"A little fallen angel on your shoulder."

"Look, Dad's gone now, and we have to carry out his legacy. And that means hunting down as many evil sons of bitches as we possibly can."

Okay, so I'm beginning to get used to the voiceover intro. I'm never going to like it, but I'm starting to accept it as a fact of life and won't grumble about it every single time, I promise. I love that a different montage of clips accompanies it each time – our boys have certainly hunted down and destroyed plenty of evil sons of bitches to choose from over the course of the last two seasons!

Then.

A devil's gate opened in Wyoming, and an army of demons escaped. The Yellow-Eyed Demon taunted Dean with the possibility that the Sam he brought back might not be 100% pure Sam. Sam shot Jake dead, with cold rage in his eyes.

Sam's life was saved by a Glossy Blonde Chick by the name of Ruby, who just happened to be in possession of a nifty magical demon-killing knife. Sam demanded to know who she was, and she revealed her demon-black eyes. Ruby airily told Sam she wanted to help him from time to time, and Sam wondered why on earth she would want to do that. Rather than answer, Ruby simply offered the distracting bait that she could help him save his brother's life.

John told his sons about the very special gun made by Samuel Colt back in 1835. "This gun can kill anything." And it certainly did for the Yellow-Eyed Demon in the season two finale.

Now.

Church. A nun wanders around setting out hymnbooks. A breeze draughts through the large hall, blowing out candles at the back of the church, and the nun glances up rather nervously. Viewers start to fear for her safety, but for once needn't worry. She turns around and is startled to find the priest, Father Gil, standing right behind her. The fact that he can creep up on her so easily is probably something of a Clue, but he merely smiles and hands her another hymnbook, then offers to walk her to her car. A man sitting up in the gallery interrupts them, and Father Gil greets him as Andy. Show does like to recycle names.

"Father, God's not with us," Andy unhappily declares. "Not any more." Father Gil starts to offer consolation and asks what's wrong. "He can't help us," Andy continues. "And if He can, He won't."

There's a gloomy perspective on life. Next, Andy whips out a pistol, jams it under his chin, and pulls the trigger. Ick. Not as gruesome as the last few episodes have been, but still icky. The nun screams loud and long.

Titles.

Singer's Auto Salvage. Bobby and Dean sit at a desk in Bobby's place, working on the disassembled Colt. Studying each piece, making diagrams, trying to figure it out. I love the way the two of them are working so silently and efficiently together, each knowing what they are doing and getting on with it, no conversation needed.



Not a part of the gun research, his area of expertise lying elsewhere, Sam wanders into the room and announces that he might have found some omens in Ohio. He lists what he's got, which isn't a great deal but still a potential case. Dean is underwhelmed, but listens and asks all the right questions, as Sam points out that it's their best lead since Lincoln. The possibly demonic omens he's found are centred on a town called Elizabethsville, a half-dead factory town.

"There's got to be a demon or two in South Beach," Dean snarks, and Sam laughs. I love the way Sam is with Dean this season. I keep saying it, but it's true. All the little quirks and habits he found so intensely irritating in the past, all the little flippancies he never found funny, he's suddenly learned to appreciate them all. Making the most of Dean just being Dean while he's still got him.

Sam asks Bobby how the work on the Colt is going. Slow, is the answer, Bobby at his gruffest, since he's trying to work here, which would be easier without interruption. We saw him working on the Colt in the last episode, too, so we know he's been at this for a wee while now.

"It's a little sad seeing the Colt like that," says Dean, in almost the exact same tone of voice he used when he mused on how sad it was that he had to kill Werewolf Glenn in Heart.
"Well, the only thing it's good for now is figuring out what makes it tick," Bobby points out.
"So what makes it tick?" Sam immediately asks, so earnest it's adorable.

Bobby raises his head and just looks at him. Realising what a silly question that was, given the slowness of progress already reported – or perhaps deliberately pulling Bobby's leg – Sam backs down, chuckling as he raises a hand to dismiss his question. There's just the barest hint of that old parent-child divide at play in this scene – Dean and Bobby the grown-ups getting on with their work, while Sam, child-like, interrupts with questions and observations. Even his bringing those omens to them was a wee bit tentative, unsure if they'd think what he found was really worth the interruption of this work that he isn't a part of, but doing his bit in his own way, since the work on the gun isn't really his thing. Sam's good at the bookwork, while Dean is more the hands-on type, that's always been the case. Bobby kind of straddles the divide, able to fill both roles with apparent ease.

And…there's a half-finished thought there I might have to come back to at a later date. Or that might be complete rubbish. But it strikes something of a chord as maybe reminiscent of how things might have been before Sam went off to college, on better days when he and John weren't at loggerheads. Dean is kind of like the bridge between generations, because he's Sam's brother, Sam's peer, but he is also one of the grown-ups in a way that Sam hasn't quite achieved yet. Fond though Bobby is of Sam, and as much as John loved Sam, Dean could make a pair with any one of them – with Sam, with John, and now with Bobby – but with Sam the relationship is different. Sam doesn't have the same rapport with Bobby that Dean does, not on that same level, and he didn't with John, either. He's still the child of the group, the odd one out, even now.

Dean finishes whatever it is he's doing and stands up, looks at Bobby. "So, if we want to check out these omens in Ohio, think you can have that thing ready by this afternoon?"

Hee. They're both having fun winding Bobby up now. Sam laughs, for which, see my earlier point about Sam enjoying Dean just being Dean of late. Sam is very relaxed and at ease here at the start of this episode, which gives me the impression that the brothers have been indulging in a spot of downtime since the last episode, presumably while Sam's shoulder injury healed.

Bobby raises his head again and gives Dean the same look of mild exasperation he directed at Sam a moment ago. "Well, it won't kill demons by then. But I can promise you it'll kill you."

Hee. Both brothers laugh, and I absolutely adore everything about this exchange: all three so comfortable and at ease with one another. I love that the boys have such a good friend in Bobby, that they have a place they can go between jobs where they are welcomed and feel as at home as they obviously do. And for such a gruff loner as Bobby clearly is, he just as clearly enjoys having them around, despite finding them more than a little exasperating so much of the time, and is genuinely fond of them both.

If John hadn't died when he did, would Bobby have taken these boys as much under his wing as he has? I doubt it. John's death changed their situation so much, in so many ways.

"You boys run into anything. Anything," Bobby calls after them. "You call me."

Pretty establishing shot of the Impala on the road. American geography is not my forte, so I'm not going to worry in the slightest about the distance between South Dakota and Ohio. A quick glance at a map tells me it's a long way, though.

Elizabethsville. Church. Be-suited boys jog up the steps. How lovely it is when they play dress-up. Today, they are posing as insurance investigators. Father Gil notes that there can't be much for them to investigate, since it was a clear-cut suicide. He points out the spot where the suicide took place, and sighs over the fact that Andy used to be such a regular in his church. Sam, who is taking the lead on this interview, asks when that stopped.

"Around two months ago," says Father Gil. "Around about the time everything else started to change."

Sam asks what he means by that, and the Father starts to wax lyrical about how this used to be a town you could be proud of, where people cared about one another. Andy used to sing in the choir, he continues, but then one day he just wasn't Andy any more. Our boys prick up their ears.

Father Gil: "It was like he was…"
Sam: "Possessed?"
Father Gil: "You could say that. Gambled away his money, cheated on his wife, destroyed his business. Yes. Like a switch had flipped."

Sam asks about the other recent tragedy in town – a man who killed a number of people in a hobby shop. Father Gil knew him, as well. Sam asks if the Father would say that his personality suddenly changed one day, too, and the Father, on reflection, supposes that it did, at around the same time as Andy – two months ago.



Interview concluded, Dean thanks the Father for his time, and the boys make for the exit. "Two months ago we opened up the devil's gate, all of a sudden this town turns into Margaritaville?" Sam mutters. "That's no coincidence."

Ah, Sam, honey. I understand why fellow hunters out there would feel inclined to blame those who were at ground zero when the gate opened, no matter how wrong that assumption might be. But Sam really shouldn't be blaming himself or the others who were there. They didn't open the gate. Jake did, and they tried hard to stop him. It wasn't their fault. And I don't care how many times I have to repeat that – I want it to sink in and Sam to stop blaming himself! What can't be denied, though, is that the consequences of the gate opening are absolutely devastating, and something that the fragmented, ragtag 'community' of hunters out there are entirely unprepared for.

Also, let us take note of the time jump between the last episode and this one. Bad Day At Black Rock was one month on from the opening of the devil's gate. Now it is two months on. For once, there has been a realistic period of time for an injury to heal! So I don't have to fret about the gunshot wound to Sam's shoulder being as well healed as it clearly is, because there has been time for that healing to take place. It also means that Dean is now already two months into the twelve the Crossroads Demon gave him. That clock is ticking down fast.

Motel. Hee. It's got a mirrored ceiling, the sight of which draws Dean's filthiest chuckle. It also provides a nifty camera angle. As Dean turns to close the door to the boys' room, the door opposite opens and a guy in a dorky tracksuit and hat comes out, peering shiftily up and down the corridor. Dean looks, recognises, and is startled. "Richie? I don't believe it."

Richie recognises and greets Dean in turn, and then introduces the very tall, very scantily clad blonde just exiting his room as his 'sister', handing over cash before she flounces away. Dean watches the hooker leave, then gives Richie sceptical eyebrows. Heh. Richie just chuckles embarrassedly.

