PigNaPoke
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Hey JBB,
I don’t believe Ruby was powerful enough to plant hallucinations with Sam. And even IF she was, wouldn’t her power be repelled by all the protection on the safe room? She even says to Sam that she couldn’t have helped because the room was designed to bite her in the ass.
I always understood the entire detox sequence to be a true “drug” withdrawal with the accompanying hallucinations, representing Sam’s struggles with himself and his actions.
PNP
SUCH GENIUS MOVE to have this episode follow the HEAVY events of the last episode!
And absolute “WHAT THE HELL” beginning and story line. SO funny and well done. It’s like watching a completely different show from the colors and lighting to the clothes and even Sam and Dean’s speech patterns etc. Just awesome.
The opening sequence with DOUCHEBAG Dean going through the motions with a slightly detached demeanor is just great. The yuppy clothes, the cleanse, the PRIUS. ALL the things Dean wouldn’t be caught dead doing just piling on. Him changing the music in the car is the icing on the cake for me.
Sam’s job here is really HELL! It always makes me feel bad for our own IT guy! LOL. “Have you tried turning it off and then on?” YUP, it’s their favorite line.
The way the episode unravels is also really clever. So many great lines in this one!! “Where do we even get a gun?” “Gun store?” HEHE.
And the cameo of the Ghostfacers as Sam and Dean’s resource on how to deal with the ghost is freaking hilarious.
AND our first microwave “BING” death in this episode!
Plus a REALLY gruesome elevator death.
I love that Sam takes the lead here and is the first to figure some things out. And that Dean is Mr. Goody Two Shoe there for the most part, more apprehensive, a little more scared.
I love how proud they are when they first get rid of the ghost. How Sam won’t give up trying to convince Dean that this is what they are meant to do. And Dean is worried about health insurance. HAHA.
But once we know what is ACTUALLY happening their respective attitudes at the end of the hunt are very telling. Dean doesn’t want to get too deeply involved at that point, because that is the mindset he had just been in before the fake events of this episode. And Sam is gung-ho and set on going on because he just felt extra powerful at the end of the last episode.
And even if it’s all just a cruel joke or test on Zachariah’s part, I thoroughly enjoy the fact that it does prove that Sam and Dean ARE doing what they are meant to be doing and always find back to what they are best at doing. And no matter how hard it is or how many doubts Dean has on occasion about his own strength….he will NEVER give in and lay down for long.
Dean’s defiant snark at the end makes that very clear. LOL.
LOVE the bleaching of color when Zachariah switches reality back to normal. Everything going slightly darker.
Of course, it is really sad that Dean and Sam’s nature also play perfectly into what Zachariah and the angels actually are trying to accomplish by using them.It’s a really well-done episode and fun to watch, but also important milestone in the bigger picture.
VERY GOOD episode!
I love the monster story in this one. The classical Greek monster turned on its head in typical SPN fashion! Especially love that it is NOT all about girls seducing guys sexually but more about seducing with what one needs most in that moment!! And I love most of all that it is NOT about a girl for Dean when we know how much he appreciates the opposite sex AND is so excited to work a case with strippers!! I thought that was a very clever and totally unexpected twist!
I also enjoy the doubt we have about Cara sleeping with Sam and if he is now under the influence of a siren.
The monster itself was NICE and creepy when we get glimpses of it in the mirrors.
As telling and story driving as the fight between Sam and Dean is that part is what makes me always have a knot in my stomach when watching this episode!!! It is awful to watch and hear because their approach is so very different.
Dean is expressing his displeasure are being lied to and basically says that it’s not the demon blood or the psychic abilities that make him worried but the little things showing that the old Sam is gone. That reads to me as “man, just be honest with me and I forgive you and we work through this”.
But Sam attacks Dean’s ability to handle himself, calls him weak and winy and calls himself smarter and stronger. THAT HURTS!
We KNOW that what Dean says here IS the truth, not some forced confession. He is really worried about these things and he isn’t calling Sam names or belittling him.
So then I have to assume Sam also means what he says, that this is HIS truth at this moment. It might be influenced by Ruby’s whisperings and his addiction to the demon blood, but these are his inner most thoughts.
