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SPN: The monster at the end of this book
That was the two best hours of television I can remember seeing in a long, long time. But I'm going to talk first about SPN, because I have to let out all of my squee before I can think rationally about Smallville, for which I want to at least try to engage my analytical brain. (That will be a separate post).
So, SPN spoilers ahoy:
Significance of the title?
Ok, I cannot be the first person to have the thought that the MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK* is actually Grover, despite the fact that Grover is the one trying to prevent everything from happening. (And yet it is a happy rather than unhappy surprise for him). So, optimistic analysis (overlooking the fact that optimism is not a feature of this show): the "monster"? Not Lilith but instead the badass archangel whose job it was to protect the prophet. And you know what that means: DEAN IS ACTUALLY AN ARCHANGEL. (I would predict Michael, mainly because I find![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
musesfool convincing on that score). Come on, it seems obvious: no archangel showed up when Dean was threatening Chuck, but put him in a room with Lilith, and boom, the walls started to shake. That was Dean doing it unconsciously, right? Because he's the (heavenly) monster?
On the other hand, maybe what's actually being foreshadowed is a reversal: we're being set up to think Sam is the monster at the end of the book, but he's the one stepping forward to embrace his destiny, while Dean (Grover) is frantically trying to prevent it. So it would be kind of cool (plotwise, anyway) if Dean rather than Sam turned out to be the real monster at the end of the book, and the angelic agenda is not so angelic.
*Everyone knows "The monster at the end of this book" is a children's book starring Grover from Sesame Street, right? In which he spends the whole book trying to keep the reader from turning pages because there's a monster at the end, only it turns out the monster is Grover himself? I've read this a million times to sibs, nieces and nephews, and kids I've babysat for, but maybe it isn't common knowledge?
Ok, that's enough with the deep thoughts. Now on to the things that make me very glad my next door neighbors were out of town, because I was squealing and shouting so loud they might have called the cops
1. OMG OMG OMG Canonical reference to slash and wincest!!! I couldn't believe they went there! (And I loved Sam and Dean's reactions, too)
2. The COVERS for the books, OMG. So fricking hilarious, with the shirtlessness. And "I'm full frontal in here."
3. All the fandom stuff in general: "You're LARPing, aren't you?" And the fangirl with the tattoo grilling them about the details of their lives, and talking about how sensitive Sam and Dean are, and how much they cry. And them having to pretend to be fanboys of themselves, hee hee!
4. Chuck as the most hilarious parody of Kripke ever! (Did he actually write this ep? Who wrote it? I didn't notice) I especially liked his apology for making them go through "Bugs" and "Ghost Ship"--that torturing them is bad enough, but to make them suffer through bad writing is too much. ROFL. Seriously, *tears* of laughter at that point. I also loved his epiphany that he was God. And the writing! Soulful looks! Throes of demonic passion! The comely dental hygienist from Bloomington Indiana! I think I'm probably going to end up watching this episode whenever I'm depressed, just for Dean reading out loud to Sam in the laundromat talking about Sam's brooding and pensive shoulders.
5. Dean was, let's face it, goddamn cute in his attempt to outwit his destiny: Tofu burger! "It frustrates me when you say such reckless things"--oh Dean, you actually know how to use "I statements" when you are attempting to avoid fighting--did you get that from Oprah? Telling Sam to be good and watch porn rather than doing research, hee! And not being able to escape either the sparkly bandaids or the tarp on the back windshield.
6. SAM! Yay for us finally getting some insight into what's going on in Sam's head! And for Chuck getting to have the conversation a lot of people would like to have with Sam, yet getting really smart responses from him. SO interesting that he feels he's the one who's going to have to save Dean; maybe prediction number two on the monster-at-the-end-of-this-book theory isn't so wrong. And I loved his absolute conviction that he needed to fight Lilith, and that he wouldn't back down for Dean, because that is Sam: he does what he thinks is right even if it does harm his relationships.
7. DEAN! I was cheering, I swear, when he gave Castiel that ultimatum, because of *course* that is his reaction. He went to hell for Sam; he's not going to choose angelic destiny over Sam.
8. CASTIEL! You sneaky, sneaky bastard. I think I kind of love the way you won't break the rules--but you'll tell Dean all about why you can't break the rules precisely in the way that allows Dean to get exactly what he needs. (Also? LOVED your comment about Luke. Hee!)
Ok, a couple more thinky thoughts now that the squee is mostly out of my system
1. The whole existence of Chuck--in fact, the basic plot of this episode--was very heavy on predestination, wasn't it? I'm glad Dean fought and fought against it, because I will be quite upset, in the long run, if it turns out destiny is inescapable. That's why, in a way, I liked Zachariah showing up at the end and threatening to resurrect Chuck if he tried to kill himself. It suggests that prophets are, actually, agents of destiny rather than simply passive tools for transmitting prophecies. Which to me smacks of angelic manipulation, and makes this whole storyline more palatable, because maybe it can all be upended.
2. Speaking of prophecy: does Lilith have her own prophet? What has her running scared? I'm very curious about that.
In conclusion, writing yourself as a prophet? That's an M. Night Level of Douchiness. And also, one of these days? These books will be known as the Winchester gospel.