Dean casually invites Richie into their room and introduces Sam, who wonders how they know each other, smiling in bemusement. Between them, Dean and Richie explain that they met while Sam was away at school, while dealing with a succubus, and each claims to be the one who actually killed the creature. Me, I'm inclined to believe Dean's version of the story rather than Richie's. There's no mention of John, so I'm going to assume this was one of the solo gigs that Dean started working while Sam was away.

Let's look at that for a moment, as I'm curious now to know more about the development of those solo gigs, given how controlling and paranoid we know John was about his sons. From Dean and Sam's comments and reactions in the Pilot, it seems that it was unheard of for John to allow his sons to hunt alone before Sam went away, but Dean a few years later, at 26, took it very much for granted that he was old enough and a good enough hunter to work alone. On the one hand it seems clear, from Dean's comments and reactions in those early episodes, that he and John remained very much a team for much of Sam's absence, which would make the occasional solo gig the exception rather than the rule. But on the other hand, it is also clear that John made a habit of taking off and doing his own thing, leaving his sons to wait and worry. Certainly, in the Pilot, Dean admitted that, although he wasn't happy about John being out of touch for a fortnight, it wasn't until he received his father's garbled message that he panicked and took off to get Sam, which implies that it was worrying but not unusual for John to drop off the radar for that long. So who knows?

Taking Dean's diligence at always following his father's lead into account, you'd have to presume that the notion of working separately at times came from John in the first instance, maybe born out of situational necessity, or maybe as the only way he knew to reward his son for obedience and hard work. John wasn't good at speaking the words out loud, but the demonstration of trust displayed by sending Dean out on missions alone would speak volumes. It's how Dean always interpreted the season one jobs John sent him on, certainly.

Ahem. Back to the action. Sam watches the bantering interplay between Dean and Richie with a delighted smile plastered across his face, much the same as mine, because Dean doesn't have many people in his life that he'd consider a friend, certainly doesn't keep in touch with anyone outside his immediate circle, and it's just really nice to see him bantering so happily with someone he knows and considers a friend of sorts. Sleazy scumbag though he is, I like the concept of Richie, because I can completely believe that Dean could have run into this guy on a job and taken a shine to him for the more or less the exact same reasons that he liked Ronald so much in Nightshifter, and Andy in Simon Said. There's just something about the bumbling, non-ambitious loser type that appeals to Dean, and I can believe that he'd look past the crude crassness and like the guy anyway. And Sam is just loving this snippet of insight into a part of his brother's life that he wasn't around for.

"Richie, I told you then, and I'll tell you again. You're not cut out for this job, you're going to get yourself killed," Dean affectionately tells the other hunter.
"FYI, Winchester. Words hurt," Richie casually retorts.

The fact that Dean doesn't think Richie is any good at hunting and shouldn't be doing it explains why Sam has never heard of him – he's hardly someone Dean is ever likely to call for help or information. It was only a fleeting acquaintance. Dean asks if Richie's found anything in town, but no, he's got nothing. "Typical," Dean snorts, teasing Richie about his 'sister', with Richie teasing and insinuating right back at him, giving every bit as good as he gets. He's lacking in charm, but essentially harmless.

"Seriously," Richie adds. "Church guy, hobby shop guy, they were lunchmeat by the time I got there. And maybe they were possessed, but I can't prove it."
Sam agrees that that's pretty much where they are, too. "Now let's just say that demons are possessing people in this town," he thinks aloud. "You know, raising hell…"
"Yeah, but why would a demon blow his brains out?" Dean wonders.
"For fun?" Richie suggests. "You know, he wrecks one body and moves to another? You know, like taking a stolen car for a joyride."

I like that suggestion; it makes perfect sense in the context of what we know about demons and that whole 'death and destruction for its own sake' credo of theirs. I also like this little brainstorming session, because I always like seeing the boys bouncing ideas off one another, and adding a third voice to the mix freshens the dynamic. It's good to see them working so easily with someone other than Bobby, given how much of the hunting community seems disposed against them. Richie is a plot-device, but I have no problem believing that the boys might run into other hunters on jobs now and then, especially now, with so many newly released demons out there. They're all on heightened alert and keeping their eyes open for the same kind of stuff, after all. I also love the way our boys casually start dressing down from their role-playing formality throughout the scene.

Noting with delight the presence in the room of Magic Fingers, Dean asks Richie, who's been in town longer, if there's anyone else in town who fits the profile of the last two: "nice guy turned douche."

Richie suggests a man named Trotter, who used to be head of the Rotary Club, but turned bastard all of a sudden, brought in all the gambling and hookers. "Practically owns this whole town." Sam wonders where they can find this man, and Richie replies that he'll be at his bar.

Bar. It's a pretty swinging joint, doing a roaring trade. The Impala pulls up in the street outside, and the boys get out, Dean casually tossing Sam his bag. I would say I'm not sure why Sam wants to take his bag into a bar, but this is Sam. He often works at the laptop in bars, while Dean does the socialising thing.

"I thought you said this was some boarded-up factory town?" Dean reminds his brother.
"It is," Sam defends his research, while the evidence to the contrary stares him right in the face. "At least, it's supposed to be."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do some research," Dean enthusiastically proposes.

As they walk toward the entrance, they pass a car with the rear door open, a busty brunette gazing out. Dean promptly reverses to take another look, and Sam promptly reverses to haul his brother away. Hee.

Trotter's Bar. Inside, the place is a buzz of activity, the boys having to push their way through the throng to the bar, where they find Richie, all dressed up for a night on the town.

"Whoa, Richie, look at you. Bringing satin back," Dean fondly mocks, and there's some fairly inane banter among all three before getting back down to business, as Richie points Trotter out to the boys. "He sits there all night. Can't touch him."

Sam wonders what they do now, and Dean decides he's going to do a little investigating with the shapely female bartender he's got his eye on. Richie promptly announces that he and the girl have a little something lined up for later.

"Yeah, right," Dean disbelieves.
"Stings, don't it?" Richie solemnly retorts, before crudely excusing himself for the bathroom.
"No way he gets a girl like that," Dean protests when Richie is gone. "I mean, look at her! Could fit that ass on a nickel."

That's sleazy, Dean. That's very sleazy. Richie's a bad influence, clearly.

Dean is amusingly horrified when he realises that Father Gil is sitting at the bar and heard what he just said. John may not have been religious, but he raised his sons to have a healthy respect for the church. "Knew you boys would find your way here. They all do," the Father tolerantly remarks, explaining his own presence as going where the flock is, like it or not.

"Plus, the clergy drinks for free," bartender Casey interjects.
"True," Father Gil agrees. "And a certain bartender owes me a confession."
"Not in this lifetime, Father," Casey drawls.
"I'd better see your butt on Sunday," Father Gil tells her by way of farewell, finishing his drink. "Nickel or no nickel," he adds to Dean in passing.

And that, right there, is an exchange that takes on a whole new meaning with the benefit of hindsight, once you've seen the whole episode through. It's borderline disturbing even on first viewing, adding to the air of depravity that this town abounds with.

Casey asks what she can get the boys, Dean asks what her speciality is, and she tells him she makes a mean hurricane. He agrees to try it, and Sam laughs. "You drink hurricanes?"
"I do now," Dean cheerfully tells him. I love how relaxed and at ease they are with one another this season, enjoying each other's company so much. It's gorgeous. It's building up to a storm front, because of secrets being kept, but it's gorgeous while it lasts.



Meanwhile, a random bloke walks up to another random bloke at the pool table, as if in a trance. They greet one another innocuously enough, although Bloke#1 admits to not feeling himself today. Sam sees that he's holding a gun and, alarmed, draws Dean's attention to the situation.

Bloke#1 lifts his gun, and casually blows Bloke#2 away, then jams the gun under his own chin. Before he can fire, Dean tackles him to the floor and wrestles him into submission, while Sam as covertly as he can manage pulls out a flask of holy water and splashes it on the man. It has no effect. He isn't possessed. He is rather surprised to have water sprinkled over him, though, and then miserably explains that Bloke#2 slept with his wife, hence the shooting. Sam shouts for someone to call 911, and bartender Casey hurries to the phone.

Sam then glances across the bar to find the enigmatic Trotter watching him. With demonic interest in him being so much on the increase of late, Sam feels very uncomfortable under this scrutiny. There were a couple of hundred demons released from the devil's gate in Wyoming, when the last two seasons have demonstrated how devastating even one can be to deal with. Focused on the job, and with his own murky destiny so much on his mind, Sam can hardly be blamed for jumping at shadows and seeing potential demons wherever he goes.

Later. Bloke#1 is handcuffed and hauled away by the cops. Dean and Sam are lurking uncomfortably near the bar.

"Too many cops here, I say we bolt," Sam murmurs, and I'm pleased to see at least one of them remembering their fugitive status at last, as they've seemed so blissfully neglectful of it since the new season began. Dean tells his brother to just play it cool, then sympathises with the 'poor jerk' being led away by the police. Sam wonders what the deal is. "People in this town getting possessed or what?"

Dean doesn't know. "Maybe it is just what it is, you know? Town full of scumbags." And he's actually almost right, although he doesn't know it yet.

"You boys ready for your mugshots?" asks a police officer, wandering up at this point, and they are alarmed, what with being wanted by the Feds and all. The officer is amused by this reaction, explaining that the photographer will want a picture for the local paper.

"Be an honour, officer," Dean smilingly lies through his teeth. "What a thrill."



The cop wanders off, and the smiles vanish. No way these two are hanging around to have their picture taken for any newspaper.

"Yep, time to go," Sam decides.
"Wait a second, wait a second." Dean looks around. "Where's Richie?"

