2. Bugs
I’ve mentioned this many times before, but the bottom line, no episode from top to bottom was a complete, total disaster except this one. Bad, bad, bad. I mean, how can a night long standoff with an attic full of bees last just a few minutes? The acting all around was horrific (yes, even Jared and Jensen), the script was bad, the pacing is easily the worst of the entire series, and sad tales of the white man screwing it to the Indians (feather, not dot) turned this ep into an appalling cliche. But when this terrible and rather sad story ends with a somber Sam and Dean leaving in the Impala rocking to The Scorpions, “There’s No One Like You,” you know that Kripke just gave up and decided to toss this one into the bit bucket.
Still, “Bugs” didn’t piss me off like a “Hammer of The Gods” or “Mannequin 3.” Maybe because it was a show still trying to find it’s footing in season one and what sounded like a good idea in a pitch meeting never really reached the vision in the creator's mind. Supernatural did get exponentially better after this. That cannot be said with full confidence for most others on this list.
When comparing all the elements on paper though, “Bugs” failed in every single category. It wasn’t polarizing though, so in the end one redeeming quality can be found. Plus, no episode has a more spectacular and amusing behind the scenes story, even if the story proved to be a cautionary tale in filming bug disasters. Don’t do it. They don’t show up on film and bad CGI is required. I’m sure Jensen to this day is trying to live down the Raid Flamethrower.
Here's a piece of cool trivia though. After seeing Sam and Dean use umbrellas in the rain in the dailies, Eric Kripke made a new rule. No umbrellas. Ever.
Comments
I agree on Hammer of the Gods, and especially Bugs. I dont ever watch Manniquin 3.. just no oomph for me. No real scares either.
which of the seven deadly sins was your favorite? Mine was Pride... but then I had seen Ben Cotton in Harpers Island before I started watching SPN.. I really think seeing it all at once from season 1 to season 5 like I did made a difference on how I saw episodes and which ones I like more than others.
I also like other episodes most fans dont. I liked No Exit another episode alot of fans dont.
Guess I am wierd that way! :)
I swear, I wrote that so long ago (I think it was for Blogcritics) I can't even find that article. Here was my five from that list though.
1. Bugs
2. Route 666
3. Hookman
4. No Exit
5. Red Sky at Morning
Dishonorable Mention: Playthings
I personally would have gone with "Family Remains" as being the dud from season 4, as I liked "Heaven and Hell" well enough despite the flaws you pointed out. And for me, Red Sky at Morning and Route 666 aren't ever going on my must watch list, but I don't particularly mind them. Haven't watched Mannequin 3 so can't comment on that one. The Magnificent 7 was so forgettable that I would never watch it again, but I wouldn't say that I actively hate it.
Like I said, if TMS was a midseason ep, it wouldn't be here.
My worst 10 would be...
(dis)honerable mention: Fallen Idols, for all the reasons you espouse.
10. Route 666 - the story could have been so good. But it fails on total missed opportunity and a seriously BAD case of miscasting in a romantic partner for Dean. Seriously bad.
9. My Heart Will Go On - I just do not like this episode and I find the premise frankly stupid.
8. Defending Your Life - so much potential!!!! So much wasted potential. I was so excited for this episode and then left wanting it to go away, wanting a do-over! Shameful.
7. The Girl Next Door - it makes me upset Jensen had such a shitty episode to direct. The only redeeming thing here was seeing Colin as young Sam. The rest was stupid and unbelievable.
6. Hook Man - for your above stated reasons.
5. Shut Up, Dr. Phil - I never watched Buffy and had no attachment to charisma carpenter. I knew James Marsters from Torchwood. I found the casting of these two actors to be more about publicity than the show. I couldn't have cared less about them, and found their performances stilted and painful to watch.
4. Season Seven, Time for a Wedding - above stated views mirrors mine.
3. Swap Meat - hate this trope with the fire of a thousand suns and nothing about this episode is all that fun to watch.
2. Clap Your Hands If You Believe - I hated soulless Sam from episode two. And I didn't find anything he did here funny. In fact I think this is the moment that Ben Edlund should have been reigned in a little bit. Horrifying episode.
And my very least favorite episode is...
1. All Dogs Go To Heaven - hate this one again, because of soulless Sam.
Bugs appears just before Fallen Idols for me, because while I think it's a terrible episode, I've grown to love to hate it. I'll watch it for that reason whereas these others I just want to skip forever. Many of my least favorites are season 6 and 7 and maybe time will make the heart grow fonder...but I doubt it. My first instinct about an episode is usually where my opinion stays.
If I expanded this list to a top twelve, "Swap Meat" would be number 12. The only reason it escaped this list was the demon story was actually very good. The rest was pure crap.
Thanks for sharing your list!
Swap Meat. Ugh!
I love making lists and have been fine tuning my series ranking over the summer. It's interesting to think about why certain episodes work over others, and incredibly hard, too!
Your list is pretty much accurate to me, except that there would be more season 6 episodes in mine, I hated it that much LOL
Season 6 was pretty terrible. I dislike it a lot and especially hate ALL soulless Sam crap.
I agree with some of your list, but I have to say that I didn't really mind "Red Sky at Morning" or "Fallen Idols" or even "Hammer of the Gods" (blasphemy I know). However, you didn't mention "Swap Meat" and that to me is the worst episode ever. Stupid premise, terrible out of character acting on everyone's part, god --awful script.....just bad, bad, bad.
Time for a Wedding just annoyed me beyond annoyance it is the fly in my cup of tea that episode.
Please include the fact that it would take a few hours for little bugs to chew through the roof? That seems to be the main complaint.
Loved the brotherly back and forths re Dad, and the boys being mistaken for gays, and Dean swatting Sam on his ass.
Defending your life. HORRIBLE!!! The only redeeming value the whole episode had for me was the scene between Jo and Dean. The rest was garbage.
As far as Season 7 Time for a Wedding goes, I truly believe they did that on purpose. Like it or not Becky represents a certain segment of this fandom and maybe this episode was a way of getting back at those fans. Nasty, sure but some people have it coming. The fandom wank sometimes gets totally out of control. I don't blame them if they want to take a dig at us now and then.
Rt 666. I'm with you on the actress, she was the worst. The only thing I like about that whole mess was Sam discovering that Dean had been in love at some point. I loved that brother moment between them. I remember that episode was really hyped up and I remember thinking, oh god this is what people are going to think this show is about. Who knows how many possible fans we lost that night.
I guess for all the really great episodes we get I can handle a few bad ones. They are few and far between.
The ones I agree should be on the list:
1. All Dogs - for most of the same reasons you listed
2. Hookman - I never thought about this one much, but it never grabbed me
3. Route 666 - Agreed with what you said
4. Mannequin - Agreed with most of what you said, but I would have included the Dean/Lisa/Ben scenes are well. Their relationship had already ended at this point, and Dean was moving on, so adding more angst at that point seemed too soapy for me.
5. Bugs - I don't hate it as much as some people, but it deserves the criticism it gets.
What I wouldn't put on this list:
1. Fallen Idols - It's not a favorite episode of mine, but there was humor in the JD car, Paris Hilton, Sam wrestling with Ghandi, etc.
2. Heaven and Hell - I really liked this episode, mostly because I liked the Anna and the angels storyline in season 4.
3. The Magnificent Seven - I really liked this one. Maybe it wasn't quite up to being an opener, but the early scenes with Bobby and the cicadas, Dean eating a burger for breakfast, the introduction of Ruby, and the seven deadly sins (and how they paired up with our characters) were fun to watch. Oh, and my favorite scene in this episode was, "I want those shoes."
4. Time for a Wedding - This isn't my favorite episode, but I don't mind Becky as much as other people seem to do, it had funny moments, and the dialogue wasn't stilted like it was through many of that season's episodes. It doesn't make my top five episodes of that season, but it doesn't make my bottom five either.
5. Red Sky - The ship was a little campy, but Bela was always fun, and a bad episode from season 3 is ten times better than an average episode from season 7.
6. Hammer of the Gods - I really like this one and don't understand the criticism. The setup (Sam and Dean being driven to a creepy hotel on a dark, stormy night), Gabe and Lucifer, and Dean at a pie buffet were great.
