1. Show’s “children” titles are always deliberately clumsy and state the obvious (“Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things” – like nobody knows it).
3. Supernatural needs its own gallery of creepy children. “Wishful Thinking”, “Death Takes A Holiday”, “The Rapture”, you name it.
4. All in all, this episode has a “9-year-old” sense of tacky humour, too. It features some of the most cheesilly explicit jokes on SPN ever.
5. What grown-ups wish for their kids, their kids wish to them in return, and these wishes come true in an exaggerated fashion – for example, the horrible Tooth Fairy.
6. When I saw Amber the babysitter watching this horror movie with a rabid dog trying to break into a car with a scared girl trapped inside, I thought Amber would soon be attacked by some Hound of Baskerville, too. So it was a real twist when Amber turned out to have died of having scratched her brains out because of a “phantom itch”.
7. Dean’s I-see-through-you with Jimmy. Nice getting called “Sir”, Dean? And, Dean, this boy may be a liar – you recognize it, because you both are birds of feather – but you shamelessly lie to him as well – you ever had a babysitter at all, let alone a “Dynasty”-loving one, in your childhood?
8. The episode’s second half is grave, but the first one is hilariously funny, so that you can’t stop laughing even when the Antichrist’s arrival is announced. That’s Supernatural for ya.
9. Supernatural never takes an archetype or a cultural cliche without twisting it or mixing’n’shaking them all together, creating a cultural chimera at the end. Here, for example, they mesh children’s phobias with the New Testament and throw a “Rosemary’s Child” in the melting pot. Apart from that, it all heavily parallels Sam and Dean’s story. The woman here is the mother of Antichrist, like an anti-Mary (whichever Mary, Supernatural or Biblical, you prefer). By the way, does “Rosemary” mean “Mary from the rose garden”? The Paradise garden where the Devil seduced Eve?
10. The autopsist tells “Agents Page and Plant” (Jimmy Page the notorious supporter of the occult, eh?) Amber died of itching psychosis that could be triggered by mere thought or mention of itching, then Dean starts to scratch his temple intensely, and I immediately have a creepy feeling the show’s going to let one of these childish misconceptions get to him. But, in another twist, it never does. Liars, Supernatural. Taking it from your leads, right?
Correction: It actually does – see #18.
11. The Tooth Fairy scene is gross! deliberately unnatural! hilarious!, what with these ridiculously large clippers of his extracting all of the teeth off the poor man’s jaws.
12. I guess, people from cultures other than American will find it harder to grasp this particularly American children’s “horror” folklore. In Russian culture (at least in my childhood and my social environment) there were no such things as Tooth Fairies or the concept of fizzy drinks-mixed-with-Coke resulting in ulcer or the danger of making faces, or the beware of joy buzzers and itching powder rule. “The blackest room with the blackest coffin” or the “choking green arm” scarytales is all I remember. In a hypothetical Russian version of Supernatural, the writers would have to substitute the Tooth Fairy with the Little Grey Wolf eating up the girl’s father. And, by the way, Dean telling Jimmy he’ll have to take him “downtown” if he won’t tell the truth, is a way more Russian children’s fear – “if you behave badly, a militia man will get you”.
13. The boys behave like children themselves all through their initial investigation. Dean electrocuting the ham loaf – “Hit it, Mr. Wizard” (and the plastic chicken later) – and then eating slices of it – is just… don’t eat it, Dean, what do you know? Appreciate Dean offering Sam a slice (so very “Hollywood Babylon”/”Tall Tales”) – but as we come to expect in situations like this, Sam’s not indulging in stupid nonsense, no.
14. “Conjurarium”, the prank stuff shop. Dean, you’re being a 9-year-old yourself. Stop freaking the poor owner out. The show keeps lying to us – we expect the shop’s host to be the evil behind the practical jokes but the writers trick us, and the man proves to be innocent.
15. It’s the second time after “Fallen Idols” somebody older disses Gen Y’s tacky taste in entertainment. The wax museum owner hated the teens’ interest in computer games, “Conjurarium” host dislikes the iPhones and films with kissing vampires craze. It’s Supernatural’s second dig at “Twilight” since 5.03, right?
