Supernatural Season Nine -- New Promo Posters

The CW is really dong a great job so far for this season. Finally! This season's promo is not sloppy. Supernatural deserves exactly this! It's the fans who are benefiting from the hottest! OMG! 

I love the fact that they have single poster for Castiel and Crowley. In fact, I think Kevin deserves one too!! I love the assemble cast idea. 

Source: SpoilerTV

Supernatural Season Nine First Promotional Poster; Aussie Air Date

I ate this with my breakfast this morning. CW has released the first promotional poster for season nine titled "Prepared For The Fall" featuring Dean, Sam, Castiel and Crowley. 

The poster has a dark undertone, reflecting this season's theme -- Dean taking care of Sam; Sam going through crap (again); Cas is without angel juice (and apparently gets a love interest played by Shannon Lucio); and Crowley too is under-going some changes as well. What's more... Kevin is gonna cosplay in pink all season. Oh wait.. what? My life isn't the same again since I saw Osric in pink at DallasCon on the weekend!

Moving on... ARE WE READY FOR SEASON NINE? BRING IT! 


Supernatural season nine premiers on Tuesday October 8 on the CW. Watch it live! Tweet it! Hashtag it!

Attention, Aussie fans! Supernatural Wiki tweeted that Eleven is going to fast-track Supernatural starting on Monday 14 October 8:30pm. Watch this space for details/ confirmation!!!

Supernatural Season 9 News!

DUDE! Honestly, is it October yet? The CW has announced the premier dates for their fall shows. It's gonna kill me to wait a bit longer than usual, but it's gonna be so good when things happen. 

Supernatural season nine will premier on Tuesday, October 15 at 9pm at The CW. SpoilerTV has alerted fans that [spoilers] 9.01 is currently known as Devil May Care on the brief to casting agencies. Watch this space! For details, click here.

Supernatural will have a new buddy on Tuesdays -- The Originals, which also premiers on October 15. I am kinda excited about this new show. This fall is certainly looking very strong for the CW, keep in mind they also have The Tomorrow People and The 100. 

On other channels, I got Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Almost Human added to my to-watch list. I'll be interested to see all the news come out from SDCC later on this month and see the buzz from the press.

Review: Supernatural 'Goodbye Stranger'

"We are family. We need you. I need you."

Dean Winchester

Thank goodness Supernatural is back and my life is back to some sort of order. I have been so looking forward to watching Goodbye Stranger. Part of me was excited, but part of me was scared. I was excited because I knew this episode would be epic and intense, I was very much looking forward to the development of the story and the return of Megstiel. Shut up! I was scared because I knew Dean and Cas would have some sort of confrontation that was bloody. If my favourite musical taught me anything, Cas has been changed for good because he knew Dean. Dean has re-written Cas' life by being his friend. This is something Naomi would never understand, no matter how many times Cas has killed Dean during his training session. The last time we saw Cas causing a catastrophic annihilation was when he killed the angels in Meet the New Boss. The opening scene of Goodbye Stranger certainly has the same effect. But you and I both knew, Cas would never kill Dean, but it was the 'how' that intrigued me the most. 

There are so many things to talk about. Let me start by talking about the confrontation between Dean and Cas a bit more. The opening scene certainly set the tone for the episode extremely well. Ever since A Slice of Kevin, I have been asking myself, what would happen when Dean found out about Naomi who had been controlling Cas? I was wondering if Dean would go all 'I can't believe you are lying to me again', but I prefer him not to, otherwise it'd be season six all over again. I was wondering if Cas would continue to be controlled and lie to Dean, but I prefer not to as I don't want this to drag longer than it should. I wanted an ending to this particular part of the story. 

I think Jeremy Carver is doing really good with the structure of the overall story, he has been giving us small arcs, solving them, and then giving us enough to move forward to the next arc. It's very Kripke like. Turned out, Naomi needed her best soldier to be re-programed and trained to do his job. Angels were soldiers, as Cas had told us in Are You There God, It's Me, Dean Winchester. I like the progression of this part of the story, it was a nice call back to the previous seasons and the angel mytho. It also moved things along to the next phase of the story. I think Robbie Thompson put his heart and soul into writing this episode and I love that. There wasn't a dull moment from the moment the episodes started. This episodes have plenty of great lines and pop culture references.

