caffienekitty: (Squee Dean)
caffienekitty ([personal profile] caffienekitty) wrote2008-09-20 02:48 am

Reaction: Supernatural 4.01 - Episode Reaction

Contains spoilers for episode. I've been staying away from other people's reactions, so I may be saying the same thing as everyone else or I may be expressing unpopular opinions. No idea. These are just my reactions. And they're long-ish.

NO SPOILERS OR REFERENCES TO PROMOS OR ADS IN COMMENTS PLEASE!! :-)

(Spoiler Timeline)
Reaction to Supernatural 4.01 - LAZARUS RISING

Contains spoilers for episode. Also contains flail, squee and capslocking.

For example: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! *FLAIL* EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! *FLAIL SOME MORE*

Sometimes when I get really excited before a new episode or a big episode, I worry that I'm getting my hopes up too high and I'm going to be disappointed if it isn't awesome enough to match my hopes.

I try to force my feet back on the ground by running through worst case scenarios, how badly things could be done wrong, or forcing rationality on myself. Couldn't manage to do that at all on the run up to 4.01. So the fear was there that I'd set myself up to get badly disappointed.

After watching it, there is no possible way I could have had my hopes high enough for "Lazarus Rising" to be a disappointment. My hope meter doesn't go that high.

I spent several minutes after watching the episode twice just grinning giddily into a glass of Coke because damn that rocked. And damn do I wish I had had Friday off, as I had originally planned.

I said something at the end of last season about needing to get a bigger notebook for use as a squee pad? I forgot about that and started one of the usual 32 page ones. It's half full. Over half. In point form. Because, seriously, WOW.

Anyways, transcribing squee notebook. Onward. Man, it has been a long hiatus!



-Yay music! "You Shook Me All Night Long" AC/DC. Funny thing, I've had that song stuck in my head all day. It's a bit of an odd choice here though as it makes hanging by meat-hooks in Hell look a bit like a carnival ride.

-"I sent her far, far away" in the opening montage (no *cr-crick* though, so maybe Lilith visited her chiropractor over the hiatus), so Ruby will be returning. Okay then. Wonder who'll be playing her? Maaaaybe Jensen? Hee. Nah.

-I WANT THAT FONT!!! The "Road So Far" and "Now" font! It's simple, but I love the embossed blood sort of look.

-Do all coffins come equipped with matches or a lighter these days? Doc Benton had matches in 3.15, but actually that was an old fridge. Ooo! Maybe Sam or Bobby or whoever buried Dean deliberately left him those for when he returned. Although a glow-stick, a crowbar and a small scuba rig may have been more useful.

-Hoarse, unused voice. Very nice touch.

-Um, Dean, not the one directly over your face- *sigh* never mind.

-Hand coming out of the grave!! That's from... some horror movie, right? They did it with Jess too, and I remember it was a reference to some movie.

-I just gotta say, I LOVE THE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY because damn is there some awesome shot composition and lighting here! It highlights Dean's disorientation excellently. Also love the super-bright, super-saturated daylight they're using for this opening bit, because it's also Dean using eyes that have been in the dark and not in use for a while.

-Holy freaking crap! That's like a Tunguska-type blast. WOW. That's... alarming.

-Title-card. O. M. G. Title-card! Wings! Black wings! Ravens??? Naw... Hm.

-Oh cool! Whatever healed him healed his clothes too! Or, I guess maybe Sam or Bobby or whoever put different clothes on him over the Hellhound-induced mangledness before they buried him. Yeah, I think he was wearing a grey shirt in the finale. And black shirts are very forgiving of blood and ick stains. But still, that's gotta be crusty. Ew.

-Why does Traci Dinwiddie sound like a familiar name?

-Hm... Looking a little post-apocalyptic 'round here...

-*GLEE* Not only do we get a concrete date, It's today!! I love that. I floated a theory that at the start of Season 2 they'd matched up the phase of the moon to the date the episode would premiere (only didn't because of date-shifting shenanigans on the CW's part) deliberately and was ridiculed. Well I showed them! ... only not really. But whatever. Awesome cool.

-Also "Serial Arsonist Sought" is the headline. Just in case that turns out to be relevant.

-That's the most sparsely-filled gas station cooler I've ever seen. I blame the budget. Since this location is likely one frequently used for film crews (I think I recognize it from X-files) they'd have had to stock the cooler and shelves themselves, so one trip to Cost-co would about do it. Unless they just repurposed some stuff from the lunch truck. Yeah. Aw. *pats the poor budget*

-Supervising Producer Sera Gamble? That's new, isn't it? Go Sera!

-Ooo, a mirror... will Dean still have any kind of 'seeing demons' ability, and will he see himself weird if he's, a demon-like thing now? ... nope. Hm.

-Oooo! Chest tattoo! Hi tattoo!!! Yay continuity!!! Glad you're fixed after the hellhound probably shredded you! And shoulder is... oooo. OooOoooo! Handprint-shaped burn mark! WOW. That's seriously wow. And 'Ow!', I imagine. So, no shoulder tattoo, and no spider. Yet.

-Porn. Hee! Dean. It's a ludicrous thing to say, probably, but that Dean is still himself enough to want to pick up porn is oddly reassuring.

-Grabbing handful of... change? That's not exactly an efficient form of cash. Do they have dollar coins in the US- Oh, no, wait! It's for the payphone! *facepalm* I never think of payphones anymore.

-I spy a Trodat stamp by the till. Hee! I've got one on my desk at work that I use every day, so it's like seeing a very small inanimate coworker on TV.

