Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) discover a he-witch (guest star Hal Ozsan) is running a high-stakes poker game where the currency is life years instead of money. Bobby (Jim Beaver) sees the game as a chance to get out of the wheelchair and bets 25 years, but loses. As Bobby begins to age rapidly, Dean steps in to save him but also ends up turning into an old man, leaving Sam holding the bag for their survival. Robert Singer directed the episode with teleplay by Sera Gamble and story by Sera Gamble & Jenny Klein.
I’ll admit right now I went into watching The Curious Case of Dean Winchester with a large grain of trepidation. Not because of the plot line though, because I was fairly certain that Sera Gamble as one of Supernatural’s veteran writers would be able to create a credible storyline around the premise of a he-witch with the powers to give to or take years from a person’s life. What I had the trepidation about was knowing that instead of putting the highly talented Jensen Ackles through the aging process via special effects make up, the studio had chosen to send out a casting call for an older actor to play the part of seventy-some year old Dean Winchester.
The way I saw this,we had a fifty-fifty chance of the casting director making a brilliant choice such as was made when young Ridge Canipe was chosen, not once but twice to portray a younger version of Dean Winchester (most notable as 12 year old Dean in Supernatural S3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas), or what was in my opinion an unmitigated disaster in the choice of casting Brock Kelly to play eighteen year old Dean Winchester in Supernatural S4.13 episode After School Special.
I have to say that some of my major apprehension was relieved when I found out that the casting director had chosen veteran television actor Chad Everett to step into the role of the older Dean Winchester. Everett, who is most well known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon on the highly successful 1970’s hospital drama series Medical Center, was playing a medical drama heartthrob long before anyone ever heard of Dr. McDreamy so I knew he had the looks and physical build to pull it off. Yet I still had to wonder did he have what it took to step in to an older version of Dean Winchester and hold onto all the dynamics and physical presence that Jensen Ackles brought to the character?
The answer my dear readers, is in my opinion a great big YES! I am pleased to say that just like when Ridge Canipe was in the role, while Jensen Ackles might be away— the character of Dean Winchester was still very much in play. Chad Everett’s portrayal of Dean Winchester was nearly flawless and the best part of all was it never seemed like he was “forcing it”. I applaud the producer’s decision not to try and go the route of putting Ackles into heavy make up. Part of what made this version of Dean Winchester so believable was the use of an older actor who could more organically play the limitations and issues that happen to even the healthiest of men, as they get older. Not that I don’t think Jensen Ackles could have pulled it off, he’s got the talent to do it. It’s just that having Everett in the role gave it more realism and credibility.
I loved the way the older version of Dean interacted with Sam and Sam not treating him any different than normal. The brother dynamic was still very much in place and that is a testament not only to the talent of Chad Everett but also to the talent of Jared Padalecki as well. More than just good casting rested in making this plot line believable, it also relied on Jared Padalecki to create and carry the illusion too and he more than rose to the challenge of helping to bring the character of older Dean to life. Sam believed it was Dean so we believed it too.
The Curious Case of Dean Winchester was a very powerful episode and part of what made it work so well as such was the talent of Jim Beaver as Bobby Singer who is now trapped in a wheelchair. There’s a war going on and Bobby feels like he’s no longer able to be useful in it. Bobby wants out of that chair and back into action or he just wants to be dead, which is what prompts him to play the he-witch’s game. I have to give a big hand to Sera Gamble and Jenny Klein for using this episode as a way to tap back into the roots of Supernatural and the “family business” aspect. Bobby Singer is family, especially to Dean who sees the older hunter as his “other dad”, the one he can talk to and lean on. We see that the Winchesters are still as ever willing to sacrifice themselves for each other and now that willingness to sacrifice extends to Bobby Singer. I for one was glad to see that this strength of love was still very evident in both Dean and in Sam aw well who was ready to sacrifice part of himself to save Dean.
