Quick Reaction: 8x13 Everybody Hates Hitler

[hells_half_acre]

Hello!

Another Ben Edlund episode: Yay! Featuring Judaism: Double Yay! With Sam looking adorable in a sweater: Triple Yay! And... okay, why don't I just talk about the whole episode....

So, we begin in Belarus in 1944, where nothing good was happening. Trust me. I'm an historian.

I was ready to cringe at the German, but I think they actually did a pretty good job. They didn't over enunciate until they were using the radio. A lot of times in movies, the German isn't believable because everyone is speaking it really really clearly...when, you know, normal Germans don't speak that clearly. Also, they were actually saying what the subtitles were saying, which is more than I can say for some scenes in Die Hard 3.

When suddenly a Golem attacks!! You know, just as an aside here - I'm really jazzed they did this flashback to WWII, because, being the history geek that I am, I really wondered how the Supernatural fit into large historic events in the Supernatural Universe... I know these things take place on the fringes of society and unnoticed to most of the populace, but still, it was an interest of mine. So it was cool to see a Golem in the context of the Holocaust. 

Meanwhile, in present day... Kansas? Lebanon Kansas...oh hey, that's where Larry lived last week. That's cool. Anyway... Sam and Dean find the Men of Letters bunker, and it seems to be in the basement of a dam? Are there even any dam-able rivers in Kansas? (I originally wrote "damnable"...I'm sure there are damnable rivers in Kansas.) Anyway, it's a really cool building. What's even cooler about it is that the architecture is 1920s-1930s, which is in keeping with the time frame for the Men of Letters, and also fits into the historical-type of episode.

There's no garage for the Impala, but they do find the equivalent of a "bat-cave" as Dean says. And we get Sam saying "son of a bitch" for once, which I loved. Also, I love the fact that the Winchester's bat-cave isn't a cave full of gizmos and weaponry, but KNOWLEDGE. Be still my heart.... but knowledge really is the best weapon!

Sadly, elsewhere, there's a man trying to find a particular book, and he does! But that means that he DIES... killed by a seemingly invisible Nazi necromancer. Who wasn't really invisible, it just seemed like no one in the bar could see him.

Back at the Bat Cave... (Winchester Lair? We gotta name this thing people! Sam'n'Dean Den? ETA: The BROMANCE BUNKER! - I'm quite proud of that one, in related news it is now 2am and I should be asleep)... Sam is geeking out over books, Dean is walking around freshly showered in a "dead guy robe"... and telling Sam not to geek out... even while he finds a sword and geeks out. I love this whole sequence, also, Dean looked adorably short in that long robe (long robes will do that to you...also so will standing next to Sam).

Also, I loved the playing of old records! I really love old vinyl, there's a quality to the sound that you just don't get with modern mediums... it's richer somehow, even though it's also scratchy. It's hard to explain, but I loved it.

And then Dean takes off for two weeks (two weeks? one week?... sorry, I timeline on the weekends and I usually try to put it out of my head when I watch. Speaking of: Not new plaid shirts. That plaid shirt of Dean's, unless I'm mistaken, was introduced last season.) And this is another benefit of a homebase - the brothers can spend a little time apart if they need to. I think this will do wonders for their relationship - I mean, no matter who it is and how much you love them, you get kind of sick of someone when you spend 24/365 with them.

 So, Dean takes off and checks in with Kevin. Sam reads books. No one hears from Cas, but at least they MENTION that they haven't heard from Cas, and not only that but he's not answering Dean - and they do so with a subtext of helpless worry. THANK YOU! That was all that was missing from last week's episode (and the week before too.)

But, Sam found a case!! There's another secret organization called the... oh shoot. The Judaic Initiative? Man, I'm so bad with names. Anyway, their last member was killed last week! Oh no! It was old guy! It's off to investigate, even though Dean just got home!

And Dean drops Sam off while he's wearing an ADORABLE SWEATER! And has patches on the elbows of his tweed jacket! And...I was very attracted to him. Meanwhile, Dean goes to interview the people at the bar... and there's a guy making eyes at him!

The scene when Aaron flirts with Dean was awesome. I loved how flustered Dean got... I loved the line where Dean said, "this is a federal investigation!" and Aaron just said "and that's supposed to make you less interesting?" Hahaha, love it so hard. Both actors played that scene brilliantly. I had a feeling that Aaron was just using the flirting to throw Dean off - mainly because it was a brilliant strategy!

And then I loved how when Sam said he was being followed, Dean had that line "I thought i was being followed too, but it turned out to be a gay thing." Hahaha, oh Dean. I love you... also, I totally still believe you are bisexual.

So, they set up a sting to catch whoever is following Sam - and it turns out to be the Golem - who throws Dean into a car....ouch. And Aaron, who thankfully calls off the Golem before it kills Sam.

We find out that Aaron is the last of the JI organization, and just like Sam and Dean and the MoL, he had no idea about it until his grandfather passed away. And he doesn't actually know how to use the Golem, and the Golem is NOT IMPRESSED. He's also MASSIVE and oh man, it's so weird to see someone who makes Jared look small. The guy playing the Golem was really good too. I loved his voice. I wonder if they digitally altered it or if it really is that low and gravely... I wouldn't be surprised. It was hard to hear him on a couple of words (my hearings not the best sometimes) but I thought that just added to the effect.

