10.17 Initial reaction: Learn it, live it, love it

[caranfindel]

The "Then" reminds us... Bobby is in Heaven, some of Castiel's grace is left, Metatron swore he'll never help the Winchesters, and he's also a douche, Rowena is playing the family card, and she's also aware of the Winchesters being Men of Letters.

I knew I was going to love this one as soon as I realized those sock-clad feet belonged to the late Bobby Singer, sitting in his own personal Heaven, drinking whiskey and listening to Kenny Rogers and reading Tori Spelling. I'd been spoiled enough to know Bobby was coming back this season (seriously, Jim, I'm glad you're excited but I wish you could keep things on the down low until after the episode airs) but I didn't know he'd be back tonight. And if I thought that was my last pleasant surprise tonight, I was very mistaken, because we cut to Sam in bed, jerking awake when he hears Dean screaming his name.

And it JUST

KEEPS

GETTING

BETTER

as Sam goes running barefoot through the bunker \o/ and finds Dean thrashing in his sleep, dreaming about the Mark and what he's done (and apparently, given that he's screaming Sam's name, what he's afraid he'll do) and we have panicky Sam and concerned/heartbroken Sam and nighmare-striken Dean and we're not even four minutes in and already Show has made up for last week. ALL IS FORGIVEN, SHOW.

(The husband was gone, so I rewound and watched that scene a few times. I've never been so thankful we were out of dog food.)

In the morning, Sam quickly gets off the phone with someone who will turn out to be Cas, and Dean claims to have slept "like a drunk baby," which is a lie, but a funny one. Dean's chipper as shit but he's wearing a red shirt, which means something demonic/Mark-related is going to happen. And I'm excited. Sam (who looks marvelous... and so does Dean... in fact, everyone looks marvelous tonight) says he can't find a hunt so he's going to a movie. Sam deftly describes a movie Dean would never, ever want to see, believably pretends Dean is welcome to come, and orders Dean to stay out of his room, before sneaking off to meet Castiel. For some reason, I really love Sam's crappy old truck. I love the idea of Sam Winchester driving around in this thing.

Sam is desperate, Charlie has gone radio silent, nothing else has worked, and Sam convinces Cas to participate in a yet-unnamed plot to save Dean. As the wind does what so many of us would desperately like to do - ruffle its fingers gently through Sam's hair.

Then we have Rowena, painting some kind of symbols on her naked body, and claiming that she's not been bothering Fair-gus lately because "seeing someone" - a very firm assistant manager at Biggerson's. And getting a magic knife out of a box. Oh, Rowena. Surely you're not hatching an evil plot.

So this is the one scene I don't really understand. Dean is on the phone with Rudy, a hunter Sam mentioned earlier, offering help. Why? And also, why is he doing all this crap in Sam's room - rubbing his butt on Sam's pillow, taping down the buttons on his phone, rubbing Sam's toothbrush under his arm. (And why didn't Sam take his toothbrush if he's spending the night in "Wichita?" We know how Sam feels about dental hygiene.) Is this supposed to be an April Fool's joke? Anyway, Dean claims to be "fan-damn-tastic" (and I'm convinced he would have said "fan-fucking-tastic" if he were on HBO) but then he's suddenly reminded of the Mark, and there's a soul-searching look in the mirror, and you're wearing a red shirt, Dean. You know what's going to happen.

Sam and Cas show up at the stairway to Heaven, where an angel tells Cas he's not allowed upstairs and puts him on hold. Then the angel smokes out of his vessel (and I know "smokes out" isn't right, because angels aren't black and smokey, but what do you call it when an angel leaves a vessel? we need a term for that) and Hannah enters the vessel, and this is wonderful. The way the expression on the vessel's face changes, the way Cas looks when he recognizes Hannah, I knew it was her even before she spoke. It's beautifully done.

Hannah explains that Cas can't be allowed into Heaven because she knows he's desperate to save Dean, and that means she knows he'll end up releasing Metatron. And look, Cas, you lost your damage deposit the last time you borrowed him. You can't really expect anyone to let you have him again. Sam drags Cas away and says it's okay, we'll break Metatron out. Breaking someone out of Heaven can't be a big deal, right? After all, Sam's broken someone out of Hell. Someone who happens to be in this episode.

Back to Rowena, who questions Hell's switchboard operator (and of course Hell runs on Windows) and finds that he can locate the location of the call Crowley made from the bunker within a 10 mile radius. Well, that can't be good. (Also. "You can be damned and still be a conscientious worker." Any other Better Call Saul watchers getting a Mike vibe?)

