Review | 7x13 | The Slice Girls
Feb. 10th, 2012 07:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
galatheaI went into The Slice Girls with highly ambivalent feelings and very low expectations, mainly because the plot description read like a bad soap opera script. And the fact that the episode was written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming did nothing to alleviate my concerns, since they are not exactly the most experienced or convincing Supernatural writers on the staff. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself actually enjoying the episode. Now, The Slice Girls is not a stellar episode by any means, but it is not a complete failure like Time For A Wedding either. The characterisation for Sam and Dean is very much in keeping with their current desolate situation, and the plot draws interesting parallels to themes and storylines from earlier in the season. Overall the episode is another solid instalment in an (so far) excellent season for me.
Sam: "The thing is, tonight it almost got you killed. Now I don’t care how you deal. I really, really don’t. But just don’t … don’t get killed."
Dean: "I do what I can."
I admit, I find Sam and Dean’s interaction throughout the episode really fascinating to watch. Dean has now reached a stage of his depression where he seems to have lost his drive almost entirely. He is not only unable to muster up any real interest in their current hunt - he rather takes a nap than study the case file; he skips out on research to go to a bar, get drunk and hook-up first chance he gets; and when he does work, he is going through the motions - but he is also barely responsive in his interaction with Sam. Sam, on the other hand, seems almost hyperactive and I think it is obvious that his behaviour is a direct response to Dean’s apathy. He tries to engage Dean in their usual brotherly banter by going into full bratty little brother mode, i.e. teasing and mocking and annoying his big brother just to get a reaction out of him – any reaction other than indifference. Most of it is good-natured and laced with fondness, of course, but sometimes Sam’s words have an underlying edge, frustration and worry clearly taking their toll as time goes on. However, when Dean finally takes an interest in something, namely in Lydia and her mystery baby, Sam instantly dismisses his brother’s suspicions that something supernatural is going on, and I think there are two reasons for that. Firstly, just like back in Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things, Sam assumes that Dean’s sudden fixation on Lydia and the baby is a way for Dean to avoid dealing with his grief, and secondly, Sam is frustrated that, instead of working with him on their case, Dean just leaves him hanging to go on (what seems like) a wild goose chase. He simply feels abandoned.
Now, overall Sam’s behaviour throughout the episode may come off as slightly over-the-top, but I think the root cause for his demeanour is apparent even before he spells it out for Dean at the end of the episode: Sam is terrified of losing his brother – and naturally that informs his entire interaction with Dean. His quiet, distraught plea for Dean to not get himself killed is truly heartbreaking and speaks volumes about how much Sam needs his brother. ♥ It is not surprising that, slowly but surely, Sam grows desperate. For the better part of the season he has been trying to reach out to Dean; he offered his support and frequently encouraged Dean to open up to him, and it has got him nowhere. On the contrary, he had to helplessly watch Dean slipping deeper and deeper into his depression. And, by the way, that is a very realistic depiction of depression and the toll it takes on the family members of the person affected by the illness. Sam is not only worried for Dean though, but also for himself. At the moment he only holds it together because Dean is his touchstone of reality; he has built his inner strength on his brother. But take Dean out of the equation and Sam’s mental faculties will probably collapse like a house of cards. Overall, Sam barely hangs on and Dean is already in a freefall – and I have no idea what could anchor him at this point. I do believe that Dean is honest when he tells Sam that he does what he can, but, just like Sam is afraid that Dean will die on him, I am sure that Dean still believes that he will inevitably lose Sam again, and it is impossible to build hope or optimism on brittle ground like that.
Sam: "It’s not Bobby."
Dean: "Could be."
Sam: "No it couldn’t be."
Dean: "Why not?"
Sam: "Because we want it to be."