Anyway, nazi necromancers! I guess it's the Golem that tells them? I loved the fact that the Golem wasn't just animated emotionless clay... I love that he was animated clay that FELT things... like he got genuinely angry, and the Holocaust was legitimately upsetting to him and a bad memory, and you could SEE that when he spoke about it. It would have been easy just to make him an emotionaless lump, but he's such a better character when he's three dimensional... especially because you start liking him and when Sam and Dean worry about having to take him down eventually, you're reaction is "NOOOOoooooooooooooo" (or at least mine was.) But we'll get to that.

First, TO THE LIBRARY! (A:TLA fans? Y/Y?)

Now, I don't know about you, but I have never been more turned on then when Sam knew what a book was about by it's library call number. Hahaha. Seriously... I mean, when I was in university, I basically had the history section memorized, but I have no idea why Sam would know the zoology books... yet, I don't care.

I just love the fact that this episode gave us SO MUCH Student!Sam, and I thought you can actually see how happy Sam is in that element - which is something we were always told, but didn't really ever get to see first hand. I think Dean could see it too - but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I love when they break into the library and Aaron comments on how they "just break into any place they want to go" and Dean answers with "our father wanted to give us a solid career to fall back on in case the Hunting thing didn't pan out." - GOLD. I now want professional-thieves AUs please!

(I should say that the majority of this episode takes place at UBC, for those location hunters around you. I'm not sure exactly sure which library though.) 

Sam runs up to get the ledger, and um, Sam, it's been 10 years - you'd think you'd learn not to run off alone. Anyway... NAZI attacks! WITH A BLOW DART! It's very James Bond...only this is a NECROMANCER blow-dart! Oh noes! Sam manages to run down the stairs before collapsing though, and then Aaron also gets a hit in the chest by the blow dart... so Dean sends the Golem after the Nazi.. and he kicks ass. I kind of liked how he dragged the body to right in front of Dean before snapping his neck. It was very "I have done what you commanded and here is proof."

Then it's burn the body time! I LOVED the conversation that Aaron and the Golem had while they watched Dean and Sam bury the body. I loved Aaron's "they're psychos!" realization as he watched the routine way they went about salting and burning the corpse. And I love love LOVE how Sam reached out and warmed his hands over the burning body. Oh Sammy, you were just stealing my heart left right and centre this episode.

So, turns out these Nazi dudes actually are nazi necromancer dudes (Brotherhood of Thule? Thule Society? Seriously...horrible with names) who figured out the secret to eternal life. You can kill them with a headshot and then burning the body within 12 hours though, so glasses-dude isn't coming back.

Wait, I just realized something... can Sam read German?! I mean, he figured out what the ledger said... though, I guess he mainly did that off a list of names, and I suppose he could have used google-translate. I do not need more reasons to love Sam in this episode, so that's okay. 

And then the Nazis attack! 

And the Thule guys know more about the Golem than Aaron, because they apparently didn't smoke the pages of their manual. (BTW: I actually really like that Aaron is a non-practicing Jew with a less than responsible past.) Turns out, you have to write your name on the scroll that the Golem keeps in his mouth in order to take control of him. 

Sam and Dean are down, but guns are within ALMOST reach...and the nazis like to monologue! Yay! I loved the fact that they brought back Dean and Aaron making eyes at each other, as Dean tries to tell Aaron that he and Sam need a diversion.

And it works! 

They kill all the Thule, or, well, all the Thule in Aaron's living room...and then Aaron decides that he's going to step up to the plate and take over the work of the JI. And he obviously remembers enough Hebrew to write his name (I'm sure that's a pretty easy thing to remember from Hebrew school), and he takes control of the Golem... effectively taking over the family business, just like Sam and Dean have done, and will do, with the Men of Letters.

And the final scene, we get Sam writing up index cards for the books that he's adding to the bat-cave library... and Dean is happy that Sam has found a part of hunting that he can thrive and be happy in. Yay! Also, is that a huge telescope?

Good episode all around! So, let me know what I missed (I'm probably missing a ton of good lines, but it's nearly 1am) or what you want to talk about in comments!! :)

Comments

[ramblin_rosie]

What DID bug me about the German was the fact that they were using "du" and "ihr"--that situation would clearly have called for "Sie." I could excuse it from the Kommandant, but not from the troops. [/pedant]
Also, needed MOAR HAL LINDEN! My gracious, he was good! Seems a shame to have gotten so little of him.
Those nitpicks aside, it was great! Third really good ep in a row! And I find it interesting that the golem turned out to be one of the good guys all the way through, even though he broke things when frustrated and attacked the boys when he didn't know which side they were on. So often fic portrays golems gone berserk that the boys have to kill; it was a nice change of pace for the golem to be loyal to the right side. (Great actor, too--reminds me a little of Richard Kiel.)
And again with the "no more running"/"step up and take charge" theme. Verrry curious to see where all this is leading.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Oh man, yeah, the "du/Sie" thing always trips me up too, so I don't notice when other people get it wrong - but you're right, of course. So, not perfect, but, like I said, better than other German I've seen in American shows/movies. :P

And yes! Completely agree about how nice it was to have a nice Golem - frustration destruction aside. And the fact that he was following Aaron's commands even though he wasn't technically under his control... I think that said a lot about the fact that the Golem wants to do GOOD and CARES. I loved it.

