The Buoy Club

Supernatural: Is God in the House?

With the intense pacing of last week's premiere, I was afraid this week's episode would feel slow and murder the momentum season five had already built. I was wrong on both counts. Good God, Y'all saw the return of several beloved characters from the show's mythology: Rufus, Jo and Ellen. But before we get into that, I have to acknowledge some key moments from the first act. I loved the usually passive and sympathetic Castiel telling Dean to shove his opinions where the sun don't shine. I usually agree with Dean's scathing remarks but he deserved an attitude adjustment this time. As far as the amulet goes- I always thought there was something special about it. Just didn't know it could help find God.

Once the call came from Rufus and the brothers arrived in Colorado, this episode reminded me a lot of season two's Croatoan. Same sense of isolation and claustrophobia. Although the demons remain hidden for the first half of the episode, you can almost feel their presence pressing in on the townspeople like an unseen menace. A very Supernatural-esque way to ratchet up the tension and very well done. And the twist was very well done; I was totally confused up until Dean's discovery and especially after Jo's comment to her mother. The introduction of War, the first horseman of the Apocalypse, and his integration into a demon storyline was really cool. I'm glad they also decided to portray War the way they did. A dude riding a horse just would have been lame.

If that weren't enough, we also got a crucial ending that went somewhere I thought it could go but didn't think it would. Having the brothers split, especially without any disagreement, shocked me. I know it's part of rebuilding their fractured relationship, but four seasons of the Winchesters together definitely puts us into unfamiliar territory from here on out. Do I think they can close the chasm that's opened between them? Yes. Do I think we'll see a return to the Dean/Sam relationship we saw in earlier seasons? No. Too much has happened. And since we're dealing with the Apocalypse this season, I'm sure there's much more dysfunction to come.

BUOY CLUB GRADE: 93 out of 100.

Supernatural: The Beginning of the End

I would like to welcome everyone back to the Buoy Club's triumphant return! I'll be the first to admit I got lazy at the end of last season. I really let my readers down when they need me most- finale week. So please accept my apology for being so lame. I promise, it won't happen again. We've got a fresh slate of new episodes to review this fall season, and we're starting off with a real gem: Supernatural.

I'm running out of accolades to describe this show. I could sit here and try to heap some artificial descriptors on top of this remarkable premiere, but I like to keep these blog posts under 500 words. This show continues to be the most consistently written show on television, and Sympathy for the Devil is no exception. I love how this episode picks up right where the finale left off...literally. They ran straight from a kick-ass recap into the opening of season five. Talk about not wasting a single second.

Once again, my wordiness could allow me to write 5,000 words about this episode. Instead, here are some highlights:

- Any and every scene Chuck was in. His "this sucks ass" line and the webcam scene with his biggest fan had me cracking up. I hope we see A LOT of him this season.
- The return of Meg. Supernatural has one of the richest mythologies on TV and the continuity has always been excellent. Bringing back a character like Meg is just proof that the Supernatural brass love their fans.
- Castiel coming back badder than ever. I knew Castiel was coming back since Misha Collins had been added as a series regular this season, but the way they brought him back was B-A-D-A-S-S. Stabbing the Men In Black bouncer angels and threatening Zacharias? That even tops his black wings spreading out in last season's premiere.
- Mark Pellegrino. The guy made the most seamless transition into an established show I've ever seen when he played Jacob in the Lost finale. Seeing his character, Nick, tortured by visions of his murdered family made his decision completely understandable. I've got high hopes for him this season.
- The ending. This is what Supernatural does best. I'll be interested to see how they patch up the brother's relationship this season. If it can still be patched up, that is.

I've never been more excited for a season of Supernatural. Between the Apocalypse, Chuck, Castiel and Lucifer, I have no doubt this show's going out with a bang.

BUOY CLUB GRADE: 98 out of 100.