Supernatural

Last night's episode of Supernatural nicely tied together the monster of the week storyline with the ongoing struggle between the Winchester brothers.  Dean's disgust with Sam's demonic mojo has been growing since season 1, but only after Castiel sent him back in time did he realize how dangerous his brother could become.  Though Sammy may be keeping secrets and possibly sleeping with Ruby (more on that in a bit), I found myself siding with him whenever Dean attacked him.  Sam really is trying to do the right thing, and though he may end up in a dark place eventually, right now his powers are actually helping people.  Is it wise for him to stop now and follow Dean's orders, or should he go ahead and dabble in darkness?

Before I dive into the conflict between the Winchesters, let's discuss whether or not Sam (Jared Padalecki) is sleeping with Ruby.  At first I assumed the random demon guy was just being an ass, because that's what demons do.  It was only later that I remembered that Dean found a bra in Sam's motel room in the season premiere.  That bra was obviously there to make us think Kristy was just some random fling, but it's also possible Sam's doing more with Ruby than simple mental training.  I'm not sure if that's what the writers are implying, but if Sam is sleeping with a demon he's definitely playing with fire.

Last night's Supernatural had two fantastic scenes that allowed Sam and Dean (Jensen Ackles) to truly have it out with each other.  The first was in the motel room after Dean discovered Sammy was using his powers.  Not only did it involve yelling and screaming, but Dean socked his brother in the face TWICE.  Sammy took the punches like a man, and I also felt that his argument held more weight than his brother's.  Dean has always been a guy who's more comfortable with shooting and stabbing than pondering moral quandaries, while Sam has always been the one longing to save people.  Just take a look back at season 2's "Bloodlust" for another perfect example of this conflict.   If Sam is able to use his powers for good, isn't that something he should do even if God objects?

The other instance of brotherly conflict exploded on the side of the road, where Sam admitted that he's tired of his brother always treating him like a freak.  It's obvious Dean only tries to control Sammy because he loves him, but there's a time when even a little brother has to stand up and choose his own path.  It seems like Sam did that at the end of the episode when he decided not to use his powers again.  It's probably a smart move in the long run, but will Ruby allow it?  She certainly has the power to verbally influence Sam, and it's also possible she can use a few physical tricks if they're actually sleeping together.

I still believe that Sam and Dean will end up on separate paths by the end of the Supernatural's fourth season, but next week we can look forward to the brothers teaming up in an episode inspired by the black and white monster movies of yore.  After facing a flesh-eating monster and plenty of internal demons, a mummy and a werewolf should be a piece of cake.


- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)