The heartfelt talk between Bobby and Dean at the end was also very pivotal and I believe meant to keep the continuity going. I have read comments from other viewers and from fans wondering why Dean didn’t say that both he and Sam couldn’t do this without Bobby. However I think that Dean was motivated to keep it more about himself because he is terrified of becoming his “future self” and having those events manifest. One thing I think he knows for sure is that without Bobby there to help Dean make the right decisions, keep him from wallowing in self pity and to help keep him “human”, Dean is going to end up just like he saw himself back in The End. If he ends up that way Dean is not going to be able to help Sam and both of them will lose the battle.
Also I think it still means that Dean is bound by John Winchester’s code of “chain of command”. Dean needs Bobby to be the leader. Sam might want to be out of “protected little brother” status, but Dean still needs the security of a familiar position in life to be able to carry on. With Sam not wanting to be “little brother to protect” all Dean has left is to be “the good son/soldier” and he looks to Bobby to help him fulfill that role. It gives Dean a measure of security and sense of self.
Speaking of great casting choices, Hal Oszan as Patrick was pretty close to perfection (absolute perfection would have been casting Michael Shanks) and the creation of this character by the writers was well done. Patrick was not some cut and dried villain. I liked that they chose to present him as having good and bad, that he was more human and not just another “evil monster of the week”.
To me Patrick embodied all that we find in a society where youth is everything and growing old is terrifying because it means we are seen as becoming useless and obsolete. Oszan handled the role of Patrick with the right balance of playfulness, vindictiveness and humanity to make the character work and not come across as too shallow or “villiany” and he had good working chemistry with everyone he dealt with.
This was another stand out episode for Jared Padalecki. As I said, part of making the character of older Dean work as well as it did rested with Padalecki. But what also rested with him was to show us a side of Sam that we rarely get a true glimpse of which is how self-contained and how cunning he really is. As an audience we are often caught up in the “little brother Sam” mindset as much as Dean is and so not only do the writers and Jared Padalecki have the challenge of showing Dean that Sam is more than just a baby brother to protect, they have to show this to the audience as well.
And it’s about time we got to actually see things going on with Sam rather than being kept in the dark about them. In The Curious Case of Dean Winchester we get to see that Sam is not just book smart, he is “military strategy” smart as well. Sam knew he couldn’t hide his emotions from Patrick, but knew that he could use this to his advantage to misdirect Patrick and cause him to make a mistake.
Overall, The Curious Case of Dean Winchester was a very richly layered and insightful episode. The characterizations were impressive and the casting choices matched that. I enjoyed Chad Everett’s Dean Winchester as much as I enjoy Jensen Ackles’ Dean Winchester. Both actors flowed together in the role in this episode and the transitions from one to the other were seamlessly done. But neither could have did it quite so well without the help of Jared Padalecki and Jim Beaver whose characters of Sam Winchester and Bobby Singer just saw Dean as Dean no matter what age he was.
One thing I really liked and it was just a small thing in the episode, was when at the end Dean, restored back to his thirty-year old self, put down the cheeseburger. In that small gesture we saw that Dean is thinking past being young and not living to grow older. That he thinks maybe there is some small glimmer of hope that he will live to be an old man and make it out of the effort to stop the apocalypse alive. If he makes it, Sam will make it too.
This coming week is Supernatural S5.08 Changing Channels, which select online journalist like myself got a chance to sneak preview and which airs on the CW this coming Thursday at 9PM EST right after a brand new episode of the hit CW series The Vampire Diaries. I’ll be giving my take on that to promote the episode and my thoughts on why it’s a very pivotal episode…without giving away too many spoilers that is so quit looking at me like that Dean!
I liked your review a lot, I thought Chad was brilliant as older Dean, Jim Beaver gave us some lovely new rich Bobby insight. And Jared's consistent ability to have chemistry with anyone that comes onto this show meant he and Chad worked as beautifully together as he does with Jensen. I loved watching strategic Sam at play in the poker game and he and Patrick were formidable interesting opponents.
Way to go Sammy. Your poker face proved them all wrong!
""With Sam not wanting to be “little brother to protect” all Dean has left is to be “the good son/soldier” and he looks to Bobby to help him fulfill that role. It gives Dean a measure of security and sense of self. ""
I don't think so. Dean is more than just the good soldier/son. Dean's much more. He's moved beyond that, and beyond Sam. He's a leader and he has the world on his shoulders. Bobby is an ass, but thank goodness Dean at least is decent enough to talk to Bobby in a way that's kind and gentle, unlike Bobby's rude rant to Dean in Lucifer Rising.
