The Companion

YES! I would get business cards made. Dean wanting to kill Nazis with a grenade launcher was amazing. So, this episode seems to have hit at a particularly terrible time. Without that context, I actually liked it, but I will also note that: 1. I have a deep, dark black sense of humor; and 2. I have a love of Nazi-killing stories likely born of a 1980s upbringing. I enjoyed Ellie and loved that the noped on out of there (even if it led to her getting kidnapped). I also liked the kids these days discussions. Most of all, I liked the guys working together. I don't think Dean's "I killed Hitler" will get old for me. It's the new Rory punched Hitler.

It's another funny example of how we all watch the same scene and get totally different things from it. This was my interpretation and it didn't occur to me that it was anything else. This storyline is very clearly triggering that analogy for me and it is making me very protective over the boys, but also probably a little more understanding for Mary. My son is adopted, so I have done A LOT of thinking on adoption. What we will do if my son wants to reach out to his birthfamily? How we will support him? What his birthmom's situation likely was. How I will deal with potential feelings of rejection if they surface (every kid's experience is different)? The text in this episode made my heart hurt. Dean made my heart hurt. I wanted to make it all okay for him. I wanted him to get the relationship he wanted with Mary immediately and happily. I know that my son might want to reach out to his birthfamily some day and that it might not go the way he wants it to. My biggest fear isn't that he has a great relationship with his birthmom. She won't replace me. We can both love him and he can love us and there is literally no limit to how much someone can love. This is not a real problem (for me). My biggest fear is that he reaches out and his birthfamily doesn't want a relationship and it hurts him. There is NOTHING I can do about it except be there and pick up the pieces if it happens. And honestly, I won't blame her if she doesn't. I get it that it may be too difficult to re-establish that relationship. Adoption is hard and emotional and complicated. So when he sent that text, I held my breath and when he got the response I may have got teary eyed over it. The situations aren't the same (obviously) but they are close enough that it is really getting to me. It wasn't very satisfying, was it? I thought the story was interesting. There was this building dread. The ending was a bit depressing, but it felt like a solid story to me.

Maybe I missed that but it seemed like they left in a swirl of light and he was just there to make his way home. It's still weird. They could have zapped them both anywhere. And agreed. They obviously had more to spend on special effects and the result was underwhelming.

Yes! I think that Sam would have welcomed what looked like a network of support had they approached him correctly. I mean, both of them have worked with demons, monsters and the like when they thought that there were shared goals.

Sorry guys for dredging up what is a hot topic. I have no doubt I will have feelings about this down the road that are far more complicated. I also have sort of a different perspective as a mom through adoption as far as feeling protective over Dean and Sam here but also having thought about the potential for meeting a parent later in life. More on that in a later thread. As far as asking her to be his mommy, I am not really saying that he is unrealistic or wrong any more than it is bad for me to wish I could go back to having my mom bring me red beans and rice when I am sick. I suspect I will feel differently about it down the road, but so far I am sympathetic to both.

Obviously I don't have the perspective to comment now. I may ultimately end up hating these episodes in retrospect, but I am enjoying them now despite feeling particularly protective over and worried for the guys.

Obviously, the last scene gives us a lot to talk about, but I agree that I loved the ghost story here. It was creepy and good and really really sad. It was so hard to watch, and I totally get everyone's perspective here. I think Sam is in the best position to see both sides because his mother has always been a story. But poor Dean who wants to be able to curl up and be 4 again feeling hurt and rejected. It was hard to watch. I don't think that Mary is saying she doesn't love them or even that she can't get there, but holy hell how do deal with all of those emotions while trying to stay in the role of "mom." Sometimes, I get all teary looking at pictures of my son as a baby and wondering where the time went. I can't imagine if he was suddenly an adult. I think Mary feels like she doesn't fit. It's like visiting somewhere you went as a kid. Everything is familiar but also totally different than it is in your head. Mind you, I am not saying that I don't wish that she hadn't tried to make it work with the boys around. Poor guys. This has probably already been said multiple times, but I don't think it is a matter of not loving them. Exactly my feeling as well. This is a massive change PLUS the entire world has changed and the person she would normally talk to about it and lean on is dead (and apparently gave her kids a life she didn't want for them because of her death). That is an intense swing. Maybe I won't like how this plays out in the future, but at this point I think it is a totally understandable reaction to say: I need to think about this. I need to think about my changed role and this new world and where I fit. There is no real world analogue here except maybe a coma or reunion with a birthparent (or maybe deployment as I mentioned in the last thread). Me too. I loved the bacon and the snacks and the cuteness of it all.

