Review – Supernatural 7.18 “Party On, Garth”

Warning – contains HUGE episode spoilers

“I’m right here you idjit! Balls!”

If I wasn’t in love with Jim Beaver before, I sure as hell am now! Abominable Snowman movie my ass! Here I was, looking at all the pictures he was tweeting thinking…crikey, that looks cold! Here I was watching him at Burcon thinking...why haven’t the “Supernatural” Powers-That-Be rung Jim yet, booo on them. Yeah, like he’d tell us anyway. Then last night’s episode, “Party On, Garth” happens. An innocuous little amuser I will get to later…and I’m sitting on the couch, watching Sam and Dean leave the hotel room after a chat that left me feeling a tad sad…camera pulls back…pans left….OH. MY. GOD! The noise heard across Australia was Amy screaming! I screamed “Oh my God!” Then I screamed “Bobbbbbbby!” Then I cried. Then Dean remembered his flask. Then I gasped. Then I held my breath. Then Dean didn’t see Bobby. Oh no. Idjits. Balls. Then it kind of went something like this… Bobby, sob, sob, oh my God, oh my God, sob, sob, sob, Bobby, sob, huh, giggle, Bobby, gasping in air, ha ha ha, sniffle, oh I can’t…..tweet, tweet, tweet, laugh, sniffle, laugh, grin like an idiot. Grin for about 3 hours. Wake up grinning. Weeeeeeeee another “Supernatural” rollercoaster ride! Everyone please check your safety bar! Bobby. Yay! Mr Beaver, your pants were so on fire I’m surprised a national disaster was not declared! Abominable Snow man movie my ASS! I’m still laughing. Bad Jim, bad! He looks so trustworthy too! Bloody brilliant hoax. Really great acting by everyone at Burcon, like I’d expect less. My love for this show has grown even more, if that’s at all possible, because the cast and crew are such sneaky S.O.B.s! Because they worked so hard to keep us from being spoiled. Thank you. AbSno. Oh the laughter.

“Party, On Garth” was one of those onion episodes. There were layers. Sure the guts of it was an amusing MOTW story that required booze to be drunk for a purpose other than dulling pain, but under it all was another glimpse at how Sam and Dean are dealing with grief. The most surprising part of this is that they’re talking about it. Like, talking. Actually, talking. In a Sam and Dean way of course.

I was happy to see that we opened the episode with Dean on the phone to Meg, checking on Cas’ status. I was worried the Angel in question wouldn’t get a mention. It’s happened before. The big event of the previous episode sometimes fails to get a look-in, which usually irritates the hell out of me. But they’re checking in with Meg to see if there’s any change in Cas, which unfortunately, there isn’t….if Meg is to be believed of course. Let’s not forget, Lucifer is her boss after all. In this scene we also saw how guilty Sam is feeling about passing the crazy onto Cas. Like the tape in “The Ring.” This isn’t any surprise. Sam’s going to be feeling damn guilty. Also, I expect he’s still getting his custard sorted. Poor guy. Dean goes to talk to him about it, Sam says he doesn’t want to, Dean’s phone rings! Why does that always happen when we’re about to get a bit of bro chat? Saved by the damn bell. The fans get Garthed…again!

I like Garth. I didn’t really care for the wedding episode where he made his first appearance. Not because of Becky so much, though she was grating and not because as a fan I found her offensive, but because it just wasn’t funny and it just wasn’t that good. But Garth I liked. Dean’s right. He grows on you. How he’s alive I do not know, but he seems to get through it all somehow. He was savvy enough to put two and two together with the Japanese Booze Monster (with some help from Dean) and then to twig to the love child of the brewery owner, so I guess he’s got a hunter’s mind…just not a hunter’s body! Which is part of what makes him awesome. And of course, he figured the whole Bobby thing out pretty easily. I liked how he gently tried to raise the subject with Dean. He seems to get knocked out an awful lot though. Actually, they all do! I hope he doesn’t get killed off because I’ve always liked the idea of other hunters being out there that the brothers work with or run into from time to time. It fills out their claustrophobic Universe a little. Also, to kill Garth would seem extra cruel for some reason. He seems kinda defenceless somehow! You kinda want to protect him! Drunk on one beer? Like I said…how’d he ever survive? D.J. Qualls does a great job with this character and he’s one I hope we continue to see, every once in a while.

Speaking of drunk, drunk Dean is priceless. I wish we’d seen more of Sam and Dean drunk. That scene in the office was just getting good when Randy burst in. I literally laughed out loud when Dean spat his drink back into his glass. I replayed that little bit about 5 times. Just precious! And what was he drinking? Did you notice how Jensen stood when he was downing a glass of whatever that was supposed to be? Bend at the knees please! And Sam and his “So, he – he let that thing out of the box, and it must have just followed him to the place with all the thingies.” Ha! All the thingies! Then seeing drunk Sam commandeering that cab! “Brewery. Step on it!” The tiny little old cab driver who likes to “…drive safe you know.” I must admit I giggled an awful lot through “Party On, Garth”. I find Adam Glass, who wrote this one, fairly hit and miss, but he penned some pretty funny lines and scenes in this episode. I thought Sam’s side-swipe at Dean’s drinking was a bit mean though…he’s been doing so well lately! Maybe Sam didn’t notice like we did…bein that he was all crazy at the time. 

And then there was the Bobby talk. I loved that Garth was perceptive about the whole Ghost!Bobby situation. The EMF monitor going off around the flask, the idea that Bobby might be riding Dean’s wave (I love that idea so much). It’s something Dean doesn’t want to discuss, either because he doesn’t want to believe it or he really does and he doesn’t want that bubble burst. It’s the later right? He was pretty surprised that Sam had tried to contact Bobby without him. I love how these boys are sort of the opposite of what you think they’d be. Sam is so emotional. He’s the one who likes to talk, get it out, empathise. But then he’s the one who wants clear-cut answers. He’s the one to hit the books to try and find the truth. Dean is also emotional, but in a very different way. He’s explosive. He’s got walls in front of walls. He doesn’t like to feel his feelings. But when it comes to everything else, he goes by his gut. His gut has a pretty good accuracy rate I might add. He hadn’t tried to reach Bobby through traditional methods, he was just going with what he felt and he felt that Bobby was around. I think this was both his hunter instincts and wishful thinking. I think part of the reason he didn’t go for the truth and get out a talking board himself was because the disappointment might have been too much for him to bear. Which is also why I think Sam didn’t tell him. I love how different the brothers are in this sense and yet how they compliment each other. They are two halves of the one thought. Dean seemed to buy Sam’s version of what was going on, that it was just the way they saw things through their grief and their job. I also think Sam’s too scared to think it’s Bobby for the same reason Dean’s too scared find out it’s not. Disappointment. Like he said in “The Slice Girl’s” because they want it to be. Why would their luck change now? But it has! Yay! This whole talking to each other thing is just too awesome for words. Dean said it when he was drunk “I miss these talks.” Me too Dean, me too.

