Supernatural Round Table: "Taxi Driver"

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Supernatural is on hiatus until April 24.

But that simply means fans have more time to breakdown last week's enjoyable installment, "Taxi Driver," which focused on another God trial and featured a very welcome return.

In this edition of the TV Fanatic Round Table, panelists Sean McKenna, Carissa Pavlica, Carla Day and Alice Jester (from The Winchester Family Business) debate their favorite scenes and react to sacrifice of Benny...

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What did you think of the second trial?
Carissa: I'm still not sure what the second trial was, exactly. Was it to rescue an innocent from hell and it just happened to be Bobby?

Alice: I thought it was great, but not so great. I mean, the notion of rescuing an innocent soul from Hell and delivering it to Heaven was an awesome idea for a test. It certainly had the setup for amazing drama. Then why was it so...anti-climactic and predictable? It was almost like Sam was picking up someone at the mall. Yes, I’ve been jumped by monsters like that at the mall before.  It's more dangerous than it looks. 

Carla: I loved it in concept. It fit well with the idea of the trials, but the actual task was kinda boring. Too easy peasy. The trials are supposed to be these nearly, if not, impossible tasks and this wasn't that difficult. If the taxi driver hadn't been killed to interrupt their plan it would have been super easy.

Sean: I agree about loving the idea of it, and even what we saw of Hell was creepy. Yet, it really did feel way too easy. I know the show has a time constraint, so you have to cram it in pretty quick, but everything fell a little too nicely into place. It really makes me wonder how difficult the final trial is going to be.

Were you surprised Bobby's soul was the one Sam was rescuing from Hell?
Carissa: If the answer to 1 was yes, then an even bigger yes. It was great to see him and I love hearing ole Bobby spewing BALLS! again in the manner in which it was intended, and not in the way poor Garth has tried to make up for lost time. We know people come and go from Heaven, so now I know there's a chance we'll see Bobby again, since we know where he is. Or do we? I still don't trust Naomi.

Alice: No thanks to the CW promo monkeys, they spoiled that one. However, if they hadn’t, yes, I would have been stunned. Elated and stunned! I’ve said this a few times before, I’ll never, never, never, never, never, never, never, ever, never, never, ever forgive this show for killing off Bobby. Now I want to see Bobby and Castiel scenes in Heaven. 

Carla: Not surprised. Disappointed, though I can't think of a better option. It was just too easy to find Bobby. Hell is a big place I'm assuming and Sam just walked in and happened upon Bobby? I hope that's the last time we see Bobby. Once he was dead with his bones burned, I wish he would he have remained gone.

Sean: I hadn't seen the promos, so I was surprised. And while I loved getting to see him again, it all felt too easy. At the same time, did it have to be Bobby's soul that was rescued? What about their other brother, Adam, or even someone else? Really, it gave me mixed feelings like the second trial as well.

What did you think of Benny's sacrifice?
Carissa: Pretty damned noble. I knew he was a good soul all along, and I'm sorry it took his sacrifice for Sam to see what Dean found so intriguing about him. Again, Purgatory is a place where people come and go, but he looked like he was in for the fight of his ...death?... when Sam escaped Purgatory, so it's possible he's not coming back. Or can you die in Purgatory? Dean didn't burn his bones and Sam was good with that decision. Benny's sacrifice wasn't lost on anyone.

Alice: I knew Benny was a good guy! Or that he’d stay a good guy. They’ve been setting him up for this huge fall, and I’m so glad he overcame all that and came through for Dean. And he did it for Sam, who wanted him dead. I think Benny really did it though because he knew he wouldn’t last much longer, and this was the best way to prevent him from hurting innocent people.  I’m glad he never got the chance to go bad.

Carla: It was a noble sacrifice, but he also wanted to stay. It ended up working out for Benny. He was tired of living on earth, so it provided an out for him as well. It highlighted the true friendship and love between Benny and Dean.

Sean: Benny knocking it out of the park for the good guys. I liked his addition this season, and kept waiting for him to slip, but he never did. While he wasn't enjoying the return to life as he might have hoped, he made a great sacrifice proving his character and his friendship with Dean.

Is Naomi really a good guy?
Carissa: No. She's trying to win the good graces of Sam and Dean because she thinks Castiel will contact them before she gets a handle on where he is. If she can get them to trust her, she will have the upper hand. I can only hope Dean remembers the fight Cas went through not to kill him and that Naomi was behind it, and that she's not to be trusted. Her banter with Crowley should have been shooting off red flags. Sam and Dean have grown a lot, I think they'll see through her trickery.

Alice: Heaven’s no! (Um, literally.) You got to give her tons of credit for trying to manipulate Dean like that, helping him and Sam accomplish the second trial with warmth and a smile, like she’s Glenda the good witch or something, when really she just wanted to stick it to Crowley. Talk about a lover scorned. I wonder how much patience she’ll have when Dean continues to resist her. It makes sense now why she trained Castiel to kill Dean but not Sam. He's her answer to closing Hell once and for all.

Carla: Nope. She helped the Winchesters for her own purposes. Whether she wants to see the gates of hell closed or not, I'm not sure. For some unknown reason she believes she needs the Winchesters' help and assisting Bobby's transfer to heaven was done to gain favor with them.

Sean: No. No. No. No way. I'm curious as to what her plan is because her "assistance" was not just for the boys. She's got her own intentions hidden somewhere. It does make me wonder if there are any other "good" angels still out there or perhaps, God himself. He's got to appear on this show at some point, right?

What is Kevin's fate for the end of Supernatural Season 8?
Carissa: He'll be stuck with Crowley. Poor kid. I don't think his mom is dead. She's too rockin of a character to lose, and she'll likely help the Winchesters find her son at the beginning of Season 9. That will be one fun ride, even though Kevin will be suffering in the meantime. Sorry, Kevin, but you're a plot device.

Alice: I’m in the camp that thinks that Naomi snagged Kevin. I mean, after all, the boat was warded against demons, but not angels. We know Naomi manipulates reality. So if that’s true, who is he better with? I’m really hoping I’m wrong and he’s hiding out somewhere on his own a paranoid mess. 

Carla: I never considered that it was Naomi in Crowley's form. That's an intriguing twist that I like. It would make sense since the boat was marked to ward off demons. He's in trouble. Poor kid.

Sean: Will he die? It would be an interesting move to take him out. (Maybe Chuck can come back?) Either way, he's in for some torture seeing as he's the only one who knows where the tablet is. Good luck, buddy. I hope Sam and Dean can make it in time.

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