Supernatural: Jump the Shark

Well, not really, but the writers were having some fun with one of the tenets of the phenomenon. Occasionally referred to as “Cousin Oliver Syndrome,” the sudden inclusion of new family, especially children, is an oldie, but goodie, in the shark jumping world. And more often than not, it brings with it disastrous results. Thankfully, while Sam and Dean did have a shiny new brother to meet, that’s where the similarities with the ill-fated Cousin Oliver ended. Although, I had to admire the attention to detail with Cousin Oliver’s diner.

I’ll admit it, when I first heard rumblings that Sam and Dean were going to meet their long lost brother, I was not amused. I know, I should be much more trusting than that with the Supernatural writers. But even after assuring myself that there would be more to the story, I still came into the episode sure that I didn’t like the new Winchester before I even met him. And then two surprising things happened.

First, I actually did like Adam. As he convinced Sam and Dean that he was the real deal, and then as they argued over what to do about him, he quickly grew on me. I started thinking that this could maybe work as an occasional recurring character. Of course, that all went out the window with surprise number two, the fantastic double reveal as Sam and Dean both found out just what was going on at the same time.

Ghouls! I was right with Sam that it wasn’t really Kate, but when Adam turned to say, “I know,” it totally caught me by surprise. The following torture scene was pretty grisly, and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I kept thinking, “You don’t want to make Sam angry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.” Kate’s little comment about his blood tasting different opened the door for dark Sam to make an appearance. Alas, it wasn’t to be, but the big showdown, complete with a ghoul head being blown completely off, was outstanding.

There wasn’t a lot of bigger picture to the story. At least not where Castiel, the seals, and the coming apocalypse are concerned. But they did continue down the long slow trail of the changing Sam and Dean. It was interesting that both of them saw Sam in Adam, but had wildly differing reactions. Dean’s felt like a logical extension of how he once felt about Sam, tempered with all that has happened since he returned. And Sam’s felt like the ratcheting up of the tensions that are pushing him in what is becoming a more and more destructive direction.

Supernatural: Heaven & Hell

This might have been the best episode of the season so far, which says a lot considering it's the best season of the show yet, delivering one fantastic episode after the other. This episode had everything that makes this show so good, and then some.

So much to talk about, so let’s being as the episode with were we left off. The boys facing Castiel and Uriel, and not willing to give them Anna, especially if they intend to just kill her. Now I’ve always suspected that Anna wasn’t just an average girl, I already knew she had powers, but I surely didn’t expect her to be as powerful as to managed to get ride of both Uriel & Castiel like that, thanks to some bad-ass bloody spell.

Even less that, after a little session with our old friend Pamela, she would turn out to be an Angel! And you know what’s funny? I never really had a “problem” with Anna. When I didn’t know who she was, after I found out she was an Angel, I’ve always felt like she could be trusted, for some reason. I was extremely curious as to what she disobeyed, why she decided to “quit” and do what seems to be the worst thing an Angel can do, refuse to execute an order, defuse to have blind faith in God, and turn human, and I’m extremely happy that Dean eventually asked her, and that she answered it.

I liked how her years on Earth and experience down there resonated with Dean and his own relationship with his father, and again, I fully trusted her. Her story completely makes given what I know of Angels, and I never doubted what she said. At the same time, even after all she’s done, I still can’t get myself to fully trust Ruby. It’s (almost?) getting illogical, I know, and yet….
I didn’t see the whole plan to get Godzilla and Mothra to fight one another, even though you gotta admit it was pretty much the only plan they really could have had, a brilliant one at that, and at first I surely thought she was trying to sell Anna out to save herself and the boys. So even then, she wasn’t betraying them, and yet I keep wondering what her motives are, and when she tried to pushed Sam back to use his powers, it just seemed to fit right in with her hidden motives to me.

Am I forgetting Ruby’s motives ? Did she ever explain why she did all she did ? Why she was going against her “kind” ? Why she was a demon, and yet rejected their way ? What her motives for that, and for helping the boys, really were ?? I remember a few things, I know she said she remembered what it was to be human and have feelings, but I fail to remember if she ever had some strong explanations for her actions, such as what Anna gave to Dean.