What I would have included instead (not necessarily in this order):
1. Defending Your Life - Awful all around
2. Shut Up Dr. Phil - A boring episode with so much wasted potential of their great guests
3. Adventures in Babysitting - Stilted dialogue, dull case in which Sam got captured far too easily, and at this point I was really tired of the lack of balance between Sam and Dean (focusing on mostly Dean in an episode about grieving for Bobby).
4. The Slice Girls - It had some fun moments, but creating a monster daughter for Dean just so Sam could kill her - to balance out the Amy fiasco - was unnecessary. They should have just moved on at this point.
5. Party on Garth - Garth is more annoying to me than Becky.
6. Of Grave Importance - What was wrong with it included the Bobby ghost story (somewhere they never should have gone), the stilted dialogue, the unbalance in the writing between Sam and Dean (I had reached the bounds of my tolerance for this by this point in the season), and all of the glaring inconsistencies between Bobby's ghost powers with the previous episodes (if Bobby couldn't move a drink, how did he move the sword or get rid of Dean's beer?). And another thing wrong was the juvenile humor in having all three of them have sex with the same woman. The guest (Annie) was good though.
I would rank all of those you listed low in doing a 1-149 ranking (which is a super insane exercise), but the worst? For me, a recent episode has to really really piss me off (like Time For A Wedding) to make the worst list. That's not saying any of those won't end up there in the future though.
I agree with you on Family Remains. Right after watching it, I had a distinct feeling of "do not like". That episode rubbed me the wrong way, even though I was entirely creeped out by those feral children, especially the scene where the girl thinks it's her dog...
Oh, and Time For A Wedding? *shudders* I think I may have, just maybe, for about three seconds felt sorry for Becky, but that all went out the window when she turned the corner into psycho territory. I know the episode was meant to be funny, but it just wasn't. Eh, maybe knocking people out, kidnapping them, tying them to a bed against their will after turning them into a lovesick fruitbat is just not my idea of 'fun'. When I first heard there was going to be a wedding on the show and before we found out Sam's wife-to-be was Becky freaking Rosen, I thought "yeah, this has got to be twisted in some way!" After all, Show has already ruined Christmas and Valentine's Day so why not the ubiquitous, sappy wedding scene? They should've done it scary, dammit!
And, just to be shallow? Only reason I've watched Red Sky At Morning more than once is because I think the boys look particularly hot in it. Never liked Bela in any of her appearances after BDABB. I think it was how she made the boys look like idiots. Fool me once and all that.
On the other hand, I actually don't mind Heaven and Hell. Maybe I'm shallow, but I think I'm one of the few fans who like the sex scene in the Impala between Dean and Anna.
I've also never been a fan of the Ghostfacers, so the episodes with them just plain irritate me.
A previous poster dislikes Clap Your Hands...and it's one of my favorite episodes, for the humor if nothing else. Jared's comedic timing in that one just made it for me. For most of his time as Soulless Sam, I was not into it, but that episode grabbed me.
I was never a fan of Bela. I was glad to see her go away.
I like "Bugs" and "Route 666" for reasons stated in my post below.
But I love "Heaven and Hell". The love scene in the backseat of the Impala. The hand in the window didn't bother me as I've never seen ""Titanic". And Dean's bare back! Yowza! Loved Dean and Anna's conversations. Dean's 'in your face' talk with Uriel. Grace in a bottle may not be the best thought out plot but the rest of it was stellar.
Love love Clap Your Hands and I've found I'm loving season 6 so much more now that I know what was wrong with Sammy.
Bela was good at being annoyingly hateful.
You're on your own for Mannequin 3.
I also liked Time For A Wedding because it was just so nutty. And Crowley showing up at the end made my day.
I would have put Shut Up Dr. Phil on the list as one of the worst episodes. I was a bit Buffy fan and was so excited with the idea of James Marsters and Charisma Carpenter working together again. Their scenes had no chemistry and the two actors were just wasted.
Also among my least favorites was Changing Channels. I thought it was a silly story and a waste of Richard Speight and Misha Collins. It was also a waste of my time.
So looking forward to season 8.
Shut Up Dr. Phil was a finalist, but I guess it wasn't bad enough to make an impression compared to others. It would have easily made the top 15 though.
I would put I Know What You Did Last Summer on the list, just after Heaven and Hell. I don't think I will ever get over the grace tree or that awful Titanic sex scene that was there for no good purpose whatsoever. The loathed Ruby2 and there was entirely too much of her in IKWYDLS. Hated that episode. I did like the Uriel and Dean scene in the barn in H&H. What a good great bad guy Uriel was, and I loved all of his and Dean's mano / mano scenes.
I would add Defending Your Life, in addition to Fallen Idols. Flat out boring episodes for me.
Route 666 is probably my very least liked episode ever, because of the really terrible actress. I loved the brothers in this one, Sam ribbing Dean, but even that could not save it from that terrible actress or the fact that it seemed to be an obligatory episode covering racism. Seriously? A racist truck just didn't work.
Time For A Wedding definitely should be on a worst episode list. What a slap at fandom.
Then again, there were only two episodes I liked in S7, and S6 wasn't a whole lot better. Any time guest stars are showcased and the brothers are wallpaper, it doesn't work for me -- not even way back with Chriss Angel. While I loved Ghostfacers, and still do, it was the placement of that episode that didn't work well. The show was coming off a long break, IIRC, and there was too too much focus on the guest stars and not enough of the brothers. I still loved it, though.
The only reason I would put up practically any S7 episode instead of All Dogs Go To Heaven is because of Phil Sgriccia's work. Never should guest stars or dogs ever outshine the brothers, but there was some lovely shots in that episode.
I do agree that in season seven, guest actors were way overused and took too much priority over the brothers. It was almost like the writers weren't interested in writing about Sam and Dean anymore. That did hurt the enjoyment of the episodes from week to week. Having said that, I did love what the guest actors brought to those roles, even when the scripts for them (cough Shut Up Dr. Phil cough) weren't great. I do vote for less guest actors in a season though taking over the story.
Despite being an episode to showcase guest stars, this one worked for when it was shown. If it had showed up in the middle of S7, I probably wouldn't have.
I know people hated Red Sky at Morning. For the most part, I enjoy the episode. Most of all I just hate that the ghosts talk to each other at the end. For me, that totally killed the creep factor.
Nice list Alice!
I loved Heaven and Hell for several scenes. Dean & Anna's talk about why she wanted to be human. Dean's reaction when she told him she "knew". And of course, Jensen's amazing scene at the end telling Sam about Hell. The man should have won an Emmy for that one!
Route 666 was great character development for Dean. It showed a different side of him. More layers so to speak.
Fallen Idols I loved the scene at the end. Dean says "Who would have thought killing Lilith would've been a bad thing?" I'd been thinking that myself for a long time.
I would have a hard time picking fav's as well. So much goodness to choose from!!
I would have put "All Dogs Go to Heaven" as my worst one, with "Bugs" a close second and definitely "Defending Your Life", just yuck for that episode. Such a waste of an hour. They bring back Jo, and this is what they give her? I shudder at the thought!
I have some of the same episodes on my "not so good list" as you - Bugs, Route 666, Red Sky at Morning, and the only episode I have wholeheartedly disliked, Season 7, Time for a Wedding. However, I liked the other ones on your list. The other 6 on my list are:
Roadkill - probably just me, but I found it boring.
Ghostfacers - I spent too much time wanting to slap the guest stars to enjoy the episode (I know, everyone else loves this episode - I am weird)
Family Remains - boring and annoying
Chris Angel is a Douchbag - the only thing I liked about the episode is that it has the best title ever.
The Curious Case of Dean Winchester - nothing against Chad Everett, but will never understand why Ackles could not have played old Dean.
Dark Side of the Moon - had a great opening with a classic badass Dean line, but the rest of the episode drove me nuts. Sam was pretty much raised by his brother, but does not have one good memory of him in his march down memory lane. And the capper to the episode is Dean throwing away the amulet.
All that being said, the wedding episode is the only one I would never watch again. A bad Supernatural episode tends to be better than whatever else is on tv. Thanks again - I know my choices are not as analytical as others - just my own preferences.
I would agree, a bad Supernatural episode does tend to beat whatever else is on TV, except season seven. That was the first season for me where most of the episodes weren't better than other shows. Perhaps that's why I often express such disappointment in the season.
