Season 8 Countdown: Jeremy Carver Episode Reviews, “The Rapture”
Whoo hoo! A good episode. I’ve got to say, I absolutely love “The Rapture.” I think it’s one of the best episodes in terms of story and acting. Yes, I know that it’s a story that focuses on the story of Castiel’s vessel Jimmy, someone that probably doesn’t mean much to the Supernatural viewers, but in terms of storytelling it’s extremely well done. And you won’t find a better storyteller than Jeremy Carver. Plus it’s Sam Winchester, blood junkie! My, my, strung out never looked so good.
- When you open with Dean Winchester fishing at a peaceful, tranquil pond, looking relaxed and happy, dammit you’ve got my attention! Dream or no dream, this is the best scenario a fan can ask for. How many times have I said in past reviews that Sam and Dean aren’t the “let’s go fishing” types on their days off? Probably not enough. That’s why this shot to me is so damned wonderful.
- The scene where Dean wakes up in the motel room was sadly cut from it’s original length. They included the entire scene in the DVD extras and this is one of those few times where I think what was cut should have been in the final package. It really sets early the predicament for Sam for this episode. Dean goes over and gives him a nudge, and Sam has trouble waking. He is not alright. That isn’t the big bonus though. Dean in shorts!! If you haven’t seen this, or don’t remember it, watch now. You’ll be watching more than once.
http://youtu.be/PSep3Ix3iCk
- Dark, spooky, totally messed up warehouse. A perfect place in the Supernatural world to find an empty vessel, don’t you think? Oh boy, Jimmy’s troubles are just starting.
- Being a big fan of “My Bloody Valentine,” I somehow never made the connection to him devouring a burger here and how Jimmy’s love of burgers played out in that one. Continuity shout out! I do so love these little nuggets they leave for us. I’m also finding it interesting why Sam and Dean are so stunned to see him eat like this. The dude’s been riding what is essentially a comet for months. Cut him some slack!
- Nice intense introduction there Castiel! Hello would suffice.
- I really wish they would go back to this idealism. “Remember when our job was helping people? Getting them back to their families?” Dean says this with conviction and purpose. Damn I miss that attitude. It’s so much more inspiring than the “going through the motions” we got the last two seasons. When was the last time you watched “Supernatural” and thought they were totally committed to saving people, hunting things, the family business? Although, Sam was right in this case. Demons were a coming! No happiness for Jimmy.
- Ooh, more Winchesters sleeping! I’m really splashing around in pool this episode! Between the DVD extra and this scene, we are rich in gratuity.
- Speaking of shallow, I’m always fascinated by the desperation in Sam and his need for a fix. It’s so shocking, yet delicious at the same time. So well done here by Jared. Sam was clearly hooked and Ruby’s bitch by this time, and the only people that saw it were us! Dean’s in for a bit a surprise, no?
- Hee, Dean is giving Sam a hard time for letting Jimmy get the slip. The best part though is next, when he blames losing Jimmy on “Ginormo.”
- It’s Anna! This is when she was fun, and not a psycho bitch. Her surprise appearance almost made Dean crash the car! Too funny. I like how she was smart with Dean for trying to hit on her, and then tipped off everyone (I hope Dean noticed) by seeing something wasn’t right with Sam. I still stay they shouldn’t have killed her and started a torrid love triangle between her, Castiel, and Meg. Nah, I still love Castiel and Meg.
- I do love how Jimmy was given a lot of time for backstory and current story. For one, it let Misha really let loose with his acting and do something different. The tortured and mortified looks on Jimmy’s face as he remembered a year ago when Castiel contacted him, and then when he was reunited with Amelia and Claire, the whole thing is just so heartbreaking. He was so devout, so believed in something bigger. It’s very sad he found out that a higher calling isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Plus it put his family in danger.
- How did Jimmy know how to defend from demon attacks? He must have absorbed something from Castiel. I liked the demon wearing his neighbor. He threatened such awful carnage with a smile. And his wife, thanks to Dean’s talk with an unraveling Sam in the car later, is forever known as Stunt Demon #3.
- Who didn’t call it a mile away that when Amelia disappeared a bit, that the demon was in her. I’m stunned Sam and Dean missed that one. Hasn’t that bitten them before?
