Supernatural, 4x20, “The Rapture”

Episode Title: The Rapture
Writer: Jeremy Carver

Director: Charles Beeson

Originally Aired: 04/30/2009
Grade: C

At first, I thought this was a Castiel episode. Then I realized it was Misha Collins episode. The meat of the episode really doesn’t tell us much about Castiel—everything about him is at the beginning and the end, and there’s not much to it. Instead, this episode just tells us a lot about some random dude named Jimmy that no one really gives a fuck about.

It is to Collins’ credit that Jimmy doesn’t come off as Castiel 2.0, at least. Jimmy is very different from Cas and is a passably charming guy, but still, something felt off. I just didn’t buy this character as a husband and a father. For one thing, he seemed too immature and clueless, and for another, there was little to no chemistry with the wife.

Sam’s demon blood junkie storyline is giving me bad flashbacks to Buffy’s “magic is a drug” plotline. It was awful on that show, and it’s equally awful here, although at least demon blood being icky and addictive and corrosive is less offensive than taking something that was positive and empowering (magic) and turning it into something dark and ugly (drugs are bad!).

And oh hai, Sam and Dean role reversal. So now Dean’s the sensitive, considerate one and Sam’s the blunt asshole? How very subtle of you, show…

Oh yeah, what’s this deal about angel vessel suitability being “in the blood”? Is it just me, or is that mildly disturbing in a “chosen race” sort of way? Do I remember Anna telling a story about angels reproducing with humans, or am I pulling that from Reaper?