'The Things They Carried' -- SPN 10x16

Warning: Spoiler Alert

You know, the more this season goes on, the more I'm thinking that I'm really not going to be able to make it to the end of the season (and certainly not into the next season). As much as I have been wanting to shake the hell out of the writers and the characters of Show in the past few seasons, the more that this season has been going on, the less that I've been caring about what's been happening.

I'm sure that we were supposed to see a correlation between Dean and Cole in this episode, but all I wanted to do was to keep hitting the guy upside the head ... not so much for anything that he did in this episode (since, who wouldn't want to make sure that their friend was all right), but more from stuff that has happened in previous episodes that has made me not like him all that much now (regardless of what he may, or may not be doing).

It also seemed like the writers were trying to tell us (in a rather ham-fisted sort of way) that when Dean finally goes crazy from the Mark, Sam is going to have to kill him, cuz he'll have no other choice.

Speaking of Sam, since when is Dean ok with anyone else calling Sam "Sammy boy"? He nearly sliced someone else for doing the same thing a few seasons back. Maybe that's supposed to be a clue about just how far Dean's gone? Who knows.

'The Executioner's Song' -- SPN 10x14

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Well, that didn't last anywhere as long as I was expecting. I figured that the fight with Cain might have lasted a bit longer than it did ... but I don't know why I'm surprised, since this is SPN (they're all about the build up, and not much about the execution). It would have been all manner of better if it felt like Cain was actually putting up a fight against Dean, since he reportedly was now not wanting to die (and wanted to get rid of all of those who were his descendants). If that's not what was really going on ... if he was still tired and really wanted to die ... the writers should have backed that up a little bit more, instead of having him go through all the trouble of putting up a fight, and then, just letting Dean finish him off. The whole thing was so very disappointing.

So, now, we're supposed to think that there really isn't any way that Dean isn't going to turn into a killer? That cuz of the life that they lead (killing monsters and whatnot) that he will never really ever be safe from the Mark (since Cain only really was able to be chill for so long cuz he had ditched the First Blade, and stopped doing pretty much anything at all ... only trying to live his life off the radar). But since there isn't much chance of Dean giving up the fight, since that's not what he's about (even when he tried, he was miserable, and he practically ran back into it when he realized that Sam was still alive), he's probably always going to be a danger to himself and everyone else that he's around.

I am glad, however, that Cas is now the one who knows where the First Blade is hidden, instead of Crowley. While Crowley is good for a laugh or two (or at least he was until his mom came into the picture), having to go to him to get the Blade if they needed it wasn't something that was entirely ideal ... besides the fact that having it in the possession of the King of Hell isn't something that seems like they should be ok with, since he can use it against them (even if he is a complete fanboy, and wants to hang out with them as much as he possibly can).

The whole thing with the Grand Coven seems like it might be something that would be interesting, and I wish that the writers would start going in that direction, instead of staying on the thing with the Mark. Dean becoming emo over the Mark isn't as entertaining as they may think that it is. I liked him much better when he was woobie, and not so much now that he's all about being emo.

'Halt & Catch Fire' -- SPN 10x13

Warning: Spoiler Alert

So, it looks like Dean is going to go the route of trying to live with the Mark, instead of constantly trying to get rid of it. I think that would be great, if it wasn't something that probably wasn't going to be a constant struggle for him to accomplish ... but he may do a better job of keeping it under control than Sammy would; maybe the way to make sure that the Mark doesn't make someone go completely out of control is to make sure that the person who has it is already someone who is beating themselves up over something, and is someone who already knows what it is to struggle with something. Maybe you need to be someone who isn't well adjusted to make the struggle work? Yeah, he's already gone all dark side with it, but maybe that was only cuz he had died and the thing brought him back (so he came back a demon, instead of himself).

I wonder if the writer of this episode thought s/he was being clever by making the initials for the fraternity be "STD"? Maybe it was just me, but the joke seemed incredibly juvenile and not funny. Far too much in the way of "college humor," as it were ... but maybe that was the point (seeing as how the episode spent so much time on a college campus). Still, I had the feeling that we were supposed to find more humor in it than I did (which was pretty much none at all).

