#the Winchesters s1 e8

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

The Winchesters S1E8

Chat with me below the cut! 🥰🥰

K, so first of all, I think this episode is my favourite so far! I really enjoyed it!

Loved the dynamic between John and Samuel, and also the two of them and Mary. It was cool to hear a bit more of Carlo's story, and man does Jojo have a beautiful voice.

I'm also starting to feel the chemistry between John and Mary more. I feel like as Meg and Drake get to know each other better and connect more, John and Mary's connection will deepen too.

And I just KNEW Dean was the one to give John the letter!! I think he's trying to fix things, from the beyond? Or is he back?! And how long till Sam joins him?

I know, I know, Sam can't join him til Walker takes some family/rest time! 😁 But I'm so excited for the possibilities!!

So amazing to see Gabriel/Trickster Loki in this episode! Richard was amazing as always!! 😍

Oh, and OMG!! The band playing behind Carlos was Louden Swain!! It was Mike, Billy, and Norton, and I'm ALMOST positive the keyboard player was Rob, but I couldn't be sure, and he isn't listed on IMDB. But it REALLY looked like him!!

So, here's a theory that's just starting to unravel in my head...so...be warned. 😄

In SPN it was always shown that "you can't change the past" what happens in the past, always happened and can't be altered.

But those were the rules of "Chuck's" universe. But maybe...with Chuck out of the picture, maybe Dean feels like he CAN change things now. Maybe he's aiming to get John and Mary into a happier life, where Mary won't have to make that deal with Azazel, where they'll spend their lives together, as hunters yes, but they raise their boys with love, and not like soldiers.

Look how badly Mary wants to not repeat her father's mistakes of starting her children in the life SO young and without any other options. And John was literally telling Samuel tonight to treat Mary as a daughter and not a soldier.

Maybe if Dean can facilitate a different beginning for his parents, shining light on the hunting secrets Mary kept from John, giving them early access to the MOL vast knowledge, then maybe he can give them a whole different life. Maybe they'll be able to have a less tragic story together. It was always Dean's dream to save his parents. So what if he can not only save their lives, but their hearts and souls too?

And maybe Sam and Dean Winchester still grow up to be badass hunters who save the world, but maybe they can do it with a bit more of a stable base and as part of a huge network of family and other hunters.

Anyway, that's just my insane rambles. I have no idea whether any of that will have anything to do with what coming up. Just my thoughts. 😁

I said, before I even saw the episode, that seeing the picture of Dean just THERE! on his birthday felt like him being born again.

And after Dean is born, Sam isn't TOO far behind. 🤞😍🤞

What did everyone think?

[batcavescolony]

S1 E8 Supernatural

Lots of father son drama in this one. John threw Sam out when he got a scholarship? Sam thinks Dean is John's favorite? Sam and John were at each other's throats and Sam wanted to be normal while John wanted him to be part of the family business? Then through Dean you find out John would stop by Stanford to check in on Sam without his knowledge. But Sam still wants to find John to apologise. Some complicated family relationships here. Conflicting views, Sam thinks that standing up and speaking your mind is the right thing to do while Dean thinks it's better to lie and avoid telling the truth. Interesting interesting interesting. But I don't think a can of Raid would last as long as Dean was using it to fight off bugs, idk maybe 2005 Riad had more but modern Raid isn't lasting you till sunrise.

[actually-a-fish]

the best supernatural episodes

according to an autistic person with a special interest and the ability to make a list.

if youre really serious about supernatural spoilers then maybe stay away :)

None of the season one episodes made in on the list but I will give an honorable mention to S1 E2 Wendigo.

S2 E11 Playthings - A classic, creepy girls in a creepy hotel. Special call out to Sam getting SLOPPY

S2 E16 Roadkill - There's a ghost haunting the highway. the Boys help the spirit move on. This is an early example of monster empathy

S2 E18 Hollywood Babylon - Dean loves hollywood. I love dean. this episode makes me kick my feet like a little girl and i will not defend myself.

S2 EP 20 What Was Shall Never Be - all I have in my notes for this one is "Dean Djinn Dream" which was enough for me to remember the episode and get misty eyes. This is SEASON 2 my son will never know peace.

S3 E5 Bedtime Stories -I had to check the wiki on this one, I think i liked it cause it referenced classic fairytales

S3 Ep11 Mystery Spot - "HEAT OF THE MOMENT" RISE AND SHINE SAMMY!

