The Curious Case of Dean Winchester (Recap)

Spoiler! Spoiler! Spoiler!

Pro: This ep features Bobby, who I always love.

Con: Less Jensen Ackles than usual! (Although, I have to give guest-star Chad Everett props, he was a fantastic senior citizen Dean.)

We open on a man coming home, rushing by his wife to lock himself in the bathroom. Where he proceeds to age horribly and die.

Flash to morgue where doctor is having trouble buying the bros. as CDC agents because they arrived in such an unpredented timely manner. She shows them the 25 year old who died of old age. (Yeah, weird). This is followed by an older woman who reported her kindly old husband missing...and the bros track him to an Asian brothel. Since he's now young, generically hot, and sporting a six-pack, they identify him by a tattoo and birthmark.

After threatening to tell his wife that he's paying for threesomes instead of having shuffled off his mortal coil (which he would like her to presume), the man admits to having played a hand of paranormal poker and betting years of his life. While the first dude we saw in the show clearly lost, this one won.

A phone call to Bobby confirms that there is lore about a traveling card player making deals. The phone call also prompts Bobby to decide that all his best years are behind him, so what does he have to lose? A lot of years apparently, because the next time we see him, he's leaving a two man poker game with not much time left. (I was having trouble with the CW all night. There were a lot of scratchy sounds in the audio, so I'm not sure whether Bobby bet 25 yrs, 35 or 45). Dean meets up with Patrick, an Irish accented 900 yr old "he-witch" and demands to play for Bobby's years. And, as anyone who saw the previews knows, he promptly loses.

Sam comes back to their hotel room to find Bobby and Dean bickering and pronounces them "Grumpy Old Men." (The interactions between them did crack me up.) When they break into Patrick's place to steal poker chips, they're caught by Patrick and his powerful girlfriend (who may have been helping him scam people in a bar earlier). She and Patrick let Dean and Sam go after Dean insists that Sam cannot play for Dean's years (dudes, break the cycle of co-dependent martyrdom already). But first the he-witch gives Sam a slow round of applause that he calls a "parting gift." Dean deduces when leaving that Sam was just given the Clap.

Bobby and Dean bicker some more but they both agree Sam isn't a badass enough poker player to bring down someone of Patrick's caliber. Suddenly they receive help from an unexpected quarter--Patrick's girlfriend who while, perhaps not quite his 900 years, says she looks really good for her age. She gives them a powerful reversal spell to undo everything he's done (although it will only help people actually alive.) Dean and Bobby (whom Dean is now calling Ironsides) start working on the spell part. Sam, seemingly going rogue and ignoring Dean and Bobby's advice (what is this, season four?), shows up to play poker with Patrick. In an odd little moment, we see Patrick deliberately fold to an older guy who wants to live to see his grand daughter's Bat Mitzvah. Not sure what the takeaway from this was supposed to be, but I did find Patrick to be a refreshing change from black eyed hell demons.

About halfway through the game, when Sam exits with Patrick's toothpick, we learn that he's there on behalf of Dean & Bobby because they need Patrick's DNA to make the reversal spell work. Unfortunately, Patrick has played Sam in more ways than one, because the toothpick he let him take had no DNA and Patrick is not happy that people are trying to cheat. In fact, he seems poised to kill Sam when his loonnnnnnng-time girlfriend (did she have a name? anyone else catch it?) interrupts that she gave the Winchesters the spell in the first place and that he "knows why."

So not everything gets reversed, but Sam actually wins his poker game--4 fours to 3 Aces--thereby winning Dean back his life. And Jensen Ackles is adorable as he comes out of the building doing a jig.

We go back to Patrick and girl whose name I didn't catch and he's protesting that he doesn't want to play her but she insists--apparently she had a daughter once who aged and died and the girl misses her family and has grown tired saying that there way of life just isn't natural. (Well, duh. See the name of the show.) Parts of this storyline (such as her randomly appearing with the spell) seemed almost anticlimatic to me (although kudos that it wasn't the deux ex spell-china that saved them) but this little bit at the end with the two distraught and apparently not purely evil lovers was decently acted.

Finally, a scene where Dean and Bobby "feel their feelings" and Dean insists that just because Bobby can't walk doesn't make him any less of a solider and that furthermore, he's family and Dean needs him.

All in all, not a bad 'sode. Certainly it won't be making the list of my top ten favorites (especially when I am so anxiously awaiting next week's, which looks very promising) but I liked it. It was more sibling bickering and funny exchanges than brooding brotherly angst and guilt over who broke the first and last seals etc. Also, do love Bobby!

