Alice’s Review: Supernatural 7.17 – “The Born-Again Identity”
Yes, this review has been a bitch to write. After all, so much was packed into this mere 42 minutes. When “The Born-Again Identity” finished at 9:58 on Friday evening, I do admit to being shell shocked. Oh sure, I loved the episode, but my mind since then has been trying to process so many things. The problem is when you’ve been reviewing this show in depth as long as I have, your brain instantly tries to connect the dots. There were a lot of dots.
I had to watch again. And again. Now with six viewings in, I still don’t think I have a full grasp of it. Not that this is a bad thing. Not at all. The episodes that I always remember are the ones that leave me thinking.
Since the episode has aired, I’ve been reading a lot of comments on this site and others. Some are disappointed and I do get why. The issue of is one of expectation. With fans, they were high. After all, the writers set that up by not addressing two elephants in the room for fifteen episodes and then choosing to play out both of them at once. I’m sure several fans were hoping for more than a quick 42 minute resolution.
All isn’t resolved of course. Castiel’s story certainly isn’t done. Misha will be back for at least two more episodes this season (and no one is saying which ones). Sam’s situation may not be totally fixed either, but at least he’s doing better. Before I dig too much into the analysis though, let me get the criticisms out of the way. There aren’t many.
I have one major criticism with “The Born-Again Identity.” I’ve often called it “Short Attention Span Theater.” There’s been a lot of filler this season. Most of it has been good filler (along with a few stinkers) but they still haven’t been addressing the core issues like Sam’s psychosis, the Leviathan (short of Dean’s weekly phone calls to Frank), and what happened to Castiel and Bobby. They’ve been showing MOTW stories. While I like MOTW stories, I really don’t like that when they do decide to visit the season’s mytharc, they try to cram “everything plus the kitchen sink” into one episode. What played out here could have easily been done in another episode. They did the Leviathan last week (good), so why not Sam’s breakdown this week and Castiel’s return next week? After all, there are 23 episodes this season. There’s room to break it out.
Because of the two very intense and involved stories in this episode, which both individually were amazing, often the back and forth was jagged and lacking fluidity. I’m sorry, but it’s a tall order in anyone’s script, let alone Sera Gamble’s, to blend a demon action drama with a man slowly falling apart in a mental institution. The two really don’t mesh without impacting the emotional elements of the stories. I did this exercise, I watched on my iTunes download all the Sam scenes together and all the Dean/Castiel scenes together. Suddenly, I got far more emotional impact out of the stories. They are really great individually.
Out of the entire episode, I was most dissatisfied with the ending. Not what happened, I think that was brilliant, but it was so rushed! Because of the crowded script, there wasn’t a lot of room for many emotional moments. There were two that got me hard, Sam and Dean’s talk in the beginning and me watching Dean give Castiel his trench coat back through a pool of tears, but there was room for more. For example, at the end Sam had slipped into a catatonic state. He couldn’t even communicate anymore and never got to tell Dean goodbye. Was it wrong of me to hope for an emotional Dean scene at Sam’s bedside before Castiel came up with his solution? And what about Sam’s frustration at the end over leaving Castiel there? It was over in less than a minute. He said his protest, Dean made his argument and they left. This really could have played out better.
Those are the only issues I had though. I think the writing we did get was brilliant and the acting was top notch. I was at Salute To Supernatural in Nashville when they were in the middle of filming this episode. Jared showed up in one hot looking beard and judging by his comments, I got the impression this episode was stressing him out a little. Playing crazy Sam was really stretching him. If he was concerned, it didn’t show one bit in his performance. I really can’t come up with the ideal set of words to say how incredible Jared’s portrayal of a broken and pushed to the brink Sam was.
Sam’s Story
Poor Sam has always taken what’s been dished out at him and tried to soldier on. In this episode, it took every single bit of his energy to fight off Lucifer, and he slowly lost ground each time. He softly crumbled, which is exactly what I would expect with Sam’s character. As much as I really love Castiel and I am so thrilled to see him back, I was most looking forward to Sam’s breakdown playing out. It was a long time coming. We all suspected Sam wasn’t right, and it was inevitable that something would happen to make him crack. I found it to be quite clever that is was nothing earth shattering. Just a simple listening to the devil to help solve a case. That one tiny “shut up” cascaded into extreme psychosis and near death. Just wow. Sam never stood a chance.
No scene frightened me more than the beginning scene, when Sam ran through seedy back alleys in a fragile mental state alone, falling apart in front of the “tweaker.” We’ve seen Sam at tremendous lows, “When The Levee Breaks” comes to mind, but this is the lowest he’s ever been. He’s in a dark alley seeking drugs to help his problem. This guy has never allowed himself to touch more than an aspirin. It’s scary and when it doesn’t work, I’m just as freaked out as Sam. That well choreographed and out of nowhere car accident made me jump!
I like the notion that Sam is ready to give up and die. That line “I’m too tired” had so much hidden meaning behind it. He isn’t just talking about his current bout of fatigue. He’s talking about the endless barrage of misfortune and fighting to save a world that’s determined to doom itself one way or another. He’s had too much loss, too much pain. Given his current state, he just doesn’t have the strength anymore to do this just for Dean. He’s reached his limit. He doesn’t want Dean to put himself through the pain of trying to save him either. Dean has been through enough.
Sam only has one option left, riding out the extreme torture in his mind, slowly deteriorating with each passing hour. He’s chilled when reminded that he’s in a locked ward alone with Lucifer, just like when they were in the cage. He can’t eat, since his hallucinations are putting maggots in his food. He doesn’t even have the physical strength to open a candy bar wrapper. He’s jumpy and nervous every time Lucifer makes a noise. He becomes more terrified and frozen with panic every time Lucifer appears. His only saving grace is his interaction with another patient, Marin.
I wasn’t sure about the story with Marin at first, but she did give Sam a purpose that made me smile. Sam is at his best when he’s helping people. Honestly, if Sam didn’t have that distraction, he would have spent the entire hour lying in bed depressed and waiting for the end. Notice how Lucifer wasn’t around in some of those moments with her? Sure at first Lucifer drowns her out with a bullhorn, but it isn’t until they make the salt ring that Lucifer breaches their time together. It gave Sam purpose and showed us one of the most appealing things about his character. No matter how bad things are for him, it doesn’t prevent him from helping someone else. It’s that ingrained in his nature. He isn’t doing this for his well being.
