Supernatural - Exile on Main Street, S06E01

It's been a year since the Winchester brothers stopped the apocalypse, sending Sam (Jared Padalecki) to a cage in Hell, and Dean (Jensen Ackles) to live happily ever after with his one true love. That would not have been a bad way of ending the series; in fact, that was the intended end, but now we find ourselves in a world where Sam has not only found himself back on Earth, but Grandpa Samuel (Mitch Pileggi) has come back too. Time for the Winchesters to team up with their Campbell relatives and figure out what is going on.

I'm not nervous anymore. At the end of last season, I was concerned that the decision to continue rather than concluding the show would ruin such a terrific series. But the premiere has me very excited. Why are Sam and Samuel back in the game? What twisted and horrible plan requires both of them? Or is it something that the good guys want?

And what about the Campbells and Samuel kidnapping that djinn? What have they got going on that they clearly feel the Winchester boys can't know about? Are they experimenting? Torturing the monsters for answers? Trying to use their powers against them? And if their methods are resulting in things like a cure for the djinn poison, then why must it be kept hush hush?

And speaking of the djinn, is revenge really enough to change their habits and have them become the aggressors? And what is the deal with the other monsters apparently equally disregarding their past restrictions? It's going to make things very interesting now that the hunters cannot accurately predict their foes' behaviours.

Finally, what happened to Sam? Dean was right about one thing - a year ago, Sam would not have hesitated to help people, regardless of the likelihood of it accomplishing anything. So what has changed? I guess we'll just have to keep watching.

Supernatural - Swan Song, S05E22 - Season Finale

This episode was originally supposed to be the series finale, rather than simply a season finale. While I am glad that Supernatural will be around for another season, even if my fantasies about marrying either of the lead actors are no longer possible as Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are both now married, I would have been satisfied if the series had ended here...with a few minor changes.

I loved that, for once, the episode had narration. Chuck (Rob Benedict), the prophet, was the perfect voice to tell the story of the two boys. And that his narrative revolved around the impala, which was essentially the third main character, present with Sam (Padalecki) and Dean (Ackles) in every episode, was moving. We saw the flashbacks to previous episodes, previous season, we remembered all the $#!^ those boys went through to end up here, and we were glad to have been a part of it all.

When Sam gave his body to Lucifer, and all hope seemed lost, Dean did not give up hope. He did what he had to do to find his brother, to try and save the world. He was resigned to his own death, if it meant that Sam's sacrifice might not be in vain. And so, after watching Castiel (Misha Collins) get exploded by Lucifer for having used a Holy Oil Molotov Cocktail on Michael (Jake Abel) and Bobby (Jim Beaver) getting his neck broken, Dean took Lucifer's anger, only caring about getting through to Sammy.

Because of Dean, because of the Impala, because of everything that had happened over the last 5 seasons, Sam beat the Devil. He took back his body, opened the portal to Hell, and dove in, dragging Michael with him. And Dean, cured by a resurrected Cas, married the girl of his dreams and lived happily ever after...or something like that.

And had that been the ending of the series, I would have liked it. Yes, it would have been depressing as Hell, but a far more fitting end to the series than having everyone live happily ever after.

Instead, Bobby was resurrected too (which I would not have wanted if the series was ending. Body count, people. It was the end of the world; a body count is necessary). And, although Dean did go through with his promise, Sam somehow is back in the world of men.

I can't really predict how next season is going to go. All I can say is that I really hope that it does not make me wish that it had, in fact, ended this season with Dean getting the girl and Sam being in Hell.

Supernatural - Two Minutes to Midnight, S05E21

With only one episode left of the season, knowing that next episode will be the showdown that either brings on the end of the world or saves it, how is it that I still find myself laughing and smiling just as much as I am cringing?

Supernatural combines extreme talent of every sort - acting, writing, directing, etc. I always expect the best, and, even in the most absurd episode (I'm looking at the one with the suicidal Teddy bear), I always get just that. With so little time to tell so much, Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) took their time on their mission to recover the ring from Pestilence. It was over within the first half of the episode, and yet it did not feel at all rushed or lacking in development.

There was still time in the episode for amusement, such as Bobby (Jim Beaver) and Crowley (Mark Sheppard)'s kiss and Cas (Misha Collins)'s return, as well as emotions, with Bobby regaining the use of his legs.

The second half, Sam and Dean separated so that each could accomplish the two tasks necessary to stop imminent disaster, and, again, both missions were completed successfully, believably, and taking just the right amount of time, leaving us fully satisfied that all that needs to take place next week is a battle of wills between Sam and Lucifer, which should end with Lucifer back in Hell and the Apocalypse put off for a while to come.

