Review | 8x09 | Citizen Fang
Dec. 14th, 2012 12:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
galatheaCitizen Fang by Daniel Loflin – I guess it was his turn after Andrew Dabb’s solo effort last week – basically picks up where Southern Comfort left off and escalates the brothers’ conflict concerning Benny. At the same time, the episode continues Sam and Amelia’s storyline and returns an old acquaintance of the brothers to the screen. I was somewhat spoiled for this episode, and I would be lying if I said I was looking forward to it – I am just so, so tired of conflict – but ultimately I do not hate it quite as much as I thought I would. I do not particularly love it either, but what else is new. I feel that this kind of indifferent reaction has been my main response to most episodes this season, and that is something I never thought I would say about Supernatural.
If we look back to the past seven seasons, there has not been a single season without conflict between Sam and Dean. Generally, I do not mind that, because conflicts – whether small (‘your dirty socks in the sink') or big ('I don’t trust you anymore') – are an integral part of human relationships; they just make Sam and Dean’s relationship layered and realistic. The underlying causes for the brothers’ various conflicts are easy to identify: They have different temperaments and personalities, Dean’s psychological issues feed into Sam’s issues and vice versa, and life constantly throws them into emotionally and morally complex situations that facilitate conflict. However, the vast majority of their conflicts do not affect the fundament of Sam and Dean's relationship, i.e. those conflicts do not change the way they relate to and feel about each other. Up until S8, there has only ever been one conflict that called the very foundation of their relationship in question and that was their conflict in S4. It systematically dismantled the brothers’ relationship and left it in ruins. Admittedly, it was extremely hard to watch – which is why S4 is my least favourite season – but at least it made sense because, narratively, the writers had built towards that conflict throughout the first three seasons. Naturally, Sam and Dean's S4 conflict resulted in trust issues that were present through most of S5 as well, but ultimately that season was all about rebuilding their relationship. Of course, the brothers hit some major bumps on the road to reconciliation, but by the end of the season, Sam and Dean had forged a new, enduring bond, and from there on, fundamental conflicts were a thing of the past.
Now, one could point to the soulless Sam arc in first half of S6 as another major conflict, but it is important to keep in mind that, ultimately, that conflict was not between Sam and Dean. After all, Sam was not even really present during that time, and once Sam's soul was restored, the brothers naturally fell back into an amicable relationship. Similarly, the Amy conflict in S7 may have been taxing for the brothers, but the fact that it was resolved within the span of two episodes and had no tangible after-effects on their relationship clearly demonstrated that conflicts between Sam and Dean did not have the same destructive effect they used to. That does not mean that those events did not leave their scars, but despite it all, the brothers grew closer than ever during that time. And that brings us to the brothers’ conflict in S8, a sudden fundamental conflict that feels completely contrived mainly due to massive continuity problems: First, there is Sam and Dean’s characterisation. So far, the writers made no efforts whatsoever to show us how the brothers went from where we left them off in S7 – affectionate, mature, emotionally open – to the petty, immature and closed-off versions of the characters we see at the moment. Yes, the past year was a transformative experience for both brothers, but instead of carefully mapping the characters’ emotional development during that year, the writers filled the flashbacks with meaningless action (Dean) and skipped large periods of time that are crucial to the understanding of the character (Sam). Granted, it is possible to rationalise the changes in the characters, but we should not need to rely on conjecture to follow the main characters’ emotional journey.
Similarly, the writers neglected to frame the current conflict between Sam and Dean in a way that would present it as a logical conclusion of what came before. I mean, presently, we see a re-emergence of old points of conflicts between the brothers, like hunting versus a normal life or Sam’s betrayal of Dean’s trust in S4. However, those conflicts have already been openly addressed and resolved in the past, and so far the writers have given us no compelling reasons why the brothers’ current situation would suddenly reopen those old wounds. That is not to say that it is entirely unreasonable for those issues to resurface – after all, the brothers never really dealt with the underlying causes for their past conflicts, like Dean’s abandonment issues or Sam’s control issues – but it is really important to preserve a sense of continuity where the past progress in the brotherly relationship is concerned, because otherwise that progress would be devaluated – and I find that thought deeply upsetting. As it is, I think Dean’s disappointment that Sam did not look for him and Sam’s hurt over Dean’s trust in Benny, do not at all justify the level of estrangement and hostility we witness between the brothers at the moment, especially considering how solid their relationship was before purgatory. It does not help that Sam and Dean’s current conflict is almost entirely based on a lack of communication, and that may have worked as a narrative stalling tactic in the early seasons, but the brothers are grown adults now and they have demonstrated in past seasons that they are perfectly capable of expressing themselves.
In that context, I cannot help but think back to Jeremy Carver’s comments in regard to the brothers’ emotional arcs for S8 during the summer hiatus. He said: "It’s one thing to get in a car with your brother in year one, but eight years later, you’ve both matured and grown. You’re both changing and trying to find out who you are." Sadly, I think Mr Carver and I have very different definitions of the word 'mature'. I mean, how is the behaviour we see from Sam and Dean this season even remotely the behaviour of two grown men in their thirties? They rather remind me of two five year old girls pulling each other’s pigtails because they are unable to adequately articulate their feelings. They have been through far worse together, so it makes little sense that their current, comparetively harmless situation throws them into such a disarray. It is just utterly frustrating to watch. And while I can see where the self-discovery aspect Carver mentioned comes into play – Sam is mirrored in Amelia’s struggle to choose between her old and her new life, and Dean is mirrored in Benny’s struggle to recapture the person he once was – the execution of these themes leaves a lot to be desired, and hence that aspect is just not as effective as it could have been. All in all, even though I think that S8 presents some interesting ideas and shows future potential for Sam and Dean’s emotional arcs, the lack of continuity undermines everything the writers try to achieve with Sam and Dean’s storylines this season. I really wished they had thought this season through more thoroughly, because, as it is, I have troubles enjoying it.
