Supernatural Hiatus Hunting: 4.16, On The Head of a Pin
Now Ruby is lighting a map while latinating, and Sam watches with those giant arms folded. Man, even those bare arms look ripped. I’ve seen a recent shirtless picture of Jared from Friday The 13th. He’s even bigger now than in “Hell House.” It’s not for the hormonally weak. Anyway, Ruby’s eyes go black, the map ignites in flames and Sam’s actually worried. Really Sam, after all the shit you’ve seen in your life, a little fire is bothering you? Ruby assures him fire is our friend, and then the map burns up except the part where Dean is. Ruby’s acting superior, boasting that the angels aren’t used to hiding their dirty business and know that they’re being spied on. Yeah, as we’re learning, these angels aren’t an organized bunch.
Sam doesn’t have much to say about Ruby’s pride, for he has something on his mind. ”Ruby, it’s been weeks, I need it.” Ruby plays him, pulling the “you’re not happy about it” card. ”You think I want to do this?” Oh Sam, yes you do. You just have your excuse now to have it. Granted it’s a good one, but it’s still an excuse. He walks to the bed, and oh, that look of desperation. He knows what he wants is wrong, but he’s still going there. He wants the power. He wants that feeling of control. He’s even letting Ruby kiss him and call him Sammy. She’s your drug dealer Sam. Just face it.
Ruby’s got him and she knows it. While straddling his lap, she tells him he can have it. After all, who can say no to those yearning eyes? While kissing him she pulls out the knife and slices her arm, all while Sam watches with eager anticipation like a baby waiting for mother’s milk. Or a junkie”¦you get the point. Sam looks for the okay, and then starts sucking on the wound. Ew, gross. What’s even grosser? Ruby’s smile of evil satisfaction. Her diabolical plan is working. I hope Sam uses those demon powers to kill her someday.
Dean has Ruby’s knife now, and Alastair has a point. ”Do you really think this is going to fix you? Give you closure?” He finds it sad. Dean stabs him with the knife soaked in holy water and Alastair still teases. ”I carved you into a new animal Dean. There is no going back.” Dean has a smart answer. ”Maybe you’re right, but now it’s my turn to carve.” While that’s going on, an invisible force turns the faucet on, loosens a bolt in the pipe, and water drips on the edge of the trap, breaking the seal. Uh oh!
Castiel waits outside, hearing the screams, and he feels something. He’s not alone. Without turning around, he knows it’s Anna. He comments she’s in her old human body and if you remember in “Heaven and Hell,” it was evaporated by the bright light. Anna says she’s sentimental and called in some favors. Wow, who does she know that could do that? The only thing I can think of starts with a G and ends with a D. Castiel mentions they still have orders to kill her, but Anna knows he won’t. I do wonder, and I suspected it by Castiel’s first glance of her in “Heaven and Hell” if these two had a thing. If they haven’t, they should. They have chemistry, and them being together will wipe the thought of her and Dean doing it out of my mind.
Anna asks where Uriel is, and Castiel answers he went to receive revelation. She says “Right.” She knows something! Back to Dean, who removes the knife, and Alastair with bloody teeth jokes, “You know, it’s your professionalism I respect.” That’s a line out of Little Shop Of Horrors BTW. Dean angrily shoves him away and Alastair knows who’s starting to crack.
Back to Anna, who asks Castiel why is Dean doing this. ”He’s doing God’s work,” he firmly believes. ”Torturing? That’s God’s work? Stop him Cas, please, before you ruin the one real weapon you have.” Castiel doesn’t want to question orders, but Anna points out they might not be coming from God. She guesses one of their superiors, but not him.
More Alastair torture with the holy water going down his throat, and then Anna continues to prod at Castiel, asking if this is what the Father he loves would ask of him. Castiel listens, and boy can we tell she’s making sense to him. Anna tells him what he’s feeling is called doubt, and the scene goes back to more torture before coming back to them. She takes Castiel’s hand. ”These orders are wrong, and you know it. But you can do the right thing. You’re afraid Cas, I was too, but together we can-” Castiel cuts her off. ”Together?” He yanks his hand away. ”I am nothing like you. You fell.” He orders her to go, she tries to plead. He repeats “Go!” and she flies away, leaving him all alone. The shot fades out to show Castiel, looking swallowed by the rest of the room. Awesome, and it so tells how he’s feeling right now. Isolated and alone.
Torture scene again, and Alastair lets Dean know he isn’t getting deep enough. He’s ready to drop something big, but Dean puts salt down his throat, and it’ll have to wait. Sam is driving the Impala fast in the rain, his eyes are fixed forward, and man is this spooky. At first the light hit his eyes they are hazel. As the scene progresses, with each swipe of the windshield wipers the eyes get slowly darker until they’re almost black. Whoa. That’s some great editing there.
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?