House. Richie and bartender Casey get out of Richie's car outside a big old house someplace in town. Well, he did tell Dean he had something lined up with her for later. He wonders how a bartender affords a place like this, and Casey smoothly explains that her parents left it to her, although she doesn't come out here much.

Inside, Casey leads Richie downstairs to the basement. It isn't what you'd call inviting, and even idiot Richie starts to see red flags, although he doesn't pay them much heed, asking if she's sure she wouldn't be more comfortable in a bedroom or his motel room. "I mean, not for nothing, but, uh, I got oils."

Casey coos that she's got toys, and Richie is convinced. Toys trump oils, and the red flag is forgotten. There is a reason Dean told him he isn't cut out for this job. He just doesn't have the instinct for it.

Down in the basement, Casey lights a few candles, while Richie wonders if she doesn't get scared, down here all by herself. "Course not," Casey smoothly tells him. "Not when I've got a hunter to protect me."

Even Richie couldn't miss that red flag, but it's already too late. As she reveals her demon-black eyes, he whips a knife out of his boot, but she disarms him with ease, then neatly snaps his neck. And that's the end of poor Richie. He was sleazy idiot, but Dean liked him, and that's not for nothing.

Bar. Next day. Dean sits at a table with an untouched burger in front of him, trying and failing to get hold of Richie by cellphone. Sam wanders back to the table with a couple of beers. "You do realise there's red meat within striking distance, right?" he teases, and I love it. I also love that Dean being off his food is an infallible sign of distress of some kind. In this instance, he's increasingly concerned about Richie's disappearance.



"How many times have I got to tell Richie he's going to get himself in trouble," he frets.
"Dean, you're assuming he's missing." Sam attempts reassurance. "I mean maybe he just bailed."
"He's a moron," Dean firmly tells his brother. "I mean, he's a sweet moron, but he's not a coward. He wouldn't just bail. I got to go find him."

Dean likes connecting to people. It doesn't matter how short-lived that connection is. His life has taught him to be very wary about getting too close to anyone, and his immediate inner circle is minute, but he's a social animal by nature. He likes to connect to the people he meets while working any given job, and once he's decided that he likes and cares about someone, it doesn't matter how long passes before he sees them again, that liking and caring is always there, and he's loyal to the people he considers friends. Plus, he's a worrier by habit.

Sam proposes that while Dean goes looking for Richie, he'll trail Trotter. "I don't know. Something about the way he looked at me last night. Maybe there is something going on here."

South Dakota. Someplace presumably close to or out back of Bobby's car yard, in a pretty little spot by a random stream, Bobby is testing the sights on the re-assembled Colt, firing at a target painted on a sack of sand. He keeps missing the target, and then filing away at part of the gun, so I'm assuming the sights are a little off. With a gun that old, it's hardly surprising. It always seemed to hit its target before being taken apart, though.

Then Bobby looks up to see Ruby standing in front of him. Up till now, Sam has been the only person to actually see her. "Cute piece," she remarks. Instantly on alert, Bobby asks who she is. "Won't stop a demon, if that's what you think," she continues, ignoring the question.

I still can't decide what I think about Ruby and the actress hired to play her. I like the concept of this demon stalking Sam for reasons of its own, because there are so many fascinating directions this could develop. And her attitude does amuse me – she plays the cutesy side of demonic arrogance pretty well, although she maybe overdoes it a little. She just strikes me as a bit of a poor man's Meg, right down to the style of jacket she's wearing today. I'm more interested in the motivations of the demon inside than in the packaging it has chosen to wear, and I'm not sure yet if that's good or bad.

Bobby wonders how they hell this random girl would know whether or not the gun in his hand can kill a demon, whereupon she reveals her demon-black eyes. Bobby takes a deep breath, but otherwise doesn't react, remains very guarded. He's not in what you'd call a defensible position here, and on first viewing I got very twitchy. Don't hurt Bobby, show!

"Well, ain't I lucky then," he remarks. "Found myself a subject for a test fire."
Ruby laughs. "Luck had nothing to do with it," she says, having sought him out deliberately. "But hey, by all means. Take your best shot."

She stands right in front of the target. Bobby hesitates. After all, she's wearing the body of an innocent human girl, presumably – unless this particular demon is able to manifest a human-looking body, which doesn't seem likely from what we know of most demons on the show thus far – and he knows the chances of the Colt still possessing its demon-killing mojo are slim to non-existent. Ruby sighs at this reluctance to shoot. "Are you going to stand there like a pantywaist, or are you going to SHOOT –?"



Bobby fires, and hits her dead centre in the chest. Sights not so faulty after all, perhaps. But nothing happens. No demon-killing mojo left in the gun now that the thirteen magic bullets have been used. Just the demon's human host condemned to death once exorcised, presumably. I'm not sure how in-character that is for Bobby, who has always cautioned in favour of trying to save the human being possessed in the past. But then again, he is pretty much cornered here, with no means of defending himself against the demon other than the gun in his hand and the vain hope that it might work. Maybe it's the difference between peacetime skirmishes and open, all out war, that blurring of lines between what is and isn't acceptable? It's an issue this season keeps coming back to.

"Ouch," Ruby announces, sounding decidedly miffed. "That smarts a little."
"What do you want?" Bobby asks, sounding more than a little shaken.
"Peace on earth," she quips, walking toward him. "A new shirt. Now. Do you want me to help you out with that gun or not?"

Having a demon provide a way to restore the Colt to demon-slaying usefulness is a bit of a cop-out, but this is an interesting scene, simply because it's so unusual for us to see a recurring character of Bobby's ilk running a storyline of their own, even if only for one short scene. Usually the only scenes not to feature one of the brothers are those that set-up and further the case-of-the-week. And now here's Bobby with a little sub-plot all of his own. It's just a shame that having chosen to play this angle, there wasn't room in the episode to really develop it.

Office building. Sam shiftily wanders along a corridor. Bless. Undercover surveillance really isn't his strong suite. He stops at a corner, and peers around to see Trotter and a Random Henchman in an office nearby. Then his phone rings at exactly the wrong moment, and he hastily pulls it out to answer before anyone hears. Bless again. I'm sure John would have taught his sons to turn their phones off when stalking a suspect, or at least to put them on silent. Even as Sam answers, we can see Random Henchman walking down the corridor toward him, alerted by the sound.

It's Dean, who greets his brother with an entirely gratuitous 'Sammy', thus warming the cockles of my heart considerably. I'm going to guess, based on what we learn later about how Dean has spent his afternoon, that he's maybe feeling a little shaken up. He's in the Impala, driving, and presumably wants to touch base with his brother on the outcome of their separate missions that day. However, being in an awkward position, Sam can't really talk right now. Dean instantly asks if he's okay, and Sam says that he is, and to meet him at the bar in twenty minutes. He hangs up.

Random Henchman reaches the corner around which Sam was hiding, but he's already gone.

Bar. Dean makes the rendezvous before Sam. The Busty Brunette earlier seen in a car approaches him. "I gotta tell ya. Every woman in this place, they wanna eat you up."

Dean plays along with her seduction routine, although not with his usual wholehearted interest, faux-modestly remarking that anyone could have tackled that guy and wrestled the gun away, prevented mass murder.

Busty Brunette smiles, crocodile-like. "Here's what I'm going to do. Normally, I charge four hundred a night. Why don't we call it an even deuce and get the hell out of here."
Ooh, the look on his face, so offended. "What do I look like?" Being who he is, and looking the way he does, I doubt he's ever had to pay for sex in his life, and clearly has no intention of starting now.
The Busty Brunette hooker is offended in return. "What do I look like? Cheapskate."

She wiggles away in a huff. Dean watches her go, unruffled. He has other things on his mind.

Bartender Casey chuckles. "Did I just see you strike out with a prostitute? How's that work?"
"Well, I just told her I had a thing for the bartender. Pretty easy." Having been less than interested in the Busty Brunette in the first place, Dean turns his charm right back on for Casey's benefit.
"Who says the bartender's available?" Casey coos.

Dean agrees that this is a good question, and asks if she has something going with "some guy, about yay tall [amusingly, he holds his hand about four feet off the ground to indicate Richie's height – he was short, but not that short!] wears a sweat suit?"

Casey feigns ignorance. Dean brushes it off. "What do you say you and me grab a drink after your shift?"

Since he's due to meet Sam any minute now, the timing of that suggestion makes perfect sense – meet Sam, debrief on their separate missions and make solid plans, then hook up with the bartender later. However, Casey pulls her sultriest seduction routine, asking why they should wait when they could go right now. Apparently not needing much convincing, despite the fact that Sam is due to arrive at any moment, Dean leaves with her, and the middle-aged male bartender watches them go.

Office building. Trotter and his Henchman leave Trotter's office. As soon as they are out of sight, Sam whips in there and starts searching for demonic evidence of any kind. No gloves, so he's leaving his fingerprints everywhere. These boys never seem to learn. Also, for someone who just arranged to meet his brother in twenty minutes, he doesn't seem to be in much of a rush to make that appointment, no doubt figuring that Dean will wait. Was he planning at the time to leave straight away only for this opportunity to present itself? If Dean weren't otherwise occupied, he'd be worried about Sam being late, though, surely.

Sam doesn't find anything suspicious, and Henchman manages to sneak up on him and catch him right in the act. Sam's levels of stealth are right down this week. Fighting ensues, and despite being taken by surprise Sam quickly gets the better of the other man, not really holding back because he suspects him to be possessed. Bless his heart, Sam does have a tendency to get blinkered and not see outside of his immediate focus, and just automatically assumes that any bad person he meets must be possessed or otherwise influenced by supernatural evil.

