S11.E16: Safe House

[Tara Ariano]

A dangerous creature is accidentally released into an old house where it attacks a mother and her child, leaving them both in a coma. Sam and Dean learn that Bobby and Rufus once tracked the same entity, so they look to the past to come up with a plan to catch the monster before anyone dies.

[catrox14]

 

But it's Wednesday somewhere!

 

 

[Demented Daisy]

That makes me think of Mick Lady.  :-(

[Diane]

That makes me think of Mick Lady.  :-(

Me too! Sure hope she is doing ok.

[catrox14]

Think of it in honor of MickLady!

[Frost]

I'm driving from La Crosse to Minneapolis this afternoon, through a blizzard in a rented VW Beetle.  I'm doing my very best to make it to my TV in time for this episode!

[Diane]

I'm driving from La Crosse to Minneapolis this afternoon, through a blizzard in a rented VW Beetle.  I'm doing my very best to make it to my TV in time for this episode!

Wow, just arrive safely.

[Frost]

Made it!  Ready for tonight's episode!  By the way, I don't recommend driving a Beetle on a highway through six inches of snow.

[catrox14]

Made it!  Ready for tonight's episode!  By the way, I don't recommend driving a Beetle on a highway through six inches of snow.

 

Ha, back int he day when I lived in Colorado before 4 wheel drives were a common thing in cars, Beetles were the car of choice to get through the snow. As long was we didn't get high centered on a drift.....

[Demented Daisy]

Best episode of the season so far.

 

Ditty was right -- the spin off always should have been "Grumpy Old Hunters".

[catrox14]

Well that was pretty great. I'm gonna have to watch it again to understand exactly how the soul eater works...

 

But somehow....this should tie back to Amara later, right?

 

Bobby and Rufus are too funny.

 

And I freaking cried when Dean and Bobby saw each other just because of Dean's face...which was not okay.

 

I got kind of tired of the 'My boys" thing...okay okay whatever. 

 

So this had to have been during s4??  because the call to Bobby from Dean was about Lilith....

[Jediknight]

Rufus, it's been far too long since we've seen him.  I didn't really care about seeing Bobby again, but Rufus is welcome.  I miss Rufus, he should be back more.

 

Now that we've gotten Rufus back for an episode, we need returns of Zachariah, Gabriel, Jo, Ronald, and Ellen.

[Wynne88]

I thought they did a super job cutting back and forth between present day and Bobby and Rufus's hunt.  It was practically seamless, but was never hard to keep track of who was doing what, when.  I am a little confused about why seeing Sam's dead body should have been comforting.  Anybody able to clear that up?  

[CocoaGoddess]

Best episode I've watched in years, it was SO emotionally satisfying. 

 

Jared really puts a lot of force behind his punch throws, wow. I was almost scared for Jensen for a second there.

 

Dean gazing up at Bobby with that wounded puppy expression would have brought me to my knees if I were not already sitting down. Wow. 

[catrox14]

I thought they did a super job cutting back and forth between present day and Bobby and Rufus's hunt.  It was practically seamless, but was never hard to keep track of who was doing what, when.  I am a little confused about why seeing Sam's dead body should have been comforting.  Anybody able to clear that up?  

 

 

That was kind of strange but I wonder if that was really a vision of the future. And given the preview for next week

(Sam is shot and Billy is back that I think it has something to do with that and Amara eating souls.

 

Dean gazing up at Bobby with that wounded puppy expression would have brought me to my knees if I were not already sitting down. Wow.

 

In the stills released I thought Dean looked like a little boy and damn I thought maybe he was going to see Bobby but it hurt more than imagined.

 

I wonder if Sam ever told Dean about the letter from Bobby.  Hell, I wonder if Dean even knows about that entire escapade yet...

[Binns]

I just loved everything about this episode. The seamless transitions, Bobby and Rufus, the boys working so well together, Rock Paper Scissors (always with the scissors, Dean!)(I'm assuming). Loved the MOTW as well. I hope it ties back to Amara somehow. I'm not sure about Sam's body being comforting except that maybe seeing his body would be less distressing than, say, seeing Mary's body? That doesn't really make sense though. Weird line.

[7kstar]

I took seeing Sam's body as dead as comforting as we've died how many times and are still here.  Of course it may be a clue or foreshadowing????

