Episode poll 11.21: "All in the Family"

[caranfindel]

[Poll #2044645]

Remember, no spoilers in the comments, please!

Comments

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Kevin is one of my fave characters but I was actually quite pissed that they threw him in for two seconds only to have God zap him - presumably to heaven where we now know he'll be locked in little cell virtual reality - which sucks. Apart from that I really liked this one on a single viewing. I'm not sure how it will hold up to a second look.

[flatlanderjr.livejournal.com]

I liked seeing Kevin again, and I didn't mind that he was sent up to heaven so quickly. What did bother me was the line where he says, "I always trusted you guys," because it wasn't true. In season 8, he takes his mom and goes into hiding because he doesn't trust the Winchesters not to hurt her. He later changes his mind and starts trusting them again, but the line in 11x21 still bugged me.

[tifaching.livejournal.com]

I didn't see the point to having Kevin in the ep at all, truthfully. I loved him as a character but why do this? Truthfully, at first half glance I thought it was young John behind Chuck...

[fufaraw]

This was actually the first time I felt any sort of reaction for the Dean and Amara scenes, so I appreciate that. Up till now she's just been a cleavagey cipher that I had no interest or investment in, and I'd never felt any sort of reaction to her on Dean's part, except that the script said "do this".

[flatlanderjr.livejournal.com]

I thought both actors did a good job in that scene, but I didn't like the scene because it felt gratuitous. They were just repeating stuff that had happened between them already; nothing new happened except that Amara is apparently shocked to learn that Dean has been plotting against her. Dean may feel some sort of weird thrall around her, but he *has* come after her with the intention of killing her before. She always seems so surprised when people she trusts have ulterior motives and act on those motives when they're not around her; you think she'd learn by now.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

cleavagey cipher

LOL!

[casey679.livejournal.com]

I wasn't ready for Metatron-that-I-didn't-hate (total population: 2 episodes) to die. And I can't believe I just typed that.

In ghosts I'd like to see return - I want John back SO BAD so we could see him reunited by Chuck. Also, Adam.

I really think a lot of Chuck's dialogue in last episode and this episode needs to be taken with visual, non-verbal cues. I think Rob Benedict is doing a great job with that. Chuck's throwing out excuses left and right, trying to come off like the good guy, and misdirecting by tossing blame at the Winchesters whenever they start to get too close to the heart of the matter. But he's dressing and acting depressed and fatalistic, guilty, and pretending not to care but getting not quite but almost mean whenever he feels like he's getting blamed.

I feel like the writers have been struggling this season with finding an answer to "What kind of a God would let Seasons 1-10 happen?" and the answer they came up with is, "A very flawed, very human god, who changes his mind capriciously, throws tantrums, gets depressed, lies and tosses blame out defensively, is making it up as he goes along, and made humans in exactly his image."

[bratfarrar]

Yes--I agree entirely with your take on what's going on with Chuck.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

I feel like the writers have been struggling this season with finding an answer to "What kind of a God would let Seasons 1-10 happen?" and the answer they came up with is, "A very flawed, very human god, who changes his mind capriciously, throws tantrums, gets depressed, lies and tosses blame out defensively, is making it up as he goes along, and made humans in exactly his image."

Which could even account for the inconsistencies with S11 and what we were told in S4 and S5, re: destiny. It was all lies.

[gingersnap1224.livejournal.com]

I would pay cash money to see Mickey the Gas and Sip clerk again.

I'm beginning to think the renewal was some kind of cruel joke the way they are tying up loose ends. What's next Adam gets out of the box or revenge on Walt and Roy?

[fanspired]

I had a horrible thought. What if all the "Adios, Dean" prefiguring they've been doing all season is so they'll catch us off guard when Sam is the one written out at the end of this season? O_O

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Well, they've been hinting for at least the back half of the season that it's going to be Sam, so....

[candygramme.livejournal.com]

Other characters I'd rather have seen:
1: Death
2Gabriel
3: Balthazar
4: Tessa the Reaper

Any or all of the above at any time, even if they're just singing in a heavenly choir, will make my year.

