Really, I could have a huge bone to pick with the powers that be down at Supernatural HQ this week. I mean, after all, how do you go and hire Matt Frewer to play Pestilence and then just back-burner him? He’s Matt Frewer, and he’s kind of awesome. However, if there is one card in the deck that trumps Matt Frewer, it just might be Mark Sheppard. As much as I would have liked to see more from Frewer, everything about Sheppard’s Crowley was perfect.
Maybe we’re finally getting at the secret behind the Sheppard magic. Nobody that considers themselves any kind of a TV fan could have missed him at this point. He’s been on everything. The crazy part is that he’s always a standout, no matter the show. I’m starting to believe that he somehow inspires writers to do their best work just for him. I don’t know if it’s a hex bag, some black magic, or what. But this was again more of the same.
The Crowley story was good before we even got into this episode. The enemy of my enemy, etc., stirring up some familiar tensions between Sam and Dean. And then that giving way to the new philosophy of going for broke to do this thing their way. I like all of that. A lot. But then you add on all the Crowley, and it’s just incredible. Every scene. From his indignation about being put on the most wanted list (“They burned down my house! They ate my tailor!”), to his rationalization for throwing Dean under the bus (“That’s what you get, working with a demon.”), to trying to talk Bobby out of his soul (“I’ll give it right back.”).
And those examples are really just the tip of the iceberg. The desperate swashbuckle … his own personal hellhound … it was all great. It’s a very rare thing to have happen, but Crowley managed to upstage Sam and Dean. That’s not to say that Sam and Dean had an off week either. In fact, it was kind of huge. We learned that killing Jess was a setup from the start, all aimed at getting Sam back on the right path. That led to more confronting of old demons (literally and figuratively) for Sam, while Dean went once more into the breach. At the end of the day, it all added up to be one of my favorite episodes of the series. Despite the fact that it was all legwork to get to the story we thought we’d be seeing. A tip of the cap, again, to the Supernatural scribes.
And that brings us back to those same old questions. The rings are definitely the path now, as the extra-long promo for the big Death episode showed. But … is it going to work? It really all comes down to that, right? Will Lucifer be lured back into his cage? And that’s not the Sam/Lucifer we’re talking about either, because I’m firmly with Bobby on that one. If I’m placing a bet, I’m saying yes. Looking back at the season as a whole, there has been so much put into this ring story that it has to pay off. What say you?
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Apr 30, 2010 @ 00:07 EST5EDT
Is it at all a possibility that Bobby makes a selfish wish, to be able to walk again? I’m pretty convinced he’ll be able to walk again at some point, the question is just how it happens.
My impression wasn’t that Bobby had to wish for something for himself, he had to sell his soul so that Crowley could FIND death. Way back in season 2, the YED implied he couldn’t bring Dean back unless John made a Deal, and he flat out said it in AHBL2, that even though he wanted Sam to be the winner, he couldn’t do anything on his own, without having someone make the deal to bring Sam back. “All that red tape” was what I think he mentioned. So I think the only way Crowley has the power to either find Death or at least to tell anyone Death’s location is if they make a deal asking him to.
I think you missed an important part of the episode — Bobby’s discussion with Sam about control (both fighting demon possession, and over Sam’s anger), and Sam’s later demonstration that he could control his anger and desire for revenge, until after he and Dean had Brady’s information on the location of Pestilence. Crowley and Brady also taunted Sam on knowing all of his weak spots and using them against him. Sam’s delay in killing Brady is a BIG development for Sam, and it gives us a hint about what needs to happen for Sam to defeat or resist Lucifer.
They ate my tailor!”
LOL
I thought it was an amazing episode. I loved the return of Crowley. I’ve loved Mark Sheppard since I first saw him on Firefly, he just pops up everywhere. He’s great. Great review by the way.
Did Brady remind anyone else of Jon Hamm/ Don Draper? Was it just me?