Meta: Supernatural 1×19-1×20

[rusty_halo]

http://rusty-halo.com/wordpress/?p=3343

Previously: 1×17-1×18

1x19: Provenance

Dean gets laid by pretending to be a talent scout. I disapprove. I mean, I get that he can't tell women that he's a monster hunter, but he shouldn't be lying in a way that makes it seem like he can do more for someone than he actually can.

Here's our second example of Dean acting like a complete ass in a social situation involving food--jamming mini-quiche (!) down his throat and guzzling champagne.

This is a Sam-centric episode, largely from Sam's POV, which probably explains why Dean seems like such an uncouth jerk for much of it.

Dean encourages Sam to hook up with women (here, with Sarah) because he thinks it would be healthy for Sam to move on from Jess, although women are a potential risk to Sam staying with Dean forever. I wonder what's going on in Dean's head here--we tend to see an internal war in Dean whenever "what's best for Sam" conflicts with "what's most likely to keep Sam with Dean."

Sam's discomfort in the fancy restaurant is kind of sad. He never ate anywhere swanky with his friends at Stanford? Dean would respond by acting boorish to cover his insecurity; Sam is just awkward. We know Sarah's a nice person because she notices that Sam is intimidated and helps him through it by ordering a beer. (What is with people on TV shows ordering "a beer"? Does anyone actually do that? There are millions of very different types of beer.)

Sam doesn't want to get close to Sarah, not only because he's still mourning Jess but because he believes that being near him will put Sarah in danger. Plus, the Winchester lifestyle is not exactly conducive to long-term relationships. Dean, OTOH, has no problem hooking up and leaving the next day, but then that's because Dean's built up disturbingly unhealthy emotional walls to prevent himself from connecting with people.

The boys break into a crime scene and get fingerprints on everything. They do this all the damn time. How hard would it be to have them wear gloves? It would certainly make them seem a lot less stupid, and would've made that "it takes years for the FBI to catch them" plot slightly more plausible.

I like that the villain turns out to be the little girl and not the father, although unfortunately it was telegraphed as soon as they mentioned that she'd been adopted.

Dean freaks out because he can't break the glass by smashing it with his gun... then realizes, oh yeah, he's holding a gun. He's kind of dumber than usual in this episode, but that was very cute.

Bechdel test: No. Sarah's a good character, though--she's a romantic interest, but she's got depth. Her mourning process for her mother mirrors Sam's for Jess, but she's dealing with it in a more mature way, and when she discovers that the supernatural is real she insists on helping stop the ghost and is the one who figures out that the doll contains human remains.

That's very sweet, and very archaic. I'm a big girl--it's not your job to make decisions for me.

Go Sarah. She gets Sam to admit that it's not about protecting her; it's about protecting himself. Sam even decides she's worth staying with at the end, but alas, she's just a woman of the week.

1x20: Dead Man's Blood

Wow, they actually start the episode still talking about Sarah. Yay for continuity, and for romantic interests being remembered. (It's sad that I'm giving them credit for one line of recognition that they haven't forgotten a female character entirely, isn't it? But Cassie didn't even get that.) Sam's so disinterested, though, which is part of what I don't get about Sam. He's driven by vengeance in a way I just... don't connect with.

John had "kind of a falling out" with Elkins. What a shock. First of many revelations of what an antisocial ass John Winchester was, yes? (Sorry, I don't mean to rip on him too much. I know he loved his kids and meant well, but his epic blind spots fucked them up so badly.) It's good that Dean's learning that John wasn't perfect.

So, they've spent the entire season searching for their dad, and now that the family's back together, John and Sam immediately begin fighting. Dean called it. I get it, though--John knows what he's doing, needs to get it done quickly, and just wants the kids to shut up and obey. But Sam needs to know what's going on--it's not necessarily about not trusting his dad, it's about only being able to contribute fully if he has the whole picture of what's going on, and about not being able to learn if his dad won't tell him anything. And meanwhile, Dean looks like his heart's getting ripped out every time Sam and John snipe at each other. ♥♥♥ Dean.


[Angsty cap of Dean in the middle says it all.]

John criticizing Dean's car is such a parental thing to do. But AAAAHHHH he's such a shit. I've never seen anyone who needed a supportive parental figure more than Dean Winchester, but to John, he's never good enough. (Clearly John does love and is proud of Dean, but he doesn't express it, and Dean so needs him to.)

Both boys are need of positive reinforcement that they're not getting from their dad, but their reactions are opposite. Dean keeps seeking it out by trying to mold himself into the Perfect Son, and blaming himself for not being good enough; Sam blames John, and responds by lashing out and fighting. (I'd say this is because Sam actually has self-esteem, because he did have a positive parental figure in Dean.)

Sam: Are you telling me you're cool with just falling into line and letting him run the whole show?

Dean: If that's what it takes.

Oh, Dean. He'd do anything to have his family back together. :*(

Dean as peacemaker is heartbreaking.

Dean : Stop it! (To John:) That means you too.

Dean's been telling Sam not to fight, but here Dean tells off John, too, and protects Sam--is this usual or is this a first? Dean stands up to John again later, calls him on the hypocrisy of trying to "protect" them by keeping them out of the big fight while sending them on other dangerous missions--it's because John's planning to risk his life recklessly. "We're stronger as a family, Dad, we just are, you know it." OMG big teary eyed Dean.

(The staging in these family scenes is loaded with metaphorical significance about how the family interacts, thus the screencaps.)

John's story about the boys' college fund is terribly sad, and sheds immense light on how Mary's death changed him.

John: Somewhere along the line, I stopped being your father and I became your drill sergeant.

It's just so sad that all Dean had was that drill sergeant, while Sam had Dean to provide a counterbalance.

John: I just couldn't accept the fact that you and me, we're different.

Sam: We're not different. Not anymore.

This is one of the things I'm looking for on rewatch--the similarity between Sam and John. It started when Jessica died--John and Sam share an experience that Dean doesn't. Dean lost his mother, but they lost their loves--Dean responded by clinging to the family he had left, but they responded by obsessing about vengeance. I think it also might be personality-based--John and Sam are both selfish in a way Dean isn't.

John: So, boys, you ignored a direct order back there.

Dean: Yeah, but we saved your life.

Holy shit, Dean stands up to John again. He really is picking up a lot from Sam. I think this whole episode is about Dean moving from a John-orientation to a Sam-orientation--it's been building all season, but here Dean is finally standing up to John for probably the first time in his life. This is also great foreshadowing for the finale, of course.

I'm incredibly glad that we got to see an episode of the family solving a MOTW together, to finally see the Winchester family dynamics in action. I also have to give major kudos to the last few episodes of the season for really ramping up the dramatic tension and telling one hell of a story--it would've driven me insane to watch this in real time and have to wait a week for the next episode!

I like the vampires, btw. They're not pure cackling evil; they really do love each other. Good setup for "Bloodlust" in season two.

Bechdel test: The female bartender takes Kate's order. Later, Kate talks to Jenny before vamping her, but since the scene is staged like bad lesbian porn made for straight men, I'm not counting it. Then at the end, the now-vamped Jenny tells Kate not to fight after Luther dies, and they escape together. I don't think I should count any of this--the dialog is minimal, and doesn't really fit what the Bechdel test is meant to capture, which is multiple women with their own agendas that have nothing to do with men. Everything Kate does is basically about Luther, and Jenny has almost no characterization at all.

Next: 1x21-1x22

Originally published at rusty-halo.com. You can comment here or there.