Episode poll 13.06: "Tombstone"

[caranfindel]

[Poll #2075022]

Remember, no spoilers in the comments, please!

Comments

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

Why couldn't Cas resurrect the guard? Because the writer needed the guard to stay dead to make Jack feel bad.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

ha ha exactly.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Pretty much.

[jj1564.livejournal.com]

It baffled me that Dean insisted that Sam took Jack and Cas back to the Bunker, but on completing this poll, I'm now wondering if Dean's thinking Cas might not be 100% Cas and wanted Sam there to protect Jack. But then that makes less sense, as that could be putting Sam in danger...*gives up*

[fufaraw]

I know of several cemeteries which have either or both mortuary and crematorium at the same location--not located *in* the actual cemetery, but owned by the same company.

I assumed that the door in the mortuary was actually the door to the crematorium. It was iron--or some blackened metal--and surrounded by soot smears, which gave that impression. But having it access the under-cemetery tunnels seems dangerous, what with high-temperature flames following the tunnels, and all. *hands* IDEK.

[meus_venator]

I was wondering if it was a coal chute door with it being so high on the wall, (and the actual coal bin dismantled now, nothing left but the door). But those small town mortuaries would need somewhere that was actually properly hooked up to burn the body.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

If it *is* the crematorium, Athena must never use it

[dreamsofspike.livejournal.com]

I do not think that is Cas.

I think maybe it's Cas's body. Maybe he's currently a host vessel to that Empty entity who decided to come topside to check out what it was that had the power to wake Cas up in the Empty.

I think it's strange (and maybe just convenient) that the boys are all "Yay, Cas!" and don't even THINK of testing him in any of the ways that they know to ALWAYS test someone miraculously back from the dead. O.o Not that those tests would have WORKED on Empty entity thing-a-ma-jig, but still... why didn't they?

Maybe its skillset doesn't include resurrection. Cas couldn't raise the guard because he's not Cas.

The thing could fake being Cas easily; it read all of Cas's brain in like two seconds flat. I do NOT think that is 100% pure Cas. No way.

[ex1led-nyer.livejournal.com]

I think it's strange (and maybe just convenient) that the boys are all "Yay, Cas!" and don't even THINK of testing him

Right?! What was up with that?

[candygramme.livejournal.com]

But the Empty critter would be speaking with that weird and silly accent.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Putting aside the whole thing that they never test Cas -- right now there is a shapeshifting demon running around? Why would they not be the least bit suspicious that this is Asmodeus?

(I'm assuming that right after the hugs they came to their senses and at least tried a few tests...)

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

{gasp} What if "Cas" really is Asmodeus???!!!! That would be amazing!!!

Nope. We're not that fortunate.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

....Considering that Cas shows up, and then within a day or two Jack has abandoned the Winchesters and the protection of the bunker and is out in the world all vulnerable again -- it would make so much sense!

And yeah, it's never going to happen. Especially because how would Asmodeus know how Cas escaped the Empty? Which we saw ourselves so know how it happened. But it would be so cool if it were a twist like that (remember when this show used to have twists? :P)

[dreamsofspike.livejournal.com]

I know, right? They KNOW Asmodeus is running around out there able to be anybody... and they don't even question it? At all?

That's actually a thing that makes me think it's more likely he's not Cas (or not JUST Cas). Because they're setting it up for later, for us to wonder who that really is. That entity from the Empty, or Asmodeus, or whoever.

If they'd showed us Sam and Dean doing the tests, that would have ruled out Asmodeus at least. So, I think at some point it's at least going to come into question, whether or not he's actually Cas.

[ex1led-nyer.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking that Sam's lack of enthusiasm over getting Cas back is because he's thinking about Mary still gone.

Otherwise, yeah, I'm as lost as you are.

