Things are heating up in the Supernatural Ultimate Episode contest with matches too close to call. I know the results are shocking me. Things I thought would be a runaway victory are losing or very tight. Things I thought would be close are runaway victories. I'm glad I didn't put money on this round. Speaking of rounds, the following episodes are advancing to round 3 which begins today: The End, Swan Song, No Rest for the Wicked, Lazarus Rising, Changing Channels, Yellow Fever, Jus in Bello, and In My Time of Dying. I think we are going to have plenty of groaning in this one. Happy (um...good luck) voting! Comments are the bliss of finally getting home after a 13+ hour day.
Ah the ecstasy of an easy choice and the agony of evens. My choices:
The End - Not only because I think this is one of the best time travel episodes I've seen but also because Swan Song loses its charm on the repeat cycle.
Lazarus Rising - Not an easy choice because there are so many things I love about No Rest for the Wicked. Still, of the two of them it's Lazarus Rising that shocked me most. Plus it has Bobby's and Sam's reactions to Dean being alive. Awesome!
Changing Channels - Another easy vote because I don't like Yellow Fever. Plus, Changing Channels is in my top 15 for its seamless segue from comedy to drama.
The impossible vote - Both Jus in Bello and In My Time of Dying have scenes that are seared into my memory. They both have pop reference gold and they both have parts I wish to erase. For Jus in Bello, it's the final 3 minutes. For In My Time of Dying, there's far too much mopey John and pointless John and Sam fighting. This one is a tomorrow vote for me.
I can't believe I actually voted against Jus in Bello. It's just that "In My Time of Dying" is just the perfect premiere to me... It was balanced, and heavy, and I remember how difficult it was for them to do the circling camera around the board...and that cup falling at the end. O.o
I also voted for The End over Swan Song. I don't know...While I love SS, The End is just so awesome...
It wasn't a easy choice. I like all of them. My choices:
- The End: My favorite of Season 5 - Lazarus Rising: The Reunion of Dean with Sammy and Bobby. - Yellow Fever: difficult choice, both made me laugh a lot, but I love Dean's reactions :D - In my time of Dying: a dramatic and sad episode, seeing Sam fighting to help his brother, Dean fighting to be alive to protect his family and see daddy John sacrifices himself to save Dean.
Besides John dying, Tessa is my favorite thing about IMToD. I was totally taken aback when she was revealed to be the reaper. I'm not even sure why, but that goes down as one of the biggest Supernatural shocks for me. I guess I never thought a reaper could look like anything except the Gentlemen from Buffy.
mate Episode contest with matches too close to call. I know the results are shocking me. Things I thought would be a runaway victory are losing or very tight. Things I thought would be close are runaway victories. I'm glad I didn't put
Man that was a hard round for me! Hardest being choosing between Jus In Bello and In My Time Of Dying. Why are you so cruel, making me choose between those episodeds! By the looks of things, everyone is finding that one hard!
just reading the list of who is in todays polls, without even looking at who is against each other, i already feel my heart tearing. with the exception of one, i absolutely love all these episodes (and that one, lazarus rising, i still love, just not as much) i never expected this competition to be so hard but i guess i was vastly undersetimating the quality of supernatural episodes if there's one thing these polls have made me realise is just hom much i love supernatural!!! which i guess is a good thing, especially now that we're so close to the season premier!!! anyhow, my votes for today: too hard the only 2 i can do right now are no rest for the wicked (amazing, incredible, awesome episode) and changing channels (even though yellow fever is awesome, it really can't compare to the awesomeness that was changing channels) i will come back to decide on the other two after some thinking time
i have learnt that i need a new word instead of awesome because i use it waaaaay to much
easy as this one for me the end- watched this like a zillion times and it just never get old lazarus rising- castiel's entrance was just so bad a**! changing channels- its just what i always so my friends to get them into spn, also it has a good mixture between the seasons myth arc and comedy jus in bello- it was just so cool! and sad also we finally got to see lilith and what a suprise that was.
The End - I was never that much a fan of Swan Song, loved two Deans, hippie Cas, catalyst for getting the brothers back together
Lazarus Rising - I loved No Rest for the Wicked simply because they went through with sending Dean to Hell. I knew it was coming but it was still awesome to see it actually play out (And in such a gory manner too). Having said that, the challenge was always where they were going to take it from there and Lazarus Rising delivered - it reunited the brothers and introduced angels into the mythology. That's where it gets up for me.
