Podcasts about superwiki

Sandra and Kasey got to chat with a very special guest who manages a legendary resource well-known in the Supernatural fandom. Jules is the managing editor of SuperWiki, a Supernatural Canon and Fandom resource. This site about the CW show Supernatural is a collaborative archive used far and wide for decades. It's helped the production of creative projects and settled debates worldwide.  Jules talked about her fandom journey and the monumental task of maintaining an evolving and ongoing canon encyclopedia, being an SPN advisor on The Winchesters, and so much more! Check out the Supernatural Wiki here. You can follow SuperWiki and contact Jules on BlueSky and Twitter. ~~~ We're taking you for a spin in Baby's backseat. Dean's House Rules - Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole, and the ones in the back enjoy the ride... idling in the Impala. ~~~~~ TL;DR - If you can't be bothered clicking on all the things in this description, just visit our website: idlingintheimpala.com We'd love to hear your thoughts. Send us an email (idlingintheimpala@gmail.com)! All the Socials and AO3 and Fiction links: https://linktr.ee/idlingintheimpalapodcast Our Discord #backseat Channel. Interested in being a guest on the podcast? Give us some info about you here so we can connect. Feel inclined to leave us a tip for all this AWESOME content? Visit our Ko-fi page. Monthly supporters will get special behind the scenes perks! We've got podcast merch for our fellow idlers. Take a look! ~~~~~ Charities IITI Supports: Check out the Causes, ‘cause page on our website for the whys: World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ~~~~~ For Those in the US: Educate and Empower Yourself, Find Ways to Take Action Support Basic Human Rights - American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Prioritize Your Mental Health - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Thrive (Not Just Survive) After Abuse - Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)   ~~~~~ LGBTQ+ Charities Switchboard LGBT UK The Trevor Project - USA and Global ~~~~~ Our podcast occasionally incorporates brief excerpts from the CW television show "Supernatural" for transformative commentary and analysis. This use falls under the Fair Use doctrine codified in Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act. The included clips are short, constituting only a minuscule portion of the original work, and illustrate specific points within our critical commentary. Our podcast does not compete with the show's market. This use promotes public discourse and understanding of the work, strengthening its cultural significance.

As we bid farewell to the Gamble Era and usher in Carver era, Kevin goes from having leviathan troubles to demon troubles, Cas chooses to take responsibility for himself and he and Dean are destined for Purgatory, and poor Sam is left standing all alone in the aftermath... at least the leviathans are effectively washed from the earth... Gosh that makes it sound like not much of import happens in this one. I'm really underselling it here, so instead let's just jump to... LINKS! The Superwiki page my tag (there is A LOT of good meta posts in the tag for this one, but not so many that it's overwhelming. Probably a good week to spend half an hour reading :) lizbob's dean and cas are in love series (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Do I need to introduce this one? Really? We're all here for the return of Cas, and a massive turning point in the structure and narrative of the series. There's just so much good here, even if Cas gets shoved back in a box at the end of the episode. At least he's ~there~ again. So much changes after this point, but first and foremost, Dean reclaims just a tiny shred of hope. And in season seven, that's huge. LINKS! The Superwiki page (in addition to all the usual great stuff, scroll to the bottom for LOTS of links to PR My tag (far more robust than most other s7 episodes lolol) The Studio and Network Draft script thevioletcaptain's post about DaphnE AlleN My rewatch notes from October 2019 Lizbob's Dean and Cas are In Love series (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5) Shipper Zero discusses the song choice of Turn Into Earth Aah, shipper Zero again… A long collaborative post about Daphne there's so much more in my tag, though, so please if you have an hour to kill, think about scrolling through :) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Does this make Dean the dog again? Also, a very good reminder that antipossession symbol tattoos are a thing in this universe, and maybe it would've been a good thing for them to have shared with a heck of a lot more people than they did, you know? Also, some very interesting parallels through the MotW, a guy who went to extraordinary measures to bring back the demon (angel?) because he was in love with him. Two episodes before Cas comes back... LINKS! The Superwiki page (including links to minutiae and trivia about the episode, transcripts, promo clips, etc. as usual… I stopped adding all those things separately a while back, so every once in a while I like to remind folks how much interesting info is on the Superwiki page for every episode!) My tag Lizbob's Dean and Cas are In Love series A life well-lived comes from the structured pursuit of meaningful happiness. (rewatch notes from January 2018) My rewatch notes from May 2017 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Bucklemming is back, and for them this one is actually pretty enjoyable, so I'll take it. Plus you can't be mad about Spike and Cordelia as feuding witches. Dean's guilt is still getting the better of them, and Sam is pushing way too hard trying to make Dean talk about his feelings. I'm sure that won't lead to a catastrophic personal situation for them... This episode is pretty good at pointing out some of the foundations of Performing Dean, though, so credit where that's due. And for a guy that wants his brother to open up, Sam can get pretty snarky and judgmental in the few moments that Dean actually does. It doesn't give Dean a lot of incentive to actually show his feelings. Especially when half those feelings are worry over Sam (even if this episode doesn't really show it much, we shouldn't forget he's still hallucifering it up in there), half are worry and turmoil over the nebulous situation they've found themselves in (the leviathan, having lost Cas, having lost Bobby's house as a home base, etc.), and half are just plain old guilt. (yes that's three halves, Dean has a LOT of feelings, okay?) LINKS! The Superwiki page (with loads of links to outside media and promo stuff) My tag Lizbob's Dean and Cas are In Love series focusing on Dean's nightmare --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

The trick to this one is to see everyone's perspective, or you end up hating someone in short order, and that is not what we're here for... >.> While I like to stick to the watsonian perspective when I talk about the show, and I do in the episode, I want to mention the doylist perspective here for just a second. This one really feels like the assignment was "have Dean cross a line to show just how poorly he's coping" since so much of the first two episodes were about Sam's lack of touch with reality and the couple attempts they made to poke at Dean's mental state through everything were dismissed as unimportant in the face of the rest of their problems, even though it was clear that was a bald-faced lie at the time. So this feels like an overcorrection on that front, using the unfortunate sequence of events and kind of almost glossing over Sam's Hallucifering, or showing us from Dean's perspective just how subtle it can look, as he does Mostly Okay from what WE see after the initial disconnect from reality in this episode. Yet it has Dean going so far off the rails that he's choosing murder as the safety net of protecting Sam from himself... and of course this will come back to bite him a lot, even into next season. And that I do get into during the episode. But the writing choices here just lead to some of the emotional unevenness of the early part of s7, and I do find that mildly annoying. >.> LINKS! The Superwiki page (with additional links to interviews with Jensen about filming, under the Minutiae section) My tag Filming locations map The Production Draft script, Blue Revisions, and Pink Revisions, plus the Second Unit Call Sheet --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