As for the episode, I found it slow and boring. Chad Everett did a fantastic job, but he wasn't Dean. But if anyone carried this episode, it was Chad, the actor who played the witch and then Jensen. But even they couldn't save this dredge.
I didn't really like this episode, it seemed very slow and predictable. However, I did like Chad as Dean, he was much better than Brock Kelly, but still Chad isn't Dean, that's Jensen. I also think Jim Beaver did an excellent job.
I disagree with your comments about Dean needing Bobby like you say he does. In fact, I think it's kind of the reverse, I think Dean is more of the leader, not the soldier, here.
I'm not sure what to make of the Sam parts, because I don't think we learned anything new. Sam is smart, Sam has issues being the little brother, Sam knows how to lie…we knew all that.
I didn't really see any chemistry between Jared and Chad, but I saw boat loads between Jim Beaver and Chad. I loved their bantering back and forth.
Honestly, I thought this was one of the dullest episodes of the show in the entire series. It just seemed to drag and not really have much of a point, especially given that they're in the middle of the Apocalypse! And Patrick didn't seem to be really that bad of a "bad guy" at all, so I don't know why Dean and Sam were wasting time on this case. They even let him live in the end. Hal Ozsan was great in the role of Patrick though.
I thought Chad Everett was pretty good as older Dean, and it was nice to see him on TV again. I thought he had nice chemistry with Jim in their scenes together. Obviously Jensen owns the role of Dean in every way though, and I loved his happy dance return! 🙂
I thought the weakest aspect of the episode was the poker scenes between Patrick and Sam. The pacing was off, and it made absolutely no sense that Sam dragged out the reveal of his winning hand for so long, knowing Dean was close to death, if not already dead. Sam already knew he won the hand as soon as the flop was revealed, so why did he "act" like he lost in the end and drag it out? The moment Patrick revealed his hand, Sam should have flipped over his cards for the win. Why did he waste time talking to Patrick and his girlfriend before revealing that he had won? Patrick told him Dean only had precious few minutes left to live. I realize they were trying to ratchet up the dramatic tension in that moment, but it really did not work for me. I feel that the writing, direction failed big time in these scenes, and it's too bad because Hal Ozsan did a great job in the role.
The final scene between Bobby and Dean was really the only aspect of the episode I enjoyed. Jim Beaver and Jensen Ackles are GOLD in their scenes together. I adore Dean and Bobby's relationship and I especially enjoyed that Dean took the approach he did with Bobby, conveying love and caring, but also treating him with respect as a fellow hunter. I think Dean is trying to "gather the troops" and keep everyone together right now. He's becoming a wonderful leader. Although I do think Dean has apologized enough already!
Overall, I expect better from the show and Sera Gamble. Oh well, maybe next week.
I thought Chad did a good job of mimicking Ackles' Dean and he and Jim Beaver did well with the grumpy old man banter.
But mostly all this episode really did was convince me that there is no way I would be watching this show if not for Jensen Ackles. I appreciate that he deserves the time off so I didn't mind him being replaced for the bulk of the episode but I was more than ready to have him come back when he made his reappearance with that delightful little jig.
Also Dean took charge the minute he learned about Bobby's idiocy and at the end, was firm but gentle in demanding that Bobby not give up. Not because he was looking for someone to lead him, but because he loves Bobby and he can't bear to lose what little family he has left. I know beta!Dean is popular construct in wincest fannon but I've never thought it was Dean we were seeing on the show.
The one good thing about this season for me has been watching Dean blossom into the true leader of this group. Not by bullying, belittling or browbeating but by trying to understand what is best for everyone and giving it to them in order to get them ready for the long battle against Lucifer. That's the only thing that is really ringing true for me about the show, these days.
"Dean needs Bobby to be the leader."
I completely disagree with this.
Dean understands that Bobby needs to be "needed" as a leader. But Dean does not need Bobby to be the leader. We have clearly been shown that Dean has moved beyond needing to be that "good little soldier/son." Dean has grown into an effective leader in his own right, which is why he knew *exactly* how to get through to Bobby in that scene.
