S10.E05: Fan Fiction

[dr pepper]

This was the best episode since Changing Channels.  There was just one problem, I wanted to see the robots.

 

Hey, it's open season now. Just write your own 20 minute skit.

Here's one: "Invaders from the Mecha Planet". When Crowley falls asleep after watching a 50's b-movie marathon while eating juimbo hoagies with extra chili peppers, the boys have to deal with 8ft tall black and white shambling metal marauders with rotating antennas. after seeing them go out of their way to smash stereo equipment, Dean deduces that they are vulnerable to rock and roll. So he blasts them with some metal. It doesn't work. But then Sam realizes that it's just the wrong generation of rock and plays some older stuff instead. This causes the robots to run around in circles and fall over, with smoke and sparks coming out of their joints. Then the Winchesters invite the audience to join them in while singing "Tutti Fruiti". Spotaneous sock hop optional.

 

Now, get a few of your friends together, rehearse, and hit the nearest Comicon.

In fact, someone should do that at every con. No more "Supernatural: the Musical". It'll be "Supernatural: Our Own Version: the  Musical".

[Julia]

I loved this!

I'm not gonna lie, I was laughing so much that I honestly thought Marie was saying the girls who were playing "Sam" and "Dean" were a couple in real life.

I thought, oh no, they didn't! Talk about hearing what you want to hear.

I thought so too, and they mentioned it in the IGN review, so we may be wrong but we're not alone.

[Iguana]

There are people who don't like musicals. There are people who don't like meta. There are people who don't like this episode of Supernatural. Today, I am not one of those people.

It was a sweet and salty cross between a roast of the show and the occasionally overzealous parts of fandom and a love letter to the show's fans. It managed to honor the shows history in a milestone episode and also provided some insight into the Winchesters current state of mind and the brotherly relationship.

I admit to doing a little fan girl squee when they did the montage of all the title cards ever, during the performance of "Carry On My Wayward Son", and when Chuck showed up at the end. I found the songs to be ridiculous (and ridiculously catchy) in the best possible way, and thought the guest actresses, particularly the director/writer, did a pretty good job. And I enjoyed the affectionate poking at the fandom with the quotes about subtext shippers and making your own version of the story.

But the best part of the episode for me by far was the reactions of Sam and Dean to the whole situation. From their flabbergasted faces when they first walk into the theater and see the performance of "the road so far", to Sam's geeking out in the tech room to Dean's annoyance with them getting the story wrong and his "just no" to the whole Destial thing. Both Jared and Jensen did some terrific and funny reaction shots, and Jensen's face when Dean realized he just called a teenage girl a bitch was priceless. And, notwithstanding my issues with the brotherly relationship during the past couple of seasons, I did get a tiny bit misty when Dean hung the prop Samulet on Metallicar's mirror.

Congratulations to all of the cast and crew of Supernatural reaching their 200th episode and for making it such a good one.

[Morrigan2575]

My one and only complaint, and it's not much of a complaint.  I thought it would be nice/fun to have actors/characters in the audience.  Basically the actors that play Bobbie, Castiel, Crowley, Jody Mills, Rufus, Ellen, Jo, Trickster, etc in the audience but not dressed as their characters.  

 

I was glad they went with Chuck but before that happened I thought it would have been hysterical to have Crowley in the audience criticizing the Musical...after all he was born to direct.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[Princess Consuela]

I loved loved loved this episode - I laughed throughout & got teary eyed when they started singing Carry on Wayward Son & was really surprised when they mentioned Adam.

 

Loved the scene at the end with Sam & Dean & Dean calling Marie a bitch then realizing what he had done was priceless.

 

And I LOVED seeing Chuck at the end (still to this day my all-time favorite episode is The Monster at the End of the Book)

 

This is one that I will save & watch again.

[Jediknight]

I was glad they went with Chuck but before that happened I thought it would have been hysterical to have Crowley in the audience criticizing the Musical...after all he was born to direct.

You have no idea how much I was hoping it would be The Trickster that saw the musical.  He could have said "I liked it, it had style."

[2Old2BAFangirl]

 

 

There are people who don't like musicals. There are people who don't like meta. There are people who don't like this episode of Supernatural. Today, I am not one of those people.

