Review: Supernatural 'Pac Man Fever'

After a mini hiatus, Supernatural is back with a super solid filler episode with a high count of hugs. Not many shows in its eighth season can still kickass. Supernatural takes advantage of the opportunity to connect past elements and stories together, while introducing new things and characters to excite us. One of these things is Charlie. Supernatural rarely uses the same song twice, unless it's Carry On Wayward Son. How often do we get a happy song to accompany a feel-good episode with the sweetest hug? Thanks to 'Her Highness' Charlie (guest star Felicia Day), even in the darkest hours, a moment of sweetness is not impossible. 

8.20 Pac Man Fever is the sweetest and most adorable episode. I don't think I have used those words before to describe an overall episode. It was such a great written episode by Robbie Thompson and a well directed episode by Robert Singer. Robbie also wrote all Felicia Day's episodes -- The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo and LARP and the Real Girl. So good! Just so good! 

There are many things I love about this episode. Where to begin? I think Charlie's personality breaks pattern. Charlie is different from people Dean and Sam have met before, including hunters and non hunters. Charlie isn't a hunter, she is a civilian, a geek and she is into LARPing. Her social profile almost doesn't belong to the supernatural world. But there are some similarities between Charlie and the Winchester brothers, as presented in this episode -- Charlie's mum was taken away from her when she was little, she blamed herself, she got into trouble, she has been on the run forever, and her aliases were as good as Dean's and Sam's. 

I think Charlie has raised to the challenge before and she's done it again in this episode. If Pac Man Fever indicates anything, I am sold as to why she is one of the best people to help Dean and Sam right now -- she is tech savvy, she doesn't have an agenda, she is smart and she is resourceful. She is a Woman of Letters!

What's interesting to me is that Charlie, in a way, presents normality. I love that Charlie is written as a friend and as a sister figure. Dean and Sam are obsessed with saving the world and people from supernatural crap. But every now and then, it's sweet to see how they deal with other people -- the way they accept Garth, worry about Kevin and care about Charlie. Episodes like Pac Man Fever definitely highlights a different quality of the Winchesters which differentiates themselves from other hunters. I also love the fact that Charlie has read the Supernatural books by Carver Edlund and she has so much faith in Dean and Sam. 

I think the onscreen chemistry between Jensen and Felicia is getting better! Last time when Dean was putting his knight costume on in LARP and the Real Girl, he gave Charlie the full Wiki on what's been happening. In this episode, while Charlie had a montage of wardrobe change, Dean did the same thing and told her stuff. I think it was great to see Dean actually got a chance to 'chat' to a friend about their supernatural crap. It's not like Dean has many friends that he can talk to. I just love the chemistry between Dean and Charlie! The scene where Dean and Charlie had a 'I-love-you-I-know' Star Wars moment, that's my favourite scene!!!

I think this is a very Dean POV centric episode. It's like Dean having a bird eye view of things. Dean saw how things turned out. He helped Charlie to overcome her fear and help her to find clarity in her mother's situation. Through the 'letting things go' theme, it enlightened Dean about his relationship with Sam. Dean being Dean, of course he wanted to 'save' his little brother, look after him -- "I may not be able to carry the burden that comes with these trials, but I can carry you." The theme of 'letting things go' means different things to Charlie and Dean. Charlie made a difficult decision to let go of her mother. This experience reminded Dean that the only thing that would make Sam better was to find the prophet and finish the last trial. Dean wasn't pissed at Sam. Sam thought he was in trouble and attempted to justify why he was out there working a case, when Dean specifically told him not to. But I am glad Sam helped, they were stronger as a team and hunting has always been a two people job. Thank you Robbie Thompson for showing us the sweet Dean, who gave many hugs to many people in this season, and I think that's a great character progress. Dean just gave Sam a hug, and then he told him, "let's find the prophet'. There is no getting better until the trial is completed.

This season reminds me how much crap Sam's been through. We know how it went down with the whole Lucifer hallucination storyarc. Sam had a complete breakdown and went to the mental hospital. It was painful for Sam, and it was painful for Dean to see his little brother like this. I think Sam has been through a lot, and I mean a lot! From the moment he found out about being one of the special children' to drinking demon blood; from being locked up in hell with Lucifer and Michael to coming back soulless, and then the 'wall' crumbled. I get why he just wanted a normal life. Now he is back, he is going through the trials and he is hurting again. I really feel his pain, my heart really breaks for Sam. I hate to see him suffer, again! Dean feels that same, every bloody year his little brother has some crap going on with him and it breaks his heart to see his little brother suffers, and it kills Dean not to be able to save Sam. 

