Really, it was a poorly-written and poorly-plotted episode, with some interesting thematic parallels and a couple of really strong guests who made up for a lot of flaws. The funny bits were pretty funny, and (for once!) the episode didn't end with a forced and emotional conversation in, on, or near the car. As a result, the pacing wasn't as bad as it could have been, either.

Nice summary.

Honestly, I do think I'll enjoy this more on rewatch (holy crap, Pippen, you're so much older than you are in my head! Brad! You... okay, well, you've aged due to Spin City, but you're still older than my mental age for you, BB). Between the crying child upstairs and the stress of surviving layoffs at work today, it was hard for me to get in the groove of watching anything.

How could I have forgotten Brad?

t natter

the stress of surviving layoffs at work today,

Ugh. I'm sorry you and Jilli and the company had to go through that, even though you are both safe.

t /natter

I was thinking about the episode this morning, and it's starting to feel like there's two different shows. We've got one show (Show A), where Our Boys hunt something supernatural and defeat it. And then there's another show (Show B), where Our Boys are players in a vast, impending apocalypse, and are trying (and mostly failing) to prevent a power-hungry demon from destroying the world.

I'm getting a little bit tired of the writers allowing Show A to do all the emotional heavy lifting for Show B. It's like Show A is 38 minutes of every week, and Show B (which, at least right now, I'm far more interested in) gets the other 4 minutes.

Oh, they've never been good at weaving in A&B plots but I didn't think it was all that bad this time. I mean for me the MotW is the time between when they're doing their decision making about what to do about the big picture.

At least it seemed like that to me.

And was that John Rubenstein's son playing the newly reyounged Charlie?

How could I have forgotten Brad?

I met my first boyfriend in the RHPS local cast. He was playing Brad, I was Columbia. Good times, good times.

Oh, they've never been good at weaving in A&B plots but I didn't think it was all that bad this time.

I think for me, it's been building up for a while, not just this episode in particular.

I mean for me the MotW is the time between when they're doing their decision making about what to do about the big picture.

This. I just wish it was a bit more balanced.

I think the thing of it really is, I'm really mentally invested in the apocalypse-related storyline, and that's what I want to see on the screen. I don't know that I'm going to personally feel satisfied until we get more of that storyline.

It's possible I'm also just cranky.

And was that John Rubenstein's son playing the newly reyounged Charlie?

Oh, I have no idea who that is, but probably. I saw two Rubensteins in the credits.

I completely missed the brother-killing-brother anvil.

Did anyone see what tarot card Charlie had in his hand at the end? It was obscured by the CW logo.

It was The Magician.

Interview with Misha Collins.

I guess I just really enjoyed the three magicians - and it was interesting to see this little closed in world and then later watch the Bones episode set in the Circus and watch that subculture too. (They seem. . . .related.. . you know?)

Oddly, I found the brother doing something wrong to make things good for his brother extremely obvious but my spn crazed buddy didn't get it.

Of course, I really want to know that the heck it is that Ruby has Sam doing to increase his strength.