SPN - "Meet the New Boss"
Sep. 24th, 2011 10:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feliciakw[Poll #1781333]
The Road So Far . . .
Wow! Did they up the budget on graphics? That's . . . very different than anything we've had in the past, yeah? What does it meeeean?
Everything we need to know to pick up where we left off.
Now . . .
When last we left our heroes, our heroes were being ordered to kneel before an angel with a God complex.
Bobby, being the practical sort, is the first on his knees. Sam and Dean make to follow, because really, what else can they do when faced with a supernaturally powerful being who's gone off the deep end.
But Cas wants love and respect, not fear.
Dean tries again to get through to Cas, but the Cas we knew is gone. This makes me sad. I so loved Cas when he first showed up. And while his journey hasn't been ideal . . . But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Bottom line here is that Cas has indeed gone off the deep end. How much of this is Cas, and how much of it is fueled by the evil the consumed . . . we will never know. One thing is certain: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) If there's anything to be learned from this course of events, I think this is it.
In fact, this whole storyline of Cas's is kind of a study in this principle.
"Once you were my favorite pets"? Seriously, Cas? I remember a time when you looked on humans as masterpieces of God's creation. Beings to be respected. Even the Gabester got that eventually. Oh, how you've lost your way.
Cas, thinking he is God, makes some proclamations. Basically, if the Winchesters keep their place (as Cas sees it) and minds their own business, he'll leave them alone. He's not going to fix Sam, who's obviously struggling with something, and he obviously thinks the Winchesters will be a non-issue from now on. Seriously? Have you forgotten everything you've learned about these guys?
Hell flashback! They're really getting their money's worth out of the burning people FX, yeah?
Cas laying down the law in Heaven. I gotta say, all those dead angels is rather disconcerting.
New title card. Exploding ashes?
Oh, Phil. You clever thing you. I love this opening shot and camera movement of Dean attempting to muscles out the Impala's roof.
Dean and Bobby have no idea how to start dealing with Cas. Don't know where to find him, don't know what to do once they do find him. So Dean's going to do what he can do, which is fix the Impala. *flashbacks to beginning of S2* That's just what he said in ELaC. Oh, Dean. I love you, you know that?
And when Sam wakes up, they're going to fix him, too. Shades of Sam when Dean was in the hospital in IMToD.
Sam meets Dean getting a beer out of the fridge. Sam is up, walking and talking, and other than a bit of a headache, he's fine. Dean invites him for a debrief while working on the car, but before Sam can follow, he starts having auditory hallucinations. Oh, this isn't good.
Now, this is probably one of the most uncomfortable scenes for me in the ep. I'll try to be coherent, if perhaps not exactly concise. The depiction of the church makes me uncomfortable, because it is a reference to the missing-the-mark fringe that the media so enjoys highlighting. The regrettable thing is that there are congregations out there who do spread hatred and vitriol claiming to be speaking for God. This particular congregation is a not-so-thinly-veiled reference to the Westboro Baptist Church, which cherry picks verses from the Bible in order to, imo, make a political statement. (My thoughts on using God/Jesus as a political tool is a completely different post topic.) They've completely neglected the instances where Jesus stood against sin powerfully and with compassion and forgiveness. And when the preacher at this church says, "Somebody has to speak 'for God'," that statement sends up all sorts of red flags. It just sounds so prideful. And as I sit here and try to put into words why it feels so wrong, I seem to fail at coming up with the words to explain myself clearly. We don't speak "for" God. God speaks through us to a hurting world. "We are His hands, we are His feet." Should we speak out against sin? Yes. But it needs to be done with love and compassion. As Paul wrote, if we can speak in the tongues of angels, have all knowledge, have faith to move mountains, but have not love, it means nothing. (1 Corinthians 13) Picketing funerals is not an act of love, it is an act of exhibition, usually political exhibition.
So, yes. The preacher here is off the mark.
Enter Cas, who, btw, doesn't speak for or as God, either. Cas speaks for himself, but he ain't God. So they're both wrong.
Though Cas does get one important point correct--God hates hypocrisy.
Again Cas proclaims, "I'm God." Cas? Question for you: Did you create the universe? No. Are you a created being? Yes. Then you are not God, and you cannot become God.
And something whispers to Cas in his mind. Oooohhh . . .
Cas replacing Jesus with himself just makes me cringe. Oh, this is not going to end well.
This is what happens when we set ourselves up to play God.
