The Light on Spoilers, Heavy on NO MORE HIATUS' Squeefilled Preview of Supernatural 11x19 "The Chitters"

-by sweetondean

Oh yeahhhhhhhh we're back! 5 more episodes until the end of the season! MEEP! This is when things start to get terrifying quite frankly... but before that happens, we have this week's episode which looks like it sits outside of the main mythology...though I'm sticking with my theory that this season's arc is actually the brothers' relationship....

When we last saw our heroes....


THEN

The boys joined forces with their frenemy Crowley
Rowena came back from the dead
Lucifer made a trip to Heaven
Cas watched TV
The Hand of God needs the Chosen
The Darkness stole Casifer and is being mean to him
The boys talked...and talked...and talked again.


NOW

I guess on the way to bringing Cas home....the boys caught a case!

So I went back and looked at all the episode 19s because I know around here we often have the last, not totally devoted to the season mytharc, ep before we rush headlong towards the finale. But it's actually about 50/50. Some ep 19s are up to their elbows in mytharc, some aren't....so there goes that theory!

Anyhoooo....synopsis!


“The Chitters” 

SAM AND DEAN MEET A NEW PAIR OF HUNTERS – In a small town in Colorado, mysterious disappearances happen every 27 years. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) head to the town to investigate and meet two hunters who have a personal vendetta against these once-in-a-generation monsters. Eduardo Sanchez directed the episode written by Nancy Won (#1119). 

This is Nancy's third episode, in this her first season with the show - previous episodes being, 11.05 Thin Lizzie and 11.12 Don't You Forget About Me. I've been super impressed with Nancy's writing, especially her take on the brothers...and of course she gave us that wonderfully awkward family dinner!

Eduardo Sánchez is best known as the writer/director of The Blair Witch Project - which was one of the first (if not the first) found footage style horror movies. It was absolutely massive and revolutionary when it was released in 1999. As well as controversal. Many found the shaky cam hard to deal with, and the home video, low budget style was also critisised. But it was a huge hit in its day and generated massive amounts of press and a few sequels!

I watched The Blair Witch Project again recently, and I have to say, it stands up really well against modern horror. I think it's pretty damn cool we have Eduardo directing our show. Unfortunately he's currently directing an episode of Dusk Til Dawn so won't be available to live tweet - because that would have been fun! I'm sure he popped some Blair Witch Easter Eggs in the episode - other than the fact part of it appears to take place in the woods!

I always get nervous when the Winchesters run into other hunters - they've had some bad luck with them in the past. But on the flipside, I also love it, because I love to see the hunter world populated with others out there living the life and doing the job. I always find that fascinating. I wonder if these hunters have heard of the boys or visa versa? I wonder if they'll turn out to be friend or foe...or you, know...survive! Bet they both don't...

Okay, here is the promo!

 

It looks like a monster of the week - but if we are heading into a big mytharc episode next week (with the return of a certain bathrobe wearing favourite), I'm sure we'll end with something that ties us back in - if not also peppered throughout. The monster of the week stories this season have been unbelievably strong. It's part of what I think has made this season particularly great, this feeling that we have got back to the roots and the heart of the show. The brothers being hunters and the brothers being brothers. It's made season 11, and all the stories being told throughout it, highly satisfying. There have been lots of twists and turns, but it all feels firmly rooted in the history of the show. I absolutely adore it.


SNEAK PEEK TIME!

O.M.G. Sammy smoking weed. Dean "sinner" "rebel"! SEASON 11 BROTHERS LET ME LOVE YOU!

Dean actually looks a bit like Jensen here! And I never think they look a like. Which I know is weird. But Jensen has a lightness to him, a softness that exudes out of him and Dean carries the weight of the world etched in his beautiful face. I LOVE THIS ADORABLE, TEASING, CUTE AS A DAMN BUTTON DEAN! He looks about 12.

I better hang on to this memory...I'm think it's not going to be light and funny Dean much beyond this point!

By the way...pretty sure my body emits a buzzing sound around Jensen....

Also, no-one does, SHUT UP DEAN face like Sam!

Now...there may have been something about monsters in this...IDK...all I saw was Dean teasing Sam and being stupidly cute, Sam being adorably irritated, and something about junkless, sinner, rebel and weed.

