Dean Winchester: aka Squirrel

[catrox14]

22 minutes ago, ILoveReading said:

I have to agree here.  I wish they went with this version.

I can only assume something wasn't quite right for all of it so they did another take. Alas.

[FlickChick]

In "No Rest for the Wicked" - all the scenes with Sam in the house in Indiana and the look on his face when the clock struck twelve times.

"A Very Supernatural Christmas" - the end scene with the eggnog, how happy he is and how he keeps looking at that Christmas tree. 

"Born Under a Bad Sign" when he's in the hotel room and tells Sam how he always tried to keep him safe when Sam forces the gun into his hand.

"The Monster at the End of This Book" - the entire scene at the vending machine - praying to God, then talking with Cas.

"Lazarus Rising" - the entire opening scene - especially walking around with candy/jerky in his mouth. ;)

Just a few off the top of my head. And one I smile at every single time..."Mystery Spot" - "Sammy, I love it when you take control like that" LOL

[Myrelle]

5 hours ago, FlickChick said:

"A Very Supernatural Christmas" - the end scene with the eggnog, how happy he is and how he keeps looking at that Christmas tree. 

I remember thinking that he looked like an angel throughout that episode; and this before angels had even been introduced on the show.

5 hours ago, FlickChick said:

Just a few off the top of my head. And one I smile at every single time..."Mystery Spot" - "Sammy, I love it when you take control like that" LOL

 I remember thinking during Mystery Spot that he was truly the laughter and the love and the light in their dark world and that it was no wonder that Sam went off the deep end without him.

The last scene in Fresh Blood was another awesome one. It was as if the ending of that season wrote itself after that scene. I remember thinking with a big lump in my throat that we were indeed going to lose him to hell at the end of the season. That feeling was so very palpable from all that he did and the way that he did everything in that last scene. Heartbreaking in so  many ways and so subtle-just like in real life.

5 hours ago, FlickChick said:

In "No Rest for the Wicked" - all the scenes with Sam in the house in Indiana and the look on his face when the clock struck twelve times.

His death by hellhound was one of the most harrowing deaths that I'd ever seen visited upon a long running main character in any show that I'd ever watched before. I felt so terrible and bereft for weeks afterward.

Same as I felt after his death at the hands of Metatron, but that one was even more shocking to me because of the performance he gave; and this, even though I again felt it coming all through that second half of S9.

[gonzosgirrl]

On ‎2017‎-‎08‎-‎05 at 0:11 AM, Myrelle said:

Same as I felt after his death at the hands of Metatron, but that one was even more shocking to me because of the performance he gave; and this, even though I again felt it coming all through that second half of S9.

Late to the conversation here, but I am loving all the little reminders of just what a great gift Jensen has given to us in Dean Winchester. Kripke may have dreamt him up, but Jensen gave him life. I had to quote this one because for me, it's not his last breath that kills me, it's that little grunt/gasp as Metatron stabs him, and the pain/shock/confusion in his eyes. Kills me. Dead.

A few other moments that come to mind:

• The end scene of My Bloody Valentine, Dean Winchester asking God/the universe/anyone for help.
• Also in MBV, his reactions to Famine's assessment of why he is unaffected by [his] presence.
• The phone message he leaves upon finding Bobby's house burned down. Also the message for John in Home (another rare ask for help).
• Quintessential cocky Dean in the sheriff's office in The Prisoner, knocking that cup off the table before literally taking the officer out one-handed. Oh how I miss this Dean.
• Dean's (or maybe Jensen's) giggles over sparkly Sam at the end of Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie.
• Pretty much every scene in Dark Side of the Moon. "When I come back, I'm gon' be pissed." His face when young Sam hugs him for the fireworks, and then later, when he realizes where/what the cabin at the side of the road really is.

I miss my Dean so much.

[DeeDee79]

23 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Dean's (or maybe Jensen's) giggles over sparkly Sam at the end of Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie.

This scene along with the amusing ballwasher exchange between Dean and Sam were good moments in that ep.

[catrox14]

40 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

I had to quote this one because for me, it's not his last breath that kills me, it's that little grunt/gasp as Metatron stabs him, and the pain/shock/confusion in his eyes. Kills me. Dead.

Seriously. That look is what did me in and still does no matter how many times I watch that scene.  Honestly, to this day, I still think this was when Dean Winchester 1.0 really truly most sincerely died. Even the resurrected Dean from s4 was still Dean. I dunno maybe all of my complaints about Dean not being Dean are because Jensen is playing Dean as a different Dean since he died. Maybe that's just my headcanon to make it work. I don't know.

But here. Have some pain. 

45 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Quintessential cocky Dean in the sheriff's office in The Prisoner, knocking that cup off the table before literally taking the officer out one-handed. Oh how I miss this Dean.

And for the happier things.

[gonzosgirrl]

1 hour ago, catrox14 said:

And for the happier things.

Perfection. :)

[FlickChick]

@catrox14, those pictures kill me dead again... The first time I watched that scene I literally sucked in my breath and held it until he fell back and it went to commercial. My main complaint is that when Dean gets beaten, it is always to a bloody pulp - ruining that beautiful face. :(  (Sam, on the other hand, gets a small cut and bruises. NO FAIR!) Since I don't read spoilers, I had no idea that Metatron would literally kill Dean. I was devastated!

[catrox14]

20 minutes ago, FlickChick said:

@catrox14, those pictures kill me dead again... The first time I watched that scene I literally sucked in my breath and held it until he fell back and it went to commercial. My main complaint is that when Dean gets beaten, it is always to a bloody pulp - ruining that beautiful face. :(  (Sam, on the other hand, gets a small cut and bruises. NO FAIR!) Since I don't read spoilers, I had no idea that Metatron would literally kill Dean. I was devastated!

I thought something bad would happen to Dean, but for whatever reasons, Metatron stabbing him with the angel blade never crossed my mind. I think because Dean had looked almost dead a moment before when he was laying on the ground and then Jedi'd the FB back to his hand and sat up, I thought Metatron would just keep beating on him. So when Metatron stabbled him it shook me to my core.  I still gasp even though I know it's coming.

Edited August 6, 2017 by catrox14

[SueB]

I read an entire essay about Jensen as a modern Cary Grant for his scene with Beal when she objectifies him in a tux. 

[ILoveReading]

I've missed Dean talk.  So I'm going to start back to episode by episode discussions. 

Discuss Dean in episode 3. 

Season 1- Dead in the Water

Season 2- Bloodlust

Season 3- Bad Day at Black Rock

Season 4- In the Beginning

Season 5- Free to Be You and Me

Season 6- The Third Man

Season 7- The Girl Next Door

Season 8- Heartache

Season 9- I'm no Angel

Season 10- Soul Survivor

Season 11- The Bad Seed

Season 12- The Foundry

 

Dead in the Water- I loved that we got another look beneath Dean's surface.   His interactions with Lucas show that he's still very much traumatized by his mothers death.  The whole "I try to be brave speech", allowed us to see that Dean is actually very vulnerable under the bravado.   This episode was what pretty much turned the show from "looks cool" to must see tv.  I wanted to know more about Dean Winchester and see what other layers there were to be revealed.

BloodLust- Another favorite of mine.  I liked Dean's interactions with Gordon.  Again we got the peak beneath the curtain with Dean admitting he was trying to be strong for Sam.  I also liked that it introduced the grey area of the "good" monster. (Unfortunately, I find they've gone to far in the other direction but that's a discussion for another thread).

Bad Day at Black Rock- Okay ep, and I liked the I'm batman line

In The Beginning- Loved that we got so much focus on Dean.  I liked Dean's interactions with young Mary.  The Mom's a babe.  I'm going to hell...again made me chuckle.  This is the kind of humor I like from Jensen/Dean rather than the over the top slap stick comedy.

Free To Be You and Me- Loved this one.  I really liked Dean and Cas's dynamic and I really miss it these days.  I wish we could get more episodes like this.  I also like the speech at the end, where Dean realizes he can be his own man.  It's too bad the show didn't allow that to stick.

The Third Man- I liked the profound bond Line.

The Girl Next Door- Terrible episode.  Felt like it was written purposely to throw Dean under the bus, and even worse they made Jensen direct it.

Heartache- I liked Jensen's directing, but the ep wasn't really much of a standout.  I would love to see Jensen direct a really good script. 

I'm no Angel- I liked the scene where Dean sees Cas's body.  You could tell how upset Dean was and how relieved he was when Gadreel saved him.