Some other bits I enjoyed in “Party On, Garth” were....the exasperated looks between Sam and Dean when they were with Garth. The grin Sam gave Dean when he teamed Dean up with Garth. Such a brother thing to do. Dean’s “We’ll talk about this later” to Sam when they were discussing Ghost!Bobby. I think he was channelling John there! Even I felt chastised! Mr Fizzles. At first I was with Dean, shut-up Mr Fizzles. But my whole attitude changed when Dean said he’d stick that sock puppet where the sun don’t shine and Mr Fizzles looked around shocked! That was pretty funny. I was onboard with the sock puppet after that. Did you notice…it got a credit! Dean creating a ‘spring’ over the sword as it was being blessed. Clever Dean makes me happy (every Dean makes me happy). The MOTW was creepy and nice and gory. Very Japanese horror movie in appearance, which I thought was nice synergy for the story concept and also the early reference to “The Ring.” “Come with me if you want to live.” This show quotes all my favourite movies! Garth’s insistence on hugging. Bless him! Bobby. Bobby. BOBBY!

So why can’t the boys see Bobby if he’s trying to be seen? He can affect an object, that’s obvious. He didn’t or couldn’t speak to Sam when Sam tried to contact him. He doesn’t seem to be able to show his presence when asked, like when Dean asked him to do something in the brewery…which was so damn heartbreaking. I want Dean to see Bobby so bad. So what’s the deal? Is he still learning the ghostly tricks as per “Death Takes A Holiday”? Or is there some other reason? Is something preventing him? I’m assuming that he knows a lot more about the Big Mouths than he was able to convey before he died, so I’m guessing he’ll be an integral part of their downfall, once he’s able to contact the boys that is. I want him corporeal again though. I don’t want Ghost!Bobby I want real, honest to goodness, grumpy old fully fleshed out Bobby. I’m so happy he’s back. So very, very happy.

To be perfectly honest, if Bobby hadn’t have popped up at the end there, “Party On, Garth” would have been enjoyable, but nothing out of the box. Certainly plenty of fun and laughs, but not an instant classic like some of the other comedic episodes we’ve had. But by adding in the Sam and Dean deep and meaningfuls and then the pulling the wool over our eyes with the whole Bobby suddenly appearing twist, it was elevated to something a bit special. I can’t remember the last time I was that surprised. This was another one of those episodes that seemed to be about something else, when on closer inspection, it was really about the season long emotional arc. That’s happened a lot in season seven and as drunk Dean would say…me likey.

So we have Cas and Bobby back…but not quite whole…now where’s the bloody Impala? For goodness sake give us back that damn car. Seriously, Sam and Dean don’t need the car to look conspicuous…I mean LOOK AT THEM. Please. They do tend to stand out somewhat on their own, errr, charms…. Bring back baby!

Now we have to wait 2 weeks to find out what happens next! Cruel, cruel and capricious CW. 

So were you happy to see Bobby back? What did you think of the episode? Thanks for reading! See you next time. Enjoy the promo for the new ep!

- Amy

Supernatural's "Party on, Garth" and SQUEE Surprise!!!

THEN

Wow, I feel stupid. I never connected DJ Quall's awesome Garth with the "how are you still alive" hunter from "Weekend at Bobby's." Man, I love seeing Bobby, even in flashback.

NOW

This campfire thing reminds me a little of "Wendigo" even though they didn't do campfire ghost stories. (Coincidentally, That Haley Girl from "Wendigo" was on tonight's episode of Fringe!)

Anyone who saw the previews knows what's coming. Wasted Trevor sees/hears something in the woods. He runs off, and when his brother goes after him, he finds a gruesome scene. Nice touch with the down from his vest floating around.

Oh, yeah, Garth appears to Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison," which somehow fits him very well. He approaches two of the women from the campfire, who dis him until he throws his badge and gets amusingly sudden respect. I love when dorks rule! They tell Garth about the real Jenny Greentree. He salts and burns her: "You've been Garthed." Bell Biv Devoe come back, while Garth hits himself in the face with his jacket when he tosses it over his shoulder, and the small grave fire gets bigger and bigger. Love it!

Trevor's brother is getting drunk in the woods now. You don't have to have seen the preview to know something bad is going to happen. Do you think he has salt rounds in his shotgun? Oh, wait, I think that's a rifle. He's "hunting" his brother's killer, but he gets hunted.

Garth "hearts you more"--Number One (my oldest daughter) thinks he was talking to Becky. What do you think? Garth hears about Trevor's brother and is angry. "I Garthed her!"

Finally, we get to Sam and Dean. Dean's getting an update from the bitch Meg. Apparently, Cas is still catatonic or something close. Dean asks Sam how his custard is. Sam says it's getting better, but he feels guilty for passing on the crazy. Dean's phone interrupts him, and it's Garth. How did I know Dean wouldn't remember him right away?

Fed Dean and Fed Sam show up at the morgue, and Corporal Brown--James Brown, ha!--is there to pay respects to his cousin, but clearly doesn't know the victims were brothers. An exasperated Sam takes over, checking the files and doing quick research. Dean asks if he's allergic to a suit, but Garth just looks good in a uniform. Doesn't everyone?

Dean gets EMF when Garth hadn't, but the details point to monster chow rather than ghost. A witness says it was invisible, so Dean goes with invisible ghost werewolf. Sam finds Thighslapper Ale (beverage for douchebags), and the owner is the father to the dead brothers. Dean assures Sam that Garth grows on ya. (He does, Sam! Give him a chance!)

The manager of the brewery is the sister. The place is run by two guys, with a third partner recently dead. I'm going to quickly encapsulate the storyline here so I can get to the good stuff. Sam, Dean, and Garth trace clues and family intricacies to learn that:

Three partners in the business, two want to sell to a giant distributor, one doesn't, he committed suicide a couple of months ago. But he gave them a gift "that would show them I forgive them," a saki bottle from Japan containing an alcohol spirit that was programmed to go after the kids of the ousting partners. I don't know why it kills the wife/mother instead of the little girl who accidentally drank from her mother's screwdriver, but probably they had the girl witness the trauma instead of dying herself because they know my husband's rule about quitting shows that do harm to kids.

I love that Sam and Dean consult, what, a sushi chef? He reads the curse on the box (and Dean very nicely pays him for his time) and later helps Dean bless a samurai sword with spring water poured from a plastic bottle. Dirty, but it works! Garth, who's not as hapless as he seems, figures out that Ray's son is the company janitor. He also saves Sam and Dean by tazing Ray when he discovers Sam and Dean drunk in the office, watching security footage of the spirit being set free.

Garth goes to the company (drunk on mini bar bottles) and sees the spirit stalking the unrecognized son. Sam, who's been getting drunk while watching out for the older sister, has to take a cab to the company. Dean meets them there with the sword, but he's the only one sober enough to fight the thing, but too sober to see it. (Sam to Dean when they got drunk in the office: "Can you even get drunk anymore? It's kind of like drinking a vitamin." Another good line: Drunk Sam saying the spirit followed the kid to the place with all the thingies. Dean thought that was smart. I love drunk Dean!)

Garth gets drunk on one bottle of beer. "Party on Garth." He doesn't usually drink beer because it messes with his depth perception, especially when he skinny dips. LOL He gets the young daughter's story out of her with a sock puppet, Mr. Fizzles. He also figures out that Bobby's old flask set off the EMF meter.