Dean: "In fact, every relationship I've ever had has gone to crap at some point. But the one thing I can say about Benny? He has never let me down."
Sam: "Well, good on you, Dean. Must feel great finally finding someone you can trust after all these years."
After the brothers’ fight in Southern Comfort, it was only a matter of time until the topic of Benny would come up again and, as was to be expected, things get ugly very quickly. At the beginning of the episode though, both brothers clearly make an effort to accommodate each other’s needs. For example, Dean reacts rather level-headed when Sam informs him that he put a tail on Benny, and he easily agrees to check the vampire situation in Carencro out, willing to put Benny down, should he prove to be guilty. Similarly, even though Sam is clearly convinced of Benny’s guilt, he readily concurs with Dean’s request to confront Benny first in order to give him the opportunity to explain himself. Moreover, Dean praises Sam’s hunting abilities to Benny and Sam does not tolerate Martin’s derisive comments about Dean. So, initially there is a somewhat positive keynote in the brothers’ interaction, and I think if Sam and Dean had been on their own, they might have found a way to compromise. However, Martin’s presence acts as a catalyst for the latent conflict between them. In his inability to grasp the emotional and moral complexities of the situation, he constantly pushes for a violent resolution, thus simultaneously driving Dean into the defensive and feeding into Sam’s resentment issues where Benny is concerned. The situation comes to head when Martin and Sam are unwilling to believe Benny’s protestations of innocence and Dean finally lashes out, basically telling Sam that, since Benny has never let him down, he trusts Benny more than he trusts Sam – and Sam visibly shuts down after that. Dean immediately tries to row back, but it is too late. From there on, things simply derail.
Now, it may seem rather hypocritical of Sam to criticise Dean for trusting Benny on his word alone, when he trusted Lenore – a vampire who kidnapped him, tied him to a chair, threatened him and then told him that she does not kill people. However, I think Sam’s resentment of Dean’s trust in Benny has less to do with the fact that Benny is a vampire and more with the fact that Dean ties his trust in Benny to his disappointment with Sam. This is the second time Dean tells him that he trusts Benny because, unlike Sam, he never let him down, and he is not only talking about Sam not looking for him when he was in purgatory, he is talking about everything that happened in their past. And that implies that every time Dean assured Sam of his forgiveness, faith and trust these past two and a half seasons, his reassurances were nothing but empty words. It implies that everything Sam did to do penance for his wrong choices – saving Dean from becoming Michael’s vessel, jumping into the cage to save the world, battling his way out of a trauma-induced coma for Dean’s sake and subsequently fighting tooth and nails for his sanity to provide stability for Dean – was still not enough to earn Dean's trust back. With those implications in mind, I think it is understandable that Sam reacts extremely hostile to Dean’s declaration of trust in Benny. The fact that Benny is a vampire simply gives him a convenient excuse to act on that resentment. I cannot help but wonder though, if Sam will ever again be able to trust that Dean truly means it when they reconcile and that he will not throw the same old accusations in Sam’s face again the next time Sam disappoints him. And he will disappoint Dean again, because that is just a part of every long-term relationship.
I admit, even though I empathise with Dean’s hurt and anger in light of the fact that Sam did not look for him, I am rather frustrated that he keeps harping on about Benny being the only one who never let him down. Of course, it is true that Benny has never failed Dean, but not because he is a better person than Sam; he simply did not have the chance to do so yet. After all, Dean only knows Benny for a little over a year, and for most of that time they have been mutually dependent on each other; Dean needed Benny to find the exit from purgatory and Benny needed Dean to provide a safe passage out for him. Clearly, their mutual dependency grew into genuine affection, but that does not change the fact that the basis of their relationship was rooted in necessity rather than choice and governed by simple rules of survival. Now, it is easy to understand that the simplicity of such a relationship appeals to Dean, especially compared to the complicated relationship full of emotional baggage he has with Sam. However, life in the real world is just not that simple; it is messy and complex. Give Benny some time and eventually he will fail Dean as well, not because he is a monster, but because people (and vampires) are fallible; they make mistakes, they are pushed into actions they later regret and unintentionally hurt the people close to them. Maybe Sam is not always the kind of brother Dean wants, but he is definitely the kind of brother Dean needs. Someone who not only has Dean’s back and supports him, but who also challenges and questions him. In short, someone who keeps him human! Dean used to know that simple truth, and I hope that he will come to remember it sooner rather than later.
Anyway, as a result of their falling out in the middle of the episode, Sam and Dean act out and the consequences are not pretty, to say the least. I think neither brother comes off well in his attempt to get the upper hand in their conflict by taking his respective brother out of the game. Now, I doubt that Sam would have knocked Dean out himself, but he sure has no qualms taking advantage of Martin’s emotionally unhinged actions and leave Dean behind, cuffed and unconscious, to go after Benny undisturbed. I daresay that Sam knows that handcuffs are rarely an insurmountable obstacle for Dean, but still, it is a dick move. As for Dean, the fact that he sends a fake distress message from Amelia in order to lure Sam away from the hunt and help Benny escape before Sam can find him is maybe even more disturbing. I am not quite sure what I find more unsettling, the fact that Dean uses Amelia against Sam in this manner or the fact that he planned for just this kind of situation weeks in advance. He probably switched Amelia’s phone for a burner phone shortly after Sam announced in Southern Comfort that he could be the hunter who kills Benny, and I think that level of premeditation is rather unusual for Dean. He usually acts on impulse rather than make long-term plans. In any case, when all is said and done, things between Sam and Dean are obviously at an all-time low, and I doubt that they will just be able to return to normal this time. I really hope the writers will address the situation in the next episode because, in this case, a lack of emotional continuity would not be as easy to explain as the continuity problems between Southern Comfort and A Little Slice Of Kevin.
