#spn 10.04

[mittensmorgul]

10.04, Paper Moon.

Oh look, and episode about monstrous siblings who save each other from death only to bring possibly worse things down on themselves...

Sam: Dude, what are you doing there is no cure. Dean: There's one. Sam: Dean it's a little more complicated than that. Dean: Kate and Tasha are monsters, and last I checked we kill monsters. Sam: Right, but how can you possibly blame Kate for fighting for her sister, we do it all the time. Dean: Oh yeah, that's worked wonders for us. Sam: We're still here, aren't we? Dean: Yeah, but is it right?

Sam actually acknowledges the bad stuff he did to save Dean, and Dean actually admits his time as a demon is "embarrassing" now, and that he's not ready to hunt...

DEAN Let's say you're right. SAM About what? DEAN Everything. Maybe I'm not ready to hunt. [Camera pulls back to show the pain in Dean’s expression and the unshed tears in his eyes.] DEAN [brokenly] But I am just trying to do the right thing, man, 'cause I'm so sick and tired of doing the wrong one.

And that's pretty much gonna be the rest of s10, trying to figure out what the right thing even is. Or, really, that's pretty much what all the seasons are about, right? This is just s10's specific version of it.

[mittensmorgul]

Just an interesting coincidence, but the song that played over the scene of Dean alone in his bedroom at the end of Into the Mystic was also by Warren Zevon. (They also used Werewolves of London in s10, so clearly someone is a fan).

I’m just going back in my inbox quite a ways, trying to find a few things to reply to because I know I’m weeks (months? years in some cases?) behind in replying, and this is the first post in my inbox without any actual salt content and I’m happy about that.

Also, Excitable Boy came up on my shuffle the other night and heck I’m glad Supernatural hasn’t found a use for that song yet. :P

[mittensmorgul]

First up on the TNT loop today: Deja vu! 10.04-- aka that werewolf one with the girl... blah blah blah... (no really, you wouldn’t believe how many people tell me this one’s on their “skip list.” Despite the fact Kate the werewolf from 8.04 is a straight-up Dean mirror...)

The callbacks to the current situation as of 13.03 are just ridiculous.

Sam and Dean have been on a little “vacation” from hunting, because Sam is SCARED of Dean’s powers (having just been cured of being a demon, and still bearing the Mark of Cain). Dean, meanwhile, just wants to feel “normal” and work a job, because it’s HIS normal.

They talk about how “dark” Sam went in the name of curing Dean, how he used a guy to summon a demon (and how that guy ended up dead by Dean’s hand because of it...), before Sam tortured said demon and killed her for info on Dean. Sam minimizes and pushes down the accusation, finally framing it as “I did what I had to” in order to save Dean.

Sam and Dean interview a witness (while wearing forest ranger uniforms) while sitting under the giant Panheads sign from the tattoo shop in 13.02. The guy had thought the monster also attacked a girl, who he later saw at an old abandoned barn and believed she was a ghost... but when Sam and Dean arrive they find a trail of dead chickens leading right to Kate the Werewolf.

They restrain her, question her believing she was the werewolf who killed the man at the bar, and are prepared to kill her... She is surprised by their accusations, but doesn’t resist. Dean points his gun at Kate, but Sam stops him, with “Let me do it.” Because Sam is still wary of Dean doing anything violent for fear it would “feed the mark.” He tells Dean flat out that he doesn’t think Dean’s “ready” for this. (Hello patronizing Mr. Judgypants! Dean doesn’t appreciate it...)

While they’re arguing about Dean’s “readiness” to hunt again, they get a call from the Sheriff that another body’s been found, that Kate couldn’t have killed because she was with them at the time... Meanwhile, Kate escapes. Sam can’t understand why she was so ready to sacrifice herself if she was innocent of the kills, and that leads them to Kate’s sister... who was dying when Kate chose to turn her into a werewolf. Unfortunately, her sister didn’t want to live by Kate’s rules, not killing humans, on the run. She wanted to use the power, to do whatever she wanted... as if she were invincible because of it.

