I was so pleased by the January return of Supernatural that I can barely contain my happiness. Which is, frankly, surprising for an episode that was fairly heavy on the angst.
A New Discovery
Let’s start with the angel story. We learned that poor Samandriel had been tortured by Crowley and his minions for weeks now as they attempted to learn more about what made angels tick. While left alone, he was able to send a distress call to Naomi over Angel Radio, but the head torturer put the kibosh on that very quickly. Fortunately, it was enough of a warning to Naomi that she called on Castiel and tasked him with rescuing the captured angel.
Cas immediately reached out to Dean because he knew that Crowley would have his warehouse angel-proofed. The two followed the trail of a burning bush courtesy of Samandriel and then headed to Kevin to make a few demon bombs. It turns out the prophet is hiding aboard Garth’s houseboat without any distractions (including his mother) as he desperately tries to translate the tablet fragment they have. Castiel went off in search of ingredients and also returned with Sam. Dean grudgingly agreed to work with his brother again (more on that situation soon) after Castiel told the two of them to “stow their crap” and off the group went.
They arrived in time to save Samdriel, but not before Crowley extracted an important piece of information from deep within his head: an Angel Tablet exists. Crowley was shocked by this news, but guess who wasn’t? Me. Because I called this a while ago. It’s always made sense that an Angel tablet exists. God has – as we’ve seen – been a big believer in the balance of good and evil and he knows that angels are not without their flaws (ie. Lucifer), so it makes sense that he’s passed on Word about angels.
But Naomi had an extreme conniption when she learned the information that Samandriel had unwillingly given up under torture and as Samandriel was desperately trying to impart some information to Castiel (“They’re controlling us, Castiel”), she was ordering Castiel to kill him.
Except something mysterious has been done to Cas. Whatever Naomi and her angels are doing, it’s not something we’ve ever seen before. She readily admitted to Cas that the Angel Tablet could achieve what the Demon Tablet does: lock angels away in Heaven. But when Castiel pressed for answers about his memories of her drilling into his head, she dismissed his questions and ordered him to return with Samdriel’s body.
What is going on here?! I believe my theory about the angels’ pursuit of the Angel Tablet is right, but to what end? Is it simply to ensure they are free to roam the world or is there something darker at play here? Who is Naomi and how did she gain the power that she seems to have? You know what needs to happen here? God needs to return. If we are to assume that he interfered in the apocalypse (and I do), then I cannot see how this current situation couldn’t become just as bad. Maybe not for humanity, but certainly for the balance between good and evil. I think that “Daddy’s” been absent for too long now and something is rotten in the state of Heaven.
It’s a shame that Castiel has to pay the price for these manipulations. I don’t believe this is anything like season 6, because then he was operating under his own choices. But I’m always worried when someone is a pawn in a larger game and I would hate to see this tarnish Castiel’s reputation with the Winchesters, particularly after he’s tried so hard to redeem himself. And that might already be starting, because Sam and Dean were suspicious about Castiel’s actions and returned to the cabin to discuss the situation with full angel proofing in effect. They have no idea what’s going on with Castiel but they are fully aware that something is amiss. That fact pleases me greatly, because I don’t like when the writers keep them in the dark and I do like when they show off their smarts.
Making a Choice
Now we come to the storyline everyone was waiting for after the Supernatural mid-season finale: the resolution of the recent fight between Sam and Dean. Dean had followed his brother to Texas, but that initial discussion ended badly. At the beginning it appeared that it might go somewhere, because Dean was calmly trying to explain the situation, but Sam was too angry (and justifiably so) to have that kind of discussion. He accused Dean of inciting fear over the “woman [he] loves”, drawing on the deep-seated feelings that he’s had since Jessica burned up on that ceiling all those years ago, while at the same time telling Dean that he simply couldn’t trust Benny. Dean asked him to trust HIM, but Sam wouldn’t hear of it. Sam’s anger towards Benny still doesn’t really make sense to me given his experiences with certain “good” monsters in the past, but I still think he’s lashing out because he’s angry that Dean kept Benny a secret from him. So Dean stormed out and stubbornly clung to the belief that he didn’t need Sam.
