It's true about Crowley, though. The more I think about the Mesopotamia thing, the more peeved I get.

Good job on the recap!

Thanks! And that's more appreciation volunteered than by IO9 staff...

Ironically enough, they nagged me for it-both Charlie and Annalee. Uh, one of us doesn't get paid to write recaps, and she also isn't going to write a recap without referring to the episode in question. Have they forgotten what day jobs and offices are like?

I think it's a really shitty practice. "Hey, we can get readers to generate free content for us!" Not cool. You solicit a piece, you pay for it, in one form or another.

Yeah--I'm not sure if asking for it made it better or worse, but Charlie's initial reaction was "Can you add some words to your image reaction post?" (It was dead Deans, Sam's bloody spit up, Sam and Dean showing FBI credentials, Dean battered and bloody, Meg glowing out--same as my tumblr post). At least Annalee had mentioned me doing it last season, but I didn't think it would be this weird setup--highlighting commenter input is theoretically a complimentary practice, but asking someone to write a piece you normally write is not the same thing.

So, while I'd like to write them (better than that) for named individuals on the IO9 natter board, I'm not being paid enough to be critiqued by all and sundry. Not sure what to do about my original plan to actually review the rest of the season anyway.

I know! I should illustrate my recaps myself. That would be annoying...

Oh my god, no. NO.

@se4realhinton: @rthompson1138 I thinking about doing

a #robdam fanfic Would you guys hate me?

The "dam" part of that portmanteau is Adam Glass, another SPN writer.

But wait--SE Hinton wants to do that???

I read your recap, ita ! Very nice and I completely agree about Crowley.

WRT Crowley and Naomi, Crowley has been known to sex up relationships - Sam and his "demon-lover" Brady, Castiel and Dean. I'm not convinced there was anything between Naomi and Crowley, but the Mesopotamia thing was a really boneheaded lapse of canon.

As flawed as this season has been, it's still leaps and bounds better than Season 7.

Anyhoo... I wonder if one of the last two trials has to do with the Angel tablet. Nice cliffy, maybe?

Thanks, Marcia!

I can't imagine what retcons they can make to Crowley (I dig that Castiel didn't kill him, but raising his son was bullshit too? I just figured Crowley didn't burn his bones, not that the whole process was a lie) that wouldn't make me grumpy.

I had been assuming the trials were a stipulation of the demon tablet, and that they wouldn't have anything to do with the Leviathan or the angel one. Which is why I'm wondering if they will both be resolved this season, or some will extend to nine.

I'm afraid most of my takeaway form this episode is: Castiel = Duncan Idaho

And I wish they would stick to some sort of reasonable angel naming convention, but that is old news.

I'm not very good at leitmotifs--can someone who's familiar with the soundtrack tell me if what this fan calls Dean's Family Dedication Theme is on it?