 It's two minutes to midnight, and you've got to have pie with death. Ooh, that's a hot mug, guys. Hey guys, I'm getting chills. This is episode 21 of Supernatural Season 5, the pre-season finale, to so far the best season on record. I'm actually been keeping track of the ratings and everything, and Swanson pretty much turns out to be what I think it is. We've got to banger it. This episode is a double-header. We're taking on both pestilence and death in this episode, all the while still contemplating the idea of what to do with Lucifer and in terms of Sam saying yes and jumping in the pit. And this episode is a two-parter, in a sense, because the first half is about pestilence, and the second half is about death. Is it a little bit rushed here and there? Maybe a little bit. I feel that pestilence kind of is over and done with quite quickly. If anything, he doesn't even get a full episode. All the other horsemen got a full episode. The same thing with death, essentially, but they vary it up, right? Because the first three are taken down the exact same way, but obviously death is a much different story. The episode starts with, and I know it's not him, but does this guy not make you think of Jim Carrey? Not only in terms of how he looks, but also how he sounds. The guy has been around for a long time, been doing television and movie work for, like, decades. He has a lot of skill and craft, and his presence as this doctor who's like, hey, you got all these different diseases because you're my petri dish right now and you're about to die in three, two, one. He has such a funny but menacing presence in this episode. I do like how he also taunts the boys because in the back of his mind, not only is he taunting them in front of them, but he also knows about his Croatoan virus plan. Again, very, very funny that we're talking about swine flu in a mass vaccine. Obviously, hidden as something else, considering everything that's going on right now with COVID and the vaccinations and everything. It's just, this is too real. Ten years earlier, but just too real right now. Castiel also makes a return, considering he wasn't in the last episode. They find out that he actually got blasted to a hospital and because of what he did to ward off the angels back in point of no return, he has completely lost almost all of his angel mojo. Actually, he's been gone for two episodes. He calls up the boys and tells them where he is and he says he'll get to them eventually. All the while then, the brothers go off to this hospital to try and take down pestilence, but they kind of get incredibly sick and beaten up and down in the floor in front of them. Now, pestilence is kind of taunting them. Castiel walks in and he's like, hey, how did you get here? He's like, I took a bus. Again, Castiel just has these lines of pure simplicity, but he can deliver them. Misha delivers them with such a funny, yet completely monotone tone that you enjoy it so much, but he falls over and pestilence is like, you don't even have a speck of angel in you anymore, do you? And he's like, yeah, maybe a speck. And he cuts up and cuts his finger off, which that's the only negative I have with this episode is that part does feel a little rushed. I thought that was just over and done with quite quickly. Then move on to the plan to take down death. Crowley is still helping them quite considerably at this point and also at this point that he reveals the other part of the deal that he did for Bobby, which was give him his legs back. Bobby rises up and it's a really heartfelt moment before these two have to split off and go and take down death with Dean and Crowley and then pestilence's entire vaccine horror show plan with Bobby and Sam, which I kind of find it funny. I wonder what Bobby was going to do rolling around in the wheelchair, kind of come out of the van like the A-Team or something. Bobby and Sam go into this building to try and save all these people. The demons start panicking because Sam and Bobby reveal themselves early to try and stop the shipments and they start to release the Croaton virus and there's a scene where all these workers are killing someone and it's so good in terms of sound. Give the Foley artists a huge, huge credit here because the sound is goddamn terrifying but they're able to save the people and Bobby's able to watch Sam continuously save people in this pretty harrowing situation and it's something that's reflected on at the end of the episode. Then in Chicago, Dean and Crowley do find death and Dean can't even get within 10 feet of him with the scythe that would supposedly kill him, which we know is going to come back again in season 11 and death invites him to have dinner because death doesn't care about the apocalypse. He wants to be off of Lucifer's leash and so he makes a deal with Dean that by allowing Sam to jump into the pit he will give Dean willingly his ring to help that happen. But speaking of death, gotta talk about probably one of the best character introductions that the show ever had in terms of a very short-lived character. In short-lived I mean like barely appearing throughout the entire show's legacy. His introduction of him walking slowly to owe death in the background and that guy bumps into him and he just says that very slow shoulder shot, shoulder clear and the guy falls dead behind him. Such a good introduction. Philsegaria really does a fantastic job capturing that moment. That also by the way is once again the Watchman set which I brought up several times. It was used in the end, it was used in Abandoned Hope, it's been used a few other times throughout the season. It was very heavily used by Supernatural during this season but then they return back to the house and Bobby and Dean have a conversation talking about Sam and all the crap that they've given him and