It seems like most people were a bit meh on the episode. I loved it. And part of the reason is that it was incredibly beautiful. I mean, gorgeously shot. I don't know where they found the sun, but they used it to great effect, and the transitions between scenes were great. I've been looking this season for noir touches, since they had mentioned there would be a noir feel to it, and I really felt it with this episode.
Thematically, the latter seasons of SPN have been pretty noir anyway, but this season the regular directors are playing a bit with it I think. I'm not expert on it, or even particularly well-informed, but I have noticed some of the venetian blind stuff happening. And this episode brought in some forced visual angles and some hard sunlight/strong demarcation of shadow to the mix. It was awesome.
Not to mention Padalecki's performance, which was great, and seeing Ackles respond to it as Dean, also new and great. The characters and actors are all up in the air with the new dynamic and really making it work. It's fascinating to watch.
I think the reason for the title is because the Christian church historically has taught that dogs don't go to heaven because animals don't have souls. (I don't know if that teaching has changed or if they just sugarcoat it for kids and the pet-loving populace.) And that, along with all the skinwalkers of course, is relevant to the soulless Sammy storyline, and relevant to noir themes too, in ways I'm not skilled enough (or knowledgeable enough yet) to articulate. Poor Dean, Sam was his world and his world is now soulless. Part of him has to be wishing Sam hadn't come back at all.
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