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llywela1. There are not enough hours in the day. Someone stole all the hours!
2. There are not enough days in the week. Someone stole all the days!
3. The recap for last week's SN is not finished yet. Nowhere near. The reason for this? See #1-2! I've had exactly one free evening this week. Next week looks pretty much the same if not worse. Where did all this social activity come from?
4. Had a very late lunch break this afternoon (3pm late) to meet up with a couple of former colleagues and a volunteer down from Anglesey. Fantastic to see them. Plus Fred gave me an early Easter Egg. *G*
5. It's a Terrible Life. Heeeee!
This was great. Fantastic. You know what I love most? That they switched so abruptly from the utter despair of last week to the light-hearted humour of this week without giving us whiplash! That tonal shift was built into the plot as part of the central mystery of the episode and it worked. And it wasn't just humorous – there was a lot of subtle depth and meaning woven into seemingly throwaway fragments of dialogue. Nice job. Real back-to-basics stuff, and after all the doom and gloom of recent episodes it was like a breath of fresh air.
I found myself counting coup at the end of the episode, because I had the scenario pegged as a kind of health spa for Dean right at the beginning, and figured only a trickster or angel would have the juice to pull it off. Since there didn't seem to be any motivation for a trickster to do such a thing – there was no twisted joke being played – that just left the angels. A set up to allow Dean to recuperate and encourage him to get his head back in the game, which makes sense, from an angelic point of view, and on the face of it looks to have been a fairly effective and successful strategy. Plus, it allows the writers to make the transition past the despair of the last episode back toward Dean at least being functional again without having to wade through a lengthy recovery process in the immediate wake of all that trauma. They get to skip a step.
The cinematography of the episode is fabulous, so bright and colourful all the way through…until the 'spell' is undone, when the drab greys of reality are returned.
Right. Stream of consciousness time: here goes!
Dean Smith. Sam Wesson. Mwahahahah. Smith and Wesson. Could be 'Alias Smith and Wesson', even. Oh, Show.
Ooooooooh. Dean's man-about-town outfits. With the braces and side parting and bright colours, white collar on striped shirt! On Dean. Driving a Toyota Prius and pulling a face at classic rock on the radio. Tossing his tie over his shoulder to eat. Eating salad! Drinking steamed latte with rice milk and discussing faddy diet plans and recipes. No carbs. Master Cleanse! De-toxing.
And so clean-shaven – him and Sam both. They both look so young and fresh-faced here!
"Save it for the health club, man."
I kinda love that they made Dean a sales director with a penthouse office and stuck Sam in a lowly cubicle – made for an interesting dynamic, putting Dean back in charge of Sam, even though Sam still instinctively took the lead when Dean held back, reluctant. Also a reminder that Dean is a smart and competent guy; he just isn't educated. If he had lived a conventional life he could have gone far, had he chosen to do so. He is very adaptable. This false life gave him a taste of what he is capable of, the kind of subtle positive affirmation that he needs, with his self-esteem at rock bottom.
Also? I love Sam as an IT tech. "Have you tried turning it off and then turning it back on?" HEEEEE! And messing about, wasting time on the job, because he knows that this isn't the life that he should or could be leading – both because he is a hunter and because he is too smart for this position, he is capable of so much more.
"How much DD did you play when you were a kid?" Sam has weird dreams in any reality, apparently, and I wonder if that was connected to his psychic mojo or deliberate, if the angels deliberately allowed fragments of his real memories to bleed through to ensure that he and Dean would pick up on the haunting, if Dean was experiencing much the same thing but couldn't bring himself to admit it, a side effect of the false scenario for them both. Either way, Sam was far, far keener to admit that something was wrong with this situation than Dean, and it wasn't just because he was stuck in a cubicle while Dean had the plush office and apartment. Dean's subconscious had every reason to bury itself in this swanky new life and identity. And doing so was healing for him, in the short term. Breathing space.
"I don't know you. But I'm going to do a public service and let you know that you over-share."
Suicide by microwave – yikes! Pencil in carotid – yikes! Show does love its gory deaths.
