4.20 The Rapture

I’m making myself finally post about the ep in order to have a record of how I’m reading things before tonight’s new ep. I feel like I’m not able to be sure of all the messages sent. Watching Castiel/Jimmy’s backstory felt a bit like the magician episode to me (which I consider a good thing). When the boys weren’t directly on screen, I still felt like I getting Sam and Dean issues. I expect this to read more than usually like a scattershot of thoughts. As before, I’m unspoiled past 4.20 and want to stay that way. (I did see the huge SOON when it aired but haven’t rewatched and have done well blocking all but one image from it.)

FIRST!!! My S4 theory not only remains intact but is strengthened. The opening scene of Dean on the dock fishing had a quiet, dreamlike quality to it. Then, Castiel shows up and Dean is conscious of the dream. Then what? Castiel makes sure Dean is aware that dreaming in Dean’s head is NOT a private circumstance. Could they get any closer to Dean realizing he hasn’t been truly awake or fully aware all season? We also get another sleep scene in the motel. Jimmy is faking it in order to give Sam the slip. Dean is back to resting on top of the bedcovers and using his jacket for protection.

The fishing theme of Dean’s dream (and last ep’s motel, and the fishing pic of John and Adam, etc.) is repeated on the wall of the gas station where Sam is frantically trying to reach Ruby. How’s this for “fishing rod” symbolism?

To see a fishing rod in your dream, represents your quest and exploration of your unconscious mind. You are ready to confront issues and emotions which you have suppressed.

Jimmy is like both Sam and like Dean. I missed many of the Sam connections when I shouldn’t have. The links to Dean were much more obvious for me. We get Jimmy insisting time and again that he doesn’t know anything – like Dean did after his return. (Sam says Jimmy might not even know what he knows which is what I’ve assumed is true of Dean’s situation. Jimmy is starving and takes the uninhibited eating crown from Dean (and even challenges Jack from 4.04 Metamorphosis). I loved the return of the out of sync editing when Jimmy is appealing and complaining both outside his house and the warehouse since it immediately brought the weight of Dean’s visit to John’s grave in 2.20 What Is and What Should Never Be. Jimmy lies to his wife about how he spent the past year and Dean lies to set the trap for Sam at the episode’s end (as well as having been made aware of John’s lies last ep and at least one of Sam’s lies).

We get bridges – sort of. There are three references to “crossing that bridge when we get to it.” Sam says it to Dean when asked how long Jimmy must delay returning to his family. Jimmy cuts Dean off when Dean’s relaying that thought, but then uses it himself when talking to his wife.

Anna pops up to pass along information about Castiel’s situation to the boys, but more importantly is there to act as a litmus test, I think. Dean trusted her take that Ruby wasn’t like other demons in 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer, and now she’s telling him SAM is different. She used to be neutral about whatever Sam was doing but now is uncomfortable and concerned. The big news last ep (4.19 Jump the Shark) was that Adam really was a Winchester. I’m still reeling a bit about that since I (like I suspect Sam) have been thinking of many of the players as paper dolls to use as needed to get Dean back. (The lack of Ruby has me curious. I’m picturing her in a devil’s trap at Bobby’s.)

Is it possible the ‘lesson’ of this episode (since I’m reading all of the S3 cases as steps in a journey) was to illustrate again the boys’ situation using the other players?  Dean is Jimmy, family man trying to do the right thing who ends up lost to them. Sam is Castiel possessing Jimmy (dreamwalking in Dean’s subconscious) and getting a bit lost himself empathizing with Dean. That would be the part where Castiel is kicked out/yanked back to the garrison to be reminded of his purpose? As Sam is forced into detox? Jimmy ends up offering to host Castiel again in order to protect his daughter.

Will Dean be drawn in – or make a conscious decision – to find Sam in a withdrawal hallucination and bring him back? That’s where I’d go next with this. I can see Bobby explaining the situation and Dean thinking it would be better to believe himself (or Sam!) crazy. Jimmy’s and Amelia’s apologies will belong to both boys, I think. “I can’t undo what I’ve done” and “I’ll never forgive myself.” Even once we figure out for sure what it going on, that won’t FIX anything by itself. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to the boys being on the same side again and knowing it. (I’m actually sure they have always been on the same side.)

STRAY THOUGHTS: It occurred to me that we’ve seen Dean cut off communications with Sam a couple of times recently. Sam’s frustrated reaction of throwing the phone in the siren ep and beating on the phone at the bridge company are rather obvious story points I’d missed until just now! I’ve forgotten – how did he react at having to leave messages for Ruby?

Sam with blood on his face was uncomfortably like Jack from 4.04 Metamorphosis and his calling out from the panic room reminded me too much of Doc Benton being buried in the refrigerator!

There were a few other visuals that jumped out at me. The windows on either side of the door at Jimmy’s house had multiple crosses built in. And the warehouse as Sam, Dean, and Castiel get out of the Impala is littered with some as well.  Jimmy and his wife Amelia look at each other through the purplish-red sheers in the front door window.

I’m looking forward to more of the story in less than an hour now!

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