Review for 4x06 'Yellow Fever'

[galathea]

It’s surprising but true, there hasn’t been a S4 episode so far that I didn’t love, and I think that’s a first for any season of the show. Awesome! ♥ Just like the 6th episode of the previous two seasons, Yellow Fever introduced a new writer, or a team of writers in this case, to the staff. Unlike Matt Witten and Laurence Andries though, Andrew Dabb and Daniel Loflin created a good script, that managed to make me laugh and freak me out at the same time.



First off, Yellow Fever demonstrated just how much out of order last week’s episode really was, because the characterisation follows seamlessly from Metamorphosis, but doesn’t fit at all with Monster Movie. Even if Dean is not an entirely reliable narrator in this episode, since his emotions are magnified and out of control, his freak-out about the nature of their job and the sacrifices their lives entail, stands in direct opposition to his renewed spirit for the hunt in Monster Movie. It relates well though to his increased state of insecurity about the question where he and Sam are heading after their confrontation in Metamorphosis. Also, Sam’s reaction to the case and Dean’s predicament makes more sense in the aftermath of their fallout, but more about that further down in my review. Anyway onto the episode!

In some aspects Yellow Fever is a complementary episode to last year’s Bad Day At Black Rock only with reversed roles for Sam and Dean. Back then Sam’s bad luck made him a hazard to a case and forced Dean to leave Sam behind in order to avoid endangering them, here it’s Dean who is the obstacle to the case and Sam is forced to take over complete control of the situation. Also, in both episodes one of the actors got the chance to show off his comedic potential and while Jared proved that he is fantastic at slapstick, Jensen pulled off the whole range of hilarious facial expressions and vocal changes here. Still, he managed to make Dean’s emotional state, from anxiety to full-blown panic always tangible, even in moments that were played as comedy.

I love when we open an episode on the boys, not only because it gives a bit of variety to the teasers, but also because it usually means that there is juicy character stuff ahead and this one didn’t disappoint. The teaser sequence with Dean seemingly running from hellhounds, a clear visual replay of the opening scene in No Rest For The Wicked, only to reveal that he runs from a yorkie instead, easily established the overall tone for the episode, terror and humour all wrapped in one. I really like how they managed to sneak in a pretty dark and terrifying character episode under a humorous surface. That’s not often done in the show, at least not to this extent and I think that’s a big achievement for two new writers.

Dean: "We search out things that want to kill us, or eat us. You know who does that? Crazy people! We are insane! (…) I am done with it. I’m done with the monsters and the hellhounds and the ghost sickness and the damn apocalypse! I’m out. I’m done. I quit!"

First off, I think the manifestation of fears in Dean were mostly an expression of subconscious fears, either literally or metaphorically, transferring an intangible fear into something tangible. Some fears of course were rather straightforward, like his fear to die and go back to hell but even more unreasonable fears can be seen as founded in real fears. For example his sudden fear of heights, which can easily be related to his fear of flying or his fear of the yorkie, which clearly transferred his fear of the hellhounds to a harmless dog, simple exaggerations of already existing fears in Dean. It was interesting though that also habits that should be ingrained as normal and 'safe' in Dean’s subconsciousness, like handling a weapon, driving his car or using fake IDs, suddenly created anxieties. These were surely no genuine fears, but fears created by the infection. Every action, every word, every object could be distorted and twisted into a potentially lethal threat. So while I do think that Dean’s fears mostly have a true core, he is not a completely reliable narrator in the episode, as his perception is deeply skewed by the sickness.

While Dean’s fears were played humorous at the surface, underneath his predicament always carried a deeper level of desperation and darkness. He tried to cling to his brother, his bravado, his courage, but it all slipped away, leaving him defenceless and out of control, something that had to be deeply terrifying in itself for someone like Dean, who always needs to be in control of himself and the situation. There was something very touching about seeing Dean stripped off all of his defences, reduced to the opposite of his usual cocky self and barely functional. A terrified child in a world full of incomprehensible dangers and Jensen really portrayed that part of Dean’s change wonderfully, despite the mostly comedic context.