And this whole, "Dean doesn't know anything about modern technology" trope that they've been riding for a while now is getting kind of old. Dean may not be as tech savvy as Sammy is, but there are things that he should know about (like that nothing can really be deleted off the internet (especially that one, since they use the internet for research so very, very much), or whatever the writers happen to be calling Siri in the show, since you don't have to be using a particular brand of phone to know about phone aps that can speak to). Also, I guess we're going back to the trope of having Dean being the one who eats all the time, while Sam just sits there and watches him do it? That one is getting kind of old as well, especially when they have Jensen kind of go over the top with it, and have noodles hanging out of his mouth.

It looks like we're going to see the return of Cain in the next episode, and I'm actually pretty happy about that. But with Dean seeming to come to terms with the idea of having the Mark, I'm not completely sure that we're going to see the end of the love affair that is Dean and the Mark. I'm getting the feeling that Dean is going to see Cain go kind of crazy with the return of the First Blade, and he's going to decide that maybe it's time to keep good on his promise to kill Cain when he had the chance (so, he'll end up having to keep the Mark, unless he wants to curse some poor sucker the same way that he was). So, yeah, I get the feeling that the writers are going to take Cain and the ability to get rid of the Mark out of the equation.

Kind of makes me wonder what would have happened if Dean had become the vessel for Michael. Would he be able to even have the Mark if Michael was riding him? Probably not (and he probably wouldn't have even needed the Mark in the first place if Michael was there ... but then, that would mean that he was stuck in the Pit with Lu and Michael, the way that Adam is), but it would have been kind of interesting to see the conflict that would have come about from something like that.

'About a Boy' -- SPN 10x12

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Yeah, I'm getting the impression more and more that we aren't going to see the end of the Mark as far as Dean is concerned. It's looking like he's just going to have to keep it around ... until he can somehow figure out someone else to give it to (the way that Cain did), but that it will likely remain with him for a long, long time ... and that he may end up living longer than he has any right to (and not just cuz of the kind of life that he leads).

When he showed Sam that the Mark wasn't on his arm anymore once he had been turned into a teenager, and they tried to make it seem like there might be a chance that the boys would think about Dean remaining a teen so he didn't have to have it anymore, the writers didn't do well enough with that. It's not just a foregone conclusion that they were going to bring back Jensen, but if the writers had done a better job, it might have at least appeared that they were actually considering having the change be permanent. Hell, they could have even left Dean a teenager until next episode to try to make it look like they were really thinking about it, but that would mean that the show did something that wasn't a complete Kripke move.

And the thing that is bothering me about this episode: if their clothes fell to the ground (and were left behind) when they were turned into teens), that would mean that they were transported to the witch's house naked, right? And Hansel probably had to dress them again in clothes that would now fit them, right? That's kind of ick enough as it is (especially when you're thinking that he had to do it for what was now, essentially, a teenage girl), but what I am really wondering (since I don't want to consider that other part too much) is why teen!Dean's clothes still fit Jensen!Dean? The jacket was a little short in the arms, but they should have been a lot more tight on him than they were. That may have been kind of awkward in the jean region, but all they would have to do would be to hide Jensen behind some furniture after the action slowed down, and then, have the boys have their little talk with Tina outside after Sam was able to find some bigger clothes (probably something worn by Hansel) for Dean to change into. Yes, this is the sort of thing that my brain latches onto and wants to make sense out of, even though I know that I shouldn't be worrying about it where genre television is concerned.

Another mention of the Grand Coven ... and from someone other than from Crowley's mom. I have the feeling that the writers are going to be making the attempt to try for something kind of big where the Grand Coven is involved, but I'm not really holding my breath that it's going to be anything close to as awesome as what it could be. I'm kind of hoping that the boys will have to ally themselves with the Grand Coven to deal with Crowley's mom, and that we won't be seeing her anymore after the end of the season. I doubt that they're going to make a serious move against Crowley, however. They might make the motions, but the boys (Dean specifically) will probably do something to protect him.

But the fact that the Grand Coven has a problem with Crowley's mom, but not with the witch that captured Hansel and Gretel (and who continues to kill and eat people) makes me wonder about them. Crowley's mom made it sound like they weren't cool with hurting people, and we've seen witches before that have been at least good enough people that they weren't willing to hurt others (even if they have been kind of questionable when it comes to some of their other morals), so I'm not entirely sure about them (or if the writers are being entirely consistent where they are involved).

