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dangermousieSaw the Supernatural ep "Skin." ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
crumpeteer is right, a very good ep. Though I am a bit dense about the sequence of events. The shapeshifter (SS) turned into Dean, tied up Dean and Sam, went and tied up and tortured Rebecca and ran off. Then he attacked her again (????) and pretended to be her and tried to take Sam out. Did I get this right? But who cares because there is all this juicy character stuff.
You know, I continue to be amazed that the brothers haven't been arrested yet. People keep exploding their false identities and bluff. And at the end, 'Dean Winchester' is a dead murderer, so wouldn't it be problematic for the real Dean to get anywhere. Plus, I feel very sorry for that husband who got accused of beating up his wife.
You know, in my last post, I compared SPN to Saiyuki. But in this ep, the comparison that came to mind was actually Buffy, in that it's people with special skills that isolate them and keep them from normal life, the tug of which they feel anyway. Of course, Sam is a heck of a lot better integrated. Even on the road he keeps in touch with his college friends, and he manages to stay friends with Rebecca even after she knows the truth about him. I wonder why he was able to shake off his bizarro world upbringing better than Dean? Maybe it's because despite first impressions, he actually is the tough son, and not Dean. Dean never left their father, but I think he didn't try normal life at all, even within confines of that life. I think it's probably because, unlike Sam, he remembers the death of their mother, and that memory of loss and of danger to people involved in their lives, makes him keep a distance. Also, maybe he bought into his father's notions more, being more impressionable, or more emotionally dependent on his family, or whatever. If Sam is Buffy, bending the rules because he thinks they are flexible, and getting away with it, Dean is the much much snarkier version of Kendra. Someone who buys into the rules, however strict they are. Of course, Sam had more room to be free-spirited, because I'd imagine Dean had to take care of Sam when they were younger and not vice-versa. And I think Sam's great brush with normalcy and being able to have normal bonds came after he left. Since Dean never left, he had no chance to form these bonds and so want to keep them. It's more of a pressing his nose against the glass situation. He tells Sam that Sam should just cut all those people out of his life, but I wonder if it's not envy of some sort: kind of like the fox and the grape: I can't have it so it's not worthwhile, and trying really really hard to convince himself of the fact.
After all, SS totally gloms onto Dean's deeply buried issues: his jealousy that Sam actually broke away, his fears of being left behind by everyone (and his resentment that his little brother left him, his father left him despite him being the obedient son), and his belief in the fact that he is a freak. If it is a long held belief, it might explain in part why he never tried to break away or make contacts. What's the point if he can never be normal and will aways be rejected. What's the pont of trying if it will be futile and bring on further pain? But I do think if he did somehow get away and discover that he could blend in, some of those issues would go away, so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. He pushes people away because he thinks he is a freak who will be left, so he ends up being alone so it makes him think he is a freak who was left which makes him push people away and so on and so forth.
I also love love love the fact that even tied up by SS and with eminent danger of being cut up into bits, all Sam wants to know is where and how Dean is and whether his brother is all right. They both are very close in so many ways, aren't they? And I love that Sam couldn't shoot SS even though he was almost sure it wasn't Dean, because you know, it could be...Though why not shoot it in the legs?
crumpeteer is right, a very good ep. Though I am a bit dense about the sequence of events. The shapeshifter (SS) turned into Dean, tied up Dean and Sam, went and tied up and tortured Rebecca and ran off. Then he attacked her again (????) and pretended to be her and tried to take Sam out. Did I get this right? But who cares because there is all this juicy character stuff.You know, I continue to be amazed that the brothers haven't been arrested yet. People keep exploding their false identities and bluff. And at the end, 'Dean Winchester' is a dead murderer, so wouldn't it be problematic for the real Dean to get anywhere. Plus, I feel very sorry for that husband who got accused of beating up his wife.
You know, in my last post, I compared SPN to Saiyuki. But in this ep, the comparison that came to mind was actually Buffy, in that it's people with special skills that isolate them and keep them from normal life, the tug of which they feel anyway. Of course, Sam is a heck of a lot better integrated. Even on the road he keeps in touch with his college friends, and he manages to stay friends with Rebecca even after she knows the truth about him. I wonder why he was able to shake off his bizarro world upbringing better than Dean? Maybe it's because despite first impressions, he actually is the tough son, and not Dean. Dean never left their father, but I think he didn't try normal life at all, even within confines of that life. I think it's probably because, unlike Sam, he remembers the death of their mother, and that memory of loss and of danger to people involved in their lives, makes him keep a distance. Also, maybe he bought into his father's notions more, being more impressionable, or more emotionally dependent on his family, or whatever. If Sam is Buffy, bending the rules because he thinks they are flexible, and getting away with it, Dean is the much much snarkier version of Kendra. Someone who buys into the rules, however strict they are. Of course, Sam had more room to be free-spirited, because I'd imagine Dean had to take care of Sam when they were younger and not vice-versa. And I think Sam's great brush with normalcy and being able to have normal bonds came after he left. Since Dean never left, he had no chance to form these bonds and so want to keep them. It's more of a pressing his nose against the glass situation. He tells Sam that Sam should just cut all those people out of his life, but I wonder if it's not envy of some sort: kind of like the fox and the grape: I can't have it so it's not worthwhile, and trying really really hard to convince himself of the fact.