I love the scene where Sam and Marin put her ghost brother to rest. Sam is so bad at this point that he can’t even put down the salt circle because Lucifer’s mere presence is debilitating him. The terror in him now is very raw and there’s not much left of his psyche. He’s able to pull it together enough though to get into the circle and burn the bracelet. The ghost causes some destruction but Sam’s willing to take the fall for it. Marin leaves just in time while Sam is restrained. This again is another example of Sam’s noble character, he tries to do the right thing no matter what the consequences.
Sadly, after this point, reality escapes Sam. He can’t concentrate when the doctor tells him about surgical options. Yes, I did actually yelp over seeing that clump of Sam hair on the pillow. Not the hair! The rotting fingernails I could take but not the hair.
Sam’s barely lucid when taken by the demon into electro-shock. I did love how the electro-shock scene tied back to his earlier hallucination of the doctor telling him he would experience a whole new “ten.” I do wonder if the electro-shock is actually what pushes him over the edge. That must have been his ten. From this point on, Sam is locked in his mind. All he sees is Lucifer and he can’t even process that his own brother and a long lost friend are in the same room.
Dean’s Story
Poor Dean. He’s really raw at this point himself. When it comes to Sam though, he won’t give up. Sam still remains his only reason for carrying on.
It’s on the playback that I realized how heart crushing Dean’s conversation with the doctor was. Dean barges in angry that he can’t see Sam, and when the reason is given, Sam has been admitted to the locked psychiatric ward, Dean’s anger instantly shifts to shock and concern. He knew things were bad with Sam, but he didn’t realize this was another full blown psychotic episode. He tries to defend, claiming Sam isn’t the Norman Bates type psycho, but he can’t argue that Sam is okay. I’m especially touched when the doctor questions whether the insomnia caused the psychosis or the psychosis caused the insomnia (yes). Dean answers that question when he says the sleep thing is something new. The doctor’s “right” says it all. This isn’t Sam’s first psychotic break.
I tried to picture what was going through Dean’s mind when making those calls in the cabin. What he’s doing is definitely a desperate act, but I couldn’t help but remember his conversation with Bobby in “Meet The New Boss.” He’s always suspected that Sam’s mental issues can’t be fixed. It wasn’t until he saw Emmanuel though that he entertained the possibility of the wall being put back up. It’s the one big hope he rode on. He even blamed Sam’s condition on Castiel taking down the wall, when in fact the origins can be traced to Sam’s time in Hell.
This ties into what Sam tried to tell Dean. The wall was always a risk and what’s happening is inevitable. A soul gets damaged when put in Lucifer’s dog bowl, no matter what. Sam’s broken psyche would always be there, ready to surface at any moment like it did in “Unforgiven.” Was rebuilding the wall really the best thing for Sam at this point? I don’t think Dean asked himself those questions, and I don’t blame him. The circumstances are different here. The alternative now is no longer insanity. It’s death. Desperate times.
Dean’s partnership with Meg is very interesting, but not out of line. It’s no different than him dealing with Crowley at the end of season five. He had no choice but to work with her. He won’t allow Meg to tell Emmanuel who he is, even though Meg is right that having the power of a full blown angel would be better. Only one thing matters to Dean, Sam is dying. With that kind of desperation, even working with a demon becomes acceptable. It’s again another example of the lengths these brothers will go to protect one another.
Dean even for Sam’s sake put aside all that lingering resentment toward Castiel. Healing Sam is all that matters. Once Castiel remembers all the horrible things he had done, including breaking Sam’s wall, and wants to leave, Dean talks him through it. “We didn’t part as friends, Dean.” “So what?” Dean answers. He even shows Castiel that he kept the trench coat. Dean may have been hurt, but he never forgot his friend Cas. Apparently that counts for something. It counts for everything.
I do also believe that Dean is able to let go of that resentment because of his final line to Sam at the end of the episode. “We don’t have any friends. They’re all dead.” That is a perspective changer, isn’t it? Dean really has come a long way.
Emmanuel/Castiel’s Story
I did feel really bad for Emmanuel/Castiel. To think, this whole time he’s had no memory but living in bliss. Something in his mind probably didn’t want to remember. He felt blessed, he had a wife, he was healing and doing good in the world. As usual though, all it takes a twist of fate to bring him and Dean together, if you want to call these strange ghost like phenomenon that’s been happening to Dean fate. I still say it’s Ghost!Bobby, but that remains a mystery.
My absolute favorite scene of the episode is when Castiel goes to smite all those demons guarding the hospital. He’s just been told he’s an angel and has the power to do it. I like how they played the awkward angel humor here. Castiel doesn’t remember how to smite. “It’s in there. I’m sure it’s like riding a bike,” Dean tells him. “I don’t know how to do that either,” Cass replies. Cue the patented and most hilarious Dean Winchester eye roll. Oh, how I missed these little nuggets. Welcome back Cass. I also love how Dean is nervous, but Meg’s optimism is priceless. “I believe in the little tree topper.”
What happens is epic. Cass smites, and with each golden glow of his victims the memories rush back. His first encounter with Dean in the barn. His defiance against Zachariah and rescuing Dean. Breaking Sam’s wall. His partnership with Crowley and putting back the souls in purgatory. Dean watches the whole thing stunned, Meg is smiling. “That’s my boy.” She even brings back her old nickname for him. “That was beautiful Clarence.” It was indeed beautiful.
Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time for Castiel’s story to play out much. In forgetting who he was and becoming a healer, he had to have been returned for the purpose of redemption. Dean nailed it when Castiel wondered why he emerged from that river. It’s too late to fix things. “Maybe to fix it,” Dean says. The best way to change the world is one person at a time. Out of all his crimes, his betrayal of his close friend’s brother was his worst. Sadly, by the time he gets to Sam, apologizes, and tries to make things right, it’s too late. The pieces of the wall have crumbled to dust. Sam cannot be healed.
