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Supernatural: O Brother Where Art Thou?

"Hug it out?"

I shouldn't have been surprised that it was Lucifer causing Sam's visions. Of course. Interestingly, the last time we saw Lucifer was in season seven's "The Born-Again Identity," in which I thought Lucifer was trying to reach Sam from the Cage but it turned out that he wasn't.

Some serious gold acting stars for Jared Padalecki. He did a wonderful job in those Hell scenes showing Sam's courage overlying what had to be tremendous and completely justifiable fear. And Mark Pellegrino did his usual excellent job as Lucifer with the banter and flirtatious looks layered on top of smoldering menace. The way Lucifer looks at Sam has always made my skin crawl. It feels like he wants to eat Sam like a snack, or sexually assault him. Or both, possibly simultaneously.

Since this episode skirted around the Winchesters as sexual playthings of all powerful supernatural beings, let's talk about Amara. After a sequence of little girls that didn't work as well as it might have, Amara is once again an adult woman, complete with a sexy black dress, black nail polish, and some rather amazing cleavage. She was acting like every psycho ever, claiming that the bad things she did were all someone else's fault (this time God's). She told Dean that unlike God, she offered bliss. What happened to the people at the fountain and in the church didn't look like bliss to me.

Amara told Dean that the two of them would "become one" in the future, and she looked like she was about to soul-suck him when she leaned in for that kiss. Was she talking about storing Dean's soul within her? Or did she have something a bit more special in mind? The latter, I think. Is Amara a bigger bad than Lucifer? If they had a fight, who would win? She's sort of Lucifer's auntie, when you think about it. Or is it finally time to bring in the Big Burrito? Why is God so elusive in the Supernaturalverse? It just feels like he's been an unsaid punchline for way too long.

No Castiel this time, which was odd because there were angels all over the place: meeting secretly at PJ's Autobody to form a union, organizing the angels to smite Amara en masse before she can take over Heaven, if that's indeed what she has in mind. Did they succeed? Somehow, I doubt it. If Dean is Amara's extra special favorite (I liked how she whisked him away from the playing field so that he wouldn't get smitten -- or is that "smited?") could he possibly coax her to use her powers to get Sam out of his current predicament? Crowley said that Limbo neutralizes Lucifer's powers. What can Lucifer do to Sam without powers? Would he be like Castiel in the convenience store?


Finally, I have to say that this episode looked absolutely amazing. They've shown the Cage before and it's awesome, but I also loved the trek through the hallway of Hell to High Security Limbo, and how the holding cell looked, with the flames and the warding. I also loved the way Crowley and Rowena leaned on the railing and watched Sam with Lucifer as if they were avid spectators of a particularly good cage match. (See what I did there?)

Bits and pieces:

— The title of this episode was "O Brother Where Art Thou," and of course, the big unanswered question was, where were the two brothers we didn't see: archangel Michael and Adam Winchester? Still in the Cage, I presume? That's not a huge cage for three. I wonder if it's bigger on the inside?

— The burning bush made me laugh out loud. Very funny, Lucifer.

— Crowley and Rowena seemed to be less angry with each other this time. Maybe there's hope for those two yet.

— Amara told Dean that she and God had no father.

— Amara let Dean stab her so that he'd know he couldn't do it. That was sort of sweet.

— What if the souls within Amara are released and there's no body to move back into, like that poor guy in the Lizzie Borden episode? Do they go to their final destination, whatever that may be?

— No locations were given this time, but that church was very familiar. I wonder how many times they've filmed there in eleven seasons?

— The next episode is January 20, 2016. I don't discuss previews because many fans don't get them and/or don't watch them, but... wow. That was one bizarre preview. Even by Supernatural's high standards.

Quotes:

Sam: "There was a burning bush."
Dean: "A burning bush?"
Sam: "Like in the Bible."
Dean: "You were in the forest. There are bushes there, and sometimes they burn."

Dean: "If Sam's not safe, it's not happening."
Crowley: "Goodness, Mummy. Loosen the grip."
If Dean had gone along, I bet Lucifer wouldn't have gotten Sam.

Amara: "So only dead people get to see him? And this makes sense to billions of you?"
Priest: "It is the nature of faith."

Priest: "God is the light, and it is the light that vanquishes the darkness."

Sam: "Do I look crazy?"
Rowena: "Well, you do have unresolved issues with your domineering older brother and your abandonment by your father."

Rowena: "He's so alpha, isn't he? Probably not relationship material, though."
Crowley: "Mother. You're drooling. Get a hold of yourself."

Lucifer: "That leads me to my next question. Where's the Big Burrito himself?"

Rowena: "It's not easy being a parent. Knowing when to hug your child, when to kill him..."

Four out of four angel union meetings at PJ's Autobody,

Billie
---
Billie Doux has been reviewing Supernatural for so long that Dean and Sam Winchester feel like old friends. Courageous, adventurous, gorgeous old friends.

13 comments:

  1. I loved loved this episode for a single reason: for the first time in so long I was seating on my seat , very anxious wondering how bad things would turn out for Sam but I had no idea how. I always knew that the visions were coming from Lucifer so this reveal wasn't a shock but it has to somehow backfire and I Jared played it wonderfully: determination, fear, doubt, there were all on his face and for a while I wondered if he was going to accept Lucifer's offer.
    I don't remember the last time I ended an episode shouting Noooooooo.
    I wasn't so much into Dean/Amara story but like the parallel with Sam/Lucifer. Well done.
    Crowley and Rowena were awesome. When I think that exactly 1 year ago I hated the character of Rowena (not love to hate but really hated her presence in the show) she grew on me.
    I am not bothered that Castiel wasn't in it, I prefer him well used and I am sure he will be in the next episode. He would have been a wallpaper in this one. It is better this way.

