S03.E16: No Rest For The Wicked

[DittyDotDot]

There are only 30 hours left before Dean's deal is up. Can the boys find a way out of it?

 

Whew, finally made it to the end of S3. As a season finale, this is a fairly good one. There's some good bro moments, they get a few stars from me for having the guts to actually send Dean to Hell (I was sure they were going to get him out of it in the end) and they set up S4 quite nicely. As an individual episode, though, it's not really one I like to re-watch.

 

I find both Sam and Dean feel very Sam and Dean; as I prefer them to be. Sam is so desperate, he's willing to do anything to save Dean and Dean is accepting the consequences of his actions especially if that means Sam will live. I appreciate both of their perspectives and can relate to them both. I'm also fond of Bobby in this episode--he's helpful, but doesn't take up more room than he's supposed to. Ruby is shown to be the lying liar that lies that I always knew her to be and I like the fight between her and Dean. Although,

this is another episode that makes it harder for me to accept some of what Sam does in S4 given what he learns about Ruby here, but whatever, they never really seemed to get why Sam did the things he did either, they just needed him to do them for plot purposes.

And that little girl is the creepiest thing that they've done in a very long time. So, overall a good solid finale, IMO.

Edited September 1, 2014 by DittyDotDot

[supposebly]

I like this one more in retrospect but that's par for the course for season 3 for me. Agreed on the creepy girl, that was exceptional. The family's desperation with it all was palpable.

 

Same with Dean and Sam. The singing in the car.....Sam finally breaking and asking Ruby to tell her what to do. Dean's face at the end......it's all wonderful and heartbreaking.

 

I must be one of the very few people who wasn't surprised that Dean went to hell. So, in that respect it worked very well because I felt I knew something they didn't.

 

This is somewhat spoilery for season 4:

This episode kind of is a compressed season 4 for me. Flailing and desperation and heartbreak and then it all goes to hell. What I don't understand in retrospect is why Lilith would try to kill Sam here. A test whether he is "The One"? Or was she faking?

[DittyDotDot]

I'm going to take your spoiler question to the All Episodes Talk thread, I have a theory on this that I've been thinking about since watching this episode yesterday...

[GirlyGeek]

Love this episode. Watched it more times than I should admit to. The end, from Sam begging Ruby to tell him how to save Dean and on, just kills me. Both Jared and Jensen just knock it out of the park. Camera angles and direction are beautiful, too.

Great moments in this ep, and very true to character Sam and Dean. A great finale. I was so glad, the first time I saw it, that I didn't have to wait for a whole summer to dive into season 4, lol.

[DittyDotDot]

Camera angles and direction are beautiful, too.

 

You know why, right?  Kim Manners directed it! Sorry, have to get my Manners fan-girling in when I can. ;)

[DittyDotDot]

So, I was just watching this episode and got me to wondering why Dean didn't knife Ruby with her own knife when he had her in that devil's trap? Seems like it could've saved him a whole lotta trouble later. ;)

Also, sounds like Jensen had a cold or something while filming this episode. That's too bad. Or maybe they filmed the scenes of him screaming at the end first and he screamed himself raw?

[catrox14]

13 minutes ago, DittyDotDot said:

So, I was just watching this episode and got me to wondering why Dean didn't knife Ruby with her own knife when he had her in that devil's trap? Seems like it could've saved him a whole lotta trouble later. ;)

Also, sounds like Jensen had a cold or something while filming this episode. That's too bad. Or maybe they filmed the scenes of him screaming at the end first and he screamed himself raw?

Because Sam would have stopped him I'm pretty sure. And he figured she could never get out of the Devil's Trap.

[Hanahope]

Ooops, I put some of this episode's opinion into the prior episode thread.

yes, I did watch the whole thing.  The little girl was definitely creepy.  I guess Lillith likes little girls.

[Katy M]

On ‎5‎/‎15‎/‎2016 at 5:17 PM, DittyDotDot said:

So, I was just watching this episode and got me to wondering why Dean didn't knife Ruby with her own knife when he had her in that devil's trap? Seems like it could've saved him a whole lotta trouble later. ;)

 

I don't think Dean was fully convinced she was bad.  And, if you remember in Malleus Maleficarum, she said something like, "why don't you let me try to save him since you won't be around to."  Probably planted a seed in his head that Sam might be better with her than without if they failed.

[bettername2come]

"When that bitch breathes, the air comes out crooked." That is such a great line. As is "anti-Christ Superstar."

The Lilith actress was amazing and disturbing. After this episode, I used to get so creeped out when she'd appear on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" like she was going to rip out Jeff Foxworthy's eyes or something. The Lilith portion is very reminiscent of "It's a Good Life" Twilight Zone ep. 

Ah, such classic Bobby lines in this one. "Family don't end with blood," "ditchable prom date," "you're almost hell's bitch, so you can see hell's other bitches." I think I might have a full-on old man crush on Bobby. 

