Review for 5x12 'Swap Meat'

[galathea]

I had really low expectations for this week’s episode Swap Meat by Julie Siege, because once again it is based on a pretty whimsical premise - a bodyswap in this case - and I really had enough of those in S5 to last me a lifetime. Unfortunately the episode didn’t do much to refute my expectations. Mind you, this episode would probably have worked slightly better for me in a different spot in the timeline this season, but still, there were too many problems with it for me to ignore, even under better circumstances. I can see what the writers tried to show here, in regard to the state of the brothers’ relationship – namely how damaged it really is – but it didn’t quite work for me. So, be warned, this 'review' has a slightly different format than usual and is more like one long list of why this episode missed the mark by a mile wide for me. I didn’t want to analyse this episode too deeply, because while I didn’t hate it, I also didn’t want to risk to resent this episode more than I already do.



First off, I think that it would have made a positive difference if Jared himself would have depicted Gary-as-Sam and if Colton James would have played Sam-as-Gary. The opening sequence, where we see Jared play Gary was hilarious. He really did a marvellous job, every trace of Sam was gone from his acting, and I would have enjoyed to see him in that role throughout the episode. I also think it would have been easier for the audience to follow the reactions of Dean and Gary’s family/friends, if we would have seen what those characters see, when they were looking at Sam and Gary, respectively. Especially since the illusion that Dean sees Sam instead of Gary is destroyed by the fact that Jensen has to look down to Colton where he would need to look up to Jared. Additionally, the impact of the more emotional scenes, like for example the conversation between Dean and Gary-as-Sam in the bar, would have been even greater if we could have seen Jared and Jensen act it out. They just play off of each other in scenes like that exceptionally well. So, I think the show not only missed out on giving Jared a great opportunity to flex his acting muscles here, but also undermined the little positive emotional impact the episode could have had, well, on me at least.

Dean: "Is it just me or are we actually drinking together?"
Gary: "We don't do it that often, huh?"

Swap Meat is riddled with problems of continuity, implausible characterisation and it has so many plotholes that it barely holds together, but maybe I would have rationalised most of these problems away, if the episode hadn’t also left me off-kilter emotionally. At the end of the episode it was abundantly clear that while Sam and Dean obviously still love each other and probably always will, they are not friends anymore. They haven’t been for a long time, probably not since Dean came back from hell. The show played on this very theme before, namely in Sex and Violence, where Dean bonded with the siren Nick over their love for rock music and classic cars, because he missed the friendship with his little brother. Back then it made sense to me that the changes in Sam and the effect they had on their relationship left Dean lost and vulnerable, pushing him to look for the very connection he used to share with his brother in the most unlikely of places. The theme of their lost friendship continued in Free To Be You And Me, where Dean openly acknowledged that over the years the easiness of their brotherly relationship was buried under the weight of their burdens and that they unlearned how to just have fun with each other. And that made sense to me, too, because Dean was again vulnerable, trying to come to terms with his separation from Sam.

If Swap Meat had followed immediately after the brothers’ reunion in The End, it would have made perfect sense, as it would further have deepened this particular theme. Just like Sam, Interrupted would have made more sense if it had followed more closely on the heels of Free To Be You And Me, because that episode touched in passing on the subject of Sam’s anger management issues. It seems to me that the whole structuring of the season is completely off and as a result leaves the characterisation without clear direction. In my opinion Swap Meat and Sam, Interrupted should have been episodes five and six, respectively. That way we would have had a clear progression in the brothers’ relationship: separation (Free To Be You And Me) – reunion (The End) – exposition of their damaged relationship (Swap Meat) – agreement to repress and soldier on (Sam, Interrupted). In return that episode order would positively have reflected on the brothers’ off-kilter characterisation in Fallen Idols, I Believe The Children Are Our Future and The Curious Case Of Dean Winchester. However, in between Changing Channels and Abandon All Hope the brothers returned to being more in sync with each other, personally as well as professionally, however shallowly, and while it didn’t seem to make much sense since we didn’t exactly see the brothers make an effort to consciously reconcile, the development was there.