S3 E13 Ghostfacers! - Im a Facer through and through

S3 E16 No Rest for the Wicked - S3 finale and the Boys are facing consequences! Classic Dean, Sam and Bobby episode.

S4 E1 Lazerus Rising - First Cas Episode. That handprint makes me feel things.

S4 E6 Yellow Fever - What if Dean had anxiety (The Eye of the Tiger blooper is also at the end of the episode which gives it bonus points.

S4 E17 Wishful Thinking - Make a wish? was it for your teddy bear to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder? Well thats what youre getting!

S4 E17 It's a Terrible Life - Sam ~ the sales rep. Dean ~ middle management.

S4 E18 The Monster at the End of the Book - There are books about Sam and Dean?! Written by this guy who loves self insert character? Surely the entire show isn't about to take a tone shift?

S5 E3 Free to be You and Me - Sam and Dean are fighting again, but this time Dean has a new heavenly boy toy to play with instead. (Cas has no rizz yet it's actually a little painful to watch)

S5 E5 Fallen Idol - Okay the Wax People episode is on here for one reason and one reason only. Paris Hilton.

S5 E7 The Curious Case of Dean Winchester - Old man Dean and old man Bobby. This is also the episode for HH Husk kinnies.

S5 E8 Changing Channels - Dr Sexy MD is that you?!

S5 E9 The Real Ghostbuster - *in a grizzly voice* "I'm Dean Winchester, this is my brother Sam. Have you experienced anything strange?" "Dude that was so good! Now we can go solve the puzzle" "Man you're breaking the immersion!"

S5 E10 Abandon All Hope - This is here for Crowley's first appearance and not because the end will make you cry.

S5 E12 Swap Meat - "uh... its Audi Nos". Freaky Friday starring Sam Winchester! An angsty teen and April Kepner from Grey/Sloan Memorial Hospital.

S5 E16 Dark Side of the Moon - The Boys lives flash before their eyes. Dean is pissed forever about Sams.

S5 E19 Hammer of the Gods - this is for all my pagans out there!

S6 E4 A Weekend at Bobby's - What do you think this episodes about idjit.

S6 E15 The French Mistake -  “For whatever reason, our life is a TV show.” “Why?” “I don't know.” “No, seriously. Why? Why would anybody want to watch our lives?” 

S7 E4 Defending your Life - consequences? for fucking people over? how about you stand trial.

S7 E20 The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo - The self insert character made for us :) Luv u 4ever Charlie XD

S8 E4 Bitten - found footage will always scare. this one reminds me that this show started as a psuedo horror.

S8 E8 hunteri heroci - Cas tries his hand at being a hunter

S8 E12 As Time Goes By - FINALLY THEY ARE CARVING TRAPS INTO BULLETS

S8 E17 Goodbye Stranger - verbatim here are my notes for this episode "Cas chooses Dean, but the way he handles Meg... Fuck Naomi"

S8 E18 Clip Show - If you only want to watch just one episode of Supernatural this should be it. It's not actually a clip show, theres a broment, bonding time with favorite characters and crazy plots that only supernatural could get away with.

S9 E5 Dog Dean Afternoon - Dean is finally a dog person

S9 E11 First Born - Another bro fight leads to shipping <3 SamxCas + DeanxCrowley <3

S9 E15 #thinman - the slender episode feat. GHOSTFACERS. You come away from this episode thinking "supernatural is so fucking gay why wont the boys kiss"

S9 E21 King of the Damned - my favorite crowley era change my mind. Also the way the Boys interrogate an angel is so funny

S10 E5 Fan Fiction - I would unironically fuck w a supernatural musical and if helluva/hazbin taught me anything the rest of you would too

S10 E6 Ask Jeeves - The Clue episode. (Pay attention to the improvised weapons Dean chooses. It brings me joy)

S10 E9 The Things we Left Behind - Cas is suffering a midlife crisis and his besties are there to help him repair his relationship with his daughter. Funnily enough, Crowley is also getting some family bonding in.

Okay, I'm all caught up on my list. Should I have stayed up late transcribing this with an 8am class tommarow?

Probably not but it did bring me great joy. Tell me your favorite episode! I'll continue to add to my list as I continue my rewatch :)

[m4lexxx67]

Spoiler warning for The Winchesters S1 E8!!!

