S11.E07: Plush

[mertensia]

Nice continuity that Dean still hates people tiptoeing into hunting. He remembers that this happened with Charlie too.

The clown suit didn't bother me but that bunny suit? Oh hell no.

Donna definitely needs a deputy that does what she asks simply because she's Sheriff.

I've said it before I'll say it again: since Dean and Sam were both in the Impala when Amara emerged for all he knows Sam's visions are from Amara.

[catrox14]

Okay correct me if I'm wrong but did Dean just like forget how to hunt here? He totally tried to punch a ghost. I mean WTF?? Can someone please explain to me why Dean apparently forgot how to take out a fucking ghost?

That's just another tick in the Pod!Dean box. 

 

Also, is Sam growing? Is Dean shrinking? Like I swear Dean looks like 6 inches shorter than Sam lately.  And that's including the 2 inches of hair on top of Dean's head. Am I seeing things?

Edited November 20, 2015 by catrox14

[catrox14]

Also, I just realized how much that rabbit reminded me of the creepy fucking Frank the rabbit from Donnie Darko. And now I wonder if that is intentional for story reasons. It's been awhile since I saw Donnie Darko but essentially it involved some time travel and alternate universes, sacrifice and fate.  From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donnie_Darko

 

 

But some of the key things that make me even more side-eye this whole thing but I'll take it the spec thread.

Hmmm just something to noodle on.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Ask Supernatural's Evil Plushie
He may not be all that helpful, but he does know a lot about children, and revenge.

[Mick Lady]

The best of all your recaps!

[midge]

Okay correct me if I'm wrong but did Dean just like forget how to hunt here? He totally tried to punch a ghost. I mean WTF?? Can someone please explain to me why Dean apparently forgot how to take out a fucking ghost?

That's just another tick in the Pod!Dean box. 

 

Also, is Sam growing? Is Dean shrinking? Like I swear Dean looks like 6 inches shorter than Sam lately.  And that's including the 2 inches of hair on top of Dean's head. Am I seeing things?

I've noticed this too.  Isn't JA like 6'1" or something?  Shorter than Gigantor, yes, but not that much.   Dean in general seems to get the unflattering camera work this year though, if you ask me.  I swear some angles make it look like he's getting a double chin or has aged 10 years between seasons.  

[catrox14]

I've noticed this too.  Isn't JA like 6'1" or something?  Shorter than Gigantor, yes, but not that much.   Dean in general seems to get the unflattering camera work this year though, if you ask me.  I swear some angles make it look like he's getting a double chin or has aged 10 years between seasons.  

 

Yeah JA is like 6'1 or 6'2 and Jared is 6'4 fo 6'5 but the way they are filmed this season they look a lot different in height. It's so weird.

 

As to the chin thing, someone asked him about the scar under his chin this year at one of the cons. Now it wasn't clear to me from his story when the following incident happened but if it was this year it might explain some of the "double chin" ness.

 

Anyway he told a story that he'd been having drinks with a previous VFX guy from the show and I guess out of some inebriated boredom whilst waiting for a cab, he thought it was a good idea to try and jump up on a planter that was on the sidewalk.  Apparently, he miscalculated the height and his foot went out from under him and slammed his chin on the planter. He said he had to call an ambulance because it wouldn't stop bleeding. He had to work the next day so they had to CGI out the damage. He said it was all swollen etc..but again, I have no idea of the timeline.  

[SueB]

Season 3 I think.

[catrox14]

Season 3 I think.

 

He said he was with the former VFX supervisor meaning the guy had already left show when they were out together. The most recent departure was Ryan Curtis and before that was Ivan Hayden. I'm thinking it was the Ivan guy and he left in 2012. So I think this was between 2012 and 2015. But yeah either way it's probably not from this past season of filming.

[Mick Lady]

Anyway he told a story that he'd been having drinks with a previous VFX guy from the show and I guess out of some inebriated boredom whilst waiting for a cab, he thought it was a good idea to try and jump up on a planter that was on the sidewalk.  Apparently, he miscalculated the height and his foot went out from under him and slammed his chin on the planter. He said he had to call an ambulance because it wouldn't stop bleeding. He had to work the next day so they had to CGI out the damage. He said it was all swollen etc..but again, I have no idea of the timeline.