It was a sweet and salty cross between a roast of the show and the occasionally overzealous parts of fandom and a love letter to the show's fans. It managed to honor the shows history in a milestone episode and also provided some insight into the Winchesters current state of mind and the brotherly relationship.

I admit to doing a little fan girl squee when they did the montage of all the title cards ever, during the performance of "Carry On My Wayward Son", and when Chuck showed up at the end. I found the songs to be ridiculous (and ridiculously catchy) in the best possible way, and thought the guest actresses, particularly the director/writer, did a pretty good job. And I enjoyed the affectionate poking at the fandom with the quotes about subtext shippers and making your own version of the story.

But the best part of the episode for me by far was the reactions of Sam and Dean to the whole situation. From their flabbergasted faces when they first walk into the theater and see the performance of "the road so far", to Sam's geeking out in the tech room to Dean's annoyance with them getting the story wrong and his "just no" to the whole Destial thing. Both Jared and Jensen did some terrific and funny reaction shots, and Jensen's face when Dean realized he just called a teenage girl a bitch was priceless. And, notwithstanding my issues with the brotherly relationship during the past couple of seasons, I did get a tiny bit misty when Dean hung the prop Samulet on Metallicar's mirror.

Congratulations to all of the cast and crew of Supernatural reaching their 200th episode and for making it such a good one.

Just this!  What Iguana said. 

Such a fun episode - I really loved it.

[Frost]

I found the songs to be ridiculous (and ridiculously catchy) in the best possible way

 

Castiel's soulful "I'll wait right here" was my favorite.  I was disappointed though.  I thought Jensen was recently quoted saying something like "Dean and Sam sing, but Jensen and Jared don't, if that makes sense."  Which I took to mean that even though Jensen sings well (I have never heard Jared sing), Dean might not be able to carry a tune.  But I don't remember the guys singing at all.

[Hana Chan]

I have to really credit a show that is willing to poke fun at itself and all the tropes that it happily trots out on a weekly basis. From the way too close brotherly relationship, to the trademark Dean single man tear to the fans who are probably far more invested in their particular ships than is healthy, everything was skewered (but not in a mean-spirited way the way other shows - *coughGleecough* - does). It was an affectionate love letter to the fans from the show and I very much appreciate it.

 

And it was one of the funniest episodes since The French Mistake. Yeah, chalk me up with those that love the meta episodes, if only because of the writers who manage to do it without going completely overboard. The musical was a riot (and I agree that this needs to be done at every convention) and the boy's reactions to seeing all this was beyond priceless. Liked the theater girls taking this all oh so seriously (and the actresses did a bang up job). And the songs were a scream. I'm probably not supposed to laugh through a theatrical rendition of Mary Winchester burning on the ceiling, but I just couldn't help it.

 

There were so many great little moments. Dean's reaction to the idea of Destiel. Sam upset that no one pairs him with Castiel (someone should tell him about all the Sam/Gabriel fic out there). Sam geeking out in the tech room. Dean's response to the *snerk* horrifyingly scary Scarecrow in the prop room. The audience splattered in purple sparkle paint. The actress playing Bobby trying to get her "Idjits!" right. And yeah, that rendition of Carry On Wayward Son was perfect (and I need the recording stat). And finally... the show resolved the Samulet issue that has been grating on my nerves for so long and reaffirmed the epic brotherly bond.

 

Yeah... this one is a keeper.

[Morrigan2575]

You have no idea how much I was hoping it would be The Trickster that saw the musical.  He could have said "I liked it, it had style."

Oh yes, Trickster would have been awesome, now that you mention it I think I would have loved that more than Chuck...however i get the (thematic) reason why they went with Chuck/God/Kripke

 

Castiel's soulful "I'll wait right here" was my favorite.  I was disappointed though.  I thought Jensen was recently quoted saying something like "Dean and Sam sing, but Jensen and Jared don't, if that makes sense."  Which I took to mean that even though Jensen sings well (I have never heard Jared sing), Dean might not be able to carry a tune.  But I don't remember the guys singing at all.

 

Sam and Dean did sing, the girls playing Sam and Dean in the musical production sang.

 

However if you want to hear Jensen sing, from the 200th Party

 

Edited November 12, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[DittyDotDot]

200 episodes y'all!!!  Now that was a satisfying way to start my day! Oh, how I've missed you show--not the meta per se, but the brotherly banter, the fun and the zany--I hope you can stick around for a bit.

