The Companion

I think Felicia and Jensen are incredibly watchable together. I specifically love the way that the show has built the Dean and Charlie relationship. I have waxed poetic on why I think Charlie is a great character (I know I am an outlier) but one of the best things for me is watching those two together. I also love the expansion of the group. Again, I know that this gets mixed reviews from the fans, but I like the brothers when they have a team/network. They guys have felt so isolated at times. I also think that bringing in someone like Charlie allows for a different perspective to be voiced. I agree. I know that Felicia Day is very polarizing and try to remember that I am a fangirl and may see things with rose colored glasses, but I loved that both Charlies were Charlie, if that makes sense. I didn't want some moustache twirling villain Charlie. Both felt like different aspects of the same person. They were supposed to feel like the same person, because they were, at their core. If they ever retcon Charlie's sexuality to have her hit on Dean, I may burn everything down. I disagree with this. I actually like that Sam isn't making decisions that are "best" for Dean or trying to tell Dean what to do here. Ha! Rory and Lorelai had a lot of unrealistic and enviable fantasy characteristics, but the ability to eat all the junk food and still be skinny was definitely the most enviable. I will say that I have a friend like this in real life. She is a size zero and she eats like second and third breakfastes. Sigh. My husband is Dean. He literally eats almost exclusively junk food. He has a job where he is moving around a lot, but it also involves a lot of driving and he eats fast food and convenience store food while pounding full sugar sodas and energy drinks and the man HAS ABS. When he does drag himself to the gym, the trainer doesn't believe that he doesn't work out secretly at home. His cholesterol and other bloodwork is infuriatingly perfect. It's a good thing I love him too much to hate him. THANK YOU. This was my only complaint about this episode and it was a huge one. First of all, I have the maturity of a middle schooler but I can't stop giggling at the typo here. You should probably make him wrap the unhealthy wood. 😂 But also, I think it is a dangerous and infuriating thing that we treat foods as inherently "good" or "bad" and it contributes to a lot of unnecessary shame. I do think some of the message was about control, rather than evillness, but the message was somewhat lost if that was the case. Yes. Flirting with the bartender to see if she is interested and harassing her are two very different things, and I can't imagine GoodCharlie was indicating that she would be harassing the bartender if only she had BadCharlie integration. From what we have see of Charlie, she is completely comfortable openly flirting and going after what she wants, but she isn't predatory. However, Good Charlie treating the bartender like something she is abstaining from was gross to me. Don't forget, as well, that GoodCharlie said she just wanted to PAY FOR COLLEGE FOR THE BARTENDER. Like being a bartender can't possibly be a job someone does because they enjoy it. Like this woman is not respectable. This. She said she couldn't even flirt and she was stuck drinking club soda. One of the things I like best about Charlie is that she is so comfortable with sex and so sex positive. To put that aspect into DarkCharlie clearly means it was relegated to bad/dark. I know this show has a weird relationship with sex, so I guess we should just be happy DarkCharlie wasn't hitting on a dog, but the implication that consensual sex would be bad really bothered me. It was a miss in an episode that I otherwise very much enjoyed. I did love the Wizard being a darker version of his counterpart. I thought it was an interesting take. I loved the duplicate Charlie reveal and thought the episode was fairly enjoyable overall. I agree that DarkCharlie wasn't a perfect metaphor for what Dean is dealing with. This show sometimes has a miss when it comes to its anvils hitting the target. But, I thought it opened some interesting lines of thinking/analysis and overall managed to still stay enjoyable, unlike some "parallel" episodes in the past.

Definitely. It was bizarre to set up some sort of secret secondary motive and not actually have it revealed. Maybe a scene was cut? For a show that sometimes over-explains everything, I was surprised it was left so ambiguous.