 

 

*Snort* He should totally post this in "Small Talk, the Impala" in our stupid moves convo! Wish he posted here!

[DittyDotDot]

I seem to recall, there was an incident in S8 where Jensen had a bruised and sore chin they had to cover it up for filming. If I remember right, he wouldn't divulge the details at that time. Seems like it was S8 anyway, but it's hard to keep all their shenanigans straight at this point.

[Myrelle]

Just now watched this one and Oy. The brother stuff made me ill. Yuck to the promise of more predictable redundancies.

The hunt was weird. The targeted victims were no innocents, that's for sure. I couldn't feel any sympathy at all for the sister, even though those costumes DID make me wonder about the brother albeit I didn't think he was guilty of what they were accusing him of. I think the kid had the right of it, but still, those masks and costumes?-YIKES! As I said...a weird hunt.

Loved ProtectorDean at the end there. I thought this one was sort of a mash-up of Yellow Fever and Roadkill as the writers continue on in their highly-derivative-of-previous-early-episodes vein this season.

[SueB]

I seem to recall, there was an incident in S8 where Jensen had a bruised and sore chin they had to cover it up for filming. If I remember right, he wouldn't divulge the details at that time. Seems like it was S8 anyway, but it's hard to keep all their shenanigans straight at this point.

S8 was the infamous wrestling match with Misha, Jared, and Jensen.  Jensen took a rug burn to the temple. I think the other two got away with bruises.  

[DittyDotDot]

S8 was the infamous wrestling match with Misha, Jared, and Jensen.  Jensen took a rug burn to the temple. I think the other two got away with bruises.  

 

I'm not sure if that's what I was thinking of SueB. I remember the wresting incident and it seems like they were pretty upfront about that one. What I was thinking of was an interview Jensen did where his chin was swollen with a whole lot of make up on it. The interviewer asked him what the story was and he said he wouldn't say...something like he was being really foolish, but he wasn't giving details. Seems like it was early S8, and I can see him sitting in front of a very colorful motel sign prop. I'll see if I can find the interview on YouTube when I get home.

 

Like I said, it's hard to keep the shenanigans straight, so I might have the wrong season and incident?

[bethy]

Was it this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEHwKqHEvuM? The video is dated October of 2012, so that would be beginning of season 8.

Edited November 30, 2015 by bethy

[DittyDotDot]

Yes, that's the one I was thinking of, thanks bethy!

 

It is indeed S8...here's a longer version where Jensen is talking about directing Heartache: 

 

This may not be what Jensen was referring to, but glad to know my memory didn't fail me.

[SueB]

I think you've got the right one!

[RulerofallIsurvey]

• I did not appreciate Dean criticizing Sam for praying/his belief in God.  Now, I understand Dean's pov here.  But to each his own, and it ain't Dean's place to judge Sam for that.  Personally, I think Sam should have shut the door in Dean's face, not walked out.  
• I really like seeing Sheriff Donna again!  She is such a cutie-pie.  While her cheery disposition might get on some people's nerves, I think it's refreshing - especially for this show.  I especially liked her hug with the boys at the end when they called her a hunter.  Hell, I think I like Donna hugs better than Jodi hugs.  And she recognizes what a 'poop storm' their lives actually are and yet being in law enforcement itself can sometimes be a poop storm.  So the fact that she can maintain her optimistic outlook is pretty impressive to me.  
• I love that she and Dean have the same goofy sense of humor while Sam rolls his eyes.  
• Creepy twist on ghost possession with the costumes.  That was neat.  I liked that Donna was down with letting the innocent victims of possession go free.  That had to be a beast for her to deal with covering up for so many though.  
• I REALLY like the canon continuity that Sam is still creeped out by clowns.  My Guck, that elevator scene was the absolute best!
• Wow, the anvils at the end.  I think I still have a headache.  I get it.  I get it already.  'I should have just talked to my brother.  I should have listened to my brother.  I loved my brother.  I didn't stand by my brother.'  I just wonder if the end result is going to be like the last awful ghostfacers episode that had all the brother/partner anvils too where neither of the boys learned from that.  Guck, I hope not.  Well, at least Sam did try to be honest and open and talk to Dean in the car at the end.  And I think Dean did his best to convey that he didn't believe that revisiting the cage was the best course of action.  Unfortunately, I think the way Dean phrased it didn't quite get through all that pretty hair on Sam's head.

