SPN: Live Free or Twi-Hard

[norwich36]

Well, that episode certainly confirmed certain suspicions, didn't it?

I guess, based on the fact that Sam just stood there and let Dean be turned, that the "not!Sam" camp is correct. Though the revelations next week (which I am very much looking forward to) may turn me around again.

A few other observations on the episode:

1. Like everyone else, I was quite entertained by all the Twilight humor in this episode, though I am equally entertained by reviews that start off with "Hahaha! SPN just pwned Stephanie Meyer" but end with "And OMG, wasn't Dean BLAZING HOT as a vampire? I wanted more, more, more vampiric Dean." Um, rly? How is this different than crazy RPatz love? At least Sera Gamble seems to recognize the similarity--yes she (well, whoever wrote this specific episode, but I expect major plotlines are collective) had Dean remark that Edward watching Bella sleep was "rapey," but then Dean did the same thing with Lisa after he was vamped, so....

2."Is that glitter?" was funny, but "does it work?" was HILARIOUS.

3. I'm really hoping this isn't the end of the Lisa/Dean relationship, though I fear it is. I loved their phone conversation at the beginning and how understanding she was, and honestly I think Dean could salvage this relationship if he would just TALK TO HER instead of committing that shared Winchester stupidity (Mary & Sam did it too) of assuming their home/love relationship has to be completely divorced from hunting for it to be real. No, Dean. It wasn't you being in a relationship that was threatening Lisa and Ben, it was you not telling them "I've been exposed to vampire blood, please run." DUH.

4. So I guess I can't complete hate Samuel Campbell anymore, seeing as how he (a) devamped Dean and (b) called Sam on his shit. Still, minus 500 points for the assumption that good hunting is a Campbell rather than Winchester trait.

5. Ok, I didn't *in general* find vampire Dean hot, but I was pretty impressed with his ruthless efficiency in taking out that whole nest.

6. I'm continuing to be intrigued by the alpha father plotline. And apparently it's building to an all-out war between hunters and the supernatural? AWESOME. An epic battle that isn't an apocalypse. I approve of this plotline.

7. Dean? Now that even supernatural creatures are finding you "pretty," I think you'd better be worried!

Comments

[clari-clyde.livejournal.com]

I so LOL’d at “Does it work?” Vamp!Dean is hot. Sparkly!Vamp!Dean would have been even hotter, I’d turn for that. ^.^

And I love how, even though Dean is supposed to be weaker for not having drunk any human blood, he still ruthlessly and efficiently took out that nest. That’s some l33t hunting skills, yo.



Dean? Now that even supernatural creatures are finding you "pretty," I think you'd better be worried!

I remember a few years ago at DragonCon talking with a fellow SPN fan and she pointed out just how maternal Dean’s role was in his childhood — taking care of Sam and playing the peace keeper between John and Sam. And she also pointed out that physically, Sam seems to take after John’s looks while Dean takes after Mary’s. (And then the revelation that he was named after Deanna.)

And in “Two and a Half Men,” Dean is again put in a maternal role as the only one — aside from the baby’s real father — who gave a genuine care about the baby.

And occasionally, I lurk 4chan’s yaoi boards and on one SPN thread, someone asked, “Why is Dean the uke in 99.99% of these?” and the answers ran along the line of no one really wanting to draw him as seme because, “Why would you want to draw/look at that?” I don’t read fic for the fandom but, it seems Dean as feminine is a meme that has really spread like wildfire amongst the more visual fen.

So the whole, “I don’t play for your team.” It seems like as much as the show wants to say, YO DEAN IS MASCULINE, they put him in these roles that say otherwise. So, “You’re pretty,” sounds a lot like the show trying to talk out of both sides of its mouth. That line felt so weird to me.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I don't necessarily read "you're pretty" as feminizing, but I do agree with your comments on Dean's maternal role.

[shopgirl318.livejournal.com]

I agree! I had similar thoughts running around. Some viewers either think Sam is posessed agaun by either Luicifer or Meg though after what Castiel did to her last season and what happened to the devil I don't know. What really clued me in was the way he was looking at that "vampire" blood again like in seasons 4-5 and of course Sam watching Dean get turned. There is no way Sam escaped that pit without something like this happening like I say for Vampire Diaries and this show that is how SPN rolls though unfortunately.

As for your number 4 I can't hate the grandfather completely either though I am still curious about his "return." Even he knew something was up there is a problem and of course Dean remembers everything though I am surprised that Dean didn't lash out at Sam suddenly. It is like he is collecting this info in the back of his head for now until he has all the facts. Season 4 Dean would have confrinted Sam about it but now he is gonna do a wait and see. I look at the hunting as a Campbell/Winchester trait period and when Campbell said it I took it as him similar to Mary in this way too. dean is still more Winchester than Campbell though in my book though he has certain traits.

Is it me or is the episodes extra dark like they were before in seasons 1-2? This one and the last one was super dark unless it just is like that when you watch it on the internet.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

Apparently Sera Gamble has said this is going to be a noir season, which may explain the cinematographic choices. And my current theory on Sam is not that he's possessed but that he's soulless--<lj user=missyjack" has a good post on that which is linked from the newsletter.

[shopgirl318.livejournal.com]

That is a good theory. I have wondered maybe he got out of hell but doesn't have his whole soul in tact.

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

There's something so odd going on here. What's with all these references to Dean as pretty, or delicate? It's not as amusing as Show seems to think it is. There almost seemed to be a general theme of Dean not being as gung-ho killing machine as he used to be, though I guess the slaughter of the vamps should put that to rest. And I hope that Grampa gets it that Dean is way capable kicking the hell out of things when it's called for.

That Sam bit shocked the hell out of me, I was thinking that Sam suffered from some sort of PTSD, but I guess not, hokey smokes.

So. This season is the season of Daddy Issues, hunh? Way not to let S6 be a pointless retelling of S1, Show.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

missyjack has an interesting theory that Sam left his soul behind in hell. I don't know if I buy that or not, but I'm hoping next week's episode will give us some clue.

Considering half the fanbase talks about Jensen as pretty, I expect the show references are just supposed to be inside jokes?