S03.E07: Fresh Blood

[DittyDotDot]

Sam and Dean are tracking a vampire, but things get complicated when Gordon returns.

 

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

For all my aversion to most things vampirey, this episode is not one of those things I have aversion to. I generally love to hate Gordon and Kubrik entertains me. I'm fond of Dean's bravado bullshit and fond of Sam calling bullshit on it. And I for one, have no problem with the way Sam dispatched Gordon. It's not like he had much choice, he was cornered and used what was available. And the end scene of fixing the car; pure gold. Add on the Kim Manners factor and this one is a pretty solid one.

 

And now for a whacky aside...I always wonder if Gordon's goatee was an actor choice or a producer choice. There's nothing wrong with it or anything, in-fact I think it suits the character, I just get to wondering about the weirdest things sometimes.

 

Another whacky aside...for some reason that scene where they have the vampire chick tied up and are interrogating her always makes me think of a scene from the zombie vampire fish episode of The Middleman where people are drugged by a drink called !!!!...which of course then makes me smile.

[rue721]

Gordon's the best. He's always just thiiiiiiiis side of completely batshit, so it always feels like the tension turns up a notch when he's in a scene. His particular brand of batshit is one that I happen to like, too. Love that character.

 

My favorite parts of this episode:

-- After Dean shoots that vampire girl in the head, and the camera stays on her corpse with the still-sparking bullet hole for an uncomfortably long time.

-- The confrontation between the Winchesters and the vampire who was turning all the young girls, when the vampire just kept crying and beating himself up for bringing Gordon back to his nest -- he was so upset and tear-stained, it was strange and eerie somehow imo. 

-- That squat! I loved that grungy, nasty house -- I could practically see the glue traps. And why were there so many mattresses? Who'd been sleeping on those before the Winchesters showed up?

Settings like this are why I hate the bunker.

-- Gordon sticking his hand into his friend, tearing it out, and staring at it once it's covered in blood. What was going through his mind?

-- Sam telling Gordon he's still a hunter, and Gordon saying that, no, he's not, he's a monster. How he said it gave me a shiver. Same kind of shiver I got when Gordon trying to convince himself that one good thing could come of him being made into a monster if it means he's able to kill Sam. Man I love that character. Too bad the actor is so busy, I would have loved for him to have had a bigger part in the story.

I wish *so much* that it could have been Gordon who Dean teamed up with in Purgatory. It would have been interesting to see how Gordon dealt with Purgatory in general, and also how he'd feel about going back to earth himself, etc. So much potential!

-- Gordon being made into a vampire. HORRIBLE. That was his worst nightmare, I couldn't believe how the show did that to him and then just dispatched him, all in one episode.

 

What kept this episode from being a favorite of mine is, unfortunately, the Winchesters -- they were so boring and their dialogue was so clunky imo. The two big "personal" moments, when Sam calls out Dean for putting on a macho act because he's scared, and when Dean teaches Sam to do a repair on the car, both fell flat for me. Sam's call-out fell flat because the dialogue was so clunky and so on-the-nose. The car thing fell flat because I couldn't buy that it would be such a sweet scene, because it was basically Dean giving up his claim on the car because HE WAS ABOUT TO DIE. Sam had previously gotten upset that Dean was being too nonchalant about dying, but now he's so cool with Dean passing on the car, that he's not even saying a word about how that's Dean implicitly accepting his imminent death? And even though Dean is terrified, he thinks that's a sweet moment, himself? Eh, couldn't buy it. The scenes were both too flat, too one-note for me -- and that "one note" was too sentimental and sweet to make sense imo. 

[GirlyGeek]

-- The confrontation between the Winchesters and the vampire who was turning all the young girls, when the vampire just kept crying and beating himself up for bringing Gordon back to his nest -- he was so upset and tear-stained, it was strange and eerie somehow imo.

<snip>

What kept this episode from being a favorite of mine is, unfortunately, the Winchesters -- they were so boring and their dialogue was so clunky imo. The two big "personal" moments, when Sam calls out Dean for putting on a macho act because he's scared, and when Dean teaches Sam to do a repair on the car, both fell flat for me. Sam's call-out fell flat because the dialogue was so clunky and so on-the-nose. The car thing fell flat because I couldn't buy that it would be such a sweet scene, because it was basically Dean giving up his claim on the car because HE WAS ABOUT TO DIE. Sam had previously gotten upset that Dean was being too nonchalant about dying, but now he's so cool with Dean passing on the car, that he's not even saying a word about how that's Dean implicitly accepting his imminent death? And even though Dean is terrified, he thinks that's a sweet moment, himself? Eh, couldn't buy it. The scenes were both too flat, too one-note for me -- and that "one note" was too sentimental and sweet to make sense imo.

Unfortunately, I couldn't Disagree more! I felt like the chat with the boys and the vamp Dixon was so heavy handed as a parallel to Dean. I Actually tend to miss the anvils and be kind of dense, lol, but that was too much for me.

Otoh, I LOVED the brothers scenes, both in the motel room and by the car, and they get to me everytime. Loved them and been known to watch just those scenes and skip the rest, lol

Ugh "...just cause" kills me everytime! :(

I also dislike the vamp lore in the supernatural 'verse. It makes no sense to me. So you just have to get vamp blood in your mouth or on an open wound and you're a vamp? Lame. Also, why would a hunter ever fight a vamp, then? You punch them and risk getting their blood in yours (bust open a knuckle on their face or fang and you're toast).