-Um. Uh oh. TV and radio going off on their own usually mean bad things. Takes Dean an awfully long time to pick up on that though. I mean really Dean, I know you've been dead and in Hell and all that but what part of "INCOMING!!" don't you get?

-Yay, salt! Oooo! Is it Dean's presence causing the things to go nuts and has he just managed to salt himself into the building if he's some variety of newly hatched demon-thing or whatever? (I'll chase a theory down until it's dead and pounded into a fine paste sometimes.)

-Ooo, glass-shattering. What the heck? Giant invisible loud thing. Freaky.

-Hee. I love the phone conversations. Of course Bobby'd hang up, Dean. Think about it. What would you do in a reversed situation? Also, don't you have any code words or recognition phrases for "Hi, I'm back from Hell?" Not that that would matter either... Hm.

-My god, what a boat of a car Dean hotwired. Take one of those gas pumps with you Dean, you're gonna need it!

-BOBBY!!!!!! \o/ *glee*

-OOO!! Bobby has some melee combat skills! Did you see that little backhand thing after the knife block? Woo!!!

-Bobby has a middle name! It's Steven! Random character factoid! Yay! \o/

-Of course there's a second attack, Dean. You know what kind of things might explain you being there without it being you.

-Aw, hugs. With relieved sobby noises. Awwwwwwww.

-Unexpected Holy Water for the win!!! That was perfect!

-CONTINUITY OF WALLPAPER! Look! It's the same stuff from DALDOM!!

-Dean has no memory of Hell. That's probably a very good thing.

-Buried four months. Okay, so in Ghostfacers, Dean had about two months from February 29th, so early May, which matches the date given in the season 2 Companion. Four months before September 18th is... Mid-May. That's as close a dual confirmation of May 2nd as Deal Day as we're gonna get. So, The Erie hotel in 3.15 has their till date stamp really wrong, the twits. But maybe they service a clientele who isn't worried about saving their receipts for their bookkeepers. Still, bit of a difference between early and mid May, though... Did they take a couple weeks to bury Dean? Um. Ick.

-"As far as I know???" Where the hell is Sam, Bobby?? Ah, yep. He went lone wolf. Mystery Spot Sam, here we come.

-Sam insisted on burial instead of salt and burn. Not exactly keeping the body fresh, but definitely keeping it... around. O.o

-"It's what I woulda done." Dean? Sweetie? It's kinda what you did do. Actually it's exactly what you did do.

-Wedge Antilles? Really? I always thought Dean was more the Star Wars fanboy, but I guess it's a shared thing. Wedge Antilles being one of the few non "Hero" characters to survive all three original movies, and maybe the only non-"Hero" pilot to survive both Death Star attacks. A background character, but a survivor. Hm.

-...Although I'm a little boggled that the cell phone company doesn't recognize the name, but maybe original Star Wars trivia isn't as common knowledge as it once was. *feels old*

-Oh Bobby! Dean dies, Sam runs off to do idiotic world-imperiling things (no doubt) to bring him back and Bobby crawls into a bottle because.... Oh oh Bobby. Oh.

-Girl, if you are answering the door for the pizza guy, put some damn pants on! Geez!

-Oh the faces! I have no words!! Wow. Also, what the heck did Padalecki do over the summer, bench-press cars? O.O Suits the character perfectly though. Eeee...

-And of course the attack again with Sam. Dean, you did teach your brother this stuff, you should know that if you unexpectedly come back from the dead he's gonna try and kick your ass.

-HUGGING!!! EPIC HUGGING!!!! THANK YOU KRIPKE! There, see, that didn't hurt the budget at all did it?

-Idiot girl. Go away girl.

-Yeah. Sam's gotten the hang of some parts of acting like Dean. :-P Hee. He looks a little impish there, like he really did remember her name, but he called her by the wrong one because she annoyed him and he figured he'd return the favor. Maybe.

-Sam's stance is waaay more solid than before. When Dean grabs his shirt, Sam doesn't move nearly as much as he has in similar situations in earlier seasons. Small but EXCELLENT indicator of change in Sam during Dean's absence. Not only is he physically stronger, he's not let his guard down at all, even though Dean and Bobby are there. He's used to relying on himself more and not as quick to trust. Ooo. Oh Sam.

-EXCUSE ME, HE WHAT??? IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO SAVE DEAN, SAM OPENED THE GATE TO HELL AGAIN??? AND HE MENTIONS THIS IN FRONT OF DEAN AND BOBBY AND NO ONE BATS A FREAKING EYE ABOUT THAT LITTLE CASUAL STATEMENT??? O.O (Admittedly Bobby's been on a four-month bender and Dean's brain hasn't been activating any neurons at all in that time and he's likely in dire need of coffee, so maybe they aren't firing on all cylinders yet.)

-Sam is convincing and solid, but in a way that is screaming "No, really, I'm lying." to me. He's loads better at lying than he has infamously been in the past but he's just... Way too collected. Way too calm and stable. Dean just showed up alive and well. Way too calm. He's Mystery Spot Sam, only better adapted, less of a whacko. Eeek.

-Hm. When Dean says "I believe you" Sam gets some shifty-eyes happening there... Yeah, he's totally not hiding anything at all. However, it's a lot more subtle shifty-eyes than on previous occasions, so he's less transparent than he has been. But he's still hiding something.

-[AD: ...Is it just me, or do the bags lined up on the floor like that in the Macy's ad remind anyone else of tombstones lined up in a military cemetery? Not exactly an 'I must go shop now' association there...]

-Did he really raise Dean and is not telling him because of the whole "Save Dean, Let the world burn" thing? In his re-telling he 'couldn't get Dean back so he went to kick Lilith's butt for revenge' awfully fast... Hm. Maybe Lillith raised Dean to get him to slow Sam down, or distract him? Hm.

