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Entry tags:	meta: supernatural, show reviews: supernatural

SPN: "I Know What You Did Last Summer" Episode Review + Meta
Obviously fandom has been reacting to this episode, some good, some bad depending on individual opinions over an issue that's been occurring in fandom for quite some time. This review is going in-depth on my own opinions and thoughts on the subject, and even some fanwanking on why this could be along with other plotpoint information and theories on what's going to happen based on the episode and the preview for next week.

Supernatural 4.09 "I Know What You Did Last Summer"

From a tip given from the unexpected arrival of Ruby, Sam and Dean follow up on a young woman who escaped a mental institution claiming to have knowledge of demons and Hell and the coming Apocalypse, saying that the end was near, and apparently can overhear angels speaking. She doesn't communicate with them, just overhear their conversations, and has heard news of the war between Heaven and Hell and of the Winchester brothers. However trouble arrives as a demon wants her, particularly a very powerful demon that even powered!Sam couldn't defeat and that knows Dean from Hell, and the angels also want her too, and both sides have their reasonings and it's not looking pretty either. This is yet another "to be continued" ending which, seriously Kripke, are you trying to kill us with anticipation?

There's also backstory of how Ruby escaped from where Lilith sent her, how she caught up with Sam and started training him into using his psychic abilities, and how they ended up having a kind of relationship. This is a touch and go subject that'll be talked about more thoroughly below.


Sam and Ruby: The Relationship Between Hunter and Demon

As mentioned this is something fandom has been reeling about since it was announced, and some comments are interesting while others are just dissing Genevieve because she's not Katie. Which yeah, I can understand. I miss Katie and it was her portrayal of Ruby that made me fall in love with the character, the snark and attitude and everyting that made the character be a sarcastic demon with human qualities. Though this episode brought a lot of the issues of possession and the moralities of it and how much this has changed the attitude of demons and that it isn't all black and white, even if there's that gray area borderlining darkness.

Kripke knew what he was doing when he designed the relationship surrounding Sam and Ruby; the subject matter in itself is iffy depending on someone's viewpoint on possession. Is it or isn't it rape? Can you still have a relationship with a possessed body even with the soul/spirit conscious within it, or does it still disrespect that former person's body even long afterwards? These are questions that needed to be addressed and I'm thankful in this episode it presented them boldly. Sam obviously knew of those morality risks, he knew there was something so wrong about it when Ruby started kissing him. He had sensibility regarding that aspect, even with him asking her to change bodies instead of possessing a living one; it's all in his traits which I liked. But we have to remember that Sam is different. He's not the same Sammy Winchester we knew from all those seasons ago, and with Dean gone to Hell he's even more messed up than ever. He's suicidal, deep in depression, willing to sacrifice anything and everything. It's the Winchester way. So having Ruby around to help him, to save him, to guide him was something that's been happening since the beginning of season three, and him being lost with nothing else to lose it was more this thing of having someone there to relief that pain. Relief everything he's been feeling, even with a demon.

For Sam, he's lost everything he's ever had. He lost his mother, his father, his brother, his life. Nothing else matters. He was not in a sane headspace after Dean's death, and while that's not excusing much I do think that, based on what Ruby's been claiming, she did save his life. Whether or not that means anything, she's responsible for getting him to where he is now. Had she not done so he would've done even more reckless things.

Now this has me wondering about what are Ruby's motivations are. Since last season she's claimed to be different than other demons, that her true intentions were to help Sam gain control of his abilities and become stronger to fight in this upcoming war because she wants the "good guys" to win and not Lilith or the other demons. She's always been fixated on Sam, and yes I have been liking the idea of them since season three, though this doesn't change the thought that there's something else Ruby might not be mentioning. Everyone has their secrets, and while I do think she's telling the truth about remembering humanity she may be holding something back, something that could compromise everything if she revealed too soon into Sam's training.

Needless to say, I may be the unpopular opinion of thinking that even though the extra scenes of the "too much information" so to speak, and whether it's serious or not I understand the formation of the two together. *shrugs*


Special People and the Risk of Hearing Voices of Angels

What I found interesting was that another special child was introduced in this episode, the girl Anna who seems to overhear conversations between the angels alongside having telekinetic abilities, and who has demons and angels coming after her for their own means and purposes. This has me speculating what all this could mean or lead towards, since this seems highly important.

My first thought goes to the concept of "special children" when seeing her telekinetically moving the dresser towards the demon in the hospitalized room, and we all know this could be in connection to the YED and what this could mean if it's revealed she is another one of those special kids of his. Which could explain why the demons are coming after her; they want information about the angels' plans so they could be few steps ahead, as it's been revealed that the angels haven't been really winning with protecting the many seals as they'd wished, so getting her would mean the end of everything. It also would explain why Castiel and Uriel burst in as they did, saying that she needed to die because of this fact. She's a liability, and they can't risk anything.

However, another thought came to me. Perhaps it's not about being part of the YED's endgame plan, because recalling what Castiel mentioned about "special people" could percieve his true form, it's possible Anna could be one of those very rare and special people he's referring to. Prophet of sorts. Though the risk of her being a liability still factors into this equation, what if her having the die has been misinterpreted? Given the lack of information from those last few minutes about the hows and whys this girl was chosen, there could be a number of meanings behind what that actually means. For example, will the angels send her somewhere else, like pregatory, or perhaps they'll have her ascend directly to Heaven? Maybe she's more important than we realize and her staying there on Earth is more dangerous because of the amount of evils that are after her, hence being a risk to their entire plans on winning this war completely.