Changing Channels - I repeat again, I hated Yellow Fever.
In My Time of Dying - Hardest poll for me. It's funny, I love Jus in Bello but i've voted against it twice now - sad it had to come up against what I felt was a flawless premiere.
The End- Time-travel, apocalyptic scenario ( Ok, we know SPN doesn't have a big special effects budget! ), two Deans, Sam as Lucifer, complete with white suit and red rose, and the heart-mending riunification in the final scene. Wonderful episode.
Having to vote between Dean's death or his resurection, I go with Life and not witth Death.( but difficult chioice.) Lazarus Rising is another great episode marred only by the introduction of season 4 Ruby who ranks as number one big bad in my greatest villans list.
Alastair, Zachariah, Azazel, Meg , Lucifer etc., are all bad guys, but they are so obviously evil; they are big-bads that you love to hate, but Ruby was much more subtle. She wormed her way into Sam's life when he was at his lowest and was very, very careful to walk the line between good and evil. She even had Dean fooled for a nano-second in Heaven and Hell. She brought Sam to be addicted to Demon blood and then kept the supply low, thus controlling him as she wished. She also brought her assignment of freeing Lucifer to it's sucessful conclusion. ( I think the only one of the various villans to do so.)
Changing Channels gets my vote. I don't think that Yellow Fever has the story-line or content to go against it.
This is my other most difficult choice in this round, but I'll give it to Jus In Bello as it was an action packed episode. The loud-speaker idea to exorcise the demons was a great move. Then we got lots of fighting too. I think that you need one of these action episodes now and then to give us a moment to breathe between the angsty and myth-arc ones.
so, i ended up voting jus in bello and swan song (both the currently unpopular choices) although it was one of the most painfull decisions i've made so far, especailly jus in bello i loved the end, absolutely loved every moment of it. it brought sam and dean back together basically after their time apart. but swan song was just incredible. the emotion, the deaths, dean being there for sam, the impala, lisa, the shock of sam standing outside the house at the end and the long wait to find out what happened. it was just amazing the hardest decision by far was jus in bello or my time of dying. i'm honestly surprised jus in bello isn't winning. i went with the former despite my complete love for the latter, simply because jus in bello is just a purely incredible episode. in my time of dying is amazing, i loved the deal, johns death was incredible, dean as a ghost was great and tessa was awesome. and sam lecturing john for not caring about dean (even though he kinda was) was brilliant. but every second of jus in bello is thrilling and exciting and nerve racking and awesome i remember realising that when i had watched the first 4 and a half seasn, i had missed out on jus in bello. going back to watch it i was left in awe of how simply amazing it was and how i could have possibly missed it. it is very close to being nu,ber one on my all time favourite list, but so is in my time of dying. it was a tough decision, one i hope i will not have to repeat (akthough i'm sure i will with the coming rounds) but i went with jus in bello now that mystery spot is out of the running(i think) i'm really interested to see who wins because i was sure it would
This was much harder in some aspects, easier in others.
Swan Song. This was the difficult one because I love both of these episodes. I know it ended sad, but the sacrifice and love that was shown in this episode is pure Winchester After all they have been through, it came to this. I loved it. I still The End, but this one touched me.
Changing Channels. This was another difficult one. I love Yellow Fever, but Changling was not only funny, but it had important story arc scenes in it also.
Lazarus Rising. Again a difficult decision. No Rest for the Wicked is a great story, but Lazarus Rising had a lot more to it then the other. Dean's return, Sam's change, and Castiel.
In My Time of Dying was easier. I love Jus iIn Bello, but In My Time of Dying is one of absolute favorites.
The first three were pretty easy for me, the last one is impossible. I voted: The End (looks like Swan Song's gonna go down finally!), Lazarus Rising and Changing Channels.
As for choosing between Jus in Bello and In My Time of Dying... I bet Alastair the master of torture is behind putting them together. I have no idea which one to vote for. Both are so outstanding.
Jus in Bello has Henricksen, Nancy, lots of tension and demon fights, Lilith in that absolutely angel faced body and some great one liners, with "but you didn't shoot the deputy" forefront.
In My Time of Dying, on the other hand, has Tessa, vulnerable Dean, some great brother moments, Sam defending the Impala, Yellow Eyes, the Colt and the death of John.
Damn it, I really can't choose. Again, I'd take each of them over all the others in these polls.
