So, an episode where the case of the week takes the Winchesters to one of their old schools? With promises of revelations about their teenage years? A lot of potential there. And the pre-title sequence sets the Monster-of-the-Week as something that seems to be after vengeance against bullies, a subject that many people can relate to. The success of the episode, however, rests on not just how interesting the past and the present story lines are – it depends on how meaningful the connection between them is.
The past gives us rather good insight on why Sam was not in the family business at the start of Season 1 and why Dean is, well, Dean. And the casting of young Sam and young Dean is excellent. Colin Ford and Brock Kelly should not go unemployed as actors. However, the fact that Dean Morgan doesn't appear at all, *even* briefly, whether he was available or not, does really hamper the sequences set in the past.
The present gives us a pretty brutal case and the writers have been creative when coming up with the monster too. Most monsters in Supernatural the viewer cannot relate to, but you may find yourself actually rooting for this monster. Also, the Winchesters' cover roles are funny, and a welcome change to their most common roles as FBI agents with names of rock/hard rock/metal musicians. Finally, there needs to be a reason why the monster has not become active *until* now, and the writers come up with a plausible reason that follows the rules established by the series.
The connection between the past and the present is meaningful in more ways than one. It fleshes out Sam and Dean, but also shows us how one *really* should consider the repercussions of one's actions – they might have a *much* longer and larger effect than one might at first think. The problem is, this is a lesson familiar from so many movies and TV shows that it really does not offer anything new. Also, the pacing of the episode as a whole is not that great and the climax comes too soon. So, this is a good, 7/10, episode but not a great one.