The first time we met the Supernatural writers, we were immediately impressed with how thoughtful and serious they were about the Show and making it the best it can be. More than once, as we chatted over drinks, one of the writers mentioned that Andrew Dabb would be joining us later. Each time, they added, “He’s the heart of Supernatural.” I didn’t entirely understand what they meant, though when we did get a chance to talk to Andrew later, it was clear that he has a serious emotional investment in the show and the characters. Of course, we’re used to that with fandom. We all have an emotional investment in this show and these characters!
As I watched this week’s episode, the writers’ words kept coming back to me. More than any other episode he’s written, with the possible exception of Dark Side of the Moon, “Inside Man” reminded me of why the other writers consider Dabb the heart of the show. The episode flowed so smoothly, I didn’t realize how much of an emotional impact it was carrying until we got to the end and Sam was tearing up – and so was I. Thank you, Andrew Dabb, for letting us see that, and for letting me feel it.
Fandom is rarely in unanimous agreement, and I’ve seen a few who didn’t care for this episode – but the vast majority of fans loved it. And I’m one of them. Let me run down my favorite things, in no particular order, and then you can tell me yours in the comments. We love discussion!
IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILY
The family theme is woven through this episode, as it is throughout the entire series. Finally, after we’ve all spent a lot of time wondering who’s onto who, Crowley gets wise to Rowena. All the props in the world to Mark Sheppard and Ruth Connell, who acted their asses off in all their scenes. I love both characters so much that I had a twinge of regret watching them go their separate ways, though it was inextricably tangled up with the impulse to yell “Yes! You tell her, Crowley!”
Rowena’s story line is now thoroughly integrated with the Winchesters’ as well as her son’s, so I have no doubt we haven’t seen the last of her, thankfully.
Ruthie Connell wins the best live tweet of the night during the scene where Dean confronts Rowena.
@Ruthieconnell: Did Jensen Ackles bend me over a bar yet or what? #ToughJobButSomeoneHadToDoIt
I feel for you, Ruthie Connell, I really do. How many takes did you ask for?
Even the humor worked perfectly in this episode – Dabb didn’t go for the broad laughs that make Show think they have to play that over-the-top Stooges-esque music that I loathe, but instead gave us subtle moments that made me smirk. Crowley’s greeting of “Squirrel” and Dean’s “Boris. Where’s Natasha?” worked so well, and Sheppard and Ackles knew exactly how to deliver those lines. Similarly, Crowley’s flustered reaction to walking in on his mother naked, and Rowena’s taunting him with some details about her sexual exploits to make him forget he was ever worried about something more serious – perfectly executed by Connell and Sheppard.
Connell and Dabb together gave us a Rowena whose toughness and determination came to the forefront, even as I couldn’t help wondering if some of her tears really were about being rejected by her son – no matter that she was out to use him from the start. Her reaction to the mark was intriguing – it’s just a curse. The first curse, sure, but just a curse. Hmmm.
Then there was Crowley and Dean; their scene in the bar was all about family too. The two of them drinking together was like a return to their bromance days, and they do seem to have a grudging affection for each other. Although I think Crowley has been wise to Rowena for a while, I also think there’s a part of him that really does long for family. He’s jealous of Dean and Sam for having that, and he wanted it from his mother even if intellectually he always knew he wouldn’t get it. Crowley has done awful things, but Sheppard plays him with a vulnerability that I can’t help but respond to.
Crowley and Dean are both so weary, so worn down. In contrast to so much of the other communication in the episode (especially Dean and Sam), Dean and Crowley were almost brutally honest with each other in this scene. Defenses down, telling it like it is.
The episode was surprisingly well integrated, even though it separated Sam and Dean and followed them in their respective adventures. While Sam and Cas are breaking Bobby out of heaven, Dean is quoting him to Crowley.
“Family don’t end in blood, but it doesn’t start there, either. Family cares about you. Not what you can do for them. Family is there. Through the good, bad, all of it. They’ve got your back even when it hurts. That’s family.”
I get the feeling that Crowley would like nothing better than to have that – perhaps from Dean and Sam themselves. Or from his son, who is out there in the modern world somewhere doing who knows what. Hey Theo Devaney, wanna come back? Daddy needs you!
