Soul Survivor

Supernatural

This week’s episode…whew!

I was quite excited for this episode to come about, if I’m honest. The two before didn’t really have much Sam-Dean interaction due to them being separated at the time. I missed that brotherly dynamic between them, since that’s basically what the show’s all about. When you take that away, it’s like a crucial point in the story is missing. They bring out the best and worst in each other, and that’s what I like to see: them being emotionally compromised by each other, because they’re all they have left. It’s always been Sam-and-Dean, and that’s how it’s supposed to be.

But with Dean being a demon, that all changes; I missed the snarky comments, the fights, the bro-hugs. So when Sam captured Dean and took him back to the bunker in the last episode, well, I was looking forward to their interactions. I wasn’t disappointed. Jared Padalecki portrayed Sam’s weariness and soul-aching sadness perfectly. His entire body sags with the weight of the last few weeks he’s endured. His determination and raw hope are almost heartbreaking to see when they peek through. Dean, on the other hand, is angry and malicious. The malicious growls he lets out throughout the whole ordeal were kind of disturbing, because they are so unlike the Dean we’re used to; he was throwing insults and comments deliberately to throw Sam off his game, to crush the little hope he has left. It’s horrible to watch, because you can tell how badly his words eat at Sam, and you know he’ll regret saying them when he’s regained his humanity.

The scene where Cas restrains Dean from killing Sam gave me chills, not only because of Dean’s brutality but because of the comparison between Dean and Cas; Cas’ eyes light up with heavenly grace while Dean’s blacken with the depths of Hell. It was great visual effects that added the right tone to the moment, made all the better because it was Jensen Ackles directing the whole episode! He's so talented on so many levels.

And later, when the real Dean finally returns, and you can see his remorse plain as day on his face when he realizes all he’s done and it physically hurt my chest. The revelation, so clear in his expression, was perfectly played by Ackles. You knew exactly what Dean was thinking, despite his joking “Fellas, you look worried” comment. My only regret in this episode was that while there was a one-on-one moment between Dean and Cas after Dean’s return, we didn’t see one between the brothers. Did they fight? Did they hug it out? Hopefully we’ll get to see more of that in the next episode, tomorrow night. But now there’s no “Deanmon”, so what’s the plot for the rest of the season. I suppose, with Cas’ stolen grace…and there’s still the Mark of Cain to deal with…hmm…