You just know that when Ben Edlund discovered that he was writing the episode that returned Cas he bounded into the writers’ room declaring… “I’ve got the scene, you know THE SCENE!” Then he immediately regales all present with the joys of mocking (in a loving and respectful way) the fandom as to who Castiel prefers, Sam or Dean.

This whole week, after the clip of Dean praying for Castiel and Castiel responding, the fandom (aspects of it) have been loudly whining and whimpering and simpering and simmering over how Castiel answers Dean’s prayers but not Sam’s. How Castiel never liked Sam. How Castiel never acknowledged Sam’s supreme sacrifice in leaping into the cage. How Castiel…and on and on and on and – you get the idea.

Then the moment arrives, Dean prays, Sam reminds him he’s tried it three times to no avail and in a moment, the flutter of wings and Castiel is there. “Hello.”

What unfolds next is brilliant and pure Ben Edlund. I was rolling on the floor. This was written back in May or June, filmed in August and it said everything I thought this past week and more. Take that fandom, the writers do know us, each and every one of us zany, cranky, funky, fun-loving and fun-quashing one of us, and as much as they love to poke fun at us, they do love us.

The scene is fabulous:

Castiel: Hello.

Sam: Hello.

Castiel: Yes.

Sam: Hello? Hello.

Castiel: (confused) That is still the term.

Sam: I spent all that time trying to get through to you, Dean calls once and now it’s hello?!

Castiel: Yes.

Sam: So what, you like him better or something?

Castiel: Dean and I do share a more profound bond. (turning to look at Dean, whose reactions are priceless here) I wasn’t going to mention it.

Dean: Cas, I think what he’s trying to say is that he went to hell for us. I mean he really took one for the team. You remember that? And then he comes back without a clue and you can’t take five freaking minutes to give him some answers.

Castiel: If I had any answers, I might have responded but I don’t know. Sam, we have no idea who brought you back from the cage or why.

Sam: So it wasn’t God?

Castiel: No one has even seen God. The whole thing remains mysterious.

Sam. What the hell does that mean?

Castiel: What part of ‘I don’t know’ escapes your understanding?

Dean: Cas, look, if Sam calls, you answer. Okay. You wing your ass down here and you tell him I don’t know. Just because we have some sort of bond or whatever…

Castiel: You think I came because you called? I came because of these.

Dean: Nice to know what matters.

Castiel: It does help one to focus.

BRILLIANT!!!

It also marks a vast departure of the Castiel from Season 5 to now. Castiel, I surmise, will be appearing throughout the season but for reasons that are beneficial to him. He’s not on the run from heaven anymore; he’s not a celestial exile. He’s fighting a heavenly civil war that has little to no connection to Sam and Dean and thus that battle is unlikely to transfer over except for at moments such as this week. Once again there is a whole vast world of things going on and the Winchesters are now a much smaller piece of the whole, I like it.

This episode is a great follow up to last week’s. Last week the Impala was unveiled and a sparkle of the brotherly fun appeared. This week there is even more to enjoy:

We get Castiel, the Impala takes on the Charger, the boys having fun and at ease with each other…well, until the end and a short bit in the middle, a little skin for each of them (thank you Jared and Jensen for maintaining such fine physiques) a look inside Sam that we never even saw with Dean (don’t think Dean ever paid) some new locales to view, a high rise hotel room, slamming of car doors in sync (and different cars too), the destruction of Sam’s hunk of plastic (silver lining indeed!) some Dean as father figure and Sam as boss. And by the way, the setting is Easter, Pennsylvania perhaps Mega Gulp beverages are a Pennsylvania thing, the girl in Monster Movie had the same type of drink. BTW, the prostitute with Sam in the beginning looked awfully familiar. Anyone out there good at tracking down who ‘extras’ or one or two line actors are?

There were moments the episode dragged, the fight between Raphael and Castiel was staged (yeah, I know, duh, but it even felt staged); although, the part with Castiel being rusty with his people skills is hilarious and not overdone.

