Yesterday's polls seemed to be difficult if the comments were any indication. Unfortunately some favorites will be leaving the contest early. Moving on to round 2 will be What is and What Should Never Be, Asylum, Faith, and Plucky Pennywhistle's Magic Menagerie. Headed off for a SPN afterlife are Red Sky at Morning, Nightshifter (46.62% of the vote), Dead in the Water, and After School Special. I will miss Nightshifter and Dead in the Water, both of which unfortunately got an unlucky draw. I wish I could say today would be an easier vote but for me it is not. Pitting one of my favorite season 7 episodes against one of my favorite season 1 episodes sucks out loud. I hope it's an easier vote for you. Don't forget to nominate your favorite quotes from Bedtime Stories and Red Sky at Night. Happy voting!
List of episodes in contest
Print your own bracket.
Contest results so far
Season 1 Quote Nominations Form
Season 2 Quote Nominations Form
Screencap by Home of the Nutty
My blog
SPN Asylum
SpoilerTV
1. French Mistake - I am not as gaga over this episode as most but it made me laugh the whole way through and it's the best true meta episode of them all. Plus I do not like Playthings (aka Dead in the Water 2.0)
ReplyDelete2. Wishful Thinking - I love this episode and not just because suicidal teddy bear is the most inspired character ever. Audrey was adorable, there were lots of great lines, and the whole episode flowed at a good pace. I like how they incorporated the wishes into the story. Mostly however, the Sorry scene in Reading is Fundamental is my least favorite scene in all of season 7 and a good chunk of the series as a whole. It was worse than the 6 gazillion annoying Amy subplot scenes and Becky at her most annoying.
3. I simply cannot choose right now because they are both so good. My vote will go to whichever one is losing at the end.
4. Family Matters - Don't get me wrong, I really like All Hell Breaks Loose 1 but I'm an action girl at heart. AHBL1 re-introduced Andy and Ava whom I loved and brought future Hardison to my screen in the form of Jake. It also had the YED dream scene. All good things, but AHBL1 is mostly a set-up to the season finale like most penultimate episodes on this show are. Family Matters on the other hand had more shocks and twists in 42 minutes than some entire seasons had. It was in this episode that we learned that RoboSam had no soul, Creepy Christian was a demon, Grandpa Creepy worked for Crowley, Crowley claimed to have Sam's soul, and we got the supremely awesome AlphaVamp. That's just the tip of what happened in this action-packed, twisty mind blowing episode. Heck RoboSam's name was even coined in this episode. Easily one of my favorites of the latter 75, this episode was one wild ride.
The French Mistake
ReplyDeleteReading is Fundamental
Provenance
All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1
1. The French Mistake- Not big on this episode, but compared to Playthings I guess it wins. Plus it was funny.
ReplyDelete2. Reading Is Fundamental- Cause it was fun.
3. Provenance- Loved Sarah
4. Family Matters- Had more action. Plus some great reveals and most of all Crowley and Alpha Vamp.
- The French Mistake -
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of this meta episode but it certainly has its moments. Sam reacting to Ruby (who isn't really Ruby) is always a hoot. There's nothing particularly wrong to point out about Playthings but it doesn't have much replay value unless you're an Annie Wersching fan.
- Reading is Fundamental -
Rock solid episode. An honorable mention to Kevin "advanced placement" Tran. That was a great first episode for a Supernatural character. I liked Wishful Thinking but not as much as Reading. For those who disagree, feel free to tell me to "kneel before Todd."
- Provenance -
Sorry, Supernatural. You can't fool me with Slash Fiction. It doesn't matter if you call them "leviathans" because this is just another shapeshifter story. There were a lot of good things that went down in that episode but it doesn't excuse the plot. Provenance, on the other hand, was a really good self-contained episode with a lot of good non-angst brother interplay and an amusing "I'm gonna get my brother laid" subplot.
- All Hell Breaks Loose, pt. 1 -
There aren't many things that would make me vote for either AHBL episode but placing them in a head-to-head match-up with a creepy grandpa episode will do the trick. I really don't have anything good to say about either episode.
..hard to vote poll two and tree my favorite for each season because there storyline was different and very deep in his own way
ReplyDeleteThe French Mistake
ReplyDeleteWishful Thinking
Slash Fiction
All Hell Breaks Loose part 1.
The French Mistake
ReplyDeleteReading is Fundamental
Provenance - This was a tough choice, since I loved Slash Fiction. But The character Sarah Blake was awesome. That painting still gives me the creeps though lol
All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1 - This was no contest for me. I don't like Family Matters.
Nightshifter. :( Sad you're gone!
ReplyDeleteToday's vote:
1. French Mistake - Take away the stupid angel/weapons/Raphael stuff and I enjoy this episode! With the angel/weapons/Raphael stuff it's just okay, but still better than Playthings, overall (which I like in general). I enjoy the fish out of water feel of the guys in the "real world"; especially Jared's scenes with Gen. Funny stuff. A highlight of season 6 (aside from the stupid angel/weapons/Raphael stuff).
2. Wishful Thinking - I really love this episode, and find it to be funny in a more subtle, yet ridiculous way (if that makes sense). I adore Sam and Dean trying to deal with the suicidal Teddy; and though I wish the buildup had been a few episodes in the making, I liked seeing Sam try to get Dean to open up and talk to him. I just really enjoy this one, and it's among my season 4 favorites. Reading is Fundamental? It's okay. But I'd rather watch Wishful Thinking any day.
3. Provenance - I wasn't sure which way to go for this one, as I like both episodes equally but for different reasons. I then decided Provenance was probably going to be short votes, and chose it. Imagine my surprise when (at the time of my voting), the two episodes were within one vote of each other. I'm fine with either Slash Fiction or Provenance taking this one. I have no real preference either way, and both are good.
4. All Hell Breaks Loose pt1 - I just watched this one last night and man...Friggin' good stuff!!! (are we allowed to curse in comments? I didn't just in case...lol) From Andy and Ava's excellent lines throughout, to Yellow Eyes revealing Sam's history to him, to Ava's reveal as a killer (I didn't expect it!), to Sam and Jake's fight, to the absolutely heartbreaking scene at the end with Sam essentially dying in Dean's arms. That's some powerful TV. This one ranks in my Top 10 (along with part 2), so it'll take some pretty amazing episodes to make me vote against it. Also? The use of Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time" in the Road So Far/Intro??? PERFECT!! It's another of my fav music moments on the show.
