Review

Dean wakes back in his body still buried in a grave in the middle of nowhere. Crawling out of his last resting place Dean finds he is the middle of what looks like a blast radius, stripped trees have been flattened outwards from his grave in all directions. Taking time out to gather supplies, and come under some sort of supernatural onslaught Dean makes his way to Bobby's place where he has to prove he isn't a shape shifter, revenant, or demon.

The reunited pair track down Sam to Pontiac, Illinois, where Sam has been hunting a demon band. Seems Sam has gone solo since Dean was thrown into the pit. Sam convinces Dean that he didn't make a deal to get Dean out of the pit, which makes everyone wonder who did. After a disastrous attempt to contact the other side via Pamela Barnes, a Psychic Bobby knows, they learn the entity that dragged Dean out of Hell is called Castiel. Later that night Sam sneaks out to continue his battle against demonic forces leaving Dean to suffer yet another onslaught. Dean and Bobby detour to an old building where they attempt to summon Castiel. They succeed but Castiel is not what Dean was expecting! Once again Sam is keeping secrets, not the least of which is Ruby is still offering support. Season Four gets underway with one heck of an episode.

[Editor's Note: This review contains spoilers, if you haven't seen season four do not read on]

The first episode of the new season doesn't muck around, we're literally buried in the Supernatural mythology from the get go as Director Kim Manners, who was also in the chair for the final episode of season three, delivers a memorable opening. We get flashes of Dean in the pit, where we left him end of last season, with red highlighting the elder Winchester Brother's plight. We then cut to pitch black that is pushed back via a Zippo lighter. Dean is in his makeshift wooden coffin, no doubt six feet under. Buried (2010) would use the exact same plot device making you wonder about influences, Supernatural now providing them. Anyways Dean claws his way out of his coffin in one of those resurrection scenes that would be awesome on the big screen, and hell we're getting it on the small screen. Dean emerges into a bright sunny day, contrasting with the pitch blackness he has dragged himself out of and finds he is in the epicentre of what looks like a bomb burst. Anyone else thinking Tunguska, maybe a plot point for later in the season? Memorable opening to the season, I've got high hopes season four is going to blow our socks off.

Dean is actually in pretty good shape considering at the end of the previous season we saw his chest ripped to shreds and the whole hanging by hooks in Hell thing. About the only injury he has brought back is a handprint that has burnt his upper arm. When they talk about Dean being pulled out of the Pit, it looks almost like they mean for us to take that literally. Once he convinces Bobby and Sam that he's back in black the focus of the episode switches to who or what save Dean's soul, and my overriding concern, why? Naturally Sam hasn't been letting the grass grow under his feet and has been hunting solo, or so it seems. We quickly learn Sam has been a bit of a hit with the ladies, is using his Psychic ability to exorcise demons, and is receiving help from Ruby. Now okay I didn't trust Ruby last season and I'm not about to trust her this season either. Sam is making some bad decisions and no doubt they are going to come back to bit him on the arse. Already I can feel a major confrontation between Dean and Sam brewing, you read it here first.

Bobby, who seems to be adopting the John Winchester role, is as craggy and grouchy as ever. But naturally is a good plot device for introducing arcane knowledge or people who can help the Boys. This episode he introduces them to medium Pamela Barnes, the meeting not ending well as Pamela has her eyes burnt out by the entity she names as Castiel.

Which brings us to Castiel, an Angel of the Lord no less, who was commanded to drag Dean's arse out of the Pit as God has work for Dean to perform. Regular Supernatural consumers will be aware of course that Dean believes in all manner of creatures, though he was surprised by vampires, but doesn't believe in God and the Heavenly host. That clearly is about to change though Castiel notes Dean's weakness is that he doesn't belief and doesn't think he deserved to be saved from the Pit. Interesting, for those wondering, Angels appear as insurance salespeople. It turns out they possess a vessel that was willing to be possessed. Something about piety and praying for it to happen, which kind of sums up Fundos really.

Naturally this is Supernatural so music is only a mullet haircut away. We get "You Shook Me All Night Long" by legendary Oz rockers AC/DC, The Republic Tigers doing "Flight Song", Jason Manns "Vision", and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" performed by Martyn Laight. Okay I'm happy enough with that line up, keep up the good work and there won't be cross words spoken in the season four episode reviews.

I'm back in the shotgun seat of the Impala, this episode rocked it out big time and delivered that Supernatural goodness I've been craving for the past few months. There's a lot of possibility for the season ahead, I'm happy to sit back and be taken for that ride once again, recommended folks. hold onto your linen this one could get turbulent.