And here’s where the Dean Parallel is strongest: Kate “proves” she’s innocent, because she carries a silver dagger with her that she intends to use on HERSELF if she ever “loses it” again. (Again, she was prepared to take herself out before she could hurt anyone else. Which is the whole “if I can’t save myself, I’ll kill myself” solution that Dean himself internalized back in s2, and has been living with ever since... that he’d most recently faced head-on in 9.10 when he’d thought he might need to kill Gadreel!Sam in order to stop him until Cas helped him find “a better way.”)

Dean LIES to Kate about having a werewolf cure in order to secure her cooperation in finding her sister. Kate would’ve otherwise sacrificed herself DESPITE what her sister was doing, hoping to give her sister a chance to escape. The thing she didn’t understand is that Sam and Dean wanted to stop the RIGHT monster, and like in 8.18, not just any monster will do.

Kate believes them about the non-existent cure, because she’s just so desperate to save her sister. They arrive to find that Tasha has turned two men into werewolves, trying to build her own pack. Tasha and Kate talk, Kate tells her it doesn’t have to be this way, that they can live peacefully without hurting people, but Tasha doesn’t want “to be saved.” She gives Kate an ultimatum, join her pack or walk away. Kate appears to relent, but when she hugs Tasha, she stabs her sister with her silver dagger and runs.

She did what she had to do... knowing that she’d never be able to “control” her sister. She couldn’t save her, so she had to kill her. And she made that horrible choice, but she was allowed to live.

Throughout the episode Sam tried to justify what he’d done in the name of saving Dean, and pressed Dean to talk about his time as a demon. He only backed off when Dean told him he was embarrassed by all of it, but he did justify that he’d done most of the worst things as a demon to people who “deserved” it. But Dean’s also confronting what the Mark might still be doing to him. Being cured of a demon only solved half his problems, and he could still wind up there again if he’s not careful. But locking himself up and doing nothing isn’t a solution...

DEAN Maybe I'm not ready to hunt. [Camera pulls back to show the pain in Dean’s expression and the unshed tears in his eyes.] DEAN [brokenly] But I am just trying to do the right thing, man, 'cause I'm so sick and tired of doing the wrong one.

As of 13.03, Dean may not be ready to hunt, but it’s what he does. It’s his way of doing the right thing, even if he’s just going through the motions right now. And just like Kate, who convinced Dean she was trustworthy by having been prepared to kill herself if she succumbed to the power. Dean could identify with the feeling, except for him at the time, killing himself would only lead to him waking up a demon again thanks to the Mark... He didn’t even have THAT as a comfort at the time.

Which is sort of the situation he’s in regarding Jack right now. From 13.02:

Dean: Okay, what the hell? Give me that. You -- Don't be an idiot. Look, A, this is not gonna do anything to you, okay? And B, you-- What the hell? Jack: Exactly. What the hell am I? I can't control... whatever this is. I will hurt someone. Dean: You know, my brother thinks you can be saved. Jack: You don't believe that. Dean: No, I don't. Jack: So... if you're right? Dean: If I'm right... and it comes to killing you... I'll be the one to do it.

They both know Dean literally has no idea how to even go about killing Jack... they have no weapon that can. Just like Dean back in 10.04, they literally had no weapon that could kill him that wouldn’t just make his whole situation even worse.

So right now, it’s a hollow sort of comfort, but to Dean... it really is a comfort... which he tells Jack while he’s concerned that he will accidentally hurt someone. To Dean, it’s supposed to be a relief to know that someone will be there to stop Jack from going darkside... especially when that was Jack’s immediate concern when Dean made that statement.