Soul Survivor- Even though we lost Demon Dean far to quickly, Jensen was phenomenal.  Both in directing and acting.  His earning TVline's performer of the week was so well deserved.   I loved the Cat and Mouse chase through the bunker.  I just wish it was longer.  I like the extra thought Jensen put into it.  He said usually the heroes chasing the bad guy from left to right so for this he went right to left.   I love how much thought Jensen puts into everything.

The Bad Seed- Again, Jensen did a good job, but the ep itself was 'meh.  I miss Jensen's directing.

The Foundry- Mostly for Jensen's acting.  He broke my heart at the end of the episode with that little step back.  How does Jensen have that ability to make Dean look like he's 8 years old.?

[Myrelle]

19 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

it's not his last breath that kills me, it's that little grunt/gasp as Metatron stabs him

This. This was the shocking moment for me, the OH NOOOOO!! moment. Wonderful Ackting. Stellar.

I need to come back and catch up with the episode by episode discussions. I still want to do the premieres, though, because they have some of his best work ever. Need coffee right now, though. Back soon.

[Katy M]

Season 1- Dead in the Water

Season 2- Bloodlust

Season 3- Bad Day at Black Rock

Season 4- In the Beginning

Season 5- Free to Be You and Me

Season 6- The Third Man

Season 7- The Girl Next Door

Season 8- Heartache

Season 9- I'm no Angel

Season 10- Soul Survivor

Season 11- The Bad Seed

Season 12- The Foundry

Favorite Episode: In the Beginning, closely followed by Soul survivor

Least favorite Episdoe I'm No Angel

Dead in the Water: We really learn so much about Dean and how he came to be Dean in this episode.  The pain of losing his mother and the horror of having witnessed it.  And the empathy he felt for Lucas. Great Deancentric episode.

Bloodlust:  I really liked this episode the first time, but it's one of the episodes that I dont' feel are that great for rewatch.  I'm not sure why.  I know we're talking about Dean, but I have to interject that I LOVE Gordon.  Anyway, it was nice to see him let his guard down to Gordon talking about his dad.  It's too bad he feels the need to "keep his game face on" for Sam.  Especially since just last episode Sam was trying to get him to open up.  And, I have to say that punch was completely unwarranted.

Bad Day at Black Rock: I love this episode.  I lost my shoe.  Yes, I know, Dean.  OK, I love his scenes with Bela.  I've said before that if this were Bela's only episode, I would have loved her as a character. As it is, I hate her.  But, when Dean was stealing the rabbit's foot back from her, and he had it the whole time he was trying to convince her to give it back that was just awesome. And the look on his face when she shot Sam.  It was like "did you seriously just do that."  "Maybe I can't read people."  LOL

In the Beginning:  Awesome episode. Definitely in my top 20 if not my top 10.  Favorite moments: "Mom?"  When he pats SAmuel on the shoulder when Samuel says the kind of awkward thing Dean sometime says.  When he chokes up trying to warn Mary away from Sam's nursery.  Threatening to kill YED.  Just a great epi.

Free to Be You and Me:  I love this episode also, but to be honest, I love the Sam part more.  I don't think Cas needed a hooker, Dean.  I really don't.  I did like the scenes where they had Rapahel trapped and that last scene with him and Cas in the car was pure gold.

The Third Man: I'm not crazy about this one.  I can't even say why. Could just be because it was SS era and I'm not a fan of SS.  Dean racing SAm was kind of cute.  His fatherly talk with Ben on the phone was kind of nice.  That's about all I have for this one.

The Girl Next Door: The look of determination on his face when he has the saw to take off his cast.  "Did he touch the body?"  I also think this punch was unwarranted.   I agree with him killing Amy, I don't agree with the lie.  I also like the way he was being as nice as you can be about killing somone to Amy.  You could tell it was nothing personal, he was doing his job, and at that moment he didn't particularly like it.

Heartache: I'm probably the only one that really likes this episode, but I do.  I like it more as a whole than any individual parts.  The part with Jensen and his dad was kind of cool, but probably only because it was his dad.  I do disagree with DEan on one thing, though.  Betty knew what Brick was doing most of that time.  That makes her at least partly culpable for all those deaths.  That's just my feeling on the matter.  And, Dean got to go hunt down a monster at a strip club.  So, yay him, I guess.

I'm No Angel: Don't really like this epi.  I do like the scene where he's trying to alert Zeke that he needs his help.  "I'm asking YOU."  Then the lie he came up with to explain why Cas was still alive and the awkward grin.  Unlike others, I don't really blame him for making Cas leave.  Zeke was basically holding Sam hostage.  And I choose to believe that he gave him what cash he had on him and probably at least gave him a ride into town.

Soul Survivor:  Love this epi. The chase through the bunker was chilling.  And of all the weapons to choose, a hammer. That shows confidence.

The Bad Seed: Extremely boring episode. The ONLY part I liked was when Rowena asked if they should have a wee sing song. 

The Foundry:  I've only seen it once.  Not too memorable, IMO.  I'm sure everyone will disagree, but I feel Dean was being a big baby when he stepped back from Mary's hug. sure, if we include hindsight of everything that happened after, it's justified, but with only what came before, and her only asking for a little space and time to get used to things, it seemed petty.

[flyinghigh]

20 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Late to the conversation here, but I am loving all the little reminders of just what a great gift Jensen has given to us in Dean Winchester. Kripke may have dreamt him up, but Jensen gave him life. I had to quote this one because for me, it's not his last breath that kills me, it's that little grunt/gasp as Metatron stabs him, and the pain/shock/confusion in his eyes. Kills me. Dead

My absolute favourite scene of the series!! Every time I watch this scene my heartbeat skips a beat. Every single  time!!

[Pondlass1]

21 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

it's not his last breath that kills me, it's that little grunt/gasp as Metatron stabs him, and the pain/shock/confusion in his eyes. Kills me. Dead.

I've seen a billion stabbings portrayed on TV in my lifetime - -  this is the only one that stays with me.  That gasp as the knife slid in, the look of puzzlement, his body kind of sucking inward and crumpling as breath left him, as if the blade had severed a lung.  It was so real. Too real in fact.  

[ILoveReading]

35 minutes ago, Pondlass1 said:

I've seen a billion stabbings portrayed on TV in my lifetime - -  this is the only one that stays with me.  That gasp as the knife slid in, the look of puzzlement, his body kind of sucking inward and crumpling as breath left him, as if the blade had severed a lung.  It was so real. Too real in fact.  

I remember Jensen talking about how he watched videos on youtube of people with chest injuries so he could get it right.  Also the "im proud of us" line was supposed to be a big speech, but Jensen changed it because someone without his injury would have trouble breathing, let alone talking so he changed it.

Rob Benedict said it best.

The Man is a gift to TV

[Myrelle]

Okay. Here we go with the premieres. On a side note, I'd just like to say that I'm sure I will leave out some smaller scene favorites that I only remember when I re-watch. That is the magic of Jensen's acting as Dean. It's so good that, for me, to pinpoint favorites is almost impossible because there's too many! ;-)

Pilot-The scene on the bridge. It was So. Dean.

In My Time of Dying-Every Dean scene in this one.. Every one. This is probably my favorite episode of the entire series, at this point. Well, it might be tied with a few others, and we'll get to those. A small scene that has always stood out for me along with all the big ones is when GhostDean is leaning against the wall in the corner listening to John and Sam and he figures out that John knows far more than he's letting on to Sam-"Well, you sure know something..." his body language and the delivery of that line were pitch perfect-even in that little scene. This si why he has become known as a scene-stealer, IMO. His interactions with Tessa were stellar. Dean realizing that it might be better if he goes with her was some powerful stuff for a character who had always and obviously previously thought that giving up/in to death was an unthinkable concept for him. And since this episode, I've always held the opinion that death was Dean's true mistress and the one that he'd never be able to give up-until Darkness entered the picture-then I realized that he had two of those. ;-D

The Magnificent Seven-His interactions with Lust were the best part of this one, IMO. He still hates monsters and demons so much and never was that more apparent than in his treatment of that particular "sin". He was Brutal with her-but it should be noted that he did not kill the host. She is one of the few who lived. Their kiss was hotter than the hinges on the gates of hell, but somehow I knew that he wasn't giving in to her and that he had something up his sleeve...

Lazarus Rising-So much Love for this one and every Dean scene. The opening is probably my singular favorite opening scene of the entire series. The Dean and Cas scene was also a highlight. Loved their initial interaction so much. Dean's/Jensen's "Not in my experience." response to Cas' assertion that "Good things do happen." was again pitch perfect and the most memorable line that came out of that scene for me.

