growyourwings | SPN 7x21 reaction

Wow. A lot of very diverse opinions about this episode out there in LJ-land this morning.

I guess I'll add mine. ;o)

I liked it! (A bit of a warning, after having written the rest of this reaction, for someone who liked the episode, I did end up pointing out stuff that either bugged me or I noticed as being "off" - so if you don't want any of that, pass on by. But honestly I did like the episode and I do also say why below (which was mostly because of Cas).)

There were a few minor things that I thought were a bit awkwardly filmed/directed/something - but only minor. The most obvious one being the way they filmed Sam putting the God rock pieces in the bag (I had a moment of stepping completely out of the story going - "how weirdly is Sam doing that?") and then how they very POINTEDLY showed Sam leaving the bag in the room as he ran after Meg. It was so obviously a "Hey look! Sam left the bag! Something's going to happen to it!" shot that it again took me completely out of the story - so much in fact that I missed most of the Sam & Meg dialog in the hallway while I tried to stop reacting to that shot. Part of me thinks the Meg & Sam hallway conversation was ONLY there to make sure Sam was out of the room so the bag could be taken.

But really other than that I LOL'd a lot. I *really* like this very of Castiel. He was kinda like a mix of Future!hippy!Cas from The End and his old, somewhat innocent (if more monotoned) self from the beginning of S4. I could watch more of this Cas.

I admit to being one of those who was not overly appreciative of the "Sorry board game" moment when Cas first pulled out the board game to say "Sorry." I kinda went, "what?" But I did like the Dean and Cas conversation over the board game. (Although I found myself wondering why Dean would even play along.) I loved the Sam & Cas conversation - which occurred somewhere in the episode - was it just me, or did this episode seem like a longer episode? Not in a bad way longer - but in a lot-of-stuff-packed-in-there longer. I read one reaction that called it a reunion episode what with all the old characters either appearing or being referenced. So true.

I haven't re-watched the episode, so I'm having trouble remembering all the details from the watching my husband and I did last night. Bob laughed a lot. I laughed. Somewhere in there I found myself thinking to myself that I was really enjoying and liking this episode - that is what remains with me.

This morning, prior to reading online, I did find myself thinking about how there really wasn't much brother-stuff in there. In fact Sam and Dean seemed to barely react to one another. But other than having a moment of "I miss the brother-angst/uber-love/co-dependence" moment, I found myself happy that the brothers are now so in tune and comfortable with each other that they don't *need* to angst/obsess over each other - they know they each are there for each other. And I also had a thought that I had really enjoyed an episode that was less about the brothers, than about everything else. That was good. (Although, again, I still have these moments of missing the "old show".)

I read somewhere that there was a Dean patting Sam on the arm moment. I have to admit I missed seeing that - I'll have to re-watch to find it.

I liked Meg more in this episode than I did in the last one she appeared in. I did read that a lot of others are finding RM's vocal delivery to be more and more grating. I guess I can see that. But I liked her here a bit more, not less. Not sure why. I did find myself thinking that they had perhaps "reformed" the character a bit much. I had trouble connecting her to the Meg who possessed Sam and beat up on Dean in BuABS. I had a moment where I thought, "Wow, Dean & Sam sure have forgiven Meg for a lot of what she's done." Perhaps too much? Right now I am having trouble thinking that this "new" Meg might be too reformed to double cross them. I won't be surprised if/when she does - but I think perhaps the writing of this character may have devolved a bit too much - making her into a convenient vehicle to make some minor plot point, rather than staying true to her evil, kick-ass character.

Okay, so that up there ^ may be a lot of nit-pickiness after I said I liked the episode. But I really did like the episode. I think all this other stuff is more a manifestation of the last two seasons. I know no show can truly go on for a long period of time without struggles. Heck one of my all time favorite shows, BSG, disappointed me in it's last 1.5 seasons and it's finale. And that show was truly epic. But this show is so very close to my heart. These two brothers are so very close to my heart, that I can't help but have moments of melancholy sometimes about the "old days". (Both for the show and the fandom.)

I should add that I've been having some personal, internal struggles lately, which also may be coloring my melancholy. So apologies.

But to return to my original point. I really did enjoy this episode. I liked Cas. I liked the interactions between the various characters. I liked the new prophet (who's name I'm spacing on.) I liked when Dean broke apart the rock to thunder and lightning. Mostly I liked the episode because I laughed. I guess mostly because I like this version of Castiel.

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