#so i did watch the first 3 episodes waaay back when i was. maybe 11 years old or so

[katierosefun]

watching the iconic secret garden for the first time and man . . . i just KNOW she was at least a million girls’ RealizationTM

[elizabethrobertajones]

I stumbled across my own old post from when I ranked all spn seasons in order of my favorite to least and realized I need to figure out where to add s12... was wondering if you had such a ranking and what it is?

Oh no :P That’s a tough one. I’m still thinking about what @k-vichan said on @superspecpod about liking the emotional/motw stuff of season 12 a LOT but ranking the overall plot really really low. (And I just watched 12x15 so I’m freshly annoyed about this exact thing because Perez tried SO MUCH HARDER than he needed to to make the Crowley and Lucifer stuff interesting and to make it go somewhere - anywhere other than 2 more episodes of Lucifer sitting around chained to a chair in a boring room exchanging the same old samey dialogue - so the rest of the Buckleming episodes after just make it like a lesson in not trying so hard because you can coast by on about 3% of the effort >.>)

Maybe it’s time to start getting more nuanced because it’s really hard to decide and there are other seasons which aren’t so starkly split but still have an imbalance in my eyes. I’ll rank them out of 10 for those categories.

So I guess season 12 is 10/10 for motw, probably like 9/10 for emotional arcs and 1/10 for plot, no offence to Berens and Dabb but… Yikes. 12x13 retroactively ruined 6x04 and somehow 9x21 as well and I didn’t think 9x21 was a strong episode to start with… Other plot episodes in the same season don’t stand a chance. I’m putting the good work into “emotional arcs” from those episodes and backing off, although I’ll allow stuff like the good parts of the plot stuff that affected the emotional arcs some leeway into being enjoyable, like all the times the BMoL were used WELL for family drama. (I did also just watch 12x16 after all.) Overall 20/30

Season 11 I thought had some great motw but also some more average ones… Nothing terrible but there were several which were quite rote, so maybe like 8/10, average lifted by Robbie and Nancy Won specifically for 11x04 and 11x19 :P The emotional arc was fairly simple and stretched waaay too long and some parts not resolved, and the whole ikkiness of 16 year old looking Amara hitting on Dean which even when I didn’t think they’d use it as a proper romance arc was horrendously off-putting for the things we SHOULD have cared about, so maybe 5/10. The plot I think was good despite the emotional arc it created being a drag so 9/10 because I really enjoyed watching along with it for the basic drama and twists like Casifer and the hands of god to fill space with decent pacing in the middle, because it generally tied into interesting episodes, and bringing Chuck back and wrapping up was a nice way to raise the stakes and finish the story. Overall 22/30

Season 10 didn’t have any stellar motw except 10x05 - the rest were mostly tolerable-to-good but I can’t give it over 5/10 for the experience because many were plagued by… The emotional arc, which through sheer attrition ends up at like 2/10 and the only redeeming episodes on that were 10x14 for the plot and 10x22 for remembering Cas had a point to be in the season even if it was horrific to watch. But this is the plot that “went where the story took them” so ick, 3/10. Also, the demon!Dean stuff is great but in a bang your fork on the table and yell for more way, which means it’s the only reason I changed this from a 2 to a 3 because I literally forget 10x01-3 aren’t a mini season all on their own, but they still had Cole in them so it’s not going higher than that :P 10/30

Season 9 I literally quit watching over the MotW and the sort of sticky, itchy feeling they have is even worse than season 10 throughout the season, buuut 9x06 and 9x19 are in there. But Bloodlines was a motw. Let’s call it 4, give Berens a consolation cookie, and move on >.> The emotional arc is very strong and I love it a lot even though it’s all angsty and miserable, mostly because I skipped from 9x05 to 9x18 with a quick easy marathon through the Gadreel fight instead of watching along, and then read all the meta on it at once, and it’s got an excellent Destiel plot which a huge amount of the season rides on, so 10/10 because I said so. The plot, as well, flounders in the middle a bit for the angel wars but I think the Mark of Cain is a GOOD part of THIS side of the season and the demon!Dean build up and reveal was excellent, so I’d say 9/10 because once you apply the “Metatron wrote everything the angels do” theory it mostly all scrapes by. Ignoring the MotW, I usually put this as one of my favourite seasons despite the fact I ragequit it once. Overall 23/30

