I'm not sure how I thought that would help me write a recap, but hey.

I enjoyed it. I like Charlie, I liked all the banter. I loved the brotherly closeness. But the episode itself did feel kind of placeholderish... it didn't move anything forward. We saw Sam being weak, but we already knew that. The guys decided to pursue the prophet, but we already knew they needed the third Trial information. The Charlie backstory information was interesting in an academic sort of way, but not necessary to to the overall story arc. (Unless they're going to add her to the cast. Which would be.... neat.)

I think (and hope) that Felicia has better things to do, and I don't say that out of dislike of the character. Just, she's busy with cool stuff, and as much as SPN needs women onscreen, she's ovary-ising even more femme-depleted niches of geekery.

I think this episode was for Dean's head, and its position in the game. It was a luxurious episode for that, with the glee of a popular and flexible recurring character, since Sam didn't change in psyche or circumstance, just how Dean feels about what he's doing, and to drill a bit of Trial Fear into us.

I do think that someone currently or previously on the show left their I ♥ Jensen notebook with lots of sketches behind, and Carver picks it up and goes "how can we work this outfit into an episode?" Because it's kinda me-baiting at this point.

And I like it.

But I liked that they all got their moments of badass, even if Dean in medic army outfit, Dean hitting two centre mass, Charlie double-tapping the head, and Sam using his big head as well as winning the fight when sick...ORGASMS.

Heh, I always thought of Charlie as a kind of a male geek fantasy of the lesbian geek friend they want to have. But apparently she appeals to women too, so not just a male fantasy.

I think Olivia Munn is more like that fantasy on the outside. She's conventionally sexier by far, and less grassroots. Oh, and I don't think she's ever played the awkward card in her life.

"how can we work this outfit into an episode?"

My first thought was that Jensen loved the 40s episode wardrobe so much, it was his request. But, you know, probably not.

He just looks so ADORABLE when his hair is neatly parted and combed.

The moments with Charlie -- when she woke up and threw her arms around him, and when she said "I love you" and he said he knew -- almost killed me.

I seriously choked up at the end.

I want to hug and squeeze them all.

Christ, the geeky references in this--I hadn't remembered that Charlie had already had an "I know" moment, but knowing that Dean was explicitly a Han Solo character in the elevator pitch makes it even more perfect.

But, honestly, "Wilhelm scream" was pretty damned funny.

And props to Dean for a) hacking and b) TKAM references too.

I need to rewatch. I missed the Wilhelm scream reference.

The Pretty Woman montage still makes me really happy.

I need to rewatch this ep for all the cuteness. And Dean being Han at the end. I love that Charlie wasn't great at everything, that she was nervous about going undercover. I was torn between annoyed and amused that she flubbed the FBI badge like Cas had done, but since she amended her mistake herself, I sided with amused.

And YAY! for a non-death-related hug!!!! That Dean found a way to tell these two people that he loved them.

I'm guessing Annalee wanted to write this recap because Felicia Day is a traffic draw? I can't think why. Or maybe she saw it in advance, so she could have the preview up quickly. They did list the show as one of the ones where it's clear when it started to suck, so I am pouty at them in general on the topic.

I made a bunch of screencaps from the ep, and posted those on IO9 in lieu of the recap, and even though I put text on half of them, Annalee used a few of them anyway. She thanked me, but it's not like she ran the idea by my even cursorily. Man, there are ways to smoothly use content generated for free by the people who pay your rent, and then there are ways to get them to squint at you.