Recap – “Appointment In Samarra”
I’m just going to do the dialogue in this next bit because it’s that good. It’s the closest will ever get to a Heart-to-Heart with Robo-Sam.
Bobby: You want to explain what this is about?
Sam: I just uh, I have to do this Bobby.
Bobby: Says who?
Sam: When Dean shoves that soul back in me think how bad that can really be. I can’t let it happen Bobby. I mean its not like I want to kill you, you’ve been nothing but good to me.
Bobby: So what, demon deal or something?
Sam: Spell.
Bobby: You’re making a mistake Sam.
Sam: I’m trying to survive.
Bobby: Dean’s got a way to make it safe.
Sam: Oh yeah what some wall inside my head that maybe stays up. Come on.
Bobby: If it works.
Sam: Well, what if it doesn’t. Dean doesn’t care about me. He just cares about his little brother, Sammy, burning in Hell. He’ll kill me to get that other guy back.
Bobby: Look, I know how scary it is. You know what’s scarier? You right now. You’re not in your right head Sam. You’re not giving us much choice here.
That would have been the perfect logical argument, if Sam had heard it. By this time, he’s figured out his way to escape. I do love how Bobby exclaims “Balls” before checking it out. I wish he’d been saying that long before “Weekend at Bobby’s.” What else is cool? “Ain’t nobody killin’ me in my house but me.” But alas, Sam has escaped with a ladder through the silo of the panic room. Looks like the contest will be moving outdoors! Interesting how Sam is marking his trail with blood too. Either that’s something from a movie or it’s a symbol that Bobby is tracking a wounded animal. Either way, I like!
Things don’t get better on Dean’s end for the shit gets to hit the fan now. He and Tessa are walking through the hospital and Dean is worried about Tessa giving him the silent treatment. Well Dean you did not do what she said. Not that she was surprised or anything but… No matter for they have bigger worries. A new car accident victim has come in, fractured spine, internal injuries, you know, a goner. Plus the heart surgeon that just left is needed and might not be called back in time. Oh, I get it, an innocent is going to die because of Dean’s defiance. In this case, the innocent is Jolene the Pediatric nurse, who got in an accident should wouldn’t have had if she hadn’t gone home early. Her blue uniform is spattered in red now.
Dean accuses Tessa of knowing this would happen but no, she just knew that he knocked over a domino. Tessa, you’re being kind. He’s knocked over hundreds, maybe tens of thousands of dominoes. Anyway, Dean has to take her. Everything he does has consequences. Dean protests, but now he gets a “You put on the ring now do your damn job,” talk. Couldn’t you have done that earlier before this innocent nurse died? Oh right, lesson. He touches the nurse and next she’s standing next to Tessa, watching her dead self on the table. Tessa rubs Dean’s nose in it by telling Jolene that she was supposed to live for years, have children and grandchildren, but Dean screwed up. “You did this to me?” She asks Dean. Easy lady, it’s not like he doesn’t have guilt issues already or anything. Dean with heartbreaking remorse says that he’s sorry, but yeah, it’s of little comfort. Dead is dead.
Man, Dean really does have to learn things the hard way, doesn’t he? Just in case he doesn’t get the point, the husband comes in and sees his dead wife. He weeps profusely over her body and Dean has to watch the whole thing. This will only haunt Dean for the rest of his life. Dean and Tessa go back to the hospital room with the little girl and her Dad, who’s joy is of very little comfort to Dean. Tessa tells him the girl still must die. “I tried to tell you what you already know, she’s disrupting the natural order by being alive. You of all people know what that means. Chaos and sadness will follow her for the rest of her life. We tried it your way.” Dean is only half listening, for he’s looking out the window at the devastated husband who’s leaving a bar drunk and getting behind the wheel. He tells Tessa to give him a few minutes and disappears.
