#but then again take my opinion with a grain of salt because cas is 1) john-dean-sam vs god&angels fodder in some cases

[aliusfrater]

Look, I'm kinda drunk right now, so maybe this is just the bourbon talking, but I maintain that Anna as a character would have made a hell of a lot more sense because Cas stopped making any sense after Sam went to the Cage and developed so many intense issues with possession. Cas, they just stopped acknowledging was occupying the body of a man he'd basically blackmailed into consenting, and then didn't explore the moral myopia involved in Sam and Dean happily hanging out with him.

there are a lot of moments where it becomes heavily apparent to me that anna's character was indeed misogynistically bullied off of the show (much like bela and katie's ruby) while cas took her narrative place and much of his character past moments in season five or if i'm being charitable, 7.01, were winged and the fact that anna quite literally had her own body while jimmy's character was essentially slowly nullified is one of them.

[deantransgressions2]

9x10 road trip 

#1: dean pity party. boohoo! don't care, won't care. get lost, buddy! 

time tag: 1:14

#2: just starts breaking shit. not sure why. drink some tea or something idk

time tag: 2:09

#3: god he says the dumbest shit

“sammy was dying. what was i supposed to do?”

???? why don’t you just hold his hand????? this is fucking s4 all over again. 

time tag: 5:06

#4: hot take but cas telling dean he was “stupid for the right reasons” should be taken with a fucking grain of salt. cas is an angel who killed his vessel and broke up a home in the process. so i wouldn’t exactly care about cas’s perspective on the whole gadreel situation. no hate on cas, but dean really shouldn’t listen to his opinion on this.  

time tag: 5:10

#5: leaves the room while crowley is stabbing nails into sam’s skull, because i guess watching is brother in pain is too much for him :( seeing his brother in pain knowing he’s responsible :( knowing he’s a bad brother :( fucking wimp. 

“i can’t watch that anymore” 

time tag: 25:05

#6: i’m gonna go ahead and say that crowley sticking nails into sam’s brain is just as bad as dean shoving an angel into sam’s entire mind AND body. 

“i want to talk about anything that’s not a demon sticking needles into my brother brain”

time tag: 25:10

#7: he's just the embodiment of hypocrisy. 

cas: “you thought your brother’s life was at stake”

dean: “yeah. i got played.”

remember when sam got played in s4? remember how dean literally continues to blame him for ruby years after the fact? remember how cas got played in s8 and dean also blames him for years after the fact?  LMAOOOOO dean is a joke. 

time tag: 26:23

#8: first words to sam were “all right. let me hear it” instead of i’m sorry. self explanatory. 

time tag: 39:02

#9: he is completely incapable of taking responsibility for his actions and owning up to them. he immediately jumps into defensive mode. kinda reminds me of his fans...

sam: “i’m pissed. you lied to me, again.”

dean: “i didn’t have a choice.”

sam: “i was ready to die, dean!”

dean: “i know. but i wouldn’t let you, because that’s not in me.” 

sam: “so what? you decide to trick me into being possessed by some....psycho angel?”

dean: “he saved your life”

sam: “so what? i was willing to die. and now....kevin.”

dean saying that letting sam die is not in him....bro literally no one asked dean to get involved. sam dying is between him and death. but dean decided to stick his head where it doesn’t belong and fuck everything up. he’s like a jealous ex. 

time tag: 39:10

#10: THIS conversation right here is what irks sam the most

dean: “i will find gadreel, and i will end that son of a bitch, but i’ll do it alone”

sam: “what’s that supposed to mean?”

dean: “come on, man. can’t you see? i’m...i’m poison, sam. people get close to me, they get killed...or worse. you know, i tell myself that i help more people than i hurt. i tell myself i’m doing it all for the right reasons, and i...i believe that. but i can’t...i won’t...drag anyone through the muck with me. not anymore.”

sam: “go. i’m not gonna stop you. but don’t go thinking that’s the problem ‘cause it’s not.” 

sam was just possessed, for months. only to discover that his brother, the person he trusts the most, was responsible. sam wants revenge more than anyone. revenge is kinda his thing. but dean comes in all defensive, throwing himself a pity party no one wants to be at, and sam is OVER IT. sam wants a true and honest explanation from dean. he needed dean to ask if he was okay. he just spent months out of the loop, and now all he wants is information. to be treated by dean as an equal. to be respected by dean for once. but instead, he got ditched on a bridge. his brother left him to deal with the fallout of possession alone. well, not alone. he had cas with him. who is an angel that has also altered his body without consent. 

time tag: it’s at the end. don’t watch it. spare yourself. 

[thedisneydoc]

Best Coast: Adventureland

I recently became a fan of the Lost Bros Co’s Oh Boy! The Podcast. I’ve been learning a lot of great things about Walt Disney World (WDW) that I have never heard before, and I am loving the recommendations, tips, and bits of knowledge and nostalgia that they share. Since Disneyland (DL) is my “home park,” it’s always fascinating to learn more about how the other park lives. The Lost Bros also play some pretty entertaining “games” on their show that incorporate their opinions and creative ideas. In one of their first episodes, they play something like West Coast vs. East Coast, aka DL vs. WDW, where they compared the same attractions and rides from each park. To them, DL took the cake on the majority of rides, even though the Lost Bros themselves are WDW locals. After my 2 trips to WDW in 2018, I’ve been comparing the parks myself as well. So as a DL native, “let’s get down to business” and find out what the West Coast thinks as well.

I’m going to go land by land and space each post out, because if this were just one whole post, you’d be reading a full book at that point.

Adventureland (TL;DR Disneyland wins!)

Adventureland is my favorite (follow up post on “Lands That I Love” to follow). When you first walk into the park and go up Main Street USA, you first hit “the Hub” (with or without grass to sit on, depending on your park) where the road spikes off into different directions and your journey begins depending on which land you run to first. Well, I always veer to the left and begin my day at Adventureland, so I’m going to start here first. 

WDW: The biggest advantage WDW has is space. There’s TONS of it in Florida, unlike in tiny Anaheim, CA. So it’s great that they have more to work with over there. One of the things I do love about WDW’s version is that they have a whole Pirates of the Caribbean dedicated section (Caribbean Plaza) with this AMAZING scavenger hunt quest game that I will cover in a later post. And they have a whole restaurant devoted to the Jungle Cruise and its dad joke puns, which is one of my favorite things ever. That being said, I still think DL is the winner here.