After all, SS totally gloms onto Dean's deeply buried issues: his jealousy that Sam actually broke away, his fears of being left behind by everyone (and his resentment that his little brother left him, his father left him despite him being the obedient son), and his belief in the fact that he is a freak. If it is a long held belief, it might explain in part why he never tried to break away or make contacts. What's the point if he can never be normal and will aways be rejected. What's the pont of trying if it will be futile and bring on further pain? But I do think if he did somehow get away and discover that he could blend in, some of those issues would go away, so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. He pushes people away because he thinks he is a freak who will be left, so he ends up being alone so it makes him think he is a freak who was left which makes him push people away and so on and so forth.
I also love love love the fact that even tied up by SS and with eminent danger of being cut up into bits, all Sam wants to know is where and how Dean is and whether his brother is all right. They both are very close in so many ways, aren't they? And I love that Sam couldn't shoot SS even though he was almost sure it wasn't Dean, because you know, it could be...Though why not shoot it in the legs?
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no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 03:13 am (UTC)I think a lot of Dean's claiming that he doesn't need a normal life is him trying to bluff himself. While he fits pretty well into the life of a hunter and his personality is suited for it, I also think he's the more suited of the brothers to be a family man. Dean's the brother I could more see being very happy having a wife and kids, as long as he gets to hunt. Had life been normal for the two of them, Dean would have been the blue collar brother who worked on the police force and had a nice little family while Sam was the high rolling lawyer. Unfortunately Dean has really deep abandonment issues now along with whatever emotional scarring from seeing his mom die and his father's rather unhealthy upbringing. In later episodes you see how much he wants to reach out to people. In "Route 666" where he runs into his old girlfriend you see how hurt he was by her leaving him. As much as he may act like a Lothario, in real romantic situations he's the vulnerable one. He may be the brother who forgets the anniversary, but he's also the brother who's more completely open to his woman.
And sadly, what both boys want isn't that much to ask. They just want normalicy and they're never going to be able to get it because they know what's out there. Unless Dean finds a female hunter he's never going to have a steady relationship. Unless Sam figures out why he keeps killing every woman he's around he's not going to either. Dean's going to continue to have to live out of the Metallicar while Sam won't be able to finish college. Life is never going to be normal.
And Jensen can do frighteningly creepy so well. I think it's the coldness in his looks that make him so good. In "Devil's Trap" he's once again completely terrifying and punches a girl (granted a demon possessed one). Jensen is nothing if not gorgeous when he's furious.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 04:57 am (UTC)That's really good. I like shows to have good continuity. And I'd imagine his SS# being taken down etc, if he's declared dead.
I think a lot of Dean's claiming that he doesn't need a normal life is him trying to bluff himself.
Agreed. After all, he knows he is stuck in his sort of a life, might as well try and make himself belive that's the only life he wants or can be in. That way he doesn't worry himself about ifs or maybes. Dean strikes me as someone who doesn't like introspection too much and tries to keep things buried because he'd be very unhappy with stuff those would bring and this is his method of protcting himself.
Unfortunately Dean has really deep abandonment issues now along with whatever emotional scarring from seeing his mom die and his father's rather unhealthy upbringing
Yes. Dysfunctional characters are fun in fiction, but in RL they are too screwed up to get a HEA.
And yes, he can do a cold killer scarily well.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 05:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 06:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 06:01 pm (UTC)http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/441403.html
no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 06:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 06:15 pm (UTC)But, it is explained soon. In 1.18, Something Wicked, you find out about it.
Because Dean is dead, it makes logical sense that the police aren't looking for him. So the police aren't after him or anything. Also, with their fake IDs he's always using a different name, and on the rare occasion that he does give out his real name, he never tells his last name.
The brothers never really seem to care when they're about to be killed by demons. Dean cracked me up so much in 1.15, the Benders. They're both so used to dealing with demons and they know that they're predictable, so they have nothing to worry about. Demons always have a reason for why they're killing people and a pattern for what they're doing and everything. :P
no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 06:18 pm (UTC)LOL. I am more about rebellion than obedience, but I am making an exception in Dean's case. Maybe because he has an attitude.
So the police aren't after him or anything.
True, he isn't on Most Wanted, but I can see how it can cause trouble.
The brothers never really seem to care when they're about to be killed by demons.
Well, I think they have to supress fear or they won't be able to function.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-05 06:53 pm (UTC)I looooooooooove it when hot rebellious guys are obedient. It's my favorite.
I squeal every time either of them say 'yes sir'. It drives me crazy.
I think it's more that they're so used to being attacked by demons that it doesn't scare them. For anybody else, seeing a demon would be scary and they'd freak out, but Sam and Dean have grown up hunting demons all of their lives. They're just used to it.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-31 11:54 am (UTC)I LOVE IT.
Seriously, I have to stop the episode like, four or five times and keep all the lights on, but not even my dread of horror can keep me from the angstangstangst and prettiness.
There are no words for how much I love Dean. And even Sam is a woobie. And the fanfiction, when it's not Wincest, is all DEPRESSING GEN which makes me want to CRY.
Alas, having my heart broken was never so much fun. Except when Logan did the self-destructive thing on VM, that was wonderful too.