Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 10: Abandon All Hope

I have to admit that I was dreading watching this episode a little bit for two reasons. First of all, it’s the last episode before the Christmas hiatus, which will last well into January 2010 (how can you do this to us, Kripke?) and second of all, an episode from a TV show covering a war between Heaven and hell that is entitled “Abandon All Hope” doesn’t bode well, wouldn’t you say?

But I finally got over my willies (and had enough spoilers on my Tumblr dashboard) and finally watched this episode. Then it took me quite some time to get my act together and review this episode. It was kind of nice to have “Supernatural review” on my to-do list for an extra two weeks before yielding to the desire to write it up. It’s going to be a hard couple of coming weeks, that’s for sure.

The opening scene was quite intriguing, and builds right into the little bit of precious information Becky (our unlikely informant) gave the boys last episode — that Crawley has the Colt. Speaking of which, Crawley was rather brilliantly portrayed by Mark Sheppard, wouldn’t you say?

It’s obvious that a lot of work has been done by the boys, Jo, Ellen, and Castiel since the last episode, which is great, because this leaves a lot of room open for books going over the action between episodes. And no, I am certainly not talking about fan fiction. I went there once, and I never want to go there again (sorry, guys).

It’s also obvious from the very beginning that, although Supernatural’s typical banter and one-liners are going to be present in this episode just like in any episode, the jokes are over; it’s time for some serious Apocalyptic action.

There were a couple of things that were a little intriguing about this episode, and that make me wonder if, on one side, Supernatural might be running out of steam (I know, I dared), or if the writers are taking us somewhere we are not expecting and these are the foundation blocks of a future that is quite different from what we are expecting.

For one, there was the blatant display of homophobia at the beginning, when Crawley asks the banker to seal the deal with the typical kiss. It seems like the writers are having a bit too much fun with some fans’ obsession with slash fiction. Becky was awesome; last episode’s joke was also funny. But seriously guys, give it a rest. Most Supernatural fans are not into Wincest or slash, and we’d like for some other jokes to be laid on us.

Then came the rather big mistake, and a very atypical one for the Winchesters: the devil’s trap under the rumpled rug. I’m sorry, but that really didn’t fly. I can understand that Sam and Dean are on pins and needles, I can understand that they are more vulnerable to making mistakes, but even I wouldn’t have made that mistake were I a rookie on my first hunt. It was a rather lazy and/or sloppy way for the writers to make sure that Dean and Sam were caught. They should have let Crawley walk into the trap, then the other two demons would have caught the Winchester brothers (that’s a mistake they could have made, i.e. not seen all the sentinels), and then another demon could have come and freed Crawley. That type of mistake on behalf of the Winchester brothers would have made a lot more sense than a rumpled rug. Yes, I’m sneering a little bit here. But Supernatural writers have consistently set the bar high, so any slip – however small – is hard to take.

Despite that blunder, the scene of the Winchester boys with Crawley was interesting in more than one way. On the one hand, there was this little gem of an exchange:

Crawley: Do you know how deep I could have buried this thing (the Colt)? There is no reason you or anyone should know this exists at all. Except that I told you.
Sam, incredulous: You told us.
Crawley: Yes. Rumours. Innuendo. Sent out on the grapevine.

In TV land, this reminded me immediately of the ‘African Internet’ that was referred to in The X-Files’ season seven premiere by Amina Ngebe when Scully was surprised at the fact that the secret she asked others to keep made its way seemingly around the continent. In real life, it makes for an even more poignant exchange in a day and age when we, the public, are stuck in what seems to be a massive marketing campaign on a global scale to make us believe certain things that’ll make us act in ways a relatively small group of people want us to act.

The other thing I found interesting in the scene with Crawley is that, rather than being a source of despair, what he said fills me with hope. For the first time, I can see how the tide can be turned. Crawley is turning against Lucifer to ensure his own survival – there can’t be much trust left there. Therefore it’s certain that other demons have had the same thought – that they need to stand up to Lucifer to ensure their survival. There is rancour and disunity within the ranks of hell just as there is within the ranks of heaven – things are starting to even out. Not just that, but perhaps the oddest and unholiest of alliances can be made: everyone against Lucifer, be they humans, demons or angels. Now that would make for some awesome TV.

Unfortunately, it brings me to something I didn’t find that awesome. I found it odd that Castiel would choose his last night on earth to do shots with Ellen (or with anyone else, for that matter). Wasn’t he traumatised enough last time, when, on another night that might have been his last on earth, he followed Dean into what he himself referred to as a ‘den of iniquity’?

Despite this, Castiel is turning out to be one of the most intriguing characters in the series. These blatant contradictions in his character are just as intriguing as they are annoying – perhaps even more so. His faith in God remains firm, despite some major shake-ups, and yet he went to a bordello and now is doing shots.

Quite unsettling, yet, in light of the above mentioned unholy alliance, perhaps it makes sense – that Castiel, who might be starting to understand the various shades of grey and exploring some of the things he previously wouldn’t have, but whose core faith has yet to be breached, could become the figure bringing together seemingly diametrically opposed groups of people.

However if Castiel is going to become such a figure, he really needs to get his facts straight. How did he not know about the Colt not being able to kill Lucifer? For that matter, how come no one knew about this? Weren’t we told previously that no one can kill Lucifer but one of his kind? I’m really going to have to go through previous seasons’ episodes to figure out how this happened.

The scene with the Impala rolling into town followed by Ellen’s truck reminded me a lot – appropriately so, perhaps – of the episode “The End”. I have to admit that this is where my blood pressure (and probably that of thousands of fans) started skyrocketing, especially when it became obvious that the Winchester brothers rolled into town with no weapons in their hands or laps other than their cell phones. Seriously? What are you going to do if you’re attacked, call 911?

And for that matter, why did Dean and Sam only get Ellen and Jo to walk into battle with them? Between Ellen, Dean, and Bobby, I’m sure at least a couple of hunters would have been able to make it to the battle. Time is of the essence, yes, but come on, not even two or three hunters are near the area?

Another mild incongruence that bugged me a lot was when the Winchester brothers chose to separate themselves from Ellen, Jo, and Castiel. You’d think that, just as they are closing in on Lucifer, they would want to keep the troops (and consequently their strength) together. Then again, I’m no hunter.

The scene with the reapers was quite a treat, a perfect, creepy-without-trying moment. The superimposition of the street as Ellen and Jo saw it with the way Castiel was seeing it, filled with immobile Reapers, was something straight out of a B-movie. And while Castiel walked amongst the Reapers that only he could see, I was reminded of that moment in the Matrix when Morpheus is explaining to Neo that life can’t be only about what we see, taste, hear, smell and touch, for if it were so, life would basically be limited to a series of neuroelectric impulses. Doesn’t it make you wonder what reality really is? Doesn’t it make you wonder what there is with you right here, at this very moment, that you can’t see?

You probably do — or you wouldn’t be watching Supernatural!

Castiel walking in on Lucifer in another B-movie worthy moment, when the audience is screaming at the screen “Don’t go there!” but he does anyhow, gave way to another thought-provoking conversation. I find it fascinating and scary how Lucifer manages time and again to turn every truth and every argument to suit his needs in a seemingly logical way. In this case, Lucifer is actually trying to convince Castiel, Mister faithful-to-the-end himself, that they are on the same team. He bases his argument on the fact that they both rebelled against Heaven and therefore are seen in the same way by the other angels. Talk about a lazy and badly built argument, as this conversation is built on a basic yet important flaw in Lucifer’s logic. He mentions Castiel’s self-interest as being the reason why they should join forces. This clearly demonstrated that his logic is based on self-interest rather than on love for humanity, as an angel’s logic is supposed to be based on. Hence his entire logic is terribly undermined right from the beginning.

I can’t possibly finish this review without mentioning Jo’s death. Ah, Jo. Talk about the youngest being the bravest and the wisest:

Jo: Stop. Guys, stop. Can we uh, be realistic about this please? […] I can’t fight. I can’t walk. But I could do something. We’ve got propane, wiring, rock salt, iron nails, everything we need […] To build a bomb…
Ellen: No, I, I won’t let you! [...]
Jo: (smiling) Mom. This might literally be your last chance to treat me like an adult. You might want to take it.
Ellen: (crying) Well, you heard her. Get to work.

So often we focus on the amazing acting skills of Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki that we tend to forget the skills of the actors (or in this case, the actresses) portraying some of the recurrent characters. Alona Tal and Samantha Ferris (can I get a w00t w00t, Canada!) did an amazing job, making the entire sequence (from Jo’s mauling by the hellhound to the explosion of the hardware store) poignant without going into the cheesiness and awkwardness that can sometimes permeate these scenes.

It’s also funny (in a I-have-a-tear-in-my-eye kind of way) how mothers are at the same time so strong when it comes to their children and yet so weak, and how well their children know them. In an instant, with only a look, Jo guessed that her mother was planning on staying with her in the hardware store. In retrospect, it’s a good thing, since Jo took her last breath before detonating the bomb. But this was something they couldn’t have predicted, and the question begs to be asked: was Ellen’s sacrifice needed? After all, she’s a hunter and could have continued fighting alongside Dean and Sam.

Perhaps if she was strong enough to live without Jo, it wouldn’t have been needed. But it is probable that after first losing her husband and then her daughter, Ellen’s ensuing grief and possible resentment could have become a liability. So perhaps she didn’t only decide to stay with her daughter because she wasn’t brave enough to live without her; perhaps is was because she was brave enough to sacrifice herself too, since she wouldn’t be able to contribute anything more to the fight.

While it was rather obvious from the beginning of the episode that this could not be the time when Lucifer would die (he needs to live another four to six months until the end of the season, after all), I couldn’t help but wonder what this episode would do to Sam and Dean’s still relatively fragile relationship (as compared to what it was pre-Ruby). I think that the boys are definitely on the way to becoming closer than before; Sam has really changed, and Dean is finally letting go (barring the occasional still-bitter one-liner). And although I know Lucifer’s arrogance will be one of the reasons for his downfall, I can’t help but wonder at his supreme confidence:

Sam: [looking at the men standing around] What did you do? What did you do to this town?
Lucifer: Oh, I was very generous with this town. One demon for every able-bodied man.
Sam: And the rest of them?
Lucifer: [gesturing at the pit he's been filling in] In there. I know it’s awful but, these Horsemen are so demanding. So it was women and children first. I know what you must think of me Sam. But I have to do this. I have to. You of all people should understand.
Sam: What’s that supposed to mean?
Lucifer: I was a son. A brother, like you, a younger brother, and I had an older brother who I loved. Idolized, in fact. And one day I went to him, and I begged him to stand with me. And Michael… Michael turned on me. Called me a freak, a monster. And then he beat me down, all because I was different. Because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something Sam, any of this sound familiar?

