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sylvia_bond You can read my review of the Supernatural episode "Long Distance Call" at pinkraygun.com. Thank you!
An excerpt:
However, Wardrobe needs to realize that Sam is now a strapping tall lad with pecs out to there and shoulders as wide as an axe handle. We’ve seen the pictures. He can pound nails with his neck. He can decapitate a vampire man with a piece of wire and his bare hands. To pretend otherwise is to attempt to ignore the changes that Sam has gone through. To expect the audience to ignore the changes as well is to do us a disservice. We’re not blind. Oh, we’d happily go blind staring at Sam’s physique, yes indeed. But we’re not blind. (Plus, if Show wants Sam to look young and harmless? Then they need to bring back The Bangs. Get Makeup involved and check out pics of Season One. Now there, you got you some classic Samhair. With bangs.)
Hands, in pockets:
An excerpt:
However, Wardrobe needs to realize that Sam is now a strapping tall lad with pecs out to there and shoulders as wide as an axe handle. We’ve seen the pictures. He can pound nails with his neck. He can decapitate a vampire man with a piece of wire and his bare hands. To pretend otherwise is to attempt to ignore the changes that Sam has gone through. To expect the audience to ignore the changes as well is to do us a disservice. We’re not blind. Oh, we’d happily go blind staring at Sam’s physique, yes indeed. But we’re not blind. (Plus, if Show wants Sam to look young and harmless? Then they need to bring back The Bangs. Get Makeup involved and check out pics of Season One. Now there, you got you some classic Samhair. With bangs.)
Hands, in pockets:
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 12:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 02:24 pm (UTC)Acutally his hair was pretty fine this time around. I was just keeping up the faith on that one. But peeping? Yeah, he needs to peep.
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Date: 2008-05-06 01:32 pm (UTC)Hahha!
I really enjoyed reading your review again. I like you see these camera angles details and show us so many interesting things.
Dean has a blind faith, Sam is the only one who can save him...and him...and him :)
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Date: 2008-05-06 03:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 02:29 pm (UTC)This episode struck me as so *sad*, Sam demoralized, so achingly quiet, even his voice, like he just can't *do* it anymore. And Dean so desperate, his emotions finally forcing themselves through all those barriers, and then he reaches out for the only person he would ever let help him (Sam, duh, but I know you knew that) and Sam can't even go there with him, not right at that moment. It just about broke my heart. It's as though the boys, as complementary as they are, when one switched roles the other had to shift of necessity, just to maintain that symbiotic balance they've got going on so prettily.
On a more practical note, I think the writers strike really hurt this last bit of the season. Essentially trying to wrap a gigantic emotional story line like Dean's deal in three episodes (Ghostfacers was pre-strike, so that doesn't really count) is almost impossible. So I think we, the loyal viewers, are all feeling that frustration and wanting/needing so much more from these few episodes than is maybe possible.
Or is this just me being really really good at rationalizing? I hope not. I don't think so. Is it Thursday yet???
Lynsey
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Date: 2008-05-06 03:11 pm (UTC)The writer's strike for one, and that I should give Show the benefit of the doubt, and maybe I would have had I not been feeling so under the weather. I just remember my visceral reactions to Dream a Little Dream and Mystery Spot and could not help compare the quality here. But writer's strike aside, the script itself was fine, the dialog was fine - it was a typical episode with a monster and a gig and a little bit of the Deal thrown in. What was lacking was the staging. Sam and Dean do a lot of standing around, with their hands in their pockets. Even given Sam's emotional distance, he and Dean normally don't act like that. Also, there was no "stuff" to add texture as there normally is, no junk in the room (trash, soda cans, luggage, socks), the trunk of the Impala was more bare than usual, no movement, everything was static. I know for a fact that the set dressers are fanatical as to each detail. Did they get the week off or something?
As to the underlying meaning, the one I wasn't willing to dig for, yeah, I can see that. I like your theory, that Sam has HAD it, and can't take it anymore. That he's so worn down that even Dean's pleas don't affect him.
Okay, even if that were true, and I'm totally willing to buy it, there should have been more to show us this. Sam delivering the unspoken line, "I am OUT of here," should have brought the house down with emotional content. Padalecki is the Babe Ruth of mutli-level delivery, he should have hit it out of the park. But he didn't. So I have to ask myself why? Staging? Something the director said? I don't know nothing about making no TV, so I'm in the dark. Plus, given that Sam's early protestations were to complain about the fact that they were doing ANYTHING but working on Dean's deal, given that, why would he suddenly decide that random chick was more important than Dean? The whole "duty first" is not Sam. I can't put it off to a flip, because he wasn't acting like Dean either.
At the same time, Dean is having a hissy fit that Sam is leaving him to help some random chick. Hissy fit is the best way to describe it for me, because his anger seems almost ineffectual and Un-Dean like. It's almost like he's not really angry at all. I would have expected him to come apart. Ackles is a very damn good actor, he is the Muhammad Ali of this show. (I'm so bad at knowing sports, I always loose in Trivial Persuit on account of it!) He will hurt you and make you cry just looking at him, so why, oh why does it feel like he was going through the motions here? Yes, okay, I'm willing to believe that Dean just went and shoved it all down, but even when he's shoving it down, you can feel how bad it hurts him. It normally radiates off the screen like a nuclear reaction. Like Chernobyl. You can feel it in your bones. That's the kind of actor Ackles is.