thinking and believing that they actually have a chance with the plan because Sam is stronger than they lead him on today and then Bobby ends with that really, really great cliffhanger leading into the final episode of the season. Are you afraid of losing or are you afraid of losing your brother? Such a fantastic end to the episode. Two Minutes to Midnight has a lot of stuff crammed into it and thankfully for the most part it actually works out pretty well and the only thing I feel that's a little bit rushed is the whole bit with Pestilence. Finally enough, death has less time but I still feel that's much better of a scene but it's also because it's different from what we had. Pestilence essentially has taken out the exact same way to the last three. Well even famine actually had a bit of a different end than Pestilence did. So to see these two juggernauts be taken down and then leading into the final battle with Lucifer and the conversation about Sam wearing Lucifer to the prom it all builds up to what makes Swan Song so freaking good. So in the end I'm going to give Two Minutes to Midnight a 6 out of 7 really, really fun episode, really great music moment. I remember when I was doing the five core soundtrack to Supernatural for my radio show this was the second last song I played aside from Dean's intro in Swan Song but those were my thoughts about this episode so let's see what you guys have to say about Two Minutes to Midnight. Two Minutes to Midnight is one of my top five all time favorite episodes. I love Pestilence and he is awesome. Dean and Sam go into the old people's home, old folks' home and look for someone that looks like death. I love Dean's introduction with the song All's Death that probably one of my favorite scenes of the whole show and the scream of the diner, Dean. How old are you? As old as God, maybe older, neither of us can remember anymore. Such an awesome line. Always makes me laugh, Bobby. I made a deal, Sam. Kiss? Just wondering. Bobby, nope. Why did you take the picture of Crowley says? The ending with Dean saying what do you think of death does to people who lie to his face. Cliffhanger was brilliant preparing us for the final episode that would have been the end of the show. Seven and a seven. I'm always kind of nift of what happened with death. Like it led into one of my favorite seasons but it always has kind of miffed me. Two Minutes to Midnight is a great episode. It was one of my favorite character introductions in the series, Death. I was surprised at how quick Castiel took down Pestilence since in this episode. He's basically a human at this point. I'd have loved it when he says I took a bus. That is a great line. I absolutely love the performance from Julian Richies. He was great as Death in this episode. It was surprising to finding out that Lucifer was controlling Death, forcing him to do his bidding. I really enjoyed seeing Dean in Death talk in the restaurant. I also enjoyed Crowley here, especially when he shows Sam and Dean the picture of him. Bobby kissing. And I love the conversation between Bobby and Dean at the end of the episode. That's the introduction just his character. He was only in this show very, very rarely, like in terms of his percentage to emoji. Like in the same kind of realms Jody Mills for their time, but still such a memorable character. Every time he's in something else, I'm always like, oh hey, it's Death. Bobby's empathetic denial of kissing Crowley to close the deal and Crowley's counter has aged like gold as has cast his observation on guns after blasting a croat. Maybe these things can be useful after all. This episode sets up one of my all-time favorite Swan Song scenes at the beginning, where Dean accepts that Sam has grown up and is ready to respect his decision, even if it means losing him. The scene between the brothers in this episode pushes Dean a bit by bit towards that acceptance. Yes, you are correct. And that is actually one of my favorite parts from Swan Song as well. Julian Richards kills it in every scene of his from here to season 10, but this particular entrance of his character is perfect. Despite all the build-up, it's not too much or too little. Still an air of mystery around him. We don't know who he is or what he will do once free from the devil's power. The line about reaping the creator came as such a surprise and built even more intrigue about him. It would feel countless fan theories for the next 10 years, yes it would. I noticed that this episode's pace seems slightly rushed. It did take a lot of plot elements at once. Despite this, a transition from one point to the next is seamless for the post-part. It does take in a lot. You are essentially getting two episodes worth of story in one episode. Could they have maybe split this up? Could they have gotten rid of Swat Meat and given this a little bit more breathing room? Yeah, I could say that they could have done that, but it still works despite that issue it has. Two minutes before midnight, do I need to see how awesome this episode is? No, you know exactly why. The first half where we meet pestilence is appropriately disturbing and gross, and the way Castiel steps up to the plate and kills him is one of the best moments of just a speck badassery right there. There is also the first episode where I started to like Crowley, probably because he gave Bobby legs and Mark Shepard is goddamn awesome. However, without a doubt the most memorable scene is Death's introduction, which is hands down the most chilling introduction in the entire show. Everything about death is just breathtaking. The way he looks, the way he talks is just so mesmerizing. Jillian Riching's performance has everyone glued to the screen throughout his limited appearance. I am pretty sure that even if the show ended in season 5 and he just had one