SPN "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" review

After months of waiting, Hellatus is finally over, and there's a new episode of Supernatural to talk about! Yes, I realize the premiere was a week ago now. Yes, I know that means this review is going up really, really late (beating the new episode by about an hour). But my desire to write died a horrible, bloody death early last week (literally - I was working on a creepy story and I think I killed my muse along with my characters), and I only just got around to heading out to the crossroads to resurrect it...

So, here we go, on what will hopefully be the first of many positive reviews this season.

Supernatural Season 9, Episode 1 - I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (season premiere)

Before I get into the minutia, I'd like to start by saying that for any season premiere of a show I really love, my expectations are generally extremely high. The anticipation has been building for months, I've seen every promo and preview clip, every interview, I've read all the spoilers I could get my hands on, and I've basically built my expectations to a point where it's practically impossible for the episode to actually meet them (I think that only happened once out of all the shows I've ever watched, with the premiere of Fringe's fifth season...) So I wasn't actually surprised when the episode wasn't everything I'd dreamed it would be, and was able to still really, really enjoy it for what it was.

Okay, time for the details.

First, "The Road So Far." What a great job encapsulating the entirety of season eight in one minute and forty seconds. Sometimes I feel like these lean too heavily towards just showing the best fights and such (which is still cool), but this one was really nicely done. It fit really well with the song that was used as well, and after having seen the episode a few times, I feel like the song worked nicely with the episode as a whole.

And then we're inside Sam's head (although we don't know that for sure at the start). This time through I had an interesting thought - Sam knows that the news is reporting meteor showers to explain the angels falling, which means at some level he is aware of the things he's hearing out in the real world. Which means that later on, at some level, he could very well have heard Dean and Ezekiel talking. I know Ezekiel wiped all the memories from the hospital at the end there, but what if Sam remembers? I don't actually think he will, but it hadn't occurred to me until now that if he does, he's not just going to be wondering why he was in the hospital, he's going to know what Dean and Ezekiel did. I hope I'm right and he doesn't remember, but it's still an interesting thought.

I'd also like to mention the way the camera keeps shifting slightly during the scenes in Sam's head, so that the angles feel off the whole time - it helps to sell the idea that this is a fluid environment, created solely by Sam himself. The way the later scenes are tinted also helps with this, as the world is lit by something that's not quite sunlight. It's a nice use of cinematography to allow us to visit yet another dimension, and it's also interesting to me that Sam's head now looks very different from Sam's head at the end of season six (more on that later).

SPN "Sacrifice" review

So this review is going up a little later than normal, but there's a good reason for that - I flew back to PA on the day after the episode aired, and only got back to Oklahoma this evening. I was still able to watch the episode twice the night it aired, and then actually wrote this review during my third, fourth, and fifth times through (gotta do something while you're sitting in airports and on planes) I just couldn't stop rewatching, and every time I did, I noticed something else I wanted to talk about... So, just a warning - this is a long one... Enjoy.

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 23 - Sacrifice (season finale)

I think with this episode, it's appropriate to start with the ending, because it was the ending that totally blew my mind. My jaw literally dropped and I just stared at my computer screen in awe. I'm pretty sure it was one of the most incredible scenes in any Supernatural episode, ever. From the shots of the angels falling while their wings burned off, to the ones of Sam and Dean staring at the sky in horror, to Cas in that field with the streaks of light burning across the sky behind him, the entire thing was visually stunning. And when you combined that with the fact that this was a total game-changer for really the entire world, I was blown away.

It was something you might expect to see in fanfiction, not canon, but that just made it that much more of an unexpected twist. Castiel's grace being torn out - did NOT see that coming! And every single angel being cast out of heaven - nope, didn't see that coming either, not at all. And both of those things change everything.

Let's start with the angels. From what was said in the episode, it seems that they'll still have their power; they'll just be trapped on earth. And given what we know about angels, a lot of them are not very good guys (this may be the understatement of the year) Add to that the dissension in heaven for the last however many millennia, and having every angel suddenly restricted to the earthly realm seems like a really, really scary thing. Imagine thousands of angels suddenly duking it out in our world... If two archangels could destroy half the world when they fought, how much damage could happen now? The war in heaven just spilled out down to earth, and that doesn't sound good for humanity.

SPN "Clip Show" review

I really love writing these reviews - there's something about putting my thoughts about this show I love into a coherent form that makes me really happy inside. That's been true before of my other favorite shows too, actually, now that I stop to think about it... I totally used to use study hall every Friday in high school to write at least a page on my theories from the latest episode of Lost, and then later on Fringe had me staying up til all hours spitting out fanfiction tags to episodes... Writing something, anything, is how I process. And the more I love the show, the more emotionally invested I am in it, and the more I need to get those thoughts out and organized. Thus, episode reviews!

Okay, I'm done psychoanalyzing myself now. On to the actual review.

