gryfndor_godess | Supernatural: Devil's Trap (Reply)

The formatting on this is weird b/c I don't have the patience to deal with LJ's shit. Thoughts I had while watching the episode:

-So this is Bobby.

-So…is “Meg” actually possessed?

-Dude, Meg is a great villain. Still 2D, but her lines about Dean kissing his mother with that mouth, “Oh wait…” are cruel.

-I have no idea who this “innocent girl” is “Meg” is possessing, but I IMMEDIATELY SHIP HER WITH DEAN.

-Oh, I hope this isn’t about to get gory and CGI-creepy like that kid in AtS.

-Yay Sam for being able to ignore her taunting about John and keep doing the spell (after the slitting his throat line).

-“March into hell myself?” Well, that’s foreshadowing, if I remember my few SPN spoilers correctly.

-Um. An innocent girl is still possessed. Can we please finish the exorcism?

-Sam! Innocent girl!

-“That girl is dead.” To quote Dean, What?

-Oh… :( Poor girl whose back they inadvertently broke. No shipping for Dean, I guess.

-Interesting mythology about possession and the body reverting to its natural state once the demon has left it. I like it.

- :(

-Dean’s face after “Sunrise” is very heartrending. I imagine it’s a mix of despair about not getting more clues about John and also some guilt that their actions, necessary as they were at the time, caused not-Meg’s death.

-I kind of like Bobby.

-“I’d have to bury you…you’re selfish…” DEAN. Adflkjadfklajdflkjad

-Only two demons were guarding him? What happened to the rest of the evil brigade?

-OH. I BET JOHN IS POSSESSED. adfljadlfj

-Guess not.

-That’s how easily demons can possess humans? That is grossly unfair.

-Did Dean just break that guy’s neck with a punch?

-“You saved my life…guess you’re glad I brought the Colt…I’m trying to thank you…you’re welcome.” Adflakjdf;lakdjf.

-His line about being scared of what he’s capable of when it comes to saving his family. Dean, I relate to you SO MUCH.

-“You did well.” “YOU DID WELL,” JOHN, NOT “YOU DID GOOD.”

-John’s actually praising Dean? Wow.

-OH SHIT HE IS POSSESSED. I WAS RIGHT.

-Dean telling the demon that his father would never agree with what he did? Dean being able to recognize the lie only when his “father” praises him? DeanDeanDeanDeanDeanDean. I HAVE RUN OUT OF WAYS TO FLAIL ABOUT YOU ON MY KEYBOARD. ITALICS AND CAPSLOCK ARE NO LONGER SUFFICIENT.

-Sam not knowing whom to trust! Sam choosing Dean!!!!

-The demon’s eyes are suitably creepy. JDM is fantastic in this scene, especially how he changes his voice and intonations.

-So the demon was after Sam…whywhywhy?!?!? (Don’t actually tell me, please.)

-Sam was going to propose to Jess?? SADFACE.

-STOP SAYING CRUEL THINGS TO DEAN ABOUT HOW HIS FAMILY DOESN’T NEED HIM AND JOHN ALWAYS LIKED SAM BETTER. Okay, don’t, actually, because it makes for an amazing episode, but YOUR ASS MUST BE KICKED IN RECOMPENSE, DEMONTURDFACE.

-Sam’s expression when he hears the demon’s taunts is also beautifully anguished.

-Dean can trash talk back (“I forgot…I wasted [your children].”) even while being mentally tortured!! I LOVE YOU, DEAN.

-STOP SKINNING DEAN OR WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING (it took me ages to figure out Dean was bleeding in the first place b/c the Megavideo quality was so bad- yay DVDs for S2!).

-Use the force, Sam! Get the gun!

-Kudos, John, for temporarily restraining the demon and allowing Sam to get the gun…kudos, Sam, for going for the kneecap…

-SAM CHOSE DEAN AGAIN.

-Sam and John’s last conversation in the car is excellent! John hasn’t changed (booo), and Sam has (A+ and a dozen gold stars!).

