After Dark Side of the Moon I Still Hold Fast to my Theories

"Bridge over troubled waters....."

Thoughts about where Show is headed:

Point One

If God wanted Lucifer dead, he’d be dead.

According to Jeremy Carver, he is one of the four posts that holds up the throne of God. Each post held up by an archangel. Problem is, not one of those archangels are at their posts (literally). I speculate that they aren’t going to kill Lucifer. And I think God wants him alive. I think it’s a big God test, and I think God is testing out the concept of free will.

As “Dark Side of the Moon” showed, God is walking the Earth. God does not want to be involved. Someone so eloquently stated that perhaps it’s more about brothers, more about angel brothers and human brothers learning to realize they share one dad in common and even though that experience is not the same, it is still valid for that brother. One has to understand that a different point of view does not mean wrong, nor selfish, it just is. Sounds an awful lot like the message we were suppose to take from “Dark Side”.

Lucifer told Dean that it always would end in that garden. The garden was also shown to be the center of Heaven. If God can forgive Sam and let him enter paradise, then why not Lucifer?

I think the ending might not be as we suspected.

Point Two

Sam and Dean are soul mates. Now that doesn’t mean they are destine to be lovers, it means much more on a spiritual level. I have stated they are two halves of a whole since I began watching this show. I may be proven more than metaphorically correct by show’s end.

"The supreme state of human love
is the unity of one soul within two bodies"

~ Sri Aurobindo

The above quote was written by a spiritual leader a century ago. But it spoke to me because it seems that is the definition of what Sam and Dean are. I’m not sure how this happened, but they complete each other. This must be why they are the one true vessel. This is why the apocalypse had to happen now, the planets were aligned...LOL, no. What was aligned was the combination of souls born to one family. The cosmos had waited for this moment. Only their two souls were not only capable of vesseling the archangels, but the only two capable of healing their broken bonds. The only way there is any hope in reuniting Heaven lies in the perfect cosmic combination of the Winchesters.

I like my theory! I hope I get to squee a lot in May at the finale.

"Got to get us back, to the Garden..."

4.02 Are you there God?

Dean...oh, Dean. When will you believe? Castiel has his work cut out for him in influencing Dean. Of course, threatening him with Hell might help his argument! Geez, so much for Mr. Nice angel!

What an episode. A little slower than the debut, but it's sort of hard to top a resurection from the dead. This week I was a little surprised Dean did tell Bobby and Sam about Castiel. I was not surprised, but I was very very happy and relieved, that Sam still has his faith. It was good to hear Sam’s lines about being relieved the good guys were out there and not just demons. He was so happy Dean was “touched by an angel”. Hopefully this shows he has not turned to the darkside. I think when he said he was not afraid of angels he was stating why should he fear them, he isn’t a demon or a bad guy. I have a hard time believing that the demon blood he received as a baby made him part demon. But we just might find out the truth this season.

Jim Beaver’s delivery of Bobby was the best I’d ever seen. The pained look he gives when Dean says why does God care about me said so much. And how rattled he was to see the mauled hunter, and later how the girls disturbed him, shows he has a lot of depth and compassion. Then there was the panic room! I was shouting at the TV…”Bobby is so awesome.” And seconds later Dean delivered his “Bobby you’re awesome!” line. LOL.

The words from Henrickson and Meg were filled with a lot of meaning. I took it that what they said was really the inner thoughts of Dean, Bobby, and Sam. Like they were yelling at themselves for failing those people.

Castiel’s appearance was strong and we learn he’s “no Michael Landon”. Dean was horribly disrespectful to a being who pulled him from hell, but then Dean’s never been too good at saying thank you.

And it’s really the end of the world? Wow, I have no idea how that will be written. But I have full faith, that whatever happens, the writers will deliver an incredible show.

Fangasm Reaction to Season 4 Episode 1

Holy shit OMFG! Sorry for the blasphemy, but that’s my reaction to the season opener of Supernatural. I lay on my couch holding my blanket for dear life as the first 15 minutes played out commercial free. WOW! This episode had so many little teasers all over the place setting the entire season up for one big ride.

The summary and the reactions:

OK, so we knew Dean would be back. But his agonizing digging yourself free from the grave (Sam must of buried him shallow) and his weak parched voice…[oh Dean, we’ll save you]. Very heartbreaking. His body as he walked down that road and later when he pulled his shirt up to inspect the damages….HOT! We already played the incredible Bobby reunion [like at least 10 times on youtube, you know it!]. Then they track down Sam….the alias? Wedge Antilles! LOL. Then Dean says, “you just have to know him [Sam].” Yep SW geek.

