Pre-strike: In the last episode before the writers’ strike, FBI Agent Henricksen finally captured Sam and Dean, and big bad Lilith was introduced. How convenient, right? A great cliffhanger if I ever saw one. Henricksen was fantastically crotchety to the boys, and eventually died. A group of demons took over the jail in an effort to vanquish the boys. They failed, natch.
Post-strike: Coming back into the show, Lilith’s character was abandoned – at least for a while. But no worries. Two Season 1 characters returned, Ed and Harry. Sam and Dean investigated the haunted Morton Mansion, and – nice wink to reality TV, but potentially polarizing for fans – the boys unwittingly became participants in reality show Ghostfacers. A fight to survive the night ensued, naturally. A strong episode all around, with a lot of funny moments – particularly with Ed and Harry. But just to balance it all, we got to see the grisly killing of Corbett and a tender moment between Ed and Corbett.
Character Development: By the May 2 episode, the boys’ relationship had encountered more tension. At the motel, Sam played the voice of reason and shot down Dean’s hope. And it was a little strange to see Sam and Dean separated to fight their own battles with the demons; Sam was really preparing, as Ruby and Dean talked about earlier.
Cliffhangers/Wrap Up: Ooh, suspense! As Dean said, “I'm staring down the barrel at this thing ... I'm scared Sam.” Time is running out, and something has to be done about the deal, stat. What a great way to lead into the final two episodes of the season, which promises to be huge.
Overall Grade:
