Supernatural Season 4 Episode 7

When I saw this pitiful episode, I found myself questioning for the first time why I watch this show. Never before has Supernatural made me wish I had an hour of my life back.





The villain reveal was utterly predictable. The writing missed several opportunities-- Dean and the astronaut could have been so much funnier and so could the masoleum party. The mythology was completely wonky, from the Samhain myth (couldn't someone have at least taught Jared Padalecki how to pronounce the word?) to the portrayal of the archangel Uriel-- acting snotty, dubbed a simple angel and in several cases deferring to Castiel. If they wanted a bad guy for an angel they should have gone with a more ambiguous one that they could scapegoat without throwing perfectly good mythology out the window.





Of course, Supernatural isn't exactly known for its accuracy-- they've always had a tendency to take a myth and twist it to their needs-- and maybe I could have overlooked that, if they'd given me something interesting to watch. This bit with the seals has become a way of justifying the boys wandering around and hunting things and half the time they don't even make sense-- "Unleashing a big bad demon will help end the world!" Uh-huh. Because there aren't nine million of the things running around Earth already, this one is locked under a seal and breaking it will help end the world! It's nearly as bad as "There are hundreds of seals but you only need sixty-six and no one knows which ones Lilith is going to break, which is our way of saying we're making up the seals as we go along because no one on the writing staff can really be bothered to think that far ahead." Oh, I forgot, this demon is special! So special he was still dead by the end of the episode just like all the others and didn't even do much in the way of destruction before he got axed! Yep, definitely deserving of being locked behind a seal, which a couple of witches are popping open for fun!





Ugh. I'm mad on behalf of pagans, I'm mad on behalf of Christians, and I'm mad on behalf of Supernatural fans. After suffering through Jo, and Bela, and Henrikson and Meg returning as ghosts pissed off for reasons that make little to no sense and contradict both their deaths and their characters, THIS is what they give us as their Halloween episode? Butchered mythology, bad writing, and nothing in the way of suspense? Pathetic.

This was a nice opportunity to for Character development. For example it was heartbreaking to see the look on Dean face when he saw his brother exercise the demon. It felt as if despite his efforts he is still losing his brother in a way. Also the fact he didn't say anything afterward meant he might have in some sense given up talking to him about it. Also it was nice to know that even angels had their character development in this episode. They introduce Uriel, an angel who thinks little of humans and seems to care even less. However on the side,we learn that Castiel, despite being a angel, has doubts of his own. I just thought it was touching that,even though Castiel is trying so hard to follow orders he still has compassion for Dean.

There are many things that I like about this episode, starting from the title, 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester', which is quite awesome with its length and gentle nod toward episode two, 'Are you there, God? It's me, Dean Winchester'. Then there's the writing, by Julie Siege, previously a story editor on the show, which can be both quite humorous (Dean shouting "Astronaut!" was priceless) and very dark and disturbing (the death scenes are gruesome, and the description of Samhain's rituals are bound to send more than one shiver down the proverbial spine). Finally then, the atmosphere, which was constantly gloomy and unnerving, with loads of gore and skeevy details, as Dean would put it, was so thick and scary that it is effectively one of the most frightening episodes of the entire season.





About the whole season, I have to add that it is really nice how the writers blended lighter, standalone episodes with arc-oriented ones, mixing them to concoct a very coherent, and yet extremely diverse, season, all focused on the different - and diverging - paths of Sam and Dean. Like in this episode, we not only see Sam using again his powers, against Dean (and the Angels' advise), but also the brothers' different reaction to the Angels themselves, and to their black-and-white kind of vision:: particularly interesting, and really important to understand what lies afoot, is Sam's flickering faith when he realizes that Heaven and Angels (Uriel, an amazing strait-laced, judgmental, nazi-like, resentful Angel) are very different from his ideal, the ideal he was praying to. Another interesting thing to note, in hindsight, is that the Angels'plan was clear from the very beginning of the season, that's saying not to actually prevent the breaking of the seals but to use and manipulate Dean and Sam in believing it.

Sam and Dean investigate the death of a man a couple of days before Halloween. Another death makes them go suspicious. Castiel appears with Uriel and reveal that a witch is trying to resurrect Samhaine, another demon, and this is another seal.





This Supernatural episode was pure awesome. It was great with all the "Seals being broken" and "freeing Lucifer from Hell" stuff. The episode was full of action, suspense and drama. It was great, this was the first appearance of another angel, Uriel, and Castiel is back. The episode was amazing, is rlly great. Supernatural Season 4, Angels vs Demons, is rlly getting cool.

Hallowe'en is Supernatural's very own Christmas celebration and this episode's narratalogical gravitas does not disappoint. The 66 seals rear their appetising little heads again as Sam and Dean are tested in their efforts to prevent the resurrection of the demon responsible for the very tradition of All Hallows Eve. There are twists and turns galore here as first the obvious suspects are laid to waste, then the culprit is executed by his victim, who turns out to be an accomplice, and then Castiel and new-found angel friend Uriel (who is, brilliantly, a complete ass) show up and threaten to obliterate the entire town. Every step of this roller-coaster ride is as riveting as the next and it never lets up thanks to a corker of a script and some damn fine acting from all involved. It takes a great deal of talent to make something as fantastical as a skirmish between angels and demons convincing, so kudos to all involved for making it seem like the most believable, and life threatening, scenario imaginable. I'm starting to sound like a broken record but the facts don't lie: this is another home run from a show at the very top of its game.