I complain a lot about the way they handle internal conflict on this show. They often have ridiculous choices relating to secrets and lies to drum up conflict. This conflict, however, is really interesting because it is so heartwrenching and it is a lot more organic. For Dean, his mother has been frozen in time in this idealized version he had as a small child. He recognizes his father's faults, but didn't have time to see his mother as human. I love the conflict here (in the sense that it is meaningful and sad and makes for a great narrative). Agreed. I think everyone's reactions are so good and everyone is knocking it out of the park. I loved Sam bringing tea. He never knew his mother. In some ways that makes it easier and in some ways it doesn't. It was a great moment, in my opinion. I also loved Dean's reaction. Both seemed really natural. I hate when this show feels the need to remind us 10 different ways that a character is possessed, etc. The worst was the Leviathans. We didn't need the bad CGI every time. Ah well, it is clearly just something we gotta live with. Phew, my son was sick this weekend and I had to separate the baby from him so I got some quality tv watching in during baby naps. I have to say I really liked a lot of this episode (except for obviously the horrifying rape scene at the beginning that we are apparently supposed to be A OK with). I wanted more from the reunion (why skip over that) but I actually loved the pie scene and the struggle to feel each other out. You have three really valid and difficult perspectives. Dean, whose view of his Mom is through 4 year old glasses. Part of him wants to curl up and be a kid again. Part of him worries that he has changed or that this can't last. His enthusiasm for the pie from his Mom was one of my favorite parts. Sorry everyone who was grossed out. Sam is in a different place. This missing piece has walked back into his life. A woman he has never known but missed his entire life. He has this cautious optimism that is lovely to watch. Then you have Mary. Frozen in time and confronted with a world that doesn't make sense. Two babies grown up and a husband lost. How does she navigate this? How does she meet her sons who are strangers to her? How does she grieve and deal with the pressure? It sort of reminds me of kids meeting their birthparents or reunion after a long deployment. It can take time and sometimes it isn't what you expect. I also actually really enjoyed Rowena and Crowley this episode. Speaking of complicated mother/son relationships. Lol.

I still think it is absolutely ridiculous to expect us to believe that they just left all that knowledge in an empty bunker. Also, why wouldn't they have tried to reach out before now and how would none of the hunters have heard about them. And why only send two operatives to take in the two critically dangerous hunters they fear so deeply? I am probably just going to have to accept it. They wanted to add this group and so they did. At least get her a hair rubber band. Yeah, it is a bit all over the place, isn't it? Either they want to work with the hunters, in which case why are they approaching it with torture, or they don't in which case why don't they just kill Sam. It would make a lot more sense if they don't think Sam is a clear and present danger to approach him collaboratively. Even if they had nefarious purposes, she could act as a spy. It was so amazing. I loved that scene. I agree that calling her "Mom" was the most natural. If I were in a coma tomorrow and woke up 30 years from now, I would still expect to be called Mom. My kids are my kids. Always. Agreed. I loved the scenes between Dean and Mary. To have his Mom show up and to treat her with such sweetness. I think he gave her one of his layers during their talk too, which was such a sweet detail. Oh, and how happy amd I for the actress that she gets to wear something other than that nightgown? On the other end of the spectrum, my sexuality is apparently JA breaking a phone by hand. 😆 I loved hormone demon. He reminded me of the demon and angel at the bar. That hug. ❤❤❤ I loved Sam/JP so much on this episode and I found myself holding my breath each time they tried to get him to talk. Really solid work. I need a really good reinion STAT. Yep. It just isn't possible. I was trying to put my finger on it, but this nailed it. We didn't get a string of monologues. We got a lot of details, but just enough to be satisfying. Like with Mary. We saw the tail end of the conversation. Enough to really show the impact without a full show recap. I think, beyond memories themselves, she is also synonymous with John for Mary. Baby is familiar and reminds her of home and of her husband (who she just found out is dead). I loved her reaction to Baby. I know a lot of people had Bela but I loved her and I am still a little bitter on how she went out. I loved that she was self interested and turned her knowledge into profit. I actually thought it was a really interesting take. I didn't love her sad backstory at the end. I think she could have been way more interesting as a variation on Crowley. Making deals for her own purposes. Acquiring artifacts. Lady Toni is not at all interesting to me. I just dont find her compelling right now as a cog in the wheel. She feels more like an angel following orders to me. Yes on the harp! I also thought they were going electrocution. I was also glad they didn't. I loved this one. I thought it was actually a really great start to the season. The Mary/Dean scenes were really amazing. They didn't spare us the trauma and sweetness and worry. We got a meaningful Cas reunion as well. JP did phenomenal work and I found myself actually worried. I don't really care about the Lucifer parts but loved hormone demon. Overall, it felt solid to me.

