Series: #TBT - Week 7 Spotlight: Deena Edwards [Contributor: Maddie]

Maddie approached me about doing a Throwback Thursday (#tbt, for all you Internet-savvy folks) piece where each we highlight our writers. She noted that what makes our site unique and separates it from all of the other entertainment sites out there is the personal touch each of the writers put on their reviews. Throughout this #tbt series, you'll get the chance to know each of us as individual writers a little bit more and hopefully relate to us a little bit more as well. Thanks, Maddie, for such a great idea! -Jenn

February is upon us, and while it isn’t cold everywhere in the country currently, we all still crave comfort come winter. So snuggle up with a blanket and some tea, and catch up with the delightful Deena and I as we discuss her nostalgic faves. Enjoy!

CONTRIBUTING WRITER: DEENA

(24 years old)

Q: What was your first major TV obsession and how did it impact you and your taste in television?

A: Although it probably wasn’t my first TV obsession, the first major one that impacted most of what I watched after that point was Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I loved the combination of monsters and humor, how it could be witty and cheesy one moment and then serious the next. My taste in shows are all over the place now, but BTVS was no doubt the start of it all for me, and — because of the similarities between the two — was part of the reason I came to love Supernatural so easily, as well.

Q: What Disney movie do you still love to watch and sing the songs to?

A: Never trust any person who tells you they’ve grown out of enjoying Disney movies. They’re lying. I still really enjoy Mulan, The Lion King, Tangled, and The Aristocats, to name a few.

Q: Favorite fictional pet?

A: Salem from Sabrina The Teenage Witch, all the way. Technically a human turned pet, but hey, I say it still counts.

Q: How early did you embrace being a fangirl?

A: It’s been so long, I honestly don’t think I could pinpoint exactly when I did. I think I sorta just gradually fell into it, but if I had to say, it was probably by my very early teen or pre-teen years. I considered myself a major Harry Potter fangirl at that point, going as far as dressing up for every single new book or movie release party I was able to attend.

Q: If you could go to on a road trip with one character fictional character from your childhood or teen years, who would it be and why?

A: There are so many fictional characters I would love to spend time with, but I have to choose Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls. She would be just a genuinely fun and exciting person to be around, and with our mutual love of food and pop culture, I can’t imagine that there would be a dull moment on the road with her.

Q: First TV boyfriend?

A: Once again, my memory fails me as to who was actually first, but I know I was pretty smitten with Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World, and Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Q: What show shaped your sense of humor most growing up?

A: I’m going to say it’s a cross between Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, and Friends, because there’s no way I could pick just one. I feel like I can definitely blame most of my wit and regular use of sarcasm on these shows!

Q: Who was your television OTP before you even knew the term existed?

A: Buffy and Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I was a pretty hardcore Spuffy shipper before I really even fully understood what "shipping" and "OTP" really was. The same with Lorelai and Luke from Gilmore Girls.

Q: What was your first Internet fandom and what brought you to it?

A: The first Internet fandom I considered myself a part of was probably Supernatural. I don’t even really remember what brought me to it, aside from the fact I just really wanted to find a place to share my love for the show and meet other people who enjoyed it as much as I did.

Q: Who is your favorite F.R.I.E.N.D?

A: Considering I’m filled to the brim with sarcasm and insecurities, I have to say Chandler, without a doubt. He’s always made me laugh more out of all of them, and I’ve often felt like he and I are a lot alike in certain ways.

Q: What was the first show that inspired you to write about it?

A: Supernatural was the first show that I really began to feel a certain need to write about. I didn’t start right off the bat with reviews or recaps, though. I spent quite a few years writing small stories based in the Supernatural universe (most of which never have seen the light of day, thank goodness), by myself and with close friends. It was just (and still is) a show close to my heart with characters I’ve enjoyed writing about, both in story and review form.

Q: What TV cancellation scarred you the most growing up?

A: I wouldn’t say it scarred me, but my discovery of Veronica Mars’ cancellation came pretty close to it. Having not had regular access to a lot of television channels growing up, I was a pretty late newcomer to many shows. By the time I was really starting to get into something, most of the time that particular show was already over. I didn’t watch Veronica Mars live, but I remember renting out the first two seasons from my video store, watching both of them in record time and becoming obsessed with it, only to find out not long after that the third season was the last. I was so not happy.

Q: What has been your favorite thing about being involved in fandoms?

A: I think my favorite thing is all the possibilities for so many different kind of friendships to be made. There will always be a few bad seeds in fandoms, people who try to make it less of an enjoyable experience for others, but I think the good can usually outweigh the bad. I’ve made some great friendships through fandoms that otherwise would have never been formed without them.

Q: What TV friendship did you aspire to have growing up?

A: I mentioned before that Buffy The Vampire Slayer made a pretty big impact on my life, TV-wise, so it should be no surprise that one of my favorite TV friendships growing up was the Scooby Gang itself, particularly between Buffy, Xander, and Willow. The three of them went, literally, to hell and back for one another, and they each were willing to do just about anything to keep the others safe and make sure they didn’t tread too far into the darkness. You can’t even utter the phrase “yellow crayon” in my presence without me wanting to burst into tears. Seriously.

Q: Finally, what female fictional character from television past was the most influential on you? Why?

A: Brooke Davis wasn’t an obvious choice for me at first. She doesn’t have superpowers or Slayer strength. She’s never saved countless lives, nor has she ever battled to the death to protect the safety of others, but none of that stuff really matters when it comes to being influential. When I first started One Tree Hill ages ago, I didn’t actually like Brooke very much at all. We were nothing alike and at first, I couldn’t really relate to her. It was only as the seasons progressed that I realized what a strong character she had become. She was never perfect, by any means, never made all the right choices, but the choices she did make, she made them count. She worked hard to follow her dreams, and she put herself first when she had to, prioritizing her own happiness, even if it was tough. She stood up for her friends, and most importantly, she stood up for herself, against her mother and anyone else who tried to tear her down. She’s the perfect example of why you shouldn’t judge anyone right off the bat, because everyone is almost always capable of change in one way or another, sometimes in the most surprising ways. I don’t think it’s been said enough how admirable she is as a character.

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Series: This Week's TV MVPs - Week 25

Hello, dear friends and readers! As most of you know, this is the first installment of the TV MVP Series in 2016! Isn't it crazy that 2015 is over and we're already almost done with the first month in the new year? (I think it's insane, honestly, and I have no idea where time is going.)

When we left you all last, our favorite shows were airing their mid-season finales. That meant that many characters were falling in love, having first kisses, getting married, or else getting maimed and even dying. As the shows we love begin to slowly return from their winter hiatuses, the actors are bringing out their A-games and providing us with funny, heartwarming, and sometimes downright heartbreaking moments.

This week, we are going to highlight, as usual, some of the best performances on television. Joining me in this post-hiatus endeavor are:

• The vivacious Lizzie
• The darling Deena
• Our own lovely Laura
• The friendly and fun Jon
• The always-magnificent Megan
• Sweet and stylish Maddie

Let's get to it, then!

