Reply To: Let’s all talk about – The Winchesters – Hang on to Your Life! (S1 E8)
I agree with much you say, JBB.
Overall enjoyed it and the break from the Akrida story line and the episode as a whole but I also had several issues.
I DID enjoy Tom Welling as Samuel very much. To me his slightly out of touch gruffness in the beginning was fitting for that character to me. I loved how he waved John out of the chair he was sitting in, implying with one gesture that a young pup should respect his elders. And again when he corrected John, saying “Sam” to “SamUEL is fine” and squeezing his hand so hard that John cringed and shook it. Subtle signs of dominance, that were much like Mitch’s Samuel to me. I mean it’s HARD to compete with Mitch Pileggi, but I was not disappointed with Tom. I hope he’ll be back.
The conversations with Millie was great and felt real. The disdain for the “mole men” was funny, buried underground with their books. Knowing what Henry said to Sam and Dean about his preconceived notions about hunters, this was a great counterpoint. HA. And I did like a lot that Samuel softened later when he tried to explain himself in the end, before he left. It seemed genuine and believable to me. Like most hunter parents we met along the years, they TRY to keep the kids out or safe in an awkward way that never really works because most of the kids WANT to be in and help.
And THAT is one thing I did not enjoy….MARY….make your freaking mind up. If you are THAT set on being out (And I am just as sick to death as you are JBB of the constant, beating over the head mention of it!!!!) then ….don’t be all whiny and petulant about your dad trying to keep you out…. What sense does that make? And when she talked to Samuel at the end it seemed like now she wants to continue hunting. It just all seems immature flip flopping for me. There isn’t a real REASON for her to want out other than…she wants out and not live the life. But she has no issue running the show and bossing everyone around. So….make your mind up. UGH….the weird, uncomfortable kiss. SO out of place and again making Mary’s character look indecisive and unreliable. She JUST said she needs time…well, that was about 5 minutes….not enough time to feel realistic.
I REALLY enjoyed Carlos (and JoJo’s work) in this episode. Carlos seemed more balanced and a little more sincere or less comical, over the top (THAT was filled annoyingly by Loki AND RSJ). Aside from the singing, which was GORGEOUS and as you already said very unexpected (because I had not read any hype about it on line), Carlos also was more focused and operating on his own and I very much liked that.
I also LOVE the little moment at the beginning when John says he’ll stay behind with Mary and Samuel and Carlos stares at them both for a long moment and then says “I’ll allow it” HA.
I very much appreciate the deeper glimpse into Carlos’ past butting music career as well. It was the type of character story line I expected MUCH earlier in the season. It helps build a connection between audience and that character and make them 3D. I missed that so far. Now I got a sense of what he gave up for the hunting life, which in his case could have been fame and fortune with his voice… I do (like you) want to know the reason WHY he gave it up, though. Maybe we still get that later in the season?
I didn’t like that he so readily agreed to “the deal”. WHY? He didn’t even know the full scope of it and we had just gotten him to show that he was smart and more calculating like that. I never enjoy when action directs characters and not the other way around. (My main issue on Walker)
Lata continues to be too convenient and too sweet for me, too. You can be a pacifist and NOT be so cutsie. You can be strong and kind and just and find logical ways to deal with situations without violence. I don’t like when she’s cringing in the background of a fight making squeaky noises and looking outraged. It’s cliché and she’s better than that.
The fight scene against multiple Loki’s was kinda cool, though, because we hadn’t seen that before. I didn’t mind seeing everyone fight slightly differently.
LOKI…..well….I watched it again and I am STILL confused as hell. Was the entire episode written just so RJS could make a guest appearance?? Maybe. Funny or sad enough, there were plenty of things that I DID like the episode so the parts with Loki and RJS’ over-the-top, cringy, clowny performance did not ruin it for me. What happened?? RJS was so so good in SPN as Gabriel and Loki and the Trickster. Cheeky, yes, but also sarcastic enough to give it some edge and you could always feel that there was a somewhat dangerous layer to him. HERE….he was just annoying with the thousand finger snaps and the odd overacted lines.
And I do not get AT ALL what his character was after. Like you said, it felt like a demon deal to me, NOT like what we know Loki/the Trickster to enjoy doing to his victims. There weren’t any “just desserts”. The singers wanted success, I guess, but where is the teaching a lesson aspect? Demons just want to hurt people, but Loki was always more about giving bullies and assholes a kick in the pant. And was part of the “deal” with Loki that it had to be THAT song that had to be sung? Everyone hummed it and sang it who ended up dead or burned.
And even the curse itself was confusing. You get the tattoo and you need to sing TO a person to make them burn instead of yourself? I didn’t understand if that was just ONE time, like a payment for the singer’s upcoming success? Or once per performance forever? The whole thing was not well explained and therefore useless as story point.
I also have to say that I am not 100% in love with the music they chose for TW. Although 70’s it’s a bit too POP and less ROCK to me and it sometimes seems like a sad shadow of the OG show.
The concert was fun. Even if Louden Swain was sadly wasted as background décor. loved the little moment where Lata says she’s more of a metal head. HA, unexpected. The Jericho Kid’s voice wasn’t bad either earlier in the epidose.
LOVE your comments on the dark room. I was only thinking “Set Up the dark room? Odd.” Wouldn’t they have a fixed one on the basement or something? Thinking how they would need the ability to develop film with creepy things on it themselves.
OMGS! You hit it on the head with your observations about the Dean narration! HE WOULD NEVER SAY ANY OF THESE THINGS!!! The words are too stilted and weirdly “domesticated” and NOT Dean. And hearing Jensen’s Dean voice just makes me sad and miss Dean SOO freaking much. I hate to say it, but I really would prefer him NOT narrating TWs!!
Sooo many questions about Dean showing up in the photo at the end!!! Now that is intriguing and feels very SPN to me. WHY did Dean zap back to this time? And I even more so want to know from which point in the SPN story did he zap back and give John the letter? I know Robbie Thompson teased that he’ll explain all that in episode 13….I am very curious.
And fans raining hate on Jensen from keeping Sam out of that photo….sorry to say but….get over it! Jensen is NOT erasing Sam….he even said Jared would be a narrator at some point (if we get more episodes). I simply don’t get and don’t want to indulge or give footing to this odd division in the fandom that wants to see only one or the other side of Sam and Dean. To me they are ONE brotherly unit and there are no conspiracies to keep them apart or value one over the other….just…NO.