It's also interesting how Anna's able to listen into the angel's conversations instead of outright communicating with them. Like she said, they probably had no idea she was listening in, which has been proven false given their intent on wanting her to no longer overhear their thoughts. It makes me wonder about those two possibilities above, whether she's a special child of the YED or she's one of the special children from God, and what it all means for her "death" if it's bad or for the better.

In any case, I really like the dynamics between the Light and Dark sides here, how we're seeing that even the side of Heaven can be just as ruthless as any other bad thing Sam and Dean have fought. Nothing is completely black and white, especially in a time of war, and I think it's getting better and better every time we're going deeper into this mythology of the season.


Memorable Moments of the Episode:

++ Yay for fun episode titles yet again! I am loving their choices this season, fo'srs.

++ I have to say that I've been warming up to new!Ruby, and I understand people aren't fond of her and I understand that. Everyone's entitled to those feelings and opinions. I, however, thought Genevieve acted the hell out of this episode and really brought the core of the Sam and Ruby relationship in those flashbacks. I do miss Katie Cassidy and had wished they didn't let her go, but it's understandable given the nature of demons and the act of possession and with Kripke finding acceptable loopholes to make the relationship between a human and a demon!possessed body work, which I found impressive given how fandom has been wanking on this left and right. I'm not fangirling it but I understand it and can see why it happened how it happened.

++ I do wish that Dean could've reacted differently, though. I do think he tolerates Ruby to an extent, but still holds great contempt for her because of her nature as a demon despite her remembering humanity. Hearing that Sam was fucking a demon wouldn't really register right in his brain, though I think he's trying to understand as he said before Sam retold what happened.

++ Great appreciation for Jared's stellar acting in this episode. Going from present time to back six months after Dean had died. Seeing his state of mind, where he was and what he was willing to do. Getting drunk and just being absolutely reckless. I'd heard rumors some time ago about a depressed near-suicidal Sam, and this really puts into context of what'd happened in between when Dean went to Hell and when he was dragged out. Now that we've gotten Sam's missing time during those months, now it's Dean's turn about what he remembers from Hell even if he doesn't want to.

++ Which, the demon that Dean recognizes from Hell? While the name I couldn't catch clearly, I have a feeling this is going to turn into something bigger, and whatever his secret is it's not going to be pretty.

++ I liked that Anna knew about the Winchesters, knew about the angels saving Dean ("THE Dean") and not really liking Sam all that much (heh, Sam's expression to that). Also judging from the preview it seems she and Dean might have a more personal connection, could it be because Dean's "THE Dean" or something else? I don't know, but I do like her. Can't wait for more to be revealed about who she is and how important her role is.

++ Also, new information: there's over six hundred seals and only sixty-six have to be broken to unleash Lucifer. That would make sense, seeing as how if there's only those seals alone it wouldn't be that hard to protect them. But with lack of contacts and not knowing which particular Seal Lilith may be headed to next no wonder the angels aren't keeping up with it. Also, hearing that the angels are losing is depressing to here. But hey, that's Biblical Armageddeon for you.

++ Dean's "too much information" was kind of priceless. The same with him blaming the loss of Ruby's knife onto Sam. And his reaction to maid!Ruby. Hee.

++ Ruby mentioning french fries. Twice. I know it was for the recollection of that once leaving that one body to possess another we would know it was her but, still, it had me reminescing back to S3 with Katie and her stealing his french fries. 'Cause they're deep fried crack and delicious.

++ Castiel! Only appearing at the end of the episode for like about a minute, but still loved seeing him again. All intense and business-like beside his angel partner Uriel. I was all, OMG HAI THAR CASTIEL BB! And then the angels were all "we're here for the girl, she needs to die" and the "to be continued" came up and I was all OMGWHUT NOES!!! Seriously, Kripke, don't do that to me!

++ I do have one theory I didn't mention before: we saw during "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" that Castiel had actually prayed that Dean wouldn't go by their orders and actually would attempt to stop the summoning of Samhain, although during the motel room he he seemed to have been challenging him to defy them. The same in that last scene in this episode. There's an intense look on his face, and although yes Uriel is willing to do anything to get the job done, I have hope that Castiel is going to praying for Dean to do the right thing again. I really do want more Castiel scenes in the next episode, and more specifically Dean/Castiel scenes.

++ Speaking of, do we know if Misha's contract has been extended for more episodes? He mentioned in an interview some while ago he was signed for six episodes, and if that's true that would make the next episode his last. I DON'T WANT IT TO BE HIS LAST! I WANT CASTIEL TO BE ON THE SHOW FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER! PLZ KRIPKE, DON'T GET RID OF MY SEXY, SEXY ANGEL!

++ Next Thursday, can we have it now please? Srsly.


Overall: I really liked this episode. In terms of the boys it balances it out between having all the Dean-centric episodes to having this be a Sam-centric one, learning more about his time without Dean and how far he was from losing it to gaining it all back with the help of Ruby. I like the character and I think Genevieve is doing a good job considering, and we did see the blonde chick Ruby possessed before changing meatsuits and actually being considerate for Sam's sake. There's also the deal with the angels and the seals and the protection, or taking care of, the girl that can hear the voices of angels thus hearing the plans of actions and everything else in between, which could lead to trouble. More into the mythos and plot of the season, I'm looking forward to and nervous for what's going to happen next. *crosses fingers and toes*