I always ask and I always forget.. yes, here comes the very annoying but imminent mini hiatus. After this week's episode, Remember the Titans, Supernatural will into a mini hiatus and return March 20 with ep 8.17 Goodbye Stranger. The CW has also released the season finale date for Supernatural (and Arrow), it will be May 16. Source: KSiteTV I haven't caught up with Arrow, I'll try to do that during the mini hiatus. I have been watching Once Upon A Time on and off, but Manhattan didn't disappoint! While I was watching it, I was like I KNEW IT! Well, we all knew it! We totally saw it coming!
Don't forget tomorrow episode Remember the Titans. And in case you miss it, here is my review of last week'sMan's Best Friend With Benefits.
Here is an updated list of up-coming episodes:
8.01 We Need to Talk About Kevin
8.02 What's Up, Tiger Mommy?
8.03 Heartache
8.04 Bitten
8.05 Blood Brother
8.06 Southern Comfort
8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin
8.08 Hunteri Heroici 8.09 Citizen Fang
8.10Torn and Frayed
8.11 LARP and the Real Girl
8:12 As Time Goes By 8.13 Everyone Hates 8.14 Trial And Error 8.15 Man's Best Friend With Benefits 8.16 Remember The Titans 8.17 Goodbye Stranger 8.18 Freaks and Geeks (previously known as The Apple Dumpling Gang) 8.19 Taxi Driver 8.20 Pac-Man Fever 8.21 The Great Escapist
It isn't the first time Misha got promoted to a regular on Supernatural. After his promotion in season five, and back to a special guest star statue, Misha will once again get back on the cast list as a regular for season nine. Misha is loved, Castiel is loved! I believe in Jeremy Carver. I think he will have a good Castiel story to tell. Castiel is going through some personal struggle, I think with the way the tablet storyarc is going, I think it just makes sense to have Castiel back as a regular. We won't see him in every episode, but we will see him more often than we have in season six to eight. He will be back later on this season.
Not only Misha will return as a regular in season nine, he will also direct an episode of Supernatural. OH.MY.GOD! I love Castiel. I love him. I can start singing On My Own right now. Too much? Source: Huffington Post
I have been reading a number of selective articles recently about Supernatural and its eighth season. Noticeably the SFX's article on how good a show can still be in its eighth season. And it got me thinking, sometimes showrunners don't want to reinvent the wheel, but other time they want to keep innovating without wracking the core of the show. It's all about trial and error. It's about the journey.
The more I watch Supernatural, the more I realise for a show like Supernatural to be so good in its eighth season, it comes down to a team of passionate writers who collaborate and interact with each other. Above all things, they keep the writing of the brother relationship consistent. Writers have to know the show, they have to know the characters -- what makes them angry, happy, laugh, what is their strengths and weaknesses. The writers have to know the myth of the show, but not to misinterpret it. They have to know the history of the shows as well as doing good research and produce good writing for future episodes on witches, werewolves, vampires, angels or demons, whatever the supernatural thing may be.
A more positive opening than other review you read on this episode? This episode reminds me of one thing -- no one is set out to write a shit script. Even the worst episode of Supernatural is better than most TV dramas. On paper, Man's Best Friend With Benefits is a true filler episode. It isn't branded as one of the strongest episode. It isn't one of the best written episodes. It has flaws but I can forgive and forget. And I am in the minority, I like this episode better than I should! And here is why.
In terms of the likeability of the supporting cast and story, the witches in Man's Best Friend With Benefits were much more intriguing than the farm story and its people as seen last week in my opinion. I don't find the farm story nor the people interesting at all, in fact it was quite cliche in terms of the soul-selling stuff. We've seen that before. Not that it was crap, as you know I enjoyed last week's episode. It was a good story for Kevin, the tablet, the God's tasks and the hellhound. It was a great call back to the crossroad demons and hell stuff. Above all things, there were so fantastic brotherly moments and dialogues. But other than that, I really don't care about the whole Dallas arc. It's personal, I like the witches better.
I look at Man's Best Friend With Benefits in two ways. On one hand, the episode isn't one of the strongest in the history of the show or the season. On the other hand, in the 'witches' file of Supernatural, this is probably a more solid witch episode since season three's Malleus Maleficarum.
I haven't been paying much attention to the witches episodes, but when I come to think about it, I do like them as the villain and the 'good guys'. I love Mr and Mrs Stark in Shut Up Dr Phil. Episodes written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming can be a hit-and-miss. They really tried to bring us something refreshing about the witches. I didn't think much about this episode before I watched it, I thought it could be another witchcraft episode blah blah. But this was a refreshing episode. I do like the 'battle' between the two witches and the idea of Familiars are quite interesting, dirty jokes aside. I do like the special effect in the battle of the witches scene. I like the idea of the secret bar for the supernatural.
I think it was a good thing for the boys to witness the battle of two witches, instead of getting involved. Because they have to see it to believe that James was the good guy fighting the bad guy. They have to see it to not to kill James 'the good witch'. Otherwise I don't know it James' words would be enough to convince Dean and Sam that he was the 'good' witch. If James was capable to fight his own fight and his mind was still intact and not screwy, Dean and Sam had one thing less to worry about. At least they don't have to worry about the 'bad witch who got away'. So, I thought giving the development of the story, the battle between the two witches was a good move. It was refreshing to see the supernatural beings involved -- James and Portia -- fighting their own fight. Moreover, the writers have to give Dean and Sam a reason to not to kill James. Not many people care, but based on the material of this particular episode, I think the point to explore was this -- we know why Dean and Sam kill supernatural things, but under what circumstance would they not kill supernatural things? Once in a blue moon, Supernatural would 'humanise' a supernatural being, but not very often. The more I watch season eight, the more I think the 'humanisation of a supernatural being' has become a bit of a recurring theme -- Kate the werewolf, Benny the vampire, Golem, and James the witch and his Familiar This is forming some sort of pattern. The idea of 'if it's supernatural, we kill it, end of story' has evolved.
