So as we hurtle towards the end of the season, equal parts trepidation and excitment, what's up next for us and our favourite ghost hunting bros?
THEN
Trial number 2 completed – TICK
Bobby sent to Heaven, TICK
Dean cut off Benny's head, TICK (come on, we always knew that would happen one way or another *wibble*).
Sam's not feeling so great after the latest arm flashy thing - TICK
Naomi reinforced the fact that she's a manipulative cow.
Crowley reinforced the fact that he's a total dick.
Prophet Boy is either: 1. Crazy, 2.Taken by Crowley, 3.Taken by Naomi, 4. None of the above.
The demon tablet is gone and gone.
TICK TICK TICK and TICK!
A lot happened in the last episode.
Oh,and,there was an EPIC hug.
NOW
Where is Kevin?
How are the trials affecting Sam?
Why is Charlie in the bunker?
Did she read the racist truck book? Dean's full-frontal in there, man.
What about "Heart"? I think she may have read "Heart"!
And did she find the fanfiction??? DID SHE READ THE FANFICTION?
So, "Pac-Man Fever" looks like a filler. I find that a little hard to reconcile at this stage of the season.
Looking back at episode 20 from past seasons, we had:
1. Dead Man's Blood
2. What Is and What Should Never Be
3. NO EPISODE 20
4. The Rapture
5. The Devil You Know
6. The Man Who Would be King
7. The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo
Only season 2 had an episode that seemed to not have any connection to the season the mythology in some way (fantastic as it is). All the others, tie in.
Both of Charlie's previous episodes have proved to have some pivotal connection to the season arc.
In "The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo" – she helped lead the brothers to the first tablet, which ended up leading them to Kevin, waking up Cass, destroying the Leviathan threat and starting off what we're dealing with now.
In "LARP and the Real Girl" – she somehow helped the boys find some level of acceptance of each other again, something that opened them up to the beginnings of healing. Being with her on that case, reminded them to have fun. There was a fragile give and take. It was a turning point in the health of their relationship and sowed the seeds for where we are now.
The tablets and the brother's relationship have been the two main arc points of season 8 and Charlie has been involved in both.
So maybe, there's more to this episode than meets the eye.
Let's look at the synopsis...
DEAN INTRODUCES CHARLIE TO CHEAP PANTSUITS! Concerned about the physical toll the second trial took on Sam, Dean benches his brother from hunting until he heals up. So, when geektastic hacker Charlie (guest star Felicia Day) stumbles upon a case and finds the boys, Dean decides it's time to teach Charlie how to be a hunter-in-training. While happy to see "her highness," the boys suspect Charlie is hiding something; a secret that could get her killed. Robert Singer directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson.
We have an A-team at the helm of this one - Director, Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner, Bob Singer and writer Robbie Thompson, who has written all the Charlie episodes along with a bunch of other awesome ones.
This is an oddly vague and contradictory synopsis don't you think? It says Dean benches Sam because Sam's obviously feeling pretty crook from the 2nd trial. Heaven knows what these trials are doing to him – actually yeah, I guess Heaven does know and I guess we'll find out sooner or later. Then the synopsis says that the boys suspect something's amiss with Charlie. So, it doesn't exactly sound like Sam is being benched - not completely anyway. I'm hoping not. I'm loving seeing the brothers working together. I'm more interested in that than anything. But, I do like Charlie. I like her banter with both the boys, I like her sassiness and her geekiness, she's very cool and a lot of fun and a positive female character. We don't know much about her, but it sounds like we're about to know find out more.
What about the promo:
But beyond the shallow,I have no clue what's happening in this promo. Dean looks hot. Charlie looks hot. Sam's in hospital? We're in a dream/game? Sam's in hospital in the dream/game and if he dies in the dream/game he dies in real life? Is he somehow sucked into the case? I HAVE NO IDEA. Do you guys have any idea? I wonder how long we're going to be in the dream/game/whatever.
