brightly_lit: (brightly lit)
[personal profile] brightly_lit
So ... 9.11.

Wow. I used to think Robbie Thompson was one of the very best writers on the show, but most of the other writers' scripts this season have far outshined his, INCLUDING Ross-Leming/Buckner's. On Twitter he said he listened to the same song over and over while he wrote this script, which may explain why most of the time it hashes over tired cliches. He stopped killing because of LOVE! (Remind you of any southern vampires we know?) He goes to her grave to apologize! (Remind you of any brothers we know?) He kills her because she was possessed by a demon! (Remind you of any Bobbys we know?) I can see the outline of the script now: "Cain stopped killing because of ___[girl]___. Now he lives a quiet life on a farm, doing ___[beekeeping]___. The cost of the 'Mark of Cain' is ___[decide later]___."

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE BUNKER ... engage in shameless fan pandering. Sam removes his shirt. (Reason? Who needs one!) Cas is afraid to penetrate him too deeply. It's hurting Sam, but still, he begs Cas to do it, to push it all the way in, because he can take it! Sam gasps and groans and writhes, but when Cas tries to pull out, Sam holds it in place, telling Cas to take whatever he needs from him, to take it all! They end up with an appropriate amount of milky white fluid. (Ha ha--I just wondered if that last bit was too inappropriate, then I remembered, this is SPN fandom! There is no line that isn't crossed early and often. God bless this fandom .... ;-D ) Okay, actually, the Sassy stuff was pretty hot, but just because Jared's so goood.

How much ado about nothing can we come up with in a single episode? When you clear away all the shock and awe and shirt-removal, let's see what of substance actually happened:

1) Dean got the "Mark of Cain," which is only for people who are highly skilled and prolific killers.

2) Um ....

Okay, moving on to things we learned incidentally:

1) Crowley is obviously way too much fun to kill, so now we're going to kill Iraq Abaddon! Wait--I thought she couldn't be killed! Sure, we'll just make up some complicated mythology to make people feel like lots of important stuff is happening. "Knights of hell can be killed with a ___[First Blade or something]___."

2) You don't actually have to have Sam bare to the skin to achieve a similar effect just with him taking off his outer shirt. (NOTE TO OTHER WRITERS: SAM AND DEAN WILL TAKE OFF OUTER SHIRTS FROM NOW ON IN EVERY EPISODE.)

3) Turns out there IS such a thing as too much silly shippy innuendo. "I've been inside your brother; we're practically family!," repeat similar stuff 20 times.

4) Cain has many amazing magical powers--including the ability to keep corn exactly where it is on a small kitchen table upon which a fight is taking place inches away!

5) CROWLEY KNEW ALL ALONG ABOUT THE STUFF WITH CAIN, WHICH MEANS--gasp!--CROWLEY'S A LIAR! Oh, wait, that's old news.

6) Here's an interesting female character named Tara who--WHAT??!? THEY KILLED HER?!?! HOW SHOCKING, because that's never happened before in every single episode of the last two seasons!!!

Can't think of anything else that's likely to come back in a later ep and actually mean anything. I mean, if he can so casually retcon the ONLY BEING POSSESSED BY AN ANGEL CAN CURE HIM NOW! thing with, "I've healed you completely now, Sam" RIGHT after telling Sam he's in the same state he was in right before Gadreel had to possess him, can we take anything that happens seriously?

Anyway ... despite the very weak script, the direction was fine and the acting was incredible. To the degree the ep was saved, it was thanks to the actors. Wow, Omundson! He managed to deliver the cheesiest lines SOO well. Jensen, great, Jared, great, Tara, loved her. But aside from a few good lines, that script could have been cobbled together from old eps of this and a bunch of other shows of the last 40 years. Bees, though, we've never seen that before, right? Actually, we already went there with Cas. *sigh*

Date: 2014-01-23 06:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toratio.livejournal.com
I am kicking myself for missing the underlying stuff about the big needle and going deeper and Cas not wanting to hurt Sam, and the white fluid.

