Supernatural returned for lucky season 13 with “Lost and Found” written by Andrew Dabb and directed by Phil Sgriccia. This was a pretty good premiere with exceptional performances from both Jensen Ackles (Dean) and Jared Padalecki (Sam). Alex Calvert – new series regular – makes a strong first impression as Jack, Lucifer’s (Mark Pellegrino) son. Pellegrino is also now a regular, and curiously, even though Castiel is given a hunter’s funeral, Misha Collins is also still listed as a regular.
The episode starts with the usual re-cap set to classic rock – but what classic rock! METALLICA! “Nothing Else Matters” happens to be one of my favorite Metallica songs and is the first time the show has been able to actually feature one of their songs on an aired episode. Dean hums “Enter Sandman” in Season one’s “Phantom Traveler” and Kripke had intended for the Metallica cassette Dean put on in the “Pilot” to be “Enter Sandman” as it was in the unaired version, but it has always been too expensive – so I was happy and thrilled by the music! And of course, we also have a new Title card – Jack’s flaming eye – which is likely a good indication that the Jack storyline will be with us for the entire season – and the fact that Calvert is a regular.
The episode begins right when and where we left off. Sam is faced with Jack who wants his father. Dean kneels beside Cas’ body and we see the outline of his wings, confirming he’s dead. Dean as per usual runs into the house with guns blazing, terrified that he’s going to lose his brother. Jack screams at them, trapping them in a pretty cool special effect before knocking them out and taking off. Dean dreams of the confrontation between Lucifer and Mary, but it ends with Mary catching fire and morphing into the Mary who died on the ceiling. It’s likely another little bit of fan service as this might confirm that Dean saw his mother die as a child.
It’s morning when they wake up and Jack has left on foot. Either he doesn’t have wings or he hasn’t learned how to teleport yet. Jack ends up naked at Pirate Pete’s. I loved the artful way they shot him naked at the drive through. Clark (Rob Raco) and his fellow worker (Brett Kelly) find it hilarious – but it’s also telling that Clark’s buddy suggests that Jack should be calling his Mom, not his Dad. Mom’s are more sympathetic, right? As it turns out, Clark’s Mom is Sheriff Barker (Andrea Menard), and she comes to collect him. Calvert is great with the evil grin (he’s got that Pennywise tilt of the head down pat), but Jack clearly responds positively to kindness.
Dean and Sam head out after Jack in the Impala. It’s another tell that she is filthy throughout this episode – a clear symbol of Dean’s distress. As they drive, they debate what to do about Jack. Dean wants to hit him with everything they’ve got to kill him. It’s what he does for emotional therapy – he kills things, especially the things he blames for killing those closest to him. Sam, however, is once again the voice of reason. They don’t know yet what Jack is. Is he evil? What’s the proof of that? Sam insists that they need a plan. And only on
Supernatural would there be any question of somebody being “really” dead.
At the police station, Jack can talk and while his actions are odd, he’s lucky to have been picked up by a very open minded Sheriff. Jack’s answers to her questions aren’t helping her get him back to his parents, so she takes his thumbprint. Which ultimately freaks her out and leads the way for her to accept what Dean tells her.
Clark is intrigued by Jack – mainly because he thinks he’s stoned. It looks like Jack may take over Cas’ place for completely not understanding idiom. However, Jack finally determines that he’s hungry – and discovers candy! Barker sees the lights flickering and goes to investigate and finds out how Jack gets the candy – he zaps the machine with a touch! I loved again how the build up is scary and tense, only to find Jack and Clark stuffing their faces happily with candy – lots of nice re-directs in this episode. And that’s one of the great themes of the series. Those who are tagged as monsters are necessarily the evil ones – everyone is normal in their own way.
Dean and Sam end up at Pirate Pete’s. Sam goes inside and finds Miriam (Carlena Britch), who is apparently drunk. Truly, did anyone not think she was an angel from the get go? Anyway, she does do a better job blending in than most angels. Conrad (Ish Morris) and Lily (Erika Walter) have already found Cas’ body at the house. Lily has some sympathy for Cas, but Conrad feels he got what he deserved – clearly Heaven is still split in how to feel about Cas and likely almost everything else.
Sam calls Barker posing as FBI and tells her to keep Jack there until they get there. Dean meanwhile has a conversation with Miriam about the injury that has mysteriously happened to his hand. Miriam tells him a sob story about her roommate at college – Becky – who acted like the whole world was hers to do with as she wanted – a clear analogy for how Miriam feels about Jack – though she later calls Dean Becky. Miriam tells Sam not to ask Dean about his hand because he’s “super sensitive.”