Could Supernatural be building up to something that even they didn't think was possible? My imagination is going a bit crazy at the moment, but after listening to the awesome Crossroads Podcast, I think perhaps it is possible to have The Avengers of Supernatural? Perhaps the writers are toying with this idea? Imagine this -- should the gates of hell and heaven are closed, these 'supernatural things' may have a duty to keep their kind in line, forming some sort of alliance with the Men of Letters. OMFG!
I love the consistence of the writing on the brother's relationship. I just have this feeling that the writers are talking to each other more this season. I think there is a breath of fresh air in the writer's room. The brotherly stuff is just so damn good!!! It's like the dialogues are written by the same writers but spread over to different episodes. I love the consistency that has been carried through from the last episode to this one.
I get why the 'trust' issue is still on the card. Sam's right, Dean can only trust himself. I think Dean has to find reasons to trust. Dean isn't the guy who can trust people based on pure talk and belief. He has to see it to know it to believe it. Dean hasn't seen anything that gives him the reassurance. He still doesn't know what is going to happen to Sam. Sam is perhaps one step ahead of Dean -- it's done, there is no turning back, so let's just do it! If Dean doesn't fight for Sam and if anything bad happens to Sam, it's on Dean's hands. Dean won't let Sam to die again. It happened before, but he doesn't want this to happen again, because he knows where it will take him emotionally. And if Dean can take one for the team, he will take it! It isn't about Dean not trusting Sam, he wants to, but he is struggling with it because he is finding a reason for himself to get over it. It's the big brother syndrome.
But the last shot of the episode is heartbreaking! Sam!! What's going on with Sam? Part of me watching him to tell Dean about his health condition. However it was only a 40 mins episode, and we have to come back for more. Jared did say the trials will take a toll on Sam and also Dean. If Sam is going to close the gate of hell, do you think Dean will close the gate of heaven in season nine? Just throwing it out there. Sam can't have all the fun, right?
Man's Best Friend With Benefits isn't perfect, considering how great the past few episodes were, this episode won't even be one of the most talked about episodes, except the beastiality jokes. This episode has flaws, but based on my first impression after the first viewing was that, it was a refreshing filler episode about witches, and it has some brilliant dialogues exchanges between the brothers. So, I'll leave it at that.
Episode 8.16 Remember the Titans
GODS VS. ZOMBIES — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are stumped when they investigate a possible zombie case where an amnesiac man (guest star John Reardon) dies and then revives himself once a day. After the guy is attacked by the goddess Artemis (guest star Anna Von Hooft), Sam and Dean realize he’s not a zombie but instead a god, more specifically, Prometheus. Steve Boyum directed the episode written by Daniel Loflin.
Game of Thrones has been a bit of a strange love for me personally because of the waiting. I waited for the books, I waited for the TV series. I try not to think about it during the waiting period because the actual wait and the thought of waiting keep me in purgatory. But the time has come. HBO's series Game of Thrones season three is near! The new premiered on March 31st at 9pm on HBO. I am intrigued as to what details they have changed for this season. I am obsessed with Dany and her dragons, as well as Jon Snow and his story in the North. Part of me wanting to see a spin-off with only them in it, but I do care about other characters and it is an epic tale with loads of dramas. The Song of Ice and Fire is definitely one of my favourite book series and Game of Thrones is a great TV series that I have fallen in love with. Season three, bring it!
I love the writers of Supernatural. I love them. I have my concerns in recent years on occasion, but true love never runs smooth. I really enjoyed reading this interview from Spin-Off Online. They recently talked to Adam Glass, Daniel Loflin, Andrew Dabb, Robbie Thompson and Jenny Klein about season eight and the writer's room. I was also reading an article from SFX about Supernatural, and how good an 'old' show can still be in its eighth season. Supernatural has been through a lot -- being on WB before going to the CW, scheduled for Thursday to dead Friday, then out of Purgatory and makes Wednesday their new home. And just how many times have Dean and Sam died and back again? How many times we have laughed and cried? Fans are so emotionally attached to the show, and so are the cast and crew. There will come a time when the show comes to an end, but I am not ready to let Supernatural just yet. In fact, once the passion in the flame is ignited, I can't put it out. In case you missed my review of Trial and Error, here it is again. Don't forget to watch the all new Supernatural this Wednesday on the CW. 8.15 Man’s Best Friend With Benefits:
DEAN REALLY DOESN’T LIKE WITCHES — A police officer named Kevin (guest star Christian Campbell), who turned to witchcraft after working a case with Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles), is plagued by nightmares in which he murders innocent people. However, when the murders actually happen, Sam and Dean are called in by Kevin’s “familiar” (guest star Mishael Morgan) to help — but the brothers aren’t sure they want to save a witch. John Showalter directed the episode written by Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming.
Photo by David Eger. It's funny, because when I was working on this blog, I was listening to the song New York State of Mind.
