Supernatural “Game Night” was written by Meredith Glynn and was directed by John F Showalter. The action of this episode was split between Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Mary (Samantha Smith) trying to save Donatello (Keith Szarabajka) from Nick (Mark Pellegrino), Cas (Misha Collins) enlisting Anael’s (Danneel Ackles) help to try to contact God to help Jack (Alexander Calvert), and Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Jack, helping from the bunker. The various threads all examine the same theme of whether we are alone in this world. It’s the theme of family.
Probably my favorite scene in this episode was Dean trying to play Mousetrap! Mary has arranged for a family game night – hence the title – for everyone to try to relax. She begins to notice cracks in Jack’s attempts to pretend he has a soul. It was a good set up for the final scene when he snaps at Mary and tells her that her check ins on him are annoying. Jack hasn’t bonded with Mary the way he’s bonded with his three Dads.
Did you catch the fact that Jack likes pineapples and wonder what the heck? I’d be very surprised it that wasn’t a shout out to the cast of Psych – but especially Timothy Omundson (who played Cain and is Lassiter on Psych) – who is a good friend of the cast. Game night is interrupted by a phone call from Donatello begging for help, sending Dean to the rescue, leaving instructions for Sam to call when he gets back to the Bunker.
Meanwhile, Cas meets Anael in a skeevy diner and offers her a “present” of 16th century Burmese blood ruby earrings. Turns out that the earrings are lightly cursed – but nothing that would affect an angel. The present comes with a catch. Because Anael worked for Joshua, Cas is convinced that she knows how to contact God. I really liked the chemistry between Collins and Ackles here. Anael tells Cas that God talked to Joshua – not the other way around – and there’s a big difference. Cas withdraws the earrings, and Anael offers another bit of information. There was a rumor that after the fall, Joshua did try to call God – and God responded. She wasn’t there, but she can take Cas to someone who was.
At the bunker, Sam has determined that Donatello was talking in ancient Hebrew – not Enochian. In the car, Mary worries about how stressed everyone is – and insists that she should have been around more. She says she knows how she is – that she can be closed off and hard. Dean immediately responds that that’s where he gets it from! Mary tells him that she’s grateful for every day that she gets to spend with them, making Dean uncomfortable. And putting me on alert that Mary’s death is likely imminent…
Sam deciphers that Donatello is speaking a passage from the Bible – warning that the Devil is walking among them. Dean and Mary arrive at Donatello’s to find his voice coming through his phone – and Nick in Donatello’s apron. Dean slaps him in handcuffs, and Mary finds a syringe in the garbage. Nick tells them that he injected Donatello with poison to get their attention. The voice on the phone was a recording, but there’s also a livestream of Donatello – alive and tied up somewhere. Nick tells them he wants to talk. And boy. There was a LOT of talking in this episode….
Anael takes Cas to see Methuselah (Nathan Kay) and Cas calls Methuselah’s bluff that he won’t talk. It’s a fun moment when Methuselah calls Cas kiddo and Cas gets him to comply by simply glowing his eyes at him. Methuselah has no idea what in his warehouse allowed Joshua to call God – but let’s them search.
Dean brings Nick back to the Bunker, and I loved the slow motion as Sam stalks to meet them, pinning Nick against the wall – and Dean pulling him off. Dean won’t let Sam interrogate Nick because he is worried that Sam will lose it.
Sam, of course, is feeling guilty over letting Nick live before. There’s a terrific scene between Smith and Padalecki. She tells him that he’s a good man – and Nick’s choices are his own. She tells Sam that she’s proud of him – and again, I’m thinking… well, she’s dead….
Back in the warehouse, Cas and Anael chat while they search. We finally get more of Anael’s history. It’s a shame that it had to be a long expository scene like this. As it turns out, she does believe in Heaven’s mission and Heaven, but when she saw the suffering on Earth, she questioned Joshua about why God would allow it. Joshua’s response that God doesn’t meddle didn’t sit well with her – she does meddle! And we finally learn that she performed miracles more for herself than the money. She tells Cas that she’s happy. Cas tells her that it sounds lonely, and she points out that we are all alone. Cas points out that God does meddle – he brought him back to life. But Anael counters – God brought back one angel but allows thousands to suffer every day – what does that make Him?
Dean works on Nick. Nick is clearly desperate to recapture the power he felt while a vessel – and tries to appeal to Dean’s experience with Michael. Nick tells Dean he wants to talk to his son. Dean and Mary don’t want to allow it. Sam and Jack want to do it. Sam doesn’t think they have a choice and doesn’t think Nick is a threat. Jack insists that he’s not afraid and wants to help his friend – Donatello – who helped him.
