Review: Supernatural 7.20 The Girl With the Dungeon and Dragon Tattoo

Picture.. Scarlett Johansson waiting for you.. or Jensen Ackles.. whoever you fancy, sister.

Robbie Thompson has done it again! I don't know about you but I am really digging his stuff! Robbie joined the writing staff this season and he is becoming one of my favourite writers on Supernatural. He previously penned Slash Fiction and Time After Time, which are two of my favourite episodes this season. Supernatural is definitely making good use of his talent for referencing pop culture materials.

You love when they speak at the same time? What about when they have the same reaction and gesture?

Supernatural has a huge following of audience who are pop culture/ genre shows loving geeks. Fans who watch Supernatural are likely to like shows such as Buffy, Firefly, The X-Files, Chuck, Harry Potter, Veronica Mars, Star Wars, Back to the Future, just to name a few. What makes this episode so enjoyable is Robbie's ability to connect with geeky fandom. Having Felicia Day as a guest star was definitely a bonus. Everyone loves Charlie, who doesn't right? Charlie is the character Becky should've been. Not the crazy creepy stalker fan but the pop culture loving geek who relates to us. It would make more sense for someone like Charlie to be a fan of the Supernatural book series by Carver Edlund. But it is what it is. We love Charlie.

Supernatural has been searching for a new voice, so to speak, since the beginning of season six. It's not wrong for Sera Gamble to put her own stamp on the show she is showrunning for and she's done an awesome job. The writers didn't set out to reinvent the wheels or anything, but the story had to move on from the epic heaven and hell fight and the show needed a new direction, new monsters and new challenge. Only through challenges, we will see what our heroes, Dean and Sam, are made of. The other thing the writers have been building was the supporting cast. The boys have encountered problems and loses of dear friends, and having killed pretty much every other supporting character, it's imperative to come up with a new gang to support Dean and Sam.

Yeah I kick ass bitches!

While Mulder and Scully were the main characters, you still needed Skinner and Lone Gunmen to work alongside with them. Supernatural needed to find the new Ellen, Jo, Ash, Gabriel and Chuck. I think the writers are finding a place for the new recurring characters such as Frank and Garth, and now I believe with Charlie would be a great assistant (although Felicia Day's availability is not guaranteed), she and Garth would make a great fun team!! With that, I think we may have the Avengers assembled.

Crap, I need to book my Convention flight too.

Having only written a few episodes for Supernatural, Robbie is definitely mastering his craft quicker than any other new writers. And we need someone like him on the show. The Girl With the Dungeon and Dragon Tattoo is smooth! I love the amount of pop culture references in this episode. Supernatural is known for its use of pop culture references, but I am geeking out like there is no tomorrow with The Girl With the Dungeon and Dragon Tattoo. The episode title aside, we have Star Wars, the Death Star, Yoda, the iconic "I love you"-"I know", the Princess Leia tattoo and t-shirt; and then we have Harry Potter, What Would Harmione Do, Sirus Black, Voldemont, Hogwarts, Dumbledork, even the name of Charlie's co-worker is Harry, that's just adorable. We also have crack tones if pop culture references -- Veronica Mars; Lord of the Rings; Indiana Jones; Star Trek, the Batman and Wonder Woman coffee mugs; Comic Con; Scarlett Johansson, Google, iPad; plus all the toys in Charlie's office and apartment… Charlie totally made the episode, and before any haters who hate everything said "but because of her, there weren't enough screen time of Dean and Sam.." Two words for you my friends -- shut up! Geeks love to break rules and be the hero, and Charlie is totally that geek in all of us. With her help in breaking in Dick's office, that's totally what we would love to do for the boys too.

The pace of the episode is awesome. I feel like I was watching the Carmichaels and Casey in action. I think it was really really clever for the boys to steal the goods from Dick, the way it was done was so good. I think giving what was there, the boys worked really well with Charlie. She is one smart cookie, she is the reluctant hero, a little clumsy but very smart, she has more to give than she realises. Charlie is the pre I-know-kung-fu Chuck Bertowski for Supernatural.

Nice lighting on Dean!

I love love love LOVE the scene where Dean was giving her instruction to flirt with the guy, and I love how Sam was using Harry Potter to help Charlie to realise that she is here to kick ass, that's what Harmione would do. These are my favourite scenes of the episodes. GOLD!

Even when Frank isn't there, you totally feel his presence. I can totally listen to the audio version of the Carver Edlund Supernatural book series all year long. And, on something completely random, I would totally loose my shit if Joss Whedon directs a Ben Edlund episode featuring Felicia Day on Supernatural. Joss directed Glee before, why the hell not Supernatural?! You know I can't help it!

