"Supernatural" Season 5 Nits

"Supernatural" is the Winner of the 2010 People's Choice Award for Best Sci-fi/Fantasy show!

This site's default font is "Batik Regular"(very similar to the show's title font)

This one certainly had a satisfying ending, but really not much more than that. 1. Once again, we see the boys examining a body without protection. Not just gross, but dumb. No forensic or medical agency would ever allow that. It's more dangerous for the boys than anyone else.

Very clever in-joke, having Dean say he hadn't seen "House Of Wax" since both Padalecki and Hilton appeared in that particular flick.

This was a very good episode overall, but.... 1. *sigh* The boys are still very unconvincing FBI field agents; Dean because of his obvious academic shortcomings, and Sam, because of not only his age, but his way out-of-regulation appearance. 2. As humorous as the joy buzzer/ham scene was, that ham simply could not have been cooked that way; at least not adequately. Dean would have been stricken with trichinosis. 3. We maintain that though the pop references are part of this show's charm, John Winchester would most certainly have had some of the 80s female rock acts in his collection. Heart, Pat Benatar, Lita Ford, etc., were extremely popular with young men during that time. (John's youth)

To many women, fart jokes are unrelentingly tacky, and eye-rollingly childish, but leave it to Collins to make toilet humor funny for women as well. On a side note, we're hoping that Castiel figure shown in this episode will be mass-marketed.

4. It seemed rather silly for Castiel to attack that kid face-to-face. Castiel fully understood the child's power, so why not pop up behind the boy, and take him completely by surprise? Of course, seeing Castiel murder a child would be a most repugnant scenario. Speaking of the child, that young man is a very natural actor. Quite impressive composure, body language and facial expressions.

1. Inside jokes notwithstanding, the boys still would never fool any health official with just their bogus badges. There are forms, as well as very technical terms that would go zooming over the boys' heads, (even Stanford Sam) and reporting officials who know in advance the names and qualifications of anyone sent out in the field. But at least the boys use cute pop culture names. (another red flag, by the way) 2. Unfortunately, Bobby is still wallowing in self-pity regarding his paralysis. This is not only tiresome, but seems to be a poor fit for the character. 3. Once again, "Supernatural" lifts a plot from a prior program, this time "The Twilight Zone" episode, "The Self Improvement Of Salvadore Ross". The premise is the same, in that we have an individual who can usurp physical characteristics from others with consent, but "Supernatural's" twist is that gambling is involved. So, the "lore" on this says you get your "best years" back; how very...vague. The term "best" is very subjective. The guy with the threesome thing going seemed to just be a lot younger; there is no mention of anything other than the usual aging problems, such as impaired mobility and eyesight. In short, there does not seem to be any guarantee Bobby would regain the ability to walk, since that particular handicap was not age-related in his case. It can be related to age, if the person has particularly bad arthritis, skeletal stenosis (narrowing) and things of that nature, but not from an exogenous injury. 4. Unless procedure has changed a great deal, there are no "booster" shots for gonorrhea. ("the clap") It is generally two shots - at the same time - given in the buttocks. 5. Ironic that Bobby should call Dean an "idjit" for playing the very game he played himself; ditto Bobby's being indignant regarding Dean's pity, when Bobby has been pitying himself since his injury.

It was very good to see Chad Everett of "Medical Center" fame. He seemed to really be enjoying himself in this performance, and that was infectious.

That was easily the most ghastly wallpaper ever invented; but of course this is not important. 1. It was great seeing the Trickster again; his turning out to be another angel? Not so much. As someone on the Supernatural newsgroup (alt.tv.supernatural) said, the juxtaposition of Judeo-Christian religious figures with pagan figures would have been fascinating. There has been interaction of mythological figures with the boys, but not with the angels; we think that would be a good direction to go, on the journey toward the apocalyptic season (series?) finale. And if Trickster is "Gabriel" where's his freaking horn? Wait - don't answer that.