Sympathy for the Devil-When he finds out that he's the Michael Sword. Too bad that nothing ever came of it and now it's just a bitter reminder of what could have been, but his face when he found that out and his interactions with Zachariah was/were always good stuff. Those two actors can Act.

Exile on Main Street-When he hugged Lisa and Ben like he never wanted to let them go when he thought they were missing. Loved that. So much.

Meet the New Boss-I think this is the one where Cas became God-like, right? I'd have to check to be sure. One of my least favorite premieres. I'm sure that, as usual, Jensen did what he could with his role, but this episode is pretty forgettable to me. I hated that they made Cas the villain while also attempting to subvert the profound bond in much of S6 and through-out 7. Hated that phase of the show. Hated it.

We Need to Talk about Kevin-His initial return from Purgatory. He had almost been turned into a wild animal in Purgatory and this was conveyed beautifully by Jensen in that opening scene. Awesome. All the Purgatory stuff was awesome. Those, and the introduction of the Dean and Benny relationship were the only good things about S8A for this Deanfan and a kind balm for having lost a lot of the great Dean and Cas stuff(although we did get some of that back while they were in Purgatory together). Dean and Benny sure was nice, though(especially from an acting standpoint), and while Benny lasted(definitely not enough screen-time in Purgatory-again, what a waste, Show).

I Think I'm going to Like it Here-Never Say Die Dean in this one. And I'm convinced that, to this day, he would do the same thing if he found himself in a similar situation. Some might hate that about the character, but I love that he's come to know that about himself.  Definitely a darker aspect of the character, but true nonetheless. And I love all the shades of Dean that Jensen has given us over the years-both the darkest and the most bright.

Black-Loved this episode for Jensen. He rocked  and owned every scene that he was in as Don'tGiveaShitAboutAnyoneorAnythingDean. He was finally, FINALLY! allowed something new. I just wish that DemonDean would have been allowed to stay with us a little longer.

Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire-Dean and Amara were just like Dean and Tessa to me. Their chemistry in that first episode was off the charts. I was so excited for the season after this episode. I thought that they would certainly explore that utterly intriguing dichotomy of darkness and light within Dean via this character.  But no. Dabb obviously had no interest in that. What waste.

Keep Calm and Carry On-The Dean and Mary scenes. Too bad that all went to crap, too. I don't like talking about S12 at all, at this point in time, though.

Second and third episode favorites coming up later in the week. I am on vacation-YAY!-so more time for on-line fun.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Myrelle

[Myrelle]

1 hour ago, Pondlass1 said:

I've seen a billion stabbings portrayed on TV in my lifetime - -  this is the only one that stays with me.  That gasp as the knife slid in, the look of puzzlement, his body kind of sucking inward and crumpling as breath left him, as if the blade had severed a lung.  It was so real. Too real in fact.

This. Just this.

[catrox14]

2 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

I've seen a billion stabbings portrayed on TV in my lifetime - -  this is the only one that stays with me.  That gasp as the knife slid in, the look of puzzlement, his body kind of sucking inward and crumpling as breath left him, as if the blade had severed a lung.  It was so real. Too real in fact.  

I've always said that Jensen is the best fake "die-er" (is that a word) I've ever seen, like he freaks me out how good he is at it. Dean's physical suffering scenes also often too real, and IMO are in large part why Dean Winchester so often feels like a real person (YES I KNOW HE'S NOT REAL LOL). 

Jensen somehow just makes things feel real with Dean. He doesn't miss a beat IMO. Well,okay sometimes with the OTT slapstick comedy moments, and even then I think...you know, he's probably really NOT missing an acting beat on those moments at all and it's really more that those beats just don't happen to be what I enjoy so I blanch at them. Jensen is probably trying to communicate that there is something going on in Dean's headspace or whatever front he's trying to put on in a particular moment that seems off.  Bah, it's hard to explain what I mean exactly LOL.  

Anyway, more underrated Jensen/Dean things demon!Dean-division:

The biggest shift with demon!Dean and Dean is IMO that demon!Dean is MEAN. Even though Regular!Dean can be snarky, caustic, and a dick at times, IMO he is not a mean nor cruel person at heart. There is an underlying kindness and empathy in Dean, but with demon!Dean, that goes right out the window. The meanness isn't solely in the writing, it's in the way Jensen plays those moments. He just looks MEAN, unkind and cruel behind his eyes. Even when he's flirting with Ann Marie during karoake or playing foosball there isn't joy and happiness behind the eyes. 

Black: The scene with him and Crowley at the bar where Crowley is chastising him and Demon!Dean is just listening to Crowley, taking it all in but the moment Crowley yells at him, he shifts. He's looking down but then he just looks up at Crowley with his eyes and it's like "OH HELL NO". 

Riechenbach: I've talked before about the Dean/Crowley confrontation but the one where demon!Dean's cruelty appears is when he's just openly mocking Sam for coming to save him. It's not the words but the attitude emanating from demon!Dean that is so completely dismissive of Sam as a human being. Chilling, IMO.

Soul Survivor:  IMO the most chilling part of the episode were the curing scenes before he escaped.  IMO Jensen was playing it that from demon!Dean's perspective, he was slowly being tortured to death. The ferocity, rage and IMO fear from demon!Dean was palpable and that IMO was because Demon!Dean felt himself dying and he was fighting it tooth and nail. I thought that was remarkable work from Jensen.  Later, the moment that demon!Dean flips back to Dean is one of the most amazing and yet ambiguous shifts I've seen in Jensen's acting. He awakens to holy water being splashed in his face.  When Dean wakes up he's all "Hey fellas why the worry" which I could never tell if that was demon!Dean acting, or real!Dean just "being like FUCK, I'm back to my shit life that I fucked up, ugh" .

When he looked down and back up I thought "Wait, is Dean pissed that he was cured? Was that demon!Dean peeking out like fuck you, 'I'm gonna be back cause I'm not really most sincerely dead'  Beautiful work.  To this day, I still have a little head!canon that demon!Dean is floating in there somewhere.

[Myrelle]

1 hour ago, catrox14 said:

I've always said that Jensen is the best fake "die-er" (is that a word) I've ever seen, like he freaks me out how good he is at it. Dean's physical suffering scenes also often too real, and IMO are in large part why Dean Winchester so often feels like a real person (YES I KNOW HE'S NOT REAL LOL). 

IA. I've always held that no actor I've ever seen "dies" as well as The Ackles. And yes, I also consider him to be the King of Pain. All kinds of pain-physical, mental, and emotional; and both subtle and unsubtle. But it's just one of his assets in a great and wide-ranging acting arsenal. The dude can do it all. No doubt about that for me after watching him as DemonDean. And yes, he was mean. He said it himself-he was the lean, mean version of Dean and nothing more, and to whom no one and nothing else mattered. Such a departure from OurDean. I think he really brought that to it's true fruition in the role when he asked Cole "Did you miss?" as regards shooting Sam in the head. That small line, in and of itself, and more than any other, IMO, really drove home the idea that the character of DemonDean was clearly the antithesis of OurDean, but also that it could happen to anyone, even the best of us, even our heroes, whose human soul was twisted into becoming a demon. Heh. Such realism again from The Man even in this surreal and fantastical situation/setting.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Myrelle

[Myrelle]

57 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

I've always said that Jensen is the best fake "die-er" (is that a word) I've ever seen, like he freaks me out how good he is at it. Dean's physical suffering scenes also often too real, and IMO are in large part why Dean Winchester so often feels like a real person (YES I KNOW HE'S NOT REAL LOL). 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Myrelle
double post-not sure why...

[ILoveReading]

3 hours ago, Myrelle said:

Dean realizing that it might be better if he goes with her was some powerful stuff for a character who had always and obviously previously thought that giving up/in to death was an unthinkable concept for him. And since this episode, I've always held the opinion that death was Dean's true mistress and the one that he'd never be able to give up-until Darkness entered the picture-then I realized that he had two of those. ;-D

Dean and Death (both the concept and the character) have always had a fascinating relationship.   Death sees humans as as insignificant and he's just there to do a job.  Yet for for some reason he always helps Dean when Dean asks.  Same Billie.  She bragged she'd never help a Winchester and almost seemed to enjoy the possibility of them ending up in The Empty.  Yet, when Dean asked for help they both always did.  Why Dean and no one else?