What else is noteworthy:
(1) Sam’s flashbacks pick up right where his flashbacks in Hunteri Heroici left off and deal with the consequences of Don’s return, and I am rather glad that the situation is actually resolved with a minimum of drama; you know, considering the circumstances. I think Sam’s decision to leave Amelia ties back to his statement that sometimes it is difficult to see things for what they are. It is obvious that Don’s return marked the point where Sam realised that he had been living in a dream world and that it is time to face reality. I really like Sam’s last words to Amelia, especially that he thanks her for saving him. It is another vague reference to the extent of his grief over losing Dean, and I just wished that we would have gotten some visuals to go with these kinds of verbal testimonies of his grief. I think it would really help people to relate to Sam better if they would be able to actually see what Amelia saved Sam from. Now, as I said before, Sam’s own struggle with the decision if he should give his old life with Dean a second chance, or if he should pursue the kind of life he tried to built with Amelia, is mirrored in Amelia’s struggle to choose between her old life with Don, a man she felt betrayed her in the past, and her new life with Sam. However, in the end Amelia is left with little choice but to stay with Don, because Sam makes the decision for her, and I think Sam, too, feels that Dean’s return has left him with little choice but to go back to his old life, at least for now. That said, while I really like the parallels the writers draw between Sam and Amelia here, I think it is rather unfortunate that they felt they had to resort to such a terribly clichéd soap opera trope to make their point. The Sam/Amelia/Don love triangle just feels really out of place in Supernatural.
(2) You know, I am growing more and more confused about the actual circumstances of Sam and Amelia’s separation. In the season opener, we see Sam pack his backpack and wordlessly sneak out on Amelia in the middle of the night. However, in the flashback in Citizen Fang, Sam packs his backpack in the middle of the day and he says his goodbyes to Amelia before he leaves her. So which scenario is true? Either I am missing something, or something really does not add up here! I guess it is possible that this is intended as another hint that Sam’s memories are not quite what they seem, but at this point I am just not sure if this discontinuity is intentional or simply a mistake. However, the fact that Amelia walks back into Sam’s life at the end of the episode gives me some hope that the writers intend to use her to reveal possible differences between Amelia’s memories and Sam’s memories, much like they did with Castiel and Dean, when Castiel came back from purgatory. I think that would be the most interesting outcome of Sam’s confrontation with Amelia; all other scenarios I can think of are just too corny for me to contemplate at the moment. But only time will tell, I guess.
(3) I admit, I quite like Benny – even though I think the writers try a little too hard to sell him as a tragic figure – and I may loathe the fact that the vampire (unintentionally) drives a wedge between the brothers, but I still love Dean and Benny’s dynamic. The respect between them is tangible, and I find it admirable that Benny tries his level best to meet Dean’s expectations in him. Now, just like Amelia is a reflection of Sam, Benny is a reflection of Dean. "Guys like us, we don’t get a home. We don’t get a family," Dean tells Benny at one point and that highlights just how much he identifies with Benny, the monster. I find that noteworthy because, when Dean found himself trapped in purgatory at the end of last season, I wondered what kind of effect living in a place filled with monsters would have on Dean’s self-image as a killer/monster – and Dean’s self-identification with Benny confirms my suspicion that, rather than reaffirming his humanity, the experience cemented Dean’s opinion of himself. I think that is also part of the reason why he perceives himself as detached from Sam at the moment; he simply feels disconnected from his humanity. However, Benny’s story in Citizen Fang is about a monster trying to overcome his darker urges and live his life as the ordinary man he used to be, and that aspect of Benny’s character is reflected in Dean, too. It is mirrored in Dean’s efforts to recapture the essence of the dedicated hunter he used to be; a hunter who finds purpose and meaning in his job. I just hope the fact that Benny is forced into capitulation by circumstances beyond his control does not foreshadow Dean’s eventual failure as well.
(4) I admit, when I first read that Martin, Sam and Dean’s mentally unstable hunting partner from Sam, Interrupted, would make his return, I had high hopes that maybe the writers would use that opportunity to revisit Sam’s mental breakdown in The Born-Again Identity, but alas, they did not. At the very least I expected that Martin’s reunion with Sam and Dean would somehow tie in with their past collaboration, either character-wise or plot-wise, but sadly that is not the case either. I really have to wonder why the writers decided to bring a character like Martin back, if they did not intend to mine his history with the brothers for any meaningful insight into Sam, Dean or Martin himself. Essentially, Martin’s role in Citizen Fang could have been filled by any random, newly introduced hunter acquaintance of the brothers. Also, I wished the writers would refrain from bringing characters back, only to kill them off. It‘s really getting old now.
In conclusion: There are a lot of aspects I really like about Citizen Fang, mainly the parallels between Amelia & Sam and Dean & Benny, but like with most of the episodes this season, my enjoyment of the episode as a whole is adversely affected by the larger narrative problems of the season. I am just frustrated that all the great potential I can see in Citizen Fang and other episodes, is counteracted by continuity problems, structural weaknesses and the poor execution of interesting ideas. I hope I will be able to regain some perspective and recover some of my enthusiasm for the show during the winter break. I think I will bury myself in some uplifting Sam & Dean and J2 stories over the hiatus. After all, when the show lets me down, I can always count on the creativity of fandom to pick me up again.
* * *
As usual, some final thoughts about the state of the season so far: Back during the summer hiatus, Robert Singer was asked if the change of showrunners from Sera Gamble to Jeremy Carver would be noticeable for the fans and he said: "No. Jeremy gave us a couple of years on the show, so I do think this season will be a little less earnest and a little more the kind of stuff we did in S2/3." Personally, I think Singer could not have been more wrong with that statement. S2 and S3 had a clear sense of direction, a coherent narrative, a singular focus on the brotherly relationship, interesting monster-of-the-week cases and an exciting mythology – and none of that applies to S8 so far. In fact, I will come right out and say that S8 has delivered the worst first half of any Supernatural season. Up to this point, S5 held that title, but even though the first half of S5 has some severe narrative issues, it at least gave us a fantastic opening act and a true Supernatural classic with The End. S8, however, is a mess through and through. I already talked about the severe continuity problems of the season in my opening section, so I am not going to repeat myself here, but that is not my only problem with it. The season lacks a common thread to hold it all together – and, yes, I am aware that perception is the main theme this season, but so far I feel that it does not really come together in a meaningful manner – the focus is scattered and the pacing is just plain awful. Not to mention that the massive overuse of flashbacks is extremely detrimental to the flow of any story that is told in the present, especially since there is often hardly any resonance between the flashbacks and the present-day storylines.
