The Companion

Hee. I am so glad these were memorialized. I miss out on these things as a late viewer. Yes! I apparently reacted very differently than a lot of viewers on this one. I loved it. Loved loved loved. This show can be very dark. I mean, last week was about some kids getting murdered by a ghost doctor who abused his patients. I need the silliness and lightness from time to time to keep it from getting to be too much. Admittedly, I trend away from dramas anyway, only watching them if there is sci fi or horror. When I get home after a long day, I just don't have it in me to invest my emotions in a drama most of the time. So, I appreciate a little levity. That is why the silly episodes of this show hit so well with me. And this one was somewhat silly and happy. I loved Dean nerding out over the gunslingers. I wanted to send a fruitbasket to that ridiculous and amazing room with the bizarre cowboy cutouts between the bedroom and the living room area. I liked the idea of a ghoul gunslinger with a girlfriend. And most of all, I enjoyed watching some honest to goodness happiness for one of our characters, particularly one who was ready to die last episode. Add in the reunion with Castiel and I really loved this. Well, to be fair, Castiel didn't do a great job of watching Jack (in utero) last time. 😋 Kidding, obviously. I agree that it was a strange choice that falls under "for plot reasons." I noticed and really liked this detail. I mean, I really like Cas but this definitely made me giggle. Particularly when it comes to head trauma. 😂 I miss this. That is amazing. All of this, and particularly the impact of seeing one of these guys happy. I feel like I really needed this episode. The one off episodes have remained really plot heavy and they haven't been as fun, so I appreciated something a bit lighter. Particularly on the heels of an old school ghost episode.

This cracked me up. I sorta wanted him to keep elaborating. "One reviewer recommended Destiny highly." Agreed. I have really struggled through a lot of S12 and the beginning of S13 and this one felt old school while advancing the plot in an interesting way. I loved the old school asylum ghost story. The creepy mask. The lobotomized ghosts. I agree with your whole post, but especially these points. I loved the way the guys interacted here. I loved that Sam was trying in a clunky way and that Dean appreciated it. There were some bits that weren't great (the bacon stuffing for example) but I have learned to wave that stuff off lest I drive myself crazy. Lol I actually do like Billie, though they took her teeth towards the end, and I loved her in leather and badassery as Death. I will absolutely miss Julian as well, but I liked the way this closed the loop without undoing Death's death. Agreed that she was compassionate in a way. OMG, I legit laughed at that moment. I think it was ridiculous but can't pretend I haven't shoveled bacon down my throat after a big night out. 😆 I mean, AT LEAST SOMEONE REMEMBERS HER. 😭 I need her to come back so she can go out in a blaze of glory. I mean he's not Crowley. *still shuddering over that* Leaving him on the floor felt a bit college/younger than these guys to me, but I just don't have it in me to break the decision down. It has probably been discussed longer than it took to write and shoot (and I love y'all for doing the work for me, it was interesting to see the multiple perspectives). I want to make a joke about the whip being a Retcon after Dean got sent to a BDSM dungeon as a diversion but I cannot remember which episode it was (and I have half convinced myself I made it up). As an aside, googling keywords to find the Dean dominatrix/BDSM scene comes back with a lot of entries that are not relevant to my inquiry. 😆 Or 24 hours in Nola. 😬 This made me so happy. There was another one in the first episode that said something like "Baby rumbles". I meant to mention it. Despite some flaws and the dark story, I really liked this one. It had a lot of the things I love and I really enjoyed the Billie as the reaper twist. I am glad Castiel is back. JA obviously nailed the emotions. I was worried we were getting more secrets and lies outside of the house but that got resolved too. Overall, a strong episode for me.

I could see it being cathartic. People talk about having dreams of loved ones and finding closure. Agreed. Wise words, Katy M. Wise words. I was internally yelling: GO WAKE UP GABRIEL. 😆 I actually liked the Big Empty and the EmptyCas. I agree. The character felt really distinct. I feel as if the one thing all of this fandom can agree upon is that the writers didn't know what they fuck they were going on with the entire Mary storyline. Maybe I am wrong, but I am pretty much constantly saying: "what the fuck?" Right? Sam and Dean: welp, it's either a ghost or a revenant. Me: or a ghoul or shapeshifter? Do the writers even watch this show? I think this question has been raised multiple times and I was satisfied with the answer, actually. This show. Sigh. I just have to shut my eyes and pretend these garbage lines don't exist at this point. SWEET DRACULA ON A MOPED. Still such a great episode. For all its inconsistencies, I am glad the show has kept the shifter grossout factor (Bloodlines didn't exist. It was all a dreeeeam). The chunk of hairy, bloody flesh was masterful. Points again to the props and make up departments. They really bring the yuck. This was what I was thinking about. The baby on the box. I already ranted about what they are doing with the guys and I just don't want to do it back to back. I really liked the shifter therapist concept. I like the shifters in general, so this episode put me in a better mood.