Just like he was trying to plant the seed of doubt in Castiel’s heart earlier, here he is, trying to do the same with Sam. And I think it’s good that this is happening; just like Castiel is smart enough to see through Lucifer’s convoluted and deeply flawed logic, Sam has acquired a lot of perspective in the last two years and this interaction will cement his newfound mental stability and maturity. Again, another reason to not abandon all hope.

And I must mention that Mark Pellegrino’s Lucifer is an awesomely creepy performance that I am not likely to forget anytime soon.

I don’t know how I feel about the ending. I like that it was solemn and silent, and that not a single word ruined the moment. But I don’t understand why Bobby burned the picture. Wouldn’t you want to keep the last picture of two hunters who courageously died during battle?

On that delightfully cheerful note, I leave you, dear reader, but not without tickling your brain a little further (to make sure you make it all the way until January’s episode for the second half of the season to begin). Let’s ponder the question: do we need to abandon all hope, as this episode’s title seems to want to encourage us to do? While the situation does seem pretty dire, there is a relatively little but extremely important point that, after reflection, is bound to make you do anything but abandon hope.

Lucifer, as Dean and Sam watch, horrified, as the possessed men fall down dead: What? They’re just demons.

This adds on to a point that I made earlier. Crawley’s position shows that there is already disunity within the ranks of the demons, who are turning against their creator – i.e. Lucifer. This point is taken further during Castiel’s conversation with Meg, and driven home with Lucifer’s obvious disregard for the creatures he has created.

It’s going to be so fascinating to see in upcoming episodes the demons having a crisis of faith. Then it’s really going to give Castiel, Bobby, and the boys an edge, because there is nothing worse for an army than disunity. On top of that, I find it highly unlikely that someone as arrogant as Lucifer would ever believe that the demons he’s created would ever dare turn away from him. And that will probably contribute decisively to his demise.

Last point that just might boggle your mind: Satan doesn’t really exist. Satan is an angel gone rogue.

And with that, I bid you farewell until January.

Some great moments:

Castiel: The demon Crawley is sealing a deal. As we’re speaking, it’s… going down.
Dean: Going down? Ok Huggie Bear, just don’t lose him.

Crawley: So, the Hardy Boys finally found me.

Dean: And why exactly would you want the devil dead?
Crawley: It’s called survival. But I forgot, you two are at best functioning morons.
Dean: Yeah, well you’re a functioning… morons, moron…

Crawley: To him (Lucifer), you’re just filthy bags of pus.

Crawley: So why don’t you take this and kill the devil.
Sam: OK. Er… You wouldn’t happen to know where the devil is perchance? (…)
Sam points the gun at Crawley’s head and pulls the trigger – but the gun is empty.
Crawley: Oh yeah, right, you’re probably going to need some ammunition.

Dean: Sam Winchester having trust issues with a demon. Well, better late than never.
Sam: Well thank you for your continued support.
Dean: You’re welcome.

Dean: Hey.
Jo: Hey.
Dean: So… dangerous mission tomorrow.
Jo: Mmm.
Dean: Guess it’s time to…eat, drink, and…you know…make merry.
Jo: Are you giving me the “last night on earth” speech?
Dean: What?
Jo: What?
Dean: No.
Jo: No.
Dean: If I was, would, uh…w-would that work?
Jo: No. Sweetheart, if this is our last night on earth, then I’m going to spend it with a little thing I call “self-respect”.
Dean: If you’re into that kind of thing.

Bobby: I’m gonna need something to remember your sorry asses by.
Ellen: Always good to have an optimist around.
Castiel: Bobby’s right. Tomorrow, we hunt the devil. This is our last night on Earth.

Lucifer: I hear you came in an automobile. How does that feel?
Castiel: Um… Slow. Confining.

Dean: This is great. We’ve only been in town for 20 minutes and we’ve already lost the angel up our sleeve.

Bobby: Devil’s in the details, Dean.

Sam: Last words?
Dean: I think I’m good.
Sam: Yeah, me too.
Dean: Here goes nothing.

Lucifer: You’ll have to excuse me. Midnight is calling, and I have a ritual to finish.

Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 9: The Real Ghostbusters

What a blast this week’s episode of Supernatural was. The line between letting the fans in on the joke and making fun of them was fine, and once again the writers were risking being ostracized, but I think it was trod very carefully (albeit still in a deliciously blasphemous, typical Supernatural way). I don’t know if the full effect was appreciated by some if not most of the fans, as those with whom I talked on discussion forums didn’t seem to make the connection between their behaviour and what was going on in the episode.

This is the one thing that makes me sad, for as I have made it quite clear in previous Supernatural reviews, this show isn’t fantastic only because of the quality of its various parts, but rather because of the subtext of the entire series, the fight for good, and how it easily parallels the reality of the world around us and the choices that each one of us must make.

“The Real Ghostbusters”, the ninth episode of Supernatural’s fifth season, was a monster-of-the-week type wrapped in an aura of the show’s mytharc, as we find out, courtesy of our favourite insane Supernatural fan, where the Colt is (hurrah!). Becky gets involved in organizing (or does she start it?) a Supernatural convention and tricks Sam and Dean to attend.

Devious insane little minx. I really like her.

The Supernatural convention was a brilliant idea, and the perfect context for the return of Becky. The various Sam and Dean wannabes were also an amazing touch, as was adding the real Sam and Dean to the mix. Poor Chuck; he probably couldn’t imagine how fiercely those two were going to react to the whole idea.

Then there was the hunt within the hunt. As part of the Supernatural convention experience, a hunt for a ghost was organized, and of course, it finally came to light (pun oh-so-intended) that there were some real ghosts involved, too. Again, a predictable yet brilliant twist that got twisted again when we figure out who the real killer ghost is — or rather, who they are.

I also loved the titles of the two panels that were announced near the beginning of the episode: “Frightened Little Boy: The Secret Life of Dean” and “The Homoerotic Subtext of Supernatural“.

I have to admit that I am still puzzled as to why Sam and Dean stayed at the convention in the first place. I know, I know, if they hadn’t, they wouldn’t have seen the ghosts blah, blah, blah, but they didn’t even make an attempt early on to leave. I would have honestly thought that they wouldn’t have even entered the hotel, and that something would force them enter.

Then again, perhaps I am simply underestimating the strength of one’s curiosity.

A theme that seems a little recurrent in Supernatural’s current season is that of celebrity obsessions. The obsessed-fan theme of this episode culminated with this exchange:

Dean: All right, you know what? That’s it. That is it. [...] What is wrong with you? Why the hell would you choose to be these guys?
Barnes: Because we’re fans. Like you.
Dean: No. I am not a fan, okay? Not fans. In fact, I think that the Dean and Sam story sucks. It is not fun, it’s not entertaining, it is a river of crap that would send most people howling to the nuthouse. So you listen to me. Their pain is not for your amusement. I mean do you think they enjoy being treated like, like circus freaks?
Damien: I don’t think they care, because they’re fictional characters.
Dean: Oh, they care. Believe me. They care a lot.
Sam: He, uh, takes the story really seriously.

This episode is all the more interesting in wake of the passing of Michael Jackson. It’s good to look up to people and be inspired by them. Heck, there are so many people that inspire me (including Michael Jackson, by the way), it would be hypocritical of me to condemn that. But I think it’s gone way too far; for when more people recognise celebrities than they do philanthropists and heads of state, when more people can quote full conversations from their favourite movies and not remember the basic tenets of their country’s constitution, then we have a problem.

The other adverse effect that such an obsession has is that we start taking a sort of perverse pleasure in these people’s suffering. How else can we explain the interest, time, and money we pour into following them as they head straight into the abyss? Rather than respecting their privacy in their darkest moments, we seem to be pushing them even faster and farther into it. How degraded has our society become when we enjoy the pain of others?

But, again, this doesn’t mean that we should scrape away the entire ‘looking up’ to famous people thing; after all, they can be pretty inspiring, and they can make us work hard to become better than what we currently are. And, in the context of Supernatural, perhaps the exchange below will finally allow Dean to get over some of his resentment at not being able to have a normal life, and to appreciate that, even with the mistakes that he made, Sam is a pretty special brother to have:

Damien: No offense, but I don’t think you get what the story is about.
Dean: Is that so?
Damien: In real life, he sells stereo equipment. I fix copiers. Our lives suck. But to be Sam and Dean, to wake up every morning and save the world, to have a brother who would die for you, well who wouldn’t want that?
Dean: Maybe you got a point.

Another nod to the Supernatural fandom was the fact that Barnes and Damien, who were playing Sam and Dean respectively, turned out to be partners. So much for the homoerotic subtext of Supernatural.

Some great lines and moments:

I know that technically this one is from another episode, but still…

Becky: Sam! Is that really you?
Sam: Uh, lady, are you okay?
Becky [touching Sam’s chest]: And you’re so firm!Sam: Oh, uh, Becky?
Becky: Oh. You remembered. You’ve been thinking about me.

Dean: Who gave you the rights to our life’s story?
Chuck: An archangel.

Dean: Great. We got a real ghost and a bunch of people pretending to be us poking at it.

Dean: Give me the map, Chuckles.
Damien as Dean: No. You’re the chuckles, Chuckles.

Dean: A little gratitude would be nice once in awhile.

Dean: Just give her the puppy dog thing.

Damien as Dean: How come Dean always lights this thing on the first frigging try?

Becky: Will you be okay?
Sam: I’ll find a way to live, I guess.

Sam: Hey Chuck, look, if you really want to publish more books, I guess that’s okay with us.
Chuck: Wow, really?
Sam: No, not really. We have guns and we’ll find you.

Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 8: Changing Channels

No, no — contrary to what some emails from disgruntled fans might have implied, I was as usual really looking forward to this week’s episode of Supernatural. And I have a secret to share with you all: being critical of something doesn’t mean you don’t like it!

What, me, defensive? Not at all. Seriously. I’m amused.

And I’m grateful that this week’s episode was just as amazing as the first six of this season were, so that I don’t have to comment again on the fact that, you know, as awesome as it was, it wasn’t as awesome as…

I should really not go there again.

The episode starts off with a Then/Now recap, in which we are reminded of the fact that Dean is perhaps Sam’s greatest weakness. I don’t think it’s as simple as that; for if that were the case, Sam would also be Dean’s weakness, and, although Sam is the one person Dean would literally go to hell for, this doesn’t mean that Dean is going to break because of Sam.

Case in point: remember when Zachariah, trying to convince Dean to accept being Michael’s vessel,  took out Sam’s lungs? Although Sam was at great risk of dying, pending Cas’ very timely intervention, Dean didn’t crack. Dean has integrity, and while, to a certain extent, so does Sam, that integrity doesn’t withstand some tests. So I would argue that no, Dean isn’t Sam’s weakness, but rather that Sam’s integrity isn’t strong enough to withstand the test of losing Dean, or losing the war.

This also touches a little bit on last week’s (brief) discussion about love. Some might argue that Sam loves Dean more than Dean loves Sam, but I disagree. I think that Dean’s love is more rational and mature than Sam’s love for him, which is still highly emotional and scarred from the way their father raised them. And unless and until Sam deals with his feelings of inferiority, he is going to remain extremely vulnerable to Lucifer’s offer.

Then there was the special opening sequence, featuring the boys in less than usual situations: scaring each other by bumping into one another’s back, Sam finding a white sheet with holes for eyes ghost in the closet, Dean wiping his brow only to get car grease on it, the boys tandem biking and racing on mini motorcycles, playing football in the park and eating supper at a proper dining room table in a proper kitchen?

Amusing, yet slightly creepy at the same time…

The case the boys were investigating, the one that started it all off, was interesting in many ways. First off, the irony of the Incredible Hulk killing off a hothead was simply and brilliantly underlined:

Sam: A hothead getting killed by TV’s greatest hothead. Kind of sounds like just desserts, doesn’t it.

But before they came to that conclusion, it was interesting to see the witness in denial about what she had seen for the simple reason that she knew she wouldn’t be believed. Even more curious was the fact that it made more sense to accept that a bear had done all the damages mentioned, which is seemingly just as impossible at the Incredible Hulk coming to life.

Dean: Is it common, a bear doing that?
Deputy: Depends how pissed off the bear is, I guess.

How intriguing that the woman, who saw with her own eyes what happened, changed her story because people were too narrow-minded to believe that potentially she might be right. Then again, I don’t quite blame them, since, well, the Incredible Hulk coming into one’s house to kill one’s husband does make for quite a ridiculous story.

If we push the thought further, perhaps it could be argued that although she saw it, the woman didn’t even believe herself. Which makes me wonder, how many of us do that all the time in our day to day lives? How much do we not see, even if it is right in front of us? Again, it reminds me of The X-Files and Supernatural, how only Mulder and Scully in the former and Sam and Dean in the latter see things and are judged for being able to see them.

Speaking of being blinded, it’s interesting to see how it’s not just Zachariah and Raphael that were blinded, as we find out that, all this time, the Trickster was yet another archangel, Gabriel, blinded by what he thinks is the only solution to the Apocalypse.

Dean: And for the record, this isn’t about some prize fight between your brothers, or some destiny that can’t be stopped, this is about you being too afraid to stand up to your family.

Ah, truer words have yet to be said in this episode. Dean is absolutely right. Zachariah, Raphael and Gabriel are so intent of solving the problem using the path that seems the most obvious and the easiest to them that they are not even able to fathom the possibility that perhaps there is another solution – or even, more than one solution. I again can’t help but wonder what would happen if this dysfunctional family would sit with a therapist (Castiel, perhaps?) and try to consult on other ways of dealing with the problem once and for all.

But until they all see the truth for what it is, rather than what they think it is, no amount of therapy can possibly help.

Dean: All that stuff he (Gabriel) was spouting in there, you think it was the truth?
Sam: I think he believes it.

And so each Archangel is going to continue believing what he wants to believe, while the world continues falling into the abyss caused by the Apocalypse. Does that sound familiar? When there is a problem at the local, provincial, national or international level, does anyone seem to stand up and say: it’s partly my fault, I’m sorry, let’s not try to fix it?

Come to think of it, this situation depicted in Supernatural mirrors what is happening in the world right now. Think about it: we have a conglomerate of very powerful countries (Archangels) and some powerful ones (angels) all refusing to admit that there can be another solution to the problem (Sam and Dean accepting their ‘destiny’). Perhaps if all these countries, be it at the top-most level or at the grassroots level, would reflect on their contribution to the problem, accept it and rise up to their responsibility the world would definitely not be in the state it’s in today.

And what with the two shootings in less than 24 hours that happened in the United States yesterday (Thursday the 5th) and today (Friday the 6th) — don’t tell me there is nothing wrong with the world. No wonder society seems more obsessed with what is going on in Kate and Jon’s lives than the health care debate. Seriously, sometimes when I read too much news, all I want to do is buy a celebrity gossip magazine (and sometimes, when it just gets too much, I do).

Dean: So what do we do?
Sam: I don’t know.
Dean: I tell you one thing. Right about now, I wish I was still in a TV show.
Sam: Yeah, me too.

And the biggest question of the current season of Supernatural still remains without an answer: where is God? Bravo, Jeremy Carver, for writing a great episode. Just one question… how come Dean knows about Facebook, but he didn’t know about MySpace?

Some amazing moments:

• Dean knowing all the characters from the doctor show
• Dean’s man-crush on Doctor Sexy
• Jared’s amazing CSI Horatio-voice

Some great lines:

Sitcom Dean [looking at the giant sandwich he made himself]: I’m gonna need a bigger mouth.Sitcom Dean: Hey there, Sammy. What’s happening?
Sitcom Sam: Oh you know. Just the end of the world.

Sitcom Sam [spotting the huge sandwich Dean made for himself]: You’re gone need a bigger mouth.

Sam: This show has ghosts? Why?
Dean: I don’t know. It is compelling though.
Sam: I thought you said you weren’t a fan.
Dean: I’m not. I’m not… Oh God.
Sam: What?
Dean: It’s him. It’s Doctor Sexy.

Sam: I thought you’re not a fan.
Dean: It’s a guilty pleasure.

Sam: It was a trick.
Trickster: Hellooooooooo. Trickster!

CSI: He has a roll of quarters down his throat.
Sam [in his best Horatio voice]: Well I say… Jackpot.
CSI: […] a stab wound to the abdomen.
Dean: Well I say… Not guts, no glory.

Dean: Sam? Where are you?
Impala Sam: I don’t know. Oh crap. I don’t think we killed the Trickster.

Impala Sam: Dean?
Dean (looking through the Impala’s trunk): What?
Impala Sam: That feels, uh, really uncomfortable.
Dean slams the trunk shut.
Impala Sam: Ouch.

Trickster: Wow, Sam, get a lot of the rims on you.
Sam: Eat me.

Trickster: Where did you get the holy oil?
Dean: You might say we pulled it out of Sam’s ass.

Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 7: The Curious Case of Dean Winchester

I still think that Supernatural is the best TV show currently being aired. The entire team, from the writers to the producers to the actors, have set the bar extremely high. Episodes are filled with humour, drama, and action, and missing one episode is akin to missing one or more vital links to understanding the story.

Or so it usually is.

Don’t get me wrong here, I do not want to seem like I think Supernatural isn’t great or has jumped the shark or anything, but this episode was, in my opinion, the worse one of this season.

And yes, I realise that I am probably going to be attacked by hate mail and hate comments. But if that’s the cost of reviewing honestly, then so be it.

But before you condemn me, dear fan, please consider the following. This episode was good, but in all fairness, after the first amazing six out-of-this-world ones season five started with, it wasn’t at par. It was less fast, less funny, and less interesting than the episodes it was preceded by.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it, nor does it mean I didn’t enjoy doing so. From the opening scene, where we see a woman reading Weekly World News! (hello Men in Black!) to Dean struggling to adapt to his newfound (and thankfully temporary) old age to the intense scene between Dean and Bobby to the one-liners, this was a great episode.

Just not an amazing one.

There were also some pretty interesting topics to cover in this review. For one, our monster-of-the-week was delightfully grey-toned; he wasn’t all bad, as his two kind acts of the episode clearly showed, nor was he all good, as the ghosts of the numerous people he killed can testify.

In all honesty, can Patrick really be considered a villain? After all, he is clearly setting the rules of the game for his opponents, and doesn’t cheat – he’s just a master at poker. If he truly was evil, he would have taken advantage of the older man’s terrible game of poker to win 13 years, and yet he folded, knowing he had the better hand, to give the old man the chance to attend his granddaughter’s bat mitzvah.

As for those who lost and consequently died, they did know what they were playing for. Can we truly blame Patrick when it’s the opponents’ greed that is making them bet on things they shouldn’t be betting on? If you aren’t a great poker player – heck, even if you are – you aren’t playing for pennies or for fake chips like many of us do with our friends; you’re playing for your life.

Perhaps the fact that Patrick knows humans so well and uses their weaknesses to his advantage makes him definitely devious; I do not for one condone this fact. However, this is one of those cases in which the solution will not be putting someone like Patrick in jail. The entire system needs to be changed, because even if you lock this Patrick away, there are many more in the woodwork that you can go after.

In short, Dean and Sam can fight all the bad guys that they want, but ultimately — we know it and they probably know it — they have to fight Lucifer

On another Patrick-related note, the last scene between him and his girlfriend was quite poignant (and very well filmed and acted – bravo, everyone). In a Twilight-obsessed world, I can’t help but see the social criticism of the act; Patrick gave her what she needed rather than what he thought she needed. I don’t know if it struck a nerve with anyone else, but this made quite the impression on me, all the more that I compared it bore a striking parallel to the relationship between Dean and Bobby, and that of Dean and Sam, the latter relationship being more about each brother giving the other what he himself needs rather than what the other needs.