I really loved that this was a solid old-fashioned haunting, tossing in clues that we all immediately recognise from previous episodes, like the cold spots. And the electrified fingers to zap the unwary, just like Ellicott way back when!
Why was Dean re-dressing in the office? Oh, he had to change shirt because there was blood all over the other one. Right. Did he spot his angelic handprint, I wonder? Did it not occur to him to wonder where that came from? Or was it hidden from him by the same spell that wiped his memory?
Even without their memories, the brothers are so much who they are: Sam suspicious of what's going on, trusting his instincts, assembling clues; Dean automatically trying to help people, also trusting his instincts even when he didn't want to. And all their hunter instincts alive and well in spite of the memory wipe.
"I used some skills that I happen to have to satisfy my curiosity."
"Nice."
Hee. I love this moment. It's a moment of these two apparent strangers finding some kind of balance. Sam is admitting to a sackable offence, and he doesn't regret what he did, but he is nervous about it and rightfully so. And Dean approves, even though it is a sackable offence and he could have this guy fired in a heartbeat. Manager and subordinate finding a level on which they can be equals. Because there is something seriously wrong here and both of them instinctively feel the need to find out what that is and put it right, recognise that in each other. Slowly finding their way back to one another – something they need to do in 'real life', as well.
"It's like we've done this before. […] I can't shake this feeling like I don't belong here. Like I should do something more than sit in a cubicle."
"I think most people who work in a cubicle feel that same way."
Hee!
"It feels like I should be doing something else. There's just something in my blood. Like I was destined for something different."
"I don't believe in destiny. I do believe in dealing with what's right in front of us, though."
Oh, those lines there. Something in my blood. I don't believe in destiny. That is just so very them! And they don't even know it.
It kills me that Dean says research is what he does best. Mwahahah. Oh, but then the 'Sammy' exchange. :(
"Did you just call me Sammy?"
"I think I did."
"Don't."
And after Sam had let Ruby call him Sammy last week! So poignant. But his face is funny as he contemplates and rejects the nickname! And it is appropriate for Sam's recent development, chafing against Dean's view of him as the little brother in a way we haven't seen since season one, striving to exert his independence and adult status.
I really loved how this episode used the Ghostfacers! Just video clips on their website, rather than actually having them in the episode proper, a quick and easy means of moving the plot forward, providing Dean and Sam with crucial information – and this so-brief snippet also sufficient to tell us how much these minor characters have grown since we first met them. How much they have learned. Baby steps, maybe, they are still who they always were, but they have learned a lot. From trying to prove ghosts exist to trying to exploit them to teaching people how to confront and destroy them, all wrapped up in their own inimitable style. Grudgingly admitting that they learned everything they know from Dean and Sam, even as they spit their resentment of how these real hunters have treated them. Great stuff. Makes me wonder what they are doing now, if they are actually practicing what they preach, or just talking about it still. Either way, I love that they are trying to educate people about how to deal with ghosts – it is both so responsible and so irresponsible, at one and the same time, and that is very them.
It killed me to see Dean and Sam giving up on the idea of using a gun because they can't think how to get hold of one at short notice! They have been turned into such Average Joes…and yet. All their instincts remain.
"How are we going to find a speck of DNA in a skyscraper?"
Seeing the brothers so excited about going to the 14th floor to investigate was so cute, both of them trying to play it cool and not act like overgrown kids. This experience has to have been good for them both, respite from the burdens of their normal lives, allowing them to get back to basics and rediscover the simple pleasures of the life they lead.
Oh, but that scene with the guard in the elevator, I was hollering at my screen the moment he started climbing out of the car. Sensible Sam not going with him. And…they chopped the guy in half! Gross! Ick! And yet…Sam was freaked, but not as freaked as he should be. Not squeamish at all – Dean reacted more to the blood than Sam did, and he only saw a fraction of it. Even in this state, Sam was kinda hardened, even though he didn't know why, and that's a little worrying.
Minus all memories, the brothers still fight together so naturally. They really are the perfect team. And they are both so exhilarated by the experience, the rush of resolving the case and putting the spirit down and saving lives. Again, it's back to basics stuff, a timely reminder of what their lives are about, with all the baggage stripped away.
