In light of the US engaging in war crimes, including pointedly torture, I have always wondered how different this episode would be if it was released in say the 80's. Dean being tortured in hell, and then torturing others in return is too specific to hell's iconography to think the thought wouldn't have occurred in a different cultural context. But as it is it is impossible to miss the parallels present between the show and the terrible things done by the Americans. There's even a waterboarding like sequence. It is all very intense and at least in this episode the proper weight and condemnation is placed in the horrible act. Returning to it today it is even a starker reminded of the horrible things the US did, and continues to do, in the war of terror. It goes a long way to giving the show the proper weight and really sets-up Dean paralyzed by regret that plays out a lot in the later episodes.
Apart from that this episode is a strong development in the angel storyline and Cas gets a character direction-finally-in this episode. This is the start of impressive run of the show where basically every episode is a classic for the next several *months.*
Apart from that this episode is a strong development in the angel storyline and Cas gets a character direction-finally-in this episode. This is the start of impressive run of the show where basically every episode is a classic for the next several *months.*