And boy is it ever cruel! The subtitle there refers to the plot climax of this one, but also to season seven as a whole. The entire thing is built on pain being the key to reality, and doesn't that just suck! Like, massively! It sucks for Sam, it sucks for Dean, and it sucks for all of us! But we shall endure. :'D We lose Cas right at the start, and then Dean carries his coat away like a widow leaving a soldier's funeral with a flag, and that sets the stage for his grief and guilt for the first long segment of the season. Meanwhile, Sam's just not coping well with his smashed walls and resurfacing Hell trauma, and using Dean's technique of repressing and denying is really, really not working for him. So, bring on the pain and losses and gooey jerks who are this season's Big Bad-- a metaphor for capitalism. Wheee. LINKS! The Superwiki page (with loads of bts photos from director Guy Bee) My tag Filming locations map Commentary from Serge Ladouceur Lizbob's Dean and Cas are In Love series (part 1) (part 2) Promo clip 1, Promo clip 2 (that has that sort of corporate ad vibe s7 plays into…) (for the record, this is the last time I'll include promo clips here, since they're all linked from the Superwiki page if you're interested... I'm trying to save word count for posting purposes, and we'll see how that goes! Questions, concerns, comments? Contact me here on tumblr (through the inbox or dm's, I'm around a lot), on Bluesky, on discord as mittensmorgul, or via email at mittensmorgul @ gmail. :) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

This week: Studies in new levels of crippling emotional pain! That's right, we've arrived at The Agonies! I really don't believe I have to work hard to introduce this one, so I'll yammer about the caption i put on the graphic this week: big plans for that fish. Yes, Cas is the fish. Way down the line, he's just got so much fish and fishing imagery attached to him, that really this one does feel like a little fishy just flopping up out of the water for the first time and testing out what free will is all about. Unfortunately pretty much everything goes sideways for him. LINKS! The Superwiki Page My tag Filming locations map Video of Ben Edlund talking about directing at Paleyfest (there's a large number of interviews with Edlund, Misha, and Mark S. linked at the bottom of the Superwiki page for this one, in the interest of character count limitations on Spotify, I'm not linking them all here lol, but please have this one titled “Castiel's Betrayal is going to hurt Dean deeply”) Synopsis of The Man Who Would Be King 1975( film) Probably important for this episode even more than usual, Lizbob's Dean and Cas are In Love series. there are… a lot of parts this week, and I didn't bother trying to figure out if they have a correct order, and the numbers are just to differentiate the links. so here goes, good luck! (part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5) (part 6) (part 7) (okay does everyone understand this episode is about Cas doing all of this For Dean) The CW Promo video (notable for Cas's lines being cut to a pleading “STOP ME!”) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Yes, I had to watch it again, despite Sam's specific struggles in this episode being a source of... let's call it personal emotional distress for me. So I'm gonna talk lightly about it as much as possible. I also am super creeped by the concept of the spider people, so... winning all around for me I guess. >.> In far better news, this episode has our only full draft script from season six! We've got the green draft, which you can read in its entirety at the link below. This was the very first script that I personally bought, long before the Script Hunt server was established, and started us on the long strange journey of collecting as many as possible. Which brings me to two additional points this week: The @spnscripthunt is currently running a donation giveaway of (potentially, depending on the total donated) 30 autographed scripts from our collection! To see the full list of prizes and check our progress, please visit our World Central Kitchen direct contribution page. Currently we're at just over $2k raised, with 15 scripts unlocked for giveaway! The raffle closes on August 26, 2023, so enter soon for a chance to win one! We're always on the lookout for additional scripts to add to the collection. If you have any scripts that aren't already in the publicly available free collection (a full list of what we already have can be found here on the Superwiki, with links to all of them for your reading pleasure), please contact the scripthunt via any of our social media! LINKS! The Superwiki Page My tag My rewatch notes from July 2019 The Full Green Draft Script Filming locations map CW Promo video --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Welcome to our favorite director, Jensen Ackles! There's just so much that happens in this episode, and he did a great job with it. Like a lot of season six, it looks like a fairly straightforward MotW case (or series of cases), but rewatching s6 is so much more interesting when you know where everything is headed. The monsters are all acting “weird;” something is really really wrong with Sam, and Dean is really worried about it; Bobby finds a way to finagle his soul back from Crowley-- so right there we have lots of hints about the whole season. It's the souls. And that will still sound like a cryptic statement seven episodes down the line when Death gives Dean that exact warning, but it really does sum up... pretty much all of s6 when you know everything that's actually happening. So we get to have some fun this week, learning a little more about Bobby's life when he's just at home doing his own thing, we get to enjoy Rufus and Jody again, and we get to meet Bobby's new neighbor, who I assume immediately moved and never looked back. :') LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag Filming locations map Sneak Peek promo video --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

CAS! IS BACK! FINALLY. And also unfortunately just in time to set him up to take the big fall for basically all of s6.... >.> So much of season six makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE on a rewatch, which is one of the reasons I was so excited to get to this point in the podcast. For folks who've never rewatched the series, or maybe only rewatched favorite episodes, hopefully we're all learning a new appreciation for some of the less-loved parts of canon. But I think we can all agree that Balthazar is very lovable in all his nihilistic hedonism. Plus we get new lore about angels, souls, and what's been going on in Heaven for the last year... sort of... Something is very wrong with Sam, and Dean's reaching a breaking point about it that will still take multiple episodes to really come to a head, so I do some griping about that s well. And we learn that Dean and Cas do share a more profound bond (he wasn't gonna mention it!) in the very episode where (oops!) the handprint mysteriously disappears from Dean's arm AND we learn about angels being able to lay claims on human souls... so all that's very interesting, yes? LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag (about six pages of posts) Filming locations map CW Promo --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Poor Sam (maybe it would help if he actually had a soul?) can't figure out how Dean knows anything about caring for a 6-month-old infant whose mother has just been brutally murdered... And poor Dean is Doing His Best and finally realizes there isn't really a good solution to his dilemma of protecting Lisa and Ben from his life, and what he unwittingly brought to their doorstep. It's tragic, no matter what he does. Something is very fishy with the Campbell hunters, though, and it's patently obvious on a rewatch when we all know how this shakes out. Golly I love doing a rewatch! It makes the foreshadowing hit like anvils. This week's links! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag (extra-short this week!) (the two main posts to focus on are probably my episode recaps from April 2017 and July 2019) Filming locations map --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Finally back from my personal hiatus, and I'm eager to get right into Season Six! I'm not sure that s6 is near the top of anyone's favorite season list, but there's just so much meaty goodness hidden away this season-- especially for my fellow Dean girls-- that I'm 100% serious about being excited to get into it. Maybe I can even change a few minds along the way (though... nobody will ever convince me to like a handful of s6 episodes, which will become abundantly clear when we hit them :'D). I recorded this episode a month ago and edited it last week without going back and recording anything new for it. New episodes will now begin rolling out on my previous schedule, and hopefully I haven't entirely forgotten how to do this. Thank you again everyone who's stuck around to continue this journey out beyond Kripke era with me! That said, let's get right into the relevant links for further reading: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag My rewatch notes from June 2020, which basically sum up all my feelings on this one Filming locations map Set report and bts photos Interview with Fred Lehne about playing Azazel again Interview with Sera Gamble about the “noir” season six SpaceTV Promo #1 SpaceTV Promo #2 CW Extended promo clip --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Welcome to the end of Kripke Era (sort of... he steps back, but is involved enough with s6 to have written 6.22... and he sticks around to help shape s7 before running off to Revolution and taking two free Led Zeppelin tracks with him... thanks for nothing, pal... >.>) (aside to note i got my annual reminder that kripke is like two and a half weeks older than me while paying more attention than usual to write notes for this-- he gave the impala his own birthday, plus 7 years-- and i always feel like i've been mugged when i remember all of these facts) So this is a fandom favorite, often cited at the top of Best Episode lists and I... don't really like it much. Sorry! lol I am not sorry. It's 15.20 turned inside out, with at least the veneer of a hopeful ending because *everyone was alive at the end of the episode so they could continue to live to fight another day.* Which is like one microstep above what 15.20 left us with >.> Anyway, that's probably enough side-eyes emoticons for one intro post, and I say more than enough in the episode itself. So let's get to those links: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag (heftier than usual) The Production Draft script (white draft) Filming Locations Map Interview with Sera Gamble Interview with Mark Pellegrino Interview with Julie McNiven and Rob Benedict CW Promo SpaceTV Promo Extended promo clip --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