 

I wouldn't say this episode is their best, but I think it's one of their very best in years. The car/Dean porn at the beginning with some actual classic rock playing (I was immediately transported back to S2); the banter instead of bicker; the smiling and the poking fun; a good guest cast; the cheesy musical music that was so pitch perfect (sorry, somebody had to say it, right?)...lots and lots of good stuff here. I held it together through the Wayward Son bit, but that look from Rob Benedict at the end...shit, I'm too old to be tearing up over a high school play. BTW, I'd go watch that cheesy ass production any day.

 

"You have your version and I have mine"...perfect!

 

::Pats the show on the head and scratches behind the ears::  Good show; good, good show.

 

 

Was that initial conversation between Sam and Dean about whether or not this was a real case part of the meta?  Every time that convo pops up in an episode, I find it really annoying.

 

I took it as such. The first season there was a lot of snarking about this, so I'm guessing that was the intent. Or not, since, like you said, they do it all the time. ;)

[amensisterfriend]

I thought I was long ago done with the self-consciously "meta" episodes and maybe even done being able to truly love this show, but, like many of you, this episode had me beaming from start to finish. It actually succeeded in reminding me of exactly why I fell in love with the series in the first place. 

[Tippi Blevins]

The only thing that actually annoyed me in the episode was the teacher referring to the girls as skanks, because then I spent the rest of the episode kind of worried there were going to be more of those kinds of insults, instead of just enjoying it. She could have called them hacks or whatever, since her complaint was about their creativity and not their promiscuity.

[Jediknight]

However if you want to hear Jensen sing, from the 200th Party

 

Trickster!  This better be on the Blu Ray.  Hell this entire episode, and all the bonus content that will be affiliated with it should be on one disc by itself.

[DittyDotDot]

I can only imagine the outtakes from this episode! It was directed by Phil Scriggia who usually gets some of the best stuff for the gag reel. That should be entertaining.

[Primetimer]

It's the 200th episode, so time to blow Sam and Dean's minds...with song!

Read the story

[elzin]

 And the songs were a scream. I'm probably not supposed to laugh through a theatrical rendition of Mary Winchester burning on the ceiling, but I just couldn't help it.

 

I still can't believe they went there and that I laughed. A lot.  And just thinking about it now makes me giggle again.  It went so far over the line that it doubled back to hilarity. 

[Bruinsfan]

I loved it. Usually the meta episodes make me cringe, but this one was great fun. And having Rob Benedict show up at the end erased my main objection up to that point - that the Muse who inspired Homer's Iliad and Oddysey was so enamored of a little student play. Of course, if the creator of the universe thinks Sam and Dean's lives are the Greatest Story Ever Told, that would be reflected in how personifications of Art respond to it!

 

The jokes about Wincest and Destiel feel stale as hell to me. I feel like the show believes all fans watch for shipping and all fans are young girls who coo and blush and write angsty, self-conscious meta and have social media wars.

 

I really wish they'd just stop doing gods on this show. 

To be fair, I've been to a Supernatural convention, and can definitely see how the writers would get that impression of fandom.

 

Yeah, the show always mishandles and cheapens pagan gods. I really wish they'd never seen them as a monster-of-the-week option, going all the way back to the scarecrow in the first season.

[Wynne88]

I actually dreaded this episode - so often, when they tell us how much we are going to love something, I end up disappointed.  And they told us we were going to love this one a lot!   Except I kinda do.

 

One thing to add to all the other positive stuff others have posted - boys in t-shirts!  No layers, no coats.  How often have we seen that?  

[Hana Chan]

Ok... show of hands people... when Calliope was griping about the second act (with robots and tentacles in space), was anyone thinking that they did read that in a fanfic somewhere?  

Edited November 12, 2014 by Hana Chan

[Bruinsfan]

I was thinking I've read that fanfic.

[rue721]

The moment that got me was when the guys hung the clunky "fan-made" Samulet on their rear view mirror and gave each other a look. Awwww. They finally did get the amulet back!

