Saturday, October 2, 2010

Two and a Half Men


Note: I wrote this live, with my reactions interjected, as I watched so I could get to bed early for a writer's conference tomorrow. Hope it's okay. :)

Cozy fire, fam pics, blood-smeared hand smashes framed photo. A bloody mom carrying her baby runs through the house. Phone’s dead. They hide under the bed. Damn, don't do that. They always find you under there. Footsteps. Bad guy goes away. False security. Mom see’s her dead husband. She squeals, but killer seems not to have heard. Then she’s yanked out from under the bed. Totes saw that coming!

Dean checking weapons in the Impala. Puts them away and covers the car back up with a tarp. Boo. Wow, he’s moved Lisa and Ben into a new house. The poor kid isn’t happy about it. Dean is reluctant to let either one of them out of his sight.

Sam talks to cops about missing baby and murdered parents.

Dean orders pizza instead of taking his family out. Lisa and Ben are upset he’s keeping them under house arrest.

Sam discovers there was no sulfur. No EMF. But four couples have been killed and four babies are missing. Grandpa Campbell’s on the phone saying this isn’t natural. Sam realizes there may be one common connection--Harper Caine Home Security.

Dean catches Ben playing with a rifle from the Impala and he’s very upset. He snaps at Ben and says he’ll never, ever shoot a gun. Ben is crushed by Dean’s outburst.

Clients of Harper Caine definitely seem to be the target. Sam goes to find a client that’s still alive.

Lisa is freaked by Dean’s overprotective attitude and tries to convince him they have to live life, despite nameless threats.

Sam breaks into a house and finds the parents dead. He follows some bloody footprints and is, of course, attacked. Sam cuts the Caine security guard with a knife and the silver burns him like acid. The dude disappears and Sam finds something—I’m guessing a baby— under a table.

Sam calls Dean for help. Dean is salting the windows in his new house and says he’s out. Sam threatens to stop by his house if he doesn’t meet him. Dean shows up. Cue the creepy music and then flash to Dean seeing…an adorable, big-eyed baby in the backseat.

“Welcome to the party, Guttenberg.” –Sam to Dean

Dean instructs Lisa on the proper way to load and use a gun, while she encourages him to go handle this mission with his brother. He does, but shows up in his truck! Why? Where’s the Impala? The brothers figure they’ve either got a ghoul, zombie, shifter or any other dozen of things on their hands. Only problem is, none of them typically babynap.

The Winchester boys go shopping for baby supplies! Dean’s not entirely clueless thanks to Lisa’s niece. The baby starts crying and neither of the guys can figure out how to make him stop. I keep yelling at Dean to “pick him up!” Their awkwardness is adorable and funny. Especially when Dean cries back at the baby. I’ll admit I’ve used that approach myself. Didn’t work any better. A nice woman in the grocery line holds the baby, who they’ve dubbed Bobby John (love that!) and finds he’s a bit wet. Dean’s relief at having help turns to fear when he sees her on a security feed. Her eyes are flashy. He demands the baby back and she takes off with the infant. Dean tries to grab her and rips off some of her skin. (Eeew!) In a nice move, Sam intercepts the baby. Dean then catches the woman and tries to stab her, but she cries out like a victimized old woman being attacked by a hoodlum and a store manager comes to help. The Winchesters run off with the baby. The evil woman takes notes of Sam’s license plate.

“This is like diffusing an IED with poop.” –Dean to Sam

After changing Bobby John’s diaper, Dean sings to the baby (Smoke on the Water!) and gets him to sleep. Sigh. There is nothing sexier than a man cuddling a baby. So hot! Sam compliments Dean on his parenting skills. Dean says he’s had some practice with Ben. He considers the kid his and he wants something more for him then what their dad gave them. Sam points out Dean's holding them prisoner, just as they were.

Sam leaves to find a different baby’s father. He realizes a shifter posed as the guy and slept with his wife, getting her pregnant.