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Supernatural 11x05 "Thin Lizzie" (Axed) [Contributor: Deena Edwards]

"Thin Lizzie"

Original Airdate: November 4, 2015

Welcome to the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum, where the ghosts aren’t real, creepy fanboys with cameras lurk in the shadows, and the only thing on the menu is... well, death. Also, a course of delectable human souls, if you’re Amara, but we’ll get to that later.

BURY THE HATCHET

We all know the story. It was 1892, and Lizzie Borden had “allegedly” slaughtered her father and stepmother with her infamous murder weapon of choice: an axe. Although the subject of her innocence or guilt has been widely speculated even to this day, she was acquitted and lived out the rest of her days in her hometown.

Fast-forward one hundred and twenty-three years later. Similar murders begin to occur at Borden’s old residence, which has since been turned into a combination of a bed and breakfast and a museum. So Sam and Dean decide to drop in for a visit, hoping to figure out who (or what) is behind the murders. For Dean, this seems to be a case of nothing more than a tourist trap combined with a possibly crazed and homicidal Borden fan. But Sam insists it must be something more (though, maybe the fact our Moose has always been a bit of a true crime nerd has a little to do with his enthusiasm towards this particular case).

Not long after they check in, the EMF starts going crazy and lights begin to flicker. All signs seem to point to spirit — oh, but not so fast! Turns out, Dean was right, at least about the tourist trap bit. A homemade EMF generator in the attic is to blame for the spikes in the EMF, and the flickering lights are tied to timers in the walls, where speakers are also nestled to play "haunting" recordings that visitors mistake for spirit activity. The whole thing's a hoax, but just as they’re ready to pack up and leave the Borden house behind, not one, but two more people wind up dead, and it becomes clear that someone out there has an axe to grind (haha, see what I did there? I crack myself up.)

SOUL-SEARCHING

Deciding to split up, Sam checks out the location of the most recent victim, while Dean hunts down Len — an overly enthusiastic Lizzie Borden fan whom he’d caught snooping with a victorian camera outside one of the B&B’s windows the previous night. At Len’s house, Dean discovers a sheet of paper with a sketch of the Mark, which Len had seen on a young woman during one of his many outings at the Borden house trying to get a photo of Lizzie’s ghost. Now grown to the physical age of around eleven or twelve, Amara has continued her soul-searching (I’m sorry, the puns just write themselves), and unfortunately for Len, he’d simply been at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

The murders are somehow linked to Amara’s presence, that much is obvious. Given the fact that a few episodes ago Jenna had slit her grandmother’s throat after becoming soulless, it’s obvious that whoever is committing these axe murders is not a ghost, but instead the leftovers of one of Amara’s afternoon snacks. Since Len was home at the time of the deaths, the wife of one of the previous victims is their first suspect, but when Sam and Dean try to find her, it’s too late. The brothers find themselves tied up by the soulless, Amara-obsessed babysitter, Sydney, who intends to use them as an offering to Amara. Before she can, Len appears, taking her down with an axe. In the end, he decides to turn himself in for the murders, knowing full well that if he’s out there and isn’t stopped, he’ll end up just the same as Jenna and Sydney. He’ll become a killer. I know he was only around for one episode, and for that episode he was well, soulless, but by the time it was over, I’d really started to like Len. I also found it interesting how everyone who loses their soul reacts to it differently. Some act with immediate violence, like Jenna and Sydney, while others, like Len, are able to hold on a little longer, faking it as much as they can before that feeling takes hold. Len was a nice change to the usual “soullessness” we see in Supernatural.

One of my favorite parts of the episode, though, was the brief bit at the end where Sam talks to the young, now-orphaned boy, Jordie. Usually it seems to be Dean who has the sweet, caring moments with the kids, so I was glad Sam finally got a turn. He tells the boy he’s going to survive this — and Sam would know, wouldn’t he? He’d not only also lost both of his parents, but he’s been through enough to make even the sanest person lose their minds and their faith. If Sam can keep fighting after all of that, there’s hope for pretty much anyone.

“It’s coming for all of us.”

The babysitter’s final words are no different than what Sam and Dean have been constantly hearing since the Mark was destroyed. The Darkness is coming. Amara may already be here, but she isn’t at full power yet. Random supernatural diseases and soulless axe murders are child’s play compared to what she will probably be capable of in the future. The brothers might have stopped an apocalypse once or twice, but something tells me they’re going to need a little more help on their side to take down the Darkness — if it truly can be taken down.

Stuff & Things:

• “This has something to do with your freaky fetish for serial killers.” “It’s not a fetish.”  Dean just doesn’t understand the true crime lovin’ lifestyle, Sam. 
• “What do you wanna do about Cas?” “Oh, he’s knee-deep in binge-watching The Wire. Just started season two.” “Oh, he’s not coming out any time soon.” Like I said last week, I just want an entire episode focused on Castiel and his binge-watching adventures. I want to see him experience Breaking Bad for the first time.
• “I don’t know where to put my eyes. I think I’m gonna throw up.” “We’re surrounded by doilies.”
• “What is that smell?” “I think it’s this. It’s like... lavender toilet water.” “Bottled toilet water? Why do you keep spraying it?” “I just wanted to see if the squeezy thing worked.”
• “I’m not Lizzie CNN!” “Yeah, I don’t know why anyone would think that.”
• “You’re better with that whole sensitive, verbal massage.” “There is no sensitive way to tell somebody their soul has been sucked out by a prehistoric tween!”
• “Excuse me? Drunk girl? You shouldn’t be driving. You could put your head through a window.” She may be a prehistoric being of evil, but at least she’s concerned about drinking and driving.
• “I picked my thumb up like it was a mini hot dog.” “Len, I’m not gonna lie, that’s worrisome.”

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Supernatural 11x04 "Baby" (We Are Home) [Contributor: Deena Edwards]

"Baby"

Original Airdate: October 28, 2015

I’ve never been a car-crazy kind of a person. Sure, I’ve occasionally looked at a few that I might like, and of course everyone has their preferences. But for the most part, I never had a “dream” car — one I just absolutely had to have, one that had me fantasizing about what it would be like to sit behind the wheel of such a beauty. As long as the vehicle could get me from point A to point B in one piece, I didn’t particularly care what it was. And then Supernatural came along.

If someone had told me eight years ago (I first started watching around the time season three was just starting) that I would become legitimately emotional, maybe even shed a few genuine tears at the sight of a car literally twice my age, I probably would have laughed in their face. There’s no way. It’s just a car, right? Wrong. 

“Let’s go home.”   

“You know what? We are home.”

Before the first half hour had even passed, this episode had immediately shot up my list of favorites, easily settling possibly amongst the top three — and with good reason. I went into the episode knowing very little about it, only that it focused on the Impala and it was apparently the “first one like it in over ten years.” That last statement couldn’t have been more correct. The whole thing was expertly and cleverly shot from the perspective of Baby, uniquely showing what a day in the life of toting the Winchesters around is really like. 