16. “We don’t have a fridge”. Dean, it’s not a problem. Fan girls will collect you the money to buy the friggin’ fridge in a bat of your deluxe eyelashes.
17. Sam’s research – seriously, you guys discover your motel is right in the middle of this prank net, and you don’t run?
18. Wait, is it the first ever jack-off joke on SPN we just heard? Dean, you jerk. It’s finally confirmed. And, show, you what, is trying to make up for the pink panties and other non-manly stuff we’ve recently learnt Dean’s so fond of by turning him on on a pretty nurse? Seedy. Gay. Girls, fanfic, please. You know who his real turn-on is. Also: only very close people could have such intimate conversation.
19. Dean’s got a nurse fetish, by the way. And Sammy doesn’t like it. Basically, he doesn’t like any women distracting his brother from their (hand-to-hand) job.
20. Lock-picking. The FBI, yeah?
21. Creepy kid Jesse. In spite of him being much more grown-up than his preteen peers, he believes these scary misconceptions.
22. Sam, did you ever really make any dinners for yourself when you were 11? You had Dean, you liar.
23. Dean, your father even had time to tell you a bedtime story? You wish.
24. Dean, aaahh oooh oh that was scary, risking Sam’s life like that, you fool with a joy buzzer.
25. RANDOMLY PUZZLED: By the way, why do we never learn about the boys’ grandparents on their father’s side, if there ever were ones?
26. When they need a professional advice now, the guys are gonna call Castiel, yeah? Beware of co-dependence.
27. Castiel’s lecture on mythology is where the episode turns krip(k)y.
28. Just a thought: stand-alone episodes tend to be more formularised than “mythological” ones (what with the standard FBI faking, the inevitable motel room strategizing, the obligatory Impala monologue at the end).
29. Mean Castiel doesn’t like creepy children, too. Castiel, you do remember it took Sam a good few years to turn into a heartless bastard, but for you it seems to be just a matter of weeks, you rebellious angel?
30. “A year ago you would have done whatever it took to win this war”. Yeah, Castiel, and you with your angelic garrison wouldn’t let Sam do it, ordering Dean to stop him. Beautiful logic.
31. There’s no way they’d be killing a kid, nope. Idjits.
32. The boy is like a Hell’s equivalent of an Archangel . Half-human, half-demonic creature. It’s not without reason he looks a wee bit like Sam as a teen, only even moodier.
33. Lucifer is going to “twist” the Antichrist kid “to his purpose” and use him as his weapon. Like Lucifer’s not strong enough himself. If Jesse is so naturally powerful, why won’t Lucifer wear this boy to the prom, why Sam?
34. Damn it, show, Sam was supposed to be the ultimate Evil Human on you, the Antichrist. Now that you take if from him, I don’t even know how to take it – as a blessing or a disappointment.
35. “Your Bible gets more wrong than it does right”. Ooh, Castiel, since when do you criticize the book of holy? It’s thanks to it that people actually know something about you and believe you angels kick ass, after all. We know how you admire Chuck’s Supernatural Gospel, though, so maybe we should stick to it?
36. Castiel, if you are that willing to smite this kid to pieces till it’s too late, why don’t you go after Sam, too? Well, he saved you once, and sure you won’t dare upset Dean – he’d be friggin’ sad if you get angry at his stupid lil brother. Guess you have no choice.
37. Boys, damn clever of you fools to think of training the kid to be a soldier in the angel/demon war. You’re just like your Dad. Don’t take it as a compliment. Show, don’t give me this loose end of a plot device, I won’t like to see this Jesse character a regular in Season Next and I won’t like a Supernatural sequel in 2015 starring him. Sam Winchester is my One True Antichrist.
38. The camera lingers on Sam all the time while the three of them are talking. It’s his own story revisited. And Castiel looking him up in the eyes like he only looks up to Dean – try to resist the angelic magnetism, bitch – “… you didn’t. And I can’t take that chance” – and Sam guilty – oh. Sam screwed up his own “right choice”, so now he’s twice guilty – for his own silliness and for the fact that his silliness makes Castiel think psychic children like him can’t manage their demonic side, and therefore should be demolished. Really, it’s Biblical, like Adam’s transgression puts a curse on all his future kin.