SAY AMEN, BABY.
So, SPN spoilers ahoy:
Significance of the title?
Ok, I cannot be the first person to have the thought that the MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK* is actually Grover, despite the fact that Grover is the one trying to prevent everything from happening. (And yet it is a happy rather than unhappy surprise for him). So, optimistic analysis (overlooking the fact that optimism is not a feature of this show): the "monster"? Not Lilith but instead the badass archangel whose job it was to protect the prophet. And you know what that means: DEAN IS ACTUALLY AN ARCHANGEL. (I would predict Michael, mainly because I find
musesfool convincing on that score). Come on, it seems obvious: no archangel showed up when Dean was threatening Chuck, but put him in a room with Lilith, and boom, the walls started to shake. That was Dean doing it unconsciously, right? Because he's the (heavenly) monster?On the other hand, maybe what's actually being foreshadowed is a reversal: we're being set up to think Sam is the monster at the end of the book, but he's the one stepping forward to embrace his destiny, while Dean (Grover) is frantically trying to prevent it. So it would be kind of cool (plotwise, anyway) if Dean rather than Sam turned out to be the real monster at the end of the book, and the angelic agenda is not so angelic.
*Everyone knows "The monster at the end of this book" is a children's book starring Grover from Sesame Street, right? In which he spends the whole book trying to keep the reader from turning pages because there's a monster at the end, only it turns out the monster is Grover himself? I've read this a million times to sibs, nieces and nephews, and kids I've babysat for, but maybe it isn't common knowledge?
Ok, that's enough with the deep thoughts. Now on to the things that make me very glad my next door neighbors were out of town, because I was squealing and shouting so loud they might have called the cops
1. OMG OMG OMG Canonical reference to slash and wincest!!! I couldn't believe they went there! (And I loved Sam and Dean's reactions, too)
2. The COVERS for the books, OMG. So fricking hilarious, with the shirtlessness. And "I'm full frontal in here."
3. All the fandom stuff in general: "You're LARPing, aren't you?" And the fangirl with the tattoo grilling them about the details of their lives, and talking about how sensitive Sam and Dean are, and how much they cry. And them having to pretend to be fanboys of themselves, hee hee!
4. Chuck as the most hilarious parody of Kripke ever! (Did he actually write this ep? Who wrote it? I didn't notice) I especially liked his apology for making them go through "Bugs" and "Ghost Ship"--that torturing them is bad enough, but to make them suffer through bad writing is too much. ROFL. Seriously, *tears* of laughter at that point. I also loved his epiphany that he was God. And the writing! Soulful looks! Throes of demonic passion! The comely dental hygienist from Bloomington Indiana! I think I'm probably going to end up watching this episode whenever I'm depressed, just for Dean reading out loud to Sam in the laundromat talking about Sam's brooding and pensive shoulders.
5. Dean was, let's face it, goddamn cute in his attempt to outwit his destiny: Tofu burger! "It frustrates me when you say such reckless things"--oh Dean, you actually know how to use "I statements" when you are attempting to avoid fighting--did you get that from Oprah? Telling Sam to be good and watch porn rather than doing research, hee! And not being able to escape either the sparkly bandaids or the tarp on the back windshield.
6. SAM! Yay for us finally getting some insight into what's going on in Sam's head! And for Chuck getting to have the conversation a lot of people would like to have with Sam, yet getting really smart responses from him. SO interesting that he feels he's the one who's going to have to save Dean; maybe prediction number two on the monster-at-the-end-of-this-book theory isn't so wrong. And I loved his absolute conviction that he needed to fight Lilith, and that he wouldn't back down for Dean, because that is Sam: he does what he thinks is right even if it does harm his relationships.
7. DEAN! I was cheering, I swear, when he gave Castiel that ultimatum, because of *course* that is his reaction. He went to hell for Sam; he's not going to choose angelic destiny over Sam.
8. CASTIEL! You sneaky, sneaky bastard. I think I kind of love the way you won't break the rules--but you'll tell Dean all about why you can't break the rules precisely in the way that allows Dean to get exactly what he needs. (Also? LOVED your comment about Luke. Hee!)
Ok, a couple more thinky thoughts now that the squee is mostly out of my system
1. The whole existence of Chuck--in fact, the basic plot of this episode--was very heavy on predestination, wasn't it? I'm glad Dean fought and fought against it, because I will be quite upset, in the long run, if it turns out destiny is inescapable. That's why, in a way, I liked Zachariah showing up at the end and threatening to resurrect Chuck if he tried to kill himself. It suggests that prophets are, actually, agents of destiny rather than simply passive tools for transmitting prophecies. Which to me smacks of angelic manipulation, and makes this whole storyline more palatable, because maybe it can all be upended.
2. Speaking of prophecy: does Lilith have her own prophet? What has her running scared? I'm very curious about that.
In conclusion, writing yourself as a prophet? That's an M. Night Level of Douchiness. And also, one of these days? These books will be known as the Winchester gospel.
SAY AMEN, BABY.