Hee, I'm so happy to see your review! You really outdid yourself with this one! Man, I don't know where to start...
Your analysis of both brothers' state of mind was spot on. Theit interactions in this episode are the result of a long road throughout the season, and you really showed it very well. <3
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with Point Of No Return right from the start, as I didn’t really expect Sam to catch up with Dean at the beginning of the episode already.
Oh yes, me too (at least, until I saw the clips, haha). It was really better this way than having them separated for all the episode, because it gave us a few golden moments, and it made the conclusion more organic.
It’s worth noting in this context that not once Sam allows himself to be goaded into anger or physical violence by Dean’s attacks throughout the episode, no matter how hard his brother comes down on him.
It was my greatest hope for the episode, that Sam at least wouldn't resort to anger and violence to convince his brother, and it was very rewarding to see it happen, especially, as you said, with all the paralells to the end of season four.
So, I think that by admitting that he was wrong here, he simply translates this new insight into action, i.e. that it is okay to want a life/make decisions of his own, but that he doesn’t need to hurt the person closest to him in the process.
Yes, that. Sam never expressed regrets for going to Stanford in the show (contrary to some fics). He doesn't have to, it was the right thing to do for himself, and that's not what he's doing here. The wording is specific - "running away." He expresses regrets for the way it happened, and for what happened last season. Also, this moment isn't about Sam, but about Dean, and Sam knows it.
After all, last year Sam withdrew his faith in Dean when he needed it the most, now he gives it to his brother when he expects it the least, and he leaves it up to Dean to take it or leave it.
Beautifully said. <3 After the episode, I thought about what you said in your post before 100th aired, about how you loved the episode Shadow because in it Dean gave something to Sam (his freedom) without expecting anything in return, and in the end Sam returns to him. I thought there was something similar here, but with a role reversal (like SPN is so fond of!). Sam gives his faith (and freedom, literally) to Dean, and in the end Dean returns to him. <3
I too loved how Adam was used, and how different he was from ghoul!Adam. I never had any problems with his existence, because I never thought he would become a permanent feature in the show, so I saw no threat to Sam and Dean's priviledge relationship, and he made for interesting interactions. I hope to see him again, but I fear for his fate.
So, overall I don’t think there is any real significance to Dean killing Zachariah here.
I with you on this. Unless we have someone else than Uriel state this, I won't believe it. He was, as you said, arrogant enough to genuinely believe it even if it's wrong (mere humans killing angels, bannish the though!), and other evidence point to the contrary.
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Date: 2010-04-25 09:49 pm (UTC)Your analysis of both brothers' state of mind was spot on. Theit interactions in this episode are the result of a long road throughout the season, and you really showed it very well. <3
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with Point Of No Return right from the start, as I didn’t really expect Sam to catch up with Dean at the beginning of the episode already.
Oh yes, me too (at least, until I saw the clips, haha). It was really better this way than having them separated for all the episode, because it gave us a few golden moments, and it made the conclusion more organic.
It’s worth noting in this context that not once Sam allows himself to be goaded into anger or physical violence by Dean’s attacks throughout the episode, no matter how hard his brother comes down on him.
It was my greatest hope for the episode, that Sam at least wouldn't resort to anger and violence to convince his brother, and it was very rewarding to see it happen, especially, as you said, with all the paralells to the end of season four.
So, I think that by admitting that he was wrong here, he simply translates this new insight into action, i.e. that it is okay to want a life/make decisions of his own, but that he doesn’t need to hurt the person closest to him in the process.
Yes, that. Sam never expressed regrets for going to Stanford in the show (contrary to some fics). He doesn't have to, it was the right thing to do for himself, and that's not what he's doing here. The wording is specific - "running away." He expresses regrets for the way it happened, and for what happened last season. Also, this moment isn't about Sam, but about Dean, and Sam knows it.
After all, last year Sam withdrew his faith in Dean when he needed it the most, now he gives it to his brother when he expects it the least, and he leaves it up to Dean to take it or leave it.
Beautifully said. <3 After the episode, I thought about what you said in your post before 100th aired, about how you loved the episode Shadow because in it Dean gave something to Sam (his freedom) without expecting anything in return, and in the end Sam returns to him. I thought there was something similar here, but with a role reversal (like SPN is so fond of!). Sam gives his faith (and freedom, literally) to Dean, and in the end Dean returns to him. <3
I too loved how Adam was used, and how different he was from ghoul!Adam. I never had any problems with his existence, because I never thought he would become a permanent feature in the show, so I saw no threat to Sam and Dean's priviledge relationship, and he made for interesting interactions. I hope to see him again, but I fear for his fate.
So, overall I don’t think there is any real significance to Dean killing Zachariah here.
I with you on this. Unless we have someone else than Uriel state this, I won't believe it. He was, as you said, arrogant enough to genuinely believe it even if it's wrong (mere humans killing angels, bannish the though!), and other evidence point to the contrary.