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[kagesdumpsterfire]

The Winchesters Season 1 Episode 2: Teach Your Children Well

I had to be a good friend last night which meant putting off The Winchesters until this morning, but seriously, everyone refusing to watch it, is MISSING OUT!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Characters

ADA

This is the character I didn't know I needed in the mothership and I'm so glad we have her now.I absolutely adore her. I love a mystic anyway, so she was already on good ground but damn. I love that she is able to get her point across without being agressive about it. Her talk with Millie was such a good moment. The Jasmine vine thing made my heart clench a little.The shadow writing was cool as hell.My only complaint is that there wasn't more of her. I need a whole Ada backstory plotline.

MILLIE

Millie is a hardass, but with good reason. To play devil's advocate, as a mom, I 100% get where she is coming from with John. It's not that she doesn't believe in him, she just doesn't want to lose her son. She already lost her husband ( and btw she's not gonna heal instantly now that she knows Henry didn't just walk out on them. Years of bitter resentment don't wash away over night). Parents make mistakes but a good parent knows when to apologize for them and explain themselves, and Millie is a damn good parent who loves her son(and knows how to tell him so[meaning the Winchester Emotional Constipation comes from John]) I REALLY wish she was around for Sam and DeanI and I am so not looking forward to whatever the hell is going to happen to her.

*also, fuck Abaddon for taking Henry away from them. I know the whole " if she hadn't AB&C wouldn't have happened but still.

LATA

She is so smart. I love that the group has an eager bookworm. I feel bad for her when it comes to her friends both having such...strong...personalities, while she is a pacifist. It seems to me that she often gets caught in the middle of their nonsense and that is never a fun place to be. But she remains loyal and patient and I think that brings such a nice balance to the group. Proud of her for sticking to her guns when Mary shut her down.

CARLOS

Carlos is love, Carlos is life and if they harm one glorious hair on that precious baby's head I will riot. I feel like it's too soon to call Carlos my favorite character, but he is definitely the most relatable to me, I don't know why (says the bisexual latina with a love of all things music) he just is. He has his fun goofy streak but knows when to keep it serious. I love a character who is not afraid to be 100% themselves despite time and environment. He says what is on his mind. He talks to each person in a different manner acording to their personality.He loves what he loves and will defend his beliefs (I also would have given Mary the silent treatment, Cabaret is a fucking masterpiece). And I really do love the free love hippie vibes. I know there was some discourse last week about making the Latin/Bisexual character a promiscuous stereotype, and look, I get it. I do. I think I have quite a good grasp on how both of those demographics have been presented in media and how disappointing it can be. HOWEVER, knowing what I know about the time setting AND how storytelling works, I'm not personally upset by it.

It's the 70s. If you have ever sat down with someone who was young around that time and talked to them about the culture, you will know there is no more explanation needed than that. If you dont have acces to a person then I suggest looking into any media or major events from that time to know what that means

One of them had to be a slutty character. If you look at television and movies (even books) where there is a core group of teens/adults ( young or old) there is always a character who is more promiscuous and/or wild than the others. It's just a basic archetype.

Now, does it suck that it had to be the Latin bisexual? Yeah. Yeah it does. But it wasn't going to be Mary or John, as that would have messed up the story and upset fans quite a bit. It sure as hell wasn't going to be Lata, that doesn't fit her character nor does it fit Ada. That leaves Carlos. I get why people are upset, I'm not going to sit here and say you shouldn't be, but again, me, personally, I'm okay with it. That's that.

MARY

She is definitely her sons' mother. I see all the Dean-coding for sure, but I appreciate the bits of her I see in Sam( which we know Sam learned from Dean so, still heavy Dean-coding.) I still very much get Mary Winchester from her. Stubborn, pushy, badass, acting without thinking, know it all, caring about others, but not to the point it gets in the way of her goal.. The works. I still have my mixed feeling on Mary. I like her, but I resent her. I love that.

JOHN

John JohnJohnnyJohn John. What to say about Sa....I mean John Winchester. Look, I'm not saying he's a bad guy yet. He's not. He's young and bullheaded, but he seems nice enough. I really do see a lot of him in Sam ( mostly the back and forth about the self conciousness and the desprate need for approval without admitting he wants it) , which isn't a bad thing it's just....I see it, okay? I see the John Winchester I know and loathe. And I don't think it's just because of previous bias. It could be but...it's the little things. The way he treated his mother in the beginning, running head first into danger without thinking about the consequences for the people around him, the cockiness. I just can't unsee it. I'm trying, but it's hard, okay?