Clearly the most disturbing scene for me was Dean’s fright hallucination about Sam. It starts out as a twisted version of their end conversation in Long Distance Call, with Dean admitting to his fear of dying and looking for reassurance from his brother, only this time Sam seems to turn on him, expressing cruel satisfaction about Dean returning to hell and consequently being out of his way. Dean’s deep seated fear that Sam not only doesn’t need him anymore but also doesn’t want him further at his side already reared its head in Metamorphosis, and while it was of course amplified considerably here, it shows that he doesn’t know anymore where he stands with his brother. Abandonment issues have always been part of Dean’s psyche and with the changes in Sam's personality, they suddenly become more prominent again.

The fact that Dean hallucinates Sam turning his powers against him and that he suspects that Sam wants to become the monster within, wants to make a deliberate choice to turn down his humanity, is harder to interpret. The trust issues resulting from Sam’s lies and deceptions clearly play their part in this particular expression of his fears, but I wonder if there’s more to it. I have to admit, that it is the first time in the show that I got the impression that some part of Dean might be afraid of his brother and that unsettled me. I always argued that Dean is afraid for Sam, that he sees nothing but goodness in his brother and hence will always choose to protect him, but if he is afraid of Sam it opens up the possibility that Dean is willing to fight him if necessary. I guess I need to wait for more conclusive evidence in future episodes to get a clear read on this.

Another fascinating bit was Dean’s hallucinated conversation with Lilith: On some level Dean seems to know that he has full recollection of what happened to him in hell, but he represses that knowledge. We already saw that Dean has nightmares about his time in hell, the repressed memories floating to the surface in his sleep, and it will be interesting to see when and why these mental barriers will break down and he becomes fully aware. That Dean’s subconsciousness chose Lilith’s form to represent hell isn’t surprising, still it makes me wonder if Lilith personally had a hand in his torment and if there’s any significance to Lilith stating that Dean knows exactly why he was infected. Did anything happen to Dean in hell that made him a target for this particular ghost?

In any case, it is clear that in the aftermath of In The Beginning and Castiel’s warning, Dean fears more than ever for his brother’s destiny. When he imagines for a short moment the yellow glint in his brother’s eyes at the end of the episode, the uneasiness is clearly visible in his facial expression. I don’t think that it is meant as foreshadowing in this case, but just like Dean’s unsettling short flash of his demon-self at the end of Dream a Little Dream Of Me, as an expression of his innermost fear. One he of course hides from his brother.

Dean: "I have 48 hours before I go insane and my heart stops?"
Sam: "More like 24."
Dean: "Super!"
Sam: "Yeah."

My initial reaction to the fact that Dean was dying, again, was annoyance. They played that particular card plenty of times before and after a while it loses impact, but as the episode went on, I realised that this plotline served a different purpose than usual here. It clearly emphasised how differently Sam reacted to this particular situation this time around. He was concerned, yes, he took a protective stance towards Dean, but he was also distanced and closed off to the fact of losing Dean again. If we look back at episodes like Faith, In My Time Of Dying or Mystery Spot, where Sam was choked up with emotions at the prospect of losing his brother, driven by desperation, panic and fear, the difference to Yellow Fever was striking. The Sam back then couldn’t cope with the thought of living without Dean, the Sam now is prepared for such a situation.

This Sam already lived through his biggest personal nightmare and had moved on with his life. He isn’t indifferent towards Dean dying, but he knows he can survive it and presumably steeled himself emotionally against going through a similar loss, resulting in a detachment from the possible consequences of their predicament. Even with only 2 hours to go, Sam kept his calm and relatively relaxed demeanour, nothing of the frenzy he displayed in previous episodes. He was solely focused on the job and didn’t allow himself any emotional distraction from it, and I think that is why he so often reacted irritable and annoyed at Dean’s incapability to deal with the onslaught of fears and his dependency on Sam. There were only few moments of brotherly comfort and care, like when he tells Dean to stop scratching or rests a reassuring hand on his brother’s back or chest, but overall he seemed frustrated with Dean.