It's not the fact that he is worried Jack may be a problem, it is the cruelty in the way he talks about Jack. As I said, this is probably a perspective that roots deeply in being bullied as a kid and being made to feel like a freak because of certain aspects of my personality and identity. There is just something truly abhorrent to me about hating someone because of their nature at birth, rather than because of their actions. Seeking a way to kill Jack if he got out of hand doesn't bother me. Constantly dismissing him, calling him names, etc. does. I am not joking that I had to step away from this thread multiple times because of the use of the word freak, though, so I know mileage likely varies.

Least surprising twist ever. It is particularly frustrating after watching them resolve disagreements maturely in the past. The talking around each other is so frustrating to watch. I am not gonna lie. Calling Jack a freak evoked a visceral reaction in me and I am having trouble getting past it. I love these characters, but I am having trouble liking Dean here. It is hard to root for a solution that boils down to kill the freak. Dean has no clue who Jack will be. To constantly antagonize him and write him off is hard to get on board with for me. Sadly, that is probably where we are headed because it would be unpredictable to go the other way and these writers don't like to tell new stories In fairness, I have been treated like a freak and called names and my nature didn't cause anyone to die. I am comfortable with who I am and I could still barely read this thread because of the memories that the word freak being thrown around dredged up. And I fully understand that my history may be coloring my view here, but this was pretty fucking terrible to me and I don't think it is fair to say Sam has issues for being hurt by this. I think he means because he went on to do good things and save lives. He wasn't irredeemable. His status as a YED kid didn't mean he was a monster incapable of being saved. I am trying really hard not to veer into a territory that requires a different thread. Dean's use of the word freak here is something I need some time to get past. As for the story, I liked Patience but hated them bringing Missouri back to kill her (at least she got to have some agency in her death). The story itself was a but uneven, but I probably wouldn't have disliked this episode for the story aspects despite the retcon issues. I am over the Sam vs. Dean stuff.

I am shocked to sort of like Jack. And, PSA to all shows. If the actor can't do a Southern accent, it's fine to just drop the accent. This one was painful (though I think that Styne's cajun accent wins worst accent ever). Colon-hell Sanders is painful to watch and uninteresting. Also, way to have him literally kill every female demon in the room. 🙄 I loved Jack trying to be like Dean. Right? Hey, it's Bobby and he knows AUMary. Let's have him disappear and never return. 😥 Anger instead of fear/pain is a super common reaction. I saw it all the time in trusts and estates work. It's easier to be mad at your brother than sad about Mom. My husband actually has a "wires crossed" type of reaction when he is worried. Many years ago, he was a total dick when his mother was in the ICU. I was shocked until it clicked that he was worried and this was how he was expressing it. It was so unlike him. Now I better recognize his reaction and he is open to hearing me when I tell him he needs to reassess or step away. Knowing all that, it is still hard to watch Dean behave this way. I hate the way the brothers are currently interacting.

Yes! I have started and stopped this a couple of times. I am so pissed at the decision to have Eliot's body hijacked again and then to have some serious consent issues as the person possessing him kisses Chatwin. What the fuck? I suppose Julia was the right one to help him deal with that, seeing as how she is the resident expert on having her consent discarded. This show needed to treat that as a major violation. Props to HA for once again playing someone else, but I am not a fan of the writers for this. I like Plum. Wasn't a fan of bringing back another character who doesn't understand consent. Sigh. But I did like that she wanted to find a fix that didn't involve killing him. Glad to see Kady still exists. That finger cutting scene was all sorts of horrifying. Margo continues to carry so much of this show for me. The way she was like: nope. There comes a time where you decide whether or not to participate in this fuckery. (Don't remember the actual line). I also loved Fen's enthusiasm.

