he blacks out and does things that he doesn’t remember he’s convinced he’s going bad. As they unravel the truth Dean puts a tough face on and refuses to believe that Sam is responsible for the things they find. He even tries to rationalize that if Sam did do it there was a good reason for it.

When he’s finally confronted with Sam demanding to be killed for what he’s done, Dean says he can’t and would rather die. I feel that’s basically the core of the entire show. For good and for ill.

Of course that’s also when Sam attacks him and goes to torment Jo. Eventually we learn that Sam is possessed by Meg. New demon mythology like binding links are introduced but eventually Dean and Bobby save the day. The biggest take away is that no matter what Dean will save Sam, even and sometimes especially if Sam doesn’t want saving.

Tall Tales introduces us to the glory that is the Trickster/Gabriel. Generally the episodes that feature him are delightful. Unreliable narration is the name of the game in this episode and it’s hilarious to see how Dean and Sam view each other. Especially the part with Dean and the purple nerples and the food. Poor Bobby having to deal with those two.

Road Kill is a really interesting episode because of the Sixth Sense style twist. It’s great to see the compassion that the boys have for the oblivious ghost. Sam in particular shows a depth of care for her and her predicament. Dean is of course more standoffish and tough love about the situation. The fact that Molly didn’t have to be salted and burned but could move on by coming to terms with her predicament and what was holding her to this plane is an interesting angle to the show’s ghost mythology.

Heart is a bad episode for Sam and his “peen of death.” Once again a woman who sleeps with him meets a horrible death. Sam over-identifies with Madison’s struggle because of his own uncertain darkness. Eventually he does what Madison asks and kills her, hardening himself emotionally in the process. Dean tried to spare him from that, but Sam did what he felt he had to.

The episode also brings in a lot of werewolf lore which as the episode shows is uncertain at best. In general the werewolf lore on this series is constantly evolving because hunters have a lot of misinformation.

Hollywood Babylon is a very entertaining episode because they make fun of their own industry. It’s also super fun to watch Dean throw himself entirely into being a PA and falling in love with craft services. One of my favorite things is seeing Dean happy and involved in life and this episode gives us that in spades.

Folsom Prison Blues is an episode that shows how far Sam and Dean will go for a hunt and to help someone they feel they owe. In this case they infiltrate a prison and investigate as prisoners. It’s also another episode where Dean fits in perfectly to his surroundings but unlike in Hollywood Babylon its more concerning than endearing. Dean is way too comfortable in prison.

The episode also brings back Henriksen and the FBI who are still out to get the Winchesters. The show tries to remind us of that building threat every so often.

What Is and What Should Never Be is a heartbreaking episode. It introduces Djinn to the setting and their abilities to give you a perfect dream of what you wish your life was even as they feed off you. The alternate realities they create in your mind are so seductive you don’t necessarily want to fight against them. In this episode a Djinn gives Dean a normal life with his mom still alive and a steady girlfriend. He doesn’t trust it but still enjoys things like mowing the lawn for his mother.

Ultimately though its a reality where he isn’t close with Sam and where all the people they saved didn’t actually get saved. Without Dean and Sam hunting the world is very different. Watching Dean struggle with the pain of doing the right thing even though it means sacrificing everything he wants is heartbreaking. His willingness to do so is also what makes him a hero and if there is one thing Dean is good at its sacrificing his happiness and embracing pain. It’s a quality that serves him well in this episode. It also shows us how much Dean would rather live with real pain than fake joy which comes up more and more during future seasons.

Random thoughts:

-I love Jo telling Dean not to be a baby as she tends his wound.
-I love the use of Rooster by Alice in Chains at the end of 2.19, but you’d think they would have used some Johnny Cash music…
-In the Djinn dream Mary confirms her identity to Dean with her nightly comfort of “angels are watching over you” which is so much more important and disturbing now that I’ve seen the whole series.
-I’ll never get over how pretty Dean’s single man tears are.