Supernatural - I Know What You Did Last Summer

Anna can hear angels. She knows all about the impending apocalypse, Lillith and her wanting to break 66 seals to release Lucifer from Hell. Apparently she can also “see” demons when they possess humans and can move things with her mind. It is no wonder that everybody wants to get their hands on her.

Sam and Dean are trying to hustle a guy in a bar at a game of pool when Ruby shows up. She tells them about Anna and that the demons are on a mad chase to find her and keep her alive. She tells Sam and Dean that they may want to find her and see why she is so important. Dean is not happy and tells Sam that he is treating her like she is family now. Sam tells Dean that Ruby saved him and if he wants to trade stories, Dean can go first.

Sam flashes back to 6 months earlier when he summons the crossroads demon. Man, am I glad that they didn’t go there with that story line. He called Sam his “co-worker”, that is not a good sign. Of course, Sam wants him to free Dean, which is impossible for him to do. Sam tells him to trade for Dean. The demon tells Sam that they have everything exactly the way they want it.

They arrive at the hospital Anna escaped from and talked to her doctor. She is convinced that she is schizophrenic. Sam and Dean go to talk to her parents and find them dead. They see a picture of Anna at church and remember the window from one of her drawings. They believe she is there, hiding. They get to the church and find Anna hiding. When they tell her who they are, she has heard of them. She tells them that the angels talk about Dean and that they believe that he will save them all. And that they don’t like Sam. She tells them that she can hear angels and it just so happened that she started hearing them the day Dean was pulled out of Hell. The first thing she heard was “Dean Winchester is saved.” Ruby shows up and says there is a demon after them. They hide Anna and Sam tries to exorcise the demon, but cannot. The demon knows Dean; it was someone he knew in Hell. Ruby manages to get Anna out as Sam and Dean get their butts kicked. Sam stabs the demon with the knife, but it does nothing. They jump out the window to get away, but leave the knife behind.

Dean is really nervous why Sam trusts Ruby so much. Sam finally tells him what happened while Dean was gone. Sam was jumped by a demon and Ruby (different body) just happened to be the other one. She played along that she was going to kill Sam and killed a demon instead. Sam kicks Ruby out of the car after they talk and he tells her to let the body go. So, she jumps to a body of a girl who is about to die. She shows up and tells Sam she can give him Lillith. She teaches him how to use his powers. Then, she comes onto him. Now I know why Sam likes her so much.

Dean is a little freaked out that Sam did the deed with her. He goes on to tell Dean that Lillith showed up in town and Ruby begged him not to go after her. He did anyway. It ended up being a trap, but Ruby showed up to save him. Sam ends up saving her by killing the demon who had her pinned up against the wall. While they are talking, “Ruby” shows up in the form of a housekeeping lady to tell them to leave. She is at a cabin with Anna. They arrive and Dean apologizes to Ruby, in a round about way. Anna is still worries about her parents, and they tell her that her parents are dead. She is upset and stops to say, “they are coming.” But the they are the Castile and Uriel. They say that they are there for Anna and she has to die. And then the thing that I dread the most………. TO BE CONTINUED! NOOOOO!

Supernatural: It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester

There is really no series on television better suited than Supernatural where a Halloween episode is concerned. They decided to go at it old-school, with their own spin on the Gaelic legend of Samhain. Thankfully, the Supernatural Samhain tale was much more interesting, and it managed to tie in to the bigger picture story, giving me even more curiosities to ponder.

Starting with the story, how cool was the shot of the razor blades in Luke’s mouth? Any worries that budget concerns were going to hurt the look of the show have been put to rest at this point. Things look as good as they ever have. It was also a very Halloween way to kick off the episode. Who hasn’t heard that story?

As to Samhain, I’m certainly no expert on the ancient lore involved, but from what I do know, they took a few liberties making the story fit. I’m good with that. I’m going to chalk it up to the ‘real’ story of Samhain being in a special book not suitable for the public, much like the 66 seals, and get on with it. After all, the entire setup was very cool. Once every 600 years, three blood sacrifices, raising every awful thing the boys have ever seen, a slaughterhouse. Those are pretty good stakes.