Sam’s found in a motel room after having cheap sex with a woman he doesn’t know. His body looks like a brick wall coming at Dean when he first saw Dean and was poised to attack. His move on Dean was so fierce it’s a wonder Bobby was able to stop him. Apparently Jared (and Jensen…see above) have spent more time at the gym over the last few months. Then they hugged and Sam didn’t cry! But Bobby was all misty eyed for the two of them. Yeh, you read that riht! Mr. Emo himself did not cry.

They go to a psychic…Poor Pamela Barnes…silly girl, you can’t “see” the true face of “God” and she lost her eyes in the process. This and the pure loud noise Dean hears let’s us know that Castiel is packing some power.

Next, the boys go for pie. Hasn’t Dean learned by now that pie is the root of all evil? There’s demons at that diner! But they’re small fry, little threat, and the one keeps looking at Sam and he at her like they’re talking telepathically. Just suspicious looking that’s all I’m saying. Dean gets all up in her face and she backs down, he thinks he spooked her with his bravado, and later he all but confesses to Sam that he was scared it wouldn’t work, and I was suspecting he’d be tossed into a wall. But no…they leave peacefully. So I gotta wonder, was she actually afraid of Sam? Has he grown a rep as a demon dispatcher!?! Course, Dean wouldn’t know this cause Sam says he’s not using the powers.

The discussion scenes in the car are held as both men are in shadows. I think they’re both keeping secrets, but I think Dean isn’t aware of his entirely yet. It was good not to see him break apart. He was confused, but he was Dean. Sam was aloof, cold, definitely not the emo boy we know and love and I don’t think there was one instance of him giving the puppy eyes.

Later the brothers part after Sam sneaks out of the hotel room. They aren’t back together again for the rest of the episode. Bobby returns and hooks up with Dean. They head somewhere to summon the “whatever” who sprang him from hell. Meanwhile, Sam goes back to the diner, presumably to kill the demons with the demon knife, but WAIT! The knife was left at the hotel room…..something’s up.

And that’s when we get what we’ve been waiting for:

Sam kills demons with his bare hands by doing some funky psychic mojo thing. Just raises his hand and the demon smoke rises out of the body and is gone. Ruby is alive and well in a new body and apparently Sam’s tutor. And he isn’t just exorcising anymore…he sends the demons all the way back to hell, or perhaps he vapes them completely, not sure, but often his work kills the human host. And he’s been doing this for months.

Sam lied! “Haven’t seen Ruby, don’t know what happened to her.” Yep…not surprised there. He looked uncomfortable the whole time he was telling about his time alone to Dean. And Ruby wonders how Dean will feel when he finds out. And although Sam doesn’t seem to trust Ruby, he’s much more buddy-buddy with her now that Dean isn’t there to stop him. Clearly Dean has been his grounding force and his buffer.

So finally we meet Castiel. Wow……he says he’s an angel. And I go back to “Houses of the Holy.” “Mom always said there were angels watching over me.” What did Mary Winchester know? Or, what did she do that set these events in motion? [Fuel for a speculation post by me…later]

Castiel tells Dean he thought Dean would have been one of the special ones who could actually see his true form, but he was not. Castiel claims he is an angel of the Lord. “God sent me. We have work to do.” And that’s where our episode ends.

There is symbolism in Dean and Sam not being in the same scenes towards the end of the episode. One is talking with a demon, the other with an angel. But what are the demons trying to accomplish via Sam? Why does Ruby want Sam so darn powerful? And geez, why will she kill other demons? Then Castiel? He’s more like the angels in “Dogma” than any angel of puffy cloud kindness. He’s scary! But he’s no demon. Dean full on stabbed him with the demon knife 9in the heart no less).

So when did Dean become the target for a plan of destiny? Sam’s been marked since 6 months or younger (cause we don’t know the back story there), but when did Dean become the chosen one too?

So many questions! Absolutely on target episode for kicking off the season!!!!!!!!!

Thoughts on Jus in Bello

Supernatural is a show that is full of moral ambiguity. Jus in Bello is one example of questioning what is right, and do the ends justify the means. Seemingly just an episode about the brothers getting shafted by Bela, Victor Hendrickson getting his revenge, and more demon fighting. To believe that, is not enough. Sure the outer focus is there driving the plot, but floating on the surface begging to be examined, are the greater moral questions. And that’s what lifts Supernatural to another level. It makes the viewer think.