I think that was why it was doubly disappointing that there was no follow up to Dean killing death.  It could have really explored this concept of why Death seems so have such a fascination with Dean. If I ever end up at a con where Julian Richings is, I'd love to ask him that question.

3 hours ago, Myrelle said:

His interactions with Lust were the best part of this one, IMO

I never thought it was coincidence that Lust went after Dean while Pride and Wrath went after Sam.  But it was yet another incidence where Dean managed to resist the influence the sin had over him.  Another thing I wish the show would explore.  

[Casseiopeia]

11 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

I've seen a billion stabbings portrayed on TV in my lifetime - -  this is the only one that stays with me.  That gasp as the knife slid in, the look of puzzlement, his body kind of sucking inward and crumpling as breath left him, as if the blade had severed a lung.  It was so real. Too real in fact.  

That one took me a few weeks to shake off.  I couldn't believe how that one affected me.  Like breaking down in tears...for weeks...

[catrox14]

Oh another underrated Dean moment

Blade Runners: When Dean first touches the FB and then after he lops off Magnus' head. He just changed. He was gone. His mind was gone. And then the fear after he snaps out of his reverie.  So good

[ILoveReading]

24 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

Oh another underrated Dean moment

Blade Runners: When Dean first touches the FB and then after he lops off Magnus' head. He just changed. He was gone. His mind was gone. And then the fear after he snaps out of his reverie.  So good

I also have to give the director a shout out for the way he framed that scene.  With Dean's sleeve rolled up it almost looked like Dean's arm was a separate entity from this body. 

It also reminds me of that time when he killed Abbadon.   He looked so vicious and psych when he was stabbing her, and like such a lost little boy when he snapped back.

[Myrelle]

On ‎6‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 7:42 AM, ILoveReading said:

Thanks for all your thoughts everyone.  Now on to episode 2. 

For reference:

1. Windego
2. Everybody Loves a Clown
3. The Kids are Alright
4. Are You There God, It's Me Dean Winchester
5. Good God Y'All
6. Two and a Half Men
7. Hello Cruel World
8. What's Up Tiger Mommy
9. Devil May Care
10. Reichenbach
11. Form and Void
12. Mamma Mia

Favorite eps

1. Reichenbach- Jensen was just so great in this episode.  He really started to get comfortable with Demon Dean.  His fight with Cole was one of my favorite sequences.  He was like a cat playing with a mouse.   He was also so cold when he explained why he let Cole live.  The 'did you miss' line was delivered perfectly, with a combination of sarcasm, mocking and seriousness. 
2. Everybody Loves a Clown- This is when we used to get Sides, I remember reading them and thinking that I was really going to dislike the episode.  It's another example of Jensen making the material work.  In the sides, we had Dean flirting with Jo and saying he was doing okay with his dads death.   But on screen, you could see Jensen played it as Dean just going through the motions with Jo, and that he clearly was not doing well handling dad's death.  I think we also go the first appearance of the OPT in this ep.  It also gave me one of my favorite exchanges between the brothers.  "At least, I'm not afraid to fly."  "Planes Crash" "Apparently, Clowns kill."  The MOTW was suffiently creepy as well
3. Are You There God, It's me Dean Winchester- I thought this was a great follow up to Lazarus Rising.  I loved Dean's conversation with Cas at the end of this ep.

Least Favorite

1. Form and Void- Unfortunately, the start of a pattern in which Dean felt shoe horned into Dabb's episodes.
2. Two and a Half Men- I disliked the whole 'Dean is rusty stuff."

Favorite Dean moments

1. Dean pounding the Impala.  A great display of non-verbal acting.  The anger and rage, coming out against the car and then Dean trying not to lose it, with the little chin wibble.  So many emotions packed into that short scene.
2. Dean fishing out Cas's coat and folding it like the flag of a fallen solider
3. All of Reichenbach
4. When Dean didn't protest Sam leaving because he wasn't ready to forgive and forget.  That, IMO, was character growth.
5. Dean's confrontation with Abbadon in Devil May Care.  I wish they had played up that rivalry more.
6. Dean punching Lady Tony in Momma Mia and telling her that ape did read a book or two. 
7. The Interrogation scene in What's Up Tiger Momma.  The way it went back and forth between showing Dean having the flashback.

I'm going to go with all of these thoughts on the second episodes and add a few other favorite Dean moments...

-Dean with Haley at the end of Wendigo. He was so damned cute there.

-The beating of the Impala warrants mentioning again because of the violent fashion in which those famous walls of Dean's came tumbling down completely only to be  put right back in place in the very same scene. It was such a thing of beauty from an acting standpoint, IMO. It's timeless, too. Every time I watch I'm amazed at how many times and the ferocity with which he swings that crowbar. His anger with John was so palpable there. I remember wondering what on earth John could have said to him to prompt such a response. A glorious scene and another Iconic one for the show, and especially for the character of Dean Winchester.

-Dean and Ben and Dean's good-bye scene with Lisa. So good. Even better if one has listened to the commentary on the DVD concerning this scene.

-The Dean and Victor scenes in Are You There God. Wonderful chemistry between those two actors.

-Dean taking charge in Good God, Y'all and understanding that, in this case, Sam would have to wait-and Dean knowing his bible. Dean pulling Rufus back and seeing Jo again-very understated, but so lovely. And yes, that last scene was awesome. Dean realizing that worrying too much over Sam was interfering with his hunting abilities and that Sam would have to  deal with his own problems, on his own. But he still offered Sam the Impala because it was the best he could do. THAT was heartbreaking to me. And all of this, just after learning that he was targeted by Michael to be his host in the big showdown. Great Dean episode. Loved it.

-Dean and the baby in Two and a Half Men. So much love for Dean and babies, but the best was his turn as two Deans, one being the Alpha Shifter. "Give me the baby." Everything changed in JA's posture and delivery of lines-and those completely dead eyes again. Love it so much when he does that on a dime. It's like nothing I've ever seen before.

-I second your wish for more Dean/Abaddon exploration. I remember that one scene in Devil May Care being the talk of the internet when it occurred. SO! HAWT!! Insane chemistry between that twosome also. 

-The Interrogation scene is another classic worth mentioning twice. Very cinematic and edge of your seat stuff-especially when he took his tie off. Again, SO! HAWT!!

I also concur about Reichenbach. Every Dean scene was amazing. I remember Jensen getting a ton of critical acclaim after that one even in  from the mainstream critics who barely even mentioned the show anymore. DemonDean was not only lean and mean-he was funny, too!

Favorite-Reichenbach

Least favorite-Form and Void*

*Sorry, but I again can't remember very much about S7's beginning and this time Hello Cruel World.

 

-

Edited August 9, 2017 by Myrelle

[AwesomO4000]

11 hours ago, Myrelle said:

*Sorry, but I again can't remember very much about S7's beginning and this time Hello Cruel World.

For me, "Hello Cruel World" contained some great Dean moments and lines, including his entire "stone one" speech,,, which was preceded by "This conversation does not require a weapons discharge." I love that one. There was also Sam's hallucination of Dean saying "Don't let Satan change my presets." And finally the quote to Bobby's answering service: "You cannot be in that crater back there. I can’t... If you’re gone, I swear, I am going to strap my Beautiful Mind brother into the car and I’m gonna drive us off the pier. You asked me how I was doing? Well, not good! Now you said you’d be here. Where are you?"

The episode also featured some good Dean - Bobby moments (leading up to that above quote), a good montage scene where Dean fixes the Impala over the weeks as they get news of Castiel's crazy activities, Dean investigating, Jody Mills finding leviathans in Sioux Falls Memorial Hospital, creative Dean leviathan smushing, and ending with Dean headed to Sioux Falls Memorial Hospital where he knows leviathans are, with a broken leg and an unconscious, head trauma Sam with no way to stop it (good, tense set up - I would've loved an entire cat and mouse type episode of follow up, actually, but, oh well.)

Basically along with "Reichenbach," these two are my favorite second episodes of any season, but I generally enjoy Ben Edlund episodes anyway and especially his dialogue.

Edited August 10, 2017 by AwesomO4000

[Myrelle]

Ah yes. The one where Dean spent most of the episode in hand-wringing mode. THAT'S probably why I forgot about it. ;-)

I DO remember JA's small turn as Lucifer in that one, though. Loved that little tidbit, but otherwise, I'd have to categorize that episode as now replacing Form and Void as my least favorite because at least Form and Void had those Crowley and Dean interactions that I remembered fondly, but that now feel more bittersweet to me after the departure of Mark Sheppard at the end of this season.