 

Loved how Sam hugged and drew Dean close when he got him back. 

 

Many levels of creepy and a good solid case.  Whoever wrote this, more please.

 

Loved both Rufus and Bobby.  That would have been a cool spin off.   This one will be worth watching again.  That's been awhile for me.  Usually it's just a part.

 

There are some unanswered questions,  how much does Dean know about Bobby's escape from heaven????

[AwesomO4000]

I just loved everything about this episode. The seamless transitions, Bobby and Rufus, the boys working so well together, Rock Paper Scissors (always with the scissors, Dean!)(I'm assuming). Loved the MOTW as well. I hope it ties back to Amara somehow. I'm not sure about Sam's body being comforting except that maybe seeing his body would be less distressing than, say, seeing Mary's body? That doesn't really make sense though. Weird line.

 

I agree. Maybe it should've been "commonplace" or something meaning that which doesn't sound Elizabethan. Sadly my brain isn't coming up with one right now, because it is weird.

 

I, too, loved the episode. And I think there were definite references to Amara there, because the Soul-eater in Dean mentioned the Darkness. Maybe one soul-eater can sense the influence or echoes of another one? It would be interesting if the Soul-eater was sensing Amara's hold on Dean or that she had tried to or thought about eating his soul.

 

And awww huggy Sam got his Dean back.

[Triskan]

For the comfort in seing the body I took it as Sam (subtily) meaning that it's good to know it's him he saw dead and not Amara with all Dean's obsession with her.

[bethy]

For the comfort in seing the body I took it as Sam (subtily) meaning that it's good to know it's him he saw dead and not Amara with all Dean's obsession with her.

That was how I took it, too.

Really good episode. Liked the back and forth between past and present and the parallels between the two teams. I kind of loved that Dean was grumpy Bobby.

Also, my gosh, it's such a relief to have Sam and Dean on good terms. That alone had made this season so much more enjoyable to me that the last few.

[Frost]

I loved that Dean was all confident in his Rock-Paper-Scissors fu after he won their last game.  And then his bad luck reared its ugly head once again!  Why was this generic soul eater able to get at Dean's soul when Amara couldn't?   Because of her long ago statement that neither of them could hurt each other?

[poppy-]

I have a daughter that little girl's age. That opening scene was YIKES.  Well done show.

I thought this was a fun episode all around ... scary ghosties, Rufus, the older guys knowing a better way to dig up graves, and the word "knuckleheads". 

 

In the current season, Bobby is dead, and in heaven... right?   I have seen too much of this show out of order. Does Heaven exist now?

Past Bobby was weirded out to see current Dean because his Dean is in his, what, 8 years younger?

[Commando Cody]

I loved this episode. It was creepy. Seeing Bobby and Rufus together again was awesome. They did a really good job of going back and forth between time. I thought it was hilarious when Dean was complaining about digging and in the next scene Bobby was sitting there on a digging machine. 

[catrox14]

Dean: "Come and get me you son of a bitch"
Bobby: "Stay away from me you son of a bitch"

 

That speaks volumes to me...


Dean's been drinking a lot again I noticed...

 

 

In the current season, Bobby is dead, and in heaven... right?   I have seen too much of this show out of order. Does Heaven exist now?

Past Bobby was weirded out to see current Dean because his Dean is in his, what, 8 years younger?

Bobby should be in Heaven Jail since he helped Sam and Cas break Metatron out of Heaven Jail.

I loved that Dean was all confident in his Rock-Paper-Scissors fu after he won their last game.  And then his bad luck reared its ugly head once again!  Why was this generic soul eater able to get at Dean's soul when Amara couldn't?   Because of her long ago statement that neither of them could hurt each other?

 

I guess we know that Dean still has his soul so that's good...but that's the question that I think Carver said he was never going to answer unless I'm confusing it with something else he said they will never answer.

 

LOL at Riggs and Murtaugh...

 

"It's officially none of your damn business...ma'am"

Edited March 24, 2016 by catrox14

[catrox14]

This face is not okay

 

 

Edited March 24, 2016 by catrox14

[SueB]

Loved it. More tomorrow.

[catrox14]

The location where they interviewed the mom from the flashback looks the same as the one where Dean confronted the lousy parents in Brother's Keeper

[BlueMeanie]

Good episode.

