Episode poll 11.17: "Red Meat"

[caranfindel]

Before we start, let me quickly say thank you. The comments on last week's poll were full of interesting conversation and astute observations and you guys just add so much to my ridiculous little polls and I love you all. Regulars, visitors, lurkers, people who always comment, people who vote but never comment... thank you all for being here. {smooches}

(Sloppy declarations of love? I might be a teeny bit intoxicated from 11.17!)

Now, on to the poll!


[Poll #2041182]

No spoilers in the comments, please!

Comments

[celtic-forest.livejournal.com]

So much love!!! For Show! For fandom! For deliciously crafted polls! *twirls everyone*

[jennygeee.livejournal.com]

I love Dean's red shirt!!!! Sorry I just had to say that :)

[casey679.livejournal.com]

I think that much like Cas got the "you're useless" message shoved down his throat and made a terrible decision, that Dean is getting a similar "you're a puppet/have to be on the sidelines/can't help" message shoved down his, only with better writing and spread out over the season instead of one episode. And I think that means he's ripe for making terrible life choices, and when one comes up he'll jump at the chance. I'll be waiting for that red shirt in the final episode!

Also, I really think the wife's acting was excellent. Too bad she didn't have better choice in husbands. Although, bonus, now she gets a do-over.

[fufaraw]

I didn't have an opinion in the "final battle" category, but I would pay real money to see Billie take Amara down. Boom!

[z-publicizes.livejournal.com]

I think whatever shit's gonna go down this May could probably be avoided if Dean would just burn that red shirt.

What about an Amara vs God confrontation? Surely whatever way Amara is 'neutralized' God has to be involved somehow.

Re: people think it was Cas-- the fuck? And not the man he swallowed a bottle of pills over, like, a few hours prior?

I rated it a Dean-centric ep because we went more in-depth on his psyche, imo, while we got some great Sam stuff but at more of a remove. I'd be interested to know what criteria others use to determine the tilt of an episode.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Looking at the poll resutls - everyone pretty much loved everything. I wish there was some way to show these results to Carver!

[anactoria.livejournal.com]

I had to pick both thrilled and disappointed, because I hate hate hate the Casifer storyline, but there have been so many brilliant standalone episodes this season I still love most of them.

And the whump has been a wonderful thing to witness.

[gidgetgal9.livejournal.com]

I am a Hurt Sam junkie and when I have written H/C stories- I tend to write it from Dean's pov. In that way, it tends to be a Dean-centric story with the subject matter being Sam and I think that is what we got this week and of course I loved it.

I have a feeling that in saving Cas from Lucifer, Dean will have to take a bit of the lead in that Sam has been so scarred by Lucifer and it would be hard for him to face Lucy. In a turn about, I think Sam is the one that needs to take on Amara with Dean as back up.

No matter what I'm excited and nervous to see how it all comes to a head!

[fanspired]

> Billie calling Dean on his shit

Ah, but Dean offered his life to save Sam, straight swap, proving that Billie's (and many others' over the years) thesis that Dean only wants to save Sam because he can't lose him is, at least, simplistic.

[ladyjane]

After everything we survived together, I watched the man I love die. There's no normal after that.
Which means neither Sam nor Dean has been "normal" since All Hell Breaks Loose and Mystery Spot, respectively.


I believe Billie may have been taking a page from her master, Death. He built the "Great Wall of Sam" even after Dean failed his test because he wanted the boys to "keep digging." Billie called Dean on his BS that only Sam can save the world. Maybe she wouldn't have swapped brothers, even if Sam knew how to stop the Darkness. But, Billie knew he wasn't, and she told Dean. IMO, she also knew that as long as Sam was alive, Dean would fight to live; and they would keep digging.


For me, it was a bi-bro show because it showed how far each of the brothers were willing to go to save the other.
While Dean had more character development; Sam demonstrated (once again) that he was determined not to die as long as Dean needed him. Sam could tell from the state of the cabin there hadn't been a fight, and that Dean left of his own free will. If Corbin hadn't been bitten, I think Sam would have simply patched himself up as best he could and waited for Dean to come back. It was the threat Corbin posed to Dean that got him out of the cabin and to the hospital. As you noted, he collapsed as soon as Dean said he was okay.


*leaves critic mode & enters fangirl mode*

O. M. G. SHOW! I haz ALLLLLLL the feelz! And the pretty! Hurt Pretty, Despair Pretty. ALLLLL the pretties. *iz ded*

[flatlanderjr.livejournal.com]

One thing you forgot to ask about was what people thought about the sheriff (or was he a park ranger?). He was a little too quick to 1) use a taser on someone who was obviously injured and wasn't even breaking the law at the time (addendum: sorry, I forgot he punched the sheriff; that's breaking the law right there) and 2) sedate a guy who just broke the law but, again, wasn't at his 100% best and could easily suffer ill-effects from the addition of more drugs.

The guy seemed a little too obsessed with control. His first instinct to gain control seemed to be to use something that would not only knock the other person unconscious but also cause them injury. I thought that he and Corbin were the most disturbing characters in the whole episode.

Since his partner (employee?) was missing and not answering his radio, and since 5 people had disappeared, maybe the sheriff was on edge and didn't want his only possible suspect, Dean, to leave by any means necessary. Maybe he wouldn't normally act so rash, but his behavior was still extreme.

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

I have a sneaking suspicion that parts of this story line will carry on into next season (like maybe they'll save Cas, but Amara will still be around, or vice-versa. Surely it's too much to resolve in one finale?! Plus this is God's sister, how can you kill/stop that in the few eps we have left?!)

And I adore Billie, and I want to know more about her! Has she taken over Death's role? We really haven't heard anything about how it works with reapers now that Death is dead (unless he's actually not dead?!) And I can see Billie teaming up with the Winchester's over the darkness, but I think she's serious about the whole reaping and Empty thing (although she has helped them out twice now...I have no idea if it was unintentional or not?)

Wonderful poll as always!