DL: While smaller, it has much more of a jungle adventure vibe with towering, lush tropical plants and trees than WDW, which is much more open and goes with the desert Bazaar feeling instead. I definitely get the feeling that I’m isolated in a mysterious jungle somewhere, and I’m just a sucker for that old-timey, vintage adventurer and tiki aesthetic. That feeling is just missing for me somehow at WDW. Plus we now have one of the best snack spots ever, The Tropical Hideaway! It’s no Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper Canteen, but I can’t complain. Dole Whip is my favorite Disney snack and I’ll admit that I stan that exclusive chile-mango whip real hard. We also have the major advantage of being home to The Indiana Jones Adventure, which I won’t compare with WDW since it doesn’t really have an equivalent ride. But in my opinion, just having Indy alone puts the DL Adventureland wayyyyy in the lead. Now in terms of comparing similar rides and attractions...

The Enchanted Tiki Room: While I have to agree with the Lost Bros Co and say that the inside show is pretty much the same, I have to say that the DL version still surpasses the WDW version because of its pre-show and its new Dole Whip snack service at Tropical Hideaway. At DL the preshow allows you to eat a Dole Whip and sit down while you watch each of the enchanted Polynesian god totems come to life. The totems each share their name and a little backstory about their part in the Polynesian mythology while giving a specific animatronic performance. The fun part, especially for kids, is the scavenger hunt feeling you get when you follow the totems around the preshow area and try to find out which totem is speaking and from where. Plus the detail inside Tropical Hideaway, from magic lamps and carpets to the infamous missing Rosita telling corny Jungle Cruise-worthy jokes, is top notch. In contrast, the WDW world version has you standing in a little amphitheater setting to watch two animatronic birds share their personal story of the Jungle Cruise with you, which is a little more meh for me. And there’s hardly any space for you to sit and enjoy your Dole Whip. 

The Jungle Cruise: This one is a little tough. This is one of my favorite rides ever, not only because it serves me tons of that vintage exploration aesthetic vibe I love, but also because I an unashamedly obsessed with the dad joke script. I’ve ridden this thing so many times, I can recite any version of the script and be your Skipper myself. In fact, if I worked at Disney, one of my dream roles is to be a Jungle Cruise Skipper. I love love love the DL version and its classic scenes, like the ambush from the natives and the piranhas. Plus I’m used to seeing our version of Trader Sam and was shocked to see a completely different guy at the WDW one. According to the Imagineering backstory, they actually ARE 2 different Sam’s! They happen to be cousins who each opened up their own trading business on opposite coasts. There’s also almost never a wait at the DL one, averaging at about 10-15 min whenever I walk by (30-40 min is maybe the most I’ve ever seen). The queue is a little cramped and small, but I love waiting in the 2-story building and looking at all the Jungle Cruise memorabilia on the walls and the cute rooms/scenes set up inside it (reminiscent of Swiss Family Robinson Tree House back when it used to be at DL). It also has a bomb Jungle Cruise logo sign on the front. In contrast, the WDW queue is a more open and airy, allowing those huge, life-saving fans on the ceiling to do their work. There is some interactive element in the line, but less so than many of the other, more entertaining queues at Magic Kingdom (MK). I remember something about a hissing tarantula in a cage near the end of the line, but it was broken when I visited. I also loved the witty menu and accident signs on the dock right before you board your boat. But the wait time always seems outrageously longer than it should be for this ride, and somehow FastPasses distribute quicker than I would have expected. On the ride, I also really liked the temple tunnel at WDW that we don’t have at DL. For those who have never been on it, there’s a decent stretch of river that goes inside the ruins of a temple through an enclosed tunnel. It allowed for some cool effects and scenes in the dark, but cuts off the flow of the Skipper’s script. The Skipper literally has to stop talking because the microphone would echo too much. In addition to the ride, they have claim to a very fun and punny restaurant overflowing with Imagineering secrets and Jungle Cruise memorabilia. Not only is the atmosphere and theming on point, but the menu is DELICIOUS at the Skipper Canteen. Finally, they regularly get a Christmas overhaul for the Jingle Cruise, which is fantastic. I’ve never been to the WDW Jingle Cruise, but they did it only once (maybe twice) at DL that I can remember, and I loved the Christmas decorations both inside and outside the ride. The Christmas puns were also a nice change. But overall, in terms of the ride, I have to give it to DL’s Jungle Cruise for the overall immersive experience and aesthetic, but I might just be biased because that’s the one I grew up with. I also think there’s a richer opportunity for jokes at the DL one.

Treehouse: Ok, when I was a kid, DL is the one who used to have the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and it was one of my favorite things to explore. I was obsessed with playing house and going adventures as a kid, so I loved seeing how someone could build a home in a tropical tree. Then it became the Tarzan treehouse walkthrough. The theming is very cool and the storytelling is great, but as a child afraid of loud noises and jump scares, that stupid jaguar, Sabor, and his snarl scared the shit out of me and has traumatized me good. I still don’t like him and have to scoot quickly around him with my fingers stuffed in my ears. But otherwise, the treehouse is a good little cardio climb. So, again,  I am a little biased because of a nostalgia factor, and WDW wins since they now have the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. But objectively, I can see how that’s really boring to many people without a history like mine, so I will give DL the point for taking advantage of the already existing treehouse structure and turning it into a self-paced story walkthrough based on one of their popular films (kind of like Sleeping Beauty’s Castle).

While Pirates of the Caribbean lives at Adventureland in WDW, I’m going to leave off comparing that one for when I discuss “America Lands” next time.

So that’s part 1 of many many comparisons to come. Again, take my opinions with a grain of salt since I grew up at DL, but you’ll see that there’s a lot at WDW that I love more than DL too. See ya, pal! 