Shhhhhh. I said let me be optimistic. Ha. There was some mention in the thread and that certainly puts it into context. I do think it ended up in a pretty good place (no doubt, largely because of the team effort, and the very comprehensive understanding Jared and Jensen have of the characters).

Yeah, I have a hard time believing he wouldn't send him back. It was a weird choice that falls into "because plot reasons" for me. I hear all of the great analysis on this point but I agree. It feels like it was all a bit wasted. I think they may have intended some of the other connections made in this thread, but in the end they failed to actually make those connections, IMO. It was a rushed conclusion that ended up giving us very little payoff on all of these scenes where they talk about their connection. I like this explanation but I wish there was more of it in the show/dialogue. I don't understand how a show manages to overexplain some stuff into the ground and then whiffs on explaining a rather critical (based on screentime) point. I love this about her. It is just so Rowena to walk around in full length gowns like she may have to head to a ball any minute. 😂 I do think it is a good shorthand for a few things, though. 1. It reinforces the image she is trying to project as a lady/woman of means. 2. It reinforces that she doesn't fight with her body. I really like when she is contrasted with Sam. She is so tiny (wee?) and I love that she holds her own in a different way. I think this 100% of the time that people do it in shows and movies. I also worry a buy about ligament and tendon damage. *shudder* Mmmmm. Pie. Agreed. This could have all been established next season and the mystery of who she was would have made a better cliffhanger than what we got. They worked really hard for an apparently unnecessary key. Lol. Look, maybe they manage a good explanation in S12, but I just find the entire thing ridiculous from the information available. We are supposed to believe that there was a surviving chapter of the MOL and they knew the location of this bunker and they didn't send anyone to staff it or collect the materials and artifacts over the course of decades?? Really??? The bunker contains a ton of material. I can't believe that nobody went to archive it or examine it. Putting aside that they have apparently hung around on the sidelines for multiple apocalypses, I just can't believe an organization that catalogues and researches is going to abandon that information. Well, Billie is pretty awesome. She makes me smile too. Spot on as always. I particularly agree on the emotional punch this episode delivered. I agree. One of the things I loved best about this season was the lack of internal drama/angst. Agree x100. I held out very little hope that I would enjoy this episode and I was pleasantly surprised to actually enjoy it. There are some complaints. The devotion of valuable screentime to an unrelated character. The inexplicable decision by Chuck to leave Dean where he stood. The failure to have Castiel and God interact. Nonetheless, this episode has so much good. The emotional scenes hit me in the feels even though I knew Dean would live. I could not have loved the hopeless bunker and bar scenes more. Rowena and Chuck trading parenting was freaking hilarious. I didn't love the soul plan. I mean, those souls are people right? What happens to them upon detonation? Doesn't anyone care? But I loved the resolution, cheezy as it was. It feels like this show is often: find the proper weapon/soul bomb/etc and kill the bad guy. It was nice to have it end differently here. I can't believe I made it through S11 already. Overall, this season is one of my favorites. There are pacing issues and Amara was a total dud for me, but it somehow came together into a reasonably interesting story. Plus the one off episodes were amazing. It was a surprising break from the internal angst and there was only minor seeeecrets and liiiiiies drama. I don't really have a great handle on where they are going with Mary and the EVMoL (heee), but that may be a good thing. Maybe that is overly optimistic, but let me live in that space for a bit. 😂

I like this and would have also accepted it if developed. I feel like (and it seems there is an undercurrent of this in this thread) they feel the need to keep escalating. Each big bad has to be bigger and badder. But the budget and technological constraints only allow for so much. So, if we have to bring her smaller, it would be nice to do so with intention. Your theory could have worked well (and I recognize that it may be better supported in the next episode, which I haven't seen).