 

Usually I find the meta episodes too mean spirited to enjoy, but this one genuinely felt like a love letter to the show and to the fans, imo. It wasn't just fandom and Mytharc trappings that the episode gave nods to, they even had Sam get kidnapped! Also, the songs were weirdly really good, right? I don't even like musicals but I liked those songs. I cracked up laughing when I saw the prop for "Mary Winchester Burning on the Ceiling" getting wheeled around the stage LOL. That broke the ice. And yes, I SO APPRECIATED the comment about Adam, and how both brothers sort of looked at their feet and kicked dirt when the stage manager was explaining that he was still in the cage. LOL.

 

And yeah, everyone, esp the brothers, being nice and getting along is SO UNDERRATED. So refreshing to see that. Also, it was fun to see the teens/victims taking the piss out of the guys instead of the other way around, for once! It's been so long since the guys have played wide-eyed and genuine like that, it was fun to see.

Edited November 12, 2014 by rue721

[Demented Daisy]

The only thing that actually annoyed me in the episode was the teacher referring to the girls as skanks, because then I spent the rest of the episode kind of worried there were going to be more of those kinds of insults, instead of just enjoying it. She could have called them hacks or whatever, since her complaint was about their creativity and not their promiscuity.

I think that I'm going to fanwank/headcanon/whatever that even that was a bit of meta commentary.  

 

I'll have to watch again because that one comment colored my impression of the entire episode.  I didn't squee, but I may have fist pumped a bit at Chuck's appearance.  No, I don't think he's coming back (like Gabriel didn't return last season), but I wouldn't object if he did.

[Julia]

I think that I'm going to fanwank/headcanon/whatever that even that was a bit of meta commentary.  

 

I'll have to watch again because that one comment colored my impression of the entire episode. 

 

One of the things that I really liked about this was that it turned the trope that fandom has to keep a safe distance from its messy teenaged girls on its head. I got cranky teacher as a stand in for that.

[catrox14]

I thought upon rewatch of Fan Fiction, I would enjoy it more overall but I felt pretty much much the same. Reading how much other viewers just loved it I'm trying to figure out why I didn't love it through and through.

I think it's because I want to see how it will fit with the rest of the season. The French Mistake, and Mateob moved the plot forward in important ways.

Is this to be considered a one off non-canonical episode which was hich is what I hope is the case but the reappearance of Chuck and the samulet leaves me with a sinking feeling and little comfort.

As much as I would like Kripke and Edlund to write some episodes, the look back makes me realize that despite the problems of s8 with Sam and the over reliance on the angel war, 'm not looking for a do over of the first 5 seasons or even that the brothers should go back to being exactly who they were in the first 5 seasons.

I am also really bugged by Dean getting a beat down and not getting back up again for two episodes in a row following being un-demoned but still having the MoC. And again it's not being addressed.

Anyway, I'm really not trying to be Debbie Downer but this episode leaves me with more questions.

[bethy]

I want to see how it will fit with the rest of the season.

 

 

I agree on this, though maybe not for the same reason.  I adored this episode, but I'm wary of what comes next.  Are we going to get dropped back into tension and angst and boring angel stories again next week?

Edited November 12, 2014 by bethy

[Heathbarios]

I had a great time watching this, especially Dean's look straight into the camera, but I also got a kick out of Marie's styling. She looks like the female version of Max Fischer from Rushmore, who also wrote, directed and starred in his own play, put on by the private school he attended.

[Iguana]

I forgot to check the credits; does anyone know who wrote the songs?

[Goldmoon]

I kept concentrating on what this show WASn'T.  Ackles and Padelecki didn't sing.  For me, that means it failed on the musical front and I refuse to classify it as a series musical.  The best episode of Lexx, in my book, was the musical, Brigadoom.  Two of the three principal actors sung and in fact were so good they knocked my socks off.  Why didn't JA and JP try it?  Like the Lexx musical, the producers of SPN hired great singers to supplement the actors, or in this case replace the actors in singing. I missed Cas and Crowley too, although I was nearly as pleased to see Chuck as I had been to see Mary Lightly in Psych's sub-par musical ep.  I hated the French Mistake and the one with the convention, so I have to say this one is better than those.  The girls were great, and I loved how the blond girl tried to help Sam beat down the goddess.  I wish I could ignore how disappointed I am in the lack of the guys singing.  If they recover their early relationship, as hinted at by the samulet, I will be mollified.

[DittyDotDot]

I forgot to check the credits; does anyone know who wrote the songs?