[LadyArcadia]

Long story short, we switched DVRs and lost all of season 11. So, I had to wait until it went on Netflix.  My teenage son got me hooked on SPN and we love to watch it together....in Cottage Grove, MN.  

I'm pretty sure I spent about 15min screaming when the "Cottage Grove, Minnesota" text popped up. 

While we're not in Larson County (it's Washington), nor is our high school mascot clowns (Wolfpack), they did some homework as Woodbury is the next town over.  And now "I went to Woodbury to pick up a woodpecker costume." will be forever in our vocabulary.

Awesome.

[KaleyFirefly]

They've done too many ghost stories now. I feel like it's just yet another variation of several ghost episodes I've seen. The costumes were mega-creepy though.

[gonzosgirrl]

On 11/30/2015 at 6:40 PM, DittyDotDot said:

Yes, that's the one I was thinking of, thanks bethy!

 

It is indeed S8...here's a longer version where Jensen is talking about directing Heartache: 

 

This may not be what Jensen was referring to, but glad to know my memory didn't fail me.

Jensen talked about injuring his chin at the TorCon 2015. He said -- and I am VERY MUCH paraphrasing here) that he had been err, indulging in adult beverages, and was horsing around on/around a cement wall (I want to say it might have been around a fountain - not sure about that) and slipped and fell, splitting his chin open in the process. The exact details are fuzzy now and sadly, there is no video of that panel, but that's the gist of it.

 

ETA: and now, of course, I've read back more and see that @catrox14 already talked about this. Oops! I can add that he was very embarrassed in the telling of it, and I was surprised he shared it. I'm surprised I even remember that much, as it was my first con and I was very much gobsmacked at being just a few feet away while they stood there and talked. (and now I'm embarrassed, lol)

Edited June 26, 2017 by gonzosgirrl

[MysteryGuest]

12 hours ago, KaleyFirefly said:

They've done too many ghost stories now. I feel like it's just yet another variation of several ghost episodes I've seen. The costumes were mega-creepy though.

I just watched this episode this weekend.  The costumes were creepy as hell, I agree.  I thought it was a pretty effective ghost story.  I don't get tired of them, if they do them well.  The woman who played the ghost's sister was very good, which always helps, and I love Donna.  

[catrox14]

Sam's attitude with Donna about Doug 2.0 really got on my nerves. Like who was he to lecture her on how she should behave towards 1) her underling and 2) a guy with the same name of her dick ex-husband.

I love so much about this episode but Sam really irked me a lot. LOL

[MysteryGuest]

9 minutes ago, catrox14 said:

Sam's attitude with Donna about Doug 2.0 really got on my nerves. Like who was he to lecture her on how she should behave towards 1) her underling and 2) a guy with the same name of her dick ex-husband.

It didn't really bother me.  He just told her to go a bit lightly on the guy, and she was being sort of a bitch to him, but she wasn't taking any crap from anyone, not even Sam.  She was in a pretty awkward spot because the case certainly was bizarre, and without tipping Doug off about the supernatural, there really wasn't a good explanation for what was going on.  It never really was clear in the end whether Doug was filled in on the whole thing, or still left to believe it was a copycat of a copycat?

[bettername2come]

I like Sam praying at the beginning and getting caught by Dean. It is ridiculous to expect privacy with the door wide open. I love Donna. She's the sweetest character in this entire universe. I think it's cute that Sam and Dean tried to encourage her to give Doug a chance. That bunny mask is horrifying. Sam's "Let's guess, Rog - you were framed!" sounds more like a Dean line. "Damn social media." I love when Dean blames random things. Interesting that the ghost looked all smoky when exiting the mascot. Don't ghosts generally look more human? Always glad to see Brigid Branagh. Loved her on Army Wives. Poor typecast Barry Allen actor. His relatives never catch a break. That clown mask is creepy and I say that as someone without clown fear. And this is random, but if someday we could get Mark Pellegrino in clown makeup to really play on Sam's greatest fears, that'd be great. They're getting some good child actors this season. I love Donna's joy at being called a hunter. She's so adorable. I feel the need to give this show credit for having Donna just working with the next county so she wouldn't be dating one of her own deputies. 

