I'm just so depressed today after hearing about Kim Manners' passing. I've been a big fan of his work for years, and it's hard to imagine a world (let alone my favorite TV show) without his creative genius. My heart and deepest sympathy goes out to his family and the entire Supernatural family and all my fellow fans around the world. Mr. Manners, you will most certainly be missed.

OK, so I just got back from a 2-day trip to Vancouver (which hey, fun), to find near pandemonium in the fandom over the CW's proposed post-strike schedule. Admittedly, I was (and still am not) as freaked out about this as some might expect (especially after my hell-raising bit over the whole mixed messages/lack of PR fiasco over last summer's hiatus), but let's just say, I was expecting this. It sucks, but by now, my standards are lowered enough to not expect any love from the CW. That being said, it is potentially worisome to catestrophic not to mention just a bit of a slight (how come WE can't have our reruns aired?) It would get "Supernatural" some new exposure, help the existing fans re-connect with their favorite program, attract new viewers, provide a great alternative to endless game shows and reality shows; in short, it would be a great money-making opportunity for the CW. So far, I haven't seen any opinions/direction/"the sky is falling" comments coming from the "Supernatural" brass, so until I do, I'm sitting back in a sort of hyper-alert, warry, information-collecting mode.

But clearly, huge chunks of the fandom are already up in arms. In the 2 hours I've been back online since returning from "Supernatural's" homeland I've seen multiple mentions of the "C" word (the one that means non-renewal), rants against the network (and it's president), petitions, mentions of letter writing campagns, salt-sending campaigns (cool idea, by the way), and some other folks in the wait-and-see boat. I'm concerned, I'm on pins and needles, but I'm not completely freaking out yet. However, I DO want to know what all of you think and have heard. What is your take on the situation? What sources (URLs are our friends!) have you found and what have they said? What are you planning to do? What would you LIKE the CW to do, and what are you prepared to ask for? Do you know of any activities/actions/campaigns being planned by fans at other fansites and communities?

Why do I ask? Well, we're SN fans, and we're all in this together. For example, this coming fall, no less than a dozen (I think the tally is actually a bit higher now) SFU (Supernatural Fans United--the fan club started by members of the tv.com "Supernatural" community) from all over the world will be attending the Creation convention in Chicago. Our fandom is usually one big happy family... unfortunately we do hang out in little cliques and don't all communicate with each other all the time. So, whatever we do, we should coordnate, communicate, and conspire. Whether we take action NOW or a week from now or never, it would work best if we did it together. So, I'd love to get us all on the same page (or at least be on the same page) as everyone else. The question is, how do we get there?

So, if you've got a minute, a tidbit of information, or a thought you want to send my way, PLEASE leave me a comment or send me a PM! I hope to hear from all y'all soon!

P.S., Nope, I haven't forgotten that I still owe blog recap/reviews for episodes 3.07 and 3.08. They will be forthcoming... I've just been a little overwhelmed by those episodes and have been suffering from writers' block recently, so I'll get them up there sooner or later! (Hopefully sooner!)

Yeah, there will be spoilers, so look away if you don't want to be spoiled!

So, about a month ago I said I was going to try to blog on "Supernatural" episodes every week. That happened... for about a week. Then, well, I don't know if it was anxiety over the WGA strike (go writers!!I support you), disappointment over not being able to go to the convention in Chicago (law school exam/study timing really sucks), general writers' block, or what, but I just could not seem to get anything posted.

And it's not that I didn't like the episodes. In fact, "Bedtime Stories" was by far my favorite episode of season 3 so far. And while I thought "Red Sky at Morning" was mediocre on first viewing, on subsequent viewings it really grew on me a lot. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those episodes that pops up on my radar from time to time as one with very interesting scenarios that I really want to watch. So, why the trouble writing? Maybe it's because I have so much to say about the episodes, and the task of spitting it all out just seems daunting.

But since I promised, as much to myself (since I'm terribly horrible when it comes to doing things on time or consistently) I'm going to take the advice my best friend always gives me when I'm having trouble writing fiction... just get it out, you can go back and fix it later. I probably won't come back and fix it, but at least I can give my overall impressions.

