234 replies to this topic

[TWoP Lockley]

Blood Brother
Benny is beat up by vampires and calls Dean for help. Meanwhile, Sam reflects on the life he left behind with Amelia.

[Vaya]

Christ that was boring.

Benny gave up being an evil vampire for love, blah blah blah Southern Vampire cakes.

At least True Blood has gore and nudity.

And shut up Sam.

[Kimit]

I have absolutely zero interest in Sam's storyline with Amelia.

I was really looking forward to seeing Sam meet Benny...and that was it?

I'm not sure what that last hour was. Lots of time spent on characters I don't really care about. Also lots of my time spent trying to figure out what Benny was saying.

[Vaya]

Also lots of my time spent trying to figure out what Benny was saying.

Seriously, man needs to take the marbles out of his mouth.

[jediknight]

So Sam knows Dean is infiltrating a vampire's nest while on the phone with him, and he constantly yells on the phone? I said it when he dropped the Mjolnir and I'll ask it again, how in the blue hell did he get into Stanford? He knows Dean is in a nest, and he proceeds to yell at him. Because you want to give away your location when infiltrating somewhere.

Sam is approaching Randy Disher territory this season, and that's not a good thing.

And damn Sam, telling Dean he has no friends because they're all dead, was a douche move.

[Sudoka]

Great use of In The Hall Of The Mountain King from Peer Gynt (the song Benny was whistling in the first flashback).
It seems like Benny's story may be inspired by it, given all the references to his maker as "old man":

The piece is played as the title character Peer Gynt, in a dream-like fantasy, enters "the royal hall of the Old Man of the Dovre (the Mountain King)." The scene's introduction continues: "There is a great crowd of troll courtiers, gnomes and goblins. The Old Man sits on his throne, with crown and sceptre, surrounded by his children and relatives. Peer Gynt stands before him. There is a tremendous uproar in the hall."

Edited by Sudoka, Oct 31, 2012 @ 9:16 PM.

[kara714]

And damn Sam, telling Dean he has no friends because they're all dead, was a douche move.

Yeah not to mention rubbing it in about trying to kill Kevin's Mom, when he had no problem killing Kevin's Mom's BFF.

But whatever Sam.

Dean was awesomely badass in this, as was Benny. Loved the purgatory stuff. I really wish those scenes were longer and more fleshed out. Way more interesting than The Bickering Brother Show of the present.

Overall I liked it and I thought Ty Olsson did a nice job of giving us more layers for Benny. I don't know if he will eventually turn bad, but if he does, at least it will feel tragic rather than predictable.

I also liked that what appeared to cement Dean's trust in Benny was that he saved Cas. *smish*

Edited by kara714, Oct 31, 2012 @ 9:14 PM.

[hat]

Well, that was satisfying. I loved badass Dean fighting the nest of vampires and I know he's done it before so I'm glad the show didn't take that away. I love Benny, but I do have a hard time understanding what he was saying. Still, Ty Olssen has some very pretty blue eyes and he's so cute.

Anyway, loved the purgatory scenes with Dean, Cas and Benny and lo and behold, the Leviathians were cooler in purgatory than they ever were on earth. That was just fantastic and Benny saving Cas' life was made of awesome. Dean was made of awesome.

The actress that plays Amelia really seems to be good for JP. I think they should keep her and Sam together, but I have to say, their scenes were pretty much high-school play, meet cute, and very boring. But they still fit well together.

The best parts of this episode were the Dean and Benny ones as well as the purgatory ones. I wish the purgatory story was made into an actual season long one, because it's a lot more fun to watch. I don't know why the show insist on keeping Dean and Sam together. I wouldn't mind them being apart, on screen, for a half season or more.

Kudos to Jensen and Ty for making this a fun episode.

Poor Benny, but Dean did what Benny wouldn't have been able to do, kill the girl. Badass, kickass Dean FTW

[Tippi Blevins]

I am really enjoying Benny. Rolled my eyes at the Twu Wuv thing, but the show does love its parallels.

[Sudoka]

how in the blue hell did he get into Stanford?

It appears that he took the Troy Barnes route and majored in air conditioner repair.

[Parcae3]

OK, that was an awesome episode! Well, minus the part with Sam and his perpetual bitchface and his love interest. Oy, cringe worthy. And why is Sam always shouting and being all harsh with Dean? I mean, he cared more about that kid's father and his dog, then his own brother. Ugh, whatever.

Anyways, I really liked Benny's backstory! And yea, he's so not a Ruby clone. He's definitely more Lenore. I hope he makes it. I'm rooting for him, and Ty really is an awesome addition to the show. He has great presence and amazing chemistry with Jensen. I love Dean and Benny's friendship. And I love that these two have been bound together by their shared past, by fighting for a year together with their backs to each other. By recognizing loyalty and that warrior quality in each other and finding a kindred type spirit in hell. Great stuff.