Wondering if I'm interpreting this correctly. When Bobby trapped the soul eater in Tennessee, the other hunter, Harvey, never woke up from his coma because Bobby only trapped the soul eater and didn't kill it. However Sam and Dean killed the soul eater so Dean and the mom and daughter's soul's were released. Rufus only trapped the soul eater, therefore Bobby and the original mom and daughter's souls should have remained trapped, like Harvey's. So since Dean and Bobby were there at the same time that means that Sam and Dean saved Bobby and the original mom and son right?

Edited March 24, 2016 by BlueMeanie

[AwesomO4000]

I think you're right, BlueMeanie. I hadn't made that connection. Though I'd get one of Sam's headaches trying to figure out how the Souleater was able to come back if it also died back in Bobby's time to set Bobby free. Or a wizard did it.

Edited March 24, 2016 by AwesomO4000

[Demented Daisy]

Good episode.

Wondering if I'm interpreting this correctly. When Bobby trapped the soul eater in Tennessee, the other hunter, Harvey, never woke up from his coma because Bobby only trapped the soul eater and didn't kill it. However Sam and Dean killed the soul eater so Dean and the mom and daughter's soul's were released. Rufus only trapped the soul eater, therefore Bobby and the original mom and daughter's souls should have remained trapped, like Harvey's. So since Dean and Bobby were there at the same time that means that Sam and Dean saved Bobby and the original mom and son right?

 

The way I understood it, Bobby was too late.  He said that it looked like Harvey had been unconscious for at least 3-4 days (presumably without medical care), so even though Bobby trapped the soul eater, Harvey was already gone.

 

Theoretically, your way could work, but I'd rather not risk the headache.  ;-)

[Triskan]

Funny, for me it was obvious from half the episode (or so) that the nest was out of time and in the end, Rufus and Booby's symbol would just slow down and trap the Soul Eater but that it would be Sam and Dean, with the more elaborate symbol, to save everyone in the future of our world (but "all at once" in the nest).

Edited March 24, 2016 by Triskan

[Frost]

That's the difficulty with time plots.  Was Bobby's soul eater hunt before or after Crowley 'borrowed' his soul?  I guess it's like Schrodinger's Cat.  Bobby's soul is both trapped in the nest and back in his body. 

[Primetimer]

Just because Bobby's dead doesn't mean he doesn't give good advice

Read the story

[trxr4kids]

I loved this episode, although now I'm even more irritated that they killed Rufus. I could listen to Rufus and Bobby all day. Good job show.

ETA: I went back and watched the part of season 7 ep 12 Time After Time, the bottle Johnny Walker Blue with the note from Rufus that Jody found was the one from this episode. So much continuity I feel like I watched an entirely different show.

Edited March 24, 2016 by trxr4kids

[SueB]

Good episode.

Wondering if I'm interpreting this correctly. When Bobby trapped the soul eater in Tennessee, the other hunter, Harvey, never woke up from his coma because Bobby only trapped the soul eater and didn't kill it. However Sam and Dean killed the soul eater so Dean and the mom and daughter's soul's were released. Rufus only trapped the soul eater, therefore Bobby and the original mom and daughter's souls should have remained trapped, like Harvey's. So since Dean and Bobby were there at the same time that means that Sam and Dean saved Bobby and the original mom and son right?

 

Blue Meanie, I'm TOTALLY willing to take the headache on this one. Temporal paradox is a great answer for me.  OTOH, I can also see that the Rufus/Bobby combo worked as well for the still yet living.  So, either way works.  

 

So this was an episode of Supernatural Porn in my book.  AND very well written to boot.  Well done Robbie Thompson.  And the editing was particularly spot on AND essential.  So kudos to Don Koch (editor) and Stefan Pleszczynski (director).  I notice Stefan previous episodes were also darker, inner horror stories ('Alex, Annie, Alexis, Ann' and 'The Werther Project'). But let me get to the porn.

 

Continuity Porn with elements of Parallel Porn:

- We learn where the bottle from "Time After Time" came from.  And isn't it nicely nuanced that this episode ALSO featured a temporal element.

- Mentions of the Apocalypse and working a case when you haven't got any leads. It's the way it's always been.  