I don't play dress up and hang posters, but I love Star Wars. There are flaws, but I can forget them. The Star Wars stories remains influential to today's pop culture. Star Wars was inspired by the Joseph Campbell's ideas on a hero's journey and the power of myth. Many writers are still influenced by these ideas. A hero's complex is heavily embedded on TV shows and movies, TV drama such as Supernatural is a great example of that. I am a female fan of Star Wars. I don't know what that tells you. Whatever. People have different reasons for loving Star Wars. Sometimes people tend to look at it as a gender thing. But for me, this is a genre that appeals to me, and Star Wars is the greatest piece of artwork to study, especially for a student of writing such as myself. As someone who grew up under an uninspired education environment, I can honestly say I learn more about literature in pop culture than in school. There is just so much to learn. George Lucas is still taking me to school after all these years. I am not embarrassed to admit I love Star Wars, especially when I go to Baby Showers and all these twenty-something young mums profess their love for The Real Housewives, or worst, Fifty Shades.
The dark side is there. You don't have to fit in and it is cool to be different, and George taught me that.
By David Eger
The point of this blog post, really, is to share with you what I saw yesterday. WIRED has this great article about the work of David Eger, an artist, who created some of the best Star Wars-inspired photos. Check this out here! You can follow David Eger on Twitter.
Trial and Error was written by Andrew Dabb and directed by Kevin Parks. It was a hard act to follow, but Andrew Dabb succeeded in the emotional exchange of dialogues between the brothers. After two weeks of introducing the story of Men of Letters, Trial and Error took us back to the other important element of the season -- the tablets. Director, Kevin Parks, is best known as Second Unit Director or Assistant Director since the beginning of season one of Supernatural. Kevin did an awesome job in directing his first episode for the show, especially the Hellhound scene.
Before I continue, I just want to mention something. Fans need to stop flaming the brother relationship as a war and look at it as a matter of team work and family business. I get that there are Dean girls and Sam girls and there are slash fans, but I honestly cannot read any of the stuff from other fan forums. Whatever you fancy, the show is not written for fans to go to war with the 'who is a better brother to complete the trials' or the 'who is more special to complete the trials' debate.
A lot of things are arguable, I guess -- who is the 'chosen' one? However, Supernatural isn't about which brother or their stories will get more air time. This is a show with a lot of maturities, layers and depth. What this episode did so well was to highlight the choices the brothers made and how they made these choices. In the end, it didn't turn out the way they planned it, it was meant to be! And for this, I think this was a very good episode to show the show's maturity and layers. If you are looking for another blog that support the views of 'Sam vs Dean', this is not for you. Ever!
The writers have a point to make about the brothers. From the writer's point of view, Sam perhaps has a lot to prove, he has been struggling with life, hunting and everything else he's been through. Some of the choices he made before were bad, but he learnt from his mistakes and I think little brother Sammy is growing up. It is time for Sam to shine!
From the story perspective, I don't see Sam was positioned as the 'chosen' one because of how things turned out in the episode -- it was just meant to be! Dean chose to do the trials because it was dangerous and because death was Inevitable. He wanted Sam to live and to become Men of Letters, become a husband and a father. But it turned out, in the process of saving Dean from being the Hellhound's chew toy, Sam ended up passing the trial by killing the Hellbound -- it was meant to be Sam! Moving forward, it will not be a Sam-only journey. You have got to know that! Sam cannot go through with the trials without Dean, and the brothers will continue to watch each other's backs and work as a team. In the show's myth, I truly believe God put hope in this family should crap happens.
The best thing about this episode was that there were plenty of character stuff. This episode reminded us Dean as the big brother, who will always and I mean ALWAYS put his little brother first before anyone and anything. Dean is good with the hardware, the shoot first question later, his forte is the field work -- but he is smarter than he can process! When it comes to danger, he always puts himself forward and makes sure his little brother lives. This has always been his job ever since he was five. And you cannot hate Dean for it. Dean wanted Sam to live, have a family, grow old and have kids. To Dean, in time of danger the 'traditional' way was to sacrifice himself for Sam. Dean is selfless. Sadly, Dean can only see death at the end of the tunnel, because history taught him that. This is his only happy ending.
“I’m a grunt, Sam. You’re not. You’ve always been the brains of this operation. And you told me yourself that you see a way out. You see a light at the end of this ugly-ass tunnel. I don’t. But I tell you what I do know is that I’m gonna die with a gun in my hand. Coz that’s what I have waiting for me, and that’s all I have waiting for me." ~~ Dean
This episode also reminds us Sam as the little brother, who is always protected by his old brother, but he learns to grow up and watch his brother's back. Sam, a great hunter, but he is also very good with research and his books. When it comes to danger and saving his brother's ass, Sam does not hesitate. Good for Sam for getting an idea across to Dean -- Sam sees light at the end of the tunnel and he can take Dean there.
God's trials are not going to be easy -- have you watched Indiana Jones? It must have crossed Sam's mind about dying, despite what he told Dean. But I like the new thinking -- who says death has to be the end game? How about not dying and they both go home after this and have a beer and watch a game? But having said that, if one of the brother does die at the end of the series, you know fans will be going to therapy for life! This is Supernatural, and we know the best happy ending the brothers can have may not be a pretty one. But I do see the Harry Potter kind of ending, Sam is not alone, and Dean and other friends and allies will come to provide their assistance in time of need.
The speeches by Dean and Sam were so brilliantly written. Dean's determination or stubbornness in this episode took us back to season three when he was dealing with his demon deal. But Sam is bringing something new to the table -- "I want to do this, but I also want to live." Whereas Dean is always like "I'll die to get this done. I'll go down swinging." What would Ayra Stack say to Death? -- Not today! Sometimes Dean is so stubborn, he is so obsessed with keeping his brother alive and saving people, but in time like this, Sam can step up and reminds his brother, "It's ok, Dean."