The way Cas and Dean confronted each other was epic. I am really proud of Cas, he resisted and defied Naomi the same way he responded to Zachariah in Lucifer Rising when Cas chose Dean over heaven. That scene, to me, was life-changing for Cas because of Dean. After everything that had happened since season six, after everything Cas had experienced emotionally, this was what these friends had come to -- they are family, they need each other. Yes, Cas had made Dean very angry with all the betrayals and lies, but I think Dean was pissed because Cas could've come to Dean for help -- 'why didn't you talk to me if you were confused?' 'why did you not ask for my help when you needed it the most?' -- it wasn't the case of the simple 'oh you bastard, you lie to me' like a ten year old. I think Cas wanted to experience his humanity independently without anyone telling him how to think and what to do, and he thought he was doing the right thing. But he didn't realise how complicated human emotions were and he screwed up. What saved Cas was Dean's persistence as a friend. Dean never gave up on Cas, he saved his friend from darkness, Purgatory and confusion. Naomi had underestimated the depth of BFF! 

Life won't be the same again for Cas now that the angel tablet is in his possession. Cas still feels incredible guilty but he will have time to process his feelings. Cas continues to intrigue me because he brings different perspectives and dynamic to the show. I can't wait to see the next chapter and how Cas' role will progress with the highly valuable angel tablet. The closing scene with Supertramp's Goodbye Stranger symbolised the very human side of Cas. It was somewhat very poetic too. The song was about a guy not wanting a relationship. You and I know, this won't the last time we see this angel of the lord.

So, what do you think about Naomi? One thing for sure, she doesn't take crap from Crowley. I like that she just walked away when Crowley was about to propose a deal. Working with demons were unclean. What role will she play when Metatron makes his appearance before the season ends? This isn't be the last time we see Naomi, she will return in 8.19 Taxi Driver. I don't think she will give up on finding Cas and the angel tablet. She is going to keep an eye on Dean and Sam, because they are her only link for finding Cas and the angel tablet. I like Naomi as a character on the show, I think she is a mystery box and she is the kind of character the writers want to keep in the side pocket. I like the balance between the leaders of Angel (Naomi) and Demon (Crowley), and Dean, Sam and Cas are smack in the middle of it.

Can we talk about Megstiel? Do you think she is really dead? May be Cas went back and heal her? I have sent a few tweets about this -- is it weird that I love Meg and Cas together? It's so totally wrong but it's so intriguing and…cute! I love how flirtatious Cas and Meg had been since Caged Heat. The pizza man reference was hilarious! But there is more to this relationship and this is how I interpret it. Meg has been, and I quote my friends on Twitter, the most consistent female character on the show. I add, she is one of the most underrated characters on the show. She has been around since season one, she has been super bad. She was doing all sorts of bad things to survive. She chose the right leaders to follow to ensure her own survival. But they were all defeated by the same people -- Dean and Sam.

So Meg considered herself 'good'. It's complicated, like she said. Meg turned to the fighting with the 'good side' -- the Winchesters and the angel -- because she wanted to be free. This has been a recurring theme for awhile -- putting humanity into monsters and see what happened. I won't say fans would now all forgive what Meg did to Ellen and Jo in Abandon All Hope. But she wasn't Ruby and she wasn't pretentious like Ruby. She was the second in charge for many big bads including Lucifer and Yellow Eyed, and they lost. I think Cas changed her way of thinking. May be part of her believed that she can be saved by the angel. This is weird, but this is her way being in love with Cas and the idea of being free. She did refer Cas as 'my unicorn'. After Sam told her his story, she connected her own emotional experience and it was very Cas influenced.

Rachel is tiny.

Rachel Miner's Meg is my favourite Meg. I didn't think much of Meg nor the actresses who played her. But she had been growing on me since Caged Heat. I think the Megstiel thing really got me and it's fascinating. And she was really changing. During Goodbye Stranger, I was like, OK, she is going to betray the boys now! Now! Oh wait! What about now? Ah.. now? But she never! It's a very strange 'love story' between her and Cas, one I did not see coming until season seven. I need a rewatch of their episodes.

Let's talk about Sam. I was half expected Dean will go super angry on Sam when he found out about Sam coughing out blood and didn't tell him. Not super angry anyway, I think Dean understood why Sam lied to him. Dean knew all along this won't be easy and Dean knew Sam wasn't doing great, he just didn't know what. Dean just came straight out and said no more lies. And Sam was honest about his condition. He just didn't want his big brother to worry.

