Supernatural - The Prisoner - Review

Supernatural, “The Prisoner,” was directed by Thomas J Wright and was written by Andrew Dabb. Wright’s episodes are always solid, which is hardly surprising given his impressive list of credits, including Jensen Ackles’ (Dean) best Dark Angel episode, “The Berrisford Agenda.” Wright once again delivers excellent performances from the entire cast. Dabb’s episodes tend to cast Dean in the worst possible light, and he also has a history of negating the events that make the brothers’ struggles worth it in the end, so I was fully expecting either Crowley (Mark Sheppard) or Cas (Misha Collins) to die. That didn’t happen, but we do see a wedge driven between the brothers yet again. Overall, this episode just felt like a continuing re-tread of what we’ve seen before, with some pretty clunky dialogue thrown in. However, there were excellent performances from all the leads: Jared Padalecki (Sam), Jensen Ackles, Mark Sheppard, and Misha Collins. I also really enjoyed the performances of Connor Price as Cyrus and David Hoflin as Eldon.

The episode opens with a re-play of Dean’s speech to Crowley about family – how it doesn’t begin or end with blood but represents the people who are always there and have your back even when it means they get hurt. It’s clear that this is mean to resonate not only with the brothers and Crowley’s own family – he and Rowena (Ruth Connell) clearly never got this memo – but is also meant to resonate with Charlie (Felicia Day) who declared in the last episode that she loved the boys and thought of them like her own brothers. All of which resulted in her own death.

The episode then takes us to another family – the Stynes. We meet the youngest Styne – Cyrus, who is nothing like the Stynes we’ve already met. He certainly looks like a nerd – and we later see him playing a MMOG with a friend in California, just to solidify the stereotype. He’s being picked on by the cool kids. He doesn’t fight back with his fists, but he does prove that he has keen observational powers and takes his tormentor apart based on the evidence before him. We quickly learn that he wants nothing to do with the family business and is planning to run away to California. Sounds a lot like Sam, doesn’t it? This is clearly the parallel we are meant to draw, making Dean’s inevitable execution of a pleading Cyrus even more brutal.

Dean and Sam build Charlie’s funeral pyre. Once again, the brothers are completely at odds. Padalecki is simply outstanding in this episode. Ackles is also very good, but as Dean’s go to emotional response is stoicism, his performance is more restrained. Dean cuts Sam off from saying a farewell or apologizing to Charlie, placing the blame for her death squarely on Sam’s shoulders. Sam assures Dean that he’s never going to forgive himself for Charlie’s death, but he’s still justifying it as a means to saving Dean.

         It’s brutal, however, when Dean tells Sam is should be him on the pyre and not Charlie. Dean tells Sam to shut down trying to find a cure with the Book, and vows that he’s going to hunt down whoever killed Charlie and “rip apart everything and everyone that they ever loved, and then I’m going to tear their heart out.” Sam wants to know if that’s Dean talking or the Mark. Dean asks if it matters. And, of course, it does matter. Almost everything Dean says at the pyre seems brutally out of character for him and do seem like the Mark talking.

We then flash back to Cyrus. Eli (Matt Bellefleur) has captured bully Jake (Quyen Bui) by rendering him unconscious with a plastic bag. I actually saw a review that stated that “we” as viewers thought he was merely getting what he deserved for being a bully! I like to think that at the end of the day the show still doesn’t condone killing humans – though Dean does seem to have crossed that line himself. More pointedly, I think this is another parallel to Sam – who was bullied in “After School Special.” Certainly, Cyrus doesn’t feel like Jake deserves what happens to him and wants no part of it. Monroe (Markus Flanagan) insists that this is Cyrus’ legacy, however, and haven’t we heard that word before! Sam’s legacy – the family business AND the Men of Letters legacy – has kept him trapped in a life he would not have chosen for himself. And I think this is, at least in part, the “prisoner” that the title refers to.

Of course, Rowena is the actual prisoner in the episode. I loved her finding Cas fascinating – and then him being so willing to kill her for calling him a fish! As funny as that moment was, it was also grating. Since when is an angel so blaise about killing? And did Metatron’s gift of language nuance simply wear off?

Cas naturally also feels guilty for Charlie’s death. And exactly what good is his grace now? He can’t find anyone without out a GPS tracker or a cell phone. Sam and Cas have almost agreed to completely shut Rowena down when Charlie’s email finally gets to Sam – and this is the worst email in the universe! Really? Almost 24 hours to deliver an email? Regardless, it’s quite heartbreaking to see that she’s named the document “FORDEAN.doc.”

Rowena grudgingly admits that Charlie is a “little minx” and has indeed cracked the code that will allow them to cure the Mark. Of course, we still have no idea what the price tag will be – and we know that Dean is right about that. Padalecki is once again terrific here as we see how torn Sam is from the expression on his face. Rowena is ready to play hardball and refuses to translate anything until Sam kills Crowley.