"We should keep doing this. […] We could help a lot of people."
"You don't want to go fighting ghosts without any health insurance!"
It's so fascinating to see Sam arguing in favour of taking up the hunting lifestyle, while Dean sees nothing but negatives. It is both such a role reversal from their initial standpoints way back when, and such a strong reflection of their current standpoints, if only they remembered it. Overburdened, Dean has lost his ability to find joy in small things, while Sam has learned to draw immense satisfaction from his ability to help others.
"We were friends. More like brothers, really. What if that's who we really are? What if we think this is our life, but it's not? This is not who I'm supposed to be. […] We are supposed to be something else."
Oh Sam.
"Are you saying that my family isn't real? That we've been injected with fake memories?"
Oh man, the fake memories created for both brothers were priceless! Taking minor details from the brothers' real memories and twisting them into a whole new life – Dean having gone to Stanford instead of Sam. Bob and Ellen as Dean's parents and Jo as his sister – it's about time Show acknowledged that Ellen and Jo still exist! Madison instead of Jessica as Sam's ex-fiancée…but her number connecting to an animal hospital. Oh Show.
It was beautiful to see Sam pleading with Dean for them to become hunters together, wanting to have Dean at his side, even though he was ultimately prepared to go it alone if need be. With his memories stripped away, and all external issues and distractions taken with them, Sam too was reminded of his core drives and motivations – and his brother is an important part of those. This scenario might have been set up especially for Dean, but Sam must surely benefit from it as well. He has been so distant from his brother lately, increasingly so, holding Dean at arm's length and pushing him away more with every new deception, too wrapped up in his own issues to heed the damage he is doing. Hopefully he will heed this reminder of what is really important.
"This isn't you. I know you."
"Know me? You don't know me, pal."
Oh, that line hurt. Because it cuts both ways in their real life, as well as this fake life in which they only just met. They don't know each other any more, in so many ways. Yet stripped of their emotional baggage along with their memories, they swiftly found their way back to each other. They need to find a way to do that in real life, as well.
I loved Sam's little fit of rage at that telephone – I feel that pain!
Oh, and then there was the Big Reveal, the AHA! moment where I got to pat myself on the back for having guessed right way back at the beginning. I really loved that even when the angel Zechariah was playing at Corporate Boss, just about everything he said still had a double meaning: "I hear everything, and I'm pleased with what I'm hearing. That's why it's important to me that you're happy. […] Want to make sure you're not going anywhere. […] Real go-getter, carving your own way. I see big things in your future." He was talking to mind-wiped Dean there about his corporate career…but also speaking to the real Dean about the future that lies ahead of him. Nice one, Show.
I especially loved that after rattling off that list of negatives to Sam, Dean still realised that the bonus and promotion and life chained to a desk was not for him, that he wanted more – wanted that other life he'd caught a glimpse of.
"I have some other work I have to do. It's very important to me. […] This is just not who I'm supposed to be."
And Zechariah was relieved that he could finally drop the charade and get down to business again, fingers to forehead in that angelic gesture already familiar to us from Castiel. And I loved the transition from the bright colours of the oh-so attractive fake life to the drab greys of real life – but no change of location, indicating that the experience was very real.
I loved Dean's reaction to getting his memories back, the gradual realisation of what just happened. "Why am I wearing a tie – my God am I hungry! Did I just get touched by a – you're an angel, aren't you? Oh, great, that's all I need is another one of you guys!"
So this Zechariah is Castiel's superior? Now I'm all kinds of intrigued by the chain of command and wondering if Castiel has had his knuckles rapped over last week's shenanigans, which was quite a stupendous cock-up, really, when you think about it – especially since his boss has been forced to intervene like this in an attempt to repair the damage. We are catching such tantalising glimpses behind-the-scenes of Camp Angel – seeing this guy puts a face and personality to at least one of the characters Castiel was so troubled about being made to doubt last episode, fellow angels that he knows well and trusts. Makes me wonder again how he deals with knowing now that there are still traitors within angelic ranks and they could be anyone and how can he tell? He couldn't tell with Uriel until it was far, far too late. He won't want to get caught like that again, but he hasn't yet learned to trust his independent judgement either way. But he also can't just go rogue, because he still believes wholeheartedly in his cause and in his brethren. Tricky one. I love how messy the situation has become on all sides.
