They wander down this dank, icky hallway with all sorts of debris on the floor (yeah, I don’t want to know what it is). Sam and Dean needing flashlights but the rest are doing good, being nonhuman and all. Dean finds a body in one of the cells. Sam then gets a vamp slapping against the glass of another. Dean then sees an alive Brigitte from “Exile on Main Street” there in chains. She pleads for him to get her out of there. Yeah, like that’s going to happen. You tried to kill him bitch!
Sam moves them forward and Castiel stops them. He senses something. Then the growling happens. Meg knows what it is. It’s Hellhounds! I must point out that the writer of this episode, Brett Matthews, must have taken the Supernatural Demonology 101 orientation course, for he just about used it all here. The hellhounds, the Devil’s traps, the demon torture table, Sam and Dean being flung against the wall (I can’t believe a demon can still do that to Sam), it’s all there. I was a little disappointed to see all that. Not that I have any better suggestions, but sheesh.
Anyway, Meg realizes those “guards” are coming. Now Dean gets really spooked. Yes, he still to this day has that bad memory of being a Hellhound’s “chew toy.” They run through the door and now we know why the two lackeys were running up the rear. Because we needed red shirts that could become Hellhound lunch. They’re yanked away and the others protect themselves behind a door, running a salt line.
“I knew this was a trap,” Dean said. “What do you want, a cupcake?” Meg says. Hmm, not a bad line. Meg, being the evil lying demon she is, decides to bail. “Well I’ll be pulling for you. From Cleveland. I didn’t know this was going to happen. Bright side, them chewing up my meat suit, that’ll buy you a few seconds. Seacreast out.” More great lines! Of course Meg opens her mouth and nothing happens. She’s trapped in her meat suit. Castiel figures out it’s a spell from Crowley. You think Cass? “Karma’s a bitch, Bitch,” Dean says. Hee, there’s his favorite pet name for her.
Sam is past all this, for he’s thinking strategically. He pulls out the knife for Meg, even though she’s a lying bitch. “You can see them. Take this, hold them off, it’s our best shot.” She decides that Sam should take it and kill Crowley, aka “the swarmy dick.” She’ll hold off the dogs. “How are you going to do that-” Dean’s question is abruptly interrupted. Meg pulls Castiel in a liplock! Sam and Dean just watch in the background stunned. Meg is fishing in his trench coat, so we know what she wants. Castiel though doesn’t care and grabs her, pushing her against the wall returning a massive passionate kiss of his own! Whoa Cass! 2,000 years of pent up frustration amounts to this.
Meg accepts the kiss without hestitation and those two go at it. Sam and Dean are at a loss, Dean trying silently to point out that there’s Hellhounds out there waiting for them. Dean gives up though and they both wait for them to finish. Again, the looks are priceless. Castiel pulls away and Meg is quite impressed. “What was that?” Sam and Dean look at Castiel strangely, waiting curiously for his answer. “I learned that from the pizza man.” “Well A-plus for you,” Meg says. Hey, do you expect less from an almighty angel? Meg comes to her senses and shows off that she’s swiped Castiel’s angel killing blade. Dean is curious if it’ll work on a Hellhound. They’re about to find out. They run away while Meg stays behind to fight off the hounds.
Meg stands in front of the door as the salt line blows away and stands her ground with the blade. They break through and she’s knocked over. She moves over to the wall and starts swiping away. Black stuff goes flying everywhere. One gets her arm but she keeps fighting. She’s a tough evil bitch, I’ll give her that. Sam, Dean and Castiel move on, and there’s that stairwell we’ve seen on just about every Vancouver show, as well as “In My Time of Dying,” in this show. Suddenly there’s a bright glowing light and Castiel disappears. Samuel is there at the bottom of the stairs with his angel banishing sigil. Oh, you dick. You sent Cass to Oz. You are so paying for this.
Dean wonders where Cass went, but Sam sees Samuel there. He brings him to Dean’s attention. “You sold us out,” Dean says with scorn. Of course the two demon goons from the beginning are there in no time to restrain them. So Sam zaps them with his powers. Oops, there goes my imagination again. Dean gives him a “Damn you” but that doesn’t matter, for Crowley appears. “Yes, best purchase I’ve made since Dick Cheney.” Wow, a continuity joke. Never happens with a new writer (sarcasm). I wonder what he means by “purchase.” Maybe he bought Samuel off of Balthazar? Again, wild theory. Dean asks Crowley how’s tricks, Crowley delivers the you’ll both be too dead to notice line, and blah, blah, blah. Filler. I will note here that Sam is fuming, as in his rage fuming. Hmm, for a guy that can’t feel anything…is it inconsistency or does it mean something?