I was caught off guard by the twist that it took both Don and Tracy to perform the ritual, assuming that Don was her unwitting pawn. Her reaction as the boys saved her was perfectly done in that it was so off from what it should have been that it immediately implicated her. That scene did lead to my one quibble with the episode, however. Why is it that Tracy’s ‘ray gun’ worked on Sam, but SamhainDon’s didn’t? Shouldn’t he be the more powerful of the two? It seemed odd.

Despite that oddness, it did all lead to the big showdown at the mausoleum corral. While Dean dealt with the zombie/ghost orgy, the real action was in the back, with Sam and Samhain. After all the talk about Ruby’s knife and Sam not using his powers, it was pretty clear where that was headed, right? Still, even expecting it, it held some surprises. I liked that Sam was struggling with the more powerful Samhain, and the little sputters of demon out of the bullet holes was a nice touch. What was really intriguing though, is the finish, with the bloody nose and the clutching of the forehead. Was that just the struggle against such a powerful foe? Or was it Sam pushing some boundary that will turn him into DarkSam?

That brings me to the bigger picture stuff. The return of Castiel was a welcome one. And it was nice of him to bring along his friend, Uriel. It set the stage for a lot of development, if not a lot of answers. Uriel made it pretty clear where he stands. He won’t be joining any Winchester based Facebook groups any time soon. The taunting of Sam over November 2nd, and the threats that followed it should be cause for concern. This is, after all, someone that can wipe cities off the planet.

Castiel’s position, on the other hand, is not so concrete. His confession to Dean adds a whole new wrinkle to what I know about his motivations. Where once it seemed that he was calculating and working toward a written-in-stone goal, now I hear, “I’m not a hammer. I have questions. I have doubts. I don’t know what is right and what is wrong anymore.” Added to the fact that he was actually relieved that Dean chose to save the town, and let the seal be broken, Castiel’s role in all of this just got all kinds of new facets.

Something I could also say where Dean is concerned. There is still have no explanation for just what it is that makes him the best man for this job, but the fact that Castiel and Uriel were on orders to do whatever Dean said certainly speaks to just how important he is. It is, as Castiel said, a lot for Dean to bear. Something made that much more difficult by what is going on with Sam. And I have to wonder if one of those decisions Castiel talked about is going to be about little brother. The look on Dean’s face as he rounded the corner to find Sam using his powers on Samhain has certainly opened that wound again. If that isn’t enough, he also has the Hell flashbacks to deal with.

All things considered, another very good episode for Supernatural. As a Halloween themed episode, it worked well. And as a part of the season four mythology, it worked even better. They’ve managed to get a lot of setup into these first seven episodes. It’s work that should pay off big as I move through the season and get to start knocking down some of those pins.

Supernatural - Yelllow Fever

Well now, here I have an episode that is not what it appears to be. The team over at Supernatural played a bit of a trick on me. I can usually count on the “THEN” footage at the start of the show to set the mood for where an episode is headed. This episode the footage featured Lilith, Lilith/Ruby, Gordon, Castiel, and demon roasting Sam. On most occasions, an opening like that would signal a pretty heavy mythology episode with some big developments. That wasn’t really the case here. “Yellow Fever” is a pretty stand-alone entry in the Supernatural books, with just a tiny little bit of bigger picture stuff tucked away. But it would be hard to hold that against anyone, especially given that priceless ending.

Fake out preview aside, it really was a fun episode. The lion’s share of credit for that goes to Dean’s part of the story. Watching him spiral out of control as he progressed from not liking the looks of those teenagers, to not making a left turn against traffic, right on through to running from the killer Shih Tzu, was all very amusing. My favorite part of that was at the lumber mill. Both the high pitched scream when they found the cat, and the shot of Dean running away after Luther appeared, were hilarious.

More interesting for my ongoing story though, the ghost sickness did eventually lead to something a little more serious. The big scene that saw the return of Lilith gave me a nice update of where Dean is at with the changes in Sam. It was partly the yellow fever talking, but it came from something real. He’s scared of what Sam is, and what he might ultimately end up being. It was also a good way to bring Lilith back into the picture, without actually bringing Lilith back anyway. The little ba-boom, ba-boom as she tried to force Dean over the edge was very menacing. I do believe that little Lilith is growing on me.