Oy — this is getting slightly confusing.

What the girlfriend asked of Patrick was horrible for him; while it meant the end of her suffering, it meant only the beginning of his. Was it loving of her to trick her way into being killed, by sneaking the formula to the boys? Not at all. Neither was it loving of her to ask of Patrick to die, when she promised him a lifetime at his side. Her behaviour was actually quite selfish, and – I can’t believe I am going to say this – perhaps she didn’t deserve someone like Patrick, who loved her so much so that he gave her what she wanted, at the cost of his own well-being.

It’s similar in many ways to the conversation between Dean and Bobby; Dean tells Bobby that he and Sam have nothing else but Bobby to hang on to, and he’d better not leave them. But is that a fair statement? Wouldn’t it have been kinder to tell Bobby to consider the fact that Dean and Sam have no one other than him, rather than laying it on his shoulders as yet another weight to bear?

Then again, all this just might not be real love. For isn’t love about giving and taking? Shouldn’t the girlfriend have spoken up her mind about her dilemma and together, they would have made the decision? Shouldn’t Dean have spoken up his mind, but also have offered Bobby a hand? After all, in both cases, the other person is also clearly suffering; to put the weight of the responsibility of the others’ happiness on top of that suffering hardly seems like love.

On the related theme of suffering we have Bobby, who has been having a very tough time accepting that he’s not a hunter anymore. Being stuck in a wheelchair is hard for anyone, but probably even harder for someone like Bobby, a trained hunter who knows the Apocalypse has happened and can’t be out there fighting it with his friends and the boys, who are like sons to him. It’s also understandable that Bobby took the risk playing Patrick to get his legs back; and it’s sweet that he was willing to sacrifice himself for Dean, knowing that on the field at least, Dean would be more useful.

But there are two reasons for which Bobby’s life couldn’t be sacrificed. One is that, wounded or not, Bobby is still a soldier, and there is a lot he can still do. The second is that his presence is important to the well-being of two other hunters, i.e. our boys.

Dean: You don’t stop being a soldier because you got wounded in battle. No matter what shape you’re in Bobby, bottom of the line is you’re family. Now I don’t know if you’ve noticed but me and Sam, we don’t have much left. I can’t do this without you. I can’t. So don’t you dare think about checking out. I don’t want to hear that again.

There is one thing that bothered me about this particular scene, and that I was a little disappointed it wasn’t addressed in Dean’s above-mentioned rebuttal. Bobby mentions how he had lacked the courage to kill himself the day he got back from the hospital. To that I would have replied: does it take more courage to kill yourself, or to live in a way you couldn’t have previously fathomed, but persevering because you know there is an Apocalypse happening and two of the best hunters out there, Dean and Sam, are going to need you to back them up, be it with a pep talk or with the thorough research Bobby is known for? For suicide isn’t an act of courage; it’s an act of desperation, one that poor people stuck in terrible conditions and who can’t see an end to their pain and suffering choose to take. And I think we can agree that the one thing Bobby doesn’t lack is courage.

On yet another related note, I would love to hear some opinions on if the girlfriend (WHAT is her name?) was trying to commit suicide when she gave the reversal formula to the boys, or when she played against Patrick knowing she would lose. I think that if you are going to encourage someone and/or empower them to do something that will kill you, then you are, at least indirectly, killing yourself.

Sam: You’re crying? For a witch you’re so nice, it’s actually creepy.

There were, of course, a lot of old people jokes, from Cliff not knowing what an Xbox is to the maid comparing Dean’s flirting to her grandfather hitting on anything that moves. Dean’s physical condition is given a beating, with him barely able to make it to the second floor without being winded, not being able to eat a cheeseburger without getting heartburn, and not being able to see the numbers on the safe’s dial. My favourite one is when Dean Senior tries to talk some sense into Sam by pulling a ‘when you’re our (his and Bobby’s) age…, to which Sam replies: “Dean, you’re thirty”.

On a closing note, we know by now that Supernatural writers have a tendency to play with their viewers (remember Becky?). Which makes me wonder if the exchange below is a hint of things to come, or just them messing with our minds:

Dean: Hope I get that kind of kick around his age.
Sam: Yeah, like either of us will live that long.
Dean: True.

I fear it is going to be a very, very long season.

Some great lines:

Doctor: You expect me to believe you’re CDC?
Sam: Excuse me?
Doctor: It’s just that you’re a day early. First time in history I haven’t sat on my ass waiting for you people.
Dean: New administration. Change you can believe in.Cliff: It was a game.
Sam: Like Xbox?
Cliff: What’s Xbox?

Dean: And you beat me here.
Bobby: Brain trumps legs, apparently.

Dean Senior: Bobby’s an idiot, that’s what happened.
Bobby: Hey, nobody asked you to play.
Dean Senior: Right. I should have just let you die.
Bobby: And for damn sure, nobody asked you to lose.
Sam: It’s like Grumpy Old Men.
Dean Senior & Bobby: Shut up, Sam!

Dean Senior: I’m having a heart attack!
Bobby: No you’re not.
Dean Senior: What is it?
Bobby: Acid reflux.

Housekeeper: Ready for housekeeping, sir?
Dean Senior: Born ready.
Housekeeper: You’re just like my grandfather. He hits on anything that moves, too.

Sam: It’s more like ‘Mission: Pathetic’.

Dean Senior: You may be in a wheelchair but I’ve been to Hell, and there’s an archangel there waiting for me to drop the soap.

Bobby: Are we done feeling our feelings? Because I’d like to get out of this room before we both start growing lady parts.

knowing that on the field at least, Dean would be more useful.But there are two reasons for which Bobby’s life couldn’t be sacrificed. One is that, wounded or not, Bobby is still a soldier, and there is a lot he can still do. The second is that his presence is important to the well-being of two other hunters, i.e. our boys.

Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 6: I believe the Children are our Future

Previous Supernatural episodes with children in them were pretty brilliant. One in particular that I really loved (and, from what I read on fan discussion boards, so did many other fans out there) is season three’s “The Kids Are Alright.” Seriously, who could forget the adorable little guy who made many hope he was Dean’s son?

Oh wow, how fantastic that episode was. And I still think that child is Dean’s, but that’s just me.

The episode opens up to a sight many parents must see on Thursday nights: a young girl, Amber, is sitting late at night in a dark living room, engrossed in what she is watching on the screen. She hears a noise, gets up to investigate, while everyone is screaming at her not to open it, and while the sight is horrific — a child with blood on his head — Amber just sighs.

Whaaaat?

Her babysitting charge is playing yet another trick on her, and she isn’t fooled by it, sending him quickly up to bed. Then a dog outside starts barking, and the last we see of Amber (alive) is when she draws the curtains closed after peering out in the hopes of figuring out why.

The parents come home, and the TV isn’t working anymore. Amber is sleeping on the couch – then again, perhaps not, as the horrified father touches blood on her head, of which a whole side is gone. Eww.

I know I don’t usually go in depth into the actual events in each episode, but there was something about this opening scene that I really liked. The overall ambiance, perhaps? The lighting? The filming? The acting? The relative simplicity of it? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I figured it deserved some  space.

It seemed pretty obvious early on in the episode that the main discussion here was going to be about children and choices. Most people would agree that children grow up a lot faster nowadays than they used to. Adults are extremely uncomfortable with the idea, treating it as if it were a bad thing, and doing everything they can to delay adulthood and the era of responsibilities. Which probably explains why so many young people in their 20s act like they are still teenagers.

In any case, those of us who live in North America and Europe often forget that most children in the world have huge responsibilities at a very young age. Even more interestingly, we forget that a mere 100 years ago, children right here were given huge responsibilities at a very young age.

Which begs the question: why has growing up slowly become a good thing?

It seems that growing up has been correlated with less fun; consequently, less fun is also correlated with responsibilities. This doesn’t make sense. Children can be extremely responsible at a very young age and still have a lot of fun. Similarly, adults can have fun fulfilling their day to day responsibilities. I mean, it’s not like any of us had to shoulder the responsibilities of being the Antichrist at a young age, or of fighting off Lucifer so as not to become his vessel and bring about the Apocalypse, no?

Children are just not given the credit that they deserve. They sometimes are pushed to stay innocent, even if their maturity makes them see through the lies their parents tell them.

Father: I’ll just slip this tooth under your pillow and while you’re asleep the tooth fairy will float down and swap it out for a quarter.
Daughter: So some freak is going to come in my room while I’m sleeping and take my tooth. Sounds scary. No, thank you.

My parents never told me about the tooth fairy because they knew I wouldn’t believe them. My father watched me once, as a child, destroy the entire idea of the existence of a tooth fairy his friend was trying to convince me existed. And let me tell you something — even without having the tooth fairy to look forward too, losing a tooth was still a really cool experience (wiggling it and freaking the faint of heart out? Awesome.)

Again, this seems to stem from a nonexistent dichotomy: that immaturity and innocence go hand in hand. But because of this nearly universally accepted dichotomy in our society, adults tend to treat children as cute little things that need protection from everything, even work.

As No Doubt would say: “I’m just a girl in the world, That’s all that you’ll let me be!”

This is quite unfortunate, since children have amazing capacities to contribute to their own advancement, as well as that of their families and their communities. Now I know Jesse was the Antichrist, but how many people underestimated him just because he’s a child?

Being taught at a young age to be responsible doesn’t mean that children have to forgo their innocence. Quite the contrary, a child’s joy and innocence should be cherished, but not at the price of his capacity to contribute to the advancement of humanity. Even Jesse; while he is going to have demons to fight and I’m sure it’s not the last we see of him, it’s pretty clear that he went to a place where he can surf and he is going to be quite happy – relatively speaking, since he does carry the burden of being the Antichrist.

I wonder how Sam felt, seeing a child that young carry a burden far heavier than the one he had, and not succumbing to temptation – at least, not yet.

Will an overarching plotline become that of Sam seeking redemption through Jesse, but keeping him from going dark? Will Sam and Jesse develop a strong bond that will help both of them, Sam from cleansing himself from what he did, and Jesse from denying his dark side? Of course, that’s a big gamble, considering who Jesse is and what he is capable of.

