Rewatch S1: Ep 18
Tonight I only watched one episode. Something Wicked is one of my favorites. Sadly, I don't think I'm as articulate about it as I would like to be. I've had a confusing day....but here you are!
Something Wicked
It's harder to count the days in this episode. It's at least three.
The prayer the little girl says at the beginning is a much nicer version of that prayer. The version I heard as a kid used to freak the hell out of me. Let's compare, so that you will understand why:
Little Girls' Prayer: "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May angels watch me through the night and keep me safe 'til morning light" - awww, how sweet.
Little Me: "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." - HOLY CRAP! Not only is there a possibility that I might DIE while I sleep, but someone is going to TAKE MY SOUL?! I don't care if it's the Lord! No one is taking my soul! It's mine! I would like to still have it when I wake up after NOT DYING IN MY SLEEP. Seriously, don't people realize how freaky these concepts are to kids? Sam wishes he still had innocence, man, so do I. That prayer scarred me for life..no wonder I'm an atheist. (Alright, I know that had nothing to do with the show really, but I can't watch this episode without having horrifying flashbacks.)
I had forgotten they were sent on this hunt by John...more to say on this later.
Right after Dean says "Because I'm the oldest, and that means I'm always right" and Sam says, "It does not!" and Dean says, "yeah, it totally does" he gives Sam this look...this sideways look with a smirk that he's trying to hide...it's really lovely. Makes me happy.
Has anyone ever noticed how John leaves without saying goodbye to Sam. Sam's there plugged into his headphones, and maybe they already said goodbye before the cartoon started, but still...sort of telling that there's no exchange there.
The little kid is good at the Sam-puppy face.
I like how Dean remembers everything about the Shtriga, even though he pretends that he doesn't and it's no big deal. It was probably the first thing to come into their "home" since their Mum died...it was probably the first thing that ever got passed him to Sam...of course he's going to remember everything about it. What it is, how to kill it, exactly how much he failed that day...
Dean: "I promise you, this is not your fault." - I wonder how badly Dean wanted someone to say that to him after the Shtriga got to Sam...Dean was what? 9? Instead he gets the John-Winchester-Look-Of-Death-Due-To-Disappointment.
"Ogdenville, Northhaverbrook..." MONORAIL! Sorry...the Simpson's reference was just screaming at me.
Oh, the LOOK John gives Dean. I've already mentioned it, but DAMN.
John: "I told you not to leave this room. I told you not to let Sam out of your sight!"
...
Dean: "didn't say anything, but he looked at me different, which was worse."
Oh John...I know you were angry, but did you know what you did to Dean? Not only did you make him feel like a disappointment then, but by sending him on this hunt now, you are basically saying "You still have to make up for this. I still haven't forgiven you." I mean, yeah, you could look at it a different way, John getting Dean to do it so that Dean can finish the job...sort of lay the matter to rest, but I think the first meaning is still in there. This is still a matter of glaringly pointing out the time when Dean failed. When he had almost lost his brother, and when he DID lose his Dad's approval. Oh man, you can't give a 9 year old kid that look. John put way too much on Dean's shoulders as a kid, and I think sending him on this hunt only serves to reopen old wounds...wounds that completely messed Dean up psychologically to begin with.
I love how Dean says "For what it's worth, I wish you had that kind of innocence too," instead of wishing it for himself. I don't think Dean can remember a time when he was innocent to the things in the dark...I have a feeling his earliest memory is that night of the fire, maybe some vague things before that, but most likely his entire self-identity was made up AFTER that fire. I know I don't remember much of anything before the age of 6, so the fact that Dean remembers the fire at 4, probably means that's his earliest memory. But *SPOILER* we find out later that Sam was around 9 when he found out about the monsters, which means that Dean DOES remember when Sam didn't know...when his kid brother was just an innocent little kid. And Sam remembers being carefree, of a time when he didn't have to worry about this sort of stuff...he just had to worry about why his family was so weird, I guess. Anyway, it informs a lot of their characters, that difference. Dean's never had that kind of innocence in his memory, so he doesn't crave it, he doesn't know it at all...Sam did, so he leaves for school, he tries to be normal again...he tries to erase that information, because he misses not being afraid of monsters. That's what *I* think anyway, feel free to disagree.
It's a good episode. Jensen is stellar in it. From that sly look he gives Sam in the car, to the way he can bring Dean just to the edge of tears...I'm always impressed by his ability to convey the extremely subtle things that life people are made up of.
No DVD extras.
On a separate topic: It occurred to me that I've written one fic from John's point of view, one fic from Dean's, one from Jess', and one from Sam's! How unintentionally diverse of me! Sadly, I don't think I could get Bobby's voice down...plus, the next idea I'll probably write up is a Dean POV. Still, I'm impressed with myself.