So, having Swap Meat at this point in the season left me hollow at the status of Sam and Dean’s relationship and feels like a step back, really. At this point healing and rediscovering their bond should take the front seat in the narration, not the opposite. Now, obviously Dean still longs for that close connection with his brother, that much was clear, as he bloomed under the affectionate attention Gary-as-Sam bestowed on him, but in the end scene Dean showed nothing but regret to have his Sam back at his side. It left me with the impression that if it wasn’t for the apocalypse, Dean would not necessarily choose to stay with his brother and that really felt like a punch I didn’t expect at this stage. So, yes, their relationship isn’t much fun nowadays, heck, their life isn’t much fun, for very good reasons, as Dean very well knows, and I don’t begrudge Dean his longing for their easy companionship of the early days, but really I wished it would have shown in his reaction at the end that he was glad to have Sam back, at least on some level.

Dean: "You're not Sam. Who the hell are you?"

Let’s talk about the fact that Dean doesn’t expose Gary-as-Sam right from the start: Now, on some level I can get behind that idea. As mentioned before, Sam and Dean’s relationship has fallen apart after Dean’s return from hell, and if Dean learned anything during that time then it’s that the Sam he once knew doesn’t exist anymore. He stopped knowing who his little brother is and failed to adapt to the changes in their relationship. Dean lost the one thing he could always count on, i.e. his big brother instincts, because he and Sam had grown estranged even worse than back at the beginning of the show. So, I do find it convincing that Dean would hesitate to trust his instincts where Sam is concerned, when his brother starts to act weirder than usual, a bit more scatterbrained, a tad less uptight, a little more enthused about the hunt. Dean also just made peace with his brother and challenging Sam's behaviour would only serve to stir the trust issues between them up again. It's understandable that Dean isn't really inclined to do so without good reason.

Additionally, whenever Dean’s suspicions grow stronger – which, by the way, he clearly has his suspicions from the very beginning, it’s not as if he acts completely oblivious to the sudden change in Sam – Gary usually counteracts with something that would sound just enough like Sam to distract Dean. For example, when Dean is irritated about the fact that Sam seemed to have forgotten about the Poltergeist case, Gary surprises him with his knowledge about the witch being buried in the basement, attributing it to research. Or when Dean is baffled about Sam celebrating a job well done with him, Gary’s heartfelt speech about escaping 'the plan' just for a while, fits well enough with their situation to be convincing. So, if that had been the extent of the changes in Sam, I would have bought it. Especially since it is clear how much Dean enjoys this version of his brother. A Sam who eases his burdens a little, just by giving Dean a good time over a beer and burgers, a Sam who appreciates him for who he is and expresses his admiration for Dean. Of course the real Sam did that many times as well, at least before Dean’s trip to hell, but since Sam did nothing but belittle Dean in the past year, it’s no surprise that on some level Dean wanted to believe in this version of his brother, because it was much closer to the little brother Dean has lost.

So, yeah, there are reasons why I think Dean wouldn’t necessarily confront Sam about acting a bit off right from the start, unless he is absolutely sure that something is up. However, there were just too many incidents that pointed towards a complete personality change, rather than towards just a little weirdness, to ignore. I simply cannot believe that Dean would overlook the fact that Sam suddenly seems to have forgotten how to drive a car or has completely different speech patterns or changed his tastes in music and food so drastically. Not to mention that he doesn’t seem to have noticed that all of his cell phones have suspiciously disappeared. So, to not draw from all those events that Sam might not be Sam, or at least that something fishy is going on, makes Dean look stupid. He might not know his brother very well anymore, but that kind of ignorance just takes it way too far to be convincing. And if I, as a viewer, cannot suspend disbelief for this particular plot device, the whole story falls together like a house of cards.

As mentioned before, on top of not buying the premise of the plot, there was an abundance of continuity and characterisation problems, not to mention gaping plotholes, that made it difficult to take this episode as canonical. I don’t really feel like summarising them in a particular order, so I just made a list of the points that bothered me the most:

• If Swap Meat had been a fanfiction story, I would have stopped reading it, the moment Dean asks Sam if he ever thought about having a family and children. I mean, what? Did Dean suddenly forget that Sam went to Stanford, because he wanted to live a normal life and was about to ask Jessica to marry him? It would have made sense if Dean inquired if Sam still sees the white picket fence life in his future some day – although it would have been redundant, because he asked his brother the very thing in Wishful Thinking already – but he should know that Sam once wanted that. While I guess the intent here was to show Dean's own wistfulness, the scene was handled very clumsily.