Agreed. This felt like true grief and distinct from similar scenes. When he couldn't say Castiel was dead? 😭 Haha. So true. He could've grabbed the little/big guy and went anywhere. I am having a lot of trouble with Dean's insistence that Mary is dead. I don't know. It just doesn't feel like him to me. Agreed that it would have been weird to mention her but that it just highlights why it was such a weird choice to kill her off screen. It's like the writeoff you get if someone gets arrested for something heinous or unceremoniously fired for choking a coworker or something. I really liked her for that. She felt compassionate to me. To not lock him up and make assumptions. Overall, I thought this was solid. I am not enthusiastic about the "nature vs. nurture" debate, particularly since we know Lucifer's original nature doesn't match his current behavior, but I like the actor well enough. JA obviously knocked it out of the park and I thought JP had a good, quiet grief thing going

It is still hard for me to watch. I hate that they soured me on a show I loved so much.

I am so close to getting to read all the ancillary threads! As I said, I don't think your perspective is any less valid than mine and I always appreciate getting your viewpoint as I work through these episodes, even when we differ. So thank you for that.

Fair points for sure. And you are speaking to my very core as an introverted lawyer. 😆 I joke that I am a worrier and I just went and found someone to pay me so I could be a professional worrier. Lol. I think the rousing for battle aspect is what made it ring cheesy for me. Also the fact that the hunters were like YEAH instead of basically the reaction you describe. So I should have said I loved the aspects of the speech that had Sam taking responsibility from a character perspective and the ties back to the earlier conversation, rather than finding it truly and realistically motivating for his audience. Does that make sense?

I can understand the objection. Personally, I thought he very much centered it on himself when he talked about having to be a parent. Plus he got to say he hated her. And he didn't have to apologize for feeling what he was feeling. He didn't take back the hatred and hurt. He said "I hate you . . . And I love you." How fucking powerful is that? He gets to forgiveness not because what she did was okay. He gets there because he accepts that there is space for anger and hurt and hatred and love and understanding. And he doesn't want to put it all behind them and pretend it never happened. He wants to start over. AND he gets to be sad about what happened and angry and hurt but still proud of who he is. In the end, he even gets to say they are badass rather than broken. I think he centered the Sam stuff on the direct results of the deal and stuff that happened (though I agree reference to being in hell should have been included and JA could have really nailed it on that). But in the end, Dean focused on the emotional fallout and betrayal for himself, rather than concrete events. He got to rail against the unfairness of being forced to grow up and parent. In some ways, I feel like the heart of so much of the unfairness Dean has faced up to and including putting Sam first is encompassed in his statement below. And I... I had to be... more than just a brother. I had to be a father and I had to be a mother, to keep him safe. And that wasn't fair. And I couldn't do it. He talks about things that happened to Sam, but he talks about the root of how his life was affected. How he was irrevocably altered by what happened. I totally get why some people wanted more, and I don't think more would have been an error, but I found the scene satisfying for me personally. Totally respect the comments here that felt otherwise. I don't think there is a right or wrong reaction to this scene. I just personally liked it for Dean. Honestly, I sort of felt like Sam didn't get nearly as much emotional meat this season with regard to Mary, but I am cool with that because I really do feel like it worked to have Dean be the one who took up that space.