BADASS CAS AND SAMTASTIC SAM!
I enjoyed when Cas was human, and I enjoyed when Cas was leviathian, but mostly I love Cas as we originally were introduced to him. Badass angel Cas, fighting for what he believes in. In this episode, what he believes in is the same thing that Sam Winchester does – saving Dean. The two of them together are a force to be reckoned with, and damn, I like that.
Highlights were Cas leaping into the playground sandbox – wait, let’s say leaping into the portal, that sounds much more badass – and sliding into Heaven. I bet Misha Collins got a bit of a workout during this episode. Good thing he’s in excellent shape.
And Sam really was Samtastic in this episode! Thank you thank you thank you, Andrew Dabb, for giving us so much Sam pov in this episode. I’ve been craving it, and it felt tremendously gratifying to finally see Sam’s emotions and hear his thoughts.
Hannah was sort of back in this episode, though without Erica Carroll. But I liked the reminder that angels occupy vessels and it’s the vessel that has a gender. Hannah possessed a male vessel, and then greeted Cas with the same warmth and clear attraction, and Cas returned both (until Hannah took a hard line about letting him back into heaven and near Metatron, that is).
Metatron is back too, another thread tying together into the story arc for the end of the season.
I adore the character of Metatron, with his constant snarky comments. And Curtis Armstrong manages to make me confused enough to not have a clue when Metatron is lying or when he’s telling the truth. Was “the river ends at its source” just a play for more time, or is he lying now when he says he knows nothing about removing the mark? Who knows!
The humor worked well in this episode, with Metatron’s quip of “Asstiel” tossed out there just right. Armstrong plays this character in such a pitch perfect way, managing to make him complicated and inscrutable in just a few lines of dialogue. For a really nice guy in real life, he does smarmy so damn well!
I have a feeling the entire fandom was cheering when Metatron got his comeuppance, especially when Sam and Cas threw his taunts back at him.
If you had forgotten what a badass Sam Winchester can be (and maybe you had, since we haven’t seen enough of it recently), you got a big surprise when he put a bullet in Metatron’s knee without flinching. That look on his face was so hard and so cold, I think I actually shivered. Everything that Metatron has done to Sam – Gadreel, Kevin, the impact on his relationship with Dean – you could see the fury in Sam’s eyes, all that empathy we’re used to seeing there gone. Sam Winchester is one scary badass hunter, and we need to remember that. (He’s also that abandoned son longing for his father’s approval who tears up when he reads his surrogate dad’s words of praise).
Who wasn’t cheering when Cas and Sam took Metatron’s grace? I have no clue why nobody thought to take his grace from him before if it was that easy, but I was cheering when Cas did (file it under the ‘wouldn’t a bungee cord be a good idea?’ tab of Supernatural suggestions).
I loved every bit of the Sam and Cas interaction in this episode — their understated mutual respect and shared determination. The smoothness with which they worked together and their ability to communicate with just an expression or a nod – they were so on the same page.
Also, who didn’t squee a little at Sam and Cas holding hands?
Jim Beaver live tweet: These guys had to hold hands for HOURS!
@WilliamShatner: Everyone shipping Sasstiel?
Sometimes I just have to pinch myself that Captain Kirk himself is a Supernatural fan, and that Shatner is a guy in his 80’s casually talking about shipping and using the correct (albeit misspelled) portmanteau.
GOING OLD SCHOOL
I didn’t even know how much I’d missed Bobby until he was back on my tv screen, as grumpy and as loving as ever. After the emotional experience of seeing Jeffrey Dean Morgan at VegasCon, I was nearly overwhelmed by seeing the Winchesters’ other father figure back on the show again. Jim Beaver is such an incredible actor, and so embodies the role of Bobby, that he makes every scene believable and emotional. I loved his partnership with Cas, and the way he proves he’s as sharp as ever in spite of his grumbling about having gone soft. I loved everything about him being in this episode. Everything.
Nobody else could make this line so perfect:
Bobby: This is the scribe of God? Looks like a Fraggle.
And Andrew Dabb, thank you times a billion for: The Bobbys are surly.
Oh yes they are, and it’s glorious.
