Questions:

Was Lillith possessing Ruby the first instance we've seen of a demon possessing another demon? And post-possession, is Ruby still a demon the way she was before?

If Dean was seeing demons' true faces, was his "hallucination" of Sam's face at the beginning of the ep really a reveal of a demon within Sam struggling to come to the forefront?

I'm choosing to think Sam's stretchy-face is a hallucination brought on by the nearness of the hellhounds--it's always been an accompaniment to their approach before. I don't think it signaled Sam was a demon when Dean saw it.

Ruby was possessing the (and keeping alive the probably dead) body of a young woman. My understanding is that Lillith ousted Ruby-demon's "spirit" and sent her far, far away, while Lillith possessed the mortal body.

I'm assumming that Ruby has reverted to the form she had while she was in hell, before she escaped the open gate a year ago and took possession of the hot blond body. She has also probably been sent back to hell, but time will tell on that one.

Also, on rewatch: the cruiser the guys were hiding after Dean killed the demon-ridden cop had numbers painted on the roof. It was car 54.

It was car 54.

Hah! I saw that, but it didn't ping me until just now. Funny!

It was car 54.

Nice.

If Dean was seeing demons' true faces, was his "hallucination" of Sam's face at the beginning of the ep really a reveal of a demon within Sam struggling to come to the forefront?

See, that was my first thought when Dean said he could see the demons. That is going to be my guess. There is just to much building to it with Ruby saying, "your God given talent, well, not exactly God given"

fwiw i'm still a little bit broken about last night. i'm kind of feeling like a whole show marathon.

Yeah, I have post show blues too. Which is actually really good because it is honestly one of a handful of episodes that I've wanted to watch more than once this season. Right now my order of favorite season is going 2,1, and then 3 (with much love for the Ben episode, the Christmas episode,and then the finale).

Someone on my flist has posited that Dean is either in Purgatory or Limbo, rather than actual hell. The anteroom, as it were. The vestibule, the Green Room, from which he may be more easily retrieved than from Actual Hell.

I think they are right. Didn't the demon that trapped Dean for a time before Sam shot her, despite Dean's protests, talk with Dean about the "Devil" being as unknown as "God". There may not be a one true Hell, but rather closer to the whedonverse concepts of hell dimensions. He certainly looked like he was in a waiting room for a big frickin spider. They definitely have different departments what with the coup d'etat being attempted among the demon ranks.

Someone on my flist has posited that Dean is either in Purgatory or Limbo, rather than actual hell.

I agree. i mean, pretty much every demon that has held any kind of conversation with Dean has been gloating about friends waiting to meet him in hell and he was very much alone when he was shown. i definitely think hell will have a welcoming party(if he ever sees it).

I'd imagine Hell is pretty solipsistic, with the surroundings and tortures being determined by the inhabitant's own fears and inner trauma. I don't think we can read much into that brief glimpse not matching up with any given person's visualization of the underworld.

I hate to disagree, conflict-phobe that I am, but Sam's stretchy-face was exactly the same effect that Ethan saw in his wife's face, and the doctor saw in the hotel guy's face, when they were hearing the hellhounds. It *could* be Sam's demon nature surfacing, but I think it's just a halluncinatory effect of the deadline getting closer. Bobby did refer to it as a halluncination.

Also, iTunes has the ep up.

Bobby did refer to it as a halluncination.

True.

Love your new tag btw!