Obligatory television catch-up post
Okay, so somewhere along the line I got really behind on my TV reaction posts. These are all hideously out of date by now, but I figured I needed to splurge them all somewhere, so I'm just going to get them all out of the way in one fell swoop. Bear with me (or engage with me in discussion, either way is good).
Glee
Dear Ian Brennan: you can tell me that Will Schuester is amazing in as many ways as you like, but until you actually write him in a way that reinforces any of this, he will still be THE WORST HUMAN BEING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. That was one of my biggest frustrations with this episode, actually - that the viewers finally got some catharsis in both the writers and the characters acknowledging what's wrong with Will ("there must be a Journey song we haven't done yet!") and yet at the end we were subjected to that hideously mawkish montage where everyone was all WILL SCHUESTER AM THE BESTEST EVER, entirely unprompted. And then they bring him back, and he continues to suck. He was especially a dick to Terri, who continues to be BRILLIANT and totally DESERVING OF BETTER THAN HIM (pair her up with one of the boys from the Glee club, hint hint fucking hint), who looked after him during his sickness and was clearly angling to get back together. Although the baby talk was kind of terrifying.
And it's a shame I had to start with that gripe, because otherwise, I loved this episode. I thought Gwyneth Paltrow was brilliant - really fun and energetic, and her performance of 'Forget You' was really rousing. While I wasn't necessarily crazy about her free-spiritedness rather abruptly becoming her having absolutely no concept of responsibility, I realise this was necessary to bring back the status quo, and I actually thought her performance made it as convincing as it was ever likely to be. It's a shame, really, because I would much rather have her leading the club than Schuester, but I guess her becoming a longterm guest star was always going to be improbable. Also, I'm no expert, but she seemed to have a far better grasp of Spanish than Matthew Morrison.
Principal Sue was quite fun, but I noticed that there was no mention of her relinquishing the job at the end of the episode - does that mean Figgins is actually gone for good?
The tots storyline - eh, I have mixed emotions about this one. I was kind of annoyed that when they give Mercedes a sizeable plotline of her own it's a Fat Girl Plotline again, but I liked that it gave her a chance to be witty and independent. Annoyingly, after several episodes of really positive character development, Kurt went back to being kind of a huge douchebag again. I mean, I get the whole "I've got a quasi-boyfriend and I want to be around him ALWAYS" thing, I really do, but I hated that he constantly blew off plans with Mercedes to make it happen, and never seemed terribly sorry about it - and then on the one occasion she got to join them, he actively sandbagged Blaine's attempts to include her in the conversation. And after all that, he decided it was Mercedes' fault anyway for being too reliant on him as a boyfriend-substitute, and we were just supposed to accept this as a valid conclusion - as if he hasn't been equally guilty of that in the past. Poor show, Brennan. (However, it was excellently played by Chris Colfer, as always - especially the line about the purse falling out of his mouth.)
Best part of the episode, however - Sue describing how she showed Brittany some broccoli and she started whimpering, thinking that Sue had cut down a small tree that Gummi Bears lived in. Amazing. Honorable runners-up: Santana bodily hurling herself at Rachel, Rachel and Kurt slipping on the butter, Terri asking Holly if she was "a porn star or a drag queen", and Sue owning a Le Car.
********
I know that criticising Glee for being heavy-handed is a bit like criticising water for being wet, but sheesh. Don't get me wrong - I like Kurt. We may have had our issues over the course of season one, but I think the writing for the character has been much better this season, and I think Chris Colfer plays the part brilliantly. However, I just found the whole "Kurt is amazing! Kurt is so cool! Love Kurt, everyone!" aspects of this episode a bit much. Carol and Burt's wedding ended up having little to do with either of those characters, and instead became an excuse for everyone to talk about how much they loved Kurt. Even Carol's speech of how proud she was of Finn basically amounted to "I love you because you like Kurt" in places. I just don't think that was necessary - it's like they don't trust that the character is being written and acted in such a way that we can reach that conclusion for ourselves. Seriously, Ryan Murphy: WE GET IT.
