A few things about 919

[citrusjava]

I generally love strong alpha Dean, pissed off at Bela, pulling his tie off Dean, knee-meltingly Dommy Dean, as well as self-hating Dean. But in this episode I really didn't feel it. Somehow it lacked the vibe, lacked something. Prhaps Jensen wasn't feeling it, perhaps it was the writing or the emotional arc.

However, there were two moments I find interesting in this "going dark" piece of plot. The first was Dean telling Sam he knew Sam wouldn't have done the same for him. Which - I'm not sure whether it was Dean disconnecting himself emotionally, telling himself he couldn't allow monsters to use that vulnerable spot against him so he needed to make it mundane, or Dean knowingly taking Sam's boundary to the extreme and trying to push his buttons about it. Or both. It was definitely a new shade of dark, though, IMO.

The second - I wonder how long Dean was lying there, pretending to be knocked out, while they drained Sam. That was a whole lot of blood taken out of him, I wonder how he managed to function that well like that. Dean didn't do something reckless and emotional to save Sam, at least for a while he just waited. Which was smart, but pretty cold. Or possibly very emotional for him. I don't know.

At any rate, I could have gone for some disoriented-from-blood-loss!Sam/Protective-strong!Dean in that scene.

I generally don't connect to Jody very much, but this episode made me like her better. Her whole thoughtful, aware, feminist attitude. The whole - trying to deal with the boys' bullshit "she's a femme fatal and should be killed" attitude, trying to explain to these idiots about compassion, false awareness, something. Really, Sam? Nothing, even from our great enlightened guy hope? Ugh. I had a Punch a Winchester Moment of the Week . Also, earlier - Sam, when a person tells you her name, you don't say "no, it isn't". Jerk.

On the brighter side of things - hair pulling! Ugh, yes please, kink, yes.

Killabeez reminded me - the whole scene in which Sam criticized Dean's pleasure in the hunting, I was off somewhere, since the scene started with Sam saying "look at me, bitch", and it took me a moment to get that is wasn't Sam being super forceful and *calling Dean a bitch*! Which would have been more interesting!

Comments

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

My hackles rose when Sam said "No, it isn't" and when he and Dean insisted on calling her Annie. But then, Sam was the one who switched to calling her Alex as soon as she started engaging with them, so I kind of forgave him? (I might be prone to forgiving Sam rather easily. /obvious)

I had similar thoughts about Dean playing possum, and how long he'd been doing so.

I liked Dean's line to Sam because it was so dysfunctional. What I didn't like: the way Sam questioned him on his behavior. That didn't ring true for me. Because, yeah, nothing new in terms of Dean taking pleasure in killing. That scene seemed like (ineffectual) shorthand.

The rest of the episode really worked for me. ♥ ♥ Jody! ♥ ♥ This was the best Jody episode yet, IMO.

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

Agreed, across the board, everything.

And you reminded me of another thing - the whole scene in which Sam criticized Dean's pleasure in the hunting, I was off somewhere, since the scene started with Sam saying "look at me, bitch", and it took me a moment to get that is wasn't Sam being super forceful and *calling Dean a bitch*! Which would have been more interesting!

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

I think Sam quoting Dean didn't work, because a) too pat and b) Sam was half-conscious at the time and c) Jared couldn't deliver it without almost laughing, so it lacked something. :D Would have been better if he'd been more specific about Dean's behavior and why it twigged for him as off.

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

Yeah, yeah. Sam was probably poking fun at Dean for his choice of words. Confusing our D/s pillow talk with reality again, Dean.

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

Confusing our D/s pillow talk with reality again, Dean.

LOL, because I can totally see Sam actually saying that.

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

LOL
I could see Dean actually doing that!