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY FUCKING GID HE'S BACK HE'S BACK HE IS FUCKING BACK PEOPLE I CAM'T MY LOVE, MY BABY MY FAVOURITE FUCKING ANGEL OF ALL TIME HE IS BACK OH MY GOD LOOK AT HIM HE IS SO PERFECT

I CANT I FUCKING SCREAMED WHEN THEY CONFIRMED IT WAS HIM LIKE I HAD THE SUSPICION THAT IT WAS HIM WHEN I SAW HIS CURLS FROM THE BACK IN THE BEGINNING BUT OH MY GOD HE IS BACK I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND I FUCKING MISSED HIM SO MUCH IM GONNA FUCKING DIE OVER THIS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 LITERALLY HAVEN'T WATCHED FOR THE LAST LIKE TEN MINUTES BECAUSE IM FREAKING OUT OVER THIS (no shit lol) AND AS SOON AS I CALM DOWN AND THEN LOOK BACK AT THE SCREEN AND I SEE HIM AGAIN IM FANGIRLING AGAIN PLEASE SEND HELP NO PLEASE DONT IM HAPPY TO DIE LIKE THIS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[papermoonloveslucy]

APPLE BLOSSOM LUCY

April 30, 1964

If it were not for the scourge of Corona Virus, this week would have been the start of the annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival and Parade in Winchester, Virginia. The event began in 1929 and was only previously  cancelled during World War II. The event features an Apple Blossom Queen (aka Queen Shenandoah), a parade with a Grand Marshal, and celebrity appearances. 

In 1964, TV legend Lucille Ball, served as the Festival’s Grand Marshal. The Queen of Comedy was joined by another famous Lucy - Luci Baines Johnson, who was Queen Shenandoah. 

Luci Baines Johnson (born July 2, 1947) is the younger daughter of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Lady Bird Johnson. Her father was president from November 22, 1963 (President Kennedy’s assassination) to January 20, 1969. Her first name was originally spelled "Lucy" just like Lucille Ball’s nickname, but in her teens she changed the spelling. As her parents both had the initials LBJ, they named their two daughters so that they would have these initials as well.

A brochure for the 1964 event shows both Luci and Lucille on the cover. 

A more generic tourist guide was also available for visitors. 

A program book was available for fifty cents. 

Naturally, the ‘two Lucy’ event gathered a good deal of press, as with this brief column in Variety. 

The Post Office even commemorated the Festival with special envelopes and postmarks. The top left envelope is from the 1964 event and shows the Johnson family home. 

If Lucille Ball needed to be convinced to be Grand Marshal, she just had to ask some of her famous friends, who also went to Winchester at Festival Time. 

1949 & 1975 - Bob Hope

1953 - Howard Keel

1953 - Arthur Godfrey

1954 - Ed Sullivan

1957 - Johnny Roventini (Philip Morris Bellboy) also present in 1964 with Lucille Ball

1958 - Audrey Meadows

1968 - Eddie Bracken (Too Many Girls)

1969 - Ed McMahon 

1973 - Mike Douglas

Three days before Lucy’s appearances at the Apple Festival, “Lucy Enters A Baking Contest” (TLS S2;E28) was aired for the first time. The episode depicts Lucy making pies, although they were cream pies, not apple! 

For the 75th Anniversary Festival in 2002, Lucy’s granddaughter, Katharine Desiree Luckinbill, served as Queen Shenandoah. Lucille Ball’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz and Lucie’s husband Larry Luckinbill, accompanied their daughter Katharine to the event and also rode in the parade. 

AN APPLE A DAY...

Although audiences never knew it, apple sauce was the main ingredient in the pies dumped on William Holden in “Hollywood at Last!” (ILL S4;E16) and apple pectin was the secret ingredient in Vitameatavegamin in “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (ILL S1;E30). 

“Lucy’s Notebook” - a publication from the mid-1950s - includes a recipe for Apple Pie de Luxe!  

She was also known for her Sweet Apple John - recipe above!

Speaking of Apple John, in “Lucy Goes to Art Class” (TLS S2;E15), Viv bakes an apple pie for John, a handsome new bachelor she met at art class. 

In the same episode, Lucy ‘meets cute’ with John when the contents of her purse spill out on the floor and he helps pick them up - including an apple!