I got to admit, I love Ghostfacers, and I really love The Curious Case of Dean Winchester. Chances are it was due to my lifelong girl crush on Chad Everett, but there you go. It's interesting, but boring is exactly what ended up keeping Family Remains off of this list. It wasn't even bad enough to stand out.
Roadkill was a finalist. I've always called it, "Touched by a Winchester." The reveal at the end saved it, plus Dean was funny in that one. Sam was just out there. I thought "No Exit" was worse though, but interesting how no episode in season two made this list. It was that consistent.
Dark Side of the Moon is a big favorite of mine. You won't see it on any "Best of" lists here, but it has a special place in my heart. The ending did suck though, and shame on the writers for never resolving that.
Thanks for your comments! I hope to see more in the future.
Loved DSOTM, but yes, I want to know if they're ever gonna get that amulet back on Dean's neck. I think Sam would've fetched it out of the trash, that's in character for him.
I also agree that the writers dropped the ball in Swap Meat in that the body switch should have been between the brothers. That would have worked a lot better for me.
And it annoys me even more since I really want to see more hunters (please, those 2 guys that killed Sam and Dean in Dark Side of the Moon!), but not a walking joke like Garth.
He's seems just like a sweet natured guy who happens to be a hunter. Reminded me of Andy, who was also a sweetie.
Seems to be a pretty capable hunter too. Since he is still alive.
And he manages to get smiles out of the boys and I'm hoping to see more of him.
I love Garth. He's kooky, but refreshing.
When I first saw him in "Girl Next Door" I was not pleased with his character, as he DID seem pretty inept. But once we got to "Party-On, Garth" and fleshed out his personality and character a bit, I found him to be a very believable, offbeat kind of guy. :)
You know the first time I saw that episode I didn't pay much attention either but then I realized that they actually are out in the dark, in the rain and sleet in Vancouver in the middle of winter - it must have been totally miserable! I started looking for some of the outside scenes to see if they were sets, and I don't think they are!
You feel obliged to watch simply because of that level of commitment on everybody's part. Then after a while the episode kind of grows on you
Speaking of episodes growing on me, when I watched season 6 I hated the first half with soulless Sam. Then, when I got the DVD and re-watched it, I totally appreciated those episodes (but still hate that scene in Twihard). Although they will never be among my 30 or so (so far) favorites, they have their moments. Come on - who did not laugh at "I'm not the one who pizza rolled Tinkerbell" or Sam's rant at the fairy lady, ending in telling her all that was missing was "a dozen cats"? He nailed those lines.
If this wasn't meant to be a midseason closer and if it fell in seasons 6 or 7, "Heaven and Hell" likely wouldn't be on this list. But really, none of you though grace in a bottle was just ridiculous? The Titanic inspired sex scene? Maybe I really hated that scene because I've never been a fan of Bad Company. The closing scene is iconic and gorgeous, and saves this episode from falling higher on the list. Again, another scene that we used for a logo.
Hey, does anybody know if the actress is the same one who plays the bride in the 'Hangover' movies?
The talks between Dean and Anna. Dean stumbling with his words when she tells him she knows what he did. His confrontation with Uriel. Jensen should have another Emmy for that as well as the 4 or 5 he should already have, for "Devil's Trap", "All Hell Breaks Loose II", "In My Time of
Dying", "What Is and What Should Never Be" and 'No Rest for the Wicked" and the still to come "On the Head of a Pin".
By the way, I do agree with you about "The Curious Case of Dean Winchester". Chad Everett was wonderful as old Dean and made me just want to hug the old dear. And "Clap Your Hands" and "Changing Channels" are fantastic episodes.
I could never list my top 10 episodes as I have over 100 of top ten episodes on my list.
I HATED Anna in Heaven & Hell especially the Titanic-esque handprint on the Impala window. To me she was interesting in IKWYDLS but I hated it when she became an angel. They didn't kill her off soon enough as far as I was concerned.
I'll have to give some thought to the episodes I would put on a 'worst' list.
Maybe Sam/ Ruby were hot together because they were falling for eachother offscreen LOL. Probably helps.
Yes, I thought Bugs sucked too, but its one that's so bad it's great, if you know what I mean. Couldn't believe the guys kept straight faces.
I actually like HOTG, save for the pagan God/ cannibal thing. Parts of it were really funny. I liked Dean's interactions with Gabriel.
I will surprise some people here who know me as a Dean fan and say I actually liked some of Souless Sam's interactions with Dean. Didn't want him to stay Souless forever but it did give an interesting twist to the brother relationship we all love. Of course I'm a Sam fan too.
I completely agree with your list Alice. With the one exception of H&H. I have to fall on the side of those who love that episode. The scene that Bevie mentioned between Anna and Dean. I always love when Dean shows his vulnerabity. The scene at the end just tears me up every time I watch it. Dean's pain and Jared's pain watching Dean's pain. Powerful.
I just wish they would bring in an actress with real chemistry with Jensen and finally write/ allow him to be as steamy as I know this gorgeous man can be. Just one time SPN writers, please? No more Annas or Cassies. More Jo's and Caseys! Then I won't complain anymore! (NOT!)
Fallen Idols was really bad, I can't even think of anything good to say about it, except chopping PH's head.
I liked Family Remains well enough, but I don't think Season 4 was the best season. Not by far *shrugs*. I agree on Heaven and Hell, though. Anna is a character many fans like, but she was was all I never wanted angels to be.
Time for a wedding deserves a higher rank, imo. I just wanted to scream at the screen during the whole thing. Bad, bad, bad. It felt like a cheap comedy, and yeah, I was okay with Becky (even if I think she'd stepped over the line before this episode when she insisted in touching Sam. Nobody would make a male fan touch a girl like she did), but after this, I just hope she never comes back again and they stop with the meta, sorry. Plus, mocking your fans, not just a few jokes, but actually mocking, is not cool.
I dislike Bela a lot, everything about her seemed forced and unnatural to me, so I guess I'm biased against Red Sky. Same for Route 666, never bought the wholeCassie is Dean's real love' thing, and I saw no chemistry between them. But time gave me a new perspective, I now think he wasn't all that in love with her, but he needed someone besides that time in his life, and he needed to 'spill out' everything to someone. Too bad Cassie let him down. But I think it's still a proof of how sad and lonely Dean really was during that period of his life (it seems I like Sam's love interests better than Deans).
Hammer of Gods was bed indeed. And a bit offensive and cultural insensitive. But I hate The Slice Girls even more, sorry. Even the title is bad and the whole episode what a big WTH for me and I don't think I could be more annoyed at the writers than I was after that particual episode. Swap Meat, as many have said before me, was bad. I couldn't believe Dean didn't find out that wasn't Sam before, and I think the idea of switching bodies is unoriginal and it wasn't even played in a way we could have some character insight. Defending your Life, another hot mess.
I disliked a lot of s7 episodes, but I think it's unfair to list them all here, my general distates for the season should not affect particular episodes, I think.
Weirdly enough, while it's obviously not one of my favorites, I'm okay with Bugs, lol.
The detested "Bugs" complaint of the 'short night' could have been avoided by someone commenting that "it's been 5 hours, do you think we're safe now?" as it would have taken hours for the bugs to chew right through the roof. Didn't see any bad acting from the 2 Js either. Loved the brotherly interactions all through it, especially regarding the kid and his dad.
I didn't consider Lorie a love interest for Sam in "Hookman".
He didn't seem to either. She did approach him and was rejected right away (politely, of course!). i enjoyed seeing a familiar urban legend brought to life and Dean burning the bones in the cemetery was a beautiful sight and kudos to the director for that.
And the hatred for Cassie is something I could never fathom. She was a strong woman and someone I could see Dean admiring. She was no bimbo. I loved the sex scene. Dean is so very considerate, gentle and loving and that is what turns me on, not the desperate angry violence as seen with Sam and Ruby. Some like it rough, not me! The racist truck was a blip in this episode that had a lot of brotherly moments, with Sam teasing and surmising and inquiring into Dean's love of Cassie and why Dean told her what they did.
I saw no sexual tension in "Red Sky at Morning", just an amused comment from Bela about having "angry sex" and the little smirk on Dean's face. Dean coming down the stairs in the tux to the Bond music? Oooooooh! Nice! Sam and the cougar were hilarious IMO. Also, never hated the actress who played Bela. She was good and made me dislike Bela intensely which I think she was supposed to. And all kinds of grisly things are to be found in museums.
