Review of Episode 8×07: A Little Slice of Kevin
by castiello

Overall: Top Ten Signs That You Just Watched a Kick-@$$ Episode of Supernatural:

10.) Exploding Prophet

9.) Sam speaks Latin

8.) Dean opens up about what’s bothering him

7.) Cass busts out his wings

6.) A sign in the background reads: “Caution: Sharp Edges. Keep Fingers Clear.”

5.) Kevin checks out a witch’s butt

4.) Tiger Mommy is back

3.) Cass is back, too!

2.) The brothers act like brothers who actually care about each other

And the number one Sign You Just Watched a Kick-@$$ Episode of Supernatural:

Holy Water Super-Soaker.

‘Nuff said.

Dean: He was actually honest about seeing Cass on the road and in the window. Dean opened up to Sam and told him what was going on. How impressive is that? We finally got to see how Cass got left behind – in Dean’s version of events, Cass gave up and let go, and Dean was already inside the closing portal, unable to go back for his friend. Seems Dean’s been torturing himself over whether there was any opportunity to reach back through and grab Cass a second time before the portal closed for good. Dean thought he failed Cass by not holding on tighter or finding a way to reach back through. Dean also felt like Cass gave up without a fight.

The moment when Cass revealed the true sequence of events was the absolute highlight of the episode for me. The conversation between Cass and Dean, seeing that weight of guilt and self-doubt floating up off of Dean’s shoulders, almost moved me to tears. It was that beautiful. I could easily believe how differently Dean had interpreted things – it was probably roaring-loud inside the portal, difficult to see, and Dean is already pre-programmed to blame himself for basically everything, so it made sense how he could see not being able to hold onto Cass as a personal failure. I’m so glad this was not the case.

Frankly, I’m also ridiculously glad to have some scenes that make me remember why I fell so hard for this show in the first place. Having that moment between Dean and Cass, and some earlier “brother moments” between Sam and Dean, it just reminded me how rare these scenes have become. We used to get something like this virtually every episode.

Sam: Very little evidence of the previous episode’s fight, which is a good thing – the sooner they drop that “You didn’t look for me!”/“I met a girl!” storyline, the better. Here, Sam and Dean seemed a bit subdued in the beginning, like the calm after the storm, quietly saying “hey” to one another and getting on with business. But there was no coldness between them, no evidence of lingering hostile feelings. Sam, in fact, was remarkably attentive to and compassionate towards Dean. In other words, Sam was Sam. He noticed something was bothering Dean and asked about it. He listened kindly to what Dean was going through, and offered words of support, plus a brotherly shoulder-pat. When Dean spoke about Purgatory, you could see in Sam’s face the beginnings of true understanding – and possibly a little bit of guilt at knowing what his brother went through.

Seeing Sam in his natural, compassionate state only emphasizes how out-of-character it would be for him not to look for Dean. Sam is a loving, sensitive, devoted brother, and his fans deserve a moment like the one we got for Dean in this episode: a moment when all is revealed, and nothing is as bad as we were led to believe. Dean really did do everything possible to get Cass out, and Sam really did do everything possible to find his bro.

Other Sammy goodness: Cute trick with the phone, muttering an exorcism to see if the demon reacted. First the reverse exorcism, and now this. Sam always has the coolest ideas. His delight at Cass’ return was also wonderful to see – these two have had some really nice moments, particularly in the past two seasons, and I think their bond has grown tremendously. At times Sam has had faith in Cass when even Dean didn’t.

Cass: HE’S BACK! He showed his wings! He helped Dean let go of some guilt and kicked demon butt (Crowley butt, no less!) and did an entire body (clothing included) shave/cleanse in about five seconds. To say that I love Cass is a drastic understatement.

He seems to be re-marbled, too. Right before Purgatory, he was kind of crazy – an utterly adorable kind of crazy, but still crazy. Now his screws seem tighter (not too tight) and he seems more like who he was before taking on Sam’s madness. I guess all the constant killing in Purgatory wiped away his notions of a peaceful, bee-keeping existence. Wanting to stay in Purgatory to atone for his sins was so very Cass-like. His line: “I wasn’t weak – I was stronger than you” gave me a big old throat-lump. He called Dean his friend, and all the history just flooded between them. This fan was happily swept away.

Crowley: A pleasure, as always. His reactions to the batch of future prophets were priceless. Just the expression on his face when that lady started “reading” the tablet: “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” ROFL!

