A Very Supernatural Christmas

For my inaugral post I am going to comment on something that I have watched only minutes ago. I've been wanting to start this blog for a while now. I can't even remember when I actually signed up for this but here it is, no doubt months later, and still it is bare. So here I go, jumping in the deep end. Well, finally tonight I actually sat down to download the current episodes of Supernatural so that I could catch up on all the ones I've missed since the New Year has started and the masterful show has returned once again to our screens. I vehemently blame summer television and its lack of appeal (and hence my lack of watching copious amounts of television for three months; I know, a record for me!) on my not knowing that the show had started up again. Thank goodness for Ten offering limited time free downloads! Keeps me up to date. So anyway, the episode that was next on my list to watch was "A Very Supernatural Christmas". I must say, what a kack! I generally find the show funny (one of the things I really appreciate about the horror genre, the fine line between terror and comedy) but this one was just absurd to say the least. I particularly liked the corny "A Special Presentation" flash at the beginning, and inherent mock at itself, as well as the Supernatural script exploding out of a Christmas bauble...classic! Okay, so the basic premise was pretty lame. An anti-Santa that drags bad people up the chimney?! Sounds like something I'd write in one of my lame stories. It reminded me of like a season one or two Buffy episode. But while lame, I just couldn't help but find the idea charming and endearing for all its ironic hilarity. I guess I just get devoted to my shows and look blindly with love past their flaws. hehehe :-) Truthfully the premise would be really really scary to kids. Perhaps it would be better suited for a younger audience. As a storyline I mean. But whatever. People start disappearing up their chimneys and the boys start investigating. I particularly like Dean calling Sam nuts for believing the horror is the result of an anti-Santa. It's the interactions between the brothers and the flashbacks that really make this episode for me. At least maybe that's one way I can justify why the horror aspect was kinda hokey. The character development and evolution is so much more important to the overall plot of the series. I have to put a shout out of commendation to the two young boys they got to play the Winchesters. What talented actors! I wondered throughout all their sequences the extent to which they had studied the mannerisms of the characters and the inflections of voice and such prior to taking on the roles. In my opinion they really nailed it on the head. More the boy who played Sam than Dean but still. I could practically hear Jared Padalecki saying the lines along with the boy...it sounded so natural and in sync. Almost supernatural. hehehe I know I'm so lame. But I hope they use the same actors again if they do more flashbacks in the future. It was really cool to see the boys thinking about past Christmases, as well as witnessing the moment that Sam discovered his Dad wasn't like other Dads. I was like whoa! Another instance where the strength of character and love of Dean for Sam shone thru in him giving his pesky kid brother the best Christmas he could manage and still trying to keep Sam's veneration towards their father alive...even if he did steal a Barbie doll and a wand as Christmas presents! And what an "awwww!!" factor when you see Sam give Dean the necklace and then it flashes back to the present day and you see Dean come thru the door wearing that same necklace he is always wearing but now it has more significance. Perhaps Dean's conviction at wanting to celebrate Christmas would have seemed more convincing and compelling if they had made him really go to the hilt with it, like surprising Sam out of the bathroom or something and standing there all cheery, singing Christmas carols and wearing a big fluffy Santa hat. Then once they encountered the wicked old creepy Christmas couple and the absolute Seasonal-vomit that was their house he would have changed his mind about celebrating so fervently and hence made the ending that much more touching with all the effort that Sam goes to to make it a good memory of Christmas. Oh well. The real crux of it was Sam's reluctance and not wanting to get in the spirit of things because of the pain that Dean's days are numbered. Oh, I just have to draw attention to the caroling thing now that I think of it. Oh my! Rolling on the floor laughing at the boys attempting to sing "Silent Night" to that manky, mangy and creepy Santa. hehehe "round and round and round" instead of "'round young virgin"!!! Classic! And that Santa really was manky! I have a friend who has worked for Santa photos and I seriously hope she has never had to deal with anything like that Santa!!! Oh! And the boys talking to the elf. "My brother's always wanted (a photo with Santa)..Lifelong wish." "Umm, no kids over twelve." "No, no. We're just here to watch." Oops! Got yourself in a bit of hilarious hot water there, Sammy. Would have made the episode run long no doubt but would have capped it off to have had the boys thrown out of Santa's Village by reindeer security for suspicion of being dangerous men to children. And that cross-eyed reindeer that Sam stared at was funny in his response to it's creepiness. But back to the plot and off my tangents. The boys' investigations lead them to a link between wreaths found in the victims' homes and eventually trace them back to the maker, a seemingly innocent, season-obsessed and leave-it-to-Beaveresque woman and her husband. Turns out that they are actually pagan gods who have "assimilated" into our world and now only take about 3-5 victims a year instead of their past hundreds....and they play Bridge on Tuesdays :-) So the gods capture the boys when they break into the house, attempting to put the kibosh on the couple. Tied up in kitchen chairs the couple torment Sam and Dean with all their Christmas cheer as well as delivering the required amount of exposition about who they are and what they do so that the story makes sense. Preparing the boys for sacrifice to anti-Santa or whatever was really good. The creepy genility of the couple gave the scene the perfect unsettling aura and heightened the humor. It also heightened the gruesomeness of their ritual, the cutting of the flesh and removing Sam's fingernail (ewwwww!!!! so gross!!!). Then they go to remove a tooth from Dean's mouth and the doorbell rings. hehehe "I think someone should get that" he says. The boys get free when the couple answer the door, trap them in the kitchen (I'm sorry but a drawer to hold back a door that is being beaten at by a demi-god is strong enough?! Not! Too convenient for me considering they slide a wall unit in front of the other door, but whatever, I'll overlook it) and then proceed to break apart the immaculate Christmas tree for stakes to finish the couple off. Sam and Dean have their own gas station-inspired Christmas celebration back at the motel, sans Santa hats much to my dismay. But they have eggnog so they get points. The gifts they give each other are pathetic and macho but perfect for these two disfunctional characters. Perhaps there's been a Christmas miracle afterall. Well, must be off. That went waaaayyy longer than I intended or thought possible. Off to watch another episode before bed. Till next time (hopefully its soon).