SPN: Hooked and Bugs

[snick_backup]

* I'm continually confused by the fact that this show has no opening credit sequence. I wait for it, and it never comes.

* Are Sam and Dean Winchester the manliest manly names you have ever heard, or what? Dude, they're named after a rifle.

* It makes sense that, if you were going to spend as much time in your car as Dean Winchester does in his, you'd have one you liked really, really well. OTOH, if you were going to spend that much time in your car, seems like you might want a more fuel-efficient one.

* Sam and Dean are - or at least appear very convincingly to be - marvelously well socialized and socially adapted, considering they apparently spent their entire childhoods on the road killing monsters. Realistically, I'd expect more awkwardness and much less cool factor. Although, they must have gone to school at some point, right? Otherwise Sam wouldn't have been able to get that full ride scholarship.

* When it comes right down to it, I'm a lot more interested in monsters than spirits. It's too easy for the writers to wave their hands and make "spirits" do whatever the writers want them to do with only the barest minimum of justification. And yet all such spirits are disappointingly similar.

Hooked
As portrayals of people of faith go, this was not quite as cringe-worthy as it could have been. The daughter, at least, got to be almost a two-dimensional character, although of course I roll my eyes at the adulterous pastor cliche. Honestly, a religious person who is neither hypocritical nor "All sinners must die"? Is it really so hard? Still, nowhere near as bad as, say, the old lady in "Where the Wild Things Are," nor the random cult people in "True Believer" (Dollhouse).

I see the daughter sitting in the back of the ambulance all bundled up, and all I can think of is Sherlock to Lestrade: "I'm in shock! Look, I have a blanket!"

I love how everyone in this show has functioning casement windows. Just like 1620 Revello has, in fact.

I'm confused. How will it solve any problems to melt down the silver from the hook again? Clearly melting it the first time didn't. Also, point of interest: per Wikipedia, the melting point of pure silver is 1763 degree Fahrenheit. This rather contradicts Dean being able to heat Lori's chain in the church furnace - with the door open, no less. Ditto werewolf hunter dude from Phases (BtVS), who casts silver bullets by melting the silver over a Bunsen burner.

Bugs
Plotwise? Lame. The end of this episode defies all logic. The brothers Winchester are too late warning the family and getting them out of the neighborhood, so instead they all end up huddled in a holey attic (with flaming bug spray? what?) as bugs swarm in, because the attic is totally the most bugproof place in the house. Then the gigantic multi-species swarm somehow fails to kill them in the six hours or so between midnight and sunrise when the other victims lasted less than five minutes apiece. Our heroes and the family should all be dead now.

Otherwise, the episode hinted at chewy family stuff. Lots of Dean declaring that family's more important than anything else, lots of Sam recounting less than rosy childhood memories of said family. I'm glad this show recognizes that the lifestyle and backstory of its lead characters is actually pretty messed up. However, in dramatic terms it cuts a lot of the interesting tension to have Sam airing his issues about his dad to a third party - Dean - rather than to the dad. All the bits directly addressing the Sam-dad relationship fall pretty flat, not helped by the fact that the Dean-dad relationship is clearly more interesting and possibly a lot more psychologically damaged

Comments

[gryfndor-godess.livejournal.com]

Your journaling is making me want to watch this show. Also, I didn't realize until today that Dean was the blondish brother and Sam was the shaggy brunette. All these years I thought it was the opposite...

[snickfic]

Aw! I take this as a high compliment. Honestly, the show isn't very good yet; it helps me a lot to know that there's much chewier stuff down the road, in terms of both characters and worldbuilding. But if you do decide to watch it, I shall enthusiastically read any of your reactions. :)

I don't think I would have said Dean was blond, but yes, Sam's definitely is the shaggy one. (I wish he'd cut his hair! I don't find the shaggy frat boy look at all appealing.) Jared Padalecki, who plays Sam, also played a guy name Dean on Gilmore Girls - maybe that's where you confusion comes from?

[cindergal.livejournal.com]

I don't think I would have said Dean was blond,

This is apparently a BIG topic of debate in SPN fandom. Which I avoid at all costs. ;-) (And no, I'd never say he was blond, either.)

[gryfndor-godess.livejournal.com]

:) If I do watch it, I shall be sure to write about it.

