sweetondean’s Wrap-Up of “Supernatural” 9.03 – “I’m No Angel”

Let me start off by saying….. I am so thankful that the makeup this season is not all golden and overdone – or as a friend said to me – all Malibu Ken tan! It’s so lovely to see Dean’s freckles. Another friend of mine once called them “school girl freckles”. The way they speckle over the bridge of his nose – like tiny dots of perfection. It’s really kind of adorable. This big, gruff guy with the cutest darn freckles! I’m also thankful for the amount of puppy dog eyes going around this season. Cass was practically one of those pound puppies in this ep, with big, sad, blue eyes the colour of – I don’t even know….BLUE in uppercase. And Sam seems to puppy-dog-eye-it every time Zeke bugs out. He looks all… “What happened?” Mostly because he’s usually on the ground having been knocked about. Sam could break the hearts of an entire nation with one puppy dog glance. Also, his hair was awesomely apooft with angel awesome…

Yes, I’m leading with this…freckles, puppy dog eyes and awesome hair. These things are important.
I was worried about this episode, because I’ve been enjoying/fretting over/enjoying/fretting over the Zeke/Sam/Dean triangle and I didn’t want to get drawn out of that story (no offence Cass.) But I was happy to discover that I wasn’t, because I got that particular spectacular trinity, but I also got a story about Castiel that made me want to run and hug him within an inch of his life! Even when he was all wet and drippy. Actually, especially when he was all wet and drippy…

Naw Cass. This was a Castiel that I could get on board with. I’ve had issues with Cass in the past in relation to the writing of his character. He started off as this epic and powerful being and somewhere down the line, he became comic relief. There’s fish out of water funny and then, well, there isn’t.
I get it. They wrote themselves into a corner. What on earth do you do with an angel? How do you have him around without having him fix everything? So they made him fall – exploded him – resurrected him – made him duplicitous – stuffed him full of Leviathan – exploded him – resurrected him – married him off briefly – made him crazy – sent him to Purgatory – brought him back as a pawn in an angel war – had him break Heaven and all the angels and then stripped him of his Grace…which is where I thought they were going to go all along. Because really, it’s the only way they can continue to have the character in the story and continue to put the Winchesters in real peril without having an angel at their beck and call.
Where they go with Cass next is yet to be seen, um, obviously. I was chatting with a friend at work today about what his journey might be. We decided (and we were kind of happy with ourselves) that he should be faced with a choice… Remain human – which we think he’ll end up digging – and remain with the Winchesters, or sacrifice his newfound humanity and happiness, along with his friendship with Dean and Sam, to regain his Grace and rebuild Heaven, as he was partly responsible for destroying it. Of course, Cass would choose the later. He is an angel after all and a good intentioned one, regardless of his missteps. He also learnt about sacrifice from the masters of sacrifice. The sacrificial Winchesters! If this is where the story went, I wonder what that would mean for the character’s future. Would his return to Heaven be the end? Would ET finally go home? But of course, this was just us writing the show for the writers! Which I never condone. But we did feel rather clever!

Human Cass is funny, but in the most endearing way. You can’t help but giggle at his discomfort around urinating, around his confusion over how difficult it is to sleep, around his sudden realisation that there are boobs passing him by on the street, or that all of a sudden he’s awash with hormones that make him put out for the first chick that comes along! It was all smile inducing, but at the same time deeply touching as he struggled with all of these things that he has seen, but never been thrown into quite so completely. What was beautiful was that though he was very much alone, he was never really alone because so many human hands reached out to help him and offer him advice, food or a place to rest – even if it was in an old bus under a bridge. He may know the truth about what’s really going on upstairs, but he also saw how great humanity can be, how powerful faith can be and how pretty gosh darn awesome being a human can be. I mean the sex alone…he finally got to put his Pizzaman learning’s into play. I hope he didn’t spank the Reaper (sounds like a euphemism) though I guess she did deserve it.
Cass was also kick-ass, which he should be! I liked that he got to kebob the pharmacist vessel. He’s always been a warrior, so I was happy to see he wasn’t shown as inept, now that he’s no angel. I like this Cass a lot and though I hunger for the Zeke/Sam/Dean dynamic, I was happy to spend some time getting to see the setup of what Castiel’s journey will be this season. I probably would have taken him home too…in fact no probably about it…
I have to say I tittered with glee when Cass spilled the beans to his Winchester buddies, about having the sex with the Reaper. Sam and Dean’s reactions were priceless. Did he have protection? Yes, he had an angel blade! Ha! Sam: “errm ah.” Stop it, Show! That’s damn hilarious! Also the brother’s faces when he told them they would be good teachers. I so enjoyed that scene it was so fun…and then it wasn’t.

