Supernatural: The Rapture
The End of Innocence
by Sylvia Bond
Supernatural Episode Review – Season 4, Episode 20
“The Rapture”
To me this was a Sam episode. Not a Samhair episode, though there was lots of that to sigh over, but a Sam episode. Yes, I do realize there were other characters abounding, most notably Sam’s older brother. But for me, this ep was about Sam. The younger son. The baby of the family. The guy with the birthday in May. Astrology sign of Taurus. Tall. Handsome. Fabulous hair. Green eyes. Sweet smile and gorgeous dimples. Manly shoulders and a voice that could sing Grendel to sleep. Remember Sam? The guy who’s story we’ve been given such a paucity of so as to render him almost invisible? Yes. Him. Sadly, Show mucked about for most of the ep wasting time telling someone else’s story, namely that of the Soap Angel.
We get to find out how the Soap Angel got his wings, and that’s fine. It was interesting to be shown how he went from being Dean’s pal back to his nasty angel status, with the directive to serve God instead of humans. And indeed, having the Soap Angel and Dean be pals isn’t as interesting as having the angel on Dean’s shoulder be some flinty, unpleasant fellow in wrinkled rain coat who isn’t all that helpful. What I don’t get is why Show spent 75% of an ep on a character we will never see again, because we spent most of the ep on some guy, who is, most notably, neither Sam nor Dean.
I’m not so very interested in anything to do with the Soap Angel in the first place. Sure he’s mysterious and all and not so hard to look at, but even with all the emphasis on his character, I have failed to join the bandwagon. However, I’m even less interested in his vessel, who is apparently some guy named Jimmy from Illinois. (The only interesting thing about Jimmy was that he liked to fall asleep in front of the TV, much like The Dad before he became The Dad.) In real life, he’s a salesman who sells commercial time for some AM radio station, and if anything is more white bread than that, I don’t know what it is.
In an earlier ep, Dean questioned the angel’s possessing a human. The Soap Angel told Dean that his vessel was a good man who was willing in that he “asked for this.” This being possessed by an Angel of the Lord. Now we find out that yeah, Jimmy asked for it, but only after being badgered to death, because apparently the Soap Angel kept at him, whispering in his ear, telling him some pretty crazy stuff until Jimmy succumbed and started putting the majority of his arm into a large pot of boiling water.
Jimmy tried to explain to his wife that angels had been talking to him, but his wife didn’t believe him. As an aside, the wife spent her time throughout the ENTIRE episode weeping in an annoying manner that didn’t even muck up her eyeliner – she got very dull, very fast. She also disbelieved Jimmy, and felt that he needed “help” and insisted he get it, counseling, antipsychotic meds, the works. What is it about some Christians who, when confronted with the very elements and powers in which they profess to believe, and which they have spent centuries killing other folks who don’t believe, don’t actually believe? When confronted with the divine, their so-called faith vanishes like a fart in the wind.
These are the kinds of Christians who, when the Rapture comes, and Jesus walks among us, will take one look at the guy and go, “Uh, not our sort. Doesn’t comply with the righteous right, doesn’t understand that women and minorities must be kept down, doesn’t understand that all Hindus and Muslims and Jews MUST GO,” and then they’ll pump him full of thorazine and lock him in the loony bin outside of their local fair city. Then, when we’re all swimming in a lake of fire and ice, and asking “Where’s Jesus?” the Christians will go, “Oh, him? George locked him up; but the place is ten feet under by now.” It’ll be like Hurricane Katrina only on a global scale. And we won’t be able to get a glass of water then either.
To Show’s credit, and my delight, the story about Jimmy was interspersed with the story about Naughty Sam, a great improvement from previous eps where the Dean ‘n Sam goodies were just tacked on at the end. Besides Jimmy’s dead now, so let’s move on, because there’s better, more fun stuff abounding, if you look for it. For example, there’s lots of to-ing and fro-ing in the Impala. In the rain. (Nice doom and gloom feel there, because the rain is constant.) Dean and Sam drive and thither, and really people. Just how many people and entities get to ride in the Impala before I do? Weepy Wife, Blonde Kid, and White Bread all get to go. Later, White Bread gets to ride again, in the back seat for what looked like a whole hour and how does he acknowledge the privilege? He falls asleep, the wanker.
Even Anna Banana shows up in the back seat at some point, as well, floating in on her invisible angle wings. I think the actress must have been under some sort of contractual obligation or something, because Anna Banana’s presence does nothing to forward the plot. Anna Banana goes, “Yap! Yap! Yap!” then says something interesting about Sam seeming different (which Dean could easily have done), and then floats out of the plot on her useless wings, never to be seen again. So, too much Jimmy, too much Soap Angel, too much Weeping Wife, random acts of Anna Banana. Have we gotten all of those obligations out of the way yet, Show?
And then there was Dean. I’m not fickle. I’m still a Samgirl and I dream of Samhair night and day, but I like it when Dean’s like he is in this ep, wearing his Angry Eyes and stalking about with his head held high and his mouth pursed in that adorable moue of concentration. Granted, there’s something to be said for an angsty Dean, somewhat battered, perhaps weepy and disillusioned. But we’ve gotten plenty of that this season in all sorts of ways; it was nice to see Dean assume the role of big brother, looking out for Sam.
I like to watch Dean. I like to watch him fishing (although it was easy to see that was a dream influenced by the idea of The Dad fishing with some other boy). I like to watch him brushing his teeth with his boyish blue toothbrush as he talks to Sam around the foam. I like to watch him driving the Impala. I like to watch him get smacked around. And this because the whole time he’s watching Sam out of the corner of his eye, keeping track, checking for what’s up, and for what’s going down. He doesn’t know for most of the ep, but his serious expression of concentration is quintessential Dean; his attentiveness to Sam is like a balm to my shattered workdayweek nerves.
Then we get to see him stomping around in the warehouse (the one that shows up in lots of eps on LOTS of TV shows), with his brother. I like the boys wandering around in the half-darkness, not afraid of it, flashing their flashlights. Working together. That’s how it should be. Then, in spite of the fact that the boys have to deal with the angel part of the plot, there’s even a good old fashioned dither about what to do about White Bread in front of the motel. In the rain.
Afterwards, Dean is cool and all business, like in the scene where they’re trying to convince White Bread that he should never go home. Dean’s always at his best when delivering bad news. He does it quickly and succinctly, never allowing himself to wallow in another person’s angst. In the same scene, Sam talks to White Bread, using Dean’s body as a shield. His shoulders are curved forward in a diffident manner, he pulls himself small as if he doesn’t want to create too big a target out of himself. (He’s got angel issues, even if White Bread isn’t currently an angel.) His Samhair is sticking up all OVER the place. Cutely.
Yet for all of that, when White Bread tries to make a run for it, Sam turns into Mr. Brick Wall and nobody’s getting past him, but nobody. Something about a body that powerful and strong just rather turns up the heat in the room, don’t you think? (Plus it was nice to see, for all Sam’s scenes are so short, that Padalecki grabs everything out of them that he can, moving his body to fit the attitude of his character, like in this scene, impacting each line of dialog by small twitches of his jaw, flicks of his eyes, and nervous, though lovely, movements across his mouth.)
Next is where the fun starts. The Soap Angel is supposedly asleep. Dean is sleeping, as well, which is always a treat. Sadly, once again, Dean sleeps on top of the covers, boots and everything. This would make sense if he was the one on duty, but in which case, he wouldn’t be sleeping, would he. But he isn’t on duty, so what’s up with that? How I long to see him in his jim jams!!! Or better yet, when am I going to get to see Dean in his boxers while he sleeps? (For an eyeful like this, you’ll need to harken back to Season 1.)
Sam is on watch duty, the only one awake, but he is up to no good. He not only leaves his post, he leaves it to go get a drink and it’s not of soda. By the light of the drink machine, Sam taps something dark and interesting into his palm from a silver flask. It’s blood. Some of that Skank Ruby’s blood, rife with nastiness and riddled with demon-ness, no doubt coagulated by now. He licks at it with his tongue, and sucks the last of it from his skin while his hair falls about in that way it has that makes me love it so. And, yes, he could have done this while locked in the bathroom, but I like the way the silver light flickers in his eyes, and the way the wind whispers through his hair. Besides, I have a feeling that he didn’t want to be too near Dean while doing this bad thing.
And it is a bad thing, so much so that Chuck the Prophet left it out of his books because he didn’t want Sam to appear unsympathetic. So much even more so that Sam, while having revealed to Dean every other dark thing he did while Dean was in hell, failed to tell him about this. Right now he’s got circles under his eyes and he’s pale, in a totally interesting way, but no one has noticed, and he wants to keep it that way.