Story

I really enjoyed this episode. It had both MOW feels while also moving the story along. Those were always some of the best episodes of SPN. I wasn't always of a fan of plain ol' MOWs that had nothing to really move the plot forward, but when they balanced plot and monsters it was always a good time. La Tunda was a good monster (story wise). It gave Latika a chance to flex her contributions to the group with knowledge and I like that the whole "not a shapeshifter" point was there to humble Mary a bit. And the abusive parent story. *chef's kiss*. The show has so far been about two characters finding missing parents and healing from childhood trauma put on them because of those parents. I could go into more detail but it would inevitably lead down a personal patb I don't want to take, but I got a "Face that trauma head on and kill it before it kills you so that you can move on with you journey" vibe. You know? I liked that they used Ada as someone who knew Henry for a catalyst for Millie to start her healing process. Her subtle way of telling Millie that Henry put that vine there to protect them while he was gone was a nice moment. I feel like Ada knows more about the MOL than she lets on, mostly by the way she seems to feel incredibly comfortable with the workings of the chapter house (where they keep their shit for spell casting and such). Seriously cannot wait to know more about her. The moment in the hotel before the core group goes to the comune is great. It added a nice free moment for this group of troubled young folk. The zombie scene was fun and it showed where everyones strengths lie and I'm glad it gave a bit more insight to the dynamic between Carlos and Lata. (Lata trying to put the Zombies it the box was kind a funny to me idk why) Not much on the Akrida but there's still a whole season. That end though! I'm in Camp Rowena with everyone else. It's possible that it's another witch, but I don't think so. The hell hounds were a bit concerning (unless its it's a time traveling Rowena who is already queen of Hell even though it doesn't need to be because she centuries old) because the Gates are still closed but like I said, whole season ahead.

Production

It was great. The monster effects were miles above episode one with the Loup-garou ( a rugaru varient apparently) and honestly I saw no major issuse. The only thing I saw was a slight inconsistency with Mary's hair style shot to shot but that's just being nitpicky. ( Spn had whole ass filming equipment and crew members in shot before so...)

Acting

Already noticing improvements in chemistry. The cast is doing a great job.

Final thoughts

It's safe to say I'm already hooked. This felt like an episode of SPN just with different characters. With the improvements I've seen already from the pilot to episode two, I have hopes that it will only get better from here. It feels so good to have this universe back. Solid 8/10

Will we learn more about the Akrida?

Will Ada get the screen time she deserves?

Who the hell was the hooded figure?

For the love of Chuck and all that is unholy, will someone please address the RDP ( random diner patron) from In The Beginning that I know is most likely just a continuity error but I desperately don't want it to be and its been bothering me for almost an entire DECADE?!?!?!?!

Find out next week on: Kage Rants about The Winchesters To Almost Nobody But Themselves

[kagesdumpsterfire]

The Winchesters: Season 1 Episode 1

I don't know if any one else prepared themselves for the pilot like I did (probably so) by watching all the important John and Mary lore centric episodes. I'm glad I did though, because it gave me a nice refresher on important elements of each of their pasts. Not to say I didn't already know their story (I've watched every episode, minus 15×20, at least 4 times so...) but it was like having a good cram session before a test. That being said I have a few thoughts on the pilot that I wanted to write down. Mostly for me to go back on in the future to see how my opinions may have changed. Anyway, SPOILERS AHEAD

CHARACTERS

ADA

Starting off with Ada because the least is known about her, but I like her so far. Strong, mysterious, smart, has worked with MOL before, owns a rare bookshop (which, let's be real here, for a black woman in the early 70s is impressive as hell). Vey much looking forward to seeing more of her.

MILLIE ( Momma Winchester)

Definitely giving Ellen Harvelle vibes. Strong, Independent but bitter. I sympathize with her, of course. She thought her husband ran off on her then her son goes off and lies about his age to join the military, not knowing for 2 years if he would come back alive. I'd be bitter too. But between her and Henry, it's easy to see secret keeping and lying to "protect loved ones" is definitely a Winchester genetic curse. Honestly I'm nervous to see what is going to happen to her, considering she's almmost never (if ever) mentioned in SPN.

LATIKA

I like her. She's vey sweet, if not a bit naive. We know that Samuel saved her life somehow which is how she got involved in everything and that she's known Mary for over a year but inexperienced in actual hunting. She's a pacifist and easily frightened, which doesn't bode well for her hunting career, but very eager to get out onto the field. Of all the characters so far though, she's to one I'm most concerned about. Her devotion to Samuel, coupled with her naivety and pacifism is a combo that could easily get her killed. I hope I'm wrong, but this is the SPNverse so...