*happily snuggles down into a love bubble*

Okay! So have fun with this epi! Enjoy any happy feels you can feel.... IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO THE SEASON END AND WE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS....

I'll just leave you with this....

oh my god

-sweetondean

(Oh and shameless promotion time...I wrote a wee story about the bros - just something a little fun, check it out if you like :) SNOW DAY)

Oh and here's another sneak peek from EW - that shows the boys are looking for Cas, but with no leads, they're doing their job on the side.

Review: Supernatural 11x18 "Hell's Angel" - The Gangs All Here!

-by sweetondean

After a few incredibly strong monster of the week episodes, we were back with a whopping myth-arc instalment…whopping because everyone was in it! And I mean everyone! All of this season’s players…including the dead and discarded ones!

Yes we had Sam and Dean, and Crowley, and Casifer, and Amara, and Castiel, and Lucifer and Rowena…the previously, but obviously only mostly, dead Rowena! What a cast for one episode! I liked it!

I had a feeling Rowena wouldn’t be dead. I remember at some point either she said, or someone said she couldn’t be killed, or powerful witches couldn’t be killed or something…and so I felt like her despatch might not be final. But I was still surprised when I saw that tiny hand and heard that Scottish brogue! I’m glad she’s not dead. She’d grown on me by the time they took her out. She’d become a fascinating, complex, damaged character and I’m interested in what the future holds for her. Especially now, as she seems to be intent on burning every single bridge! Of course there’s nothing Lucifer, Crowley, or the boys can do about getting rid of her due to that immortality spell tucked away inside her, but Amara could suck the soul right out of her…I guess…I would assume she still has one. Playing both sides of the battle for your own gain, or as Dean said, playing the odds, is a tough juggle and we’ve seen many fail. And now everyone knows that’s what she was doing. I think she’d be best to stay out of sight!

I love evil, sassy Crowley. I love it what he’s an evil bastard. That’s how he should be, and it was great to see his return to form, especially at the beginning when he just killed everyone!

The relationship between him and the Winchesters always delights me, and it seems like there’s still some kind of odd connection between him and the boys, especially Dean. Even though both have professed they will kill the other, there seems to be something still lingering from Dean and Crowley’s time together. Or maybe it is simply the devil you know. Either way, I’m sure both would vehemently deny it, but seeing them on the phone, and then in particular the moment Dean called Crowley out on his ego and told him he was smarter than that… I freakin loved that moment! There was such a familiarity between the three of them in that scene. I will never cease to bubble with glee at the weirdness and awkwardness of the relationship between Crowley and the Winchester boys. It’s so wrong, but oh so right!

Misha is doing a fantastic job playing Lucifer. I absolutely dig Casifer! This week’s episode in particular he was a hoot! The scenes in Heaven were amazing. When Casifer actually straddled that guy I think I squee out loud. It was so unexpected! It was a show of dominance in every sense of the word. I wondered if it was scripted or a character choice by Misha? I’d love to know, because a-hem, I didn’t know how to feel!

Of course, when The Darkness bellows, she plays right into Lucifer’s hands by letting loose on Heaven. The angels see her strength, and in that moment I can see that those piss weak angels, the epic followers that they are, could actually let him in to rule them, if they thought he could protect Heaven from her, or destroy her, or both. Angels are not the sharpest tools.

I completely believe in Casifer’s power…I feel like at any moment he could break everyone’s necks and skip lightly from the room, whistling a jaunty tune! He feels like he’s perpetually teetering on the edge of snapping, and I love it. There’s a lot of anger in the Devil!

I found it equal parts exciting and terrifying when Casifer confronts the brothers…like a kitten with a moth, just kind of patting them around back and forth, he sure knows how to toy with his prey. I was holding my breath after he said, “Ahhh, who needs ya”. I mean I knew he wasn’t going to kill them…but man, I feel like he could! Thank goodness his ego likes to monologue! I adore the way this show writes Lucifer, ever since they first revealed him to us; he’s been absolutely brilliant. Definitely one of the best characters this show has created.

And if I can be shallow for a moment…Casifer-Misha is so pretty! All smiley all the time, in a manic kind of smug way! And his eyes look particularly blue up against all the white, in Heaven!