And that's the stuff that's REALLY good. Garth thinks Bobby might be haunting them. Sam admits that after the beer disappeared, he used a talking board to try to contact Bobby. It didn't work, or he'd have told Dean. But during the battle, the spirit throws Garth through a wall (again) and Sam against a wall (knocking him out) and knocks the sword from Dean's hand. Dean's a bit desperate, with Sam knocked out, the kid useless, and the sword five feet away...until it slides across the floor, right into his hand.

Dean's convinced now. He thinks he's alone and begs Bobby to do something. God, Jenson does tortured well. Sam, however, still needs a haircut. I mean, Sam hears Dean, but nothing happens. Later, after they say goodbye to Garth (I love the hugs...and the music!), we have this huge buildup of anticipation as Sam confronts Dean about the Bobby thing. Dean tries to blow it off, calling it his imagination, but Sam pushes. Dean catalogs the sword, the beer, the page, the book. But Sam thinks regular people see people they've lost all the time, too. They're actually close to normal.

I'm dying here!

Dean says "who knows more about being a ghost than Bobby?" Of course Bobby would let them know. They leave the motel room...come on come on come on...the camera pans over...

BOBBBYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Dean goes back inside, and kills us by glancing around, landing his eyes on something, and saying "there you are." Bobby thinks he sees him, but Dean just came back for the flask.

"I'm right here, ya idjit!" A gray-looking, heartbroken Bobby ends with "Balls!"

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

But OMG, that preview! I can't believe we have to wait three more friggin' weeks!

I love being unspoiled. I don't know if there were hints in any of the interviews I avoided, but I had no clue he'd actually show up and prove right those of us who called "he chose to stay" from the last fadeout on "Death's Door."

As a classic episode, I liked this one. I like Garth (which means we'll get three episodes with him next season and then he'll die) and the new spirit and the down-and-dirty blessing ritual and even the way figuring out what was happening was kind of like an episode of Castle or something, with all the family intrigues and unseen connections.

But as a Bobby reveal, it was even better. I made some strangled screaming noises when it happened. I think my family was ready to perform CPR on me (or make me Cas's roommate).

After this next hiatus, we should get the last five episodes all in a row. Which is nice, but it makes me sad that it's almost over when it feels like it just started.

What did you think?

Review: Supernatural episode 7.17 - "The Born-Again Identity"

Warning - contains spoilers

“We didn’t part friends Dean.” 

“So what.” 

I’m going to start off shallow and just get this out of the way. I found it very difficult to concentrate during Sam’s hospital scenes. There. I said it. Jared was really working that whole floppy hair, scruffy, unshaven, dishevelled, tight-white-t-shirt look. Crazy Sam was fiiiiiiiiinnnnnne. Is that bad of me? To be so totally pervy during such a heartbreaking and epic episode? Pffft! I know I’m not alone. Yes I’m looking at you out there. I know you!

But seriously folks, wow, just wow. “The Born-Again Identity” was a near perfect hour of television. I say near, though off the top of my head I can’t think to fault it. I’m sure there’s some out there who are pickity picking at it, but not me. It was a beautiful script, beautifully realised and beautifully performed. It’s up there in my top 3 for the season, jostling for first place with “Meet The New Boss” and “Death’s Door.” Sera Gamble did us proud. She did the Winchesters proud and she did Castiel proud. Cas’ return was glorious. She’s an absolutely beautiful writer. Regardless of what you may think of her in other capacities, surely that one fact can’t be denied. I applaud her. Sera and Ben Edlund are tag-teaming perfection this season. Now I’m completely busting to see his next episode! There was so much hype about this week’s outing, because of the return of that certain Angel, that rattling around in the back of one’s mind is always the niggling thought, what if it doesn’t deliver? Well it did. And how. “The Born-Again Identity” was magnificent.

Well we knew it was going to happen, Sam was eventually going to go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Running the streets in a sleep deprived state he’s hit by a car and winds up in the psych ward of the local hospital, where he shares a room with his bunk buddy Lucifer. Now, I know that this might not be cool to say under these, torturously difficult to watch circumstances, but I simply adore Lucifer. Every time I say that I expect arms to reach up through my floorboards and drag me to Hell kicking and screaming! But I can’t help it. I do. Mark Pellegrino is like a kid in a candy store with that character. He plays him with such verve that I can’t help but titter with glee every time he does something totally bratty. He’s the one thing about Sam being cured I’m going to miss. No more smart-ass, annoying, yet strangely charming Luci. Not that I’d want Sam to remain in this fractured state just for my enjoyment. Of course not! I was wincing along with him with every megaphone screech and firework pop. It was horrible to watch and I’m damn glad it’s over for him. I hope this is the last time we see Sam tortured this way. Visions, demon blood, vessel issues, Hell-dive, no soul, crazy brain…..ok….is that enough? Probably not. But maybe he can have a little break. Here’s hoping that 10 is not on his horizon anytime soon. 

What I loved about Sam’s hospital sojourn (apart from the he looked amazing bit…sorry), is that he was able to solve a case at the same time. Proving that even under the most difficult, life threatening situation, he’s a hunter at heart. But beyond that, he still has that capacity to care, big time. Sure, it was something to distract his brain and while he was talking to Marin, Lucifer was somewhat subdued, but as soon as he put two and two together, he kicked into Winchester mode and went about solving her case. He put his own troubles on the backburner to help someone else. In doing so, he freed a young girl from the kind of torture he was experiencing. What a guy. Sam Winchester your fortitude never ceases to amaze me. As much as I’m besotted with your brother, my heart zings and zips for you too. Just had to let you know that (as I talk to a fictional character).

It goes without saying, Sam’s torture is also Dean’s torture (which means my torture) and ever bit of pain was written across Dean’s face. You know, I’m going to get to the performances later, but I’m always slightly stunned by how Jensen doesn’t really look like Dean. Sounds weird I know, but he doesn’t. I mean, obviously they look a like…same person and all, but he just doesn’t look like Dean. It’s a testament to his performance that I see them as two totally separate individuals and often times have to poke myself to remember that under Dean’s skin is Jensen (and yes, that Dean’s not real *sob*)! “The Born-Again Identity” was one of those moments. A total physical transformation. Dean looked fray, tired, worn, broken, desperate. Teetering on the edge. Just holding on. Again. Meep.

Of course, he’s not going to listen to his brother for one moment when Sam says he can’t be fixed. The Winchesters are nothing if not stubborn sons of bitches. Reminiscent of what is probably my favourite episode “Faith”, also written by Ms Gamble; Dean starts ringing around Bobby’s old friends (in “Faith” Sam rang around John’s old friends), to find a way to help Sam. Which leads him to Emmanuel and the moment so many fans had been waiting for. 

When Dean first set eyes on Emmanuel, A.K.A. Castiel, I think I stopped breathing. Of course, first he had to fight off a demon (yay demons!) and find out the brothers are back on Crowley’s hit list! But then…at the bottom of the stairs….looking up with those innocent eyes is Cas. Dean’s face. How he held it together under the circumstances is beyond me. But he did and he even managed to get his name out and offer his hand to be shaken. At this point, Cas has no idea he’s Cas and Dean caught on to that real quick and went with it. I was itching to see how this first meeting went down and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved it. Misha was perfect.