CARLOS

Love him. He definitely felt like the most in-place character for the time setting. And being openly bisexual in the 1970s? Legendary. He's very aloof, obviously a player, hippie "free love" vibes. He got into hunting after his family was slaughtered by a gouhl. Something happened between him and Mary ( macking on her ex and bailing on a hunt of some kind) but he apparently carries a torch for her. I like that he has a takes charge vibe and obviously believes in a "hands-on learning" approach when it comes to hunting. He seems to have a lot of faith in people's abilities to suprise themselves. My only concern is that his additude is going to get someone killed. I also feel like there is going to be some tension bettween him and John regarding Mary in the future.

* note: This is about the character. When regarding Carlo's actor, they are nonbinary and use They/Them pronouns*

MARY

She's vey much Mary Winchester. Some people might not agree, but I think most people are looking at Mary the mother, Mary the wife, not Mary the young daughter of a hunter. Mary the young girl who wanted nothing to do with hunting but had no choice. Mary the young girl who is still in mourning over the death of her cousin, a death she blames heself for. Pre John, Pre Sam and Dean, Pre Azazel Mary. We're seeing a Mary who isn't responsible for anybody but the people she saves. A Free Mary if you will. But still her. She's a badass fighter, which she always has been. She has a caring quality to her but is still standoffish in a way. She would rather walk away from human confrontation than talk it out (Same ole Mary) and she definitely acts before she thinks. Now, I've had a multitude of mixed feelings on Mary ever since season 12 of SPN, mostly veering towards frustration. She's not a simple character, she never has been. She has layers and not every layer is all that likeable. But one thing about Mary that I do respect is consistency. Did she try to be a good mom, a good wife? Yes. Did she always succeed? Hell no. She has always had a layer of defiance and selfishness hidden under whatever mask she was wearing at the time, even when it came at the expense of others. But she also has always had a need to protect. I'm not going into how I felt about her abandoning S&D in SPN because that's an essay in and of itself, but overall I can say I definitely feel like they got Mary's characterization right in TW. Hopefully they'll grow with that.

John Winchester

*deep aggravated sigh* John motherf*king Winchester. The hardest thing we are all going to have to accept about this series is that this is pre Azazel John and therefore, not the ruthless SOB that we love to hate. Truth is, when we first met the Wichester parents in season 4 of SPN Mary described John as sweet, kind, and someone, who despite everything, still believed in a happily everafter, everything a hunter isn't. That is the John we are going to be seeing. Now, I am , in no way, trying to be a John apologist. I personally think he should have stayed in hell after what he did to his children. I will make no excuses for the man he became. However, this is him before he became that man. That being said, I'm still not sure I like him. He's obviously suffering from severe PTSD after watching his friend get blown up and needs to talk about it. Not just say this is what happened, but actually sit down with someone and talk about it. I realize it's the 70s and therapy wasn't as readily available as it is today (which casued a multitude of problems irl after 'nam with messed up soldiers but I digress) but jesus christ Winchester, get some therapy. Because of this he has an obvious death wish. Right off the bat he puts himself in danger without any knowledge of how to handle what he is facing. He also has a "White Knight" complex that I cannot stand (and again have seen in real life soldiers fresh out of combat so bravo for accuracy there). He is very cocky, and sure of himself, which is going to put someone in danger. He's flirtatious (we all saw the Latika scene) and while not neccesarily a bad trait, it will most likely cause a distraction that isn't needed in a time where focus is necessary. I definitely see traces of the John we know. Looks like he always had trouble of letting go of the past at the expense of others, very on brand. I can definitely see where Dean was coming from when he said Sam was just like their father. It's interesting for sure and I'm reluctant to say this but, I'm ready to learn more about him.

STORY

It's alot. Like a lot. It feels like they did their damndest to pack as much exposition in as possible which made for and extremely fast pace3 pilot. There wasn't a whole bunch of down time in the episode to reflect on things which can be a good thing, midseason, but was a little wonky for the pilot. We got introduced to a few new characters as well as reintroduced to some old ones with some glimpses of backstory and it honestly could have been split into two parts to ease the pacing but overall I'm intrigued.

Some key points:

John's PTSD is definitely going to bite them in the ass, though it was interesting to see he always had a willingness to bleed for mary when he cut his friend's cross out of his arm.

Samuel leaving Mary and Deanna alone to go off on a hunt seemed off. I realize it was used as a plot device to tie in with SPN but it felt...hmmm....I'm just not sure I like what certain fans will do with the " finding Mary's dad narrative. Iykyk.