'There's No Place Like Home' -- SPN 10x11

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'm freaking out! This was the best episode that Show has had in a long, long time ... like in a "I can't even remember how long" amount of time. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if a lot of it had to do with the addition of Felicia Day. The last episode with her wasn't all that great, but I think that a log of that one had to do with the fact that that particular episode felt more like a flashback one, and no one else really seemed to be trying to bring their A game to it. So, maybe it also had to do with the fact that the boys were actually trying in this episode, rather than just phoning it in.

Oz time is different than our own, huh? So, I guess that kind of makes it like faerie? I think that may be what's going on here ... even if the writers aren't necessarily aware that that's what they're trying to say (and just trying to give themselves an excuse as to why someone who should be dead is still alive (I have long since given up hope that the writers of Show are at all aware of the implications that they may have been putting into Show)).

I'm getting the feeling more and more that we aren't actually ever going to see Dean get rid of the Mark ... and that we might also find out that it has somehow messed with the longevity of his life. With the addition of "ZOMG! OZ TOTES RUNS ON DIFFERENT TIME," and the fact that they mentioned how Cain had it for so long before figuring out how to deal with it so that he didn't try to kill everyone that he came into contact with, it makes me think that they might be saying that Dean is kind of doomed to roam the world without ever figuring out how to get rid of the Mark ... or at least, he'll be doomed to live a whole lot longer than he ever was meant to, and he'll end up just as tired as Cain was when he gave over the Mark (and maybe then, he'll be able to get rid of it and die ... and maybe go to Heaven, but this time for good).

I also have the feeling that the whole thing about Dean not forgiving himself is going to come back to be dealt with later on. Just the way that forgiveness kept popping up in the episode, and the way that it was such a big deal when Charlie and Dean were talking at the end of the episode made me think that if he doesn't forgive himself for things that he's done in his life (not even just the things that he's done since he got the Mark, or even things that he necessarily needs to be forgiven for (but that he thinks that he does)), something is going to happen. Maybe he needs to forgive (and make peace with) himself before he's going to be able to find any peace and not have the Mark be such a driving force in his life anymore.

'The Hunter Games' -- SPN 10x10

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Well, I guess it's a good thing that they've finally stopped ignoring the fact that Dean really does need to get rid of the Mark before he goes all out crazy, but this episode didn't really get me excited about the idea that they might figure out how to do it ... not that I'm sure that they would have been able to do much at this point to really make me care one way or the other. And honestly, I trust Metatron about as far as I could throw him. Whatever the way is to get rid of the Mark, I wouldn't believe that he would tell them the truth of it, even if he really did know what it was. Sure, he has read a lot of books, and he was the Scribe before he abandoned his post, but I'm not completely convinced that he would know what the answer is ... or that he would actually tell them the truth on what those steps were.

I keep coming back to why they wouldn't go back to Cain to ask him, since there's no way that he would be dead. He's fucking Cain after all. It probably comes down to the fact that the actor is probably not available to reprise his role, but as far as the story goes, it makes more sense to ask the dude who the Mark came from in the first place how to get rid of it (especially since the one that you end up asking is an angel that's been in hiding for thousands of years, and his knowledge on it might be iffy even if he hadn't been in hiding for all that time, and the Mark comes from a demon. It seems like a demon would be the one to ask, since it's from their area of the universe, even if they tent to keep things close to the vest, especially amongst themselves. I guess my point is that the Mark never had anything to do with angels, and since a demon would likely keep the information on something so powerful to himself, it's not likely that an angel would know what to do about it).

I don't like the idea of Claire being alone; I want her to have someone that she can count on, and a family that she can be a part of. I kind of want her to find Krissy's gang so that she would at least have someone looking out for her who would have her best interests at heart, and who would know that she wasn't crazy. But I suppose it's at least a good thing that she was willing by the end of the episode to at least talk to Cas and accept that it might be a good thing to have him around sometimes to help her out.

