Supernatural: 4.13 "After School Special"

[dk323]

I feel bad for not posting much about SPN here, so I'm going to do a reaction post to tonight's episode because it was made of win. Now it wasn't perfect and there were some things I didn't like, but overall, I thought it was good. I love these flashback episodes and I like the twists and turns in the episode - and how the flashback actually had a point to it [in solving the mystery].

Young!Sam played by Colin Ford - so glad they got him back to play that role. He does a great job playing him - he has definitely impressed me. I do love how he did also stand up for himself and didn't let the bullies just get him every time. Rather unfortunate that when he did stand up for himself and fight Dirk - he started the Dirk the Jerk thing that made Dirk's life miserable from then on. But you know, how could Sam have known at the time? That bully was a big jerk and he had to take a stand...and of course, it had to be Dean who urged him to fight back and not take it lying down.

Young!Dean was all right - he grew on me throughout the episode. I think that Jensen Ackles sets such a high standard that it's not easy finding an actor to play his younger self and match his talent. But the actor playing young!Dean (Brock Kelly, I think?) did a nice job - I liked him. I wasn't too surprised that when they had to leave Truman High for good in the flashback that Dean was ever so ready to leave and Sam [finally getting some admiration from his classmates] wanted to stay [poor Sam!]. I could see that happening - I've read a fair number of fics going that route.

Sam seeing his high school teacher again years later to thank him for the encouragement - awww! Very sweet. Though the "Are you happy?" question was rather sad. The look on Sam's face said it all. *is nervous*

And LOL - looks like they couldn't get Jeffrey Dean Morgan to be in the episode. I found it amusing that they just kept him hidden in the car because of that. He didn't really need to be there, but I appreciated the illusion that it was him in there. Can you imagine the reaction if they got some other actor to play John in that tiny scene and we had seen him [not just hiding in the car]? Oh boy...

~ * ~

RIP Kim Manners - director on Supernatural. So sad to hear! He will be missed. :-(

Comments

If the world ever runs out of demons, he can always teach gym

[otterfudge.livejournal.com]

Hee, finally saw it! Totally concur about young!Sam, good to have him back, and I love to think that Sam really was that much smaller than Dean once. :) I also liked how young!Dean seems to have studied some of Jensen Ackles' mannerisms, and the eyelashes were just about perfect.

Have to say, though, lovely fanficcy-flashback episode as it was, this one really pushed it for me in terms of gore. Girl murdering teenage girl in toilet? The blender..? I literally could not watch those parts, and if I see the episodes again, I'll be fast-forwarding. Yeesh.

However, Dean in a headband and shorts, blasting a kickball into the gut of a freshman...pretty much heals all wounds.