- Anyone else notice the little subtle changes that happened to Sam as he began to slowly withdraw from the blood? Sure there was the obvious he was too weak to pull a demon and calling Ruby desperately for a fix, but I’m talking about the smaller things. First he was a little anxious and edgy, then Anna noticed something different, then the slightly slurred speech, trouble with coordination, dizziness, etc. By that scene in the warehouse, he was practically staggering and looked drunk. Plus he looked bad, and that’s hard for someone as gorgeous as Sam! Oh, but the real tell though, when he verbally ripped into Jimmy after the demon attack with the brutal reality check, was Sammy on the edge! Even Dean was thrown back by the pessimism. “Don’t sugarcoat it Sam.” This is our early sneak peek into soulless Sam!
- Again, a heartbreaking scene of goodbye between Jimmy and Amelia. I do love a script that lets the supporting actors shine. I’m still in awe how great a job Misha did on this one. However, the next scene in the Impala got to me too. Dean is concerned, wondering why Sam practically fainted when trying to pull the demon. “I’m not trying to pick a fight, but you’re scaring me man.” Sam’s haunted response killed me! “I’m scaring myself.” I really think this is the first ep where Sam realized he was in over his head.
- Another great touch, Dean confidently declaring he had a plan. Then next scene when they’re captured, Dean defends, “Well nobody bats 1000.” If you’re going to cop out on a big Dean Winchester plan, that’s the way to do it!
- The scene where Jimmy screams out to Castiel, yelling at him for not keeping his promise and begging for help, that kills me every time. That is the act of a desperate man, which is exactly what one does for his family. It’s so touching and Misha knocked it out of the park.
- One of my favorite lines of the season, perhaps the series. Amelia!Demon – “You know what’s funny?” Dean – “You wearing a soccer mom?”
- They had a lot of fun with the camera angles in this episode. Did you see the really cool overhead shot showing the demon walk from Sam and Dean, past a wounded Jimmy, and then over to Claire. Charles Beeson had some real gems in this ep.
- Ah ha! The truth FINALLY revealed. To Dean and Castiel anyway. Sam has been drinking demon blood. Dean’s stunned expression is just, wow. Exactly what I expected. Then Sam went all psycho and brutally killed the demon, and that disturbed Dean worse! Then Dean actually jumped when Sam threw his hand out, like Sam was going to hurt him or something. Oh yes, Sam has frightened him to the core, that’s for sure. I’m sure he wasn’t feeling better when Sam really went all out in exorcising the demon out of Amelia. Twisted psycho faces and all! This whole reveal couldn’t have been better orchestrated. Sammy on a demon roid rage!
- Then, after all that jaw dropping Sam and Dean drama, one of the most beautiful scenes done on this show. Castiel in Jimmy’s daughter, Claire, telling Jimmy how he’s served him well and it’s time to go home. She has made her choice and will serve as his vessel. Jimmy chooses to sacrifice himself for eternity rather than put Claire through this. It’s really tragic. To think, probably one of the hardest hit victims in this entire series is Jimmy Novak. The part where all that angelic golden light reflects off of Claire’s face is just gorgeous. Awesome job VFX guys.
- This episode’s shocking moments still isn’t done though! The really big whammy is yet to come with the fall out of Sam’s little episode in front of Dean. Sam demands the truth, but Dean is strangely quiet. Sam tells him to stop the car and take a swing, scream, chew him out, whatever. Sam wants to explain himself but Dean refuses. “Don’t. I don’t care.” Oh, don’t worry Sam, what Dean has planned for you is going to be far worse.
- It’s Bobby! It’s Bobby! I’m so happy to see him! I’ll never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, a thousand more times ever, ever, ever, forgive the show for killing him off. A complete and total waste of the best supporting character EVER (okay, him and Castiel). Now I get all weepy whenever I see him in these earlier seasons. I do adore how he set the trap for Sam. Anyone notice that empty bucket by the cot? That should have been a clue.
- I swear, when they closed and locked that door on Sam, I was screaming for a week. That was supposed to be the beginning of “When The Levee Breaks” but the episode ran a little short and they decided to work that in at the end of “The Rapture” instead. Worked out pretty awesome, huh?