It has occurred to me that the sense of disconnection that the MOW so helpfully discussed at length (because he's never seen the Overlord's Guide on how and why not to talk too much when torturing your victims), was supposed to be exemplified here both by the boys not talking and the lack of movement and lack of stuff. That would have been lovely had it worked for me. If I'd had just one hint, one tiny inkling that that was the theme? Then I would have been as impressed as all hell. Over the moon. Dancing a jig. Alas. Maybe my bad mood really did get in the way, otherwise I would have seen it.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 02:45 pm (UTC)The sheets are pale (a light spring green that always seems to signify hope), and he’s sleeping on his back, safe in the knowledge that he can trust Dean to watch over him.
They're just awww.....
In this episode, in my book, Sam is very cute. Even with black suits. The show tried to make a more mature Sam with the rental Chevy, but it just didn't work. I wonder as well why this time Sammy got his own car. He was in the same town as his brother after all.
But I guess, it's because they went to different ways in the investigation. And apparently, Sam had enough money to rental a car. :))
All in all, as usual, I like your review. Honestly, this episode is better than Ghostfacers.
♥ you!
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Date: 2008-05-06 03:18 pm (UTC)As to the car thing, yeah, what gives? I could accept it if there'd been an explanation, but nope, we got nothing. (And I would think they'd use a fradulent credit card, yes? So money wouldn't be an option...)
Thank you for reading and enjoying! There was more to like than I included in my review, but I was way over my word limit as it was.
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Date: 2008-05-06 03:27 pm (UTC)http://community.livejournal.com/dean_sam/4291169.html
*smiles*
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Date: 2008-05-06 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-07 06:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-07 04:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 03:04 pm (UTC)i just tried to comment but it doesn't look as if it took it? maybe it was too long - i see now i have to put it in 2 comment windows here at LJ!! anyway, i didn't even finish but here is what i had so far (under my susannaheanes username). take it or leave it!
love, s.
comments as i read thru:
1. i think the hands-in-pockets thing is becuz they want to punch something. to me it showed tension and angst and omg wtf amigonnadonao? punching didn't actually make sense, and also - if they started hitting something the tension was so high they might not stop.
in conclusion: hands-in-pockets worked for me. i'm just sayin'.
2. Dean does research on the laptop while Sam lounges... umm, yeah. this episode was all about role reversal. also, Sam is pretty sure this is NOT the gig he wants to be investigating, and he's resentful and recalcitrant. ok, he's pouty. but it looks good on him, so yeah.
3. The room does not contain the usual disarray that I’m used to seeing. Budget cuts for props, maybe? I believe metaphorically this is supposed to show at this point, they're running out of time, running on empty, living stripped down lives. I know when I am in a hurry and thinking about everything except the necessities, I'm just as likely to leave my purse, current projects, and even my shoes in the car and go out and get them later when I need them, IF I even have time to attend to them. It would not be unlikely, since the boys have so little anyway, I can see them leaving everything except maybe a change of underwear in the car. Also, maybe do not need to prep or clean guns or equipment from the last hunt (already done? didn't use?). Anyway, it didn't appear off to me until you mentioned it, but I re-watched a few scenes and this is the impression I got: stripped down, desperate, at a loss for what to do, running on empty, running out of time.
4. Maybe Sam’s reticence to believe comes out of the fact that he’s all out of hope and can barely breathe in and out. At any rate, he can’t take it and goes off to help the chick. Dean is furious. And hurt. The woefully sad piano chords build while Dean goes and sits in a chair to try and push the hurt back inside.
My, my. You really DIDN'T like this episode, did you? LOL. But consider: Don't you think Sam is hurting, too? It is apparent that he has no idea how to help Dean, and he's nursing the fact that yet again, Dean has kept something significant from him: Ruby ain't helping, she lied, and he doesn't have a back-up plan. He's devastated. The fact that he goes off to help Lainie instead to me is analogous to what some of us do every day: nose to the grindstone, we go to work and do what little good we know how to do, in spite of the fact that we know the world is going to hell in a hand-basket. But we shoulder on, and sometimes we eventually look up and the answer is there. Sam is hoping for something to drop into his brain, or out of the sky, and otherwise, is marking time doing what he believes he CAN do: help a civilian.
5. Sam would never never, never, EVER leave Dean. He did, though, in 3.09. Remember? It was to go do what he thought he knew how to do, what he believed would work in that instance. He's lost. He believes he can do his brother absolutely no good. Has no idea what use he is to his brother anymore. People who feel that way DO tend to slink off & angst or bury themselves in something that can make them forget for awhile: for Sam, it's work and drink. For Dean, it's sex, work, and drink. Dean's done it. Sam's doing it now. See? Complete role reversal. Show is telling us this in a MAJOR way. Stay tuned....
(cont'd below)
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Date: 2008-05-06 03:04 pm (UTC)6. Sam figures out what the MOW is from a single phrase (and all the other little details stacked up behind it). Well, either this is a plot hole, which I’d hate to think, or it’s just Sam. He must have a catalog of monsters in his head, and the catchphrase “come to me” triggers something off and the file drawer opens and bing, out comes the information.
Jared fangirled Sam all to pieces at EyeCon for remembering this snippet of information that supposedly was in John's journal. Jared said, "The thing I love most about Sam is his analytical mind. He can put together pieces of information from months, even years back." And then he named that as one example of an instance where Sam does that, and he also referenced Sam's ability to memorize extensive passages in Latin. We saw that in Jus in Bello. Therefore, I assume we're only going to see more of Sam's Extremely Ginormous Brain Wowing Us All With It's Encyclopedia of Weirdness. The End.
7. [Sam is] watching and adding what he’s learning to the database in his head. See? You noticed it too (see #7).
And now I'm outa time & not finished but work calls. I'll come back & see what you think of all this silliness I've just spouted.