Drinking demon blood makes Sam’s powers grow, and whether or not the powers will eventually be for good or for evile, I don’t know. Without the blood, without enough of it, he is weak. And I blame that Skank Ruby, who coached Sam to begin with and got him on the supernatural version of steroids and who now appears to be long gone. Back in the room, confronted by a jokey Dean about White Bread’s escape, Sam is about as shaky as a guy who just sucked back some demon blood and feels it jitterbugging all through his system. Sam’s hair falls across his eyes here, in a very cute way. It’s totally disarming, even if it’s not actually very fun to watch Sam fall apart. (Although, honestly, it totally is.)
There’s plenty of fetching Samhair moments, in fact. In one of them, even Anna Banana gets in on the act. When she gets her two minutes of fame in the back seat of the Impala, she says to Sam, “There’s something different about you.” And Sam goes, “I got my hair cut.” Nooooooooooo! Sam!!! Never get your hair cut! At the very least, let your brother do it for you! (The only thing that pleased me about Anna Banana being there was that her face was obscured by the rainwater on the windshield of the Impala.)
On the road to pick up White Bread, the boys stop to gas up the Impala. Dean’s all laconic, leaning against the car’s bumper while Sam’s inside making a frantic call to that Skank Ruby because he is all out of demon blood. Oh, to watch Junkie Sam come apart like this has been a long time coming. His voice is shaky, his breath comes in starts and stops. His hair is slicked down as if Sam is aware that his descent into withdrawal is marked by his hair. It’s a wonderful scene, for all that it lasts only 17 seconds. (And yes, I clocked it.)
Elsewhere in the story, White Bread’s family gets attacked by a demon. It was easy to see that White Bread’s “friend” was actually possessed by a demon, even before his eyes flickered black. White Bread’s Weepy Wife can be excused from recognizing his true nature on account of her aforementioned disbelief that angels and demons walk among us. What was a nice surprise was to see Dean saving the day with the demon-killing knife; there’s nothing more attractive than watching a man who knows how to use his tools. (I also knew that Weepy Wife was then subsequently possessed on account of she didn’t accompany the rest of the gang outside of the house right away. That’s a rule on Show, you know. When a character gets separated from the herd? He or she gets possessed. It’s a rule.)
Meanwhile, during the battle, Sam can’t kill the demon with the spread of his manly hand this time. He’s woozy and unsteady and so very, very tired. I like what the makeup people did with the circles under his eyes. I know I’ve said this before, but those circles make the characters look vulnerable, and I loves me a vulnerable Sam, oh yes I do. And then there was the rife-with-innuendo comment that the demon makes, “Can’t get it up, can you, Sam.” And Dean’s brother to the rescue response: “No, but I can.” Oh, yeah. I loves me a Dean in rescue mode, too.
Off everyone drives in the Impala, please see aforementioned rant. When they stop, there’s a dither about the fact that White Bread has to leave his family behind, or they’ll be in danger. He wants to know for how long; Sam gives him this speech: “Don’t you get it? Forever. Demons will never stop. You can never be with your family. So you either get as far away from them as possible or you put a bullet in your head. And that’s how you keep your family safe. But there’s no getting out and there’s no going home.”
I enjoyed Dean’s double take of concern at this, but it was Sam who broke my heart here. Because he believes it, you see, every word of what he’s saying, and is, perhaps planning for the day when he will have to do exactly that. (Samhair-O-Meter: Wavy, raintouched, still off his forehead. He’s not giving it a bit of thought, though, as the dark truths tumble from his beautiful lips.)
After they ditch Weepy Wife and Blond Kid (without, note, any thought to protecting them against rogue demons), Sam n’ Dean drive in the Impala. In the rain. Dean finally notices that something is amiss with his Sam, and we get the “What’s up with you, man?” question. There’s some good back and forth here (not quite a dither, because it’s more personal than discussion about a gig), but the best part is where Dean says, “I’m not trying to pick a fight, but you’re scaring me,” and Sam replies, “I’m scaring myself.” For all his been hiding from Dean, Sam knows he’s in over his head. One second more of this conversation and Sam probably would have spilled his guts like a girl. Alas, the phone rings, and the trouble starts up again, trouble that doesn’t concern me because it isn’t about Sam. Or his hair.
Except it is. Outside of the warehouse, Sam’s shoulders stoop like he’s been carrying a huge weight for too long. He weaves a little on his feet, and his unsteadiness is further marked by the slight slurring in his voice, like he’s been at the drink and has managed to conceal it from everyone at the bar and is now trying to convince the barkeep that he’s okay to drive. Show did an excellent job in developing the slow, creaky moments like this one that let us know that not all is well with Sam. Dean is Oblivious Man, which, for Sam, might be a good thing. For now.
Inside the warehouse there is an angel/demon battle, with much whumpage; it was a little hard to see the details but gratifying just the same. Sam gets a demon under him, and yeah, that’s all she wrote. Demons bleed you see, and Sam has been jonesing since the first reel. He slices her open and drinks the blood, and his descent into darkness looks pretty final from where I’m sitting. The music provides just the right background, coming to a sharp halt as Sam jerks upward to face his brother, demon blood ALL over his mouth. (Oh, he is in SO much trouble.)
I was looking for the dramatic moment where Sam would wipe his mouth with his sleeve, but it never happened. I realize it’s a bit of a cliché, but otherwise, Sam’s standing there like a naughty child who’s been at the raspberry jam. He’s a lost soul, so wild-eyed and powerful, an uncontrollable element of nature, something that Dean would flinch from, which he does when Sam stands up and raises his manly hand. For a second, yeah, I thought Sam had finally turned the corner; Dean’s flinch makes him look so very young and afraid, and Sam’s hair is IN his eyes, which is indicative of his state – blinded by passion and demon blood and the power now surging in his veins.
Dean has to actually jump out of the way when he realizes Sam’s real intent. There’s exorcising of the demon and a dramatic goodbye scene from White Bread; the Soap Angel returns in all his snotty glory. Hurray. Enough of him already.
In the car, Sam is just waiting for it, but Dean doesn’t want to talk. He doesn’t want to argue or discuss or even dither. He’s done. I like to imagine that he’s tired of Sam lying to him; there’s a point you get to when enough is enough, and this is his. His jaw is set, his expression is flat, and he has no more to give to Sam right now. Ever thought you’d see the day? I didn’t. Bobby calls, and says that he’s got a demon problem that he needs Sam n’ Dean to handle. Only when they get there, Bobby announces that the demon problem is Sam; and he says this as Sam enters the iron-lined room, while he and Dean stay behind, on the other side of the iron threshold.
As they lock Sam up in the panic room (guaranteed to keep demons in or out), and the second before he realizes what’s going on, Show gives me two things. One is Dean’s expression, hard and cold and unyielding, and this towards his brother, his beloved Sam. To have reached this point? A lot of unhappy crap has gone down, and it here I see that truly Dean has crossed into the beyond and gone is the boyish boy from carefree earlier days. Okay, they weren’t all that carefree, but at least he had something. Now? All that’s lost. But it’s the other thing that Show gives me that breaks my heart, and that is Sam’s innocent and trusting expression the second before he realizes what’s going on.
That Sam has gone down this slippery slope for a while now is not new. When I think of him going down that dark path, it’s rather unique in that as he walks, the road beneath him disappears. He looks down and his footsteps vanish; he can’t even begin to trace how it is he got where he is. He is totally lost, and now, if you asked him in that moment, abandoned. The one thing, the ONE thing Sam always knew would be there for him was Dean. And it’s not that Dean isn’t, you see, but that Dean can’t be. Dean is doing hard love right now, the hardest.
For Sam? It’s the last break, the last step, beyond the pale, out of the light, any way you care to put it. As the heavy metal door closes on him, the last shred of Sam’s innocence disappears here with a flicker in those green eyes of his and a soft sigh of dismay. He must have known it was coming, this day. The day when Dean Found Out about the blood; that was the one secret Sam kept to himself. This is what this ep was about, the moment of truth and the anguish of this discovery. Sam’s descent, the finality if the iron walls as they surround him, his dark hair curling around his face. And Sam alone. With himself and his demon-drenched blood. The whole White Bread/Soap Angel deal? That was just a distraction.
