Have you recovered from that emotional roller coaster? I certainly haven't! Let's relive the pain together.
We'll begin with with the less painful bits?
Not the Winchesters.
Our favorite non-humans (aside from Demon!Dean, who is astually kind of a jerk) aren't having very good weeks. Crowley is getting hell back in order, executing all the traitors who sided with Abaddon last season. Lots of killing of demons and reading charges and being bored for our king. Which, understandably, doesn't sit well with some of the demons. We have one demon set himself on fire rather than live in Crowley's totalitarian hell (that's one way to go out) and then another demon who offers to take Dean's place at Crowley's side. Except THIS guy's gonna be less of an embarassment! Pro tip: Don't insult the King of Hell's ex-boyfriend. He will turn to into smoke and kill you.
Castiel on the other hand continues to ease on down the road towards the Winchesters to help Sam cure Dean. Hannah is still along and trying to talk Cas out of killing himself over this strange mission she just doesn't get. There's a heartfelt moment of gentle hand holding between the two angels that Sam conveniently interupts with a well timed call. Cas explains to him, painfully, that Sam may indeed need to kill his brother if he can't cure him. This is very saddening for everyone.
Not quite as saddening as later down the road when Cas has "the talk" with Hannah. You know, the "emotions are dangerous distractions, nothing can distract you from the mission. The mission being Dean. My boyfriend. Also. I'm just not that into you" talk. Hannah takes this surprisingly well. Perhaps because about five minutes later she's attacked by Adina (remember the rengade angel from episode one of the season?). Weakened Cas, who to this point has refused to kill angels to replenish his grace, tries to help and ends up getting his ass kicked through a glass door.
Thankfully, Hannah is rescued! By...Crowley? Yes! Crowley, having been informed of Castiel's fading grace issues and that he needs to get his 'boy toy' Dean in check, kills Adina, saps her grace, and gives to to Cas, so that Cas can fix Dean. It's an odd move for sure, considering Crowley was just reminded that kiling Cas would be a good thing. But it results in a healed Castiel. So...Win!
The Boys
It's demon curing time in the Men of Letter bunker. Sam, since he can't use his own blood and not die, gets a costco-sized supply of sanctified blood and begins injecting Demon!Dean with it to cure him. Dean is, shall we say, not on board with this. The cure causes him pain and suffering (since that's all being human is, really) so he causes Sam some pain and suffering right back. He reminds Sam of all the bad Dean's done in demon form...but also lays some guilt on Sam for what Sam did to find Dean. Remember the misgynist dickbag Lester from last week? Well, turns out it was Sam that convinced the guy to sell his soul so Sam could trap and torture a demon. Cold, Sammy, real cold.
Dean is pretty darn cold too. Freed of any human contraists he lets loose on Sam for everything he blames him for, tearing down everything the boys have believed in and fought for: family and eachother. It's a brutal scene and gets out a lot of the Winchester baggage that's been festing for years (Dean putting Sam ahead of him at al times, their horrible upringing by John WInchester). It's enough to drive Sam off to linger in Dean's room. All the remnants of Dean's humanity are there: pie, porn and photos of his family. So many feels.
Feels, as Castiel could have told you, Sam, are distracting. Just distracting enough for a slightly less demonic Dean to break free from his bindings. And to go after Sam with a hammer. The game of cat and mouse through the bunker is excellently directed, especially considering it was Jensen Ackles doing the directing this episode. We get a great "Shining" moment when Dean starts hammering his way through a wooden door to kill Sam. It's only thanks to Sam's quick reflexes (or maybe Dean holding back) that Dean avoids turning Sam's head into a Gallagher routine a minute later. Then, Sam has a knife to his borther's throat...will he kill his brother? Of course not, it's only episode three. But his brother will be grabbed in a surprise-magical-angel bear hug from behind and subdued by Cas, thus saving Sam and Dean. It's hot, guys, not gonna lie.
One more shot of blood to Dean, and a tense conversation between Sam and Cas, with Cas commenting how being human means suffering the worst pain possible, and Dean looks up with black eyes...that suddenly clear. A splash of holy water and no smoke, and Dean and the boys realize that he's human again. The immediate guilt on Dean's face is heartbreaking.
We're left with a relieved, but shaken, Sam who leaves Dean and Cas alone, in order to get snacks for his bro. Cas, excellent boyfriend he is, consoles Dean that just because he tried to kill Sam doesn't mean they're done. Dean thanks Cas for intervening and says it's good to have him there and thousands of shippers fall over, whimpering. Unfortunately, Cas does not follow the recommendations of everyone watching and kiss Dean better, but instead tells him to rest up, things are peaceful for once.
Oh, Cas, honey, never, ever say that.
Cue new red headed villainess chilling out in a nice suite somewhere with two bellhops pinned to the ceiling. This is gonna be fun.
Shipping News:
Did I mention Cas saved Dean with the magical angel hug? Or how Cas made it clear to Hannah that his only priority, ahead of his own life and Hannah's feelings, was Dean? Or the way Cas looked at the cured Dean? Or Dean telling Cas he was glad he was here? Yeah it was awesome.
Also, did you notice that Crowley is still pining over getting dumped by Dean. It's pretty pathetic and awesome.
Until next week, honeys, when we get werwolves!