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 22 - Clip Show

First things first - from what I've seen on the web, the fandom was rather split in their reaction to the episode. There were those who loved it and were raving about how amazing it was, but there were also people who felt gypped, underwhelmed, and confused. Personal confession time - I fall into that part of the fandom that tries very hard to sit back and enjoy the ride, rather than picking things to pieces or sitting around going "But it could have been better..." So... I liked this episode. Was it as good as the last two were? Maybe not, but then again, the more times I watch it, the better I like it.

That's not to say I didn't like it the first time around. I was totally yelling at my screen at several points in the episode, got rather emotional during those last four minutes, and proceeded to totally lose it as the episode ended. But after I had a few minutes to recover, when it came time to decide whether I was going to rewatch it that night or not, I wasn't sure. I thought to myself, "Self, that felt a little disjointed. I'm not sure if I'll watch it again tonight." So I went and watched Arrow (best episode of their season right there, I think), and then, since it wasn't even 11:30pm yet, I thought, "What the heck; why not?" and gave Supernatural that second shot.

And the second time through all those emotions were still there (I even yelled at my screen again... yeah), and on top of that, it suddenly felt much more coherent to me. Why? Well, I had zero idea what was coming that first time through (no spoilers, not even the episode synopsis, remember?), so there was so much happening that it felt a little like riding The Phantom's Revenge for the first time... One crazy thing after another, one reveal on top of the next, leaving me breathless and actually a little overwhelmed. On the second viewing, I knew what to expect, and could therefore spend more time appreciating the dialogue and the way things came together. And I really liked it, even more so the second time through.

Yes, there was a lot packed into this episode. Yes, you could probably have taken out some of the filler episodes and spread out the main storyline over more of the season, but that makes it harder to attract viewers who want to jump in and out of shows, which is why it really isn't done anymore. And there's something to be said for having such a fast-paced episode like this. I think it really worked well as the setup to the finale - there's nothing like a crazy roller coaster ride of an episode to get your blood pumping before you fly off a cliff next week...

SPN "The Great Escapist" review

It's Thursday, and that means it's time for a review of last night's incredibly awesome episode of Supernatural. I'd like to preface this review by saying that if I had attempted to write this last night, I would have gotten exactly nowhere, because I was too busy being blown away by how good the episode was as a whole. I actually watched it through once, sat and stared at my screen for a minute, and started it all over again. And was still speechless after the second time through (aside from phrases like, "holy freaking..." and, "wow... just wow") Yeah. It was that good. So if at any point in this review, I sound totally incoherent and overwhelmed by the sheer awesomeness of the show, you can blame it on me not having fully recovered from having my mind blown :)

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 21 - The Great Escapist

I don't really even know where to start with this (mind still blown), so I think I'll stick with starting with the very beginning. That seems like a very good place to start...

So... from the moment Kevin woke up in the boat, I knew it wasn't real, couldn't be real. Wasn't sure yet whether it was demons or angels messing with him, but it had to be one of the above. I hadn't seen any promo clips or previews or anything, having decided to go spoiler-free for these last three episodes, and that totally paid off here, because I was left wondering rather than knowing from the get-go that Crowley had him.

It was also evident from the very first scene that this was gonna be an amazing episode. I mentioned in my review of Taxi Driver that the character of Kevin had really grown on me, and this episode solidified that. These last two eps with Kevin have been really well acted by Osric Chau, and I've (finally) reached the point where I actually care about what happens to the character. Which is good, because the episode wouldn't have been nearly as gripping if I hadn't care about a third of its plot...

And was anyone else both highly impressed and highly amused by the fake Sam and Dean? It really felt like you were watching a Sam and Dean from a mediocre piece of fanfiction - where they're close to how they should be, and yet all the little differences scream to you that this isn't the Sam and Dean you know and love. Which, of course, is exactly what the show was going for.

Plus, I love Crowley, and so I was totally psyched to see him appear. Definitely my favorite bad guy on this show (with Lucifer a close second), and probably on my list of top ten bad guys on TV. He has the best lines... This week, the ones that killed me were, "I was born to direct..." and then, "I was thinking to myself, 'Self...'" Combine awesome dialogue with Mark Sheppard's amazing acting skills, and Crowley rocked this episode. He's a freaking smart bad guy, too - melting down angel blades to make bullets, paying off an angel to have an inside man, figuring out how Cas' mind works... Naomi's wise to be scared of him.

Okay, I have now written four paragraphs with the episode paused one minute in... Time to move on, I think.

SPN "Pac-Man Fever" review

Here's a bit of background for this post and then I'll actually get around to talking about the episode... The way this usually works for me is that I watch live, then if it's good (which this one was) I watch again within an hour or so, then I listen to it while I write the review. That way I have the audio to remind me of what I was thinking when I first saw it. Anyway. Enough non-SPN related talking. Let's get down to what's really important!

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 20 - Pac-Man Fever

I'd seen the promo for the ep, seen the preview clip, knew it was a Robbie Thompson episode - in short, I was insanely psyched for this before it ever aired. And rather than falling short, it totally exceeded my already high expectations (I think I may be in love with Robbie Thompson and his ability to write a totally awesome script...)

First, let me just say - Dean Winchester in a military uniform!! Yes, I know it's really shallow, but guys in uniforms have always done it for me, and man, oh man, did he look good.