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Sylvia Bond is a ten-year technical writing veteran with too many degrees under her belt to count. She lives in Colorado, but does not ski, preferring instead to spend her money and time at the annual Great American Beer Festival, taking road trips across the United States, and reading historical fiction from the comfort of her fluffy green arm chair. She has been involved in fandom since 1993 and been writing fanfic since approximately 1993. What she finds most amazing about fandom (besides the open heartedness of fans and the sheer amount of creativity) is how visible fandom has become. “In my day,” she says, “we had to hide behind P.O. boxes to get fanfic. But nowadays, people wear t-shirts that shout their affiliation and share their shiny toys on the internet.” It’s a wonderful world.
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Hey, Sylvia..nice recap, while I have to be honest that I skipped most of castiel part in the episode and I also skip most of the Castiel part in your review. I agree that this episode if you can sterilize it from Castiel is about our baby boy Sam. Nice also that we still share the same pick of the most heartbreaking scene goes to Sam's innocent look at the end of the episode. Oh, Sam gonna be very pissed and feel betrayed.
Yeah, I meant to leave everything about the Soap Angel out, but then got caught up a bit. I had such a good time when I finally decided THIS time there would ONLY be pictures of Sam. All day, all night, all Sam.
His look at the end of the ep just KILLED me. Poor baby. I hope Dean is ready for the fallout on that.
Hey thanks! Yeah, I should have left out more of the stuff about the Soap Angel, but I got caught up a bit. The pictures were fun to pick because I decided to have only pictures of SAM! I felt like quite the daring thing having none of Dean. : D
Wah, now I feel guilty for not noticing at all that your review ONLY has Sam's pictures! Stupid me. Eh, so somebody actually notice that Sammy looks different….. better looking?prettier? Heee, And I like Sam's answer of "new hair cut".
Hello Sylvia,
Yep, I'm still here faithfully reading and enjoying your reviews each week. What a brilliant review for this ep. You were right on the ball, kiddo … it really was all about Sam despite the few minutes he was given. Jared deserves an Emmy just for what he is able to convey in the few seconds TPTB have allowed him all season.
I am not on the bandwagon for the Soap Angel either and care even less about his vessel. But I must say I really do like Miisha. At the Aussie con some stupid fan asked him who he thought the better actor was, Jared or Jensen, to which Misha replied, "What kind of a question is that? You're a dick! Just kidding … kinda." And finally Jared found someone he can play with with the whole Misha bending him over hilarious episode!
And lastly, I worship at the altar of the Samhair!!!
Take care,
Tonia
Oh, you are sweet to say so. Thanks for the lovely compliment. : D
I agree. Mr. Padalecki deserves an award for taking his meager amount of lines and doing SO much with them – plus, really, the story, the essence of it, was about him!
Mr. Collins did a great job with the dual roles there, nothing wrong with his acting, and I’m sure he wasn’t in charge of the passing out of the dialog. I love your story about what he said to that fan, what a rude question!!
Samhair rules!!!!!!!!
Did someone really say that to Misha? Being an Australian myself, i am quite ashamed! I really hate it when people do that! I think only people who are true fans of the show and respect the actors for what they do should be allowed to go to the cons haha. If that person was as into supernatural as we all are, they would have know, despite whether they are a samgirl or deangirl, that jared and jensen are both incredible actors!
And i agree, Misha seems like a great guy
Not only that but some jerk asked Jensen which Ruby he would prefer to act with, Katie Cassidy or Genevieve Cortese. He was uncomfortable and made some vague answer. Then at the Jensen and Jared panel, another moron asked Jensen if once Supernatural was over he would consider doing the Dean Show. And this with Jared there. Jared jumped in and said, "Let me answer. NO!" and Jensen also said, " HELL NO! Dean without Sam is like Dean missing an arm or a leg."
Don't feel bad that this happened at the Aussie con (I think Aussies are awesome people). So far there have been jerks at all the other cons as well asking these dumb and rude questions and sadly mostly to Jared.
Kudos to Misha for not suffering fools.
Tonia
Great meta. While I'm not indifferent to Castiel I do agree that the show spent a lot of time on a character we're probably not going to see again (and really wouldn't be a part of the main story if we did) just to get the angel back to what he was at the beginning of the season. Sam, though…Jared blew my mind. Sam's going to be very, very angry – not only because he trusted Dean and Bobby but also because he tried to get Dean to talk to him about this and Dean chose to lock him up without a word instead. Next week should be a very interesting Sam episode…
Both John and Sam made Dean promise to be responsible for Sam, for his soul, to save him or kill him. Sam KNEW this, and yet, he's risked walking down that slippery slope anyway. And now that Dean sees that he failed (because of course Dean will view this as one more in a long list of HIS failures…) to prevent this from happening, he has to take drastic measures. I feel bad for Sam, but I feel bad for Dean too because both Sam and John put him in this position to decide to "save or kill" him.
And it's tough to see. I feel bad for Sam, but I don't what Dean is supposed to do about him anymore. Dean isn't perfect, of course, but he's scared for Sam. He sees Sam drinking demon blood and not thinking clearly because of it. How else is Dean supposed to protect Sam (from Ruby and other demons who are sources for his addiction) and also try to help him break free from his addiction? I don't know. I think he's just trying to do what he feels is best for Sam. To "save" him. Boys!
I don't know that there's anything else that Dean could have DONE to help Sam. But he sure could have handled it better. He didn't even speak to Sam, once we saw them at Bobby's, all the way down the hall, and even when they shut the door on Sam, Dean didn't say a word. Bobby's the one that said "This is for your own good". So from Sam's point of view, all Dean had to say on it was that he was done, and then without a word, his brother tricked him into going into the panic room and then locked him in. Not a single word, just that hard, frosty, angry stare. That's pretty damn cold.
Do I blame Dean for being angry? Heck no! I'd be furious too. Don't blame him for locking Sam in there either, since I can't see any other way to both restrain Sam and guarantee that Ruby can't get to him. I do think he could have at least shown SOME concern for his brother through all of his anger and frustration. Even angry concern. A "Dammit Sam, how could you do this?" Or something else along those lines. Anything but that cold, uncaring stare of his. He was looking at Sam like he looks at the things they hunt, without any visible regard for the fact that it was his brother, his Sammy, that he was looking at. That is what I had a problem with.
Ohhh, I see what you were saying below. You think that the subterfuge was really how he felt. See, the thing is, had Dean shown the concern that he obviously feels, Sam would've suspected that something was up. He wanted Dean to argue with him and make him the victim once again, hence the angry prodding in the car, and Dean just being quietly miserable let Sam believe that he'd "given up". And Dean kept that up all the way until they were at the panic room, so that Sam would walk right in, suspecting nothing.
Hopefully Sam, being the "smart" one, will recognize that if Dean didn't care, he would say, "Well, okay, Sam can kill Lillith with his powers, let's just let him do it and then we can off him afterwards." Dean is willing to risk the apocalypse to save Sam's soul. That's some hardcore love, right there.
Seriously, someone gave me a -1 for explaining that Dean still loves Sam? Dean-haters abound around here, apparently. *rolls eyes* Good job, crazies.
Well, considering what happened the last time Dean found out Sam was hiding something from him, something that pales in comparison to the secret that was unveiled this time around, yeah, I'd say Sam has a legitimate reason for expecting anger from Dean. Not out of some twisted attempt to be a victim; not sure exactly where you got that from. But based on past experiences. Personally, I think Dean getting angry would have made Sam less suspicious that any plot was afoot. Obviously the way Dean chose to play things worked just as well, at least on a technical front. I still question the wisdom of the way Dean did choose to play it, unless he really was that detached from what was going on, and if he wasn't he had to know how it looked to Sam.
That's the problem, not the story they told, I love backstories, but the amount of time they took. For a one-off character named Jimmy? Waste of film.
Oh, Sam. Yeah, when he catches his first breath after being locked in, you'll be able to hear it from South Dakota to the ends of the earth. I anticipate a good Sam ep too!!!!!
Thanks for the great post!
I am just waiting for the ''boom'' from all of this . The aftermath is going to be horrible and there will be Winchesters all over the place esp Sam , physically , emotionally and it isnt going to be good at all.
Jared is stunning and he will eat this up as Sam.
Stunning and THEN some! The aftermath will be horrible and we will all have front row seats!!!
I wasn't thrilled about this episode, Syl. I felt too enveloped in Jimmy/Castiel, and not nearly enough Sam/Dean. I really wasn't interested in how Jimmy became Castiel and frankly, he was too whitebread to engross me in his story. My heart broke for both brothers, of course, as the final cord holding them together tore the instant Dean saw Sam feeding from the demon and knew exactly what his brother has been up to all this time. The question now is, will this "intervention" work? If it does, will the brothers ever regain what they have lost–their familial bond? What scares me most is, I believe that the breaking of their brotherly bond will lead to the breaking of the final seal–and the rise of Lucifer.