-"How do you feel?" "Hungry" Yep, that's Dean.

-PENDANT!!!! NOT ENOUGH FLAIL IN THE WORLD!!! Okay, so it didn't turn out to be a link Sam could use to get Dean out of Hell, and all that, but, but... *FLAIL* That little understated yet emphasized return was perfect. I still think it means something, even if it didn't in the first place because Dean had it in Hell, and Bobby gave it to Sam to give to John, but... and... gah.

-Dean doesn't remember Hell. Mentioned again. Hm. Makes sense for it to be mentioned, but... hm. Leeetle too emphasized for it not to be something more than a reassurance....

-Awfully long pause at the mirror, are we going to get some mirror tricks? Ooo, no. Flashback of freakiness. Yeah, that whole "I don't remember Hell" thing is gonna turn out to be integral to some arc or plot or revelation or something.

-*waves at Chevellen* Geez, she's looking roughish. I guess car maintenance kind of slipped by the wayside while Bobby was drinking.

-IMPAAAAAALAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! *glomphs* But she's still missing her spotlights Kripke! Grr.

-HA! Ipod! *giggles* Sam music. *grins*

-Immunity to Lilith's nukey-hand thing is mentioned and Dean's still against Sam being a psychic or developing powers. So of course Sam's going to do just that. Or already has. *glee* Sam is just exuding "I am lying" vibes, which is an improvement over the jumping up and down screaming "I am lying" vibes he's given off in the past.

-Wow, they're going down that road awfully slow.

-Pamela Barnes. I kind of like her. She's a little brash and forward off the get-go, but I feel like that's a cover for something. Plus she picked Bobby up in a hug. Hee!

-"Out of the fire and into the frying pan, that makes you a rare individual." ...was that a pun?

-Heh. Sam checks out the symbols on her tablecloth, Dean checks out the tattoo above her butt. Some things don't change no matter who dies, goes to Hell, spends four months alone going insane....

-I get the feeling that the 'Jesse' of the lower back tattoo fame is perhaps not a lover. Or maybe not a man. Something other than what was assumed. There was a slight pause in her reaction there, followed by some flirting which could be covering for something. Everyone got into hunting somehow after all.

-Pam propositions Dean. Dean goes horndoggy. Pam invites Sam. Dean uninvited Sam. Now, why do I have the sense that several sections of fandom had mild fits and explosions over each stage of that conversation, for entirely different reasons? Regardless, it was very effective in making Sam and Dean drop the topic of Jesse, wasn't it? ;-)

-Oooo... Sam's little jumpy glancy thing when he sees the handprint on Dean's arm. That looked a bit like recognition. Or "What the hell why didn't I know about this?" Something, anyway.

-Castiel. Hm. Yah know, if it's warning you to turn back, maybe it isn't a threat, maybe it's actually a genuine warning.

-Gaaaaaah! Ouch! Augh! WHAT THE HECK IS IT WITH KRIPKE AND ASSAULTING PEOPLE'S FRIGGING EYEBALLS!!! Ewewewewewew! Gyah!!!

-Blinded. That sucks. I wonder though if she's going to recur, and have enhanced psychic stuff because she was blinded by a Supernatural creature. They've mentioned 'blind person hearing' etc in previous seasons, in Faith and with the Rakshasa, and given the amount of character setup she got, I think it's probable. And I wouldn't mind at all.

-Johnny Mac's Demon Diner. Do not get the "Special of the Day" because it might be you.

-There. That little hand flip that Dean gives that keeps Sam from flying off the handle in the diner? Yeah.

-Perky nipples and Godzilla. How often do those really occur in the same conversation? And Vaseline and fire-hoses. Really. Love the cat-and-mouse-ness of Dean talking with the demon.

-I also think a smack in the face is an excellent way to call a bluff conclusively. Ballsy, yes, but that's Winchesters for you. And a second smack just to be sure.

-Incidentally, my previously stated philosophy on hitting demons still stands. It's a smoke-cloud wearing a corpse, and in this case, one that just threatened (with implied intent) to remove vital organs. Eminently punchable.

-PIE! Is pie one gets served at a diner run by demons extra deadly?

-"Hooooly crap that was close!" HA!!! Love that!

-"Not anymore, the smarter brother is back in town." Heeee.

-Ceiling mirrors. Classy.

-OMG that's a hide-a-bed! Hee! That's fantastic! There should be more hide-a-beds!

-King's Lair.... Neon sign outside window said King's Lair... Why is that familiar? HEY! That's the same hotel they were in in Tall Tales! \o/ Must be a hotel chain, yes indeedy. This branch of the King's Lair chain of seedy hotels is called the Astoria. ;-D

-Sam...? Where are you going Sam? I still don't know whether you're lying about being the one to resurrect Dean, or are secretly evil or what. And you didn't put the spotlights back on put an iPod in the Impala while Dean was dead either so you've got a severe lack of brownie points right now. Grr.

-Dean is alone. Cue nightmare, right? Okay, nightmare or invasion by invisible screamy thing. Had to be something. What the hell is it, the Metatron?

-There is way too much glass in that hotel room, especially one of such *koff* evident quality.

-Owwwwwie. Ear bleed! Owowowowowowow! Kripke's at least going for some variety in attacks on sensory organs, I guess. Yay! Bobby to the rescue!

-[AD: That melting iPod commercial is freaky. Also counter-effective. I don't want to drop a couple hundred buck on something I've seen melting.]

