“I love it when they talk at the same time.”  That’s Becky channeling me. I was hyper alert for any instances of the boys working in concert during season four and taking it as evidence of an unconscious connection even while their relationship was under such strains. This episode also made me happy for how often the boys checked up on each other with repeatedly asking “You okay?” and “Are you all right?”

On the Becky front, I was amused (and embarrassed) at understanding her fierce reaction to Hookman ‘Fritz’ criticizing Sam having trusted Ruby. Becky’s fake text had me recalling the doctored voicemail that was pivotal in Sam’s actions at the end of 4.22 Lucifer Rising.

This week we hear, “Stay in character.” Isn’t that another variation on, “Play your role”?  This time it’s said by Demian to his partner instead of the Trickster-Gabriel to the boys. Demian says it’s so he won’t look stupid for being the only one. I’m not sure how to think about this line.  Dean was encouraged to believe in S4 that he wasn’t alone and may be reminding Sam of that promise. I’m also wondering if it isn’t actually a message to Sam (Dean’s partner) that Dean isn’t quite ready to break character. That would risk abandoning the survival technique learned in 5.08 Changing Channels?

“You’re the ‘Chuckles’…. Chuckles.”  This line from Demian-Dean responding to our Dean stood out particularly to me. First, it’s so much like 3.09 Malleus Malifecarum’s “You’re the shortbus” that I couldn’t help remembering Ruby. That was the episode where Ruby both saved Dean’s life and revealed she couldn’t prevent him going to hell or becoming a demon.  Also, it occurred to me to wonder if we’d had the familiar “Chuckles” thrown around in an episode with an actual appearance by Chuck the Prophet? Chuck admits again that he’s not a good writer and doesn’t really have anything going for him. Has the inspired Word evaporated? Anyway, I was glad he got a chance to act the hero complete with music to highlight it and the girl he likes noticing.

When the role-playing Sam and Dean find the map (loved the creepy cool handprints that led to its discovery which seemed Bloody Mary-esque), our Sam suggests that they “all work together.” Did anyone else take note of that?! Granted, these guys didn’t give the impression of being dangerous supernatural beings with unknown motives, but still. It breaks the ice and sets a precedent for the boys working with what at first appear to be antagonists or competitors. (Was the “ALLIED” on Gabriel’s warehouse door last week foreshadowing a move in this direction?)

Or. Perhaps we’re seeing a de-escalation? Instead of everything ramping up to the level of involving angels and prophets and apocalypses (apocalypsi?), maybe the message is having a brother who would die for you is sufficient. That’s more than most have and reason enough to go on. I did think Dean was being asked to consider and take satisfaction in the idea that Sam would (did?) die for Dean as much as Dean did (still would?) for Sam. I see it as another step in the reforging of their partnership. I liked that the Demian-Barnes relationship was revealed as more than a friendship by calling it “partners” rather than “lovers” or anything else more sexual. (The handholding definitely had me remembering when we focused on that act between the parents – who weren’t okay but were together – at the end of 4.11 Family Remains.)

This was another episode without the constant sleep and dream references that filled season four. However when Demian-Dean is explaining the attraction of the Dean and Sam story, he uses figurative language to ask who wouldn’t want to “wake up” to save the world. (I’m aware that’s a huge stretch to even mention.)

While it must have been surreal from the boys’ perspective, I didn’t see obvious reasons to categorize this with other recent episodes dealing with time warping or destiny filled questionable reality. It does fit with the theme of multiple versions and aspects of the boys, though. There weren’t any references to lies that I recall – unless we think of the roleplaying as a form lying?  If so, then do we have another reasonable explanation in seeing it done as harmless fantasizing resulting from honest admiration?

“Believe me, they care a lot.” This is our Dean’s response to being told he and Sam are fictional. It sounds so much like his response to Castiel when questioned in 4.03 In the Beginning when he insists on trying to save his parents at the expense of becoming a hunter and saving people. Remember when Dean was told by Zachariah to stand up and be who he is? Here we get him owning up to being “Dean, the real Dean.”  Of course he’s laughed at by the LARPers, but oh, I love it.  It recalls a favorite moment of mine from 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer when Anna is introduced to the boys with her “Dean? THE Dean?” and “Dean Winchester is saved” lines. I love that he’s wearing HIS (once John’s) leather coat throughout.

Becky really is S5′s Sam-fan version of S4′s Anna’s Dean-fan, isn’t she? I think it was very deliberate that she was introduced as a fanfiction writer and I wonder if it would have served the story better at this point to have her Colt knowledge come from canon compliant fanfiction rather than from canon itself. Both boys have occasionally used the cover of Weekly World News (or whatever it is) reporters or religious bloggers, etc. when investigating cases. We’ve also seen Sam pose as a free lance writer when he claimed to be collecting stories for a book with the working title “Supernatural” in 4.08 Wishful Thinking. Beyond that, we got him being encouraged as a kid in 4.13 After School Special to consider a career as a writer by the teacher who wanted to know if Sam was happy. I’m noticing that because it would support my theory that the characters are capable of writing and re-writing the story we see.

Again the number FOUR shows up. This time it’s in the four little boy spirits (not to mention in the doubling of Sam and Dean). That was more than a little confusing to me. The first spirit boy appears to Sam and Dean saying, “My mommy loves me… this much,” and shows off his scalping. Sam and Dean naturally assume Leticia Gore was responsible. I don’t see another way to take that first contact even in retrospect. I do like the twist however. It’s revealed that she was avenging her son having been killed by the other three leading to callbacks of early season episodes. I think immediately of both 1.03 Dead in the Water with the boys accidentally taking bullying too far and killing another child and 2.11 Playthings (I thought I saw the Playthings hallway at one point, too) where a spirit is held in check by another.

I was struck by a couple more things I must mention. I’m impatient for screencaps to check for Dean’s ring, but I’m sure I saw the stained glass windows with the yellow and red crosses from Bobby’s upstairs (seen in 4.02 Are You There God? It’s Me, Dean Winchester) as the boys were looking for the spirit. Also. How close were the lines from the 1.10 Asylum reenactment of Sam coming down on Dean to what we heard last week when Dean is accusing Gabriel of being too afraid to stand up to his family?

I’m predicting now that I’ll post again after reading other reactions and getting a chance to look through screencaps and giving the ep a rewatch!

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