Synopsis of 11×10: The world of Supernatural is in the midst of a major shake up. The Darkness’ fate is unknown, Sam is trapped in the cage, and no one knows what Lucifer has up his sleeve. Picking up moments after “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou,” the midseason premiere answers all the questions that were left hanging.
Rating: ★★★★★
Nobody likes to be told they’re expendable, and for the members of Team Free Will, the mere suggestion that they’re inadequate is enough to send them into a self-sacrificing tailspin.
Lucifer tried in vain to play the guilt card on Sam, but it wasn’t a Winchester who ultimately fell into that trap. The Devil is out and about, and it’s all because someone made the terrible mistake of questioning Castiel’s ability to save the world.
Sam
“Devil in the Details” picked up right where the midseason finale left off – Sam facing down his old foe in Luci’s newest cage. Just as Sammy was getting visions from “God,” Rowena was receiving dreams. Unlike our ill-fated hunter, however, the witch knew exactly who she was communing with. With Rowena on his side, the Devil managed to lead his vessel right down the garden path.
Lucifer kicked off his “negotiations” with a look back at Sam’s greatest hits – quickly followed by one of his biggest failures. From boldly locking lips with small town girls as a teen (hello, Colin Ford! It’s been a minute) to slamming the Devil and Michael in the box, Sam was once the man who saved the world. In a tale that limned cowardice, however, Pelligrino rudely intimated that Sam is far from the man he once was.
Dying is easy, living is harder, Lucifer. Take a leaf from the Hamilton script, my friend. If Sam isn’t bold, how is he standing before you defending the world? It would be so easy for him to give over and let you take the reigns, but our stalwart hero believes he can weather the storm – at least until Dean gets there.
“I know how this ends,” Sam warned five-minutes into his stint in the cage. “You’ll taunt me, and you’ll torture me, and I’ll say no. And eventually, sooner than you think, my brother’s going to walk through that door and kick your ass.”
It just fills you with Winchester pride.
Unfortunately, Dean won’t make it before the Devil tests out his right hook.
Dean
Poor Dean-o isn’t feeling so well. We’ve never really seen either of the boys laid low by sickness – despite their terrible diets they have shockingly good immune systems – but Dean’s bout of Smiting Sickness (yes, that’s a thing now) changed all that. Unable to see if Amara has survived the angel nuke, Dean turned his attention to finding his little bro.
One verse of “Camptown Ladies” later and our hero is at the gates of Hell with a medieval witchcatcher. Compelled to do Crowley’s bidding while wearing the collar – an Oedipal Fifty Shades, according to Rowena – the conspirator is forced to send old Luci packing.
And that’s right when Cas bursts back onto the scene.
Castiel
With Dean busy reliving his last visit to Biggerson’s on the side of the road, Cas headed to ground zero on his own. Or, at least he thought he was alone. Ambriel of heaven’s Birth/Death Statistics department was also poking around.
It’s a dangerous situation, and Ambriel believes they are only there because they are expendable. A pencil pusher and a reviled angel who causes more trouble than he’s worth. After all, according to the warriors upstairs, it’s the Winchesters who are the real stars of Team Free Will.
Geeze, Ambriel, don’t hold back. Poor Cas’ confidence just took a major beating.
As it turns out, Amara is not dead. One angel soul later (RIP Ambriel) and she’s back on her feet, ready to cause mayhem. Powered by an angel’s spark, the Darkness’ first act is to reject Castiel’s soul. Apparently he is too weak. This guy just can’t catch a break.
Instead of chowing down on the angel’s newly reacquired grace, Amara uses him to send a message. His chest branded with the words “I Am Coming” (don’t even get us started), Cas is zapped to Hell. The true recipient of the threat/promise is unknown – both Dean and Crowley were on hand when Cas opened his shirt.
There wasn’t much time for debating, however. A pained shout from Sam sends his friends running and soon all of Team Free Will was trapped with one pissed off archangel.
Cage Match
It’s Sam, Dean, and Castiel vs. Lucifer. Our heroes have the numbers, but Luci has the strength (and the best background music). He’ll do anything to get Sammy to say “yes,” and that includes threatening to kill Dean. While Sam continues to rock the “No,” Cas mounts one last ditch effort as Rowena finally sends the Devil packing…
…or so we thought. Unbeknownst to Sam and Dean, a whispered conversation between the two angels resulted in Jimmy Novak’s vessel changing hands. Rowean’s spell was cast just a moment too late, and Cas had time to spring the Devil in an effort to take down the Darkness. I blame this entirely on Ambriel.
So what was Lucifer’s first act out of the big house? To kill Rowena, of course. She’s the only one who can slam him back in the cage, after all. Fare thee well, Ruth Connell. We hope the writers see fit to revive Rowena sooner rather than later.
Odds and Ends
- Billie returned. She’s still dead set on making sure that the Winchester’s Lazarus acts are over.
- Dean and Crowley’s brilliant exchange: “Where’s Sam?” “Don’t worry about Sam.” “I’m sorry, have you met me?”
- Lucifer’s riff on Lucifer.
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