The Ending
I’ve watched the final three scenes more than any of them, if anything looking for clues for next time. They obviously left some things to be resolved.
To be honest, I especially was taken by Dean standing in the corner, looking very despondent to see Sam in his catatonic state. As I said before, I was hoping for more there. That is after I stopped chuckling over Lucifer reading “The Three Little Pigs” to a nearly vegetative Sam and trying to explain it to him. I haven’t in this review yet raved about how amazing Mark Pellegrino was in this episode. Sure he is funny most of the time, but he’s really scary too. It’s because of him that I was purely petrified for Sam. Lucifer gloated in his victory over breaking Sam, that’s for sure. “It’s hard to believe you were the guy that saved the world once.”
Going back to Dean though, his answer to a very remorseful Castiel really crushed my heart. “So you’re saying there’s nothing? He’s going to be like this until his candle burns out?” Then Castiel comes up with the shifting idea. He even assures Dean he will be alright. Being an angel, he won’t die from exhaustion, that’s for sure. It’s a horrible burden, but it’s the least he can do in making things right.
From a VFX perspective the whole shifting thing is really cool, but it killed what slim emotional impact I felt from this scene. Even when Sam came out of it recognizing Dean and asking “Cass, is that you?”, little time is given to Castiel’s newly altered mental state and Sam and Dean’s reunion.
For those of you that wonder, I’ll fill in the blanks as to what happens next. Orderlies and a nurse take Castiel away for examination and admission, Dean and Sam look at one another, then Sam yawns and rolls over. It’s time for bed! A day later, they leave. I’m hoping that in the beginning of the next episode, Sam wakes up from his week long nap. He still looked really tired in the next scene with Dean by the car, which BTW is a 1968 Dodge Charger 440. The ugly front grill gives it away!
Seriously though, what we saw in that insane asylum was likely how far Sam’s soul was pushed in the cage. Almost destroyed. Death even said in “Appointment in Samarra” that Sam’s soul was frayed to the last raw nerve. I picture Sam’s last moments in Hell to mirror that last scene in the hospital before Castiel touched him. Broken, only seeing the torment of Lucifer. That certainly matches the hopeless and despondent Hell Sam we saw in “The Man Who Knew Too Much.”
What does this mean for Sam now? His psychosis is fixed, but the memories of all that torture from Lucifer, both in Hell and on Earth, are still very real. It’ll probably continue to haunt him for a lifetime, much like Dean’s experiences in Hell. I doubt a lot of time will be spent on the screen anymore showing this pain though. He’ll continue to do what he always does, solider on until he dies. It’s all he knows. That applies to Dean as well.
Do we call this then “a quick fix?” Perhaps, although quite frankly Sam really has suffered enough. It’s about time he caught a break. It isn’t just Sam’s break, it’s a sorely needed one for Dean as well. Maybe they can finally get on with worrying about themselves individually and not each other like Bobby had hoped. There’s a story line I wouldn’t mind seeing. Both Winchesters rebuilding from their entire ordeal since “Swan Song” instead of just reacting.
Castiel’s torment continues though. He may have redeemed himself in the Winchester’s eyes, but he still owes the world. He did after all let the Leviathan loose. There’s plenty more of Castiel’s story to tell, and thankfully, Misha is open for season eight. I’m hoping Sam and Dean remember their friendship and come back to save him. After all, Sam was right, they can’t leave their friends behind.
For the record, I adore the idea of Meg being at the mental hospital watching out for Castiel. While I know that Meg’s motives are clearly self centered and she’s interested just in his power, I do think she likes Castiel. All you have to do is watch their scenes together in “Abandon All Hope” and “Caged Heat” to tell that. I’m still hoping for angel on demon action, but it’s obviously not the time is not right now. Their’s truly is a strange pairing, isn’t it? I like the idea of creatures from Heaven and Hell battling together to fight the Leviathan.
Overall, I shift back and forth between giving “The Born-Again Identity” an A- or B+. It would easily be in the A range if it had more emotional punch and the end wasn’t so rushed. No matter, it was still a very good episode. I like several of you though had hoped for a little more. Ah well, there is an entire rest of the season and beyond for that.
I LOVED THIS EPISODE.
I KNOW ALOT ABOUT SLEEP DEPRIVATION & JUST WANTING TO SLEEP. NOT DIE, JUST SLEEP. NUFF A/B ME.
I AM ALSO A JENSEN WOMAM. HE IS THE BEST ACTOR OUT HERE BY FAR. BETTER THAN PITT, DAMON, DENZEL, CLOONEY. NAME AN ACTOR B/T 30 & 60. JENSEN.
THATS WHY I AM SO HAPPILY SURPRISED BY JARED. THIS WAS HIS BEST ACTING EVER!!!! THE SUTILE HINTS OF HUNTER/NUTJOB BACK & FORTH , PRICELESS.
I AM GLAD WE HAVE REDEEMPTION FOR CASTIEL, B/C DEAN DOES NOT FORGIVE NOR FORGETS.
FINALLY SERA~~BRAVA. THE LADY CAN WRITE. SHE & ROBBIE THOMPSON ARE MY FAVORITES.
I HAVE SEEN IT NOW A/B 9 TIMES. AND MUST GO BACK & SEE WHAT I MISSED. THIS SHOW CAN NOT END THIS YEAR!
CONGRATS ON BABY COLT. DADDY KICKED ASS THE WEEK YOU WERE BORN =)))
THANKS ALICE.
PS was that really Misha’s backside. I did not know ‘baby got back.’ :)))))))))
Hi Alice, thanks for the review.
I’m a little at a loss on this episode too, but it is hard to get passed the flaws you mention. I would have liked the story more if it had been divided over two, or even three, episodes. The rushing ties in with what I find to be the major flaw of this season.
At the same time, for this episode to have hit home like it should have, there would have had to be more groundwork laid in the rest of the season. A better understanding of Sam’s condition, at least, to justify the idea that the major consequence of his torment is transferable. And transferable to an angel? It is a leap too far, without the underpinnings to support it.
I applaud the acting, without question. Everyone nailed it, and Mark Pellegrino was especially chilling. I just wish everything else was on the same line.
I will try to appreciate the good in this episode, and will see how it plays out.