Sam comes to a standstill when he feels a gun being pressed into his cheek. It's Trotter. He demands to know what Sam's doing here. Sam retorts that he thinks Trotter knows, Trotter replies that he's calling the cops, and then Sam gets flustered. That's not in the script.

"Breaking and entering? Assault? You're in a peck of trouble, my friend," Trotter tells Sam, who stumbles over an attempt at explanation, at his bumbling best, then whips into badass mode in the blink of an eye, disarming the man with ease. It's classic, quality Sam.

With Sam now holding the gun on him, Trotter backs down at speed, shouting that the money's in the safe, to just take it and go. Sam is getting more and more anxious about the obvious misidentification he's made here. "I don't want your money. I just gotta be sure."

He pulls out his little flask of holy water and splashes it over both men. Nothing. They aren't possessed. "What kind of psycho are you?" roars an indignant Trotter.

"Oh God." Sam is beyond dismayed and stumbles over an apology, minor misunderstanding…. "Um, how 'bout I just leave?" He takes the bullets, leaves the gun. Sensible, in the circumstances. "Uh…have a nice day?" Hee. Bumbling Sam is all kinds of adorable.



House. The Impala is parked outside, and Casey leads Dean down the stairs to the basement wherein Richie met his untimely end. "Looks like the maid's day off," Dean observes of the general grime and clutter.

Reaching the basement, Casey is clearly perturbed to find something missing, but tries to brush it off, tells Dean to make himself comfortable, then keeps looking around.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Dean casually remarks. "Richie was a friend of mine." His use of the past tense there is the first clue to this being a set up, and his tone hardens. "When I realised I could track the GPS in his cellphone, I swung by earlier. Gave him a proper burial. Better than rotting in some skank's basement."

Yay Dean. It kind of kills me to think of him coming here and finding Richie's body, burying his friend all alone. Of course, he's come here alone with Casey now, and Sam doesn't know where he is, which is risky. But presumably, if Sam had been able to talk earlier when Dean called, or if Sam had reached the bar before Casey proposed leaving at once, there'd have been some explanation of what he's been discovering this afternoon, and they could have planned together. As it is, he has to wing it, and his anger over Richie's death explains his willingness to make such a risky move as coming here without backup.

Enraged, Casey leaps at him – but rebounds off an invisible barrier. Dean doesn't so much as bat an eyelid. "Oops." He bends and turns back the carpet to reveal a devil's trap he painted there earlier, tsks at her. "Isn't that a buzzkill?"

I love Smart!Dean outthinking and trapping opponents like this.

"Sorry, sister, but you're going back to where you came from." Dean pulls out a little leather-bound book and turns to the appropriate page, starts to read an exorcism. It doesn't sound like the show's standard exorcism used in episodes such as Devil's Trap, but what do I know?

"I don't think so," Casey retorts in snake-like demon voice. She closes her eyes and a strong wind starts to whip up in the room. Dean tries to keep reading, but the pages start ripping out of his book, then the book itself is torn from his hand, and then the ceiling at the entrance to the cellar caves in on top of it, both robbing him of his exorcism tool and effectively trapping him. I'm only surprised the demon didn't further make the ceiling collapse on his head, to be honest.

The demon smirks, and Dean is dismayed. "What are you laughing at, bitch? You're still trapped."
"So are you," she points out. "Bitch."



A short time later. Dean lights a few candles and takes one over to the heap of rubble to see if there is any sign of his book, if it is in any way retrievable. It isn't. Demon Casey is amused and snarks happily at him about this less than promising development.

Dean is less amused. "All you demons have such smart mouths."
"It's a gift," she purrs.
"Well, let's see if you're smiling when I send your ass back to hell," he threatens.
"Without your little exorcism book?" she taunts. "Hey, go ahead."

He does indeed go ahead. Or tries to, anyway. Starts up with the Latinating several times, only to stumble to a halt. Book learning was never Dean's thing. That's what he's got Sam for. He's clearly never memorized the exorcism; no doubt never needed to.

"Nice try, but I think you just ordered a pizza," Casey mocks. "Guess you should have paid more attention in Latin class."
"I don't know what you're smiling about," Dean reminds her. "You're not going anywhere."
"And, apparently, neither are you," she points out again.
"Yeah, but I got somebody coming for me," Dean confidently states. He didn't tell Sam where he was going or why, but has absolute faith that his brother will find him anyway. "And, uh, he did pay attention in class."
"Oh, right. Sam," says Casey. "Everyone says he's the brains of the outfit."

Well, even Dean would agree with that most of the time. Sam's the intellectual; Dean's talents lie in other directions, and the expertise with which he trapped her here is proof enough of his skill. But it still stings a little to hear.

"Everyone?" He wrinkles his nose at the slur.
"Sure," Casey perks. "You Winchester boys are famous. Not Lohan famous, but you know."

Heh. That's twice now the show has had a dig at Lindsey Lohan.

"That's flattering," Dean snarks, bored of this little face-off, investigating the grated up chute which is now the only opening in the room. "I'll be sure to let Sam know."
Casey smirks. "If he shows up first. What, you thought I was flying solo? Shouldn't underestimate, Dean, it might be the death of you. You can give me hard-eyes all you want, but the fact remains we just have to wait and see who shows up first. The cavalry, or the Indians."

Bar. Sam has arrived, following his ill-fated breaking and entering routine, and is fretting over the fact that Dean isn't there waiting for him. So was Dean very early or is Sam very late? Most likely a combination of both. Sam looks very, very uncomfortable. Bars are not really his scene even when he isn't already flustered about having been caught breaking and entering, and worried about his brother not being where he is supposed to be.

Busty Brunette sits watching Sam appraisingly, and he finally notices her attention, but isn't quite sure how to react, shuffling around even more uncomfortably than ever. "You look kinda tense," she remarks. Hilariously, Sam glances around to see who she might be addressing before accepting the fact that she's talking to him. "You know, I know a sure-fire way to relax," she grins, evidently determined to drum up some custom tonight.

Sam brushes her off with a half-awkward, half-amused "maybe later" and makes a sharp exit from her locality, bustling over to the bar to ask the bartender if he's seen the guy he was with last night. "The big hero who jumped on Reggie," the bartender nods, deadpan.

"Yeah, yeah. The…big hero…right." Hee. Sam's face on repeating that description is a picture. It's always kind of galling to have to admit to your brother being any kind of a hero. Sam has had plenty of heroic moments himself, of course, but the fact of this particular matter is that it was Dean who jumped on that gunman. And bless him, Sam never quite seems to come to terms with the way that people always tend to view his highly charismatic and larger-than-life brother in one of two ways: they either take one look and think 'trouble', or go googly-eyed over the prettiness and heroism. Sometimes both. For all his size, the unassuming Sam just doesn't ever make quite the same impression on folk.

Sam asks if the bartender has seen Dean around at all today, but he's very non-committal on the subject. Realising that the man is looking for a touch of financial lubrication for his tongue, Sam is frustrated. "Does everyone around here have their hand out?" he snaps, hauling his wallet out. Heh. Sam's usually pretty quick to offer bribes; Dean's the one that generally baulks at the notion of parting with his hard-earned cash.

Accepting Sam's money, Bartender announces that Dean left with Casey about an hour ago. So, Sam really was a lot longer in those offices than he presumably expected when he said twenty minutes. Sam asks where they went – her place – and for the address.

"What's wrong with you?" Bartender smiles. "Think I'm gonna give you a co-worker's address just so you can go over there and get your freaky peeping-tom rocks off?"

Sam hands over another note. Bartender gives up the address practically in the same breath. Everyone in this town is corrupt, and that's kind of a major point of the episode. Sam turns to see Busty Brunette still eyeing him, licking at the cherry in her drink. Taking a deep breath, he walks past her and out of the bar.

Basement. Dean hauls a barrel in front of that grated up chute so he can reach higher, closer to the outside world, in hopes of getting a signal for his phone. No joy.

"Why don't you relax?" Casey scoffs, lounging comfortably on the floor.
"Why don't you kiss my ass?" snaps Dean, who really, really doesn't like demons.
"Why Dean, you're a poet," she mocks. "Look, we won't have any affect on the outcome of this, we might as well be civil."

Unable to shift the grate and make good any kind of escape, Dean turns back to her. "Civil, huh? Killing Richie, that was civil? Guy was harmless." I like that he's still angry about that, seeing her very clearly for what she is.

Casey angrily retorts that the knife Richie pulled on her wasn't so harmless, and Dean scoffs that a knife wouldn't hurt her. "No, but it would damage this body," the demon points out. "And Casey has such a fine body, I wouldn't want to see it ripped."

Demons are not usually so careful of their host bodies. Dean laughs. "A demon with a heart. Well, you know, there's a bunch of dead people in town that might disagree with you."

Casey shrugs and insists that she didn't pull any triggers; the humans did that all on their own. "You want to know what I did? What I really did? I had lunch. Me and Trotter. He had a cheeseburger, I had a salad, and I pointed out the money that could be made with a few businesses that cater to harmless vice. So Trotter built it, and man, did they come: supposedly God-fearing folk, waist-deep in booze, sex, gambling. I barely lifted a finger."

It's an intriguing notion, that all the demon had to do was stir a little at the start, a single conversation and maybe a little enabling later, and then just sat back and got on with working as a bartender while she watched the fruits of her labour unfold all around her, that the humans needed very little encouragement to self-destruct on excess. It's the reason the main mission plot of this episode is so low-key, because it's all about exploring that concept: the damage that can be inflicted by a single conversation. Words have power. The words of that exorcism would have power, if only Dean could remember them. Dean is certainly a little taken aback by what the demon is suggesting.

