Supernatural: Jus in Bello

Henricksen: "I, uh, I shot the sheriff."
Dean: "But you didn't shoot the deputy."

Just when I really started liking Agent Henricksen, they killed him off. Bummer. What a hunter he would have made.

I liked pretty much everything about this episode -- except, obviously, the ending. The holy water in the toilet. (Holy Swirlies, Batman.) The way Henricksen finally realized that the Winchesters had been right about demons all along. The clever reverso trap-the-demons-inside gambit. The subplot about Nancy the virgin, who was definitely warm for Dean. The title, "Jus in bello," refers to laws about acceptable practices in war, like the Geneva Conventions. Appropriate, considering how many innocent bystanders just got creamed.

How many people died because the Winchesters couldn't bring themselves to sacrifice both the willing Ruby and the also willing Nancy? Not that it would have been right. It's an interesting moral dilemma. Yes, I think the boys did the right thing; I think it's safe to say that human sacrifice is, like, wrong. And that cool trap would have worked if one of them hadn't gotten away to alert the "new leader rising." Lilith the little girl, who had white eyes instead of black. Unfortunately, the evil child thing has been done to death. On the other hand, this show tends to be unpredictable, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and see where they're going with this one.

The wanted for murder plot is finally over, and the brothers are now presumed dead. Of course, if they get caught by the cops again, they might be wanted for murdering an entire police-station full of people. Bela set all of this death in motion by setting the FBI on Dean. I think any chance I might ever learn to like Bela is pretty much gone.

Bits and pieces:

-- Groves, Henricksen's boss, was played by Peter DeLuise, an executive producer on Stargate. Is he getting back into acting? Just available quickly in Vancouver, perhaps?

-- Dean and Sam had protective pentagrams tattooed on their chests because of what happened to Sam. That made sense.

-- The "I shot the sheriff" line was just too funny. I knew Dean wouldn't be able to resist and I started laughing even before he said it.

-- This week's siege took place in Monument, Colorado.

-- Agent Henricksen was also in the season two episodes "Nightshifter" and "Folsom Prison Blues."

Quotes:

Henricksen: "The most dangerous criminals you've ever laid your eyeballs on. Think Hannibal Lector and his half-wit little brother." That wasn't very flattering to Sam the possible antichrist, who is actually the brains of the outfit. Plus, sort of inflated, don't you think?

Dean: "It's like they got a contract on us. Think it's because we're so awesome? I think it's because we're so awesome."

Ruby: "Does anyone have a breath mint? Some guts splattered in my mouth while I was killing my way in here."

Dean: "I'm not going to let that demon kill some nice sweet, innocent girl who hasn't even been laid."

Nancy: "When this is over, I'm going to have sooooo much sex. (The deputy glances at her) But not with you." She wanted Dean. I think she would have gotten him, too.

Lilith: "Excuse me. I'm looking for two boys. They're brothers. One's really tall and one's really cute?" Come on, Lilith. Sam is really cute, too.

If this wasn't four stars, it was close. The reader poll thought so -- you guys gave it four out of four stars,

Billie