What will happen next? I don't think any of us expected Dean to actually end up in Hell despite having sold his soul, but he did and the ensuing plot lines were absolutely splendid. If Sam lets Lucifer in, says yes, then gets him back in jail, I doubt there will be a quick fix to returning him to Dean anymore than there was a quick fix returning Dean to Sam then.

But have we even considered the possibility that they won't win? Might Lucifer find another way and we have another season of Apocalyptic disaster? What do you think will happen on the Season Finale of Season 5, and during Season 6?

Supernatural - The Devil You Know, S01E20

When did Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) trade places? I remember watching the first 2 seasons and not being particularly attracted to Sam because, despite being attractive and intelligent, he just didn't have much of an edge. The first time that any sort of interest flickered was when he was possessed by a demon and was getting handsy with Jo.

Not that I'm particularly into men possessed with demons, but until then he really had gone soft. I suppose the demons really did do us all a favour when they killed Jess and brought him back to the realm of fighting supernatural beings. And it makes sense that it would take a while for all that sweetness to leave him with only anger.

It must have been when Dean went to Hell, when Sam started his affair with Ruby that he became the darker, more dangerous of the brothers. Really, though, Dean hasn't changed much. He still has the same awesome attitude he did in the beginning. I think Sam just went from being so much tamer to being so much angrier. I suppose if I ever rewatch the entire series I'll have to keep an eye out for that transition.

Meanwhile, the end of the world is still on track, Sam finally got to absolutely avenge Jess's death, and the Lovers in League against Satan may have had a win. Also, there was a battle between Hell Hounds. All in all, this episode was awesome, and I am even more excited about the penultimate episode of the season next week and the finale the week after. And then I will have to suffer 4 months without Sam and Dean to comfort me...maybe I will rewatch the entire series.

Supernatural - Hammer of the Gods, S05E19

Although we already knew that other gods existed - Sam (Jared Paralecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) have killed a few along the way - it was still some thing of a surprise to see a whole horde of them trying to figure out a way to stop the apocalypse. Apparently Sam's earlier idea to request the Trickster's help was not a bad one.

Normally, I am not a fan of Rekha Sharma's work. Probably because I did not like her character on Battlestar Galactica. I am weary the moment I see her, suspecting her character is working with the aliens on V and other similar untrustworthy behaviours. But I really liked her on Supernatural. That may be because she was Kali, and those kind of behaviours are exactly what is wanted, what is expected from Kali. She was delightfully evil, and strong, and still the tinniest bit vulnerable. I hope we will see her again.

Otherwise, watching Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) so easily murder all the gods, including Odin and Baldur (so I guess that means Ragnarök is in full swing), was appropriately awful. And the final battle between himself and Gabriel (Richard Speight Jr.) nearly drove me to tears. If Lucifer could kill another ArchAngel so very easily, one who continually outwitted Sam and Dean, it is no wonder that the boss match between him and Michael will destroy the planet. What hope our heroes have of stopping him, I can't imagine.

And I am not looking forward to next week if it's going to be the confrontation with Pestilence (Matt Frewer). Much as I like Frewer, the sickness that he was spreading everywhere was just disgusting. Good luck getting close enough to him to get his ring without dying on the spot. SO GROSS!

The only other thing that confused me was the advertisement for GhostFacers in the middle to the episode. What was that about? If it was meant to tell us that there are webisodes that we can now check out, it wasn't particularly clear.

Anyway, excited about Sam and Dean's confrontation with the rest of the Horsemen? Saddened by Gabriel's death? Missing Castiel? Discus below to keep yourselves busy while we wait for the next episode!

Supernatural - Point of No Return, S05E18

This episode was crazy awesome. I was overcome with delight more than once with the fantastic interplay of the characters, and was pleased beyond measure at the perfection of the choices made both by the writers and by Dean (Jensen Ackles).

We'll start by addressing the business side of things. Dean and Sam (Jared Padalecki) finally got to meet their younger half-brother, Adam (Jake Abel), brought back from the dead by the angels for some nefarious purpose. He, naturally, ended up being the bate that was the bring Dean to saying Yes to Michael.

Zachariah (Kurt Fuller) really botched to job by doing this. While Dean had given up and was fully ready to say Yes in the hopes of saving some of the world, the confrontation made him change his mind. He had hit rock bottom, he felt he had not other choice, but when he saw Sam bleeding to death, fully believing that he would continue to believe and say No, well Dean just could not disappoint. And not only has he refused yet again, his inability to feel is likely going to go away now that he only has one direction to go - UP - and he's taking it.