So, while this is probably the most uncomfortable scene for me in the ep, it's probably also the most telling in regards to how Cas's pride is just as bad as the preacher's hypocrisy.
Sam is in the basement looking for a socket wrench, and Cage flashback. Okay, then. We're gonna get more specific flashbacks for Sam than we did for Dean. Not sure how I feel about this. They've either increased their budget to show Hell, they've decided they need to up the ante for the audience (i.e., go BIGGER), or Dean's experiences were more horrific to depict ("They sliced and they carved until there was nothing left") to depict on-screen.
At any rate, skin on hooks. Been there, done that. We've seen a whole DEAN strung up on chains and meathooks.
So, Cas has gone on a killing spree of 200 religious leaders. And they're all associated with Christianity? I'm only seeing churches on the map and in the news footage. *frown*
The new God is young and sexy. Heh.
Dean working on the Impala. *love*
The KKK has been forced to disband. Gotta agree with Dean on this one. (Though it more than likely only forced the movement underground, which is not much better, and in some ways, worse.)
A fire that burned down the Center for Vibrational Enlightenment. You know, after the recent and unexpected earthquake, my first thought was that it was a seismic study center. Bwah! But, no. Cas is wiping out New Age speakers as well. So, he is in an equal opportunity smiting mode.
I also kind of love seeing the guys work on the Impala together.
Sam wants to talk to Cas, but Dean refuses. Deception, betrayal, near killing of Sam. Yeah, not good ways to get on Dean's A-list. The Cas who was their friend is not coming back.
A camp ground in Tennessee, where Crowley is hiding out. Oh, Crowley. Quite a change from your mansion behind iron gates, huh.
Cas finds Crowley.
Crowley standing waiting to be smited makes me chuckle.
And here's an interesting and potentially telling little exchange. Cas would have gotten rid of Hell completely (in which case, he would have gotten all the souls of any kind on Earth), but he needs Hell. "And we need to keep Michael in Lucifer's cage." Now, how Hell comes into play on that, I have no idea. But.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS??????
This means that Michael can get out!
The cage was built to contain Lucifer. Not Michael. It is Lucifer's cage, not Michael's.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?????
It means that we could still see Jensen as Michael.
And they could fix the screw-ups they presented in Michael's character.
This would make me very happy.
Uh-oh. Cas's vessel (poor Jimmy) is starting to deteriorate.
More hallucinations and nightmares for Sam. So he goes in search of Dean and Bobby, because he doesn't really want to be alone right now.
He finds them in the garage, where they are appraising Dean's progress on the Impala.
Bobby: She's looking good, considering.
Dean: Considering? I should to this professionally.
Me: Aw, Dean. You totally could.
Dean and Bobby discuss the likelihood that Sam actually is as okay as he professes. Bobby is skeptical. Dean is, too, but he wants to accept Sam's recovery at face value, because they've had so much garbage dumped on them over the course of their lives. Just this one thing, you know? Can't they have just this one thing?
Sam interrupts their discussion, says they need to put a stop to Cas's rampage. He suggests there might a a weapon in the arsenal that Balthazar stole. Ah, Balthazar. Surely there will be a way to bring you back?
Dean says there's nothing that can hurt Cas, but there is someone.
So, they conjure Crowley. Who is very freaked, because his new boss will kill him just for talking to them.
Also, Sam is not a moose this season. He is a giraffe.
"What do you think he's gonna do when he finds out we've been conspiring? . . . You do want to conspire, don't you?" Ha! Oh, Crowley. Always up for a good conspiracy.
They tell Crowley that they need a spell to bind Death. After an initial resistance and outrage, Crowley's in, as is symbolized by offering Bobby a shot of Scotch.
Cas heals a blind man, but he's not looking so good himself. In fact, he's hearing more voices, and he's got tummy monsters trying to break through his skin. Eeeeewww. That's . . . disturbing.
Okay, here's something that tickles me: An ancient spell, written on parchment that's probably made of human skin, delivered in a FedEx envelope (or the fictitious equivalent), with a sticky note attached. Bwah!
So, they need "an act of God, crystalized forever" (lightening crystalized sand). So off they go to swipe them some.
Dean gets caught in the act of his B&E and theft. He politely ties up the doctor and his wife, and Dean, Sam, and Bobby get down to brass tacks. Dean sets out a snack on the side table. Ookay.