I think the majority of fans still prefer season 3 Ruby. She was more badass. And I know I'm a girl but I thought Cassidy was way prettier than Cortese.
I loved Swan Song, I think personally my favourite. It would have been an epic ending to the series to have Sam stay in hell and Dean live the life he thought that he wanted. The End was good, but as I have stated, Swan Song was my vote. Shame that it is going down though lol.
Well, Swan Song vs. The End is kind of an epic match. It's what really happened vs. what might have happened, so that the two episodes totally reflect each other. I’ve just watched again The End, and at the very moment when Dean declares to Sam that they’d better be forever apart becaue their being together and valueing each other so much makes them weaker instead of stronger, at that very moment their fight is lost and their world is doomed. The very next scene shows Dean waking up to the apocalyptical scenario where Croatoan is widespread. And then we have our most important symbol: the Impala is not parked outside at his disposal (as he parked it there the previous night… 5 years ago), his beloved baby has become a piece of junk. The symbol of their brotherly bond is wasted, so that, as we learn in Swan Song, they stand no chance any more in their battle against Lucifer. Actually, Lucifer has already taken Sam for good. For the two brothers there is just one task left: to kill each other. Dean runs to encounter Samifer hoping to gank him with the Colt, and he gets just killed himself. I love the consistency here: no more brotherly love means no more Impala. And I love how brilliantly The End makes it clear what the end game is all about. But of course I have to vote for the Impala surviving, for the brothers surviving and Lucifer falling into the hole. At the end of The End, the Impala comes back, when the brothers get back together and repair their broken relationship. Now everything is ready for the real end of the Apocalypse, the one shown in Swan Song.
I went with The End, Yellow Fever, Lazarus Rising, and In My Time of Dying. Changing Channels vs Yellow Fever may have been the hardest pairing yet. Those are my top 2 episodes and both are just so hilarious that it was hard to decide which was funnier. I think Yellow Fever tops Changing Channels tho, only because of the Eye of the Tiger bit <3
Beautifully said! TE foreshadows the Impala as representative of their brotherly bond; if the
"most important object in the universe" falls into neglect, the world is lost. I voted for Swan Song and I wished the episode had not gone against TE until a later round, but it does not bother me so much if TE advances because of how you stated the "magic" of both episodes.
eventually I decided to go with In My Time of Dying. Usually I take the action over the emotional, but this time I had to make an exception. I love Jus in Bello, it's still one of my favourite episodes ever, but I decided to go for the family-centric episode. It's actually the only episode ever that actually made me feel for John. I still think he was a jerk most of the time, but hey, he did suffer a hundred years of torture with Alastair just to save Dean. Also, IMTOD is just so different from all other episodes. It's truly one of a kind. And gotta say I love Jensen in that hospital gown, with the scar on his forehead ;)
ahhh, I didn't think I would disagree with people this much this round.. x] My votes: - Swan Song (HELLO! I know The End was a great episode, but not THAT great! How can it beat the incredible Swan Song?! I don't get it..) - No Rest for the Wicked (Both episodes were awesome, but EPIC FINALE WITH DEAN GOING TO HELL! So many great moments! EPIC FINALE! Again, I don't get how it can loose, even though it is against the amazingness of Lazarus Rising..) - Changing Channels (I'm finally getting a vote right) - In My Time of Dying (phew.. it made it.. )
I'm most shocked about The End winning over Swan Song.. Swan Song was like the most amazing ending ever.. The End was a wonderful episode, but still! How can it beat Swan Song? :O
Thanks for the comment. I also have to thank Dahne for the polls because the chance to compare pairs of episodes gives some interesting insight about them, and of course reading the comments of everybody else, so that an idea from here and another one from there suddenly makes you see a new depth in the show.
I hated both Ruby's. No matter who plays them I am not going to like that character.
As for Fringe, if by caught up you mean I have seen all the episodes I have, then yes I am. However, since I only have 4 episodes, I am no where near the end. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy any more episodes from iTunes and the DVD's aren't out yet. Normally I would look for outside sources, but I just had to replace my 3 year old computer that died under mysterious circumstances. Since I will be paying for this one for the next 3 paychecks, I can't afford to have the same thing happen again. Unless I find a risk-free way to view the other episodes, I am stuck until the Sept. DVD release.