Then Amelia appeared and a short conversation with Sam led to the two of them jumping into bed together. He took his shirt off this time (yay!), but was immediately filled with remorse afterwards, telling Amelia that they were wrong to sleep together given her relationship with Don. But Amelia told him that while she cared for Don and the life they were building again, she simply couldn’t let go of Sam and presented him with a choice: they could meet in the motel room in two days and be together going forward, or they would separate forever.
Of course, Sam was then dragged into the angel rescue by Castiel, but a strange thing happened when that was done. After their speculation about what Castiel might be up to, the brothers finally had a sorely need mature discussion. Dean suggested that Sam return to Amelia and admitted that he may have been jealous: “I can’t ever separate myself from the job like you could. Maybe it’s time for one of us to be happy.” But Sam said “She does make me happy and she could be waiting for me. But now….with everything staring down at us, with all that’s left to be done. I don’t know…” Dean left the option to his brother to decide what to do, with his only suggestion that he make a decision and stick to it wholeheartedly. This isn’t Dean trying to tell Sam what to do, this is a big brother who is prepared to let his little brother go. There was no guilt or recriminations here.
And off Sam went for a walk. Let’s pause here for a moment, because I think Sam’s choice was clear from the beginning of this conversation. I think that he cares for Amelia. But true, genuine love? The kind of love where he leaves his brother and hunting? No. First of all, Sam was never going to make that choice, because then you wouldn’t have a show. But more importantly, I think that what was missing the first time Sam had to make this choice (ie. when Don returned and in episode 8.01 after Dean came back) was that Sam had to be in control of this choice. He may have used hunting as bit of an excuse here, but I think he ultimately came to terms with Dean and their job and realized that this was the only life for him. And unlike all those times he did it under “duress”, this time it seemed like he was at peace with his choice.
And, more importantly, he didn’t ask for anything from Dean in return. Unlike at the beginning of the episode when he asked if Dean was done with Benny, this time he took a walk to make his own choice, free of any need for reciprocal action. But Dean made his choice as well and despite the fact that Benny called needing help to stay on the wagon earlier in the episode, Dean now called him back to say that he was grateful for the things Benny had done, but this was the end of the line.
As far as we know, Sam doesn’t know what Dean did in the end. But Dean does. When it came down to it, both Winchesters had to make a sacrifice to stay together, but I don’t believe they resent each other because of this (P.S. Amelia did return to the motel room and found it empty). I think it was Dean’s conversation with Kevin that made him realize what he needed to do. Kevin was knee-deep in translating the tablet and admitted that he had sent his mother off somewhere else. Kevin’s in that stage of the soldier’s life when he thinks he needs to focus on the mission at the exclusion of all else. Dean’s been there, but now he realizes that he doesn’t want to be forced to give up his brother and that the mission isn’t always the most important thing in life. It’s certainly not more important to him than Sam. So while he was prepared to let Sam go if that was his choice, he would hang on to him if he chose to stay.
You know what the Winchesters are doing? Compromising (in a way). It’s AMAZING! I’m not sorry to see Amelia go, because I’ve never really thought she fit in to the show and I’ve said that many times (although, like when Dean lost Lisa, I’m sorry to see the brothers lose the idea of a normal life). I am sorry if this is the last we’ve seen of Benny because I have enjoyed his character (although I have to wonder whether he’ll fall off the wagon now and Dean will be forced to kill him). And it is kind of sad to see that they both had to give up someone because the other didn’t agree with this person’s position in their lives for varying reasons. But more than anything, I’m thrilled to see that a bridge had started to form between Sam and Dean. Despite all of the angst and repressed hurt over so many seasons, the boys arrived at a mature decision independent of threats or guilt that resulted in an acknowledgement that they are better together than apart. This feels like the most best decision either of them have made in a long time and I’m just so relieved. Although I can see the need for conflict between the brothers on the show, seeing them at odds is always painful. And yet, the idea that family wins out is still the cornerstone of this show.