I feel like I failed at fandom. :-(

Date: 2014-01-23 06:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
*can't stop laughing* I have yet to see anyone else make the connection, either, but it seemed pretty outrageous shameless obvious upon my viewing. hee hee ....
Edited Date: 2014-01-23 06:52 am (UTC)

Date: 2014-01-23 06:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toratio.livejournal.com
And here I was, all excited about the Sassy!hug. I've only watched bits of the ep, but Cain doesn't interest me and Dean's man-pain was annoying, although I will eventually watch for Crowley, because Crowley is awesome and wants to fuck Sam sooooo bad.

But those scenes in the Bunker - domestic, ficcy, I know, but I kinda like that. Maybe it's because it was all so sassy. It's actually nice to see Sam connect with someone, rather than being the guy in the back everyone ignores because they all love Dean so much.

Date: 2014-01-23 07:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
But the hug WAS so good. "Just hold me, Cas! Take what you want of me, just never let me go!" SASSY SO GOOD.

Dean's man-pain WAS annoying--perpetually addressed, but in this case perhaps underexplored. Crowley does tell Dean he hates himself more than anyone else could, which would have been interesting, if they'd taken it any farther, because, we KNEW that. Deets, maybe?

Date: 2014-01-23 07:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toratio.livejournal.com
I think what Sam is really missing is affection. I actually think it's one of the reasons he always runs off to be with some chick or other - he wants to be held, loved, whatever. Dean loves him, but in all the wrong ways (and if that doesn't sound porny…).

I guess it makes sense, too, that they would hug after such intense… drilling.

Dean's man-pain has annoyed me for a loooong time. He needs to grow up and grow a pair. He was actually a lot more interesting in Purgatory mode than his wishy-washy shit. And I miss the jokey Dean, too, who was always trying to pick up chicks and playing pranks.

And since when is Crowley the expert on shit anyway? Must be part of getting some of his humanity back. Maybe he'll have a nicer and kinder Hell. He could call it 'Heck'.

Date: 2014-01-23 07:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
Heck! Nice.

Yes, poor Sam just needs affection; I couldn't agree more. Dean could give it to him if he wasn't so freakin' scared of chick-flick moments.

MAN, how I miss jokey Dean! Seems like they could have found a way to make him grow up a little without losing all the fun stuff. He's kind of done the opposite: not grown at all, but become the death of the party.

Date: 2014-01-23 07:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toratio.livejournal.com
I'm pretty sure he'd be more tolerable if he did grow up.

Also death of the party - that is awesome. And would be a great band name.

Dean only hugs on his terms. If he wants to hug, not chick-flickey. If Sam wants to, I don't know, ask Dean if he's alright - yeah, that's not acceptable. But, hey, Cas did say, "if angels can change, maybe so can Winchesters." It'd be nice to end this season with them being a little wiser, less combative with one another, more honest, and perhaps a little more laid back. They were doing SO WELL having fun and stuff and LARPing.

Date: 2014-01-23 07:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
I'm pretty sure he'd be more tolerable if he did grow up.

YEEES.

I hear tell that the boys are going to have it out and say everything that needs to be said in the next few episodes! But ... didn't that happen in "Sacrifice"? And a lot of good it did 'em. I feel like the writers HAVE to let something actually change in the brothers' relationship, because keeping it in this constant state of tension and brokenness is getting old ...

Date: 2014-01-23 07:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toratio.livejournal.com
It would be nice if they actually got things out in the open. What happened in Sacrifice was Dean begging Sam not to die. They actually need to talk rationally in a way that might actually make a difference.

I'd like to see them make up for good this time. You know, trust each other and then not waver in that trust. It's not like it couldn't be done.

Date: 2014-01-23 10:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] caranfindel.livejournal.com
Okay. No matter how much I might agree with the rest if this, I will not idly stand by while you mock those who give me one-layer Sam. It is a good thing and must be encouraged.

Date: 2014-01-25 02:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
Hey, I did say they need to do it in every episode from now on, didn't I?

Whyeeee?