That was the only real gripe with an otherwise enjoyable episode. The bullying storyline, despite starting out ropily, is starting to become quite good at this point, and I enjoyed the reactions of everyone involved, especially Finn realising that he hadn't been there for Kurt in the way that he should be (I thought Burt's whole "where the hell were you?" to Finn was misplaced, though - after all, bullies usually make a point of ensuring they can't be seen when they do their bullying, so why should Burt automatically assume that Finn knew about it? Admittedly, Finn did know about it, but it just annoyed me that the blame for stopping it somehow ended up on Finn's giant shoulders.) It's been on fast-forward a touch, as the whole thing spiraled out of control in under two episodes, but I guess that's not entirely unrealistic. The whole thing was played really well, especially Kurt's announcement that he was transferring, which was really moving - and I liked that Rachel, true to form, was worried about what this meant for New Directions.
Sue marrying herself was...bizarre. But it sort of worked for the character. And the stuff with her Nazi hunter mother was a nice mix of the insane and the relatable, especially the wedding scene. Also, I really enjoyed Sue's tenure as principle - even though she's often a complete monster, it's good that they show her as someone who at least has an understanding of right and wrong, and who sticks up for the little guy.
Finn's quest for coolness seemed to come out of nowhere a little bit, and disappeared as quickly as it came, but I liked that he's now officially over his issues with Kurt, and proved it by dancing with him at the wedding. Also, I still don't really see evidence of the super-hot chemistry between Sam and Quinn, but they're cute together, if somewhat dull, so I'll allow it for now.
********
Hmm, sectionals came around a lot earlier this year. I guess that's what happens when you know you've got a full season to play with and don't have to hold out your ace for the 13th episode in case it's your last one.
As before, it was laced with inter-group drama, and it was good that the revelation of Finn having slept with Santana came out nice and early - I was expecting it to be dragged out much longer than it was. Of course, we had to break up Finn and Rachel because I'm assuming they want Rachel with Puck in the latter half of the season, and Finn with...someone else. Terri? Please say Terri. I don't entirely buy that Rachel would've run straight to Puck just to hurt Finn, but you know what they say, any hot Jew in a storm.
Kurt discovering that life is not all rosy on the other side of the fence was interesting too - that the Warblers have just as much juvenile drama as New Directions do, only in a slightly more authoritative fashion. I still can't really warm to his new boyfriend either - he's still a bit too Gay Yoda, and also his hair's really greasy and he looks like someone I went to school with who I really didn't like. That's not his fault, but then it's not really mine either.
What else? The songs were an interesting mix - I wasn't crazy about 'Hey, Soul Sister' or '(I've Had) The Time Of My Life (And Some Parentheses)' but I've always got time for 'Valerie', 'The Living Years' and 'Dog Days Are Over'.
Emma marrying Hot Dentist is an interesting development, although I think there have been a few too many weddings in the last two episodes. Schuester was a douche about it when she told him, but what else is new?
Having New Directions tie with the Warblers was a cop-out (and I doubt they wouldn't have a procedure in place for dealing with ties anyway), but I guess they need to keep Kurt at the new school and have him be the Jesse St James of next year, only gayer. Or something.
********
Well, this was pretty much what I expected from a festive episode of Glee - more schmaltz than you can shake a stick at, but well-intentioned enough that I can forgive it. The breakdown of Finn and Rachel's relationship was pretty sad, and I found it odd that we saw Finn laughing and joking with Puck afterwards, but I guess this show never thinks too deeply about that kind of stuff.
Brittany's belief in Santa was cute, especially the scene with Coach Beiste, although Coach Beiste buying Artie a ReWalk - really? Could she afford that? Then again, this is a universe where struggling high school teacher Will Schuester lives in some kind of awesome palace, so financial realism is probably not a high priority.
So Kurt's in love with Blaine: surprise! I just kind of want them to get on with it, to be honest. Blaine bores me, but it's nice that they're actually attempting to give Kurt a love life.
The songs were nice, in a festive sort of way, although 'Last Christmas' felt a bit out of place. And Sue as The Grinch was pretty fun too.
Gossip Girl
After the incoherence of the previous episode, this one actually really worked for me. While it's frustrating that no one believed in Serena's innocence (apart from Dan, and that was even more frustrating, because there is nothing more offensive in this universe than Dan Humphrey being right about anything), the sudden onslaught of continuity made everyone's reactions far more understandable. I don't know why, because it's not like there were new writers for this one, but the decision to frame the events within the context of season one did make some sense of it all: Blair remembers Serena going to pieces before, and also remembers her own experience of needing someone to reach out and be there for you, while Lily remembers her daughter going off the rails the first time, and Eric remembers what it's like to be suicidal. All of them were so scared by this that their logic deserted them and they flocked around Serena, blinded to the truth. Okay, fine, so it's essentially an idiot plot in designer clothes, but you know what? When you at least attempt to craft something like this in a manner that actually makes sense for the characters somehow, I'm a lot more willing to not sweat the small stuff.
