Supernatural: Bring 'em Back Alive (13x18)

So.... this is a Buckleming episode. However, I must say I was mostly okay with it. As surprising as that is!

Cons:

There are a couple of different reasons to cringe when I see those dreaded names flash up on the screen. One of them is that they tend to do stupid things like kill off Charlie and Eileen. The other one is more of a structural issue. Buckleming episodes tend to be A-plot, and they tend to be crowded. This is no exception. We have the Asmodeus/Gabriel/Cas/Sam part of the story, we have the Apocalypse world story with Dean, Ketch, and Charlie, and then we have the Lucifer subplot. Honestly, cut the same amount of plot into two episodes, and just let it breathe a little bit more. Give us just a few more minutes with Apocalypse!Charlie so we can understand how hard it is for Dean to leave her behind. Give us more time with Cas and Sam talking to Gabriel before Asmodeus shows up. Give us more of an understanding of Lucifer's poor leadership skills before Sister Jo decides to leave him. Cramming all of this stuff into one episode means that we get the plot points taken care of, but we don't have quite enough time for nuance and development.

Also... I'm thrilled to see Charlie and everything, but I hate that she got written back into this story in an episode written by the very people who gutted her in a bathtub. The whole thing put a really sour taste in my mouth. I wanted them to stay the hell away from her, honestly.

Pros:

The Lucifer subplot was the weakest of the stories, but it offered some interesting moments. First of all, I'm thrilled that Danneel Ackles survives to guest star another day. Knowing these writers, I had a very real fear that Anael wouldn't survive the day. I also like that Lucifer is incompetent at ruling, lied to the angels about being able to give them their wings, and Sister Jo is there to call him on his shit. It's always refreshing to see him get taken down a peg or two. And it was interesting to explore the idea that Lucifer doesn't really want to find Jack, because he's afraid of failing his son when he does. Obviously Lucifer is the worst and needs to die, but I'm cool with exploring these interesting dynamics along the way.

Now let's turn to Gabriel, Sam, and Cas in the bunker. Where to even start with this? I love that Gabriel only breaks out of his funk and talks when Sam gives him a speech and actually says the words: "We need you. I  need you." Talk about parallels with Destiel, let me tell ya. I was never a Sabriel shipper myself, but I'm sure those people were having a field day, and I'm happy for them. But even beyond that, the speech was just great. Sam compares himself to Gabriel - he didn't fit in with his family, he tried to leave the life that was ordained for him, but... his family needed him, and he had to step up and do the right thing. That's the position Gabriel is in now.

The fact that Gabriel's first spoken line is "porn stars" is also just so perfect and excellent. I love the fact that Gabriel really was all that messed up - it wasn't a trick, there isn't some quick fix. By the end of the episode he has killed his abuser, and I'm so happy that Gabriel got to be the one to take Asmodeus out. But as evidenced by his decision to immediately flee, he's not suddenly 100% back to his old ways. He threw in with the Winchesters during the ramp-up to the Apocalypse, but when things got bad, he backed out and remained hidden for as long as he could. It's going to take some coaxing to get him on their side, but I'd love to see him join in to Team Free Will, meet his nephew Jack, and kick Lucifer's ass eventually.

Cas was a total delight in his brief moments in this episode. I loved his reaction to the news that Dean was in the apocalypse world. He's actually pissed off at Sam for letting Dean go alone (or, with Ketch, but who's counting that?). I love Cas' protectiveness, and I love that it manifests in annoyance and grumpiness. And he gets to be a bad-ass in the fight against the infiltrating demons alongside Sam. It's fun to watch the two of them work together. On a final note, I just want to point out that when Ketch is talking about Dean going home, he says that he needs to bring reinforcements: "your brother, your angel." I love it when other people refer to Cas as belonging to the Winchesters in some way. Not in a creepy possessive sense, but just in the sense that everybody who has spent any time around them knows where Cas' loyalty and love is.

Finally, we've got Ketch and Dean in Apocalypse world. They see Charlie almost getting executed, and Dean is determined to go save her. He says it's because Charlie has seen Mary and Jack, but in reality obviously he wants to atone for Charlie's death in his own world. I'm not going to be cool with Ketch, and I'm not giving in to his redemption arc or whatever. But, I do believe him and his motives here, and it is interesting to see Dean and Ketch bonding. Back when Ketch was still with the British Men of Letters, he felt a kinship with Dean and wanted to work with him, and we're seeing even now that they have their similarities. I was actually a little bit moved by Ketch's obvious concern when Dean was injured. There's the moment when Dean collapses, his bullet wound corrupted with magic, and Ketch says Dean's name in this heartbreaking way, and rushes forward to help him. When Ketch hears the story of Charlie's death, he explains his own regrets. He's lost friends and allies, but he never tried to help them, all in the line of duty. You can see it's weighing on him now. Don't get me wrong - this doesn't absolve him of killing Mick or any of the other horrible things he did, but it does make him a little more interesting to watch.

Dean just broke my heart in this whole episode. His desperation to get to Charlie, trying to bite back the pain of his injury, his grudging acceptance of Ketch's company and aid... and then that ending. He goes back through the portal without Mary and Jack, leaving Ketch and Charlie behind. Ketch promises to gather intel, so that when Dean returns they can make a real go of finding their missing family. But of course, in the meantime Gabriel has taken his grace, restored his power, and fled the bunker. Sam and Cas have to give Dean the news that they're missing the archangel grace that can re-open a portal and get them back through to the Apocalypse world. And Dean's reaction? He's pissed, he's devastated, and he says "I never should have come back!" Obviously that's a tough pill to swallow for Sam and Cas, who were both so worried about him when he was away. Can you imagine what it would have been like for them if Dean hadn't shown up at all, and the portal had closed? Yikes.

I guess that's what I've got. For a Buckleming outing, this wasn't actually painful. No female characters were needlessly slaughtered, the dialogue wasn't too terribly hokey, and there were some genuinely powerful character beats from both Ketch and Gabriel. However, the overcrowding does pose a significant problem when you look at the pacing of the season as a whole. Next week we're back to C-plot, and then we're already in finale territory. I'm scared of what the future may bring!

8/10