The penultimate episode of Supernatural season 9 does a great job of setting up the endgame. Castiel has plenty of followers to take on Metatron, but that’s not true by the end of the episode thanks to suicide bombers.
However, that may not matter because Cas has Sam and Dean, and the power of three is all that matters (Doctor Who taught us that with Amy, Rory and Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor). There’s just one problem, and it’s the Mark of Cain, which continues to turn Dean into the worst version of himself.
Angel Suicide Bombers
The angel war is in full swing, and while Commander Cas has more followers than Metatron, some of them are a tad unstable. In Missouri Cas and the Winchesters find a massacre and it turns out the culprit was one of Castiel’s angels who turned himself into a suicide bomber to take out one of Metatron’s angels, along with an ice cream parlor full of humans.
Dean accuses Cas of being complicit in this act, which Cas denies. It’s still enough to cause the team to split up. Dean stays behind to figure out who the suicide bomber was working with while Sam and Cas hit the road to find the mole who killed Ezra.
Dean and Tessa
Dean plays bad cop during an interrogation and learns that the suicide bomber was friends with none other than Tessa the Reaper. He tracks her down and brings her back to Angel HQ where the other angels team up against Dean to make sure he doesn’t torture Tessa.
During the interrogation Tessa admits that she’s a suicide bomber because she could hear all of the dead souls who were unable to get into Heaven. Dean takes out the First Blade (which he promised Sam he didn’t bring with him) and Tessa impales herself on it, just as the angels walk in.
Cas and Sam’s Mole Hunt
Sam and Cas hit the road and track down the mole to a town called Pray, Montana. They find a building guarded by a riddle and filled with pop culture booby traps like the “Only the penitent man shall pass” scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. To enter, they must answer the riddle “Why is 6 afraid of 7?” Cas thinks it’s because prime numbers are intimidating (I love a great math joke), but Sam knows it’s because 7 ate 9.
They get inside and find the door to Heaven, but it’s all a set-up from Metatron. They do find the mole, but Metatron left him for dead.
Metatron Needs Support
Metatron is starting to regret his decision to encourage Cas to lead an army against him because Cas is unexpectedly good at it. One hilarious scene has Metatron trying on a trenchcoat, perhaps because Castiel’s signature fashion choice is the source of his power.
He tries to recruit an independent angel faction at a bowling alley, but fails because the leader calls him a nerd (30 years later and Booger is still getting teased by jocks). That hardly matters because another angel suicide bomber working for Cas shows up to kill Metatron.
Cas Loses His Followers
Sam and Cas return to find Dean tied up for killing Tessa. But there’s no time to deal with that because Metatron calls in with a message for everyone. He survived the suicide bomber, but Gadreel was injured and the bowler died, causing all of his followers to join Metatron.
Metatron tells everyone about how Castiel’s Grace is fading and claims he’s behind the suicide bombers. He also offers all of the angels a one-time amnesty deal if they leave Cas and join him.
The angels question Cas and demand that he punish Dean for killing Tessa to prove his loyalty. Of course we all know there’s absolutely no way Cas could kill Dean, so all of his followers abandon him. Who needs them? I’m sure Cas, Sam and Dean can do it all on their own.
The Power of Three
In the end, Metatron gloats to Gadreel about how smart he is because he was behind the suicide bombers. He’s a major league weasel who is also counting his chickens before they’re hatched, underestimating the power of just Cas, Sam and Dean.
Speaking of them, Cas and the boys return to the Men of Letters HQ where Dean declares this a dictatorship and he will be in charge until he uses the First Blade to kill Metatron.
At the end of the episode, Gadreel suddenly appears in the HQ and offers to flip sides, willing to help them take down Metatron. He offers his hand in friendship and Dean takes it, but then he pulls out the First Blade and slices Gadreel’s chest. Sam and Cas rush to stop Dean, but damn, Dean’s face is totally crazy.
Next week on the Supernatural season 9 finale: It’s time for Dean vs. Metatron, as well as some news from Crowley about the effects of the First Blade. If history has taught us anything, it’s that the season will probably end badly for the Wincehsters.
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