What did you guys think? Favorite lines? Did you think that this week's "bad guy" wasn't quite scary or evil enough to give us the usual drama or was it a nice new take? (Hey, I just realized, I made it through a whole ep and didn't have to peek through my fingers once! Of course, with Jensen conspiciously absent, my motivation to look at the TV wasn't as strong either...)

Super Scary

Halloween is this Saturday and that got me to thinking about the scariest looking creatures on Supernatural. I always have a little apprehension opening my door to trick-or-treaters because you never know what you’ll find on the other side. One year, I came face-to-face with a GIGANTIC man wearing the Scream mask and wielding a knife. No joke! I nearly slammed the door shut and had a heart attack. God help me if any of these SPN monsters show up. From least to worst, here's who would terrorize me away from my Tootsie Rolls.

10. If a Wendigo shows up I'll throw candy at it and hope that sounds yummier than me.




















9. For some reason everytime I see these ugly Sirens I think of the Hall and Oates song, Maneater.

8. Psycho chick from Family Remains is seriously scary, but I alway wonder if I'd be more overwhelmed by her smell.




















7. Shtriga's suck. (LOL. I crack me up.)

6. Sinister old men are always spooky, but especially when they're reapers.














5. Lilith - It's that creepy kid thing. Hate 'em! You won't catch me watching movies like Orphan either.















4. Doc Benton's Frankenstein face is enough to make anyone scream and I wouldn't want him to take anything from me for his cosmetic enhancement.



















3. Changelings are chilling, especially when they're Changeling children. No mother could love that face.


















2. Thanks to Tim Curry and the TV mini-series It, I don't trust clowns. This one freaks me out.




















1. I have been scared spitless of Scarecrows ever since I watched Dark Night of the Scarecrow at a Halloween sleepover when I was 11. I could barely watch this SPN episode when it aired. Seriously. Can't. Handle. Gak. Just the pic is giving me the heebies.












So what would you hate to find on your doorstep?

Supernatural News

It is so hard for me to compile the news because I avoid spoilers like mad.

Buddy TV has a pros and cons of Season 6.

Screen Rant has a positive slant on the dismal ratings. (WHY do they complain when SPN is up against the hard-hitters like Grey's, CSI and The Office? Now Fringe is taking away some of the audience. Even I have a hard time deciding how to split my time and I love SPN.)

You can write in Supernatural and your favorite brother in the People's Choice Awards. I picked Jensen.

The brothers are listed at TVGuide.com as some of the sexiest crime fighters on TV.

Hunter's Addict has some possible spoilers on Episode 10. By my count, that will be the last one before hiatus. Check it out here if you want to know.

You can help Supernatural fans raise money for Make-A-Wish! A Supernatural marathon--now that's the marathon I'm trained for.

Supernatural Wiki has a list of conventions in 2010, all around the world. Make plans now!

And, not news but another question I have. Remember last season Kripke said he wasn't planning to cast Lucifer? Do you think he meant for Lucifer to go into Sam as soon as he rose?

Favorite So Far

It was my week to do the episode recap, but there wasn't a new episode. Wah! Because I didn't realize this sooner, I didn't come up with a fabulous post to put up instead. So, I decided to start a discussion about the episodes we've seen so far.

My favorite episode so far this season was last week's, "I Believe The Children Are Our Future." One of the biggest "Whoa, didn't see that coming" moments of the season (and series) with the whole the Antichrist is an unknowing child thing. Plus, it did my heart good to see that despite everything they've been through, the brothers still managed to believe that this kid could still make the right decision and turn out to be a good guy. I really hope they're right. I think the casting people do a wonderful job with child guest stars, and Gattlin Griffith as Jesse was another superb choice. When I looked up his IMDB page, I noticed he's also in the current release, Couples Retreat, and has been a guest star on several shows.

Though many were wanting a lighter episode amidst all the darkness, my least favorite episode of the season so far is "Fallen Idol." There were definite funny moments and I like the end where Sam and Dean finally make peace.

What's been your favorite so far? Your least favorite? Why? How do you like how Kripke and the gang are doing so far this season?

Too Serious

The actual title of this post is "Are We Taking Supernatural Too Seriously, or Did the Show Just Get Too Serious?" but it was too long. :)

Before I launch into my topic, I want to clarify that "we" means all of fandom in a general sense, and doesn't mean anyone specifically. I'm amalgamating a lot of things I've read over the last several weeks, and I don't want any particular person to feel targeted.

