Supernatural 9.17 "Mother's Little Helper" Review: Damn the Consequences

            This week’s episode of Supernatural, “Mother’s Little Helper,” was written by Adam Glass, but will be remembered as Misha Collins’ directorial debut. Collins is smart guy, so I wasn’t worried that he wouldn’t be able to handle this new role. 

            He does use a number of somewhat clichéd, first-time-director shots, such as deep focus and unusual angles, but those are things that he will no doubt fine tune on his next episode. What he does really well is pacing the episode and getting brilliant performances out of his cast. Alaina Huffman (Josie/Abaddon), Gil McKinney (Henry), Mark Sheppard (Crowley), Jared Padalecki (Sam), and Jensen Ackles (Dean) all deliver their A-game for Collins. 

            One shot that I very much appreciated was how Collins shot Henry and Josie arriving at the Convent as it was an homage to The Exorcist. It’s a great reveal as the figures head is slowly raised. The one scene that did seem a bit slow was the return of the souls, but that’s nit picking. 

            The episode once again features the brothers working separately, but there are hints that they are coming closer to a reconciliation – or at least to the possibility of Sam forgiving Dean. As the episode opens, Dean is hitting the books, and Sam has found a case. This is another indication that the two have reversed roles. Sam has, however, finally realized that something is just not right with Dean. He asks Dean if he’s slept, and Dean says no. Sam tells Dean that Dean has been acting obsessed since killing Magnus with the First Blade. Dean denies that anything has changed, saying he’s just doing his job and he’s “fine.”

            It’s clear that he’s not fine as Dean pulls out a bottle of his favorite gut rot and proceeds to drink right from the bottle like a man dying of thirst as soon as Sam leaves. He thinks back to Cain giving him the mark and taking on his burden. The scene cuts nicely back and forth between present and past, adding close-ups of Dean’s eyes and hand, ending on his still shaking hand. The last time Dean wasn’t sleeping and was hitting the booze like this was after he returned from Hell and got his memories back and was trying to deal with the feelings he’d developed while torturing souls in Hell. He’d liked that feeling too.

            Dean is clearly looking for a distraction. Crowley shows up at the bar where Dean has gone to play pool and drink – and possibly hook up. Crowley calls Dean on lying to Sam when Sam calls and Dean refuses point blank to go and help him, saying he’s close to finding Abaddon. However, when Dean and Crowley leave the bar, we see that the name of the bar is The Milton, and Sam is in Milton, Illinois. Is this a coincidence or did Dean make the 7 hour trip to be handy in case Sam needed him? Regardless, he does leave again without providing Sam with any help.

            Crowley, always the astute judge of character, accuses Dean of feeling “powerful, virile, and afraid” when he touched the blade. Crowley accuses Dean of not embracing the gift Cain gave him and not embracing what he really is. Dean insists, however, that he’s “a hunter. When I kill, I kill for a reason. I’m nothing like Cain.” This seems an awful lot like Dean trying to convince himself that he isn't. We then flash to Magnus telling Dean that he’ll get used to the feelings that come with the Blade and that he’ll even welcome them.

            And that’s the crux of Dean’s dilemma. He’s said repeatedly that all he’s good for is being a killing machine. He’s been told time and again that he was just Daddy’s blunt little instrument. While in Purgatory, he embraced the clarity of it being a black and white, kill or be killed existence. He learned to embrace the darkness of torturing souls and couldn’t forgive himself for that. He tried to refuse to torture Alastair, and Ackles was brilliant in “On the Head of A Pin” in showing Dean giving in to the pleasure of torture and then the guilt that followed. I think that Dean knows he’s on a very slippery slope and barely holding onto his control. He has refused to go with Sam because he really is afraid that he will be a danger to others and to Sam.

            Crowley sets Dean up by going to the bathroom and having “hunter” Jake (Andrew Dunbar) follow him.  I thought it a little too obvious to have the guy sitting at the bar saying his rosary. It’s also hard to believe that he would still be alive if he was hunting a demon, especially the King of Hell (surely everyone got that memo?) with a knife. And was that a second demon-killing knife? It certainly looked to be the right shape. Crowley clearly thinks that Dean is off his game enough to be easily manipulated. I’m still wondering if he is or if he knows what Crowley is doing. Regardless, Jake makes an impression on Dean. Dean takes away that he has to stop both Crowley and Abaddon to save people – it’s his prime directive, after all. And just as Jake has a little sister who doesn’t deserve to have his mistakes brought down on her, Dean still has a brother who doesn’t deserve it either. Did anyone else also notice that Jake might be a reference to Jake Abel who played the other Winchester brother, Adam?

            The title of the episode is from the Rolling Stones song about women taking prescription pills to get through the day in the 60s. It works on two levels here – with both storylines. It most obviously references the song by being a reflection for the addictions of both Crowley for blood and Dean for the First Blade. I loved Crowley’s Lord of the Rings reference when he says to Dean, “You just want to touch your precious again, don’t you?” Dean’s response is that he’s all in to kill Abaddon and he doesn’t care about the consequences to himself from using the Blade. Crowley tells Jake that Dean is now “ready.”