As for Family Matters, while it's certainly a fine episode, it doesn't even compare.
I was having withdrawal symptoms. Have checked in 4 times so far looking just for this set of polls.
ReplyDeleteTrying to figure out whether I should curse you or thank you, Dahne.
**
1) French Mistake - easy. Playthings wasn't *bad* it just wasn't a multi-watcher for me. I've come to understand that many fans hate the meta eps. I really enjoy the way Supernatural does them and this ep was one of my favs.
2) This selection comes down to the suicidal teddy bear or Kevin Tran. I haven't decided yet. I'll come back to it. Okay The Teddy Bear wins. Gonna click Wishful Thinking.
3) Slash Fiction - wow, exactly even as of my vote. I was luke warm to Provenance for some reason. I thought Slash Fiction was a great ep...Double the Winchesters. Double the fun. (points to anyone who is old enough to know what commercial I snagged that from..and have seen it.)
4) All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1 - Basically a vote against Family Matters. The Campbells was the single biggest misstep of season 6 for me. After listening to the pre-premiere interviews about who they were and their reputation. Not to mention the comment that the boys come from a long line of hunters. What we got were a bunch of red shirts that dropped like flies and a villain. Yes. I'm still perturbed. I'm also dragging my feet on making a vote for poll 2.
What about the Sorry scene do you dislike so much? I am not a big fan of Reading is Fundamental overall because, even though I think it's a well-written episode, it feels bloated with "Edlund-isms". But I like the Sorry scene if only for the obvious restraint Dean had in trying to talk to/deal with Castiel.
ReplyDeletethe photo for the French Mistake on tv.com is the moment where Sam kisses "Ruby" what I missed every single time I've watched that ep is what Dean is doing at that moment. He's looking up and out of frame. It's an hysterical picture.
ReplyDeleteWow worst than Amy?
ReplyDeleteYou and I really think differently when it comes to stuff like this.
In the first poll I voted for Playthings. I like The French Mistake too but I was never that big of a meta fan so Playthings it is! Second I voted for Wishful Thinking. I love the whole twist about making a wish and it turning bad. Another reason I voted for Wishful Thinking is becuase I am having a hard time to remember what even happened in Reading Is Fundamental. Since it wasn't even memorable to me it must not have made that much of an impact on me so it's not getting my vote. Third I voted for Provenance. I love Sarah! Sam and her were the best together. I like Slash Fiction too but I guess nostalgia won out here. :P Fourth I voted for All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1. Do I even have to give a reason for this choice? Family Matters doesn't even come close to comparing to All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1.
ReplyDeletehttp://im1n.clkimg.com/i/gl/344/344991.jpg
ReplyDeleteThat is a great screen grab. Thanks for pointing it out.
Bedtime Stories Quotes:
ReplyDelete15. Dean: "See you around Doc." Garrison: "I sure hope not."
14. Dean: "We don't know if that will work either Sam. All you're pitching me right now is a bunch of ifs and maybes. And that's not good enough because if we screw with this deal, you die." Sam: "And if we don't screw with it, you die." Dean: "Sam enough. I'm not going to have this conversation." Sam: "Why? Because you said so." Dean: "Yes, because I said so." Sam: "Well you're not dad." Dean: "No but I am the oldest, and I'm doing what's best.
13. Vic: "No, no. Those were my brothers. This guy, he killed my brothers. How would you feel?" Sam: "I can't imagine anything worse."
12. Dean: "Could be like Misha Barton. The 6th Sense not the OC." Sam: "What?" Dean: "Hey you know fairy tales; I know movies."
11. Sam: "You can let Dean out of his deal right now. He lives; I live; you live. Everyone goes home happy or….you stop breathing. Permanently."
10. Ken: "Oh come on honey. She offered. She's a harmless old lady. What could happen?"
9. Dean: "So you think the murders are uh what? A re-enactment. It's a little crazy." Sam: "Crazy as what? Every day of our lives." Dean: "Touché."
8. Sam: "Okay but how are we going to stop her? I mean Callie's stuck here. Her father's keeping her body alive." Dean: "Yeah it does make it a bit hard to burn the bones." Sam: "You think?"
7. Vic: "You are the sketch artists right?" Sam: "Umm." Dean: "Absolutely, yeah. That is exactly who my partner is. Eh, the thing's he can do with a pen."
6. Dean: "So, little girl. Shiny red apple. I'm guessing that means something to you, fairy tale boy." Sam: "I think it's Snow White." Dean: "Snow White, ah I saw that movie. Or the porn version anyway."
5. Dean: "Meanwhile she has to listen to dad tell her these deranged stories about a rabid wolf or cannibalistic old ladies. Enough to drive anybody nuts."
4. Kyle: "Don't I get to see it?" Sam: "Uh, yeah..yeah, yeah. Um, it's a you know work in progress." (Sam hands sketch to Kyle.) Kyle: "Hmm, it's…it's really uh."
3. Dean: "Alright maybe it is fairy tales. Totally messed up fairy tales. I'll tell you one thing. There's no way I'm kissing a damn frog."
2. Sam: "Actually I do have a theory - sort of." Dean: "Hit me." Sam: "Well I'm thinking about fairytales." Dean: "Oh that's…that's nice. You think about fairy tales often?"
1. Dean: "I'm going to go stop the Big Bad Wolf, which is the weirdest thing I've ever said."
Red Sky at Morning Quotes:
ReplyDelete16. Dean: "Alright get it out. I look ridiculous." Bela: "Not exactly the word I'd use."
15. Bela: "You boys should learn to lock your doors. Anyone could just barge in." Sam: "Anyone just did."
14. Bela: "Do you really think this is going to work?" Dean: "Almost definitely not."
13. Bela: " Really Sam, I'd expect the attitude from him, but you?" Sam: "You shot me." Bela: "I barely grazed you. Cute but a bit of a drama queen yeah?"
