Dream a Little Dream of Me (Supernatural)
Encyclopedia
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" is the tenth episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernatural
s third season
. It was first broadcast on The CW on February 7, 2008. The narrative follows series protagonists Sam
(Jared Padalecki
) and Dean Winchester
(Jensen Ackles
) as they enter the dreamscape to rescue the comatose Bobby Singer
(Jim Beaver
).
Developed by Sera Gamble and Cathryn Humphris, the episode was written by the latter and directed by Steve Boyum
. It delves into the backstory of Bobby, and also features a major turning point in Dean's search for self-worth. Many dream sequences had to be altered due to production issues, though series creator Eric Kripke
believes it ultimately benefited the episode.
Critics gave generally positive reviews that praised Ackles for his dual performance and the production staff for their work on the dream sequences. However, they heavily criticized the actions of recurring character Bela Talbot
(Lauren Cohan
).
, hunter Bobby Singer
(Beaver) searches around an old house and is suddenly attacked by a woman (Elizabeth Marleau). A maid tries to no avail to wake him up in his motel room. Meanwhile, Dean Winchester
(Ackles) finds his brother Sam
(Padalecki) drinking at a bar in the middle of the afternoon. When Dean questions him about it, a drunken Sam admits that he is upset about not being able to save Dean from his demonic pact, which left him only a year to live. What bothers Sam even more is that Dean, who has little self-worth, is not even concerned about his fate. Their conversation is interrupted by a call from the hospital.
After the brothers visit Bobby, who is in an unexplainable coma, they search his motel room and find a newspaper article about a doctor who suffered a sleep-related death. Dean visits the doctor's office, and learns that he was conducting secret dream experiments for his study on sleep disorders. Dean tracks down Jeremy, a young man who was part of the sleep study because he could not dream. While they talk, Jeremy offers Dean a beer, and he drinks it. Jeremy (G. Michael Gray) reveals that the experiment allowed him to dream by drinking a yellow tea, but the dreams scared him so much that he dropped out of the study. Sam, who has been busy conducting research, later tells Dean that a plant known as "African Dream Root" allegedly allows a person to enter and manipulate others' dreams; they believe someone killed the doctor in this manner and is now targeting Bobby. As a terrified Bobby hides in a closet within his dream, Dean suggests to Sam that they themselves use the dream root to save him.
The brothers contact Bela Talbot
(Cohan)—a thief and frequent thorn in the Winchesters' sides—to supply them with dream root. She enters the motel room wearing a trench coat, and removes it to reveal the lingerie underneath. She begins to passionately kiss Sam, and they lie on the bed. However, Sam is soon awakened from his dream by Dean, and Bela arrives moments later. She gives them the dream root without argument—she claims Bobby saved her life in Flagstaff—but is then kicked out. The brothers use the root to make tea, and soon find themselves in a clean version of Bobby's house. Sam goes outside into brightly-lit scenery of flowers and singing birds, but becomes locked out of the house. Inside, Dean locates Bobby, who does not believe that he is dreaming. A woman with stab wounds approaches them, and Bobby reveals that she is his wife. Years prior, she became possessed, and Bobby was forced to stab her because he did not know how to exorcise the demon from her; her death led him to become a hunter. As Sam is attacked outside by an angry Jeremy, Bobby takes control of the dream, and they awaken.