Sam sends Cas after Dean to make sure he doesn’t go too far off the reservation, insisting that he has to go forward with the Book: “I’ve been the one out there messed up and scared and alone and Dean…” Cas jumps in to supply, “did whatever he could to save you.” Sam continues, “I mean it’s become his thing. I owe him this. I owe him everything. We both know where that road ends.” And again, Cas finishes, “black eyes and blood.” Padalecki makes Sam’s desperation palpable. It’s not the actin at fault here, but rather the fact that we have been here before – several times. Saving Sam IS Dean’s “thing.” It’s nice to see Sam overtly supporting his brother – regardless of how much it hurts, but I’m still having a hard time not being a bit bored by the storyline that just feels a bit worn.

Back at the Styne’s. Monroe and Cyrus have finished with Jake. I loved the way the clean lines and cool colors of the laboratory contrasted with the gore and jars full of body parts. We find that Eldon has replaced his arm with Jake’s. While the stitching is a good effect and the tattoo is a nice marker – just as it was in “Scarecrow,” there’s no way that the arm would be a perfect fit. It’s also pretty hard to swallow that Jake’s arm would have been the perfect size, but I’ll let that logical gaff go.

Dean has made it to Louisiana but is pulled over by the Sheriff (Sean Campbell), and in a scene right out of several works of fan fiction, Dean loses his cool when the Sheriff’s Deputy punches out both of the Impala’s taillights. That act earns the Sheriff and extra punch for “his Baby!” I did like the scene between the Deputy and Dean as we had glimpses of the old Dean in his snark, but all with that shark-eyed delivery that is becoming so much a part of the characterization of Mark-Dean. It was great when the Deputy referenced finding the ninja stars in the trunk – now, if we could only see those babies in use!

Dean’s escape from the handcuffs is fun, and I liked his response to the Sheriff’s declaration that he couldn’t take on the Stynes because they’re basically Gods: “I kill gods.” Dean is, of course, a literal prisoner of the police, and then becomes a prisoner of the Stynes when his infiltration is expected. I loved the sequence of him quietly, dispassionately dispatching them – shark-eyes again, only to have then all appear at the top of the staircase – a beautifully shot sequence. And of course, Dean being choked out by the plastic bag was horrific – kudos to Ackles for letting them do that!

Meanwhile, Sam has fooled Crowley into answering a faked distress call from Dean. Anybody else notice that Crowley was sitting in Phil’s Diner? Had to wonder if that was a shout out to Exec Producer and director Phil Sgriccia? It was also interesting that Crowley seemed to be acting more as a crossroads demon, about to make a deal with the cook/waiter, rather than the King of Hell.

Sam doesn’t give Crowley an opportunity to defend himself and shoots him with a devil’s trap bullet. He then shoves Rowena’s super-hex bag into his pocket. Crowley immediately wants to know if Dean knows what Sam is doing, clearly thinking that Dean would protect him.

Padalecki and Sheppard are both excellent in this scene – particularly the second half of it, but they are hampered by some truly atrocious dialogue. Crowley says he thought Sam was the smart one and asks if he’s insane to be working with his mother. Our family theme comes out again. Rowena has even told Sam to tell Crowley that she should have taken the three pigs in exchange for him. Sam insists that he doesn’t trust Rowena – not even a little!

Crowley writhes in pain on the ground, spitting up what appears to be blood, but that could easily be the liquid version of his red smoke. He tells Sam that for the past year he’s been trying to clean up Hell, to actually feel something again. Sam, however, is having none of it, and calls Crowley on all the innocent people that he’s killed. He tells Crowley that at the end of the day, he’s just a monster. Does this mean there is no redemption then? The question of who is a monster resonates with the effect the Mark is having on Dean. If good people do bad things for the right reason – or a cause they think is just, are those people still monsters? And if bad people do go things, do they remain as monsters?

Crowley agrees with Sam that he’s a monster and that he’s done unimaginably evil things. He seems to be dying, and then in the middle of this speech, he suddenly says, “And I’ve enjoyed every damn minute.” His eyes turn red and he pulls the devil’s trap bullet out. He tells Sam, “Thank you for reminding me who I really am.” Had he forgotten because he was thinking of the Winchesters as his friends? As his family? That family who always have your back? Crowley also pulls out Rowena’s hex bag and sets it on fire. Could the hex bag have been designed to have this response? Does Rowena actually have Crowley’s back by using the hex bag to return him to his fully evil ways? I was suspicious of this during the scene, but Rowena does seem genuinely frightened at the end of the episode when she learns her plan to kill Crowley didn’t work.