(The rest of this doesn't happen in the order I'm discussing it, but there's so much cutting back and forth between stories that it's easier to just discuss each plot as a whole.)

Dean has gone to a bar, where he knows the bartender well enough to be a on a first name basis. Surely this bar isn't in Lebanon, Kansas, population approximately 200. Dean considers calling Sam (and he seems to have a lot of contacts in his phone for someone whose friends are all dead) but thinks better of it and decides to play drunk and hustle some college students who are playing pool for twenty bucks a game. (Another reason they must not be in Lebanon, because where would college students come from?) Even the one-show wonders look good tonight, because long-haired college boy is kinda cute, don't you think? Or do I just have a type?

Dean loses one game pretty badly, and then ups the ante to $300, including the watch Cute College Boy's dad gave him, and you'd think he'd be a little more sensitive to that. You'd also think he'd keep up his pretense of being drunk, but he drops that and turns into a sober sarcastic asshole pretty quickly. There's really no explanation for why Dean is suddenly turning into a douche - these guys aren't bothering him, aren't threatening anybody. It's only the Mark having an effect on him. (And that red shirt.) In fact, right around this point, I swore his eyes flashed black and I had to rewind to check that they didn't.

If you listen to the background music right here, the lyrics are "I ain't goin' back no more." Oh, I think maybe you are, Deano. And I'm even more certain when he goes into the bathroom, splashes some water on his face, and sees something unexpected in the mirror.

While he's in the bathroom, Rowena shows up, clears the bar, and puts a spell on the college students - the same spell, it turns out, that she put on the unfortunate girl in Girls Girls Girls. The boys attack Dean and he comes pretty close to killing Cute College Boy with a pool cue until he flashes back to some of his greatest hits from earlier in the season - Lester, Cole, Dark Charlie, Bunny's shifter daughter - and pulls back. (Also, I don't think you could really beat someone to death with a pool cue, could you? They're not that strong. You need a baseball bat, Dean. Or an ax. Or a hammer. Mmmmm. Hammer.)

Seeing that her plot has failed so far, Rowena uses the sigils marked on her body for a spell that she expects will kill Dean, and is shocked to find he's immune. He pins her with a knife to her throat and finds out she wants to kill him because he's a good influence on her son ("you mean Crowley Crowley?"). She points out that he's not going to kill her because he's a hero, and he wants those boys to live, and she's the only one who can save them.

Meanwhile, Sam and Dean have found "real deal" psychic Oliver Price, hoping he'll help them with Plan B. Sam and Cas are kind of adorable here, trying to get Price to open the door.

I'll break it down.
Dude, dude, dude. Chill.
I'm helping!
Just follow my lead.

Price knows who Sam is and what he wants, because he can read Sam's mind. But not Castiel's.

What are you?
I'm an angel.
No, you can't be.
Why?
Because I'm an athiest
Not any more.

Hee! Price's seance is successful and Sam is able to communicate with Bobby. He explains what's going on, and Bobby is adorably touched just to hear Sam's voice, and maybe I've got something in my eye. Bobby needs to find the gateway to Earth, and as Bobby says, "I'm already dead, what's the worst that could happen?" He finds his way out of his own personal Heaven and into a brightly-lit hallway, lined with doors to Heavens belonging to other Robert Singers. And Robertos. I like that Bobby's Heaven isn't all that different from his Hell, at least in terms of its structure. It's just a little nicer once you get inside his cell. Although I'm sad that his Heaven doesn't include anyone else, like Karen. Even if Karen is off in her own Heaven, shouldn't Bobby's Heaven have a version of her, the way Sam had Brace Face and her family?

When an alarm goes off, Bobby releases all the Bobbys/Robertos (and apparently a Roberta), and uses them to hold off Hannah and her minions ("The Bobbys are fighting back. All hands, we need all hands. They're surly. I repeat, the Bobbys are surly!") while he finds the doorway to earth. Which is behind door number 42. Oh, Show. (Gives it a big wet kiss.) Once Bobby opens the door, we get a truly fantastic little scene with Sam and Cas running and Sam tackling an angel and Cas leaping into the open doorway and I wish I could cap it, but there's too much motion and all my caps look like crap. But God, it was fun to watch.