This is a season very much in the unfolding stage. Episode one reunited Sam and Dean and introduced us to the Campbells. Episode two gave us Dean returning to ‘the life’ with Lisa being the most amazing woman ever and a deepening of the mystery of the Campbells. Episode three gave us insight into what the angels are up to and reminded us, non too subtly, that human souls are in play which leads us to Episode four where we’re going to go front and center with Bobby’s soul issues as well as bring a demon or two back into the mix.

From the previews at the end of the episode we know there are vampires warming the bench, domestic non-bliss as hunting and home life clash again, and the truth shall set you free – or not, as brotherly distrust takes its turn at bat. Also, based on the previews I lay odds that Castiel is not making an appearance again until after the next three episodes. I could be wrong but based on what we already know from interviews (Misha was not in Jensen’s directorial debut) and from what has been said in press releases regarding episodes five and six, Castiel does not appear to figure into those storylines. But the episode entitled All Dogs Go to Heaven makes me lay odds Cas may wing in again.

The season is off to a great start and rather than closing in on an end game, as Season 5 did with its natural dénouement, we are instead in the opening up of a new storyline and most all we get are questions and questions layered on top of riddles and mysteries and mazes. Where we’re going is anyone’s guess – well, unless you’re a fly on the wall in the writers’ room and then, if you have the ability to read and process (which I’m guessing not too many flies have otherwise they would have long since learned about fly paper and fly swatters and about not flying into the light) then you know where this is going.

Sera and company are slowly, week by week, episode by episode peeling back the layers and rather than exposing something they are simply adding them onto the pile of what we already know. Angels are stealing weapons and bartering in souls. Alpha shifters and vengeful djinn are prowling with familial matters from procreation to revenge on their minds. Dean has been to hell and remains tortured by it (insightful Sam and yes, I agree that it still tortures Dean) and Sam appears to be unaffected. Just what is his reveal about hell going to be? Did he have a hard time of it or was he instead celebrated as a hero for returning Lucifer to ‘his kingdom’ and better than an extra helping of fudge frosting, brought an archangel with him? I don’t know. I think we’re going to have to wait a bit more to find out. I’m game to wait this season is a lot of fun so far.

Destiny seems to be not much in play except in Castiel’s point of view and while some might be concerned that the whole Raphael is trying to reopen the apocalypse and thus we’ll go the way of the past, I’m not worried. Sera said that storyline is done, referring to it or having it operating on another plane that does not directly involve Sam and Dean except when Castiel needs their assistance does not return it to center stage. Sam and Dean are not part of Raphael’s plans, his plans are as Dean stated, civil war, and that has nothing to do anymore with either Winchester – unless there is a reason other than actors’ schedules that John and Mary cannot be found in heaven. I do hope that there is an answer to that (as well as a return of Ash, and Ellen and Jo – party at the Roadhouse!) for it is too juicy of a nugget to have been dropped in Dark Side of the Moon not to be on a sticky note on a board in the writers’ room but I don’t think that’s part of the plan so far.

Really enjoyed Sebastian Roche as Balthazar, (yeah, like Zachariah, there are several ways to spell that name.) Robert Singer turned out another fine product and added some wonderful shots of Dean’s reactions while Sam and Castiel were discussing how and why Castiel answers prayers. The stunt scene out the window was delicious in a myriad of angles, oh the time to set those cameras up just so. I enjoyed the Impala cutting off the Charger, the Charger’s demise, the look inside the cluttered trunk and the little memento of Ben’s wendigo Halloween mask.

As usual there was the humor and a hint of darkness and plenty of disgusting moments at the beginning that had me hiding behind my fingers – mostly the locust in brain custard had me squirming. Misha and the camera crew have not lost their timing on how and when Castiel appears and disappears and the flow as he went to find some myrrh and then reappeared on the other side of the room and began drawing on the table was perfect.