Sam: He might make the right choice.
Castiel: You didn’t.

Harsh, Castiel. Harsh.

And what about Dean in all this? Sometimes I wonder if him being Michael’s chosen vessel means that even if he doesn’t accept, he has amazing capacities to fight the Apocalypse. Okay, fine, we know that Dean is a great hunter… but what if he, too, had some sort of internal something or other, a supernatural strength or paranormal force which would be the reason why he was chosen in the first place?

Then again, we never got a hint of it anytime in the last four seasons, so or I’m totally off the track, or that special ability is very, very well hidden.

Perhaps in the form of Dean’s massive appetite.

The conversation at the end of the episode was also interesting and a little heartbreaking.

Dean: I’m starting to see why parents lie to their kids. I mean, you want them to believe that the worse thing out there is mixing pop rocks and coke. Protect them from the real evil. You want them to go to bed feeling safe. If that takes lying, then so be it. The more I think about it, the more I wish Dad had lied to us.
Sam: Me, too.

I’ll give it to them; Dean and Sam did have it pretty hard, especially Dean, thrust in the role of parent at an extremely young age. I don’t know if John lying to them would have been the best of alternatives though, especially given their family history of being hunters. Even medically, a child has to be exposed to viruses and bacteria from a young age, to allow his bowels to be colonized adequately (still, yuck) and his immune system to slowly build up. Were we to protect a child from every single such organism until his maturity, be it at 15, 18 or 21, then expose him to the real world with all its filthiness, that child’s immune system would become overwhelmed and he’d die.

Who is to say that wouldn’t have happened had Dean and Sam be lied to all along, only to find themselves the target of demons and Lucifer?

Which brings back, yet again, the concept of moderation. As many authors specializing in child-rearing would tell you, a child will tell you when they have heard enough about a given topic. Parents shouldn’t lie to their children, but neither should they overwhelm them with information they are not ready to process. Jesse asked the questions he needed to have answered, and while he got answers, he didn’t get all the information Dean and Sam had. He stopped asking questions when he had had enough — a nifty self-preservation technique most people still have when they are adults.

I don’t think many adults get this concept of telling the truth to their children as much as they can process it. It makes me wonder at the depth of the issues Dean and Sam have, exposed since childhood to things even adults shouldn’t know about. And before we go John-hating, let’s remember that most parents have the very best of intentions at heart, and I think while John made bad decisions and was blinded by his quest for revenge, he did try to be as good a father as he could, considering.

And some parents, trying to be the best they can be, lie to their children to protect them from the dark side of life. But (ironically enough, perhaps) this itself is the real reason why parents shouldn’t lie to their children: for when they discover that their parents, the people they looked up all their lives, the people who made them feel safe and secure, lied to them, that very sense of security becomes shattered.

Seen in this light, I don’t think we can blame teenagers for being moody.

The main question I’m sure many Supernatural fans have on their lips is about Jesse’s potential to go dark versus his ability to remain good, and what the role of the Winchester brothers and Castiel should be. Did Castiel have a right to kill the child? Surely even the most tenderhearted viewer can agree that Jesse being the Antichrist, a demon spawn who is going to be one of the devil’s greatest weapon in the war against heaven, isn’t a good thing to have during an Apocalypse – kind of like flying a kite during a severe thunderstorm. Sam and Dean tried to appeal to his human side, but can Jesse even be defined as human, and even if he is half human, is that side strong enough to withstand the darkness within him?

Julia: Have you seen my son? Is he human?

And, dang it all, Jesse is so adorable that not even for a second was I rooting for him to be killed. I especially loved it when he asked the boys for their badges.

Jesse [taking the badge from Dean’s hands]: Let me see that.

Castiel wanting to kill Jesse could be related to John’s instructions to Dean to kill Sam if need be. And, had Dean complied, this entire Apocalypse might not have happened, and we would all be talking about what a fantastic show Supernatural was during its short three to four season run.

I don’t think its right to get rid of someone just because they are showing signs or have the potential to go to the dark side. The end doesn’t justify the means, and killing the person that has potential to go dark shows that the killer himself has darkness inside him. So what do we do, go around killing everyone?

Let’s admit it: while it would take care of many problems the world is plagued with, but wouldn’t be very constructive to the advancement of human civilization.

I’m quite disappointed that Jesse didn’t get to meet Bobby; I would have loved to see how that would go, an adorable, tender-hearted child meeting a gruff old man. I also loved the X-Men nod.

Dean: He’s also in a wheelchair

Let’s hope that the education given to Jesse by his adoptive parents, who seem to be kind and tender towards their son and instilled him with good manners, will be strong enough that, with help, Jesse will be able to keep his dark side at bay. After all, he would make the boys a pretty nifty sidekick in a couple of years.

One last thought: how in the world did Jensen, Jared and Mischa not die of laughter while filming the scene where Castiel sit on the whoopee cushion?

Some great moments:

Sam: Whoever is doing this […] has the powers of a god… [or] of a trickster.
Dean: And the sense of humour of a nine-year-old.
Sam: Or you.Sam: Dude. Seriously. Still with the ham?
Dean: We don’t have a fridge!

Sam: Hey, you’re not using my razor!

Castiel, sitting on the whoopee cushion: That wasn’t me.

Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 5: Fallen Idols

We have been hearing about it for awhile, and the moment finally happened — Paris Hilton graced the little screen and made for a pretty awesome supernatural force to be dealt with. Discussion forums and fan sites were filled with speculation in the last couple of weeks as to the effect having Paris Hilton on the show would have on its ratings; some went even further, stating that this episode might be the one which will make Supernatural jump the shark.

Happily enough, none of this happened; in true Supernatural style, Paris’ visit to the set made sense and fit perfectly with both the myth of the Leshi the brothers were fighting as well as with the style of the last four years and five episodes.

I’ve said it before, but it begs to be said again: kudos to the writing team. We were treated to a great episode that simultaneously entertained viewers and taught them a little more about the paranormal, took the relationship between the three protagonists one step further, and provided for an amazing social criticism.

Yes, three — everyone keeps forgetting about the Impala.

While their complicity isn’t (understandably) the same as it used to be, it was nice to see the Winchester brothers working together again. Many discussion boards and fan sites are already filled with mentions of how great it is that Dean and Sam are finally really mending fences. On the flip side, it seems to be that there weren’t as many Dean quips in this episode as there usually are, but then again, it’s a good reflection of the state of mind he’s in.

The slight shift in the relationship between the two brothers was also interesting, and yet another reason why this show is amazing. Sam being honest with both himself and Dean was a sign that he’s (finally) becoming more mature, and Dean is still able to put his ego to the side and admit when he’s wrong (given time). If at the very least the brothers can learn such important lessons from the Apocalypse… nope, that still doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. Oh well… I tried.

This shift in the relationship has a lot to do with both brothers not only being honest with themselves about their own role in the Apocalypse, but also with the fact that they are starting to be honest with each other about the other’s role in starting the Apocalypse. Sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder if Dean was seeking redemption for breaking the first seal by putting the pressure on Sam to stop the Apocalypse from happening. I also can’t help but wonder if the difficulty Dean has been having with Sam in the last couple of episodes has to do with the guilt Dean feels at breaking the first seal that he transferred onto Sam.

Sam: Dean, One of the reasons I went off with Ruby was to get away from you.
Dean: What?
Sam: It made me feel strong, like I wasn’t your kid brother.
Dean: Are you saying this is my fault?
Sam: No, it’s my fault. All I’m saying is that if we are going to do this, we have to do it different. We can’t just fall into the same rut.

Whatever the case may be, the most important thing is that the brothers have started going deeper; they have started to identify the reasons why they fell into the trap (of breaking the first and last seals) in the first place. One of the main reasons Dean went to hell was because he felt it was his role as the older brother to protect his kid brother. But lately, the anger Dean felt because of Sam’s betrayal made him realise that he shouldn’t be there to hold Sam’s hand and clean up his messes; however, he has been realising that life without his brother sucks, and that they both need one another. And Sam has been realising that while Dean has been treating him like his kid brother, he had other ways of reacting to it other than listening to a demon and getting hooked on demon blood. And him talking honestly about it at the end of this episode could be the beginning of the end of the rift between them.

Ah, brotherly love. Is anyone else feeling all warm inside?

I can guess that it’s going to be very interesting to watch how the relationship between the two brothers is now going to be like. Sam asked for his emancipation from only being a kid brother and Dean has started to accept his role as equal rather than as protector. Dean and Sam walking side by side, rather than Dean holding Sam’s hand, is going to make for a much stronger Winchester team.

The writing, filming, and acting needs its share of kudos here, too: the way the show goes in depth into the nature of the Sam-Dean relationship and its shift with relatively little said really is a sign of the maturity of both the writers and the actors; the evolution of the relationship is chronicled not only in the words exchanged between the two brothers and their actions, but also in the way they react to each other, sometimes in very subtle ways. The quality of the show seems more and move obviously related to the quality of each stage of production.

There are a number of other things that I loved about this episode. For example, as a car lover, the ‘Little Bastard’ reference was amazing. I have to admit that my first reaction to the opening scene, after freaking out about James Dean’s car, was to be really excited about a ‘haunted car’ episode (something I would have wanted Mulder and Scully to investigate). Then I remembered this was the episode guest starring Paris Hilton and that a haunted car just wouldn’t really explain the leaked Paris Hilton plotline.

But even with its associated amazingness, the ‘Little Bastard’ reference wasn’t the best part of this episode (I apologize to all my car-loving friends who might have a minor aneurysm or heart attack at the above statement). The honour of best part of the episode goes to the social criticism given by the Leshi. Ironically enough, the nutty god was in the shape of Paris Hilton while giving its pep talk, which made the entire thing all the more unreal.

Dean: You’re not the first god we’ve met, but you are the nuttiest.
Leshi: No, you. You people, you’re the crazy ones. You used to worship gods. But this? [Gestures at the Paris Hilton form he has taken] This is what passes as idolatry? Celebrities? What do they have, apart from small dogs and spray tans? You people used to have old time religion, now you have US Weekly.

