Reply To: Let’s all talk about After School Special (S4 E13)
PNP – okay, yes, I did love the “swap” where Dean comes in “cool” and leaves completely thrown off his game since he was there long enough for girlfriend #1 to see right through all of his bravado. Sam comes in apprehensive and leaves “cool”.
Dean calling the teacher “sweetheart” is so cringe-worthy! Utter disrespect (which kinda surprised me coming from being John’s son…but he was trying to show the class he didn’t give a shit about authority). Loved it when Barry said, “Your brother’s so COOL!” and Sam replies, “HE thinks so.”
Dean WOULD like to step in and defend Sam, but he also questioned Sam at first as to why he didn’t fight back because Dean knows that Sam knows how to.
I just did not like the job that Brock (the actor) did with Dean at that age. Maybe he was trying to imitate Jensen TOO much (but later teen Dean did a much better job in the one about the boy’s home, so it’s possible to research and try to imitate and do it well). It’s hard to explain. Like, I am so used to how subtle Jensen is as an actor. I feel like Jared’s subtle qualities were PERFECTLY replicated by Colin Ford, somehow…stellar casting? Colin seemed too young to have done a lot of “research” but maybe not! He did it perfectly. I completely bought that we were looking at Sam when young. I did not buy that we were looking at Dean. I liked the STORY of Dean’s experience way back when at that school; it was very well-crafted and there was definitely character development in story. I just could not buy Brock as Dean. He DID have the Dean eyelashes!
The more I think about this one the more I love the heartbreaking complexity. It’s so black and white in school. Villain and victim. Weak and strong. Then you listen to Dirk’s father talk about him and how he cared for his dying mom and what a great kid his dad thought he was and you realize how complicated it is and life is all gray areas.
The interaction with Sam and his teacher. I wondered if his story was a bit of a cry for help, but he would never really want to leave Dean and his dad. Not then. BUT, to have someone value what he’s interested in; school, writing, skills outside of hunting, he could not have helped but to have wanted to perhaps dream about the possibility of a different life. A teacher who actually took an interest in him and how he felt; not in how good his hunting skills were or how well he could fly under the radar and stay out of trouble…that had to be new for Sam and Colin played him as happily hopeful and surprised when the teacher told him he was getting and “A” on his story.
I did not remember how touching this episode was. It was really good.