When will they stop caring for each other? NEVER! I think that's why Supernatural is so good to watch because of the brother relationship. On one hand, it's different from the past because they're more mature now. On the other hand, it remains the same because they are still Dean and Sam, the big brother and the little brother.

A few other things that I love:

Dean in uniform -- Seriously! Give Jensen Ackles a bathrobe and he can still look good in it. SUPER HOT! Wait… what? The whole uniform look reminds me of Captain America/ Captain Steve Rogers. I will never get tired of this, so sue me!

The video game -- I was waiting for a Resident Evil Leon Kennedy reference, because of some hot Jensen related casting rumour about this a few years back.

The montage -- Walking on Sunshine is a signature song for Charlie. That scene was awesome! It weirdly reminded me of Natalie Portman in Leon.

Pac Man Reference -- I played Pac Man before on my cousin's thing, but I was never a gamer. But I can see some fans are happy to see that reference. It's also a treat for Felicia Day's fans because she was a gamer. Nice!

Something completely random -- Is it just me that I want to see Wil Wheaton on the show? I just had a moment.

MoL HQ -- It's official. It's HOME for the boys! I just love the idea the boys have a home now. I know Kripke used to say, the Impala is home for the boys. It still is, but the idea of having a HQ as a home where they can use the resources and to regroup. The MoL bunker as their home is a welcoming idea. And I love it! You know I do! I just LOVE IT! SO MUCH!!

Sam's hair -- Like… OMG! Too cute!!!! Thank you Sam! Thank you Jared. I had a great laugh. And Sam wasn't able to catch the beer from Dean was hilarious. Sorry Sam, I know you're hurting but you gotta laugh a little sometimes.

Dean in uniform -- Wait a second! Have I mentioned how much I love Dean in uniform?  

Pac Mac Fever is packed with stuff and food for thoughts. This is the kind of filler episode that audience and Dean and Sam need before the final trial. The final three episodes are here! Brace yourself for an emotional ride! I see nothing but epicness!

Next episode is 8.21: The Great Escapist

When Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) receive a distressing video message from Kevin Tran (guest star Osric Chau), they set about trying to uncover the Third Trial. The boys make a discovery that sends them to a casino in Colorado, to find a mysterious recluse (guest star Curtis Armstrong) who may be able to fill in the holes in Kevin's research. Meanwhile, Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard) is on a winning streak. Castiel (Misha Collins) tries to elude Naomi (guest star Amanda Tapping) and the angels hunting him.

Supernatural 100th episode - The Power of Love Review

Once upon a time, die hard Supernatural fans made a deal with the evil genius called Eric Kripke. He threw us down to the pit, tortured us with great characters and plot lines that are full of scary but sexy factors, humor, action, bromance, occasionally a suicidal teddy bear. Then he raised us from perdition and gave us a group hug.

"I'm just screwing with the fans!" He said.


Cut the birthday cake!! Supernatural 100th episode was awesome! After watching the episode, I get the feeling that we are getting back to the season one vibe. Saving people, hunting things the Winchester way, the way John taught them. Screw destiny!!!

I baked a cake. Congratulations to the Supernatural crew and cast ^_*

I should know by now that Supernatural is best known for changing the direction of a curveball in the middle of throwing a curveball, like the writers have a remote control to control the direction of the ball. You don't know how it will land. After it lands, it might still be rolling to another direction. You just don't know what's gonna happen until the 59th minute of the 11th hour. Am I am making sense?

Bobby's bachelor pad

Point of No Return is the evidence of the show reaching its maturity. Fans can debate all they want when it comes to the plot, the mytho and the direction of the show. But Supernatural does not forget one thing. This is a show about the brothers and the family. It's a show about saving people hunting things, the family business. This has been the focus of the show since the Pilot.

You can deal with supernatural creatures that are larger than life and they are more powerful than you are, but at the end of the day, family and friends will keep you sane and human. Sometimes, I think viewers forget that, and I think sometimes because some people keep classifying the show as scifi and fantasy but it's not, it's a DRAMA about the relationship of two brothers. If I may say so, Supernatural is better than its predecessor in the same genre.