As far as Luther, and the ghost sickness story, I thought it was pretty solid. I especially liked the bit about Luther being road-hauled and there being no way to find all the remains. Burned remains has been done too many times; it’s nice to see something new. I wouldn’t have minded a little more interaction with Luther, but they made up for that with his brother John.

Ultimately though, what made the episode work was the comedy. There were so many fun little bits that I wouldn’t begin to try to list them all. A few of my favorites include Hutchins calling them on the Agent names, Cornjerkers and Gamecocks (they’re majestic animals), spleen juice, and Dean’s meltdown. “A ghost! Exactly! Who does that? We hunt monsters! What the hell?!”

So, while I was initially a little disappointed that Lilith and Castiel in the opening didn’t pan out, it wound up being another really good episode. I've only seen six, so there is still a long way to go in season four. Plenty of time to get to the big stuff.

Supernatural: Monster Movie

After kicking the season off with four pretty heavy episodes, it was time for a little break. And that’s a good thing. While they don’t do it often, the Supernatural team does comedy very well. This time, the classic movie monsters provided the backdrop for the laughs. It was largely tongue in cheek, with lots of cues from the classic horror movies, but there was still time to uncover a rather familiar foe.

Before I get to that big ol’ mystery though, I should probably talk about the production. I really like the choice to do the whole thing in black and white. Sure, it would have worked just fine in color, but the different look added to the atmosphere. As soon as the classic credits popped up on the screen, I was in. They carried it right on through in the way they shot everything as well, most notably with the brightly lit eyes on Dracula.

Getting to the story, where do I start? The script was chock full of great references and one-liners. At the same time on occasion, as I saw with Dean’s revelation about his health post-Hell, “Brother, I have been rehymenated, and the Dude will not abide.” A hymen joke, and The Big Lebowski, all mashed together for you. I also really liked Jamie’s line, trying to put it all in perspective: “You guys are like Mulder and Scully or something? And the X-Files are real?” There was the Goethe theater, “I’m a maverick Ma’am,” Anne Rice, and they even wrapped the mystery with a classic. From King Kong: “It was beauty that killed the beast.” I could go on.

Getting, slightly, more serious, were you guessing shape shifter right away? I was actually going with a trickster. Shape shifter worked well though, and it is impressive that they can reuse the creature and not have it feel tired. It certainly didn’t hurt that they cast Todd Stashwick. He’s been on a roll lately, having followed up his run on The Riches. This was a great part, but you have to imagine he had an odd reaction upon learning that he is a Vespa riding vampire.

As much as I loved all the gags, my favorite scene in the episode took on a much more serious tone. That would be Dean’s little chat with Jamie (Melinda Sward) where he came clean about his “near death experience.” Her description, “That must suck. You’re giving up your life for this terrible responsibility.” and his reaction, “Last few years, I started thinking that way,” tell the story very well. That was then followed by Dean telling her things were different. “I save them. And I gotta say, it’s awesome. Kind of like a mission from God.” Dean really has changed. Of course, the fact that Dean shared this moment with Jamie, and not Sam, is also very telling of where they are with other parts of the ongoing story.

All things considered, “Monster Movie” made for a nice little season four intermission.

Supernatural: Metamorphosis

There were two significant events to Supernatural in this episode. One, Dean found out that Sam has been messing with the dark mojo and Ruby. Two, I think I was more grossed out than I ever have been before watching this show.

While the plot itself was not deep, it was an old-school Supernatural episode. Sam and Ruby are trying to get information from a Demon, with no luck. The Demon gets Sam's goat by taunting him about sending Dean to Hell and being in bed with a Demon. The new and improved Sam gets pissed of and sucks the Demon right out of him. And this time, he even managed to do so without killing the human host. Good job Sammy! Too bad big brother Dean was watching as this all went down. I was surprised at how calm Dean was when he found out. Very unlike him.

Ok, well the hot headed Dean came out strong when he found out that the chick Sam was with was in fact Ruby. He went right after her and was stopped by Sam. In the mean time, Sam gets a call from Travis to watch a guy named Jack Montgomery. So off they go.