 

I read on SupernaturlWiki.com it was a combination of Gruska, Lennertz and Robbie Thompson. They were delightfully cheesy.

[catrox14]

Dean is a terrible singer as we learned with Karoke Demon!Dean. And we've only heard Sam sing with Dean before Dean went to Hell and that was not supposed to be good. I also think they didn't want to be compared to Buffy's "Once More, with Feeling" because those comparisons would surely have come and SPN would have been found lacking. But Jensen and Jared can both sing but I think it's a character reason for them not singing.

[bluebonnet]

I agree on this, though maybe not for the same reason.  I adored this episode, but I'm wary of what comes next.  Are we going to get dropped back into tension and angst and boring angel stories again next week?

Same. I'm still on a high from this episode but there is this tiny fear that next week we'll have a return of what the season had been so far, which was sucky and boring.  I'm eager for them to get back to basics.  I think the show is at it's best when it's saving people, hunting things, family business with the brothers as friends with perhaps a few petty differences coming up to make those BM's good.  

[catrox14]

I don't have a problem with the brothers getting along again. And I don't have a problem with MoTW. what I don't want to see is the loss of a mytharc for Dean yet again. I need there to be more fallout from Dean's experence. Hell I want to see Dean actually being a Knight of Hell. I don't want it to be just a line of dialogue. That actually really got my hackles because I was like....wait...the MoC didn't make him a Knight of Hell and I don't think him killing Abaddon whilst human made him a Knight of Hell either. So when did he exactly become and act as a Knight of Hell?

[bluebonnet]

They can keep Dean's mytharc while still getting back to basics.  Them completely dropping it is a major reason why I've not enjoyed anything about this season until now.  To me, back to basics would mean that they address the fallout of the MoC.  For example, they always circled back to the fall out of Sam being given demon blood as a baby.  I'd just be really happy if the remainder of the season took place predominately on the road.  I enjoyed the bunker and maybe they can stop in once in a blue moon, but driving Baby and engaging in the family business while also addressing the season arc is the Supernatural I want to love again.  

[amensisterfriend]

I'm eager for them to get back to basics.  I think the show is at it's best when it's saving people, hunting things, family business with the brothers as friends with perhaps a few petty differences coming up to make those BM's good.

 

From your keyboard to Chuck's---er, I mean, God's---ears :) I couldn't agree more. This episode was wonderful for me primarily because it reminded me of the show I once loved and gave me hope that we might be inching back to the days when the brothers actually LIKED each other as people more often than not and when adventure, fun, humor and even moments of (gasp!) happiness were there to counterbalance the relentless angst. The best part of the old MotWs weren't just the creative, interesting spins on legends for me, though that was a part of it, but because they allowed the boys a few minor wins and smiles amdist the relentless gloom and doom.  And before the zillion year angel war that puts me to sleep to even type about ;) 

Edited November 12, 2014 by amensisterfriend

[amensisterfriend]

ETA: I actually liked what we've heard of Jensen's voice---he and Jared singing that Bon Jovi song in No Rest for the Wicked and Jensen singing that REO Speedwagon song in S2 both delight me to no end :) Then again, his voice wasn't nearly as growly and 5-packs-a-day-smoker then as it is now! 

[catrox14]

ETA: I actually liked what we've heard of Jensen's voice---he and Jared singing that Bon Jovi song in No Rest for the Wicked and Jensen singing that REO Speedwagon song in S2 both delight me to no end :) Then again, his voice wasn't nearly as growly and 5-packs-a-day-smoker then as it is now!

Jensen has a great voice IMO but the character of Dean is not supposed to be able to sing. Kripke gave him notes to sing off key.

[FilmTVGeek80]

 

There were so many great little moments. Dean's reaction to the idea of Destiel. Sam upset that no one pairs him with Castiel (someone should tell him about all the Sam/Gabriel fic out there). Sam geeking out in the tech room. Dean's response to the *snerk* horrifyingly scary Scarecrow in the prop room. The audience splattered in purple sparkle paint. The actress playing Bobby trying to get her "Idjits!" right. And yeah, that rendition of Carry On Wayward Son was perfect (and I need the recording stat). And finally... the show resolved the Samulet issue that has been grating on my nerves for so long and reaffirmed the epic brotherly bond.

