The Positively Positive

After working out of town and living in hotels for the past 5 weeks, it is somehow oddly appropriate that my first review now that I’m back, is of Supernatural. Not just because I attended a Supernatural convention in LA this past weekend, but also because that’s rather a bit how my life has felt – supernatural.

This episode was full of heartbreak for all of the characters and I really feel like all of them are being tested to their very limits. It was mentioned at the con this weekend (though for the life of me I can’t remember by which guest) that they must hit rock-bottom before they can fight their way back and boy howdy, is that happening. First there was Dean looking to Heaven and begging for help, then there was Bobby lamenting the fact that he’s had to kill the love of his life more than once.

Last night we saw Dean trying to deal with the fact that some of Sam’s happiest memories are some of his worst. We also saw Sam realizing just how long his brother has been holding his family together and once again feeling guilt for his actions.

The final straw for me though was Castiel. Once he found out that God wanted no part of their battle, he looked like a man who’d lost all purpose. I’d never seen our stoic angel look so defeated and I think that was the hardest part to watch of them all. We’re used to seeing Sam and Dean, even Bobby, struggling. But so far Cas has been immune to most of it, doing without the annoying emotions that his human companions suffer with. Now he is there with them and I wonder what this will do to him, and to all of them.

I still think that we are heading for a battle between Lucifer/Sam and Michael/Dean but I have to wonder just how much these characters are going to be broken before we get there. Then again, breaking them might be exactly what needs to occur before that can happen. I’m just not sure how much more my heart can take.

Highlights….

The look on Dean’s face when he said “when I come back, I’m gonna be pissed.” – ooh boy, there’s a ghost I definitely wouldn’t want on my tail.

The use of the title card right after Dean is shot, with its effects acting as Dean’s blood splattering. Wow.

Dean and Young Sam watching the fireworks with Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” playing in the background. This is the same version of the song used in season 2’s ep “Houses of the Holy”. Took a bit of looking but I finally found that version, which is from the ‘Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid’ soundtrack.

Cas talking to Dean through the Impala’s radio and Dean telling him to get out of his dreams because he needed some “me time”.

The way the night sky looked and the bright lighting they used to show us that everything we were seeing, though it all looked fairly normal, was actually in Heaven.

Cas telling Dean “don’t go into the light” and the way he looked on the tv screen – very creepy/cool.

Dean’s toy car being a model of the great Richard Petty’s car – number 43. Awesome! My dad took me to so many of that guy’s races when I was little, I even got his autograph once.

Sam finding out that Dean “wuvs hugz” – awwww!

Poor Sam realizing that he couldn’t talk to his mother as it wasn’t his memory.

Watching grownup Dean get up and reassure his mother and picturing 4 yr old Dean having to do that in the first place. *wipes away tears*

Dean and Sam’s shared horror when they realized that one of Sam’s happiest memories, a time when he ran away, was one of Dean’s worst (as he had to deal with the wrath of their father when he returned to find that Sam had run away on Dean’s “watch”).

Watching Dean’s world continue to crumble as they stumbled across another happy memory of Sam’s, the night he ran away to Stanford, and knowing how much his brother longed to be away from him when all he wanted was for them to be together. *gets out more tissues*

Zachariah making fun of the boys for trying to run away from him. Gotta admit, that was a pretty funny concept.

The return of Ash: “Buenos dias, bitches.” LOL! – You see, THIS is why I love not being spoiled. I had no clue that Chad was going to be back on the show so him showing up out of the blow was freaking awesome!

Ash’s idea of Heaven being hanging out at the Roadhouse and chugging beer. Nice.

Ash mentioning that only a few special people can “share” Heaven, like soulmates. All three paused for a moment and I realized that Sam and Dean appeared to be “sharing”. Usually one equates lovers as soulmates, but I would assume brothers can define the term as well. Very interesting.

Ash telling Sam and Dean “You boys die more than anyone I’ve ever met.” – LOL! Very true. Also very interesting to find out that they’ve been there each time they’ve died before, even though they don’t remember.

The return of Pamela. Once again, nice surprise. Love that she smacked Dean on the head for getting her killed.

Ash saying that he was cool with getting killed because of Sam and Dean. LOL!

Pamela trying to convince Dean to accept Michael’s offer because Heaven isn’t so bad. Makes me wonder if she isn’t working for someone.

The absolutely horrible things that Mama Winchester said to Dean. Yeah I know she was under Zachariah’s control, but still. Poor Dean.

Giggling at Zachariah referring to Mary as a “MILF”.

Laughing out loud when Zachariah mentioned that he was once “employee of the month” in Heaven. Especially considering that Kurt mentioned at the convention that he plays Zachariah like a seedy real estate agent trying to get to the top.

Finding out that God knows about everything that is going on, but doesn’t think it’s His problem. He already stepped in by putting Sam and Dean on the plane and saving Castiel. Wow, I didn’t see that coming. I figured they’d never find Him, not that He’d just refuse to help. Once again, I think this is bringing us closer to the boys saying “yes” to their respective angels.

God sending Sam and Dean back from Heaven…this time with a memory of it.

Sam and Dean waking up covered in their own blood and their clothes riddled with bullet holes.

The sad way Cas said “maybe….maybe Joshua was lying.” And then giving Dean back his amulet because it was now “worthless”. So hard to watch him lose all hope like that.

Dean throwing out the amulet. To me that meant that he didn’t want to carry a symbol of his brother any longer. Not after that brother had apparently wanted nothing more than to get rid of him. I think Dean is wondering now about their entire lives, whether anything he believed in (his brother, his father), was ever true.

*gets out more tissues, blows nose and curses Kripke for breaking her heart once again*

Overall a beautiful episode that I think is bringing us ever closer to the inevitable end of the Apocalypse.

More Supernatural…..
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 1 “Sympathy For The Devil”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 2 “Good God, Y’All”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 3 “Free To Be You and Me”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 4 “The End”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 5 “Fallen Idols”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 6 “I Believe the Children Are Our Future”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 8 “Changing Channels”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 9 “The Real Ghostbusters”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 10 “Abandon All Hope”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 11 “Sam, Interrupted”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 12 “Swap Meat”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 13 “The Song Remains The Same”
Supernatural, Season 5, episode 14 “My Bloody Valentine”

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