12. Dean: "So I've been waiting since Maple Springs. You got something to tell me?" Sam: "It's not your birthday." Dean: "No." Sam: "Happy Purim."
11. Dean: "This is where we parked the car right." Sam: "I thought so." Dean: "Where's my car?" Sam: "Did you feed the meter? Dean: "Yes I fed the meter. Sam, where's my car? Somebody stole my car." Sam: "Hey, hey, hey, hey, calm down Dean." Dean: "I am calmed down. Somebody stole my….." (Dean starts hyperventilating.)
10. Dean: "It was a stupid freaking risk. You shouldn't have done it." Sam: "I shouldn't have done it. You’re my brother Dean and no matter what you do, I'm going to try to save you. And I'm sure as hell not going to apologize for it alright."
9. Dean: "If you say I told you so, I swear to God I'll start swinging." Bela: "Look I think the 3 of us should have a heart-to-heart." Dean: "That's assuming you have a heart."
8. Sam: "But still none of this explains why the ghost is choosing these victims." Bela: "I'll tell you why. Who cares? Find the hand and burn it and stop the bloody thing."
7. Dean: "Look there's security all over this place alright. This is an uncrashable party without Gert's invitation so.." Sam: "We can crash anything Dean." Dean: "Yeah I know but this is easier and it's a lot more entertaining." Sam: "You know there are limits to what I'll do right." Dean: "Aww, he's playing hard to get. It's cute."
6. Bela: "I see you got your car back." Dean: "You really want to come near me when I've got a loaded gun in my hands."
5. Dean: "A hand of glory? I think I got one of those at the end of my Thai massage last week."
4. Dean: "Come on you lush. Well you think she's a pain in the a** now, try living with her."
4. Sam: "You got it right? Tell me I didn't get groped all night by Mrs. Havisham for nothing."
3. Dean: "There's a bullet missing from the Colt. Want to tell me how that happened. I know it wasn't me so unless you were shooting at some incredibly evil cans…"
2. Dean: "Can I shoot her?" Sam: "Not in public."
1. Bela: "You know when this is over, we should really have angry sex." Dean: "Don't objectify me."
I have major problems with Edlund's writing these days and the Sorry scene is one of them. Edlund is the M. Night Shyamalan of Supernatural to me. Needlessly convoluted and precious and clever for the sake of showing he's clever. Yet nothing ticked me off more than Cas holding up the Sorry board and asking Dean if he wanted to go first. I hate the implication by Edlund that Dean had to apologize to Cas for this whole convoluted mess. I hate that every time Dean needed to get Cas on track, Cas would send him back home. And I really, really hated how Dean was interpreted as the bad guy in the scene because of the horrendous decision to return Cas as an amnesiac in the first place and then make him the crazy guy you have to kid glove all the time after that. If just once Dean and even more importantly Sam was able to straight out scream at Cas for sucking up the world, then I could buy the stupid apologies from the Winchesters. Making it so Cas is untouchable and anyone who calls him on it is the bad guy only makes me more frustrated with having Cas' character there in the first place. Of all the frustrations I have with the return of Castiel, the Sorry scene embodies them all and becomes the symbol of what to me was one of the biggest mistakes of the season.
ReplyDeleteKevin Tran was by far the best thing about Reading is Fundamental. I hope Crowley doesn't mess with him too much. I'd love to see him back - well provided he doesn't bring any more angels into the mix. If that's the case, I hope he has a long, long stay in Crowley's hell line.
ReplyDeleteLove your comment about Slash Fiction. I totally disagree of course but it made me roar with laughter.
Sarah Blake needs to return. I don't care if that was 6 years ago. I don't care if Sam runs into her in the grocery store. She just needs to come back. I want to see how her experience with the paranormal has changed her and to see if there is still that amazing chemistry the two of them had.
ReplyDeleteI join you in mourning Nightshifter. I think after round 1 we need to have a wake, where we can pour Johnnie Walker Blue over them and give them a real hunter's funeral.
ReplyDeleteLove your analysis of French Mistake, especially the stupid angel/weapons/Raphael stuff. Too bad they had to throw it in. For a meta episode, this one was a lot of fun. I'm going to toss my vote to Provenance also because it's losing. The result of this poll is going to be another Nightshifter to me - either way I lose.
I give my vote to Playthings.
ReplyDeleteIt might not be one of the strongest episodes of SPN, but it has all I like in it.; Sam and Dean working together, a creepy ghost story, brotherly love and heroic boys.
For me that makes it a winner.
The French Mistake, in my opinion, was a "mistake" and not to my taste as are any of the meta ones.
It was a fan service episode that was illogical in the story arc, but whatever.
X
Wishful Thinking gets it.
A cute little story that in my opinion is underappreciated.OUAT copied it and it's a hit!
I'm not going to vote for any season seven episodes when they are pitted against earlier ones as for me they are just not anywhere near as good.
X
Provenance for me.
I loved the whole thing.
Interesting ghost story, lovely little sentimental story for Sam, some cute scenes.
Then I just love Dean's sweet big brotherliness in encouraging Sam to try and get over Jessica and love again.
Slash Fiction is one of the best episodes of a poor season seven but not good enough to beat Provenance.
X
All HellBreaks Loose. Part 1
While I don't particularly dislike Family Matters. It can't hold a candle to AHBL1
X
PS Cute brotherly photo. Gets my vote . :)
Edited to add: I made a big mistake here mixing up Family Matters with Family Remains.
Had I not made the mistake I would have given my vote to Family Matters, one of the Season six episodes that I love best.
Wish fulfillment stories are always a lot of fun for me. I remember the one in The X-Files and of course I loved What is and What Should Never Be. The fact that they had so much fun in Wishful Thinking made it a winner for me. Oh and I love Sarah too.