I think The Slice Girls leaves little doubt about the fact that Bobby has indeed turned into a spirit, and I find myself more and more accepting of the idea. As I said in my review to Death’s Door, we have met benevolent ghosts in the show before, and I can easily imagine Bobby protecting/helping his boys from beyond the grave without becoming violent. Since the episode reveals that Sam and Dean did burn Bobby’s body after all, I think it is safe to assume that his spirit is bound to his former possessions, probably his books or the flask Dean inherited from him. That would also explain why Bobby’s ghost was able to appear in two very different locations; Sam and Dean literally carry him with them. The episode also puts a lot of emphasis on the fact that, without Bobby’s considerable knowledge at their disposal, gathering information has become a lot more tedious for the brothers. Now, obviously Sam and Dean are perfectly capable of doing their own research, but their awkward dealings with Professor Morrison clearly illustrate that having a solid hunting-related support structure is much more efficient than working with civilians. Evidently, relying on civilians for help can be quite time-consuming, frustrating and tiring. Additionally, the brothers’ struggle to adapt to their Bobby-less situation shows just how much he had integrated himself into every part of their lives these past six years – not only as a fatherly friend, but also as a hunting partner.
Anyway, Sam and Dean’s radically different reactions to the prospect of Bobby’s spirit following them around are interesting, but not entirely surprising. Dean is clearly open to the idea of Bobby looking out for them from the afterlife. He wants it even. Just like he desperately wanted John to be the one who called him from beyond the grave with information about how to get out of his deal in Long Distance Call, and just like he believed that Ellen sent him a message through the curator in The Mentalists. It is not difficult to imagine that Dean draws comfort from the thought that, even though his loved ones are gone, they are still an active part of his life. Moreover, Dean himself has once been given the choice to become a spirit or to move on to the afterlife, and he knows first-hand that staying behind for the sake of your family is incredibly tempting. His instincts as a hunter may tell Dean that it is wrong, but he certainly understands why Bobby would be willing to make that choice nonetheless – and that allows him to be open to the possibility of Bobby’s presence as a ghost. Sam, on the other hand, is a lot less accepting of the idea, and that makes sense, too. He probably wants to believe it just as much as Dean, but he cannot let himself hope and, more importantly, he cannot allow himself to believe in something that might not even be real. Sam’s hold on reality is fragile as it is, and opening his mind to 'what ifs' and 'maybes' could very well compound his condition.
Emma: "I have to kill you."
Dean: "Is that what they told you?"
Emma: "It’s what I am."
Admittedly, I am not particularly impressed with the amazon mythology in The Slice Girls, but I do enjoy that the brothers’ confrontation with Dean’s daughter Emma revisits the theme of monsters and hunters and how the choices they make define them. Now, the episode obviously draws a major parallel between Amy in The Girl Next Door and Emma, namely that both have been raised to believe that they have to kill in order to live. Amy thought that she had a choice though. She turned her back on her kind and integrated herself into human society, until she was forced into becoming a killer so her child could live – and even then she refused to believe that she is a monster. Emma, on the other hand, has accepted that fact; she believes that being a killer is what defines her, and I think there is no doubt that she would have killed Dean (or tried to), had Sam not stopped her. However, while Emma’s story about wanting a normal life is clearly a manipulation to throw Dean off guard, I do believe her confession that she finds it oddly hard to kill Dean is genuine. Right from the start, we can see that Emma is different from her peers. She shows doubts where the other girls unhesitatingly follow their leader’s instructions and, unlike the others, Emma does not just ambush and kill Dean, instead she initiates a dialogue. Her somewhat atypical actions suggest to me that she does feel an impetus to change who and what she is, but unlike Amy, she lacks the conviction that she actually has a choice in the matter. And in that she is a perfect mirror of her father, who also thinks of himself as a monster and who believes that he does not have the choice to change that either.
Now, while Dean believes it is too late for him, he still has hope that it is not too late for Emma. As long as she does not take that last step and actually kills someone, Emma is innocent in Dean’s eyes, monster or not. He has always been consistent in that regard. Personally, I have no doubt that Dean would have let Emma go, had she walked away, regardless of the fact that there was still a good chance that she would succumb to her conditioning later and kill him and/or take her place in the amazons’ homicidal mating cycle. And that would not have been all that different from Sam letting Amy go. Of course, Amy had already killed once and had thus proven that she was willing to cross that line if necessary, whereas Emma only expressed her intent to do so, but the basic principle of Dean’s decision would have been the same as Sam’s, namely the belief that humans and monsters alike have always the potential to make the right choices. In the end, Dean hesitates to kill Emma because he wants to believe that she can make that choice, and that hesitation could have easily cost him his life. So it is Sam who takes the shot, and I am convinced that he would have killed her even if she had agreed to leave Dean be and turn her back on the amazons. In Sam’s mind she would always have presented a danger to Dean, and he simply cannot deal with that at the moment. I like how Sam later tries to emotionally distance himself – and most importantly Dean – from Emma by drawing the parallel to Amy and emphasising that Emma was not really Dean’s, but I doubt it has the intended effect. Dean will feel guilty for Emma’s death, no matter how little control he had over the situation. It’s just one more burden he will carry for the rest of his life.