Ah, there's the creep-ass hobbit-looking fella himself. Metatron is pleased to see Cas and Bobby show up at his cell ("This is the scribe of God? Looks like a Fraggle.") Metatron calls Cas "Asstiel" and reminds him that he won't help Dean, but Cas says he's helping him, not Dean. And Metatron, who we already know can play Cas like a violin, is all, keys are over there, let's get this started. Yes, this will end well. When they meet up with Sam on Earth, Metatron immediately tries to put himself in charge, pointing out that he holds all the cards - he knows about the Mark, he has Castiel's grace, he's the one with the leverage. "Learn it, live it, love it." Cas responds by slicing Metatron's neck and stealing his grace! Holy crap. I didn't expect that at all. And just when I thought this scene couldn't possibly get any better, Sam shoots him in the leg. Oh. My. God.

Having lost his leverage, Metatron claims he actually has no idea how to get rid of the Mark. "It's old magic. God-level magic. Or Lucifer-level. But you can't ask him exactly, can you?" The way Cas glances at Sam makes me wonder if he's thinking about doing exactly that. (Why yes, that was a plot bunny hopping by. I hope someone catches it.) Cas decides Metatron is telling the truth about his ignorance and tells Sam to shoot him, and is Sam actually going to do that? Wouldn't blame him, but it does seem un-Sam-like. But Metatron says he wasn't lying about Castiel's leftover grace, and he'll take him to it, and Cas, don't fall for this. But he does, and he shoves Metatron into his pimpmobile to take him God knows where. (God doesn't know. God doesn't care.)

On the Crowena front, Rowena returns to Hell (or Hell on Earth, where ever) and slices herself up, then stumbles dramatically into Crowley's chamber and claims she was hurt by Dean.

Why were you anywhere near Dean Winchester?
I was trying to kill him.
Been there. Never seems to work out quite the way you want.

Crowley explains that Dean is protected by the Mark of Cain and it "never lets its host die easy." And, well. That's a can of worms, isn't it? So the Mark doesn't actually make anyone immortal, it just makes them hard to kill? I'd really like this settled, guys. I know Show doesn't care about my fic-writing needs, but I've already written something based on the idea that only one person has the Mark at a time, and been Kripke'd. And another based on the thought that the Mark makes one immortal. I'm kind of afraid to finish what I'm writing now. Can we just get a ruling on this one?

Anyway, the point to take from this scene is that Rowena says the Mark is just a curse, and she'll find a cure for it. Crowley encourages her to do so. And while she wants to find a curse so she can cure Dean and then kill him, I'm pretty sure Crowley just wants to be able to save his BFF. And get something out of it, I'm sure, but definitely not kill him. He claims he's keeping his friends close and his enemies closer, but Lady MacRowena isn't falling for it. She insists he's going to lose respect if he doesn't do something about Dean "mutiliating" his mother. Actually, Rowena, I'm pretty sure no one in Hell cares if you're mutilated.

Crowley shows up at the bar, where Dean says he's been waiting for him, and I've been waiting for this too, guys. Squirrely!!!!! I love these two together. And right off the bat we get one of the greatest exchanges ever.

Squirrel.
Boris. Where's Natasha?
Would it make a difference?
Not really.

\o/ !!!!!!! (Also, nice callback to the dialog in Reichenbach.)

Dean's "We gonna do this?" is kind of threatening, but it turns out what they do is sit down and have a drink (and yes, Crowley's drinking the same drink from Reichenbach, with a tiny pitchfork!!!!) and talk, and they are so precious I can hardly stand it. Dean's very interested to hear the Mark is just a curse that can theoretically be removed, but claims he's not interested. And they drink in unison. And Dean kindly lectures him on the meaning of family. And this scene makes me ridiculously happy.

But it also means it's going to be that much worse when (assuming it's a "when") Dean does kill Crowley.

(Did Crowley mix his own drink or did Dean mix it for him? My headcanon is that Dean made it for him. Crap, I love these two.)

Crowley returns to Mommy Dearest and kicks her skank ass out, and there are cheers all around. (Mark Sheppard's voice is low and growly and insanely sexy in this scene, if you didn't notice.) Unfortunately, he made an enemy here, and I'm sure it's going to come back to bite him in the ass.

We wrap up with Sam returning to the bunker to find Dean eating cereal, where they both lie about the previous evening's activities. Sam sits down and reads a letter from Bobby, and we'll refrain from asking when he had time to write it. Bobby encourages Sam to tell Dean what he's doing, and tells him he's proud of him, and hearing from him was the happiest he's ever been in Heaven, no matter what it costs. And a scene of angels stepping officiously into Bobby's Heaven lets us know it's definitely going to cost him something. As Bobby says, "Sometimes the bad's real bad, and the good, it can come at one hell of a price." (Also, "kick it in the ass." Sniff.)