I always love your reviews,Syl, but can't say I agree with this one. "The Rapture" was way too heavy-handed on Jimmy and too Winchester-lite. I found myself chafing for them to get back to the boys. Oh, and I loved when Anna popped up in the backseat to deliver her few words of wisdom. Her interchange with Dean was fun, showing that, no matter what's at stake, he still thinks about sex. I find it hard to believe that, being an angel, she doesn't already know what's DIFFERENT about Sam. Or perhaps she does and she's just calling his attention to it so he knows she knows? I think she wanted the boys to know that Castiel got called back to heaven because he screwed up big time because of THEM. I don't know if they got that. Still, I so enjoyed Dean's swerving the car because of her abrupt appearance.
So now we have Sam imprisoned in the panic room alone, Bobby and Dean outside. What's going to happen now?
What happens now? Beatings and lots of them. Heh heh heh.
And of course, Rob, my saying that the ep was about Sam was supposed to come across as sarcasm. In my mind, what was there that was about Sam was what the ep was about, so thusly, the ep was about him. See? I didn’t care what else there was. Sorry that wasn’t more clear for you.
I wasn’t thrilled about the ep either, but I try to take my pleasure where I can. This time around it was Samhair, and lots of it.
Best Regards,
Sylvia
Sorry to intrude on the Sam lovefest and his wonderfully talented hair but I loved Castiel/Jimmy's backstory and Misha completely sold the show for me. He proved himself to be a very talented actor by switching between 2 entirely different characters and the way he reverted back to being cold emotionless Cas at the end makes me wonder about the severe punishment he recieved for helping Dean. I find myslef wanting to know more about him not less.
The Sam story seemed secondary but I was hooked. It's heartbreaking to see Dean being pushed to the last resort to save Sam. I bet his Dad's voice is repeating in his head 'If you can't save him, you'll have to kill him.' and now he's desperate and I bet the last thing on his mind is saving poor little Sammy's feelings, he's trying to save his life or at least his soul so which is more important.
No doubt, Mr. Collins was quite good, he did both roles very well. I did like watching him revert to "cold" angel at the end. My problem is that I don't care about either character Collins played, since I felt the 38 minutes spent on them could have been better spent on Sam or Dean. But that's just me.
I agree Dean's on his last nerve with Dean, and good point about him thinking about maybe having to kill Sam! That's the LAST thing he'd want to do.
But Sams feelings will come into play that cant be discounted , esp when Sam is out of that panic room.
At least if it works he'll be alive and human enough to feel. Definately siding with Dean on this one. It may end up being the wrong decision but he's trying his best by him.
Thanks for the review! ITA with you o this one.
I haven't watched the show i a while but when I caught the previews oof 4,21m I had t watch this one too. But I did ff the Castiel parts, not on the bandwagon either because I have yet to figure out the character's mission, other than fangirling Dean. His vessel? Meh.
But aw gawd, Jared! Sam is a plotpoint and I'm still asking myself how they got such a good actor to be a plotpoint? I agree, whatvever little they give him, the takes it and shines. The desperation that's simmering right under his skin, showing off how close to complete un-hingedness he is. The shame he feels around Dean, the absolute perfect protrayal of how addiction finally takes you over. it's an ageold storyline, an a crappy one at that and still Jared manages to make it interesting.
The scene where he gets out of the car, slightly unsteady on his legs, wavering around it with sloped shouldeers; something you'd miss if you weren't looking at him. And as starved as I am for Sam, I keep my eyes on him even if he's deep in the background. And it pays off. You can see iust before the last fight how he tries to step away from the demon holding him, but he's simply too woozy to do it and has to step back. Just stellar. And the blood.gobbling scene. Gah! Jared can look se perfectly evilly unbalanced in one instance and then swift from guilt to insecurity and land in full rage. And it all happens so fluidly you don't even notice it, you just kind of feel it happening. When he turs around to watch Dean and Cas, all bloody (and godammit, how can he look sexy like that?) I got the feeling he was awaiting to get smited, tinge of challenge behind the guilt. When he didn't, he grew in confidence and wham, his face was so angry and vengeful that I shuddered.
Jared just uses his entire body to get the emotions across with the smallest of changes.
I don't like show very much ike now, too plotholey and messed up with the angel storyline, I simply wantch for Jared's amazing acting right now because I have no idea if Kripke even knows where he is going with this any longer.
That last scene and the preview? 4.21 is going to be some ride and I will enjoy every moment. I don't even care much about the finale, just as long as I get what promises to be a Sam ep that will leave me flabbergasted.
I will carefully read your review of the finale before I decide to watch it or not.
Hey, thanks! I’m glad you agree. I can’t figure out the Soap Angel either, but that’s not why I’m not on the bandwagon. He takes screen time from Sam and Dean and he took up space in a very important hospital scene (at the end of Head of a Pin), and that’s all it took for me.
I sense from your beautiful descriptions of our beautiful boy that you are a Samgirl. Padalecki does manage to take what little he’s given and spin it into something marvelous, rather like Rumpelstiltskin except only not so mean and crabby. And YES, YES, you have to keep your eye on him, even if he’s in the background, I do that ALL the time. I just agree with you 100% about Mr. Padalecki’s ability to shift between the polar opposites that are in Sam’s personality, the good and sweet to the evil and desperate. Hell, just standing there waiting to see which way the chips will fall, he’s stunning and interesting and rather adorable and sweet, even if he does have blood all over his chin.
As to whether Show will realize this in time or not, I do not know. I will watch faithfully and record and hopefully give you the information you need.
Thank you for your lovely descriptions of Sam/Padalecki – those are some great images there.
Best Regards,
Sylvia
Work has been insane lately so I wasn’t able to post any comments last week.
I work in the IT industry and client deadlines are taking over my life.
Anyway, I just wanted to say the “Jump the Shark” epy was one for the books.
Kripke is hilarious! “Jump the Shark” title ***snort*** “Oliver’s Diner” **Double snort! He really knows his fan-base. I loved every minute of that episode.
Now, I must admit I did not feel the same about this episode though. It was kind of ‘meh’ to me. I do love Misha and I thought he did a great job, playing two-roles but overall I though the episode was kind of slow. Some parts bored me and some parts dragged but there were some shining moments as well as some ‘OMG’ moments. I am glad it picked up, toward the end.
Oh Sam! You know, I can’t even refer to him as ‘Sammy’ anymore and that just kills me. He has always been ‘Sammy’ to me. Sweet, completely adorable Sammy, with the beautiful eyes and the messy hair and the broad shoulders. The baby brother who depended on his big brother Dean. But now, I can only refer to him as ‘Sam’ because his innocence is gone. Who knew Demon Blood is like crack! He slammed the door on his innocence….locked the door tight and threw away the key. Kind of ironic Bobby and Dean literally had to do the same thing. Sam is now in ‘rehab’ to protect himself from himself. I must admit I never saw that one coming. Sam has fallen so far that I don’t even know if he can find a way to recover! It was so unbelievably sad to see him in such bad shape. And, poor Dean! That just had to hurt. I think Dean is shell shocked. I want Dean and Bobby to find a way to help Sam!
And, Castiel….telling Dean that he was not there to ‘serve him?’ I wonder what he meant.
BTW – I am totally spoiler free! I walked out of the room, when the previews started. I have waited all year for the two-part season finale and I do not want to know anything prior to watching and enjoying the end of this season. Sometimes too much is given away, in the previews.
As always, thanks for your awesome review. I really missed posting last week!
And I am looking forward to this coming Thursday and next Tuesday……….
Take care…Joan
"But he isn’t on duty, so what’s up with that?" Hypervigilance and reluctance to relinquish any kind of protection post-Hell, I'm thinking. Ugh, poor Dean. So much of working through that trauma has taken place in the spaces between scenes, that we never see, but I can't imagine it's been easy to adjust. He was alone and butterfly-pinned-on-a-board vulnerable to the worst kinds of evil for so many years, with no escape and no support, and he's pretty much just manned up and plowed through it. He kills me, he really does.
Oh, oh, I see. He thinks that he "should" be on duty, hence the not taking off of the boots (or any other garment, sad to say), and his position on top of the covers to reinforce that of course he could get going at a moment's notice. When anyone can see he's totally exhausted.