The Leshi’s statement was brilliant for two reasons. First of all, it is true that we have been replacing gods and spirituality with other things, such as materialism and celebrities, which I think of as materialism’s prophets. Case in point: we have people all over the country who have entire rooms transformed into shrines to one celebrity or another. I’m willing to bet that while the amount of money spent on tabloids and all things celebrity related has skyrocketed in the last five years, expenditures related to religion and spirituality have perhaps only moderately increased, if not decreased.

Considering the state of mind of people today as well as their ensuing priorities, does it really surprise anyone that the state of the world is as it currently is?

Not me, it doesn’t. But it does, however, give me hope that instead of idolizing celebrities just because they are famous, we will learn to once again idolize the qualities and attribute of people who made a positive and lasting difference in the world. Because in all honesty, no one is perfect, and no one deserves to be idolized.

Another case in point: all the fallen angels featured on Supernatural. The second reason why the Leshi’s statement is brilliant is that not only does it reflect the state of the real world (i.e. ours), but also the state of the world as defined by the show. Think about Zachariah (ah, how I love putting him down). Perhaps is the angels hasn’t started simply following him and his opinion, perhaps even idolizing him, they would have been able, just like Anna and Castiel, to figure out what is wrong with the picture.

And, perhaps a little more to the extreme, think about God; if idolization and blind adoration had given way to intelligent devotion à la Castiel (i.e. questioning and continuously searching), perhaps religion wouldn’t be in the state it’s currently in.

So the title of this episode, “Fallen Idols”, could very well be the fact that the idols of the victims, i.e. Abe Lincoln, Little Bastard and – egad – Paris Hilton, end up killing them rather than bringing them the joy they thought they would have had. It could also be the fact that these people’s idols should have been less of the lower, human or materialistic kind and more of the spiritual kind. It could also be that in the show, the greatest idol of them all, God, has yet to make an appearance. Or it could be one of the best social criticism that Supernatural has had to offer yet, that the world is in serious need and its population should rethink about how its main idol, materialism, has only failed at the eternal happiness is has long been promising us.

On a lighter note, here are some of the great lines in this episode:

Sam: So what’s with this job?
Dean: A dude has a head-on collision in a parked car? I’d say it’s worth checking out.
Sam: Yeah definitely, but we got bigger problems, don’t you think?
Dean: I’m sure the Apocalypse will still be there when we get back.Dean: We’re not your typical cops.
(You don’t say.)

Dean, finding out about Little Bastard: Oh, we are definitely checking this out.

Dean: Don’t speak. Don’t even look at her. She might not like it.

Dean: Darn he’s short.
Sam: Hey. Ghandi was a great man.
Dean: For a smurf.

Dean: Four score and seven years ago, I had a funny hat.

Dean: You couldn’t be a fan of someone cool? Really? Gandhi?

Dean: Let me get this straight. Your, uh, ultimate hero was not only a short man in diapers, but he was a fruitarian.
Sam: That’s not the point.
Dean: That is good. Even for you, that is good.

Dean: I’m not a Paris Hilton bff. I’ve never even seen House of Wax.

Dean: Don’t.
Sam, grinning: Dude. You just got whaled on by Paris Hilton.

Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 3: Free to be You and Me

This review got finished late on Sunday night after an entire weekend of slaving over it. That’s not because I didn’t know what to write. Quite the contrary, actually. The initial version of this review was — are you ready for it? — fifteen pages long.

Yup, you read that right. Fifteen. A new personal record.

At the time of the show’s airing, it had been one week since Dean and Sam parted ways, and today still I am in shock at how events unfolded. As all fans of the show know, the two brothers bring out the best in one another. How are they going to work as effectively each on their own?

And now that we know who Lucifer’s real vessel is… oh dear God, I can’t believe I have to wait another week to find out what happens next. Until then, does anyone know when Mark Pellegrino’s contract finishes? Because when it does, that’s when (if) Sam will have accepted becoming Lucifer’s vessel.

The episode starts with Sam having a pretty lucid dream of Jessica (remember her?).

Sam: Jessica. I’m dreaming.
Jessica: No you’re not. What’s the difference? I’m here.

As we find out at the end of the episode, there is a big difference, since Jessica turns out to be Lucifer in disguise. And Lucifer being, well, Lucifer, he uses Jessica’s form to bring out some of Sam’s worst fears. While it isn’t the best feeling ever, it seems that, to a certain extent, everyone has something dark inside them. It’s part of our lower nature. But it’s not by running away that we are going to be able to change things.

However, what Jessica/Lucifer doesn’t believe is that by developing our higher nature, we will be able to control our lower nature — including its darkness. Unfortunately, it means that we are going to have a tough time, we aren’t going to know how to do it all the time and we are going to make mistakes. This implies that we’re going to have to learn to walk the line between asking ourselves to act up to the highest of standards and yet, be self-forgiving.

Not the easiest of things to balance, as Sam is finding out.

Because of this lower nature of ours, and also because of the simple fact that we are far from perfect, we tend to make mistakes. They are hard, but they are real, but being honest with ourselves about something is extremely hard. However, avoiding the truth doesn’t change its reality (when Jessica tells Sam that she was dead the moment they said hello — probably true, since fate herself seems to have it for the Winchester brothers). Quite the contrary, actually, since running away from that reality increases the probability of this occurrence happening again, whereas accepting it, while extremely difficult, can make us a much better person. Which begs the question: what would have happened had Sam accepted this dark side of himself and actively started trying to control it?

Oh, the possibilities.

Thankfully for the plot (but not for the hearts of poor Supernatural fans) both Sam and Dean’s inability to deal with the issues at hand separated them. As the brothers carry along their chosen day-to-day routines, they look so upset and unhappy that it makes me want to, again, reach into the TV and slap some sense into each of them. On a related side note, I loved how the scenes go from Sam’s life to Dean’s life, doing the same thing – cutting, cleaning, etc – but in the context of the life they have chosen for themselves (lemon versus vampire, counter versus Impala).

Unsurprisingly perhaps, Dean joins Castiel in his Godhunt, which takes an unexpected turn:

Castiel: I need your help.
Dean: With what? God hunt? Not interested.
Castiel: It’s not God. It’s someone else.
Dean: Who?
Castiel: Archangel. The one who killed me … His name is Raphael.

Finding Raphael does seem to be a good idea, as well as one that doesn’t exceed Cas’s moral framework. But I can’t resist the opportunity to share again the thought: how far do you go in the name of Truth, in the name of good, and in the name of God? How far should you go when you are doing something for the greater good? How do you not get blinded by your end so as to resort to less than acceptable means?

This wasn’t the only dilemma I touched on in my endless note-taking. One scene I couldn’t quite decide if I found hilariously sad or simply hilarious was when Dean took Cas to the… erm, club.

Dean: There are two things in life I know for certain. One: Bert and Ernie are gay. Two, you are not going to die a virgin. Not on my watch.

First of all, while Cas’s embarrassment at Dean finding out he’s a virgin was really funny (his facial expression? Priceless!), it’s also sad that an angel of the Lord would be embarrassed to have practiced chastity. Isn’t that the point of being an angel, i.e. to have an almost impossibly high moral character?

It was along similar lines that I laughed my head off at Castiel hyperventilating in the club (his facial expression, again? Priceless!), while also wondering why he went there in the first place.

Dean: Hey, relax.
Castiel: This is a den of iniquity. I should not be here.
Dean: Dude, you full-on rebelled against heaven. Iniquity is one of the perks.

For Dean to say something like this means that he didn’t quite get the real reason why Castiel rebelled in the first place. It’s not that he wanted to have full-on ‘iniquity’ access. Quite the contrary; Castiel rebelled because what he was being asked to do didn’t adhere to his understanding of what being an angel meant.

It doesn’t happen often, but Dean… you disappointed me here. Really.

There are a couple of reasons why Raphael’s arrival made for a very interesting scene. First off, it was quite unsettling to see Dean scared. Secondly, it was even more unsettling to witness an archangel admitting he has lost his faith. Granted, it’s fictional – but still. If archangels are losing their faith, then what hope does humanity have?

Third of all, the conversation between Raphael, Dean and Castiel has an eerie resemblance to the conversations happening all over the world between believers, unbelievers, and doubters, once again making Supernatural a whole lot more than a show about two good-looking brothers fighting off the dark side.

Raphael: [God’s] dead, Castiel … There’s no other explanation. He’s gone for good.
Castiel: You’re lying.
Raphael: Am I? Do you remember the 20th century? Think the 21st is going to be any better? You think God would have let any of that happen if He were alive?

While it made for excellent TV, I have to admit that I felt a thrill of fear. I have heard so many people who once had faith lose it, that this scene hit close to home. While I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting one of the Saints (then again, perhaps it’s a good thing, if I don’t want my eyes burnt out of their sockets), I have met some amazing people throughout my life, and when I talk to some of them these days (a couple of whom follow my Supernatural reviews and email me page upon page of their own thoughts and reflections), I think I feel something quite similar to what Castiel felt when Raphael outright admitted to having lost Faith in God. It’s a wonder he doesn’t get along with Dean, who himself was arguing the same thing a mere season ago. Then again, the difference is that Dean is a human, searching for faith, while Raphael is an archangel, supposed to embody the spirit of faith.

I really feel bad for poor Castiel, and Dean did work his way a little bit back into my good graces by backing him up. Hey, Dean could have just rubbed it in, that searching for God is useless, etc etc, but he didn’t.

But, seriously, who would have thought that Dean would be the one helping Castiel strengthen his faith after a rather difficult encounter with Raphael?

One last thing (a difficult decision, because I have a lot more to say about this episode): Lucifer’s vessel is Sam? Does this mean that, if Lucifer does get Sam to accept to be a vessel, and Michael gets Dean to accept to be his vessel… there is the possibility of a Sam vs Dean fight? I really, really hope it doesn’t happen.

And I didn’t even go into the other Sam-related things I wanted to mention… Oh dear…

Funny moments:

Dean: Eat it, Twilight.
(How come Dean knows about Twilight and didn’t know about MySpace?)

Dean, turning around only to be right in Cas’ face: Cas. We talked about it. Personal Space.

Dean: So did you find God yet? And more important, can I have my damn necklace back, please?

