Review: Supernatural 'The Great Escapist'

I am not only saying this because I am a diehard Supernatural (and I know I say this week in, week out), but this week's The Great Escapist is another solid episode. It challenges me, you know. It is one of those episodes that gets me thinking! Last week, I used the words 'sweet' and 'adorable' to describe Pac Man Fever. My word choice for this week's episode is: clever. Not only The Great Escapist is a clever episode, most of our characters have a clever moment or two. There are multiple arcs in this episode, so let's get to it in a logical order, or whatever.

So, the episode started with Kevin in a replica of Garth's safe boat. The Crowley film crew had the prophet under surveillance in the spirit of the Truman Show. I just love how Crowley paid attention to details about his demon's performance as fakeDean and fakeSam. He couldn't risk of erasing the wrong part of Kevin's brain. I thought that was really clever of him to put Kevin under surveillance and let things unfold. I knew Kevin wasn't dead when he told Dean and Sam otherwise in the video. Kevin has a crouching tiger hidden dragon thing going on with him. It's a set of survival skill he's been gaining ever since he became a prophet. And because this prophet wasn't being protected after by an archangel, he has to look after himself. Kevin knows about casting a spell and how to make demon bombs. He is a little clever vegemite, well, he is in advance placement! He can fight demons with a Potato Gun Mark II if he wants to!

Kevin used his tech skills to send Dean and Sam a message and all the files. I thought that was so cool! Kevin has been more busy than we realise! While he was at the replica of the safe boat, I think he was just messing with Crowley, making a statement -- "screw you!" The fakeSam and fakeDean thing was brilliant! If I asked for all these food and I get them without any problems, I know my sisters are demons! I am in agreement with Dean when he said they should have moved Kevin to the MoL bunker sooner! Like… HELLO? The MoL bunker needed to become CTU or Watch Tower like.. NOW!

Kevin prepared to die and he was OK with that? Ah!! Poor guy! Turned out, Kevin was saved by the angel Metatron. I thought this Kevin arc in The Great Escapist is so cleverly written and planned. Kudos to the great Ben Edlund! This is probably Osric Chau's best episode in my opinion. His performance has been so consistent and he totally owns the role! So, where is Kevin now? He is probably reading Shakespeare or Iron Man comic to Metatron. Assuming he survives this season, what role will Kevin play in season nine? Will he go back to his old life, his mother and go to college? If he becomes the president, wow, he will be like Lincoln the Vampire Hunter? Or will he move into the MoL bunker and continue to help the Winchesters? But Kevin always wanted to just get this tablet things over and done with and move on. But will he get what he wants?

Am I the only one who is listening to the Spanish Flea right now?

So, King Crowley has brought his A game. He is full of surprises! Put him in the Westeros and the seven kingdom will crumble within a day. The whole Truman Show idea was brilliant! Too bad it didn't turn out quite perfectly for him. Crowley worked smart! I was actually surprised he showed up and 'helped' Castiel. OK, he didn't really help but... glad he showed up to get his hands on the angel tablet. It's 1-1 between Crowley and Naomi. What about Crowley's newest creation? His R&D team melted the angel blade and turned it into bullets. OMG! That's so Samuel Colt! The third trial is revealed -- to save a demon. Who will it be? Am I the only one who thinks this demon will be Crowley? Read Jeremy Carver's interview! Of course, if it was up to me and if Meg is still alive, it would also make sense to save her.

A big shout out to 'Kara' the waitress at the Biggerson's. 

Castiel used a clever tactic, trapping himself in a quantum super position. (Quantum -- that's just so SG1 talk!) Even the Biggerson's got a nice call back! This must be like the tenth appearance of Biggerson's? Awesome! Castiel was smart to hide the angle table inside his body, but Crowley was smarter in working out the hiding place! That was awesome! Painful to watch, but awesome! So, there was a bit of an insight into Castiel's past -- Egypt and how many times Naomi has reprogrammed him. Castiel had never done what he was told. Good on him! Castiel wasn't afraid -- "In the words of a good friend, BITE ME!" Naomi said Castiel never do what he was told and he didn't even die properly every time. Do you think Castiel is special or something? May be Castiel is Mark 42?

The A&F model, Ion, didn't help Castiel. Oh well, his hair gel and nice suit were wasted anyway. 

