Friday, October 10, 2008

Short Thoughts on "Metamorphosis"

Raise your hand if you think I can keep this short. Yeah, me, neither. But I'll try.

SPOILERS


Episode 4 every season is when they start easing away from the season's mytharc and doing stand-alone episodes, which makes most casual fans and even some obsessed ones really happy.

Seeing the preview, I didn't expect to like this episode as much. And in a ranking sense, this is 4 of 4. But despite a little heavy-handedness with the metaphor, it was still an excellent episode.

I wish Sam would stop saying he has demon blood in him. He DOESN'T. When you ingest something, your digestive system breaks it down and the PARTS go into your bloodstream. They don't last forever. The Barney Rubble vitamin you took when you were four is not still surging through your arteries. But the effects of the demon blood are obviously still in him, which is the point. So I guess I should shut up about semantics.

A lot of people think Sam's going to be, or is, addicted to the power. But his situation is not nearly so trite or straightforward. (Not that addiction is trite, of course. But storylines involving addiction often are.) The writers are keeping this as complex as possible. Sam's argument about the people he is saving with his power wasn't one Dean could easily counter. Dean mentioned the knife, Sam pointed out that the knife kills the person possessed, and that twists everything all up. Dean's way becomes the wrong way because it means killing innocents, while we can't see the downside to Sam's way. At least, not yet.

I think what I like best is that even as the brothers are changing, they are still consistent. Sam still thinks people can be saved, Dean still thinks evil needs to be stopped, even if it means destroying the good that coexists with it. Their personal argument hasn't changed that.

Since the brothers have been apart for four months and are at such odds, and in such pain because of it, it would be easy for one or the other to walk away. Yet it seems the bond is still strong enough that neither one is even considering it.

I was at IMDb trying to figure out when Castiel will be back and saw one-line writeups for the next four episodes. I don't like being spoiled, but I also want to know a little something about the future, and all of these made me squee instead of frown in disappointment. I can't wait.

Is it me, or is this season so far the goriest one yet? They're getting away with a lot. Almost enough to make me stop letting Number One watch, though her wrath would be mighty if I did.

Oh, one last thing. When Sam exorcised that demon from the guy at the beginning? The look Ruby gave him? Even more, the look he gave Ruby?

They are totally having sex.

12 comments:

AuthorM said...

Maybe Demon blood doesn't get digested. Or maybe Sam doesn't think about anything other than the fact EWWWW YED DRIPPED BLOOD INTO HIS LITTLE BABY MOUTH!!!!!

Bleah. I'd be sick all the time.

And Sam and Ruby? I don't know if they *are* but I betcha they *did*...

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Maybe Demon blood doesn't get digested.

Then it would get pooped. LOL I'm sorry, I'm just too logical about that whole thing.

Or maybe Sam doesn't think about anything other than the fact EWWWW YED DRIPPED BLOOD INTO HIS LITTLE BABY MOUTH!!!!!

LOL! Great point, trumps all.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Ooh, and that reminds me.

I love that they remembered that Dean didn't know that Sam knew about the blood in his mouth, and even in the midst of all these new secrets and stuff, they didn't drop old secrets. That's smart writing, and I imagine it's got to be really hard to do.

MJFredrick said...

I actually saw it last night, and thought, "meh." Heavy handed, like you say, and then Sam's all, "Okay, I'll quit." I'm sure it won't be that easy, but it seemed a bit easy.

I think authorm is right - they did. I can't see Sam regularly sleeping with a demon.

AuthorM said...

Hey, Mary. I really enjoyed the episode (but as my husband says, "is there an episode you DON'T love?")

But I didn't LOVE it. I loved parts of it. I loved the acting, I loved the fact it was a stand alone with some mythos to it.

But Emo!Sam makes me sigh. Yes, yes, I know, Sammy (pets Sammy) -- I know your life sucks. I know it. But...his emo ness gets to me in a way that Dean being emo doesn't. It's blatant favoritism, I admit it. And it's not that I don't love them both.

I just love Dean more. haha!

AuthorM said...

Natalie -- those SPN writers are smart. I love what they do with stuff like that.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Mary, when he said that, I said, "It's more complicated than that" and Number One (who is just over 13) said, "Yeah, but you have to admit to a problem and be willing to try before you can succeed" or something along those lines. But the problem is, the first time Dean's life is in danger and he can use his powers to save him, he will. It's not like drinking alcohol, which has no external value.

I'm sure Sam stopped having sex with her when Dean showed up (I mean, from Hell), but if he hadn't come in right then, I bet they'd have had a quickie in the Camaro after they got the guy to the ER. :)

My preference for Dean has always been infinitesimal, and I adore Sam and identify with him more, but last night even I was sighing over his angst. Only sometimes, though. The confrontation in the hotel room was intense, and the "stop the car" scene cathartic.

AuthorM said...

My heart broke for Sam when Dean punched him in the face. And then again!!!!

And I did want Dean to stop being so frigging MEAN to his brother, ffs, he was in Hell and all, but Sam was in his own kind of Hell. And I want Dean to stop being so judgmental and determined that what Sam's doing is bad, though I guess and angel telling you so might make you think you're right. ;)

And it's not that simple, for Sam, I doubt he'll be able to just stop...he might not seek it out, but he'll be confronted with the chance to do it again.

Oh, and Sam and Ruby...haha!!

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

And I did want Dean to stop being so frigging MEAN to his brother, ffs, he was in Hell and all, but Sam was in his own kind of Hell. And I want Dean to stop being so judgmental and determined that what Sam's doing is bad,

Neither one of them has been very good at listening to each other or shifting their perspective from the inside of their own heads, and of course Dean's operating out of fear, but yeah. He's got to lighten up on Sam some.

though I guess and angel telling you so might make you think you're right. ;)

LOL Yeah, but he doesn't trust Cass, so you'd think maybe he wouldn't be so harsh about it. Except Cass just reinforced what Dean felt about the stuff Sam can do.

I have to say, I thought Sam's break from Dean would cause him to stand a little firmer, grow up a little, so that when he faces Dean, it's not with sullen defiance but confident determination. I'm not seeing it yet.

AuthorM said...

It's tough to be the little bro, I guess...

Victoria said...

I think they did it, too. In my twisted little mind, I like to think Sam wouldn't do it with Ruby as a demon, but maybe he didn't know who she was until after.
Very smart writing.
I loved the scene where Sam made Dean pull over - from them yelling at each other to how beautiful Sam is! :) Poor Sammy with icky demon blood dripped into his mouth.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

In my twisted little mind, I like to think Sam wouldn't do it with Ruby as a demon

I think that makes you UNtwisted. Sam having sex with a demon is VERY twisted!

Maybe they're just dropping hints, though, to convince us, and then at some point Dean will think it, too (didn't he clue in that she was the chick in the hotel room? I guess he didn't watch that episode three times...), and I can see Sam all "What?! No!! Gross!!" and we'll all be relieved. :)

:) Poor Sammy with icky demon blood dripped into his mouth.

Very poor Sam. With all the gore they've done on this show, that was the grossest thing.