This episode most certainly delivered on the humor, but Castiel seemed to be a punching bag this time. The show spoofs, such as the primetime soap, the forensic show gags, were sharply written, and sadly indicative of how superior Supernatural is to the shows it spoofed. Television as a medium has become so sleazy, crass and just plain dumb, that it unintentionally parodies itself. The biting wit of this episode made this painfully obvious. Sam as K.I.T.T. was pure joy: "Eat me" - hysterical. It would have been cool for Dean to call Sam, "My Brother The Car", but of course the characters are far too young to remember the series "My Mother The Car". Padalecki (not necessarily Sam) looking into the camera and saying he had genital herpes was at once terribly funny and a little painful to watch - made us squirm, which is a good thing. Sam has been having quite an STD problem, for a guy who hasn't been laid in a while - that we know of, that is.

2. Trickster's explanation of Sam & Dean's destinies was very interesting, except, Sam very nearly was killed in "All Hell Breaks Loose part II". (actually, he was killed) With that in mind, how must it "have to be" Sam as Lucifer's vessel? Are we to assume the Apocalypse would simply have never happened if Sam died? Trickster said the boys were "born" to this, yet Azazel played "10 Little Indians" with the vessel.

We always enjoy Supernatural's writers' skewering of fans (we certainly pick on them), but such humor is much more effective if it at least mostly resembles true fan behavior, as did the movie, "Galaxy Quest". 1. "Becky" is realistic in her devotion to the "book series" but not in her regard for Chuck and the boys. Such a fan would have been in hysterics not only for Chuck, but especially for the real-life subjects of the books. Daniel Radcliffe is certainly not believed to be "Harry Potter" but his association with those books makes public appearances a nightmare. Ditto the young stars of the "Twilight" films, which are also based on a book series. Granted, the other fans at the convention didn't know who Sam & Dean really were, but "Becky" did, and was way too dismissive of them to be believed. Fans like her are thrilled to just know someone who was in direct contact with their idols. In short, "Becky" would have been a shrieking, fawning, wild-eyed mess. Some of the fans may be offended by such a portrayal, but we assure you, that would be how someone of "Becky's" ilk would behave. Truth hurts.

The inclusion of the German fan was a nice touch, in that a surprising amount of Europeans and Asians attend Supernatural cons in the U.S. (We understand there are SN cons overseas now)

2. This ep presented RPG (role-playing game) as a major event (pretty much the only event) at the con. Sure, those are a part of it, but are certainly not as prominent (or popular) as the events that include the stars, such as the breakfasts with the stars, photo-taking sessions, autograph sessions, auctions, etc. 3. We're starting to wonder where Sam and Dean are getting their money. Credit card scams can only be done for a limited time, but with no fixed address or employment record, there is no way in you-know-where for them to keep that going. Perhaps Bobby supports them in some way? The scam has lost all credibility 5 seasons in, folks. 4. The ditsy fans were doing growling voices for both Sam and Dean - we don't recall Sam ever growling; not even when he was demonized. (Nurse mode on: by the way, that growl is not very healthy for Ackles' vocal cords; he may develop vocal cord polyps. Nurse mode off) 5. There was a scene of fans drinking - from what we've personally seen at Supernatural cons, most of the fans are too young to (legally) drink. 6. Once again, our biggest pet peeve on this show - corporeal ghosts. (sigh) During the scene where Sam's hair was about to be cut, we were rooting for them to shave off those effing mutton chops. 7. Two words: Wincest lives. Here - you may use our hork bucket. This ep was entertaining for the most part, but really absolutely nothing like the experiences we've had at any show/movie cons.

1. One can only imagine how much certain male viewers squirmed during that opening scene. What bothered us about it however, was the insinuation that the female demons are the "lesser" dealmakers. Why can't they seal the "big" deals? It also contradicts the show's own mythology. Apparently in the Supernatural universe, a human vessel is just a shell for the demon itself - why should gender matter? "Crowley" could have just as easily inhabited a female vessel, could he not? Further, "Lilith" was apparently a big shot, being the last seal, incarnate; this just doesn't wash, so here's your sign:

Good on Jo for not giving in to Dean's "Last night on earth" B.S. Equally good was Dean's heartfelt final kiss with Jo; it afforded both characters dignity.

2. A bit too convenient that all the tools the gang needed to build an incendiary device were so readily available. What are the odds they'd land in a hardware store? Minor nit, yes.