Let's get on with it!

The Scary Movie Guy

There is no 'previously on', but when Supernatural doesn't have a 'previously on', it usually has a very good intro before the title card. Just like Monster at the End of the Book or Hollywood Babylon, Point of No Return has a great intro involving Zachariah (who will be referred to as the Scary Movie guy for the rest of the blog). I love how Jeremy Carver wrote the scene, the Scary Movie guy is very much like a senior executive douchebag who works at Goldman Sach. He will do anything to get the business deal and the big fat bonus. I love Kurt Fuller in this episode, he went out in style. His performance was awesome!

The hosts from the Crossroads podcast called it! The Scary Movie guy is dead! Ding dong.... I like him in It's a Terrible Life, the pep talk was cool, but I guess we all know that's his style. He will do the sweet talk, then BOOM the head shot!

Again, every guest star is very well cast on Supernatural and they can all act! With shows like Smallville for examples, sometimes it's WTF.. Like that ice dude in Absolute Justice, he wasn't well cast and it wasn't the first time. Sorry guys!

Hey, Plan B, We Don't Want You Anymore

Let's talk about Adam, the 3rd brother. I like him in this episode, he wasn't himself in Jump the Shark, but he was himself in this episode. Jake Abel stepped up in this episode. He has to! Because of the heavyweight acting showdown with the cast. Jake has a resemblance to Matt Cohen's John Winchester.

"Hey Adam, the 3rd brother who is not a ghoul this time, we have a lot in common!
Our sense of fashion, our voice, our taste in women.."

I knew Jake Abel was going to be in the episode way before the lock down, so it wasn't a complete surprise to me. I didn't think too much about it. But poor Adam, seriously! He is cursed because he is a Winchester. What happened to him at the end of the episode? Dead (again) or alive (in a Michael kinda way)? To be honest, I don't see him as Michael, I guess I will be fine with it if he is, but he has a massive shoe to fill, because Matt Cohen was really good as Michael. I don't think this is the last time we see Adam.

How many adults did it take to restore Dean's faith?

A back-door launch for Supernatural: Back to the Future III (written by Tiny)
Er.. huh? What?

Bobby is awesome and we all know that! Dean said some really mean things to Bobby in this episode. When Dean said "You're not my father" to Bobby, I almost cried. Dean was the one who told Bobby he shouldn't give up! So, enough of this crap DEAN! Man up and fight!

Don't piss off the pissed off angel.

Castiel is pissed off and we all know it! In Lucifer Rising, Cas rebelled against Heaven all because of Dean. As the series develops, Cas shows his loyalty, he's become a friend to the brothers. I think he looks up to Dean. You can tell how pissed off Cas was in this episode. In the beginning, he was really quiet but pissed. The silent treatment was deadly. When things got boiled over, Cas just had to beat the crap out of Dean! WAY TO GO! If Cas is allowed to swear on Supernatural, I can see him swearing his lungs out and say: "I rebel for you, you piece of shit!"

Cas really kicked asses in this episode! I have never seen Cas fought so good before. Three fights in one episode and he won them all! How much more can I love this angel? I LOVE CAS!!!!!

Cas totally went Smallville in the last fight scene! I could hear Save Me when I see this!



Whoops.. I mean this! You go head and rip that shirt!



The Incredible Hulk who is also known as Sam. Sam needs a hair cut. The side is just a bit too wavy. The sideburns are too Elvis. The front of his hair is just getting a bit too high. You can tell that he has time to blow dry his hair. But it doesn't make sense when you're on the road and on the go, since when Sam has the time to style his hair and trim the sideburns?? I am sure Dean doesn't style Sam and I am sure Bobby doesn't have a blow-dryer.

Campaigning Sam to have a hair cut

OK.. seriously. I like Sam in this episode. He really tried to stop Dean from saying YES to Michael and he really tried to watch over Adam. I guess he now knows what it is like to be in Dean's shoes. At the end of the day, those puppy eyes really saved the day. Those puppy eyes made Dean changed his mind! That is all! No secret there! It's not complicated!

The power of puppy eyes save the big brother.

It took three adults to restore Dean's faith. Here comes Dean... do you know who he is? OH DEAR GOD! LET US PRAY!

