#supernatural 4x12

[spnstillstudies]

72/327 (KO-FI♡)

S4E12, “Criss Angel is a Douchebag”

[horrorshow]

DEAN WINCHESTER 4.12 Criss Angel Is a Douchebag

[shirtlesssammy]

Dean Winchester every day -- 72/326

Supernatural 4x12//Criss Angel is a Douchebag

[captainchilly]

TIMESTAMP ROULETTE - SUPERNATURAL (2/327) ↳ 4.12 - CRISS ANGEL IS A DOUCHE BAG

[becauseofthebowties]

4.12 - Criss Angel Is a Douchebag

[locke-esque-monster]

For all that "Criss Angel is a Douche Bag" is not the best episode of Supernatural, it is an interesting one. The bleak moral implications of the ending aside, the juxtaposition between Sam's and Dean's views is so worth digging into.

Because first you have Sam, who now that he's embraced he's a hunter now, doesn't necessarily want to do this forever. And he's got sort of a idealized version of it, that if he can get the worst of the evil taken out (Lilith) maybe he could go back to a more normal life. It's so John-coded. That they both only enter the life because of a tragedy and revenge, when they were perfectly happy living a regular life prior to that. And once their version of the mission is over, they have this dream they could just settle down and be normal. They're either intensely in the life (no friends, no settling anywhere too long like how John passed onto Sam and Sam onto Goul!Adam in 4x19), or intensely not in the life (Stanford!Sam) and there's literally no middle ground. No flexibility. For all that Sam has shades of gray when it comes to people/monsters, it shows how much he's like John with how how he structures his hunting life. And to a degree, how sheltered he is to think in way compared to Dean.

Because Dean isn't so idealized to think that hunting is something you can stop. He's watched revenge tear John and Sam apart. And while he wants revenge, he internalized that if there's evil to fight and people he could save, then they should be out there, more than John or Sam did. (Maybe because of the hurt he experienced as losing Mary and losing OG John, and he never wants anyone else to go through that.) That it's a fairy tale to think that taking out the big bad means that hunting is over. It's unclear if Sam thinks that taking Lilith down will be such a big blow that hunting won't be as necessary (because they'll be few enough monsters per remaining hunters that they could hunt little to not at all). Or if his personal responsibility to hunting will be over, and other hunters are out there to save people, but that's no longer his problem. But Dean is not so naïve to think that he could fully settle down knowing there's people dying that he could save. Or that he is he stays in the life he's not going to be hands on and reckless (or at least with low enough value of his own life over others) that it won't eventually get him killed (again). It's such disconnect between Sam's optimism and Dean's pessimism towards hunting. And it's interesting in the context of how the rest of the series goes with that mindset in mind, even chipping away at it slightly at times. That Dean tries to settle with a woman that knows about hunting so he can keep her safe openly. While Sam does settle down again with Amelia and treats hunting as an old part of his life he'll never address again, like Jess all over again, but goes back when Dean returns without a tragic revenge story. That Dean is willing to settle down in the bunker, because if you're going to hunt you take the joys in life where you can, nice kitchen, having a room full of creature comforts (also not surprising when Dean had to take his joys where he could get them when he never had the childhood Sam had). And Sam does settle in the bunker, but because his dial is stuck on either a hunting/not hunting setting, he never decorates his room, like he can't quite settle in and accept this is home and permanent.

Now a good ending to SPN would have fully contradicted Dean's statement in this episode about expecting to die young because there's no happy future growing old. And contradicted Sam's dread at ending up old and alone like Jay if he stayed in the life (because you can't tell me blurry wife and Dean jr is all the companionship Sam needs). But that's a whole different "tripping at the finish line" kind of conversation about the finale.

[winchestergifs]

Queer Characters of SPN

4/30 ❥˚⁀➴ The Chief

[deanablack]

Sam: You think we will die before we get old?

Dean: Haven't we both already?

[spnyouresostupid]

btw what's your safe word?

[perplexed-angel]

Imagine if the charges hadn't been dropped til after the police realised they had supposedly dead serial killers sam amd dean winchester

[intrn37]

Jesus

I’m watching the Supernatural episode with the three old wizard dudes and the environment is just so homoerotic

[deanstudies101]

4x12, Criss Angel is a Douchebag

Critical theory: Queer readings: homoeroticism and homophobia. Life expectancy and expectations of life. 

