Roundtable Discussion on Supernatural Episode 11:6 “Our Little World”

Welcome to TNWU’s roundtable discussion about this week’s Supernatural episode Our Little World written by Bob Berens. Writers participatingin tonight’s discussion are Jackie Bojarski, Debbi Bachman, Stacy Miller, Tracy Miller and Michele Villery.

Topics:

 

Cas and Metatron:

Stacy: I have to admit that I was not excited for Metatron’s return. It has nothing to do with actor Curtis Armstrong. He does a great job playing Metatron, it’s just that I’m not a big fan of the character. Metatron to me feels like a slow burning fire that should have been extinguished a long time ago. Every time the character appears on Supernatural, I think of all the other great characters that were on the show for a short time that deserved to be on longer and find myself asking, Why hasn’t Metatron been killed yet? That said, Metatron’s appearance got couch potato Castiel back into the action. I was getting bored with him watching TV (and I love watching TV myself!). He also provided information about Amara as well.

Tracy: For me, Cas and Metatron were the weak link in the episode. As characters, they just aren’t as compelling enough plot wise to sustain my interest. While the revelation that Amara is God’s sister was a twist, Cas and Metatron’s interaction was too long.

Michele: This went on way too long for me. It went on so long that I literally forgot about Sam. I actually adore Curtis Armstrong and his portrayal of Metatron, but the segment went on too long. (And the Demon Tablet was underneath a bed? Really? ) Also, while I’m still on the fence about Cas’ direction this season, I did like that finding Metatron was the thing that showed us just how much of a bad ass Cas can be. I wonder how much more Metatron knows about Amara?  Talk about a twist, huh?

Debbi: Love, love, love BAMF Cas! When he gets his bada$$ on you remember that angel’s are warriors and don’t take crap from anyone. Not even former angel scribes. I was so glad that seeing Metatron on that news clip got him up and out of the bunker. Sad, broken down Cas is no help to anyone -especially the boys and they are going to need all the heavenly power they can get their hands on to put Amara back in her cage. I thought Cas got his hands on the demon tablet a little too easily, but then I suppose Metatron was never really a mega-brain in the first place. I was surprised that Metatron lasted as long as he did before spilling the “Amara is God’s sister” secret but I loved the director switched back and forth between the fight scene with Sam and the demons. It gave the fights and interesting perspective. Let’s hope we’ve seen the last of mopey, unhelpful Cas with this episode.

I can’t leave this topic with giving Curtis Armstrong raves for his portrayal of Metatron. He has nailed the sleazy, self-serving attitude of the scribe of God and then throws that all away to play an equally sleazy, accident/murder chasing slime ball paparazzo. His complaints about life as a human were similar to those that Cas had during his human tenure and shores up the perception that angels have no freaking clue about human beings and their trials and tribulations. I was initially disappointed with this casting choice, but I quickly changed my mind as I’ve watched Curtis over these last few years. I now couldn’t imagine anyone else doing justice to this particular angel.

Jackie: For starters, I really liked Cas in this episode. I loved that they gave us some insight into his mental state, and that we saw badass Cas again. That’s the Cas that I want to see all the time! I’m not exactly sure what they’re planning to do with him this season, though. My hunch is that he’ll be in the show to support Sam’s and Dean’s storyline.

I also loved that Cas beat up Metatron. I’m not gonna lie: I hate Metatron. He is one of the most irritating characters ever. I’m glad that he was able to give info to Cas, but I wish they would finally get rid of him.

 

Amara and Dean:

Stacy: This relationship continues to fascinate me. The tease that Amara and Dean’s destinies are intertwined continues to be hinted at. She’s grateful to Dean for releasing her and continues to protect him. She threatened to kill Crowley unless Dean was granted safe passage. Is Dean the light to her darkness? I wonder if Dean was always meant to receive the Mark of Cain just so he would free The Darkness. And if Amara and Dean are connected, where is that connection going to lead?

Tracy: The writers are slowly and arguably methodically pulling back the layers on whatever the link is between Amara and Dean. While Dean seemed poised to kill Amara, his hesitancy was also quite evident. Similarly, Amara protected Dean from Crowley’s wrath. She has no desire to kill Dean (at least at this juncture). I want to see more exploration of how The Mark of Cain connects Amara and Dean.

Michele: Whomever is casting these actresses that are portraying young Amara deserves an award. Samantha Isler knocked it out of the park. She had Emily Swallow’s nuances down pat. I am curious to know why Amara is so protective of Dean. She was ready to kill Crowley before Dean. Maybe it’s from the Mark of Cain or is it something more? I did notice that while Dean seemed ready to kill her, he was hesitant. Also, it looks like she found Dean’s weakness…Sam. Is that a good or Bad thing? We’ll have to wait and see.