O Death! I will always love this episode just for the intro scene (and many other things too, but heck... that's how you do a character intro!). The penultimate episode of s5, and of Kripke Era. There's just a lot going on, and I realized as I lay in bed after recording this that there was so much more I wanted to say about Death, Chuck's Story/Process, and the parallel of Death having been shackled by Lucifer and prevented from acting independently here and yet how his actions (and non-actions to this point, including his cryptic message to Bobby delivered by zombie!Karen back in 5.15 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid) are SHOCKINGLY similar to how Billie was made a pawn of Chuck's' s15 narrative. For many of the same reasons. So at least now I've said it somewhere, but this is how I view Death throughout the series. But I think I covered everything else in the episode, so... LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag Lizbob's Dean and Cas are In Love series for this ep (here and here) Filming locations map CW promo clip SpaceTV promo clip --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Crowley is the devil the Winchesters know, but the Winchesters are the devil Crowley knows, and everybody's gonna compromise at least a little to reach the common goal. And they all hope it's gonna be worth it. With only two episodes left to go in s5 after this one, it's getting to desperation hours... I enjoy straightforward plot episodes. The main horrifying revelations in this one revolve around Sam, the awful choice he begins contemplating about how they might even remotely have a shot of dragging Lucifer back into the cage (I still hate the show for putting him through this), and just how tragically and inevitably he'd been manipulated into exactly this position his entire life. Even when he'd thought he'd been safest, when he'd thought he'd freed himself from a life entangled in the supernatural while he'd been at Stanford. It had all just been part of a very, very long game. And it's heartbreaking to learn here at nearly the eleventh hour how little choice he'd ever really had in any of it. LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag Filming locations map An interview with Mark Sheppard Casting notice of Matt Frewer as Pestilence (which honestly should've been on the previous ep, but here it is now) The CW promo video The SpaceTV promo video An Extended promo clip --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Episode 100! *blows party horns* regarding my tagline on this weeks' graphic... I think everyone knows that the outtake we know that quote from comes courtesy of the season 5 gag reel, along with a number of other outtakes from this episode, and it feels suitably celebratory for the 100 episode milestone! Yes, this is the 100th episode of Supernatural, but it's also the 100th episode of this podcast! Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck with me. I love and appreciate y'all so much :') We finally meet the real Adam (not the ghoul impersonator), Sam proves his faith in Dean even when Cas (and Dean himself) has despaired of it, and Zachariah meets his richly deserved end. It's slightly on the long side this week, but I didn't want to leave anything out... and to that end, I've also got a bit of supplemental reading for those interested, as well. LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag A post from norahastuff about the innuendo Some wildly ironic rewatch notes from June 2020 Some thoughts on Adam Some thoughts on Zachariah and his fatally misguided sense of self-importance (the citizen kane meta) Have my whole zachariah tag honestly… Filming locations map Teaser post about the 100th episode Short interview with Kurt Fuller and Jake Abel Article about the 100th episode cast party The CW promo Extended teaser video And because I am here for suffering, Lizbob's two posts from the Dean and Cas are in Love series about this episode (part 1) (part 2) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Heaven (and in this case, specifically Michael) has an agenda. The long-scheduled apocalypse is proceeding apace, but how does one convince one's recalcitrant vessel to play along? Well, a nice little demonstration of power, combined with a charmingly delivered (I'm sure Michael thought he was ever so polite about it) reminder that there's no such thing as Free Will and everything in the history of the universe had been leading them to that moment where Dean will say yes and accept his fate. Kinda horrifying, when you think about it in those terms alongside Dean's ultimate confrontation against this in s15. And even worse when you think about 15.20, where it finally played out that way, with the rest of the entire story rendered irrelevant in 40 minutes. Good times... >.> But this is where Dean plants his free will flag, which will become his final major plot arc of the entire series-- wrestling with the notion that none of it may have ever been real at all. So this is a big one. Plus, John and Mary in the 70′s, which is wild now that we're seeing The Winchesters. LINKS! The Superwiki page for this ep My tag for this ep My rewatch notes from June 2019 and April 2017 and October 2016 Molly Hatchet's The Creeper Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains the Same Filming locations map The CW promo (what if the Winchesters were never born? interesting question!) Extended teaser clip SpaceTV promo (Sam Winchester has to die!) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

That one where Sam was Gary! A true MotW that has Dean mostly tiptoeing around Sam in the aftermath of his confession at the end of the previous episode. Even when “Sam” is behaving in incredibly un-Sam-like ways, Dean's still hesitant to poke too hard at it. I'm not sure this episode could've worked under other circumstances (Dean would've twigged to it sooner if he wasn't trying so hard to be agreeable with Sam), or otherwise would've just been sad (like if the reason the other didn't twig to it was due to them being on the outs... it really wouldn't have been as humorous). Small favors, I guess? Anyway, what more can we really say about this one. Have some (hopefully) fun extras to go along with it: The Superwiki page for this episode My (incredibly sparse) tag for this episode The glorious Sam Samming post My rewatch notes from June 2019 and from April 2017 Filming locations map Casting call for Gary and Nora The CW promo video The SpaceTV promo video A bit of shameless self-promotion, please enjoy a link to my six-way body swap fic, since the show never took this concept to its full wackadoo potential, but I really tried to... Until I Know This Sure Uncertainty, I'll Entertain The Offered Fallacy (rated T, canon case fic, ~13k words, set near the end of s12, very comedy of errors) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