The continuity generally was lovely: Blair's bulimia, the Ostroff centre, french fries at Thanksgiving, and so on. There were still some storylining blips - Juliet suddenly caring more about the revenge plot than Ben when previously it was precisely the opposite, and Jenny suddenly being all "but I didn't want to hurt Serena!", but on the whole things were good.
Vanessa: is an idiot. I seriously don't even know where they're going with her. Aside from some petty schoolyard bitchery about man-stealing, I don't get why she's so invested in taking Serena down. I hope they sort her out.
The Lily/Juliet scene was interesting - so, presumably Lily knows what Juliet is accusing Serena of? Has this been going on just since Lily's last meeting with Juliet, or for some years? This may have been addressed in a previous episode, I can't remember. Lily's confrontation with Dan was another good one. Dan was a smug shit, but I genuinely love Lily as a character. She may be a questionable parent, but I like the depth to her.
I thought Leighton Meester knocked the limo scene out of the park. She showcased Blair's vulnerability in a way that was believable, and actually underplayed it, which made it more effective. It's a shame Ed Westwick was phoning it in. Someone needs to tell him that growling =/= acting.
So...now that Jenny has fessed up, might Rufus actually spring Serena out of the Ostroff Centre now? Whatever happens next, I'm looking forward to Blair and Dan's campaign of ultimate vengeance.
********
Well, the Blair and Dan roadtrip wasn't quite the amazingness-fest I hoped it would be, but it did inspire some fun moments - them bickering good-naturedly on their way into Connecticut was pretty great. And I was pleased to see Damien back - I know he's a vile character, but Kevin Zegers plays him really well. I actually thought he was all kinds of adorable in the flashbacks. Can we have a Damien and Serena at boarding school spinoff?
The conclusion of the Ben/Juliet plot was bonkers. Seriously, Lily made an allegation against a teacher at Serena's school, and forged her name on an affadavit just to ensure they could re-enrol her at Constance? I mean, I know Lily has a greyer sense of morality than a lot of people, but that's quite rich even for her. Oh, and she's selling Bass Industries out from underneath Chuck, just to make her seriously evil. I'm just not sure that was entirely necessary.
Nate and his mother's plot was kind of dull. They need to find something better to do with him. Is his dad up to no good? Perhaps. I'd like to see him actually doing something interesting in the second half of the season. I'm hoping they might find a way of making that work. Although what I really want to know is what Blair and Dan get up to, alone together in the city for Christmas. They're quite an inspired pairing, as long as they NEVER EVER do it. But I like the idea of them finding common ground.
And what's happening with Serena and Ben? Does this mean we've not seen the last of Juliet? Interesting...
Supernatural
Hmm. On the one hand, I'm always glad of a Castiel-free episode. On the other hand, this episode felt rather like smoke and mirrors to me. An apocalypse-free episode that purported to be about the apocalypse. Perhaps when I get to the end of the season I'll see where this one fitted in and be all "ohhh, right", but I have a sneaking suspicion that when I get to the end, I'll look back on this one and be all "nope, filler episode".
I don't know if I felt especially moved by the fact that Brady, Sam's friend from college, whose name I don't recall ever being uttered on this show before, was the one who orchestrated Jessica's death. It doesn't really feel like much of a betrayal since there was a demon occupying his soul at the time, and ultimately, whoever killed Jessica, she still died, which is what sent Sam off on this journey in the first place, so I feel that revelations like this would've made more sense in a first or second season episode, not at a point when we've got three episodes left until the entirety of Kripke's mytharc has been wrapped up.
Still, I wouldn't say I overly disliked this episode. There were some nice performances and a decent amount of dramatic tension, and I'm suitably chilled at the prospect of Bobby mortgaging his soul for the greater good.
********
This has been a very oddly-paced season. It seems like more happened in this episode than in the entirety of the three or four that went before it. Not that I'm complaining; if anything I'm glad that they're getting their arses into gear with this mytharc.
First things first: I love Crowley and would like him to stay forever. There's something delightfully snarky about him, and I like the idea of him remaining as a recurring foe of the Winchesters who's not necessarily against them, but clearly not working wholly with them either. The fact that he took a snapshot of Bobby kissing him to seal his deal absolutely clinched it for me. And also gave us this memorable exchange: "Did you have to take a picture?" "Did you have to use tongue?"