            The title also references Sam’s storyline in that Mother Superior’s little helper, Agnes (Patricia Harris), is back after 56 years. Interestingly, even though Dean refuses to hunt with Sam, it’s when Sam is on the phone with Dean, talking through the case, that Sam determines that the townspeople are soulless. Padalecki was terrific in this episode, and I have to admit that it was nice to see so much of the old Sam back - the Sam before his blood addiction, soullessness, hell-crazy. He’s clearly concerned about his brother and is terrific with Julia (Jenny O’Hara). Perhaps my favorite Sam-is-back scene is the diner scene when earnest Sam comes immediately to the defense of the beleaguered waitress.

            There have been a lot of comments on O’Hara looking so much like Shirley MacLaine. MacLaine is somewhat infamous for believing in re-incarnation, so that’s actually a pretty appropriate association with this character who has re-invented herself and was a nun in a “former” life. However, those in the know, will know that Julia Wilkinson is really a shout out by the show for Jules Wilkinson who is the founder and administrator of Superwiki – the repository of all Supernatural history. The cast, crew and writers have all stated that they use Superwiki as a reference to check themselves. In fact, O’Hara, though much older for the story’s sake, bears some resemblance to Jules – they certainly share the same short, red hair! As the chronicler and guardian of history for Supernatural through Superwiki, it seems very appropriate that we should learn more of the Winchesters’ history through the character styled after her. 

            I have to admit that I wasn’t overly impressed with McKinney’s first appearance as Henry, but he more than made up for it in this episode. It was wonderful to get the insights that had left many a bit cold after “As Time Goes By.” In this episode we see that he struggled with the danger he was putting himself in because it could result in John being fatherless and Millie – John’s mother finally has a name! – being a widow. Henry wonders if he’s being selfish. John did struggle with similar feelings in season one’s “Salvation” – though not to Sam’s satisfaction. In the end, Henry is satisfied that what they are doing is a noble cause and worth the risk.

            Alaina Huffman just can’t be praised enough for this episode. We see her as Josie and get to know her. We also see her change on a dime and become Abaddon. As Josie, I found myself very much falling for the character, and I now wish there was some way to save Josie, but she no doubt died when they shot her in the head in “As Time Goes By.” Josie is clearly fretting at the limitations society puts on women and is really the better ‘hunter’ of the two. I loved her sassy, “What’s got your boxers in a bunch” to Henry. I found myself somewhat equating her with Dorothy from “Slumber Party” who had to fight against gender stereotypes too. Josie is able to decipher the crest as Knight of Hell even though Henry is the one who knows what it means. We also learn that Josie lost her family somehow – no doubt as so many before her through some supernatural tragedy. 

            In the end, Abaddon is able to exploit Josie’s biggest weakness – her love for Henry. Abaddon even turns the knife as she says to Josie that Henry loves her to... like a sister. Even while tragic, it was nice to see that Josie wasn’t a helpless victim of Abaddon but died heroically trying to save Henry. I loved Josie’s final remark that she feels like a whole new person – oh the irony! And did you notice that Henry was also driving a black Impala?

            Sam asks the obvious question of Julia – why didn’t she ever tell anyone. She tells him she was too afraid. She also tells him that she became a nun because she wanted to help people. But they never prepared her for what to do in the face of real evil. In many ways, Sam and Dean have followed a similar path, trying to do good. However, it’s debatable that John prepared them for true evil or that he was even able to do so without the support of the Men of Letters that he should have had as a legacy. Julia tells Sam that she left the order soon after because she was ashamed. It makes me wonder if Dean is planning to leave as soon as Abaddon is dead.

            By the time Sam gets back to the bunker, Dean is back at work, looking for Abaddon. He tells Sam that he’s like a dog with a bone – would that be the jaw bone of an ass? Good one Adam Glass! I also loved Agnes declaring that stealing souls was “winning!” Charlie Sheen crazy, anyone? Sam fills Dean in on Abaddon’s plan to build a demon army with souls and they both settle down to work. However, we see them at separate tables as the shot pans back – they may be working toward a common purpose now, but there is still a gulf between them.      

   

            Anybody else love seeing another Winchester dressed as a Priest? I couldn’t help but flash back to “Nightmare” in season one and “In the Beginning” (written by Jeremy Carver – had their other grandfather, Samuel as a Priest) in season four. I also loved that Sam had the exorcism taped on his phone! Well done, clever Sam! That's right up there with bungee cords.

            Great performances, promising direction, and terrific history in this episode made it a win for me. What did you think of the episode? Is Dean going to regret his decision? Is Sam closer to relenting and calling Dean his brother again? What did you think of the new information we found out about Henry and Josie? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!