As far as "The Magnificent Seven" showed us an entirely unlikeable hunter couple, I enjoyed it immensely. I did not think Dean OOC at all. It's just Dean putting his mask on and making out he isn't bothered by going to hell for eternity. Yeah, right! I admired Jensen in this episode for showing how scared he was behind that facade he was trying to sell his brother and Bobby. So, "Yeah, i'm heading for hell, but who cares? I'm living it up right now!" And I was actually pleased (bad me) when that ass Isaac drank the drain cleaner. Sam shoving Dean into the dash when he got in the back seat was a hoot!
I liked "All Dogs Go to Heaven" too. Lucky was a gorgeous dog and a great actor. I felt sorry for Lucky at the end. And Sniper Dean? Wow! We didn't know what was wrong with Sammy then and his coldness towards the innocents and his brother was hard to take and almost made me hate him. But, something just HAD to be wrong with him!
I've always found mannequins to be creepy (remember Chucky?). They didn't need to kill off the sister though and I thought the Lisa/Ben/Dean confrontations beautifully done. (Lisa is another female some fans hate for no reason whatsoever. She took Dean in at his lowest time, welcomed him, trusted him, and loved him, and no doubt saved him from eating his gun. Exceptional woman!)
"Hammer of the Gods" is an episode I enjoy very much. It's got my favourite angel "Gabriel" in it, after all. Good stuff: wet Winchesters, comedic bits, Ganesh the elephant in the hotel room, Dean's speech to the gods, confrontation of the brothers Lucifer and Gabriel. Did hate them killing off Gabe/Trickster though.
My 10 worst: (if I can find 10, that is, ha!)
1. Falling Idols (hated Sam telling Dean he went with Ruby to get away from Dean. Didn't compute.)
2. Swap Meat. The boys really tried, but it just didn't jell.
3. Defending Your Life. Loved to see Jo again, but it was a lost opportunity to show how Sam really feels about his brother and Dean hearing it.
4. After School Special: Colin Ford was wonderful as young Sam, but I just couldn't buy teen Dean. Jensen would have done a better job and they could have made him up as an 18 year old, Look how they changed his look in "It's a Terrible Life". He looked years younger in that.
5. Time for a Marriage: Yucky Becky? Save me! Just can't see Sam, even love potioned, falling for her. Loved Garth though! And the smarmy demon and Crowley were good.
6. Cris Angel is a Douchebag: This was OK on the first viewing but I grew to dislike it as the magicians story became more boring the more I watched the episode. Have to watch my epiodes in order, though, so I suffer through it.
Dean and the S/M Chief were great though.
7. When the Levee Breaks: When Sam put his hands around Dean's neck and squeezed, this episode went from tolerable to "i don't really want to have to watch this again." (I know this is not a worst for any other fan)
8. Sex and Violence: This is only on my list because of the "boo hoo" comment to Dean from Sam about how Dean is always 'whining' about 'torturing others in hell'. Outside of that, I do enjoy this episode.
9. The Rapture: Just because I can't stand Mrs. Jimmy Novak. Misha is great in this. (having a hard time finding worst episodes)
10. And Then There Were None: Only because 3 characters met their end needlessly. Dean kills his cousin Gwen (and doesn't seem too concerned about it later), Bobby kills his lifelong friend Rufus (RIP). That's like if Dean killed Sam, and doesn't seem too down about it. Sam kills his grandfather who is infected with the worm, but forbids everyone from killing Dean for the same reason. I really wanted to find out more about Grandpa and I loved Rufus Turner. And poor innocent Gwen! The writers were way overdoing the character deaths IMO!
My brain is fried and I've bored you enough (if you're still reading) and these are in no particular order, only I would put "Cris Angel' as my number 1 worst episode to enjoy.
Peace!
I do hate Sam's line in S&V although I hate his ignoring Dean's call to have sex with the doctor as much.
I also agree on And Then There Were None. I was really interested in the Campbell side of Sam and Dean and it got totally wasted in season six. Plus yeah, we can kill Rufus and Grandpa, and Dean feel no guilt about Gwen makes no sense. Three characters that I wanted more insight into gone.
These episodes didn't make my list because there are others I hate more.
I keep a list of what I call "personal favorites." They aren't episodes loved by the masses, or even critical standouts, but they're just episodes that I love to watch over and over again and just love them more than any of the others. "When The Levee Breaks" is on that favorite's list. Rather high on it. I REALLY REALLY love that ep. The brotherly fight served its purpose. They had to go to those extreme lows in order to get to where they were at season five. Which of course was obliterated by seasons 6 and 7. But, I still love that ep! Mostly because it was the perfect unraveling of Sam Winchester. It was what The Born-Again Identity should have been!
"After School Special," "The Rapture," and "And Then There Were None" were middle of the road eps for me. I didn't hate, but they don't get frequently re-watched. There's only a ton of those!
"Fallen Idols" was horrible, but the only things I thought were OOC were Dean's petty words to Bobby about Sam over the phone, as well as Sam's "part of the reason I started hanging out with Ruby was to get away from you" bullcrap. But the Ghandi and Lincoln stuff? Just horrific. And not in a scary way.
I didn't think "Heaven and Hell" was that bad, and I really liked the interactions between Dean and Anna.
I also thought "Time for a Wedding" was hilarious.
"Red Sky at Morning" and "Magnificent Seven" were pretty horrible.
"Route 666" was poorly executed.
"Bugs" was poorly paced, but scary enough.
I thought "Mannequin" cartoonish. And I didn't like "All Dogs Go To Heaven", but can't put my finger on why. It just never resonated.
I think some other considerations would have to be "Chris Angel is a Douchebag," because for the life of me I can't figure out what the point of that episode was, and "Out with the Old," which was EXTREMELY poorly paced, and ruined my ability to take the Leviathans seriously. Sometimes I think Dick Roman saved S7.
I also think "It's a Terrible Life" was poorly executed, and almost served as a cop-out after Dean's emotional break in "On the Head of a Pin."
"Monster Movie" would have also made my list of top ten worst episodes. Again, it was cartoonish.
And how about "Swap Meat"? What a weird, unnecessary episode. Again, IMO it was poorly written and executed.
Great article.
I disliked Monster Movie at first, but it's grown on me, even though it does the same thing that Its a Terrible Life did, diverting from emotion and not acknowledging it.
It's a Terrible Life will always win for me just for one thing. Cramming Sam Winchester in a cubicle. The rest of the ep gets a pass just for that alone.
But really? "It's a Terrible Life" gets a pass for one little thing? I'm sticking to my guns on this one.
The reason season 4 is still my least favourite is because of the enormous schism between the brothers, when the closeness of them is the reason I love this series.
Hopefully Carver does a better job in that regard.
They haven't been feeling their feelings and HEALING from them since season 3.
The emotional connection between them in seasons 1 to 3 have been missing ever since, and still have not been settled. Do they always have to be at odds to make the drama? They used to have an 'unhealthy co-dependence' and that was why I loved this show.
I want to know they still love and care about each other. I believe they do, but it is not SHOWN nearly as much as before.
What really bothers me about that episode is that we had every indication except a direct statement that Sam was likely sexually assaulted in Hell; what Becky does REALLY squicks me out when taken in that context. I know she says they never consummate their marriage, but there's still such a violation there, especially when considering what Sam had just recovered memories of. Come on, writers!
I can't say I hate "Hammer of the Gods" as much as you, Alice; it's bad, but not the worst by any means to me. Terrible representation of other religions, yes, but in my head canon, all the gods faked their death and are laughing at Lucifer now.
"Heaven and Hell" also seems out of place (I spam watched the entire show until mid-season 6, so placement of episodes as mid-season means nothing to me); "Family Remains" is my big season 4 dud.
"Mannequin," to me, is one of those episodes that wasn't good, but it also wasn't offensive enough to make a list like this. It's one I tend to watch the first and last few minutes and skip the in-between on rewatch.
"Defending Your Life" easily makes my list. There was so much potential for an excellent episode with general plot, but what we got absolutely fell flat.
I would like to add 'Clap your hands if you believe' (only part that I liked was Dean and the microwave) and 'Shut up Dr. Phil' (complete waste of Buffy alumni).