All that really made me uncomfortable and worried for their future as a team.
And even now, knowing where it goes, it is hard to watch. (If brilliantly acted).On the rest, I totally agree with you. LOVE Bobby’s parts in this episode. And Jim Parrack is doing a great job in this role.
PNP
Another excellent glance at Sam and Dean’s childhood or formative experiences in this case.
As well as a great glimpse at the hell of high school life with all the usual characters from bullies to freaks, but with a SPN twist.
So many wonderful layers here as you say, JBB, ESPECIALLY for Sam and Colin Ford is amazing in making us feel all the ups and downs.
Sam writing a “non-fiction” essay about the werewolf hunt was really telling to me. On the one side he knew no one would believe it so why not tell the truth. He believed the grade he would get didn’t matter because he wouldn’t stay around long enough for it to make any difference (and by extension, I guess, he grades were/ could be always faked to something needed when entering the next school? Yeah, yeah….John loves his boys and would do everything for them including faking school papers. LOL.). In a way it’s almost like Sam dared for someone to question it or look deeper into his background? Not to actively get away from John and Dean, but he does say that “more than anything” he doesn’t want to get into the family business. He’s just tired of being dragged around without say and without ever getting to stay anywhere long enough to make any difference.
I disagree with you, JBB, on the way Dean is portrayed here. I DO like it as it is equally telling to me. And I thought the actor did a fine job with it.
Dean is the polar opposite of Sam at the beginning. He feels superior coming into the new school. He is sure of his worth, knows he’s a hero, not JUST to his little brother. He lays it on THICK with the teachers and the girls. I can buy that from a cocky teen-aged Dean. However, I also always thought that Dean is very aware that Sam suffers from the constant change of schools and circumstances and that part of his bravado is put on for Sam’s benefit…..kinda showing his little brother how to deal with it all.
Dean’s behavior is clearly laid out to work for a specific time period. He gets in “charms” his way through a couple of weeks, impresses the girls and then plans to be out before making any longer term gestures like meeting parents etc. He says himself “he doesn’t do parents”. Being there longer than expected totally throws his plans akimbo.
On top of THAT Sam all of a sudden doesn’t seem to need his protection anymore – at least not in school. Sam stood up for himself (and Gary) and asked Dean to step off wanting to deal with it himself.
So we have a really interesting shift in the dynamic here. Sam suddenly feels seen and valued while Dean is pitied and discounted. A novel experience for them both. Sam is growing into himself and Dean’s normal M.O. is leaving him hanging for once.
Dean’s reaction once he is found out about kissing girl# 2 in the janitor’s closet and then told by Amanda that she feels sorry for him because his cool crap is just a facade is heartbreaking to me, too. She says that she thought that there is more to Dean because of the way he is with his little brother, and we, the audience, know that she is RIGHT, that he IS so much more than what he puts out for the world to see!!! So him lashing out at her and embarassing himself by shouting that he’s a hero etc is really painful to watch, but it’s also a rare glimpse at him being caught off guard and giving a raw reaction.
I thought all that was terrifically done.
And it obviously left an impression on them both as we see in the scenes that play in the NOW. After they salt-n-burn Gary Dean says that he’s amazed how many people Sam remembers from the school and that he was glad they got out of that town because he hated that school. If he didn’t remember his humiliation there he probably wouldn’t even recall details about their stay there, I would venture. Sam on the other hand laments that he wasn’t there to possibly help Gary further and maybe keep him from killing himself. And then Sam finds out that the nickname he gave Dirk stuck around and got Dirk bullied thereafter, probably making him feel a little guilty.
It is sweet and sad, but also shows an important short period in Sam’s and Dean’s development and characters.
Really good episode in my book.
PNP
I like this episode a lot for the story of the three old friends. Like you said, JBB, VERY layered story and lots packed into one stand alone episode, but I thought they did a great job making it interesting and getting the audience to care for three old kooks in such short amount of time. No doubt MUCH of the reason for that are the three excellent veteran character actors in it! They REALLY bring these characters to life and giving them so much dimension.