Also excellent: Death. Compared to some of the foes on this show (mentioning no names, Zachariah - look it up), he was wonderfully underplayed. The actor was so quiet and gaunt-looking and yet he never let the air of menace evaporate for one second. That he considered the Winchesters to be a mere blip on his radar made for interesting developments - he's mainly interested in them for what they can do for him. More villains like this one please. I thought this scene was nicely played by Jensen Ackles too - if Death's air was one of quiet menace, Dean's was one of veiled uncertainty - Jensen did a lovely job of showing us how Dean was clearly out of his depth but didn't really want to reveal that.
Bobby walking again - nice touch. I enjoyed Badass Wheelchair Bobby, but Crowley gifting him the ability to walk again as an added bonus was a lovely touch, and sealed my Crowley-adoration.
Castiel: meh. On the plus side, he didn't do anything actively irritating this week, and he saved some people's lives, so yay, I guess.
Question: I realise we don't know exactly how Pestilence operated, but Sam and Dean seemed remarkably short-sighted in dealing with him - what, did they think he wouldn't try to infect them with bubonic plague or something equally hideous. At the very least, they could've tried wearing surgical masks or something - I mean, the diseases probably weren't airborne but there's nothing wrong in being prepared, is there?
********
This was, I fear, a bit of a let-down. I appreciate that they went all out to make it epic, but it just didn't work for me. The constant cutaways to Chuck the prophet telling hackneyed stories of Sam and Dean's youth (note to writers: just because you have established a character as an in-universe hack writer does not mean you can include a load of trite scripting and claim it was his work. We will notice.) just reminded me of how little was actually happening in the episode, and how long it was taking to get there.
As for the battle - considering that pretty much the last five seasons have been leading to this, and if Kripke is to be believed, this is what his grand plan culminated in, then it was a disappointment. There was barely even much of a fight. And the fact that it came down to Lucifer being distracted by something shiny - seriously? Either the boys were counting on that in which case their plan SUCKED, or they got lucky, in which case they're kind of lame. We've been following these boys for five years now. We know that they're plucky and resourceful even if they're not superpowered. It seems like such a shame for them to essentially win their ultimate battle through sheer good fortune.
Still, at least we got to see Castiel go 'splodey, which was a very welcome touch. Shame they had to bring him back, but you can't have everything, can you? And I did like the ending - Dean alone and lost without his brother, and then Sam appearing as if from nowhere. It would've been a nice coda to the series, but it's also a good cliffhanger for series six, and that, I thought, was quite smart writing.
********
Hmm. I come to this season somewhat late, having heard a fair amount of dissatisfaction from other people who've been following it in real-time, saying that it's a bit boring and lacks the sparkle of the early seasons. To be honest, I felt like that during season five, which doesn't really bode well for me.
I could see the roots of those criticisms in this episode, where something just felt a bit...off. I don't know - I guess it just feels like the monster-hunting takes a bit of a backseat to the issues these days, and while I don't mind if the show occasionally takes an episode or two off to explore just how monumentally fucked-up the Winchesters are, I don't really want it to become the norm. I suppose you couldn't really pick up the start of season six with an all-action rootin' tootin' episode after the way season five ended, but really that's what I wanted.
Instead, I got Dean's insecurities and his long-lasting survivor's guilt, and his new family - who seem nice enough, but still. And then Sam comes back (far too late into the episode for my liking - I like Dean and all, but the show's missing something when you're basically about a third of the way into it and you've only seen one Winchester) with a load of deeply suspicious new family members. I think that's what unsettled me most about this episode, actually - it had the distinct whiff of Cousin Oliver about it, like they'd fulfilled the mytharc that was established at the beginning of the series as far as it was ever going to go (since Kripke always had it planned for five seasons and then moved on), and so they had to find ways to bring new story threads in, hey ho, new Winchesters. I'll reserve judgement on them for now (although one of them - can't remember what his name was - was quite hot, which helps) but the set-up just felt dubious. Samuel comes back from the dead after however many years and just instantly hooks up with a lot of distant cousins, and neither Sam nor Dean question the likelihood of this? Feh.