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Date: 2008-05-06 04:02 pm (UTC)Yeah, Sam's got a ginormous brain, and that's a fact. I don't really have a problem with him knowing what a crocotta is, because it is something he would know. I think that I was still complaining that random chick let him in the house when in real life she should know better in the same paragraph as the comment about him knowing stuff, and the two comments got mixed up. I should have been more clear. Sam is the smartest thing on the planet and I love him for it! He would beat all our asses in Trivial persuit!!!
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Date: 2008-05-06 04:03 pm (UTC)I could buy your theory if I had actually felt there was some underlying aggression that the boys were feeling. Even with that agreesion, it doesn't make sense that they do it in almost every scene. I mean, they even do it at the museum, and what's there to feel aggressive about there? If they were cold and had to put their hands in their pockets, then the dialog should indicate it. Just didn't work for me, I guess.
2. Dean does research on the laptop while Sam lounges... umm, yeah. this episode was all about role reversal. also, Sam is pretty sure this is NOT the gig he wants to be investigating, and he's resentful and recalcitrant. ok, he's pouty. but it looks good on him, so yeah.
If this is the gig Sam is pretty sure they should not be investigating, then why oh why does he suddenly decide to go help random chick? If, if, if when he finally decides to take the job, then maybe I could see him doing it full out - but only if Dean wasn't in danger. I like Sam lolling on the bed, oh, I do, I really do. Still, his fingers must have been itching to get at the computer.
3. The room does not contain the usual disarray that I'm used to seeing. Budget cuts for props, maybe? I believe metaphorically this is supposed to show at this point, they're running out of time, running on empty, living stripped down lives.
Now this I could buy. I think if I hadn't been in such a lousy mood, I could have seen this more clearly, so thank you for pointing it out. When you're under a deadline, you sometimes leave your stuff in the car in readiness for the next day. Yeah. I can buy this. (Still doesn't explain why there is almost nothing in the trunk of the Impala, but you're right.)
4. Maybe Sam's reticence to believe comes out of the fact that he's all out of hope and can barely breathe in and out. At any rate, he can't take it and goes off to help the chick. Dean is furious. And hurt. The woefully sad piano chords build while Dean goes and sits in a chair to try and push the hurt back inside.
...But we shoulder on, and sometimes we eventually look up and the answer is there. Sam is hoping for something to drop into his brain, or out of the sky, and otherwise, is marking time doing what he believes he CAN do: help a civilian.
Mmmmm, yes. Sam is hurting, so he's keeping busy, trying to do something else rather than sit and brood.
He's soldiering on...I guess I wanted to see this expressed somewhere, in Sam's eyes, or something he says, even to himself. But I gots nothing from Show.
5. Sam would never never, never, EVER leave Dean. He did, though, in 3.09. Remember? It was to go do what he thought he knew how to do, what he believed would work in that instance. He's lost. He believes he can do his brother absolutely no good. Has no idea what use he is to his brother anymore. People who feel that way DO tend to slink off & angst or bury themselves in something that can make them forget for awhile: for Sam, it's work and drink. For Dean, it's sex, work, and drink. Dean's done it. Sam's doing it now. See? Complete role reversal. Show is telling us this in a MAJOR way. Stay tuned....
I can't put it off to a role reversal. I know several people think that's what's going on here, but I just can't see it. Role reversal means, to me, that Sam would go all out hunting and killing and that Dean would sit and brood and do research. Well, I guess, that's what they do, because Sam kills the MOW while Dean is back at the motel. Still, it felt off kilter to me because they weren't their normal selves even in flip mode. And if Sam goes off because he doesn't feel he can help his brother (I like your reference here to 3.09) then Show should have indicated this. If Show was trying something fancy, it failed because it failed to communicate it to the audience.
(P.S. I love all of your insights!!!!!)
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Date: 2008-05-06 04:48 pm (UTC)but seriously - you can flat out blame jeremy carver if you want. i think he SUCKS as a writer, even if he does manage to get in a few kind of neat details every now and then. i read alot into the characters that may not even be there, and it is possible i even read too much because i was eyeball deep finishing up writing Communion, which is where Sam Saves Dean From the Pit of Hell Through Sex. 'cuz you know, that is totally what NEEDS to happen, but it's television, so it won't. Sigh.
Maybe we put this episode down to "Gee, what was really happening they totally couldn't show onscreen." Better yet, WE NEEDS AN ACRONYM for this phenomenon. Howsabout
OSS - OFF SCREEN SEX or
SOS - SEXXING OFF SCREEN or
ASS - ANGST SOLVED (BY) SEXX
These were just the initial ones that occurred to me. I obviously need to stop and have lunch, brain cells misfiring. LOLZ
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 05:30 pm (UTC)Normally, yeah, like you, I'd be giving Show the benefit of the doubt, and I normally do, right? I'll say something like, "Well, that doesn't make sense but I'll let it go on account of Sam and/or Dean is so freaking Awesome and Beautiful!!!" But this time, I couldn't do it. I just couldn't let it go unremarked upon. My bad mood, a pinched nerve, and some awfully sloppy work on Show's part all combine into my review this week.
As to Mr. Carver...let's see what I can say that's incredibly diplomatic and pointed at the same time without pulling the temple walls down on top of my head. I don't normally pay attention to which writer wrote what or which director directed what with one exception and that is the ep "Heart." Still my all time top fave, on account of the tremendous impact it had on the boys and on me, and I thank Kim Manners from the bottom of my heart forever and for all eternity. Otherwise, I can't recognize anyone's stamp on a particular ep, though I fancy I can recognize a Kripke-written ep a mile off, because there's always such power in them.
So let's just say Carver writes a good ep, a decent ep, which I believe he can and he has. It could still be ruined by a myriad of things, such as bad direction, or even the boys being off their stride that week. Conversely, a badly written ep can be saved by good direction and by the boys rising to the occasion and putting in the missing texture that has come to represent the typical excellence of this show.
