Supernatural Premieres Tonight

Four months ago, Supernatural left fans with quite possibly the biggest cliff hanger they could. In the interim, I found myself occasionally wondering how in the world they were going to manage to get the premiere to match the pace of that finale. Oh, me of little faith.When last we saw the brothers grim, they were separated. By death. Dean was stretched out on meat hooks over a pit in hell and Sam was...not. Getting right into the thick of things, tonight started with Dean waking in a pine box and clawing his way to the surface of a grave that is grown over with grass. He stands up and looks around to see everything flattened around him. He starts walking and eventually comes to a gas station, where he breaks in and makes off with drinks, food, cash and porn, but not before the TV and radio turn themselves on and a high pitched ringing shatters all the glass (and irritates my dog).

He tries to call Sam, but the number is disconnected, so he tries Bobby, who threatens to kill him and hangs up on him. Twice. He takes off in a hot-wired car to see Bobby, where he does, in fact, try to kill him! Luckily Dean convinces him that he's not a demon - a feat that he accomplishes by cutting into his arm with a silver blade. Of course, Bobby still tosses holy water in his face, but all it does is get Dean wet. He asks Dean how he got out and Dean admits he has no idea, but he got a souvenir from the journey: a hand print burned into his shoulder from whatever it was that pulled him out of hell. They head off to locate Sam and find out how he managed to break Dean out.

They find the younger Winchester in a hotel room with a girl in her underwear. Sam catches sight of Dean and attacks until Dean and Bobby convince him he's the real deal. Underwear girl decides to excuse herself and asks Sam to call her. He says "Sure thing, Kathy", only to be told her name is Kristy. Ouch. Once she leaves, Dean asks Sam what it cost. Not the girl, as Sam quips, but getting Dean free. Sam admits that he would have done anything to free Dean, but he hadn't found a way. So, if it wasn't Sam ... who was it?

They decide to find out, starting with the best psychic Bobby knows. Pamela Barnes seems like a fascinating character, in an overtly sexualized manner. Unfortunately, we don't get to find out much about her as her seance goes horribly awry. Something named Castiel warns her not to call whatever it was that freed Dean, but she tells it that she doesn't scare easy. It's a pity, because her TV and radio flip on and a moment later her eyeballs catch fire and burn out of her skull. She survives, sans eyesight, and the guys try to decide what their next move is.