Misha as Cas was all sad and sort of detached. Completely under Lucifer’s control…brainwashed, or suppressed, I couldn’t decide. I feel like if he were lucid, he’d have realised by now that his decision was folly. But Cas could hear Dean, and that’s something…that’s hopeful, right? We had a brief moment, a glimmer that maybe the spell could be broken…he’s in there somewhere. I did wonder why he wasn’t in Sam’s room watching Netflix? Part of Lucifer’s evilness to make him watch a black and white, 4x3, rabbit ear portable TV instead of Sam’s big screen HD number? I mean…that’s pure evil right there!

I squeed when Mark Pellegrino showed up inside Cas’ vessel, (it was helluva crowded in there)! I thought that might happen the minute Crowley smoked in – like when he went to save Sammy from Gadreel. It was almost too much awesome! So much awesome! As much as I love Misha’s Lucifer having the true Devil back was a delight. He was scary with out the smart-arseness…because basically he just wanted to kill Crowley! If I were Crowley, I’d stay well out of this mess! Pick up the pieces once the fight’s done, like he did last time.

We hadn’t seen Amara for quite awhile, and I was glad that we were shown she’d been under the weather, because I’d been wondering what she was up to. One thing I liked about her was that she still sounds “new”. There’s a naivety to the way she talks, a child like quality as she tries to work through the challenges of dealing with humans and other entities after a millennium on her own. It’s something that I’ve always liked about the way this character is portrayed. She’s been out of the picture for a long time and her awkwardness fits with that isolation. I can’t decide if she really does want to destroy the world out of spite for what her brother did to her, and what she believes is her right; or if she just wants her brother to accept her, and apologise, or give her some attention…maybe a hug! Everyone loves a hug! I like that she seems like a bundle of angry hurt scary feels. When she burst through the window, I thought that she'd come to protect Dean at first, because Lucifer was about to kill him, but then she said she'd been following Rowena, so I'm not so sure. Maybe her timing was just spot on! I’m also not sure destroying Lucifer is the way to get her bro’s attention, he may have been God’s favourite once upon a time, but he was kicked out of the house a long, long time ago, and is now a great big back of dicks! However…maybe God will come for Castiel...

I was super interested in the God’s chosen line. Who would be God’s chosen; the only one to be able to wield a Hand of God weapon? I’m wondering if it’s Castiel. 

Cas has been resurrected more than once by God, he’s been glued back together after being blown apart. He’s been given a permanent human vessel in Jimmy Novack’s form, (who now resides in Heaven with the missus); all of which took place, one must assume, through the grace of God. Cas has even wondered why God kept resurrecting him. He thought that it was a punishment, so he could feel the guilt and the pay penance for all the catastrophic errors he’s made whilst trying to do the right thing. But what if Cas is actually God’s chosen? What if that’s why God continued to resurrect him? The irony of Cas allowing Lucifer in, when it was really Cas all along who held the power to destroy The Darkness, is somewhere the show most definitely would go! As well as the irony of having God’s cast out son possessing God’s chosen. 

At the beginning of the season, Cas was feeling hated, lost and down, a useless misfit who felt less Team Freewill and more a tool for the Winchesters to call on. He felt he had no place in either world he straddled, all of which led to him to saying yes to Lucifer. 

When Amara first met Castiel, she said to him she could never understand her brother’s interest in Cas. She was also noticeably weakened after her run in with Cas. It was only then that she wobbled and had to lean against a tree. This weakness has been put down to the angel smiting, but what if it was due to her proximity to Castiel, her proximity to God’s chosen, the only one that can destroy her, or send her back to…wherever, my guess is The Empty. This Cas is God’s chosen could be a nice arc to bring Castiel back to his original position of angelic power, and make Heaven eat its words! No one would expect Cas to be God’s chosen…least of all Cas! Be a nice reveal when God finally makes a showing, don’t cha think? 

Or random thought number 4082…what if it’s Metatron? God’s chosen scribe. He sure doesn’t deserve it…but God chose him once, chosen out of Heaven’s typing pool!

Just tossing around some theories…let’s face it, it’s probably neither of them! Moving right along...