GAH! Dean got manipulated into sending Cass away. I wasn’t surprised, because push/shove Dean will always choose Sam. Remember nothing past or present has ever been put in front of him. Dean thought Sam might be in danger of dying or something equally not good, if Zeke split. For Dean in that moment, he could see no other choice but to protect his little bro. He’s being driven by fear of pretty much everything right now. It’s all over his lovely face. I do hope that we get to see what he says to Cass, I’d like to see how he explains that one. Sam’s also going to be asking tricky questions and Dean’s going to have to spin another story. Hell, Cass may even ask questions. Let’s pack for another guilt trip for Dean.
Poor Cass. His face. One of the saddest faces ever. Misha Collins imbues Cass with such depth…he did a lovely job. They all did a lovely job, Jared zipping back and forth between Zeke and Sam and Jensen conveying every single emotion, ever known to man or woman, on his face. His subtle and nuanced performance is a thing of true beauty…just like him.

Which of course brings us to the trinity of hotness!
I don’t like the feeling of Zeke popping in unannounced, (though I did like Dean saying, yeah well my brother is helpful too, so bugger off and check your emails and let my brother back in control of his body) and I really did not like Dean calling on Zeke. That’s a slippery path my lovely…a very slippery path. This kind of thing is something that I think Sam will have great difficulty forgiving, he’s going to be horrified when he finds out. I optimistically hope he understands the rest and that this was his brother’s reaction out of fear and love and that he momentarily considered Sam’s feelings, even if in the long run, he went with something he knew Sam wouldn’t like! I hope Sam understands all of this because he understands Dean and he’s happy to still be beside his brother, but I think this calling on Zeke and shoving Sam to the back of his own brain is…well, it’s icky and not good and…ooooooo my aching tummy. I know Dean was desperate and of course I understand his motivation, but he needs to not be doing that…’kay? ‘Kay Dean? Don’t do that.

What got really interesting was the lies being heaped upon lies. It’s obvious Dean can no longer keep track of it all and it hasn’t even been that long! He’s forgetting who said what to him and responding to Sam about things Zeke and him discussed! Oh boy! It would be so damn confusing, talking to his brother, who is his brother, then not his brother, then is his brother… I was sweating with him every step of the way. Not only that, he’s got Sam and Cass looking at him as he tries to cover up a whacking great big lie with humour. Damn. Nice tap dancing there Dean! You may have fooled the two people who know you best, but you won’t fool them for long. I said last week that I figure Sam will sooner rather than later, see that something is amiss with Dean and start to get suspicious. Well now it’s becoming obvious that it’s probably not just going to be Dean’s emotional changes that flag that something fishy is going on, it’s probably going to be that Dean’s simply not making sense sometimes, because all these plates are hard to keep spinning. Oh what a tangled web we weave yada yada yada.
Dean breaks my heart. I can’t help it. He’s got himself into such a bother. He did this for (what I think anyway) was the best of reasons. I totally understand why. For Sam to die after the trials, having been stopped from dying to complete them would have been pointless. Not that Dean could tolerate Sam dying in any way, but dying then would have seemed even worse. Now the whole thing is snowballing and he’s got no one to turn to. I don’t blame him for not sharing the Zeke/Sam information with Cass, regardless of whether Cass vouched for Ezekiel or not. I’m pretty sure Cass would tell Sam. I’m pretty sure Dean would think Cass would tell Sam. So Dean’s alone. Dancing as fast as he can and he’s already starting to lose his footing.
Meep!
And what about this Zeke character? What the hell with the ultimatum, dude? Why are the other angels after him? Yeah…that whole scene made me squirm something shocking. Here Dean was having a fun moment with brother and his buddy and then he turns to his brother to share a laugh and BOOM, Ezekiel. It made me so sad for them both and so worried and so squicked out. I went from hoping that Zeke may be an okay guy to instantly not trusting or believing in him. Ultimatums never come from a good place. Plus when Dean asked why the angels would be after him, Zeke evaded like a son of a bitch. You know that Dean would have gone to his room, dropped on to his mattress that remembers him and let that whole thing gnaw at his bones. Because, what can he do? He doesn’t know how Sam is doing on the inside. He and his brother are essentially being held for ransom by a freakin’ angel. How is that going to turn out anything but bad? Dean said way back at the end of season 3 that the brothers are each other’s weak spot and the evil sons of bitches know it…well add to that the angels. Sam is Dean’s weak spot and he will do anything to save him – for good or bad – and Zeke now knows it and he’s got Dean over a barrel. FRACK.

When Sam was Sam, it was so wonderful to see him looking well; smiling and laughing, being all Sam-like, getting his brother a greasy breakfast and worrying over his brother’s consumption of Leviathan food. That was probably my favourite scene…
Sam: Look at these chemicals! Do you even read the label?
Dean: No, I read pie, the rest is just blah blah blah.
Did Dean actually get some pie? Sweet lord of the rings! Sam and Dean’s interactions were lovely in this episode. This is how I like to see them, working well as a team, being smart, teasing each other, laughing together, being brothers. It would be all so adorable and wibbly if it wasn’t for that hitchhiker listening in on everything they say and popping up at any inopportune moment. That, nup, I do not like that…but I kind of love it…but I don’t…but I do… Ack! This show toys with my emotions!