Sniper!Dean was the only high point of 'All dogs go to Heaven'. In fact the only episode that I liked with Soulless Sam in it was 'The man who Knew too Much', and that was only because he gets shot by Sammy
Becky was ok in little bits, but when she was front and center in 'Time for a wedding', it was just too much. I also want to mention that I hated the return of Lana Lang, why torture us with her, when we all know that Clark ends up with Lois.
At the risk of having tomatoes thrown at me, I also want to say that I hated the episode 'Girl with the dragon tattoo' (something like that). I hated the character of Charlie and really did not see what all the fuss was about.
Kripke made a good call about umbrellas. Sam and Dean are too blue collar to be bothered with unbrellas.
2) All Dogs go to Heaven. Lucky was a supernatural being that murdered three people. They weren't immediately threatening anyone. Since we have seen Sam and Dean living in worse conditions than Lucky's family, I couldn't feel that the landlord was a slumlord and he didn't deserve to be killed because he wanted his rent. Plus Lucky voyeuristicly watching the mother undress, shower and be naked when she didn't know he was actually human AND then crawling into bed with her was just plain icky.
3) Fallen Idols poorly written bad storyline and it has been used to bash Sam ever since it was shown.
4) Time For a Wedding Just bad, embarrassing and insulting to fandom. Becky was always an iffy character, but after The Real Ghostbusters I felt that she had been semi-redeemed. This was just a slap in the face.
5) Defending Your Life. Osiris way OTT. Sam did a crap job of defending Dean. Dean not wanting the truth to come out was stupid.
6) Mannequin 3 all the reasons you listed.
7) Heaven and Hell Grace in a tree, really?
9) Any of the Ghostfacer episodes. I really don't like those guys
10) Route 666. The episode is a total mess. Over on livejournal manead is analyzing the episodes in order from the Pilot on maenad.livejournal.com/?skip=30&tag=spn. She goes into great detail and they are really fascinating analyses to tide us over until October. She talks about Route 666 maenad.livejournal.com/103687.html for part one and maenad.livejournal.com/104138.htmlfor part 2. She makes a pretty compelling argument that the script is so incredibly poor that Meryl Streep couldn't have made Cassie come alive. It's worth a read for those who hate this episode.
Since it makes the worst list so many times her look at Bugs part 1 is here maenad.livejournal.com/100827.html and part 2 is here maenad.livejournal.com/100928.html.
1. Route 666 - just awful - watched it about twice when forced
2. Bugs - as above
3. No Exit - or as I call it - no Sam
4. Sin City - Bored out of my brain and as for Dean smoozing the demon - ugh
5. Red Sky in the Morning - I am a couger and believe me we are not that wrinkled or cliched (lol) - also Bela makes the boys look silly
6. Malicious Malfarium - yuk - hate the tooth bit - just hate it
7. In the Beginning - or as I call it - where the feck did Sam go and why do people like this episode - it is really irritating as it goes nowhere up a tree!
8. Swap Meat - a missed opportunity
9. 99 Problems - not at all good - the only redeeming feature was staggering drunk Sam!
10. How to win friends and influence monsters (or something like that!) I hate this so much I have only seen it once and cannot bear to watch it again.
Dishonerable mention - On the Head of a Pin - just hate that too!
Other than that I agree, it was kind of a dumb episode to set up for the much more awesome Point Of No Return
That said, I disagree with almost your whole list, which makes me question how much we judge episodes by what we feel, and not quality itself, like script, editing, pacing and acting. It's all very personal, so no, I don't think this kind of list is very useful, even if it is kind of fun xD.
Your hate for Bella made you pick Red Sky at the Morning, the same way my hate for souless Sam would make me pick most of the first half of season 6 (even the one everyone loves Clap your hands if you believe, that is completely awful to me).
I see no reason at all to dislike Hammer of the Gods except for how easy it was to kill the Gods. I really liked the episode, same as I never had anything against Heaven and Hell or even The Magnificent Seven and would absolutely include All dogs go to heaven, even if I loved the dog, he was so cute LOL
Anyway, that's my opinion, you see? That's what I mean, we all have very different tastes and judging episodes as bad or good is really hard and most of the episode choices will have people disagreeing with you (except for Time for a wedding or mannequin or bugs, as much fun as bug is to me, it was a bad quality episode LOL). Also I'd like to add Swap meat here, what a bad episode in an absolutely stunning season! Waste of time xD
The links to those reviews can be found in our episode guides. I was every bit as livid over "Hammer of The Gods" then as I am now. Time has not changed my mind at all.
My hate for Bela didn't make me pick "Red Sky at Morning." Just like I said in my original review, it was just a sucky episode with a very ludicrous plot and wacky setups that just didn't work. It was a mess. Bela was in other episodes that I liked, but yes, she annoyed me everytime I saw her. That was the fault of the writers, for Lauren Cohan is quite an exceptional actress.
Oh yes, everyone has different tastes. You will never find one critic/reviewer have the same list. We are rarely in agreement. Add fans to that and the variety is endless! Your opinion is just as good as anyone else's, including mine.
Picking individual episodes from seasons 6 and 7 was impossible. They couldn't dominate the list, and the issue with those seasons was as a whole they didn't work. With the exception of a couple of really horrible eps, the issues from those seasons cannot be traced to just a few eps.
Take Sylvia here as an example. I'm not as found of season 4 as the majority of the fandom, but I'm completely in love with Season 5 and I probably could hardly point out anything I disliked about it. We have very different opinions, especially about seasons 6 and 7 that I could really pick many individual episodes with huge issues.
No real criticism here, just making a point xD
Heaven and Hell would be on my list though as would Fallen Idols and especially S7, Time For A Wedding (for the same reason stated by purplehairedwon der upthread )
My list would also include No Exit, The Rapture, Ghostfacers, Sam Interrupted, Yellow Fever, Changing Channels, Adventures in Babysitting, 99 Problems and DSOTM.
Sam Interrupted and Swap Meat and Changing Channels would be safely sitting on my list .
That said, I really enjoy most of the meta ones, and the episodes with a lighter, teasing tone. Ghostfacers are a laugh. Gabriel and Lucifer are my favourite angels, so any episode with them is great.
Episodes with little of either Sam or Dean are not favourites. Gotta have my boys!!
Perhaps this is a sad comment on myself, but the only episode I seriously dislike is the one where Sam weds Becky. She is one seriously disturbed fangirl.
There are some episodes that aren't as good as others overall, but I enjoy certain scenes from each of them. See? I told you. I'm a sad, sad fan.
While overall seasons 6 and 7 are my least favourites, missing a compelling story arc, there are a few good episodes. I enjoyed Soulless Sam, except that I found the writing inconsistent, and wish they'd done more with him. Adored CrazySam and Lucifer. Wish there'd been more of that...
I enjoyed reading your list, and agree that some of these are less than stellar episodes. Coming up with my own list would be nigh on to impossible. Thanks Alice.
I don’t absolutely hate any episode but here are some that are not my favorites and why:
Family Remains: I was unlucky enough for this to be the one random Supernatual episode that I came across, while channel surfing – it is the reason why I never watched any more until this year TBH. It is just a really workaday episode and kinda depressing, too like the X-files ‘Home’. (Imagine if it had been ‘Mystery Spot’ or The Monster at the End of this Book? It would have been like Christmas, I would have had to have seen more!)
It’s the Great Pumpkin Sam Winchester: At the end of the episode Sam is forced to use his power or he would have died. Dean could see that, he is right behind the monster and he has the knife beside him. He should have stepped in to help but he doesn’t, and then Sam gets more hassle from everyone for using his powers, this bugs me. Also the monsters name is mangled in this episode. Samhain is pronounced Sow-an not Sam-Hain (ok, so it isn’t intuitive). It is not an uncommon word in Irish since it also means ‘November’ - though I get that there probably aren’t a huge number of Irish-speaking viewers. Anyway it is distracting every time someone in the episode says it. To sum up, this entire episode drives me nuts
Red Sky at Morning: Because of the granny-cougar, otherwise it’s fine, I liked Bela (and Ruby(s) and Meg(s) and Anna and Jo and Ellen – guys, please stop killing off the female characters)
Hammer of the Gods: I liked this at first but it really does have a bad attitude towards non Judeo-Christian religions.
Fallen Idols: Really? You’re going to diss Gandhi? Why on earth would you do that?