-Burger. Beer. Yes. There's a demonic invasion, a big invisible screaming thing and Dean's recently been resurrected. Let's go wandering off in our separate directions and flat-out lie to each other about where we actually are so when we get eaten by a grue attacked, the other person will have no clue where we are. Well, except the epi-center. Arg. Boys

-And don't you think that when Sam gets back to the room, he'll kind of notice all the broken glass, Dean?

-Also, there's something really big, loud and invisible after Dean. Hey, let's summon it and see what happens. *facepalm* Strategy is for wimps!! We got a magic knife and an arsenal in the trunk! Yee haw!! God I love this show. *smishes*

-Hm. Meanwhile back at the Demon Diner. Body on floor... Dead guy? Trap? Evacuated meat suit (which goes back to dead guy)? And it's... eyes! Gah! Kripke! Stop that!

-Oooh, demonic blind-fighting! "I can smell your soul." Oooo. Might want to fix that Sam. Can you get deodorant for a soul, or would it be certain actions that made your soul less smelly? Hm. Maybe instead of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' there needs to be 'Deodorant for the Soul' books.

-OH YEAH!! EMPOWERED SAM!!!! FINALLY!!! *dances with glee* Been waiting for that since "Bloody Mary" dammit, it's about time! So, that's a nifty trick, getting a possessed person to barf out their demon. Hee. Like a Demonic Emetic. :-D Does he kill the demon? The loose demon kind of went a little flamey on the floor... hm. Don't think so, but maybe.

-Interesting that Sam closed his eyes to do that... I wonder if they changed color... ooo...

-Love that they showed Sam checking the recently possessed woman for signs of life. That little bit accomplished a lot. It shows that Sam still does care about human life and isn't out on a mass "Who cares about the collateral damage?" demon-barfing spree, but at the same time, he's not nearly as bothered by the woman's death as he's been by others in the past. He still cares, but this is definitely a more emotionally hardened Sam. It will be very interesting to see what happens with that and with Dean now that Dean is back.

-Ruby. Despite being sent 'far, far away *cr-crick*' Perhaps 'far, far away' is demon-slang for 'the convenience store down the block'. *sigh* Knew she was coming back, based on the montage, and the spoiler reaction, sort of. Not Katie Cassidy. Fine and dandy. New person playing Ruby seems very much younger and less polished in tone and manner of speaking than Katie did, which considering I don't think much of Katie Cassidy is saying a whole lot. I get a sense that everything she's saying is a dry, lifeless line, which could be the actress, or could be the actress' take on Ruby, using Ms. Cassidy's previous work as a reference. Right now all I'm seeing is someone running lines, and it is distracting me beyond belief. I feel like I'm watching Jared practice the scene with a PA standing in for the actual actress.

-Now, as to the character's return? Let's see. She's a proven liar, manipulative, only out for her own self-interest, turned her back on Sam when the chips were down and the odds where against them, deserting under fire essentially, but then returned to shout orders when it was safe, probably tipped Lilith to their sneaking up on her just by being there if it wasn't deliberate, and is generally bad news. Even though she seems to be toeing the line of knowing who's in charge now, that's just for show. She's being a kingmaker, telling you what you want to hear in order to get you to do what she wants, and ride in your wake to a position of power. Sam, you are a dumbass. However, I love Machiavellian plotting, so bring it on.

-Attempting to incorporate the stilted portrayal into the character now. Hmm. Maybe it was a brand new possession and not a native English-speaking body and Ruby was having to fight with the language settings to get the mouth to speak for her? Hm. Maybe Sam makes Ruby change bodies frequently so she doesn't burn out people. (Please?) Or... I don't know. The portrayal is really really jarring, and I'm not sure whether that's a choice in emulating the character as seen before, or the actress. Meh. Enough about Ruby. Moving on.

-Coolest. Barn. Ever. I think maybe Kripke and company have this page bookmarked.

-Stake, iron, silver, salt, knife. It's like a buffet table of death.

-Every faith? Cool. Let's see. I see a crapload of stuff from the Key of Solomon... Also an Eye of Ra, Star of David, infinity symbol thing that might be the alchemical symbol for sulfur, pentacles, mandalas, trident-thingy, Jesus fish variant, medicine wheel (or a Sign of the Light, though I don't know how much validity Bobby and Dean might assign lore from "The Dark is Rising" sequence by Susan Cooper), scarab, trefoil, Greek Orthodox cross, an aum, Russian Orthodox cross, sun symbol... hey, is that an Elder Sign? Lots of stuff.

-Ruby. Sigh. See above. Her delivery is starting to remind me of Darlene from the old Rosanne sitcom. :-P Also her diction's really mushy, words kind of squashing together like oatmeal. Kind of wish the actress who did the former waitress-demon could've got the part of Ruby, but I don't know if that was even an option. Anyway, wishful thinking. Deal with the now.

-Nice homey little chat in a Diner full of eyeless formerly possessed corpses. "I'm not gonna come between you and your brother." Yeah. Riiiiiight. Sam, you're an idiot if you believe this line of crap.

-"I don't even know if I trust you." OF COURSE NOT!!! I do believe I have a rider to my previous statement about Machiavellian plotting. I love it, as long as it doesn't require the main character to be a moron. Act like a trusting moron to fool the adversary character, fine. Anyway, we'll see.

-Very slick though, on Ruby's part, to get Sam to dance to her tune for the sake of 'Saving People, Hunting Things Stopping Demons' and in the process tapping right into the ingrained reflexes and mental reward-system of the Winchester Family Business. That's frigging shrewd. And evil.

-Whoops. No wards on the ceiling. Come on, guys! Yeesh! Dean and Bobby are usually the kings of drawing anti-demon crap on ceilings! Four months of Hell and drinking have not been kind to you two.