It hits me once in a while how many monsters almost managed to take out Sam and Dean, and the wraith in this episode is an especially good example-- she of the “okie dokie” and the absolute confidence in her own understanding of the situation to control it all, to manipulate the story to her own advantage with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She really thought she was invincible, right up to the moment she wasn't. Is that just “plot armor” for Sam and Dean? Eh, I don't think so. I mean, the angels weren't really worried for the vessels of Michael and Lucifer, you know? *Zachariah voice* we'd just bring you back. This really is Sam and Dean just being better than the monsters, back in the day when they weren't Sam and Dean Winchester the legendary hunters monsters tell scary stories about in the dark. File all that under: Why I have zero problems with later canon that outs Chuck as God controlling the story all along. This is why Sam and Dean are his favorite characters. Okay, since all of that has nothing to do with what I actually talk about in this week's episode, let's just get on with it... LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode Scripts (production draft, blue revisions, one line schedule, Director's notes on blue revision draft) The Dr. Babar clip from the movie Fletch (13 seconds) Filming locations map Casting call for Martin and Erica (and her original surname was Fletcher, edited to Cartwright for production… still a “job” name but a very different job) My rewatch notes from June 2019 My rewatch notes from April 2017 CW Promo for the episode that aired immediately after 5.10, leaving viewers on a pretty dark note about what this episode would be like in the wake of watching Jo and Ellen die A later promo clip that let the audience know it's not all darkness, it's also uncomfortably silly --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Why bring back the magical Colt after hyping it up all season as potentially the only weapon that can kill Lucifer only to bring it back, declare oopsie no there are actually five random and unspecified exceptions to this weapon's power that we will never actually address in canon, and then lose it in the woods to have it disappear without another mention for years? Yeah, I got no idea either. Such is the fate of so many Special Weapons on this show. This one just bugs me for so many reasons. We bid farewell to Ellen and Jo while Kripke burns down his narrative as a sacrifice to the Apocalypse. Lucifer is transparently manipulative toward Cas and Sam. I actually feel bad for Meg for the fact she's a True Believer in Lucifer as her god, and Crowley introduces himself as the smartest character on the show. Bless :') on to the links! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode (six pages of posts) My rewatch notes from June 2019 My rewatch notes from April 2017 Filming locations map Goldenrod Revisions script Casting call for Crowley (spelled CROWLY, and is for a “recurring guest star”) Chicago Tribune review of Fallen Idols with Mark Sheppard's casting announcement in the final paragraph CW Promo CW Extended Promo SpaceTV promo (provided for the context of how the CW was marketing the show vs how SpaceTV chose to promote it... very different in significantly interesting ways...) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Chuck makes problems for everyone. But that's pretty much the meta overview of the entire series, isn't it? In this episode, he specifically gets to be a petty lil guy, though, which gave me an awful lot of real estate to roll around on. I think I started this episode by hoping it would come in shorter than last week, and... uh... sorry about that? I was really on track to succeed at that! And then I had to keep adding in meta tangents. Once again, though, at least it's a fun episode to spend time with. Let's get right to the links! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode He seems helpful and dreamy… Lizbob's thoughts on in-narrative book!fandom vs our tv show fandom The Winchester Gospels tag on my blog for all your book fandom needs Gore Orphanage Wikipedia page for Kripke's inspiration behind the case Production draft script with notes by James L Conway Technical package (9 pages of set diagrams) Casting call for Demian and Barnes The CW promo for this episode --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

like the graphic says, play your roles or be stuck in tv land forever! if that ain't the most meta thing ever said in canon... This episode is definitely a favorite, but it's also a really rich one to discuss for so many reasons. It's basically just a way scaled back and condensed version of s15. Thematically, if you leave off the wtf of 15.20, it's the s15 speed run. Since I ran so long in the talky-talky, I'll keep this short and get right to the links for this week: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode (7 pages, but very worth it) (and all the tumblr links below are to posts in this tag… but seriously click through because there's so many awesome gifs and fanart posts too) This post about the cosmic structure and Gabriel's role And this one about the function of Free Will in this episode Meta about 4.16 technically, but very relevant to this episode Rewatch notes from June 2019 Sometimes people just die The Cosmic Timeline April 2017 rewatch notes “Dean's Instincts” Dean knows what makes Dr. Sexy sexy Filming locations map Interview with Richard Speight Jr. (archived link) The CW promo video SpaceTV promo video Supernatural the sitcom opening theme video --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

like the graphic says, sit down, shut up, play the game while you watch your brother die... a chuck metaphor with gambling! It amuses me to no end that while I was editing this week's audio, I had the TNT loop on the background and watched 15.09 The Trap and 15.11 The Gamblers. Both of which involved Chuck, gambling as a life and death scenario, and being pushed to just play Chuck's game and do what they're told-- sit back and accept his endgame for their story. Wow! The Pain! I promise I will not say anything about all of this in relation to 15.20, in which Chuck FINALLY succeeds in forcing them to do exactly that, without even a hint of protest from either of them. Or I will start screaming and not stop until I shout myself hoarse! Anyway, this is a pretty straightforward MotW (with Bobby!), so let's get right to the links: LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode The Casting Call for old!Dean (as well as for Patrick and Lia) The CW promo video for this ep The SpaceTV promo video for this ep Interactive filming locations map of Vancouver --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

*steadfastly refuses to sing the song despite having to sing it about 50 times when i was in 6th grade...* There's a lot to unpack in this episode. There's some similarities to Jack's endgame problem-- wanting a world without lies. Sure, lies can cause problems, but so can the truth, if you're suddenly overwhelmed with it and forced to deal with it. Poor Cas gets turned into a toy for a hot minute, and the nature of how Dean interacts with him is evolving, too. After the horror of 5.04, it's hard to blame him for that. Sam and Dean are seemingly back on the same page at least, and Sam gets to plead with the antichrist to choose the right thing, because nobody could stop him if he refused. And isn't that a kick in the pants? It's pretty healing all around. LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode (only two pages, and about half the posts are about Action Figure Cas, which is always fun) the CW promo “Win or Lose” An extended CW promo clip the SpaceTV promo the “SOON” segment from the end of last week's episode --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

It's a short one this week, friendos! The podcast, yes, but also the episode itself. It runs so short they included a SOON segment at the end of the ep promoting the next three episodes! And for one filled with painful irony-- a god cosplaying as beloved icons in order to devour fans of said icons-- and a good number of classic lines (four score and seven years ago, I had a funny hat!), the episode overall is pretty straightforward. Plus, as a nice break, Sam and Dean actually communicate well! They make a little bit of personal progress! Hooray for MotW episodes! LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode (11 whole posts! Including this one! like five whole minutes of reading!) Chicago Tribune piece with Kripke and Sera Chicago Tribune episode preview (unfortunately the embedded video was Flash media, but the text lives! EW interview with Kripke about Paris Hilton Video of J2 talking about working with Paris at Vancon 2009 short promo clip from SpaceTV Also, if you know of the spn script hunt group, we're currently raising money for the Trevor Project (and giving away autographed scripts!). So if you've clicked through the links in any of my episodes to read various scripts, casting sides, and other items in our collection, maybe consider making a donation. The script raffle portion of the drive runs through December 5, and we're closing in on our final goal of $5k! Thank you to everyone who's helped us get there! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

I survived this one. It's Thanksgiving day as I type this up, and I'm giving thanks for that. Despite my personal issues with this one, there's a ton of important stuff for Dean here-- stuff that I believe will haunt him (and in some ways stunt his emotional growth out of the fear that he could become That, or that Cas could, if he's not careful) for years to come. Plus this one really doubles down on his previous feelings about Zachariah. None of them are positive, lol! ANYWAY, let's just be glad I got through it and get to the links! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode An EW interview with Jensen about this episode Two promo videos, one from the CW and the other from SpaceTV (also not a link, but a reminder if you have the DVD/bluray, there's a commentary track with Edlund and Kripke for this episode too!) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