I thought it was a good episode, not great, but good. I really wasn't feeling Chad Everett as older Dean. I would have much rather seen Dean in the make up playing his older self. I wasn't crazy about the last scene with Dean and Bobby. I just thought, oh no, not another chick flick moment. They are overplaying them. I am losing that aaawwww factor I usually have when the guys have these heart to hearts. However, I was impressed with what Jared brought to the table with Sam in this episode. Even though we knew Sam would win I thought the game between him and Patrick was very intense. It was nice to see Sammy being the hero and saving Dean.
Point to reviewer: never say Jared Padalecki is good, it'll bring the crazies out in mases, trying to prove the opposite!
It's evident that Padalecki shines and shines and sshines, bu I wish the recappers wouldn't even mention him in this crazy ass fandom. You just have to learn, unfortunately, to not mention one of the actors (and even character) in positive words not to cause the inevitable fanwank that will follow such words of praise about the wrong actor or character.
Loved your recap and liked the ep! Patrick was hot and old Dean was a hoot.
One thing you are absolutely right about is that Dean needs a leader, he always has. He's acts bossy at times, but he is no leader since a leader needs visions and has to act the way he wants his underlings to act. Unfortunately Dean's always had problems in that department. And his actions illustrated that beautifully in this ep.
Celia — Who here said anything about Jared Padalecki *not* being good? NO ONE that I can see. Speaking for myself, I am critical of the writing in this episode, not the actors. And I haven't seen anyone else make a comment that suggests "fanwank" except YOURS. And you might want to look up the definition in the of *fanwank* in the dictionary, because you are using it incorrectly. The word you're looking for is WANK.
And it's very interesting that in the same comment you speak of this "crazy ass fandom", YOU also have to take Dean down a few notches, in order to prop up your character of preference, Sam. I will say that move is very typical behavior by certain people in this fandom who's goal it is to create WANK.
This might have been a decent episode in S1 but not now, not with the apocalypse supposedly looming just over the horizon. While I agree that Chad Everett did an outstanding job as old Dean, without Jensen the spark was simply missing from the show. I found it flat and not suspenseful at all.
"Dean needs Bobby to be the leader."
I disagree with this very strongly. In this episode we saw Dean take the first steps toward becoming a leader himself, by quickly giving Bobby back his years then calmly and gently opening Bobby's eyes to his continuing worth in the up coming battle. Dean is looking for an advisor now because he already IS a leader.
Oh Celia you still don't understand the difference between opposing opinions and wank. What you did and what I am doing now is wank. Not agreeing with a recappers opinion is discussion. I am assuming Ms. Reed does understand the difference since I have seen gracefully her handle similar disagreements from samfans in the past.
"Also I think it still means that Dean is bound by John Winchester’s code of “chain of command”. Dean needs Bobby to be the leader."
I saw it as exactly the opposite. "We're not through" and "I don't want to ever hear that again" are not submissive phrases, said to a leader. They're firm, loving admonishments, given to a beloved follower. Bobby isn't a leader. He never has been… he flies apart at the seams in high-pressure situations, overreacts and often makes illogical and foolish suggestions when stressed. He's not leadership material. Instead, he's a treasured family member, and an extremely valuable source of knowledge about the supernatural.
Old men don't always play the leadership role just because they're old, and young men don't submit to just anyone solely because they're young. Dean has been taking the reins with Bobby since Bobby's first appearance on the show, just as he does with all of the non-fighters. He respects Bobby, loves Bobby… but he doesn't submit to Bobby. He submitted to one man, and that man was John Winchester. In subsequent years, many have yearned to own Dean's allegiance as John did, to command from him that unflinching obedience. These have ranged from little brothers to demons to angels. But what they don't understand is that John tamed Dean through a concentrated program of outrageous expectations and neglect in his most impressionable and vulnerable years. No one can ever duplicate that, and no one can ever crawl inside him that way again. Even Alastair, with forty years to work on him, could only get the most grudging and transient submission. Dean's captain died, and when he died, Dean stepped up. And he's been doing marvelously, inspiring angels to cast their loyalties to their undying brethren aside and throw their lots in with him, making hard decisions and staying true to his principles while Bobby flits wildly from one position to the opposite and Sam hands over his autonomy to the first demon who flutters her eyelashes at him.
