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Dean and Crowley are staking out the office building, and Dean notices the guards. He assumes theyâ€™re demons, but Crowley knows theyâ€™re human shields. The demons are upstairs. Dean wants to find a way in through the back. Crowley is unimpressed. â€œYou Winchesters make everything so complicated.â€ Dean looks over and not only is Crowley gone, but heâ€™s inside slitting the throat of one of the guards. Dean freaks out and runs inside where Crowley has taken out both humans in gruesome fashion and is cleaning off his knife. Crowley doesnâ€™t understand Deanâ€™s outrage. He ignores it and takes him over to the elevator, claiming a tight schedule. Dean is still disturbed, looking at the dead bodies. â€œNow youâ€™re squeamish?â€ Crowley says. â€œPlease.â€
Crowley puts Dean into the elevator and presses 12, but doesnâ€™t get in himself. â€œGo get â€˜em tiger.â€ Dean stops the door from closing, surprised Crowley isnâ€™t coming. â€œNo, itâ€™s not safe up there. Thereâ€™s demons.â€ Dean gets that. Crowley tells him to do what he told him and try to be convincing. â€œItâ€™ll work like a charm, trust me.â€ He pushes Dean back into the elevator and the door closes, showing Crowley through the glass on the other end waving with an encouraging look. From a demon? Oh, that canâ€™t be good.   A rattled Dean stands in the elevator alone, checking his pocket, seeing heâ€™s only got the knife as his backup. He rolls his eyes, accepting heâ€™s screwed. Okay, this is ominous.

Next is Brady in his office, who hears the commotion outside. He raises his eyebrows and opens the door with a wave of his hand. Thereâ€™s Dean, taking out one of his guards with the knife. â€œDean Winchester,â€ Brady says. â€œWhat, no appointment?â€ Dean walks in a little out of breath, claiming itâ€™s an eleventh hour thing. That is very true. He wipes the knife on a nice jacket on the coat hanger and Brady even turns a seat around with his mind control for him to take. Dean still isnâ€™t sure it he should be doing this. â€œHowâ€™s your brother?â€ Brady asks. Dean doesnâ€™t answer, putting the knife in his pocket (blade side up??) and glaring at Brady with discontent. He takes a seat. Yeah, heâ€™s really out of his element.   Brady, with a fake corporate smile, asks â€œWhat can I do for you?â€ You know how many times a corporate manager has asked me that and then used my request to stab me in the back? Oh right, Dean. (must not be bitter, must not be bitter). 
Dean goes into the routine he obviously went through with Crowley. Dean says itâ€™s about what he can do for him. He brings up and he and Sam dropped â€œtwo of his jockeys,â€ (yes Brady got the memo) and they kept their secret power rings. Thatâ€™s why heâ€™s there. He heard some folks say that he wanted them back and he was willing to pay. Brady wants to know where they are and Dean replies not there. If he wants them, he can come with him and they can discuss the transaction. Right, Brady is going to buy that! Thatâ€™s why Dean realized he was screwed.

â€œWho says I want them?â€ Brady answers. â€œWhat?â€ Dean asks, not getting the answer he was expecting. Brady repeats, this time much slower for patronizing purposes. Dean rather unconfidently claims â€œYou know, folks.â€ Brady continues to stare blankly and Dean gives a nervous smile. Oh boy, I think Dean has been setup. Brady gets up and moves closer to Dean. Even if he could cram the rings back on War and Famineâ€™s bony fingers, it wouldnâ€™t do any good. â€œTheyâ€™re withered husks right now, fetal position on the floor, all thanks to you.â€ He doesnâ€™t want the rings. He wants retribution. â€œAnd Iâ€™m going to rip it right out of your ass!â€ Ha! Crowley sent Dean in there knowing all the demons wanted was revenge on him. He is evil!

Next thing Dean is flying out the door with a nice gash on his forehead. Brady pursues looking very satisfied. â€œThis is so good (kicks Dean), therapeutic for sure. You know Dean I really owe you one buddy because I feel so good.â€ He kicks Dean hard three times in a row and is obviously riding the adrenaline rush to its greatest pleasure. Dean rolls on the floor. Heâ€™s screwed!
After a commercial break, somehow Dean gets to the elevator. Of course all that happened off camera, so Iâ€™ll fill in the blanks. Bradyâ€™s blackberry goes off.  Thereâ€™s an important message from the lab about the â€œtrials.â€ He takes the call.  Dean gets his senses about him but in his flee finds the stairwell door is locked, or not there. Luckily he got enough of a jump where he can wait for the elevator. See, it all makes sense.  Dean gets on the elevator while Brady yells out to him theyâ€™re just getting started. Yeah, like heâ€™s going to run from a demon in an elevator. Also, why donâ€™t you have the knife handy right about now Dean? The knife that probably cut you up a little bit in your pocket while Brady was kicking the crap out of you.
Despite the logic of running from a demon in the elevator, this is a really cool shot and one Robert Singer has done before with great success. As Dean waits nervously in the elevator, the camera pans full circle on him, showing his panic from all delightful angles. It starts with a half circle and has Dean resting against the back of the elevator, in some huge pain, waiting with baited breath for the door to open. Then Dean moves forward and the shot goes another half circle, showing Dean getting off of the elevator from behind. That little camera trick really heightens the anticipation for whatâ€™s to come. Well done.