If you like Heaven and Hell and don't mind the anvil of opposites dropped on your head a few dozen times, then you should like Heaven & Hell. The next one, Family Remains, is best skipped to be honest. That episode sucks from the first moment to the last.
I think when it comes right down to it, I always prefer the happy endings (alive vs dead) so Lazarus Rising was definitely getting my vote. It is funny that the episode in which Dean dies is up against the episode in which he is resurrected.
I love how you analyzed the two episodes together and showed me something I never really thought about. I know in my head that Dean's Baby rusting showed how deteriorated the situation had gotten but I never tied that to Swan Song. Thanks!
It's still in the contest - just on the other side of the bracket. Their is a chance that one of these episodes will face What is and What Should Never Be in the final. That's of course if WiaWSNB makes it to the finals (which I hope it does.)
Good choices of course. :-P One thing though, I don't remember any John sentiment in No Rest for the Wicked. Not sure how being anti-John helped you pick Lazarus Rising. Maybe I'm just blocking it out because I hate John with a passion and prefer to forget he existed.
I think Swan Song is actually a very divisive episode and many people would have been upset if the series ended with Sam in hell. For me it was simple. I can watch The End over and over again. Each time I see something new. Each time I enjoy it as much as teh first time I saw it. Swan Song was good the first time I saw it, but it's lack of action and sentimentality grow thin for me in repeated views. Now I watch it because I have to to complete a marathon, but it will never be an episode I watch just on the spur of the moment.
No idea what I was getting at either - I think I must have lost the few remaining marbles I had. I'll blame it on hellatus - that excuses a truck load of random stupid.
I put the emphasis on season 4 Ruby because in season 3 she came over differently.
I don't know if she was scripted that way, if the wtiters didn't have a clear idea of where to take the character or if it all comes down to the actors' own interpretation, but she was snarkier and more tom-boyish. It never seemed as if she was going to take the seduction/romantic angle with Sam but more the bossy "you must do as I say " attitude, a sort of substitute Dean, if you like.
So , for me the character of "Villan Ruby" didn't come into her own until season 4 where she became much more Machiavellian than in season 3. Here she had a distraught and lonely Sam to herself for months and she had no qualms about using all the tricks in the book to indoctrinate him.
She is also smart enough to keep a low profile when Dean comes back from Hell and to just wait patiently while the brothers' relationship deteriorates, causing Sam to pull ever closer to her and to the sucessful completion of her mission to free Lucifer.
NOTE: Name-calling, personal attacks, spamming, excessive self-promotion, condescending pomposity, general assiness, racism, sexism, any-other-ism, homophobia, acrophobia, and destructive (versus constructive) criticism will get you BANNED from the party.
Ah the ecstasy of an easy choice and the agony of evens. My choices:
ReplyDeleteThe End - Not only because I think this is one of the best time travel episodes I've seen but also because Swan Song loses its charm on the repeat cycle.
Lazarus Rising - Not an easy choice because there are so many things I love about No Rest for the Wicked. Still, of the two of them it's Lazarus Rising that shocked me most. Plus it has Bobby's and Sam's reactions to Dean being alive. Awesome!
Changing Channels - Another easy vote because I don't like Yellow Fever. Plus, Changing Channels is in my top 15 for its seamless segue from comedy to drama.
The impossible vote - Both Jus in Bello and In My Time of Dying have scenes that are seared into my memory. They both have pop reference gold and they both have parts I wish to erase. For Jus in Bello, it's the final 3 minutes. For In My Time of Dying, there's far too much mopey John and pointless John and Sam fighting. This one is a tomorrow vote for me.
This has been the easiest round for me so far
ReplyDeleteThe End
Lazarus Rising
Changing Channels
Jus In Bello
I can't believe I actually voted against Jus in Bello. It's just that "In My Time of Dying" is just the perfect premiere to me... It was balanced, and heavy, and I remember how difficult it was for them to do the circling camera around the board...and that cup falling at the end. O.o
ReplyDeleteI also voted for The End over Swan Song.
I don't know...While I love SS, The End is just so awesome...
You want to erase the final three minutes when Lilith walked in? That was what made that episode for me.
ReplyDeleteNope. I want to erase the final 3 minutes when Ruby walked in. I loved when Lilith walked in.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a easy choice. I like all of them. My choices:
ReplyDelete- The End: My favorite of Season 5
- Lazarus Rising: The Reunion of Dean with Sammy and Bobby.