Metatron couldn't have a better introduction. My immediate reaction is that, I like this guy! He reminded me of Gabriel. Gabriel loved family, he cared about his brothers and father. He couldn't stand the fighting, so he left and went into hiding as a demigod. Metatron left because he didn't want to help the archangels by providing them the word of God. Without God's word, the angels couldn't pull a massive operation to take over the universe. Metatron didn't stick around to help. But upon Metatron's departure, the angels still managed to start the apocalypse! I thought, OK, there is NO WAY Metatron didn't know about that, right? Then I thought, if the apocalypse happened, he'd know. But it didn't because Sam and Dean stopped it!  

If you know about Metatron in the Bible, you'd know about his Twin Brother, Sandalphon. Just saying!! Shawn and Arron Ashmore could've played the role! Or Nina Dobrov.
 
"We are the friggin Winchesters!" -- Metatron is like WHO? He didn't seem to care, he was being very careful (not careful enough, the Winchesters found him!) Metatron claimed that he didn't know about anything. He has been 'entertained' by books and stories, while his father's creation was in the toilet. The monologue by Metatron about stories and people almost have a tone of sarcasm. It's like 'this is what you naked apes do with free will'. If he read Victor Hugo's Les Miserable, he must be wondering, all that for a loaf of bread? 

Which brings this review to God. So, God was worried what may happen to his work after he left. The tablets are for safety, if things go crap, these tablets provide instructions to close the gate of Heaven and Hell. Perhaps it was about God's experiential projects -- which project will be successful -- angels or humans or monsters? God created an army of angels with divine power, and they must be programmed to obey because they are so powerful. With monsters like Leviathans, perhaps it was an experiment that went wrong from the get-go, that's why God put them in Purgatory. Lucifer created demons, and wanted to take over earth and destroyed the one thing he hated the most -- human. God created human because perhaps he wanted to put free will to the test. People are the variables. Human are free to make their own choices, they have to decide what's right and wrong. I think God put a lot of faith in human -- he didn't give the angels the option! But when the archangels have freedom to make their own decision, they started the apocalypse. Danger! Danger! It always comes back to free will. Many of the choices have been made by the Winchesters to save their family, the world and innocent people, and they are about to make another very important decision. 

Which brought me to the Winchesters. Yeah, like I've forgotten about them! Sam was as sick as a dog. It was heart breaking to see Sam's 'flu' got really fugly. Like, the giant could barely walk! Poor guy! I mentioned in my last review that the more I watched Sam this season, the more I realised how much crap he's been through in his head, and the more I understood why he wanted a normal life. It totally seems logical to have Sam to do the trials relating to the demon tablet and closing the gate of hell. These trials are giving him pain, but they are also purifying him. These trials mean to much to Sam. It's not about how the writers position Sam in the story as the 'oh Sam is not the better brother and he has to prove himself' blah blah blah. It isn't about the writer's perspective, it isn't about what the writers want, subjectively. It's about Sam's perspective within the story -- he needs to do the trials, it feels right to do it, it helps him. This is almost like his constant. 

At the end of the day, saving the world isn't the motivation in season eight. Sam will get better when the trial is completed. That's the major motivation for Dean (and Sam). This season started off with Dean returning from Purgatory, Sam returning from his gap year, there were some trust issues etc. But when the trials were in the picture, things got more personal. It almost felt like the brothers needed the trials to remind themselves (and fans) how important they are to each other as brothers. Things got a little out of hand sometimes and something big needed to happen to reconnect the brothers and the family again. 

Different episodes give us insights into the brothers and their motivation, showing us different perspectives. The writers put the brothers into different situations, interacting with people and monsters. From these events and the choices that they've made, we see what the brothers are made of. I think season eight has been very good from this point of view. It's actually more focused than we realise. It's not something that can be easily told in just one episode. Once things got personal, it all makes sense. The story telling has been top notch this season.