This feels like Supernatural. This feels like the brothers are on a similar wavelength and while there are ways to go, this was a good first step. I’m so pleased by the mytharc this season (even if I did call it a while ago) and I’m pleased by this turn in the brothers’ relationship. I feel like we’re all in this together now.
Felicia Day returns as Charlie next week in an episode that will hopefully be less angst-filled than this one. Watch a preview here.
Speaking of angst, earlier today I posted my newest Supernatural slide-show about the best angst scenes.
Visit our Supernatural page for the latest news about season 8.
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Hey Clarissa. Good review and interesting analysis. However, I completely disagree with you. This episode made me even more frustrated by and angry with Sam than I was at the end of ‘Citizen Fang.’ There was no compromise here. This wasn’t Sam making his own decision about hunting. This was Sam forcing Dean to choose between him and Benny. This was Amelia essentially making the choice for Sam.
When Dean showed up in Texas to try to calmly tell Sam what happened, Sam still wasn’t listening. The only thing he could see was that Dean had saved a vampire. Which, if we’re going to stick to Winchester history, they only kill things that are killing people. Benny wasn’t killing anyone. So why does he deserve to die? Furthermore, Sam never, not even once, accepted any part of his responsibility for that whole situation. That entire conversation was him blaming Dean for everything. I admit Dean was absolutely wrong to send Sam a distress signal from Amelia. That was low and I don’t think Dean fully considered what that would do to Sam. He didn’t understand the kind of fear and anxiety that would cause Sam, but he (Dean) probably should have known Sam’s mind would go there. Nonetheless, that conversation ended much the same way it usually ends; with Dean apologizing and accepting full responsibility for something that was not entirely his fault. Martin died as a direct result of Sam’s actions. Dean sent the distress call as a direct result of Sam’s unwillingness to trust him. And Sam took zero responsibility for any of that.
And as far as the last conversation and Sam’s decision, Sam’s ultimatum that Dean cut all ties with Benny was still on the table and Amelia made Sam’s choice for him. She told him that he was either with her or he wasn’t. There was no in-between. She demanded that he choose. And I don’t think he necessarily chose Dean as he chose the only life he’s ever really known. Yes, I think he chose Dean to a certain extent, but it was most certainly not the equivalent of Dean choosing Sam over Benny. Sam didn’t really give Dean a choice. Dean didn’t demand that he stop seeing Amelia nor did he demand that Sam jump two feet into hunting. What he did say was whatever choice Sam made, he needed to commit to it fully or it was going to kill him. Dean is the only one in this situation that truly allowed his brother to make his own choice. Dean is the only one who didn’t demand anything in return. That’s not compromise. That’s Dean doing what he has to do so that Sam doesn’t leave again. And it’s really an unfair “request” on Sam’s part because Sam knows that whenever it’s a choice between him and someone else, Dean is always going to choose him. Sam narrowed Dean’s world again so that he (Sam) is really the only person it it. Is Dean only supposed to have Sam-approved friends? Did Sam even stop and try for a minute to understand why Benny means so much to Dean? This most certainly wasn’t two brothers sacrificing. The only one who did any real sacrificing here was Dean. He gave up a friendship and brotherhood that means a lot to him to maintain his relationship with Sam. And Sam? Sam gave up a woman that doesn’t belong to him anyway.
I agree with Clarissa. You are looking at it wrong. You are entitled to your misunderstanding I guess!!
If you have something more than a passive-aggressive comment to offer, I’m all ears.
I totally agree!
“That’s Dean doing what he has to do so that Sam doesn’t leave again. And it’s really an unfair “request” on Sam’s part because Sam knows that whenever it’s a choice between him and someone else, Dean is always going to choose him. Sam narrowed Dean’s world again so that he (Sam) is really the only person it it. Is Dean only supposed to have Sam-approved friends?