I'm very curious as to where this is all heading too! This season is very interesting! :)

[liliaeth]

I know, I was really worried in that scene where the Nazi commander had the scroll, that he was going to put his name on it and send the golem after Aaron and the Winchesters. And extremely happy when that didn't happen.

[ramblin_rosie]

Yes, it was pretty good, all things considered, and the accents weren't cringe-worthy fake, either. (Worst example I can think of from an American movie: Raymond Massey!) Like I said, that was a nitpick. :)

[ashkiryn.livejournal.com]

Oh man, this episode was awesome. And my mantra throughout: God bless the Winchesters.

No, seriously, BLESS THEM FOREVER.

Like, I was SCREAMING at Sam when he went off to fetch the book alone, and then he got hit by that blow dart, and I was like, "NOOOOO, YOU IDIOT, NOW YOU'RE GONNA BE CAPTURED!!! D:" But then Sam's all, "NOPE!" and kicks a library cart into the Nazi Zombie, and YES, GOD BLESS YOU FOREVER, DARLING!!!

And then when we learned later that you had to burn those Nazi Zombies within 12 hours or they reanimate? My thought: "God fucking bless the Winchesters and their paranoia." They didn't even need THAT advice.

BLESS. THEM. FOR-EV-ER.

Also, my favorite scene was Aaron and the Golem's conversation by the car, and Aaron's realization of Sam and Dean being psychopaths as they burned a corpse that tryed to kill them like it ain't no thing, and Sam warming his hands over this fire. Also note that Sam was poisoned for longer than Aaron, who was presumably out for far longer than Sam, who instead of resting, was helping dig a grave. ANYWAY, I HAVE SO MISSED OUTSIDER POV ON THE WINCHESTERS, SO THAT WAS GOLDEN!!

As was Dean being flustered by the "gay thing". And his love affair with the Bat Cave's showers, and telling Sam not to geek out whilst geeking out himself. I love him forever.

Just...WINCHESTER LOVE ALL OVER THE PLACE IN THIS EPISODE, OKAY?

And the GOLEM!!!!!!! Oh man, I agree so hard, I loved him so much. And I hope that he and Aaron can come back again, and I loved seeing their trials and tribulations as they tried to adjust to each other---Aaron to this thing that his supposedly whacked-out dead grandfather left him, and the Golem to this COMPLETELY uninitiated person who doesn't know anything about anything (which I imagine is something that it's never encountered before, in its existence).

And tying into my love of the Golem, I just love seeing the Supernatural universe expanded, you know? And in this season, first with the Men of Letters (still sexist :/) and now with the JI and the Thule---show me more! And show me how this ties in with everything else!

Also, THANK YOU JESUS, FINALLY A CAS MENTION!!!! See, that wasn't so hard, now was it, SPN? That was perfectly fine to help tide us over until, apparently from what I've heard, 8.17. We just like to make sure you're keeping up with the continuity, is all.

And you're missing the "EVERYBODY EATS BACON!" line. ;) Probably my favorite exchange between Aaron and the Golem, because AMEN TO THAT ONE. I seriously hope they come back. After all, this can't be the last that we see of the Thule.

Also, DOUBLE HEADSHOT FOR THE MAIN NAZI ZOMBIE!!! I said it a million times during this episode, but GOD BLESS THE WINCHESTERS.

Oh, and YAY FOR KEVIN AND GARTH MENTIONS AS WELL.

*am keeping my fingers crossed that Dean and Sam are actually establishing some new friends*

Also, I just remembered and had this thought, but where is Jody Mills??? I miss her. :( Sam, you didn't have to be truly alone! YOU STILL HAD JODY, AND NOW I DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS, AND I'M WORRIED!!!!

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Yes! I agree! I LOVE when the Winchesters are actually as bad ass and competent as the Winchesters should be! Even when they don't know they're doing the right thing, they're instincts are still spot on! Yay!

I LOVE Outsider POV, and so yes, I absolutely adored that seen where Aaron is watching Sam warm his hands over the dead guy...brilliantly done!

They've done a marvelous job of expanding the universe. I'm amazed. And I REALLY hope they keep some of these friends!! It'd be really nice for Sam and Dean to have friends again... and not just Cas, since he's basically family at the moment.

And yes, VERY thankful for the Cas mention.

Everybody eats bacon! YES! I love that line too!! I don't even eat meat at home anymore, but if I'm ever at a restaurant for breakfast, I'm ordering the bacon! ;)

Jody is still Sheriff-ing up in South Dakota, I guess. But yeah, it would be nice to see her again. Her and Sam had a great episode together back in S7 and it would have been nice to see Sam leaning on her a bit while Dean was away...but alas, Show went in a different direction. On the one hand, I've love to see Jody again, on the other hand the less she's around the Winchesters, the less likely she is to die... though, it looks like they're expanding the universe this year rather than killing it like last year (having said that, we mustn't forget the lesson of poor Samandriel, who I also wanted to stick around.)

