My apologies for being out of the country and off the grid last week. I think you’ve probably already had Rowena’s failed effort at achieving justice for her dead son Crowley through vengeful acts dissected and analyzed enough, but at least for the time being, this powerful witch seems to be down with team Sam and Dean! I never trust her though! This week, we went about the business of taking the arc-angel Gabriel down a similar path. He wants to take his vengeance out on those who kidnapped him and sold him to Asmodeus for years of pure torture from the last prince of hell that he torched like a wooden match!
Our restored friend has a hit list, and starts with a large, bearded and clawed demi-god thing that happens to be a son of Loki, the Norse god. Sam and Dean, thanks to Rowena’s spell, have come to town in search of Gabriel, who has four special wooden swords to do the murderous trick on Loki and the 3 sons who kidnapped him after he faked his death a few seasons back when Lucifer “thought” he had killed his brother at that special motel! (So did we!) 
An injured and bleeding Gabriel finds Sam and Dean and needs to rest up, since he’s so low on grace and bleeds ‘almost’ human blood! Sam and Dean agree to help Gabriel if he’ll help them when they ultimately face alt-Michael! They struck a deal!
Meanwhile, in the alt-universe, Jack is kicking ass and taking names: so much so that it appears the abusive angels are in ‘retreat’ mode. Nobody can find where Michael and his band of feathered friends have gone. Jack, now coming to recognize his own magnificent powers, mentally travels to the old hide out and wants to go after the arc-angel and finish the job. The lesson here is one Mary tries to impart to our Nephilim: “Be patient. Plan. Don’t go in with guns blazing and not knowing what your goal is.” Someone always loses when things are approached that way. Think about it. Almost every time Jack has taken aggression, someone innocent gets hurt! When he’s defending the innocent, things usually turn out well. 
Mary confesses she can’t lose another boy. This touches Jack deeply. Castiel, Sam and Dean care about Jack for different reasons. Mary’s is the first expression of love Jack has received since seeing his mother on video! Despite this, Jack still wants to go and check out Michael’s main hideout and get some intel. Mary and the crew decide to follow. When they get there, alt-Kevin Tran is discovered hiding in the basement, but it’s all a trap.
Tran has that carving on his chest to complete the spell that causes the immediate area to explode with powerful light energy! He says Michael has promised him he’d see his mother when he’s allowed into heaven! I found the next part a little strange. Mary tells Kevin that heaven is just memories! It’s not real! WHAT??? In the context of the show, souls are real, the souls in heaven are real, God, his sister and Lucifer are real, angels are real, but heaven itself is not? So, it’s better to be what, a ghost? Or in hell? I don’t know if it’s the intention of the show writers, but I just thought that was a bit of heavenly-political confusion there. Heaven’s not a place we should want to go and live the best parts of our lives? If not, where’s the alternative? The empty? Okay! My rant is over! The ensuing explosion smokes everyone except Jack and Mary, who is unconscious. According to Kevin, this was Michael’s first effort to “break” Jack!
The two remaining demi-gods track Gabriel to the motel he is at with Sam and Dean, and we learn that Loki, the original ‘trickster’ who taught Gabriel everything he knows about ‘laying low’ is also there, as he has a fondness for transforming rundown motels into his own luxury spots. Anyway, Gabriel is compelled to tell the back story of what happened after he faked is death at the Alysium motel with all those other demi-gods that Lucifer squashed like bugs! While the demi-gods are giving it to Sam and Dean pretty good, our heroes get the upper hand and Gabriel finished both his foes, while Dean slips away with the special sword to confront Loki alone. The episode wasn’t so tense in part because of the music selections for the ending showdown scenes. They used that old-western Mexican guitar, which almost gave it a comedic edge, especially when we saw Gabriel hiding!
All ended well, and Sam confronts Dean, who originally wanted no part of Gabriel’s revenge plan, yet went after Loki, solo! Sam calls out Dean’s solo attitude of late. Dean it seems has reverted to taking the weight of the protection and rescue of everyone they care about upon his shoulders, which Sam resents! We always go full-circle with our guys! 
Sam assures Dean that if they die in this impending challenge to Earth’s survival, they’ll die TOGETHER! I have a feeling that Dean’s and Jack’s zeal to be ‘Lone Ranger’s’ might winding up bringing on more problems when the story arc begins to heat up over the next several weeks.
Is Gabriel ‘really’ aboard? Seems he’s a selfish loner to me! Will Jack’s naiveté prove his undoing and make him vulnerable to seduction to Michael’s dark plan? “Beware the dark side! Seduce you it will!” (In my Yoda voice.) Will Dean finally get it and quit taking responsibility for everything? Am I wrong in taking offense to Mary’s dismissal of heaven?
Eric “Feeling Supernatural” Clemons
Photos: The CW and Supernatural: All rights reserved.
Feeling Supernatural!!! 