- Bobby's journal was empty because Dean interrupted him from writing a journal entry.  Well done to provide us that rationale why they had to follow in their footsteps. And Dean being more insistent with Bobby back in the day (before Bobby gave them shit in "Weekend at Bobby's").

- Bobby being a thorough hunter and burning everyone who died in the house. 

- Rufus attempting to con Bobby out of work on the Sabbath. And Bobby catching him with the "it's after sundown".  It was good that Rufus accepted that too. 

- Bobby using a back-ho for digging graves.  Sam and Dean lamenting isn't there an easier way.  

- Dean losing again at Rock, Paper, Scissors.  Because Dean honey, you must have a tell and Sam has figured it out.  

- Mary gave both Rufus and Bobby and then Sam and Dean tea.

- The soul eater had left a deep hand print bruise. The life force eater from S1 left a rotted handprint on the window sill.  I think there's some connection there.

- Rufus drinking scotch. Bobby drinking beer.  The boys drink beer.

- The Men of Letters data is archived electronically!  What had to have been started by Charlie, we now see signs has been followed thru by Sam.  I'm sure they didn't archive everything yet, but it was nice to know it's up and valuable.

- Dean being adept at sigil/symbol writing.  He was done in half the time there.  Poor Sam and Rufus got thrown under the bus (in terms of being slow) so that the plot could be fleshed out (ha! look at that... a possession pun... *I'll show my way out*)

- I'm forgetting a bunch.  I'll keep on thinking.

 

FEELINGS (say it like Crowley) Porn:

- "I'm just worried about my boys." -- ooofph.  Completely reasonable for Bobby to say that to Rufus. Completely rips my heart out for a number of reasons.

- The way Sam patted Dean on the head at the end.  I need to give them both a hug.

- Dean keeps Bobby's Journal in the trunk of the Impala!  Although, I'm starting to think the Impala trunk might be spelled with the Hermione Granger purse spell because... dahmn.  That's one useful trunk.

- The boys getting it was Bobby/Rufus JUST from the description of their rudeness.  *sad smile*

- Sam getting the same room for "luck".  Ha! Sam, you ain't fooling anyone.  You got it for sentimental reasons and Dean would have done the same thing.

- Dean's worst fear is still a dead Sam.

- The LOOK on Dean's (and Bobby's) face when they saw each other.  They both knew it was a real moment.  Because Dean IS SMART and has exceptional instincts.  

 

Fan-servicing Porn (not that there's anything wrong with that in MY book):

- Dean mentioning Cas at least twice.  Once was enough to justify non-presence. Twice lets us know it's a priority.

- The Impala looked mighty pretty tonight.  All shiny and standing out in the same parking spot where Bobby's rust bucket once parked.

- Grumpy Old Men of Letters.  GOLD.

- Rock, Paper, Scissors has become Fan Porn.  I'm okay with that.  It always amuses.  Keep using it.  

 

ETA: Growth Porn

- Dean did not just leap into the "I'll do the super dangerous thing and Sam you stay fray-adjacent."  He not only tried to avoid it, he told Sam he was doing it next time.

- Complete data dump from Dean to Sam on what happened in the "in-between space".  So GREAT to have the boys feeling like a team.

Since the entire EPISODE was an exercise in parallels, I won't point them all out but it was so very well done with just the right differences where they belonged.  In particular, needing the research done by the Men of Letters to find the more complicated symbol.

 

Again, there were many nuances to Safe Houses.  The way the dead souls had blackened mouths and just stood there silently.  Nicely creepy and a good way to show the difference between those still living and those who are not.  Good connection to they mythology with an indication of the "in-between" place out of time and space.  This could come in handy later.  The Soul Eater trying to logic Sam that he could protect them from the Darkness.

 

BTW.. did Bobby lie in his journal about "guns-blazing" in Tennessee and then tell Rufus the truth about "filling my drawers" (i.e. code Brown moment)?  I didn't think Bobby was very vain BUT I could see him not sharing that bit in his journal.  

 

Enough rambling. I'll be watching this again and again just for the FEEL GOOD moments.  Which came about once every 20 seconds.  

Edited March 24, 2016 by SueB

[SueB]

Operator error.