Bobby explains that the man who attacked Sam is Jeremy Frost; he was unable to dream because his father brutally hit him in the head with a baseball bat. The target's DNA is a required ingredient for the dream-root tea, and Jeremy acquired Bobby's by offering him a beer. Dean realizes that he made the same mistake. Vulnerable to Jeremy, they both stay awake for two days while attempting to track him down. Unable to endure it any longer, Dean goes to sleep to face Jeremy, and Sam uses the dream root to enter his dream. The brothers encounter a dream version of Lisa Braeden (Cindy Sampson)—Dean's former love interest—outstide on a blanket with a picnic basket. She invites Dean to join her, and tells him that she loves him before disappearing. Though Dean denies ever having that dream before, it is an obvious lie. Sam then sees Jeremy nearby and chases after him, and Dean finds himself in a long hallway. He enters his motel room, and comes face-to-face with a dream version of him; he is his own worst nightmare. The Dream Dean comments on the real Dean's feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing; he also deems Dean to be as "mindless and obedient as an attack dog", noting that his possessions, personality, and motives all stem from his father. When the Dream Dean calls him a "good soldier and nothing else", the real Dean reacts violently and exclaims that he did not deserve the burdens that his father put onto him and that he does not deserve to go to Hell. The real Dean shoots his doppelganger with a shotgun, but he returns to life as a demon. The Dream Dean taunts him that he cannot escape his fate, and reminds him that exposure to Hell will transform him into a demon.
Elsewhere, Sam finds and confronts Jeremy. The latter manipulates the dreamscape to his favor, but Sam retaliates by summoning the form of Jeremy's father. A terrified Jeremy is distracted, and Sam kills him with a baseball bat. The brothers then awaken from their dreams. When they find that Bela lied about Bobby saving her life, they realize that she stole the Colt—a mystical gun capable of killing anything—from them. As the brothers prepare to leave to hunt her down, Dean admits that he does not want to die. Sam promises him that they will figure out a way to save him.
to be his homage to the film Dreamscape
, the episode was the culmination of many previous pitches. Series writer Sera Gamble had been suggesting a dream-based episode since the show's first season, but it was not until the third season that the writers found the concept feasible. Although Cathryn Humphris was selected to pen "Dream a Little Dream of Me" due to her position on the writers' rotation, she was teamed with Gamble to develop the story. On this pairing, Humphris commented, "I think that we complement each other well. Sera's great at the really scary moments, and I think I'm pretty good at some of the connective tissue and putting stuff together in the larger landscape."
. The writers always knew his history would be "grounded in family". Reflecting this, the original teaser depicted the supernatural deaths of Bobby's children; while eating dinner with his family, his children's throats are supernaturally slit, and they would ask him, "Why, daddy, why did you let this happen?" However, the writers could not determine where to go from there. Following Humphris' earlier pitch of Bobby being an expert exorcist because of a previous failed exorcism, the focus changed to Bobby's torment about killing his demonically-possessed wife.
Other planned dream sequences were drastically altered due to production issues. One such scene, made to look like 80's-style film stock, had Dean being confronted by serial killer Jason Voorhees
of the Friday the 13th film series
. After production cleared the rights to use the character, Kripke made everyone view Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
to help them create the "perfect facsimile" of Jason. However, the movie studio that had granted permission realized a few days before filming that it did not actually own the rights. In dire need of a new concept, the writers recalled Sam's dream sequence with Bela; since Sam is revealed to be a "horn dog" underneath, the writers wanted Dean to be the opposite. Dean secretly desires a normal family, so they had Cindy Sampson reprise her role as Lisa Braeden—Dean's love interest from "The Kids are Alright". On retrospect, Kripke preferred this scene over Jason because it is more illuminating of Dean's character.
Dean's other dream is a major turning point in the character's storyline, after which he starts gaining self-respect and realizes that he truly wants to live. He begins the season with little self-worth, and the writers realized that this outlook stems from his father, John Winchester
. Initially, they planned to have Jeffrey Dean Morgan
reprise his role as John, who would browbeat Dean within the dreamscape. When they learned that Morgan was busy filming Watchmen
, the writers instead found inspiration in the junkyard scene from the film Superman III
, in which good and evil versions of Superman confront one another. Kripke noted, however, that the conversation between the two Deans still focuses on John.
