#Supernatural Bugs

[my-supernatural-rewatch]

Episode 8: Bugs

Dean Winchester in the Supernatural episode Bugs

There are not enough words to describe how much I hate watching this episode.

It's actually a lot better an ep than I remembered, but I hate all the...you guessed it...bugs. (Even knowing they're fake. I lost count of how many times I closed my eyes while watching this episode.)

Dean and Sam investigate a new housing development where people are seemingly being killed by...ugh...bugs.

So this episode starts with something I wish we got to actually see more of on the show...Dean walks out of a barroom after making money hustling pool. I would love to have seen more of that. I know we got a few glimpses but I think it's such a good example of Dean honing a craft, becoming expert at it, and using it to survive.

And since Dean did this, of course Sam has to take issue with how he made his money. He complains about Dean making money hustling pool and with credit cars scams and suggests they get 'day jobs.'

Dean weighs the honest ways of money versus the easy and fun ways to make money and his happy with his life choices. "It's no contest."

"Besides, we're good at it. It's what we were raised to do."

Because God forbid John took a day job once in a while.

Sam admittedly has a great reponse, "Yeah, well how we were raised was jacked."

For once, Sammy, you aren't wrong. Dean, of course, disagrees.

"Says you."

Now as time goes on we'll find out Dean pretty much agrees with Sam but right now John looms heavy over Dean and he wouldn't dare say that to his younger brother.

As an aside, the beginning of this episode has Def Leppard's Rock of Ages playing (presumably in the bar?) and it is as of now the second time we hear this song just this season. We know it comes up again in season five and I'm wondering if we hear it again between now and then (I'm not spoiling it for myself by Googling it).

Oh and another aside that's been nagging at me since I am keeping track of when Dean wears John's jacket...where do they keep all their clothes? Granted, there probably aren't a lot of them but we know they aren't in the trunk because of all the weapons and shit they keep there...and we never see anything in the back seat...so where are the clothes? Where does Dean keep all his different jackets?

On the fly, Dean comes up with the idea to stop at an open house and talk to the people in the development to see what they can find out. (This is after they flipped a coin to see who went in the dirt hole the first dead guy was found in and Sam goes in even though Dean said he would. There are bugs. It is gross.)

As they approach the house, we get another glimpse into how the show wants us to think Dean feels about family-type communities such as the one they're currently in.

"Growing up in a place like this would freak me out." "The manicured lawns. 'How was your day, honey?' I'd blow my brains out."

Of course we find out Dean truly wanted some version of this both when he gets captured by the Djinn and when he's with Lisa....

But. I. Digress.

Sam protests by saying there's nothing wrong with normal and Dean responds with "I'd take our family over normal any day."

And I believe him to a certain extent. Dean has to believe that the way they were raised was the right way because if he doesn't what does that say about him...about his father? Dean isn't yet in a place to be thinking about this stuff too deeply.

We then get our first, but not last, instance of someone mistaking Sam and Dean for a couple instead of brothers when the real estate agent and guy who created the development assumes they are together and looking for a home.

Dean is the one who explains that they're brothers while Sam stands around with a goofy smile on his face.

Once they're in the backyard, where people are there mingling for this fancy schmancy open house, another realtor mistakes them fro a gay couple and Dean plays into it but calling Sam "honey" and slapping his ass.

This episode introduced me to steam showers and to this day I so fucking want one. Just like Dean.

Sam ends up bonding with the real estate agent's teenage son and doesn't even use his fake sympathy voice. Good for you, Sam!

Sam witnesses the kid's father being an overbearing jerk to his son and comments to Dean that he reminds him of John...to which Dean takes offense.

"Dad never treated us like that."

Sam points out that John never treated DEAN like that (which we find out to not be true but in fairness to Sam we also found out that for the most part Sam didn't know how badly Dean was treated by John).

"You were perfect. He was all over my case," Sam tells Dean.

"Maybe sometimes he had to raise his voice, but sometimes you were out of line." I don't believe for a minute that Dean really believs this but I do think that Dean has made himself believe this.

Sam gives the teen a bit of advice about his dad by telling him things will get better when he leaves home for college and is out of the house and away from his father and Dean is not impressed.

"What kind of advice is that? Kid should stick with his family."

This breaks my heart. It really does. Because Dean at this point truly thinks that sacrificing your own needs and your own dreams because of loyalty to your family is the right and only path.