The show flashes to Jack and his wife eating. Jack cannot eat enough, but cannot explain his hunger. That night as he brushes his teeth, Jack's bones start shifting in his back. He is scared for a moment, but cannot see anything different about his back. The boys arrive at Jack's house and watch him the next night. They were told to watch for anything unusual.

And what followed would be more described as disgusting. He asked his wife about dinner, she said it would be a little bit. So, he headed for the fridge. He started eating, but would not stop. He got to the point where he was eating raw hamburger. Ok, all together now, eeeewww. As she called to him, he stopped and realized what he was doing.

Sam and Dean leave the house to meet Travis. They find him half drunk as Dean comments that they should have locked up the beer. Travis explains that Jack is a Rugaru, a flesh-eating monster that starts human. Eventually it transforms into a demon that seeks out human flesh. It is when they eat it that they become demons. Travis killed Jack’s father. Jack doesn’t know what he is because he was given up for adoption.

Dean and Travis prepare to kill Jack, but Sam isn’t thrilled. He doesn’t want to kill Jack unless he becomes evil. I think that Sam is relating to Jack a little too much since they both have evil inside them that they cannot control. Over relate much? They agree to wait, and Sam and Dean decide to talk to him about what is happening.

As this all goes on, Jack’s blood lust increases as he sees his wife cut herself. He leaves to avoid doing something he may regret. Instead he goes to a bar and breaks a guy’s hand. When he goes home, his wife is pissed at him for abandoning her when she needed stitches. He apologizes and starts to get frisky with her. When he gets a little too rough, she gets upset.

The next day Sam and Dean arrive for their heart-to-heart, you are turning into a flesh eating demon talk with Jack. Of course, he is freaked out by what they have to say and tells them to stay away. Confused, Jack wanders the streets. When he gets excited seeing a woman getting undressed, he realizes that there is something truly wrong with him. He goes home to be with his wife.

When he arrives, Travis is already there and has tied her up. He plans to kill them both, since she is pregnant. Jack gets loose and eats Travis. Yeah, you heard me; it started off with one bite and then more. Again, eeewww!

Jack lets his wife go, who is totally horrified and disgusted. Sam and Dean show up and find that Travis is nearly gone now. Jack attacks them from behind. He is angry that they sent their “friend” after him and his wife. Sam and Dean are both knocked out. When Sam comes to, he is locked in a closet. He is worried that Jack may eat Dean. He talks to Jack, trying to reason with him. He is able to get out of the closet in just enough time to fry Jack before my beloved Dean is taken away again.

I was happy to see that one end.

Supernatural: In The Beginning

After two episodes that gave me a look at what the future holds for the Winchester boys, it’s time to look back at the past. I traveled back in time to Lawrence, Kansas, circa 1973. There, I ran into young Mary and John. If that wasn't enough for me, Sam and Dean’s grandfather, Samuel also makes an appearance. He’s not so keen on the idea of John and Mary getting together. And he holds a secret that will shed some light on things in the present day.

My, oh my. Where do I begin after that? How about the casting? I was impressed with all of the guest players. The big star of the show, though, was Mitch Pileggi. Just perfect casting. He was great as the crotchety old hunter that didn’t trust anyone, and just as good for his stint as Azazel.

Getting to the story, I started this episode with some reservations. Not that they did anything wrong, but whenever anyone wants to go messing about with time, warning bells go off. I have a general rule for TV that the only one who should play willy-nilly with time is Dr. Who. Everyone else should tread lightly. Thankfully, the powers that be had Castiel waiting at the end with an explanation. Destiny can’t be changed. That’s a solid working rule moving forward with Supernatural.

In the end, it all served as a big history lesson for Dean, and for me. I expected that would be the case going in, because if Dean was to alter anything in the past, it would wipe out the last three years of the show. Again, this is why only the Dr. messes about with time. It was quite a history lesson.