, British Columbia
, with Bobby's hospital scenes being filmed at Eagle Ridge Hospital
in Port Moody, British Columbia
. To distinguish the dream sequences, director of photography Serge Ladouceur used full blue lighting in the backgrounds—he normally uses half. The seamless transitions between dream scenes were accomplished by compressing the background with a long lens
.
was happy to see Jim Beaver become more involved in the storyline, and praised Ackles for his "amazing job" during the confrontation between the two Deans. She described the latter scenes as "seamless, yet painful to watch". Although Charles was happy to see the Colt get stolen—she thought the weapon was "too easy" and had lost its mystique—she noted her annoyance that the brothers continue to "look ridiculous" because Bela is able to steal things from them. Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union-Tribune
gave the episode an A-. Despite the "sluggish pacing" of the first half, the "paternal baggage" and monster of the week
"built up enough emotional resonance to triumph". She noted the actors' performances, such as the "great Winchester moment" in which Sam discusses Dean's demonic pact; for Peterson, "...the dark, wounded look in Jared Padalecki's eyes totally sells it". The "brutally good character writing" and "truly impressive work" done for Dean's dream-encounter with himself was also lauded, with Peterson writing, "Ackles gives two of his best performances in the history of the show. At the same time." Like Charles, however, she pointed out how "uncharacteristically stupid about Bela" the Winchesters have been. She commented, "Bela appears to have eaten the writers' brains for breakfast." The episode received a score of 7 out of 7 from TV Squad's Brett Love. Bobby's backstory at first was a "bit of a shock" for him, but he eventually came to realize that it "fits very well". Love also thought that the dream root aspect "worked out great", and deemed the dreamscapes "creepy and unsettling".
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
s third season
Supernatural (season 3)
Season three of Supernatural, an American television series, began airing on October 4, 2007. This is the second season to air on the CW television network...
. It was first broadcast on The CW on February 7, 2008. The narrative follows series protagonists Sam
Sam Winchester
Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of The CW Television Network's Supernatural along with his older brother Dean. He is portrayed by Jared Padalecki.-Background:...
(Jared Padalecki
Jared Padalecki
Jared Tristan Padalecki is an American actor. He grew up in Texas and came to fame in the early 2000s after appearing on the television series Gilmore Girls as well as in several Hollywood films, including New York Minute and House of Wax...
) and Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
(Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ross Ackles is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville...
) as they enter the dreamscape to rescue the comatose Bobby Singer
Bobby Singer
Robert "Bobby" Singer is a fictional character in The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural portrayed by Jim Beaver. Chosen due to his working relationship with executive producer Robert Singer, Beaver made his initial appearance in the first season finale "Devil's Trap"...
(Jim Beaver
Jim Beaver
James Norman "Jim" Beaver, Jr. is an American stage, film, and television actor, playwright, screenwriter, and film historian...
).
Developed by Sera Gamble and Cathryn Humphris, the episode was written by the latter and directed by Steve Boyum
Steve Boyum
Steve Boyum is a long time Hollywood stunt performer, television director and film director. He has appeared in over 60 films as a stunt performer.-Selected filmography as a director:*Human Target...
. It delves into the backstory of Bobby, and also features a major turning point in Dean's search for self-worth. Many dream sequences had to be altered due to production issues, though series creator Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke is an American television writer, director, and producer. He is best known for creating the television series Supernatural.-Biography:...
believes it ultimately benefited the episode.
Critics gave generally positive reviews that praised Ackles for his dual performance and the production staff for their work on the dream sequences. However, they heavily criticized the actions of recurring character Bela Talbot
Bela Talbot
Bela Talbot is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural, portrayed by Lauren Cohan. Appearing only in the third season, she is depicted as a character who uses knowledge of the supernatural world to her advantage rather than to help people...
(Lauren Cohan
Lauren Cohan
Lauren Cohan is an American actress. Her most recognized role to date is that of the role of Bela Talbot on Supernatural...
).