3. We were quite disappointed by the deaths of yet more female semi-regulars. It is well-known within the fandom that female characters are often met with severe hostility by some fans, but good storytelling cannot be at the mercy of a (relatively small) subsection of fans who do not want to see the two leads involved with any women. We have two young men who lost their mother, and to isolate them from female contact, romantic or otherwise, is unhealthy not only for the characters, but the storyline(s) as well. 4. The burning picture scene at the end made little sense. This was the last time all of them were together, yet they destroy the memento? It could be viewed as a funeral rite, but it is a rather pointless one. Some of the minuses are quite significant in this episode, but do not particularly harm the overall enjoyment.

Very interesting idea to have Sam & Dean tell the truth about their lives, as that certainly would be a diagnosis worthy of institutional care. There were some very funny lines in this one as well. The nits? Well...

1. Medical nit: No nurse is allowed to examine a patient in any way, unless he/she is a Nurse Practitioner; even then, for a patient whose "private parts" are being examined, there must be what is called a "chaperon" present - someone to safeguard the patient and the doctor. This is to assure no improper "touching" of the patient, and for the doctor, a witness against accusations of sexual or other misconduct. 1-A Minor thing, but there didn't seem to be any good reason to change their names. Jon Gries' character mentioned how big the boys were - Padalecki seems to have really packed on...something. 2. We thought bringing up the subject of John Winchester was a great idea, but unfortunately, it never went anywhere. 3. The Supernatural writers are once again taking liberties with mythology. While you certainly cannot quantify the impossible, it's disconcerting to see 2 or more legends blended. Wraiths, as far as we know from legend do not eat brains. There is a comic book character called, "Dire Wraith" that does eat brains, but he's extraterrestrial. That bit was something of an eye-roller. It looked as though they were going to have this wraith jump from body-to-body as well, but thankfully, no. 4. We felt breaking the wraith's spire was too easily done; we're used to much more complicated defeat of the monsters on this show.

However, overall, it was a very entertaining episode, particularly Sam "under the influence" - good job by Padalecki there. But it did not do anything to really forward the season's storyline.

1. This episode is reminiscent of the film "Freaky Friday" - not an encouraging sign.

Jared Padalecki really shined as an adolescent. Easily the best part of this entire episode.

Back to nits... 2. We get standard nerds in over their heads, much like "The Trio" on "Buffy The Vampire Slayer"; sort of a tired concept, really, but the young actors did well. 3. We believe Dean should have realized something was wrong long before he did; he should have, at the very least, suspected a shape-shifter, or that Sam might be possessed...again. Since Sam's entanglements with Ruby, all bets seem to be off as to what can happen to Sam. 4. It seemed odd that Dean would ignore his cell for so long; the boys' phones have always been rather essential. There could have been a call from Bobby, for instance. 5. The "bounty" on Dean seems preposterous, since even angels cannot kill him; Lucifer told Sam he would resurrect Sam, if Sam tried to commit suicide. Surely the archangel would do the same for Dean 6. Those kids knew enough black magic to pull the body-swap, but didn't realize that summoning a demon would require that said demon inhabit a body? Further, the kid should have known that only a crossroads demon can make any deals - or has that changed? And of course, though the demon was exorcised, it's now free to roam the Earth. Come to that, how did they keep the demon in its place? We did not see a pentagram in that scene; perhaps we missed it. 7. For a fleeting moment, we believed there may be some continuity of the season's story arc, but alas, no. Just another stand-alone episode, and not even a good one.

The most interesting dialogue for us, however, were the two references to "settling down" made by Dean, rather than Sam. We wonder if there is subtext to that, or just another red herring. If it does progress, there will be much ado among the fandom - many do not want to see the boys committed to any relationship other than sibling. They prefer to think of the characters (and the actors themselves) as "available" - pure fantasy in and of itself, but these characters need other relationships. It is healthy for human beings; yes, even tragic hero demon hunters.

Much better episode than several previous ones. It advanced the underlying season arc, and provided more insight into the Winchesters. Some very clever in-jokes, as well as amusing asides "I'll turn this car around!", and great drama throughout, especially Sam's reactions to seeing his parents alive. However...