ReplyDelete"retroactively coloring seasons 4-5 in a bad light"
ReplyDeleteThis is my big fear too. I don't hate Castiel and he was an important part of the story for seasons 4 and 5, so I don't want to rewatch those episodes and constantly be thinking of how incredibly frustrated I am right now with the whole Castiel fiasco. I was equally frustrated with Sam in season 4 and Cas in season 6. The difference (besides that it didn't feel like they were just throwing in Sam wily nily into the season to reach an episode quota) is that Sam took absolution to an art form in season 5. Sam regretted, he repented, and he was sure going to do everything he could to make things right, not just with the world but with his brother too. Instead, like you said, it feels like Cas gets to play the victim card. Unfortunately instead of making me sympathetic, it just makes me want to reach into the screen to slap him and then find an angel banishing sigil for my TV.
Bed Time stories.
ReplyDeleteA cute underrated episode in my opinion, with some really quirky quotes. :)
X
X
Dean: I'm gonna stop the big bad wolf. Which is the weirdest thing I've ever said.
X
Sam: I think it's Snow White.
Dean: Snow White? I saw that movie. The porn version anyway. There was this wicked Stepmother. Woo, she was wicked.
X
X
Red Sky At Morning.
Another uderrated episode for me, but then I love all of season three. :)
Some great quotes because Bela was so wonderfully snarky. I found it difficult to choose.
I remember laughing at the answer she gave to Sam in that first quote. So very very Bela! :)
The other quote came from a sweet brotherly scene when Bela had the Impala towed away. A great little moment.
X
Sam: How do you sleep at night?
Bela: On silk sheets, rolling naked in money.
X
Dean: Can I shoot her?
Sam: Not in public.
YES. Cas is the victim, and the writers have made it obvious that we're supposed to feel that way about him (IMO), and I don't!! I'm holding a grudge, lol. You are right in that the journey Sam took in season 5 was pretty incredible. He really grew up that season.
ReplyDeleteI have to try really hard not to watch season 4 and 5 with my current Cas-bias. Mostly I can do it. Season 6 it becomes so much harder, and now, in season 7 (and soon to come season 8), it's almost impossible for me to feel anything other than resentment for him. And I don't like it. My wish is that in season 8 we either get some sort of decision on what Castiel's role will be; and honestly I hope he's gone for most of the season. I hate saying that too, because at one point Castiel was almost as important to me as Bobby in his supporting role to the guys.
1.Playthings again one of my favourites and I prefer earlier season episodes.The French Mistake was good but it takes you out of the story and reminds you it is a TV SHOW.
ReplyDelete2.Wishful Thinking I not the biggest Ben fan but this one just appealed to me for some reasons
3.Provenance again one of my favourites loved the brothers in this and loved Sarah.
4.AHBL1 it speaks for itself .
love your 1 and 2 quotes here. Actually, for being a pretty dumb episode, there are a lot of good lines... :D
ReplyDeleteI agree completely about the French Mistake.
ReplyDeleteI want have the illusion that Sam and Dean and their adventures are real while I'm watchiing the show, not to be reminded that the knives are made of rubber or that Bobby's house is made of plywood or that there are 50 people watching Sam and Dean as they talk alone in a motel room!
Lots of great brother moments in Provenance. Plus when Sarah orders a beer to put Sam at ease in the restaurant she automatically moved way up on my need to see again list.
ReplyDeleteEdited because I'm a tired idiot. Please carry on.
I liked Bela for the most part but not in Red Sky at Morning - at least the first part. It seemed like the writers were trying too hard to make me hate her. So when Sam told Dean he couldn't shoot her, I'm the one who yelled, "Really Sammy? Aw!" No one touches Baby and lives. I agree that Bedtime Stories is way too underrated, except for the huge freaking anvil they slammed into my head for the final hospital scene.
ReplyDeleteIt has better snark than most episodes, which is why it is not my least favorite episode.
ReplyDeleteI have to believe that the diner scene with LeviaBrothers will remain a SPN classic. There is nothing about that scene I don't like. It may be my favorite scene of the season. "Eating self-righteousness," applications for sainthood, SatanVision - what is not to like. And of course we get the immortal:
ReplyDeleteLS: "You know I had a brother with this many issues once." LS: "Yeah." LS:
You know what I did? LD: "Hmmm." LS: I ate him." LD: "Of course you did." - BWAH!!!
I think Sharonally refers to Ben Edlund here. Did he write the ep ? :)
ReplyDeleteha! That scene is the only one that really stands out in the whole episode. But I agree, that moment will remain strong and a favorite of many I think.
ReplyDeletelol, some great humor :)
I think that we were supposed to see Bela as the bad guy, she was the opposite of Sam and Dean.
ReplyDeleteEven although she knew about the supernatural world, she was only interested in using that knowledge for making money, not like the boys who did it to save lives, so i suppose it would be normal to hate her a bit.
But I liked her even in that part. She was smart and to beat her the boys had to be smarter than her, which in the end they were!
What was it you didn't like about the hospital scene? Just curious :)
I think the way Bela was written in the beginning was way too heavy handed. She is definitely the foil for the brothers, no question. They didn't need to overemphasize it as much as they did. To be honest, that's my issue with the hospital scene in Bedtime Stories too. I'm good with the case of the week paralleling the brothers' story. I'm not good with anvil dropping. In both cases they treat the viewer as if we are stupid. Yeah, I know Bela is the bad guy. I figured that out the first 30 times. It was too much in 42 minutes.
ReplyDeleteIn Bedtime Stories, the doctor says, "Callie was the most important thing in my life, but I should have let her go a long time ago." Point taken. I get what the episode is saying. When they add the extra dialogue here: Dean: "You know what he said. It's some good advice." Sam: "Is that what you want me to do
Dean? Just let you go." I feel like they are hitting me upside the head with a frying pan, yelling," Do you get it? Do you get our point? I want to make sure you've absolutely got it." Seriously show, I got it. All of Bedtime Stories is filled with anvil-dropping but most of those moments are quieter about it. Anvil dropping takes me out of a story just as much as meta does.
Ha! Well beyond. It's 3:30 am here. I'm working more hours for the internet this summer than I do for my paying job during the school year and I'm still behind. Time to check out for awhile. See you on the flip side.
ReplyDeletethe french mistake: i love how well this show does comedy. this is a fantastic episode that kept me laughing the entire way through. i loved every minute. i also liked playthings (its happens to be the first episode i ever saw, even though at the time i had no idea it was supernatural) but it can't compare to the french mistake.