Sam and Dean are dragging to adjoining cells and locked in. Back to Meg, who’s doing quite a number on all those Hellhounds. Black blood spatters into air as she finishes the last one. Invisible Hellhounds certainly help a thin budget. She steps over one and staggers away, only to get clocked by someone. Christian! Ooh, that dick is so going to get it. Not yet though. He gets another chance to dish it out. Meanwhile Dean looks around at his empty cell and calls out for Sam. He gets an answer on the other side of the wall. “I’m standing in pee,” Dean says with disgust. Beat from Sam. “Consider yourself lucky.” Eww, yuck. Dean has a better answer. “Yikes, that sucks.”
Dean suddenly gets a visitor who opens the small space in the doorway. Samuel. “You want forgiveness find a priest,” Dean says. Samuel wants him to understand. Understand what? He sold out his grandsons. Dean berates him for his so called “putting blood first.” “It’s funny, you sound just like my Dad. The difference is he actually did!” Samuel says he is putting blood first, his daughter’s. “Don’t come at me like I sold you out Dean. You sold out your own mother. It was her or Sam and you chose Sam, plain and simple.” Hmm, how much to you want to bet Crowley filled him in on Dean’s demon deal to get him to do his bidding? He must not know that Mary sacrificed her own soul for her two sons in “Home.” Dean calls that crap, throwing back in Samuel’s face he chose a demon over his own grandsons. Yeah Dean, you always seem to get burned by that with your family members, don’t you?
“See it how you want. I don’t even know what Sam is. You want me to protect him? And you? You’re a stranger. No really. Tell me, what exactly are you supposed to be to me?” Uh oh Samuel. You just pushed the Dean Winchester hot button. Look out! “I’ll tell you who I am. I’m the guy you never want to see again. Cause I’ll make it out of here, trust me. The next time you see me, I’ll be there to kill you.” They share a mean stare down and yikes! Dean wins. Oh no Samuel, it’s the Dean Winchester “I’m going to fucking kill you” stare. You should be dropping dead right now. “Don’t think there’s going to be a next time.” “Whatever gets you through the night,” Dean answers. Face it Samuel, you’re toast now.
Great recap!
I enjoyed the episode, but it left me with so many questions. “Sam as the Big Bad” does seem plausible, especially with the promos for this season & the hints dropped in this episode, but I am very much hoping that it is another misdirection from the writers. I was not expecting Crowley’s demise for quite awhile yet, but it proved that he was indeed just a used car salesman trying to act like the boss when the job was actually above his pay grade. I do wonder if he will find Purgatory after all now that that is where he’s probably been sent.
I suspect that Mary is in Purgatory too, since she sacrificed herself (or at least her spirit or soul) to save her boys from the malignant spirit in “Home”.
As much as I dislike Samuel for betraying his grandsons, I get that he pretty much has tunnel vision in his quest to regain his daughter no matter the consequences. The same goes for Dean when it comes to getting back the Sam that was his little brother. The next family reunion is not going to be pretty.
Sam certainly did appear to show emotion & some of the old Sam rage & real concern for Dean in this episode. I wonder, if over time, he could refashion his soul on his own without getting back what is supposedly left in the cage. Maybe just by being with Dean, who has such love & loyalty in his own soul….okay, that’s pretty sappy but just a thought. It hurts my heart to think of Sam’s soul being tortured in the cage, & I think that’s why Dean can’t let go & agree with RevenantSam’s decision to not want it back.
And I still want to know what became of Adam.
So many questions… I’m keeping hope that the show does have some good answers coming for us. That’s what I want for Christmas!
I must admit I lost focus slightly after you started going on about naked Sam and so possibly missed the finer points of your reasoning but I do reckon that you’re reading too much into what’s really just uneven writing … There, now next week it’ll all fall into place with a resounding clang and I’ll feel like a complete prat. Here’s hoping! 😉
Hi Alice
Another enjoyable recap. I just love your wit.
You definitely bring up a lot of questions and concerns for this season.
Is it just inconsistency in the writing or is it all leading to some elaborate plan.
Is Sam the big bad and has been from the start? For me I hope not. I’m not a fan of the idea at all.
I do wonder if the writers were given free rein on how they interpret being soulless and that’s why Sam shows emotions/concerns in some episode and not in others?
I am anxious to see what this weeks episode brings, hopefully they will at least give us a hint of Hope that things are going to get better with the brothers. Otherwise the Christmas Hellatus will be Hell.
I have to give it to Sera. She certainly has everyone’s head spinning. I guess if you want to take over an existing story and make it your own, you have to stir things up a bit. Get everyone out of their comfort zone so new paths can be set.