[kribban.livejournal.com]

I think they gave more time with the Sarge because they wanted a Native American character to be a hero and not be saved by a white character.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

They could have done that without sidelining Sam. Let's say Sam and Dean get there first, and the cemetery scene plays out as it did, but with Sam getting tanked into the tunnel. We get some nice panicky Dean, and by the time he tumbles through that door, Sam has been tied to the table and cut up a bit (indulge me, I'm on a roll). As Dean tries to release him, Sam looks behind him and says "Dean" and we see Dave back there. Dave says the same things, but in the meanwhile, Sarge shows up, unnoticed, behind him. Dean says "Too bad I don't have my gun, Sammy, cause I haven't killed a ghoul in a while. Not sure I even remember how." And Sam says "Head shot. Only thing that works." And then boom. Sarge gets a kill, the brothers participate, and everyone is happy.

[fanspired]

> Why was Sam's first question what was the Empty like? instead of how did you get out of it?

Because he wants to know what he's got coming to him one day? o_O

> Team FTW 2.0

or, how about Team WTF?

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

Why did Sam look concerned about Jack being able to move the pencil? This is one where I don't think we will ever know why. I can handwave that Sam is became suspicious of Cas and didn't want Jack to demonstrate powers, but really who knows.

Have you ever seen a cemetery that was part of a mortuary? I have never seen one, but Google is your friend. Welcome to Inglewood Cemetery Mortuary
LOCATED ON THE GROUNDS OF INGLEWOOD PARK CEMETERY There seem to be a couple of others in California and one in Tuscon as well. Who knew?

Unanswered Question. Why did the entity from The Empty change Cas's clothes. In the shown flashback Cas's tie has blue and white stripes. In our time, it is solid blue. Cas's coat in TE is plain on front with only regular buttons. In our world, the coat has a strap or possibly a pocket on his left side. After billions of years asleep did the entity decide that he really, really had to send Cas back looking better than he came? Did he really hate stripes? Does he think extra straps are more acceptable? Now the entity did copy Cas's exact outfit when he copied him in TE, so the "make Cas look good" idea came later on.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

That's bizarre. I noticed the new solid blue tie but I didn't notice he had the striped tie in the Empty. I wish the entity had given him the old fluffy hair back.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

An hour of my life that I'll never get back

Ahahahah. *sob*

And heh, I feel like I motivated one of these questions, and no, we're never going to agree :P

But yeah overall this episode was a wash. If it had been funnier it would've at least had that going for it, but it didn't, so?

[gingersnap1224.livejournal.com]

My favorite parts of this episode were the dry cleaning bags and grumpy Dean drinking coffee. Maybe deep down I just want to watch them do normal everyday stuff. Sam pairing socks. Dean waiting in line at the post office. Actually, I think that would be better than what we just saw.

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess it's not a surprise that my head went straight to Jump the Shark and that table scene ;)

I wondered why they didn't check that Cas was Cas. While I love a twist, I'm not sure we'll get one.

I can feel evil Jack coming, they can't possibly keep him a sweet cinnamon roll forever. So I think he's going to go a little bit evil, but then parents Sam and Cas will save him at the end (which I'm not sure I want either, but I don't want him to be 100% evil forever, so this is sort of a compromise, I suppose.)

Also, has show lost their lore research books or some4hing? Are we not allowed any new creatures any more? Have we reached a quota? Yes, we're in season 13, but I'm pretty sure we haven't explored ALL the lore about EVERY monster ever!!!

[casey679.livejournal.com]

I think Sam was concerned about Jack moving the pencil because he's not 100% convinced that Jack's powers ARE a good thing and he has a track record of nearly wrecking the world to get family back AND a track record of not recognizing when supernatural powers are actually evil. So he's going to be ambivalent about it even when it's a win.

I think it was okay for Dean to not think Cas could be brought back because up to that point only God had been able to and God has left the building. That said, I'm also okay with it because part of Dean's character all along has been this particular brand of hypocrisy. So it's annoying, but it's incredibly in-character for him (and in-character for Sam to let him get away with it).

[cuddyclothes.livejournal.com]

This was the only episode (going forward, too) that I watched all the way through. I agree, if I tried to handwave everything in this episode, I'd sprain my wrist. Everyone and the poll has covered anything I would say, so I'll just add two observations:

1) Jack is an adorable cinnamon roll, which means he's marked for horrible death
2) Jensen Ackles seemed to be phoning it. Even the funny moments didn't play funny. He seemed bored more than anything else. And I am so DONE with Cas. I love Misha Collins, but yeesh!