4.20 "The Rapture" review

1. So, in his mind Dean’s peacefully enjoying himself sitting in the Sun and fishing. Cf. the opening scene of “Jump The Shark”.

2. Oh, Cas, who could really be listening to what you two are talking about within Dean’s mind? Superiors?

3. Dean, Castiel wanted to talk to you privately. Is it a good idea to take Sam along with you? But Dean doesn’t even hesitate, good for your all-encompassing trust, man.

4. Whoa, Dean, what’s with your nerves of steel that an angel suddenly materializing on the backseat of your car freaks you out so much?

5. Mr. Carver, I guess you love these time travel/if ifs stories.

6. HOT: the way Sam drinks the last drops of his precious poison straight out of his palm, licking his unsteady fingers. Why can’t he drink his own blood, then? Maybe it’s not demonic enough to satisfy his thirst? “Refreshing Coke” is an excellent euphemism for demon blood, Sam. We always knew Coke was dangerous for health, being a fast drink. Show, Coke producers could’ve sued you.

7. HILARIOUS: Dean teasing Sam for his mistake (letting Jimmy escape). He’s uncharacteristically chirpy: while Sam’s trying to smooth his sense of guilt, packing up frantically, all set to follow Jimmy, Dean, instead of being harsh and frustrated, is being amused and finds the situation funny.

8. Dear Jimmy’s wife: why be so egoistic and touchy-feely-arrogant? Oh, wait, maybe you’re already possessed?

9. Jimmy’s like Joan Of Arc: a human being driven by angels’ orders up to the point when he gives his body shell to the angel.

10. It takes Jimmy three times to finally separate himself from his family. Poor guy.

11. Oh boys, how come your timing is so perfect you always come to rescue exactly on time? Never mind, even the Greek myths heroes practised that.

12. It’s interesting how it’s Sam who breaks the cruel truth to Jimmy while Dean obviously finds it too harsh. He’s unwilling to hurt innocent people. Has always been.

13. So if demons can be killed with this special knife Dean uses, why has Sam to wreck himself with demon blood intakes and exorcisms?

14. Dean, how come you, with your strategical, analytical mind and clairvoyance, cannot see the reasons why your brother’s sometimes being strong enough to kill really powerful demons just CAN’T be good? Angels gave him these powers, you think? And, Dean, if you can’t find it out from him, why don’t you use your, hmm, authority? You don’t want to hurt his feelings?  Oh. Suit yourself.

15. “You’re scaring me, man” – “I’m scaring myself”. Now if only this phone hadn’t rung, they could’ve gone on with their talk and maybe could’ve sorted things out. Just when Sam was ready to be open and Dean willing to listen.

16. It’s tragic that without this blood supply Sam can’t even physically fight, like he’s losing his skills. He has to harm himself to save other people.

17. Angels don’t really care whose body they occupy, a man’s or a little girl’s. But angels definitely have the names that reveal their gender (Castiel, Anna etc), then how is it possible for a male angel to inhabit a girl’s body? As far as I got it, the demon who took up Jimmy’s wife’s body was initially a male, too, so nice symmetry. These non-humans, they simply LOVE transgendering. And, admit it, sometimes it does turn out hot, remember “Born Under A Bad Sign”.

18. The obligatory car talk scene could have been rather funny but turned out equally beautiful and sad. As soon as you see the boys in their usual situation, but knowing what had just happened, you want to say to Sam well, man, you’re in for it now. And it’s funny that Sam recognizes it too and is really willing and ready for a verbal backlash from Dean. He practically asks him to do it sooner. He definitely feels guilty for his hiding his habit from Dean, so he’s eager to accept a punishment. It’s unexpectedly beautiful that Dean, just like in this scene in the motel earlier in the morning, is totally calm and forgiving. But beware! It’s forgiveness with a tinge of menace. It’s just a cover-up technique. Sammy, you take note: in the future, when your brother is unwilling to tell you off, it’s likely to be a sign of trouble coming for you.

19. I think it’s really witty to have Dean’s strategic mind both fail and win in one and the same episode. His brilliant-but-never-revealed plan for this demons vs. angels fight failed, thus getting them caught, but it took him very little time to arrange this clever plot for Sam to be caught in the panic room. Dean, you cunning one. And, honestly, Dean takes his little revenge of Sam here using Sam’s own methods against him. Sam’s been hiding his plans and real intentions from him, so why can’t Dean do the same to him?

20. The worst mistake Dean could possibly make in this situation is the one he made – it’s his reluctance to talk. Note that it’s unusual for Sam to open his heart at will, but now he tries exactly this as he wants to explain himself. But Dean won’t listen and just cuts him short, refusing to give him this one last chance to argue his innocence. He grants him forgiveness by default, and it’s all the more deceptive for that. He obviously thinks words are no help anymore, and he should do something to Sam rather than talk to him. Dean, you’re scaring us, man.

21. But however ruthless his decision was, frankly, I can’t blame the guy for it. He tried to do the right thing.

22. One of this Season’s key themes has been lack of trust between the two. They started out with a nasty confrontation, but towards mid-Season have managed to calm their bitterness down, and then, especially in the episodes leading up to “The Rapture”/”When the Levee Breaks”, have almost achieved the level of brotherly understanding they had had before Hell separated them (”Jump the Shark” probably being the climax of it). But now it all came back to square one. However drastically Sam has changed, he still trusted the two people he loved, but turned out they used this trust against him. See, it didn’t take Dean a single threat to lure Sam into the panic room/trap, just because Sam never expected it from them. And even when they locked the door behind him, he still wouldn’t believe they were being serious. In conclusion: what have you done, boys?