Ever notice that it seems to always be Dean's blood that they use in the spells? Hm . . . Thinking along the lines of "purity" of the ingredient, could it be because Sam's is tainted and therefore unsuitable for spellwork? Could the usage of Dean's blood be a clue toward "something about Dean"? Or am I reading too much into it?
I hope the Weisses have insurance.
Ah! The snack was an offering for Death. Heh. Dean thinks ahead. Fried pickle chips. Best in the state.
Death assumes they bound him so that he'd rebuild the wall. Which of course Dean didn't even know about the hallucinations. Not the purpose of this visit, and not welcome information for Dean.
They want Death to kill "God."
I kinda love how Bobby shows him respect, as does Sam, and while Dean tries to play snarky tough guy, he totally knows better, and his delivery shows it.
Death: What makes you think I can do that? (Oooh, are you implying that you actually can't, Death?)
Dean: You told me.
Death: Why should I?
Dean: (hesitantly) Because we said so, and we're the boss of you. I mean, respectfully.
Cas shows up, and it becomes clear. "God?" Death asks. "You look awfully like a mutated angel to me."
Death reveals, "There are things much older than souls in Purgatory, and you gulped those in, too."
Okay, new info, and Dean is concerned, in a distinct, "Okay, this is new info" way. Heh.
Leviathans, Death says. Ooooooohhhhh . . . I says.
Before God created men and angels, he created the first beasts. (We don't know when exactly God created angels, but it would make sense that since they are part of creation, they would have been created during that six day timeframe.) Yes, Man was the last thing God created. And the leviathans were locked away . . . hm . . . . this proves to be an interesting take on things . . .
Now Cas "is the one thin membrane between the Old Ones and your home." HMMMM . . . Also, Yike!
And Death has very little patience for angels with God complexes. He calls Cas like he sees it. Cas is using his power to settle petty vendettas.
"Please, Cas," says Death. "I know God, and you, sir, ore no God." I kinda wanted to cheer.
Death, ever since he came on the show, has been an interesting character. There are certain things he's said (like "reaping God") that have set me on edge, but for the most part, I'm extremely intrigued by the character. He's kind of the closest thing we've seen to "God" on the show. I'm not saying that I think he *is* God. He's a Horseman, he can be bound, and death was not part of God's original plan for His creation to begin with. But the character seems to be judicious and even-handed, and it seems he recognizes Dean as the chosen warrior for Good. He and Dean seem to have some sort of tentative understanding, a mutual respect of sorts, if it can be called that. Death sees Dean's weaknesses, and has very little patience for them. But he also sees Dean's strengths. It's an interesting dynamic.
Plus, they share a love of junk food.
Dean orders Death to kill Cas. Cas frees Death. And yet Death does not turn on Dean. His attention is still on Cas. He's had a tingling that he'd be reaping someone very, very soon. Not the Weisses, who have been watching all of this with interest. Heh.
And now he has a moment to enjoy his pickle chips.
Cas vanishes and heads toward the campaign headquarters of a representation of Michelle Bachmann's headquarters. It annoys me that they always pick on the conservatives. It also annoys me how conservative candidates seem to use God as a tool in their political campaigns. (But as I said, that's a completely different post topic.) So it's not really a complaint, per se, but it makes me roll my eyes.
"I am a better God than my father." Oh, yeah. That's going to end real well, Cas.
Again with the voices, accompanied by a maniacal laugh. So not going to end well.
Death scolds Dean for not using the information he gave him and stopping Cas.
Dean declares he's been trying to save the planet, and maybe Death should choose somebody better to tip off. But he didn't, did he, Dean? Doesn't that tell you something? You, dude, were the best person for the job. Remember Roy LeGrange? God chose you, and your work isn't done yet, you Sword of Michael, you.
Death gives Dean, Sam, and Bobby a plan of attack, complete with an unscheduled eclipse.
Cas wakes up in the campaign office, surrounded by bloody bodies. Things are going very, very wrong, and Cas knows it.
Dean has opted to eat, drink, and watch Asian animated porn rather than rush to a plan he doesn't think will work. Sam believes Cas is still in there somewhere; Dean does not. Sam points out that he himself was pretty far gone at times, and Dean never gave up on him. (He came kinda close a couple of times, though, but we won't go there.) Dean points out that Sam is keeping secrets just as readily as he ever did. But Sam explains himself, and as far as I'm concerned, Sam's motivations are totally different this time around. Before, he was lying to Dean because he (Sam) was working with a demon--was choosing loyalty to Ruby over loyalty to Dean. This time, he's keeping his secrets for Dean's peace of mind, because Dean has had so much garbage piled on him, and Sam wants to give him this one little piece of peace. Might not have been the best choice (because when it hits the fan, Dean's gonna have to deal with it), but Sam's reasoning is certainly understandable.