“I see light at the end of this tunnel. And I’m sorry you don’t. I am. But it’s there. And if you come with me, I can take you to it.” ~~ Sam
Dean has got to start thinking like "Nobody is dying! We stop the apocalypse, we stopped the Leviathans, we can do this! We will go home to have a beer and sleep on our own beds!" Sam obviously will carry a lot of weights on his shoulder from now on because he is stuck with the trials. But he is a giant, he can do this! Hunting is a two people job. It is about the brothers getting this done. They are both selfless and they are both heroes, and I respect that.
Trial and Error was a good episode with the brother's relationship. The first trial as seen in this episode was like the first installment of a trilogy -- The Fellowship of the Ring was good, you knew the ultimate epicness was to be seen in Return of the King. So, I can't wait to see what the other two trials are and how the brothers will handle them as a team, as a family.
As you know, I am a little obsessed with the Men of Letters and their bunker. We finally get to see Dean's room, which is something he hasn't had…ever! So this is Dean's room huh? I love how he decorated his room and I love the fact that he still has a picture of him and his mother in his wallet after all these years and he put it under the light. I love that a lot!! I love the Clark Kent thing with Dean. It's funny because Jensen was so close of being cast of Clark Kent in Smallville. Jensen looks super hot in those glasses! I don't blame Ellie doing an Anna, but it wasn't meant to be, girlfriend!
I wonder how Sam's room looks like? I love that Dean cooks Sam a burger, even Sam can't believe it! Dean has experience in the domestic kitchen after spending a year with Lisa and Ben. And I love that Sam loves the burger! *Smiley face* I would love to have a proper tour of the bunker. And you know what? I was thinking the other day, if I haven't mentioned this before -- all bunkers have secret tunnels. Just saying…I want to see secret tunnels…
A Day in the Life of Kevin was awesome! The season eight DVD has got to make this into a special feature! Osric Chau is getting so good at playing Kevin and I love it when Sam encouraged him to take a day off and take care of himself. And I love it when Dean gave Kevin a bear hug, which is infectious being on the Garth's save boat. Poor Kevin, he is a mess! THe brothers need to move him to the bunker NOW!
The Wall of Weird!
I don't care so much about the selling the soul storyline and the farm setting kind bored me a little as it was a bit predictable. But the important thing was to pass the trial. I thought the Hellhound was awesome and it was the first time we actually see a Hellhound. There was some very very good special effect there.
Overall, Trial and Error was a good episode that introduces one of three God's trials, and establishes some really important mindset that helps the brothers to prepare psychologically as they go through more trials later on.
Next week's episode looks like a filler, and feels a bit like Hammers of the Gods, which I like! The preview clips looks funny with Sam and the dog (or not). Cannot wait!
8.15 Man's Best Friend with Benefits: DEAN REALLY DOESN’T LIKE WITCHES — A police officer named Kevin (guest star Christian Campbell), who turned to witchcraft after working a case with Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles), is plagued by nightmares in which he murders innocent people. However, when the murders actually happen, Sam and Dean are called in by Kevin’s 'familiar' (guest star Mishael Morgan) to help — but the brothers aren’t sure they want to save a witch. John Showalter directed the episode written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming.
The CW has officially renewed three of the top genre shows -- Supernatural, Arrow and The Vampire Diaries! It's very early for The CW to do so, but I am not complaining because early is good. There is no reason to hold anything back! Supernatural is officially renewed for season nine and fans are jumping with joys! It comes at no surprise for the renewal. The show is kicking ass this season, more so than the previous two. Supernatural is doing well with the on air rating, as well as digitally and socially. Good on you, CW, for taking digital and social into consideration!
Episode 8.13 Everybody Hates Hitler was an excellent follow up episode for last week's As Time Goes By. I was expecting a filler but Everybody Hates Hitler was more than that. The introduction of Men of Letters paved the way for more new possibilities and storylines that might have been under the radar all these years and Supernatural wasted no time in establishing this direction quickly. Everybody Hates Hitler is an example of that -- the Judah Initiative, a secret society with a rich history of fighting evil, has been a long time ally of the Men of Letters. What I love about this episode is the almost-archaeological feel of it. I love the historical connection between two allies -- Judah Initiative and Men of Letters. This was an excellent way to integrate a new mythology into a filler-ish episode. But in the very centre of it was still the brothers, who began to discover the history of Men of Letters and their allies. There was almost a hint of proudness when Sam told the Golem "Our grandfather was a Man of Letters."
The
episode was brilliantly written by Ben Edlund, who tackled every aspect
of the story awesomely! While this wasn't one of Ben Edlund's craziest
ideas (I am still waiting for his ninja episode!), I just love the pace
of the story and the dialogues, everything was so brilliantly
integrated. One has to know the series' past, present and future -- Ben
Edlund has skillfully written an episode that paid respect to the history
of the show, explored present situation/ new elements, as well as kept
the doors open for future possibilities.
"I am taller than Sam. Yay!"
It took eight seasons for series to mash the Nazi and supernatural theme together. And I love it when Supernatural introduced a new language, in this case Hebrew, into the dialogues. I love the whole theme about Golems raised by Rabbis to protect the Jews in time of crap. The on-screen chemistry between Adam Rose and John DeSantis were surprisingly fun to watch as they played their roles as Aaron and Golem, but I believe it started with having a good script with great dialogues. Hal Linden as Rabbi Bass was brilliant, his performance set the tone of the episode very well. The sets of the German camp and the bunker were amazing, I feel like it was movie quality! I love the opening of the episode which reminded me of Indiana Jones, Captain America and Hell Boy. And I love the sound of vinyl played in the bunker's turntable, and Dean was certainly ok with listening to Ella Fitzgerald. But I do wonder when Dean will bring in his stereo and cassette tapes and start pumping chis favourite classic rock tunes. I love Dean's comedic moments in this episode, Jensen is always so great at it! And Jared is so good in that three-piece outfit! So nerdy!