Debbi: There is no question in my mind that Dean, having worn the MOC for over a year, has residual effects from its presence. When he charges into Amara’s room, demon killing, Persian knife in hand, he stops. He appears to be somewhat confused as to why he stops at first and I believe this why he
engages in conversation with Amara. Dean may still be a hot head, who’s first instinct is to kill anything remotely monstrous, witness the last episode with Len, but I think he is learning to look past his initial instinct to kill to try to see the bigger picture. It’s clear he’s drawn to Amara, but I don’t think the attraction is sexual at all. I think he sees a reflection of himself as a former MOC bearer and may feel an odd kind of kinship with her. That said, it was interesting to note that when she used her power to throw Sam out of the room, Dean’s “protect my brother at all costs” instinct kicked in and took over. The interplay between these two dynamics will be interesting to watch over the rest of the season.

Jackie: I wasn’t a fan of this part of the episode; it creeped me out too much, and not in a scared way. I did love that Amara hurting Sam is what snapped Dean out of his daze, but I wonder if that’ll make Amara want to get rid of Sam so that she can have Dean to herself.

Amara and Crowley:

Stacy: This parent/child relationship escalated in “Our Little World”. Amara is tired of her captivity and Crowley telling her what to do. The two of them have been engaged in a battle of wills in an attempt to prove who’s stronger, both mentally and physically. I liked when Crowley had Amara pinned and boasted that he’s stronger than she. Amara’s “For now” response foreshadowed that she would soon be able to overpower him. It was great that we got to see Amara turning the tables on Crowley and having him begging for his life. The King of Hell got his comeuppance and it was awesome.

Tracy: When Crowley initially demonstrated his physical dominance over Amara, I immediately thought this has to be some kind of episodic foreshadowing where Amara will be revealed to have the upper hand. Of course, before the end of the episode, my theory came to fruition. Seeking to protect Dean, Amara issued her deadly ultimatum to the King of Hell. We’ve seen Abaddon overpower Crowley, but somehow, this seemed different. I never got the sense that Crowley felt Abaddon was a legitimate threat to his supremacy. Rather, Abaddon was more of a temporary wrinkle to undermine his authority. However, with Amara, Crowley appeared genuinely fearful.

Michele: I think after this episode Crowley realizes that he’s in over his head when it comes to Amara. While attempting to punish the troubled ‘teen’ for now, he knew that eventually she would get stronger. I do think he wanted to see the true extent of her power and perhaps use it to his advantage while protecting his ‘friend’ Dean from himself (whether he wants to admit it or not). When I watched this the first time, I was sad about Dean and Crowley’s ‘bromance’ being over, but after watching it a second time, I think Crowley may prove to be an ally to the brothers in defeating her. He is the King of Hell after all.

Debbi: Crowley has no clue who he’s dealing with and I think it is going to be epic when he finally finds out he’s messing with the sister of God. That is going to have to backfire on him big time even if it’s not God himself dealing out the retribution. Amara’s just playing with him. It suits her purpose to have him trying to cater to her whims and suck up to her.

She’ll ditch him permanently as soon as he loses relevance to her. I’d love to see Amara and Rowena spar – that battle would be infinitely more evenly matched. I also wonder if Rowena would be able to see past the human vessel that Amara’s occupying – a witch of her calibre, with the Bookof the Dead probably has at least one spell that would strip Amara bare -at least for a brief moment. There is still lots of potential in this story line.

Jackie: This part of the episode was hilarious. I loved seeing Crowley in a “fatherhood” role of sorts. But now that Amara is gone, I wonder what his role will be.

Sam and Dean:

Stacy: The brothers really didn’t spend as much time together in “Our Little World” as I would have liked. I did like Sam’s line about “You and Crowley’s summer of love”. But basically they seemed to be dealing with their own separate issues. It felt like Sam wasn’t in many scenes in the episode but he had some powerful ones. I enjoyed that Sam was tortured by his decision not to kill. We’re getting moral compass Sam back and I like it.

Tracy: I always enjoy seeing the brothers working together. As a small aside, as much as I like the Men of Letters bunker, I miss seeing the boys on the road and working out of a crappy motel. That setting harkens back to the earlier seasons of the show. There is something about witnessing the Winchesters in a minimalist environment that makes me yearn for the days when they relied more on their survival instincts. Finally, I’m hoping the brothers will move away from keeping secrets and being more honest with each other. Honesty may function as a strength for them in the fight against the Darkness, if only they felt more inclined to use it.