And Dean? You were the same way with your Hell flashbacks. You weren't going to share them with Sam, because there was nothing he could do about it. But you told him eventually. Sam will come around sooner or later.
Sam insists it's okay, that he can tell the difference between what's real and what's not.
Dean's bout of fatalism here, waiting for the world to end, calls to mind his self-destructive streak when Sam died at the end of S2. Bobby reminded Dean that the world was about to end. Dean's response? A very loud, "Well then let it end!" He was cut much deeper then, more crushed by Sam's death than anything, whereas this is more fatalistic, but it's the same response.
Dean comes across some security cam footage on the news of Cas's massacre at the campaign headquarters. Cas has started killing bystanders now. The grin is very disconcerting--downright creepy, even--and Dean sees reaching Cas is not an option.
But Sam gives it one more try and offers their help to Cas one last time. Sam returns to the kitchen, but agrees to drink with Dean only if Dean turns off the cartoon porn. Heh.
Cas, weak and bloody, appears, asking for help.
At the lab, a collapsed Cas gives directions for the ritual, and it's the first time Cas has sounded like himself in a long, long time.
Cas apologizes to Dean and wants to make amends. Dean is being honest in his responses. Not cruel, I don't think, but he's not going to tell Cas something he doesn't mean.
Sam goes to fetch the appropriate jar of blood, turns around, and there's Lucifer! Coiffed suspiciously like Dean, don't you think? He's also wearing a rather Dean-like overshirt. This so does not bode well.
The hallucination calls into question what's real and what's not (and I know I've read this as Dean fic).
Bobby sends Dean to fetch Sam, because it's time to get the ritual stared. Dean finds the jar of blood sitting in the hallway, but no Sam. If it's not one thing, it's another.
Bobby pulls Cas up and positions him in front of the "doorway" symbols. Partway through the recitation, Cas collapses, and Dean rushes in to pick him up, steady him, then steps back so as to avoid getting sucked in/toasted by the door opening.
"I'm sorry, Dean," says Cas, and that's the Cas I remember.
The nukes get returned to sender, the door closes, and Cas collapses. No response. He's cold, and not breathing. Maybe angels don't need to breath (Dean is so ready to have his friend back), but Bobby pronounces death.
Dean is visibly upset. Why didn't Cas listen to him? It's a good question. People often don't listen to Dean, and so often, Dean's call is the right one. Will no one learn?
Yet at the same time, I'm reminded of Dean's blanket apology/forgiveness at Rufus's graveside. Does it apply to Cas as well, Dean?
Cas's skin heals, and he wakes up. He's alive, and very contrite about what happened. Dean makes a token snark, but mostly is just wanting to get Cas out of there. They can talk about Cas making amends later. Dean will forgive Cas just has he forgave Sam. It might take effort, and it might take a while to build back that trust, but Dean's not worried about amends right now.
But Cas knows somethings wrong, tells Dean and Bobby to run! This is the Cas that's been missing for a long time.
Whatever held on to Cas, they're strong, and the way Cas addresses Dean when he says that . . . it's like he's asking Dean for help, or warning, or . . . something.
It's a leviathan! But it's too late. Leviathan takes over and declares Cas dead.
Oh, Cas.
Maniacal Misha is going to have way too much fun with this.
Leviathan: This is going to be so much fun.
Me: Um, noooooo. No, it's not.
Eep!
And scenes for next week, looking forward to it. But I'll be late watching it, as I'll be otherwise engaged on Friday night.
And for those who want a mind-bendy take on Dean's role in all of this, check out this meta. I haven't read all of it, and I'm not sure I'm 100% behind what I did read of it, but what I read was an interesting interpretation, and I've been saying for ages that Dean is the chosen warrior for Good on this show.
Show is back, and I'm holding on for the ride.
The Road So Far . . .
Wow! Did they up the budget on graphics? That's . . . very different than anything we've had in the past, yeah? What does it meeeean?
Everything we need to know to pick up where we left off.
Now . . .
When last we left our heroes, our heroes were being ordered to kneel before an angel with a God complex.
Bobby, being the practical sort, is the first on his knees. Sam and Dean make to follow, because really, what else can they do when faced with a supernaturally powerful being who's gone off the deep end.