We all love this one for the wonderful growing relationship between Dean and Cas, and wail at the horror of everything Sam experiences-- from being force-fed demon blood, the compounding guilt, the fear that he can never get out or his life and destiny can never change, and his first face to face with Lucifer... it's a big one. How free are they, really? Is destiny still coming for them? Are they doomed to play out the Grand Narrative being written for them? (points forcefully at the series finale and screams incoherently) Links that may be of interest: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode My rewatch notes from June 2019 The CW promo video for this episode Lizbob's two posts from the Dean and Cas are in love series (here and here) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Edwin Starr gave us the perfect title for both halves of this episode. :'D Good God... or at least Cas is hoping God would care about his creation, even if we eventually learn the truth years down the line. The hope and faith Cas has now is destined to be shattered in horrific ways that will power his arc for the rest of the series, though, so I am here for it. And War, the first Horseman of the apocalypse we meet and definitely the easiest to defeat at least. Even if you can't actually kill War, you can see it for what it is. It's definitely an eye-opener for our heroes, yes? Seeing through the cosmic manipulation, even on this relatively low level, will become their biggest tool in defeating The Narrative™. (too bad it finally crushed them for good in the series finale, but anyWAY >.>) (yes, sorry, I end up yelling about that quite a bit, as is to be expected) (I've just accepted that every episode of the series will just involve me yelling about why the finale sucked at this point) that said, have some LINKS! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode Two different promo clips from the CW and SpaceTV --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Welcome to Season 5, where every angel suddenly has a sword with zero explanation! That sentence sums up my general feelings about season five in a meta fashion. It's all very Chuck. Dean is having a really hard time dealing with the fallout of s4-- the devil's on the loose, and it's all because he failed Sam, and because Sam basically renounced him, trusted a demon more than him... Sam was manipulated all last season into Doing The Thing He Did, so convinced of his own power, his own righteousness, thought he was saving the world instead of damning it... and explained away Dean's hesitancy at all of it as “weakness.” Cas is resurrected for the first time and is “cut off from Heaven,” gradually falling closer to humanity, and also slowly realigning his faith in his terrifying new reality. and a bunch of other stuff! lol... it's a season premiere, there's lots of stuff... Becky the Really Unflattering Fan Avatar (who was more “the fan Chuck chose because her understanding of the line between fiction and reality was just as askew as Chuck's was and that suited his purposes”), Nick the vessel of convenience for Lucifer, the return of Meg, Bobby paralyzed and in the hospital after stabbing himself to save Dean... so much... maybe a little too much... Here's some links that may be of interest: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode Rewatch notes from June 2019 Lizbob's Dean and Cas Are In Love series posts for this episode (part 1) and (part 2) September 2017, notes on retcons, destiny, and free will Article from SpoilerTV with a page of the script A bit on the Angel Blade retcon (post 1) and (post 2) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Spoiler alert: Chuck won. Mostly, anyway. Team Free Will is just finding their spark, and just having their eyes opened to just how badly the story had been manipulating them before. Only none of it happens in time to stop the apocalypse, and Chuck's story gets to continue chugging along. I hacked out this post the other day that sort of sums up my feelings on 4.22 vs 15.20, and I think it serves as a nice intro piece to this episode We all know what happens in this one, and I have lots to say about it all. Links of interest: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode (17 pages of posts! so many!) An ask about Cas and doubt and free will My rewatch notes from June 2019 Zachariah, Ruby, and Sam's tampered voicemail Chuck's moment of perfection, only slightly marred by Cas's rebellion The CW promo video for this episode --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

The penultimate episode of any season ramps up the drama, but hooboy, this one is made of angst! We're closing in on the end of Chuck's One Perfect Season, where everything worked perfectly for his story from start to finish. At least he's never really gonna meet with this much success ever again (because 15.20 doesn't count lol). Sam's in demon detox, Cas is doing Heaven's errands, and Dean is breaking his own heart. But Sam? He gets some twisted A Christmas Carol experience, Dean wrestles with his complete inability to save Sam from going darkside that he's been terrified of since 2.01, and Cas is Causing Problems on behalf of Heaven's agenda. A few links to stuff that may be of interest: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode A post from January 2020 about Chuck's narrative and s4 being the closest he ever got to success (before 15.20, which is another story) Rewatch notes from June 2019 (also linked in the above post) The CW Promo video for this episode --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Poor Jimmy Novak. And poor Sam. And poor Dean. And poor Amelia and Claire. And honestly, poor Cas. Poor dude just got heaven-tortured into a mental reboot. All those "doorways to doubt" have been slammed shut, and his compassion for humanity has been erased. (don't worry, he'll get that back eventually) As for Sam, his whole bleak secret gets exposed in the worst way possible (driven into withdrawal by Ruby deliberately ignoring his pleas for a refill, and then pushed into a situation where he had a whole demon *right there* to drain, and innocents' lives on the line to save). And then he gets shoved into detox. And Dean has to witness it all. He's been worried for Sam all year and the tower of lies has collapsed, just when he's also lost the helpful Heavenly ally he'd just been winning over to his side. He hasn't even got anyone to turn to for help with Sam now. Well, he's got Bobby, but Bobby is also flying by the seat of his pants and has no concrete idea how to help Sam. Amelia and Claire have had their lives upended all around, too. They'll never be able to unsee what they've seen, they've lost Jimmy forever, and even the stability they'd gained after Jimmy left the first time is shattered. Amelia will become desperate to get her husband back at all cost, and Claire will become embittered toward the angel that possessed her for a hot minute, stole her father, and then abandoned them (and especially leaving her abandoned when her mother disappears). Marching toward the season finale, everyone's about to go up in flames. Links for this week! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode I lied, have some rewatch notes from June 2019 Destiel in two screenshots The McShane Network Outline of the entire episode (9 pages) CW promo video SpaceTV promo video (better than the cw one) Extended CW promo (last 40 seconds of the cold open) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Golly, I spend this whole podcast talking about the pointlessness of revenge, but that's rather conditional. And specifically in this case, in s4 overall, and every other revenge arc that comes to failure in this entire series, that condition is ACTUALLY KNOWING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SITUATION! Blind revenge is always doomed to fail. These ghouls enacted this massive plot for revenge against John Winchester, not even knowing he'd died more than two years before. This was entirely a situation of their own making. They could've gone on the rest of their lives just doing their ghoul thing and never come to the attention of hunters, let alone Sam and Dean. But nope, they set out on this mission without having all the facts, and paid the price for it. Just like Sam and Dean in all of s4. Sam's on this revenge mission against Lilith, is absolutely convinced he's doing the right thing, and only with our benefit of hindsight know just how incomplete their data set is going into it. They're literally spending the entire season working on the wrong problem, by design! And they end up manipulated into exactly the situation they'd spent the season trying to avoid. If only they'd had all the facts up front... So yeah, revenge, ghouls, the Winchester Brother who was never intended to join the narrative in any larger way, to have died before his first appearance on screen. And round and round we go with the emotional manipulation! Right into the apocalypse. Bonus materials for this episode: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode A brief interview with Dabb about this episode from the official s4 companion book An interview with Jake Abel from the official Supernatural magazine Rewatch notes from June 2019 The CW 20 second Promo video for this episode If you need to see it, here's Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli jumping the shark. They REALLY dragged this out :'D --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Gosh I love this episode. It throws the viewer off balance wondering what the heck is actually going on, right up to the end when Zachariah boops Dean and all the rest of us back to “reality” and washes the bright colors away again. The real hunt/case of this episode isn't the ghost Sam and Dean learn to deal with, it's whatever the heck Zachariah's actually up to with the entire charade. And what that boils down to is the concentrated essence of manipulation by cosmic forces that is s4. And all that ONE EPISODE BEFORE we meet Chuck for the first time... but we'll save that rant for next week. There's some pretty detailed meta on this week's episode, though, and I'll again encourage everyone to at least give a skim to those links... all the links of interest can be found right here: The Superwiki page for the episode My tag for the episode, it's only four pages and about half gifsets, but all the meta posts are worth it The blue revisions script with a special extra: the director's hand written notes The full Ghostfacers instructional video on youtube The CW promo video for the episode An interview with AJ Buckley (aka Ed Zeddmore) from around the time this episode aired --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