Let's talk about the Men of Letters HQ! While the Impala has always been the only 'home' for the Winchester brothers, the bunker is an awesome idea! Instead of going back to the motel room, Dean and Sam get to go back to the bunker, have a drink, relax and do some admin work! The bunker is a Disneyland for Sam as much as for Dean. The brothers haven't had a home since Sam was six months old. The concept of having a home is so foreign to them. But now they have it, I think they both are going to love it! Dean loves the shower, waking up from his own room and walking around the bunker like this is his home. While Sam enjoys waking up in the morning and plays with his books. Having a library at home is like a dream come true for Sam!
I love it when they were matching t-shirts!
I agree with Sam on the bunker being a 'break'. They can really use the stuff in the bunker for a lot of things. I think it will be stupid for the writers not to utilise Men of Letters and the bunker for the rest of the series. Not overuse it, but utilise it probably. There are just so many things to explore. I am so excited and happy for the writers, they have finally found this WOW factor that can work for years. Despite having a home, I love how Dean and Sam didn't sit on their asses all day and be comfortable about having a home. I love that Dean and Sam were working on a case, but it was also about gaining some allies, who of course didn't get kill off in this episode. I have no doubt the brothers will find more allies through the archives. Who knows? May be they will find the Colt family? My apology, I am a obsessed with the Colt too, as some of you know.
One of my favourite Dean shirts! Love the red!
Let's talk about Dean. I do not think Dean is intimated by all the books, the wealth of knowledge and people who are 'smarter' than him, as mentioned by one to two reviews I've read. I think he has a very clear idea in his mind about his identity -- he is a hunter and he always will be. That's the way Dad taught him, he is sticking to his role and this is his job. He well knows that just because the Men of Letters thing is in the picture, it doesn't mean that he is obligated to give up being a hunter. There are still people to save and things to hunt. Dean is more than capable of doing good research where required, he is smarter than people realise. With Sam being more nerdy about all this stuff, Dean knows this is one of his little brother's fortes. He is proud and happy to see Sam being so comfortable with it.
I think Dean will get more comfortable and respect the Men of Letters more as the wealth of knowledge in the bunker comes to play a bigger part in the future. Dean isn't the kind of man who can be easily influenced or manipulated. If he sees it with his own eyes, he will believe it and respect it. Just because Henry believed in it, it doesn't mean Dean has to believe in it without getting to know about it first. So it only makes sense that Dean is taking one step at a time and see what's this Men of Letters thing can do for them. So no, I don't think he is intimated by all this stuff.
Let's
talk about Sam. I love Sam in this episode! See! I am not a Sam hater! I
do like the guy, and this is the perfect Sam for me! Sam has earned the
honour of winning my favourite line of the entire episode "We are
hunters, but our grandfather was a Man of Letters.' [Could that be used
as a pick up line for Dean?] Dean has his moments of self doubts as part
of his hero complex, and Sam has always been a bit lost when it comes
his role as a hunter, which has been evidently shown in this season. I
love how Sam is embracing Men of Letters so naturally as if he has
finally found his constant. It makes sense to see him being a Man of
Letters. It's so Sam!! He looks extremely comfortable with it. While
Dean isn't going to give up on hunting and certainly won't handover the
hunting to other hunters, he is totally comfortable with Sam embracing
it. It feels right! I know Sam doesn't need his big brother's approval
to do anything but it sure means a lot to Sam if Dean is proud of him.
As to how exactly the Men of Letters will impact the way the brothers' way of life from now on, it's remained to be seen. In this episode, Dean was the one going on a field trip check on Kevin and Garth to make sure they were doing ok, while Sam was in the bunker doing research on the Men of Letters. On one hand, I can see Dean being out there and Sam doing research behind the desk, but on the other hand, hunting is still a two people job! I can also see them both getting into the Impala, travelling from one town to another, working on a case, saving people, hunting things. Men of Letters add good things rather than bad I think, it's helpful when you have your own library, I guess.
Men of Letters have only been just introduced but it is adding freshness without messing up the existing storyarc and the brother dynamic. I made a video last week based on Men of Letters and a comment from my friend reminds me about what Supernatural is all about -- it's about the brothers and the family. It isn't about which brother is better or which brother is right or wrong. I think the Men of Letters thing will work perfectly for the boys -- it adds new perspectives and it actually helps the brothers to move forward as a team and as a family. And it is refreshing for me as a viewer to see a new element on the show that contributes to the brother relationship. This is what they really need right now. Overall, I love this episode. What's not to like about a Golem? Again, I make no apology for saying this: Everybody Hates Hitler is another favourite episode of season eight. And I really love the whole Men of Letters thing!!!
Next week, Supernatural continues with the tablets story! One word: YAY!
8.14 Trial and Error: KEVIN DECIPHERS THE TABLET — Kevin (Osric Chau) deciphers the tablet and figures out how to close the gates of Hell. He tells Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) that according to the tablet one person must face a series of three tests designed by God. The first one – kill a hellhound. Sam and Dean argue over who should complete the trials. Kevin Parks directed the episode written by Andrew Dabb.
Here is the episode description for Supernatural 8.16 Remember the Titans which airs on February 27 on The CW.
GODS VS. ZOMBIES — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are stumped when they investigate a possible zombie case where an amnesiac man (guest star John Reardon) dies and then revives himself once a day. After the guy is attacked by the goddess Artemis (guest star Anna Von Hooft), Sam and Dean realize he’s not a zombie but instead a god, more specifically, Prometheus. Steve Boyum directed the episode written by Daniel Loflin.