You can really “feel” their deep and long lasting friendship. I always LOVED the little bit here they send Dean to “Chief” for info. Such mischievous thing to do for the older guys. Also leaves you wondering how they found out about that club and if they maybe had send each other there as a joke before.
I also enjoyed the clear fun the episode was poking at the overproduced Vegas-style illusionist shows. And the fake rock star mentalities of many of these showy magicians. I guess there is some type of magic act for everyone and none of it competes with REAL magic. All quite clever.
I think the immortality is LINKED to the tarot deck magic. I assumed that Charly made sure the deck was ON Jay each night he performed a death defying trick and he planted the target card on the other magicians who got killed in exchange for Jay’s safety. And at the end when Charly explains it all Jay pickpocketed the deck from Charly leaving ONE card behind, so when he stabbed himself the immortality and target were switched.
Interesting point you make about the possibly planned allegory here. I have a hard time seeing the parallels in this. I understood it more as a warning fable of “careful what you get yourself involved with and cannot control”. Of course, then we have Sam go off and do exactly the opposite at the end of the episode when he joins Ruby but I thought at was a clear sign of now deep she has her hooks in his brain already.
I also understood the conversation between Sam and Dean about “getting old vs dying young” and Sam saying he wished there was a way to end it all and for them to win as another try of Sam to get Dean to see things his way. He wants Dean to agree that going with Ruby and powering Sam up is the only way to go forward if they want to kill Lilith. To me he is trying to get validation from Dean for his choices as well as not wanting to go after Lilith without Dean. NOT saying that clearly and giving up on the argument before it is a real exchange of opinions is yet another indication that Sam is really deep into going down his own path no matter what. It’s really unsettling to see Sam pull back from Dean and only provide half-truths when asked.
I did enjoy this episode, even though it is very melancholy and sadly foreboding.
Yeah, this one always leaves me a little bored and it feels like a total filler episode to me.
And as you say, JBB, too many tropes, too many people die.
It seems that every time when it’s the Winchesters against messed up HUMANS there are the least amount of people saved and lots of innocent lives lost. It’s just cruel all around and not enjoyable or even interesting to watch for me.
Sorry, it’s probably one of my bottom three least favorites through out 15 years.
I agree with everything you say! Never liked it much. There ARE funny scenes, yes, but they all seemed a little tortured and the episode had definite length!
I felt hit over the head in a heavy way with the “Careful what you wish for” moral of the story…..or was it “be careful how you WORD a wish”??
Audrey and her teddy were actually my favorite part as she struck me as lonely but reasonable in her wish for a life-sized teddy playmate AND she immediately tried to make up for the teddy’s bad behavior once she noticed it by returning booze and porn to the shop.
The other “wishes” were all selfish and dumb in my book.
Oh, well, they can’t be all winners.
PNP
I commented on this episode together with “I Know What You Did Last Summer”.
Funny enough even NETFLIX version includes the Bad Company song when they change so many of the other music on the show for licensing issues.
PNP
TWO absolutely fantastic episodes, imo, so I want to comment on them TOGETHER.
I watched them many times, even independently from rewatching the entire run.
First off Julie McNiven is incredible as Anna. She conveys such vulnerability at first, looking fragile and deeply troubled, and then changes in front of our eyes into such calm confidence once she discovers she’s an angel, it’s really impressive acting.
I love Anna’s character arc on the show. She is a “good case” at the beginning, with her ability to know about the breaking seals, hear angel radio, draw a sigil to teleport angels away, her human back story. It’s all very intriguing and makes for a good mystery until we find out what she is.
Then she makes us understand the hardships angels go through – standing silent sentinel without feelings – and what it means to disobey and rebel. We get to see behind heaven’s curtains so to speak, finding out about the illusiveness of God and how much sheer, blind faith is required to be an angel. And the magnitude of her sacrifice – ripping out her own grace and falling – in order to be free or be human. We learn about grace and how it is the essence of what makes an angel and how it can exist outside of the body. There is so much new info she brings to the show’s canon.
It also made me wonder about Cas’ doubts and what that would mean for his future, when I watched this the first time.
Amongst angels we know – even later in the show – Anna is also singular as she isn’t inhabiting a vessel but she was born a vessel that later took back her grace. Doesn’t really match what we know about how angels work, but I like the different idea.