For three seasons, I've loved Supernatural so much that watching one episode a week wasn't enough, and I've sought solidarity with fellow fans all over the Internet. The drawback is that when I adore an episode, then read several disappointed blogs about it. Man, do I deflate quickly.

This season is unique, and the complaints attack all aspects of the show. It's too dark--but it's always been billed as a weekly horror movie, and it started with the mother of an infant and a young child being burned alive on the ceiling. It's too light--how dare they match the AntiChrist with a fart joke? The mytharc is heavy, and difficult to get away from, which makes people complain that they want standalone episodes. Then we get standalone episodes, and they complain that it makes no sense to have one, don't they know there's an apocalypse going on?

What drove me to choose this topic this week was what I saw about the most recent episode, the name of which I will not type because I had the freakin' song stuck in my head for five days! My Internet trolling for Supernatural stuff is fairly limited nowadays, with about half a dozen sites and blogs on my list. I was kind of shocked to find universal displeasure with 5.06. The very same things people loved in "Mystery Spot," they hated in this episode. The combination of humor and pathos struck so many people wrong, and it baffles me.

So I wonder if we're taking the show too seriously. Have we lost touch with our overwhelming love because of that love? Most TV shows I watch are just surface enjoyment. I like them or I don't, and I don't spend a lot of time discussing them or even thinking about them afterward. Supernatural is, and always has been, different, but in sharing viewpoints, are we destroying our ability to just watch and enjoy? It seems we're always digging so deep we can't help but find dissatisfaction.

Perhaps the fault lies not with us, but with the show's writers. Maybe Kripke's taken a turn so serious it departs too far from the show's core and renders us unable to connect with the things we loved, even when they're present. But is it even possible to contemplate that? Because it's just as likely that if season 4 hadn't gone down the road it had, if they'd just continued with everything the way it was in seasons one and two, we'd have been unhappy with its lack of maturity and evolution. Few things that stay the same satisfy us for very long.

Another possibility is that our rabidity may have simply run its course. Passion, by its very nature, can only be sustained for so long.

I know there are individuals who have loved every minute of season 5, and some who have hated every minute, so my thoughts here aren't valid on that level--maybe not even on a global level. But I'm interested to hear what you all have to say. What is your temperature reading of the fandom as a whole, and how do you feel about it?

Supernatural News

(very minor spoilers, but you've been warned)

The Trickster is coming back--yay! Richard Speight Jr. will appear in a November episode. I have high hopes, as I enjoyed his previous appearances on Tall Tales and especially the unforgettable Mystery Spot.

Isn't it great when someone you adore turns out to be totally a great person worthy of that adoration? (Of course, anyone who's seen any interviews or convention appearances from Jared or Jensen knows this already). MJ passed this along, a fun tidbit featuring, most imporantly, pics of Jensen!

Based on what EW's scoopster extraordinaire Michael Ausiello had to say, I'm betting the Nov 5 ep is gonna be one of my favorites this year! It involves Sam and Dean jumping into TV shows, including a sitcom with actual laugh track and a medical drama that pokes fun at Grey's Anatomy. (Come on, producers, this just begs for a JDM cameo!)

Even though I know better (with the rational part of my brain I choose not to use) than to get my hopes up on fan-based internet casting rumors, my hopes were officially squashed when this was posted yesterday, quoting Jensen as saying he knows nothing about this whole Captain America business. (Sigh)

And finally, as you all know, Halloween is just around the corner! Why not talk the man in your life into being a Winchester for the night? (So many comments I choose not to make here). As Ashe Mischief affectionately jokes, it IS the "lazy man's costume".

So...what news have you guys heard?

I Believe the Children Are Our Future

So I signed on this morning to read the episode review for I Believe the Children Are Our Future only to learn that I was supposed to be the one who wrote it! (What happened to my reminder notice?) Since I’m past deadline, I’m just doing a quick recap and then highlighting my favorite moments.