Date watched: Saturday, September 19
Episode: 2.10 Hunted, 2.11 Playthings, 2.12 Nightshifter, 2.13 Houses of the Holy

Hunted finally gives us the emotional confrontation between Sam and Dean about John’s dying words. Unsurprisingly the fight that follows leads to our seasonal brotherly split up as Sam leaves Dean behind—despite Dean literally begging Sam for time. At least this split lasts less than an episode.

This episode returns to the Azazel plot and introduces us to Ava who is so likable in this episode. Such a shame. It also brought back Ellen, Ash, and the dark hunter Gordon.

The scene with Dean and Ellen on the phone made me realize how similar their characters are. They tend to clash a bit which must have distracted me from it, but their obsessive protective instincts when it comes to their family is nearly identical right down to the way it strains their relationships. Also they are both pretty badass.

I could do without Gordon, but even so it really does make sense that some hunters would be hunting the special kids and he’s definitely the sort that would be all over that. Gordon also represents the extreme that Dean could become without Sam’s ameliorating influence. Mostly I was just pleased to see him arrested though.

Playthings takes a break from the main plot to give us a strong standalone haunted house episode. It has all the elements for a creepy story—old hotel, little girls, lots of dolls and doll houses, etc.—and manages to pull of a nice twist or two.

The episode doesn’t completely leave the main arc behind though. We see Sam struggling with who he is and what he’ll become (the drunk scene was…special). He even goes so far as to force a promise from Dean that Dean will kill him if he goes darkside which completely tears Dean up.

The episode’s plot allowed Sam to be the hero multiple times and help restore some of his confidence—but not all of it and there’s a long road to go.

Nightshifter returns to the shapeshifter/Dean wanted by the cops storyline and introduces Victor Henriksen into the mix. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the episode for me, though, is the discussion it brings up about whether its better—or safer—to know the truth about the supernatural.

Sam tries to dissuade Ronald from his conspiracy theories and his search for the truth by harshly putting down his ideas. He hopes that by shutting him down he won’t keep looking. Dean isn’t sure he agrees with that choice and it does come back to hurt them and get Ronald killed later because Ronald’s increasing desperation and alienation lead him to bad choices and the wrong place at he wrong time.

The question is: is it safer to be ignorant of the supernatural or to have real information?

Houses of the Holy is a very well written episode that brings up open ended questions about faith and religious belief which are continual threads for the show. It’s also an interesting episode to watch knowing what happens later in the series. The “Angel” in this episode may have been false but it does mark the show’s first serious discussion of Angels.

It’s always interesting to me the way Dean rejects faith and refuses to believe in Angels without absolute proof—even when he’s staring at Castiel it takes a while—meanwhile Sam is always reaching out to faith and wanting to believe. That contrast is even more interesting when you consider that Dean was created to be Heaven’s tool and Sam Hell’s.

Dean’s belief in free will is already well established. He doesn’t believe you can punish someone before they commit the crime. He doesn’t believe in faith as absolution for your own actions. He’s solid and sure…righteous even.

Of course on a lighter note I couldn’t help but giggle a bit at Dean’s rejections of all things angelic because little does he know his best friend in the world will be an Angel.

Random thoughts:

-White Rabbit in the opening scene of Hunted is another great musical moment. In fact all the episodes today had great musical moments in them. Knocking on Heaven’s Door in Houses of the Holy was particularly appropriate.
-LMAO at the Sponge Bob placemat instead of an alter cloth for a ritual in Houses for the Holy.
-I thought it was interesting to see the more peaceful approach to laying the ghost to rest in Houses of the Holy with the priest.

Date watched: Tuesday, August 4
Episode: 2.09 Croatoan

Croatoan is an extremely important episode when it comes to the overarching mythology of the show. The demon virus introduced here comes back to play a vital role in season 5. We also continue the development of Sam’s special powers (he’s immune to the virus) and Dean’s instability.

