Pondlass1

I don't know why May sweeps and all the series finales are set for May. No one watches TV when weather gets better - all ratings are dropping ... Supergirl just got 0.5. TV seasons should be September to March - that's what I'd do. I don't care who dies - dying means nothing. I've been saying WTF most of this season - so I just want some 'splaining. Either that or Dean took a nap after saving the sun and it's all just a bad dream. With the writers' strike looming we might have a long wait for season 13. Hope they can get their act together.

Dr. Now is straightforward and to the point with his patients. He sugar coats nothing. He's not a therapist and doesn't pretend to be. I think what set him off with Sean's mom was when she made some comment about Sean not getting proper treatment. Helping Sean get healthy is costing thousands and thousands of dollars which could be spent on patients who WANT and appreciate the help. I don't know who's paying here... but it's not Sean or his family. All the blights of the developed world - morbidly obese, drug abuse, hoarding, etc., are mental health issues. Dr. Now fixes the body. There is a lot more help needed to fix the mind. And the help is just not available or way too expensive.

I follow Scarlet on twitter. I loved her videos too. From her tweets I get the impression the thrill has gone and she's moved on. She enjoys badass Dean and he's pretty much left the building.

In the show Half Ton Teen the mother had lost a baby as an infant. When she had another son she kept him an infant totally dependent, changing his diaper, washing him, feeding him, etc., as a mother would a baby. There has to be a name for it in the mental health books. I feel bad for Sean. I don't think he possesses the steely determination to lose all his weight, but I hope he gets to a point where he can at least walk and have some kind of a life. Life is short and we only get one shot at it.

The enablers are just as sick as the bedridden obese. If I lounged in bed all day yelling for my family to bring me food - I'd die of starvation. There's something in it for the enablers. Either welfare or the need to keep the person under control and not leaving or having a life. A person living alone would have a hard time getting to be 600+ pounds and bedridden. They could phone for food to be delivered, they could pay for a care-giver... but I doubt it happens ever. This scenario is a two-person deal. The obese and the enabler both getting something out of the deal. The by-pass surgery is the focus of this particular show. But it's such a small part of the recovery. Maybe they should shake up the format for a new season and include scenes of the obese learning to actually cook a healthy meal and any therapy follow up. Otherwise it seems kind of an empty journey and we're left wondering if they made it. There's a British series called Fat Doctor (episodes on YouTube) that's somewhat similar and quite interesting. Not only is the doctor good-looking, he actually has a personality and empathy - two things Dr. Now appears to be missing. Why they chose him as the focus for the show I'll never know. Lots of doctors out there doing this surgery. Still, every once in a while he does make me smile. Like the one time an enabler said 'she gets angry if I don't give her the food she wants' and Dr. Now replied 'What are you scared of? She can't get out of bed and hit you'.

I'd love a scene of them shopping for clothes. Do they buy at Hunters Are Us shop, or whatever? Are the fake credit cards ever refused or questioned? I dunno... could be fun to see. (More fun than a lot of the drivel this season imo) Or maybe them being measured for the FBI suits? Dean could buy off the rack MAYBE... but Sam at 6'4" would definitely have to be measured with a tape measure. They've got great bodies. They keep themselves in great shape. I mean... couldn't a script have them in t-shirts just once...? The Salvatore brothers LIVED in snug fitted t-shirts.

Sean's story reminded me of a TV show I watched years ago. Same situation. Overweight teenage boy and doting dangerous mother. When the boy got help and started losing weight she didn't like it. She wanted to keep him bedridden and dependent. 'How can one slice of pizza hurt?' she would say holding it out to him. That's not love. Sean's mother really irritated me how she would agree with Dr. Now - oh, yes, I know I am. So condescending because she knew she had every intention of carrying on regardless. I wish Sean the best, but not holding out much hope. Brittini was a delight. Hubby now needs to diet, tho.

Significant, consequential conversations seem to be held off screen lately and we're left to figure things out for ourselves. I don't know where anybody's at. I don't know why anybody does or says anything anymore. I can only guess at motives these days. Mary and Sam have me flummoxed. I would never complain about the quality of acting. They all mostly bring it (especially Js and Ms and especially Jensen). But they're being let down by uninspired writing (and sloppy editing). It's frustrating.

An optimistic 1.75 and 0.6. Although everything seems to be dropping, not just CW shows. And I've read that this episode is J2 lite, which doesn't bode well for good ratings. I think most are weary of the BMOL too.

My issue is that there's little emotional pull any more. Other than Sam and Dean (Cas & Crowley) most peripheral characters are lightweight and predictable - yet it is on THEM that the ongoing story focuses. No one is complex any more. If Claire had died I really would not have cared. Madison on the other hand - they made me care, I was invested and felt it. Writers need to engage me more emotionally if they're going to focus on other characters. But they don't seem able (or willing) to write good dialogue any more. I don't want soap opera... but I need to get to know people if I'm supposed to care or react.

I miss the old fashioned dark and gritty monster hunt too. They'd research, bicker, drink a beer, read a newspaper or whatever. Now they get a job via the BMOL and then the BMOL interfere and get all superior and contemptuous and we're supposed to say 'Wow, this is even better than ever, I love seeing my boys be instructed on the best way to hunt'. The BMOL have sucked all the life out of the show for me. I don't want them in season 13, although Mick can stay so long as he does something about that weird beard.

Dean goes for a swim? Was going to DVR - might watch live now. But it's just a tease of course.

