Supernatural - 7x21 "Reading is Fundamental" Full Reaction
Added 2021-08-21 06:34:21 +0000 UTC
Comments
I live in Perth, I was excited about that little shout out of my home, haha. Cas is super fallen sadly, just disobeying Heavens orders qnd playing God is essentially what Lucifer did, let alone going insane. Meg is only trustworthy when it comes to Cas or if Woking with you helps her cause. I really like her, but she did kill Ellen and Joe.
Kyle
2021-08-24 22:51:11 +0000 UTCThis is a great episode, one of my very favorites from season 7! You always know if Ben Edlund is the writer of the episode you're in for something special! He really is a gifted writer and he does a wonderful job writing the dialogue for each of our main characters here. Kevin Tran is such a fun character! Poor kid just wants to ace his SATs and he ends up being a prophet. Cas is broken, which is fun to watch, but frustrating for Dean and Sam. I love the scene with the Sorry boardgame. Misha is really wonderful in this episode. So, I'm one of the few who has never jumped on the Meg train. I have never been able to get past her actions in the first five seasons (especially her being responsible for Jo's death in season 5) to be able to like her in seasons 6 and 7 like so many other fans of the show do. I do like Rachel Miner playing the character, but again I just can't forget how she tried to kill the brothers, their father, and their friends in earlier seasons. Anyway, this episode really starts to move the storyline along with the introduction of the tablet and how to potentially get rid of the leviathans. Now we've got the angels and demons in on it too, which as you said gives it a feeling more of the past few seasons.
L McB
2021-08-22 11:45:18 +0000 UTCRegarding fallen angels, I am going to use superwiki's distinction of fallen angels vis-à-vis rebellious angels: Fallen Angels: Lucifer, Anna, Gabriel, Castiel Rebellious Angels: Uriel, Gabriel, Balthazar It's difficult to distinguish between a 'fallen' and a 'rebellious' angel in this universe. Fallen angels are those that have defied Heaven's principles and laws, and leave the Host of Heaven permanently. They may be cast out or may leave on their own. Rebellious angels are those that have questioned or disobeyed orders from their superiors, in particular Michael. They may have created a more personal and individualized agenda. These angels may experience a demotion from their original ranks in the angel hierarchy, and would then be placed in a lower angelic class. True rebellion, meaning outright disobedience, is considered an angelic "murder one" according to Anna. It is closely associated with falling, and can occur for a variety of reasons.
rose mnor
2021-08-22 01:09:36 +0000 UTCJust sharing what I have seen and glean from what had been discussed and talked about voraciously in previous fandom forums. I just love love, the story development of the angel warrior Castiel (my most favorite is Dean though). From the badass, stoic, angel warrior to this complicated, vulnerable character to .... aaand well, we all know what/who he is going to become in later seasons.
rose mnor
2021-08-22 00:37:32 +0000 UTCas always. in love with your comments, really amazing <3
Luis Nov
2021-08-21 23:41:40 +0000 UTCI forgot how much I loved this episode. Might actually be one of my favourite ones of the show. Hester coming in with one of the most iconic lines. And poor sweet Kevin Tran. He's really in it now.
rese
2021-08-21 20:45:17 +0000 UTCThat's a fair point.
rose mnor
2021-08-21 15:44:39 +0000 UTCSo with Meg, just as being around the boys affected Cas. I feel like being around Cas affected Meg. Without Lucifer she had to find a purpose (killing Crowley). Which is a bit different from all the stunt demons we run into. She's thinking on a bit of a higher level.
Brenda Lewis
2021-08-21 15:40:04 +0000 UTCI'm speechless here. I felt the same but couldn't articulate it as well as you!
