accomplished by compressing the background with a long lens. Reception On its initial broadcast, the episode was watched by 2.68 million viewers. It received generally positive reviews from critics. Tina Charles of TV Guide was happy to see Jim Beaver become more involved in the storyline, and praised Ackles for his "amazing job" during the confrontation between the two Deans. She described the latter scenes as "seamless, yet painful to watch". Although Charles was happy to see the Colt get stolen—she thought the weapon was "too easy" and had lost its mystique—she noted her annoyance that the brothers continue to "look ridiculous" because Bela is able to steal things from them. Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union-Tribune gave the episode an A−. Despite the "sluggish pacing" of the first half, the "paternal baggage" and monster of the week "built up enough emotional resonance to triumph". She noted the actors' performances, such as the "great Winchester moment" in which Sam discusses Dean's demonic pact; for Peterson, "...the dark, wounded look in Jared Padalecki's eyes totally sells it". The "brutally good character writing" and "truly impressive work" done for Dean's dream-encounter with himself was also lauded, with Peterson writing, "Ackles gives two of his best performances in the history of the show. At the same time." Like Charles, however, she pointed out how "uncharacteristically stupid about Bela" the Winchesters have been. She commented, "Bela appears to have eaten the writers' brains for breakfast." The episode received a score of 7 out of 7 from TV Squad's Brett Love. Bobby's backstory at first was a "bit of a shock" for him, but he eventually came to realize that it "fits very well". Love also thought that the dream root aspect "worked out great", and deemed the dreamscapes "creepy and unsettling". References General Specific External links Supernatural (season 3) episodes Television episodes about dreams 2008 American television episodes Television episodes set in Pittsburgh Television episodes set in South Dakota Television episodes about sleep disorders