TVSquad

(S02E10) Finally! After waiting all summer, and ten episodes into the new season, Supernatural fans get the answer they have all been waiting for. It's not quite a complete answer, but it's enough for now. That five week break between "Croatoan" and "Hunted" was a rough one given the cliff-hanger ending. The writers had one more surprise for us though, as it turns out Dean didn't really have the secret.

When Dean revealed that John had told him he had to save Sam, and that if he couldn't he'd have to kill him, I was left thinking, "And...." There had to be more to it than that. Apparently Dean didn't get the full story, but luckily for us, and I guess for Dean and Sam too, Scott Carey (Richard de Klerk) got the full scoop straight from the demon. As he tells his therapist, "There's a war coming, and people like me, we're gonna be the soldiers."

I am a little disappointed that Scott was killed before we even got to know him. As Sam and Dean continue to build this team of contacts, it couldn't hurt to have an electrically charged pal on the speed dial. Still, as short lived as his stay on Supernatural was, Scott brought some good story to the show, and may have been the conduit to another interesting character. I haven't seen anything that says so, but it seems like we could be seeing Dr. Waxler (Bill Mondy) again. He's creepy, and has some good intel on the special kids. It remains to be seen whether he knows it or not.

Ava Wilson (Katharine Isabelle, pictured) on the other hand, I think we are safe in assuming that she will be back. Hiring Katharine Isabelle was a nice bit of casting. She's only 24, but has quite the TV resume, having appeared in MacGyver, The Net, X-Files, First Wave, John Doe, Smallville, and Stargate, among others. She's probably best known though for her role as Ginger Fitzgerald in the Ginger Snaps movies.

Separating Sam and Dean is always a tricky bit of business, but I thought it worked well here. That was due in large part to the interaction of Sam and Ava. She was cute, and funny, and the two played off of each other well. Her reluctance to accept Dean's story, even though it so mirrored the one she was selling was interesting. "Ya know what, screw you buddy. Because I'm a secretary from Peoria and I'm not part of anything." Sam also had a great line when he explained himself as he was investigating the shooting, "I just watch a lot of T.J. Hooker."

Speaking of the shooting, look who's back. Gordon (Sterling K. Brown), who we last saw in "Bloodlust" returns, but it doesn't seem that any of those lessons the boys tried to teach him sunk in. He is still operating in a very black and white world. I liked everything about his part of the story. From the ambush, to the trap, and especially him getting hauled off so he is on ice, but the chance for him to escape and return is always present. He's just too good a character not to see him again. I am left wondering if he won't finally come around to the Winchester way of thinking when the war starts. Gordon may be misguided, but if he's on your side, you're ahead of the game.

It was nice to see the Roadhouse crew again, although I'm curious about Jo's absence. I'm hoping that was a setup for a future storyline that will bring her back into the fold, and not just a clever way to move her off the show. Ash (Chad Lindberg) was his Ashlike self, which is always a treat, but the good stuff was with Ellen (Samantha Ferris). I like that she brought a conclusion to the drama from earlier episodes regarding what happened with John and her husband. She's right that the boys can't be blamed for that, and everyone needs to move on as there are bigger fish to fry.

Dean had to spend a good chunk of the episode driving around off-screen, but I think what we did get from him points to something important. The old Dean is back. It seems like finally coming clean with Sam and getting everything out in the open has helped him deal with everything that has happened so he can move forward. Both his opening scene, and closing scene with Sam were terrific as well.

The relationship continues to evolve, and it's always fascinating to watch. They fight, and make up, but we know that they are in this thing for the long haul. Sam has now come full circle, moving from someone who was running away from this life to someone who has embraced the fact that this is all happening whether he wants it to or not. While Dean talks about chucking it all and running off to Amsterdam, where the coffee shops don't even serve coffee, it's clear that as long as Sam is involved, Dean will be too. I'm looking forward to seeing how the coming war develops, and getting the rest of the story on Ava. Did the demon turn her evil, or did the demon kill her fiancee and kidnap her? It should be fun.