Date: 2014-01-23 01:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cuddyclothes.livejournal.com
Sam was originally supposed to be bare-chested, but in the end he kept his t-shirt on. Why...? Oh, wait, that scene couldn't get any more homoerotic or the fandom would explode.

However, I need Sam in one layer. Yummy.

Re: Whyeeee?

Date: 2014-01-25 02:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
Oh, wait, that scene couldn't get any more homoerotic or the fandom would explode.

Truer words .... I'd have really liked to see the "explainer" they came up with for why he had to be bare-chested for Cas to work on his NECK. Actually, on second thought, that could have been pretty painful ....

Date: 2014-01-23 01:49 pm (UTC)
kalliel: (armstrong)
From: [personal profile] kalliel
Lol, I'm with caranfindel! I can't stand idly by while you mock THE BEEKEEPING DEMON.

THE BEEKEEPING. DEMON.

BEEKEEPING--!!!!!!!!!!!! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD (And his corn! Sweet corn!) Cain is my new favorite one-off demon, handily unseating 9x01's tractor demon from this title.

Because BEEKEEPING DEMON. This is not a celestial rumination on bees, nor a horde of angry killer bees, but an honest-to-god BEEKEEPING FUCKING DEMON.

BE STILL MY HEART.

On a slightly more sane note, if not actually a more serious one, my interests (and therefore my focus) are very different than yours, so I lovedddd thisssss! The parts I didn't (like Cain's backstory, lol) are irrelevant, and easily left behind. Beekeeping demon >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> anything else about said demon!

Date: 2014-01-25 02:11 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
I got nothin' against Cain. Although everything I have FOR Cain has to do with Omundson. Such as: beard! His expression during the entire fight scene! His very orderly collection of some-shucked and some-unshucked (we'll deliberately ignore what kinds of implications Thompson meant with all that) corn. And, BEES! As I have a great affinity for beekeeping, too. I have a long, probably not that interesting story to tell you about this, if you like.

Date: 2014-01-25 01:31 pm (UTC)
kalliel: (Default)
From: [personal profile] kalliel
Whoops, I also meant to say in my comment that my interests are primarily Dean, but LOL I FORGOT ABOUT MY PRIMARY INTERESTS. IN LIGHT OF THE BEES. I SWEAR I KNOW WHAT THE WORD "PRIMARY" MEANS. XD

Anywayyyyy. If you have a story to tell, my answer is ALWAYS yes, I want to hear i! And if it involves bees in any sense of them, then the answer is YES I WANT TO HEAR IT. I'm actually about to go to beekeeping class (and those bees had better goddamn appreciate that, because it is snowing and that is two miles from here >:|) so yesssss I wanna hear about your affinity for beekeeping! :D

Date: 2014-01-27 10:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
You really have beekeeping class right now?! Sounds like you have a story or two to tell, too!

I feel lame telling this, because it REALLY ISN'T VERY INTERESTING, but: I knew a guy who was in a comedy improv troupe. The troupe member/that night's emcee would ask for various suggestions from the audience for the comedians to use in skits ("a famous historical figure," "an occupation"), and bemoaned that audience members always came up with the same/most obvious stuff, which made it much less fun and less challenging for the comedians. So I spent some time before I went thinking of rarer suggestions, one of which was, for occupation, "a beekeeper!," which I bravely shouted out in a room full of strangers. The emcee teased me about it THE WHOLE REST OF THE NIGHT ... but he did finally use it in a skit. ;-)

Such is my affinity for beekeeping.

Date: 2014-01-28 02:06 am (UTC)
kalliel: (Default)
From: [personal profile] kalliel
YUP I WENT TO BEEKEEPING CLASS. IT WAS AWESOME. I don't own bees, and I'm pretty sure my landlord would not be down with the owning of bees, but someday I'm going to own my own bees and it'll be awesome. Until then, I will learn stuff and learn by tending the bees of others.