While all this heaven and hell and demon and witch and angel and devil and deity stuff was going on…the brothers were being, well…brothers. 

In line with this epic season, the Winchester boys were talking…sometimes arguing sure, but arguing is talking, and is a lot better than they used to do! Even though they didn’t agree on the Cas/Lucifer fighting The Darkness thing, they talked it through. They both said their points. There was no “Well that’s what we’re doing so shut it” kind of thing going on (Dean…), they argued, but they listened. And you could tell by their final conversation in the bunker, they both actually heard.

Each had a point, Cas is family, and neither wants to lose him…Dean is worried that Lucifer may not win, and Cas will be the collateral. Sam believes Cas is strong enough to handle it, but also, it was his choice to say yes to Lucifer, and they should honour that. Dean is all, we don’t let family die. Sam is all, but we should respect family’s decisions. It’s the same argument they’ve been having for years! But what was wonderful was that even though this conversation was interrupted by Crowley (by the way asshat, I could listen to them bicker forever!), it continued later around the war table back in the bunker, each taking the other brother’s point…Sam saying he may have been wrong about the Lucifer thing, Dean saying that maybe they should respect Cas’ decision…

I loved that last conversation…I was worried where it was going at first, this whole respecting each other's decisions no matter what the out come might be sounded like a mighty bad idea to me! Until Dean’s last words…

Sam: Listen. Um, I know I came down on the side of wanting Cas to deal with Amara, so-

Dean: Well, that's what he wanted though, right? Besides, didn't we say we're gunna swear off getting in the way when one person makes a choice the other didn't agree with?

Sam: Yeah, um. Yeah, we did say that.

Dean: So.

Sam: Okay. So, that's our policy.

Dean: Which sounds damn good…. Well...

Yep…screw that, let’s find him and bring him home! 

One thing is very clear, when it comes to Amara’s hold on, or bond with Dean, or whatever we want to call it, family always trumps her. Whether it’s breaking through her hold because she hurtled Sam at a wall, or pretty much ignoring her because he’s worried for Cas. Amara’s hold seems non-existent when Dean’s family is threatened. Which we’ve always suspected would be the case. I feel like this is important!

I liked Hell’s Angel; I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The performances were great from everyone, just so damn good…such an amazing cast…and everyone was there, which was so exciting! The special effects were great, and the story set up some interesting plot points that I look forward to seeing more on. But as much as I enjoyed coming back to the myth-arc and I’m intrigued where this is all heading and what horrors lie ahead for us, the monster of the week (with some myth-arc sprinkled in) episodes have been so damn amazing this season that I find these are the eps that have absolutely sent my blood pressure soaring or made my heart overfill with love. They are the eps that I can’t help thinking about, or watching over and over. And really, that kind of makes sense, because Season 11 seems to understand that the monster of the week episodes are what this show was built on, it’s where we all started, it’s how we got to know Sam and Dean Winchester, got to see the brothers interacting, and their relationship in full flight - the ups and the downs. It’s how it’s always been, and it’s great to see that the episodes that aren’t 100% focused on the season arc, are as strong as, or if not stronger this season, than the myth-arc episodes. Baby, The Vessel, Safe House, Red Meat…these are some of my favourite episodes of not just this season, but the entire series! I think they’re some of the strongest episodes this show has done, and for the most part, these were either in someway, or entirely about the brothers, about their journey, their relationship, their bond. Maybe I’ve got it wrong…maybe it’s those episodes that carry this season’s arc; the reigniting of Sam and Dean’s connection, the maturation of their relationship, the harmony and equality that envelops all their discussions and interactions. Maybe the reawakening of the epic love story of Sam and Dean is actually this season’s myth-arc, and every episode is crafted to show that like Charlie said, they can do anything when they’re a team, that they are stronger together. I mean hey…they’re even talking at the same time!

-sweetondean


Bonus caps...for reasons of...well, I'm sweetondean!