So, last week I mentioned the Dick's digs arc wasn't moving forward and it's just dragging now. Well, don't we get what we want this week?! Well. sort of.. GhostBobby finally revealed what those numbers are as well as Dick's evil plan in just over a minute. Bottom-line -- Dick is going to eat us all and he won't need Jenny Craig to slim down. Dick is such a d-bag and he is so over the top with his expression, tones and dialogues, but he is like the Luthers in Smallville! Bad guys with matching ties and pocket squares are so enjoyable to watch. It's finally revealed what Dick was looking for…or not.. what's that clay thing? I hope it's not some cliche Indiana Jones-Egyptian thing. I mean, I'll take it but I hope it's something not too Indy-y. I guess we will find out soon!

Nothing is unbreakable.. especially human souls.

GhostBobby is another talking point for the week. How are you liking it? I still dig it. It is what it is, may as well enjoy the ride. We can't change the reality of it. I think he is certainly still valuable to the case, and he did help Dean and Sam to hold off Dick so that the boys and Charlie could escape. But the discussion about GhostBobby becoming an angry ghost is not going away. Dean knows it, Sam knows it, Bobby knows it. It's just not natural for Bobby to be around, it's a fair point -- Dean and Sam don't want this to drag because they know they don't want GhostBobby to reach the point of no return. Turning into an angry spirit is one thing, killing an angry spirit who is a father figure is hard. One problem at a time, I guess. GhostBobby is going to hang out until the end of the season, what's after that? I hope we will see the GhostBobby arc wrapped up the way it deserves. I do think the fact that Bobby is kinda watching over Charlie is cool, in fact, I think Bobby is quite impress with her getting!

Moving forward, Dean and Sam have that clay thing to figure out, GhostBobby to deal with, and locate where Baby is. Not to mention getting Castiel out of the nut house, bracing for Crowley's return and planning Dick's death. There are LOTS to deal with in coming episodes. So let's sit tight and enjoy the ride.

I feel so dirty..

Three more episodes to go!! OMFG! Next week, I am geeking out, loosing my shit again for Ben Edlund's Reading Is Fundamental.

CASTIEL AWAKENS FROM HIS COMATOSE STATE — Meg (guest star Rachel Miner) calls Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) and tells them Castiel (guest star Misha Collins) is awake and talking. Meanwhile, a teenager named Kevin (guest star Osric Chau) gets hit by a bolt of lightening and is turned into a reluctant prophet. Sam and Dean believe Kevin holds the key to defeating the Leviathans but must fight off two Archangels who want him for their own purposes. The episode was written and directed by Ben Edlund.

The promo is very cryptic! I saw angels. 

Guys, also please help me to trend #8SeasonsAndAMovie on Twitter. I want season 8 to be announced NOW!

Happy Belated Birthday to Baby and Eric Kripke

I was hoping to post this earlier, but Blogpress for iPad wasn't working for me. Anyhoo... Here's to the most important object of the universe, Baby; and one of the most influential TV writers and my hero, Eric Kripke!!

Don't forget to watch the all new episode of Supernatural this Friday!!

PS -- watch this space for my Avengers review.. this movie is 100 kinds of awesome!!

Review: Supernatural 7.19 Of Grave Importance

Oh oh.. he saw us perving!

I am on a hiatus. I normally would have had two coffees by 11am. So in the past few weeks I find myself going through a caffeine withdrawal. I march on like a zombie.. BRAINS!!! COFFEE!!!

Supernatural has the same effect on me… But it's back (thank Chuck for that) and it's back with plenty of awesomeness. Long time visitors know that I am a sucker for the show's mythos and the family theme (especially episodes featuring John and Mary). Don't get me wrong, I do like the fillers but I won't necessary Google everything about Wendigos or Witches or Clowns or Ghosts, I don't loose sleep over them. But with the mythos, I would totally Google every single piece of information/ theory about the angels, heaven, hell, purgatory and the Colt etc. Like.. I am obsessed with them. And because I love the mythos so much, I find myself enjoying the mytho heavy episodes more than fillers. But the ghost storyline in 7.19 Of Grave Importance is different to me, I find myself enjoying it more that I normally would with other ghosts related fillers.

Wingardium Leviosa..

I think Supernatural has once again gone outside the square of story-telling and presented a fresh perspective to audience. My mind was in two places with regard to the whole GhostBobby idea… Yes, I would totally love to see Jim on the show again, but on the other hand I was concerned about the creative approach for GhostBobby, because if the writing wasn't done right, this story would totally suck and it would be uncomfortable to watch. I don't want the same old ghost story-telling approach as seen in other movies and TV shows because they've done to death! I wasn't prepared to watch the Bobby version of Ghost or American Horror Story or Ghost Whisperer or The Six Sense.