"You don't get it," Casey tells him. "All you've got to do is nudge humans in the right direction, some whisky here, a hooker there, and they'll walk right into hell with big fat smiles on their faces. Your kind is corrupt, Dean. Weak. Our will is stronger. That's why we'll win."

This particular demon is certainly a wholehearted and fervent believer in her own cause. She's a lot like Gordon and his friend Kubrick in that respect. Very fundamentalist. Of course, just because someone chooses to believe in something doesn't necessarily mean they are right, and certainly doesn't mean they know or understand everything.

"And that's how it ends?" Dean asks, sceptical.
"No," says the demon, zealous in her belief. "That's how it begins."

Casey's apartment. Sam knocks as he opens the door and lets himself in. That's cute. He finds the place in darkness, deserted, but tries calling for Dean anyway. Of course, there's no reply. It looks like a perfectly average apartment, filled with the clutter of someone not expecting visitors. Hee, and he steps on one of Casey's fluffy pig slippers, which oinks wheezily at him. It isn't your typical demonic lair. It's also a very nice apartment, bigger than mine, and on a bartender's wages? I'm in the wrong line of work, clearly.

Everything looks innocuous enough, until Sam finds traces of sulphur behind a photograph on the sideboard, and, understandably, freaks.

Basement. "So demons take over. I thought the meek shall inherit the earth." Now sitting across from Casey, lounging on that barrel, Dean has given in and is engaging her in theological debate. It really isn't anything approaching a frank and honest exchange of views, though: this is verbal fencing all the way, just another form of battle in this ongoing demonic war.

"Oh, according to your Bible. It's only a book, Dean," Casey shrugs.
"Not everyone would agree," is Dean's measured response.
"Because it's God's book? Do you believe in God, Dean?" the demon mocks. "I'd be surprised if you did."
Dean leans back against the wall, uncomfortable with the conversation but trying not to show it. He shrugs, non-committal. "I don't know. I'd like to."
"Well, I don't see how you and your God have done such a bang-up job," Casey continues to scoff. "War. Genocide. It's only getting worse. I mean, this past century, you people wracked up a body count that amazed even us. It's our turn now. And we're going to do it right this time."

I like the way the show always dances around the issues of religion and the existence of God, never offering anything in the way of definitive proof for or against, because that isn't the thrust of their interest – it isn't about whether or not God truly exists, it's about the faith or lack thereof of each individual, and how that impacts upon their actions and reactions. Here, Casey is reading Dean's lack of faith as a chink in his armour and is trying to strike for the jugular, to mix a metaphor. She's testing him, probing for a weakness she can exploit, while Dean is equally guarded in his responses, not wanting to give anything away.

A noise from up above draws Dean's instant attention, and saves him from having to respond. He hops to his feet and starts peering out through the grate once more. Casey continues to lounge, unruffled. "Don't be hopeful, Dean. You're not delivered. It's only the wind."

Bar. "Bobby, it's Sam," says Sam into his cellphone. "We've got a big problem. I found some sulphur, and now I can't find Dean. Call me as soon as you get this."

Oh, I can just picture Bobby's reaction on hearing that message. I mean, how many times now has he had almost the exact same message from Dean about Sam? Talk about déjà vu. I'm kind of delighted, though, because this is the first time on the show that Dean has vanished into thin air and we've followed Sam through the process of worrying and searching for him, and it was about time, really, after the many, many disappearing acts that Sam has pulled! Sam's concern now is also a nice parallel to Dean's worrying over Richie's disappearance earlier. Dean knew Richie well enough to be worried then, and Sam knows Dean more than well enough to be worried now.

Message delivered, Sam dashes to the bar to tell the Bartender that Dean and Casey weren't at the apartment. The Bartender couldn't really care less, mocks that Sam will just have to catch his jollies another night, and offers a drink to help him relax.

"I don't want to relax!" Sam snaps, which draws a lot of negative attention in his direction. This town is all about relaxation and recreation. "What is it with the people in this town?"
"Suit yourself, princess," snorts the disgusted Bartender, knocking back the drink he just poured.

Huffing his frustration and anxiety, Sam turns away from the bar, and sees Father Gil sitting nearby, holding an animated conversation with some random bartender. For all his go-it-alone impulses this season, Sam isn't really in the habit dealing with trouble completely on his own, and he needs information if he's going to find Dean. He makes a beeline for the Father and asks if he can talk to him for a second.

Basement. Dean is now pacing. That'll be the cabin fever setting in. He tells the demon that she's piling her argument pretty high, but he's not sure he's buying. He knows to be suspicious in the extreme of anything a demon says. Casey asks why she'd lie. Because demons lie, Dean points out, reasonably enough. They also twist and distort the truth for maximum effect, but he doesn't get into that. Some do, she agrees. But some are true believers. Believers in what, Dean asks.

"What, you think humans have an exclusive on a higher power?" Casey scoffs.
Dean is surprised. "You have a god?"
"Sure. His name's Lucifer," she says.
"You mean the Devil?" Dean disbelieves.

Casey points out that this is a human word, and that Lucifer actually means light-bringer. "Look it up. Once he was the most beautiful of all God's angels. But God demanded that he bow down before man, and when he refused, God banished him. Tell me, Dean – how do you like bowing before lesser creatures?"

Well, it's certainly an interesting point of view, especially compared to the general perception that demons are simply evil for the sake of being evil, that some of them at least believe themselves the righteous children of a wronged deity. It provides motive and context for the faithful among them, if nothing else.

"Lucifer's really real?" Dean continues to disbelieve.
"Well, no one's actually seen him," Casey admits. "But they say that he made us into what we are, and they say that he'll return."
"Oh yeah, and, uh – you believe that?" Dean asks.
"I've got faith," Casey serenely tells him.

That's all very Christian for this show, which has always drawn its mythology from a wide variety of cultures and religions. But it works, because the show's demon mythology has always very much been shaped by Christian culture and iconography, and it's noticeable that the existence of either God or the Devil remains inconclusive rather than definitively stated. Some humans believe in God and some don't; likewise, according to Demon Casey, some demons believe in the Devil and others don't. No one has ever seen either. Human religion, demon religion: it's all about faith, or lack thereof.

"So you see – is my kind really all that different than yours?" Casey pouts, still with the propaganda.
"Well, 'cept that, uh, demons are evil." Dean sticks to his central point.
"And humans are such a lovable bunch," Casey scoffs. "Dick Cheney!"
Dean frowns. "He one of yours?"
"Not yet, but let's just say he's got a parking spot reserved for him downstairs," Casey perks.

Heh, I guess. That joke probably means a lot more to an American audience.

Dean chuckles wryly and shakes his head. "Hey, speaking of downstairs. What's it like down there?"

The question is nonchalantly asked, his expression casual and inviting, giving nothing away, but he wouldn't be asking the question if it wasn't weighing on him. He's got ten months left.

"That's right. You booked a one-way ticket with that deal," Casey remembers. "You're not gonna like it, Dean. And, um, judging from the trouble you've caused, I don't think you'll be getting the Presidential suite."

Dean says nothing, but the bleak look in his eyes tells us everything we need to know. He's never going to say out loud that he's terrified of what he's facing. He doesn't have to.

"No, it's a pit of despair," Casey continues. "Why do you think we want to come here?"



Bar. Sam's being all bumbling and awkward again, as he fumbles his way through a conversation with Father Gil, trying to enlist his aid without saying out loud what the problem really is. He asks if Father Gil knows Casey well, and the Father smiles that he knew her when she was in pigtails. That makes their conversation the other night all kinds of disturbing, really. Which is probably the point. It's another red flag. But Sam isn't looking out for red flags right now, he's looking for help, and he trusts priests instinctively, has had good experiences with them in the past.

"Well, um, she and my brother, they, um…" Sam starts to stammer and stutter awkwardly, before finally getting out that they left together. Hee. It's all kinds of funny that he struggles to say that to a priest. Healthy respect for the church John drummed into his boys, and then when you add into that Sam's own natural prudishness, it's a recipe for embarrassment.

"Ah. Well, not that I approve, but they are consenting adults," Father Gil points out, before picking up on Sam's use of the word 'brother', since he met them when they were posing as insurance investigators. Caught out, Sam quickly backpeddles, explaining that it's a family business. Well, that's sort of like the truth, except for the insurance investigation part.

Sam gets back to the point, explaining that he went to Casey's apartment and they weren't there, and that he has a feeling they might be in trouble. Father Gil wonders what kind of trouble, which is a question Sam really can't answer. "Please, Father, I need your help," he implores, at his most sincere, asking if there's anything the Father can tell him about Casey, any place she'd go, maybe.

Yes, there is a place, Father Gil tells him. He stands to get his jacket, and Sam promptly gets even more earnest and flustered than ever. "No, I don't want to put you out. I can do this by myself."

Sam has been trying to do everything by himself all season. He's just not always all that good at it, because he's so used to having someone there to watch his back, used to having someone else's strength to lean on, and looks for that kind of support instinctively without even knowing he's doing it half the time.

"Son, if Casey is really in trouble then there's nothing to talk about." Father Gil is calm and reassuring, everything Sam has always been able to rely on in the clergy. We saw it with Father Reynolds in Houses of the Holy last season. We know that the boys were raised to rely on Pastor Jim as their first port of call in an emergency. For Sam at least, if not so much his battle-scarred brother, the trust in that dog collar comes automatically.

But as Father Gil pulls his jacket on, his back turned to the worried Sam, his eyes flash demon-black in confirmation of those subtle red flags he's been giving off all through the episode.



