So, with that in mind, are we ready for this week's episode?
Let's preview!
THEN
The second trial has made Sam even hotter. Wait.
Let me start that again,
THEN
The second trial has made Sam even sicker.
He's shaky.
He's wobbly.
His aim is off.
He's sleeping for days.
He has epic bed-head.
And Dean's hugging EVERYONE! But mostly Sam,
NOW
Sam's looking even worse, if that's possible.
Dean's looking more freaked, if that's possible.
Cass is back.
Crowley is back.
Naomi is back.
The search for Kevin is on.
The Transformer angel is revealed.
OMG PREPARE THYSELF (that's how God speaks, though he'd not say OMG I guess, maybe OMM?)
Right. Let's look at the synopsis,
FEELING LUCKY TONIGHT? When Sam and Dean receive a distressing video message from Kevin Tran (guest star Osric Chau), they set about trying to uncover the Third Trial. The boys make a discovery that sends them to a casino in Colorado, to find a mysterious recluse (guest star Curtis Armstrong) who may be able to fill in the holes in Kevin's research. Meanwhile, Crowley is on a winning streak. Castiel tries to elude Naomi and the angels hunting him. Robert Duncan McNeill directed the episode written by Ben Edlund.
I may have just squeed. Squeed I tells ya!
Secondly, Robert Duncan McNeill - he who hasn't directed an episode since 1.06 "Skin"! But "Skin" was SO GOOD. Of course Robert has been very busy on other shows, like Chuck, but it's great to have him back for another go after all these years. "Skin" happens to be one of my favourite episodes!
Great team. Amazing cast. I have a feeling this is going to sooooo gooooood!
Then, there's that pain thing,
Let's check out the CW promo.
There are lots of dead and bloodied bodies in a diner! And bleeding empty eye-sockets – like angel burnt out bleeding eye-sockets!
Cass has been grabbed by Naomi and a couple of angel goons.
Crowley has a gun. Why does Crowley have a gun? Why does Crowley need a gun?!
Sam knows the trials are changing him. Does he feel it? Can he sense the changes happening? Is he hearing something, because in the shots where Jared is obviously wearing the body-rig camera, he's doing something with his ear, like he's hearing something painful.
Dean's super stressed out by Sam getting sicker, then, .
MOOSE DOWN! MOOSE DOWN!
Let's look at the Preview clip.
I wish Sam didn't have to go through this, after all the other stuff, the crazy, the soullessness, the demon blood, the visions, now this. It hurts to see him all physically weakened and sick. Remember how I was saying at the beginning of the season how I was happy to see Sam unencumbered by the supernatural for a change? Damn. Spoke way too soon.
Is it going to get worse? How can he possibly perform the third trial if he gets worse? There seems to be no logic in that. (I'm looking at you, God).
I think it's incredibly interesting that Sam says he's "changing" not just sick, changing. This sounds more like what we've all been tossing around, that something inside Sam is changing as opposed to simply being damaged. And Sam can tell because he can feel that he's changing. Is it the purification of his blood, eliminating the demon element? Is it that he has to become something else, whatever he needs to be, to finish the trial? Is it just part of God's test, to see if he truly is worthy of completing the trials?
Oh course he's worthy. God should really know that by now. I mean, God knows about the Winchesters, he spoke to them via Joshua; he pulled them out of harms way when Lucifer rose. Do you think he's sitting back somewhere (wherever he is) going, ok, good, the Winchesters are on the case; they'll get this done. Or has he indeed, left the proverbial building.
One of the exciting things about this episode is that we'll finally get to meet Metatron, the illusive scribe of God's Word. How is he going to play into the final 3 episodes? Will he become an ally? Will he have insight into the trials and what they're doing to Sam? Or how they can complete them? Or what the final trial is? One would think he should! He did jot it all down, after all.
How does Cass get out of Naomi's grasp? Does she get the angel tablet, or has Cass got it stashed? Do the boys rescue Kevin - if he indeed needs rescuing? Does he lead them to his half of the demon tablet? Do you think the boys will get Crowley's half of the tablet? Do they need it?
So much goodness to be revealed, all wrapped in an ouch.
Oh goody! The CHCH promo!
Hmmmm. I got nothin'. Except Sam is taking icebaths...really bad fever, or as Dean said...giving off heat waves? And it looks like Cass appears in front of a speeding Impala!
I've given up on Carver ever previewing again,
So, what are your thoughts? Epic. Painful. Excited. Terrified. ALL of the emotions?
Sound off in the comments with all your brilliant theories!
And, enjoy the episode!
-sweetondean
Comments
I guess I meant, what if the final trial asks too much of them? Is it in their make-up to walk away? I probably worded it badly!
I'm one who thought that closing the Gates of Hell is not going to be a good thing, kind of like killing Lilith broke the last seal. But I also don't know if it can be stopped once it has started. Or rather if Sam can return to normal even if he does stop. They kind of heard what I would call a "siren's cry". They got a hint that the creature that had ruined their lives could be cut off forever, but they didn't have an entire tablet, so who knows what warnings there were and also, since this is so what they see as unalloyed good, they haven't thought out the ramifications. Sam hopes if they do this then he can finally cross the goal line, win the game and finally get safe. He has forgotten that the goal posts have always kept moving back and he has never been able to cross them. Dean sees permanently shutting down the evil that killed Mary, and John and Sam and forgets that every time they have "gone for the gold", something worse has popped up.