..........continued from first half (sorry I didn't know there was a word limit, when I get a chacne I will check if the same has happened to any of my other reviews, egads I'm such a doofus!lol!..... 'If you think that you're going to smite this town, you're going to have to smite us along with it, we're not leaving. You went to the trouble of busting me out of hell, I figure I'm worth something to the man upstairs, you wanna waste me, go ahead see how he digs that!' (eeee

Sam and Dean meet Castiel and his fellow angel Uriel, who warn the brothers to avoid intervening in a town where a witch is attempting to summon the demon Samhain, opening one of the Seals.


This was a decent Halloween episode but I have never beena fan of the Halloween episodes of Supernatural. Nothing much happened until the last ten minutes of the episode. It was good to see Lechero again (Prison Break) in another show and I liked the part where Sam used his demon power. The ending was decent with Dean and Castiel. This episode was no where near as good as last weeks pretty boing. 8.0 out of 10.

This episode starts off looking like just another witch hunt, but quickly turns into something much more interesting. Before you read on, I warn you I might give away a few spoilers, so don't read on if you haven't seen the episode. So this episode is a sort of Halloween special, where we learn where Halloween came from according to Supernatural which I quite liked. The episode had some really good development on the angel side of things. These characters are a new addition to the Supernatural world. We have seen an angel before, but this is a new side to things that we haven't seen. I really liked how the episode ended; we saw two sides of things on the angel side. Sam and Dean now seem more different than ever, as we really start to see the side of Sam that has been in him all along. I can only hope things work out for the brothers, and even though Sam is sort of evil now, I still have hope that he could make the best of what he has been dealt. A great episode, and some good character development as well.

Well in this episode, a witch opens one of Lillith's seals, my question is how many seals, till Lucifer breaks free? I guess we will have to wait for that answer. Uriel is introduced in this episode which makes me sick. I hate that guy so much. In his episode, the angels sort of turn in to bad guys when they are willing to destroy a city. The Winchester boys save the day once again without destroying the city. But the seal remains open. I love how this episode was Halloween based. Finally they have a Halloween special. I mean it's Supernatural!

YAYs, we got to see Sammy using his powers again. I loved the angst that draws out of the brothers. I mean, now Sam feels guilty and Dean feels, probably, scared and worried. The whole evil Sam thing has been my favourite idea since it was first introduced and now it's being used and it's like, "AWESOME!" Also, loved the 'Monster of the Week', Samhain! He was so 'Rise of the Living Dead' when he was coming after Sam. Brialliant character. And Sammy still defeated him! That's a pretty big step. Which means he is becoming more... EVIL! I loved this episode. It's was absolutely brilliant. I can't wait to watch it again!

After two relaxed-fun filled episodes, these people brought out the big guns and offered us all that this show has to offer. Some old fashioned demon hunting, a super witch on the run to cause appocalypse and our favorite angel-soldier guy Casiel (who we get to see on a softer more angellic attitude at the end of the episode). The long awaited meeting between the angel and Sam finally happens and sam, despite all warning gets to use his demon powers once more. I thought the episode was well written, incredibly acted as usual and we finally got to see how scary the main plot could get if things got ugly. I'd say this is one of those episodes not to be missed

It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester-Sam and Dean meet Castiel and his fellow angel Uriel, who warn the brothers to avoid intervening in a town where a witch is attempting to summon the demon Samhain, opening one of the Seals.





When it comes to Halloween episodes, no series has more fun with them then "Supernatural"! It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester combines some Halloween fun as well as creating dark developments that again pushes the season forward in its apocalyptic arc. You had the usual creepy, disturbing death scenes: husband choking on razor blades (ouch!) and that girl's face being boiled to death (ehw!). Then the wonderful humor like when Sam is trying to explain to Dean the danger of the rising of Samhain and Dean hilariously mentions Leprechauns:





Sam: Once he's raised, Samhain can do some raising of his own.


Dean: Raising what, exactly?


Sam: Dark, evil crap and lots of it. They follow him around like a friggin' Pied Piper.


Dean: So we're talking ghosts.


Sam: Yeah.


Dean: Zombies.


Sam: Mm-hmm.


Dean: Leprechauns?


Sam: Dean...


Dean: Those little dudes are scary. Small hands.