I really didn't need him back so soon (binge watching may have made this even more noticeable). Unpopular opinion, but I like her as a foil to Crowley. Yes! I kept waiting for demon eyes or for them to talk her into consenting to.be a vessel because it was the only way or for some other motivation to come up. She is telling them about multiple murders and they are like: "Haha. Which murderer is this?" Then they are willing to kill for a stranger. How does this make even a modicum of sense? I agree. After all this time waiting for some payoff/consequences, this is what we get? She is given no personality beyond what is required for Castiel's growth and as a damsel/set up for Dean? And once she has served her purpose, she is sent off without so much as a ride to the bus stop and some cash? At freaking least have Castiel assure her he will be listening? She is a minor, and one who has been abused. This one wasn't a total loss for me, but I thought it was a bit of a mess. In the end, I am happy to have closure on Jimmy but feel like they really screwed up with Claire.

I actually liked this one. I see there are very mixed feelings and I doubt I can add much that hasn't been said. I really liked the 3 stooges call back and the way Sam recognized a problem but just let it lie. I was happy to have some repercussions from the Jimmy stuff. I seem to have been more disturbed than a lot of people about that (though it may be a situation where the people commenting on threads already knew the outcome). As much as I enjoy Castiel, the scene where he forced "consent" was super messed up. I felt like Claire was rightfully screwed up by everything and to have the being that screwed it up walk back into her life wearing her Dad's body? Yeah, that's a tough sell. I liked that Castiel was trying to fix it and that it wasn't that easy. What can I say about the end that hasn't already been said? Leaving Dean was a bizarre choice, but it was still emotional and hard to watch, so I will hand wave it.

Oh man did I love this one. I love Jody so much and her relationship with the boys. She is such a great character. And she wins extra points for calling Donna's ex a douche. Dude was the true monster in Donna's first episode. Eaten by vampires is too good of a fate. I also loved the reaction to the mansplaining gun vendor. I complained in Girls, Girls, Girls about the portrayal of women by this show, so I have to give props here. Two well-developed women defined by more than their relationships with men actually did some real work. It was great. Donna's character was really great as well. I liked her in her first episode, and I liked how they kept her nice and competent. The guys had some really great moments that kept them from being overtaken by the guest characters. I loved the kinko's exchange, of course, [snip]. But I also loved that 1. They continue to communicate, and 2. Sam didn't lose it at Dean. I think there is some real (and I wish permanent) growth in the relationship represented over the last two episodes. The vampires that use everything (really, cause I saw some leftover pieces) were a bit forgettable, but I liked the twist that neither the sheriff nor the deputy killed the victim.

I think that's right. This show has some really hilarious episodes, but they are so good because of the quieter ones. I think it is an interesting study on human nature. We often feel at sea after big events (good and bad) because we have been working towards something and now we don't know what to do. I also think this is a good point about bringing it back down the the individual level. If the series ended last night, it would have been so unsatisfying. We haven't been watching for years in the hopes that they fix the system. In the end, we watch to see what happens to these characters. We could not figure it out last night. That is amazing. Still holding out for a shot of her doing Coke with a de-marb;eized Disco Janet. I do not want this show to end.