But, When I saw the little bits from Buddy TV, where they filmed the J's backstage practicing an argument from this ep, I thought, wow, do they always run through their lines like this? Without any feeling behind it? I'm not an actor, so I don't know how it's done, or if this is their usual method. Certainly getting the lines right is important, but I had the funny feeling that the run-through lines had the same emotional impact as the lines did when they were filmed. That's what hit me, the sense this week that they were just getting the job done, basically phoning it in. Maybe that swayed me in my review, I can't be certain.
On the other hand, yeah, the boys work HARD, they work long hours, and they are brilliant at bringing Sam and Dean to life. My word, how my life would be so different without Show, and how much I adore it - so to actually say something critical this week just about KILLED me. My fingernails are gone and there is no more ice cream in the house. Had this ep appeared earlier in the season? Or had it appeared when I was not in a bad mood? Or even, if I were to see this ep this summer, without being under duress, or with the expectation of a clever review? I'll wager I might (MIGHT) be singing a different tune, but I doubt it. Given the story arc, it's a little late in the game for the lack of emotion and angst we got.
Yeah, the acronyms are HIL-arious!!! I'm always making stuff up that happens off screen, I know I'm not alone in this! But when I have to make stuff up for the ENTIRE ep to explain everything? Wow. Not good.
Good luck with Communion! Are you doing it for the big bang?
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 06:03 pm (UTC)Which brings to mind two things: 1) it's amazing how many times different sources in fandom dovetail and come to the same, complimentary, or dovetailed conclusions and how we feed so directly off of one another and back into Show and 2) The writer's strike is to blame for alot of missing episodes, missing scenes, and like you and
I'm always making stuff up that happens off screen, I know I'm not alone in this! But when I have to make stuff up for the ENTIRE ep to explain everything? Wow. Not good.
Back to your response just now - I agree with just about everything you say there. I think the boys *are* tired, but yes, running lines means just that: running them. Making sure you have all the words down, not the inflection and angst (altho' I thought it was great that Jensen flings out his hands in frustration at one point just like Dean will when they film). I know only a smattering about acting, enough to get me in trouble. I was in theatre for years as a dancer, a stage hand (at times I worked lights AND sound, lmao), and a costumer. Rarely as an actor. But yeah, that's all they were supposed to be doing.
But (if you'll permit me to say something I've said over and over at
I mean, you see my icon. If I could get it tattoo'd on my soul, and there it would be. But that would embarrass him no end, so I won't. But I think about it.
*huggles you*
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 06:36 pm (UTC)RE: Fanfic: Well I've always thought fanfic was part of the whole, and I don't mind thinking or feeling that I've got to fill in the blanks on my own. Or grab some amazing fanfic to do that for me. It just seems excessive to have to dig SO hard for it this time around. It felt like there was nothing I could hang my hat on, nothing to get me started. No "prompts" as it were to point me in the right direction. Normally show has plenty of prompts and texture and little easter egg-type treats spread about, so I fully anticipate that next week's ep will satisfy me much better in this regard.
Re acting/running lines: I can see that, truly. I enjoyed seeing that bit of them behind the scenes, and I realize that running through is not the same as being "on" when you are filming. Maybe it would have been better if I'd not seen them, though I don't think my opinion would have changed all that much.
Re Who Will Save the boys: I don't pay attention to who does what, but if I had, I'd be willing to bet that you are right. Kripke set the path, but it's the team who gets the wagon there. Or the bus, if you prefer. : D
I just usually think of Kripke when I think of the heart of Supernatural, though normally in my reviews I just refer to Show - it's almost as if I knew that Kripke wasn't soley responsible for everything that we see.
RE icon: I love your icon and have admired it for some time. When I see it, there's a song with those exact same lyrics that jumps into my head! Plus it's So true, because after He made Jensen, he broke the mold.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 08:36 pm (UTC)the team who gets the wagon there
i like that way of putting it! more along my luddite mindset.
HAY. I hope you are feeling better. I just now read back thru enough to realize that you weren't feeling so well. And you know, that really sucks if a show doesn't come off and you're already feeling out of kilter... just makes it worse! But I hope in my heart of hearts that we'll get at least something of what we were meant to get out of 3.15 and 3.16. I think the writers' strike really did hurt the show because of compressing so much into so little time. I was talking to
THAT'S JUST OVER ONE WEEK BEFORE DEAN'S DEAL IS DUE ON MAY 2nd. HOMG.
In light of THAT, it either makes More or Less sense for Dean & Sam to have been so out of kilter in 3.14.
erm... I'm going to the freezer. I'm pretty certain there is some Dutch Chocolate Cookie Double Fudge left in the carton... just as soon as I can get my thumb out of my mouth.
*shudders*
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 09:09 pm (UTC)Oh man WHAT a catch. That blacklid, she is smart. I saw that exact same date and didn't make a thing of it. Question then, how are we all sure that May 2 is the date that Sam came back from the dead? What is the reference, do you know?
I thank you for your kind sympathy. The doctors have been of no help. They've got many suggestions but no answers. Ah well. I'm going to keep trying.
Yes, if the boys are out of kilter, I would like for Show to have acknowledged that. Like, if one of the boys had said something like, "YOu're being a real jerk lately," or "I can't take it anymore," or something. You know? Just so we don't have to guess like this.
I am picking up Haagen Dazz butter pecan on the way home. I deserve it! And so do you!
