Supernatural: All Dogs Go to Heaven
September 2, 2021 6:11 AM - Season 6, Episode 8 - Subscribe
Crowley demands that Dean and Sam bring him an alpha monster. They go after a skinwalker, who plans to infiltrate his people into homes while disguised as dogs, and then have them all bite and transform their owners, creating a growing army.
Quotes:
Crowley: [listens to Dean talking with Bobby] Is that Bobby Singer? Give him a kiss for me.
Dean Winchester: [to Lucky] Now we can do this the easy way [Holds up a stack of clothes] ... Or the hard way. [Holds up training collar]
Sam: [snickers]
Dean: ....
Sam: What? Soul or not, that's funny.
Sam: Why shack up with a family? Is it a kinky thing? Do you like to play with your food? Roll over, Lucky. Speak.
Lucky: Go to hell.
Sam: Already been. Didn't agree with me.
Lucky: No, you guys don't get it. No one can. These guys who turned me – they're ruthless.
Sam: [whistles and holds up a ball, then throws it]
Dean: Sam, not helping.
Lucky: Fetch this, dick.
Dean: Three scuzzy bars, one scuzzy strip club, a chili dog joint, seven or eight nightcaps... and now scotches in the library. I'm getting cirrhosis just watching this.
Crowley: Been through this. Quit clutching your pearls. You've been working for me for some time. Sam here, longer.
Sam: We didn't know.
Crowley: Like that makes a difference to you. You'd sell your brother for a dollar right now if you really needed a soda.
Lucky: I was living on the streets. They found me, they told me one small bite I'd be strong, I'd be fast.
Dean: Sniffing people's butts, that's a real step up.
Dean: [to Sam] I mean, it's your gigantor body and -– and maybe your brain, but it's not you.
Trivia:
Sam tells Dean that he, Sam, would double cross them, to which Dean replies, "Thanks, Dexter. That's reassuring." Dean is referring to the soulless serial killer title character in the TV crime thriller Dexter.
In this episode, the Winchesters go by the aliases "Holt" and "Wilson." In the 1981 movie Wolfen, Officers Holt and Wilson investigate killings done by werewolves.
The title of this episode is from the 1989 animated musical comedy All Dogs Go to Heaven.
Some elements of this episode exhibit a resemblance to Toby Barlow's 2008 epic poem/novel Sharp Teeth.
Sam says to Dean, "Dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!" This is a reference to a Peter Venkman line in the movie Ghostbusters: "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!"
In the newspaper article about the first victim, he is named as Erik Gieszelmann and is said to be survived by his cat, Sticky.
Quotes:
Crowley: [listens to Dean talking with Bobby] Is that Bobby Singer? Give him a kiss for me.
Dean Winchester: [to Lucky] Now we can do this the easy way [Holds up a stack of clothes] ... Or the hard way. [Holds up training collar]
Sam: [snickers]
Dean: ....
Sam: What? Soul or not, that's funny.
Sam: Why shack up with a family? Is it a kinky thing? Do you like to play with your food? Roll over, Lucky. Speak.
Lucky: Go to hell.
Sam: Already been. Didn't agree with me.
Lucky: No, you guys don't get it. No one can. These guys who turned me – they're ruthless.
Sam: [whistles and holds up a ball, then throws it]
Dean: Sam, not helping.
Lucky: Fetch this, dick.
Dean: Three scuzzy bars, one scuzzy strip club, a chili dog joint, seven or eight nightcaps... and now scotches in the library. I'm getting cirrhosis just watching this.
Crowley: Been through this. Quit clutching your pearls. You've been working for me for some time. Sam here, longer.
Sam: We didn't know.
Crowley: Like that makes a difference to you. You'd sell your brother for a dollar right now if you really needed a soda.
Lucky: I was living on the streets. They found me, they told me one small bite I'd be strong, I'd be fast.
Dean: Sniffing people's butts, that's a real step up.
