i'm gonna be insufferable about liveblogging

The first time I saw it, I thought that Sam was able to get 'flashes' of being possessed - similarly to how Human!Meg knew what apartment building to go to in season 1.

The second time, it is a WHOLE other ballgame watching it and realizing it's Meg the whole time and there never was any Sam

This is my third time watching it and it blows my kind the subtle indications. The annoyance that Meg shows when Dean doesn't react how she predicted him and in situations she can't control him, like when she has to go back to the car at the gas station and can't control what Dean hears or knows from the worker. "What more do you want?" She asks Dean who has followed her perfectly crafted trail laden with clues and is literally standing over a dead body but still won't condemn his brother

Michael the good one and Sam's interest. (The lack of mention of Lucifer also being in the painting) and Sam's believing vs Dean's nonbelieving and that the 'angel' chooses 'bad' people to 'redeem' and then chooses Sam

And I get it! He doesn't want to tell Ronald because he wants to keep him safe. (And then this blows up in their faces.) But it kills me because Sam has usually been the first one to want to tell people the truth! It's only rotten timing because Ava disappearing has triggered Sam's need to protect civilians and keep them safe. And so he's making calls he wouldn't usually make.

However - I do think there's a little bit of uppity bitchiness involved. Just like earlier in this episode how Dean says cops are doing their job but are messing it up, that's how Sam views Ronald. He's not a hunter and it's not his job so he'll make things worse.

"You did it to save her?"

Oh my goshhh aaaa the Dean making a deal to save Sam foreshadowing in s02e08

The guy they try to save? Made a deal to save his wife's life

But in this episode, Sam is so sure that Andy is guilty, and it is Dean who keeps reminding Sam that Andy could be innocent. Because Dean needs to believe that Sam can stand a chance at not being evil, and so he sees Andy and desperately hopes that he is innocent because he needs it in the same way that usually Sam needs.

The jacket sweater paws. The earring. The necklaces. The van.