• I had a really hard time buying that a 10/11 year old Sam would repeatedly try to reveal the family secret to his babysitter. According to Sam "We do what we do and we shut up about it”, has been the family rule number one, and he didn’t exactly react sympathetic to the fact that Dean had told Cassie about the family business. He clearly conveyed that John enforced that rule pretty adamantly. While I can see that Sam would push the boundaries – like when he writes about werewolf hunting in an essay about family activities, knowing that nobody will take him seriously (After School Special) – I doubt he would have gone as far as drawing attention to them by randomly trying to tell someone who knows nothing about hunting. Not to mention that Dean would never have stood for it.



• Talking about the babysitter: We know that John frequently left Dean and Sam alone to care for themselves when Sam was just five years old, and that he only trusted a few hunters to protect his sons, like Bobby and Pastor Jim, but suddenly they had a babysitter when Dean was already 14/15 and more than capable of looking after them? Why have we never even remotely heard of her or other babysitters before? Yes, I know that Dean mentions it in I Believe The Children Are Our Future, when he interrogates Jimmy, but I thought at the time that he simply wanted to find an angle to get the kid to talk. Up to this point the show has been very consistent with the depiction of the brothers’ childhood experiences. Why change it now?



• Why didn’t Sam try to call Bobby, once it was clear that he couldn’t reach Dean? That’s their standard procedure. Also, Sam knew that even though Dean might have left the motel, his next stop would be their old babysitter’s house in order to take care of the Poltergeist, so why didn’t he try to get there in order to intercept Dean? It wouldn’t have been that hard to sneak out of Gary’s house and we know that Sam can hotwire a car.



• Are we seriously to believe that Sam, whom we have seen close to breaking under the burdens of his issues just last episode, would feel that Gary’s 'apple pie life' sucks and that he prefers their life to his? It’s one thing to not allow himself to dream of these things anymore, but another entirely to state that someone like Gary is worse off than they are. Also, while I liked Sam’s fake speech about rebelling and finding his own way and actually felt that it was absolutely something that Sam would say in this situation, I think they left Gary off the hook too easily. He and his friends tried to commit a murder! For money and silly love spells. And while for all we know Trevor was the driving force behind the original plan and Gary couldn’t go through with it in the end, I don’t think a pat on the back cuts it. I know Dean tried to intimidate him earlier by threatening to kill him, but still, I felt the severity of the situation wasn’t done justice.



• And plot-wise: Why didn’t anybody notice two teenagers shooting another teenager with a tranquilliser gun in broad daylight and then dragging the unconscious body around? We even see lots of people passing just behind Trevor and Nora, before they shoot Sam. Also, at the end of the episode there’s a dead kid in the basement of his parents’ house that nobody really seems to care about, not his 'friends', one of which has her fingerprints all over the room and the dead body, and not Sam and Dean either.

However, having said all this, there have also been a couple of scenes/insights in this episode that I enjoyed, and that showed that if the writing overall had been stronger and more consistent, this episode could have actually been decent:

• I really loved that Dean unhesitatingly swapped places when Gary/Sam asked him if he can drive. He might still automatically take the driver’s seat, but he holds to his promise from Fallen Idols of equality in all matters between him and Sam. ♥



• I thought Dean’s wistful streak in this episode was touching. He has come a very long way from the Dean who stated back in Bugs that he’d rather blow his brains out than live the apple pie life. Of course we have seen pretty early on that this was always a defensive stance that Dean took to protect himself, and that he did in fact always appreciate a normal life. Still, that he is now so open about it, stating that maybe they simply don’t know what they are missing, when they automatically dismiss that lifestyle, shows just how much his job wore him down. He wants some peace and rest now, and who could blame him? I like the sentiment that while Sam now seems to have turned his back on a normal life and looks for satisfaction in hunting, Dean is the one more likely to just lay his weapons down, once the fight is over. They have swapped places completely.