One moment please...

But oh was Dean worried? At the end of the day, LOTRs saved the day, "I may not be able to carry the burden that comes with these trials, but I can carry you." Adorable! Dean was the over protected big brother but he had every reason to be. And I think that's why Sam didn't tell him half the stuff he did in the past, because he knew how Dean would react. But let's move on! And that's what this episode did… everyone moved on.

Crowley was super Crowley in this episode. Mark Sheppard was just so good to watch on screen. His one-liners were awesome and you have to be stoned to write his lines! I really like that fact that Crowley isn't like Lucifer or Yellow Eyed Demon or Lillith. Crowley is a businessman and an opportunist, and he knows how to do business. He is smart and he loves to talk. He is a lover. Yeah right! But seriously he is good. He is really good! What will he do now?

I think Goodbye Stranger was a very important and super solid episode. This wrapped the middle act I think. And now, with six episodes to go before season eight ends, I think we are going into the final act with some really materials. It's going to be seriously epic. 

Konnichiwa

Next week, Madison McLaughlin returns as Krissy in Freaks and Geeks. It looks like a filler episode on paper, but what do I know?!

8.18 Freaks and Geeks  

SAM AND DEAN RUN ACROSS A NEW AND UNUSUAL TEAM OF HUNTERS — Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate some recent vampire kills and are surprised to learn Krissy Chambers (guest star Madison McLaughlin) is involved. They find Krissy and learn her father was killed and she’s been taken in by a man named Victor (guest star Adrian Hough), who has taken in a group of orphan kids to teach them how to hunt. Victor is helping the teenagers find the vampires who took their parents so they can get revenge. Sam is intrigued by Victor’s method of giving the teenagers a home life as well as a hunting life, but Dean is suspicious of Victor’s motives. John F. Showalter directed the episode written by Adam Glass.

Supernatural Returns - Goodbye Stranger

Oh hey.. Supernatural returns tonight (March 20) on the CW with Goodbye Stranger.

TV Fanatic has done a great preview interview with Misha Collins. Check it out here. It's not too spoilery. As expected Misha would never give us.. well.. anything! I really can't wait to watch this episode. It has epic and game-changing written all over it. I am looking forward some kick-ass performance from the cast, I am looking forward to brilliant dialogues and I am looking forward to how the story progresses from this point onwards.

Episode synopsis -- Goodbye Stranger:

SAM, DEAN, CASTIEL AND MEG TEAM UP AGAINST CROWLEY AND HIS DEMONS — Castiel (Misha Collins) reappears in Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean’s (Jensen Ackles) life and tells them Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard) has unleashed several demons into a small town. The demons are looking for Lucifer’s Crypt, which holds a valuable asset, but Castiel lies to Sam and Dean about what it is. While interrogating a demon, the three discover Crowley has been torturing Meg (guest star Rachel Miner), who knows the exact location of the crypt. Sam and Meg fight to hold Crowley off while Dean and Castiel go in search of the crypt. Thomas J. Wright directed the episode written by Robbie Thompson.


The extended promo:




The preview:

Supernatural Review -- 'Torn and Frayed'

Supernatural kicked start the second half of season eight successfully with Torn and Frayed. This episode was more intense than any other mid-season premiers in the past, positioning the story exactly where it should be. 

Torn and Frayed presented a few key game-changing challenges for our heroes and set the direction for the rest of the season. This episode was really both the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Firstly, in the centre of all the madness, the best hunting family, the protectors of innocent people on Earth, the Winchester brothers have managed to stow their crap and moved on as a family decisively. This is essential in keeping the family mojo alive -- saving people, hunting things, the family business. It takes at least two to make up a family, and hunting is a two people job! Secondly, we began to scratch the surface of Naomi's secret agenda, and sadly, with Castiel being the pawn. Finally, Crowley discovered about the angel tablet through the very painful and bloody torturing of Heaven's most adorable angel, Samandiriel (aka Alfie), giving Crowley the opportunity and advantage to get in front of the game. Heaven has been compromised, and as far as the angels are concerned, not only this is the beginning of a new war, this matter is now personal.

