Supernatural 4.09 Review - "I Know What You Did Last Summer"

Plot holes are no fun, but if you're a road show mystery like Supernatural you can get away with them. With last night's "I Know What You Did Last Summer," though, the Supernatural writer's got to work with a bit of exposition on what went on while Dean (Jensen Ackles) was in hell. The achievement of the episode wasn't how interesting those heavily anticipated flashbacks were, but how well they played along with the present tense of the episode and the introduction of an intriguing new character.

The wedge of secrecy that has been gradually driven between the brothers comes front and center when Ruby clues Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean in on a girl with a very special ability: she can hear what the angels are talking about. They are not actually visiting her, mind you, but she overhears it none-the-less. Dean is incredulous, given the source, and the back forth throughout the episode over secret-keeping triggers a series of flash backs.

The Sam flash backs are the most revealing throughout the first half of the episode getting to Supernatural's roots a bit. We see a despondent Sam sinking to every depth you can imagine. He goes to the crossroads and tries to broker an exchange for Dean, but nothing doing. When Ruby show's up to kill him, on orders from Lilith, she betrays her partner, saving Sam's life. Sam still won't have anything to do with her, pointing out that the body she is in is stolen. After that we get a little background on how Ruby became Ruby (Genevieve Cortese) by taking over the body of a terminally ill girl about to be taken off life support.

In terms of Dean's revelations, since hell might be a little expensive on Supernatural's budget, we don't get a lot. The one fact that comes through loud and clear is the fact that Sam is damaged goods now, it is Dean that the demons, as well as the Angels, are most interested in. During a confrontation with a demon that tormented Dean while he was in hell, Sam's powers are shown to be pretty ineffective, along with the demon knife. Not quite a game-changer, yet, but Supernatural fans who felt like those two items were a cheat will be happy to know that it seems like the Winchester brothers will be at a huge disadvantage in coming episodes.