But Cas wants love and respect, not fear.
Dean tries again to get through to Cas, but the Cas we knew is gone. This makes me sad. I so loved Cas when he first showed up. And while his journey hasn't been ideal . . . But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Bottom line here is that Cas has indeed gone off the deep end. How much of this is Cas, and how much of it is fueled by the evil the consumed . . . we will never know. One thing is certain: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) If there's anything to be learned from this course of events, I think this is it.
In fact, this whole storyline of Cas's is kind of a study in this principle.
"Once you were my favorite pets"? Seriously, Cas? I remember a time when you looked on humans as masterpieces of God's creation. Beings to be respected. Even the Gabester got that eventually. Oh, how you've lost your way.
Cas, thinking he is God, makes some proclamations. Basically, if the Winchesters keep their place (as Cas sees it) and minds their own business, he'll leave them alone. He's not going to fix Sam, who's obviously struggling with something, and he obviously thinks the Winchesters will be a non-issue from now on. Seriously? Have you forgotten everything you've learned about these guys?
Hell flashback! They're really getting their money's worth out of the burning people FX, yeah?
Cas laying down the law in Heaven. I gotta say, all those dead angels is rather disconcerting.
New title card. Exploding ashes?
Oh, Phil. You clever thing you. I love this opening shot and camera movement of Dean attempting to muscles out the Impala's roof.
Dean and Bobby have no idea how to start dealing with Cas. Don't know where to find him, don't know what to do once they do find him. So Dean's going to do what he can do, which is fix the Impala. *flashbacks to beginning of S2* That's just what he said in ELaC. Oh, Dean. I love you, you know that?
And when Sam wakes up, they're going to fix him, too. Shades of Sam when Dean was in the hospital in IMToD.
Sam meets Dean getting a beer out of the fridge. Sam is up, walking and talking, and other than a bit of a headache, he's fine. Dean invites him for a debrief while working on the car, but before Sam can follow, he starts having auditory hallucinations. Oh, this isn't good.
Now, this is probably one of the most uncomfortable scenes for me in the ep. I'll try to be coherent, if perhaps not exactly concise. The depiction of the church makes me uncomfortable, because it is a reference to the missing-the-mark fringe that the media so enjoys highlighting. The regrettable thing is that there are congregations out there who do spread hatred and vitriol claiming to be speaking for God. This particular congregation is a not-so-thinly-veiled reference to the Westboro Baptist Church, which cherry picks verses from the Bible in order to, imo, make a political statement. (My thoughts on using God/Jesus as a political tool is a completely different post topic.) They've completely neglected the instances where Jesus stood against sin powerfully and with compassion and forgiveness. And when the preacher at this church says, "Somebody has to speak 'for God'," that statement sends up all sorts of red flags. It just sounds so prideful. And as I sit here and try to put into words why it feels so wrong, I seem to fail at coming up with the words to explain myself clearly. We don't speak "for" God. God speaks through us to a hurting world. "We are His hands, we are His feet." Should we speak out against sin? Yes. But it needs to be done with love and compassion. As Paul wrote, if we can speak in the tongues of angels, have all knowledge, have faith to move mountains, but have not love, it means nothing. (1 Corinthians 13) Picketing funerals is not an act of love, it is an act of exhibition, usually political exhibition.
So, yes. The preacher here is off the mark.
Enter Cas, who, btw, doesn't speak for or as God, either. Cas speaks for himself, but he ain't God. So they're both wrong.
Though Cas does get one important point correct--God hates hypocrisy.
Again Cas proclaims, "I'm God." Cas? Question for you: Did you create the universe? No. Are you a created being? Yes. Then you are not God, and you cannot become God.
And something whispers to Cas in his mind. Oooohhh . . .
Cas replacing Jesus with himself just makes me cringe. Oh, this is not going to end well.
This is what happens when we set ourselves up to play God.
So, while this is probably the most uncomfortable scene for me in the ep, it's probably also the most telling in regards to how Cas's pride is just as bad as the preacher's hypocrisy.
Sam is in the basement looking for a socket wrench, and Cage flashback. Okay, then. We're gonna get more specific flashbacks for Sam than we did for Dean. Not sure how I feel about this. They've either increased their budget to show Hell, they've decided they need to up the ante for the audience (i.e., go BIGGER), or Dean's experiences were more horrific to depict ("They sliced and they carved until there was nothing left") to depict on-screen.
