aesc | .spn 5.02; or, *mibble*

First, I gotta get this off my chest:

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU WRITERS FOR NOT KILLING ELLEN, RUFUS, OR JO.

That was the one thing I was really, sincerely worried about. Any one of them dying would have seriously put me off, based on SPN's oh-so-sketchy gender/race politics and also on narrative strength... I can't imagine there being enough time in the episode (or the season) to adequately handle Ellen's grief if she'd lost Jo, or what would become of Jo without her mom,* and I think Rufus dying would have been brushed under the rug pretty quickly. So when it got to the last twenty minutes and it was Ellen v. Jo, Dean v. Rufus, I had my aorta trying to wedge itself between my teeth, I shit you not.

* = I would love to read that story about how Ellen decides she likes Jo better alive and tracks her down.

Other issues of concern:

HE'S NOT ON ANY FLATBREAD. Oh, Cas, I draw hearts around you and your literal-mindedness.

War. I was personally hoping for someone who looked more like Dick Cheney. And HAR at the red Mustang... and big question: What did Dean do with the ring? It doesn't seem like something you leave lying around, and it seems like something that's going to be significant later on, like maybe the other three horsemen have some kind of collectible/trinket on them, and maybe whoever has them will, I don't know, beat the big boss and save the day, and get the angel in the end. Focusing on the Apocalypse was actually somewhat difficult, given that I was worrying way more about Ellen, Rufus, and Jo the entire time, but when I rewatch, I may be able to pay more attention.

Bobby :( :( :( I want him and Cas to be okay.

OMG CAS AND THE CELL PHONE. THE SIGIL ON THE XRAYS. I was really really hoping that maybe Cas would be exempt from the sigil's influence, since he's the one who carved it, and the angel-be-gone signs get rid of every angel in range except for the angel who made it. Maybe it has something to do with blood? And Castiel didn't leave anything behind except the marks, which, um... BADASS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY PAINFUL-LOOKING.

Dude, Dean, Cas has been in you. Twice now.

CAS'S BIG QUEST!!!! I was spoiled like hell for this because if you mention that there is something involving Misha on the other end of the link I am lab rat-like in my eagerness to click it, but I love how the subject came up. HE IS SO THE STRATEGIST! HE'S LIKE A SUPER-NERDNINJA AND HE AIN'T NO DAMN THEOLOGIAN.

Given Cas's very quiet, yet very I am two seconds away from smiting your ass fury, I have to wonder why he's so willing to help Dean by trying to find God, and not trying to convince him to take Michael on. Maybe he just knows Dean that well, that he knows Dean absolutely won't consent, no matter who asks him--definitely not Zachariah, not Sam, not Cas, no one. Maybe he's starting to understand about choice--maybe he knows a bit of what maybe Jimmy had gone through, having absolutely no idea what was in store, I don't know. But I like that he's still, despite his anger and loss, willing to look for alternatives. (And as cereta has pointed out on DW, he still likely thinks that the angels are wrong about pushing for Paradise. This is probably correct, but let me have my fantasies XD)

Because of Dean.

I just... oh god, it was BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU WRITERS. He did all that--killed his family, became an outcast, disobeyed, died--for Dean.

That scene is going to spend a lot of time on my VLC player, I guarantee you that--not only for the dialogue but for the HELLO I AM ALL UP IN YOUR GRILL, DEAN. Is it possible that he's actually closer than he was in 4.02? I THINK MAYBE SO.

ALSO WHILE I AM CAPSLOCKING: THE AMULET! CAS HAS DEAN'S AMULET. PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME HE WEARS IT AROUND HIS NECK. PLEASE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE FINALLY KNOW WHAT THE AMULET IS AND WHAT IT DOES AND SERIOUSLY KRIPKE I MAY END MY UTERUS EMBARGO FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.* I THINK THE PART OF MY BRAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR SQUEE BROKE RIGHT ABOUT THERE.

* = just kidding. That would require Dean and Cas to be naked together.

Sam... oh god, for the first time in quite a while I liked him here. It always drove me crazy that he climbs on Dean constantly about being open and honest, when he's so deeply unwilling to be honest with himself. And now that he recognizes his own tunnel vision and obsessive nature--and the fact that yeah, in this case, being like John Winchester is not a good thing... I've got some of my "awww, Sammy" twinge back. And Sam fans can say what they want, but this is the best, most honest moment Sam's had since Dean went to Hell, when he's actually recognizing that what you tell yourself are good intentions are just masks for other, more selfish desires are bad intentions to have. And yeah, it was hard as hell watching him walk away (and omg Dean, offering him the Impala, a piece of home ♥) but he needed to do it, and Dean needed him to do that as well.

Overall: As I mentioned obliquely to Trin, I have a deep sentimental attachment to 5.01, but technically, 5.02 is better. It hangs together, it answers some questions and with the exception of Cas deciding he's going to go God-hunting in the first ten minutes, doesn't sprint through Gigantic Things like the premiere did. Overall? Me likey.

Next week: PASSENGER SEAT. That is all.

.spn 5.02; or, mibble

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