-Oooooooooo! Trenchcoat! Hi guy in trenchcoat with the nifty entrance! Can we keep you? Even if you're the new big bad or Lucifer, or some random guy who stopped by the barn to get directions to town although I get the feeling you aren't.

-And Bobby and Dean shoot first and ask questions later. Of course. Well, maybe in this case it's understandable since things are exploding.

-"Gripped you tight and raised you from perdition." So either he's evil and sarcastic, like YED, or... oh! Oh! An angel? Maybe? Or maybe Lucifer, he's a fallen angel... back to evil and sarcastic... but why would Lucifer raise Dean? To reign in or distract Sam?

-Also his voice sounds familiar. I think the actor may have played a doctor on Nicorette commercials not too long ago? No! Wait! I think he was on 24, the first one, as someone creepy and possibly dead.

-I want this guy to stay! Pleeeeease??? I don't care, whoever or whatever he is. Oh wow. Please! Some light-side balance would be cool, but I'd heard Kripke's thing about why there are no angels in the Supernatural universe, and I can follow that too, light-side warriors would be awesome, even though it goes against prior statements. Gnah! *flail*

-Yay! He's immune to Ruby's stupid magic knife! And since the over-powered magic item didn't work, here comes Bobby with a crowbar! \o/

-Ooo. Oh wow. He is an angel isn't he, this guy? That 'finger on the forehead thing... Or he's an evil s.o.b. who's very good at faking. Wow. Please don't have just killed Bobby!

-"We need to talk, alone." Well, Bobby's down (Eeeeeek! O.O), and you're in a building liberally coated in warding symbols. I think you're as alone as you're gonna get.

-[AD: Red Bull! Hee!]

-[Another frickin' ad: I AM SO SICK OF LOOKING AT TOILET PAPER HANGING OFF THE REAR ENDS OF CARTOON BEARS!!! Every single damned commercial break! Blech!]

-ANGEL! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!! OR EVIL AND FAKING, BUT STILL YAAAAAAAAAAAH!

-Wing-time, because Dean only believes what he perceives? AWESOME!!! Whoa. They look like they could be demonic... hard to say. I love that, and that's probably very deliberate. I don't care how much of the budget was used for that shadow-wing effect, it was totally worth it.

-Castiel is missing from most angel listings I looked at but there was one dubious one with (twinkling stars and spinning moons as the background) listed as... the Angel of Thursday. BWAHahahahhaahahahh!!!! Hahah! Hahah! Hee! Yay! *snerk* That's fantastic! I love the writers!

-"Certain people, special people can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them.' O.O OH HOLY CRAP!!! Hear that thunderclap? That was a whole pile of fanfic suddenly going canon. Including a great deal of [livejournal.com profile] tigriswolf's if I'm not mistaken. :-D

-You'd think this Castiel guy would pick a place to try and chat where there wasn't a crapload of glass around to get shattered.

-Angelic possession. Hm. And the guy's been stabbed now. But hey, if the guy can yank Dean from Hell and repair his fubared and four months buried corpse, he can patch up the guy he's riding in when he leaves. Though I really hope he keeps the guy for the whole tenure of the character because I really like the portrayal and energy the actor is bringing to the role here, and I love the energy between him and Jensen. We need to keep this guy!

-Oooo. Dean still with the disbelief / grudge against angels for Mary's death. Ooo. We're gonna find out about Mary this year, aren't we?

-"You don't think you deserve to be saved." Nailed in one there, Castiel!

-"Because we have work for you." OH WOW!!! AND MASSIVE FLAIL!!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A CALLBACK TO THAT LINE IN FAITH EVER SINCE IT FRIGGING AIRED!!!! Possibilities. A) it's true, and fate and Dean and eeeeeeeeee! , B) it's a really high level demon (Lucifer) faking being an angel as part of an evil plot, c) It's.... *flail* I DON'T CARE!!! IT'S AWESOME!!!!

-And Dean with the face of 'I've heard that crap before.... What the hell?'

-Not enough squee in the world, dudes! I may have shrieked. I think I strained my shoulder literally flailing.


WHAT A PREMIERE EPISODE!!! THIS SEASON!!! GAAHAHAHAAAAA!!! *FLAIL!*

*koff* I can see though that I'm going to need to curtail my squee note-taking or organize better because this thing's waaaay too long and took too long to post. If you actually read the whole thing, I applaud your persistance and hope you found it entertaining.





NO SPOILERS OR REFERENCES TO PROMOS OR ADS IN COMMENTS PLEASE!! :-)

[identity profile] pinkphoenix1985.livejournal.com 2008-09-20 11:11 am (UTC)(link)
the episode was awesome! :D

in which I geek back at you lots ::nods::

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-20 12:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Wonder who'll be playing her? Maaaaybe Jensen?
I would have died laughing, so I hope it ends up happening eventually. Jared was awesome playing Meg, I want to see Jensen do something similar!

What would you do in a reversed situation?
Probably talk to the damned thing (because short of Dean, anyone coming back would have to not really be them or something). And if it was a chick, flirt. ::sighs::

OOO!! Bobby has some melee combat skills! Did you see that little backhand thing after the knife block? Woo!!!
I love the continued confirmation that Bobby is, in fact, the most badass to ever badass.

Did they take a couple weeks to bury Dean? Um. Ick.
I'd like to think that maybe they did some sort of cleansing ritual (even if they knew where his soul was already) and prepared things to defend Dean's body since Sam was dead set on resurrecting him. Also, the writers have very fuzzy dates, like how long Sam was supposed to be in college. Although Bobby could have been rounding as well...