I agree with you, MisterGlass! The story just didn’t come together for me. In my opinion, Sam’s story was stalled too long for this resurgence to be smooth.
I also agree that some more time explaining Sam’s condition would have been helpful. Were the hallucinations just that – hallucinations, or was Sam really seeing Lucifer? Who knows?
Plus, I didn’t care for the way the made Lucifer annoying like a bratty little brother. He’s the devil – the greatest evil known to man. He should be menacing, frightening, and intimidating. He hasn’t been, IMO, since they re-started the story!
If he was actually seeing Lucifer, or hosting part of him, I could see this solution making more sense.
I did react positively to the portrayal of Lucifer here, because he’s gloating. He’s already won, and he is savoring it. The menace to me is in what it is doing to Sam.
Excellent, balanced review Alice. I completely agree with what you’ve written. This was a great episode. I do think it could have had more emotional impact, though.
I really liked the Cas/Dean scenes and the Sam scenes. (I really liked how they included a little hunt for Sam-no rest for the weary when you’re a hunter). I agree that there was a bit too much splicing up of all those scenes, which took away some of the emotional punch. Even the scene that had the bicycle line where Cas tells Dean, “I don’t know how to do that either” could have been more emotional. While it felt like old times to see the famous Dean eyerolls, there was something poignant in the way that Misha delivered that line. I don’t know if that was intentional or not, but for me, it spoke to what Cas’ existence has been and how many normal, human (but wonderful) things like riding a bike he has not experienced. I would have liked that eyeroll to have been replaced by one of Dean’s sad, knowing expressions and that scene would have been heartbreaking (in a good way).
I loved everything about the scene where Cas remembers who he is-the music, the effects, the smiting- it was all awesome.
The one thing that I actually felt disappointed by was the lack of a brotherly moment for Sam and Dean. I loved how Dean was in big brother protective mode when he burst into the doctor’s office. I would have liked seeing a bit more of that, and I really wanted more emotion from Dean when Cas said he couldn’t fix Sam, and/or an emotional reunion scene between the brothers when Cas took Sam’s hallucinations. In fact, though I’ve enjoyed this season, those types of scenes were sorely lacking (except for 7.02) this entire season.
Overall, though, loved this episode!
Alice, wonderful review for a truly great episode. I give it an A- and totally agree with all your criticisms. It would have been nice to see a little bit more interaction between Sam and Dean at the beginning when Dean was in Sam’s hospital room and at the end when Cas gave Dean the heartbreaking news about Sam’s wall. I’ve always wondered how much of what we’d really like to see gets sacrificed and ends up on the cutting room floor. With that being said, I’m loving Season 7 and I’m so looking forward to where the rest of the season is going…
BTW – I have to add the acting, etc was superb! 😀
Yeah, I would have like another scene at the end between the brothers or at least have more than or moment of Sam’s impending death before Cas shift whatever he shifted (I actually the way they did the transfer). Your right it lost a little emotional impact because of the quick pacing. But I still freaking loved this episode. I’ve watch it a 1/2 a dozen times.
I think they could’ve more easily taken on both storylines if they hadn’t tried to add to demon stuff, but I’m sure there setting things up for later episodes. They probably should have just made this a 2 parter. But oh well. Still an excellent episodes.
Jared was over the top fantastic. You got tired just looking at him. And his flinches of pain. Sam could barely stand but when the ghost started attacking he protected her with his body. OH SAMMY! Jensen and Misha were awesome as well-of course.
Oh one other thought on the ghost. Marin said at first it was comforting, but eventually it became angry and had to be destroyed. I hope this isn’t foreshadowing for Bobby’s ghost. If he is a ghost.
I liked Marin and wouldn’t mind seeing her again. Sammy needs some loving. OK off track.
Good review Alice.
This episode was good but not as expected. There was way to much info dumped in the 42 mins. And the back and forth shifting between the two stories was very annoying.
The Dean/Cas/Meg story was interesting. I found it very interesting how Dean and Meg fell into step so easily. They are alike in many way. They both love deeply, are dedicated and loyal to a fault and not at all opposed to joining forces to achieve their ends. I find myself hoping that while they are hunter and demon, they find a common ground when Dean doesn’t have to kill her. Course there is no accounting for Crowley.
I didn’t like that they edited out Dean’s line to Cass about always knowing Cass would come back. That was in the promo and should have been left in the episode. There was certainly other things that could have been removed besides that. That was key to showing that while Dean was very hurt by what Cass did, he really forgave him a long time ago.
Cass has redeemed himself for sure and will be around to help the boys with the leviathans and Crowley. He’s another one that I hope makes it out alive.
Sam’s issues are over and that’s a good thing. It is about time to move on to the leviathans.
Quick fixing Sam makes no difference he was pretty much fine leading up to this episode.He was hunting fine , function was no problem the whole scenario has been rushed and badly handled because no matter what is said what Castiel did at the end makes no sense or was there ever a explanation of anything in this story just the weird shift his crazy ??.
I doubt we will see much difference to how he will be now to how he already was up until this episode so although this was a fairly good episode and Jared was very good it felt a little hollow . And Sam will be hunting again but you know what in the end the danger is you will end up with a one dimensional action man because nothing else exists with Sam .
If I was rating this would get 7/10 purely for Jareds performance and Mark P but it left me sad in how they dealt with Sams overall story arc .
Sharon, you know I agree with you!
Sam was fine before this breakdown despite the hallucinations so I’m sure he’ll continue to be fine now that they are gone! Sam will not likely bring up Hell again. I see the plot as being over.
On it’s own, the episode was okay. I’ve been rating it low because I just can’t look at it as a standalone episode. This was the end of a woefully undeveloped arc, and it just didn’t meet my expectations.
I loved some of this episode, liked some more but a lot of it left me disappointed. I had been hoping for some lovely brotherly moments in this episode but that didn’t happen. I too would have loved to have seen a moment between the boys right after Castiel removed Sam’s hallucinations. I loved the moment when Dean burst into the doctor’s office at the start, the chat between them in the hospital room and the scene of poor Dean phoning every contact he could find in order to get help for Sam but I wish we had seen more emotional scenes between Sam and Dean. I’d been really hoping for some wonderful big brother moments in this episode. Like many have said, the episode felt too crowded and too rushed to me also.