I also really loved that Benny knows Dean. He knows his loyalty to his friends, because he saw it first hand with Dean towards Castiel in Purgatory. That Dean would NOT leave Cas. That it was them all or no one. Dean was dead serious when he said that. And it was awesome that the thing that seals Dean's belief in Benny was that Benny saved Castiel when Dean couldn't. That was great!

We seriously need more Purgatory scenes. That stuff is so much more interesting then the other stories going on right now!

And Dean...I really feel like maybe Edlund has got his Dean mojo back on! Because Dean was awesome. Snarking at Sam and not backing down to Sam's bitchy attitude. His incredible loyalty to his friends, Castiel and Benny. His BAMF hunter skills, where he took on a freaking vampire nest by himself...AGAIN!!! He had the most kills of anyone tonight! His ability to do what needs to be done. He was strong, loyal, caring, and BAMF! Loved it! I don't know what got Edlund's groove back on, but I'm glad it happened!

Really loved tonight's ep!

[Vaya]

Great use of In The Hall Of The Mountain King from Peer Gynt (the song Benny was whistling in the first flashback).

Love that piece, though everytime I hear it I think of the Dance of the Seven Veils in Salome's Last Dance.


So...yeah....

[Cieley]

Yeah not to mention rubbing it in about trying to kill Kevin's Mom, when he had no problem killing Kevin's Mom's BFF.
But whatever Sam.

Yes, Sam really needs to shut up about that. He was acting as if he has never killed a possessed person. As you say, whatever, Sam.

Dean was awesomely badass in this, as was Benny. Loved the purgatory stuff. I really wish those scenes were longer and more fleshed out. Way more interesting than The Bickering Brother Show of the present.

The scenes in Purgatory are by far and away the best parts of the season so far. Too bad they couldn't have switched things around, with the show being set in Purgatory and then giving us only brief flashbacks to the real world.

Overall I liked it and I thought Ty Olsson did a nice job of giving us more layers for Benny. I don't know if he will eventually turn bad, but if he does, at least it will feel tragic rather than predictable.

I like Benny as a character, and his interactions with Dean, but he does give off vibes of being doomed.

I also liked that what appeared to cement Dean's trust in Benny was that he saved Cas. *smish*

That is so Dean, somehow.

[exit only]

I liked it, parts of it. I thought the Sam/Amelia scenes really slowed the episode down. Also, I don't like the actress who played Amelia, I got nothing from her, she seemed stilted and I didn't see any chemistry between the actors.

random comment - I don't think the actor who played Father blinked much.

I loved that we got BAMF Dean with the nest.

I loved the purgatory scenes the most. I had to laugh at Dean getting caught in the middle again, like with John and Sam, and now Benny and Castiel. I wish we could have had an entire episode set in purgatory. I liked seeing why Dean trusts Benny, and I liked seeing Benny save Castiel's life.

Edited by exit only, Oct 31, 2012 @ 9:29 PM.

[Kimit]

It appears that he took the Troy Barnes route and majored in air conditioner repair.

Ha!

Edited by Kimit, Oct 31, 2012 @ 9:28 PM.

[Parcae3]

I loved the purgatory scenes the most. I had to laugh at Dean getting caught in the middle again, like with John and Sam, and now Benny and Castiel. I wish we could have had an entire episode set in purgatory.

Oh yea, I forgot about that! LOL, it was too funny. Dean's always the man in the middle!

[hat]

The scenes in Purgatory are by far and away the best parts of the season so far. Too bad they couldn't have switched things around, with the show being set in Purgatory and then giving us only brief flashbacks to the real world.

Man, that would be awesome! I love the purgatory scenes. Cas killing that monster before it got to him, and, yeah, I wish purgatory was more than a flashback.

[MichaelaBelle]

Yeah not to mention rubbing it in about trying to kill Kevin's Mom, when he had no problem killing Kevin's Mom's BFF.

He was reminding Dean why Kevin doesn't trust them and is on the run from them. And there is no other reason other than Dean tried to kill him mom. But maybe Sam should have lied to not hurt Dean's feelings?

I was completely bored. I find Benny to be more and more of a cliche. He gave up killing because of true love. Ty Olsen is difficult to listen to. I thought Meg's way of speaking last season was annoying but I almost gave up on even bothering to follow Benny. He wasn't saying much worth listening to anyway. "I was a killer, I found love, I thought she was dead, I want revenge" blah blah. I don't think there was much else despite the amount of talking going on. I hope he is put out of his misery quickly.