And while we are talking about monsters: Just the other day I thought how glad I am that, along with the angels, the show also got rid of the demons this season, and The Slice Girls reminds me of the reason why. The last couple of seasons I often complained about the fact that Sam and Dean have grown numb where the collateral damage of their job is concerned, and that is especially true in regard to demons. Demons, who have become the predominant monster type from S3 onwards, have mostly been reduced to nameless and faceless creatures that can be discarded en masse without a single thought about their innocent hosts, and that always bothered me. In the current season, however, the value of a single life, human or supernatural, is something worth pondering again. Death has meaning; monsters have a name, a face and a story that leaves an impact, and their right to live is a valid moral issue. I just find it incredibly refreshing to see that Sam and Dean care again. Moreover, I love the exploration of the thin lines between hunters and monsters and good and evil, as well as the discussion about nature versus nurture, this season. I just really missed this aspect of the show, and I think a greater variety in monsters adds considerably to the complexity and overall enjoyment of the show.
What else is noteworthy:
(1) I rather like Sam and Dean’s conversation about whether or not Dean used protection when he was with Lydia. One of the problems I had with the episode after reading the plot description was that I simply could not fathom that Dean would have unprotected sex. He would never be so careless, especially not after his 'fatherhood scare' with Ben back in The Kids Are Alright. So I am glad that Sam calls his brother out on it and Dean confirms that he wore a condom. Moreover, the direction of the scene between Lydia and Dean at the bar suggests that amazons are able to supernaturally enthral their victims, thus lowering their inhibitions and impairing their judgment. And given that conception is the sole purpose of their mating act, the amazons undoubtedly sabotage any birth control measures of their sex partners, if their seduction fails to dissuade the men from taking precautions. By the way, I think it is interesting that Dean actually kept Lydia’s number; it seems to indicate that he intended to contact her again. He also appears to be genuinely disappointed when Lydia gives him the brush-off over the phone, and later, when he visits her to retrieve his flask, he even takes an active interest in her child. That is not exactly typical one-night stand behaviour. It gives the impression that Dean is looking for a connection and/or a hint of normality in the insanity of his life.
(2) Of course the episode has its weaknesses. The amazon plot, for one, is not exactly without flaws. For example, why did the amazons chop off their victims’ hands and feet? The meaning behind that gruesome mutilation is never really explained. I also find it surprising that law enforcement is not all over the case. I mean, given the strangely ritualistic deaths, the high number of victims and the cyclical nature of the killings, I would have expected the FBI to take an interest. If a random medical examiner can make the connection to cold cases, surely the FBI would as well. On a different note: Why would Sam assume that Dean dodged a bullet when he finds out that a number of the victims died shortly after hooking-up in the same bar where Dean met Lydia? The case files clearly state that a couple of days passed between the victims visiting the bar and being murdered, so Dean not only falls into the right target group, but also into the right time frame. Sam really should have made the connection there and then. And later, when the brothers know for a fact that Dean is on the amazons’ hit list, why would they choose to separate? There is no good reason for Dean to stay behind at the motel when Sam goes to see the professor. Besides, when has Dean ever followed Sam’s request to sit tight and not do anything stupid!
In conclusion: The Slice Girls might not be as tightly written as other episodes this season and the case file of the week might not be overly original or interesting, but the episode very effectively illustrates that Sam and Dean are on the verge of a breakdown, and that alone makes the episode worthwhile in my opinion. I also like the S1 feel of the episode – even the good old 'it could be our kind of thing' makes a re-appearance, much to my delight. Overall, I continue to love S7 and its sharp focus on the characters. So far the whole season is constructed around Sam and Dean and their psychological issues in a way it has not been in a long time; basically the brothers are the plot, and that is how I like the show best. ♥
Sam: "The thing is, tonight it almost got you killed. Now I don’t care how you deal. I really, really don’t. But just don’t … don’t get killed."