My other disppointment was that, after ignoring Sam’s storyline for most of the season save an occasional handrub, Sam gets the quick fix a lot of us had been expecting. Sure it’s not a complete quick fix, he still has his Hell memories but I don’t expect to see much, if any, of this onscreen from now on.
But putting aside these criticisms there was a lot I did enjoy. Sam’s breakdown was the thing I was practically giddy with excitment over (and I guess that this giddiness probably contributed to my subsequent disappointment with how the storyline ended in this episode) and Jared was absolutely fabulous. I hope he is very proud of his work in this episode. Sam’s breakdown storyline had been way too long in coming, I’ve been waiting very impatiently since 7.02 to see it and I loved every limp-tastic moment of it. Plus, to paddle in the shallows for a time, Sam/Jared looked stunning with the stubble and in those white scrubs.
I’m not a Castiel fan so his story didn’t hold so much interest for me but I was pleased that Castiel’s past deeds weren’t glossed over as in when Dean acknowledged his continued anger over how “Dude broke my brother’s head “and when Castiel talked about all the other things he’d done, the death toll in heaven and on earth. I was very happy to see Castiel apologise to Sam for what he’d done to Sam.
I also liked the hunter guy Dean talked to on the phone about Emmanuel, I wouldn’t mind seeing him back again.
And Mark P was amazing.
Thanks for the great review, Alice.
That was a great review. I agree that I would have loved to see two separate episodes, one concerning Sam, and the other with Dean, Cass & Meg rushing to him before it’s too late. Especially if both were written by Sera Gamble. That being said, I thought I got all the info I needed anyway from a 42 minute episode, it had so much heart, I think maybe that’s why I didn’t mind it being a little rushed, I definitely give it an A. And the acting by all concerned was phenomenal. Now I’m ready for some light humour in next week’s episode. Drunk Winchesters!
There was so much wrong with this script that I can’t rate it as excellent. I guess I’d give it a B. It was just so crowded that none of the separate stories: Sam’s condition, Dean and Cas reunion, Cas redemption, and getting all of the players in the game for the end run) that none of them got a satisfying telling. For that reason, I’m kind of dreading that SG will write the finale (assuming that is what is planned). I’m afraid it will be all jumbled up again because of the rush to the end.
I also find the lack of research this season inexcusable. I know the show has writer’s assistants, so either the writers or the assistants should be paying more attention to quite glaring misrepresentations. In this case, the medical stuff and the hospital were so far from reality that even a non-medical and not even interested in medical stuff person like me found it implausible. I’m all for writers license, but writers lazy isn’t covered under that.
I’m not a fan of LimpSam, but the good thing is that that story is over. The ghost story could have well been cut and that would have given the time needed for emotional emphasis somewhere else.
I like demons, so having them back in the game was good. I’m kind of tired of Meg, but it’s interesting that she is now part of Team Free will. We’ll have to see where that goes, since we all know that Dean hates demons. I’m am hoping that Dean ganks Meg this season, but I want Crowley to stick around. I like Crowley (and I hope we see him again before the season ends).
I can take or leave Cas, but I did like how Dean and his scenes played out. Loved the montage, and I liked seeing Dean step around his feelings in order to get Sam help. It was all very rushed, what with inserting Meg in the middle of it, but well done by both actors. So Team Free Will now has a human or two, an angel and a demon. Huh. We’ll have to see if they go after the Levi, or if the brothers’ emotional arcs were the story of the season. I’m still not sure on that point.
I, too liked hunter Mackey, if we can’t have hunter Lee (Ian Tracey) sans the kid. I’d like to see more hunters (used the way Mackey was here or Lee in the previous episode — well, competent hunters, that is. P. S. I miss Rufus.
There’s a lot of questions and actions on the table yet that has not been addressed. I’m excited about this end run to see where it all ends up.
Well, I don’t think that having two stories to tell in a single episode is an excuse for the lack of emotion in the brother scenes. I know that Castiel has a lot of fans but the Sam and Dean relationship is the core of the show , or at least it’ssupposed to be, and should have got the larger part . It’s surely not an excuse for havig Dean just standing in a corner at the sight of his vegetative brother. It’s OK if they had few scenes because time was short but those few scenes should have played far better than they did. The ending was the most disappointing part for me. I was kind of shocked at Dean’s (lack of) reaction.
BTW, do we really need so many filler episodes? I like the MOTW but if lack of time was the issue, why not having it in two parts and getting rid of one filler?
You know, I didn’t even miss the lack of scenes between the brothers. Both of their storylines this season have been individual, personal stories, and they haven’t been ‘together’ together for three years now, so I guess I just wasn’t expecting to see any of that.
I’ve felt for some time now that the brothers’ relationship was taken away in S4, made worse with the soulless and domestic business in S6, but was hoping to see it in ‘the brothers alone in the world’ this season. That hasn’t happened. What has happened, IMO, is that the core of the show was stripped away at the end of EK’s 5-year story and nothing has been offered up to replace it. That’s what I have found lacking last season and this season. The personal, emotional, and individual journeies the brothers are going through is no substitute for the co-dependency and love the show used to give us. What I see now are two buddies riding in the same car(s) traveling in the same direction down the highway, perhaps with the same goal in mind.
I know what you mean. You can’t miss something that hasn’t been there for a long time anyways. Problem is, I still do. I still remember how it used to be and I sorely miss it, to the point that I’m starting to lose interest in the show as it is. I never liked Castiel so his return does nothing to me. It’s sad to realize that, but’s how I feel. :sigh:
[quote]You know, I didn’t even miss the lack of scenes between the brothers. Both of their storylines this season have been individual, personal stories, and they haven’t been ‘together’ together for three years now, so I guess I just wasn’t expecting to see any of that.