Both boys are engaged in blinkered thinking, and the writing has (cleverly in this case) skipped over that part and presented closing the Gates of Hell as an unambiguous win. I don't think it's that easy and I wouldn't even if I didn't know the show had already been renewed. If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't.
As you say, the goal line keeps moving and they need to consider this task in relation to past successes. They seem to be so blinded by the possibility of the end game, that they aren't considering what the actual outcome could be. Both Universally, but also for the Winchesters.
That's why I wonder if when faced with the final trial, if it's too much, could they find it in themselves to walk away and if they did, what would that mean and what would that look like. What would be the outcome in regards to Sam's health.
This closing the gates of Hell thing really isn't life and death for the whole of humanity, not like the Apocalypse. It's personal, but probably not as personal as Azazel. Surely the sacrifices have to stop at some point. Could this be their line in the sand?
I wonder if "Sacrifice" refers to sacrifing their desire to see Hell sealed forever, sacrificing revenge, sacrificing a safe life because the personal cost is too great. The sacrifice is not sacrificing themselves and therefore not getting their dream results.
And now I'm rambling!
So you think the whole tablet thing is a divine trick, or a joke? Cruel. Would be some bi-ig surprise for the boys.
Isaac means 'he will laugh' apparently.
It isn't like we have never seen an angel "go rouge" and say that God said something that God never said. It is possible that Metatron was engaging in tablet fanfiction. Or a little joke on his part.
Plus, as I argued in a different post, I don't remember the "Gates of Hell" being open except for that small window of time after Jake opened the Gate in Wyoming. So I'm not sure what sealing the Gates will accomplish. Certainly before AHBL2 there were no open gates and demons managed to claw their way out. I suppose we are supposed to think that this is sealing off Hell, not just closing the Gates, but right now closing the Gates of Hell sounds like it leaves us where the world was in season one, Gates closed, cracks to earth open. It's just weird. And a symbol of how the writers lost track of canon this season.
We are being presented with a different Sam in Season 8. This Sam admitted he did not seek Dean when Dean disappeared, but he sought a "normal" life. This weakened Sam admits he will tell Dean the truth. He says he is changing. We see the physical ramifications-t he cough,blood, weakness and balance issues. We have yet to learn what is occurring inside.
But, what is really occurring? Is Sam a less capable hunter in terms of his knowledge base, his compassion, his ability to discern and ascertain situations? What is changing? What could be affected besides his physical body- his spirit, his soul, his heart, his intellectual capabilities?
We know Sam craves what he believes is "normal." We know he sees a light at the end of the tunnel and he wants that for both himself and Dean. For some reason, while I believe the trial is a physical one, I wonder if the sacrifice has less to do with the physical trial itself and more about what kinds of choices Sam will be asked to make and what he will draw upon from how he is being changed from within to make those choices?
I ramble. Such perplexing and intriguing conundrums.
And you guys are right, nothing in the tablets mentions being able to stop the trials once they've begun. It's very possible Sam may not be able to stop and pure speculation here: what if finishing or not finishing the trials isn't even much of a choice?
Not finishing could mean Sam becomes one of the monsters otrcauses the apocalypse they worked so hard to stop. Finishing may require them to be on the other side when Hell is sealed off, trapping the Winchesters in Hell. (This is where that shortcut to Purgatory would come in handy, but they'd have to fight their way through a very angry landscape.)Ther e may be no real upside to finishing. Or rather the ONLY upside will be Hell will be sealed.
But, what is really occurring? Is Sam a less capable hunter in terms of his knowledge base, his compassion, his ability to discern and ascertain situations? What is changing? What could be affected besides his physical body- his spirit, his soul, his heart, his intellectual capabilities?
It seems that his mental abilities has not diminished from the way he works the logic in the cases, if anything his reading of the MOL information would enhance his knowledge. He is reacting physically but is that the only way he is reacting?. What is he reacting to? I know -the spell-but what is that? What does the spell mean when he says the finishing words after a trial?
I cannot wait for this episode! I know it's going to be a stomach churner. It's Edlund. Oh, I say that, but I really don't know. I'm just so happy Robert Duncan McNeill got another chance to direct for Supernatural. He's so busy usually. I love his work on other shows, and he really defined Chuck. He got to do all their big episodes.
At least Wednesday is tomorrow. Only a day an a half more of torture waiting!
An Edlund episode! It has to be good, right? I'm actually excited for this one, and that hasn't happened in a while.
Is it Wednesday yet?
I haven't been excited for many episodes this year but I am definitely excited for this one.
Dean doing the whole airplane thing with the spoon is hysterical.
Looks to me like the first 2 trials are also part of a cleansing process for Sam, preparing him for the final trial.