Brenda Lewis
2021-08-21 15:34:35 +0000 UTCOk Rose, that was awesome insight. I love the ideas here. I read all the comments you posted and found them so interesting. I said it earlier and I will say it here. Fans of this show get our boys on such a deep level and the insights into their characters fascinate me greatly
Brenda Lewis
2021-08-21 15:32:46 +0000 UTCEvery time I hear Kevin play that cello at the beginning of this episode, I always get reminded of the theme song for the Angel tv show. I have no idea why Dean thinks that angels are junkless. I am guessing the writers just thought it funny. I mean it’s not like he ever looked. They are possessing human bodies so 🤷🏻♀️ I am glad you pointed out that in the final scene with Hester, Cas referred to “an angel“ when talking about when he released the Leviathan, as if he disassociates from his past self. Too painful for his mind to acknowledge. 🥺
AdoptDontShopPets
2021-08-21 15:31:21 +0000 UTCAnd Ben Edlund's masterpiece of the Dean & Cas Sorry! Scene, layers upon layers of meaning and Edlund’s doublespeak: "I think you have to go back to start." "It took everything to get me here," ties in with what Hester says later on – from the moment that Cas pulled Dean out of hell, every single moment, every single choice, led him to this place. The way Cas holds up the Sorry! board game instead of just saying sorry, at first says to me that there’s no way he can possibly encompass everything he means and that he doesn’t even have the words for what he means. And when they play Sorry, Cas asks Dean “do you want to go first?”, it might be an acknowledgment that while Cas WAS at fault for what happened – he wasn’t SOLELY at fault. There was blame to go around. It was more than just his own mistakes. And while he’s sorry for the things he did, yes – he’s not the only one with reason to be sorry. I do appreciate the show acknowledging that. Though Dean doesn't have to apologize in the leviathan situation. Cas made all his own choices and the result was the leviathan. Dean fought to believe him at first until the proof showed otherwise. Dean shouldn't have to apologize for being upset with Cas' betrayal. And Cas also says that it’s Dean’s turn, after saying that he doesn’t fight anymore and talking about how Homo sapiens triumphed, which could be a way of saying that humans have to finish this fight, it’s up to the Winchesters to defeat the Leviathans. But Dean is too angry and frustrated to deal with subtleties of meaning right now. And lastly, Cas's "Always happy to bleed for the Winchesters" what even ..... I have no words.
rose mnor
2021-08-21 15:15:10 +0000 UTCThe Dean and Cas stuff is so intense and heartbreaking. Dean keeps being denied his chance to be angry with Cas. It's so sad. Dean is trying to hold in his anger as much as possible, but that little outburst hurts to watch, it just slightly triggering, as is too Cas’s look of contrition. From Dean's point of view, it was so frustrating that he keeps being denied his chance to feel angry at Cas and to forgive him on his own terms. And he wants to forgive him. He's struggling with it, it's obvious he cares about him still and wants to get to that point but he keeps having to skip over the part where he gets to be furious with him for his betrayal for a bit. He's got to deal with a Castiel that makes him play the game Sorry instead of actually talking through an issue which is, for once, something that Dean desperately needs and seems to almost want to do. Although I think that's exactly what Cas was trying to do, albeit in a way that didn't really work. Cas was trying to communicate with Dean in his own kinda messed up way, but it didn't work for Dean at all. Dean is so sweet with Kevin. I really love this scene between them. Part Dean helping Kevin; part Dean talking about his own pain over what happened with Cas. He’s upset about Cas, truly upset that his hopes of Cas being okay were dashed. He may not be able to forgive Cas, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand or that he’s stopped caring. He just doesn’t know how to fix this.
rose mnor
2021-08-21 15:14:01 +0000 UTCMeg in this episode demonstrates repeatedly here that she’s telling the truth. For the moment, it really is in her best interest to keep the Winchesters alive and Castiel a secret. But at any moment she could turn against them. It’s what demons do. So far she hasn’t backed out on her deals and she hasn’t contradicted any promises she’s made. That puts her in a fairly unique state: a demon that might actually be trustworthy. But for how long? At what point does her self-preservation put her at odds with the Winchesters? It’s a very precarious alliance.