PC: the.disney.doc

[tangledbea]

Hello! I’ve started watching the Tangled series some days ago and I’m already at season two! I found your blog today and I wanted to ask you something about two episodes I watched from S2. In one episode there’s Rapunzel singing that song that gives her black hair/makes her zone out. It made me a bit sad to know that Eugene was nowhere near her or concerned when he learned about what happened to her (1)

-or concerned when he learned about what happened to her, I know these episodes are mostly focused on Cassandra as they deepen their friendships + it’s gonna be relevant to the plot later. BUT, I do feel like the creators or this series aren’t really good at keeping up with more than one relationship in rapunzel‘s life? Cause I was really expecting Eugene to be concerned about her wellbeing or react in any way on camera? Later when he sees her using that power he’s concerned but faints. (2)

-When he wakes up you can’t even see him concerned about what happened to her, like..at all? It really bothered me, might be cause I ship them so much and I know how much they care about each other’s, but that didn’t sit right with me. Since I wasn’t there when the episode aired I wondered if you have any opinion on this, if you didn’t mind or the whole fandom didn’t mind about Eugene not being relevant in this episode cause of the need to show Cas/Rap relationship or? (3)

-The other thing that kind of bothered me was the episode where Rapunzel lost her memories. When I saw it in gifs it made me really happy to see they re-used some scenes from the movie, but watching it made me realise it bothered me. I didn’t like how they re-used some iconic scenes of the couple meeting up for the first time for that? (4)

-It also made me so sad to see Eugene reaction, once again, knowing your girlfriend forgot about you, your past, sacrificing yourself for her and the fact that she was back to being the girl that trusted that psychotic “mother” of hers, shouldn’t it be a bit more concerning? (5)

-I didn’t like how he was being just the comic relief side of the show for these episodes cause they needed to show the strong bond between Cas and Rapunzel. I really think it might be just me being bothered cause again, I ship them a lot. But again, what’s your take on these? (End!)

Woo! Glad you got ahold of me for that part three!

You’re not the first person to notice these things, and I have to take these events with an emotional grain of salt. I would love for the series to be more focused on New Dream, since I’m a hardcore shipper, but I take what I can get. I recognize that the series has a story to tell, and that they aren’t able to fit in every angle that would work into every episode. They needed to show the conflict between Rapunzel and Cassandra, and so they couldn’t focus on Eugene’s potential reactions.

I’m actually surprised you didn’t mention “Freebird,” in this at all, since that is my #1, “I can’t believe they didn’t show Eugene’s reaction to RAPUNZEL ALMOST BECOMING A BIRD FOREVER AT ALL! HE WAS RIGHT THERE!!”

In “Rapunzel and the Great Tree,” Eugene fainted because he’d just been in considerable pain. I actually have a podcast called Tangled Talk that I do with @forever-tangledup​ and @kelseyfitzherbert​ and right after this episode, we had @cnotes​ (Chris Sonnenburg, the executive producer) as a guest, and we asked him about Eugene’s role in that episode. He explained that Eugene passed out and was carried out by Lance because they literally needed him out of the way for the next moment in the plot, and no other reason. Everyone agreed that if he were conscious, there was no way he’d have left Rapunzel there.

But the thing is, the story they need to tell between Rapunzel and Eugene is a different one than the one they need to tell with Rapunzel and Cass, and they only have the time per episode to focus on one thing at a time. I’m not sure how far you’ve gotten into Season Two so far, but there are some major New Dream things that happen towards the end. It’s not that Rapunzel only has room for one relationship in her life, but they storytellers only have space for one conflict at a time.

As for Eugene “just being comedy relief,” I’d like to direct your attention back to the original movie. Eugene is made out to be comic relief through most of the movie. He’s a goofy, fun guy, and now he’s getting to live his best life without constantly looking over his shoulder.

Just keep watching. ^_~ It’s hard for me to complain because, before this series, we weren’t going to be getting any more canon Tangled at all, and yet here it is.

[brokebandwagon]

Hi Ladies! Thanks for making the pod, I always enjoy it :) I do actually have a question - is Ryan O'Reilly cursed? Whenever I look up the Blues to see how he's doing, it turns out they've given up five goals to Laine or fired their coach or some other traumatic storyline. Is it normal for a player to switch teams three times and never experience joy?

Thanks for the support and sorry we missed answering your question on the pod! (Ironically, he did come up in our convo before recording). Since we’re taking a break from recording until after the hecticness of finals and the first half of December, we’ll answer this one digitally. Under the cut because we’re wordy bitches here.

Maia (I got here first and got all the low-hanging fruit ¯\_(ツ)_/¯):

Ryan O’Reilly, to say the least, is a very interesting man.

Both of his trades have been seen as foolhardy to the team trading him. It wasn’t so long ago that Sabres fans (us included) were laughing at the Avs for trading such a good player… only to stand in their place not a mere three seasons later coming to full realization (with St. Louis fans laughing at us).

When a player is traded twice in the span of 3 years despite putting up good points and being a solid 1-2 center, a faceoff machine, and quite defensively sound, that’s never a good sign. The question at that point falls not on a player’s production, but their character.

Now ROR is hardly a horrible person – not by a longshot. He’s actually a really nice guy, but perhaps not the best team player or moral builder. We talk about this in one of our earliest episodes from the summer (1.03, judging from our old outlines), but ROR is almost always going to fill the score sheet, get the assists, get the goals. The trade of ROR to St. Louis was never about the points or goals, and no matter what the Sabres were going to be losing the best player in the trade. But there’s a lot more things that make a team tick then just putting up the points; there’s also camaraderie and truly being not just a team, but a family.

That’s not to say that ROR was the sole reason for the Sabres locker room issues –that falls on a lot of players, some of whom were shipped out or left to free agency (Evander Kane, Lehner, Johnson…)– nor is it to say that shipping ROR solved all the problems (that would unfairly erase all the work the remaining players did over the summer and in pre-season with communication, opening up to each other, working to hold each other accountable). But there’s no denying that the ROR trade was first and foremost, a character move.

It’s hard to gauge how much of the whole ROR vs Eichel thing was true –Jack certainly denies it (as heard on Spittin Chiclets)– but there had to have been a grain of truth in there somewhere. Think of it this way, ROR was brought into the organization only slightly before Jack, he was hailed as a leader. He was expected to be. Jack was too, perhaps, in his own way, but he had quite a bit of growing up to do first. Fast forward to the point where Jack truly starts to mature, he has an A, Brian Gionta is gone and so is the C…

That creates a vacuum, and while it’s always good to have players step up… there’s a difference between stepping up and stepping on toes, and maybe there was a bit of stepping on toes there. Trading ROR eliminates that issue, the locker room and the team is Jack’s to have. So many things changed in the off-season that it’s difficult to pin down exactly what the biggest game changer was (it’s all of them, honestly), but there’s no denying the importance of handing the reins over fully to a young, eager core just bursting at the seams to finally prove itself.

