Reply To: Let’s all talk about Heart (S2 E17)
I LOVE/HATE this one! It is one of my favorite episodes that season for sure AND one of the ones hardest to watch for me because it’s so sad.
I too LOVE Madison. I feel for her BUT I never pity her. I am not sure we are supposed to pity her either!
I admire her strength, independence, decisiveness and confidence. A person that takes being mugged and assaulted to mean that change in her life is necessary and that she won’t let the feat rule her, is admirable to me. She is not a victim character, not helpless and meek and in need of rescuing but also smart enough to know when she does need help. That is courageous to me.
I also really enjoy that she isn’t intimidated by these two gorgeous guys but holds her own AND is pretty clear in her attention on and intention for Sam. HAHA. I didn’t mind that either! The “dump the lingerie drawer” scene makes me giggle every time. Is it very forward…YES….but I don’t think at that particular point it’s actually meant as a come on. I read it as trying to keep going with her life and a normal routine after something scared her and not letting the invasion of a “cop” into her house intimidate her. She offers Sam to sit on the couch to be comfortable, but also because she has stuff to do like folding laundry and catching up on her TV show. That’s it. Sam can sit where he likes while she’s doing it. I love that.
I found the chemistry between Sam and Madison so compelling and natural that it read as real to me (thanks to the actors, of course). There was some awkwardness, which is to be expected, of course, but also an immediate “sizing each other up” and finding each other interesting and a little judging. Sure, in real life none of that would work on fast track like this, but we are watching a fantasy series with limited time, so I can forgive that. I found this believable as a possible hook up for Sam, who prefers his ladies to have a little more to offer than a beautiful outside. And I can buy it as a casual hook up for her as well. All that worked for me. And the sex scene was beautifully shot, I thought, with lots of suggestive angles and glimpses of body parts and great lighting. It clearly conveyed to me that both liked their encounter to be a bit more “energetic” and “exhuberant” but it seemed well balanced between them.
What made Madison even more impressive is when she is tied to a chair, clearly terrified of the huge dude in her house who seemed to have lost his mind all of a sudden, but she tries to convince SAM that HE needs help. That is a great scene and very moving.
I also really liked Jared’s acting when he finds out that Madison is the werewolf. He has a great moment where his facial expression goes from regret for what could have been to cold business mode of not letting more people get hurt. It’s chilling and makes very clear how dangerous Sam can be if he chooses to be.
I enjoyed the case a lot, too. Love how excited Dean is when he deduces that they are hunting a werewolf. I appreciate that there were a few twists in the story. I don’t mind so much that werewolf lore changed over the years as it seems “realistic” to me that they learn new things about even established monster species. However, I do find it sad that in this instance here they feel like there is no other way out than to kill Madison when later they let werewolves live (AND they have let ‘vegetarian’ vampires live before this)!! I would rather trust Madison to figure out how to live with this than that girl from “Bitten” later….
I, too, find Dean’s consternation that Madison goes for Sam and not him funny. Love that he calls after the hooker he saves on the street “don’t mention it”.
And I LOVE that we see the first use of rock-paper-sissors in this episode, especially in the context of SAM standing up for something he wants and obviously thinking he has a better chance at beating Dean at this than arguing he way out. HA!
When it comes time to step up and be there, however, Dean has lots of great moments in this episode, too. After his initial “shock” that the girl wants Sam, he tries so hard to let Sam have some fun and teases him big brotherly about it. That is super cute to me. And when Sam runs to Dean after Madison turns the second time (by the way, WHY is Sam running to the motel and not calling Dean??) and Dean calmly takes charge and is the voice of reason going forward as hard as it is to see Sam and Madison go through their trauma. Dean’s the rock.
When it comes to the last few scenes my heart breaks for all the reasons you already mentioned and EVERY TIME I watch it. The desperation of Sam wanting to save Madison partially because he wants to believe that monsters CAN be saved and that there is a chance for himself as well is so palpable. The way Madison is begging for Sam to help her die and Dean’s enormous heart to step in and offer to do it gives me goosebumps. (And she is a VERY pretty crier!!) Sam’s sense of duty but also resignation in having to do what’s right and what Madison asked of him and (in my head at least) symbolically killing part of his own hope that he might be redeemable makes me cry alongside them. UGH. And that last moment in the kitchen, when Sam asks Dean to wait for him there, clearly appreciating Dean’s support and strength and Dean’s sadness over being unable to save Sam from this pain is SO RAW and REAL, it cracks my heart wide open.
So, yes, I hate that the Winchesters are in such pain and I hate that Madison can’t be saved BUT it’s so beautifully done and acted and written it still ranks really high for me. 8 out of 10
PNP