In “Lucy Buys a Boat” (TLS S1;E30), Lucy snacks on an apple while Viv is out cold from too many sea sickness pills! 

In “Lucy Learns To Drive” (ILL S4;E12) Lucy tries to coax a catatonic Fred out of his daze by tempting him with a piece of her apple pie! 

In “Lucy and Chuck Connors Have a Surprise Slumber Party” (HL S6;E13) Connors decides to spend the night in the Carter house. His director (Ryan MacDonald) informs him there’s plenty of apple pie in the fridge! 

Lucy Ricardo owned an apple cookie jar! Lucy’s Hull Apple Cookie Jar, was often seen in the Ricardo kitchen. Hull Pottery was quite popular in the 1950’s.

In early episodes of “I Love Lucy” apples (and other fruits) were readily available in the Ricardo living room! 

Int “The Kleptomaniac” (ILL S1;E27) while Lucy is stealing Fred’s cuckoo clock for her club bazaar, she grabs an apple from the sideboard as a snack!  

A ravenous Lucy takes a bite out of juicy looking apple - only to discover that it is made of wax - in "Lucy’s Schedule” (ILL S1;E33). 

In “Lucy Helps the Countess” (TLS S4;E8), Lucy Carmichael, the Countess, and Mr. Mooney, accidentally get locked in a vacant high rise apartment for the weekend!  The only food they have is one solitary apple! 

In “Dirty Gertie” (HL S5;E10), Lucy Carter goes downtown to bring a basket of surplus apples to her hairdresser, and is mistaken for an impoverished “Apple Annie” by some local mobsters. 

In “Lucy in London” (1966), after Anthony Newley’s medley, there is a quick shot of Lucy as an Eliza Doolittle-type figure in the balcony of a theatre munching an apple!  Technically, London theatres were known for their orange sellers, but why quibble?

In “Lucy Becomes a Reporter” (TLS S1;E17), Viv’s old flame Argyle (John Vivyan) says she was known in high school was as ‘Truckie’ because of her dance moves while doing “The Big Apple.” In “Love Among the Two By Fours” (LWL S1;E3). Lucy Barker and her old flame Ben (Peter Graves) say they first met doing the same dance!

Apples are 18 cents a pound in 1970′s “Lucy Loses Her Cool” (HL S3;E13). 

In a silent movie sketch in “Lucy and Mickey Rooney” (TLS S4;E18) The Kid (Rooney) swipes an apple from a fruit stall, but The Tramp (Lucy) stops him. 

He was only emulating the Keystone Cop!  

At the start of “Lucy the Gun Moll” (TLS S4;E25), Lucy Carmichael wants Mr. Mooney to install an apple vending machine for the employees at the bank.  Although vending machines offering fresh fruit are rare in today’s world, the Fruit-O-Matic Company started to manufacture such machines around 1950.

In “World’s Greatest Grandma” (LWL; unaired) Lucy Barker considers singing “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)” for a talent show - except (as usual) she can’t sing! 

In “Lucy and the Andrews Sisters” (HL S2;E6), Lucy Carter and daughter Kim join Patty Andrews in a medley that contains the song. It was originally sung by the Andrews Sisters in the 1942 film Private Buckaroo.

[mittensmorgul]

Hey, so I was thinking about having a mini SPN marathon on Halloween and I’m trying to decide what episodes (other than the actual Halloween ones) would have a good seasonal, spooky vibe to them. One I’ve got right now is Scarecrow, but otherwise I’m undecided. Do you have any suggestions? :)

OOH WHAT A FUN IDEA!

Scarecrow is great! And obviously 4.07 because that’s pretty much the halloweeniest episode there is.

Maybe Crossroad Blues or Croatoan from s2? They both feel spooky and autumnal… ooh, or Hollywood Babylon maybe?

ooh or maybe Monster Movie? There’s Oktoberfest in it, and it’s both hilarious and spooky…

Maybe Something Wicked? Come to think of it, there was a lot of good spooky in s1. Asylum? Hell House if you need a bit of a laugh with all the spooky…

I’m trying to think of things in later seasons, but as the show grew, some of the spook factor dissipated, you know? It’s not as spooky when we all know how to deal with ghosts and monsters. Things that were creepy or spooky in s1, the Winchesters take care of like nothing by s5, you know?

Hmmm… maybe Thin Lizzie (just because of the lizzie borden references?), or The Chitters?