Sounds like a fun filler episode to me! I love zombies!
Here is an updated list of episode titles. Traditionally the show came back with filler episodes such as Ghostfacers, Sam Interrupted, Family Remains and Like a Virgin. But season eight is doing something a bit different by kicking off with two extremely strong episodes mytho heavy episodes such as Torn and Frayed, and As Time Goes By. How will the rest of season eight look like in terms of the pace? I cannot wait!
8.01 We Need to Talk About Kevin
8.02 What's Up, Tiger Mommy?
8.03 Heartache
8.04 Bitten
8.05 Blood Brother
8.06 Southern Comfort
8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin
8.08 Hunteri Heroici 8.09 Citizen Fang
8.10Torn and Frayed
8.11 LARP and the Real Girl
8:12 As Time Goes By 8.13 Everyone Hates 8.14 Trial And Error 8.15 Man's Best Friend With Benefits 8.16 Remember The Titans 8.17 Goodbye Stranger 8.18 Freaks and Geeks (previously known as The Apple Dumpling Gang) 8.19 Taxi Driver 8.20 Pac-Man Fever
"Dad wants us to pick up where he left off…Saving people, hunting things...family business!" ~~ Dean Winchester, Supernatural 'Pilot' ~~ After watching Supernatural 8.12 As Time Goes By, I cannot help but to put together a video on the Winchester Family! I have to! I just have to!
I think I am a little in love and obsessed with this episode than most people. But if you are like me, then you will understand how I feel. There is nothing more awesome than putting the family and time travel element together.
Will Dean and Sam pick up where their Grandfather left off?
If you have missed my review on this episode and interested in reading, please take a look and feel free to leave a comment -- MY 'AS TIME GOES BY' REVIEW.
Here is the description for episode 8.15 Man’s Best Friend With Benefits:
DEAN REALLY DOESN’T LIKE WITCHES — A police officer named Kevin (guest
star Christian Campbell), who turned to witchcraft after working a case
with Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles), is plagued by
nightmares in which he murders innocent people. However, when the
murders actually happen, Sam and Dean are called in by Kevin’s
“familiar” (guest star Mishael Morgan) to help — but the brothers aren’t
sure they want to save a witch. John Showalter directed the episode
written by Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming. Source: KSiteTV Here is an update of the titles of upcoming episodes for season eight:
8.01 We Need to Talk About Kevin
8.02 What's Up, Tiger Mommy?
8.03 Heartache
8.04 Bitten
8.05 Blood Brother
8.06 Southern Comfort
8.07 A Little Slice of Kevin
8.08 Hunteri Heroici 8.09 Citizen Fang
8.10Torn and Frayed
8.11 LARP and the Real Girl
8:12 As Time Goes By 8.13 Everyone Hates 8.14 Trial And Error 8.15 Man's Best Friend With Benefits 8.16 Remember The Titans 8.17 Goodbye Stranger 8.18 The Apple Dumpling Gang 8.19 Taxi Driver 8.20 Pac-Man Fever
And if you've missed Robert Singer's recent interview about Henry Winchester and the rest of the season, read it on Huffington Post! Don't miss it! It's a good one!
Is it just me or has Supernatural just produced the best Winchester Family episode since The Song Remains the Same and the best TV episode since Swan Song? I can't see you, but if my opening sentence perplexes you, let me use this review to explain.
For the 101 million times, I love the Winchester family episodes where more than two Winchesters and/or the entire family appear in one episode -- Home, Something Wicked, What Is And What Should Never Be, A Very Supernatural Xmas, In the Beginning and The Song Remains the Same. These episodes are tied to the family John and Mary created. These are also my all-time favorite episodes of the show.
"One Direction?"
Apart from the family episodes, the second type of episodes that I love are the time travelling episodes -- The End, Frontierland and Time After Time. When you put the family and time-travel element together, you get In the Beginning and The Song Remains the Same. Not only these episodes are two of my all-time favorite episodes of this particular show, they are also my all-time favorite TV episodes.
And now, I will go as far as to say, As Time Goes By has joined the elite league of awesome with In the Beginning and The Song Remains the Same in my book. It is not to say that this episode was flawless, but it was close to perfection and I can forget about questions I may have regarding the mythology of the Winchesters and the show.
Season
eight is really going strong. I find myself saying 'this is my favorite
episode this season' in every review of recent weeks! But let me put it
this way: A Slice of Kevin, Citizen Fang and LARP and the Real Girl are
like 'awesome pancakes day' -- the only day of the week you get
pancakes for breakfast, you look forward to it and you love it! But As Time Goes By is like going to Tetsuya's! This episode is that brilliant!! This season does have
the season four and five epic vibe, which I miss! While you can't top
the apocalypse, there are other things you can top! Jeremy Carver and
his team of writers have just shown us that!
Supernatural is about the House of Winchester. As Time Goes By gave me a lot more than I can digest right now. In this episode, we learnt more about the Winchesters as well as the hunters community. There were the Men of Letters, and there were the elite hunters and the 'apes' hunters. I wonder if we will get to know who the 'elites' were. I wonder if Sam and Dean will find out more about the hunters community from the documentations in the bunker. If so, where are the descendants of these elite hunters? One thing for sure, if Henry Winchester was still alive, he wouldn't get along with the Campbells, the hunters. The Winchesters and the Campbells would be like the Capulet and the Montague, making John 'Romeo' and Mary 'Juliet'.