Supernatural Think Tank - Thinky Thoughts and Theories on 11x18 Hell's Angel

- by Anna

I never really liked the term "filler", especially it's application regarding Supernatural. The term is often associated with MOTW eps, which has always boggled my mind. I never really use that word when describing any episode, after all how can any episode that revolves around Sam and Dean Winchester be considered filler? It's their life, it's what they do, it's saving people and hunting things, the family business and it's the MOTW episodes, the stand alones that tell their story best. Those are my favourites, those are the meat and potatoes of Supernatural. Those are the eps that revolve around our boys and what I deem to be the bigger picture, which is fighting for humanity, one life at a time. It's the MOTW episodes and the stand alone eps that truly represent our heroes best. 

While I don't like the term and never use it myself, the word "filler" does exist and a lot of people use it to describe non myth arc episodes. I'm the opposite in fact. If I had to use the term "filler", I would use it on myth arc eps. I find myth arc eps, especially those of late to fill one purpose, and no, it's not to move the story along. I consider these myth arc eps, or "filler" eps if I was forced to use the term, to be what they are, focus on the smaller picture story so that Jared and Jensen can get their much earned and desired days off. It's these eps that have very little of our boys and bring all the other characters into play. These are also the eps that give one the illusion that the real story of the boys is them once again having to destroy the big evil and save the world, but in reality, that's not nor has it ever been what this show is truly about. The big picture is the boys being the heroes they are by focusing their attention on the innocents in a more personal way. It's about saving people yes, but doing it in a way that focus' on the individual, giving importance to human life by letting us the viewer witness the victim in a personal way so that we're invested in it emotionally. When Sam and Dean Winchester save someone against a monster, animal, human or otherwise, they are all the more heroes in our eyes because of the connection we have to the victims and their plight. This is what I've always considered to be what show is all about. The myth arc stuff, for me that's the filler eps. I'm not saying I don't enjoy these eps, because I do for the most part. Yet, it's these eps, the ones that lack the Winchesters, that I find myself less invested in. It's much easier to go to the bathroom during the ep, then waiting for the commercial. I find myself getting up more, doing errands that most definitely could wait. While eps like the one we had on last night keep me interested, I'm not as emotionally invested and find it a lot easier to get distracted.

I want to go on record saying that I liked Hell's Angel, I just wasn't emotionally invested in it as I have been for the last couple of weeks. The biggest thrill for me was seeing Rowena alive and kicking. I knew we hadn't seen the last of her. I'll tell you this much, Amara and Luci might seem like today's problem, but in my opinion, it's Rowena that's going to be the real problem. I hope the boys get rid of Amara soon. She's not all that interesting to me. She's basically, much like Lucifer, a disgruntled member of God's family who's throwing a temper tantrum, and sees fit to destroy humanity as simply an act of spite and revenge because she never got her way. She bores me. She's not scary or smart and she's dressed in a way that certainly doesn't represent what is supposed to be an all powerful deity. The more we see of Amara, the more I miss Dick Roman. I will be happy when the boys finally figure out how to be rid of her. 

Crowley is always a delight. We pretty much knew that the best move for him is to go to the boys. I think Crowley proved useful in this episode. We've pretty much learnt two things due to Crowley. Firstly, it's obvious that a HOG isn't capable of destroying either Luci or Amara. It could come into play as some sort of distraction, but it's not going to solve the problem. I think we're getting closer to the boys realising that Amara and Luci cannot be killed. They will have to come up with Plan B, which is containment, that of course is where Billie's empty threats come into play. The "Empty" is most likely the solution to the boys current dilemma, it's just a matter of when Sam and Dean reach that epiphany and how they end up getting both Amara and Luci there. I will say this, it's going to take both boys to stop Amara. The "Not John" vision in Baby specifically told Sam that it will take both of the boys to stop the Darkness. Last week, Billie, in her subtle way, told Dean the same thing. Dean had plead to Billie to bring Sam back because he was the ONLY one who can stop the Darkness. Billie had told Dean he was lying. She insinuated that he wanted Sam alive for him, but I'm not so sure that was the case. I kind of think that it was Billie's way of telling Dean that not only Sam can do it. Soon after that she uttered the words "Dean The Empty is waiting". If you ask me, I'd say that Billie pretty much just told Dean, that it's going to take both of them to stop Amara and the way to do it is by sending her to the Empty....after all it is waiting. 