Also, we learned some interesting things about prophets – how there is only one at a time, and how all angels know the names of those who’ve been born – and the fact that there are numerous tablets, possibly one for locking away all dark creatures, and possibly one for angels as well. Oh no, suddenly I just got real worried for Cass… **shakes thought away**

And speaking of angels:

Naomi: Who the heck is she? What does she want? It’s obviously not anything good if she’s using Cass against his will and wiping his memory afterwards. She is spying on Sam and Dean, which means she’s probably keen on getting insight into the tablets. For what purpose I don’t know, but Cass is the only member of his “species” that I trust. I liked the moment when Naomi took him – it was so jarring, I thought something was wrong with my TV. A great bit of writing/editing that put me right in Castiel’s shoes, how he felt when she just yanked him away from Sam and Dean.

So, we now know how Cass got out of Purgatory (a bunch of angels busted him out on Naomi’s orders) and why he doesn’t remember it. We just don’t know what the agenda is.

I have to say, I’m glad the angels have a part in the storyline this season. Ever since they were introduced in season four, they’ve given the show a certain weight – a certain power – that it never quite had before they came aboard. Angels elevated the mythology. And when they’re not involved, or only minimally involved, the show feels weaker. So, bring on those winged warriors and their sneaky, dirty, sometimes-as-bad-as-the-devil-himself plans. I’ll be loving every minute of it.

Kevin: At least he was smart enough to know the witch was a bad idea. Still too much of a teenager not to ogle the girl, though. 🙂 I don’t blame the poor kid for spilling info after having his own finger sliced off (hope Cass really can fix it) and watching Crowley pop another prophet like a water balloon. I actually don’t think Kevin told the King anything too damaging – just piqued his interest, which is never a good thing. I’m glad Cass and Dean and Sam got there in time, and we only lost a little slice of Kevin.

Tiger Mommy: After the initial trauma of being possessed, she’s back to her old ferocious self and I could not be happier. She douses her own son with holy water every time he walks in the door. She blasted a demon with a Holy Water Super-Soaker and took him hostage in the trunk of her car. And she explained her decision to contact the witch by stating the obvious: “To make demon bombs!” Duh! Factor in her reactions to Kevin’s witch-ogling and an uncomfortable misunderstanding about some of Craigslist’s “services,” and this Momma was in top form. Love her.

Final thoughts: This was one of the best episodes of Supernatural in a long time. This is the kind of episode that makes me want to plant a big, wet smooch on the show’s cheek. This is the kind of episode that makes me want to bust out my old DVDs and watch them again (something I haven’t done in so long). This is what I want to see every week – not just once in a cerulean blue moon. This is Supernatural.

Review of Episode 8×06: Southern Comfort
by castiello

Overall: Honestly, it’s hard to know what to say about this one. There was so much in it that I loved: the main storyline, the performances, heck, even the dead soldier (he looked great!). I loved how this episode dealt with Bobby’s memory, and I loved the flashback showing how the old penny changed (<-unintentional pun) hands. There was just one piece that didn’t fit – one element that ruined an otherwise excellent episode, and it’s the same thing I (and numerous other fans) have been complaining about all along:

After weeks of holding out hope that there was something more to the story, that the writers wouldn’t treat a beloved character so badly, that surely, any episode now, we would see the one flashback we’ve all been waiting for: Sam, scouring the Internet for clues to Dean’s whereabouts, calling up random people in Bobby’s journal who might be able to supply a lead…after all that, it looks like the show is going with the version it gave way back in 8×01. AKA, the ludicrous, completely unbelievable version: Sam really, truly did not look for Dean.

My response: ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

**sigh**

Dean: I thought he was pretty straightforward in answering Sam’s questions about Benny. I could understand Dean being annoyed when Garth kept saying all those Bobby quotes (and even wore one of Bobby’s hats!), but Garth did not deserve Dean’s too-harsh, emotionally-charged reactions. I felt for poor Garth when Dean finally pushed him to tears. He was absolutely right that Bobby belonged not just to Sam and Dean, but to an entire community of hunters, who relied on him for everything from Wendigo advice to FBI credentials. That was something Dean needed to hear, and Garth (in all his Bobby-ishness) was the perfect person to knock Dean back into line. The ending, with Garth saying “idjit” and “balls” in proper Bobby fashion, and Dean placing the hat on Garth’s head, was a perfect conclusion to this little storyline between the two of them.