• I also loved the conversation between Gary-as-Sam and Dean in the bar. Dean’s visible surprise and subsequent genuine gratitude when 'Sam' quietly points out that he thinks that Dean is a good guy, really teared me up. I think Dean really, really wants that – his little brother looking up to him and thinking well of him. This is the first time Sam actually voices this sentiment to him, soberly and in earnest, ever since their relationship fell apart, and I think Dean needs for the real Sam to express those feelings in order for their relationship to really heal. The scene touched me and at the same time I resented that it didn’t play out between Sam and Dean itself. Sam is at the moment too preoccupied with his own guilt and anger to fulfil that need within his brother, but I really hope that we’ll get to see something akin to that scene between them sooner rather than later as part of their reconciliation.



• I really loved the little moment where the ex-babysitter mentions that Sam used to sign off his own reading lists and Dean fondly remembers that little quirk of Sam's as well. It's always heartwarming how much Dean savours their childhood memories. It also fit well with the theme of the episode and the sentiment that Dean used to know his little brother so very well.



• The shared exorcism between Dean and Gary was fabulous. It's very good to see that Dean, too, finally memorised the exorcism. I'd really like to see that kind of teamwork between Sam and Dean more often. It was a nice touch and didn't even require for them to have the demon trapped in a devil's trap. It was a very effective strategy, and I am surprised the boys didn't use it earlier.

What else was noteworthy:

(1) Two episodes ago Lucifer raised Death and apparently nothing noteworthy really happened ever since! War insinuated back in Good God, Y’all that once the four horsemen are united, the consequences would be catastrophic and we have yet to see that happen. This season constantly emphasises how much Sam and Dean suffer from the fact that they started the apocalypse, how the guilt crushes them and how the need to redeem themselves by saving the world is the one thing that keeps them going, but apart from Abandon All Hope the show neglects to really put any substance to that psychological dilemma of the brothers. Is it really so hard to weave at least some signs that the apocalypse is actually happening somewhere into the story – via radio news or TV reports – to illustrate the dire situation? Why don’t we see the brothers scout for apocalyptic omens, trying to limit the damage wherever they can, or heck, at least mention that they have no leads and no clue what to do? This is the apocalypse that isn’t, and really that does neither the plot nor the characters any favours.

(2) We know that the demons are gunning for Dean, Meg stated as much in Sympathy For The Devil, when she tried to use Bobby to eliminate Dean, and the demon in I Believe The Children Are The Our Future affirmed that while Lucifer commanded that nobody touches Sam, Dean is fair game. Which makes a lot of sense, because if Dean were dead, it would give Lucifer the absolute tactical advantage over Michael. So, I was waiting for an episode that would actually address that problem for the brothers for a while now. Since Sam and Dean are hidden from demons via hexbags, they are obviously hard to track down, and I actually like that the demons started to recruit humans to look for them. Not unlike Zachariah utilised Jehova’s witnesses to find Dean in The End. However, it’s painfully obvious that Lucifer could simply have killed Dean in Abandon All Hope instead of knocking him out. He could have snuffed Dean’s life out without breaking sweat, and he didn’t. So, what is it? Lucifer wants him dead or he doesn’t? They should really take a more definitive line here.

(3) It was interesting that Lucifer only needs Sam’s body, no matter who inhabits it, and that Sam’s consent to the possession is not really necessary, if he isn’t present. It works well with the fact that the vessel capacity is bound to a hereditary characteristic of the blood, as stated in The Rapture. Although overall I really find that a disappointing prospect, as it seems to devaluate the actual character tremendously.

In conclusion: Swap Meat really makes me want to throw the towel, when it comes to the structuring of the current season. The lack of a clear direction results in the fact that the characterisation is all over the place and the finer details of canon seem to elude the writers at the moment. And it saddens me, that all this wouldn't have been necessary, with a bit more of careful planning and some adjustments in the episodes here and there.

Comments

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Wow, that was fast. I started my stream of consciousness yesterday but haven't even touched it today, having a headache. I wasn't expecting you to pull yours together so fast!

Much easier this way, isn't it? Especially with the less-than-stellar episodes. 'Cause, I mean, this one would be perfectly fine if all you wanted was a little light entertainment that doesn't require you to think at all. It's when you stop and do that thinking, which this show has always taught us to do, that it all falls apart. So the less serious analysis we subject this kind of material to, the better! From the point of view of our own strained nerves, that is.