Ok, I went through several pages of reactions and I want to get through all of it, but I also want to get down my thoughts on these, because I have a lot of thoughts, unsurprisingly. I apologize for retreads. I have never posted without a full review but it is 18 freaking pages. First and foremost, I think that even with the flaws this may have been my favorite finale. That is shocking because this has been one of my least favorite seasons. I thought there was a lot of action but it largely stayed out of bad cheesy effects. And it had a lot of heart. Most of it worked for me. The deaths Admittedly, I don't believe for a second that Castiel is gone. I suspect Jack is going to revive him. That is my best guess. They have killed Castiel one too many times. I am less sure on Crowley, but I don't foreclose the possibility that he returns. Honestly, I am okay if he is gone, and I actually thought his death was the driver for shutting the portal so apparently views on that differ. For me, Crowley has always been way way way too much talk, and they largely seem to have run out of storylines for him that aren't about keeping power. Yawn. With the acknowledgment of that in 22, I sort of hope they will adjust the story if he comes back. I suspect everyone who has read anything I have written knows how I feel about Rowena LITERALLY BEING TREATED LIKE A FUCKING PROP TO MOVE THE STORY ALONG. I am not going to rant. I used up my ranting on Eileen. Actually, never mind because I have time to digest and I have THOUGHTS. Rant warning. In the final three episodes of the season, we had 4 recurring female character deaths. Of the 4, three happened without the female character getting so much as a line. Three involved shots of the woman's body alone on the ground (or in the chair) with nobody to mourn them. And three involved the menfolk finding out after the fact with a scene specifically meant to show us how they react. THREE OF FOUR. Women in this show are first and foremost framed as victims. I don't care that they killed them off. In fact, I think Lucifer killing Rowena was probably a logical narrative choice and I was fully expecting it. I am fine with killing off Eileen (despite being bitter), in the context of giving us stakes worth fighting for in the hunter deaths. Salty about the decision, but it's valid. And I am happy to see Lady Ihonestlydon'tremeberhernamebecauseeveryonemakesthemup die at the hands of her own organization. I still don't understand what the fuck story they were trying to tell with her, but I am fine with it. But none of them got hero or villain deaths. They didn't get a protracted battle where they looked like they might win (Ketch, who was also respectfully covered in later scenes, I will note) or a snarky line of self sacrifice (Crowley) or a fight for what's right and just fall short at the feet of someone who loves you scene (Castiel). To that point, even the BMoL head was brought down to passive victim, but I thought that was okayish. At least she got to fucking speak. You can't tell me TPTB don't know this. I am not pulling on some deep critical knowledge from my fucking communications degree 16 years ago. This is basic Misogyny in Television 101 and I know people have brought it to their attention because I broke my spoiler code with Charlie. You cannot tell me they are ignorant, so this just feels like a fuck you to women who make up the majority of their fans. Anyway, rant over because I really did love these episodes and I want to get to the good. The Bunker Escape. Holy shit did I love this. The guys working together. Sam's panic that Dean was under the rubble. Dean's hero moment unlocking the door. Chekov's grenade launcher. Actually exhausting resources to show that they remember where they are. I loved loved loved this. Sam and the hunters. The speech was cheesy but I actually loved this. I loved Sam taking responsibility for his actions. I loved the tie in to his apology to Dean earlier because he didn't want to have to keep making decisions. Because following was easier. I don't think he was edging out Dean, I think he was making direct amends. Taking responsibility. Agreeing to take ownership of this task. It isn't like he is asking them to join Sam's hunter club. He is asking them to help him right this wrong and destroy a direct threat. He didn't include Dean because Dean didn't make this mistake and didn't try to dodge the responsibility. And, guys, given how many times decisions have blown up on Sam, I get wanting to stop being the one making them. I would have hated him lumping Dean into the speech and implying Sam didn't drive this truck into the mud. The actual speech was cheesy and good on JP for selling it as hard as he could, but I actually liked the underlying moment. YMMV. The actual attack was beautifully choreographed. It was tense and exciting and balanced. Jody. man, she is the best and I am so happy they didn't kill her. See what you have done, show? You make me dread seeing her. Hooray for the Donna reference Dean and Mary. I was initially disappointed that Dean was on Mary duty. He has had some pretty incredible action sequences lately, so it wasn't that. It was that I worried the writing would veer into melodrama given the way they have written Mary this season. I was wrong. These scenes were incredible. I still think there have been a lot of missteps but I loved everything about this scene. Dean's "I hate you." Dean's discussion of the direct ramifications of Mary's decisions on both of them. The double man tear (now I am singing Single Man Tear). JA murdered the scene. The sadness and heartbreak and betrayal and love all wrapped up in one emotional package. I loved it. It was dumb that they did it in the bunker without upgrading the damn locks, but whatever. It was really great. The hug. 😭😭😭😭😭 The alternaverse. BOBBY!!!! A world without the Winchester boys. How fantastic and bleak was that? I loved alternaBobby and Rufus (way to waste those bullets, guys). I don't know that I even want closure on Mary and Lucifer beyond that (but I am sure I will get it. Sigh). I loved the self sacrifice. I loved Lucifer realizing he had lost. I suspect I will hate any further scenes of either character, but I doubt they are done. Well, unless they kill Mary off screen and show us her mutilated corpse lying in a bathtub while someone calls the guys. #stillsalty I am surprised alternate universes have been so lightly explored in this show. I liked this glimpse into one. The Birth/Baby. ten points to anyone who called accelerated growth (everyone?). The labor scenes were terrible, but in the normal way these things go on tv. Also the baby bump was hilarious. She was carrying the baby in her rib cage? 😆 i did like Castiel as doula and the focus on what she believed her son would create. I guess I am at least happy we don't have to have a second supernatural baby with powers. I never really connected with Kelly, but the storyline played out pretty well in the end for her. Oh, I guess she counts as a death too, but it was such a foregone conclusion that I didn't really group it in. There is an argument to be made about making her the cliche mother figure/saint but I don't really get that riled up about it. She made her peace, even if she never really had a choice. So at least she gets some personal closure. Final Thoughts. so ends 12 seasons in a matter of months (I need help 😆). I think this was one of my least favorite seasons. Maybe the worst for me because at least the other ones I hated had some good standalone stuff. It was just so joyless and bitter and cynical. And that comes from me, a deeply cynical person with a pitch black sense of humor. Even the standalone episodes were dark and interspersed with the fairly contemptable ongoing storylines. With the full season in the rearview, I still have no clue what the hell they were going for with Mary. I am disappointed that any strides towards interesting female characters got largely fridged (if Jody goes, I may be done, y'all). Ultimately, the finale was entertaining. It balanced actually interesting action with some really poignant character beats. I am not exactly dying to see where the story goes next (not that that has ever paid off anyway, PURGATORY STORYLINE), but the finale was fairly well done, IMO. And it reminded me why I really have enjoyed the last 12 seasons, complaints and plotholes notwithstanding.

