Watching Supernatural

Sam: Look, Dean, you’re leaving, right? And I’ve gotta stay here in this crap hole of a world… alone. So, the way I see it, if I’m gonna make it, if I’m gonna fight this war after you’re gone, then I’ve gotta change.
Dean: Change into what?
Sam: Into you. I’ve gotta be more like you.

To read other recaps/reviews of this episode, check out rabiddoll.com, Starpulse, and TVSquad

For some history in the episode’s title, check out what tv.com has to say about it.

Like Sin City, this episode felt like a ‘monster of the week’ episode, as well as a little hint of what Dean would have to face when in hell. I found myself disappointed in the acting this week, though Edlund’s script was stellar as usual. The introduction of witches in this world of Sam and Dean Winchester was brilliant, because I’ve always wondered where they fit in the entire scheme of things.

Yet, it it was the final moments of the episode, the revelation that Ruby was once a witch, that really piqued my interest. If Dean is now in the thrall of demon (who can apparently stop bullets, Matrix-style), will he really someday become a demon?

Let’s start with the final scene between Dean and Ruby.

“That’s what happens when you go to Hell, Dean. That’s what Hell is. Forgetting who you are.”

The true irony of that statement is that we have seen Dean forget who he is. In season 2, his grief over his father’s death virtually turned him into a killing machine in “Bloodlust.” The only way he was able to remember that he was a hunter and not just a killer was by Sam’s consistent reminders. Now that Dean must face hell alone, will he truly lose himself?

The answer, I believe, is yes.

Maybe Dean will always be disgusted by demons. But this is a man who has faced nearly every evil a person could face, including the loss of people he loved and the taking of other lives. Without Sam by his side, I really fear that he might completely lose himself in hell.

The next bit of information was the revelation of an opposing faction amongst the demons, who clearly aren’t loyal to Sam or Azazel’s intention of making Sam the leader of his army. Yet, we saw in “Sin City” that at least a few demons were willing to follow Sam.

From what Sam said to Dean about becoming more like him and the introduction of Ruby, I have a strong feeling that Sam will end up leading a demon army. He doesn’t have any choice, really. With the impending loss of his brother and the release of the demons into the world, the hunters hate him and his brother. He will only have the support of Bobby and Ellen, and maybe a few other hunters that he can convince.

So, if Sam is to lead an army of his own, where will the demon version of Dean find himself? Will he be for or against his brother? One can only hope that Dean will fight with his brother, but how will the time in Hell change him if he’s ever brought back?

In all, this episode wasn’t as great as it could have been, but its implications for the future seasons (hopefully) were broad and necessary.

On a side note, I have been reading quite a few reviews bashing Katie Cassidy’s performance in this episode, and in this season. While I have my own doubts about her talents, I think this episode was also necessary to explain Ruby’s presence and actions. Not only is she an amoral and fierce demon, but she also remembers what it was like to be human. Perhaps Cassidy’s blunt performance is meant to show a subtle struggle under the surface between her human and demonic sides. I might be stretching that point, but it’s worth consideration, isn’t it?

Supernatural will return on January 7th with “Dream A Little Dream” at 9 ET/8 CT on the CW!

TAGS: supernatural, episode 3×09, malleus maleficarum, episode review