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‘Supernatural’ 13×12 Review: Various & Sundry Villains

Sam and Dean face off against two witches with a knack for love spells and see the return of fan favorite Rowena in Supernatural’s “Various & Sundry Villains.” This episode also manages to unearth some pent up feelings about Sam’s time with Lucifer and how the loss of mom and Jack is really affecting the youngest Winchester. Everyone on this show has scars that have helped define them. And maybe, just maybe, it’s time for them to get the help they need.

(Also, Lucifer is back and we’re reminded that this likeable and charismatic fallen angel is actually the bad guy.)

Let’s dive into Supernatural’s “Various & Sundry Villains”!

This Isn’t Sam Just Brooding

What’s happening with Sam doesn’t seem like a phase. Too often we have ups and downs in this show that shift between the characters depending on what’s going down. But what Sam expressed in this episode, the painful reminders of what happened to him with Lucifer, has led me to believe that his pain is rooted in something deeper.

Sam has never really dealt with everything that’s happened to him. Hell, Dean has never dealt with what has happened to him either. And it’s not crazy to think that maybe they need some help when it comes to their trauma. No matter how brave I think these men are, they can’t just keep pushing down their hurt. Thirteen seasons aka a lifetime of suppression, is enough.

The Winchesters need help. They need someone to talk to. And they need someone to help them deal with the pain and anger that they have brushed aside over and over again. Because this isn’t something that they can drive a stake into. These feelings and problems are inside, hiding away in their minds and rearing their ugly heads when they sleep.

It’s a long shot, but I think they need therapy. It’s a long shot because I’ve never really seen shows dive into mental issues that have a supernatural element to it like Supernatural. But maybe they can break some barriers and do it anyway. Maybe it’s time for The CW to show us that even the strongest need help sometimes and that’s ok.

And if not, there’s always fanfiction. They always manage to fill the spaces that shows never think about or think that we don’t want to see. Because this *waves hands all around the Winchesters* deserves some love, TLC, and some help when it comes to their mental and emotional well being.

The Return of Rowena

With Wayward Sisters on the cusp of taking off, I was really worried about what would happen to the women of Supernatural. Yes, Jody and the rest of the women will probably guest star on Supernatural if their show takes off, praying that it will, but that will leave us severely lacking when it comes to female presence in Supernatural.

Then Rowena came along.

Like Lucifer, she’s done her fair share of bad things. She’s killed, turned things on their head, and caused a lot of trouble for the Winchesters. Somehow, I still love her. In Rowena I can see a woman that has suffered, was bound by men and women who were afraid of her power, and ended up becoming a creation of that fear they held for her because she wouldn’t just sit there and take it.

Rowena is a survivor. She survived the torture that Lucifer put her through, she survived losing her son (Which I really think she was grieving him because the only people that can fuck with family is family and that was her spot. Plus the actress is spot on with everything that she does), and she survived being bound by others who wanted to contain her.

What she does next will define her as a witch, as a woman, as a mother, and as a survivor. Will she use her power for evil or will she help Sam and Dean get their mother and Jack back? Whatever she chooses, I know it’ll come from a place of fear for herself and a need to never be so vulnerable again in the face of true evil.

Reminder: Lucifer is the Villain of This Story

It’s kind of startling to realize that Lucifer is the worst and best villain on Supernatural. He’s the worst kind of villain because of the things that he’s done, the scars that he’s left on the Winchesters and witches alike, and the destruction he’s rained on the world. And he’s the best villain on Supernatural because somehow you still end up liking him.

Lucifer is charismatic, funny, and the kick of asshole that is entertaining as hell to watch. And honestly, if it wasn’t for the flashbacks in the beginning of the episode and Castiel reminding us of the bad things he’s done, I would’ve forgotten about his past. It’s not because I have bad memory…even though I sometimes forget if I turned off the stove at home or not. It’s because he’s so unexpectedly entertaining and complex.

Villains like this remind us that even the worst of the worst can be funny, have things they fear, and can feel love. And that’s when you need to draw your own lines. Because no matter how charismatic Luci is, he’s a badass motherfucker who has screwed over Sam and scarred Rowena, who is evil herself but also a victim of Lucifers. You have to stand firm and decide for yourself if what he’s done makes him deserving of having Castiel kill him.

In my book, it does.