S11.E16: Safe House

[bettername2come]

Love the opening with the mom and the daughter. It felt like classic SPN. Pretty sure they've used that bedroom set before. I always love seeing Bobby again. Rufus is good this episode. "Do not religiously persecute me, Bobby." The bottle of Johnny! I love that Bobby used a machine to dig. I love that he caught Rufus on the Shabbat after sunset detail. I love that they hunted a creature in Alaska. I love that Bobby is just open and honest with "I'm worried about my boys, Rufus." Even if it feels more like a season 7 line than a season 5 line. Like the "Grumpy Old Men of Letters" line. Nice to see that Dean winning rock, paper scissors a few eps back was a fluke. "You wanna hold my hand?" Oh, God, he actually reached for it. Can't stop laughing. I love Bobby telling the trapped kid he's gonna take care of it. I love protective Bobby. What is up with that little girl that she thinks the blood sigil is pretty? That's not normal. 

On 3/23/2016 at 10:11 PM, CocoaGoddess said:

Jared really puts a lot of force behind his punch throws, wow. I was almost scared for Jensen for a second there.

Agreed. I always think Sam tends to look a little scarier when he punches. I don't know fighting, but Sam always seems to have really controlled form, while Dean feels like more of a brawler. 

Oh, God, Sam is holding Dean and he has his hand on his head. This is the most beautiful hug ever. 

On 11/3/2016 at 6:10 PM, RulerofallIsurvey said:

I still don’t understand why Sam would say that Dean seeing him dead inside the nest was comforting. 

I thought it made sense. I mean, knowing Sam's death is still his worst fear instead of, say, dead Amara goes with the season long plot. Like, "oh, good, everything's normal, this Amara hold isn't effecting him too much." I don't think it was a surprise.

[Hanahope]

Ah, great to see Bobby and Rufus again.  Those two make such a good pair (lol at Sabbath).  The editing cuts between the two groups was very good.  I liked how B/R thought they'd dealt with the problem, only to have it pop up again later for D/S to have to deal with.  Glad they found a more permanent solution.

Dean, its never simple.  Just accept that.  You've done that a few times now, taken the easy way out, only to find out that it was more complicated.

[The Companion]

On 3/23/2016 at 10:16 PM, bethy said:

 

Also, my gosh, it's such a relief to have Sam and Dean on good terms. That alone had made this season so much more enjoyable to me that the last few.

Yes! This show is best when they work together, IMO. 

On 3/24/2016 at 10:22 AM, trxr4kids said:

I loved this episode, although now I'm even more irritated that they killed Rufus. I could listen to Rufus and Bobby all day. Good job show.

ETA: I went back and watched the part of season 7 ep 12 Time After Time, the bottle Johnny Walker Blue with the note from Rufus that Jody found was the one from this episode. So much continuity I feel like I watched an entirely different show.

I wondered. I love that detail.

On 3/24/2016 at 10:49 AM, SueB said:

 

Blue Meanie, I'm TOTALLY willing to take the headache on this one. Temporal paradox is a great answer for me.  OTOH, I can also see that the Rufus/Bobby combo worked as well for the still yet living.  So, either way works.  

 

So this was an episode of Supernatural Porn in my book.  AND very well written to boot.  Well done Robbie Thompson.  And the editing was particularly spot on AND essential.  So kudos to Don Koch (editor) and Stefan Pleszczynski (director).  I notice Stefan previous episodes were also darker, inner horror stories ('Alex, Annie, Alexis, Ann' and 'The Werther Project'). But let me get to the porn.

 

Continuity Porn with elements of Parallel Porn:

- We learn where the bottle from "Time After Time" came from.  And isn't it nicely nuanced that this episode ALSO featured a temporal element.

- Mentions of the Apocalypse and working a case when you haven't got any leads. It's the way it's always been.  

- Bobby's journal was empty because Dean interrupted him from writing a journal entry.  Well done to provide us that rationale why they had to follow in their footsteps. And Dean being more insistent with Bobby back in the day (before Bobby gave them shit in "Weekend at Bobby's").

- Bobby being a thorough hunter and burning everyone who died in the house. 

- Rufus attempting to con Bobby out of work on the Sabbath. And Bobby catching him with the "it's after sundown".  It was good that Rufus accepted that too. 

- Bobby using a back-ho for digging graves.  Sam and Dean lamenting isn't there an easier way.  

- Dean losing again at Rock, Paper, Scissors.  Because Dean honey, you must have a tell and Sam has figured it out.  

- Mary gave both Rufus and Bobby and then Sam and Dean tea.

- The soul eater had left a deep hand print bruise. The life force eater from S1 left a rotted handprint on the window sill.  I think there's some connection there.

- Rufus drinking scotch. Bobby drinking beer.  The boys drink beer.