Yes. I think the show can veer into misogynistic territory and certainly reflects certain patriarchal ideals. The show can sometimes fall back on stereotypes and often features women who are either a thin sketch of a character or defined solely by their relationship with the men, which is both lazy writing and not particularly interesting. Showing more women without showing them as complex individuals does nothing to help. I agree. So often the women of this show are defined by their relationship with one of the men, and they are almost always considered as a romantic partner for one of the men. Early in the show, there was just a weekly young attractive women with an interchangeable personality. They have added characters over the years who are women and who have their own lives and some depth, but then they get killed off. I think TPTB hear: you need more women but have missed the message that those women should be complex characters. I do like Charlie because she is something different (I know opinions vary on that). I like Jody Mills and actually hope they don't have her get together with one of the brothers. But this show is absolutely guilty of re-introducing the same types over and over. I maintain that Bela was a total lost opportunity. I hope that Rowena will be something other than more of the same, but we will have to see. Me too. I noticed that and it was one of the things I really loved about this episode and the improvements to the relationship this season. I suspect, though I wouldn't speak for others, that part of the problem is that her accent is slightly inconsistent. Sometimes she sounds "more Scottish" than others. I think that is a natural thing that happens, but it it more noticeable in a less familiar accent. So, I sound more Southern when I say naked or mama, but otherwise I typically have a fairly generic American TV accent. When I lived in DC, people would assume I was from where they were from, except when a y'all would show up in conversation. I liked the accent, but I did notice that it fluctuated occasionally and wonder if that isn't the complaint at heart. When I was a kid, I went to girl scout camp and we would play this game where we would tell a story together. If I recall, there was like a ball of yarn you undid till you hit a knot, or some other way that designated that the story would be passed to the next person. And I may be conflating it with a different game, but I seem to recall that the next person would start their portion with "and then." (I promise this is going somewhere.). So you would end up with this absolutely nuts and hilarious story because you had different authors and people would tend to go back to something that interested them or they would throw in something that they were thinking about that might not naturally follow. So it would be like: Once there was this girl and she needed s'mores supplies, so she went to the store . . . AND THEN a dragon flew in and grabbed her . . . AND THEN she really wanted those s'mores so she hopped off the dragon to get them . . . AND THEN she got lost and met this old witch . . . . You get the picture. Anyway, Supernatural has certain episodes that I think of as "and then" episodes where they are a huge plot dump and nothing really gets developed as much as I would like because so much is happening. This was definitely an "and then" episode. I actually really liked it, but there was so much going on and it was often entirely unrelated to the scene before it, which made for a slightly frustrating watch. So, what did I love? I love that they are finally tackling the consent/angel possession issue. This is something that has clearly bothered me for seasons (though a spoiler has somewhat mitigated it). We have seen multiple examples of angels taking a vessel through "consent" that is neither informed nor freely given. Castiel obtained consent through coercion (let me have your body back or I will take your child's). We have seen angels take over bodies that subsequently exploded and manipulate the religious to say yes. Plus Gadreel. For me, the angel plot has, honestly, been a bit of a bore. It grinds the show to a halt sometimes. But, I think there was a lot of payoff here (though I would have liked a bit more build up). Hannah's experiences as she learned about being human from Castiel affected how she reacted to her vessel's husband and she re-examined her own beliefs about everything in that light. I love that and I love that Castiel is now reconsidering Jimmy. Were it left to me, I would have absolutely tweaked the delivery of this storyline a bit, but I really liked what they did here. I love that the brothers are communicating and trusting. Even with Dean shutting down discussions when he is clearly struggling, I think that it has been great to see them communicating. I love that Sam is finally being written in a way where he is checking in and showing concern for his brother. I don't think Dean can really articulate what is happening, and I do think he is scared, so I don't have a problem with him being unable to talk about it. The fact that this wasn't a plot where Sam witnesses something and there are secrets and lies and tension until one of them is possessed by some power was a huge improvement, in my opinion. I liked that they addressed a different way of gathering souls, and that Crowley shut it down. I liked the Rowena twist, telegraphed as it may have been. I am interested in where it goes and how it affects Crowley and others. It is something different. You have to wonder if Crowley's son will play into the story and how it will affect everything. I was meh on the entire Cole storyline but thought we got some good beats in this episode on it. Is it resolved? I honestly hope so because I don't particularly want to delve into it further. The conversation of who the real monster is can be addressed in 100 ways that doesn't involve this character, who I find generally uninteresting. I have written a novel on this one, so I will close with a random observation: Anyone wonder if Cole's father paired the livers with fava beans and a nice Chianti?

