Dean: "I'm telling you, I have been eating at the buffet of strange all afternoon."
What a melancholy little episode. It had something to say. Unfortunately, it's stuff they've been saying for awhile.
Dean is broken, and the symptoms aren't just his out of control drinking. He's exhausted emotionally and he's screwing up (pun intended), and just as in "Defending Your Life," he was ready to let the monster kill him. Yes, part of that was that Dean couldn't pull the trigger on his own daughter, just as he couldn't bring himself to fight the ghost of Jo, but it wasn't just Dean's weakness for family. Dean killed Amy because Sam couldn't do it. This time, Sam killed Emma because Dean couldn't do it. I don't think they could have stated any louder that Sam is running the show now.
If it didn't come part and parcel with Dean losing it, I'd really be enjoying Sam coming into his own. Even with his Luci hallucinations, Sam has become a kick-ass hunter at the top of his game, and Dean as a partner is dragging Sam down. Note that Sam was doing all the driving when they were together, too, although that might have been because of Dean's drinking. And Sam made the connection with the hook-ups in the Cobalt Room. Okay, Dean picked up on the talking baby, but that was pretty obvious.
Dean never expected to have children, and yes, she was a monster. But I couldn't help thinking that in killing Emma, they were also symbolically killing Dean's future. Depressing. I was also thinking that a female Winchester who was half magical killer Amazon might be a cool character to keep around. Except that they're divesting the brothers of their family and friends, not adding continuing characters.
The former Mayor of Sunnydale got to be the inadequate Bobby substitute this week, and that was fun. And we had another visit from the helpful ghost who might be Bobby. Dan thinks it might be Castiel. He'd know Greek, too, wouldn't he?
Bits and pieces:
— There was another mention of the Dean and Sam clones and their killing spree. Continuity is something Supernatural does well. When are we getting back to the Leviathans?
— Hands and feet. Was that level of grue necessary?
— If I were a magical, powerful Amazon, and I was looking for a man to provide good fighting genes for my baby, I'd certainly choose Dean Winchester over a stockbroker. If they were doing this every two years, why haven't the Winchesters heard of these Amazons before?
— Lydia was played by Sara Canning, who was Jenna on The Vampire Diaries. Buffy and TVD in one episode.
— Good casting of Emma, too. She looked like Jensen Ackles. Although the four girls who played Emma all seemed to have different colored hair.
— Dean mentioned that he's picked up some Japanese. I assume that's because of the recent viewing habits.
— What was with the eye and lip close-ups? Very un-Supernatural.
— Dean trying to talk indirectly with Sam about safe sex was sort of funny. Maybe a little sad.
Quotes:
Sam: "So, not only do you know her name, you're actually going to call her?"
Dean: "Bite me."
Dean: "I hear they grow like weeds."
Lydia: "You have no idea."
Dean: "This is not a baby. This kid's got to be five. And same name. Emma."
Sam: "You know, George Foreman named all his sons George."
Dean: "Are you deliberately messing with me?"
Dean: "This morning, Emma was a baby. By sunset, she's Hannah Montana, the early years."
Professor Morrison: "The FBI isn't paying me enough for this."
Sam: "All right, I'll sweeten the deal. We'll remove your wiretap."
Good one, Sam.
Dean: "Newsflash, pal. You're just as screwed up as I am. You're just ... bigger."
Sam: "What?"
Dean: "I don't know!"
Their expressions made this one funny.
This was not the strongest of episodes. Two out of four Emmas,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
I hope Dan is right about their possible ethereal helper. Because I started cursing out loud when they implied Bobby had gone ghost. I was prepared to get good and pissed when they offed Bobby, but then they gave him such a beautiful send-off that I couldn't helped being moved by his final story. But if he chose ghost instead of eternal rest, I really am going to get pissed this time. For me, it would completely undercut that wonderful episode. I really hate it when a character gets a fitting, if painful, send off and then the writers undo it all by bringing him/her back.