As far as the “main” storyline, it made perfect sense that the spectre was attracted to Dean: the soldier’s feud was with his own brother, and Dean has brother issues to the moon and back. I didn’t really have too much of a problem with what possessed!Dean said, except for the parts where he blamed Sam for soulless-Sam’s actions. I don’t know why he’d still be holding a grudge after he found out it wasn’t really Sam who did those things. I guess grudges don’t necessarily have to make logical sense all of the time. Dean spent a year thinking Sam was dead (and yes, Dean did try to bring Sam back during that time), settled into a life with Lisa, and then had everything ripped away when Sam popped back in to say “hey,” so I guess that would be a hard series of events to get over. Still, not Sam’s fault.

Of course, it was difficult to hear Dean say, “Benny’s been more of a brother to me than you’ve ever been” – a line no doubt designed to provoke outcry from the fans – but knowing all that these brothers have been through together, the sentiment just doesn’t ring true. This whole storyline of “Sam didn’t look for Dean. Now, Dean is back and he’s pissed. Cue: Brother VS. Brother” – has the same contrived feeling that much of season four did. Back then, I felt like the writers were forcing the characters in an unnatural direction, rather than letting Sam and Dean lead the way, and that was the first time I ever distanced myself from the show. The performances in that season were excellent. Even the episodes, on an individual basis, were pretty darn awesome. But the growing rift between the brothers, leading to an eventual knock-down-drag-out-Sam-half-choking-Dean fight, just didn’t quite have the level of emotional believability that had made the show one of my favorites. I remember watching the fallout between the bros and thinking, “I don’t completely buy it.” At least I was close to buying it, though. It was almost purchasable. What the writers seem to be selling now, with regards to Sam’s character, isn’t something I would pick up out of a “FREE” bin at a garage sale – but more on that when we get to Sam.

As for Dean, I think we were all wishing that he would overpower the spectre and save Sam himself, without Garth having to intervene, but it wasn’t to be. The spectre was too strong, or Dean has too many issues. Assuming all of those things he mentioned are things he still holds grudges about, then Dean does, indeed, need to “own up to his crap” and sort things out, just to avoid another dangerous incident like this in the future.

Sam: His anger over Benny – understandable. Comparing Benny to Amy – also understandable. Saying he might just be the hunter to chop Benny’s head off – a little on the cold side, but he was mad. The very notion that he would do jack squat to find his missing brother – not remotely plausible.

The writers have done this character (and his fans) such a disservice with this storyline. In 8×06, Sam said to Dean, “I told you why I didn’t look for you.” Actually, Sam, you didn’t: you said you panicked after Dean disappeared (okay), drove away (okay), hit a dog (not okay, but it happens), and then…settled in at a motel with the dog, eventually accepted that Dean was truly and forever gone (based on no evidence that we’ve heard so far), and proceeded to enter into a relationship with a girl named Amelia (?????). I’ve already repeatedly stated that this in no way fits Sam’s character, so I’m not going to say it again. Instead, for the very first time ever, I will be rewriting canon:

From now on, in my head, Sam spent his time at the motel doing research while he watched over the recovering dog. He called Joshua and a bunch of other people, and they did their own research. Eventually, one by one, all of the contacts called him back with the same conclusion – the powerful God weapon that destroyed Dick, also destroyed Dean and Cass. Their earthly bodies had been incinerated away to nothing by the blast, and there would be no bringing them back. Ever. Sam cried as the overwhelming evidence began to sink in. The dog limped over and licked his hand. Sam made the decision to give up hunting, and tried to figure out what to do next. He got a job as a repair man, and crossed paths with Amelia again. Their losses gave them a common bond, and they hooked up.

This way, when Sam tells her that his whole world shattered at the loss of Dean, I can believe him. He tried, he failed, he had to move on. It’s the only thing that makes sense.

Garth: This actor did such a great job in the episode. I wasn’t a huge Garth fan before this, but I am now. His emotion when talking about Bobby, his sensitivity when speaking to possessed!Dean (“You don’t want to hurt Sam…You’ve been protecting him your whole life – don’t stop now.”) were just so right on the mark. He was far and away the best thing about the episode, and I look forward to seeing him (and hearing him say “Balls!”) again in future episodes. The decision to give this actor some serious, emotional material to chew on was excellent. Five stars and a round of applause.

Amelia: I still like her – she was fine in this one. (It’s not her fault Sam got a stupid storyline). I even thought she was pretty funny, with the line “Now I pity you.” I’d still like to know about whatever break-up/parting-of-ways thing happened between her and Sam. I’m sure they’ll show it eventually, unlike the Sam-looking-for-Dean flashback, which now seems like a long-shot. My only issue with Amelia’s story in this ep was her husband enlisting out of the blue without telling her. Who does that? Is there something more to that story, something possibly related to the current story? I’d like to think so, but I don’t have a ton of confidence right now.