At any rate, skin on hooks. Been there, done that. We've seen a whole DEAN strung up on chains and meathooks.
So, Cas has gone on a killing spree of 200 religious leaders. And they're all associated with Christianity? I'm only seeing churches on the map and in the news footage. *frown*
The new God is young and sexy. Heh.
Dean working on the Impala. *love*
The KKK has been forced to disband. Gotta agree with Dean on this one. (Though it more than likely only forced the movement underground, which is not much better, and in some ways, worse.)
A fire that burned down the Center for Vibrational Enlightenment. You know, after the recent and unexpected earthquake, my first thought was that it was a seismic study center. Bwah! But, no. Cas is wiping out New Age speakers as well. So, he is in an equal opportunity smiting mode.
I also kind of love seeing the guys work on the Impala together.
Sam wants to talk to Cas, but Dean refuses. Deception, betrayal, near killing of Sam. Yeah, not good ways to get on Dean's A-list. The Cas who was their friend is not coming back.
A camp ground in Tennessee, where Crowley is hiding out. Oh, Crowley. Quite a change from your mansion behind iron gates, huh.
Cas finds Crowley.
Crowley standing waiting to be smited makes me chuckle.
And here's an interesting and potentially telling little exchange. Cas would have gotten rid of Hell completely (in which case, he would have gotten all the souls of any kind on Earth), but he needs Hell. "And we need to keep Michael in Lucifer's cage." Now, how Hell comes into play on that, I have no idea. But.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS??????
This means that Michael can get out!
The cage was built to contain Lucifer. Not Michael. It is Lucifer's cage, not Michael's.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?????
It means that we could still see Jensen as Michael.
And they could fix the screw-ups they presented in Michael's character.
This would make me very happy.
Uh-oh. Cas's vessel (poor Jimmy) is starting to deteriorate.
More hallucinations and nightmares for Sam. So he goes in search of Dean and Bobby, because he doesn't really want to be alone right now.
He finds them in the garage, where they are appraising Dean's progress on the Impala.
Bobby: She's looking good, considering.
Dean: Considering? I should to this professionally.
Me: Aw, Dean. You totally could.
Dean and Bobby discuss the likelihood that Sam actually is as okay as he professes. Bobby is skeptical. Dean is, too, but he wants to accept Sam's recovery at face value, because they've had so much garbage dumped on them over the course of their lives. Just this one thing, you know? Can't they have just this one thing?
Sam interrupts their discussion, says they need to put a stop to Cas's rampage. He suggests there might a a weapon in the arsenal that Balthazar stole. Ah, Balthazar. Surely there will be a way to bring you back?
Dean says there's nothing that can hurt Cas, but there is someone.
So, they conjure Crowley. Who is very freaked, because his new boss will kill him just for talking to them.
Also, Sam is not a moose this season. He is a giraffe.
"What do you think he's gonna do when he finds out we've been conspiring? . . . You do want to conspire, don't you?" Ha! Oh, Crowley. Always up for a good conspiracy.
They tell Crowley that they need a spell to bind Death. After an initial resistance and outrage, Crowley's in, as is symbolized by offering Bobby a shot of Scotch.
Cas heals a blind man, but he's not looking so good himself. In fact, he's hearing more voices, and he's got tummy monsters trying to break through his skin. Eeeeewww. That's . . . disturbing.
Okay, here's something that tickles me: An ancient spell, written on parchment that's probably made of human skin, delivered in a FedEx envelope (or the fictitious equivalent), with a sticky note attached. Bwah!
So, they need "an act of God, crystalized forever" (lightening crystalized sand). So off they go to swipe them some.
Dean gets caught in the act of his B&E and theft. He politely ties up the doctor and his wife, and Dean, Sam, and Bobby get down to brass tacks. Dean sets out a snack on the side table. Ookay.
Ever notice that it seems to always be Dean's blood that they use in the spells? Hm . . . Thinking along the lines of "purity" of the ingredient, could it be because Sam's is tainted and therefore unsuitable for spellwork? Could the usage of Dean's blood be a clue toward "something about Dean"? Or am I reading too much into it?
I hope the Weisses have insurance.
Ah! The snack was an offering for Death. Heh. Dean thinks ahead. Fried pickle chips. Best in the state.
Death assumes they bound him so that he'd rebuild the wall. Which of course Dean didn't even know about the hallucinations. Not the purpose of this visit, and not welcome information for Dean.
They want Death to kill "God."