- Yellow Fever: difficult choice, both made me laugh a lot, but I love Dean's reactions :D
- In my time of Dying: a dramatic and sad episode, seeing Sam fighting to help his brother, Dean fighting to be alive to protect his family and see daddy John sacrifices himself to save Dean.
I'm happy you are happy. Hopefully it will continue to be easy for you. Perhaps everyone will be happier in this round than I was, but I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteBesides John dying, Tessa is my favorite thing about IMToD. I was totally taken aback when she was revealed to be the reaper. I'm not even sure why, but that goes down as one of the biggest Supernatural shocks for me. I guess I never thought a reaper could look like anything except the Gentlemen from Buffy.
ReplyDeleteThe End and Changing Channels tie for best of season 5 for me. Odd since they are such different episodes.
ReplyDeleteSwan Song - The End was a nearly useless diversion that wasted Lexa Doig's casting.
ReplyDeleteNRFTW - Interesting how this match-up is basically Dean dying vs. Dean resurrecting. I choose dying.
Changing Channels - Ridiculous (Changing Channels) beats the self-contained bore (Yellow Fever).
Jus in Bello - Easy. It's the best episode left in this competition by a long shot.
I voted in two of the polls. For Lazarus Rising and for Jus In Bello, both of which were really awesome episodes...
ReplyDeleteI'm not off to watch 'Heaven & Hell.' Hope it is a good one, loved the episode beforehand!
Swan Song
ReplyDeleteNRFTW
Changing Channels
IMTOD
mate Episode contest with matches too close to call. I know the results are shocking me. Things I thought would be a runaway victory are losing or very tight. Things I thought would be close are runaway victories. I'm glad I didn't put
ReplyDeleteMan that was a hard round for me! Hardest being choosing between Jus In Bello and In My Time Of Dying. Why are you so cruel, making me choose between those episodeds! By the looks of things, everyone is finding that one hard!
ReplyDeleteI hated S3 Ruby... I'm totally digging S4 Ruby! She's mega hot for one, but she's really much more interesting and fleshed out...
ReplyDeleteHow's S3 of Fringe going for you? Nearly caught up?
Finally something easy for me.
ReplyDeleteThe End
Lazarus Rising
Changing Channels
In My Time of Dying
I prefer S3 Ruby. She was a total b!tch and I loved it.
ReplyDeletejust reading the list of who is in todays polls, without even looking at who is against each other, i already feel my heart tearing. with the exception of one, i absolutely love all these episodes (and that one, lazarus rising, i still love, just not as much)
ReplyDeletei never expected this competition to be so hard but i guess i was vastly undersetimating the quality of supernatural episodes
if there's one thing these polls have made me realise is just hom much i love supernatural!!! which i guess is a good thing, especially now that we're so close to the season premier!!!
anyhow, my votes for today: too hard
the only 2 i can do right now are no rest for the wicked (amazing, incredible, awesome episode) and changing channels (even though yellow fever is awesome, it really can't compare to the awesomeness that was changing channels)
i will come back to decide on the other two after some thinking time
i have learnt that i need a new word instead of awesome because i use it waaaaay to much
as we progress with the polls the choices just get harder and harder
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree with Aleksandra, S3 Ruby was better in my opinion. S4 Ruby was too bland and flat for my liking.
ReplyDeleteeasy as this one for me
ReplyDeletethe end- watched this like a zillion times and it just never get old
lazarus rising- castiel's entrance was just so bad a**!
changing channels- its just what i always so my friends to get them into spn, also it has a good mixture between the seasons myth arc and comedy
jus in bello- it was just so cool! and sad also we finally got to see lilith and what a suprise that was.
After yesterday, this round was pretty easy.
ReplyDeleteThe End - I was never that much a fan of Swan Song, loved two Deans, hippie Cas, catalyst for getting the brothers back together
Lazarus Rising - I loved No Rest for the Wicked simply because they went through with sending Dean to Hell. I knew it was coming but it was still awesome to see it actually play out (And in such a gory manner too). Having said that, the challenge was always where they were going to take it from there and Lazarus Rising delivered - it reunited the brothers and introduced angels into the mythology. That's where it gets up for me.
Changing Channels - I repeat again, I hated Yellow Fever.
In My Time of Dying - Hardest poll for me. It's funny, I love Jus in Bello but i've voted against it twice now - sad it had to come up against what I felt was a flawless premiere.
Two easy and two difficult.