ROR was hard on himself and the team — both good traits to have, but in moderation; he’d still have the downtrodden attitude after good games and wins (despite their rarity). And again, there’s a difference between realism, humbleness, and being a constant downer. As much as GMBOT and co claim that ROR’s locker cleanout comments of “losing the love of the game” and etc didn’t affect their choice to trade him, they certainly did make it a lot easier to do so. The Sabres core needed to be desperately shaken up, and ROR was a very ready choice, esp after saying that. There is that argument that ROR at 27 fell just outside the “young core” Botts is building between 18-23, but then again, Jeff Skinner is 26. (But look at Skinner: what does he bring along with his production? Positivity, hard work, good locker room presence).

We haven’t really been following ROR’s track all that closely on the Blues. He’s putting up the points, for sure, but the Blues? Not so hot. The Sabres surely thought that the 1st rounder they received for him would be a late first rounder, but it’s looking more and more to be a high pick. So who knows, maybe ROR is cursed, but it’s interesting how the Blues have fallen since their acquirement of him.

To answer your question though: Is it normal for a player to switch teams three times and never experience joy?

Maybe, it just depends on the player. Don’t think Matt Duchene is exactly having a blast either

Meghan here;

Going off of what Maia said earlier, I think it was pretty obvious that there was tension in the locker room. If you ask me, I think it was in regards to leadership. Jack was being primed to be The Leader™ in the locker room; he was the youngest player who had the A, guys often commented on how they needed him (especially when he was out for those 4 weeks with an ankle injury), etc. It’s also rumored (and I don’t know how credible this is, so take it with a grain of salt) that he was traded from Colorado in the first place because he and Duchene were feuding for leadership in the locker room as well.

Now, I do want to stress that wanting to be a leader in the locker room isn’t a fundamentally bad trait. We all know this, but I want to put it on the record. However, it is a bad trait when you aren’t able to lead with another person/people. If that’s the case with ROR, then…that’s toxic. Is ROR a toxic person? I doubt it. I’m sure that, had he not had his struggles with leadership, he would have been a great resource both in and out of the locker room. But, as we can clearly see, he did have those problems.

So, to restate what Maia said, I also believe that this was a character move. Something I think a lot of people tend to ignore is that you can have all the talent in the world, but if your locker room is toxic? If your players are warring behind the scenes, if your players can’t get along? That talent doesn’t matter. Ultimately, I believe there were a lot of different reasons why the Sabres were garbage last year, and toxicity in the locker room was, in my opinion, one of the biggest.

To actually answer your question: no, I don’t think ROR is “cursed”. However, I think he just has a mixture of extremely bad luck to get traded to teams headed towards the bottom, and his attitude probably doesn’t help.

Cassie:

I don’t think ROR is cursed, but I don’t think he’s great for a locker room. Moving him was not a product of his production but more of a need for a culture change. If all you’re exposed to is someone that is down and depressed, eventually that rubs off. Unless ROR has changed his stripes, it’s unlikely that his aura has changed. It’s possible that the negative aura is tainting the Blues, but it’s also possible that the Blues are just bad. They were trending downward last season and it’s possible that it has continued. The Blues have a CF%/60 of 50.56 and a CA%/60 of 45.46. I’d believe that these are impacted and look better than they actually are because of ROR’s production. Overall, it’s just a bad team getting even worse goaltending. Oddly, they’re missing Hutton more so than benefiting from ROR. I think with ROR it’s a situation where he’s gone from team to team to team and have caught all three teams in a downslide. Combine that with him taking things too hard on himself it’s a toxic situation. I really hope he seeks out a sports psychologist because it would do wonders on his outlook.

[tinkdw]

Good god, people need to get their heads out of Jensen’s ass:P these are probably also the people who believe Jensen runs the show and everyone must consult him before doing anything, i.e. “Jensen wouldn’t allow that.” Lol homie please, no one who runs the show or writes the plots gives two shits what the actors think. It’s their job to act. It’s the writers job to worry about overall structure. That’s why we take actors opinions with a grain of salt. This isn’t their field.

I mean, there’s a middle ground cos there are times where the actors change things and we know that. Sometimes I facepalm at it (I still to this day am yearning for someone to just sit J2 down and explain the Game of Thrones debacle to them and see their faces twist into recognition, tho tbh I think Jared isn’t far off these days it would only take 20 seconds to get him to smack his forehead like of course!) but sometimes I do agree too with what they change! Like Jensen and Misha saying the Dean/Cas reunion Sera wrote in s7 was too gay like, yeah, if they had no intention of canon Destiel at the time and she was just pissed cos she was being sacked and wanted to give them a headache then absolutely they were right to downplay that and not queerbait. Jensen also has brilliant little facial expressions and body language that he adds to Dean all the time that add so many extra layers, he is stunning at acting Dean.

Like his little added hesitance at walking into Hell. Brilliant!

However when an actor consistently keeps negating character growth due to his interpretation of the character being stuck in the top layer of season 1 and disregarding the consistent moments where this is shown to be just the top layer / a facade even from season 1 and there’s a ton more underneath, ignoring them, saying he doesn’t agree with them or plain refusing to act them out… then this is consistently going against something the writers are consistently doing. This is a problem. Either the writers stop trying or the actor has to nut up.

Now we move forwards into endgame where this writing is only becoming stronger and stronger. LBR he’s done a lot in s12/13 that I believe he flat out would have refused to do in earlier seasons (if he said no to Taylor Swift he would have said no to the mixtape and whats bi is bi. Plus I can’t find it anywhere but I did see an interview with Rich Speight where he said Jensen changed a line from Dean when Cas was dying in 12x12 because “Dean wouldn’t say that in front of his family” which caused me to roll my eyes again, I’d love it if anyone has a copy of that cos I’ve been looking for it for ages).

