Sofia’s Review – “Meet The New Boss”
After a long summer hellatus Supernatural is back with what I thought was a very strong premiere. After a season chock-full of story lines and unanswered questions it was really nice to see some loose ends tied up quickly. Granted, these answers came with more questions but that’s to be expected.
We pick up right where we left off. Castiel has just demanded that Dean, Sam and Bobby bow before him and they’re actually about to which is the strangest part. of course they weren’t doing it out of any kind of love or respect which Castiel points out. But that moment made me very aware of just how much they were up against. These men don’t bow before anyone. But then again they’ve never been up against a juiced up angel with a God complex.
To say that Castiel has become unraveled would be a gross understatement. He has completely lost sight of the principles he once risked his life for and it shows more than ever during his monologue among the massacred angels. It’s no longer team free will. These angels need a strong leader to guide them and hold them accountable for their actions. Fear will be the new motivator.
“It is a new day on Earth and in Heaven. Rejoice.”
And he certainly doesn’t stop there. There’s too much injustice and too many sinners waiting to be punished. But what was his game plan, to wipe out sin completely? He really didn’t think that one out very well, did he? And even though he’s severely unhinged it was a clever move to make another deal with Crowley. Crowley is reappointed as king of Hell but Castiel controls the flow of souls thereby building up his own army and downsizing Hell while still controlling both. It’s a pretty good idea in theory but isn’t there reasoning behind who goes where? What would happen if Heaven filled up with souls that were meant to be in Hell? Even with Cas in charge it would be chaos.
Crowley accepts the deal of course; because it’s that or death but he does seem apprehensive. If they agree on one thing though it’s that Michael and Lucifer need to stay in the cage. Which got me thinking there may be a great escape at some point in the upcoming season. This is a complete shot in the dark but what if one or both of them found a way out of the cage? Can you imagine the complete and utter chaos? But who wouldn’t love a scene between Mark Pellegrino and Mark Sheppard.
While Cas is going around making deals and smiting evil, Dean, Sam and Bobby are trying to figure out their next move. Poor Sam is not much help since his wall collapsed. His terrifying hallucinations and pretending to be fine for Dean’s sake are not giving him much time to think about anything else. And Dean is ready to give up completely. He wants to believe so badly that they’ve finally caught a break and Sam is okay. And as long as that is true, he doesn’t seem to care about much else besides fixing up his baby. No big surprise there. This isn’t the first time Dean has used fixing his car as a coping mechanism. So that leaves Bobby to be the brains of the operation.
Binding death was a bold move but it was really their only choice. Dean and Death have spent a fair amount of time together, they’ve even shared a few greasy meals. Even I thought that maybe Dean would be able to reason with him. But Death is nobody’s bitch. He’s never done anything for Sam or Dean out of the kindness of his heart. Even retrieving Sam’s soul from the cage was meant to tip Dean off about the power of a soul. A lesson he didn’t learn fast enough.
But Castiel shows up before an agreement is reached and he’s not looking good. When his skin began to break down earlier in the episode I wondered if he as experiencing the signs of stigmata but Death cleared that up for me quickly.
“There are things much older than souls in Purgatory and you gulped those too.”
Not only is Cas crammed full of thousands of souls, but he’s also housing who knows how many Leviathan. As Death explains it, Leviathan are the creatures for which Purgatory was created. And if Castiel were to explode, he would release all those creatures into the world. That’s just what we need.
Death does try to set one thing straight. He attempts to remind Castiel of what he’s not.
“I know God, and you sir are no god.”
Why is that the first time someone has said that to him? Sam, Dean and Bobby believed that Cas was God simply because he told them he was. And what makes him God exactly; just the fact that he was more powerful than any of his fellow angels? I was confused by that and I was glad to have Death clear it up. Castiel isn’t God, just an extremely powerful angel. The real God, wherever he/she may be would probably be able to easily contain that type of power without fear of imploding. (From Alice, I have another theory. That line is an infamous line from the 1988 Vice Presidential Debate. Dan Quayle was trying to compare himself to John Kennedy. Lloyd Bentsen, his opponent replied, “I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy. So I think it was Sera Gamble just giving him a clever line!)
