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The Nitpicker's Guide to Supernatural™

"A series hasn't succeeded, until the fans pick it apart"©

Season Four

Episode Titles (click to jump to each episode)

 Lazarus Rising Are You There God? It's Me, Dean Winchester

 In The Beginning Metamorphosis Monster Movie Yellow Fever

It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester Wishful Thinking

 I Know What You Did Last Summer Heaven And Hell Family Remains

Criss Angel Is a Douchebag After School Special Sex & Violence

Death Takes a Holiday On The Head Of A Pin It's A Terrible Life

The Monster At The End Of This Book Jump The Shark

The Rapture When The Levee Breaks Lucifer Rising

S4 - Ep 1 "Lazarus Rising"

1. No mere human could dig themselves out of a grave. (no matter how many movies show it)  The main factor is time vs. oxygen supply.  If you assume Sam and Bobby buried Dean in a very shallow grave, it still isn't practical, because he'd have to somehow break open the coffin, which has a pile of dirt on it, then keep breathing long enough to dig his way out.  The scene looks cool, but it triggers the: This same scenario was believable on "Buffy" because she has superpowers. 2. Why mark the grave?  If Dean's body were found by say, a state trooper, there would be an investigation, especially with the traumatic injuries. Jensen Ackles is so bowlegged (How. Bowlegged. Is. He?) You could drive a Mack truck through his legs in the scene of him walking to the gas station. He's from Texas, so maybe he grew up on a ranch with horses, but we digress. 3. Again we call on the hugging/reunion scene with Sam and Dean.  "Ruby" insinuates they're gay - again we say women do not usually make that assumption, except on this show.  Women generally think nothing of close friends hugging, so that would be the first thought, unless the moves the men were making looked blatantly sexual, so... Of course we now know "Ruby" was just pretending not to know what was going on, but that doesn't make it any less unlikely. We're right there with Dean on that lame song Sam had playing on the iPod, though.

KUDOS AWARD: The "Pamela Barnes" character is great. 

For once, we see a woman treat men the way men often treat women - like a piece of meat.  And since she's gorgeous herself, she does not come off as desperate. A refreshing change for an attractive female character. Hopefully they won't again kill off a great character. 1. We did immediately figure out that "Castiel" was not a demon - why would a demon "warn" anyone?  They want to hurt you. So that was a bit of a tipoff, but we did not guess he was an angel, and apparently neither did she. However, an occult expert like "Pamela" should have realized the same thing we did, and turned away, because it obviously was not an evil creature. 2. The demon waitress said her first line after sitting next to the boys a bit too quickly - just an observation of acting. 3. The eye effects job on the demon waitress wasn't quite right - she looked like an entirely different person. The clothing is the only real identifying thing in her eyeless scene. How does one summon an angel, especially when one believes him to be a demon?  But then, "Pamela" contacted Castiel with a ritual she probably uses for demons. 

S4 - Ep 2 "Are You There, God? It's Me... Dean Winchester"

1. Yet again, it really, really does not make sense for Dean not to believe in angels, especially since he's been in Hell, himself. He should know that since Hell and demons are real, consecrated water stings the demons, then by default Heaven, God and angels are real.  Just makes the character look unreasonably adversarial, and kind of dumb. He then says maybe angels are real, but there's no God. Again, the character looks stupid; why would angels exist, but not God? Could be a case of denial, especially since "Castiel" told him God has work for him - that would scare the crap out of anyone.  2. This one sort of borrows from its own ep, "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" with three hunters being tormented by unhappy things in their pasts, but all of the ghosts seem petulant and childish instead of just the actual children acting that way. Even the usually very entertaining "Henriksen" comes off as throwing a tantrum. The two that we have seen in previous eps, "Meg" and "Henriksen" seemed particularly unreasonable.  We hear that they were resurrected in torment, but that still doesn't seem to be something that would change their personalities so drastically.  "Henriksen" is a law enforcement officer; he, more than the other ghosts, should understand not being able to save everybody. 3. Dean certainly asks valid questions about how things are on Earth, but he's much more disrespectful than he should be.  Not because "Castiel" is an angel, but just out of common courtesy for anyone.  Good job that "Castiel" finally slapped Dean's ears back, so to speak - "Castiel" appeared to be just a little too nice at first. "I can throw you back in." *shudder*  That seemed to make Dean a believer.