I'll be back with my favorite third episode Dean scenes as soon as I can.

Edited August 10, 2017 by Myrelle

[AwesomO4000]

43 minutes ago, Myrelle said:

Ah yes. The one where Dean spent most of the episode in hand-wringing mode.

Actually I don't remember that happening in the episode much really, because I was wrong about the Impala montage and the stuff around that. That was in the season premier episode. (Which despite some Dean "hand-wringing" also had some good Dean planning and Dean / Death interaction.)

Because episode two picks up right after the first episode ends, I sometimes tend to mix them together. Dean's "hand-wringing" if you want to call it that - though in my opinion, concern for Sam made sense and would've been out of character if it wasn't there - was in that first episode. Actually in this episode, Dean seemed as much annoyed at Sam's freaking out at an inopportune time as he was worried. In fact his bedside manner just included "breakfast in bed" (according to Sam... Dean: "don't get used to it") and some rather typical brotherly injury checking banter ("eh, you'll live.") If Dean was anything, he was bummed about Castiel apparently dying more than anything else - which I enjoyed the little details of that like Dean keeping Castiel's trench coat. So I don't remember much hand-wringing, myself, because despite all of that, Dean still worked the case, and we had them taking out Edgar, the leviathan out (albeit temporarily), but I suppose miles vary.

[Myrelle]

21 minutes ago, AwesomO4000 said:

Actually I don't remember that happening in the episode much really, because I was wrong about the Impala montage and the stuff around that. That was in the season premier episode. (Which despite some Dean "hand-wringing" also had some good Dean planning and Dean / Death interaction.)

I can't blame you for mixing things up. As I said, I drew a blank on both the premiere and the second episode.

I'm finding that aspect of this little exercise  very interesting. In just checking out the list initially, I actually drew a blank on the season premiere of 12 at first, too. I've been doing this all from memory, so with some of the episodes, it's been a little harder to recall things for me-not sure if that says more about my memory or about the show and the quality of the writing over the years, of course, but some are so  memorable that I can recall almost every scene, while others, practically nothing. Of course, some I've re-watched numerous times, while others just the one time that they aired-which was the case post S5 more often than not, tbh.

Just checking over the third episode list

Season 1- Dead in the Water

Season 2- Bloodlust

Season 3- Bad Day at Black Rock

Season 4- In the Beginning

Season 5- Free to Be You and Me

Season 6- The Third Man

Season 7- The Girl Next Door

Season 8- Heartache

Season 9- I'm no Angel

Season 10- Soul Survivor

Season 11- The Bad Seed

Season 12- The Foundry

I drew blanks on The Third Man, The Bad Seed,  and The Foundry. Again, initially and just off the top of my head.

And it probably would have occurred with I'm No Angel, too, except for the fact that I just saw bits and pieces of this one on TNT recently and I'd never re-watched this one other than when it aired, but I did still recall that one scene when Dean admitted that he lied, so when I checked to see which one was on that day, I left the TV on while I was doing housework, specifically to wait for that one scene.

Ironically, he did a lot of hand-wringing in that episode, too. What a surprise...<insert sarcasm here>...

[Aeryn13]

Quote

Season 1- Dead in the Water

Season 2- Bloodlust

Season 3- Bad Day at Black Rock

Season 4- In the Beginning

Season 5- Free to Be You and Me

Season 6- The Third Man

Season 7- The Girl Next Door

Season 8- Heartache

Season 9- I'm no Angel

Season 10- Soul Survivor

Season 11- The Bad Seed

Season 12- The Foundry

The first four are really good epispodes. Free to be is eh. And then I`m already drawing blanks, other than Girl Next Door because I have a vivid remembrance of rolling my eyes heavenward about the Amy story. Oh, and Soul Survivor can go fuck itself for cutting Demon!Dean tragically short. 

The others, I have no memory of any Dean-scenes that stood to me, either good or bad. Whereas from the first four Seasons I could nominate:

Dead in the Water - the talk with Lucas (easy one, I admit)

Bloodlust - the confrontation with Sam, since something Sam said is one of my hot button issues in my personal life and I had to swallow my true feelings in a loosely 

                  similar situation, I was so down with the punch because that is what I had wanted to do in real life but of course didn`t

Bad Day at Black Rock - being Batman against Bela aka the only good interaction with Bela ever before she got plotonium powers that turned everyone around her

                                       stupid

In the Beginning - truth-telling Azazel, that was such a tense, wonderful scene, I know it might be considered unwise but in a closed time loop IMO it works, Legends of

                              Tomorrow did a similar thing in Season 2, it`s just awesome to see the usually unflappable bad guy gulp when they are not sure if the "I know what

                              happens" - hero tells them the truth or not

 

The only thing I can really remember about Free to be... is Dean saying "I know two things, one: Bert and Ernie are gay." 

[Myrelle]

On ‎8‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 0:21 PM, Aeryn13 said:

Dead in the Water - the talk with Lucas (easy one, I admit)

IA. But the shot of him coming out of the water with Lucas and then throwing his head back in anguish over not being able to save Jake was another iconic moment for both show and character for me. This was Dean Winchester in all of his tragic glory, IMO.

On ‎8‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 0:21 PM, Aeryn13 said:

Bloodlust - the confrontation with Sam, since something Sam said is one of my hot button issues in my personal life and I had to swallow my true feelings in a loosely 

                  similar situation, I was so down with the punch because that is what I had wanted to do in real life but of course didn`t

My feeling was Thank you, Dean. I cannot stand it when someone believes that they know everything about me when in truth they know so little-and that's how I think Dean felt right then, too.

But the encounter with the vamp is the one that will always stand out for me. It's easily one of my favorite scenes from the entire series.

And the halo shot at the end was just Gorgeous and so fitting. It was as if even nature knew that Dean Winchester deserved a halo after all he'd been through with his family even up to that early series point.

In the Beginning has always been a favorite of mine, but more for Jensen than Dean, in all honesty. He owned that episode.

On ‎8‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 0:21 PM, Aeryn13 said:

The only thing I can really remember about Free to be... is Dean saying "I know two things, one: Bert and Ernie are gay." 

Cas coming to ask Dean for help in that hotel room and forgetting their talk about "personal space" is always hilarious to me no matter how many times I see it. That scene was the highlight of the episode for me. That one and Dean fixing Cas' tie in big brother mode right before they go in to talk to the sheriff. His advice about lying was pretty spot on, too. ;-)

I thought Jensen as Dean was excellent in every scene in The Girl Next Door. Every one.

Ditto with In The Beginning and Soul Survivor.

And I liked all his scenes in Heartache, too-especially the one when he took the knife from his boot and gutted the baddie right in the heart.

[mertensia]

On 7/30/2017 at 9:21 AM, DittyDotDot said:

Yes, an EMT would fit the bill too.

Damn, now I'm going to have to eat my words that there wasn't anything other than hunting I could see Dean enjoying for any length of time. ;)

Late to the party but Dean would make an excellent hostage negotiator.

[Jeddah]

2 hours ago, mertensia said:

Late to the party but Dean would make an excellent hostage negotiator.

He'd be perfect for that!  He could reuse, "This discussion does not require a weapons discharge" on a regular basis.

Edited August 12, 2017 by Jeddah

[ILoveReading]

Next up.  Discuss Dean in Episode 4.

Season 1- Phantom Traveler

Season 2- Children Shouldn't play with Dead Things

Season 3- Sin City

Season 4- Metamorphosis

Season 5- The End

Season 6- Weekend at Bobby's

Season 7- Defending your Life

Season 8- Bitten

Season 9- Slumber Party

Season 10- Paper Moon

Season 11- Baby

Season 12- American Nightmare

Highlights and Low lights. 

Phantom Traveler- I really liked this one.  I really liked getting a glimpse behind Dean's armour.  I liked that we got to see Dean's smarts.  Building an EMF meter would require some knowledge of math and physics.   It's also one of those little moments that I think shows Dean's strength that the show overlooks.  Despite Dean's fear of flying and knowing the plane was going to crash, he still faced it and went anyway.  Jensen played Dean's fear when the plane was crashing a little over the top, but since Id be the same way if a plane was crashing it didn't bother me too much.

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things- This was also a good one.  Jensen's confession at the end of the episode broke me.  Also Dean not being able to go near his mom's grave. It told me that he still hadn't really processed his grief for his mom.    I liked that we see even though Dean's pretending to be fine, cracks are showing.    He looks like he's a tightly coiled spring that is going to explode.  Jensen is just so good at layering his performance, even back in the early days.  He's only gotten better since then.  Also- "We're grief counselors we've come to hug."  And on a shallow note that slide into the grave was all kinds of HAWT!!