I would probably be less whiny and more burn it all to the ground and stomp on the ashes. She is one of the most powerful beings in the universe. She is destruction incarnate. She should be strolling up to a trap. She should be enveloped in darkness so deep you can't see your own hand. She should be rage and vengance. Maybe that is just me, but I want something more. I also think that the contrast of rage and destruction with her quieter Dean obsession would play better.

Kind of the core of fandom, isn't it? Lol. It just didn't seem to relate back to the plot and then he somehow talks the demons into joining the fight offscreen

I did not understand what they were trying to say either. Dean wants God to kill her cause he doesn't want her dead? I don't get it at all. Donatello may have been the dumbest part of this entire storyline. So we have this new prophet who knows where we live. What should we do with him? Let's send him back to his home, unprotected in any way, in his otherwise empty town. What? I don't even understand why they bothered to introduce him. Or why they bother with that scene and the scene of Amara wandering around in the bunker. Maybe it will come back next episode for some reason, but it seemed like a waste of the character. I kept thinking during the scene that Lucifer was going to show up. I guess there is no archangel protection left for prophets? It's interesting to get this context after the fact, not being exposed to many fan theories in the episode threads. This is not a ship I knew sailed. 😂 I can kind of see it, now that you mention it. If it happens, she better check her thigh magic regeneration spell. Just saying. I thought the same thing when it was happening. Maybe it was God's protection/warding? All I got. I don't even know how to tackle this episode. It was another And Then Episode. I think I just have to accept that Supernatural often has these episodes at the end of the season. Where 100 ideas go to die at once. They are rarely satisfying, but there are usually some redeemable bits and you wish that someone had taken a couple of passes at the script with a red pen. So, starting with the good: I actually liked the team up concept. I enjoyed the cuts where they are talking each party into joining. They were funny ("Clea, dear, is this how it's going to be with us in Crete?") heeee I loved the witches (even the super bad accent on Clea) and I am saddest about bongo witch. Come back, bongo witch! On that thread, I am so happy Rowena is back. She provided some of the most watchable parts of this episode for me. I loved how she said "Hello, Fergus" when she saw her son. I don't know why, but it made me laugh. I wish we had gotten a bit more of the awkward as the parties came together, but I loved the scene where they were all uncomfortably preparing for battle. The battle, although poorly thought out strategy wise and full of some questionable CGI was actually intense and engaging I think that is about all the good I have, unfortunately. I echo everyone's frustration that Sam apparently had this huge conversation off screen regarding the Mark. I hated the therapy between God and Lucifer but not as much as I hated that Lucifer is apparently a sulky teen instead of an angry fallen archangel. I continue to find Amara about as exciting as boiled cabbage. I knew I didn't like her and, therefore, the end of this season was likely to be boring for me. She just doesn't seem particularly interesting. I don't feel sorry for her. She is petulant and whiny. Blech. On the world's most worthless scenes, why the hell did we have to get Crowley gets mocked by the demons? I would have far preferred a scene where he tries to sell attacking the Darkness to the demons. I don't know why, but the confirmation that the MoC supposedly magnifies what is already there really pissed me off. I think because I don't feel like some of the things Dean did while sporting the MoC were actually like him. Perhaps I am still hung up on Demon Dean calling that woman a skank. Ugh. Anyway, I don't find myself particularly excited about the finale, but I have been wrong before.

I think the comment holds up through S11 for sure. It's a solid point.

You summarized what worked about the Metatron story better than I did and now I like it even more. I think you are spot on regarding the dog scene. When you think about it, stories would be a terrible way to understand how humans work. They are intentionally cultivated. It puts some perspective on even his prior actions. Overall, such a well done episode. Btw, I think some spoilers snuck into your post (re Castiel). I have actually been partially spoiled on the comment because google keeps pushing stories about Supernatural and the current season at me, but you may want to spoiler tag.