S4 Ep 3 "In the Beginning"

1. We think there is no way Dean wouldn't recognize "John" as a young man, immediately.  Or for that matter, his mother. You know your parents, and can spot them in old photos - otherwise a pretty good ep, with cute references to "Back To The Future". 2. The one thing that soured it was the "Mary"/"Samuel" kiss.  Yes, it was dad's body, not his soul, but still, it was quite repulsive, in a Woody and Soon-Yi sort of way. The actress playing young "Mary" looks a great deal like Samantha Smith, physically, and is a better performer than the actor playing young "John".

S4 Ep 4 "Metamorphosis"

Great opening scene with Dean playing the part of a parent and "spanking" Sam. Ditto his anger at "Ruby" for helping Sam in his activities. 1. "Jack's" wife "Michele" is a saint.  We think most spouses would have left this freak long before she finally did. 2. Ron Lea is a Canadian actor, who is usually quite good, but whatever accent he was trying to use in this one (we think he was going for a southern U.S. accent) he didn't even nearly pull it off. 3. It's not really clear why the creature has to be burned alive. Why not knock him out, as "Travis" did, then torch him?  Seems excessively cruel. Further, the pregnant wife needn't have been burned alive either. (assuming the full-grown critter must be burned alive) The fetal critter (not human) would die when she does, so she could have been killed in a much more humane way. Or she could abort the Rugubaby, but that's too controversial. Having her leave allows the audience to imagine her next move as they would like, however.  Tough call for the writers.  4. Here's a big nit: Veins do not "pump".  They are essentially like pipes, and only act as a passive conveyor of blood.  It's the arteries that pump. (the momentum from the artery activity moves the blood through the veins). So Sam should have either said, 'pumping through my arteries' (sounds way too technical, though); 'demon blood in my veins' or he should have said "demon blood coursing through my veins". This same error shows up in a later ep, spoken by a different character.  This isn't a matter of having a medical background - most people know the difference between arteries and veins; that's basic anatomy and physiology. 5. Again, except for in movies and television, women do not commonly undress in front of an open window.  That's pure male fantasy. (maybe more exhibitionist women may do that, but certainly not the average woman) The woman in this one didn't fully undress in front of the open window; (in "Shadow" "Meg" took off a lot more) but she did undress down to her bra.  Dream on, fellas. Interesting that "Jack" didn't tell Sam why "Travis" was going to kill "Michele" - made sense; preservation of the species and all.

S4 Ep 5 "Monster Movie"

KUDOS AWARD: Another one that keeps you laughing so much you don't notice any nits. "I have a coupon" - hysterical. We also loved the retro filming style.

S4 Ep 6 "Yellow Fever"

How funny is that opening scene? 1. As for nits, no coroner would allow onlookers, without them being in full protective gear. There is no way any of them, including the doctor, would go without masks and surgical headgear.  Keep in mind that the idea is to find out what killed the person.  You do not know with certainty if it was disease, or just what it appears to be. Further, bodies bloat and fill with fluid in places you may not expect; that squirt on Sam's face is actually a good example. That squirt also illustrates the very point we're making here. The protective gear not only protects the examiner and onlookers, but avoids contamination of the corpse (for forensic purposes), so: . "Ghost sickness"?  That's a new one. 2. "Gank" appears to be a word this show is trying to coin, like "nerd" from "Happy Days" but the word is already in use for something else. Dean bitch-screaming is quite hilarious. 3. Dean lies about what he saw while under the sickness' influence, and we see Sam's eyes flash yellow. It is unclear whether it was Dean's imagination or what, but apart from "Azazel's" relative inhabiting Sam, the significance is very murky.  Could be that "Azazel" left something of himself in the kids he chose, that will manifest in total, later.  Gawd, we hope not. Or what "Azazel" did is the way his species of demon reproduces.  That would be interesting. At any rate, it looks like the only thing they can do with this, is have Sam and Dean oppose each other as a season finale.

 KUDOS AWARD: Everyone loves the little outtake Ackles does at the end of this ep, but as funny as that is, we think there is a much funnier scene with both Ackles and Padalecki in the upcoming episode, "Wishful Thinking" - reaction shots that slay, so here's some preview praise:

S4 Ep 7 "It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester"

1. Someone should tell "Don" nobody says "I was only trying to rap with her" - SHEESH. He's supposed to be centuries old, so maybe we're to believe he hasn't caught up with the lingo. 2. "Uriel" - the Nazi angel - hate him (not in a good way); he's unnecessarily nasty.  3. No, Urinal...um, we mean "Uriel"; veins do not pump. Arteries do (see above). 4. Another favorite "Supernatural" word - "dick" - put it back in the pants, please.