Let's talk about brothers' relationship first. Benny and Amelia were written as support material to illustrate the emotional state of mind of Sam and Dean in the first half of this season. Sam found peace when he met Amelia, they had a life together for awhile and he quitted hunting. Sam cared about Amelia a lot, and he didn't want her to end up dead like Jess. Dean escaped Purgatory and befriended Benny the vampire who helped him escaped. Amelia changed the way Sam think about life, and Benny changed the way Dean think about monsters. While Dean didn't think it was wrong to call Benny a friend, Sam didn't think it was right. While Sam wanted a normal life, Dean thought Sam was acting irresponsibly by leaving everything behind including having no wills to locate his missing big brother.

I have not been investing in the Sam and Amelia story as much as I thought I would. The relationship had more time that it should. For the 100th time, I get it, I get why Sam did what he did. Good for him for finding a girl! But at times, the placement of their scenes were a bit out of place and slow. Having said that, perhaps it was intentionally done to remind us normal and happiness didn't belong to the Supernatural. No matter how much Sam and Amelia wanted it, no matter how hard they tried, it was never meant to work. It wasn't written to make us to believe that they belonged to each other.

Dean's friendship with a vampire has been a challenging one. I think at times, Dean felt he was obligated to help Benny because Benny was his responsibility. For Dean it wasn't so much about proving Sam wrong, but it was more the case of taking care of Benny as a friend. Dean is a big brother to Sam, but he is also a big brother to many. Dean cares about his friends in way he doesn't realise sometimes. Moreover, Dean wouldn't want any innocent people dead because of Benny. After all, it was Dean who brought Benny back from Purgatory. But Sam obviously had a big issue with Benny. I admit, I am a fan of Benny. Benny wasn't doing a 'Ruby' or 'Crowley'. It is refreshing to see someone like Benny on the show. The complicity of his character had been more well written than Amelia, Benny is more flash and blood. I think he is a very intriguing character and it challenges the tradition notion of a monster on the show. Was it wrong to befriend a vampire? At least half of the Winchester household thought it was wrong. Was it wrong for Dean to trick Sam into thinking Amelia was in danger? An apology was made, but I don't think Dean meant it. If Sam wasn't stubborn and just trust Dean on this, it wouldn't have happened. Dean was hardly wrong about choosing his friend, except Gordon. But past experience told Sam, thanks to Ruby, befriending a monster could bring upon the apocalypse. Sam only reacted the way he did based on his instinct -- what if Dean was wrong about Benny and Sam could've done something about it? It's about perspective, there is really no right or wrong here.

Supernatural continues to handle human and family relationship extremely well. The core of the show is about the brothers. Torn and Frayed reminds us a very important point -- hunting is a two people job. The brothers do their job best when they work together. They are stronger as a family. Dean didn't think he needed help, he could do the job by himself. But Castiel obviously wanted him to get all the support to get Alfie out. Good move for bringing Sam back. Both Sam and Dean had to sacrifice their relationship with Amelia and Benny respectively to keep House Winchester in order. In the end, the brothers stowed away their stubborness -- Sam chose to be with his big brother, and Dean chose his little brother over Benny. The last scene summed up the whole situation. It reminded me of the last scene in A Very Supernatural Christmas -- two brothers having a beer, watching a game. 

Let's talk about the angels. I am aware of a lot of fans are assuming Naomi is one of the villains of the story, especially after seeing what she did to Cas. That is a fair assumption. But I am not so sure I am getting that vibe just yet. Here is my theory. We still have no clue as to who she really is. She went to great lengths to cover her tracks from rescuing Alfie to killing him. All in the name of 'protecting a secret that any of them would die to protect'. She didn't want anyone to know she initiated the rescue. She also forced Cas to kill Alfie because Crowley's torture session uncovered a secret about Heaven or the angels hidden inside Alfie's 'operating system'. What is this secret, exactly? Alfie's dying words were "they are controlling us". Who? The Goa'uld? The Asgard? The Furlings?

Cas saw flashes of Naomi doing something to him. My initial thought was that she was hiding something in Cas' 'operating system'. Cas' memory was obviously intact -- he remembered what happened before, what he did, his time in Purgatory etc. Nothing is 'missing'. But if a secret was hidden in the 'operating system' of every angel, then perhaps Naomi was trying to remove it from Cas, in case he is captured by Crowley. WHAT IF Naomi is doing a 'Princess Leia' and stored something in R2D2 for Obiwon to see? What if that 'something' is like a weapon or a knowledge that protects Heaven should it be under attack? Perhaps a distress signal to God? 