[Hanahope]

Yay, Sheriff Donna is a "hunter" now.  

The costumes and how they attached to people was definitey creepy.  Of course there'd be another clown.  It really is sad that I enjoyed clowns as a kid, but they've been demonized so much these days.

Kindof agree with the anvils about talking to one's brother.  i do have to wonder if the visions Sam is seeing are really from God, or Lucifers way of getting to Sam again.

[Wayward Son]

On 19 November 2015 at 3:50 AM, catrox14 said:

Sam lecturing Donna about Doug is utter bullshit. He would not do that. He has no reason to do that. That was totally out of left field and yes Sam can be judgy but again that doesn't jibe with the Sam that we saw all last season, who was starting to see things differently. 

 

ETA: IF this IS supposed to real!Dean then welp I don't get it. I don't get the character regression and I felt that with Sam here too. This overly bitchy Sam about Donna with Doug (WTF).

I don't see Sam as overly harsh re calling out Donna's treatment of Doug. She was outright rude and condescending to Doug throughout the episode with no reason to act that way other than he had the same name as her ex. If Doug were a less tolerant guy he'd have had every right to quit or report her behaviour IMO. 

 

Of course my opinion might be influenced by the scene of Doug and Donna with the initially unconscious bunny, which I know Sam wasn't there for. Shit like her trying to make him feel bad for wanting to help lift his unconscious body into the car and then yelling at him to help moments later is a pet peeve of mine. Friends of mine have experienced more mundane versions of stuff like that and it's fricking annoying. 

Edited November 27, 2017 by Wayward Son

[The Companion]

On 11/18/2015 at 9:50 PM, catrox14 said:

So, that was....weird. Uneven.  Just like my incoming comments. Maybe I'm just not understanding this season but IMO there was a lot of pod!Dean and pod!Sam in this episode, IMO.

 

I like that we got that cool "Baby" throwback moment of watching the guys walk to the house from her backseat.  That makes me feel like she's part of things.

 

Dean's reactions to Sam praying to God and the Cage reveal:

 

1) Okay, I don't for two minutes believe that the Dean we've had for that past two seasons is going to shame Sam for praying to God. I didn't buy his questioning it in "Baby" very much either but I talked myself out of that. And here he's back to saying "We talked about this". It SEEMS in character but it also doesn't jibe with this theme of Dean allowing Sam to do his thing that was established in 11.01. Nor with the Dean that we've seen regret his choices for the past two seasons.

 

Dean acknowledged in Paint it Black that he believes there is a God but he's not so sure God believes in humans anymore when he confessed to the priest when he had the Mark.  I never had the impression at that time that Dean was angry with God at all in that confession, just really sad more than anything.

 

2) I'm glad they finally acknowledged Sam seeing the Cage, but I really don't buy Dean's reaction to it. I don't think he would dismiss it out of hand like that given EVERYTHING they've been through. He knows too much and was a damn demon to just shut down that way.

 

Even if he's terrified that Sam would try to do something stupid or it dredges up his own PTSD (HAHAHA FAT CHANCE the show actually addresses that with Dean) I really don't believe he would just be like NOPE not happening. It just didn't FEEL like the Dean we have seen for that past 3 seasons. Once more it feels like pod!Dean than Dean IMO

 

So because of all these reactions and my ongoing pod!Dean theory IMO Amara has been influencing him  A LOT more than is being explained to us. IMO Amara is using Dean to speak for her.

 

I think Amara is the one that doesn't want Sam praying to God and is the one speaking about God not helping because of her anger and resentment towards God for locking her away. That God ignored HER prayers and pleadings to not lock her away. IMO she doesn't want Sam anywhere near the Cage because then she has to worry about Sam finding a way to lock her back up by getting Sam getting help from Lucifer and Michael. So she's going to use Dean to stop Sam from doing that. 