Here's another thing. None of the promotional photos are from within the dream/game. Makes me wonder if that's just a small, yet promotionally splashy bit of the story. Though with a title like "Pac-Man Fever" and Robbie and Felicia both being gamers... Hey, wouldn't it be cool if the MOW was a giant Pac-Man! Yes!
The preview clip tells us next to nothing but is so good,it nearly made me spit juice across the room when I watched it!
Also, Charlie's in the bunker! I'm glad we're back in the bunker,I've missed it. I guess the brothers trust Charlie. Makes you wonder why they didn't put Kevin in the bunker,I know we've all been wondering about that one. Too dangerous? He's too much of a target to risk exposing the bunker and its secrets? Imagine if all the knowledge in the bunker fell into the wrong hands. Distasterous. Do you think the Winchesters are looking for Kevin? You'd think they'd be looking for him right? I mean, they need him to complete the trials, plus he's a kid in danger! I digressed to a whole other plot point, sorry about that. I guess no-one really knows anything about Charlie and by no-one I mean Crowley and Naomi, so she's probably safe to bring to the Batcave. Though I hope they blindfolded her or something.
Shallow point again - one moment please – personally I think Sam's hair looks as lovely as always and I'm eternally grateful for the return of Dean's red shirt.
Right, back to the matter at hand. Sam looks peaked. 2 trials down and double the affects. He's starting to resemble Insomnia!Sam (who was all kinds of hot for some reason – whoops fell back in the shallow end). What do you think the trials are actually doing to Sam? How do you think they're changing him?
LAST MINUTE INCLUSION! CHCH promo!
Do Charlie and Dean go shopping??? Oh...I think I'm going to like that!
[I doubt very much that I'll be inserting the Carver preview here]
Ok, one last completely trivial thought,has anyone noticed that the brothers have had a lot of new wardrobe this season? A range of new ties to go with their new suits. The return of a red-shirt for Dean. Red, white and blue plaid for both of the boys. Sam has a new brown jacket. Dean has a new, short blue jacket, which he wore with a Henley,,,,,.. what? Oh yeah, and look at this pretty shirt!
Do you think there's more to this one than the synopsis and promos are letting on? Do you think it's going to tie into the season mythology somehow? Do you have any ideas about the dream/game element? Do you have any insight into Sam's health and wellbeing? Do you think Dean giving hunting tips will lead Charlie to take up "the life" part-time? Do you think she's going to call the boys bitches again?
Sound off below with your thoughts, theories etc. etc.
And just for the hell of it...why not listen to the song while you ponder said theories.... Here's "Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner and Garcia.
As always, thanks for reading and enjoy the episode!
-sweetondean
(That song is totally stuck in your head now isn't it) 
Comments
One thought - i am not sure we should be comparing this to episode 20 for the first 6 seasons. Since those seasons (except for 3, of course) had 22 episodes, I think the right comparison is to episodes 19 - since 3 episodes followed, as will happen with this episode. So - if we use that comparison, we would look to:
Provenance - filler
Folsom Prison Blues - great filler, but filler all the same
Jump the Shark - filler - but became important in later seasons
Hammer of the Gods - combination filler and advanced story
Mommy Dearest - big story advance
So - I think there is a good chance this is filler and the last 3 episodes advance the arc, but considering, as you said, great director, writer and guest star, I am cool with that.
So - my only complaint - do I really have to wait 2 more days??
That was my thought too. They have their own closets now maybe. Time to go shopping! (I still don't think that plaid is hot tho'. Sorry)
Love your "Then" - LOL about Naomi being a manipulative cow.
I am having this feeling that the viewers who are watching this season with rose colored glasses are going to be very pleased with this episode. I am ready to stick my fingers in my ears and go "lalalala" to dismiss the nay sayers that will show up after the show views.
I also laughed until I cried when she mentioned the books and then the looks of disgust on the boys faces . . .
Can't wait for Weds and then as a bonus new Person of Interest on Thursday this week too!!!!