Yellow Fever therefore further adds to the impression that Sam closed himself off after Dean’s death and didn’t really allow himself to let go of that reservation when Dean came back. Already in Lazarus Rising Sam’s joy at having Dean back was subdued and his resignation in the face of the realisation that the one thing that made him feel good about himself, namely using his powers for good, was a self-delusion, only caused that he drew back even more into himself. While we see in Are You There God? and Monster Movie that the easy brotherly companionship with Dean is still intact at the surface, it’s the closeness, the intimacy that is lacking.

I think Sam didn’t really allow his brother back in emotionally, didn’t allow himself to fall back into his dependency on Dean, staying detached in order to be prepared for situations just like these. For the first time in S4 we really see how much Sam grew into a man of his own, while Dean was in hell. With Dean basically unable to back Sam up, he takes charge sure and easy. His demeanour is calm and authoritative, he strings the clues together and even though Bobby gives him the last information he needs, it’s Sam who in the end comes up with the plan and stops the ghost. While Sam was always capable on his own, he just shows a whole new level of independency from Dean here. He might need back-up from time to time, but I am not sure if he still needs Dean at the moment, in the same way he needed him before Dean’s trip to hell. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t still love his brother more than anything, but his approach to that love seems to have changed.

The dynamics between the brothers definitely reached a completely new stage this season and while I am anxious and worried about where they are heading, I also find myself intrigued, something I definitely didn’t anticipate. As a side note: I think that Jared plays Sam’s new guardedness towards Dean very low-key and it’s once again great to see how much he grew as an actor, because I think back in S1 Jared would have struggled more with that kind of subtlety in his acting.

Garland: "Everybody was scared of Luthor. They called him a monster. He was too big, too mean looking, just too different. Didn’t matter that he was the kindest man I ever knew."

Whenever there are pairs of brothers in the show I naturally expect parallels with the Winchesters and sure enough the brothers Garland make no exception. The gentle giant of a brother, who was murdered out of misdirected fear and his sibling, who felt he failed his brother because he was too preoccupied with his own burdens and gave up on him too easily, make the obvious parallel to Sam and Dean. Sam who may find himself on the wrong end not only of the hunter’s community and (worst case) his brother but also of God, an outcast in every sense of the word and Dean, who isn’t sure if he will be able to save Sam, always afraid of failing to protect his brother.

The resolution to the case, scaring Luthor's ghost to 'death' by subjecting him to the same fear he felt when he was murdered, was unexpectedly brutal though. I rarely feel pity for the spirits or demons in the show, but this case was one of those times.

What else was noteworthy:

(1) I am usually not one to complain about plot holes, but I thought they should have found a more conclusive way to deal with the question as to why Dean was infected, while Sam or the doctor who did the autopsy were not. In the end Sam’s explanation that all the infected people used fear as a means of intimidation wasn’t convincing, because we know that Sam, just as Dean, works that angle in their line of profession as well. I might have bought that reason in S1 or S2, but over the last 1.5 seasons Sam was depicted as increasingly more ruthless and violent, so that explanation didn’t really cut it anymore. Obviously it was important for the brother arc that the events played out the way they did and so they took the MotW and just ran with it, but failed to make it really plausible. That’s really a pity for an otherwise very strong episode.

(2) I really enjoyed to see Sam and Bobby working together for a change. So far we mostly had scenes between Dean and Bobby, with Sam more in the background. They displayed an easy companionship here, but nothing of the closeness that is tangible between Bobby and Dean and I wonder if Bobby still feels betrayed by Sam's withdrawal in the aftermath of Dean’s death. It will be interesting to see if there will be a fallout to that one day. Oh, and I really, really want to know what Bobby said in Japanese! *g*

(3) Although I was spoiled for the surprise at the end of the episode, I was laughing tears at Jensen’s full lip-sync performance of ‘Eye Of The Tiger’. I love that they actually added that blooper fully into the airtime of the episode, complete with credits and all. Someone clearly loves us fans over at the CW. As the story goes, Jared was curious to see how Jensen would react if he didn’t give him his dialogue cue (tapping on the roof of the Impala) and told the crew beforehand to just keep the cameras rolling and see what happens. From his surprised laughter off camera, it’s clear that he didn’t exactly expect Jensen’s impromptu performance. Jensen’s bright smile after he finished and breaks character was absolutely delightful as well. Boys!! They are such dorks! ♥ ♥ I am so insanely grateful that we have these two goofballs on our show! ♥

* * *
Did you know? In preparation for Dean’s silly and out of character behaviour, Jensen studied the movie Dumb and Dumber as inspiration. The man clearly likes to suffer for his art, huh? Also, Jared isn't really comfortable around snakes and was nearly unable to sit through the scene where 'Marie' slides over the back of the couch.