The man who handed John his dad's letter and dissapeared was 100% an Angel. You can't change my mind

Driving to 3 different states in the first episode was a lot but apparently this group is used to it, John however seemed so willing to leave home and travel with them, which made me feel sorry for Millie.

They have a monster box and a lot of info on how to use it due to the library and the MOL club house, which was cool and I want to know more about this stuff but everything was so sped up I couldn't get a grasp on everything they were doing and saying. I'm sure it will be explored more.

While it isn't the first time we've seen that the MOL have used monsters/creatures as guard dogs for their things, I almost wish it would have been a previously known monster. I actually have a lot of complaints about the loup-garou but that's neither here nor there.

I hope to see more of Carlos and Mary's beef regarding that hunt and they don't leave it slightly vague like they did with Bobby and Rufus. I also want to know more about how Samuel saved Latika.

The Akrida. Are we talking Aliens, dimentional creatures, or underworld here? I have a feeling they are going to be a key plot point in why John seems oblivous to everything once we meet him. I'm definitely intrigued, if not a bit apprehensive, but we'll see.

I, personally, enjoyed the little details about John and Mary's first meeting they put in there. Slaugher house 5. Cup of coffe. All that good Jazz, it was nice. I'm still bothered by Zachariah saying they hated each other at first and forever bothered by the random patron of the diner from In The Beginning telling John to say hi to his old man for him, when Henry dissapeared when John was a child, but it's still the pilot so, there's time.

DEAN😭😭😭😭😭

I'm not going to sit here and predt3end I didn't tear up hearing his voice. I'm sure as hell not gonna pretend I didn't cry actually seeing him on my screen again. I was born into this fandom a Dean girl and since nothing in the SPNverse never truly dies, it looks like a Dean girl I shall remain (with occasional Castrash moments obviously).

PRODUCTION

Glorious. The shots in Louisiana were beautiful, I enjoy the music accompaniment and that it isn't so loud that it overtakes the dialogue *coughcough* but gives the scenes a nice ambiance. Hearing Dean's song over John's dialogue made me feel a type of way but I'll let it slide. The lightning is very bright and Campy but that's just how most everything is shot now. And it wasn't terrible. Literally my only complaint from a production stand point is some things about Mary's costume (she looked more like Claire Novak's twin sister that Mary Winchester. We need the Farrah Faucet hair) and the damn loup-garou. It looked like and ROUS from the Princess Bride. There is no known lore on it other than how to kill it. I get that it's a pilot and budget sacrifices have to be made somewhere but it was just...ugh. literally my only real complaint. I could deal with every minor detail that didn't fit my expectations because this is the pilot and really, who am I to be picky, this show wasn't made SPECIFICALLY for me and me alone, but that damn loup-garou was not it. Overall production, not just "for a pilot", but as a whole, was stunning when you consider that Jensen and Danneel have NEVER done this before. Bravo.

ACTING

I've already seen people commenting about the acting in the tags and some of it hasn't been terribly kind. I saw someone liken it to disney acting. Which, IDK couldn't have anything to do with the fact that Meg was a Disney channel actor, could it? Give them a break guys. They did a good job. Acting isn't easy and I, spending the majority of my childhood and teen years being a stage actor, saw no glaring issues. I was very impressed with the acting for a pilot. Let's face facts here guys its not like the SPN actors were ALWAYS on the ball either. Jensen was a soap opera star ffs! This is their first episode together. You gotta give them a chance to get to know each other. Damn, it's not like they stared into the camera or broke character or gave middle school play vibes. I'd be more concerned about their acting skills if they had been doing this for umpteen seasons and were internationally known super stars, but they did better than A LOT of CW actors on tv today. They did good. I'd like to see some of you go out there and do better. It's a pilot not a finale.

Final thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed it, and not just for it being part of the SPNverse. I honestly think i I would probably watch it as a stand alone for it's subject matter and genre. I think Jensen and Danneel did a wonderful job. I'm looking forward to putting my bias against John aside and actually learning more about the Winchesters' past. Definite 7.8/ 10 for a stand alone pilot (-0.2 for the pacing and - 2 for the damn loup-garou) and a solid 8/10 for something from the SPNverse.

Will we learn more about the The Akrida and their plan to destroy existence as we know it?

Will we get more backstory on our new characters?

Will anyone ever explain why the random patron told John to say hi to his old man for him when Henry had been missing for years?!?!?!?

Tune in next week for: Kage rants about The Winchesters To Almost Nobody But Themselves, to find out.

[kagesdumpsterfire]

Damn you, Jensen Ackles, for making me feel even an ounce of sympathy for John Winchester! I told myself that I wouldn't allow myself to do it, and now here we are!