So yeah, I love Jensen, he adds so much but he also doesn’t watch the whole show, doesn’t read the whole script, has literally told us he learns his lines and plays his part. He doesn’t look at the overall story. He doesn’t read it or watch it. He doesn’t see how his scenes are edited, does he even know that the boner scene exists? Was that just one take of many but that one was kept? Does he know about the Crowley/Cas deleted scenes? Does he even know about some of the intricacies of the Sam/Ruby storyline? I’d be very interested to know. Based on what he has told us at cons, I think there’s a lot character wise that he doesn’t know / remember. 

AGAIN THIS IS FINE! He doesn’t have to be Dean. 

Jensen is not Dean. 

He is an actor with a job to do who does it bloody well! Expecting him to remember every damn moment of a show he doesn’t even watch or read the scripts for is ridiculous. I don’t expect this of any of them. 

[shixpe]

Yeah I’m bringing this back.

Gonna preface this post as always with the warning to take everything meta or speculation with a grain or sack of salt.  It's always possible we (mostly me) look far more deeply into the visuals of the show than the writers and directors.

Secondly, this is gonna be a post about the tarot cards from the tape ball tease (yeah that up there), so it’s wishy washy at best and I’ve been told by other writers that the cards probably only had relevance to the one episode they appear in (13.03) and Patience.  I somewhat disagree so I did this little write up.

I tried to keep the meta on what the cards look like and any history attached. Instead of how they are read for an individual like a daily zodiac.

Okay!  My crazy ramblings.

I’m sure some of ya remember the tarot spread and the meta that followed (particularly about the Hanged Man and Cas), so when I remembered it recently I wanted to go back to it with the knowledge we have so far of S13.

Starting in the middle are two cards; the 10 of Pentacles (reversed) and the King of Cups.  I’m gonna start here because to me it’s still a little vague.   

10 of Pentacles:  According to random google research of questionable websites, the card represents stability and wealth in finances, family, and love.  While the reverse that we have indicates financial instability, broken home, unrequited or shattered love.  Now I could see how the problems with family and love could fit with TFW 2.0 and Mary but the financial part confused me at first so I let it be until later.

King of Cups:  The card visually portrays a wise and wealthy king sitting on a throne wearing a fish pendant. Behind him is a tumultuous ocean with a fish on one side and a ship on the other (more fish and ship/ocean imagery if you like that sorta thing).  Now I have a tie to the 10 of Pentacles.  This king is sideways on top of the card that portrays the opposite of what he represents.

The King of Cups is considered a guide and mentor, he helps others unselfishly, cares sincerely about others and “heals with a gentle touch and a quiet word”.  He also is said to possess a balance of both masculine and feminine energies.  My first thought was that this all reminds me of angels in some way.  We’ve seen them as both male and female, and they are healers (if they want to be).

However, the last thing about the King that I have to bring up is the connection to Solomon.  “Solomon is portrayed as great in wisdom, wealth and power beyond either of the previous kings of the country.”  I have my own thoughts, but it would be future speculation about where the Solomon arc is heading.

Behind door number two we have the four other cards in the spread. I’m gonna start with the one on the right because it was the most unique, it has three characters in the art instead of one and is a minor suit card.

Three of Pentacles:  There are three people in this card that are building a temple together.  The card represents teamwork toward a goal, cooperation, and competence.  They are working together as a unit and that has led to their desired outcome.  

In some places I read that the mason on the left was less experienced and possibly a kind of apprentice which led to me having two thoughts on the card.

1.The card represents TFW 1.0, possibly Sam and Dean helping to guide Cas in his goal to raise Jack to be strong and good.  The important aspect is that they need to cooperate and listen to each other.  Right now while they are working together, I see a rift between them, they argue and have differing ideas all of the time and now Cas has decided he is a soldier who does whatever he needs to regardless of the group’s thoughts or warnings. 

On the other hand this set up reminds me of earlier this season when Sam (though not really Dean) was trying to teach Jack, the apprentice, to use his powers responsibly.  Jack decides to also try and mimic Dean, making Dean a teacher regardless.  He didn’t trust Jack but he went along with Sam to humour him in a way.  After Cas returns, Dean flips entirely and now Jack is family.  He can see the importance of helping the young man just like Cas and Sam.

I’m not sure which reading I came up with makes more sense even to me but either way I like them.

The final three cards all have one individual person and are considered trump cards or part of the Major Arcana suit (bear with me I know nothing of tarot).

The Hermit:  The ninth trump card, shows Gandalf the Grey (half kidding, come on), an old man standing in a wasteland, holding a staff in one hand (the “patriarch’s staff”, indicating a narrow path he has to follow, and also seems to bring up imagery of father figures) and in the other a lantern called the Lamp of Truth that he uses to guide others (“the unknowing”).  

He is also known as Time, The Sage,  and Heimdallr (“watching for the signs of the coming of Ragnarok).

The thing I found most interesting about this card is that inside the Lamp of Truth that he holds is the six pointed star/hexagram.  Also constantly referred to in everything I found as the Seal of Solomon. 

To be honest I fear that all of the ingredients of this portal spell might simply be played off as meaningless trinkets and/or random one-episode characters. But still, I persist.

I had no other real interpretation of this card other than the possible reference to Solomon and the wasteland + guidance.

High Priestess:  Honestly I like this card the most, I just think there is a lot about this card that is mysterious, subtextual and flips the script in a way.

Visually, the card is crammed with plenty of important imagery and is a bit garish tbh so there’s a few things I wanted to bring up about it.

The High Priestess card is overflowing with feminine energy, but not just the female, specifically the rebellious one.  

In another tarot deck the woman is wearing a papal tiara, the crown of a Pope, and likely referencing a fictional person called Pope Joan who was a Pope for several years disguised as a man.  

In our deck it is not a pope but a priestess, beside her are two pillars that tell us she is sitting in front of the Temple of Solomon, where there were no priestesses at all.  

Finally there’s the wall behind her.  Yes those are pomegranates, but they are growing next to palm trees.  I am no horticulturalist but a little searching shows me that the trees pomegranates grow on don’t look like tropical palm trees.

But (if y’all been looking at some posts recently about the fruit of the tree of life), what we saw in the episode looks more like a “mangosteen” which is a purple tropical plant whose trees generally do have large leaves.  

At this point my religious fanon is that this tapestry represents both the trees of knowledge and life.

All in all we have a card that represents tons of rebellious female energy, and in particular women who have made an impact, or continue to make one.  In my opinion I like to think it portrays our SPN ladies who are powerful, who rebel, and who seek knowledge beyond any rules.  

