116 Chicago. Shadows. Dad. (Supernatural 116 "Shadow")

We’re back in Chicago — which means shadows, secrets, and a Winchester reunion that’s anything but comforting. 🌆🕶️

In Supernatural’s Shadow, Sam and Dean finally reunite with someone they’ve been chasing for half a season... but it’s not the heartwarming moment you think. There’s a girl (of course), there’s a demon (also of course), and then there are the Daevas — shadowy creatures from Zoroastrian myth that look like what happens when you max out the contrast in After Effects. 👻💻

But all that fades when we realize what this episode is really about: the growing divide between two brothers who don’t even agree on what family means. Dean sees the hunt as the only thing holding them together. Sam sees the hunt as the very thing pulling them apart. Cue mid-warehouse shouting match. Cue us frantically writing down quotes. Cue Jeff sighing deeply into the mic. 🎙️📝

Steph digs into the show’s emotional architecture, pointing out that Dean is already trying to hold onto something he knows is slipping away. And Jeff? Jeff hits a wall around 1:01:00 and can no longer deny it: “Right now, Kripke knows why Dean is better than Sam.” And there’s no coming back from that. 💥

The return of a certain love interest also launches a side quest about casting choices, antagonist energy, and the eternal mystery of how JDM looked that good in 2005. ("Top five," Steph mutters at least three times.) 😍

It’s an episode that feels less like a mid-season villain-of-the-week and more like a mission pivot — one where the Winchesters stop chasing John and start chasing purpose. Or maybe they’re just chasing shadows. (Metaphors. We love them.) 🌀🖤

✨ Inside this episode:

• 🧠 Emotional blueprints for Dean’s worldview
• ❓ Why the “hunt for John” doesn’t feel like it’s about John anymore
• 🕒 The most quotable timestamp of the season: 1:01:00
• 🎬 Steph on Daevas, shadow VFX, and “big horror energy”
• 👀 And the eternal question: What the hell is a Daeva?