Agreed. It is a totally different experience to watch almost 11 seasons (so far) without a break. I do wonder what I would have been invested in, fan-theory wise, had I watched in real time. On the other hand, I do think I can sometimes afford to be easier on the bad episodes or the non-mytharc episodes because I don't have to wait. When I hate a storyline, I can just power through it. It has been really interesting to "catch up" to the live episodes. I am able to get a lot more insight into what fans were thinking and into real time reactions.

I am honestly glad to see him gone if he is. It was a solid redemption arc and sacrifice. Yup and yup again. Sigh I am horrified that he was still in the veil. Does this mean there is still a backlog of ghosts? Agreed on Amara. She is just not compelling TV. It was so good. I loved this scene. So freaking hilarious. I am really bummed about Kevin. I enjoyed the new prophet and appreciated the humor, but wasting Kevin is so disappointing. Overall not the caliber of the last episode, but I still enjoyed this one. Except for Amara who is as compelling as watching paint dry while also gross. I watched this one back to back because I had to see the guys' reactions and they didn't disappoint.

I seriously started quoting comments in this thread and got to something like 20 before deciding that the conversation here has been so robust, so interesting and so passionate that I can't even narrow down comments to guide my response to the episode. So, I will go about this from a clean slate. I loved this episode so much. I really really loved it. On paper, it was a lot of talking and it featured Metatron, which are two major strikes in my book. But in practice I found it emotional, well-paced and engaging. I loved Chuck as God, a fan theory that I have seen floated around here for years. I, surprisingly, enjoyed Metatron. And the end, when all the people rose and the necklace began to glow? That had me crying. So, here are my very delayed thoughts for anyone who cares to read them. The Amulet: Look, one of the major differences between watching this show after the fact and watching it in real time is that I missed out on a lot of fan commentary. It is clear that this has become a particularly charged symbol for a lot of people. And to be clear, I love love love the passion of the fans of this show. I loved reading the different perspectives in this thread. Here are my thoughts on it, if anyone cares to read them, with the acknowledgement that there may be some bigger context I am missing. My initial reaction in the episode where it was discarded was that it was an intentional decision to send a message to Sam and/or to show Dean's despair. It was fascinating to me to see these different interpretations of the same action. I can't say mine is the correct one, but it was my interpretation at the time. I don't think that Dean was wrong, and personally I don't see the amulet arc as a statement that he was wrong or bad to do what he did. In my opinion, he had the right to throw away the amulet, regardless of whether it was done in anger or hurt or just because he decided it was not useful. Even with the harshest interpretation, Dean was acting out of anger and sadness and despair. I think, at least in Dean's mind, when he threw it away it didn't have the meaning that fans have ascribed to it. I base that on Dean's words in Fan Fiction where he says: It never really worked. And, I don't need a symbol to remind me how I feel about my brother, so... However, I don't think that means it doesn't have a different symbolism now, or that Sam's perspective wouldn't have been different or even that Dean might not have said something different at the time. In Fan Fiction he accepted it and he hung it and looked at his brother when he did it. So even if it didn't have that meaning to him, I think it was STILL a symbol of reunification. Of putting difficult times behind them. I personally thing Dean accepting and hanging the Amulet indicates that he accepted it as having meaning at that point, even if he didn't when he tossed it. That he saw it as a symbol of their love of one another. In the end, I actually love that he took the prop Amulet, so that it wasn't forced on him later by God. He accepted it first and used it as nonverbal communication with his brother. When it showed back up here, it gutted me in a good way. It was particularly meaningful in a season where they seem to be moving past blaming one another and past their mistakes. Combined with the resurrections, it felt like it represented hope. Obviously, mileage necessarily varies on this but I loved it so hard. The Smoke Inhalation This is another one that completely flummoxes me because so many people in this thread interpreted it as an attempt at suicide and I am an outlier because I saw something entirely different. To me, it was totally clear that he was realizing that he wasn't affected the same way as everyone else and he inhaled to see whether or not that held true. He wasn't inhaling because he was trying to die, he was inhaling to verify his impression that he was immune. This seemed entirely apparent to me and I was absolutely shocked to discover it was not interpreted that way by anyone else. Lol. To be clear, I am not saying I am correct. I am just saying it is so bizzare when people watch the same thing and see something totally different. I was so shocked, I wen't to see what the transcript says. FWIW, it says SAM continues grunting. DEAN inhales deeply and notices that the fog is not affecting him. He turns around and notices that the fog reached the people in the other room. DEAN becomes furious and screams at the sky. Combined with the I'm not leaving you line, it is very possible that I totally misinterpreted this, but it still isn't clear to me. Lol Metatron I hate Metatron with the fire of a thousand suns, which is why I was surprised to find him downright interesting and likeable in this episode. I can live with a redemption arc for him, but I agree that Castiel would have been a more interesting watch in this situation. What I do find interesting is that despite continuing to be a "self-serving dickweasel" (thanks Catrox14), the change actually somewhat tracks. All of the angels are dicks who can't understand humans. It is clear they don't know and don't care about what it is to be human. I suspect Metatron would have claimed to have better insight because he had consumed so much media, but he still can't truly have understood until he lost his grace. Whether he has actually changed or whether he is playing along for his own purposes, he was far more interesting in this episode than he was when he was running around trying to be all powerful. If I am stuck with him showing up, I far prefer this version of him. Chuck I really really like the actor who plays Chuck. I actually thought Chuck as God worked really well within the bounds of this story. I particularly liked the way the wrote him to be fascinated, frustrated and a bit horrified by humanity. And that song at the end. Sigh. Robbie Thompson I am sad to read this was his last episode. I really loved his work and I loved Charlie. I feel like he seemed to really "get it." Another reason to be sad about Charlie. The Darkness finally she does SOMETHING notable. She is way better than an incorporeal fog. Stray observations Sam grabbing that baby out of the car, while a weird choice when you think about it (why wouldn't the parents grab the baby?) was absolutely adorable Hooray for a dog that gets fed and safely transported to the safest place in the universe. I continue to find this season to be a homerun for me, despite not liking The Darkness. I am glad I didn't rage quit over Charlie.

