By: Adam Glass
**Spoilers**
If you have not yet watched this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.
We all know that Dean has self-loathing and depression issues. We know that he turns to drink rather than dealing with them. But it had seemed that his year in Purgatory had helped him kick his extreme alcohol problem that had developed after his first stint in Hell. Even during all of the troubles with the Trials and Sam, he stuck pretty strictly to beer and coffee. So my heart sank when I saw that Dean had turned back to the sauce for comfort. Last season he and Sam were probably the closest they've been since Season 3 and during the course of this season, despite all of their issues, it still feels as though they were relying on each other with less inhibitions than before. And of course the writers decided to pull the rug out from under their feet with the whole Mark of Cain curse. And of course Dean isn't willing to 'burden' his little brother with just all that he is struggling with. So, despite Sam's protests, he goes back to drinking and hunting. He's going to burn himself out again.
Favourite Moments & Random Thoughts:
- Okay. So we have had MANY brutal murders on Supernatural (honestly...you'd think the show was a homicide squad drama just going by the death toll) but for some reason this one really turned my stomach. Maybe it was the way the wife just seemed so calm while doing it. There was no trance, no blinding rage, and definitely no possession. She just matter-of-factly beat her husband to death while reciting the dinner menu for that night. Ugh.
- Dean should know by now that internalizing problems and refusing to talk to Sam only leads to more problems. Isn't that what actually started the Apocalypse a few seasons back...Dean and Sam not communicating?
- At least Sam is finally treating Dean like a brother again...patting his shoulder and fretting about him in that way that only Sammy can get away with.
- Also...I think Sam's clean-shaven in this episode for the first time since Season 7! He really needs a haircut...
- That kid, Billy, is a prime example of why hitch-hiking is a bad idea. Is it just me or did that driver rip out his soul? That would certainly explain his extreme lack of manners later in the diner.Shoving a knife through the waitress' hand? That's just rude!
- This episode is FULL of flashbacks. It's almost as bad as early Season 8!
- "You're lying to Sam like he's your wife..." Well, Crowley, you're actually not too far off the mark there. They may not be married, but Sam and Dean are life partners as well as being brothers. This whole lying spiel never ends well. The end of that line, though, really made me laugh. "...which kind of makes me your mistress." Whenever Crowley finally does bite the dust I'm going to miss him, I think.
- That older lady in the police station makes me smile. Julia is definitely one tough nut and she could be a valuable ally for the boys, seeing as how she was a Men of Letters contact in the past. I'm so glad she lived through the episode.
- AND HENRY WINCHESTER IS BACK!!! Well...sort of. He's back in yet another flashback where he and Josie (pre-Abbadon Josie, that is) go to visit Julia back whenever she was still a nun.- It's very interesting to be given these glimpses of what life for Hunters and Men of Letters used to be like. Back before Azazel (the YED) killed off so many of them with his Chosen Children campaign and before Abbadon massacred the Men of Letters, there was a vast support network instead of just a motley group of faithful few that still hold back the forces of darkness by the skin of their teeth. Sort of puts Season 1 into a bit more perspective, eh?
- Crowley thinks Dean butt-dialed him. Too funny!
- I'm so grateful for Crowley's appearance. He saved the episode from being an angsty downer by balancing out the despair with a bit of inappropriate humor. That's the balance Supernatural needs to make it work...and thank goodness for Crowley because it looked like this episode wasn't going to deliver.
- "I'm an ex-nun, sweetie. Complicated is my middle name." They should introduce Julia to Missouri...
- Also...did anyone else feel the urge to break out into 'How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?' at any point during the flashbacks or is it just me?
- I'm a little bit annoyed that they had Josie being in love with Henry. I mean...it sort of makes sense (her being one of the few women let into the Men of Letters and his being one of the few men to actually treat her as close to an equal as his time could let him) but still. It didn't tell us anything more about her, other than she was struck by the Winchester women curse, and it's a shame because I really wanted to know about preAbbadon!Josie as a person.
- Dang. Sam and Dean's grandfather was awesome! He may have been more of the librarian type than Samuel Campbell was (only seeing action on this one mission before time-travelling and dying) but clearly they got some of their smarts and cool-under-pressure-ness from him. It must be a Winchester thing.
- That girl who plays Josie/Abbadon is really good. She switches between personalities effortlessly and gives me the creeps!
- Crowley and Dean get to have a bit of bonding time while Crowley gives Dean a much-needed kick in the pants. I really think he's starting to like Not-Moose.
- What on earth is a 'knuffle bunny'?!
- Did Dean just protect Crowley from another hunter? Or was he protecting the hunter (Jake) from Crowley? Or...is Jake a demon? You just can't trust anyone these days, can you? Do the Winchesters even connect with hunters aside from Garth any more?
- Crowley referred to the Blade as Dean's "Precious"
- Sammy has an exorcism app now. Good thought there, geek-boy, considering the sheer amount of times you end up being strangled before you can finish the words.
- Somehow it was poetic justice that Sam got to give back the souls that were stolen...
This was a darker episode than the fare we've been enjoying lately. It furthered the lore and back-story of the characters and it brought us back to our story arc of Cain's Mark and killing Abbadon, but didn't really do much else. Dean was practically non-existent in it. We saw him deal with his fears of hurting Sammy due to the Mark in the usual Winchester method (booze and brooding) but that's about it. We know that Crowley is preparing him for something...but we're not entirely sure what. Is Crowley on the Winchester's side? Is he on Hell's side? Is he on his own side? We don't know! Overall this episode raised more questions than it answered and, while pushing the season arc forward a bit, is definitely not one that I'm going to return to watch again and again. Maybe a 3/5?
What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?
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