1. We find it difficult to believe young John would forget Dean, who spent so much time with him in, "In The Beginning". Dean talked him into the Impala, for crying out loud. 2. The appearance of Uriel somehow did not seem logical. He is an angel; of course he was "wearing" a different human, but angels, if we understand correctly, are timeless. Therefore, their deaths should resonate throughout the past, the present and the future, so:

3. We anticipated Mary being already pregnant, so that was rather boring. But Michael stepping in to save the day, instead of Castiel, was a nice touch. 4. The memory wipe was another thing we anticipated, but was rather a letdown, since now John still won't know how Sam feels about him. We keep hoping the show will resurrect John Winchester, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, to resolve the Sam/John thing. It would even be alright if John only appeared briefly. 5. Our biggest problem with the ep is the notion that the Winchester boys are descendents of the "original" First Family, so to speak. There can be only one reaction to that:

6. Another big nit: Mary had already made her pact with Azazel, so why didn't she have an arsenal of mojo, weapons, etc., to defend her family? She knew what year Azazel would show up, so duh.

"When did Sam become able to smell demons? I think it had to have something to do with the hunger. It certainly wasn’t because of all the blood he drank at the end of last season that was supposedly going to make him change forever. Otherwise, he would have known Bobby was possessed in the season opener."
"If there really is such a thing as destiny then why did Cupid have to arrange for John and Mary to get together? Wouldn’t they have gotten together on their own? Sounds like more angel manipulation to me."
"Even if the demons hadn't shown up no way was Sam going to stay locked up in that bathroom! Have they seen that boy's muscles???"
"Why didn't Dean use the knife to cut off Famine's finger while he was distracted by all the demon exorcising? I was hollering "Cut off his freaking finger" but evidently Dean didn't hear me."

Nice touch, naming this episode after Jensen Ackles' recent film. 1. Just a medical nit here - it is not possible for a human being to consume another in total, and it's certainly impossible for a human who has eaten a great deal of flesh to "still be chewing" after consuming the body. 2. It's "bruh" not "bro" - sheesh. 3. Once again, Sam and Dean are not only allowed to examine the body, but without proper gear. Come on, surely these writers have seen "X-Files"; "Scully" always geared up, if we're not mistaken. The boys were better covered this time, but still woefully underdone. Even to the casual observer. You protect your entire body; especially when these guys know there may be a supernatural component to the body. Sure, Scully's a doctor, but the fact that Sam and Dean didn't know proper technique should have sent up all sorts of red flags, so once again:

Artistic license, indeed. All of that cannibalism is very reminiscent of "Metamorphosis", but that is a minor quibble.

A great deal of humor in this one, and dialog that crackles like the Supernatural of old.

Back to the nits: 4. The Cupid scene was hysterically funny, but all those rolls of fat (not to mention Dean's saying he punched a "dick") made the scene a bit hard to watch. Wouldn't an angel be able to inhabit a better-looking (and healthier) body? Good continuity in Castiel's mention of "Jimmy". 5. Biggest nit with this one: "Famine" eats demons' souls? Since when do they have them? They inhabit living people who have souls that are present in that body, and even in this episode, the human souls were white in color. Further, if Famine can eat souls, why not gorge on both humans and demons regularly? 6. Dean's indifference to Famine's mojo, so to speak, was a curious part of this episode, but the explanation just didn't cut it, unless Dean was somehow changed when he went to hell. Perhaps his soul is still floating around somewhere, and did not return with his resurrection. One really cannot quantify fiction, but just on a logic level, it doesn't wash, so here's your sign:

7. The "lockdown" of Sam was unbelievably ineffective. Hunters on this show are notoriously good at escaping, so that was just dumb. 8. It is doubtful that very many of the fans ever believed Sam was "cured" of his need for demon blood, however, in this instance, he had no choice but to fall off the wagon. It still did not seem likely that Lucifer would suffer the maiming of his host without severely punishing the abusers. 9. Minor acting nit - Ackles was seen mouthing "Famine's" lines; a rare error for him. But then, we're at a loss when it comes to actors' ability to remember his/her lines so well, and for television, in a very short time. It's pretty impressive.

Exquisitely powerful emoting on Ackles' part toward the end. Ackles has great comic timing as well, but he nailed the inner turmoil of his character perfectly. He finally, (as he should have long ago) acknowledged the existence of God, in the SN universe, anyway, and humbled himself before a deity that he'd not only dismissed, but slammed, on numerous occasions. Best of all, it'll stop the character from looking ridiculous on the subject.