Ha! Given how terrible everyone was in this episode, it's also possible he said something like: "Don't let her go outside and don't let anyone see her." which was interpreted as "lock her in the attic" because how would they survive without their house staff? This would have made it so freaking amazing. Maybe she has tiny child hands like me. I swear my 6 year old is going to have larger hands by the time he is 8. I never didn't laugh. Definitely the highlight. I mean, at least they were back to the gory and creepy original flavor of shifter, but I agree. I am unclear as to what they require to shift. Do they have a natural state? Can they only adopt what they have seen? The baby just randomly shifted to a picture he had seen. So, was Colette based on someone? I am not sure we have ever really fully explored them. Perhaps that is because they don't necessarily kill naturally, which would mean that Dean and Sam wouldn't have as much experience with them. I do think her stated motivation was because they trashtalked her mother. It was interesting to me that she was far more functional than the other person in the walls/attic we had in this show. Clearly she was receiving an education and interacting with some people, but one wouldn't know it from the state of her attic. Perhaps she had more freedom of movement than implied. Regardless, I would have definitely lost my mind if they locked me up with that creepy ass doll. This one fell a little flat for me, which is unfortunate because I love love love Clue the movie, and even love the game. Some of the tone was just a little off for me. I wanted either a bit more ridiculous humor, or a bit more seriousness. The music when Dean was investigating was so campy happy and silly, and it just didn't seem to fit with the tone of what was happening on the screen. I don't know if I can put my finger on it, but it just didn't work as well as I would hope for a Clue homage. The mystery was pretty good. A ghost? Multiple ghosts? What is happening? I liked the different manner of drawing them in. And certainly the end was memorable and remarkable. So, it wasn't one that I HATED, I just didn't love it.

Squee, indeed. I loved this one so much. Yes, I am a little embarrassed by how hard I fangirled and JA in just a tshirt cleaning baby was phenomenal. I figured it was Chuck, but this would have been amazing. Y'all, this episode was perfect and I refuse to hear otherwise. LALALALA. 😆 I giggled so hard over the one man tear and Mary's death and the Destiel discussion and, well, all of it. Carry on my Wayward Son definitely made me tear up. I said it before: my favorite thing is when the brothers are good with one another. This episode was so much of what I love about the show. I did laugh when the vines got the teacher that maybe they should have done Little Shop. I am definitely a theater nerd and the overly earnest drama didn't feel unfamiliar. I did not realize this was episode 200. I have watched 200 episodes in like two months? Sweet Dracula on a Moped, I may need an intervention. Anyway, this was delightful. Definitely one of my favorites. I can't improve upon 5 pages of comments.

I had a baby about three months ago and I felt this episode in my soul. Poor Amy. My kiddo is a good sleeper now, but I literally googled "is it possible to die from sleep deprivation?" during the first couple of weeks. 😆

Yes, that was one of the funniest bits of the entire show. I had to pause it. Yep. Birth costs may or may not be covered. We looked at surrogacy before I was able to successfully get pregnant with EDA and even with a willing unpaid surrogate, we were looking at potentially $60000-$80000. I believe there are special insurance policies you can buy for the gestational carrier, but they are pricey. I admire the women who want a clear tarp, but I was good with not seeing a thing. I loved the way the show treated the issue of surrogacy in this episode. It would have been easy to go for the low hanging fruit, but instead they had Jerusha being incredible and supportive, and they had Dina completely comfortable with her decision. As someone who checks the "it's complicated" box when it comes to babies, it was refreshing.

I love the Halloween episodes, and particularly the recurring gag of Dina in the same costume. I remember wanting to stab the loudspeaker at several retail jobs after listening to the same thing over and over, but the worst was when they got a bagpipe player to play the bagpipes all day long. It was not great. I feel like Superstore does its best work when they have the ensemble discussing something that goes entirely off the rails. The discussion in the breakroom had me cracking up. Also, that Cheyenne assumed Sandra wears a coconut bra all day.

That is funny. The episode definitely had a lot of close up of drooling monster teeth, which I like as a sci fi/horror fan, but not so much as a parent of a 6 year old. I recall several episodes last year where we had to decide if my kiddo would be upset because they actually showed people who had been killed by the monster of the week. It may just be more noticeable because I am screening for the kiddo, but I don't remember many on screen or gory deaths in the history of the show.

I agree that would have been stronger and feel like that could be said for a lot of the episode. The script was in dire need of a rewrite.

