Supernatural “Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets” was written by Steve Yockey and was directed by Thomas J Wright. This episode features a terrific performance by Misha Collins (Castiel) in particular as we get a very rare glimpse at the angel’s history. No doubt Destiel shippers and fan artists and writers everywhere were pretty chuffed to see that Castiel once used a female vessel. The episode also features the terrific Alicia Witt (
Justified,
The Walking Dead,
Nashville,
Friday Night Lights) as the titular character, Lily. We also get the return of Ian Tracey (Ishim) – one of my favorite Canadian actors – who previously played Lee Chambers (Krissy’s dad) in “Adventures in Babysitting.” I was really hoping there’d be some nod that Ishim was using Lee’s vessel… but missed opportunity there.
The THEN flashbacks really had me yearning for the old soldier Castiel – and how Collins portrayed him back then. It was a nice tie between the first flashback and the last – Cas saving Dean from yet another stupid deal.
The teaser scene was confusing without any context. Lily was dressed more like an angel than anything else – nice re-direct. I did enjoy the
Kill Bill vibe of Lily all the way through, beginning here though. The fight scene was appallingly badly shot however. I did like the continuation of the gender swapping as “Benjamin” (Miranda Edwards) is in a female vessel.
Dean (Jensen Ackles) is still angry at Castiel – or so it seems. Cas has been busy trying to find Kelly Kline. Dean comes across as a bit ungrateful, though he does clarify to Sam (Jared Padalecki) that he appreciates that Cas cares about them, but he’s worried about the “cosmic consequences” of killing Billie. Sam defends Cas as doing the right thing. Cas is just as pissed at Dean.
Cas gets a call from Benjamin via angel radio and is prepared to head off on his own – it’s personal business. Sam immediately offers to come and help, and Dean petulantly agrees to come along so Cas doesn’t do anything else stupid.
The three enjoy a horribly awkward car ride! Sam tries to break the tension with music that Dean turns down! Cas at first refuses to offer information, but Sam insists that they need a plan going in. Dean and Cas continue to snipe at each other. Dean, of course, has a hard time getting his head around Benjamin being a woman. Cas explains that Benjamin and his vessel have a very close and unique relationship – he’d never have put her in danger.
They arrive at the crime scene and the bartender (Nik Markovina) is very curious about the wing burn marks. At first, I was stumped as to why they looked so ragged, but of course, none of the angels can fly anymore. Cas loses his temper and throws the bartender out. Sam asks if Cas is alright, and he’s clearly shaken up by the death. Dean finds an angel blade and Cas says it’s not Benjamin’s. When Cas is contacted by Lily, he insists they have to go.
Cas takes Sam and Dean to meet with Ishim, who we learn was Cas and Benjamin’s commander before Cas got his own flight of angels to command. The meeting is at a diner called The Wright Spot – for director Thomas Wright. Cas tries to leave them out of the meeting because Ishim doesn’t like humans. He sarcastically tells Dean he’ll let him know if he’s about to do anything stupid.
Cas meets Ishim and Mirabel (Tiara Sorensen) and comments on the fact that they’ve kept their vessels. Mirabel remarks that they aren’t careless – clearly implying that Cas is. Mirabel also gets in a dig about taking longer to get around without their wings – which she blames him from. Ishim rubs Balthazar and Uriel’s deaths in Cas’ face. They tell Cas that two others from their flight have also been killed like Benjamin.
Dean finally storms in, followed by Sam – and all three cram into the same booth! Ishim sends Mirabel out to check for others – where Lily is able to waylay her and kill her. Tracey does a great job playing an old-style “dick” angel. Dean immediately goes to Cas’ defense. Cas tries to deflect the confrontation, saying it’s ok – they’re there for Benjamin. Sam agrees it’s not okay.
Dean doesn’t want Cas to let Ishim treat him like that, but Cas insists that he’ll put up with it to do his duty – and that really is Cas. He’s put up with a lot from both Crowley (Mark Sheppard) and the brothers over the years.
Ishim wants to meet at a safe house and leaves the diner to find Mirabel. He runs into Lily and discovers that he can’t smite her – she tells him that she’s no longer powerless. Cas, Sam, and Dean arrive just in time to prevent her from killing Ishim, but she gets away.
The safe house turns out to be a beautiful old church – great set! Ishim is wounded. Cas wants to know how Lily is still alive, revealing that he and Ishim knew her before. Cas then fills the brothers in on the history. Ishim clearly doesn’t want Cas to fill them in.