Basement. "Kind of funny, don't you think," Casey observes. "You and me sitting here like a couple of regular folk."
"Yeah, it's hilarious," Dean allows. "In that apocalyptic kind of way."
Casey smiles. "You're all right, Dean," she decides. He scoffs, but she's serious. "The others don't describe you that way, but you know…you're likeable."

For a demon, she's ever so earnest. Kind of like the Sam of the demon world, in that respect.

"A demon likes me. Sorry, I don't know how to respond to that," is all Dean can say. He's now lounging attractively on the floor with his back against the barrel he moved earlier. He is very, very pretty in this episode.

"You could say thanks. That deal you made to save Sam," Casey continues. "A lot of others would mock you for it, think it was weak or stupid. I don't."

Well, it figures that most demons would completely fail to comprehend why anyone would make a deal like that. I don't see 'love' as an emotion they would have any great understanding of. I very much doubt that this one understands why Dean did what he did, or what it truly meant to him. Her respect, such as it is, comes from a different place entirely. She may not understand love as it means to humans, but she does understand devotion, at least as it pertains to demons. Plus, of course, as we will shortly learn, Dean's sacrifice to save Sam means a lot to her personally, in terms of the cause she herself is committed to.

"It's been kind of liberating, actually," Dean admits at length. "You know, what's the point worrying about a future, when you don't have one, huh?"

It's always easier to say things like this to a stranger, someone you never have to see again, than to those you are closest to. He can't talk about the deal with Sam, not when the deal was for Sam. Too many intense and conflicting emotions involved for them both.

"Still, a year to live," Casey points out, deadly serious. Curious, maybe. Such a zealot in her own faith, she seems interested in her human opponents, wants to understand what makes them tick. Plus, of course, probing this issue is a good way of trying to throw Dean off-balance. "You're not scared?"
"Nah," Dean denies.
"Not even a little?" she presses.
"Course not," he insists, but his breathing has quickened, and the fear is there, in his eyes. It's really nicely played. He'll deny it till he's blue in the face, even to himself, but denial doesn't make the fear go away.



Car. Father Gil drives, with Sam in the passenger seat. "So, insurance investigating," Father Gil remarks, conversationally. "You enjoy the work?"

Well, that's kind of an awkward question, really. Taken aback at being questioned on his fake line of work, Sam evades that he likes being able to help people. Father Gil wonders if he's ever thought about doing anything else. Like what, Sam wonders.

"Anything," Father Gil says. "You seem like a pretty smart kid. Somehow I see you out in front of the pack. You can do some great things."

Oh, that's really cleverly written, because it sounds so innocuous, and yet we already know that he's a demon and thus has all kinds of hidden meaning in there. He knows who Sam is, that Sam was intended as the leader of the Yellow-Eyed Demon's army. We will learn later that this was one of the demons more than willing to fall into line and follow Sam's lead – would still be willing to follow Sam's lead, if only he chose their side. It's all kinds of a leading question, and Sam is all innocence, has no idea what the man is insinuating.

"I don't know," Sam hedges. "I like doing what I'm doing, I guess."

Toward the end of season one Sam still wanted to just kill the Yellow-Eyed Demon and then walk away, get on with his life back at law school. So much has changed since then. I don't think he even thinks about a life outside of hunting any more. After John's death he committed himself to the job for his father's sake, trying out of guilt and grief to be the son he believed John wanted him to be. But as early in season two as The Usual Suspects he seemed to have become completely at peace with his chosen way of life as his, not even questioning it any more. This is what he does, end of story. And now, of course, he couldn't walk away even if he wanted to, not with a demonic war afoot, his own personal demon stalkers dogging his every step, and Dean's life slowly counting down.

"Well," Father Gil smiles. "It's your life. Does, um…Dean? Does he find trouble often?"
Sam chuckles. "Yeah. Yeah, Dean finds his fair share."
"It's a good thing he has you," Father Gil remarks. "His brother's keeper."

Sam offers a tight smile and stays quiet, doesn't go into any detail about how often each of them gets into trouble and relies on the other to save him, about how reciprocal the trouble-finding and brother-saving is. As far as he's concerned, Father Gil remains an innocent outsider, and the less he knows the better. Their complicated family history of tragedy and sacrifice is private and personal. But, of course, viewers are well aware of just how sinister the Father's innocuous sounding comments truly are.

Basement. Casey reclines languidly in the devil's trap, showing off her host body to full effect. Dean, sitting nearby, doesn't really have anything else to look at.

Casey smirks. "My, Dean. If I didn't know better, I'd say that was lust in your eyes. Well, it would be one way to spend the time. But I don't think you'd respect me in the morning."
"That's okay," Dean snarks. "I mean, hey – I barely respect you now."

There's a comfortable air to the banter now, after the hostility earlier. She's a demon and he's a hunter, but they've been trapped together for quite some time now, sounding each other out and getting to know one another. Stockholm syndrome. This episode is about the power a single conversation can hold, the power of words.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Dean asks.
"I'm an open book," Casey readily replies.
"So the gate opened," Dean begins. "The demon army was let out. What now? Huh? I'm not seeing a big honking plan here."
"Honestly? There was a plan," Casey tells him. "Azazel was a tyrant, but he held us all together."

Eh, there was so, so much speculation within the fandom after John used the sigil of Azazel to summon Yellow-Eyed in In My Time Of Dying, and now here we have confirmation of the Demon's identity. I suppose they had to provide him with a definitive identity sooner or later. I never really read up on that speculation, though, or on the mythology, so remain a blank slate. The show can present its own take on the mythology surrounding Azazel anyhow it wants, and I'll be none the wiser.

"Azazel?" Dean queries.
Casey sits up to face him properly. "What, you think his friends just called him 'Yellow-Eyes'? He had a name. After you did him in, it all fell apart."
"Sorry 'bout that," Dean shrugs, unrepentant. "So, what, no chain of command?"
"There was." Casey looks him straight in the eyes. "It was Sam."

Dean freezes. He knew Yellow-Eyes had big plans for Sam. But hearing this confirmation of it? That's alarming. It's evidence of just how terrible a fate his brother was spared by Yellow-Eyes' destruction, but also evidence of an intended destiny that isn't necessarily over.

Casey continues to lay out Yellow-Eyes' intention for Sam to lead his demon army. "He hasn't exactly stepped up to the plate, has he?" she summarises.

"Thank God for that," Dean sincerely rejoices. Save him or kill him was the injunction laid on him last season, and now he knows in full just what he saved Sam from, and why he'd have had to kill him if he failed. It's got to be a chilling thought. Add to that Yellow-Eyes' insinuations about whether Sam came back 100% Sam, and the fact that he and Sam both now know that there was never any 'evil' switch in the head to be flipped, that the special children bending to the Demon's will was always an active choice that they had to make, that maybe Sam could still make…well, the seeds of concern already niggling away at him are being well fed by this conversation.

Casey laughs bitterly. "Again with God. You think this is a good thing? Now you've got chaos, a war without a front, hundreds of demons all jockeying for power, all fighting for the crown – most of them gunning for your brother. For the record, I was ready to follow Sam."

She's a true believer in the cause. There isn't much doubt that she'd still follow Sam if he chose to lead. Conversely, in The Magnificent Seven we saw Pride scoffing at the notion of Sam as the boy-king. Just two representatives of the hundreds of demons now left leaderless, every bit as fragmented as we've already seen the hunting 'community' to be. A war without a front indeed – with Yellow-Eyes gone, and his chosen general rejecting the role laid down for him, the demons have no common purpose to bind them together. It makes them harder to fight, whereas if they had a strong leader to unite them, at least the hunters of the world would have an idea where to direct their forces, however devastating the demonic army might then be. Which is the lesser of two evils? From the Winchester perspective, any scenario that doesn't involve an evil Sam has to be the preferred option, over and above any other consideration!

Listening to what Casey has to say, Dean is deeply troubled. The power of a single conversation – she's already told him that this is what she does, that she uses words to nudge humans in the direction she wants them to go, then sits back and watches the consequences unfold. There's little doubt that she is absolutely sincere in what she is telling him – or, at least, that she believes what she is telling him, no matter what the truth of the matter might be beyond her comprehension of it. But, in effect, it doesn't matter how much actual truth is in her words – they have power in and of themselves. Dean has grown comfortable in her presence, dropped his guard, is listening to what she has to say, and what she is suggesting can't help but have an impact on him, true or not. It's the implication that matters here. Food for thought indeed.

And now I wonder again about the powers Sam is so certain he no longer has. He believes those powers were intrinsically linked to the Yellow-Eyed Demon, and died when he did. Ruby, however, seems to believe that the potential Yellow-Eyes picked out – or perhaps instilled – in Sam is still there, dormant, ready and waiting to be tapped. Casey here appears to be thinking along much the same lines – the reason Sam isn't leading the demon army is because he chose not to, not because he has no powers and therefore isn't able. So who is right and who is wrong? Does Sam still have his powers, buried someplace deep inside, or doesn't he? In a sense it doesn't matter, because that isn't what this episode is about. It isn't about what's true: it's about what people do or don't believe, and the damaging, manipulative power of words

House. Father Gil's car pulls up outside, not far from where the Impala sits as evidence that Dean is here somewhere. Sam gets out of the car and immediately starts shouting for his brother.

Down in the basement, Dean hears Sam calling. "Looks like you win," Casey serenely remarks as he scrambles to his feet and clambers up onto his barrel to reach the grate once more. Behind him, Casey looks smug. She knows her fellow demon is there also.

