mid-season finale. all of the shows are saying that this year.

the cat made me laugh too.

Speaking of anvils--all that stuff Sam was saying about running off into a dream? Can I, dare I, hope? SO not interested in that "cliffhanger". I just want to know 3 (or fewer) things: Is this all real? Why could you just walk out like that (and find Dean)? Who was watching the house (RoboSam?)?

And then we're done.

Given that Cas has random angelly powers to hand, yeah, they've got to leave him to do emo cleanup, or send him searching the world for tablets, or whatever. But he can't actually justle for shotgun (how much more Dean could Sam have been in that moment? Who shoulderchecks an Angel of (who was?) the Lord? Speaking of switching personas--Dean sitting down and saying "Talk to me"? He really would have braided Sam's hair (I LOVE THAT THE WHERE DO YOU GO THING GOT BROUGHT UP and Dean still thinks it's rapey. Good onya, Dean. You're no clumsy blank slate heroine.) and played the Notebook soundtrack to boot.

I like that Cas is trying so freaking hard, but he has no filter and they're not really teaching him what's appropriate and what's not, but he's trying so hard to be helpful in their ways. And totally fucking up, but that had to happen. It's Cas.

Well, now I'm thinking her husband was alive and coming home and she was like "Sam, it's been fun but you gotta go", which made him realize that the he had just been on this fantasy vacation the whole time not building a real life so he naturally went to Bobby's cabin to figure out what to do next and actually was surprised by Dean being there.

Which satisfies me.

And Naomi's "what would you like to do" put to rest any doubts I may have had that Cas was under secret compulsions other than the reporting to her when she calls thing.

I just can't make any sense of Sam leaving their bedroom to go straight to the cabin. Unless, he wasn't getting out of bed? Or that was him moving out and Don was watching from across the street?

I don't get why Dean hasn't asked him why he was there--or are we supposed to know?

Right now I'm riding a bit of a high off Castiel's sincerity. He's just so 110% invested in every damned thing, with no hesitation. I don't mind that he ends up looking silly sometimes, because I want him to keep throwing himself at their objectives like that. But he takes out a second or two to mock himself.

I don't remember the scene well enough to be sure, but maybe he was just picking up his bag or jacket or something in the bedroom?

I do still want to know who was watching the house, yeah.

I was gonna go back and look, but then last night's episode was right there....

I want to hug everyone because I'm not even mad at Amelia right now. This non-hate is coasting entirely on th "tune out and live in their own heads, like maybe the real world is too much for them and they just run and hide"...segue to memory of Daddy Vet trying to piss all over Sam.

Speaking of which, Genevieve is no taller than the Amelia actress, you figure? It's too much thinking about their real lives, just that shot where Sam kissed her in the first memory, he was pretty much bending at the waist, and I can't help but wish taller women for him. Or heels? Apple boxes? Something, poor man. Poor, studly, gorgeous man. How difficult his life must be...

Other things I live--spaghetti and hot dogs was too bad food for Sam, which tips my fanon towards Dean being a decent cook. I love them filling up their shared past, even if it's just for the not-monster of the week. Underage drinking Sam is hysterical. Dean deciding the appropriate test is to hit himself in the head is more than hysterical. Fake blown up geriatrics...this is where I realise it's a pretty demure episode, considering the premise. And I do appreciate them not going OTT. I mean, Dean gets the taglines, but they're not played for laughs inside the show.

How does Cas send them a message? Is he calling again? Can we have texting Cas? PLEASE?

Problem with the excuses I'm making for the memories is that although it's words that cue hallucinations, those words are also repeated in what he's recalling. So...I migh be lying to myself to get through. Still, getting through is good.

But when he says the living in dream world has an end, and you need to wake up...this is good sign, right?

I did think it was weird he said the car was John's, but I guess they had to save the lost brother reveal for the very end.

It wasn't just restrained--it was pretty damned sad for the premise. I think of Cas and his fear of and need for closure, Dean initiating a chick flick talk--my head canon has him not having done that to anyone he didn't proxy parent--like, this isn't a way he deals with someone he doesn't feel he has responsibility for. If he's doing that in a strictly peer to peer situation, there might be an implication he'd share if they asked, and I'm pretty sure he's done a deliberate job of not getting anywhere near that scenario.

Is he taking care of Cas because he was the first to pull at the thread of his divinity, however it unravelled? Is it because he's a million years old, but new to the world, and Dean is a reflex parent? Is it leftovers from Purgatory? I don't know, but whatever it is, I love it.

(If I hadn't shipped them before, and for some reason last week didn't get me...it's just fun to think about--it's nice when an SPN ship isn't all tears. But, you know, there will be time.)

that although it's

It's what?

DON"T LEAVE US HANGING

I edited!

If Cas was rescued from Purgatory by the angels, wanna bet they resurrected Don to get Sam out of the picture and back on the road to hunting?

Or maybe Crowley resurrected Don to ensure Sam was alone again.

Loved the cat scene. And "Best wife ever!"

Still hearting this season. Flawed, yes, but still the writing seems more elevated to me. (Or, at least, far less sloppy.)

I feel they've been too sloppy about Sam's past year. I don't remember having this level of discomfiture at this point in last season.

Comparing then and now I feel now has more emotional potential (though Cas has paid off more than Sam so far, and that's not right) than I was feeling in early S7, and I'm okay with knowing just the beginning of the big bad last year (I'm in that really populous territory of enjoying a corporate threat from another dimension) as well as feeling we're at the start of a quest without a proper big bad (I feel uncomfortable deeming Crowley or Naomi that so far).

We knew pretty early on that the Leviathans were up to something no good that would result in the death of many humans. Right now, Naomi isn't up to anything other than Winchester stalking (which we'd all do given a chance--be honest) and Crowley is in defensive mode. Closing off Hell is an admirable motive, but I don't feel we're positioned for much action now. They were kicking back to hear more about Leviathan much of last season, and I think that bothered people--they should make sure we're not back in the MOTW-while-we-wait this season as well. Although I didn't mind it that much last year, I don't want to see it again.