A background character, but a survivor. Hm.
Indeed. If it weren't for the fact that it sounds like Sam might have done before, I'd say it was because he's the only one to survive of the 3 Winchesters and in his angsty little heart its a nod to Dean. Also, it totally sets up him in the diner later with the Jedi hand thing. ::nods:: As for the prevalence of his name... Star Wars is enough in public consciousness that I don't think he could have gotten away with any of the major characters, or any of the characters from the prequel trilogy, but Wedge might have sunk far enough out (woe!) that the poor overworked schmuck that sold him the phone didn't notice. That and Kripke is the geekiest geek to geek and squee, so Show reality aside, maybe they just did it anyway even if it'd be weird.

Girl, if you are answering the door for the pizza guy, put some damn pants on! Geez!
In retrospect this seems so contrived... ::frowns::

you should know that if you unexpectedly come back from the dead he's gonna try and kick your ass.
His brain was stuck on "sammysammysammysammysammysammysammysammysammy"

NO ONE BATS A FREAKING EYE ABOUT THAT LITTLE CASUAL STATEMENT
Seriously, ugh. Although, again, Dean's brain probably was too busy with "sammy didn't sell his soul! he didn't sell his soul!" Not sure about Bobby, because normally he kicks their asses about their stupid moments. Though maybe he'd heard about it already and left voicemails about it and didn't feel the need to bring it up all over again.

I wonder though if she's going to recur
I hope so, with some backstory on how she knows Bobby if we're lucky. Someone told me once "It is the fate of all seers to be blind" though she isn't a seer exactly. It'd be cool if she became one though ;D

Eminently punchable.
Agreed, unless there's a chance the human can be saved, in which case stop short of anything that will leave them mangled. But that's a lot of leeway, neh?

What the hell is it, the Metatron?
::snerks:: I love your brain. Although I totally had a "... Elijah on the mountain with the whirlwind much?" sort of moment myself.

Strategy is for wimps!! We got a magic knife and an arsenal in the trunk! Yee haw!!
and
Hm. Maybe instead of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' there needs to be 'Deodorant for the Soul' books.
::chokes on my coffee from laughing::

I wonder if they changed color...
I love your brain? Someone needs to write that, and if it weren't for my brain asploding with a crossover, I totally would. (... ok, so I might anyway, but there should so be more than one of these... hee)

I feel like I'm watching Jared practice the scene with a PA standing in for the actual actress.
Its the real reason we'll never see Dean possessed by Ruby - because then whoever else played her would have to actually act. ::wants it anyway::

Stake, iron, silver, salt, knife. It's like a buffet table of death.
\o/

"Gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."
The way he speaks is... I love it, yes. Also, in general re:Castiel - ::grabbyhands::

cuz I got wordy... > >;;

in which I geek back at you lots ::nods:: PART 2

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-20 12:45 pm (UTC)(link)
They look like they could be demonic... hard to say.
I got the feeling that it was supposed to be the shadow of his wings, but whatever they were doing, as awesome as it was (and it was awesome, this is not glee harshing I swear - you should have heard the squee I made) I feel like it didn't accomplish what they wanted it to, or that something was missing.

the Angel of Thursday
Yes XD My roommate suspects that it was supposed to be Cassiel (I think that name is listed in the Kabbalah, but its in no way tied to Castiel) and someone goofed. [livejournal.com profile] greyrider told me her husband found somewhere that Castiel carries the 6th trumpet at the end of the world (where Christ would carry the 7th) but I'm not sure on the source for that and even with 3 years of theology... it doesn't sound familiar. I think they really did just geek out though, because Cassiel is an observer that doesn't get involved (... though he does preside over the death of kings...)

Though I really hope he keeps the guy for the whole tenure of the character because I really like the portrayal and energy the actor is bringing to the role here, and I love the energy between him and Jensen.
They play off of eachother so exceptionally well, and I love the facial expressions and his mannerisms and yes. He should be kept! Given that they kept YED as Fred, and Katie as Ruby (and would have kept Katie as Ruby if not for the budget, apparently) I think we've got an awesome chance of that happening. Plus "he prayed for this" would kind of lend to that :D

"You don't think you deserve to be saved."
And Castiel/Dean was born...

A) it's true, and fate and Dean and eeeeeeeeee!
::points at faith:: "Why did you save me?" "Because you have work to do, and it isn't finished yet" (paraphrased, obviously...)

So much squee for the first episode. So much awesomeness. Yay! ::leaves you alone now::

[identity profile] ficwriter1966.livejournal.com 2008-09-20 12:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Let's see - how much can I answer without spoiling you??

I was very fond of Star Wars back in the day, and I had no clue who "Wedge Antilles" was. Presuming that whoever answers the phone at the cell company help line was...um...younger than me, I don't have a problem with them not questioning the name.

I think Sam said he *tried* opening the Devil's Gate. Maybe that's why Bobby and Dean didn't react.

"Pamela Barnes" makes me snort every time I hear it. Especially combined with "Bobby." Ah, the good old days of "Dallas." Which is why, when my shoulder stops shrieking at me, I have to do a Bobby/Pam fic where Bobby's in the shower.

Agree with you about the new Ruby. She might be perfectly fine on a Family Channel show about a girl who loves horses, but as a snarky, manipulative demon? How much money do we have to raise to get Katie Cassidy back?

That's it, other than sharing the squee! AWESOME kickoff to the season. I've watched it 3 times already and can easily go a few more. Particularly since everything that's coming up all sounds muy, muy excellente.

Is it Thursday yet??!