Plot
Within a dreamscapeDream world (plot device)
Dream world is a commonly used plot device in fictional works, most notably in science fiction and fantasy fiction. The use of a dream world creates a situation whereby a character is placed in a marvellous and unpredictable environment and must overcome several personal problems to leave it...
, hunter Bobby Singer
Bobby Singer
Robert "Bobby" Singer is a fictional character in The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural portrayed by Jim Beaver. Chosen due to his working relationship with executive producer Robert Singer, Beaver made his initial appearance in the first season finale "Devil's Trap"...
(Beaver) searches around an old house and is suddenly attacked by a woman (Elizabeth Marleau). A maid tries to no avail to wake him up in his motel room. Meanwhile, Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
(Ackles) finds his brother Sam
Sam Winchester
Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of The CW Television Network's Supernatural along with his older brother Dean. He is portrayed by Jared Padalecki.-Background:...
(Padalecki) drinking at a bar in the middle of the afternoon. When Dean questions him about it, a drunken Sam admits that he is upset about not being able to save Dean from his demonic pact, which left him only a year to live. What bothers Sam even more is that Dean, who has little self-worth, is not even concerned about his fate. Their conversation is interrupted by a call from the hospital.
After the brothers visit Bobby, who is in an unexplainable coma, they search his motel room and find a newspaper article about a doctor who suffered a sleep-related death. Dean visits the doctor's office, and learns that he was conducting secret dream experiments for his study on sleep disorders. Dean tracks down Jeremy, a young man who was part of the sleep study because he could not dream. While they talk, Jeremy offers Dean a beer, and he drinks it. Jeremy (G. Michael Gray) reveals that the experiment allowed him to dream by drinking a yellow tea, but the dreams scared him so much that he dropped out of the study. Sam, who has been busy conducting research, later tells Dean that a plant known as "African Dream Root" allegedly allows a person to enter and manipulate others' dreams; they believe someone killed the doctor in this manner and is now targeting Bobby. As a terrified Bobby hides in a closet within his dream, Dean suggests to Sam that they themselves use the dream root to save him.
The brothers contact Bela Talbot
Bela Talbot
Bela Talbot is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural, portrayed by Lauren Cohan. Appearing only in the third season, she is depicted as a character who uses knowledge of the supernatural world to her advantage rather than to help people...
(Cohan)—a thief and frequent thorn in the Winchesters' sides—to supply them with dream root. She enters the motel room wearing a trench coat, and removes it to reveal the lingerie underneath. She begins to passionately kiss Sam, and they lie on the bed. However, Sam is soon awakened from his dream by Dean, and Bela arrives moments later. She gives them the dream root without argument—she claims Bobby saved her life in Flagstaff—but is then kicked out. The brothers use the root to make tea, and soon find themselves in a clean version of Bobby's house. Sam goes outside into brightly-lit scenery of flowers and singing birds, but becomes locked out of the house. Inside, Dean locates Bobby, who does not believe that he is dreaming. A woman with stab wounds approaches them, and Bobby reveals that she is his wife. Years prior, she became possessed, and Bobby was forced to stab her because he did not know how to exorcise the demon from her; her death led him to become a hunter. As Sam is attacked outside by an angry Jeremy, Bobby takes control of the dream, and they awaken.
Bobby explains that the man who attacked Sam is Jeremy Frost; he was unable to dream because his father brutally hit him in the head with a baseball bat. The target's DNA is a required ingredient for the dream-root tea, and Jeremy acquired Bobby's by offering him a beer. Dean realizes that he made the same mistake. Vulnerable to Jeremy, they both stay awake for two days while attempting to track him down. Unable to endure it any longer, Dean goes to sleep to face Jeremy, and Sam uses the dream root to enter his dream. The brothers encounter a dream version of Lisa Braeden (Cindy Sampson)—Dean's former love interest—outstide on a blanket with a picnic basket. She invites Dean to join her, and tells him that she loves him before disappearing. Though Dean denies ever having that dream before, it is an obvious lie. Sam then sees Jeremy nearby and chases after him, and Dean finds himself in a long hallway. He enters his motel room, and comes face-to-face with a dream version of him; he is his own worst nightmare. The Dream Dean comments on the real Dean's feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing; he also deems Dean to be as "mindless and obedient as an attack dog", noting that his possessions, personality, and motives all stem from his father. When the Dream Dean calls him a "good soldier and nothing else", the real Dean reacts violently and exclaims that he did not deserve the burdens that his father put onto him and that he does not deserve to go to Hell. The real Dean shoots his doppelganger with a shotgun, but he returns to life as a demon. The Dream Dean taunts him that he cannot escape his fate, and reminds him that exposure to Hell will transform him into a demon.
