Supernatural 12.9 “First Blood” Review

Ahhhh return from Hellatus. Thank the dear, sweet Chuck.

No preamble, SPOILER ALERT.

So on the rewatch, I notice the title of the episode, and that I don’t understand, based on the events in the episode, what that means. “First Blood”. Hm. Could be bad. Let’s talk about that later, though.

Sam and Dean, arrested for attempting to assassinate, er um, save the president. You know, I literally hated that Castiel left them at the end of the mid-season finale. I thought it was a poor choice. In fact, as far as character motivations go, I thought their choice to stay was out of character and I’m still unable to understand why they would’ve. The best reason I can come up with is that the writers wanted them to. Wanted them to stay, wanted Cass to leave, wanted Sam and Dean to get arrested.

Anyhow, we also get a glimpse at mister BMoL, “Mike” Davies, attempting to recruit American hunters. Without much luck, haha. Now at this part of the episode, I thought we could really, truly become friends with Ketch. He’s so Winchester, just British and stuffy. I am pleased we’re seeing more of them again. I was wondering when we would.

Now, back to prison with Sam and Dean. It seemed quite boring, same old same old. Chow time, chow time, chow time, chow time. Who else just knew Dean was going to make that face about the food?

Haha yeah. That one. But I thought, surely it couldn’t be worse than forty years in hell. I laughed when mister terrorist interrogator guy said he was going to break them. Break a Winchester? OK. Good luck. But when I saw them both dead on the floor, I admit I was taken aback. My mind riffled through the options.

Well then, not Crowley.

Not Castiel. Aside: can anybody tell me why he’s not zapping around? I know why he can’t find the boys, that’s season 5 lore, but why isn’t he flying? Are his wings clipped? And if so, when did that happen? I seem to have missed it somehow. Poor guy/angel. Can’t even hunt properly.

Right, suspects. The only creature remaining I could think of which would make the boys either appear or be dead? Billie. And that’s a whole mess of trouble. For a bit, I couldn’t believe she would take them, and let them back in their meat suits. She’s just too eager to take them.

But indeed, the obvious choice was the one. Which pretty much told me what they’d given her in return. As I watched them take apart those “highly trained” soldiers, I thought about what they could offer to any creature which could have gotten them out of that prison. And realized someone was getting a hell of a prize.

I do have to take a moment and wonder, however, how Sam allowed this deal. Yeah yeah, they didn’t say which Winchester in the deal. We all know that’s crap. It was either going to be Dean, sacrificing himself, or it was gonna be the two of them arguing on the side of the road when the time came until Billie got fed up and took them both. I have a tough time believing Sam agreed with a clear conscience and a clear head.

Otherwise it wasn’t such a bad deal, I think. I know what they really thought is they’d weasel out of it some way. And they were right, they did.

But at what cost? At first, I poo-pooed any cost. They did not break their word. So the deal wasn’t technically broken. A friend asked what consequences Cass might have to face, and I said none. But. But.

What’s with the name of the episode? First blood? Is it a Rambo reference? Like their foray in the woods? Or, does it refer to Castiel drawing first blood in some war with the reapers? Geez at this point it could be anything all the way from nothing to something.

Either way, I thought the only way the BMoL could really impress was if they sprung Sam and Dean. And they certainly would gain some favor with the American hunters if it got back to them. So, they did. They helped our slightly bumbling, very depressed duo of Castiel and Mary, and delivered their boys to them.

But again, at what cost? You know that thought I had, the one about being friends with the BMoL? Ketch, in particular? No. Forget that. No and in all possible ways not no but hell no. Cleaning up monsters is one thing. People? That’s another. These BMoL’s might know what they’re doing in the fight against monsters, but in doing so they have become no better than the monsters they hunt.

Couple quick notes.

-It was super fun to watch “Mike” and Ketch be impressed by them not only taking on Lucifer and winning, but Castiel’s dismissive attitude about it. Like it was any old day at the office. Which it was.

-I love how “Dean’s mother” Mary is. She likes bacon, coffee, fast cars. She likes talks that go, “Good talk”. It’s really quite fun to watch.

-Castiel’s little speech after killing Billie? Brought tears to my eyes. They are his family, he is theirs, and they’ll all go to any length to save each other.

-I hope Mary is just fooling the BMoL to gain some kind of upper hand. I hope she’s not serious.

-”Who are you?” “The guys who saved the world.” I’m counting at least eight times, not counting regular keeping everybody from dying in some sort of werepire apocalypse by keeping the population under control. Eight, yeah?

Overall the mid-season premiere was a good way to end Hellatus. I wish there’d been more of the Winchesters doing what they do in the woods. It was truly beautiful. I’m not sure where the season is going, but it’s entertaining to watch it go there. I look forward to what more surprises are in store.

Also, THIS!!

 

P.s. Speaking of Asa’s kids, I’d watch a show about them. You?