LOVE the short-lived Anna and Dean connection. They have a lot in common as their conversation about their shared frustrations show. She was also able to soothe Dean when he couldn’t allow himself to be open with Sam about the guilt he felt about his perceived failure in hell. I find the dynamic between them really interesting. The writers packed a lot of “relationship development” into a short amount of time which leaves me sad at the end that they didn’t get a chance for more. I think she finds him interesting and admirable straight from the start because of what the overheard from the angels, while he only sees her as a victim who needs protecting. Once he learns more about her back story and then finds out she’s an angel and a rebellious one at that he develops a mix of respect and wariness for her and feels drawn to her. Her ability to get under his skin in such short amount of time spent together clearly unsettles him a little BUT also give us the SMOKING HOT sex scene in the Impala’s back seat. I don’t think he would have banged her when he saw her as mostly vulnerable. Lots of layers there and well-acted on both of their parts.
I also really appreciate that we are shown Sam’s painful journey after Dean died. Especially because he TELLS Dean the whole – or most of the – story upon Dean’s request to make him understand! That’s a big step – both for Dean to be open enough to ask and for Sam to tell him so much.
It’s not taking away from Dean’s horrors, but it shows us that Sam really lost himself after Dean was gone. It also drives the point home how much of a moral compass Dean is in Sam’s life. Sam’s desperation, trying to make a deal when no one wants to, hearing that Hell has Dean right where they want to, is heart breaking. It’s also really sad to see him slide into dependency with Ruby. First, I think it’s mostly reckless need to do something and not caring about the outcome, but when he really starts to believe that he can actually do some good with his abilities, it’s already too mixed up with his addiction to the demon blood to be completely rational. Ruby is definitely a master manipulator getting Sam right where he’s most vulnerable promising revenge on Lilith.
The make out scene between Sam and Ruby is very fitting – just on this side of rough and a little too wild. There’s nothing but raw need not to be alone and to let off some steam here – no love or tenderness.
And I absolutely LOVE that is cuts off right before…too much…and we get Dean’s horrified “Too much information” comment! HAHA. That was perfect writing and editing.
Cas and Uriel showing up out of nowhere just demanding that Anna had to die without further explanation was scary and impactful for sure and a great end to the “I Know What You Did…” episode.
Another player we learn a lot about in these episodes is Alastair, of course. Mostly how powerful he is. Immune to Sam’s powers AND the demon knife. He clearly has no regard for any life, human or other. His speech about all the things he misses about hell while he tortures Ruby is chilling. Dean is clearly afraid of him.
Between that and Cas and Uriel in full dispassionate angel warrior mode the final confrontation in the barn has a lot of tension and palpable high stakes. It’s fun to watch.
Jensen is just masterful in both of these episodes. There are a LOT of great scenes for him to shine. Of course there is the absolute gut wrenching misery of the last scene of “Heaven and Hell” where he confesses to Sam about what happened in Hell. I know Jensen said in interviews that that was a super hard scene for him and he had to walk it off afterwards because he got so wrapped up in the intensity of feelings it was hard to let go of it. Well, it shows. It is 100% believable as a person in deep pain and shame. But there is also the scene when Anna hears the angel’s message about how they will throw Dean back into Hell, if he doesn’t give up Anna. You can FEEL Dean’s fear because of Jensen’s incredible “face acting” here. Same goes for the dream conversation he has with Uriel. Again with the wonderfully nuanced expressions when Uriel threatens to take him – a clear progression from fear to defiance. And on and on….just amazing.
Even the “filler scenes” in these episodes have a lot of fun stuff to offer:
LOVED Pamela’s cameo! The way she played helpless just to grab Sam’s ass. HA
When Ruby slips into the hotel maid for a hot minute and the interaction that actress has with the boys is great.
The billiard scene at the beginning of the episode gives us another little insight into the brother dynamic and how they operate on the road – making money. Although I always found it a bit unbelievable that Sam would simply give away $500!! Even with Ruby showing up.