Dean: You were wasted by a Teenage Mutant Ninja Angel?

Dean: So what, I’m Thelma and you’re Louise, we’re going to hold hands and sail off the cliff together?
(I loved Castiel’s expression at this moment.)

Sam: And upon his rising there shall be hail and fire mixed with blood.
Bobby: Well ain’t that delightful.

Bobby: Well let me think of the best hunter that would be in the vicinity. Oh, that would be you.

Dean: Woah, woah.
Castiel: What?
Dean: Last time you zapped me someplace, I didn’t poop for a week. We’re driving.

Dean: You’re serious? You’re going to walk in there and tell him the truth?
Castiel: Why not?
Dean: Because we’re humans. And when humans want something really, really bad, we lie.
Castiel: Why?
Dean: Because that’s how you become president.

Dean: Any idea what set them (the rioters) off?
Cas: It’s angels and demons probably. They’re squirmishing all over the globe.
Detective: Come again? What did he say?
Dean: Noth…
Cas: Demons.
Dean: Nothing.
Cas: Demons!

Dean: Is that what I’m going to look like when Michael’s done with me?
Cas: No. Michael’s much more powerful. It’ll be far worse for you.

Lindsay: Wow. You kill deer and things?
Hunter whose name I didn’t take note of: Yeah, and things.

Dean: Where have you been?
Cas: Jerusalem.
Dean: Oh, how was it?
Cas: Arid.
(I’m never going to get tired of Cas’ deadpan reactions.)

Dean: You keep telling me we’re going to trap this guy, but isn’t it like trying to trap a hurricane with a butterfly net?
Cas: No, it’s harder.

Dean, to Cas: I’ve had more fun in the last 24 hours with you than I have had with Sam in years. And you’re not that much fun.

Hunter whose name I didn’t take note of: Look Sam, no offence, but what baggage is so heavy it can’t be stowed away for the frigging apocalypse?

Cas: There’s almost an open phone line between a vessel and his angel. One just has to know how to dial.

Dean: Just out of curiosity, what is the average customer wait time to speak to an archangel?
Cas: Be ready.

Dean: I thought you were supposed to be impressive. That’s all you do, black out the room?
Raphael: And the eastern seaboard.

Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 2: ‘Good God, Y’all’ – Part III

A direct consequence of part II of this review is that people often act out without seeing the whole picture, often bolstered by fear, and without thinking things through. In this episode, Sam, Dean, and Ellen start seeing early on that something isn’t quite right. Because they are hunters and because of their experience, they have learned to look for the truth rather than just getting rid of whatever they are hunting. Remember the episode with the ‘vegetarian’ vampires?

Unfortunately, Sam, Dean, and Ellen are the minority, and their efforts to make others see the truth are undermined by Roger, a.k.a. War. This situation is applicable in the world today, where big powers are at work trying to convince us of things that aren’t true. (Tobacco doesn’t kill! Fast food isn’t unhealthy! There is no climate change!)  I guess these big powers are counting on us reacting to our fears rather than taking the time to seek the truth. If we were to develop the capacity to see truth, rather than to see the truth that we are meant to believe, what a difference it would make.

Sam: I know who you are. There aren’t any demons in town, are there?
War: Nope. Just frightened people, ripping each other’s throats out. I really haven’t had to do too much, take out a bridge here, lay in a little hallucination there, sit back, pop some corn, watch the show. Frankly, you’re all really vicious little animals, Sam.
Sam: No. You’re doing this.
War: Please. Last week, this was Mayberry. Now these people are stabbing each other’s children.
Sam: Because you made them see demons.
War: Honestly, people don’t need a reason to kill each other … You think I’m a monster. I’m Jell-O shots at a party. I just remove inhibitions.

So is it the responsibility of the horrible things that happened on War, on the people who acted on this false information, or on both? I don’t think a clear cut answer can be given. Can War be blamed for the actions of others? After all, had they investigated the truth of what was happening, maybe they would have figured out that something was wrong and not killed each other. Then again, most of these people had never even imagined that demons were real, and acted out of fear and self-preservation. And if people don’t have the information they need to make an informed decision, and – just to push this a little bit further – if people don’t know how to look for the information they need to see the truth, can they really be fully blamed?

A direct consequence of the above is that people often act out without seeing the whole picture, often bolstered by fear, and without thinking things through. In this episode, Sam, Dean, and Ellen start seeing early on that something isn’t quite right. Because they are hunters and because of their experience, they have learned to look for the truth rather than just getting rid of whatever they are hunting. Remember the episode with the ‘vegetarian’ vampires?

Unfortunately, Sam, Dean, and Ellen are the minority, and their efforts to make others see the truth are undermined by Roger, a.k.a. War. This situation is applicable in the world today, where big powers are at work trying to convince us of things that aren’t true. (Tobacco doesn’t kill! Fast food isn’t unhealthy! There is no climate change!)  I guess these big powers are counting on us reacting to our fears rather than taking the time to seek the truth. If we were to develop the capacity to see truth, rather than to see the truth that we are meant to believe, what a difference it would make.

Sam: I know who you are. There aren’t any demons in town, are there?
War: Nope. Just frightened people, ripping each other’s throats out. I really haven’t had to do too much, take out a bridge here, lay in a little hallucination there, sit back, pop some corn, watch the show. Frankly, you’re all really vicious little animals, Sam.
Sam: No. You’re doing this.
War: Please. Last week, this was Mayberry. Now these people are stabbing each other’s children.
Sam: Because you made them see demons.
War: Honestly, people don’t need a reason to kill each other … You think I’m a monster. I’m Jell-O shots at a party. I just remove inhibitions.

So is it the responsibility of the horrible things that happened on War, on the people who acted on this false information, or on both? I don’t think a clear cut answer can be given. Can War be blamed for the actions of others? After all, had they investigated the truth of what was happening, maybe they would have figured out that something was wrong and not killed each other. Then again, most of these people had never even imagined that demons were real, and acted out of fear and self-preservation. And if people don’t have the information they need to make an informed decision, and – just to push this a little bit further – if people don’t know how to look for the information they need to see the truth, can they really be fully blamed?

What about Sam killing two innocent teenagers? War made him see them as demons, yes, and he was being attacked by them, but first of all, had Sam examined himself and realised the truth of what Ruby had said, i.e. that he could get rid of demons without killing the host, wouldn’t he have noticed immediately that something was wrong while trying to exorcise the teens? And what about the lack of ‘special effects’ when he killed the teenagers with Ruby’s knife – shouldn’t a hunter as experienced as him notice that the knife didn’t have a paranormal effect while killing the teens? But while Sam had started looking for the truth but hadn’t found it yet, he didn’t see the signs (i.e. the ‘malfunctioning’ knife, and the fact that the blood was human, not demon) – so is he at fault?

What an interesting dilemma: had Sam not acted, i.e. not killed the teenagers, he would have been killed. Can you imagine how ridiculous it would have been had Sam tried to consult with the two boys who are attacking him?

Imaginary Sam: So tell me. Are you guys really demons?

Which begs the question: do you take the time to think with your head to potentially avoid making a mistake and at the same time, risk your life, or do you act because there is so little time, and risk making a huge mistake?

And now, after putting it off for as long as I could (i.e. five pages’ worth), I must talk about the episode’s ending.

What is going on, with this terrible, horrible ending? Did someone forget to send the writing team a memo about torture being illegal? Erik Kripke, I need to have a word with you. I cannot believe this happened; I didn’t see it coming. I saw fighting and mistrust and perhaps a temporary separation (à la bunking at Bobby’s for awhile), but not this.

And I think my heart broke a little when Dean offered Sam the Impala. The love is there, somewhere under the hurt, the ego, and the mess.

Sam: The problem is me, and how far I’ll go. There’s something in me… It scares the hell out of me, Dean. In the last couple of days, I caught another glimpse of it…
Dean: So what are you saying?
Sam: I’m in no shape to be hunting. I need to step back because I’m dangerous. Maybe it’s best we just go our separate ways.
Dean: Well, I think you’re right.
Sam [shocked]: I was expecting a bit of a fight.
Dean: Truth is, I spend more time worrying about you than about doing the job right. I just… I can’t afford that, you know? Not now.
Sam: I’m sorry, Dean.
Dean: I know you are, Sam.

It’s funny, because when the conversation started, I was actually a little impressed with Sam’s insight. I really thought it would be the beginning of the healing process, that perhaps the worst was over, and that we would be treated to a couple of fights in the next episodes and eventually, slowly, things would get back to normal.

I guess I was wrong about that.

But this is not what I’m going to email Eric Kirpke, Sera Gamble, and other writers about. What I really want to know is if they meant for Supernatural to be so deep, or did it just happen? And do I need to get a bigger pot of coffee so as to be able to write up ten pages of notes in a review in less than 24 hours?

More of my favourite lines:

Dean [watching Bobby slumped in his wheelchair]: We gotta cheer him up. Maybe I’ll give him a backrub.Dean [after a particularly virulent verbal attack from Bobby]: At least he’s talking now.
Bobby: I heard that.

Castiel: Your plan, to kill Lucifer…
Dean: Yeah, you want to help?
Castiel: No. It’s foolish, it can’t be done.
Dean: Oh, well, thanks for the support.

Bobby [to a leaving Cas]: When you find God, tell him to send legs.

Solider boy: Takes one to know one. Where did you serve?
Dean: Hell.
Solider boy: Seriously.
Dean: Seriously. Hell.

Ellen: My daughter might be an idiot, but she’s not stupid.

Dean: The whole thing is off.
Ellen: What’s your instinct?
Dean: My instinct? My instinct is to call Bobby and ask for help. Or Sam.
Ellen: Well tough. All you got is me and all I got is you, so let’s figure it out.
Dean [a little put off]: All right.

Sam: So who are you?
Roger, a.k.a. War: Here’s a hint. I was in Germany, then in Germany, then in the Middle East, I was in Darfur when my beeper went off, I’m waiting to hook up with my siblings, I’ve got three.Rufus: Did you figure this out by yourself, genius?

Dean [after recovering War’s ring]: So. Pit stop at mount doom?