ReplyDeleteThe End-
Time-travel, apocalyptic scenario ( Ok, we know SPN doesn't have a big special effects budget! ), two Deans, Sam as Lucifer, complete with white suit and red rose, and the heart-mending riunification in the final scene.
Wonderful episode.
Having to vote between Dean's death or his resurection, I go with Life and not witth Death.( but difficult chioice.)
Lazarus Rising is another great episode marred only by the introduction of season 4 Ruby who ranks as number one big bad in my greatest villans list.
Alastair, Zachariah, Azazel, Meg , Lucifer etc., are all bad guys, but they are so obviously evil; they are big-bads that you love to hate, but Ruby was much more subtle.
She wormed her way into Sam's life when he was at his lowest and was very, very careful to walk the line between good and evil.
She even had Dean fooled for a nano-second in Heaven and Hell.
She brought Sam to be addicted to Demon blood and then kept the supply low, thus controlling him as she wished.
She also brought her assignment of freeing Lucifer to it's sucessful conclusion.
( I think the only one of the various villans to do so.)
Changing Channels gets my vote.
I don't think that Yellow Fever has the story-line or content to go against it.
This is my other most difficult choice in this round, but I'll give it to Jus In Bello as it was an action packed episode.
The loud-speaker idea to exorcise the demons was a great move.
Then we got lots of fighting too.
I think that you need one of these action episodes now and then to give us a moment to breathe between the angsty and myth-arc ones.
heh. I think almost all of my picks ended up on the bottom.
ReplyDeleteThe End
No Rest for the Wicked
Yellow Fever
Jus in Bello
so, i ended up voting jus in bello and swan song (both the currently unpopular choices)
ReplyDeletealthough it was one of the most painfull decisions i've made so far, especailly jus in bello
i loved the end, absolutely loved every moment of it. it brought sam and dean back together basically after their time apart. but swan song was just incredible. the emotion, the deaths, dean being there for sam, the impala, lisa, the shock of sam standing outside the house at the end and the long wait to find out what happened. it was just amazing
the hardest decision by far was jus in bello or my time of dying. i'm honestly surprised jus in bello isn't winning. i went with the former despite my complete love for the latter, simply because jus in bello is just a purely incredible episode. in my time of dying is amazing, i loved the deal, johns death was incredible, dean as a ghost was great and tessa was awesome. and sam lecturing john for not caring about dean (even though he kinda was) was brilliant. but every second of jus in bello is thrilling and exciting and nerve racking and awesome
i remember realising that when i had watched the first 4 and a half seasn, i had missed out on jus in bello. going back to watch it i was left in awe of how simply amazing it was and how i could have possibly missed it. it is very close to being nu,ber one on my all time favourite list, but so is in my time of dying. it was a tough decision, one i hope i will not have to repeat (akthough i'm sure i will with the coming rounds) but i went with jus in bello
now that mystery spot is out of the running(i think) i'm really interested to see who wins because i was sure it would
The End
ReplyDeleteLazarus Rising
Yellow Fever
Jus In Bello
The End, Lazarus Rising, Yellow Fever and My time of dying! :D
ReplyDeleteThis was much harder in some aspects, easier in others.
ReplyDeleteSwan Song. This was the difficult one because I love both of these episodes. I know it ended sad, but the sacrifice and love that was shown in this episode is pure Winchester After all they have been through, it came to this. I loved it. I still The End, but this one touched me.
Changing Channels. This was another difficult one. I love Yellow Fever, but Changling was not only funny, but it had important story arc scenes in it also.
Lazarus Rising. Again a difficult decision. No Rest for the Wicked is a great story, but Lazarus Rising had a lot more to it then the other. Dean's return, Sam's change, and Castiel.
In My Time of Dying was easier. I love Jus iIn Bello, but In My Time of Dying is one of absolute favorites.
The first three were pretty easy for me, the last one is impossible.
ReplyDeleteI voted: The End (looks like Swan Song's gonna go down finally!), Lazarus Rising and Changing Channels.
As for choosing between Jus in Bello and In My Time of Dying... I bet Alastair the master of torture is behind putting them together. I have no idea which one to vote for. Both are so outstanding.
Jus in Bello has Henricksen, Nancy, lots of tension and demon fights, Lilith in that absolutely angel faced body and some great one liners, with "but you didn't shoot the deputy" forefront.