Oh and Dean baby? Don’t feel bad you didn’t know who Clarence was…I had to Google him when Meg first said the name. I’ve never seen that movie either! I still didn’t realise he was an angel until Sam told Dean (and me)! So obviously Dean and I watch something different to everyone else at Christmastime!
As much as this whole storyline around Ezekiel is giving me heartburn, I’m really loving it. It’s going to explode in an epic fireworks display of feels. I can see it coming. It gives me a lump in my throat and my stomach and a knot in my delts…
I don’t want either brother to suffer. I don’t want their brotherness to suffer. I want them to stay on the same page. I don’t want them going down the angry paths of the past. I’m loving the unity that we get when Sam is Sam. (Admittedly, I also like it when Sam is Zeke…he looks even taller somehow, which seems ridiculous in its impossibility!) I don’t want Dean to live to regret a decision born of love. I really don’t. But I bet he does.
The road to Hell is paved with yada yada yada.

I honestly do love this god damn show. It hurts so good. The brothers – the car – the pop culture – the angels and demons and all the creatures in between – the random people exploding – or dancing their feet off – or getting caught in a photocopier – or getting chopped by a garage door – basically, the blood and gore – the morally grey areas and the places they take us as we all discuss their ins and outs – and of course, the pretty pretty. It’s fun. It really is a fun hour of TV. And did I mention the pretty? *whispers* freckles.
Next week looks awesome. Like okay, awesome. AWESOME. Eeeee! It’s Robbie Thompson and Charlie and more bunker and seriously, if I don’t hear “I’ll get you my pretties…” Right? Right!?

Thanks for reading!
-sweetondean
I agree..we have to hear ” I’ll get you my pretties” at least once..once!!! LOL Great review as always. I agree with everything you said. Everytime I read your reviews it’s like you reached into my mind and brought out all my thoughts along with yours and put pen to paper. We think so much the same way about this show. I am loving everything about this season..and I LOVE, LOVE Jared’s performance of Zeke/Sam. He hits it everytime. Both these boys just blow me away with their acting even after all this time..LOVE THEM!! And Misha..he was awesome this week. He made me sad and happy and laugh the whole time he was on screen. They are all magnificent actors and I love watching them..and being so gorgeous just makes it icing on the cake! :))
Take care,
Jane
I love reading your reviews because, like you, I tend to just let Show take me where it will and enjoy the ride without nitpicking the details. So it’s always refreshing (especially on weeks like this one) to read a review that doesn’t put a damper on my own enthusiasm. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your love of Show every week 🙂
While this is my least favourite episode this season – not hard since the other two were beyond brilliant and given that my feelings about Cas have whittled down to ‘meh’ – there was a lot that I did like. For all the reasons you’ve said. We are seeing more of the path that Zeke seems to be on, even if we still don’t know what that is. I’d like to be able to trust him, since he literally has Sam’s life in his hands, but I don’t BECAUSE he has Sam’s life in his hands.
I am so looking forward to next ep. Charlie, Oz! So, is Dean Tinman, or Lion?, and Sam Scarecrow?
#3Kimj. Too funny! I’m thinking Sam is scarecrow and Zeke is the Wizard!
Great review for a great episode that sets up so much to come. And, yes, I had real issues with Dean using Zeke like that…slippery slope dude! This is going to be soooo much fun!
your breakdown of everything they have done to cas is spot on 😉 sounds like a soap opera character.
amy IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE is an AMERICAN CLASSIC that plays 7 times a year at least. the only other I can think of is THE WIZARD OF OZ. there is no way a 35 year old AMERICAN does not know.
I want a spin-off. so I hope everyone does whatever the hell they have to do. cas the MOL, older hunters teaching new ones. MAKE IT HAPPEN people 😛
cas can be human living and learning in RUFUS’ cabin.
lets see what Robbie does. I am with this show til the end. RIDE OR DIE 😆
Sam’s angelically poofy hair was awesome. But I think Dean’s hair is winning this season so far. 😉
Sweetondean, always love your reviews! This one made me laugh several times. I am as nervous/excited as you are at the way this season is going. I love the ride but I can see this is going to be bad when Sam finds out. I agree with the “he needs to not be doing that …’kay?” He is kinda compounding things. He is going to have some ‘splaining to do!!
I did enjoy this episode more than I expected. I just watched it today (fell asleep Tues 🙂 ) The human Cas story was so sweet and sad. I loved how various people helped him along the way, that was a nice touch. The ‘ouch’ on his face when Dean told him he had to leave was so sad. He finally felt safe and among friends. 😥
I LOVE the photo of Zam with the crazy hair. Even as I watched it today, I was struck with what a cool shot that was! Great review!
Oh yeah, in my one-woman protest against bad fandom behavior the letters after my name mean Fed-up ,Frustrated, Fan for Civility. The recent twitter attacks against people that are involved with the show are embarrassing.
