When I saw the preview for “The Slice Girls” I was more than a little skeptical about the premise of the episode. The whole thing was a little too “Breaking Dawn” for me. Any other Twilight readers out there? No? Just me? That’s ok. I’m only a little embarrassed. But I actually ended up enjoying this episode more than I expected. In all fairness, part of that could have been the fact that I’ve been in something of a Winchester withdrawal these past two weeks. I think I would have been happy to watch them do a crossword puzzle. But I do think there were some really good moments in this episode. It won’t go down in history as one of the great filler episodes but I certainly wasn’t disappointed. 
 
The first thing I noticed about this episode was that the tone felt a bit off. Sam and Dean were there but they weren’t talking or acting entirely like Sam and Dean. I couldn’t put my finger on it until I talked with my Buffy-obsessed friend who pointed out that it felt very much like an episode of Buffy. That’s not to say it was bad, just different. Supernatural and Buffy may share a genre but to me they are very different shows with very different styles and tones. And The Slice girls definitely had a few Buffy qualities to it. Again, that’s not a bad thing. I just want to be clear that I in no way mean to insult Buffy. It’s never been my cup of tea but I know why it’s good and why so many people love it. I think that show and I just run on different wavelengths, which is probably why I was so quick to notice the Buffy-esque tone of The Slice Girls. So did anyone else notice it too? Maybe you can better help me articulate what about this episode felt off. 
 
One thing I really liked about the direction of the episode was the use of extreme close-ups. That’s something that can easily be overdone but I think they did a nice job of toeing the line in this episode. The extreme close-up was especially effective in the first murder scene. My heart was racing as the camera inched in closer around the victim’s eyes. There was something so effective about not seeing what he saw but watching the fear come into his eyes. The extreme close-ups were used again in the bar scene between Lydia and Dean. This time they were used to portray desire but also to foreshadow the danger that came along as a result of Dean finally breaking his dry spell. Poor guy. 

 
Dean has had a lot of interaction with kids this season. I don’t know whether I’m noticing it more because it always reminds me of Ben or if there really has been a spike. But it always makes me wonder what kind of father Dean could have been if he’d had the chance. Sure his interaction with Amy’s son wasn’t father of the year material but let’s not get into that. The fact is that since season three it’s been no secret that Dean has longed to be a father. He may not have always admitted it but it’s been a desire of his. So this is leading to the obvious question. Was Dean really going to let Emma go? We all saw the pain in his eyes when Sam shot her and Dean had to know that if he didn’t kill her, she would kill him. But if she had agreed to leave, I wonder if Dean would have tried to hunt her down? Sam didn’t seem convinced. He was understandably mad that Dean choked after all the crap they went through about Amy. But rather than dwelling on Dean’s hypocritical behavior, Sam expressed his concern for Dean. 
 
Sam: “Dean, the thing is tonight it almost got you killed. Now I don’t care how you deal. I really, really don’t. But just don’t...don’t get killed.”
Dean: “I’ll do what I can.”
Sam: “What’s that supposed to mean?” 
Dean: “It means I’ll do what I can and you can shut up about it.” 
 
Dean’s head is clearly not in the game, that is no secret but I was hoping that Bobby’s death would at least serve as motivation for Dean to get back on track. Sam’s comments seemed to insinuate that Dean is no better off now than he was before Bobby died. To me it seemed like Sam was insinuating that Dean saw Emma as an opportunity to get killed. That maybe he saw her as an out. He can’t take his own life and leave his brother alone, but if he died on the job, maybe that would be acceptable. I may be making a leap here but I can see that as a possibility. What do you guys think? Is Dean that damaged? 
 
Regardless of what Dean is thinking, I don’t think Bobby the friendly ghost is going to let Dean drink his way into oblivion.  Bobby was there and helping the boys solve the case. This means that Bobby chose not to go with the reaper and I think Dean was right on that Bobby has managed to attach his spirit to that old flask. It was so great to see Dean so hopeful in that moment and so odd to see Sam as the level-headed, believe-in-what-you-can-see type. It was such a role reversal for these two; Especially the conversation that came to follow.
 
Sam: “Concentrate on something else.”
Dean: “Why?”
Sam: “Because it’s not Bobby.”
Dean: “It could be.”
Sam: “No, it couldn’t be.”
Dean: “Why not?”
Sam: “Because we want it to be.”


 
If I had read this dialogue without watching the episode I would have thought they had gotten the names mixed up. Since when is Sam so doom and gloom? Dean is supposed to be the crotchety one, the one who thinks that something can’t be true if it’s something he actually wants. I think this conversation is really telling of the emotional state Sam is in. He may not be drinking and hooking up with random girls, but he’s still feeling the pain. Sam spent the earlier part of this season struggling to find the line between real and imaginary. Dean had to help draw that line for him the only way he knew how. For Dean, reality is messy and sad and it seems that Sam may have begun to adopt that same way of thinking. If it’s good or if it would make him happy, then it probably isn’t real. It’s a sad way to think but it may be the only thing holding him together. Did anyone else feel surprised by that exchange? Am I off about why Sam reacted the way he did?
 
So what did you guys think of this episode? Did you like the monster of the week? I thought it served as an interesting catalyst. What do you think they’re going to do about Bobby? Anyone itching to see more Dick Roman? We haven’t heard much from the leviathan recently. 
 
There were a few moments worth mentioning.
 
I really loved the way they cut between Dean’s and Lydia’s love scene and Jerry’s murder all set to “You Shook Me All Night Long”. I just really thought it worked. 


 
Dean referring to Lydia as his “workout partner from last night” made me laugh. 
 
Dean: “I think you’re enjoying this a little more than you need to.”
 
Sam: “Where are you? It’s a flask, not the holy grail.”
 
Dean: “This morning Emma was a baby. By sunset she’s Hannah Montana…the early years.”
 
Dean: “You’re just as screwed up as I am. You’re just bigger.”