Looking ahead: I hope the writers surprise me and make me eat my words with regards to Sam’s storyline. I would grin like a fool. I’m still excited about Benny, and the possibility for future run-ins with the brothers. After the last ep, Benny was awfully sympathetic. Methinks he has probably either done something bad that Dean doesn’t know about, or is about to. I’m looking forward to learning more about what happened to Cass, and I’m eager to have the Sam storyline either corrected, or left in the dust. Amelia is welcome to come join the current timeline and stir things up a bit (the actress is probably sick of shooting flashbacks by now) and Garth is MORE than welcome to come back anytime, every time, and talk some sense into our two favorite idjits.

Review of Episode 8×05: “Blood Brother”
by castiello

Overall: Very solid, I liked it a lot. I know last week’s ep wasn’t great, and that almost anything would’ve been an improvement, but I think I would have enjoyed this one even without that comparison. It was evenly split between the two brothers (always a smart move), we got more info about both Benny and Amelia, a bunch of monsters got decapitated, and Dean said the word “vampirates.” How can you complain about an episode like that?

Dean: Annoyed at Kevin continually outsmarting them (understandable), and taking it out a bit on Sammy (not nice, but realistic – we all know brothers get that way with each other). Dean defends his attack on Tiger Mommy, which is disheartening – it would be better to see him admit that it was a mistake. I got the feeling he maybe knows that it was, and is just too proud to admit it. If not, then he’s got some soul-searching to do. Dean, remember when you begged Sam not to kill old Yellow Eyes, when the demon was in John’s body? That’s how Kevin felt when you were about to kill his mom…

Where friends are concerned, Dean is still every bit as loyal as he ever was, leaving immediately to go to Benny’s aid. Flashbacks to Purgatory reveal Dean’s continued insistence that Cass come with them through the portal. The “friend thing,” as Benny calls it, seems to define Dean’s actions in Purgatory, as well as on Earth, so what went wrong? Why did Cass get left behind? The not knowing is torturing me…

Nice to see that Dean and comedy are still on great terms: Vampire…Pirates… Vampirates! (“Seriously? It’s like the third thing you say.” LOL). Also thought it was quite funny when he was trying to shush Sammy on the phone, and the off-screen decapitations were a riot—thud, pause, head goes flying.

The little non-verbal communication at the end there with Sammy was probably my favorite scene. The intensity as Sam realizes (I assume via Benny’s body temperature) that Benny is a vamp and begins to reach for a blade, only to have Dean give that tiny little head-shake. Powerful stuff.

Sam: Glad he stuck up for Kevin (and Tiger Mommy)! Hope he continues to try to pound some sense into Dean on that front. I actually thought, when we first heard that knocking sound, that Kevin was going to be there, just waiting for a moment alone with Sam. I can see why Kevin doesn’t want anything to do with Dean anymore, but Sam hasn’t really done anything wrong – if Dean were out of the picture, maybe Kevin would approach Sam for help?

But, alas, the knocking was a defective fan, which segued into Sam’s series of flashbacks. Turns out he was a maintenance man while Dean was gone! Interesting. I see that as more like something Dean would do – fixing things, tinkering with nuts and bolts. I’m sure Sam has a lot of experience at this, though  – he may not know his way around cars, but his family has been staying in crappy motels since before he can remember. He and Dean probably had to repair all kinds of appliances while John was out hunting. I do like that both Sam and Dean, during their “time off,” chose to do constructive things – Dean was a construction worker, building new houses, etc, and Sam was fixing broken appliances so they would work again. It’s like both boys had had enough of killing, so they both selected jobs that would involve creation, rather than destruction.

I liked Sam’s conversation with Amelia – how they were both kind of drifting and alone. Love that he was calling the dog “dog,” and how he said, “No, Dog – don’t bother the angry lady!” That was cute. Also liked his surprise that Amelia didn’t know the name of the manager’s son – to Sam, it is just natural to make this connection with other people, whether he is staying in town for one night, or a month. My main hang-up with his flashbacks and his storyline is that I still don’t buy him not looking for Dean. The more time that goes by without any form of explanation for this, the crazier I get. But, I think that is the writers’ goal this season – to really draw it out and make us wait for the answers we’re craving. As long as it is addressed in the end–in a satisfying, believable way–then I’m cool. But if it’s not addressed…cue rioting fans, complete with torch and pitchfork accessories.

