rewatch thoughts: SPN 4.11 and 4.12

[snick_backup]

4.11 Family Remains
I see from my first watch through that I was very irritated with the execution of the premise, in that most of what happens pre-not-a-ghost reveal makes no sense afterwards. This is still true. However, in rewatching, the horror of the premise ends up overriding the sloppiness of the execution for me.

This time around, I was struck again by how driven Dean is to save the family's son. It's made explicit by the end: he's trying to save people to make up for what he did in hell, despite being convinced that he can't make up for it. OH DEAN.

However, every time I hear Dean say, "I tortured souls, and I liked it," I think of the Katy Perry song. Sorry, Dean.

4.12 Criss Angel is a Douche Bag
I think I liked this a lot better the second time through. The pieces all held together better for me this time: the theme of aging and losing the people you care about motivating Sam to go back to Ruby and pick up where they left (OH SAM), Dean being told that doing the right thing sometimes means killing the person you care about most.

Plus the three aging magicians are all capably acted, and I do actually feel for them by the end. I didn't dislike the family in 4.11, who also got a lot of screentime, but the story of The Incredible Jay and his friendship with Vernon and Charlie feels more developed. Frequently the guest stars are just monster fodder; it's nice when they're not, occasionally.

Ruby's whole discussion with Sam about what exactly it is that he objects to and how he feels about it makes much more sense now that I know about the demon blood. And I still love that conversation between Sam and Dean about growing old (or not).

Original entry posted at Dreamwidth. Feel free to reply here or there. ( DW replies)

Comments

[ficwriter1966.livejournal.com]

I'm not keen about either one of those episodes because they revolved around the guest stars (with huge amounts of screen time devoted to them) rather than Sam and Dean.

Family Remains makes me cringe because at the end of the ep, no one seems particularly concerned that Helen Slater's brother was violently murdered by the Crazy Twins.

Beyond that, they do hold up a lot better than some of the later episodes.

[snickfic]

I don't mind episodes that spend time on the guest stars as long as the guest stars are sufficiently interesting and well-developed. Charlie Bradbury is a more recent example: she had such high entertainment value that I totally didn't mind her stealing the show.

no one seems particularly concerned that Helen Slater's brother was violently murdered by the Crazy Twins.

Well, yes. My fanwank is that everyone's so generally shell-shocked that that particularly tragedy hasn't hit yet.

Beyond that, they do hold up a lot better than some of the later episodes.

For example, Sex and Violence, up two eps from now. UGH. I can't decide whether I'm going to rewatch that one or not. I hated it SO MUCH the first time. (First ep of this show I almost didn't finish. I turned it off halfway through, and then eventually turned it back on again.) But possibly now that I know what to brace myself for, it won't be so bad?

[pocochina.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't remember particularly caring for these two episodes, at least by my S4 standards which are admittedly pretty high.

every time I hear Dean say, "I tortured souls, and I liked it," I think of the Katy Perry song

ME TOO.

[snickfic]

Such a good season. Now, in rewatching, I think I have to conclude that it is the best. I still love S2, as well as large portions of other seasons, but S4 is just the best.

I AM NOT ALONE.

[ever-neutral.livejournal.com]

Family Remains thoroughly terrifies me. Therefore I enjoy it.

However, every time I hear Dean say, "I tortured souls, and I liked it," I think of the Katy Perry song. Sorry, Dean.

Dead.

[snickfic]

*icon*