I would 100% watch those characters snarking on random things. Yeah, losing 30% of your viewership sends a pretty clear message. Sadly, I suspect they really change it this season, even if they want to, so they have made their bed and we all have to lie in it. https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/the-magicians-season-five-ratings/

Exactly. She feels childish (and I think they have even talked about her tantrums). Showing her as a child made it even more pronounced.

I really meant splitting up in the woods and in the mine, but this too. I honestly don't know that we gained anything from the entire sheriff discussion, but it does seem worthwhile to have more hunters in the place where the monsters are roaming as well.

I was a bit of a mess watching this because I loved them so much. Seriously, I considered turning it off and thinking AND THEY SURVIVED AND GOT THEIR REVENGE AND LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER. Somehow, the happy ending was the biggest surprise in awhile. Lol. Which leads me to another observation. This season is so good, in part, because they are introducing really interesting and compelling side characters. I actually cared whether the kid survived in Safe House and I cared whether Jesse and Cesar survived. I am torn about seeing them again, because I really don't want one of them to die. Also, I love that they got a happy resolution. I agree that that was a callback. It was reminiscent of that scene for me too. I am okay with this because Sam is talking about it retrospectively. He is pulling random baddies out of his head to describe his fear that they had been killed on a hunt. He probably doesn't remember the specific fears and/or when he learned about particular monsters. So, I held my breath as well and it isn't because I think Dean's character is not accepting, it's because I don't trust the writers not to suddenly decide to have Dean be uncomfortable. Every so often we get the comments like the one in Bedtime Stories, or the gross hitting on teenagers or suddenly Dean becomes an oaf who doesn't know how to behave in public. I always think they are OOC, but they happen and they are always disappointing. Does that make sense? So I didn't trust the show to have Dean immediately jump to: what's it like to be married to a hunter? I loved it, though. I think this is spot on. I loved the way this tackled grief and how it affects us all differently. I also loved loved loved that moment in the car where Cesar and Dean are talking about revenge and how it is never fulfilling but how you have to support him and let him go after it anyway. This recognition that when you love someone who has been altered by grief, you can't fix them. You have to love all of them, even the part that is broken and glued back together. And you don't get to tell them how to process that grief. It was just such a beautifully written shorthand of such a deep topic. And I agree about the closure. I loved that moment between them in the car and all of the stuff that was said between the lines. I also liked the MOTW. The chittering was really creepy and the idea that they take over your body to reproduce so deeply unsettling. I think that is absolutely true, but I did think California made sense in 1989. It was the height of the AIDS crisis and there was a lot of awfulness directed squarely at gay men in particular. My recollection is California, and specifically San Francisco, was short hand for a place where you would be accepted during that time period. I also think there was a real feeling of wanting to run away, and perhaps Denver wouldn't have been far enough. Honestly, both would have worked for me from a story perspective. Junkless was unreasonably funny to me for some reason. I could not get enough of them saying it. I am 12. lol. How great was this episode? Seriously. How great is this season, overall. I mean, I think this is my absolute least favorite big bad of the entire show, and yet I find myself absolutely loving a good portion of it. Cesar and Jesse were a fantastic addition, IMO. I loved their quiet support of one another. I felt protective over Jesse because of the one brother scene. They managed to convey so much through a few scenes. I actually found the MoTW really creepy and horrifying. The idea of being killed and having my body used for gestation is pretty damn awful. Plus that sound. I thought the parallels were actually fairly well done and subtle. I loved the brothers working together and communicating, including some nonverbal communication. My only minor nits are 1. I could have skipped the old sheriff entirely in favor of some additional screentime for Jesse and Cesar who were infinitely more interesting; and 2. the splitting up was so eyeroll worthy. Those are so minor compared to how much I loved this one.