While I was on lockdown, I missed two of the most delicious photos of Dean.. I am so sorry baby.



OK.. DEAN! The first scene of Dean in this episode was goood. I would love to get hold of that piece of music! The scene was very well written and very well shot! The sound effect of sealing the box and the key was awesome! Do you think the letter was written for Bobby or Sam? Jensen has sexy writing. Seriously, it was like preparing himself to die. But lucky! Puppy eyes showed up with a pissed off angel. That's what friends are for!

According to my source on Twitter, you can read Dean's letter to Sam. Blow up the image and you can try to read what Dean wrote.

It has been a depressing journey for Dean. The angels (or the writers..!) ripped his heart into pieces. He seriously couldn't get any lower! He was giving up! He just wanted to get this over and done with! But team free will won't give up on him because Dean never gave up on them before.

I like the pace of this episode. First you have Bobby having a go at Dean. Sam tried to talk to Dean. Cas was quiet but seriously pissed, finally he beat the crap out of Dean! Then came the crucial moment....

DEAR GOD! IT'S DEAN. THE DEAN!
(That would be my reaction exactly but 100 times louder!)

Dean: "I am Dean Winchester. Do you know who I am?"
Dude: "Dear God! ... Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy Name.."
Cas: "You pray too loud."

The Mighty Wink is Mighty

You got the puppy eyes, but I got the wink that makes the fans go wild.

THE WINK was epic! That was so Dean! The was the wink that changed the game plan. The wink that screwed destiny! The wink that killed the Scary Movie guy. The wink has become an icon of hope. The wink has become an instant classic moment on television. The wink has become Amy's Twitter avatar. I kneel before the wink of Dean Winchester.

Go Dean! I love you! I love the curveball from Jeremy Carver! Just when you thought this was it, Dean had said YES, get over it. But then things changed! Oh God! I LOVE SUPERNATURAL.

Dean - The Sweet Ass

So, what makes Dean so special in a Heavenly way? Let's look at a few facts.

Back in season one's Faith, Roy said to Dean he was a young man with an important purpose, a job to do and it isn’t finished. (Foreshadowing much?)

We saw Dean killed the Whore of Babylon in 99 Problems. According to Castiel, the Whore could only be killed by a true servant of Heaven.

In When the Levee Breaks, Dean swore obedience to Heaven and the angels. At that stage of the series, we all thought Dean was just the righteous man who broke the first seal, he was given a second chance to serve Heaven. But of course, more was revealed later, he was THE vessel of Michael.

Dean had killed some major badass demons including YED and Ruby.


Dean killed an angel - the Scary Movie guy. According to Uriel, only an angel can kill an angel. Either he was lying or he was referring to the fact that only the angel blade can kill an angel. It seems that an angel can only be killed when it is in a vessel.

Dean looked into the eyes of the Scary Movie guy, he looked at the bright light without a flinch. May be it's nothing, but what is the significance of the extreme close up of his eyes? He also didn't cover his ears when Michael was coming down from Heaven.

Dean has never been possessed by a demon.


According to Kara, Dean is actually God. He has been looking for himself the whole time! Quick! Someone find Dean a mirror!

Could all the above make Dean a true servant of Heaven? Perhaps God has his own plan and he needed to train up Dean to finish the plan?

Point of No Return was simply awesome! It was a very important episode. Now that Dean has restored his faith thanks to Sam, Cas and Bobby stood by him, what will happen next? How will team free will fight the angels and demons and protect the planet at the same time? We will find out very soon.

Only four episodes left in season 5. Don't miss a second of it! Spread the love. Tell your friends. Let's work on the power of love!

PS* If Jensen Ackles doesn't get a nomination at the next Golden Globe or whatever, you now the angels are behind it. But then again, Jensen is too goooood for those clowns in award shows.

One more for the ladies before I sign off!

Hey, ladies!

[Updated] Supernatural episode review: 99 problems, most of them relate to Castiel's inability of using a cell phone

"You've reached the voice mail of...."

"I don't understand, why do you want me to say my name?"

"Doo doo doo doo doo...."

So.. what do you think? After my reaction to previous episode Dark Side of the Moon, I felt somewhat relieved to read Julie Siege's name on the opening credit. She wrote some of my favorite episodes including It's the Great Pumpkin Sam Winchester and Monster at the End of the Book. In general I love 99 Problems more than Dark Side of the Moon.