The Hanged Man:  There’s been so much meta done on this card but I don’t care.  This is the one that came up again recently and made a spark of interest that led to this clusterfuck of a post.

I honestly have nothing much to add to the work others have already done between this card and Cas except for this purely speculative pattern that my brain saw when the card came across again.

[i-honestlydon-tcare]

Life So Far, part 2

Hey few followers! So, since I wrote this so long ago, I’m gonna publish the chapters close together. If you didn’t like part 1, honestly I agree, it’s not the best story BUT I promise the story gets better. In my opinion which you will probably take with a grain of salt but okay.

Part 1

Warnings: Language, Domestic abuse, slight violence

Word count: 3544

Dean Winchester had been searching for Cal the Hunter for over a year and a half. No other hunters knew of her and he had wondered, more than once, if she was working for the other side.

     After all when he had met her, she was possessed.

     Sam didn’t know about Dean’s obsession with Cal, and maybe he would have noticed if he wasn’t a little obsessed himself. Both of them were searching for her without the help of the other.

     “Dean, get this, there’s a reported haunting right outside of Astoria, Oregon.” Sam turned the laptop to his brother. The report was obviously a prank, but Sam had caught scent of Cal and he had to follow up on it.

     Dean inspected the report. It was fake, he could tell that much, but he had also found a lead on Cal. He had been on the internet trying to find something to cover up his plan.

     “That looks serious.” Dean said excitedly. “We should go check it out.”

     “Right?” Sam smiled. He laugh inwardly as his brother’s naivete, while Dean did the same.

Cal MacLaughlin stepped over the threshold, a bible clutched to her chest, 

     “Where is the Father today?” Sariah Chang asked. Sariah’s son had passed away a few weeks before and had reported seeing him a few times since.

     “He had a meeting with our Diocese. I was sent instead,”

     “And you are?”

     “I’m Sister Teresa. I’m at a church one town over.”

     Sariah nodded. “Are you here to talk about Joshua?”

     “Yes, sister. You told the Father that you had been seeing him around the house?” Cal asked.

     “I’m not crazy.” Sariah’s eyes stared Cal down, daring her to say differently.

     “I know you’re not.” Cal placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “As a woman of God, I know some things can only be explained through him.” Cal tried to sound convincing, but it had been a long time since she believed in God.

     Sariah led Cal into the living room. They both sat down, and Cal immediately zeroed in on the chocolates centered on the coffee table. She popped a few into her mouth. “Sister, tell me what happened. Starting with... how... Joshua passed on.”

     The small woman folded her hands on her lap. “A few weeks ago was at the store and Joshua was outside playing with some friends. He was in the street and a car-” Her voice broke. “a car was speeding.”

     “Who was driving the car?”

     “The boy next door. He’s a new driver. Reckless.” She shook her head in disgust. “He hit Joshua. His friends said he was asking for me before he died.” Sariah put her face in her hands and sobbed silently.

     “Mrs. Chang, I know this is hard, but you have to go on.”

     Sariah sat up and wiped off her face. “Yes, of course. The funeral was three days after he... passed. the day after that is when I started seeing him.”

     Cal nodded slowly. “Do you have any idea what might be keeping his spirit here?”

     Sariah shook her head. She wouldn’t look Cal in the eyes. “Are you sure?”

     Again she shook her head and looked at the floor.

     Cal sighed. She wasn’t going to find out anything unknown from Sariah Chang. “Thank you for your time, sister.” She stood. “God bless.” Cal left the room and the house. She knew what had to be done, but she would wait until Sam and Dean got there.

“Tell me more about the case.” Dean told Sam.

     Sam had already told Dean everything there was to know. A teen had called the police and said there was a ghost in the backyard. The police checked it out but there wasn’t anything to be found.

     “Did you check out the house? Neighboring houses? Was there a recent death in the family?”

     “None of that.”

     Dean nodded. They both knew it was a hoax. They’d been around long enough to know.

Sariah Chang was making dinner when her husband, Li, got home. He dropped his bags by the front door. The action had always bothered Sariah, but she better than to say something about it.

     Li went straight up the stairs without saying a word.

    “Li?” Sariah called. “Honey? Do you want me to bring dinner up to you?” Sariah heard Li’s footsteps slowly coming back down the stairs and her chest tightened.

     She turned slowly and saw Li in the doorway separating the living room and kitchen. “If I wanted anything from you, don’t you think I would have said something?” He asked menacingly.

     “I’m sorry, Li. I should have known.”

     Her husband shook his head and ground his teeth. “I never should have married you.” He stared Sariah down until her eyes dropped.

     “I’m sorry.”

     Li lunged and gripped her forearm. She tried to get away but she was small and he was angry. “You’re just a little girl. Never grew up, never learned what it means to be an adult. ‘Sorry’ means nothing to me, you bitch!”

     Sariah started to cry. She could smell alcohol on his breath. “Please, Li, just let me go!” She kept trying to pull away but she couldn’t.

     “’Sorry’ doesn’t make up for not watching Joshua. You killed my son! You might as well have been driving the car!” Li lifted his hand to strike Sariah but that was when he saw it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. He turned his head and screamed.

Sam and Dean spoke with the family at the supposed haunted house. They got nothing that said the house inhabited a ghost. Sam asked to check out the backyard, and still there was nothing. 

     The brothers expected as much, but they didn’t say so.

     They said their cordial goodbyes and left the house. They were about to climb into the Impala when the teenager who called the police came running out of the house shouting for them to wait.

     “What, kid?” Dean asked impatiently. “Got another ghost for us to investigate?”

     “There was never a ghost in the first place.”

     Sam and Dean exchanged eye contact, and silently waited for the boy to continue.

      “There was this woman. She paid me to report a ghost. And she said when the FBI came to investigate I needed to give them this piece of paper.” He handed Sam a slip of paper and dashed back inside.

     Sam looked at the paper. “This is only a few minutes from here.” They climbed into the Impala and he pulled out his phone to google the address. An article came up about a mother who had been seeing her dead son around the house.

     “What do you think, Dean?” Sam asked. “Want to go check it out?”

     “We have the priest outfits in the back?”

Cal sat on her bed reading Lord of the Rings: Return of the King for the hundredth time. She looked at the clock. She had been waiting almost a full day for the Winchesters to hit town. “This is getting ridiculous” She muttered.