"Manned up and plowed through it." I love that, it fits him perfectly.
I really hope that we get to see him "get some rest" and some happiness and peace. But later….much much later so I can watch more of those marvelous expressions of suffering that Ackles does so well.
(Come to think of it, I'll reckon the Soap Angel fans were as disappointed as I was about the fact that none of the characters changed into their jim jams for bed, eh.)
Excellent review Sylvia!
I have to say though, I disagree. If this is what passes as a Sam episode these days, I'm even more displeased with it. Sam and Dean were barely there, and when they were rather secondary to the moment at hand, with the exceptions of when Sam was oh so stupidly sneaking out to drink from his nasty flask, or when he was calling Ruby so frantically. This episode barely had enough Sam and Dean to qualify as a real episode, in my opinion, much less a Sam episode.
This was a Misha episode, is what it was, plain and simple. I broke it down by times. Misha had 30:22 of screen time in an episode that was only 36:46 long. Sam just barely, and I mean barely, squeaked out Dean in the running with 18:34. Dean got 18:23.
"What I don’t get is why Show spent 75% of an ep on a character we will never see again, because we spent most of the ep on some guy, who is, most notably, neither Sam nor Dean. "
Thank you! This episode had no point! Jimmy is gone. We're not going to see him again, and he's not central to Sam and Dean's story, so why did we even need to know about him? If they had done an episode like this as a look into Bobby's backstory, or Ellen's, back when she was still around, I would have loved it. Both of those characters at least a.) still exist and b.) have some direct bearing on the Winchesters. But Jimmy is gone, and as himself he had no impact on Sam and Dean or their lives. So why did we have to sit through the Jimmy show?
I think I know why, and it's the reason this episode riled me up so much. From the moment the character of Castiel was introduced, the most vocal sections of fandom have been falling all over themselves to love both Castiel and Misha. Which, hey, they're entitled to their tastes. Personally, I like Misha, quite a bit, but Castiel I've never been that fond of. I've liked scenes or moments, but not the character himself. But it seems to me that TPTB saw the noisiest fandom reaction to Castiel and Misha and decided "Hey! Wouldn't those fans just love an episode that was all about Castiel and his vessel?" I think they thought we would love it and hug it and feed it cookies and think it was the bestest thing ever. I don't claim to know what everyone is thinking, but from what I can tell the response to this one seems to have been a bit underwhelming, even from those who love Castiel. So if that is what they were thinking, I guess the joke's on them
The good: I thought Misha's acting was good, showing us a nice difference between Jimmy and Castiel. Jensen was good, as usual. Jared was awesome, what with the woozy looks and the slurred voice and just the over all impression that he was going to faceplant in the dirt at any given moment. I can't wait to see what he's going to do with the stuff they might give him in the next couple of episodes.
I know I'm just courting attack from the Dean brigade here, but I thought Dean's behaviour at the end was quite cold, considering he had JUST found out about the addiction. Then again, he's been that way for a while now, just not as pronounced. I honestly haven't seen anything to make me think that Dean cares one way or another what happens to Sam. If he survives the DTs and makes it through the addiction, or if he dies trying, either way it doesn't seem Dean cares. I don't think that's quite right, and I KNOW it doesn't seem right for Dean, but that's the way he's come across to me for a while now. He's tired, he's worn down, he's stressed, he's hurting, he's angry with Sam for not telling him, I get all of that. It still doesn't jive for me, doesn't connect the Dean that we used to know with the Dean we have now. Yes, he's changed, as he should have, both from growing older and from Hell. But even that doesn't quite explain it all. To me anyway, I know a lot of people's mileage varies from mine on this one. I'm hoping the next episode will change that, or at least shed some light on it.
I think you're right, Whiskey. I think Dean doesn't care. After all, people who care would do something like try to break their brother of the addiction before he becomes a demon and damns his soul to Hell. And people who are indifferent would just go off on their own and say, do whatever the heck you want. And since the latter is exactly what Dean is doing…
Oh. Wait a minute.
I think the Jimmy/Castiel story did serve a purpose. The emphasis that was put on the ability to house an angel being in the blood. That's why the needed more than just flashbacks to Jimmy becoming the vessel for Castiel. We also had to see it was genetic and is daughter was also a possible vessel. Jimmy could eventually understand Castiel which IMO is a callback to Castiel expecting Dean to understand. I think what we saw about being in the blood, etc is foreshadowing something that Kripke has planned for the last two episodes.
As a mother of an ex-addict, I can tell you that inside you may be an emotional wreck but you cannot show it when you take that final hard love step. If you show any weakness the addict can find a way to play you and convince you to give them one more chance. I know I did give my son many one more chances before the last time. The last time I showed no emotion, I was cold, I had to be. I think that's what you are seeing with Dean. An excellent interpretation by Jensen IMO.
I've heard that to be true about dealing with addicts, and I've never been in that position, so I don't know first hand. I just found it odd that Dean found out about the addiction and instantly slid right into the tough love, emotionless way of dealing with it. From what I have heard, that's not usually the first stop for an initial reaction to a loved one's addiction. I've heard from more than one source that it is the most effective, and perhaps the only effective, way of dealing with things. But not necessarily the first response to it. That's what didn't work for me.
Thank you for the lovely compliment.
In my review, I was speaking sarcastically (or is it ironically?) about this being a Sam ep because this was a Sam ep in my mind only; it was Sam’s story that was most important to me, in spite of the fact that it was all about the Soap Angel’s beginnings. The last two minutes were what counted to me, the other 38 I dismissed.
But you timed it, good for you! So, more than two minutes, but less than 38!! Yeah, it was the Jimmy show pure and simple. He wasn’t Sam nor Dean, so who cares? I mean, interesting, but not to that degree.
As for the love of the Soap Angel, I have a theory. Those fans who couldn’t or wouldn’t write slash between the boys finally found a pairing they could get behind, hence the flood of Dean/Castiel fanfic. Other fans, just liked the pairing for what it was, or they liked Mr. Collins. It clicked with them. I don’t agree with them, I don’t agree with their tastes, but there it is. I know that they must have loved this ep, for the abundance of the Soap Angel.
Mr. Padalecki nailed it, I thought, with the physical aspects of being addicted, of having taken a “drug” and being affected by it. Totally subtle, totally underplayed, and absolutely believable. More from this guy please.
I can see why you think what you do about Dean, in that you thought he was cold. I was thought he was too, but I could understand why. You won’t court any attack from the Dean brigade for having your own opinion, though it’s looking like you’re on your own a bit here. That’s okay. Some weeks I hang myself out to dry, and that’s part of what makes a discussion fun. I for one don’t ever think that Dean does not love Sam, no matter how cold he is. Like you said, he’s tired, for one thing, and for another, he’s got to do something VERY difficult, and when Dean has to do that? He shuts down emotionally. Remember when he had to torture Ariside (or Aristotle)? He just clammed up. When Dean experiences a high level of emotions he tends to turn off that switch, so it looks like he doesn’t care. Does that help?
I guess it does help a little. I don't mind being the only one who feels that way, here at least. From what I've read, I'm not the only one who feels that way in the entire fandom. But if I was, that would be okay too. What you're saying makes sense, and I can see how it would be true. The two things that are stopping me from latching right onto that line of thinking. The first is the fact that he's never done that to Sam before. Not even when he found out about Ruby still being around and the powers and all to begin with. Granted, this is the worst thing Sam's ever done, so I can see where Dean might alter his game plan a bit. The other thing, and the one I just can't get around, is that the younger sibling in me can't help but see it as a betrayal. Sam did wrong, both in sucking the blood and in lying about it. Dean has every right to be angry, and to want to knock Sam's block off, scream at him, or shut him out, if that's how he chooses to deal with it. But I guess I don't have to agree with how he chooses to deal with it. I appreciate you trying to help me see it from a different angle though.
Also, on a lighter note, was it just me, or did Dean's "There was a fight here" line make anyone else think of the scene in The Princess Bride, where Prince Humperdink starts diagnosing the battle at the top of the Cliffs of Despair? (At least I think that's what they were called). And then at the end, Castiel!Claire tells Jimmy "As you wish" in answer to his desire to be Castiel's vessel. Those two things had me cracking up at the most inappropriate times.
No, you're right, he NEVER has done anything like that to Sam, and it is rather shocking to see him do it now. But maybe that's why…because all this time, he put up with it, and let it go, and maybe swung a few punches, but he kept asking Sam, is that the last secret (in so many words) and Sam kept saying yes, it is. So now, maybe his anger is also fueling his decision, rather than just only love. And that's what makes it not right? Yes?