The episode was almost 99 kinds of awesome. Apart from one continuity problem, I love it. While this episode didn't score the perfect ten from me, like Pumpkin and The Winchester Gospel, the thing I love about 99 Problems is that this is the other type of Supernatural episode I love. 99 Problems certainly has the Jus in Bello-Croatoan vibe, and you know how much I adore Jus in Bello and I love Croatoan.

Continuity problem

Let's get the only WTF comment I have for this episode out of the way and then I can blog happily ever after.

The ending with Lisa was very random. The continuity and the connection seem somewhat very strange to me. We have seen Dean's vision of Lisa and the Picnic in Dream a Little Dream of Me. In The Kids Are Alright, we found out Dean cared about Ben, he enjoyed spending time with him. Lisa was the first girl Dean wanted to see when he knew he was going to die. In both episodes, the writers had established that Dean wouldn't mind to have a son, deep down he wanted some happy time with Lisa and he would love a nuclear family, but it's just not his life.

Perhaps Dean needs Lisa and Ben as leverage in negotiations with the angels. There is nothing in his life left apart from Sam and the Impala. So I think this is the only reason for the writer to bring Lisa and Ben back into the picture briefly. I feel that if Ben is indeed Dean's son, this would've been a very good reason to bring them back, otherwise what's the point? When I saw Dean standing in front of Lisa, I really thought he was going to ask her "Is Ben my son? I really need to know." But he didn't. And Lisa has denied all along that Ben is not Dean's son. If he is, then there is certainly a Winchester connection there.

I guess if we've seen a bit more of Lisa and Ben stuff or even if we've seen one Lisa and Ben moment in Dark Side of the Moon, then I'll have no problem with it. I just felt that the ending was very random and sudden. Some of you also pointed out that Dean whispered something into Lisa's ear, but I thought it was just a kiss.

OK.. let's get on with the stuff I love..

I love this episode from the beginning. I love the Jus in Bello-Croatoan vibe. I love it when Dean and Sam have backups. I love it when Supernatural goes ... well.. Jus in Bello. I wouldn't mind seeing the brothers gathering a few hunters to fight the war together. I also wouldn't mind seeing a few hunters who we've met in The End. For continuity purpose, I think it'll be really cool to introduce them as civilians in this episode and go Terminator 3 about it. I know I know! For the 99th times, I just want Supernatural to go Terminator Salvation. Deal with it!

I love Michael Shanks. A bit disappointed that he didn't get to play a more important role. For the 99th times, I really really wanted Dr Jackson to play the Archangel Michael or God when I first heard about this casting. But nevertheless, I love me some Shanks. It was great to see him in Smallville and now Supernatural.

I love Castiel. He is just 99 kinds of awesome! Oh boy! I just wuv to hugz him. I am lost for words when it comes to Cas. "I don't understand, why do you want me to say my name?". He is soooooo funny when it comes to using his cell phone. He is too cute when it comes to Cas and his cell phone ^_^ OMG I love him!!!! LOVE HIM! My life would suck without Cas. Seeing him drunk and depressed is heart breaking. But we all have our moments.

I love the idea of having a true servant of Heaven to kill the Whore of Babylon. Dean? Yeah baby! I still think apart from the bloodline stuff, Dean really is the righteous man and he has underestimated himself. So I think he should man up and kick some asses! Beside, Dean and Sam are the best hunters in the business, that's why they have their own show! The world needs Dean and Sam.. and Castiel.. and Bobby...

Speaking of Sam, I like Sam in this episode. I like it when Sam asked Dean not to give up. That scene in the motel reminded me of the season 3 Sam. I love Sam's don't-friggin-give-up-now-don't-you-dare attitude. Look, it's just a dysfunctional family, Sam knows he's got issues, but Dean is pretty messed up too. (Wait.. is that a song?), so at the end of the day, their lives would suck without each other.

So, there is something seriously wrong with Dean. He has hit rock bottom, like he has hit the core of earth! Will Dean say yes? 'oly merde! I am going back and forth with this. Right now, I don't think he will say yes. His heart is telling him to say yes and I know all clues point to him saying yes, but I think the writers will keep throwing us the curve ball.