appearance, he would still be considered one of the best characters in the show. And let's not forget the perfection of Oh Death. I love that song so much I listen to it regularly to this day, along with Carry On. You know the most baffling thing to me about this episode? It didn't make my top 10 best episodes of the series list. I don't know how, but it's an honorable mention from me. I think someone was asking about best character introductions of the show. Death is definitely up there for me. He's probably the best one, because it's just such a great montage. Just the slight and casual brushing of his shoulder. I love that every time. There is one aspect of Two Minutes of Midnight that has diminished this episode for me. That is the conversation at the end of the episode where Dean and Bobby are discussing whether or not Sam is good enough, worthy enough to sacrifice himself to an eternity of hell to save the world. Are you afraid of losing? Are you losing your brother? Dean's temporary, mortal emotions. The sacrifice of his brother takes precedence over Sam, rotting in hell forever? Yikes. Sam is portrayed in this conversation as questionably not good enough, but will have to do as the focus remains on Dean. I can see where you're coming from there, Shannon. More so, I feel that it's kind of going back to what is the core focus of the show is that Dean has been so willing to do anything to save his brother's life. For instance, he made a deal with a crossroads demon to bring his brother back. After all that sacrifice, after going to hell himself or his brother, is he now about to let go of his own selfishness? It's an acceptance kind of question there. I love that line every time. It's one of my favorite montage, what previously happened on lines in the show's history. Well, hello death. This episode is great and awesome stuff all around. Starting with pestilence, he is gross, yet also pretty interesting having created the Corotone virus. I just wish he had a whole episode rather than just being in the first bit. Cass is clearly feeling the troubles of being mortal which is fun. Bobby gets his legs back in just in time too. This episode also has one of my favorite Crowley lines asking Bobby why he had to use tongue for their deal. Crowley comes in clutch these two episodes, getting Brady saving the boys from a hellhound and giving Bobby his legs back and of course locating death eventually. Man, death is awesome in this episode. Lucifer is really great this season as a villain. He had mystery and seems quite killable and especially and I especially like how he's super calm and almost all knowing but then there is a horseman archangel death who brings a whole new level of menace to the show. His conversation with Dean is for sure a highlight of the series describing Lucifer as a whiny brat having a tantrum and is totally willing to give up his ring as well as the instructions to the cage. Even finding out that God will die and in the end I'll reap him too. Oof, that hit hard. Kudos to Julian Richens. He does a great job with the character here and every other time he plays him it's a damn shame they kill him later on because later iterations of death absolutely pale in comparison. Yeah, I'll agree with you there. They never got someone as good as Julian. Sam and Bobby get a seminar on how to handle zombies like creatures with the answer being headshots, headshots, headshots. At the end Dean struggles with the idea that he has to go along with Sam's plan and that he can't cheat death. With death's inclusion of this episode he helps elevate the series while everything else works to set up the ultimate payoff on the best episode of the series and swan song. So, I actually I'll have to agree in terms of the casting. Julian just worked well because he looked like death. The crooked nose, the pale exterior the very gaunt face, the black hair it all worked in terms of what you could imagine death being. These are that are a very young pale girl. That's from the Sandman for me but that's the only two iterations I could feel. Love this episode. Easily one of the best episodes of season 5 in Supernatural in general. Just an amazing pre-finale. The showdown with pestilence the first half is good. Matt Fruer really shines in the role especially his big speech about the purity of disease. Speech aged like fine wine. Sam and Bobby in cast as assault in the vaccine distribution center is also really solid. The best scene not only in season 5 but in Supernatural but in the history of television in general is the introduction of death. The arrival of death in Chicago just gives me goosebumps. The great track Jennifer Titus' Oh Death the slow motion aspect and the content of the scene itself all came together to create a one-minute masterpiece. I've seen many movies, TV shows, cartoons and animes where death appeared as an entity. Out of all the interpretations of death Julian Richens is without a doubt my favorite one he just was born to play this character I can't picture any other actor-actress who would have had a better fit for this role. Dean's death conversation with Dean in the pizza joint pretty much proves it and the conversation brings up a great point as death is neutral to everything he is not like his three brothers who are evil and supported Lucifer's plan that's why he is only the horseman who is bound by Lucifer through a magic spell. It also tells us how powerful ancient and mystic death truly is with these dialogue lines you have an inflated sense of your importance to a thing like me a thing like you well let think at how a bacterium sat at your table and started getting snarky. This is one little planet and one tiny solar system in a galaxy that's barely out of its diapers. I'm old Dean very old so I invite you to contemplate how insignificant I find you. One of