Supernatural Episode Recap
Sep. 25th, 2010 04:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jadedmusingsSo, since this is the first time in the show's history that I can actually watch the episodes as they air, I thought perhaps I would start my own weekly episode recap. Included in these recaps might also be some commentary on just a few of the many issues I've always had with the show's portrayal of women, but mostly I'll focus on the story and where I think they're possibly headed.
LJ cuts will be provided to avoid spoilers so don't click if you don't want spoilers.
I'm not going to be making too many predictions and am pretty much just going to rehash what happened in the episode. As the season wears on these entries will be more about my opinions over how the show is doing as a whole.
Remember, spoilers ahead.
Episode 6x01: "Exile on Main Street"
Season five left off with Sam presumably dead and locked away in some section of Hell while archangels Michael and Lucifer duked it out. With the apocalypse averted, Dean kept his promise to Sam and returned to Lisa and her son Ben (from Episode 3x02 "The Kids Are Alright"). In the season opener, one year has passed since the epic last battle and Dean has been trying to live the life of a typical family man. He cooks breakfast, goes to cookouts with the neighbors, and he (presumably) has a normal day job like anyone else in Suburbia. The Impala is gone and has been traded in for a beat up Ford pick-up truck complete with a tool box. (Fret not, readers, the Impala is under a protective cover in a garage, so we all know it'll make a comeback at some point.)
I really liked the opening sequence that focused on Dean. Scenes of his new life were interspersed with scenes of his life with Sam. We see Dean showing Sam how to fix the Impala and then we see him teaching Ben how to do maintenance on the truck. We're shown that Dean still has nightmares and that he misses his brother something fierce. He's made a friend (a neighbor) who he shares a beer with at the bar, and he makes up some bogus backstory to get around the awkward question of "What did you do before you moved in with Lisa?"
Life is normal and boring, but of course you know it won't stay that way.
Dean starts to see signs of demons in his own backyard, and then, when he's alone in the garage, Azazel ("Yellow Eyes") appears before him. There's a tense scene and then, BAM! Azazel is gone but in his place we see Sam right as Dean passes out. When Dean comes to, he's in some abandoned house with Sam. We learn that the djinn are poisoning people, making them see nightmares as the toxin they release slowly kills them. (I heaved a sigh of relief to know that Azazel was a hallucination and that they weren't actually resurrecting him. That would be just about the worst stunt to pull at this point in my opinion.) We also learn that Sam has been back for the better part of a year. The reason he hasn't contacted Dean? Because Dean has the life he always wanted. He has a family and there's no hunting or monsters in that life. Dean becomes understandably upset. He expresses anger because he's missed his brother and learning to live a "normal" life has been a difficult process, and Lisa has had to go through a little hell herself to help bring Dean out of his grief over the loss of his brother and...well, pretty much everyone he ever cared about.
After the tense reunion moment with Sam, we're introduced to...Samuel Campbell (Mitch Pileggi), the boys' maternal grandfather. Yeah.
Okay, while the X-Files fangirl is glad to see Mitch Pileggi on television again, I'm wary of them bringing Samuel back from the dead. I'm not declaring this the Worst Idea Ever(TM) due to the fact that I am so far a little intrigued by the fac that Sam and Samuel were brought back at the same time. (Sam was pulled out of Hell by an unknown force and Samuel was presumably "pulled down" from heaven.) Neither of them knows why they're alive, and the most likely candidate, Castiel, isn't answering their prayers/phone calls. Samuel has rounded up some of the Campbell clan to aid them -- a couple of third cousins and some other distant relative of Sam and Dean's.
It's now we're given clues as to the possible season six plot. Samuel informs Dean that it's not just the normally solitary djinn acting out of sorts, it's all sorts of hellspawn and monsters going against their nature (i.e. nocturnal monsters attacking in broad daylight). Obviously, both Sam and Samuel believe that their coming back is no coincidence.
Dean realizes the djinn will likely go back to his house to kill him, so he worries over Lisa and Ben's safety. He takes them to Bobby's house for safety and it's there we learn that Dean hasn't seen Bobby in over a year, but that Bobby has been in the loop about Sam and good ol' granddad's revivals. Bobby too yells at Dean for being mad at them. He reminds him he's the first hunter to really escape the lifestyle and have a happy family life.
Whoo, angst and conflict. It's what we're good at here, isn't it?
Dean tries to essentially tell Lisa good-bye, but, and I really liked this, she pretty much tells him, "Yes, you were an asshole when you first showed up and you had a lot of issues, but in spite of all this crap, this was the best year of my life. You're not leaving us." (I'm so hoping that the writers will break from their usual trend of killing off strong female characters. Really. Maybe Lisa will also be more than a weak damsel in distress. I don't expect her to become full-on hunter seeing as she's going to put Ben first, but maybe she can learn how to handle a gun and protect her own house should they be threatened again? She's proving she's got the courage to do this, at least. Hell, she's managed to keep Dean sane. That's impressive.)