I am now on board with the GhostBobby idea.. I think it's working. Remember the movie Eric Kripke was working on called Haunted (a movie script he was developing for the WB Studio)? It's a story about a haunted house told from the ghost perspective. Not sure how he is going with this but Of Grave Importance reminds me of that idea. Movies and TV series contain supernatural themes have never been my preference of viewing, but the reason I love about Of Grave Importance is the same reason I love about Beetlejuice, it's the ghost POV story-telling approach. I totally dig this.

Ghosts are nothing new to the horror genre, even we know the way of finding and destroying them. Ghosts are friggin everywhere, it gets to the point where the creative industry may not be able to give its viewers anything fresh. I think the Supernatural writer's room has found a tiny little new angle to play with for the show, and I really like that effort. The episode was directed by Tim Andrew and written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming (who previously wrote Shut Up, Dr Phil). I really like the script by Buckner and Ross-Leming, which was clever and it paid attention to details. Tim Andrew's direction was fantastic, I love how the episode told the ghost-POV story. The mood was totally there, love the lighting, love the special effect, love the make-up. 

We've never really seen the life from the great beyond, and Bobby is the perfect character to drive this storyline and he has a purpose to do so. Bobby learnt a few essential tricks to communication with Dean and Sam, and he became powerful enough appeared/ disappeared before their eyes. I love the explanation on the connection between his spirit and his flask, and that's how ghosts travel. That was great! I love the scene when Bobby first walked into the haunted house and saw his own kinds. That was kinda cool. I love the shower scene (oh wait…. excuse me, I need a minute or two, it's getting hot in here…). It's funny how Jensen's left arm in the shower scene and the single layer wet look have an impact on our conversation. Embrace it fangirls.. just embrace it!!

Wait... Dean doesn't close the door when he showers? WOAH!

Of course, where does Bobby go from here? While I think the GhostBobby idea is working and making sense, I do feel that it must come to an end. We must let go when the final moment comes. The character is living on borrowed time, so to speak. As much as we love the extra time with Bobby, all good things must come to an end. I don't see GhostBobby to hang out forever like the Winchester House-Ghost. Dean doesn't like the idea, he knows it's wrong. And I'd normally say, "perhaps it'll be good to see him popping up every now and then." But not this time. I think when this case is over, he should go to heaven either via a ritual or Castiel's help. I think that would be a nice finish to Bobby's story. I don't think GhostBobby will become an angry ghost, I think he will get a proper send-off (again). I believe Dean is concern about Bobby's future as a ghost, he knows how angry spirit is born. He knows he cannot be selfish and 'keeps' Bobby here forever. He knows he should be in heaven, having good times with his soulmates. He gets the whole unfinished business thing, but he knows when time comes, he must help Bobby.

Overall, I love this episode. It's a great episode with great story-telling techniques and cast performance. The only thing is the whole Dick and his digs story. I do feel that the story is not moving forward much and it's now dragging a bit longer than it should. We have four episodes left in season seven, Of Grave Importance should be the last filler as we approach the epic season finale. We need to see what Dick is up to with his digs NOW.

Next week, 7.20 The Girl With the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo will feature guest star Felicity Day as the computer hacker who works for Dick Roman (By the way, James Patrick Stuart is going to Chicago Con in October!). Die Dick Die!! Will we see the Leviathan storyarc resolved and wrapped up completely in the season seven finale? What does Jeremy Carver have in mind for season eight? (There should be a season eight, right? What are they waiting for? Just announce it already!!!!)

Description 7.20 The Girl With the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo (Airs April 27)

FELICIA DAY (The Guild, Eureka) GUEST STARS — Dick Roman (James Patrick Stuart) acquires Frank’s hard drive that contains sensitive information about the Winchesters and gives it to an unsuspecting brilliant hacker named Charlie (guest star Day) telling her she has 48 hours to crack the firewall or she is fired. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are tipped off that Dick has the hard drive and race to get to Charlie before she breaks the code. Meanwhile, Bobby (Jim Beaver) tries to help the brothers, but his rage towards Dick for killing him starts to get in the way. John MacCarthy directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson.

Description: Supernatural 7.22 There Will Be Blood

Beware of spoilers....

Oh.. I like I like!!! Here is the official description of 7.22 There Will Be Blood.

