[Mei Zhuo]

"The Great Escapist"
May 1, 2013, The CW


FEELING LUCKY TONIGHT? — When Sam and Dean receive a distressing video message from Kevin Tran (guest star Osric Chau), they set about trying to uncover the Third Trial. The boys make a discovery that sends them to a casino in Colorado, to find a mysterious recluse (guest star Curtis Armstrong) who may be able to fill in the holes in Kevin's research. Meanwhile, Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard) is on a winning streak. Castiel tries to elude Naomi (guest star Amanda Tapping) and the angels hunting him.

Robert Duncan McNeill directed the episode written by Ben Edlund.

[quin0611]

Tftnt Fla! This episode sounds interesting!

[JDM's❤︎Sweetheart]

TFTNT!

I think this episode is gonna be good!

[quin0611]

I really hope the episode is good too!

[magikhands1]

can't wait! Less than 24 hours

[Tennessee Whiskey]

It's gonna be good.

[Liia]

Can't wait

[Mei Zhuo]

I can't wait either, I really hope it's good.

[quin0611]

Yes I have a feeling the episode will be good too!

[ocfan27]

Kevin! Sam and Dean are there! The other half of the tablet! Omg!! It wasn’t them!! What? Crowley! He knows the way they speak? Dean cooking for Sam..aww! cute! Sam needs to be ok! I’m so worried about him! Kevin’s video! No! Kevin can’t be dead! : ( I feel so bad for him! Awww…Kevin ugh…I hate Castiel! The show doesn’t need him! Castiel disappeared? Going to the same restaurant? Why? What? Sam remembering something from one of his Stanford class? Ok…enough of Castiel! Blood on the table!! Omg! All the dead bodies! Sam’s eyes and hears playing tricks on him! Fake Sam and Dean with Kevin? Sam remembering something that happened to them when they were young? Poor Sam! omg! The guy in the picture was the guy at the front desk! Sam you are going to hurt yourself! SAM!! NO!! about time someone hit Castiel…he deserves it! of course its Crowley! Sam in the ice bath! Sam wanting to show Dean that he knows what he is talking about! Good that Kevin isn’t dead! Castiel should die! This is one crazy tablet! The tablet was inside of him! Omg!! I hate fake Sam and Dean! Sam’s remembering! Aww..Sammy Purifying? Metatron? He hasn’t heard of them? Of course Kevin figured it out! “In a wigwam” they still think Kevin is dead! Burning like crazy!! Kevin’s back! Cure a demon? Omg! Ugh…no more Castiel....interesting episode! I enjoyed it!

[magikhands1]

Wow, Lauren...loved the recap That about sums it up. Glad they at least know what is to come next. Please, no more dying at the end of the season. But I like the thought of Sam being "purified". Maybe angel like? Wouldn't that be a twist?

[JDM's❤︎Sweetheart]

I LOVED having Castiel back! I always look forward to the episodes he is gonna be in. Great episode for the most part. Although, confusing at times as well. I have some questions. Also, WHY THE HECK WAS CASTIEL LAYING IN THE STREET?? He always teleports.

[magikhands1]

Perhaps because he was so hurt he only managed to get near the guys. But my question...what was that that he pulled out of himself and did it kill the other angel or did it clear him from Naomi's power?? That's my assumption anyway. I miss Cas when he's gone too. He's grown on me

[cyke93]

Really great episode and added so much more layer to the SPN world.

I'm curious as to how Crowley got Kevin out of the boat, was it all in his head because when Dean and Sam went into the boat, the windows and everything was still intact. Likewise. how did fake sam and dean get through the holy water as well as the devil traps?

the whole backstory on the angel thing was unexpected, the whole re-programming and it seems like castiel had a few re-boots previously. how did crowley get an angel to do his bidding?

metatron (sp?) gave really great insight into the backstory of heavens inner working and i love how they showed angels and demons being opposite but also so similar to each other.

what else is there on the tablet? and crowley has the angel tablet.. omg.

angel bullets, what?! brilliant move on crowley

castiel going through the chain restaurant, lol and yikes to keeping the tablet in him.

all the coughing of blood and the fever from sam leaves me to believe that the purifying is the demon blood in sam. and it makes sense that castiel says that sam is changing on the atomic level, but somehow i dont believe its as simple as that and i believe sam is changing into something alright.

overall, a couple of plotpoints had be scratching my head. the writing definately isn't as polished as it was during the first five seasons but the mythology of SPN expanded esp with the whole angel aspect that metatron provided. The whole thing about stories and how the author of a story is playing god. and the whole free will vs destiny aspect of the show pops up again in a big. was this gods plan all along? did he throw in free will just to change things up? all big questions, no simple answers. i love this show lol.

I also though, can sam technically be a demon? his eyes did turn black when he killed lilith and freed lucifer. he has demon blood in him. By sam going through the first two trials and being cleansed, he's actually passed the third seal? Also, I thought of Meg when they talked about saving a demon. It seemed that Meg was the closest demon to have turned over a new leaf.

Lastly, as a recent fan of the show, i am kicking myself in the but for not watching sooner but at the same time, it was nice to watch almost 8 seasons uninterupted lol. During parts of season 6 and esp into season 7, i thought that maybe the show was winding down, but man this season has been great and with the men of letters, the tablets, i wouldn't be surprised if SPN did a smallville and go all the way into ten, which i am kinda hoping it does lol. just when i thought they couldn't do more, they managed to a freaking oasis in the dessert.

[JDM's❤︎Sweetheart]

Wow! Great analysis!