"Bedtime Stories" (episode 3.05, US airdate November 1, 2007):
In all honesty, I have trouble finding anything I don't like with this episode. I had been looking forward to seeing it ever since I read the sides ages ago (and this was a particular treat since much of the nuance, humor, double and triple entendres just did not translate to the script summary), and I was nothing shot of floored by what actually aired.

"Bedtime Stories" is unique in that it seems to simultaneously capture the mood or vibe if you will of each of the seasons without it being awkward or ungainly. The pacing is superb. We get plenty of time with Sam and Dean together (including some c l a s s i c brotherly banter and humor), various different PIPs (people in peril), and a couple of major guest characters, whose stories all intertwine and intercut like a ballet. Even the appearance of the CRD in the coda (something many of us were scratching our heads about when the sides came out in the "how the hell is that going to fit in with all of this?" sense) isn't jarring. In fact, if you've been paying attention it's perfectly expected. The opening conversation between Sam and Dean in the Impala is foreshadowing that both colors and influences both the viewer and the characters' interpretations of various statements and conversations throughout the episode and shows the planting of the seed of determination in Sam Winchester's mind. The only reason he hadn't tried summoning the CRD and killing her sooner is because he didn't have a surefire way to kill her. While the instinct to kill, and the disregard (necessary or not) for the life of the human host the CRD possesses may be hints at the new, more sinister, darkside-sliding Sam, the stubborn, undeterrable, steadfast determination to finish something once he puts his mind to it is c l a s s i c Sam, and calls up memories of his reaction to Dean's electrocution in "Faith" and even his exile to Stanford from the Pilot.

But back to capturing the mood from each of the seasons, "Bedtime Stories" has a bit of the "monster of the week" sensibility from Season 1, combined with an emphasis on the drifting/searching/uncertain elements of the plot from Season 3 (which of course, ties the present story into the feel of Sam and Dean searching for their father in Season 1). This overall mood/episode structure is mixed with a heaping portion of the fearful, angsty, burdened, conflicted, secret-keeping,ennui from Season 2... only this time of course, the doomsday deadline is fixed instead of uncertain and the consequences are more definite. Of course, Dean is asking Sam to do something in season 3 (let him go, survive, be OK, have a life) equally impossible as what Sam made Dean promise (kill him to save him) in Season 2. And all the while, the episode manages to tie into the ongoing desperation, churning, gruesome, bloody, get-the-job-done sense of war that has permeated season 3 so far.

I love the use of fairytales. The three little pigs were hilarious, as was Sam's horrible attempts at sketch artistry (and the nod to "Hookman" with Dean's quips about Sam's artistic skills was priceless).

Of course three aspects of this episode strike me more than anything else. First, we see Dean once again, seeming to identify with a supernatural entity. He's very curious, gentle, and sympathetic in his interactions with Snow White. Granted, she appears as a small child, and Dean's always been great with kids, but he really seems to relate to her on the same "no one will listen to me, I'm ready to go, please let me go" level. They're both there, but not. Even now, Dean is feeling the separation, not just from Sam, but from humanity as a whole. Having no future may be liberating, but it also means that Dean has that much less in common with the entire human race, the people he's supposed to be fighting to protect. In "Sin City" we saw Dean actually relating to Casey, a demon. Here we see him relating to Callie, a vengeful spirit who's body is still being forcibly kept alive (and I must note, stuck in a very similar situation to that of Dean in IMTOD), and just last season, Dean was still operating on the very knee jerk supernatural = bad scheme. A few deals and a little time change a lot.

Second, the conversations between Dean and Sam and Dr. Garrison are multi-layered and applicable to the Winchesters on the levels the characters recognize (Dean is the most important person in Sam's life and without him Sam will be all alone, but maybe it's time to let Dean go), but they are also applicable in the reverse. Which, for some reason, Dean and Sam seem to conveniently forget. Namely, Sam is the most important person in Dean's world, and when faced with losing Sam and being alone, rather than letting go, Dean went ahead and made the deal that got them into this mess in the first place... but then again, you can flip it all on its head again and trace this all back to the first time Dean asked Sam to let him go and Sam refused ("Faith" in Season 1), and you start to wonder if maybe Dean's got a point. Best of all of this was Dean walking away rather than answering Sam when Sam asked him if it's really what he wants. Dean can't answer honestly, because it might slip too close to triggering the "no weaseling" clause, but he also can't bring himself to lie to Sam (because if there's one thing we can confidently say about Dean it's that he's always hated lying to Sam), so he walks away and leaves that for whatever interpretation Sam will make of it.