And while I’m at it, thank you for making the exit door to heaven number 42, the ultimate pop culture reference from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as the “Answer to The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything”. And a repeated SPN reference too.
The return of Bobby Singer was enough in itself to make this episode qualify for one of my highest compliments, “old school SPN”. But there was more!
I loved the return of brotherly pranks, which we haven’t seen for quite a while. I wondered if Sam reminded Dean to ‘stay out of my room’ specifically to give him the idea of NOT staying out, perhaps sacrificing the integrity of his belongings in order to give his brother some amusement, and to help him feel like himself in familiar brotherly territory. It seemed to work at least for a while. Dean was distracted by scrubbing Sam’s toothbrush in his armpit, rubbing his butt on Sam’s pillow, and taping down Sam’s (very very old school) MoL phone. He looked almost gleeful doing it too, which was nice to see. Sam knows his brother so well.
Btw, did anyone else interpret Dean’s admission of wanting a little “me time” as not exactly G rated? Was that just me who got distracted for a minute?
Of course, Sam and Dean lying to each other never turns out to be a good thing, but I got the feeling they both knew they were onto the other and went along with it anyway. We’ll see how that goes…
FANFIC COME TO LIFE
This is my highest compliment for an episode, which should surprise no one who has read Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls. I’ll stack the reams of well written fanfic up against anything on the shelves of Barnes and Noble (or available on Kindle) and nothing makes me happier than finding a fic that expands the canon of the Show I love in a way that makes sense to me. So saying that multiple scenes in “Inside Man” were like fanfic come to life is really saying something!
First there’s the nightmare scene. Dean yelling for Sam in his sleep, sounding exactly like when he called out for his brother when he was in hell. I straight up GASPED, it sounded so much the same. There’s nothing I love more than one brother leaping up and running full tilt and headlong (barefoot – guh!) ready to do what it takes to save the other. Sam managed to look both badass and hot as hell, hair flowing, eyes flashing, gun raised, as he burst through Dean’s door.
And then there was Dean, sweaty and writhing on the bed, calling for Sam, the arm with the mark stretched out ominously still and stiff on the bed. Once again, my mind temporarily went in an inappropriate direction – but so did at least half of fandom’s, judging by the number of gifs on Tumblr of that scene, helpfully cropped so that interpretation is facilitated in whatever direction your imagination cares to go. Thanks, Show.
As much as I’d be happy to have footage of Dean sweating and writhing on the bed for any reason, the scene made narrative sense too – Sam really sees the toll this is taking on Dean, when his defenses are down and he can’t lie about it. He can hear the pain and fear, and it amps up Sam’s determination to do whatever the hell it takes to make it stop.
If this really was fanfic, I’d be looking forward to the comfort part of the hurt/comfort trope, but in canon, it made sense that Sam wouldn’t wake his brother. Dean would be mortified that Sam had seen him so vulnerable and in pain, and that would only make him close himself off more to his brother. The longing to be able to comfort Dean – to do something – is clear on Sam’s face, in the anguish he feels being so helpless. But it fuels his resolve too, and that’s a good thing in my book.
Then there’s the wonderful scene of Dean playing pool. This is something we’ve heard about repeatedly on the Show, and something that’s absolutely iconic in fanfiction. But we haven’t SEEN it. Dean snapping into I’m-drunk-and-an-easy-mark mode, smoothly luring the arrogant frat boys in, and then snapping out of it in a heartbeat, with an easy smirk as he cleans up the balls without missing a beat. Oh, Dean. The gif of that smirk as he leans over the table and lines up his shot is EVERYWHERE. And with good reason.
Someone suggested that the vehemence with which Dean went after those guys was fueled by the themes of class which have always been there in Supernatural. His own version of a small battle of class warfare, easily won. Which just makes me love the scene even more.
Bonus points to Dabb for amping up the angst first, as Dean scrolls to Sam’s name on his phone and hovers over it, then puts it away. And for Dean casually spiking up his hair, and then winking flirtatiously at the bartender. I’m pretty sure there will never be another fictional character that gets to me like the many facets of Dean Winchester. Even after ten years.
