Overall Rating: 5/5***
- The entire time I kept thinking: Already???? As much as we all know I do NOT want a Sam-solo episode, it seemed that they brought Dean back much too quickly. Even factoring in the summer break between seasons - it seemed like a waste of a season. So he's in hell and we see, what - 30 seconds of torture? That's it? Not enough.
- I would have completely believed that Dean in the coffin was a hell torture device. I actually fought with Roomie about it. She kept saying "he's alive, LOOK! he's alive" and I didn't like it, I didn't want to believe it - it's moments like this that make me want to make this process a solo-adventure. Because I honestly didn't want him to be alive in that moment. I wanted the "crawling out of your grave" to be Dean's own special emotional torture. And the eeriness of the opening scenes - the grave sight, the fallen trees, the abandoned store. Even my second time through, in which I knew for a fact that he was alive, it seemed like it would have been much more interesting if he wasn't, and it's really set up for a few minutes as if he might still be dead.
In my mind, Dean was tortured this way, over and over. And in each instance Bobby and Sam would have to convince him that he was alive, and the moment he let his guard down - BOOM! Back in the coffin. Because guys, that's totes what this world would do to our Dean. So let's see it. Let's see what hell can spit out at him. Possibly, I will concede, this isn't necessary in Dean's case. "He tortures himself enough" on the emotional front, all the demons think, so they leave him alone.
... Yeah, I'm not buying that logic. The writers dropped the ball. They got too excited about starting this season that they didn't even seem to consider torturing Dean. As awful as this sounds, I want this season to be about Dean dealing with PTSD. Because hey - it may be a show about angels and demons, but let's keep it real, kids.
- And then there's a weird girl in panties in Sam's hotel room... (I'm skipping the Bobby intro scene because hey - anorexic girls in panties is always more interesting than scruffy guys splashing holy water on dead people) ... which Roomie immediately tells me is Ruby. There goes that reveal. Thanks. On a second watch, I was hoping that there would be a clue - that Sam(JaredP) would throw me a bone, be an actor for just a moment - but there was nothing. I'd have to fine-tooth-comb it to find the barest hint that Sam and Ruby were on the same page at all. He always just looks confused.
- I mostly missed the sexy talk with the gypsy woman the first time through, and didn't feel like I was missing anything the second time through. To be honest, every time sexuality is discussed on this show, it's done so poorly and so... ugh! Masochistically, that I just try to ignore it. As far as I'm concerned, Sam was neutered pre-puberty and Dean is just hiding in the closet.
- The seance was interesting - seeing her eyes burn out clued me in fast that the angels were here, they're queer, and they don't want any more bears. Also - BIG shock to me that Castiel would be mentioned so early. I though I was going to have to wait for the season's close to even get a whiff of him. Yeay for surprises.
- The scene with the demon woman was pretty interesting. Dean figured things out pretty quickly. "The smart brother's back." Yes indeed, my boy. Yes indeed.
- And then we have Sam sneaking off by himself out of bloodlust and Dean sneaking off with Bobby out of curiosity. I frickin LOVE this! THIS. This is the best twist the writers could have given us at this point. Dean's back from hell, and suddenly the Winchesters don't have the same goal anymore. And they're both okay, not only with lying to each other, but with allowing each other to lie. Dean obvs knows that Sam is up to no good. Sam... well, he's kind of slow, so I'll give him a few more episodes to figure out that there's an irreparable distance between him and Dean. At any other moment, Dean would have dropped everything to find out what Sam was up to. Castiel or no Castiel.
I've been wanting - from the very first episode when I totally pegged this story to be, on a large scale, a discussion of the Prodigal Son motif. I want desperately for the Winchesters to take apposing sides. I know they won't. But I really, really want them to not just drift apart personally, but also... I guess the only right word is "politically" - I want them to find themselves in different armies.
- Sam's powers - well worth the wait. I'm not sold on him yet, but I loved seeing him rip the demon out of her host just with his mind. I figured - telepathic powers, he was going to be the male version of Pru from Charmed. No. He kicks demon ass. Good for him. I'm sure Ruby is training him to be a demon warrior and not a warrior for god... but hey, I'm down with that. Ruby is interesting, despite me not being fond of her new body and despite me knowing that she turns out.... well... Let's just say I know how she turns out.
- Castiel is in the house, yo. I was shocked and amazed that he actually entered the scene already. No lead up. No agonizing episodes wondering if he was going to appear. There he is. All that I wanted and more... yes, more.
First Impression: "Don't get attached to this body, Don't get attached to this body, don't get attached to this body." Roomie: "Get attached" Me: "Oh. I'm attached."
Second Impression:
(1) His powers make the same whispering sound Sam's make. That's interesting.
(2) Poor Castiel, why did he think Dean could hear his true voice? Why can't he, is the better question.
(3) Bravo Dean, for bringing up the fact that the difference between demon possession and an angel's host is a very fine line. Way to stay on your toes, hun.
(4) Oh god. The look on Castiel's face when he asked, "You don't think you deserve to be saved?" It was not just a question, it was a realization. This. Okay, so I know I'm supposed to love Castiel, and I take fandom seriously, so I loved him on sight. But this was the moment when I knew why I should and do love him. Because he's just a normal angel doing his job and god asks him to save some schmuck from hell and he can't figure out why the bloke can't hear him and then! There it is. Dean's problem isn't that he "doesn't have faith" in the lord. It's that he doesn't have faith in himself. And that realization on Castiel's face was... so sad. He looked like he'd rather Dean was Lucifer's son himself. Dean stopped being a job, and became a person for whom Castiel has compassion for and emotional linkage to.
I'm not jumping the gun, here. This is basically the thing that keeps people flocking about Dean. Everyone, at this point - especially the audience, knows that Dean doesn't think too highly of himself. To have a new character, within seconds of his introduction, figure that out and have it be the most devastating thing he's heard? This is how you make sure the audience will love him.
And I do.
(5) I find it incredibly interesting that Azazel had work for Sam to do and now "the lord" has work for Dean to do. This is all going to lead back to the mom, eventually. I think she knew what was what. Obviously John was flying blind and lead his kids unwittingly straight into the battle that was already looking for them. Makes me wish (not for the first time) that we were watching Samantha and Denise tour the U.S. with their mommy...
While we're on the subject of battle-warrior-females... where the hell is Meg???
Bonus points for Castiel and Dean's interactions. The episode wasn't strong in it's own right, but it drove forward everything that's going to be happening this season. Perfect score, even though I should take points away from Sam, just because. Since it's the season premier, and Castiel MORE than makes up for Sam's lack (hahahaha), we'll keep this episode at five out of five... lightning-shadow-angel-wings.
*** I'm sticking with 5s instead of 10s for now because, quite frankly, nothing about this show is really sticking yet. Other than the episodes in early S3 with the females that don't know they're Supes and how the Winchesters help them (the were and the ghost), no single episode as of yet has made a lasting impact. I vaguely remember an episode in S1 that I loved... but I can't remember at the moment what it was or why I loved it.
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