brightly_lit (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
brightly_lit) wrote2014-01-22 11:43 pm
brightly_lit) wrote2014-01-22 11:43 pm
Entry tags:
9.11, or, Pret-ty lame, Milhouse
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 killIraq 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*
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
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*
no subject
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?
no subject
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'.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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 ...
no subject
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.