Sam’s reaction to Dean alone in the vamp nest was great – clearly, Sam never stopped loving his brother. Coupled with the flashback about being alone in the world, Sam racing to Dean’s side seemed like Sam was very much afraid of losing Dean yet again…A stark contrast to the indifferent, independent Sam that Dean returned to in season four. And yet, season four Sam had tried desperately to bring Dean back before finally giving up and going after payback. This season’s Sam, as far as we know, did no such thing. Hmmm.

Sam’s reaction to Benny was fascinating – Sam was ready to kill, but stood down at Dean’s head-shake. Dean had already told Sam he was with a friend, and Dean and Benny arrived together on the boat, which would imply that Benny was “the friend.” So, did Sam think Dean didn’t know this guy was a vamp?

Lastly: Sam says all their friends are dead. So, then, what does that make Sheriff Mills – chopped liver with a sprinkling of onions? And what about the lady who helped them in Lawrence back in season one? Has Missouri been erased from the boys’ minds? Yes, most of their friends are dead, but there are still a few people on Earth who would come running to help the Winchester Boys at the first phone call. Let’s not forget about them.

Benny: We learned so much about him in this ep! I actually like him a lot more, now. I see him as different than Ruby because her agenda was so ultra-secret. Benny made his agenda pretty clear from the first meeting with Dean: “I want to ride you out of this place.” Benny’s unhappiness about partnering with Cass was also very clear, yet Benny respected Dean’s wishes, and even helped save Castiel’s life when he had every motive not to.

Turns out Benny lived a lot like Lenore and her nest – he made the switch to donated blood (her vamps lived off of animals), which meant he lived in peace with his girl, Andrea. This is the type of vampire Sam (and maybe even Dean) would have let live, even back in the old days. That makes Dean bringing him back to Earth more reasonable. Dean did not believe Benny would hurt anyone (though there were clearly a few lingering doubts–when Benny said “I messed up” you could tell from Dean’s reaction that he thought Benny just ate someone…). Benny’s plan for vengeance against the vamps that killed him (and killed/turned his girl) was completely justified, and I was glad Dean chose to support him. I could feel Benny’s heartbreak about what had happened to Andrea, and how there was no way to change her from the monster she’d become. Rough stuff.

We got some interesting new factoids on vampires – apparently they can be injured by other vamps, to the point of needing assistance. I thought only dead man’s blood was capable of weakening a vampire that way. We also found out that vampires feel a certain reverence for the one who turned them. I don’t think we saw this when Dean got turned in season six, though maybe it only takes effect after the first feeding. I still expected Dean to mention his own experience as a vampire. Interesting that he didn’t – maybe this is something they already spoke of in Purgatory? Whether Benny knows it or not, I think one tiny part of the reason Dean was able to accept his friendship is because Dean knows what being a vampire is like. He’s been there, and he hasn’t forgotten.

Benny’s best moment in this ep, by far, was the flashback where he saved Cass. Though he had every reason to let the angel die, and could’ve easily made it look like he just couldn’t get there in time to help, Benny chose to kill the Leviathan (awesome special effects on those black, gooey fellas, btw) that was attacking Castiel. This earns Benny some major points with me (even though, as we saw with Ruby, actions are not always what they seem).

Castiel: How great is it to see this guy? Even if it’s only in brief flashbacks, I’ll take what I can get. In this ep he seemed resigned, depressed even – but he was still remaining with Dean and Benny, and there was no indication of them splitting up any time soon. By the end, even Benny seemed on board with the plan. So, how did Dean get from “All three of us are going through the portal, or we’ll die trying” to leaving his winged buddy behind? Inquiring minds want to know.

Amelia: I liked her better in this one. She seemed softer, more relatable. I’m curious to know how she ended up all alone. Her lines about Sam being creepy and army surplus-y were funny, and I thought she and Sam had good chemistry together. I can get behind Sam’s relationship with her, as long as we learn that he did try to find Dean first. That’s a must. I’d also like to know, whenever the show gets around to it, why Sam and Amelia are no longer together – some fans think Dean called Sam after re-entering the world from Purgatory, and that’s what made Sam leave her. Definitely a possibility, but there’s also a chance that it had nothing to do with Dean’s arrival. What else would prompt Sam to leave the life (and the girl) he loved so much?

Overall: Heads flew, the dog continued to be adorable, Sam found out about Benny, we found out more about Amelia and Benny, and the brothers shared some intense, emotional moments. Supernatural, it looks like you’re back on track. (Just keep the flashbacks coming, okay?)