-That truck did crash into them on purpose, no? The driver was possessed? It doesn’t look like Sam swerved because he wasn’t paying attention, and I’d hate to think he did. (ETA: I've watched through 2x02, so I now the answer.)

-PLEASE, SIR, MAY I HAVE SOME MORE?

Moments that made me giggle inside: -“After everything I’d heard about the Winchesters, I’m a little underwhelmed.” -“An exorcism? Are you serious?” -“I won't even try to shoot him this time.”

Moments that made me actually LOL: N/A

Overall Thoughts:

I watched this episode over a week ago but am only writing this reaction now, so unfortunately my thoughts are not going to be as clear-cut as they initially were (but it’s worth it because instead of writing reviews I got to go to Spuffycon…and celebrate my mother’s fiftieth, which was also fun).

As you might be able to tell from the notes I took while watching, the twists and characterizations and arc development in this episode made me gleeful. I LOVE that when it mattered, Sam listened to Dean instead of John. I love that it wasn’t a temporary blip and that in the car he was still arguing with John for family over revenge. Basically, I loved Sam in this episode (and Dean, of course; my Dean love has not wavered). I know most of my flist is not as enamored of Sam (or did not become enamored as quickly) and may think it strange that he has risen so high in my esteem, but I can explain it quite easily because it’s the same reason I can honestly say I love Xander (although Sam has never, ever, ever, ever, ever come close to pissing me off the way Xander has):

I love a character who matures and evolves as a show/book progresses; if someone starts out as a loathsome jerk but logically and consistently evolves into a genuinely good person, I’ll probably really like that character. Xander fits this to a T, ‘cause even though he’s a jerkus maximus in the early years, I think he’s a genuinely decent man in S7, and that’s why I love him (even if the "consistent" growth is, er, mostly lacking). So the fact that Sam has grown enough this season to ally with Dean on such a crucial point of contention makes me love him. I really hope this growth and connection with Dean continues, because as much as I love Dean, SPN is much better when it’s the “Both brothers are awesome show” rather than the “Dean is the only good thing about this show” show.

And since I’ve just waxed poetic about Sam, let me just take some pixels to say, DEAN! Dean thinking to check if John was possessed in the retirement home! Dean recognizing his father was possessed because “John” said he was proud of him! Dean managing to trash-talk Demonturdface while being tortured! Dean being tortured, my heart (and Sam not being able to work those psychic powers to get the Colt; he must have felt like such a failure; I hope we come back to this). Dean not wanting Sam to kill John! Dean being all wounded and vulnerable and young looking in the backseat!

Other minor stuff now that I’ve flailed about our leads:

As I said above, I like the world-building that all the demons are actually possessed people and that while they’re physically invincible while possessed, they revert to their injured state when released (I mean, I obviously don’t like like it, but it’s interesting mythology). I hope the show explores more of the ethical implications of this. Dean and Sam’s actions against the humans bodies are necessary given the circumstances, but I hope there’s recognition that these are innocent people. I’d also really like to see a character who has survived possession (other than John) and has to deal with the consequences, because from the two minutes we got of Meg, it seems that the humans are somewhat lucid during the possession and I imagine their coping afterward would be extremely interesting.

Speaking of Meg, I want to know more about the demon and its relationship with its “children” and what exactly is going on- although I suppose that’s the million-dollar question… (don't actually tell me!)

I have very few analytical thoughts about this episode (it’s mostly just flailing about characterization, as you can tell), but Demonturdface saying it killed Mary and Jess because they were in the way did jump out at me. Why weren’t the men in the family in the way? Maybe we’ll find out a rational explanation for this, but right now it seems kind of strange/contrived and suspiciously sexist toward both sexes. So the writers are basically admitting they don’t have a logical reason for fridging women, they’re doing it because they are actually “in the way”- that’s sexist toward women. But then the implication that women automatically care more about their families than men (and would thus frustrate the demon’s plan more) is also insulting toward men. Mary was more of an inconvenience than John? I just don’t get it.

But aside from that, it was a superb season finale. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d needed to wait out that summer hiatus.

Purely Subjective Rating: 5/5

Favorite Boy: Tie

GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER, LJ.