Re: in which I geek back at you lots ::nods:: PART 2

[identity profile] ficwriter1966.livejournal.com 2008-09-20 01:00 pm (UTC)(link)
I'll add to your "They should have kept" list - Nicki Aycox. No one can ever top her. Ever. And I think Demon-Meg is still "alive" somewhere, isn't she? *sighs*

Re: in which I geek back at you lots ::nods:: PART 2

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-20 01:12 pm (UTC)(link)
When we last see her she's running so they can't exorcise her (... I think, now I'll have to go back and watch BUABS) so she should totally come back. I just wish it could be as Nicki, I loved how sassy she was...

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-20 01:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd say every day should be Thursday, except then the boys would die on set and I'd feel very guilty...

[identity profile] lp-and-cc.livejournal.com 2008-09-20 02:32 pm (UTC)(link)
The episode was amazing!
I really like your reaction, you nail it every time.

[identity profile] pinkphoenix1985.livejournal.com 2008-09-20 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)
lmao! it was the best premiere ever!
tigriswolf: (temptation)

[personal profile] tigriswolf 2008-09-21 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
Castiel? Is awesomesauce.

Obsessive

(Anonymous) 2008-09-21 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
So you know I have been obsessively checking your blog every day since it aired--because you say half the things I am thinking..lol That and you are just too damn funny;) It was a brilliant bloody episode, and I did flail myself even:)

Sharon

[identity profile] selinamoonfire.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 03:07 am (UTC)(link)
I love your comments on the ep. I was giggling madly as I read them. It also helped me sort through my thoughts. I'm still not sure what's going on, but I'll happily enjoy the ride, with the occasional fangirl ranting. ;)

[identity profile] malevolent73.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
I read the whole thing and it was grand and wonderful. :) I felt my squee returning as I read. And I think I'll use some line breaks in my next post. Ha ha.

I agreed with everything. I am SO glad loved Castiel as much as I did because I enjoy communal SQUEEEEEEAGE. :)

I like reading what you thought might happen as you watch, when I already know what's already happened and comparing. That must be fun, like, oh I hit that on the head. Rats, I was wrong there.

A bunch of people aren't aware that the girl from the hotel was Ruby. Are you one of them? I didn't mention it in my post either but yours is so thorough I thought you might've. *shrug* The episode contains such greatness, why waste more typing on Ruby right? *rolls eyes* *says in a Seinfeldian way* Ruby.

Lovely recap Dear! Don't ever condense yourself on our accounts!

Re: in which I geek back at you lots ::nods:: PART 2

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 07:06 am (UTC)(link)
::misses her lots::

Re: in which I geek back at you lots ::nods:: PART 2

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 07:20 am (UTC)(link)
it would have much, much huger implications for what's going on with Dean. I think, anyways.
Indeed. Although angels are a pretty big freaking step for Spn mytharc, so I'm totally expecting something somewhere to suddenly make me cringe, cover my eyes, and start singing loudly and out of tune til it goes away. Or for blatant rip-offs of Gaiman's short stories about the angels and the Silver City etc. Which wouldn't make me cringe as much as sigh hopelessly.

I didn't like Katie's line delivery
Me neither. It took me forever to realize that I didn't dislike Ruby... just Katie. And every time she interacted with Dean, it was worse, because he shines so damn bright as an actor, she's like a black hole.

Re: new chick - For some reason I mind her less. Maybe its just because she's something new, maybe its because I find her more attractive. She's not any better of an actress, but she doesn't strike me as particularly worse. Then again, she's only been in scenes where Sam's being weird/lying/manipulative and Dean's off his game (although, Jensen's facial expression homg death) so I'll reserve final judgment for when there's a solid scene, preferably between her and Ackles for proper comparison to Katie...

If not then, then with the 'gripping and raising' line earlier. XD
Seriously. Speaking of which, I've got a good Dean/Castiel story hiding amongst my tabs that's quite good... no sex, packs quite a punch. If you're interested. May need to just rec the silly thing and get it done with, I've been throwing it at people so often today XD

I've been waiting for that line to be addressed
I know, right? Its sort of the only shout out to "hey, Dean's important too!!!" for... oh, I dunno. Probably til now. Everything else important has been Sam/demon-centric by the end of s3 it was starting to grate on me. Because really, you have to kill a guy to get a little attention? Not that I don't love Sammy, his nose, and his powers. But there's two people in the damn car, right?

... Or there used to be. ::glares at Sam. hard.::

Re: in which I geek back at you lots ::nods::

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 08:30 am (UTC)(link)
Jensen plays characters. Jensen would have rocked the crap out of playing Ruby-in-Dean I think.
Seconded. Jensen can do whatever the hell he wants. ::nods::

He needs to NOT EVER EVER DIE!!! *is paranoid*
Me too, honey, me too. Every other non-Winchester gets left behind or dies. But seeing as they're totally setting up Sam-v-Dean, I've also got the scary feeling that maybe Bobby will survive them both. If Dean has to kill Sam, well, we already know he won't survive it (Castiel notwithstanding)...

it might have been the same actress
It is. ::glares at Sam::

Not that I'm advocating extended Holy Water torture scenes. Gets repetitive.
I have a very dark sense of humor, and my first thought was Holy Water-boarding, and Sam trying to explain to Dean about how it wasn't really torture... ::facepalm::

WE MUST KEEP THIS GUY!
YES, YES WE MUST!

Speaking of which, I can't remember if you like comics at all... but have you ever read Hellblazer? The main character is John Constantine? Its the character Kripke said that if he could cross Spn over with anything, he'd want to steal. And Castiel totally steals his wardrobe! See (http://www.alexdecampi.com/images/hellblazercover.jpg) and see (http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/thumb/d/db/Post-329594-1124962570.jpg/200px-Post-329594-1124962570.jpg) and see (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_POYl_s5mzzc/R2RMcvpRppI/AAAAAAAAAE8/gxwGVwr_SeQ/s1600/Constantine%2Bcolor%2Bsketch.jpg)?