This... is a big one. This is the episode where I first sat up and realized why Cas stuck around, why he became such an important and beloved character (s7 was airing at the time of my first watch, if you needed context for that). His entire character arc for the rest of the series pretty much takes off right here. But the seeds of his entire relationship with Dean are also planted here. This was the first episode of Supernatural that I watched, got to the end of, and then immediately went back and watched it again. It's that important. Also, the episode where we first see an Angel Blade, aka the “Sword of Lucifer” that was supposed to be a one-off, or at least a Unique Special Weapon, that Kripke was like... nah that's too good, and just handed them out like tic tacs at the beginning of s5, completely retconning all of s4. Wild stuff. That said, I'll just jump right to giving y'all links, because there's a lot... The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode (all 12 pages of it lol... it's A Lot of meta) Especially these posts that I usually link individually, but heck, so many I grouped them by topic: Retcons, Angel Blades, and the Writing Room: 1, 2, 3 Castiel and his Character Arc: 1, 2, 3, Watch notes from June 2019 the CW promo video The extended scene of Dean and Cas talking before torturing Alastair, 100% must watch 5 minutes of footage --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

RIP Pamela. RIP Dean beginning to feel even remotely good about himself. RIP Sam's secrets (well... soon... we the audience have seen a glimpse, but Dean is still getting stonewalled...) This is a hard episode, and even more so because it follows several MotW episodes and wrenches us back into the big mytharc plots. But also because we can watch Sam completely abandon the concept of being “careful” with his demon powers and “not letting it get too far” that he'd promised Dean earlier this season. It hurts. We watch Dean regain memories of one of the worst days of his life and have to reconcile all of that on the fly while facing off against the demon who tortured him in hell for forty years. It's a lot. And Cas... he's still “other.” He's still an outsider and not a friend or even an ally. Right here, he looks a lot more like someone just using Dean for his own purposes, which is also kinda scary how easily Sam and Dean both just... believed it had been Bobby sending them info on this case all along. What is even real? What's the deal with this natural order that Sam has accepted he might not really be part of, while Dean struggles to accept himself only to have even that ripped away by the end? Ow. Supplemental links for this week's episode include: The Superwiki page for this episode My tumblr tag for this episode But especially these posts: Rewatch notes from April 2017 Rewatch notes from September 2017 (encompassing 4.15-4.18) A post possibly more relevant to s14 than s4, but it encompasses the themes from this episode and gives us a hefty dose of Cas Angst leading into next week's episode A Mini-Hellatus extended CW promo video, including scenes from 4.15 and 4.16 And interestingly, a casting call announcement for Alastair and Cole Finally, for the truly intrepid listener, here's my cosmology tag. I debated including a few other tags, but that's enough to be going on for now :'D --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Did someone say queer Dean content? Because we have some of that here... Truly there's been so much written about this episode, strictly about Dean and his sexuality, that I'm gonna take one little paragraph here to say that the surface-level parallels (including the vast majority of the THEN segment of this episode) are all sending up flaming red flags about Sam and what he's secretly up to with Ruby. Even though Ruby isn't even *in* this episode. Because if we weren't already worried about Sam and the terrible secrets he's keeping from Dean, this episode does its best to launch flare guns at us over it. But the queer Dean content? I got plenty of that too! Links that will likely be especially of interest this week: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode But especially these posts: A very concise (but long, but still concise) read that I pretty much nod along to, written by Lizbob after this episode was mentioned again in Regarding Dean (12.11) (yes this is the post I mention specifically at one point in the episode) And a summary of this sort of subtext even going forward through s11, conveniently in one post There's also a post with completely borked formatting (tumblr was having some sort of glitch the day I reblogged it that put the replies in a strange order, but scroll down and read Cass' (thevioletcaptain) reply to the anon first, then jump back to the top and read the replies Three Very Simple Points And if you really want to dig into some of the meta written about this episode specifically, here's a list of links curated by Mel Network arena (previously posted for 4.12), as well as casting sides for Nick the Siren and Dr. Cara Roberts An interview with Jim Parrack (the actor who plays Nick) from the official Supernatural magazine (archived from the source) and if that's hard to read (tumblr version with embiggenable images) (yes, that's the one where he talks about leaning into the sexuality of the siren, while also playing the character as not strictly male or female) The 20 second CW Promo for this episode --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Poor Sam thought he completely understood the situation when he was a freshman in high school, but fifteen years later from an adult perspective things look very, very different. And doesn't this just define a big part of Sam? This burden of guilt he carries for so many things that aren't really his fault, yet he still feels responsible for? Owwww. Granted, this theme pretty much sums up the mytharc plot of s4, too, from both Sam and Dean's perspectives-- not having the full story, believing they know the right thing from Sam's putting his trust in Ruby in their mission to kill Lilith, and Dean not having the full story of what's going on with Sam and assuming they're on the same page... And Dean in this episode, what we learn about him on the cusp of adulthood gives us a lot of insight into the mask of Performing Dean, his ability to fit himself into a situation as both a shield and a tool to get even a little of what he needs. It's just sad all around. :( But that's why we watch this show. Bring on the suffering! Supplemental materials for this week's episode: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode But especially these posts: headcanons about the wonky timeline More, slightly older headcanons about the wonky timeline technically about s12 (and about four other episodes because meta), but very much about Performing Dean in this episode too rewatch notes from June 2019 rewatch notes from April 2017 Story Arena and casting sides for Amanda, Dirk McGregor Senior, Mr. Wyatt, April, and young Dean And yet another CW promo video --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Disclaimer: I have no idea what kind of person the actual Criss Angel is, but the dollar store version of him in this episode is most definitely a douchebag. They don't let us forget! It's like this episode was written to test the network censor's last nerve over how many times they could say “douchebag” in a single episode. :'D Sometimes when I'm editing an episode, I have to stop and debate whether or not to go back and add a clarification or expand on something I said, and I'm still genuinely turning this one over in my head. I didn't add anything, but hooboy, I kinda want to. Specifically, pointing out how anvil-heavy some of the conversations between Jay and Charlie are-- not just to Sam's situation in s4 with Ruby and his guilt in s5 (and even later... think 8.23 and his confession, that he always felt like he was letting Dean down), but to so much of the Brother Drama that drives a large part of the series. His guilt and his own feelings of failure so often drives him to make irrationally terrible decisions. I'm not letting Dean off the hook on that one. I mean, his feelings of failure over Sam's death in 2.21 have been driving this plot for the last two seasons. And he will make objectively terrible decisions in the future, like taking on the Mark of Cain, saying yes to Michael, etc. But his choices are so often motivated by his personal feelings of failure, his personal depression and feelings of worthlessness, while Sam's are motivated almost entirely by his feeling that he has failed DEAN. There's a difference. Anyway, I can't really figure how to add a conversation about all of this without totally derailing the chat about THIS episode specifically, so I just crammed the little notification here and hopefully listeners will be ready to pick up on it between what I did say out loud. :'D Supplemental material for this week's episode is kinda light anyway: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode But mostly these two rewatch notes posts: one and two The CW promo video for this episode The Network Arena for this episode (the arena being a short outline of the episode presented to the network for approval before writing even begins. In this case, it's about a page and a half of text. in the same document is the original idea for 4.14 as well… which we'll discuss when we get there) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