ReplyDeletewishfull thinking: this was a bit difficult because i didn't find anything very special about either episode. i liked both just about the same amount. i ended up with wishful thinking because a suicidal teddy bear is simply brilliant.
provenance: this was a very hard choice, both this and slash fiction are epic episodes. was very difficult to try and decide between them. in the end i went with provenance , probably because i have a love of season one, but sarah was awesome and it had some great memorable one liners (what kinda house doesn't have salt? low sodium freaks!)
all hell breaks loose part 1: amazing, these two are my favourite finale. i loved every single moment. this episode is easily in my top ten (which i should probably get around to ordering someday). and it had andy, i loved andy.
and, very sad to see nightshifter go, it's one of my favourites
..may be we will play mini ,miney and moe
ReplyDeleteThe French Mistake
ReplyDeleteReading is Fundamental
Provenance
All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1
reading is fundamental is one of my favortite season 7 episode. It offer the return of biblical spn mythology with the word of God, a cute and reluctant prophet and new angels.
At least we had information on the leviathan and a first real victory and mean to win for the bros against them.
Cas waking up when the clay was broken was no coincidence. I love the idea that God has still an eye on is wayward son.
For those of us who like Cas, the episode is great to watch. Broken-childlike Cas was funny and emotional. Loved Dean conflicted emotions and frustration regarding to his friend.
Against, the writers gave Jensen and Misha great material to work with and they both shined.
Meg is fun as the sarcastic and ally by default, the should have listen to her warning "Crowley is always the problem"
“You know me, I’m always happy to bleed for the Winchesters.”
Hard ones today.
ReplyDelete1. The French Mistake - as a comedy, it's only second to Bad Day at Black Rock for me. I'm not a fan of the ending, but the meta scenes were pure genius. I do, however, really love Playthings too.
2. Reading Is Fundamental - because I'm really not a fan of Wishful Thinking. I know many people love the suicidal teddy bear, but for me it was rather idiotic, not to mention depressing as hell. Apart from this, the plot of the episode was nothing special. The only memorable things about it for me are: Dean's "women? showers? we've got to save these people" and the fact he admitted remembering hell. Reading is Fundamental does have its drawbacks, but overall I think it's a strong episode.
3. Cannot choose. Love both but neither is among my top favourites.
4. All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1 - I prefer Part 2 by a mile, but I still think it's an awesome episode. I loved how the psychic children were supposed to fight each other in that sadistic game of Yellow Eyes, loved the twist with Ava being the killer, loved the kid demon (one of the creepiest kids in SPN history!). And then there was the reveal of Sam being infected with demon blood and the heartbreaking last scene. Family Matters is a strong episode, but it really cannot fight with Dean holding dying Sam in his arms, promising to take care of him.
The French Mistake is my favorite fun eps, love them making fun of the low ratings of the show, just all in all laughed thru most of the eps. It had the Alpaca and Ruby and Jensen with his awesome facial expressions, just not much for me to NOT love in this. I don't mind being told it is just a TV show, after all it IS just a TV show. Misha doing his tweet thing.
ReplyDeleteReading is Fundamental for so many reasons, great one liners, Castiel with the Sorry box and I liked Kevin. Meg watching out for Cas and helping the boys.
Slash Fiction, the cloned Sam and Dean were great and real Dean wanting the rims that was on cloned Baby was fun. Was finally glad that Sam found out about Amy.
Family Matters because I liked finding out what a very bad guy gramps was and AHBL1 is not one of my favorite eps and Sam gets killed. Loved the AHBL2 ep.
I loved the comedy of The French Mistake, although Playthings was a great episode.
ReplyDeleteI loved both of the episodes and I won't really care which wins but I went with Wishful Thinking because of the crazy teddy bear
Again this was a problem. I figure Slash Fiction is going to win and I love it, but I hate to see Sarah Blake leave, so I went with Provenance
Family matters wasn't a bad episode, but I never really liked Samuel. AHBL whether it's part one or two is an incredible finale
Bedtime Stories Quotes
Dean: You find a way to stop Callie, all right?
Sam: What about you?
Dean: I'm gonna stop the Big Bad Wolf. Which is the weirdest thing I've ever said.
Sam: Hey, check that out.
Dean: Yeah? It's close to Halloween.
Sam: You remember Cinderella? The pumpkin that turns into a coach and the mice that become horses?
Dean: Dude! Could you be more gay? Don't answer that.
Red Sky at Morning Quotes
Dean: Can I shoot her?
Sam: Not in public.
Gurt: You remind me of my late husband, he was shy too....until we got below deck.
Sam: WHOA!!!
The French Mistake - hysterically funny acting scene was the winning factor for me;
ReplyDeleteWishful Thinking - Teddy Bear in this one;
Provenance - scary enough and i did not see the twist that it was the little girl actually, but sad about the Slash Fiction;
All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1 - also loved the Family Matters, but this one is better to me.
I was surprised that Cas wasn't just incredibly apologetic and that Dean showed so much restraint. I was not expecting it at all. Thinking about it though, I was pleased, because otherwise it would have made Cas into too much of a woobie. Of course, Cas-with-mental-issues is also somewhat woobified, but I think in a less substantial manner.
ReplyDeleteCas does own up to his guilt towards the end of the episode in the confrontation with the angels, though. Just pointing that out.
I do hate that they gave Cas a mental condition, and that they didn't just have him and Dean deal with things straight up.
And as you say, it makes him untouchable. But on the other hand, it really brings him low as a character, and I think that's a necessary step for him to atone.
I would not buy Sam being mad at Cas. At all. It's like when he brought Dean along to save Adam, showing him the trust that Dean never showed Sam. That's what Sam does. He treats people the way he would have liked to have been treated. He relates to Cas. And seeing as Sam said explicitly that he was at peace with his mental state when he was going through the hallucinations and stuff, it wouldn't be consistent with his behaviour all season for him to be mad at Cas, especially since Cas fixed him.