Thanks for another heart felt review about the show we all love Amy!
The storyline is great and I wouldn’t change it despite all the emotions I go through as I am watching it. That’s what makes it good though isn’t it – I feel what the characters are feeling! I nearly broke down and started screaming within 2 seconds of each other in the final seconds of the show. It broke my heart to see Dean have to kick Cass out and seeing Cass’s face was just so emotional AND why, oh, why Zeke are you giving Dean an ultimatum?! As Jared eluded to, that cannot be good (and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out)! Loved seeing Cass as a human and his learning curve – just the right amount of feels and humor.
Everyone on the show is fabulous – the acting is superb, the directing has been great with some awesome visuals, the VFX crew continues to amaze, and I know everyone not onscreen puts their all into everything to make our little show that could (and definitely does)! I wish we could give them each individual awards and hugs each day along with a simple thank you for what they do and share with us each week.
Onto next week and a classic, not to mention Felicia Day is back with all her pretties!!! 🙂
Amy,
As a Samgirl I have to say Sam wouldn’t have died for nothing. He (they) chose his (their) brother over the final trial…over closing Hell. Sam chose family.He choose to let go of all the negatives, the anger, resentments, fears…. etc…
But I’m also not a fan of Sam being possessed, his free will being taken from him. Of Sam not being Sam and again being isolated and alone.
JAred having fun is small consolation. Zeke in league with Abaddon or Metranon or Crowly would make up for a lot because right now Sam being possessed has no purpose (they didn’t have to have Sam near death/die) other then tohave Dean overload on guilt about which is dumb since if Sam ever learns the truth he’s going to forgive Dean….. and keep Sam out of all the action.
[quote]Amy,
He (they) chose his (their) brother over the final trial…over closing Hell. Sam chose family.He choose to let go of all the negatives, the anger, resentments, fears…. etc…
[/quote]
Oh yes, I 100% agree – you’re preaching to the converted on that one! Both brothers will always choose each other. It’s what draws me to the show. Their story.
[quote]
amy IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE is an AMERICAN CLASSIC that plays 7 times a year at least. the only other I can think of is THE WIZARD OF OZ. there is no way a 35 year old AMERICAN does not know.
[/quote]
Yeah, it’s on TV all the time here too, but I never watch it. Maybe next time I will (though I probably won’t)!
😀 miss thang what am I gonna do with you……
EVERYTIME A BELL RINGS AN ANGEL GETS HIS WINGS. ding ding a ling. 8)
all for you kiddo. xxo
[quote]:D miss thang what am I gonna do with you……
EVERYTIME A BELL RINGS AN ANGEL GETS HIS WINGS. ding ding a ling. 8)
all for you kiddo. xxo[/quote]
For you, I promise next time I will watch it. 😛
[quote]
Oh yeah, in my one-woman protest against bad fandom behavior the letters after my name mean Fed-up ,Frustrated, Fan for Civility. The recent twitter attacks against people that are involved with the show are embarrassing.[/quote]
In solidarity with you and in equal embarrassment over what has happened over the past few days Leah!
Honestly it’s a tv show and these are real people that are being harassed – let’s remember the difference.
I love your reviews, Sweetondean. I read it twice because it gave me such a warm and fuzzie feeling that I don’t want to let go. I love this episode and you perfectly put into words what I felt when I watched it.
Poor Dean breaks my heart each episode with his panic every time Zeke threatens Sam’s safety. He knows (and so do you and I) that this is going to go nowhere fast. It is going to blow up in his face. But yet he is willing to put everything on the line for his little brother. I so so hope that it doesn’t come back to bite him this time. Please can he just have a bit of understanding this time. Okay…I know, I know. Its Supernatural.
I am loving watching the Sam/Zeke interchange. I think it is a fabulous plot line and I dig the blue eyes. (Great job, VFX!!)
i just finished watching it again. i really was able to pay closer attention to the scene between dean and zeke. first off, i didn’t see this as a sinister threat. i feel that zeke is genuinely afraid of something. i got that he didn’t want to leave sam, but i felt he would have no choice to if cas stayed. dean asked zeke what are you afraid of, the angels? and zeke gave dean the sam face that sam gives when sam is keeping something from dean. so i started to wonder if maybe, at one point zeke and bart were allies, very close to ea. other. i’m also wondering if perhaps bart went darkside while zeke stayed truer to his mission to protect humans, and his faith/following of cas. what if zeke betrayed bart? kind of like a uriel/cas anna/cas thing. where they were once very close, maybe part of the same garrison, but ea. went their separate ways in what they believe in. based on zeke’s fearful reaction leading up to the ultimatum, i got the feeling that bart is trying to kill ezekiel and zeke was hiding out ( i thought that soon after noticing that zeke was boarding a bus, i couldn’t help but connect to cas, who when running from naomi and everyone else, was on a bus too) …once zeke got the call from dean winchester, well zeke, being hurt, could use his help. thus when he found out what dean wanted, he in essence has been given a safe place to be til he regains his strength. bart seems to want to create heaven on earth. zeke might want to keep to the angels true mission, protecting humans, being our guardians. heck i think it’s even possible that zeke may have not even gotten hurt in the fall. he may have had a confrontation with bart on earth soon after they fell. bart all pissed off, wanting cas’s head on a plate and seeing fit to make earth his new domain to rule over. zeke, who wants to protect both human kind and cas because he believes in both of these things, might have tussled with bart and bart hurt zeke really bad. maybe bart thinks he killed zeke which is why he’s not mentioned going after him and is strictly focused on cas.