Season 8 has good MotW for the most part but there’s some eh ones and there’s ones I skip so hard I forget they’re part of canon, like the other weird dog episode, so maybe only 6/10. Robbie has another good year. I like Bitten, fight me :P Emotional arcs are much more painful - I’ve read all the meta on the Sam hit a dog fight but unlike the Gadreel one which I find interesting and complex, it bums me out AND feels manufactured, so 8x17 has got to prop the whole thing up to 5/10. The main plot is good. I love Kevin and the trials and Metatron’s introduction and Crowley as a main antagonist. 9/10 with a point deducted for letting Abaddon out and leaving the hell/purgatory portal open. Overall 20/10

Season 7 is a sneaky fave of mine as well because I’m awful :P Buckleming return and write MotW but Robbie arrives on the scene and I think bats a perfect game on his first try. So 7/10 because the other writers also weren’t awful and Plucky’s happened this season. I also think the emotional arc is harrowing but because I mostly remember this season through rewatches where it was all okay and I never knew Cas wasn’t supposed to be gone for good so his return seems waaay more Destiel to me than it might if you didn’t think the entire season was just manufactured to make Dean sad about Cas then give him back, 8/10. And the Leviathan plot was really nicely handled as a season-long big bad who caused a serious and damaging effect to their lives but then they scrounged up all their resources and killed Dick and also the main plot was a series of Dick jokes. so 10/10. 24/30

Season 6 on the other hand… 2/10 for MotW because this was just a resounding failure to make the MotW part of the main plot on the Eve arc but then make it all low budget dragons and spider dudes and mannequins and what have you. UGH. But there IS the fairy episode and it’s the one dang episode with no relevance to anything at all that season except Sam happens to be soulless in it which just adds to the fun. I am a bit uncertain about the emotional arc - it’s miserable for the most part and I am sad about Dean and Lisa being a disaster and going through all the steps of it being terrible. Dean is *buried* in everyone’s angst and problems and it doesn’t even really serve a purpose or let him break. The light in the dark is 6x20 which is going to haul this all the way up from what would have been like a 2 to 5. The plot is also a disaster and VISIBLY a disaster and even 6x20 has some tiny holes and stretches that can’t make it ALL work, though Edlund gives it his best. On the other hand “plot episodes” include Weekend at Bobby’s, Appointment in Samarra, The French Mistake, My Heart Will Go On, and Frontierland, and I am DYING for another season which delivers its main plot through crack episodes of utter gold star nonsense quality. I begrudingly give 7/10 but it’s marking up from like… 3 or something, instead of down from 10 :P Overall 14/30

Season 5… has awful MotW. I’m sorry, it does. All the ones that look like MotW but then turn out to be plot episodes are great (well, except for 5x09), but all the ones that stay MotW are like… Curious Case of Dean Winchester. Swap Meat. Blaaaaah. 3/10. I skip everything that isn’t about the apocalypse properly when I watch - thankfully there aren’t a whole lot of them. Emotional arc is the pay off of 5 years work and it doesn’t make me cry but it is a pretty great heaping of good emotional arc tying up and probably why a lot of the following seasons are wonky or go for manufactured drama to boot up the story properly. 10/10. Plot is almost omnipresent, mostly well-delivered, and although it is too melodramatic for “we literally knew we had a season 6 lined up” with a side order of “it definitely was meant to look like this all the way through and we didn’t cram in any last minute retcons or deuz ex machinas ha ha” *sweats nervously*, at least the original watch was a MEMORABLE JOURNEY so I give it 9/10 with a side-eye for rewatching and also with hindsight attempting to finish the story 1 or 8 seasons and counting from a reasonable place. Overall 22/30

Season 4 is my favourite but it has 4x11 aka “we want to intentionally write an episode so bad they’ll never air it and no one will watch it haha isn’t this a lark” right in the middle, so 9/10 for motw, 10/10 and 10/10 for everything else. Can you even explain season 4 to people who don’t get it? :P 29/30

