Following Dean's inevitable death in the season three finale, the viewers had barely enough time to mourn the loss of the elder Winchester when angel Castiel drags him out of hell and back to his brother and Bobby. It is briefly noted (by a camera pan to the day's newspaper) that it is September 18, and that Dean has been dead and buried for four months. Unfortunately (especially for those like myself who wanted to know how Sam coped with the loss of his brother) the viewers are not shown how the younger Winchester dealt with burying his beloved older brother and his life alone, hunting solo. As epic as "Lazarus Rising" was, I was mildly disappointed with the time elapse, and on missing out on witnessing Jared Padalecki expand on Sam's character. Sam is a great hunter, but he cannot do it on his own, and vice versa. The boys are each others' Achilles heel, as we are all well aware, and for one to go on without the other would be a devastating blow.
So needless to say, I was thrilled to learn that "I Know What You Did Last Summer" provided, via flashbacks, a taste of the life Sam experienced following Dean's death. The story begins with a "chance" encounter with Ruby at a bar, who provides Sam and Dean with info on a young woman named Anna Milton. Anna is very important somehow, but no one knows how exactly. While Sam is willing to follow the tip, Dean is skeptical. After all, it was Ruby who provided the information, and Dean has no reason to trust her. Reluctantly, however, he agrees to head to the psych ward where Anna was being held, but had recently escaped. Dean is forced to admit that Ruby was right upon hearing that the girl has connections to angels and the whole Apocalypse mess, but is still upset that Sam has such a strong connection with the "demon bitch." It is when Sam shares the details of his summer without Dean that the older brother (and the audience) finally get a taste of what Sam went through during those four months.
This episode was a fantastic hour of television. As many of my recent reviews have hinted at, I am quite a Jensen Ackles fan (not only because of the superficial aspect, but because he is incredibly talented and more than a little underrated). However, Jared Padalecki shines in this episode. From the moments when he shares his story to his brother in the typical Supernatural cheap motel, to his confrontation with the Crossroads Demon hours after Dean's death, and all else in between, Padalecki delivers his lines with such emotion and sincerity. You can see in his eyes that he is willing to die for his brother, as he desperately (and angrily) demands that the demon take his place. When Ruby confronts the grieving Sam, offering her condolences and a shoulder to cry on, Jared brushes her off, never missing a beat. Kudos to the writers for refusing to stray from character and providing a dreaded "chick flick moment". Sam is hurt, is pushing away all those who seem to care, lost in his own world in which he must live without his brother. Padalecki's best performances are when he is distant, angry, or pumped up with demon blood. I also enjoyed Sam's desperation to get revenge, carry on in John's footsteps after Mary's death. Sam doesn't care if he lives or dies, and is completely willing to go on a suicide mission, because life without Dean isn't worth living. Kudos to Genevieve Padalecki (then Cortese)as Ruby. I never cared for the character, but Gen nails it. I also enjoyed Julie McNiven's performance as Anna as well, very good portrayal of the young girl who tunes in to "angel radio".
I would definitely recommend this episode. Loved seeing the different side of little Sammy, and witnessing what he went through after Dean's death. 9 stars.
4 out of 6 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