[awab]

Awesome episode. Badass hunter Dean with his friend cleaning up the nest with some Purgatory flashbacks of Dean protecting Cas and Benny learning to protect what Dean loves. Awesome!
I wish there were no flashbacks of Sam though cause it was really annoying and that girl of his is a good match - they both can make similar bitchy faces,

[WynterWolf]

Man, that last scene between Dean, Benny and Sam was electric. Loved the way that was played. But OMG I miss Cas in the current timeline.

Interesting backstory for Benny, I was not expecting the girl. Or Benny saving Cas in Purgatory, but in retrospect, what else could really get Dean to start to trust him. Some other interesting parallels there that will warrant more consideration. And I loved BadassHunterDean so much, especially how subtly and matter-of-factly it was done, no big fanfare, no blatant bells or whistles, just deadly competence.

Edited by WynterWolf, Oct 31, 2012 @ 9:39 PM.

[instant karma]

I'm sorry I just can't take an entire episode about Benny. I didn't need to know his back story, I found it boring and cliched just like Benny. I was rooting for Sam to chop his head off at the end.

The purgatory flashbacks were the only interesting thing about the episode.

[Waltuckian]

The second episode in a row featuring a bunch of guest stars who can't act (seriously, Cullen!Knockoff, love interest and henchman made last weeks group look like Meryl Streep, Laurence Olivier, and Daniel Day Lewis), and don't care about. Boring.

I did like Sam dishing it out to Dean about why Kevin doesn't trust him. I'm still hoping he'll mention Dean's year long vacation the next time Dean whines about Sam taking a year off.

[shamangrrl]

Have to say, I really enjoyed this one. There were a few quibbles, but I'm not even going to bother. There was too much good stuff. BAMF!Dean, Benny being loyal and earning loyalty, awesome chemistry between JA and TO, and even between MC and TO. It was a really short scene with Benny and Cas, but for some reason it felt like the actors were having a good time. Loved it. And it was so obvious that Castiel and Benny just DO NOT LIKE each other. As another poster said, poor Dean, in the middle again. So much good stuff! It's especially good after the disappointment of the past two weeks.

Not sure how I feel about the preview for next week, but if it's boring, I'll just watch this week again, instead.

[ParadoxLost]

Every time an appliance at the at the motel made noise I kep expecting a surprise appearance by Cas returned from purgatory. Each time I got a flashback to Sam repairing the same appliance at another mhotel.

I have mixed feelings about this one. It was ok but I think it was only ok because my expectations have been beaten down.

[Blackmantra53]

Benny is a monster with scruples and a taste for good vintages. Although I'm pleased by Dean's choice of friends, my first thought was that by the end of the season, he'll be longing to go back to the purity of Purgatory and Dean will grant his wish.
On a shallow note Ty Olsson's very blue eyes were distracting, but beyond that I really enjoy his chemistry with Jensen. It's not anywhere near that of Jensen and Misha yet, but nevertheless, it is good. I do wish he would not speak quite so softly though because I found him a little hard to understand on occasion.
ETA: To satisfy my own curiosity I reviewed Bloodlust to day and sans accent, this appears to be Olsson's natural speaking voice.

I was a little disappointed that Benny's story was so predictable, and his maker was very underwhelming, but right now I am simply happy that Benny appears to be a good guy whom Dean can depend on.
I shook my head at the exact same moment Dean shook his head at Sam. That situation is surely going to become ugly in short order..

I am completely enthralled by Purgatory! Dean, Castiel and Benny, literally back to back against everyone else is something I could watch every week.
The entrance of the leviathan was wonderful, and I can understand why Castiel was in no hurry to draw those creatures back to Dean. I'm pleased Dean is sticking by Castiel and that Benny is too.

Sam's story remains unappealing to me, and his lady remains too ascerbic for me to care about. I believe I predicted that Sam would call the dog...Dog...and that is in fact what he did. I'd like Dog to get an extra cookie for that please.

On an unrelated note, I'd like to know how Sam became such a good handyman in that he was able to fix a very old window air condtioner. Those machines are typically designed to be thrown away when they no longer work, and it takes a qualified technician with specialized cooling equipment to fix them.
I very much appreciated the hand-shake between Sam and Benny telling Sam everything that was going on, but Sam had best tread lightly here, because his brother's eyes are clear and wide open, and I don't feel his is going to back down from this.

Best moment? When the vampire head came bouncing back into the hallway, immediately followed by Dean.

Edited by Blackmantra53, Nov 1, 2012 @ 12:50 PM.

