Supernatural Think Tank - Anna's Thoughts on Supernatural 12x11 "Regarding Dean"

Sam: and I have a soul because of you. I never thanked you for that did I?

Dean: it's all good man

Sam: thanks

Dean: you'd do the same for me

Sam: I mean it. Look we keep our heads down, keep swinging. We'll lose some, hopefully we'll win more. I don't know...anyway...for what it's worth, I got your back

Dean:  Yeah, I know (smile ensues)

These were the words I recalled as I was watching this episode,  a prime example and testament to this promise Sam made to his brother not so long ago.  "I got your back".  It's really a truth not only that these brothers live by, but one they give to us.  I really think that this should be Jared and Jensen's next campaign.   I certainly would wear this on a t-shirt.

I know this was a Dean centric episode and Jensen gave us some great stuff.  Dean made me laugh, like a lot, and he pulled at my heart string, like a lot, but IMO this episode belonged to Sam and Jared.  While Jensen pulled at my heart strings, Jared managed an entire concerto.  I will never tire from seeing the absolute devotion Sam has for his brother....and it tickles me to no end how much he knows Dean. (POST ITS IN TRUNK).

I loved the then.  I really am so happy that these new writers have done their homework and actually get our boys.  I also love the continuity with past canon. It's a sign of respect to the fans, that these writers know us that well to put in that effort.  So thanks for that.

You know you got a good ep coming your way when Dean Winchester wakes up next to a bunny.  So very nice to see that this one survived. 

I love it when show has all the best of everyone included.  We got Smart Sexy Sam, Scared Sam, Devoted Sam, Funny Dean, Dean the Man-Child, Frightened Dean, Lost Dean and most importantly Found Dean, with a dash contentment mixed right in.  We even got Funny Rowena, Wiley Rowena and What's the Real Deal With Her Rowena.  A fantastic mix of emotion blended together that made for a delicious outing with our boys.

There is so much goodness going on in this ep, that I found it difficult to gather all my thoughts into anything coherent.  So instead I'm just going to throw out all my randomness in such a way that at the very least it seems like it makes sense.

Let's just start out with all the things I loved.

Here goes:.......All of it.  That about covers it I loved all of it. 

The Funny:  There was so much of it, and I tried to write it all down on my second watch, but I don't think I managed to get all of it.  It was all funny, until it got .  What I'm going to do now is give you what I felt were the best quotes, the ones that really made me do this.

Sam: You rode Larry? 

Just loved when he sniffed Dean at the bar to see if he was still drunk. 

Dean: First action in I don't know how long, like it never happened...figures.

Sam:  Now that's comedy.  

Sam: What's the last thing you remember?

Dean: Getting some ice.

Dean:  Now the trees are talking?

Dean:  I wouldn't be freakin Dory.

Sam:  What?

Dean: I'm not going to apologise for loving that fish, not to you, not to anyone. ( c'mon who doesn't love Dory anyway!)

Rowena:  Have I got my own ringtone?

Rowena:  Is he smooth like a Ken doll?

I'm sorry but I had to laugh at Rowena cheating at poker.  She does have a nice wardrobe.  Gotta make that money somehow I guess. 

There are more, I'm sure that I missed.  There were just so many I couldn't keep up with them all.  I would love to hear from you guys any that I might've skipped over.

Oh and lest we not forget.....Post It's.   Sam putting the post it on the light stick..oh i'm sorry....lamp.  So love when Sam gets to do physical comedy.   And Dean's glee at discovering he had one of these in his pocket. ...Simple things can bring such joy.

Those Post It's were more than just meant to be funny.  I thought the post it's symbolised how  much Sam knows and trusts in his brother.  Sam went off on his own to get the spell to fix Dean from those witches.  Yet still, he stuck post it's on the witch killing bullets and the gun he was supposed to use...and not use...sorry grenade launcher, you'll have your day....as though Sam knew that Dean would show up if he needed him.   I love the love folks. 

Sam: I've seen my brother die, but watching him become not him might actually be worse.  (Anna's heart smashed to pieces)

Sam said Dean losing who he was is worse than watching him die. If anyone has experience in losing oneself, it's Sam Winchester and there was no way in hell, he would ever let that happen to his brother.  Show did a very good job with both humour and deep emotion touching on a very serious condition.  Alzheimer's Disease is devastating to everyone.  I don't even want to imagine what it would be like to just start slipping away and forgetting everyone and everything you've ever loved.  How awful to not even remember who you are.  Then to have those who love you, just slowly watch you disappear, right in front of their eyes, helpless.  I wouldn't wish that on anyone.  It was really difficult watching it happen to the characters I love, I wouldn't even dare to imagine it happening to anyone real. 

That moment of hope and delicious goodness mixed in with utter heartache....Dean trying to remember who everyone is, who he is and uttering the words, I  can't remember to which only moments later, upon hearing Sam's screams, he recalls his brother which sets him off running.   

Things they touched on that we thought they forgot.