Jus in Bello was also a contrast between the human point of view and the demon’s. Humans preserve life, demons don’t. Demons “strike fast and leave no survivors.” Humans try to minimize death and destruction even to the enemy, and humans see an enormous distinction between civilians and combatants. The demon point of view is painfully apparent when Ruby enters the station. We have, by this point in the episode, the human perspective, played out by newly formed comrades Dean and Victor, versus the demonic perspective (sorry Sammy), played out by Ruby and silently acquiesced by Sam.

Watch how little Sam actually says. His silence speaks volumes. When Ruby enters and offers to make a virgin sacrifice, both Dean and Victor are very vocally opposed while Sam stands silently.
And who does Ruby look to? Sam , of course! And how does Sam respond? With a face that states, sometimes you need to sacrifice one to save many. Then Dean makes this face that says: “How dare you even think about thinking about her plan?” Dean can break Sam away from his dark thoughts, and he does here, but not so easily.

And that’s the scary facts. Sam (Ruby’s little protégé) was willing to follow the demon path to fighting war, and would have if Dean didn’t step in and force him to reason. Sam may have agreed with Dean physically, but I seriously doubt he wanted to follow Dean’s plan, it’s just Dean said so, and so I will.

Ruby leaves in a huff spouting something about Sam not being the leader she bet on and Sam looks after her sadly. Apparently he hates to disappoint his teachers/mentors. Hmmm?

So the demons enter and Dean and Victor go at it with rock salt rounds like two determined hunters, and what does Sammy do to dispatch demons? He mostly uses his gun to bludgeon them, and his bare fists. Clearly Sam is a nasty force to reckon with.

This episodes shocking ending and Ruby’s pissed tantrum throw the moral question right in our faces. Decisions made in war are never easy, but combatants (and supernatural hunters) must never forget their humanity. To do so, places them at risk of being at the rank of a demon.

Thoughts After Viewing Houses of the Holy

I've only seen this episode twice, which in the obsessed universe of SN is not very often, but today I watched it with Dean in mind, especially knowing how season four begins. Here is a link to a meta on faith as seen in Sam. It's worded much better than I could ever do and so it's better to focus on that coherence. http://dodger-winslow.livejournal.com/70009.html

So Dean...the seemingly non believer....how does that play out in a show about a ghost who thinks he's an avenging angel? It means Dean just has to work harder to make the spiritual fit into his rather practical beliefs: "I believe in what I've seen." Says Dean to Sam. Sam gives good arguement here that they have seen things that other people don't believe are real, so why couldn't there be angels.

But sorry Sammy, your lawyer mind tricks don't work on big brother, he ain't buying it. Your spiritual logic of yin and yang isn't changing his practical nature. This is quite reminesent of Han Solo saying there's no mystical energy field that controls his destiny. Yep, pure Han, pure Dean. Of course Han started to see proof Luke wasn't just filled with delusions of grandeur and eventually he did believe. Even at the end of this episode Dean is starting to wonder after he saw divine justice or the cosmic hand of God snuff out the baddie he was chasing.

OK, so what about season four? Something mystical is going to bring back from Hell and what it is remains to be seen, but I bet it might just alter Dean's perceptions a little bit more. After all, if he sees it, he might have to accept it as real.

Invinsible......who?

So here we are...at the end of a nine book journey that began 2 years ago. The funny thing is those 2 years flew by and I really don't feel like they were two years ago. I think that's how real time works.

I don't think there are great epiphanies in 2 years. Even when there are children involved 2 years is not that great a span of time.

So here we are two years later with a series that spanned 6-10 months of time. In the series tons of stuff happened and teenaged boy completely came of age! Hello! Last time I checked 8th graders were just starting on their journey of self-discovery. And in a universe where the average human life span is 120, I'm not buying that the kid was adult level at 14.

Do I love Ben Skywalker's character? YES!!!!! But he still has growing to do. In Invincible he acts older than 14, not in any implusible way, just a little. He believes in redemption, and that sheds a real light on him. He seems like the ideal Jedi.

Early thoughts on Revelation

The only thing revealed in this book is that Jacen publically tells his collegues he is a Sith Lord. Wow! Shocker, everyone knows he's insane, he just names it.