[ashkiryn.livejournal.com]

Oh, and by the way----I'm pretty sure that Dean was gone for two weeks. :)

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I thought it was, but then I second guessed myself. Anyway, I usually spend an hour to rewatch and timeline on the weekend. :)

[etoile444.livejournal.com]

Sam and Dean are finally fully adults living on their own resources and building a new network. I really saw in this episode that they were in charge and filled with knowledge and skill. I loved that Aaron worked well with them and really also assumed his adult role as a legacy. So perhaps he will be an ally to the Winchesters.

The whole episode was fantastic. My only concern was that the repository, and yes that was my first thought when it was described, was not hidden enough nor protected enough. That place should be fully warded, but also deep underground with something unnoticable on top. 60 years and they are lucky it wasn't torn down to build condos or something.

I thought the golem would be the bad guy. I always wanted a golem episode, they're pretty scary, but this golem was really awesome. In fact they all were! Sam found his place as a MoL, Dean geeked out, flirted, and kicked ass, all while accepting who he is. Loved our little bit of Hal Linden who played the misunderstood old man. Loved his yiddish insult to the librarian. I recognized toukis ( I don't know how to spell it). So did Sam know German or use Google? :)

Show is so back on track! Love it.

[liliaeth]

I'm pretty sure that Sam was using a google translater while going over the ledger.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

My only concern was that the repository, and yes that was my first thought when it was described, was not hidden enough nor protected enough. That place should be fully warded, but also deep underground with something unnoticable on top. 60 years and they are lucky it wasn't torn down to build condos or something.

I figure they were just in the middle of nowhere - it's amazing how long things can stay standing in the middle of nowhere... Now, I know the US doesn't have as many vast tracts of "nowhere" as Canada has, but I figure it was something close to that. I mean, it said "Lebanon Kansas" but that might have just been the nearest town...similar to Rufus' cabin in Montana, which is close to, but not in Whitefish.

Loved our little bit of Hal Linden who played the misunderstood old man. Loved his yiddish insult to the librarian. I recognized toukis ( I don't know how to spell it).

I understood a little more than that, but only because yiddish is similar to German. :P But yes, Hal Linden was great!

Loved this episode. I think it's like you said - this season Sam and Dean are finally adults. I loved Bobby, but I think it's an important part of the heroes journey that you have to come to a point where you don't have a sage father/guru to turn to when things get tough... as long as they had that parental figure, they could avoid being fully adults.

[cookiemom6067.livejournal.com]

Tiny towns in Kansas don't generally have enough demand for housing that things are b being torn down to build more.

[etoile444.livejournal.com]

It's probably my NY perspective, but even in rural areas people seek solutions to abandoned buildings, especially factories due to their hazards. All that aside, I do Hope they find or make the Impala a garage! :)

[dairygirl.livejournal.com]

I am with you about happy Sam in the Men of Letters library. It was an awesome bunker and I hope we get to see more of the place in more than a couple episodes. I totally got a chuckle out of Sam warming his hands over the salted and burning corpse. I just going to keep agreeing with you: Liked the Golem as well. Not just a vague man-shaped bit of clay (although when the Nazi Necromancer found clay in the library, he knew how his fellow Thule died) but a real, interactive fellow. Plus, the "how many actors can you find that are larger than both Sam and Dean" must be a small list and this guy playing the Golem was just overwhelming. Overall, I liked the episode and want to really like this season but still wondering how everything will pan on.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree with everything. They really lucked out that the actor who played the Golem was available - he was just so good!

I'm really interested to see how everything with pan out too - I really like how they've expanded the mythology. Now I just hope that they do something awesome with it. :)

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

Sam was using Google translate when he was reading the ledger--I recognized it on his computer screen :)

I want someone to ask Jared at the next con how it felt to be the short one! :)

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I am not surprised Sam was uing google translate. :P It'd be a pretty big thing to have Sam suddenly know German.

Well, Jared IS shorter than his older brother - but not by THAT much! I bet it had to be pretty trippy for him.

[jeymien.livejournal.com]

Yes, I loved this episode too!

When Aaron was flirting with Dean, and Dean was flustered, I also got the impression Dean was flattered too. It's not that often that a guy comes on to him after all :) - My husband agreed with me on that too.

My husband and I both loved the golem :) He was all, the golem is Jewish! What the heck! And I reminded him that is it a religious servant that serves a rabbi, of course it's Jewish.

Also, Sam gave me all the feels. He is so in his element. He was meant to be Scholar!Sam. Man of Letters... Dean is more action guy, but man.. Sam. Oh Sam.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I think Dean was flattered too. I think he was a little disappointed that it turned out to be a trick, because that meant that Aaron didn't actually find him goodlooking/interesting.

Hahaha, yeah, the golem by definition is Jewish. ;)

I usually like the fact that both boys are a nice mix of brains and brawn - but it's true that the brains part always brought Sam far more joy than it brought Dean. I guess it's the difference between "academic" and "applied" smarts. Sam's the academic (intelligence for intelligence sake), whereas Dean is more about the actual applications of his intelligence.