E had asked me on the other thread where i posted this why zeke thought cas had to go, thinking that perhaps it was more due to the fact that cas would recognize zeke. but cas is human, so i don’t think cas would be able to tell zeke was hiding in sam. i didn’t see that as an issue for zeke to be worried about. i thought he made much more sense fearing the angels would find cas at the bunker & the fellow angels would be able to recognize zeke, especially bartholomew.
guess bottome line is that i still don’t think zeke is bad. but i definitely think there’s something up with him and he’s keeping a secret from dean. 😮
Given how weak this writing team is, I actually enjoyed this episode more than I thought I would (needlesly convoluted reaper lore notwithstanding!).
I agree SoD, I am soooooo loving this bizzare and questionable ‘love’ triangle we’ve got going on here between Sam/Ezekiel/Dean. What a slippery slope Dean is on, its kind of fun in that “this is fun, but probably shouldn’t be” way to watch him squirm, lie, get confused about the lies, and basically angst over all the lies while waiting for the whole thing to blow up in his face, which we (and he) knows it will. Ah, poor Dean, I am really enjoying (in a sick kind of way) his torment. 😆
Hi nappi815
I’m hoping that Zeke’s intent is altruistic and I’m with you, I think he’s on the run. The bus thing ran bells from the start. I still feel that he’s going to be one of the good guys, but I felt really uncomfortable with him not coming clean about why he needs to hide.
Cass can hear angel radio but can’t see them, so I agree, I think this was about ensuring that having Cass anywhere in their presence, did not bring the angels down upon him.
I want him to be good – and to be honest, I think he will end up being one of the good guys. It seems right for the angel that inhabits Sam to be a good guy….yeah, I know, Lucifer…but that was different. 😆
I was so pissed off/embarrassed at this fandom crap today, that I swore I was going to stay away from it all, and just enjoy my show…..
And then you go and post this fun, happy article, with that picture (Yes, you know the one)…. and crap. Resolve = broken.
I love this show…..
And the views of the pretty ain’t half bad either! 😉
Thanks, sweetondean, for bringing back the fun. (And go watch Wonderful Life for crying out loud! It’s Jimmy Stewart!)
Hey E
What’s a bet he ends up calling Sam, Zeke.
“What did you just call me, Dean?”
“Errrrr”
AWKWARD!
st50 – we can’t let them steal the enjoyment of our show. I won’t have that!
I’m just going to stay in my bubble of love and pretty…so pretty….pretty… Wait, what were we talking about? 😀
(Glad you came back…and you’re welcome 😉 )
Let me start off by saying….. I am so thankful for your reviews, Sweetondean. It is so easy to get caught up in all the drama & it can suck the joy right out of an episode (if you let it, which, I admit, I have a bit this week). But your reviews always bring back the joy… and remind me why I love this show so much!
THIS!!
[quote]I honestly do love this god damn show. It hurts so good. The brothers – the car – the pop culture – the angels and demons and all the creatures in between – the random people exploding – or dancing their feet off – or getting caught in a photocopier – or getting chopped by a garage door – basically, the blood and gore – the morally grey areas and the places they take us as we all discuss their ins and outs – and of course, the pretty pretty. It’s fun. It really is a fun hour of TV. And did I mention the pretty? *whispers* freckles.[/quote]
I haven’t commented much on WFB this season because I’ve been so busy, but I love the start to S9.
I love watching Jared in his dual Sam/Zeke role. His transitions are seamless… and you’re right, he seems taller as Zeke 😕 And, I love seeing Sam look so happy and healthy.
I love watching Jensen as Dean struggles with his secret. It’s so difficult for Dean, having done what he did for love, but knowing that Sam is going to find out sooner of later. It’s such a delicious dilemma.
I also love your description – “the trinity of hotness” – it’s very apt.
I also love watching Misha as a Cas getting used to ‘being human’. Beautiful nuances in his performance this week, showing his compassion and his confusion, and his absolute love & joy for humans (which he’s always had).
I enjoyed this episode, particularly as I went in with low expectations with these writers. It really was great (without too much to criticize, IMHO).
Thanks again Sweetondean. I can’t wait for the ‘Oz’ episode (and your review). They are both sure to be fun 😆
As usual you read my mind. Right after the show I was texting a friend and the first thing I said was Dean is weaving a web of craziness. He is already confused and even though he is a good liar, he is NOT good at lying to Sam. Not for long anyway. This is driving him crazy. And the other thing I said to my friend was how he says it all with a look.