Fun moments:

• The X-ray of Bobby’s ribcage exposing Castiel’s handiwork.
• Castiel calling the boys on a cell phone.
• Roger, a.k.a. War, has a great taste in cars. That Mustang? In that colour? Wow.

Kudos:

• Jensen Ackles’ face when, after Castiel tells him about the pendant, he looks down and back up.
• Misha Collin’s expression when he tells Jensen that God isn’t on a flatbread.
• The writers, for some great lines, as always, but especially for sharing information succinctly:

Sam: What happened?
Ellen: There used to be 20 of us.

I guess I was wrong about that.

But this is not what I’m going to email Eric Kirpke, Sera Gamble, and other writers about. What I really want to know is if they meant for Supernatural to be so deep, or did it just happen? And do I need to get a bigger pot of coffee so as to be able to write up ten pages of notes in a review in less than 24 hours?

More of my favourite lines:

Dean [watching Bobby slumped in his wheelchair]: We gotta cheer him up. Maybe I’ll give him a backrub.Dean [after a particularly virulent verbal attack from Bobby]: At least he’s talking now.
Bobby: I heard that.

Castiel: Your plan, to kill Lucifer…
Dean: Yeah, you want to help?
Castiel: No. It’s foolish, it can’t be done.
Dean: Oh, well, thanks for the support.

Bobby [to a leaving Cas]: When you find God, tell him to send legs.

Solider boy: Takes one to know one. Where did you serve?
Dean: Hell.
Solider boy: Seriously.
Dean: Seriously. Hell.

Ellen: My daughter might be an idiot, but she’s not stupid.

Dean: The whole thing is off.
Ellen: What’s your instinct?
Dean: My instinct? My instinct is to call Bobby and ask for help. Or Sam.
Ellen: Well tough. All you got is me and all I got is you, so let’s figure it out.
Dean [a little put off]: All right.

Sam: So who are you?
Roger, a.k.a. War: Here’s a hint. I was in Germany, then in Germany, then in the Middle East, I was in Darfur when my beeper went off, I’m waiting to hook up with my siblings, I’ve got three.Rufus: Did you figure this out by yourself, genius?

Dean [after recovering War’s ring]: So. Pit stop at mount doom?

Fun moments:

• The X-ray of Bobby’s ribcage exposing Castiel’s handiwork.
• Castiel calling the boys on a cell phone.
• Roger, a.k.a. War, has a great taste in cars. That Mustang? In that colour? Wow.

Kudos:

• Jensen Ackles’ face when, after Castiel tells him about the pendant, he looks down and back up.
• Misha Collin’s expression when he tells Jensen that God isn’t on a flatbread.
• The writers, for some great lines, as always, but especially for sharing information succinctly:

Sam: What happened?
Ellen: There used to be 20 of us.

Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 2: ‘Good God, Y’all’ – Part II

The beginning of the episode was a great way to continue the reflection on the meaning of faith. Often I find that people think that faith is blind devotion; however, is that truly the case? Sam thought he was helping out the good side, but he was blinded by his own desire to help – and look what happened to him.

War: Good intentions. Quick slide to hell, buddy boy.

Dean — well, we all know I love Dean, but he doesn’t have any faith in God. He’s the leader of the crowd arguing that because of the terrible things happening in the world, either there is no God, or God doesn’t care (and therefore, by definition, He isn’t ‘God’). Neither does Zachariah have any faith in God, since he has taken it upon himself to fulfill prophecies and take care of the Apocalypse. I won’t go into that again, since I have made my feelings about Zachariah very clear.

Which begs the question: does anyone in this show have faith?

Surprisingly, yes — the confused angel-boy with the remarkably clean off-white trench coat does. Despite his level of uncertainty in what is right and what is wrong, despite with his continuous questioning of what he should or shouldn’t do, and despite his rebellion against the other angels, it seems that Castiel might be the one character on Supernatural who has the most faith. After all, isn’t he the only one who, now that everything has gone really wrong, decides to find God?

Dean: God.
Castiel: Yes.
Dean: God.
Castiel: Yes. He isn’t in heaven. He has to be somewhere.
Dean [wryly]: Try New Mexico. I hear He’s on a tortilla.
Cas [after a moment’s thought and the most hilarious expression on his face]: No, He’s not on any flatbread.

Dean’s opinion about God is all the more ironic in that in all these years, had Dean wanted to find God, he could have done it himself with the amulet he had been wearing most of his life – i.e. since Sam gave it to him on Christmas a long time ago, an amulet that means so much to him that he barely if ever takes it off.

Dean [giving the amulet to Castiel]: Don’t lose it. [Rolls his shoulders uncomfortably.] Great. Now I feel naked.

It’s interesting that the amulet went from Bobby to John Winchester to Sam to Dean. If this amulet was meant to help find God, is there a reason why John gave it to Sam, considering the warning he had given Dean?

Speaking of the amulet, I have to mention yet again that this cast is absolutely brilliant. Jensen Ackles’ facial expression when he looks down at the amulet? Priceless.

It was nice to see Rufus, Jo, and Ellen again. Especially Rufus, since just hearing Steven Williams’ voice takes me back about 10 years, to when he portrayed X on The X-Files (no, not the X of the title, but… just go watch the series, okay?). As a die-hard X-Files fan, it is understandable that this was one of my favourite exchanges from this episode:

Soldier boy: So… You think that all of this is coming from out of space?
Dean: This isn’t The X-Files, pal.

Speaking of The X-files, I think Mulder would have had quite a fit at this line:

Roger [still in shock]: My wife’s eyes turned black. Came at me with a brick. Kind of makes you embrace the paranormal.

Which brings me to a couple of interesting points I’d like to mention, honed through years of watching people make fun of Mulder and once again brought to light while watching people disbelieve Sam and Dean.

First of all, most people see the world in black and white. Something exists or doesn’t.

Second, most people feel the urge to make a decision about things they have no way of being able to decide on. They oftentimes refuse to believe in anything they can’t explain, dismissing it out of hand, unable to admit that perhaps they don’t see it or don’t understand it because of the limitations of their own minds rather than the existence of said thing. So much for the advances in the scientific process.

Third, people tend to make these decisions based on their own experience only, limiting the world and its vast array of experiences and opinions to their own. Again, so much for the advances in the scientific process.

And fourth, not many seem to be able to accept that perhaps they can’t understand something, and that all they can hope is to understand it better and better through years of research, reading, and experience.

How can any person who hasn’t spent hours upon hours, if not their entire lives, studying the universe and various theories describing it, mathematical and other, decide if aliens exist or not? And why can’t people accept that they don’t have the knowledge to answer that question and keep looking?

Review: Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 2: ‘Good God, Y’all’ – Part I

I don’t know how they do it, but Supernatural’s writers put so much material into each episode that I end up taking nine to ten pages of notes during my first viewing. I took nine pages of notes last week; this week, I took ten. Seriously, how am I supposed to write a review with that much material and not an essay? Synthesis out the window, I say! Get yourselves a cup of Joe, it’s going to be a lovely but lengthy read. The Winchester brothers certainly deserve it.

The main question from season five’s premiere (and from most of season four) is how are Dean and Sam going to successfully fight off demons and ultimately Lucifer in the midst of the current turmoil their relationship is in. On the one hand, Dean can’t trust Sam, Sam having chosen a demon over Dean once before. Never mind that Sam did it for good reasons (to prevent the Apocalypse, or so he thought), quite expertly manipulated by Ruby; that betrayal created a world of hurt that colours Dean’s relationship with Sam.

Sam: You don’t want me going out there.
Dean: I didn’t say that.
Sam: Around demons.
Dean: I didn’t say that!
Sam: Fine, then let’s go.

On the other hand, Sam is going to want to make it up to Dean, and I’m pretty sure there are going to be quite a few temperamental moments like the one in this episode, where Dean pushes Sam too far and Sam, wanting (almost depending on) Dean’s approval, will snap at his older brother.

Sam: Because you think that (…) after everything (that happened), I haven’t learned my lessons?
Dean: Well, have you?
Sam, pushing his brother into a wall: If you actually think I… (walks off with a shake of his head)

Both have valid reasons to feel the way they do, but I have to admit Sam’s reaction seems to be the more mature of the two, asking Dean to set aside their differences and act like professionals. It’s also nice that he’s retaining his humanity, not becoming bitter, cynical or mistrustful and, most importantly, not losing faith. He still wants to fix things with Dean, instead of giving up because his older brother is being such a hardhead (as usual). Every death bothers him; while it can become emotionally taxing, it means he’s still human – and still at risk of falling back into his demon blood habit.

Sam’s wanting to be nice is what makes him weak – it might even make him want to drink more demon blood so as not to kill the people who are possessed. So the sooner he realises the extent of his power, the sooner they can start getting over it and become all chummy and nice again.

Which makes me wonder what would have happened had Dean not walked in on Sam literally shaking from the blood spilt before him. Never mind that it wasn’t actual demon blood; the important thing is that Sam thought it was demon blood. Sam has repeated many times that he feels helpless – except when he was able to get rid of demons without killing the host, high on demon blood, of course. Just imagine what would have happened if Jo really had been possessed, and Ellen knew Sam could save her, pending a little demon blood. The sad part is that Sam seems to not remember what Ruby confirmed — that he has it in him to lay on his mojo without the demon blood.

Methinks this is going to be an emotionally harsh season not just for Sam and Dean but also for the fans, judging by the various blog posts, fan forums, and discussion boards. How many of you felt like reaching into the screen, shaking the brothers senseless while screaming, “Get your act together, boys! I can’t take this any more!”

Since that can’t be done perhaps, dare I say the decision the boys made at the end of the episode is the best one; separated, they might be able to work on fighting demons better, but also, they might be work on dealing with their emotions better. In other words, maybe Dean can finally start getting over what Sam did. Had Sam stayed… they proved that in current conditions, they are not the best fighting duo anymore; imagine if Batman and Robin had a fight like that, then went off to face Joker. The latter would have such a field day! And no, I refuse to go into the debate of who is Batman and who is Robin in Supernatural, only to concede that Jensen and Jared in tights is hilarious enough a thought for me to consider contacting The CW.

And I have to admit that, in Sam’s position, I would also be torn and quite tempted to drink demon blood again.