[anactoria.livejournal.com]

Dean's indignation when Chuck stole the dead guy robe was one of my favourite things! Though not quite at the top of the list, what with Dean's two perfect tears. *happy sigh*

I feel like I'd quite enjoy Lucifer being on the team if the show hadn't just spent half a season making him really annoying. Sigh.

[ex1led-nyer.livejournal.com]

Did you not think Sam looked super super extra pretty in this ep? I did.

I'm concerned about that Adios, Dean. Very concerned. If one of them does the self-sacrificing thing or even unwillingly is sacrificed at the end of this season I will be unhappy.

Curtis Armstrong was so excellent in the ep before this one that he completely made me believe that he was reformed. I'm a little sorry to see him go because even though he was so hateful, he was pretty fun to watch. But otoh I'm glad he's gone because there wouldn't be any reason to keep him.

I wish they hadn't have brought Kevin back. That was pure fan service. I wish they would stop bringing characters back, period, except in flashback like the Bobby and Rufus episode. Or unless they're Sam and Dean, of course. I'm still upset about Rowena's highly unlikely return from the dead. I enjoy the characters and am often upset to see them offed, but it takes all the meaning out of death if they keep popping up. That said, I did tick the Gabriel box. :)

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Sam was ultra pretty, indeed.

[themegalosaurus.livejournal.com]

I liked having Kevin back but honestly I was kinda sad they didn't take the opportunity to bring him back properly (I've just read a lot of good Kevin fanfic okay). Your poll made me realise that there were a reasonable number of things I actively enjoyed about the episode; I thought Jensen's acting was great, I enjoyed Donatello, and Chuck the dick houseguest pleased me mightily. I think they're playing him more or less right in terms of a God who totally opted out but isn't willing to admit or address his own responsibility.

Unsurprisingly, what bugged me about this episode was the way Sam was handled. Sam the fanboy, sure (and the bit about his prayers getting 'lost in the spam' was ughhh so sad) but come on, why couldn't Dean include Sam in his speech about the people whose faith Chuck had betrayed? Sam's been praying THIS SEASON and he's been treated so badly. It just seems to me like that would have made that scene with Dean and Chuck even more powerful because it would have been more personal. More generally, I was annoyed that Sam a) got no meaningful interaction with the God he's believed in against all odds for his whole life and b) is now apparently super chill with helping out Lucifer and having him inside the Bunker?? Is Lucifer just gonna be a good guy now and get a redemption arc a la Metatron?? Are we not going to acknowledge that he raped and tortured Sam in Hell???!?!!?!? GUESS NOT

Also, and this is not a spoiler this is just my speculation, I'm fed up that we seem to be gearing up for Dean making some big sacrificial gesture in the season finale. Mid-season I really thought Sam was going to have a pivotal role but it's looking increasingly unlikely...

PS DR CARA ROBERTS LIGHT OF MY LIFE. ALSO PIPER. HOW MUCH IS SHE REGRETTING NOT TAKING SAM'S NUMBER WHEN IT WAS OFFERED?? A LOT, I SUSPECT.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Unsurprisingly, what bugged me about this episode was the way Sam was handled. Sam the fanboy, sure (and the bit about his prayers getting 'lost in the spam' was ughhh so sad) but come on, why couldn't Dean include Sam in his speech about the people whose faith Chuck had betrayed? Sam's been praying THIS SEASON and he's been treated so badly. It just seems to me like that would have made that scene with Dean and Chuck even more powerful because it would have been more personal.

In my mind, when Dean said "people pray to you," he was including Sam.

More generally, I was annoyed that Sam a) got no meaningful interaction with the God he's believed in against all odds for his whole life

Yeah, other than excusing Chuck by saying his prayers got stuck in the spam filter, he didn't get anything. I hope it comes up before Chuck's gone.

and b) is now apparently super chill with helping out Lucifer and having him inside the Bunker?? Is Lucifer just gonna be a good guy now and get a redemption arc a la Metatron??

Well, he was okay with Gadreel, after what he did to him, and he forgave Cas for breaking his wall, and didn't seem to hold Meg's actions against her, so... it's in character. But no, I don't want Lucifer to be redeemed.