     “What is?”

     The voice didn’t catch Cal off guard. Castiel showed up unexpectedly so often that she was always ready for it.

     “Cass!” She turned and looked at the angel. “How you been, baby?”

     “Now is not the time for small talk. The Winchesters are close.”

     “Good. ‘Bout time.”

     “I told you it’s not a good thing. You cannot see them again.”

     “Whatever, baby.” Cal waved her hand dismissively. 

     Cass inhaled and exhaled slowly. “You’re being foolish.”

     Cal smiled and stood from her chair. “Don’t be rude.”

     “You can’t see Dean again.”

     Her smile faded. “And why not?” She asked angrily. “And do not give me that ‘I can’t tell you’ shit, because you don’t answer to anyone anymore. Heaven isn’t calling the shots so you’re free to say whatever the hell you want.”

     Cass opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, then sighed. “I can’t tell you, Calista.”

     “Then I’ll fucking cut it out of you.”

     Neither of them moved for a solid minute. They stared each other down; Cal with anger, Cass with pity.

     “I know you care about him-”

     Cal laughed bitterly and turned so he couldn’t see the influx of tears in her eyes. “You know nothing.”

     “Cal, please. I’m not doing this to hurt you.”

     She sat down on the bed, defeated. “Please tell me why. Why can’t I see him again?”

     Castiel saw her water eyes and inhaled softly. Why does this girl have so much power over me? He wondered. “You’re destined to be with other people. There is a plan, and if you continue down the path you’re on with him, you will both die an untimely death.”

     Desperately, Cal ran her fingers through her long dark hair. “Maybe the plan changed Cass. Maybe what you remember isn’t right. Could things have changed?”

     Castiel watched her sadly. He had never seen her like this. He had been watching Cal all her life. Angels don’t feel love, but he felt attached to her. When he inhabited Jimmy Novak’s body and could finally meet her, he fell head-over-heels in love with her.

     All throughout her life, that happened. Boys and men would fall desperately in love with her but she never felt the same way, until Dean Winchester.

The brothers pulled into the driveway at the Chang’s house and stepped out of the car dressed as priests.

     “Dean, I have a weird feeling about this...”

     Dean raised a speculating eyebrow. “Like good weird or bad weird?” They both leaned forward onto the Impala.

     Sam scrunched up his face. “I.. don’t know.” He said slowly.

     They were quiet for a moment, both silently wondering about Cal the Hunter.

     Same didn’t understand his attachment to her. He didn’t feel anything romantic for her, that was for sure, but he felt an unhealthy need to find her.

     Dean, on the other hand, felt nothing but romantic feelings toward her. He wanted to find Cal, and protect her for the rest of their lives, and even after that.

     They knocked, and the door was answered by a little  woman with drooping shoulders. “May I help you?” She asked.

     “Sariah Chang?”

     “Yes, that’s me,”

     “I’m Father Walsh, and this is Father Williams. We’re here to talk about your son.” Dean folded his hands behind his back.

     “Okay, please come in.” Sariah opened the door wide, and stepped back.

     “I’m going back over to Sariah Chang’s house,” Cal said as she slipped on her nun’s dress.

     Castiel stood in the living room, and listened to the muffled sound of Cal getting ready. “Okay. Why?”

     She stepped out of the bathroom looking much different than before. Her wild hair was pulled back into to her nun’s veil. Her jeans, jacket, and army boots were replaced with beige flats and her ankle length nun’s dress. Still, she radiated power.

     “What?”

     Castiel turned away.

     “Anyway, I’m going back because Sariah is hiding something.”

     Castiel looked over his shoulder. “Please. Be careful. Don’t do anything stupid.”

     Cal would have laughed, but Cass’s voice was filled with worry, and another emotion she had seen many times before. Love.

     “Cass-”

     “You should go. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Sariah’s living room was plain. No decorations or even pictures. Sam and Dean sat across from Sariah.

     “Mrs. Chang, when did your son pass on?” Sam asked.

     Sariah took a deep breath. “A few weeks ago?”

     “And you started seeing him when?”

     “The day after his funeral.”

     “And where did you bury him?”

     Sariah scrunched her eyebrows. “Why doe that matter? Why are you even here? I don’t want to be disrespectful but a sister had already come by and checked on me.”

     Sam and Dean looked at each other, unsure what to say.

     A knock sounded at the door.

     “One moment.” Sariah stood and walked to the door. She opened it. “Sister! What are you doing here?”

     “I felt like there was more we needed to talk about.”

     Dean tensed. He knew that voice.

     “Well, you might as well come in. There are some Fathers here as well.”

     They heard the door close and footsteps coming back to the living room. 

     “Please meet Father Walsh and Williams. This is Sister Teresa.”

     Dean looked up into Cal’s eyes. He stood. “Nice to meet you, sister.” He said hoarsely. They shook hands, their eyes never leaving each others.

“Took you guys long enough to get here. I waiting a full day to work this case and I was finally just going to work it alone, then you two idiots show up.” Cal muttered.

     “What?” Dean put together quickly that Cal was the woman who paid the kid to give them the Chang’s address.

     “I mean my clues weren’t that hard to follow, boys.”

     “Wait, what?” Sam asked.

     “You didn’t know?”

     Sam looked at Dean who was staring at Cal. “I for one didn’t know you were leading us here.”

     “You were following clues weren’t you? I mean, who did you think left them?”

     Dean and Sam looked uncomfortably at each other. Sam spoke first. “I didn’t know who. But... Dean didn’t know we were following clues at all.”

     “Yeah I did. I thought you didn’t know.”

     Cal laughed“You were both following them without the others help. You boys really are a piece of work.”

     “Why not just tell us where you were?” Dean asked.

     “Cass is always watching me. I had to do it behind his back.” Cal stood up and walked to the bathroom.

     Dean raised an eyebrow. “Cass, as in Castiel?”

     “One and the same. He told me he’d be here when I got back.” She closed the door.

     Dean sat down on the bed. A burning feeling spread from his gut up to his ears. Jealousy. “How do you know Cass?”

     “When he came to the ground he just...” She opened the bathroom door, back in her usual jeans and jacket. “found me” She finished.