Also, Dean screaming out "ASTRONAUT!" after a young trick o' treater messes up his car, lol. It's nothing like the evil spirit of Halloween itself to come back and raise some hell, literally! Samhain, was quite the villain and I loved the mythology surrounding him as her was the originator of Halloween. I like the twist when blonde girl turned out to be the witch when it seemed like she was the victim. But the episode's most shocking moment comes when Sam not only uses his powers once again, but banishes Samhain back to hell on his own. Just the sight on Dean's face was priceless as he was just as creeped out as we were at the great amount of power Sam has. Another strong point of the episode is the continuing portrayal of angels as Castiel returns, with a new partner no less, named Uriel. Robert Wisdom fits well into the role as a self-righteous angel with no empathy for humans. He makes a great counterpart to Castiel's developing personality as he begins to realize there are more to humans then meets the eye. The ending scene between Castiel and Dean shows that even angels don't always know right from wrong, even that he feels sorry for the choice Dean has to make. It brings both characters closer as well as making Castiel more likeable. It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester (great title) is terrific episode that has some genuine dark moments as well as humorous ones as it makes the upcoming apocalypse more complex and more dangerous for our boys!

THis week's SUpernatural episode is a Halloween special that actually deals with the Halloween mythology and twists it a bit. It works great. THe writers are doing an excellent job, and some of the scenes were downright gory. Hence the beginning involving razor blades. Nasty stuff, but pulled off very well. Hope no little kids stayed up to watch this, but then Supernatural is not meant for the little ones anyway.





THis weeks episode involves a witch who wants to raise the spirit of SamHain. If the witch suceeds in bringing SamHain back, another seal is broken and Lucifer is closer to walking the Earth. THe boys get involved but so does Castiel and his fellow angel Uriel. In order to stop the witch, the angels decide to just wipe out the town, killing everyone for the greater good, so that the seal is not broken. Of course Dean and Sam have issues with this, and decide they will stop the witch before she can do the summoning. Both angels reluctantly agree, but Uriel sure doesn't like the idea. However, he agrees to Dean's wishes as does Castiel, and the boys go about trying to save a thousand or so lives. Turns out, the angels were supposed to follow Dean's instructions anyway, and that it was a test to see if Dean is the right person for the job in the apocalypse that is coming. It is never explained if he passed or failed this test.





THis was a great episode, and it was an excellent episode for getting into the Halloween spirit. We have witches, zombies, ghosts, demons and ghouls, and we also see Sam use his ability again, but to what cost this time. It appears that Sam's ability does have limits, and it was a great idea that the writers let us see it with a nosebleed showing his effort. It lets us know that Sam, though he has this ability, will struggle using it against more powerful demons. It also makes us all wonder if Sam, because of the strain, has gone more to the dark side. The ending of the episode seems to hint at this, when Sam insults Uriel, who in turn lunges at him and gets in his face, letting him know what the consequences will be if he wonders off the righteous path.





I liked what the writers did with Uriel. It seems he has a problem with humans, and it is almost a certainty that other angels do as well. It kind of reminds me of the Cristopher Walken film called The Prophecy which involved angels and showed that some angels were jealous of humans because God gave humans free will. This all only adds to the intricate plot that is this season, and gives us some other questions to think about. Hopefully, the writers continue down this path and give us one of the best seasons yet. And that is saying something, since all the others ones overall were great as well.

Its about time we had an actual Supernatural style Halloween episode. I loved it. It opened up so many more doors. Getting to meet Uriel, the new Angle. He doesn't seem as pleasant as Castiel does. The fact that Uriel kept calling human kind mud munkeys wasn't polite as Castiel kept telling him not to say that. Castiel to me seems to be confused on the meaning of right and wrong. But the fact that he wanted to help save the town as Dean and Sam wanted at the end of the episode and throughout the episode Uriel wanted the whole destroyed. Seeing Sam in full control of his powers and sending a powerful demon tell hell and Dean finally got to see him use his powers for good. This episode was a total revelation to me. Epsically Dean and Castiel's conversation in the end at the park talking about Castiel's father's creations. Another great ep to celebrate the hollidays with one of my fav's now. I wonder how much Dean really remebers about hell. Can't wait to find out. Great job Supernatural.

Its about time we had an actual Supernatural style Halloween episode. I loved it. It opened up so many more doors. Getting to meet Uriel, the new Angle. He doesn't seem as pleasant as Castiel does. The fact that Uriel kept calling human kind mud munkeys wasn't polite as Castiel kept telling him not to say that. Castiel to me seems to be confused on the meaning of right and wrong. But the fact that he wanted to help save the town as Dean and Sam wanted at the end of the episode and throughout the episode Uriel wanted the whole destroyed. Seeing Sam in full control of his powers and sending a powerful demon tell hell and Dean finally got to see him use his powers for good. This episode was a total revelation to me. Epsically Dean and Castiel's conversation in the end at the park talking about Castiel's father's creations. Another great ep to celebrate the hollidays with one of my fav's now. I wonder how much Dean really remebers about hell. Can't wait to find out. Great job Supernatural.

I think that it is safe to say that so far this season has delivered big time. There have been so many memorable episodes and we are only 7 episodes into the season. You can add this episode to the list of greats from this year. A Halloween episode is awesome. After watching this episode I think they should do more holiday oriented episodes. I'm all for another Halloween episode next years. We'll have to wait and see. On top of having a great story Sam finally meets Castiel. I think they should make Castiel a regular character, every episode that he appears in is a great one. Hopefully we will see some more of him, I don't really care if Uriel shows up again. Maybe we can get some more insight into Dean's experience in Hell.