S4 Ep 8 "Wishful Thinking"

1. Shoot that annoying waiter, please. 2. Huge nit with this one is that the women were sex toys, at the mercy of horny losers.  The peeping teen, and the nerd who basically ruffeed this girl.  We feel that's a form of rape, since she is not actually consenting to sex of her own free will. Not cool. The Teddy Bear almost makes up for that.

  KUDOS: We think the reaction shots of Ackles and Padalecki are actually more hilarious than the bear himself. We wonder how many takes that scene needed, just to catch everybody with a straight face. We hope whomever wrote this ep is doing well in rehab. 3. "Audrey" hasn't had any "stranger danger" training, apparently.  She tells the guys she's home alone, something kids are told never to do, then lets them in - not smart. Interesting that "Audrey's" parents apparently aren't concerned about her, but then wishes go badly, so they may have been in an isolated area of Bali.

S4 Ep 9 "I Know What You Did Last Summer"

The actress playing "Anna" has amazingly beautiful eyes.  They're very large, without looking deformed or bugged out; like a doll's eyes.  You can't stop staring at them. 1. Just FYI: "orderly" is a very archaic term in medical facilities.  They're usually called "transport" since they're the ones who have to move (dead or alive) patients around.  Nurse's Aides and other support personnel do a lot of the things orderlies used to do.  2. Mark Rolston ("Alistair") is usually a pretty good actor, but we can't figure out why he did a Marlon Brando thing here. Very distracting, and very cartoonish. 3. Re: Sam's suturing scene, alcohol is not an antiseptic. It's used to draw blood and start IVs because it dries quickly.  It's no more effective than soap and water - in fact antibacterial soap is much better. "Ruby" the "maid" was good, but a little over-the-top with the facial expressions.

S4 Ep 10 "Heaven and Hell"

"Pamela's" back - let the party begin!  She's already a favorite of ours - let's again hope they don't stupidly kill her off, too. 1. A literally falling angel is a bit hokey, though in the movie "City Of Angels" it was done that way as well. 2. So Dean boinks an angel - doesn't he remember what Hell is like?  3. Again with the dick jokes from Dean. 4. Hopefully this ep will be the end of Dean sniping at "Ruby" - that's getting tiresome. End scene was touching.

S4 Ep 11 "Family Remains"

1. This episode seems to really be a pastiche of previous eps.  If you're going to borrow from your own series, at least pick the best parts (they clearly didn't); though this ep had a few pluses. It's high time at least one member of the victims-of-the-week isn't an overly trusting moron - "Uncle Ted" - though he's clearly a red shirt. He called the Winchesters on their B.S. early on, for a change. 2. This one also sort of rips off the film, "Beetlejuice" - transplanted urbanites in a (sorta kinda) haunted house. 3. The Impala needs an exhaust overhaul, very badly.  Yes, it's a muscle car, but it's still way too loud. 4. "Ted" is essentially a carbon copy of "Roy" in "Wendigo" 5. How did we know that "Ted" like "Roy" would die?  Answer: Because we watch "Supernatural" regularly. 6. The MOTW (monster-of-the-week) is reminiscent of the nurse in "Folsom Prison Blues" ("Glockner") 7. Once again, we have an incestuous scenario (as with "In the Beginning") We have to wonder if the writers are pandering to the sub-cult of "Supernatural" fans, known as the purveyors of "Wincest" (we truly wish we were kidding, there) 8. Endangering a child is such a cheap manipulation - this show should be above that crap. 9. The "confession" from Dean, though we saw it coming ever since the final scene of "Heaven & Hell", was poignant, but for anyone who knows anything about psychology, fairly obvious.  You cannot be a "promising" and/or efficient torturer without being sadistic on some level. One good thing about this one, though, is that there were no corporeal ghosts this time.  Bravo, that.

S4 Ep 12 "Criss Angel Is A Douchebag"

1. We have to wonder what the real Criss Angel thinks of that title alone. 2. Egad, the writers are still overusing the term "dick" - get over that, please!  Especially from women - not a common term.  3. Rubenstein is such a distinguished actor, that we figured out he was the killer long before it was revealed (the character was too peripheral for a veteran actor).  The fountain-of-youth angle was a surprise, however.  4. How likely is it that a guy in Dean's age group will have even heard of "Cocoon" much less seen it?  Not very likely at all. This ep just screams final confrontation between Special Sam and Dirty Dean.