In s12, The Foundry and American Nightmare are both super creepy, and Twigs and Twine and Tasha Banes.

S13 has Breakdown (which I love for the creepy factor), and Funeralia.

s14, HECK WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THIS SOONER. Mint Condition (Horror Movie Ghosties!) and Nightmare Logic (what is even real? which might be a good one to rewatch just for what the current canon situation is, you know?)

Heck I know even know how many episodes that is *counts* oh dear… 18… I don’t know how long a marathon you were looking for, but I think that’s definitely a good start. :’D

ETA: mel just informed me that TNT is showing a halloween marathon, too, from 10 am until 7 pm. These are the episodes they’re showing:

10:00 AM S3|E3: Bad Day At Black Rock11:00 AM S3|E11: Mystery Spot12:00 PM S3|E13: Ghostfacers1:00 PM S4|E5: Monster Movie2:00 PM: S4|E6: Yellow Fever3:00 PM: S5|E8: Changing Channels4:00 PM: S6|E15: The French Mistake5:00 PM: S8|E8: Hunteri Heroici6:00 PM: S13|E16: Scoobynatural

[amusewithaview]

S1:E8 - “Bugs” - ...wow.

This was bad, you guys.  Like, wow.

Granted, I’d actually seen this one before.  I had vague memories of having seen it previously (and thinking it was dumb even then).  Now, with even more context for what the show is SUPPOSED to be.  This was bad.

Dean and Sam: “YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE, IT’S JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT AND THE BUGS WILL BE HERE ANY MINUTE!”

Dumbass Family: *does not listen*

Bugs: *appear*

Shit: *is fucked*

House: *is destroyed*

Roof: *is gone*

Bugs: “HERE’S JOHNNY!”

Dean and Sam and the Dumbass Family: *are swarmed*

Sun: *appears*

Me: “What the fuck.”

Dean and Sam: “THE DAWN!  WE’RE SAVED!”

Me: “...wasn’t the equinox like six days ago?  That was literally a plot point.  The equinox was six days ago, meaning the day and night should be of equal length.  Meaning that the night, that time between midnight and dawn, should last more than eight minutes.”

@boromir-queries-sean: “Yeah, this episode is just really, really bad.”

The lighting during the “dawn” period was noticeably NOT GRAY.  I was so impressed, you have no idea.  ACTUAL COLORS!  An entire spectrum that moves beyond sepia, gray, taupe, tan, brown and beige!  It was glorious, albeit brief.  Perhaps we might see more at some point.

Sam: *empathizes with kid feeling ostracized by his family*

Dean: “EXCUSE ME?”

Sam: “Dad hated me.”

Dean: “EXCUSE YOU???”

Sam: *continues to make thinly-veiled references to his own home life*

Dean: *continues to look Wounded(TM) and Offended(TM) in the background*

Me: “Pretty much the only thing the internet agrees on is that daddy!WInchester is just the shittiest dad ever.”

BQS: “...not necessarily.  The internet does NOT agree on that.”

Me: “But it won’t be all happy families when they reunite, right?”

BQS: “Nope.  Sam and his dad will be at each others’ throats immediately because they’re basically the same person.  Dean will stand between them because he just wants his family to be together and okay.  And both of them [Sam and daddy!Winchester] will take out their anger on each other on Dean because he’s the family punching bag.”

Me: “SO MUCH ABOUT THIS FANDOM MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE.”

I’ll be honest, I spent a decent amount of this episode not looking at the screen because I hate anything with more than four legs.  No exceptions.

BQS went off on a five minute tangent, which involved us having to pause the show for Research Purposes(TM) because them saying that the local tribe was forcibly relocated in roughly 1805 was GROSSLY INACCURATE timeline-wise and BQS is a massive history nerd who notices and becomes deeply offended by inconsistencies like this.

I think that, while my typical cry is “WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?” [when characters say dumb shit] hers is more “WHY WOULDN’T YOU RESEARCH THIS FIRST?” [when writers include incorrect lore or historical context].

...she’s still yelling about the timeline.  And presidents responsible for relocation.  And the atrocities committed.  She’s mostly still mad about the timeline depicted though.

