Supernatural - 14x1 "Stranger in a Strange Land" Full Reaction

Cas's "power" is all over the place but a restaurant of demons beating him up while running from Sam's human gang is...weird. Now yes, Sam is great in this episode - starting with leadership, pep talks/check-ins, owning the Kip thing by totally reading the room there, but I don't get bringing the chick who looks terrified when asked if she knows how to use a knife or why Mary's acting like she can't handle Nick and Sam has to step up. Seriously? He is carrying the team here so the dead weight is glaring.

CrystalDeth

I will never understand why the writers loved Mark P. so much and kept bringing him back. I also found the "you're just bait" comment very interesting. Often, I felt like the writers and powers that be used Cas in that very way. He had powers when they needed him to be powerful or he didn't when they wanted to make things more difficult for the boys. It was so inconsistent to the point of being ridiculous. Of course he would have seen all the demons in there. He wouldn't have been taken by surprise like that. Jensen's portrayal of Michael actually creeps me out. He's almost mockingly calm and in control all of the time. He's dead behind the eyes whereas with Dean, there's fire and passion and love in everything he does. It's a testament to Jensen's talent that he can play such different characters so well.

Courtney Vial

I don't know. Our Michael would surely know more things about this world than Alt-Michael. And it would get Adam out of the cage, which should be a big goal (or should've been since Dean last tried in S6). If Adam is still in Michael, at least that gives our Michael some Winchester bloodline power.

Amye Sabin

But if they were to bring in our Michael for help, wouldn’t you think that’d ruin the whole “powerscaling” or whatever? Alt Michael was already described as “much more powerful”; both of them without their perfect vessels, now one with, and the other without? Shouldn’t it be a no-brainer?

Thank you for mentioning Maggie. She annoys me so much.

AdoptDontShopPets

Really Good Season Opener, glad you liked it, too!

JoDaNa81

I kinda liked Kip, but yeah...that was a badass Sam moment.

JoDaNa81

I wonder if they could use OUR Michael to help? There's no reason to worry about the cage anymore, since Lucifer is dead, so why not spring him (and ADAM)? The people in the Bunker I believe are just working there, since Sam considers the Bunker his workplace, while Dean considers it his home. Also, Bobby said last season that all his people were settling well "in town". I hope so, because I don't like all those people living in the Bunker (Mary & Bobby are okay). I am NOT a fan of Maggie's. Why on Earth did they bring her with them, when she clearly has little skills. You can't tell me there aren't other AU hunters that have better fighting attributes. I think you''re right about Nick. TPTB love Mark P. Jensen speaking fluid Arabic was so....damn...sexy!

Amye Sabin

Yes.

Sarai

Everyone else has already said what I would say about Nick, so I'm just gonna leave that where it is. However. I gotta say, I am a Dean girl first and Cas girl second BUT Sam showing up with a beard all badass "Anyone who wants the job is gonna have to come through me" 🔥🔥🔥 One of my favorite Sam moments of the whole show.

Lauran Mitchell

Thank you, rose 🥰

Hasnaa

Oh Hasnaa, no need to apologize for more comments ... yours are always a delight for me ... especially the rants, lol ...

rose mnor

I can't decide which is sexier to me, Jensen speaking Arabic or Jared's beard.

Brenda Lewis

Sorry to comment again but the fact that they made Sam out of all the characters to deal with Nick is so!!! The person who was abused/tortured by lucifer the most!!! I feel so bad for him

Hasnaa

Jensen is such a great actor that his Michael manages to be entirely different to Dean and powerfully unattractive. So glad you liked this one. 14 may be my favourite season.

Helen Wood

The thing that really bugs me about Cas is that way too often he's just exactly as competent as the script requires. He's either the badass angel taking down opponents left and right or else he's he hapless bumbler who gets taken down way too easily. I mean, he's surrounded by demons in that scene, he gets overpowered. Fine. But being overpowered without managing to kill a single demon? I don't think he even landed a punch.

Rosanne Stewart

This is from an old meta of mine, but it still fits: "What’s so unnerving is Michael’s hollowed-out eyes. There’s just enough of Dean there to know how much there is that’s actually missing in that expression and all that’s missing is everything that makes Dean who he is. When AU!Michael is behind the wheel, Dean disappears and it is terrifying."

Rue

Jensen’s portrayal of Michael felt odd to me at first. It didn’t seem like a continuation of Christian Keyes’ Michael who had a little more fire to him and was not so “controlled” in his mannerisms. After reflecting on it, I do understand why Jensen did it that way. Christian’s Michael seemed fairly confrontational and always ready to start a fight and if Jensen played Michael like that, it would just seem like Dean. 😂

AdoptDontShopPets

I forgot about what exactly happened this episode so I went in apprehensive as all I had in my head was ‘oh crap Nick’s here’ lol. As soon as I saw Danneel in the credits I was like ‘oh yeah!’. The episode was ok, not top tier but a decent start. Jensen is doing a great job as Michael - I don’t seen Dean in there at all. And those language skills at the beginning? Wow. I loved the Michael/Jo scene as well. The opening titles with the wings is one of my favourite (I think season 13 is my top).

Sharon Owen

I like this episode and am glad you liked it too, Shelley. We called Sam's beard - Sam's grief beard - and it was majestic to see, lol. For me, I have my headcanon about Cas in the bar - it wasn't just simply him "not realizing" that there were demons in there per se, just that he didn't really care that there will be demons there. He was all business to get any information about Dean by whatever means necessary, desperately needing them. He even went in without backup, and even if he were surrounded by the enemy, then so be it. The point was to gather as much intel as he could. Also, it didn't bother me that Cas not seeing the demons in the others initially - as this would also indicate that angels needed a 'conscious decision or a prior intention' to see who's beneath the surface instead of 'automatically seeing' their true identity (and since this didn't matter to him as mentioned earlier, he didn't bother to look). Like Sister Jo/Anael she needed a moment - a conscious decision or intention, so to speak - to see underneath, who 'Dean' really was. And it was a different situation for Emannuel!Cas, as he didn't realize that he was an angel so he had no filter on his abilities. He was under the impression that he was a human with something extras, and all his senses were 'fully opened' to utilize them as a healer. And that was how he was able to immediately see Meg's true demon face. This was a good season opener for me, though I loved the S13 premiere more. And the next episode was much more exciting to me, even though it was written by the dreaded BuckLemming, but credit should be given where credit is due.

rose mnor