Yeah, the Hellsmoke burned right through the iron of the railings.

If they could do that, the devil's trap really was to keep demon's out so that they could open the gate. Because it sure didn't do a very good job of keeping the demons IN.

I think opening the gate opened the trap--it was all tied together.

I'm looking forward to less emo and more kickassery next season, frankly. I do love emo, but I think last night put me over the edge of the manpain. Neither boy is allowed to weep for at least the first half of season 3--learn to repress! Repression is your friend! Because then you can emote through destruction, which is more fun (for me) to watch.

A theory I have seen is that Sam's rage at Jake was misdirected rage about Dean's bargain, because he'd figured it out.

Repression is your friend! Because then you can emote through destruction, which is more fun (for me) to watch.

Definitely!! The emo is okay every now and then, but too much and the show just gets depressing.

Agreed. In a fit of pique last night, I watched Phantom Traveler from S1, and there was a big difference in the mood. I kinda miss the weekly ass-kicking.

Well, with these new demons unleashed on earth, I hope we get some more down and dirty ass-kicking. I do like the psychological games, but watching a character beating the crap out of another... even better!

I *love* that they ended the season on what counts as an upnote, with callbacks to the pilot. It sure as hell feels like they're aiming for less overt emo next season from the last few minutes.

I know there are good, legit crits of the finale, but I fear Kripke and I are not only the same age (a fact that still freaks me out), but we share the same damn emotional buttons.

Remember that whole firewall of flail thing?

Yeah. That.

Critical thinking just can't get past the thing today.

I am as Ple. I can see half a football field of loose plot through the holes in it, but the flail has driven enough of the air away from the brain that all I feel is the manpain before I reach oblivion. Nirvana.

They're going! On the road! ::ita claps merrily:: To kill things!

They can be emo a bit if they want, but Dean looked so damned happy to have something to do so he can just not talk about the deal.

Yay.

I am as Ple. I can see half a football field of loose plot through the holes in it, but the flail has driven enough of the air away from the brain that all I feel is the manpain before I reach oblivion. Nirvana.

Exactly. There's comic book logic, gaping plot holes, and yet... I... I...

I don't CARE!

I mean, intellectually, I agree with most of the criticism I've seen leveled. But the firewall catches those thoughts, and it hits Does Not Compute instead.

I say most, because the one thing I've seen repeatedly that I do strongly, strongly disagree with is that there wasn't a narrative need to have Bobby and Sam explicitly state to Dean that he does, in fact, have worth outside of his self-defined role. I swear I've had this conversation before, but there are some characters who really do need anvil-sized cluestick interventions, and Dean Winchester is one of those characters.

Dean is so totally that guy. And you know what? He still doesn't buy it. But it doesn't mean you don't try.