Zipper

So I'm watching on Netflix and Carry On isn't a part of the soundtrack, as mentioned above. It's a Boston song, probably Don't Look Back, but don't quote me because the music falls away for me at times of intense focus. Sometimes I'll read a comment about "ooh that background music" and I think "wait. what?" because I couldn't hear any. At all. As said above the acting, particularly by JA, was great. His depth of loss is so palpable, so engrossing. Makes me tear up when he yells "What am I going to do?" Of course, it's save Sam. And I'm fine with that. For 20+ years, Dean viewed his primary obligation in life as Sam's protector. And his brother died on his watch. Don't love the deal, of course, but I get it for him. Do NOT understand Jake's motivation. He's a good guy. Saved people. Had a bad moment in the Haunted Hunger Games with Sam, but when he's out on the other side, holding the Colt, and aware of YED's plan? Then it's every day is ice cream Sunday that seals him as evil? That's such weak sauce. The threat to his mother was way better... but now easy street in exchange for the end of this world? Really took me out of the moment. No reason YED couldn't have lied and said failure to carry out this charge would result in more intestine snacking. Sure, a Winchester has to kill YED, and we have the Papa W scene to get in, just... one slightly different line keeps the plot rolling better for me. I remember shrieking "JOHN!" during my first watch, and it was no less rewarding this time to have him crawl out of Hell to help his boys. Very glad Dean came clean with Sam about his deal in the end. Understand why Sam couldn't come clean-- he's been fearful all season that Dean might have to kill him if he turns bad, and now he believes he has actual bad in him. Uff. Poor guy. JP sure did sell that maybe-evil moment with the final execution of Jake. Great look there. Whew. That was a quick re-watch. Onto S3.

No surprise that I love the writing on this: Raelle Tucker. And as noted above, all of the acting is impressive. This is only the second time I've watched this episode, and I think the re-watch is more powerful for having a better grasp on how these characters develop over time. I think Dean is happy here, maybe mostly because Sam, Jessica, and his mom are happy. But he followed in his father's footsteps, pre-demon, to working in a garage. He has a "respectable" (haha) GF who seems to get him, and who is very loving towards him. He has a home. He can see his mom whenever he wants. And, had this been real and not a dream, he could have rebuilt a relationship with Sam outside of hunting. The scene that breaks my heart is when the dream!Sam breaks character and tells Dean he doesn't have to ruin it, he can stay. It kills me in ways that the appeals from Mary (in whom I'm not all that invested), Jessica (miss you from FNL, Tyra!), and GF don't even touch. It's a betrayal of so many aspects of the brothers' relationship IRL as well as the possibility for dream life. And it hits Dean so hard that HE apologizes. Lord, the weight this character carries. This was the first episode, on initial watch, that made me think I might be a DeanGirl. I actively worked to shake that off because my overall viewing experience is less meaningful when I over-identify with a character. But as the elder sibling, who carried some sh*t for my younger, I so identified with Dean. There's something so noble about him, flawed with the prom-date kind of nonsense, but even that is tempered with good-humored ownership of his shortcomings. Gah, I so wish this type of episode, this deeper exploration, existed throughout the series run.

Charming episode, and I laugh loudly more than once. I like when the brothers are competent at things other than hunting/research. So it's nice to see that in Dean.

This is a really good one. For all the reasons noted above, particularly the work JP does as Possessed Sam/Meg-in-Sam. I didn't recall this was THAT episode at first, until the hotel room when Sam begs Dean to kill him, over a single murder they haven't even investigated. Sure, "Sam" did it, but there could be many reasons to justify a killing-- so when he seemed intent on dying by Dean's hand without truly acknowledging what he was asking of his brother? I was like "DUDE... let's look into this a little more" (out loud, of course). Then I remembered.... Not!Sam. So I had to go back and watch the scene in the hunter's house to see if I could detect a bit of Meg, and sure enough, it's there. Exceptionally good work. The scene with Jo is disturbing, both in the physical threat to her and in the mind-forking Meg unleashes. So cruel, and so much better a demon than some later seasons. I don't see anything sexy about the assault, but I guess if you're someone who views Sam as kind of prissy and ineffectual, his demon-fueled "take charge" thing might trip a trigger? I don't see it, but maybe that's the root of it. When Bobby's exorcism didn't work, and Meg taunts them with their failure? I got very nervous. Fortunately a fairly quick, albeit temporary solution. Still a great ending, with the "naughty" line.