The car ride was wonderful. Even with Cas confused and suffering from amnesia, Dean opened up to him, telling him he had this friend who let him down, hurt his brother and he just can’t shake it off. Cas responded flatly, of course he can’t, he’s human. It all felt so familiar and as much as I haven’t been pining for Castiel as many of the fans have, I realised I’d missed this. This kind of dialogue. These moments. But I think mostly, this Cas. I like the socially awkward, monotone, Cas. Original Cas. Before he got infected by our humanity. Those flat, honest responses, before we corrupted him with so much emotion. Before he became comic relief, which is how I think he was used through out a lot of season five and even some of six and it did him no justice. He deserved better. This uncomfortable road trip brought back memories of those early scenes between Dean and Cas when they were just starting to build their alliance and friendship. Dean, in this moment, to what essentially is a stranger, opened up more on how he felt about Castiel than he has since the whole bad juju with the Leviathan went down. Man he must have been missing Cas. I’m in no way undermining his relationship with Sam. You know how I feel about that. Sam will always be Dean’s best friend and soul mate, but for some reason, Dean can speak to Cas. Maybe it’s because Cas isn’t family, in the traditional sense of the word and so is just that little bit removed. Maybe it’s because that emotional response Dean’d get from Sam isn’t really there with Cas. Lord knows Dean doesn’t like to openly feel his feelings and Sam does, so maybe that’s why Cas became so important to Dean. Sam knows Dean better than anyone else on the face of this planet and beyond, he can pretty much figure out what Dean’s thinking and is about to say and he’ll head him off at the pass and respond with his own emotionally charged logic. Sam’s wonderful at that and Dean needs it. But more often than not, though Dean has this capacity himself, those emotionally charged conversations squick Dean out! With Cas, he can open up and say his bit without that rush of feelings in return. I think he appreciates that Cas allows him this. Whatever. Dean needed to spill. I’m glad he finally got at least a little of it out. It made me happy. 

When they got to the hospital with the wonderful Meg in tow (please don’t kill her) and all of Cas’ memories came rushing back in that fantastic montage my hands were over my mouth. When faced with what he’d done, Cas looked like he was in such a state of shock, I thought he was about to bolt. Then Dean, God bless him, tells Cas he did the best he could at the time. Oh wow. But Cas wouldn’t hear it, so Dean does what he does best. He reached out with his heart. He reached out with love. He handed Cas the trench coat. 

I burst into tears. 

You know, wait, I know you do because I’m sure this thought instantaneously went through the collective fandom mind….Dean had been carrying that coat around, transferring it from car to car, ever since Cas disappeared into the river. He could have left it in the boot of the Impala safely tucked away, but no. Every new car the brothers stole, the coat came too. Folded neatly in the boot. Just. In. Case. That realisation seriously made me burst into tears. I know everyone was chanting “HUG HUG HUG” but that was way better than a hug. That was love and I think….forgiveness. Dean’s capacity to forgive those he loves is boundless. I find it overwhelming. I found that scene, that small moment between Dean and Castiel overwhelming. This is why I’m besotted with this man…character…whatever…Dean…because he has a beautiful, beautiful heart. And yes I know Dean needed Cas’ help, but everything else in their history together transcended that need and the moment took on a life of it’s own. Lovely. 

Of course, being Supernatural, nothing goes to plan and Cas isn’t able to repair the wall in Sam’s brain because it’s just a bunch of debris. So, he decides to take the pain from Sam and into himself. He transfers all that is broken in Sam’s mind into his own (at least that’s how I saw it, I know there was a lot of chatter about what he actually did) and in doing so, as far as I’m concerned, redeemed himself. When it came to Cas, I’d always said, his redemption will be fixing Sam because that, above everything else he was responsible or partly responsible for, was the most heinous act because it was an act against a friend, against two friends. Cas took on Sam’s pain/Hell memories/crazy/whatever willingly and without thought because he felt responsible and he needed to fix it. But also, because he’s an Angel and this is the kind of things Angels do. It’s so sad, but so awesome at the same time. Poor Cas. Cas you rock. 

And Dean was right by the way. Leaving Cas behind (for now) was their best option. They don’t know what the fallout of his action is going to be. How he’ll cope. When news gets out that he’s alive he’ll be hunted down. The brothers have not only the Leviathan, but now demons on their tails. Both would want Cas. The brothers couldn’t take care of him properly and they couldn’t take that risk. They need to focus on saving the world….again. For now, as much as the image is so very tragic, Cas is safer where he is, under the watchful (and disturbingly horny) eye of Nurse Masters. And boy am I interested to see how this Meg thing plays out! Of course they can’t trust her. I was wondering if to get back in with Crowley she’d offer up Cas. But then I think she knows Crowley would kill her anyway, so being in that hospital is probably the safest place for her too. But what’s that demon playing at? Twisty turns are twisty! I dig it. 

“The Born-Again Identity” soared from the minute it hit the screens to the minute it ended… with all of us going… OH.MY.GOD. I never saw that whole Cas taking in Sam’s crazy thing coming. I didn’t. I was stunned. I also thought it was a satisfactory conclusion to the Sam’s broken wall arc. I didn’t want Cas to simply heal Sam and for them to all to jump in the car and happily beetle off to their next case! That felt like a jip. But the way Cas healed Sam….I’m cool with it. The cast knocked it well and truly out of the park with their performances. Jensen’s Dean was heartbreaking to watch. He can convey so much emotion with that beautiful face of his. Jared’s Sam was devastating. I felt exhausted just watching him. Misha gave us another incarnation of Castiel. How many has that been now? Every one just slightly different. And Rachel’s version of Meg just lights up a room with her bitchy comments. I love her. I hope she doesn’t meet the normal demon fate. Ms Gamble’s script was amazing. The dialogue was beautiful. Peppered throughout the angst were little bits of humour. Nothing that’d make you laugh out loud, but simply chuckle and smile, which lifted the dark tone just enough. Spot on. Though I did laugh at, “Is that a flirtation?” HA! Man, I really love this show. 

Oh damn, I nearly forgot about ghost Bobby! Is it really ghost Bobby or is it just Dean’s grief manifesting itself in strange gusts of wind and moving objects! Heee! I’m excited to find out! And here’s a random thought….I wonder what Daphne is thinking now….or do you think maybe Daphne was not just Emmanuel’s wife but something else? Something looking after him or guarding him? I mean, what must she have thought about the whole not eating or sleeping thing!

Anyhoo….. Next week looks funny. We could do with a bit of a giggle. But after that I have a feeling, it’s all systems go for Dick! I wish they’d hurry and tell us we have a season eight, just so when the team finishes shooting up north (not my north) they know they’re coming back and the team down south (not my south) can work it all out accordingly….not that I have any doubt in my mind that “Supernatural” will be back for an eighth season, it will (I insist!) but please don’t make us wait for the May Upfronts…….

Thanks for reading! Sorry it’s a bit long….but really I could go on and on about this one and I think I only scratched the surface. Let me know what you thought, whether you enjoyed it, liked the outcome, what you think Meg’s up to?

See you next week for “Party On, Garth” – might have to watch “Wayne’s World” in preparation! 
-Amy

The Born-Again Identity

So, Sam’s hallucinating again, bad. He’s been up 5 days straight and runs into a junkie who offers to knock him out, while Satan taunts him. I bet Jared is really going to look like that now that he has a newborn. I do think Mark P is having fun with this role. Sam is running away from Satan and gets hit by a car.