Hummmn... Oh, I remember the last thing I wanted to say (for now lol): AntiChrist Superstar! The Last Supper (http://sophie-448.livejournal.com/24251.html#cutid1) by [livejournal.com profile] sophie_448. Fun!

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 08:37 am (UTC)(link)
He did say he tried... I took that as he opened it and it didn't get Dean back, rather than he tried TO open it. Hm. Interesting.
I took it the same way you did, but it suddenly just now occurred to me: He doesn't have the Colt. The Colt was the key to the Devil's Gate, right?

::narrows eyes:: Why would he try without the Colt? And why doesn't it occur to Bobby (since Dean's brain is too busy going Sammy tried to save me? Sammy tried to save me! He loves me, he really loves me!) to ask how he intended on managing it without the bloody Colt. He frakking played them again! Sam's a lying liar who lies! ::weeps::

Re: in which I geek back at you lots ::nods:: PART 2

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 10:26 am (UTC)(link)
Re: new!Ruby's diction - Deja vu... I swear we've had this conversation before. Was there someone else whose diction you had a similar opinion of?

::misses Ellen::

Re: Eric saying Dean is special - He has been saying it, but I think he's been planning this sort of thing for a good long while (I kind of wonder if his story about the Kolchak-esque pitch he did to WB before the actual Spn pitch isn't just total BS, because he's too much of a geek for that, anyway) so he always knew Dean was special, knew what he was leading up to. But it didn't work its way out in the writer's room after Faith that I can recall... I've been pondering, trying to think of any glimmer of Dean being anything, meaning anything apart from Sam. And I'm drawing a blank... /whining

So in essence, Castiel is a bit of a cluebat. ;-)
They should use cluebats like him more often. I could stand to be hit with a clue next episode. And the one after that. And after that... Hell, the clue could sit on the roof of the Impala and just be there, staring at the camera. Waving. Possibly with no shirt on, but that might just be me...

Re: in which I geek back at you lots ::nods::

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 10:56 am (UTC)(link)
while Bobby watches them go, like Samwise watching Bilbo, Frodo and the Elves bugger off in the boat. Or not.
::giggles:: Now I'm picturing Bobby clutching a book saying "Mr. Frod... I mean, Goodbye boys!"

I love the idea that the end of the world might not happen because Dean let his little brother have the last of the Lucky Charms
I don't think I've heard you use it before, but I really like it. A lot.

that whole name trick actually mimics a theory I've had for John's choice of names
I like your theory. Its pretty damn awesome actually. And it makes me feel slightly better about her being Ruby, if only because its clever!Sam even if he's being a sneaky bastard.

Maybe a blessed water tower?
I can see it, they're having the argument as they're climbing up and blessing the thing, and Dean's tossing in extra rosaries just to be sure...

Trenchcoats are all over the place on tv these days.
They do tend to rotate in and out don't they? I remember when trench coats meant Highlander, and disappeared for a while, then it was the Matrix...

Sorry, I don't do wincest.
Was it wincest? Sorry! I must have missed the warning, and... well, it didn't strike me as wincest at all actually. I mean, maybe if you put slash goggles on and squint. It was just a really awesome parallel of Jesus Christ Superstar with Dean as Judas and Ruby as Peter. Y'know, except where Sam is the AntiChrist instead of Jesus.

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 11:13 am (UTC)(link)
He could have re-acquired the Colt, its true. But I guess I would have thought that would come up in retelling everything, that he'd flown to Turkey (or wherever it ends up after Bela's sold it) and gotten it and it hadn't worked. Pulling that sob story on Dean would totally have worked, bearing in mind the memory of John walking out the gates. I'm fairly certain it'd be as distracting as Ruby's boobs had been.

What if Sam is tracking down pockets of undecided or unaligned demons and trying to get them under his control, not necessarily as an army, just no longer as randomly chaotic demons. Note he didn't say "saving people, killing demons,' or 'exorcising demons' just 'stopping demons.'

Your brain leaking meta makes my brain happy. But we can stop, because I sort of like your head in one piece. <3

It never sunk in that Ellen's husband died at a devil's gate. ... Or maybe I assumed they meant the canyon called Devil's Gate. Oops. Although, that makes me wonder why YED would need Colt's gate in particular... But don't think about it! No splodey! ;)

Re: in which I geek back at you lots ::nods:: PART 2

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 12:22 pm (UTC)(link)
I've been awake nearly 24 hours on 3 hours sleep
Was yours a random nap somewhere in the mix? Because I think I've been awake for as long as you have. But in this instance, I meant before the last 48 hours. Like, I dunno, sometime during s3 or something....

..aaaaaand now I have the image in my mind of Castiel, riding shirtless on top of the Impala, A la Captain Hammer, Wings blowing in the breeze. *facepalm* Gah.
Mwahahaha I'm also picturing Sam sitting shotgun looking grumpy and glaring through the roof at Castiel, while Dean is singing Blinded By the Light at the top of his lungs.

Also? Nathan Fillion needs to be a demon.

Re: in which I geek back at you lots ::nods::

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 12:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Ooooooooooh, the Doctor in a trenchcoat. Though I did always love 9 in his leather, yes.

[identity profile] havenward.livejournal.com 2008-09-21 12:37 pm (UTC)(link)
You have much better recall than I do, even with so little sleep... Its impressive. :)