rose mnor
2021-08-21 15:12:26 +0000 UTCWhereas Cas, he is an angel, who just simply can't handle the guilt, who is practically new to the ebb and flow of emotions and feelings. For Cas, this is a very different sort of sensation than for Sam. Sam's human and he knows that humans fail and make mistakes. And in Cas's mind, he honestly pictured himself as this "good" thing, he is the good guy, the good angel. And now all of that is gone, destroyed, and by his own hand. He can't view himself as unqualifiedly "good" anymore. He now knows that he can make mistakes, that each choice he makes has consequences because he decides what's right and wrong, free will and all that. And that must be terrifying when his choices can bring upon the most horrible of consequences. So it's easy to see why Cas' initial impulse is to try to stay away from fighting and any kind of conflict. It is about protecting himself and maybe others from himself. Initially, I believed that something was “wrong” with Cas, but actually, he was exactly as he wanted to be. After taking Sam’s burden, he was changed as a result of what he’d done in S6. As infuriating as it was for Dean to experience this version of Cas, I think that it was clear that Cas was drowning in guilt. He's been drastically changed by his attempt to atone by taking on Sam's pain. This was his way of overcompensating. Cas made no effort to assert authority over these angels from his former garrison whatsoever. He doesn’t seem interested in power at all, even if that power will help Dean and Sam. He doesn’t like conflict. This is from the angel who went toe to toe with both Lucifer and Raphael. He’s riddled with guilt for the lives he ended and destroyed on his quest to stop Raphael, for siding with Crowley, for hurting Sam. It’s still too much for him to face, especially in his vulnerable state. How long he’ll stay neutral? He still cares about Dean, stepping in between and attracting Hester’s attention unto himself as she was getting over-exasperated with Cas by blaming and advancing onto Dean. So what happens if Dean is threatened during his pursuit of the Leviathans?
rose mnor
2021-08-21 15:11:28 +0000 UTCHo boy, this episode is heavy with emotions, as heavy as The Man Who Would be King, the last third epsidode from S6. This one is also the last third from the end of the season, also came from the big brains of Ben Edlund, written and directed. This is why fandom always says that only Ben can write a good Cas episode, he is a Cas fan through and through, first and foremost. So let’s dive into it. First Sam and Cas. Sam’s reaction to Cas is so incredibly beautiful. His line: “I know you never did anything but try to help. I realize that, and I’m grateful.” After everything that he’s suffered in the past season, especially very recently, because of what Cas did to him. Sam is GRATEFUL. Where Dean can’t begin to forgive - not yet, Sam understands. Because Sam made such very similar mistakes, for such very similar reasons. It's interesting to watch how different Sam and Cas' reactions are in a relatively similar situation. Sam had also done terrible things and full on hubris but at his lowest, Sam as a human, can dig deep into the wealth of emotions that we humans gather for as long as we are alive, and those can shine a light and guide us in moving forward. So in 7x17 when he was out of hope because of Hallucifer, he empathizes and is still trying to help people.
rose mnor
2021-08-21 15:11:02 +0000 UTCThat was really good episode glad you enjoyed it. I am not fan of Cas after his betrayal, but seeing him with Meg is always cute. Sammy forgiving Cas after all that happened is so typical for him. It's the testimony of his big heart. When Dean called angels "junkless", well he's not wrong. They are just beam of light or energy or something like that. Whatever we're seeing is just human vessel.
Marta T
2021-08-21 13:41:48 +0000 UTCHaha you made me laugh with your last line. Such deep serious thoughts and then you drop the joke 😂 Love it.
AdoptDontShopPets
2021-08-21 13:09:27 +0000 UTCI honestly think this back third of season 7 really makes up for some of the weaker episodes in the middle. We get some great guest stars and the main story really kicks into high gear. Overall this is still in my personal top 5 of all the seasons.
Adam
2021-08-21 12:21:03 +0000 UTCGreat reaction, I love this episode. When I first watched I had the same reaction about seeing Cas again. I think Dick likes the ingenuity of humans and our creativity, but doesn't think much else of us. I feel they will use the world we created around us to further themselves, without needing to include us. In other words, we created the infrastructure of society they will just take it over. In the end I think we will all be just food. They don't need our medicine or labor so we are pointless. I love how complicated Meg is. I love the talk s that Dean and Sam were able to have with Cas. I don't know if anything can pull him out of this, but if anyone can it's gonna be Dean. Sam forgiving Castiel is so like him. After all the demon blood and everything, it was so like him to be that way. At his core he is still the Sammy from Sn 1 and no matter what happens he always will be. As far as Dean is concerned, well he's hurt and we all know his go to emotion. But I truly believe he is waiting for Cas to acknowledge what he did and be really sorry. Not just "play it", oh my gosh what a line! I also have no doubt that Dean would forgive him in a heartbeat if he did. But to just sum up this whole episode, "pull my finger"
Brenda Lewis
2021-08-21 12:15:23 +0000 UTC
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