Overall, a by-the-numbers episode, with no truly compelling contribution to the storyline; why? Only one major nit: The "revelation" (pun intended) that Death wanted Bobby "out of the way" made little sense. We're speaking of Death - why doesn't he just kill Bobby? Bobby's wife/zombie would certainly have eaten him, had he not found out she would "turn". Cute reference to the film "Shaun Of The Dead", and funny seeing Bobby used as a Howitzer, but the underlying reason for all of the mayhem just does not gel. Minor nit: The actress re-cast as Bobby's wife looks almost entirely different from the previous actress. They could have at least put a brunette wig on her.

"My major nit with this episode was the fact we were left with a huge cliffhanger in MBV and there is nothing mentioned about Sam's detox, Dean's despair at what Famine told him, nothing, nada, zip. Supposedly this episode was filmed and should have aired before MBV. I assume someone decided to flip the episodes because MBV was a better cliffhanger. Good call on the better episode, bad call on the episode reversal.

I'm still scratching my head and wondering why Death didn't just kill Bobby instead of sending zombies after him.

Why do the boys never get caught digging a grave?

Would you really want to eat something a zombie cooked?

How close do you have to get to a creepy old zombie woman before you realize you've really screwed up? Evidentially pretty close. Come on, Sam! You knew it was a bad idea!

I thought it was kinda careless of Dean to leave Bobby out in the open when he heard the noise in the junkyard. They should have just jumped in the van and took off but I realize we would have missed all the awesome zombie action if they had.

I thought Jim Beaver gave a good performance. Just enough emotion from Bobby to see what the man has been through."

An uneven episode, that raises more questions, rather than providing answers, but psychologically interesting. The wisecracks were hilarious - Castiel: "Don't go into the light" Dean: "Thanks, Carol Anne." It was also noteworthy that Castiel's mood was decidedly hostile; understandable, given his relentless quest to find God. 1. Kurt Fuller's Zachariah seems to be less and less relevant, since his attempts to manipulate the boys always fail. He's more of a mosquito than anything else. Fuller's performance, however, always satisfies; he's commonly known for playing jerks, but this is not the comic dupe he specializes in; this one is truly evil. Unlike "Uriel" (AKA "Urinal") Zachariah is a likeable jerk; we just wish there were more to his character. 2. The appearance of Ash, while very pleasant, was a disappointment for two reasons; it confirmed that the character is actually dead, and that Ash did not turn out to be "Joshua". This would have been a great twist; but it's now a missed opportunity. We were scratching our heads regarding Ash's "anti-Semitism" reference to Disneyland. 3. Pamela's re-appearance was rather pointless, despite our love of the character. She was not at all the way she had been in life. Her indifference to the annihilation of millions, just seemed far too out-of-character. She also had a very cold way about her - something that is totally opposite of her former self. Sure, she made a crack about Sam's rear end, and she smacked Dean upside the head for her death, (which was more her fault, for not seeking medical care) but she was still "off". We suspect there is more to what's going on with that character; at least we hope so. 4. The Winchesters were in Heaven, yet everything was still dark and mostly gloomy. Who would wish for so much darkness in death, when their lives had been unendingly dark? 5. The scene of Zachariah conjuring a Mary/Azazel figure was completely pointless. It was icky for the boys, sure, but they had to know that wasn't really their mother. We have doubts about Mary being in Heaven, anyway. She made a deal with a demon, after all.

6. Long before the scene with Joshua, (but after the scene with Ash) we were hoping Joshua wouldn't be a Morgan Freeman-esque character, but alas, he was. Someone on the alt.tv.supernatural newsgroup suggested that since "Joshua" is an English translation of "Yeshua" which means "Jesus" - this would explain why he alone can talk to God. Apparently in the Supernatural universe, Heaven is what the seer conjures up in his/her mind; the wildly off-kilter scenarios the boys encountered really seem unlikely.

Castiel's disillusion adds a potent dynamic to the storyline; one wonders if he will align himself with Zachariah, though this is unlikely.

"I believe most of what the boys saw in heaven were real memories but I think things were heavily manipulated by Zachariah. That being said, was Pamela's gut shot comment a mistake on the part of the writer's or was it to intentionally let us know things weren't what they seemed? Pam was stabbed to death, not shot.

If God isn't intervening any longer as Joshua claims, then why did he even bother sending them back to earth? They were dead for crying out loud! Sending them back sounds like intervening to me.

And honestly, did we have to see Zachariah all over Mary to know what a slimeball he is? That was a bit much."