Third and finally, like so many other episodes this season ("The Kids are Alright," "Bad Day at Black Rock," and "Sin City") "Bedtime Stories" does not close with the boys together (of those TKAAr, and SC both ended, like BS focusing on Sam with him separate from Dean and doing something related to his destiny/getting Dean out of the deal while BDaBR ends with Gordon and Kubrick chatting over the prison phone and of course, focusing on Sam and his destiny), but instead with Sam killing the Crossroads demon, the look on his face much like that after killing Jake and killing Casey and the priest in "Sin City." While this serves to put the focus on the "is he or isn't he 100% Sam" question (or alternatively the "did Dean really save him, or is Sam just on the express to meeting his destiny?" question) it also serves to emphasize the growing distance and separation between Sam and Dean. While Season 1 had the boys growing closer and "becoming brothers again" with every episode, and Season 2 focused on their alternating efforts to save each other from getting lost in their own little personal hells, Season 3 seems to be operating in reverse. Dean creates the distance to try to make it easier on Sam when he's gone. Sam takes distance so that he can pursue saving Dean from his Deal without Dean knowing too much and accidentally actively participating and knocking down the whole house of cards. In effect with each episode, while they speak more, they say less, the secrets between them grow, and the actions they take bring them farther apart from their understanding of each other.

Red Sky at Morning (episode 3.06; US airdate November 8, 2007):

The first time through, I was just mostly unimpressed with "Red Sky at Morning." Not to say that it didn't have it's moments (Bela having the Impala towed and seeing Dean's reaction, oh god, that itself was better than some entire television series) and the ending, of course, kicked my ass (I went from being moderately interested to completely engaged and crying in about two seconds flat when Sam and Dean had their last little Impala chat). But in between I was just kind of meh about it. Then I rewatched it, and while it's still not on my favorite's list, I definitely liked it a lot more and found a lot more potential points and questions in it.

On the whole, the villain was very intriguing. The ghost in question and the scenario around it, seemed to combine elements of the Pilot, DITW, "Bloody Mary," "Hookman," Provenance," and a few other episodes (which I managed to list out in a very long post on the TV.com boards, but alas, cannot at present recall). Bela's interaction/interference with the Winchesters was definitely interesting to watch, as were the questions raised about her origin. (Anyone wonder if whatever family death she was responsible for is somehow tied to both her familiarity with the supernatural and her hatred for hunters?) Yes, Dean in a tuxedo doing the whole James Bond thing was pretty entertaining (as was the whole Sam/Gert interaction--which hey, that Sam was a lot lighter than we've seen him this season). Dean's reaction to Bela's "angry sex" line was a showcase of Jensen Ackles' extraordinary acting talents (I didn't realize that it was actually possible to express that many distinct emotions in such a short span of time). But the pacing was all off. Things seemed, jerky, choppy, and almost rushed at times. There was a little too much exposition in some places (sometimes Dean saying "what's the lore on it" is a little too obvious) and not enough in others (when/where/why/how did Sam and Dean figure out the tidbit about the ghost's murderer being his brother?and why wasn't a bigger deal made of that? I did enjoy seeing Sam and Dean squatting (and I was totally wondering if that was indeed what was happening until Bela said it, so that worked out well). And Bela screwing herself and getting into a real bind (and then trying to solve it with barked orders and money) was very entertaining. But while all these questions about Bela's back-story were raised, it felt like a lot of other stuff just kind of slid. For example, we know for a fact that the whole "Winchesters don't spill their own blood" thing is kind of not true. After all, Sam did shoot John when John was possessed (and would have killed him for the greater good but for Dean's pleas) and John did order Dean to kill Sam if he couldn't save him, so it's not like the Winchesters have such a peachy keen history with the whole family killing bit. That reaction just seemed a little too knee-jerk judgmental for Dean and Sam, at least the way it was presented; we know that Sam and Dean have issues about this, the reaction would have made more sense if we had seen a little more conversation/discussion/bickering, etc. about it. Also, it might have been nice to see Sam whip out John's Journal (or is he not using it anymore) for some research prior to pulling it out of a hat to use to save Bela. Granted, it makes sense that they would have been researching alternative solutions once Bela made off with the hand of glory (which, BTW, keeps making me think of Harry Potter and *sigh* that's not helping any), but it would have been nice if we'd been let in on the research a little. I guess it's that the POV on the episode felt a little strained at times, like the viewer wasn't privy to parts of Sam and Dean's research and experience that would have actually made sense given the way that the rest of the episode was relayed.

