Are you there God, It’s me, Dean Winchester Review

With the recognition of the mark on the hands of the ghosts, Bobby is able to trace it to a spell bringing the dead back. In this case, coming after the people that couldn’t stop them from being killed.

Bobby and the boys fight off the ghosts long enough to finish the spell and send the spirits back to rest. Bobby realizes the arrival of these spirits is a sign of the coming apocalypse. Something big is on the radar and it has them a little rattled.

A late night talk/dream with the angel Castiel left Dean more confused than ever. He’s grappling with the idea that God not only exists, but he knows and cares that Dean exists. Dean has always felt uncomfortable in the limelight and this light is a little too bright for him.

In this episode, Supernatural has managed to up the ante both in the large scale with the upcoming apocalypse and on the personal – Dean’s faith. Dean has always had a confidence that borders and sometimes crosses into arrogance in his abilities, but his faith in a higher power and even his own self-worth has been weak and questionable. To beat the larger evil, he’s going to have to start believing and that might prove to be the more difficult task.

They’ve also made good use of a fan favorite, Jim Beaver’s Bobby. Bobby is always solid, reliable, the guy you want on your side when hell comes to town and he’s never boring. He also enhances the relationship between the brothers. As an older brother/ wiser character he helps without patronizing and can give a shot of humor in a familiar way.

Micha Collins as Castiel has been a surprisingly good addition to the cast. He manages to bring a world weary feel to the character and keep on the same level as the regulars. He brings a subtly to the role that is enjoyable. He managed to infuse the threat of sending Dean back to hell without coming off as outright menacing or resorting to a bad guy stance. Micha and Jensen played well against each other as their characters started the process of feeling out the boundaries. Dean has to push, always and Micha’s Castiel let him and danced with him rather than fighting it.

Something the show has managed to do, so far this season, which it hasn’t always managed to do, is bring a balance with the addition to the mythology and the overall feel of the show. The ghostly attack, while forwarding the arc of the apocalypse theme, also worked as a stand-alone story. Dean’s exploration of his new destiny didn’t overwhelm the rest of the show. The ghosts came after the other hunters and the 2 leads shared the danger/outcome.

The one big how come I walked away with was the episode title. I would have expected something a little more overt in Dean’s search from the title. It was a little disappointing, but on the other hand, it was great not to have Dean jumping into the role of a holy warrior from the get go.

There is definitely a sense that the show has found it’s balance and is maturing. Hopefully this will continue. I give it a B+.