ONE thing I always wondered about is if we were meant to believe that Ruby planned the entire situation (sending Sam and Dean after Anna, helping to get Anna’s grace back) in order to try and take out Alastair? Did she suspect Alastair would come for Anna? Was she worried that Alastair would give Sam and Dean too much information about the seals? After all he does tell Dean later that it’s his doing that the first seal broke. And if this was NOT Ruby’s plan then WHY did she come and tell Sam about Anna?
Both of these episodes were 10 out of 10 for me! They had an interesting case at the core with Anna’s story but also majorly drove the myth arc of the entire season forward AND we had great brother scenes.
CHILLING one.
At first I thought “case is kinda meh”, then they find out that it’s so much more than this and it gets really interesting.
I feel horrible for Sam in this episode. He is so in awe when he meets Castiel. You can really see his hope and amazement that he has proof of his faith right there in front of him. And then it’s so quickly crushed by disappointment and disbelief at what DICKS angels turn out to be. And all that happens in the span of 2 minutes.
Dean is back to his “screw the angels” attitude here and I love it. He doesn’t trust them and he’s proven right over and over again. But I do appreciate how he tells Sam not to give up his faith just because these two angels are crappy examples.
Angels ARE scary in their indifference and “big picture” thinking. True warriors. Not sweating the small stuff like….well, an entire town full of people. Because “father” said so and they trust dad’s word.
Interesting point…SUPER ballsy of Dean to bet on his status of having been saved for a purpose and stand against Cas and Uriel!!
Then there is the twist in the plot where Cas and Uriel elude to some “true orders”. INTRIGUING! The story keeps jerking us around. Keeps us interested.
Sam is so smart….or a good guesser, LOL. He gave it a shot. Love that.
Kinda silly that people crawl out of the mausoleum vaults without at lease showing some splintering of wood of a coffin!
I also find Sam’s return to using his powers interesting. He listened to Dean or the threat of the angels to give it up, but now that the angels and heaven as a whole seemingly lost his respect he’s straight back to utilizing the powers. He’s relapsing and Dean is SO disappointed and you can see how it does weigh on Sam, but he still thinks it’s necessary to be this powerful to defeat the greater evil.
I always have and still do appreciate the parallels of Sam’s demon blood story line to real world struggles of addiction and think the show did a good job bringing to life how even family or the people you love most in the world sometimes don’t have enough hold on the addict to cancel out the lure of the “drug”. It is very scary and heartbreaking.UGH, for Uriel to twist the knife and tell Sam to ask Dean about Hell is super low!! I guess, he’s just interested in sewing more discord between them and hopes to get Sam to keep failing so he (Uriel) can smite him afterall? DICKS!
The scene between Dean and Cas is great! Suddenly we learn Cas DOES have feelings and isn’t just a tool or weapon of God. This is the moment, I think, that shifts their relationship for future seasons.
Of course it’s also infuriating that we find out that Dean is being “tested”. I mean….that’s pretty scary.Yeah, every time I watch this one I start off thinking “filler episode” and even if the case itself IS kinda “meh” what happens around it is pivotal for so many other reasons.
Another one I absolutely LOVE.
Jensen is PERFECTION here! The amount of emotions he conveys with his face alone is ridiculous. And when he uses his entire body, like running out of the factory or away from the tiny dog etc. he has a Charley Chaplin-esque classic slap stick vibe that is hard to pull off in a fun and not silly way.
Dean’s building paranoia and fear is easily felt as an audience member just because Jensen is such master at pulling us in.
Love how Dean is at first very subtle “not-Dean” with walking the other way from the “scetchy teenagers”, driving slow and not crossing traffic and then it’s building to odd behavior like not eating the donuts and sleeping in the car before the deadly fear of the snake and his scream about the cat takes over. Sam’s reactions to all of it are also priceless. I love that he’s not making fun of Dean but staying rather silent and looking at him with a mix of concern and amusement.
I thought the story idea was fresh and exciting. YES, it’s a ghost story, and has a super sad back story with Luther being bullied, misunderstood and killed in such awful way, but the way Sam figures out how they can solve the case is clever and new.