To start: Mary, ass kicking hunter. When she put the boots to Dean I was caught completely off guard, but when I got the closeup of the bracelet, it all came into focus. It was a very cool twist. And as I learned more about her, it answered some old questions. Why she recognized Azazel in the nursery. How Azazel was picking his “psychic kids.” And, most importantly, how Sam got on that list. What it didn’t tell me was what his endgame will be.

Along the way, the episode was just filled with great lines, and great scenes. Things like Dean convincing John to buy the Impala. Or Samuel’s reaction to Dean, “You seem like a nice kid Dean, but yeah, you’re crazy.” And the scene where Azazel is revealed in Samuel’s body. As soon as he asked to hold the gun, I knew. The best of it all though, was the moment that Mary and Dean shared. Her telling him how she wants out of the hunting life, and Dean pleading with her to stay in bed on Nov. 2, 1983. It was very moving.

It was quite nearly Sammy free in this one, only seeing him race off in a Mustang with Ruby. I can assume they were heading out to go after more demons, but Castiel’s warning that Sam is “headed down a dangerous road” did sound ominous. I can’t wait to see where that all goes.

At the end of the day, I can’t think of any way this episode could have been better. There were loads of Winchester history as the backdrop to revealing just a little more of Castiel’s mission. And the fact that it is going to tie in with what Azazel was doing with all those kids is fantastic. Season four is off to a tremendous start.

Supernatural: Are You There God? It's Me Dean Winchester

Holy smokes. The cats over at Supernatural are not fooling around with season four. After what I learned, pursuing Azazel and trying to save Dean from Hell seem like small potatoes. The big guns are coming out now, and I’m totally sold on the story already. But I’ve gone and put the cart ahead of the horse there. Before Castiel stopped in to drop the big bomb, there were some old friends to get reacquainted with.

I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed with the episode as it began, for the simple fact that it didn’t pick up where it left off with Castiel in the premiere. It didn’t take long for them to win me over though, and it did end up being a really strong episode.

The rising of the witnesses was such a great story idea. Aside from how it all ultimately tied into the main story for the season, it was great to see past characters return. My favorite of those was Meg. I liked how they called back to the story the real Meg told the boys in season one. Of course, Agent Henricksen and Ronald Reznick were good as well.

Their presence, and the rising, again touched on the blurry line of what it is to be a hunter. It’s something I’ve seen the Winchesters struggle with before. Henricksen had the most disturbing story to tell, with Lilith’s extended torture. But Meg’s was the one that really hit home. The guilt from not being able to save her from Azazel’s daughter is bad, but her little exchange with Sam was the big one. As she put it, “What you’re doing with that demon Ruby… how many bodies has she burned through for kicks? And you don’t send her back to Hell? You’re a monster.” That’s a tough pill, and hints at a conflict I wouldn’t be surprised to see coming up for Sam and Dean.

Now, to the bigger picture. They are really going all out here, rewriting Revelations with the new extended collection of 66 seals. It’s an ambitious move, but one I’m happy to sign up for. The stakes just don’t get much bigger than an apocalypse. Rather, the apocalypse.

The stage was set perfectly for the return of Castiel. From Sam and Dean’s discussions about God, to Bobby’s choice to not touch the subject with a ten foot pole. The best bit of it was where Castiel finally asserted a little authority. Dean was clearly out of line. Rather than smack Dean around, he simply laid it out nice and calm. “There’s a bigger picture here. You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of Hell. I can throw you back.” Dean should now be on board for the fight.

And what a fight it promises to be. I'me not talking about Lilith here, or any of the other myriad of demons I’ve seen. This is Lucifer. The warriors of God are already taking casualties. At this point, season four is shaping up to be incredible.

Supernatural: Lazarus Rising

"Why’d you do it?” “Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you.”

That exchange between Dean and Castiel ended the premiere of Supernatural's fourth season. The episode, entitled "Lazarus Rising," signaled the show going in a more biblical direction. After Dean dug his way out of the pine box that was his grave, he was reunited with Bobby and then Sam. The big news: I learned Sam started utilizing his powers and Dean was saved by an angel named Castiel.