 

So much this! God, I smiled from ear to ear watching this episode. I adored that the boys just bantered and fought together and bonded. That is the dynamic between the two that I really miss. I adored Sam's inner geek coming out and how proud he was that he did theater and then Dean taking the piss by reminding him that he only did the tech. And then seeing Sam trying to tell the stage manager about it proudly only for her to dismiss him, too. I loved Sam trying to work out what to properly call Dean and Castiel and Dean just getting more annoyed by it.

 

You could just tell that the actors all had a ball working on this and it did truly feel like a show that was a love letter to the fans. Dean's line about having your version and I have mine was really sweet, and not something that most shows would acknowledge. 

 

The reaction shots from Sam and Dean when they saw what was happening - I haven't laughed that hard watching this show in a long time. I loved Dean's frustration with it. It was great that he was annoyed that it was happening, but if it was going to happen, he wanted them to get everything right. Sam's reaction was perfect, too. He was just as weirded out by everything as Dean, but his geeky side found it mostly fun, and I think if they'd given him the opportunity he'd have worked that tech board himself. 

 

I definitely think my favorite reaction was Dean's when he realized he'd called a teenage girl a bitch. 

 

The songs were part cringeworthy, but mostly really catchy and fun. All of the singers sounded great. I've definitely had "A Single Man Tear" running in and out of my head all day.

 

It really did feel like an episode that was getting back to the basics of the show and the direction I really want the show to go in. I mean angst is fine. This show will never be one that stops overdosing on angst, but I want more light-hearted stories and moments to balance it out. And I definitely want to get a sense of the brothers really loving each other, and not in a co-dependent way, and having fun together every now and again. The need for constant secrets and "break-ups" is so old and overdone.

 

 

I had a great time watching this, especially Dean's look straight into the camera, but I also got a kick out of Marie's styling. She looks like the female version of Max Fischer from Rushmore, who also wrote, directed and starred in his own play, put on by the private school he attended.

 

I noticed that right away and have to assume it wasn't a coincidence, especially since she was as much of a perfectionist as Max was.

[amazinglybored]

I am also really bugged by Dean getting a beat down and not getting back up again for two episodes in a row following being un-demoned but still having the MoC. And again it's not being addressed.

 

Actually, I'm more bothered that I'm not even remotely surprised by that.

[rue721]

I adored this episode, but I'm wary of what comes next.  Are we going to get dropped back into tension and angst and boring angel stories again next week?

 

Right there with you! Seeing so much that I loved about the show originally but that isn't really a part of it anymore was bittersweet, in a way.

 

Speaking of Dean, though, a little thing that I really loved in this ep:  when the director (iIrc?) let the guys know that "Wayward Son" was going to be sung in the musical, and Sam scoffed at the song choice but Dean got all huffy and was like, IT'S A CLASSIC. One thing that I originally loved about Dean as a character and have been really sad to see fall by the wayside over time, is his weirdly out-of-touch old man taste, and his over-enthusiasm for anything even mediocre-at-best that he happens to be familiar with. I mean dude this is going wayyyyyy back to the pilot, but I still remember that he kept CASSETTE TAPES to listen to in the car and I swear they weren't even his, they were John's. WTF nobody is going to put in a "modern" stereo in that old car to listen to his dad's music on cassette LOL. I loved that part of the show's intro for the character was Sam making fun of him for being such a weirdo and Dean being totally guileless about it, as though OF COURSE his music collection is a cardboard box full of his dad's "classic rock" cassettes, isn't that normal? That's the kind of thing that drew me into the show altogether, so I was happy seeing it recreated. I miss both Sam and Dean's old irreverence, and the show's lightheartedness and warmth altogether. That's most of what I enjoyed about this episode and what made it feel like a throwback (in a good way) to me.

 

I do think they're going to stick with the MoC, they kept making a lot of "hints" about it, like how when Sam tried to come up with fake FBI names and gave his as Smith, Dean blanked and finally just said his name was Smith, too. Etc. But honestly, even though I have been fine with the MoC storyline and enjoying it for what it's worth, if the Samulet and brotherly bonding, urban legends (or at least non-Angel-related storylines), and a lighter "saving people, hunting things, the family business" kind of show is back on the table YES PLEASE I'D LIKE THAT.