I love that Sam had brought up being jailed and Luci's spawn before he realized that Dean was hexed.  It just provided verbal confirmation that being in that jail, in solitary like that, was more than the boys bargained for and it did affect them.  He also reminded us of how heroic these boys really are....they don't have it easy, they never do...yet they still keep on fighting and they never ask for any thanks for doing so.

The things that make us go.....hmmmmm

This is like the third episode or so, maybe more that they touched on the soul.  Here it was kind of two fold. 

As we have seen with regards to Souless Sam, our soul is in part our moral compass.  It's more than that I think.  I think our soul makes us who we are.  We saw Sam both with a soul and without one, and it was without his soul that we saw Sam who he wasn't.  I think the comparison was what was happening to Dean.  He was losing himself, he was losing who he was.

Another interesting aspect of the soul in this eppy was that the witch wanted to swap out Sam's and put it in the dead brother.  All this talk of souls, I think it's all leading up to something...just have no clue as to what it is. I do wonder if it'll have anything to do with Mom though. 

Let's just bring up Rowena, cuz she kind of played an interesting role in all this.   Sam's desperation led him to calling on Rowena, and not the first time either.  Coincidentally enough, in both instances it was about saving Dean and they both involved a very powerful book of magic. Sam's distrust in Rowena is quite justified.  He had no reservations about calling her out on the fact that the reason she helped had more to do with the book than anything else.  His "like you care", is testament to how much he doesn't trust Rowena.  Who can blame him, she's burned him on a couple of occasions.  She is not unlike her son.  She's mostly in it for Rowena.

Then there's that question that itches at my brain which has me asking myself....does Rowena also help because she likes the Winchesters?  or maybe it's more like, she knows she needs the Winchesters.  I mean she as well as Crowley have experienced first hand their knack for saving the world. I feel like Rowena/Crowley and Sam/Dean have a parasitic relationship.  Rowena/Crowley need the boys as host to survive, but at times these parasites eat away at the bad cells that might linger in the body. 

I do think that all her talk of power and God/Amara not being happy was delusional talk.  Rowena had not so long ago declared to Crowley that she would never be powerless again.  Her strive for power originates because of her falling victim to those who were stronger than she was.  She has been ousted out of her home on more than one occasion based on her confession by those stronger than she.  I do like the tie in to the BMOL in all of this.  It will like play out later to be important, when the boys will likely need allies against them.  Rowena survived all these years on power, power that she strived for for centuries.  I have no doubt she wanted that Black Grimoire (anyone else reminded of Charmed there) and all the power it would give her.  The very fact that she took it out of the house, leads me to believe that she likely didn't believe her own speech. Not for nothing, but she was alone with a forgetful Dean in that house while Sam went off to get the spell for Dean. Who's to say she didn't grab a black book of spells, that she so easily handed to Sam, and didn't keep the real one for herself.   Just saying....love Rowena...but don't trust her worth a damn.

Enjoyed the French Mistake moment.  (only this time it was Dean reassuring Sam)

Sam: I was actually a little jealous at first.

Dean: Of what, the curse that nearly killed me?

Sam: No, just, you know, the things we've done, we've had this weight for....forever, seeing it gone...you looked so happy

Dean: It wasn't just the crap that got lost, it was US, it was everything, it was what WE do, it was all of it. So if that's what being happy looks like, I think I'll pass. 

I really loved this reverse "French Mistake Moment". In the FM, Dean had pointed out to Sam he would be happy if they were stuck where they were. He was married to Ruby,  a gagillionaire... he noted how the hits kept coming since he was 6 mos. old. But Sam said no...that they weren't even brothers there. This time Sam needed that reassurance. He noted how happy and free Dean had been not remembering the bad.....and Dean came back with forgetting the crap meant forgetting the good...forgetting Sam, forgetting THEM and he didn't want it.... now I know there are a lot of people aching for that bro hug to happen, but for me, this was one of the sweetest things that Dean has ever said to his brother and for me this was better than a hug.

Sam's confession that he was jealous, indicates that despite his ability to do his job, those things still weigh heavy on him.  Solitude did in fact affect him more than we might have thought.  Luci's Spawn, Cas' consequences, it all weighs heavy on his mind, still it also exhibits his strength to carry on despite it all.

Loved the ending....getting to see what Dean did before he lost his memory and discovering that "getting food" is code for letting loose.  I listened to the song too they played at the end...kind of got the feeling it was a message for all of us...about being happy with what we have, keep the child that is still inside us alive, because soon enough real life comes bashing through and it's the happy moments, the childish moments that help get us through it. 

Thank you for the fan service as well.  Getting to see Jensen riding the bull was fun.  It's always nice when the cast/crew give a little something extra to us viewers.

Amazing performances by Jared and Jensen.  Ruth did a great job as well.  All around perfect hour.

Oh and I know there were some out there who didn't appreciate the little trick Dean played on Sam at the end.  Trust me, after all that they've both just been through, this was Dean's attempt to lighten the mood and make his brother smile...and when Sam smiles, Dean smiles...and when both Winchesters smile...I do this

Thanks for reading.  Hope to hear from you.

Til next week.

-Anna

Read sweetondean's review here