Dean is worried sick about Sam. He can't help it! Get over it! It's in Dean's big brother DNA -- Dean has no problems with doing the laundry and cooking for the 'little big man', reading comic books to Sam, going to hell for Sam, sacrificing for Sam. Dean simply cannot help it! That's him. That's what he does! Dean is selfless. Taking care of Sam is like breathing air to Dean. Metatron gave Dean the heads up in the dialogue with Dean about sacrifice and choices. Dean has to know if Metatron is going to help or not. There is no faffing around. No matter what the situation is, Dean will always make sure little brother is safe first. I won't be surprised if Dean sacrifices again for Sam. Or may be everyone will sacrifice something in order to get this trial done. It's logical that if Sam is connected to the demon tablet, Dean is connected to the angel tablet. That may be the storyarc for season nine. But I think there will be a big cliffhanger at the end of the season. 

Overall, the episode was pretty epic. I really enjoyed it. Though, I thought the editing was a little choppy, like mainstream chopping. That's what big shows do sometimes. But I can live with that. I can really feel that an end is near, because the story is being wrapped up nicely, unlike the previous two seasons in which the story was dragging a little. I do like the multiple arcs in The Great Escapist -- everyone has a mission, everyone has a battle to fight and everyone has their own motivation. But everything will come back to the same point -- the Winchesters. In Metatron's word, when one creates a story, that person becomes a god. (Yeah Ben Edlund! No one will argue with you! You're a god with a cool hairdo.) It's about choices and consequences. Everything just feels bigger and more epic all of a sudden!

8.22 Clip Show

FAMILIAR FACES RETURN AS THE THIRD TRIAL NEARS — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) reunite with Castiel (Misha Collins). Digging through the Men of Letters’ files, they stumble upon an undiscovered film which could be the key to the third trial. Metatron (guest star Curtis Armstrong) enlists Cass to mull over problems at home. Meanwhile, Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard) digs into Sam and Dean’s past. Taylor Cole, Graham Wardle, and Cindy Busby also guest star. Thomas J. Wright directed the episode written by Andrew Dabb.

Review: Supernatural 'Taxi Driver'

There are so many things to discuss about the recent episode of Supernatural, Taxi Driver. Let me start by saying, Taxi Driver may not be the best written episode ever in the history of Supernatural, but it was very solid. There wasn't one dull moment in this episode. It was a gripping 40 minute of good television with some really heartfelt dialogues and great acting. Guy Bee is a seasoned director, he is the Jon Favreau of Supernatural. I really love the look and feel of the episode. Writers, Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner, can tackle serious topics, which are getting harder but more fun to write, because the grey area is getting bigger as our characters and stories are evolving from the classic 'black and white' scenarios.

This is the first time we see Hell and Purgatory appeared in one episode. And it is officially the first time we see Hell -- not from Sam's hallucination or Dean's flashback, or the Hell tour Crowley gave Cas back in season six -- but the actual bloody Hell! And hell yeah, it was bloody awesome! I heard the coffee is good down there? 

I love the idea that Hell's backdoor was a rabbit hole located in Purgatory. I was really blown away by the Hell's gate located Wyoming, because I worship Samuel Colt. But this rabbit hole idea was pretty good. It was a backdoor, not a grand entrance. I can live with it the fact that it was located in some tree with some rock. I also love how Taxi Driver showed us some distinctive visual features of Earth, Purgatory and Hell.

Sam's hair was nicely styled.

I love the idea of sending Sam to Purgatory because he got first hand experience of what Dean went through and saw what Purgatory was like. I do think Sam's journey into Hell and Purgatory was a bit rush and looked too easy. And after a year in Hell with Lucifer and Michael, Sam didn't look as freaked out as I expected. But it was still awesome. This episode was very ambitious but at the same time the story was well planned and paced. I really like the fact that Sam had a good interaction with Bobby (it was great to see Jim Beaver on my TV). The scene seemed a little rush but I get it because you can only fit so much in a 40 minute script. Too bad Sam didn't get to explain to Bobby why he didn't look for Dean; Bobby didn't get to see Dean in the flash and gave him a hug; and Bobby didn't have the time to understand why Benny was a buddy.

I love Sam finally had an opportunity to see who Benny really was. Benny may be a vampire, but it didn't mean he was a monster with an evil heart. Like, just because you are human, it didn't mean you are 'good' by default. Keep in mind this has been a bit of a recurring theme in the past few seasons -- the boundary of good and evil became blurry, challenging our perspectives. And I think this challenge is underrated and sometimes misunderstood.