'The Things We Left Behind' -- SPN 10x09

Warning: Spoiler Alert

If there's one thing that you can count on this show to keep going back to, it's the family issues. And yes, you should be able to read that with all kinds of sarcasm. The family issues that the characters all seem to have is something that I would love for the writers to dial back on somewhat. It's one thing if one or two of the characters are having to deal with their daddy issues, but to turn around and have all of the main cast (and I am counting Crowley and Cass with this) have some variation of a daddy or mommy issue ... it's a little overboard. I might accept the twist on the fact that Cas is someone else's daddy issue if it weren't for the fact that the boys have had daddy issues since day one (and it's been something that has been a serious Thing for the two of them), and if Crowley's mommy issues hadn't now become a Thing.

Also, I want some more rules laid out for how an angel can continue to inhabit a body where the spirit has already gone on to Heaven. We know that demons can keep a body going via Ruby, but I'm completely fine with that, since they are demons and are riding a body until it wears out (whether the soul is still in there or not). With angels, there has to be some sort of permission given before they can even go in in the first place, and even though the way they go in might be splitting hairs, it makes me wonder if there other things that they have to do differently. Angels (for the most part) in the SPN universe are dicks, but they are based on the angels from the Old Testament/Torah, and those dudes were soldiers fighting on the side of humans against demons ... and they were still at least somewhat the helpers that Christians think of them now. Would there have to be some sort of permission given to continue to use someone's body after they have left it? Or does it matter if they get it or not? Andreth would tell me not to worry about this sort of stuff, cuz it's only genre television, but this is the sort of stuff that my brain circles around. Gimme the breakdown of the rules, damn it!!

And this episode made me start wondering again what exactly it is that makes some people so special that they are able to be vessels for angels, and why others aren't. I still want to think that the people who are able to be vessels are descendants of Nephilim, but Show has shot that idea right out of the water. It's not just that we met the one Nephilim that there was supposed to be in existence last season (with Cas and Metatron), but the way that the writers have set up angels, there is no way that they would be capable of having children. As completely spiritual beings, the most they could do would be to possess someone, and guide them into having children with each other ... but the kids would still be completely human. It's just like there's actually no such thing as demon blood (since they are also completely spiritual beings, they don't have blood, and if you are drinking blood, you are drinking the blood of a terrestrial being (whether they may be possessed or not)). I guess there would have to be some sort of marker in their DNA or something, but I'd really like to know what that is. ::whine:: At least "Grimm" gave us a reason as to why Grimms can see Wesen, and how Wesen are able to tell when someone is a Grimm. ::/whine::

This was a rather disappointing midseason finale. Instead of creating any kind of tension for the rest of the season, or actually focusing in on who will become the Big Bad, we get a shit ton of daddy/mommy issues. I suppose that Crowley's mom might become the Big Bad for the season, but if she is, it's still kind of disappointing. It's not just that she doesn't seem imposing enough to be the Big Bad (despite being the kind of kick ass witch that Katrina was supposed to have been on "Sleepy Hollow"), or that she isn't super sneaky (which is pretty awesome in its own right) ... but the Big Bad of Show has a certain level of badassery to live up to (like YED level). She may be powerful and pretty evil, but she has not proven herself to be YED or Lucifer; so, if it turns out to be her, I think that it's going to be a let down.

'Hibbing 911' -- SPN 10x08

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'd almost say "good on you" to the writers for having Jody yell at the ex-husband for fat shaming, but the fact is that I can't really do that with much of a clear conscious ... not the way that they usually treat women, PoC, and the LGTBQ community ... and especially after the comment they had Dean make about trans-werewolves. It may not have seemed like a big deal to some people, but it struck me the wrong way (maybe from a combination of not being cisgendered myself, and having a very good friend who is trans*). Maybe if the writers hadn't proven themselves to be Dude Bros time and time again, the comment might not have made me want to cringe, but the way that they have proven themselves to err on the side of insensitivity toward gender, orientation, and anyone who is not a white Dude Bro made it just one more thing in that area that cannot be painted over.

I wish the writers would do more with the Mark of Cain, but at least they didn't ignore it in this episode. As much as it could have been awesome with the boys trying to get rid of the Mark, it's turned out to be so disappointing so far. But I don't know why I would be so surprised, since the writers have the tendency of not living up to the idea that they may have had for a season ... and they could have really done something unexpected (and potentially awesome) by keeping Dean a demon for the entire season and have him be the Big Bad (instead of having his demon days be wrapped up so quickly and easily).

