It’s about time we got another episode that works on Dean’s self esteem.  After last week’s sucker punch that left him broken and crying, it was sorely needed.  And as an added bonus, we got increased Sammy screentime.

The episode opens with Dean waking to a life that’s not his.  He wears a suit, drives a compact car and listens to NPR.  At work he considers going on the master cleanse (As someone who just did the cleanse I’ve got to say: Think twice, Dean.  It’s seriously not for you.  You’ll miss cheeseburgers too much.) and his boss promises good things.  Even his name is different.  He’s Dean Smith.

Meanwhile down several floors, “Sam Wesson” (Smith and Wesson.  Maybe this episode should carry the disclaimer to watch out for falling anvils.) works in tech support.  Which mostly seems to consist of playing with his bobble headed Dracula and telling various clients that all they need to do is turn their computer off and then back on.

Sam’s best friend Is the very Dean-like Ian who mostly makes fun of him, refuses to wear the office uniform and steals office supplies.   Which goes to show that Sam needs some kind of Dean figure in his life. 

I’m kind of wondering if our boys have been taken by the Dollhouse.  Or perhaps there’s a trickster involved.  But judging by the show’s title, I’m going to assume that its angels trying to restore Dean’s sense of worth after last week’s episode. I wonder If we’ll see Castiel get to earn his wings.

If they’re going to do it, it’s going to have to be through Sam.  In a complete flip-flop from season one, it looks like Sam is the one driven to hunt and Dean is more interested in his health benefits.  Sam’s been having dreams of his former life.  But when he tries to approach Dean, he gets the brush off.  “Save it for the health club.”

Just when I’m getting used to this bizarro world version of the boys, there’s a mystery afoot.  One of Sam’s co-workers gets called into HR, and becomes a mindless drone for the company.  When he fails at his job, he commits suicide in a very grizzly way.   When Sam’s prairie dog farm friend Ian follows suit, Sam and Dean realize that they’re dealing with a ghost. One who targets useless employees.

The two of them hit the internet for research and find a Ghostfacer’s website with information on how to hunt a ghost.  Armed with Salt and Iron, they hunt down the spirit and put it to rest.

The hunt makes both boys realize that they’ve never had so much fun.  Sam is ready to hit the road but Dean is reluctant to leave his life.  But after being faced with the prospect of a promotion that means seven-days a week at the office and lunch at his desk for the next ten years, Dean realizes that he was meant for greater things.

This prompts a visit from the angel Zacherias.  He set the whole thing up to show Dean where his priorities lay.  That he’s a hunter by choice, not because he was raised to be one.  And that even when he has a normal life he’ll inevitably seek out hunting. 

I was completely ready for this episode.  In the past, Kripke has been good about giving us a lighter episode as a reprieve from the unrelenting darkness.  This proves to be no exception.  There are plenty of chuckle moments (Including Dean’s complete willingness to see the Ghostfacers as the authority on ghost hunting.).

I could have done with fewer anvils however.  After the first couple of times that Sam and Dean made an ironic reference to something from their real lives, it got to be old.  And at times Zacherias’s speech was a little too speechified. 

But it was a great episode overall.  It was good to see the boys getting back to basics, finding their purpose reconnecting as brothers and raising dean's self esteem.