We already said everything there is to say about this episode. It's weak and riddled with plot holes, yet could have been good, if only the writers actually cared any more.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Aww, sorry for the headache! *hugs* Believe me, I didn't expect to get it done so fast either. This definitely was my fastest episode review to date. I just typed it down in one go and then felt better. And I think I said everything I wanted to say, without pushing myself so far that I would come to hate the episode. I really didn't want to agonise over this episode for the next couple of days and linger on the more painful angles of it much longer. I don't think I could have done this episode much more justice, if I had. Although it would probably have been formulated a bit more elegantly. *g* I don't hate the episode, I simply resent the potential it wasted.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it's best to just get it all out and then not think about it again!

You know how I feel about this episode - fairly indifferent, to be honest. I completely agree about the wasted potential and am frustrated by the plot holes and inconsistencies, but I don't have it because I wasn't expecting anything better. Which is just sad, really, when you think how high the standard used to be.

At least it didn't assassinate the characters, which was why I told you yesterday not to be afraid to watch it! There was nothing awful in it. It's just...kinda insipid.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I feel better for having it out, so I can now forget about it and spend my time with more pleasant things.

It's true. It could be worse. I just thought yesterday that the writers at least didn't manage the kind of character assassination Joss Whedon achieved with Cordy in S4 of AtS. So, I guess I am grateful for that at least. I'll hold my expectations low for the rest of the season. :)

[helpspb.livejournal.com]

Oh Chris! How I admire the way your brain worsk .. You always come up with points, I'd never see in episode. As you, I'm a bit disappointed with the show not moving forward, no signs of the actual apocalypse, confusing stand-adlone epis.. You made this one cleared to me, what were writers prolly trying to do, thanks for that. All I've got out of this one was weird feeling, that I liked ep, but thought it had no point...
Thanks!! I hope you don't mind if I send my friend over here. They were discussing how could Dean ever be so blinded to not see that Sam isn't Sam... I think you've written down at least few good reasons why we could buy it.. Except for cell phones,food and music, I agree.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Hey Helen. :) Always glad to help out. Yeah, the overall direction of this season is lacking, to say the least, which is especially confusing since last season was so strong when it came to consistency and direction - and that was the same staff of writers. I don't think this season is salvageable for me anymore. /sigh Anyway I am happy that I could give you some insight at what the writers tried to do. I mean, at least that's what I think they were trying to do, but man, they really missed their mark.

For me it was really the moment where Gary almost trashed the car, because he couldn't drive. That one would never have slipped past Dean, never! But yeah, if they had played it more subtle, with Sam's base habits not quite as changed, I could have rationalised Dean catching on so late away. Alas, they wanted the comedy and thus compromised the believability of their premise. Sometimes, these writers really shoot themselves in the foot.

Oh, and sure, send your friends over, the more the merrier. LOL

[helpspb.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean! Why is this happening? The beginning of this season was so promising. I still love it, but last couple f eps sucked A$$. :( ...

For me it was bacon cheesburger nad drinking,music. That's what I thought is something that Dean would think is totally suspicious and would take some actions...

I gave them link&they're also impressed how observant you are *gg*

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Well, I liked 'Abandon All Hope' and 'Sam, Interrupted' well enough, but there have been way too many mediocre or outright bad episodes this season, they undermine the story and the characters. :(

Yeah, it's all those things together. Still, I guess we could say that even Sam might have a hankering for burgers and a drink at times, but really there's no way to explain why he suddenly talks completely differently, his vocabulary and speech pattern is totally not!Sam. /sigh

Heh, I'm glad they enjoyed the review. This show taught me to be observant, but with episodes like these, I wished I could just turn my brain off and not think too much about it. /sigh

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

they are not friends anymore

This broke my heart.

Oh boys. WHY!?!??!

I don't know what's up with Show anymore. Whereas last season and earlier this season I was all about waiting the plot holes and character inconsistencies out because I was hoping they'd be resolved or addressed or somehow make sense in the end, my "things have to get worse before they get better" mentality isn't holding up so well anymore. It's the MIDDLE of the season and we're still doing MoTW, and worse: we're not yet privy to this apocalypse that has apparently started (as you said)!