The things Dean could have done had John not kept him under his thumb.

Random weirdness in the episode. About halfway through it, with no explanation, no discussion about it at all, Sam is driving the Impala.

Why, Dean, why?

The brothers get a lot of time in this episode to talk.

Here's the entire dialogue between them because it's too good to summarize:

Dean: Yeah, so with that kid back there...why'd you tell him to just ditch his family like that?

Sam: I know what the kid's going through.

Dean: How about telling him to respect his old man, how's that for advice?

Sam: Dean, come on. This isn't about his old man. You think I didn't respect Dad. That's what this is about.

Dean: Just forget it, all right? Sorry I brought it up.

Sam: I respected him. But no matter what I did, it was never good enough.

Dean: So what are you saying'? That Dad was disappointed in you?

Sam: Was? Is. Always has been.

Dean: Why would you think that?

Sam: Because I didn't want to bow hunt or hustle pool - because I wanted to go to school and live my life, which, to our whacked-out family, made me the freak.

Dean: Yeah, you were kind of like the blonde chick in The Munsters.

Sam: Dean, you know what most dads are when their kids score a full ride? Proud. Most dads don't toss their kids out of the house.

Dean: I remember that fight. In fact, I seem to recall a few choice phrases comin' out of your mouth.

Sam: You know, truth is, when we finally do find Dad...I don't know if he's even gonna wanna see me.

Dean: Sam, Dad was never disappointed in you. Never. He was scared.

Sam: What are you talkin' about?

Dean: He was afraid of what could've happened to you if he wasn't around. But even when you two weren't talking...he used to swing by Stanford whenever he could. Keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe.

Sam: What?

Dean: Yeah.

Sam: Why didn't you tell me any of that?

Dean: Well, it's a two-way street, dude. You could've picked up the phone.

Not to defend John Winchester because fuck him, but I do think there's a lot to what Dean says here. It makes perfect sense that John would be scared about Sam going off on his own when John had basically spent the first 18 years of Sam's life killing and pissing off monsters. Plus with the demon that killed Mary still kicking about, John had no way of knowing how safe Sam would be on his own.

And, John being John, instead of admitting any of that, he turned it into "if you leave don't come back" because...well, because John is a dick.

I also think Sam, who can be a dick in his own right, probably said some things to John that cut too deeply. John is much more to blame for this, always will be, but I have a feeling Dean is not exaggerating when he says Sam had a decent hand in that rift.

Both brothers look more sad than anything else during this exchange and, yes, that's John Winchester's fucking legacy.

Dean and Sam talk to a Native American man about the bugs and find out about the development being built where the American cavalry raped and then massacred an entire village Native Americans (hello Poltergiest) but he won't talk to Dean because he clocks Dean as a liar and Sam as NOT a liar.

Which, sorry dude, but your radar is a little off there. (I mean not completely but still...)

So weird shit continues to happen and the kid calls Sam for help. Sam tells him to basically convince his father about what is happening and Dean takes the phone from him and tells the kid to LIE because "He'll just think you're nuts." if he tells his dad the truth.

Spoiler: Dean is right; Sam is wrong; the kid stupidly listens to Sam.

Dean's admonishment to Sam made me laugh, "Make him listen. What are you thinking?"

Sam really IS out of practice.

Also, I feel like Dean is projecting a little bit. John wouldn't have listened to either of his sons when they were teenagers. (Hell, he doesn't listen to them as adults.)

So there is a lot more gross bug stuff and somehow they get through and now we get our final brother moment after Sam sees the real estate agent and his son in a better place after their shared trauma.

He tells Dean he wants to find John and apologize "For all the things I said to him."

When Dean asks what he's going to apologize for, Sam admits, "He was just doing the best he could."

Which is an excuse I hear from a lot of fans who defend John Winchester as a father. And, I'm sorry, but just doing the best you could is sometimes NOT ENOUGH.

Dean assures Sam they'll find him and Sam can apologize. Then he hits him with a truth bomb:

"And then within five minutes, you guys will be at each other's throats."

Some notes for posterity:

The significant music from this episode comes from Def Leppard: Rock of Ages (second appearance on the show) and Scorpion: No One Like You

The brothers pose as anthropology students when they talk to John Whitetree but he knows immediately Dean is lying. They tell the coworker of the first guy who dies that they are the nephews of the dead guy, and they tell the real estate agent that they're brothers looking for a place for their dad. (And Dean pretends they're a couple in front of the second real estate agent.)