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  2. This episode completely lost me in the opening credits when I saw Castiel wasn't in it. I know this is an obsession of mine, but seriously, what could possibly be so good on Netflix that they don't bring the guy who got Sam out of the Cage the first time (well, part of him) when going back to the Cage? It makes no sense. And where are Michael and Adam?

    I quite like the look of the promo though, even if it seems like it should be on at Christmas. With any luck I will be in a cheap motel somewhere near Route 66 on January 20 so I might be able to watch it in perfect Supernatural surroundings!

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  3. I loved this episode! Generally, I'm more of a fan of Supernatural's stand-alone episodes than I am their main arc stuff, but like Audrey above, I was gripped by tonight's episode.

    I also had to laugh at the photo you chose, Billie -- it looks like Amara's head is on backwards.

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  4. Thank you Billie, you gave hope to me when you said that Lucifer may be not so mighty now as he seems to think. The picture of Sam having Luci good thrashing - now I know what to live for!
    Both Amara and Lucifer are planning to destroy the world order which means the end for mankind. The problem is if they have enough strengh to do it? And another thing, may be it's just me, but I hope (again) that Amara could be able to listen. Could Dean try to talk her out of her plans? Maybe her brother could?

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  5. I loved this episode & am loving season 11 in general. Even though Dean should know way better than to hook up w/God's sister, given his track record w/Supernatural women (homicidal angel Anna, Amazonian one night stand from hell...), it sure is fun to watch. Still, it's hard to think that "keep it human" isn't as prominent among winchester rules as avoiding deals with demons. ;-)

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  6. Juliette,
    Castiel got back only the rest of his grace, he is not full power he can't "fly" anymore so can't reach the cage.
    The show would be boring if everything was magically resolved. that's probably the reason they chose not to include him in the episode. i am sure he will have an important role in the next episode helping rescuing Sam. Don't worry. Budget could also be a factor, there were lot of guests, special effects ans for this one, Castiel was the less needed. unfortunatly, spn is still a low budget show.
    As for Adam and Michael, it was well explained that it wasn't the real cage, Rowena used a spell to bring Lucifer in this place.

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  7. They did make it clear that it was a proxy sort of holding pen, not the Cage. But what bothered me was that Adam and Michael weren't even mentioned. Although I'm sure they eventually will be.

    Paul, I chose that photo because the other one of Dean and Amara showed the back of Dean's head. Can't have that. :)

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  8. In my head, Adam is dead. He was promised he would be sent back to his mother in heaven if he said yes and Micheal said he would not let Dean an empty vegetable if he said yes. So I always presumed he was dead and in heaven. Besides when Castiel burnt Micheal, Adam could have died. I prefer thinking that than waiting for an answer that won't come and that I don't care about (sorry, I was never found of him, selfish brat in my eyes).
    I think if Adam was in the cage, Sam could have talked about him during season 7 because in the end he would have spent more time with him than with Dean.
    I believe it would be an even bigger plot hole to talk about him now. Too late.

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  9. A good episode for part one. The real payoff will hopefully come in part two. It's going to be hard to wait. We do have the X-Files to look forward to, so yay. Lucifer scared me almost as much as he scared Sam. Don't cry Sammy, Dean will save you. I hope Luci is lying about the visions. He did not say what they were, no joking about the burning bush, so maybe. So many fans are mad that Adam doesn't rate a mention, I trust the show will reveal his fate in good time.

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  10. The whole time they've been dropping hints that The Cage may be on our future I've been bouncing up and down chanting "Pop that cage! Pop that cage!" Lucifer is my favorite, so I was quite pleased with this episode! The lack of Cas was glaring, he's often the only one not getting caught up in emotions so I hope he arrives next episode and tells Luci off for trying to wear Sam again and Dean to stop tongue wrestling with the Big Bad.

    That promo though.. whoa.

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  11. I think if the cage is open both Michael and Lucifur would join God,reason. why Lucifur wants to be the head hancho plays 2nd to no one. Amara is above him. she would go after him anyway he helped lock her up. important Death Mention God and his Archangels fought against her in a terrible war. Lucifur and Michael are both are Archangels. all 3 of them have a Common Enemy the Darkness.after that they can resume to their normal rivalry. God might have let Lucifur talk to anyway. In Supernatural God needs Lucifur's help. Lucifur can't deal with her his self anyway. Going to be interesting I am more interested in Michael coming out then Adam.

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  12. I am really enjoying Season 11. It was a little slow at the start, but every episode from Baby on has been great--it's the best stretch they've had since season 5.

    That said, I'm a little puzzled by a couple of things. Where is Michael? And was it Lucifer's power or Rowena's that brought down the wards and brought Sam into the cage? Finally, I don't understand why Sam didn't discuss the situation with Castiel before going to Crowley. Who better to judge whether Sam is really getting visions from God? And he knows more about Lucifer and the cage than Crowley, having gotten Sam out of there once before.

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  13. How did Lucifer know to send the visions to Sam when he was praying to God? Is that an angel ability that I'm forgetting about even though he's not connected to heaven?

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