     Dean stared at Cal, mesmerized by her natural beauty. Long, messy hair. Wild hazel eyes. Clear, but imperfect skin. Battle scars riddled her body and face but somehow they added to her powerful beauty.

     At the same time he felt an overabundance of affection toward Cal, Dean also felt a large amount of envy. He stayed quiet, wondering if Cass had already secured Cal’s heart.

     “Well,” Cal walked back toward Sam and Dean. She seemed to have grown considerably since she changed. “Since you idiots are here, we might as well take care of the Chang’s ghost.”

     “Where is the kid buried?” 

     “Local cemetery. The usual. I’d like to go check out the house again, so maybe we could split up.” Cal looked at the boys, mostly Dean. She forgot how much she liked his face. It was hard and chiseled but boyish charm was in his expressions. She didn’t care if she was meant to be with someone else, and she didn’t take Cass’s warning that they would die young seriously.

     She was a hunter. She doubted she would make it to her silver years.

     Suddenly the door to the hotel room opened. Cal turned and watched Castiel march in. 

     “Where have you been?” Cal asked.

     Cass focused on Sam and Dean. “When did you two get here?”

     “I asked first, asshole. Answer my question.”

     He made eye contact with Cal. “I warned you Calista. This is a dangerous situation for everyone involved.” 

     “Cass, just help us with the case okay? You go with Sam to the cemetery, take the Impala. Cal and I will go check out the house.”

     Cass walked out without saying a word and Sam followed after him.

     Dean sheepishly made eye contact with Cal. “Ready?”

     “Yeah, one sec.” Cal turned to the table in the middle of the room. She grabbed one of her guns and stuffed it in the back of her pants covering it with her jacket. She grabbed her knife that was in a sheath and put it in her boot. “Let’s go.”

The Chang house looked different at night. Angrier. Meaner. It was only 10:00 pm and all the lights in the house were off.

     Cal stepped out of her truck and closed the door quietly. Dean got out much louder. She gave him a dirty look and walked up to the house.

     When Cal reached the front door, she pulled out her lock pick kit. She had the door open in a matter of seconds. It was a gift.

     She stepped into the house, her gun gripped in her right hand, a flashlight in the other. 

     The house was quiet, and Cal stepped lightly to made sure it stayed that way. Suddenly, Dean grabbed her arm. With the life she had led she almost punched him in the face. She held back and stared Dean down.

     “What the hell?” She whispered.

     “I’m sorry.” Dean dropped his gaze, but his hand remained on her arm. Even though her jacket was in between their skin, she still felt out of breath.

     “Are you okay?” She asked.

      Dean’s hand dropped. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

     Cal instinctively took chins and turned his face toward her. “Are you sure, baby?”

     He never answered her.

Castiel stood watching Sam dig into the still-soft earth.

     “Ya know, you’re being a real big help,” Sam said breathlessly.

     “You’re welcome,”

     Sam rolled his eyes and kept digging. He had dug maybe 4 feet in and was feeling more and more uneasy. He hoped Dean was safe... or as safe as he could be.

Cal saw the crazed eyes before she saw the hammer. She was able to push Dean out of the way and met Sariah with a blow to the stomach. The hammer fell as Sariah doubled over. Dean grabbed her weapon off the floor. They watched her warily.

     “Sariah...”

     The small woman looked up at Cal. “Please don’t take him from me.” She whispered. She was still incapacitated from Cal’s blow, at least that’s what Cal thought.

     She lunged at Cal’s legs, and knocked her over. He nails raked over Cal’s stomach and Cal angrily kneed Sariah in the neck. It didn’t deter her. Dean picked her up and threw her to the side. He put his hand out to help Cal up, but Sariah came flying and tackled him to the floor. 

     Cal made a half second decision and pulled her gun. “Sariah, I’m going to shoot you,”

     Mrs. Chang stopped attacking Dean and stood up. “You’re not going to shoot a human. You only shoot monsters.”

     Cal raised her eyebrows. “Who told you that?”

     “Joshua.”

     Dean stood up. “Your son?”

     “He told me all about you two. So don’t think you’re going to get the better of me. I know everything you-”

     Dean hit Sariah with the hammer that she had dropped. She fell and that was when Cal saw the bloody child.

     He was about 11 with Sariah’s light complexion, and Oriental features that Cal attributed to Mr. Chang.

     “Why would you hurt her?” Joshua asked sadly. His body shifted, like a scratched up DVD would. His voice sounded like an echo.

     Dean spun around. His heart ached. While this boy didn’t look anything like Sam, that’s who he reminded Dean of. The little Sammy that Dean would always see when he looked at his giant brother.

     “I’m sorry,” Dean choked out.

     Cal’s eyes darted to her companions broken posture and sad eyes before looking back at Joshua.

     “He would hurt her too. That’s why I killed him”

     “Who did you kill?” Cal asked.

     Joshua, who had been staring at his mothers limp body, looked up at Cal with a sad glare. “My dad,”

     That was when Joshua started to scream.

Joshua Chang’s bones burned while Sam and Castiel looked on.

     Sam pulled out his phone and pressed speed dial 2-Dean. “Hey, you okay?”

     “Yeah, meet you back at the hotel.”

     Dean and Cal stood outside the Chang house while Cal called the police.

     “They should be here in about 10 minutes.”

     Dean stared at the house.

     “It’s kinda sweet,” Cal whispered. “Kid comes back to look out for his mom who won’t defend herself.”

     Dean shook his head. “It’s unfair. That’s what it is.” He turned away from the house.

     “Life is unfair, Dean,”

     They shared a long soulful look before Cal turned away. “Let’s go get In-N-Out,”

     Dean smirked and climbed into the passenger seat. Cal started the truck and they drove away.

     “How many burgers do you want?” Cal asked.

     “I’ll take two, Sam won’t want any and Cass doesn’t eat people food.”

     Cal nodded and turned to the speaker. “We’ll do six burgers.”

     Dean squinted his eyes in confusion. “Its just you and me, and I only want two.”

     “And I want four.”

Sam and Cass were in the room when Cal and Dean got back. They were watching the TV but Cal took the remote and changed the channel.

     “Hey, I was interested in that!” Sam protested.

     “So? Dr. Sexy M.D. is on, and I am not going to miss it.” She sat down on her bed and continued to eat her burgers. Dean thought for a moment before joining her with a small smile.