2.03 on a second viewing

[hope]

I can't believe how much I DIDN'T notice this the first time around, but I fucking love the juxtaposition of Sam telling Dean that "they're not all bad! they're just like us!" with Lenore telling Eli, "they're not all bad! they're just like us!" Mostly I love the fact that Lenore is all fondly of her great brute of a man. So in general, those two scenes were pretty much a direct parallell, yeah?

*HEARTS SHOW LIKE WOAH*

Also, was I the only person who, during this episode, could only think of *Sam's* supernatural 'powers'? That was pretty much the constant little voice in the back of my head throughout the whole thing. I mean, all the shot construction of Dean and Gordon is totally positioning them as doppelgangers, even if the rest of the anvil-like allegory isn't (mmm, anvil-like allegories. MY FAVOURITE. Have I mentioned that I HEART MY SHOW LIKE WOAH?). Gordon's sibling turns supernatural, Gordon exterminates her (much like a Dalek, yes). Dean's sibling turns supernatural? Yeah. Throughout the whole episode, the more Gordon said, the more anxious I got for Sam. It was done so well, Gordon came across as so damn DANGEROUS.

I guess that's another thing I feel I can relate to. That sense of anxiety, someone obliquely talking about you with their hate speech without realising that you're like, you know, part of the minority group they're discussing. There's just an inherent sense of danger in that. What would Gordon do if he knew *Sam* wasn't necessarily "entirely human" (using his definitions of the black/white human/not human)?

Oh, THEM.

^ That's because I was thinking about what to write on next, and was thinking about how the dynamic's evolved because Sam's grown up and now Dean needs taking care of, and Sam realises that Dean needs taking care of, and Sam realises that Dean deserves taking care of, and that he WANTS to take care of Dean, so when Dean says "you're a pain in my ass" Sam says "well I'll stick around" and Dean says "Thanks".

OH, THEM.


Also. Was amused/tickled that Sam follows Ellen's orders without question.

Comments

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Sam is SO not substituting Ellen for John, no-no *shakes head*

Truth is, these two boys, used to act/react to such an overwhelming big PITA father-figure, they should be (and rightly are) completely out of their depth.

I'm enjoying it.

*butting in - hope you don't mind*

[kc-rumors.livejournal.com]

Sam is SO not substituting Ellen for John, no-no *shakes head*

See, I see Ellen as being the substitute mother figure for Sam. Which also would explain why Dean's being so resistant to Ellen.

Re: *butting in - hope you don't mind*

[glitterdemon.livejournal.com]

i agree. scribblinlenore had some interesting things to say about that here (scribblinlenore), seventh paragraph down.

i also don't know if it's just my flist (which seems more interested in pairing ellen with the boys that examining her role as a mother figure), but i haven't seen, like, any discussion of dean's hostility toward her and where that comes from. the contrast between sam and dean in relating to her is very interesting, because i think the implied intimacy between john and ellen makes him very defensive in the way that, say, children who have been through the separation of their parents are hostile to new boy/girlfriends (versus those who were too young to be involved and have that not-being-togetherness as their only frame-of-reference, which is sam).

Re: *butting in - hope you don't mind*

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Oh yes :)

That's why Sam's comment about Ellen and John maybe having had an affair comes so naturally to Sam's mind/mouth and Dean crashes it down, because in the end Sam wouldn't mind having had a mom, whereas Dean had his and won't accept a substitute figure. (not to mention the thought of his father having sex, which would horrify anyone, I suppose ;)

It'll be intriguing to know what exactly happened between Ellen and John, because her comment about him being 'family' has to be explained. I wanna know!!! :)

Re: *butting in - hope you don't mind*

[kitsune-red.livejournal.com]

because in the end Sam wouldn't mind having had a mom, whereas Dean had his and won't accept a substitute figure.

And besides -- being Sam's mommy is his job. :)

[kitsune-red.livejournal.com]

I love the fact that Lenore is all fondly of her great brute of a man. So in general, those two scenes were pretty much a direct parallell, yeah?

I know! I wanted to fondle fondly her big brute of a man, too. :)

I recognized them as parallels, but.. It didn't really occur to me to think of them as direct parallels. ^__^ They do that quite a lot, don't they? I know you have a post somewhere, where you point them all out, don't you? Sammy *hearts* his big brute. Oh, show.


was I the only person who, during this episode, could only think of *Sam's* supernatural 'powers'?

I know, I was so worried that Gordon would find out about Sammy and go after him. Still possible. They guy's got a serious grudge, now.

[shehasathree]

yep.
"i don't think Sam would agree"
and
"if it's supernatural, we kill it!"
and
your'e not like Max and you never will me 'cause you've got me
and
ashjkdfhalhdsldss. yeah.

[brokenbacktango.livejournal.com]

Gordon's sibling turns supernatural, Gordon exterminates her (much like a Dalek, yes). Dean's sibling turns supernatural? Yeah. Throughout the whole episode, the more Gordon said, the more anxious I got for Sam.

I never thought of that while watching the episode. They've already made an enemy of Gordon, and if Gordon ever found out about Sam's powers I wonder how far he'd go to stop Sammy. Eep. And since we now know for sure that there is a pretty sizable hunter community out there, I wonder how many share Gordon's mindset. Would Sam and the other children like him be considered enemies or potential allies? Guess we'll have to see what the Big Bad's plan is first.

I love the Ellen observations that have come up in the other comments. Supernatural fans are flavors of awesome :)