Perhaps most importantly we get a taste of how absolutely devoted to Sam Dean is when he’s determined to die with Sam rather than accept any alternatives without Sam in them.

This is an episode where our heroes don’t lose, but they don’t win either. They make it out, but the demons have still accomplished their goals. I like ambiguous resolutions like that when used well like it was here—especially since they do revisit it later.

Random thoughts:

-It’s kind of annoying how long they’ve drawn out the reveal about John’s final words to Dean. On top of that the cliff hanger where Dean was about to come clean was a low blow.

-LMAO—Dean’s history knowledge is based off School House Rocks. I have a mental image of cute little Dean watching it in the hotel room and singing along when no one looks.

-Ahh…this is the episode where Dean says he’s never been to the Grand Canyon…something I’m pretty sure the writers forget later.

Date watched: Thursday, July 30
Episode: 2.07 The Usual Suspects & 2.08 Crossroad Blues

The Usual Suspects deals more with the fall out of Sam and Dean’s criminal behavior—both their actual criminal behavior like credit card fraud and grave desecration and also the murders that the shapeshifter framed Dean for in season one. Episodes dealing with law enforcement trying to stop the Winchesters are never my favorite although if the show didn’t cover that fertile storyline I’d be upset.

To me the most interesting part of this episode (other than the humor) is the death omen. I wish the show delved more deeply into the non-vengeful spirits.

Crossroad Blues is an extremely important episode for the show’s mythology. It introduces both crossroads demons and hellhounds which are central to various plots later in the show and it also delves deeper into the complex morality of demon bargains.

This is another situation where Dean is hyper-personalizing the case because it is too similar to the situation with his father. He’s smack dab in the middle of the anger part of grieving and is so very angry that his father made the deal for his life because now he has to live knowing that his father is in hell because of him.

Speaking of, this episode is also our first hint about what John is going through down in hell. Having seen the later apocalypse arc it makes me read more into what the demon tells Dean than the writers may have intended. I’m not sure how early they had the ideas about the Righteous Man and the first seal, but I can’t watch this episode without thinking about that now. It makes me wonder if the demon actually had the power to resurrect John and give Dean ten years like she offered. If so, does that mean hell would be content to postpone the apocalypse for ten years until Dean’s time was up?

Random Thoughts:

-When Evan’s wife did the creepy horror mutation I actually jumped which is saying something considering how many times I’ve seen this episode. They definitely had some creepy visuals and managed to build up the tension.

-I still want to know why crossroads demons have red eyes instead of the more traditional black. By the same token I'd love to know for sure why Azazel has yellow eyes and Lilith has white.

Date watched: Wednesday, July 29
Episode: 2.05 Simon Said & 2.06 No Exit

Simon Said returns us to the overarching plot about Sam’s visions and the special children. The episode is about a pair of twins who’ve been tinkered with by Azazel in the same way Sam was. Over the course of the episode they each choose different paths based on their upbringing and base personalities—one evil and one not. The story plays into the larger arc where Sam is afraid that the nature of his birth or the circumstances in his nursery dooms him to be evil.

Usually Sam’s ability to approach situations with more nuance than Dean is an advantage however in this instance Sam’s focus on the shades of grey is a detriment. Dean is able to see Andy’s killing of his brother as the heroic action of a man saving other’s lives while all Sam sees is the killing. He also improperly conflates immediate defense of others with emotional trauma in the past when he discusses people being pushed to kill.

What really fascinates me about the special children storyline is that at it’s core it’s a story about destiny vs free will—a theme which I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say is the heart of the entire show. It’s clear even at this point that while Sam struggles with the idea of destiny, Dean is completely in the free will camp. He is adamant in his belief that a person always has a choice which is a nice prequel to his impassioned fight for free will during the apocalypse.

No Exit focuses in on Jo, letting us learn more about her. She’s given a lot to work with which is great and I enjoyed seeing her step out as a hunter. The attempt to give her romantic tension with Dean still falls flat for me though, if anything this episode solidifies the little sister vibe she has going on.

