I mean, I understand that the more supporting players we have, the more expensive the episode gets, and with a show as long running as this one, that is a delicate balance to keep, but when we go to AU world, and see Jack and Mary again, it seemes like it has been AGES.

As we catch up with our absent friends, we find out that Jack has become quite adept at winning skirmishes, and is ready to go running all willy nilly towards danger (Michael). Mary, being more experienced by the simple fact of having been alive for more than a year (in total, life years), advises that maybe they should wait for the return of Bobby Singer, who has been out scouting and stuff, and who should be back in a day.

Jack, Mary, and their rebel scum cohorts, head back to the church where Lucifer jumped through the rift, hoping to find some clues as to what Michael’s up to. While Jack and Mary debate the merits of staying versus going, the rest of the gang find Kevin Tran down in the church’s dungeon. Jack is adamant that they head south once Kevin tells them that that’s where Michael is headed, as there is a thinness between dimensions down there.

Mary is still skeptical, and implores Jack to wait and think things through, as she does not want to lose another one of her boys.

Mary now counts Jack as one of her boys? So, including original sons Sam and Dean, Castiel – who she referred to as her boy when Cass was stabbed last season – she now thinks of Jack as her boy too. Mary, you are a mother through and through, aren’t you?

I’m fine with this. This particular group of boys surely could use some mothering from time to time.

Anyway, Mary tries to pull Kevin into her motherly thrall, but it doesn’t work, and Kevin reveals that he has a sigil carved into his chest, Angel Bomb style. He says that Michael promised him he would go to Heaven, and see his mom, if he sacrificed himself.

Jack is all, that bomb totally won’t kill me, and Kevin is all, doesn’t matter. Michael wants to break Jack, not kill him. Most likely Michael has plans to break Jack, and then use him to get over to our world, and probably some other terrible things. Or not. I am bad at this whole predicting things thing.

Kevin sets off his chest bomb, and everyone gets hit except for Jack, and Mary, who Jack has shielded from the blast with his angel wings.

 

So the nephilim has wings! Super!

Back in our world, Sam and Dean have gotten Rowena to cast a location spell to find Gabriel, and the beautiful boys are settling in at a fairly seedy motel. Just like the old days!

As Dean is griping about Sam bothering to unpack, there is a knock at the door. Turns out it is Gabriel, who has acquired a rather nasty belly wound, due to his tussle with one of Loki’s sons. And he’s not stopping with one son. No, Gabriel is out to get all three of them, before he takes out the big enchilada, Loki himself.

As we all know, Gabriel had been masquerading as Loki – The Trickster – for ages when we first met him, but the real and actual Loki had been doing some hiding himself. After Gabriel rescued Loki from the whole snake venom in the eye thing, Loki agreed to let Gabriel be him, as long as he kept his real self hidden, and didn’t get involved with any of the apocalypse family shenanigans. Of course Gabriel did get involved, and that showdown at the Elysian Hotel back in the way back resulted in the death of Loki’s father, Odin. So, when Gabriel came back to Loki for shelter after his “death”, Loki gave him up to Asmodeus, thus beginning the years of daily torture that Gabriel is now seeking revenge for.

Get all of that? Ah, the beautiful complexity of storytelling in a show that has been around for thirteen seasons!

Anyhoo, once Gabriel tells the boys the whole story, they all head out to the hotel where Loki is currently staying, which is only about five minutes away. There is a fantastic fight scene once the boys step off the elevator, and Gabriel snaps off the lights. Lots of flashes of gunfire, and then darkness, and oh yeah, this is when I remember that Richard Speight, Jr. also directed this puppy. He plays two characters and directs! How’s that for some heavy lifting?

Excellent fight scene, Dick! 🙂

While this fight plays out, Dean slips out of the hallway and heads up to the penthouse looking for Loki. He sees a chance to catch him by surprize, and even though Gabriel explicitly told them that he wanted to kill Loki himself, Dean takes his shot.

Too bad Loki is only a hologram. A hologram that can hit, though!

Sam realizes that Dean has gone rogue, and takes off after him, while Gabriel gleefully kills the last of Loki’s sons.

As Sam and Dean search for Loki, he appears in the hallway with Gabriel, and they finally have it out. Loki gets in a few good shots, but Gabriel ultimately gets the upper hand, and an assist from Dean, and stabs his doppelganger to death. As they leave the Ophelia Hotel (there has to be an Ophelia and Loki connection somewhere, right? It seems like they named the hotel Ophelia for a very specific reason, but I can’t figure it out.), Sam asks Gabriel how he feels after his revenge, and Gabriel gives a very unconvincing “Great.”

But! Now that the Winchesters have helped him, he is on board with helping them, and they all head back to the bunker. They have Rowena tucked away somewhere, and now Gabriel as well, and Sam comes out for a little talk with his brother.

Sam is sick of Dean just ignoring plans, and putting himself in danger, alone, over and over. Dean reminds him of what happened the last time they were fighting Lucifer and Michael, and Dean is adamant he won’t let that happen again. Dean says he doesn’t care about his own safety, never really has, but he surely cares about his brother.

But Sam isn’t having it. He tells Dean that from now on, they are doing this together. They are going to get Mary and Jack together, and if they die, they are doing that together too. Done, and done, as far as Sam is concerned. I think Dean can respect that. Whether or not he follows through is a whole other ball of wax, but, ladies and gents, It. Is. On. We’re going to get Jack and Mary, and maybe Ketch, Charlie, and Bobby too! (No way all of them make it out, make it out alive, or are willing to come back to our world. No way.)

Stray Thoughts!

This episode is the episode of Dean-making-funny-faces! Lot’s of funny faces.

Loki’s case full of lollipops is silly, and I kinda want one.

Seriously, that fight scene was cool. (Can’t find a gif. I is sad.)

Dean wears my favorite flannel, which I am officially calling Dean’s Favorite Flannel.

 

 

Next! Off they go!!