S4 E 13 "After School Special"

1. Blow the whistle on that decidedly 70s/80s outfit Dean wore as the gym teacher. Richard Simmons wouldn't even be seen in that tacky little ensemble!  Ackles looks a little bigger in this one, but those wishbone legs remain the same. Kudos for having the high school chick call Dean on his tramping around.  Excellent scene, but a girl her age probably wouldn't make such complicated statements. That being said, the scene actually emphasizes how very little Dean has matured.  Again, we think his having a kid in the background (not as regular character by any stretch of the imagination, mind you), perhaps by his first season babe/alleged true love, "Cassie" would give Dean the much-missed gravitas he had with John. 2. Bleeding eyes?!  They used that same annoying trick during the exceedingly ghastly season 4 of "Smallville" - it was dumb then, and it's even more pointless now. Ironically, Ackles was featured heavily in that season of "Smallville" as a high school girl's smarmy boyfriend/school faculty staffer/psychopath.  Easily the most unlikeable part Ackles has played, that we've seen (in fact, we avoided "Supernatural" for some time, not wanting to see the "face" of Ackles' rather loathsome character, "Jason"). We do not normally encourage or endorse fighting, but if any bully had it coming, the kid little Sam pounded certainly did. It's not really clear what the MOTW is supposed to be - is he a corporeal ghost, as is typical on this show, or is he more of a poltergeist with the ability to possess, as a demon can?

S4 Ep 14 "Sex & Violence"

1. Pretty dumb of Sam to yak on the phone with "Ruby" while Dean was "sleeping" in the same room.  He should have been more discrete, because he and Sam pull that same trick on others frequently. 2. As with "Wishful Thinking" female characters are being violated and/or abused at the hands of men. (some men did so intentionally, but in this one, it's involuntary, as it was in "Asylum")  These characters live in a very violent environment, so that is not at issue, but it's beginning to be vastly more toward females than males.  Surely there are other ways to provoke chills, than to see this crap so often. 3. Another recitation of this show's favorite word of the season, "gank" - enough with the catch-phrases, puh-leeze!  4. MEDICAL NIT: Oxytocin does exist, but it has, unless there has been new research to disprove this, nothing to do with sexuality, but more with pregnancy. 5. Siren? While there are certainly similarities, this character is more like a succubus.  Sirens don't ever look human, according the lore we've seen.  Succubi tend to attack during sleep, rather than seduce their victims, so it looks as though they combined the two mythic creatures.  6. Seems a bit out of character for either of these guys to fall victim to such a creature, especially since, as Dean said, some of their liaisons have been with monsters.  They'd be very suspicious of any woman in that town, one would think. At the very least, the "doctor" was directly connected to the cases, which should have tipped these very experienced monster hunters off, especially in light of the pediatrician in "Something Wicked" so, . 7. Sam and Dean always looked way too young to be Feds, but then they brought in another way-too-young actor to play a "real" Fed.  They would have been made in a second by any competent medical person, but alas, we must accept this for the purpose of storytelling. Interesting Cain and Abel scenario, but it just didn't ring true, because apparently the idea is that Dean's love for Sam would be transferred to the MOTW, but Dean wouldn't murder anyone in cold blood, just to please Sam.  We realize that other characters did things they'd never do, but the difference here is that Sam and Dean were both under the creature's power, so: .  That being said, it was pretty brave of them to show a male MOTW manipulate another male with emotion, rather than force. Sam's rant about Dean's whining was pretty funny, and it was good to see someone take the boys to task for drinking while on the road.  We simply accepted this as their taking a long break; however, one beer shouldn't interfere with the average man's faculties. 8. As expected, the boys denied meaning what they said while enchanted.

Citizen's Arrest!

Additional "Sex & Violence" nits from "High C":

"You made an excellent point about how they probably mixed the succubus and siren myths together. But what bothers me [and full disclosure, I love stories that deal with this myth, particularly Joan Collins as The Siren on Batman] is how they mentioned the siren myth and then blatantly disregarded it." ("High C")

1. Sirens are NOT men. Never, ever, ever. The mythology is that they are half-woman, half-bird, or half-woman, half-fish. Of course, in modern stories, they are not depicted that way because it's better to see a beautiful woman [such as (Joan) Collins or Melinda Clarke on Charmed] in such a role. Still, they are NOT men.