This episode had a very significant ending, that enriched the overall S5 storyline, but...

1. The "rescue" of Sam and Dean from the kooks townsfolk was too reminiscent of "War Zone", of the series "Angel", but a good action scene. Ackles appeared to have an upper respiratory problem, but is still a trouper! 2. The apparent "angel whisperer" never quite rang true for the following reasons: Seemingly nearly all of the angels in the Supernatural universe have gone rogue, so any messages she may have been getting would be at the very least, untrustworthy. That a small town's citizens would believe it is not at issue. Sam and Dean accepting it, is what was hard to fathom. They're aware of the chaos in Heaven, so they should have been immediately very suspicious. 3. Further, those townsfolk, while having to deal with an incredibly frightening experience, should not have been so willing to kill their friends and neighbors by this "prophet's" word. "Thou Shalt Not Kill" is very specific. The most unbelievable "Christian" was the mother who lost her son. Grief can drive one to do many things, but anyone who truly believes in God would never kill in cold blood, unless the target was a demon, and expect to go to Heaven. 4. For the sake of artistic license, we can buy that someone may be pushed over the edge by the death of their child; but for the rest of the town to condone the actions ordered by the Whore, was just too preposterous. Are there people who consider themselves believers, but are capable of heinous acts? Of course there are; always have been, and probably always will be, but for this seemingly friendly little town to be that easily led that far astray, is just not credible, in our view. They've been killing possessed people all this time; it should have occurred to them that at the very least, the angel whisperer could be possessed. Duh.

Kudos for having the Pastor intervene when the Whore was inciting murder, although for him not to believe Castiel was an angel, after battling all those demons, made him look as ridiculous as Dean did in previous eps. That was the one believable action in this scenario. Further praise for finally showing the audience where Dean really stands in this apocalyptic battle. 5. Less believable was that he'd choose that particular drive-by woman to pour his heart out to - of course Jo is gone, and "Cassie" made it clear that she and Dean were over, but that scene just did not ring true, in our view. It's also incredible that Dean wouldn't insist his parents be given back to him, as his "deal" with Michael, although one would think he'd try to get Sam saved as well. That Misha Collins is a marvelous actor goes without saying, but he continues to thoroughly steal any scene in which he appears. He has been a mesmerizing addition to the show's cast.

Again with angels getting drunk; this show is certainly male-dominant in logic. 1. It seems the angels are truly disregarding humans, but without humans, will they even exist? 2. Seems rather disingenuous for Sam to ask Dean, "How can you do this?!" Sam, you've done much, much worse. 3. Rather disappointing that the resurrected character was the utterly charmless "Adam"; Jo, Meg, or Henriksen would have been much better. 4. As columnist Sandra Gonzalez of Entertainment Weekly said, the slashers among the fandom were probably delighted with the Castiel/Dean scenes (we're okay with that) - but here's hoping there won't be any pandering to the um...Wincest fans. *hork* 5. Once again, Castiel vanishes to points unknown. That is getting rather tiresome; a dramatic exit/re-entrance can only be done so many times before it becomes a cliché. 6. The ending leaves the door open (pun intended) for "Adam" to return. Too bad. This ep somewhat advanced the story, but seemed incomplete overall. Having said that, the final scene was very much the Supernatural we fans have come to love; Sam and Dean against all odds.

People eaters yet again, but at least there's a twist this time. 1. The boys hear gunfire next door, but leave their rooms without weapons.

2. We found it interesting to explore what other deities may be doing, during this Judeo-Christian apocalypse, but the representation seemed biased. On the newsgroup, alt.tv.supernatural, some suggest that since Judeo-Christian deities have more followers, they would be more powerful. That being the case in the Kripkeverse, shouldn't Allah be present as well? Of course depicting Muslim religious figures is real-world dangerous, but with other gods present, omitting Allah makes the whole premise a lot less credible.

Better labels for the boys "mutton heads" and "mooks" - not original, but an improvement. 3. It seems unlikely that a group of gods would not detect the presence of an angel. 4.The "Hello My Name Is" stickers clearly show an utterly derisive view on the part of the writers, but the presence of these gods really seems meaningless, other than to show how badass Judeo-Christian gods are. 5. We were told there would be a major character death; if Gabriel is that death, it's not all that significant to most fans. Likeable character, yes, but not a stunning loss. 6. Angel porn is just...wrong.