That said, there was a part of me that just enjoyed being back with the show, and also the general absence of Castiel, long may that continue. But I do hope there might be some two-awesome-brothers-fighting-terrible-demons ahead, or I suspect I'm going to get awfully bored.
********
And relax.
Glee
Dear Ian Brennan: you can tell me that Will Schuester is amazing in as many ways as you like, but until you actually write him in a way that reinforces any of this, he will still be THE WORST HUMAN BEING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. That was one of my biggest frustrations with this episode, actually - that the viewers finally got some catharsis in both the writers and the characters acknowledging what's wrong with Will ("there must be a Journey song we haven't done yet!") and yet at the end we were subjected to that hideously mawkish montage where everyone was all WILL SCHUESTER AM THE BESTEST EVER, entirely unprompted. And then they bring him back, and he continues to suck. He was especially a dick to Terri, who continues to be BRILLIANT and totally DESERVING OF BETTER THAN HIM (pair her up with one of the boys from the Glee club, hint hint fucking hint), who looked after him during his sickness and was clearly angling to get back together. Although the baby talk was kind of terrifying.
And it's a shame I had to start with that gripe, because otherwise, I loved this episode. I thought Gwyneth Paltrow was brilliant - really fun and energetic, and her performance of 'Forget You' was really rousing. While I wasn't necessarily crazy about her free-spiritedness rather abruptly becoming her having absolutely no concept of responsibility, I realise this was necessary to bring back the status quo, and I actually thought her performance made it as convincing as it was ever likely to be. It's a shame, really, because I would much rather have her leading the club than Schuester, but I guess her becoming a longterm guest star was always going to be improbable. Also, I'm no expert, but she seemed to have a far better grasp of Spanish than Matthew Morrison.
Principal Sue was quite fun, but I noticed that there was no mention of her relinquishing the job at the end of the episode - does that mean Figgins is actually gone for good?
The tots storyline - eh, I have mixed emotions about this one. I was kind of annoyed that when they give Mercedes a sizeable plotline of her own it's a Fat Girl Plotline again, but I liked that it gave her a chance to be witty and independent. Annoyingly, after several episodes of really positive character development, Kurt went back to being kind of a huge douchebag again. I mean, I get the whole "I've got a quasi-boyfriend and I want to be around him ALWAYS" thing, I really do, but I hated that he constantly blew off plans with Mercedes to make it happen, and never seemed terribly sorry about it - and then on the one occasion she got to join them, he actively sandbagged Blaine's attempts to include her in the conversation. And after all that, he decided it was Mercedes' fault anyway for being too reliant on him as a boyfriend-substitute, and we were just supposed to accept this as a valid conclusion - as if he hasn't been equally guilty of that in the past. Poor show, Brennan. (However, it was excellently played by Chris Colfer, as always - especially the line about the purse falling out of his mouth.)
Best part of the episode, however - Sue describing how she showed Brittany some broccoli and she started whimpering, thinking that Sue had cut down a small tree that Gummi Bears lived in. Amazing. Honorable runners-up: Santana bodily hurling herself at Rachel, Rachel and Kurt slipping on the butter, Terri asking Holly if she was "a porn star or a drag queen", and Sue owning a Le Car.
********
I know that criticising Glee for being heavy-handed is a bit like criticising water for being wet, but sheesh. Don't get me wrong - I like Kurt. We may have had our issues over the course of season one, but I think the writing for the character has been much better this season, and I think Chris Colfer plays the part brilliantly. However, I just found the whole "Kurt is amazing! Kurt is so cool! Love Kurt, everyone!" aspects of this episode a bit much. Carol and Burt's wedding ended up having little to do with either of those characters, and instead became an excuse for everyone to talk about how much they loved Kurt. Even Carol's speech of how proud she was of Finn basically amounted to "I love you because you like Kurt" in places. I just don't think that was necessary - it's like they don't trust that the character is being written and acted in such a way that we can reach that conclusion for ourselves. Seriously, Ryan Murphy: WE GET IT.
That was the only real gripe with an otherwise enjoyable episode. The bullying storyline, despite starting out ropily, is starting to become quite good at this point, and I enjoyed the reactions of everyone involved, especially Finn realising that he hadn't been there for Kurt in the way that he should be (I thought Burt's whole "where the hell were you?" to Finn was misplaced, though - after all, bullies usually make a point of ensuring they can't be seen when they do their bullying, so why should Burt automatically assume that Finn knew about it? Admittedly, Finn did know about it, but it just annoyed me that the blame for stopping it somehow ended up on Finn's giant shoulders.) It's been on fast-forward a touch, as the whole thing spiraled out of control in under two episodes, but I guess that's not entirely unrealistic. The whole thing was played really well, especially Kurt's announcement that he was transferring, which was really moving - and I liked that Rachel, true to form, was worried about what this meant for New Directions.