Elsewhere, Sam finds and confronts Jeremy. The latter manipulates the dreamscape to his favor, but Sam retaliates by summoning the form of Jeremy's father. A terrified Jeremy is distracted, and Sam kills him with a baseball bat. The brothers then awaken from their dreams. When they find that Bela lied about Bobby saving her life, they realize that she stole the Colt—a mystical gun capable of killing anything—from them. As the brothers prepare to leave to hunt her down, Dean admits that he does not want to die. Sam promises him that they will figure out a way to save him.
Conception
Deemed by series creator Eric KripkeEric Kripke
Eric Kripke is an American television writer, director, and producer. He is best known for creating the television series Supernatural.-Biography:...
to be his homage to the film Dreamscape
Dreamscape (film)
Dreamscape is a 1984 science fiction horror film directed by Joseph Ruben and written by David Loughery, with Chuck Russell and Ruben co-writing...
, the episode was the culmination of many previous pitches. Series writer Sera Gamble had been suggesting a dream-based episode since the show's first season, but it was not until the third season that the writers found the concept feasible. Although Cathryn Humphris was selected to pen "Dream a Little Dream of Me" due to her position on the writers' rotation, she was teamed with Gamble to develop the story. On this pairing, Humphris commented, "I think that we complement each other well. Sera's great at the really scary moments, and I think I'm pretty good at some of the connective tissue and putting stuff together in the larger landscape."
Writing
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" delves into the backstory of hunter Bobby SingerBobby Singer
Robert "Bobby" Singer is a fictional character in The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural portrayed by Jim Beaver. Chosen due to his working relationship with executive producer Robert Singer, Beaver made his initial appearance in the first season finale "Devil's Trap"...
. The writers always knew his history would be "grounded in family". Reflecting this, the original teaser depicted the supernatural deaths of Bobby's children; while eating dinner with his family, his children's throats are supernaturally slit, and they would ask him, "Why, daddy, why did you let this happen?" However, the writers could not determine where to go from there. Following Humphris' earlier pitch of Bobby being an expert exorcist because of a previous failed exorcism, the focus changed to Bobby's torment about killing his demonically-possessed wife.
Other planned dream sequences were drastically altered due to production issues. One such scene, made to look like 80's-style film stock, had Dean being confronted by serial killer Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th series of slasher films. He first appeared in Friday the 13th , as the son of camp cook-turned-murderer, Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Miller, with contributions by Ron Kurz, Sean S...
of the Friday the 13th film series
Friday the 13th (film series)
Friday the 13th is an American horror franchise that comprises twelve slasher films, a television show, novels, comic books, and tie‑in merchandise. The franchise mainly focuses on the fictional character Jason Voorhees, who drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the camp...
. After production cleared the rights to use the character, Kripke made everyone view Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is a 1984 slasher film. It is the fourth film in the Friday the 13th film series. Though it was billed as "The Final Chapter," there have been many further sequels in the franchise. The popularity and financial success of the film, which grossed over $32 million,...
to help them create the "perfect facsimile" of Jason. However, the movie studio that had granted permission realized a few days before filming that it did not actually own the rights. In dire need of a new concept, the writers recalled Sam's dream sequence with Bela; since Sam is revealed to be a "horn dog" underneath, the writers wanted Dean to be the opposite. Dean secretly desires a normal family, so they had Cindy Sampson reprise her role as Lisa Braeden—Dean's love interest from "The Kids are Alright". On retrospect, Kripke preferred this scene over Jason because it is more illuminating of Dean's character.