I'm looking at it from Dean's point of view, he's got to draw the line somewhere – and here it is. So I agree with what Dean is doing and how and why. Tough Love.
But you've pointed out something a little different than what I considered. I mean, yeah, Sam would feel betrayal and I get that. I saw it on his face, as the baby of the family, Sam thinks that Dean should have done what he expected Dean to do, punch him, yell at him, or whatever. Dean TRICKED him, which he has never done ever. And I'm not talking the bit with the Nair either. Dean set a trap for him and sprung it, and that's an awful kind of betrayal. Not inadvertent, but on purpose.
I think I was kind of taken by the force and power of it all, and my delight in seeing Dean finally see the truth – I'm more concerned with what Dean had to go through to get to this point than Sam, because I'm awful and am looking forward to Sam going through the wringer. FINALLY we get some payoff. Hopefully….hopefully next week's ep won't be about yet another character who is not Sam nor Dean.
As you wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!
Oh, Farm Boy! Poor but beautiful!!!
Thanks for that laugh!
Best Regards,
Sylvia
"So now, maybe his anger is also fueling his decision, rather than just only love.And that's what makes it not right? Yes?"
I think that is part of it, for me, coupled with the fact that we've never seen Dean display this kind of anger at his family before. But still, it's a cumulative thing. He's been increasingly detached from Sam for a while now, before the blood drinking was revealed. But he's under a LOT of strain, I get that, and God knows I would have buckled a long, long time ago, if I were Dean. It just doesn't feel like his actions were primarily motivated by love. Maybe the desire to get Sam clean is, but not the cold way that Dean chose to lock Sam up.
"Dean TRICKED him, which he has never done ever. And I'm not talking the bit with the Nair either. Dean set a trap for him and sprung it, and that's an awful kind of betrayal. Not inadvertent, but on purpose."
That's my point exactly. In fact, you could almost say that the way Dean went about setting up and springing this trap on Sam is the same way that he might set, bait and spring a trap for something that they hunt. After his words to Sam in Metamorphosis, and then in Sex and Violence, I have to imagine that was pretty high on Sam's list of fears, if not the top, that Dean would change his mind about knowing Sam, and decide to hunt him. And in a way, Dean did. The good news for Sam is that saving him, or at least trying to, is still first on Dean's list. And that makes me hurt for Sam, even though he's the one in the wrong with his actions, because that inherent, instinctive trust that he's always had in Dean has been broken, and he might not be able to get it back. I hope he can.
I'm hoping that in the coming episode we might get to hear Dean voice some of his concern, and even love, for Sam. For me personally, that would go a long way to erasing those impressions of Dean as cold and uncaring. It's been a long time since he's said anything to or about Sam that wasn't either flippant, cutting, or just matter of fact. I would love to hear him say something to prove me wrong.
I sincerely hope that they don't push Sam's detox story aside for a secondary character. I will be beyond pissed if that happens. I'm comforting myself with the wee shred of trust I have left in the Supernatural writing staff, and especially in the person who wrote next week's episode. I still cry foul that we've had to wait until literally the end of the season to get any major payoff on Sam's storyline, and the fact that the season will be over in two weeks, and the balance has not been restored. I love this show, I really do, but season 4 is not going to be one I revisit very often once it's over and done. I feel like I've been watching an entire season of another show masquerading as Supernatural.
I couldn't believe it when Castiel!Claire said "As you wish". I just cracked up. I love that movie, and the two lines together just made me giggle so hard. Not necessarily appropriate points for laughter, but hey, it happens when it happens.
Well I'm not a "brigade", so I hope it's okay to reply.
"I honestly haven't seen anything to make me think that Dean cares one way or another what happens to Sam. If he survives the DTs and makes it through the addiction, or if he dies trying, either way it doesn't seem Dean cares."
If after everything Dean has done for Sam over the years isn't indicative of the depth of Dean's love for him, then I just don't know what Dean could possibly do to prove that he loves Sam and cares about him. Dean cares about Sam's life more than his own. And sure, the boys are going through some tough times. Dean has acted in ways I'm sure he feels bad about. Sam has acted in ways I'm sure he feels bad about. BOTH boys have been emotionally distant from each other this season. And BOTH have had periods when they've been angry and cold toward one another.
I think Dean still feels hurt and betrayed because Sam continued to lie to him about using his powers and about Ruby (and I think Dean feels that Sam chose Ruby over him). And remember that Sam used Dean's emotions (being afraid and weak) against him in S&V. So I think that Dean is trying to NOT show emotion here because he's already seen that Sam thinks he's weak. And he's talked to Sam before, he's gotten angry before … and apparently none of that has worked. Dean knows that Sam already has his excuses thought out, and that's why he really wanted Dean to argue with him in the car. So that he could make more excuses for the powers and now the demon blood. I think Dean showed great restraint in his calm reaction because of all these reasons. I don't believe at all that it shows that Dean doesn't care about Sam.
I just have to say that I am really glad that I'm not watching the same show as you. Dean loves and cares about Sam in the show that I'M watching.
If you're happy with the show you're watching, then I'm happy for you.
"If after everything Dean has done for Sam over the years isn't indicative of the depth of Dean's love for him, then I just don't know what Dean could possibly do to prove that he loves Sam and cares about him."
Dean's past actions are all well and good, and as you point out, they undeniably prove that Dean did care for Sam, very much. The thing about actions, and people, is that they can change. And since he returned from Hell, the caring side of Dean has been somewhat absent when it comes to Sam. He doesn't appear to have given a whole lot of thought to what Sam went through while he was gone, except the mistakes that Sam made in that time frame. And I know it will be pointed out, and it's true, Dean's got enough on his plate right now without his baby brother going rogue on him. He was in Hell, and he was tortured and he tortured people and he's been hounded by angels since he came back, and that's only touching on his problems.
But it's not like Sam buried Dean and stepped back from his grave with a refreshed sigh and said "Well he's gone now. Guess I can do what I've always wanted to! Have sex with a demon and suck her blood! Woohoo! Roadtrip!" Sam alone is responsible for the choices he made, no one else. But that doesn't mean that we should totally ignore the circumstances he was in, or the suffering that he was going through, that influenced those choices. People do crazy things when they're grieving, or depressed, things that they might never have done if they had been in a normal frame of mind. It doesn't change the fact that they did them, or that they chose to do them, but it is relevant to who they are, what kind of person they are, if they did those things out of pain or desperation. That is what I would like to see Show, and Dean, acknowledge, before they thoroughly condemn Sam for what he has done. Because you're right, they have both acted in less than loving ways toward each other. But while there has been plenty of time spent emphasizing what Dean went through, and how painful it was for him, and how that experience is coloring what he's doing now, there's been little to no effort to provide any reasoning for Sam's actions other than "He's evil! He slept with Ruby! He drinks blood! Evil!!!1!!1" I think that's a disservice to the character, to the fans of that character, and to the fans of the show in general.
"I think Dean showed great restraint in his calm reaction because of all these reasons. I don't believe at all that it shows that Dean doesn't care about Sam."
You can call it restraint, just as I can call it cold. He actually said the words "I don't care" to Sam, though he was referring to the excuses Sam was trying to offer up. At least I think he was. It wasn't really clear to me, or to Sam, judging by the look on his face, if Dean meant he didn't care about the excuses, the blood drinking, or Sam himself. If this was any other season but the one it is, I wouldn't have a doubt in my mind that the only thing Dean didn't care about was the excuses. But this season is what it is, and therefore that conviction is nowhere to be found. As I've said before, hopefully Dean's words and actions tonight will change my mind about him. I guess I'll have to wait and see.
I think the game would have been up if he'd shown any concern at all – he would have alerted Sam maybe. Or, even if Sam wouldn't have been alerted, maybe Dean had to hold himself very still emotionally, otherwise he would have come apart thinking of doing what he felt he had to do……
"I honestly haven't seen anything to make me think that Dean cares one way or another what happens to Sam. "
"I think you're right, Whiskey. I think Dean doesn't care."
You're kidding, right? Seriously, what show have you been watching? The Samgirl/Deangirl factionalism aside, people don't generally stage interventions when they don't care. They just wash their hands of the situation and let the self-destructive process run its course. Only those who care deeply for an addict or person in crisis will intervene at the risk of enraging or alienating that person, possibly forever. Sam's a good guy who has fallen into the tempting trap of using evil means to achieve a good end. He wants to kill Lilith, who has caused so much harm to his loved ones. He also wants to atone for the effects of the YED blood forced on him in infancy. Unfortunately, by using power from an evil source to do it, Sam is rapidly being overcome by the very thing he's fighting against, and has now become physically and psychologically dependent on it. Dean, who loves Sam more than anything in the world, sees the terrible moral and physical danger in which Sam has fallen, and is willing to act decisively to save him before it's too late. If that's not evidence of caring, let alone profound love, I don't know what is.