:::humming:::
When He rolls up His sleeves
He ain't just putting on the ritz
There's thunder in His footsteps
And lightning in His fists
The Lord wasn't joking
When He kicked 'em out of Eden
It wasn't for no reason
That He shed His blood
His return is very close
And so you better be believing that
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
And when the sky was starless
In the void of the night
(God is an awesome God)
He spoke into the darkness
And created the light
(God is an awesome God)
Judgement and wrath He poured out on Sodom
Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross
I hope that we have not
Too quickly forgotten that
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God (Our God is an awesome God)
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God (Our God is an awesome God)
He reigns from heaven above (He reigns)
With wisdom, power, and love (With wisdom and power)
God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 09:35 pm (UTC)you wrote the words - hee. *blushes*
Luddites \0/ Take it easy & put your feet up & enjoy that nice bowl of goodness, k?
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 09:41 pm (UTC)Butter Pecan, baby, here I come!!!
And thank you for the lovely discussion today! It was a whole lot nicer than working on work!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 09:53 pm (UTC)you're welcome and thank you, too!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 03:35 pm (UTC)Also, I think Sam's leaving Dean to go help the chick was actually his way of helping Dean. If he could find out what or who was calling the chick, it would help him with Dean's phone problem.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 04:08 pm (UTC)Yeah, I think you might be right...that's the only reason I can think of, that he's helping her so that he can help Dean. If Show had indicated this in ANY way would satisfy me much better.
Plus I'll be in a better mood this week, I promise!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 08:00 pm (UTC)Thanks for the review. It's good to have a moan with someone who can still see past any slightly "off" bits to the awesomeness that is Sam and Dean.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-06 08:26 pm (UTC)And oh man, I totally MISSED the mobile phone issue! That's a good one - he could have gone WITH Sam, and solved this whole problem. That he did not, yeah, plot device. A BIG one.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-07 01:17 pm (UTC)I have been informed that the boys rent the suits and do not carry a bunch of them in the trunk of the Impala.
Was there some official statement that I missed? It sounds a lot more reasonable than them carrying around a bag with thousands of suits.
Back in the motel room, Dean does research on the laptop while Sam lounges sexily on one of the beds.
Watching that scene I was like 'Huh??? Why is Dean working the laptop???', because like you said, it is so out of character for Sam to hang around doing nothing and letting Dean do all the research.
bustyasianbeautys.com [...] Dean recommended the platinum membership
Bwahahaha!
the question as to why Sam has a rental car in the first place.
Does anybody have a good explanation why Sam uses a rental car? Because I still don't get it. But I really liked the licence plate of the car. It said EM(number)O(more numbers) and all I could see was EMO.
The boys go to the museum
I just love the guide. "And we are walking, we are walking, we are walking - and not touching - we are walking..." Teehee. Are museum guides really that annoying? I never had a guided tour, I usually wander through museums on my own.
if Show wants Sam to look young and harmless? Then they need to bring back The Bangs.
Totally. The bangs make him look about ten years younger. But. While I (like you and tons of other fangirls) really liked the bangs, I'm not sure Sam with bangs would work now. I'm afraid he has outgrown them in season two.
Dean tries to tell him what The Dad said. Sam is dubious [...] At any rate, he can’t take it and goes off to help the chick. Dean is furious. And hurt.
I was a little pissed, too. What the hell was Sam thinking, helping the chick rather than Dean?! And if he really had to go help the chick, why didn't he drag Dean along? The way Dean was reacting to the calls from The Dad and freaking out, you'd think Sam would hate to let him out of his sight. Uh, I think you already said that. *sheepish grin*
Soon, Sam is tied up, which means it must be Thursday!
Yay, tied up!Sam is always a good thing! My favorite tied up!Sam was in Skin, but I'm fine with any tied up!Sam.
At one point, Dean has bested the father, who is on the floor, and Dean kicks him in the ribs. Then again, and again and again. And then one more time after that, just for spite.
I was fearing a little for the father's life here because Dean was so out of it. I was very relieved that he managed to rein himself back in.
And heck, since Show is listening, I’ll suggest that next time they film the first aid scenes anyway and then add them to the “extras” section of the DVD collection.
Oh God, yes!!! I'd prefer a whole episode of first aid (What?! A fangirl can hope!) with Dean as the hurt one, please, but some extra scenes would make me just as happy.
Overall I liked the episode, which may have a lot to do with my willingness to cut the writers some slack after the strike, and with the fact that I live in Europe and am therefore happy with every episode I'm able to watch. Even a not-so-good/bad Supernatural episode is better than no Supernatural at all.
I'm sorry you were in a bad mood while watching it. Hope you're feeling better now!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-07 04:15 pm (UTC)I put it down to staging, with the boys just standing there with their hands in their pockets. Late at night, when I'm tired, I begin to think that Ackles and Padalecki were doing it as some kind of protest for some reason. Isn't that a weird theory? Go figure.
Was there some official statement that I missed? It sounds a lot more reasonable than them carrying around a bag with thousands of suits.
Oh no, nothing official. I just had a dozen people write me with the theory that the boys rent suits in each town they are in. That counts as valid in my book!
Watching that scene I was like 'Huh??? Why is Dean working the laptop???', because like you said, it is so out of character for Sam to hang around doing nothing and letting Dean do all the research.
Especially not when Dean's life is in danger, let alone anytime else. He can't be THAT mad at Dean.
Does anybody have a good explanation why Sam uses a rental car? Because I still don't get it. But I really liked the licence plate of the car. It said EM(number)O(more numbers) and all I could see was EMO.
Good one! I saw that the camera was on the license plate, but couldn't figure out why. Now I know, thanks to you! (and no, noone has offered up a good reason for the rental car...)
I just love the guide. "And we are walking, we are walking, we are walking - and not touching - we are walking..." Teehee. Are museum guides really that annoying? I never had a guided tour, I usually wander through museums on my own.