I think you have summarized a lot of my feeling on this episode. The high body count and particularly gruesome (for Doctor Who) deaths made it really hard to root for Bella or to be moved by her sacrifice at the end. I didn't mind the concept of global warming as the cause, but the speech at the end was just so over the top. Plus, I was really enjoying the feeling of a totally foreign planet and a new monster that was difficult to read. Making it Earth sort of took away from that for me. They were really terrible, weren't they? I tend to be fairly forgiving as well, but something about this episode went off the rails for me. Well, this episode definitely wasn't particularly kid friendly. My son loves Doctor Who, but this won't be one he gets to see. He loved the big spider episode and loves the Weeping Angels a lot. But these monsters were really intense. I think this is an interesting point. I do think, particularly in some of the classic episodes, the Doctor did sometimes go off on these teaching tangents. I still didn't like the speech and don't think I would have liked it on any Doctor because of the awkward way it was shoehorned in, but I do think it is a worthwhile point to note that this is definitely not the first time the Doctor basically took on a professor lecturing type role. I was loving this episode about halfway through, except for being disappointed that it was way to scary for my kiddo. He loves the show, but I have to screen for intensity. It feels like there is a particularly high body count in a lot of Thirteen's episodes (I complained about it last year) with on screen deaths or corpses. More than that, this one was intensely scary in a way that wasn't very Doctor Who. Deaths were on screenish (the sauna scene in particular). The monster was scary and unable to be reasoned with. Just straight murdery. There was a lot of shooting and running. I kept waiting for the Doctor to get some insight into the monsters and figure out some big way to coexist or get out or something. There was a slight movement towards that in the scene with the cage, but it was quickly discarded for more shooting and explosions. I really wanted the Doctor to use her brain, but instead it was all gun fights and body count. Don't get me wrong. I am a huge sci fi/horror nerd and the dripping teeth were awesome. It just wasn't very Doctor Who. What worked? The planet was so cool with the fog. It really ratcheted up the tension. I liked Bella up until she was revealed to be a secret murderer. I liked the ancillary characters before they were all eaten. I really liked the "alien spa" setting and the reveal that it was all smoke and mirrors. I liked the companions this episode and think the show is getting a far better rhythm with them. So overall, a step back for me. Last week "felt" like a Doctor Who episode for me. This one did not. But I am still really loving Thirteen and the way they are using the companions this year. Will it go on my rewatch list? No. But hopefully we can keep some of the other momentum going this season. ETA: I really hated Bella's motivation. I don't know if I can fully articulate it except to say that there seemed to be some implication that her mother abandoned her for work, but it was okay because she was doing it for Bella and it just didn't work for me. Maybe I am just feeling my return to work after maternity leave, but it felt like there was some implicit approval of abandoning her daughter (maybe you should have told her then) while also implying that it was totally reasonable to go on a murder spree because your mother isn't around. I mean, I assume there are communication options in existence here. Contrast her with the working dad from Kerblam who only saw his kid twice a year and his treatment. Working women are often treated like they are abandoning their kids. People will literally say things like "why have kids if you aren't going to be there for them?" So, I don't know, I am making a mess of this point except to say I would have appreciated an entirely different motivation.

I do think this is the most valid criticism of the action as noted above. Now, Lester was clearly a nasty character, so she may have backed into a better position with him gone, but Sam doesn't get off the hook for that because he had nothing to do with the outcome. I don't know what Sam could have done without knowing the wife's identity except to try to work that into his demon torturing. I don't think we have enough to believe he knew what Lester planned in advance but I agree we have enough to see that he didn't do anything to stop the deal from going down and that is problematic. I agree the writers didn't think that part through For me, the wife is collateral damage and I do agree that Sam has some culpability there (even though his options were limited once the deal went down). However, even considering that, his actions are being painted by the show as some really reprehensible act while the brothers kill meat suits all the time (arguably more direct collateral damage of innocent people).

