I liked Jamie a lot. She was game, she was brave, and she didn't expect to fall in true lurve. I also liked seeing Dean with her before Lucy came into the bar -- it's not all lines and cocked eyebrows. He *talked* to her.

How much did I love the "mission from god" scene? It was still a Blues Brothers ref, but he played it so beautifully for the truth.

Exactly. And I had the feeling, watching him sitting and listening as she paced and tried to reason the whole thing out, that he wasn't even expecting action anymore. She'd gone from a possible romp to one of the people they help, and I liked that.

I loved Ellen a whole lot, and Jo, too. But it feels to me like the series has ... moved on? I'm not sure why, because I can think of a dozen reasons for them to bring Missouri back for a guest spot, and I would jump and down at that.

They could at least make a phone call to Ellen and mention her, for continuity's sake, if nothing else.

Next week's TV Guide (Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin on the cover) has a 2-page story on Supernatural inside. Yes, it contains spoilers for the 10/30 episode. A few non-spoilery bits:

About Castiel:

The show's rabid fan base is notoriously tough on new characters, but they've taken to Castiel, whom Kripke describes as "a leader who speaks softly and carries a very, very big stick."

Concerning the question I keep having about why Castiel and Dean keep getting so hyped up over Sam's new Jedi-powers method of exorcism:

(Dean) is worried - for reasons not yet explained - about Sam using his growing powers to exorcise demons.

So that implies to me that maybe there's more to it than just the tiny bit of blood that Azazel dripped into baby!Sammy's mouth. Maybe.

And the good news:

... the cult series is enjoying something of a resurrection. Season 4 kicked off with nearly 4 million viewers -- the biggest audience since moving from the WB to the CW in 2006 -- and is averaging 3.6 million, 24 percent above last season. "Word of mouth is spreading that we're an overlooked show that's worth watching," Kripke says. "I'm proud that one of the few shows on television that's having regular conversations about God is a horror show on the CW."

[link] - extended clip of the special treat we're getting after tomorrow's episode. not spoilery, unless you want to wait for the full 90 second clip that's going to air after the ep.

I have always (you should pardon the expression) pooh-poohed the whole "Sammy has demon blood" thing. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing you get when you ingest demon blood is demon poop. And maybe a little heartburn.

I have always (you should pardon the expression) pooh-poohed the whole "Sammy has demon blood" thing. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing you get when you ingest demon blood is demon poop. And maybe a little heartburn.

Yeah, I've had the same thoughts. The amount of blood was miniscule, and the digestive system is pretty effective, so... unless you go with the "magic, magic, handwavium" theory.

To be fair, ingesting (or swapping) vampire blood is the pretty-much accepted way to become one. So why shouldn't ingested demon blood change the ingestor in some profound way?

Why you gotta ruin a perfectly good (for values of "good" that do not factor in holes, lack of integrity in theories, or other things that are sense-making) theory by using *logic*, huh?

Maybe I just like saying demon poop. Maybe the mental image of baby!Sam having a *really bad* diaper, and the resultant expression of disappointment and dismay on Stan's face makes me cackle.

Heh, thanks Bev. With one child still in diapers, rarely a day goes by that I don't get a chance to say demon poop. And use it more I will, from now on.

What's worse, poor Stan would have nobody to complain to "Damn, honey, what have you been feeding this kid?"