Anyway, fast-forward to the djinn attacking Dean's house and we hear the female djinn tell Dean, "This is for our father." [Note: I think this is the line I heard. Pretty sure at any rate, and it would make sense.] (See episode 2x20 "What Is and What Should Never Be.")
So, Dean is on the verge of death and hallucinating about Ben and Lisa falling victim to Azazel much the way his mother and Sam did. Naturally, all the odds are stacked against them and then there's that last-minute rescue by the Campbell family members. But while Sam rushes over to give Dean the cure for the djinn poison, Samuel has one of the cousins take the one remaining djinn away "Before Sam and Dean get back." Clearly Samuel is going to interrogate this djinn about what the hell is happening, but he's keeping Sam and Dean from knowing about this.
Y HALO THAR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY
Now we're asking ourselves how much should we trust Samuel? Is he really Samuel?Why can't we have Jeffrey Dean Morgan back? Why are Sam and Dean, after all they've been through, automatically accepting Samuel as their new father figure?
The end of the episode has Dean returning to his life with Lisa and Ben. He feels responsible for putting them in danger and, I suspect, he really doesn't want to entirely walk away either. He offers Sam the Impala, but Sam refuses and says he'll be in touch.
What I Liked:
• Lisa. I don't love her yet (she's no Ellen or Jo), but I like that she's not willing to let Dean walk away. She's keenly aware of the danger and she knows what it means to continue to love Dean, and yet she's willing to face all of that with him. I'm hoping this trend continues.
• Sam is changed. You get a hint at the fact that Sam has become a lot more hardened. I actually liked that he didn't want to angst over Hell with Dean even though Dean would be the one person to know what Hell is like. It's good that he's not immediately opening up, but I do hope he might discuss it eventually.
• They're not bringing Azazel back, thank the gods. (Well, I hope they aren't.)
• The overall vagueness about what's looming in the future for the Winchesters.
What I Did Not Like:
• Bringing Samuel back from the dead. In truth, I'm really more neutral about this. I don't absolutely hate it, but I just think the writers ought to be introducing new characters rather than bringing one-episode characters back from the dead. However, I'm willing to admit that this could wind up being completely awesome even if it means disaster for the brothers.
• No Castiel. Come on, where is he? (I know, I know, he'll be back eventually. Maybe.)
• Not enough Bobby.
• Dean's gone a little soft. I'm sure it's expected, after all he's been through, but I don't think one year is enough to make him lose that much abrasiveness. Yeah, I know Lisa's awesome for him and stuff, but eh... I know I'm not alone in this because Jensen Ackles himself feels Dean's too soft this season. (Or is starting out that way at least.)
I was pretty much on the fence about season six as a whole before even watching the episode. I'm still there on the fence, but I know I'll keep watching to see what the heck is really going on here.
LJ cuts will be provided to avoid spoilers so don't click if you don't want spoilers.
I'm not going to be making too many predictions and am pretty much just going to rehash what happened in the episode. As the season wears on these entries will be more about my opinions over how the show is doing as a whole.
Remember, spoilers ahead.
Episode 6x01: "Exile on Main Street"
Season five left off with Sam presumably dead and locked away in some section of Hell while archangels Michael and Lucifer duked it out. With the apocalypse averted, Dean kept his promise to Sam and returned to Lisa and her son Ben (from Episode 3x02 "The Kids Are Alright"). In the season opener, one year has passed since the epic last battle and Dean has been trying to live the life of a typical family man. He cooks breakfast, goes to cookouts with the neighbors, and he (presumably) has a normal day job like anyone else in Suburbia. The Impala is gone and has been traded in for a beat up Ford pick-up truck complete with a tool box. (Fret not, readers, the Impala is under a protective cover in a garage, so we all know it'll make a comeback at some point.)
I really liked the opening sequence that focused on Dean. Scenes of his new life were interspersed with scenes of his life with Sam. We see Dean showing Sam how to fix the Impala and then we see him teaching Ben how to do maintenance on the truck. We're shown that Dean still has nightmares and that he misses his brother something fierce. He's made a friend (a neighbor) who he shares a beer with at the bar, and he makes up some bogus backstory to get around the awkward question of "What did you do before you moved in with Lisa?"
Life is normal and boring, but of course you know it won't stay that way.
Dean starts to see signs of demons in his own backyard, and then, when he's alone in the garage, Azazel ("Yellow Eyes") appears before him. There's a tense scene and then, BAM! Azazel is gone but in his place we see Sam right as Dean passes out. When Dean comes to, he's in some abandoned house with Sam. We learn that the djinn are poisoning people, making them see nightmares as the toxin they release slowly kills them. (I heaved a sigh of relief to know that Azazel was a hallucination and that they weren't actually resurrecting him. That would be just about the worst stunt to pull at this point in my opinion.) We also learn that Sam has been back for the better part of a year. The reason he hasn't contacted Dean? Because Dean has the life he always wanted. He has a family and there's no hunting or monsters in that life. Dean becomes understandably upset. He expresses anger because he's missed his brother and learning to live a "normal" life has been a difficult process, and Lisa has had to go through a little hell herself to help bring Dean out of his grief over the loss of his brother and...well, pretty much everyone he ever cared about.