Kudos to Jensen Ackles for the nightmare scenes, both bar scenes, and that amazing moment when Dean glances up at himself in the mirror and is taken aback by the flash of black eyes. His reaction was so perfect, so realistic – in about four seconds, he conveyed Dean’s shock, panic, and determination, as he damps it down and goes back out there.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END – IT ALL STARTS TO COME TOGETHER
I was worried that an episode with so many players would be fragmented and whiplash inducing, but that’s not at all what happened here. All the storylines are now connecting, coming together in a beautiful way. It’s why, despite my occasional complaints of whiplash, I fundamentally trust Show to weave the threads together. This episode was the beginning of that weaving, the start of the final push to the finale, when everything and everyone are connected organically, and the pressure and suspense start to build and build and build. This is my favorite time of a season, when I can see the brilliance of the writers and the actors and the crew coming together until I’m sitting here brimming with anticipation and terror simultaneously. After TEN YEARS, guys, I’m still on the edge of my seat, needing to grab somebody’s hand and hold on tight.
The last scenes tie the entire episode together in precisely the way that I’m used to from writing a book or a long piece of fanfiction. We revisit all the characters from the episode as we listen to Jim Beaver’s voice reading the letter Bobby wrote to Sam. [And wasn’t that a freaking gorgeous shot of Rowena walking down the alley? Kudos, Serge Ladouceur].
We see the impact it has on Sam as Bobby tells him what Sam so desperately needs to hear and believe – that he’s a good man, the best. That Bobby is proud of him. My heart soared and ached for Sam at that moment, and when Bobby quoted the words from Jared Padalecki’s real life #AlwaysKeepFighting campaign, I started to sob. When he quoted Kim Manners iconic “Kick it in the ass,” I completely lost it. Brilliant brilliant brilliant, to tie the emotions that the character is feeling to the real life emotions of love and loss that all of us – and in that moment, specifically Padalecki and Beaver – have experienced. It’s what Supernatural does best. It’s risky, and it wouldn’t work in many shows, but with our ten year shared history, it’s perfect here. We all get it, and we all feel it. And yes, Andrew Dabb, this episode showed us the heart of the show – and reminded us that Supernatural is deeply embedded in all our hearts.
Thanks for that.
After everything that Jared, Jensen and Misha hinted about the season finale being “intense,” are we ready??? Who’s gonna be there to hold my hand???
–Lynn
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Thanks for another great review. Was looking forward to reading this. I loved this episode. Was so great to see Sam and Castiel on a mission together and they were totally badass. Yet again, the end had me in tears especially when Sam turned his head to show the tear running down his face.
It’s so great to see Sam taking the reigns in trying to save Dean. Like you said, I didn’t realise how much I missed Bobby, it was so good to have him back. The episode felt like old school Supernatural with some funny bits thrown in along the way along with the kicking ass. I can’t wait to see what develops for the rest of the season but at the same time, I don’t want it to end.
Reblogged this on Ana Fraser Lallybroch Blog.
Wow, spot on as always. This episode made my heart hurt for all the right reasons. Really am afraid for this season’s finale. I’m not a big drinker but I may need to self medicate through the episode. I really missed you live tweeting the show. Hope you can continue.
My prep for S10 Finale will include readying cuddles for my little dog, chilling the vodka, prewashing the fuzzy blankie, testing the drop of the cone of silence over my house, and LASTLY anticipating the sheer genius, emotional journey, and devastating effects the Show will have on all of its devoted followers (‘fans’ is too weak a term). It’s our dreaded annual asteroid, heading dead-on for Earth, and staking out its impact zone, while we await the inevitable explosion.
[Ed. Note: Excellent review for one of the best Shows in S10 or in other seasons as well! Thanks.]
Excellent Lynn! I haven’t seen the episode yet but I’m not purist so I don’t mind reading highlights before I watch the show. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful synopsis!
Marvelous as always. I love the shout-out to classic fanfic tropes. I don’t get time to read them but this makes so much sense.
I’m also glad you highlighted Andrew Dabb. I wish he wrote more episodes.