I can't listen to "Dead or Alive" without thinking of this scene. And it's become a go-to karaoke song.

Sam uses "ninja" as a verb. 

I'd forgotten just how brutal Dean's death and Sam's screaming was. 

I think season 3 has the highest use of "bitch" per episode out of any season. At least without being preceded by "son of a." 

[Iju]

lol what is it with ruby and her "it's too late" when sam asked for her help with his powers? woman (or demon, whatever) you told him he could defeat lilith like what 10hrs ago? also when dean said why didn't she say that in the first place and she said "Hello I'm a demon I manipulate" THE FCK???? DIDN'T YOU WANT TO GET RID OF LILITH AS SOON AS POSSIBLE???? but you didn't tell sam because you wanted to "manipulate"???? so stupid. interesting how dean didn't kill her though, as much as he hated her possibly above all demons. hm.

dean's reaction when he could see True Ruby was hilarious. and his one liner: "Nothing. You're just really...really ugly. Wow."

needless to be said, sam and dean's final song together was beautiful. when sam eventually joined in and he looked at his big brother, it wasn't of pity, fear or sadness or anything like it. he was just looking at him with such admirance and love. he knows dean is scared but he still chooses to not do it to the end. in that one song, everything was thrown away. they at least are going to get one good moment out of this. heck the song lyrics was a reminder of their situation and yet they are singing about it having fun. my mother and father knew the song so they sang along as well, it was just so great hearing four voices singing together. one of the best TV moments (and moments with my family) for me.

lilth was obviously a nod to the classic twilight zone episode which i thought was perfect. the gender was just changed and made even more creepy and violent. and the suspense when sam crept up behind her in her sleep....i wanted to scream. perfect directing as well.

"omg your lips are so soft" omg why is it almost always sam who is getting sexually harassed?!?! poor boy, this is his what, fifth time? but i think what the writers really made her more disgusting is that lilith is basically a demonic little girl and here she is talking about sam's lips and kissing him. even if that wasn't the point, that's how i saw it.

as for dean getting mutilated...my sister and i were staring at the TV in shock, both our mouths open. i didn't realise i was shaking until i held my hands to my mouth in horror and saw how badly they were trembling. sam's high pitched screams for lilith to stop just made it all the worse (thanks a lot jared!). but even so, like sam, me and my sister still held onto the flase hope that dean had somehow survived and attack against demonic dogs. yeah. i know. 
it didn't set in until we saw sam weeping over dean, something that i honestly thought jared could not accomplish, because his acting in the mystery spot episode of dean's death wasn't that good to me. i don't know what happened or what deals he made with his own demons but he really brought it home and more with this.

speaking of the mystery spot episode, someone commented on that episode thread that jensen's ability to look dead should be illegal because of how real he looked, and this episode i had to agree. jensen looked so horrible, so dead that my heart froze and i looked away as the camera closed in. 

why exactly did they make the Hell scene? i don't know. why did they make us look at dean screaming for help and crying for his brother? i don't know that either. but i would really love to know the reasoning behind the developers' decision to leave us with dean's helpless screams and pleas at the credits. i REALLY would, because honestly that was the end. no matter how many times me and my sister reminded each other that there are 13 seasons and obviously dean is very much alive, we still were broken. it was too horrible, it was too real. and most of all dean didn't deserve it. i guess i could say that i was in denial that this would happen, that i clung to sam's contant promising of his pledge to save dean, but that wouldn't be fair. from the season's beating the viewers that dean was doomed no matter what, and for that sick twist that sam could have saved dean but it was too late to come up, i can't lie. i admitted it deep down and i know sam did too, i would say around the time after the mystery spot episode.

even for all what my heart went through this episode, i have to say i'm glad that sam wasn't written to automatically awaken his powers even for seeing his worst fear come true (power of love trope and all that). they were dormant and remained dormant because he didn't work at them and that's that.

i still believe dean made a mistake with ruby. i believe ruby would have helped sam if he let her and he could have lived. it was just too late. but i assume that's up for debate for the fanbase.

 

EDIT: when the credits started my father looked at me and said "Well what happens now?!?" and i was confused because he barely watches the show so i asked what, and he said "Well who's going to watch the car now?!? They're not going to let that go to waste are they?!?" 

then i remembered when i was watching S1 he watched some of it and fell in love with the car. he has loved it ever since. now whenever he sees the show he always asks about the impala.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Iju

[Zipper]

Uuufff. This is a hard one to watch. Sure, there are a few moments of levity, but I can't really enjoy them because of what I know is coming. It's utter BS that Ruby doesn't give Sam any indication of what kind of preparation is necessary for him to defeat Lilith when she first appears on the scene in this ep. She doesn't have to reveal what it takes, specifically, only that if they don't start immediately, there won't be enough time. "Sam, you have steps to take to prepare. If you don't start now, you will run out of time soon." Because later, when she says, TWICE, either "we're out of time" or "there isn't enough time," it sounds so nonsense. What was the time for, Crooked Breath? I mean, yes, depending on when Lilith takes over her body maybe those excuses are supposed to be a red flag. But I do not like that aspect of this episode. Because if it's supposed to be a red flag, and Dean can see Hell's other bitches, then it makes him look stupid for either not pushing this question or not picking up on the flag.  Blech.

