'Supernatural' Recap: Sam and Dean's Trip Down Memory Lane Wasn't So Happy - Season 8 Episode 22

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Just when we thought the Winchesters stood a chance at closing the gates of hell – and surviving it together – Supernatural went and threw us another curve ball. Sure, Dean was 100 percent behind his brother for the trials, and gave a truly heartwarming speech proving just how much he believed Sam could do it, but when Crowley enters the mix, all bets are off.
You see, now that Crowley knew what Sam and Dean were up to, and how close they were getting to closing the gates of hell, he had to take drastic measures before Sam could “cure” a demon thus completing the third trial. So what did he do? He appealed to the one thing we all know the Winchesters have a weakness for: saving people.
Crowley was using Carver Edlund’s books (great to see how many shout outs they’re getting this season!) to take a trip down Winchester memory lane and start killing every person Sam and Dean have saved every 12 hours until they give up and surrender. After Jimmy Collins from Season 1 Episode 2’s wendigo attack died suddenly, and another Season 1 veteran, Sarah Blake, bit the dust in a truly heartbreaking scene where I have never seen Sam and Dean look so completely helpless before, the Sam lost all faith that they can actually stop Crowley. But Dean hasn’t given up, and you can be sure as hell he’ll rally Sam to kick some a**.
And hey, sure enough, the promos for next week show Sam and Dean attempting to cure a demon after all… and that demon is Crowley himself! That’s what happens when you piss off the Winchesters. Sorry I'm not sorry.
Meanwhile, Cas was safely in the Men of Letters bunker healing after his angelic/demonic battles last week, and Dean wasn’t making it any easier for him. Even though Cas has wronged Dean in the past, he’s always been able to forgive his friend. He's always had a soft spot for his angel friend. This time, it wasn’t going to be so easy. Cas has continually betrayed Dean over and over again, and each time Dean forgives him, Cas just does it again. He never learns, or employs the same loyalty Dean has always shown him. Dean isn’t going to forgive him this time, and that makes Cas susceptible to Metatron’s plans.
After finally getting the whole story on what he’s missed while being a recluse, Metatron decided the way to fix Heaven and their angelic family was to lock everyone in a room and hash things out. A time out of sorts, but on a massive scale. That’s right, Metatron wants to use the angel tablet and close the gates of Heaven! While there isn’t any evil reasons behind his plans, I still don’t trust Metatron, and the way he so easily manipulated Cas into completing the first trial worried me. The first trial, by the way, was to kill a nephilim, the offspring of an angel and a human.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the folklore of nephilim come into play on Supernatural. For a show that focuses on the supernatural, and has had angels as big players since Season 4, it’s surprising it took so long for nephilim to show up. They are featured heavily in supernatural books and movies, with varying degrees of power and alliances with good/evil. Unfortunately, the ballad of the nephilim on Supernatural was brief: the only one on earth was killed by Cas to complete the first trial. So long, nephilim, sorry you never even had a name!
Also, Abbadon showed up again after Sam and Dean put her together to attempt to cure her before getting distracted by Crowley’s phone calls (coming from the number 666, nice touch). So she’s on the loose again, and seemed pretty pissed off at hearing how Crowley worked his way up from being a messenger to the kind of hell.
Shout-out to the hilarious convenience store worker: I would have been pretty pissed myself if I had to deal with a messy, destructive shopper like Cas. But come on, how could you not have pie?
The best quotes from “Clip Show:”
Dean: How you feeling?
Sam: Honestly? My whole body hurts, I’m nauseous and like I’m starving at the same time, and everything smells like rotting meat.
Dean: I’ve had that hangover. Jaeger, man.
Cas: I like this bunker. It’s orderly.
Sam: Give us a few months. Dean wants to get a ping pong table.
Cas: I’ve heard of that, it’s a game, right?
Sam: A half-drunk beer, some jerky, and three peanut butter cups?
Dean: Well, yeah, we’re running a little low… I’ll go make a run.
Dean: If anybody else, I mean anybody, pulled that kind of crap I would stab them in the neck on principle. Why should I give him a free pass?
Sam: Because it’s Cas.
Dean: Well, that was weird. With three exclamation points.
Dean, about Sam completing the trials: Father, over the past couple of months I have seen him do crap that I didn’t even think was possible. I’m sure he’s miserable and he’s hurting, but you know what? There’s not a doubt in my mind that he’s gonna cross that finish line. Not one.
Not a quote, but you could tell just how much Cas was trying to make it up to Dean on his run to get food and supplies. His cart consisted of jerky, toilet paper, even Busty Asian Beauties, aka Dean's favorite porn! But when he couldn't find pie, he knew no amount of porn would make Dean happy...
Cas: Where’s the pie?
Sales clerk: I think we’re out.
Cas: I don’t think you understand, I need pie!
Metatron: I should have picked a better-looking vessel.
Sam: How’d you get this number?
Crowley: First things first: what are you wearing?
Dean: Oh, okay, hanging up now. Hang it up.
Crowley: Fine, this isn’t a social call.