So I really like the notion of Death being the one to get Sam's soul back. I think it is a clever idea - so I liked the beginning of the episode and the end. It's just the middle I didn't care for.

It's like the writers had this bang-up idea that they just couldn't knock out of the park.

Yeah, he never occurred to me as a possibility until I saw the actor was making another appearance, and then it immediately all made perfect sense. Who better to get Sam's soul out of the cage than the old-as-creation abstract entity who taught them how to use it in the first place, and whose very nature involves migrating souls from one state of being to another?

I'm still tickled we got Robert Englund. That was fun.

Unspoiled speculation follows:

Death says to Dean that he has to pay attention to what souls mean, after giving him the lowdown on how sturdy and unbreakable souls are. So even though Sam is already resouled, I think the second half of the season will maybe explore that, and the reason why could be tied into purgatory.

If purgatory is where souls are way-stationed before moving up and down, access or control of purgatory would give someone a whole lot of souls. Like Lucifer maybe.

I don't think they're going to drop that thread, even with Crowley dead, because they talked it up too much, and left it too unfinished. And if the above is true, it could be a really powerful weapon, too.

I like Death. And Tessa.

I enjoyed this episode a lot more than last week, less skeevy issues ruining my experience.

I have to agree with everyone though, having Bobby open that door and wander around like a dupe after being clever and trapping Sam was really disappointing. My flavor of Bobby is always outwitting the boys.

As a Dead Like Me fan, I enjoyed the reaping stuff as well. I believe Death & Tessa have a bit of a soft spot for Dean. I also agree it makes sense Death would have some idea what is going on with the souls and want someone to put an end to it. They are his purview.

I'll miss roboSam but I am happy to have original flavor back.

I wonder how wallSam will behave?

I can't decide if I want hugging, or I want "you non-conned not!me!" or what.

Tears would be good either way, though.

Cafe De Labeill does the most expressive hands. I love them.

I was skimming through the thread and got the bit where somebody hoped we'd see resouled Sam before the Hellatus - hahahahahaha.

Yes,we got that. Kind of.

I thought what Death said about souls was extremely important and agree that it may be what the second half of the season is about.

I hope that we see Robert Englund again - that part could totally be recurring, right?

That was my wish, and I got exactly what I wanted. What kind of? Because if it didn't happen now, sweeps was the soonest it was going to, and that was totally too long from now.

I figure the back half is souls and purgatory and alphas and weird monsters, and angelic civil war with an overlay of emotional ramifications from Sam. And maybe a reappearance of Lisa (hopefully to resolve the end of the relationship, not restart it--I like him better untied). So we get Cas, more Balthazar, maybe Raphael or another new angel, and follow-up on where Crowley had been heading.

Oh, right, Sampa. Him too. Wow, they've brought up a lot of stuff, haven't they? Even more happy the soul's back in. The quest for that was too distracting, since on their own it's more important than everything else.

Can someone get cloudyjenn to put porn in her stories? Or someone remix them with porn in? She's a bit more saccharine than I am, but some days I like that. Just...more sexing.

I'm waiting for Bev's spicy brained reaction.