He’s admitted for broken ribs and lacerations, but he’s been admitted to the psych ward. The doctor believes he’s having a psychotic episode. They’ve pumped him full of sedatives and he still won’t sleep. (Oh, hey, Misha’s going to be in this episode! Interested to see how THAT will come out.)

Lucifer is keeping him company when Dean walks in and suggests a faith healer. Also, what kind of creepy hospital is this? The headboard is all rusty and scraped up. Sam sends him on his way, but Dean uses Bobby’s list of contacts (would Bobby have a list of contacts?) to look for help for Sam.

(While Lucifer reads a diagnostic textbooks and comments about having narcissistic personality disorder...) Sam takes his meds, and Dean gives up making calls. He tosses the address book on the table, but when he looks again it’s on the floor, and there’s a business card beneath. Dean calls and leaves a message.

Sam’s hallucinating that the doctor is Lucifer, that there are maggots in his sandwich, etc. Some redheaded chick appears in his open doorway, and he’s probably hallucinating again. Dean gets a call back. The hunter said he set every trap for a faith healer but he passed every one. He tells Dean this guy is the real deal.

The redhead is back and brings Sam a candy, and why is his door open? Dean goes to find Emmanuel the faith healer and catches sight of a bound and gagged woman through the window. The man claiming to be Emmanuel flashes black eyes and tells Dean whoever Emmanuel is, Crowley’s going to want him. Dean stabs him and he rolls down the stairs to land at Castiel’s feet.

Dean is freaked as Emmanuel/Castiel unties the girl. Emmanuel introduces himself to Dean and introduces the woman as his wife. Emmanuel doesn’t know about demons on the earth. Dean is still freaked but not hesitant about asking for help.

On the way to Sam, Emmanuel tells about how he wandered into his wife Daphne’s path drenched and confused and naked, and she took care of him.

“Who named you Emmanuel?” Dean asked.

“Bouncingbabynames.com.”

Dean comments it must be hard to not know who you are, if you’re a bad person or not. Emmanuel says he doesn’t feel like a bad person.

Sam makes friends with the redhead who is depressed and wants to die. She asks why he’s there, if it’s because voices in his head. She admits to Sam that her dead brother is the voice in her head, telling her to kill herself or he’d do it for her.

Dean leaves Cass in the car while he goes into the convenience store, and a demon follows him--wait, 2 more. Dean kills the first with the magic knife, and another demon is killed by a knife through the back. Meg’s back! Though, seriously, I miss that little blonde. They team up.

The little redhead tells Sam he needs sleep or his hair and nails will fall out. This cracks up Lucifer. She tells Sam she feels cold when she feels her brother coming. Her brother set the room on fire and she barely got out. Sam tells her that her brother is a ghost, but he’s been cremated. She has a bracelet he made that he bled on, and Sam asks for a lighter.

Okay, shouldn’t an episode with Cass and Meg being back be a little more exciting? Maybe I’m just underwhelmed after seeing Hunger Games, but.....yawn. I don't like this actress, I guess, and Dean is so INTENSE and Cass is old-humorless Cass, which was fine when Dean had humor.

So Sam sets the bracelet on fire and the girl’s brother disappears and the men in white coats tie him down. They’re talking about a surgical solution to Sam’s problem so he doesn’t overdose. Lucifer asks hopefully if they’re considering a lobotomy but...no.

Maybe it’s that it’s so choppy--a bit of Sam, a bit of Dean...

Meg spills the beans about Cass being an angel and that he can smite every demon, but he doesn’t remember how. Still, he walks down to the demons outside the hospital where Sam is kept and smites them. As he does, he remembers more and more about who he is. He remembers everything and is pissed at Dean for not telling him who he is and what he’s done.

Oh, hey, shock treatment for Sam from a demon-nurse, while Dean tries to convince Cass to come help. Cass is suffering from guilt over what he did. He deserved to die, so why did he walk out of the water? Dean says to fix it, and pulls Cass’s bloody trench coat out of the trunk. He touches Sam, saying he’s here to make it right, but Sam can’t believe Cass is real.

Whatever Cass did, didn’t work. Sam is listening to Lucifer read him The Three Little Pigs. There’s nothing left of the wall--it’s completely crumbled. He can’t fix it, but maybe he can shift it. He places a hand on Sam’s head and both start glowing red. Now CASS is hallucinating Lucifer and staying in the psych ward. They can’t protect him so they’re leaving him there.

Sam doesn’t like making a deal with Meg, but Dean says it’s not making a deal, it’s mutually assured destruction. Besides, they don’t have any friends, all their friends are dead.

So please tell me you found this episode more compelling than I did. At least Sam’s not hallucinating anymore.

The Born-Again Identity and why I'm really excited!

Warning....ahead be spoilers!

I'm always excited about a new episode of "Supernatural", but sometimes an episode comes along that has me REALLY excited. Whether it's the opening of the season, or the almighty season finale, or something with cowboys, invariable there are a few moments throughout a season where I can literally feel my heart beating faster and faster as we head towards the weekend and a brand new "Supernatural".

Like this week. I'm practically having palpitations.

When it comes to "Supernatural", my favourite episodes are always the emotionally fraught ones. Sure, I love a good Unicorn-farting-out-a-rainbow moment as much as the next fan, but give me high stakes, give me brother worried for brother, give me great big dollops of Dean angst and I'm the happiest/saddest/happiest gal in the world.

And The Born-Again Identity looks like it's going to deliver angst....lots of beautiful, beautiful Winchestery angst. Yay!

I'm excited about the return of 'Cas'. Mostly because we're not sure what to expect! Misha teased in an interview released today:

"A lot of people are just going to be excited to see 'Cas' again. And of course, as things twist and turn, there’s going to be a lot of people who are really disappointed that it’s not exactly how they want it."

And that right there has me clapping my hands and making "ooooooo" noises! Interesting.

But the main reason I'm excited about the return of 'Cas' is to see how Dean deals with it. How will he deal with seeing his friend, who he believes betrayed him and who he knows broke his brother's head. I want to see Dean's face. I want to experience his confusion and his anger and his happiness and his disbelief and his relief and the myriad of emotions that will run through Dean when he claps eyes on the resurrected 'Castiel'.

It's.Going.To.Be.Epic.

The fact that 'Castiel' remembers nothing. Wow. That's going to make for some very interesting conversations right there! And I can't wait to witness every one of them.

Of course, the other reason I'm champing at the bit for The Born-Again Identity is that Dean's going to be in full-on big-brother mode. Sam is dying. Sam is giving up. Dean can't have that. Dean can't lose Sam. Dean has to find a way to save him because that's what Dean does and I'm cool with it. For me, Dean is most glorious when putting every ounce of his being into finding a way to help Sam (I'd say the same for Sam by the way, but of course, about Dean). I know a lot of other people think it's passé, that Dean hasn't got a storyline outside of this, or whatever, but me, I don't think like this, because this is Dean and this is why I love him. This is who he is. Sam keeps Dean moving forward. Sam keeps Dean human. Sam is his heart and soul. They’re each other’s heart and soul. That's never going to change. At least I hope it doesn’t.

It's not that I don't want the brothers to be happy, I do. But I love this show for their journey and let's face it, their journey will always be a struggle. I dig watching them try to beat and overcome everything that the Universe throws at them. I love watching them triumph, only to fall again and then pick themselves up and dust themselves off and give it another shot. It's inspiring.