This would 100% have been a better episode. Supernatural: we love the story so much, we tell it multiple times. 😆 The parallels in this episode were painful, and I don't entirely understand what the point was. Meanwhile, I totally thought they were working towards introducing her to Garth, but I guess that would have been too logical. I kept thinking: guys, you know a pack of werewolves who has made this work. At least give her a way to contact them for support. I have to disagree on this point. She describes her efforts to control the wolf side, and I would expect would at least appreciate the opportunity to discuss it with someone else. When captured she talks about not having a handbook and while she may be making it up, the logical thing to do would be to at least offer. This would also allow some level of monitoring by Garth. It was a weird choice not to at least throw in an offer and refusal. I think the thread probably already covers it. This was boring and the sisters were so wooden. I loved that the guys talked, but hated the characterization of Sam's actions as forcing Lester to sell his soul. The prior episode did not support that conclusion. It feels like Dean is trying to redirect, though. I am not sure he can articulate what is going on in his own head at the moment. So, maybe that was an intentional choice by the writers. The werewolves are, honestly, just not that scary. This episode with the two wolves who were easily taken down didn't help.

I saw that and meant to mention it. I thought he did a great job directing, particularly with the bunker chase scene. I can't imagine trying to split those duties with such a Dean heavy episode AND having to fold in an alternate version of Dean.

I find this one to be very rewatchable. Sorry, internets.

I really thought that was where they were going. I suppose it still could be, but I was relieved it wasn't the resolution here. I am already bored that her arc seems to be falling in love with Castiel. It is not particularly fresh or interesting. I don't know that I will ever get over the purgatory storyline. I suppose the good news is that they didn't start the season with fully cured Dean and then only give us dribs and drabs via flashback. I think this is correct and I loved it. I am, admittedly, a horror and sci fi fanatic and I love it when they have homages to classic horror. I cannot think of the batman voices in the Oz episode without giggling. How do you choose just one weird bestiality moment? I don't want to re-open old debates, but I think this is where I fall. Lester was a full grown man. Even intoxicated, I have never actually wanted to kill anyone and it's hard to say the alcohol was a factor when, as noted, he later showed up to watch. Lester wasn't talked into killing his wife, he expressly said all he could think about was revenge. Sam didn't even bring up killing her and didn't know that killing her was the plan. SAM: Sounds like things have been a little rough on you lately, huh? LESTER: Rough? My wife kicked me to the curb. SAM: Oh. LESTER: We haven’t had sex for four months. Four. Well, not that—not that she hasn’t been having plenty… with a guy in her bowling league. Guy with tattoos. Did him right there on the kitchen table while I was at work. SAM: Man, that’s uh … That’s cold. LESTER: Now all I think of is revenge. Payback. But that’s not gonna happen. SAM: I wouldn’t be so sure about that. It is possible that you can have your revenge. I mean, hell, it’s possible you can have pretty much anything you want. . . . CROSSROADS DEMON: Who summons me, and for what purpose? [Sam stands up as Lester walks towards the demon.] LESTER: Kill my wife … SAM: Lester! LESTER: And my soul is yours. SAM: Don’t! CROSSROADS DEMON: Done. SAM: No! Now there is some merit to him not stopping the deal from actually going down but that assumes he knows who the wife is or is able to track her down. This is on Lester. Sam gave him access to the weapon, but that is about it. This. Crowley expressly didn't get his soul because of the deal (though I wouldn't be surprised if the dude's soul ended up there on its own). DemonDean knew that, and appears to have been screwing with Sam/trying to make him feel as guilty as possible. DEAN: Oh, and so you know, I killed Lester myself. And that wife of his married the tattooed guy. [Sam slams his hand down on the table.] SAM: I never meant— DEAN: Who cares what you meant?! That line that we thought was so clear between us and the things that we hunted, ain’t so clear is it? Wow. You might actually be worse than me! I mean, you took a guy at his lowest, used him, and it cost him his life and his soul. Nice work. No need to finalize. He is dead and she can remarry at will. Apparently she had been with tattoo guy for 4 months, so good for her. Any dude who wouldn't hire a hit man is a step up. 😆 I agree. I think they could have done so much more with DemonDean. Then again, they seemed to think that DemonDean should go dark by treating women like crap, so I guess the silver lining is that we didn't have to see more of that. It would have been interesting, though, to see Sam ousted from the bunker. DemonDean was powerful and could have been really interesting (it not also heartbreaking) to watch. Also, I don't think the holy water splash will ever get old for me either. I found the Crowley stuff interesting because I had assumed that a large part of his motivation was to get himself a particularly powerful ally/pet. I think that he didn't expect Dean to come to the realization that Crowley didn't hold the cards here quite as quickly as he did. DemonDean can kill the Knights of Hell, and it has been fairly established that he can take down Crowley. When he wasn't going to fall into line, Crowley's only option was to de-escalate him. Giving Crowley the sword may bite them in the ass down the road in some way, but I think Crowley's interests do align here. It is also why he had to help Castiel. What was interesting to me was that Crowley really did seem to crave the comraderie/bromance aspects of his relationship with DemonDean. He isn't just paying lip service, he really did want DemonDean at his side in hell for more than just keeping people in line. I would have liked a scene with Sam and Dean at the end, and I would have liked it if Sam remembered the pie. But, overall, this was a fairly satisfying episode for me despite its faults. Also, if I haven't already, I officially retract any characterization of the bone sword and MoC as unimportant/arbitrary/something that would get dropped. It has had a lot of long lasting effects and I actually really like the direction the story went with it (reserving the right to be pissed down the road with however they handle the MoC bit).

