Friday, November 14, 2008

Bring on the Hate

I loved it.

I loved that Ruby had sex with Sam, that she used that tool to loosen him up so he could maybe focus less on his pain and anger and hate and more on the job he needed to do.

I love Ruby. I have no illusions. This isn't a romance novel, and maybe she's not a redeemable character, so it's not like I think she's in love with Sam or anything. But I do think she gave him something he needed. I think she has maintained a shred of humanity that helps guide her actions, even if it's just a shred and her motives aren't fully honorable. After everything Lilith did to her, I can't fully blame her.

Mostly, I love Sam when he's with her. Sure, it's unhealthy for him to go all soft for a demon as if she's a fully human woman, but he's so BIG and HARD and when a guy like that goes soft...guh. Fantasy city.

As for Dean...if he would ever understand anything, it would be sex. He has sex with skanky truck stop waitresses with weird rashes! Of course it's not a big deal to him that Sam had sex with Ruby. That's SO not important when he thought she was dragging Sam to the dark side. And because she saved Sam, it also makes sense that he'd stop being so hostile toward her. I don't think he's going to go all the way to joining her fan club, but he'll trust her a little, until she shows that she's not trustworthy.

Which she might not be. Her motives and endgame might be worse than simple revenge on Lilith, but I have a feeling that in the end, she'll sacrifice herself for Sam (and maybe Dean) and their survival. (I can't accept that they won't survive--that possibility is not going to ever take up residence in my brain!)

I have to watch again...for many reasons...but some have said the episode felt a little clunky. I think the editing might be responsible for that, and that transitions from past to present weren't as smooth as they could have been. There were more inconsistencies than normal, like the angle of Anna's head in the hospital when they changed cameras/takes, and the whole Sam's-bloody-shirt thing (either he changed while he was talking and has two identical shirts, or they forgot he was supposed to be bloody, or they changed their minds about the arm or something and mixed takes they shouldn't have). But even if it was a little clunky, I got very immersed in those flashbacks.

Man, Jared has become a good actor. We had three kinds of drunk!Sam (fake/Hustler drunk, pit-of-despair drunk, and sullen-but-not-quite-sober-and-oh-my-God-don't-drive! drunk). Sam ordering Ruby around, sweaty poor-student Sam, determined/suicidal Sam, consoling Sam (with Anna). I swear, as much as I love Dean, Sam totally outshone him this week.

I also loved Sam taking over. At the end of last season, when Sam was trying to get Dean to listen to his viewpoint on using his powers to take on Lilith, and Dean kept cutting him off, I thought, "that's going to have to change." I like seeing Dean relinquish a little of his big-brother, I'm-in-charge role and give in to Sam, and seeing Sam take the lead. I want them to be full partners, and changing lead goes along with that.

More love:

--Dean making jokes out of Anna's situation, and her taking it well, just being relieved that they believe her and she's not alone anymore.

--Ruby inhabiting the maid. Ruby's mannerisms have been inconsistent from one body to another, which of course is understandable given the real life limitations of hello! different actresses! It has felt jarring for the Cortese Ruby to be so different from the Cassidy Ruby, though I haven't found her acting lacking the way some people have. Anyway, it isn't hard to rationalize that a body will hold its mannerisms even if the spirit inside is different, just because some of those mannerisms are dictated by shape and habit. Bottom line: She was funny!

--The Crossroads Demon was in a boy! Some of my friends rolled their eyes when Sam was burying the box, and I get that, we've had enough of deals at the crossroads, but Sam DID say in the opener that he tried to deal for Dean, and it's in character that he would, especially in the throes of drunken despair and self-loathing. But all that aside--I loved the actor's portrayal. Red eyes are my favorites, too.

--T-shirts and naked torsos.

--Self-stitching and setting dislocated shoulders, and that tiny little ice pack.

--To be continued. Oh-so-infuriating, yet oh-so-delicious.

The one thing I really, really hate?

Next week is no more eps until January. And facing this hiatus, being on the downside of the series (if Kripke gets his way and has five seasons), makes me think of what it will be like when we have NO MORE SUPERNATURAL. It's enough to induce depression.

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's see if I can get some NaNoing done today!!!

5 comments:

Megan Hart said...

I also love the dirty bad and wrong sex with Ruby and I don't know what you were watching 'cuz I didn't see Sam getting SOFT anywheres about it.

HAHA. I know what you mean, I know what you mean.

I did think the episode was clunkier than I'd have expected, but yes, editing possibly rather than the writing, and certainly not the execution.

I will nevarrrr stop loving Dean but...wow...wow, Sam Winchester...

And don't think I haven't noticed that the two times we've seen Sam getting laid it has been all hard and hot and fast and sort of angsty and nasty...and hard...and a little rough...and when do we see Dean getting some love from the ladies? He's either getting backed up on the bed by the woman, or he's laughing about it, or he's laughing and getting back up by a woman...

I lost my train of thought there, analyzing the differences between Sam sex and Dean sex.

And frankly, though I do make my LIVING from analyzing sex, and I'm glad they have some, I love this show without a single drop of sex in it! (I'm sure glad to have some, but if it had none, that would be ok.)

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

...I don't know what you were watching 'cuz I didn't see Sam getting SOFT anywheres about it.

Heeee. I mean LATER (which for us is earlier) whenever he talks to her--at the bar; when he was caught pulling the demon; in the first ep when she showed up at the diner. He's protective of her, even though he knows Dean has a right to feel the way he does.

(I know you knew, but I had to say it anyway.)

And don't think I haven't noticed that the two times we've seen Sam getting laid

That's because Sam allows himself to have it so infrequently! It gets all pent up. :)

I love this show without a single drop of sex in it! (I'm sure glad to have some, but if it had none, that would be ok.)

Me, too, but I like the sex because it makes them go shirtless. Can't get enough of that!

MJFredrick said...

The first time I watched, I thought Ruby might actually be in love with Sam. I think she cares about him a lot. The second time I watched, I didn't get the same feeling, though.

The maid bit was where I lost audio, and I am still not over that ;)

Loved the t-shirts. Loved. The. T-shirts.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

I'd say Ruby's feelings for Sam are unclear. Your initial impression could be correct. Or it could be the actress doesn't know where things are going so she isn't sure how to play it. LOL

Oh, no! You'll have to see if anyone posted the maid bit on YouTube.

MJFredrick said...

Very true, Cortese might not know Ruby's feelings.

Off to check You Tube!