"Real place, real haunting – just plunked you in the middle without the benefit of your memories."
This wasn't any kind of alternate universe created just for Dean's benefit, then, clearly – which means that Sam's experience was also real, for which I am very glad. A lot of the episode followed Sam's POV, and it's a shame we don't get to see his reaction to regaining his memories. It'll be interesting to see what he takes away from the experience – what both brothers take away from the experience. At the very least, it seems clear that angelic forces don't seem inclined to take action against Sam any time soon.
And…ooh. If Zechariah was the one who bent reality to create a false existence for Dean, Sam and himself in this company, that means Zechariah was the one who called them Smith and Wesson. Dude! Forget Uriel, this is the angel with the sense of humour!
"Believe me, I had no interest in popping down here into one of these smelly things. But after the unfortunate situation with Uriel I felt it necessary to pay a visit. Get my ducks in a row."
"I am not one of your ducks!"
"Starting with your attitude."
I kinda like Zechariah. He is exactly what he should be: brusque, impatient and businesslike. His underlings messed up and he has been forced to intervene to clean up that mess, because the war is going badly and Dean is a very valuable weapon that they can't afford to lose. His attitude seems harsh, given how utterly destroyed Dean was at the end of the last episode, but his focus is on resources rather than feelings, and anyway – when you think about it, Dean has always responded better to this kind of gruff pep talk than he has to coddling. And when you listen to what Zechariah has to say…a pep talk is exactly what this is:
"To prove to you that the path you're on is truly in your blood. You're a hunter. Not because your dad made you, not because God called you back from hell, but because it is what you are. And you love it. You'll find your way to it in the dark every single time and you're miserable without it. Dean, let's be real, here. You're good at this. You'll be successful. You will stop it."
You're good at this. You'll be successful. You will stop it. Dean needs that kind of affirmation, needs to hear that someone believes in him, believes that he is strong enough to succeed, because heaven knows all he's heard or believed lately is the exact opposite. And maybe he is ready to hear it now. Zechariah's strategy was extreme, but seems to have been fairly effective. Having these few weeks away from the crushing weight of his guilt and despair, and having the exhilarating experience of a good old-fashioned ghost hunt free from all his accumulated emotional baggage – the detox diet even – it's been good for Dean. It has given him time and space to recuperate, which he would probably not otherwise have had.
"You'll do everything you're destined to do. All of it. I know, I know: you're not strong enough. You're scared. You've got daddy issues. You can't do it. Right?"
"Angel or not, I will stab you in your face."
"All I'm saying is: it's how you look at it. Most folks live or die without moving anything more than the dirt it takes to bury them. You get to change things. Save people. Maybe even the world. All the while you drive a classic car and fornicate with women. This isn't a curse. It's a gift. So for God's sake, Dean, quit whining about it. Look around. There are plenty of fates worse than yours. So, you with me? You want to go steam yourself another latte? Or are you ready to stand up and be who you really are?"
That 'quit whining' line is harsh, and very military, and my heart bleeds for Dean, being told to just suck it up and get on with his destiny, after everything he has been through. But the situation is what it is. The war is going on now and the forces of good are losing. They need Dean, and they need him to be functional. And again, there is a hell of a lot of positive affirmation thrown in there, the angel encouraging Dean to look within himself, to rediscover the joy in little things along the way that have always made his life worth living. Encouraging him to believe in himself – as well as reminding him that he doesn't really have much choice, since the die has already been cast.
I can't see this being a miracle cure, and sincerely hope that it is not, because that wouldn't be realistic, and Show tends to be nothing if not realistic in its character development. All that crushing guilt and despair are still there and they aren't going to go away any time soon. But what this little interlude provides is a transition, allowing Dean to move past the shattering trauma he suffered last week and realise that he can still function, that he still wants to function. Maybe even the first step in the healing process. Only time will tell.
