Of all the places in all the world, the Men of Letters bunker would be the last place one would believe to be haunted but that’s exactly what’s happening in this week’s ‘Supernatural’. But the haunting isn’t any old ghost; it’s an old friend.

After the Winchesters realize their lair is being haunted, they try figuring out what’s doing the haunting when Sam propositions the one possibility that makes sense…their dearly departed Kevin. Though he doesn’t want to believe it, Dean starts chatting to the possible ghostly Kevin, apologizing for the situation they put him in and not being able to protect him. It’s Dean’s trademark as he takes on more guilt for not being able to protect their prophet friend. It’s enough to bring Kevin over from the Veil—the “waiting room” where all souls are traipsing around now that heaven’s closed for business. But he has news from the Veil; based on a recent Veil inhabitant—Candy from Wichita, Kansas—Linda Tran is still alive. He wants them to summon Candy and gather all the intel from her on Linda Tran’s whereabouts.

Bartholomew and Cas trade war stories

While the brothers are on their way to Wichita, Castiel’s paying his respects to Rebecca, an angel killed by Bartholomew, he confronts one of her followers. A part of the Penitence, the angel tells Cas that Rebecca preached the path of living “humbly among these humans”. Reaching a dead end, Cas leaves the gravesite only to be ambushed by two of Bartholomew’s disciples who takes him to their head guy. The two share stories of their battles together against Raphael with Cas being Bart’s commanding officer. Cas points out Bart’s torture and murder of their captive enemies and Bartholomew reminds him that angels are built to “follow orders”.  Despite his less than savory way of doing things, both angels want the same thing: Metatron.  He shows Castiel their ‘command center’ as they actively search for the angel behind the Fall. Cas suggests luring Metatron out in the open and it seems as if the two angels are back to working together until Bart’s men show up with Rebecca’s follower Cas spoke to at the funeral.

Sam and Dean are able to make contact with Cany who tells him about being held captive along with two others by an Englishman (who they assume was Crowley) and a second man. When Crowley stopped coming, Candy knew it was time for her to make her escape. She comes close to getting away but ends up being killed in the process. Using Candy’s description of the place and some Winchester ingenuity, they surmise Candy and the others were being held as human leverage in a storage facility. They meet the harmless Del, the guy currently in charge of the storage area. Del is more than cooperative and while Sam checks out one area while Dean follows Del to another section, both rented out to the same D. Webster. It’s a classic strategy of divide and conquer as the not so harmless Del locks Sam up in the storage area after the latter finds Linda Tran and KO’s Dean with a blow to the head.

After torturing their fellow angel for whereabouts of any other living Penitence followers, Bart gives Cas the angel blade to end the angel’s life. Castiel doesn’t want to do it and Bart reminds him of the thousands of lives he took during his Purgatory-powered rage. “Who I was, what I did, that’s not who I am!” Cas replies and when Bart kills the captive, he’s ready to cut down Cas as well. He forces Castiel to fight and, with his back to the wall, Castiel defends himself. He gains the upper hand but doesn’t deliver the killing blow until Bartholomew tries to take him from behind. The two disciples watch in surprise before they allow Castiel to pass.

Sam and Dean get ready to skewer Del

While Linda and Sam work to get out of the storage locker, Del laments to Dean on his lot at being Crowley’s ‘intern’. Using some fast talking, Dean regales the demon with his new relationship with Crowley. “Me and Crowley, we’re tight now; thick as thieves,” he offers though it doesn’t quite work out the way he planned. Thankfully Sam arrives in time to put Del out of commission though they save the honors of sending him back to hell for Mrs. Tran. She gladly ends the demon before demanding the brothers to take her to her dead son. When they return to the bunker, Kevin’s overjoyed to be reunited with his mother. She wants to watch out for him and finds her husband’s class ring, the item tying him to the bunker. Though Dean cautions her on the dicey situation with Heaven and how things generally end the longer ghosts remain in this world, she won’t take no for an answer. Before they leave, Kevin tells Sam and Dean that they need to “get over it”. “The drama, the fighting…it’s stupid. My mom is taking home a ghost; you two, you’re still here.” They are powerful words and despite Sam’s promise to honor Kevin’s request, he turns his back on Dean the moment the Trans leave.

Castiel is paying his respects to Rebecca when several of Bartholomew’s followers show up. They are directionless now and Castiel’s words have touched something in them. There is more than one way to go about things and Castiel—if he’ll have them—will be the one they follow.

Following Orders and Accepting the Past

  • It’s quite interesting that both Bartholomew and the lowly Del used the same excuse for their actions. “I was only following orders”. Those five words have been a longstanding mantra to those brought to charge for their actions in war. No matter the mandates you’ve been given, the person is ultimately responsible for his/her actions. It took Castiel a long time to understand this but once he did, he because a complete individual, not an automaton blindly taking commands. But more than anything, he’s accepted the things that he’s done and refuses to let a violent and mistake-filled past define his future.
  • There was a catchy song by The Eagles called “Get Over It” and it’s message was directed to those who hold on to the belief that something else is always to blame. It’s true that people can hurt you and do things they shouldn’t. Dean may not have been in the right to go out of his way to save his younger brother but it wasn’t something so dastardly for Sam to hold on to such anger. Sam rails about being ready to die and Dean stopping him from completing the trials but he was the one that ultimately stopped when Dean asked. Yes, Sam has valid concerns but do those concerns warrant the split the brothers are in the midst of right now?