I love LOVE LOVE the Dean and Benny scene. To me, it was one of the most memorable scenes in season eight. Jensen Ackles and Ty Olsson had brilliant on-screen chemistry. I feel really sorry for Benny. It really killed Dean to ask Benny to be killed and to return to Purgatory to save Sam. Ty Olsson was brilliant in this scene and I really… OMG… why can't men act like that in real life? And I love the fact that Dean gave two hugs in this episode -- one for Sam and one for Benny -- was awesome! I love hugs. Poor guy! 

I am jamming Crazy in Love.. oh-o!

I am a fan of Benny and I have discussed the construct of his character before. I really like that the way he was written this season -- he may be a vampire but he wasn't a monster because he had a good soul. Dean is a universal treasure with a good heart and soul, he may be a hunter but he is not like other hunters who kills for joy and revenge. As mentioned in earlier episodes, Dean and Benny felt pure when they were in Purgatory. It was just so sad to Benny to admit that he didn't belong anyway. He did what he came back to do, and now he felt crap because he didn't belong and had no friends. Oh gosh I love him! I hope he returns later! 

While Sam was off for the second trial, Dean was off taking care of Kevin and cooked for him! I really like the fact that the brothers didn't forget Kevin and to embrace him as a friend. I really like the fact that Dean and Sam are on the same page and they are exactly where they should be in terms of hunting/ saving people and life. Both Sam and Dean gave Kevin some advice on separate occasions, and their message was the same for Kevin -- with great power came great responsibility. Life would never be the same again. Through the interaction with Kevin about his job and responsibility, Dean and Sam both showed clarity and maturity in their thinking. It wasn't like they were telling Kevin different things, they were telling Kevin the same thing. It wasn't like they just wanted to whine about stuff to other people, Dean and Sam had a very clear idea about their jobs. It wasn't so much about whether or not Kevin would accept their advice, it was about showing how clear and mature Dean and Sam are right now. 

Moving on to Naomi. Interesting! OK, so she acts like she is helping the Winchesters out of the goodness of her heart. Perspective is one of the recurring themes this season. May be she doesn't see this as 'manipulation' or whatever, because that's how she is programmed to think. Supernatural has been giving us something a bit different this season -- Meg as the 'good guy', Benny as the 'good vampire', 'friendly' witches and werewolves are not unheard of. We have seen how angels behave on the shows and they are dicks. I am kinda guessing may be Naomi will surprise us? It's expected of her to be an ass, a bitch and a liar. But Supernatural is capable in throwing the curve ball. What if the current event and interaction with Dean and Sam change her the way that it changed Cas? Just saying. I can't imagine Supernatural would give us another Uriel, Zach or Michael. I am keeping an open mind about her and will see where the show takes her. I love Amanda Tapping, I am just so happy that she is on the show.

And then there was Crowley. I think I was seeing a different Crowley in this episode. I think he was getting desperate. Taxi Driver showed us Crowley was not happy to be in the dark, not knowing what the boys were up to. He was frustrated that his Hellhound was killed and Kevin was still missing from his sight. He was angry that his demons were not doing their jobs and failing to see the urgency of their kind was under threat. Crowley was so used to sealing deals, getting what he wanted but he hadn't been successful. I am seeing a vulnerable King of Hell. It's almost like he was becoming obsessed in finding what the Winchesters are up to. Crowley was so close in getting the angel tablet, locking Bobby back to Hell and finding Kevin, but he just couldn't get things done.

And what about Kevin? I love Kevin! I really like Osric Chau on the show. He is just awesome! So adorable! Is it just me or do you think the brothers should've moved Kev to the MoL bunker? But again, I guess if things went crap, MoL would be gone, like Bobby's house. Anyway, I love that Kevin has become this crazy prophet who is paranoid about things. I love the development of his character. The tablet had driven him crazy but I love how much he cared and stressed out, making him so cute. Chuck was a different prophet to Kevin. Chuck got headaches, he got drunk, he was a commercial author. Chuck was protected, so he didn't need to learn about using guns and making demon bombs to protect himself. But Kevin did, because he was on his own as a prophet. I think Kevin was definitely hallucinating. He was seeing the windows cracked and Crowley appeared. But when Dean and Sam got there in the last scene, the windows went back to normal. So after having a dialogue with a few tweeps, I believe that Kevin has gone complete nuts and he just left. I hope Kevin is ok and I hope Cas would return and help. I know he would.