[jeymien.livejournal.com]

I agree on all points. Dean was very, wait a sec, what, you aren't interested in me? Why not? acting.
And yes, they are a good mix, just definitely different sort of academics. Sam likes theory and research, Dean likes practical. I mean, both of them enjoy the practical application, but Sam's always been the study type, after all, he wanted to go to university etc. Dean's totally the community college - apprenticeship get yourself a practical education type (like when he was a mechanic in What is and What Should Never Be). :) He's obviously a genius with mechanics, look at how often he rebuilds the Impala. :)

[redrikki.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this episode, but there was one thing that threw me right away. The archives box. I work in a museum archives and no one would use a box like that. Everything else was pure gold. I loved all the Sam and Dean stuff, but also that Aaron wasn't some Jew cliche but instead he ate bacon, worked on the sabboth and smoked dope. Awesome.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to remember if I ever saw a box like that in the library archives - but I mostly worked with microfilm. But, that being said, I don't doubt you are right!

I loved the fact that Aaron wasn't a cliche. Man, Ben Edlund is great, because this episode could have been a farce of stereotypes - I mean, you're dealing with Jews and Nazis, but instead everyone was well rounded and believable (well, the Nazis were still a little one-dimensional, but that was okay by me.)

[ellecc.livejournal.com]

Now, I don't know about you, but I have never been more turned on then when Sam knew what a book was about by it's library call number.

Dude, I was watching with a friend, and she said, "I bet you're so turned on right now." LOL. Between that scene and Sammy's adorable outfit... such a good Sam episode!

I was so happy at the end, with Sam with the books and Dean kicking his feet up on the table. It was like old-school days, with Sammy researching and Dean hanging around.

I'm SO glad that Aaron and the golem didn't die. I really hope they come back. Garth, Charlie, Kevin, Aaron? This is a pretty good collection of new people! And I really like them all. Aaron's irreverence and cluelessness was pretty awesome--I really like the character a lot, and I thought the guy playing him did a great job. (And he was so cute flirting with Dean.)

I think it's so awesome that they've seemingly given Sam a place in hunting that can be his. Forever, no matter how well-trained and huge Sam is, he's always been the brains and Dean the brawn. They readily trade those roles, and there are certainly seasons when Sam was far more brawn than brain, but at the base of it all, that's always how it's been. And maybe if Sammy can't go back to school as he was thinking about doing with Amelia, he can do this and enjoy it. That would be amazing.

I also thought this was a really good brothery episode. The guys were much more in sync than they've been, much less tense with each other. Dean getting out for a couple of weeks, roaming, checking in with people, while Sam took inventory, I think that probably did them a world of good. I bet that knowing exactly where Sam would be when he got back helped Dean chill considerably. I'm thrilled things are better for them now. I hope it stays that way, at least for a little while!!

Very good episode! I'm looking forward to them getting into what sort of things have been collected over the years. Angel Tablet??

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I think it's so awesome that they've seemingly given Sam a place in hunting that can be his. Forever, no matter how well-trained and huge Sam is, he's always been the brains and Dean the brawn. They readily trade those roles, and there are certainly seasons when Sam was far more brawn than brain, but at the base of it all, that's always how it's been. And maybe if Sammy can't go back to school as he was thinking about doing with Amelia, he can do this and enjoy it. That would be amazing.

Agreed!! As I said in a comment above, I think Sam and Dean are equally brains and brawn, but the difference is that the "brains" bit makes Sam HAPPIER than the "brawn" bit. I mean, when you think of it, the times that Sam was at his most "brawn" was also the times that Sam was completely off the rails in terms of happiness/good. Dean, meanwhile, is happy when he gets to APPLY his brains to enhance his brawn... like, making EMF meters to find ghosts, or altering weapons to better combat evil etc.

I also thought this was a really good brothery episode. The guys were much more in sync than they've been, much less tense with each other. Dean getting out for a couple of weeks, roaming, checking in with people, while Sam took inventory, I think that probably did them a world of good. I bet that knowing exactly where Sam would be when he got back helped Dean chill considerably. I'm thrilled things are better for them now. I hope it stays that way, at least for a little while!!

Me too! They are having a very healthy relationship at the moment! I'd like it to stay that way for as long as possible. I think we have enough conflict in the show without adding brother conflict at this point.

We'll see we'll see... looks like next week, we're returning to the tablet storyline.

[annie (from livejournal.com)]

I'm totally with you on being slight historian geek. I loved seeing how the Supernatural world infiltrates things from the past and would love for them to do it again in a future episode.

The fact that the Men of Letters 'bat-cave' is stationed in Lebanon, Kansas made me smile when I read your recap. This was mostly due to the religious connotations I took from it. Also links with the whole Jewish theme going on in this episode.

It was sad when the old guy died but at the same time I was thinking 'good for you' as he knew he was going to die and told the Nazi what he really thought of him. He was a tough nut. He made me laugh when he started speaking Hebrew (just guessing it was Hebrew) to the library dude who was being a pain in the ass.

LOVE the name The Bromance Bunker. I loved the architecture and design of the place but was a little concerned that there are no overt signs of protection. There are no sigils (from what we saw) to protect all that knowledge and the boys from demons and angels.

A Dean quote I loved (and that made me think back to Season 1 with Bugs) was "The water pressure in the Letters' shower room is marvellous!" The geek-out sequence was superbly done. Just smiled and grinned the entire time. It helped the viewers relax and be more at ease I think, just like Sam and Dean were. At the same time I was glad to see that Dean wasn't going crazy about the Men of Letters. That seems to suit Sam more, whilst Dean definitely leans more to being a hunter.