Some of them can be especially in the smaller, local museums where there's no training and the guides get high and mighty with the power of being in control. : D
Totally. The bangs make him look about ten years younger. But. While I (like you and tons of other fangirls) really liked the bangs, I'm not sure Sam with bangs would work now. I'm afraid he has outgrown them in season two.
He has outgrown them, yes, and he'll never be that sweet and innocent again, which begs the question as to why they dressed him like it was Season One?
I was a little pissed, too. What the hell was Sam thinking, helping the chick rather than Dean?! And if he really had to go help the chick, why didn't he drag Dean along? The way Dean was reacting to the calls from The Dad and freaking out, you'd think Sam would hate to let him out of his sight. Uh, I think you already said that. *sheepish grin*
Yeah, someone else also pointed out to me that Dean had a cell phone so it wasn't imperative that he stay at the motel by himself, which was extremely foolish to allow on Sam's part. Like I said, he couldn't have been THAT mad at Dean, so why did he do this? I put it down to a huge flaw in the script.
Yay, tied up!Sam is always a good thing! My favorite tied up!Sam was in Skin, but I'm fine with any tied up!Sam.
There ain't NOTHING better. Oh, we are so twisted!!!!!
I was fearing a little for the father's life here because Dean was so out of it. I was very relieved that he managed to rein himself back in.
Yes, he did and then managed to get smashed up for it. Not that he got any sympathy from Sam, more's the pity.
Oh God, yes!!! I'd prefer a whole episode of first aid (What?! A fangirl can hope!) with Dean as the hurt one, please, but some extra scenes would make me just as happy.
They should know by now how much we love first aid scenes. An entire ep? Well, you just keep on hoping and I will do the same!
Overall I liked the episode, which may have a lot to do with my willingness to cut the writers some slack after the strike, and with the fact that I live in Europe and am therefore happy with every episode I'm able to watch. Even a not-so-good/bad Supernatural episode is better than no Supernatural at all.
I'll cut them some slack when they give me my first aid scene! Dangit! I'm willing to go back and watch this one again, now that I don't have a deadline over my head.
I'm sorry you were in a bad mood while watching it. Hope you're feeling better now!
Pinched nerve and a cold - but I'm getting better now, thank you!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-12 09:10 am (UTC)LOL
Oh no, nothing official. I just had a dozen people write me with the theory that the boys rent suits in each town they are in. That counts as valid in my book!
Ok, I'll go with that theory from now on!
He has outgrown them, yes, and he'll never be that sweet and innocent again, which begs the question as to why they dressed him like it was Season One?
I think it has something to do with his mental attitude towards hunting and his plans of how to live his life. Back in S1, all he wanted was to stay away from anything involving hunting and have a normal/safe life. You could say that normal people are innocent when it comes to the supernatural, so he fit in. Plus, back then he was relying heavily on Dean to sort everything out (I'm not talking about research here, I mean the huge swamp that was suddenly his life) and he looked kind of helpless when Dean wasn't around. It was as if he had 'younger brother' visibly tattoed on his forehead. Pretty much all that counted for him was what he wanted, just like it is with kids. His attitude changed in the beginning of S2 and from there on he has constantly become rougher around the edges. (The first time I didn't find him just cute and sweet but really attractive was in Nightshifter, when he took out the SWAT team. Holy cow!) He's not just the kid brother anymore, he's grown up and competent on his own.
Yeah, someone else also pointed out to me that Dean had a cell phone so it wasn't imperative that he stay at the motel by himself,
*headdesk* I completely missed that. I just thought he could have gone with Sam and gotten the call later. (Not that he would have wanted that, but Sam can be very convincing once he tries.)
Dangit! I'm willing to go back and watch this one again, now that I don't have a deadline over my head.
Watch it when you're in a good mood and maybe you'll like it, too. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-05-12 04:55 pm (UTC)I think it has something to do with his mental attitude towards hunting and his plans of how to live his life. Back in S1, all he wanted was to stay away from anything involving hunting and have a normal/safe life. You could say that normal people are innocent when it comes to the supernatural, so he fit in. Plus, back then he was relying heavily on Dean to sort everything out (I'm not talking about research here, I mean the huge swamp that was suddenly his life) and he looked kind of helpless when Dean wasn't around. It was as if he had 'younger brother' visibly tattoed on his forehead. Pretty much all that counted for him was what he wanted, just like it is with kids. His attitude changed in the beginning of S2 and from there on he has constantly become rougher around the edges. (The first time I didn't find him just cute and sweet but really attractive was in Nightshifter, when he took out the SWAT team. Holy cow!) He's not just the kid brother anymore, he's grown up and competent on his own.
Of course, I agree with you completely - in Season three he's all grown up. Why, then, is Wardrobe still dressing him like he's in Season one? It seems to me that that's what they are trying to do, keep him small and young, when from our perspective, Sam's gone way beyond that in experience.
Yeah, someone else also pointed out to me that Dean had a cell phone so it wasn't imperative that he stay at the motel by himself,
*headdesk* I completely missed that. I just thought he could have gone with Sam and gotten the call later. (Not that he would have wanted that, but Sam can be very convincing once he tries.)
He should have gone with Sam, and Sam should have insisted!
Dangit! I'm willing to go back and watch this one again, now that I don't have a deadline over my head.
Watch it when you're in a good mood and maybe you'll like it, too. :)
I think I will, this summer, when I'm desperate. ; )
no subject
Date: 2008-05-12 08:36 pm (UTC)Uh, I totally misunderstood your question.* I got it now. Let me think about it. If I'm not mistaken the only clothes he still has from S1 are his jackets. He has moved from sneakers to boots and I don't think we have seen him in a hoodie after Nightshifter (which is a shame, he wears hoodies so well). He seems to prefer the pink shirt now. :) So overall, I'd say it's the jackets that interfere with his grown up appearance, and you are right, they need to go. He looked like a teenager when he dragged the chick's little brother off the road. As to why Wardrobe keeps the jackets - I have no idea. The only thing I can think of is that they want to make him look younger than Dean, which he doesn't necessarily do anymore.