Dean: "I do what I can."
I admit, I find Sam and Dean’s interaction throughout the episode really fascinating to watch. Dean has now reached a stage of his depression where he seems to have lost his drive almost entirely. He is not only unable to muster up any real interest in their current hunt - he rather takes a nap than study the case file; he skips out on research to go to a bar, get drunk and hook-up first chance he gets; and when he does work, he is going through the motions - but he is also barely responsive in his interaction with Sam. Sam, on the other hand, seems almost hyperactive and I think it is obvious that his behaviour is a direct response to Dean’s apathy. He tries to engage Dean in their usual brotherly banter by going into full bratty little brother mode, i.e. teasing and mocking and annoying his big brother just to get a reaction out of him – any reaction other than indifference. Most of it is good-natured and laced with fondness, of course, but sometimes Sam’s words have an underlying edge, frustration and worry clearly taking their toll as time goes on. However, when Dean finally takes an interest in something, namely in Lydia and her mystery baby, Sam instantly dismisses his brother’s suspicions that something supernatural is going on, and I think there are two reasons for that. Firstly, just like back in Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things, Sam assumes that Dean’s sudden fixation on Lydia and the baby is a way for Dean to avoid dealing with his grief, and secondly, Sam is frustrated that, instead of working with him on their case, Dean just leaves him hanging to go on (what seems like) a wild goose chase. He simply feels abandoned.
Now, overall Sam’s behaviour throughout the episode may come off as slightly over-the-top, but I think the root cause for his demeanour is apparent even before he spells it out for Dean at the end of the episode: Sam is terrified of losing his brother – and naturally that informs his entire interaction with Dean. His quiet, distraught plea for Dean to not get himself killed is truly heartbreaking and speaks volumes about how much Sam needs his brother. ♥ It is not surprising that, slowly but surely, Sam grows desperate. For the better part of the season he has been trying to reach out to Dean; he offered his support and frequently encouraged Dean to open up to him, and it has got him nowhere. On the contrary, he had to helplessly watch Dean slipping deeper and deeper into his depression. And, by the way, that is a very realistic depiction of depression and the toll it takes on the family members of the person affected by the illness. Sam is not only worried for Dean though, but also for himself. At the moment he only holds it together because Dean is his touchstone of reality; he has built his inner strength on his brother. But take Dean out of the equation and Sam’s mental faculties will probably collapse like a house of cards. Overall, Sam barely hangs on and Dean is already in a freefall – and I have no idea what could anchor him at this point. I do believe that Dean is honest when he tells Sam that he does what he can, but, just like Sam is afraid that Dean will die on him, I am sure that Dean still believes that he will inevitably lose Sam again, and it is impossible to build hope or optimism on brittle ground like that.
Sam: "It’s not Bobby."
Dean: "Could be."
Sam: "No it couldn’t be."
Dean: "Why not?"
Sam: "Because we want it to be."
I think The Slice Girls leaves little doubt about the fact that Bobby has indeed turned into a spirit, and I find myself more and more accepting of the idea. As I said in my review to Death’s Door, we have met benevolent ghosts in the show before, and I can easily imagine Bobby protecting/helping his boys from beyond the grave without becoming violent. Since the episode reveals that Sam and Dean did burn Bobby’s body after all, I think it is safe to assume that his spirit is bound to his former possessions, probably his books or the flask Dean inherited from him. That would also explain why Bobby’s ghost was able to appear in two very different locations; Sam and Dean literally carry him with them. The episode also puts a lot of emphasis on the fact that, without Bobby’s considerable knowledge at their disposal, gathering information has become a lot more tedious for the brothers. Now, obviously Sam and Dean are perfectly capable of doing their own research, but their awkward dealings with Professor Morrison clearly illustrate that having a solid hunting-related support structure is much more efficient than working with civilians. Evidently, relying on civilians for help can be quite time-consuming, frustrating and tiring. Additionally, the brothers’ struggle to adapt to their Bobby-less situation shows just how much he had integrated himself into every part of their lives these past six years – not only as a fatherly friend, but also as a hunting partner.
