[Verbal Warning]

All of them had drama

[wilywiccan]

Those gifs look amazing! Makes me want to watch the ep again.

I don't know what I love more, the special effects or the color palette.

In a way, all four boys are infected. Dean just got rid of the Mark of Cain and now is intertwined with the Darkness. Castiel is trying to fight off Rowena's attack dog curse. Sam feels the zompire virus spreading through his system. Crowley re-possessed the body he now sees as himself and whenever we see him in his red smoke form, it is a reminder that he now is his own infection since his spirit has been reshaped from human to demon essence through centuries of torture.

I love that there is balance. Castiel & Sam's infection is visible on their physical bodies. Dean & Crowley's infection is a mist that surrounds and invades them.

[Galbotorix78]

Those GIFs really summarize the first episode's tension! Can't wait for more!

Wilywiccan, I like how you drew parallels of the infection for all the major characters.
I actually see Crowley as cured since Sam forced him to puke up the human blood, but he is infected with his pride of personality and greed for power.

I'm looking forward to how the season will explore the Darkness's interactions with the brothers. So far it's just another Big Bad with graphics similar to the Leviathans.
She already mentioned a connection with Dean, but once Sam is cured, I wonder if he will retain a connection to the Darkness. In S06E19 "Mother Dearest," Eve says that Dean was her son, if only for a time, when he was a vampire. Maybe the Darkness will relate similarly to Sam?

Large scale mythology - if Dean and Sam end up being connected to the Darkness, they could use that connection to trap and hold the Darkness down and keep it back from ever being released again. This could be used to end the series if it's not renewed because it would position the brothers are eternal, immortal safeguards of the world from total, devouring evil.

[wilywiccan]

I love the idea of them being eternal, never truly laying their weary heads to rest and joining their fellow hunters in the celestial roadhouse, the male equivalent of Buffy Summers' position as Slayer/Guardian of the Hellmouth/Keeper of The Key (Dawn).

Sam & Dean might be the two witnesses referenced in The Bible's Revelations. "And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

1,260 days is almost 3 1/2 years. That might be how long this arc lasts (s11 to mid-s13) or how long the series lasts. Sackcloth is "a very coarse rough fabric woven from flax or hemp." There have been many references throughout the seasons about the Winchester clothing of choice. In Ask Jeeves, the butler referred to it as burlap.

I was talking about Crowley on the Sarah Michelle Gellar board. I compared his character journey and relationship with Dean to Spike and Spuffy (Spike/Buffy). In both cases, an extremely likable but still villainous demon---the lesser of two evils---has something done to him (chip & blood ritual) that causes him to hold back on his usual level of murder and mayhem and it opens the floodgates to his emotions. His fascination with the main character (Dean & Buffy) becomes unrequited love. He tries to manipulate them into sinking to his level so they can be together but they eventually break free. And they resent him for his part in their sinking so morally low and if the s10 subtext is correct, feel self-disgust for having gone to bed with them. He then tries to genuinely do good for good's sake. Their friends and family wonder why they don't just kill him but Dean & Buffy won't allow it because they have a connection and despite everything do enjoy the other's company. The difference is that Buffy eventually returned Spike's love while Dean might never. But that might have to do with the fact that Dean's Angel (Castiel), is still an active player for his heart & loyalties. Though Buffy's Angel does return to the picture.

I think that Crowley is still infected but that in the future he may be cleansed for good instead of being an ally or antihero.

What Dean & Amara have in common may be the position they both hold in the female narrative arc.

[Galbotorix78]

Well said with some really exciting ideas there. I'm familiar with the Bible but had never thought of the clothing as a modern equivalent of sackcloth.
I guess we'll have to wait for the mysteries to be revealed over the season.

[wilywiccan]

The Bible refers to the two witnesses as "olive trees" and "lampstands" that stand before the Lord and the Earth.

The word oil comes from olive. There are so many forms of oil. Anointing oil. Cooking oil. Oil that is for vehicles. Oil for lamps. One cleanses. One sustains. One fuels. One chases away the darkness.

I know an olive branch is a peace offering. Two olive trees must be some sort of serious peace enforcers. Which the Winchester brothers are as hunters and god slayers and divine vessels in cosmic wars. Olives were also used to crown victors.

The olive tree has been around for 6,000 to 7,000 years. Remember that the Winchester brothers are direct descendants of Adam. Maybe their family tree is the olive tree. From Adam in 4,000 BC to Sam & Dean in the 21st century AD.

[magikhands1]

The beginning of this season has brought a lot of potential.

I love the in depth thoughts you have. I'm looking forward to more

[wilywiccan]

I feel that the pilot (and that gifset of it) really shows how Castiel & Sam are the angels and Dean & Crowley are the demons. Since there is intense rattling in the cage, Lucifer may come back and even possess Sam again. He is the light-bearer, which is something you need when battling darkness.

Crowley's demons came for him and Castiel's angels came for him. But it was the demons to help and the angels to hurt. The demons to save and the angels to punish.

