TV episode review
US airdate 2 April 2009 (The CW)

On a visit to a comic shop as undercover FBI officers, Sam and Dean are mistaken for fans of a series of books about two hunters called Sam and Dean. Intrigued, they buy all the books they can lay their hands on and find that their lives have been recorded in detail…

Although this episode at first seems to be little beyond a quirky, post-modern take on the meta-textual narrative, it quickly becomes clear that it is so much more. It manages to pack in plenty of very funny moments as fiction and the ‘real world’ clash, while also taking a serious turn. More than that, it is apparent in every scene that everyone is having such fun here.

The moment when Sam explains to Dean the exact nature of the fan fiction that their female fans are writing is priceless, but the story also manages to introduce new elements of the story arc in an extremely well crafted and smooth way. Misha Collins proves he is a total star in a genuinely gripping episode. Brigid Cherry

VERDICT: 10/10