I like this story-- the brothers having different views on faith, and despite Dean's skepticism and largely unchanged views, his general deference to Sam's belief. His willingness to pursue the would-be rapist/murderer on Sam's vision is cool. And ultimately, in the face of Sam's fearful, almost self recrimination over his beliefs, Dean gently gives him "the will of God." Great scene and excellent work by both actors. Really tugs at the heartstrings. Sam's unicorn line got another chuckle out of me. My favorite line of the whole episode is that you should take down your xmas decorations or you'll "get filleted by a hooker from God."

So much to love in the ep. The consistency of the humor really helps balance out the sad and scary. Dean's "you're a patriot" and finger gun at the jewelry shop girl, HEE. Ronald's mandroid with laser eyes speech, his pure excitement at having a willing audience. The Okey-Dokey. Dean's camera focus on a derriere. "This is NOT a robbery." Ronald slips in the goo, then man-screams just so. The sheepish look Dean gives Sherry when he puts her back in the vault. Sam's utter frustration at being told to help Ronald "manage the situation," played with anger but also for humor. Even after Ronald's demise, the LEO response to Feds arrival, "Oh crap... oh crap." Then when Sherry faints dead away? Never fails to make me laugh. Also liked the Sam fixed his hair to a more professional look for his FBI persona. It's the details. YAY! Agent Henricksen... "Crazy's in there, and I just hung up on it." But I appreciate that he acknowledges the skill and smarts the Winchesters have. When Dean headbutts the shifter, I cheer. Lord, I forgot how much I loved Renegade as a music cue in this episode. Classic rock is in my blood from way back, and this show's first few seasons made me pretty nostalgic for the olden days. ;)

That's weird. It was an actual cast for a real broken arm, why would it be on the wrong arm?!? Conspiracy theory, like the moon landing?

On rewatch, I knew about the imaginary friend, so it wasn't as much of an ahhhhh moment. Totally agree with why NOT salt/burn the the bones? That creepy doll made me think about the doll with its owner's hair from S1, and I was sure it had to go. But, nope. The scene with the spirit trying to temp the daughter into the pool still gives me the creeps. The rescue scene made me think that now both brothers have a miracle save in the water-- Dean from the lake, and now this. And I loved the grandmother, such convincing work without a single word. Drunk Sam, while maybe a bit over the top, is adorable. Dean harassing him with hangover cure? Also adorable. I remember liking this more the first time, but still a good watch.

I like that idea, AwesomeO4000, that she was a working girl. Hadn't thought of that. Yes, that car scene gave me the heebies, and it made me perfectly ready for Webber's prompt demise.

Thanks for that perspective. I hear you. The time jumps in this episode felt significant to me. The doc said it took a few hours for the virus to mutate. IIRC, they cleared Dwayne about 3 hours after his alleged exposure, which seemed to occur during the one-hour show (small town, he's supposed to be running for his life, etc.). Then, they come back one scene after discovering the town was empty, and it's been 5 hours since Sam's exposure. All they really needed to do was get to cell service, 40 miles away, with Sam, to have a chance. There's more than one working car in the town, so they stick Sam in a car, tie him up, and put a gun on him. He freaks, he dies. With Dean and a Marine Corps Master Sergeant, I think they could come up with a plan of attack involving two cars, lots of ammo, and a pile of bombs. They don't even have to film that getaway, because all the Croatoans are gone. I'm probably having a pragmatic reaction to the emotional stuff, but I question why there seemed to be no options available, given my read on the timing the show gave us about the virus. Without acknowledging any potential option, Dean made his way to the very real risk of mutual destruction, and that seemed like a pretty big jump in terms of his mental state. Even with his renewed belief that John sacrificed for him-- unless maybe that's the point, he has internalized that sacrifice to the point that he doesn't see any way out and he doesn't want he or Sam to be alone at the end. Also, Sam has only had visions where Yellow Eyes is the mixmaster, that's why I thought about immunity the moment the doc said she thought it was sulphur in the blood sample.