Sue marrying herself was...bizarre. But it sort of worked for the character. And the stuff with her Nazi hunter mother was a nice mix of the insane and the relatable, especially the wedding scene. Also, I really enjoyed Sue's tenure as principle - even though she's often a complete monster, it's good that they show her as someone who at least has an understanding of right and wrong, and who sticks up for the little guy.
Finn's quest for coolness seemed to come out of nowhere a little bit, and disappeared as quickly as it came, but I liked that he's now officially over his issues with Kurt, and proved it by dancing with him at the wedding. Also, I still don't really see evidence of the super-hot chemistry between Sam and Quinn, but they're cute together, if somewhat dull, so I'll allow it for now.
********
Hmm, sectionals came around a lot earlier this year. I guess that's what happens when you know you've got a full season to play with and don't have to hold out your ace for the 13th episode in case it's your last one.
As before, it was laced with inter-group drama, and it was good that the revelation of Finn having slept with Santana came out nice and early - I was expecting it to be dragged out much longer than it was. Of course, we had to break up Finn and Rachel because I'm assuming they want Rachel with Puck in the latter half of the season, and Finn with...someone else. Terri? Please say Terri. I don't entirely buy that Rachel would've run straight to Puck just to hurt Finn, but you know what they say, any hot Jew in a storm.
Kurt discovering that life is not all rosy on the other side of the fence was interesting too - that the Warblers have just as much juvenile drama as New Directions do, only in a slightly more authoritative fashion. I still can't really warm to his new boyfriend either - he's still a bit too Gay Yoda, and also his hair's really greasy and he looks like someone I went to school with who I really didn't like. That's not his fault, but then it's not really mine either.
What else? The songs were an interesting mix - I wasn't crazy about 'Hey, Soul Sister' or '(I've Had) The Time Of My Life (And Some Parentheses)' but I've always got time for 'Valerie', 'The Living Years' and 'Dog Days Are Over'.
Emma marrying Hot Dentist is an interesting development, although I think there have been a few too many weddings in the last two episodes. Schuester was a douche about it when she told him, but what else is new?
Having New Directions tie with the Warblers was a cop-out (and I doubt they wouldn't have a procedure in place for dealing with ties anyway), but I guess they need to keep Kurt at the new school and have him be the Jesse St James of next year, only gayer. Or something.
********
Well, this was pretty much what I expected from a festive episode of Glee - more schmaltz than you can shake a stick at, but well-intentioned enough that I can forgive it. The breakdown of Finn and Rachel's relationship was pretty sad, and I found it odd that we saw Finn laughing and joking with Puck afterwards, but I guess this show never thinks too deeply about that kind of stuff.
Brittany's belief in Santa was cute, especially the scene with Coach Beiste, although Coach Beiste buying Artie a ReWalk - really? Could she afford that? Then again, this is a universe where struggling high school teacher Will Schuester lives in some kind of awesome palace, so financial realism is probably not a high priority.
So Kurt's in love with Blaine: surprise! I just kind of want them to get on with it, to be honest. Blaine bores me, but it's nice that they're actually attempting to give Kurt a love life.
The songs were nice, in a festive sort of way, although 'Last Christmas' felt a bit out of place. And Sue as The Grinch was pretty fun too.
Gossip Girl
After the incoherence of the previous episode, this one actually really worked for me. While it's frustrating that no one believed in Serena's innocence (apart from Dan, and that was even more frustrating, because there is nothing more offensive in this universe than Dan Humphrey being right about anything), the sudden onslaught of continuity made everyone's reactions far more understandable. I don't know why, because it's not like there were new writers for this one, but the decision to frame the events within the context of season one did make some sense of it all: Blair remembers Serena going to pieces before, and also remembers her own experience of needing someone to reach out and be there for you, while Lily remembers her daughter going off the rails the first time, and Eric remembers what it's like to be suicidal. All of them were so scared by this that their logic deserted them and they flocked around Serena, blinded to the truth. Okay, fine, so it's essentially an idiot plot in designer clothes, but you know what? When you at least attempt to craft something like this in a manner that actually makes sense for the characters somehow, I'm a lot more willing to not sweat the small stuff.