Again on the RIF comment, you said it so much better than I did, the Sorry game made me feel the same way and the comment from Meg about Dean/Cas and Hell..wow.
ReplyDeleteThe difference between Castiel and Sam is that Sam just raised Lucifer. Cas released a bunch of monsters, and personally killed a whack load of people and angels. It makes sense that his guilt would be paralyzing, instead of motivating, at least at first (I am expecting that to change in season 8).
ReplyDeleteAnd then the other thing, is that, personally, I thought what Sam said to Dean in "Fallen Idols" about Dean driving him away and towards Ruby was a long time coming, and that Dean's apology at the end of that episode ought to have been given more emphasis. Because I don't think Sam was ever supposed to be "the bad guy", both he and Dean made mistakes, and I think that could have been played up a bit more, because I still see a lot of people talking as if Sam was the Bad Guy, or that he was ruined as a character. When, no, he just made mistakes, and Dean did too.
And the situation with Cas isn't perfectly analogous to that because Dean didn't drive Cas away (at least not until Cas wasn't going to turn back anyways) but it is similar in that Cas was not supposed to be The Bad Guy. So if Cas isn't as totally apologetic as Sam was, then I'll be pleased, because I think that Sam, while being remorseful, should have pushed back more, and I'd like to see Cas' storyline handled differently.
We will have to agree to disagree on this one because I don't think you can say "just raised Lucifer." That's a huge deal and if Lucifer hadn't been so lame, it would have had even bigger consequences. I'll need to watch Fallen Idols again before commenting on that, but to me yes, Sam was one of the bad guy of the end of season 4. He was a remarkably sympathetic bad guy and I felt bad that Ruby was able to completely manipulate him, but he was a demon-blood addicted, too proud kid who let out Satan and aligned himself with a demon and brought on destruction. If Sam had not been so eager to atone for what he did, if he had not made the effort to fix his relationship with his brother, then I would not like Sam right now and I would not still be watching this show. In the same way Cas was definitely the bad guy at the end of season 6 and beginning of season 7 and he didn't even have the demon-blood excuse in season 6. Afterwards he was the same as Sam, a soul-addicted, too proud angel who aligned himself with a demon and brought on destruction. The only difference is I have no reason to get past what he did and welcome him back because the only amends he made was to take Sam's crazy for about 10 seconds and offer up a small vial of his blood. Not even in the same category as Sam. If he doesn't start atoning soon, I will never like this character again.
ReplyDeleteI would rather have a wooby Cas determined to fix thing than a Cas who no one is allowed to be angry with. I would also prefer to have a Sam who is allowed to get angry when someone screws him over and Cas most definitely screwed him over. Sam might have said he was at peace, but he definitely was not. He was barely holding it together and presumably (although Born-Again Identity screwed this up royally) he was going to die. You don't have to be grateful for someone fixing you in they broke you in the first place, especially if it led to being tortured for a year before they fixed it. No one is that saint-like and I don't buy that Sam is perfectly fine with what Cas did. I think he's placating Cas too because they have to and that royally ticks me off. It's doing no favors to Cas either by not letting everything come out in one violent explosion of anger and then letting everyone pick up the pieces over time.
ReplyDeleteI have been so busy I haven't even checked that address this month. I will do so later today. Thank you. Twitter is the only thing I've checked regularly since school let out.
ReplyDelete"low sodium freaks" is in my top 3 Sam quotes of all times. Season 1 Sam didn't get a lot of snark but when it did it was superb. As for Andy, who could not like Andy. He was a brilliant character and so very sympathetic.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that Meg's line about Crowley is foreshadowing for the next few years. I would love to have Crowley as a multi-season big bad. As for the episode, we'll have to agree to disagree although I thought Meg and Kevin were awesome in it too.
ReplyDeleteMy choices would be:
ReplyDelete1. Playthings:
Not my top favorite but choice over the other. Its a little bit creepy and monster story line is fine. I particularly loved the conversation between the old man and Dean. I liked the scene of Drunk Sam conversing with Dean and the best part is looking at the older brother fearing about his lil' brother going to the dark side and promise Dean makes. The French Mistake on the other hand has some of the funniest scenes of the entire series, but the episode as a whole didn't really appease me. I found particularly Misha most irritating at level of nails-on-chalk board and that shooting scene where they 'act'. I wish Dean met "Jared" in the alternate universe rather than Dean and Sam going to an alternate universe, Jared didn't really act well in this episode, or may be this episode is not for a character like Sam.
Lastly, this is the episode, I came to know and also a bit surprised that 'Ruby'(forgot her real name!) and Jared are real life couple after a Google search.
2.Wishful Thinking:
Particularly the teddy bear and "his" understanding of what life is really great. On the other hand, Kevin Tran is my favorite guest star of season 6 and 7(after Frank and Balthazar), but the episode is better among a bunch of season 7 episodes, but, I don't like it more than the most of 1-5 season episodes.
3.Provenance:
Once more not a great favorite of mine, but a choice over the other. Slash Fiction: Double the Winchesters - Half the fun as some critic puts it.
4.All Hell Breaks Loose
Unless, all the hell in my mind breaks loose, this is one of my top most favorite episodes. Sam's character was really really great in the episode and Dean's is awesome. The final scene breaks my heart and I cry all the time like a baby when I watch it.
Before watching Supernatural, I used to make fun of those people who cry watching movies and reading fiction. That is why, Supernatural is my guilty pleasure. I apparently cry more than fan girls!
Update: After reading the comment I posted, I found that there are lot of grammatical mistakes. I can't really correct them now, because the space given for "edit" is really tiny and I can hardly see 2 lines in this edit box. I am sorry for that and I hope you will understand what I intended to post.
Yeah, I don't need characters to do the right thing for me to adore them.
ReplyDeleteNot only are Jared and Gen really married, but just had a baby boy in March I think.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know that. His name is Thomas. Back then, I wasn't active online, while I was watching those episodes. I started interacting with other fans just an year back.
ReplyDeleteNo Dean yelled one line before Cas zapped out and Meg dumped on him for yelling at poor pitiful Cas. Apparently neither Dean nor Sam have the right to be angry at Cas these days.