Nothing to see here. Move along, move along. These are not the droids you're looking for.

Edited March 24, 2016 by SueB

[JennB]

Guys, the lesbians lived. THE LESBIANS LIVED!

[trxr4kids]

I also really liked both of the child actors, which while that isn't a rarity on supernatural, it is for me on most other tv shows. Not to pick on kids or anything but they're just kids and usually lack any subtlety because they're kids. So great casting and directing show.

[Omegamom]

Am I the only one who thought it was anvilicious, what with all the repeating of "the First Rule of Hunting", Rufus saying, "Sometimes sacrifices have to be made", the Soul Eater being in a "place outside of time and space", stuff like that?

They are setting us up for a Big Sacrifice. The question is whether it's Sam, Dean, or Cas.

Aside from that, the power company is replacing either a pole or a transformer, so I'm posting on phone, ugh. So no great analysis here...

Loved "Grumpy Old Hunters", Dean losing again at RPS, the awful AWFUL wallpaper Bobby put in the sitting room, the editing, Bobby's rusty old beater compared to how pristine Baby is, that the lesbians lived. I think Sam was comforted by Dean seeing him dead because it means Sam's loved by him.

More later, when posting isn't an agony...

[Diane]

FEELINGS (say it like Crowley) Porn:

- The way Sam patted Dean on the head at the end.  I need to give them both a hug.

This almost seemed like a Jared Jensen moment.  I just loved the way he hung on to him and patted him on the head. So glad he was back and ok.

[catrox14]

I freaking love that time and space have been overtly referenced and put into question because it gives me some hope that my original theories that things are rotten in Denmark and possible being AU/squirrelly time line are maybe coming to fruition :).

I said way back that I thought maybe Dean or Sam were already dead or in the Empty or this was whole Oz or AU/timeline weirdness.

 

We started with Dean in the Darkness Vortex out of time and space from Sam.  Dean time travels in The Vessel. Dean gets zapped out of time and space to wherever Amara wants him to be whenever she wants. Dean is now seeing Sam already dead.

 

I have so many new thinky thoughts about this...HEE! IMO this is gonna be a wild ride to the end now.

[bethy]

I loved this episode, although now I'm even more irritated that they killed Rufus. I could listen to Rufus and Bobby all day. Good job show.

ETA: I went back and watched the part of season 7 ep 12 Time After Time, the bottle Johnny Walker Blue with the note from Rufus that Jody found was the one from this episode. So much continuity I feel like I watched an entirely different show.

 

Oh. Sniff.

[FlickChick]

I loved this episode, although now I'm even more irritated that they killed Rufus. I could listen to Rufus and Bobby all day. Good job show.

ETA: I went back and watched the part of season 7 ep 12 Time After Time, the bottle Johnny Walker Blue with the note from Rufus that Jody found was the one from this episode. So much continuity I feel like I watched an entirely different show.

Yeah, as soon as I heard the bet between Bobby and Rufus, I said to myself - this is where that bottle of Johnny Walker Blue came from. ;) I love that Robbie Thompson remembers to put things in like that. A rare writer on this show unfortunately. 

[Demented Daisy]

- Dean keeps Bobby's Journal in the trunk of the Impala!  Although, I'm starting to think the Impala trunk might be spelled with the Hermione Granger purse spell because... dahmn.  That's one useful trunk.

 

*snip*

 

- Dean's worst fear is still a dead Sam.

 

Undetectable Extension Charm!  And Dean's worst fear reminds me of Molly Weasley and her boggart.  *sniff*

 

Sometimes I think that Robbie Thompson must be a Harry Potter fan.  (Sam's Hermione speech to Charlie in The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo, for example.)

[catrox14]

 

I think Sam was comforted by Dean seeing him dead because it means Sam's loved by him.

 

Maybe I'm reading this wrong but was there ever a time that Sam really didn't think Dean loved him?

 

I was thinking it could be a comfort to Sam because maybe Dean seeing Sam dead is foreshadowing that Dean has to accept Sam's death. Oh....I'm taking some thoughts to the speculation thread. 

[Aeryn13]

I thought the episode was fine.

 

Thankfully, the thing between Dean and Bobby turned out to be nothing more than a look in that place outside space and time. It was brief and for that reason, with the context of the situation, it was actually somewhat poignant.