The continuity generally was lovely: Blair's bulimia, the Ostroff centre, french fries at Thanksgiving, and so on. There were still some storylining blips - Juliet suddenly caring more about the revenge plot than Ben when previously it was precisely the opposite, and Jenny suddenly being all "but I didn't want to hurt Serena!", but on the whole things were good.
Vanessa: is an idiot. I seriously don't even know where they're going with her. Aside from some petty schoolyard bitchery about man-stealing, I don't get why she's so invested in taking Serena down. I hope they sort her out.
The Lily/Juliet scene was interesting - so, presumably Lily knows what Juliet is accusing Serena of? Has this been going on just since Lily's last meeting with Juliet, or for some years? This may have been addressed in a previous episode, I can't remember. Lily's confrontation with Dan was another good one. Dan was a smug shit, but I genuinely love Lily as a character. She may be a questionable parent, but I like the depth to her.
I thought Leighton Meester knocked the limo scene out of the park. She showcased Blair's vulnerability in a way that was believable, and actually underplayed it, which made it more effective. It's a shame Ed Westwick was phoning it in. Someone needs to tell him that growling =/= acting.
So...now that Jenny has fessed up, might Rufus actually spring Serena out of the Ostroff Centre now? Whatever happens next, I'm looking forward to Blair and Dan's campaign of ultimate vengeance.
********
Well, the Blair and Dan roadtrip wasn't quite the amazingness-fest I hoped it would be, but it did inspire some fun moments - them bickering good-naturedly on their way into Connecticut was pretty great. And I was pleased to see Damien back - I know he's a vile character, but Kevin Zegers plays him really well. I actually thought he was all kinds of adorable in the flashbacks. Can we have a Damien and Serena at boarding school spinoff?
The conclusion of the Ben/Juliet plot was bonkers. Seriously, Lily made an allegation against a teacher at Serena's school, and forged her name on an affadavit just to ensure they could re-enrol her at Constance? I mean, I know Lily has a greyer sense of morality than a lot of people, but that's quite rich even for her. Oh, and she's selling Bass Industries out from underneath Chuck, just to make her seriously evil. I'm just not sure that was entirely necessary.
Nate and his mother's plot was kind of dull. They need to find something better to do with him. Is his dad up to no good? Perhaps. I'd like to see him actually doing something interesting in the second half of the season. I'm hoping they might find a way of making that work. Although what I really want to know is what Blair and Dan get up to, alone together in the city for Christmas. They're quite an inspired pairing, as long as they NEVER EVER do it. But I like the idea of them finding common ground.
And what's happening with Serena and Ben? Does this mean we've not seen the last of Juliet? Interesting...
Supernatural
Hmm. On the one hand, I'm always glad of a Castiel-free episode. On the other hand, this episode felt rather like smoke and mirrors to me. An apocalypse-free episode that purported to be about the apocalypse. Perhaps when I get to the end of the season I'll see where this one fitted in and be all "ohhh, right", but I have a sneaking suspicion that when I get to the end, I'll look back on this one and be all "nope, filler episode".
I don't know if I felt especially moved by the fact that Brady, Sam's friend from college, whose name I don't recall ever being uttered on this show before, was the one who orchestrated Jessica's death. It doesn't really feel like much of a betrayal since there was a demon occupying his soul at the time, and ultimately, whoever killed Jessica, she still died, which is what sent Sam off on this journey in the first place, so I feel that revelations like this would've made more sense in a first or second season episode, not at a point when we've got three episodes left until the entirety of Kripke's mytharc has been wrapped up.
Still, I wouldn't say I overly disliked this episode. There were some nice performances and a decent amount of dramatic tension, and I'm suitably chilled at the prospect of Bobby mortgaging his soul for the greater good.
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This has been a very oddly-paced season. It seems like more happened in this episode than in the entirety of the three or four that went before it. Not that I'm complaining; if anything I'm glad that they're getting their arses into gear with this mytharc.
First things first: I love Crowley and would like him to stay forever. There's something delightfully snarky about him, and I like the idea of him remaining as a recurring foe of the Winchesters who's not necessarily against them, but clearly not working wholly with them either. The fact that he took a snapshot of Bobby kissing him to seal his deal absolutely clinched it for me. And also gave us this memorable exchange: "Did you have to take a picture?" "Did you have to use tongue?"
