I'll be back later with more detailed thoughts of my own, but for now, here's the watercooler review from Tina Charles over at tvguide.com:

ETA: Added just a couple thoughts of my own at the bottom

Episode Recap: "Time is on My Side"

So, this is an episode I think I'm still processing. First things first: the way Bela was written off was well done. And if any of you hadn't heard, or couldn't tell from the way "Time is on My Side" ended, Ms. Talbot won't be back in Season 4. The way Sera Gamble wrote her out, I didn't see coming. She made a deal with a demon to kill her parents when she was young. Lilith held her contract and even though Bela stole the Colt for Lilith, it wasn't enough to extend her deal. Lilith even tried to get Bela to kill Sam, but the boys finally got one up on her and that was all she wrote. Dean said it right. All she had to do was ask them for help and they would have been there for her. It was as simple as that. But in the end, there was nothing they could do. I understand why she made the deal; her father did awful things to her. But things didn't have to end this way for her. It's too bad. I'm actually someone who really liked Bela, especially in the beginning. Selling Sam and Dean out in "Jus in Bello" was just too much. But I think Lauren Cohan did one hell of a job as Bela and I especially loved the way the character was introduced in "Bad Day at Black Rock." That is, up until she shot Sam. I think that was another mistake the show made with this character. She could have been antagonistic and badass without having to shoot Sam.

Now on to Sam and Dean: their differences led to another separation for these brothers. Sam knew Dean couldn't resist this hunt if zombies were the MOTW. But really, it was a creepy doc who was immortal. The guy literally stitched himself together using body parts from the people he kidnapped and sometimes killed. Apparently, BDW had "taken" care of the guy a long time ago, cut his heart out. Guess that didn't work since he was back stealing livers and kidneys and eyes. Guess cutting off his head wouldn't have worked either like it did in Highlander. He'd probably just walk around all headless until he ripped off someone else's head. Anyway, Sam knew he had to lie to Dean because there was no way his older brother would react favorably to Sam's real reason for taking on this hunt. Sam wanted to find Doc Benton's secret to immortality in order to help save Dean. He should have known Dean wouldn't go for that. Dean doesn't want to become a demon, why would he even entertain the thought of having to replenish his organs once they gave out in order to stay "alive?" Sure, Sam said this move would just buy them some time, but it was a crazy idea. Although, I loved how he said he would take the magic pill too. Could you imagine two immortal demon hunting brothers? Hope the guys wouldn't end up lookin' all patchy and stitched up like Doc Benton there. That definitely would not be a hot look on anyone, not even Jensen and Jared. Now, let's say the shoe was on the other foot. Do you think Dean would have gone after this solution if it were Sam's life hanging in the balance? It just seems like Dean would do anything for his brother, but not for himself. Those differences popped up again when it was time to take care of Doc Benton. Sam was all about learning the formula for immortality, Dean was about getting rid of the evil thing. Dean won.

Two guest stars drew my attention: Billy Drago, the perennial bad guy, of course. Much like Jeff Kober in "Folsom Prison Blues," it was just a matter of time before Billy Drago ended up on Supernatural. He was freakin' creepy. His presence really upped the scare factor. The other guest star was a total surprise – it was Steven Williams, the captain from 21 Jump Street. I loved that he played a worn out demon hunter into Johnny Walker Blue and knowing everything about everything including Dean's little predicament. He gave Dean the 411 on Bela "I used to be Abby" Talbot. Hope he turns up again in Season 4. He could prove to be a quirky but really interesting ally to the boys next season. Hope I'm not getting my hopes up too much, since most of the guest stars I really like, their characters end up dead for one reason or another.

Steven Williams-talk brings me to the conversation between Rufus and Dean. Rufus told the Winchester the Colt wasn't going to save him; he also told Dean that even if he lived through this particular situation, there's just going to be something else down the road. Now, was he just bitter and talking about all hunters in general? Or does he know something about Dean? Is Dean doomed? That just makes me think of something one of the Supernatural blog posters (racestaffer) said about how this show might end with Dean no longer being part of this world. I told her that thought depressed me, but it's certainly something I have thought of before. I can always envision a future for Sammy, even with the target on his head and his abilities. I can never envision a future for Dean. Rufus said: "Folks like us? There ain't no happy ending." Is Eric Kripke preparing us for something here or what?

Did you catch the previews for next week's season finale? OMG was the only thing that came to mind after I watched it. I'm on vacation right now so I watched it with my sister, she screamed after the preview was over too. Of course I rewound and watched the preview four times. And I'll probably go back again and watch it a few more hundred times before next Thursday. If you're not into watching the end-of-the-episode sneak peeks, please skip over the next paragraph. I'm basing some of my speculation on what we saw in the preview:

I'm still wondering why Lilith wants Sam out of the picture so much. Sam doesn't want to go dark side, but she probably feels he has the potential to go dark side at any time should he have a reason. Maybe, and this is just speculation based on next week's preview, she wanted Sam dead before Dean's deal was up. Let's say Dean goes to hell. That event may trigger Sam's powers or abilities and he may go dark side just to get his brother back. He could end up ridding hell of Lilith, I believe Sam has the power to do it. If she gets rid of him first, then he's taken care of. Dean goes to hell and she wins. There are probably a lot of holes in that theory, but I'm anxious to see how everything pans out next week.

Other thoughts:

• I love Dean and his fixation with food.

