Synopsis of 13×04: The Winchesters finally attend the family therapy they needed thirteen years ago, and it somewhat helps!
This is unsurprising given the theme of repeating poor communication and family history. Dean and Sam quickly realize that the monster that they are hunting is not a ghost after they salt and burn the body of their victim’s wife and find another victim.
Jack is attempting to follow Dean’s instructions but is terrified of him, which makes Sam grumpy. The Winchesters and Jack go to the therapist that both the victims were seeing and have an impromptu family therapy session. Dean, of course, thinks the whole thing is mind voodoo, whereas Sam is more open to the idea.
The brothers process their losses, but Dean is so antagonistic he upsets Sam. Sam leaves the room to investigate the therapist’s office and discovers she is a shapeshifter. She explains she is trying to help people to make up for the wrongs she committed while with an old flame, showing Sam and Dean that monsters aren’t always evil. Can we say poorly concealed foil to the main conflict?
Dean is skeptical, but Sam believed her and went off in search of the shifter killing her clients. The therapist meanwhile helps Jack understand the grief and loss of losing his mother and his place in the Winchesters’ world.
However, the therapist’s boyfriend comes in shifted as Dean and threatens to kill her and the Winchesters. Sam comes in through the door, and Jack saves Sam by tapping into his powers and moving the bullet.
Jack reassures the therapist that she was, in fact, helping people, reasserting the fact that people can be more than the monsters they are born to be. Sam and Dean end up having their heart to heart, where Dean admits that he no longer believes in anything anymore.
Meanwhile, while all of this is happening, Castiel has woken up in the empty and is fighting with the keeper of the empty that appears as himself. Castiel and the keeper argue back and forth before Castiel finally gets his wish and is sent back to earth.
English