Thanks for the review sylvia
much appreciated!
Theres been a lot of discussion about Deans reaction to Sam's addiction after this ep. I think what Sam wanted/needed from Dean, was anger. Sam wanted Dean to yell at him, throw a few punches maybe, because Sam wants to snap out of it. And we all know (just as he does) that the only person who can help him do that is Dean. I think he was almost relying on an angry reaction from Dean, and in any case was prepared for it. In Sam's crazy blood addicted mind set, Dean's opposite reaction of acting as though he didn't care and then tricking him, would seem like the ultimate betrayal. The rational Sam we used to know, would have been able to see the intended help and reasoning behind what Dean did, but unfortunately, this new Sam is not going to see it that way at all. I'm scared to see what happens between the brothers now, that this huge rift has been put between them. Sam may even want revenge on his brother. The betrayal was heartbreakingly evident on his face, as you said. continued….
You are more than welcome! I read your post this morning and thought about it all day. I think you’re right. Sam was counting on Dean drawing that line in the sand, it’s what he knew he needed. But even knowing that, knowing he needed to be reined in, yanked up, tied up (yeah!) or whatever, is totally different than putting up with the reality of it happening. Even if it was subconscious (or unconscious, whichever is more correct), and maybe that’s what it was, a subconscious wish to get caught? To BE caught? Might be more than Sam can deal with. Esp if Dean’s got that look on his face, cold and hard and beautifully unyielding – you’d (Sam’d) feel horribly unloved and abandoned and awful. Maybe he’ll cry. I’d like that……(it’d show that there’s humanity left in the boy yet.)
I liked the ep mostly…I think it's sad that Castiel is again being controlled by higher forces…I was beginning to warm to Deans angel friend! But really, the castiel/jimmy story line didn't have to be so major. It definately could have been going on in the background, but Sam and Deans situation should have been more obviously at the forefront of the episode. I think thats where show has been going wrong lately…we want to watch Sam and Dean. We've followed these brothers devotedly for years, and when something this huge is going on in their lives, we want to know about it. We want to see how it plays out, without having to try and catch glimpses of it behind what is apparently shows idea of the 'main (yet seemingly pointless) story line'. We all know that the main story line is what is going on with Sam and Dean. Give us more of that!
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat? You LIKE the Soap Angel??? Get out!
Just kidding. Plenty do, including my good friend in Alaska. She adores him. Aiiiii. With friends like that…..
Show spent far too much time on a minor/soon to die character. Why bother? The story was good, but not that important. I know, I’m preaching to the choir here. I want more of SamnDean. Like, now. Yesterday. But I think we will, did you see the previews? It looks promising, but then, they all do. This season has been very good thus far, VERY good, so my hopes are up.
Pollyannaishly Yours,
Sylvia
I have always loved your comments, Whiskey. You articulate them so well. Whether one agrees or not, it is such a pleasure to read them. They are intelligent and always respectful. Sorry to see others can not show you the same respect. Kudos to the way you stood up for yourself and I totally support you.
All the best,
Tonia
///I don't claim to know what everyone is thinking, but from what I can tell the response to this one seems to have been a bit underwhelming, even from those who love Castiel.///
Eh, the majority of the complaints I've seen are about the pacing. But most people (except Sam or Dean elitist) like the episode just fine, but found it a little boring. But if episodes largely based around Castiel were never excepted, then On the Head of a Pin wouldn't be excepted at all either. And as far as I could tell, that was one of the most praised episodes this season.
Personally, I didn't mind this episode, it was expected since I new they'd have to do something with the vessel in order to keep Castiel around, but I certainly didn't think it was the worst episode ever, or even the worse one this season. Just a little out of place.
I really enjoyed your review, as always, Sylvia. I do like Castiel, but I also found the episode's pace a little slow. I thought Misha did a great job as both Jimmy and Cas. I do like Cas and especially his dynamic with Dean, although the "reprogrammed" Cas was sad to see.
"Granted, there’s something to be said for an angsty Dean, somewhat battered, perhaps weepy and disillusioned. But we’ve gotten plenty of that this season in all sorts of ways; it was nice to see Dean assume the role of big brother, looking out for Sam."
You know, I just … hmm. I do agree that Dean is a great big brother (n'aw!) and he does look out for Sam and I always love to see that. But … it makes me really sad for Dean too, because it seems that sometimes Dean is really *only* appreciated when he "assumes the role of big brother, looking out for Sam." It also seems that Dean is sometimes unfairly criticized when he exerts a bit of independence, when he has to deal with his own issues (sometimes in a weepy, angsty way), and when he isn't all about Sam. I know this is probably an unpopular opinion but I greatly appreciate the angst, introspection, and self-discovery by Dean this season. I want Dean to be seen as more than just that big brother/protector of Sam. He's been through a lot this season and he's tired … of the lies and the betrayal by the person he loves and trusts most on this planet … and he's just in this horrible situation with Sam so deep in denial, continuing to lie to Dean and to himself. *sigh*
Sorry for the pro-Dean stuff. I know this is mostly a Sam blog and it seems that most here don't really like Dean. You do a great job with all of your reviews, Sylvia. Thanks!
Seriously, never apologize for your pro-Dean stance. I am a Samgirl, true, but I appreciate both boys equally and in different ways. Some reviews I wax poetic about Dean, others I wax poetic about Sam. For one ep review (On the Head of a Pin) all the pics were of Dean and the review was about Dean. This time around, it’s Sam’s turn. I like to spread the love, and it’s always acceptable to rave about EITHER boy. Or any character, for that matter. So never feel like you can’t; we’re all adults here and take different opinions. Yes?
I'm always up for learning something new, or new ways to think about characters. Besides, the question of who is more pretty depends on your taste and the time of day, so really, any debate about that better involve LOTS of evidence and pictures, more pictures! (So I can stare at them.)
I’m glad you liked the review, thank you for saying so. Mr. Collins was just outstanding as the Soap Angel, it’s just too bad I have very little use for a character he’s so good at playing!
As for Dean, he makes the BEST big brother ever, and yeah, him in Big Brother mode is my favorite flavor of Dean. Interesting point you make about him only being appreciated then, I know lots of fangirls who like angry Dean, or weepy Dean. Maybe he does it so well because it’s the Dean he’s been doing the longest?
I tend to think that when he gets introspective and shares himself with Sam emotionally, two things happen. First, that Dean’s not used to it, it’s not his strong suit, and he tends to withdraw himself as soon as he’s offered a bit of his soul up. Second, that SAM’s not used to it, and doesn’t really know how to be receptive to that. So both brothers are unable to meet in the middle and thus Dean’s self-discovery goes unnoticed a bit. Anyway, that’s my O.
Best Regards,
Sylvia
I agree, it didn’t suck, esp when compared to most eps of Season 3. It just seemed unbalanced and slow, and out of place for the focus on the Soap Angel.
The ep that I felt that most people liked was In the Beginning, or Afterschool Special, or Sex and Violence. I mean, Head of a Pin was GOOD, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it’s the most praised ep for this season. Unless I’m missing a poll or something.
Best Regards,
Sylvia
Don't feel guilty! Learn and grow from this! These pictures don't pick themselves, you know! (I spend hours, I tell you, hours, picking JUST the right ones.)
Sam is about as pretty as it gets. And it's not just the hair. Really.
okay, your reviews are ridiculously awesome. i don't know how you do it (man, i thought i was a supernatural fan, but seriously, you put me to SHAME).
that being said, i agree with tess' comment up there about really enjoying/respecting misha in this episode. even though jimmy was only a vessel, i liked how show gave acknowledgement that for every vessel there was a person with loved ones and family. yes, dean and sam are the HUGE frontline players against the apocolypse, and who get books and bibles written about them. agreed, jimmy was grossly white bread, but i liked the shout out to the small but essential players, and i admittedly teared up when he was lying there dying, refusing to give up his sweet place in heaven because he couldn't let his daughter take up such a great responsibility. (and incidentally, while i agree with how lame-o of a christian weepy wife was, silent daughter turned out to be pretty awesome.) jimmy will never return to show, but he was a great example of the devout and sacrificing.