The boys arrive in Alliance, Nebraska where people are falling prey to children’s urban legends – itching powder will make you scratch your brains out, hand buzzers will electrocute you to death, ingesting pop rocks and soda will hospitalize you, etc. Turns out one little boy named Jesse Turner believes the lies his adopted parents have told him so completely he’s making the events actually happen to his townspeople. The Winchesters quickly deem he’s a good kid, who doesn’t mean to be doing these things, but they have to ask WHY he’s capable of such power. Short answer—he’s a half-human, half-demon, born to a virgin who was possessed. Cass tells the brothers this child is the anti-christ, not Lucifer’s son, but demon spawn so powerful he’s the Devil’s greatest weapon. Cass wants to kill the boy before Lucifer can twist him to his purpose and, in Dean’s words, “nuke the angels.” Sam is appalled by Cass’s plan and suggests they tell the boy the truth and allow him to make the right choice. Cass said Sam didn’t do the right thing and he can’t take that chance with the boy. Mom gets repossessed and everyone shows up at Jesse’s house. Cass gets zapped into an action figure and, after learning just how scarily strong Jesse is, the boys do tell Jesse the truth about his parentage. He effortlessly vanquishes the demon and asks if he can say goodbye to his family before the Winchester’s take him to Bobby’s to keep him safe and train him to fight in the war. They agree and while he’s out of sight he, presumably, if the picture on his wall is any indication, magics himself to Australia. The episode ends with Cass returning to full-size and the brothers understanding why parents tell kids the cautionary lies they do and wishing their own father had lied to them.

I loved this episode! Unlike last week’s, which I thought was an awkward balance of light and dark, this one got it right. It advanced the mythology, but had me LMAO.

“That’ll do pig.” Dean’s delight in the huge, buzzer-cooked ham cracked me up.

“I got bored. That nurse was hot.” Dean
“Do NOT use my razor.” Sam
I nearly DIED when I saw Dean’s hairy palm. The only time I’ve laughed harder in an SPN episode was the cat in the locker scene in Yellow Fever.

“That wasn’t me.” Cass
All three of the guys reactions to the whoopee cushion was hysterical.

“Because I have to believe someone can make the right choice. Even if I couldn’t.” Sam
Wow, just wow. Beautifully played, Jared.

And major kudos to Gattlin Griffith who was freakin’ adorable, but believably played a kick-ass cambion. I'm sure that's not the last we'll see of him.

So, what did you think? What were your favorite parts?

Questions I Still Have

Anyone have the answers? Or more questions?

Why did the Winchesters end up on a plane of all things in “Sympathy for the Devil?”

How did Bobby get possessed?

Why did he stab himself so severely? Would the demon not have died another way?

So if Bobby gave Sam the amulet to give to John, and ended up giving it to Dean, where did Bobby get it?

Why do all these small towns only have one way in and out?

When will we get the other three horsemen?

When is Jeffrey Dean Morgan coming back?

Supernatural News

The Supernatural Role Playing Game came out in August, and here's an interesting review. Good news! You don't have to be a hard-core gamer to enjoy it.

Looks like another fun episode this week. Here's a laugh-worthy clip from "I Believe the Children Are Our Future." Oh, and thanks to whoever titled this episode for getting that Whitney Houston song stuck in my head.

Want to win a Supernatural companion signed by Jared Padalecki and a copy of In the Hunt, which includes essays by Supernatural Sisters' own MJ Fredrick and Tanya Michaels? Check out the details on how to enter a contest with these prizes at BuddyTV.

You can hear an audio interview with Eric Kripke at Sci-Fi TV Zone.

If you've heard any other Supernatural-related news, let us know.

Natalie's Recap-That's-Not-Really-a-Recap of "Fallen Idols"

Many fans of Supernatural had issues with the first four episodes of this season. They felt it was too dark, too depressing, that everything they'd loved about the first four seasons was gone. I never felt that way, so I can't speak for those who did. But I hope this week's show was at least a few steps toward bringing back that love.

For me, after the intensity and suspense of the last several episodes, I felt like something was missing. I'm not sure the simple plots of these stand-alone episodes can satisfy me anymore. On the other hand, it had a classic feel and self-contained story, with lots of humor and brotherly back-and-forth. They even had the Impala-road shot from "Monster Movie," the road (maybe even the actual shot, with some trees added and the sign removed) from "Phantom Traveler," and the parking lot from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" (and maybe that was also the hotel from "Something Wicked," but I'm not positive about that one). And any remaining tensions and push-pull between our boys seems to have been taken care of by the end.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

My apologies to Kripke and all other car geeks for not knowing what "Little Bastard" was. I knew, however, that Dean would explain it, and guess what! He does!

We had an obligatory discussion setting up how they can get away with a traditional hunt in the midst of the apocalypse. Can't find the Colt, timeline established (three weeks of searching), get back into it slow, Dean still doesn't trust Sam but relents and says they both need a fresh start, so Sam can give in rather than keep butting heads. Okey-dokey.