NO CHICK-FLICK MOMENTS

The episode starts off with the Impala getting a good scrub down by the brothers while they discuss their lack of leads regarding Metatron and the Darkness. Like I’d hoped, they leave Cas behind in the comfort of the bunker to heal (and Netflix binge) while they take off to investigate a case that they think will be “probably nothing.” Dead ends happen all the time, and the case itself is thin, so it’s no surprise that at first they merely use it as an excuse just to get out of the bunker. Dean decides to stop at a Roadhouse on the way for some “good times” while Sam finds a diner to look into some lore and keep focused on the case. However, when Dean returns to the car the next morning, he finds that research wasn’t the only thing his little brother was involved with the previous night — the naked blonde in the backseat is proof enough of that.

After some proud teasing from Dean, and an adorable sing-along to “Night Moves,” the brothers continue on the road again. While Dean stops for gas, Sam catches some sleep in the backseat. But when he “wakes up” to the sound of one of his mother’s old favorite songs, it isn’t Dean who is behind the wheel — it’s his father. More specifically, a younger John Winchester. He knows it isn’t real and that it isn’t really his father, but at the same time, he wonders if this is another vision, like the one given to him after he prayed in the hospital’s chapel. Whether these so-called visions are from God or someone slightly more sinister is still unclear, but Dean merely shrugs it off as some kind of fever dream. He admits that he often dreams about their father, too, leading to a nice little chick-flick moment between him and Sam. The fact that these moments almost always seem to happen in the Impala is even more comforting. In a way, she’s a safe place for them to be free and open about their feelings and the things that they don’t talk about when they’re on the job.

What I love the most about this episode is it’s your average “monster of the week” case, but with a twist. Through Baby’s perspective, we’re still able to enjoy the action of the hunt even without it being the sole focus of the entire episode. With help from Castiel over the phone, and little a bit of suspicious luck (i.e. the hair-pin found in the backseat that Dean was able to use to break free of his cuffs, the machete conveniently slid into the back floorboard, and the coin purse left behind by one of the girls who took it for a joyride: all of which were extremely necessary in taking down the “ghoul-pire”) they manage to wrap up the whole situation surprisingly quickly. Unfortunately, Baby takes a major beating throughout all of this, but it’s nothing that Dean can’t fix. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

“Three days later, another car rolled off that same line. No one gave two craps about her, but they should’ve. Because this 1967 Chevrolet Impala would turn out to be the most important car... no, the most important object in pretty much the whole universe.”

The toy army man in the ashtray, the Legos in the air vents, and the initials carved into one of the doors. All of these things — like Chuck told us once so many years ago — are all the little things that make the Impala really theirs. It may be “just a car,” to some, but the memories it holds are why it’s important. It’s been through just as much as Sam or Dean, and yet, it still keeps on going, beating after beating. This episode was a fantastic reminder of that. No matter where Sam and Dean crash for the night, be it the bunker or another crappy motel, the Impala always has been and always will be their true home. I don’t care if it sounds silly to say, but she’s practically family. She’s been there for them through everything, after all. 

Stuff & Things:

• “What is that?” “It’s a smoothie.” *loud slurping continues*  
• “Where’s the beer?” “Under the smoothies.” “Where’s the rest of the beer?”
• “Try and relax. Read a book. Watch some Netflix.” “What’s a Netflix?” An extremely powerful angel, but he still doesn’t know what Netflix is. He’s in for a wonderful new discovery.
• “First of all, never use Swayze’s name in vain. Okay? Ever.”
• “Digging into the lore? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” 
• “Is EVERYTHING a Bob Seger song to you?” “Yes.”  
• “For starters, he told me everything I wanted to hear.” “Yeah, that doesn’t sound like dad.”  OUCH. Sad, but true.
• “Goodnight jerk.” “Goodnight, bitch.”
• “Say it with me! A were-pire!” “No.” “Come on!” “I’m not saying it.”
• “I’m mostly confused. I’m not sure how orange correlates with black in a way that’s new...” Can we please have an entire episode focused on Castiel binging Orange Is The New Black while the brothers are gone?
• “Turns out I DID shoot the deputy.” A joke literally eight years in the making.
• “People who don’t join are food.” Okay, Hannibal.

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Supernatural 11x03 The Bad Seed (Are We Not A Team?) [Contributor: Deena Edwards]

"The Bad Seed"
Original Airdate: October 21, 2015

While Sam, Dean, and Castiel have all changed a lot since developing their “team” name, the one thing I feel that hasn’t changed is the meaning of that name. Although it was a name deemed sarcastically by the eldest Winchester seasons ago, to me, "Team Free Will" has always signified the strength and loyalty among the three of them. Despite their unfortunate habit of keeping secrets and refusing help in certain circumstances, when it comes down to it, they really do have each other’s backs. They are a team, and because of this bond, they will do whatever it takes to help one another. I believe this episode is an example of that, as the hunters race the clock to find Rowena and unleash Castiel from the spell.

ROWENA AND THE MEGA COVEN

“What new hell has Dean Winchester unleashed upon the world?”

I have to admit, with all that has been going on in only the span of the first two episodes of this season, I had completely about forgotten the fact that Rowena was still out there, lurking about with the Book of the Damned and the Codex. She’s been attempting to recruit other witches into a coven of her own, and with that much power in her hands, you’d think she would be more successful, but I suppose the other witches aren’t as convinced by her grand (or should I say, mega) plan. Stop trying to make “Mega Coven” happen, Rowena. It’s not going to happen!

She narrowly escapes death during said witch meet-up after Crowley sends one of his demon lackies after her –– though, I use the word “narrowly” lightly, as let’s face it: magic or no magic, that had to have been a pretty crappy excuse for a demon if he couldn’t have even made it past a mere Jenga tower of chairs and tables. 

"Rowena and the Mega Coven." Really, though. It sounds more like the name of a female-fronted rock band, rather that the title for a potentially lethal coven of witches. I suppose if the whole witchcraft thing doesn’t work out, she can use that to fall back on? She’s got enough style to pull it off, that’s for sure.

SPOILED LITTLE DARKNESS

“I don’t think you’re seeing the big picture.”

In this episode, the King of Hell has swapped his title of “Father Crowley” in for “Uncle Crowley,” taking the name to heart as he spoils Amara with various treats such as a laptop for her “studies” (a laptop? Really?! I didn’t get my own laptop until I was at least sixteen!), dresses, books, a nanny, and a steady supply of demonic souls to feast on. Of course, this is all mostly for his own personal gain, as having something as powerful as the Darkness on his team is possibly significant to his survival. 

Amara, on the other hand, is growing increasingly agitated. Her hunger is more frequent, and she’s receiving ominous advice from her “older” self in the mirror, who advises her to stay fixed on their purpose, whatever that may be. By the end of the episode, she’s aged again, and there’s no doubt very soon she’ll be grown and at full strength. If Crowley thinks she’s difficult to handle now...

TEAM FREE WILL CURE CAS

“It’s getting worse.”

The curse’s symptoms are finally reaching a breaking point. With the angel chained up at the bunker, Sam and Dean follow the only lead they have: Rowena. With the help of one of the witches she was trying to recruit, they track her down just as she’s about to skip town, bags packed and donning a blonde wig. By the time they return with her, however, Cas has broken free. They track the GPS on his phone, and –– on the drive to find him –– Rowena, being the sly witch she is, brings up her and Sam’s previous deal. Y’know, the one where he agreed to kill Crowley for her in return for removing the Mark, but then never did? With all that has been happening, that was another thing I had completely forgotten Dean was unaware of. 

