Has anyone re-watched "Houses of the Holy" since Castiel appeared? I wonder how some parts of that would play now that we know what we know.

(Edit: I originally said "reappeared," which now makes me want to play with the idea that it was Castiel who interfered at the end of HotH.)

Is RAH Robert A. Heinlein?

I think I know what you mean, Plei. Although, if the angels/God knew they would need Sam to be in the inside mole for Azael's scheme, why couldn't they just ... get rid of Azazel? Castiel's told Dean his comrades have fallen, which meant they were fighting, when the Witnesses were raised.

Red tape! It's all about red tape and bureaucracy! I swear! You have to do things through the proper channels! In triplicate. You can't interfere directly with the wheels in motion, but you can fudge things a bit.

...

I should just write this. In my copious free time. Sigh.

Who's RAH?

This is my problem with not knowing what rules apply to which ... creatures, I guess. If the angels and God can know what much, what's stopping them from using their power to smite Azazel?

Here, you're saying they always needed Sam to be one of those kids, because Sam would fight using the power for the evil, and they could get the inside track through Dean, yes? So Castiel sent Dean back simply so he could get the full effect of what had happened, i.e. the "truth" he never knew. Yes?

I can see so easily what you mean about Home now. Mary was, in my mind, completely apologizing to Sam for making the deal, for all of it. And the way she addressed Dean, yeah -- much more like an old friend than her son, since he was finally the young man she had once met.

But is Sam a sacrificial mole? Is his role to be the beacon, or whatever, and he has no agency or destiny of his own?

'Cause. I need to talk to some angels, if that's the case. Even stern and implacable good guys can't damn a person with no possibility of redemption.

Is RAH Robert A. Heinlein?

Yep! From about 10-18, I read a LOT of RAH. But then I read a bunch of OTHER time-travel sci-fi, and then it got all complicated in my head. (I read Friday when I was in grade 5 or 6. I think, between that and Flowers in the Attic and a few other books I shouldn't have read, I scarred myself for life.)

Oh, Anne, that is such a good idea. I think I might pop in HotH right now, actually.

I'll re-watch it sometime this week. I'm now intrigued by the idea of Castiel being somehow involved from way, way back.

Another thing to ponder: I wonder what angels think of Reapers?

If the angels and God can know what much, what's stopping them from using their power to smite Azazel?

It's against the rules of the Gehenna Convention?

But seriously, there seem to be a lot of rules and regulations attached to the powers of good and ill that don't apply to humans. (Which is standard convention for fictional angels and demons, at least in the books I read. I'm having Good Omens flashbacks.)

But is Sam a sacrificial mole? Is his role to be the beacon, or whatever, and he has no agency or destiny of his own?

My crack-addled theories aside, I think that's our arc this season.

Even stern and implacable good guys can't damn a person with no possibility of redemption.

It's so unfair considering how ready Sam is to believe in the side of good.