Mannequin 3 the reckoning: sad because it was such a cliffhanger from the previous episode! (the cliffhanger-res olution bit is good).
And finally, Garth. Don’t get me wrong, I like the actor who plays Garth but I feel his character is totally impossible in the Supernatural universe. Sam and Dean work as a team, they are top level hunters and yet they have been killed at least 106 times between them (that we know of)! Garth can’t even stay conscious for a fight. How is this possible?
I completely agree with you on It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester. I'm not sure why Dean couldn't have been more supportive of Sam that one time, because he didn't know about the demon blood at that point. Instead the whole message seemed to be that Sam using what, at that time, seemed to be his innate powers was worse than letting 2,000 people die. But then one of the problems with season four for me was that the upside of Sam's powers was mentioned once when he told Dean that he exorcised the demons and the hosts lived and then it was ignored.
If the angels had worked with him and helped him the way they were willing to with Dean the power could have been an advantage. But the point was that the angels wanted the whole thing to play out. In this entire thing Sam was more sinned against than sinning. (Castiel owes him an apology too). But what a great storyline!
First, if people ask stuff about 'Destiel', throw a stone to 'Destiel' shippers, not Sam fans, please.
Second, shippers wouldn't be as annoying (sorry if anyone find this too negative, but I think making Jensen unconfortable just to have a few giggles witha question about a pairing that does not exist at all is the worst) if the writers stopped with the unnecessary and out of character gay jokes and some dialogues that make no sense.
If they feed the fans they should also respect the fans.
Btw, I was okay with the level of fun they made of fangirls in TMATEOTB, but TFAW crossed the line.
Personally, I think Becky is judged more harshly than any other unwitting antagonists because she's (a) female and (b) a super-fan of Sam. Other characters - even female ones - have physically assaulted the boys, betrayed them, imprisoned them, etc. And they don't get that kind of heat, even though some of them were flat-out evil characters. To me that is unfair. I guess I just took the episode for what it was. The best parts for me were Dean's reactions to Sam's sudden marriage and odd behavior, and Sam's reaction to Dean's reactions. Perhaps the only real "sin" of this episode was its timing, set when Sam was in such a fragile mental state. But there are many SPN episodes like that. Again, IMO it's unfair to put "Time for a Wedding" at the top of the hated list for that reason, especially when it was otherwise entertaining.
Becky was not a bad character. Nothing in the episode actually seriously bothered me (honestly, I can't say I enjoyed it), until she knocked Sam out. That took it a step too far for me. That whole scene where she had Sam tied to the bed, bothered me. It was a gut reaction. I don't find drugging, assaulting and kidanpping someone funny. I don't think anything was necessarily implied there, but it was a little too close to the line for me.
LOL every time I see a comment I totally agree with it turns out to be one of yours. You do a much better job of saying what I want to say than I can
She drugged him, beat him over the head, then tied him up. She kept him against his will. Now she probably didn't intend to hurt him, but still, it was a violation.
Yes I think it's been implied that both boys may have been assaulted sexually in some way. I thought that even the scene in 'Live Free or Twihard' where Dean was turned by the head vamp had a feel of sexual assault to it.
While I thought Jensen was funny in Yellow Fever, you're right percy, I guess he was still raw from his Hell trama at the time. I hadn't thought of that.
What I mean is that the writers are saying: 'this is the result of you getting what you think you want by the wrong means. You don't, ever, you just get a very angry victim'.
Of course it would seem to be different if it were the other way around and of course it wouldn't be. In fact it happened, and it was scary (Sam and Jo in BUABS) .
What is funny about the episode is not the actual things that happen to Sam, it is the fact that everybody (both characters and audience) gets the trope that it is based on. Everybody understands the story. The Monster at the End of this Book and the Real Ghostbusters do the meta stuff much better but I am a sucker for meta stories so they generally won't be ones I dislike.
You are totally right about Sam getting hit in the head, by the way - the number of times someone either hits Sam or uses some sort of mind altering thing on him from the time he gets his soul back is crazy! He has a wall, people, it's fragile! Quit hitting him - that means you, Dean! It isn't surprising that the thing can't be repaired later on.
Considering what Sam had gone through in the cage and he had obviously gone through something it was just stupid and the episode felt like something some students would come up with on a drunk Saturday night.I can take a joke like the next person but that so called 'meta' episode was just not it for me.
It was a episode that leaves me with one simple question Why?.
Does Dean really hit Sam that much? I know Sam does get hit over the head alot by various bad guys, but I didn't think Dean hitnhim that much, although yes I know he has hit him in the past when they were fighting.
"We haven't even consummated our marriage yet" makes it clear that Becky entered into marriage with Sam intending to have sex with him, sex to which Sam could not consent. She did have him enter into a legal contract without consent, tie him down, and caress him without consent.
The threat of rape in the episode is canon. The fact that Spn has fallen down before on this kind of issue (it treated rape lightly in Wishful Thinking, flirted with the idea that Sam might have sex with Gen in French Mistake when Gen would have been consenting to sex with a different person, which would be rape, it made a joke of Gary having sex in Sam's body in Swap Meat; Clap Your Hands, at least, has the excuse of being robo!Sam POV, and the audience is presumably not meant to share robo!Sam's perceptions of what is and isn't amusing) makes the fail of TFaW more culpable, not less.
And, yeah, in a week that's included Mr. Akin, delegitimizing or trivializing rape or the threat of rape is not something I am likely to take as "all in good fun." Letting that episode air is by far the blackest mark in my book against Gamble.
Quote:No, the sole reason Becky did what she did in that episode was NOT to have sex with Sam, it was to get a quick, handsome husband for her 10 year high school reunion. She was an incredibly naive character and didn't intend harm for Sam. I actually don't believe she had it in her to consummate the marriage at that point in the episode, as she was obviously conflicted after finding out that Sam really didn't want to be with her.
But you're right, she did do all those things without Sam's consent, and if it happened in real life it would be criminal. But you know what? A ton of crap happens on SPN that, if it it happened in real life, would not be funny. But because we can tell the difference, we still watch, and laugh. You may argue that "TFAW" took it a step too far. That's your opinion. I don't, in fact, believe that "Time for a Wedding" was delegitimizing or trivializing rape. It wasn't the intent or point of the episode, and that's a pretty harsh charge to level against another woman (Sera Gamble didn't write that episode). I agree that jokes about sex on the show have often been done in poor taste - I think that's part of the noir/horror genre. Do I think they're funny? Certainly not. I shake my head or roll my eyes or cringe a little bit and move on. Actually delegitimizing or trivializing rape or the threat of rape is not something I would EVER called "all in good fun," nor did I EVER suggest such a thing.
The way that rape is depicted in popular culture, and the way that depiction is discussed, is not a separate issue from the way rape is discussed in public discourse. It makes a difference. It makes a difference to the ways people who are making and administering laws think. And this is particularly true when it comes to the definitions of what rape is.
To defend someone who deliberately took away someone's ability to consent in order to get them to do things that they would not do without that consent, things that, by the person's own admission, included sex (they hadn't consummated their marriage YET; though she changed her mind, she didn't enter into a marriage intending it to be a sexless marriage -- the fact that the marriage, not the sex, was her main goal makes no difference; raping someone in passing as part of a larger goal doesn't make it better) on the grounds that they are "naive" is very, very problematic.
It is possible, in the real world, for "naive" people to genuinely believe that no means yes, that someone whose consent they are taking away actually consents. When you claim that Becky almost assaulting Sam doesn't happen in the episode, when you make light of her action with reference to her naivete, yes, I think that you are downplaying what happened, and that making light of a fictional, hypothetical instance does contribute to a culture that delegitimizes rape. The divide between fiction and reality doesn't mean that fiction, and the ways in which we talk about fiction, don't bear a responsibility to the wider culture.
I also think that if they had reversed the genders in that episode and played it the same way, they would have been pilloried, simply because the implications of the episode would have been much more visible with a woman roofied, tied down, and touched against her will by someone who had intended to have nonconsensual sex with her.
I don't deny that the claims that, if they had reversed the genders in that episode and played it the same way, it would have been vilified. That's very true.
I do balk at the hard-line dealt this particular episode - it seems this episode gets a worse rap than others and is treated more harshly than others because of Becky and who she is in the show. That is what I initially was responding to.