I never entirely understood if Bobby was right and there was a Japanese “Buroburo” ghost involved spreading the sickness and how that related to Luther? WAS Luther the buroburo? Why would a midwestern white guy turn into a Japanese fear ghost? OR did the horrible way Luther died CREATE the buroburo ghost so what we saw taking Luther’s shape was infact not HIS spirit but the fear ghost?
But in the end, it didn’t matter that much. I still loved everything else about the episode.
The final scenes where Dean is basically slowly dying of a heart attack are REALLY tough for me to watch and for once I am very glad for the back and forth cutting between that and Sam’s and Bobby’s action at the lumber mill. I wouldn’t want to watch all of Dean’s panic in one piece.
I am with you JBB, I found the hallucination Dean has of Sam with the yellow eyes and choking him really disturbing as well. It very much drove home the point about how worried Dean is about Sam turning dark side, probably partially because he is scared he’d have to do something about it….
We also learn through Lilith’s form here that Dean DOES remember Hell and that he’s been down there for 40 years!!! Important fact, packed into a scene where it could easily be overlooked.
And then there is the last scene where Dean doesn’t tell Sam the truth about what he saw, which always makes me sad and anxious as it keeps building on the expanding distance between them. UGH. I didn’t and still don’t like seeing them at hidden odds with each other!!
One of my favorite episodes of all time. In typical SPN fashion….it has LOTS of layers.
YES, this one just WORKS!!
The look, the music, the old timey make up on the monsters, the locations….it is AWESOME.
And “HEY!” Dean in Lederhosen ain’t horrible, even though it’s supposed to be funny.
Another one of these episodes where the mix of humor, horror and emotion is simply perfect.
I didn’t find it silly or goofy although it had plenty of pricelessly funny moments like Dracula on the Vespa (beep beep) or Dracula telling the pizza guy he had a coupon! There was also much HEART in the story. The monster definitely had to die, but his back story is sad and touching and we kinda feel for the guy.
Dean opening up to Jamie a little about his earlier doubts and new found sense of mission was nice, too. Even though it starts as a cheesy pick up it turns into a real heart-felt moment there and as you said JBB their chemistry felt real and believable (as did the kissing)! I very much enjoyed the actress playing Jamie as well. She seemed very down to earth and made a nice anchor in the episode.
LOVED the way the story took us through several classic movie monsters and several nice misdirects about the culprit, too. Ed is definitely an odd bird and the actor does a GREAT job with it.
The monster’s lair is amazingly done and I LOOOOVE that it is simply a set of sorts, with the doors opening in weird ways and Sam kicking through the door and crashing through the “stone” wall.
I also really adore that the monster goes out on his own terms in a way. He’s shot, knows he’ll die and makes it the perfect old time movie scene!!! LOL.
Altogether….a CLASSIC!
I never liked this episode very much because I feel like the writers heavy-handedly are sewing discord between the brothers here and beat us over the head with the monster-Sam parallels.
I absolutely get that Dean is scared for Sam and very disappointed to find out that Sam has gone back to using his powers when he promised he wouldn’t. And I also get that he’s pissed that Sam’s been lying to him. BUT Dean’s not exactly forthcoming with what it’s been like in hell either, so the lying goes both ways.
And I do wish that Dean would at least ASK first what’s going on and why before beating Sam and jumping to conclusions that all it can be is BAD. I was a little surprised that Dean doesn’t at least see SOME good in the fact that Sam is saving people with this application of his power.
Mostly because I find it odd that Dean so quickly flips his stance regarding the angels. A moment ago Dean didn’t trust Cas’ word and was highly suspicious of his motives but now he suddenly Dean respects the word of Cas when he says what Sam does needs to be stopped. No snarky come back, just “oh shit, gotta stop Sam” and he conveys it like that to Sam too.
The scene is great, though, Sam’s conviction that he’s doing the right thing and his shock and fear when Dean tells him Cas saying he needs to stop means God wants him to stop.
Dean saying “If I didn’t know you, I would want to hunt you.” is spine chilling.UGH but all the little untold truths starting to rear their ugly head here. It’s painful to watch how mistrust builds between Sam and Dean when we know that they NEED to be in it together to defeat what’s coming.