Without thinking about it 99 times, this episode is definitely 99 out of 120. Apart from the random Lisa moment (which I guess I understand where the writer is coming from), I think it was a solid and awesome episode. I was expecting a sleeper filler, but I am glad that I was wrong. And I certainly love this episode more than last week. Having said that, last week's fireworks and Dean wuv hugz moment were GOLD!

The rating for 99 Problems was pretty good at 2.96 in the first hour and 2.58 in the second hour. Source Spoiler TV and TVbytheNumber.

I think this is a treat for all the Dean girls ^_^

PS* This is for the Crossroads nation: If JoHan kills the scary movie guy with his mullet, I am growing a mullet. HA!

A couple of reminders:

The Crossroads podcast, the best Supernatural podcast in the universe, will have a live show on UStream on Sat 17 April 8pm central standard time (US). The Queen and I and a few other tweeps will be glued to our computers for that! Come join us on UStream, there will be a live chat while we listen to Ty, Star and may be Tim discussing the 100th episode. You can download the weekly program on iTune.

Team Panic Room is hosting a Chadathon (Dr Badass) on Sunday 18 April (3pm) Sydney time. (Which is really a few hours after the Crossroads live show due to time zone.) So join us if you're around, we are going to rewatch some of the Dr Badass episodes: Everybody Loves a Clown, Simon Said and Hunted. Details here.

A Not So Heavenly Review: Dark Side of the Moon

Dark Side of the Moon left an emotional scar on my brain, which was already fried. It was an emotional roller-coaster. Did I sleep well last night? Did I wake up ok this morning? Who put that bin there?

Here are the highlights of my emotional-Supernatural-meter during the episode. These thoughts occurred in real time. [Sound effect: 24 count down clock]

I loved the 'previously on', it usually set the tone of the episode and Supernatural does very awesome 'previously on'. Five seconds into the recap, I knew I was going to love this episode...

Then, the boys died. So OK.. not to worry, they'll be back. So let's move on!

Life flashes before your eyes when you die. I like how Heaven was written on the show. Different people have different experience when they get there. I know what my Heaven will be like. [Sound effect/ cue: evil laugh]

Dean's first memory was beautiful. I cannot use another word other than beautiful to describe this memory. It was about him and little Sammy (Colin Ford) doing normal things as brothers. Just the two of them. Young and innocent. It was probably one of THE BEST scenes of the entire episode. It was beautifully done. I mean, when was the last time you see Dean smiled like he meant it? The soundtrack was perfect for this scene: Bob Dylan's Knockin' On Heaven's Door. That hug from little Sammy bought tears to my eyes.

At this point of the episode, I was pretty sure I would love love love this episode..... Like 99% sure.

Then it came Cas's voice from the Impala. Wait... the Impala died too? We love Cas! But he didn't honk.

Next, we saw Sam's first memory. Having Thanksgiving with another family. Good one Sammy! Let's move on. Shall we?

We then saw Castiel appeared on TV. You go ahead and appear on my TV anytime any day honey! Cas couldn't return to Heaven, so this was the only way to communicate with the brothers. We found out Zach was looking for them (what's new?!). Just stay away from the light and find a road. They now must locate Joshua, the angel who talked to God.

I thought the toy track/ car thing was a great touch, it was very fitting because the next memory was about Dean's childhood, and it was Dean's toy. Kudos to the writers, it was very thoughtful.

Dean's second memory was about Mary. Naturally. The sandwich scene was as nicely done as the one in WIASNB. But Sam was there this time, which was fine until he opened his mouth. When Sam said to Dean "let's go, come on." I was like.. SAMMY SHUT UP! Give Dean a minute!!

Sam should have known by now that Dean actually remembered his life as a child with his mother. Unlike Sam, who had no memory of Mary because he was only six month old when she died. Sam may not know this, but as viewers we know Dean remembered about the Hey Jude and the tomato rice soup. So to me, it was either the writers purposely wrote Sam as a douche or it was a Sam 'who cares, it's not real, so why bother to stay longer' moment. The Dean and Mary hug at the end was beautiful. Dean didn't get to give Mary a hug last time in The Song Remains the Same, so yeah, it was beautiful. Tissues anyone?