Dean's other dream is a major turning point in the character's storyline, after which he starts gaining self-respect and realizes that he truly wants to live. He begins the season with little self-worth, and the writers realized that this outlook stems from his father, John Winchester
John Winchester (Supernatural)
John Eric Winchester is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural, and the protagonist of the comic book spin-off series Supernatural: Origins. Developed by series creator Eric Kripke, the character is mainly portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan...
. Initially, they planned to have Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to television and movie audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and as The Comedian in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen....
reprise his role as John, who would browbeat Dean within the dreamscape. When they learned that Morgan was busy filming Watchmen
Watchmen (film)
Watchmen is a 2009 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. It is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons...
, the writers instead found inspiration in the junkyard scene from the film Superman III
Superman III
Superman III is a 1983 superhero film and the third film in the Superman film series based upon the long-running DC Comics superhero. Christopher Reeve, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure and Margot Kidder are joined by new cast members Annette O'Toole, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Robert Vaughn and...
, in which good and evil versions of Superman confront one another. Kripke noted, however, that the conversation between the two Deans still focuses on John.
Filming
Principal filming took place in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, with Bobby's hospital scenes being filmed at Eagle Ridge Hospital
Eagle Ridge Hospital
Eagle Ridge Hospital is a medical facility located in Port Moody, British Columbia, on the Port Moody/Coquitlam border. ERH is one of 12 hospitals under the jurisdiction of Fraser Health, which services more than 1.3 million people....
in Port Moody, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. To distinguish the dream sequences, director of photography Serge Ladouceur used full blue lighting in the backgrounds—he normally uses half. The seamless transitions between dream scenes were accomplished by compressing the background with a long lens
Telephoto lens
In photography and cinematography, a telephoto lens is a specific type of a long-focus lens in which the physical length of the lens is shorter than the focal length. This is achieved by incorporating a special lens group known as a telephoto group that extends the light path to create a long-focus...
.
Reception
On its initial broadcast, the episode was watched by 2.68 million viewers. It received generally positive reviews from critics. Tina Charles of TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
was happy to see Jim Beaver become more involved in the storyline, and praised Ackles for his "amazing job" during the confrontation between the two Deans. She described the latter scenes as "seamless, yet painful to watch". Although Charles was happy to see the Colt get stolen—she thought the weapon was "too easy" and had lost its mystique—she noted her annoyance that the brothers continue to "look ridiculous" because Bela is able to steal things from them. Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
gave the episode an A-. Despite the "sluggish pacing" of the first half, the "paternal baggage" and monster of the week
Villain of the week
"Villain of the week" is a term that describes the nature of one-use antagonists in episodic fiction, especially ongoing American genre-based television series...
"built up enough emotional resonance to triumph". She noted the actors' performances, such as the "great Winchester moment" in which Sam discusses Dean's demonic pact; for Peterson, "...the dark, wounded look in Jared Padalecki's eyes totally sells it". The "brutally good character writing" and "truly impressive work" done for Dean's dream-encounter with himself was also lauded, with Peterson writing, "Ackles gives two of his best performances in the history of the show. At the same time." Like Charles, however, she pointed out how "uncharacteristically stupid about Bela" the Winchesters have been. She commented, "Bela appears to have eaten the writers' brains for breakfast." The episode received a score of 7 out of 7 from TV Squad's Brett Love. Bobby's backstory at first was a "bit of a shock" for him, but he eventually came to realize that it "fits very well". Love also thought that the dream root aspect "worked out great", and deemed the dreamscapes "creepy and unsettling".