So this monster-of-the-week-style ep mixes it up a bit. The pre-show hype re: Paris Hilton always referred to her as a demon. Deliberate misdirection? Apparently, because first they think it's ghosts. Celebrity ghosts, to be specific, and they're killing fans of those celebrities. Why here? A local wax museum (with really good wax figures, BTW, I wonder if they made them or borrowed them?) has actual effects of the actual celebrities. Remains!

Dean was pretty clumsy in his interrogation, and it wasn't the first time. Would you believe I'm not sure if that's an aberration or not? I mean, yeah, it's a given that Sam has always been better at drawing people out and Dean's not known for his subtlety. But the museum curator's looks at him were quite amusing. As was his wearing of the Fonzie jacket. :)

Eventually they figure out that it's not a ghost, and they didn't kill it when they evaporated Ghandi. Quite telling, beyond Dean's brotherly ribbing, that Sam is a fan of Ghandi. And very in keeping with who we all thought Sam was, back when we were saying stuff like "No way! Sam's too good! You can never convince me that he'd go bad!" Maybe that was just me.

Anyway. They learn Paris Hilton has taken a teenage fan, which helps them figure out--as, "as far as we know," Paris isn't dead--what they're actually dealing with. I'm not sure why Sam decided to cut open a body. I was too distracted by his scrubs. Yummmmmm.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Why did Sam go digging in the body cavity? Who knows, but he found The Clue, the one that leads them to a pagan god (they used that screenshot on his laptop in "A Very Supernatural Christmas," too) who drank his victim's blood, and cue the annoyed fans for the pagan-god-bashing. *sigh*

That reminds me. In the beginning, when the blood poured down over the car name, I thought, "Nice effect, but not realistic. That's too much blood." But it was a clue! I felt both smug for noticing and chagrined for criticizing. :)


Some random comments:

Jared was totally making his Blue Steel face when he was doing stuff in the trunk. I wish they'd used a different shot--it's too jarring, takes us out of the show, and makes him look silly. I'm very tired of seeing it, after the overuse in the outtakes. I think, if I were a crew member, I'd have threatened him with face-slapping every time he did it. If I weren't too scared/star-struck to speak to him, that is.

I loved the Spanish conversation, and how I could follow it without knowing any Spanish at all, and therefore believe Sam could do it with his "freshman Spanish" despite how many years have passed since he took the class. :)

Research squared! Yes, Dean ditches Sam to go bar-hopping, but I love the little detail of them both having laptops now, obviously related to the rift because Dean didn't have his geek research brother with him anymore and had to do his own (which we know he's capable of doing, ref. "Wishful Thinking"). I also loved that, apparently, Sam is a Mac and Dean is a PC.

Okay, now, show of hands: When Dean tells Paris he's not her BFF, so she can't drink his blood, she says she can read his mind and knows Daddy's his hero. How many of you held your breath, hoping for the best kept secret surprise in the history of fandom? *raises hand* Alas, Jeffrey Dean Morgan did not magically appear for a 30-second showdown. *sigh*

I laughed a lot in this ep, but danged if I can remember any of the funny lines, except Dean's crack about not seeing House of Wax, and Sam's reaction to that.

The show ended with "Superstition," which meant it left me bubbling with happiness.

Okay, so let's talk about the most important thing. No, second most. Where Dean Stops Being a Dick, Sammy is the Mature One, and The Boys Are Really Back Together.

First, Dean levels a truly dark look at Sam when he mentions the apocalypse. Then Sam overhears Dean saying something about "we know who's fault that is, I'm sorry, but it's true." Sam of course thinks Dean's referring to him, but he could just as easily be talking about himself. Or both of them, as they are equally to blame. Then Sam says look, this isn't working, it wasn't working before, we need to be partners, not boss and baby brother. *cheers* It didn't even break my heart when he said he went with Ruby to get away from Dean--his frustration has been evident since the last few episodes of season 3, when he kept trying to assert his plans and ideas and Dean just kept cutting him off.

Finally, at the end, we get Dean admitting they were both at fault but neither knew it. He's sincere when he says "who would have ever thought killing Lilith would be a bad thing?" I'm pretty sure we saw Sam driving the Impala already this season (though I could be wrong), so the handing over of the keys didn't have the impact for me that it had for many other people. Still, it feels like we're finally where we were meant to be. I'm sure the boys will still have some struggles. Dean's not going to get over the habit of being "in charge" that easily, and Sam may have grown up, but his own habits are just as ingrained. It will be great fun to see how they manage this.

Which brings me to the most important point of discussion: SOON.

