I think I'm gonna like it here:REVIEWS

' OCTOBER 8, 2013 Note: Full spoilers for the Supernatural: Season 9 premiere follow.

Welcome back, Winchesters! Too bad one of you is in mortal peril. Again. It's Sam's turn and in a move that makes complete sense given the hard road so far, he wants to throw in the towel and receive his just reward. Think about how tired he and Dean must be of constantly fighting the good fight - I don't blame him and I'm glad the show is focusing on that aspect more. Because really, how many times can you resuscitate them?

One of the best parts about Sam's indecisiveness is that it brought guest appearances from Bobby and Death. Supernatural is like your neighborhood bar in that way; you never which of your favorite and wacky friends will walk through the door! Seeing Bobby in his usual manner as the reluctant and gruff mentor was delightful, and watching Death dole out a well deserved compliment to Sam was nothing short of charming.

What really got me about the scene with Death was Sam's earnest plea to pass and remain dead. You could see the years of toil and resurrections etched on Sam's face, and it was heart-wrenching. Just for a second, it made you question whether they could do the show with a dead Sam.

Unsurprisingly, Dean rummages through the trash for a solution. When a series has run as long as Supernatural has, there are bound to be common themes. After eight previous seasons, the trick isn't to avoid them - it's to put a new layer of paint on the walls. Dean and Sam are regularly on the verge of losing each other, but it's what they do to stop the final swing of the ax that keeps it interesting. They've gotten out of death so many times that Dean truly believes what he says when tells everyone, "There's always a way." I like seeing his optimism, and you can't fault him for being resourceful.

I can work with the angel possession. Ezekiel's on their side (let's hope we see more of Tahmoh Penikett), and though I'm not convinced it won't end well, it was a necessity to save Sam's life. What I can't stand about it, however, is that it creates yet another reason for Dean to lie to Sam, and we go through this every freaking season. Lying to your sibling is never good; they say they've learned their lessons, but they do it repeatedly. It drives me bonkers because you can lay out play by play how the reveal will go.

Castiel trying to adapt to human ways never fails to be entertaining and especially so this time, since he's actually mortal. It's amusing to see him offended by pain and to watch him try figure out the intricacies of doing laundry. And man can he throw back a bottle of water! At the same time, there was melancholy to all of it. The scene in the laundromat was beautifully written and played. I think it was smart that the final straw to sell Castiel's transition was him changing his clothes. The new look emphasizes his new path.

He's always an entertaining character, but Castiel without his grace is something different. That on top of him wrestling with his past and battling with this fellow angels should push him into new territory this season, and I can't wait to see what Misha Collins does with it.

It's unclear what hundreds or thousands of angels on Earth means for humans, but it doesn't look good. The beings are confused and angry, and humans are conveniently close by to absorb the rage. We've got the season to explore that though, and it made sense to spend the premiere showing the consequences for Dean, Sam, and Cas. Everyone's in place, and the pieces are about to get shoved all over the board. Also, what other show can break the tension with a deadpan comment like, "I've got the King of Hell in my trunk." Good times.

"Supernatural" is back, and there is a pretty good reason to be excited after what we saw tonight. "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" was the best premiere for the show in years, and we're willing to even say that it is the best start of the show since the Eric Kripke days. Not only was there a great story, but Jared Padalecki continued his recent trend of giving out-of-this-world performances that make Sam such a complicated, interesting character.

This was in some ways the "Supernatural" version of "It's a Wonderful Life," but instead of Sam seeing the world without him, he basically spent soe time with people who are already among the dead. Jim Beaver returned in a lengthy vision as Bobby, and even Death itself turned up for a cameo.

"There ain't no me if there ain't no you." That's probably the episode that had the diehard fans tearing up. Dean was so willing to do whatever it took to save his brother, including making a very risky move. Basically, Sam is a vessel that Ezekiel is living inside of, and helping to keeping him alive. The twist? Dean has to find a way to make him better before Sam rejects the angel within; otherwise, he could die. Are those stakes high? Then add to it that Castiel knows now that a good majority of angels want his head on a pole, and he is almost incapable of doing anything about it. He has no powers, and no way to protect himself.

In between everything that was so heavy on this episode, there was also the sight of Cas doing laundry. Pure hilarity, and we're sure that there are probably thousands of people out there who appreciated him standing in his underwear in a very public place.

Sometimes "Supernatural" can become a little mired in its own madness, but what this episode did that was so effective was keep the story simple, and easy to understand while still rooted in history. There were flashbacks galore, and it was entertaining through and through. If the writers continues to come up with great ways to push this story forward, we will be looking back at season 9 fondly whenever the series does say goodbye.

Supernatural' season 9 summons its first episode of the year in premiere "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here," as Dean desperately partners with wounded angel Ezekiel (Tahmoh Penikett) to save a dying Sam, while Castiel sets about helping fellow fallen angels, and learning the limits of his newfound humanity.

Previous Supernatural' finale "Sacrifice" saw Sam and Dean seeking to cure Crowley as the final trial to close the gates of Hell, while Castiel discovered that Metatron (Curtis Armstrong) had an endgame all his own, so what does the first season 9 episode bring? What new challenges will the Winchesters face in the coming year?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about Supernatural' season 9 premiere, "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here!"

Out on the road, Sam wonders incredulously why anyone would buy the angels falling as a meteor shower, before Dean reveals they have a larger problem: Sam actually fell into a coma from his injuries in the trials, and they're currently inside his head. Meanwhile in the real world, Dean learns from a doctor that Sam likely won't recover, and prays to Castiel for help. When that fails, Dean invites any angel to come assist, offering his help in exchange, as we see several across the country hearing the call.

