Mania Grade: B

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Info:

• Episode: Goodbye Stranger (Season 8, Episode 17)
• Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins
• Written By: Robbie Thompson
• Directed By: Thomas J. Wright
• Network: The CW
• Studio: Warner Bros.
• Series:

Supernatural: Goodbye Stranger Review

The plot of this week’s Supernatural wasn’t the most compelling but it was a means to an end.  It starts with an ominous scene as Castiel kills Dean.  But not just one Dean…as the camera pulls away we see a room filled with hundreds of dead Deans, each one killed by Castiel, with an approving Naomi looking on.  Castiel is practicing for the real thing!  

Castiel is sent by Naomi to retrieve the Angel tablet before Crowley can find it.  Castiel and Crowley are looking for Lucifer’s Crypts which contain the hidden tablet.  Sam and Dean are off investigating the deaths of several people who were apparently possessed by demons and were digging for something in several towns.  Sam and Dean rescue old pal Meg the demon from several other demons who are torturing her.  Castiel finally arrives but lies to Sam and Dean about his true intentions, giving them only half truths, claiming he’s after a scroll to help translate the demon tablet.

The action cuts quickly between Cas and Naomi as she is in his head, ordering him what to do and say.  Dean and Castiel finally uncover the mysterious angel tablet at which point Cas proceeds to beat the crap out of Dean and is on the verge of killing until Cas touches the tablet, breaking the control that Naomi has over him.

First off, it was great to see Meg, Cas, and Crowley again.  Several actresses have portrayed Meg Masters over the series run but none with such dripping sarcasm as Rachel Miner.  She always adds spice when she appears and there are some priceless scenes between she and Sam.  Now that Cas has broken free of Naomi the next question to answer is Who the hell is Naomi anyway?  Crowley clearly knows who she is but Castiel did not.  This is the biggest mystery of the season right now.

Sam and Dean take a bit of a back seat to Cas, Meg, Naomi, and Crowley as this week featured the heavy hitters.  That’s not a bad thing particularly because it forwarded the plot between Cas and Naomi.  We will not have to see what Cas does with the angel tablet and what Naomi does to try and get it from him.  Misha Collins was especially good this week.  His ability to go from the innocent, child-like Cas to bad ass angel instantly has never been more terrifying as he relentlessly pounds on Dean’s face.  In any case, things are setting up nicely for the last handful of episodes for Season 8.