Also, it seems very significant that both the ghost and his murderous brother were BROTHERS as were the two patricidal victims. Is this foreshadowing? Something that could come between Sam and Dean farther on down the road? Will one wind up potentially killing the other? Will they be on other sides of the war? OK, so maybe they don't want to call those questions out too blatantly, but the whole "brothers" aspect of things just didn't seem to rattle Sam and Dean as much as one might expect. Also, for a program that usually plays up the parallels and similarities between the main characters' actions as they pertain to the overall story arc with the identical actions of the minor/supporting characters as they pertain to the episode plot (as happened extensively in "Bedtime Stories"), the attempted unwanted apology "I'm sorry" that was shared both by the murderous brother to his ghost brother and later by Dean to Sam was striking, yet almost entirely missable at least on first viewing. Which is really too bad, because that seems to bevery big/important statement, and it just gets a tad lost in the shuffle.

Still, the ending was quite possibly the most powerfulImpala chat we've seen thus far in all of Supernatural (or at least since the first season), theone-liners and a lotof Dean and Bela's exchanges were quite memorable,and the opening follow up on the CRD's demise wasvery nice continuity and contextualization, something that some season 1 and 2 episodes occasionally lacked. (Actually, in general, I just have to give an A++ to the writers for their efforts to blend in the more stand-alone s t y l e episodes with the overall mytharc and especially tying the events of one episode to the next.)

One final question? Where's the c l a s s i c rock? I'm really missing it right now, and I hope it will be back soon. After starting off the season with "Hell's Bells" I'm feeling a wee bit let down. But mostly I'm just thrilled to be able to watch "Supernatural" every week.

Ok, so, here is my first official weekly blog on Supernatural. Let's see how I do with keeping with maintaining my promise to blog on the episodes every week.

So, "Sin City" was episode 3.04, and back when I originally read all the spoilers for it, I remember thinking "sounds really cool, and there's some very intriguing things in it, but I don't know if it's going to be good, really good, or great overall." Huh. Well, I seem to be having this situation this season where every episode is better than the last. I didn't actually cry at "Sin City," but then again, I did wind up pausing it, standing up in my living room jumping up and down repeatedly and screaming, not once, but three times over the course of the episode. Yeah, this epi definitely falls in the "scare my cats" category. But enough of me yapping about my ridiculous TV-watching habits. Let's get to the episode itself.

First of all, I have to gloat. I've refrained from doing it so far on the boards, but I just can't hold it in any more. I was RIGHT!! Finally, they revealed the YED's true identity, and of course, it was revealed as I and many, many other fans have been saying all along, or rather, since his frigging sigil popped up in IMTOD, that the YED is none other than Azazel. Whoo hoo!! Ok, I just had to get that off my chest!! I feel so vindicated. Months and months of saying it and taking crap for it, and finally, some validation. Of course fat lot of good his name does Sam and Dean now considering that he's dead, but that's beside the point. Voila, we know who he was, and he was who we thought he was. Very cool! Now, on to other things.

The recap was very well done. They're really gonna milk those effects from AHBL2 for every penny they're worth, but you know, it's OK, because they're actually pretty cool. The bulletcam on the original Colt's 13th bullet is actually probably my favorite FX shot in all film.

The candles blowing in the wind in the church at the beginning... very tricky. Of course, they do mean that a demon is present, and it is the person you think is a demon, but then the suicide immediately misdirects. Very good job.

