Supernatural Season 12 Episode 2: Mamma Mia – Of Reunions and Pie

With the airing of episode 2 of Supernatural’s 12^th season, came scenes that incited both giggles and heart-wrenching sobs. Last night we were presented with yet another emotionally loaded episode equally countered with an interesting plot progression.  This is my review series on Supernatural’s 12^th season. Beware of spoilers ahead.

To recap: Sam is finally saved by Dean, Mary and Castiel, albeit with a few complications; Lucifer’s vessel is revealed; Rowena makes an appearance; Toni Bevel is scarier than Satan and we get a sneak preview of the infamous Mr. Ketch.

One of the most dominant themes of this episode seemed to be the mission to save Sam while also establishing the character dynamics. Dean and Mary’s relationship is not as perfect as one would think. Sure, he has the one person he’s longed to see since he was four-years-old, but they’re both essentially strangers in everything but title. They’re beginning to understand how to maneuver around each other and they’re slowly learning each other. It’s awkward and a bit hesitant, exactly the experiences you go through when meeting someone for the first time. Only, they’re re-meeting each other. One of my favorite little discoveries was noticing that Mary wore a plaid shirt (Sam or Dean’s?). She becomes more established as a character and while we learn about Mary’s past, we learn about who she is now as a character. Mary is still trying to understand this new world she’s been thrown into, with its electric typewriters and, my personal favorite: “call[ing] the internet for sources”. She’s also really sassy and confident, which makes me love her just a little bit more. While Mary resented hunting, she excelled at it. Her talents are shown when Dean is captured trying to rescue Sam and Mary ends up having to save her boys. It’s obvious that Mamma Winchester is still a bit rusty, but is also evident that she can handle her own. Mary gives as much as she gets and it’s fascinating watching this character that I’ve come to know as ‘Dean’s Mother’ essentially kick ass. Mary’s interactions with her children are my favorite things about this season, especially so with Sam. Once they save Sam we later see them in the bunker, sharing a meal. Dean promptly stuffs his face with pie and Sam watches abashedly at his adult brother who is so adorably immature that you can’t help but smile. And Dean’s enthusiasm for the pie basically symbolizes his happiness: his brother is safe, his best friend is healthy, his mother is alive AND he has pie. It’s more than Dean has ever asked for, or thought he would experience. Although, there is a stark contrast to how Dean and Sam deal with the ‘resurrected mom’ situation. Dean approaches it hesitantly, little by little. Sam jumps right into discovering who his ‘Mother’ is. He has no memory of her, only imaginations about what she would be like; and now he gets the chance to discover it all for himself. My favorite scene from the episode is when Sam makes Mary tea and gives her John’s journal. Sam is enthusiastically happy and so excited that he kind of looks like a hyperactive puppy. The moment turns emotional when Mary questions why Sam returned to the hunting life and he implies that it’s because of the importance of family. Family has been a recurring theme from season one and the new season tries to convey that to Mary with implications spoken by both brothers. They’ve both been to hell and back (literally) and the anchor in their lives has been family. This is basically reinforced when Sam tells Mary that one of the biggest holes in his life is now filled because she is here. He gets to experience what life is like with a mother. It’s conveyed with such emotion and sincerity from Padalecki’s and it’s so raw and touching. It will make you cry.

While the Winchester family reunion is a key point in the new season, Crowley and Rowena’s relationship does make an appearance. Rowena has been trying to leave the supernatural life behind after the events of season 11, but Crowley has pulled her back in. The different dynamics presented by both Crowley and Rowena and Dean and Mary were so glaringly evident in this episode. Crowley and Rowena only interact with each other out of personal gain. They’re impatient, snarky and only tolerate each other while there is a task at hand. Dean and Mary are completely different. They worry about each other, will try to save one another and just generally like being in each other’s presence. The most startling contrast is when Mary rushes to save Dean and Sam when they are in trouble, compared to Crowley leaving Rowena in Lucifer’s hands after their plan has failed.

Speaking of Lucifer, we’re finally introduced to Lucifer’s new vessel: Vince Vincente, played by Rick Springfield. Vince Vincente is a rockstar with a heavy past. He is held back by the depression and loneliness he feels after his love interest kills herself. Parallels to season 5’s Sympathy for the Devil are drawn when we witness how Lucifer attempts to manipulate Vincente into giving over his body. Springfield’s portrayal of Lucifer was something I was looking forward to, and I am not disappointed. While Pellegrino (previous Lucifer vessel) gave an iconic portrayal of Lucifer, Springfield’s portrayal may just live up to it. In the new season Lucifer is more subdued, both in power and emotion. There are certain scenes where traces of the old, snarky Lucifer can be seen, but it’s not overly portrayed. Instead, this Lucifer holds undertones of power. You can see the aura of hinted power coming off of the character when he interacts with other characters. Allusions to Lucifer’s power extent are hinted at in the episode when he can no longer be controlled by Rowena and he can’t be shut in the cage. I just want to take a moment to fangirl over how amazing the scene was when Lucifer’s face was burnt with sulphuric acid. Good horror CGI is rare to come by, either being too exaggerated or to unrealistic, but the CGI used to create that scene was brilliant. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, then I recommend watching it just to experience that scene.

Now onto the real devil of the show: Toni Bevel and the British Men of Letters. In last week’s review, I pointed out the uncertainty of Toni and how she might be rethinking her perceptions of Sam and Dean. I was right; she did rethink her perceptions and they drove her completely deranged. At first Bevel is portrayed as a sweet, seemingly normal character with a family. She’s assumed as a pawn in the bigger scheme of things. Episode Two completely contradicts these perceptions. She’s now okay with sexual mind manipulation, torture and involving Mr. Ketch in her endeavors, a character she previously detested. Her reasoning behind her methods is that she needs information on American hunters. This is further contradicted by another British Man of Letters: Mick. Mick is sent to retrieve Bevel who has seemingly gone off on a rebel mission to torture the Winchesters. Mick’s character also reveals that there are other divisions in the British MoL that are against Bevel’s methods. This makes me think that there’s something going on within the British MoL itself. Bevel alludes to Sam and Dean’s sources being compromised; she also knows about Sam’s relationship with Ruby and Dean befriending Benny the vampire. This seems like an allusion to how the plot will progress in later episodes. We also catch a sneak preview of Mr. Ketch in the last scene, along with his briefcase filled with weapons. I’m not kidding; he has a briefcase filled with weapons. It’s an entirely separate briefcase from his clothes and it’s filled with weapons.

Did you watch last night’s episode? What were your favorite scenes? Who is currently your favorite character? Let me know in the comments below!