Supernatural: Exile on Main Street

[norwich36]

So I was spoiled for quite a bit of the content of tonight's episode, though I didn't know it was all going to come up tonight. And I womanfully resisted getting into shouting matches debates over certain events in places where spoilers are discussed, because I didn't want to sour myself for the new season. That turns out to be a good thing, because I TOTALLY didn't have the response I was expecting when I watched the episode. In fact, I actually liked several things I expected to hate, and disliked several things I expected to love. So. Reader beware and all that stuff.

1. My only "make or break" requirement for this episode was that Lisa (and Ben) not end up fridged, since this show kills off women way too easily. Yet even when I made (completely vain) resolutions like 'I will never watch this show again if they kill off Lisa," I was still thinking that I could actually see a valid thematic reason for the writers to do so, if this ep was basically the flip side of the Pilot, where Dean dragged an unwilling Sam back to hunting only after Jess' death.

So I was actually pretty damn impressed that they found a way to keep the thematic continuity without actually killing Lisa off, via the djinn hallucination. Because that really WOULD be Dean's deepest nightmare. Well, that and Ben becoming Sam--because the opening montage or whatever you call that made it quite clear that Ben was symbolically Sam, for Dean.

2. When I heard that there was going to be a year's jump forward, and Dean was still living with Ben and Lisa, I really didn't believe they could sell that to me, because I honestly couldn't see a Dean who would EVER give up on Sam. So I was very happy they made clear from the opening of the episode on forward that Sam was always in Dean's thoughts, and that everything in his new suburban "happy" life just reminded him of Sam. And I was especially happy to get textual confirmation, later on, that he was in fact looking for ways to spring Sam from hell.

3. And yet, even though I was expecting to spend the whole episode completely eager for Dean to take off on the road with Sam, I found myself rooting for Dean to stay. Not because his relationship with Lisa is perfect--clearly it's not, if he's concealing stuff from her when he thinks there's a hunt, and if he feels guilty all the time (that scene on the staircase just about killed me, with Dean apologizing for the best year of Lisa's life--OUCH), but because he is so right that leaving them exposes them maybe to more danger than if he stayed, and he has made a commitment to them. [Also, because I've seen genre TV before, I know he'll only stay for another episode or 2, and I guess I'm mad enough at Sam for not telling Dean he was alive that I'm ok with him having to live without Dean for a little bit longer.]

4. I kind of understand why Sam chose not to tell Dean he was back--though honestly I think he's projecting his own desires for a normal family onto Dean--but I did get pissed off when he joined the Campbells in mocking Dean's home life. Dude, you do NOT get to force a promise for a normal life on Dean and then criticize him for it.

5. And Samuel Campbell, you especially don't get to participate in a lie to Dean and then yell at him when the consequences off that lie mean he isn't helping you. WTF? Of course, the thing with the kidnapped djinn is clearly supposed to make us suspicious of the Campbells, which makes me happy, because so far I really don't like them. I thought this plot development could be an interesting one when I was spoiled for it, but at the moment I am definitely anti-Campbell. For one thing, if Sam didn't have "family" to hunt with I'm sure he would have come to Dean a lot sooner.

6. I'm really hoping we're not getting evil!Sam this season. I'm sure his time in hell affected him, and I thought his plea to Dean to join him because Dean inspires him to help people was a moving one, but evil!Sam is a pre-apocalypse thing. I DO NOT WANT IT at this stage of things. He saved the whole world, goddamn it--let him be good and appreciated for it this season, please.

7. I do think the mystery of Sam and Samuel being brought back is an intriguing one, so I'm kind of looking forward to it.

8. I was spoiled about the return of Azazel as well, and I'm very happy to see it was a hallucination.

9. Jensen Ackles, how the HELL do you get prettier every season? It's a violation of the laws of physics, or something. (Ok, the one Campbell line I did love was the joke about Dean's delicate features. And I also did like Samuel comparing Dean to Mary.)

10. There is no number 10.

Comments

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

Yes to everything you said. And you know me, I'm a diehard S/D person but I kind of really like the idea of him living and being fairly happy with Lisa and also the not killing her. I would appreciate very much if they continue to refrain from killing her.

I hate the Campbells, but surprisingly, I still love Cory Nemec.

