Supernatural is about to start its 14th season, so let’s take a quick look back at the finale. “Let the Good Times Roll” was written by co-showrunner Andrew Dabb and directed by co-showrunner Robert Singer. I’ll give the episode a solid 8. Not the best or worst finale but some great performances and fight scenes – though the wire work went quickly from cool to silly… Let’s dive in and remind ourselves where we left off…
I loved how they talked into the opening “Carry On My Wayward Son” season montage. I wonder if anyone has thought to put them all together in a single video? What a great way to summarize the entire series!
The action begins as Sam (Jared Padalecki) is briefing the Apocalypse people on the state of “our” world. Bobby (Jim Beaver) rightly calls him on it – this world doesn’t seem a whole lot better than theirs!
Dean (Jensen Ackles) calls Sam, and he meets Dean who is already there with Jack (Alexander Calvert) and Cas (Misha Collins) to take out a pack of werewolves. We are treated to a little banter about the Kardashians and a lesson for Jack on how to take out werewolves – silver bullets. It’s funny when one of the werewolves echoes Dean’s exact words “That’s why I’m a Chloe man…” The group works like a well-oiled machine. Cas takes out the lookout and Jack immobilizes the others so Sam and Dean can shoot them. Who knew hunting could be so easy?
Meanwhile, Mary (Samantha Smith) checks in with how Bobby and the others are settling in. It’s a nice bit of monologuing with two of our favorite characters. We learn that there’s “ginger trouble” brewing as Rowena (Ruth Connell) and Charlie (Felicia Day) are road-tripping together. Bobby admits that he likes the new world – and it’s not like they can get back without an arch angel to open the portal. They are interrupted by the discovery of Maggie’s (Katherine Evans) body.
I knew from the minute we actually see Dean hopeful and considering retiring to drink on a beach with Cas and Sam that he wasn’t getting out of the episode. Didn’t you? Sam agrees that they’ve earned it.
Dean hears Jack having a bad dream and wakes him up. When Jack apologizes, Dean tells him that he has them all the time. He tells Jack that he mostly sees people he couldn’t save, and that’s exactly what’s bothering Jack. This is a great scene between Ackles and Calvert. Dean tells him that it’s not about being strong. Jack surviving proves he’s strong – but everyone makes mistakes because no one is perfect. But they can get better. He reassures Jack that whatever happens they’ll face it together because they are family.
Jack is distraught over Maggie’s death because he promised to protect her. They are all at a loss as to who would have killed her in such a brutal way.
They question Ryan (Stephi Chin-Salvo) who is Maggie’s friend. She knows she went out the night before and is worried she’s in trouble. Cas just blurts out that she is dead. Ryan is shocked because they were supposed to be safe there. She tells them that Maggie snuck out to meet a boy – Nate (Agape Mngomezulu). When they turn around to go and talk to Nate, Jack is already gone.
Jack is furious and starts beating up Nate. He hurls Cas away when he tries to stop him, so Dean shoots him! Jack drops Nate and turns around shocked that Dean would shoot him. Dean tells him that he had to get his attention. He was acting like a psycho! Who doesn’t love big brother Dean? It quickly becomes clear that Nate didn’t do it. Jack apologizes and rushes out. When Cas would run after him, Dean tells him to let him go.
Jack continues to be tormented by hurting people. Dean explains shooting Jack to Nate by saying he used rubber bullets. They tell Nate to run when it’s clear that Jack’s distress is having a ripple effect. In fact, it’s the arrival of Michael (Christian Keyes). Cas is ready to go toe to toe with him, but Dean throws burning holy oil at him to give them a chance to get away.
Meanwhile Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) shows up and tells Jack that Sam left him in Apocalypse-world and lied about him dying. Lucifer says that he forgives Sam, but that he’s come back for Jack. Lucifer manages to key right in to Jack’s insecurities. No matter how hard you try to do right by them, things just go wrong – it’s like oil and water, sardines and strawberries – a bad combination. Jack asks Lucifer for guidance, and Lucifer’s solution is just to leave. Not just Kansas – the world! Jack shows his age by getting excited that it’s like
Star Wars. Jack is still very much a kid after all. Jack worries that the others will miss him, but Lucifer tells him this is their chance to escape their past and sins – to start over. Jack is ready to go but wants Lucifer to do something first.