I’m with you. Love the Sam/Zeke thing, but I don’t. And I actually sort of yelled at my TV when Dean called Zeke out. I was trying to describe to my friend how that scene made me feel and I couldn’t come up with anything sophisticated to describe it. I will concur that ICKY is the best description! My stomach just went sour and said out loud, to no one since I was alone, NOOOO what are you doing? This is soooooo wrong.
I said I thought Sam could forgive Dean a lot of things but Dean calling out Zeke just seemed so wrong and I wondered how much Sam will remember later. I am curious if once Zeke is gone if Sam will retain some memories of Zeke/Dean interactions. Or flashbacks. Oh my, so much to think about. Great season but I’m in a tizzy over so many things.
Loved your review. It was great to read after all of the nasty going around. I just want to sit back and enjoy this piece of art each week Seriously, some people need to take a chill pill. Why do they even watch?
Thanks Amy!!
Hi Amy!! Thanks heaps for such a great happy review as usual – you know many of us are addicted to them, right? RIGHT?!? 😀 You hit the nail on the head many times in your review, and I also am both dreading the confrontation (which will happen) when Sam finds out about Zeke, and also looking forward to it, with nervous anticipation!! Oh the angst, but I hope Sam will have understanding of the reason why. Thanks again for being the beacon in the often gloomy fandom world.
Hi Sweetondean
Am so glad you enjoyed the ep! I wish I could share in the pretty, but I am a mopey little monkey this week! I don’t like what they are doing to Dean’s character sniff sniff. So I am going to take a deep breath and blow off some steam here, so please burn after reading. WHAH.. I am sooo upset! once again… the ONE THING that keeps me coming back for more is this love that Dean has for Sam which somehow gets him to be a man greater than himself. He makes these mad crazy unbelievably hard decisions, but they end up being right in the end because love is always right dammit, and good and beautiful. We all long for that pure untarnished love that Dean has for Sam in the deepest place in his heart. That is quintessentially the show for me. Sam endures and has endured so much because of that love, He understands the true essence of what Dean is about when Dean is making those decisions, hurtful though they are sometimes. My point about this is that they are beginning to tarnish this pure, deep beautiful bond that Dean and Sam share and are starting to turn it into something else. I don’t know what yet, but I am not liking where this is going. The good pure love that the [i]show[/i] has had us believe is in Dean, would [i]never[/i] kick a family member out to possibly face their own death. Whatever happened to the leader who says “we will find a way, we always do”. The old Dean would have called Zeke’s bluff. There is no vessel better than Sam’s and Zeke should know that, and what a c**p move to get someone to choose like that. EEEEEK
sorry I am such a killjoy today
Oh and another thing, how is Dean actually going to tell Sam he has an angel in him, when Zeke can interfere at will and prevent Sam from hearing it? The writers are going to have to explain THAT one!
“The road to hell is paved with yada yada yada”
Can I get that on a t-shirt? Love it!!!
Thank you for this shiny, positive review sweetondean!
Like others here, I was disappointed by fandom reactions in the wake of this episode. (I’m sorry, but I can’t hear any more rants about sunken ships, I really can’t…)
But your review feels like a breath of fresh air! And I also liked this episode very much! And not only the pretty!
I really love human!Cass. I like how he was portrayed in this episode – not too goofy, but kinda lost and overwhelmed by his new humanity (loved the scene on the street, where he was lost in all the hubbub and smells and sights) but at the same time asking the right existential questions. And he was smart, and very badass! I also loved the scene with the lady in the church.
Poor Dean – it’s starting to get a bit too much with all those lies, how long before it all comes out? Jensen portrayed Dean’s emotions so beautyfully – well ok, he always does! 🙂 But it makes sense that he called Zeke to help him – how stupid would it be if he wouldn’t? But poor Sam, also – he’s, once again, not in control of anything that happens to him with Zeke inside of him… But I really liked how Jared portrayed the changes from Sam to Zeke. (Ah, you’re right, Jensen, Jared and Misha, they all did a lovely job here!)
And what’s up with the ultimatum, Zeke? What is he hiding? Poor Cass, his expression after Dean told him he has to go – he looked so much like a kicked puppy, he almost rivalled Sam’s puppy dog eyes! But it’s totally understandable that Dean would send Cass away after that, and not only because he’ll always choose Sam first. The way things seem right now (if Zeke isn’t lying to us), if Zeke leaves Sam, Sam will definitely die. Sending Cass away doesn’t equal certain death for him. So, the decision makes absolute sense, doesn’t it? But I’m really curious about Zeke right now. Who is he hiding from? Is he a good guy, or bad news? I want to know more about him!
I really love the start of this season. I love this show, I love that it’s still amazing and that it still suprises us, and I can’t wait for more!