Dearest show, I would like to cordially invite you to fuck off. Xoxo TC I suspect everyone knows how I feel about fridging yet another woman. I mean, you have this apparently competent hunter and she doesn't even get to put up a fucking fight? And then we have to hear her call herself girly for asking for help? Fuuuuuuck you, show. Seriously. It is PARTICULARLY egregious to have her killed with no fight after some random woman got in a hit just a few episodes ago. But no, her death was for one purpose only. To give the boys some feels. To motivate them. And I fucking knew it. I KNEW it. Halfway through her last episode. I am so tired of watching women get fridged. Crowley's death was definitely not permanent and it makes me angrier. Because of course it wasn't. He isn't a woman and his death won't give the guys the feels. 🙄 The bunker fight was amazing. It was probably the sole redeeming quality for me on this episode, but it was pretty fantastic. The Mary stuff is, honestly, sort of a fail for me but I am starting to think this is one of those things like Samelia (sorry) where the writers want us to take their word that things are happening that aren't actually playing out on the screen, and therefore the story is getting lost. It makes no sense otherwise. The shift to brainwashed Mary should have been horrible and sad, because they should have established a better relationship between her and the boys. They pay lip service to it with "I love you" and Mary offering to die for them, but they never actually remembered to establish a connection. I just don't understand it. It is so bizarre. Well, he didn't snap her neck like Sunday dinner so she might help if it was against Lucifer. This is the most infuriating hole. They know the BMoL can access the bunker and do nothing. Why not have the BMoL have knowledge of a secret way in? It's like they want the guys to look dumb. Preach. They fridged her and still wasted the manpain. I just want to scream over the entire thing. Heee on the rat. YES TO ALL OF THIS. Me too, but then she also had a line to give Crowley the feels and she was murdered and discarded, so it was the SPN fridging template. 🙄 and I still don't forgive them for that visual. #stillsalty They didn't even try to sell Crowley's death. RIGHT? RIGHT?? They literally had an untrained woman take on a hellhound a few episodes ago. But beyond that, there are in fact Deaf police officers and firefighters. And there have been several attempts at legislation to open up the military to Deaf people. Some non US military allow Deaf people to serve in non combat roles. Anyway, I think it's pretty clear that I am not a fan of this episode. Except the bunker fight. I didn't even get to the stupidity of leaving the guys in the bunker. The BMoL really are cartoonish bad guys. How boring. But mainly, I am just tired of women getting stuffed in fridges. Sigh.

Agreed. I am still horrified on their behalf.