Jaina's work with the Mando's is pretty cool. She really is such a light sider and doesn't know it. She has to be taught how to be ruthless, and I'm not so sure she learns. She bonds with Boba Fett's granddaughter Mirta, and I think the parallel of families dealing with the past and the recovery of relationships is evident. Jaina has her own grandfather to forgive as idd Mirta, just Mirta is lucky, she gets to before his death.

Is Boba redeemed? Ah, he's still pretty cold. I think Mirta has made him as human as he will ever be and that's not saying much.

Ben, as always is cooler than cool. He uses evidence and plays CSI in this book. My only complaint is when Luke asks him to be in charge of the Jedi pull out from Endor. Jag's there and certainly more competant than a 14 year old. sure Luke could have had Ben assist the older man...strange.

The Jedi perform a Fallenasi mind illusion on Jacen. He thinks he's surrounded by warships. He thinks it's Luke or maybe Zekk. that made no sense. Corran is the master of mind illusion and Jacen knows this. so if he were thinking of anyone he'd think of Corran Horn. The fact the Jedi got Jacen by using one of his typical tricks was great.

Other exciting Force use: Jaina over rides Jacen's Force choke of Mirta! I cheered at that. That's foreshadowing to me!

Fury: In which no one is furious....well not really, & no Ben doesn't turn Sithly, but this picture is way cooler than the official cover!

This was Aaron Allston's finale to the LOTF series. It was spectacular! 10 out of 10!!! Very energetic and it gave us everything we wanted from the characters. And yes, it was VERY Kyp heavy!!!!

Kyp first is shown basically leading the Order b/c Luke is in mourning and disfunctional. Kyp, with the help of the other master's, puts together a plan to neutralize Jacen. Later, we see the master's spar. It is Kyp who takes on Luke. Luke even uses two sabers at once and it is written that Kyp matches him for speed. They don't win, they just turn off the lightsabers and move on to another topic of discussion.


Later, there is to be a run on Jacen's ship...it does not happen, but it would have been Kyp and Luke storming Jacen.

Finally, we see Kyp disguised as a GAG officier attacking Centerpoint. With the help of the scientist from the first book (Betrayal), Kyp effectively destroys the superweapon and saves the planet!!!!!

And Kyp comes up with the rally: "Let the enemy do the work!"

Allston includes fun props to all his pets including Lando discovering he is going to be a daddy!!!

Excellent book!

ps....crappy cover! So I replaced it with this evil Ben done by Little Zion. Ben is fine in the novel. Showing maturity and acceptance and helping Luke get grounded. And by the end Luke is just fine.

Oh! How can I forget!!! This is where Han and Leia discover Allana is their granddaughter! Very very sweet scene after an energetic rescue scene!

Inferno

I liked this book. This is the book where Luke reminds us he really truly is VADER's son! Wow. Luke punks Jacen's butt a few good times. Then Jacen tries to abuse poor Ben and Luke barrels in and saves his kid. This is what we expect from the Grandmaster.

Caedus is his usual bonkers self. He sets Kashyyk afire.

The Jedi finally get smart (and likely follow Kyp's advice) and leave the GA until Jacen is out of power.

Review of Exile

So nobody gets exciled okay!!!!

Why must they have such amazingly misleading titles and covers. Yes, Leia fights Alema and Han runs around with his blaster drawn, but that's it.

On to the review.

I like Allston because he has the ability to combine elements from all the stories including Bantam and the movies!!!

He referrenced more things than I can count, but being Kyp centric let me say he gave a nod to Kessel (taras-chi) and Kyp mentioned his darkside pull of the suncrusher from Yavin's planet. Kyp never overtly says what he did, but we all know the story so Allston doesn't belabor it, though he does make an odd hint:

"I felt with absolute cetainty what I was doing was right...." [only sith think in absolutes~ROTS]!!!!!!

It seemed the highlight ofthe book was Wedge and Ben. Wedge was outed from his job and then the corellians attempt to assissinate him [he has a street named after him for goodness sake!]. His escape with the help of Corran, Mirax, Iella, and Myri made a fun way to work everyrone in. so duh...Wedge is the Exile who we leave abord the Errant Venture moving in space near Coruscant. Lando and Booster are there too....and i was excited to see Lando!

Alema does not die even at the hands of several competant Jedi, and this is stupid. At this point I want her down. Lumiya takes most of the book to recover from Luke's three blaster shots. She causes more than her share of trouble by getting the Bothans and the Commenors involved and escallating the war. She can cause more trouble from her asteroid than Jacen from a Statdestroyer...he really needs to step it up, and I think we'll set that from Sacrifice onward.