Overall? Fantastic episode. Great fun and with forward character development to boot.
2. There are not enough days in the week. Someone stole all the days!
3. The recap for last week's SN is not finished yet. Nowhere near. The reason for this? See #1-2! I've had exactly one free evening this week. Next week looks pretty much the same if not worse. Where did all this social activity come from?
4. Had a very late lunch break this afternoon (3pm late) to meet up with a couple of former colleagues and a volunteer down from Anglesey. Fantastic to see them. Plus Fred gave me an early Easter Egg. *G*
5. It's a Terrible Life. Heeeee!
This was great. Fantastic. You know what I love most? That they switched so abruptly from the utter despair of last week to the light-hearted humour of this week without giving us whiplash! That tonal shift was built into the plot as part of the central mystery of the episode and it worked. And it wasn't just humorous – there was a lot of subtle depth and meaning woven into seemingly throwaway fragments of dialogue. Nice job. Real back-to-basics stuff, and after all the doom and gloom of recent episodes it was like a breath of fresh air.
I found myself counting coup at the end of the episode, because I had the scenario pegged as a kind of health spa for Dean right at the beginning, and figured only a trickster or angel would have the juice to pull it off. Since there didn't seem to be any motivation for a trickster to do such a thing – there was no twisted joke being played – that just left the angels. A set up to allow Dean to recuperate and encourage him to get his head back in the game, which makes sense, from an angelic point of view, and on the face of it looks to have been a fairly effective and successful strategy. Plus, it allows the writers to make the transition past the despair of the last episode back toward Dean at least being functional again without having to wade through a lengthy recovery process in the immediate wake of all that trauma. They get to skip a step.
The cinematography of the episode is fabulous, so bright and colourful all the way through…until the 'spell' is undone, when the drab greys of reality are returned.
Right. Stream of consciousness time: here goes!
Dean Smith. Sam Wesson. Mwahahahah. Smith and Wesson. Could be 'Alias Smith and Wesson', even. Oh, Show.
Ooooooooh. Dean's man-about-town outfits. With the braces and side parting and bright colours, white collar on striped shirt! On Dean. Driving a Toyota Prius and pulling a face at classic rock on the radio. Tossing his tie over his shoulder to eat. Eating salad! Drinking steamed latte with rice milk and discussing faddy diet plans and recipes. No carbs. Master Cleanse! De-toxing.
And so clean-shaven – him and Sam both. They both look so young and fresh-faced here!
"Save it for the health club, man."
I kinda love that they made Dean a sales director with a penthouse office and stuck Sam in a lowly cubicle – made for an interesting dynamic, putting Dean back in charge of Sam, even though Sam still instinctively took the lead when Dean held back, reluctant. Also a reminder that Dean is a smart and competent guy; he just isn't educated. If he had lived a conventional life he could have gone far, had he chosen to do so. He is very adaptable. This false life gave him a taste of what he is capable of, the kind of subtle positive affirmation that he needs, with his self-esteem at rock bottom.
Also? I love Sam as an IT tech. "Have you tried turning it off and then turning it back on?" HEEEEE! And messing about, wasting time on the job, because he knows that this isn't the life that he should or could be leading – both because he is a hunter and because he is too smart for this position, he is capable of so much more.
"How much DD did you play when you were a kid?" Sam has weird dreams in any reality, apparently, and I wonder if that was connected to his psychic mojo or deliberate, if the angels deliberately allowed fragments of his real memories to bleed through to ensure that he and Dean would pick up on the haunting, if Dean was experiencing much the same thing but couldn't bring himself to admit it, a side effect of the false scenario for them both. Either way, Sam was far, far keener to admit that something was wrong with this situation than Dean, and it wasn't just because he was stuck in a cubicle while Dean had the plush office and apartment. Dean's subconscious had every reason to bury itself in this swanky new life and identity. And doing so was healing for him, in the short term. Breathing space.
"I don't know you. But I'm going to do a public service and let you know that you over-share."
Suicide by microwave – yikes! Pencil in carotid – yikes! Show does love its gory deaths.