It's a few days before Halloween and Sam and Dean investigate two mysterious deaths in a small town. The brothers find hex bags and deduce a witch is sacrificing people to summon a dangerous demon named Samhain. Castiel arrives in town and tells Sam and Dean the freeing of Samhain is one of the Seals that will lead to freeing Lucifer, so Castiel has brought a specialist angel named Uriel to smite the entire town. Oh my god, I loved it with the astrounant, and i want candy, i think you've had enough. That was just classic Dean, it was so funny!

Of course the most famous quoted line in this episode was "ASTRONAUT" haha which was very funny. This episode does something very special in that it not only provides the audience with a halloween special but it also moves the plot along significantly and brings about character development. The 66th (i believe) seal is about to be broken by a wish and Castiel and his partner Uriel (who is a jerk) tell Sam and Dean that if they can't stop a wish from opening the seal (releasing Samhain who is the reason halloween started), then they will destroy the town. The meeting of the Angels crushes Sam's spirit because he had high hopes and expectations regarding the demons. He hoped they would be righteous and just. Castiel reveals something very important to Dean at the end of the episode and shares his own feeling about what is right and what is wrong. Sam is forced to use his powers again and Uriel strongly criticizes him for this. Another very well done episode and Supernatural continues to prove that it is definitely, if not the greatest, one of the greatest shows on TV today.

At first glance, the title is funny… until you think about what it means. A reference to Peanuts, Linus waited for the Great Pumpkin at Halloween, the equivalent of Santa Claus at Christmas, throw Sam's name in with it and it's obvious that the title refers to the rising of a incredibly powerful leader and we're not wrong. Sam's powers just took a massive and terrifying leap.





SN brings in witches again but does so in a far more appropriate manner than the last time. This witch wants to raise Samhain, breaking one of the Seals in the process and sacrifices innocents to do it. It's entirely possible she didn't know (or care) about the Seals, her plans had been in progress for 600 years, long before Lilith & Co took up residence, and her goal seemed to be just to release her love from Hell. A witch and a demon, a match made in Hell.





What a surprise, Dean's eating again and he's using Halloween as an excuse to gorge himself on all the candy he can find. Naturally, the first place the boys look for a motive is the same as last time, a spurned lover but Sam, back in research mode complete with laptop!, finds a far more disturbing reason for the deaths. Sam's in detached scientific mode and it's great to see the return of the more grounded, normal Sam.





The boys have investigated Santa, now they investigate Samhain, the entire reason for Halloween. As before, Sam explains the traditions of the current holiday which originate from the original superstitions. Samhain is one of the big boys and supernatural evil will be raised and then surround him. Without a doubt, the most powerful demon the boys have ever faced. He makes YED look sweet and cuddly.





Then comes a scene we've been looking forward to for ages! Sam meets Castiel. Sam, who believed in angels long before Dean did, positively gushes when he meets Castiel. He even apologizes for blaspheming, so sweet. Castiel, however, is not as thrilled – he hesitates to shake Sam's hand – because Sam's the Antichrist Superstar? He comments that he's glad to 'hear' that Sam's stopped using his powers – did Dean tell him or have they been watching? If Sam ever doubted Dean told him the truth about the angel's warning... Sam looks pretty freaked as he pulls his hand away. This is a scene that must be watched twice – the first time, you take everything at face value but the second time, watch Castiel – he's still new to this human form and doesn't lie well – when he tells the truth, he looks them in the eyes but for lies and half truths, he looks away. Castiel hates the whole 'smite the town' plan and just as obviously, doesn't like Uriel one bit. Uriel comments he's 'purified' cities before – Roanoke?! Castiel asks Dean if he's willing to risk Lucifer rising, Hell on Earth, and Dean looks shaken and even though Sam is talking, Castiel continues to stare into Dean's eyes, as if they're having a silent conversation.





Dean is very unfair to Castiel because Castiel seemed to be taking the hard line, little did Dean know that Castiel was just going through the motions, setting the stage for Dean. Castiel's line about obeying his father was a low blow, especially to Dean, who always followed John's orders. Dean is really stepping into his role as a Warrior for God, but also in a pronounced leadership role, and he takes a stand – they went to a lot of trouble to get him out of Hell, surely they'll hesitate to kill him. Watch Castiel's reaction – he really does care about Dean, he looks distressed at the thought.





Sam is naturally disappointed by his first meeting with angels, he's had them/Heaven/God up on a pedestal and he's struggling with the transition between the faith of what he believed and the real thing. Dean, in one of his sweet empathic moments, tries to be supportive and comfort Sam. The Babe Ruth comparison was an excellent one. Castiel just didn't make a good first impression with Sam, which is a shame. Given their secret mission to obey Dean's orders, Castiel and Uriel can't do anything but sit around and wait. If you want to know how important Dean is, Uriel suggests forcing Dean to leave. Apparently he's the one thing in this town worth saving. Sam is never mentioned, no surprise there.