Key quotes: Dean, “Man… I hope I die before I get old. Whole thing seems brutal, don’t it?”; Dean, “Sammy, it ends bloody or sad. That’s just the life.”

Further reading: 

The Chief is the first LGBT character to not die within the episode (@lorebooks)

Discussion: 

Sad old people really get Kai. Iga questions the “brother” friendship. I think they’re a great salmondean parallel. 

The thing is the ending really reads as; if Sam does the ‘“‘“‘right thing’”’”’, the world suffers. Sam reads it as “I don’t want to be old and sad.” 

Kai and Iga really read Jay and Charles as gay, specifically as a couple or as pining for each other—argument is they knew about the Chief. [Controversially I disagree. Maybe they’re gay, but they’re not a couple or into each other. They’re Sam and Dean, no? Doing horrific things to save each other. “You know, Charlie was like my brother. And now he’s dead… because I did “the right thing.”"] They’re describing them as unlike Sam and Dean because they’re on a level playing field, there’s no caregiver vibes. [I strongly disagree. There is no level playing field—Charlie has been lying to Jay, hiding this power, their entire lives. There are brotherly, specifically caregiver vibes, Charlie took him in, saved his life, protected him.] [There the suicidal ideation also btw.] 

Their arguments are gentleness, deep sentimentality..? Like, that is there, but? They’re arguing that there’s not much male intimacy like this in Supernatural, as in we don’t see male friendships like this, hence why they’re reading it this way. [This is truly baffling to me ngl. The critical reading may have been misleading.]

Dean clearly stayed and fucked the Chief. They left it ambiguous but like… where was he? [Again controversially I disagree but I do support this if it had been the case.] 

Re: further reading. Jesus christ. [And technically that’s not true. Because thee gay angel Castiel didn’t die in his first episode.] But it’s crazy that the Chief is canonised and then doesn’t die. [Not to continue being controversial but like technically speaking we don’t know that the Chief is queer that is his job.] 

Re: life expectancy. [Dean said he doesn’t want to be old, and doesn’t expect to be.] He’s been suicidal for so long it’s not surprising that he can’t conceive of getting old, and it’s so tragic that he never really gets to move past that… because he doesn’t get to be old. 

Kai, “it feels like Dean manifested his own death.” [Elaborate on that.] Dean spent his whole life saying he’s going to die young and bloody. Sam wants to live a “normal life.” That’s what happens. The writers just did that. Jay started the episode sad and old, and ended the episode sad, old, and alone. Angry. [You’ve heard me talk/cry about this a lot. Dean was suicidal pretty much his whole life. Finally wanted to live. And they killed him. In exactly the kinda way he thought he would die. And I stand by the fact that his death was avoidable, he was lucid for 10 minutes.] Iga, there’s no arc there. There’s build up and build up but then… “It’s written from the start.” [Correct.][Everybody is doomed / You’ve been dead since the beginning. @heavensickness @araekniarchive @readandwritesilver] [and also “The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead.  The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a  soldier is supposed to function … all war depends upon it.”] Kai, the writers said oh, you don’t have hope? Good, because there is none. 

Iga, is Dean nephilim? [Why do you ask that?] Because Sam has demon blood, so for balance it kind of makes sense that Dean would be some kind of angel/human. Depending on the lore, nephilim are often quite chaotic, which feels like Dean (but could just be being in love with Dean.) [That makes sense. The balance thing makes a lot of sense.] The angels have a mission for him, the demons have a mission for Sam etc. Iga is excited for nephilim to feature, they’re always done interestingly. [I’m excited too.] 

Notes: Kai, “Dean ends up as nephilim because of the amount of grace that ends up inside him.” [Disgusting.] 

[horrorshow]

"Maybe we'll be different, Dean." "What kind of Kool-Aid you drinking, man?"

SUPERNATURAL 4.12 Criss Angel Is a Douchebag

[thebeautyofspn]

4x12 Criss Angel Is A Douchebag

[m1zumono]

‘you are really gonna get it tonight, big boy.’

‘there’s been a misunderstanding, i think i’ve been had.’

‘oh, you haven’t been had until you’ve been had by the chief. oh, and before we get started - what’s your safeword?’

[watchingspnagain]

Rewatching Criss Angel Is a Douche Bag

Welcome to “Abracadabra or Whatever: A Supernatural Rewatch Blog” with Lor and Mace!

Up today, s4e12: Criss Angel Is a Douche Bag.