Comments

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Excellent review, hon.

I still think that Dean's hallucination of Evil Sam wasn't what he thinks will happen, but the illness distorting and amplifying what he most doesn't want to happen, taking his underlying fears of where Sam's powers come from and what the YED intended them for and tangling them up with his abandonment complex and concerns over Sam's deception until you end up with this terrifying mess.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon! *hugs*

I don't believe that Dean thinks it will happen either, as I said, it's no foreshadowing here. What worried me was that I got the impression that Dean's belief in Sam might waver, the belief of the inherent goodness of his brother. But I guess I need to wait and see! LOL

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Aye indeed - wait and see and have faith! Everyone is allowed a moment of weakness when their fears get the better of them - especially when they are in the grip of a terrifying and fatal supernatural illness that comes complete with fever, delusions and hallucinations! Dean does believe in Sam's inherent goodness, but this hallucination stemmed from the same fears that Sam has expressed in the past: that being a good person might not be enough to prevent some kind of change happening. After finding out about Sam's lies and use of his power, Dean can be forgiven for having his faith in Sam's ability to resist a little shaken, in a weak moment.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that makes sense. You know I worry too much about these boys. LOL

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

LOL don't I ever know it! It's why I work so hard to find the right words to soothe your troubled mind... :)

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Heh, see I challenge your powers of reassurance. ;) Your skill certainly improved manifold since we became SN twins. :D

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Well, I've been getting so much practice over the years. Can't have Cho unsettled in any way!

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Cho ftw! YAY! *g*

[thandie.livejournal.com]

Oh yay! Interesting review as ever. I must also say that I wasn't too picky with the MOTW this time because of all the amazing characterization. It blew me, I couldn't see nothing else.
And Bobby says: 'since before you were born' anyway :)

Did you see the teasers for next episode? I'm SO excited!

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

The depth of the characterisation in the episode was fantastic and I am a bit disappointed that a lot of fans apparently are unable to look beyond the funny surface of it. There was so much more going on here than just Dean being funny. /sigh

Ahh LOL good to know. I was secretly expecting Bobby to just insult Sam in that moment! *g*

No I didn't, but I know that it is Halloween themed. Hopefully it is real scary! :)

[thandie.livejournal.com]

Oh I agree! Well, it wasn't even all THAT funny imo. I adored Jensen's faces and I admit there were some scenes (like the hallway one) where I was almost dying in some parts. But the first thing you notice is hoe sweet and vulnerable Dean becomes without all that posturing and cocky attitude...and that was heartbreaking already on its own.
And the scenes with Sam/YED were very sad and creepy...And in the ending you can see that Dean is AFRAID of Sam imo. I think it was more fear, that didn't allow him to confide in Sam, because he was about to tell him what he saw in the hallucination, but then he reconsidered. And the way Dean, after this scene, still calls Sam 'Sammy', makes me break inside a little. It's like he still grips tight on the love that ties them together, even if he thinks Sam is probably changing. I hope that will settle the trend for the new episodes you know? I want to see Sam going dark and Dean rising him from perdition, just to quote someone ;)

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Yes! To most everything you wrote, especially with Dean hanging onto Sam with fierce love and determination. Except: It was always my biggest fear that Sam goes evil. I am okay with him flirting with darkness and being misguided, but I don't want to see Sam commiting acts that are unforgivable in his eyes as well as the eyes of the viewers. I do have a clear limit there and I am afraid that they cross that line and destroy the character for me. I want Dean to save Sam before he goes over the edge. That's why I am anxious about how the season plays out. :)

[thandie.livejournal.com]