Mary and Bobby are shocked when Jack shows up with Lucifer at the bunker. Jack wants him to bring Maggie back to life. Lucifer points out that people come back different – resurrection isn’t always a great idea. Jack points out that Sam came back fine – and Lucifer tells him that Sam’s always been a bit different! LOL! Of course, Lucifer doesn’t want Maggie to tell them what happened to her. As soon as Maggie is awake, Sam and Dean rush in, but Lucifer and Jack have already disappeared.
Dean is more concerned about finding Jack than what Michael is going to do. He calls the hunter network while Cas checks angel radio. Mary asks Sam how they are going to stop Lucifer even if they can find them. Neither has any luck.
Sam checks in with Maggie to find out what happened. Maggie brushes it off as they seem to have bigger problems than how she died. She tells Sam that she never saw his face but she did see his eyes.
Michael shows up at the bunker, and Dean, Sam, and Cas send Bobby, Mary, and Maggie out through the garage. Mary doesn’t want to go but Bobby drags her away. Michael has no problem overpowering them. He tells them that he made a deal with Lucifer to get there. Michael is determined to do better in “fixing” this world, admitting that he may have made mistakes in Apocalypse world. He has Dean by the throat and is determined that Dean will be the first life that he takes – the first soul that he saves.
Sam prays desperately to Jack as Michael slowly crushes Dean’s throat. Michael is killing Dean slowly so that he can enjoy watching Dean’s soul leave his body. Jack arrives in the nick of time and is killing Michael, when Michael reminds Lucifer that they had a deal. Dean tells Jack that the deal was that Lucifer got Jack and Michael got everything else. Jack is not happy. And then Sam reveals that Lucifer killed Maggie.
I loved the effect of Jack forcing Lucifer to tell the truth. He admits that he killed her when she saw him scoping out the bunker – and that he liked it. Pellegrino is terrific in this scene as he goes from wise-cracking to angry. Lucifer supercharges by slicing Jack’s neck and then flashing out with Jack – and a hitchhiking Sam who tries to grab Jack. Dean is naturally distraught to lose not one but two little brothers to Lucifer.
Sam and Jack find themselves in a church with Lucifer who delights in beating and taunting them. Michael tells them that he can’t defeat Lucifer now that Lucifer is stronger and his meat suit is beat up. Dean wants to know “what if you had your sword?” And Cas tries to stop him. Michael tells Dean that if they work together, they have a chance to beat Lucifer. Dean insists that if they do it, it’s a onetime deal, and he gets to be in charge.
Meanwhile, Jack tries to stop Lucifer, but Lucifer is no longer interested in being Jack’s Dad – he can make more. Sam, however, is willing to go toe to toe with Lucifer because Jack is family. Lucifer is ready to prove how useless family is – and sets Jack and Sam against each other. Lucifer tells them either one of them dies or they both die – and he lays waste to the world. Sam picks up the archangel blade and hands it to Jack, telling him to kill him. Both Padalecki and Calvert were terrific in this scene. Sam thinks that Jack can defeat him, but Jack doesn’t believe it. Jack tells Sam that he loves him, and starts to drive the blade into himself.
And then Dean/Michael is there, and we get the hero shot of Dean with wings! Dean and Lucifer face off – with lots of great wire work… and then some utterly silly wire work that really reminded me of Big Trouble in Little China. As Lucifer holds Dean in the air and prepares to kill him, Sam throws the blade to Dean and he drives it into Lucifer. We get a nice special effect of Lucifer bursting into flames. I did really like that they had the brothers work together to kill Lucifer without one or the other having to be the hero.
The camera pans out for the shot of Lucifer’s charred wings, so we know for sure that he’s dead. Sam is ready to give the credit to Dean, but he insists that they did it together. And then – absolutely predictably, Michael takes control of Dean, and he flashes out.
Mary and Bobby return to find all the boys gone and Cas desolate. The final scene is of Michael taking stock of his new world – and Dean’s eyes flash blue. Not much better than when his eyes flashed the black of a demon…
Despite having some really great performances – Calvert, Ackles, Padalecki, and Pellegrino – this was not my favorite season finale ever. I for one, will very much miss Mark Pellegrino's Lucifer. It also wasn’t my least favorite. I think that we can cut the show a little slack for not being able to top itself after 13 seasons. In many ways, it’s really become comfort food. You had to see Dean offering himself to Michael and Michael hijacking him – it was inevitable from the moment we laid eyes on Michael. I will be really interested to see how they get out of this one though! Look for a preview of the season premiere coming up soon! In the meantime, what did you think of the finale? Theories for the new season? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