At least we answered the question of whether she realized she was banging a psychopath. This was the most likeable I found Mary in awhile, if ever. She actually reached out to Dean. She expressed affection for him. She fought dirty. I agree. The show may kill off almost everyone, but it does seem like it kills a lot of PoC and women, and often the women are killed so we can see the mens' reaction. It happened twice this episode. Yay for an old school Dick joke 😆 It definitely gets old. As I mentioned, it has entirely ruined Eileen for me because I convinced myself they will kill her off. I get that the show is about the brothers, but that doesn't mean everyone has to die. It is tedious. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this. I thought it was really creepy and entertaining. I didn't hate hate Mary. I totally got why the twig people would feel like a real replacement (their mom felt totally normal). Overall, I enjoyed this a lot.

I loved the mix tape and their interaction so hard. I feel like they have had half baked motivations all season This is true. He was theoretically corrupted by the MoC. But I still don't trust it. This was the best part of the episode for me. Yeah, there was a lot about that scene that was plot contrivance, but I drove myself all the time pregnant. I suspect it is tight in the backseat when Sam is in the front. It is also just the nice thing to do. I could have done without another dead woman in a bathtub, even if she recovered. I may be still bitter

The sheer audacity to talk about the audience contract when they have been accused of violating/breaching that contract. See for example: https://phenixxgaming.com/2019/05/01/syfys-response-to-the-magicians-finale-is-strange/ I agree. They continue to present as flippant and smug.

A discussion of the final episodes. Spoiler warning. Also infuriating warning, with regard to the discussion relating to Quentin's death. Though I may still be a bit salty. https://www.tvinsider.com/919354/the-magicians-ending-season-5-reason-response/

At this point, they may as well put in a revolving door and offer tours. I found it sort of charming, but then I am far more likely to be into a totally cheesy pickup line in a self-aware way than I am someone who comes across as "smooth" and practiced. I don't know. I found it cute and she certainly seemed to enjoy herself. It was nice to have some consensual non-creepy, non-plot driven sex on the show for once. I agree. The goat guy was surprisingly creepy. Agreed. It would be one thing if they didn't know, but they were made aware of it. At least put up a camera. I didn't even notice it until my husband came in from the other room and commented specifically on the music. Lol. I am dying over the "Big Bug Store." I think it was in the abandoned part of the plant, which made sense to me. What made less sense to me was why there was meat in there other than the bodies of the sacrifices. Was the god eating regular meat too? Were they storing meat in the purportedly leaking and hazardous freezer? Did they just leave the freezer full when they shut down the plant? I thought it looked pretty gross, and now I am overly amused by the entire thing. Agreed. Overall, I actually liked this one. This season has been so serious and so tied to the ongoing plotlines. It was nice to have a bit of a diversion. I thought the bad guy and Moloch were suitably creepy. The sets were really cool. I liked the meat hooks and hanging meat, even if it was weird that it was in the freezer still. The supporting cast was interesting and sufficiently fleshed out to make the episode fun to watch. It was just nice to see the guys doing what they do, if that makes sense. The BMOL side of things was a bit weaker for me, but not enough to keep me from finding the episode entertaining and watchable. Two things that are sadly in short supply for me this season.

I also liked Charlie, which I know is controversial. I guess it doesn't bother me, or more accurately it bothers me as much when they dumb them down for supporting characters as it does that they occasionally dumb them down for plot reasons or "humor" or to build up the other sibling. It's an infuriating choice by the writers, but it doesn't affect my view of the supporting character. I totally feel you on the latter point, even if this performance isn't a problem for me. Sometimes you just can't click with a character or performance. That was how I felt for the sister-witch a few episodes ago. I found her to be over the top and totally distracting. True confession and unpopular opinion: it's also how I feel about Tom Hanks. He always feels like Tom Hanks reciting lines to me. *ducks and runs away*