I know this is an episode that a lot of people forget exists (or really try to forget it exists). But for how truly terrible the rest of this episode is, that final scene with Sam and Dean under the bridge is *critical* to Dean's character, and understanding the breaking point of s4, as well as Dean's arc going forward. For like... the rest of the series. So yeah, I'm mad it's at the tail end of an episode almost nobody rewatches because the rest of it is so terribly forgettable. He didn't just spent 40 years in Hell. He didn't just break and get up off that torture table and pick up the razor and start torturing others to save himself. He *liked* it. He ENJOYED being the torturer, because it enabled him to let all that pain and suffering slide away, leaving him completely empty of feeling. Very demon-y. But also what he wishes he could feel again-- nothing at all. CRY WITH ME ABOUT DEAN PLS. Also, this is the shortest episode of this podcast yet, for obvious reasons :'D Things that may be of interest to listeners: The Superwiki page for this episode My tumblr tag for this episode (there's only like 15 posts there) But especially these four posts: Lizbob's reply to someone asking about this episode being “bad” My June 2019 rewatch notes with Kripke's quotes April 2017 rewatch notes a really nice shot analysis/appreciation by Lizbob Casting sides for four members of the Carter family, the story arena (detailed outline presented to the network before writing began), and the Yellow Draft of the script The wikipedia article about the X-Files episode “Home” The CW Promo video for this episode And a link to the X-Files/Supernatural crossover fic I wrote for gish 2022, in case anyone is into super meta with a side of crack fic :'D --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

If their ability to find an escape hatch out of this one irritated Chuck, I can't help but imagine that's at least part of what pushes him in 4.18 to “write himself into the story,” you know? When does Chuck ever show up in the story, when the Winchesters could really use a helping hand from a loving God? Nah. Well, maybe a little bit... but mostly it's when they're finding loopholes in the story-- the whole “we'll find another way” rather than make this most awful choice the narrative has been pushing them toward. But that's besides the point, because this episode isn't about him :'D Mostly what we learn about here is the intro to all the stuff that will underpin Castiel's entire character arc for the next 13 seasons-- the nature of angel grace, what an angel is, what differentiates and what makes them similar to a human soul, and the oppression angels experience under Heaven's rules of “obey or die.” Right there you get the foundation for Cas's fear of allowing his “humanity” to blossom, and if you let me I'll rant forever about why this alone makes his end in canon the ultimate tragedy. But I won't do that today >.> We also learn a little more about Dean's 40 years in Hell and that he wished he couldn't feel any of that at all-- the worst human emotions. He'd give up the good stuff just to not have to feel all that bad stuff, as Anna tells him even knowing what he experienced and feels right then is worth it to her, that she doesn't want to give up any of it to go back to being an angel who can't really feel any of it... on to the references for this week's episode! The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode but especially these posts: the destiel uh.. the dean/anna sex scene and other callbacks to 4.01 June 2019 rewatch notes on Dean's “weakness” angels and emotions this episode's installment of lizbob's “dean and cas are in love” series and a second “dean and cas are in love” post for this ep Anna, Grace, and Humanity April 2017 rewatch notes that old nugget that “Cas stole Anna's role in the narrative” after this episode... if you read this you must read the whole thing and not cherry pick the bits that confirm your preferred narrative, while remembering that tvtropes and the fandom wikia are not reliable info sources :'D The cut scene of Cas and Uriel talking about their orders that is absolutely essential, likely cut because it gave too much away of the larger plot (1:47 long video) The CW promo for this episode (:20 long) Interviews with Gen & Thunderbird linked on tumblr bc i hit AnchorFM's 4k character lim --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

aka that one where Chuck submitted fic to a bang because he wanted art for it I joke, but... it's kinda like he was trying to fill in those missing months while Dean was in Hell a little bit, and then Anna was forced to beta it, and illustrated a few scenes. Yes, this is a two-parter that ends on a big cliffhanger, and it's not even a midseason finale, let alone a season finale. We go right into the second half next week, and together these episodes give us yet another mirror to how the larger season arc functions. But only in hindsight. Season four, still with the shenanigans! Sure we learn loads about how Ruby inserted herself into Sam's life without learning The Biggest Issue (Sam and his demon blood...), and we learn that Dean knows this Big Bad Demon hassling them and trying to kill Anna, but not the nature of their interactions in Hell. What we do learn in this episode does go miles to give us a larger picture of what happened during those months, knowing what happens by the end of the season, having the full context of what we're clearly still missing as the story unfolds, gives us an entirely different perspective on the underlying drama and the painful twist that still awaits us. Things referenced in this week's episode: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode But especially these posts: one about the persistent yet entirely unfounded rumor that Cas somehow “stole” Anna's role in the show rewatch notes from April 2017 rewatch notes from June 2019 My tags for angel grace discussion: On the nature of angel grace, angels and souls, you learned it from the goats. There's a bit of overlap between them, but there's a lot there despite that. The CW's promo video for the episode An interview with Julie McNiven about playing Anna Casting sides for Anna and Alastair --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

I am so personally partial to episodes wherein Sam and Dean experience maximum wtf, which so often defines Edlund episodes. Especially as the series continues and they have leveled up so much since the early days of “this is so far out of our paygrade” for every little monster they run across. Sometimes knocking them completely off balance is the best way to shake loose important character development. As it is in this episode. Directly to the point today, with the links relevant to this week's episode: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode But especially these posts (since a lot of my tag is funny gif sets and later seasons meta for this one): April 2017 rewatch notes September 2017 rewatch notes that long convo with lizbob i've tacked to the last few podcast posts... still relevant tho... January 2020 rewatch notes (and a quick personal aside to scream internally about how they should've finally received the payoff they deserved at the end of the series, because GAAAHHHHH) The archived interview with Ted Raimi including comments on his appearance in this episode The CW Promo video for this episode Casting sides for Wes and Hope And finally, since I talked about the SPNscripthunt project at the end of this one, you can find everything we're working on right here, and a continuously updated listing of our collection on the Superwiki scripts and sides page! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