2. Sirens are NOT shapeshifters. Don't know how they came up with that, but it simply isn't the case. Nowhere does that exist in the mythology.

3. Sirens are NOT mind-readers. Again, don't know how they came up with that, but it simply isn't the case. Nowhere does that exist in the mythology.

4. Sirens do NOT entice men to kill OTHERS to please the sirens. They entice men to kill THEMSELVES. Huge, huge difference.

S4 Ep 15 "Death Takes A Holiday"

Disaffected Dean again.  *yawn*  This ep is highly reminiscent of the old movie, "On Borrowed Time" as well as the movie the title harkens. At least when "Supernatural" writers steal, they're up front about it. 1. It seems inconsistent for Dean to be incredulous about summoning the kid's spirit - that's the very nature of the series.  *sigh* Still saying "gank". Good line, "Joe the plumber was a douche".  2. Why would Dean not be able to come up with a lie for the (faux) devil-worship-accusing guy?  That's second nature to both of them. And Sam should be a much better liar, than he was when Dean queried him about his secrets. Special Sam is getting a bit more cocky; that can't be good. No surprise that "Alistair" showed up again, but hopefully Urinal - um "Uriel" is gone for good. Kudos for bringing the ever-entertaining "Pamela" back.  Dean's Demi Moore line was very funny. 3. Why would a mother believe her kid would pelt her? Even if she believed it was he, what he was doing was in no way loving. You exorcise spirits who act like that. Kid was way nastier than he should have been. 4. Cool to see "Tessa" again (the reaper from "In My Time Of Dying"), though she seems way more cynical than would be expected. Her English is still poor, however. "I could care less."  The phrase is "I couldn't care less", meaning you've hit the nadir of concern. 5. It does not seem logical for the kid not to want Sam and Dean to find the "black smoke" - that was a goof. The idea may be that he felt safer with the smoke than the reapers, but something that scary-looking wouldn't reassure anyone. 6. These writers really, really need to expand their vocabulary further than a handful of catchphrases. Put the dick back in the pants, puh-leeze. 7. Sam & Dean should already know about telekinesis from spirits, even if it's just from the movie "Ghost" - which we know Dean has seen, since he mentioned Demi Moore. Even with that aside, they should be very familiar with all these things by now. They shouldn't have been surprised by the kid's teleportation, either.  8. They freaking killed off "Pamela"!  Enough with killing off the coolest characters!  9. Cool - "Castiel's" back, and Dean once again is totally disrespectful.  They've really turned Dean into a childish lunkhead. He, and Ackles, deserve better. 10. Heyerdahl did a good job of emulating Rolston's performance in previous eps, but that Brando thing is still lamely cartoonish. By the comment Dean made to the boy about joining him in death "sooner than you think", it seems he is planning to die, probably while killing Special Sam. 11. During all that time the boys spent with the dying Pamela, they could have had the paramedics there in no time at all.  Her request for just whiskey should have been ignored, especially since alcohol thins the blood. That injury need not have been fatal at all. Hopefully, a type of "reset button" will bring "Pamela" back, since neither Dean or Sam stayed dead.

KUDOS AWARD

S4 Ep 16 "On The Head Of A Pin"

Only one big nit with this one - "Pamela" will apparently remain dead.  Bad move, in our opinion.  There were also the obligatory just-in-the-nick-of-time scenarios, but other than that, we think this was a nearly perfect episode!  Best ever!  Hopefully the trend set in this one will continue.  It ties Dean's being yanked out of hell in with the apocalypse absolutely perfectly. Bravo!

S4 Ep 17 "It's A Terrible Life"

At first, we thought this one would recycle the "Jinn", but no. 1. The stabbing of "Ian" would not have been fatal; the blood was dark, therefore venous, and not arterial (which squirts, and is bright red, due to the presence of oxygen) Fun to see the "Ghostfacers" again, and ironic that they were actually helpful.  2. This ep reuses a device seen in many other series, that of our protagonists awakening with a manipulation that causes them to forget who they really are.  We've seen it in "Buffy", "Angel", "Stargate SG-1", "Star Trek: Voyager", and countless others.  It usually works pretty well, but was somewhat weak here.