I also find it interesting that this ep is one of the few, if not only episode to be so overtly based on a real historical person. H. H. Holmes’ ghost is pretty horrifying which makes sense given the real history of the man.

Random Thoughts on Simon Said:

-Dean’s taste in this episode is super questionable. His admiration for Andy’s van with the barbarian lady and the polar bear painted on the side—not to mention the fuck pad in the back—is pretty bad. Hilarious but bad…

-It’s hard to believe that even mind control can get Baby away from Dean.

Date watched: Tuesday, July 28
Episode: 2.04 Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things digs deeper into the effect their father’s death had on Dean. The ep focuses on Sam trying talk to Dean about it.

Sam means well and is right that Dean isn’t dealing well with their dad’s death, but he’s really bad at approaching these things with Dean. It certainly doesn’t help that he dismisses Dean’s hunting instincts as him projecting. Dean’s hunting skills are the thing he values most about himself—one of the only things he actually values because of his epic self-worth issues. Lucky for them the plot of the episode forces Dean to face some things.

When Dean confronts the zombie with an impassioned “what’s dead should stay dead” my first instinct is to call him a hypocrite, after all I’m coming at this after 10 seasons of none of them staying dead. However, I need to check that at the door, because in the context of this episode its heartbreaking. When he tells that to the zombie he’s really directing it at himself. He knows that his father died so that he would live and it’s eating him up inside. It’s affecting him so much that he actually talks to Sam about it and expresses his belief that he should have been the one to die. His guilt is epic and it absolutely plays into his decision to make the crossroads deal later. After all, Dean sees his entire life from this point on as ill gotten gains.

Watching this episode got me thinking about zombies and what makes them come back wrong. The zombie in this ep is obviously still intelligent and emotionally savvy enough to manipulate others. It makes me wonder if they come back without a soul and that accounts for their wrongness. Like is the soul still in the afterlife but the body is animated similar to Soulless!Sam? Add to that a traumatic death and rebirth, being forced to stay secluded, super powers, invulnerability, and no real motivation to try to blend in like Sam had and you get selfish actions and general disregard for human life without the filter of a soul. She just did whatever she wanted and she wanted revenge. Does that sound plausible? Of course that theory doesn’t necessarily apply to future zombie situations on the show, but the situations aren’t always consistent anyway. I’ll have to pay attention to the other eps and see.

Random Thoughts:

-Lmao at Sam sitting on the edge of the bed watching Casa Erotica. He’s so adorably guilty as he hurriedly turns the porn off when Dean comes in.

-“Our lives are weird, man.” - Sam, truer words were never spoken.

-Jensen Ackles is truly the king of the single man tear. How does he cry so pretty?

Date watched: Tuesday, July 28
Episode: 2.03 Bloodlust

In the episode Bloodlust Dean’s still not dealing well with his father’s death. He dives back into hunting with gusto, taking comfort in the violence by killing vampires. He relishes what he sees as black and white, clearcut hunts and uses the violence as an outlet. He actually acknowledges that he enjoys it in this episode. It reminds me of his statements in season 8 about Purgatory being “pure.”

Unfortunately for Dean this is the episode that really changes things up by revealing that not all monsters are actually monsters. Lenore and the other vampires are complex people trying their best to live without hurting anyone. Suddenly the morality of hunters is thrown into question—at least if they are killing things just because they are THINGS and not because they’ve hurt people.

I vaguely remember back when I first saw this ep (a hazy ten years ago) that somehow I didn’t love Dean as much as I do now (I really can’t fathom it) and he angered me more at the time. Now his story here just makes me sad. I hate seeing him try to make Gordon fill the void his father left in his life. One of the things I love about Dean later in the show is that he’s a leader, but he hasn’t grown into that role yet. Right now he’s still struggling to find someone worthy of following without much luck.