But, while the progress of the story line was amazing, I will never forget some other terrific moments of this episode.

1. Bobby (Jim Beaver) pulls out a bullet and tells Dean how he wants to shoot himself with it, but he hasn't because he promised Dean that he would not give up.

2. Castiel is in a fiery rage. The glare he gives Dean prompts the comment "The last person that looked at me like that, I got laid." At which point, the part of me that loves the sexual energy between them literally squealed!

3. Zachariah's assessment of Sam and Dean's relationship was beyond accurate. "You know, Sam and Dean are psychotically, irrationally, erotically codependent on each other, right?" We know, and we LOVE it.

4. When Castiel beat the crap out of Dean because he had given up everything for him, sacrificed everything for him, and the stupid little human didn't care and was going to waste all that effort.

Those were the moments that made this episode far more than a simple (yeah, really simple) matter of hitting rock bottom so that recovery could me made. Not that things are going to be easy. After all, in all likelihood, Michael is now wearing Adam as his meat suit, as Lucifer is doing with Nick. Well, at least Zachariah is dead. He was SUCH a jerk.

Supernatural - 99 Problems, S05E17

The Apocalypse is coming, and, with only 5 episodes left this season, it's coming on fast. I was surprised by how much everything was changing already, until I realized that it was more like about time.

The boys came up against yet another villain from the Book of Revelations, the Whore of Babylon. Claiming to be a prophet, she had an entire town under her sway, and was trying to bring them all to Hell. Using promises of being reunited with dead kin and being saved come judgement day, she convinced good people to commit unspeakable acts from which none could be saved. Too bad for her that Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) happened to pass through her town.

I'm going to say this once, and just once, "Why are all these things happening in the USA." I realize that Sam and Dean are there, and we have established that they are a huge part of the Apocalypse and the Fates do love them, but are there no demonic activities in Europe or Africa or anywhere else? Or are we just suppose to assume that before the Whore came to that small American town, she was doing the same thing somewhere in China? That Death and War and Famine and Pestilence are doing their things in Australia and Argentina? What explanation have you given yourself for why all this turmoil is centred on the States?

Ignoring that, Sam and Dean would be completely screwed without Castiel (Misha Collins). Showing up, eventually, in response to a call for help (left on an answering message with a very amusing recording), Cas reveals that Leah (Kayla Mae Maloney) is not a prophet, and must be the Whore. He is quite wrecked at the time, explaining that he found a liquor store, and drank it. Poor Cas, there is not enough liquor in the world to drown an Angel's spirits because his dad is a dead-beat like most other people's.

Cas also revealed that only a true servant of God could kill the Whore. Luckily, there was a priest on hand, but as he was the girl's father (before she was killed and the whore took her shape), he hesitated, and Dean ended up impaling the creature. To everyone's surprise, she died. Apparently Dean is a true servant.

And what did Dean do upon discovering this? He ran (well, drove) away from his brother. He showed up to see Lisa, the love of his life, to tell her that he loved her and to promise her than one of his conditions for the thing he was about to do (likely saying YES to Michael) was that she and her son would be protected and saved.

The big show down is coming, how it is going to happen, how we are all going to survive long enough for season 6, I cannot say. But I am certain that it will not only be epic, but the transition will also be credible. This show continues to be amazing 5 seasons in, and I have every hope season 6 will also deliver.

Supernatural - Dark Side of the Moon, S05E16

What an emotional and touching episode. There is a sadness in my soul, and my heart breaks for Dean (Jensen Ackles), Sam (Jared Padalecki), and Castiel (Misha Collins). And, while they say it is always darkest before dawn, I'm not certain that there can ever be brightness in the world again.

Sam and Dean start the episode by getting killed, again. As Ash (Chad Lindberg) tells them when they meet up with him in Heaven, our boys die more than anyone else he knows. And while in Heaven, they revisit all the happiest times of their lives - for Dean, those moments all include his family, his mother and his brother, for Sam, those moments are the times he was on his own.

If witnessing Sam's love of some of Dean's most painful memories wasn't enough trauma for Dean to go through, he also remembers that his parents' marriage was far from perfect. When this was followed up by the memory of his mother telling him that he was the problem, the reason everyone abandoned him, and finally by the revelation that God felt he had already done enough, and was not willing to stop the end of the world, Dean's faith was done.