So, in the end, Sam successfully completed the second trial. It was painful to see Sam in pain. It must hurt Dean so much to see his little brother to suffer. Overall, I think the second trial was so much more interested than the first one. In comparison, the first trial was a bit light, almost weak. The second trial had so much more meat in it and the story, characters, everything was so way better. Will we see the last trial by the end of the season or will it drag to season nine? Behold of a cliffhanger -- it is known, Supernatural does amazing cliffhanger. So I wonder what it will be.

Supernatural is on a tiny hiatus and will return on April 24 with Pac-Man Fever. I am having a moment. Dean Winchester, you sexy thing in uniform!!! A Robbie Thompson episode directed by Robert Singer with Felicia Day in it? Like.. Hello? I am so excited in every sense of the word.

Jensen totally has the Captain America Steve Rogers look. Oh crap. I can't help it!

8.20 Pac-Man Fever

DEAN INTRODUCES CHARLIE TO CHEAP PANTSUITS — Concerned about the physical toll the second trial took on Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) benches his brother from hunting until he heals up. So, when geektastic hacker Charlie (guest star Felicia Day) stumbles upon a case and finds the boys, Dean decides it’s time to teach Charlie how to be a hunter-in-training. While happy to see 'her highness', the boys suspect Charlie is hiding something; a secret that could get her killed. Robert Singer directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson.

Review: Supernatural 'Freaks and Geeks'

The Apple Dumpling Gang! I don't know how Dean came to make that reference. Same way he made any other references, I guess.

After Adventure in Babysitting, it was a matter of time Krissy would pop up again. Her teenage thing was very teenager-y, which was a good thing to have on the show because it added diversity. Apart from Dean and Sam, other supporting/ regular character is very unique. I appreciate the creative process a lot more after I started watching...never mind. I say this very often but I am going to say it again -- the writers of Supernatural are still taking me to writing school after all these years! 

Freaks and Geeks was a good episode with some good character development. It was just the kind of solid filler episode we needed in between Goodbye Stranger and Taxi Driver, which have high emotional intensity. I welcome a filler episode, in fact, I think I need to watch Plucky or something with Garth in it to calm myself before next week's Taxi Driver -- "Are you talking to me?"

Freaks and Geeks gave us an insight into the hunters community. The story focused on human and their motifs. It's a very rare kind of episode for Supernatural, but it's good to see the writers haven't forgotten what Supernatural is about -- a drama about people. It's one of those things that I love about the storytelling technique of Supernatural. We all know why Dean and Sam got into hunting at a young age. The show focuses on their perspectives. Through out the series other hunters are introduced, they too have their reasons for becoming hunters. Freaks and Geeks explored this angle by involving Victor who was a very confused guy about what was right and wrong. Thank goodness the brothers came to the rescue, saved the day and the kids.

Awhile ago, I discussed my thoughts about how Supernatural is constructing a strong supporting gang. We don't have to label it, but Dean and Sam being the hybrid of the Men of Letters and elite hunters, they ARE building their own Justice League, X Men and Avengers! Right? We have the humans -- Garth, Charlie, Kevin, Jody and Krissy. We have the supernatural beings -- Castiel, Benny, witches and Meg. It's known that Supernatural has a thing about killing their cast. But not this season (not yet anyway)! I think Krissy's story fits right in perfectly. Her father was a hunter, who was killed by a vampire. Krissy was part of someone else's agenda. She is smart, she has the skills and the potentials to become a very good hunter, but she has the freedom to choose her own destiny.

Supernatural is not a horror or fantasy show, it's about people and humanity. What makes human 'human' is our ability to identify what's right and wrong. Sometimes other people guide us into the right and wrong direction. Other time we have to figure things out ourselves. If we look at the brothers' character stuff, this is how I see it. 

