This episode of Supernatural was hands down the best of the season. It was a perfect blend of humor and revelation, and although it wasn’t flawless, it was a significant improvement from previous episodes like “Devil May Care”.
Snooki’s Cameo and Crowley’s Transformation
The long-awaited Snooki appearance finally happened, and it lasted a mere 30 seconds. She played a demon, which was an obvious joke. But let’s dive into the episode.
Dean is desperately trying to contact Crowley to find out if he has the First Blade. His frantic and overly dramatic attempts to reach the Demon King make us wonder how much the Mark of Cain is affecting his emotional state, even without the Blade.
Crowley, on the other hand, is busy getting intimate with a demoness named Lola and getting high on human blood. His growing addiction to human blood is turning him more and more emotional, and it’s clear that he’s slowly becoming human. This transformation raises questions about whether it’s part of the show’s setup or just blasphemous statements from the King of Hell.
Interestingly, when Crowley is at his most human, he drinks wine, watches sad romantic movies, and becomes overly emotional. This behavior leads to speculation about whether the demon inhabiting his body could be female. It’s something to ponder, especially if Crowley ends up turning human by the end of the season.
Lola’s Betrayal and the Search for the First Blade
Lola turns out to be a spy for Abaddon, who now knows about the First Blade thanks to Crowley’s intoxicated confessions. Although Crowley discovers her betrayal and kills her, the damage is done, and the Winchesters’ cover is blown. Crowley’s addiction to human blood has made him a mess, and he calls the Winchesters for help, setting off the episode’s main plot.
Crowley hasn’t found the First Blade, but he learns that an undersea sub found it first. It changed hands a few times before ending up in a museum/storehouse for antiquities. Abaddon’s team breaks in to find it, but it’s already been sold to an anonymous collector named Magnus, who turns out to be a member of the Men of Letters.
A Hilarious Scene and a Mysterious Man of Letters
There’s a hilarious moment when Dean, Sam, and Crowley are trying to find the Blade’s location. Crowley, the King of Hell, attempts to break into a vending machine for candy, and the scene is brilliantly written and acted. Sam’s exasperated reaction to Crowley’s antics is priceless.
The last surviving Man of Letters is Cuthbert Sinclair, who was the Master of Spells before being kicked out for unspecified reasons. Dean and Sam track him down and call out to him, and he lets them in. Now going by the name Magnus, he’s a sociopath who keeps a zoo of supernatural creatures and considers them part of the “greatest collection” of all time. He has the First Blade and, upon seeing Dean’s Mark, decides he must have him too. He sends Sam away and begins training Dean to use the First Blade.
Masterful Acting and a Quick End for a Villain
Kavan Smith’s portrayal of Cuthbert Sinclair/Magnus is exceptional. He exudes a ‘Gatsby’ vibe and perfectly captures the character’s inevitable downfall. His attitude towards Dean while training him to use the First Blade is reminiscent of a Sith Lord, and it’s hard not to draw comparisons to Emperor Palpatine.
Magnus uses a spell to drain Dean’s will, making him more compliant. Sam and Crowley manage to break back into the estate, and after a brief capture, Crowley frees Dean, who then decapitates Magnus. It’s a swift end for a villain who had more potential, but that’s show business.
Lost Blade and Changing Characters
In the end, the Winchesters lose the First Blade again because Crowley realizes they plan to kill him with it and takes it from them. This seems disingenuous on the Winchesters’ part, as they wouldn’t have gotten this far without Crowley’s help. Sam, in particular, is extremely rude to Crowley throughout the episode and is ready to kill him before Crowley stops them.
The main takeaway from this episode is the changing nature of both Sam and Dean. Dean’s transformation is evident, as the Mark of Cain is a parasite that will take control of him if he’s not careful. Sam, on the other hand, seems tired of everything and may be ready to stop.
We’ll be back on March 25th for “Mother’s Little Helper”, Misha Collins’ Supernatural directorial debut. Collins is a talented actor and a genuinely good person, so expectations are high for this episode.
See you next week!
[Photo via Diyah Pera/The CW — © 2014 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved]
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By the way, Crowley, when human, was a man. This was revealed in the episode, Weekend At Bobby’s, Season-6. His name was Fergus Roderick McLeod.
I’m not sure how much stock we can put into that; the burning of his bones was faked by he and Castiel, so I don’t think it’d be a stretch to imagine that they faked his identity, too.