I really loved that this was a solid old-fashioned haunting, tossing in clues that we all immediately recognise from previous episodes, like the cold spots. And the electrified fingers to zap the unwary, just like Ellicott way back when!
Why was Dean re-dressing in the office? Oh, he had to change shirt because there was blood all over the other one. Right. Did he spot his angelic handprint, I wonder? Did it not occur to him to wonder where that came from? Or was it hidden from him by the same spell that wiped his memory?
Even without their memories, the brothers are so much who they are: Sam suspicious of what's going on, trusting his instincts, assembling clues; Dean automatically trying to help people, also trusting his instincts even when he didn't want to. And all their hunter instincts alive and well in spite of the memory wipe.
"I used some skills that I happen to have to satisfy my curiosity."
"Nice."
Hee. I love this moment. It's a moment of these two apparent strangers finding some kind of balance. Sam is admitting to a sackable offence, and he doesn't regret what he did, but he is nervous about it and rightfully so. And Dean approves, even though it is a sackable offence and he could have this guy fired in a heartbeat. Manager and subordinate finding a level on which they can be equals. Because there is something seriously wrong here and both of them instinctively feel the need to find out what that is and put it right, recognise that in each other. Slowly finding their way back to one another – something they need to do in 'real life', as well.
"It's like we've done this before. […] I can't shake this feeling like I don't belong here. Like I should do something more than sit in a cubicle."
"I think most people who work in a cubicle feel that same way."
Hee!
"It feels like I should be doing something else. There's just something in my blood. Like I was destined for something different."
"I don't believe in destiny. I do believe in dealing with what's right in front of us, though."
Oh, those lines there. Something in my blood. I don't believe in destiny. That is just so very them! And they don't even know it.
It kills me that Dean says research is what he does best. Mwahahah. Oh, but then the 'Sammy' exchange. :(
"Did you just call me Sammy?"
"I think I did."
"Don't."
And after Sam had let Ruby call him Sammy last week! So poignant. But his face is funny as he contemplates and rejects the nickname! And it is appropriate for Sam's recent development, chafing against Dean's view of him as the little brother in a way we haven't seen since season one, striving to exert his independence and adult status.
I really loved how this episode used the Ghostfacers! Just video clips on their website, rather than actually having them in the episode proper, a quick and easy means of moving the plot forward, providing Dean and Sam with crucial information – and this so-brief snippet also sufficient to tell us how much these minor characters have grown since we first met them. How much they have learned. Baby steps, maybe, they are still who they always were, but they have learned a lot. From trying to prove ghosts exist to trying to exploit them to teaching people how to confront and destroy them, all wrapped up in their own inimitable style. Grudgingly admitting that they learned everything they know from Dean and Sam, even as they spit their resentment of how these real hunters have treated them. Great stuff. Makes me wonder what they are doing now, if they are actually practicing what they preach, or just talking about it still. Either way, I love that they are trying to educate people about how to deal with ghosts – it is both so responsible and so irresponsible, at one and the same time, and that is very them.
It killed me to see Dean and Sam giving up on the idea of using a gun because they can't think how to get hold of one at short notice! They have been turned into such Average Joes…and yet. All their instincts remain.
"How are we going to find a speck of DNA in a skyscraper?"
Seeing the brothers so excited about going to the 14th floor to investigate was so cute, both of them trying to play it cool and not act like overgrown kids. This experience has to have been good for them both, respite from the burdens of their normal lives, allowing them to get back to basics and rediscover the simple pleasures of the life they lead.
Oh, but that scene with the guard in the elevator, I was hollering at my screen the moment he started climbing out of the car. Sensible Sam not going with him. And…they chopped the guy in half! Gross! Ick! And yet…Sam was freaked, but not as freaked as he should be. Not squeamish at all – Dean reacted more to the blood than Sam did, and he only saw a fraction of it. Even in this state, Sam was kinda hardened, even though he didn't know why, and that's a little worrying.
Minus all memories, the brothers still fight together so naturally. They really are the perfect team. And they are both so exhilarated by the experience, the rush of resolving the case and putting the spirit down and saving lives. Again, it's back to basics stuff, a timely reminder of what their lives are about, with all the baggage stripped away.