It's interesting how Naomi insisted on Cas working with the Winchesters when she first appeared. Why does she care about the Winchesters? Perhaps she is taking advantage of their friendship with Cas and simply 'outsourcing' this important task to them because she is not supposed to interfere. If she was allowed to interfere, she would have come to Earth herself and got rid of Crowley long ago. Either she has an agenda of her own, or she is bounded by some rules she cannot interfere. I won't be surprised to find out she is Metetron -- who returned from wherever she was and found out the tablets was missing. If she was a loyal service for God, the first thing she would do was to recover the tablet. And because she couldn't do it herself for whatever reason, she told Cas to do it. She seems pretty powerful, she rescued Cas from Purgatory and summoned Cas whenever she wanted to. I'd be more than happy to invest in her story and I can't wait to see what she is up to! Whatever Naomi's agenda is, what will the Heaven do now? Will the angels seal the gate of hell before the demons get to them? Will Crowley attack first? But the Winchesters have Kevin, so in theory they could take advantage of the situation and seal BOTH the gate of Heaven and Hell once and for all before the apocalypse is back on the agenda again.

"Stayin alive..!"

There were some light moments in this episode. Dean and Cas continued to have this amazing 'Guy Love' chemistry. For those who watch Scrubs would know what I mean by 'Guy Love'. I think Cas did the right thing by bringing Sam back to the case. This move was very well integrated into the story. But what I really want to say about Cas is that, from the bottom of my heart, I feel really really sorry for him! The 'what if I cannot control myself and hurt people' mentality has always been floating at the back of Cas's mind. What will happen when Cas find out what Naomi did to him? As much as he wanted to be free, because of what he is, he can never be completely cut off from Heaven. As much as he wanted to do good, it seems that he will always be 'controlled' by something else. Cas is still feeling guilty about what he did before and the blood on his hand. Killing Alfie and being a pawn on Naomi's chess board will only torn his damaged soul further. To Cas, 'guilt' cuts deeper than swords. 

Torn and Frayed was a solid episode, setting the pace for the rest of the seasons. I really enjoyed it and it left me wanting for more. Last season, I enjoyed more filler episodes than the Laviathans ones, but I am fully back on board with the whole war of Heaven storyarc. I think Jeremy Carver's plan is working in an awesome fashion. Things are resolved when the moment is right. I am usually pretty reserved when it comes to new writers on the show, but having working on Supernatural for years, Jenny Klein's writing did justice to the characters, mythos and story of the show, in ways better than some of the episodes written by Andew Dabb and Daniel Loflin. (But Dabb and Loflin are stepping up and improving.) Torn and Frayed may not be the most epic episodes ever, and over-night success doesn't happen very often. But Jenny Klein put the story in a place where it should be. Sam and Dean are in the right place and the right the mindset to continue doing this family business as a team. Saving the world is a two people job. The Winchesters have Kevin, it is very likely that they will cease the opportunity and stop both angels and demons once and for all. 

What more can a fan ask for? I am happy with the episode.  
 
In rating news, Torn and Frayed had a 0.9 rating with 2.071 million viewers. Previous episode, Citizen Fang, had 2.058 million viewers. That's a gain! The CW boss, Mark Pedowtiz, recently commented on the possibility of a renewal during the TCA Winter Press Tour. While nothing has been picked up and the network is closely watching the ratings, he indicated that "there's a good shot Supernatural will get another season and that it's in a good place, creatively." Source: TVByTheNumbers and E!Online.
 
Next week, I welcome a much lighter episode. Here is the promo for next week's LARP and the Real Girl. Charlie is back, bitches!

Supernatural Returns This Week With 'Torn and Frayed'

Supernatural is back this week with episode 8.10 Torn and Frayed! This hiatus wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. Supernatural didn't disappear at all -- there were rewatch, news, new pics, new descriptions, awards and baby news. Take a deep breath, the second half of season eight is going to be one hell of a ride! 

"Shit! I just painted this wall! Who did this?"