In My Time of Dying, on the other hand, has Tessa, vulnerable Dean, some great brother moments, Sam defending the Impala, Yellow Eyes, the Colt and the death of John.
Damn it, I really can't choose. Again, I'd take each of them over all the others in these polls.
I think the majority of fans still prefer season 3 Ruby. She was more badass. And I know I'm a girl but I thought Cassidy was way prettier than Cortese.
ReplyDeleteSwan Song, No Rest For The Wicked, Yellow Fever, Jus In Bello
ReplyDeleteI loved Swan Song, I think personally my favourite. It would have been an epic ending to the series to have Sam stay in hell and Dean live the life he thought that he wanted. The End was good, but as I have stated, Swan Song was my vote. Shame that it is going down though lol.
ReplyDeleteWell, Swan Song vs. The End is kind of an epic match. It's what really happened vs. what might have happened, so that the two episodes totally reflect each other.
ReplyDeleteI’ve just watched again The End, and at the very moment when Dean declares to Sam that they’d better be forever apart becaue their being together and valueing each other so much makes them weaker instead of stronger, at that very moment their fight is lost and their world is doomed. The very next scene shows Dean waking up to the apocalyptical scenario where Croatoan is widespread. And then we have our most important symbol: the Impala is not parked outside at his disposal (as he parked it there the previous night… 5 years ago), his beloved baby has become a piece of junk. The symbol of their brotherly bond is wasted, so that, as we learn in Swan Song, they stand no chance any more in their battle against Lucifer. Actually, Lucifer has already taken Sam for good. For the two brothers there is just one task left: to kill each other. Dean runs to encounter Samifer hoping to gank him with the Colt, and he gets just killed himself.
I love the consistency here: no more brotherly love means no more Impala. And I love how brilliantly The End makes it clear what the end game is all about. But of course I have to vote for the Impala surviving, for the brothers surviving and Lucifer falling into the hole.
At the end of The End, the Impala comes back, when the brothers get back together and repair their broken relationship. Now everything is ready for the real end of the Apocalypse, the one shown in Swan Song.
Amazing options! Almost all my favorites are there. My list would have "What Is and What Should Never Be" among those, though.
ReplyDeleteSame as me.
ReplyDeleteI went with The End, Yellow Fever, Lazarus Rising, and In My Time of Dying. Changing Channels vs Yellow Fever may have been the hardest pairing yet. Those are my top 2 episodes and both are just so hilarious that it was hard to decide which was funnier. I think Yellow Fever tops Changing Channels tho, only because of the Eye of the Tiger bit <3
ReplyDeleteBeautifully said! TE foreshadows the Impala as representative of their brotherly bond; if the
ReplyDelete"most important object in the universe" falls into neglect, the world is lost. I voted for Swan Song and I wished the episode had not gone against TE until a later round, but it does not bother me so much if TE advances because of how you stated the "magic" of both episodes.
eventually I decided to go with In My Time of Dying. Usually I take the action over the emotional, but this time I had to make an exception. I love Jus in Bello, it's still one of my favourite episodes ever, but I decided to go for the family-centric episode. It's actually the only episode ever that actually made me feel for John. I still think he was a jerk most of the time, but hey, he did suffer a hundred years of torture with Alastair just to save Dean.
ReplyDeleteAlso, IMTOD is just so different from all other episodes. It's truly one of a kind. And gotta say I love Jensen in that hospital gown, with the scar on his forehead ;)
This round was surprisingly easy for me - even though most of these are truly amazing episodes.
ReplyDeleteI voted for:
The End, of course. I've already said numerous times why I love it so much.
Lazarus Rising. This one was much harder, but my anti-John bias wins out.
Changing Channels. The best thing about Yellow Fever is Eye of the Tiger at the end.
Jus in Bello. Always.
Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto. Yep Easy. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree about Yellow Fever. Ironically, Eye of the Tiger is not even a part of the episode :P
ReplyDeleteahhh, I didn't think I would disagree with people this much this round.. x]
ReplyDeleteMy votes:
- Swan Song (HELLO! I know The End was a great episode, but not THAT great! How can it beat the incredible Swan Song?! I don't get it..)
- No Rest for the Wicked (Both episodes were awesome, but EPIC FINALE WITH DEAN GOING TO HELL! So many great moments! EPIC FINALE! Again, I don't get how it can loose, even though it is against the amazingness of Lazarus Rising..)