I kinda love how Bobby shows him respect, as does Sam, and while Dean tries to play snarky tough guy, he totally knows better, and his delivery shows it.
Death: What makes you think I can do that? (Oooh, are you implying that you actually can't, Death?)
Dean: You told me.
Death: Why should I?
Dean: (hesitantly) Because we said so, and we're the boss of you. I mean, respectfully.
Cas shows up, and it becomes clear. "God?" Death asks. "You look awfully like a mutated angel to me."
Death reveals, "There are things much older than souls in Purgatory, and you gulped those in, too."
Okay, new info, and Dean is concerned, in a distinct, "Okay, this is new info" way. Heh.
Leviathans, Death says. Ooooooohhhhh . . . I says.
Before God created men and angels, he created the first beasts. (We don't know when exactly God created angels, but it would make sense that since they are part of creation, they would have been created during that six day timeframe.) Yes, Man was the last thing God created. And the leviathans were locked away . . . hm . . . . this proves to be an interesting take on things . . .
Now Cas "is the one thin membrane between the Old Ones and your home." HMMMM . . . Also, Yike!
And Death has very little patience for angels with God complexes. He calls Cas like he sees it. Cas is using his power to settle petty vendettas.
"Please, Cas," says Death. "I know God, and you, sir, ore no God." I kinda wanted to cheer.
Death, ever since he came on the show, has been an interesting character. There are certain things he's said (like "reaping God") that have set me on edge, but for the most part, I'm extremely intrigued by the character. He's kind of the closest thing we've seen to "God" on the show. I'm not saying that I think he *is* God. He's a Horseman, he can be bound, and death was not part of God's original plan for His creation to begin with. But the character seems to be judicious and even-handed, and it seems he recognizes Dean as the chosen warrior for Good. He and Dean seem to have some sort of tentative understanding, a mutual respect of sorts, if it can be called that. Death sees Dean's weaknesses, and has very little patience for them. But he also sees Dean's strengths. It's an interesting dynamic.
Plus, they share a love of junk food.
Dean orders Death to kill Cas. Cas frees Death. And yet Death does not turn on Dean. His attention is still on Cas. He's had a tingling that he'd be reaping someone very, very soon. Not the Weisses, who have been watching all of this with interest. Heh.
And now he has a moment to enjoy his pickle chips.
Cas vanishes and heads toward the campaign headquarters of a representation of Michelle Bachmann's headquarters. It annoys me that they always pick on the conservatives. It also annoys me how conservative candidates seem to use God as a tool in their political campaigns. (But as I said, that's a completely different post topic.) So it's not really a complaint, per se, but it makes me roll my eyes.
"I am a better God than my father." Oh, yeah. That's going to end real well, Cas.
Again with the voices, accompanied by a maniacal laugh. So not going to end well.
Death scolds Dean for not using the information he gave him and stopping Cas.
Dean declares he's been trying to save the planet, and maybe Death should choose somebody better to tip off. But he didn't, did he, Dean? Doesn't that tell you something? You, dude, were the best person for the job. Remember Roy LeGrange? God chose you, and your work isn't done yet, you Sword of Michael, you.
Death gives Dean, Sam, and Bobby a plan of attack, complete with an unscheduled eclipse.
Cas wakes up in the campaign office, surrounded by bloody bodies. Things are going very, very wrong, and Cas knows it.
Dean has opted to eat, drink, and watch Asian animated porn rather than rush to a plan he doesn't think will work. Sam believes Cas is still in there somewhere; Dean does not. Sam points out that he himself was pretty far gone at times, and Dean never gave up on him. (He came kinda close a couple of times, though, but we won't go there.) Dean points out that Sam is keeping secrets just as readily as he ever did. But Sam explains himself, and as far as I'm concerned, Sam's motivations are totally different this time around. Before, he was lying to Dean because he (Sam) was working with a demon--was choosing loyalty to Ruby over loyalty to Dean. This time, he's keeping his secrets for Dean's peace of mind, because Dean has had so much garbage piled on him, and Sam wants to give him this one little piece of peace. Might not have been the best choice (because when it hits the fan, Dean's gonna have to deal with it), but Sam's reasoning is certainly understandable.
And Dean? You were the same way with your Hell flashbacks. You weren't going to share them with Sam, because there was nothing he could do about it. But you told him eventually. Sam will come around sooner or later.
Sam insists it's okay, that he can tell the difference between what's real and what's not.