I get some of the dislike about this episode, but overall, I didn't hate it. Totally see how it could be seen as unnecessarily heavier handed than previous brother-angst, but it seems like this has to build to some point. A clarity for both of them. My recall of what comes next in the season is crap (probably too much whiskey the first time around). So if I'm wrong and this step toward understanding their own private terrors and fears wasn't necessary, I'll take it back. The Schoolhouse Rock joke had me giggle. Dean's line, "You are a handsome devil," delivered with a perfect twinkle. The "You don't shut your pie hole, I just might" line. And I really enjoyed the set, the grey, damp look of it all, with fog blowing through. The only time the sun seemed to peep through was as Dean drove toward the roadblock at the edge of town, but there was still a bit of mist/fog. It was very eery, and I appreciate that given the actual, blood curdling horror of a virus that causes an entire town to wipe itself out by killing each other. The insight to Dean's exhaustion, now that he has more reason to believe his suspicion about John's sacrifice, and the possibility that he sees he and Sam winding up in similar places, having to make life/death choices for each other, thus leaving one of them alone... I liked that moment, except to the extent to which it suggests that in the VERY short time we've been with the brothers, Dean is ready to cash it in over a virus, when they have some bombs to get out of town, he's got 3+ hours until Sam turns, they have all kinds of possible resources once they hit cell phone coverage 40 miles away, and NEITHER brother thought about the possibility of Sam being immune, given he was immune to Andy the mind-controller. That was where it rang a bit falsely desperate to me.

Echoing what others have said above about how much I enjoyed the law enforcement run-ins early on. I think without these, the entire series would have suffered a degree of unbelievability. I'm totally willing to suspend my disbelief about ghosts, demons, shapeshifters, mind-control, etc., but these boys commit serious crimes on the regular-- okay, mostly breaking and entering, but still. There are BODIES everywhere around them. So this helped ground the series for me as a newbie, without ever getting to the point that it was tiresome or detracted from hunting. Also, I liked these particular cops in their roles. The woman, willing not to shake off what she saw with her own eyes, and the totally sketchy guy. I disliked him the moment he stroked her chin in the workplace. DUDE, that lady has cop sh*t to do, don't make her look like that at work. But he did convincing work as a criminal cop. ElleryAnne captured most of what I loved about the awesome details. The "find each other" mechanism, complete with Rockford reference, made me giggle/nod again this time. And I liked the idea of of death omen ghost, not necessarily something evil, just a spirit trying to help people.

Totally agreed-- and I blame John for Dean feeling, at this point in time, like he didn't deserve to live. Even before they went heavier into the Dean flashbacks, I feel an almost constant reminder of him as a child, learning to shoot at 6ish, and at the time helping to care for his 2yo brother. The loneliness of it all, and how the salve for that is The Hunt, and, of course, the resulting pride from John about Dean's abilities and accomplishments. As the older of two children, I feel that. I guess the natural corollary is that Sam feels a duty, now, to help care for Dean. He knows, although he struggled against it, what a critical factor Dean was in protecting him both from the monsters and, in part, from John. I don't know that Sam ever gets away to college unless Dean stood for him from time to time vis a vis John. In that light, I can better understand the sometimes awkward ways Sam tries to support Dean's emotional fragility.

