#Sam was soulless so he gets some leniency

[crowley-the-1-true-king-of-hell]

So how I feel about Cas breaking his deal with Crowley?

I feel sympathetic for Crowley. In "TMWKTM" he genuinely looks emotionally hurt that Cas is breaking the deal. Like let's be honest Crowley would always be expecting a possible betrayal, because of the anti demon bias installed in angels and Cas being friends with the boys

I genuinely think Crowley is always emotionally and physically prepared for the possibility of betrayal and had anyone else betrayed him he would have shrugged it off, because he expects it. But when Cas did it, well it hit Crowley differently. It broke through the walls Crowley had up. I don't think Crowley was expecting it to hurt

I totally understand Crowley's pain and he deserves a "that really sucks" and a hug

But I'm not angry at Cas. Cas says "I'm neither stupid or wicked" and it's interesting he said that. It was kind of like Cas was reassuring himself

After the boys interrogate Cas, that causes Cas to feel undeserved shame and guilt. It causes Cas to feel like he is wicked, because he unfortunately sees the Winchesters as the moral arbitrators

He wants the Winchesters to approve of him again. The emotions Cas was going through, like underserved shame, guilt, the fear of not being good and righteous, is why I can feel sympathetic for Crowley without being mad at Cas

The hurt Cas must have been going through also makes me sympathetic to him. He deserves a hug too

Besides it allowed for that hilarious moment where Crowley mimics Cas' voice and says "flee or die" that comedy gold wouldn't have happened without Cas lol 😂

Also it is not a decision Cas made lightly. He was looking at that jar of blood when Cas said thank you, and the look on Cas' face was conflicted. Cas was not 100% okay with going against Crowley, because Crowley helped him when nobody else would. But since Cas' self-esteem is tied to Dean's approval, well yeah sorry Crowley 😭

Even Crowley noticed, because he asked Cas if he was okay. Well okay maybe not in those words, he said "you look even more constipated than usual?" But in Crowley speak that just means he notices Cas is feeling bad and wants to know what's up. That moment was so bitter sweet 😭

[shirtlesssammy]

The Third Man: 6x03 Recap

Then:

Sam’s miraculously out of the pit, I liked Lisa, and Cas is a BAMF

Now:

At the local cop shop locker room, Officer My Face is Sloughing Off is 1000% squicking me out. He quickly dissolves into a pile of goo in front of his fellow officers.

We cut to Dean and Lisa sharing a quiet, intimate moment in the small hours of the morning, only to have a Mack truck startle Dean out of what was actually just a dream. He’s on the road, sleeping in the Impala. This moment makes me wonder. I think it’s generally understood that Dean went to Lisa because he thought that was what Sam wanted of him. Hunting is a part of Dean --but I look at this dream and think that he’s lying to himself if he doesn’t also want ..something more, as Sam asked him in 11x04. This dream is between Dean and the audience. And it’s certainly coming at time when he’s struggling with what he wants/who he is.

Meanwhile:

Shirtless Sammy!

Sam’s so good in bed that the escort he paid to spend the night with (!!) is totes willing to spend time with him off the clock. Sam throws her number away (!!!). He then gets a call from his brother, and Sam informs Dean that he’s caught a case. Dean’s perplexed by Sam’s all-business attitude, but agrees to meet him in Pennsylvania. I just sorta really love Soulless!Sam.

In Speed Trap Dirt Road USA, Officer Lex Luthor enjoys a nice day of not making an effort at ticketing speeding drivers. He does have better things to do since his face is boiling off! These are really great/gross death scenes.

Arriving in Pennsylvania, Dean is preoccupied being a dad and chastising Ben over the phone for lying. Sarcastic!Sammy makes an appearance. I remember watching this the first time thinking Sam is so ooc and an asshole…little did I know. Sam assures Dean that ditching Lisa is “better for everyone” (!!), and the brothers share barbs about their respective cars.

Once inside the morgue, Sam gives Dean the lowdown on Officers Liquid and Boils. They decide to interview Ed Colfax, who witnessed his co-worker’s liquefaction. But first some Rad Racer:

Once at Officer Colfax’s home, Dean compliments the policeman on his snazzy get up --hat and all. Ah Dean, never one to not notice a man in uniform. Something’s off about the man though. He slams the door in Sam and Dean’s faces. Sam does the only logical thing and kicks open the door. I echo Dean’s sentiment with a “Dude!” Once in the house, they notice all the pictures on the wall have their faces scratched out, and Ed sitting at the kitchen table continuing to scratch out more pictures. 