The second thing we learnt thanks to Crowley, is that Cas doesn't want out of Luci and I'm leaning towards thinking it has more to do with Cas giving up than it does believing that Luci is the only chance they had. It seemed to me that Cas was very happy in his little corner of his own mind within himself and it appeared to me that he has no interest of changing this situation. I think Cas wants out. I think he's given up on himself completely and just wants to hide from everything. I don't think Cas said yes to Luci because he believed Luci to be the answer, I think Cas has given up on himself and just wanted to run away and hide, perhaps Cas couldn't face the thought of failing once again. I don't know if Amara torturing Casifer to get God's attention will be enough to reach Cas and alter his attitude. I think this Cas needs a Winchester intervention if he's ever going to get his spark to fight back again.

I loved seeing MP as Luci. I gotta say, watching Mark has certainly solidified, that he and he alone owns the role of Lucifer. Only Jared came close to playing Luci with such perfection. 

The notion of a "Chosen One" was mentioned. I'm kind of leaning towards it being Cas. I have no doubt that Sam and Dean will defeat Amara, but I think perhaps that Cas will be the sacrifice in order to do so. I think that little talk the boys were having at the end might be foreshadowing Cas' ultimate decision and they're need to respect it. That of course is just my little theory.

I will admit to being baffled by Dean's suggestion that they exorcise Cas before they give Luci the Hand of God to try and defeat Amara. After all this season has been about, after last week's ep and Dean's decision to save that couple, to do what Sam would want, despite his grief and horror at seeing his brother dead on the floor, Dean was willing to sacrifice and innocent vessel just so Cas can live? That suggestion has gone against everything the boys have done this season. It went back to half the bumper sticker and I was actually aghast that Dean would say such a thing. It bothered me that Dean was ready to sacrifice some poor innocent, when Cas, as Sam had duly noted, made the decision to be Luci's vessel. This not only went against the very mission statement the boys had renewed the vow of abiding by, but it diminished the very lesson Dean learnt when he possessed Sam with an angel. Was anybody else going....WTF? or was that just me? Then as we got to the end, and I gathered my thoughts, it occurred to me that the conversation at the end, was basically recognising Dean's automatic, and in this case, wrong response to the situation with Cas. This recognition made me feel better. It also had me thinking that it could be a bit of foreshadow and not necessarily regarding the decisions the boys might have to make, but regarding the fact, as I've noted above, that this time around, it might be Cas that ends up taking the hit for the team and humanity. We shall see I guess.

We have a bit of a break again and then we get back to what I regard as the meat and potatoes of Supernatural, a nice MOTW ep to give us the time to enjoy our boys doing what they do best....saving people and hunting things...before we get to the final eps where we get to see the boys save the world on a much more grander scale. 

-Anna

Read sweetondean's review of Hell's Angel here

The Light on Spoilers, Heavy on Squee Preview of Supernatural 11x18 - "Hell's Angel"

-by sweetondean

HAVE WE RECOVERED FROM LAST WEEK YET? ARE WE BREATHING AGAIN?

Phew, I was sure I'd never get over last week's episode! Seriously. But you know, I'm a Supernatural fan, I'm tough, I've learned to bounce back from PAINNNNNN! SORTA! And now I'm ready to get back into the mythology!

Soooooooo....

THEN

NOW

Yep the gang's all here...or back...or whatever! After a few really EXCELLENT monster of the weekish episodes, we are back to a full on mythology episode...which makes sense, as we hurtle towards the finale. Except next week and the week after...when there's no ep...yep... another 2 week hiatus!

Anyhoooooo.....

What's the synopsis say?

Hell’s Angel”

THE EPIC BATTLE FOR POWER BEGINS – Lucifer (Misha Collins) takes a trip home and tries to assert himself into Heaven. Crowley (Mark A. Sheppard) tells Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) he has a way to take down Amara (guest star Emily Swallows). Phil Sgriccia directed the episode written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming (#1118). 

OKAY! This sounds busy and fun! Brad and Eugenie always seem to write the episodes with EVERYONE in them! Don't they?

I can't wait to see Casifer in Heaven and how all that goes down. And I wondered how long it would be before Crowley contacted his frienemies. Love a bit of Crowley, Moose and Squirrel interaction!

