Didn't Sam kill a vampire with his bare hands the second time out? And what gives you the impression that a demon couldn't jeopardise a whole airplane anymore? Just because they can hold out for 90 to 120 seconds of hand to hand? The main difference between now and then with Phantom Traveller is that the exorcism is memorised. The main difference between now and then with Dead Man's Blood is that they haven't gotten held hostage by vampires like that (am I missing something?) anymore.

There isn't a "superpower" show out there that doesn't give their protagonists varying levels of strengths, as well as their antagonists, but those two examples don't paint a huge now and then difference for me. Gordon's head came off really fucking easily. I'm assuming vampires have looser spines than we do, or something, if you can decapitate them with muscle and barbed wire, but that was established a long time ago.

Back then, though, I recall a lot of speculation that Sam actually was manifesting super powers of the psychic kids variety - there was a lot of WTF over him pinching Gordon's head off with wire like he was made out of Silly Putty, and the show never really explained just how that sort of thing was possible. I think the stunt coordinator forgot he wasn't working on Buffy the Vampire Slayer for that one.

I seem to recall at least through Season 4, demons tossing the Winchesters around like rag dolls and only being taken down by surprise with Ruby's knife or use of non-physical tactics. Now Sam and Dean punch them out and they react like normal people, not things with superhuman strength that can shrug off their host bodies being shot or stabbed.

I wasn't one of the people thinking Sam was super-powered, but regardless--that's in canon, so I'm not sure what they do to vampires now that is out of proportion to that.

The problem they have with the demons is that people are getting right back up from things they shouldn't, so now you can't tell the difference. I don't think it's that Sam and Dean are doing anything particularly noteworthy other than not going down. When you get tossed against a wall like that, there's an intermission for humans. Supposably.

As far as I get the demon fights--there's no way to end a demon fight without an exorcism or a special weapon, but they only overwhelm Sam and Dean when Sam and Dean need to be captured (for Meg or Crowley usually--maybe they're like Leviathan and work better with direction?) and every other time the boys make it to a weapon or an incantation "in time".

It's ridiculously sloppy, but I think they backed themselves into the position of having demons being the front line grunts, and the fights needing to last more than 20 seconds. I think it makes sense that an angel sword can kill them (although I'd have been just as fine if they couldn't--specific magic, after all--the demon knife doesn't hurt angels), but why are we just learning this now? There was a point where those things were a dime a dozen--they could have been doublefisting all this time.

Also, not sure about the Colt and what it took to make it fire again. Is it impossible to make another one? Why? Did it take magic the first time? Science? Ingredients?

But those arsenal/constitution issues aren't balanced to give the fight scenes they need to have as the action backbone of the show. The justification is inconsistent--not Buffy inconsistent, but getting there.

I think it makes sense that an angel sword can kill them (although I'd have been just as fine if they couldn't--specific magic, after all--the demon knife doesn't hurt angels), but why are we just learning this now?

Angels and even Meg have used those blades against demons before, so I don't get why they had to announce for the audience at home that they work against demons now. We've known that since Season 4, haven't we?

They announced it for me, so I'm grateful. I remember Meg having one in Sam's hospital room when Kevin shows up, but I don't remember who she used it against. I remember her using it against hellhounds when she lifted it from Cas. But I only remember Cas fighting demons by using his hands.

Can you tell me what I should go look up for an example?

I'm blanking now, but I feel sure I've seen angels use those blades against demonic opponents. Maybe in the Anna episodes, or when they captured Alastair? Meg has definitely killed demons with the one she picked up along the way, and I didn't raise an eyebrow at that.

She picked it up in 6x10 Caged Heat, in which she used it against hellhounds. After that she appeared in the following episodes:

• The Born-Again Identity
• Reading is Fundamental
• Survival of the Fittest

I specifically don't remember it in the first one--do you remember where you're seeing it? I don't want to go through all three if I don't have to.

Off topic, but something I saw on Tumblr and looked up a few days ago -- I saw someone asking how Castiel could find them with the sigils on their ribs, but I know in Hammer of the Gods, Sam asked Kali to "squeegee" them off. I guess we're supposed to assume she did that?

Okay--I checked. She doesn't use it against demons where the guys can see her, as far as I can tell. But I'm not watching it all now.

I guess we're supposed to assume she did that?

Dean's scar on his shoulder is gone, so I don't have to suppress any disbelief to get his ribs clean in the same operation (Swan Song). I fixed Sam coming out of the cage. Didn't consider Kali, since that was supposed to be a temporary thing to wave a red flag and bring the fight tot them, right?