Seems to me that if Dean couldn't change it, then his presence there had no effect on the occurance, either. It would have happened one way or another. He was, said and done, merely an observer.

But if Dean didn't tell them about the second woman meeting up with YED, Mary and her father wouldn't have gone out there, so Mary and YED may not have met, so in a way, Dean is responsible.

Yeah, but it does seem that Dean had a moment of Mohinder levels of stupid. He told the YED that "I'm the one who kills you". Way to make sure the YED makes plans that extend past his destruction.

Maybe the whole destiny thing means that nothing he does has any affect. But he does not know that at the time. And it strikes me that maybe time travel to the past can change things in the limited sense of getting information that can change things after the presence. After all, that is what it did for Dean. Maybe it works both ways. Maybe nothing Dean did changed anything up to the moment Castiel sent him back in time, but it may have refined the YED plan in such a way that it affects what is happening to Sam now.

Is Ruby part of the plan? Either wittingly, or as an unknowing manipulated pawn?

Could someone please tell me the exchange where we find out Dean was named for his grandmother? Our signal was dreadful for the first 20 minutes or so, and we missed a lot of dialog.

oops

It's when he first meets the family and learns their names. Mitchpa is Samuel, Grandma is Deanna

Ha! Oh, that's awesome.

so Mary and YED may not have met, so in a way, Dean is responsible.

May not have met, yet. Azazel said he'd had his eye on Mary. Even if he hadn't gotten her that night, he still would have gotten her.

Yeah, this is where time travel gets hinky. Castiel told Dean, it didn't matter if he went back, he couldn't change anything. Which means, if he could not affect it postively, he could not affect it negatively. Samuel and Deanna were meant to die and Mary would make her deal with Azazel. Dean was not required for that to happen; it was intended strictly an object lesson/fact finding mission for him.

Holy shit, this show is so fucking awesome this season. I don't normally capslock about this show, but I kind of feel like running around yelling HOLY SHIT MARY WAS A HUNTER and HOLY SHIT THE YED KILLED THEIR GRANDPARENTS and HOLY SHIT HE KILLED JOHN and HOLY SHIT MARY MADE A DEAL and HOLY SHIT THERE'S STILL AN ENDGAME PAST DISCOUNT DEMON ARMY and HOLY SHIT GOD IS GOING TO SMITE SAM.

Also, in more superficial news, HOLY SHIT DEAN PARADOXICALLY GOT HIMSELF THE IMPALA.

It's been awhile since "to be continued" drew completely incoherent noises from me. Gah.

Mitch! I'll bet I know which episodes he was given to watch. He obviously studied up on old yellow eyes and his taunting ways.

I finally got to watch the episode, and ya know...

Holy shit, this show is so fucking awesome this season. I don't normally capslock about this show, but I kind of feel like running around yelling HOLY SHIT MARY WAS A HUNTER and HOLY SHIT THE YED KILLED THEIR GRANDPARENTS and HOLY SHIT HE KILLED JOHN and HOLY SHIT MARY MADE A DEAL and HOLY SHIT THERE'S STILL AN ENDGAME PAST DISCOUNT DEMON ARMY and HOLY SHIT GOD IS GOING TO SMITE SAM.

Okay, I was enthralled while it was on. But yes, Dean was there pretty much strictly as an observer. He got to meet his mommy and tug at heartstrings, but he didn't really affect anything. Castiel made vague pronouncements but didn't provide any concrete or useful information. ("You need to stop it." Yeah, that helped a hell of a lot.)

Sam was given, what, 30 seconds and one line of screen time? So this has now become officially "Supernatural: The Dean Winchester Show." I didn't want them to take the Sam goes evil route of storytelling, because by now it seems too expected and cliche, but now I think I'm almost looking forward to it if it will at least get him on screen more often.

And all three of the Winchester males turn out to be zombies. Huh.