Sin City- Another good episode.  Jensen and the actress who played Casey had some really good chemistry.  I liked that it also showed that hunting was still dangerous and not anyone with an app could do it.  (one of my biggest pet peeves in the later eps, but off topic here).   Some great non-verbal acting from Jensen when Casey asks if he's scared about going to hell.  Dean denies it, of course but the brief pause and the facial expression and the way his body tenses up you can tell he's terrified.  Kudos Mr. Ackles.

Metamorphosis- Don't remember much about it.  One of those 'meh type episode that is just kind of there.  One thing I disliked is when they give Dean straw mans arguments.  When Dean was telling Sam not to use his powers, they only had Dean mention the knife, so Sam could justify his actions by saying he's saving lives and easily dismiss Dean's concerns.  Exorcism?  Why wasn't he allowed to mention that?

The End- What can I say about this ep?  It was like a mini movie and should have at least had Jensen nominated for an emmy.  I read that some drama teachers actually use this ep as a teaching tool.   Jensen was just phenomenal in this.  It had a strong script too, which helped. (I miss Edlund).  My only criticism was the scene where Dean asks Dean to tell him something only he would know.  I wish they had told us something deep (like what those dreams of his own Dean had were) instead of going for the sex joke.  But it didn't take away from the ep.   But this was the perfect Dean episode.  Loved it. 

Weekend At Bobby's- This was okay.  It was an interesting look at Bobby's life.  Jensen did a terrific job with the directing, especially since it was his first time behind the camera.  I remember him talking about the wood chipper scene.  The only thing I didn't like was the scene where Bobby berated Dean.  Bobby lied to Dean for a year.  How was Dean supposed to know his soul was still an issue or he was working on trying to get it back right at that moment.   The writing needed to be tighter since it looked like Dean was supposed to be a mind reader.  Since when does Dean ask for help?  This is another example of why I think Dean shouldn't open himself up.

Defending Your Life- The biggest thing to describe this ep is wasted potential.  Instead of a real exploration of Dean's guilt it seemed more like a chance for Sam to play layer.  But I did like Dean's interactions with Jo.  Oh, Dean you are not 90% crap. 

Bitten- I couldn't really watch it because shaky cam movies make me dizzy.

Slumber Party- One of my least favorites.

Paper Moon- really disappointing follow up to the disappointing early exit of Demon Dean.   Im drawing a blank on most of it.

Baby-  Another great ep.  One of those things that I didn't think sounded great on paper.  Not perfect but much better than i was expecting.  Great camera work, smart, capable bad ass Dean.  Loved the fight scene in the car.  You can tell just how much Jensen loves this episode.  He still talks about it so frequently. I also love Dean's creature names.  Poor Dean.  Cas finally says the name and Dean's not there to hear it.  

American Nightmare- The less said about this ep the better.  

It seems like since Weekend at Bobby's episode 4 has go increasingly down hill for me in terms how Dean is portrayed. 

Edited August 14, 2017 by ILoveReading

[Katy M]

13 minutes ago, ILoveReading said:

Season 1- Phantom Traveler

Season 2- Children Shouldn't play with Dead Things

Season 3- Sin City

Season 4- Metamorphosis

Season 5- The End

Season 6- Weekend at Bobby's

Season 7- Defending your Life

Season 8- Bitten

Season 9- Slumber Party

Season 10- Paper Moon

Season 11- Baby

Season 12- American Nightmare

Favorite Episode: The End  Least favorite, Bitten

Phantom travler:  Great to see the first chink in Dean's armor.  He hums Metallica when he's nervous. He knows dude, he's not an idiot. 

Children shouldn't Play with Dead Things: I honestly think this epi is a tad bit on the boring side.  the last scene was intense.  I also liked Dean when he was interviewing Lindsay, and his look in the cemetery where he is avoiding Mary's headstone

Sin City:  I really like this ep.  I love his conversation with Casey.  He has a great face when she tells him everyone says Sam is the smart one, or whatever.  Also great facial when he lies to Bobby and says he's sure Sam is fine.

Metamorphosis: I think the first 3 scenes of this epi are the best.  Especially as far as Dean is concerned.  The scene outside the car where they're yelling at each other is also very well acted.

The End:  One of my favorite epis from the whole series.  Probably number 4 or 5.  There is no difficulty telling Past Dean from future Dean and that's no small feat.  He's just great int he whole epi start to finish.  I wouldn't even know where to begin.

WEekend at Bobby's:  He's obviously not in this epi that much.  Olive Garden is not local Scottish grub, Dean, LOL.  I think I like him beest when he calls Bobby because the whatever blessed by a priest didn't work out.  But, of course, this epi belonged to Bobby.

Defending Your Life:  I think the premise of this epi is nonsensical.  But, Dean's emotions throughout it are so raw.  I do think Osiris has a point when he says that when you feel guilty punishment is a relief. 

Bitten:  Again, he doesn't do much.  I have really nothing to say about him in this epi.

Slumber Party:  Not my fave season and not my fave epi.  I haven't seen it that many times. Dean razzing SAm about being a nerd because he read is always fun. I love the true-to-life brotherly moments. 

Paper Moon: I like the first scene after the teaser.  Because they're hanging out on th elake, but they're full clothed and just don't look like they belong or that they're having any fun. 

Baby: Good epi.  Throwback to the old days.  I think my fave scene was the whent hey were just in the car driving, being brothers.  That will always be a classic

American Nightmare- I've only seen this once, and what sticks out to me is that even though Dean wants to kill the child services woman, she still gives him her number.  I realize that she didn't know he wanted to kll her, but, come on, even if she did, DEan is just that awesome.

[DeeDee79]

6 hours ago, ILoveReading said:

Next up.  Discuss Dean in Episode 4.

Season 1- Phantom Traveler

Season 2- Children Shouldn't play with Dead Things

Season 3- Sin City

Season 4- Metamorphosis

Season 5- The End

Season 6- Weekend at Bobby's

Season 7- Defending your Life

Season 8- Bitten

Season 9- Slumber Party

Season 10- Paper Moon

Season 11- Baby

Season 12- American Nightmare

Favorite: Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things; Least Favorite: American Nightmare

Phantom Traveler: Dean made his own EMF reader! I loved his proud grin when he told Sam that it was homemade. I don't rewatch alot of the really early episodes but it's amazing to see that there was a point when demons were basically uncharted territory for them.

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things: I really like this episode. Dean was just coming apart at the seams as they got deeper into the case and you really feel his pain when you realize that it's because he's figured out what John did for him and how it's just eating away at him. Jensen gave us some great moments here. Best line: "It's your grief counselors; we've come to hug."

Sin City: I liked Dean's rapport with Casey and the first crack in Dean's bravado when she asks if he's scared to go to hell. The rest of the episode was meh for me.

Metamorphosis: I'd been waiting for the fallout from Sam working with Ruby behind Dean's back and I wasn't disappointed. The confrontation in the motel was a great scene and Dean's rage and disappointment was completely understandable IMO. The first episode when Castiel is referred to as Cas!

The End: This was another good episode and both Jensen and Jared were amazing. Also the conversation over the phone between Dean and Cas will never not be funny: "This isn't funny, Dean! The voice says I'm almost out of minutes!"

Weekend at Bobby's: A Dean lite episode but I love seeing Bobby and Rufus together so it was very enjoyable not to mention some good stuff from Crowley. I didn't like the out of character behavior from Dean though; he would never call Bobby selfish just because he didn't have time to talk to him. I know it was to showcase how put upon Bobby was at everything he was juggling at the time but I still didn't like it.

Defending Your Life: I wasn't a fan of this episode. It was good for Dean to get the weight of Jo's death off of his conscience but everything else was easily forgettable.

Bitten: Bored me; didn't rewatch after the first viewing.

Slumber Party: Aside from the scenes with Crowley this bored me also. I wish we could have had an episode like this with Kevin instead of Charlie especially since he actually lived in the bunker.

Paper Moon: I would have preferred that the first post demon Dean ep deal with the aftermath of everything that happened while he was a demon. This felt like filler even though it had some nice brother moments.

Baby: I loved all of the scenes with Sam and Dean just sitting in the car talking. It's so rare to get good brother moments that aren't riddled with angst. The fight with the werepire while Cas droned on in the background was good stuff also; I love Jensen's fight scenes.