Inside Sam's head, Sam struggles to process how to fight his way out of the coma, whether to listen to his hallucination of Dean, or Bobby as the path to freedom. While the trio argues, Castiel wanders down a road in the real world, hearing the faint voice of angels before jumping out of the path of a truck. Seeing that he's human and bleeding, Castiel accepts the man's offer for a ride into town. Castiel arrives to a gas station, nearly getting into an altercation with a biker before a young female angel named Hale recognizes him.

Dean mistakes the hospital's grief counselor for an angel, before realizing that the still-in-his-trunk Crowley might be able to help Sam. Before he can open the trunk however, Dean finds himself accosted by an angel who demands Castiel's location, until another wounded angel (Penikett) arrives to intervene. Dean manages to impale the aggressor angel in the scuffle, before the other passes out from his injuries in the fall. Dean traps the angel in holy fire until he awakens, identifies himself as Ezekiel, and swears his belief in Dean and Castiel's cause, ultimately offering to save Sam.

Castiel consoles Hale that life on Earth might not be so bad, leading Hale to propose they start by visiting the Grand Canyon she once created. Meanwhile inside Sam's head, Sam elects to listen to the Bobby side of his conscious mind, and walks through a lush forest. Bobby reminds Sam that he saved the world on multiple occasions, and should feel entitled to leave things behind once and for all. Meanwhile in reality, Ezekiel begins the healing process as Castiel finally calls Dean to check in. Castiel confirms that Ezekiel can be trusted, but Dean warns Castiel not to place his trust in any fellow angels that might want to harm him. After hanging up, Castiel is surprised by Hale knocking him out with a plank, while Dean begins angel-proofing the hospital room against impending reinforcements.

While Dean begins evacuating the hospital, Castiel awakens on the road to find Hale driving with an angel blade in her lap. Hale quickly blames him for the angels falling, expressing her intent to merge with Castiel's stronger vessel before her current body deteriorates. Meanwhile in Sam's mind, Bobby directs him to a cabin that will end his suffering, before a vision of Dean stabs Bobby, and begins attacking Sam to get him to fight back. Sam insists he has nothing left to fight for, dissipating the vision of Dean before entering the cabin to find Death waiting for him.

Dean finds himself badly beaten by the attacking angels, before a moment of inspiration allows him to draw an angel-banishing sigil, regardless of where beside Heaven it might take them. Inside the hospital room, Ezekiel reveals that his healing efforts have failed to save Sam, though Dean may not like the possible last-ditch effort of Ezekiel possessing Sam's body. Dean wonders if Sam would even accept such a solution, to which Ezekiel shows Dean a vision of Sam ready to accept Death's offer. Elsewhere, Castiel buckles his seatbelt and swerves Hale's car off the road.

Ezekiel insists to Dean that his possessing Sam would heal both of them, after which he'd promise to leave the body. Acting as a bridge, Ezekiel allows the real Dean to enter Sam's mind and plead for his brother not to accept Death's offer, and Sam ultimately agrees, unaware what his "yes" means for Ezekiel. Meanwhile, Castiel awakens from the crash to find Hale's mangled body outside the car. Hale insists she can ultimately protect Castiel from the other angels who want him dead for his actions in expelling the others from heaven, but Castiel kills her to stay quiet.

In the aftermath of all the chaos, the doctors find Ezekiel's disoriented vessel alone in the hospital room, while Sam/Ezekiel and Dean make a stealthy getaway. Ezekiel assures Dean that he can slowly heal Sam so long as Sam never finds out about the angel sharing his body, for fear of rejecting it. Ezekiel even offers to wipe Sam's memory of the entire experience for safety, to which Dean reluctantly agrees. Elsewhere, Castiel enters a laundromat and goes to clean his bloody clothes, but the sight of a vending machine leads him to borrow someone else's clothing and pay to nourish himself, leaving the iconic trenchcoat behind.

Sam awakens out on the road with Dean, apparently without any memory of the day after the angels fell, and eager to get to work in fixing the mess they've made.

So, we're back! The angels have fallen, acclimated rather quickly to their new surroundings (save for some understandable anger with Castiel and the Winchester brothers), and Sam and Dean have found themselves out on the road again. Mind you, "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" doesn't actually accomplish very much out of the gate, save to show us Castiel's new role in the story going forward, while Dean took a reluctant bargain with the mysterious Ezekiel to save his brother's life. Saving Sam didn't exactly answer any burning questions from the finale, considering Sam's ultimate predicament hadn't quite been established, though at least we have a sense of where the tension between the boys will arrive from this year.

So, what else, really? Crowley remained offscreen in Dean's trunk, Abaddon hasn't returned just yet, and we have little idea of the angels' ultimate agenda, let alone how the world might have potentially been impacted by their arrival. Tonight's premiere doesn't offer very much in the way of plot progression, but does have a rather nice set piece in Dean's battle against the angels, and the always-welcome Jim Beaver's return as Bobby, though we should hope to see the real deal at some point, perhaps telling stories to Metatron up in an eerily-abandoned Heaven. Oh, and Death (Julian Richings) was back for a bit, though sadly went without any cronuts from Dean.

Going forward, we'd also hope to see Tahmoh Penikett stick around a bit longer as the enigmatic Ezekiel, though it remains to be seen how we'd see the actual actor anywhere outside of Sam's mind. Penikett fit well into the dynamic between the boys, even if he no doubt has some agenda of his own to fulfill. And that's it, really, some nice (if occasionally cheesy, and arguably repetitive) bonding moments, and a bit of narrative re-positioning, so hopefully next week will be able to cover a bit more ground, or at offer least a bearing for the season to come.

Well, what say you? Did you get your fill of spooky Supernatural' action? What did you think about tonight's premiere "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here?" Give us your thoughts in the comments, and join us again next week for an all-new recap of Supernatural' season 9 episode 2 "Devil May Care" on The CW!