Supernatural Hiatus Hunting: 4.16, On The Head of a Pin
The Impala zooms on a dark road at night, and I’m in love. Man have I missed that beauty. Of course we don’t see her much, just like Sam, but her few scenes are golden. There’s an interesting camera angle from the floorboard, and we see it’s Sam who’s driving like a maniac. Sammy? Wow, he has turned.
Dean’s in the passenger seat and he looks tired. And weary. And depressed. Sam is all gung ho about meeting Ruby outside of Cheyenne and tracking down some leads to get to Lilith. Dean is apathetic about the whole thing, and I don’t blame him. The words “Ruby” and “Cheyenne” make me cringe too. Sam wants to know what Dean’s problem is. Um Sam, HE’S DEPRESSED. It’s a basic human condition, look it up sometime.
Dean is still stinging about Pamela and how they dragged her into this even though she wanted no part. Sam, who seems to have gotten over Pam’s chilling words, says she knew what was at stake. ”Oh yeah, saving the world. We’re doing such a damn good job of it. I’m tired of burying friends, Sam.” Sam changes the subject, since he’s itching for a Lilith revenge filled showdown. ”If we catch a fresh trail-” and Dean finishes the sentence with ”we follow it, I know.” Except Dean’s words are loaded with indifference. Uh oh, Deano’s not in a good place right now. Of course his words that he’s getting tired pretty much confirm that too. Sam wants him to get angry. Dean looks somber, for all he wants is a nap.
Sam opens the motel room door, and Dean, again in very resigned voice, says “Home, crappy, home.” These guys really should splurge on a Hampton Inn or something nice, complete with in room whirlpool tub. It would do wonders for the damaged psyche. Sam turns on the light, and Uriel and Castiel are there. ”Oh come on,” Dean says. Now he’s angry Sam! Uriel is talking, Castiel is standing off to the side looking pious.
Uriel tells Dean he’s needed. ”We just got back from needed!” Dean yells. Uriel tells Dean to watch his tone, and that just makes him madder. Sam steps in, hoping to calm tensions, letting them know they just got back from Pamela’s funeral. Dean reminds them who psychic Pamela was. ”Cas, you remember her, you burned her eyes out. Remember that, Good times!” Castiel isn’t smiling. Come to think of it, he never does. When that does happen, I bet we will all fall dead from having our insides melt. Dean further reminds them she died saving one of their precious seals. ”So maybe you can stop pushing us around like chess pieces FOR FIVE FREAKING MINUTES!”
Uriel reminds Dean they raised him out of hell for their purposes. ”Yeah, what were those again? What exactly do you want from me?” Wow, Dean’s a bit raw, isn’t he? Uriel doesn’t care, for he tells him “Start with gratitude.” Castiel steps in now, for he knows Dean isn’t taking this well and he’s the only one that can reason with him. He knows this is difficult to understand, but Uriel buts in, “And we don’t care.” Castiel goes back to being unhappy wallpaper, and Dean finally notices something is different.
Uriel finally cuts to the chase. Seven angels have been murdered from their garrison, the last one tonight. Dean asks if they’re demons, Uriel with one glance confirms the suspicion. How are they doing it? They don’t know. Sam fields this one, since he’s got sound mind going for him. ”I’m sorry, but what do you want us to do about it? I mean a demon with juice to ice angels has to be out of our league, right?” Aw Sammy, always thinking logically.
Castiel steps forward now, this time not getting resistance from Uriel. He’s a much fresher sight for sore eyes. They want to find whoever it is. They have Alastair, but he won’t talk. ”He’s like a black belt in torture, he’s out of your league,” Dean reminds him. Now for the punchline. They want his student to get the job done. Dean defiantly says no. ”You can’t ask me to do this Cas, not this.” Uriel steps in front of a sympathetic Castiel, complete with evil smirk “Who said anything about asking?” Dean looks at Sam, wondering what to do now, but there’s sound of flapping wings and Sam’s all alone. ”Dammit!” He yells. Man, I wish this network would allow swearing. You know Sam has stronger words than that in mind.
Abandoned warehouse, and Alastair is strung up in one mother of a devil’s trap. Castiel assures Dean the trap is old Enochian. I looked it up on Google, and they sound like a bunch of whack jobs that know their stuff when it comes to magic. I know, there will be at least one on the boards somewhere ready to curse my name for saying that, so please don’t take offense all you practicing Enochians out there. I’m having enough trouble with the Sam vs. Dean fans. Dean says “fascinating” and starts to leave, announcing he’s hitchhiking back to Cheyenne. Uriel does his angel zooming thing and blocks his path. ”Angels are dying boy.” ”Everyone’s dying these days,” Dean counters. Ha! Dean’s got you there junkless.
Dean’s still refusing to do this, and good cop Castiel admits it’s too much to ask. ”But we have to ask it.” One look into those dreamy blue angel eyes and Dean softens (as do we all), and asks to speak to Castiel alone. Uriel says he’ll seek revelation, see if there’s any additional orders. Dean, oh classic Dean, shows up with the perfect smart ass line. ”Well get some donuts while you’re out.” Even Uriel laughs at that one.
Dean turns back to Castiel, who really needs to lighten up a little. Dean calls him out on that. ”If you guys don’t start walking, you’re gonna get flabby.” Castiel continues with his inquisitive stare. ”I’m starting to think that junkless has a better sense of humor than you do.” Castiel deadpans, “Uriel is the funniest angel in the garrison. Ask anyone.” While I’m laughing, does anyone think they’re paralleling Castiel’s issues with human emotions much like Data on Star Trek The Next Generation? He couldn’t grasp simple humor either, and went through moronic exercises to get there. Don’t do that with Castiel, please show?
This is in my top 10 best episodes of Supernatural. It was so well acted by every single actor in it. each character showed their power, so the writing was great. Dean made me cry in both instances that you mentioned but I think when he was torturing Alaister and realized that he had broken the first seal-that was so potent. that is the scene that gets me every time I watch this episode.
It is an interesting idea that Ruby knew Deans role in this-she must have knew. She worked pretty hard to get him on her side or, if that failed, to get him “dead”. She was with them at the finale of season 3, she saw Dean go down via hell hounds, she was working with Lilith, so I say Yes, she knew Deans role.
This was an excellent and intense episode in a season full of great episodes. Christopher Heyerdahl and JA really knocked it out of the park in their scenes together. Then we have Sam chugging demon blood from Ruby’s arm; that was shocking but kind of made sense when you thought about why Sam’s mojo waxed and waned over time. Some of the parts with Uriel and Castiel dragged a little bit. Loved the look of shock and horror on Castiels face when he saw Sam tossing around Alastair like a rag doll, then killing him. Then, the juxtaposition of Sam – brutally taking out Alastair, then in the next scene being the worried brother sitting by Dean’s hospital bed.
One thing I wasn’t clear on – when angry Moose demanded that Castiel heal Dean, and Castiel refused, was it because he couldn’t or was he under orders not to?