SPN report

[zubeneschamali]

Let me start by saying that Oz is to me what Tolkien is to Charlie. I read all the Oz books when I was a kid, and I mean all, up until they started writing new ones that weren't quite as good. I'm pretty sure I remember insisting on being called Ozma at one point when I was 7 or 8. I didn't see the canonical movie until much later, and so the books have always been Oz to me. I haven't even seen the recent Oz movie because I didn't want to see it get screwed up, though I did read and enjoy Wicked back when it was just a book, and I liked the musical, too. Still, I was really nervous about this ep and what they would do to my beloved childhood canon.

Thankfully, the Oz parts were awesome. Dorothy was amazing (and if she and Charlie were a spinoff I would be watching and shipping that SO HARD). I loved the idea that the books with which we're so familiar are a modified version of what really happened, and that Charlie was able to draw on the books to figure out things like the poppy bullets. Though I do wonder why no one thought to throw water on the witch. And the shoes were silver, not ruby, in the book. But I digress. (Which makes me laugh at Game of Thrones appearing in this ep because of all of the people who've read the books who like to nitpick over the things that are done differently on-screen. Dean choosing GoT to watch was not a coincidence.)

Sam and home. Poor Sammy. :( I can totally understand him not wanting to nest the way Dean has: the Winchesters can't have nice things. I can't help but remember what the surviving Man of Letters said to Sam when he gave him the key: not "go and live here happily ever after," but "go and seal it up." There's so much knowledge in that place that if the wrong people or creatures get a hold of it...I'm now convinced that right about the time Sam lets his guard down and accepts the Batcave as home is when they're going to have to blow up the whole place to keep it from falling into Abaddon's hands. End of S9, mark my words.

For now, I'm glad, like Jensen said, that Baby has a place to sleep. :D And that we finally found out how the power is still on in the bunker: "magic." I adore that Charlie is not only skilled with hacking but with antique electronics. I love that Dean chose her over defeating the Witch, that he's confident enough in himself and Sam that he knows they don't need an angel's help to defeat a bad guy. (Hey, is this the first time we've had a female character brought back to life and stay that way? Loved Dorothy's line about how you're not really a hunter until you've died and been brought back, though I note she never explained it in her own case.)

I'm glad that Dean is starting to slip up and make Sam suspicious, and I really hope that FOR ONCE Sam figures it out on his own before some evil creature tells him for spite. I'm nervous that Dean is getting way too used to having an angel in his pocket, esp. since Zeke said that he wants to be out of Sam sooner rather than later. I love that Jared tweeted about how great it is when there's tension between the boys when one of them is lying, because that's exactly why him saying an ep or season is good makes me cringe.

Now off to read others' responses!

Comments

[harrigan.livejournal.com]

Thumbs up from me too! I loved your observation about GoT being a great parallel of films not matching the book source exactly. The domesticity of this story rocked, too, and Charlie *always* does. Zeke has me tingling in anticipation for when the deception comes to light... but I think I will cry if (when) they eventually lose the MoL bunker!

[zubeneschamali.livejournal.com]

I feel like it's inevitable they're going to lose the bunker, especially since they seem to have forgotten they were told to seal it off from the start. :(

[dugindeep.livejournal.com]

It's funny because my mom's favorite movie growing up was the Wizard of Oz*, and thus it became mine and holds a very special place in my heart ... which meant I had a hard time really connecting this episode with what *I* know of it. Not to say it's bad, but it's interesting that you loved the spin on it while I didn't ... but I did enjoy that Charlie and Dorothy knew more about how to take the witch down than the boys did. YAY WOMEN!

When Charlie died, I totally said to myself "fandom's gonna blow up ..." While I'm glad they brought her back, I feel like it's another case in the long list of easy fixes.

I AM interested to find out what's going on in Zeke's mind, re: him saying he'll have to stay in Sam longer than he wants to, too. Interesting lil angel there.



*I saw the new Oz movie in 3D and it looked INCREDIBLE, but the story really left a lot to be desired. So I'm not sure that you'll get much out of it if you see it on a small screen. Relatedly, and totally unpopular opinion time ... I actually was incredibly bored seeing Wicked and actually fell asleep near the end of the first act :-\

[zubeneschamali.livejournal.com]

I would guess the difference has to do with book vs. movie, since this ep was more a love letter to the books than to the movies.

I'm just happy they brought back a woman, and not as a ghost.

I will continue to not see the new Oz movie!

[katsheswims.livejournal.com]

Dorothy did mention that she tried holy water when attempting to kill the Witch to the two MoL at the beginning--so I guess they were going for the not obvious (for those of us who knew Oz-facts)? I did like that the shoes were what killed her.

[zubeneschamali.livejournal.com]

Ah, I missed that part. Thanks!

[gypsy-atavari.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed it for all the reasons you mentioned. I liked that they used the fictionalized real life angle angle again to show that the Winchester books are not that "farfetched." There were quite a few parallelisms going on that worked for me. :-)

[zubeneschamali.livejournal.com]

Speaking of parallels, I'm convinced now that Charlie has at least read wincest, and maybe even written it!

[big-heart-june.livejournal.com]

...I'm now convinced that right about the time Sam lets his guard down and accepts the Batcave as home is when they're going to have to blow up the whole place to keep it from falling into Abaddon's hands. End of S9, mark my words.

That will just be the saddest ever..*meep*

I really hope Sam figures it out on his own too.

[zubeneschamali.livejournal.com]

I know, right? Ugh.

I hope he does, but it seems unlikely. I mean, he does seem to realize something's going on, but knowing Sam, he'd interpret it as an aftereffect of the Trials, or not finishing the Trials all the way and therefore still being impure, or something like that. Since he reiterated that an angel can't possess someone without their consent, and as far as he knows, he hasn't consented, I don't see how he could make that leap. :(

[kalliel]

DO NOT see that Oz movie, for the sake of all things holy. XP I saw it with my cousin and for the first twenty minutes I couldn't decide whether it was HONESTLY THAT AWFUL or if it was an intentional thing, and suddenly it was going to shift gears (black/white into technicolor, ridiculously bad into awesome and consciously apart from the first part) but. It did not. XD

I like your application of Game of Thrones. To me it basically just felt like the script trying to be hip, which annoys me because being 'hip' annoys me which probably makes me the biggest hipster ever which JUST ANNOYS ME MORE, LOL. So I will steal your reality and substitute it in place of my own. XD

[zubeneschamali.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the review! I will continue to avoid that movie. :)

There's also the interpretation that Dean wanted to watch something with canon incest. ;)