It's worth Netflixing them for nothing but the sweet, sweet ramp up to Dead Man's Blood, Salvation, and Devil's Trap. The first half of first season was relatively meh, but it all started to make sense about half the season in. The mytharc built on those early episodes, and going back to watch later you can see where seeds were sown, where a scene from Shadow is revisited in a scene from Something Wicked, but now the action carries a softer, more understanding and understood weight. Or a scene from the first episode is mirrored character for character in Salvation. And there are character grace notes in episodes like Bloody Mary, Home, Nightmare, that go past so quickly you might not notice them.

The payoff for Devil's Trap is In My Time of Dying, S2 premiere, and the first half of S2 is dealing with the fallout from that.

I don't say someone *can't* pick up watching cold and enjoy the show. I just think there's so much more depth that comes from watching from the get go. I bailed on the pilot because it looked like exactly the sort of movie I avoid, not liking to be scared on purpose. But I watched Dead in the Water because of Amy Acker's guest shot, and the relationship between the brothers, and how they each related, and provided a solid front, to the rest of the world intrigued me and brought me back. I skipped eps like Bloody Mary, because the legend gives me the wig. But when I got the dvds, I pretty much mainlined them, and being able to steep in the unfolding mytharc was invaluable.

Sorry for the babble. I'm going to have to buy a lender set of dvds, aren't I? Mine don't leave the house, precious.

I agree with Beverly-- you'll get so much more out of it if you see everything. Cass and I have mainlined the first three disks of S1 over the past 2 days, and I'm getting stuff out of them now that I hadn't before, even though this is not my first rewatch. (though I did realize that somehow I'd managed to never see the very beginning of Faith until last night.)

I missed the beginning of Faith in aired eps, never saw it till the dvds. It made a world of difference to my understanding Sam's guilt and anxiety and determination. Not that it didn't make sense before--it just was more poignant after seeing the opening scenes.

This is very true.

Dark Angel will be re-released in Slimsets on June 5th.

Nutshell Winchesters

• John Winchester (present in his absence in S2), the father they'd set out to find in the pilot (with the ghost who wanted to go home): ex-Marine, husband of Mary (deceased). Strong believer in the notion of the need to know basis, hell-bent on finding the thing that took his wife and tore his family apart.

Of course, when he does, things go from bad to worse, the Yellow Eyed Demon (YED for short, the one who killed Mary and has plans for Sammy, and all the other children like him) possesses him, and in what's coming to be a fine Winchester tradition (see: Sam in Aslyum, when possessed by the nasty ghost), tortures Dean, physically and emotionally. Then, when Dean is hovering close to death after a possessed truck driver whams their car, sacrifices himself (and the gun that they have with the only known way to kill the YED) for Dean's life. But not without first extracting a promise from Dean: either save his brother (relating to YED plans), or kill him. Much to Dean's chagrin/angst/outrage. Which means it's time to explain Dean.

• Dean Winchester, eldest son of John and Mary. Good with freaks and children, not so good with people. Four going on five when his mother is killed. Hypermasculine facade that contrasts with his pretty strongly coded feminine/mother role in the family. Since Mary's death, Dean's life has revolved around keeping what's left of his family together. Pretty much considers himself the expendable one, and has willingly (at times cheerfully) sacrificed any possibility of a normal life at the alter of family. Much to the dismay of Sam.

• Sam Winchester, youngest child, the one who challenged John and struck out on his own in search of a normal life, only to have that go up in smoke. Has visions of things tied to the YED. Possibly slated to go evil. Contains floppy hair and emo. Hugely tall. Unlike Dean, contains social skills. Frequently at odds with John, due to overly-similar personalities. Has now twice tortured his older brother while possessed. (Torturing under the influence?)

Spicy, spicy brains.

Though you left out the part about how Dean will hit on any female (human is not a requirement, I don't think) within a five mile radius easy as breathing, and is successful more than he isn't. (Though that is part of the hypermasculine thing...)

It's killing me--I'm blanking on the first instance of Sam torturing Dean while possessed?

I wouldn't call it torture, but the first thing was in Asylum, when he shot him with rock salt and an EMPTY gun. (He pulled the trigger! Multiple times!)

There might be something else in S2...

Okay, remember: John Winchester HOT FATHER of TWO HOT SONS.

And they use weapons.

Don't forget Metallicar and Classic Rock!