Some kind of cure the BMOL has that turns out to have side effects maybe? Oh, I love Dean when he's all macho and manful

The fact that Dean could still read puzzled me, so I googled and apparently Alzheimer's patients can continue to read without a problem, they'll have trouble retaining what they've read though. So the fact that Dean could read 'witch killing bullets' worked... I guess. For me Regarding Dean has been THE best episode of the whole season. However, episodes continue to bump along in terms of ongoing emotion. That heart-wrenching scene in the bathroom mirror (which brought a lump to my throat, and I'm a fairly unemotional type) was immediately followed by a frivolous Dean and Rowena scene. I don't know... editing or whatever is just spoiling things. I can't put my finger on it, but they just don't give us a chance to invest in anything any more. This season has mostly become a collection of overwrought and overwritten speeches, as if the show could be made more dramatic simply by increasing the quantity of words spoken. Screen time that could be spent advancing meaningful storylines or developing interesting characters is wasted. I don't get characters' motivations anymore. Sigh Sorry to have gone off on a rant.... I LOVE this show. But it's so frustrating, it's like my kid came home with a report card that says "Must try harder" Or maybe it's just me.

I saw this on TV a while ago during the evening news. It was mind-boggling. These children (ages approx 9-12) could not identify something as common as a potato! The only veg they all recognized was corn. They knew bananas but mixed up strawberries with grapes and none wanted the free apple offered at the end. Looked like inner city kids and most were pudgy. So sad.

Most long-running shows are ensemble. They've tried with this one, but they really don't seem to write strong enough stories for Cas and Crowley and they tend to have them off on their own dealing with their own troubles. It's most definitely a show about Sam and Dean. There is no Scooby Gang. The Js have carried the bulk of the weight for all these years. And we're not tired of them yet. They're complex and compelling, and way more interesting than if they were - say - husband and wife hunting team. But what do you do after 12 years when your main stars have growing families, lots of negotiating clout and ratings are slipping? You write more Sam-centric and Dean-centric episodes. And I think Season 13 will feature less choreographed fight scenes and probably more in-studio shoots. It is the beginning of the end for Supernatural.

Except for a few entertaining motw's, seasons 11 & 12 have been a plodding drag with storylines that fizzled into nothing and Sam and Dean being mostly chopped liver. Seasons 9 & 10 had way more action and interest (for me anyway). I'm not even bothering to purchase the season 12 DVD and that's a first. The thrill is almost gone for me now. Mary, BMOL, Cas, Crowley and Lucifer - all dull as dishwater and poorly written. A Supernatural show should never be dull surely? Unfortunately this is what's happened here. Characters talk at each other, but never actually say anything. Sam and Dean mostly relegated to 'guests' in their own show. Any action is few and far between and when it does happen there's no follow through or consequence. It's almost like every episode is a stand alone because the writer didn't check what went before. If season 13 is going to feature another fast growing demon baby, BMOL silliness, heaven politics and less and less Sam and Dean - then I'm probably out. It's so sad.

@ILoveReading Brilliant post!! I agree with it all.

I am bored with the Idol. They should tell them half way through that there is no idol this season - after they've all dug up half the island. That would be funny. I'm also tired of the constant alliance talk. The earlier seasons focused a bit more on 'day to day' life and the survivors came across as a bit more personal and relatable. Now it's too procedural and set-up. Like the the producer says 'go over there and talk - we have cameras set up'. Anyway, finding it boring so far. They need to shake things up somehow.

Well, despite the poor nutrition and transient stress-filled childhood - the brothers grew tall and handsome with lovely white teeth and an excellent immune system and ability to heal without scarring. I have to admit that the spin off I'd REALLY love to see would be the Winchester childhood. It can never happen, of course. They'd never find the child actors to pull it off. We all know Sam and Dean's foibles too well. And I agree Dylan did an amazing job of portraying Dean. I so appreciate that he spent many hours studying his character. I wish these writers would be as dedicated.

@Geordiegirl1967 Oh believe me...I would watch Sam and (especially) Dean do laundry for hours. ? And I have no particular love for Cas or Crowley. You won't agree... But I would have no problem with a Dean centric or Sam centric episode every once in a while. They don't have to go on every job together and it would provide for family time

This has never been an ensemble type series. It's always revolved around the two brothers with a lot of long hours and hard work from the Js. Cas and Crowley actors were taken on as regulars and threaded into stories. Now 12 years later things have changed. The Js have growing families. They have more negotiation clout. They want more time off. Unfortunately we no longer have imaginative, skilled writers. The Js absence is now garing. Bad editing decisions and the lack of compelling stories for the peripheral characters Cas and Crowley also add to the disjointed episodes of late. Cas contemplating returning to boring heaven... Crowley spurring with lucifer. It's old stale story telling and removes them from the ongoing Sam and Dean plot instead of weaving them in Clever writing could have the Js working less hours and the Ms working more, and us the audience not even noticing

I thought they both earned $175K per episode, but I may be wrong.

Who are these handsome guys? And what have you done with the real Sam and Dean? Maybe they should have a 'character bible' or legend or whatever available to writers as a resource. But it's the showrunner who should keep characters in character and have a good knowledge of each character's background history and foibles...and Andrew has been with the show for a while. He should know better. But he seems way too absorbed with his 'new toy' - the BMOL - to bother much with the bread & butter of the show... namely Sam and Dean.