Oh I see. I'm the opposite in this aspect :) If we have SURELY 5 seasons, I'd like for this one to end in a not clear way, or even badly, and to have the final resolution in season 5. I would have really liked a Sam vs Dean showdown some point in the story, but I don't think Kripke will follow this route. I mean, I'm pretty sure he would if he could, but I think they will not anyway.
But hey, whatever happens, I so would want Dean to save Sam, and see them finally return to their old co-rependent relationship of mutual adoring brotherly love :)

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

I so would want Dean to save Sam, and see them finally return to their old co-rependent relationship of mutual adoring brotherly love :)

I second that wholeheartedly. As long as they don't cross any extreme lines with the characters, I am fine and if these boys don't get a happy ending with each other in the end I'll beat Kripke with a stick. LOL

The show is clearly gearing up for the endgame, judging from the way the last puzzle pieces come together this season. I do think the season will probably end with some sort of confrontation between Sam and Dean. I mean, after all, what else can they do, they already killed both of them. No other way to top that! LOL

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

ROFL! What as funny, great episode....I also thought of BDABR, Scaredy-cat!Dean is as adorable as klutzy!Sam! :p And I loved how Sam was pretty much in the big-brother role here, although he did seem rather guarded as you said. Loved the hallucinations about Sam, so creepy and well done! While I wouldn't want to see Evil!Sammy for real I think Jared pulls it off well, so it's nice to give him the chances to do it without it counting for real....

Thanks for the explanation about the Eye of the Tiger scene, I was wondering about that blooper! I remember seeing the clip earlier, someone had directed me to it out of some other context...Jensen is indeed a great comic actor! I remember Francy doing a piece I think of the snake scene, for some art challenge...

And Gumby too! I'd like to know what channel Dean was watching, that shows Gumby! And Booby teasing Dean at the end was so cute....plus, Dean's reaction to the cat! :p Reminded me of my senora who was scared of cats...

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

To be quite honest, 'Yellow Fever' is one of my least favourite episodes of the season. It's one of those episodes where I was okay watching it first time around, but the longer I thought about it, the less I like it. Oh, and I HATE that cat!scream, I think it's one of the few instances where Jensen overacts a scene, I really didn't find that funny at all. I also dislike that they play the horrible memory of Dean being ripped apart by hellhounds as a joke here. It's just like in MS, I don't like it when grave events in the show are undermined by 'humourising' them. There are some instances in the episode I do find funny, but there's also some stuff in the episode that I really dislike.

Additionally, I am not comfortable with Sam's guardedness towards Dean in this episode. I mean, I completely understand where he's coming from, psychologically, but it saddens me to see him so cut off from his feelings. I can't help it, I am a sap where the brotherly love is concerned. *g*

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

Wow, another surprise--you seemed to like it in your review! :s I'm surprised, since to me it felt like another BDABR-type epp, but for Dean instead of Sam (in that epp Dean wasn't really freaking out about Sam either)....

And meh, since he is supposed to be over-the-top anxious I didn't find it to be over-acting....the thing is I often feel freaked out by things jumping out on the show, and so I appreciated some acknowledgment of this--that "that was scary" (well usually, not the cat of course, that's to me akin to the pizza in MM)...:p And I'm so with Dean about not wanting to go into that building!

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

As I said before, I tried to be pretty neutral at some point with my reviews. There are only few episodes that I hated so much that I lost my temper and started to rant, actually that only happened with my two least favourite episodes of the season. Yellow Fever is only on place three or four. *g*

And yes, Dean was pretty calm in 3.03 as well, but man, Sam wasn't 2 hours from dying right out from under his hands, you know, and Dean did mock Sam's clumsiness, but he didn't berate him, like Sam does when Dean gets too clingy.

Hm, you have to watch the S3 gag reel to see what I mean. Jensen and Jared goof around on set a lot and that cat!scream was exactly modelled after one of the JJs fake scream incidents on set and it was so Jensen that I couldn't find Dean in it. It was as if Jensen didn't know how to play it, so he imitated Jared. I loved his little 'That was scary' though, he sounded like a little lost boy and that fit for me.