Sam is so lovely and broken at various points in this ep, it just tears at me. His effort to be strong for Dean is a visible stretch, given his own fears. Very nice bit of work by JP.

And watching Dean be mutilated? I don't have words. It's so awful. And to boot, I have to see him screaming for help in Hell. When I later learn how long his poor soul must languish there? It's just terrible. 

And you know, the demons can all together piss off. Shitty evil bastards. 

Spoiler

This will probably make it harder for me to ever give Crowley the time of day, no matter how charming the actor. Yes, Dean made a deal, and yes, the deal sucked from the beginning, but the very idea that within two seasons I'm supposed to give a flying fork about any demon. Gross.

[Myrelle]

I love this episodes to pieces still. It's one of my go-to episodes when I'm looking for a later season episode to re-watch-and this even though it aired relatively early in the series because it had and still has such an effect on the rest of the series, IMO-and especially where it regards Dean, who was everything to me in this one.

I had two favorite scenes in this one-the one where Dean out foxes Ruby and gets the knife from her because I've always hated Ruby. Always.-no matter who portrayed her-and I couldn't wait for her to get her comeuppance(which I still had to wait for in the long run after this one, but that scene in this episode was still incredibly satisfying for this Deanfan, even as temporary as it was). I love SmartDean who can strategize right along with the greatest leaders of all time when he's allowed to by the writers on this show.

But my most favorite scene in this one is the one when the clock strikes twelve and we get a Dean who is just so brave and beautiful and true in the face of his own demise; and this likely because back then death was something still to be fearful of, for all of the characters on this show, and especially the kind of death that was meted out to Dean via the Hellhounds-one of the scariest ways of going that this show has ever given us, IMO. I remember being so shocked at the brutality visited upon a lead character in this episode. I don't think I'd ever seen the like before on any television show that I'd ever watched. Movies-yes-but not TV. And then that last shot of Dean in Hell...For me, it was worse than the cliffhanger that they left us with at the end of S1.

So many little things in this one, too. The Brave songfest in the car on the way to the hunt, Dean's crazy, lightning-like reflexes when he recognizes that the cop who pulls them over is a demon, his apprehension at Ruby's True Face-that always makes me LOL! every single time I re-watch and Little Girl Lilith who is creepy as hell, and every bit as creepy as her adult counterpart, who sics the hellhounds on Dean in that horrific scene. And then Dean's face in his death-still so beautiful even while his body was torn to shreds...and finally, that camera shot through his eye into his hell.

This one stayed with me all through the summer hiatus. Another Classic episode of this show, IMO.

Edited September 18, 2018 by Myrelle

[The Companion]

Gonzosgirrl pointed out I never commented on this thread and the reason was mostly because the one advantage of watching a series very late is that you don't have to wait all summer to find out what happens, and there was no way I was waiting to see what happened next. 

This was a really great episode, but in that "guts you like a fish" way. As discussed above, that death scene was intense. Hard to watch. The entire episode did such a great job building dread. Dean's quiet desperation that he tried to hide, Sam's heartbreaking pleas. 

And then there was Lilith as the little girl torturing her family. Her mother begging "do it" and the horror that she was actually restored at that point. 

Looking back over the season story arc, I still think some of it was rushed and some of it dragged, but this last episode was so perfectly paced that it's hard to complain.

[gonzosgirrl]

7 minutes ago, The Companion said:

Looking back over the season story arc, I still think some of it was rushed and some of it dragged, but this last episode was so perfectly paced that it's hard to complain

I'm not sure if you are aware, but this season happened during the writer's strike, thus the 16 episode season, and (I believe) without knowing whether they would be back for S4 or not. 

[The Companion]

1 minute ago, gonzosgirrl said:

I'm not sure if you are aware, but this season happened during the writer's strike, thus the 16 episode season, and (I believe) without knowing whether they would be back for S4 or not. 

Someone mentioned it and I should have acknowledged that here too. The pacing was very likely affected by that. I assume it is also the reason for the shorter season. 

[gonzosgirrl]

3 minutes ago, The Companion said:

Someone mentioned it and I should have acknowledged that here too. The pacing was very likely affected by that. I assume it is also the reason for the shorter season. 

Definitely.  I believe it also changed the direction of the story significantly and abruptly,  but that would involve spoilers.