I’ve felt for some time now that the brothers’ relationship was taken away in S4, made worse with the soulless and domestic business in S6, but was hoping to see it in ‘the brothers alone in the world’ this season. That hasn’t happened. What has happened, IMO, is that the core of the show was stripped away at the end of EK’s 5-year story and nothing has been offered up to replace it. That’s what I have found lacking last season and this season. The personal, emotional, and individual journeies the brothers are going through is no substitute for the co-dependency and love the show used to give us. What I see now are two buddies riding in the same car(s) traveling in the same direction down the highway, perhaps with the same goal in mind.[/quote]
Holy cow but I agree with this…except for the two buddies thing. sam adn Dean are not friends; they are former friends riding in the same car because they are heading in the same direction with that same goal. They barely interact anymore. Dean has his best friend and appointed brother alive again and I’m sure Dean will fight to save him…ie castiel. In the meantime he has his surragate father’s ghost popping up every so often.
Sam is truely alone an could seriously use a friend; someoen who will see him as something other then something to be fixed or a temp until his real brother/bestie comes back. he needs someone who will see him as a person.
I’m glad Castiel showed real remorse to Sam.
Excellent, excellent post, Ginger! I couldn’t agree more with you!
I love an episode that leaves me breathless and asking questions. There is still much we don’t know and I am more anxious now to find out what really happened here and what the end game is.
As soon as the episode was over, I said to my husband that it should have been a two-parter. I liked it a lot, but I agree with everyone who says there should have been more character/relationship development.
Also, I’m usually pretty forgiving of plot holes, but I did kind of wonder how they got Cas in and Sam out of the hospital. The theory I came up with was that Meg stole a vessel – maybe the doctor? – and did whatever was necessary to get Cas admitted and Sam discharged, then jumped back into her regular meatsuit for her job interview. But ho knows?
Still – yay, Cas! I knew I missed him, but I don’t think I realized just how much until he got his smite on :).
[quote]But ho knows?
[/quote]
But *who* knows?
*facepalm*
Since you were theorizing about Meg – the 1st way is probably more accurate. 😉 Just saying.
A heavily Cas promoted episode failed in the ratings. I can’t say I’m surprised. 2 straight seasons now we’ve been told that the show was returning to an earlier season feel and it hasn’t happened. We still have an angel coming in to save the day instead of the Winchesters saving themselves. No wonder people are tuning out.
In fairness, EVERYTHING failed in the ratings on Friday. It was a bloodbath! Fringe was awful, Nikita bad, SPN in it’s lowness almost matched a Grimm repeat, and even basketball didn’t do what the CBS shows normally do ratings wise (although demos were up).
It just happened that The CW planned Castiel’s return on this traditionally bad week, when the NCAA tournaments are on. Hunger Games at the theater is also getting the blame too. I’m reserving judgment until I see the DVR ratings.
CW made a big mistake heavily promoting Cas when it was supposed to be Sam’s breakdown episode. All it accomplished was pissing off long time fans.
I do agree, Sam’s breakdown and Cass’ return should have had their own episodes. I am a Castiel fan and I have missed him, but I’ve really also missed the brotherly heart that used to dominate this show. There was huge potential to run with that here and they didn’t. It is a shame that this dynamic doesn’t seem to important anymore to the network or the writers. That’s the true disservice to the fans.
When I’m primarily judging what was presented though (removing my wish list items) it was a fine episode.
While I would have loved this as a two-parter because there was plenty of emotions and plot that certainly could have been expanded on, I did thoroughly enjoy what we got. I thought Jared did a great job, and really enjoyed seeing Cas again. Not sure yet how insanity can be transferable, but I am willing to go with it.
Great review Alice, as usual! And I often found myself in agreement with you. So I hope this time you don’t mind if I respectfully disagree & use some of your lines to show why. These are just my opinions, and mine alone. I’m just stating my view & don’t want to convince any of you, so I hope I won’t get flamed for it ?
Sadly I have to say that I way utterly disappointed with this episode. It’s true that I had high expectations! For once it was written by Sera who usually is a master of drama and to finally get to see what’s up with Sam since he was “Mr. Fine†for about 11 episodes (not counting what we could have interpreted into something we didn’t got to see). But most of all I was hoping for some great brother moments. What we got was two minutes out of forty (which have been revealed in the promo none the less). After that Dean was off with Cas and Sam was alone in the Asylum. “Faith†had a far better grasp at brotherly interaction.
At this point I should put a warning. I am not a fan of Cas, never was, never will be. My opinion is that the angel story was stretched beyond its usefulness apart for quick fixes. So if you’re a Cas fan you probably might not want to read further…
I did expect the quick fix since I heard that Cas is coming back. With an angel what else could it have been? Since the angels came on board whenever something or someone was broken, or in danger they fixed it. It was the “How†I have more problems with. Like you said “this whole time [Cas] had no memory but living in bliss†while the brothers lost everything and everyone, Sam was broken and Dean is drinking his liver off. Seems hardly fair. Dean had every right to “blame Sam’s condition on Castiel taking down the wallâ€. Because that’s what he did! Not for higher motives or because he was misled but simply to distract Dean. One can argue that Sam’s wall would’ve broken anyway. Someday it might have. But it could’ve been in years or maybe never. We’ll never know and it does little to reduce Cas’ fault. And once he does remember what he had done he starts to walk away. Because he’s so shocked? – He’s an angel! He can’t grasp most of the human emotions (like humor). I guess my main problem is the shifting of Sam’s hell. Again, Cas is angel! He doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep, he feels no pain and he wasn’t the one locked in the cage with Lucifer for over a hundred years. So how can he understand torture, let alone be rendered useless in an Asylum in Sam’s place? You just can’t attribute the same features to a supernatural being like a human. It looked constructed to redeem Cas and give Dean has a reason to forgive him. Speaking of, the “coat scene†sent the wrong signal in my opinion. It was like a peace offering, kind of a forgiving from Dean. So soon after meeting Cas again I felt like it was a blow to everything Sam had to go through because of the angel.
I realize I am harsh on Cas, but he got away with so many things (some of them are the same this fandom blames Sam for to this day) and now suddenly he’s the martyr because he took on Sam’s hell when he was the one to get Sam to this point in the first place. And now Sam is blissfully hell free (I am assuming, like I did most of this season with this character) while Dean still suffers from it (a point, I’m sure is going to tear up the fandom sooner or later) and poor Cas is locked away suffering.