[thewritermuses]

Call of Duty - The TV Series

Strike Back - Chris Ryan - Season 1 - 5 7/10 In a post 9/11 world Section 20 strikes foreign targets in a bid to stop threats to the UK and its allies. It's just a bit sad that it took them three seasons to really hit their stride. Season four was the best, a mix of action and comedy. Great characters and interesting plot. Section 20 are a deniable military force run out of the home office in the UK. This story follows their fight against threats to the UK and the world. This is a really interesting and unexplored idea for me. I feel that we generally see this story told from the point of view of the brass back in Whitehall and rarely get to see the it play out from the soldier's perspective. Great Episodic Narrative The storytelling is generally fantastic on at the meta level. Each season follows an overall plot, generally perpetrated by a main villain. Each episode follows a single part of the story but fits neatly into the meta plot. This allows us to get to know all the characters on a deeper level as less time needs to be spent focusing on the plot in each episode. In turn it doesn't detract from the narrative because it is all part of the seasons meta plot The investment in the characters is also true for the story. They are interesting and thought provoking. Each season poses what if scenarios that are allowed to play out. Playing in this space is very fun for writers and you can tell this as it shines through on the screen. Buddy Series After the first season the show changes quite dramatically. For the first season it has been a one man show. John Porter, Richard Armitage (The Hobbit & Spooks), carries the season on his ample shoulders.

From then onwards it becomes a buddy series. Sgt. Michael Stonebridge, Phillip Winchester (Crusoe & Chicago Justice), plays a straight laced SAS officer who plays by-the-book. Sgt. Damien Scott, Sullivan Stapleton (Animal Kingdom & 300: Rise of an Empire), plays a wise-cracking, philandering Yank. They make a great team, each playing off each other's strengths. The tension between the two is also very good. They have their differences but also have each other's back when it matters. Big Names in the Supporting Roles There are some big names throughout this series. Because of the structure of the narrative they are given a lot of opportunity to really sink their teeth into their roles. Conrad Knox, Charles Dance (Game of Thrones & The Imitation Game), is the main villain in season three - Vengeance. He plays the charismatic South African billionaire who is trying to change the face of the political landscape in Africa. Li-Na, Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon & Star Trek: Discovery), is the lead of North Korea's Section 39. She is a ruthless and effective killer. Michelle nails this role. Unfortunately I gave up on the show before the end of her season. Some Bad Parts There were many mistakes and issues with the series so I'll just list some of them here. S2 E1 - There is a gunfight at the start of the episode. It takes place in a street and the kid running away from Section 20 goes down before they fire. S3 E1 - Up until this point Stonebridge has been the stoic reliable part of the combo. He flies completely off the rails and puts a bullet in Jake Hanson's head after Jake himself loses his mind and murders his squad. Then Stonebridge runs to his side to check his vitals. Come on, you know he's dead.

Photo by Lucas Fonseca from Pexels S4 E2 - Rebecca is shot in the head and yet is still able to move and talk. The scene is quite good apart from the particular injury that would have made her continued role in it impossible. Perhaps the issue is a lack of understanding of how debilitating head wounds are. Some Worse Parts S3 E3 - There is a fight in a hotel and three grenades go off. There is a market happening outside and everyone here would have clearly heard the explosions, but they go about their business as if nothing has happened. In season two there is part of the meta plot of a secretive operation called Trojan Horse which is the main villain's motivation. We only start seeing reference to this towards the end of the season. It is buried too deep for us to understand it. Essentially the entire last episode is one big reveal which we couldn't have see coming. Season two ends with the death of the section chief. We are supposed to care and feel for her sacrifice. But this is just not possible. First, she has been utterly unbearable for the leads the entire season. Fine, but you cannot expect us to take a complete one-eighty. Second, the reason that she sacrificed herself was to stop Operation Trojan leaking - an operation that we had no idea about until moments before. Glaring Plot Holes S2 E6 - A doctor working with Doctors Without borders, or another similar group, is treating people at a hospital under guard of the UN. As night approaches they are told they have to leave. This appears to be a daily routine and she must have some understanding of the threat that she puts everyone in by refusing to leave when an injured lady arrives. Her naivety gets everyone killed. It was also key for her to be captured - but that doesn't excuse the terrible writing. S2 E8 - People working as organ harvesters see their boss murdered and continue working. Everyone up to this point has been a captive working at gun point. Why don't they immediately try to escape? Perhaps the perks are just really good as an organ harvester in eastern Europe? We made it to Season 5. We don't have to worry about the Plot now right? In the first episode Section 20 get a tracking device onto their target's car - the idea to follow him to where he is holding a kidnap victim and perhaps whomever is running him. But they don't pull back at this point - they keep following. It proves important for them to be there so why did they need the tracker at all? In the third episode it gets even more ludicrous. After an attack on their new safe house Julia learns the surname of one of the attackers and finds out the city he is from. From this information she determines that he is Yakuza AND that the Yakuza are working with Section 39. Seems a little farfetched to me but it gets better.

