Hey, look at that! Another perfectly decent episode of Supernatural! Sure, “Appointment in Samarra” isn’t all that exciting, but it moved things along, didn’t make me angry, and reminded me of a few good things about this show. Given my lowered expectations for this season, that ain’t half bad.

The Doctor is in

Dean visits a disreputable, no-longer licensed doctor in (a) Chinatown. I’ve long thought that the Supernatural universe must have a line on backroom deals like this, so it’s nice to see that confirmed. Dean hands the doctor an envelope of cash and a letter for Ben and gets killed for compensation. Tessa comes to reap Dean. TESSA! A recurring female character who isn’t evil or a damsel in distress! I didn’t know I had been missing you, lady, but, boy, have I. Welcome back, dear girl. So Dean’s like, “Get me an audience with Death,” and Tessa’s like, “It don’t work that way,” but they don’t get too far into the line of thought before Death himself shows up. Of course he does. He’s ballin’. Dean wants Adam (aw, nice to think of little Adam!) and Sam’s souls lifted from the cage, settles for Sam’s when Death offers only one, and wants it fixed. Just when I start to wonder what Dean is offering in exchange, Death realizes it’s his ring but already knows where it is. Death makes Dean a deal: Dean wears the ring for 24 hours. If he can manage it, Death will retrieve Sam’s soul. Death will build a dam in Sam’s mind to make him forget whatever he’s experienced in Hell, but it may not be able to hold back the tide. If Dean takes off the ring or fails to discharge his duties, all deals are off. Despite what Soulless Sammy quite reasonably pointed out a few weeks back, Dean accepts this deal. Dean asks why this deal is on offer but gets sucked back into his body before he can learn the answer. He bitches about missing that last remark, and the doctor points out that Dean was down for seven minutes instead of the promised three. Great, now we’re supposed to put our trust in Brain Damaged Dean.