ReplyDeleteThat said, if it is Cas, then I'm cool with that. I feel like he did not really get a fitting send-off (certainly not a "satisfying" one), and I would like to see his character arc get better resolution.
I'm with you on the episode as a whole. It was interesting enough to keep me engaged for the hour, but when all was said and done, it felt rather meh. Still, it is always nice to get a bit of Harry Groener. I loved his line about the crazy old guys always having the best stuff.
Alexia Fast, who plays Emma, was actually also Missy Bender in season 1.
ReplyDeleteI really wish they had kept her around for a couple of episodes, even if she only just popped up every now and then, before we found out she was trying to kill Dean.
She's also a bizarrely accurate combination of Sara Canning and Jensen Ackles. Brilliant casting there.
Thanks, Morgan. I knew I'd seen her before.
ReplyDeleteI could just copy and paste what Jess said. Cas would be nice; Bobby wouldn't. I also thought the review was very precise.
ReplyDeleteI also really, really hope this is SN's last season. And they better go out with a bang.
So that's where the professor was from! I knew I recognized him from somewhere, but I just couldn't place it.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that it really is Bobby's ghost who moved the papers and who stole Dean's beer a few episodes back. And that makes me kind of angry at the writers. They did this to Jo and Ellen too. Their deaths are alomst cheapened in a way when they're brought back. I feel like I can't actually mourn for a character.
Seeing Sam actually drive was so strange. It almost threw me off to not see Dean in the driver's seat.
I said it here before and I will repeat - I will be astonished if Bobby doesn't make some kind of return. If that's something that will bother you, brace yourself. Come on, you know it's happening! Personally it won't bother me one bit. I miss Bobby and will be happy to have him back. I just hope they find some kind of interesting way to pull it off.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this episode. Yes it's a stand alone but I don't care. It was suspenseful, funny in places, nice to look at and kept my interest all the way through. I liked that Sam confronted Dean about getting his head back in the game and I'm glad Sam took Emma out. Whether Dean was going to do it or not (he probably was) I'm glad he didn't have to do it.
I'm giving it an 8.5. A few ticks off for the ridiculously close tail Dean had on the Amazons. Kind of pulled me out of the story a bit. Other than that this is a keeper for me. I have to admit though, I am definitely ready for Leviathans and Lucifer to make their return.
RoseCompose
I love my boys but this episode is only "meh" and this season has been experiencing some problems.
ReplyDeleteThe fat that the boys are considering the possibilty it's Bobby makes me believe it's not. If it really were Bobby, they wouldn't even mention him, in order to amp up the surprise. They're just misdirecting us.
ReplyDeleteGreat review as always Billie.
ReplyDeleteThis episode was really bizarre, and got to a place I didn't expect it to, if only it wasn't executed in such a weird way.
I totally agree about Emma's death being premature, she could have proven a nice addition in the future.
I'm not liking this whole clear-out of the series' long running supporting characters, it's bumming me out.
Dean's continuing downward slide is becoming really sad. And, I'm sure watching his daughter die right in front of him will not help the situation.
ReplyDeleteSam is walking on eggshells around his brother. The scene where he had put together the connection with the bar and was trying to lead his brother there was excellent. But, the talk in the car at the end was, for me, the most upsetting part of the episode. Dean is suicidal; Sam knows it.
Random comment from way in the future, but Im binging the whole run of Supernatural the last few months and following along the comments.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming Dean picked up some Japanese as a holdover from Changing Channels when the guys were stuck on the Japanese game show and Dean found he could speak it when he couldnt before!
I'm glad they offered some vindication for those disappointed with Dean wrapping up the Amy Pond murder, with Sam doing something similar to him. But it was kind of unsatisfying too, because Dean is too down to really discipline in any meaningful way, so the end result is just another door for Dean shutting... I do like though that he fully recognizes her as his daughter in all her monstrosity. I don't think it could have worked for me if she had some nuance, and I just don't think this is a good way to introduce a new character of interest.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah as was already mentioned by other comments it's pretty impressive how Dean-like she actually looked.