I completely agree with your entire post, Jessica. And all I can say is, god forbid Sam ever decides he hates Cas too.
Lola and Jessica, I don’t completely understand your bitterness toward Sam. I think that Sam’s decision to give up his lover of a year, compared to Dean giving up Benny is not the same at all. You’re seeing things very one sided here. I don’t believe it was the intention of the writers to portray Dean as the only one making the sacrifice. It appeared to me that it was a sort of truce between the two….a realization that they both needed to make a change for the good of the other and for the job.
Your dislike of Sam (which comes through in your post) is blinding you to the reality of what transpired last night. Sam is my favorite character, but I certainly love Dean and can see that Dean is definitely the father figure here, the one who’d do anything for Sam, and Sam is the kid brother, more flawed and whose made some huge mistakes. I can except their differences and personality flaws.
As with any sibling dynamic their relationship rings true. Sam’s made mistakes and it’s true that Dean has loved him in spite of it all, but I wish that Dean lovers could take off the blinders for a minute and realize that BOTH boys, Dean included, have their flaws, but would die for the other. The reality is that Dean is not ALWAYS the victim, and Sam is not ALWAYS the bad guy.
This constant mantra of “Sam did Dean wrong once again” is tiresome, one-sided, unfair….and just not true.
a bad guy (even though his character has undergone character assassination time and again on the show), but that’s another
Wish there was an edit button. That last nonsensical line was supposed to have been erased. I muttered something about Sam’s constant character assassination by the writers….but that’s for another discussion.
Carolyn, I am not going to get into a Deangirl vs. Samgirl argument with you. I didn’t say anywhere in my previous comment that Dean isn’t flawed. Nor did I say that I love Dean and hate Sam. Simply because I’m currently frustrated by and a bit angry at Sam does not mean that I hate him. What I said was that Sam has not stepped up and taken ANY responsibility for his part in the Boys’ current situation. That bothers me. What I said was that Sam’s entire argument when Dean showed up in Texas was that Dean was wrong to send him that 911 from Amelia. Dean was wrong to partner with a vampire. Dean was wrong not to kill Benny. I absolutely agree that Dean was wrong to send that text to Sam. It was a low-down, dirty thing to do. And Dean acknowledged that. Sam, on the other hand, didn’t once acknowledge that much of what happened in ‘Citizen Fang’ happened because he refused to trust/listen to Dean. And then, on top of all that, Sam issued an ultimatum to Dean: be done with Benny or I’m walking. That’s the one thing he knows hurts Dean the most and that’s what he frequently uses to get his way.
I am not trivializing the fact that in the end Sam gave up being with Amelia. When he chose not to go to her, he basically chose to give up what was most likely his last shot at getting out of the life and being happy. That was a tough dream to let go of, and I don’t think he did it lightly. That was a sacrifice on his part, but I don’t think he made that sacrifice entirely for Dean. He made that sacrifice so that Amelia could stay out of harm’s way. He made that sacrifice because deep down he knows that he’s a hunter and that’s all he’ll ever be. My problem with Sam here is that he didn’t give Dean the same opportunity to choose for himself that Dean gave Sam to choose about Amelia. Dean didn’t issue any ultimatums to Sam about Amelia. He simply told Sam to make a choice and stick to it. That’s much different than saying cut all ties with Benny or I’m leaving. Furthermore, I’d like to see Sam step up and really take his share of the blame for the breakdown of his and Dean’s relationship.
And just for the record, I am neither a Deangirl nor a Samgirl. I am a Supernaturalgirl. I love all the characters equally and what they bring to the SPN universe.
The only thing I didn’t like was the opening music. I mean, it wasn’t a bad choice, just something much different. Seger doesn’t, to me exactly seem to fit with Kansas or AC/DC. Then again, music’s pretty subjective. Aside from that, great episode.