THEY MENTIONED CASTIEL! Yes I screamed and bounced a little at that point. So damn happy he finally got mentioned. And its good to know that Kevin and Garth are okay. I thought it was also sweet and caring of Dean to go off and check on him.

I'm totally with you on the flirting scene! Dean's bisexual-ness is definitely coming through a lot stronger this season. Dean looked slightly disappointed when the 'gay thing' turned out to be no moment had.

As far as I know the actor's voice for the Golem sounds like that. He's the guy who played Lurch in The Addams Family! The relationship between the Golem and Aaron is also so amazing. They seem like such a couple in the house, especially the "We're renting here!"

I also enjoyed the bit were they were discussing who all was involved in the Supernatural and Dean basically lists EVERYONE in their family: "Yeah grandparents, Mom, Dad, truckload of cousins..."

And of course the "EVERYBODY LOVES BACON" line that Dean does his 'he's gotta point' look.

For the library code, Sam knew it was for the science department and made an educated guess that it was to do with birds because the box he asked to see (the last thing Aaron's grandfather was looking at) contained a bird watching book.

Aaron's comments about the Winchesters made me laugh. I'm sure to any outsiders it would seem abnormal to just break into the library or burn the body of a Nazi.

"I have done what you commanded and here is proof" I literally sat here laughing for a few minutes at that. The Golem also seemed to purposefully smash the Nazi guy's body against every single step.

Sam was using goggle translate on his laptop.

The third thing I was most happy with (after the Cas mention and the 'gay thing') was that we got introduced to two awesome new characters who DIDN'T DIE! That's gotta be, what? A total of six characters (Sheriff Mills, Garth, Kevin, Charlie, Aaron and the Golem) that Supernatural have created that have managed to keep on breathing. Wow! :P

The ending was pretty neat. It is nice to see that they have a place to relax and increase their already incredible vat of knowledge.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

He made me laugh when he started speaking Hebrew (just guessing it was Hebrew) to the library dude who was being a pain in the ass.

Yiddish. ;) But yes, that guy was great, and I love that he died strong and unafraid.

LOVE the name The Bromance Bunker. I loved the architecture and design of the place but was a little concerned that there are no overt signs of protection. There are no sigils (from what we saw) to protect all that knowledge and the boys from demons and angels.

Thanks! Haha... I'm not to worried about their not being overt signs of protection. The MoL guy said that it was a fortress that no evil could enter, and I just take his word for it - just because we can't see the warding, doesn't mean it's not there. You don't need devils traps if no demon can even find the building in the first place.

I'm just wondering if it's warded against angels too. I'm just guessing that the MoL wouldn't have thought them a threat... and I'd like Castiel to be able to enter, but I'd be worried about Naomi and such. It'd be really cool if Cas COULD enter, but once he was inside, Naomi couldn't extract him or something.

I'm totally with you on the flirting scene! Dean's bisexual-ness is definitely coming through a lot stronger this season. Dean looked slightly disappointed when the 'gay thing' turned out to be no moment had.

Yeah, as much as most destiel fans kind of annoy the crap out of me... I can't help but wonder if the show really is setting us up for something. I wouldn't be opposed to it if they were - I think they've removed a LOT of the roadblocks that were blocking that ship from reaching the harbour.

As far as I know the actor's voice for the Golem sounds like that. He's the guy who played Lurch in The Addams Family! The relationship between the Golem and Aaron is also so amazing. They seem like such a couple in the house, especially the "We're renting here!"

Haha, cool! I didn't realize that he was Lurch! It's been so long since I've seen The Addams Family. Also, agreed, I love the "odd-couple" feel to them. And really does have a great voice.

For the library code, Sam knew it was for the science department and made an educated guess that it was to do with birds because the box he asked to see (the last thing Aaron's grandfather was looking at) contained a bird watching book.

Ah, of course, he just knew it was birds because of the book he found. Still, the fact that he knew it was sciences was enough to make me happy. ;)

That's gotta be, what? A total of six characters (Sheriff Mills, Garth, Kevin, Charlie, Aaron and the Golem) that Supernatural have created that have managed to keep on breathing. Wow! :P

Yes! It's nice to have a larger community again!! :)

[jeymien.livejournal.com]

You know.. I have a theory on the Men of Letters thing - all that going on about legacy and what have you that Henry kept talking about.. and initiation. I'd make a bet that the Men of Letters are linked to family lines that angels can possess. I bet the initiation would've been about that. Lucifer's line was obviously sort of "lost" as he was in the pit and couldn't take possession... Though it was somewhat kept track of in the whole Campbell/Winchester destiny thing. But I'd bet the angels/Men of Letters would've never trusted Lucifer's line anyways and that's how the Campbells ended up as hunters.. their legacy, just not inside men. The Campbell's obviously didn't know about their link to Lucifer. But I'd bet every Winchester up to Henry knew they were Michael's.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Oooooooooooooooo.... I like that theory!

[jeymien.livejournal.com]

It's one I've been thinking about. I'd bet the angels know all about the repository and that's why it's been safe and sound for so long. But Henry's little blood time travel spell (and other ingredients) certainly reminded me of Enochian and what Castiel does :) I'd bet it's not so safe from angels in the bromance bunker there. But the two of them do have those symbols carved into their ribs to keep themselves from being found.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Henry was definitely speaking Enochian, and he knew how to tap the power of his soul - which is probably something taught by angels. Now, whether or not the angels were in RECENT contact with the MoL is another matter. They could have just taught them eons ago and the knowledge was passed down. Either way, I doubt that the MoL warded against angels.