“The boys investigate a series of strange deaths at a magic (as in tricks and shows) convention, and they may have met their matches in three seasoned and weathered and jaded and not-to-be-underestimated veteran magicians. It turns out that one of the trio of old friends has discovered Real Magic and is using it in a bid for immortality. Will his friends choose living forever with him or to doing the Right Thing? LOTS of parallels here between the story of the three magicians and our two brothers, weighing lifestyle choices and doing what is right vs what is easy, dying young while fighting the fight or trying for a long life. Maaaaybe the writers of the last episode should have revisited this one? *sigh*”

Below is a log of our real-time reactions as we watched. Remember that there may be spoilers for any part of SPN’s 15-season run here. Note also that the nature of our conversation is adult and thus it may contain adult language and themes.

[and we begin:]

Lor:

Lance needs to drown in his drink

Mace:

Yep

Mace:

that is the mayor of NYC, sir. Show some respect

Lor:

lol

Lor:

okay, the dude on stage *is* a jerk but it's not because of his eyeliner. his eyeliner is lovely

Mace:

Ha!

Lor:

byyyye, Lance

Mace:

So sad

Lor:

Tears in my beer

Mace:

snork

Mace:

he may be a douchebag but he’s a cute one

Lor:

right?

Lor:

omg Dean's eyebrows. and then Sam's face!

Mace:

YES

Mace:

“It was a phase” yeah, right, Sammy. It’s okay - own up to your hobby

Lor:

yeah, it's okay, Sammy, we won't judge. show us your tricks

Lor:

I love that Dean is OFFENDED

Mace:

yeah

Lor:

oh, Lance's name is Vance. improves nothing

Mace:

I see no difference

Lor:

exactly

Mace:

Dean fits right in with the old dudes

Lor:

aww, Dean and the old dude

Mace:

adorable

Lor:

HAHAHAHA

Mace:

YES

Lor:

did they just send him to nowhere?

Mace:

of course not they’re good dudes

Mace:

he’s gonna touch something

Lor:

always

Lor:

oh wait is it the BDSM dude?

Lor:

yep

Mace:

oh has there been a misunderstanding, Dean? Has there?

Lor:

yes HAS THERE?

Lor:

the only misunderstanding is that that's not the Dom he wants

Mace:

omg sam and those rolled sleeves

Lor:

YES

Lor:

and now his hands in his pocketsesss

Mace:

YES

Lor:

aw, lookit the Lying Brothers

Mace:

they’re just scamps

Lor:

"we con people for a living, son"

Mace:

YAS

Mace:

“rings and doves and…rings”

Mace:

smooth, Dean. Smooth

Lor:

aw, he's still all flustered. not on his game

Lor:

omg anytime they do a hovering inanimate object like this is just makes me laugh

Mace:

snork

Lor:

oh hello Dean's hands with the ring

Mace:

YES

Lor:

oh boys

Mace:

ooof, Dean “I hope I die before I get old"

Lor:

someone please hold him

Lor:

ooof the way he says "Sammy"

Mace:

yeah

Lor:

omg Sam cross your arms like that more often please

Mace:

YES

Lor:

omg the peering around the corner together

Mace:

YES

Lor:

um, boys

Lor:

do they really think tying him up is going keep him?

Mace:

snork

Lor:

"guess we shoulda seen that one coming" correct, Dean

Mace:

yep

Mace:

i love the parallels between these old magic “brothers”

Mace:

and sam and dean

Lor:

YES

Lor:

"everything he owns is in this room"

Lor:

well that resonates with the boys

Mace:

yep

Mace:

there are parallels between what Sammy’s doing with Ruby here, too, and Dean’s sense of betrayal

Lor:

YES

Mace:

Fuck 932

Mace:

“what’s the price tag on immortality”

Lor:

ALWAYS

Lor:

omg Cocoon

Mace:

HA

Lor:

maybe someone could cut down that one stranger?!

Lor:

THANK you

Mace:

HA

Mace:

he’s fine

Lor:

it's good to know that he can strangle for minutes and be just fine but a little rebar to the back noooooo

Mace:

well, he may have had some conditioning with the minor strangling earlier in the week...

Lor:

snork

Lor:

the parallel stick is out again

Mace:

yep

Lor:

oh Sammy don't reject Dean's offer to get a beer sads

Mace:

right?

Mace:

ooooof

Lor:

man that was another really good fuck 327 right there

Mace:

YEP