This is a good review, but I’m just not seeing what you are seeing at all. The ending made me sad because both of them seemed miserable. And I’m not sure where you are getting that they seemed to come to the conclusion that they were better together. It felt like Sam stayed out of some sense of duty to finish the stuff going on with Cas and Kevin, and not because he wanted to be with Dean. And Dean dumping Benny like that was pointless since you know it’s going to come back and bite them in the butt later when Benny inevitably falls off the wagon.
There’s no joy or emotion left in their relationship and it’s painful to watch. And this comes from a loooooong-time Sam and Dean fan who is all about them as brothers.
I’m sorry we seem to be coming at this from different sides :( I really liked the conversation they had together and take that to mean that they were making initial steps to reconnect. There wasn’t anger and it just felt like the beginning to a larger reconciliation down the line. I feel like Sam took Dean’s suggestion to commit himself to their life wholeheartedly (after he made his choice) and that Dean thought that giving up his own outside relationship was worth it to reconcile with his brother. It’s really a shame that either one had to make that choice or that they sort of put each other in that position, but at least it was a start. That’s just how it felt to me.
Although I am glad that Sam and Dean are not at each others throats for now, I agree with Lisa. I don’t really see the way they settled their argument as something good. Sam left the woman he seemingly loves, without giving her an explanation or the chance to make her own decisions -again. Dean left “the only person who hasn’t let him down” -and in the most OoC manner of all OoC manners, too. Moral of the story? If you give everything up for your brother everything will be OK again. It’s just the Whincester co-dependency kicking in full force once more and a huge step back from much of the character development (both Sam’s and Dean’s) so far.
You are right that they did seem miserable at the end because they both made the decision to again sacrifice something of themselves for the other brother. However, I agree with Clarissa too this may be a beginning for the healing process they both need after so much angst between them for so long. It was a very small step but a step none the less.
Thanks Clarissa. I’ve enjoyed your tweets and reviews over the past few years.
It’s time for me to move on. I’m skipping this episode. It doesn’t sound worth it. I’ve been losing interest ever since the end of S6.
My primary emotional connection to this show was Castiel. He was the character I identified with. Cas’s removal from S7 was hard to recover from, since we hardly ever see Cas. Also, the brother’s problems have grown beyond tiresome.
I’m grateful that I got better closure with the second episode of S8. But it’s still been hard to tune in anymore, despite encouragement from friends who are still SPN fans. They’re who I have trouble leaving. I’ve gotten a lot from online SPN discussions over past 2 years.
Thanks again. I’ll miss your reviews, but I’m tired of the subject. Take Care.
Sorry, I totally disagree with you. I think Sam did genuinely love her, but he knows he can’t be with her. And he did not seem at peace with his decision. At ALL. In fact, I’d say this is will only add to the tension between the brothers. Because this is not what Sam wanted, and that’s clear in the very last scene where the brothers sit on the couch together and do not speak a word, and only very tense glances are exchanged. They both know that Sam does not want to be there, but there’s no way he can go live the life he wants.
Sam seemed “at peace?” LOLOL no.
I’m not sure why you think he doesn’t seem “at peace”, since you provided no explanation. I thought his conversation with Dean at the very end was calm and thoughtful as opposed to the anger that he was quicker to display at the beginning. I think that he made peace with his choice. He may have some regrets (like I think Dean still harbors some regrets about how the whole Lisa situation turned out), but I don’t think that Sam resents the choice that he made. I think it was just that: his choice.
My friends are still complaining about why this show has to kill every character that we enjoy. It’s relentless, blah. RIP Samandriel. We really enjoyed you while you were here. I’m glad I didn’t see your end.
Another really good article.While this was a good episode, I did find myself muting the tv everytime Amelia was onscreen. I agree that her character just seemed really out of place from the getgo. For me, that character was wishy-washy,clingy and downright irritating. I also think that while Sam may have cared deeply for her,I don’t think he was ‘in love’ with her (not like he was with Jessica). I think he just saw in her,someone that was in the same emotional boat he was in.I didn’t think it spoke well of either of them that they slept together,being that she’s married.The Sam I know and love, wouldn’t have knowingly slept with a married woman.