My favourite thing in the whole world is when the brothers are looking out for each other and supporting each other and backing each other up (and of course, teasing each other)...hence my joy at the direction season seven has taken. Even through all the loss, there's been so much gained. At least for me.

My favourite episodes are all about the brothers. Faith, The End, Swan Song... These all have moments when Sam and Dean realise, above everything else, what they mean to each other. And that right there is what the show means to me.

So I'm excited about The Born-Again Identity because it looks like that relationship will be front and centre. But not only that, it looks like it’ll put Dean's love front and centre, that it’ll bring to a head all that Sam's been struggling with and of course, bring back an old friend, one who's been sorely missed, and who'll add to the overwhelming confusion and angstiness of the whole schbang. For Sam and Dean…and for us. Big episode sounds big. I'm sure I'll be in tears throughout. I can’t wait. What is wrong with me? Oh right...I'm a "Supernatural" fan. I love pain. Obviously.

I'm so excited for the end of this season. How do we solve a problem like Lucifer (go on, sing it like the Sound Of Music), will Sammy recover, will Dean finally fall in a heap, what is the deal with 'Castiel', what twists and turns will that character take, how will the brothers deal with 'Cas' being back, is he really ‘Cas’, will we ever see Bobby again (meep), when will the Impala come back (meep meep)...oh yeah and then there's that Leviathan thing!

So much. Seven episodes. BRING.IT.ON.

Have we Talked about Felicia Day?

Before the Google alerts filled up with "It's a Boy!" links, they were full of "Geek Cred" stories about Felicia Day's upcoming appearance on the show.

Many of of, of course, love Felicia for many reasons. Buffy. Dr. Horrible. Dollhouse. Eureka. The Guild. Dragon Age. Some of us also love her because she's a reader of popular fiction and loves to tweet about books. :)

Felicia is reported to be playing a hacker named Charlie in the awesomely named episode "The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo."

Thoughts?

The day the Padababy was born…Or the tweet heard around the world!

I was just heading to the kitchen to feed my dog Harry when I heard Dean yell out “Son of a bitch”, which is how my phone announces I have a message. I grabbed it assuming it was something everyday, only to see that long awaited tweet from @jarpad….. “It’s a boy :)” 

KABOOOOM! Supernatural fandom explodes.

I let out a little squeal and a “Yay!” to no one in particular and quickly texted my friend Hazel. “Padababy is born!” Quick as a flash back, “Yay! OMG!”

I jumped back online. First stop twitter. My entire timeline was filled with the news, to which, of course, I added. Next stop Facebook. My entire timeline was filled with the news, to which, of course, I added.

I then spent the next hour or more gleefully joining in the celebration!

There was talk about names, weight, size, first photos, hereditary dimples, did the little guy have a mini-moose onesie, does he have flowing locks, did Jared pass out, when would uncle Jensen get a cuddle, did he come out saying “Hey dude, I’m Stanley!" Everyone wanted to know the date, was it the 19^th or had the bub been around for a bit. Everyone wanted to know how Gen went, did everything go as planned, how was she feeling, was she was doing ok.

Almost instantaneously the Twitter trending commenced. First we trended #WelcomePadababy. Then we trended #UNCLEJENSEN. This one made me laugh out loud and go awwwww at the same time. A tricky combination, but you know, Jensen elicits a myriad of emotions at the best of times! Then we trended #PapaPadalecki. All of these, at some stage, were number 1 on Twitter’s Worldwide trends list. #UNCLEJENSEN and #PapaPadalecki trended at the same time! Bless. Like seriously BLESS!

There was such an outpouring of love that you couldn’t help but get swept up in it. People were tweeting the happy daddy. Cast and crew were tweeting Jared. Cast and crew were tweeting fans. Amy Gumenick said she was a Grandma! And of course everyone was tweeting each other. It was a joyous congratulations to the happy parents and the warmest of welcomes to the newest member of our Supernatural family. I’d never seen anything like it. The love. It was palatable.

It’s moments like these I’m reminded what a family we really are. Sure we have our spats, our little disagreements, but when it comes to the crunch, when it comes to something important, we all come together and have a global group hug! We raise money, we support each other and when one of our own has good, no, great news, we shout it out loud and clear for the whole world to hear.

Last night, I honestly felt like a member of my family had just welcomed a new bub. We were all that happy. And you know what, in a way a member of my family did welcome a new bub, that’s the kind of feelings these guys produce in me. They feel like family and they make me feel like family….my extended family! I was so overly excited; I kind of didn’t know what to do with it! So I tweeted out my joy with the rest of my Supernatural family. It was lovely and gushy and wonderful.

I honestly couldn’t be happier for Jared and Gen and I was so glad to be able to share that happiness with Supernatural fans from around the world.

Oh and yes, I did eventually feed Harry.

-Auntie sweetondean

It's a boy!

Congrats to Jared and Gen! Jared announced the big news last night on Twitter. We know that's going to be one beautiful baby and we can't wait to see a picture.

Review – Supernatural episode 7.16 “Out With The Old”

Warning: contains spoilers.

“You see a Winchester, you don’t eat him! You tell me and I eat him!”

On first viewing I wasn’t sure what to make of “Out With The Old.” Admittedly I had a bit of a bad run with the watching. I was watching it on my laptop and it kept freezing and I missed a tiny bit at the beginning, like when the dancer’s feet exploded (neat!), so I decided not to make any judgements and try again. This time it was on my big screen TV, just how Dean’s meant to be watched, I mean just how Supernatural’s meant to be watched, and well, I dozed off! I didn’t hold this against the episode…I went out the night before and had a bit of a late, slightly boozy one and, well…the Winchesters are so dreamy they must have lulled me to sleep. Heh. Note to self…don’t lie on the couch to watch TV when feeling a bit, um, well, like Dean must feel many a morning (no, not hot). So take three and a great big coffee and I finally managed to watch the whole thing through! On third, but actually first real viewing, I discovered, I very much liked “Out With The Old.” It turned out to be the kind of Supernatural episode I particularly dig. Initially it had a fun vibe, there were some ominous undertones mixed in, a mystery was brewing and then it morphed into something completely unexpected. Like much of season seven it felt old school. I’d call it a strong outing. Since coming back from the Christmas hiatus I’ve felt this season has been particularly strong. If only it weren’t for all the damn breaks in the schedule trying to ruin our momentum….

“Out With The Old” had more turns than that ballet dancer with the cursed Pointe shoes. It kicked off with a nice bit of gore (yes..awesome) and moved into what looked like an amusing MOTW story complete with crazed cursed objects, including some vintage porn…"A vintage men's magazine sold to Peter Yanket, 27 Johnson Lane" (HA!!!) and the vision of Dean watching “Black Swan”…twice…and lovingly eyeing off a pair of pretty ballet shoes…in his size. Oh the vision in my head that created. I wonder how long before the fan art reveals itself. Then being the clever clogs hunter he is, Dean starts to get suspicious of the real estate dealings in town and with a bit of help from Frank, puts two and two together and discovers it adds up to Leviathan. I so love it when Dean’s all smart hunter…. All the while, Sam is slowly unravelling due to lack of sleep because his bunk-buddy Lucifer will not shut-up. Then during the showdown with the gooey Leviathan S.O.B’s, we are left with a rather startling revelation, the ‘Big Mouths’ are here to help. They’re going to cure cancer. W.T.F?