Then again an angel quick fix with the demons in front of the Asylum. And how did those demons even know where Sam is (they sure seemed better equipped than the Leviathans)? The whole demon concept stroked me as wrong this episode. Why bring them back now? I simply saw no purpose in it, rather than taking time away from the two emotional dramas unfolding. The episode could’ve worked without them.
Also I didn’t like how Dean was portrayed. I get that he was desperate and maybe not 100% up his game, but this episode (from the Cas scene aside) made him look incompetent. He couldn’t deal with the demons alone, Meg needed to save him (and as much as I like Rachel Miner, I found her performance this episode sub-par). Bobby-ghost (or whatever) needed to show him the right number he couldn’t find in a book I’m sure he read backwards to forward. Even dealing with Cas he seemed to need Meg’s assistance. Worst of all was the completely lack of interaction at the end. Where did my beloved badass “you-touch-my-brother-you’ll-be-dead-before-you-hit-the-ground†Dean go? There were those great scenes in the cabin with Dean on the phone but after that… I realize it can all be put down to Dean being tired and depressed. But they show us a Sam who, even falling apart, is still pulling himself together for a hunt (and I wasn’t too fond of that sledge hammer pointing out) but a Dean who apart from the two minutes at the beginning lacks all emotions (even with Cas he seemed only half heartily in the game). We had depressed Dean for now 17 episodes (not to mention S5 or S6). It’s time Dean’s storyline moves into any direction because it’s getting tiring for me to watch. Surely this can’t be all they want or can do with Dean?
What used to be an unhealthy but loving and heart wrenching to watch codependence is now two brother’s existing alongside and just going through the motions of being brothers. It’s like the writers (and sorry to say, even Sera) can’t seem to grasp the characters anymore. For one or two episodes they managed this year and then they fell back into this “writer’s blockâ€. I fell in love with the concept of those “two brother’s up against good, evil, angels, devils, denstiniy and god himself, who made their own choice & choose familyâ€. That’s what got me hooked to Supernatural and what I sadly miss this season.
On the plus side was the acting. For me it was one of Jared’s best performances and Jensen also did great with what he was given. Kudos also to Misha and Mark, loved both their acting (even if not an angel fan).
I also completely agree with this. Thank you, Ginger. With each passing season I get more and more nostalgic for the brotherly relationship the show used to give us.
WOW YAL REALLY PICK TO DEATH EVERYTHIG. WE ARE HERE TO RESPOND YES?
OF COURSE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 2 EPISODES AT LEAST, BUT YAL DONT UNDERSTAND TIME CONSTRAINTS.
WHAT SERA & SINGER DID WAS THE BEST THEY COULD DO IN THE TIME THEY HAD.
THIS IS WHY I SAY & SAY AGAIN, THIS CAN NOT BE THE LAST SEASON!!
GINGER AGAIN U SAY WHAT I WONT OR CAN NOT SAY. THANK U.
LETS GIVE SERA A BREAK UNTIL THE END, THEN WE CAN MAYBE SAY NON-POSITIVE THINGS.
THANKS EVERYBODY. I LOVE SN FANDOM!!!!
“I’m still hoping for angel on demon action, but it’s obviously not the time is not right now. Their’s truly is a strange pairing, isn’t it?”
Well, Alice, the way I see it, in the Bible, angels literally fell for humans so hey, what’s a demon added to the mix? Clearly SOMETHING is up with those too! lol!
I liked what you said and the fair way you said it, remembering all the things people would have liked to have seen happen and yet remembering we are constrained by time and right, it’s not a soap opera.
I watch this episode – repeatedly – and I see Sam doing what he has always always always done – trying to keep it together within himself and never really allowing people to see how bad it gets for him. Who does he emote over? Jessica and Dean. And actually, did he even cry over Jess? I don’t remember that. At her grave? Someone feel free to tell me if he did but I recall tears for Dean only. Sam is great at expressing his anger. That’s it. (I’ve always thought he does get angry at some odd times. Shows a buildup of it to me.)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I don’t think this is totally resolved, but I also don’t know how much more we can expect given how much Sam closes himself up. And speaking of closing, when I watched Dean, I saw body language that was protective of himself, as in he may just fall apart if he doesn’t try to act like Sam and reign it in. Just look at him in the corner, literally in a corner and feeling trapped and arms folded because he is as helpless as he’s ever felt. And after years of that, I would think he’s as emotionally raw as Sam’s soul was in hell and trying to hold on to any bit of hope at this point.
Oh and Bobby? I am holding on to my theory that God is playing a bigger role here than we are giving Him credit for right now, but Friday’s episode is a about a ghost that can only be seen when drunk, right? I wonder if we’ll see a little more than that monster of the week.
[quote]Great review Alice, as usual! And I often found myself in agreement with you. So I hope this time you don’t mind if I respectfully disagree & use some of your lines to show why. These are just my opinions, and mine alone. I’m just stating my view & don’t want to convince any of you, so I hope I won’t get flamed for it ?
Sadly I have to say that I way utterly disappointed with this episode. It’s true that I had high expectations! For once it was written by Sera who usually is a master of drama and to finally get to see what’s up with Sam since he was “Mr. Fine†for about 11 episodes (not counting what we could have interpreted into something we didn’t got to see). But most of all I was hoping for some great brother moments. What we got was two minutes out of forty (which have been revealed in the promo none the less). After that Dean was off with Cas and Sam was alone in the Asylum. “Faith†had a far better grasp at brotherly interaction.
