Supernatural “The Future” was written by Robert Berens and welcomed Amanda Tapping back to the show – this time in the director’s chair! This episode finally sees the return of Castiel (Misha Collins) and also sees a continuation of the season’s fan service. However, this episode also saw the destruction of the colt after finally getting back after all this time.
As the episode opens, Kelly (Courtney Ford) has stopped looking after herself as she believes that the baby will kill her as Dagon (Ali Ahn) told her he would. She also believes that the baby will only cause pain and death, and she can’t let that happen. She determines to simply end it, so she slits her wrists in the bath. When the baby won’t let her die, she comes to the conclusion that the baby really does love her.
Back at the bunker, Sam (Jared Padalecki) has got his beautiful-mind, research-mojo going, and he’s determined that she’ll be giving birth around May 18th – just coincidentally the date of the season finale! Which fyi is a two hour back-to-back episode night. Sam and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are just beginning to discuss what to when and if they find Kelly when the door to the bunker opens… and it’s Castiel!
Sam takes a gentler approach and wants to know where he’s been – and notes he’s ok, but Dean is angrier. Cas tells them he’s been with the angels in Heaven, and he had no luck there – and of course, we find out later he’s lying. Dean tells him that they had a shot at Dagon, but she got away. Dean is even angrier when Cas admits that he knows because he actually did get their messages. Dean is actually hurt that Cas was ditching them and ignoring them.
Cas goes to Dean in his room, with the excuse of returning his mixtape – and here’s fan service at its finest. Not only has Dean made Cas a mixtape, but it’s classic rock at its finest: Dean’s top 13 Zepp (Led Zepplin) Traxx. AW! Dean points out it’s a gift for Cas to keep. Cas turns to leave, but Dean stops him and explains that he was worried – he’s not really mad at him.
Cas tells him that he needed to come back with a win for Dean and for himself because he just keeps failing. Cas asks what happens if they do find Kelly. Dean says that Sam is trying to find something that won’t mean killing Kelly, and Cas wants to know if, should they run out of time, whether either Dean or Sam could kill an innocent if they had to. Dean looks thoughtful – but is avoiding answering. It’s clear he wants to say yes, but even Dean is self-aware enough to know that it would take a toll on him to have to.
Dean tells Cas that they’ll find a better way. Cas questions “we?” And Dean confirms, “yes. Dumbass. We. You, me, and Sam, we’re just better together.” And Dean brings up the old nickname for the three of them that we haven’t heard since season five – “Let’s go Team Freewill.” Cas says he’d like to get the team back together, and Dean leaves him to get a beer… which gives Cas the opening he was hoping for to steal the colt.
Sam suggests that they may not be able to track Dagon, but they might be able to track the Nephilim because it’s half angel. Sam brings up the spell that he and Cas tried to use to find Galadriel. Dean points out that they’d need the Nephilim’s grace to be able to track it, and Sam has a brilliant idea – what if they extract the Nephilim’s grace, leaving it as just a regular baby! Sam wants to doubt himself, but Dean is convinced this is it! He goes to tell Cas only to find he’s left.
Kelly is sure that the baby saved her, but Dagon insists that he was only protecting himself. Dagon tells Kelly that she’ll be there to be a mother to the baby.
Cas goes to meet Kelvin (Nathan Mitchell). They only have two bullets in the gun – one for Dagon and one for Kelly. This is apparently Joshua’s (Paul Barton) plan. Cas insists that he agreed to the plan only to spare Dean and Sam – he’ll kill the girl so that they won’t have to.
Cas, Kelvin, and Hozai (Damian Mavis) infiltrate the house, but of course, Dagon knows they’re coming. And of course, Cas misses Dagon when he tries to shoot her. Hozai is smoked and Kelvin sends Cas after Kelly. Dagon takes Kelvin captive and finds Kelly gone – not dead.
Dean and Sam continue to try to get Cas on the phone. I love his various voice mail messages! “This is my voice mail. Make your voice a mail.” Does anyone else wonder if Misha Collins actually makes this up himself? Dean has to admit to Sam that he didn’t put the colt back in the safe – Dean sleeps with it under his pillow!!! But he wants to kick Cas’ feathered-ass for stealing it!
Dagon checks in with Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) via “devil radio?” I love that Pellegrino delivers such amazing performances will chained to a chair – it’s all in his voice and face. Lucifer is clearly attached to this baby – interesting. He’s livid that Dagon’s let Kelly get away. I have to say that I loved him calling Cas “the Winchesters’ purse dog!” Hilarious! However, we also learn that he’d promised Dagon that she would rule at his side – and help to raise the baby. Lucifer promises her untold torments if she doesn’t make it right.
Did anyone think that Cas could kill an innocent in cold blood anymore? Cas feels like he’s failed his mission. But Cas has a new plan. He’ll take both Kelly and the baby through the portal to Heaven. No human form can survive that so both their souls will ascend to Heaven. Cas is convinced the baby will bring about the destruction of the world and bring humanity to its knees. But Kelly is now convinced that nothing is born evil and there’s just as good a chance that the baby will bring humanity to its feet.