The door opens and the wide shot shows Dean stepping out of the elevator alone. He looks both ways, coast is clear. Then the shot closes in and Brady is right behind him. Yikes!    He smacks Dean and he goes tumbling forward. â€œGood meeting Dean, Iâ€™m excited.â€ He goes for Dean and suddenly a bag with a Devilâ€™s trap is thrown over his head by Crowley and he pounds a crowbar into his skull, about ten times. If Bradyâ€™s host wasnâ€™t dead before, he is now. He falls to the ground.

Crowley smiles at Dean, whoâ€™s having a hard time pulling himself off the floor. Dean wants to know what the Hell was that. â€œThat was perfect,â€ Crowley says. â€œPerfect?â€ Dean asks very unnerved. â€œHe didnâ€™t want the rings, he wanted me.â€ â€œImagine the surprise on your face. Your ignorance and misinformation, I mean itâ€™s completely authentic. You canâ€™t fake that.â€ Dean isnâ€™t happy. â€œWhat, it went like clockwork,â€ Crowley boasts. â€œNot for me you son of a bitch,â€ Dean replies. â€œThatâ€™s what you get, working with a demon.â€ Sorry, I shouldnâ€™t be laughing over this, but I am. Dean should know by now and I love that Crowley isnâ€™t bashful about it.

The Impala thunders down the road and it just occurred to me weâ€™re 31 minutes in and even though these scenes have been pretty rich in dialogue and character exposition, they havenâ€™t been rich on plot. Ah well, Iâ€™m still enjoying this. Dean wipes the blood off his forehead while Crowley carves a symbol into Bradyâ€™s chest. â€œHey hot stuff, watch the upholstery.â€ Huh Dean? Sam just put a hole in it and youâ€™re worried about what Crowley is doing? â€œUp yours, mate,â€ Crowley replies. What he carved is a binding symbol so Brady wonâ€™t be smoking out. It locks him in the meat suit, which is an important piece of their bargaining strategy. Crowley then states that they donâ€™t want I-50. They need to take 93 North. Dean doesnâ€™t get why. They canâ€™t take Brady back to Sam. Dean has to demand an answer that Crowley is reluctant to give. â€œThey got history, alright?â€  Dean slams on the brakes and demands Crowley start talking.



# Tigershire 2010-05-07 15:37
You know, in past seasons I would have been screaming at Bobby to say "NO" at the end of this episode. I'd worry until the next epi to find out what happens and if he said yes or not.

Now, I think I'm in th same mindset at the characters. I REALLY didn't want Bobby to say yes to Crowley but considering the situation and the immenent end of the season.......I sucked it up and accepted that he was probably going to say yes and even though I didn't like the option any more than he did, I can see that while Bobby still had a choice, the unpleasent one was likely to bear fruit.

What does it mean that the most shocking moment was Sam accidently stabbing the Impala's seat? Am I becoming jaded? Actually, not likley. I can just see the progression of the story line. And, for me it doesn't dimish my enjoyment in the show (thankfully), especially since I revel in the quality of the acting as much as in the story.

Nice recap, as always, Alice. :-)
# Sablegreen 2010-05-07 16:05
Nice recap, Alice. I was shocked when Sam sunk that knife into the impala. Dean said nothing! I would have thought Dean would have had a fit! Sam and that knife are becoming quite a twosome.

Loved the screencaps of Dean and Sam when Dean agrees to go with Crowley. Crowley is a funny character, but tagging around with a demon has never been good for the boys.

Yes, I was suprised Sam was still awake after all that whiskey, maybe it takes two bottles to affect a moose! :lol:

There were definitely slow spots in it for me. I really would like to see more action. Miss that for sure!
# BagginsDVM 2010-05-07 23:41
I think I let out a little yelp when Sam stuck the knife by accident into the Impala. Dean must have been really distracted not to notice that!
That shot of the ghostly Impala in the alley was beautiful. Can't wait to see that image on the DVD without the CW logo marring the view.

Sam standing there in the alley, so silently imposing & ominous, gave me chills.
# Randal 2010-05-08 15:31
Don't get me started on Jethro fucking Tull. Did you really have to mention that travesty?

Hey, Grammy voters, arguably the finest metal album ever? Did I mention EVER? I know those awards are more worthless than a birdcage's used newsprint, but c'mon. Wankers.

The one danger in a show such as this (or the X-Files, to name an obvious example) when there's a heavy, consecutive dose of mytharc stuff, is that there will be slow spots for setting up the big payday, but since they were, as you pointed out, entertaining, I can certainly live with it.

Always easier to sell vast depths of offscreen stuff when it's a MOTW instead of The End Of The Freaking WorldÂ®.
# Jasminka 2010-05-08 19:41
Alice, loved this. This episode might have its weaknesses, but I loved it anyway. I seem to have a knack for the tragic, dark stories. Tell me about it.

The brothers' modus operandi is slowly changing, and watching their faces, it creeps me out - what might be going on in there? How can they stand it any longer? There were moments I just wanted to step into the tv and give them a hug.

I needed one myself.

The alley fight in the end kept me on edge long after it was over. Sam's slow advance on Brady, his trembling, yet decisive 'Start' was like a knife in my gut. 'INteresting theory' was another. Dean looking on was heartwrenching, with Sam walking to the car quietly, but there was that tension in his shoulders...

I made my bed when I began to love this show, but right now I feel like it's killing me. Ah, I wonder what being undead might feel like.#

Thanks for this amazing recap, dear. Love Jas