Let’s talk about Amelia.
All of Sam’s flashbacks still feel like I’m watching a completely different show void of ghosts, goblins, and monsters galore. If I wanted to tune in to a sappy romance about the struggles of two vagabonds who find solace in each other’s embraces, I would love to watch these flashbacks, but that’s not the reason I tune in. I have been very vocal about my disdain for Amelia’s character mostly due to the uselessness of her. At this point, she better be revealed to be Lilith or something or I want my precious time back from seeing her week after week.
With that said, I actually didn’t mind too much this episode. Mostly due to the fact that they moved at an incredibly fast pace instead of having to see the torture of Sam and Amelia deciding to live together or professing their love for each other. On top of that, the whole father appearing thing and the reveal that her husband is actually alive felt like it was taken straight out of a cuckoo soap opera with very convenient surprises at every turn because like the sands of an hour glass, so are the days of Sam and Amelia’s lives. But I didn’t mind it. Shocking right?
What worked the most this episode was of course Castiel. Much like the episode two weeks ago, it felt very familiar that Castiel was traveling alongside Sam and Dean like nothing had happened. I love how seamless they made the transition even though Castiel really hadn’t been much of an ally for the past two seasons. I know they keep reflecting on what happened in Purgatory, but with Castiel finally back to normal, everything just seems so….right.
Castiel’s decision to stay with Fred at the end was smart on the show’s part. As much as I love to see him around, having an angel be your hunter sidekick would make for very short episodes if they were to run into your run of the mill monster. Dealing with a reality warping psychic on the other hand was more of a challenge for the Winchesters, which really couldn’t have been solved without Castiel’s help. Just in this episode alone, we see him teleport, read signals, heal, and infiltrate someone’s mind. As much ass as I would love to see Castiel kick, it wouldn’t be very rewarding in the end and the Winchesters would be useless.
I’m also really liking this Naomi. She didn’t reveal anything else, but she has that appeal that most angels do on this show.
With a stellar episode, next week’s mid-season finale has a lot to prove. Being a Benny-centric episode, I hope they do his character justice unlike last time.