Slow Train Coming (SPN 5.17 episode reaction)

[ariadnes_string]

Sometimes I feel so low-down and disgusted
Can’t help but wonder what’s happenin’ to my companions
Are they lost or are they found
Have they counted the cost it’ll take to bring down
All their earthly principles they’re gonna have to abandon?
There’s a slow, slow train comin’ up around the bend.
Bob Dylan, “Slow Train Coming”

I know I’m in trouble when born-again era Dylan starts seeming appropriate to the show. You don’t have to tell me that.

Anyway.

The domestic stars have been in some pretty strange alignments this week—but tonight, for the first time since I think October, they lined up so that I could actually watch the show as it aired.

What’s more, I actually watched it on our big new TV (not big by most people’s standards, just big compared to the one we used to have) instead of my computer screen. Which meant a much bigger Jared, Misha and Jensen than I was used to.

Which was kind of distracting. And would have been more so, if they hadn’t kept spitting out variations on “kill the whore.” Ow. Just ow.

Though I guess if SPN were going to do a take on the whole Whore/Madonna complex this was it. If, y’know, the Madonna was a yoga instructor.

I usually take my time with writing these episode reactions, but since I’ll be away from tomorrow morning til Sat. night, I thought I’d just post now—apologies for the incoherence.

Even though nothing really happened in the episode that either hasn’t been building for a long time, or hinted at recently, it still left me confused for some reason.

*Of course Dean is a servant of Heaven—either because he (still) is a righteous man, or because in his heart he’s already said yes.

*it has seemed for a while now that Dean is getting ready to say yes to Michael—I think I was confused because I couldn’t tell if it was because he didn’t care anymore (as he said several times tonight) or because he cares too much (ie, his sorrow over Dylan getting killed tonight, or his fear that more people will die).

*Lisa Braeden: Well, she’s shown up before (in DaLDoM) to fulfill the same function: to point out to us that Dean’s deepest idea (fantasy?) of happiness is a wife and kid (and not an eternity with his soulmate/brother?). Out of left field, sure, but not without precedent.

There were some other interesting reversals of earlier moments:

*Sam (and Cas) out drinking while Dean stays in brooding and drinking coffee. Of course, on SPN-speak, getting drunk=sane response to the situation, while broody coffee-drinking=psychosis.

*Sam telling Dean he can’t/doesn’t want to do it alone. That was the most touching moment for me. Clearly, Sam is being primed to step up. Which is a lovely thing. He was being if not solicitous, at least vigilant about what was going on with Dean in a way he hasn't been since early S2, maybe.

*Dean telling Cas that “sometimes you get to kill a whore” in the exact “place” in the conversation where he once told Sam (in “Wendigo”) that it’s “saving people, hunting things” that makes their miserable lives worthwhile. Okay—that, for me, was just horribly, horribly grating (see above), though I did like the aspirin toss.

*Dean slamming the doors of the Impala and driving off alone. Willfully leaving Sam. Wait. That wasn’t a replay. THAT’S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. That was genuinely shocking.

Okay—I need to go pack. Tell me what you thought of the ep—because I am obviously confused.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

*Dean telling Cas that “sometimes you get to kill a whore” in the exact “place” in the conversation where he once told Sam (in “Wendigo”) that it’s “saving people, hunting things” that makes their miserable lives worthwhile. Okay—that, for me, was just horribly, horribly grating (see above), though I did like the aspirin toss.

Yes, I've read some great comments about this issue, which I didn't bother to dwell on in my review because I have only so much outrage to spare on this continuing issue in the series. I still reserve my most seething hatred for Dean's getting Castiel laid scene in 5.03, which was so inexcusable on so many levels that I couldn't even get into them all in my review or I would have completely sidetracked myself.

However, tie in there to the last time Dean left Sam! I know it was Sam who brought it up, but even Sam was surprised Dean let him go.

[ariadnes_string]

Yeah--I know what you mean--if one got equally incensed by every misogynist stink bomb SPN threw out, one's head would explode. I, too, mostly go along not being too bothered by them, and then every once in a while...Last season it was the gutting of Ruby that really did me in....

I'm not sure how it ties in to Dean's departure, though? This ep. seemed so different than the "break up" in 5.02--though clearly part of the same arc of Dean being able to distance himself from Sam. It's heartbreaking that he's only come to trust and rely on Sam less since then (even though Sam has been showing himself more worthy of trust, etc.) but it makes a perfect kind of sense...