As for the story, really no idea. I am open to good possibilites of maybe tying into the arc or just a good story. As for the wardrobe much better clothes.. The suits are much better this season. About damn time!!
Unfortunately, I have to wait until Monday to watch this episode. Self-imposed exile from blogs & twitter & all things Supernatural because I'm going hiking. Great way to extend the hellatus!! I guess the big consolation is that I'll be seeing some kick-ass scenery in Tasmania & I likely won't have reception on my phone to get spoilers.
Enjoy the episode everyone. I will return to the fray next week
Thank you sweetondean, I enjoyed your thoughts. Naomi is a cow isn't she?
The wardrobe could just be part of the attempt to "mature" the guys this season. I miss Dean's leather jacket.
As for Sam's sickness - he's changing on a molecular level. I wonder if Sam's demon blood is causing the trials to misfire or if the demon blood plus trials are transforming him. The gates of hell are guarded by a 3 headed dog, Cerberus. Sam saved a dog earlier in the season, and Meg asked why later in the season, highlighting that fact. Crowley mentioned he's upset at losing his hellhound. Could the cost of revenge (completing the trials) be for Sam to transform into Cerberus and guard the closed gates? If so the guys may have to abandon the plan, leaving Sam weakened in a MoL role in the Batcave while Dean and others hunt. It could explain the need to elevate Misha to a regular next season. Or if the writers get really evil Sam will join Crowley and Abbadon and things will get really hot next season.
Misha has already been a series regular previously - this is not the first time he's been elevated to a regular. I am not one of the people who sees Sam relegated to sitting in the bunker. He's been through a lot and risen above it, he'll get through this as well. I can't see the story ever going that way and personally, I have a feeling Cass is going to be a little on the outs with the brothers by the end of this season. They seem to be working towards different goals.
But I do agree that the cost of closing the gates of Hell could be too great and I'm interested to see what is asked of Sam in the final trial!!
I don’t think that the gates of Heaven or Hell will be closed. It would disturb the balance of good/evil in the world. That means Team Human needs to get organized to fight the demons and angels who have been scheming since the 1950’s (Abbadon) and the early 1970’s Azazel with Lucifer and the angels who plotted to bring Mary and John together. The best plan would be to reconstitute the MoL and its knowledge of spells and lore (and the WMD’s it has like the Spear of Destiny) – Sam would be a logical choice both because of his knowledge of lore and the damage he is suffering from jumping into spellwork blindly. I would not see it as relegated to the bunker. Dean would be the logical general for the hunter side of the equation (think of his battle plans in LARP and the Real Girl). If each has their area of expertise the writers can give each active story lines while they continue to battle evil together and mature.
Cas had to save the angel tablet from Dean because I think Sam may need its contents in the future. Cas can’t heal the damage in Sam but I suspect what is on that tablet might be able to save Sam.
Personally, I don't see the show going the route of having the brothers work the hunts separately, each taking their own area of expertise. It negates what is at the heart of the show, at least it does for me. I could be completely wrong, but I can't see that as a path they would take and to be perfectly honest, not sure it's one I would like to watch. What makes this show what it is, is the brother's working side by side, that's what has always held my heart and attention anyway, more than any mytharc or monster story. And though they would, essentially be working side by side, it would be in task only - which is just not the same. If that's mature, I guess I'm not ready for it.
I love your idea about the angel tablet! There's got to be something somewhere that helps Sam with these changes, unless these changes are necessary negative. Though Cass did say damaged...so that doesn't sound so good.
I still have this pipe dream that the they will choose not to sacrifice each other or someone they love, this one time, and walk away to continue to fight evil. I'm tired of the bad guys always pushing them in to that position. I want them to choose each other over the world...just one time...though maybe, that'd not make them the great big heroes they are!
Maybe Sam and Dean could be trainers...haha ....or maybe they can just end up going back to hunting regular old baddies and not have to worry about apocalypses (or whatever the proper plural form of apocalypse is) angel wars and Leviathan corporate takeovers every other week for a change.
