Let me start by saying: "Dean. Oh, Dean, oh Dean, oh--Dean."
This episode is one of the brotheringest things in Siblingville, Brotherdom. Obviously there's Dean's torture over and sacrifice for Sam, but I swear I've never heard more little brother in Sam's voice than in this ep.
Watching Dean try and keep him from leaving after the resurrection is quite adorable and fated to failure. But most little-brotherish is Sam's "You did it!" marvelling after Dean's killing the YED. And I really like that they saved the snappy patter for after the kill. That moment needed to be wordless.
I'm most dissatisfied with Jake's conversion. I don't think he and the YED sold that moment well enough for me. Jake was way evil by the time he got to the graveyard. I didn't see where all that happened. I think I needed...well, not more talking on the part of the YED, but perhaps different talking. Cutting to the "and then profit!" part earlier, somehow. Or making it more about giving into the dark side for the benefit of Jake's family.
Dean and Bobby was great--all the big times. The explosion at the start--I'm impressed by the apology. I'm not sure if I would have bothered. It seemed quite excusable at the time. The look on Bobby's face when Sam showed up at the door--keeping Dean's secret, but oh so judging. And then trying to drill home to Dean that he has some worth...which obviously didn't really take. If it ain't about killing demons or saving Sam, Dean still has no point. But cupping his face was touchingly done.
Ellen! "Sh...oot him." Go you.
I'm torn on whether Dean actually heard that Sam would sacrifice for him, but at least I think he heard that Sam loves him above all else. It's a start. I just don't think his world view (at the time, at least) involves Sam sacrificing.