Naturally, Cas’ truck breaks down, and he hides her in a hotel. She tells him that the baby saved her – and Cas says they felt the pulse of it in Heaven. She is convinced it was a miracle and that she felt his goodness wash through her – maybe there is some plan. Cas maintains that there is no plan. Everyone is just winging it – aarggh! The puns! Cas wants to know who will care for the baby when she’s gone – so clearly they are both still on the same page that the baby’s birth will kill her – and that doesn’t sound like something innately good. Cas wants to know who will keep the baby on the righteous path after she’s gone.
When the baby kicks, Kelly invites Cas to feel it. When he does, Kelly’s eyes glow – presumably showing her the future – and who will protect him: Cas. Of course. The two are interrupted by the arrival of the Winchesters – and Dean demanding his gun back!
I quite liked the nice shot of Dean shoving Cas up against the motel wall through the frame of the motel separation wall – nicely done Tapping! Dean is interrupted by Sam noticing that Kelly is there. They found Cas because Sam noticed Cas wouldn’t look them in the eye when he came back to the bunker and put a tracking app in his phone. Cas tells them he found Dagon and they want to know if he killed her. He tells them no, and defensively adds that she’s difficult to kill! No surprise to Dean and Sam!
Sam wants to know what Cas is doing now. When Cas tells them his truck broke down, Sam wants to know why he didn’t call. Cas finally tells them that he was trying to keep them safe – and Dean points out they’ve never been safe their whole lives. Cas tells them he has a plan – and Kelly adds he’s taking them to Heaven. Dean knows it’s the sandbox. Sam and Dean roll out their plan. Kelly disagrees that that this is a better plan than certain death because it will take away the thing that makes the baby special.
Dean suggests that they all get in the Impala and head back to the bunker so they can discuss it. Kelly and Cas get in the car while Sam and Dean are discussing something so important we don’t even hear the dialogue. Kelly suddenly says this isn’t how it’s supposed to happen, and she steals Baby!! Kelly tells Cas that the baby told her that if she followed Cas’ plan, even if it seemed scary, Cas would make sure that the baby was born.
Kelly insists that Sam and Dean want to take away his powers because they’re scared, but she’s not. She tells him that she knows that Cas is the one who will protect the baby. Cas tells her he’s not someone to put his faith in. Kelly points out she wasn’t anyone before the baby. She doesn’t know why either of them have been chosen, but they have been. Cas wishes he had her faith, and she assures him that he will.
We get what’s always a fan favorite scene of Dean and Sam having a conversation while Dean fixes a vehicle – in this case Cas’ truck. Not incidentally, their discussion revolves around what’s wrong with Cas and how to “fix him.” Dean points out that Cas has had a hard year. He’s just desperate for a win.
Cas and Kelly arrive at the sandbox. She tells him that she’s knows it’s going to be ok as long as Cas is there. As they wait, Joshua arrives, and I know I’m not the only to be massively disappointed that this wasn’t the Joshua we met in Heaven many seasons ago. Dagon is there, however, waiting for hours, and she kills Joshua. When she sees that Cas doesn’t even have the colt, she beats on him.
Dean and Sam arrive and Sam empties a clip in her before she fling him, but when Dean pulls the colt on her, she takes it from him and breaks his arm. And then she destroys the colt by melting it.
Cas tells Kelly to run, but she takes his hand. The baby communicates with Cas, lighting him up with yellow fire, turning his angelic blue eyes, yellow too. Dagon raises her hand to dust him, and Sam and Dean cry out, expecting him to die. But Cas grabs her hand and stops her – she wants to know how, and he says call it a miracle – he has the faith now – and he sets Dagon on fire. I can’t say that I was sad to see her go. Ahn started out ok, but never really moved beyond the initial somewhat stilted delivery. There’s only so many one liners that any character can deliver in the same tone before they just get boring and irritating (see Echo Kellum on Arrow).
Dean and Sam want to know how Cas did it. He tells them it was him… and the baby. He heals Dean’s arm. Dean asks if he’s ok, and Cas says he is. In fact, he feels more ok than he has in a long time – he doesn’t feel lost anymore. He knows now that the child must be born with all of his power.
Sam says he can’t really mean that, but Cas insists that he does and that he has faith. Cas says the he and Kelly have to go. He tells the brothers that they have to trust him. Neither wants to, so Cas puts them both to sleep while he and Kelly leave in his truck. Kelly asks what the baby told him, and Cas says that he didn’t tell him anything – he showed him the future.
I was disappointed to see both the colt and Joshua die, but I was happy to see Dagon go. Does anybody think that what Cas saw isn’t just the baby manipulating him? Can we assume that Cas is now under the baby’s influence as well? I feel like we’re already heading down the same story as Crowley caring for Amara when she was a child? I really, really hope we aren’t seeing yet another storyline of stupid Cas being led down the garden path by another evil creature – only to end with him yet again kicking himself for being so stupid. What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