The Resurrection

I saw flashes of hell and then I saw darkness. All of a sudden I heard Dean breathe back into existence. He was conveniently (too conveniently) buried with a lighter. I guess Sammy was thinking ahead. And Dean quickly dug his way out of the pine box Sam and Bobby buried him in after he died. I was worried about how Buffy Dean’s resurrection and then his escape from his grave was going to get. Any fan of the vampire slayer knows Buffy was pulled out of what I later learned was some heaven-like place. But her escape was pretty brutal as she clawed her way out of her grave.

As for Dean, other than his raspy voice and some smudges on his face and arms, he really wasn’t that bad off; a fact which was scary in its own right, since I know the guy was in hell for four months probably being continuously tortured. At the gas station, Dean gathered supplies and wondered why he didn’t have any scars from those vicious hellhounds that tore him apart. However, he did have a mysterious hand print on his arm.

The Reunions

How great was Dean’s reunion with Bobby? I have always loved any scene that involves those two — they’re unexpectedly emotional. When Bobby finally realized he wasn’t talking to a Dean shapeshifter or revenant, that this was the real deal, it was just awesome. Bobby dousing Dean with the holy water was cool too. But as great as this reunion was, I was waiting for the one between Sam and Dean. After Sam got over his doubts about who turned up at his hotel room door in Pontiac, Illinois, the two brothers hugged. My top three Sam and Dean moments during "Lazarus Rising" were:

1) The hug. Duh.
2) Sam gave Dean his amulet back.
3) Sam and Dean ogled Pamela Barnes (the psychic) together. I liked this scene because Sam and Dean both appreciated Pamela’s "assets." Sam wasn’t just about the case; it was a lighthearted moment between the brothers.

The Brothers' Relationship

Even though Sam and Dean shared some touching moments, all was not right in their world. They’ve always kept a secret or two from each other. After all, Dean still hasn’t found out about Mary recognizing the demon that killed her. But what transpired in this episode has really set the brothers on two different paths. Sam told Dean that Ruby was dead. I know that she never died. She just switched bodies (more on that in a little bit). Sam was pretty vague about what he did during his four months without Dean. And he certainly lied about using his powers. Dean told Sam he couldn’t remember anything about hell. But I know he’s been getting some flashes (not much, but it was still something). He also lied about going to summon the thing that pulled him out of hell. I’ve got lies, half-truths, omissions and differing agendas threatening to separate the Winchesters.

Plus, Sam has been working with a demon (Ruby) and tapping into the dark side in order to do some good: saving people and ridding the world of demons. Dean, on the other hand, may end up working for an angel who has proven to be more than just a halo and fluffy wings. In this episode, he was fierce but also destructive. Just ask Pamela. In the past I’ve always been wary about anything that splits up the brothers. I haven’t changed my opinion on that subject, but I have to say I don’t mind the brothers keeping secrets from each other this season.

Other thoughts:

The classic rock recap was back: AC/DC’s "Shook Me All Night Long" started Season 4 off with a bang.

Loved Dean at the empty gas station. He quickly went for candy, water and a copy of his favorite porn mag.

Wedge Antilles is a Star Wars reference.

Sam drove the Impala!

The new Ruby: the jury’s out for me. To me, she felt like a whole new character. Katie Cassidy’s Ruby was as sarcastic as Dean, could give as good as she got, and was pretty questionable morally even if she was doing something good. While I watched and liked Genevieve Cortese, her Ruby seemed pretty tame. She also seemed too nice. Ruby offered to step back, although I do think it has something to do with who pulled Dean out of hell. But it was weird to hear her say she didn’t want to come between the brothers. So I’ve decided to reserve my judgment, because who knows what will happen in the future with this character.

Castiel: I liked this guy immediately. Misha Collins is definitely a keeper. And mighty sexy too. Sorry, I just had to go there. But I can’t wait to see how things develop between Castiel and Dean in the future. I loved that shot of Castiel's wings, by the way.

Pamela Barnes: Her scenes with Bobby, Sam and Dean were great. Hope to see her again.

Dean couldn’t see Castiel in his pure form. I wonder if we’ll ever meet anyone who has the power to see him.

Sam’s turned into a much better liar.

Dean finding the Impala equipped with an iPod dock and playing Sam’s emo music was classic. What was that song anyway? Loved when he threw the iPod in the back seat.