serial:

Okay, I just read my first coat-centric fic, and I'm utterly disappointed. Jollysnidge ignored the fact that Bobby's house burnt down, and that Dean broke his leg and perhaps also Sam's seizures. It's like s/he got a Destiel summary of the episode, or only watched the bits directly around Misha.

It just seems weird to write a fic that goes so AR after the cold open, you know?

It hit me on rewatch how much sense the new title card makes, especially the letters being drained of the leviathan ick.

Oh god, in the warehouse when real!Dean shows up and Sam says "I thought I was with you, Dean" and it's not another guilty excuse, it's not an accusation, it's "help me". Man, the way Jared's voice shakes as he says that.

And then Dean reels out those reasons of why this is the real him and this is the real world and this is the real pain and why he's the only thing Sam needs to pay attention to right now, that he has to be his whole world...

I know there's a contingent of independent!boys fans. They must be frothing at the mouth right now. Dean's grafted himself to Sam as his lifeline in a way we haven't seen before, I don't think.

Sam/Dean wincest comes out of every episode.

True! But usually, Dean's not causing him physical pain out of love to drive the devil away. So I'm expecting more pain play. Damn it. (And I'm not even a Wincest reader. I just will be MASSIVELY disappointed in fandom if they don't run with it.)

I have way too many Feelings about this episode. I have to watch it again.

I agree that the first two episodes of this season were much better than I expected. I had no specific reasons for low expectations, just at assumption that at this point the writers would be coasting. But so far (early days) it looks like a first rate season.

I didn't actually like this episode as a whole, but I liked lots of little parts. The trenchcoat, the Dean and Sam pain conversation, Dean's desperation in the phone call, and seeing Sheriff Mills again.

Um, I would also be very willing to read Sam and Dean pain fic that comes along.

Oh! and Bobby's conversation with Dean about not being okay and then calling him "idjit". Maybe I will have to watch again.

Really did like this episode as a whole.

Incidentally one thing I should have considered when anticipating staleness: Sera Gamble. Not old hat to her - a new toy to play with. So whatever goes right or wrong it won't be staleness and "I've been doing this too long" syndrome.

That's not really true, though -- she's been writing for the show since the first season, and has been a producer since S3.