Oh Sammy! (That was my very first reaction.)
This wasn't my favorite Supernatural episode, nor was it my favorite season two episode, nor was it my favorite Sera Gamble episode, nor was it my favorite post-hiatus episode.
I didn't hate this episode, but I didn't love it. I approached it rather cautiously because of the I am protective and guarded regarding my own beliefs. I don't like when I am told that there is only one correct way to believe and that way involves *insert particular Christian denomination here.* That isn't to say that there is anything wrong with those who believe in a way that is different from mine. I think loving and respecting your fellow man is a beautiful way to live. I respect you and your beliefs and hope you'll do the same for me. I think the problems arise from an historical perspective (what with the missionaries and their "kill the Indian, save the man" mentality and banning traditional Native practices and American history in general and all). I also dislike the presumption that one religion (or whatever) has a monopoly on morality, love, and respecting your fellow human being. (But, that's a topic completely separate from this episode.)
Can't we all just get along?
So, Angels? I don't know all there is to know about Angels, but I think it's a nice concept. I can relate.
My expectations going in? As far as I can tell, the Supernatural world doesn't discount any belief system and accepts as true legends, myths, and rituals from all over the globe. It doesn't say that *this* one is better than *that* one, and seems to actually assert that the culture from which the legend derived is best encountered by that particular culture's mythos.
So... Angels? Well, I really liked the movie (never read the comic) "Constantine," so I thought a cool way to approach it would be like that movie. In fact, you could say that Sammy is like John Constantine in that he thinks if he kills enough evil things, he can be saved. In fact, the boys are hunters like John Constantine, and they also live in a world that is oblivious to the supernatural... And there are demons. But, the episode did not actually turn out like "Constantine." (Especially unfortunate because Gavin Rossdale had a role in the movie...talk about bringing the pretty...)
My sister really hated the cinematography of this episode, but it didn't bother me as much. I noticed (on first viewing) that the color palette was very drab and grey. On second viewing I realized that this was to make the white light of the "angel" stand out that much more. These people were living in a harsh and depressed world of violence and despair, so when the white light appears to them, it leaves them with a sense of peace and hope. Also, Sam was wearing white scrubs in the first scene, and he practically glowed against the background. Later, he was wearing a white t-shirt under a v-neck sweater (friggin' hot -- I love men's v-neck sweaters), also noticeable. But in the last third of the episode, he's back to wearing muted colors. I'm guessing this is because at this point his faith has been questioned by Dean and he's starting to realize that it really isn't an angel that spoke to him.
When Father Gregory first appears (not as a white light), his face is glowing. But, he's glowing in a dead-corpse like manner -- very unnatural, as if all of the color and life has been drained from his face. He doesn't look like a man, but a supernatural being. When he finally realizes that he isn't an angel, color has returned. He looks mortal...and scared.
Likes:
* Dean on a vibrating bed!
* Hot!Sam
* Sweet, scared Sam
* Sam is so desperate to believe that he can be saved that he is grasping around for anything.
* Sam as a vulnerable puppy
* Spongebob shoutout
* New *Pastor Caleb*-type recurring character?
* Goooore!
* Why Dean and Sam have different attitudes toward the existence of Angels -- nicely put. I've always liked how they've characterized Dean with regard to losing his mother. It's as though the moment he lost his mother, his childhood ended. He became Sam's caretaker and a soldier. His whole life was shaped by that one night. His mother and her faith vanished from his life, and his father charged him with being Sam's guardian. His whole life after this point would be about watching out for Sammy, and Dean has seen the horrible things that could happen if it didn't.
Dislikes:
* "God's Will" -- I get that they started with each brother in one frame of mind and wanted to show that they each learned something by the end...but I found this to be a little disingenuous. I think if I pretend that Dean only said it to make his brother feel better, I'm fine with it. I think the bigger problem came when Dean said that there was no such thing as God earlier in the episode. That made this statement seem much more forced/sudden. Or, it's just a bit of bad writing that somehow escaped Ms. Gamble. Besides, it was a chick-flick moment. (and that? is bad)
* No evil monster to hunt
* Kind of boring
Overall? This wasn't the worst episode or even really bad. It felt very "filler" to me because it didn't quite fall into the two categories for this genre (and this is totally coming from an X-Files perspective): mytharc or standalone (a.k.a. Monster of the Week). We really only had a reaffirmation of Playthings: Sam is scared.
I think Raelle Tucker is gaining an edge as the new frontrunner (behind Kripke, of course) for Bestest Supernatural Writer EVER.
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pynk_spyder and I have this fun (well, I call it "fun") tradition of having tv-watching parties. It's mostly for Heroes and Supernatural, but we'll sometimes extend it when a show deserves theme food (e.g., Torchwood).
stressed
anxious
awake
happy
devious
sick
calm
cold
guilty
giddy
contemplative
hyper