I would love to see Cain again, since he was the bright spot in Show amongst seasons of blech. But since it would have been completely legit, I doubt that we're going to see him again (so I probably shouldn't hold my breath).

In a way, I'm glad that Jody has someone to hunt with her and watch her back, but I'm getting more of the feeling that this might be the last year of Show ... and I can't say that I'll be all that sad about it. By giving her someone that she can rely on, it feels like the writers are kind of wrapping up one more loose end that may have been weighing on their minds. I'm really hoping that by doing that, they aren't just trying to make sure that she's not alone, and trying to give themselves an out when it comes to possibly doing a spin-off. The spin-off they should have done should have been about Samuel Colt, but since they've already proven that they can't make him as awesome as they have made him sound from the first couple of seasons of Show (and the way that they have made the one spin-off they were going to do completely dumb), a spin-off should probably not be an option.

'Girls, Girls, Girls' -- SPN 10x07

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Well, that was over pretty quickly with dude who was after Dean. I was expecting for it to last a little bit longer than that ... but then, I was expecting that Dean being a demon was going to last longer than it did as well ... or that they would have bothered to try and get rid of the Mark of Cain, if it's really all that dangerous for him to keep it. But it seems like the writers keep coming up with an idea, getting bored by it, and then, going on to something else. It's almost like they couldn't really decide on a story arch for the season, so they decided on a bunch of them, and are going to do all of them over the course of the season. Maybe that should be the signal that this is going to be the last season of SPN, and it would make me kind of happy if it was (since it's being going on for around five seasons too long).

The addition of Crowley's mom to the show ... this had the feeling of being less about exploring the history of Crowley (like when they brought in the ghost of his son), and more like they were trying to do some fanservice. And IMO, doing something just for fanservice makes sure that what you're going to do isn't going to be nearly as thought out as it might have otherwise been, and that it won't be nearly as awesome as it could have been if it was something that happened naturally. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but that's how it seems like things go to me. And that's another thing that makes me think that we just might be in the final season ... giving us possible in-depth coverage of the tortured past of the King of Hell (and the fact that his mum seem to have found out that he was now the King of Hell and came looking for him). Maybe it's just that it might have taken her a while to find out that he was a demon (which I have a feeling she may have already known before), that he was the King of Hell, and to cook up a plan to get in the same room with him ... which had the slight feel of, but it felt like she should have been able to get in the same room with him before this. It might have been that I was reading the situation wrong, but it almost seemed like she wanted to be there with him, cuz she hated demons so much (perhaps cuz she knew that he was one), and she wanted to get his attention long enough so that she could do something to kill him.

I did appreciate the reoccurrence of the use of the term "monster" when referring to a hunter in this episode, even if the use of it when it comes to hunters was kind of lampshaded. Just cuz they protect the innocent and unknowing from the things that go bump in the night (and which, in many instances, would do them harm), that doesn't mean that they aren't monsters. The fact that they shoot first, and ask questions later is something that I still have a problem with (since there are creatures out there which aren't entirely (or even at all) human, and who wouldn't do anyone any harm, and those creatures would still be hunted and killed by hunters without bothering to find out if they were actually a threat to others). In the first couple of seasons, I wouldn't have had this problem, but with the addition of shades of grey, that's when things start to get tricksy.

I am kind of annoyed with the writers for the addition of Hannah to Show. It wasn't the fact of bringing another angel around so that s/he could learn something more than just being a soldier (and become somewhat human); it was getting Cas on mission to bring other angels back to Heaven that he didn't want or need to be on, and more than that, the completely unnecessary sexual tension between the two of them. I'm sure that some people would be able to handwave the sexual tension as something that would have lead us to think that Hannah returning to Heaven, and her vessel returning home was a bit more believable, but to me, it seemed a bit more like the writers going "Oh, you want subtext? Here's some subtext, and it's the prober kind, cuz it's hetero." If the writers haven't had issues in the past with sexism, racism, and homophobia, I don't think that my brain probably would have gone there.

'Ask Jeeves' -- SPN 10x06

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'm rather disappointed that I saw it coming that the "maid" was going to be the shifter. I was hoping that it would be something a little less obvious than that, but then, I'm not really all that surprised that it was kind of obvious.