Ishim insists that the brothers won’t understand when Cas tells them that an anomaly occurred that brought their flight to earth. It’s clear that Ishim has no use for humans who he refers to as “primates.” It’s clear that Mirabel shares his thoughts. Ishim tells them that they are there because of a Nephilim. Lily – who was human – has married an angel – Akobel (Nils Hognestad), and they have a daughter May (Ava Sleeth).
It’s pretty clear that Akobel doesn’t actually know what’s going on. Castiel (Jessa Danielson) is a good soldier and delivers the charges while Mirabel delivers the killing blow. Ishim insists that he will do the next part alone – so Cas can’t fill in the rest of the story. Cas insists that it was necessary. Ishim says he took pity on her by letting her live. He also tells them that she was a professor of Apocalyptic literature and studied the angels. He tells them that she’s clearly made some sort of demonic deal that’s extended her life and given her powers.
Sam expresses sympathy for Lily. He wants to find her and explain to her that Cas is different now. Cas wants to know if Sam thinks that he or the other angels deserved to die. Sam says of course not, but he and Dean insist that they have to try to get through to Lily to convince her to stop. Leaving Cas alone with Ishim…
Lily has also been injured but has enough power to heal herself! Of course, every time she uses her power, she gives up a bit more of herself. This leads to a really great scene between Padalecki and Witt. Sam tells her that he understands her wanting revenge, but wonders why she waited so long. Lily explains it takes patience – and that the angels losing their wings made it possible – as did using their magic. Sam, of course, knows exactly what it’s like to lose his soul.
Sam and Dean find Lily – and both sides agree that they don’t want to kill each other. Lily seems confused when they say they understand she wants revenge for her family, but Dean insists that Cas is their family, so they won’t let her hurt him. We then get the story from Lily’s point of view. Lily tells them that she called Ishim who then shared all of the angel ways with her. Lily tells Sam and Dean that he was a monster. Ishim tells her that she’s powerless before he breaks her heart – the way she broke his – by killing her daughter – whom Lily swears was human.
Ishim is not impressed with how Cas lets the “simians” talk to him. Ishim insists that the humans are a danger to the angels – it’s why they are supposed to stay away from them. Cas insists that his relationship with Dean and Sam has made him stronger. Healing Ishim weakens Cas.
Dean returns and tells Cas that Ishim has been playing him. I loved that Ishim pointed out that Dean talks down to Cas and mocks him. This is a nice parallel between the two relationships. Ishim says that Cas is his brother – but Dean has already claimed Cas as family to Lily. Dean tries to take out Ishim with an angel blade but is tossed by Ishim, who is then able to start beating on Cas.
Ishim is determined to cure Cas of his human weakness the same way that he cured his own – he’s going to kill Dean, creating a nice parallel between Cas/Dean and Ishim/Lily. Dean has prepared an angel-blasting sigil, but when Ishim tells him that all the angels will be blasted away and Cas is likely to weak to survive it, Dean can’t take that chance.
Sam arrives with Lily in the nick of time, and he and Dean help Lily defeat Ishim. She pins him, but it takes Cas delivering the final killing blow to kill Ishim. Cas tells Lily that she “held” him for long enough. I liked his recognition of her burden – the grief and the lies that Ishim told.
As Lily looks at Ishim’s body, Dean asks her if she’s done. Lily says that all she’s had for 100 years is revenge. Cas apologizes and says he can’t imagine the depths of her loss. He tells her that if she finds she needs more revenge, he’ll be waiting to answer her call and pay the price for the role he played. Collins is great in this scene – and the final one.
Back at the bunker, Dean and Sam give him a pep talk and show their appreciation for him. Dean finally explains that he’s not mad at Cas, he’s worried about the consequences. Dean wants to know what Cas is going to do if he finds Kelly – and Lucifer’s baby. Sam points out that at the end of the day, it’s a mom and her kid. Cas says there was a time when he wouldn’t have hesitated – and we’ve seen that in this story. Now he’s not so sure. He suggests they drink and hope they can come up with a better way – obviously to deal with this baby.
It was nice to see a bit more story for Castiel in this episode. However, Dean’s continued worry over the cosmic consequences has me wondering if Castiel’s “life” or at least his vessel may be heading towards an ending. It was nice seeing more warrior-like angels again – even if they did turn out to be dicks – as a reminder of when angels were scary and not just lame. I do have to wonder why there haven’t been more angels on the trail of Kelly and her Nephilim baby, however. What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