It's too bad really as the first episodes this season were good. Then Show got lost circling Paris Hilton and never really found its way back. I feel like it can't decide what it wants to be this season: a show about 2 brothers trying to stop the apocalypse or a show that wants to be haha self-referential flavored with tongue-in-cheek comedy. I think it's a byproduct of stretching itself too thin, trying to hold onto what it was (which required mostly S1-like MotW episodes) and simultaneously trying to evolve into something bigger (requiring mytharc/Apocalypse-heavy episodes). If our season was twice as long, Show could do both. But it isn't, and instead of cutting back one in favor of the other, Show is trying to be itself past and present and, as a result, neither version of itself is being done well. The MotW episodes feel weirdly detached and there aren't enough mytharc episodes to feel any sense of urgency about the apocalypse and maintain any sort of emotional continuity regarding the supposed MAIN emotional through line of the story (Sam and Dean's relationship). ARGHHHHHHH!

*cuts self off*

I've not been writing episode reviews because free time has been hard to come by lately but mostly I was afraid of all of the above vomit spewing out (that's just the tip of the iceberg). :( So sorry that it happened at your journal.

In summary, I feel your frustration. I'm totally with you unfortunate as that is for our show.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

This broke my heart.
It broke mine, too, when I wrote it. But that's what I felt after I watched the episode and man, I just don't understand why the writers don't start to build anything close to a reconciliation arc at this point. It's midseason already and there should have been a turn in the brothers' arc. That's how it always has been. :(

It's too bad really as the first episodes this season were good.
They really were. It looked like the writers had a plan, a good plan, a working plan - and then it all stopped. And I am at an absolute loss as to why! You see, I don't think the show is actually stretched thin. The material the writers could have worked with this season is amazingly rich - from the brothers' reconciliation, over Sam's redemption, to Lucifer and the apocalypse, to the angels/God arc - but they barely even touched any of that. And you know what the funniest part is, you can't really compare it to the standalone structure of S1, because S1 actually was nothing like this season. It did actually have a strong, continuous arc with in depth character exploration, strong direction and consistency. It's the shallowness, the sudden urge to sacrifice character continuity and plot consistency to (questionable at best) comedy that really upsets me the most. They let their characters and their plot down in the worst possible way. :(

So yeah, I hear ya! I am so frustrated with this season, I've never felt this way about Supernatural in the last 4 years that I was devoted to this show.

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

don't think the show is actually stretched thin ... but they barely even touched any of that

I meant stretched thin in regards to the execution of this season, not in terms of the potential story material. In fact, I think they're stretched thin because they have so much meaty material. I liken it to a water balloon just about to burst; there's so much IN THERE (potential stories) with so little surface area (only 22 episodes to tell those stories) that the latex just gets thinner and thinner. I think most (fandom) viewers first and foremost want to see the emotional story between Sam and Dean play out, then want to see what's going to happen with the apocalypse and getting a handful of loosely related standalone episodes with disposable characters is lower on the priority list.

S1 actually was nothing like this season. It did actually have a strong, continuous arc with in depth character exploration, strong direction and consistency.

Yes, I agree. I was referring to the format of season one rather than the emotional story/plot consistency, mainly being that S1 had more MotW episodes than full-on mytharc only episodes. However, saying that makes me laugh because, yes, the emotional story and the MotW episodes were so well intertwined in S1 that it's hard to separate them altogether.

It's the shallowness, the sudden urge to sacrifice character continuity and plot consistency to (questionable at best) comedy that really upsets me the most.

I guess I tend to equate this season's MotW episodes with what you mentioned above than the mytharc episodes, which is probably why MotW episodes are not so hot with me right now. But, you're right, S1 (and even S2 and some S3) MotW episodes were pretty good at furthering/supporting the mytharc/emotional journey. Perhaps I should preface "MotW" with this season's and then make my blah face. ;)

I've never felt this way about Supernatural in the last 4 years that I was devoted to this show.

