Supernatural – Dean makes a deal with Death

There is a lot to talk about with Supernatural this week, but one line really stood out to me. “Remember when we used to just hunt wendigos?” That’s a nice callback to episode two, but it also perfectly illustrates why this show is so great. In the beginning, the boys did pretty much just hunt wendigos, or the woman in white, or whatever the monster of the week was. And look at how far they have come. Next week? Toe to toe with Lucifer, for the world.

The real secret, though, is how smooth that transition has been. This show has slowly built from those humble beginnings all the way to this huge point. Sure, there were a few episodes here and there along the way that took a break from that. Overall, though, it’s been one continuous journey. And Sam’s wendigo reference wasn’t the only one that pointed to that. We also have the return of the Croatoan virus.

Remember back in season two, when the boys first came up against it? THEN — There was a moment where Sam refused to shoot someone infected with the virus. NOW — He dropped every last one of them without a second thought. Everything we’ve seen Sam go through over all these episodes has changed him dramatically, and that, as much as anything else, shows just how much. It also gets us right back to the plan that Sam hatched last week.

Are you on board? I have to admit, I wasn’t, but I started wavering about half-way through. And by the end of the episode I was also sold on the idea. Bobby’s recollection of how Sam handled himself at the warehouse was good. And I really liked Castiel’s line about how Sam and Dean “have a habit of exceeding my expectations.” The part that really brought me around though, was the demon blood. Yes, it’s dangerous, and makes Sam as unstable as can be, but I also see it giving him the power to overpower Lucifer.

Certainly, there is that big question of, “Then what?” But given the circumstances, we’re at that “You have a better idea?” stage, and nobody does. Not even Death.

I suppose we should talk a bit about the horsemen. I was very happy to see that we got the Pestilence showdown that seemed to be missing from last week. Matt Frewer is awesome, and he was in top form here. However, he might have been upstaged by Julian Richings as Death. That is some great casting, and his entrance was just perfect.

So, as we head into the big season finale next week, we’re left with a few questions. First, why did Bobby have to use tongue? More importantly, will the plan work? Will Lucifer be returned to his cage? I’m also very curious to see how that plays out. It sure seems like Lucifer/Sam is going to find himself in a fight with Adam/Michael. Although, I do wonder if there isn’t still a way for Dean to take over for Adam, as the Sam vs. Dean showdown would be epic.

Finally, while I believe that the boys will succeed, I think the bigger question is what price will be paid? Supernatural has never been about rainbows and happy endings. Something this big is going to have big consequences with it. The nature of the beast suggests that Sam and Dean will live to fight another day. But Bobby? Castiel? This has all the makings of the best finale of the series.

Clacked by Brett Love
on May 06, 2010 @ 23:52 EST5EDT