Crowley then throws Sam across the room – it was like old times! Crowley’s excuse for not killing Sam is so that Sam can deliver a message to the “ginger whore.” Crowley tells Sam to tell her that he gave her a chance to get away, but now she won’t see him coming. It was great to see Mark Sheppard really get to unleash Crowley again, even if the snark was lacking. However, as much as Sam says he doesn’t trust Rowena and Sam is supposed to be the smart one, why would he come to a King of Hell fight with just a knife? Sure, it’s Ruby’s knife, but we know that a high powered demon like Crowley can’t be killed with it (at least, that’s the story now). Why not bring an angel blade as a back up weapon? And Sam? The first rule of King of Hell – killing club? Don’t monologue!

Meanwhile, Dean wakes up on the operating table at the Styne’s. He warns them not to play operation with him because if they flatline him, he won’t die, he’ll come back as a demon. It’s pretty clear that Dean isn’t worried about dying, but he is still worried about becoming a demon. However, we’ve seen him as a demon, and frankly, he wasn’t any more ruthless or scary as a demon. In fact, when Crowley sends him out to collect on a contract, he kills the guy who took out the contract and not his wife. He shows mercy. Monroe is not to be deterred, thinking a man who can’t die is the perfect lab rat. Dean breaks his chains and by the time Cas arrives, he’s killed everyone and headed home to the bunker – where Monroe has told him the others have gone.

In a scene meant to evoke Nazi Germany, Roscoe (Josh Emerson), Eldon, and Cyrus have piled many of the books from the Men of Letters library. Eldon brings a crate of Dean’s things from his room – including the picture of Mary that he’s carried for the entire series – and adds them to the pyre which he douses with gas. It’s a nice parallel to Charlie’s pyre at the beginning of the episode – though thankfully, this one is never lit. Cyrus tries to stop Eldon, but Roscoe staggering in with a knife in his back does the trick.

Dean arrives, covered in blood. He tells Eldon that they may have “three hearts, two spleens, seven nipples” but they only have one brain. And then, in a move that was clearly meant to mirror the great Indiana Jones scene in the market place where he pulls out his gun instead of engaging in a sword fight, Dean simply shoots Eldon squarely between the eyes. It’s interesting that one of the flashbacks at the beginning of the episode was Charlie telling Dean she loved him and him replying he knew – and echo of that other great Harrison Ford moment from the Empire Strikes Back.

There is little doubt that Eldon and Monroe are monsters, but they are the kind of monster – like a witch – that has proven in the past to be a problematic kill for the brothers because they are human on some level. Even less clear is whether Cyrus is a monster. He pleads with Dean that he’s not like his family. He even shows him that he’s had no modifications – he has no scars. Dean tells him, “You are like them. There’s bad in you. It’s in your blood. No. You can deny it, you can run from it all you want but it will always win.” For me, this echoed both with Dean’s own feelings that he has bad in himself that has only been heightened by the mark and with Sam’s struggles to break from the family business – he tried to run away, but he could never get out of the life.

Cyrus begs Dean, telling him he doesn’t have to kill him. Dean hesitates for a moment, taking the gun off Cyrus and considering, but he quickly decides, “Yeah. I do.” And shoots Cyrus. Is it the Mark demanding to be fed? This seemed similar to the decision that Dean made in “The Girl Next Door” when he killed Amy but spared her son, Jacob. Cas arrives and wants to know what Dean has done. Dean tells him he was just doing his job – killing monsters, but Cas accuses Dean of having become  the monster.

Dean tries to deflect blame onto Cas for helping Sam. Dean points out that no good can come of using the book because magic that strong will demand a price, a price in blood – something that Rowena  has already hinted at – a curse to remove the curse. Cas tells Dean that Dean won’t be able to fight the Mark forever – something Dean is clearly already aware of, but Cas points out that by the time the Mark fully takes Dean over, Cas will likely be the only one who knows Dean that is still alive. Cas does not want to watch Dean murder the world, and it seems it may already be starting. Cas points out that the Dean Winchester he knows would never have murdered Cyrus. Cas then tells Dean he doesn’t want to hurt him.

What follows is perhaps the lamest fight ever. Was Cas simply trying to let Dean kill him so that he wouldn’t have to watch him murder the world? Was he trying to make Dean feel guilty? Because it sure didn’t look like he was trying to stop him. What happened to his angelic powers? I’m getting very tired of the show simply deciding on an episode by episode basis what Cas’ powers will be. I’m not going to lie. A part of me actually hoped that Dean had stabbed Cas with the angel blade, putting us out of the misery of seeing a once beloved character slowly destroyed.

Of course, Dean doesn’t kill Cas. Presumably, he can still heal himself? Dean stalks off telling Cas, “You and Sam stay the hell away from me.” So once again, we have the brothers severely at odds. I liked the way the episode focused on the monster theme and the notion of family, even if the dialogue was very clunky. What did you think of the episode? Are you disappointed to once again be ending a season with the brothers seemingly at odds? Were you happy to see Crowley back in King of Hell mode? What are your hopes/thoughts for the season finale? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

About the Author - Lisa Macklem

I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.