So. This episode. {Happy sigh} First, as I mentioned earlier, everyone looked good tonight. But beyond my shallowness, there were also some pretty wonderful things:

The return of Bobby. I keep saying I wish they'd leave him alone and let him stay dead, but I loved him in this one, particularly since it showed his appreciation of Sam. That's something we didn't get enough of, in my opinion, when he was alive.

BAMF Castiel. Yes, I'm 99.99% sure Metatron is lying to him and is going to screw him over. But he was still fun to watch.

SAM. All things Sam. Sam freaking out, Sam smoothly lying to Dean, Sam working with Cas, Sam talking to Bobby, Sam threatening Metatron, all the Sam.

DEAN. Nightmare Dean, sarcastic asshole so close to demon Dean, Dr. Phil having a drink with Crowley Dean.

Crowley finally getting rid of Rowena. You know, I even liked Crowena. That's how special this episode was.

As always, I'm unspoiled, please help me stay that way - pretend you haven't seen the previews. :-)

Comments

[sw0rdy.livejournal.com]

(The husband was gone, so I rewound and watched that scene a few times. I've never been so thankful we were out of dog food.)

LOL. In my house, hubby wanted to watch the debate so I disappeared upstairs to watch the gloriousness that was this week's episode so yeah, I did re-watch that scene a few times...

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

It was a good episode to watch alone. :D

[casey679.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode too. Hoping we get to see a lot more of Sam being badass for the reason of the season because <3 <3 <3 <3 <3.

Loved Sam's terrible movie excuse. French movie, mime, cockroach. Check! Surprised you didn't figure out that Dean was reverting to pranking Sam like they did way back in the early days. Although the phone prank was a little weak... I mean, really, Dean? Do you guys ever use any phone other than your cell phones? Is he ever going to notice?

I was really hoping Bobby would be good and I was so happy to be right. I never minded them bringing back old characters, as long as it feels right, and his return was pretty much perfect. I WAS A little sad Ash didn't show up, though, since we know he knows how to hack across heavens and I miss Dr. Badass and his mullet. Or Kevin, who is (presumably) now in Heaven.

Definitely having a hard time seeing how Heaven is any great shake. It feels like the angels have made it just as boring as Crowley has made Hell, which is probably actually their point now that I think about it. I'm sure more than ever that Sam's "Heaven" was intentionally rigged by Zackariah now, though.

I swear, I'm gonna go make a Mike Relm-style remix video that is nothing but Castiel taking Metatron's grace and then Sam shooting him, maybe with some Dean beating him up cut in, because MAN did that scene feel gooooooooooood.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Surprised you didn't figure out that Dean was reverting to pranking Sam like they did way back in the early days. Although the phone prank was a little weak... I mean, really, Dean? Do you guys ever use any phone other than your cell phones? Is he ever going to notice?

See, that's the thing. The fun of a prank is in the reveal. Sam's never going to know what Dean did to his toothbrush and pillow, so it's more mean than prank to me. Just like hustling the college kids was mean.

Definitely having a hard time seeing how Heaven is any great shake.

Better than hell but not much of an improvement over earth!

I swear, I'm gonna go make a Mike Relm-style remix video that is nothing but Castiel taking Metatron's grace and then Sam shooting him, maybe with some Dean beating him up cut in, because MAN did that scene feel gooooooooooood.

I'd watch the hell out of that!

[elwarre.livejournal.com]

Even the one-show wonders look good tonight, because long-haired college boy is kinda cute, don't you think? Or do I just have a type? I'm kind of convinced that long-haired college boy here represents Sam and all of Dean's early frustrations with him (when he thinks Sam's a pretentious, long-haired college boy abandoning the mission for exactly this sort of bar-hopping nonsense, which is only nonsense when long-haired college boys do it, of course), and that it's a (hopefully) good sign Dean managed not to stab him.

Which is behind door number 42. I love all of these little jokes show gives us. Also Boris and Natasha....sigh.

Or Lucifer-level. But you can't ask him exactly, can you? I'm hoping so badly this happens, because suffering halluci!Sam is apparently my porn.