SPOILERS BASED ON PROMO SNIPPETS AND EPISODE TITLES



I won't list all the awesome things we saw in the extended promo, like Sam getting hit in the balls *pauses to wait for inevitable offers to nurse his injuries* on a Japanese game show, Dean's perfect 50s sitcom smile, the oh-so-sexy CSI sunglasses, the shock and horror of the half-demon baby and Castiel's intentions toward the child, the awesomeness of the upcoming guest stars (the demon-baby mom is from Eureka, the guy who wins years of his life from Dean in poker is most recently from Kyle XY)...and all that stuff.

The question is, WHY did we get a SOON? Number One (my oldest daughter) and I both cried "No!" when we saw it, and all the people I chat with after the show thought it meant hiatus. I mean, historically, that's when we get it. But also historically, they usually go 10 or 11 episodes before they start breaking it up with reruns.

Luckily, my DVR lists "I Believe the Children Are Our Future" as next Thursday's episode, as does IMDb. The other two eps on IMDb are "The Curious Case of Dean Winchester" and "Changing Channels," which certainly looked like the scenes we got in SOON, right? The Buddy TV recapper said it must have been a short episode, and it definitely was, so that explanation rests much easier with me than my friend's comment that we started earlier in the season than we normally do.

No matter what, "SOON" definitely got me excited for what's coming!