After Castiel flees, Death tells the boys that he will create another eclipse and they are to open the door to Purgatory and “compel” Castiel to give up the power. Dean argues that Castiel is too far gone to be reasoned with, but Sam insists that there have been times when he’s been off the rails and Dean has never given up on him. A valid point in my opinion but Dean remains unconvinced. So it ends up being Sam who prays for Castiel one more time. And he shows up. I was really happy to see Castiel asking for help. His attempts to mend his broken relationships were heartbreaking. But I knew that Castiel changing his ways so quickly was no a good sign. Of course they couldn’t just open Purgatory, deflate Cas and go about living their lives. That would be way too easy. But now the question remains; is Castiel still in his vessel with the Leviathan or is he really dead? Can he really be dead!? My obvious worry is that he is. But I’m also worried that maybe he’s still alive and the writers plan to bring him back in another vessel. I don’t think I want to see anyone but Misha Collins as Castiel. So if the writers are listening, please just find a way to bring Castiel back in his original vessel, ok? Thanks.
It should also be mentioned that I am so confused about what is going on in Sam’s head! According to Lucifer, Sam isn’t hallucinating. He’s been in Hell this whole time only thinking he’s free; the ultimate torture. I’m inclined to think that Sam is just hallucinating but how crazy would it be if last season was one big hallucination? Dean would still be living with Lisa and Ben, Castiel may not have taken gone off on his power trip, so many people would still be alive but Sam would still be in the cage and way past repair. I can’t decide if I want the show to go in that direction. It would certainly be interesting but it could get pretty messy and confusing trying to remember what’s real and what isn’t. What do you guys think?
All these questions and we’re only just beginning the season. I think it’s off to a great start though, don’t you agree? I’m feeling really good about this season but I want to know what you think.
There are a few random tidbits and lines I also want to mention.
*What did you all think of the new title card? I’m interested to figure out what it symbolizes. So far it looks like black goo but it could end up meaning a lot of things.
*Crowley lives in a trailer and listens to Nancy Sinatra. I kind of love it.
*Cas: “Tell your flock where your genitals have been before you speak for me.”
*Witness: “We all saw him. No beard. No robe. He was young and sexy. He had a raincoat.”
*Dean: “Excuse me, you got any Grey Poupon?”
Sam: “Grey Poupon. Seriously?”
Dean: “It’s what popped in my head.”
I thought it was really fascinating that Cas was so worried about Michael and Lucifer getting back out. After he turned Raphael into blood pudding, why would he really be so concerned about those two? Why not bust them out of the Cage and liquefy them, too? I do think it was brought up for a reason, rather it is one or the other or both will be freed to add to the chaos, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
I also think you’re right to an extent that everyone but Death just took Castiel at his word. I think, considering what had just happened with Raphael in front of them, they felt more inclined to believe it in order to save their necks. With no plan to fix it, they really didn’t think to disbelieve, I think.
As for season 6 being a Dallas styled with a SPN twist dream, no. I don’t want that. I don’t really think Lucifer would be creative enough to come up with Castiel going God complexed or Sam being soulless or any of that. He’s creative in a lot of ways, but I just don’t see him cooking that up. I also think, as you pointed out, that it’d be extremely messy if suddenly we had Sam remembering something from season 6 that no one else KNOWS because it was a Cage thing.
I do have high hopes for this season based upon this episode, but intend to go in to the rest of the season without expectations. I like the ride they’re presenting thus far. Is it Friday yet?
I agree, if Michael and Lucifer were worth mentioning then they are bound to become a part of the storyline again at some point.
As interesting as the idea is, I think you’re right. If the whole last season was just one big hallucination I don’t know that it would have been quite as intricate, or as awful for that matter. Wouldn’t it have been better to torture Sam by giving him a better life and then taking it away?
It’s hard to believe how much we covered and it was only the first episode! Can’t wait for Friday!
It just really struck me, and with so much to cover in my own review, it kinda slipped my mind. Cas seemed really intent on keeping those two locked up. But if he had the juice to unbind Death, smite the crap out of just about every other angel left on the block, and liquefy Raphael, why would these two pose a single threat? I just wonder, besides inside Sam’s head obviously, how either Michael or Lucifer will factor, and I do think they’ll be in the story again in some form or another. Both Cas and Crowley mentioned either Michael or Lucifer. I think it has something to do with their precarious positions (prior to Leviathan Cas, of course). What I’m really interested in seeing is exactly how Michael factored into Sam’s experiences in the Cage. Did he try and protect Sam, was he indifferent to Sam, or did he join in on the torture? And just what face would Michael wear?