The monster story is CREEPY and all the food gorging in this episode and HOW the guy acts when eating is truly repulsive! TERRIFYING to see the guy’s spine move and convulse!!!
But other than that I find the monster story pretty flat because all it seems like is a plot point to play off the “once a monster always a monster” hunter attitude Travis brings against the “I can relate to you and you can fight this” pleading from Sam.
I also don’t like how the attraction of the monster to human flesh is being connected to a sexual attraction. They didn’t state any of that in the lore that Travis gave the Winchesters but Jack has to stalk some random chick and watch her undress that THAT makes him hungry? LAME. And expected. Would have been more interesting if it was a dude he wanted to eat.
The twist with Michelle with being pregnant was unexpected at least and tragic. (Oh and I really like the actress and think she did a great job with the role. Loved her in Warehouse 13 as well.) However, she just runs away and they don’t even mention her at the end? So there’s another Rougarou out there soon and she has no clue and can’t prepare?
It’s just all a little to simple and full of holes.I do like the last scene where Dean really steps over his shadow and tries to apologize to Sam and TALK and Sam shuts him down. The “I don’t believe a word” look Dean has at the end more than anything else in the episode shows he knows something is not right with Sam. THAT was so much more effective to me than clocking Sam a few.
Well, they can’t all be great episodes….there were still great scenes between Sam and Dean. The rest….not my cup of tea.
SOOO FUNNY how almost everyone has longer hair than Dean in this one….sign of the times, of course.
(Sonny and Cher broke up??)
LOOOOVE the Back to the Future shot when “Mr. D” comes into the diner and Dean realizes he’s sitting next to dad! And all the other little hints.GRRR, Cas! “You have to stop it” “You couldn’t have stopped it”, really? UGH. He really just could have told him what Azazel did instead of torturing Dean with this time travel trip. (However much fun to watch it is for us! 😊) That was some elaborate show and tell all to make Dean suspicious of Sam?
Glad Dean chose Baby, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with a good ole VW BUS! HEHE
I always thought they could have WASHED the Impala sitting on the used car lot! She looked so dusty….Great introduction to the Mary character! You immediately get the impression she is smart but then to find out she can defend herself too AND is a hunter was a great reveal.
She has an Aquarian Star on her bracelet. I wonder if the intention to use it later was already in place?
I LOVE the glimpse we get in this episode on how different it was to hunt anything without modern technology like the internet etc. I expect to see more of that in the new The Winchesters series now. Could be really interesting. Every case would take that much longer to solve with research being this much harder to come by and do! Maybe that makes cases feel more momentous?
The scene between Dean and Mary is great, both actors in it doing a brilliant job. It’s wonderful to hear how Mary saw John! Both eye-opening and sad for Dean to hear how she wants out and get a normal life without hunting. Heartbreaking for Dean to warn Mary about her death. Very powerful scene.
I love to hate Samuel, but he is a great character! And very effective here. Mitch plays him perfectly. It’s also funny how he is so gruff and tough but you can still see that he knows the ladies in the house are in charge. LOL. He shuts up every time Deanna cuts in. I wish we would have gotten to know more about her and had more scenes with her but even with as little as she was in it she leaves a clear impression of patience and no-nonsense support.Love the moment when YED reveals himself and Dean isn’t scared, just PISSED!
I do appreciate that Mary at least TRIES to stop John before he proposes and I have to assume that she wanted to tell him about herself.
Now this episode COULD set up the new Winchesters series, couldn’t it? We leave John and Mary alive and together. Then we don’t see them again until much later. This is 1973. Dean was born 1979. There’s time here to set up a story about them running away to New Orleans. Maybe Mary DOES explain everything to John and they live a few years hunting together before something brings them back to Lawrence and Mary has Dean? That could even help reverse my accusation I always always carry against Mary that she sat knowingly on her ass and did nothing after making a deal with a demon! If the new show shows them actually trying to figure it all out and do some other hunting in the meantime and then later get brain-windexed and placed back in Lawrence….that could add a lot to canon as it exists now.
Anyhow – great episode – amazing cast, awesome jobs all around!
SUCH long intro! Almost like the season premier.