Jacen is cold to Luke, addressing him as "Luke" in such a way that makes you forget they are realatives or that Jacen was once his honored apprentice. when you really think of it , it is heartbreaking. Jacen isn't very in this book!

Ben's story is exciting to me because he grows tremdously while on his quest. He does not get assigned a master, nor now do I think he will.

A moment to Discuss the book Twilight

OMG!!!! I loved this book. Yeh, it's about vampires, but they are the benevolent type...and it's a love story. It's just got these great characters, which isn't that why we get so smitten by characters like Kyp in the first place. You know, isn't that why there is fan fiction?

The characters in Twilight are Edward and Bella. It is told in a first person narritive by Bella (the human). she's a great character and you love her, but you love Edward too, even though, as a vampire, he has obvious flaws.

Maybe that's why I like Kyp. He has in his grasp the ability to do great evil, but he choses not to, no not by abstaining but by controlling himself. It is his strength of character and his ability to do good and help others that makes him a hero.

Wait who'sthat about: Kyp or Edward? See it doesn't matter. It's the archetypre of the flawed hero, the redeemed, the even the tragic hero. It's interesting reading. And hey, maybe we see something of our own flaws and forgivance in these characters.

I still love to ponder free will versus genetics and that there always is a choice.

this links to the twilight site: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com

Ben's Thoughts in Tempest

p. 268 …”during their practice sessions, not even Jacen could always tell when he was lying.”

p. 270 His thoughts on Jaina:
“Jaina was just as volatile and unreasonable as Jacen claimed. It was a wonder she lasted as long in the military as she had- but then the standards of the New republic forces had not been nearly as high as they were now that Jacen and Niathal had reorganized the military. These days, someone as hot headed as Jaina would never even make it into flight school-and he couldn’t imagine how she ever became a Jedi Knight. Jacen was always telling him that a good Jedi used his anger-not the other way around. “

I thought these two passages were interesting. In Bloodlines Ben also asks Jacen to teach him to hide his presence in the Force. He also has the ability to lay down a sonic blast that knocks people flat momentarily.

He is one powerful 13 year old.

Plot Summary of LOTF books 1-3

Ok, so now I have read 3 of the LOTF books. If I had to summarize the plot thus far and tell you the theme...could I? Typically this comes easily to me, but for some reason I can't. Maybe it's because when I get these books I read them in a race. Last night I read Tempest from 5 PM to 12:20 AM and was done. Perhaps I am simply going so fast I am not giving myself time to process the material. Maybe I need to calm down and try a new technique (yeah right, Exile is next and Kyp is in it so you know I'm gonna spas! At least this time I was perfectly calm about Kyp's non-involvement, honestly it would not have made sense in the story line. So here is my attempt at summary.

This is the external conflict and plot:

The story begins with Corellia's dissatisfaction with the GA. The tension rises and negotiation fails. There is an assassination of the Corellian leader and misunderstanding regarding who attacked. It ends with battle between Corellia and the GA and a GA blockade. By the second novel Corellia has officiallly declared independence. This is the beginning of the Civil War. The GAG is formed with Jacen Solo as its commander. Protest becomes terrorism and civil rights are weakened as laws become oppressive. After two months things have not improved, in fact more worlds are likely to defect and join Corellia. Corellia makes a calculated attempt to draw Hapes to their side. This requires the execution of Tenel Ka since she is GA loyal. The murder is foiled however her usupers rally a small fleet and a battle is fought over Hapes in which the GA wins and Jacen is seen as a hero.

Now for the Internal Conflict and Plot:

This is harder because it is dependent on whose point of view is being presented. Obviously we have a Force powerful thinker named Jacen who is willing to learn more about his destiny. He embraces the Sith teachings willingly asa way to bring peace to his galaxy. He is a narcissitic man who thinks he can use his great power to save everyone, however in his manipulations and the manipulations of the bitter Sith Lumiya war is perpetuated. Jacen knows how to work people and in a short amount of time is given a very special position as head of the GAG (read Gestapo). In this position he rises to power and popularity within the fear fed culture of Coruscant. After two months he is the hero, given his own SSD and he takes the initiative to go to Hapes to protect GA interests there (do you really think it matters to him about Tenel Ka? I don't). Despite his ever questionable behavior he is popular as ever and the push is on from the top to make him a Jedi Master.