Fortunately, they get to Castiel just in time, forcing Rowena to lift the curse. She does so, albeit reluctantly, right before making her escape. (C’mon, boys, did you really think she was going to stick around?) I don’t know about you, but I’m relieved Castiel will finally be back to his old self, and I hope they’ll give him some time to kick back at the bunker and rest from the whole ordeal Not that, as an angel, he really needs it, but you know what I mean. Let’s give him a break before we throw him right back into another type of life-threatening danger, shall we?

“We’ve got bigger fish to fry,” Dean reminds us. Like, for instance finding Amara, tracking down the Book of the Damned, and I’m sure a dozen other problems that will surface soon.

The Darkness is only getting started, after all.

Bonus GIF, just because... c'mon, how smooth was this move?

Stuff & Things:

• Another wonderfully directed episode by ours truly, Jensen Ackles. Is there anything the guy can’t do?
• “And we shall be known as the... Mega Coven! MEGA Coven. Because it’s greater than Grand Coven, so it’s not grand, it’s mega. It’s the Mega Coven –– I don’t think you’re followin’.” 
• “I hate to point this out, but you both know who we might need to help deal with the Darkness.” “Don’t even say it.” “He was God’s Scribe. He did hear about everything.” “That’s just like saying it!” Yeah, let’s not bring Metatron into this, shall we?
• “Why isn’t he answering the phone?” “Because he’s a dick, and that’s not breaking news.” 
• “Places Metatron might hang out?” “Um... I mean, he loves waffles. You could try places that have those.” Wait –– Metatron and I have something in common? I’ve never been more ashamed for my love of waffles than I am right now.
• “Do you know where you are? What’s the date?” “Earth. Several billion years from the beginning.”
• “It’s like I was... inside a blender that was set to puree for a tomato salsa.” “And you’re the tomato?” “In this analogy, yes.” That is an oddly specific analogy, Cas.
• An angel and a demon walk into a bar... Sounds like the start of a bad joke, but no, it’s a scene that actually happens in this episode. 
• “I mean boom, bang, stars, evolution, Taylor Swift. I’m guessing you’d have done things differently.” Somewhere out there, Dean Winchester is offended you would even suggest a world without Taylor Swift.
• “Language! Is that any way for a primal force to speak?”
• “After the last one became indisposed...”  “Indisposed? She’s dead.” Potayto, potahto!

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Supernatural 11x02 "Form And Void" (The Power of Darkness) [Contributor: Deena Edwards]

"Form And Void"

Original Airdate: October 14, 2015

“I am not asking you to clean up my mess. Hell, don’t even know if you’re out there, but if you are, if you can hear me. I, um… we need your help, God. We need to know there’s hope.”

When the Winchesters start praying, you know crap is about to hit the fan.

And hit it does. We find ourselves diving right back into the non-stop action of season eleven with an episode even darker (pun definitely intended) and more intense than the premiere itself. You’d think after such a stellar episode, the writers might have taken a few moments to slow down, to give us fans a little breather so we could actually settle into our seats rather than right on the edge of them, but you’d be wrong.

A HUNTER, A DEMON, AND A BABY

“Whatever’s in that house, I can taste the power radiating from it. That thing… it’s old. Deep. Dark.”

Generally, babies are more cute than they are creepy. Sure, the constant crying isn’t that enjoyable, and the amount of diapers they go through? Bordering on supernatural itself. Even so, usually, when you look at one, you either think “cute” or “gross.”

Most people would generally not think: “evil primordial being that wants to devour my soul.” Unfortunately, precious little Amara falls under the latter –– not that any of us are all that surprised. The Darkness has to eat something, and I’m guessing formula doesn’t quite cut it.

After a sweet, genuine hug shared between Jenna and Dean, Dean departs, only to be called right back to her grandmother’s house barely even a few hours later when the baby pulls some major Exorcist-y tricks out of her sleeves. As nifty as it would actually be to have your newborn able to communicate its needs to you by telekinetically flinging alphabet blocks into drywall, Jenna’s grandmother is not so amused. She calls their priest, who sends over an exorcist, but it isn’t who you’d expect (unless you were expecting Crowley in a priest’s outfit, then I suppose it’s exactly who you’d expect.) Apparently, when Crowley isn’t brooding around in Hell, he’s masquerading as an exorcist in order to keep track of rogue demons. Neat.

Abrupt screaming draws the hunter and demon back inside the house to find the grandmother dead, the baby safe in her crib, and a soulless Jenna breaking fragile objects upstairs, admitting to slitting her grandmother’s throat. “Amara’s a growing girl,” she says, and obviously, what all growing girls need is actually a steady diet of human souls. I’m a little bummed that Jenna was killed off so quickly –– she had great potential, and I would have loved to have seen her stick around a while longer; maybe she could have gone off to kick a lot of butt with Claire and Jody. But regardless, I saw this outcome coming.

Now that Crowley knows Amara is the Darkness, he assures Dean that he will do what the Winchester can’t –– kill the child. As Amara had said before, she and Dean are bound; he will do whatever it takes to help her, and –– judging by the protective glint in his eyes when he saw the Mark on her chest –– I’m guessing that’s true, but it’s going to be a little trickier than he thinks. Dean’s quick, but Crowley’s quicker. By the end of the episode, Crowley has already lured the now slightly grown Amara into a shady black van full of tied up, human hostages.

Or, in Amara’s case, an afternoon snack.

MOOSE ON A MISSION

“You’re unclean, in the biblical sense.”

Our youngest, puppy-dog-eyed Winchester has taken it upon himself to try to cure himself and the other infected inhabitants of the town before it’s too late, a task easier said than done, but he’s more than determined. In the midst of his possibly fruitless research, he’s startled by the distant sound of a woman singing somewhere in the hospital. Much like "Bad Moon Rising," when the lyrics of O, Death begin to play, we all know something bad is about to happen. That bad thing comes in the form of a reaper named Billie, proving that even though Death has supposedly kicked the bucket, people are still dying, so there are still souls to collect. She also seems to enjoy the message she has to pass along. With no one in charge anymore, she assures him that the next time Sam or his brother bites the dust, they won’t return from it. Desperate, Sam retreats to the hospital’s chapel, praying for a sign from God. He gets a sign, all right (if you can call memories from the Cage a sign), but it’s probably not from God. Lucifer, anyone? Was I right in thinking that he would return one way or another this season? 

With the effects of the virus now in full effect, Sam only has one last resort. With the reaper’s words and his own voice echoing in his head, he searches “bible purification” and quickly works at gathering the ingredients. I guess it’s a good thing he just happens to carry around a bottle of holy oil, right? Surprisingly, the biblical “cure” seems to work, not only on himself, but a few other infected that wander into the hospital. I’m not sure if I’m relieved that Sam’s not in any immediate danger anymore, or concerned that the cure came up so easily.

LEAVE CASTIEL ALONE 2K15

“I’m an angel of the Lord.”  