I've liked Alona Tal since Veronica Mars, so when I first watched it, I was just happy to see her in something else cool. I got to pay attention to her performance a bit more this time through, and she did a solid job. The sunshiney part of her welled up a bit too much from time to time, like when she's trying to be a smart aleck it doesn't always land. But she had some good lines where she moderated that brightness, as I think is required of a newly minted hunter with any brains at all. Clearly, she did the work and showed initiative, so she's no idiot. Well, the creepy factor hit a lot of buttons for me, so this was fun on the MotW level. Drippy black goo, crazy eyeball looking back through a hole in the wall, grimy hands poking out of vents, scalp-related souvenirs, rotting corpse complete with crawling bugs, and the claustrophobia of it all. So much NOPE. Several moments where I blinked extra long. Ellen and Jo were awesome, both in the initial standoff and their fight. Both actresses nailed the tension, fear, and conflict. I totally get a sibling-ish vibe with Jo and Dean, so I didn't feel any forced pairing of the two-- they can appreciate the pretty, which I think they both do, without it necessarily being a coupling. Although her heavy-handed REO drop on the jukebox made me roll my eyes a bit. It's a high school era song for me, and her acting a little childish about that felt a bit "little sister who flirts with her older brother's friends" vibe. Nothing serious, just flexing the flirt muscles a bit to see if they work on handsome men, not just the dirty ones in camo.

Enjoyable overall. "These aren't the droids you're looking for" was a cute tribute line, riffing off Dean's earlier comment. And I loved the moment, after Sam confronted Dean about what he said under Andy's influence, and Dean, leaning onto the roof of the Impala FINGER WAGS at Sam about being roofied and how that doesn't count, "Do Over!" Sam's response and tone are perfect, "What are you, seven?" Not the weight of some previous episodes, but I like having an episode with a bit less direct threat to the brothers as a breather. Sure, several people died, but I'm fully good with Webber's ending. And I thought they did a nice job of showing how benign the powers were with Andy, and how gross Webber got with his. Although, Andy's early scene waving goodbye at the second-story, rumpled blonde suggests maybe he wasn't above using his powers on the ladies. His treatment of Tracy suggests maybe not, but it was clear he cared about her in ways he may not have. Ooohhh, I remember a bit more about No Exit. Preparing to be creeped out.

I must really like Ruelle Tucker; she wrote up in some of my favorite True Blood eps, and I liked this one quite a bit. The total story suffers from my not connecting with Angela or Neil, and frankly disliking Neil's motivation enough that his death doesn't make Angela seem any worse to me. If anything, he deserved a bit more suffering (so I'm a little dark on that kind of stuff). I completely get Sam trying to reach Dean, but early in the ep, something in the delivery comes of a little armchair psychology to me. I did think his line about Dean being "erratic" was very clever, not because we've seen much evidence of that (Dean's overly charitable initial view of Gordon doesn't really count giving his rather quick turnabout when confronted with evidence of Gordon's character), but I think Dean would hear that from Sam and think that John would not have liked erratic in his best soldier. That seemed to get under his skin a bit more than Sam's first foray into Dean's pain. And I appreciate so much that Dean acknowledges he's not 100%, without it devolving into some immediate, all-consuming crisis of conscience. Grief is so often a slow simmer into bad things, and the show is letting him act out a bit verbally while still trusting his hunting instincts, showing real concern for that sh*tbird Neil, and ultimately sliding his way to victory over Angela. Very slick move there. Sam's attempt to get Dean to acknowledge his conflict and the consequences of John's death are understandable, but maybe also a little tone deaf. Sam spent 4 or more years away from his father, in college, learning about himself and how non-hunters process emotions. Does he forget so quickly that Dean never had that break? College-age years are pretty formative in terms of developing emotional maturity and coping mechanisms (whether you go to school or not), but I think being away from family makes those strides toward self actualization longer and deeper. Not having that? It's a setback in terms of personal growth, and Sam's demand that Dean speak and process in a language Dean may have never learned is a little frustrating. Sorry if I"m upping old episodes in my rewatch, but that "sort" feature is super helpful to screen that out. Also, I can't imagine I'm supposed to spoiler tag stuff from 12 years ago, but will do so if that's the practice here. Thanks.

I've really gotten sucked into this show. I haven't seen any episode live, but I'm working my way back through from the pilot (second time). There are so many great episodes in S1 and thus far in S2 where I felt legitimately scared about a scene, a monster, a Bender, etc. This ep didn't disappoint in that regard-- spooked me several times. I don't mind the conflict between the brothers arising from John's death. I'm neither a SamGirl nor a DeanGirl, though I seem to see things through a Dean lens a bit easier; it's work sometimes to see thing from Sam's perspective. I think both brothers are struggling in ways they haven't yet grasped. Acting out from their own grief and uncertainty is totally understandable. The one moment I found myself taking sides was when Dean beheaded the vamp at the sawmill. Sam shoots him this look of disgust that seems totally out of whack with what they know at that moment and the preceding scuffle. Maybe intended to foreshadow, but I ran through my first watch so fast my retention is quite poor. You all have a great forum here, with lots of informed, invested, thoughtful commenters. Looking forward to experiencing S14 with you live.