Nick tells Jack that Lucifer loved him – he felt it. And Nick also goads him about not having a soul. Of course, without the soul, he won’t care about Lucifer’s love. When Jack gets angry and gets close enough, Nick headbutts him, breaking his nose – which Jack instantly heals. Pellegrino is delightful here. He seems genuinely afraid as Jack moves in with glowing eyes – but he’s gotten what he wanted – Jack’s blood on his shirt.
Anael steps in a rat and declares that she’s done. I loved her telling Cas to skip the judgmental crap designed to play on her insecurities and she’ll skip her inevitable witty reply about the real reason he’s doing it. She tells him that he’s doing it because he’s afraid to tell Dean and Sam the truth – that Jack’s soul is gone. Collins face here is perfect – she’s told him a truth that he didn’t want to admit to himself. Before they can leave, Anael stops Cas – she wants the earrings.
As she picks up her purse, Cas’s eye is drawn to a necklace – it’s a Samulet!!! I loved Anael’s response that Cas had seen it before at the Renn Faire – something she and Jensen regularly attended! Another nice throwaway. Methuselah tells them that Joshua forged it after the fall. Cas tries to call God, and nothing happens. Methuselah tells them it never worked for Joshua either.
As they leave, Cas tells Anael that he’s going to tell Dean and Sam the truth. Cas tells Anael as she leaves that she’s not always right. Just because God isn’t with them, it doesn’t mean that they are alone. Anael replies – because we all have each other? And Cas tells her yes.
Sam and Dean drive to the warehouse where Donatello is. Dean goes in while Sam waits in the car with Nick – when is splitting up ever a good choice? Back at the bunker, Jack determines that the syringe Nick used wasn’t filled with poison but was filled with angelic grace.
Mary calls Sam and Nick is annoying enough to get him to get out of the car to take the call. Meanwhile, Nick gets busy picking the lock on the handcuffs. Dean finds Donatello and releases him. Sam hauls Nick out of the car and pulls his gun on him. Nick admits everything – he’s used Donatello to talk to Lucifer in the empty and find out how to bring Lucifer back. It’s hysterical when Nick says “nobody stays dead anymore!”
There’s a great fight scene as Dean fights off the hoard of demons that Nick has gathered to help him. Meanwhile, it looks like Sam is going to kill Nick, but of course, he’s a good man – and stops! Nick has no problem using a rock to bash Sam’s head in – and it’s clear that Nick harbors resentment and jealousy for Sam as “Lucifer’s perfect vessel.” It was inadvertently funny watching Ackles run daintily to Sam’s rescue on the snowy, metal catwalk – that would have been slippery!
Dean gets to Sam and calls an ambulance and Mary. Nick meanwhile steals a truck and gets away. Anybody recognize that cabin… again? Nick begins the spell to call Lucifer. As he burns the blood, Jack feels it in the Bunker, and Mary figures out what’s going on. Jack thinks he can get them to Nick – but he needs to use his powers. Mary gives him permission, and they arrive just in time to send Lucifer back to the empty. Pellegrino is fantastic in this scene – and the entire episode. I loved him going from playfully taunting to the desperate bliss of welcoming Lucifer back.
Jack shocks and frightens Mary by brutally murdering Nick – but seriously, it was about time somebody killed him!
Back with Sam, we get treated to another terrific scene with Ackles as Dean worries once again about losing his brother. Mary meanwhile sends Jack to help Sam – and he heals him instantly. Dean’s reaction is even better than Sam’s. Jack assures them that he stopped Nick and Mary is fine. Everything is going to be fine.
Jack returns to Mary and tells her that he healed Sam – everything is going to be ok. Jack knows that Mary disapproves, but he insists that Nick was a bad person and that he deserved it. When he pushes for her to tell him that it’s ok, she can’t.
She tells him that there’s something wrong with him. Jack just gets angrier and insists that Sam and Dean were grateful. Mary really makes a mistake when she tells him that if Sam and Dean knew what he did, they’d be just as worried. Mary insists that they are family and that they care about him, but Jack is now worried about losing Dean and Sam’s approval. Mary stupidly follows Jack and keeps pestering him when he tries to walk away – he screams at her to leave him alone as his eyes glow…. Has he sent her to the empty? Simply made her cease to exist? Or maybe just sent her back to the bunker….. We’ll find out tonight….
I think they set us up to believe that Mary is dead, but I’m not convinced with no body. I did like that the theme of family ran through the episode – what prevents us from being alone. The Lucifer effect was exceptionally well done. The scenes tell us that we aren’t done with Mark Pellegrino just yet, but whether Jack is actually bringing him back to life at the end of the episode – fixing his mistake – or getting rid of Mary – making a huge mistake – isn’t clear. Maybe the Nick in the scenes is simply a figment of Jack’s imagination – or a way for Jack not to be alone, fearing the rejection of his Dads. What did you think of the episode? Is the action for the finale ramping up for you? I’m finding that as usual the show has lost steam going into the finale. I’m hoping they aren’t using Mary’s death to create the drama they need… Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
