Sin City (304)
Season 3 crept up on me. It’s kind of a game changer. Sam died, Dean sold his soul, the gates of hell opened and let out a slew of demons. Three events played heavily in this episode.

Two escaped demons wreak havoc on a town in Ohio by playing to human vices and desires. Dean worries that resurrected Sam is cold-hearted and evil. Dean views his crossroads deal as “liberating” since you can’t worry about the future if you don’t have one.

Ruby helps Bobby restore the Colt’s effectiveness (although we never learn how); and she plays Sam like a fiddle. Knowing now Ruby’s whole purpose, it’s interesting to see how she plays on Sam’s vulnerabilities. Show creator Eric Kripke stated Ruby’s story was always meant to play out as it did, but he was disappointed fans never warmed to her.
Casey and the priest were far more interesting. Dean’s talk with Casey while trapped in the cellar was thoughtful and layered. Casey points out that humans and demons aren’t all that far apart since humans haven’t done such a great job of running the world, . “Sin City” also had the first mention of Lucifer, who came to be such a key factor in the coming seasons. And ol’ Yellow Eyes got a name, Azazel.
Sasha Barrese’s Casey was flirty and sexy, but there was intelligence and truth in her words. Even Dean came to respect her in the end and was hesitant to let Sam kill her.
This may have been the first episode (partly) written by current show-runner Jeremy Carver. And the only episode (partly) written by executive producer Robert Singer. I’ve always wondered why the pairing.
– Written by Robert Singer & Jeremy Carver; directed by Charles Beeson
– IMDB rating 8.3 (out of 10); TV.com 8.7 (out of 10)
Freaks and Geeks (818)
You can read about it here. I’m still not inspired enough to write anything about it.
– Written by Adam Glass; directed by John F. Showalter
– TV Fanatic fan rating 4.2 (out of 5); IMDB rating 7.7; TV.com 8.4