The CW Source

Britt -- how can you possibly think that Dean was being condescending to Sam with his admission that he remembers hell? He was stating his feelings in a very matter-of-fact and honest way. He was respecting Sam by telling him that he does remember, but that it's not something he wants to talk about with Sam. He probably *can't* verbalize the horrors he went through with Sam right now. He's treating Sam like an adult. He knows Sam is concerned, so he decided to tell him that much, but he also deserves to keep the horrific details to himself. He certainly didn't scream at Sam and yell that no one understands what's is like to be him(!), as Sam did to Dean in Metamorphosis. No. He remained calm the entire time. Kudos to Jensen for his wonderful performance in that scene.

Alicia- Actually, the ending to that bothered me a bit too. The brothers have always been so on the same ground (minus the whole Dean-big-brother aspect) and I don't think either of them have the right to say you don't undersatand. Because they might understand. And I totally to get Dean not wanting to tell Sam what Hell is like, but he was very.... mean? about it. Like, he wasn't acting like Dean. Which makes me think he has a secret, which makes me want to yell "JUST STOP WITH THE SECRETS!!!" But that's just my opinoin. :)

Jill- I totaly see where you're coming from, Dean wanting to protect Sam from the horrors, but Sam isn't the twelve year old kid named Sammy, he's a big boy now. And I know Dean doens't want to tell Sam, and that's fine with me, but it was the way he said it, like I said to Alicia, that maked me think there's something more. And I guess that's what was bugging me.

I think I just feel bad for Sam. Because, yes, Dean went through hell. And he shouldn't havce to explaion it or share it with Sam, but Sam just wants to help. And, "sharing and caring" might not do that, but Sam just wants to help his brother. After all, Dean went to hell for him, and Sam couldn't do anythign about it. As much as he tried, he still had to watch Dean die. And now he has to watch dean suffer silently without helping him.

This one was okay, I liked parts of it. Liked the suicidal Teddy Bear, Audrey and "kneel before Todd." I appreciated that Sam finally showed some concern for Dean after Uriel clued him in on Dean's remembering hell (I wish Sam had noticed the signs on his own sooner though).

I really liked the end. Dean's not ready to talk about hell. He is doing the best he can to cope and function under the weight of great trauma and I respect him for that. I loved that he repeated Sam's line from Metamorphesis, mostly because it didn't come out all whiney and "woe is me" (thank you Jensen). He was honest and apologetic to Sam for needing to keep it to himself.

I don't know what Sam could do or say anyway to make Dean feel better. In the past when Sam has tried to get Dean to talk he tended to nag, yell, be generally overbearing and often made things worse (despite being well intentioned). And when Dean would finally open up Sam would have nothing helpful to say. I think that this time Sam is trying to give Dean some space while letting him know he is there and I think that is the best thing that Sam can do right now.

Anyway I give this episode a respectable B.

I thought this was a good episode. Not my favourite, but still good. I loved the funny scenes and the kids were great.

Sam taking charge made me happy... i like take charge Sam and it broke my heart that Dean just has to suffer in this alone.

I want to give him a big ol hug.

Hopefully we'll get a look into Sam's head next week!

Teddy Bear Doctors and Lollipop Disease... ROFL

I have to say, Jensen and Jared do a great job acting with kids. Just as Dean and Sam do a great job of trying to help and protect kids. Overall, I think 'Supernatural' in general does episodes with kids really well.

And in that, I can't believe I'm laughing at a suicidal teddy bear kind of way, I was very LOL over the stuffing flying out of the back of his head (I saw that coming, but still had to laugh at it).

I was surprised that Dean remembers 'everything' (I was really thinking just bits & pieces were coming back to him). But I totally understand his reluctance to 1) admit that he remembers it all, and 2) share anything that he remembers. I agree that it is likely that Dean is holding back even more information. And since we don't know exactly what went on .. hard to really know his frame of mind during that time (like - was he thinking, during those '40 years' that he'd never leave Hell .. eventually having his humanity stripped and becoming a demon himself? Or?)

I also understand Sam's reluctance to REALLY talk about what he went through while he was alone (when Dean was in Hell). The mental/emotional aspect of that is a kind of hell of its own .. and then there's any actions he may have taken while in that frame of mind...