You know, I was enjoying this episode. I actually found myself smiling at the interactions with Eileen, And then it hit me that there is no way the show lets her live. 0. About halfway through, I came to the realization that she is almost 100% certainly going to die and I had to step away because I was preemptively pissed. Then Sam wrapped his arms around her and it was confirmed. They may as well bury her now. I hope I am wrong, but I would be willing to bet that she is a goner. And possibly Rowena. Right? This drove me bonkers. Ugh. All of this. It just kept getting crazier and more ridiculous. I thought the BMOL set up a fairly interesting contrast and then they decide to make them these ridiculously evil cartoons without any discernible motivation. Exactly. Fairly sure at this point they just decided to murder continuity and toss her body in a bathtub. Or perhaps they blew continuity up with her mother. Agreed. I was really disappointed. Kelly willingly went with a demon without once thinking: huh, are they actually going to take care of me and let me be involved in this kid's life or are they going to kill me or discard me? Oh well, the demon told me that she was just misunderstood. I mean sure, Lucifer had sex with me without my consent, but surely it's all gonna be okay. I am so sick of his face. As I noted above, I was enjoying this episode for the most part and then I ended up ruining the best part (Eileen) for myself by convincing myself they are going to fridge her. I was disappointed by the direction this episode took the plot. It is far less interesting to have the BMOL become a united organization of psychopaths.

Perhaps they are secret geniuses. If you set the bar low, it's easy to get a win. 😆 Dog Dean Afternoon was at least otherwise entertaining. Just don't tell me about any fanfic featuring the poodle. 😆

I like Claire (i know, I am an outlier). I loved seeing that Jody's home for wayward girls is becoming a true family. I know some people didn't like the mom thing, but I thought it was lovely. I feel like loving someone else doesn't invalidate your love for someone who went before. I love Dean's protectiveness over Claire. I loved his capitulation to her wishes and his hesitation because he didn't want to hurt her. It was just really touching for me. I also kinda enjoyed Mick, which shocked me. It was interesting to watch him expand his worldview. And I enjoyed watching the guys set boundaries. We will work with you for cases, but this is how we do things. I loved this. It struck a much nicer balance than they have lately for him and it was the perfect amount if petty, IMO, to deny Mick any satisfaction. Hee. I loved loved loved the interrogation. This is what I love about Dean. He reads people. He can subtly parse out what he needs to know. I am, personally, good with them not killing yet another recurring female character. *and meatsuits. 😬 So much if this season has ranged from meh to terrible for me, so this episode was a nice surprise. I thought it was well written and balanced. For a basic werewolf story, there was a surprising amount of plot development and suspense. I loved that the guys got to establish their ground rules and restate their code. I know a lot of people hate Claire, but hear me out. I love that we are getting to follow a character who has suffered a deep trauma and who is trying to reassert control. Does she act like a teenager? Of course. But I actually like the alignment of the typical teenager angst (nobody takes me seriously) with being a young hunter. Claire was bounced around the foster system, neglected and abused. To be able to truly bond with her family was really great to watch. And how gutted was I when she said Jody would be so mad. It was such a great and believable moment. I don't mind that she overestimates her abilities. That seems consistent. I love that she is trying to find her place in the world. And perhaps part of it is that I was particularly alarmed about how Castiel took iver Jimmy's body. I don't know. I just get her as a character and really enjoy seeing her. Aware mileage varies substantially. With regard to keeping her secret, it sorta reminded me of a friend of mine who jokes that she aims to be the fun aunt the kids run away. She is a confidant to several godchildren. Would I rather know if my kid is taking risky chances? If course. But second best for me is knowing that my kid has someone to call if he/she won't talk to me. Claire ultimately did come clean, but because she controlled the circumstances, she will be comfortable calling in Sam and Dean in the future

I hated this scene. I know it has been exhaustively covered, so I will just say that sometimes it feels like the write lowest common dean-ominator, and I hate it. See, e.g., when they had him leering at college girls and shoveling food in his face. It's never as funny at they seem to think. I hate Negan so much. He may be my least favorite character in all of fiction (well or MAYBE fucking Cossette in Les Mis who just sucks the air from the room). His appearance in TWD was the end of the show. I stuck it out way too long after that, but he was the absolute worst and it became a hate watch and then just sticking it out hoping someone would bash his head in. Ugh, I am just gonna pretend this episode is replaced with a conversation where Sam says he wants to use them to identify cases and Dean agrees to try it out because they work with bad guys all the time. I hate the unnecessary and ridiculous drama and Sam knows better. The entire plot line made no damn sense. Sigh I would argue it didn't work then. Sigh. I do agree with this interpretation. Writers: if we make them half brothers, maybe the shipping will die down Internet: hahahahaha This. It made no sense that he would drip guts all over Baby. This episode was meh at the best of times for me. Plus even if it was a devil dog, i hated the whimpers. At least nobody tried to bang it, I guess.