“Is that so? Because… near as I can tell, when you have to choose between Heaven and the Winchesters… you choose them. Every time.” 

CAN SOMEONE JUST CURE CASTIEL, ALREADY?! He spends most of the episode doing what he does best –– being beaten and stabbed to a bloody pulp for information that he refuses to give up, all while still suffering from Rowena’s spell. Hannah swoops in, and –– for a moment –– we all want to believe she’s there to really help Cas. They were friends, after all, but unfortunately for Castiel, her true loyalties still lie with the other angels. Since he won’t give up Sam and Dean, they attempt to “hack” his brain, but, like most plans on this show, it falls through as Cas manages to break free. He kills the other angels in the room, but not before one takes down Hannah. What breaks my heart isn’t that Hannah died, but that even after finding out that she had been lying to him, he still wanted to save his friend.

Stuff & Things:

• “You’re so good with her.” “What can I say? Chicks dig me.” Give me a hundred scenes with Dean taking care of babies/children. I’ll watch all of them, and try not to cry over the fact that he will probably never end up happily with one of his own.
• “I want something real. Something I can hold in my hands.” “Like what?” “Your pudding.”  Strange, but I suppose at least Dean would respect his priorities.
• “Well, who are we gonna call?” “Ghostbusters?” BEST QUOTE OF THE EPISODE.
• “Who knows what was in that giant, crazy fart.” “Wow. Vivid. Thanks.”
• “Priest crap. Really?” “I’m sorry, Agent Pathetic Has Been Rockstar, did I offend your delicate sensibilities?” Runner-up for best quote. Honestly, Crowley had some of the best lines of the episode.
• “Really? We have no idea what ancient, world-shattering evil we’re dealing with, but go right ahead. Let ‘em know we’re coming!”
• “I’m way more of a Daphne.” 
• “The child likes you. No surprise, really. You’re very maternal.”
• “We gotta get a maid. But, y’know, one with a- a little uniform, and really big, uh…” Stay classy, Dean-o.

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Supernatural 11x01 "Out Of The Darkness, Into The Fire" (No More Death) [Contributor: Deena Edwards]

"Out Of The Darkness, Into The Fire"

Original Airdate: October 7, 2015

Unleashing the Darkness AND killing Death probably tops the list of Worst Winchester Decisions Ever, and that’s saying something. Because as much as we all love the boys, the big picture is not even in the picture whenever it comes to one (or both) of their lives being at stake. Common sense flies out of the window. Stabbing Death with his own scythe in the heat of the moment? No big deal. Unleashing a Darkness older than the universe itself, also otherwise known as the main cause of Lucifer’s actions? Nah, I don’t see that ending badly at all.

All sarcasm aside, this episode was action-packed and left little to be desired, although it did leave us with a handful of questions, and definitely a few concerns about the safety of a few of our beloved characters. But I’m getting ahead of myself...

In the wake of the Darkness’ return to the world, it seems quite a few of the locals have been infected by a strange virus –– Croatoan 2.0, perhaps? –– causing them to attack others, or, quite literally, die trying. The entire episode left me with major “Croatoan” from season two vibes, so I’ll be sorely disappointed if this isn’t, in fact, the start of the whole End!Verse thing in one way or another. (“Whatever you do, you will always end up... here. No matter what choices you make, whatever details you alter, we will always end up... here.”) I’m calling it now, even though I’m probably all kinds of wrong.

This season picks up right where last season left off, with Sam and Dean finding shelter in the Impala while the Darkness passes over. Once it settles, the eldest brother is found over a mile away from the vehicle. He claims the Darkness, who has taken the form of an adult woman (at least in that particular moment) rescued him and thanked him for releasing her. She also apparently mentioned that now they are bound for eternity, and because of that, they will always help each other. But what does that even mean? The Mark is gone, and yet somehow, Dean still can’t escape being bound to something anciently evil. Sounds about right.

Meanwhile, Castiel struggles elsewhere with the effects of the curse Rowena put on him, and Sam and Dean retreat to the hospital with a wounded deputy, Jenna, finding themselves face-to-face with more infected locals. One of them is a new father, still mourning his recently deceased wife. He’s in the early stages of the infection and he knows his fate, agreeing to leave, if only Jenna agrees to make sure his newborn daughter remains safe. Little do Sam and Dean know that this baby, Amara, is the actual form of the Darkness, or at least, that’s how things seem. She has the Mark of Cain on her chest, matching the one of the mysterious woman who took Dean from the car. I’m so confused, and yet still very excited to see how this plays out. Jenna’s definitely way in over her head, but it’ll be interesting to see if she manages to stick around. I’m starting to like her, so, obviously that means she’s going to die horribly.

“What has Dean Winchester unleashed upon the world?”

Even though the quote above comes from the general season eleven trailer and wasn’t specifically featured in this episode, I believe Rowena’s words ring true already, as we begin to uncover only the beginning of what consequences are in store for the brothers, and for the rest of the world. Crowley’s back, Castiel has been taken by some very unpleasant angels, Sam is infected, and somewhere out there, there’s a baby that’s about to cause a lot of trouble. Things like the Darkness and this strange infection are not going to be situations that the show can simply just wrap up in under a few episodes and go back to the normal swing of things –– at least, I hope not.

One of the best things about this episode, though, one that I probably still haven’t quite recovered from, was the subtle mention of Lucifer and Michael in the Cage. It was only for a moment, but it feels like it’s been so long since the issue was even touched upon. Something tells me we still haven’t seen or heard the last of them, especially if the Darkness decides she wants to release them. With the power that she has, it probably wouldn’t take much for her to do so. I would love to see this season deal with the aftermath or something like that, and even more so, the return of God. If he’s still out there, he’s got some serious messes to clean up.

Stuff & Things:

• If Death is actually dead, I’m really going to really miss that sassy, pickle chip loving guy. Let’s all hope he’s just hanging back somewhere and rolling his eyes at this whole situation, popping back in to reluctantly save the day when everything goes south (er, more south.)
• “She’s been locked away since the beginning of time. Does she even know what a cheeseburger is?” Dean has his priorities straight, as usual.
• “Show me some skin.” “Eh?” “What?” “Both of you.” “Is this like a Magic Mike moment?”
• “YOLO! You! Only! Live! Once!” “Don’t.”
• “They just went off, attackin’ folks like they was possessed...” Hmm... sound familiar?
• Oh, good! More angels! That’s just what we need. It’s always super comforting when more angels get involved. Only not really.
• Dean and the baby! Any time children are involved, you know he’s going to be dead-set on making sure they get out alive, and I love that about him.
• “I’m hot.” “I believe that’s the menopause, sir.” Crowley having a hot flash? Once I think we’ve officially seen it all on this show, folks: the king of Hell jumps the meatsuit of a woman and joins an orgy, just before murdering them. As much as I love Mark Sheppard, I would love to see more of this female Crowley.
• It’s nice to see that Baby escaped the Darkness mostly unscathed so far. I don’t think I’m ready for an Impala funeral anytime soon... or ever.
• “When did we forget how to do this?” Sam and Dean are finally talking and listening to each other for once, realizing their actions just keep repeating themselves, and that something in the way they do things needs to change. They need to change. It’ll be interesting to see how they try to do things differently, and how (or if) that plays a role in the rest of this season.