- Changing Channels (I'm finally getting a vote right)
- In My Time of Dying (phew.. it made it.. )
I'm most shocked about The End winning over Swan Song.. Swan Song was like the most amazing ending ever.. The End was a wonderful episode, but still! How can it beat Swan Song? :O
Same here :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I also have to thank Dahne for the polls because the chance to compare pairs of episodes gives some interesting insight about them, and of course reading the comments of everybody else, so that an idea from here and another one from there suddenly makes you see a new depth in the show.
ReplyDeleteWaaat? I think the exact opposite lol. S3 Ruby was ridiculously hot and awesome, while S4 Ruby was a little bit annoying xD.
ReplyDeleteI hated both Ruby's. No matter who plays them I am not going to like that character.
ReplyDeleteAs for Fringe, if by caught up you mean I have seen all the episodes I have, then yes I am. However, since I only have 4 episodes, I am no where near the end. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy any more episodes from iTunes and the DVD's aren't out yet. Normally I would look for outside sources, but I just had to replace my 3 year old computer that died under mysterious circumstances. Since I will be paying for this one for the next 3 paychecks, I can't afford to have the same thing happen again. Unless I find a risk-free way to view the other episodes, I am stuck until the Sept. DVD release.
If you like Heaven and Hell and don't mind the anvil of opposites dropped on your head a few dozen times, then you should like Heaven & Hell. The next one, Family Remains, is best skipped to be honest. That episode sucks from the first moment to the last.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. I voted for Jus in Bello right now simply because it was losing. I wouldn't have been able to choose any other way.
ReplyDeleteSo what did you vote?
ReplyDeleteLilith was another big shock for me. It amazes me how all these child actors can look so innocent and terrifying at the same time
ReplyDeleteNo Rest for the Wicked was one of the few times that I thought the gore really enhanced the plot. It made everything seem that much worse.
ReplyDeleteAmen to the last sentence. I could not agree more. Funny though - I hated both Rubys for the exact same reasons you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI think when it comes right down to it, I always prefer the happy endings (alive vs dead) so Lazarus Rising was definitely getting my vote. It is funny that the episode in which Dean dies is up against the episode in which he is resurrected.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking its YED behind this match myself. He's show the ability to connive over the long haul. :-0
ReplyDeleteI love how you analyzed the two episodes together and showed me something I never really thought about. I know in my head that Dean's Baby rusting showed how deteriorated the situation had gotten but I never tied that to Swan Song. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt's still in the contest - just on the other side of the bracket. Their is a chance that one of these episodes will face What is and What Should Never Be in the final. That's of course if WiaWSNB makes it to the finals (which I hope it does.)
ReplyDeleteGood choices of course. :-P One thing though, I don't remember any John sentiment in No Rest for the Wicked. Not sure how being anti-John helped you pick Lazarus Rising. Maybe I'm just blocking it out because I hate John with a passion and prefer to forget he existed.
ReplyDeleteI think Swan Song is actually a very divisive episode and many people would have been upset if the series ended with Sam in hell. For me it was simple. I can watch The End over and over again. Each time I see something new. Each time I enjoy it as much as teh first time I saw it. Swan Song was good the first time I saw it, but it's lack of action and sentimentality grow thin for me in repeated views. Now I watch it because I have to to complete a marathon, but it will never be an episode I watch just on the spur of the moment.
ReplyDeleteNo idea what I was getting at either - I think I must have lost the few remaining marbles I had. I'll blame it on hellatus - that excuses a truck load of random stupid.
ReplyDeleteSwan Song, Lazarus Rising, Changing Channels and In my time of dying
ReplyDeleteI put the emphasis on season 4 Ruby because in season 3 she came over differently.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if she was scripted that way, if the wtiters didn't have a clear idea of where to take the character or if it all comes down to the actors' own interpretation, but she was snarkier and more tom-boyish.
It never seemed as if she was going to take the seduction/romantic angle with Sam but more the bossy "you must do as I say " attitude, a sort of substitute Dean, if you like.
So , for me the character of "Villan Ruby" didn't come into her own until season 4 where
she became much more Machiavellian than in season 3.
Here she had a distraught and lonely Sam to herself for months and she had no qualms about using all the tricks in the book to indoctrinate him.
She is also smart enough to keep a low profile when Dean comes back from Hell and to just wait patiently while the brothers' relationship deteriorates, causing Sam to pull ever closer to her and to the sucessful completion of her mission to free Lucifer.