Random Thoughts:

-Baby’s back and playing AC/DC’s Back in Black while they drove down the road in her was the perfect moment.
-I see you Benny—er I mean random vampire! Is Ty Olsson just destined to play vampires on this show?
-The show often paints Dean as "right" when it comes to the big picture battles, but as this episode shows Sam is usually right when it comes to really seeing and understanding individual people (manipulative demons aside).

Date watched: Monday, July 14
Episode: 2.02 Everybody Loves a Clown

The episode title is Everybody Loves a Clown, but it lies. I don’t love clowns. Nothing good can come of clowns especially in a horror show. The episode opens at the carnival and what I really want to know is what kind of kid would actually be into that creepy, pervy looking clown? And isn’t she a bit old to think him showing up randomly is cool and not terrifying?

I mentioned it before, but I’d like to stress how happy Sam’s fear of clowns makes me. I love how normal it is for a character who’s experienced what he has. Also, its a great set up for the clown chair which kills me every time.

Anyway, more importantly our heroes are dealing with the death of their father in this episode and I love the way the rebuilding of Baby shows the passage of time and is also therapy of a sort for Dean. We all know that car is part of the family and was a gift to him from his dad so fixing (and then taking his anger out on it) is his way of dealing. It’s not necessarily healthy, but it’s very Dean.

Seriously, when he takes the crowbar to Baby it hurts so much because we know how much he loves that car and his anger and grief and guilt are just too much for him to hold in. I wish I could hug him.

Dean’s grief also manifests in the decision not to try to pursue a meaningless hook up. I like the quiet sadness in that scene with Jo. Of course Dean does sad well as the appearance of Jensen Ackle’s practically trademarked single man tear of pain in this episode demonstrates. I don’t know of any actor better at that than him.

Sam on the other hand grieves by trying to be the son he thinks his dad wanted him to be. For the first time in his life he is trying to do what his father would want and it’s such a realistic reaction for someone who’s last moments with his father were spent fighting.

The other major thing of note in this episode is the introduction of the Roadhouse and the associated characters. I remember the first time I saw this ep I found the Roadhouse as an idea and the new characters to be disconcerting because I liked the show to be focused in on Sam and Dean against the world, but they grew on me and now I miss everyone. I don’t think it was all me though. I think it took a few eps for the writers to figure out what to do with the new characters. Jo in particular is much better when they drop the romantic vibes with Dean (snark with Dean is good though!)

Finally I have to say that I love the way Ash breaks stereotypes. Drunken mullet dude is not usually the genius character.

Phew, a lot happened for an ep that is ostensibly just a mystery of the week. That was a marathon episode reaction.

Date watched: Monday, July 13
Episode: 2.01 In My Time of Dying

I really like In My Time of Dying and not just because John dies. I jest! Seriously by the time he actually dies I’m always upset because of the pain Sam and Dean are going through.

My favorite thing about the episode though is the fact that it’s quieter and more thoughtful about the nature of death. I like seeing more about the Reapers and Tessa is a character that I enjoy a lot. She’s really interesting and considering her last appearance on the show it’s nice to go back and see her in her prime before they…tinkered…with her. It’s also pretty cool seeing her true form because unless I’ve forgotten I don’t think we see it again.

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Page Summary

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.21 & 2.22
Supernatural Rewatch - 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.18, 2.19, & 2.20
Supernatural Rewatch - 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, & 2.13
Supernatural Rewatch - 2.09
Supernatural Rewatch - 2.07 & 2.08
Supernatural Rewatch - 2.05 & 2.06
Supernatural Rewatch - 2.04
Supernatural Rewatch - 2.03
Supernatural Rewatch - 2.02
Supernatural Rewatch - 2.01

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Staring Into the Abyss

Entries tagged with spn season 2

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.21 & 2.22

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.18, 2.19, & 2.20

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, & 2.13

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.09

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.07 & 2.08

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.05 & 2.06

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.04

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.03

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.02

Supernatural Rewatch - 2.01