*note to self: do not read porn before trying to answer important questions!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-12 09:00 pm (UTC)Uh, I totally misunderstood your question.* I got it now. Let me think about it. If I'm not mistaken the only clothes he still has from S1 are his jackets. He has moved from sneakers to boots and I don't think we have seen him in a hoodie after Nightshifter (which is a shame, he wears hoodies so well). He seems to prefer the pink shirt now. :) So overall, I'd say it's the jackets that interfere with his grown up appearance, and you are right, they need to go. He looked like a teenager when he dragged the chick's little brother off the road. As to why Wardrobe keeps the jackets - I have no idea. The only thing I can think of is that they want to make him look younger than Dean, which he doesn't necessarily do anymore.
Exactly. It's a loosing battle at this point, considering how much Padalecki seems to have been working out. The clever thing to do would be to just GO with it and what a lovely turnaround that would be - that little brother is now more powerful in all ways than the elder! (I'm still convinced that they let the seams out of the brown jacket because there's NO way it would still fit him if they did not.)
*note to self: do not read porn before trying to answer important questions!
Good porn? Then I'd say it was well worth it!
thanks much
Date: 2008-05-08 02:26 pm (UTC)Re: thanks much
Date: 2008-05-09 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-13 07:25 pm (UTC)I have been informed that the boys rent the suits and do not carry a bunch of them in the trunk of the Impala.
And I still believe that is true, but there is a lovely little ficlet <a href="http://irnan.livejournal.com/24244.html>here</a> involving suits in the trunk that I suspect you'll enjoy. <i>I’d love for it to be a gas-guzzling 2008 Impala because the irony of that would be too delicious</i> I can't really tell either, but in my heart it's one of those bland personality-free new Impalas. <i>It’s brown and shabby and it’s meant to look old, as if we were meant to believe that it’s a jacket he’s always had. </i> Oh, but it <i>is</i> a coat he's always had! As I shamelessly yelled when I noticed it, "It's Sam's Carhart coat!!!", the one he wore all the time in season one & which I thought we'd had to give up in exchange for those shoulders. I ♥love♥ that coat! & I think Show is absolutely using it to make Sam seem younger, more vulnerable here. I approve most heartily!
maybe lj won't eat my html this time...
Date: 2008-05-13 07:33 pm (UTC)I have been informed that the boys rent the suits and do not carry a bunch of them in the trunk of the Impala.
And I still believe that is true, but there is a lovely little ficlet here involving suits in the trunk that I suspect you'll enjoy.
I’d love for it to be a gas-guzzling 2008 Impala because the irony of that would be too delicious
I can't really tell either, but in my heart it's one of those bland personality-free new Impalas.
It’s brown and shabby and it’s meant to look old, as if we were meant to believe that it’s a jacket he’s always had.
Oh, but it is a coat he's always had! As I shamelessly yelled when I noticed it, "It's Sam's Carhart coat!!!", the one he wore all the time in season one & which I thought we'd had to give up in exchange for those shoulders. I ♥love♥ that coat! & I think Show is absolutely using it to make Sam seem younger, more vulnerable here. I approve most heartily!
Re: maybe lj won't eat my html this time...
Date: 2008-05-13 07:56 pm (UTC)I'd like to be a nice person, I really would, but if the ep was off just based on the story - the boys at odds because they can't properly communicate about Dean's Deal - that would be one thing. And even though I am nice, I can't do it. The whole thing was off - it was like the events that came before it never happened, and the boys were like strangers to each other. And while I might have suffered through the dialog and believed it, what really got to me was the static staging. I can't accept that the staging was meant to represent the disconnect between the boys because each and every scene was staged exactly the same way, with the boys standing there, with their hands in their pockets. That's not Show's usual style. I put it down to a two-man protest of Ackles and Padalecki on account of they were peeved about something, but I have absolutely nothing to support that, just nothing. But you look at them, the actors, and they are not their usual brilliant selves. I'll give anyone and everyone and especially them the benefit of the doubt, but this went beyond that. Not yelling, just confused. Something went on there, behind the scenes, like my old English professor used to say, "If you think there's a story there, there probably is." (Or, where there's smoke, there's fire...)
I have been informed that the boys rent the suits and do not carry a bunch of them in the trunk of the Impala.
And I still believe that is true, but there is a lovely little ficlet involving suits in the trunk that I suspect you'll enjoy.
Oh THANK YOU! I will check it out! And just to let you know, it wasn't any official notice that I got that the boys rent suits - it was just I got so many comments (yours included, I think) that were pretty convincing as to the whole rental issue.
I'd love for it to be a gas-guzzling 2008 Impala because the irony of that would be too delicious I can't really tell either, but in my heart it's one of those bland personality-free new Impalas.
Someone else posted that the car was a Monte Carlo which in this particular Chevy line is meant to be considered as the "younger brother" to the Impala. I liked the poetry of this, oh yes I do.
It's brown and shabby and it's meant to look old, as if we were meant to believe that it's a jacket he's always had. Oh, but it is a coat he's always had! As I shamelessly yelled when I noticed it, "It's Sam's Carhart coat!!!", the one he wore all the time in season one & which I thought we'd had to give up in exchange for those shoulders. I love that coat! & I think Show is absolutely using it to make Sam seem younger, more vulnerable here. I approve most heartily!