I prefer the way Vampire Diaries (and others) do the lore, that you either have to die with the blood in your system and/or drink human blood to fully change. The way SPN does it just isn't enough for me

I do like how they showed Gorden experiencing being a vampire: the lights and sounds were making *me* feel crazy so it was easy to translate that into feeling a little bad for the guy.

Great episode and one of my faves.

Edited February 22, 2015 by GeekGirlnb

[DittyDotDot]

I also dislike the vamp lore in the supernatural 'verse. It makes no sense to me. So you just have to get vamp blood in your mouth or on an open wound and you're a vamp? Lame. Also, why would a hunter ever fight a vamp, then? You punch them and risk getting their blood in yours (bust open a knuckle on their face or fang and you're toast).

 

Oh one should never get me started on the stupidity of vampires--that would be why I have a general aversion to them. Not only is it kinda silly how one turns into a vamp, but why are vamps almost extinct if all they have to do is get a few dumbos to ingest some blood to make more? In the first couple seasons, vampires are always whining about how hunters have hunted them to extinction...seriously, they should be top of the monster food chain. Don't even get me started on their whole idea of "family" and such. Ugh, I should really stop now.

[GirlyGeek]

Oh one should never get me started on the stupidity of vampires--that would be why I have a general aversion to them. Not only is it kinda silly how one turns into a vamp, but why are vamps almost extinct if all they have to do is get a few dumbos to ingest some blood to make more? In the first couple seasons, vampires are always whining about how hunters have hunted them to extinction...seriously, they should be top of the monster food chain. Don't even get me started on their whole idea of "family" and such. Ugh, I should really stop now.

Ha ha. Well, I happen to like vamps, on occasion. Like in the show vampire diaries, you have to die with vampire blood in your system and then, to complete the transition into a vampire, you have to ingest human blood too (otherwise you just die). It's not perfect, but it's better than the SPN lore by a mile.

I mean, honestly, you're right... Why would vamps be whining about being almost extinct when all they would need to do to create a blood bath was drop a few drops of their blood into the local water supply and watch a whole neighborhood or town turn? Or put some blood in the Roadhouses (may it RIP) beer taps and turn all the hunters, problem solved, lol

[Dobian]

I found it ironic that Harmony from Buffy/Angel again played a vamp in this one.  Typecasting?  LOL.

[bettername2come]

I love Lauren Cohan's subtle expression shift when Gordon tells his name. 

Supernatural I still say has some of my least favorite vampires. I liked Gordan's friend. He was a well-meaning crazy man. At least I know Gordon went on to bigger and better things.

"I've been looking up to you since I was four, Dean!" It's a good speech. It falls into the classic, and at times overused, category of Sam trying to get Dean to admit his feelings, but damn if Sammy doesn't work those beautiful puppy dog eyes on Dean.

When they rescue the girl, Sam says "Watch your head, watch your head!" in a way that leaves me convinced the actress hit her head on multiple takes.

Aw, Dean teaching Sammy to fix the Impala. It's a beautiful thing. I never paid attention to that damn cooler until "Baby" and am surprised to realize they've had it this whole time.

[RulerofallIsurvey]

13 hours ago, bettername2come said:

I never paid attention to that damn cooler until "Baby" and am surprised to realize they've had it this whole time.

I think this is the first episode I noticed the cooler, because Sam was sitting on it.  :)  

[Iju]

On 07/06/2017 at 10:10 PM, bettername2come said:

 damn if Sammy doesn't work those beautiful puppy dog eyes on Dean.

 

i know another popular (and real) brother duo and the younger one does that to the older one a LOT, and the older one is damned if he doesn't fall for them so many times. he's even posted on his IG once with his brother begging him to get something for him and he asks the camera, "What am I supposed to do when I see that face?". there's even one time when the younger pouted for his older brother and he quickly looked away so he wouldn't fall for it LMAO

-----

"Bela, if we make it out of this alive, the first thing I'm gonna do is kill you.

You're not serious. 

Listen to my voice and tell me if I'm serious."

TELL HER DEAN!!!!! i HATE bella so much.

poor gordon. even he didn't deserve that. i'm not sure the writing was supposed to make it this way but he's a tragic character. not only is he turned into a vampire he's a hundred times worse and more heinous than any vampire. honestly i would take an entire arc of gordon vs winchesters before two minutes of bella, ugh.

also when the girl turned into a vampire and dean shot her, it took me a moment to realise how fast and accurate his aim was, woah! that's pretty impressive.

and FINALLY got my wish, sam saving dean at last! 

when dean was showing sam how to fix the car and went "very good", "that's nice" etc, that was really sweet and dang near fatherly of him. i liked it.

on my final note: i've never paid much attention to the OST but this season's really good for me. i like it.

[The Companion]

I think this is the first episode that I actively disliked. I just found the monologuing during the fight to be tedious and I found myself zoning out. I loved the ending but it had nothing to do with the rest of the episode.

They did finally delve into some of my questions regarding vampires, but it took a backseat to Gordon's obsession.