I actually kind of love Rowena, even if she is a manipulative little shit. But I think if you combine the Crowley/Dean scene here and Crowley's heartbreakingly hilarious speech in Sacrifice, you get a Crowley who still wants family, and who maybe knew he was being manipulated by Rowena, but still felt he had some obligation to her. But of course once God Dean tells him it's ok to let her go, he's fine with kicking her out. :)

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of convinced that long-haired college boy here represents Sam and all of Dean's early frustrations with him (when he thinks Sam's a pretentious, long-haired college boy abandoning the mission for exactly this sort of bar-hopping nonsense, which is only nonsense when long-haired college boys do it, of course), and that it's a (hopefully) good sign Dean managed not to stab him.

But he came very close. And a sick little part of me hopes that's some major foreshadowing...

Or Lucifer-level. But you can't ask him exactly, can you? I'm hoping so badly this happens, because suffering halluci!Sam is apparently my porn.

Then let us cross our fingers!

I actually kind of love Rowena, even if she is a manipulative little shit. But I think if you combine the Crowley/Dean scene here and Crowley's heartbreakingly hilarious speech in Sacrifice, you get a Crowley who still wants family, and who maybe knew he was being manipulated by Rowena, but still felt he had some obligation to her. But of course once God Dean tells him it's ok to let her go, he's fine with kicking her out. :)

Or he just wanted that family relationship so badly, and couldn't keep it with Dean, that he was willing to put up with Rowena's nonsense.

[mdlaw.livejournal.com]

You most certainly can kill someone with a broken pool cue. It can be very stabby. I don't think those pranks were for Sam. They were all for Dean...the reveal will come at some future time after Sam has slept on the pillow and used the toothbrush. The perfect, "I touched your stuff" prank. I thought long haired college boy was sort of Sammyesque too. m. :)

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Okay, I was thinking about beating, not stabbing.

[dreamsofspike.livejournal.com]

I agree, this episode was pretty amazing. <3

I loved that Sam actually got some major plot and things to DO this episode, I loved all the Sam & Cas friendship stuff, I loved the Dean/Crowley stuff SO MUCH! <3 I've started really shipping them, which I know is awful because Dean is most likely going to kill Crowley before the end of the season.

I think that at some point between now and the end of season 11, we're going to see both Lucifer AND God return. This show started with conflict between Sam and John Winchester. The issues between Lucifer and God on this show have always been a parallel to that. It'd be really interesting to see the OTHER Father/son confrontation, I think. :P Before all is said and done.

I kind of think that Rowena is going to try something BIG to try to remove the Mark and in the process she'll end up opening the Cage and releasing Lucifer, and that will probably be the end of the season. :-S

Love your thoughts and your caps, soooooo exciting, I cannot WAIT for more! <3

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. I would LOVE it if they were planning something like your ideas. If they're going to have Dean kill Crowley (yes, I feel it coming) they need to give us something fantastic.

[ex1led-nyer.livejournal.com]

Excellent recap, and rest assured that I WILL be making an icon of that first Sam image as soon as I can think of a good caption for it.

"Hell runs on Windows" makes me feel better about the fucking product placement, which is my only complaint about the episode.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Looking forward to your icon!!!

[frozen_delight]

I like your idea that Dean made Crowley's drink for him. Headcanon accepted!

Your recaps are the best! <3

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

Crowley explains that Dean is protected by the Mark of Cain and it "never lets its host die easy." And, well. That's a can of worms, isn't it? So the Mark doesn't actually make anyone immortal, it just makes them hard to kill? I'd really like this settled, guys

Since we are supposed to believe Cain is dead, I think saying the Mark makes the bearer immortal won't stand. I'm willing to buy that the only thing that can kill someone bearing the MOC is someone else bearing the MOC and wielding the First Blade. So Dean is virtually immortal at this point, IMHO. They may change that and come up with a different way to kill Dean, but I think it would take a lot for Sam to agree to trying to kill Dean, so for now, with the exception of people like Rowena, Dean dying is pretty much off the table, IMHO.

[caranfindel.livejournal.com]

Since we are supposed to believe Cain is dead, I think saying the Mark makes the bearer immortal won't stand. I'm willing to buy that the only thing that can kill someone bearing the MOC is someone else bearing the MOC and wielding the First Blade.

But Metatron killed Dean without either the MOC or the First Blade. So we have to accept that he can be killed by an angel and/or an angel blade.

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

But Dean didn't stay dead. He came back as himself in demon form. Cain is supposedly dead, dead as in not coming back. I think that was what Crowley meant by not easy to kill. There is something that can kill everything. Death said that he will eventually reap God, so nothing in the Supernatural world is immortal. But virtually immortal is a different animal.