The fact that they brought Bobby back into the show (in a way) was kind of bittersweet, since I still think it was bullshit that he was killed, and wish that there had been some way that he could have come back for real (since the boys do it all the time). I was happy to see that he agreed to not kill the baby, even if the decision came back to bite Sam and Dean in the ass later on; it showed that even though he was a hunter (and shifters are considered "monsters" by most hunters), he had a heart when it came to the things that he would normally hunt. I would have liked it much more if the one that Bobby had let live hadn't turned out to be the killer in this episode ... that she had turned out to be just another person trying to live her life (it would probably be too much to ask that the killer be a normal person, and that she would turn around and help the boys try to figure out who the killer was. It would have made such a nice turnaround on the trope that the writers have been grounding into the ground since the show's beginning).

And if homegirl had been locked in the attic for most of her life, wouldn't there have been some sort of sign that she had actually lived there at some point (instead of it looking like an attic that they kept junk, and which had been that way for long enough that dust would have started covering things)? Sure, it would have made people suspicious while they were watching the episode, but it would have at least made some sort of sense when you found out that she had supposedly been living in there for so long.

But hey, this is our first legit female shifter (at least as far as we know). I had written a fanfic after "Monster Movie" (one of the only handful that I've done ... not just for this fandom, but for all of the ones that I've been at least somewhat involved in) about a female shifter, cuz it had bothered me that there hadn't seemed to be any that identified as female (and I theorized that the shifting gene must be double recessive (like being a red-head) and attached to the X chromosome (so the Y doesn't have anything to combat it, like with colorblindness), which could be why we had only met those who had identified as male. I was probably overthinking it, but it helped me handwave why there hadn't been any female shifters in the show.

The whole "Clue" vibe of the episode wore really thin after only a little bit, and I was rather glad when it was over. It felt a little bit too much like the writers were trying a little too hard to be funny in this episode (which seems to be a thing that happens quite a bit in Show), and it seems like when the writer tries too hard at it, the jokes end up falling a bit too flat. Like the whole "I hunt quail!!!" thing. I think that we (as the audience) were supposed to fin it funny that this douche thought that he knew what he was doing with a gun, cuz he had hunted quail before (when we understood that he didn't know what the hell that he was talking about), but the joke fell on it's face so hard (as far as I'm concerned) that I kind of wanted to smack someone upside the head for even thinking that it would have gone over well.

'Fan Fiction' -- SPN 10x05

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'm not usually very keen on meta episodes (there tends to be a few too many winks to the audience in them that takes me out of the story), but this one I was kind of amused by ... amused more than I suspected that I would be. I figured that I would be doing a lot of heavy sighing at the screen and demanding that they "come. on." But there was none of that. I won't say that I wasn't kind of disappointed by the "monster," but other than that, I was fairly entertained throughout.

I was glad that there was an acknowledgement (which is now canon) of the fact that Adam was left in the Pit with Lucifer, since it was something that hadn't been dealt with in Show before that point. It still makes me feel all icky on the inside that they just left him there, and then, pretended like he never existed. I know that the boys have stuff going on that is all kinds of crazy, but they just left their brother in there, and they reportedly are all about family. How many times has something happened to one of them, and the other sold themselves to the devil just to get the other one out? A ton. But Adam doesn't get that. Bunk. Yes, Dean may have left Sam in the Pit, but that was a special case scenario.

And I will admit to having a bit of a squee moment when we got surprise!Chuck at the end of the episode. I was trying to figure out who it might have been, and kind of hoping that it would have been him (even though I also have been rather annoyed by the idea of Kripke putting himself into the show, using Chuck as his avatar, and turning that avatar into God). At least now we know that Chuck is still around, still kind of keeping an eye on the boys ... even if there was some stuff that they (and Kevin) could have used his help on, and it would have been nice to have him lend a hand ... not out and out saving their asses, but a little bit of something that would have maybe made some things a little bit easier. But if that had happened, I'm sure that I'd probably be here bitching about how whatever happened had been far too easy on them with the deus ex machine (yeah, I'm completely aware that the writers just can't win. They are completely in a lose/lose situation as far as I'm concerned).