The first half of the series focused on the brothers growing up, finding their own identities, they were supported by a bunch of Obiwon/ Yoda like characters (John, Bobby and Ellen) who were mentors and elders to them. And then the brothers met new friends and foes along the way that challenged their perspectives. The brothers found themselves in crazy situations, and the only way to get things done -- saving people, hunting things -- was to use everything Dad taught them. Most situations they got themselves into changed their lives and perspectives forever. They'd gone through a very sad, dark and lonely period, and both Dean and Sam had their way of overcoming these emotions. In season six and seven, the brothers went through a major transition period. After everyone and everything had been taken away from them, the brothers were completely destroyed emotionally. But like Fawkes, they were reborn from the ashes.

And now, in season eight, a very mature period in the history of the show, the brothers have taken on a new role. They are still the Dean and Sam we know, but there's more. I think they are maturing into leaders and I can't think of any other hunters in the business who are experienced and good enough to take on that role. And we really see a bit of this in Freaks and Geeks.

What I love about this episode is the way Dean's mentality is written -- hunting wasn't always about revenge. After everything he had been through, Dean has definitely evolved from the 'they are monsters, we want them dead, they want us dead' phase. There is definitely no more 'if it's supernatural, we kill it, end of story.' Dean is still very Dean, but I think he's matured. He is still the cowboy, but he is also a man of reasons, which clearly differentiates Dean from other hunters such as Martin and Gordon who only sought revenge.

I think what's interesting to me is that, it'd always been someone like Bobby who gave Dean and Sam guidance. The brothers do their own things and they save people, end of story. Now we see the brothers took on this mentor role unknowingly and past on some wisdom to the younger folks. Freaks and Geeks definitely show more of what Dean is capable in doing as a mature hunter, a mentor, a thinker, a protector. I think Dean cares a lot about people (sometimes too much) -- Sam, close friends or innocent people. Freaks and Geeks definitely showed that side of Dean. And Dean is definitely becoming this guy who is a (hot) father figure to the younger generation of hunters, and he doesn't even know it! Unlike Dean, Sam still reckons it's still possible to be hunter and have a normal life, and I think this idea won't leave Sam as long as he is alive.

Next week's Taxi Driver is going to be epic and intense! It's going to be epic and intense. Have I mentioned it? Epic and intense?

8.19 Taxi Driver  

SAM AND DEAN FACE THE SECOND TRIAL — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) respond to a call from Kevin (guest star Osric Chau), who is terrified after hearing Crowley’s (guest star Mark Sheppard) voice in his head. After hearing Kevin’s news, Sam and Dean team up with reaper named Ajay (guest star Assaf Cohen), who helps them deal with the second trial from the Tablet. Meanwhile, Dean receives a visit from Naomi (guest star Amanda Tapping) and realizes he must find Benny (guest star Ty Olsson) and ask for a huge favor. Guy Bee directed the episode written by Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner.

Review: Supernatural 'Remember the Titans'; Happy Birthday Jensen Ackles

This week's Remember the Titans is another filler episode, so naturally, I compare it with other fillers. While there are no better filler episodes than Southern Comfort and LARP and the Real Girl in season eight, but I did enjoy last week's witch episode and also this week's Remember the Titans. The Greek Gods are one of the most explored topics in pop culture, and I do appreciate Daniel Loflin's take on it.

There were some really fun moments and that 'so are you like a Kenny' line, killed me! I love the zombie-obsessed cop, he was simply too cute! I like the Kenny-was-Jason-Bourne take on the Greek God myth. I think Artemis was hot, she clearly needed more dialogues and kick ass actions. John Novak as Zeus was good and he was one badass evil -- who would treat a kid like that? You sad person you! But I love his accent. Prometheus Kenny was a bit weak to me, he seemed helpless most of the time. I did expect him to remember things so that he can have a real battle with Zeus. I kinda thought Hayley was like a spy for Zeus, her appearance and the vibe were very suspicious to me at first. The whole time I was like "Don't trust her! Don't bring her to the bunker!" Despite having no chemistry with Prometheus Kenny or whatsoever, I do see the point of including Hayley and Oliver to enrich the family theme and humanise Prometheus Kenny, which has been a bit of a recurring theme for this season.