I do hope that Rafael does find another vessel, he’s a formidable enemy and gives Castiel a good run for his money but also I never really liked the actor’s portrayal both in Free to be You and Me and here. Each time his eyes were fairly empty and while he has a beautiful voice, the actor didn’t bring the same intensity to it as did Robert Wisdom with his wonderfully enigmatic and portrayal of the diabolical Uriel.

Next week we get Weekend at Bobby’s. I am insanely looking forward to this episode. Not only is it Jensen’s debut as a director but it puts Bobby Singer, and the excellent Jim Beaver, front and center. Shows that have established themselves for several seasons get the fun of doing things a bit off kilter every now and again and showing a different side. Supernatural is going to have the opportunity to change our paradigms a bit next week. Instead of following Sam and Dean and enjoying the arrival of Bobby, we’re going to follow Bobby and see the arrival of Sam and Dean throughout the episode.

House, a show I only recently started watching and only when it runs marathons on Bravo or USA so I’m seeing ‘House the early years’ – don’t care one whit for soap operaish antics such as House and Cuddy and who is 13 with or who is Chase and/or Cameron or anyone else with so I don’t watch it first run – did such an episode in one of its seasons where Cuddy was the lead all episode and the other characters weaved in and out of her day. It was interesting watching the flow and seeing things from the other side. Weekend at Bobby’s promises to be such fare.

Admittedly, I’m nervous about next week’s episode as well. My nervousness has nothing to do with Jensen’s directing – the man knows the show inside and out and has plenty of people there to keep him on track from lighting to set designs, to camera operators, to grips to all the people I have no idea about and then there’s the editing et cetera. I also have no concerns about being interested in watching Jim Beaver/Bobby Singer for the majority of the episode. His scenes are never long enough nor frequent enough for me, bring on Jim Beaver/Bobby Singer.

No, my nervousness about this episode has to do with the writers, Dabb and Loflin. They are my least favorite writers of the show. They penned the glorious Dark Side of the Moon and did a very able job with Jump the Shark; however, Yellow Fever, I Believe the Children are our Future, After School Special, Sam, Interrupted and Hammer of the Gods outweigh the good to great. Still, it has Bobby and Crowley, Rufus makes an appearance, Crowley’s hell hound, Sam and Dean and much more.

Like Jas said in her recent Open Couch, I’m not sure how many more of these episode ‘reviews/thoughts/stream of conscious’ I’ll be completing this season. Right now it works best for me to get them down and out sometime over the weekend. If I wait too long, life gets in the way and the creative juices dry up. I also enjoy finding a specific aspect of the episode to latch onto (such as this week’s scene with Cas, Sam and Dean) and making that my inspiration. Then I can delve into everyone else’s comments and articles since I never read anything until I’ve written my own; selfish sure but now that I’m done, I can go and read.

So, with that said, that’s where we’re at this week at Elle2’s Mystery Spot. I enjoyed The Third Man very much. We’re three for three solid episodes in Season 6 and we still have no idea where we’re going but so far it’s been a lot of fun. I love the format of mostly closed episodes with a thin threads, Sam’s escape from hell, the Campbell family mystery and now heaven’s civil war, weaving their way in and out amongst the monsters of the week.

Bring on Weekend at Bobby’s.

I have a question because i have never heard of this show. What channel is it on? What time is it on? A really good review though

-EDIT: Comment deleted by original thread makers request-

Thank you for changing your post.

I think I've toned it down a bit. As long as you're being honest, I believe you.

Trust me am being very honest to you and to everyone else here.

The original post in this thread is a copy and paste of the review from http://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/article-list/category5/12050-the-third-man.html
The origingal authors page is http://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/who-are-we/9680-elle2.html
After investigation it has been found that LunaRoseAngel is NOT Elle2, the author of this peice, and as such this is plagerism and shall be closed.