Next, Sam's second memory was about a dog. WTF? And it wasn't even a family dog, it was a random dog. Of course, at this point I was asking myself, may be it was Zach's doing, may be it was his trick to show Dean how selfish Sam was, so that Dean would just give up and say yes. Dean was pissed (I would too), because Sam's idea of happiness was to run away from his family, while Dean was worried sick about his brother's safety for two weeks. The thing was, Sam didn't even realise it caused Dean to worry. He just went off to do his own thing.

Next we saw the road where Sam left for Stanford. Dean totally flipped! At that point, I was like, someone please tell me this was Zach's doing because I can really kick Sam in his Elvis sideburns right now! And of course, if one of Sam's memories was having sex with Ruby, I'll throw my Aussie thongs at my TV.

Next!

Houston, we've found the Winchester boys. I repeat, we've found them. The brothers were running from Zach. Kurt Fuller did a fantastic job in this episode! I love Zach. He is the perfect villain.

Next! Johan's* twin brother, ASH!!! [*Only the Crossroads Nation know what I am talking about.] Meet Dr Bad-Ass in his Kick-Ass outfit!!! That was awesome! I love Ash! It was great to see him. I feel that the writers could have given him a purpose to be there. Like ok, he helped the boys to escape and he used his Mac, I mean PC to track down Joshua. But I was kinda expecting a bit more. It was nice to see Pam too. However, I am not convinced about Pam's speech with Dean. She was convincing Dean to say yes. Anytime anyone tried to convince Dean to say yes, I think it's Zach's doing.

OK.. next! (Fudge, this is turning out to be a very long review.. oh well.. suck it up and keep reading!)

The brothers ran into Mary, who was not herself. I wasn't liking the whole Mary-acting-strange thing. Was it necessary? It was Zach's doing obviously of course. Then, Zach was talking talking talking about how he was going from 'employee of the month' to 'joke of the month'. And he started talking about his feelings, his favorite boy band and fairy floss...

Oh but excuse me sir, the boss wanted to talk to the boys now....

When I first read about the new angel, I was really excited. Do I like it after I watch this episode? Well...I like his mannerism. He reminded me of the Oracle (from The Matrix) or Missouri (from season one of Supernatural). Joshua's purpose was to rely God's message to the brothers. The message was "BACK OFF." Perhaps he is God himself but he doesn't reveal himself as God.

This leads to my official discussion... I know! Here comes the main course..

Let's talk about God

Where the pie are you?!

OK so.. if God doesn't give a shit, why did he save Dean and Sam from the church? Why did he save Castiel? May be I am reading too much into this, but God's message was "Back off" not "Give up" or "Just say yes." I am not sure what it means!

Dean was so heart-broken by the end of this episode. Just when he thought he couldn't get any lower in emotional terms, God's message was in-your-face! Has Dean done enough? Has he tried hard enough to save the world? What else can he do it to fight supernatural creatures?

This is a whole new level of despair for Dean. I know this is Supernatural and not Alice in Wonderland, but I wish there is a sign of hope, just one, you know? Just show Dean one sign of hope. Give him one good reason to fight. People have already mentioned it, perhaps it was a test. I mean, since when God live your life for you? I think Dean needs to be DEAN. Just take a step back and find a way, fine hope and create his own path. Go save people, hunt things.. Screw the apocalypse.

At the end of the episode, Castiel was so broken too, like a kid realized Santa wasn't real or the whole man on the moon thing was shot in a Hollywood studio. [I like how Dean woke up from being dead and immediately called Cas. Lucky he has enough minutes.]

Don't throw the amulet into the bin!

This is pretty much on everyone's lips: Don't throw the amulet into the bin!

If I work in the props department of the show, I will not put the bin there. They can fire me after that! I understand why Dean did it. But I think it was weird to see it, I feel that it was the writing of the scene. The amulet was a Xmas gift from Sammy, it symbolized the brotherhood or the bond. It was only revealed to us the other purpose of it, which was a God EMF. Dean was absolutely gutted after returning from Heaven, he was disappointed to know that he and the family wasn't part of any of Sam's happy memory (the argument is, it could have well been one of Zach's tricks); Dean was also disappointed with God's state of mind. I just hope that Sam would pick up the amulet from the bin (off camera).

I've love gut-wrenching episodes, but this one... this one was weird to me. I think from now on, I shall create a new category called We are so screwed and file all the gut-wrenching-we-are-so-screwed episodes into this category.