I’ll say, flat out, that this episode was amazing. I usually watch an episode twice to try and catch everything — which is why most of these reviews are a little late — but I think with this latest episode, I might have to watch it a few more times to get everything. Oh, darn. 😉

This episode had something for everyone (including the slash fans). There was angst, action, twists, turns, comedy and much more. While it might seem this episode was focused primarily on Dean — hell, some would say this season, if not the last one and others, has been focused on Dean — this was as much Castiel’s episode as it was Dean’s, so let’s look as Cas first. First, I was worried that Castiel was becoming just a shell of a character, as he didn’t do a heckuva lot in the last couple of episodes but brood and what not.

Thankfully, the Castiel we all love comes back in this episode with a God damned vengeance. First, kicking the snot out of several angels repeatedly — and killing them, which worries me about their thinning numbers — and then HE CUTS A SIGIL IN HIS OWN DAMNED CHEST TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WAREHOUSE NEAR THE END. Holy. Crap. Like, seriously, holy crapola in a handbasket. That was seriously hard-core awesomeness. His thrashing of Dean was also awesome, and mostly deserved, if you ask me. I totally loved Castiel in this episode. There was some slashyness going on between him and Dean, but I hope this is all we see of it. 😉

I also need to talk about Kurt Fuller as Zachariah for a second. I loved his turn in this episode. Zach has always been a great character, but this time he pulled out all the stops, and it was awesome. His smug glibness, arrogance and so on got him, I think, the fate he deserved with his death at Dean’s hand (which I wonder about, but more on that below).

Now onto Dean. Oh, Dean, Dean, Dean, you need a hug, among other things. Played brilliantly by Jensen this week, we see Dean at the end of his rope, giving up, and yet still sarcastic and wiley as ever. His dialogue with nearly all of the characters this week was heartbreaking, but thankfully uplifting at the end. The way he talked to both Bobby ("You’re not my father") and Sam ("I’ve lost faith…in you") were just awful to see. I mean, even though we pretty much knew this is how he’d been feeling lately, to see him say it — and the subsequent reactions — was just so sad.

Let’s not forget Jared, who turned in a fantastic performance as the little brother who didn’t give up on his big brother. Sam was excellent in this episode, as one of the few left on the team with any actual hope. This is interesting, since he was the one who seemed to have the least amount hope and faith in both the last season and the early part of this season. Maybe he’s past that now and can focus on the matter at hand, which would mean that while Sam is having less of a crisis of faith at the very moment, Dean is still mired in his. Maybe that’s why Sam is so sympathetic.

Let’s also talk about the return of Jake Abel as Adam, the third Winchester brother. When they showed him in the teaser, I was like "Oh crap! They’re gonna use HIM as Michael’s meatsuit since it’s in the bloodline!" I was also surprised to see Adam because I kinda sorta forgot about him *sheepish look*. 😉 Thankfully the people behind the show didn’t forget its past, and Abel did a fantastic job as the third Winchester, with both the sarcasm of Dean and some of the heart of Sam.

Sadly, Bobby didn’t have a helluva lot to do in this episode, but what he did do was very poignant. The whole speech he gave Dean about his gun, and how he promised Dean he wouldn’t give up, was insanely touching. I also loved how he totally flat out wouldn’t accept any lip from Sam, Dean or even Adam. We’ve seen that before, but it’s good to see him have some of his spirit back after the events of "Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid".

Now, onto what I didn’t like…which was basically nothing, so moving on from that, let’s look at the questions this episode raises. 😉 First, it’s been said before that only angels can kill angels, so how was Dean able to kill Zachariah? My personal theory is that either Michael is already in Dean, and acting like Dean to be subtle about it, or that Michael is helping Dean out somehow. This might also explain how he was able to kill the Whore of Babylon in the previous episode, since only a "true servant of God" could do it, and Dean never really explained how he did it, just said he didn’t know. This also might explain his seemingly sudden "let’s go get ’em" attitude at the end of the episode.

Secondly…what happened to Adam at the end? Did Michael wear him, and would Adam have even said yes at this point (that’s if the previous theory was shown to be invalid, of course)? Was he just sent back to heaven, where he really belongs, to hopefully see his mother again? Thirdly, when Castiel warped himself and the other Angels to "Oz," where did they all go? Did they all go to the same place, meaning he’d have to keep fighting them? Does he survive that and if so, how?

Since we only have basically four episodes left in the season, hopefully these questions will be answered soon…and awesomely. I personally love where this season has been going lately, and I am more excited than ever to see where it will end up in a few weeks once we hit the finale. With a sixth season confirmed, I doubt we’ll see another Winchester death, but honestly, who knows at this point? Overall, this was an excellent, excellent episode that I think I’ll go watch again right now. 😉