Recap – “Two Minutes To Midnight”
“I had, you know, help.” So, what do you know, help arrives! It’s the fifth member of Team Freewill, the one that still has to be given the full fledged initiation and secret handshake. He probably made a deal for that anyway. Crowley pours Bobby’s cheap whiskey into a glass. “Don’t be so modest, I barely helped at all.” He greets the boys, sniffs the whiskey, is appalled and puts it down. You should have brought your own diva!
“Go ahead, tell them,” Crowley tells Bobby. Bobby is giving him a “drop dead” stare. Sam and Dean instantly turn to Bobby, demanding what’s going on. “Tell us what?” Sam says in a scolding tone. “The world’s going to end. It seems stupid to get precious over one little soul.” Dean has a fit, Castiel looks down like it’s the stupidest mistake he’s ever heard. Crowley claims he pawned it and fully intends on giving it back. Dean demands he does and Crowley says he will. “Now!” Dean orders. Sam is too fixated on, well, the perverted stuff. Always the quiet ones. “Did you kiss him?” Dean looks at Sam weird. “Just wondering.
Everyone shuts up and looks at Bobby now with weird faces. “No!” he denies. Crowley, just because he is not only evil, he’s deliciously evil, clears his throat and produces an iPhone. Always the best technology for the demon deals. I read on Twitter from one of the crew that it took a million tries to get that picture because Mark Sheppard kept cracking up. He had the entire crew on the floor in tears. Bobby is now humiliated, asking “Why’d you take a picture?” Crowley has a smart answer. “Why’d you have to use tongue?” Back to Sam and Dean again looking at Bobby really disturbed.
Dean puts an end to this madness, getting back to the point. He tells Crowley to give Bobby back his soul now. Crowley says he can’t. “Can’t or won’t?” Dean asks. Okay, get an honest answer if you want. Won’t. It’s insurance. Dean doesn’t get it. “You kill demons. Gigantor over there has a temper issue about it.” Ha, I need to really get together all of the nicknames for Sam. That’s a good one! Crowley concludes Dean won’t kill him as long as he has that soul. Bobby calls him a son of a bitch and I actually think Crowley feels bad about screwing Bobby, but he does have a point. He promises he’ll return it. “After this is all over and I can walk safely away. Do we all understand each other!” The silent glares must mean yes.
Dean packs the Impala trunk full of…uh…supplies I guess when Sam comes up with that “we need to talk” look and big sigh. “Let me guess, we’re about to have a talk,” Dean says. You do know your brother, don’t you? “Look Dean, for the record, I agree with you. About me. You think I’m too weak to take on Lucifer, well, so do I. Believe me, I know exactly how screwed up I am. You, Bobby, Cas, I’m the least of any of you.” Aw Sammy, you’re very special too. Don’t worry, Cas is just as messed up as you are. Dean rolls his eyes and tries to deny that, but Sam goes on. “It’s true, it is, but I’m also all we’ve got. If there was another way, but I don’t think there is, there’s just me. So I don’t know what else to do, except just try to do what’s gotta be done.” Oh Sammy, you have grown up so much. Once you miraculously survive all this though, can you start working on those low self esteem issues? Please?
Before Dean can answer, Crowley interrupts, running his hand down his face miming drama. Way to spoil a moment you demon. Crowley gets right to the point and hands a paper to Sam. Niveus Pharmaceuticals is rushing delivery of its swine flu vaccine. “To stem the tide of unprecedented outbreak.” It leaves Wednesday. Crowley points out the company name, but the point is lost on Sam and Dean. “You two are lucky you have your looks.” Hee, you see, even the gay demon gets it. He reminds Sam that Brady is the VP of distribution. He sees the lightbulbs go off in their head. “Ah yes, the sound of the abacus clicking?” I’d explain to all you young-ins what an abacus is, but just wiki it.
They put it together, Pestilence was spreading swine flu and the vaccine is…Crowley interrupts, staking his reputation, which isn’t exactly saying much, that the vaccine is loaded with Croatoan virus. The dastardly plan hits Sam. “Simultaneous country wide distribution. It’s quite a plan.” “You don’t get to be horsemen for nothing,” Crowley says. I wonder if there were auditions all those years ago. “So you boys better stock up on, well, everything. This time next Thursday, we’ll all be living in zombie land.” Man, Thursdays are so brutal!
This is where Sera Gamble goes to Phil Sgriccia and says, “Man, do I have something cool for you! How would you like to shoot a scene with no dialogue where Death makes his grand arrival? Run with it.” Okay, that’s how I picture it happening anyway. Just like with the promo ads from this season, on comes the Jennifer Titus haunting yet contemporary version of the old spiritual “O Death.” The tempo of the song is slow so Death’s arrival goes in eerie slo-mo. It starts with the caption “Chicago, Illinois” and there’s a POV from under an L-Train. The skies are dark and gloomy.