SAM AND DEAN SEEK OUT AN ALPHA — In order to defeat Dick Roman (guest star James Patrick Stuart) and the Leviathans, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) must locate three key items. Castiel (Misha Collins) helps with one but for the last objects, the Winchesters must face two of their strongest opponents – an Alpha (guest star Rick Worthy) and Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard). Meanwhile, Bobby (guest star Jim Beaver) tries out a new ghost trick that ends up being very dangerous. Guy Bee directed the episode written by Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin. Source KSiteTV

Looks like a very ambitious episode with multiple arcs going on, but thank goodness we have an extra episode this season. Watch this space for 7.23 details.... 

This is all I'll want to know for now.... I am on lockdown!!!

Do these tacos taste funny to you?

It's time.. it's about bloody time we feed! Oh wait.. wrong franchise.. But you know we are better than any other supernatural themed shows, right?

"Do these tacos taste funny?"

You know me, I am a bit funny when it comes to spoiler preview clips. And I know people love them, but others don't. If it gets to the point where it spoils everything, then I don't want to know! Like Glee, they always show you the best number for like a week before the episode airs, and when you watch it, you realise that's the best thing in that episode and you've been watching that bit for a week. And like Dexter, I don't normally watch it because the promo clips tell the story in 15 seconds. 

Like, the other day, someone tweeted a preview clip link of Supernatural and mentioned a certain returning character doing certain things in the same tweet. I think that's kinda bad. Like.. you may as well say "Watch this preview clip of Vader tells Luke he is his father" before the movie gets out! If it just says SPOILERS, then at least I know I've been warned. That tweet was just raw!

I know that certain character is going to return in a good fashion sooner or later, but that was just way too spoilery! I feel like I need to be on a total lockdown right now! With five episodes remaining, I think I should!

"May be we should have KFC?"

Anyhow, don't miss the all new episode -- 7.19 Of Grave Importance -- this Friday.The episode is written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming, who previously penned Shut Up, Dr Phil.

AN OLD HUNTER FRIEND RECONNECTS WITH SAM AND DEAN — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) get a call from Annie Hawkins (guest star Jamie Luner), an old hunter friend, asking for help on a case. When they arrive in town, they find out Annie has disappeared. They trace her last whereabouts to an old abandoned house that is haunted by a powerful ghost. Tim Andrew directed the episode written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming.

Synopsis and photos source: KSiteTV

Reading Is Fundamental -- A Ben Edlund Episode

Beware of spoilers... those fluffy winged creatures are back..

 7.21 Reading Is Fundamental 

CASTIEL AWAKENS FROM HIS COMATOSE STATE — Meg (guest star Rachel Miner) calls Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) and tells them Castiel (guest star Misha Collins) is awake and talking.  Meanwhile, a teenager named Kevin (guest star Osric Chau) gets hit by a bolt of lightening and is turned into a reluctant prophet.  Sam and Dean believe Kevin holds the key to defeating the Leviathans but must fight off two Archangels who want him for their own purposes. The episode was written and directed by Ben Edlund. Source KSiteTV

Osric Chau is no Mike Cheng, but you may know him as the young monk in the movie 2012.

So, who are the two Archangels in this episodes? Start making your wish list, but it won't help, coz the episode was writted and shot. But hey, we may get some new angels? As long as I get THE angel CASTIEL, I don't care!

Watch this space!

Supernatural Official Magazine Gone Digital - Just What I Need!

Seriously, for someone who is constantly on the go and live in a tiny apartment, I just want to be able to grab things whenever I want wherever I want and I simple don't have enough space in my apartment to store anything. Thank God for smartphone devices!

It's about time Supernatural official mags go digital. You can now buy the digital version of the magazines via Newstand (iTune App Store), you will need to search for Zinio (which is an App.) After you download it, you should be able to find Supernatural mags amongst many other magazine titles.

You can also read my take on going digital.

The Avengers world premiere -- the cast is so good, it cures cancer!

You know that song from Jack Johnson -- Sitting, Waiting, Wishing. This song always plays in my head when situation like this arises. All the sitting, waiting and wishing are getting on my nerves! Are you feeling it? How long have fans been waiting for this moment?

The moment is here...Well…almost!

That purple suit cures cancer! It's so damn sexy!

What a good looking and talented cast! The Avengers is not too far away to rescue fans from sitting, waiting and wishing.. The world premiere of The Avengers took place today at the El Capitan Theatre in LA with Joss Whedon and the full cast. It's not like you can't name them and their characters already, but here they are and they were all there at the red carpet today:

Robert Downey Jr. -- Tony Stark / Iron Man
Chris Evans -- Steve Rogers / Captain America
Scarlett Johansson -- Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Chris Hemsworth -- Thor
Jeremy Renner -- Clint Barton / Hawkeye
Samuel L. Jackson -- Nick Fury
Tom Hiddleston -- Loki 
Mark Ruffalo -- Bruce Banner / The Hulk
Clark Gregg -- Agent Phil Coulson
Cobie Smulders -- Maria Hill
Stellan Skarsgård -- Professor Erik Selvig

Alert! Girl crush! Scarlett looks absolutely stunning! Miss her blonde hair.