Honestly, I have never felt less emotionally engaged by a season, and that is mainly due to the fact that only every other episode actually focuses on the brothers and their relationship. If there ever was a doubt about the fact that a Supernatural that does not have Sam and Dean’s relationship at the core of its narrative is not for me, S8 sure eliminated it. Most of the episodes this season either concentrate on other characters entirely or highlight Sam and Dean’s relationship with others at the expense of interaction between them – and that gives the impression that the brotherly relationship is just one of many this season. Not that I am against widening the brothers’ circle of friends and colleagues, quite the contrary actually, but given the state of the brotherly relationship at the moment, it should get preferential treatment in the narrative. I mean, this kind of focus (or lack thereof) may have worked in the last quarter of S7, when Sam and Dean had resolved all of their personal problems, but it does not work now. The writers cannot create such a huge rift between the main characters and then fade in and out of it as they please. Additionally, Sam and Dean’s individual stories carry little emotional meaning. Dean’s purgatory flashbacks may be visually interesting, but actual emotional content is virtually non-existent. And Dean's initial symptoms of PTSD have never been addressed again either. As for Sam, while his storyline with Amelia at least offers a somewhat extensive exploration of Sam’s emotional development in the weeks shortly before Dean’s return, the lack of insight into his mental state right after Dean’s disappearance undermines the integrity of the character and thus impacts my enjoyment of his story as well.
So, all in all, I am obviously quite unhappy with the season, and I fear even the episodes I like best so far, namely Heartache and Southern Comfort, only stand out because I find the rest of the episodes mediocre and/or messy. I admit, I had high hopes that S8 would prove to be the anti-S4 – after all, the starting situation had all the makings of it – and maybe that preconception plays into my disappointment with the season as well. However, I do not rule out the possibility that the second half of the season will put at least some of the storylines in a new context and thus will give meaning to everything we have seen so far. It may never make up for the fact that the writers have failed to tell a coherent and engaging character story along the way, but at least it would allow me to make my peace with the season. I just don’t like to feel this at odds with my show for an extended period of time.
If we look back to the past seven seasons, there has not been a single season without conflict between Sam and Dean. Generally, I do not mind that, because conflicts – whether small (‘your dirty socks in the sink') or big ('I don’t trust you anymore') – are an integral part of human relationships; they just make Sam and Dean’s relationship layered and realistic. The underlying causes for the brothers’ various conflicts are easy to identify: They have different temperaments and personalities, Dean’s psychological issues feed into Sam’s issues and vice versa, and life constantly throws them into emotionally and morally complex situations that facilitate conflict. However, the vast majority of their conflicts do not affect the fundament of Sam and Dean's relationship, i.e. those conflicts do not change the way they relate to and feel about each other. Up until S8, there has only ever been one conflict that called the very foundation of their relationship in question and that was their conflict in S4. It systematically dismantled the brothers’ relationship and left it in ruins. Admittedly, it was extremely hard to watch – which is why S4 is my least favourite season – but at least it made sense because, narratively, the writers had built towards that conflict throughout the first three seasons. Naturally, Sam and Dean's S4 conflict resulted in trust issues that were present through most of S5 as well, but ultimately that season was all about rebuilding their relationship. Of course, the brothers hit some major bumps on the road to reconciliation, but by the end of the season, Sam and Dean had forged a new, enduring bond, and from there on, fundamental conflicts were a thing of the past.
Now, one could point to the soulless Sam arc in first half of S6 as another major conflict, but it is important to keep in mind that, ultimately, that conflict was not between Sam and Dean. After all, Sam was not even really present during that time, and once Sam's soul was restored, the brothers naturally fell back into an amicable relationship. Similarly, the Amy conflict in S7 may have been taxing for the brothers, but the fact that it was resolved within the span of two episodes and had no tangible after-effects on their relationship clearly demonstrated that conflicts between Sam and Dean did not have the same destructive effect they used to. That does not mean that those events did not leave their scars, but despite it all, the brothers grew closer than ever during that time. And that brings us to the brothers’ conflict in S8, a sudden fundamental conflict that feels completely contrived mainly due to massive continuity problems: First, there is Sam and Dean’s characterisation. So far, the writers made no efforts whatsoever to show us how the brothers went from where we left them off in S7 – affectionate, mature, emotionally open – to the petty, immature and closed-off versions of the characters we see at the moment. Yes, the past year was a transformative experience for both brothers, but instead of carefully mapping the characters’ emotional development during that year, the writers filled the flashbacks with meaningless action (Dean) and skipped large periods of time that are crucial to the understanding of the character (Sam). Granted, it is possible to rationalise the changes in the characters, but we should not need to rely on conjecture to follow the main characters’ emotional journey.
Similarly, the writers neglected to frame the current conflict between Sam and Dean in a way that would present it as a logical conclusion of what came before. I mean, presently, we see a re-emergence of old points of conflicts between the brothers, like hunting versus a normal life or Sam’s betrayal of Dean’s trust in S4. However, those conflicts have already been openly addressed and resolved in the past, and so far the writers have given us no compelling reasons why the brothers’ current situation would suddenly reopen those old wounds. That is not to say that it is entirely unreasonable for those issues to resurface – after all, the brothers never really dealt with the underlying causes for their past conflicts, like Dean’s abandonment issues or Sam’s control issues – but it is really important to preserve a sense of continuity where the past progress in the brotherly relationship is concerned, because otherwise that progress would be devaluated – and I find that thought deeply upsetting. As it is, I think Dean’s disappointment that Sam did not look for him and Sam’s hurt over Dean’s trust in Benny, do not at all justify the level of estrangement and hostility we witness between the brothers at the moment, especially considering how solid their relationship was before purgatory. It does not help that Sam and Dean’s current conflict is almost entirely based on a lack of communication, and that may have worked as a narrative stalling tactic in the early seasons, but the brothers are grown adults now and they have demonstrated in past seasons that they are perfectly capable of expressing themselves.