We
knew about John and his ways of rising his children; how Mary's death
impacted John and therefore the lives of Dean and Sam; we know about the
daddy issues; we know about Mary's backstory as a hunter; we know about
Mary and John being Heaven's top priority; we know about how the angels
have manipulated details, making sure Dean and Sam were born and
prepared to be the vessels of Michael and Lucifer for the apocalypse
showdown. These family stories have been carrying the show
for seven and a half seasons. By bringing Henry Winchester into the
story, I feel the show has entered a whole new level of awesome.
Jeremy
Carver told us at the beginning of season eight that there would be a
game-changing element. No kidding! The appearance of Henry Winchester
and the introduction of Men of Letters and the family legacy will
totally change how the game is played from now on -- Dean and Sam now
have a motherload of advantage! John, Sam and Dean have been doing the
family business for a long time, regardless of the existence of Men of
Letters and the Apocalypse. They kept going -- saving people, hunting
things. The Winchesters before them were doing just fine, until Henry
made a jump to the future. And because he never made it back to 1958,
the 'original' family business was discontinued and things turned out
differently than the Winchesters ancestors intended it to be.
The
Winchesters have been the angels' puppets, pretty much since Henry left.
The angels have ruined their lives! It is good to have an advantage for
a change, thanks to their Super Great Grandpas, who have been building
their very own version of the Ark of Covenant! The whole secret
organisation thing is a bit like the old Knight in Indiana Jones
to me -- the guardian of the Holy Grail. Except the Winchester's version
of 'Holy Grail' is the supernatural motherload. The Men of Letters have
left something extremely valuable for Dean and Sam.
We are about to see the Men of Letters bunker and how it will help the brothers to fight demons, angels, monsters, the LOT! We are about to see what kind of place this bunker is and how Dean and Sam will utilise this place as a home base. This bunker is a lot more than what Bobby's house was in terms of the quantity of information. This bunker is the Watch Tower, CTU, Atlantis or even better, the Batcave! I wonder if there is a place for BABY too, just like Batman has a permanent place to park the Batmobile in the cave. The boys will definitely be on the road as usual, but at least they have a home, a place to come back to. It's good to have their own HQ for a change!
"We're preceptors, beholders, chroniclers of all that man does not understand. We share our finding with a few trusted hunters – the very elite. They do the rest." ~~ Henry Winchester in As Time Goes By ~~
Henry Winchester is not a physical fighter, but he is 500 times way better than Samuel. I don't mean to compare two Grandpas, but I really dig Henry! Gil McKinney is brilliant as Henry Winchester. Matt Cohen totally blew my mind as young John, he nailed every single scene. Gil McKinney is on the same level as Matt. Gil's performance was commanding and believable. I was nervous before because I had no idea who this actor was. But within the first 5 minutes, I was totally sold! Henry was a completely different kind of man than John, Dean and Sam. Henry was like he just stepped out from Casablanca! But at the same time, his mannerism reminded me of Sheldon Cooper and George McFly! Henry was a very well spoken, very well educated and intelligent man. He was a critical thinker. We have never met any Men of Letters, but somehow Henry had defined every quality of Men of Letters.
What
about the chemistry between Jensen, Jared and Gil? Totally believable!
There was so much chemistry between the actors. It was truly a
Winchester affair. There chemistry was as strong as Jensen, Jared, JDM
and Samantha Smith; as strong as Jensen, Jared, Matt Cohen and Amy
Gumenick. It was totally awesome!! The dialogues were well written, the
story was well-paced and well-directed. As Time Goes By seemed like an old Supernatural classic, not because a Grandpa was there, but everything in this episode reminded me of Home, In the Beginning and the Song Remains the Same.
I love how John's diary played a great part in this episode. It was so
amazing to see how emotional the diary was for Henry (and me). I love
the initial 'HW' on John's diary, John hated his father, but he still
kept the diary. I thought the last scene where Henry held Dean's and
Sam's hands were amazingly touching. They didn't even get to hold John
when he passed. They didn't have a proper goodbye with John. Part of me
wanted Dean and Sam to talk to their Henry more, and I wish Dean wasn't
as resentful (but that's Dean for you!) Part of me wanted Henry to stay
alive for a little longer because I think this character has so much
potentials. But I guess the writers have to keep you wanting for more!
Did
Henry know about the bloodline angel vessel thing? Did they angel know
about Henry? I think the angels definitely knew about Henry and the
legacy. I think while the angels may not have any direct influence on
Henry's journey into the future, they certainly didn't stop that, they
just let things to work itself out! The angels definitely knew about
Henry and his secret organisation. But they have to make sure John grew
up the way he did, met Mary, got married and be the father of Dean and
Sam -- the vessels for Michael and Lucifer. If it wasn't Abaddon, the
angels would've destroyed the Men of Letters anyway to prevent Henry
from raising John.
John
never found out about it and the legacy, he grew up just as the angels
wanted him to be. The angels wouldn't settle for the Winchesters being
just scholars and keepers of knowledge, which was really the true
purpose of the Winchester bloodline. I don't think Henry knew about the
angels' plan for his son and grandsons. It certainly wasn't part of his
duty. I don't think he had ever interacted with the angels. Henry was
just doing his job and concentrate on becoming a Man of Letters. The
angels had to make sure they carried out their plan and executed it
without disruption and unnecessarily confrontation.
The Dean speech in the motel room to Henry was so Dean. Here, Jensen Ackles gave one of his best performances, it was so season four and five Dean. Dean and Sam both have Daddy issues, and their feeling for John was always complicated. But no matter how much it hurt and how resentful they were towards John, they always saw their father as a hero -- a father who really tried to be a good father. Henry couldn't 'Marty McFly' himself back to John in 1958, leaving John to grow up alone and experienced life the hard way. Dean had some serious issues and also uncomfortable about this legacy and Henry's presence. I can't read Sam just yet, he is always hard to read. But I think Sam agrees with Dean, but at the same time he is keeping an open mind about this legacy.