But seeing him come in at the end like that, after everything had happened, and the boys had already driven off makes me kind of sure that they won't be seeing him again ... that he's taken himself out of the story (so to speak), even if he's just on the outside of their vision. That doesn't stop me from kind of wanting Chuck to tell them something so that they know that he's alright (even if it's only to Cas), but then, he'd probably have to explain what happened to him (since there could only be on prophet at a time, and they already had Kevin hanging around after Chuck bailed).

Also, I will give them kudos for having the girl that was playing Mary in the play being the one who started singing "Carry on Wayward Son." It made the song a bit more poignant that way.

'Paper Moon' -- SPN 10x4

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Normally, I would be all over an episode that had to do with werewolves (seeing as how I love them the way that I do), but I felt like Show was just retreading things that it's gone over before over and over and over again ... not that that isn't A Thing with Show (the writers really seem to love sticking to one formula and never moving away from it). And the fact that the mantle of Sibling Emo Band was taken up by a couple of sisters (on top of the boys pounding it into the ground) made that trope that much more tired. Also tired is the fact that the older sib is the one who is messed up, but who still functions, and the younger one is the one who is completely the Ebil (younger sis being the ebil werewolf, and Sammy being the true vessel of Lucifer).

But the fact that Dean seemed to at least be brushing up against the idea that sometimes the two of them should stay dead might mean that this is the final season and that when one of them dies, it will finally be the end. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean anything, since Show has kind of brushed up against that idea before, and it hasn't stopped the writers from continuing to kill one of them and bring them back for more seasons (as well as let us know through Ash that the boys have died and come back more times than we are actually aware of).

This whole episode left me feeling that the writers should have left Dean being a demon, and possibly let him be the Big Bad of the season, instead of curing him, cuz it seems like they are going to possibly rehash that whole thing with Sam being addicted to "demon blood" (which I still assert does not exist, since demons are non-corporeal). I have the feeling that they're going to get at least slightly emo about things, and I'm going to want to stab both of the boys in the eye.

And with us now being a few episodes into the season, it would be nice if we had a clear Big Bad to worry about, instead of it feeling kind of like the season is just going to be drifting slightly (and that the whole thing really should have ended at the end of season five ... which it should have).

'Soul Survivor' -- SPN 10x03

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Well, that was rather disappointing. It only took the course of one episode for Dean to be "cured" from being a demon. I was hoping that the Dean as Demon storyline would have lasted until the end of the season, since it seems like it would have created a much more dynamic season, and would have forced the writers away from the normal formula that they've had since season one. But now, there will be no more Dean as the possible Big Bad of this season, and I am rather disappointed.

Also, am I the only one who thought that his cure went a little too quickly? It only took the course of one episode ... it seems like it would have taken longer than that (or at least, it seems like it would have been far more interesting if it would have lasted longer, especially since Sam and Cas had no real clue as to whether or not it would actually work on him, even if it lasted around the course of one episode for Crowley to start acting human again). If they had played it out over a couple of episodes, the writers could have at least built up the tension over whether or not it might work, and could have gotten people to actually care a tiny bit about what might happen. Ok, I'm sure that there are some people who still care (since I've seen some reaction videos from the season finale for season nine, when it was reveled that Dean had gone all black eyes), but I'm not in that category any more ... I've been tired of he formula for quite a long time now.

I am very suspicious over the fact that Crowley helped Cas get some more grace. Seeing as how he's the King of Hell again (and the fact that he's still a demon), the fact that he's helping an angel with something is highly suspicious and makes me wonder what exactly it is that he has up his sleeve (which I'm sure is something). I don't get the feeling that he's going to try and get Dean to be his BFF again, since he seems to think that it's over between the two of them (even if he's turned all emo over the fact that he's lost his one true love).

But even if I'm suspicious about him and his motivations, I don't think that he's going to turn into this season's Big Bad ... and now that it's looking like it's not going to be Dean either (even if he does still have the Mark of Cain making him trip balls), I am wondering what the writers are going to do with that. Unless the motivation for the boys this season is going to get the Mark of Cain back to Cain ... which doesn't seem all that amazing as far as motivations for an entire season go (especially when it might (hopefully) be the final season). It seems like there should be something ... bigger than that for the overall baddie for the season, but maybe that's just me.

