Episode Review – “Caged Heat”

Dammit Supernatural.

First you have to go and put out one of your best episodes, reminding me why I love you, then you have to follow it with one of you WORST episodes, reminding me why I hate you.  What is wrong with this…

Earlier this season we had the boys spring a trap on an angel that required Pamela-level foresight.  Now we have to watch them walk into Crowley’s stronghold with NO backup plan?  They didn’t even bothering negotiating with the monsters for a “spring and chaos” plot?

Speaking of which, haven’t we had several episodes in the past addressing how not all monsters might be bad? (that sometimes, you might want to be sure of guilt first?)  But now in this episode, they boys just “can’t let them out of the jail”?  Hey, how about checking with the creatures and seeing which ones are ok to release and which should be killed on the spot?

Why does Crowley keep asking these things where limbo is?  Isn’t that where they go when they die?  Why would they know about it while they’re still alive?  Is he looking for some kind of limbo gate like the hell gates that have been found here and there?  And Crowley’s been shown to have magic skillz before, can’t he put a tracking widget or something on one of these things, kill it, then see where it goes?

Damn the “burning bones” weakness of demons is so stupid.  I remind you that demons are humans that have apparently been in hell long enough.  John, was in hell for a year.  The boys, burned John’s body when he died (which would conceivably include his bones) – WHY DIDN’T THAT DESTROY HIM WHILE HE WAS IN HELL?  And Castiel, angels have been shown – several times – to be able to smite demons.  Not expel them (like Alistair tired to do to Castiel), but full on kill judging by the light show and effects.  I know Crowley might have been too powerful for outcast Castiel, but you’re supercharged now, remember?  Just slam your palm on his face and smite him!  Stop bringing up the bones stupidity!

Castiel & Meg?  Really?  They had like… one scene together… more than a year ago.  Castiel the sex & drug addict made sense when he was losing his angel mojo and stuck with mortality (who wouldn’t seek to dull the pain by any means necessary after a downgrade like that) but now?  Why?  And why not Meg and Sam?  It’s not like he has his soul and is going to turn her down because of past experience with Ruby or whatever.  Did fanfic writers take over the show?

Samuel is doing all this for… his daughter?  Look, I’m not going to pass judgment on the love a parent has for their kid – I can get that but… Samuel mentioned being “pulled down” implying that he has SOME memory or knowledge about being in Heaven.  From what we can tell, Mary should be in Heaven too.  If he wants to be with her so bad, why is he working with Crowley?  Why not… kill himself?  And why isn’t that his grandson is stuck in hell enough of a motivation?  Oh he keeps complaining about not knowing his grandkids.  1) YES YOU DO.  You’ve spent time with Dean before.  Why does no one remember this?  2) Well then why not spend some time and GET to know your grandsons?  I have no patience for people who keep complaining when the solution is real obvious, even simple.  Heck, if this is his motivation, what about all the other parents out there?  Why not get Bobby working for you?  I think he’d want Sam to be free.  Or bring back John Winchester, his motivation would make sense (oh wait – John, upon returning to life, would march down to Hell, shove Lucifer and Michael in separate corners then tell them to think about what they’ve done while he drags his sons out of there – season over).

Yeah, I knew Crowley wasn’t powerful enough to bring Sam back, but how did he bring back Samuel? Yeah, bringing back people who’s bodies are still around seems easy enough in the SPN universe, but remember what happened when Dean – who had been dead for months, was returned to life?  Or Adam, who had been dead for years?  The acre of flattened trees?  A disturbance so powerful even Castiel – a fallen angel – felt it?  How did returning Samuel, a guy that’s been dead for DECADES not flatten all of Canada or set off alarm bells across the supernatural realms?  How does Crowley even get that power without using a soul? (remember, he couldn’t just find Death without using Bobby’s soul – these things require “juice” to work).  Hell (pun intended), how did Crowley go to Heaven, get Samuel’s soul, and bring it back?  Seems like a place Demons would have a bit of trouble getting into.

And what if Limbo has a “back door” that could be used to save Sam?  Then the boys don’t need to be coerced.  Yeah, it’s nice they remembered that Sam might be a wreck after coming back, but has everyone forgotten about Adam?  He’s trapped down there too, remember? (or did Michael send his soul back to heaven & mommy as a thank you?)

GAAAAAH!  Come back, Kripke!  It’s all chaos and anarchy without you!