Very cool about the raising and Sam's quick thinking about the 'masks', disgusting as it was. Extremely freaky with feeding the kids to the zombies – actual flesh-eating zombies! How cool is that?! Who doesn't love zombies? Sam goes after Samhain and it's obvious the kid's been practicing – the blinding light just bounces off Sam, who doesn't even stop walking. For a while there, I wondered if Sam was in over his head then he manages to tap into a *incredible* well of power we never even suspected was there and sends Samhain straight back to Hell. Which raises a terrifying thought – if Sam could just 'find' extra power when he needed it, what else could he do if he just focuses like he did here? Times like this, I actually think that Sam can't be saved – he said it himself, the demon blood is part of him and he can't remove it, which means that Sam is a slave to a powerful physical drive, something that even the strongest will cannot stop. He opened a major door here, who knows what will come through it. Dean's face as he watched Sam exorcise Samhain was heartbreaking, he stood frozen and didn't intervene, even when Sam looked in serious trouble. Makes you wonder if Dean was unconsciously waiting to see what Sam would do. Sam could barely meet his eyes after.





Uriel implies that Dean's been less than truthful about his amnesia about Hell and we see this for ourselves, Dean's having flashes. (Let's hope we don't need Uriel's services again because he really is a 'dick'.) Then there's Castiel's less-than-subtle innuendo (several times) that Dean knows what Hell on Earth would be like. No doubt this is a fight for next week since Sam will probably confront Dean about it. Chances are that it's innocent and Dean hasn't wanted to worry Sam about a few flashes here and there, but the whole 'secret' thing is a sensitive issue at the moment, so it has the potential to blow up into something more.





Wonderful conversation between Dean and Castiel. Castiel's definitely becoming more human, he actually laughed. Castiel has come to trust Dean and even admits he was rooting for him. He even confides in Dean, they actually seem to be becoming friends. One of the most important things to come out of this episode is confirmation that Dean wasn't chosen just because he was Sam's brother. He was chosen because of his considerable potential, though the fact that he's Sam's brother made him the best candidate. Since Dean came back from Hell, he's shown a noticeable maturity that wasn't there before and this episode highlights it – Dean thrives under 'battlefield conditions' and does his usual impressive job.





I like the fact that even Castiel doesn't know whether Dean passed or failed the test, not knowing what the goal of the test was. Tells you how important Dean is that so much trust would be placed on his judgement and that his actions matter so much that he was tested by God Himself. Dean assumed he failed but that depends on what the test was meant to show. Or maybe it's not the kind of test you pass or fail, just a way to judge your actions. I think Dean passed – yes, the seal was broken, but that wasn't the point of the exercise - on a battlefield, you want your generals to think on their feet, to adapt to the situation and Dean has always had a remarkable ability to do just that. Dean's always been in charge because he's the oldest and the best Hunter, but for the first time, here he shows striking leadership skills and refuses to back down even to angels on a holy mission. He seems to be growing into himself, into the knowledge of his own strengths and what he is capable of, into the realization that he is special and important, especially in the grand scheme of things.





One thing that Castiel said that is very disturbing: he said that future decisions would be on Dean's shoulders – again, no mention of Sam. It's almost like the angels have written Sam off, as Uriel said – Sam's only alive because he's been useful, and as soon as he's not, he's dead. Another side to that is obvious – killing Sam would turn Dean against them, so they tolerate Sam… for now.





Loved Castiel before but he is totally awesome now. He has this gentle sweetness inside him and this love for humans that makes him everything I always thought an angel would be. Like Sam who has much the same nature, he can be ruthless when necessary but at his core, he's just a really good guy.





Last thoughts:


- The kid in the astronaut costume, so funny. Loved Dean's expression! Dean was rude and though I wince at someone egging the Impala, Dean did deserve it.





This entire season has rocked and this is no exception. A truly impressive episode in all respects and still manages to raise the stakes in the fight for Sam's soul. This episode is epic and is probably an indication of what the future battles of Armageddon will be like. I suspect that Samhain was only the beginning.

Sam meets Cass. I don't think Cass and Company lived up to Sam's expectations, but I'm not sure if that was reason enough for him not to listen to their warnings about using his powers. His powers also seem to be making him ill. I'm not sure where they are going with this, but it should be interesting.





Dean is leading heaven's army. The angels are supposed to take orders from him. I'm starting to wonder what was the reason Dean was picked to do this. There has to be some other reason that he is an awesome hunter; perhaps, how he handled himself in hell?





They seem to be humanizing Cass this episode with his bonding scene with Dean. I think they need to warm up his character since he works for the "Good" side.

If you can get past that painfully disgusting first gore shot at the beginning where the man is hemorrhaging up razor blades (and removing the one in his throat *ouch!*), then you'll definitely enjoy this episode that's just filled with all kinds of tricks and treats for this special Halloween-themed event. One of the very best things about this show is its tendency to turn twists. And oh boy, do we get them here. To get the spook factor first, we are privy to the genius minds of the SN writing team for a story involving the myth of Samhain, which is actually a fairly popular character of lore. I really enjoyed listening to Sam's explanation of Samhain's origins, which of course explains the modern traditions of Halloween as we know it to the ideals of the past. This is cool as we learned last year of some of the older Christmas traditions deriving from Pagan lore. Neat and very interesting stuff to learn from this series. As for Samhain himself, dude was just scary. Those eyes alone! And even worse, he was one of the 66 seals to be broken, making Lucifer's escape into the world one step closer to fruition....