Season 3 has the best motw to plot episodes ratio aside from season 12 probably. A WHOLE bunch of classics and only really 2 I dislike in it so I’d give it 8/10 because it is allowed to coast on those, and it’s about to take a hammering for emotional arc, because like season 10 it’s got a simple purpose that Dean Is Not Okay And Sam Wants To Save Him, which combines the same angry, reckless Dean and desperate miserable Sam, only then gets a writers’ strike bang in the middle so they’re even more frustrated and miserable and to no good end so 1/10. And I have a personal grudge against the show for ending forever after sending Dean to Hell because it got cancelled after the strike and I had to live with that for nearly 3 years before it turned out this was not, in fact, what had happened. 1/10 for the inevitable tanking of what looked like a strong start and just no way to salvage it but admit defeat and wait for season 4. Overall 10/30 

Season 2 is just 10/10 for motw, 10/10 for emotional arc and … maybe like 8 or 9 out of ten for plot. Let’s go with 8 with hindsight that season 4 and 5 trashed Azazel’s hard work so hard I see all the time people wondering “why did he have to go to SO MUCH trouble” and the only conclusion I got is “for shits and giggles” or to waffle about how no one knew anything for certain. (The other problem is that so much of what happens isn’t explained, and it saves a point because Croatoan finally got an answer *3* years later.) But I love season 2. Simple and gets the job done and hollows you out along the way and the much stronger follow up to the first season to really explore the characters and their trauma with a much better understanding of them. Overall 28/30.

Season 1 is more mixed for motw. They’re almost all of the episodes but Bugs and Racist Truck deserve the slamming Word of God keeps giving them in the story because they ARE racist and poorly plotted and relying on chance resolutions. I like the urban legends and the different feel it has to any other season as they find their feet with easy hunts but I don’t think a lot of them are classics in the same way season 2 episodes feel much more firmly covered in the show’s fingerprints because these are the patterns they go on to subvert or explore in much more abstract ways. Maybe 8/10. Characterisation is shaky and one note compared to later on some things, and the emotional arc is simple but also relies on John just not talking to them to the point of frustration and Sam and Dean are so isolated it’s claustrophobic at times. 7/10. But plot is simple and works and is the best hook to watch all the rest so 10/10. Overall 25/30

…

and yeah, adding up reasons I like the season against reasons I don’t, season 12 is way more watchable to me than season 10 even though they literally committed the same off-putting crime in the 21st episode both times. Other seasons score much worse for just being kinda meh or having two out of the three main reasons I enjoy something be really bad, like season 3 or 6, so even though there’s stuff I love in them, I think they’re worse overall seasons… 

I don’t know why I spent so much time on this. :P Lack of will to do anything else. Thanks for letting me ramble at you if you read this far :P

[duskwitch]

Dusky watching episode 9-12

Yes, I have indeed not watched this since episode 8. Well, actually I did see 9 already but I haven’t written a rant about it. So, let’s do this, so I can rest in pieces until the next chapter!

Episode 9

Not even childhood makes Yukio tolerable.

Todo is ruining Victor’s voice for me.

I’m trying really hard to feel sorry for Yukio. I do. But the fact that he blames everything on the one person who knew NOTHING about what he’s been doing just makes it impossible for me. Sorry not sorry!

“Yukio is salty” is kind of a redundant statement at this point.

Awww, there comes out precious baby Satan. You go, Rin!

Could the Impure King please just take a dump on both Todo and Yukio? God...

Cue the intro!

Todo has a point in that Yukio avoids self-reflection. Otherwise he would have noticed what a massive dick he is towards his brother.

On the other hand, he spends waaay too much time thinking about every little shit his brother does. Get a hobby, Yukio!

Please don’t start counter-monologuing now...

NIPPLES!

Yeah, yeah, can we please go back to the more interesting characters now?

Karura... is it too much asked for you to show a little more concern?

Aaand there’s another kid who really needs to chill.

Dammit Rin, quit acting like a stereotypical Shounen protagonist!

Am I the only one who’s dissatisfied with the mediocrity of the animation?