American Nightmare: This was beyond Dean lite; nothing much to say.

[Myrelle]

On ‎8‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 8:27 AM, ILoveReading said:

Next up.  Discuss Dean in Episode 4.

Season 1- Phantom Traveler

Season 2- Children Shouldn't play with Dead Things

Season 3- Sin City

Season 4- Metamorphosis

Season 5- The End

Season 6- Weekend at Bobby's

Season 7- Defending your Life

Season 8- Bitten

Season 9- Slumber Party

Season 10- Paper Moon

Season 11- Baby

Season 12- American Nightmare

Not a big fan of Phantom Traveler, but I did love Dean humming rock songs to calm down and yes, he remembers a word or two of his Latin, Sam. I also loved " There's nothing in her. There's nothing getting in her." and that whole interaction with the flight attendant that preceded it.

While Dean was often depicted as the Brawn/Junkyard Dog in the early episodes, IMO, the earlier writers did sometimes throw him a bone where it concerned smarts, too; so back then the character was written as a bit more layered and well-rounded and I never minded that aspect of the character. In fact, I'd  dare to say that it even enhanced his badassity, IMO; and this even if he,  Dean himself, didn't realize that he possessed as much intelligence as he should have, and even though other characters rarely supported him in that train of thought and while the baddies usally took advantage of it. Witness his subtle little "preparation" to fight before the possessed co-pilot enters that back room. I love that aspect of JA's acting. Always have. Always will.  But yes, IA that the best part of the whole episode for me was the message that courage/bravery=overcoming one's greatest fear(as opposed to not having any fears) and pushing forward in order to get the job done.

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things and The End, I'd classify as tied for my favorites of the fourth episode slot. I loved the acting and the writing for both actor and character in every single scene of those two episodes. And even Kripke agreed that JA should have been nominated for an emmy for The End. He even said that if it was any other genre(and maybe a bigger network, I think), he would have been nominated that year.

I loved him in Sin City, too. Again, every scene. Great chemistry with Casey. Just great.

Metamorphosis was only meh for me, too-and yes, especially because of the straw man argument against Sam using his powers. The Latinating should never have been left out of that argument and, in truth, this was when I really started side-eyeing the writing of this show. Still, Dean DID look good enough to eat, lying there unconscious on that glass table top. YUM! ;-D

JA was great in both of the initial confrontation scenes over the use of the powers(the very first one might have been even better for me than the one in the hotel room since it was much more visual and there was less dialogue-AKA less writing-involved). The one on the side of the road had me rolling my eyes to the back of my head, though.

The rest of those episodes were mostly forgettable for me, although I'm sure there were some great JA moments in them.

I loved Dean so much in the second half of Baby, but by that time, those type of entire episodes and even half-episodes for Dean were becoming so much fewer and farther between, IMO; although S9 and 10 gave us a bit more of a return to those-which is the main reason that I'm still here hoping for the return of those type of episodes(or even half-episodes) again, if not expecting them as much, under Dabb and Singer.

Edited August 16, 2017 by Myrelle

[Aeryn13]

Hm, it appears Season 4 episodes are all over the place for me.  

Phantom Traveler - I binged Season 1 up to Hookman and Phantom Traveller was the first ep I was meh about, in hindsight, it is perfectly okay but it didn`t ping for me back then, the scenes on the plane are quite good of course and not to forget the loving camera pan over Dean`s sleeping form  

Children Shouldn't play with Dead Things - very underrated IMO, loved this one because it features smart!Dean with good instincts, a wonderful badass slide and emotional turmoil I found engaging, early Season 2 Dean is the best emotional "arc" Dean had in the entire show in terms of how the character was portrayed 

Sin City - the convo with Casey the demon was a good scene and the actors had nice chemistry, otherwise a more forgettable episode (though again in retrospect much better than later Season fare

Metamorphosis - yuck, that typical strawman argument bullshit because Dean couldn`t look too good or too rational or to have a point that isn`t undermined, do not like this one

The End - that was great, I dug future!Dean, sure he was ruthless but how else do you survive during the apocalypse (the 100 makes an entire show out of the concept of survival breeding ruthlessness and I dig that, too)

Weekend at Bobby's - it was okay, can`t remember too much about it so nothing good or bad stands out  

Defending your Life - wasted potential, trial episodes are not really my thing (too close to my actual job) but for the only Dean-episode that Season it was very disappointing to have such a clunker, the scene with Jo was good, otherwise meh 

Bitten - I fucking hate shaky cam

Slumber Party - more on the Charlie-Sue side of things, though I do appreciate that the character more or less was always friendly with Dean

Paper Moon - forgettable werewolf sister drama and I was still smarting about the so-called year of Deanmon, ha 

Baby - this one had some good badass!Dean  

American Nightmare - garbage, I hated the entire "Dean does feelings wrong" shtick about Mary, so what if he is angry with her?

[Myrelle]

32 minutes ago, Aeryn13 said:

not to forget the loving camera pan over Dean`s sleeping form  

How could I have ever forgotten the scene that made mathematics so popular?! ;-)

32 minutes ago, Aeryn13 said:

Children Shouldn't play with Dead Things - very underrated IMO, loved this one because it features smart!Dean with good instincts, a wonderful badass slide and emotional turmoil I found engaging, early Season 2 Dean is the best emotional "arc" Dean had in the entire show in terms of how the character was portrayed 

ITA. They have never matched it and not because there isn't more and new material that they could have worked with and mined in that regard. The contrasting lightness and darkness within Dean is still vastly unexplored territory, IMO, and it would be a great way to bring up Dean's hell time and trauma again and even after all this time.

If only we had a showrunner who was somewhat interested in the character, the foundation for another emotional arc of this magnitude has already been set down and laid out, IMO, and this, even if they continue to want to only give JA strictly the emo stuff. I honestly thought that that was where they were headed in S11 and with The Darkness sl. But nope. They were too busy and intent on ruining Chuck the Prophet by making him into God and bringing back Lucifer and Sam's hell time/trauma(again and some more) than they were in exploring the darkness/light within Dean. Bah. Fools. But that would be for another thread that I'm too tired and apathetic to visit right now. ;-)

Edited August 16, 2017 by Myrelle

[catrox14]

2 hours ago, Myrelle said:

How could I have ever forgotten the scene that made mathematics so popular?! ;-)

I would have done better in Math if that had been my way in!

[DeeDee79]

5 hours ago, Aeryn13 said:

and not to forget the loving camera pan over Dean`s sleeping form  

Damn, how did I forget to include that?? That was very nice.

[ILoveReading]

Discuss Dean in episode 5

Season 1- Bloody Mary

Season 2- Simon Said

Season 3- Bedtime Stories

Season 4- Monster Movie

Season 5- Fallen Idols

Season 6 - Live Free or Twi Hard

Season 7- Shut Up Dr. Phil

Season 8- Blood Brother

Season 9- Dog Dean Afternoon

Season 10- Fan Fiction

Season 11- Thin Lizzy

Season 12- The One You've been Waiting for

Looking over this list, I realize that ep 5 has mostly been 'meh for Dean with a couple of exceptions. 

Bloody Mary- I always look at this episode as one that shows Dean is not as closed off to emotions as the show tries to tell.  Several times this ep, Dean tried to get Sam to open up.   This episode was also sufficiently creepy.

Simon Said- I liked Dean's reaction to Andy's bong.  I also liked Jensen's performance in the car scene when Andy asks why they are following him.  The little hesitations, Jensen puts in, you can tell Dean really is trying to stop himself but can't. 

Bedtime Stories- I don't really remember any stand out Dean scenes.  I didn't dislike the ep but its not really a stand out.

Monster Movie- I liked Dean's interactions with Jamie. 

Fallen Idols- I liked Dean geeking out over and knowing the History of James Dean's car but this is one of the worst eps of the show.  I despised how they put the blame for everything that happened between the brothers in s4 on Dean and didn't allow Dean to defend himself.  The less said about this ep the better.

Live Free and Twi Hard- I loved this one.   Jensen gave a great performance as a newly turned vamp and I loved Badass Dean taking out the entire nest. 

Shut Up Dr. Phil- Don't remember much about this one.

Blood Brother- Another ep, I really liked.  I loved all the purgatory scenes and the interaction between Dean and Benny.  I also liked the scene between Dean and Sam at the start because it was good to see Dean stand up for himself. 