- The Men of Letters data is archived electronically!  What had to have been started by Charlie, we now see signs has been followed thru by Sam.  I'm sure they didn't archive everything yet, but it was nice to know it's up and valuable.

- Dean being adept at sigil/symbol writing.  He was done in half the time there.  Poor Sam and Rufus got thrown under the bus (in terms of being slow) so that the plot could be fleshed out (ha! look at that... a possession pun... *I'll show my way out*)

- I'm forgetting a bunch.  I'll keep on thinking.

 

FEELINGS (say it like Crowley) Porn:

- "I'm just worried about my boys." -- ooofph.  Completely reasonable for Bobby to say that to Rufus. Completely rips my heart out for a number of reasons.

- The way Sam patted Dean on the head at the end.  I need to give them both a hug.

- Dean keeps Bobby's Journal in the trunk of the Impala!  Although, I'm starting to think the Impala trunk might be spelled with the Hermione Granger purse spell because... dahmn.  That's one useful trunk.

- The boys getting it was Bobby/Rufus JUST from the description of their rudeness.  *sad smile*

- Sam getting the same room for "luck".  Ha! Sam, you ain't fooling anyone.  You got it for sentimental reasons and Dean would have done the same thing.

- Dean's worst fear is still a dead Sam.

- The LOOK on Dean's (and Bobby's) face when they saw each other.  They both knew it was a real moment.  Because Dean IS SMART and has exceptional instincts.  

 

Fan-servicing Porn (not that there's anything wrong with that in MY book):

- Dean mentioning Cas at least twice.  Once was enough to justify non-presence. Twice lets us know it's a priority.

- The Impala looked mighty pretty tonight.  All shiny and standing out in the same parking spot where Bobby's rust bucket once parked.

- Grumpy Old Men of Letters.  GOLD.

- Rock, Paper, Scissors has become Fan Porn.  I'm okay with that.  It always amuses.  Keep using it.  

 

ETA: Growth Porn

- Dean did not just leap into the "I'll do the super dangerous thing and Sam you stay fray-adjacent."  He not only tried to avoid it, he told Sam he was doing it next time.

- Complete data dump from Dean to Sam on what happened in the "in-between space".  So GREAT to have the boys feeling like a team.

Since the entire EPISODE was an exercise in parallels, I won't point them all out but it was so very well done with just the right differences where they belonged.  In particular, needing the research done by the Men of Letters to find the more complicated symbol.

 

Again, there were many nuances to Safe Houses.  The way the dead souls had blackened mouths and just stood there silently.  Nicely creepy and a good way to show the difference between those still living and those who are not.  Good connection to they mythology with an indication of the "in-between" place out of time and space.  This could come in handy later.  The Soul Eater trying to logic Sam that he could protect them from the Darkness.

 

BTW.. did Bobby lie in his journal about "guns-blazing" in Tennessee and then tell Rufus the truth about "filling my drawers" (i.e. code Brown moment)?  I didn't think Bobby was very vain BUT I could see him not sharing that bit in his journal.  

 

Enough rambling. I'll be watching this again and again just for the FEEL GOOD moments.  Which came about once every 20 seconds.  

I had to quote this because I can't like it a zillion times. 

On 3/24/2016 at 11:27 AM, trxr4kids said:

I also really liked both of the child actors, which while that isn't a rarity on supernatural, it is for me on most other tv shows. Not to pick on kids or anything but they're just kids and usually lack any subtlety because they're kids. So great casting and directing show.

Totally agree. The little girl under her bed nearly made my heart stop. She was so so good.

On 3/24/2016 at 6:11 PM, catrox14 said:

 

/GASP!!!!  NO NOT SQUIRREL!!! HOW DARE YOU

 

Armadillo+prairie dog

True story: my Dad is from a small rural town and calls squirrel "chicken of the trees." 😂

On 3/24/2016 at 7:10 PM, Demented Daisy said:

 

Yeah... the lovin' oven!  Wah chicka wah wah!

 

*ahem*  I'll show myself out....

That made me laugh way too hard. Now I gotta work lovin oven into my daily life. 

 

On 3/26/2016 at 12:23 PM, SueB said:

 

I've thought about it more and I'm kinda on board with the Blue Meanie temporal anomaly theory. Here's why: (fair warning... charts & graphs mode...)

- What was the whole POINT of introducing a temporal anomaly if all it did was provide Bobby and Dean a glimpse across time?   Nice, but waste of a good opportunity IMO.

- My original sticking point was how could Bobby, Mary & her son live so long ago.  And what about the rest of the ones trapped?  Then it occurred to me, what Bobby did was stop the continued impact the Soul Eater was having on his and the the two living bodies.  By putting up the entrapment sigil, Rufus essentially froze the effect. So in the fluid temporal existence, Mary, her son, and Bobby never died.  The other "sad people" were already dead when the entrapment sigil went up.  So they were able to be expelled when Sam killed the Soul Eater.  

