The Devil possessed the President of the United States this week on Supernatural. I don’t think it gets any better than this.
This was a pretty decent mid-season finale for Supernatural. Not the best one, but it certainly has me more than excited for the show to return January 26. After the demise of the Rick Springfield vessel, Lucifer is hopping meat suits again. Rather than Lucifer staying in one vessel, I like the idea the Devil can be anyone. In this case, a number of Archbishops have a turn before the other church members attempt an exorcism with numerous dead bodies as a result. Then, Lucifer goes after the one vessel that’s so obvious, it’s genius.
Sorry, but it’s impossible to not see the parallels to today’s current political climate. I don’t believe Supernatural has an agenda here at all because while the concept is a pretty neat idea, it doesn’t last very long. The stuff we do get is wonderful though. My favorite part is when Lucifer is forced to say a prayer while holding a bible, another moment when his anger toward God allows his shields to come down. It’s a reminder that even though Lucifer is currently in a powerful position to really do some damage, he still doesn’t have a plan. That is, until he meets Kelly.
Looks like we’ll be getting another antichrist on our hands. I say another because we met Jesse in season five, but he left for Australia and never came back. But Jesse, while the son of a demon, wasn’t the actual antichrist if you want to talk logistics. Kelly’s baby will be the literal spawn of Satan. I am so ready for the second half of season 12. Also, kudos to Dean for that aptly timed Rosemary’s Baby reference.
Again, I can’t stress enough how much I love how low-key this season feels. Every time Sam and Dean are on screen, I never feel like we’re missing out on any cosmic stakes. I know where every character is at even when they aren’t on screen (maybe not physically, but at least mentally — ie, Mary is out getting used to the 21st century, not fighting some epic demon battle.) Same goes for Cas and Crowley. The two might have been gone for three episodes, but we knew what they were doing. When Sam and Dean show up at the coroner’s office and the guy says their coworkers are already there and Cas and Crowley are already examining the body? That’s a great moment because we expect them to still be working together based off how this season is going so far. I don’t know, but it’s the small moments like these that tell me in the 12 seasons Supernatural has been on air, they’ve matured a bit in their storytelling. They’re getting to tell stories they might not have had to the chance to this far down the line, and I feel they are taking every advantage of it. Makes me glad to have stuck around this long.
The evidence of this isn’t just present in the storytelling, but in Cas as well, and none so more than in this episode. Misha Collins had such a commanding presence. Often times I think Cas’ angel-ness is played for jokes — he’s a fish out of water, even after seven years, and the show never lets us forget — but in “LOTUS,” we’re reminded just how powerful Cas actually is. Not in any dramatic form, either. It’s in the way Cas nonchalantly keeps walking toward the government agent who’s pointing a gun at him, and in the way he doesn’t flinch when that grenade launcher shoots past him. It’s angel radio. And it’s his righteous indignation at the creation of a nephilim that remind us Cas is an ancient being who knows of things we probably don’t have the right to understand. Honestly, it should always be this way with him.
We finally get to see the face of the British Men of Letters assassin, a man named Ketch, Arthur Ketch. Production value also seemed up to par because let me tell you, that whole scene when Arthur shoots the grenade launcher is pretty wonderful. Sure, it’s a little James Bond, but I’m of the mind this show can pretty much do anything at this point as long as they tell a good story. The scene when the devil-possessed Archbishop walks down the hall and all the crosses turn upside down is also pretty cool. The BMOL want to work with the Winchesters, or so they say. I wonder how long that sentiment will last.
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Lastly, the good old days of Sam and Dean being on the wanted list are finally back, and this time, they aren’t merely out-running Victor Henriksen. Top level government agents arrest the brothers for the attempted assassination of the President right at episode’s end. Supernatural returns January 26th, same time, same place. Looks like it’ll be Cas and Mary to the rescue, a team up I’m dying to see.
It’s been real for eight episodes, folks. I’ll see ya next year.
Rating: 8.5/10
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