Season 13 Wayward episode insta-reaction

[amberdreams]

I'll put this up front - UGH.

So if you loved it and only want to read squee, go no further.

My main problem is Clare. Nothing she's done or said so far in any episode has made me warm to her one iota. Part of which is the writing, but I think it's also that Katherine Newsome is just not very good.

Now, apart from being the same sulky, arrogant teenager (even though she's presumably now supposed to be in her early twenties which makes those traits even more irritating), they're writing her as some sort of miraculously awesome fighter. It's utterly unbelievable. Fifteen minutes into the episode I had to take a break, because really? Jody shoots the growly alien creature but Clare is the only one who's badass enough to stab it in the head with a stupidly small knife that had no effect on it moments previously? Gordon Bennet.

So yeah. UGH.

If Wayward is going to be all about Clare, her bravado, her stupidity and her ridiculous artful blonde coiffure, count me out. Especially after killing off one of the best of their young characters for the sake of the weakest one. I mean. Killing off Kaia? Now I'm pissed off. Having Kaia then turn out to be the Wayward's big bad doesn't make up for the fact that we're stuck with Clare and dishwater Patience, with only Alex having a bit of pazzazz about her.  Even Jody felt watered down.

Bad!Kaia = Assassin's Creed/Jurassic Park can suddenly open doors to the SPN universe? Huh. Who knew it was that easy.

So please, Wayward, give me more Donna, her D-Train, her smile and her trunk full of Minnesota. Which, by the way, Jody and Donna did NOT make use of when scouting out the ship. Really? Now they are being extra stupid too? Gimme a break!

So, anyhoo - the good bits! And there were a few. Some gorgeous shots of the autumn leaves by the lake or river where the girls meet up with Donna, and equally gorgeous shots of the Larson's Boat Yard. Donna. Just everything about Donna. Tried up Winchesters (even though that was such a weak plot device to have Clare save them *sigh*).

Now this backdoor pilot is out of the way, I really hope the Winchesters will be up front and centre of every other episode this season, because waiting nearly 20 minutes into an episode to get a fresh Winchester scene was agonising.

Comments

[fufaraw]

Yeah, just give me the Jody and Donna show and stand back, okay? We don't need the CW demographic T&A.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Absolutely.

[toratio.livejournal.com]

Seconded so hard.

[katwoman76.livejournal.com]

THAT.
I love Jody and Donna. And I still don't care about Claire.

[jj1564.livejournal.com]

I completely agree, I spent the first 15 mins just wanting to slap Claire. She's so annoying and unbelievable - any true hunter would have their hair tied back, for starters! This episode seemed all about her and not much about the rest of them - the saving grace was Donna and her trunk full of Minnesota! And I'd much rather Claire had died than Kaia. It took far too long to feature Sam and Dean - it should've started with them eating lizard, which was a great scene and showed how Dean survived Purgatory - he will eat anything! As you said, hopefully now that episode is out of the way we'll get to see more of Sam and Dean in the next one.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I have a horrible feeling the CW are seeing Clare as some sort of new Buffy, but a) I don't think this actress has got what it takes, and b) Buffy snappy dialogue with plenty of humour, Clare does not.

[jj1564.livejournal.com]

Exactly, but she's not a strong enough character. Nothing she did came across as believable, and they are trying too hard to make her 'sassy' ugh!

[katwoman76.livejournal.com]

Although I was a bit amused when they say they've been there 2 says and change and Dean looks as if he just got out of the bathroom, clean-shaven and all ;)

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Ha ha me too - his hair still looked pretty perfect and neither of them had enough stubble for 2-3 days worth!

[jj1564.livejournal.com]

He has a very slow growing beard!

[kazluvsbooks.livejournal.com]

Yep, it really should have been the Donna and Jody show, with the girls as support..agree..Claire's hair was pretty, but waaay too long...

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Donna's hair is long but guess what, she's a real woman who kicks ass, so she TIES IT BACK.

[emmatheslayer.livejournal.com]

Right I am with you and for me it's not that I don't like Claire I just think it felt rushed and forced and way to convenient for may liking and I felt like it was kinda pandering to it's fan service audience any way the winchesters don't wait to be saved they save themselves but I did love Dean and his lizard

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

yep, that's exactly it - contrived plot-lines to serve the Wayward pilot. Like you said on JJ's post - disappointing.

[siennavie.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen this episode but this is exactly how i feel about Claire (and the actress) in every other SPN episode she's been in. Based on the promo shots, I was afraid wayward sisters was going to be focused on her :/ Like everyone else, i would be so much happier if this was the Jody and Donna show.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Yep. It wasn't an AWFUL episode, but I really can't stand Claire's character anyway, and this episode set her front and centre and expected me to feel for her. I didn't.