Anyway, Sam and Dean’s radically different reactions to the prospect of Bobby’s spirit following them around are interesting, but not entirely surprising. Dean is clearly open to the idea of Bobby looking out for them from the afterlife. He wants it even. Just like he desperately wanted John to be the one who called him from beyond the grave with information about how to get out of his deal in Long Distance Call, and just like he believed that Ellen sent him a message through the curator in The Mentalists. It is not difficult to imagine that Dean draws comfort from the thought that, even though his loved ones are gone, they are still an active part of his life. Moreover, Dean himself has once been given the choice to become a spirit or to move on to the afterlife, and he knows first-hand that staying behind for the sake of your family is incredibly tempting. His instincts as a hunter may tell Dean that it is wrong, but he certainly understands why Bobby would be willing to make that choice nonetheless – and that allows him to be open to the possibility of Bobby’s presence as a ghost. Sam, on the other hand, is a lot less accepting of the idea, and that makes sense, too. He probably wants to believe it just as much as Dean, but he cannot let himself hope and, more importantly, he cannot allow himself to believe in something that might not even be real. Sam’s hold on reality is fragile as it is, and opening his mind to 'what ifs' and 'maybes' could very well compound his condition.
Emma: "I have to kill you."
Dean: "Is that what they told you?"
Emma: "It’s what I am."
Admittedly, I am not particularly impressed with the amazon mythology in The Slice Girls, but I do enjoy that the brothers’ confrontation with Dean’s daughter Emma revisits the theme of monsters and hunters and how the choices they make define them. Now, the episode obviously draws a major parallel between Amy in The Girl Next Door and Emma, namely that both have been raised to believe that they have to kill in order to live. Amy thought that she had a choice though. She turned her back on her kind and integrated herself into human society, until she was forced into becoming a killer so her child could live – and even then she refused to believe that she is a monster. Emma, on the other hand, has accepted that fact; she believes that being a killer is what defines her, and I think there is no doubt that she would have killed Dean (or tried to), had Sam not stopped her. However, while Emma’s story about wanting a normal life is clearly a manipulation to throw Dean off guard, I do believe her confession that she finds it oddly hard to kill Dean is genuine. Right from the start, we can see that Emma is different from her peers. She shows doubts where the other girls unhesitatingly follow their leader’s instructions and, unlike the others, Emma does not just ambush and kill Dean, instead she initiates a dialogue. Her somewhat atypical actions suggest to me that she does feel an impetus to change who and what she is, but unlike Amy, she lacks the conviction that she actually has a choice in the matter. And in that she is a perfect mirror of her father, who also thinks of himself as a monster and who believes that he does not have the choice to change that either.
Now, while Dean believes it is too late for him, he still has hope that it is not too late for Emma. As long as she does not take that last step and actually kills someone, Emma is innocent in Dean’s eyes, monster or not. He has always been consistent in that regard. Personally, I have no doubt that Dean would have let Emma go, had she walked away, regardless of the fact that there was still a good chance that she would succumb to her conditioning later and kill him and/or take her place in the amazons’ homicidal mating cycle. And that would not have been all that different from Sam letting Amy go. Of course, Amy had already killed once and had thus proven that she was willing to cross that line if necessary, whereas Emma only expressed her intent to do so, but the basic principle of Dean’s decision would have been the same as Sam’s, namely the belief that humans and monsters alike have always the potential to make the right choices. In the end, Dean hesitates to kill Emma because he wants to believe that she can make that choice, and that hesitation could have easily cost him his life. So it is Sam who takes the shot, and I am convinced that he would have killed her even if she had agreed to leave Dean be and turn her back on the amazons. In Sam’s mind she would always have presented a danger to Dean, and he simply cannot deal with that at the moment. I like how Sam later tries to emotionally distance himself – and most importantly Dean – from Emma by drawing the parallel to Amy and emphasising that Emma was not really Dean’s, but I doubt it has the intended effect. Dean will feel guilty for Emma’s death, no matter how little control he had over the situation. It’s just one more burden he will carry for the rest of his life.