General thoughts, in no particular order. LOVED having Dan get to be a material part of the investigation, and (shallow), ahhhh, those abs. Thank you, Mr. Alejandro. For the first time since his initial appearance, Pierce/Cain is a bit interesting to me. I am NOT on the Chloe moons over him bandwagon, except to the extent it might help Lucy see/learn some things about himself so we can move that story aspect along. Appreciate Charlotte taking on a protector role with Ella, but that would not be necessary if the writers/directors had not made Ella a caricature of her former quirky but mostly charming self. So, SHOW, please figure this out and either return Ella to charming or move her along to a tiny, mostly invisible role because the current iteration is a disservice to her and the show. Unless they come up with something cool for the Linda/Maze/Amy thing, and in a hurry, I will be both bored and pissed. The Linda Factor is critical for Maze now that she's less entertaining as a demon, and throwing something this trite in there is lazy. They fight over a man (ok, angel, but to them both, he's functioning mostly as a traditional dude). These amazing women should be above this pettiness. I'm okay with a little reputation in Chloe's responses to Lucy being himself, but they are getting very tiring. Sure, it's probably off-putting to have your partner be a selfish tool over and over, but it's time to move on from this. They need to come up with a way for her to compartmentalize Lucy being Lucy without having the same reaction every time-- because it's getting whiny and dull, which, in turn, makes Ms. German look like she can't carry off the scene.

Yippee!! Bring on the celestial stuff, Cain. I do like TH in the Charlotte role-- she had a moment with Trixie that was so cute. My thought is that Charlotte isn't Mum anymore. She runs into her former sex-toy (who she actually likes) with his child in tow, and she was awkward for a moment, but then agreed to watch Trixie for the day. That strikes me as a reasonable response from a human mother-- I've seen actual mothers be much worse with other peoples' children. Would have been better for her to give Trixie something fun to do in her office, but she was painted as a terrible mother in the first place, so I don't think this is evidence of any ongoing Mum presence. Poor Aimee Garcia. One week, she gets a reprieve from being a dope; the very next week, she has to throw herself in the mix with the WORST actor on the show. I hope she successfully advocates for a return to a better Ella. This ditzy thing is wearing so thin. She sells it, with the doe eyes and the heartfelt attempt to connect, but she shout not have to stoop that low. Tom Ellis looked as good or better than ever in that 3-piece grey with the startlingly white shirt. And what a great job he did in this ep-- my favorite line being "nut to butt... have your six... foxhole" and Welling didn't drop the ball on the response. But that was all I enjoyed about Welling this episode, until he lurched off of the floor. Loved seeing Maze in torture mode (LAB is so lovely), but totally agree she didn't bring the whole demon vibe-- and shame on FOX for not giving us a more damaged "Sinnerman" after her torture. I'd take Trixie out as a wingman any day. Please, writers, give Chloe some consistency-- I know breaking a rule is within her character, but a detailed plot that puts a fake bomb on Dan's desk? Nope.

One other thing about blinding-- it's a strong mythologic reference, and if I recall correctly, it's considered a divine punishment carried out either by man against himself (Oedipus) or others (Orion blinded for some offense against the gods, same too for some dude who insulted Helen of Troy). So for those backing the idea of another pantheon, this might be a clue. Assuming this dude, Sinnerman for now, didn't get caught on purpose-- his divine counterparts might be really pissed that he screwed up. His punishment is self-blinding so he doesn't cause any more harm to their plans.