You did well, Princess Suguro!

Dammit, Mephisto! Keep your comments to yourself if you are not going to lift a single finger!

Well, Yukio, maybe if you tried to show off a little less and summoned fewer demons, this would have worked out...

Burn the bitch!

Twin telepathy!

Shima, this is not the time for having a flashback!

Ah, my poor kitten son. Somebody give him a hug.

Hey, Shima! Don’t leave him alone, you asshat!!!

I can’t decide whether I like him better with dark hair or not. The pink is more unique. (PFFT, well, he did say he dyed it because the girls like it...)

I love how Shima always gets put in the front. lol

OMG THE FOX BABIES ARE STILL THE CUTEST THING EVER!!!

Yeah, I’d be annoyed, too.

Well, I’ve seen enough hentai to know where this is going.

Stop being Tsundere and let Blondie McTits save you!

OH NO! The tiny foxes!

I don’t understand why it was so hard to summon Nee. They seem to be rather happy to be around.

Nyoa! Pfft! The cabbage eyes!

Oh, dramatic music!

Aaand the white stuff is everywhere! Eww.

Oh, yeah, we were about to get crispy Yukio earlier...

DRAMATIC MUSIC INTENSIFIES! Choirs make everything 10 times more epic.

K’rik to the head!

Juzou is here to steal the show! Roll credits!

Episode 10

And this week: Shit is still going down!

I’d like to take a moment to appreciate the fact that the Impure King is indeed drawn and not CGI as I originally feared. It still looks kinda goofy.

No comments from the peanut gallery, Mephisto! (jk he needs more screen time)

Is this a Game of Thrones episode?

Boobie jiggling!

How does she know that’s its true form anyway?

Kinzou, shut up!

Is this a fight fire with fire thing?

In a Shounen anime, everyone comes up with their attack names as they go...

Hey, how about you guys in the back... idk... HELP HIM?!

Todo has a point. Again.

First dude dies!

Okay, but that flying chicken head is really ridiculous.

Draw Todo like one of your French girls.

PFFFFFFFFFFFT OMG that fireball is DBZ level ridiculous!

Aaand of course that attack is also named.

THE CHICKEN IS EXPLODING!!! AHAHAHAHAH! OMG! This is something straight out of Skyrim modding. “Can you kill it with explosive chickens?“

Well done, four-eyes! Too bad you aren’t cool.

You guys are taking too long...

HOLY FUCK, Todo is just creepy.

Shura is moving out. Hell yeah!

I feel you, Renzou... I want her to smother me with her rack, too.

Ninja Shura! ... oh, wait.

Meanwhile, Izumo still needs saving.

Do something useful, Karura!

What are those teats anyway? Is the Impure King an Impure Queen after all?

Hey, 15 minutes is pretty generous. That’s like 3 seasons of DBZ!

Oh no! Kuro!

Not sure why he can’t draw the sword right now but either way Yukio is probably part of the problem. And Rin’s lack of shoes.

This situation is too heavy. Time for some comedy!

Awww, Rin is too precious for this world.

Bon is laughing. Which is not as apocalyptic of an omen as, say, Yukio laughing... but things are still pretty bad.

HE DREW THE SWORD! Everyone stop whatever you doing!

Episode 11

Friendly reminder that the Impure King looks really ridiculous.

“Hey Okumura! The white stuff is getting into my face!“

Yeah, you drew it. Now do something useful!

TITS!

Shura is so pretty. =w=

The close ups are good but they really cut corners everywhere else in the animation. *sigh*

... Okay, I’m gonna say it, those things attacking Rin look like penises.

Oh no! Princess Suguro! You had one job, man.

Shine bright like a diamond...

I love every second of Mephisto’s screen time but I want to choke him for being a lazy asshole.

And there he goes quoting Nietzsche while Rin is dodging giant demon dicks and Yukio is trying to avoid surprise buttsex from Todo.

You are not his type, Todo! Take a hint!

K’rik to the head!

Okay, time to move the plot elsewhere.

Mephisto is having the time of his life.