He tells them “Don’t worry about it.” and then scratches at his head. They ask if his fellow officers had any enemies, and Ed admits that they both had it coming --him as well. Then he pours himself a generous cup of whiskey, telling them that God wants them dead because of Christopher Birch. He knocks the whiskey bottle over and can only stare as the golden liquid pours to the floor. 

Sam asks who Christopher Birch is. “Christopher Birch is a kid with no face, and a planted gun,” Ed responds, and then blood begins to trickle down his face. He falls over, dead. Sam removes his hat to reveal a giant hole and locusts crawling in and out of it. A+ death squickiness this episode.

Back at their hotel, the brothers start research on why ancient biblical plagues are terrorizing the people in this town. Sam confirms the Christopher Birch story. Dean is still skeptical that this is heaven’s work. He comes up with the brilliant idea of calling Cas.

Sam insists that Cas isn’t listening. He’s tried many times. Dean still wants to give it a go.

And much to Sam’s chagrin, Cas appears.

**CLASSIC TFW ALERT**

Sam mocks Cas’s greeting. Cas confirms that “Hello” is still the proper greeting. Sam gets indignant that Cas ignored him for so long, and yet Dean calls once and *Poof* he’s here.

Sam: So, what, you -- you like him better or something?

Cas: Dean and I do share a more profound bond.

Cas: (to Dean) I wasn't gonna mention it.

In all that’s been made of this little exchange, it’s not the “profound bond” that gets me --it’s the little aside, just to Dean, when he clarifies that he wasn’t going to bring it up but Sam forced his hand.

Dean chastises Cas a bit for ignoring Sam’s pleas. Cas couldn’t help, after all has has NO CLUE who *cough* he did *cough* brought him back from the cage. Also, Cas came back to check in on the plague situation. And let me pause right here and scream into the void over Edlund’s writing of Cas. I know I’m just one more voice that feels this way, but he does it in such a way to make Cas strong, and awkward, and smart. Over the years, Cas has sometimes wandered into broad naive awkwardness at times, but this whole scene highlights his foreign-ness in a hilarious but believable way.

Cas then tells the boys that heaven isn’t killing these people but one of heaven’s weapons is causing them: the staff of Moses. However, the weapon isn’t at full strength so Cas does a little detective work and rules out Moses as a suspect.

Dean wonders why “Chuck Heston’s disco stick” is Earth-side. Cas informs them that heaven is in chaos, and some weapons were stolen.

Cas asks the brothers for their help in locating this weapon. Sam scoffs at the irony. CHUCK DAMNIT, just help him! Listen to him! Let’s rewrite season 6! (Oh wait, they did with season 12! Ha, Cas STILL DIED. WTF, show? Why must you torture us? Haha, I’m fine, it’s all good. I’m not spiraling into late-season hellatus madness at all.) Needless to say, Cas is done with their crap. For the past “year”, he’s been a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent. More people will die without the Winchester’s intervention.

So, back to the case, the only lead they have is the father of Christopher Birch asking for an investigation into his death.

Cas flaps in with the Winchesters to investigate Darrell Birch, the father of the person the cops framed. They land right in the guy’s living room. Sam bridges Darrell’s what-the-fuck gap by immediately flashing his FBI badge.

They immediately try to shake the truth from their purported perp.

Cas: You smote them with the Staff of Moses.

Darrell: What kind of Fed are you?

Cas: Real “Fed” up with your runaround.

Aaron, Darrell’s son, comes in pointing a segment of the Staff of Moses at the three. Cas flaps over and takes the staff from the boy. Aaron pleads for leniency - he was the one who brought destruction on the cops who killed his brother. They ask him where he got the weapon.

He prayed for help and an angel gave it to him, but never told him his name. Dean has a hard time believing that it was just a benevolent gift and he looms over Aaron, insisting on the truth. It turns out that Aaron bought a section of the Staff of Moses in exchange for his soul. Cas zonks Aaron out and flaps everyone back to the hotel room before you can say, “He really puts the ass in Cas.”

“Cas, you realize you just kidnapped a kid,” Dean points out, supremely weirded out. Cas explains that he wants to see the brand on the kid’s soul - that’ll tell him who bought it. Cas begins rolling up his sleeves so he can stick his arm into Aaron and get a read on his soul. It’ll be excruciatingly painful for Aaron, but productive. Sam’s on board with this plan and Dean is HORRIFIED. (Oh, Dean Bean.)

