After Death returned Sam’s soul, Castiel informs Dean that his soul is intact but he isn’t sure if Sam will ever regain consciousness. His soul has been horribly damaged after being in Lucifer’s Cage for a year and a half. To Bobby’s and Dean’s surprise, Sam wakes shortly after Castiel leaves without any memory of what happened after he got out of the cage. Not wanting to trigger the memory or make Sam think that he’s responsible for what happened during that time, Dean refuses to say anything. Bobby is uneasy around Sam after having nearly been killed by him.

The Mother of All Things

Sam is ready to hunt regardless and heads out with Dean to investigate the disappearance of a few young women in Portland. The two of them catch up a little – Dean telling Sam that he did keep his promise to try to start a new life with Lisa and Ben, but failing. Sam is back to his usual self and being sympathetic with the people they talk to about the missing girls. Back at the hotel, Dean figures out that the thing the girls all have in common is their virginity. One would-be victim managed to get away, though she was missing a gold promise ring (apparently she hadn’t kept her promise).

Virgins, gold and all the other details point to one thing – dragons. John’s journal doesn’t have anything on the creatures, but Bobby suggests an expert on medieval lore (who also happens to have a bit of history with Bobby and not a very good one). She tells Dean that only a blade forged with the blood of a dragon can kill one and they’re in very limited supply. Luckily, she has one in her basement but it needs a “brave knight” to remove it from a stone. Dean tries his best and fails miserably, resorting to blowing the rock to pieces and in the process, shattering the priceless sword. While he’s doing this, Sam and Bobby work out that these dragons aren’t living in caves, but down in the sewers.

Sam notices that Bobby has been acting standoffish and weird with him, but can’t get a straight answer. He calls in Cas, who can never lie even if he had to and tells Sam that he’s been out of the cage for well over a year now, but only just been returned his soul.

The boys find the dragons’ lair, along with a strange book and a pile of gold, down in the sewers. They fail to free any of the girls, but Sam manages to kill one dragon with the broken sword. When they return to Bobby’s house, Sam tells Dean that he knows now what happened and apologizes, knowing why Dean lied to him, but he wants to know how he can fix things. Dean refuses. After examining the book they brought back from the lair, Bobby tells them that he can’t completely translate the book, but from what he can work out it’s a how-to guide on opening Purgatory and freeing “The Mother of All Things”.

Meanwhile, the dragon who lived meets another one of his kind along with one of the virgins. They open the door to Purgatory and boot her in. She rises shortly after as the host of The Mother.

I really have to apologize because my review is mostly going to be flail and rainbow vomit…

The Hug That United a Fandom

First off – BOYS ARE FINALLY BACK! After Hellatus and then the CW pre-empting it for American Idol and/or giving people the chance to see Nikita (by the way, last Friday’s ratings were ridiculously low. Good job, C-Dub), they’re back and they’re like old school!Sam-n-Dean. Fandom wide sighs of happiness and squeals of joy were heard after Sam wakes up and immediately hugs Dean like he means it, like robo!Sam didn’t in the premiere. I’m pretty sure the sound that I made was one that only dogs could hear, I was (and still am) that happy.

Their joking, bickering and everything that makes them them came back too. Dean being a bit of a perv and a smartass, Sam rolling his eyes at Dean and being sensitive to the victims like he used to… oh, be still my heart. I’m sorry, like I said this made me ridiculously happy. I didn’t even mind the whole “we can’t tell Sam what happened” thing because honestly? That’s a Winchester thing to do. They always lie to keep the other from worrying and it comes out, they angst and then they share a hug or meaningful look. Never change boys, never change.

The episode itself did turn out to be an amusing, somewhat cracky plot that had a surprise ending. It’s obviously tying itself into this season’s Purgatory arch, though I’m curious to know if this Mother is the creator of all monsters or possibly Eve (or both?). We’ve already seen Lilith, and the thought crossed my mind that she could have returned, but I doubt it. I was a little surprised to see dragons brought into the collection of monsters, but all the D&D/nerd/Arthurian legend jokes made it totally worth it. Dean with that stone? Fantastic.