Harvard Hottie reunites with Annie the Nanny..

Joss is doing heaps of interviews lately. I saw a tweet this morning from a fan that this is the year of Joss Whedon. I agree. Joss is definitely the man to drive this film. Every director out there can say, "Oh yeah I am a fan of the comic, I can do this, I can do that.." But Joss is a fanboy, he is adored by fans, he was born to direct this. Just like the cast was born to play their roles.

I like that Jesus dude but I worship Joss Whedon.

Again.. purple suit cures cancer..

Oh Jeremy Renner.. You're the only good thing in 28 Weeks Later.

Every now and then we, as fans, disagree with casting of our superheroes. For me, I don't care so much about up-coming and recently superhero movies such as Superman, Spiderman or Green Lantern, neither the cast nor the story excites me. But you know when something works for you, it just works for you. It's highly subjective, but that's the fun of being a fan. The Avengers totally works for me.

I am never a superhero movie kinda girl, I don't read comic books, half the time I have to rely on Wikipedia. But I love a good action movie every now and then, these days movies are so expansive to watch especially the 3D ones, they make everything freaking 3D. You almost don't have a choice during school holiday, you just have to suck it up if you want to watch a movie in the theatre. If the movie was made with 3D cameras, I'd go for it, because it's real. It's not like fake 3D where studios just convert a movie into 3D. I was watching Titanic 3D the other night, while it was 'ah memories', I was disappointed with the 3D element. Anyway.. All I am saying is, I just need to make sure my money is well spent if I am going to the movie, 3D or not. And this.. this is something I will definitely pay to watch.



Australia gets the release date of April 25. You bet I'll blog about it!

All photos are from Agent M, Marvel and Getty Images. 

The Avengers LEGO game will also debut on May 4. I am no gamer, but I like cute stuff. I love how it looks exactly like the movie poster.

One last thing, I was browsing the Marvel website.. Funny thing advertising placement is... The DC/ WB Smallville DVD ad is on the Marvel/ Disney site. Just saying!

Supernatural - Dealing with the Stripped-Down Reality & Up-coming Episode Synopsis [Contains Spoilers]

Photo taken and tweeted by @guynormanbee

After what's been a fantastic season of Supernatural, we're on the homestretch. Season seven has been heavily focusing on the Winchesters surviving on a stripped-down reality, not only they lost two of the most loved and trusted friends, Bobby and Castiel, the Winchesters also have to deal with the Leviathans who are running wild like real life politicians.

I recall Jensen's comment in an interview he did earlier, which really sums up season seven perfectly.

"Season seven is Supernatural stripped down. It's the acoustic [version]!...They've taken a lot of the tools of our trade that we've come to rely on over the years, and they've kind of stripped those away from us, so we're kind of having to get back to the basics. We're relying on each other; we're relying on our smarts, our wits just to make it through, and it's cool. I like it. It's definitely reminiscent of the first season, which was when we fell in love with the show and a lot of the people watching fell in love with it." -- Jensen Ackles, Examiner.com, Los Angeles TV Insider

I personally find it hard to come up with any theories for this season. I usually have a theory or two but I got nothing this time. It's not a bad thing, afterall, it hurt my brain to think about stuff like "what happened to Samuel Colt after he disappeared?" The show has gone back to basic with the good old fashion "saving people hunting things family business". But the show is much more mature now in comparison to earlier seasons. We are seeing more emotional struggles of the main characters in dealing with self-doubt, losses, trust and belief. Stuff like this only happens when you get older, so this approach is only fitting as the show matures. This is one of the things I admire the show the most, it evolves on so many different levels, there is just so much to learn from the story, the production and the writers.
While we wait for the all new Supernatural episode which airs on April 20, here are the up-coming synopsis to keep us sane or insane..

7.20 The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo

FELICIA DAY (THE GUILD, EUREKA) GUEST STARS — Dick Roman (James Patrick Stuart) acquires Frank’s hard drive that contains sensitive information about the Winchesters and gives it to an unsuspecting brilliant hacker named Charlie (guest star Day) telling her she has 48 hours to crack the firewall or she is fired. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are tipped off that Dick has the hard drive and race to get to Charlie before she breaks the code. Meanwhile, Bobby (Jim Beaver) tries to help the brothers, but his rage towards Dick for killing him starts to get in the way. John MacCarthy directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson. Source KSiteTV

7.21 Reading Is Fundamental

Ben Edlund is the writer and director of this episode. Spoiler..brace yourself for the Asian prophet -- Mike Chang (No, not really, you wish!)