On to the more important stuff, however, we get to the brothers, which is where things really kick into some high-ass gear. First off, we get some more Castiel goodness and even a new angel cohort, Uriel. Man, this is gonna be one wickedly challenging character! And for the first time, we get to see Sam and Castiel interact. Talk about first impressions - that one brief shot where Castiel was reluctant to shake Sam's hand spoke volumes upon volumes. This is evidently Castiel fearing (or knowing?) what Sam really is, reacting to the fact that Sam has demon blood inside him. And poor Sam, indeed. For the moment, both angels seem to side completely with Dean. Even Uriel made it clear to Sam at ep's end that the only reason he (Sam) was alive was because he's been useful. But when that use is done, Sam will apparently be dust. Not to mention what Uriel told Castiel during the park scene where he says they should take Dean out of town before they destroy it. No mention of Sam. Uriel's cryptic warnings here are now crystal clear that Sam is destined for some type of evil. What's more complicated is the fact that Castiel told Dean that in the near future decisions will have to be made on his (Dean's) part. I'm-a take a really wild guess here and voice my fear that I believe Dean is being groomed to turn against Sam. Yes, Sam has been using his powers for good, and sure, he's doing what he thinks is the right thing to help him and Dean and countless others, but the responsibility on whole could overwhelm him in time and be his undoing. Even Ruby can only teach him yay much. Then again, she is a demon herself, so that doesn't help Sam's case to the angels much, I wouldn't imagine.


Castiel speaks of "bigger pictures", but is he even looking at Sam's own bigger picture? It seems to me that if they truly wanted Sam out of the way, they would go ahead and destroy him. But then they would lose Dean's ultimate trust, which of course he's basically still wrestling with due to his whole faith thing. And I think at this point Dean has grown exponentially in his faith as he has grown to show Castiel the (somewhat, anyway) respect the good angel demanded from him a few eps back. It's still gonna take time, but for now I believe Dean is scared and still a little reluctant to believe because a lot of this happens to fall toward his fear that Castiel and Uriel tend to see Sam being an obstacle rather than an ally. Not to mention his own fears about his younger brother on top of this. I mean, did you see Dean's face when he watched Sam exorcize Samhain with his powers? Truly heartbreaking moment if I ever saw one. Whatever decisions Dean will have to make in the future regarding this grand battle are gonna really test his faith and strength of character - and, most importantly, his true loyalties to Sam.





What's more, Sam's slight disappointment in his take on Castiel and Uriel was indeed tragic. Meaning, the look of joy on his face to finally meet actual angels - something he has prayed to for such a long time now - only to find out they weren't exactly what he expected. Dean was right: they were righteous, true that, but not in what Sam saw as the traditional way. Even the powers of good have to go against the rules sometimes in order to win wars. But in this case, Sam's "heritage" is what the angels seem to not be able to get over, which is crushing to Sam, hence Uriel's threat at the end.





Dean's remark to Uriel about him being important to "the man upstairs" hit a major artery. God indeed must have some pretty epic plans for the Deanster if He not only ordered Castiel to pull Dean out of Hell for a higher purpose, but also inadvertently gave Dean a test by having the angels take orders from him. From the most powerful Almighty, this has got to prove to a huge extent somewhere that Dean is far more powerful than thought. Maybe not magic like Sam, but you never know. There are, of course, other ways. But we'll have to stay tuned in to find out, won't we?





Bits and Pieces:


- Loved Dean's interaction with the astronaut trick-or-treater.


- Bummer to see the Impala egged like that, but loved Dean's reaction to it.


- More risque dialogue? Dean's remark to Sam about "sitting there fingering his bone". The things they get away with on tv these days. Not that it wasn't hilarious, mind....





I'll do it for the 7th time now: 10. Because it was just one of those super terrific eps loaded with tons of great stuff, especially with the bros. Next week looks as if the brothers discover an evil wishing well. That ought to be a hoot. Can't wait....

Prior to this ep the two that have come before it were really good but they were ultimately fillers, veering away from the plot of the impending hell on earth. This episode goes right back onto the main plot when Sam and Dean investigate two killings only days before Halloween. They find Hex Bags at the crime scenes which tips them off that it is a witch and a very serious witch at that! The witch wants to bring a demon up from hell, the one responsible for Halloween. Once risen he plans to awaken all kinds of undead beings which is no good for anyone!





Castiel arrives in town to tell the Winchesters that the summoning of this demon is one of the seals that can be broken to unleash Lucifer. Castiel is joined by a "specialist" angel who plans to destroy the town so as to destroy the witch before she can complete the ritual. Sam and Dean don't want any part of this and tell the angels that they plan on stopping it before anything happens.





This ep reveals more in the final 5 minutes than both eps that have come before this one. You learn of Dean's importance to the angels as well as Sam's problem with using his demon powers. This ep leads to alot more major battles of this magnitude occuring in episodes to come and I can only hope that they are executed this well!

