schmevil | Supernatual 5.10

So there was good and bad. Brother and I agreed that they were trying to make up for all the preceding zaniness, by cramming multiple stories into one episode. It's not that this was one of those scattered, directionless eps, but more that they put so much into it, so many significant moments and climaxes, that the overall emotional kick was lessened.

We were both impressed by Mark and Lucifer, who's a nice foil to the Winchester brothers. Unlike Castiel the holy tax accountant, Lucifer seems like one of the boys. Until you get to know him. Then he's... not so cool. :/

Things I liked:

The picture. This was both a sweet moment, and a creepy one - a callback to the picture Dean finds in the future. Love that Sam pulled Castiel close. Hee!

Meg! Any Megpearance is a bonus, as far as I'm concerned. It's nice to see she's still a true believer.

The herd of reapers. I thought this was tremendously effective, especially since they didn't overuse it. Just a few quick flashes of double vision human/supernatural, and then Castiel is locked up in that circle of holy fire.

"I think I'm starting to feel something." If the Harvelles had lived, I would so want a Harvelles&Castiel road trip story.

Lucifer and Castiel not being former BFFs. I know this Kripkes a beloved piece of fanon, but it confirms so many of own theories about the dynamics up in heaven that I'm happy.

Lucifer not giving a damn about demons. Way to validate my crackpot theorizing, show! Booya. But yeah, love this. Demons are a supernatural distillation of the very worst of humanity - Lucifer would like them why?

Bobby as Charlie. (Why yes, that does make the Winchesters his Angels).

Crowley. Not a tremendous surprise really. There've always been self-interested demons, and ideologues. And hey, he was fun. Too bad they didn't go this route with Ruby. Ho hum.

All the Sam focus. Moar Sam, show!

Things I didn't like:

Jo and Ellen's end. Sigh sigh. This is what I mean by too much in one ep - this deserved to be the climax of an episode, not the midway mark. Also, you know, I would really rather that at least one of them lived, show! D:

The skeeviness of the Meg/Cas scene. I would have liked it miles more, if Meg had been a male demon, and we didn't get this icky sequence: a man pulls a woman close, as if to kiss her, then he pushes her to the ground, and literally walks over her, while she screams and is burned alive.

Dean hitting on Jo. Don't get me wrong, Dean/Jo had so very much potential. But seriously dude? With Ellen and Bobby right there? Stay classy Dean. (Yes, I know. Dean has no class. Dean needs no class).

Jo wearing heels to the apocalypse. Seriously girl?

Just the pacing in general. Utterly off. Failed to make the most out of its dramatic moments, and tension was sometimes lost due to... idek wandering camera? Suffice it to say that this was not as taught an episode as it could have been. Too much story, not enough time!