[mittensmorgul]

I’ve been completely distracted this evening doing a little research project, but I just ran across this, from 10.04. After Sam spent most of the episode questioning Dean’s choices, wondering if he’s really entirely “cured” from being a demon, and knowing he’s still being affected by the Mark regardless, Dean relents:

Dean: Let's say you're right. Sam: About What? Dean: Everything. Maybe I'm not ready to hunt. But I am just trying to do the right thing, man. 'Cause I am so sick and tired of doing the wrong one.

MAYBE I AM NOT READY TO HUNT.

HE IS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE HE IS SICK OF DOING THE WRONG ONE.

Questioning his past choices, and feeling like he could really use a “win” here...

Sounds an awful lot like Cas in 12.19.

Castiel: Well, I didn't mean to add to your distress. I – Dean, I just keep failing. Again and again. When you were taken, I searched for months and I couldn't find you. And then Kelly escaped on my watch, and I couldn't find her. And I just wanted I needed to come back here with a win for you. For myself.

[nancylou444]

Episode reaction - Paper Moon

Can you feel the wincest tonight……

It was so nice to watch an episode that was 100% Sam and Dean.

Old school Supernatural in the house. WooHoo.

Angels, who cares? Castiel, who gives a fuck? Crowley, who?

Just wall to wall Sam and Dean.

"We time" xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoox

Hmm„ Sam skipped the part about Castiel being the possible cause of his injury. :p

I love how they are talking about what happened. I hope this means no more secrets between them.

The cooler makes an appearance. LOL, I forgot that this was when Jared did the ice bucket challenge.

Dean can’t sit still for too long, he has to get back to ‘work’. (remember how Demon!Dean was happy just chilling and being lazy).

Loser Lester, gets another mention. :p I’m okay with WHATEVER Sam had to do, to get him to the point of getting Dean back, it is about time that Sam is shown to be just as co-dependent on his big brother as Dean is on him.

LOL, I love how they actually ‘joke’ about Dean being a demon. xoxoxoxo

LOL, Pickpocket Dean in the house. Reminds me of Pickpocket Sam in Mystery Spot. Hmmmmmmmm Mystery Spot..……..

Oh lordie, sisters? Here we go again with the parallels.

Kate’s backstory. Was I the only one that heard blah blah blah. Me no care.

Sammy, “i watched you die, carried your body…..” Oh Sammy. :(

Dean knows how you feel.

So much bonding going on between them (in the Impala). But why the hell was she sitting next to Dean? THAT is Sammy’s spot.

Dean was totally embarrassed to be a demon.

Dean says ‘thank you’, Sammy says, ‘no need for thanks’.

Damn it, where is the hug????

Dean “want to do something good”, shades of Sam in Playthings.

All in all a good episode, the Kate parts were a little slow, but we had some AWESOME Sam and Dean moments, so can’t complain too much.

Kate lived, so I guess that should make everybody happy. :p

Next episode had better be a lot better than that clip, because that clip made me roll my eyes.

Now onto my askbox and dash.

[mittensmorgul]

Pre-coffee early morning thinky thoughts, so forgive my lack of references here:

*(edited: Most sincere apologies for the length. This kind of went off the rails from a single track into a freaking train yard depot) 

I've been thinking about Dean telling Kate that her sister is beyond saving; that's there's no coming back from that. I know that some of that speech is directed back at himself, that he is concerned/convinced that there's no real redemption for himself. He's still got that Mark of Cain, and he probably realizes that feeding it again will lead him right back to where he was. He knows he's not fully cured.

On the other hand, from our initial encounter with Kate in Bitten (8.04), we (and Dean and Sam) learned A LOT about werewolves that we didn't know before. We learned that within a few generations of the Alpha wolf that they have much more control, are able to shift outside of the full moon, and that THEY CAN LIVE RELATIVELY DECENT LIVES WITHOUT KILLING HUMANS. The professor that turned the them, though, confesses that it's easier to take that more humane route BEFORE your first taste of human hearts. He compares it to an addiction, even using the phrase "fell off the wagon" to describe his return to hunting humans. Kate has lived her entire time as a werewolf without killing a human, and she doesn't seem to have a problem with it.