(part 2) and yes, it took away from sam and dean time (i am SOOOO a dean girl; might be the protective/older sibling thing i can relate to), which is always tragic, but it certainly made me appreciate misha and soap angel more. last night's episode was the first time soap angel came on and i actually looked to his character with interest. (especially knowing he had totally been "reamed" during his time away.)
anyway, again, awesome review. i snorted when i read about said possession Rule.
-jenn
A-1. But there are no Dean haters here, only fans. : D
Dean loves Sam more than his own life. He had to play it cold, I don't blame him for that at all. I know Sam will, though, because in Sam's mind he "tried" to talk to Dean. Only, like I pointed out in my review, he lets himself get distracted by phone calls or passersby or waitresses – anything to interrupt him actually SAYING anything that Dean might need to know. Plus, yeah, Dean is tired of Sam mucking about like he has. Still. Tough love is still love.
Oh, was it you who gave the -1? I dunno, I still think it was pretty ridiculous.
I'll explain further, though, on the Dean-risking-the-apocalypse thing. Sam will eventually get strong enough to kill Lillith, so he believes, and Dean has seen him kill Alastair, so he knows it's possible. Unfortunately, he also knows it's probable (given the fate of the Croatoan blood-drinkers and the other psychic kids) that Sam sucking down demon blood = Very Bad Things for Sam's soul. So, instead of winding Sam up and turning him loose on Lillith (who is breaking the seals) in order to avert the apocalypse, but forfeiting Sam's soul in the process, he is trying to save Sam's soul even though it may mean apocalypse comes early.
Continued…
"Let's see, the last time your brother found out you were doing something wrong he told you "If I didn't know you, I would want to hunt you", then not that long ago he told you "But the Sam I knew, he's gone", and now he just found out that you were doing something else wrong and locked you up without even saying a word to you…What would you think? I would think he'd finally decided you were one of the things he hunted, but that's just me. "
I have to say that I think that's just you?
Sam is a hunter, so he's already on other hunter's radars. He's exorcising demons with his powers. Demons who talk to other demons and probably to other hunters when they are caught. Sam is hanging out a demon in his off time. Sam also killed another hunter. I think in Dean's mind, any hunter would be very suspicious of Sam for any of these actions. And they're actions, not the essence of who Sam is.
So I do think that Dean was being very factual when he told Sam, essentially, that his actions would be viewed as suspicious by other hunters (and with good reason). Dean does know Sam. He gave him every benefit of the doubt in Born Under a Bad Sign. He defended him to Gordon in Hunted. So I do think it's significant that Dean prefaced his statement to Sam in Meta in this way.
As for "the Sam I knew, he's gone" statement. Dean specifically told Sam that it wasn't because of the powers or any of that. He was talking about Sam's lies and deception. Not about the powers.
That's love. And I'm sorry if you can't see it… genuinely sorry, actually, because you're missing something so huge in the show, and thinking that Dean is just this huge jerk who wants to murder his brother via detoxification would really ruin the show for me. But the show has told us that Lillith is breaking the seals, it's told us that Sam can kill her, and it's told us that Dean isn't willing to risk Sam for the goal of Lillith-killing. The "for all Dean knows he's stopping seals from being broken" thing isn't something we've been told in the show… and it would completely flip his motives, so I would really need some hard evidence before I believed that over what Show has already told me.
Not sure why you think I gave you a minus 1, but hey! If you need to point fingers, go right ahead. Just watch out for the three pointing back at you.
A.) They don't know that killing Lilith will stop anything. Who knows if Sam told Dean what Lilith said in the motel, but if he did, which he should have, then what she says seems to indicate that killing her isn't necessarily going to stop the apocalypse. Which makes sense in that, once things gain a certain momentum, they don't necessarily require the original driving force in place to keep them going, and because it's unlikely that she's working alone. Killing her might slow things down, but there's nothing to prove it would stop the apocalypse from happening. It might even hasten its coming.
B.) Unless I've forgotten something major, and that's entirely possible, even probable, the only ones who seem convinced that Sam can get strong enough to kill Lilith are Ruby, and Sam, but he doesn't really count, since he's getting his info from Ruby. Ruby is many things, but a trustworthy source of information, she is not. So it may not even be possible for Sam to get that strong, though it seems as though he should be able to, given the jump in his powers between episodes 10 and 16.
They don't know what the seals entail, not all of them, and they also don't know what Azazel's endgame was. So it is possible that by keeping Sam there, by getting him off the blood and stopping him from having those powers and using them, that they're preventing a seal or seals from being broken. I'm not saying that Dean thinks of it that way, or sees it that way, but he could. I'm not saying that's his primary motive in keeping Sam there, in getting Sam off of the blood. I'm not even saying it's definitely true. But that doesn't mean it's impossible.
Also? I don't really need your pity, or your condescension. Just because I don't share your view point that Dean is the most awesome thing to ever walk the Earth on two legs doesn't mean that I'm any worse, or better than you are. It also doesn't mean that I hate him. Make of it what you will.
Sorry….me, not understanding what you were asking for there! I thought you said for someone to acknowledge what you were saying by giving you an a-1, so I gave you A-1 Like, YES, you get an A-1, very well done!…but you meant a MINUS one. Duh. I agreed with you about the fact that Dean loves Sam, even if he is acting cold, because it's tough love for Sam's own good. (Sorry about misunderstanding the grade you were asking for!)
Regards,
Sylvia
Let's see, the last time your brother found out you were doing something wrong he told you "If I didn't know you, I would want to hunt you", then not that long ago he told you "But the Sam I knew, he's gone", and now he just found out that you were doing something else wrong and locked you up without even saying a word to you…What would you think? I would think he'd finally decided you were one of the things he hunted, but that's just me.
What am I missing? How is Dean risking the apocalypse to save Sam's soul? For all he knows right now, Sam's playing right into the breaking of a seal, or seals, and by stopping him, Dean is stopping, or at least slowing, the apocalypse. I must have missed something.
Also? Just a thought but, it might be the tone of your comments people are objecting to, not the actual point of them.
If it's just me that's fine by me. I feel how I feel and I don't need someone else to feel the same way to validate my emotions.
I never said Dean was wrong when he said that, just that it had to have messed with Sam's head when he said it. It's one thing knowing what you're doing is wrong, and knowing that other people would sit in judgment if they found out, or even want to kill you. And it's an entirely different thing to hear your beloved older brother, who's always had your back, tell you that he agrees with them, and that only the fact that he knows you is holding him back. That's harsh. Not unfair necessarily, or untrue. But still harsh.
Your bringing up the way Dean has defended Sam in the past highlights something I've found interesting all season. In the past, if something happened, Dean always jumped to the assumption that it wasn't Sam who did it. Not a particularly healthy way to handle things, but that's how Dean operated. But from the moment Dean returned from Hell he's been convinced that Sam was lying. First it was about making a deal, and once he believed Sam about that, he seemed determined that Sam wasn't telling him the truth about using his powers while Dean was gone. Obviously he was right about that last one, but he didn't know that at the time. And since then he seems obsessed with Sam lying to him; which isn't to say that he shouldn't be bothered by it, or that Sam hasn't been lying. Just that Dean has seemed unusually hung up on the concept. It makes me wonder if while he was in Hell he heard whispers of what Sam was doing, or if Alistair used that to taunt him, or something. If I wanted to argue semantics with Dean I would have to point out that when it comes down to the question of how they spent their summers, Dean lied first. ("What, Hell? I don't know, I, I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing.") Granted, that doesn't excuse Sam's lies, or the fact that Sam was doing things that he most definitely shouldn't be proud of. Then again, Dean wasn't particularly proud of what he was doing in Hell either. Anyway, like I said, semantics, and I hope that there might be more to Dean's intense focus on lying than just a good reason for him to be angry with Sam plot wise.
"As for "the Sam I knew, he's gone" statement. Dean specifically told Sam that it wasn't because of the powers or any of that. He was talking about Sam's lies and deception. Not about the powers."
I'm not sure it matters why Dean said that. He said it. And it still holds that prior to that he said "If I didn't KNOW you, I would want to hunt you" and then down the line said that the Sam he "KNEW" was gone, implying that this Sam who's still here, that Dean doesn't know him at all, thereby removing the one condition put on Dean's previous statement. It's not a stretch of logic to conclude then that since Dean doesn't know this Sam, he wants to hunt him. Whether Dean actually feels that way, only he would know. But it wouldn't shock me at all to find out that Sam thinks he feels that way, especially now that Dean has sprung his trap for Sam and locked him up.