When I saw that this was a Halloween-themed episode, I was a bit concerned. As entertained as I am by hot young women in costume (a given when Dean is involved), "Supernatural" is far more than fan service. Thankfully, the Halloween aspect was held to butchering of the meaning of Samhain (and the pronunciation, for that matter), and the rest was all connected directly to the season arc.





The witch Samhain was connected to one of the 66 seals holding back Lucifer, and this became the basis of a test for Dean Winchester. Apparently God believes that Dean is the right man to lead on the mounting apocalyptic battleground, and Castiel is apparently the one assigned to mold him into that form.





In this instance, Castiel is accompanied by Uriel, who seems to have a real chip on his shoulder when it comes to humans. Uriel doesn't seem to see the inherent value of humanity, perhaps due to the human tendency not to follow the rules, even when it's clearly a good idea. Uriel lacks the compassion that Castiel possesses, and this presents an interesting set of possibilities.





Is Castiel unusual for an angel, or is Uriel the one with the minority view? As powerful and close to God as they are, can it be assumed that the angels think and show allegiance monolithically? Nor can their nature be assumed as "traditional". After all, in the "Supernatural" world, demons are human souls that have been transformed and twisted by their tenure in hell. It certainly sounds like angels are something very different from humanity, just from this episode alone, but the relationship is not yet defined. Assumptions from various religious traditions may not apply.





Going to the source material (the Bible, naturally) may not give us a better perspective, since there have been clear deviations from the text in terms of the series, but it's a roadmap of sorts. Angels in the Old Testament were aloof and more than a little ruthless. Then again, God is also more smite-happy in that era, so it makes sense. For all we know, Uriel could have been one of those involved in Sodom and Gamorrah's "cleansing".





Angels in the New Testament, however, are generally more pleasant. That is, until one takes a peek at The Revelation of John of Patmos, in which case the angels are at war and they do not hold back at all. And for better or worse, that's the situation that is brewing; if Lucifer is released by Lilith, I imagine the end times come with the package. And it doesn't help that Sam is primed and ready to take the role of Antichrist Superstar in whatever gambit Azazel had in mind.





Perhaps, for the past couple thousands of years, angels like Castiel were more prominent. This particular war might have forced the deployment of more hard-line angels like Uriel. If angels are dying left and right to stop the opening of the seals, as Castiel noted to Dean earlier in the season, then Uriel's attitude could make sense. From his point of view, humanity has been given plenty of chances, and it may not make sense to Uriel for his kind to die to save those too weak to save themselves.





Could this be way Castiel is doubting right and wrong? Because that was the one point of the episode that didn't quite track. If Castiel was supposed to be more compassionate, perhaps he (and others in a similar function) are disillusioned by the sudden onset of war and death. Just as Dean balks at being asked to accept and even facilitate the deaths of thousands, perhaps Castiel questions the necessity as well. Because we don't know the full nature of angels on "Supernatural", it's hard to label it "blasphemy" when Castiel reveals doubt.





From the brothers' point of view, the notion of destroying an entire town and accepting the deaths of thousands in return seemed to be evidence that God was out of line. There are two sides to that argument. On the one hand, it was a test: not just in terms of what Dean would do on the battlefield, but how he would react to the orders being given by a higher authority. Would he follow without question, would he utterly reject those expectations, or would he try to do things his way? On the other hand, it's clear that Sam and Dean don't quite understand the depth of the situation.





So of course they pushed back and reacted badly. For both brothers, this seems to confirm their doubts, even as it must necessarily provide certainties, particularly in the existence of a higher power. (Angels seem to be good for that function!) Unfortunately, by going their own way, they saved lives but botched the mission. Even worse, Sam used his power once again, and that seemed to cost him something in the process. (Especially since Uriel and Castiel seemed to rather expect Sam to do so.)





Which leads to the question: did Dean fail the test? I think it's safe to say he did, if one takes the perspective that God's plan (in terms of the plot) is clearly how things should be done. I'm not sure either character is ready to draw that conclusion, based on their doubts. I think the Brothers Winchester will first attempt to define a middle position, not unlike their position has been all along. And there is no reason to think that such a consistent reaction will go well on any level.





Few Halloween-themed episodes for genre shows manage to pack so much thought-provoking material into the hour. There was even a reference to the significance of Halloween in the pilot! The usual strengths were mined, and the mythology was expanded. What more could we ask for from an episode of "Supernatural"?

Ever since the season opener aired, i was unsure why Dean was singled out by God and his angels and even though Castiel was told to obey him in this episode i still am not sure.


I think the idea that Sam and Dean take up opposite sides is quite a good one as i think that Liliths plan to release Lucifer involves Sam and his demon powers. I think this because it would give a reason for Dean to be resurrected. I think Deans job is fairly simple and thats to keep an eye on his brother and to give Sam an anchor to his humanity.


When Dean was dead Sam was using his powers liberally with Ruby and now with Dean back Sam is trying to deny the true nature of his powers again.


(i stil miss the old Sam as it appears that Sam is now less morally stricken and Dean is more caring in his approach to his job, almost a swap in roles).

The show has been stronger than ever in it's fourth season, and this trend continues with this episode. This was a fantastic addition - the way it combined episodic elemenns with over-arching ones... it was simply a joy to watch it play off.





