I've not seen Devour yet. I totally mean to, though! I've ticked off House of Wax and New York Minute, so.

I look forward to getting a couple of Sam-heavy episodes--especially if they go into how he and Ruby have become so buddy-buddy.

Yes, this. Much as I don't love or want a flashback episode, it would be nice to see how Ruby wound up with her new body, and how Sam learned that freaky chakra-pulling demon exorcism stuff.

I wonder if Deanna Campbell wasn't local. It could very well be Mary's maternal uncle who put up the headstone.

I'd love to see the boys connect with other Winchesters.

And the Castiel thread at TWOP is loaded with screencaps of Castiel . . . you know, as an aid to understanding his character.

It wouldn't have worked if Sam was along for the time-traveling ride

Word from spoiled sources is that the early sides had Sam in them. The scenes were rewritten to accomodate JP's contractual obligation to do pickup filming for his movie. I think it would have worked had both brothers been along for the time-travel ride. But it worked as well for them to be separated. That's the plan, I keep hearing from those spoiled sources: to divide Sam and Dean and develop individual storylines that will pay off in whatever eventual confrontation they're planning. I have no doubt we'll have a Dean-lite episode or two along the way.

And likewise I have no doubt Jensen will be sleeping through it, or them.

Anne, thanks for the fic rec, you're right, it packs a punch.

I'm *days* behind in LJ, it would have been Wednesday (okay, maybe Monday) before I'd have found it.

Word from spoiled sources is that the early sides had Sam in them. The scenes were rewritten to accomodate JP's contractual obligation to do pickup filming for his movie. I think it would have worked had both brothers been along for the time-travel ride. But it worked as well for them to be separated.

That's interesting because I can't imagine how it would really have worked with Sam along for the ride. It would change a lot if Sam were privy to all that information and had been told the YED had had even greater plans for him. I feel like it would take the entire story in a different direction.

It would have changed the dynamic a bit--more than a bit. But as I'm determinedly unspoiled, I didn't discuss it, or read the discussion. I can imagine how it might have gone with both of them back in time--oh, the mugging over the names, for example. And Sam freaking over Azazel's presence, guilting even more that he was the reason for the family catastrophe, perhaps to the point where he tried harder to intervene and *Dean* had to be the one to prevent him. Ultimately, I think this has shortcut their diverging storylines, though, and may prove to be a blessing in disguise.

I don't Sam's going back in time would have been very effective, in terms of the long-term story. If he went back, it would have been a very dark version of It's a Wonderful Life. "The angel showed me the error of my ways! I shall be good!" In this case, they have Dean watching for ways to keep Sam from being part of the apocalypse.

I had a thought yesterday -- if Azazel and Castiel and Lilith and all of them need a body to be earth-bound, maybe Lucifer does, too.

I think Castiel only need the vessel to avoid blinding and deafening humans.

prior commitments or not, I think the writers have the right to make that kind of call

Absofreakin'lutely.

I, too, am anticipating some Sam-heavy/Dean-lite eps. Unspoiled spec.

And the Castiel thread at TWOP is loaded with screencaps of Castiel . . . you know, as an aid to understanding his character.

Well, of course. What possible other reason could there be...?

Exactly - that is why I reposted the links here.