SPN 4.17; or, a bit more coherent than I was earlier tonight

[aesc]

It feels so odd to be able to watch an episode the night it comes out.


Okay, getting out of the way stuff I didn't like or was uncertain about:
-Jesus, they kill Uriel and then give us this guy, wtf? COME ON. I mean, I am all for meeting new angels and stuff, but did you have to kill Uriel so soon and replace him? Again, I say: COME THE FUCK ON. (Why yes, I'm still annoyed, why do you ask?)
-Not that I disliked it, but I'm uncertain... Was this really the way to go about convincing Dean he should be okay with everything? I've never tried to coach someone through the apocalypse, so I don't know, but stripping them of their memories and dropping them in middle management and trying to demonstrate that they still have a Destiny does not seem to be the way to do it.
-Also, we sort of had this already with "What Is and What Can Never Be," which had a lot more emotional punch at the end. Once I thought of that episode, the ending here paled for me.
-the Castiel fangirl in me is disappointed by his absence (he would have fit in so well there, heh), but I'm happy he wasn't involved in Zachariah's mindfuckery.

Now the awesomesauce:
-GHOSTFACERS. I made a shrill, happy noise when I saw AJ Buckley's name in the credits, but this surpassed all expectations. Dean takes them as authorities omfg how awesome is that?
-pretty much the entirety of Dean's existence. PRIUS. NPR. CLEANSING. HIS APARTMENT. THE FACT THAT HE WEARS SUSPENDERS.
-Smith & Wesson. I have to give it to Zachariah, I admit, he knows how to set up a scenario (however, see point re: "What Is..." above)
-Sam's lip gloss, and as unamaga pointed out, everyone's spray tan
-Dean manages to break my heart at the most unexpected moments. Things will be going along quite well, and then there's this pause, like when he tells Sam he doesn't believe in destiny, and my heart goes *creaksnap*

Overall: I enjoyed it! I recall reading an interview with Sera Gamble where she remarked that this episode would be lighter, and a definite change from 4.16 and the previous episodes in the major arc. Well, this is probably the only way they could have worked a lighter episode in and not have it be a complete one-off. And we got Dean managing to look sexy in the douchiest office clothes ever invented, and Sam in his polo shirt and the two of them not knowing each other but kicking ass anyway, and that pleases me immensely.

Tonight's theme music is brought to you by amberlynne. THANKS AMBERS!!

.eta: Just a PSA to remind you that the sign-ups for Sweet Charity's final round close tomorrow at 8PM GMT. So those of you thinking about signing on, the time is at hand!

Comments

[elderwitty]

I also really liked, in a horrible sort of way, the note above the microwave, admonishing people not to microwave fish XD

'Cause it stinks! I like that bit, too. And Dean's, "God, I'm starving!" made me laugh out loud.

On the Zachariah front, I read it as him telling Dean, not that he would be okay...or even should be okay with it, but that this is what he was meant to do. More that his destiny led him here and that whatever he could accomplish was what he was going to accomplish. In a stupid, convoluted, angellike logic, it sounds like he's trying to relieve Dean of some of his crushing burden of guilt (It's not your fault you started it, and if you can't fix it - well, that's destiny, too.) and give him a pep talk of sorts (See how good you are it without even a clue?).

Did it suck as a plan? Yes. Did he fail? Yes. Does Dean feel any better? Probably not. But Zachariah could have had good intentions.

Of course, I tend to ascribe positive motives to everybody, until proven otherwise, almost to the point of Pollyana-ism. And, yet, I'm a massive pessimist. Parse that conundrum, pfft!