CASTIEL MUST SAVE A FELLOW ANGEL — Naomi (guest star Amanda Tapping) tells Castiel (Misha Collins) that Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard) is holding an angel captive and Castiel must rescue him before Crowley finds out their secrets. Castiel turns to Dean (Jensen Ackles) for help. Meanwhile, Sam (Jared Padalecki) meets with Amelia (guest star Liane Balaban) who asks him to make a choice: stay with her or leave and never contact her again. Robert Singer directed the episode written by Jenny Klein.

"Here is my number. You can What's App me."

I think the story will go forward judging from the episode synopsis above. I am also expecting a few curve balls. Naomi remains a mysterious character to us, we don't know what her agenda is, which angel she is supposed to be (although I am getting the 'Metatron' vibe), and what her role is in the 'bigger picture'. Angels are back this season, but they are in the background. I think Naomi's greater purpose is to getting her ducks in a row to protect God's words, and put the Heaven and Earth back in order. To me, she is the angel who left. If she is Metatron, and if she is still loyal to God, her purpose really is to put the house back in order and protect it. I am going a bit beyond anything we've seen this season by asking, will we see God and Death? Will there be a show down? What if Naomi is back to put the house in order because she knows God is returning and she wouldn't want to piss him off? Just saying!

"I almost won a People's Choice Award!"

The Dean and Sam thing isn't going to go away. By looking at the episode stills, the brothers obviously will have a chat about Dean's phone trick in Citizen Fang and the 'must-resolve now' Sam and Amelia relationship, which is going in circle. But let's see where Torn and Frayed will take us. More photos can be found KSiteTV

Here is the clip for Torn and Frayed. Kevin, you do look crap! As Dean would say, get some air and watch some porn!  


 
Supernatural returns this Wednesday, January 16th on The CW at 9pm. Do not miss the return of Team Free Will.

Related posts:
Review: Citizen Fang
 

Supernatural Review - A Slice Of Kevin

Supernatural Review -- A Slice Of Kevin

Dean and Cas escaping the Phantom Zone.

Let me start by making an apology.

I didn't think Eugenie Ross–Leming and Brad Buckner could do this. Secretly, I didn't think they could take on a mytho heavy episode the way star writers such as Kripke, Carver, Edlund and Gamble did. I was wrong.

Eugenie Ross–Leming and Brad Buckner were writers and executive producers for Lois and Clark in its season three and four. For Supernatural, they wrote 1.13 Route 666 (the show's worst episode except the sex scene). They didn't return until season seven for 7.05 Shut Up, Dr. Phil, 7.13 The Slice Girls and 7.19 Of Grave Importance. For season eight, they wrote Heartache. And what's with Ross–Leming and Buckner writing Dean's sex scenes? Interesting! Apart from the gratuitous fan service, their episodes are very hit-and-miss. I wasn't expecting anything when I saw their names attached to the episode. But good things do happen, my friends! 

Season eight of Supernatural is starting to get really really intriguing! I know what I said last week about Southern Comfort being my favourite episode 'so far' this season. Well, Southern Comfort is now one of my favourite episodes this season because A Slice Of Kevin happened. There is no doubt I will have more favourites as season eight continues. I hope A Slice Of Kevin is not a one off epic thing for Ross–Leming and Buckner, and I hope they can keep up the good work and just keep writing better and better episodes! Don't do 'miss', just do 'hit'! Oh! And!!! They managed to make fun of themselves! "Doesn’t anyone ever edit this stuff? So far, as a writer, God’s a snooze. No fun at parties, I hear.” Oh Crowley!! 

Before I continue, it's worth mentioning that this episode was directed by a new director Charlie Robert Carner. He has directed and written for a bunch of shows that I have never heard of. But he is good! He is very good! Basically if you don't know who wrote and directed this episode, you'd think Kripke, Carver or Edlund was the writer, and Singer, Bee or Beeson was the director! This episode is that good! I think it has a lot to do with the leadership from the top, Carver and Singer are doing an amazing job in holding the team together and everyone has to step up this season! There isn't many overnight successes in my book when it comes to Supernatural. Misha Collins is one. The Charlie Robert Carner/Eugenie Ross Leming/Brad Buckner team isn't one that I'm familiar with. However, there's gotta be the first! Carner is now on my radar, all I can say is this: Dude, keep up the good work!

Moving along!