'Reichenbach' -- SPN 10x02

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I'm trying to decide if the writers are trying to make us think (through the use of the title) that Dean is dead (and that we may end up getting a psych out later when they realize that they can still make money off of the character. ::cough::SirArthurConanDoyal::cough::), or if we're supposed to think that this new dude is going to be the show's Moriarty ... or something of the like. Or it could be that I'm overthinking the whole thing, and they don't mean either of those things, and if it doesn't, it doesn't seem like the use of Reichenbach would make that much sense (what with the word being associated so much with the supposed death of Sherlock (and the actual death of Moriarty)).

I'm really hoping that they don't bring Metatron back into the show. He wasn't nearly as awesome and awe inspiring as I had hoped that he might be before they introduced him as a character (what with Metatron being one of my more favorite angels). If any of the angels or fallen angels of previous season were going to come back to be an antagonist again, I'd much rather have Lucifer or YED ... not that either of them have much of a chance of coming back onto Show at this point.

But speaking of Metatron, I don't believe him when he was telling Cas that he still has a part of his grace out there somewhere; it seems just too much like something he would say to mess with Cas's head while he still had the chance to do so. And if we do suddenly find out that there is still a part of his grace hanging out somewhere, I won't lie ... I'm going to feel kind of cheated. I know that there are plenty of Cas fangirls out there that would be completely psyched that Cas would be able to survive this season (and possibly into another season, if there is one ... which I really hope there isn't), but from a story standpoint, it feels like a complete cheat to build up that he's dying, and then, randomly give him the Get Out of Death Free card. It feels lazy on the part of the writers if they go that route, like they wrote themselves into a corner and couldn't think of anything that might actually get them out of the predicament they had put themselves into. So, in that way, I do hope that Cas finds out that Metaron was lying to him.

'Black' -- SPN 10x01

Warning: Spoiler Alert

I wonder what really happened to Jared's shoulder ... but not really enough to go looking for a reason why he would have been in a sling (and the writers would have felt the need to add something in there about how a demon messed him up while he was looking for Dean). And how is it that Jared's the one that ends up in the slings and the casts, but not Jensen? I guess Jared needs to not be a giant klutz. ;) But then, it has been six seasons or something since he broke his arm, so maybe he's not such a giant klutz.

Even if I knew that it would mean there would be no show, I kind of wish that Sam would just let Dean go ... hell, that's a good way for there to be no show anymore, and as much as Show has been making me crazy in the head the past few years, maybe that's a good thing. It would be easier to just walk away than to wish that the whole thing would explode, but I've invested far too much time into Show at this point, and it's hard to walk away when you've been in on the long haul like this.

I get the feeling that we're supposed to care and wonder about who this dude is that has kidnapped Sam cuz he's so pissed off at Dean from back in the day. But the problem is that I don't really care about who he is ... and only part of that comes from it not making a whole lot of sense to me that he's going after Dean now. If he's a hunter, why haven't we ever heard about this rift until now (and why is it such a surprise to Sam)? And if he's a demon, why would he be so stupid as to go after Dean now that he has the First Blade and the Mark of Cain, especially since he doesn't seem to be so stupid that he doesn't know that Dean has either of those things (like the idjits that Crowley has been getting to start stuff with Dean)? Whatever the case may be, if past is prologue, I have the feeling that there's going to be all kinds of build up, and we're going to be let down by the reveal.

I kind of hope that Cas does end up dying by the end of the season ... mostly cuz I get the feeling that he has a free pass cuz he's so popular ... and there may still be a bit of residual resentment over the fact that they killed off Bobby (and then, didn't bring him back, except as a ghost for a few episodes, and then, as a cheat in Sam's dream), and he was hella popular, too.

Since they made a point in the episode to let us know that Metatron is now permanently in prison (that the door to his cell is always going to be there), it makes me wonder if there would feasibly be more prophets now. If he's all locked up, and the magics that he used to make sure that there wouldn't be anymore prophets is out of commission, theoretically there should be. But I have the feeling that even if there are going to be more, they have run their course on the show. It's not just that Kevin was popular and killed (and the writers broke an entire fanbase by doing it), I got the feeling from last season that the writers were exiting the prophets from the show's mythos with the death of Kevin (especially since the tablets don't seem like they're going to be as integral to the show as they were before). However, I would love to at least have a throwaway comment about how there is a new prophet around ... as well as another comment about, "I wonder what ever happened to Chuck."