Recap
Our brave duo and the tag-along are looking for the Word of God. The Prophet Kevin (TPK) insists on checking in on his Mom (Mrs. Tran, also Tiger Mom, because she’s a badass—and yes, I do understand the pop-culture reference); Dean balks but does so anyway. Demons are casing the house, and the Duo summarily dispatch of them. It turns out that a friend visiting Tiger Mommy is a demon as well, and as it tries to leave the body Sam performs the exorcising spell—in Latin—backwards—at a mind-boggling speed (out of hunting, my ass—what is going on here?!).
Heart-to-heart and two demon-warding tattoos later, TM and The Prophet Kevin join Sam and Dean in tracking down The Tablet. Lots of proper nouns this season. During an interrogation of a thief, Dean begins to have some seriously disturbing flashbacks of an interrogation scene in Purgatory. Those close-up shots were…sinister. Dean looked like a psychopath.
Anyway, we finally meet the right hand of Plutus, Beau. The show entitled Plutus as the God of Greed (really, it’s more mundane than that: try the god of wealth.) (I can also guarantee you that this page is seeing a huge uptick in hits tonight). He informs them that there is an auction being held of legendary/magic/etc objects and Kevin, and by extension the other three, are invited. He promises no hijinks of the magical, duplicitous, or magically duplicitous.
Suffice to say, Beau lied. After a humorous bidding scene (the look on Crowley’s face after the 5/8ths of a virgin quip had me in hysterics), in which the Boys go through Plans A through D, Tiger Mommy ends up selling her soul to protect Kevin.
Oh, I mentioned that Beau lied? Right. Well, he chained Kevin’s fate to the Tablet’s, and since D/S didn’t have Vatican City, three billion dollars, or two tons of dwarf gold to exchange, they had to improvise. So, TM gave up her soul.
Interspersed in the bidding scene is a flashback where we find out that Dean finds Hot Wings (Castiel) and Hot Wings explains that he ran to save Dean from being hunted by Leviathan.
(Supernatural recaps are, alas, never short.)
Well… Crowley ends up getting away with the tablet. Beau burned off the demon-ward tattoo from TM’s arm, Crowley possessed her, stole the tablet, and Kevin prevented Dean from knifing his mom. Crowley ex-possesses himself, takes the tablet and leaves. TM is left catatonic. Dean regrets not knifing TM/C, saying that he could live with hating himself but he shouldn’t have let Crowley live, no matter who the meat-suit.
At the end of the episode, TPK and TM bolt, leaving Dean and Sam with nothing.
Reaction
I chuckled a lot through this episode. Dean tearing into that double cheeseburger, that dumbass at the pawn shop, the auction bidding, and, as always, Crowley and Dean have great one liners.
Again, Sam saying that incantation, in Latin, super-fast, and backwards was pretty thrilling! Go Sam! Also, not hunting, hmmm? Seems ‘spicious.
Crowley and Angel Alfie’s bidding exchange…priceless.
The scene where Dean and Sam school TM on losing her soul was tragic, all around. Lot of pain in that room.
Sam + Mjölnir = bad-assery! (“Where’d you get that five-eighths of a virgin?”)
Report Card:
“I know we’re not mates, Kevin, but one word of advice: run. Run far, and run fast. ‘Cause the Winchesters, well, they have a habit of using people up and watching them die bloody.”—Crowley
A: The humor, both situational and dialogue. “Palin and a bridge to nowhere? No thanks.” “You think a man named Buzz goes to the moon without making a deal?”
The characterization and filling in of Dean’s Purgatory story. The Purgatory scenes in this episode are so. well. shot. The desaturated colors, the heightened sound and light. Dean, Benny and Castiel make for an uneasy, excellently acted trio.
Sam’s badassery is always refreshing, both that incredible backwards incantation and throwing Mjölnir.
The scene between TM, Sam and Dean talking about losing souls is so fucking tragic. There’s so much pain, sadness and confusion in that room.
Crowley. Always.
I really like Alfie the Angel, too. I hope we see him again
B: The pacing in the first half is disjointed. The latter half takes place in one geographic area, so that makes it naturally easier, but there is a lot of action crammed in the first half: Quest! (find the tablet), Obstacle! (visit Mom, dispatch demons), heart to heart with TM, getting demon-ward tattoos, deal with Euro-Trash Ferrari Dude…and we’re not even to the meat of the episode. I’m not sure how you could make the exposition smoother, but I noticed it, so, well…
C: The background and transitional music. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. It’s so damn distracting, especially whatever is over the ‘comic’ moments.
Overall…
This episode has great re-watch potential. I’ve already watched it twice over and enjoyed it each time. I think it’ll stand the test of time well.
I love the humor in Supernatural because without it, the show would crush me under the weight of all the tragic shit that piles up around Dean and Sam. I mean, when you really stop and think about some individual parts of the episode, like Cas’s heartbreak and guilt and TM’s willingness to give up her soul for her son and Dean’s maladjustment to topside life (“What’s one more nightmare, right?”)….well, it’s the stuff this show is made up of, and it’s just really…sad.
I would also be remiss without noting the Purgatory flashbacks. I love them. Really. Benny is shifty and opaque.The monsters are gruesome. Dean is gruesome, terrifying, especially in those first-person shots. Christ, then shoving his blade to the hilt under that guy’s jaw? Amazing, in the most appalling way possible.
Total: B+
Under the Old Oak Tree 