Outside, Sam is hammering on the door, but of course gets no response. He tells Father Gil to check one way while he goes the other, but doesn't look back to see that the Father has not complied. Around the side of the house, Sam hears Dean calling and locates the grate, Dean explaining about the basement caving in. Sam reassures him that "we're coming," and Dean immediately wonders who 'we' is. Sam explains that he's here with the Father, and Dean's head snaps around to look at Casey, smug and serene.

"Sammy, be careful," warns Dean, realising that this isn't good. To his credit, Sam instantly puts two and two together and pulls his flask of holy water out as he very cautiously heads back around to the front door, where he finds Father Gil standing in the exact spot where he left him, making no attempt to join the search.

Father Gil reveals his demon-black eyes to Sam, just for a moment, confirmation of his true identity. He takes a step forward…and then a gunshot rings out, the bullet zipping past the Father and hitting a statue in the garden.

It's Bobby, with the Colt. Heh. Either Bobby's aim isn't so good, or there really is a problem with the sights on that thing. Jury's still out on that one, the evidence being circumstantial as it is. Father Gil lifts a hand, and Bobby goes flying through the air with a shout to land heavily on the ground some distance away. Sam barely has time to take one step before he too is flung, landing hard on the windshield of the Father's car. Then, with both opponents temporarily downed, Father Gil breaks the door down and heads into the house. Casey's reinforcement arrives first.

Sam groggily rolls off the car, and goes over to Bobby, who is having a harder time getting back up. Sam starts to ask how the older man knew where they were, but Bobby just presses the Colt into his hands and tells him to go. Priorities. Dean now has two demons to deal with, and is still trapped.

Nonplussed, Sam takes the gun and turns to see Ruby standing by Bobby's car, smirking. "You heard the man – go," she chirps.

So…Bobby really worked with Ruby? Willingly? Travelled all the way here with her? That doesn't sound like Bobby, whose mistrust of all things demonic has always been so immense. This is the man who spikes his beer with holy water! There's a whole story here that we aren't being told, and I'm curious to know just what Ruby said to convince him, beyond the whole deal about fixing the Colt – powerful inducement though that undoubtedly would have been; the whole Eve-trip, temptation, seems to be Ruby's thing. I'd also like to know just how awkward their journey here together was. The power of a single conversation, huh. Or is this simply an instance of the character following the plot, rather than the plot following the character, unusual though that generally is for this show?

Basement. Since he possesses demonic strength, Father Gil has no trouble breaking through the mound of rubble and gaining entrance. Completely trapped and defenceless, Dean can only stand and wait, tries to rush the man when he finally steps through, only to get tossed heavily to the ground for his trouble. There's a lot of tossing in this episode.

Father Gil then turns to Casey, who belatedly but just in time remembers to warn him about the devil's trap. That amuses me: that she'd actually forgotten about the trap, in the heat of the moment. Father Gil bends and brings his fist down on the ground hard. With a crackle of red energy, a small fissure opens up in the ground, just big enough to break the circle and destroy the trap. Freed, Casey holds out her hands, and he steps forward into her embrace, right in the centre of the now defunct trap.

Dean clambers back to his feet and regards the snoggage with some bemusement. "You two?"
"For centuries," says Father Gil. "We've been to hell and back. Literally."

Well, the signs were there earlier. It's slightly less disturbing when you know that these are partner demons who are more interested in what's inside than the packaging, rather than a middle-aged priest and a young girl he's known since childhood.

Father Gil grabs Dean by the throat and squeezes, lifting him clean off the floor. Heh. Getting throttled is usually Sam's thing, but it's good to share, I suppose. Then, in something of a drastic turnaround for the demons on this show, Casey actually pleads for Dean's life. "Don't kill him, let's just go. Please." And she looks genuinely quite distressed that her partner clearly doesn't intend to let go until his victim is dead. It seems she really meant it when she said she found Dean likeable. Doesn't make her any less evil, of course. For all her speechifying about how easy it was to corrupt the humans in this town, she was still the one who did it, and enjoyed it. Any mass murderer can make believe in their own virtue by the sparing of a single victim here and there, on a whim, and it's easy to see why Dean, with his situation and connections, would intrigue her.

Casey's desire for mercy notwithstanding, Father Gil continues to throttle Dean, whose feet kick ineffectually about a foot off the ground, and then – bang! Sam and the Colt shoot the Father clean through the heart. Nothing wrong with the sights on that thing now – maybe it is Bobby's aim after all!

Released, Dean crashes to the ground, while red fire crackles as the demon dies. It is markedly different than the previous effect used for the demonic death caused by the Colt, and also markedly similar to the effect of Ruby's demon-killing blade. That suggests that whatever Ruby did is not the same demon-killing mojo that Samuel Colt originally instilled in his special gun: his mojo was devised by man, at least as far as we know, whereas this comes from a demonic source. I wonder if that will mean anything in the long run, the 'impurity' of the source? I also wonder if she has ways of sabotaging it at all, or at least or preventing it working on her. From the hunters' point of view, right here and now, any weapon that can be used effectively against a demon in the height of battle is enormously valuable, since, the Colt and Ruby's knife aside, destroying demons is all but impossible and exorcisms often so difficult to successfully achieve.

Then again, The Magnificent Seven drew a very clear dividing line between the ruthless, who care only about the destruction of their enemy, whatever the collateral damage, and the merciful, who make every effort to prevent human loss of life in the fighting of their battles. There can be little doubt that the ongoing and escalating demon war will blur that line more and more as the season progresses.

I'm not really sure what to think about the Colt being rebooted with such apparent ease, especially since this reboot happened off-screen and we know so little about the details. In some respects it seems like something of a cheat to just tell us it now works again, rather than showing us the effort invested into finding the secret, especially after seeing Bobby and Dean working so hard on it earlier. The fact that the usefulness of the gun was limited to the few magic bullets that remained has always been so important to the mythology of the show. I'd like to be given some more information regarding just what Ruby actually showed or taught Bobby, the better to understand what kind of practical application and limitations the Colt now has.

Based on my understanding of the Colt and how it works, I'm going to assume what Ruby provided was the secret of how to make the special demon-killing bullets that provide the Colt with its mojo. So does this mean that the Colt now has an unlimited shelf life, for as long as either Bobby or the boys, assuming he shares the secret with them, are able to produce these bullets? Will we get to see them casting magic bullets in the future, in addition to the weapons maintenance we already witness so regularly? Or did Ruby provide a certain number of bullets but not the secret of how to make them? I wouldn't put it past her to set limits on what she's prepared to offer, because that way she retains power over both the weapon and the hunters who use it. It's important to know, because it will affect the way the gun is used. Having limited ammunition up till now meant that its use had to be rationed extremely carefully, and unlimited application could make use of the gun a lot more wanton, thus reducing the aura of mystique it has always carried – not to mention coming hand-in-hand with implications regarding the killing of human hosts. I hope future episodes address some of these issues!

I'd also very much like to see Dean's reaction to the news that it was Ruby who helped Bobby get the Colt back up and running, given how heavily he came down on Sam just for talking to her.

On the floor, Dean looks up just in time to see Sam turn his aim on Casey, and just has time to yell, "Sam, wait!" before Sam fires. Another direct hit, and Casey also expires in a crackle of red fire.



It kind of kills me that Dean wanted to stop and talk about it, rather than just shoot first and ask questions later, almost a reversal of his usual impulse and instinct. Whose life was he asking for there? The demon he sort of bonded with a little while they were trapped together, no longer considering her a serious threat to his life, whatever the truth of the matter? Or the girl she was possessing, if there was some way of trapping again and exorcising the demon without taking her life? Is the more labour-intensive method of exorcising a demon back to hell preferable to destroying it entirely, particularly where human life is at stake? Where should the line be drawn between ruthlessness and mercy, frequently with only a split second to decide? I suspect that this season will explore that question many times.

Dean looks up to see Sam's face in the aftermath of his little killing spree. He looks stricken, but resolved. He's been frightened for his brother's life ever since finding that sulphur at Casey's place, and Dean is all he's got. He blames himself for these demons being released into the world in the first place. This was a conscious choice that he made, to take out both demons immediately, while he had the chance, before they could inflict any more damage. Would Dean himself have done any different if the positions were reversed? This is the truly intriguing aspect of this season, because, with the circumstances being what they are, there doesn't have to be anything wrong with or different about Sam at all for others to question his choices and decisions. It's all about perception, about understanding and misunderstanding, communication and the lack thereof, the power of a few well-chosen words to twist and corrupt thoughts and opinions.

The corpses of Father Gil and Casey lie side by side in the middle of the devil's trap, in a pool of blood. There's an interesting little scenario for the cops to puzzle over.

Next day, presumably. Bobby and Dean pedeconference across a random street in Elizabethsville.

"Well, what do you think, Bobby? About what we did here? You think it made a difference?" Dean wonders.
"Two less demons to worry about. That's not nothing," is Bobby's measured response.

Dean points out that Trotter's still alive, and Bobby points out back at him that humans aren't their job. This is an issue that comes up regularly in the show, and one they've never really found any solution to because there is no solution within their scope. Humans aren't their job, but human evil is something they inevitably run across time and again, and you can see where it would be disheartening.

"Yeah, but you think anything's really going to change? I mean, maybe these people really do just want to destroy themselves." Dean sounds despondent. "Maybe it is a losing battle."
"Is that you or that demon girl talking?" asks Bobby, placing a reassuring hand against the small of his back, just for a moment. Physical contact can be a valuable tool of comfort and support, and it's one that Sam very rarely employs, touching only if he has a point to make, almost never as a gesture of reassurance or affection. That's more Dean's methodology. It's nice to see someone else making the gesture for his benefit. I love the relationship that's developed between Dean and Bobby so much.