Coming up next, we move onto season five! It’s “Free To Be You and Me.” Yes, Jeremy Carver must have listened to the same children’s albums I did in the 70’s.
Also, this episode was on my list of ones where the photo gallery needed to be redone, so I took this recap occasion to do it. Here’s the new gallery below, or you can also find this in our season four photo gallery area.
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Alice Jester is the founder, editor-in-chief, head writer, programmer, web designer, site administrator, marketer, and moderator for The Winchester Family Business. She is a 30 year IT applications and database expert with a penchant for creative and freelance writing in her spare (ha!!) time. That’s on top of being a wife, mother of two active kids, and four loving (aka needy) pets.
I, too, loved Dean relaxing, fishing, and enjoying some quiet time. That and his reaction to actually seeing Sam’s demon blood addiction were the good part of the episode. Otherwise, I was bored stiff at an episode dedicated to a vessel and his family that I had absolutely no investment in and who never appeared again.
A small thing that bugged me about this episode…and it it was actually sluffed over in later episodes when Dean, Meg, and others were able to look at angel grace w/o going blind…is why was Jimmy able to hear and tolerate Cas’ voice when Dean couldn’t.
I’ve never watched this episode a second time, but I will grant that it was a solid episode that was needed because it set up the basic rules for vessels and their angels.
The review of this episode reminded me of S7 all over again. I hope I never see another episode dedicated to secondary and one-off characters.
That one I know. When Castiel first contacted Dean he outright stated that he thought that he would be able to talk to Dean directly. Since angelic vesseldom seems to be genetic, I’m guessing that many of not most potential angel vessels can hear and see Angels in their true form without physical damage. Sort of like how most white cats with blue eyes are deaf, but not all. Apparently Sam and Dean have the genetics that can’t stand seeing an Angel it its true form. It may come from Mary, because I got the idea that in TSRTS, John did see the Micheal’s light, but it was off screen enough that I can’t be sure. This saves on special effects and means that Misha got to play Castiel.
I would have accepted that explanation, except for the blatant retcon in Reading is Fundamental where Meg was able to look at angel grace when she killed Hester. Not to mention, also, that not only can demons now look at angel grace, they can kill angels, and they can sneak up on an angel (with other angels in the room).
God, I hated S7!
I also enjoyed this episode and enjoyed seeing some background on becoming an angel’s vessel. Although I wouldn’t like seasons full of episodes featuring other characters, I think it’s warranted on occasion to fill us in on the history and background of characters who contribute to the story and are part of the lives of our main characters.
I always enjoy your reviews, your love for the show shines through and there’s not the strong bias for or against one or the other brother’s storyline in talking about the episodes. You don’t share the negative viewpoint that is a part of so many reviews and following comments that make it so hard for many like myself to just love the show and not fall prey to the overly critical attitude that is so prevalent in this fandom. Thanks for your positive attitude that makes me smile when I read your articles and reviews and reminds me how great it is to have this show in my life.
if you look at this episode without knowing that there are horrible seasons like 6 and 7 exist , i think this episode is remarkable. without liking Castiel or not , this is a story about a man who had so much faith in higher power and he lost it. this story is not about castiel , it’s about a desperate man that got lost in the fight between angels and demons that he never thought would be like that.
like you Alice , i really like Misha’s acting in this episode , you can never look at Jimmy and say : Hey, it’s no different than castiel ! because he is not ! he is just a civilian , his manners , his way of talking , his voice , everything about him is different and Misha did an amazing job made Jimmy come to life !
This episode is one of my favorites and i agree with you on everything you pointed out !
This is one of those eps that I can appreciate, but don’t love. Cas/Jimmys backstory is well done. His wife and daughter are well cast, and it was a great self-contained story about a man of faith who pays a high price for that faith.
I just hate the direction the story took in s4, so the stuff with Sam’s addiction, the breakdown of the brothers bond etc leaves me cold. I don’t believe in it. I didn’t buy the story the writers were trying to sell me. I didn’t believe the character of Sam would have done what he did. I was unconvinced by Dean’s reaction to what Sam did – which was utterly judgemental compared to how he reacted to the possibility of Sam going darkside in s2 when he was totally loyal and supportive. So all those issues of mine with the overall story arc and ooc behaviour colours my opinion. But it was well acted (particularly by Misha) and well written.