Back to Bobby, who is following the trail of blood out in the yard. He sees some on the door of the shed and oh Bobby, you’ve been so clever so far why did you fall for this? He opens the shed door, doesn’t see anyone in there, and Sam gets him from behind with a pipe. Again, Sam, blunt object, me, thud. He’s really quite psycho here, hair hanging in the face and everything. I’d really find this hot if he wasn’t doing harm to Bobby. Sam drags Bobby into the shed. Bad psycho!
Dean is in the passenger seat of the car that drunk grieving husband is driving. He’s drinking speeding, and heading for an oncoming bus with no signs of slowing down. Dean pleads with him but yeah, like he’s going to hear him. Dean then makes the snap decision that will save innocents but screws his deal with Sam. “Son of a bitch,” he says as he takes the ring off. Suddenly he can be seen and Dean grabs the wheel, slamming them into a parked car instead. Lucky for Dean, this guy isn’t driving a ’67 Impala, he’s driving an actual modern car with air bags. Although an ’67 Impala is made of steel that probably would crush that other car like a tank while suffering little more than a dent to the fender. The cushion from the life saving air bag is little consolation to Dean since he just screwed himself and Sam.
Dean climbs out of the car, shaking off the pain of the impact. He starts shouting in the street for Tessa while the husband watches him the car wondering who the Hell this lunatic is that suddenly popped in from thin air is. “You there Tessa? I lost! Sam’s screwed. You happy. Least you could do is zap my ass back home.” It then dawns on him that putting on the ring might do him better service in seeing Tessa and he does so. He disappears into thin air and now the husband, who’s in the car injured and likely going to jail for drunk driving, can’t believe his eyes.
Tessa is there and Dean tells her again he lost the bet. Tessa is genuinely showing some sympathy and is sorry about his brother. That’s still way more genuine sympathy than Robo-Sam has shown all season. Dean just wants to go. Where? Back to the hospital room of course! Dean has a job to finish. Wow, I’m so impressed. I feel like our boy has all grown up or something. I honestly couldn’t be more proud of him than I am now. Tessa loves playing devil’s advocate, reminding him it’s over and she thought he wanted her to skate by. “No one ever skate’s by, do they?” Dean replies. Now I’m teary over this major growth on his part.
Dean goes over, whispers to the Dad to say his goodbyes and just as he wakes up his little girl passes on. The girl is there with Tessa and Dean watching the staff work on her and as she comes to the realization that she’s dead, she’s worried about her Dad. Dean assures her he’ll be fine but when she asks “really” he confesses he doesn’t know. Dean finally gets it, heartfelt honesty is the best approach. The girl comments it’s not fair and when Dean agrees she asks why. “Because, there’s sort of a natural order to things.” She thinks the natural order is stupid. Dean wholeheartedly agrees. This is a pretty hard way to learn a lesson, but Dean is taking it in stride. He makes a good Death after all. Tessa takes her away, Dean looks sad.
Hi Alice
I love your recap. Reading it was like TV in my head.
But one thing: Jon didn´t made the 1st deal, Mary did with YED to get John back and condemned Sam in doing so.
Hey Alice – loved your recap, as always. This was such a great episode. So happy that Sam got his soul back and looking forward to see the end result. Didn’t think it was going to happen though, so I was pleasantly surprised.
I think the most powerful scene in this whole episode and not a word was spoken, were the looks that Dean and Sam gave each other while Dean was looking through the Panic Room door. I also felt that right then and there Dean had decided that he couldn’t let this Sam live. He had to do what his father warned him about way back at the beginning of Season 2. If he couldn’t save him, he would have to kill him. And Dean had finally come to the point where he could no longer save Sam and he was bound to do the unthinkable. He had to kill this Sam because he would continue to kill innocents, and most likely, at some point, probably Dean as well. I don’t think that Dean would relegate this task to Bobby though. This would be something that Dean would HAVE to do. Yes, I felt very badly for Dean as well. To have to kill the one person you loved more than yourself. Truly heartbreaking. And so he goes upstairs to collect himself and mentally and emotionally prepare for the task at hand. Thankfully, Death appears and changes this course of action. Yay Death! I hope we see him again. I love him. Can’t wait now to see what happens in the new year.
Great recap for a great episode. This episode merits many viewings for all the stuff that happens without a word being spoken, as well as for magnificent snark from many of the characters. After six years, I am still astounded that these boys can make the most out-there events and concepts feel so real. I’m not sure even the holidays are worth having to wait for the next step in the journey!
Tee-hee: When I read your response to Junkerin above, I chortled – I went on at length in my show blog this time about just how extreme a violation of the natural order the Winchester brothers are! If you want to read, it’s here: http://bardicvoice.livejournal.com/71754.html
Fun recap! Not so fun hellatus … can’t wait for 28 Jan!!
Thanks for all your lovely articles over the past year, Alice; I love coming here to WinFamBusiness, and just wish I could do it more often. Happy holidays!
Just to be redundant Alice, I loved your recap!
I like how you help out a depressing episode (not that it wasn’t awesome) by giving a humourous slant to it.
Yes, Dean was left with no choice at all but to kill his shell of a brother. So glad Death has taken an interest in the boys and came through. That would have finished Dean no doubt, and probably he would have finished himself afterwards. Can’t have that!
Such a long wait for the next episode when we see the real Sam for the first time this season.
And Mary (Bardicvoice) I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your reviews and have enjoyed them for a few years now. You always make sense of everything and bring it all into perspective. So thanks to you for that. 🙂
The guys may be an affront to the natural order, but I wouldn’t want it any other way! It is hard to imagine the past 6 years without the Winchesters in my life. In this holiday season, I am thankful for this show & these characters, & all of you wonderful people who are as crazy-obsessed with this show as I am! Merry Christmas!!
P.S. Great recap Alice! I think I didn’t breath during that stare-down between the brothers at the panic room door; that moment really got to me too.
my english is not enough to post my thoughts, but i am a devoted reader.. thanks alice and all for the wonderful articles and for this amazing place! buon natale e felice 2011 😉
What would make an episode I love even better?
The recap by Alice. 😀
It has been a long time since we began an episode with one of the boys in the middle of doing something, we have no idea what is going on and have to figure it out as we go.
Also, we tend to forget that John was doing this a long time ago and it is nice to see Sam and Dean rely on one of John’s contacts. It keeps John’s memory alive, even four (five) years after his death.
Just a side question. Alice, who goes on a tour of a cereal factory??? I rather go to a chocolate factory. 😆
Honestly, if Dean had sent a ‘goodbye’ letter to the Soulless One, do you think he would have cared? When Dean was being ‘abducted by aliens’, all the Soulless One was interested in was a little nookie. 👿
When Death is bored, he hangs out with his new BFF Dean Winchester, how cool is that. 😀
SUPERNATURAL is such a cool show, that it’s secondary characters are a lot cooler than the main characters on most mainline shows. Also, what other show can bring back dead characters and nobody thinks that is strange.
Plus, what other show can bring back characters from three or four years ago, and makes fans cheer. No other show. 😀 😀
Let me go out on the limb and ask you Alice, If they created a fan club for Death, would you want to be the president? 😆
‘Dean instantly picks Adam’ 😆 I think that when Death told Dean to pick, all the fans said ‘DAH’ 😆
When it comes to Sam’s well being, Dean’s balls are as large as watermelons. 😆 😆
‘Desperate times’, I like that even though Sam and Dean aren’t seeing eye to eye (for now), they still think on the same wavelength.
The Soulless One obviously never really cared about Dean, all he cared about was himself. That is why Bobby never stood a chance against him. He was going to do whatever it took to keep his soul out. Dean had no choice, after the Soulless One went after Bobby, John’s words finally came true: save Sam or kill him. The Soulless One could not be allowed to live as is. I think that when Death showed up, Dean was steeling himself to kill Sam. If that had happened, I think that Dean would have then just told Bobby to leave the room, and Dean would have taken care of the Soulless One and put a bullet into his own head.
Usually Bobby’s scenes are the ones played for the comedy, but in this episode, Dean’s scenes are the funny ones, with Bobby in the serious life and death scenes.