I think, if Lucifer was to create a fake life for Sam in the Cage to then take away, it’d be closer to “What Is And What Should Never Be” rather than Soulless Sam. He would have had the happy life, aware that he had once been a hunter, remembering that he had done all this stuff that no one else around him remembers. It would be far more tragic for Lucifer to rip that away in the end.
I am stunned at how much was put into this single episode, but I think it largely sets up a tone for this season—and a good one at that.
I am really curious about Micheal’s role in Sam’s experience in the cage. He didn’t seem particularly nice the last time we met him but he was trying to start the Apocalypse so I’m sure he had a lot on his mind.
If/when we see Michael again I’m assuming Adam will still be his vessel, right? I mean Lucifer still looks like Mark Pellegrino in Sam’s hallucinations. If they are hallucinations…
I think it’s possible Michael could look like a young John, too. I know that it’s unlikely for reality, but in Sam’s head, I think a possibility.
Adam is the most likely choice if they decide to bring him in, though. He was the last vessel for Michael, and the one that ended up in the Cage. It’s hard to say.
I’ve been trying to figure out what Michael meant about Adam since I saw Swan Song. What exactly did he mean by “Adam’s not home right now.”
[quote]I think it’s possible Michael could look like a young John, too. I know that it’s unlikely for reality, but in Sam’s head, I think a possibility. [/quote]
But, if I remember correctly, when Michael appeared to Dean in Young John’s body in “The song remain the same”, Sam was dead/inconscious, killed/hurt by Anna. So he shouldn’t associate Young John with Michael, I suppose.
Hmm. I guess I hadn’t thought of that. That’s true!
I’ve been trying to figure out what Michael meant about Adam since I saw Swan Song. What exactly did he mean by “Adam’s not home right now.”[/quote]
I’m glad you asked that. I think that means Adam is no longer in his body. The angels made good on their promise that if he said yes to Michael that he could go be with his mother. I truly don’t believe that Adam is in hell.
Some think that Adam is still there because Death told Dean to choose between Sam and Adam. Death of course would know if Adam is there or not. I think Death told Dean to choose one simply because Dean asked for him to rescue both. He knew full well that Dean would choose Sam over Adam. He was simply playing mind games with him.
Unfortunately every time I have come up with my own explanation for something I have been totally wrong. Perhaps I should say fortunately, because I like being surprised by what this show does. If I were to guess right there goes the surprise. I do hope I am right on this one though.
It is nice to get the feel of Supernatural going back to it’s roots and what we are all familiar and comfortable with. Having said that I will also say that I thoroughly enjoyed Season 6 and that the story line it presented was important and added to the overall arc of the entire show. I can’t wait for tomorrow night to get here!
I have a funny feeling that you’re right about Adam. I also think that it’s probably one of those loose ends we may never get an answer to.
Death wouldn’t mind testing Dean at all by asking him to choose. It was Dean that assumed that Adam was in the Cage, so why would Death bother to correct him?
The new splash screen after the first scenes, made me think of “the shit hitting the fan”. Anyone else? LOL
Haha! Hey, that works!
This was a snap interpretation; but the new title card kinda reminded of ink blot tests and the different ways the mind can interpret reality. I thought it fit well with Sam’s predicament.
I like that idea a lot. I’m going to store that in the back of my mind as I continue to watch the season.
Andrea,
Don’t feel bad. I definitely noticed Dean’s shirt and was very close to adding a little shallow comment of my own!
I also wondered why Cas would be so worried about Lucifer and Michael remaining in the cage. Is it maybe because these two together could overpower him? I know I’d love to see Michael again, just cause he’ll be so po’d at the Winchesters for them being responsible for his predicament. Winchesters in peril is always a good thing.
I loved Crowley as ever. He always knows and appreciates which side his bread is buttered. And seeing Death again was such a treat. I think he really likes Dean through all that snark that he spews.
Title card was great. DixieThorn, I’m going with your take, I love it!
I think Lucifer and Michael would have been too much for Cas to handle on his own and I think he knew that. Even Death would have been able to kill Cas had he not unbound him.
I did forget to mention in my review that any one episode with Crowley, Death and Lucifer is good in my book! I really enjoyed having them all back.
Hmm. I think you have a point there. Michael or Lucifer on their own might be easy to handle (of course prior to the Leviathan taking hold), but have both gunning for you at the same time before they resume their scheduled programming? Not as easy.
And I agree, that is a great combo for any episode. It’d be great to see more of any one of them, let alone all three in the same eps.