[jeymien.livejournal.com]

Yep, exactly! I'd bet with the dying out of the Men of Letters, a lot of angel lines have no clue until the angels contact them. There's been no knowledge passed on for 54 years.

In a way, if my theory is true, the destruction of the MoL worked for... and against the angels. If Dean had been brought up in his legacy, he probably would've been perfectly happy to be the Michael sword and done his duty. However, I don't know if Sam would've been happy to be Lucifer's if brought up that way. So the destruction, leaving John with no knowledge of his legacy, paved the way for the Campbell and Winchester legacies to be combined and bring about the apocalypse.

Also, true - the Men of Letters could be descendants of those who were originally contacted by angels to be their hosts - and passed down all their knowledge over generations - but wasn't speciflcally angel organized (which I could think is likely. It seems a very human endeavour as angels would basically just say trust in us/trust in God - they seem to prefer their hosts a little less knowledgeable as the hosts have to give their permission.)

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I'd bet with the dying out of the Men of Letters, a lot of angel lines have no clue until the angels contact them. There's been no knowledge passed on for 54 years.

Very true. Jimmy was devote, after all, but had no clue about what he was signing up for.

In a way, if my theory is true, the destruction of the MoL worked for... and against the angels. If Dean had been brought up in his legacy, he probably would've been perfectly happy to be the Michael sword and done his duty. However, I don't know if Sam would've been happy to be Lucifer's if brought up that way.

I definitely think that the MoL made it easier for angels to possess people - like you say, maybe even giving angels permission was part of the initiation process. But, I don't think it was ever an option for the MoL to exist along with Sam and Dean. I think the MoL had to be destroyed in order to get John and Mary together - and your theory partially explains way.

1)There's the whole obvious anti-Hunter bias that Henry had that would have made a romance between John and Mary difficult (not to mention they were in separate towns, and I'm sure John only moved to Lawrence after/because his Dad disappeared.) The MoL would have known EXACTLY who the Campbells were (as Hunters, if not vessels).

2)If the MoL was made up of angel lines - and if we assume that they KNEW this - then it's not too big of a leap to assume that they might very well know that the Campbell line was Lucifer's line... whether that contributed to their dislike for Hunters, or whether the Campbells were some of the "elite" hunters that the MoL actually worked with is another question. If angel-lines WERE important to the MoL, I doubt they'd want to muddy their "legacy" by combining it with Lucifer's line.

3)Now, even if they somehow got passed the first two humps and Sam and Dean ended up existing anyway - Depending how much or how little the MoL knew about the apocalypse particulars, it might not even be a question of what Dean thought about being Michael's vessel and Sam thought about being Lucifer's... because they'd probably only know that they were both simultaneously Michael/Lucifer's vessels (In which case, if initiation involved giving permission, Sam and Dean might have been barred from even being initiates). (My opinion is that Lucifer could have possessed Adam as well - if Adam had been primed with demon blood like Sam had been.) Actually, that adds a number 4: If John had been a MoL would he have gotten killed by Azazel thus forcing Mary to make a deal that resulting in Sam being prepared as a vessel for Lucifer?!

There's just way too many factors that would have changed what happened. I think Henry was right - if he had gone back, there wouldn't have been an apocalypse. I also think Dean was right - if Henry went back, he and Sam wouldn't exist. I also think that destroying the MoL was something that was ONLY win for the angels.

As Larry said, Abbadon was a "hired gun" - Heaven and Hell were BOTH working towards the apocalypse at this point. It might not be a coincidence that a demon thought to have been killed by an archangel just so happened to still be alive and wiping out the MoL. Angels (notorious time-travelers that they are) may have even gone back in time to fetch Abbadon for the job.

[liliaeth]

I don't think that Adam could have served as a Lucifer vessel, prepared or not, because unlike his brothers, he doesn't have Campbell blood. (which I'm convinced was Lucifer's line)

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah! Duh! Man... how to tell that I'm commenting late at night. I'm an idiot. Thanks for pointing that out. *facepalm*

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

There were so many things to check off that I loved about this episode -- most of which you've mentioned. And yes, thank you, SPN, for mentioning Castiel.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Indeed, I was very relieved when they mentioned Castiel. I should have known Edlund wouldn't let me down - I know he absolutely loves the Castiel character, after all.

[wedge antilles (from livejournal.com)]

Fun Fact: Lebanon Kansas, bunker location, is the geographic center of the US.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Wow! That's a VERY fun fact! Cool! :)

[marlowe78.livejournal.com]

I was ready to cringe at the German, but I think they actually did a pretty good job. They didn't over enunciate until they were using the radio. A lot of times in movies, the German isn't believable because everyone is speaking it really really clearly...when, you know, normal Germans don't speak that clearly. Also, they were actually saying what the subtitles were saying, which is more than I can say for some scenes in Die Hard 3

Hahaha, that's pretty much how I started off and how I felt about it. I even checked the written stuff, and apart from one minor glitch in the computer-program Sam used, they got it right! The evil German Necromancer (who, sorry, was rather sexy) might even have been real German... I could check.