What did you all think of the season premiere of Supernatural? Let us know in the comments below!

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Series - Summer Lovin': Week 9

Summer is starting to wind down for the majority of the country and yet, we're still doing a summer-themed series because... well, fall television hasn't returned yet. Doesn't everyone know that THIS is when summer truly comes to an end? Doesn't everyone else schedule their life around television? (Guess not.) Since most of you have been around for the duration of the summer, this post doesn't need much of an introduction, does it?

So joining me in my conquest this week are the following delightful women:

• Megan, queen of Rosewood and of sass
• Deena, queen of the Winchesters
• Maddie, queen of the Arrow Cave
• Lynnie, queen of cinema and superheroes
• Lizzie, queen of Mulder and Scully

Let's get to it!

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Series - Summer Lovin': Week 7

Welcome back, my darling friends, to another installment of our Summer Lovin' series! I hope that as we've expanded our repertoires this summer with television, books, movies, and webseries that you've gotten the opportunity to check out at least one of the things we've mentioned for yourselves! Every week, I send out an email thread to our writers, detailing the information for the post itself and every week, when the writers communicate back and forth, at least one of them is intrigued by the content another is writing about. I've checked out movies and books because of the suggestions by our writers and I hope you all have too (at the very least, some of them have!)

Before chaos dominates all of our lives again in the form of fall primetime television, let's take another week to kick back, relax, and talk about what we're lovin' during the summertime. Joining me this week with sunscreen donned, beach chairs unfolded, and drinks in hand are:

• Newest addition to the Just About Write squad and tiny, adorable human being, Mer!
• Constant Twitter companion and girl whose Funko collection I envy: Deena
• Road-tripping across the country and STILL writing, the amazing Lynnie!
• Lovely and talented writer and rocker of red lipstick, Rae
• Reigning queen of Rosewood and possibly A herself (EVERYONE IS A SUSPECT THESE DAYS): Megan Mann
• Sweet human being, talented writer, and my X-Files guru, Lizzie
• Pink lipstick aficionado and one of our newest writers, Maddie
• Name twin, soul sister, platonic life partner, and precious sunflower Jen
• My favorite person in the entire world who is not Joel McHale: Jaime Poland

Let's do this!

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Series: Summer Lovin' - Week 6

What reminds you most of summer?

As an adult with a full-time job that doesn't include summer (a fact that baffles the kids who I volunteer to spend time with weekly), there are a few things that remind me of the summers spent as a child. The smell of sunscreen (or truly anything coconut-scented) sends me back to the days where my mom would slather the stuff on us and then send us over to our next-door neighbors' backyard to play in their above-ground pool. Last year, three friends and I hung out in the pool of one of the girls' condos. When we got out to lay on our towels, my friend Heather brought out her cooler which was stuffed full with Otter Pops. All of us -- all mid-to-late twenty-somethings -- ended up eating at least four of the popsicles each, devouring their brightly-colored pure sugar water. Eating those reminded us all of childhood summers spent in backyards, at barbecues, and poolside.

Summer Lovin' has been such a fun series for me to do because it's allowed all of us on staff to take breaks from our normal fall television review schedules and just enjoy time binge-watching Netflix, reading in our backyards, or beating the heat by sitting in an air-conditioned movie theatre for a few hours. We hope you've enjoyed this series as much as we have! So let's kick off our sixth installment. This week, I have the distinct honor of the following writers joining me:

• Supernatural guru and adorable human being, Deena Edwards
• Leo, crepe-lover, and recent birthday girl, Chelsea!
• Queen of The X-Files and meta commentary, Lizzie
• Lover of animals, Adam Scott, and snarky live-tweeting, Laura

Ready? Here we go!

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Supernatural 10x23 "Brother's Keeper" [Contributor: Deena Edwards]

"Brother's Keeper"

Original Airdate: May 20, 2015

“And yes, I know there will be consequences. But not you, not Dean -- not anybody can tell me what those consequences are. So I’m not gonna let my brother destroy himself on a guess.”

Most things have consequences one way or another, but in the Supernatural world, those consequences can often be a lot more than what you bargained for. One action, no matter how well-intentioned it was, can set off an unwanted ripple effect that leaves even the bravest and the strongest in some state of emotional disarray. Or even worse, the entire world in the midst of a screw-up of EPIC proportions.

In this incredibly intense and stressful season finale, we find our boys in not just the first situation, but also, by the end of the episode, the latter. However, epic proportions may be putting it lightly -- it’s more like biblical (can’t say they weren’t warned about that part, though).

Emotions are running high in the aftermath of the bloodshed in the previous episode. While Sam desperately refuses to let go of trying to get the cure for the Mark, even after his brother has taken off, Dean, it seems, has nearly given up on himself enough for the both of them already. He wakes up on the floor of a motel, likely after having passed out following a drinking binge. He’s always been a little dependent on alcohol at times (if a little means a lot), but this time it appears he’s really cut off all restraints, and not just with the drinking. The comments that come out of his mouth in most of this episode are utterly vile at times, and as much as I love our eldest Winchester, even I could feel the collective cringing of the entire fandom whilst tweeting during the episode. I even joined in, though keeping in mind the man before us now was merely a shadow of who he used to be.

“You worked some pretty dark stuff in your day, haven’t you, Agent? Must have left quite a mark.” 

“Oh, you have no idea.”

We meet a new hunter in this episode, though, like most, Rudy’s appearance is very short-lived. While working together (I use that term loosely, as Dean basically butted in and told him in less than pleasant terms to buzz off) on a vamp case, Dean’s recklessness goes a bit too far, causing a jumpy vampire to kill the hunter. Accidents like this happen all the time for other hunters, but this is simply Dean no longer caring, pushing his luck as far as he can just because he feels he no longer has nothing to lose. This only aids in Dean’s self-destruction, the guilt pushing him enough over the edge to trash the motel room he’s in (I swear, the lamp-fatality in this show may be even higher than the human death count, at this rate), and then he even goes as far as as to leave the Impala behind for Sam while he summons Death in an attempt to have him kill Dean.

Honestly, I know how strange it sounds to those who don’t watch the show when I say it, but I absolutely love Death. I love his uncaring sass, and his ability to put fear in everyone to the point they’ll literally serve him platters of his favorite foods in order for them to get on his good side. He’s the subtle kind of funny that still leaves you afraid of him, because, well, he is still Death, after all. He’s not got time for your human nonsense, unless there’s good food involved. I can respect that.

As it turns out, Dean cannot be killed, not even by Death, without unleashing a destructive force older than God himself, known as the Darkness. Not much is known about it, aside from the fact it played an important part in a war fought by God and his archangels. It’s unable to be killed, so it was locked away in the form of the Mark of Cain, which Lucifer had passed down to Cain, and from Cain to Dean. What kind of power the Darkness holds is also unknown, but the fact that the powers of God and the angels weren't enough to destroy it says a lot about its strength. Plus, the name “The Darkness” isn’t that cheery a name, so what should you expect, really?