I just had this smile on my face from start to finish. I wish I could've recorded my reaction so you could see it. I absolutely love the fact that Dean's hero complex is going to the direction it deserves; I love Sam being this caring little brother, which was missing in previous episodes; I love the fact that Castiel is back and angels are involved (like..hello..Col. Carter aka Amanda Tapping!); I love Crowley is back with his apron doing what he does best; I love Kevin and Mrs Tran; the prophets are great to see in this episode, and we get a bit of an insight into the selection process and learn a bit more about the prophets. Before I continues, can I just say I feel so sorry for Alfie the angel!?

I mentioned in my previous review that A Slice Of Kevin sounds like an epic mid-season finale on paper! But it is so much more than that now that I've watched it like four times! Any time you have all the season's key players returning for an episode, it's gonna be epic. More importantly, what makes A Slice Of Kevin so epically good is that the story is moving forward with a few things, which we will get into them momentarily. A Slice Of Kevin is the end of 'Act I' of season eight. 'Act II' is just around the corner. It's like Indiana Jones is now going to Nepal! to find the medallion.

A Slice Of Kevin is a great call back to the Dean and Cas story earlier seasons, in particular season four and five. I have been looking forward to see how Dean and Cas would interact this season with purgatory behind them. This episode delivers one of the best Dean and Cas scenes -- just like their first encounter in Lazarus Rising; in Lucifer Rising when Dean asked Cas to help him; the fall-out in The Man Who Would Be King; and the garage scene in Survival Of The Fittest. These scenes represent the different stages of their friendship. The Dean and Cas scenes in A Slice Of Kevin are so awesome, I am still processing it. 

Jensen Ackles' performance and his on-screen chemistry with Misha Collins is unbelievably good. Jensen totally knocks this one out of the park again! Apart from his exceptional good look and kind personality, I always see Jensen as the greatest actor in his generation. Jensen really took his acting to the next level in season four and five. They were supposed to be his Emmys winning seasons. If Ryan Reynolds or Chris Evens can do it, Jensen can do it better, you know what I am saying?

“I don’t need to feel like hell for failing you like I’ve failed ever other God forsaken thing that I care about. I don’t need it!” ~~ Dean Winchester.

Jensen is taking the whole Dean's hero complex thing forward in season eight. The 'I must save everyone', the 'I don't leave anyone behind' mentality is super well told in this episode. He has been on edge, angry, somewhat bitter. Dean always blames himself for every death. In Time After Time, he told Ness he didn't know what he was doing. Ness reminded him that as a hunter, he can make a difference. This is the only clarity he'll ever get. Dean questions his role all the time but he accepts his role better than Sam I think -- it is up to him and his brother to save people and the world. Not only Dean saves people from monsters, he saves his brother and his friends from their own darkness. Dean is a hero and he cannot not save people. In purgatory, Dean was confident that he could get Cas out of because his mind told him that. He tried so hard to get Cas out, but why didn't Cas try? 

CHOICE is a bit of a recurring theme so far this seasons -- Sam chose to quit hunting and switch off his phones; Kevin chose to take a stand and defend himself, and to embrace his life as the prophet; Mrs Tran chose to be on the road with Kevin. Dean's hero complex position him in the middle of all these -- if Sam fails to live his normal life or if Sam gets hurt, it is Dean's fault for dragging him back to hunting; Kevin is the responsibility of Dean and Sam; and Cas is for Dean to save. That's his job! But what Cas did in this episode was to make Dean to understand he cannot save everything, he tried, but he cannot. And it's not his fault.

Let's put Cas under the microscope for a bit. I liked the return of Castiel in season seven, but Ross–Leming and Buckner have taken it to the next level. Don't get me wrong, I love the way Sera Gamble did it. Like I said I didn't think Ross–Leming and Buckner could top that. For that, I am surprise, but in a very good way. I think this 'Cas-thinks-he-doesn't-deserve-to-be-saved thing' is a great call back to season four. Cas was the one who asked Dean during their first encounter, "You don't think you deserve to be saved?" Easy question, but it is a very complex question. Cas is now on the flip side of this and his journey is filled with humanity, mistakes, friendship, forgiveness, understanding and much more.

I like my Castiel with wings.

It was Cas who gave up in purgatory because he believed he deserved to be in there. If God doesn't punish him, Cas will punish himself by staying in purgatory. Cas couldn't tell Dean how he felt, he couldn't tell him he was planning to stay all along. With Dean looking right into his eyes, Cas told him that it is not Dean's fault. It was his CHOICE! It was his WILL. Cas wanted to make sure Dean got to the portal safely, that's why Cas went with him. Cas pulled away in the last second and sent Dean home. I love this! 

