The music swelled as lightning flashed across the overcast sky, and a black car made its way down a winding highway. We find the Winchesters are on their way to Pennsylvania (or wait, was that Transylvania for a split second, lit by a lightning strike?). Soon enough, we’re in the car with Sam and Dean, and Dean makes the comment that the “music here sucks” and turns off the radio (thereby taking the moody background music, making it almost a character unto itself, and putting an end to it). This is just the start of a brilliant homage to the black and white films of the 30′s (and prior if you include the groundbreaking Nosferatu).

With the Warner Brother’s banner (WB) as the opening shot and the curtained Intermission half-way through, Kripke, et. al., hit the nail straight and firmly on the head.

While shooting in black and white can seem simple, to capture the elegance, moodiness and cinematic impact of light vs. dark, the mystery of shadow and the sharpness of light takes quite the talent in this day and age. The sets, the scenes, the locations were all chosen in synchrony to the tale, and the visual cues (such as Dean being drugged) were laughably perfect, as the glass doubled, then tripled, then spun out of control.

All in all, this had to have been one of the most enjoyable episodes of Supernatural of all time. The lengths to which the crew went to perfectly recreate the viewing pleasure of a bygone era should be applauded. I know I’m still left with a satiated smile on my face.