What I consider to be the beginning of Castiel's arc toward truly understanding Free Will and eventually accepting it for himself, this episode is packed with things that will become central tenets of the show for the rest of the series. Considering this is Julie Siege's first episode, and she only wrote a total of six episodes over two seasons, her impact on the core of the narrative of the entire series can't really be overstated. Sam battles with his own power, his addiction to it, and can't even see just how much it's already begun to burn him. He also gets to meet angels for the first time, and it really blows the shine off the whole heaven, god, and prayer thing he'd always believed so strongly in before. And that revelation-- that angels are dicks-- doesn't really help Sam with his own internal struggle this season. Poor Sam. Maybe he's just not “sincere” enough in his belief in that Great Pumpkin... Things referenced in this episode: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode But especially these posts: a conversation with lizbob from January 2017 (accidental meta) rewatch notes from April 2017 rambling about Cas and what his confession means to him here a simple observation on a single screencap from my March 2019 rewatch rewatch notes from June 2019 rewatch notes from January 2020 thoughts on Cas's character arc, specifically in relation to Anna's character arc from Lizbob's Dean and Cas are In Love series (there will be a lot of these for the next 4~ seasons!) Casting sides for Tracy, Don, and Uriel (the ones for Uriel are worth the click alone) The extended scene of Uriel and Cas talking about their orders (less than 2 minutes, on youtube) the CW promo for this episode (30 seconds, on youtube) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Where everything is scary. Poor Dean is infected with Ghost Sickness, forced to experience the fear of a murdered man. He's infected not because he's a dick, not because he uses fear as a weapon or scares people because of his job, because Sam does all of that too. He's infected because he's buried a terrible secret about himself-- one that he feels ashamed of. Times like this I'm glad I do an “all spoilers on the table” podcast, because it's what he did in Hell and specifically the fact he's covering it up that made him susceptible to experience the fear of a man who was literally tortured to death and then had his murder covered up by the men who committed or abetted it. It really makes the case in this episode look super on the nose, but only when you finally get the context of Dean's true secrets from Hell. Which don't hit us for a few more episodes yet... There's an awful lot to be said about this one, not least of which is Dean lip synching to Eye of the Tiger as a little bonus at the end of the episode. :'D Things referenced in this episode: The Superwiki page for this episode Casting sides for Luther, Sheriff Britton, and John Garland My tag for this episode, but especially these posts: Queer themes in 4.06 A deconstruction of Dean's fears by amwritingmeta on Dean and Fear Dean's dark secret in case you missed Sam's eye flash at the end of the episode... lizbob notes on 4.05, 4.06, and 4.14 which i'll fling at y'all again probably Kripke's statement on this episode The significance of Eye of the Tiger (and the full length video of it) My notes from a 2019 rewatch And for those who want to have Dean's little speech about how crazy their lives are handy, this kind soul has put it on youtube (it's about a minute and a half) :D --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Aah, I love Ben Edlund. This one feels, in retrospect, like a microcosm view of the Grand Narrative of Supernatural as Chuck's story. I could probably do a thesis paper on this episode, but instead I kept the podcast version under an hour... I mean, the queercoding in this one ALONE, the direct commentary on the Hays Code shoved into every level of the storytelling from the surface “black and white that's all shades of grey” in the most literal sense to Dean's admission that the “simple” film he'd want to live out is Porky's II, there's almost nothing about this one that turns out to be what it appears on the surface. There's a lot of bonus content for this one, too: The Superwiki page for this episode My (remarkably small) tag for this episode But especially these posts: this one about the metanarrative of the series, my watch notes from my post s14 rewatch, this one from lizbob's Dean And Cas Are In Love series, this one about the Dracula references, a chat with lizbob from 2017, my old rewatch notes from April 2017, and a very long series of posts on the queercoding in this one Casting sides for Jamie and Dracula Two 15 second CW Promo videos for this episode that remarkably still work on youtube: here and here. and for the heck of it, have my queercoding tag if you've got a few hours to kill... :'D --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Major important developments, ahoy! Dean discovers what Sam has been up to with Ruby since he was dragged to Hell, and he is not impressed. If it was all so great-- as Sam has desperately tried to convince himself-- then why hide it from Dean? From everyone? Why completely cut even Bobby out of his life completely and lie about Ruby? Sam attempts to justify his choices and actions, but savvy viewers who know how all of this plays out by the end of s4 will be able to see the season-long addiction metaphor Sam is already struggling with. And even we the viewers won't know what's driving Sam back to making that choice again, what's strengthening his powers, for a good long while to come... Also, Dean uses the nickname “Cas” for the first time, and the entire fandom decides it has one s. :'D (and nobody enjoys watching Jack Montgomery eat... ew...) Things referenced in this week's episode: the Superwiki page for this episode my tumblr tag for this episode but especially this post here Casting Sides for Michele, Jack, and Travis --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Or at least, In the Beginning as it stands in canon until we find out about the earliest events in creation... but this is early enough to be getting on with for the current storyline. :'D Sam is barely even in this one, off doing shady shit with Ruby. Dean is told to “stop it,” but not what “it” is. He assumes it's something to do with his parents, something that happened in the past, and runs smack into the knowledge that Mary was raised a hunter and made a deal with the YED that led to all the events in the series to this point... it's a lot, folks... But Dean also learns that as a baby, Azazel dripped demon blood in Sam's mouth, and THIS is the information Cas warns him about when Dean returns to the present. THIS is what Dean must learn-- what on earth Sam is up to with Ruby-- and THIS is what Dean must stop. And if he can't stop Sam, then the angels will... Things that may be of interest: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode but mostly these four posts: https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/173464045535/how-do-you-feel-about-the-idea-that-there-is https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/185613732715/403-in-the-beginning-which-is-actually-either https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/187579858080/in-4x03-when-dean-goes-back-in-time-a-guy-says https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/650814269410213889/they-literally-set-john-up-as-an-asshole-from-the Casting sides for Mary, casting sides for John, and casting sides for Deanna the transcript of the commentary track with Kripke and Carver from the bluray/dvd extras --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support

Aah, and episode where Dean doesn't get any pie, but instead is handed an existential crisis! After wrestling with issues about his belief in angels and then God, he comes to the conclusion that if God is real, then he has to be a jerk, because why would he let all this awful stuff happen to people? And that is a very valid question. Cas talks him through it in a way that provides zero comfort, and pretty much only makes things worse by confirming that the devil is also real and trying to escape. Also, the angels are gonna be relatively useless to Dean in trying to stop the devil from escaping... >.> Meanwhile, they're confronted by literal ghosts from their past driven to torment and kill them in revenge. So, the fun never stops. Things referenced in this week's episode: The Superwiki page for this episode My tag for this episode but especially these posts: this one by norahastuff similar thoughts i had to norahastuff, and a main reason why I personally prefer to understand that Dean remembered Hell explicitly right from the start and lied about it rather than slowly recalling it all over time... some thoughts on Cas more thoughts on Dean and Cas Lizbob thoughts The production draft script for this episode that Chris Gauthier (the actor who plays Ron Resnick) auctioned off to benefit the IRSSS and a link to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society if you'd like to make a donation as well. Along with a reminder that all the scripts and sides and other little bonus things like that are part of the collection put together by the @spnscripthunt​ group. We have pages and scripts from nearly 1/3 of the series, and always welcome donations of a PDF scan of scripts we're still missing. Check out the scripthunt for more info! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/spngeorg/support