[Tralah]

For me the only good bits were the Castiel/purgatory flashbacks. Benny's story failed to captivate me and I found those parts boring. Sam's Amelia flashbacks didn't work for me either as she comes across as rude and grating to me. Benny saving Cas at the end was obviously a ploy to gain Dean's trust, and I'm surprised Dean fell for it. I'm also unimpressed that Benny killed hundreds of innocent people with his nest then when he discovered TRUE LOVE and turned a new leaf, he wanted to stop killing people. Very cheesy, and I'm not a fan of the "finding love changed me and made me a better person!" cliche. I would have rather the episode simply had Benny out for revenge of being killed and have kept his character ambiguous, for Benny would have been more interesting to me that way. Instead, I feel like they're trying too hard to force Benny down as my throat as the poor widdle woobie vampire with a conflicted heart of gold.

Can people change for the better? Sure, but wasn't enough in this episode to sell it. What made this woman SOOOO special that would change Benny's heart? We don't get to see that, so it fell flat to me. Honestly, I'm just not a big fan of vampires in general. I enjoyed Buffy and Angel, but I'm burned out on the whole concept of vampires, and I feel like they've been done to death. I'd rather Supernatural stick with demons, angels, and ghosts and stuff. I'm fine if they use vampires sparingly, but I don't want them to be a BIG FOCUS on the show. There's enough vampire-centric shows out there. Supernatural doesn't need to be another one just because that's the "in" thing these days.

Edited by Tralah, Oct 31, 2012 @ 9:47 PM.

[Aeryn13]

This was another "I want to punch him and punch him and punch him and never stop" episode for me re: Sam. Seriously, shut the fuck up. Oh, and literally do that on the phone when someone is undercover, so to speak. *headdesk*

Liked seeing Dean all badass. And that his loyalty was something referenced here. Aww.

And yeah, Benny`s backstory might be a bit cliched but so far he doesn`t seem to be another Ruby. Who Sam is still butthurt about, it seems. Guess he doesn`t remember that when the time came he held her for Dean to kill and why that was.

Still love the Purgatory flashbacks. Cas and Benny not liking each other and an exasperated Dean in the middle. Dean protective of Cas is one of my bulletproof kinks so another "awww".

Why is Amelia so incredibly bitchy? Even Ruby toned it down to get Sam in the sack and play him like a fiddle but this girl is just unpleasant. After the picnicville flashback, I didn`t expect that. On the other hand, she fits fantastically well together with current Sam and I`d love for them to get back together and be bitchy together forever. Somewhere else.

[MadCaps]

I really enjoyed this episode. Olsson and Ackles have great chemistry and they've made their friendship feel very authentic in a short period of time.

The purgatory scenes really were awesome in every way and I loved the way they were shot and directed and the chemistry between all three actors. Dean's loyalty is what earns him loyalty in return. That's a beautiful thing.

Sam continues to be an annoying and insensitive clod. Guess he doesn't like it much when he gets ditched and his phone calls are ignored. But at least Dean had the decency to tell him to his face that he was leaving and then actually return his calls, which is more than Sam ever does when he sneaks out behind Dean's back.

Sam's flashbacks continue to be mundane and uninteresting but the dog is very cute.

[Parcae3]

This was another "I want to punch him and punch him and punch him and never stop" episode for me re: Sam. Seriously, shut the fuck up. Oh, and literally do that on the phone when someone is undercover, so to speak. *headdesk*

I really did not get that scene. I mean, Sam knows that Dean is in the middle of a vampire nest, hunting. So what does he do? He starts SHOUTING into the phone? Good lord, really? I know he's rusty from taking a year off with the vet and the dog, but he shouldn't be THAT rusty. Unless, of course, he was subconsciously trying to get his brother killed.

[sallymonelly]

I'm sorry I just can't take an entire episode about Benny

I'd take Benny over Sam any day. At least Benny is loyal, a good friend and hot. Sam should just shut the fuck up and go play with his bitchy bad actress Amelia. They fit very well together. They can look in the mirror and see who can do the better bitch faces.

On to the good stuff which, for me, was everything that didn't include Sam and his fantasy land.

Purgatory was great and I agree with those who wish it was a season long story instead of just flashbacks.

Benny, while predictable, is still a very interesting character thanks to Ty Olssen giving him depth and hotness.

Cas in purgatory was awesome. He's badass, but still vulnerable and I enjoyed Cas being saved by Benny. It added depth and complexity to their relationship. That's something this show needs, more complexity between characters.

Dean was just fantastic. Jensen keeps knocking it out of the park and Dean killing the nest was what makes this show great. I missed Dean Winchester the past 2 years, and am so glad that he's back.

Thank you Edlund for doing what you do best.