Family, grounded relationships, and a unique balance between drama and humor. Supernatural has never been better! It’s season 12 premiere “Keep Calm and Carry On” showed us and any doubters out there that Supernatural still has what it takes to keep us entertained and steal our hearts while they’re at it.
Saving people, hunting things, the family business just got a new member in the form of Mary Winchester. And while that’s reducing us to tears, Castiel is showing off his rage and Sam’s enduring the pain. These boys never have it easy. On the British front, I think it’s time to show the Men of Letters (MoL) who they’re really dealing with. Maybe demonstrate what a legacy really is, Winchester style.
Dean’s Family Reunited
Throughout the years Dean has experienced different versions of his mother, from ghost to hallucination. This time Death gave him the real deal. With this opportunity comes great responsibility and fear. This is his mother. He’ll protect her to the end because she gave him life and he loves her. And tangled up in that is the fear that this world is too much for her, that it’ll destroy her like it did John. But Mary isn’t like John. She’s a hunter who was raised in this life and died because of it. It’s going to take some getting used to when she turns it around and cares for him instead.
With Sam kidnapped by the British MoL, and them on the road together, it’s an opportunity to test the waters with her and see a side of his mom that he’s never experienced. John was all sharp edges and a had an overwhelming need to avenge Mary’s death, no matter what limits he pushed his sons to. Mary is the opposite. She observes, calculates, and is swift/ruthless in defending her children. That is the overwhelming ‘need’ she has and that Dean will have to get used to, someone caring.
Sam’s Torture & the British MoL
Sam did not break no matter what the British MoL tried to burn off. For all the research they apparently did on the Winchesters, they forgot to check out that Sam was tortured by Lucifer and spent some time in the pit of hell with him. What they’re doing to Sam might be ‘hurting’ him but it’s child’s play compared to what he’s endured.
The only part that made me worry about Sam’s well being is his reaction to a series of flashbacks he went through because of whatever cocktail Lady Antonia Bevell gave him, whom we’ll call Tony. The pain and anguish in his eyes was real. Sure he used it to his advantage to turn the tables on Toni, but he was in pain and alone. The final moments of him sitting on the stairs was a reminder that he thinks Dean is dead and that nobody is coming for him. Even Castiel has no chance in Sam’s eyes because Toni has proved that she knows how to get rid of angels in a flash. No doubt the woman has the house booby trapped.
Every second spent with the British MoL is also a stark reminder that the Winchesters are the only ones who know what it takes to save the world. The British MoL are soft despite their torture of Sam and treatment of Baby, Dean, Cas, and Mary. They think that pretty words and threats are the way to get things done. If that actually worked then their method would be effective EVERYWHERE. Surprise, it’s not. Britain is a different atmosphere and landscape from the United States of America. Not to mention they’re smaller. Demons, angels, and the monsters that go bump in the night have free rein to move all over the United States because of it’s size and a decimated Men of Letters presence.
FYI, if I were British MoL management I would toss Toni immediately. For being so poised, organized and advanced, she certainly lacks tact. Toni could’ve simply asked Sam to speak with them? I know, shocking idea!
Getting Used to a New World
Mary Winchester was in for revelations left and right in “Keep Calm and Carry On.” She embodied the title of this episode and took every bit of news with a calm composure that was admirable. Well besides her initial reaction to Dean in the beginning. That take down has to be listed as one of the best we’ve seen in the entire series. Hands down! Looks like the training that Samantha Smith put in with Jensen Ackles behind the scenes worked.
The world has changed in the time she’s been dead. Her boys are all grown up, computers have taken over, and kids are ignoring their parents and pie at food stops. (How dare they ignore the pie!?) There’s no turning back and she knows it. So she’s going to stay and protect her boys. She never wanted this life, they got it anyway, and it’s her duty to guide them as best as she can. They never did get proper training to be a hunter. (Sorry John.) With the sources at the MoL base and her knowledge, Sam and Dean have a better chance at not dying this season. Probably.
Mary’s presence is also refreshing because she’s a woman. Not many ladies survive on this show and it’s disheartening not to see that different perspective from a viewers perspective. Some of our Supernatural ladies have gone off to do their own badass things like Sheriff Jody Mills, Annie, and Claire. But most end up dead like Charlie, Jo, or Ellen. (Moment of silence for these ladies.) We hope that her surname of Winchester and her hunter background plummets the chances of her dying and gives her enough screen-time to become a regular. Plus imagine her sticking around to discuss the hardships of having children with Rowena. Now that would be an interesting conversation for sure!
Castiel’s Anger is Just Beginning
Luci’s time in Castiel left him angrier than we’ve ever seen before. He blames himself for the damage and suffering the King of Hell did because he opened up his vessel to him. Our precious Castiel came in with good intentions and forgot one of the top rules on Supernatural: Never trust Lucifer.
Now Castiel’s driven to put Luci back in the box where he belongs for himself. It’s his piece of mind that’s at stake here. And of course the lives that Luci is destroying while he body jumps. This is the first time Castiel has had such a crisis in his lifetime and he’s not handling it well, fury pouring out of him at every avenue. He’s channeling the human inside of him to fight and push every obstacle out of his way to get to his ultimate goal, Lucifer.
We can only hope that Castiel remembers that the Winchesters have his back no matter what. He’s an honorary Winchester that has gone to bat for them time and time again. They won’t let him deal with Luci, his doubts, or his own anger by himself. Also hoping that Mary Winchester’s resurrection grounds him and reminds him of what it was like arriving in this new world for the first time and finding a new family. Sometimes when we’re lost, guiding others helps us find our way back and shines a light on the good in our lives.
The Winchesters are the good in Castiel’s life. They’re his loved ones. And they’ll help each other through this difficult time and those ahead. #SPNFamily
Quotes from Keep Calm and Carry On:
- “Come on, mom.” – Dean to Mary
- “She’s like a busted bitch on ice.” – Demons
- “You’re just an accent in a pantsuit. What can you do to me?” – Sam to Toni
- “Is that a computer?” “Yes, I don’t trust them.” – Mary and Castiel
- “Even powered down he could kick your Posh Spice ass…” – Demons to Crowley
- “Listen bitch. I don’t care who you are or what you want. You have my brother.”
- “Thanks, mom.” – Dean to Mary
- “I spent my life running from this. From hunting. And I got out. I never wanted this for you and Sam.” – Mary to Dean
Supernatural airs Thursdays at 9p.m. on The CW.