Reply To: Let’s all talk about Playthings (S2 E11)
It was just as beautifully-shot as I remember…the low shots of Sam and Dean walking down the hall…the amazing hotel bar…I thought it was extra-touching that all of the empty tables had salt and pepper shakers on them; like they were HOPING for a room full of guests like they had years ago, but Dean was the only one there…and most of all the AMAZING shots inside the glassed-in pool house. Incredible. Superb job, the late director Charles Beeson.
This one is one of those “everything great about Supernatural” episodes for me. It’s an interesting mystery with a few misdirects (is it the grandma? The creepy dolls? A ghost? A curse?), it’s sad, it’s funny, it’s beautiful, it’s creepy, it’s touching. It has EVERYTHING.
I loved that Maggie was not revealed to be not read until pretty far in. The hoodoo element was great here because it was treated like part of the nanny’s religion. Not some witchcraft thing AND, furthermore, it was used for protection; not for something bad.
So much to talk about in this one.
Sam getting drunk…I found it a bit out of the blue for Sam, BUT, he was all “gung-ho” after Dean told him what John told Dean on his deathbed…he really didn’t deal with it at all when Dean wanted to go off and lay low and process everything for awhile and figure out what is going on with Sam. Sam basically ignored all that so maybe this was THAT coming out; and Sam trying to deal with it by drinking.
But, reason aside, I love this scene. Sam begging Dean to kill him if he can’t save him; making him promise. Dean HATING IT but saying “yes” to placate drunk-Sam. Dean’s relief at thinking Sam was too drunk to remember that, then the zinger at the end where Sam tells him he remembers everything and “you promised”.
The family’s story is sad, but also very sweet. Maggie is lonely…and acting out like a child would. The grandmother is completely self-sacrificing in volunteering to not only die, but keep her soul tied to that place to be with Maggie so her daughter and granddaughter could be free to live their lives. Sweet when she didn’t have much quality of life, and her “soul” child self looked happy at the end jumping rope with Maggie. I hope it was a good choice for her.
I did chuckle at Dean having no problem with “poking grandma with a stick” to see if she’s responsive. Sam’s, “DUDE! You’re not going to poke her with a stick!”
The mom is very earnest and I like that the “real” daughter was just very matter-of-fact about it all. She liked Maggie, but she also expressed fear when Maggie was trying to persuade her to drown herself. Kind of a nice spooky ghost touch that Maggie wanted the daughter to die in the same way she had.
Some of my favorite comments on stereotypical bed and breakfasts here (very much like some I went to years ago) – Dean’s comment on the wedding dress as wall decor is priceless. I was even quite amused by the “gay couple antiquing” part. Now, some may be insulted by that stereotype, but I LOVED Dean’s response. He really wanted to know what about HIM made people think he was gay. But, as PNP said to me later; he was still willing to use it to their advantage to get access to the antique doll room. THAT scene is PRICELESS!!!! I will always love it.
PNP: yes, good backwards-head effect on the first dead guy. There is also something amazing and slightly weird about miniatures (and I love miniatures); but the idea that the dollhouse could predict events was super creepy! What an incredible dollhouse!
PNP; yes, grandma in the attic had to be purely for the creep factor because HOW IMPRACTICAL! Like you’d want to carry her down three flights of stairs for a doctor visit or what if the house caught fire???
PNP: I do think Maggie was “keeping everyone out” of the pool house with her strength because no way that old glass (usually single-pane) was that strong!
I do like the ending. Sweet but creepy with the two ghost children playing in an empty and soon-to-be-demolished house. Or are we meant to think it will not be demolished because the buyer who wanted to do that hanged himself thanks to Maggie? Does that mean Maggie will never let anything happen to the house?
Very very good one for me. Like Scarecrow, it had everything that I think makes Supernatural great.