I totally agree that it's meant to be the same coat that Sam's always had and I love it as much as you do! But...Padalecki has put some muscle on that beautiful body of his, so there's no way it can be the exact same coat...either Wardrobe let it out at the seams, or they recreated it. I think my syntax was off because I never could get my meaning across there -
plus, my other argument here is that by Season Three it seems a little silly for Show to pretend that Sam himself has not grown, that he's still the studious college student, a little lean and hungry and just waiting for the opportunity to go back to school. Sam's come so FAR from that point in his life, why not show that in his clothes? Why (suddenly, inexplicably) dress him like it was three years ago? Do you see what I mean here? Sam has grown, and while I love the Carhart coat (what is a Carhart coat by the way) and I'm not saying that he wouldn't still be wearing it, but if it is the same coat and he IS still wearing it, then it would have patches on the elbows and the cuffs would be halfway up his forarms. : D
Re: maybe lj won't eat my html this time...
Date: 2008-05-14 02:43 am (UTC)I actually never noticed that until you pointed it out.
a two-man protest of Ackles and Padalecki on account of they were peeved about something... Something went on there, behind the scenes
Put this theory to the right people & I bet some epic J2 fic would ensue.
"younger brother" to the Impala. I liked the poetry of this, oh yes I do.
Ooh, that's a whole new layer! I like!
But...Padalecki has put some muscle on that beautiful body of his, so there's no way it can be the exact same coat...it seems a little silly for Show to pretend that Sam himself has not grown
You know, both boys have bulked up quite a bit since the pilot, but it's never been acknowledged & we never see them train or even hear them mention it in throw-away dialogue, so I think Show is pretending that he's been this size since we met them.
what is a Carhart coat by the way?... but if it is the same coat and he IS still wearing it, then it would have patches on the elbows
Carhart is a brand of work clothes (identified by that little leather patch on the front). The lined coats are really warm & they wear/wash up soft, but they're made out of this tough canvas. They're pretty expensive, but they last forever, even if you're doing rough work, so they'd be a good investment for the boys.
I like to pretend that John got it for Sam, maybe a little big, just after his last growth spurt, not so long before Stanford. Seriously, as long as Sam manages not to get it snared in, you know, barbed wire or vicious claws, it'd totally last him seven years without falling apart on him.
Re: maybe lj won't eat my html this time...
Date: 2008-05-15 12:17 am (UTC)I actually never noticed that until you pointed it out.
Sadly, you will probably never be able to watch this particular ep without noticing, or at least that's how it works for me. Hands in pockets and a lot of standing about.
a two-man protest of Ackles and Padalecki on account of they were peeved about something... Something went on there, behind the scenes
Put this theory to the right people & I bet some epic J2 fic would ensue.
Part of me really believes it, that something happened, a quarrel between director and actors. Everything was too off not to be something.
"younger brother" to the Impala. I liked the poetry of this, oh yes I do.
Ooh, that's a whole new layer! I like!
Nice, huh? I wish I'd thought of it.
But...Padalecki has put some muscle on that beautiful body of his, so there's no way it can be the exact same coat...it seems a little silly for Show to pretend that Sam himself has not grown
You know, both boys have bulked up quite a bit since the pilot, but it's never been acknowledged & we never see them train or even hear them mention it in throw-away dialogue, so I think Show is pretending that he's been this size since we met them.
But whyyyyyyyyyyyyy? It makes no sense. They are both three years older, much wiser, and one of them was ressurected from the dead, so why would Show do this? And besides, I am only really peeved about this because it's only been apparent to me in the last three eps - before that, Padalecki was bursting out of his clothes. In Long Distance Caller is when I noticed them trying to pretend. There's nothing to be done about it but complain, I suppose.
what is a Carhart coat by the way?... but if it is the same coat and he IS still wearing it, then it would have patches on the elbows
Carhart is a brand of work clothes (identified by that little leather patch on the front). The lined coats are really warm & they wear/wash up soft, but they're made out of this tough canvas. They're pretty expensive, but they last forever, even if you're doing rough work, so they'd be a good investment for the boys.
Yes, yes, I think I know the type you are talking about now. They sell them at salvation army stores and the like, yes?
I like to pretend that John got it for Sam, maybe a little big, just after his last growth spurt, not so long before Stanford. Seriously, as long as Sam manages not to get it snared in, you know, barbed wire or vicious claws, it'd totally last him seven years without falling apart on him.
I love your idea. It is fanon to me. But it still begs the question him having worn it for seven years (4 at Stanford and 3 on the road with bro) it has not a mark on it? (My problem is a strong DESIRE for realism and continuity in Show.)
Re: maybe lj won't eat my html this time...
Date: 2008-05-15 02:37 am (UTC)Maybe. It'd be like a holy grail kind of item to find at a thrift store, though. I'm thinking most people who lay out for one wear it until it disentegrates. You'd get a new one at a Farm & Fleet-type store.
My problem is a strong DESIRE for realism and continuity in Show.
So you want patches on the coat for the same reason I want scars on their bodies? Good luck with that! ;)
Re: maybe lj won't eat my html this time...
Date: 2008-05-15 09:40 pm (UTC)Yes, yes, I think I know the type you are talking about now. They sell them at salvation army stores and the like, yes?
Maybe. It'd be like a holy grail kind of item to find at a thrift store, though. I'm thinking most people who lay out for one wear it until it disentegrates. You'd get a new one at a Farm & Fleet-type store.
Oh, oh, I meant to say Army Surplus store....
My problem is a strong DESIRE for realism and continuity in Show.
So you want patches on the coat for the same reason I want scars on their bodies? Good luck with that! ;)
Hey. I've been bitching and demanding first aid and haven't we gotten that? Haven't we? Next we'll have cooking and folding laundry, and THEN, yeah, patches and nekked nudity. It could happen. All you have to do is wish upon a star.