Okay, your turn! What important bits did I miss? Did you like or dislike this ep? Meh or yeah! ? Good break from the hard stuff, or a let-down? Comment away!

~~~~
Images all courtesy The CW

The Many Faces of Cass

Ever since the first season of the show, some of the fans have been leery about characters (especially female characters) being added that might take away any of the Sam and Dean focus. Sometimes the mere mention of a casting call for a recurring character creates a hue and cry, a veritable hubbub of preliminary protest. And, really, don't we all watch the show for Sam and Dean? (The one universal caveat, IMO, is that we all love to see Bobby in as many eps as possible. Who doesn't love Bobby?)

Anyway, while I agree that it would be great if Sam and Dean's relationship returned to one of fun-to-watch brotherly camaraderie--and look forward to that day--I have been totally enjoying the addition of Misha Collins' Castiel more than I ever thought possible.

We first met Castiel at the end of last season's "Lazarus Rising" opener; he was impassive and intimidating and those of us who'd avoided spoilers were more than a little shocked to learn he was an angel. He was an interesting character but because angels are not supposed to feel (although I think we've seen plenty of evidence to the contrary) his scenes were not as engrossing as other characters'; plus, after we met the destetable Uriel, Cass was a lot less intimidating in comparison. I think Misha's breakout episode was when we saw the human who first agreed to let Cass inhabit him-he definitely got to use all the emotion he'd been saving up in his more impassive scenes! Then by the end of last season we'd seen him rebel from his good solider role, be punished for that, yet ultimately decide to rebel again, breaking Dean out of his angel-created prison--moments too late to help Sam but just in time for a doozy of a cliff-hanger.

In this season's premiere, we learn early on that Cass has been "smote" (I will never eat chunky soup again. Not that I really ever did before, but anyway...) Now I had already heard that Misha had been picked up for more episodes, so I wasn't all that concerned that he was going to stay dead. (Who does on this show?) But I wasn't prepared for how much I would thoroghly enjoy his presence this season.

Gone is the once-impassive mysterious angel with vague objectives. Cass came back with a single-minded, almost boyish optimism in finding God (which led to a very nice Dean and Cass conversation in the Impala). We got to see Cass as an inept undercover sidekick (LOVED IT!) and as an even more inept seducer of women. Then they turned the tables on us and showed us a futuristic, fallen class who eases his celestial pain by getting high, seducing LOTS of women yet trying to find ways to stay in the fight for the side of good.



I'm glad that Sam and Dean have agreed to start hunting together again and am hopeful that this is the beginning of a reconciliation and less of the awful tension between them. But I also hope that we see Cass regularly and that he continues to surprise us then and again with portrayals we weren't expeciting.

So, what do you guys think? Love Castiel, find his presence on the show distracting? What's your favorite flavor Cass so far? (It's a figure of speech, people. Keep it clean.)

SPNews

It’s no surprise, but The Vampire Diaries is a strong lead-in for Supernatural. The first week ratings for SPN showed great growth according to Entertainment Weekly. “Supernatural grew 35 percent in women 18-34 (1.5 vs. 2.0) and 38 percent (2.9 million vs. 4 million) in total viewers.”

Friday the 13th, Part 2 has been slated for an August 13, 2010 release. No word yet on whether Jared’s on board, but I think it’s a given (MUST)…even if he doesn’t last long.

We want to give an appreciative nod to AfterElton for this hysterical Facebook recap of The End. Check it out here.

Misha filmed a TV movie over the summer called Stonehenge Apocalypse.

When a group of archaeologists dig up a human skeleton near the historical monument of STONEHENGE, an ancient piece of machinery hidden beneath the bedrock is discovered. Not knowing what it could be the workers accidentally trigger the mechanism and start a chain of events that may very well end the world as we know it.

No release date yet, but as soon as we know the right bat time and bat channel, we’ll let you know.

MINOR SPOILER: Ever wondered what SPN would look like as a sitcom? According to Ausiello at TV Guide we’re going to find out! “You’ll find out in episode 8. Laugh track and all.” The episode is called "Are You There God. It's me, Sam Winchester."

Over on The CW Source: The ultimate unofficial SOURCE for news and gossip about The CW they’ve announced the winners of the Sourcies Awards. Supernatural slayed the competition, sweeping 18 awards! Here they are:

“Sam and Dean dominated Best Friends Forever Moment, Best Fight, Most Heartbreaking Moment and Most Dramatic Meltdown. Bobby Singer took Best Recurring Character and The Voice of Wisdom Award (although he only just squeaked by over Haley for that one.) Ruby got some recognition -- although most of it was bad. You awarded her and Sam the Most Unexpected Hookup title, crowned her hte queen of the I Love To Hate You Award, and reveled in her death in the Best Finally! It's About Time! Moment. Castiel dominated the Best Newcomer category, and Alastair took the Best Villain honors. The boys got some individual awards as well: You celebrated Sam's silky locks in the Best Hair category, and marveled at how far he fell in the Biggest WTF? Moment. Dean got recognition with the Best Kiss (lucky Anna!), and you declared his reaction to the fluffy little kitty the Funniest Moment. The show as a whole took Best Special Episode, Biggest Family Drama and Best Cliffhanger.”

Finally, we’ll leave you with a couple snapshots and a teaser trailer for this week’s Fallen Idol episode which bring Paris Hilton to SPN. For those of you who are worried Kripke says, “It’s a fun, irreverent episode about modern celebrity. [Fans] should withhold judgment until they see it.” I, for one, am looking forward to a light episode and if they kill her I'll be really happy.

The End (And a New Beginning)

We first see Dean when he is accosted by a street preacher who wants to know if Dean has thought about God’s plan for him. “Too freaking much, pal.” Shortly after, he gets a call from Castiel, asking about the Colt. Dean doubts it still exists, but Castiel hears differently. He thinks it’s the way to kill Lucifer (But is Lucifer a demon? Would the Colt kill an angel?)