 

The Bobby/Rufus dynamic worked pretty well and the cut scenes were well done, too. That said, while I do realize the parallels were the gimmick of this episode, it became a bit much for me that they basically had the exact same conversations and the exact same scenes. The slight variations were funnier and quirkier to me because it allowed the characters to retain some individuality instead of "every hunting duo is a carbon copy of each other". 

 

What I did like the most was Dean being very effective at drawing the sigil. I think he memorizes stuff like that quite well which allowed this efficiency. It was nice that Thompson kept that up for the character.

 

I`ll be the odd one out and say I didn`t like the pat on the head. Pat on the head/pat on the cheek I just so strongly associate as a gesture between adults and kids and even then it still has this condescending element, I just am put off seeing it between adults. I`m pretty short so people might be tempted to do it just to mess with me but I swear I would bite into their damn hands if they did.  

Edited March 24, 2016 by Aeryn13

[catrox14]

The pat on the head...

 

I expected Sam to just full on wrap his arms around Dean once Dean was already there, but he didn't and did the head pat thing which I did think was sweet but odd.

 

I don't know if that was a deliberate acting choice by Jared to pull back from the hug or that maybe they did the full on wrapping of Dean in Sam's arms but changed their minds because it was maybe too much, so Jared threw in the head pat? 

 

I think Sam has done the pat on the cheek and pat on the head with Dean before and I don't really know what to make of it other than Sam...doesn't really know how to show physical affection with Dean?   I think the only time Sam has hugged Dean without hesitation was when he realized Dean wasn't dead in Mystery Spot and when Dean came back from Hell.  Or am I missing those hugs? To me Dean has generally been the hug initiater.  Which is why I thought Sam hugging Cas in 9.11 was weird.

 

Am I just not remembering Sam being touchy feely with Dean? 

Edited March 24, 2016 by catrox14

[trxr4kids]

The pat on the head...

 

I expected Sam to just full on wrap his arms around Dean once Dean was already there, but he didn't and did the head pat thing which I did think was sweet but odd.

 

I don't know if that was a deliberate acting choice by Jared to pull back from the hug or that maybe they did the full on wrapping of Dean in Sam's arms but changed their minds because it was maybe too much, so Jared threw in the head pat? 

 

I think Sam has done the pat on the cheek and pat on the head with Dean before and I don't really know what to make of it other than Sam...doesn't really know how to show physical affection with Dean?   I think the only time Sam has hugged Dean without hesitation was when he realized Dean wasn't dead in Mystery Spot and when Dean came back from Hell.  Or am I missing those hugs? To me Dean has generally been the hug initiater.  Which is why I thought Sam hugging Cas in 9.11 was weird.

 

Am I just not remembering Sam being touchy feely with Dean? 

 

I'm pretty sure they both only hug each other post resurrections but I'm not sure either. Where's Demented Daisy, she probably has a hugs initiated by Sam vs hugs initiated by Dean per season statistical analysis chart, no pressure DD. ; )

 

ETA : Okay maybe a little pressure, come on you know you want to, please, please.

Edited March 24, 2016 by trxr4kids

[SueB]

I know Dean does the pat on the cheek too. So many of the hugs are mutual -- as in, it doesn't matter who started a hug, a hug was a-coming.

I'll still never forget the "this is the part where you hug back" with Sam/Cas. Gives me a chuckle every time.

I think Sam does a LOT of touchy feely with Dean. Random example, Dean's sitting on the floor after beating the snot out of Gadreel, Sam comes running up and holds him by I think both the arm and shoulder.

Dean does, IMO, have a tendency to do the "injury check" thing a bit more but I think Sam shows more touchy feely with Dean than most brothers do.

I took Sam's pat on the head to be "you're okay, you're okay". Not patronizing so much as assuring himself.

[Demented Daisy]

I'm pretty sure they both only hug each other post resurrections but I'm not sure either. Where's Demented Daisy, she probably has a hugs initiated by Sam vs hugs initiated by Dean per season statistical analysis chart, no pressure DD. ; )

 

ETA : Okay maybe a little pressure, come on you know you want to, please, please.

 

Seriously?  Seriously?!?!?!

 

*grumble grumble*  We'll see.  *grumble grumble*

 

;-)