[jimbobjoe.livejournal.com]

I'm laughing, only because I said almost exactly the same thing to my husband as we watched last night. UGH. Please not THE CLAIRE SHOW.
But I would 100% watch THE JODY AND DONNA SHOW. Hell yeah.

[katwoman76.livejournal.com]

You betcha! I think most of us would much rather see Jody and Donna, but this is the CW and they STILL have to learn that. So my thought: still support Wayward but be loud about it needing more Jody and Donna focus.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Good thinking.

[jennygeee.livejournal.com]

I agree, what really got me was that Sam and Dean had been there for about 3 days and yet Claire found them tied up within minutes? WTH!! And how did she get to be such an "awesome" hunter? I would have thought the wise way to go about this spinoff would be to have Donna and Jody as the main characters not having them, plus Sam and Dean, having to be saved by the "awesome" Claire! Think I'll be giving it a miss, which is a shame.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Assuming it's picked up I will watch the first couple and see how it goes, but this pilot hasn't got me fired with enthusiasm.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

I watched this morning, and I did enjoy the episode on the whole but, yes, Claire is just not an engaging character. I just can't warm to her. The thing that makes Spn such is hit is the great charisma of the two main characters and the fact that people can relate to them and love them. Claire is just too one-dimensional and aggressive to be likeable.

I love Jody and Donna, but the simple fact is that rightly or wrongly, I generally favour the male characters in shows and engage with them much more. If this does get picked up, I'll watch it because I want to support Brianna and Kim, but I can't see me getting on board with it the way I have with supernatural.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Jody and Donna have a lot going for them, and I worry that the writers don't appreciate what they've got there, and are going to be pushing the 'youth agenda'.

[hugemind.livejournal.com]

I agree with absolutely every word you said. *nods* Claire is very Mary Sue, and to me the actress playing Patience is not very convincing either.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Patience is weak and I don't know if it's the character or the actress. I still wish they'd given us her amusing sport-loving friend instead. *sigh*

[nomercles.livejournal.com]

YES. ALL OF THAT. I didn't particularly enjoy Claire (Clare?) before, but I actively disliked her after this. She's, what, the heir to John Winchester now? Is that what's happening? Goes from idiot neophyte to expert killer, then loses her girlfriend (shut up, I was totally getting sapphic vibes there) and now she's on the hunt for revenge, treating her TEAM as her ARMY. Noooope. Literally the only thing I liked about this episode was a few lines and Donna. And, actually, Claire's hair. Thinking of taking those curls to my stylist.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

This exactly. Not only is it annoying, it's not even feasible. Give me strong women I can believe!

[lennelle.livejournal.com]

Yup, I agree with all of this. I've been hesitant about the spin-off and after watching it I feel no different. Some parts I liked: Alex is interesting, Dean and Sam and the lizard, Donna and Jody, and I loved Kaia since we first met her (which only makes me more mad that they killed her)

Patience is.. ok, I suppose. Not too interesting, but not bad either. But Claire... I agree with you when you say UGH. I've never been much of a fan of her and this episode only made me like her less. She was so irresponsible and just plain rude at times, 'sassy' really wasn't working for her. Her wanting revenge that badly for Kaia after knowing her for about 5 minutes was a bit irritating. I've seen people comparing Claire/Kaia to Sam/Jess - nope nope nope.

I watch spn for Sam and Dean, and while there are a lot of side characters I enjoy I don't feel attached enough to them to watch a show only about them. And don't get me started on Sam and Dean's abilities being watered down just to make Claire look like a hero. Wayward Sisters, I'd give it go. The Claire Show, no thanks.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the more I read about WS the more I worry that they see Claire as somehow a mix of Dean and Sam, and if they intend to make WS Claire's Hero-journey - ouch. No. However, they have also said the six women are co-leads, so maybe they will treat it more as an ensemble cast with different characters being the focus of the story. We'll see,

[sillie]

Yeah, this was pretty much what I thought as well. I love Jody and Donna, and if the spin-off was more about them I would love it way more.

[fireheart13.livejournal.com]

I'm down with this post 100%!!!

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

I think I went into the episode expecting it be light on the Sam and Dean, so that didn't bother me (although the lizard scene was great!) I don't know, I see growth in Claire, and while I would have preferred a little less of her as the main focus, I did enjoy a lot of her scenes (especially the ones with Alex - I think that sibling banter worked really well). And yes, I loved Donna so hard, and would like to see more of her backstory.

I also loved that family is still the heart of the show, but this is the family you choose, the family you make, and not blood. That's a great way to twist the theme. Take care :)