Crowley showing Moose and Squirrel his plan to kill the Darkness

Does it look like they summon Casifer...and maybe tramp him by holy oil? Eeeeee. This really is going to be fun!

Let's check out the promo!

Amara is LOUD! So we've got the Horn of Joshua (the 13 year old boy humour inside me is giggling), another Hand of God weapon. One shot wonder I'm guessing, so they best be careful with the use of it! And all that flashy stuff...I wonder if that's from Amara bellowing...if so, why hasn't she done that before - or are we being promoed again, like last week! The fact that I'm a promo producer and yet can still get promoed never ceased to amaze me! I wonder what Amara's been up to while we haven't been watching! Heh.

Okay... here is the sneak peek!

I LOVE IT WHEN THEY TALK AT THE SAME TIME!

Too funny though, because I was totally waiting for the "If" and if the if is despatch Lucifer, well we know the boys are onboard...as long as Cas isn't despatched in the process! 

I love how the boys smile at each other at the thought of Crowley being trussed up like a dog and in a kennel!  Oh boys. Weeeee! (I actually found that Crowley/dog stuff someone disturbing though).

I always love the interactions between Crowley, Sam and Dean. It's developed into such an odd relationship and through all the threats, I feel like neither side will actually ever do anything about it, unless they absolutely have to, or are under threat themselves - or to protect/help/save their brother. Better the Devil you know works on both sides.

I just including these photos for reasons of....

 

Okay...so we have this week...then we have two damn weeks off...then we have 5 eps left straight through to the finale! Thank goodness, because these hiatus' really screw with me and my mood! I neeeeeeed my show! 

I have no idea what's going to happen at the end of this season...like none. Something horrible I'm sure. Well thank you Captain Obvious! Maybe last week's episode was their way of preparing us! Warm us up with pre-trauma before the real trauma. OMG STOP IT NOW WITH THAT! I'm excited/scared/excited! Oooo my tummy just flipped! Geeze! I may also be in trouble...again.

Enjoy the episode!

-sweetondean

You can read sweetondean's review of last week's episode here

Supernatural Think Tank - Thinky Thoughts and Theories on Supernatural 11x17 "Red Meat"

- by Anna

I have one thing to say about this episode.....SAM F***ING WINCHESTER. Okay, I lied, I have much to say about this episode. But can I just reiterate....SAM F***ING WINCHESTER. Dean may be Batman, but Sam, Sam is friggen Superman. Gee, whizz I just had a Lois Lane fantasy moment. So let me just say it. This episode was an emotional roller coaster ride. It was intense to the highest power and I cursed every friggen commercial for interrupting my show. Jared and Jensen were amazing. The guests were great. The feel of the ep was scary, intense, scary, intense....did I mention intense? Can I just reiterate how BADASS Sam Winchester is, you know just in it hasn't sunk in yet. I guess it could be boiled down to this.....I LOVED IT....I LOVE SAM WINCHESTER....and DEAN WINCHESTER AIN'T BAD EITHER.

That out of the way, I guess I had a few thinky thoughts after watching the ep. Though how I managed any thoughts is a miracle in and of itself. 

I thought Sam died. I mean I really sat there and believed he had died. It actually wasn't until Billie told Dean that Sam wasn't dead that I realised of course he isn't ....If Sam died, then why didn't we see Sam see Billie, or any reaper for that matter. It was all very Sixth Sense.