How Dean is supposed to continue fighting when he has nothing to rely on, when he believes in nothing, I don't know. And Castiel was equally despondent when he learnt that his Father would not act. Sam, alone, retained hope and the drive to succeed against all the odds. And despite all the pain Sam had put Dean through in Heaven, Dean delivered an equally, if not more, painful blow back on Earth.

The amulet Sam gave Dean when they were children was meant to help them locate God. As this was no longer possible, Dean through the necklace out, naming it worthless. It no longer had the value of finding God, or the value of a gift from a loving brother which had prevented him from giving it over willingly to Cas in the first place.

As for Free Will, though, I feel that God's refusal to get involved speaks more highly for the belief than anything else so far. I would just state that it seems he has also given that ability to the Angels and Demons as well. What are your thoughts?

Supernatural - Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, S05E15

There is nothing more horrible than the idea of having loved ones return from the graves, completely unchanged from how they were, and, after five days of loving affection, having them turn to the cannibalistic tendencies which are typically associated with Zombies.

The confrontations with War and Famine were not pretty - many civilians were killed in those battles. Death, however, fights much more cleverly. He never came into direct contact with Sam (Jared Padalecki) or Dean (Jensen Ackles), never had any intention of involving them in this scheme while it was going on. And though they killed the Zombies and prevented quite a few deaths, Death's attack was still successful.

Sam and Dean are physically very strong. They are smart and resourceful, and they have many friends to back them up. They also have two very powerful angels - Lucifer and Michael respectively - who have a great interest in seeing that the boys come to no physical harm. But psychologically, it's a very different game. As Dean stated in Sam, Interrupted, it would not be shocking if at some point either of the boys lost his mind. Mentally, they are far from stable.

Death's attack was for Bobby (Jim Beaver). Had the Zombies killed him, that would have been a great success. That they didn't was not necessarily a defeat, as it meant that Bobby's wife who ha been resurrected had to be killed by her loving husband a second time. Time does not heal wounds, but allows them to scab over cleanly enough, allows to pain to become a dull, consistent ache in the background. And the most painful event of Bobby's life was not played over for him a second time, but was repeated with new details. And that pain is very fresh, and very very crippling.

Will Bobby be able to keep helping out? And if not, how will Sam and Dean continue without him?

Supernatural - My Bloody Valentine, S05E14

These episodes are the best - the ones where the start and set up seems to be some bizarre and random episode designed to amuse, but turn into those where the mythology and the main plot are really the most important aspect.

It started with gruesome deaths. Really gruesome deaths. A couple ate each other to death. Then, another couple went crazy and Romeo + Julietted out of this world. Both couples were imprinted by marks of a cupid, leading Castiel (Misha Collins) to believe that said Cupid had gone rogue.

Calling upon the Cupid, Dean (Jensen Ackles), Sam (Jared Padalecki), and Cas confronted him on the fate of his latest chosen lovers. When the Cupid appeared, he was absolutely naked and proceeded to hug the three men. "What's going on?" Dean demanded, "Are we in a fight?" "This is their handshake," replied Castiel. "I don't like it." "No one likes it."

The Cupid, however, was not the problem. He was deeply upset to discover that his lovers had gone insane.

It did not take long for Castiel to figure out that there was a horseman about - Famine. All I can say is, thank God Cas is helping out our boys or they would not be doing too well at all. Castiel's vessel began craving beef, Sam began craving Demon blood, and Dean, strangely, craved nothing. He did not even want to go to the bar on Valentine's Day, which he usually referred to as Christmas for unattached drifters.

I cannot express the horror I felt when Sam was released for his self-imposed confinement by demons, upon whose blood he then feasted. Memories of last season and thoughts of how easily Lucifer might be able to pray on him in such a state screamed forth, projecting a situation in which I could see Sam say yes. And yet, when he waltzed into the dinner to save Cas and Dean, he was so calm. Clearly, having consumed the blood, he was as unaffected by Famine as the demons who were his aids were. Sam, using his demon powers, defeated the demons and Famine, feeling no more desire to drink their blood.

Naturally, he had to spend the next while in confinement, getting himself clean. But there was a moment of such calm there that gave me hope. Though Sam had slipped, he was still strong. The devil will not win that easily.

Do you think the demon blood will be the key to Sam's potential undoing? Or was its original ability to bring him to harm because of Ruby's manipulations?

Supernatural - The Song Remains the Same, S05E13

One of the things that Supernatural does best is that it does not forget about anyone. Jo and Ellen may have disappeared for several seasons, but we did eventually reconnect with them. That those events soon led to their deaths is rather beside the point.