Dean: [to Sam] I mean, it's your gigantor body and -– and maybe your brain, but it's not you.
Trivia:
Sam tells Dean that he, Sam, would double cross them, to which Dean replies, "Thanks, Dexter. That's reassuring." Dean is referring to the soulless serial killer title character in the TV crime thriller Dexter.
In this episode, the Winchesters go by the aliases "Holt" and "Wilson." In the 1981 movie Wolfen, Officers Holt and Wilson investigate killings done by werewolves.
The title of this episode is from the 1989 animated musical comedy All Dogs Go to Heaven.
Some elements of this episode exhibit a resemblance to Toby Barlow's 2008 epic poem/novel Sharp Teeth.
Sam says to Dean, "Dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!" This is a reference to a Peter Venkman line in the movie Ghostbusters: "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!"
In the newspaper article about the first victim, he is named as Erik Gieszelmann and is said to be survived by his cat, Sticky.
Oh yeah, that Littlest Hobo callback couldn't be any more obvious if they tried.
Same doesn't have his matching silver gun anymore.
Yeah, this was a terrible episode because of the awful premise.
posted by sardonyx at 6:57 AM on September 2, 2021 [1 favorite]
Same doesn't have his matching silver gun anymore.
Yeah, this was a terrible episode because of the awful premise.
posted by sardonyx at 6:57 AM on September 2, 2021 [1 favorite]
matching silver gun anymore
Dean's looks like a stainless or nickle-plated 1911 with pearl grips but doesn't have the classic 1911 silhouette (with the really rectangular bottom of the barrel-end, the nose of the gun, or maybe the shiney-ness hides it on camera), so maybe not a Colt 1911 (there are tons of knockoffs/ copycats/ and mods). Looking at the fandom wiki, it suggests that the only time that Sam had used Dean's was to kill his werewolf hookup in that other dog/ werewolf episode.
While Sam's carrying a black Taurus of some kind this episode, the wiki says that he's had a nickle-plated Taurus previously (the line is a Brazilian copy of the Beretta 92 with more machismo (more aggressive profile, copying from the 1911), which the 92 was an Italian effort in the 60s/70s to updating the 1911 which was introduced in... 1911) but for whatever reason carried a black Taurus instead during at least the first half of season 6.
The ending was particularly mean - the whole episode was - and this ep feels mythos-janky trying to force 1) body count [this episode is not a good look for Dean] and 2) Sam opening up to Dean about not having a soul.
Which makes very little sense and (me), as a former anti-organised-religion reactionary, found this straight up insulting to suggest that a soul is required for empathy, compassion, or ethics.
Really lazy writing. Or just jejune and unsophisticated.
If I was forced to deal with writing about souls and their absense, I'd go with anhedonia (which could still support stories around soul-sick "monsters" by them going to ever further lengths to try to experience pleasure again) or the inability to appreciate wonder, or something, instead.
posted by porpoise at 10:46 PM on September 2, 2021 [2 favorites]
Dean's looks like a stainless or nickle-plated 1911 with pearl grips but doesn't have the classic 1911 silhouette (with the really rectangular bottom of the barrel-end, the nose of the gun, or maybe the shiney-ness hides it on camera), so maybe not a Colt 1911 (there are tons of knockoffs/ copycats/ and mods). Looking at the fandom wiki, it suggests that the only time that Sam had used Dean's was to kill his werewolf hookup in that other dog/ werewolf episode.
While Sam's carrying a black Taurus of some kind this episode, the wiki says that he's had a nickle-plated Taurus previously (the line is a Brazilian copy of the Beretta 92 with more machismo (more aggressive profile, copying from the 1911), which the 92 was an Italian effort in the 60s/70s to updating the 1911 which was introduced in... 1911) but for whatever reason carried a black Taurus instead during at least the first half of season 6.
The ending was particularly mean - the whole episode was - and this ep feels mythos-janky trying to force 1) body count [this episode is not a good look for Dean] and 2) Sam opening up to Dean about not having a soul.