Dean is enjoying his usual magic fingers when the baby starts screaming. Blood and goop explode everywhere. Naaasty! The baby’s a shifter and he just went from white to black. Hee hee.

Knock on the door. Guy says there have been complaints about the crying baby and can he please come in. Dean refuses. Guy breaks in. It’s a shifter and he says the baby should be with his father and then he intimates there’s a greater father the baby belongs to. Say what???

The boys ascertain the shifter posed as a security guard for Caine. He scoped out families and when the dad left on business he would pose as the husband, get a little nookie and then goes back 9 months later for the baby. Clever, but oh so gross.

Sam calls Bobby John a baby monster. Dean wants to protect him. Sam suggests bringing it to Samuel, but Dean hates the idea. Anyone else notice how Sam is dehumanizing things? He calls the baby and Ben by him or it.

Dean won't hand Bobby John over. Who could blame him. And have I said how HOT Dean looks with a baby? Sam takes Bobby John and hands him over to Samuel. Samuel says they're going to raise him.

“You can’t Angelina Jolie a shapeshifter.” – Dean to Samuel

Dean makes his distrust known. Especially after it's decided that Christian will be the baby’s daddy. Seriously, what is this? Does anyone else think maybe they’re collectors more than hunters? Dogs start barking. The Campbells tell the Winchesters to put the baby downstairs in the panic room where he’ll be safe. The shapeshifter shows up as Samuel.

They shoot him, stab him, and tranquilize him. Dude does not go down. He kills one of the Campbells and shakes off the sedation.

The shifter shows up in the panic room as Sam. Then he turns into Dean. Dean starts to strangle Dean and then takes the baby. Real Dean passes out. Faux Dean struts off with the baby.

Turns out that was the Alpha, the king shape shifter. The first shifter to spawn all the others. Samuel doesn’t know if it’s possible to kill the Alpha.

Dean accuses Sam of using the baby as bait to catch the Alpha shifter. Even he doesn’t trust his brother!

Samuel is talking to someone on the phone, promising he’ll catch the Alpha.
Dean returns home to Lisa. He’s so torn. Poor baby! Is it better to stay with them and keep them safe, or is it better for them if he goes? Lisa doesn’t know if they’ll be safer one way or the other, but she knows he’s a hunter, not a construction worker. She knows he wants to be out there, with Sam. And she understands. God love her. An SPN woman besides Pamela, I actually like. Lisa knows Dean will keep having this internal struggle and she thinks he should go. Dean is shocked she doesn’t want him. She says that’s not the case. He can go do what he needs to and come back to her when he can. Just as long as he comes back in one piece. Dean doesn’t know if they can pull something like that off, but she says it’s worth a shot. Awwww.

Final shot…Yay! The Metallicar is unveiled and brings a smile to Dean’s face. He’s back!

And that is SUCH an incomplete episode. Sheesh. I hate it when so many things are left unresolved in an episode. And next week’s preview— which included a, GODHELPME I watched it over and over again, in slo-mo, shot of Jared doing pull-ups with his shirt off—doesn’t look to address the shifter thing. Where’s the poor monster baby? Who’s grandpa talking to? Are they starting a zoo of Alpha creatures? Was anyone sad the one Campbell died? Didn't see a bit of mourning. Sam seemed a little more himself, but even he admitted something’s off. What is it? All in all I had mixed feelings about this episode. Loved the humor, glad to see both guys a little more themselves, adored seeing Dean with that baby (sigh), but I’m annoyed by the Campbells and whatever the heck is going on. Maybe Cass will shed some light next week. What did you all think?

10 comments:

Unknown said...

First of all, I am so, so, so happy the Impala is back with Dean at the wheel. The last shot was my favorite. When Dean showed up to join Sammy and he had the truck, I was like WTH!!