I loved Bobby in "Sin City." Every episode he's in, especially this season, he just does something more endearing and over the top, I find myself just sitting there with my jaw dropped thinking "did he just say that?" And yep, he did. This time, of course, it was his little interaction with Dean about the Colt. "Well it won't kill demons by then, but I can promise it will kill you." Oh hell!! I nearly died laughing! Bobby has the ability to call the Winchesters on their BS in ways that John never could, and they still respect him for it. *sigh* Bobby is definitely helping with sanity maintenance this season. (Oh, and all this talk about making bullets and we finally get to see him making bullets!)

Now, the second clue that the priest is possessed is actually my favorite. Note to all Hunters (especially Sam Winchester): if you hear the words "like a switchhad flipped" or any approximation thereof, run. like. hell. Recall the words of Ava and Jake. That's what it feels like when a demon or part demon comes into power. Now, of course here, the priest is again, misdirecting the boys, but note it is he who says the words and he who is doing the switch flipping. We also learn that it's been two months since the Devil's Gate opened, which means that poor Dean only has 10 months left.

Also in this scene, we have a very significant line from Sam. He says "two months ago we opened up the devil's gate..." Now, like Dean protested in TM7 and as Kubrick recounted Bobby's assessment of the situation to Gordon in BDaBR, Sam and Dean didn't open up the Devil's Gate, Jake did. Sam and Dean were there to stop it. They (or rather Bobby and Ellen) closed it. So, why does Sam keep saying "we opened it"? Is it just misplaced Winchester guilt? Spid guilt? Guilt over not having killed Jake sooner? Or does it perhaps hint at something a little more sinister--a true Freudian slip, perhaps? I have my theories, but these lines definitely have me paying closer attention.

The hotel room in this episode is one of my favorites from the series. It's got a magic fingers bed and a mirrored ceiling. It's Dean's hotel room from heaven. Sadly, he doesn't really get to put it to good use.

Ah, and then there's Ritchie. He could just be another throw away character, but no, he's a window into Dean's past during "the Stanford Years" and he's an avenue to bring in a hint of he Succubus story!! (Apparently, there was going to be a Succubus episode last season, but it just never quite came together, something which apparently Kripke teased Sera Gamble about quite a bit, or so she said in one of her interviews last season.) We learn a lot from this initial interaction too. Dean actually refers to Sam being away at school without a discernable hint of pain, and for once, it actually feels honest. Also, as usual, his assessment of Ritchie is dead on. Poor Ritchie sadly, really wasn't that cut out for Hunting and did get himself killed. Still, as many others have said, it was nice to see a different kind of Hunter--everyone else has seemed to be from the Midwestern flannel and jeans good 'ol boy variety.

One of Ritchie's comments strikes me as being very interesting, especially when juxtaposed to the reality of the situation. He suggests that perhaps demons are "joy riding" with human bodies, killing them and then moving on to the next host. Contrast that with what Casey, the female demon, says about her host's body. She likes it so much she is actually reverent to it. Not wanting Dean to mar the human host even though she would be uninjured.

Finally!! After I was complaining last week, we see the return of Dean's (formerly John's) leather Jacket. And Dean doing "research" at the bar... priceless!! Sam even had to grab him, *sigh*, which is very good in this episode, especially in light of the emotional rollercoaster this episode takes him through. One other interesting detail, Father Gil, our demon!Priest, seems to be obsessed with all things cross like. He even had a drink straw twisted into the shape of a cross. I wonder if the demon got a thrill out of "showing off" how unaffected he was by religious artifacts?

I love how attuned the Sam and Dean are to the crazed shooter in the bar. Ah, and we get the fist of the not!Possessed, but manipulated humans. And then the very nerve wracking police scene. I nearly had a heart attack when the cop said "mug shots." *Sigh* If only that cop knew who he was letting get away.

Dean's concern for Ritchie is so genuine. It's nice to think that Dean may have had some actual friends while Sam was away. Or at least friendly hunting acquaintances who were moderately more healthy and functional than some of John's friends. However, back on topic, the scene between Ritchie and Casey brings me to one other interesting observation about this episode. Two of the set pieces seemed to me to be very reminiscent of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Specifically, Casey's crypt/wine cellar, complete with wine barrels, recalled images of Caleb and The First's headquarters in Season7. Later on in this episode, Trotter's offices remind me of the mayor's offices in Season 3 of Buffy. Maybe it's just me, but I'm curious if these sets brought those Buffy seasons/settings to anyone else's mind. After all, Season 3 was the season where Buffy fought her first pure and original Demon and season 7 was the season where Buffy took on the First Evil. And both set pieces reminded me of those characters' lairs. Now all we needed was something to recall Glory (or Ben, I guess) from Season 5, and we'd have the Buffy uber-villain trifecta. But I digress, back to "Sin City."