And not so long ago, I had been wondering what had happened to Anna (Julie McNiven). The last time we saw her, Castiel (Misha Collins) betrayed her to the other angels. I had thought she had been killed, but that was not the case. She had been locked up and tortured...so now we know where Lucifer first learnt that habit. And we found her again, having escaped from the dungeons of Heaven (which has a very wrong feel to it).

Her new plan was to stop the Apocalypse, which might have made her a good ally had her method not been to do so by killing Sam (Jared Padalecki), cutting him into teeny tiny pieces and spreading his molecules out across the galaxy so that he could not be brought back.

Whether or not this would in fact stop the Apocalypse is not the point - Sam's death is not an option for Dean (Jensen Ackles) or for Castiel, so when she travels back to 1978 to murder Mary and John Winchester before they have their sons, the boys follow. Besides, while they have no problems not being born, they do have issues with their parents being killed, again.

Poor Sam, confronted with the younger versions of his parents - the mother he never knew and the father he thought he hated. Being able to tell both of them how he felt, despite the fact that afterwards their memories were wiped and that they didn't realize at the time that he was their son, may have actually been a salve on the pain he feels about the whole situation. Dean, meanwhile, wanted to protect his father from going down that path as long as he was able to. Touching to see where both boys got their attitudes and tendencies.

And while we still got laughs (Dean comparing weakened Castiel to a Delorian without plutonium, and Cas not comprehending the reference), the serious discovers we made are what stay with me.

Meeting Michael, finally, and in the body of John, was something close to horrible. The Archangel believes that Free Will is an illusion, and considering the effort put into the union of Mary and John to produce sons who would be able to be vessels to angels as powerful as Michael and Lucifer without ill effect...with the Apocalypse coming, as has always been foreseen, and with the lives of Sam and Dean so obviously effected by Fate and Destiny, the entire idea of Free Will seems naive.

And so, Team Free Will (Sam, Dean, and Castiel) will continue to fight the good fight, while Michael and Lucifer sally forth with their plans. And after what happened to Anna - she was incinerated by Michael for daring to try to stop the end of the world - and to Ellen and Jo, I can only pity anyone who wants to help our boys.

Would you be willing to risk everything for them?

Supernatural - Swap Meat, S05E12

Every once in a while, Supernatural has to have an episode that just doesn't quite measure up. Not that it isn't still a very good episode, but compared to all the others, it isn't as good, it has far more faults.

What happens is that a 17 year old, who has been playing with witch craft, casts a spell so that he can switch bodies with Sam (Jared Padalecki). The kid, Gary (Colton James), spends his time enjoying being in the body of an adult, while Sam just wants to get back in his own body. In the end, a demon gets summoned, and when Gary is promised what he wants, but asked to meet Satan, he chickens out and he and Dean (Jensen Ackles) send the demon back to hell.

It wasn't badly acted, though I would have preferred to see Jared Padalecki play Gary while he was in Sam's body, and Colton James playing Sam while in Gary's body. There were, however, some big issues I just could not get over.

1. It took Dean way to long to realize that something wasn't right with Sam. I realize that they've got tattoos which prevent demons from possessing them, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be aware that sudden bizarre shifts in personality might be supernatural in nature.

2. If a junior witch like Gary was so easily able to switch bodies with Sam, how come the demons aren't working this angle a whole lot harder? All they needed was a person who actually worshiped Satan to get into Sam's body, and he'll say YES.

3. If witches are evil and corrupted, how did Gary stay so innocent? Sure, he's not going to do it again, but all the witches we've met up till now haven't been redeemable, and just cause Gary's 17 does not mean he's too young to have been taken.

Again, I didn't think there was anything particularly horrible about the episode, but it did come across as unnecessary filler.

Supernatural - Sam, Interrupted, S05E11

While I am a little disappointed that Supernatural picked up after the Christmas hiatus with an episode that had nothing to do with the Apocalypse, I am always pleased with the episodes that mix a good hunt with hilarity.

What a brilliant start to an episode, with Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) going to see a psychiatrist because Sam thinks that he started Armageddon. It's all his fault because he was drinking demon blood and killed the demon Lilith and thus released Lucifer. And if that wasn't wonderful enough, to have Dean then defend him by saying it wasn't his fault, because after all he had been high on the blood and besides, there were other supernatural factors as well...heeheehee

I was a little surprised/disappointed that the episode didn't take the angle that perhaps Sam and Dean were crazy, that their save-the-world complexes, mixed with religious mania, weren't in fact actual delusions. After all, some of the brilliance of them ending up in the insane asylum was that they were speaking the truth, and if we ever met anyone who honestly believed the things Sam and Dean know to be true...well, we'd lock them up too.