Britt - So, if you think Dean was condescending at the end of this episode, then I assume you thought Sam was condescending towards Dean at the end of the Metamorphasis episode. Because what Dean said to Sam about not understanding what Dean went through was the EXACT same thing Sam said to Dean about the demon blood...and Dean was trying to help Sam, you know? ;-)

What Dean went through was horrific, and, I'm sorry, but Dean is allowed to not have to relive that experience just because Sam wants him too.

i just finished watching Gray's (b/c thursdays @ 9 is SUPERNATURAL TIME!) and Denny aka JDM was back... i really hope we get to see Papa Winchester in Season 4 (they are going back to high school after all) it wouldnt be a season of SPN without him (S3 was just his voice but he got a credit so it counts in my books!)
loved this episode the boys were mostly together and it had funny mixed with angst and then there was the scary teddy bear suicide!!!
i could hear Eric laughing over that scene, evil geniuses tend to do that :)

Two words - TEA PARTIES!

Two more words - LOLLIPOP DISEASE

Even more words - KNEEL BEFORE TODD!

HAHAHAHAHA, I freaking loved it!

I don't buy Dean's confession at the end of the episode. Kripke never leaves anything that anti-climatic in a Supernatural storyline. I think Dean's lying to cover up what he's really hiding. This way he "saves" Sam from the truth and gets him of Dean's back about it.

p.s. LOVED the reference to Kripke's original pitch for the show!!!! (two reports traveling the country looking for supernatural events) Classic!

I actually disagree with you about Dean at the end, Britt - I thought that his refusal to tell Sam anything about Hell was very in character for Dean.

For twenty-five years (as of five days ago), Dean's entire life has been about protecting Sam. He says as much to Sam in "All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2" - "Dad didn't even have to tell me. It was just always my responsibility, y'know? It was like I had one job...I had one job. And I screwed it up."

In "Salvation", when Sam shoots the Colt at the Yellow-Eyed Demon and misses, he tries to run into the burning house and Dean holds him back, telling him it's suicide. Sam shouts that he doesn't care, and Dean roars back, "I DO!" Dean will protect Sam even if it means letting the demon get away. He will protect Sam even if it means selling his own soul to Hell. It took him ten episodes to tell Sam the Big Damn Secret in Season 2, because he knew what it would do to Sam.

So Sam asks about Hell, about Dean's horrible experiences that Dean himself is barely holding down, and Dean won't tell him. He doesn't want Sam to have to live those horrors either, even second-hand. He's still protecting his brother, although it means this is a burden he has to shoulder alone. It doesn't make sense to us, but it makes sense to Dean.

Sorry, that got kind of long.

Otherwise, I liked this episode quite a bit. It was a bizarre premise, as Ben Edlund's episodes tend to be, and I was disappointed we didn't see the fallout of Dean witnessing Sam's power use in last week's episode, but it was still funny and somehow managed to be heartbreaking at the same time.

This episode was a normal filler episode: semi-fluffy plotline, plenty of silly jokes, with some emotional stuff at then end which sets up the next episode.

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. Season Four has been [retty awesome so far, and this was no "Yellow Fever" or "In The Begining". I loved when Sam made the "supernatural" reference and the fluff coming out of the Teddy was pretty awesome, especially when the Teddy got more depressed because he couldn't kill himself.

However, one complaint, I miss my Sammy. Like, I ADORED the Lilith's head on a platter line, because it is SO something post-Dean going to hell Sam would say, but the thing is, this is the only time w've seen hardened Sam. IN the other episodes he was just as emotional, innocent, Sammy from season 2, and he wouldn't be like that.

To me, this whole season (so far) has been very very very Dean-oriented. There's nothing wrong with that, per say, because I love Dean, but I miss Sam too. Dean's character is being explored and is developing and Sam's isn't.

Alos, the emotional brother angst at the end? It bothered me that Dean was being so condensending. Don'[t get me wrong, I understand he went to hell and doens't want to talk about it and it was so horrible he's never going to say anything, but he was so out of character, because Dean never acts like that to Sam. And Sam just wanted to help, you know?

So, this episode was forgetable, but cute, and I want the hardend, crazy-psycho!sammy promised to us because of "Mystery Spot" and in tons of interviews. I want that Sam! Actually, I wish for that Sam (I know, how horribly cliched).