At this point I should put a warning. I am not a fan of Cas, never was, never will be. My opinion is that the angel story was stretched beyond its usefulness apart for quick fixes. So if you’re a Cas fan you probably might not want to read further…
I did expect the quick fix since I heard that Cas is coming back. With an angel what else could it have been? Since the angels came on board whenever something or someone was broken, or in danger they fixed it. It was the “How†I have more problems with. Like you said “this whole time [Cas] had no memory but living in bliss†while the brothers lost everything and everyone, Sam was broken and Dean is drinking his liver off. Seems hardly fair. Dean had every right to “blame Sam’s condition on Castiel taking down the wallâ€. Because that’s what he did! Not for higher motives or because he was misled but simply to distract Dean. One can argue that Sam’s wall would’ve broken anyway. Someday it might have. But it could’ve been in years or maybe never. We’ll never know and it does little to reduce Cas’ fault. And once he does remember what he had done he starts to walk away. Because he’s so shocked? – He’s an angel! He can’t grasp most of the human emotions (like humor). I guess my main problem is the shifting of Sam’s hell. Again, Cas is angel! He doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep, he feels no pain and he wasn’t the one locked in the cage with Lucifer for over a hundred years. So how can he understand torture, let alone be rendered useless in an Asylum in Sam’s place? You just can’t attribute the same features to a supernatural being like a human. It looked constructed to redeem Cas and give Dean has a reason to forgive him. Speaking of, the “coat scene†sent the wrong signal in my opinion. It was like a peace offering, kind of a forgiving from Dean. So soon after meeting Cas again I felt like it was a blow to everything Sam had to go through because of the angel.
I realize I am harsh on Cas, but he got away with so many things (some of them are the same this fandom blames Sam for to this day) and now suddenly he’s the martyr because he took on Sam’s hell when he was the one to get Sam to this point in the first place. And now Sam is blissfully hell free (I am assuming, like I did most of this season with this character) while Dean still suffers from it (a point, I’m sure is going to tear up the fandom sooner or later) and poor Cas is locked away suffering.
Then again an angel quick fix with the demons in front of the Asylum. And how did those demons even know where Sam is (they sure seemed better equipped than the Leviathans)? The whole demon concept stroked me as wrong this episode. Why bring them back now? I simply saw no purpose in it, rather than taking time away from the two emotional dramas unfolding. The episode could’ve worked without them.
Also I didn’t like how Dean was portrayed. I get that he was desperate and maybe not 100% up his game, but this episode (from the Cas scene aside) made him look incompetent. He couldn’t deal with the demons alone, Meg needed to save him (and as much as I like Rachel Miner, I found her performance this episode sub-par). Bobby-ghost (or whatever) needed to show him the right number he couldn’t find in a book I’m sure he read backwards to forward. Even dealing with Cas he seemed to need Meg’s assistance. Worst of all was the completely lack of interaction at the end. Where did my beloved badass “you-touch-my-brother-you’ll-be-dead-before-you-hit-the-ground†Dean go? There were those great scenes in the cabin with Dean on the phone but after that… I realize it can all be put down to Dean being tired and depressed. But they show us a Sam who, even falling apart, is still pulling himself together for a hunt (and I wasn’t too fond of that sledge hammer pointing out) but a Dean who apart from the two minutes at the beginning lacks all emotions (even with Cas he seemed only half heartily in the game). We had depressed Dean for now 17 episodes (not to mention S5 or S6). It’s time Dean’s storyline moves into any direction because it’s getting tiring for me to watch. Surely this can’t be all they want or can do with Dean?
What used to be an unhealthy but loving and heart wrenching to watch codependence is now two brother’s existing alongside and just going through the motions of being brothers. It’s like the writers (and sorry to say, even Sera) can’t seem to grasp the characters anymore. For one or two episodes they managed this year and then they fell back into this “writer’s blockâ€. I fell in love with the concept of those “two brother’s up against good, evil, angels, devils, denstiniy and god himself, who made their own choice & choose familyâ€. That’s what got me hooked to Supernatural and what I sadly miss this season.
On the plus side was the acting. For me it was one of Jared’s best performances and Jensen also did great with what he was given. Kudos also to Misha and Mark, loved both their acting (even if not an angel fan).[/quote]
Thank you. I’m sick of Cas getting hand-waved for what he did when Sam is constantly put down for what he did.
In my opinion, what Cas did was much worse because he didn’t acknowledge the bad that he did until this episode. And then only in relation to what he did to Sam. Then he was just going to leave and not try to help Sam, WTH!
He killed a lot of people in his quest for power and doesn’t deserve to be redeemed for it, at least not yet.
Dean returning the trenchcoat to him was gag-worthy to me. Why would he keep something that was owned by someone who hurt his brother? Season 1 Dean would not.
I never liked the angel storyline and hope that it goes away. The sooner the better for me.
I really agree with ‘everything was rushed’ part. Instead of spending weeks and weeks on filler episodes they should have planned it differently. The Repo Man being 13 or 14 instead of 15 would certainly help as they could have time to show everything that needed to be showed.
It is just Sam being crazy only got 3 episodes and it was clearly not enough.
I gave this ep a 9!
First, Jared was AMAZING as Sam in the hospital!
Wonderful review, again! I like your analytical way a lot and already had some aha-moments when you pointed out details or threads I hadn’t noticed before in some of your reviews.
The one thing I enjoyed most in this episode (besides it’s general awesomeness) was Jared’s acting!
So far I have been of the opinion that Jensen has a way bigger repertoire of facial expressions than Jared, which are always top-notch. Maybe it is because Sam has been given less spotlight on his inner self/hitten feelings, however you want tocall it. I have problems describing what I mean. But IMO Dean’s inner struggles have always gotten more attention that Sam’s and therefore Jensen has shown us more of his talent. Or maybe I just overlooked Jared’s awesome acting talent because I was too fixed on Dean all the time? 😉
However, the hospital scenes (btw, what kind of shabby, run-down institute was that???) scared the hell out of me for Sam. I watched them being curled up in a ball hoping the torment would finally end. It was really nerve-racking.
And, I agree, Mark Pellegrino did a remarkable job, once again. So scary in his normal guy appearance with this wicked, merciless mind.
I also agree that the episode was a bit rushed but I must admit I did not miss any brotherly moments. For me it worked out very well. Imagine you are Dean and get confronted with the real impact of your brother’s crazyness in a blink of an eye (I am sure he had not known how bad Sam’s situation really was until the accident). You have to act, quickly. No time to mourn or worry. Time is running. Fast. Then Castiel shows up. Confusion, anger, worry… all mixes up in your head. Wouldn’t you be an emotional wreck at the end? Would you be able to crasp the full impact of Sam going to die? Wouldn’t your mind keep on trying to get up with a solution for the problem instead of facing the fact your younger brother is dying? I think so.