So, pitstop at Mount Doom?

[gwaevalarin]

I'm not completely happy with this episode. Something about it just felt a little constructed to me. But it still had some great themes and moments that are worth thinking about.

• Castiel's theorie about God being the only one who can stop Lucifer aside from Michael and about how it's strategic to go looking for him makes a lot of sense. If you believe that God exists and does give a crap that is. And it obviously hurts Cas that Dean makes fun of his faith. Because in a way Cas fell because he's the most devoted and faithful angel heaven has. And his faith is basically all he has left now that he feels that the Winchester brothers have failed and Dean has let him down. I've lost everything. For nothing.
  
• The amulet, Dean's amulet is the key to Castiel's new mission? Seriously?
  First I hated the thought that Dean has to give the amulet away with everything that's going on between him and Sam right now. But then I loved the scene for two reasons: 1) He doesn't want to give it away. Which just proves how much it - and what it represents - still means to Dean. He feels naked without it. Without his brother's trust. And 2) even though he hesitates, he does hand it to Castiel. Because he trusts Cas enough to give it into his care.
  
• It's so good to see Ellen. Being a hunter has hardened her but she's still something like a surrogate mother for the boys. So how dare they keep her in the dark about their well being.
  
• The atmosphere in the town reminded me a lot of "Croatoan". This little group of survivors in a cursed, almost empty town felt like a brewing war back then and even more now. Not surprising as "War" was the episode's bad guy. When are we going to meet the other three?
  
• Dean still has the instinct to rush in without thinking to rescue Sam but he's teaching himself to surpress it now and go for the rational thing to do. Which, as messed up as things sometimes were, makes me sad.
  
• And in the end the brothers go seperate ways. Because Sam doesn't trust himself. Because Dean is to busy worrying about his brother with Sam around. And mostly, because they can't look into each others eyes any more. And now, Sam still won't trust himself an Dean will worry about Sam even more now that he's not around. I hope it won't take them long to figure out that this cannot be the answer. But you know, maybe it's a good thing they split up for a while. Maybe that'll make them realise how much they still rely on each other.