7.22 There Will Be Blood

Director Guy Bee tweeted a set photo. Oh BABY!!

7.23 Survival of the Fittest

The episode title for 7.23 keeps changing, watch this space I guess. But one thing for sure, Robert Singer is the director and I believe Sera penned this episode.

We still don't have any news for season eight.. Watch this space! Is it just me or do you also want Carver Edlund to collaborate on an episode in season eight?

Review: Supernatural 7.18 Party On, Garth

Party On, Garth is ten kinds of fun. What seems to be a filler episode on paper, we touched on some of the season arc themes. And on paper, this episode was definitely one of the funnier episodes just like Clap Your Hands if You Believe or Ghostfacers. I actually think the idea generated in Party On, Garth could easily be a Ghostfacers gig.

Writer Adam Glass is emerging as a resident Supernatural writer who is finding his voice and style by writing light and fun episodes. While I wasn't a huge fan of Defending Your Life, I do like his other episodes. I think Party On, Garth is probably his best yet. It was smooth and fun.

I don't normally go into the technicality, but episode's director Phil Sgriccia -- Supernatural's very own master of directing and cinematography -- did a fantastic job on using shots to scare the crap out of me. Japanese horror film, The Ring (1998) freaked me out like I need to go to therapy for life. So the Japanese ghost really freaked me out in Party On, Garth. Monsters I get, freaky Japanese ghosts are just freaky. Turning the light on at night won't help.

The horror element was the side dish, Garth was ultimately the reason I enjoyed this episode so much. The nerdy, adorable, fun loving, Winchester hugger Garth is back! QJ Qualls was good in his first performance in It's Time for a Wedding. He is always going to be written as a light comedic character. Garth is like Agent Coulson, you know -- a supporting character who makes a different and likeable. Garth's introduction was enough for us to like him to make a return. But in Party On, Garth, DJ Qualls totally owned the comedy. The knock-out and Winchester hugs have quickly become his trademarks.

 

Adam Glass injected more meat to the character Garth this time. We see the smart Garth -- he pays attention to details; he is less dark in comparison to Dean and Sam; his head is still clear, he could probably notice things Dean and Sam couldn't notice. Garth brings in new perspectives. He has the potential to becoming a great assistant and a friend. I hope the writers don't kill off Garth. Bobby is…well…GhostBobby; and Frank has gone missing, the Winchesters have more enemies than friends.

Is it just me, or do you like the Japanese chef too? He was great! I wonder if Bobby would be the one translating the text and speaking Japanese if he was still here physically. GhostBobby could work if it's done right. It's like The Man Who Would Be King, audience see Castiel's perspective, but the main characters don't. That worked perfectly for me. The GhostBobby story could be very interesting, I think we might see a bit of perspective-story-telling approach in coming episodes. I think it adds depth to the story and see different view points -- Dean and Sam working on a case, and GhostBobby trying to help but they don't know it. PS Bobby is mentioned in an up-coming synopsis.

This shot reminds me of Dean in WIAWSNB, when he saw Mary in the alternate reality, I thought he was going to hug Bobby.

As for Dean, I think he knew about Bobby's presence. It's a hunter struggle -- Dean who was the kind of guy/ hunter who didn't/ wouldn't believe things until he saw it with his own eyes. In House of the Holy, he told Sam he didn't believe in angels because he hadn't seen them. As a hunter, he didn't need to go by faith, they could summon Father Gregory and see it himself to KNOW that it was a spirit. Unlike Sam, who used to pray, Dean was never the guy who needed to find comfort from believing in something. For Dean, the closest things to a religion were probably the amulet, the Impala, John's leather jacket, classic rock and pies. That's Dean for you!

But as Dean grew older, when everyone he knew died, when the world he tried to save was in the toilet, he really wanted to believe in something to comfort him, he wanted to believe Bobby's spirit was around to watch over them, to help them. Sam attempted to summon Bobby's spirit but got nothing. But Dean wanted to believe so badly, he was too tired or sad to be disappointed to hear that Bobby's spirit didn't show when Sam summoned it. Dean missed Bobby so much, part of him wanted Bobby to be around in some form or shape. The Bobby's flask and the thought of having Bobby's help from the great beyond comfort Dean.
So.. now Cas is back.. and we know for sure Bobby hasn't left the show, it's no secret that both characters will play a role in coming episodes against Dick.