My only real connection to bees is I took an insect ecology course because I love insects, and I love bees extra-much. There was a lab that did bee research, but I wasn't in it, alas. :( They are the only thing that aggregates that isn't squicky as all hell to me. (Aggregates! Gross!! D: Molecules at too high of a magnification! Ants! Inappropriately coagulated blood as the result of an improper transfusion! ALL EXTREMELY GROSS.) But bees. :D

And awww, no, I love your bee affinity story. <3333 Beekeeper is totally a great one for an improv sketch--what did they end up doing with it in the skit, if you remember?

Date: 2014-01-29 11:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
Alas, I do not remember, only that it was not all I hoped. I remember hardly anything from that night, except that we were all rolling on the floor. I think it's the nature of improv, where on a good night the comedians and the audience come together on this hysterical wavelength and everything seems like THE FUNNIEST THING YOU'VE EVER SEEN IN YOUR LIFE, and then afterward, you're like, "WASN'T THAT HILARIOUS, WHEN ... wait, that's not actually that funny." But it sure is a grand time in the moment!

Yeah, bees are the coolest. I knew a guy who kept bees. We were chatting out by the hives and you could see the "bee highway" by which they mainly traveled, plain as day. It was amazing.

Is the class offered through your college? Tell me the truth: do you get stung? I've heard conflicting reports. ;-)

Date: 2014-01-30 01:30 am (UTC)
kalliel: (Default)
From: [personal profile] kalliel
I totally know what you mean! XD

And no, it's through this science center nearish my house. I've only lived here about five months, all of which are not bee season, so the actual keeping of the bees will be new to me. But yes, you do get stung! The woman teaching the class has apparently been beekeeping for 20+years, and she said that on average, she typically gets stung about 100 times a year (tending 48 hives).

I've only been stung once before, and it was such a novelty that afterwards I spent the next half hour taking photographs of the bee. XD I am now the semi-proud owner of semi-decent macro shots of a dead bee.

Date: 2014-02-01 03:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
Okay, thank you, because for a while there, all these beekeepers (yes, I really have watched WAAAY more documentaries on beekeeping than the average bear--again, SUCH IS MY AFFINITY FOR BEEKEEPING--as I too once upon a time dreamed of having my own hives) would go on record insisting they'd never been stung. Then my sister talked to one who said they say that as a joke, that they get stung all the time, which makes MUCH MORE SENSE. I am glad to finally get the straight story from someone!

And, SIMAFBK, I would love to hear any and all stories you ever care to tell here on lj about your beekeeping adventures.

Date: 2014-01-23 04:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jessm78.livejournal.com
Honestly you make some really good points about this one. I found the writing to be pretty meh, but I agree the actors did save it.

And yeah it is REALLY annoying when another interesting female character is killed off. I swear, 5 minutes after she first appeared, one of my first thoughts was "she's not going to make it."

The whole thing with Cas just healing Sam at the end was way too easy I thought. Glad I'm not the only one who felt that way.

Date: 2014-01-25 02:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
I swear, 5 minutes after she first appeared, one of my first thoughts was "she's not going to make it."

I'm so freakin' tired of this! I was even reading a fic the other day by a writer who doesn't do violence. An original female character appeared and I tensed up immediately, because SPN has conditioned me to believe that means DON'T GET ATTACHED 'COS SHE'S GONNA DIE. (Fortunately, OFCs CAN live on in fics!)

Date: 2014-01-31 11:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] septembers-coda.livejournal.com
How did I never manage to tell you how much I loved this review? It was better than the episode! I LOLed so much at the fill-in-the-blank format. THAT'S SO HOW IT FELT. And 2) Ummm...

bwa ha ha, awesome.

Yes, the only things we need to keep from this ep are: beekeeping, by popular demand, Cain's beard, and ONE-LAYER WINCHESTERS. <3

Seriously though-- Tara. I find I'm still upset about that, though it's late-season ( or really, all-season) SPN all over. I really want them to stop doing that, with female characters generally and those over 30 in particular. We really needed a Tara.

Date: 2014-02-01 03:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brightly-lit.livejournal.com
RIGHT?? Minor characters die with such regularity, it's lost all impact and meaning. WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL THIS? And the fact that it's even worse with female characters ... ugh. <:-(

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