SPN 3x14 (?): long distance call

[vaznetti]

If they've talked to every psychic etc. in the lower 48, that includes Missouri, right? The character, not the state. Or are they avoiding her, or Lawrence? I feel that there's a story there, either way.

Also, if I were a monster and had a Winchester and someone else captive and died up, I would totally kill the Winchester first, rather than do the whole "before I kill you, Mr. Bond," thing. Although I really, really liked the way the whatever it was was using technology to feed himself -- phone records, emails, everything that is electronic -- and then succumbed to death by wire.

I don't think it was very hard to figure out that it wasn't really the dead people -- including John, sadly -- I mean, the teaser kind of gave it away -- so the interest was in seeing them react. Dean stood up straighter as soon as he heard his father's voice -- and of course he still trusts him blindly; I'm just not sure whether Sam knows that Dean has the same blind faith in him. Sam was more interesting, here -- how reluctant he was from the very start. Barring other data, I wonder whether it comes back to the end of AHBL II, where Dean got that moment with John, and Sam was left on the outside. Well, that or the revelation that Mary recognized the demon, because Sam must also be wondering how much John knew (one of the eternal questions of SPN, I realize). But the difference was really striking -- Sam never even considered the possibility, it seems, and certainly looked completely uninterested in Dean's ideas and hopes.

I would actually get a huge kick out of John coming back to drag Dean out of Hell at the last minute, but consider that a highly unlikely plot development. (And nowhere near as good as the S2 variant where Dean drags John out of Hell, and then punches him out.)

It was a bit of a waste of JDM, but presumably it doesn't cost them too much to get his voice.

A very S1 and S2 episode, in some ways. I'm not sure whether or not it really worked here, though -- the dynamic was so strange, at least on Sam's side -- one moment determined to focus only on Dean, the next not really interested in following up what might be a lead. I mean, his instincts were right, but... I don't know. Is it crazy that I think I wanted more emoporn here? I know I wanted more something, although sadly, it was probably just more John.


That was all a bit scattered. Maybe I'll come up with something more coherent and sensible in a few days.

Comments

[vee-fic.livejournal.com]

I had it on in the other room while I painted a table (don't ask, yay latex is water soluble) and kept checking whenever there was a Portentous Silence hoping JDM had showed up. He really never did?

...Damn. I wanted to say hi.

[cofax7]

Nope. They got his voice, but it ended up not even being John.

I thought of you, though, at the end, where we got... yet another emo conversation in the last five minutes. ::sigh::

[vee-fic.livejournal.com]

Ah ha ha ha ha. And really, I would still be watching the show if they would just, like, stand around silently and look pretty like in Ralph Lauren ads. They could do that for five minutes every episode and I would tune in! (And then change the channel as soon as somebody said a line.)

[vaznetti]

As cofax7 has said, there was no JDM and no John. I would feel cheated if I'd had any expectations in the first place.

[embroiderama]

My read on Sam's impatience with the whole thing was that he was frustrated by Dean's sudden realization that Hey! His life was worth fighting for! They had to do something! Because Sam's been there for the better part of a year, and now Dean's showing up like it's something new.

[vaznetti]

I guess this makes sense -- and of course it's even more ironic that Dean gets this brainwave on a hunt they're on because he insisted, while Sam wanted to keep working on the deal.

But his body language was very... resistant. He looked closed-off.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

I think Sam is just worn down by everything. He's been trying to save Dean for a year (or 11 months or whatever the timeframe is now), to get Dean to this point for months, and while it was a bit of a WTF? moment for him to leave while Dean was waiting for what they had to know deep down wasn't really John to call, I do get that Sam is frustrated and weary and it comes out as indifference, whereas Dean's frustration comes out as belligerence.

[vaznetti]

I guess what struck me about Sam was how completely closed-off his body language was, and how very little response he showed to anything Dean was saying. I mean, yeah, we know that Sam's right and Dean's wrong, but Sam doesn't know that yet, or at least, not for certain. It just seemed off to me, although I get your point about Sam's emotional exhaustion.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not sure how much the writers intend it, but it's also post-Mystery Spot Sam, and I'm willing to go with him being more closed off after that, less willing or able to open up.

[destina.livejournal.com]

If they've talked to every psychic etc. in the lower 48, that includes Missouri, right? The character, not the state. Or are they avoiding her, or Lawrence? I feel that there's a story there, either way.

I feel like I've read so many Dean-cheats-the-deal stories now where Missouri takes one look at Dean and either a) beats him down verbally or b) won't let him in the house because he's got hell-hound scent on him that I don't need that story. But I sure would love to see her on the show again. She's the recurring character I want most to see.

It was a bit of a waste of JDM, but presumably it doesn't cost them too much to get his voice.

All I can say to that is, thank god it didn't, because YUM YUM.

[vaznetti]

I feel like I've read so many Dean-cheats-the-deal stories now where Missouri takes one look at Dean and either a) beats him down verbally or b) won't let him in the house because he's got hell-hound scent on him that I don't need that story.

I guess this is my reward for not having read all that much fic recently: I've missed all the cliches and irritating themes. (Also, I really hate Missouri-bashing -- it drives me crazy.)

Yeah, I'd like to see her again, but I guess the actress has a regular gig on another show, which must make it hard to work out. But there are a host of one-shot characters on this show I'd love to see again.

[se-parsons.livejournal.com]

I agree that it was a very S1 or S2 ep. That was actually NICE. As there was none of the misogyny and bullcrap from this season. It wasn't fantastic, but it was solid.

How sad that solid is the bar?

i also liked how very BOYS they were in the endy emo bit. "Do you want a poem?"

[vaznetti]

I loved the "do you want a poem" ending. That cracked me up.

Yeah, it was solid, and inoffensive, but didn't blow me away. And I guess I feel that an episode with JDM in the credits ought to blow me away. That's probably the heart of my issue.

[camille-is-here.livejournal.com]

My favorite emo moment was when Dean said that even with dad dead Sam was still butting heads with him. Which, so sad and exasperating for Dean, to see that whole conflict playing out again in ghost time. Or not, of course, since it wasn's John. Sam may not have believed because he was more sensible about it. More likely because he wasn't influenced by actually hearing the phone call. But also, Dean might be right--he maay have been predisposed to disbelieve because he always butts heads with dad.

I did like that both their perspectives were fueled by multiple drivers.

[vaznetti]

My favorite emo moment was when Dean said that even with dad dead Sam was still butting heads with him. Which, so sad and exasperating for Dean, to see that whole conflict playing out again in ghost time. Or not, of course, since it wasn's John.

Well, it was playing out again from Sam's end, at least. I think there was an element of head-butting to Sam's response, in that it made him predisposed not to believe that it was really John come back to save Dean. I mean, that's the kind of thing Dean must really, really want to believe.

[camille-is-here.livejournal.com]

I mean, that's the kind of thing Dean must really, really want to believe.

Oh, yes. His argument that other people get to talk to their dead relatives, why not them was such a cry to the universe about the unfairness of their lives, really--they help to put uneasy spirits to rest but never get to see their own (although Mary did save their lives in their old house once). But that is just one in a long list of ways life has been unfair to them. The whumpage would stand up to Job.

[vaznetti]

they help to put uneasy spirits to rest but never get to see their own

And Dean spends his life saving people, but when he needs help, the whole universe goes silent. It's horrible -- and I think at the back of his mind, it would be so good if the key to his own fate came through one of their cases -- it would be such a reassurance that he's on the right path. But of course, it doesn't.