Castiel came across three humans and tried not to kill them. Crowley came across three humans (excluding the woman he possessed) and did kill them. As an angel Castiel is a messenger of God but was unable to adequately communicate with the humans. While Crowley connected for hours with his batch of humans and then used their blood as a ways to communicate with his demons. Castiel had to pray and did not know if he would be answered.

In a way, Dean & Sam had the same journey in that they both ended up in the dark with a woman that could use her essence (mist, blood) to get inside and twist their mind and actions. Dean with Amara and Sam with the infected nurse.

[Galbotorix78]

Lucifer may come back and even possess Sam again. He is the light-bearer, which is something you need when battling darkness.

OH! I forgot about that! So much potential right there!!!

Your interpretation of those events blew me away. One of my personal skills is finding the context of situations, but, clearly, yours is in noticing the details. Ten minutes into an episode, I have usually figured out the solution or twist, but I don't normally catch all the detail. Well done!

[wilywiccan]

Thanks, I spent my formative years in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom. It leans heavily towards analysis of mythology and metaphysics, symbolism and sexual politics.

Was that man with baby Amara supposed to be an homage to the 2013 movie Hours? Paul Walker feels! He played a man that just lost his wife in childbirth and then Hurricane Katrina hits, the hospital is evacuated, he is told he & his newborn will be on the next helicopter. The power goes out, he has to keep running down to the generator to kick start it and getting back up to pump oxygen into his daughter, he's hungry and dehydrated, fighting off thieves breaking in to still meds. It was really intense and you felt his love for his child. He'd do anything to make sure she lived long enough to be rescued.

[Confetti!It'sAParade]

Originally Posted by wilywiccan (View Post) I was talking about Crowley on the Sarah Michelle Gellar board. I compared his character journey and relationship with Dean to Spike and Spuffy (Spike/Buffy). In both cases, an extremely likable but still villainous demon---the lesser of two evils---has something done to him (chip & blood ritual) that causes him to hold back on his usual level of murder and mayhem and it opens the floodgates to his emotions. His fascination with the main character (Dean & Buffy) becomes unrequited love. He tries to manipulate them into sinking to his level so they can be together but they eventually break free. And they resent him for his part in their sinking so morally low and if the s10 subtext is correct, feel self-disgust for having gone to bed with them. He then tries to genuinely do good for good's sake. Their friends and family wonder why they don't just kill him but Dean & Buffy won't allow it because they have a connection and despite everything do enjoy the other's company. The difference is that Buffy eventually returned Spike's love while Dean might never. But that might have to do with the fact that Dean's Angel (Castiel), is still an active player for his heart & loyalties. Though Buffy's Angel does return to the picture.

Really? I don't see the similarities? Dean and Crowley don't share any kind of love/platonic or romantic? Why is Crowley drawn to Dean? what changed them from being enemies? Spike and Buffy had a very intimate relationship. Spike is likeable as a character, particularly in later seasons when he's going through hell and has that victim mentality going for him, and Buffy pities him. Whereas Dean for the most part despises Crowley. I don't see an appeal to him. He's given some clever lines but I've never taken him too seriously.

[wickedrum]

It's well accepted within parts of the fandom that Crowley and Dean are drawn to each other. Crowley demonstrated a fondness for him on many occasions by doing him favours and not taking advantage when he could've. Dean might not be as forthcoming, but he understands he can count on the demon in a variety of situations.

[wilywiccan]

I'm going to have to get back to you on this to search for some good Tumblr links. They have written meta on it. There have been so many instances of Crowley & Dean's relationship being coded in romantic subtext that I wouldn't know where to begin going over all of it in a way that would make it visible to spn viewers that aren't registering it. It would be similiar to trying to explain Destiel.

More thoughts on Out of the darkness, into the fire....

This morning I realized that s11 is going to parallel s6.

It begins with Dean rescuing and having several scenes with a baby girl. In s6's episode 2 Two and a half men, Dean rescues and has several scenes with a baby boy.

And episode 4 Baby will be from the impala's perspective the way that s6's episode 4 Weekend at Bobby's was from their father figure Bobby's perspective.

Episode 10 was Caged Heat. And we know that s11 is going to take us into the cage Lucifer & Michael are in. S6 dealt with trying to free Eve from Purgatory while this season may be about trying to free the remaining archangels from Hell.

Episode 11 was Appointment in Samarra and had Dean becoming Death for the day. That will definitely play out in some way this season.

[One Thing Remains]

Originally Posted by wickedrum (View Post) It's well accepted within parts of the fandom that Crowley and Dean are drawn to each other. Crowley demonstrated a fondness for him on many occasions by doing him favours and not taking advantage when he could've. Dean might not be as forthcoming, but he understands he can count on the demon in a variety of situations.

I really enjoyed Crowley and Dean's scenes. I liked their working relationship. I think Crowley thought of it as a friendship but I don't think that Dean did. I think Dean thought of it as a temporary working agreement when they both had a similar goal lined up.