[Eliza422]

I really enjoyed this episode, and that rendition of Carry On had me crying. It was so beautiful the way the girls sang it, and having Sam and Dean's parents / friends be the ones singing it too was the icing on the cake. 

[Demented Daisy]

I kind of wondered if Dean was going to say he was Agent Wesson.  That would have been a nice callback.  (Except they were Dean Smith and Sam Wesson before.)

[catrox14]

related storylines), and a lighter "saving people, hunting things, the family business" kind of show is back on the table YES PLEASE

I'm fine with the saving people hunting things but I don't want it to be like they are trying to relive the glory days of high school. These guys have changed too much to just blow off what they've been through.

One thing that stood out to me was the look that Dean gave Sam at the end. I didn't get a warm fuzzy. There was an edge to the whole thing and I really hope I didn't misread that situation. The smiles from Dean still don't reach his eyes IMO.

Edited November 12, 2014 by catrox14

[Hana Chan]

The episode, for me, had just the right balance between season continuity while still allowing the episode to stand on it's own. It started and finished with the brothers trying to figure out what was best for them at this point given that Dean wasn't in perfect fighting shape (due to the MoC). We see Dean chaffing at the beginning (and apparently working on the car so much that the engine looked spit shined) and urging Sam to take this minor hunt, while Sam was questioning Dean being ready just yet (but still going forward with Dean's wishes). The episode then ended with Sam and Dean returning to the open road together, moving on with hunting because for them, this is "normal". It's a good bridge between the heaviness of the last few episodes and going on to the next stage of the season.

Edited November 13, 2014 by Hana Chan

[bluebonnet]

I'm fine with the saving people hunting things but I don't want it to be like they are trying to relive the glory days of high school. These guys have changed too much to just blow off what they've been through.

 

Why would they do that?  Not to speak for others, but I doubt anyone would want a total reset that would start them back at the beginning.  

[dr pepper]

 

I was glad they went with Chuck but before that happened I thought it would have been hysterical to have Crowley in the audience criticizing the Musical...after all he was born to direct.

 

OH, that would have been the cherry on the sundae!

I loved loved loved this episode - I laughed throughout & got teary eyed when they started singing Carry on Wayward Son & was really surprised when they mentioned Adam.

 

 

I wasn't. Fandom is obsessive and completist, having Adam was a recognition of this.

[roctavia]

I really enjoyed this episode... though I don't have as good of memory to get all of the little things... and honestly, cannot for the life of me remember what happened to Chuck... It was a nice touch to see him as 'the publisher' at the end, but didn't have quite as much impact when I couldn't remember for sure what had happened to him aside from knowing that he was gone and I assumed dead.

 

The musical was a lot of fun, and the guys did a great job with their surprise and unease at the subject matter. It was also nice to see them both take something away from the story that Marie had written.

 

I know it's been discussed a lot... what each brother feels- about the other and about themselves. and I've always gotten the impression that Dean feels like he's never been good enough, especially with the MoC/demon stuff (not that there's been a lot of time to see how he feels) That he's not done the right things or he's let Sam/John/Bobby down etc... so him seeing the play gave him a new perspective on himself- how others see him and everything he's done, and his relationship with his brother.   I don't know if Sam was given the same sort of revelation, but I definitely like the direction they are headed together by the end of this episode.

 

The rift between them in the past few seasons has been less enjoyable to watch... and while I think there will always be angst and tough decisions, I'd much rather see them both back to that place where they'd do anything to save each other.

[bettername2come]

I just started re-watching clips wanted to state just how much I love Dean head bobbing to "it burned my mother and it cursed my brother." So wrong and hilarious.

 

Can someone please tell me what MoC stands for? I've been out of the show for awhile.

 

ETA: I just noticed the musical version of the Impala had the original license plate number on it.

Edited November 12, 2014 by bettername2come

[DittyDotDot]

Can someone please tell me what MoC stands for? I've been out of the show for awhile.

 

"Mark of Cain" that was given to Dean last season (by Cain) and is what turned him into a demon at the end of S9.

Edited November 12, 2014 by DittyDotDot

[roctavia]

I do also love that Sam and Dean come back the night of the performance to protect Marie wearing almost the exact same wardrobe as the Sam and Dean characters in the play... adorable :)