Okay, voting gets harder for me now.

Bracket 1:

• Shotgun cakehole: Still seminal
• Bikini inspector: Sammy! Dean will win.
• I will kill you all!: I went back and forth on this one, and I don't even know. I can't explain. Something about avenging Sammy gets me more, but they're both powerful, almost equally so.
• Jerk/Bitch: other seminal. I'm annoyed I seeded them both into the same bracket, now. Hmmph.

Bracket #2:

• Family business: Right. Seminal #3.
• That kind of innocence: Back and forth on this one too. Dean for Sammy, or Dean for family? I believe Dean picks Sam.
• I need your help, Dad: Easy win.
• I do my best to be brave: Hard pick, but the reveal about Dean puts this over the top for me.

Dammit, that was harder, except where it was easy.

Season 1, Round 2, Bracket 1

• cakehole: I will never not vote for cakehole.
• yoga crap: Vulnerable yet bitchy Dean always works for me.
• kill you all: DEAN.
• bitch/jerk: Ooh, that was a tough one.

Season 1, Round 2, Bracket 2

• family business: Because it is.
• family over normal: Because he always would.
• I need your help, Dad.: This broke me. Always will.
• Hold me, Sam.: Such a perfect moment of BOYS.

S1, R2, Bracket #1

Cakehole--Classic for a reason
touchy-feely--classic Dean
You hurt my brother--Dad vs. Sammy? Hard one, but I gotta go with Sam
jerk, bitch--well, I hope we get back to that

Bracket 2#

Saving, hunting--mission statement
innocence--I'm not especially fond of either, but this is a slight preference
need your help, Dad--Dean admitting need is huge
you and me--foundation of the whole show

Bracket #1
shotgun/cakehole: will probably always win for me
self-help yoga crap: it's all in the delivery
I will kill you all: tough choice, though
jerk/bitch: again, will probably always win for me

Bracket #2
family business: because tagline
our family over normal: hearts in my eyes
vampires: still funny
best to be brave: another hard choice

I love the Ghostfacers ep. I'm all about the process, and everybody had such fun filming this one. The language didn't bother me a bit because I always hear them that way in my head anyway. I'm a big fan of outsider POV in fic--well, in any storytelling--and if we're given a look at familiar characters through fresh eyes, it's always a bit revelatory.

I'd like more looking at these dangerous drifters through the eyes of people they brush up against, if we have the kind of season next year where that could happen.

On Fox, 9pm Friday is the death slot--Firefly, Dark Angel, how many other shows have failed in that slot? I think it's where they send shows to die, basically. Heaven knows SMV is doddering and won't fall down--or the CW won't let it fall down. I think they're sending their senior citizens to the tough slot to hold it or die. Sort of like sending your seasoned troops to hold the mountain pass.

They've already announced that next year is the last year for Smallville.

And when Nikita fails, they can just move it back.

Wait, jaded, me? Say it isn't so.

Friday at 9 is actually a lot more convenient for me. I might not always be several days behind next season!

Voting because voting is fun:

Bracket 1: Cakehole Yoga Begged for his life Santa Claus

Bracket 2: Family business Family over normal Vampires I do my best to be brave

I started to list reasons for each choice, but it was too many colons, not enough sense-making so I stopped

In what way has he shown a lack of power? Finding Death and restoring Bobby's legs and actually disappearing in front of our eyes is enough to put him above everyone we've seen but Lilith and Alistair.

We've seen Ruby and the other crossroads demons do the appear/disappear thing haven't we? Finding Death and restoring Bobby's legs were part of a deal for a soul, which we've been told opens up new opportunities (like resurrecting the dead) that demons wouldn't be able to under their own power. And Crowley seemed somewhat worried about personal conflicts with other run-of-the-mill demons and hellhounds, something I wouldn't have expected from a demon the same grade as Alistair or Ruby's unnamed mentor. My impression is that he might have climbed to the top through guile, or might just be lying about how far he's advanced.

We've seen Ruby and the other crossroads demons do the appear/disappear thing haven't we?

Not onscreen, I don't think. But that's probably just a filming thing.

And Crowley seemed somewhat worried about personal conflicts with other run-of-the-mill demons and hellhounds

I am totally not sure that wasn't all a big ploy to manipulate Brady and the boys at the same time. There was no external confirmation of any of it. I'm very suspicious. The whole offscreen conflict plus exact same bugging mechanism? Smacks of unreliable narrator.

Also, getting his hands on Death's scythe is no mean feat. Alistair was the last being we saw with it.

Round 2, Bracket #1

• House rules – one of a handful of archetypal lines for the show
• Bikini Inspector – ita’s reasons
• Hurt my brother and I will kill you – pithier of the two BAMF Dean lines
• Jerk…bitch – see house rules

Round 2, Bracket #2

• Saving people – see house rules
• Family over normal – this feels like a Winchester rule, the other just guts me, tough decision
• I need your help, Dad – breaks me every time
• You and me – Sam & Dean FTW at least this round