Supernatural (TV Series) Houses of the Holy (2007) User Reviews

Knocking on Heaven's door

[zombiehigh18 · 8/10 · 4 November 2011]

Though not my favorite episode of the season, it's a very interesting one; it is a question of faith. It throws new light on the protagonists' personalities. Dean, as it was established before, is not a believer. He has seen too much evil in the world to be able to understand the good. He only believes in what he can see and mostly because Mary had faith yet her faith didn't save her. On the other hand, Sam (like Mary) is a believer, he prays every day. He is very scared of his destiny; he wants to believe so hard, so he might be saved. He was very disappointed to learn that there was no angel. What was interesting about this episode was how doubtful and shaken (even though he was right after all about father Gregory) Dean was after seeing the man gets killed.

I liked the car chase very much, but what bothered me the most about this episode is: How can a spirit move from one place to another? Weren't it supposed to be bound to a place? And How come Sam's EMF couldn't detect it? And finally the most troubling question, where does the spirits go after being put to rest? I mean on the episode "In my time of dying", Tessa the reaper told Dean to chose whether to go with her or not because there was no changing his mind later. I hope you know what I mean.

It's a good episode but if you want to skip it you won't miss much on the story arc.

Men Cannot Be Angels

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 14 July 2008]

In Providence, Rhode Island, the local Gloria kills a man claiming that an angel in a beautiful white night had chosen her for redemption and asked her to stab the sinner to accomplish God's will. Dean and Sam investigate the case and they discover that other people had been visited by the angel and committed murders. Further, the angel has appeared after the death of Father Gregory, who was murdered on the steps of his church two months ago. When Sam is visited by the angel and asked to kill a man, the skeptical and atheist Dean confronts the faith of Sam telling that men cannot be angels and the light is an angry spirit indeed.

"Houses of the Holy" is a tale of faith versus skepticism represented by Sam and Dean. The episode is engaging, with an attractive story, maybe the first without demons or fiends. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Casas do Sagrado" ("Houses of the Holy")

*thumbs up kripke*

[super_frog16 · 9/10 · 30 April 2007]

This was another awesome episode. Im determined to comment on every episode lol :p The first five minutes of Dean-ness had me in fits. He had soooo many one hilarious liners, my spleen nearly ruptured! His relationship to that massage bed! oh my god, im having a quiet giggle thinking about it now! while it may not have been one of the most action packed episodes, it was still beautiful in its message, faith? or no faith? Jensens performance deserved some sort of award. His lack of faith due to his mother right up to his confusion at what he saw at the end...was brilliantly portrayed! I applaud kripke at his brilliance in being able to reveal a huge chunk of Dean's personality and why he is what he is using one line of dialogue....im in awe. Im referring to how he lost his faith after witnessing his mothers demise after her almost blind faith. Jared also deserves a pat on the back for his moving revelations about praying every night anyways, again like i say, not the most thrilling, action packed episode, but brilliant for its character developing ness! definite nine! XsarahX

graceful exploration of the fundamental differences between the Winchesters

[CubsandCulture · 10/10 · 14 September 2019]

The series for the first few years really does stay with in the brothers (or "brothers") dynamic and a few episodes cut to the heart of the matter more than this one. Dean and Sam are philosophical interlocutors in this episode and the various positions they take fit the characterizations built up to this point. Of course Dean is skeptical and believes life is a violent mess. Of course Sam has faith. The true brilliance of this episode, however, is how the plot of it causes each to have a crisis of faith that would not be for the other brother. Dean is given a reason to believe, Sam is a given a reason to doubt. It is graceful.

The creature of the week is a striking example within the show of how supernatural entities are not purely evil or alien. There is a romanticism to the spirit in this episode that truly works. This, coupled with "Faith", is some of the tightest plotting in the first 5 years of the show.

This episode was purely excellent! Sam was astonishing in his show of faith and Dean was Hilarioos in his lack of it.

[devif · 10/10 · 3 February 2007]

This episode was purely excellent! Sam was astonishing in his show of faith and Dean was Hilarious in his lack of it. Everyone laughed as Dean complained of his being trapped inside and his complete disdain of those who hold faith in the highest regard. Sam was truly surprising when he told Dean that he prayed every day, and Dean's reaction was just a interesting as Dean is himself. I pitied Sam in the end, his wish for a greater power to exist was left in the dust, and his want for something better truly shone through the actor. Dean was ready to question faith of any kind until the very end, when he saw "gods will" (i use the "air quotes" because we do not necessarily know that it was really gods will of a freak accident) and Told Sam of it. We guffawed and cried along with the boys every step of the way on this episode, and I am happy to call myself Supernaturally Obsessed.

Like Pulp Fiction

[mm-39 · 8/10 · 4 October 2007]

Like the movie Pulp Fiction, Dean has a question of faith. A freak occurrence or an act of God? The ending asks the faith question. Sam has faith, while Dean analyzes the mystery. Both prove their points. I believe and was taught God many times uses gentle pushes for his will. The avenging angel theory does God get angry? The car chase at the ending is great. True Dean Winchester at his best! The punk runs like one would expect. I like Dean's anger. Dean's round character development is expanded. Dean is a man who has seen too much, and is burnt out. A driven man with a sense of purpose. Houses of the Holy shows there is hope for Dean and room for faith. A sign of redemption for Dean's character flaws. 8 out of 10

All Seeing

[Sheerluck_Ohms · 3 July 2020]

Wait, so this ghost priest can see wrongs that people have done and are going to do (murders and rape) and instead of convincing him that "Hey instead of us also committing murder, maybe just tell us all the stuff and we'll lock them up. Have you also just appear to the police and stuff." Like with all the actual evil in the universe is this show, it doesn't really make sense to get rid of something that wants to do good. They didnt really know how to end it so they kind of just went with the whole bad guy dies by accident sort of thing. Breeds an unhealthy view in people of the real world. That we don't have to pursue or punish bad people because they will get there own in the end. They also tried to explain as if God exists by the death at the end. I've seen that death in way too many shows and movies for it to have a meaningful impact on me. I think it would have made a much more interesting story if they had to choose whether to send him on and decided not to because he was doing good.

Angels

[shwetafabm · 8/10 · 29 May 2020]

Before the series even knew if they would introduce angels in season 4 we have this ep, dean is a skeptic and Sam is hopeful that there is some good out and not evil