Which makes very little sense and (me), as a former anti-organised-religion reactionary, found this straight up insulting to suggest that a soul is required for empathy, compassion, or ethics.
Really lazy writing. Or just jejune and unsophisticated.
If I was forced to deal with writing about souls and their absense, I'd go with anhedonia (which could still support stories around soul-sick "monsters" by them going to ever further lengths to try to experience pleasure again) or the inability to appreciate wonder, or something, instead.
posted by porpoise at 10:46 PM on September 2, 2021 [2 favorites]
Helpful info about the firearms. I've noted them in the past, because they seem to be another physical indicator of the characters, like Dean's jewellery. His main gun isn't just utilitarian. It's an attractive piece of hardware, with decorative accents. If Dean is going to have to use a tool on a regular basis, he wants one that goes with his aesthetic. He doesn't have a lot of material objects to call his own, but he seems to care for the ones he has and is willing to spend the time and effort taking care of them. In addition to making sure his weapons work properly (which I imagine is ingrained in him), he seems willing to take the time to keep his gun polished and shiny.
Sam didn't originally have a matching piece, then suddenly he did, and it seemed to come out of nowhere. The reasoning behind its appearance is unclear: did the writers just come around to thinking the boys should have matching guns? Did they find the highly polished ones show up better when wielded in dark rooms/scenes? Do the guns have some kind of story attached to them (that is revealed in later episodes)? It's not that any of this is important, it's just one of those little things that jumps out when watching (maybe especially if you're watching over a compressed time period that isn't 15 years).
posted by sardonyx at 6:57 AM on September 3, 2021
Sam didn't originally have a matching piece, then suddenly he did, and it seemed to come out of nowhere. The reasoning behind its appearance is unclear: did the writers just come around to thinking the boys should have matching guns? Did they find the highly polished ones show up better when wielded in dark rooms/scenes? Do the guns have some kind of story attached to them (that is revealed in later episodes)? It's not that any of this is important, it's just one of those little things that jumps out when watching (maybe especially if you're watching over a compressed time period that isn't 15 years).
posted by sardonyx at 6:57 AM on September 3, 2021
Now that I think about it, Sam has even fewer possessions than Dean since we all know the Impala is Dean's, no matter how strongly Sam feels about the car. It's odd, because Sam was the one headed for a more conventional life, a life that surely would have come with a nice place to live, probably a nice car, expensive suits, and whatever other accoutrements a successful lawyer (and his wife) would accumulate. Not having any of that, however, doesn't seem to phase Sam in the least.
posted by sardonyx at 8:54 AM on September 3, 2021
posted by sardonyx at 8:54 AM on September 3, 2021
This episode had all kinds of problems, most of which have been addressed above. That said, there were a few times it had me chuckling out loud, in spite of myself.
As problematic as this season is, I will say this: it must have been a nice break for the actors because after five long years (little did they know about how long the show would run) they have a change to try on some new characters or characteristics. Sam, of course, is completely against type, and in reaction, Dean has had to soften and become a bit more like Sam. Additionally, in this episode we to to see Dean panic and freak out, which is not his normal reaction.
posted by sardonyx at 9:34 AM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
As problematic as this season is, I will say this: it must have been a nice break for the actors because after five long years (little did they know about how long the show would run) they have a change to try on some new characters or characteristics. Sam, of course, is completely against type, and in reaction, Dean has had to soften and become a bit more like Sam. Additionally, in this episode we to to see Dean panic and freak out, which is not his normal reaction.
posted by sardonyx at 9:34 AM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
they seem to be another physical indicator of the characters
Good point - Sam's favouring a blackhat gun to indicate his status, etc. Wonder if/ when he'll switch back?
posted by porpoise at 11:10 AM on September 3, 2021
Good point - Sam's favouring a black
posted by porpoise at 11:10 AM on September 3, 2021
Now that I think about it, Sam has even fewer possessions than Dean since we all know the Impala is Dean's, no matter how strongly Sam feels about the car. It's odd, because Sam was the one headed for a more conventional life, a life that surely would have come with a nice place to live, probably a nice car, expensive suits, and whatever other accoutrements a successful lawyer (and his wife) would accumulate. Not having any of that, however, doesn't seem to phase Sam in the least.
