Season 8 Episode 12

As Time Goes By

Aired Wednesday 9:00 PM Jan 30, 2013 on The CW
out of 10
User Rating
246 votes

By Users Episode Review


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  • Episode Summary


    Who was the Episode MVP ?

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    • Got Bored

      I ended up ignoring a bit of it out of boredom. I just let it play in the background, while I got a few things done.
    • A little late catching it but what a great episode

      I just finally caught this season 8 episode and am very glad I did. The idea was novel and the time travel scenario played out perfectly as well as explaining the disappearance of Sam and Dean's grandfather. The reactions of Dean were right on as well as his change of heart as the episode developed. The demon and the story behind it was very good as well. And the ending really had a pathos and gave the demon what it deserved. Definitely worth catching and so glad I did.moreless
    • Good episode, but very frustrating.

      A fan since the very first episode here. I really liked this episode actually, finally a few good ones in this quite mediocre season overall.

      However, I found myself becoming more and more frustrated by the fact that Henry never got to realize just how much his grandsons had actually done! Where the heck was Castiel? Where was the Dean speech: "Hehe yeah, but you know what? Sam had Lucifer inside him. I was to be the archangel's meatsuit to face him. Also, I spent quite some time down in hell. I've also spent a year in purgatory, and both me and Sam have been to heaven. But yeah, grandpa, you have your

      From the second that Henry fell out of the motel closet I was waiting for this moment where he got to know what his grandsons had actually accomplished. It was very frustrating to see him die, and as a viewer, think that all he thought his grandsons were was two semi-experienced "hunters".moreless
    • This episode divides the supernatural fan base into 2 groups

      There's the fans that started watching after season 5 and those who have watched in from the beginning. How do I know this, because anyone who watch supernatural from the beginning (like me) hated this episode. It was like watching your favorite book get turned into a movie that doesn't follow the book at all.

      You can't just change 7 seasons of information with one lousy episode. This episode just cannot exist in the supernatural universe. I could deal with the fairy episode not following the storyline because it was funny. But this draws the line for me. And no Castiel, or angels and yet time travel.

      Storyline was predictable,boring and took away way way more than it added. Ending was laughable when Sam referenced how Cupid got their parents together(like they were even pretending to follow any previous episode) what a laugh

      I was thinking maybe alternate universe with the way time travel and the demon killing everyone,maybe they could have made it work, nope. This episode was a big middle finger to true supernatural fans.moreless
    • Season 8- As Time Goes By

      This shouldve been an 11-episode story arc for the second half of the season, and end of the series. One episode was far too short. Its a fantastic episode. But it doesnt make up for all the crappy episodes of this season. :/ and where the hell was castiel.
    Gil McKinney

    Gil McKinney

    Henry Winchester

    Guest Star

    George Touliatos

    George Touliatos

    Larry Ganem

    Guest Star

    Katie Stuart (I)

    Katie Stuart (I)

    Punk Clerk

    Guest Star

    Alaina Huffman

    Alaina Huffman


    Recurring Role

    Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions


    • TRIVIA (0)

    • QUOTES (5)

      • Henry: I'm from Normal, IL. 1958.

      • Henry: You're men of letters, correct?


        Sam: You mean my phone?
        Henry: Even better. Operator, I need Delta 457.
        Dean: Who are you not calling?

        Sam: About?

    • NOTES (1)

      • International Airdates:
        Canada: February 3, 2013 on SPACE
        Australia: February 11, 2013 on Eleven
        Norway: March 29, 2013 on FEM
        UK: August 7, 2013 on Sky Living
        Finland: November 27, 2014 on Sub

    • ALLUSIONS (6)

      • Dean: You're not going anywhere, 007...

      • Dean: So you're like Yodas to our Jedis.

      • Punk Clerk: Carrie screening's on Sunday.

      • Henry: It's from Casablanca.


        Referencing the Back to the Future movies (1985) starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a teenager who travels through time using his mentor Doc Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) time-traveling device, mounted in a DeLorean. Marty goes back to when his parents first met, similar to what happens here with Dean. Also, the scene where Dean first encounters his dad at a diner is a near reenactment from the movie. In it, Marty was unaware that the man next to him was his dad, until someone called their last name and they both turned around. And the man that visits Lydia is Dr. Brown.