Reply To: Let’s all Talk About Free to Be You and Me (S5 E3)
The opening sequence of this one is perfect. Them apart…kind of mirroring each other actions but doing completely different things. Sam slicing lemons in the bar and Dean slicing open a vampire. Sam cleaning the bar and Dean cleaning the blood off the Impala…all with “Simple Man” playing; it’s one of my favorite opening or montage scenes of the entire series.
I thought Lindsey wasn’t the best actress; but the part where she reveal that she’s a recovered alcoholic felt very honest.
Sam’s wearing his Supernatural Christmas inside-out print shirt in this one at the bar!
Sam waking up with Jessica was interesting. I remember on first watch I thought of course it had to be some kind of manipulation but wasn’t sure what. Of course it was Lucifer getting to him. Lucifer always seems to try to approach his vessels in a sympathetic or somehow emotionally seductive way. Kind of creepy to think that Sam kissed Jessica’s neck and it was actually Lucifer!
This one had one of the great Cas scenes of all time – Cas showing up right behind Dean, scaring him, then standing there almost nose-to-nose as Dean reminded him he needed personal space. The early writing of Cas was masterful. He really did come across and an otherworldly entity who really didn’t live by human rules.
The job with Cas and Dean was long and involved; trying to find and trap Michael. I was a little confused as I thought he was going to appear in the hospital (they put a ring around the empty vessel – I guess that was just for insurance? If they knew he’d show up in their empty house???). But I guess the body was just the “telephone” for the summoning.
I thought the actor playing Michael (or Michael’s vessel) was wonderfully ominous. I WISH they had kept that version of Michael throughout! Much later in AU Michael and much much later when Dean was finally possessed by him; I wish they had kept that very ominous quality. They didn’t.
Even on first watch I thought it was funny that they just left Michael there. I guess the magic oil is something that burns forever??? The next person who goes into that abandoned house is going to be surprised!
The storm, which I interpreted as Michael’s anger or power, was good. I didn’t remember that; the windows blowing out and it storming to such an extent that the rain blew completely INTO the house and Cas and Dean got completely soaked! I did love that Dean just will NOT stop mouthing off to these powerful entities. It’s the best. And Dean is rubbing off on Cas; when Cas called Michael “his bitch” – that was total Dean.
Dean taking Cas out to get laid didn’t necessarily age that well. Just the total objectification of women (though it was apparently a legal brothel operation?) was not that great. “This whole industry is built on absent fathers.” But it was kinda funny that Cas was trying to give the prostitute absolution and it totally undid her. Cas’ utter fear about a pending sexual encounter and Dean’s glee was fun. But that whole thing DID drive home the point that live with Sam, for Dean, has not been enjoyable. That he MIGHT be better off mentally without him right now.
I do love that Dean wanted his amulet back from Cas and seemed annoyed Cas wasn’t giving it to him – even with Sam apart from him, he wanted that amulet from Sam.
I am always amused that a soon-to-be-trapped-in-a-circle-of-oil archangel always just STANDS THERE and lets the oil fire up into a complete circle around them; they don’t try to escape!
The fight with the other hunters in the bar is good. Sam spitting out the demon blood. Is this meant to tell us that he HAS kicked the habit that he seemed to be struggling with back in the town with “War”?
Sam’s talk with Lucifer is a very good scene; when Lucifer reveals himself. Sam insist he’ll never say yes to Lucifer; he’ll kill himself first, but Lucifer says he’ll just bring him back and you can see the hopelessness on Sam’s face.
I really like the end where Dean is telling Cas that he’s better off alone. That he’s so much less worried about Sam all the time, that he can laugh, that he seems to have some of the weight off…and then Cas disappears and Dean really IS alone and then I wondered just how “alone” he really wanted to be. He kind of used Cas to fill in for Sam so he wasn’t that alone in this one…
Very decent episode. I do always tend to like it a bit when they are apart. Of course they are best together, but there are usually some good insights when they are separate.