Dog Dean Afternoon- I will admit to being pleasantly surprised by this one.  It will never make my top 10 but Jensen managed to pull it off.  Dean getting into an argument with a pidgeon will never not be funny.  Plus, I thought Jensen had a good balance with the dog stuff and not over doing it. 

Fan Fiction- I've blocked this episode from my memory.  It would have been a terrible episode regardless of when it aired but that it was the 200th and we lost Demon Dean because of it, it makes it far worse.

Thin Lizzy- This is an ep that I liked from a Dean POV the first time I saw it because it looked to set up a really interesting story between Dean and Amara but since that feel of the rails the next episode, upon rewatch  its basically a 'meh ep.

The One You've been Waiting for- I had a mixed reaction to this one.  I liked that Dean got to be badass and hold his own in a fight, and of course his glee over killing Hitler.  I did not like the bumbling around the antique shop.  Dean is stealthy.  If he was that clumsy he wouldn't have lasted this long as a hunter. 

[Katy M]

Discuss Dean in episode 5

Season 1- Bloody Mary

Season 2- Simon Said

Season 3- Bedtime Stories

Season 4- Monster Movie

Season 5- Fallen Idols

Season 6 - Live Free or Twi Hard

Season 7- Shut Up Dr. Phil

Season 8- Blood Brother

Season 9- Dog Dean Afternoon

Season 10- Fan Fiction

Season 11- Thin Lizzy

Season 12- The One You've been Waiting for

 

Favorite Episode: Fan Fiction.  Least Favorite: Live Free or twihard

Bloody Mary: I love Dean's speech to Sam in the car on the way to smash the mirrors.  And "Because I'm an awesome brother."  Yes, you are, Dean.  Most of the time

Simon Said: I love the part where he has to tell the truth and he's trying not to.  I also like the way he's nice to Andy and defends him to Sam even though he's generally leary of "freaky stuff"

Bedtime STories: This is the first epi I saw and I came in halfway into it.  I had no idea what I was watching, but I didn't change the channel solely because of Dean, LOL.  "That's the weirdest thing I ever said."  I am in no way convinced of that, Dean.

Monster Movie:  I like the fight with Dracula.  How he thinks it would be cool if Dracula would turn into a bat.  His speech to Jamie. The lederhosen.

Fallen Idols:  Not a big fan of this epi.  I blame Paris Hilton.

Live Free or Twihard: Just ugh.  The vampires pee line was cool.  I really can't understand how Dean took out a whole next full of vamps.  I understand that he was a vamp. But, so were the rest of them.

Shut Up Dr Phil:  His face when Sam stuck the disgusting un-refrigerated chicken parts in front of him while the poor guy was just trying to eat pie, for cyring out loud. 

Blood Brother: This was more a Benny episode.  I'm not a big fan of Benny. Hence, I don't really remember much about it.  "This isn't why I called" in an agitated voice was a pretty good moment.

Dog Dean AFternoon-Some of this was just too OTT for me.  I liked the subtler stuff.  Like when Sam kept throwing that piece of paper, or whatever it was, out and DEan kept just putting it back on the table.  The French poodle thing was just icky, IMO.  I did like him bonding with the dog, Colonel, or whatever his name was, though.

Fan Fiction: Love this epi.  Loved Dean telling Marie (?) (man I'm bad with details this morning), the rest of the story.  His annoyance with Sam over Destiel and Sam trying to come up with Sam/Cas name.  "That thing had to be destroyed" about the stupid scarecrow.  Defending Carry on Wayward Son as a classic.

Thin Lizzy: Not a big fan of this epi either because show just can not decide what soullessness entails or looks like.  But, I did like Dean's scenes with the soulless guy and how he supported him going to jail so he wouldn't hurt anyone else. I still contend that soulless guy shouldn't care about that, though.

The One You've Been Waiting For:  Dean killed Hitler.  All I have to say on the matter.  LOL.

[Aeryn13]

*cracks knuckles*

Bloody Mary  - this is more of a Sam-ep but I think Dean had some genuinely good parts in it, him trying to get Sam to open up in the context of the case, not to mention it is the one and only creepy episode the show had for me

Simon Said - it`s a mytharc ep in the Psykids story so Dean didn`t have much to do and I can`t remember any standout scenes, didn`t care for Andy or his abilities too much either  

Bedtime Stories - this one was really random and I can`t remember any Dean standout moments either

Monster Movie - now this I liked, cute and funny humor and Dean`s interaction with the bartender was charming, re-and-de-hymenated, I guess :) 

Fallen Idols - this one sucked ass, everything gets blamed on Dean supposedly being bossy even though in Season 4 he got berated for being weak

Live Free or Twi Hard - I liked this one because Season 6 wasn`t an abudance of badass!Dean, least of all the first half so this was like water in the desert, loved him being shown to be strong-willed and take out a vamps nest, boo for not seeing more of the fight 

Shut Up Dr. Phil - Dean-wise, I can`t remember anything from it but the Buffy-fan in me thinks of the mini-reunion of Cordy and Spike and has fuzzy nostalgic feelings 

Blood Brother - loved it and loved Benny, since they deconstructed the Dean/Cas bond to a degree, I wanted such a friend for Dean in ages

Dog Dean Afternoon  - a lot of the premise was too cringe-worthy for me, Jensen managed to make some of it cute but that poodle-thing, noooo    

Fan Fiction - sucked ass, another meta with a prominent Sam-fan and therefore slanted in that direction, and of course that stupid fucking amulet, hate it 

Thin Lizzy - this was a genuinely good MOTW, the exploration of the concept of soullessness via that one guy was so much more poignant than the first half of Season 6 where soullessness meant whatever the writer du jour wanted it to mean  

The One You've been Waiting for - it certainly wasn`t bad Dean-wise, though a bit too goofy in parts

 

Favourite 5th ep: Monster Movie      Least Favourite:  Fallen Idols narrowly beats out Fan Fiction, narrowly 

[gonzosgirrl]

5 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

I don't know where else to put this since it's not about SPN per se but actors in general. I found it interesting. http

://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2017/8/16/what-actors-actually-do-an-open-letter-to-critics-and-media-writers

This is interesting, and interesting timing, since I just saw this today. We are SO lucky to have him.

Edited August 30, 2017 by gonzosgirrl

[catrox14]

I'm assuming that's from a M&G?  I don't really know what to make of his comments. So Berens apparently had no intention when he wrote that scene? And he decided that Jensen's interpretation is right? WHAT?

There is a lot to unpack in that

[ILoveReading]

16 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

I'm assuming that's from a M&G?  I don't really know what to make of his comments. So Berens apparently had no intention when he wrote that scene? And he decided that Jensen's interpretation is right? WHAT?

There is a lot to unpack in that

It confirms what Jensen said at JiB con, that it wasn't intentional on Berens part.  It was just that Jensen managed to make the connection.

I really like what Jensen had to say about how he how Dean is around other people vs when he is alone.

I don't htink this really counts as a spoiler but I'll tag to be on the safe side.

Spoiler

I really hope we see that in how Dean deals with losing Cas, and is specifically what Jensen is referring to

Edited August 30, 2017 by ILoveReading

[gonzosgirrl]

1 hour ago, catrox14 said:

I'm assuming that's from a M&G?  I don't really know what to make of his comments. So Berens apparently had no intention when he wrote that scene? And he decided that Jensen's interpretation is right? WHAT?

There is a lot to unpack in that

I'm pretty sure this was a long topic of conversation in the episode thread (12x22-23) at the time. This isn't the first time Jensen mentioned it - I think it was at JIB? (ETA: just saw that @ILoveReading already addressed that - sorry!)

  I haven't watched the con vids from this weekend yet, but I assumed it must be from a panel - it's pretty in depth to be from a M&G unless the poster doesn't give a hoot about Creation's rules.

Edited August 30, 2017 by gonzosgirrl

[catrox14]

4 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

I'm pretty sure this was a long topic of conversation in the episode thread (12x22-23) at the time. This isn't the first time Jensen mentioned it - I think it was at JIB? (ETA: just saw that @ILoveReading already addressed that - sorry!)

  I haven't watched the con vids from this weekend yet, but I assumed it must be from a panel - it's pretty in depth to be from a M&G unless the poster doesn't give a hoot about Creation's rules.

Oh I know about that conversation. Sorry I should have been more clear.

I'm just saying it as more of WTF kind of confirmation that the orginal interpretation of Jensen's JIBcon comments was really probably correct in that Berens didn't intend the scene to be that revelatory about Dean's frame of mind all season.