I Think I’m Going to Like It Here

                In the season nine premier “I think I’m Going to Like It Here,” Sam fails to complete the Trials to close the Gates of Hell. While talking to “Dean,” it is revealed that he is actually in a coma. “Dean” represents the part of Sam that wants to fight, and when Bobby shows up he represents the part of Sam that wants to die. After talking to the two sides, Sam decides to side with Bobby.

                In the hospital, Dean is desperate to save his brother. He sends out a prayer on “Angel Radio” asking for help from any angel that is willing to give it. Ezekiel shows up offering to help heal Sam, but then reveals that he is too weak to help Sam without possessing him. However, he needs Sam’s consent. Dean gives Ezekiel permission to trick Sam into saying yes.

                Meanwhile, Castiel is found wandering along the side of the road, and a Good Samaritan gives him a ride to a gas station. He meets another angel who wants Castiel’s help, and he decides to go with her. She reveals that she wants his vessel, and Castiel kills her to protect himself.

                “I think I’m Going to Like It Here” starts off with Sam and Dean in the impala. While the audience is not yet verbally clued in to the fact that this scene is taking place in Sam’s head, visual cues show the audience that something is not quite right. Flashing lights, a vague background, and a soft focus camera lens gives Sam’s scenes a dream-like quality. These camera tricks continue through all of Sam’s scenes. There are flashing lights outside the windows of the impala and no solid background. In the forest with Bobby, the background is fuzzy and everything is too bright. Even when Sam is talking to Death the camera is softly focused.

                Sam decides early on in the episode that he is ready to die. Dean, however, is not ready to let Sam go. He lets Ezekiel trick his brother, even though Dean knows Sam would never agree. Sam had just asked Death to make it so that he could never be brought back when Ezekiel shows up as “Dean.” While Sam agrees to whatever plan Dean had come up with to save him, he does not agree to being possessed by an angel.

                This is not the first time Sam has been possessed. Most notably, he was possessed by Meg in season two and Lucifer in season five.  Based on these previous disasters, it would seem like Dean would think twice before putting his brother into a similar situation. However, he goes through with it anyway. In a few episodes he’ll learn what a bad idea that was, but for now he has to hide the fact that an angel is hiding in his brother’s body.