I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did… And I'll leave you with this shot! Enough said!

We now have to wait until April 20 for an all-new episode 7.19 Of Grave Importance. Here is the synopsis:

AN OLD HUNTER FRIEND RECONNECTS WITH SAM AND DEAN — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) get a call from Annie Hawkins (guest star Jamie Luner), an old hunter friend, asking for help on a case. When they arrive in town, they find out Annie has disappeared. They trace her last whereabouts to an old abandoned house that is haunted by a powerful ghost. Tim Andrew directed the episode written by Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming (#719). Source: KSiteTV




Correction: Previously typed The King Who Would Be King should read The Man Who Would Be King. Thanks to Lucy. My post is now also on Hypable.

Jeremy Carver Returns to Supernatural as the Co-Showrunner

This is the biggest news yet since the announcement of Eric Kripke stepped down as the showrunner of Supernatural at the end of season five. News surfaced this morning regarding Sera Gamble's resignation as the showrunner and my Twitter has been running hot like hot cross buns.

The sad news is after two seasons as the showrunner of Supernatural, Sera Gamble has decided not to extend her contract. I love Sera, I've been a big fan of her episodes for a long time, I fully supported her as the showrunner of the show. I hope she will remain as a staff writer on the show.

The good news is, my hero Jeremy Carver is returning to the show as the co-showrunner together with Robert Singer. Where do I even begin? While it's sad to know Sera's decision, I am over the moon to hear Jeremy's return to the show. Supernatural is likely to return with the new showrunner for season eight. The renewal is yet to be publicly announced. 

Jeremy served three seasons of Supernatural between 2007-2010 before he left for Syfy's Being Human (US), where he is the co-showrunner with wife Anna Fricke. Jeremy wrote some of my ALL TIME favouite episodes including Point of No Return (the 200th episode) Changing Channels, A Very Supernatural Christmas, Mystery Spot and In the Beginning. Jeremy also served as the executive story editor and co-producer during his time with the show. Just like the other half of 'Carver Edlund', Jeremy's signature stuff is very Ben Edlund, you know there are only two people in the world can come up with stuff like crazy.. that's Jeremy and Ben for you! Jeremy is a key writer when the show was heavily focused on the apocalypse. What does this change mean? Time will tell. But I can ensure you that Jeremy will have some really cool stuff for us and I cannot wait to see how things evolve for the show.

What I love about Jeremy is the fact that he didn't take any formal training in film schools, he did a short course in film and met some people, started writing. In the Nerdist podcast, Jeremy mentioned that he used to study government East Asian study and Japanese. Great creative ideas come from the heart, if you're good at what you do, that's all it matters. And because you care about your writing and your characters, not because it's a job and you get paid. (Well, I mean there's that.) I think Jeremy is inspirational, I have much to learn from him.

So, what about Being Human (US)? E!Online reported that Syfy confirms Anna Fricke will be running the show—which was recently renewed for a third season—solo. Jeremy loves us more? Yay!! I love Being Human and I'll keep watching it. But this is so good and I am so happy for the show and Jeremy.

Seriously, without Sera I am sure the show won't survive. She took over a very important and stressful role. The show is intact because of Sera. She's been under a lot of pressure and I totally appreciate her hard work. Her writing is also top-notch, has style and well-thought out. She brought compassion to the characters and captivated the drama and emotions very well.

What I love about the writers of Supernatural is that, they spent sleepless nights to bring you good stuff, they respect their profession and their fans. They don't have the mentally of "Audience don't know if crap is presented to them. If we write it, they will watch it." Some fans may not like some of the stuff they write, but it's stupid to disrespect them. 

You know who else is important? Robert Singer! Bob has been with the show since day one with Kripke. He's always there, and he is hands on. He is one who holds the team together especially in a time of change. Without him, you get no Supernatural.

The change presents a new challenge for the writing team and the cast to take the show to a whole new realm of awesome. BRING IT SEASON EIGHT!!

I expect the renewal of season eight will be announced any second now. I am that excited!

Review: Supernatural 7.17 The Born Again Identity

Three words -- Misha Friggin Collins!

I know right?! I love Misha. I love Castiel. He was gone but now he is back. He was lost but now he's found. Amazing Grace!! He is an angel after all, only an angel blade and fangirls can kill him, right? This highly anticipated episode of Supernatural delivered in style.

My mind is a bit all over the place and I don't even know where to start. But here is the low down -- Cas isn't dead. Cas sacrifices himself and has gone cuckoo. Cas is in a fixed location. Meg is watching him. Sam's ok now. Dean's BFF is back. The Impala is still under lockdown.