“The heart of the Show”…great description of a great writer. I’m re-watching the ep as I write this comment and as always your recap/reviews always make me think harder and feel deeper than I did on my first watch of the ep. Every member of the cast was spot on this week, bringing their A-game and allowing our family to bask in the talent of this cast and crew. Thank you Show once again for bringing together and nurturing the most talented cast/crew in television today. Bobby made me all warm and fuzzy, Sam makes my heart hurt and Dean…well Dean continues to give me a mix of need to comfort, protect and hug this man!!! I fear for where this road is heading and have already started to stockpile both kleenex and courage to watch the finale. Hang on tight SPN family! Show plans to break us!!!
This was a good one, and I suspect that this is one of those episodes that if I get a chance to rewatch it, I will like a whole lot more. (And I don’t mean that as a knock on the episode – but as everyone knows, sometimes real life just gets in the way of ‘losing yourself’ in the show. This week my brain just wasn’t shutting up enough.)
I’m not going to restate all the things that I loved that were already touched on. Okay, maybe just to say yes, more pool playing. And for a mostly non-violent person, I really enjoy Sam shooting a guy in the knee. A little too much. But yeah, Sam can go all BAMF whenever he wants.
I knew people or creatures were going to die in that bar because Dean woke up that morning and put on his red murder shirt.
As for Dean’s nightmare, that yes, immediately brought back the Season 3 finale in Hell, I had two thoughts as to why Sam didn’t wake Dean. 1. I think it was last season the Dean woke up Sam and Sam almost shot him. That’s probably an actual concern, or at least should be. It’s been drilled into us that they sleep with the weapons. 2. Dean settled back into non-screaming sleep relatively quickly. Now, whether there’s some sort of weird Sammy-sense that kicked in and he felt Sam’s presence or it was just like normal nightmares that sometimes end quickly, who knows? But as the scene was fading out, it looked like Dean was much calmer and Sam was still sort of watching over him.
I loved the surly Bobbies. How could you not? Was there a cameo in there? I swear there were some familiar faces, but I haven’t had a chance to go back and check. That said, I really don’t like Matrix Heaven. I need a line to explain some of that away. In my head I build off of the line from Zachariah about “this is what you can perceive” and figure that’s why we are seeing hallways organized alphabetically. But there’s something just not right with that. If the angels are more or less keeping us as pets, fine, just say it. But cubicle heaven is a bit jarring when it shows up on the show.
But, as for Bobby’s heaven? I might have blurted out “I’m drinking a glass of milk, watching a little Tori and Dean” to the utter bewilderment of Hubby. That Tori Spelling reference made me so happy. They showed the book much more clearly later, but I adore that he never said Tori’s name out loud – you had to see it on your own. Thank you show for not punching me in the face with the in-humor there.
As for contacting Bobby, how powerful is your seance when you bring an angel to the table?
As for where is this heading… we’re talking “God-level magic, Lucifer-level…” Sam can’t possibly spring Lucifer again, can he? I have no words for this. Seriously, no words, and I’m the one with essay length comments. The implication is that there are three possible entities to undo the mark: God, Lucifer, and I would assume Death, since “in the end [Death] will reap God.” I want to see Death and Lucifer back on the show for at least a few scenes. I’m not sure I can handle a full-on Lucifer comeback, but if he can enter dreams or something like that… That, that could be unbelievable.
Of course there’s that possible “inside man” in the cage, too, since poor Adam’s down there. (Although, we never really get confirmation that his soul is in the cage. Adam was dead before we met him thanks to the ghouls. He might be an empty meatsuit, in which case he hasn’t been suffering unbearable torture for a millennium and we can feel better about that. Yeah, it’s a stretch…)
The family speech, well, that of course got to me… and everyone else watching. I think even if you hated this episode, you’d have to get behind that sentiment. I especially love that Dean added in the “don’t start with blood” aspect, too. Granted, I come from a family that is mostly “not blood” so that resonates with me. But, as great as that sentiment is in real life, by Dean uttering the “Don’t start with it” half of the line shows a crack in one of Dean’s most solid beliefs. Dean would do anything for family, his main criticism of Sam always came down how Sam treated his familial obligations. His family loyalty tends to the pathological. I don’t think Dean before the mark would have put any asterisk in there. Especially when you consider that conversation was the King of Hell talking to the King of Mommy Issues. Something was intentionally off there. Add that to the black eyes and the creep back towards Cain and Demon!Dean is gaining momentum.