Death offers to relocate Dean elsewhere -- not on Earth, but somewhere else (vague, huh?) where he’s still alive, but cannot cause any more harm to himself or others. When Sam shows up, begging Dean not to go through with it, Dean explains that his way out is through Sam’s death. Sam simply will not stop trying to save Dean, or, in Death’s words, “will not rest until his brother is free of the Mark, which simply cannot happen, lest the Darkness be set free.”

“Evil tracks us. And it nukes everything in our vicinity -- our family, our friends. It’s time to put a proper name to what we really are and we deal with it.”

“Listen, we are not evil. We’re far from perfect… but we are good. That thing on your arm is evil, but not you, not me.”

This scene, this is what kills me. Even before the Mark, Dean has constantly struggled with this image of himself: that he’s unworthy of forgiveness, unworthy of life, because he believes he’s not a good person. But Sam, he tries to see the good in everyone, so of course, even when Dean is blind to it, Sam sees the good in him, too. He’s his big brother; Sam looks up to him, and now Dean’s willing to stand down and let himself be killed -- he’s ready to die. He accepts his fate, because what else is he going to do? But Sam makes sure that before that happens, Dean knows that he’s always believed in him; that no matter what Dean thinks, no matter what Dean believes, they are both, deep down, good people.

“You’ll never, ever hear me say, that you -- the real you -- is anything but good.”

And then the thing with the family photographs -- okay, no, I’m gonna fast forward past all this before I start bawling again. Just before Dean lands the fatal blow with the scythe, he changes direction, instead killing Death. Or, well, it at least appears he’s killed Death. The whole “Death can’t be killed” thing seemed pretty straightforward, but no one said anything about what would happen if impaled by his own scythe. Just moments after that happens, Rowena succeeds in casting the spell that removes the Mark -- and sure enough, the cure literally flies through the roof, and in a flash of lights, the Mark has disappeared.

Before they even have a moment to appreciate that, to even be relieved, the Darkness is unleashed, no longer tethered to the Mark because the Mark no longer exists.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m so intrigued to see how this Darkness thing plays out, and I have SO many questions. How is it going to affect everyone? Is it going to have some kind of human form? Will people no longer be able to die due to Death’s (possible) death? Will Baby resurface from the smoke unscathed? ARE CAS AND CROWLEY OKAY?!?!

I have a dozen theories spinning in my head already relating to the Darkness and the creation of a certain virus, among other things. I’m so pleased with this season finale, I can almost forgive the frustrating cliffhanger. Almost.

See you guys in the fall for more Supernatural reviews when season eleven begins!

Memorable Moments/Quotes:

• “Unless, of course, either of you have spent years of your life studying with the greats, mastering the intricacies of high witchcraft?! ...But forgive me, maybe you have.” Okay, I know Rowena can be absolutely terrible at times (she’s a witch, so duh), but I honestly still stand by my opinion of her when she first showed up on the show. She’s sassy, independent, and armed with such a fiery personality that you can’t help but pay attention every time she’s on screen. Just, y’know, try not to focus so much on the witchcraft, murder, and child abandonment, and she’s pretty cool.
• “The third ingredient is impossible. Loosely translated, my heart.” “That’s not impossible at all.” I will never tire of Cas' subtle sass.
• “Who summons anymore? Couldn’t you call?” “You’re not in my contacts list.”
• “That’s right. Burn those eyes blue. Spread those broken wings and destroy me. Or… do it my way.   Now beg.” “What?” “Blast me, or beg.” “Crowley--” “King!” “...King. If you -- if you would -- if you would be so kind…”
• “Don’t tell me that’s queso.” I wanna know when Dean had the time to make all this food -- I didn’t even know he could cook
• “How do you know this?” “A hamster told me.”
• “Close your eyes. Sammy, close your eyes.”

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Supernatural 10x22 "The Prisoner" [Contributor: Deena Edwards]

"The Prisoner"

Original Airdate: May 13, 2015

You can go wherever you wanna go 

Go wherever you wanna go 

Fly up to the moon and say hello now 

You can go wherever you wanna go 

You don’t ever have to go to war no more

From the moment the strum of the guitar started playing, and the flashbacks of Charlie’s life and death began during her hunter’s funeral, I knew this episode was going to be a roller-coaster of emotions that would have us all reaching for the tissues and hanging off the very edge of our seats until the credits rolled by.

And boy, I couldn’t have been more right if I tried.

“You know what I think? I think it should be you up there -- not her.”

In Dean’s eyes, Sam is to blame for Charlie’s death. He’s not entirely wrong in a small way -- Charlie was dragged into helping Sam behind Dean’s back, and that, of course, led to her death. Now, this isn’t the first time that one of the brothers have said something hurtful they didn’t mean, something that they couldn’t take back -- please, this show is based on that. But it’s the way that he says it that has all of us dropping our jaws in shock, or, for some people, going into full-fledged hate mode toward the eldest Winchester (myself NOT included).

The way he treats Sam is cold, practically arctic in temperature. But for me, this isn’t our Dean anymore, not entirely. While Dean has always had a temper, and, yes, sometimes is quick to hold grudges, we cannot conveniently forget about the Mark of Cain which is slowly turning him into an angry, blood-thirsty monster. Now, I don’t know about all the potential angry, blood-thirsty monsters you’ve encountered, but I think it’s safe to say they aren’t rainbows, sunshine, and puppies when upset. All the real grief and anger Dean feels about Charlie’s death coupled with realizing his brother has gone behind his back, yet again, is multiplied and made so much worse by the Mark on his arm.

“I owe him this. I owe him everything.”

Sam, despite this, still isn’t giving up, even after being told to drop it completely. Dean has spent his entire life watching after his little brother and sacrificing everything to make sure he was the one who lived. This time around, it’s Sam’s turn. Charlie cracked the code, and now Rowena can translate the book. Sam can do this, he can save Dean -- or at least, that’s what he believes. But first, he has to kill Crowley in order for Rowena to hold up her end of the deal.

Any normal person would be rooting for him to succeed. I’m sure there are many people out there who are ready for the King of Hell to finally kick the bucket, but I’m not one of those people, not really. There’s something about this show that makes me love the bad guys just as much as I do the good guys. Crowley is literally the KING of HELL, and is responsible for so much death and chaos, even responsible for everything that is happening right now, and even so, I don’t think I’ll ever be quite ready to watch him go.

“You’re right -- I am a monster. And I’ve done bad. I’ve done things you can’t even imagine. Horrible, evil, messy things. And I’ve loved... every... damn... minute. ”

Sam fails, of course. Or specifically, the hex bag designed by Rowena fails, and Crowley walks away, quite possibly more terrifying than he’s been in a while. Something tells me things are going to change now, where he’s concerned. He’s going to embrace the “monster” title as Sam called him. As much as I loved the “softer, trying to be good” side of Crowley, I can't wait to see what he does next. (I will probably live to regret those words, I know it.)

