TVSquad

(S03E10) Ya know, it's times like this when I miss the old TV Squad episode rating system, because here is one that I could have given the coveted 7 out of 7 to. The Supernatural team delivered on all counts this week. There was the usual humor, with some terrific one liners (Brad Pitt?), a good bit of the creepy, a big step for Dean's ongoing story, all the Bobby you could ask for, and one more reason to be really frickin' annoyed with Bela. Really, what more could you want out of your Thursday night? We don't need no stinkin' ghostbusters with jacked up vacuum cleaners.

Gallery: Supernatural

It was good to see Bobby again. And really, just an appearance to help the boys with a case would have been plenty, but we got so much more. Our old pal got some serious focus this week, and we even got a nice little bit of his history. The revelation that he came to the hunting game after he was forced to kill his wife, who had been possessed, came as a bit of a shock. On the second pass though, it really fits very well. As the sure and steady mentor that dispenses sage advice, it isn't something that really leaps to the forefront as a possibility. But given what we know about how others have been brought to hunting, it's not an occupation one pursues for kicks and giggles.

The African dream root angle worked out great. The obvious allusion is to Nightmare on Elm Street, as evidenced by Sam's description that "with enough practice, you can become a regular Freddy Krueger." That's ok though, because while the gambit is familiar, it lends itself to what the show does particularly well. The dreamscapes were creepy and unsettling. They also featured some really nice effects to differentiate the two worlds. I especially liked the details of how Bobby remembers his past. His house, but with a much more Cleaverian bent. We even got a peak at his car outside, in mint condition.

Of course, the biggest part of the dreams was Dean's showdown with himself. It was a very cool scene because it brought out so many of the things that we've seen hinted at before. For me, it called to mind "What Is And What Should Never Be." There is this part of Dean that would like nothing more than to just be a regular guy, going about his regular life. It's just not in the cards for him. The vision of Lisa (Cindy Sampson) waiting for him with a picnic planned lacked some of the drama that having his mother return for "What Is..." had, but the sentiment is the same. And as more time has passed, his reaction to it has grown as well. Ultimately, a good thing, as it finally pushed him over the edge where the deal is concerned and it looks like he is now on the same page as Sam. That's good for everybody. It's Dean's best chance at beating the deal, and our best chance at some fantastic episodes as season three continues.

As great as the episode was, I think Jeremy (G. Michael Gray) is left somewhere in the middle of the pack if we are listing off favorite Supernatural baddies. The fact that he spent a good deal of his time as the anti-Dean, combined with his lack of demon/creature-ness, and the effects wonderment that comes with either of those, is kind of holding him back. That's part of the beauty of Supernatural. It's always about the boys and the foes are just furthering that story. I did appreciate that they took the time to tie-in his involvement to Charco-Wilbrand Syndrome. That's a nice detail.

And then there's Bela (Lauren Cohan). Just in case anyone was still on the fence about her, now she's gone and stolen the Colt. She was probably cutting a deal for it in her annoying accent before the boys even noticed it was missing. One can only hope that since Ruby has some investment in the Colt now, just maybe she'll stop by and have a few words with Bela. I still think that eventually the tide is going to turn in that relationship and she will be helping the boys for the right reasons, not just the selfish ones.

Whether or not that has anything to do with Sam's new found crush will have to remain to be seen. I don't know if that little dream was foreshadowing events to come or not, but either way, it did set up a great exchange between Sam and Dean. Flustered Sam is always funny, and Dean's Brad Pitt line was hilarious.

The part of the episode that through me threw me a bit was the end when Bela was missing. For a moment I thought Bobby and the boys had been completely hoodwinked and were still in a dream state. It left me frantically checking my mental time line to figure out when Bela could have tricked them all. Fortunately it wasn't so complicated, because there was going to be math and stuff, and it was far too late to be breaking out the slide rule.

At the end of the day, another great episode that leaves us all set for the boys to finally work together on beating the deal. What part Ruby, Bela, and Bobby all play in that story remains to be seen, but I expect all of them to have a role. Next week, a very Supernatural ground hog day, with less yuks, and more Dean getting knocked about. It should be fun.