Michele: Did we see the boys in a hotel room? Yay!!! I love them together so much. But again, Dean isn’t verbalizing what is going on with him and Amara because I honestly feel like he doesn’t know what is happenings to him. Also, last week Sam didn’t tell Dean about what Billie told him about the Empty. (Stop it boys!) I think Sam knows in his head what he wants and needs to do, but it’s coming off differently and he may not realize it or want to come to terms with it. I did enjoy Sam keeping his promise of saving people by putting devil’s trap handcuffs on the demons while kicking their asses.

Debbi: Still with the withholding information from each other….I get that neither of them may know exactly what they are dealing with and therefore are choosing to keep quiet until they have more information. This is sadly the tried and true Winchester way. That said, the secret keeping hasn’t affected their coordination with one another. They fall into step perfectly, they mirror each other in conversation, they ‘read’ each others expressions without fault and divide up tasks on the job as easily as they ever have. It is clear that they have each others backs and are fighting more to protect and preserve the other than they are for themselves. This is both their major strength and a potentially fatal weakness. Either way, it isn’t something that these boys can break themselves of. Even after a couple of years filled with hard feelings and suspicions, these two fall back into their comfortable roles without prompting.

I think this bond between them will be what ultimately saves them (in a hundred years when the series ends). This is something that even other human beings underestimate in the Winchesters. Even creatures who are aware of their codependent nature underestimate the strength of the bond.
Amara, who is older that dirt, is still most likely very naive. Her main reference for sibling relations would be the relationship she has/had with God and since he locked her away and essentially threw away the key (thanks for falling Luci), and her ability to understand the Winchester’s habit of putting each other above everyone and everything else, will be diminished, if not nonexistent.

That said, despite the secret keeping, I continue to see growth in the Winchester’s sibling relationship. They are much more likely to trust the other one in terms of splitting up on the job or giving opinions and suggestions during brainstorming sessions. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve not completely gone and started accepting everything the other says/does on principle, but they are closer to a healthy relationship and that can only be a good thing for them.

Love BAMF Sam taking out two demons! Nothing better than Sammy kicking a$$ and taking names. It’s easy to forget that these two are highly trained and skilled fighters in hand to hand combat. I’m not entirely certain why their plan required Sam to take a demon alive – possibly interrogation to discover more about Amara? Possibly to have someone who could interpret the demon tablet? Whatever it was, at one point I was almost certain that Sam was going to drink from one of the demons and offered a bet to the friend I was watching with. I guess I owe her $10.00 ;-(

Jackie: Seeing Sam and Dean work together always makes me smile, and we got a lot of that in this episode. I loved how Sam knew that there was something that Dean wasn’t telling him about his “bond” with Amara, and that he was trying to save the demons that he was fighting. In the world that they live in, though, I don’t think Sam’s “no-kill” approach to fighting demons will be practical. I also wondering when Sam will finally tell Dean about Billie, and the fact that if they die, they go into the Nothing. Seems important to share, right?

 

Sam’s Visions:

Stacy: The best thing in the episode for me was Sam’s visions. Viewers finally got to see The Cage in Hell and the visual was spectacular. It reminded me of the scene at the end of “No Rest For The Wicked” when we saw Dean suspended on the meat hooks. The Cage was a square shaped box suspended on the same meat hooks. To imagine the torture Sam endured there, no wonder why Death needed to put up the wall to hold back the memories.

Tracy: Sam’s Visions were the highlight of the episode for me. Once I saw The Cage manifest, I immediately thought of Michael and Lucifer. I’m hoping that we get to see the role in which these wayward angels will play in the whole Darkness plot.

Michele: Sam’s Visions are the highlight of the episode. I screamed the minute I saw The Cage! My mind went to Lucifer and Michael. I think it’s time we find out what happened to Sam in Hell and in that Cage with Lucifer and Michael and is it the key to defeating Amara?

Debbi: One word for these: terrifying! I think Sam has with held this latest vision, at least initially, because I don’t think it was clear in the first manifestation. He may have suspected he was seeing hell and the cage, but that initial vision was quite fragmented and very brief. With the second vision it becomes clear to Sam (and to us) that he is seeing the cage as well as someone (himself, Michael (Adam)) trapped in the cage. Of particular note is the overall size of the cage. It’s not terribly big and there were three beings trapped (assuming Lucifer pulled himself free of Sam once the cage door closed and we don’t know for sure that this happened) in a very confined space. It is no wonder that Castiel was worried about Sam’s mental state should he remember his time in the cage (it couldn’t have been long since Sam says in Exile On Main Street that he’d been out for a year already when he confronts Dean). That said, if Lucifer can break himself out of the cage a second time (or if someone has to break him out) what remains of Michael? Is his vessel still necessary in the cage or has he shed it as Lucifer did Sam? Can either archangel have been able to keep their wits after all this time (10 years to a month in hell)? Can archangels go insane? What happens if/when they do? Lot’s of unanswered questions in this topic and many directions the visions can take Sam and the viewers.