But going with a wraith that did make them crazy wasn't a bad choice either. And it allowed us to explore not only how bad a shape our boys are in - hardly sleeping at night, drinking far more than any person ever should, completely unable to have long-lasting, serious relationships - but also Sam's anger. He is angry, always has been angry, and it's probably a good thing that he knows about it.

I can't say that it's the best philosophy for either Dean or Sam to take their pain and anger and shove both in a corner, but trying to deal with all that right now, when the fate of the world is in the balance, is not really going to help them either.

Supernatural - Abandon All Hope, S05E10

After a number of hilarious episodes only partially related to this season's main plot, it is hardly surprising that for the last episode airing before the Christmas hiatus, our boys got back on track.

Armageddon is coming, and they have to find a way to kill the devil.

But luck, it seemed was on their side. The Colt, apparently, was not destroyed and a demon believing that it was in his best interest for Lucifer to go, since if he has such contempt for me, how highly can he possibly value demons, gave it to the boys without much of a fight. Finally armed with a way they could kill him, and possible thus stop the Apocalypse, Dean (Jensen Ackles), Sam (Jared Padalecki), Castiel (Misha Collins), Ellen (Samantha Ferris), and Jo (Alona Tal) set off to find Satan.

They arrived in Carthage, where a bloody battle took place during the Civil War; the city appears deserted, but Castiel can see hundreds of Reapers, waiting for something. It was totally creepy. He went off to try to determine what they were doing there, while the rest searched the town for people. Finally they found Meg (Rachel Miner), and about half-a-dozen Hell Hounds. People tell me that there is nothing to fear from dogs, people say that cats are far more violent, but I will point out that they are called Hell Hounds, not Hell Kitties.

It was unclear what effect the Colt was having on the Hounds, since they are invisible. It was clear the effect they had on our heroes as the blood pouring out of Jo's gut was quite obvious. The four managed to retreat to a hardware store, where convenient salt lay waiting to be poured across all access points, but that did not change Jo's condition. She was going to die, and there was no way to stop it.

I'm actually really glad that Sam and Dean have they destinies they have. I realize they have both died enough times as to make them not invulnerable, but their inability to stay dead now has a little more weight behind it than just because it would not be the show it is without both brothers. When supernatural forces like Fate and Destiny are working on you, just try to do something they don't want you to - like die - it won't take.

Jo, knowing she was dying, made a plan. She would stay and blow the store, armed with claymores set to launch salt and iron in all directions, while the others went to the field where the battle took place. Ellen decided to stay with her daughter, a move which proved necessary as Jo bled out before it was time to blow the mines. I was glad of this, because if Ellen had simply died because she could not live without Jo...well, it's not a very Hunter thing to do when the end of the world is coming and we are going to need all hands on deck. As it was, their deaths were beautiful sacrifices, and I'm getting choked up just thinking about it again.

Now we come to the end, where Dean and Sam have to stop Lucifer before he releases Death, the horseman, to gallop across the world. The scene was so brilliant. Sam, cleverly, distracted Lucifer in conversation about whether or not they could trade bodies. Dean snuck up behind him, and as soon as he was in position, with no hesitation, he pulled the trigger and shot Lucifer in the head. Simple, clean, perfect.

It as the moment he pulled the trigger that I remembered that Lucifer would not die. Unlike all his demon henchmen, Lucifer was not actually a creature from Hell. He was an angel, and like Castiel, shooting him with the Colt was going to have absolutely no effect, except perhaps some mild discomfort.

And we went on hiatus knowing the devil yet lived, and Death was coming.

Supernatural - The Real Ghostbusters, S05E09

In the last episode of season 5, Supernatural poked fun at a lot of other popular shows, but in this episode, they made fun of themselves. The meta-televisual (is that the equivalent word meta-theatrical only for television?) aspects of this show are completely in tune with the nerdiness of us, its adoring fans.

What happened in this episode? Well, the books called Supernatural, written by everyone's favourite profit, Chuck (Rob Benedict) were having a convention. Imagine, a room full of people dressed up as Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles), quoting random conversations the two have had over the years, and debating the homosexual undertones of the stories. First, they had books being written based on the lives of the main characters, then they had a crazy fan of those books writing wincestian fan-fiction, and now we have a convention!