S4 Ep 18 "The Monster At The End Of This Book"

Clearly the writers have been reading some of the fan-ranting on the internet (what are they, masochists?), but we were surprised at how blatantly they poked fun at same.  The guy goofing up their names was funny, as was the crack about the "Supernatural" fan "underground cult following." 1. The romance novel cover of that book was quite irregular, however - only the females look that ridiculously perfect.  Dean's crack about fan complaints was dead-on, and we winced (again) at the mention of "Wincest"; we agree, Dean, it's "just sick." Actually, we think the worst parts are when they cry (with few exceptions), unlike the fangirl on this ep. Hilarious that Sam didn't know his LSAT score. Cult status of anything should never be dismissed; "Star Trek" was a total flop when it first aired.  Back then, a show would continue to air with low ratings much longer than in the present.  Nowadays, a show can be cancelled after only one airing, but in the old days, they remained on the air for years.  Apparently a letter-writing campaign revived "Trek" for its final season, but then it was cancelled anyway.  This same scenario happened with the series "Jericho" - so maybe "Supernatural" and "Jericho" will become solid franchises as well.  It could happen. 2. It would certainly be majorly freaky to have your fictional characters come to life, but to assume you're a god?  Nah. Wizard, maybe. 3. Then "Chuck" says he wrote about being confronted by Sam & Dean, so why was he so incredulous when that very thing happened? By the time he makes the comment about writing this scenario, he had already found out Sam & Dean were real.  4. It wouldn't be a fourth season "Supernatural" ep without someone saying "dick" now would it?  Another classic Dean line: "No homework; watch some porn".  "The Gospel According To Chuck", and the "Winchester Gospel".  Blasphemous?  Oh, yeah.  Funny as hell?  Absolutely yeah.  We spewed our drinks with "Castiel's" line "You should have seen Luke."  Dean prays? We began listening for the Four Horsemen. Why "douche" has become an insult eludes us, since douches provide a positive service, (cleansing) but whatever. (this show is not the only place we hear this) 5. Then, Dean goes back to being a petulant child. Lilith: "Maybe it's all that demon blood pumping through your pipes."  They didn't quite get it right, but are not totally wrong, since there are pipes that do have pumps inside them - at any rate, it's way better than what they said in the past...over...and...over....and...

You're welcome, "Supernatural" writing staff. 

S4 Ep 19 "Jump The Shark"

Quite a few chuckles with Dean's reaction to the kid. As usual, Ackles was able to convey very expertly, the hurt and jealousy toward "Adam" upon finding out that not only did "Adam" have a normal upbringing, but John had been a bit more "fatherly" toward him. That Ackles is a pro, is indisputable. 1. Dean was vehemently suspicious of "Adam" from the very beginning, yet he accepts those pix as proof?  Seemed a little off, that in our times, he didn't have Sam digitally examine the pix, or something. 2. When we saw Dean at the funeral parlor, we instantly concluded that the boys were dealing with ghouls, but once again, the lore is polluted in this show. (as with "Sex & Violence")  The lore on ghouls not only does not include shapeshifting, but it portrays ghouls more as humans who only show their true visage when feeding, much like vampires.  3. Also, again, there is no way in Hell or Heaven, for that matter, that one's memories can be harvested, no matter how far fantasy and science fiction would like to take this matter.  Memories are not physical, in fact, they're closer to being metaphysical.  They are a chemical preservation of a brain function, not a file that can be hacked, so to speak. The limbic systems relies not only on the brain, but on numerous chemicals that have to be precisely combined and distributed, so: It was good to see Dean take the helm, so to speak, and try to protect "Adam". 4. A tip for anyone who wants to torture their victims for any length of time, you don't start with the limbs, because they bleed out too rapidly, and your victim will lose consciousness rather quickly.  5. Sam suggests "Castiel" resurrect "Adam" - they both should know that God would never allow such a thing.  After all, He saved that move for, um, well... Lazarus, as well as His own son; remember?