Meanwhile, Dean finds himself under arrest, thanks to the Stynes being friends of the local law enforcement. It doesn’t take long for him to make his escape and leave a trail of dead Stynes all the way through their household and back to the bunker, arriving there moments before they are about to torch the place. He exacts his revenge on the man responsible for Charlie’s death with a quick bullet to the head, and then kills the young cousin, Cyrus. I can’t even begin to express how bad I feel about Cy; for a moment, I really thought Dean might spare him, but it just goes to show how far off the deep end Dean is going.

If all this wasn’t enough to have me freaking out, I definitely was after the final scene, when Dean nearly kills Cas. When he brought the angel blade down, I stopped breathing. I’m not kidding -- I literally stopped breathing and stared at my television not sure if I should start crying yet. Though, with the lack of bright angel-y grace upon impact, I quickly, with ridiculously immense relief, realized he had spared him. The whole interaction reminded me of back when Castiel had been going off the dark side himself, when he beat Dean into a bloody pulp, nearly killing him as well.

Needless to say, this episode left me reeling, and this time next week I’m likely to need medical attention after the season finale. Hopefully I’ll still be alive in order to attempt to write that review -- I can’t make any promises, though, you guys, as this one has been said to rival the intensity of season five’s “Swan Song,” and we all know how that turned out...

So, who wants to volunteer to call 911 for me next Wednesday?

Memorable Moments/Quotes:

• “An angel that rejected Heaven. That’s like… a fish that wants to fly, or a dog that thinks he’s people.”
• “I’d be happy to kill her. She just called me a fish.” You may be a fish, Cas, but you’re our fish.
• “They’re practically gods around here.” “Yeah. Well I kill gods.” This is more terrifying than funny because it’s actually true.
• “Now I’m gonna go check out their sex dungeon.”
• “I don’t want to have to hurt you.” “I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem.” CHILLS.

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Series: This Week's TV MVPs - Week 12

THIS.

IS.

SWEEPS.

Why yes, I did just yell that in my head a la 300. We are plunged into May sweeps now, watching as our favorite characters unravel, explosions rock their screens, people die, hook up, or break up. The majority of series will air their season finales in the coming weeks. To continue our celebration of sweeps and the amazing performances that they deliver, it's time to delve into another week of our TV MVP series. So let's get to it, shall we? Joining me this week for the series are:

• Supernatural guru, writer, and lovely human being Deena Edwards
• Newest writer of the Just About Write staff, Rae Nudson
• Soul sister, name twin, lover of my soul, and all-around awesome sunflower, Jen
• Lover of everything cute and cuddly, friend, and contributor Laura Schinner

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Supernatural 10x21 "Dark Dynasty" [Contributor: Deena Edwards]

"Dark Dynasty"

Original Airdate: May 6, 2015

A hero can be a lot of things. In most cases, a hero is more or less the good guy of the story. It is a person with mostly noble qualities, such as bravery and strength: someone we root for to save the world, or simply to do what’s right, despite what the consequences might be. Usually, the hero is the one who wins. They face off with the villain, and there’s violence and bloodshed, but in the end, it’s the hero that steps out of the wreckage and claims victory.

But it doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes the hero goes into a situation they know they won’t make it out of, but they accept their fate regardless, because they know they’re making the right choice. They could easily just cower in fear, give the villain what they want in return for a chance at survival, but they don’t. That’s not what a hero does. A hero stands their ground and refuses to give up.

Such is the death of Charlie Bradbury, our Queen of Moons and beloved redheaded nerd. 

“Sam and Dean are like my brothers. I love them.”   

“I know. And that steadfast loyalty will be your undoing, my girl.” 

I’m definitely not crying. There’s a leak in the ceiling or something, and it’s raining. These are definitely not heartbroken tears streaming down my face. Shut up and pass me a tissue, and ignore the loud sniffling sounds as I do my best to recap the highlights of this episode.

Still lurking around behind Dean’s back with Rowena, Sam brings in both Charlie and Castiel to help in their attempt to translate the Codex and the Book of the Damned. For the most part, we’ve seen Dean as completely clueless to all of this, but in this episode, his doubts finally start to show, and it becomes more obvious to him that Sam’s been up to something shady. The odd, late nights out somewhere unknown, the constant phone calls that he continues to shrug off -- it takes a liar to know one, and Dean’s no stranger to secrecy.

Once more, the brothers find themselves facing off against Eldon, one of the Stynes… or should I say… the Frankensteins?  As it turns out, Mary Shelley was a family acquaintance, revealing their secrets through her book and forcing them to go underground and alter their family name. It’s only when Eldon mentions that the Book of the Damned is protected by a spell that prevents it from being destroyed that Dean really begins to realize that his brother has been lying to him all along. Something did burn, but it wasn’t the real book.

Dean leaves the room briefly to confront him, but barely a moment passes before they hear a noise, running back to the room Eldon had been chained in to find that he’s escaped. All that’s left behind is a torn off arm just hanging there -- there are plenty of “need a hand” puns I could put here, but I’ll spare you.

Meanwhile, annoyed of the constant bickering with Rowena, Charlie slips away, feeling the only way she can really focus on her research on the book’s translations is if she’s alone. She checks into a motel, but with the help from one of his brothers, Eldon easily tracks her down, determined to get what belongs to their family.

And here’s where all that hero stuff comes in… Charlie could have easily given her notes up, and in return Eldon might have spared her. She was merely caught in the crossfire of what the family truly wanted, which is the Book of the Damned, so maybe, just maybe, things might have gone differently had she just handed it over. The thing about heroes, though, is a lot of them will die for what they believe in. Charlie refused to allow their one and only chance to help Dean fall into the wrong hands, so in the very last moments of her life, she uploaded what she had and destroyed the device.

Also, can I just point out, Charlie died wearing a clown shirt, of all things? I’m not sure if that was done on purpose, or not, considering one of Sam’s biggest fears are clowns, but yeah. I only noticed that during my rewatch of this episode and that made it all the more traumatizing.

No matter what anyone says about this episode, no matter how negative the reactions were, I believe Charlie Bradbury died a hero, and that’s what we should focus on here. She chose her family over her own life, and if that doesn’t make her a Winchester, I don’t know what does. We’ve definitely lost a part of the family, here, but then again, this is Supernatural. No one is ever really gone for good.

Memorable Moments/Quotes:

• “You won’t forget the grocery shopping, will you?” I can just picture Sam sneaking off to a grocery store, trying to decide between which snacks to bring Rowena. Actually, they should have shown that in this episode. That would have been great.
• “I have not heard of this institution, and I know all the great global centers of witchcraft.”   “Makes sense, cause I’m not a witch. I’m a nerd. And I know all the great centers of nerdom.”
• “What are you? Witch or nerd?” “Angel.” “Beg pardon?”
• “Dean doesn’t know? Sam, this never ends well.” IT NEVER DOES.
• “Just for once, I wish you trolls would bring me good news. ‘Sire, Missouri has boils.’ Something cheerful.” Every Crowley scene in this episode was gold. Using someone as a dart board, talking to the hamster… I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I NEED some kind of King of Hell spin-off or prequel type thing.
• “It sounds like blood sugar is dipping in here. I got snacks.When I was human, I grew very fond of these pork rinds.”
• “I’m happy I got a murder to focus on, though.” Only on Supernatural does that constitute as a normal thing to say.

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