Movie References: Sam and Dean both mention the film Willard, Dean makes two TV references with The Munsters and Timmy from Lassie...there is also the obvious nod to Poltergeist with the entire premise of the episode.

This hunt takes place in Oasis Plains, Oklahoma.

Dean wears John’s jacket in this episode.

Sam drives the Impala briefly and without explanation.

This is the only episode we see Sam and Dean with umbrellas.

Because Eric Kripke is a bit of a weirdo:

"I called [Manners], said 'the boys aren't scared of demons, but they're scared of rain?' From that point forward, a hard rule: no umbrellas. Not easy for Vancouver."

[definitely-not-5urreal-w4nderer]

Dean is such a daddy's boy it's not even funny, a daddy apologist even

[surethingsis]

If I had a nickel everytime my beloved leads of my fave shows were exposed to live bees for an episode I'd have 2 nickles

David & Gillian talking about the 300,000 live bees that they had to work with in Fight The Future.

I don’t think any movie made today would use live bees rather than CGI. Major props to the actors. 

[lovealwayssay]

I just did some math and, if Cas is as old as the earth, his 12 years with Dean is equivalent to like 0.08 seconds in a human lifespan. That’s less than 1/10th of a second, shorter than the blink of an eye. He knew Dean for such a short amount of time compared to his entire existence and it was enough to fundamentally change everything about Cas and how he sees the world. That’s absolutely insane to me.

[hellsitegenetics]

I always wondered, ever since I took that burden, that curse, I wondered what it could be, what my true happiness could even look like. I never found an answer, because the one thing I want... it's something I know I can't have. But I think I know - I think I know now, happiness isn't in the having, it's in just being, it's in just saying it. What are you talking about, man? I know - I know how you see yourself, Dean. You see yourself the same way our enemies see you. You're destructive and you're angry and you're broken - your daddy's blunt instrument. And you think that hate and anger, that's what drives you, that's who you are. It's not! And everyone who knows you sees it. Everthing you have ever done, the good and the bad, you have done for love. You raised your little brother for love, you fought fo this whole world for love. That is who you are! You're the most caring man on earth. You are the most selfless, loving human being I will ever know. You know, ever since we met, ever since I pulled you out of hell - knowing you has changed me. Because you cared, I cared. I cared about you. I cared about Sam, I cared about Jack, but I cared about the whole world because of you. You changed me, Dean. Why does this sound like a goodbye? Because it is. I love you. Don't do this, Cas. Cas- Goodbye, Dean.

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Closest match: Apoda limacodes genome assembly, chromosome: 12 Common name: Festoon

[destiel-news-channel]

[Image ID: There are three images. The first one is similar to a title card and shows a screenshot froom the show supernatural. Dean and Castiel stand facing each other. The screenshot is faded and superimposed with a blue background from a news show. In the front is a logo which says 'Destiel News Channel'. The second is a screenshot of Castiel from the same confession scene. At the bottom is a newsticker with a headline which reads 'WGA deal reached' and a subline which says 'prepare for the second coming of Destiel!'. The third image is a screenshot of Dean from the same scene edited so that a text looking like subtitles spells out 'I love you'. /End ID]

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Halloween Shana! Would really be interested to see Sirius and Mollys conversation at the black house during Phoenixes dont take orders in Siat 😍 Otherwise gimme your fave rare pair <3

When Dean filches his brother's address from the registrar's office, he thinks it has to be a mistake. Sam couldn't afford to live here if he sold both kidneys. He couldn't afford to live here if he had a fucking kidney selling side hustle.

Breaking into this place is out of the question, so instead of sneaking in during the middle of the night, he shows up bright and early and gives the doorman his most charming grin. "I'm here for Sam Winchester."

"Is he expecting you?" he asks, bored.

Dean's smile doesn't dim. "Not exactly. I'm his brother."

That gets some life in the doorman's eyes and he checks his computer. "Dean Winchester?"

What the fuck. Apparently Sam does live here. "Got it in one."

"Right this way, sir," he says gesturing to an elevator with no buttons that opens for him. "It will take you directly to the penthouse."

The penthouse? The penthouse?

He'd going to get Sam to help him find Dad, but first things first he's going to shake Sam until some answers fall out, because what the hell.

