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Reviews
Supernatural: Lazarus Rising (2008)
You don't think you deserve to be saved
Castiel waltzed into that barn, knocked Bobby out in one hit, and read Dean like a picture book. Name me a more iconic character introduction--nay, a more iconic character.
The buildup to the ending reveal is just incredible. And Dean's constant doubting that it could be anything other than a demonic force...it's such a good re-introduction to his character after season 3, and really boils his character down to it's essentials. The gas station scene...mwah.
This episode's hype can be diluted a little bit if you allow the following seasons and poor writing to influence it, but I can still enjoy it as its own, separate episode--the beginning episode of an alternate universe Supernatural where the writing remained strong and creative, where characters actually developed over time, and where the cinematography remained pretty.
Supernatural: The Man Who Would Be King (2011)
He watched him rake leaves. For presumably hours.
This episode is a wonderful character study of Castiel, and for that it makes me insane. This guy, this dude...Misha Collins's acting really shines and gives such depth to scenes that on the page would be pretty good, but his performance makes them exceptional.
The internal struggle Castiel faces of who he owes his loyalty to, his conversation with his absent father that frames the whole episode, his fight to protect the man he loves but also coming to terms with the fact that the path he chose to do that very thing goes against Dean's moral compass...it's so so good. Certain scenes are almost hard for me to get through because Cas looks in so much pain, and knowing that things don't get easier for him...it hurts.
The Man Who Would Be King's ending confrontation between Dean and Cas walked so Portrait of a Lady on Fire's bonfire scene could run.
I wish, wish more episodes focused on Cas like this. I think they really wasted his potential as a character overall. But I can live in peace knowing that some people (Ben Edlund) saw the potential Cas has as a character, developed that, and made great episodes like this.