I don't think Billie's role is to threaten the boys. This is the second time, and we're nearing the end of the season, that Billie once again reminded a Winchester about the Empty. I really feel her presence is more helpful than harmful. I believe her threat regarding the boys to be an empty one....While I do believe that she means it when she says when it's time for them to go, it'll be permanent, I don't believe she has the authority or the desire to send either Winchester to the Empty. Think about it. What was the point of Billie freezing the moment of Dean's death? Did anyone actually believe her when she said she simply wanted to savour the moment? Perhaps that comment would've been more plausible if she had actually reaped Dean. She certainly spent that time giving quite the monologue. When you think about it her monologue gave Sam the time he needed to get back to Dean. What I find way too much of a coincidence is the timing of her unfreezing the moment as well and her final words to Dean - "Dean the Empty is waiting". Billie totally unfreezed the moment and said those words as Dean was about to get revived, which by the look on Billie's face as she was walking away, is a clear indication of what she knew was going to happen. (Seriously all, give it a rewatch and look at Billie's face. It was a look of satisfaction, like she'd done her job, what she truly meant to do). I don't believe she was there to collect Dean at all, but to once again provide Dean with the answer to the Amara problem. I think the solution is in her empty threat. I didn't feel Dean was ever in any danger. Let's really think about it, Billie keeps making this so called threat, but doesn't carry it out. As far as I know, given past canon, as in "Appointment in Samarra", Death has a list....if Death wants you, Death takes you regardless of the effort going into trying to save that person. If Billie wanted Dean like she claimed, no doctor would've been able to save him. No, I'm sorry, but Billie definitely is more than just a mere threat to the boys. The boys already know her mindset, I'm not buying that Billie's presence in this episode was just to tell Dean what he already knows. I don't know about you guys, but I believe Billie's character holds more importance than just threatening the boys with the same threat over and over, besides if she really wanted them, she could've taken them both at any time. I tell you what she has done both times she's encountered the Winchesters, she's provided the solution to the Amara problem. She also helped in the Devil is in the Details. I think Billie is definitely pro Winchester and doth protest too much. Besides, I don't think Billie has the authority to decide where souls go., I always felt that was more of a heavenly decision and I'm still a believer that Death isn't really dead.

I'd seen posts elsewhere that weren't too keen on Dean going back to lying to Sam. I gotta say though, I thought Dean did the right thing. First off, the horror that came to Dean seeing his brother dead, having that nightmare vision just the week before in "Safe House", had to be the worst thing ever. I was gut wrenched more by this death than the one in "AHBL2". I totally understood where Dean was coming from. Dean couldn't call on Cas to save Sam and following what happened with Gadreel, I can't see Dean calling on any angel to save his brother. (Big step there.) I thought that what Dean did made perfect sense. As much as Dean needs his brother and will do what it takes to save him, Dean also knows that Sam is humanity's only hope right now against Amara, as Dean knows very well that he's under some kind of a spell and has no control. Saving Sam is for the greater good. Bargaining himself away in this case was not suicidal. He can't fight Amara, Sam can. Dean dying in Sam's place is essentially for the greater good and as he is his father's son, a strategic one at that, at least how he sees it. What I think was made clear here, though quite subtlety, is that it will take both Winchesters to defeat Amara. It was very clear to me, as the boys drove away, that the boys are stronger together and it will be both of them that will beat the Darkness. What I also found so telling in this episode is how much Dean's love for his brother has more of a hold on him than Amara ever could. Dean didn't crumble and give up when he believed his brother died. No he looked at his brother and he finished the job they started, saving this couple. So while Dean may have been willing to bargain himself away for Sam, I think it's also very important to note that he also kept fighting for Sam as well. He stayed on mission. He got that couple to a hospital. Saving people. Add that to Dean wanting to save people by bringing Sam back and even trading places. I would say that Dean has most definitely come along way from only saving each other. I also loved the symbolism of Sam coming back to the hospital and killing the werewolf. Sam told Dean in "Love Hurts"....not to worry, he's got it. He told Dean again in "Safe House", "You're good, "you're good, I got you". Then we have Sam arriving at the hospital, once again, having Dean's back. He's got him. I don't think Dean's attitude at the beginning was for nothing. I totally believe that Dean, who believed he saw his brother dead on that cabin floor, and then witnessing his gut shot brother standing before him in that clinic taking out that werewolf and saving his life, most definitely has renewed faith. If we the audience know it, then I too have no doubt that Dean knows the sheer strength, will, and love that Sam has for his brother that enabled him, in that condition to get himself to Dean. Sam is one BAD ASS MOTHER and if anyone is capable of taking out Amara, it's Sam Winchester. Dean might have been making light of it at the end, but the way I saw it, Dean was expressing his utmost faith in his brother and impressing to both Sam and the audience that Dean has no doubt in Sam's ability to defeat the D, as well as acknowledging Sam's pledge of having Dean's back. 

Amara doesn't stand a chance. 

-Anna

Read sweetondean's review of "Red Meat"