No surprise, really, that real ghosts were haunting the hotel, and Sam and Dean, with the help of two guys dressed just like them, had to save everyone. It was awesome, though, to see Chuck actually save a guy, proving that, although he isn't good for much, he's good for something.

The highlight, though, was when our fake Sam and Dean explained to Dean why people liked the story, and the hope they got from it. Sure, it might be a sucky story to live through - a lot of stories are - but that does not mean we don't get inspiration from them. Wouldn't we all like to have a calling and a purpose which is bigger than a crumby part-time job and questions we want answered which are more important than what should I microwave for dinner tonight?

Supernatural - Changing Channels, S05E08

I can't believe it took me so long to start watching Supernatural again. I was laughing so hard that I was crying before the opening credits ran. Oh, yes, that's right. There were opening credits, depicting Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) as if they were part of a family sitcom.

There would be no point in me repeating to you the delights of watching Sam and Dean suddenly become characters on shows based on Grey's Anatomy (seriously?), CSI: Miami, or Nightrider; I'd say they are pretty self-explanatory, plus you want to enjoy them for yourselves.

I do, however, now want to go back and rewatch the previous Trickster episodes and try to figure out how exactly it works that he is Gabriel, the Archangel. I mean, I love it! I love the idea that an Angel has been messing with their lives since back in Season 2, that before we even knew that Angels were real in the realm of Supernatural, there was one poking about. But what does that mean - how was an angel allowed to get away with that kind of nonsense for thousands of years? When did God last do anything?

By the end of the episode, which was so very much fun, we still found ourselves confronted with the questions of family and destiny. Gabriel took a hike from heaven because he could not stand the bickering of his family. He considers the relationship between Dean and Sam the same as the one between Michael and Lucifer: the big brother, always doing what Daddy says, the little brother wanting to go his own way. It makes a degree of sense, and destiny is always involved in the fates of men when it comes to huge events, like, let's say, just as an example, Armageddon. But God did give us free will, and Dean and Sam had better not forget that and keep using it as long as they can, otherwise I have no idea how they are going to have a 6th season.

Supernatural - The Curious Case of Dean Winchester, S05E07

When compared with any and all other episodes of Supernatural, including the one with the depressed-alcoholic-living teddy bear, this episode is rock bottom. Which means, it hits average for every other show out there.

The plot had a witch playing poker for years, instead of money. An old man could suddenly become young again, and a young man could die of old age as a result. Bobby (Jim Beaver), hating himself for being relegated to a wheelchair, lost 25 years to the witch, Patrick, and Dean (Jensen Ackles, trying to recover them, gave 25 years to Bobby and lost another 25 himself. So he aged 50 years, and Sam (Jared Padalecki) had to save him.

The biggest problem with the episode was that old Dean was played by Chad Everett, and not Jensen Ackles. I do not understand this choice - presumably Ackles was given a few days off rather than play his older self - because it is not that hard or expensive anymore to age an adult 50 years. And Everett, regardless of how talented he might be, just wasn't Dean.

The moments he shared with Bobby, with both contemplating their age and misery, had far less impact because it was not our Dean who observed. And that was unfortunate since Bobby's misery and Sam and Dean's need of him in their lives was the important point.

In the end, Sam managed to beat Patrick, taking back the 50 years Dean had lost. Dean was restored and we got a hilarious little dance for him to rejoice. Then, in a bizarre side line, Patrick released his lady-love from the curse of eternal youth, because she could not stand living now that her own daughter had died from old age.

So the villain did not die, and you kind of didn't want him to because he was very sympathetic, but while he could be generous, mostly he still stole years from young men and would continue to do so for some time.

But next week, we get the channel changing episode, where Dean and Sam will visit game shows, procedurals and hospital dramas. It looks amazing. What do you think?

Supernatural - I Believe the Children Are Our Future

This episode started out a little wacko. First, a girl scratched herself to death, then an old man electrocuted his nurse with a joy buzzer. If that wasn't strange enough, the tooth fairy showed up and ripped all 32 teeth from a man's head. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) were a little confused to say the least. What was happening and what was causing it?

I thought it was another non-story-arc-related episode, where some bizarre circumstance (or perhaps even a trickster god) was causing havoc, but our boys would solve it and then go on their way. Instead, we find out that this boy, who was adopted and who's sealed file indicated that he had no father, had some pretty special powers. The urban legends and stories we tell our children which the boy believed were the ones that were coming true.

Sam and Dean went to meet his birth mother, Julia (Ever Carradine*), to try to figure out why the boy is what he is. And it turns out that she was possessed for 9 months throughout her pregnancy...and that she was a virgin. That's right, folks, this kid is the Antichrist and this episode is important. But what is an Antichrist? Just half-human and half-demon...which side will guide him?