One thing I really enjoyed in this episode was that it played mostly in Bobby’s house and we get a better look at the layout and details – including the PANIC ROOM! LOVE that!!
I appreciate the opener showing us another kickass female hunter even if she dies immediately. It left me with a real feeling of dread because she was obviously prepared and no push over but still it was not enough against whatever this new threat is. Job well done.
I always loved this episode because ALL of Dean’s arguments are super relatable to me. His vehement refusal to believe at first that Cas really IS an angel and the mostlike consequence that if THAT is real there might also be a God and if THAT is correct then WHY is there so much crap in the world…..yup, same thoughts here.
Also totally understandable how scary it would be to think that you are on the radar of that many powerful beings and then later to find out that you are only worth noticing because they want to USE you is just putting the rotten cherry on the pile of shit that is Dean’s life – in his view.I love that Sam in contrast is seemingly excited here at the start. That he thinks this is a good thing and they are finally being helped by something he always believed in/prayed to. Jared plays that well here, almost boyish awe about the possibility that his faith is actually based on something tangible. Even Ruby’s worry and fear about the angels isn’t deterring Sam from believing this is a positive development. Sweet boy…..soon to find out angels ARE DICKS!
Having the newly discovered knowledge that angels and possibly God are real immediately thrown up against the fact that they are now dealing with signs of the Apocalypse is another great story point.
(And YES, Dean….the $5-a-gallon-gas Apocalypse HAS arrived!!)
The characters are confronted with being ripped out of obscurity and their familiar routine of MOW hunting to deal with the fate of the entire world. It raises the stakes of the entire show by an enormous degree and made me super excited of what was to come when I first watched it. And it still intrigues me how that shift in their and our understanding of their universe brought on character development and growth.Dean’s growing rebellious behavior and resentment of angels and Sam’s inner battle between faith in a bigger good and his growing desperation to do whatever it takes to deal with the rising threat are all interesting to watch and often heartbreaking.
When they find Olivia it’s really well done how we only get slightly blurry views of her mutilated corpse! No straight on gory look….still plenty effective and gruesome.
Playing on the hunter’s guilt over the loss of innocent lives was an interesting angle for a story. Sad to think how many in the hunter community have to live with this day in and out, trying to constantly convince yourself that in the BIG picture you are doing me good than bad in the world. However, I thought even on first watch that there had to be more to it because what the ghosts blamed each of the hunters for wasn’t really true. It WASN’T their fault that Hendricksen, Meg or Ron etc died. At the time of each of their deaths the hunters did the best they were able with the knowledge they had at that moment. Meg was already lost at the time the Winchesters encountered her AND they didn’t know yet that the possessed person COULD be saved. Ron walked into his own doom when taking the bank hostage….he was sweet and tried to do the right thing but he also behaved hugely dumb and you can’t blame that on the Winchesters. There was also no way the brothers could have known Lilith was on the way to the police station. They only left Hendricksen and the others behind when they threat of the demon horde was averted. Still, one can imagine well that to the hunters it’s a ton of weight on their conscious to lose any civilians because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the cross fire of supernatural events.
Was it ever explained how Meg knew about what Sam was doing with Ruby?? Did I miss that?
GREAT scenes when Bobby starts the spell and Sam and Dean have their hands full trying to keep ahead of the witnesses! Very suspenseful and beathless fast action.
Side note: with as many times as the guys had salt lines blown away by wind or ghostly energy you would think they’d come up with a different solution like a salt filled hula hoop or something to protect people or themselves in a circle. LOL. But maybe the salt has to touch the ground around you directly and it wouldn’t have worked any other way? Well, it ain’t working this way really well either.
Agree with JBB, I LOVE the dangerous and ominous edge early Castiel had! That last scene is SOOOO GOOD!! Lots of exposition BUT it keeps you GLUED to the dialogue. Dean’s anger is riveting. You can feel how pissed he is and at the same time understand that it’s caused by fear of having his accusations confirmed. Cas’ condescending tone at times is infuriating. He seems mildly amused by Dean’s barking at him, but when he has enough he’s immediately intimidating again. And of course the info given sets the story arc for the entire season AND means a seismic shift in the character’s importance to the world. So well done and well written.
GREAT episode!