Love Lisa and I'm glad she understands and gave her blessing. BUT, it's time she hit the back burner so we can get this show on the road. Dean so soft is starting to freak me out. It was nice for awhile, and cute with the kid tonight, but he's a hunter and needs to get back to killing the bad things. It's good to see he can be softer, but enough is enough. Call me limited, but that's how I roll.

I wonder just who Grandpa Weirdo is collecting for and just who is really driving Sam's bus. You're right, he is dehumanizing everyone. Not upset that his "cousin" bought it...Referring to Ben and baby as it or him.

Anyone notice the father theme working here. Last week the kiddie djinns were out for revenge for their father's death and this week, it's the alpha "father" of all shifters. Wonder where this is going?

I didn't like having the ep end with no resolution. I cannot wait until next week with Cas returning. Love Misha Collins.

Big Ugh,though. Because of the Hawks game here, I have to wait until Saturday night to see it.

MJFredrick said...

The dh thinks it's a zoo, too. I loved the boys with the baby, but really wish I could see Dean showing some emotion for Lisa and not just worrying about her. Seems like she's doing all the work there, and being me, I want to see him loving her.

My theory about why he didn't meet Sam in the Impala is that he's shoehorning himself into this new life and the truck is who he thinks he is now.

Anonymous said...

MJ, totally agree about Dean showing a lack of emotion for Lisa. He seems to love her, but doesn't act in love with her. KWIM?

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Terri, great writeup! You had a lot of the same at-the-time comments I did. :)

Dean took the truck because they had to leave one vehicle at the side of the road and of the three--Charger, Impala, and beater pickup--it's a no-brainer which one to leave unprotected.

I don't think zoo. I think they're trying to collect things to figure out why they've all changed, why their behavior is out of whack. IF Samuel is really Samuel (and he didn't bug me as much this week, but I'm still not convinced), he's probably working for whoever sent him down from heaven, and it occurred to me that it could be Cas. But I think it's probably another angel or something.

I didn't sense any lack of feeling for Lisa. I mean, it's amazing he can feel anything resembling normal emotion toward her at all, given everything he's done and been through--40 years of torture in hell, starting the apocalypse, all that. :)

This wasn't the first ep that didn't have resolution (Playthings, Croatoan), things all tied up in a bow. I didn't mind it, because I think it feeds the greater story of whatever Samuel is doing/dealing with. I don't want it for EVERY episode, for sure, but one is okay. :)

My main negative about this episode is that Sam was more himself, so I'm not sure if last week was really bad or brilliant. I hope they just throttled back on the creepy to keep us guessing. That I'm okay with. Jared just overacting a changed Sam, I'm not. In that regard, did anyone notice that he easily read the name on that alarm company sign from an amazing distance? Clue, or convenience? :)

Amanda said...

Great review of "Two and a Half Men" really like reading your reaction of what was happening as the episode was on. Can't wait to read your next review for next week episode. Best part of this episode was seeing the Impala being freed to be back on the road again.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

( In that regard, did anyone notice that he easily read the name on that alarm company sign from an amazing distance? Clue, or convenience?)

OOh, Nat. Good catch. I missed that. Def brings up a good question.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Amanda! I agree the best part was seeing the Impala back. Who knew we'd love a car so much. LOL

Trish Milburn said...

I too like Lisa. She's a woman worthy of a Winchester. :)

I wish I could figure out what the heck is up with those creepy-ass Campbells. I thought it was weird too that nobody seemed to care much that the one quiet Campbell got killed.

Yay to Cas returning! And please rest assured, Terri, you were not the only one re-watching the pull-ups in slow motion. That dude has one smoking upper body. (Trish pauses to fan self.)

Maureen Child said...

Still not lovin' Sam. There is something sooooo wrong.

And how do we know grandpa Samuel was in Heaven?? Maybe Lucifer let him out of Hell to mess with the boys!

Lisa is definitely Winchester worthy.

But boy was I glad to see the Impala back.