the biggest crimes this show ever committed was when they killed off Julian Richens death in season 10 finale and later replaced him with Billy just unacceptable. I'm fine with killing off the death because the other horseman died too but then replacing him and on top of that with a far inferior actress just no, no awful decision they should have just never brought death back. I actually kind of agree with you on that. Julian just fitted the role so well. Billy I think she just took what direction that Dab was giving her but admittedly she just wasn't the same it was a very pale comparison and I don't mean that in a death sort of sense. I realize what I said there. Two minutes to midnight is nothing short of an intense episode to an incredible season while I wish story plot points in this episode were fleshed out more in a stand alone episodes. You can indisputably watch this episode and not feel it's forcefully cramming everything into this episode that's the real genius I feel like is criminally underrated by the script writer Sarah Gamble. She had legitimately written every second to the episode of every season of Supernatural in the Kripke era fun fact she even wrote the second to the last episode of season 6 and Kripke wrote the season finale. Yes I do remember that while he was not shown on her for season 6 he remained an executive producer for the show and you might say Eric is the master of the cryptic storytelling he took Gamble giving the reins to the show of Sarah Jeremy expertly carved a supernatural arc of four seasons and Drew dabbled with his own interpretation of supernatural. Forgive me for this large comment but I have to address how much I love each character that brings perfect weight of their identity now everyone will tell you Julian Richards portrays death better than Lisa Barry's interpretation personally I think they both have the right weight of who death is in supernatural however there is no question that death's first corporal appearance in my favorite character introduction in the entire show pestilence as a doctor in a hospital is also so dark and genius. It's also refreshing to see Castile's character who just as a spark of angelic identity still gives his all for the Winchester's cause of free will. People joke on and on of how this show affected COVID-19 when in reality it was really just a social commentary on swine flu which is very eerily similar to COVID-19. Yeah I remember when the swine flu thing was all bigity wiggity and I think everyone kind of took that a little bit overly cautious. COVID is a very different thing but I remember swine flu just people were losing their minds about that one expert except people didn't take it as overly exaggerated seriously with 19 COVID-19. Yeah there's still something horrifically genius about swine flu vaccine was mixed in with the demonic crotone virus and who can forget how wonderful it is to see Bobby walking again. Love Crowley kept the picture of him and to make the deal with Bobby walk again while using Bobby's soul to find his death. But Bobby's reaction to somebody who has been in a wheelchair for so long and now is walking again is genuinely touching. The last thing I will leave a comment on pertaining to the second to the last episode of season 5 is death scythe turning out to be a sickle. We see Alistair using the same one in season 4 death takes a holiday and even references that he got the sickle from someone who has 3 brothers. It bewilders me that when Alistair was captured by the angels that they didn't take the sickle and it makes me think Crowley grabbed it. Of course that's a theory but we know that the angels would take it because death needed it. The mystery however remains the same of how Alistair retrieved it and how Crowley retrieved it because it makes you wonder before Lucifer raised death to the earth where was he all this. Actually that's a good point I never thought about that no that's actually a really good point Joe. Alright thank you guys for your comments one more we are one step away from finishing this journey. At least the first bit. We are going to continue on afterwards but why don't you give me your guys thoughts about small song and I actually can't believe I'm saying this but don't hold back because I'm not going to have it be a part of that review. The review is going to be a little different but it kind of deserves to be considering it is pretty much the best episode the show ever produced. It was the grandiose end to a five season arc. So that video is actually going to be a little bit more detailed than me normally standing in front of the camera as well will be the comments. The comments are going to be their own video and I'm going to kind of have a little bit more of a talk about them so lay it on me. I want to see what you guys think about small song. I know everyone else loves this episode but it would be interesting to see what you guys think. Whether it be negative or positive. Give me your guys thoughts and I'll read those off in a separate video once Swan Song's review is released. Anyways guys I hope you enjoyed the review. If you did leave a like and if you're interested in more subscribe and thank you. Thank you for being along for this journey and I really hope you guys like the next review. I think you'll really enjoy it. See you guys next week. Thanks for watching the video. My name is Knitz and you might remember me from the animated cult classic TV show Undergrads. It's been a while but I'm happy to say the click is finally getting back together in an all new movie thanks to a successful kickstarter campaign. But we are still asking for your support. To see any and all updates about the upcoming Undergrads movie be sure to check out and like the Bring Back Undergrads Facebook page and with any luck we'll see you guys soon.