ReplyDeleteSam was suffering, but he was at peace with his suffering. He absolutely had a right to be angry with Cas, I just don't think it would be in character at all, regardless of Cas' mental state.
ReplyDeleteI genuinely am having a hard time imagining it. ... I'm trying... and no, no I can't.
He didn't want to give up on Cas at the beginning of the season because he related to his situation, and that's still the case. He relates to Cas, and wants to treat Cas the way he wishes people had treated him. Blame or gratefulness or whatever is irrelevant, he just relates to the guy. I never for a second thought that Sam would be angry with Cas.
She yelled at him for scaring away their lead on finding Dick, not for hurting Cas' feelings. It had nothing to do with whether or not Dean has a right to be mad at Cas.
ReplyDeleteYes but it has the exact same effect. No one is allowed to upset the angel so no one is allowed to express their anger.
ReplyDeleteEdited to add...and if they do, they are suddenly the bad guy because they are picking on the mental patient.
But it's not the same as having a character pass judgement on Dean for yelling at Cas.
ReplyDeleteI actually think it's a bit more interesting this way, because we've seen Dean just being angry many times. I don't want to see Dean like he was at the start of season 5. He's gone through that before, I thought it was interesting that they had Dean hold it together as well as he did. And to tell the truth, I was kind of proud of him.
I'd rather have too much emphasis and anvil dropping on the story than too little.
ReplyDeleteAfter all Dean going to Hell was the big thing in that season.
Better that than the understatement we have been given this season with Castiel who has done the most heinous things and is still, despite everything treated with kid gloves and forgiven for all that he has done.
It's getting to the nauseating stage.
I do agree on not seeing any more angels but only because Supernatural has seemingly lost the ability to use them in a way that's interesting. I don't want them gone just because they're angels. I only feel that way about shapeshifters (of any kind) and Becky.
ReplyDeleteBut he DID yell at him and that was a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI don't consider shouting one line to be yelling at him at all. It's not cathartic at all. Dean has never been able to get his feelings out because of this crazy Cas routine.
ReplyDeleteThe editing box is giving me all kinds of fits too. There's a little gray box asking for feedback above the top comment box. If you could write a little note about how aggravating it is, I would appreciate it. I write about it every day but the more people who complain, the higher up on the "to fix" list it will go.
ReplyDeleteAva being the killer was a big twist for me too. I hope it's nominated when we do our Biggest Twist contest. I always forget about it in the big scheme of things.
ReplyDeleteI think the loaded gun comment is highly underrated. That line always gets my attention and I kind of wish he'd have beamed her with it. Would have cut the following conversation short and that would have been a great thing for everyone.
ReplyDeleteMisha doing his tweet thing was actually the best experience of the episode for me. It made me like Misha even more. Not to mention I was watching the episode on the computer while tweeting so it was even more surreal.
ReplyDeleteGert was a huge shock for me. I was stunned when the episode aired for most of the episode. I grew to find her funny later.
ReplyDeleteI think the little girl in Provenance is up there with the dripping girl in The Kids Are Alright for creepiest kid. Even baby-faced blonde Lilith didn't creep me out as much as those two.
ReplyDeleteExactly my problem with TFM
ReplyDeleteI'm glad there are others that feel like me. I was beginning to feel like a fish out of water. :)
ReplyDeleteI disagree with that and I'm a Cas fan. He should be sorry, he should do his best to redeem himself (taking on Sam's wall was a great start). And Sam raising Lucifer was a big thing.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Cas feels he can't do anything right, and that's why he doesn't want to fight. He's afraid to do wrong again. I think he also really wants to forget about it because he feels really guilty and doesn't think he can do anything to make up for what he did.
Both irrationally acted out in order to kill their enemies. Even if it meant hurting those around them that they cared about. Sam getting the worst because Cas wanted to make sure Dean wouldn't go after him- and Cas thought he could heal Sam after he killed Raphael which didn't pan out.
And Dean got the worst when Sam went after Lilith.
He and Sam did make similar mistakes but reacted quite differently.
I can't hate either of them. They were meant to be seen as good guys gone bad but I never saw them as villains, just two guys who got led astray by demons and being desperate to kill an enemy/revenge. They made both unintentional mistakes and intentional mistakes out of anger or feeling betrayed. They both got upset about not being trusted to be able to do something on their own.
I think that was one of the things I liked about Soulless Sam. His snark quotient went up a couple of notches.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I wasn't surprised that Sam was the first to reach out to Cas in the season premiere or the first to forgive him. Sam's very forgiving, sympathetic, and he just took notice of the similarity between Cas's situation and his back during the Apocalypse. Both trying to save the world but also did what they did out of revenge and secretly because they wanted independence and power that they never had before.
ReplyDeleteBoth were tired of getting picked on. I'm thinking that's why geeks and nerds are to be watched out for on the show. lol
Dean's been angry at him through every episode Cas has been in since Cas got back. There has been more than one frustrated outburst Dean has had because of the way Cas is acting.
ReplyDeleteAnd every time it looks like he is finally going to be able to say what he needs to say (and what I need spoken out loud) he gets stopped because Cas doesn't know who he is or because Cas is in too fragile a mental state or because Cas wings out of the conversation.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly agree with your second paragraph. There have been plenty of times when Supernatural has had a large cast of characters in an episode and it's worked very well. They need to figure why those episodes worked and go with that.
ReplyDeleteThat's the number one reason why I loved RoboSam. The second is he never felt guilty, so there was no weigh down because of it.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I will forgive Cas too - IF the writers let him atone in a big way like they did Sam. Cas doesn't just need to regret and repent the whole Leviathan mess. He needs to repair his relationship with the brothers without making it sound like they all need to apologize. Blaming someone else is not going to cut it with me. I want to like Cas again. In fact, if he is going to keep showing up, I need to like Cas again or he will kill some of the enjoyment I have for the show. I need the writers to make this right.
ReplyDeleteI think the finale gave a strong push in that direction. If Sam cannot find a way to get to Dean and Cas; he will be tracking Crowley. Crowley has also a grundge against Cas. Would love the king of hell as the big baddie, if that means we'll have more of the talented Mark Sheppard in season 8 ;-)
ReplyDeleteI know we disagree on Cas. To each his own.