Sigh. Though ideally Supernatural never ends in my perfect world.....I have to admit I am curious to see what note our boys will end on when that final title card flashes once and for all.
You know, I saw someone talking about this on another thread...that Chuck/Charlie could be one and the same!
It's an interesting train of thought!
Now if she rings Mistress Magda.....
How is it that we are so close to the end of SEASON FREAKIN' EIGHT though?!?! Madness. I simply don't know where the time has gone and I am very curious to know where we will leave off at the end of this year and what season nine could possibly mean for those Winchester boys.
sorry for my bad English
LOVED Naomi being a manipulative cow.
LOVED Charlie reading the books and S&D's reactions.
LOVE the wardrobe changes. LOVE Sam's hair.
LOVE the flashback to the epic hug - Dean's face!
I agree that Insomnia!Sam is mysteriously hot as h*ll. And Trial!Sam is hot as h*ll. Very mysterioso. But hot, hot, hot.
That said, I still long for Sam to say just a few words about why he didn't look for Dean. That omission does leave a hole in my SPN heart.
Not a lecture coming up, just a naive hope. Ignore it if you wish.
As much as we can, let's watch the episode to see what will happen, and not imagine too many expectations that can't be met. After all, we are watching to see what Robbie Thompson, Bob Singer and crew have to show and tell us.
Naive hopeful lecture finished. Sorry 'bout that. Was compelled. Black smoke is exiting my office now.
I can't wait to see this episode!
P.S. Thank you for the compliment on cbox!!
For Cas to be a regular on the show next season, surely this would mean that something drastic needs to happen this season to bring this into effect. I have a feeling he is going to atone for his past actions by doing the trials perhaps.
I cant help feeling that Crowley has something to do with the ease of Bobby's discovery in hell (unlocked cell door? come ON). Everyone seems to be up in arms regarding canon, but what if this was all just a ruse? After all, it wouldn't be the first time that Crowley has hoodwinked us all. He has always been a step ahead, and to say that it was bad writing that had him overlook the fact that Sam might be looking for Bobby (whom Crowley knows shouldn't be in hell in the first place), is just too easy methinks. No I think Crowley knew all along that Sam would bust Bobby out, perhaps it has something to do with the 3rd trial. Hasn't Crowley got the other half of the tablet?
I cannot WAIT for this ep and am beyond excited.
PS. To Leah, Kelly, E, painted wolf, Ardesponia and all; thank you for the clarification and all your support. It means so much honestly. I missed you guys and WFB!, there is nowhere else like it on the internet! Happy watching and Sam is going to make me cry I just know it!!
I absolutely LOVED the last ep. Oh my word but the old Dean and Sam are back. It just NEVER gets old (those HUGS!!!). I swear I dread the day this series ends I really do
You know...your little thought about Crowley, may play into the finale...I just popped the synopsis on the spoiler page and then read your comment and went ooooooooo!!!
I was expecting some the funny, the action-packed, and the meta for this one, but instead I got the deep, the sad, the serious, and the incredibly meaningful.
I was so moved by the layers of emotion in this episode.
Full of tender moments, this one's a keeper for sure, one I shall definitely rewatch. I don't think we've an episode of Supernatural this touching in years. JMO. I can't think of one right now.
But yeah...I don't have a lot of words right now because of all the emotion this one dredged up - but I feel compelled to give it an A.
Dean would make an absolutely awesome gay best friend.
I know that´s a cliché. But he would.
The scene was... yeah...
The Han Solo homage was great. S7 and S8 Larp also had guys say "I love you" to Charlie who replied "I know". Love this.
Also did you notice when Dean took the dream root he didn't put any of Charlie body bits in!!!
Also, I think the only other person who's told Dean she loves him is his mom, and that was when he was stuck in the Djinn's reality. That's all I can remember.
Sam said "you're my brother and I still love ya" during S4
s "Sam Interrupted", the episode where Sam and Dean end up in the mental hospital. Sam was high on meds at the time.