[quote]Oh and another thing, how is Dean actually going to tell Sam he has an angel in him, when Zeke can interfere at will and prevent Sam from hearing it? The writers are going to have to explain THAT one![/quote]
Sam will learn about Ezekiel in episode five, I think,
Love the review and the positive vibes. Stay fluffy 😀
Sweetondean – thank you for the cheerful review – much needed after some of the nastiness on Twitter and other social media platforms this week.
For me, this was an okay episode but, then again, the first two S9 episodes were great so there was bound to be a little letdown. And besides, I’ll take an okay episode of Supernatural over just about anything else on TV nowadays.
Thanks SweetonDean, I always get a kick out of reading your reviews, they have the funny, the sad and the pretty. Yes, freckles indeed. 😳 I finally did get to see them up close in Toronto, and oh my, it made me week in the knees. 😳
All right, enough of that, on to the episode. I loved Cass in this, Misha did such a great job. You’re right SoD, he was becoming too much of a one trick pony. The Winchesters are in trouble, let’s get the angel to fix it, let’s make him the comic relief, let’s make him the bad guy. Enough! I like the change up. Too bad they killed Meg, his first time should have been with her. 😥 And many, many kudos go out to Jared for portraying yet another character. His transitions from Sam to Zeke are impeccable, no wonder Dean is getting whiplash! 😆 But oh, one of these days Dean will call Sam Zeke and all Hell will break loose, and I don’t mean Crowley.
Can’t wait for next week’s ep. I love Charlie and Robbie Thompson. And SoD, I’m with Nolanola in getting you to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life”. It’s # 3 on the AFI’s best movies of all time. You’ll love it, guaranteed.
@29 Mick
Does episode 5 coincide with the holiday break? Don’t know if my shattered nerves can stand it much longer. I think Dean is paving his road with very slippery stones here! Calling up Zeke in front of Sam. I think he is playing a little fast and loose here.
Mick what I mean about Dean being able to tell Sam that he has an angel in him is, the way the character is being written, it seems to be that Zeke can show up whenever he wants. So if he suspects that Dean is going to spill the beans, what’s to stop him interfering and preventing Sam from hearing it? That is my concern, that Dean is over a barrel here, and he doesn’t seem to know how far off the reservation he is going with this!!
[quote]Oh and another thing, how is Dean actually going to tell Sam he has an angel in him, when Zeke can interfere at will and prevent Sam from hearing it? The writers are going to have to explain THAT one![/quote]
And Zeke – good or bad – after spending all that time in Sams head could probably easily pretend he is Sam and Dean would never know. Look how easily Meg fooled Dean in Born Under a Bad a Sign.
I think fans are thinking about the story details far more then the writers.
[quote]@29 Mick
Does episode 5 coincide with the holiday break? Don’t know if my shattered nerves can stand it much longer. I think Dean is paving his road with very slippery stones here! Calling up Zeke in front of Sam. I think he is playing a little fast and loose here.
Mick what I mean about Dean being able to tell Sam that he has an angel in him is, the way the character is being written, it seems to be that Zeke can show up whenever he wants. So if he suspects that Dean is going to spill the beans, what’s to stop him interfering and preventing Sam from hearing it? That is my concern, that Dean is over a barrel here, and he doesn’t seem to know how far off the reservation he is going with this!![/quote]
The break wouldn’t be until episodes 9 or 10.
Carver or Singer didan interview where they talk about the Ezekiel situation and how Sam learns about, so to keep things spoiler free, you can try Google if you really need to know.
I was disappointed in this episode because so much of it didn’t seem to make any sense, such as the reapers and the Bartholemew character. Bartholomew would be fine as a demon but why would an angel be that sadistic?
The emotional scenes didn’t work for me because they felt contrived. The only thing that was missing from the Cas death scene and the scene with ‘heartbroken’ Cas at the end was a studio audience letting out an “awwwww” like in a cheesy episode of Full House. Very disappointed and confused as to why these writers are allowed to continue writing for the show considering all of the failures they have had.
[quote]I was disappointed in this episode because so much of it didn’t seem to make any sense, such as the reapers and the Bartholemew character. Bartholomew would be fine as a demon but why would an angel be that sadistic? [/quote]
Because angels are dicks, his characterization was completely in line with how antagonistic angels have been portrayed on the show.
The reapers have always been kind of underwritten/muddled in what they can or can’t do, some of it even contradictory (and I’m talking the Kripke years). Just because we haven’t seen a reaper do this or that in a prior episode, doesn’t mean it’s messing up canon, since the dos and don’ts of reaper abilities have never been explained on the show.
I’m sure someone else mentioned this, but why did Cas take his toothbrush into the toilet? No wonder he dislikes urinating!
Quoting Ann #36:
“I was disappointed in this episode because so much of it didn’t seem to make any sense, such as the reapers and the Bartholemew character. Bartholomew would be fine as a demon but why would an angel be that sadistic?”
He, he Ann! I’ve got four words for you!
Zachariah
Uriel
Raphael
Naomi
Bart fits in nicely with that crowd!