Any Mark Sheppard is good. A lot of Mark Sheppard is excellent.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of y'all on Mark Sheppard, love him in everything I have ever seen him in, Firefly, White Collar, etc
ReplyDeleteI'm still hoping he returns on White Collar. I mean they brought Keller back. Surely they can bring him back.
ReplyDeleteThat would be good, he is never a bad thing for a show, but can't hardly wait until July 10, get my White Collar guys back and Auggie the same night. ;)
ReplyDeletetrue, his judgement was mighty flawed. Made him dangerous and more interesting. Personally, I also think that was some of Jared's best work on Supernatural.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think that's why I liked The Man Who Knew Too Much so well. I gave me that last final glimpse of RoboSam before he was gone for good.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong. I think Amy is the worst subplot this show ever had. Every time Amy's name came up my blood pressure rose and my eyes rolled. I celebrated at the end of The Mentalists because I was glad to finally, finally be done with the whole mess. But yes, the Sorry scene infuriated me more.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping we get a lot more of Crowley and AlphaVamp in season 8. Their mutual loathing should make the story more intense.
ReplyDeleteThank you for explaining. I can completely understand everything you've said here - and while I didn't see the scene that way at first, I think you've perfectly explained here why overall I really don't particularly enjoy Reading is Fundamental, or what they did to Castiel (like bringing him back at all), or how being angry/holding a grudge against Castiel somehow makes Dean a jerk/wrong. The way Castiel's character has been elevated this season to be the victim of himself rather than responsible for what he did really makes me despise the character and is retroactively coloring seasons 4-5 in a bad light, and I don't want that! I still want Dean to yell and scream at Cas but at this point I don't think it's ever going to happen. :( Also, I absolutely agree with you about Edlund, era-seasons 6-7 anyway. I hope Carver will reign him in a bit in season 8 because he is a talented writer and his earlier episodes are evidence of that; strong storytelling for the character's sake, not for cleverness' sake.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to get a photo of the brothers sitting in the car at the end, but just like every single car shot on this show, one of the brothers is fuzzy in each picture. So I chose the one with aliens on the wall because it reminded me of Ronald.
ReplyDeleteOne of my absolute favorite scenes in season 1 is when they are in the 70's porno motel and Dean is talking about how Jessica would want Sam to be happy. I think the whole episode was encouraging to Sam and I love it for that. Provenance is completely underrated in my opinion.
Yes, a wake indeed. So many good comrades going down with this first round!
ReplyDeleteha, thanks :) I was so uninterested in the angel stuff in season 6...those moments in French Mistake just slowed the momentum the episode built with the guys trying to figure out what the heck was going on.
I think I said this before (Wild Card poll?) that Provenance, upon my first view was not a favorite, but every time I rewatch it I grow to like it/love it more and more. I think what I like best about it is Dean trying to help Sam emotionally heal from Jessica - while being a bit crude about it at times. Also - some of the best parts of the season 2 gag reel are from this episode. lol. :) Slash Fiction is fun, but I don't know that it'll have the same staying power as Provenance? Time will tell.
Time for bed. :)
ReplyDeleteDid you ever get a chance to check out the little Sarah thing I sent to your SPN asylum e-mail address? Just curious. :)
ReplyDeleteCas was great in episode 17 though. Just when he took on the broken wall the writers decided to pull the humor and sympathy card (and it has made me laugh and feel bad- I feel bad for him because I know he does feel terribly bad about what he's done and Dean's anger at him, while Dean deserves to vent- is not necessary because Cas knows already how horrible what he did was). I think at the end of SOTF Cas was acting like himself more so hopefully next season there will be more guilty Cas.
ReplyDeleteEventually he will have to face it. He can't keep "running" forever. The past is just not something that can be run from.
People do have to keep in mind though that if they do want to forgive him, that he can only do so much, like Sam could only do so much.
Once he faces the past I'll have forgiven him completely. I forgave him quite a bit in 7x17, but even as a Cas fan I'm not completely there.
I agree! When I find myself wanting to watch a SPN episode, I usually go back to season 2 or 3 (or Lazarus Rising, haha) because there's a feel to those episodes that became lacking later on and I'm not sure what did it. Maybe it's nostalgia that makes us all love those early seasons, but I do honestly think seasons 2-3 are the best of the show.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I agree that adding more characters dilutes tension, rather I think it's when the show doesn't use the characters in the right way, or tries to use them all at the same time, that they tend to fail. I thought they did a great job in All Hell Breaks Loose of using a bunch of different characters and keeping the momentum and tension going.
The third one is impossible for me too. They are totally different episodes and yet each is a favorite of mine. I will be sorry no matter who wins this poll.
ReplyDeleteAs are many other season one to three episodes.
ReplyDeleteAll the episodes in those seasons were better thought out , the dialgue more meaningful, the brothers more intelligent, the story arcs more logical and the comedy and drama dosed to perfection.
X.
Those who say that the inclusion of more and varied characters improve the show are wrong, in my opinion.
They do exactly the opposite by diluting the tension and the plot-lines.
Head meet desk. Duh. Thanks so much. Will edit my last comment.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I could do without vampires also. I never really enjoyed SPN's take on vampires anyway.
ReplyDeleteI found humor in Dean's expression whenever Cas says "I don't want to fight" lol
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of hard to vent anger when the other person won't argue back. Dean's not used to that.
I think I'm going to use that line the next time I somehow upset a person. lol
Oh, yes, I understand! We are saying the same thing. :) Sorry - you are right, sometimes in these comments it's hard to get exact meaning across.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that at times the side-characters have taken over plotlines and whole episodes, detracting from the brothers rather than adding to their story. I'm okay with that once a season or so, but it does seem to happen a lot more often as of late. It is very frustrating to see the guys be so dim about things that they would have solved easily in seasons 1, 2, or 3.
I agree with you Dahne. I actually wrote her into my fanfic because I loved her so much. She definitely needs to come back. Hell, they can steal my idea if they want, they just need to do it lol
ReplyDelete