Sam’s sorry state, along with Jimmy’s desperate plea to Castiel for help that’s met by silence, leads to one heck of a demon showdown in a warehouse. Given the fact it’s yet another face-off between good and evil, it could have been predictable or disappointing, but instead it’s fantastic. It even has the funny, as “Heckle and Jeckle” are easily caught outside, even though we are given the impression that Dean has a great plan in place. “Well, nobody bats a thousand,” Dean replies in defense. That’s so much better this time than them coming in and saving the day, for it contributes to the great twist.
This scene has everything, but the most tragic part comes when Sam’s lies crash down on him. The demon blood is more than he can handle. As he wrestles with a demon and sees the bulging vein on her neck, his rabid eyes show how much he isn’t in his right mind when he slices it open and helps himself in the middle of a battle. Dean and Castiel’s flabbergasted glares at the sight of Sam’s bloody face and raging eyes mirror those watching a wild animal that’s gone in for a kill. Even in a little girl, Castiel’s reaction is dead on! As Sam viciously stabs the victim, he becomes the monster they’ve always feared he would be. Of course that blood infusion also gives Sam the mojo to pull the demonic black smoke out of Jimmy’s wife, essentially saving her life, but the price for saving that life is now officially too high. Sam’s soul is almost gone, and he’s beyond human.
I didn’t see Castiel coming to save the day by occupying Jimmy’s daughter, who apparently has the same special “blood” that he does. I’m actually moved by how faith and service is rewarded and how Castiel fulfills his promise to Jimmy that his family wouldn’t be harmed, even though Jimmy has a brief crisis of faith before the standoff. Jimmy is mortally wounded and given the chance to forever rest in peace, but instead he makes the ultimate sacrifice, offering himself in a lifetime of service as Castiel’s vessel rather than letting his daughter choose that life. His pleas to Castiel for his daughter’s life actually got me teary, and man, did I feel sorry for the poor guy at the end. In the end, is his fate better? Only time well tell.
Article comments
1 - Luisa
I love your reviews, but you didn't talk about what they did to Cas while he was in heaven and what it is he had to tell Dean.
2 - Alice Jester
Luisa - Great point! I must admit, I didn't mention it because I have no theories. They did something, and I hope eventually Dean is the one that sets him straight. Or Anna. Or both.
3 - Huppy
Alice, I always look forward to your reviews, and enjoyed reading your latest one.
I wonder, though, why it now seems that all Sam's powers come from drinking demon blood. What about the psy-kid abilities of Season 2? Sam was immune to the demon virus in Croatoan and he was immune to Lilith's white light in NRFTW, and that didn't come from drinking demon blood, and neither did his visions nor any of the abilities of the other psy-kids.
It is obvious Kripke is liking the demon blood addiction story line, which I do find interesting, so maybe he is concentrating on that to the exclusion of any other source of Sam's powers. But I hope Kripke will tie all these loose ends up at some time.
4 - Saltnburnem/tngmd
Great summary and review. Some folks were put-off by a Castiel-centric epi, but I enjoyed it. Sammy going all Rugaru on that demon...Eek!...I probably had the same stunned look on my face as Dean did!! Then Jensen did that very brief scared/threatened WTH look as Sam raised up his hand toward Dean. Very quick look of fear, very subtle, but so perfectly done. That guy rocks!! And then they dropped the bomb on me as Sam was locked up in the panic room for a hunters intervention. Incredible ending! Thursday never comes quickly enough!
5 - Bethany
Huppy - I think you'll find that Sam's powers have always come from Demon Blood as revealed by YED in All Hell Breaks Loose (I can't remember which part) YED was in Sam's nursery to put Demon Blood in him to give him his abilities.
Great Review as always Alice, I too was having an OMFG moment at the end and I too am nervous for the next two episode esp as you know Kripke is going to end it on a cliff hanger which is going to have me fretting all summer.
6 - Baronius
The thing I wasn't prepared for is that I didn't like Jimmy. He knows how high the stakes are, but he was whiny about committing to the fight. That's going to make Castiel a less appealing character to me, I'm afraid.
7 - Huppy
Bethany, You're right, Sam's powers have always come from demon blood, but right now it seems any powers he is currently showing come from drinking demon blood, instead of coming from the YED blood already inside him.
8 - maguie
I love your reviews!
Did you watch the part with anna in the Impala when she asks to dean about he let Jimmy got away and Dean answers talk to ginormo refering to sam, I didnt get it, what is or who is ginormo
9 - Elle
Huppy, I think that when YED was alive, once the other kids gave into him they were able to realize their abilities more fully. The little bit of blood from YED likely connected him to them and, since he was more powerful than Ruby, he was able to exert some control and "feed" them. Also, Sam still had visions prior to drinking the blood - but only up until YED died, so I have to assume his existance had something to do with it.
Alice - great review. I agree 100%. I loved the exchange between Sam and Dean in the car - Dean was so desolate. Another powerful scene that really struck me, was the transition between Jimmy and Castiel, when Jimmy is first possessed on the porch and his daughter talks to him. That was very well done by Misha - the facial expressions, movements and tone all clearly illustrated two different entities in the same figure.
I too saw the wife possession right away. I think, following a demon encounter, all present parties must consume holy water before passing go and collecting $200.
The preview for the last two episodes - well, I have no words but I felt your description involving jello pretty much mirrored my reaction.
Can't wait until tomorrow night.
Thanks for another great review!