Dean said “just because you’re blood it doesn’t make you family” four years before getting the mark (And Then There Were None) so I don’t think the mark had anything to do with his stance on family.
Oh right, Grandpa Samuel. Good recall! Wouldn’t be the first time my theory on where the show is going has been wildly wrong. 🙂
I was hoping (still sort of am hoping) that the Mark is driving some of the isolation. (Wasn’t Cain damned to be alone in the Bible? CCD was a long time ago, I could be way off here…)
Oh I’m not ready to let go of MoC Dean and demon Dean either 🙂 He will be back, and this time he’ll hopefully stick around a bit longer!
Exactly. I’m still standing by the “Dean-Cain entangled theory” I’ve been yammering on about since Executioner’s Song – even if my citations are a little off. So, partial credit?
I’ve been looking for this review since the show aired, and I enjoyed every word. This episode was incredible, and you captured all the reasons why it shone. Fantastic episode, and fantastic review. I caught the “always keep fighting” reference, but hadn’t picked up on the “kick it in the ass” reference…so amazing that real life can be interwoven and NOT ruin it all, but somehow make it even more powerful. I especially loved your comment about the segments that seemed like really great fanfic – and why that was a compliment. 🙂 I also appreciated your mentioning that Andrew Dabb wrote “Dark Side of the Moon” – our other foray into heaven. It made so much sense that he was continuing that exploration here.
God, it was just so good, every freaking scene.
I can’t wait to meet you and tell you how you how much I love your reviews! There really hasn’t been one review that hasn’t mirrored my exact feelings about the episode! I thoroughly enjoy your writings and can’t wait to buy your books!
Did anyone else notice that Dean was wearing the same black t-shirt and red button down shirt that he wore when he was Demon!Dean, or was that just me?
That’s why I call it the red murder shirt. Chances are something is going to bleed whenever Dean wears that. 😉
As always Lynn, you nailed it right on the head. I am not prepared for the pain that I am sure is around the corner. There’s not enough vodka for that or the excruciating hellatus that follows. Am I still waiting with giddy anticipation? You bet Jensen’s sweet hiney! Oh how this show has turned us all into masochists! Can we give a big kudos to the newest spn family addition, Rashaad Ernesto Green? Sinceriously well done and welcome to the family big guy! Really a long slow building clap for the entire crew. Everything came together beautifully, as usual. And like you Lynn, I heartily give a standing-o to Andrew Dabb for another wonderfully written tale. Bravo! Loved everything about this episode! Bring on the pain Show!
Vodka, my choice. Any mind-calming or mind-numbing comfort AFTER the S10 Finale will be welcome. Usually, a canine or feline comfort cuddle is enough. May need stronger support. Remember how S9 ended? That was a heart-stopper! Needed you guys then; probably will after S10 finale nukes me — and us all!
Lynn, YES YES to everything. I’m so emotionally grateful for this entire episode and it’s also for me that part of the season I wanna rewatch the entire thing and come to new hypothesis and conclusions and I spend hours with my fellow fangirl friends adoring the show and the writing and the characters. I love love love it all. Andrew is awesome.
Again, amazing review. It probably put into words all I felt.
Gosh I love this show.
Reblogged this on A Beautiful Mess… and commented:
Because I can not not reblog when an episode of Supernatural makes me even more grateful I have this show in my life.
Boa Tarde! Sempre gostei de séries. A série Supernatural tem se mostrado muito bem elaborada. Já está na 10ª temporada e continua a ser ótima. o que eu observo de grande importância e que os personagens apresentam emoções, laços de amizades tal qual na vida real. Os atores e todo o elenco continua ótimo, sempre dando o melhor. Vocês voltaram a se superar na temporada atual…Não percam o foco dos laços familiares, é exatamente o que torna interessante. Os personagens e as histórias se entrelaçam com o Bem e o mal. A cada episódio uma face sempre surpreendente dos personagens, suas ações, reações, emoções, medos, inseguranças…Enfim, penso que deveriam começar a pensar que os personagens devam ter que aumentar a família e estes seguirem o negocio de família.
Adoro!