Sam and Dean don't want to kill him, after all he's just a kid, but Castiel (Misha Collins) believes the boy need to die. Sam argues that if the boy, Jesse, is told all the facts, perhaps he'll make the right choice. Cas tells Sam that he didn't make the right choice...which was totally unfair since Cas is one of the people who withheld the facts. I don't think anyone believes Sam would have killed Lilith if anyone had had the sense to tell him that would start the apocalypse.

Jesse is stronger than anyone thinks, though. He turns Cas into an action figure, and when Julia shows up infested with a Demon, he tells it to shut up so that he can listen to what Sam has to say. Sam tells him the whole truth about what's going on, and about the danger Jesse is to his family. In the end, the boy leaves, neither with the Demon nor with the Winchester brothers. Only time will tell whether it was the smart idea to leave the boy alive. How different would the world be if Sam had never been born?

I am very excited about where this whole apocalypse thing is going. Can it be stopped? Should it be stopped? What do you think?

Supernatural - Fallen Idol, S05E05

I love how a show that has a serious plot line going on, like...um...the apocalypse, can still have stand alone episodes where our heroes, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles), get to fight a god who has taken on the form of Paris Hilton*.

And the episode finished with the promise that we would continue to get these kinds of episodes, which are my favourites.

The episode started with the problem, a guy and his friend, Jim, (played by SGA's Paul McGillion*) are going to go for a ride in James Dean's car. Jim goes to get the video camera, and when he returns, his buddy died in what seemed to be a car accident, though the car was parked the entire time.

Next, Abraham Lincoln appears and shoots a civil war historian in the head. And Ghandi, though in life he was a fruitarian, tries to take a bite out of Sam's neck. Luckily Dean burns Ghandi's spectacles, and the ghost disappears. He thinks the case is closed, and wants to move on. Sam is not so sure.

Turns out, Sam was right. A girl has gone missing, apparently taken by Paris Hilton. Since Paris Hilton is not dead, the boys realize it can't be a ghost. It turns out to be a god.

Have to give Paris Hilton some credit for taking on a role in which we delight because she beat up Dean, and we get to mock him for it, and Sam chops her head off. Sort of like how some people saw Repo the Rock Opera just to see her face fall off.

We also got a reference to House of Wax, in which she starred with Padalecki. I recall they also mentioned Gilmour Girls once, but I have no recollection of mentions of shows that Ackles was in, such as Dark Angel. Maybe I just never noticed.

This episode was pure fun and had a happy ending for most (not for Paris Hilton - after the god disappeared, the local police put out an APB to find the supposed kidnapper). Did you enjoy it?

Supernatural - The End, S05E04

What a phenomenally powerful episode. Supernatural has been delivering this season, and I'm loving every minute of it.

The premise of the End was that Dean (Jensen Ackles) was sent to the year 2014 by Zachariah (Kurt Fuller) to see what the world would become if he did not say yes to Michael. He arrived in a world plagued by Croatoan (something we first encountered in Season 1), and eventually managed to find himself. That's right, we had the pleasure of two Deans, one more surly than the other.

We still got our laughs. When Dean 2009 proved to Dean 2014 he was in fact himself, he spoke of trying on girl's panties when he was 19. He'd kind of liked it. And Cas, no longer an angel in this destroyed world, became an orgy-enjoying hippie. Plus, you had to love how well Dean actually knows himself and called himself out when he was spouting BS.

But the comedy was not what made this episode so brilliant. And yes, you gotta love how much Jensen Ackles we got. He had to work hard, after all, conversing with himself and creating a future Dean who had evolved from now Dean in a believable manner. I had no doubt that Dean could end up that way by 2014 given the circumstances. The real gem of the episode, however, was a stunning performance by Jared Padalecki.

We hardly saw Sam all episode, just a bit at the start and finish, but in 2014 we had one wonderful scene in which Dean 2009 faced Lucifer wearing Sam to the prom. What poise, what talent. Padalecki kept the same reservedness which all other actors playing Lucifer on Supernatural have displayed thus far. It's as if one person has continually played that part, simply wearing different costumes, which is a testament to the abilities of all of them.

Plus, seeing Sam not even present in Padalecki's eyes, completely dominated by the scorned lover, there is a praise-worthy performance. No, I never want to see Lucifer in Sam's body again, but boy did it show what Padalecki is capable of.

Which part of this episode moved you?