Ucchusma has enough of your human bullshit and is here to get shit done. Also, he’s been waiting hundreds of years for his balls to drop.

Se interrupt this episode of Ao no Exorcist to give you... Shaman King!

Rin... you should have learned by now that hell chicken don’t give a single fuck ever.

Elsewhere, Nee still has the cutest butt ever. Look at that tail!!!

Shiemi to the rescue!

Damn, this scene is kinda hot. Forget the guys, Shiemizumo is the shit!

Hey! Don’t ignite other shipping feels over there! We just had a moment here!

Everyone calm your tits!

AAAHHHHH! The mediocrity of the animation makes me cry whenever they show Mephisto. It’s not as bad as the jail scene but eeehhhh.... why?!?! He could have been beautiful!

Did... he just switch legs? He totally just switched legs just now.

Title drop! ROLL THE FUCKING CREDITS!!!!

God, that LAUGH! I love it!

OMG did you see the way the ears shrunk when he sheathed the sword? Somebody gif this!!!

Bon probably thinks “Shit, now I have to show him Kyoto Tower after all...“

AAAHHH THE FACE!!!

YES! PRAISE HIM! PRAISE THE PRECIOUS RINNAMON ROLL!

They are making up!! I CAN’T!!!!

*snort* Here comes the head rub!

“Oh, hey, Yukio! While you were busy fighting Todo, I drew my blade!”

"Who let him out of his cell?” Dude!

They sentenced him to death already. There isn’t anything worse they can do to him. What the fuck are you mad about? Seriously, calm down and fuck off!

... he punched him hard enough for Rin to spit blood?!? That’s the most serious injury he got in this fight! DUDE!

Oh, NOW he’s all “Nii-san!“? FUCK YOU!!!!

Not sure if bad or excellent parenting...

Episode 12

Here comes the clean up crew. If only the people who fought the Impure King all night had been this well equipped....

What is that kangaroo dragon thing?

You jerks had helicopters all along?

I love how Torako always gives the impression that she’s about to make a gentle gesture when she’s really about to blow up in your face.

Aww, poor Mamushi!

Nooo, don’t cry!!!

Pffft, Kuro!

Here comes the ship-tease!

BFF-ED! God, Shiemi, that was savage... *cackles*

Shima, you dick!

THE THING! THE SCENE IS HAPPENING! (Well, I already watched it twice but eh!)

The mediocre animation... oh, the pain!

Mephisto... y u lyin’?

Shura is so pretty!!!!

Am I the only one who always wondered about Mephisto just randomly starting to drink in the middle of day? Is this a Japanese thing?

They really had to zoom in on her... well, that is where her pussy is, no way to sweet it. Creepy animation guys...

At least we got the heart socks.

Sorry, our animation cannot do the hotness of this scene any justice. Have some tits to put you off!

Excuse Mephisto while he’s having a boner and being a dick.

gdi how can a woman be so beautiful!

Yukio needs to chill!

OMG Koneko’s parents were so cute!!! Look at his mom! She was a total cutie pie!

Making my way downtown, walking fast... walking back. WHAT!

What is Koneko WEARING?!

”We porked so now we have to get married!” What century are you from, Juzou?!

Dad Hojo’s reaction oh god! xD

Looks like everyone has their priorities together.

WHAT ARE THOSE SNAKES?!?!?! Uwabami what?

I’m so happy for Uwabami but I can’t stop laughing!!!!!

FIELD TRIP TIME!

And now they are going to milk the joke. Ahhh, poor Rin!

Is that... a carpet floor on the top of Kyoto tower. WHAT?!

Everyone is friends again! I’m happy!

Aaand they are showing it by being dicks. Huehehe. How did they rope Salty-o into this, tho?

Oh, so because they did that Kraken arc in the first season they move up the conversation between Rin and Yukio to now? Does that mean they are not doing the canon Kraken arc? SUUUCKS!

Don’t think too highly of yourself, Yukio! You did jack shit to “force him into using Satan’s power“! If anything, you were part of the reason he was insecure about using it!

... this ending was shoehorned and awkward. I’m disappointed. But overall the last couple of episodes were okay. Now we wait for the next chapter.