SPN 2x12: Night Shifter
Jan. 25th, 2007 11:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vaznettiSo I almost have thoughts about the larger structure of the episode, but there's mostly just the usual mess of commentary under the cut.
AAAHHHHH!!!!! I loved this episode so much -- solid MOTW with references to earlier episodes, but a break from the Sam's destiny sweepstakes. I have wanted an episode like this for a while.
Also, "Bonnie to Your Clyde" will never not be funny and awesome.
So this was mostly about identity, wasn't it? The way everyone is shifting in and out of a set of identities -- Ronald is a hunter, or starting to become a hunter, but not really, and it gets him killed. And Sam and Dean, playing at being FBI at the start and bank security in the middle, and part of the SWAT team at the end -- with the real FBI and the real SWAT team getting closer and closer.
And Agent Hendrickson (was that his name) is a hunter too, in a way -- he's put together some of the pieces, but not all of them. Like Ronald, but it won't be Hendrickson who gets killed because he doesn't know quite enough, not today. And he knows that there's a monster in there, but he doesn't know what it is. I wonder what he'll make of the hostages' stories.
So it was all about lies and disguise, and I really love it when Sam lies, because he does it so well, and he justifies it so well. That whole scene with Ronald was eerie, and his justification to Dean -- Dean, who did see Ronald as a potential hunter, I think, or someone who was close to that. (But by the way, what has Sam done to his hair?)
And the episode pushed Sam and Dean even farther from what might support them -- first from the other hunters, who may now see Sam, at least, as a monster, and now to have the long arm of the law after them. Not that they were ever quite on the same side, but Dean's line about the police doing their job was telling -- he thought that they were doing the same job, more or less. Not any more. Or at least -- not he knows for sure that they don't think so.
I just loved the exchange between Sam and the girl in the vault.
"Who is that man?"
"He's my brother," and Sam is so reluctant when he says it. And her "He's so brave," response. Sam's expression there just killed me. Beautiful.
I did have a couple questions, like how was Dean and Sam wandering off on their own to look for the shapeshifter not the stupidest idea ever? Especially because it seems that shapeshifters are clearly much stronger than human beings, and thus could overpower Sam or Dean and become them. Which is what I thought was happening at various points in the episode.
I think my "Oh, Dean" response is back on line, because oh, Dean. He just destroyed me in that phone call with Hendrickson, when he realized just how screwed he is, and Sam. And note that it's OK for him to criticize John in a moment of stress or anger, but no one else (and by the way, thank you, Agent Hendrickson, for providing a little more information on their childhood). Sniffle. You tell him, Dean.
And when he hangs up the phone, and he knows just how bad it is, now.
The end was wonderful -- Sam taking out the members of the SWAT team (which, whatever, handwave!), and just the boots, when Dean looks up after killing the shape-shifter. And the way they escaped, for not at least, but seriously, they are so screwed.
And I loved this episode so much.
Also, a totally appropriate icon!
AAAHHHHH!!!!! I loved this episode so much -- solid MOTW with references to earlier episodes, but a break from the Sam's destiny sweepstakes. I have wanted an episode like this for a while.
Also, "Bonnie to Your Clyde" will never not be funny and awesome.
So this was mostly about identity, wasn't it? The way everyone is shifting in and out of a set of identities -- Ronald is a hunter, or starting to become a hunter, but not really, and it gets him killed. And Sam and Dean, playing at being FBI at the start and bank security in the middle, and part of the SWAT team at the end -- with the real FBI and the real SWAT team getting closer and closer.
And Agent Hendrickson (was that his name) is a hunter too, in a way -- he's put together some of the pieces, but not all of them. Like Ronald, but it won't be Hendrickson who gets killed because he doesn't know quite enough, not today. And he knows that there's a monster in there, but he doesn't know what it is. I wonder what he'll make of the hostages' stories.
So it was all about lies and disguise, and I really love it when Sam lies, because he does it so well, and he justifies it so well. That whole scene with Ronald was eerie, and his justification to Dean -- Dean, who did see Ronald as a potential hunter, I think, or someone who was close to that. (But by the way, what has Sam done to his hair?)
And the episode pushed Sam and Dean even farther from what might support them -- first from the other hunters, who may now see Sam, at least, as a monster, and now to have the long arm of the law after them. Not that they were ever quite on the same side, but Dean's line about the police doing their job was telling -- he thought that they were doing the same job, more or less. Not any more. Or at least -- not he knows for sure that they don't think so.
I just loved the exchange between Sam and the girl in the vault.
"Who is that man?"
"He's my brother," and Sam is so reluctant when he says it. And her "He's so brave," response. Sam's expression there just killed me. Beautiful.
I did have a couple questions, like how was Dean and Sam wandering off on their own to look for the shapeshifter not the stupidest idea ever? Especially because it seems that shapeshifters are clearly much stronger than human beings, and thus could overpower Sam or Dean and become them. Which is what I thought was happening at various points in the episode.
I think my "Oh, Dean" response is back on line, because oh, Dean. He just destroyed me in that phone call with Hendrickson, when he realized just how screwed he is, and Sam. And note that it's OK for him to criticize John in a moment of stress or anger, but no one else (and by the way, thank you, Agent Hendrickson, for providing a little more information on their childhood). Sniffle. You tell him, Dean.
And when he hangs up the phone, and he knows just how bad it is, now.
The end was wonderful -- Sam taking out the members of the SWAT team (which, whatever, handwave!), and just the boots, when Dean looks up after killing the shape-shifter. And the way they escaped, for not at least, but seriously, they are so screwed.
And I loved this episode so much.
Also, a totally appropriate icon!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-01-26 04:07 am (UTC)Plus, they have a nemesis now! I hope this Hendrickson guy shows up again.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-26 04:11 am (UTC)And I am quite sure we'll see Hendrickson again. That phone call with Dean was just amazing.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-26 04:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-26 04:57 am (UTC)But I also wouldn't put it past this show to have HIM start to put the pieces together and turn into the Supernatural Agent Mulder. I am hoping they go there.
I am filled with love for Sam here. And Sherry or whatever her name was fangirling Dean was hilarious.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-26 06:02 am (UTC)That would be for the win.
Loved.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-26 07:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-26 11:45 am (UTC)I would be very, very happy if they did that, for a number of reasons. For one thing, it's the only way I can see that Sam and Dean might get out of the mess they've found themselves in -- otherwise it's jail and probably, for Dean, death row. And for another, I like to see people being smart, and there are already going to be questions raised by the witness statements.