Dean's bout of fatalism here, waiting for the world to end, calls to mind his self-destructive streak when Sam died at the end of S2. Bobby reminded Dean that the world was about to end. Dean's response? A very loud, "Well then let it end!" He was cut much deeper then, more crushed by Sam's death than anything, whereas this is more fatalistic, but it's the same response.
Dean comes across some security cam footage on the news of Cas's massacre at the campaign headquarters. Cas has started killing bystanders now. The grin is very disconcerting--downright creepy, even--and Dean sees reaching Cas is not an option.
But Sam gives it one more try and offers their help to Cas one last time. Sam returns to the kitchen, but agrees to drink with Dean only if Dean turns off the cartoon porn. Heh.
Cas, weak and bloody, appears, asking for help.
At the lab, a collapsed Cas gives directions for the ritual, and it's the first time Cas has sounded like himself in a long, long time.
Cas apologizes to Dean and wants to make amends. Dean is being honest in his responses. Not cruel, I don't think, but he's not going to tell Cas something he doesn't mean.
Sam goes to fetch the appropriate jar of blood, turns around, and there's Lucifer! Coiffed suspiciously like Dean, don't you think? He's also wearing a rather Dean-like overshirt. This so does not bode well.
The hallucination calls into question what's real and what's not (and I know I've read this as Dean fic).
Bobby sends Dean to fetch Sam, because it's time to get the ritual stared. Dean finds the jar of blood sitting in the hallway, but no Sam. If it's not one thing, it's another.
Bobby pulls Cas up and positions him in front of the "doorway" symbols. Partway through the recitation, Cas collapses, and Dean rushes in to pick him up, steady him, then steps back so as to avoid getting sucked in/toasted by the door opening.
"I'm sorry, Dean," says Cas, and that's the Cas I remember.
The nukes get returned to sender, the door closes, and Cas collapses. No response. He's cold, and not breathing. Maybe angels don't need to breath (Dean is so ready to have his friend back), but Bobby pronounces death.
Dean is visibly upset. Why didn't Cas listen to him? It's a good question. People often don't listen to Dean, and so often, Dean's call is the right one. Will no one learn?
Yet at the same time, I'm reminded of Dean's blanket apology/forgiveness at Rufus's graveside. Does it apply to Cas as well, Dean?
Cas's skin heals, and he wakes up. He's alive, and very contrite about what happened. Dean makes a token snark, but mostly is just wanting to get Cas out of there. They can talk about Cas making amends later. Dean will forgive Cas just has he forgave Sam. It might take effort, and it might take a while to build back that trust, but Dean's not worried about amends right now.
But Cas knows somethings wrong, tells Dean and Bobby to run! This is the Cas that's been missing for a long time.
Whatever held on to Cas, they're strong, and the way Cas addresses Dean when he says that . . . it's like he's asking Dean for help, or warning, or . . . something.
It's a leviathan! But it's too late. Leviathan takes over and declares Cas dead.
Oh, Cas.
Maniacal Misha is going to have way too much fun with this.
Leviathan: This is going to be so much fun.
Me: Um, noooooo. No, it's not.
Eep!
And scenes for next week, looking forward to it. But I'll be late watching it, as I'll be otherwise engaged on Friday night.
And for those who want a mind-bendy take on Dean's role in all of this, check out this meta. I haven't read all of it, and I'm not sure I'm 100% behind what I did read of it, but what I read was an interesting interpretation, and I've been saying for ages that Dean is the chosen warrior for Good on this show.
Show is back, and I'm holding on for the ride.
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no subject
Date: 2011-09-25 03:32 am (UTC)As usual, I am in agreement of the majority of your observations. The political campaign place made me roll my eyes a little too. But in an amused way. Actually reminded me of the shady politician lady that Gunn killed in the finale of Angel.
Misha knocked it out of the park. He did great playing three distinctly different characters. He's gonna have so much fun playing the crazy Leviathan!
no subject
Date: 2011-09-25 10:51 pm (UTC)About Misha . . . I've been reading here and there about how people are so upset that Cas was going to get killed off and "If they kill off Cas, I'm not watching anymore." This turn of events makes me want to know if it's Cas that people are sorry to lose, or if they're afraid they're going to love Misha. I doesn't look to me like Misha is going anywhere. He's not a regular this season (and IMO, he's never really been a "regular"), but it certainly seems like he's going to stick around and cause the Winchesters grief now and again.
I've been missing "my" Cas for a while now, so it was nice to see him back before getting snuffed out.
All in all, an exciting start to the season.