This gave me a few thoughts. And this is all essentially unfounded speculation from here on out. First, maybe Kate's sister never had that control herself. She's one generation further removed from the Alpha. Kate herself is already one generation further removed than the two guys the professor bit in 8.04. Maybe the Alpha's bonus powers just didn't transfer to Tasha; maybe Tasha was one generation too far removed.

Second, Dean knew that Tasha had already given in to the wolf hunger. He was privy to the conversation between the professor and Brian in 8.04, that once you fell off the wagon, it was nearly impossible to go back, even for the lucky werewolves who had that extra measure of control in the first place. Tasha never had that to start with.

When Sam thanks Kate for saving them and expresses regret that she had to kill her sister, Kate admits that Tasha wasn't her sister anymore. Until that final scene between Kate and Tasha, Kate still held out hope, despite Dean telling her it was too late to save her, that Tasha was in too deep and that you don't ever come back from that.

I don't think Dean was entirely talking about himself, but rather reminding Kate of what she already knew about werewolves. She'd said, "It's not like anyone gave me a handbook on how to be a werewolf," but frankly she had more information than most randomly turned wolves. She was, after all, the one who assembled the video that was essentially episode 8.04. Somewhere deep down, she knew why her sister wasn't handling the transition as well as she did. And that's where the mirrors to Dean's coming back from demonhood and the MoC get fractured.

Dean might have been speaking for himself, about not really coming back from "being in too deep," but he's already come about half way back from what happened to him with the Moc. He's sort of reset himself back to where he was metaphysically at the end of First Born (9.11). He has the MoC, but he hasn't fed it a single drop of blood yet, and I think he's afraid to. He even let himself be captured by two newbie wolves rather than kill them himself, because perhaps subconsciously he knows what will happen if he gives in to that hunger. He'll end up like Tasha again. He'll end up as the demon again. So, like Kate, he resists, even at the risk of his own life. Priorities, Dean.

Now, Dean has a lot going for him that Tasha did not. He's not clueless about the world of monsters. He's probably physically and mentally one of the best prepared people on Earth to deal with what he's going through. He's still the Righteous Man. He was bred to be an archangel's vessel. He was raised knowing about the supernatural. He helped stop the Apocalypse. He saved the world how many times now? He's not just some clueless random shlub. He knows what the stakes are, and that gives him more of a chance to come out the other side of what he's going through than practically anyone else on the planet. Plus, you know, he has Sam and Cas watching out for him. They're not slouches with the supernatural stuff, either.

I'm interested to see just how long Dean can go without killing anything, and what happens when he finally does. I imagine that he would only give in to the urges to save an innocent third party. He was willing to let himself die, but I don't think he'd let anyone else die. He'd pull the trigger and pay the consequences, like he always does.

When he finally does kill again, how long will it take before he's overcome by the MoC again? How long before Crowley comes back and dangles the First Blade in front of his nose again? And how long will he be able to resist picking it up?

Bonus thinky thoughts:

Kate was not enough to save her sister from falling off the wagon. The hold of being a werewolf was stronger than their sibling bond. Sam alone hasn't been enough to pull Dean back into humanity, either. Draw your own conclusions. *pokes at conclusions insistently* *pokes harder* *switches to poking with pointy sticks*

Finally, the one thing that rubbed me wrongest (shut up I know it's not a word) in the whole episode was that the boys didn't bother to mention Garth and his domestic little wolf commune. Golly gee, that would've been a nice thing to tell Kate about. Like, yes, look, there is hope for you out there! *points at nice werewolf family* Then again, maybe they knew that wouldn't appeal to her? But really. Who cares about all the religious mumbo jumbo in the little cult family, and whether or not she would be willing to buy into that. Just the IDEA that there were wolves out there surviving like normal people would've been comforting for her to know about. Pffft. Whatever. I'm done for now.