After the tense reunion moment with Sam, we're introduced to...Samuel Campbell (Mitch Pileggi), the boys' maternal grandfather. Yeah.
Okay, while the X-Files fangirl is glad to see Mitch Pileggi on television again, I'm wary of them bringing Samuel back from the dead. I'm not declaring this the Worst Idea Ever(TM) due to the fact that I am so far a little intrigued by the fac that Sam and Samuel were brought back at the same time. (Sam was pulled out of Hell by an unknown force and Samuel was presumably "pulled down" from heaven.) Neither of them knows why they're alive, and the most likely candidate, Castiel, isn't answering their prayers/phone calls. Samuel has rounded up some of the Campbell clan to aid them -- a couple of third cousins and some other distant relative of Sam and Dean's.
It's now we're given clues as to the possible season six plot. Samuel informs Dean that it's not just the normally solitary djinn acting out of sorts, it's all sorts of hellspawn and monsters going against their nature (i.e. nocturnal monsters attacking in broad daylight). Obviously, both Sam and Samuel believe that their coming back is no coincidence.
Dean realizes the djinn will likely go back to his house to kill him, so he worries over Lisa and Ben's safety. He takes them to Bobby's house for safety and it's there we learn that Dean hasn't seen Bobby in over a year, but that Bobby has been in the loop about Sam and good ol' granddad's revivals. Bobby too yells at Dean for being mad at them. He reminds him he's the first hunter to really escape the lifestyle and have a happy family life.
Whoo, angst and conflict. It's what we're good at here, isn't it?
Dean tries to essentially tell Lisa good-bye, but, and I really liked this, she pretty much tells him, "Yes, you were an asshole when you first showed up and you had a lot of issues, but in spite of all this crap, this was the best year of my life. You're not leaving us." (I'm so hoping that the writers will break from their usual trend of killing off strong female characters. Really. Maybe Lisa will also be more than a weak damsel in distress. I don't expect her to become full-on hunter seeing as she's going to put Ben first, but maybe she can learn how to handle a gun and protect her own house should they be threatened again? She's proving she's got the courage to do this, at least. Hell, she's managed to keep Dean sane. That's impressive.)
Anyway, fast-forward to the djinn attacking Dean's house and we hear the female djinn tell Dean, "This is for our father." [Note: I think this is the line I heard. Pretty sure at any rate, and it would make sense.] (See episode 2x20 "What Is and What Should Never Be.")
So, Dean is on the verge of death and hallucinating about Ben and Lisa falling victim to Azazel much the way his mother and Sam did. Naturally, all the odds are stacked against them and then there's that last-minute rescue by the Campbell family members. But while Sam rushes over to give Dean the cure for the djinn poison, Samuel has one of the cousins take the one remaining djinn away "Before Sam and Dean get back." Clearly Samuel is going to interrogate this djinn about what the hell is happening, but he's keeping Sam and Dean from knowing about this.
Y HALO THAR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY
Now we're asking ourselves how much should we trust Samuel? Is he really Samuel?
The end of the episode has Dean returning to his life with Lisa and Ben. He feels responsible for putting them in danger and, I suspect, he really doesn't want to entirely walk away either. He offers Sam the Impala, but Sam refuses and says he'll be in touch.
What I Liked:
• Lisa. I don't love her yet (she's no Ellen or Jo), but I like that she's not willing to let Dean walk away. She's keenly aware of the danger and she knows what it means to continue to love Dean, and yet she's willing to face all of that with him. I'm hoping this trend continues.
• Sam is changed. You get a hint at the fact that Sam has become a lot more hardened. I actually liked that he didn't want to angst over Hell with Dean even though Dean would be the one person to know what Hell is like. It's good that he's not immediately opening up, but I do hope he might discuss it eventually.
• They're not bringing Azazel back, thank the gods. (Well, I hope they aren't.)
• The overall vagueness about what's looming in the future for the Winchesters.
What I Did Not Like:
• Bringing Samuel back from the dead. In truth, I'm really more neutral about this. I don't absolutely hate it, but I just think the writers ought to be introducing new characters rather than bringing one-episode characters back from the dead. However, I'm willing to admit that this could wind up being completely awesome even if it means disaster for the brothers.
• No Castiel. Come on, where is he? (I know, I know, he'll be back eventually. Maybe.)
• Not enough Bobby.
• Dean's gone a little soft. I'm sure it's expected, after all he's been through, but I don't think one year is enough to make him lose that much abrasiveness. Yeah, I know Lisa's awesome for him and stuff, but eh... I know I'm not alone in this because Jensen Ackles himself feels Dean's too soft this season. (Or is starting out that way at least.)
I was pretty much on the fence about season six as a whole before even watching the episode. I'm still there on the fence, but I know I'll keep watching to see what the heck is really going on here.