No, I think Dean wasn't asking Bobby for leadership. He was asking Bobby to live, to soldier on, to be part of their support in this war. A good leader isn't afraid to apologize, or to ask for help. But a leader's gentleness is not the same as his submission.
One thing we do in this fandom is grab onto a general comment made and repeat it without really checking it. I’m referring to the criticism of the end scene where Dean tells Bobby he “can’t do this alone” and our annoyance at his dismissal of Sam. Meaning, Dean isn’t alone as long as he has his brother. Please rewind the DVRs and listen to the words… Dean says “I can’t do this without you” which I took to mean not as a dismissal of Sam (by being alone), but a reaffirmation of the father-figure role that Bobby has (as in needing his support, experience, and wisdom). Dean includes Sam in the conversation in needing Bobby. The actual full quote is: You don’t stop being a soldier cuz you got wounded in battle. Ok, no matter what shape you’re in, bottom line is you’re family. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but me and Sam we don’t have much left. I can’t do this without you. I can’t. So don’t you dare think about checking out.
(continued…)
I also see Dean taking charge and moving into the leader role more and more. Would he step back and be more of the follower under the leadership of a father figure? Of course! It’s natural to step back and allow the older more experienced hunter lead the way, if needed. But in this instance I don’t see Dean falling back in line in the good son/soldier role; he’s progressed beyond that. As for Sam, we’ve known since the beginning that he’s cunning smart and has only gotten better over time. Good to actually see it play out on screen for a change.
(continued…)
I liked this episode. It wasn't great but it was solid. It would've been even better at some other time where we didn't have to put the Apocalypse aside for it. Even though the episode was just a MOTW, the performances by everyone are to be commended. Jim, Jared, Jensen and Chad were wonderful. And BOTH witches, male and female, were engaging as well. With Patrick alive, it would be fun to see this character again. Too bad his partner chose to check out. I liked her, and it would’ve been nice to have a witch batting for Team Winchester. But despite the great performances and great chemistry, “our” Dean wasn’t really there. Yes, “Dean” was there, but “Jensen” wasn’t. And even though the absence was necessary for the story, I still felt it. I don't think I'm alone in saying that I just don't like it when Sam&Dean aren't there. I realize such episodes are needed to give either actor an occassional break… I just hope they don't let it happen too often **wink**
Ok I concede that 'leader' was the wrong word to chose for what I was going for. Everyone who has commented that Dean is becoming a leader is right. But what I was aiming for was he was terrified that without Bobby's help he would become the wrong kind of leader like he did in The End. Dean still looks to Bobby, as he did to John Winchester to, help him keep his sense of self to give him something familiar to hold onto. Maybe 'Father' would have been the right word instead to clarify what I meant. Dean wants to be a good son and a good soldier who can lead others. He needs Bobby around to help him keep growing into that.
Thanks for all the comments so far. Enjoying the discussion and the shared insights
I am so happy that someone wrote a mostly positive review for this episode, which I enjoyed immensely. I loved the suspense of the poker game between Patrick and Sam, and the quick cuts after OldDean had his heart attack. While I didn't feel much chemistry between Sam and Chad Everett as OldDean I loved the old man banter between Bobby, OldDean and Sam. There were some hilarious moments! Watching poor OldDean trying to play the sexy stud with the maid was so funny. I also howled when Dean and Sam interrupted Cliff (a little shout-out to their bodyguard?) at the house of ill repute with the two lovely Asian girls. Of course Dean called it classy; he's the one with the subscription to BUSTY ASIAN BEAUTIES, right?
We have 17 more episodes to go to tune into the apocalypse, and we will, of that you can be sure. Kripke likes to keep us guessing, wondering, annoying us. It's his modus operandi. I think we're going to be delving into the apocalypse next week, even if it does look like a total hoot storyline. Who can forget how funny the first 30 minutes of "Mystery Spot" were, but how upsetting and sad the last half was? Kripke has a way of making viewers feel like humans after demons have ridden them for a long time–"rode hard and put away wet."
