We got a little background this week as to what Sam (Jared Padalecki) was doing during the six months that Dean (Jensen Ackles) was in Hell before getting pulled out by an angel named Castiel.

Mostly it had to deal with Sam trying to learn to contain his demon side and the powers that go along with it while at the same time moping about because he lost is brothers and looking to go out swinging because he’s depressed about it.

Cue Ruby (Genevieve Cortese) that takes over the body of a dying woman (who just happens to be totally hot – nice!) and gives Sam motivation to use those powers to expel demons out of human hosts. Sam says that Ruby convinced him to survive, to live, rather than attempt a foolish suicidal attack on Lilith or her followers. I like that they gave us something on how Ruby switched bodies and what went down in-between the time of the fourth season beginning. Seeing that Sam really didn’t just switch on his powers but they took time to learn – and that’s why they are important to him and something he’s unwilling to part with. Although that same power may be waning – as evidence from the previous times he used it and in last night’s episode where they had no effect at all.

Interesting that Hell no longer wants Sam, that they were content with having Dean and it wasn’t at all about Sam’s soul regardless of whether he would switch places with Dean or not. Probably this continues our little hints that Sam is indeed turning to the dark side. At least, super slowly. His demon blood tainting him from within and why would Hell need another bad demon? Especially when they can get the good side of the equation instead. But will we see it this season or are we going to have to wait for it in some slow burn? I hope they get to it or make it the season cliffhanger because we’ve been wrestling with this for a while and it would be an awesome storyline.

The point of this week’s episode was two-fold. One, bridge the story in terms of what happened to Sam during Dean’s time in Hell and how Sam was able to control his powers. Two, give us a storyline about a girl that can hear angels’ conversation and is not only being hunted by demons – including one that can shrug off Sam’s powers and is barely phased by the magic knife – but she’s also wanted by Castiel and Uriel that say she must die.

Must die? Damn these angels are as bloodlust happy as the demons. But is this just another test? The last time they said they were going to blow up the town, Sam and Dean stopped them from doing it and it turned out just to be a test regardless – one Castiel said he was glad they didn’t want to blow the town up. But no one likes an eavesdropper and maybe that’s why they want her dead. I dunno, but I assume next week we find out more. Should be interesting.

Source: ifmagazine.com