Castiel wants to meet up but Dean begs for sleep. (So do angels not sleep, even when they’re in a human body?) Dean’s crashed out when his phone buzzes and it’s Sam, to tell Dean that he’s meant to be Lucifer’s vessel. “So Lucifer’s wearing you to the prom?” Dean asks wearily.

Sam wants back in, the “dynamic duo” again, not for revenge this time but for redemption. Dean is reluctant. They’re not stronger together, they’re like fire and water, and they should just pick a hemisphere and stay away from each other. The “thing” they have that they think makes them stronger—family, love—just ends up used against them. Dean thinks they have a better shot of avoiding the angels if they stay apart.

Dean hangs up and falls asleep, then awakens on a cot in a town trashed—cars turned over in the street, what looked like bombed out buildings. Actually reminds me of Dark Angel a bit. He encounters a little girl crying in an alley but when he goes to help her, she slashes out at him with a piece of broken glass. He punches her, and when he turns, he sees the word CROATOAN spray-painted on the wall of the alley, just before a gang of men chase him. He hits a chain-link fence and is going to have to turn and fight when a Hummer full of soldiers pull up and shoot the gang of men. Dean escapes, and when he slips out through the fence, he sees the date is 2014.

He’s driving along when Zachariah appears in the passenger seat reading headlines. “Croatoan pandemic reaches Australia. President Palin defends the bombing of Houston,” and Congress revoked the right to group assembly. The angels want him here for three days to see where his choices take him. This is what will happen if he continues to say no to Michael.

He heads to Bobby

’s. He finds an abandoned wheelchair with bulletholes and blood, but no Bobby. He finds Bobby’s journal (???) with a photo of Bobby and Castiel, among others, at a survival camp. When he arrives, the first thing he sees is his Impala, abandoned in a field. I’m almost as upset as Dean. Someone approaches and it’s Future!Dean. Seriously, shades of Dark Angel. Double Dean, double the pleasure. Is it weird I’m buying this scene completely, not thinking about how they did it?

Future!Dean wants proof of Dean’s story and Dean reveals a time when they (he?) wore a girl’s panties and kinda liked it.

The lightness ends there. Dean asks about Sam and Future!Dean says he heard Sam didn’t make it through a fight in Detroit, against some heavy-hitters. The brothers haven’t talked in five years.

The Croatoan virus hit major cities two years back and turned people into monsters.

Future!Dean leaves Dean alone, and Dean picks the cuffs by digging up the wooden floor and pulling out a nail. He walks out and encounters the Prophet Chuck, asking him about provisions. Then a girl comes up and accuses him of spending the night with another woman, and Dean laments that he’s getting in trouble for things he hasn’t done yet.

He finds Cas surrounded by women, and he shoos them away telling them to get ready for the orgy. Cass immediately recognizes that Dean is from the past, but can’t help Dean get home. Dean never does find Bobby.

Future!Dean returns and shoots one of his men in front of everyone. Apparently the man was infected by the Croatoan virus. Dean is appalled by his heartlessness and calls him on it, but Future!Dean isn't moved.

But Future!Dean has the Colt!!! WHEE!! The girl who smacked Dean wants to know how to find Satan, but Future!Dean says they have intel. Satan is in a hot zone, surrounded by “Croats,” people infected with the virus, and demons. Future!Dean doesn’t like Castiel calling him reckless, so Castiel says he’ll use the word insouciant.

Dean wants to know what is going on, and Future!Dean tells him Sam didn’t die in Detroit. He said yes to Lucifer, and Lucifer’s wearing him to the prom. Future!Dean wants Dean to say yes to Michael. BEGS him to, but knows he won’t. (Jensen, submit this scene to the Emmys, ‘kay?) Future!Dean says he tried to say yes, but now it’s too late, the angels are gone.

As they prepare for the mission, Chuck follows Dean. He tells him if he makes it back to 2009, to horde toilet paper like it’s made out of gold, because it is. (So if they attack Chuck, won’t the archangel come?)

Dean rides with Castiel. He says he’s glad the stick is out of his ass, but wants to know what’s up with the drugs and the orgies. Castiel admits he’s mortal now, powerless, hopeless. And adorable. (Okay, he didn’t say that, I did.)

Next shot is very Resident Evil, the survivors approaching the target with heavy-duty weapons. Only they’re not experiencing the resistance they expected. Future!Dean is sending Cas and the others as decoys as he and Dean go in the back. Dean says he’d never sacrifice his friends and Future!Dean says that’s why they’re in this mess. Future!Dean knocks Dean out for the second time.

When Dean wakes up he sees the windows lighting up with gunfire. He runs around to see a man with a shoe on Future!Dean’s neck. He snaps his neck and turns. It’s Sam in a white suit. Lucifer.

He’s talking strange, as if he’s not used to the language, though he’s been on earth 5 years. He tells Dean he was cast out because he loved God more than anything, and then God created man and asked angels to bow down before humans, to love humans more than God. Lucifer found them flawed and murderous, and God had him cast into hell for it. He was right, because the humans destroyed the planet, but blame Lucifer for it.

Dean accuses him of being the same as everything he’s hunted, the only difference being the size of Lucifer’s ego. Satan walks away, and Dean tells him to kill him now, because he’ll kill him. Satan tells him no matter what decisions he makes, the two will always end up in the same place, because Dean won’t say yes to Michael and he won’t kill Sam. He tells him he’ll see him in five years, then Zachariah shows up and touches Dean’s head. (My battery is running out! Ack!) Zac wants Dean to prove the devil wrong, to strike before Lucifer gets to Sam and billions die. (Nononononono!)

“Nah,” Dean says. He learned a lesson, but not the one Zachariah wanted to teach. Zac is mad, and stalks Dean, who disappears and ends up with Cas on the side of the road.

And then---YAY!!! Dean calls Sam!!! They meet on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere. Dean gives him the demon-killing knife…and an apology. Maybe they are each other’s Achilles heel, but they’re all each other has, and more than that, they keep each other human.

Sam promises not to let Dean down.

I’ve not rewatched any episode this season. The shows are so dark. The first thing my husband asked when it was over was if that ending was better. Not sure. But definitely more hopeful.