Contrary to what we hoped, this episode was not about Dean getting his first period. Before moving on, I would like to take a moment and thank Eric Kripke – or whoever it is that makes decisions like this – for taking my concern about how ridiculous J-Pad looks seriously. He was much less purple this week. This was an improvement. However, it seems that he has stopped “shopping” at Old Navy and American Eagle; that one shirt was hideous. Neither store likely makes double-wide, double-tall shirts for human/ninja turtle halfbreeds and, so, he must have gotten that one at Mr. Big and Tall.
As for the episode itself, it seems that I have no option but to re-write the third footnote in the first chapter of my dissertation (the current season of The Sarah Connor Chronicles has likewise forced a rewrite). The footnote originally read as follows:
It should be noted that these concerns are not limited to the devoutly faithful as attested to by the popularity of television shows such as X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Supernatural where it is presented as a matter of fact that supernatural entities exist, that evil really does exist, but all these shows remain agnostic as to whether or not there is a God – Christian or otherwise. Evil is a certainty while good is a mere possibility. These are secular theodicies where our fallen nature comes back to haunt us without the possibility of salvation in this or any other world: many will go to Hell when they die and Hell will transform them into supernatural evils, but none will go to Heaven when they die.
I really liked the idea of these shows as secular theodicies because, if we take the current episode of Supernatural as a benchmark, they aren’t very good theologians:
Dean: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
Sam: “I don’t know, but I’m ready to love God and I want an angel for a friend!”
Bobby: “Don’t look at me, kid.”
Best part of the episode: Bobby’s panic room. The other day in class I referred to Jensen Ackles as “a fine piece of man-meat.” It would appear to be the case that the vessel being used by Castiel is better than Dean’s. He looks like an angry accountant and reminds me of the picture of Alexandre Kojeve in the 2000 edition of On Tyranny (minus the glasses). It remains the case that Ruby’s new vessel just doesn’t work. The previous vessel had a totally different personality – and she was so sassy!
4 Comments
1) Didn’t Buffy go to heaven?
2) I can’t believe you’re watching this Supernatural show and not House. As if.
I thought it was that she believed she went to heaven without any verification or certainty. Asked by a vampire once, she says that “jury is still out” on whether or not there is a God. I find the House formula boring in the extreme.
Addition: there is no divine agency in Buffy (beyond the “powers that be” in Angel) with the result that good is in the domain of faith while evil is in the domain of certainty. Good remains a possibility; evil is a fact of life.
I’m remembering the ambiguity. “I think it was heaven,” went the song, yeah?
You don’t watch House for the formula. You watch House because House is mean. The show is essentially Hugh Laurie emotionally abusing people for 40 minutes. And sometimes physically abusing patients. Motherfucker killed his best friend’s girlfriend and isn’t even sorry. Awesome.
i concur: House is formulaic and boring and who cares about plain old “mean”… give me some ambiguity to cling to. i take issue with the trend in making mean sexy.
yes, you are encountering what i have… the trouble with trying to work with a series that hasnt ended yet. at least the angels arent delineated as pure good. yet. im hoping they dont ease into black and whites. anna was interesting… the light coming out of her vessel as opposed to the black smoke of the demons exit. i have a feeling shell be back. meanwhile dean is getting some major therapy by being the chosen one.