[quote]Quoting Ann #36:
“I was disappointed in this episode because so much of it didn’t seem to make any sense, such as the reapers and the Bartholemew character. Bartholomew would be fine as a demon but why would an angel be that sadistic?”
He, he Ann! I’ve got four words for you!
Zachariah
Uriel
Raphael
Naomi
Bart fits in nicely with that crowd![/quote]
But as viewers we understood their reasons and their anger toward the Winchesters. They didn’t come across as evil for the sake of being evil the way Bart does. He fits in better with demons we have seen.
Hi Ann,
Well, that’s true, we DID have some motivation from Zachariah and Naomi anyway, but I could never figure out why Raphael was so cold and calculating; and Uriel? He just hated human beings, no reason really.
Also, we’ve only seen Bart one time, perhaps the motivation for his awfulness will be outlined soon. Naomi’s motivation remained clouded in mystery until the last time we saw her…. 😆
sweetondean, you always bring the joy and I love that! I’ll admit this wasn’t my favorite episode, but it did have some really good moments. I thought Cas in the church with the woman was poignant and him under the bridge with the homeless people. And that line about protection was great. Though the jump into bed with some random woman felt off to me. I think it’s because Cas has never felt like a sexual character to me. Even his flirtations with Meg, he always seem like an embarrassed kid. So the jump to one night stand felt off. But that’s probably a me thing. I do hope they keep this Cas up though. With humor, but not the spoofishness they sometimes went to with him.
And HI KAZ!, this is for you too!
I’m loving the squick of the Sam/Dean/Zeke triangle too. The decision to trick Sam into saying yes was so morally wrong, but of course he’s going to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep Sam alive and with him. My heart breaks for Sam because he was ready to be at peace and only came back for Dean. But it breaks for Dean too, because you know he is hating this and himself for doing it but can’t let Sam go. It’s SPN angst at its finest. I do think your right that a big part of the reason that the couldn’t let Sam die was because it would have seemed too tragic to NOT close the Hell gates and Sam still dies. But I do think that the bigger part was that he just couldn’t let his Sammy go. And it’s selfish -yes but in a way that makes me love him even more.
It’s actually bothered me that for the last few seasons every time Dean did something that was morally questionable, the show would either implicitly or explicitly support that view (intentionally or not). It irritates me for Sam’s character but it actually pisses me off for Dean’s. Because it makes his character and storyline less interesting. His flaws and his struggles to do the right thing (and sometimes failing anyway) are part of the reason I love him so much. And let’s face it leads to better storylines. Like this one.
He’s on a slippery slope with Zeke (and I agree calling him Zeke is a bad sign). He’s consenting and even encouraging Zeke to take control when it needed, how much longer to have him do so because it’s convenient-this time skirted the edges IMO. He’s having heart to heart’s with Zeke in his brother’s body. He’s lying to Sam constantly and now has kicked out one of his best friends because of all this. It could all blow up in his face any minute. I love it!
Great review! I agree about the sad puppy dog eyes from Cas and Sam, although I think Cas may have outdone Sam on that this time. I felt really for bad for Dean having to look at those eyes and know that he was the cause of it, especially since he really didn’t want to! Poor Dean! He’s now lying to both Sam and Cas, the two people he’s closest to and Ezekiel’s kinda got him in a corner. Ugh! Of course, I realized that it is clever of TPTB to give a really good reason Dean would be forced to kick Cas out without people being mad at him for it. I heard that Cas wouldn’t be staying there because it was unsafe but thought it would be Cas’s idea to keep Sam and Dean safe(r) because i couldn’t think of a reason that Dean A) wouldn’t let him stay at the bunker or B) wouldn’t look like a jerk for doing it. Kudos on that one, I guess! Kinda interested to see what Cas learns from other humans that are just living their normal lives, working, having families, friends and fun … doubt it’s the last episode TFW will be together!
On a side note, I just watched the Tuesday episode of Agents of Shield yesterday and the woman who plays April was on it again, but this time she got killed. So, she got killed on the 8 pm show and then killed on the 9 pm show. That’s a lot of death for one actress in one night!
Amy,
Loved this review. Genius. I guess I’m trusting Zeke a little more than you, though. I think it’s because I want SO BADLY for it to turn out good for them. But wah! Dean is so dancing himself into a frenzy. I love this storyline even if it has so much grey. That’s this show, though. It’s grey!
Loved your discussion of Castiel, too. I wonder if he will choose to stay human or if he’ll have to go get his grace. So many questions!
And yes. Robbie Thompson and Charlie and Bunker and I can’t wait!
Excellent look at a great episode. Like you, I had concerns about how Cas’ story would be spun – but I was pleasantly surprised. He was given the due respect and not just a funny toy waived at the viewers for the better part of 40 minutes.
Oh, the Sam-Dean-Zeke trinity. Heartbreaking and oh so well done. As nail-bitingly stressful as watching the lies and manipulations are and as highly suspicious of Zeke as I am (growing more and more with every ep), I love this storyline so far.
Loved the recap – thank you!