Jackie: THE CAGE!!!! Finally! I was so excited when they finally showed the Cage at the end (although I winced at how small it is; poor Sam). On second watch, I caught the scream coming from the Cage, and I think it was Sam yelling for Dean similar to Dean yelling for Sam at the end of season 3, so I’m thinking those visions are memories. I’m still curious as to where these visions are coming from, and if Sam will consider opening the Cage.

Predictions:

Stacy: Eager to see more of Sam’s visions and learn more about his time in Hell. We’ve only touched the surface. How will Sam’s visions effect his ability to do his job and also his relationship with Dean? As Dean learns more about his connection with Amara, will he continue to keep secrets from his brother? Will Amara somehow join forces with Rowena and bring Crowley down once and for all? Will Metatron ever be defeated?

Tracy: More revelation of Amara and Dean’s connection, hopefully, how it relates to the Mark of Cain. I definitely want to see where the writers are headed following the revelation of The Cage. Are the writers going to take a bold move and show God this season? Is Death really dead?
Michele: I think we’ll finally see what Sam went through in Hell and hopefully it’ll provide some insight in how to defeat Amara. Also, both Amara and Metatron are in the wind. Metatron, I do believe knows more than what he’s saying and I at this point wonder if he knows where God is. Also, will we see God? What did his sister (Amara) do to get kicked out of Hell? Since the Archangels, Michael, Lucifer, and Gabriel played a part in her being locked away, will we see them too? Again, I think the other pieces of the puzzles are the Demon Tablet and the Book of Damned. (Oh, Rowena!)

Debbi: Sam continues to have visions, each subsequent vision bringing him closer to discovering their source as well as their meaning. I’m entirely unconvinced that this will involve Sam sucking up demon blood to enhance his abilities and visions. I don’t think Sam has decided where these visions are originating from yet and there are good arguments on both sides.

Dean and Amara will continue to spar as Dean struggles to determine just how he’s tied to her, what it means and if it’s possible to break their bond. I believe that both Sam and Dean will be essential to beating Amara back to her cage and locking her in again. Whether they have to act as the vessels they were created to be or can act as a proxy for them is too early to tell. Also too early to make a call on whether or not locking Amara will require Dean (or someone else) to once again bear the MOC to keep Amara out of action. Metatron perhaps as retribution for his arrogance?

God may need to make an appearance, but as in the past, I think the writers and producers will keep this a nebulous concept to avoid causing outrage in the religious communities – but I could be wrong and Chuck could come right out and announce is not-so-secret identity to all. The hands off God makes for better stories in the long run because ‘Deus et machina’ is something all writers are careful to avoid. Cas will prove to be an essential tie to God if they go down this path. I still have nothing for Rowena, but I don’t count her down and out, despite the boys having the codex.

Jackie: I think that Sam is going to dedicate more effort to finding out what these visions are about, and that Cas is going to help him in this effort (and possibly be the one to open the Cage again). We’re definitely gonna see Lucifer and Michael/Adam again!

I also think that we’ll see more Dean and Amara interaction, and see Dean struggle with his connection with her.

Overall Score:

Stacy: As I mentioned previously, the Cas and Metatron stuff were the weak link for me of the episode. Some of their scenes were just too long and because of that, my episode score is lower than it would have been if Metatron hadn’t appeared. The Amara/Dean and especially the Sam vision revelations were the high points of the episode. I give “Our Little World” a B-.

Tracy: Overall Score: The Cas and Crowley moments couldn’t hold my interest and unfortunately, brought down my overall enjoyment of the episode. Sam’s vision of The Cage was a highlight. My overall grade: B-

Michele: The Cas and Metatron stuff went on for so long that I literally forgot about Sam. While I love Bob Berens writing and enjoyed this episode, that shouldn’t happen when that is one of your leads. The twist was amazing and what saved this episode was Sam and THE CAGE! I give “Our Little World” a B.

Debbi: I’m loving this season and this episode is no exception. While it isn’t as epically amazing as Baby, it is infinitely more interesting than any episode that contained Amelia and most of season seven. I give this a B and that’s mostly because I’d have liked more minutes to the episode to allow for additional exposition at the end of the episode where they ‘arm chair quarterbacked’ the job. Amara’s new teenaged vessel is almost as creepy as her previous two and the casting office has done a terrific job in finding young actors who look like they could be related. Well done by cast and crew. Looking forward to seeing Briana Buckmaster return next week as Sheriff Donna!

Jackie: Overall score: I’d give this episode a B+. It was a pretty solid ep that utilized all the characters well. Can’t wait to see next week’s!