I love this whole sequence, also, Dean looked adorably short in that long robe (long robes will do that to you...also so will standing next to Sam).

He did look quite short this episode... If it weren't for the cute Aaron with his big eyes and that Puss in Boots-expression, he'd have been the shortest guy in this episode *g*
And we get Sam saying "son of a bitch" for once, which I loved.

Yes! I was a bit confused - had to double-check if that was really Sam :-D

The scene when Aaron flirts with Dean was awesome.
It totally was! Aaron had a way of looking at people - at Dean and also the Golem - where you just want to hug and pet him and make everything better. He even out-puppied Sam! And though I wouldn't say he was terribly attractive, I probably would have gotten soft for him anyway. That's a lot of mojo he has in his eyes, man ;-)

And Dean's reaction was perfect. A bit flattered, a lot flustered and totally unsmoothed.

I totally still believe you are bisexual.

I think he totally could be. Don't think he ever acted on it, taking his reactions whenever it comes up, but he might just actually be attracted to some guys here and there. I got the feeling he found Aaron a lot more interesting than those vapid volleyballistas.... *insert eyeroll over stereotyping*

I guess it's the Golem that tells them?
The volleyball-girls mentioned it, said the dead Rabbi talked about Nazi Necromancers all the time.

Wait, I just realized something... can Sam read German?! I mean, he figured out what the ledger said...

translation program - he and Aaron where working that while Dean... don't know what he did.

I adored that episode, with all the subtle brother-interaction.
With Dean coming back from visiting Kevin and pouting about how he just got back.

I loved Aaron - his love for bacon (seriously... He and Dean should hook up!) and his admitting that he smoked a very important book (hahaha) and the strange relationship with the Golem, on one side being frustrated with him and on the other, wanting to take care of him.

And dude, I so wished one of the Winchesters started reading Terry Pratchett! There's this one oh-so wonderful line concerning a Golem, where some guys mess with the Golem's writing in their heads, take it away... and the Golem still helps, because apparently "words of the heart cannot be taken". *sniff*
check out Pratchett's Golems (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golems_%28Discworld%29)

Seriously, that writer just nails it when it comes to morals.

I kept thinking of that when I saw the Golem - it makes Aaron's protectiveness towards his Golem so much more awesome. Because it's not just a thing to be destroyed for him, it's... well. Family, kinda.

One scene in particular had me smile and go "awwwww": the moment when Dean changed his mind, put the beer back into the fridge to pour him and Sam a glass of whiskey (?), telling Sam that it's a good thing if he wants to be a "man of letters".

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

The evil German Necromancer (who, sorry, was rather sexy) might even have been real German... I could check.

There's a good chance he is. There are a LOT of Germans in Vancouver.

And yes, they were rather good looking. Or as my friend said "How come nazis on TV are always so stylish?"

Aaron had a way of looking at people - at Dean and also the Golem - where you just want to hug and pet him and make everything better. He even out-puppied Sam! And though I wouldn't say he was terribly attractive, I probably would have gotten soft for him anyway. That's a lot of mojo he has in his eyes, man ;-)

Haha, definitely, as you say, the puss-in-boots look. I agree. You can totally see part of the reason the Golem was doing everything for him even though he hadn't written his name on the scroll.

Don't think he ever acted on it, taking his reactions whenever it comes up, but he might just actually be attracted to some guys here and there. I got the feeling he found Aaron a lot more interesting than those vapid volleyballistas.... *insert eyeroll over stereotyping*

Yeah, plus there's the fact that Dean grew up in a hyper-masculine environment and wanted only to be EXACTLY like his father... I don't think he's ever acted on it, because it's not seen as "manly" to like other men (or get completely flustered when other men come onto you.)

I think the volleyball players were purposefully cliche vapid in order to explain why Dean's attention was wandering around the bar... in the past 8 years, we've only ever seen Dean go for intelligent women. (Even in Tall Tales, when Sam painted "Starla" in a bad light, Dean argued that she was a grad-student in folklore.)

The volleyball-girls mentioned it, said the dead Rabbi talked about Nazi Necromancers all the time.

And this is how you tell that my write-ups are done after only seeing the episode once and then having a couple glasses of wine. ;)

And dude, I so wished one of the Winchesters started reading Terry Pratchett! There's this one oh-so wonderful line concerning a Golem, where some guys mess with the Golem's writing in their heads, take it away... and the Golem still helps, because apparently "words of the heart cannot be taken". *sniff*

Awww... I really have to read Pratchett. The weird thing is that I think I have before, but I've never been able to figure out which book...especially since what I remember sounds more like Gaiman's Sandman series, except I think those are comics, and I read a novel. Anyway, yes, everyone should read Pratchett - and his Golem's sound amazing. :)

Really great episode!

Ninth Season of SPN

[nanloo.livejournal.com]

Alice Jester at theWinchesterFamilyBusiness has reported that Variety is announcing CW's early renewal of 'Supernatural', 'Arrow', and 'Vampire Diaries'.

Re: Ninth Season of SPN

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Indeed! Happy news! :)

[cookiemom6067.livejournal.com]

Yes, we dam rivers in Kansas, for flood control and to create reservoirs. Not to generate hydro-electricity.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Cool. I know basically nothing about US geography. :P