- What about Ted?  Well Ted was too far gone.  He might have already been dead by the time Bobby figured out the entrapment sigil. Or, unlike Mary & her son, he was not under a doctor's care and just expired due to the damage already inflicted.  I expect Sam (presuming he's the one who goes inside in Tennessee) will see Ted as a "sad person".

- So why did Dean see Bobby and not go back to some other point?  Well Dean saw EVERYBODY who was in there for as long as the Soul Eater was chewing on his cud (gross, BTW).  Mary and her son were conveniently in another room (upstairs) and they got spit out when he and Bobby did.  Dean just didn't see them.  

- Clues that THIS was the answer and not something else:

1) Bobby was not sure Rufus' answer of "they got spit out" and "just take the win" was accurate.  Bobby's instincts are good.

2) The Johnny Walker Blue was a tip-off that we were in a temporal anomaly driven episode because it was last seen in "Time After Time"

3) As many have pointed out, souls existing outside of time and space in an "other" place seems AWFULLY close to a set-up that they may be able to save some of the souls Amara consumed already.  Just MAYBE.  

 

TL. DR Bottom Line: There's a logical answer for who ended up alive and who ended up dead that works well with killing the Soul Eater being what set everyone free (who lived). There were clues we were dealing with a temporal anomaly episode and it may have mytharc implications. 

I agree. I suspect the souls were returned to the time and place from which they were taken. If there was a body, they snapped back in (we have seen that souls travel back to their bodies if released). If not, they are sent wherever they would go with no body.

On 3/27/2016 at 10:48 AM, catrox14 said:

I've probably been watching WAY too much Doctor Who and Fringe with all the wibbley wobbley timey wimey stuff and pocket universes and alternate universes, but I also have a little head!canon that Bobby chose wallpaper instead of paint so that the boys would have access to the sigil.

 

I think when he said to Rufus that he saw something else that was probably nothing, that was a reference to him seeing Dean in the future and he figured the boys would need access to the sigil to save him and Rufus and release everyone else that had been trapped over time by the soul eater.    

 

Wibbley wobbley timey wimey...stuff

 

 

ETA: Basically Bobby left a trail for Sam and Dean but he couldn't write it in the book otherwise they might have only saved Bobby and Rufus and not everyone else.

The wallpaper certainly has a nice Blink/Sally Sparrow feel, doesn't it? Headcanon accepted.

Oh man, what a string of great episodes. I loved this one so much. Bobby and Rufus. Working together! Wibbly wobbly stuff!! Lesbians who survive! It's like a checklist of things I like. 😂

The brother hug was amazing. So was the teamwork. I loved the seamless editing and the humor. 

I also said it above, but this was such well done child in peril work. I found myself so worried about the kids without feeling manipulated. I loved the creepy trapped souls. They were so amazing. 

My only complaint is something that has bugged me for a few episodes, and it's more of a season arc thing. At the beginning they once again say that The Darkness has gone to ground/is in the wind/is untrackable. The thing about having The Dimness become invisible to justify these side episodes is that it completely takes away any menace she has. It's like, has The Dusk gone off to start a quiet life with  a farm somewhere? There is no indication The Poorly Lit Room is gaining speed or momentum, or is planning something. Contrast this with Godtiel or the Leviathans (they are doing bad things but we can't stop them). At this point, you are left wondering if The Poor Visibility is even much of a threat.

That is really a minor nit and doesn't at all affect what was, in my opinion, another top notch episode. 

[FlickChick]

@The Companion, this was one of my favorite episode of the series. Loved the juxtaposition of the Rufus/Bobby hunt with the Sam/Dean hunt - one set goes to open a door, the other walks through, and other similar settings. I had a feeling you'd like it too. And yes, the visual of the little girl under the bed and that super creepy hand grabbing her was one of the best I've seen. I know that others may not agree, but I really liked most of Robbie Thompson's scripts - especially the ones that focused on the brothers and not necessarily Charlie - although I found her to be an OK side character when he toned her down. I still miss his writing.

[trudysmom]

I love this episode, as a whole, but my favorite part is the over their heads camera angle in the motel with Willie Nelson singing "Night Life".  My father in law, who I loved and miss dearly, sang with Willie on occasion and more than once I remember him picking this song on his guitar and singing for us.  I had never heard it before, or since, (not really a country music fan, just some older stuff) until this episode, and when it played I was stunned to tears in remembering him.  How wonderful for my favorite show to to show my favorite people working to the sounds of one of my favorite songs.  Still gives me chills.