8x01 | Short Reaction

[galathea]

I just watched the S8 premiere, and usually I don’t do episode reactions, but after the summer I had, I really felt the need to get one thing off my chest right away. The in-depth review will follow later, as usual.

I guess most people will know that the spoilers about Sam's arc in S8 had me in tied up in knots all summer long, so I have to say that I am very, very relieved to find that the S8 premiere gave me enough reason to believe that not all is as it seems with Sam's storyline to at least alleviate some of my worries. After paying close attention to Sam's reactions and actions in the episode, I am under the distinct impression that there is something going on with Sam we don't know yet. The first thing that seems conspicuous is the shadowed figure watching Sam drive away from Amelia. It suggests to me that someone is keeping an eye on Sam’s activities, and that brings me back to my theory that Sam made a deal (possibly with the alpha vampire) to give up hunting for Dean's rescue - and then came to actually appreciate the life he was forced into. Moreover, Sam's subdued reaction to Dean's questions is very telling. I mean, Sam evades Dean’s questions, twice. First, when Dean asks him if he looked for him, and then again when he inquires what made Sam drop out of hunting. Sam simply doesn't answer and just allows Dean to draw his own conclusions instead - and that tells me that Sam is hiding something.

I still think that the secrecy between the brothers feels forced; it feels like a means to create conflict, and I am thoroughly tired of that. Not to mention that I am tired of the writers casting Sam in the role of the 'bad brother' just for the sake of mystery, but at the moment I am just profoundly relieved that there is at least a chance that Sam’s characterisation is a deliberate misdirection and that once we know the full story, it will all make sense. Also, the fact that, despite their secrecy, the brothers at least sit down and have series of actual conversations during the episode makes me hope that this will become a trend. Of course, I could be wrong and we have to take Sam's explanations at face value, but at the moment, I take what I can get.

Comments

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad you found some relief in the premiere, after being so stressed about it! *hugs*

Me, I found a lot of things to enjoy in the episode, but overall and taken as a whole, I found the writing...stale. So many of the ideas feeding into it felt repetitive and I am beyond tired of Sam's motivations being kept opaque for long stretches, making it impossible for us to understand where he's coming from and what he's thinking. Hints at some slow-to-unfold mystery to come just don't satisfy me any more and this show has done that trope to death already. And the flashbacks of how Sam met vet Amelia really bugged me - seriously, no veterinarian would insist on handing over an injured dog fresh out of surgery to the complete stranger who accidentally ran it over, especially after said stranger has clearly stated that they don't want a dog and are in no position to care for it!

I really like Dean's hair, though.

[chiiyo86.livejournal.com]

I definitely think that there's more to Sam's story than we know. As you said, there was a lot of deflection on Sam's part when he explained what he'd been up to during the year, and the scene of Sam leaving at the beginning was very mysterious.

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

Huh! I did not notice a dark figure watching Sam! Hmmm, I wonder if Sam did, indeed, make a deal for Dean's release (and/or for the safety of Amelia) and reciprocally promised to stay out of hunting. Boy, would that explain a LOT. (Personally, I do hope it was AlphaVamp watching Sammy. I find him a delicious beast.)

Yeah, the secrecy felt a tad forced, I'll agree. Probably because the writers rushed into the reunion so fast. Hell, they rushed into everything at the speed of a fangirl's whimsy. But I do think they gave Sam enough backbone to defend himself with sensitivity towards Dean's recent plight and not come off as the 'bad brother.' He recognized his mistake with Kevin and apologized for that, straight away. But the rest? Sure, he earned his hunting-free life but I'm sure we'll discover there's more to that decision than just "Hey, here's my opportunity."

COME ON, SEASON EIGHT!

[sweet-lyri.livejournal.com]

Like I said on the forum, I don't know if Jared was just having a lazy acting day when they filmed the scene where he brought the dog to the vet, but it felt very, very forced to me. Like, he was adamant that Roberta get the vet immediately. Which, yes, he could have been worried about the dog, but given what Sam's been through in his life, I feel like he should have a more level head. He'd taken the dog to the vet, the assistant said she was going to get the doctor...and Sam's still yelling for the doctor. It just seemed very false to me and over-acted.

I'm hoping there's a reason behind Sam's laid back attitude. Given that we saw the figure watching Sam...I think there's more going on that we're led to believe. And I have a weird feeling that the figure is actually Benny.

[smalltrolven.livejournal.com]

Here, here! To the brothers having actual conversations being a trend for season 8. Since there's a whole year of backstory to get through, maybe it will work out that way.

I like the idea that Sam may be reluctant to tell Dean about a deal he had to make with someone unsavvory, and that is his secret he's holding back. Maybe with the alphavamp (who could presumably get a psychic connection message through to Benny in Purgatory on how to escape).