Following that, I proceeded to shake with silent laughter at Sam's bedhead and Dean threatening to cut it, with said laughter increasing even more with the whole thing with the missed catch... "That's why we don't have nice things..." - Jensen playing Dean talking to Sam quoting Jensen talking to Jared - so awesome...

And while I hate seeing Sam hurting, I have to admit to loving Dean in protective-big-bro mode, which we got to see a lot this time around. I'm worried about what the last trial will end up doing to Sam, but I'm probably even more worried about what Dean will do to save Sam. Because we all know that he will do pretty much anything to save his little brother - even something monumentally stupid. So while it's been really great to get the "broments" (love, love, love Charlie channeling her inner SPN fangirl this ep...), and while I'm totally a sucker for the brotherly relationship that makes SPN what it is, I got all concerned right along with Dean every time Sam showed just how sick these trials are making him...

But on a brighter note - the Batcave has a shooting range!! So totally awesome. The fact that Sam can't even hit the target - not so awesome. And Dean repeatedly saying that they're gonna sit things out until Sam gets better - my insides got all knotted up because I'm pretty sure Sam isn't going to "get better," and I think the brothers both know that too, but Dean, as always, isn't gonna let go of his little bro (more on that later).

SPN "Taxi Driver" review

And in keeping with my resolution, here's the next review. Side note #1: I'm writing this while listening to the episode, so you'll be getting what I remember of my first impressions, plus whatever comes to me this time through.

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 19 - Taxi Driver

This episode made me wish I'd gone spoiler-free... It was good, hard-hitting, but I think I would have been even better if I'd had no clue what was coming. Anyway. Down to details.

I was really, really pysched for this episode, given that I knew Bobby and Benny were going to be back (benefits of spoilers - kickstarting those emotional responses before the episode ever even airs), and then I got a little worried seeing Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner's names in the credits. Given that their last episode was barely mediocre, and that they haven't really been known for delivering top notch fare, my spirits dropped a little, but thankfully they didn't do too badly with this crucial piece of the story. I'm gonna give their script for this maybe a 8 out of 10 for dialog, and about a 6 or so for actual plot, but thankfully it left room for the actors to take an okay script and turn it into something great (kudos to Jensen and Ty especially, but also Jim Beaver, Mark Sheppard, Jared, and Osric as well)

Up to this point, I hadn't really been drawn into the whole 'Kevin Tran, prophet of the Lord' plotline (not that I hated it, but it hadn't fully caught my interest), but this time around, I really liked his piece of the story. From him answering the door with a frying pan loaded and ready (which totally cracked me up - Tangled reference, anyone?), to him going very much off his rocker (or is Crowley really in his head? I'm still not sure on my conclusion there), that whole plotline played out really well. And like I said earlier, kudos to Osric for playing the is-he-nuts or is-it-really-Crowley dilemma to the point where the audience doesn't know either - well done.

I also feel the need to commend Mark Sheppard on playing one of the best bad guys of the series. He always, always plays Crowley with just the right balance between creepy and pure evil, and I have to admit that even though he might be less powerful than Naomi, he scares me more. And it seems like he's getting close to figuring out what the boys are up to, which isn't gonna be good... Side note #2: since watching this series, I now see Crowley when I try to picture Screwtape. Which is awesome.

SPN "Freaks and Geeks" review

This is my new resolution: I shall work on my writing skills by writing reviews of the newest episodes of TV shows (starting with Supernatural, and possibly expanding my horizons if I discover that I actually like this). I'm not going for an official sounding review though - what you're going to get is my unfiltered reactions to the episode, which may oftentimes include more than a little fannish squee. You've been warned, so if you proceed, you do so at your own risk.

Supernatural Season 8, Episode 18 - Freaks and Geeks

I have to admit to not really being terribly excited by the premise for this episode when I first read it a little while back. While I did like the character of Krissy when she showed up a season ago, the idea of a "hunter's school" sounded like sort of a lame idea - too much like an X-Men ripoff, and not enough like Supernatural.

That being said, I wound up really enjoying the episode. After watching for eight seasons, I've learned to sit back and enjoy each episode for what it is on its own, as well as in relation to the greater myth-arc, which basically means I can enjoy a good standalone episode just as much as one that's mythology-heavy. And while this was not at the top of my list for standalones (Yellow Fever, anyone?), it definitely had its moments. So let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Finding out from the opening that we were returning to classic monster lore actually made me really happy. I was just thinking the other day that we're most of the way through this season, and we've encountered only one ghost this whole time, a few werewolves (and even that didn't really feel like your classic monster), and our only interaction with vamps has been through Benny's story. Of course, this vamp story didn't end up playing out quite like a classic vamp tale, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. It's been way too long since we've seen anyone behead a vamp, and the idea of the cure has sort of sat around going to waste for a couple seasons now, so it was nice to see that pulled back in, however briefly. Side note: I think the chance to cure the girl who'd been turned also fit very well with how Dean has progressed this season - giving him on opportunity to save a monster rather than just kill it. He's come a long way, and it's really good to see that.