With regards to the ‘amelia text’ that Dean sent to Sam, it may have been a low thing to do but I get why he did it. I’m not saying it excuses him, I’m just saying I get why he did it (to be honest,put in that same situation with my sister, I would’ve done the same thing). No, I don’t think Dean gave any thought as to how that text would emotionally affect Sam, I think he was more concerned about getting both Sam and Benny out of harm’s way (especially from crazy Martin),to give much thought to emotional repercussions. BTW, I do think Dean does have some understanding of what it’s like to see someone you love killed and burned in front of you. I do think Dean saw his mother on that ceiling all those years ago,and he did have a very real hallucination about Lisa suffering Jessica’s fate. So while he may not know exactly what Sam’s going thru, I do think he does have some semblence of an idea.
I also think both boys were being unreasonably stubborn. Sam refused to listen to what Dean had to say about Martin and Benny,and still wanted Dean to kick Benny to the proverbial curb. Dean then went from calmly trying to explain to Sam what happened and why he did what he did, to being mad at Sam’s refusal to listen.That led to Dean refusing to work with Sam because he was hurt and mad.Both boys remained cool towards each other until Cas reprimanded both of them.
I also agree that Dean made some realizations from observing Kevin. He saw Kevin obsessing over a job and pushing his only remaining family (his mother) away so he had no distractions. I think that’s when Dean decided to let Sam go, if that’s what Sammy wanted,rather then completely pushing his only remaining family away thru hurt feelings and the job. Judging from the surprised look on Sam’s face, I don’t think he was expecting Dean to do what he did.I also was under the impression that Dean spoke to Benny and ended their intercations,while Sam was out walking.So, I don’t think Sam knows that Dean chose Sam over Benny.
I want so badly to believe that Sam chose his brother over amelia. To a degree, I think he did,given his brother’s decision and acceptance for one of them to finally have a chance at real happiness. I also think the life and who they are,played into Sam’s decision to let amelia go. He couldn’t commit fully to her and that life because of how he grew up and his family (Winchesters) being public enemy number one to pretty much anything and everything supernatural. i think the silence between the boys at the end had more to do with being sad about what they each gave up,and not so much with each other. I think they both reached a fragile understanding and compromise with each other. That’s the first step to them re-strengthening their bond and healing some of those emotional wounds.That’s just my take on it tho. ; )
I love your response…I completely agree with what you said. Couldn’t have said it better!!
I don’t have any problem with Sam not trusting Benny because Dean went out of his way to HIDE Benny from Sam. He didn’t tell him anything about Benny until Sam came to the vampire nest. When Sam expressed the idea that Benny couldn’t be trusted, Dean didn’t arrange a meeting so Sam could get a feel for Benny one way or the other. From what we saw, Dean didn’t even to into much detail about his relationship with Benny in Purgatory. When they were trying to decide if Benny was killing people, Dean didn’t let Sam meet Benny.
When Sam said Lenore could be trusted, Dean didn’t believe him until he proved it to himself. When Sam said Amy could be trusted, Dean didn’t believe him at all. If Dean gets to mistrust Sam’s judgement because Sam is “too close” to a situation and if Dean refuses to let Sam meet Benny to assess him on his own, then Sam has to go with what he has seen and what he saw was a vampire in a town with people being drained and Benny claiming that there was another vampire in town. Dean handled the whole Benny situation in a way that raised flags for Sam. I really don’t think it comes to anything more than that. If Dean is allowed to not trust Sam’s judgment, then Sam is allowed to not trust Dean’s. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
I agree that Sam had no reason to trust Benny. As Sam rightly pointed out, he doesn’t know Benny. But Sam does know Dean. Dean wasn’t asking Sam to trust Benny; Dean was asking Sam to trust him. And Sam absolutely refused. Sam seemed like he was more interested in proving Dean wrong than he was in actually listening to what Dean had to say and trusting Dean. Furthermore, if you’re talking about Dean should’ve brought Benny to meet Sam in ‘Citizen Fang,’ I don’t think so. Both Sam and Martin had already decided that Benny was killing people, and nothing that Dean said or did convinced them otherwise. If Dean had brought Benny to talk to them, they would’ve killed him. I were in Dean’s shoes I wouldn’t have brought Benny to meet Sam either.