Since I'm too tired lately to write long reviews, I'll just highlight the two things that made me truly LOVE this episode.





Castiel's speech(es). His deialouge with Sam and Dean about destroying the town - Simply amazing, breathetaking. A 5 minute scene with only dialouge..... and yet, it was exciting. And his other speech; at the end, with Dean. Extremely well done. His doubts in "god" are very justified and intriguing, I can't wait to see where this is taken.





The other thing I loved.... Dean's reaction to Sam using his powers. What a heartbreaking scene. Fantastic. Just... fantastic.





Kudos to everyone involved with this brilliant show. This is how it's done, Heroes could learn from it!

"ASTRONAUT!!!" What a gem of a side story those 2 little scenes were! Also was awesome to see all the eating is unabated given all the razor blades.





After the tour de force of the last episode *everything* is going to be judged slightly harsher as a result. But this was still darn good.





The Big Picture is being revealed piece by piece. What mission, what test, what war are they talking about? And what *does* God really want of the boys - especially Dean?





Angles have doubts like the rest of us. Glad to hear it.





Sammy's views about Heaven and goodness take a big hit in this one. Interesting to see how that will play out.





Dean really should have helped out his brother in that last fight - but it was darn good to see Sammy take on that thing on his own - and still win.





I know it is minor, but although he is really powerfull, Uriel the black angel should have been nicer dammit. Good to see not all angels are white, but why make the black guy the d!ck?





More from "God" please. And I love all the general angst. Top stuff.

For the last three years I've been watching this series for simple entertainment. Just some fun, action, and the sci-fi nature was keeping me in. It was not a great show for me.





Supernatural, for three years, showed us demons, vampires and all the creatures of hell. Which tend to become "aliens from another world" kind of story. And after three years of this, I thought a fourth season might be too much.





But I was wrong. For the last 6 episodes, I loved the series. And the 7th episode, with character development and just with the screenplay the series has surpassed itself.





Writers found the great potential of the series as they started to improve the "bright side" of the religion. Most of the movies, tv series tend to forget that part.





I'm really happy that I continued watching. And if it continues as good as this episode, I'm sure there will be lots of new seasons in the future.

Another great time! for supernatural. In the beging the episode is staring slowdonw, but after really great!





First: the angels! holy crapy! uriel it's a bad ass angel. He dosen't really like the humans, he calls the human beens seems like a monkeys ! But castiel in this episode it's really cute, I think he identiy by dean, two soldiers, I love this part when he said dosen't the put on the guity in the dean's sholders!





Second: The wicths it's really stupids! How can she think that deimind dont's kill her! crazy bicth!





Tthird: the sam power's LOL! when I saw the sam face's I realize that his power could be kill he if he put some more strong that's scared me! so much!





Four: Dean really remind what happen in the hell! I konw now!





So kiss guys! Cau!

Okay, four words..."Bring it on, stinky!" Haha Sorry, LOVED that!! I bow down to Dean's greatness!





I was actually really heartbroken for Sam. How he got so excited to finally meet the Angels and he was all "giddy" and then he kind of really got dumped on and got a hard reality slap. I think that was a pretty decent sized kick for him, and possibly could lend a helping hand for him going darker. I mean, if he thinks that all the Angels, the people he expected would be the only ones to save him were dicks (in his opinion, though Uriel was) then he would think he can't be saved, and even if they could save him why would they if they seemingly don't care? I just felt really bad for him. Though I loved how Cass like held his hand. I was like "Aww, a little moment..."





LMFAO @ "ASTRONAUT!!!" . Dudes, I'm sorry but Dean SO had that one coming! I mean, he called that kid fat and wouldn't give him any candy. I would have egged the car too . Yeah, he can be an ass sometimes. I think he's compensating for something!





Sam using his abilities! Wow! That was awesome! His eyes turned black and everything! Having to push them like that probably opened a few doors with new stuff or higher level stuff at least.





And the ending. Wow...yeah, I was left like whoa...I mean, I figured they were there to follow Dean's orders, but actually hearing it, and seeing a new, more human side to Castiel was really just breathtaking for me. I love his character. I'm glad they're developing him more. Though just a question, at the "Swear not to tell another soul" um...wouldn't God hear him? I mean, I thought God hears all and sees all? Is that wrong in the shows lore or...? Hmmm...





Anyways, fantastic episode! This season is my favorite. Keep it up!!!

So all in all another good epi. Sam and Dean are on a mission to try and stop the raising of Samhain. This can only happen every 600 years. In this episode Castiel returns and we get to meet another angel, Uriel. Sam finally gets to meet the angel Castiel. He was so excited to finally meet and angel and was met with a bit of a cold shoulder by Cass. You could see he was left with disappointment. Dean was the one who ended up preaching to Sam about not giving up faith in the man upstairs. That was a turn. Basically the story was a test for Dean which ended in Castiel telling Dean he was not envious of the decision he was going to have to make. We also got another glimpse of Dean watching Sam use his powers. Dean seems amazed but stricken with disappointment, sadness and worry. Good visual effects this epi and the impala was defaced by and angry astronaut. That will go down in history. Once again I can't wait to see what happens.