"Oh, it's me," Dean sighs, uncomfortable with the outcome of this job, as he always tends to be when there are grey areas left unresolved. "Demon is dead. So's that hot girl it was possessing."

There it is again, that concern for what is and isn't acceptable in terms of collateral damage in this war they are trying to fight, concern over the blurring of moral boundaries and the lines that necessity sometimes forces them to cross. Four episodes into the season and that issue has already been touched on several times. Also, Dean's doubts and fears might be all his own – but that conversation with the demon certainly added fuel to the fire, whether he admits it or not.

"Well, had to be done," Bobby says, the voice of practicality. "Sam was saving your life."
"Yeah, but you didn't see it, Bobby. It was cold," Dean frets. He stops, turns to look Bobby in the eye. "Back in Wyoming. Uh… There was this moment. Yellow-Eyes said something to me."
Bobby frowns a little, recognising that Dean is trying to tell him something important here. "What did he say?"
Dean shuffles and hesitates for a moment, before spitting it out. "That maybe when Sam came back from…wherever. That…maybe he came back different."
"Different how?" Bobby presses.
"I don't know," Dean admits. "Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. You think…you think something's wrong with my brother?"

It's a pretty big step for Dean that he's sharing this with Bobby, asking for reassurance. Dean will and does open up to people, sure, but not usually about something like this, not with someone this close, and he never usually asks for anything back. He's not one for sharing his burdens if he can possibly help it. But this is important, Dean only has ten months left, and he trusts Bobby. And he's looking for reassurance from an outside source in a way that he very rarely does.

The two men look one another in the eye for a long moment, thinking hard on the question that Dean just asked, and weighing it up against the Sam that they know and love.

"Nah," Bobby dismisses at length. "Demons lie. I'm sure Sam's okay."
Dean looks away. "Yeah. Yeah, me too."

But neither looks entirely convinced, however much they'd like to reassure one another and move on, forget the issue was ever raised. Again, there doesn't have to be anything wrong with Sam at all for others to question his every action and decision, now that the seed of doubt has been planted. He's been through a lot, and that has inevitably hardened him, but those closest to him, who know about his intended destiny, can't help but worry, knowing what they do. And of course, those on the outside, such as Gordon, lacking full disclosure, are all the more inclined to believe the worst. The more the demons' fascination with Sam as their intended leader reveals itself, the more doubts and fears will attach themselves to him, without his actually having to do anything at all to incite them. Add to that the fact that Sam's circumstances don't exactly allow him to be passive, and you've got a recipe for doubts and suspicions, whether minor or major.

Yep, there's a storm coming, all right. Just as the main tension of last season was drawn from the simple fact of not knowing what the true danger was, so the main tension of this season thus far derives from doubts and possibilities, rather than fact and knowledge. It's the vague murkiness of the implications that make them so dangerous, in so many ways.

Motel. Sam enters the room alone and slings his bag onto the bed, starts stuffing clothes into it ready to get out of town. I daresay, what with the breaking and entering followed by his intense interest in Casey's whereabouts, followed his shooting dead of both her and Father Gil, he really can't afford to stick around any longer than absolutely necessary.

The door opens and Ruby wanders in uninvited. "Leaving so soon?" She purrs the cliché. "We haven't even had a chance to celebrate."

Sam looks miserable and trapped. He can't escape this girl, not while she's offering something he wants, and maybe not even without that temptation. He was the Yellow-Eyed Demon's chosen child, and it is becoming clearer by the episode that this legacy is not going to go away just because Yellow-Eyes himself is gone. He tells Ruby she can celebrate without him, clearly not seeing any cause for celebration here.

"You're not going to get all pouty on me, are you?" Ruby mocks. "Come on! You killed two demons today!"
"Yeah, well maybe you don't care, but I killed two humans, too," Sam points out.

I'm always glad that our boys do not take the taking of human life lightly. Bobby doesn't usually, either, which was why it surprised me that he shot Ruby earlier. That the killing of Casey and Father Gil is weighing heavily on Sam is something Dean would benefit from knowing. He has to know already, deep down, because he knows his brother so very well, but those doubts are niggling at him, and having Sam bring that remorse to him for comfort would be all kinds of reassuring. Big brother making everything better is the role Dean is most comfortable in. But Sam's modus operandi this season is to not burden his brother with any of his troubles, and that includes guilt over killing the human hosts of two demons to save Dean's life.

How far would Sam be willing to go to save Dean from his deal with the Crossroads Demon? We're starting to be given answers to that question. He took no chances at all today.

Ruby harshly tells Sam that he knows what happens when demons possess people. "Chances are those two would have died a slow, sticky death."

Maybe, but not all possessed humans end up dead – Sam himself has been possessed and survived none the worse for wear. So it isn't a wholly convincing argument.

"You probably did them a favour," Ruby chirps.
"Did them a favour?" Sam disbelieves. "You're a cold bitch, you know that?"
"Yeah, and this cold bitch has saved your ass a couple of times now," Ruby points out, as Sam turns back to his packing, and quietly picks up the Colt. "Some respect might be nice. Specially if you want me to help you out with Dean and his little problem."
"You know, you keep dangling that, but last I checked Dean's still going to hell," Sam angrily retorts, beyond tired of her little games.
"Everything in its own time, Sam," Ruby calmly responds. It isn't in her interest to provide any kind of solution any time soon. There are still ten months to play with, and she needs that bait to keep Sam on the hook. "There's a quid pro quo here. We're in a war."
"Right. But for some reason you're fighting on our team," Sam sceptically observes. "Now tell me, why is that again?"
"Go screw yourself, that's why." Ruby channels Agent Henrickson, and I wonder if the writers noticed they were recycling that line or not.

There are all kinds of motivations that could be driving Ruby right now, and they are all intriguing to consider. If all those newly released demons are jockeying for position and power among themselves, in the absence of the Yellow-Eyed Demon to enforce his will, then aiding and abetting the enemy like this is as good a way as any to thin the herd, weed out some of the competition. Then if Sam ceases to prove useful to her, she can just turn against him at any time, in a variety of ways – after all, all she has to do is make it known among an already suspicious hunting community that Sam has been knowingly cooperating with a demon. Job done – words have power, after all, and mud sticks, as Sam has already found to his cost. But if she can tempt Sam over enough moral lines, seduce him to the dark side, persuade him to maybe take up the reigns of his generalship over the demon army, then she will be ideally positioned to serve as his lieutenant, thus bolstering her own power and position within the demon hierarchy. Win-win, from her point of view.

"I don't have to justify my actions to you, Sam," she snaps. "If you don't want my help, fine. Then give me the gun, and I'll pass it on to someone who can use it."
"Maybe I'll just use it on you." Sam levels the gun at her chest, grim.
Ruby shrugs. "Go ahead, if that makes you happy. It's not going to do much for Dean, though."

And therein lies the rub. Sam wants her out of his life, wants an end to all demonic interest in him, wants it all to just be over already…but he wants a way to save Dean more.

Sam pulls the gun away, disarms, and Ruby smirks. "That's my boy." This episode is about the power of a single conversation, the power of words. Ruby has yet to supply any proof at all that she can back up her words with actions and come good on her offer to help Sam save Dean, but the possibility alone of what she's offering has Sam hooked, because he dare not take the risk of turning her down. What if this vague possibility she's dangling before him is the only chance he ever gets? How can he turn it down when Dean so willingly sacrificed his own soul for Sam's sake and even now is staring at the prospect of eternity in hell without wavering in the slightest? If Dean sold his soul to hell for Sam's sake, how can Sam not be willing to tarnish his for Dean's? He's incredibly vulnerable right now, and Ruby knows it, is exploiting that fact for all she's worth. So just how far down a very dark road can she influence him without ever having to come good on her promise, always holding that hazy hope just out of Sam's reach, without Dean even knowing that he's being held hostage in this way? How long before Ruby suggests that if only Sam took his place as leader of the demons, he could gain power over the Crossroads Demon herself? And what might Dean do if and when he found out?

This won't be easy, Sam," Ruby warns, laying out the terms of their agreement, just what she expects from him in exchange for the vague promise of a solution for Dean – a solution Dean has already told him not to seek, especially not from her. "You're going to have to do things that go against that gentle nature of yours. There'll be collateral damage. But it has to be done."

And all of those terms are just more reasons Sam can't tell Dean about any of this: actions that go against Sam's nature, collateral damage? Dean would be absolutely horrified. He's already worried about his brother, but unable to share that concern with him, both of them keeping secrets that can only hurt them in the long run.

"Well, I don't have to like it," Sam grits. She's laid out her terms, told him how dark is the path that he's expected to walk, and he isn't saying no.
"No," Ruby agrees. "You wouldn't be Sam if you did. But, on the bright side – I'll be there with you. A little fallen angel on your shoulder."

With his back to her, Sam's misery at the prospect is written all over his face – misery mingled with resignation. He's already agreed, taken the bait. He's committed, can't back out now. Damn, but he's in a dangerous position right now, standing at the head of a very slippery slope, and he knows it, and man, this storyline has so much potential for awesomeness and for going to dark and terrifying places down the track. How many lines is Sam willing to cross for Dean's sake? How far will he be willing to corrupt himself, and what sacrifices will he be prepared to make? How far is too far, and what price will be too high to pay? Where does he draw the line? How long will he be able to keep it all a secret from Dean? Then factor in the other hunters and demons out there, each working to their own agendas and drawing their own conclusions, and consider how ugly this could get before it all works itself out. Awesome.


October 2007

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