39. Jesse’s mother scene – the montage with her voiceover should be scary, but it’s just as much sickly hilarious. Excuse me, show, but since I first saw Sam being choked with rock salt in 5.02, I can’t take such scenes without laughing. Virgin girl possessed by a lascivious demon lover resulting in a demonic/human baby she couldn’t destroy and left for adoption instead, after having exorcised herself (the second time we see it on the show?).
40. Black smoke, I hate you. You are the most visually disgusting element in this otherwise beautiful show EVER. The demon repossessing Jesse’s mother with a black-smoke French kiss later is disgusting.
41. Castiel’s the nightmare. Bad Angel coming after the boy. A nice entry in the book of children’s horrors. And getting diminished. So folkloric.
42. The kid kicks ass. He can do whatever he wants with demons, angels, humans and objects alike with a mere power of his thought or word. He can travel from place to place, without being noticed, faster than an Angel. What Sam was learning to do for a couple of years with great strain and dope, he’s a natural at, with zero practice. A Supernatural Mozart. Hurts, Sammy?
43. Hee, demons are ordered not to hurt Sam (unlike Dean) – sure, Lucifer won’t allow any of his minions damage his “vessel”. See how cleverly he’s courting our boy. And, yeah, Sam’s a “dreamboat” all right.
44. So, Sam can’t or won’t go all demonically enhanced anymore to free himself and Dean from the demonic!Jesse’s mother’s grip? Is he really restraining himself or has he lost his mojo?
45. “X-Men” future for Jesse – show, was that witty rejoinder the real reason why you had Mr. Singer reduced to a wheelchair a few episodes back?
46. Boys, seriously, you could already make a living scouting for paranormal children and coaching them up. You’d be good at it (portfolio at “Afterschool Special” and “Jump The Shark”). The SPN sequel? NO.
47. … or a Prince of Darkness service – it’s this kind of a dilemma. And Sam, how’s an 11-year-old boy supposed to make a conscious choice between the two? Especially when a 20-something “super smart” geek like you couldn’t?
48. This episode is all truth/lies-themed, it’s about how ambivalent both can be. But truth actually wins – it’s when Sam and Dean (it’s mostly Sam who does the talking – Dean is much better at lying, after all) “lay it all out” for Jesse (very much like they do to Adam in “Jump The Shark”) that they manage to win his trust.
49. “Except when you are the monster. Right, Sammy?” But wrong season, dear demon.
50. And Sam has to choose his words very carefully, and, hey, his excellent eloquence skills don’t fail the lawyer boy, and Jesse believes the guys more than his mother.
51. “Then I’m a freak” – “We’re a bit freak ourselves”. Freakmeter, anyone?
52. “Even if I couldn’t” – Sam, the kid won’t make your mistakes, you drama queen. Just look at him, he’s not shaped to be a fighter, he’s a geeky pacifist. Sam, you must be looking in the mirror.
53. When Jesse climbed up the stairs to say goodbye to his sleeping parents, I had a full-on Chuck moment. I was sure the kid, having weighed his hard options, was going to commit a suicide. Frankly, it may have been the best way out.
54. But hey, he was cleverer than that. He just flew – obviously, to Australia
55. It’s interesting how there’s not two choices in the good vs. evil equation, but three. Jesse decides not to side with any of the two parties, remain neutral and keep his powers to himself. Not do any of them any favours. Sam, you ever thought of that? Guess you had no choice, baby.
56. Final scene. It’s Dean’s turn to wax eloquent and launch into a monologue. He sticks to his white-lie-for-a-living conviction. Atta boy. But the “more I think about it… more I wish Dad would've lied to us” – where would you’ve been by now, then, Dean? Playing happy families together in Heaven? Yeah, Sam, “me too”? I get it, sure you won’t leave your brother alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment