Recap – “Appointment In Samarra”
Now, there is one upside to Dean taking off that ring and it comes now. Bobby is tied to a chair and he’s pretty worried. He tries to plead to Sam who is in complete sociopathic unfeeling mode. Sam’s sharpening a knife, not showing any remorse over the evil task he’s about to do. “Sam, I’ve been like a Father to you boy. Somewhere inside you’ve got to know that.” Sam comes over with the knife and very coldly mentions, “That’s just it. Sorry.” He grabs onto Bobby’s head, exposes the neck, and we see how Bobby is sitting inside some sort of sigil. Sam pulls back the knife, is ready to strike and…someone grabs it. Dean! Whew. This really had me worried. Sam is VERY shocked. “Hi Sam, I’m back.” Dean punches him hard and knocks him out. Dean and Bobby both acknowledge with scared looks how they just dodged a bullet.
I risk sounding like a broken record in these recaps many times, but I have to say Dean in this next part crushes me harder than most other times. This next part is six years in the making you know, and it’s all said with tortured expressions. The view of Dean looking through the bars of the panic room door, staring at an unconscious Sam handcuffed to the cot says it all. He’s failed, big time. He’s failed Sam, he’s failed to do the one thing he’s sworn to do his entire life, protect his baby brother from harm.
“I can’t keep doing this Bobby. What am I going to tie him up every time he tries to kill someone? And that’s not going to hold him he’s…” “Capable of anything,” Bobby says finishing the sentence. Poor Dean right now, the weight of everything is just crushing him. So Dean looks down at the ring for a nice long stare and the silent decision is made. He’s going to have to kill Sam. He stops himself from thinking that though. “What am I supposed to do here?” “I don’t know,” Bobby says heavily. I often wonder if Dean couldn’t do it, maybe Bobby would have.
Dean takes another look inside and this time Sam wakes up. Sam sees that he’s being watched. There’s the slow slide into Dean’s steely glare, as if he’s scolding this thing that’s there pretending to be his brother. Sam’s cold and uncaring expression gets his own slow slide and he isn’t flinching. It’s so clear, this isn’t Sam nor will it never be. Dean doesn’t flinch either as the camera goes into full closeup, like he’s telling Sam he won’t let him harm anyone again. Sam’s expression, now in full closeup, hasn’t changed. Dean closes the viewer door. He chooses to go upstairs, for he needs time to accept the task at hand. You know, I’m so crushed for Dean, but at the same time, I’m with him 100 percent. This version of Sam, he can’t live. It’s either that or lock up him for the rest of his life and he’s too dangerous.
Lucky for Dean though, he’s done something really extraordinary. He’s got Death to like him. How, no idea, but how many people can say, “Death has brought me cheap eats not once but twice!” Death has brought Dean beer and a hot dog from a stand in LA known for their bacon dogs. Wow, what a nice grim reaper. Dean’s too busy wallowing in self-pity though to dig in. He sits down at Deaths’ insistence. “Well, what’s with you and cheap food?” “I could ask you the same thing,” Death replies. You see, I think Death likes Dean because they’re so much alike. So this makes Dean Death’s Apprentice or something like that?
Death thought he would have a treat before he put the ring back on. Dean pulls out the ring and takes another somber look. “It’s heavier than it looks. Sometimes you just want the thing off. But you know that.” Dean doesn’t appreciate the condescending tone but says nothing. “Not hungry?” Death asks. Dean puts the ring on the table. “I think that you know that I flunked.” As Death enjoys his beer Dean admits he sucked being him. Judging by Death’s expression, he’s enjoying hearing this. “I screwed up the whole natural order thing but I’m sure you know that too.”
“So if you could go back, would you simply kill the little girl, no fuss, no stomping your feet?” Death asks. “Knowing what I know now, yeah.” Death is surprised to hear that and glad. Dean thinks though if he had done he would have only saved the nurse. “I think it’s a little more than that,” Death elaborates. “Today, you got a hard look behind the curtain. Wrecking the natural order is not quite such fun when you’ve got to mop up the mess is it? This is hard for you Dean. You throw away your life because you’ve come to assume that’ll bounce right back into your lap. The human soul is not a rubber ball. It’s vulnerable, impermanent, but stronger than you know. And more valuable than you can imagine. So, I think you’ve learned something today.”
Dean’s never been one to take hard lessons with humility, even from Death. You got to admire the fact he’s got balls. “Want to know what I think? I think you knew that I wouldn’t last a day.” Death says he has no idea what he’s talking about. “I lost, fine, but at least have the balls to admit that it was rigged from the jump.” Death gives Dean a look of scorn and Dean’s angry face backs off in a split second. It’s great how that one look from Death reminds him under no uncertain terms who he’s speaking to. “Most people speak to me with more respect.” Dean tries to backpedal and Death tells him they’re done.
“It’s been lovely but now I’m going to Hell to get your brother’s soul.” Dean sees that he’s serious. “Why would you do that for me?” “I wouldn’t do it for you,” Death says. Yeah Dean, remember in your last meeting in Chicago how he reminded you under no uncertain terms how insignificant you are? “You and your brother keep coming back. You’re an affront to the balance of the universe and you cause disruption on a global scale.” “I apologize for that,” Dean says stammering. Hee, he does remember who he’s talking to. “But you have use. Right now you’re digging at something, intrepid detective. I want you to keep digging Dean.” Dean wonders if he’s going to be cryptic. Hell ya, he’s a Horseman. Them, angels, demons, and your own Dad and brother can never be straight up with you.
“It’s about the souls. You’ll understand when you need to.” Death picks up the ring. Just before Death puts on the ring, Dean has one more question. “Wait, with Sam, is this wall thing really going to work?” “Call it 75 percent,” Death says. Hee, those must be the odds of the universe. Death puts on the ring and disappears.
Bobby is standing by the panic room door and hears Dean rushing down frantically. Dean yells at him to open the door. Bobby wants to know what happened but there’s no time to explain. “Now!” Dean orders. Bobby does so and there’s Sam still chained to the cot, screaming at something to stay away from him. It’s Death! He has a black bag in his hands and he takes a seat by Sam’s side. Sam tells him “Don’t” because he always thinks that helps even though it never has before. Needless to say, this is the most frantic we’ve ever seen Sam.
Death opens the bag and out comes a giant burst of white light. “Now Sam, I’m going to put up a barrier inside your mind. It might feel a little itchy, do me a favor, don’t scratch the wall, because trust me, you’re not going to like what happens.” Sam is in full panic mode, Dean is watching somberly but knowing this is for the best. Sam turns his pleas to Dean next. “Please, don’t do this.” Death reaches into the bag, grabs onto Sam’s soul and holds it in his hand. Sam really struggles now. “No, no, you don’t know, you don’t know what will happen to me. Dean, please!” Death ignores all this and moves the soul down toward Sam. There’s a few more “no’s” and then a giant blood curdling yell as it goes in. Sam drops backward, there’s one more shot of a conflicted Dean watching his brother suffer, and it all ends with Sam screaming his fool head off. Oh goodie, the feel good ending until January 28th. My psyche is not damaged by this at all. Thanks show!
Nah, despite the very disturbing and borderline violating ending, it had to be done. I have no sympathy for this Sam at all. If anything, my heart just broke for Dean in this one. Bobby too, this has to be hard for him to see someone he loves like a son act like this. Anyway, bye bye Robo-Sam. You wore out your welcome. Now it’s Sam with the itchy wall in his head. I can’t wait to see where this goes.
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. 🙂