I love the ‘Dead like Me’ vibe, I got from the scenes of Death!Dean. Dean had to know that it was too easy to last and that the job was going to get tougher.
You want Dean to do something, don’t tell him it is ‘destiny’, because he will just do the opposite of what you want him to.
Does Bobby only have one closet in that whole house? Even though, it now has a handy nearby trapdoor. 😀
Hey Soulless One, Bobby did not get old and grizzly by being stupid. 😀
It all comes back to ‘what am I supposed to do’, and it always end with a death or near death of a Winchester.
Alice, I agree completely with you, at the end hearing Sam yell, I felt bad for Dean and Bobby. You know that Dean was dying inside hearing Sam yell, but he had to be strong knowing that this would bring his Sammy back.
Goodbye Soulless One, don’t let the door hit you in the ass as you leave. 😀 😀
I’ve said it before, I LOVE THIS EPISODE, and I love this recap. 😀 😀
Reading your reviews are fun. I mean really fun. All kinds of excitement and love for the SPN is breathed into these, and reminds me all over again why I love this show.
Getting rid of RoboSam and getting back SoulSam was my one wish before hellatus set in. As such, I’m not feeling the fever as usual. Sammy is back, in one form or another, and this pleases me.
Now I’m going to break my resolution (again) and speculate a bit. It’s not a new idea, I’ve read it from some other commenter’s, but I think that Sam may not have been as flayed as we’re being led to believe. Why?
Well, it’s 90% wishful thinking. I don’t want SoulSammy to have been made the torture toy of two arch angels. 9% comes from the writers not taking the path they’ve hinted at (in this case screamed) in the past. Though they have been (often) known to take the path they tell us they will take. Dean going to hell for instance. How many actually believed it when the show told us again and again that there was no way out of the deal for Dean? Umm, right, trying to sell my theory here, not undermine it. Onward.
The last 1% of my speculation comes from what little we know about Michael. Sure, it makes perfect sense that he’d involve himself in a furious and eternal beat down of SamSoul. I buy it. BUT…yes, but. What little we know of Michael (other than the fact that he’s a destiny driven dic) is that he characterizes himself as the good and obedient son. It is who he is, how he defines himself. Lucifer rebelled and became the bad son, and therefore Enemy Number One.
Now, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, Michael finds himself in hell’s cage. Well blast! Major suckage. Now what? He’d probably be more than willing to throw Sam on the rack, but that was doubtlessly Lucifer’s first move. Maybe, just maybe Michael decided to protect Sam (and Adam) just to keep himself differentiated from Lucifer. “You are the bad son, I am the good son. This is my Father’s creation and I will protect him from you because that is all I have left.†Micheal seemed pretty dead set on the idea that he and Little Bro were supposed to duke it out. Why wouldn’t he carry that determination with him into the cage?
Now, I can’t imagine, if this is the case (oh how I hope!), that it would be any picnic for Sam (and Adam) to find themselves in the midst of a tug-o-war between two powerful and absolute creatures. But it certainly beats the alternative.
This theory, as weak as it is, would open up a whole new set of angst for Sammy. I mean, we all know (or I could be assuming, sorry if I am putting words/thoughts in others mouths) that Sam is going to scratch at that wall. So the wall comes down and he recalls Michael battling madly to keep him from Lucifer’s clutches. (I’m picturing a sort of angel-esque Gandalf moment of “YOU SHALL NOT PASS?!†happening.) Which would turn Michael into a sort of protector/big brother/battle buddy for Sam. Now I’m getting way ahead of myself, but I’m not wanting Sam to have spent the past…what would it be? Well over a hundred hell-years, being worked over. I just don’t want it to be?!
And this ran long again. I need to learn how to write in Cliff Notes.
Thanks again for the review Alice!
Yvonne, I think you may be on to something. Nobody knew what went on inside the cage except for Lucifer!Sam, and Michael!Adam. I like the idea of Michael deciding that enough is enough, and putting himself between Lucifer and Sam’s soul & Adam.
Even though it may be wishful thinking, even Death thought that Sam’s soul was a wreck, that is why he came up with the whole ‘build a wall’ idea.
Then when Sam pokes holes in the wall (and we all know that he will) and memories of Hell leak out, they won’t be as painful as everyone said that they would be.
Is it January 28th yet??????????
I thin the’ll be painful, yes (just for the drama), but Sammy will find that he’s more resistent than he thought, because Death mentioned the strength of souls.
BTW, how are you supposed to scratch something that is inside your mind??
Oh my, sorry for the typing mistakes. 😳 My English is not wonderful, but it’s not THAT bad either. 😯 I guess I’m just too excited for my own good.
Thank you for this very enjoyable recap. 🙂
I love Sam to pieces but I want Sam went through to be real no matter how hard it is. One reason is in times past on the show Sams trauma has been fobbed off . What Sam did has to mean something , he ended up Souless because of that sacrifice . Now he is whole again and I DONT want another fob off by the show. It is heartbreaking to think of Sams soul being in there and suffering but it would be a change for people to be heartbroken on Sams behalf . I would not be impressed if the show after what they have established and honestly I dont think Michael would be the slightest bit interested in protecting Sam that they turned round and did something different .
I dont’ think Michael is so much protective and kind. He’s basically a d*ck, like almost all the angels we have known, he thinks only to fulfill the “prophecies”. And he’s an archangel, the “most powerful and terrible force of the universe”, so I guess his wrath is not something to be dismissed easily.
Now, we know he wanted, with all of his strenght and heart and mind, to battle with Lucifer, to kill his little brother and to establish the heavenly (= God’s, in his mind) victory once and for all, even if this would cause a “disruption on global scale”, just to quote an (in)famous author.
BUT this has been stopped. HE has been stopped. So, in his mind, Heaven’s (God’s) victory has been forbidden to happen. And WHO is the responsible for that? Sam Winchester, of course (and Dean too). Somehow I don’t think Michael is too happy for that. Somehow I don’t think that his thoughts about Sam, down there in the Cage, are all of care and protection.
Sam Winchester provoked the WRATH of TWO ARCHANGELS. TWO, not just one. HIs time in the Cage mustn’t have been a pleasure holiday.
Oh dear, it seems that I have managed a miscommunication. My apologies! I never meant to posit that Michael was not angry at Sam or that he wasn’t a dic or that he has suddenly turned into someone nice. No. Nononono! Eee gads!
My 1% speculation rests on him being in need to keep his identity as a ‘good’ son. The only avenue now allowed for him to do this is to act differently than Lucifer. Michael has two roads left; 1.anger/revenge against Sam 2. Anger/fight against Lucifer. In this case, he may choose one above the other. I wasn’t thinking of him as wanting to protect Sam, but foil Lucifer.
‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’.
Ah, blimey, Alice, I am soooooooooo late to this! It was a great joy again to read your recap. I am too sleepy right now to put any coherent thoughts together, so I’m just going to leave it at that: it calmed my mind, I think finally I can find sleep in a night that’s been chasing away any chances of sleep at all so far (just to be sure: I don’t mean that your recap bored me to sleep, eh? ;-), ah, but you know that!)
Cheers, Jas
Hot diggity nancyL, well said. Now where and how can I get my hands on the “how to make a point in under 10 words” manual that you’ve put to such lovely good use? 🙂
@Yvonne
No problem! I was just underlining my view about Sam’s time in the Cage. But it’s just MY view… 😉
Gah, late again, bloody holidays … This is probably rubbish but I’m wondering if the show’s going to pull a Buffy on us and it’ll turn out Sam’s soul wasn’t in the cage at all but somewhere a rather less fraught ( although by the sound of it Heaven’s a bit of a demiliterized zone at the moment … ) I know Death, Crowley, Old Uncle Tom Cobbly and all said that’s where it was but the man said Trust No-One … Hmmn?
@Brynhild
And I’m thinking that your view will be the right one. Mine is me just over-excersizing my protective instincts over the boys. Haven’t they been through enough? I mean really. 🙂