As Time Goes By reminded me of another theme of Supernatural -- hope. As long as the Winchesters are here, there is always hope. When things have been taken away from them, their family dead and their friends dead, it is good to see the brothers gaining friends -- Cas, Garth, Charlie, Kevin, Benny and Amelia. These people help them to gain perspectives. And now, the brothers will begin to unearth their family history. It isn't so bad to know about their family history, and all things that come with it -- the supernatural motherload! The whole revelation reminds me of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code -- what if you find out you are the descendant heir of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, and there are people in a secret society who have been protecting this secret for centuries?
How
will the Men of Letters legacy change Dean and Sam? I don't see Sam and
Dean abandoning their identity as hunters -- the way John taught them --
and I don't see them doing things by the book as Henry did, because
since when Sam and Dean do as they are told, right? I think Sam and Dean
will defy everything and keep doing things their ways. It's up to Sam
and Dean how they run their family business. While I don't see Sam and
Dean falling into the tradition and all of a sudden feel obligated to
abandon this jobs as hunters to exercise their duties as Men of Letters,
I do see the legacy element as some kind of constant, returning Dean
and Sam back to the Winchester family business. If you don't have a
constant, you'll drift, you'll get lost, you need a constant to latch on
to. Dean and Sam are each other's constants, but they have been
experiencing some very difficult times in their relationship over the
past few years. I think this family business thing serve as a constant
for them, helping them to move forward.
The House of Winchester has been around for a very very long time. But now it involves more than a family that started off with only four members -- John, Mary, Sam and Dean. There were others before them -- their ancestors, who have been preceptors of supernatural things. That's the family business. The supernatural motherload is very powerful, it could be the ultimate weapon against demons, angels and all things supernatural. In light of current events, Dean and Sam will do anything to protect their legacy from demons and angels, as well as hunters. Jeremy Carver and his team didn't disappoint us, Dean and Sam are not just Hunter #1, 2, 3, the family legacy is giving them an advantage to fight. And I think they are going to love it and it will change their perception about the Winchester Family. Somewhere at the back of my mind, I am hearing Bobby screaming "Why didn't I know about it before? It would've been made life so much easier."
A
conversation on Twitter got me thinking about the Winchester family
business. The introduction of Men of Letters is certainly so tightly
connected to the Winchester family business. The series started off with
two sons looking for their missing father, it was personal! And then,
things got bigger, John, Dean and Sam were smacked in the middle of
something much bigger. Now that the Men of Letters business is
introduced, things will come full circle. Perhaps this is heading to the
end of the series. I do believe Jeremy has a three year plan, which
takes Supernatural to season ten. If so, this is a perfect to end of the
series, back to basic, back to the men John, Dean and Sam should've
become a long time ago. But like I said, Dean and Sam will do it their
way!
In terms of the production of the episode, of course it was brilliant! This is Adam Glass' best work to date and Serge Ladouceur did a superb job as the first time director! This was a near classic perfect Supernatural episode. An epic opening montage marked the beginning of a great episode -- the Winchester mythology was brilliantly summed up in 53 seconds. It was very nice to see Dean and Sam still using John's journal and it turned out the inside cover had Henry's initial 'HW' in it all these years. How brilliant was that? It was brilliant! The Devil Trap bullet was Daniel Loflin's idea, according the Adam Glass on Twitter. I think it was a geninus idea, and I can file this one (and the demon bombs) under 'best new tricks'. The Back to the Future and Star Wars references were my favourites. Of course, Henry's 'I am his father' carried the same epicness as Dean's 'I am your son.' in The Song Remains the Same. EPIC!
The
time-traveling element was close to perfection. On one hand, it stayed
true to the mythology of the story and the characters, but on the other
hand, it added new elements to the show. I feel that As Time Goes By
could well be a two parter because there were so much to explore -- the
family legacy, the emotions and the reunion. Fans are probably trying
to connect all dots, going way back to season one. But where do we start
questioning about the mythology and where do we end? As Time Goes By
was so great and well written, I can forget about questioning the past
and to look forward to the future and how this Men of Letters legacy
will integrate into the future of the story.
Before I wrap up this week's review, I have a crazy theory to share: What if Samuel Colt founded Men of Letters? Samuel Colt disappeared and nobody knew where he went. Samuel was a man with great supernatural knowledge, he built a giant devil trap with five churches and he built the devil gate. It is possible that he founded this secret organisation from his days with another Winchester? Because Samuel knew the boys needed all the help they could get. Knowledge building doesn't happen overnight! May be he met a Winchester after 1861 and they founded Men of Letters? Just saying…
Next week, we will see the new HQ for the boys! I have already watched that clip many times, but I can't wait to see more. I really can't!!!
Episode 8.13 Everybody Hates Hitler: SAM
AND DEAN FACE OFF AGAINST A GOLEM — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean
(Jensen Ackles) investigate the death of Rabbi Bass (guest star Hal
Linden, Barney Miller), who spontaneously combusted. The case becomes
ever more confusing when they learn that the Rabbi was researching Nazi
Necromancers. Sam and Dean are attacked by a Golem (guest star John
DeSantis) who turns out to belong to the Rabbi’s grandson, Aaron (Adam
Rose). The key to the case lies with the Golem but Aaron doesn’t know
how to control him, which leaves everyone in danger. Phil Sgriccia
directed the episode written by Bed Edlund.