"We should keep doing this. […] We could help a lot of people."
"You don't want to go fighting ghosts without any health insurance!"
It's so fascinating to see Sam arguing in favour of taking up the hunting lifestyle, while Dean sees nothing but negatives. It is both such a role reversal from their initial standpoints way back when, and such a strong reflection of their current standpoints, if only they remembered it. Overburdened, Dean has lost his ability to find joy in small things, while Sam has learned to draw immense satisfaction from his ability to help others.
"We were friends. More like brothers, really. What if that's who we really are? What if we think this is our life, but it's not? This is not who I'm supposed to be. […] We are supposed to be something else."
Oh Sam.
"Are you saying that my family isn't real? That we've been injected with fake memories?"
Oh man, the fake memories created for both brothers were priceless! Taking minor details from the brothers' real memories and twisting them into a whole new life – Dean having gone to Stanford instead of Sam. Bob and Ellen as Dean's parents and Jo as his sister – it's about time Show acknowledged that Ellen and Jo still exist! Madison instead of Jessica as Sam's ex-fiancée…but her number connecting to an animal hospital. Oh Show.
It was beautiful to see Sam pleading with Dean for them to become hunters together, wanting to have Dean at his side, even though he was ultimately prepared to go it alone if need be. With his memories stripped away, and all external issues and distractions taken with them, Sam too was reminded of his core drives and motivations – and his brother is an important part of those. This scenario might have been set up especially for Dean, but Sam must surely benefit from it as well. He has been so distant from his brother lately, increasingly so, holding Dean at arm's length and pushing him away more with every new deception, too wrapped up in his own issues to heed the damage he is doing. Hopefully he will heed this reminder of what is really important.
"This isn't you. I know you."
"Know me? You don't know me, pal."
Oh, that line hurt. Because it cuts both ways in their real life, as well as this fake life in which they only just met. They don't know each other any more, in so many ways. Yet stripped of their emotional baggage along with their memories, they swiftly found their way back to each other. They need to find a way to do that in real life, as well.
I loved Sam's little fit of rage at that telephone – I feel that pain!
Oh, and then there was the Big Reveal, the AHA! moment where I got to pat myself on the back for having guessed right way back at the beginning. I really loved that even when the angel Zechariah was playing at Corporate Boss, just about everything he said still had a double meaning: "I hear everything, and I'm pleased with what I'm hearing. That's why it's important to me that you're happy. […] Want to make sure you're not going anywhere. […] Real go-getter, carving your own way. I see big things in your future." He was talking to mind-wiped Dean there about his corporate career…but also speaking to the real Dean about the future that lies ahead of him. Nice one, Show.
I especially loved that after rattling off that list of negatives to Sam, Dean still realised that the bonus and promotion and life chained to a desk was not for him, that he wanted more – wanted that other life he'd caught a glimpse of.
"I have some other work I have to do. It's very important to me. […] This is just not who I'm supposed to be."
And Zechariah was relieved that he could finally drop the charade and get down to business again, fingers to forehead in that angelic gesture already familiar to us from Castiel. And I loved the transition from the bright colours of the oh-so attractive fake life to the drab greys of real life – but no change of location, indicating that the experience was very real.
I loved Dean's reaction to getting his memories back, the gradual realisation of what just happened. "Why am I wearing a tie – my God am I hungry! Did I just get touched by a – you're an angel, aren't you? Oh, great, that's all I need is another one of you guys!"
So this Zechariah is Castiel's superior? Now I'm all kinds of intrigued by the chain of command and wondering if Castiel has had his knuckles rapped over last week's shenanigans, which was quite a stupendous cock-up, really, when you think about it – especially since his boss has been forced to intervene like this in an attempt to repair the damage. We are catching such tantalising glimpses behind-the-scenes of Camp Angel – seeing this guy puts a face and personality to at least one of the characters Castiel was so troubled about being made to doubt last episode, fellow angels that he knows well and trusts. Makes me wonder again how he deals with knowing now that there are still traitors within angelic ranks and they could be anyone and how can he tell? He couldn't tell with Uriel until it was far, far too late. He won't want to get caught like that again, but he hasn't yet learned to trust his independent judgement either way. But he also can't just go rogue, because he still believes wholeheartedly in his cause and in his brethren. Tricky one. I love how messy the situation has become on all sides.