As far as the Amy comparison goes, I don’t think that’s a fair comparison. Dean killed Amy because she was killing people. Pure and simple. Sam was so caught up in the idea that Amy was controlling the monster within her that he couldn’t see what was really going on. Dean listened to him, he tried talking to him, he tried making Sam see that she wasn’t really controlling the monster. But Sam wouldn’t see it then because it was a reflection of what was going on with him. The same is not the case with Benny. Benny never lied to Dean and Benny hadn’t killed any innocent people.
I agree with much of what you said. I’ve always thought that Sam’s problem with Benny was more about how he was introduced to him and less about Benny himself. I mean, if Dean was secure in his friendship with Benny, why not just be honest with Sam and say in the premiere “hey, this guy helped me out of Purgatory and I’m grateful and we’ve forged a bond”. Dean knows first hand how bad it becomes and feels when they keep secrets from each other (ie. Sam with Ruby in the beginning of season 4), so why continue the cycle? And yet, they both have a tendency to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over, which is why I liked the ending here, despite the fact that it was sad. I felt like they finally stopped making the mistake of being angry with each other for these kinds of things and tried to move past it in a way.
Honestly, Sam was never really going to understand Dean’s POV when it came to Benny because he simply didn’t have the same experiences with him that Dean did. And I wonder if a part of his antagonism towards Benny stemmed from his own experiences with Ruby and how he had been played by her. I wonder if he was worried Benny was just using Dean and, coupled with the secrecy, he refused to trust him. At the same time, I think the Amy situation was a bit different because Sam had known her when he was younger and he might have been willing to make allowances for her that he wasn’t prepared to make with Benny.
What a review! I agree mostly, and there´re some points we´re not quite agree.
I think its obvious it was necessary for Dean and Sam start to rebuilding their relationship and i agree they´ve finally decided that together they´re better than being separated. Im glad they´re back hunting but its not been an easy decission. Im sad to see Dean saying good bye to Benny someone he felt had never let him down. Im sad to see Sam saying good bye to Amelia. I dont know if it was true love, but i think it was close enough for Sam atleast for a while. I dont think these sacrifices, though they´ve been made thoughtfully, cant be forgotten easily.
And as you say, im glad that Dean and Sam already suspects something´s going on with Castiel, better than keep them in the dark. But i don´t think it´d happen like in season 6. This time, we´re not getting free will. Then, it was his choice. Now, Castiel doesn´t have this right. I hope the Winchesters fight for Castiel to have his freedom back (and get to know who´s Naomi, who´s quickly became in a very hated character for me)
There have been very few episodes I’ve truly hated on the show but sadly, this was one of them. Not one of the plot elements (the torturing, Alfie’s death, Cas’ manipulation, etc.) worked for me. But what truly tipped the scales was Dean capitulating to Sam’s ultimatum. As far as I’m concerned, Dean abandoning Benny – who’d stayed true to their friendship and was all alone in the world- was outright character assasination. Dean’s unshakable loyalty towards his loved ones has alwasy been one of his defining core qualities. It doesn’t matter to me that Dean decided to call Benny outside of Sam’s hearing. Sam had already made his feelings on the matter very clear and in the end, Dean decided to throw both Benny and his own principles under the bus to keep Sam happy. Good for Sam in doing the right thing and staying to help Dean with the Cas/tablet situation. But I don’t see Sam giving up his affair with a married woman who’d issued an all or nothing ultimatum as nearly the same type of sacrifice.