PLEASE understand that I AGREE with where you are coming from, and everything you said. But I still enjoyed "TFAW" and have re-watched it many times, because I don't think it was depicting or making light of a sexual assault. I just don't. My hope is that you can respect that, and that I will not be lectured or lambasted about it. I like the episode for Sam and Dean's interactions; though that doesn't mean I don't 'get it' regarding your issues with the episode.
It was a disturbing scenario that went even farther than what was done to Sam, with the exception of physical restraint.
As long as I'm here, I'd note that Meg menacing Jo sexually while possessing Sam's body was also a violation of Sam. Had Meg used Sam's body to rape Jo, there would have been two victims, Jo and Sam.
Does Dean really hit Sam that much? I know Sam does get hit over the head alot by various bad guys, but I didn't think Dean hitnhim that much, although yes I know he has hit him in the past when they were fighting.
"Bugs" will always be my number one absolute worst episode ever, with "Mannequin" a close second, with "Defending Your Life" third by a nose. "Route 666" is probably fourth, then "Time for a Wedding", and I would swap "Family Remains" in for "Heaven and Hell". "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things", "I Believe the Children Are Our Future" and "Swap Meat" feel like they ought to be on here somewhere.
I really disliked "Swap Meat". That was another concept that just didn't get the right execution. Dean not realizing that wasn't Sam? No way, not when the Apocalypse was on and everything was a threat.
So many of the rest don't live in my memory as terrible episodes, but I feel an apathy toward them. "Simon Said" wasn't a bad episode, but it doesn't click with me, just like "Red Sky at Morning". And I know so may people love "The French Mistake", but eh.
As for "Hammer of the Gods," execution was lacking, but I don't think it deserves to be number one. Rekha Sharma nailed it, and I like the idea of a confrontation between Gabriel and Lucifer. I wouldn't have put it on the list, but I won't pretend it isn't a bit of a mess.
Thanks for the food for thought!
I agree with all of your choices but 'Heaven and Hell.' I really enjoyed that one...but yeah, No Time For a Wedding...wow, epic bad. Becky annoys me to no end.
I look forward to your best 10 (or 15) episode list!
I forgot about the Wishful Thinking thing but yeah come to think of it, why didn't the boys kick his ass for that?
no exit
the kids are alright
let it bleed
rt. 666
bugs
sex and violence
thought the old lady groping sam in red sky made it bearable. it did make me laugh.
time for a wedding may not have been so bad if it had been shown in s8 or s9...definitely not in s7...i mean were we supposed to believe that love potion is the solution to sam's hellucinations?
If they were going to erase memories then the logical thing would have been to erase Dean's memories of them as well. Then threats against Lisa and Ben wouldn't have held as much power of Dean.
S&V I could only watch one time, believe me, that was enough.
:)
I liked the kid they had playing Dean in the pilot, he was completely appropriate looking. The older kid, Ridge I think is the actors name, was very good on the show, but you are right, he didn't channel the feel of a younger Jensen, not like Colin Ford channels young Sam. I also liked Brock Kelly, I thought he did a decent job as a teen Dean, but again - not the right color of hair or eyes. ah well. :)
I do wish he would let his hair grow a little longer like it used to be when he was younger, then you could see easily it was blond. Plus I think he looks so much hotter with it longer.
Those were my only complaints about AVSC and SWTWC, episodes I otherwise thought were great.
You're right about the little boy in the pilot, I saw a pic of Jensen as maybe a 4 year old and he was a total little towhead!
I like Jensen's hair longer, just not spiked crazy like in season one. But how it was styled in season 7 was really nice. He looked so good! I could get behind his hair just a tad longer...
The other episodes I would include on the list have to be Shut Up, Dr. Phil... I just couldn't watch that episode at one go and Defending Your Life. This episode had so much potential to be brilliant but they ruined it and made Osiris seem like a douche bag.
My least favorite wouldn't have Heaven and Hell in it, but Swap Meat. I agree on Red Sky and Mannequin 3. I guess my list would just have those five.
Hey, Adeorspina! I'd love to contribute on your article about Bugs. Not that I love that episode, but I think it's a real good premise. The only problem for me is that the night was too short. That part is helpless, but I like thte fact that the show established early on that the human creatu deserves to suffer for what it's been doing to the Earth. Ok, by now y'all get that I'm pagan.
Spank me, bit I love soulless Sam. It was a great moment for Jared. Some of the eps were not that good all around, but I wouldn't blame it on him. For the first 3 eps, I thought Jared had simply lost his will to act and I was actually worried about him. I don't think he is the most amazing actor ever, we all have a lot to learn on our craft always (I'm an actor too, have been for 20 years now), but it was like Sam had no presence, no will, no SOUL. Than we learn that the problem was exactly THAT and then I just applauded his amazing job, now that I finally understood and it made the whole thing brilliant in my eyes. The first time I really loved Jared, like flawlessly loved, was when Lucifer is wearing his meat suit in In the End. Wonderful. Soulless Sam came in second.
That being said, I actually like "Hammer of the Gods" quite a bit. I admit I was annoyed at first that the other gods weren't handled with more respect, but when Kali pointed out how arrogant it was, I felt like the writers were laughing at themselves - poking fun at how heavy and wrapped up in judeo-christian mythologies the season had become. I also thought several aspects of the episode were hilarious, such as Dean hitting on Kali, spotting the elephant, and the boys trying to sneak out of the room. Not to mention Gabriel in Casa Erotica! Egads! I was thoroughly entertained, and I liked Kali enough to hope she shows up to cause some mayhem in a future episode. So what I guess I'm saying is that I respectfully disagree. :)
That being said, there are several reasons to dislike an episode, whether it's bad script or characters behaving oddly or continuity issues or just plain boring. I can barely watch "Ghostfacers" because I'm so annoyed by those characters and shaky-cam in general, but understand that's a personal taste. I didn't care for "I Believe The Children Are Our Future" because (although there were several laugh-out-loud moments and I appreciated the nod to Good Omens) having an all-powerful child suddenly show up was didn't jive with the overall story. But no episode, in my mind, was so horrible in every single aspect as "Out with the Old".
So that is my #1. Worst. Episode. EVAR!!! I'm not sure whether I consider the biggest problem the horrendous dialogue or the lack of an episodic story arc - both were unforgivable. That scene at the beginning on the snowy deck where they both trail off at some point is really awkward and made me want to jab a fork into my eye. Then when Sam is yelling at the kid with the record for being ungrateful... what is that??? I was fairly stoked for another cursed object episode, as I loved "Bad Day at Black Rock", but this one was a waste. The implications of cursed porn should have been funnier, and the whole storyline should have lasted longer. They could have been clever and used cursed objects against the Leviathans! But ten minutes into the episode, that's all resolved, and instead we get them NOT ganking one Leviathan because he promises to eat the other? And then there's a big reveal about curing cancer? And then Frank is dead? Maybe? Worst of all, I did not laugh or get any emotional response from any of that, and was thoroughly NOT entertained. Usually when I dislike an episode, I can think of at least one redeeming moment (funny, sad, scary, clever, suspenseful), but this one seemed to fail on every level, so it would be my worst.
But to each his or her own. I think it's great that we all love the show enough to be passionate about these things!
I totally agree with you. "Out With Old" was bottom-of-the-b arrel. The pacing was slow, the story lacked direction and coherency, the Leviathans were annoying rather than menacing, and there were many OOC moments.
I don't remember the scene you mentioned with Sam, but he was running on fumes that entire episode, so anything that he said or did can be explained by that. But I can remember that scene where Dean turns around and tells the owner of the cursed objects that "guilt won't bring them [being dead loved ones] back" and "all you can do is try to live in a way that wouldn't embarrass them." I was like, 'what?' where is this coming from? It seemed like an attempt at character development that certainly hadn't been earned, much less properly explained. The most gripping part of that entire episode was when Sam almost wrecked into a semi. But that was just another fake-out. Like 'hey, we're gonna make you think you're going to get some character development'... 'just kidding!'