This is one of the best of the season. So very much put into one episode. So many amazing scenes. Misha, Jared, Jensen,& even the little girl. Everyone was phenominal
I hated this episode because it was about a supporting character that I was not interested in to begin with.
Never watched again and never will.
This episdoe is one of the reasons I have misgivings about JC as show runner.
I hated the episode, too, but I don’t put that off on Carver. The thing about Carver is that he most often introduced possible new directions the show could have gone. In this particular episode, he set up all the rules for angels and their vessels and that was a prominent theme throughout S5.
Actually, I wonder if EK even thought of providing the angelology or if Carver just pitched a story about Cas because of the favorable reaction to Cas’s character and it was his idea to provide the rules. Too bad there was no investment in any of the support characters, and that included Jimmy, who we’ve never seen again.
IMO, in this episode Carver set up a real potential for exploring Ruby getting Sam addicted and then dumping him. That story could have played out pretty interestingly with regard to Sam and Dean’s relationship, but the show didn’t go in that direction. Instead of Sam having to face his addiction problem because Ruby dumped him, the very next episode he was back being led around by his you know what to the point of completely rejecting his brother (After the Levee Breaks).
I didn’t hate or love this episode, but it was certainly well done, well acted and crafted. I am in the minority as a fan in that I don’t love, love Castiel and think he’s the greatest addition that the show has ever seen, but I also don’t despise his character and want to see him float back to heaven never to return. I like the character, he’s been an adversary and an ally by turns. I liked him best in season 4 when we were unsure about his motives and again in season 5, when he was dedicated to helping the Winchesters, but had limited powers. His Deus ex Machina abilities were a problem though in many story lines.
I did enjoy getting to see another side to Misha as an actor as his Jimmy was so completely unassuming, normal, ordinary and completely unlike Castiel. That was a nice touch and displayed nice range from Misha. My issue with the episode was in the balance. There was just far too much information about Jimmy and his family. They are unimportant, and have not been mentioned since, and I am willing to bet that we won’t hear from any of them again. Castiel is so much his own character that I completely forget that he even needs a vessel, and that the trench coat wearing guy that we see isn’t Castiel at all. Nothing about Jimmy or his family was important to the larger story at all, and was therefore never mentioned again after this episode, so I wonder why they bothered with so much detail. More time should have been spent on what was brewing between Sam and Dean. Sam’s addiction details were FASCINATING but given very little screen time, and Dean had barely any time to react to what Sam was doing, so all we got was angry, judgmental Dean.
I admit I didn’t really care about Jimmy Novack, BUT my biggest problem with The Rapture is the fact that it happened in a complete and total vacuum and the realistic ramifications were never followed up.
In the beginning of season four, we were told that angels had to have consent. That Castiel took the body of a devout man who wanted to serve God. In The Rapture we and they see that Jimmy Novack wants NOTHING to do with Angels ever again. He will never give consent again. He wants to go home, be with his family and try to forget his year as a vessel. When he is injured he makes it clear he would rather be dead than become Castiel’s vessel again. He only consents because Castiel convinced his terrified daughter that if she became his vessel then she could save her Mommy and Daddy. Castiel then gets Jimmy’s body back by stating that he will keep Claire’s body and Jimmy can go be at peace while his daughter suffers a fate that Jimmy has stated is worse than death.
Up until this moment, possession was always considered a violation and wrong. When Michael and Lucifer want to use Sam and Dean they are repulsed by the idea of becoming angel condoms. Sam and Dean’s lives have been shaped and ruined by a supernatural being breaking up their family and taking their mother away via death. They have also lived with the horror of seeing their father possessed. San and Dean know that Castiel has destroyed a family, is using a man against his will and is ready willing and able to use a CHILD against her father to get consent for Castiel’s own needs. This should horrify them on every level. The friendship should at least be affected by this. Part of Castiel’s promise to Jimmy was that if Jimmy said yes again, then the Angels would protect Jimmy’s family. Once Castiel broke from the angels, I can’t see why they would keep that promise. Yet no one even thinks to check up on Claire and Amelia. If Castiel had said that Jimmy was killed one of the many times that Castiel “died” then I could understand the total dismissal of Jimmy’s family. Or if they had gone back and found out that Zachariah had killed Claire and Amelia so that Jimmy didn’t have a family out there being ruined by Castiel it would have made sense. Instead we have Sam and Dean totally ignoring the fact that a perfectly innocent little family has been destroyed in much the way their family was by Azazel.
