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Supernatural: Beat the Devil

"Look at this. All the people I love to torture in the same room. What's the occasion, guys?"

Sometimes you gotta love an episode simply because it is chock full of favorite characters being themselves, like a particularly delicious box of assorted cupcakes.

It is just so nice to have Gabriel back, and it makes me so happy that he's finally taken sides. What an ally he is, or could be, when he regains his power. And I would never, ever have pictured Gabriel and Rowena as a couple, not in a thousand years, but aren't they hilarious together? They're like a perfect pair of sexy, misbehaving imps.

Castiel was the one who started it, referring to Gabriel extracting his grace as if it was a particularly messy form of masturbation. Then the first attempt at a rift "prematurely" deflated like – okay, I'll go with something G-rated: a balloon. Then Gabriel was reading a book entitled Laying Pipe, except that it was actually a book about actual pipe, when Rowena started ogling his butt.

And then it was Casa Erotica a la Bunker, with Rowena gently, um, stroking something disturbingly phallic until it was standing up... Have we ever had this much silly sexual innuendo in a Supernatural episode before? And could we please have some more? Honestly, I could have watched Gabriel and Rowena exchanging double entendres all day and into the night. And it only got better when Dean, Sam and Castiel caught them rolling in the stacks. Loved everyone's expressions. Especially Castiel staring down at the floor as if he was too embarrassed to even look at them.

I so enjoyed the bar scene, too. "Cats in the Cradle," the plaintive anthem of lost fatherhood, was the perfect song for Lucifer to be drowning his sorrows by as he downed the "magical roofie." I thought the bartender was going to be toast, until he turned out to be Gabriel.

But leaving Rowena alone with Lucifer felt like a mistake they all should have been too smart to make. She's extremely powerful, but come on – he's Lucifer. (Not to mention, was she planning to sleep at any time?) Their exchange about gender roles (see the quotes section) was terrific; Mark Pellegrino and Ruth Connell were at their biting best. At least he didn't get to kill her this time. And I really, really liked that Rowena has reached the point where she couldn't just pack up and leave the boys in jeopardy. "Bollocks."


How much fun was it to see Dean, Sam, Castiel and Gabriel off on a dark Wizard of Oz adventure in Apocalypse World together? Sam was so happy, so relieved that they were finally on their way to rescue Mary and Jack. Until they went into a tunnel full of vicious, starving, Nosferatu-wannabe vampires and... Sam got killed.

Dean has been so determined to take all the risks himself that I'll admit, I was surprised and didn't react. It didn't get to me until, well, I knew Mary was going to say it right before she did: "Where's Sam?" and Dean started to cry. I'm glad that we didn't have to wait for Sam's resurrection, and it's really interesting that Lucifer did it – and not because he wants Sam's body as a vessel, or because he wants to spend another eon torturing Sam, but because he wanted to do something that would please Jack. From the expression on Jack's face, I think it did.

That actually gave me hope that Lucifer could change.

No, Lucifer will never change. What am I thinking?

Bits:

The opening scene with Sam dreaming about the entire family in the bunker together eating pizza was lovely. Except that part about Dean being a piglet. Okay, it was pretty funny.

The tunnel reminded me a bit of the one in "Wendigo." The glow sticks around their necks was a nice and rather bizarre touch.

Gabriel burning the angel wards was pretty cool looking. And the way he landed directly on Castiel's crotch when he came out of the rift was funny.

Castiel told Gabriel about Heaven dying and how few angels were left. I keep thinking that Apocalypse World has to be the answer to this problem, somehow. Too many angels, not enough angels, maybe they could work something out to keep the lights on in Heaven? Are there multiple Heavens along with multiple worlds?

This week: the MoL bunker and a walking trip through Apocalypse World that included northeastern Kentucky and southern Ohio.

Quotes:

Gabriel: "A fresh serving of archangel grace."
Rowena: "This is what you call a serving?"
Gabriel: "That is the jet fuel of divine emissions."


Castiel: "We let Lucifer out of the cage. And he has never stopped being our responsibility."

Gabriel: "Think they'll be much longer?"
Rowena: "The three amigos? With their bro hugs pep talks and melodrama? Count on it."

Lucifer: "I mean, there's a sort of old fashioned rightness to it, if you think about it. The men going off to face the trials and glories of war, woman staying home in the kitchen where she belongs."
Rowena: "I know you're trying to bait me with your seeming neanderthal misogyny. Anything to distract yourself from your profound, deeply emasculating humiliation. Sorry, Lucille. I'm not biting."

I enjoyed this episode even more the second time I watched it. Four out of a possible four delicious cupcakes,

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

4 comments:

  1. I actually gasped when Sam was killed - and for a few seconds I was thinking, wow they went there, until I realized that Lucifer and possibly Rowena were on their way - so of course the death would be undone. But it still ready got me, after all these years. - Sooze

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  2. Amazing episode. Loved the distinct separation between the funny, innuendo-packed first half and the heart-wrenching second half. I actually thought they were going to keep Sam dead for an episode, maybe two, and I was genuinely surprised when Lucifer brought him back.
    Loved Gabriel and Rowena (there're going to be so many ships now).
    Quick note: wasn't that one of the most graphic death scenes since season 3's No Rest For the Wicked? I can't remember a tie before that when a Winchester died with that much blood.

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  3. I can't imagine one heaven for the two so different worlds. Ours is final haven for human souls guarded by the dutiful ( mostly) angels. Apocalyptic world angels are busy exterminating humankind, so I'm scared to imagine what they may be doing with the souls up there. My only hope is AU heaven is not controlled by them.

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  4. The Winchesters go through the mines of Moria. They even decided against going through a mountain pass. So does that mean that Sam is now Sam the White? ;)

    Sam dying was more like something from the Walking Dead then Supernatural.

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