Don't recall who said the eyes are windows to the soul, but that dude just slammed the shutters and locked 'em up tight. I liked him as an adversary-- the actor brought a nice bit of menace and enough crazy to set up the next installment. This episode made me feel like we have been treading water all season and now the main arc is ready to get moving. If the writers buckle down and ramp up, I could see us getting a solid rest of the season. Linda and Amy deserve to have some happiness in their lives, and I LOVE that Linda is getting to ask questions about the divine. Would like to see that continue, maybe even thematically. But I'm not happy about a potential love triangle. Maze seemed a bit out of character in the ask, but maybe her developing humanity has triggered this. Or maybe her time away has made her miss Amy. Hopefully this will be a quick resolution because I have no desire to see some BS wedge driven between Maze and Linda. Man, Tom Welling is bad at this. Or he's getting terrible direction. I started closing my eyes when he came on screen just to see if his delivery was made any better and it's not. Dude is flat. Enjoying Charlotte, but no way they let her anywhere near a former client as a prosecutor. Having Luci stuck in that room for a minute seemed interesting, until Maze showed up. Then Luci's pounding on the door showed how thin it was. Ruined that scene for me.

I'm 37th-ing the best scenes as Dr. Linda and Amy. And kudos to the poster who noted that having Linda in on the 'celestial secret' makes her the most interesting human character. My thinking on the Charlotte/Ella pairing-- as a true believer, Ella is a good choice to help Charlotte take steps toward avoiding Hell a second time around. Plus, it gets us more scenes with women talking to each other about things other than men, so yay. But maybe there's something to putting these two together in the ultimate reveal to Chloe-- a way to absent Luci from Chloe's initial realization and thus avoiding what could easily be so much fear, shock, etc., that would cripple their relationship permanently. Y'all must hang out with some really pretty people to think LG wouldn't stand out in a crowd. It's a total opinion thing, but I think she's naturally very lovely, particularly when they either put her hair up or style it. Agree with everyone who is puzzled about the yo-yo they have Luci on-- he's essential to crime solving b/c of his celestial knowledge, then... not. He's away from Chloe b/c she's from God, then... back. He's going back to his old, favor-granting ways, then...nope. He's got wings and no devil face, then... nada. If he, for one second, thinks a single game of monopoly makes HIM boring? Then he's forgotten he's actually Satan. I've been willing to give this show a lot of trust, and to some extent, I still do because it's possible this is all ganked up because LAB was out on maternity leave. But I'm getting a bit nervous that the shifting Luci personality and the delay on any unifying season arc mean bad things. Yay Trixie!!

I loved everything thing about this episode. Nearly cried when the original opener music/visuals played. By a fluke, I caught It's the End of the World / And We Know It yesterday afternoon, so this was some crazy, beautiful deja vu. Lord I loved seeing Ellis in the gallery. This show... man, thank you, Shonda.

OOOOH....I forgot, I adore a man who brings spackle with a drill. Love you, Dan!!

The Vegas side of this story was fun! I really enjoyed Candi last season, and think it was smart to bring her back as the center of one of the stand-alone eps. Gives us a little more detail from Luci's perspective, too, which is always good. Also agree that Ella's use was, while great in the actress's execution, one of the times I get a little frustrated with a secondary/tertiary character getting so much time. Then again, if Chloe's whole schtick this week was denial, pouting, and only a drunken realization of her suppressed feelings about Luci? Bring on more Ella. Seriously, I like Chloe most of the time (she can bug, but she's got enough good things going on that she's an overall strong positive), and I get that birthdays can be hard-- but she's a grown ass woman who got weepy because she had failed to process her own feelings? About a dude (talented, fun, sexy fox of a dude but STILL) she sees all of the damn time? I want my Chloe better than that. We could have had all of her same realizations, the same party, the same hijinks, as well as the beautiful scene at the end between our leads if the writers/director had give her some saltiness instead of that cloying self-pity. Give my girl some balls already. Dr. Linda rocks, and Rachel Harris has the perfect... well, but... delivery. And, I appreciate that they've given her another point of connection with the cast (beyond Luci and Maze) so maybe we get to see more of Linda. I was OK without Trixie, although it seems odd for this mother to bemoan her birthday fate without even a throw-away about Trixie being at camp or a lock-in or something. Lord, when there is no Maze and no Amenadude, the show feels really different, and not in a good way.