He takes the elevator up and walks cautiously into some sort of entry room. He has to resist the urge to walk though gun first, the place all smooth lines and chrome and dark colors. It's freaking him out.

The kitchen is even more chrome and black cabinets and black tiled floors, but there's also his little brother, standing there shirtless in black silk pants and fiddling with what he thinks is an espresso machine. "Sam?"

He turns quickly, eyes widening in surprise. "Dean? What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" he scoffs. "What are you doing here?"

Sam stares. "I... live here?"

"Here?" he repeats. "Here?"

His little brother is rolling his eyes, as if he's the one being ridiculous and not perfectly reasonable.

There's the sound of someone walking and an admittedly drop dead gorgeous red head turns the corner, a black silk robe open and revealing matching lace panties and bra. She gasps, fluttering her hands over her mass of curly hair. "Oh, Samuel! You didn't tell me we had company!"

She doesn't make any effort to close her robe.

Sam rolls his eyes. "As if you didn't know he was coming. You should have told me we were having company."

"Yes, well, where's the fun in that?" she asks, grinning as she crosses the room over to Sam. She's so short that Sam has to practically bend in half to kiss her, and woah, what the hell?

Sure, she's hot, but she's a least a decade older than Sam. Probably closer to two. What the hell is going on here?

"Dean," Sam says, his hand on her waist. "This is my girlfriend, Rowena."

[profoundathletecowboybanana]

Me when the fic has love spell/potion/bug bite that has no effect on character A because they’re already so in love with character B that nothing about their behavior changes

[incesthemes]

a thesis.

[raviollies]

I really hate the whole "all vampires are evil. Even if they weren't evil in life, every positive trait is now negative." in DnD because it discards so much interesting story telling for absolutely no reason.

Vampires are people that were given immortality, power over others, and their method of sustenance inherently is selfish, having to be taken from others - but they're still people. People as mortals can be evil without those things, so why can't a person with that still make the choice to be good?

Some vampires take their power over others to be cruel, to get what they want without care for anyone else. To claim and consume. Others could live a hundred lives by different peoples sides, each love unique but finite. Some vampires could see their immortality as a curse, an eternity writhing in their sadness - while others as time they have to do things they never did as mortals.

"They can never feel love" - but love can be harmful too. Love can be toxic, it can be unhealthy, and I think that some people can be incredibly cruel in the name of love. Every emotion can be pure and good, and rotten and vile on the flipside, it depends on the person.

I just think it's more interesting if there was more thought put into the reasons the monster is evil, and that with those reasons, sometimes people will still choose to be kind, and others will choose to be evil.

[skateironicallycantskate]

my favorite trope

[coca-colas-truck-driver]

every time i re-watch bugs i feel more like dean was just using john as a way to tell sam how he felt/feels about sam going to college and is telling sam that he would watch him when he was at stanford, and sam didnt realize (because really why would he think that) that dean was talking about himself till now, and his realization was only rationalized because dean said he could of picked up the phone when john has sam blocked. they are just a million ways dean could have replied and he chose basically the only one that wouldnt make sense if he was actually talking about their dad

[deancrowleycas]

Favorite Shots Per Episode ✩ 1.08 Bugs (1/2)

[castielsprostate]

castiel smallifying himself into a [NONDESCRIPT BUG WITHOUT ANY TRADEMARKS OR COPYRIGHTS] and crawls up into dean's slicked up gushy tushy and starts ramming his [NONDESCRIPT BUG WITHOUT ANY TRADEMARKS OR COPYRIGHTS] body into dean's shiny prostate

[shinelikethunder]

the family drama and backstory gets a lot of play as being the best part of 1x08 Bugs, but what I don't see people talking about as much is that the punchline of the whole thing is when they're in the car near the end and Dean "Filial Piety" Winchester hears Sam telling that kid very earnestly over the phone "you have to tell your shitty dad the truth about the danger you're all in! just try to get through to him!" and immediately goes "are you crazy? gimme the fucking phone. okay, kiddo, it's time to tell your dad what's known as an 'expedient lie.' how good are you at faking appendicitis?"

like give me all the backstory on Dean learning to "manage" John while Sam was standing up to him, i know that shit went crazy and got toxic as hell

[unfavorableangel]

yall think angels ever felt cute aggression when looking at humans? im imagining michael in the cage, confused and concerned about his sudden urge to squeeze adam until he pops.