Now that he is back, there is no doubt that Cas wants to make Dean proud. He won't want to disappoint Dean because he knows how hard Dean tried to save him from purgatory and from his own darkness. It will take some time for Dean to process Cas' original intention to stay in purgatory, but this will only make him love Cas more. And it's not my intention to make Destiel fans happy! At least for now, it's a closure to the 'has Dean forgiven Cas?' story line. He has. Get over it! Having said that, I don't think Cas will ever forget himself as seen in Reading Is Fundamental and Survival Of The Fittest.

Let's talk about Sam. I like Sam better in this episode because he shows Dean that he cares. "Are you ok?" "Are you guys good?" I love that! Why can't Sam be like that every week? And I think now that Cas is back, Sam is getting the insights into purgatory. It is the case of 'you have to be there to understand'. But I hope he will understand the hardship Dean went through in purgatory and why Benny was an important part of journey. I read the episode synopsis of Citizen Fang. Ah! If Benny is a bad monster, fine, I can live with that. But if he isn't, I want Sam to accept him and then move on. PS: Sam's hair is really well styled in this episode. Just saying! His hair inspires me. All we need now is to see Sam and Dean communicating with each other and put the 'you left me to die for a girl' and 'why haven't you killed Benny' thing behind.
 

Is it just me or is Kevin is turning into a mini-Dean? His outfit and the way he checked out the witch's backside. That's so Dean! But in all seriousness, poor kid! I hope Cas fixes his finger! I like how Kevin tried to not to give in to Crowley. He is a good kid with a good soul. This is Kevin's life now and Mrs Tran is part of that life. I love that scene when Dean busted in to the torture room (yeah Kev, now THIS is a torture room!), Dean went straight to Cas and Kevin went for what was left of the tablet. And he wouldn't let it go from that moment on. So who is Kevin's father? George Takie? Or Ken Watanabe?

Osric Chau and Lauren Tom have a great chemistry as mother and son. I love how Mrs Tran is so involved she knows how to fight demons and make demon bombs. She is one tough cookie! Now that Garth is keeping an eye on them, the three of them can have a Supernatural comedy spin-off! I mean, Kevin is pretty serious, but you get what I mean? Stick around Kev! We love you! I also like the fact that Garth is mentioned. It's pretty safe to say Garth will be back later on the season. He has to. He must! 

Is it just me or do you find the Beauty and the Beast screen caption funny on this shot of Crowley?

The tablet in this episode gave Crowley enough information. What was God thinking? And  why did Metatron take a leave of absent? Where did this angel go? I have a theory about Amanda Tapping's Naomi. I think she is Metatron. I think she is back to put the house in order. I just love seeing Col. Carter on the show!! I wish we get to Chuck to return to the show as God. This is not the God that we have seen in pop culture. You have Morgan Freeman and all that, but Rob Benedict has something different to bring to this role. And I would really love to see that to happen! It's Supernatural, it's not impossible! 

So now. I assume Dean and Sam know what Crowley knows. With Kevin on their side on Garth's watch and Cas is back, Dean and Sam do have the advantage. It's a matter of finding a compendium of tablets and sealing of the gate of hell. We don't know how involved the angels will be. But Naomi looked concern when Cas told her about the prophet, tablets Dean and Sam. Is she Metatron? If so, does she know where God is? What will happen when Dean and Cas find out the angels are involved? Is it possible that Naomi will help all along without them realising it?

Gratuitous fan service!

The rating for A Slice Of Kevin is good!!! According to TVByTheNumbers, this episode "tied its season high with a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating, matching last week’s performance." Good move for the CW to put Supernatural on Wednesday and pair it with Arrow!

So now we wait. We have a one week break before the next episode. *Sign* Here is the description of Hunteri Heroici which airs on November 28 on the CW:

CARTOONS AREN’T ALWAYS FUNNY — Castiel (Misha Collins) tells Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) that he’s decided to become a hunter like them. Sam and Dean aren’t sold on the idea but agree to investigate a case Cas found where a man’s heart literally burst through his chest. The guys discover there has been more than one odd murder in the small town and all of them resemble cartoon deaths. Paul Edwards directed the episode written by Andrew Dabb.