Neither Sam nor Dean is very materialistic, and Sam is even less so than Dean. It's the way they grew up, I suppose. They had very few things because they were drifters, and their focus has always been on the work that they do rather than on material trappings. Dean has a few beloved possessions: the Impala, his jewelry, his leather jacket, his gun and other weaponry. He treats all of these things with the greatest care, and we never hear him expressing a desire for more or better things.
Sam has his laptop and iPod -- which seem to be merely tools for him -- and a silver money clip with his initials on it, and is fussy about his hair and what he eats, and that's it. He never wears any jewelry. (This may reflect Jared Padalecki's style. He doesn't seem to ever wear any jewelry other than his wedding ring and a watch, while Jensen Ackles is definitely into jewelry. Jared also dresses more plainly than Jensen in standard menswear, while Jensen wears things like tartan suits.)
I think Sam cares more about the work he does and the life of the mind than about stuff. Even if he had become a successful lawyer as he planned, I can see him sticking to a few set types of clothing and living in a relatively austere manner, with maybe a few indulgences like a car that Dean, who knows more about cars, would claim was a douchebag's car. If/when he got married, he would have a nice house for his wife's sake, but as long as he was single he would probably live in a sparely decorated condo with some top of the line appliances/equipment in the kitchen.
posted by orange swan at 11:36 AM on September 3, 2021
Neither Sam nor Dean is very materialistic, and Sam is even less so than Dean. It's the way they grew up, I suppose. They had very few things because they were drifters, and their focus has always been on the work that they do rather than on material trappings. Dean has a few beloved possessions: the Impala, his jewelry, his leather jacket, his gun and other weaponry. He treats all of these things with the greatest care, and we never hear him expressing a desire for more or better things.
Sam has his laptop and iPod -- which seem to be merely tools for him -- and a silver money clip with his initials on it, and is fussy about his hair and what he eats, and that's it. He never wears any jewelry. (This may reflect Jared Padalecki's style. He doesn't seem to ever wear any jewelry other than his wedding ring and a watch, while Jensen Ackles is definitely into jewelry. Jared also dresses more plainly than Jensen in standard menswear, while Jensen wears things like tartan suits.)
I think Sam cares more about the work he does and the life of the mind than about stuff. Even if he had become a successful lawyer as he planned, I can see him sticking to a few set types of clothing and living in a relatively austere manner, with maybe a few indulgences like a car that Dean, who knows more about cars, would claim was a douchebag's car. If/when he got married, he would have a nice house for his wife's sake, but as long as he was single he would probably live in a sparely decorated condo with some top of the line appliances/equipment in the kitchen.
posted by orange swan at 11:36 AM on September 3, 2021
If I was forced to deal with writing about souls and their absense, I'd go with anhedonia (which could still support stories around soul-sick "monsters" by them going to ever further lengths to try to experience pleasure again) or the inability to appreciate wonder, or something, instead.
The Simpsons handled this better.
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:20 PM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
The Simpsons handled this better.
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:20 PM on September 3, 2021 [1 favorite]
Ugh. My last set of comments was meant to be posted in the fairy episode thread not this one (hence the chuckling and running away). I've just got too many tabs open. But the overall comment applies to the entire season.
posted by sardonyx at 12:31 PM on September 3, 2021
posted by sardonyx at 12:31 PM on September 3, 2021
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The ending, with Lucky running off down the road by himself, was very The Littlest Hobo.
posted by orange swan at 6:16 AM on September 2, 2021 [1 favorite]