The appearance of Pestilence in the person of Matt Frewer was heartening. The man is never boring.

1. Here we go with the oblivious medical people not realizing there is no way in hell the boys could be CDC, not even speaking the "language" - but hey, we give up. 2. Of course it's perfectly logical for demons to see Lucifer as their deity, as Azazel and Lilith did his bidding, but it would have been more cohesive to have seen the demons paying tribute to Lucifer before season 3 - minor nit. 3. It was monumentally stupid, and way out-of-character for Dean to barge in on the demons unarmed. 4. Sam should never be left alone with a demon. Period. 5. There is no logical reason for the demons to refer to Azazel as "yellow eyes" - surely they knew what his name was all along, so

6. Somewhat unlike Bobby to make a demon deal - even now, but then perhaps he was very desperate.

Matt Frewer is the type of actor who can dominate a scene, no matter how little he says. His character, Pestilence, is hands-down the more revolting one ever for this show, but Frewer made him likeable. Impressive. 1. Shouldn't Sam have been able to sense the demons? He's done so in the past, even when not drinking demon blood. 2. An utterly preposterous medical faux pas, even to the casual observer: A concentration of intense, rare disease in one area would cause the real CDC to quarantine the entire area. Believe it. We couldn't suspend our disbelief well enough to buy that scenario, so...

3. Another medical nit, more for public information than nitpicking the script: H1 N1 (swine flu) is no more deadly than all of the other strains usually present during flu season. Each year, a large number of people die from "normal" flu strains, but the media honed in on H1 N1 because it's a new strain. Relax, people. We recognized the actor playing Death from the late series, La Femme Nikita - he looked like death then, too. Good casting.

The scene between Dean and Death in the pizzeria was comparable to the suspenseful work of the late director, Alfred Hitchcock. Ackles did an excellent job of conveying a frightened, yet determined Dean, while waiting to see what Death had in store for him. His reaction to Death's proposition was like that of the audience - WTF?! Good job by both actors, but especially Ackles. We were amazed to see Dean agree to give up Sam, even if he lied to Death, which he probably did. A quite compelling episode overall.

We are now convinced that Kripke and co. have sold their collective souls to the rock group, "Kansas" since they're trying to program Supernatural's audience to learn "Carry On Wayward Son" - we're hoping for new (oldies) music next season, since it's doubtful that John Winchester only had 5 or 6 albums/tapes, as it is just as off-kilter to think John wouldn't have female rockers in his collection as well. Minor observation: Jensen Ackles should consider allergy testing. 1. It seems a bit off for Dean, Bobby, Cas, and for that matter, Sam himself should so easily consent to Sam's use of demon blood, as well as saying yes. Good to see Sam growing up a bit, and being more assertive. 2. We were puzzled to see Dean having a much easier time than Sam, in tracking down Lucifer. 3. The episode seem rather hasty in getting to the "showdown" - about that... 4. We find the actor playing "Adam" is completely unlikeable, for some reason; he has zero amount of the charm that is supposed to be present in Winchesters. Bad casting, in our opinions, especially since the guy is not even good-looking, as all Winchesters have been. 5. The "deaths" of Cas and Bobby were totally predictable, especially since major characters have a way of dying repeatedly on this show. 6. While we get that the boys' emotional attachments are at the core of the series, most of the clips used in this episode seemed to be filler, rather than advancing the story. It just felt gratuitous, despite being the apparent impetus for Sam's overtaking Lucifer, before letting Dean be beaten to death. (impressive make-up job, by the way) 7. The self-sacrificing dive-into-the-whole scene was a little too reminiscent of scenes in both "Xena, Warrior Princess" and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer". Clever snark by (probably) Kripke regarding fan criticism, but Chuck's "poof" scene seemed to be a retcon, implying that the character was something other than a prophet. Perhaps in the Supernatural universe, prophets can do parlor tricks.

8. Bringing one of Dean's casual conquests back as someone he'd like to spend the rest of his life with, felt contrived. He was never in love with this woman, and actually seemed to be much more fond of her son. Some fans despised the character "Cassie" of "Route 666", but she was the only woman identified as being truly loved by Dean. His being with "Lisa" seems to be a last-minute decision, and totally lacking in credibility.