Lol, I didn't realize I was opening up a can of worms about hair! I realized it wasn't, er, Spike's blond or even maybe early season Buffy's blonde, but I was trying to find a simple way to distinguish between the brothers since I can't keep track of which actor is which either. I should have just said shaggy brunette brother and not-shaggy-not-as-dark-brunette brother.

I've never watched Gilmore Girls, but maybe I got confused through fandom osmosis? *shrugs* I knew that Dean was the more popular brother, and for some reason I was under the impression that Shaggy Brunette was the show's popular "hottie" (and I don't even know why I thought that b/c I personally find Dean more attractive...).

[snickfic]

I didn't realize you were opening up a can of worms, either! I'm not in the fandom, so I'm blissfully unaware of such sources of fannish dissent. But yes, there's Shaggy and there's Not Shaggy. (Also, Shaggy's considerably taller.)

I don't even know why I thought that b/c I personally find Dean more attractive...).

I'm with you there. *nods emphatically*

[(Anonymous)]

I think Jared's the prettier one in person. One of those that is not as photogenic on show, but looks hot in candids.

[ghostyouknow27.livejournal.com]

Dude, they're named after a rifle.
Well, their first names are based on characters from On The Road. Creator-man Kripke adores On The Road.

Is it too spoilery to discuss hair? Because I have a lot to say about the hair on SPN. :D

[snickfic]

I give you FULL LICENSE to discuss hair. Hair is totally SPOILER-FRIENDLY topic on this blog. *g*

[ghostyouknow27.livejournal.com]

Okay! Then I will say that I'm super sad when Sam's schoolboy hair goes away, because what replaces it is THE WORST HAIR ON TEEVEE!

*phew*

[snickfic]

O noes!

Where's an Angelus icon when you need one, huh?

[ghostyouknow27.livejournal.com]

His hair makes Riley's hair look *awesome.* And I say this as someone who likes the dude (I was totally a Dean girl at first, but Sam grew on me).

Also, I like that SPN just has title cards! There are very few shows where I actually love the opening credit sequences (Trueblood and Dead Like Me would be two), and even then, I'm going "OMG let's just get to the story!" a third of the way into my marathon. :D

[snickfic]

even then, I'm going "OMG let's just get to the story!" a third of the way into my marathon. :D

Fair enough. Usually it's the music that makes it or breaks it for me, and I figured the music here would be at least bearable, given the show's inclinations. I'd been hearing about all the classic rock on this show, and there hasn't been nearly enough of it so far, IMO. *g*

[ghostyouknow27.livejournal.com]

I'd been hearing about all the classic rock on this show, and there hasn't been nearly enough of it so far, IMO. *g*
There is never enough of it! Not ever! Though the show *has* produced some really excellent/memorable music moments.

I know what you mean about music. I never thought I noticed it all that much until I watched The Vampire Diaries. It gets (marginally) better, but at the beginning I just wanted it to go die in a ditch. :/

[silverusagi]

OTOH, if you were going to spend that much time in your car, seems like you might want a more fuel-efficient one.

Eh, he pays for gas with credit card fraud, so who cares, LOL.

Sam and Dean are - or at least appear very convincingly to be - marvelously well socialized and socially adapted

I'd imagine that they learned how to be successful liars from John early on. They're good at reading situations and people, I think. But that's the thing about the Winchesters--they can act like they belong, but they really don't. :(

Although, they must have gone to school at some point, right?

Sort of kind of.

Bugs
Plotwise? Lame. The end of this episode defies all logic

This is one of the worst episodes of the series, LOL. Even the show itself thinks so.

Though they actually used real bees for filming this. Jensen got stung, expectedly.

not helped by the fact that the Dean-dad relationship is clearly more interesting and possibly a lot more psychologically damaged

Oh, I don't know, Sam has plenty of daddy issues.

[snickfic]

This is one of the worst episodes of the series, LOL. Even the show itself thinks so.

Oh? Does it make some comment later on, or something?

I'm trying to imagine the logistics of filming a scene containing both very valuable actors and live bees, and failing. I think I'm just surprised only one person got stung. Was this in the attic scene? At one point it looked like maybe there was a sheet of glass between the bees and the actors, but I wasn't sure.

Oh, I don't know, Sam has plenty of daddy issues.