And wow, we actually have Dean turning down food. If that's not a sign of the apocalypse, I don't know what is.

Bobby and Ruby's interaction is pretty priceless. I'm just curious what Ruby did/said to actually get Bobby to work wither. I'm a little dissatisfied with Katie Cassidy's acting in this, butte really is getting better. *sigh* Well, now we know that Ruby's host is most definitely dead, if she wasn't already. I'm curious though, she didn't bleed. Meg did bleed when shot, so hmmm....

And geez, Sam, hello, what the hell were you thinking having your ringer turned on while on a stakeout.

Dean turning down the hooker, quite priceless. Come on, lady, he's Dean Winchester, he doesn't need to pay for sex. And Dean, sweet, self-deprecating Dean, as usual, denying being the hero, as usual.

Now, Sam's horribly uncharacteristically frantic and clumsy and just plain wrong break-in of Trotter's office is pretty sad, and well, just so ... unlucky. Sam's face, reaction, behavior when he realizes they're not demons. ROFL!! Oh god, I smiled so hard.

Now we get to the really good part. You'd think somewhere in the demon handbook they'd get to the part where Dean always has a backup plan and double crosses demons. But apparently, the demons just don't pay attention. Silly demons. Casey running into the invisible wall created by the devil's trap--now that was cool. Of course, as soon as she said "I don't think so" I assumed she was going to use Meg (and some of the seven deadly sins' trick of breaking the devil's trap, but no, she was just causing a cave-in and messing up Dean's exorcism book. Dean trying to remember the Latin? Priceless. And look, another mention of Lindsey Lohan.

Sam's scene at the bar bribing the other bartender distinctly reminded me of much of Dean's bribing of everyone in BUaBS. But what can I say, this guy's cheap. Twenties? That's all it takes.

Again, we get some very insightful lines in Dean and Casey's interaction; in addition to the continuing hilarious banter (I could probably do a blog just on humor lines from this episode alone). Casey says thatthere's no way for she or Dean to have an effect on the outcome, which is true, but is honestly alsoone of Dean's worst nightmares. Up there with losing his family and being the last Winchester alive, he's also terrified of being out of control, and here comes a demon, pointing out that he's already in a situation where do what he might, it's not going to have an impact on the outcome.It's true of his immediate situation, and you know Dean's got to be wondering if it's true in the big picture as well.

Their exchange about Dick Cheney (priceless!), the ease of manipulating humans, and the impressive human-induced body count, quite intriguing. Dean's position on God, it's shifted slightly. Again, he still doesn't believe, but now he'd like to, of course, he's a dying man, and a damned one at that. After seeing "god's will" he's feeling less abandoned by the forces of good, if they exist, but he's still Dean. Still the skeptic, still with faith in what he sees.

Now, the plot really thickens. We get to the revelation (if you can call it that) of Azazel's identity (it really, really does feel good to hear it out loud) and of course, all the juicy details on Lucifer, Azazel's plan, Sam's role (and he's a disappointment to Casey), and all the goodies that are going to fuel this story and help it unfold for the rest of the season. I love how coming towards the end of this episode, we see the true flip-flop (and then some) of Dean and Sam's roles. Dean is willing to give Casey a break, or at least just exorcise her to ensure that her host lives, possibly try to get more information out of her, but in a non-harmful way, while Sam just blasts in and shoots her dead. Yeah, I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but there you have it.

Dean's reaction to Lucifer is almost s entertaining as Dean's reaction to finding out that vampire are real. He tries to be casual when asking about hell, but you an see the real Dean coming through, the realization, fear, pain, all sliding through the kinks in her armor.

Ah, now Sammy talking about the possibility of Dean and bartender and sex with a preist (or supposed priest), he's just so awkward. Of course, this scene also gives off the same creepy vibes that Palpatine/Anakin interactions in the Star Wars prequels gave me, and that's not a good sign.

