Friday, April 9, 2010

99 Problems


99 Problems starts off fast and furious with Sam and Dean in a high speed race. Sam is hurt, the boys are outnumbered by pursuing demons and they’ve just reached a dead end. Cue the calvary. Or in this case, the Sacrament Lutheran Militia. Armed with a tank of holy water and a fire hose, the group saves the Winchesters.

“I hate to tell you, but those are demons and this is the apocalypse. So buckle up!” SLM member

Sam and Dean are shocked to find this small town in the know. The church serves as their base, the pistol packing preacher as their leader and they’ve got twelve-year-olds packing salt rounds.

“I don’t know whether to run screaming or buy a condom.” - Dean

Even more shocking…the preacher’s daughter, Lea, is a prophet. She’s the one telling the town how to protect themselves. The boys leave a message for Castiel and decide to stick around to see what they can learn, despite Dean sounding like he’s given up. They join a group of hunters and experience what it’s like to work with a team. Unfortunately, Dillon, a likeable young teen, is killed under Sam and Dean’s watch and his mother blames them.

At his funeral Lea has a vision. She announces that Dillon will return from the dead. He’ll be resurrected on Judgment Day. Everyone in the town will be reunited with their departed loved ones and they’ll enjoy paradise on Earth. The angels have chosen them. All they have to do is follow their commandments.

“No drinking, no gambling, no premarital sex. Dean, they basically just outlawed 90% of your personality.” - Sam

Dean goes to see Lea. He’s so desperate to find some hope, to find something to renew his faith. She assures him they’re about to face a prize fight, but they will emerge victorious and well rewarded.

Meanwhile, Sam goes to the town pub where he and Paul, the bartender, bond over their rebellion. An annoyed Sam later returns to the hotel room venting about being trapped in a fundamentalist compound. Dean could care less. Again, he hints that he’s ready to give up. Sam tells him he can’t do that. He can’t count on anyone else and he can’t do it alone.

Dean breaks curfew and heads out to clear his head. He finds the bartender being attacked by the townies because of Lea’s new vision. According to her, they won’t be rewarded with paradise if they don’t take care of the sinners. Dean tries to save Paul, but Dillon’s despondent mother shoots him, not wanting anything to ruin her chance at reuniting with her son.

“I found a liquor store and I drank it.” - Castiel


Castiel finally pops in, very drunk and depressed. He informs them Lea is NOT a prophet, but a whore. She rises when Lucifer walks the Earth and bears false prophecy. She can read minds and take human form, but her main purpose is to turn the townies on each other and condemn as many souls to hell as possible. The only way to kill her it to have a servant of Heaven stab her with a stake made from a cypress tree in Babylon. The boys persuade the preacher to stab the thing that looks like his daughter.

When they get to the church they find Lea has stuffed a storage room with “sinners”, including children, and intends to torch them with kerosene. Her dad tries to stab her and she convinces her followers he’s a demon. Fighting ensues. Lea attacks Dean and taunts him, calling him pathetic, self-hating and faithless. Dean grabs the stake and stabs her. It shouldn’t work…but it does. The demon smokes out and her minions realize they’ve made a terrible mistake.

“Are you going to do something stupid? Like Michael stupid.” – Sam

Cas and the preacher are hurt. Dean and Sam take them to the hotel where Sam senses that something has shifted in Dean. He tries to get his big brother to stay, but Dean takes off. He shows up on his old girlfriend’s doorstep. He tells Lisa (The Kids are Alright and Dream a Little Dream of Me) he knows how things are going to end for him and he’s okay with that, but he wants her to know when he thinks about being happy he imagines himself with her and her son. Then he tells her things are going to get scary soon, but she shouldn’t worry because he’s going to make arrangements to keep her and Ben safe. He’s going to do what he needs to, but under his conditions. Lisa tries desperately to get him to explain, to stay, but Dean tearfully kisses her goodbye and leaves to meet his fate.

Damn…he is going to do something Michael stupid. Did Dean break your heart as much as he did mine?

9 comments:

AuthorM said...

LOL!...I think Dean says "Buy a CONDO" but...I like condom better!

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Dean just about ripped my heart out of my body, and right when I'd gotten it kind of settled back in after Bobby ripped it out.

I guess I always kind of figured that "yes" had to come into play sometime, but I never wanted to get here. I both dread next Thursday and want to watch it now.

I loved this episode. It was a perfect blend of stand-alone feel and mythology connection. Castiel was brilliant. "I don't understand why you want me to say my name." It was very unsettling, being both very cool (the way they fought the demons) and very off (the way they fought the demons--yeah, those exorcisms were way too efficient). Very cool: Dean's a servant of heaven! Very off: Wait. That can't be good. Very cool: Dean wants happiness! With Ben and Lisa! Very off: Noooo, Dean, no deals!!!!!

This show will kill me yet.

Excellently concise recap, Terri, with none of the high points missing! :)

Barbara said...

I keep needing recovery time so I surprised myself when I was actually able to do the babbling about this episode today instead of on Saturday. I really should get stock in tissue. This isn't good at all since he's going to try to make a deal and I don't want him to be an Angel Condom.

Drunk Castiel was funny. He drank a liquor store. No wonder he needed the whole bottle of aspirin after that since that's a lot of booze. It is also funny with Bones on earlier where Booth was wearing Castiel's outfit.

Unknown said...

Wow! That ending. That scene with the old girlfriend was heart-wrenching!
Hey, I wonder if we'll ever find out if that really is his son. She said no previously, but I'm not buying it.
Anyway, great quote selections & summary Terri!

MJFredrick said...

How many more episodes, do you know?

Anonymous said...

AuthorM -- I totally heard condom. Twice. ROTFL.

Nat - I'm right there with you on both dreading and being unable to wait for Thursday. And thank you for the compliment. :)

Bard Girl - I loved the liquor store line.

Thanks, Pam. So nice to see you!

MJ - 5 more episodes, I believe. "Swang Song" is scheduled to air May 13.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Yep, that's right, five more. *sob*

Maureen Child said...

Dean's just breaking my heart! And they've screwed Dean over so many times, I was half expecting Lisa to open the door and introduce her new husband!

I too, think Ben is Dean's son, but in his heart, the boy's his. I really hope there's a happy ending headed our way at SOME point!

Trish Milburn said...

LOL on the condom. I had to rewind to hear what he said, but I think he said condo too. It's funny either way.

I'm thinking the final five episodes of the season are going to be very tense and intense.