SPN Rewatch: Season 8
Jan. 20th, 2019 08:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caitriA friend of mine said that S8 was when she almost tapped out, which I find interesting as it is so. much. better. than S7. It's still a fairly weak season, but at least Cas is back, there are several ongoing plots, and things actually build on one another without relying on major character death to move them along.
The season starts with a time jump of one year from the previous season finale, and the first half of the season contains regular flashbacks from both Dean's and Sam's pov to fill in the gaps. Dean led a rough, violent exist in Purgatory, searching for Castiel and making an ally in a vampire named Benny, who he immediately resurrects--very uncharacteristically--on his return. Sam was devastated by Dean's seeming death, stopped hunting and abandoned Kevin (?!!?!), adopted an injured dog, and had a romance. The lighting for both characters' stories is different, with Dean in washed out greys and Sam's in soft-focused, sentimental lighting.
Then they reunite and the boys are back in business, but mutually furious with one another--Dean because Sam never looked for him and abandoned the mission, Sam because he sacrificed his attempt at an apple-pie life. It's not a good look on either character, especially Dean, who as usual without Cas is frankly abusive.
Dean's friendship with Benny is a solid and actual healthy relationship, which makes it all the sadder that Benny opts to sacrifice himself to save Sam for Dean. Benny was a great character, but I do think he works best as appearing in only a single season.
This season also has several touchstones for Destiel 'shippers, from Dean's joyful smile at finding Castiel in Purgatory to Cas overriding TONS of Heaven's programming to save Dean in "Goodbye Stranger." There's interesting backstory in that, as filmed, the dialogue from Dean that "wakes" Cas up is "We're family. We need you. I need you" while the lines as written concluded with "I love you" but Jensen Ackles felt that Dean wouldn't say that. (I'm a 'shipper but I agree with that decision; at this point Dean is so damaged that the l-word is just beyond him. It just is.) And again with how whenever Dean loses Cas, he is just emotionally devastated and takes his rage out on those around him. (John Winchester, I blame you.)
I had also overlooked that the episode also contains the most overt argument for Megstiel, where Meg is hurt and on the run from Crowley, and she and Cas have a heart-to-heart. They had a flirtation in S6 with a mock-passionate kiss, and a solid friendship in S7. Here, they are on the edge of actually getting together, except Crowley kills her. It's kind of a bummer, and yet I think it's interesting that they made a point in doing away with the one significant heterosexual relationship Cas ever almost had.
The season also includes two delightfully geeky episodes with Felicia Day's Charlie, "LARP and the Real Girl" and "Pac-Man Fever." *happy sigh*
The second half of the season introduces the Men of Letters and their Bunker, which becomes the boys' first ever permanent home. (Dean excitedly nests, for the first time in his life having his own room; he buys a memory foam mattress, hangs up his weapons on the wall, and puts the small photo of his mom in pride of place on a desk.) The plot consists of a plan to close the gates of Hell and Heaven, which Sam takes on himself as a sacrifice, because that was the pattern for the first ten years. Crowley becomes the Big Bad. It's exhausting. Metatron is introduced in the final episodes, tricking Cas, and sending most of the angels to earth in a terrific "meteor storm." Cas becomes human. So much potential....
Season 9, here we go.
The season starts with a time jump of one year from the previous season finale, and the first half of the season contains regular flashbacks from both Dean's and Sam's pov to fill in the gaps. Dean led a rough, violent exist in Purgatory, searching for Castiel and making an ally in a vampire named Benny, who he immediately resurrects--very uncharacteristically--on his return. Sam was devastated by Dean's seeming death, stopped hunting and abandoned Kevin (?!!?!), adopted an injured dog, and had a romance. The lighting for both characters' stories is different, with Dean in washed out greys and Sam's in soft-focused, sentimental lighting.
Then they reunite and the boys are back in business, but mutually furious with one another--Dean because Sam never looked for him and abandoned the mission, Sam because he sacrificed his attempt at an apple-pie life. It's not a good look on either character, especially Dean, who as usual without Cas is frankly abusive.
Dean's friendship with Benny is a solid and actual healthy relationship, which makes it all the sadder that Benny opts to sacrifice himself to save Sam for Dean. Benny was a great character, but I do think he works best as appearing in only a single season.
This season also has several touchstones for Destiel 'shippers, from Dean's joyful smile at finding Castiel in Purgatory to Cas overriding TONS of Heaven's programming to save Dean in "Goodbye Stranger." There's interesting backstory in that, as filmed, the dialogue from Dean that "wakes" Cas up is "We're family. We need you. I need you" while the lines as written concluded with "I love you" but Jensen Ackles felt that Dean wouldn't say that. (I'm a 'shipper but I agree with that decision; at this point Dean is so damaged that the l-word is just beyond him. It just is.) And again with how whenever Dean loses Cas, he is just emotionally devastated and takes his rage out on those around him. (John Winchester, I blame you.)
I had also overlooked that the episode also contains the most overt argument for Megstiel, where Meg is hurt and on the run from Crowley, and she and Cas have a heart-to-heart. They had a flirtation in S6 with a mock-passionate kiss, and a solid friendship in S7. Here, they are on the edge of actually getting together, except Crowley kills her. It's kind of a bummer, and yet I think it's interesting that they made a point in doing away with the one significant heterosexual relationship Cas ever almost had.
The season also includes two delightfully geeky episodes with Felicia Day's Charlie, "LARP and the Real Girl" and "Pac-Man Fever." *happy sigh*
The second half of the season introduces the Men of Letters and their Bunker, which becomes the boys' first ever permanent home. (Dean excitedly nests, for the first time in his life having his own room; he buys a memory foam mattress, hangs up his weapons on the wall, and puts the small photo of his mom in pride of place on a desk.) The plot consists of a plan to close the gates of Hell and Heaven, which Sam takes on himself as a sacrifice, because that was the pattern for the first ten years. Crowley becomes the Big Bad. It's exhausting. Metatron is introduced in the final episodes, tricking Cas, and sending most of the angels to earth in a terrific "meteor storm." Cas becomes human. So much potential....
Season 9, here we go.