I just wish the brothers relationship hadn’t been targeted, it kind of made Swan Song seem that it was all for nothing. Plus after two seasons with their relationship being tampered with, I really wasn’t wanting to go through a third season of it again.
Thanks again for the great recap.
Alice,
I liked the recap, as for the direction of this season, still not sure.
Great recap though.
For some reason, I’m laughing at myself over this recap today. I remembered when I interviewed Sera Gamble a couple of years ago a debate was going on at this site over what Jeremy Carver meant for Mystery Spot with “Pig in a Poke.” We had these wild theories circulating over all the hidden meanings. Sera speculated (correctly I might add) that Jeremy just thought the name was funny.
So yes, I’m probably being extremely guilty of reading way more into this that what’s there. But, speculation is fun! Who knows, one or two of these observances might actually amount to something.
Hi Alice, Great recap!!!
When Crowly died I was 😮 honestly didn’t see that coming I thought he was the big bad of the season.
You know I don’t think Sam and Meg are working together but I hope, it would be interesting cause after the episode ended it felt like was the season finale of the “mini-serie” supernatural, cause now what?? Crowly is the one that wanted to know about the purgatory Crowly was the big bad or at least they made us believe that, and now he is dead, and I truly think Sam is going to recover his soul in the ending of next episode 6×11 Appointment in Samarra or in the begining of 6×12.
(Dean thanks Cas: “If it hadn’t have been for you…†You’d still be okay because Sam would have kicked in those powers he insists on hiding ) facepalm 😀
Yes that is what I have thinked since I knew Sam doesn’t have his soul, if Sam was drinking demon blood when he had a soul now that he is souless with more reason, maybe he does and that’s why he could untied himself in family matters :D,, now you are: :roll:: 😀
Thanks Alice for the recap I enjoyed, love your recaps
I was never a fan of the Sam as the big bad, and I’m still not. But, Alice, you sure brought up some points to ponder. There’s too much to be “inconsistent writing”, especially since if it was, I doubt it could get past Jared. They have to tell him something about his motivation, he can’t play it completely blind, so there must be something, a bigger picture, that we don’t get yet.
I wonder if the demons are expecting Sam to step up to the plate? Remember in season 3, the demon’s big plan was Sam was to be the General, after the demise of Yellow Eyes. Maybe analytical RoboSam is playing this to his advantage, because he even seemed to have something going with Christian (may he rest in pieces). Just a thought…
I really love the snark you add to your recaps (fits the tone of the show). One thing in this episode that I expected you to make fun of was Crowley using a BABY MONITOR to monitor the baby shapeshifters! I just burst out laughing every time I see it. With all the grunge and disgusting stuff on that set, there’s the pristine new baby monitor. What fun!
You think Pig in a Poke was fun (I remember that interview as well) they must be laughing themselves silly at the wild thoughts going on now that Episode 15’s title has been released (and yes, those into Wincest or man on man relations are really very hopeful. The person who brought up Blazing Saddles and the end is more dead on since the TV Guide article tells us that there is an upcoming episode that will do just what the ending of Blazing Saddles does…still, one must wonder at how much of our speculating makes them grim, grimace and outright guffaw!!
Nice episode!But i hated cas kissing meg 😡
I am a little late to reading this, but as always Alice, a great recap.
Dean may not be happy with Soulless Sam, but no one hurts Sam and gets away with it. Gramps is a dead man and he doesn’t even know it.
Powerful. bad ass Cas, what is there not to love. 😀
I agree, where have Sam’s powers disappeared to?
Crowley isn’t this season’s big bad. After last night’s episode, we can assume that Sam (yeah! :D) isn’t the big bad either. Could it be a re-bodied Raphael, Balthazar, or maybe someone (something) we haven’t met yet?
Cannot wait for your recap of last night’s great episode. 😀
Exactly, Dean and Bobby no longer could trust Sam. Sam went after Bobby with no ‘superego’. What if the next spell required the heart of a blood relative? Sera and Co. took Sam to his lowest and darkest moment, they had no choice but to give him back his soul and then deal with those consequences.
Great job at reviewing the episode, let me think about a lot. I think the longer Sam is out of hell, the more his soul might come back, hence the reason he’s starting to have feelings? I don’t know. But the reason why Sam was pushed into the wall was because he hasn’t drunk any demon blood. What you should be really asking is how did they make that second demon trap?? 😮
Ah also, maybe Cass showed no mercy to and finished off Crowley so fast was he knew he had to get back to heaven fast and didn’t want to waste anymore time XD 😆