S4 Ep 20 "The Rapture"

In this episode, we get some back story on "Castiel". 1. It seems illogical for "Castiel" to try to sneak a message to Dean.  Hello, doesn't your boss hear like, everything?  Further, "Castiel" knows the penalty for even trying to disobey.  It looks like Misha Collins had a good time with this departure from the usual dire "Castiel" thing. He gets a chance to show that his acting range goes far beyond scowling, which can only help his career (and enrich the character).  It was also interesting to see Collins speaking in his natural voice. One does not usually consider how an angel possession may take place, so that is yet another quirk of this series.  2. To our knowledge, angels do not possess, but rather advise/care for humans, but perhaps there is such lore, somewhere. With demon possession in the "Supernatural" universe, the "hosts" do not heal from mortal injury (i.e. "Meg"), yet "Jimmy" is intact.  One would be likely to assume the presence of an angel possessing a human would heal any injury or illness, but this is not really addressed by the series. The Sam blood-Jones is rather starkly repellant, which makes it just about perfect. Apparently drinking demon blood damages one's lying skills, though.  Since Sam began lying to Dean about his powers, his "explanations" have been woefully and obviously ridiculous. "I was getting a Coke"; perhaps in the sense of one getting cocaine.  If God is in "Jimmy's" blood, perhaps "Jimmy" can cure Sam?  Just a thought. 3. "Jimmy" does not want to say Grace?  That seems odd, despite all that he's been through, simply because unlike most believers, "Jimmy" has actually seen what's in store.  It is quite understandable that he'd be bitter about having his life stolen, but not that he'd completely turn his back on everything. 4. Having had the experiences of the last year, "Jimmy" should have been better prepared against the demons, or at least the boys should have performed the Holy Water test on not only the wife and kid, but "Jimmy" as well. Oops. To say Sam and Dean totally bungled the "plan" would be charity. Awfully chatty demons on this show. 5. The child does not even utter a sound, not even when her father is shot, so it was quite obvious she was possessed by something.  Yes, she could have been in shock, (who wouldn't be?) but even in that condition, she would have screamed, so...  Having "Jimmy" suffer a (non-mortal, like Bruce Willis' character in "Sixth Sense") wound, may be the way the story tells us angelic presences heal the host's injuries, but that was totally treatable (beginning with simple direct pressure), therefore implausible as a rapidly life-threatening wound.  Why?  Because if the wound had been quickly fatal (as in severing the aorta and/or the spinal cord) neither victim ("Jimmy" or Willis' character) would have been coherent in the least. Period. Just an FYI, not a nit. 6. Locking Sam in the panic room makes sense, but he sailed right into the room without any trouble, so why would it be able to contain him, especially if he's fortified by demon blood? 

The things mentioned here (and throughout the nits pages) are certainly not an indication of what we perceive as the series' overall quality, just minor things that spring to mind. In fact, "Supernatural" (as many have said all over cyberspace) is better at its worst, than most series at their best.  However, that mantle also carries with it the consequence of faithful viewers expecting (sometimes demanding) a higher standard than that of other programs, which, with (very) few exceptions, we usually get.

S4 Ep 21 "When The Levee Breaks"

Only one big nit with this one: It seemed rather pointless. De-toxing Sam only brought his inner insecurities and regrets out (again), but did nothing to advance the story.  The figures he imagined (especially Alistair) seemed to be time-fillers, rather than offering any real insight regarding Sam's state of mind.  There was nothing there we hadn't already seen.  None of the characters seemed to really be him or her self, with what appeared to be random actions, with maybe the exception of "Bobby".  Perhaps the finale next week will clarify what was setup (?) in this episode.  It was entertaining enough, and this episode had a nice pace, but it really didn't go anywhere.  It only whets one's appetite for much juicier fare.

S4 Ep 21 "Lucifer Rising'

It's quite difficult to think that the playing (again) of "Carry On Wayward Son" wasn't a jab at our lamenting about the overuse of same on this show.  This may be the coda for that song, which would suit us immensely.  1. Nuns do not see God as "father" - they see Him as husband, as do priests (don't go there), which is why they must remain celibate.  Of course they say the "Our Father" prayer, but that's a general title. 2. And speaking of the nuns, they would never have stayed throughout the creature's diatribe without trying to get out. (of course he would have killed them anyway)  3. The demon should not have been able to enter the church at all, for that matter. Churches are built on hallowed ground.  4. There is no way Nurse Ratched could have been gobbling up babies with reckless abandon.  The first incident of children disappearing would have locked that, and all hospitals (in that area) down.  There would be armed guards at every nursery entrance.  She wouldn't have been able to pull that off. All the nits aside, it should be very interesting to see how they pull this one out of the fire next season. (pun intended)

Criss Angel Is a Douchebag After School Special Sex & Violence

Death Takes a Holiday On The Head Of A Pin It's A Terrible Life

The Monster At The End Of This Book Jump The Shark

The Rapture When The Levee Breaks Lucifer Rising