SUPERNATURAL: ‘You Can’t Handle the Truth’

Hey SUPERNATURAL fans! Another pretty great episode last night, right? While you may not have gotten all of the answers you were looking for (what, exactly, is up with Sam?), we did get one very important one (Sam is going through more than a personality change since getting back from hell, and this is a good thing…I hope).

Things started off with a good and creepy cold open, which ended with a shot of a restaurant sign declaring it was “The Happy Place!” getting splattered with blood. Always a good way to kick things off.

So, people in a small town are being cursed with something that prompts those around them to tell them the truth, no matter how ugly. In every scene, there’s a newscast subtly playing on a television in the background and the woman distinctly says the word “truth” in each scene. This is followed by the person in question asking someone to tell them the truth, thereby kick-starting the curse.

So far, it’s led to four suicides, but then a man goes to the dentist, his friend, and they get to talking. Things start off well, and then the man slowly begins to reveal things about himself until he lets it slip that he’s attracted to his friend’s (presumably teenage? I hope?) daughter, and that he’d managed to sleep with her when she attended a slumber party at his house. The dentist, understandably enraged, then proceeds to force the drill into his friend’s throat just as a dental assistant walks in and starts screaming bloody murder. I’m still thinking about that scene this morning – it was fast-paced, but measured, and so well done. Also, it portrayed the scariest thing of all – the dark underside of real human behavior, which is always scarier than monsters.

Dean obviously has major trust issues with his brother after last week’s vampire incident, and so he calls Bobby to discuss it. It was both scary and sad to hear them discussing the possibility that they may have to “put [Sam] down”. Of course, nobody wants that, but if it’s not even Sam they’re dealing with, that is a distinct possibility. Every interaction between the brothers is causing me to scrutinize minute details for clues and subtext.

Bobby acknowledges what we’ve all been saying – that the worst possible thing would be that Sam had just changed. Dean wouldn’t even let himself consider the fact that the man he’d met a few weeks ago was actually his brother, just different after what he’d been through. It was too much – how could he love a brother that was so cold he’d watch him get turned by a vampire and do nothing? Ackles was great at portraying Dean’s physical discomfort even being in the same room as this…person. He was fidgeting like a junkie until Sam left.

Of course, as we knew from the previews for this week, Dean became infected with the Veritas curse, which at first proved to have it’s benefits. I loved that Dean couldn’t resist his horndog side when the girl with the brand new boobs (sounds like the fourth book in that Lisbeth Sanders series) gave him license to admire them at his leisure.

Dean obviously wants to use his new curse to get the goods out of his brother and find out what the hell is going on. When it hits Sam that Dean has been infected, he seems more curious than upset. Again; not good, Sam. Through some research they determine that the god Veritas is behind everything, and that she’s been stealing the corpses of those she causes to die in order to feed on them. Now Dean doesn’t just need to worry about being driven to suicide, he also has an attention-whore god looking to make a meal out of him.

Dean gets right to the point with Sam and asks him why he did nothing while Dean was turned. Sam gives him a desperate speech about being frozen in place. He’s lying; clearly. He didn’t just freeze – he smiled. Smiled! Is Dean so desperate to cling to his brother that he’s letting himself ignore what he knows he saw? This begs the question, why is Sam not vulnerable to compulsion by the curse? Is this more evidence that he’s not really Sam (please say yes)?

Okay, hold up. Sam killed a dog. Therefore, this is not Sam. Could the master of puppy dog eyes really harm one of his own? Doubtful. But they need to blood to kill the god, because Veritas is a wealthy, stylish and beautiful version of the crazy cat lady. Of course before they can do it, she discovers them and ties them up in her glamorous bathroom/disgusting torso locker.

In Veritas’ game of Truth or Truth with the brothers, Dean has a heartbreaking moment of self-realization; he’s not a father – he’s a killer. It’s what he is deep down, and now he thinks that Sam isn’t a monster after all, but rather just becoming more like him. Its not really surprising that a year out of the life hasn’t cured Dean of his lifelong insecurities and self-doubts, but it’s still sad to hear him say it out loud.

The interaction between Sam and Veritas, once she realized he was immune to her and lying right to her face, was pretty great. Even though I had expected and hoped for confirmation that he wasn’t merely just a changed man, it was great to finally get it.

After they ganked the god, Dean turned on Sam in a heartbeat. Now that he knows something is definitely up, he’s not letting it go. Sam’s confession (that since he’s been back, he’s been different – he doesn’t feel anything) was good, and enough to make Dean put down his knife, but not his anger. In a scene reminiscent (but nowhere near as brutal) of Lucifer!Sam’s attack of Dean in last season’s finale, Dean gave Sam a beatdown that’s been coming since the premiere.

Some favorite quotes and other observations:

* “There are worst-case scenarios, you know.” “Yeah, what; Satan is my co-pilot? I know.”
* Harry of Harry’s House of Horns could not have sounded more west-coast Canadian. I felt like was watching a show on CBC for a second.
* Cas was back! But only for a second; just long enough to let us know that Sam is definitely NOT Lucifer. Well, that’s something.
* In case anyone needed reminding, Jensen Ackles gives good close-up (the scene with the bartender when he first realizes he’s cursed).
* Dean is Bobby’s favorite, but Sam is a better hunter (now). Also, Bobby is a Tori Spelling fan, and enjoys sporadic pedicures from a tiny lady with a tremendous grip.
* “You two have the most unhealthy, tangled up, crazy thing that I’ve ever seen.” (Lisa telling Dean that she couldn’t deal with him and his brother issues – yeah, that about sums it up).

So what is really going on with Sam? We’ll have to wait until next week to find out, but feel free to theorize spoiler free in the comments (and if you don’t want to know, avoid next week’s promo at all costs). What did you think of the episode? Talk to me!

As usual, I’m including the promo for next week’s episode, but WARNING: there is a very significant spoiler regarding Sam, so if you want to wait to find out what’s going on, you’ll definitely want to skip it. I kind of wish I had. It brings a few questions to mind, but I’m going to save those for next week. If you do watch the video, please don’t post spoilers in the comments out of respect for those who want to wait:

Follow @GiveMeMyRemote and @TONicole on Twitter for the latest TV news. Connect with other TV fans on GIVE ME MY REMOTE’s official Facebook page.
And to be the first to see our exclusive videos by subscribing to our You Tube channel at youtube.com/givememyremotetv.