Of course the words pants on fire come to mind when thinking of what George told the boys, but still. Mind. Blown. Maybe we’re heading down the road of a philosophical conundrum. Can we turn a blind eye and sacrifice a few people as food for a cure that will help billions? Somehow I don’t think it’ll come to that. I’m sure the Leviathan plot is something nefarious. I really don’t see them as being a power for good. Remember what Chronos, the God of time said, “I know your future. It's covered in thick black ooze. It's everywhere. They're everywhere. Enjoy oblivion.” Yeah, see, that doesn’t sound real positive! Either George was lying or he doesn’t know the big picture plan. He seemed pretty far down the food chain, if you’ll pardon the pun. Cue the rather ominous but excellent use of “Bad Moon Rising” and we discover an empty, bloodied, trashed trailer and no cranky-pants Frank. Of course last time we heard “Bad Moon Rising” it signified one hell of an ending to “Devil’s Trap” and also a hospital visit and near, very near, death experience for one of our brothers. Knowing what’s coming next week, I totally adored that this song made another appearance. Every hair on my body stood up…. O-oh….

The thing about season seven is that so many episodes have been like this. Just when you think it’s going one way, it turns you on your head and goes another. I’m enjoying that. I feel like I’m being kept on my toes. It plays into the mystery. I like the fact that the Leviathan just randomly pop up. That feels right to me, because the whole idea of the Leviathan is that they’re supposed to be working their way into our society unseen. They aren’t banding together all in one place, plotting and scheming like some evil cult, they’re organised, they’re spread out across the country and presumably the globe, doing whatever it is they’re doing while passing as every day people. They could be anywhere. They could be anyone. It makes sense that the boys might accidentally bump into them. For those who don’t feel the Leviathan constitute a significant threat, think about that. Like Dean said in “Repo Man”, any minute the boys could walk into a crime scene and come face to face with a whole bunch of ‘Big Mouths’ because why not? They’ve infiltrated us as corporate highflyers and small town real estate agents, so who knows where they’ll turn up next. That’s the point and as far as I’m concerned that’s scary and interesting and cool. The other thing I thought about these nasty, gooey guys is; what better way to position yourself to conquer humanity than to offer to the world a remarkable gift? Say they do cure cancer. Say it’s then revealed to the world that it’s Dick Roman and his corporation that finally put an end to this awful disease. This would make him God like in the world’s eyes. Can you imagine the access that would afford him? He’d be welcomed with open arms in every country. He’d be able to meet and mix with, and then presumably have a ‘Big Mouth’ shift into and eat, our world leaders. This could make the Leviathan unstoppable and if taking over humanity is their goal (which I don’t know, but I’ve always assumed it is), then this one act of apparent good, could put them into a position of power and adulation where anything is possible. This is the direction my thinky thoughts have been going. Big, VERY BIG picture. Not just securing their food source. But securing their position in the world. Hmmmm. Do they seem dangerous enough now? Of course, it could simply be that they're allergic to cancer and to ensure their survival they have to eradicate it, but I like my other over thought out, random idea better and I think the writers should listen to me! Or you know, give me a job. Heeeee.

The other thing going on in “Out With The Old” was all about Sammy. He’s falling apart at the seams. Slowly but surely being driven down the road to crazy town by his imaginary ‘friend’ Lucifer. What I like here is that Sam came clean about it. After we saw him get engulfed in a wall of flames at the end of “Repo Man”, I felt sure Sam was going to do his usual, keep-it-all-hidden-from-Dean act, but no. He told his brother he can’t sleep, he told him that Lucifer is yelling at him the whole time, or singing “Stairway To Heaven” over and over…oh how I would have loved to have seen that. He told Dean sleep deprivation is like torture. He’s agitated, crabby and distracted and he’s being honest. Honest to Dean. Praise Chuck. And Dean to his credit is obviously concerned, but not freaking out….yet. I read a few comments (I really shouldn’t) about how Dean is selfishly ignoring Sam’s plight, but on the contrary, I see him as being strong and steady for Sam and not being cloying and over protective with his younger brother. He's also not boozing on. Have you noticed that? Three episodes in a row now, no whiskey, no beer. I think this is also partly for Sam, because right now, Sam needs him not to be all broken and drowning his sorrows. He needs his brother to be clear and focused, because in Sam's current condition, he can't be. In my eyes, there’s been a definite shift in the Winchester’s relationship towards more of an equal partnership rather than the traditional older/young brother dynamic. This has been since Sam’s return from Hell. And it’s as it should be. Because these guys are both grown men. Dean is obviously concerned. He’s asking how Sam is, he’s trying to get him grab some sleep at every opportunity, he’s aware and watching, but he’s not forcing his will on Sam. It all seemed very grow’d up to me. Sure, he probably has no idea how bad it really is because though Sam is being honest, he’s also being flippant, probably for the same reason Dean isn’t being overbearing, so as not to totally freak his brother out. They both have had so much on their plates this season, I see them both treading gently with each other, for fear that one or both of them will become unglued….which of course is about to happen. When you love someone, you don’t necessarily give them the whole bad story, you let them know what’s happening, but more often than not, you also protect them somewhat from the complete truth. I think that’s what Sam is doing and in response I think Dean is trying to remain calm for Sam and to some degree, himself. Lord knows, Dean is the King of denial after all. The moment I loved the best was when Dean suggested Sam sleep in the car and that he’d find him a soft rock station because it, “Always knocks you right out.” Adorable. That was a big brother/little brother moment right there and it was also a history together moment and it made my heart all full of Winchestery brotherly love. I so adore these brothers…..why do they always hurt me so….

And then there was Frank and his bloodied, totalled trailer. Is he really dead? Eaten by the Leviathan? My bet is, nup. It could go three ways… 1. He’s faked it because he’s realised he’s got in too deep? I don’t see him walking out on the Winchesters though. As much as he’s a self-protecting, paranoid nutbag, he seems to have developed a bitchy accord with Dean and I don’t see him deserting Dean now. 2. The Leviathan have grabbed him to find out what he knows? Nah, if they shifted into him they’d find that out and then they could chow down on him too, so I can’t see that the Leviathan would gain anything from holding Frank hostage, unless it was to coax the boys into a situation where they had to save Frank. Possible. 3. The demons are finally getting back into the action? I’m waiting and waiting for the demons to come back into play. That serial-killer-coach demon said they’d be back “Back in black” and there’s no way on the face of this earth, that Crowley would have taken his muffin basket and faded into the background, so at some stage, I see him making a play to regain his former glory. Maybe they grabbed Frank to find out what he knows? Maybe they grabbed Frank to coax the Winchester brothers out. Or you know, I guess maybe Frank’s dead. What ever the outcome, Dean was right… “Not good.” There’s definitely a bad moon on the rise. YAY!

“Out With The Old” left me feeling all tingly for the end of this season. Not that I want it to finish…but I really want to see what happens next. I’m excited! We’ve got 7 episodes left and I feel like that’s a good amount of time to really get our teeth into this Leviathan arc (as before, no pun intended) and possibly resurrect a couple of loved ones… Yes…next week’s promo made me squee. I’ll admit right here and now in front of you all that, though I love Castiel, I haven’t found myself missing him or pining for him in the least, but, that promo for next week made me go “HELLZ YEAH!” I seriously can’t wait! Though I have a feeling, once again, my heart is going to shatter into a million pieces. But hey, if I didn’t like angst, I sure as hell wouldn’t be watching this show now would I?