And while we are talking about monsters: Just the other day I thought how glad I am that, along with the angels, the show also got rid of the demons this season, and The Slice Girls reminds me of the reason why. The last couple of seasons I often complained about the fact that Sam and Dean have grown numb where the collateral damage of their job is concerned, and that is especially true in regard to demons. Demons, who have become the predominant monster type from S3 onwards, have mostly been reduced to nameless and faceless creatures that can be discarded en masse without a single thought about their innocent hosts, and that always bothered me. In the current season, however, the value of a single life, human or supernatural, is something worth pondering again. Death has meaning; monsters have a name, a face and a story that leaves an impact, and their right to live is a valid moral issue. I just find it incredibly refreshing to see that Sam and Dean care again. Moreover, I love the exploration of the thin lines between hunters and monsters and good and evil, as well as the discussion about nature versus nurture, this season. I just really missed this aspect of the show, and I think a greater variety in monsters adds considerably to the complexity and overall enjoyment of the show.
What else is noteworthy:
(1) I rather like Sam and Dean’s conversation about whether or not Dean used protection when he was with Lydia. One of the problems I had with the episode after reading the plot description was that I simply could not fathom that Dean would have unprotected sex. He would never be so careless, especially not after his 'fatherhood scare' with Ben back in The Kids Are Alright. So I am glad that Sam calls his brother out on it and Dean confirms that he wore a condom. Moreover, the direction of the scene between Lydia and Dean at the bar suggests that amazons are able to supernaturally enthral their victims, thus lowering their inhibitions and impairing their judgment. And given that conception is the sole purpose of their mating act, the amazons undoubtedly sabotage any birth control measures of their sex partners, if their seduction fails to dissuade the men from taking precautions. By the way, I think it is interesting that Dean actually kept Lydia’s number; it seems to indicate that he intended to contact her again. He also appears to be genuinely disappointed when Lydia gives him the brush-off over the phone, and later, when he visits her to retrieve his flask, he even takes an active interest in her child. That is not exactly typical one-night stand behaviour. It gives the impression that Dean is looking for a connection and/or a hint of normality in the insanity of his life.
(2) Of course the episode has its weaknesses. The amazon plot, for one, is not exactly without flaws. For example, why did the amazons chop off their victims’ hands and feet? The meaning behind that gruesome mutilation is never really explained. I also find it surprising that law enforcement is not all over the case. I mean, given the strangely ritualistic deaths, the high number of victims and the cyclical nature of the killings, I would have expected the FBI to take an interest. If a random medical examiner can make the connection to cold cases, surely the FBI would as well. On a different note: Why would Sam assume that Dean dodged a bullet when he finds out that a number of the victims died shortly after hooking-up in the same bar where Dean met Lydia? The case files clearly state that a couple of days passed between the victims visiting the bar and being murdered, so Dean not only falls into the right target group, but also into the right time frame. Sam really should have made the connection there and then. And later, when the brothers know for a fact that Dean is on the amazons’ hit list, why would they choose to separate? There is no good reason for Dean to stay behind at the motel when Sam goes to see the professor. Besides, when has Dean ever followed Sam’s request to sit tight and not do anything stupid!
In conclusion: The Slice Girls might not be as tightly written as other episodes this season and the case file of the week might not be overly original or interesting, but the episode very effectively illustrates that Sam and Dean are on the verge of a breakdown, and that alone makes the episode worthwhile in my opinion. I also like the S1 feel of the episode – even the good old 'it could be our kind of thing' makes a re-appearance, much to my delight. Overall, I continue to love S7 and its sharp focus on the characters. So far the whole season is constructed around Sam and Dean and their psychological issues in a way it has not been in a long time; basically the brothers are the plot, and that is how I like the show best. ♥
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no subject
Date: 2012-02-10 07:32 pm (UTC)Well said!
The protection/no protection issue never bothered me, even from the plot description, because seriously, if we're talking about a supernatural creature that is mating with humans specifically because it intends to breed, it seems safe to say that any attempt at contraception is going to be sabotaged. It is good that it was addressed in the text, though.
no subject
Date: 2012-02-10 09:27 pm (UTC)Heh, well, it bothered me. I thought it might be one of the occasions where the characters do something stupid just to serve the (ridiculous) plot. So I was relieved to find that it was not the case. *g*