In that context, I cannot help but think back to Jeremy Carver’s comments in regard to the brothers’ emotional arcs for S8 during the summer hiatus. He said: "It’s one thing to get in a car with your brother in year one, but eight years later, you’ve both matured and grown. You’re both changing and trying to find out who you are." Sadly, I think Mr Carver and I have very different definitions of the word 'mature'. I mean, how is the behaviour we see from Sam and Dean this season even remotely the behaviour of two grown men in their thirties? They rather remind me of two five year old girls pulling each other’s pigtails because they are unable to adequately articulate their feelings. They have been through far worse together, so it makes little sense that their current, comparetively harmless situation throws them into such a disarray. It is just utterly frustrating to watch. And while I can see where the self-discovery aspect Carver mentioned comes into play – Sam is mirrored in Amelia’s struggle to choose between her old and her new life, and Dean is mirrored in Benny’s struggle to recapture the person he once was – the execution of these themes leaves a lot to be desired, and hence that aspect is just not as effective as it could have been. All in all, even though I think that S8 presents some interesting ideas and shows future potential for Sam and Dean’s emotional arcs, the lack of continuity undermines everything the writers try to achieve with Sam and Dean’s storylines this season. I really wished they had thought this season through more thoroughly, because, as it is, I have troubles enjoying it.
Dean: "In fact, every relationship I've ever had has gone to crap at some point. But the one thing I can say about Benny? He has never let me down."
Sam: "Well, good on you, Dean. Must feel great finally finding someone you can trust after all these years."
After the brothers’ fight in Southern Comfort, it was only a matter of time until the topic of Benny would come up again and, as was to be expected, things get ugly very quickly. At the beginning of the episode though, both brothers clearly make an effort to accommodate each other’s needs. For example, Dean reacts rather level-headed when Sam informs him that he put a tail on Benny, and he easily agrees to check the vampire situation in Carencro out, willing to put Benny down, should he prove to be guilty. Similarly, even though Sam is clearly convinced of Benny’s guilt, he readily concurs with Dean’s request to confront Benny first in order to give him the opportunity to explain himself. Moreover, Dean praises Sam’s hunting abilities to Benny and Sam does not tolerate Martin’s derisive comments about Dean. So, initially there is a somewhat positive keynote in the brothers’ interaction, and I think if Sam and Dean had been on their own, they might have found a way to compromise. However, Martin’s presence acts as a catalyst for the latent conflict between them. In his inability to grasp the emotional and moral complexities of the situation, he constantly pushes for a violent resolution, thus simultaneously driving Dean into the defensive and feeding into Sam’s resentment issues where Benny is concerned. The situation comes to head when Martin and Sam are unwilling to believe Benny’s protestations of innocence and Dean finally lashes out, basically telling Sam that, since Benny has never let him down, he trusts Benny more than he trusts Sam – and Sam visibly shuts down after that. Dean immediately tries to row back, but it is too late. From there on, things simply derail.
Now, it may seem rather hypocritical of Sam to criticise Dean for trusting Benny on his word alone, when he trusted Lenore – a vampire who kidnapped him, tied him to a chair, threatened him and then told him that she does not kill people. However, I think Sam’s resentment of Dean’s trust in Benny has less to do with the fact that Benny is a vampire and more with the fact that Dean ties his trust in Benny to his disappointment with Sam. This is the second time Dean tells him that he trusts Benny because, unlike Sam, he never let him down, and he is not only talking about Sam not looking for him when he was in purgatory, he is talking about everything that happened in their past. And that implies that every time Dean assured Sam of his forgiveness, faith and trust these past two and a half seasons, his reassurances were nothing but empty words. It implies that everything Sam did to do penance for his wrong choices – saving Dean from becoming Michael’s vessel, jumping into the cage to save the world, battling his way out of a trauma-induced coma for Dean’s sake and subsequently fighting tooth and nails for his sanity to provide stability for Dean – was still not enough to earn Dean's trust back. With those implications in mind, I think it is understandable that Sam reacts extremely hostile to Dean’s declaration of trust in Benny. The fact that Benny is a vampire simply gives him a convenient excuse to act on that resentment. I cannot help but wonder though, if Sam will ever again be able to trust that Dean truly means it when they reconcile and that he will not throw the same old accusations in Sam’s face again the next time Sam disappoints him. And he will disappoint Dean again, because that is just a part of every long-term relationship.
I admit, even though I empathise with Dean’s hurt and anger in light of the fact that Sam did not look for him, I am rather frustrated that he keeps harping on about Benny being the only one who never let him down. Of course, it is true that Benny has never failed Dean, but not because he is a better person than Sam; he simply did not have the chance to do so yet. After all, Dean only knows Benny for a little over a year, and for most of that time they have been mutually dependent on each other; Dean needed Benny to find the exit from purgatory and Benny needed Dean to provide a safe passage out for him. Clearly, their mutual dependency grew into genuine affection, but that does not change the fact that the basis of their relationship was rooted in necessity rather than choice and governed by simple rules of survival. Now, it is easy to understand that the simplicity of such a relationship appeals to Dean, especially compared to the complicated relationship full of emotional baggage he has with Sam. However, life in the real world is just not that simple; it is messy and complex. Give Benny some time and eventually he will fail Dean as well, not because he is a monster, but because people (and vampires) are fallible; they make mistakes, they are pushed into actions they later regret and unintentionally hurt the people close to them. Maybe Sam is not always the kind of brother Dean wants, but he is definitely the kind of brother Dean needs. Someone who not only has Dean’s back and supports him, but who also challenges and questions him. In short, someone who keeps him human! Dean used to know that simple truth, and I hope that he will come to remember it sooner rather than later.