"Real place, real haunting – just plunked you in the middle without the benefit of your memories."
This wasn't any kind of alternate universe created just for Dean's benefit, then, clearly – which means that Sam's experience was also real, for which I am very glad. A lot of the episode followed Sam's POV, and it's a shame we don't get to see his reaction to regaining his memories. It'll be interesting to see what he takes away from the experience – what both brothers take away from the experience. At the very least, it seems clear that angelic forces don't seem inclined to take action against Sam any time soon.
And…ooh. If Zechariah was the one who bent reality to create a false existence for Dean, Sam and himself in this company, that means Zechariah was the one who called them Smith and Wesson. Dude! Forget Uriel, this is the angel with the sense of humour!
"Believe me, I had no interest in popping down here into one of these smelly things. But after the unfortunate situation with Uriel I felt it necessary to pay a visit. Get my ducks in a row."
"I am not one of your ducks!"
"Starting with your attitude."
I kinda like Zechariah. He is exactly what he should be: brusque, impatient and businesslike. His underlings messed up and he has been forced to intervene to clean up that mess, because the war is going badly and Dean is a very valuable weapon that they can't afford to lose. His attitude seems harsh, given how utterly destroyed Dean was at the end of the last episode, but his focus is on resources rather than feelings, and anyway – when you think about it, Dean has always responded better to this kind of gruff pep talk than he has to coddling. And when you listen to what Zechariah has to say…a pep talk is exactly what this is:
"To prove to you that the path you're on is truly in your blood. You're a hunter. Not because your dad made you, not because God called you back from hell, but because it is what you are. And you love it. You'll find your way to it in the dark every single time and you're miserable without it. Dean, let's be real, here. You're good at this. You'll be successful. You will stop it."
You're good at this. You'll be successful. You will stop it. Dean needs that kind of affirmation, needs to hear that someone believes in him, believes that he is strong enough to succeed, because heaven knows all he's heard or believed lately is the exact opposite. And maybe he is ready to hear it now. Zechariah's strategy was extreme, but seems to have been fairly effective. Having these few weeks away from the crushing weight of his guilt and despair, and having the exhilarating experience of a good old-fashioned ghost hunt free from all his accumulated emotional baggage – the detox diet even – it's been good for Dean. It has given him time and space to recuperate, which he would probably not otherwise have had.
"You'll do everything you're destined to do. All of it. I know, I know: you're not strong enough. You're scared. You've got daddy issues. You can't do it. Right?"
"Angel or not, I will stab you in your face."
"All I'm saying is: it's how you look at it. Most folks live or die without moving anything more than the dirt it takes to bury them. You get to change things. Save people. Maybe even the world. All the while you drive a classic car and fornicate with women. This isn't a curse. It's a gift. So for God's sake, Dean, quit whining about it. Look around. There are plenty of fates worse than yours. So, you with me? You want to go steam yourself another latte? Or are you ready to stand up and be who you really are?"
That 'quit whining' line is harsh, and very military, and my heart bleeds for Dean, being told to just suck it up and get on with his destiny, after everything he has been through. But the situation is what it is. The war is going on now and the forces of good are losing. They need Dean, and they need him to be functional. And again, there is a hell of a lot of positive affirmation thrown in there, the angel encouraging Dean to look within himself, to rediscover the joy in little things along the way that have always made his life worth living. Encouraging him to believe in himself – as well as reminding him that he doesn't really have much choice, since the die has already been cast.
I can't see this being a miracle cure, and sincerely hope that it is not, because that wouldn't be realistic, and Show tends to be nothing if not realistic in its character development. All that crushing guilt and despair are still there and they aren't going to go away any time soon. But what this little interlude provides is a transition, allowing Dean to move past the shattering trauma he suffered last week and realise that he can still function, that he still wants to function. Maybe even the first step in the healing process. Only time will tell.
Overall? Fantastic episode. Great fun and with forward character development to boot.