 

Dean looked afraid but it wasn't DEAN's afraid face and it wasn't Dean's "I'm the boss of you,  All season Dean has been either too soft or too awkward or too gruff and being all overly 'grr argh' with the salt gun was weird.

 

So much pod!Dean and a lot of pod!Sam in this episode. Dean was weirdly awkward with Donna IMO. There wasn't that ease once they were in each other's company.  That easy way seemed forced here.

 

Sam lecturing Donna about Doug is utter bullshit. He would not do that. He has no reason to do that. That was totally out of left field and yes Sam can be judgy but again that doesn't jibe with the Sam that we saw all last season, who was starting to see things differently. 

 

ETA: IF this IS supposed to real!Dean then welp I don't get it. I don't get the character regression and I felt that with Sam here too. This overly bitchy Sam about Donna with Doug (WTF).

 

I'm just going be over here in my corner of the world not understanding WTF the show is doing with Dean and now Sam.

 

 

I'll be back after a rewatch, but this was just ....weird. And I feel more and more things are rotten in D

The deeper I get into the season, the more I see pod Dean. His reactions were off. 

On 11/18/2015 at 10:15 PM, Goldmoon said:

I thought this was great as old school Supernatural.  The clunky moments aside.  The masks were creepy though I thought that the brothers weren't on their game.

 

1. Glad that Donna ended the episode alive.

2. Very pissed off that Dean was dismissive of her hug at the end of the ep. 

3. Disappointed they felt they had to give Donna a love interest.

4.  Donna's alive.

 

Dean is far too dismissive of Sam's concerns or prayers.  Even if he doesn't believe in them, he is just being far to casual about blowing off Sam when Sam speaks.  Dude should be a better brother than that after all this time.

I hate that I am worried/disappointed to see Donna for fear they will kill her off. Agree that this had a great early show feel.

On 11/19/2015 at 2:47 AM, rue721 said:

Very creepy episode! Those masks...*shudder.*

 

Great Things:

 

The costumes! Fantastic. This episode had a great look altogether imo. Was it my imagination, or did it also seem a tad more desaturated than usual? I even loved how Donna's hair was a little sloppy and frizzy, like an actual cop's would probably be, and that a lot of the scenes were filmed in low light. If the show could start sourcing music on screen more often -- having it come from radios and stuff, and desaturate even more, and make things even more grim/grimy/natural-looking, I would be in heaven :). Maybe we'll even eventually get the guys back at a squat! :P.

 

I had to cover my eyes when the clown took out the scalpel. That has to win as the most skin-crawling moment -- and in an episode with a lot of skin-crawling moments.

 

This episode had piles and piles of nightmare fuel! (I love that. The creepy, quiet, dark tone was also wonderful -- and trademark SPN, imo. The contrast between an episode like this and the decadent silliness of American Horror Story just makes me love SPN even more).

 

Everything about Sam when the elevator doors opened and the worst clown in the world got in with him. And that they just stood there awkwardly for a good 30 seconds, apparently wondering if they could just go ahead down to the lobby without making a ~thing~ out of it.

 

The guys saved people! Again! I love that the show is back to focusing more on the "saving people" than the "hunting things."

 

The monster was once again sympathetic yet scary as shit and totally irredeemable. That's probably the most throwback/S1 thing about the current season, imo, and I love it. I think that the show is both more human and scarier like this.

 

 

I loved the straight horror/creep factor. Whoever made those costumes deserves a raise.

On 11/19/2015 at 9:13 PM, SueB said:

 

And you're all right .... what possessed us to think clowns were good things for children.  Do we secretly hate our young so we traumatize them with these creepy images??  IDK man.  I just know Supernatural has forever put me off clown.  Seriously, if someone was to mention going to see a clown, I'd probably shout out "and clowns kill!"  **shudders**

 

I think I may have mentioned this before, but I realized recently that my son has never seen a non-creepy version of a clown and he had characterized them with vampires and zombies in his mind. 😆 

 

Overall, this one was great. Super creepy costuming, sunny Donna and a good balance of gore and humor. 

I did roll my eyes at "Chester." I guess Moe Lester was too on the nose? Still, I liked the story and the legit creepiness of the possessed people.