So strap in, people. Hold on tight. The apocalypse WILL be back. By the time it is, you'll be SCREAMING for this episode with its mild-mannered villain, Patrick (who I adored, by the way, because he was multi-layered and interrupted poker to have sex with Lia). You will be sorry you ever made your wish. I know the way Krip works after four years. He will rip out our hearts!
Love, Robin
Editor, SUPERNATURAL
at moogi.com
Episode 5.7 up now for your viewing pleasure
http://www.moogi.com/shows/supernatural/season5/e…
Great recap! I found the episode myself a little boring. The only part that held my interest was the poker game between Sam and Patrick. Jared hardly had any dialogue but his expressions were spot on. There was great chemistry between Sam and Patrick. Thanks for noting the brilliance of Jared. So true!
Did not like the end scene with Bobby and Dean. Seemed OOC for both of them to me or maybe I am becoming numb to all the emo scenes with Dean. They are becoming a bit of an overkill and have lost their impact for me.
Great recap! Thanks for shining a spotlight on Jared Padaleck – he is overlooked way too much in my opinion. He definitely has a huge future ahead of him!
When I first watched this ep, I was slightly bored. But on re-watch I found a lot to love. Chad Everett (yes, I'm old enough to remember him from Medical Center) is still a fine actor and embodied Dean so very well! He really did justice to the part. The scenes between Chad and Jim, especially at the graveyard and in the van reciting the spell were wonderful! (Speaking of which, where did the van come from? Did Bobby just find it somewhere? How was he driving it?)
Dean's dance and clicking-of-heels once he was restored to his 30-year-old self was beautiful! That smile…..oh, that smile!
…continued….
If Bobby doesn't know by now how important he is to the boys, he never will. Hurt/injured/paralyzed, whatever….he will always be a surrogate father and friend to them. Dean has said it over and over again. Bobby is a vital part of their lives and hopefully he believes it now.
All in all, not a stellar episode, but not the worst either. Although even a "worst" Supernatural is better than most everything else on TV these days!
….continued…..
oops, I left the "i" off Padalecki. Sorry!
one tip: never, I said NEVER understimate Dean Winchester, if he is wrong say that he does things for a good purpose.
another one: when you say about other actors say few words and do not write they were good, jus write one little positive aspect of him or her. (I'm sure me and others who don't choose sides will understand).
Always say that the actor who play Dean Winchester, Jensen Ackles (sorry if I write his name wrong) was the best of the episode.
I'm a just watcher of the show who don't have sides, I watch for fun, but I learned searching for Supernatural on the internet that if you say some critics (even if they are good) about the character you will be throwed in hell.
One day I visited a forum to discuss a pass episode and said in a good way, not being desrespectful that I agreed in what Bobby've said to Dean (to make Dean wake up). My mistake, I was banned and people wanted to make a vooduu dool with my picture.
living and learning…
LOL there are probably a few voodoo dolls of me out there too. Here at Eclipse we don't do voodoo dolls if you have a different opinion or perspective on an episode or a character. I write my commentaries and I freely invite people to make comments, give opinions/insights and have no fear of telling me that they do not agree with my view or take on the episode. To me another person's perspective or take on the episode, the actors and characters has equal validity (All I hope is that no one makes derogatory remarks against others or the actors on a personal level).
So please feel free to express your opinion, thoughts and ideas on Supernatural in response to me commentaries. I like hearing from you!
I don't really think Bobby figures much in Dean's fears about his future self. If he wants to keep from turning into that more hardened version, he needs to avoid that future because the destruction of mankind was the important factor. We have seen in this very episode how prone to wallowing in self pity Bobby is when it comes to himself, so I don't think he can help with that in any way. Maybe he would present another "human tie" to Dean but I actually don't see him as a deciding factor.
So, the whole scene at the end was in my eyes for Bobby's benefit, done to help a friend and yes, in a way for Dean's and Sam's benefit, so they wouldn't lose another friend. A question of morale more.