And last, Sam should not ever again in this lifetime pick on Dean for any choice he makes, golf included. And yeah, we get it, Jensen likes golf.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I'd be down with Dean staying with Lisa forever, but I do like the fact that they're not having him just ditch her after she took care of him when he was such a mess after Sam's death. I hope they can work out a way of doing that that doesn't suck for everyone concerned.

I didn't realize the golf thing was an inside joke until I read a bunch of reviews. And speaking of reviews, there is a theory going around that Sam (if he's really Sam and not a doppelganger) lost the ability to connect with emotion in hell, which would make his failure to tell Dean he was a live a lot more comprehensible to me.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

I think the not telling Dean thing is just another example of the writers not quite being able to show just how much the boys mean to each other. I hadn't read all that much into it because there have been multiple instances on the show of an appalling lack of consideration towards each other.

Oh yeah, I don't want them together forever either and I'm hoping they don't go the "home-base" route--the break should be clean and neat, but there should be a break. My show is the Sam and Dean (and sometimes Castiel and I'm willing to shoehorn Crowley in small does in there too) Show

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I was trying to think of the Dean-leaving scenario I like best, and I think it's that Lisa has to ask him to leave, regretfully, upon coming to the realization that Dean staying is more dangerous than him leaving.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

*points* For the win!

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

Yes! And double yes to Sam being a jerk, projecting and having no right to comment on ANYTHING Dean's been doing.

let's hope they're evil (and maybe have played Sam???)

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I do like the idea of the Campbells manipulating Sam, if only because it shows how much he needs Dean.

[sadface.livejournal.com]

I agree with all of this :D! I've been completely fretting over the Lisa and Ben thing because there's so much potential there for it to annoy me so I was really happy with the way this episode turned out in that regard.

I think they're going to have to sell me more on the whole 'why we didn't tell Dean' thing because Sam and Bobby's (Bobby's in particular) don't ring true to me since I've never really read Dean as wanting a normal life, rather, I read him as wanting his family together and I see his family as Sam and Bobby so, idk, I'm going to need more justification there or textual acknowledgement that they were both projecting like an imax. I'm confident that'll be resolved to my satisfaction though :D

8. I was spoiled about the return of Azazel as well, and I'm very happy to see it was a hallucination.

Oh do I ever agree with this comment. I think I'm mostly unspoiled for everything that wasn't in the very early first spoilers before I learned what to avoid, I like it that way because I've discovered that spoilers make me so anxious :|

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I actually think Bobby was projecting, too. It wasn't too long ago that he had his wife back, after all--I can see him letting himself be persuaded by Sam. But I agree that it would be nice to see more justification for this. (I kind of hope this all turns out to be some strange Campbell plot Sam has gotten sucked into).

I spoiled myself a lot for this season once I was accidentally spoiled for the time jump, since that upset me so much that I wanted to hear something that would make me feel ok about it. But I'm going back to not spoiling myself, I think, because it makes me anxious too.

[shopgirl318.livejournal.com]

I haven't been too spoiled about SPN just the first episode. I understood both sides of the argument but you are definitly right Norwich about Sam and Bobby. Some reviews I read just chalked it up to those 2 being douchey and I disagree, I think Sam/Bobby hasn't let go of that idea of having a family and a home. The first opening Sam saw for Dean to have it and he pushed Dean into it and Dean promised, though I do like Lisa/Ben and they gave him some kind of stability to Dean which the kid needed so I can't completely fault Sam or Bobby though.

I don't trust the Campbells all the way, their behavior seems off with everything and the explanation Sam gave Dean seemed so cut and dry even the way Sam got out of the pit also. As far as evil I hope we are past that stage too. I never once thought Sam was completely evil but like you said it had to have an affect on him just like Hell had an affect on Dean too. I think there are two sides to Sam of course but not good or bad though.

I got your number ten:
10. Sam kicking ass with that golf club was a good thing and I loved that SPN showed that Dean still has those hunter instincts and he came to a realization in the episode that everything he settles somewhere or get attached that bad shit follows him sometimes which is true it was only a matter of time.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I definitely think both Sam and Bobby had good intentions, even if they were misguided.

My current Sam theory is that he's being tricked by the Campbells somehow (that + post-cage trauma).

And thanks for the #10!