Anyway, as a result of their falling out in the middle of the episode, Sam and Dean act out and the consequences are not pretty, to say the least. I think neither brother comes off well in his attempt to get the upper hand in their conflict by taking his respective brother out of the game. Now, I doubt that Sam would have knocked Dean out himself, but he sure has no qualms taking advantage of Martin’s emotionally unhinged actions and leave Dean behind, cuffed and unconscious, to go after Benny undisturbed. I daresay that Sam knows that handcuffs are rarely an insurmountable obstacle for Dean, but still, it is a dick move. As for Dean, the fact that he sends a fake distress message from Amelia in order to lure Sam away from the hunt and help Benny escape before Sam can find him is maybe even more disturbing. I am not quite sure what I find more unsettling, the fact that Dean uses Amelia against Sam in this manner or the fact that he planned for just this kind of situation weeks in advance. He probably switched Amelia’s phone for a burner phone shortly after Sam announced in Southern Comfort that he could be the hunter who kills Benny, and I think that level of premeditation is rather unusual for Dean. He usually acts on impulse rather than make long-term plans. In any case, when all is said and done, things between Sam and Dean are obviously at an all-time low, and I doubt that they will just be able to return to normal this time. I really hope the writers will address the situation in the next episode because, in this case, a lack of emotional continuity would not be as easy to explain as the continuity problems between Southern Comfort and A Little Slice Of Kevin.
What else is noteworthy:
(1) Sam’s flashbacks pick up right where his flashbacks in Hunteri Heroici left off and deal with the consequences of Don’s return, and I am rather glad that the situation is actually resolved with a minimum of drama; you know, considering the circumstances. I think Sam’s decision to leave Amelia ties back to his statement that sometimes it is difficult to see things for what they are. It is obvious that Don’s return marked the point where Sam realised that he had been living in a dream world and that it is time to face reality. I really like Sam’s last words to Amelia, especially that he thanks her for saving him. It is another vague reference to the extent of his grief over losing Dean, and I just wished that we would have gotten some visuals to go with these kinds of verbal testimonies of his grief. I think it would really help people to relate to Sam better if they would be able to actually see what Amelia saved Sam from. Now, as I said before, Sam’s own struggle with the decision if he should give his old life with Dean a second chance, or if he should pursue the kind of life he tried to built with Amelia, is mirrored in Amelia’s struggle to choose between her old life with Don, a man she felt betrayed her in the past, and her new life with Sam. However, in the end Amelia is left with little choice but to stay with Don, because Sam makes the decision for her, and I think Sam, too, feels that Dean’s return has left him with little choice but to go back to his old life, at least for now. That said, while I really like the parallels the writers draw between Sam and Amelia here, I think it is rather unfortunate that they felt they had to resort to such a terribly clichéd soap opera trope to make their point. The Sam/Amelia/Don love triangle just feels really out of place in Supernatural.
(2) You know, I am growing more and more confused about the actual circumstances of Sam and Amelia’s separation. In the season opener, we see Sam pack his backpack and wordlessly sneak out on Amelia in the middle of the night. However, in the flashback in Citizen Fang, Sam packs his backpack in the middle of the day and he says his goodbyes to Amelia before he leaves her. So which scenario is true? Either I am missing something, or something really does not add up here! I guess it is possible that this is intended as another hint that Sam’s memories are not quite what they seem, but at this point I am just not sure if this discontinuity is intentional or simply a mistake. However, the fact that Amelia walks back into Sam’s life at the end of the episode gives me some hope that the writers intend to use her to reveal possible differences between Amelia’s memories and Sam’s memories, much like they did with Castiel and Dean, when Castiel came back from purgatory. I think that would be the most interesting outcome of Sam’s confrontation with Amelia; all other scenarios I can think of are just too corny for me to contemplate at the moment. But only time will tell, I guess.
(3) I admit, I quite like Benny – even though I think the writers try a little too hard to sell him as a tragic figure – and I may loathe the fact that the vampire (unintentionally) drives a wedge between the brothers, but I still love Dean and Benny’s dynamic. The respect between them is tangible, and I find it admirable that Benny tries his level best to meet Dean’s expectations in him. Now, just like Amelia is a reflection of Sam, Benny is a reflection of Dean. "Guys like us, we don’t get a home. We don’t get a family," Dean tells Benny at one point and that highlights just how much he identifies with Benny, the monster. I find that noteworthy because, when Dean found himself trapped in purgatory at the end of last season, I wondered what kind of effect living in a place filled with monsters would have on Dean’s self-image as a killer/monster – and Dean’s self-identification with Benny confirms my suspicion that, rather than reaffirming his humanity, the experience cemented Dean’s opinion of himself. I think that is also part of the reason why he perceives himself as detached from Sam at the moment; he simply feels disconnected from his humanity. However, Benny’s story in Citizen Fang is about a monster trying to overcome his darker urges and live his life as the ordinary man he used to be, and that aspect of Benny’s character is reflected in Dean, too. It is mirrored in Dean’s efforts to recapture the essence of the dedicated hunter he used to be; a hunter who finds purpose and meaning in his job. I just hope the fact that Benny is forced into capitulation by circumstances beyond his control does not foreshadow Dean’s eventual failure as well.