And, really, does JC have a thing about the name Amelia, or could Sam’s Amelia be Jimmy’s Amelia? Or is JC just recycling names? And considering Amy Pond is the full name of Sam’s childhood friend Amy and Amy Pond is also a character from Doctor Who and her full name is Amelia Pond, does the entire writing staff have an Amelia complex? Can’t they buy a book of baby names and get some variety? I mean how many Amelia’s do you know?
Good point, percyowner. I hadn’t thought of that. I liked Cas in S4, but not since that season ended. Put in this light, it should be no surprise to anyone, especially Dean and the value he puts on family, that Cas screwed him around in the end.
I thought this was a excellent episode and Misha was amazing in it. And you’re completely right, Jared’s withdrawal performance kicked ass. So well written and beautifully shot. A really excellent episode. But I don’t rewatch this one that much, not because of secondary character at the forefront, but because Jimmy really really makes me sad. He was trying to do the right thing, trying to be faithful and ends up being in torment. Finally gets out and put his family endanger and sacrifices himself to further torment to save his daughter-ugh. So good, but so sad. And it uncomfortable for me to watch Castiel if I have recently watched this episode or am reminded of Jimmy, so I don’t watch it a lot. I really hope Jimmy was killed when Castiel was and God only healed the body and did not “save” Jimmy, just his body. I personally would prefer memorex to a lifetime of torment.
Despite that, that last scene KICKED ASS. It really shouldn’t have been shocking. WE knew what Sam was doing, but to see him become so desperate that he does that in front of Dean-FAN -FREAKIN- TASTIC. That was soooo good. Second best Sam drinking blood moment, first has to be MBV “Wait your turn”. Love this SHOW!!
And those last two scenes, in the Impala and when they lock Sam in the panic room. Unbelievable – great episode.
Alice, I whimper “Bobby”, every time I see him. As much as I loved Death’s Door, I wished they hadn’t killed Bobby.
Side notes on the dream lake shot. I swear that looks exactly like the lake in Scully’s dream in One Breath of the X-Files. It might actually be since they shot in Vancouver too or maybe it’s just because both are dreams.
Poor Jimmy. He really did get screwed horribly in this deal. Here’s a devout man who wants to be of service to the powers he’s always imagined as the ultimate force for good, and they give him a mountain of pain and put his family in danger to boot. In the end, he had no choice but to go through it all again, or watch the same happen to his child. Horrible. I’m with you, Kelly–I always hoped that Jimmy ended up dying in the off-screen Chunky Soup explosion of 4.22, because no one deserves what that body’s been through by now.
I liked the angels being ruthless warriors for God, but when they became just as murderous, double-dealing, and evil as demons, I thought that was a mistake. If both sides of a battle are equally bad, then it’s a hop, skip, and a jump to nihilism, and that’s where show spent a lot of time in S5. No, you can’t have angels fixing everything for the boys or it wouldn’t be a show, but I thought show lost a lot of its layers with the angels that were present in early S4 and just went with “Everyone’s a dick, so there’s no difference.” Meh.
Another love-hate episode. I never cared much for Castiel over the brothers, but this was a solidly plotted episode IMHO, so gotta give Carver credit for that. The opening scene is just amazing. But I’d rather not watch anything with blood-junkie Sam because it hurts so.
Yeah, show, why did you kill Bobby? Why, why, WHY?
Whew, honestly, while I loved all the drama in this episode, it doesn’t often get a rewatch, along with When The Levee Breaks, because it’s one of those ones that hurts in that specific way only an episode of Supernatural can, and only comes out when I’m either a.) Doing the full rewatch or b.) feeling particularly masochistic.
I think I may have actually screamed, while hiding behind my fingers, at the scene where Sam goes postal on that demon. I was noticing the whole way through those subtle signs you mentioned, Alice, but I don’t think I was quite expecting that. And that shot of Claire with all that bright light, is actually one of my favourites of the series.