Photo by Cristian Benavides from Pexels Stonebridge then walks into the room and says that they think we killed their boss. Presumably he learnt this from the Yakuza he was just fighting. Surely it would have been good to show us this part of the fight rather than cutting away right before it happened. Also isn't this contradictory to what Julia has just discovered? It would be a huge coincidence if the Yakuza were after vengeance as well as being in league with Section 39. And that is exactly what happens, even if the target of their vengeance is misguided in this instance. The End of the Show for Me The problems and plot flaws above were wearing a bit thin for me but there were also some great bits which we will talk about in a moment. The end of the show for me, and literally where I stopped watching, was S5 E4. They have tracked a truck of metal to a Yakuza stronghold. The metal was going to allow North Korea to have a nuclear weapon. They also know that Li-Na, head of Section 39 is here. They begin the assault on the stronghold, as normal outnumbered at least three to one. The head of Section 20 says: "The only thing that matters is the metal." So they fight their way until they are in sight of the truck and it is heavily defended. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Photo by Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash At this point the section head orders Julia and Kim to take down the truck as he and Stonebridge go after Li-Na. So in a couple of minutes North Korea getting nuclear weapons switches from priority one two somewhere else down the list. He has to pay a heavy price for this decision but it feels completely unbelievable that he made it in the first place. Why did I watch Five seasons? There is some really great stuff in this show. I think if it had just been episodic I would have been done long before season five. The meta plot spanning a season was really engaging. The way subtitles are done in this show are awesome. With a lot of the show taking place in non-English speaking locations it was great to see them try something new and it worked. The subtitles were huge and felt more like speech bubbles from a comic. It's really fun. There is a great scene in S2 E2 where Section 20 storm a hotel that has been rigged with explosives. A bomb has been suspended above the centre of the floor. As it falls and everyone dives for cover. Stonebridge pelts towards it, catching it at the last second. Other things that they did really well The title music, Short Change Hero by The Heavy, is a banger. It sets up every episode perfectly. You cannot be anything but pumped up for them to storm in, guns-a-blazing, after hearing this track. Generally the editing and pacing are both good. A great example of this is S3 E10. Various teams have been separated as they travel back to base from Nigerian HQ. This thoughtful editing is so fantastically handled. S4 E9 has a portion of the episode where Stonebridge and Scott are assaulting a base while wearing night vision. They transition between first and third person. It works extremely well and lets us experience what the characters are experiencing. Good use of Plot Devices Using Hugh as the villain in S1 E1 and then as a red herring was brilliant. This makes us think that he is always the bad guy, even when he isn't. Great misdirection. Season two sees a double cross of Pakistani intelligence. This aspect of the story is well told and its unfolding is handled with nuance and skill. The show is great at toying with our expectations. It shows us time and time again that it has no qualms killing main characters. It then uses this to setup characters to appear to die or look like they are going to die. As an audience we feel that their death is almost certain and then they escape. They also do the reverse when they kill main characters. They meet our expectations in ways we don't expect which is a hallmark of great storytelling.

Photo by Quentin Kemmel on Unsplash A Missed Opportunity to Use Hatred Well In S3 E1 Stonebridge's wife miscarries. She takes her anger out on him saying that he is happy because he never wanted the child. Stonebridge has been struggling with the decision about the child for a while. He left Section 20 to return to a desk job all so that he could be around. Her reaction is important because we have to hate her. We have to hate her otherwise we will hate Stonebridge when he rejoins Section 20. If they had left this there it would have been great and Stonebridge could have tottered off to kill some bad guys and we would have been on his side. But no - they had to have someone kill her as well. This is supposed to make Stonebridge go on a mad rampage now whenever he sees the perpetrator. This makes little sense. Why setup the hatred of the wife and then make us kind of upset about her death. This makes Stonebridge's decisions from here on appear wishy-washy. He kind of just chooses the motivation that fits best for the situation he is in. Which just takes away from his character. Read the full article