Supernatural went to the dogs this week, airing a rather unusual installment.

Did it hit? Did it miss wildly?

Panelists Sean McKenna, Carla Day and Carissa Pavlica of TV Fanatic, along with Alice from Winchester Family Business, are here to debate various aspects of Supernatural Season 9 Episode 5. Join in below...

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What was your favorite scene from the episode?
Carissa: When Dean had just taken the potion, and they didn't know if it worked, and he started retrieving the paper from the trash can. I knew immediately that he had taken on some of the dog's traits and thought "oh this is going to be fun!"

I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you about my least favorite scene. Living in a houseful of cats, I'm sick of them getting a bum rap! I hoped maybe there would be a few left to rescue. Instead there were mice. Why is eating cats always OK? It's not OK!

Alice: That’s so hard! All of the funny Dean bits were over several scenes, so I guess I’ll go with the Samzekiel moment.  I mean, Chef Leo slashed Sam’s neck!  It was only time as Sam was gurgling that he would collapse and die in a pool of his own blood. One flash of blue eyes later, suddenly Ezekiel is there doing the healing thing, before falling into unconsciousness. Then Sam takes back over, and he’s spooked. 

He has no flipping idea what’s going on! Chef Leo says the words that haunt Sam all the way until the final scene (and likely beyond). “How the hell did you do that… I want to know what you are.” Oh yes, things are definitely starting to unravel. Some marvelous acting from Jared too, who had to do a lot of switching gears in that short amount of time.

Carla: I'm with Alice. I loved when Sam was attacked and Zeke briefly came out to heal him. The fact that it freaked out Chef Leo was awesome. And, it just adds one more unexplainable moment that Sam will reflect on as he figures out the truth or after it's revealed.

Sean: I also really liked Dean playing fetch with Sam's trash mostly because it was more of a subtle moment and the introduction of what was to come. Jensen Ackles really does a great job of providing the nonspeaking expressions and emotions for those comedic moments that make most of them hit like a charm.

What did you think of Dean talking to animals?
Carissa: He was like Doctor Dolittle! I loved it. I wasn't particularly fond of the dog's voices, but I really enjoyed Dean's dog traits and caring about the dog being in the car, and even carrying on a conversation with a pigeon. It's too bad they couldn't have kept the dog. That was a kick-ass German shepherd - so beautiful!

Alice: I thought it would be dumb, but it really worked! Those scenes were fun and it looked like Jensen was having fun.  Dean was rather calm about the whole thing and went with the flow. I especially loved his altercation with the pigeon. The animal voices were a little cheesy, but I liked how he could talk to all animals, not just dogs.  It made it more interesting. Yes, the animal voices were a little cheesy, but it wasn’t too big a deal for me. Maybe Dean will learn to like dogs more now.

Carla: When I saw the preview, I kinda dreaded watching the episode. The idea of Dean acting like a dog was not at all interesting to me, but ... I was pleasantly surprised. It ended up working out very well and Jensen Ackles pulled it off. It wasn't nearly as cheesy as I expected. When he could hear and communicate with the bird, I was sold. Hilarious.

Sean: Jensen pulled it off and I found aspects of it funny, but the joke soon wore out its welcome for me. Not to mention the cartoonish animal voices and the silly bad guy of the week had me more and more uninterested as the episode went on.

Watch Supernatural Season 9 Episode 5

Will Sam learn about Ezekiel on his own or will Dean be the one to finally tell him?
Carissa: I think it will happen at about the same time. Sam will continue to question things and Dean will have to tell him what happened. I still think it will only be a minor skiff by the time it occurs. Sam and Dean get closer all the time, and being together in a home-like setting is only enhancing their relationship.

Alice: All evidence points to Sam finding out on his own, doesn’t it?  This week especially, that was a pretty glaring hint. How do you go from a slashed throat to being completely healed? He’s not dumb. Dean had his chance at the end of this episode and didn’t take it. I’m sure Sam will start doing some digging on his own and will find out when things completely get out of control and it’s too late to do anything about it. He won’t have time to be mad at Dean because he’ll be totally screwed!

Carla: Still no idea how that will come about, but I hope it doesn't happen in the near future. Sam would have died a few times already this season if Zeke wasn't in him, so it's good he's there. Plus, I'm enjoying the spontaneous appearances of Zeke. Jared Padalecki has been impressive in his performance. I'll miss it when it's over.

Sean: I want Dean to be able to tell his brother, but I think Sam will soon figure it out on his own. I'm curious as to the reaction from the reveal and ultimately the consequences of having Ezekiel inside Sam.

Do you trust Ezekiel?
Carissa: I do. And as soon as I say that, I have that burning feeling that as I said it I will be chastised. I guess I don't trust him as much as I want to, or I wouldn't be so hesitant saying it. I want to trust him, but I feel like the writers are going to punish me for that somehow. Paranoia much?

Alice: Yes, I do.  I believe he wants to do the right things and didn’t intend for all this to happen.  I’m sure he didn’t think he would be called upon to do so much healing.  I also think that Ezekiel is not afraid to make a hard decision though.  He is not fully obedient to Dean and he’s not obligated to do anything.  If Ezekiel is pushed into a situation where his own survival is at stake, then Sam loses.  After all, Dean does owe him that favor.

Carla: There's no reason not to trust him at this point, so sure why not. At the point when his needs and Sam's no longer coincide, then it could be a problem. For now, he's healing Sam and keeping him alive. What's not to trust about that?

Sean: Sorry, but I don't trust the feathery "friend." Sure, he's saving Sam but I don't buy him kicking out Castiel and I feel like there's got to be something else going on. It's one of those too good to be true moments.

Anything you want or hope to see happen on Supernatural Season 9?
Carissa: You know, an episode where Sam and Dean think they're naked wouldn't be bad. Oh shut up. If Dean can talk to animals, then a little near-nudity shouldn't be out of the question. It's amazing the number of shirtless scenes we have not had in 8 seasons given the hot quotient of the leading men. It had to be said. It did!

Alice: No. I’ve found I’m usually happier when I let the writers do their thing and surprise me. Besides, my biggest wish was already fulfilled when we got to see Sam’s room and the Impala got her very own special garage. I’m happy!

Carla: After a few standalone episodes, I'm ready for the brothers to get back to the Angel War, Crowley, Kevin and finding out what Castiel's up to. Otherwise, there's not anything in particular I want to see.

Sean: I agree after the standalone episodes, I'm definitely ready to get back to the core story. That said, I'd love to see an urban legend or creepy haunting again like back in the early seasons. I don't need it all the time, but I think as huge elements like angels or the apocalypse can overshadow some of the hunting the brothers did way back in the beginning.