Haha, this was my reaction. Internal monologue: oh, wow! The show has actually explained why The Darkness has done almost nothing since we saw her last and why she didn't show to help Dean. Here she is now that he is in peril. That is actually really . . .aaaaaaand she tracked Rowena. Nevermind. I was so angry when she had 0 contingencies. It was so inconsistent with her character. So, i was pleasantly surprised when she had a backup (though I did also wonder when we never saw her body again). I can buy that she is one of the most powerful witches but that she can't fight outnumbered. This is my biggest problem, I think. She is so flat and dull. And she spends so much time complaining. It doesn't make her particularly scary. I still think this is magnified further by showing her as a child. Yes! I have to say the most interesting and terrifying she has been wasn't even her big show of force. It was Rowena shaking and being absolutely terrified of her. A bit of fear would go a long way here. Yes. The heaven this show has created is pretty terrible. I suspect the problem it is meant to address is that interaction with actual people could create unhappiness. Hell is other people. There is no way to control how the other person would behave. How do you avoid fights and breakups and cheating? By never letting people interact with one another or even create new memories with a fake version of the other person. Pop people safely in happy memories. The problem with that, of course, is that it would get tedious to the point of torture over time and you never get to see your loved ones again. I think heaven is supposed to invoke that existential horror in this show. It is supposed to show how little the angels understand or care. This is a solid point and would definitely be "on brand." This was actually what I thought in real time. Rowena said "The vessel is healing nicely." Dudes, Rowena is BACK. And not just back, but back in her full, manipulative glory seeking to back the right pony. She was pitch perfect in this episode and she finally added some legitimacy to The Boring and Unimpressive Shadow by showing real fear and terror. I still don't forgive them for the image of her getting her neck snapped, but upon reflection I did decide that her OOC truth telling was a side effect of the collar (makes sense, no?) and they had her tell that awful story because they wanted to establish that. I still don't buy it and hate the result, but at least it is a more valid reason. Regardless, Rowena was fantastic tonight. Jumping between people and playing all sides. She is a terrible, self interested witch, so all is right in the world. This was a bit of an "and then" episode, with a lot of talk talking and posturing. I found parts of it boring. I also found The Shade's show of force rather unintimidating. Lucifer had a higher body count trying to win over the angels. But they did start to make her a lot more intimidating and made her feel fairly indestructible, so it was better. Lustiel (thanks, Tippi's recap) grates on my nerves, but so did Lucifer so that is probably consistent writing and a top notch job by Misha. I loved Cas in the kitchen and the great reactions from Dean. I love that Dean and Sam largely continue to be on the same page and talk it out when they aren't. Overall, the episode itself was too frenetic and contained too many ideas, but it had some quality portions. Plus Rowena is back to love/hate.