Ditto. And somehow knowing that we're closer to the end of the series imparts a deeper sense of dread for me being that it means there are fewer and fewer episodes to remedy all these issues without Show digging itself in deeper.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

I think most (fandom) viewers first and foremost want to see the emotional story between Sam and Dean play out
I think that, too. And I thought the writers knew that as well, they know Sam and Dean are the story and without that emotional core to build on nobody really cares about the apocalypse. That's why I am at a loss why the writers seem to have lost insterest in actually developing the characters. I mean, SPN was never perfect, but if there was one thing I could always count on, it was that the character work was consistent and excellent. And nice analogy! I see what you mean, but it doesn't explain why the writers this season insist on wasting that little surface area with inconsequential, shallow episodes instead of making every episode count.

But, you're right, S1 (and even S2 and some S3) MotW episodes were pretty good at furthering/supporting the mytharc/emotional journey
Yes! That's why I always found that MotW (read standalone non-mytharc related) episodes were crucial in SPN's story, because they drove the emotional story forward, which I am most interested in anyway. Mytharc episodes drive the plot and since they are usually low on character development they only come second for me. There are only few episodes that actually manage to further both aspects of the story. Man, to think that once upon a time I thought S3 was low, but I'd take the annoyance that was Bela any day over the shallowness of this season. The only really outstanding episode SPN produced this year was The End.

there are fewer and fewer episodes to remedy all these issues
The problem is that I don't think the writers actually realise that there are issues. If they would, they would change their approach to story-telling. That they don't, tells me a story of its own. I don't think S5 is really salvageable to me, all they can do is damage control now. I know it's silly, but I now put my hope into S6. Maybe I'll get the closure I want for my boys there. Of course there's the risk that we'll have a whole season full of crappers like Real Ghostbusters or Curious Case or Swap Meat, but hey hope is better than nothing. /sigh

[bowtrunckle.livejournal.com]

How embarrassing is it that I'm still trying to address comments from weeks ago?

I don't think the writers actually realise that there are issues.

I'm not sure why they stuck in a series of mostly sub-par episodes right in the middle of the season (5x05-5x12). I keep trying to make excuses like they put their newer, less experienced writers who may not be as in touch with the characters on these episodes, but that's clearly not the case as even Kripke wrote some of the less memorable episodes ("Curious Case"). So, even though I don't like the idea as it concedes that the "problems" likely aren't to be fixed (you can't fix what you don't know is wrong), I think you may be right. :(

don't think S5 is really salvageable to me, all they can do is damage control now.

With the past 2 episodes, my hope that this season may find its feet again has flickered. I'm ready for this season to finally start!

I know it's silly, but I now put my hope into S6. Maybe I'll get the closure I want for my boys there.

Not silly at all. I want those boys to have a proper send off and our story to have a satisfying ending more than anything else. I can't imagine anything less disappointing than to have invested all these years of avid viewing to have the ending fall flat.

I'm ambivalent about a S6, half of wants nothing more than more SPN no matter what and the other half doesn't want to be frustrated/disappointed/annoyed if what we get isn't quality storytelling.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

LOL Hey, you actually have a life, not to mention a baby, it would be a miracle if you were able to keep track of online life as well. I would suspect you of not actually being human. *g*

I'm not sure why they stuck in a series of mostly sub-par episodes right in the middle of the season (5x05-5x12).
Well, I quite liked 5.10 and 5.11, actually I think the run from 'Abandon All Hope' to 'My Bloody Valentine' was really good - in terms of character exploration - with the exception of 'Swap Meat', which was just seriously misplaced in the season. It's really 5.05-5.09 taken together that pose a problem for me. However, like you, I feel like the writers found their footing again now and are actually going somewhere with their plot, so my hope has been rekindled as well. Whatever follows from here might never make up for the negligences of those sub-par middle episodes, but if they manage to at least salvage some of the season, I would be more than happy.

I'm ambivalent about a S6, half of wants nothing more than more SPN no matter what and the other half doesn't want to be frustrated/disappointed/annoyed if what we get isn't quality storytelling.
I hear you! If I could be sure that a S6 would maintain a S1-2 level of quality writing, I would embrace S6 with all that I am. I'm just not sure I trust the writers that much anymore. Half of the writing staff from those seasons is gone and the replacements just haven't shown a similar steady level of quality, well, with the exception of Jeremy Carver.