While Aaron gets tortured by Cas’s inquisition, Dean spares a glance at his stone cold brother. His spider sense is tingling… (Boris interjects: I think this whole scene is a great example of how casual viewers watch the show vs. fans that really take the time to analyze things. I was 100% casual the first viewing and I was eye-rolling through the whole season. Sam was such a jerk! Cas didn't care about humans? But this scene is just screaming at the audience that there's something amiss with both of them!)

Cas identifies the soul purchaser as Balthazar, just in time for one of Raphael’s loyal angels to spring in and attack. Cas and the other angel fight, eventually falling from the window and smashing into Sam’s car below.

“Okay, silver lining,” Dean remarks upon seeing Sam’s squished car. Cas flaps back upstairs and starts puttering around the kitchen. The Winchesters want to know NOW what the hell was going on with that angel attack. It turns out that Raphael wants to run Heaven and if he wins, the apocalypse restarts. So, it’s civil war up in Heaven. No wonder Cas is cranky.

Cas starts outlining a spell in chalk on a tabletop. He confesses that he didn’t talk to Dean and Sam because he was ashamed of the state of affairs up in Heaven. The spell activates and tracks Balthazar. Cas immediately flaps them to Balthazar’s little hidey hole: a giant, opulent mansion.

Cas infiltrates the mansion and tracks Balthazar to a swinging, disco-lit room. The doors slam shut behind him. Balthazar swans in, a drink held in his hand. He’s already fought off the other angel who had attacked Cas earlier and has clearly used the Staff of Moses on him. A frog emerges from the angel’s lips.

Balthazar: You know, the old frog in the throat. Castiel: Even I know that that's a bad joke.

(Me: Sasstiel… <3 )

Cas tells him that he mourned his death and then tries to get to the bottom of what Balthazar is up to down on Earth. Cas tells him that he’s an honorable soldier. He’s not a thief. But Balthazar contests that he stole Heaven’s weapon stash because he could. Free will!

“You're the one who made it possible,” Balthazar tells him. “The footsteps I'm following -- they're yours. What you did, stopping the big plan, the prize fight? You did more than rebel. You tore up the whole script and burned the pages for all of us. It's a new era. No rules, no destiny. Just utter and complete freedom.”

Cas disapproves. MEGA strongly. He begs Balthazar for the weapons. Only with those will he beat Raphael and his minions. Balthazar assures him that even if they manage to defeat Raphael, Cas won’t be able to put a stop to the angelic infighting.

Thunder rumbles...Raphael’s arrived.

Balthazar flaps out, leaving Cas alone in the house. Sam and Dean attract two minions and use an angel-banishing sigil to zap them away. Cas kills one other, then Raphael takes hold and starts kicking the crap out of Cas.

Things are looking bad for the Rebel Alliance when Balthazar sashays back in. He holds out a chunk of rock and turns Raphael’s vessel into rock salt. He’s about to peace out again when Dean lights a circle of holy fire around him. Dean demands that Balthazar free Aaron’s soul and under some duress (and some hard core looks from Cas - see Exhibit A below) he releases his debt.

Exhibit A

Souls are extremely valuable and furthermore, they imbue their possessors with immense power. Dean wants to keep grilling Balthazar but Cas puts the fire out, thus clearing his debt to his old friend. Balthazar flaps out, and Cas follows quickly thereafter, leaving Dean and Sam alone.

Sam and Dean pack up the trunk of the Impala (now that Sam’s car is totaled he’s back to riding with Dean). Dean asks if Sam’s feeling okay but Sam protests that he’s totally fine. Sam insists that he’s just rough around the edges but Dean’s not so sure. Sam was in Hell and Hell is...Hell. Sam floats the idea that Hell was torture for Dean, but Sam’s made of stronger stuff. (Me: wraps Dean in a soft, woolen blanket.) The episode closes with the brothers hopping in the car together, Dean intensely uncomfortable and suspicious.

The Last Time Someone Quoted at Me Like This, I Got Laid:

Who died and made you boss?

Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray to Castiel to get his feathery ass down here.

“It’s nice to know what matters.” “It does help one to focus.”

I think we can rule Moses out as a suspect.

Friggin’ angels.

I was expecting more Doctor No, less Liberachi.

You might as well blow coke and jump on the bed.