Here is 7.17 The Born Again Identity in 71.7 seconds…

Sam had a complete mental breakdown thanks to the very animated Lucifer. Dean was concerned. Dean went looking for help. Some dude told him there was another dude with a good pair of healing hands that healed people..like Jesus. Dean went to see him. Turned out, this dude was Cas who went by the name of Emmanuel, which he picked from random baby names dot com. He was married to a woman who found him naked by the river on the day the Leviathan was released to earth. Dean saw Cas, he almost had a "part of me always knew you'd come back" moment (but they edited this bit out). Dean and Cas almost hugged but didn't. But a trench-coat said a thousand words. We also found out Meg wanted to get to Cas before Crowley did (and we all expect the King of Hell will return soon-ish.. nothing spoilery about that.) Cas couldn't remember anything at first but when he used his power on stunt demon A,B and C, he remembered everything. Cas scarified himself and saved the mentally damaged Sam by shifting his pain and suffering to himself. Cas went cuckoo and got locked up in the hospital. Hopefully he won't be treated by Dr Ellicott. Nurse Meg was the hospital's new recruit.

One step at a time.. I think it was a very good intro of Cas' return. He will no doubt play a role in coming days against Dick. I couldn't get enough of the Dean and Cas dynamic. I rewatched it and rewatched it and rewatched it! The chemistry is still very much alive! To me, I think it's been too long since they shared a scene. I was expecting a lot more dialogue exchange between the two, and I was expecting a hug. I know right?! I want a lot of things! I wish this episode was a movie. It was certainly a very ambitious episode with three story lines for each character -- Dean, Sam and Cas.

Sam's breakdown was almost like a prophecy, you knew it was going to happen sooner or later. It was unavoidable. It was painful to watch because I felt for the guy! That storyline was actually very well written, the emotional pain was very 3D to me. It wasn't anything random or unplanned, it was well planned and executed. It was obvious that his situation was getting worst and worst. Sam wasn't hiding anything, I love how this season is back to the basic bromance and Dean and Sam working as a team.

I always love how much Dean cared for Sam, he just never gave up no matter what Sam did. This time, there was no exception. Dean couldn't give up on his brother, couldn't just watch his brother suffer the mental and physical pain. I wasn't sure what Dean was expecting to get out of from the phone calls he was making but he was looking for a miracle. Hope is good, after all, Sam was the only one that kept him going. I particular love the reverse of things such as Sam in hospital gown and Dean with Sam's signature puppy-eyes.

Once again, I love seeing Mark Pellegrino as Lucifer on the show this season. His lines were so witty, it's almost like i said it when I watch the show! He is one word -- AWESOME!

"Oh you guys are having a moment!" Lucifer

The return of Cas was smooth and pretty epic! The montage was my favourite scene of the entire episode. Cas' first appearance in Supernatural was a rock star reception in my book, that entrance was mind-blowing. But this time is different, it wasn't the rock-n-roll entrance with fireworks, but it was rather spiritual, which I thought was fitting. The music, the montage, the fight scenes had awesomeness written all over it. I love the idea of Cas sacrificed himself by taking all Sam's pain and suffering at the end of the episode.

The only thing that I would have loved to see more was the interaction and dialogue exchange between Dean and Cas. I am not saying their scenes were under delivered, I just wished this was a 2-hour episode if you know what I mean? I just want more because I miss their on-screen dynamic so much! The dialogue in the car was a classic Dean and Cas show (I wish it was the Impala though.) Cas had no memory of the past, he was acting so much like the fourth season's Cas. There were also a few classic Cas funny moments, which I am sure Dean missed too -- yeah his nerdy angel friend is back!

I think one of the key themes of this episode is forgiveness and this is a theme that associates with Dean. Dean has a big heart -- while he may not be able to forget, he can forgive. It's not easy but give it time, he can do it. He is always stuck in the middle -- John was a tough father and Dean disliked the weight John put on his shoulders; after the whole Ruby/demon blood thing, it took a long time for Dean to trust Sam again and to forgive him; and the whole Cas situation was somewhat bitter. I think Dean forgave Cas already in the season six finale, when Cas was attempting to sacrifice himself. Keeping Cas' trenchcoat was the evidence to his forgiveness.

Can you name everything on the floor? I see instant noodles..

I really like the character stuff in this episode. I like how certain story lines are wrapped up as the series approaches the finale and now we are focusing on the prize -- Dick!

Note from Tiny: Real life was preventing me from finishing off the above review. It's way long overdue. But everything should be back on track. Party on, Tiny! (Oh wait.. what??) It's probably the first time I welcome a hiatus, because this will give me more time to catch up!