What did you think of “Out With The Old.” I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading….see you all next week….if we survive….again….


Here's next week's promo....

And here's a sneak peek.... 

And please enjoy this cap of Dean with pie... :)

What I Loved About "Out with the Old" (and the little bit I didn't)

I've had a long, tiring day and my laptop battery only gives me about half an hour now, so instead of a long, detail-by-detail recap of this week's episode, I'm going to give you my thoughts as I watch it a second time. Spoiler alert: I was completely delighted.

During the opening sequence with the ballerina literally dancing her feet off, I wondered if the shoes were cursed or if the janitor was responsible (yes, despite the curse boxes in the "THEN" section). Nice parallelism with the mop, though.

Delight number one: Sam and Dean talking openly. Sam's not trying to hide his Lucifer hallucinations from his brother!!! Dean's not trying to father Sam about it!!! This is (one of) what we've been craving for six years!

Oh, backing up a little, I love Frank and Dean's banter. Frank is hilarious. We're getting a nice, quick overview of just how big Dick's reach is, even if nothing makes much sense.

Opposite of delight number one: Isn't this girl a little old to be completely unaware of the absolute creepiness of shoes showing up where they're not supposed to be and then adjusting themselves to her size? Okay, they cast her well--she has the build and moves of a dancer. BUT IT'S CREEPY.

My husband would not watch this episode if they didn't save the girl. I kept expecting someone to walk in and think they were attacking her. Phew that they just saved her, after poor Dean getting kicked in the face a few times. I thought the actress probably had a lot of fun with that scene, but I might have been projecting.

OMG, when they wanted to put the shoes on! "Do they...look like they're your...size?" "Shut up." "Are you..." "Getting the urge to French Siegfried myself into oblivion?"

I thought Joyce and George were awesome. A little cliche with the door thing, but as awful as the Leviathans are, they're FUN.

Oh, oops, we're not supposed to know they're Leviathans yet.

Hey, Scott Freeman is my husband's cousin! Sam and Dean are seeming a bit impatient with the whole flashing-the-FBI-badge routine. Like they think they shouldn't have to bother, that everyone should just see them as feds and do their bidding.

OMG, the scene with the knives was a total throwback to the scary first season. I expected, of course, knives chopping up fingers. Instead, I channeled Tanya and hid my face while the woman boiled herself to death with the cool ornate teapot.

I kept feeling like Scott's mom had to be more important. She had this safe full of curse boxes full of cursed objects. But she's the Macguffin? I don't actually understand what that is, so maybe not.

Sam. Dude. Get a haircut. Please.

They don't even show a hint of dismay at the dead body. I mean, why would they, after seven years? But usually there's some emotion at not getting there in time to save a life. When Sam called it in, I was a little eye-rolly that he wasn't prepared with a response when they asked his name. How many times have you done this, Sam? But I guess I should give him a pass for not having slept in, oh, six weeks. And "Bruce Hornsby" was funny.

So who's next on the list? A gramophone sold to Brenda Gluck and a vintage gentleman's magazine sold to Peter Yanket. Okay, immature and ridiculous, but also very funny.

Uh, oh, another kid thing. He's totally gonna kill his mom. Yet another threat to my husband watching this with me tomorrow. They brought it right down to the wire. Good thing Sam didn't knock! "Kid. This would be a really good time for a lesson in gratitude. Lucky for you, I'm too tired." Interesting that these two aren't more upset about Sam coming in here. Why do they seem to understand exactly what happened and aren't all freaked out?

Wow, I can't believe we're only 20 minutes into the episode. It took Sam WAY too long to get across town. I expected something to have happened to him with the gramophone. In the meantime, Dean's getting clues and is actually pretty into this, more than just "avenge Bobby" and stuff. I guess he listened to Elliot Ness.

I was a little shocked when Joyce turned into the hardware guy. I thought she was killing him with the handshake but then she went all Leviathan. I wasn't sure if George just worked for Mr. Roman and was human or if Leviathans actually have weaklings. I guess they actually have weaklings. Though George had a lot more to him in the long run.

This episode was no "Mystery Spot," but I liked the way all the threads drew together. HATED Sam falling asleep at the wheel (inevitable) and almost doing a head-on with an eighteen wheeler. (Deliberate connection to the end of season 1, or laziness? Given the song they play at the end of the episode, I'm going with deliberate connection. What it means, if anything, I don't know.)

Sam's progression of extreme fatigue brought him logically to the late-night barrista, as did George being sent there by his dictator of a boss ("How about you eat me?" "Don't tempt me." I guess he is a Leviathan!) I loved how George recognized Sam by his voice and seemed simultaneously excited and scared.

"I don't mean to double-dip in your crazy sauce." Ha! I have to remember that one!

"We have a chain of command here, George. You see a Winchester, you don't eat him! You tell me, and *I* eat him!" She's so over-the-top and yet so natural at it.

Frank's sarcasm is awesomeness. That Dean, the King of Sarcasm, never seems to get it is funny.

So Leviathans are Walmarting mom and pop stores in Portland and Lucifer is on a constant "Stairway to Heaven" loop, 50 times and counting. Poor Sam!

I watch Nikita before Supernatural, and Nikita and Michael and Birkhoff and (to a lesser extent) Alex and Sean are almost always one step ahead of their enemies. So it bothered me that Sam and Dean rushed in to save Scott with no preparation and no suspicions, even though they just figured out that Leviathans are operating here and most likely killed Scott's mother.

George doesn't seem thrilled about the idea of being Scott for 30 years. But I was nicely surprised when Joyce was kicking Dean's ass and George seemed about to do the same to Sam but had somehow prepared a bucket of borax and sacrificed himself to it so Sam had time to get the sword and cut off Joyce's head.

"Thank you, I guess." I think everyone Sam and Dean have helped in the last few years could have said it the exact same way. Bye, Scott. Good luck.

Despite the vast history of alliances-with-the-enemy falling apart, I still like the idea of having a Leviathan on their side. Luckily, Sam and Dean aren't so ready to take George at face value. But it's weird, after all the evil stuff we've seen them do, he's so corporate, even talking about the size of the plan.

"Listen to me, you gooey son of a bitch. You're gonna tell us what you're building here, or I'm gonna wash your mouth out with soap." Hee.

Okay, raise your hand if you saw this coming: "It's going to be a research center. This, gentlemen, is where we are going to cure cancer. We're only here to help." What a smug look on his face!

So, wait. That's where they leave it? Sam and Dean believe George? And there's no punchline about not being able to eat you if you're diseased?

And here we are, the very ominous return of "Bad Moon Rising" that transitions them from Oregon to wherever Frank's trailer is, I don't remember. Noooo! Don't kill Frank! He's so awesome! Not Bobby awesome, but awesome.

Well, crap. It looks like they killed Frank.

Guess who's back next week! And he's not the only one!

So what did you think of this episode? My appreciation average tends to be way above that of my fellow Supernatural Sisters here, but am I alone in liking this one a lot? Please share your thoughts!