9.16, or, Snookie, we hardly knew ye were so tiny until we saw ye next to the Js

[brightly_lit]

Ah, 9.16. I've been influenced by y'all's reactions (many of which seem to revolve around delight at the brief duration of Dean's involuntary servitude to Cuthbert, because we SPN fans are perfectly normal and prefer depictions of normal, healthy relationships that don't involve sex slavery or anything at all resembling it), so I'm going to try to go back, back before I started reading your responses, and remember what my initial reaction was.

These days, I consider it a good episode when I feel joyful and entertained throughout (as opposed to the old days of SPN, when for that precious hour, I forgot there was any other reality) despite any of the now-all-too-common issues with canon or character consistency, and I was, I enjoyed it.

Loved simpering, human-blood-addict Crowley, who adores Sam because not only was he his human-blood pusher, but he was his very first taste of the drug. They say it's never again as good as the first dose .... I really admire actors who can switch between making a character despicable and sympathetic, and Shepard does it with ease.

As much as I was dreading Snookie, it was actually a good role for her (UNLIKE the Paris fiasco) within the context of the show, and she ... wasn't that bad! She couldn't transition from one thought/sentence into another and make it sound natural (which a lot of beginner actors struggle with), but her individual lines weren't half bad! (You know Jarpad likes Jersey Shore, right? I can't help but wonder if that's how she ended up on the show.)

I thought Lola was fantastic. And I LOVED the Cuthbert actor! Wow!! He gave a real sense of the history of the MoL, and genuinely seemed like a '50's throwback. Plus, he played his character just right--Cuthbert is off just enough that all his brilliant-but-horrifying ideas just seem good to him.

I loved Dean's helpless moment as Cuthbert sucked away his will, the way the First Blade is taking hold of him (and I guess ALL our monsters-of-the-week, from Crowley to Cuthbert, reflected the addiction/obsession/control theme, if unsubtly). I loved Crowley's heroics and adorable eagerness to please.

I'm not going to say it's the best episode ever, but there was so much to love. I guess even if Show is kind of a mess these days, this episode's winning charm and spirit of fun and how packed it was with Supernatural-ly goodness warmed my fannish heart.

Comments

[toratio.livejournal.com]

I'm going to be controversial and say I kind of liked the Paris moments in SPN. I thought it was kind of funny and self-parodying. And she had her head chopped off.

I mean, come on! "Dude, you just got wailed on by Paris Hilton."

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

The head-chopping, I'll give you that, but yet that felt like a deliberately calculated p.r. move to make her more sympathetic in the eyes of the public ("look, I can laugh at myself!--or at least pretend like I can ..."). And at least Snookie was just a brief little scene and not the CLIMAX OF THE EPISODE. I don't want Paris and climaxes anywhere near me. ;-> And I felt the self-parody was more cleverly written with Snookie. Okay, can you tell I just really don't like Paris Hilton?? It was so painful to watch them act well against her non-acting. At least Snookie really tried her best. Bleh. 'Stunt casting' pisses me off no matter who it is, though ...

[toratio.livejournal.com]

LOL I'm detecting some anti-Hilton sentiment.:D

I think both are dreadful casting decisions that make no sense.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

(many of which seem to revolve around delight at the brief duration of Dean's involuntary servitude to Cuthbert, because we SPN fans are perfectly normal and prefer depictions of normal, healthy relationships that don't involve sex slavery or anything at all resembling it)

This is why I love you.

I preferred Paris to Snooki, plot wise, because there was actually a reason for her to be there. It made no sense for Snooki to be a crossroads demon. (Acting wise they were both pretty awful.)

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

This is why I love you.

Hee. Aw, thanks, dear.

I go more deeply into my feelings about Paris vs. Snookie in a comment above, if you're interested ...

[sylvia-locust.livejournal.com]

healthy relationships that don't involve sex slavery

Yes, right! *cough* Did I manage to say that with a straight face?

:D

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

;-) THIS fandom? Never!!

[septembers-coda.livejournal.com]

Totally agree about Cuthbert (*snort*-- sex slavery aside)! It was hard to imagine this was just a regular thirty-something, modern actor; he pulled off the 50s thing SO well. And since the 50s are super-creepy, it really worked. I especially loved the completely sincere yet wonderfully sardonic "Well, thanks, sport!"

With ya on Snooki over Paris. Much less painful. No, Snooki wasn't a great actor, but at least she wasn't distractingly bad. She did fine. And knowing that Jared watches Jersey Shore, with great embarrassment, makes me long to be a fly on the wall on set that day. :-}

[brightly-lit.livejournal.com]

I couldn't agree more with your whole first paragraph. (And I forgot about "sport"! Brilliant!)

RIGHT?? Yet just because I may have thought someone made for an interesting character on a show I watched (particularly a reality show) doesn't mean I'd wanna, you know, work with them. It makes me wonder if the producers were like "Guess what, Jared? We got Snooki!" and he was like, "Oh! ... great." Or sometimes you might think you'd really like someone and then when you meet them in person it turns out you really don't .... Yes, I'd have loved to see what it was like on set that day!