(4) I admit, when I first read that Martin, Sam and Dean’s mentally unstable hunting partner from Sam, Interrupted, would make his return, I had high hopes that maybe the writers would use that opportunity to revisit Sam’s mental breakdown in The Born-Again Identity, but alas, they did not. At the very least I expected that Martin’s reunion with Sam and Dean would somehow tie in with their past collaboration, either character-wise or plot-wise, but sadly that is not the case either. I really have to wonder why the writers decided to bring a character like Martin back, if they did not intend to mine his history with the brothers for any meaningful insight into Sam, Dean or Martin himself. Essentially, Martin’s role in Citizen Fang could have been filled by any random, newly introduced hunter acquaintance of the brothers. Also, I wished the writers would refrain from bringing characters back, only to kill them off. It‘s really getting old now.
In conclusion: There are a lot of aspects I really like about Citizen Fang, mainly the parallels between Amelia & Sam and Dean & Benny, but like with most of the episodes this season, my enjoyment of the episode as a whole is adversely affected by the larger narrative problems of the season. I am just frustrated that all the great potential I can see in Citizen Fang and other episodes, is counteracted by continuity problems, structural weaknesses and the poor execution of interesting ideas. I hope I will be able to regain some perspective and recover some of my enthusiasm for the show during the winter break. I think I will bury myself in some uplifting Sam & Dean and J2 stories over the hiatus. After all, when the show lets me down, I can always count on the creativity of fandom to pick me up again.
As usual, some final thoughts about the state of the season so far: Back during the summer hiatus, Robert Singer was asked if the change of showrunners from Sera Gamble to Jeremy Carver would be noticeable for the fans and he said: "No. Jeremy gave us a couple of years on the show, so I do think this season will be a little less earnest and a little more the kind of stuff we did in S2/3." Personally, I think Singer could not have been more wrong with that statement. S2 and S3 had a clear sense of direction, a coherent narrative, a singular focus on the brotherly relationship, interesting monster-of-the-week cases and an exciting mythology – and none of that applies to S8 so far. In fact, I will come right out and say that S8 has delivered the worst first half of any Supernatural season. Up to this point, S5 held that title, but even though the first half of S5 has some severe narrative issues, it at least gave us a fantastic opening act and a true Supernatural classic with The End. S8, however, is a mess through and through. I already talked about the severe continuity problems of the season in my opening section, so I am not going to repeat myself here, but that is not my only problem with it. The season lacks a common thread to hold it all together – and, yes, I am aware that perception is the main theme this season, but so far I feel that it does not really come together in a meaningful manner – the focus is scattered and the pacing is just plain awful. Not to mention that the massive overuse of flashbacks is extremely detrimental to the flow of any story that is told in the present, especially since there is often hardly any resonance between the flashbacks and the present-day storylines.
Honestly, I have never felt less emotionally engaged by a season, and that is mainly due to the fact that only every other episode actually focuses on the brothers and their relationship. If there ever was a doubt about the fact that a Supernatural that does not have Sam and Dean’s relationship at the core of its narrative is not for me, S8 sure eliminated it. Most of the episodes this season either concentrate on other characters entirely or highlight Sam and Dean’s relationship with others at the expense of interaction between them – and that gives the impression that the brotherly relationship is just one of many this season. Not that I am against widening the brothers’ circle of friends and colleagues, quite the contrary actually, but given the state of the brotherly relationship at the moment, it should get preferential treatment in the narrative. I mean, this kind of focus (or lack thereof) may have worked in the last quarter of S7, when Sam and Dean had resolved all of their personal problems, but it does not work now. The writers cannot create such a huge rift between the main characters and then fade in and out of it as they please. Additionally, Sam and Dean’s individual stories carry little emotional meaning. Dean’s purgatory flashbacks may be visually interesting, but actual emotional content is virtually non-existent. And Dean's initial symptoms of PTSD have never been addressed again either. As for Sam, while his storyline with Amelia at least offers a somewhat extensive exploration of Sam’s emotional development in the weeks shortly before Dean’s return, the lack of insight into his mental state right after Dean’s disappearance undermines the integrity of the character and thus impacts my enjoyment of his story as well.
So, all in all, I am obviously quite unhappy with the season, and I fear even the episodes I like best so far, namely Heartache and Southern Comfort, only stand out because I find the rest of the episodes mediocre and/or messy. I admit, I had high hopes that S8 would prove to be the anti-S4 – after all, the starting situation had all the makings of it – and maybe that preconception plays into my disappointment with the season as well. However, I do not rule out the possibility that the second half of the season will put at least some of the storylines in a new context and thus will give meaning to everything we have seen so far. It may never make up for the fact that the writers have failed to tell a coherent and engaging character story along the way, but at least it would allow me to make my peace with the season. I just don’t like to feel this at odds with my show for an extended period of time.
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Date: 2012-12-14 12:41 pm (UTC)And that, right there, is one of the biggest problems this season has so far, because the brothers' relationship is at an all-time low for no real reason other than the writers decided it should be.
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Date: 2012-12-14 03:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-14 01:05 pm (UTC)I think this is an instance where this episode and its placement in the season really highlights the problem of season eight as a whole. Because, as you say, the continuity in their relationship is messed up. I didn't think this was a bad episode, as such. With a few tweaks I think it could have been a decent MotW story. Sam and Dean have a bit of a spat based on various issues, because people do that, and they will resolve it next week. Thematically apt, maybe, but not serious.
But by making this story a mid-season finale, they give it the weight of a cliffhanger. We are to spend a month wondering whether Sam and Dean can grow up enough to have an honest conversation. That made sense back in season one, but surely not now. I don't think there's been a mid-season story since the first one that asked that question. Often that's the point where at least one of them realises he can't lie anymore, making every previous season more adult than this one.
Of course, it is true that Benny has never failed Dean, but not because he is a better person than Sam; he simply did not have the chance to do so yet.
Benny himself seems much more aware of this than Dean. He talks about how complicated being alive is, and how being free of the need to drink blood in purgatory changed things. So he, at least, is aware that he could fall apart at any moment. And, okay, the difference between perception and reality, but they're painting with some pretty broad strokes there. Dean can be hurt without being stupid. He can even decide he trusts Benny more than Sam for the moment based on Sam's recent choices without making it about things they've already resolved.