Great review. I always enjoy reading your positive and upbeat thoughts on an episode. I got to thinking about Dean and shooting pool scenes and I do recall one very brief one in S9/E17 Mother’s Little Helper where Crowley catches up with Dean in a bar and Sam is out finding out about Abbadon harvesting soles. There is a few shots of Dean playing pool there also. Thanks again for the insight to what we all know is an awesome show that starts with those that put the words in our more than capable actors.
There’s also the scene in IKWYDLS where they have just tricked a guy into betting $500 when Ruby comes in and tells them about Anna.
Hustling pool is mentioned/shown during Chuck’s narrative in Swan Song, too.
The scene in Mother’s Little Helper was also at a bar near-ish the bunker. Maybe the same one? I like to think that Dean maybe finally has a regular bar. It’s the least I can do being as I like it so much when things go horribly wrong for him.
Excellent as always – I too can’t express how much I loved seeing Bobby, I can only hope his punishment for doing this was to be sent out of heaven and back to earth 👼
I loved the nightmare scene for obvious reasons who wouldn’t like a sweaty Dean but think the urge to comfort is definitely a female instinct. Although I would have loved for Sam to comfort his brother I agree w your review that it would just have him draw back. I will say Sam to the rescue down the hall was an awesomely shot scene and there was something about the bare feet sound that I actually loved. It added reality to it and made it really more like someone who would be home.
It wasn’t lost on me the number of time that our wonderful red headed witch through the words hero at Dean as the reason why Dean didn’t kill the preppies or why he wouldn’t kill her because she could save them.
After all isn’t this season the season of Dean learning the “Hero within”. 👍
Ummmmmm-Dean didn’t “flirtatiously” wink at the bar tender. He winked to say “watch this-I am going to wipe these guys clean of all their money” . Gawd you people. A little respect for Jensen and HIS character would be nice.
I agree with you that was an “I’ve got this” wink. Dean has definitely done that before – for example when he winks to Sam to indicate that he’s going to cross Zachariah. While I agree that flirtatious isn’t accurate, I don’t really think of it as disrespectful.
Flirtacious! Jeesh! It’s not ALWAYS about Dean-and-sex. Respect him a little bit, okay?
Best episode of the season so far I think! Loved it. Even my hubby loved it. And the sicko came up with a new ship…Crowena. The better half digs Rowena. I might have to write some Crowena for him, for kicks lol.
GREAT REVIEW! I SO AGREE. THE DIALOGUE WAS SO AMAZING THIS WEEK. I DON’T HAVE WORDS FOR HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS EPISODE. THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER; WAS IF DEAN HAD BEEN SHIRTLESS. THEY WEAR WAY TO MANY CLOTHES AT HOME IN THE BUNKER. JUST SAYING. (SHALLOW, I KNOW) I CAN DREAM, CAN’T I??
You speak for the fandom so well in your reviews! I find myself thinking “Yes, that!” all the way through as you hit every moment that struck me in the episode too. This was a wonderful episode, full of complex emotion, whistle-in-the-dark humor, and yes, family. I loved having Bobby back in such a substantial way, and the surly Bobbys was pure genius on Andrew Dabb’s always remarkable part. The 42 on the door cracked me up. It also reminded me of the ties between Supernatural and the X-Files–Mulder’s apartment number. The pool hustle scene simply had me drooling. How can one man be so hot shooting pool?! Dean’s pain–covered on the surface and read in his eyes–and Sam’s quiet determination, along with Cas’s stalwart there-with-the-Winchesters-against-heaven-itself were all wonderfully done. And Bobby’s letter did me in. A critical fulcrum episode done magnificently. Thank you, thank you Show. Thank you, Andrew Dabb. (And thank you Lynn.)
I agree with every word…EVERY WORD!!! of this lovely review. I’ve already watched this perfect episode many, many times and plan to many more. I heart SPN. Period.
You sum things up so well. Thank you for the great review.
I always look forward to your reviews, you really put it out there and do so very eloquently. Thanks.
It really was the best episode of the season. So many great performances and finally some Sam POV which has been sadly lacking this season. He and Castiel make an awesome team. Jared and Mischa have fantastic chemistry and their badass takedown of Megatron was really the highlight of the episode for me. Can’t wait to see what happens next.