Also excellent: Death. Compared to some of the foes on this show (mentioning no names, Zachariah - look it up), he was wonderfully underplayed. The actor was so quiet and gaunt-looking and yet he never let the air of menace evaporate for one second. That he considered the Winchesters to be a mere blip on his radar made for interesting developments - he's mainly interested in them for what they can do for him. More villains like this one please. I thought this scene was nicely played by Jensen Ackles too - if Death's air was one of quiet menace, Dean's was one of veiled uncertainty - Jensen did a lovely job of showing us how Dean was clearly out of his depth but didn't really want to reveal that.
Bobby walking again - nice touch. I enjoyed Badass Wheelchair Bobby, but Crowley gifting him the ability to walk again as an added bonus was a lovely touch, and sealed my Crowley-adoration.
Castiel: meh. On the plus side, he didn't do anything actively irritating this week, and he saved some people's lives, so yay, I guess.
Question: I realise we don't know exactly how Pestilence operated, but Sam and Dean seemed remarkably short-sighted in dealing with him - what, did they think he wouldn't try to infect them with bubonic plague or something equally hideous. At the very least, they could've tried wearing surgical masks or something - I mean, the diseases probably weren't airborne but there's nothing wrong in being prepared, is there?
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This was, I fear, a bit of a let-down. I appreciate that they went all out to make it epic, but it just didn't work for me. The constant cutaways to Chuck the prophet telling hackneyed stories of Sam and Dean's youth (note to writers: just because you have established a character as an in-universe hack writer does not mean you can include a load of trite scripting and claim it was his work. We will notice.) just reminded me of how little was actually happening in the episode, and how long it was taking to get there.
As for the battle - considering that pretty much the last five seasons have been leading to this, and if Kripke is to be believed, this is what his grand plan culminated in, then it was a disappointment. There was barely even much of a fight. And the fact that it came down to Lucifer being distracted by something shiny - seriously? Either the boys were counting on that in which case their plan SUCKED, or they got lucky, in which case they're kind of lame. We've been following these boys for five years now. We know that they're plucky and resourceful even if they're not superpowered. It seems like such a shame for them to essentially win their ultimate battle through sheer good fortune.
Still, at least we got to see Castiel go 'splodey, which was a very welcome touch. Shame they had to bring him back, but you can't have everything, can you? And I did like the ending - Dean alone and lost without his brother, and then Sam appearing as if from nowhere. It would've been a nice coda to the series, but it's also a good cliffhanger for series six, and that, I thought, was quite smart writing.
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Hmm. I come to this season somewhat late, having heard a fair amount of dissatisfaction from other people who've been following it in real-time, saying that it's a bit boring and lacks the sparkle of the early seasons. To be honest, I felt like that during season five, which doesn't really bode well for me.
I could see the roots of those criticisms in this episode, where something just felt a bit...off. I don't know - I guess it just feels like the monster-hunting takes a bit of a backseat to the issues these days, and while I don't mind if the show occasionally takes an episode or two off to explore just how monumentally fucked-up the Winchesters are, I don't really want it to become the norm. I suppose you couldn't really pick up the start of season six with an all-action rootin' tootin' episode after the way season five ended, but really that's what I wanted.
Instead, I got Dean's insecurities and his long-lasting survivor's guilt, and his new family - who seem nice enough, but still. And then Sam comes back (far too late into the episode for my liking - I like Dean and all, but the show's missing something when you're basically about a third of the way into it and you've only seen one Winchester) with a load of deeply suspicious new family members. I think that's what unsettled me most about this episode, actually - it had the distinct whiff of Cousin Oliver about it, like they'd fulfilled the mytharc that was established at the beginning of the series as far as it was ever going to go (since Kripke always had it planned for five seasons and then moved on), and so they had to find ways to bring new story threads in, hey ho, new Winchesters. I'll reserve judgement on them for now (although one of them - can't remember what his name was - was quite hot, which helps) but the set-up just felt dubious. Samuel comes back from the dead after however many years and just instantly hooks up with a lot of distant cousins, and neither Sam nor Dean question the likelihood of this? Feh.
That said, there was a part of me that just enjoyed being back with the show, and also the general absence of Castiel, long may that continue. But I do hope there might be some two-awesome-brothers-fighting-terrible-demons ahead, or I suspect I'm going to get awfully bored.
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And relax.