O Death
O Death
Won’t you spare me over another year
An absolutely GORGEOUS 1960 Custom Cadillac Sixty-Two two door hardtop pulls up to the curb. A man slowly gets out of the Cadillac. He’s got a nice suit on, a long black coat, walks with a cane and oh, he’s got a big ring! Must be our guy.
Well what is this that I can’t see
With ice cold hands takin’ hold of me
This dude, obviously Death since he comes with a theme song, is boney looking, pale, very thin and calmly strolls down the bustling sidewalk of Chicago. Then some mindless idiot checking his Blackberry bumps into Death and is rude enough (not to mention totally stupid) to tell to him to watch where he’s walking. You’re going down.
When God is gone and the Devil takes hold
Who will have mercy on your soul
So all Death has to do is flick his shoulder with his hand. Stupid idiot suddenly gets pale and collapses onto the sidewalk while Death walks on.
O Death
O Death
Bystanders rush to the fallen man’s aid while the wind blows and leaves fly everywhere, but it’s way too late.
My name is Death and the end is here.
There is no amount of description I can give that will do that scene justice. It’s brilliant. Bravo Phil Sgriccia and all involved.
Re: green goop. I think Kripke watched a lot of You Can’t Do That On Television. I know I did. Blue skies! Barfy burgers! Girls!
Eunice made me chuckle. 😎 And I believe it’s an iron-clad law of screen and television writing that all villains must monologue. A wordless, ninja supervillain would get kind of boring. Silence is all well and good for the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari — hmmm, now there would be cool decor for an evil thing’s lair.
After the abacus, I was hoping for a slide rule shout out.
In giving it serious contemplation, the scene with Dean and Death has to be one of the five or six finest moments in the series’ history. I’d be hard pressed to come up with a better choice to play Big Boss Reaper. A fine line between playing it top-flight aristocrat and human=annoying gnat, no more, but he pulled it off. And Jensen showed just how ridiculous an actor he is with that “yeah” into Legitimately Frightened “yes.” Fucking awesome all the way around.
Once again a great recap Alice.
I really look forwards to these, no matter how serious an episode you still can make me laugh.
I really liked this episode, even though so much was being pushed into this one.
All the actors were in top form.
Can’t believe were down to the finale. I’m both excited and terrified.
I don’t think there will be enough Kleenex or booze to get me thru this episode.
Did I ever mention I love your recaps? 😎
If I wasn’t able to watch an episode (talk about real horror)this would help.
Loved the episode. Loved the acting. The lighting of Ladouceur. The sound editing. Marvellous job.
Can’t wait for the finale. I hope I’ll be able so rest my mind at least a bit and not always fret for our dear brothers.
Love Jas
Great review, Alice. Yes, I think Crowley likes Bobby and humans in general. Don’t know why being the king of Crossroads demons.
The blood thing doesn’t make sense too me. Are they implying that Luci’s ‘now’ vessel was drinking demon blood BEFORE Luci went into him? or now that Luci is IN him? Sam doesn’t need demon blood for his powers and any ‘effects’ from it have long wore off.
Can’t think straight now…to close to the finale 😀
The o death scene is beyond brilliant! the man fell in a way I have never seen any one fell dead in my life. Death walked away etc. It’s most beautifully shot, script, wrote – everything. I do hope they win award(s)!! They must.
Oh, God, Alice, only six hours for you yanks to go…. Even if I caught a plane right now I wouldn’t be there in time…. sniff, Jas
Alice, just reading your segment about the O Death bit gave me goosebumps. That is definately one of the top 5 uses of music ever.
Thanks Alice for cheering us up with your funny recap. Especially at this crucial time where we are all tensed up at what is to come.
The guy who plays Death was awesome! As was Jensen in that scene.
Hoping to survive tonight and please….. no power outages please please! 😯
Hello guys, my greetings!
Finally I had my new computer, voice-card working and everything – and then it took a MOTH to find a good place for downloads, cause my regular download-page was shut down in between.
I stayed unspoiled or almost unspoiled and then watched everything since 5.14 until 5.22 in 2 evenings.
It was very good time.
But nothing, not even the season final (which was beautiful, very beautiful), overpasses “Oh, Death” scene. I can’t even tell what it did to me. How it felt. How it still feels. To say “goosebumps” is lame.
It was more like… when I was walking in town today, I felt at every step, how I am carrying my own death with me all the time, it is inside of me and never ever leaves before one day (or night) we both go – and yet it was not a bad feeling, I felt kind of – honored.