At the station, angel radio freaks Jack out, causing him intense pain, causing him to wreck things and sending Barker flying. He’s not doing it on purpose, but that doesn’t make it any less destructive. Sam tazers Jack just before he can attack Dean – who has proven himself to be an enemy don’t forget. Barker still comes to Jack’s defense, interrogating Dean and locking Sam up with Jack.
I loved Dean just coming right out and telling Barker the truth. She asks him if he’s a superhero or something, and I loved that Dean thinks about saying yes, but then just says he’s a guy doing a job. Dean tells her what Jack is.
Sam meanwhile has to make friends with Jack. Padalecki and Calvert are both terrific in this scene. Jack tells Sam that he was scared and that when he’s scared things happen that he can’t control. And then he tells Sam that he’s sorry. It surprises Sam – and really proves that he’s not innately evil. Jack tells Sam that he speaks English because of his mother – he WAS here. Jack tells Sam that the things that happen are like he’s himself but not himself – it’s that angel/human split at the heart of him. Sam wants to know if he remembers opening the rift and if he can do it again. Jack tells Sam that he has to find his father – and his father is Castiel! Jack chose him to be his father. Sam has to tell Jack that Cas is dead.
Dean tells Sam they’re good to go. Dean wants to find somewhere quiet to kill Jack – but Sam insists that Jack isn’t evil. Dean doesn’t want to hear it. Sam goes in a different direction that he knows Dean will listen to – they need Jack to open the rift and save Mary. Their discussion is interrupted by the arrival of the angels.
Miriam takes Clark hostage and wants Barker to shoot Dean before she releases him. Miriam calls Dean Becky – the super bitch – to which Dean replies it takes one to know one. It’s also interesting, of course, that Becky is the name of Carver Endlund’s number one fan – the fangirl who first helped the Winchesters find the colt in season five and then kidnaped, put a spell on and married Sam.
Sam calls for Dean’s help when Lily and Conrad show up. Miriam stabs Clark and Dean fights her while Sam tries to take out Lily and Conrad to prevent them from killing Jack. Barker looks after Clark and calls for an ambulance. Sam uses the blood produced by his beating to make an angel blasting sigil, saving Jack.
Dean manages to subdue Miriam, who tells him that they want Jack – who she hilariously calls Bieber – because he can do almost anything. They also want Lucifer. Miriam does clarify that Castiel is dead – all the way because of Dean – and that’s enough of a distraction for her to get away from him. Miriam stabs Jack and Sam kills her. The angel blade has absolutely no effect on Jack, who simply pulls it out of his heart! Is he un-killable?
Barker whisks Clark off to the hospital. Dean and Sam discuss Jack – who Dean now refers to as “the kid.” Dean agrees with Sam that they should take him back to the Bunker. Dean hasn’t changed his mind. He still sees Jack as the Devil’s kid who brainwashed Kelly and Cas and who will inevitably go evil. Dean insists that nothing has ever gone right for them. At least at home, the only people Jack can hurt are the two of them.
They return to the house by the lake. Sam asks Dean if he’s sure about giving Cas a hunter’s funeral. What if they prayed to Chuck – God? And Dean asks Sam if he thinks he didn’t try that. Ackles is terrific here. We see the pain of his failure in his eyes and then we get the scene in which Ackles really does bring his A-game – and how Dean hurt his knuckles.
While Sam is inside Pirate Pete’s, Dean goes out back and prays to Chuck. He asks for help again – it’s reminiscent of the scene in season five when he prayed for help with Sam. Dean tells Chuck that they aren’t ok – they’ve lost everything. He insists that after all they’ve done, he owes them to make it right. He even asks for Crowley back! But of course, there is no answer to his prayer. And Dean puts his stoic face back on. He tells Sam that God isn’t listening and doesn’t give a damn.
There’s a nice sequence set to music as Jack says goodbye to his mother, and Dean says goodbye to his best friend and prepares him for a proper hunter’s send off. At the pyre, Sam asks if Jack wants to say anything, but he doesn’t know what to say. Sam tells him you say thank you, and you’re sorry, and you hope that they are somewhere without sadness, pain. You hope they’re somewhere better. You say goodbye.
Dean says goodbye to Kelly, Crowley, Cas and Mary. Sam tries to say that they don’t know Mary is dead. But Dean insists that they do know. Lucifer killed her the moment she trapped him. This was another stand out scene for Ackles and Padalecki.
In the final scene, we find out that Lucifer didn’t kill Mary – though he’s clearly going to have fun tormenting her. He tells her that he needs her. And we’ll have to wait to find out.
This was a solid premiere that sets us up for the season to come. I think our only real hope at this point is that the Cas who came through that portal was not the Cas we know – otherwise, Misha Collins will be coming back as another character. While I’d hate to lose Collins from the show, I do hope we get our Cas back and not some substitute. I’d rather have no Cas to be honest. What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
