By John Keegan
In essence, this episode sums up everything that has been hinted since the beginning of the season, reinforcing several plot points while expounding on a few others. Reaction to the episode will vary depending on interpretation of information already available. For example, if the clues regarding the relationship between Sam and Ruby were overlooked amidst the mystery of Dean’s restoration, then the confirmation of their physical acrobatics. (To be honest, I was a little disappointed by the fact that Ruby wasn’t still played by Katie Cassidy in those moments. But I digress.)
Earlier in the season, the erosion of Sam’s morality was apparent, if relatively well-covered by his subsequent choices. His decision to train under Ruby and ultimately sleep with her represents a brand of personal darkness similar to that seen in “Mystery Spot”. One might argue that Sam would justify his decision to hone his psychic powers because of the immediate benefits; the hosts are saved and the demons are sent back to Hell. But Sam’s reasons were not that noble.
He’s also willing to sleep with Ruby, despite the fact that Ruby is essentially controlling someone else’s body. He’s treading a pretty fine line, since he did not do so when the host was still “present” and question of consent would definitely apply. Ruby inhabits a body no longer “in use” at this point, and that seems to overcome Sam’s natural objections. Even so, does it mitigate the question of consent? It appeared to be on Sam’s mind, but Ruby was rather convincing. The disturbing connotations serves to underscore the fact that Ruby is, in the end, still a demon.
Is it enough reason for the Brothers Winchester to trust Ruby? Probably not. Ruby has always wanted Sam in this position (or why bother inhabiting a hot young woman in the first place?) Ruby represents a quickly diminishing minority among the demons who still look to Sam as the Antichrist Superstar. As noted several times in the third season, the easiest and most effective way to control such a figure is through emotional persuasion. The fact that Ruby saved Sam’s life on more than one occasion doesn’t erase the possibility of an ulterior motive.
The other side to this episode was the more immediate problem of Anna Milton. Besides the nice literary touch of the name, Anna has the intriguing ability to listen in on angelic communications. I said “intriguing”; a better word might be “unfortunate”.
Early in the episode, Anna is used for some necessary exposition. Anna reveals that Lilith’s gambit is a lot harder to counter than originally thought. In fact, it clarifies the reason for Castiel’s worry over the progress of the war. If Lilith had a specific list of 66 seals to open to release Lucifer, the tactics would be very simple (if incredibly harsh). Set up the best angels to protect a handful of seals, and Lilith could open the rest without achieving her goal. Thousands of people might die, but one could still consider the mission a success.
But the true situation, thanks to a clever interpretation of the Revelation, is far more complex. There are about 600 potential seals, and only 66 need to be opened for Lilith to win the day. (See what they did there? Six hundred, and sixty-six.) Which means the angels have to fight to prevent the opening of each and every one, and then resources must be set aside to defend each one that’s not opened. Unless there is an artificial timeline waiting in the wings, Lilith can bide her time and wear down the opposition.
That’s an important consideration, because it gives a definitive reason for why Castiel and Uriel would come calling for Anna. Sam and Dean recognize the problem right away, even if they don’t think through the implications to the logical and lethal end. The demons would want Anna because she is the perfect means of gaining more advantage over the angels. In Old Testament fashion, there’s one way to ensure that such a liability is prevented: Anna must die, and who better to deliver that fate than the angels of the Lord?
I think some fans might be balking at the depiction of the angels, but I find it refreshing. Popular culture depicts angels as uniformly compassionate, nurturing, and, ultimately, rather impotent. They only seem to intervene in positive ways. The earliest depictions are more dispassionate; they perform their duties and deliver judgments as God sees fit. Angels in open war to prevent an apocalyptic maelstrom would no doubt be more like the imposing and implacable figures of old.
It actually brings up an interesting matter of debate. It’s a routine assumption by many religious people that an untimely and even gruesome death is all part of “God’s plan” (in quotes because it is a catch-all term). In other words, for reasons we can’t understand or fathom with our limited perspectives, someone with no apparent guilt had to die. One might imagine that God would send angels to ensure certain horrific deeds are done in the name of this unknowable plan.
So what about this case? It’s not known why Anna has the ability to tune into angel radio, but she can. That ability stands as a threat to the world. So, in this case, Anna must die. I don’t see this as a further bastardization of the depiction of angels, because this could simply be a case where we get a glimpse of what normally is unseen. The real question is how the Brothers Winchester will react to that directive. Something tells me they’re not going to accept the whole “because God said so” explanation. (Especially since Dean is clearly attracted to Anna.)
Whatever the case, this is a serious situation, because we now know that there are demons out there beyond Sam’s ability to exorcise and immune to the Magic Knife. Logically, that had to be the case, since Sam is still learning the ropes, but it does mean that this is not a situation where Sam and Dean can resolve the issue easily. Something is going to have to give, and it’s not going to be pretty.