Seriously, though, I like to think of S7 as more like one of those delicious filled donuts, except when you take a bite, you realize it's filled with the sugary white fluff instead of the creamy vanilla pudding... and that's not so bad, it's still a filled donut, and more delicious than most breakfast foods, but you really had your heart set on that vanilla pudding, and so you can't help but make that face you get when you're kind of shocked and a little confused and pretty disappointed because that donut tricked you with its stupid white fluff and lack of vanilla pudding! But also, you keep eating it, because after all, it's still a delicious donut. :)
That being ranted, I'm super-excited about S8... I think we will definitely get some vanilla pudding out of that purgatory storyline!
Hookman. This one gets kind of the same pass that a lot of season 1 gets. Bugs and Route 666 were particularly bad but I didn’t think this one was horrible. They took a good portion of S1 to find their footing IMO.
Fallen Idols This one didn’t really work. It felt liked it should but it just didn’t really come off. It looked especially bad following four incredible episodes.
Heaven and Hell I liked this episode. I thought it could have been better, but I didn’t have the big problems with it that you did.
Family Remains- weirdly for me the last scene is what saved that episode. I loved that they took such a bold choice for Dean’s character and to me that absolutely made sense. He was in constant, horrific pain for 30 years and being able to pay some of that back would feel good, regardless of how wrong it was.
The Magnificent Seven I agree this was not good as a season opener, would have been okay later in the season. But I liked the brother scenes. And I thought Dean’s attitude really fit the character. Loved the threesome while Sam waited in the car.
Season 7 Time for a Wedding- I actually liked this one. I just didn’t take it seriously at all. And other than the title and how Becky knew them I didn’t see this as being meta really. Or a statement on the fans, but just I one particular fan who was always a bit creepy to me in a funny way. But Edlund would have kicked ass on it. Of course I don’t think there is an episode of his I haven’t liked.
Red Sky At Morning Bad. ONLY good was the tuxes and Dean hyperventilatin g over Baby being gone.
Route 666 Bad, but this is one of the many the brothers’ scenes saved it. I didn’t think the sex scene was bad. I do watch it with the sound off though. I don’t know what that song was but it was NOT GOOD.
Mannequin 3:The Reckoning I didn’t mind the episode. It wasn’t the best but it I thought it was ok.
Bugs Yeah just bad bad bad. Best thing about are the BTS stories.
Hammer of the Gods I completely agree with you on this one. Unlike most of the other episodes on the list the brother moments didn’t even save it for me. I agree that the Lucifer/Gabriel confrontation was good.
No Exit would definitely be of my list as would Defending Your Life. (I do really like Jo. These 2 episodes just blew). I would probably have Long Distance Call there too. I don’t know why but this one didn’t work for me either except for the brother scenes. It may just look bad in comparison to all the kick ass ones that were at the end of season 3. I usually only watch this one if I’m watching them all in order.
I really never cared for a lot of the witch episodes so I'd probably have a few of them on here if I made my own list.
That said, I still find Man's Best Friend With Benefits and All Dogs Go to Heaven to be the two most offensive episodes of the series.
10 Worst:
Dishonorable mention: All Dogs - Lucky was creepy and stalkerish watching his owner undress... ick. But I love and adore Soulless Sam so this gets a mention and a pass compared to the rest of my list.
10. Season 7: Time for Wedding - I wasn't all that offended by the characterizatio n of the fans through Becky, just annoyed by Becky herself.
9. The Rapture - I love Cas... but, I. Don't. Care. About. Jimmy. And Jimmy's boring story totally overshadowed the more interesting and more important story of Sam's blood addiction that was "playing in the background." Ugh
8. Freaks and Geeks - I. Don't. Care. About. Krissy. And Sam was virtually non-existent in this episode and not in the necessary way that he was non-existent in In the Beginning which worked, but in a lame, "excuse me while I take myself out of the scene for no reason so Dean can bond with guest of the week," kind of non-existant. Yuck.
7. Route 666 - For all the reasons you mentioned. It seems inconceivable to me that they could make Jensen look awkward in a sex scene, but somehow they managed. Poor casting, lack of chemistry, racist truck. Nuff said.
6. Shut Up Dr. Phil - I hated that the brother's took such a hard line about killing Monsters in The Girl Next Door only to completely ignore that two episodes later by letting these two awful, petty, 'let's kill people out of spite' witches go without punishment or death. Completely inconsistent. Gr.
5. Hammer of the Gods - Yeah, not show's finest hour. it did seem woefully ill informed about any and all non-Christian religions and I don't like it when Show looks dumb.
4. Defending Your Life - I hate being underwhelmed and watching a wasted opportunity. Why wasn't this like a real trial? Why didn't Sam behave like a real lawyer? Why wasn't anything REALLY relevant brought up at the trial? Why wasn't Sam a witness or John? I think TPTB wrote themselves into a corner and then chickened out before addressing anything really meaningful.
3. Mannequin 3: The Reckoning - Gawd! What a dismal, slow moving, depressing episode. I need to root for the people that the brothers are trying to help, but those dudes were awful, and got what they deserved. I was rooting for the ghost in this one.
2. Man's Best Friend - Ugh! just ugh and grrr. It was soooo bad, so illogical at it's best and squick making and possibly racist at it's worst. Incongruous and irrelevant plot points (Dean's allergic to cats now?) just brought this episode crashing down. I am not sure how the writers thought that this looked good even on paper. At least the dog was beautiful.
1. Taxi Driver - Now, before anyone starts throwing things at me, this episode did have many redeeming features; great broments, emotional scenes btwn Dean and Benny, Bro-hugs, but the wholesale attack on canon, rewriting reaper lore for no other reason than they couldn't come up with anything better (despite the MOL bunker practically oozing plot options out of every pore) lazy story conception, rushed execution, and the absolute cake walk that was Purgatory and Hell, this is currently my all time least favorite episode of the entire series.
Whew! There you go.. I hope at least one person manages to slog through this novel.
"I swear, I wrote that so long ago (I think it was for Blogcritics) I can't even find that article. Here was my five from that list though.
1. Bugs
2. Route 666
3. Hookman
4. No Exit
5. Red Sky at Morning
Dishonorable Mention: Playthings"
I know that you wrote this ages ago, but I am behind and just seeing this now... but Ah! Alice!! I looooooove Playthings!! Love it! Drunk Sam, Hero Sam and caring Dean. Love... it's one of my favorite sleeper episodes. Just saying.
Not Misha's fault though - Jimmy is a totally different person to Castiel which is kudos to Misha's acting!
After School Special - I don't know. Because only Sam could stand up for himself and a friend against a bully and still come out of it looking bad because the bully had a heart of gold?
Bugs - though you know it is like the curate's egg - it is good in parts. (as most of these episodes are)
Red sky at morning - specifically BECAUSE of the cougar, it is embarrasing ... ick. And that is one elegant older lady too - hats off to her!
Family Remains - the X-Files is 25 years old this year and it was a creaky storyline (and a miserable depressing episode) when THEY did it ... The only good thing about the episode is how every one of the guest actors look like people you think you ought to recognize from other shows - but it turns out you don't.
Criss Angel is a Douchebag -It's called "Criss Angel is a Douchebag" there was never any hope for it ...
Blood Brother - vampires as Hallmark Movie-of-the-We ek, what show are we watching again? This didn't even have the decency to be funny.
The Mentalists (that belongs near the top of my list - I detest it).
Southern Comfort - *sigh* 'Nough said.
Memories, like the corners of my mind, misty water colored meeeemorieeees of the way we were....
Playthings is a sleeper episode for me too. The boys are just so adorable in that episode. I don't think it should have one Emmy's but I always enjoy watching it.
Rapture is just the opposite for me. I thought it was a really good episode that I don't care to watch very often. I think because when I think of Jimmy trapped in Castiel it makes me uncomfortable. I did ADORE the last scene though. It is such a freakin fantastic way to expose Sam blood addiction -AWESOME.
eilf We are on pretty different pages with this list. I love love After School Special. Thought Blood Brother was great-other than the Amelia scenes. And I thought despite all the brouhaha that follow, Southern Comfort was a really good episode (other than the Amelia scenes) and the fact that Kearney, MO seemed pretty Southern. But that probably just bugs me because I've driven through it so often.
And I liked Route 666 myself...
Can't say I have an uber favorite... But here are a couple I like: Playthings, Bad Day at Black Rock, Mystery Spot, Yellow Fever, Criss Angel is a DOuche Bag (love the title, too), I Believe the Children are Our Future, Changing Channels, and Dog Dean Afrernoon...whi ch is one of the last ones I've seen so far.