[(Anonymous)]

Your meta of Swap meat is absolutely everything I've been trying to articulate. And the thing for me is what you said about Lucifer not needing Sam, just his body. It devaluates Sam as a charector. I mean wth?? i thought it was bad enough Sam has been reduced to plot devise but now he's not even needed for that? what a slap in the face to Jared who seems to be the only one putting any effort into his Sam.

I'm so bitter.

amy

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoyed my review. :)

I do think it devaluates the importance of the character for the vessel subplot, but not the importance of the character (or the actor for that matter) for the show. And you know, the same is true for Dean, if Lucifer only needs Sam's body, then Michael only needs Dean's body, too. They are both devices to the angels/demons. In a roundabout way it's comforting that it's actually Sam and Dean, their souls/spirits, that're standing between Lucifer and Michael, respectively, by protecting their bodies. Plus, we don't even know if the demon spoke the truth. Could be she just lied. :)

And you know, the vessel plot, I don't really care about that so much. I care about Sam and Dean, the persons, the brothers. There will never be anything more important in this show than Sam'n'Dean and that's why neither of the characters or actors can ever be less important than the other or unimportant to the show.

[naisica.livejournal.com]

You know it's kinda random and off-topic, but after your review i remembered why exactly I love this show:)) Thank you for this:)))

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Huh! That's funny, that you remember your love for the show after reading my pretty negative review. LOL But well, you're welcome. :)

Swap Meat

[nitewoman.livejournal.com]

Your comments said pretty much how I felt about this. Jared did a good job playing Gary. I’m sure he had a lot of fun with some of the scenes. Ordering an alcoholic drink and being goofy with that plus getting pick up by a “lady of the night”. Jared handled this comedic scene well. This is the comedy that Jared does the best.

The interaction between Dean and Gary/Sam wasn’t all that great. I can’t believe it took Dean so long to figure out this was not Sam. FIRST CLUE : Sam would never put the Impala into reverse and run into something without Dean going ballistic and knowing right then something was wrong with Sam.

This episode had a lot of pot holes through out. Finding out there is a bounty on Dean was a juicy piece of information and at least made some connection to the Apocalypse. Guess Lucifer figures as long as Sam and Dean are together fighting getting Sam to agree to be his vessel is not likely to happen.

Coming up with a plan to kill Dean so they can collect the reward is ridicules. None of them have any problem actually killing someone they don’t know? Gary actually trying to shoot Dean in the basement was ever more stupid. A normal kid to this point without flinching is going to shoot this guy in the back! Dean is first: not stupid, second: Dean doesn’t hear the cocking of the shotgun yeah right like that would ever happen.

What I did like was hearing Dean ask Sam don’t you ever think about having a wife and rugrats? Dean has been changing in his wanting a normal life since he reunited with Sara and met Ben. To hear Sam say he has no interest in that anymore when that was why he went to Stanford, to live that kind of life. I’m sad to say I believe Sam has lost all of his dreams and is very comfortable with living the life of a hunter. Dean on the other had has grown up and matured so much since getting out of hell and thinking there is more to life than this. Otherwise why would he continue trying to end the apocalypse, because he that breaks the first seal is the one who will end it.

I’m really happy to have Supernatural back and I love see Sam and Dean, so I’m giving the writers and Eric a wide OK this is the stupid bad episode for Season 5. Good think that’s out of your system, or it better be.
What is tragic here is writers missed a wonderful opportunity to delve into the problems that still exist between Sam and Dean. It would have been exceptional if Dean and Sam swapped bodies and through a MOTW show having to fight together but literally from different sides could have given them insight to how each of them thought and felt and maybe, just maybe start to mend their relationship.

Re: Swap Meat

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed my review.

Finding out there is a bounty on Dean was a juicy piece of information
We already knew though that hell was trying to hunt Dean down. Meg already stated as much in 'Sympathy For The Devil'. So it wasn't exactly shocking news, but I still liked how the demons employed human help to find the brothers.

What I did like was hearing Dean ask Sam don’t you ever think about having a wife and rugrats?
Yeah well, Dean already asked Sam the exact same thing in 'Wishful Thinking' and got the exact same answer, so I thought that bit was really completely redundant. *shrugs*