Supernatural: Destiny's Child (15x13)

So, the news has dropped that this will be the last episode of Supernatural for a while, as they've had to halt production due to COVID-19. I know there are bigger, more important things to be upset about, but I'm definitely upset about this! I hope they are able to be back at work before too long, but of course first and foremost I hope everyone stays safe!

Cons:

Sam and Dean's detour into Hell was such a dead-end that it was almost comical. I kind of like the fact that trips into Hell have become the equivalent of a milk run for these boys, but at the same time, it felt like a needlessly complex way to get them out of the way so Cas could find out the real answer. Maybe I'm nitpicking? Maybe I just wish I could have seen Rowena? Totally possible.

Pros:

This was a great episode. I had so much fun with it, all the way through. First of all, Gen and Daneel being in the same episode together, as Ruby and Sister Jo, was the kind of hilarious fan-service-y thing that you just love to see. It doesn't matter for the bigger scope of the story that these two women are Jared and Jensen's wives in real life. But it's just so silly and funny! They had one scene together, and they totally milked it for all it was worth.

When I saw in the promos that a preppy version of Sam and Dean from an alternate reality were going to be visiting, I figured that would be the main subject of the episode. Turns out, not so much. They basically just serve as distractions, sitting around so that if Chuck checks in on them, he doesn't realize Sam and Dean aren't just hanging around the bunker. It's so hilarious to me that alternate versions of themselves are basically just a minor footnote in terms of the day Sam and Dean are having. Business as usual.

You can tell Jared and Jensen had so much fun playing these other versions of their characters. They hate beer, they have trust funds, their dad is a super nice guy who is totally still alive, they get paid to be hunters... it's so surreal to see this different version of them. Sam is snobby about his hair, Dean starts to get used to the taste of beer gradually. All of this was comedic gold, and the boys clearly had fun with it. My favorite little moments include Sam and Dean playing rock, paper, scissors while stuck in between dimensions, and Dean calling Sam "Samuel." So great!

Then there's Castiel's trip to the Empty. He sees the Empty, this time looking like Meg instead of like another version of himself. What a fun way to get yet another cameo of an old favorite! I love all the fan-service this season, unabashedly. We also see Ruby, who has been trapped in the Empty since her death. She gives Cas the location of the thing they need to help Jack get stronger, in exchange for a promise that Cas will try and help break her out.

We also get a mention of Cas' deal with the Empty, that he will have to go back there once he's truly happy. I was thrilled they brought this up again. It's not that I thought they'd forget it, exactly, but it's exciting to think that the payoff for that plot thread will indeed be happening before the finale! I'm so excited for Sam and Dean (especially Dean) to find out about it in some form or another.

Castiel pulls a real Winchester-ish move, going into the Empty by having Jack "almost" kill him, so he can step one foot into the afterlife and chat with Ruby. It's a stupid risk, and the Empty beats him up while he's in there. Sam and Dean come back to find Cas unconscious and Jack seemingly unconcerned, his still-soulless self very casual about the insane risk Cas has just taken. Of course my Destiel-goggles love seeing Dean scared for Cas' life, and Dean calling him an idiot once he gets back was also pretty great.

The Destiel content continues as they make their way to find the episode's McGuffin. They leave Sam to handle some hell hounds pounding at the door, while the two of them bicker about how to find what they're looking for. It's adorable, and I love Sam being like - "uh, guys? A little help here?" in the background. Poor thing can't catch a break with this old married couple.

Jack does indeed find the magic object, and he swallows it, per vague instructions. Billie was unclear on why Jack needed to find it, other than to say it would help to strengthen him "spiritually." Turns out, the answer to that is pretty straight-forward: Jack has his soul back.

I love the way this was handled. Jack without a soul reminds me somewhat of Sam without a soul, way back in season six. But Jack is a lot more concerned with how he should be feeling, how he remembers feeling. He knows it was wrong, what he did to Mary. But he has lost access to the extreme guilt and grief he should be feeling. As the episode ends, that guilt and grief is back in a big, big way. The way he apologized, and begged for forgiveness, really warmed my heart. It's such a difficult, heartbreaking situation for all involved, because Sam and Dean have already forgiven him. At least, on the surface. But Dean in particular can't just erase everything that's happened from his mind, and things have been different ever since Mary's death. Obviously. I can't wait to watch them untangle this!

I'll be sad without Supernatural to watch for the next few weeks, but I guess I was wrong about the last hiatus being the end of waiting for new episodes ever again! At least we're prolonging the moment when we have to say a final goodbye.

9/10