• Was anybody's audio slightly off when Sam and Dean were talking to cranky kidney guy? The audio seemed to be a tad wacky during the last line of the scene. Don't know if it was just my TV.

• Sam's having some bad luck with the MOTWs as of late. In "Ghostfacers" he was kidnapped by the lonely guy spirit. In "Long-Distance Call" he was nabbed by the phone company baddie; and now Billy Drago almost gouged his eyes out. Poor Sammy.

• Not only does Lilith hold Dean's contract, she holds everyone's contract. What do you guys think about that?

• Dean went all "Devil's Trap" for that exorcism in the beginning of "Time is on My Side." Didn't he look all rageriffic like he did facing Meg at Bobby's house? Sam had no problem exorcising the demon this time around.

• Dean's really looking freaked out now. Anybody would in his situation. When the demon getting exorcised said a bunch of his pals were waiting to meet up with Dean, I got really scared for him.

• Dean did bring up the welching clause. I really would like this to be spelled out for me. Exactly how involved does Dean have to get in order to violate this demon policy? Torturing a demon with holy water in order to find out who holds Dean's contract is OK?

• Sam drove a rental two weeks in a row. I don't know why I'm pointing that out, I just am.

• I can't believe Bela burned her fingerprints off. Did anyone know about the ear thing? I was totally clueless about that.

• They wrote the Winchesters smarter this time around. I wondered what Dean had spied in Bela's hotel room. Devil's shoestring did he say? Whatever it was, it was to ward off the hell hounds. Wonder if Dean's thinking he may have to pick up some soon.

• How far was Dean from Erie, Pennsylvania on the way back from Vermont? I never know how much time lapses on this show. One second Dean's in the car, the next he's at Doc Benton's lair of doom saving Sam. Again, so glad Sam's eyes were not touched.

• Speaking of the dastardly immortal doctor, I don't know about you, but I can't watch any graphic scene that involves operating on a patient. When I used to watch Nip/Tuck, I had to skip over all the surgeries. I watched Dr. 90210 today and I couldn't handle watching those surgeries. Doc Benton's TV surgeries didn't get too awful, but I was still grossed out.

• Doc Benton's buried alive forever. Kind of what Connor wanted to do to his vampire dad on Angel.

I liked this episode, but I always get impatient when it's time to set things up for the season finale – I just want the action amped up from beginning to end. But the penultimate episodes always set up Supernatural's finales and out of "Salvation," "All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1" and "Time is on My Side," I think I like this one the best. Although the scenes at the end of Salvation and AHBL 1 were awesome and some of my favorite scenes of the entire series.

I've gone on way too long, so I'm going to use my first post for my favorite lines. What did you guys think? Did you like it or love it? Something else?

Favorite Lines:

"Go ahead, send me back to hell. But when you get there I'll be waiting for you…with a few pals who are dying for a nice little meet and greet with Dean Winchester."

"Zombies do like the other other white meat."

"Fine. So you're cops and morons." "Excuse me? No, no, we're very smart."

"A zombie with skills, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Zombie." (It's great how Dean always cracks himself up.)

"Dude, I'm eating."

"Lost your appetite yet?" "Baby, I can't stay mad at you."

"Let me? How are you going to stop me?"

"Sammy, be careful."

"You've got three weeks left. Why are you wasting your time chasing after that skinny stuck-up English girl?"

"I know ain't no pea shooter gonna save you." (Then what will? Does Rufus know?)

"Even if you managed to scrape out of this one, there's just going to be something else down the road. Folks like us? There ain't no happy ending. We all got it coming."

"I'm what you got to look forward to if you survive."

"Don't move."

"Wakey wakey eggs and bakey!"

"Sweetheart, we are weeks past help."

"Why are you telling me this?" "Because just maybe you can kill the bitch."

"I'll see you in hell."

Did you guys have any other favorite lines?

~~~~~

Ok, so the only thing I have time to comment on before rushing off to work this morning is Bela. Wanting to see her die horribly was the ONLY reason I watched last night, and I've got to say I was totally underwhelmed by the whole thing.

The whole "Dean and Bela battle it out for the last time" and Kripke's statement about the boys finally showing her up and that she could never be redeemed - what a bunch of crap.

I wouldn't exactly call it a battle that took place between Dean and Bela in her hotel room, with Dean just waving a gun in her face and threatening to kill her. And did the boys "show her up" because Dean finally felt her pickpocketing him? It just felt so...lame to me. I was expecting much more, instead of the boys just driving away from her to leave her to her fate.

And so much for Bela not being redeemed, which really ticked me off. No, we had to include the shot of her father coming into her room to abuse her. I'm sorry, but why couldn't she just been an evil child?? Like the little girl in Provenance! But no, since Sera wrote this episode and Bela was her pet, she wanted us to feel sorry for her.

And how the hell did child Bela even summon a Crossroads demon?? There was no indication that her family was into supernatural stuff like that. It was just a lame way to try and tie up Bela's story since they were getting rid of her, and to tie her into the mythology.

The only thing I agree with Tina on the subject of Bela was that I wasn't expecting her connection with Lilith and that she'd made her own deal.

So yeah, I wanted Bela's blood and guts splashed across the screen and instead I got a fade to black, but in the end I guess that all that really matters is that SHE IS GONE AND WON'T BE BACK NEXT YEAR. Which is all I've ever wanted from the moment this season started. At least next year I'll be able to watch more than just a handful of episodes with one of the bimbos gone now. :-)

Ok, gotta run. I'll be back later with more, but for now - what did you all think?