My assumption would be that he narrowed it down to demons and Crowley would have to either know about it or allow it in his current position and given his relationship with the Winchesters. Or maybe he heard Crowley rambling about something on the way out. 😂

I imagine there was a ton of speculation and concern with regard to where the writers would take the story! Those demon eyes were devastating and I agree the scene was very well done. We see so many character deaths on this show, but the double whammy of the brutal stabbing and the demon eyes was intense.

I saw that upthread, though I assume his eyes were the makeup department. It ended up working in their favor, imo. I have seen contemporary pictures of JP and pictures over the years. It's funny to me how much his look has changed over the course of the show, but how the costuming has been consistent enough that even the older episodes don't feel dated. Random question, didn't he hurt his arm in S2 as well? I seem to recall an arm injury vaguely ascribed to the accident. While it was probably a real pain to integrate into the show, the change in Sam combined with the makeup ends up being fairly effective. I feel like they don't often let the trauma take a physical toll, and while I don't want them limping around every episode, it's nice to see some consequences.

I believe this should have spoiler tags for episode 3 (which I am part of the way through).

Probably my dark sense of humor, but this definitely made me giggle. Also, I am impressed you didn't do this with the Demon Dean reveal. I kept expecting her to be a reaper or something because, wtf. This is worse than picking up a homeless dude and banging him. Kid was adorable, though. It is so hard to watch Demon Dean. Don't worry, Baby, he didn't mean it. 😞I hated Dean being gross to the stripper and agreeing to kill the woman. I know I am supposed to but it makes me cringe anyway. It is so cool to see contemporaneous discussion. There was so much good commentary in this thread that I don't know where to begin. I had to wonder whether the slipping in the blood was intentional in the flashback. It was such a great detail. I agree with the problems with Cole, but like the concept. I wish they hadn't made him some super masculine soldier, and I feel like they introduced him at the wrong time for this to work for me. I loved the showdown with Crowley. Admittedly, I don't love Crowley as much as most people seem to. He just loves to hear himself talk too much. He reminds me of Negan. But I did enjoy watching him manipulate and I loved Dean's realization that Crowley can't do anything to him. I also loved Sam in this one. He really does look rough. It was so sad to watch him trying to get Dean to come home. Poor concussed Sam. My only complaint is Metatron because I feel like we have had just about enough of that. Oh, and there was this exchange: CASTIEL: Sam and Dean may be a bit rough around the edges, but they're the best men I've ever known. And they're my friends. HANNAH: I never get tired of looking at them. All those stars. Which totally made me giggle because I am fairly sure a large number of fans would agree that they also never get tired of looking at them either. But not the stars. ETA: Is it wrong that as hard as it is to watch Dean as DemonDean, I also find him attractive? I probably should see a therapist on that. lol