Watching Dean talking about his Deal being "liberating," is watching a masterpiece of acting. Not that Supernatural, in general, and Sin City, in particular, isn't well-acted, but this scene really is special. Jensen perfectly captures Dean's gameface, keeping it on while at the same time turning it into a transparent mask, allowing us to see through to the sheer terror and sorrow he truly feels. There's no drastic changes of expression, nothing overt or over the top, just one second you're seeing DeanTM and the next instant you're actually seeing Dean. It's devastating and heartbreaking, and just makes me want to beg and plead with the powers that be to give Dean a future. Because without a future, he may not have worry, but he also has no hope.

And then we're back to the conversation between demon!Priest and Sam that is so clearly about who Sam really is rather than what they pretend to be talking about. Sam is the Antichrist and was supposed to be the general of hell's army. Instead, he'scontent to be a Hunter. That's what he's trying to be, again, trying to be normal in his own way, yet being poked and prodded by the inevitable hands of destiny towards an unwanted fate. Father Gil's comment about Sam being his "brother's keeper" is particularly ironic since we know, of course, that it's actually Dean who is Sam's keeper. Dean is the one who's always kept Sam from going over the edge to the darkside. Sure, they both help each other, but contrary to the first blush impression, it's Sam, not Dean, who actually needs the help with the morality... and man this Deal is going to be the death of them both.

And now come the questions about the plan. And Dean, always, always bringing god into his conversations with demons. And the demonic power struggle with Sam as its target. What a big frigging mess. Of course, it's something we had already figured out, but still, hearing it all. Yep. That's just a big nightmare. Dean's face, though, when Casey says "looks like you win" is very poignant. His expression isn't poignant, but the sentiment behind it is. He has that look of vindication, pure and utter triumph, his true belief in Sam who always comes to save him. But of course, by the end of the episode, we see Dean really start to doubt for the first time. It's so tragic. All that, his entire life, his soul, his life's work for Sam, and yet, maybe he couldn't save him after all. Maybe he made it worse.

Ow. Poor Bobby. And was that Metallicar's windshield!! Not nice!! Ah, and listen to that, Ruby gives Sam the Buzz, like right out of Highlander. Oh, and more Sammy getting tossed around. Interestingly, Father Gil does have the oh-so-nifty Devil's Trap breaking skills.

Both Casey and Dean develop a real respect for each other, that a Season ago would not have been possible. Oh, and there's evil Sammy face. Only slightly less evil and slightly more Sad than last time. *sigh* Poor Sam. Dean's going to Die and and go to Hell (or if it's on earth, will he still go to hell), and Sam is destroyed anyway.

Bobby tries to reassure Dean, and he does a horrible job of lying. We saw how Bobby looked in AHBL2 when Sam killed Jake. He's scared. He knows something's up. He may know more than we think. But he's still trying to reassure Dean, even if his lies are transparent. Dean is so heartbreaking in this scene. EVERYTHING he is, everything he had, he gave for Sam to live. And the realization that saving his brother might have just sent him running into the arms of the darkside or worse, bringing a dark hitchhiker back with him, destroys it all. The blocking in this scene is also very reminiscent of the exchange between Bobby and Dean in AHBL2 (in which Bobby confronts Dean about the deal and Dean confesses). It's a nice 180 with Dean doing the inquiring this time. *sigh* Dean's just so desperate, trying to clink to straws. Bobby's lying, he knows it, he doesn't believe it at all, he's crying, it's all bad.

Now Sam and Ruby's scene. We see the guide and the falling man. He doesn't kill her. He should. She holds Dean over his head like a carrot. She'll lead him along 'til the end, and maybe when hell is on earth, she'll tell him how to release Dean, maybe not. It won't matter at that point. But they knew, the Demons knew, what Sam's weakness was. And they pushed and they pushed hard. And Sam is falling. "He wouldn't be Sam if he [liked it]," but something tells me that by the end of the season he will, or at least, he'll think he does. Sure, Ruby's on his side, only, it's Sam that'snot on the side he thinks he's on.

