But if Dean hadn't turned them on purposely, the sprinklers would have come on anyway, yes? They react to smoke, not to the way a fire was set.

I like the way all the archangels are coming out of the woodwork. We've seen so much of Lucifer, or at least his followers, that it's interesting to me to see what the other side makes of all this.

They react to smoke, not to the way a fire was set.

I didn't see any smoke.

I think sending the message that you can put out holy fire with water will confuse people who were going to make some other sort of stupid Darwin award mistake in short order anyway. But it does annoy people who think literally about things.

Cas could be wrong about the amulet.

I'd really rather he were, as it makes no sense to me that some little trinket Dean got as a kid is somehow specifically designed to track down God - who may not even be incarnate as Castiel suspects. As preachy as it might be, I'd prefer for any reveal of YHVH to be speaking through multiple normal people, lecturing the angels that He's always been right there in everybody, and it's they who've lost their way to the point that they can no longer hear Him.

I'd really rather he were, as it makes no sense to me that some little trinket Dean got as a kid is somehow specifically designed to track down God

Remember, Sam got it from Bobby, and it was supposed to be for John. I'd have to rewatch, but I think he said it was supposed to be some kind of powerful protection amulet. Which is just what Bobby thought it was, I guess, although the idea that Bobby got something like that wrong bugs me more than anything else.

In any event , it doesn't make sense to me as a MacGuffin. If neither Raphael nor Lucifer are able to work magic to track down God on their own while manifesting on earth, just who exactly is supposed to have made the thing in the first place?

Oh, I agree, Matt. It felt like an easy answer to, "Hey, the fans keep wanting to see what Dean's amulet is good for. I know!"

Sometimes the show does feel a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure thing.

Thank you for telling me how I'm allowed to watch.

That wasn't my intent at all, and I'm sorry you took it that way. But it just struck me as funny that there are a LOT of things the characters do that would be iiieeeee dangerous to do in the real world, but the putting out a magic oil fire with water was commented on.

The only thing I've seen on fantasy/horror TV that struck me as seriously irresponsible (and apparently, ASH agreed, so HA!) was showing Giles horseback riding sans helmet in that one episode of Buffy.

Which, you know. Don't go riding without a helmet, people.

But it just struck me as funny that there are a LOT of things the characters do that would be iiieeeee dangerous to do in the real world, but the putting out a magic oil fire with water was commented on.

I think the difference is that if you go shoving stakes into people in the real world, you are a dangerous lunatic anyway, whereas putting out an oil fire with water seems plausible if you don't know better. So reinforcing it really does make it slightly more likely. Showing people putting butter on burns would make me cringe for the same reason.

horseback riding sans helmet

Huh. Wouldn't have thought about that. Of course I haven't been on a horse since I was 12 and we didn't wear bike helmets then, either.