So which scenario is true? Either I am missing something, or something really does not add up here!
At this point Sam's whole timeline confuses the hell out of me. They seem determined to pack his story into the smallest space possible. Not only do they skip whole months at the beginning, they establish that Sam and Amelia moved in together in a very great hurry and then separated before Sam had finished unpacking the boxes.
And again, sure, perception and reality. But for it to feel real to Sam, I feel as though the story needs a bit more space. If he felt his year with Amelia gave him a taste of normality, shouldn't there be some basis for that? That they lived together for a good chunk of the year, and maybe there were more problems than he realised - but it still had the depth to feel valid.
Dean's misconceptions about Castiel's fate make sense because we know Castiel. He spent most of last season running from his problems, so I get why Dean would assume he gave up. But Sam and Amelia is a whole new thing. Sam talks about it as life-changing, and yet I see little evidence as to why that would be. So is there a reason for that, or is this just messy? Or am I being too picky? It's entirely possible I'm being too picky. :)
I admit, when I first read that Martin, Sam and Dean’s mentally unstable hunting partner from Sam, Interrupted, would make his return, I had high hopes that maybe the writers would use that opportunity to revisit Sam’s mental breakdown in The Born-Again Identity, but alas, they did not.
Yeah, I really hoped they were going somewhere with that. I mean - it's all there! A man with mental health issues might reasonably doubt his own perception of reality. Sam, Dean, Benny and Amelia are all traumatised in various ways. They have a case where it looks like one thing happened when another really did. But Martin's whole job was to completely fail to learn anything at all. This annoys me the same way the Hellhounds boys did. What is the point of a character if he doesn't change or grow?
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Date: 2012-12-14 03:57 pm (UTC)Me neither! It's more the surrounding conditions that reflect badly on the episode. I quite enjoyed Benny's story, actually, and I liked how level-headed the boys were at the beginning of the episode.
Dean can be hurt without being stupid. He can even decide he trusts Benny more than Sam for the moment based on Sam's recent choices without making it about things they've already resolved.
This! So much! I really find this rather upsetting. It's fine that they fight about S8 stuff, but the way the writers devaluate every bit of progress the brothers made in the past 7 seasons kills me. I fear that one day I'll go back and rewatch, let's say Point of No Return, and can't enjoy it anymore, because all the wonderful progress the brothers made in that episode just doesn't mean anything in light of S8 and beyond. :(
At this point Sam's whole timeline confuses the hell out of me.
Believe me, you're not the only one. I really don't know what to make of it, because part of me simply cannot believe that the writers are really that disorganised.
If he felt his year with Amelia gave him a taste of normality, shouldn't there be some basis for that?
Absolutely. Sam's insistence at the beginning of the season that he found something he never had before, really makes little sense in light of what we know now. Sam said that he wanted to go back to his new life once they closed the gates of hell - and now we learn he doesn't actually have anything to go back to! Sam's past year has so many question marks, there has to be something more to it, otherwise these writers really have no business being writers IMO. LOL And no, I don't think you are too picky. Usually, I very generously handwave plot holes and inconsistencies as long as Sam and Dean make sense. This time they don't, hence my ranting. I think we are allowed to be picky where the main characters are concerened.
Now I am finally going to read your Provenance review! I was insanely busy this week, so I didn't get to it earlier. *g*
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Date: 2012-12-15 01:52 pm (UTC)I find it deeply troubling that I can't understand what Sam is thinking. That's never happened before. Through all the demon blood and the hallucinations, I could step into his shoes and say - okay, I see how that idea makes sense from here. Now I can't. I could, a bit, at the beginning of the season. I could see Sam as having reached breaking point, and being happy with Amelia in the way that Dean was with Lisa, and that being important and transformative. But so far, all the revelations have just confused me. I don't feel that a familiar story has been given nuance, or that they've delivered shocking twists. I just feel as though I no longer comprehend why Sam thinks what he does.
I have issues with Dean's story too, obviously, but they are less bewildering. I don't understand the emotional regression. I might under different circumstances, but they haven't really made that experience deep enough to warrant it either. I get that purgatory was a place of constant warfare and that could promote simple loyalties. I also get that the reality is different, since for a start Benny had to betray an earlier partnership to ally with Dean. But Dean has seen through angelic manipulation. He's negotiated, successfully and unsuccessfully, with demons. He's seen what heaven and hell are really for. Why would he be unble to grasp complexity now?
But I'm just ranting. Sorry. :)
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Date: 2012-12-15 03:15 pm (UTC)I hear you. The thing is: At the moment, I feel slightly better about Sam's story than Dean's, because I still believe that there will be some kind of reveal or plottwist that will give Sam's story new meaning. Dean's purgatory story seems to be finished though, so there will be no more depth to his story and we'll have to accept his regression without any viable explanation. You know what also bugs me? Purgatory amounted to 1 year of time and yes, it was a warzone and a strenuous experience, but it has nothing on the 40 years Dean spent in hell or the 180 years Sam spent in the cage - I know, only subjectively, but for them those decades happened - and yet purgatory seem to have a much more destructive effect on their relationship, as well as their personalities, than the other two instances combined. How does that make sense at all? :(
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Date: 2012-12-14 03:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-14 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-14 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-14 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-14 06:30 pm (UTC)I honestly can't believe Carver would waste the opportunity to milk all the glory of the boys fighting FOR each other again, after setting up this fractious groundwork. (From my fingers to Carver's eyes, I swear...)
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Date: 2012-12-14 07:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-15 12:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-15 10:20 am (UTC)I'm finding as a viewer that season 8 is so much more work than usual.
I hear you! This is the first season where I truly have troubles making sense of what I am seeing in the context of the first seven seasons - and I resent that we have to work so hard for it. The writers really don't seem to care, and that makes me sad. If this was any other show, I would have thrown the towel by now. But I am way too invested in these characters to let go.