One final word. This is the third episode of the season (out of four so far) that has ended with a scene not depicting the brothers together. Of those, two have ended with them separated. This is both very symbolic (the growing separation imposed by the secrecy required for Sam to try to save Dean without triggering the failsafe on the Deal) and very emotionally disconcerting for fans. As Dean's life slips away and Sam's humanity slips away, we're left wondering, hoping, and maybe even praying that by the end of the season, both Winchesters will still be standing, both still human, whole, undamned, and alive. It may not be possible, but seeing them start to fall, makes us want it even more.

Excellent episode. Bravo!

So, I read this article: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2196020,00.html today, and have positively been in a tizzy ever since. Yes, people, I'm blogging about something other than "Supernatural" for a change. I do have other fandoms, and as many of you know, HP is one of my other *big* ones... (and you know how much I can analogize between them).

So, the news that Dumbledore is (was) gay and had been in love with Grindelwald has pretty much made my day, week, month, and yes, year!! THANK YOU!! JK Rowling!!! You totally rock!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart as a fan of Harry Potter for 8 years now, I feel positively floored, thrilled, and completely validated by this revelation. I've always loved Harry Potter and will forever be grateful to my mom for convincing me to read The Sorcerer's Stone (or Philosopher's Stone depending on where you're from) when I was pulling a stubborn "I'm a college student and that book's for kids" rant. But for all Harry Potter's brilliant critique of racism, fascism, fundamentalism, authoritarian government, the "war on terror" and just about everything else (yes, I'm being a wee bit political, please don't bite), I always felt like her world was a little--flat--in that there apparently weren't any gay characters--or at least any openly gay characters--to be seen. On many levels I understood. Ok, commercially I completely understood. Harry Potter was always under attack from fundamentalists. It was a HUGE commercial enterprise. It was geared at young children (at least to start) and there was a lot of angst, violence, darkness, and other mature themes that could be a hard enough sell. But the same part of me that *hates* that the presence of gay people or *gasp* same-sex romance gets treated as something more taboo and mature than just "regular" people or romance was always hurt that JK Rowling's world seemed to be lacking in queer characters (much like Gene Roddenberry's semi-utopian vision of humanity was for a very long time relatively straights-only... or at least it seemed that way). So, understand the reasons as I might, the little gay girl in me just always felt a little left out of Harry Potter's world. I mean I had my suspicions about some of the characters (and still do), but I just figured that we were going to have to settle for a Harry Potter Universe in which gay people hopefully existed, but just didn't get mentioned.

But no!! I was wrong, an now thanks to JK Rowling's braveness in addressing a crowd of fans at Carnegie Hall, we find out that Dumbledore, our beloved, tragic hero and wise teacher, was actually gay all along!! What first seems to be an "oh how cool," soon shows itself to be a major revelation. Harry Potter is the best selling, most-read set of fiction in the world and one of the major characters, already beloved to tens of millions is and has been gay all along. It shouldn't be a big deal, because Dumbledore's still the same character he always was, but it is because of his importance to the world and the exposure of so many people of all ages, genders, races, religions, and backgrounds to him. Dumbledore is a flawed and imperfect, yet still good character who has served as a beloved role model and teacher, not only to the characters in the HPverse, but to a generation of readers as well. And now we all know that he was gay I'm so giddy and feel so validated I'm lightheaded. I haven't felt this un-marginalized by anything in the mainstream media since I saw the first X-Men movie... and even that was dealing with homophobia by proxy (much like JK Rowling herself did with Remus Lupin, the ostracized, harassed werewolf). This is the real thing.

While the audience's reception of the news was overwhelmingly positive, I'm sure there will be some out there that will renew the vigilance and vigor with which they attack the Harry Potter books and there will probably be a few sad stories of parents out there who are waiting until their children are older to read the series (or finish the series) or who have not yet read the seventh book, or who were planning to introduce their future children to the 'verse who will choose not to or even possibly lash out in disgust, all because Dumbledore's gay But right now I don't really care. It would be cool if that was just my pessimism. But anyway, thank you JK Rowling for being brave and answering truthfully. And hell, now that we know Dumbledore was in love with Grindelwald, it makes sooooooo much stuff in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the entire series, even, make a lot more sense. It makes Dumbledore more tragic and braver and more human. And for that, I am very grateful. Thank you again, JK Rowling, from the bottom of my heart.