I came to some hard realizations last night. I now understand the show will never let Dean get over his crippling emotional dependency on his brother. Sam will say “jump” and Dean will ask “how high?” The show will never have Sam take responsibilty for his actions or allow Dean to be his own person apart from Sam. And for all that Carver talked about opening up the SPN world, it’s just as claustrophic as ever. Not quite sure how any of this is character growth or moving the brothers to a healthier relationship.
While Benny may have been a friend to Dean, he was also a monster. Bottom line. And the show last night made it appear that Benny was in danger of falling off the wagon.
People are putting all this faith in Benny saying he was so loyal to Dean and staying clean. But I think Benny’s final scenes last night, him watching the family in the park, showed that YES, he might eventually feed / kill…even if he does not want to. He is a vampire. It is who he is and Dean may have been able to have helped Benny with moral support this time, but Dean will not be able to do that forever. He can’t be Benny’s “sponsor.”
Dean owes a monster loyalty and friendship? No he doesn’t. I think the relationship between Dean and Benny has been very equal in terms of giving and taking, but saying Dean owes a vamp his allegiance is just silly. Dean owes Benny nothing he does not want to give.
And when has Sam ever given Dean an ultimatum before? I think Sam’s “Benny or me” line was said in anger and hurt and was said in the moment. I do not believe that Sam knows that Dean gave up Benny, but Sam is still choosing to stay with Dean. So Sam is not holding Dean to any ultimatum.
Benny has shown Dean loyalty and friendship so yes, he could expect the same in return. Just as Sam could expect to be left ditched without a moment`s notice if he ever disappeared. You get back what you give, or at least that`s how it should be.
Of course Sam has worked out a better system for himself. He says “jump” and Dean asks “how high”. All that hard-earned growth of a spine in Purgatory for an entire year and poof, it`s all gone.
Of course, Dean looked totally miserable there at the end so at least he seems to realize how pathetic and spineless he is acting when it comes to Sam.
Even Sam, while he`ll eat that up from Dean, looked miserable because he stays for this tablet job and is most certainly out when the job is done. And I think he would be perfectly happy somewhere else if Dean was still out hunting. He has shown he can detach that way and he itches to go.
Right now, I think they make each other nothing but miserable but are both such messes that they won`t even acknowledge that. Most ill-suited characters to pair up in any way I have seen in a long time.
I liked the episode, but i haven´t enjoyed it. I like how they´re addressing Dean and Sam´s conflict in their relationship. We knew they had to talk, we knew there was so many things that need to be solved…but its really their way to solve things not letting anyone in? I understand Sam´s giving up a lot..so Dean had to. Im sorry he said good bye to Benny (great scene) and im sorry Sam didn´t choose Amelia. Usually it feels great to see Dean and Sam together again, and im glad, don´t get me wrong, that our boys are back in the family business…but at what cost?
And Castiel. He has became a character as importand as Dean and Sam for me. I care deeply about him, and this episode was actually terrible to see his character so broken and manipulated. Never an episode title was so accurate. I really had hopes for Samandriel and his dead was such powerful scene (great acting). I need to know more about Castiel´s future, Naomi´s intentions..and im starting to desperately need some good things happening to Castiel. Its been a long wait to see him again..and it´ll be worse now to wait Cas to come back.
Still, i think this season is going strong. Looking for more episodes and more Castiel!
I liked this episode. I think what happened to Benny and Amelia pretty unfair, but I understand Sam’s and Dean’s reason, they have the saving the world and helping Cas in first place and they want to concentrate on it, but I have a feeling this won’t be the last we see of Amelia and Benny. I was so sad because of Samandriel, I take longer to like characters this much, but Samandriel was a exception, he was good and sweet and there weren’t wings(I’m in denial), maybe he’s still alive! I din’t had a full opinion in Naomi, but my opinion now is clear, she needs to die, she made Cas kill Samandriel against his will and Cas is already feeling so guilty, how will this leave him? I loved the destiel moments in the episode, on a other note and I hope the boys don’t forget Cas in the episodes he’s gone.
Now, I wonder if there is a human tablet. Well, we are trapped on Earth anyways…