I'm not saying he doesn't have them, I'm just saying there not very interesting. To me, at least. *g* I mean, "Dad was always disappointed in me" is not a new thought. Whereas Dean has apparently dealt with the family dynamic by taking his father's word as gospel and patterning himself after him every way he can, and I don't see that so often, particularly not in adult characters.

But we have already established that I'm more interested in Dean than in Sam, so. *g*

[silverusagi]

Does it make some comment later on, or something?

It sort of acknowledges it in a meta episode.

Was this in the attic scene?

I think so. Other people might have been stung, too, but I just remember seeing a convention video with Jensen talking about it.

Whereas Dean has apparently dealt with the family dynamic by taking his father's word as gospel and patterning himself after him every way he can

True. Though IMO, Sam has more going on than "Dad was always disappointed in me". Maybe not in how he thinks of John, but in how he thinks, period.

[snickfic]

True. Though IMO, Sam has more going on than "Dad was always disappointed in me". Maybe not in how he thinks of John, but in how he thinks, period.

Well, I shall look forward to that, then. 'Cuz right now Sam's the one I'd rather have lunch with, but Dean's the one I'd rather watch on TV.

[diamondtook862.livejournal.com]

I agree, you might not want to discount Sam's daddy issues so easily. ;) Both brothers are nicely messed up. I'd call them family issues, honestly, because they are so tied up in each other as brothers and their roles (oldest, youngest, etc) whenever they try to talk about their dad.

It's funny that I identify much more with Dean, despite being a youngest myself. Or maybe I identify more with Sam, but love Dean more? I'm not sure. Both are pretty hard to genuinely identify with. :P Except for the Dad being rarely around... that's pretty common (not fighting monsters though).

I don't think it's spoilery to say so? It's pretty clear in this ep and some previous. I think.

[snickfic]

I have not yet decided if I identify with either. I'm a firstborn, so I tend to be pretty clear about respecting authority figures - but then, their dad is the only authority figure Dean respects. So much for that. *g* Also, I'm fairly cautious, like Sam, and I relate to people in general more like Sam does.

I shall look forward to more messed-up-ness all around.

And no, I don't think that's too spoilery. You're good. :)

[diamondtook862.livejournal.com]

Your questions shall be answered! Muahaha! But not by me... by the show. ;)

[snickfic]

Sigh. I'm so far behind y'all! Is there word on whether the show's getting a seventh season?

[diamondtook862.livejournal.com]

Dunno. I wish you didn't know how many seasons there are, I find season enders more exciting that way, but what can you do?

I just meant these are good questions and not overlooked by the show, even if we don't answer. :) Show is good about not dropping details often, imho.

[snickfic]

I wish you didn't know how many seasons there are, I find season enders more exciting that way, but what can you do?

Heh, well, even I am not ridiculous enough to expect the world not to tell me which season the show is on. *g*

I am glad to hear the show keeps track of its details. That's one of the reasons I fell in love with BtVS: plenty of things get dropped, but a lot of things don't, and I'd never seen a show before that was so good at hanging onto those loose ends and making use of them.

[silverusagi]

No word either way.

[ghostyouknow27.livejournal.com]

The ratings in our key demo have been holding steady and are quite good for the CW, especially for the show's new death knell timeslot. Everything's pointing toward a 7th season, but there's no guarantee, and there's not set date for an announcement.

So, it's looking good, but we don't know for sure, and it could be awhile before we do.

[snickfic]

\o/

It would just be sort of sad if the show was canceled while I was still watching old episodes. Even though, frankly, I find closed canons much more comfortable than open ones.

[ever-neutral.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I'm not sure I'd say that John Winchester was always disappointed in Sam, actually. My understanding is that he was actually the favoured but rebellious son, and Dean the loyal yet neglected one. Which is an interesting/unusual thing to see. Masculinity issues, the Winchesters have them.

[snickfic]

Well, I don't actually know much about the family dynamic yet, and I haven't seen John Winchester at all except in flashback. All I know is what Sam and Dean have told me, and they are neither of them exactly unbiased. :)

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Dude, they're named after a rifle.

Not just any rifle either. It's the rifle that won the West and also led to the Winchester heiress going a little nutso and building The Winchester Mystery House (in San Jose) to assuage the spirits of the massacred Native Americans. Or something like that. It's pretty perfect.

[snickfic]

Wow, that is perfect. I feel like I've heard of the Winchester House but had never connected it to the rifle before.