Part of me was wondering who would be the first people the brothers invited to the Men of Letters bunker? My money was on Kevin, Garth and Castiel (not hard to guess!) But it was Kenny, Hayley and Oliver. I was fine with it, it was cool and hilarious to see Dean to finally feel proud to tell others he was legacy of the Men of Letters. He was too cute! But seeing other people in the bunker that were not Kevin, Garth or Castiel, was a bit weird. Like, if I am organising a house warming party for Dean and Sam, they would be the first I invite. But I guess it was a matter of safety. Because, like I said, the way Hayley was written or may be something else, I don't know, I thought perhaps she couldn't be trusted, like she was a spy or something, and if she was bad news, then the bunker would be compromised. Just saying. But glad it turned out she was just a mother who protected his son, who happened to be a son of a Greek God. Percy Jackson, anyone?

I love the MoL bunker. We are seeing more and more of it, it was the first time our heroes were out of the library area. We saw Dean's room again, and the other guest room for Oliver, but I want to see Sam's room and the kitchen! I love how the bunker is being integrated, just like Bobby's house, the Batcave, Smallville's Watch Tower, 24's CTU or Friends' Central Perk.

Sam was smart! I love Sam in this episode. I said it over and over again, I love Sam when he was focused and smart. Sam is hiding a secret from Dean, Sam is sick, he is hurting. He didn't tell Dean, but oh his big brother knows! Which brings me to the following point…

The Dean monologue at the end of the episode WINS. The episode has its moment and I could easily not care too much about it. However, Remember the Titans has one of the BEST scenes EVER in the history of the show. Remember Dark Side of the Moon in season five? I didn't really like that episode for many reasons, but the firework scene at the beginning was one of the best scenes I've seen on television, and you know I watch television like I drink champagne.

Dean's 007 look!

Jensen Ackles, today is your birthday. I really must tell you, I love you, I am obsessed with you, I am addicted to your goodness, your spirt, your body and your acting. You are the best thing ever happened in my life. You inspire me. You show me things I didn't know existed before. You ruin my life and my desire in other men. You are a beautiful sexy man. Your existence is totally illegal. Girls want to do dirty things to you.. ok may be the guys too. You are so good, so hot and you are a BRILLIANT ACTOR, I want you to win all the Oscars, Emmys and Golden Globe from now on. 

Sorry, I had a moment…

Jensen is brilliant in doing a lot of scenes, he has the ability to carry any scenes, any emotions. But one thing about Jensen is that he is fucking brilliant in doing monologue. Pardon my French. In WIAWSNB, we saw Dean doing monologue for the first time when he spoke to John in front of his grave -- "why do we have to be some kind of a hero?" In Monster at the End of the Book, when Dean prayed in front of the vending machine and Cas appeared -- "praying is a sign of faith." And then we have Dean praying again at the end of My Bloody Valentine where -- "I need help." And now, we saw Dean prayed again to Cas -- "…keep a look out for my little brother." Dean keeps saying he isn't the praying type, but the more he does all these monologue, the more I think he is the praying type and he wants his prays to be answered. I know Cas is listening. I know it! Jensen nailed every single monologue. The last scene along is enough for me to die over and over again…like Kenny.  

"Cas, you got your ears on? Listen, you know I am not one for praying, 'cause in my book it's the same as begging. But this is about Sam, so I need you to hear me. We are going into this deal blind and I don't now what's ahead. Or what it's gonna bring for Sam. Now, he's covering pretty good, but I know that he is hurting, and this one was supposed to be on me. So, for all that we've been through, I'm asking you keep a lookout for my little brother, okay?" ~~ Dean, Remember the Titans

I cannot process how great that last scene was, kudos to Dan's writing and Jensen's acting. Hot stuff! I didn't expect to see it at all, I thought the episode would just end after Kenny's body was burnt. But no, wait, there was more! Dean knew something was up with Sam and Sam was hurting. And damn! Stop making me cry! Damn you Dean Winchester. Damn you Jensen Ackles!! Damn you Daniel Loflin!

So, Supernatural will now have a mini break and will be back with Goodbye Stranger, Hello Meg on March 20. While it's gonna suck, I welcome a break. And I look forward to catching up with Arrow! Yes, Arrow!

Again, Jensen Ackles, I love you, I am obsessed with you. You are so damn good. Dean Winchester is live because of your brilliant craftsmanship. I am getting dirty. I should stop.

Review: Supernatural 'Man's Best Friend With Benefits'

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.

Review: Supernatural 'Trial and Error'

Dean: You like?

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.