But the one thing Dean has now learned apparently is to see himself unrelated from the restriction of his worth only in definition of his family. So, I disagree he needs a father figure, chain-of-command-structure to exist.
As for the episode itself, I found it rather dull and for an episode about poker the stakes were really low. It was clear, seeing the structure of it that Sam would win with this kind of TV reveal of "oh look, exactly the cards he needed". So, the long-drawn out game with Patrick really lacked the necessary suspense.
Excellent review! About the only thing I would disagree with is the assesment of Dean needing Bobby as the 'leader' to his 'soldier'. Dean needs Bobby as family, not a leader I think. Dean has grown a lot these past seasons and he's standing on his own and starting to look at the big picture – humanity – as his family, but he still wants and needs that closeness that Bobby brings. I also thought that people who found Bobby whiny or ungratefull, have never been put in his posistion: a strong, vital man who is just as much a warrior as the Winchesters, only he's been doing it a whole lot longer. To suddenly lose that – well, I thought his reactions were spot on. It's a testament to how close to the boys Bobby is, that he can actually drop his 'facade' and honestly admit how scared, depressed and frustrated he truly is with his situation. Kudos to the writers and Jim Beaver for making that whole thing believable.
I've always felt the character of Bobby is the most 'normal' or 'everyman' character in the story. The two young 'bucks' are also fully developed characters, but honestly, they are a bit 'not quite real' in what they've faced and overcome, but Bobby comes across as everyone's crotchety old uncle: gruff, but you know he loves you, despite calling you an idjit – which the boys honestly deserve sometimes!!
I was very impressed with Chad as 'old Dean' and I totally 'bought' him as that character, so much so, that seeing Jensen dancing near the end of the episode came as a bit of a shock. Despite the humour, there was some really honest 'give and take' between Dean and Bobby especially, but also with Sam. Sam has grown amazingly in the past few episodes: yeah he doesn't care for the 'kiddies' table bit or Bobby or Dean telling him he doesn't get a choice in deciding if he wants to play, but he used that and turned it into a positive. Just like he dealt so well with the 'freak' comments in the 'anti-christ' storyline, Sam is learning to let those things slide off his back and not be a weapon to be used against him anymore and I am so gratified to see that. While Dean is becoming a good strong leader, who is taking control and learning how to lead people, how to encourage them – like he did here with Bobby, Sam like you said, has the military smarts too and I suspect would be an awesome chess player – especially if he keeps his emotional issues under control.
Both Sam and Dean have been thru the fires together, and it has burned away a lot of their more 'fragile' emotions and weaknesses. I'm really hoping they continue this and show just how well the guys will work together, once they realize this and trust one another totally again.
I initially thought that the end of the poker game was dragged out too, but upon watching it a 2nd and 3rd time, I don't believe so.
I also had no concerns, because one of the main 'problems' that I think the writers have written themselves into a corner: is that both Dean and Sam are going to get resurrected anyway: Zachariah and Lucifer aren't going to let their intended 'vessels' die on them…so unfortunately, that takes a LOT of the drama out of the whole rest of the season for me at least. I think it was a poor choice to have both boys threatened with 'non-death' so early in the season, and it's really lost the tension we should be feeling even when they aren't doing an episode directly related to the apocalype. But other than that… I really enjoyed this episode; they mixed humour and emotionally charged scenes very well.
-partaymon5
Bit bored by the episode, the acting all round was spot on and I liked the manwitch character but the episode fell flat for me. I thought I was a Supernatural fan but I've come to realize that I only enjoy episodes for Jensen's Dean which makes me a horrible person I know. I'm glad he had time off though and loved his happy dance.
I love Sera Gamble. She wroite several of my favorite episodes and she always treats Sam as an important character. But this wasn't one of the best tough. Almost zero brother interaction, that's why. Much as I like Bobby, I don't watch SPN because of Dean and Bobby, but because of DEAN AND SAM. The only redeeming aspect was precisely Sam against Patrick. Loved it! Dean fans are never happy when Jared/Sam gets credit or praise for an epoisode or even a scene, but some reviewers just happen to notice how talented an actor Jared is. And sorry guys, but Jared stole the scene in this one.