Last years’ Season 13 finale left us with a Megalomaniacal Angel from an alternate universe wearing Dean Winchester’s “Meat suit” and a whole lot of questions. Season 14 did not hesitate to jump right into the action and start answering them.

Three weeks after the events of last season, the Archangel Michael is looking to build up his followers. His first stop is a broken man named Jamil Hamed. Michael asks him what it is he truly wants. When Jamil answers “Peace and Love” Michael mocks him saying if that was true, he wouldn’t have committed the sins that lead to where he is.  When asked what it is Michael wants he ominously replies “What I’ve always wanted; a better world” (This is the scene showed to us at Comic-Con and it’s still as bad-ass as the first time).

At the same time, Sam returns to the bunker after chasing a dead-end lead on his brother’s whereabouts. The bunker has now been fully run by the refugees from Apocalypse World and Sam is their de facto leader. Despite Mary’s concerns about his mental health he brushes her off and asks how Jack is doing; he is not doing well. After losing his powers last season, Jack is struggling to adjust. We see Bobby teaching him how to box but the Nephilim keeps getting beaten down easily. Bobby tells him “It ain’t how hard you hit, it’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”  With a renewed strength Jack raises his gloves to try again.

Meanwhile, In a run-down bar in Detroit, Castiel is looking into his own lead on Dean’s whereabouts. He meets with a disturbingly friendly gentleman named Kip and asks what he has heard. Kip reveals himself to be a demon and is very interested to learn that Dean Winchester has gone missing. He expresses his surprise since he heard that Cass and Dean were “Joined at the…you know… everything” (insert ‘Destiel’ ship here).

After Kip inquires what benefit he would get from helping, Cass loses his patience and tells him that the only thing he will get is that he’ll walk out of that bar alive. However (because it’s Supernatural) it is revealed that EVERY person in the bar is a demon and Castiel is quickly overwhelmed and beaten, leaving Kip with the perfect bait and bargaining tool. 

Outside of an old church, Michael is on the lookout for his next follower. He corners Sister Jo, who was introduced to us last season as the angel Anael (It’s okay Danneel Ackles, you are forgiven for not recognizing your husbands’ “pretty face”; we get distracted too when he’s wearing that outfit!). He asks her what she wants. She lists off some frivolous consumer items but Michael is not happy with her response and tells her she is lying as what she really wants is far more human and “disappointing” … Love and a Family. He baits Anael by telling her he can help with the dwindling angel population (a problem that was started last season), but if they are as pathetic as she is they might not be worth saving.

Back at the Bunker, Sam checks in on Jack, but their BM (a.k.a. Boy Melodrama) scene is interrupted by Mary because “He” is awake and needs Sam’s attention. Sam enters a dark room and “He” is revealed to be none other than… Nick, Lucifer’s vessel. (Yay! for Mark Pellegrino sticking around). Sam dresses Nick’s wound from when Lucifer was killed last season. They speculate the reason Nick didn’t die is that an Archangel Blade is only designed to kill archangels, not their Vessels. When pressed about what Lucifer knew about Michael’s plan Nick replies “I remember him saying he wanted to do it right this time”. At this moment, Kip calls Sam asking to meet.

Sam, Bobby, and Mary prepare to get Castiel back, fully knowing it’s a trap. Jack wants to go as well and while Bobby has his doubts Sam agrees, as this is exactly what Jack needs and that they will protect him (It’s really cool to see Sam taking on the big brother roll in Dean’s absence). In the Impala, Mary reassures Sam that it’s going to be okay. Sam is fearing the worst about Dean, but his mom replies that she needs to see the good or else she would drown in all the bad.

Once they get to the bar, Sam gives Mary the Demon-Killing Knife (introduced in Season 3) and walks in unarmed. Kip is all flattery towards Sam as the Winchester reputation has preceded him (Kip calls Sam his “Beyonce”) while Castiel is more embarrassed than hurt. The negotiations between Kip and Sam do not get off to a good start, however, as Jack and Maggie are dragged into the Bar after being caught outside and Sam was told to come alone.

So what does Kip want? He wants to be the new King of Hell (a position previously filled by Crowley and Asmodeus – both deceased) and he wants to make a deal with the Winchesters; He provides occasional help, and they turn a blind eye to his deals and demon-on-demon violence. Sam gives him a resounding “No” and is saved from Kip’s anger by the arrival of Mary and Bobby, both wielding Guns. What follows is your typical Good Guys vs. Demons-in-a-Bar Fight; in the end, Jack is overpowered and knocked out and Sam overpowers Kip and stabs him with the Demon Knife (Bye-Bye Kip, you could’ve been a great recurring baddie). Sam then announces to the room that there will be no new king of hell EVER and those who want the job need to go through him. The remaining demons respond by fleeing their vessels in streams of black smoke.

Back at the bunker, everyone is recovering. Castiel apologizes to Sam, but Sam says he would do anything to get Dean back (including working with Demons). Castiel then tries to comfort Jack, telling Jack that his grace should return in time (really?). Jack just needs to be patient and not get frustrated about his powerlessness because Jack has him and everyone else; he has his family. The episode ends with Sam’s phone ringing and Sister Jo telling him that they have a problem. We then see Michael in a disheveled room talking to an unknown person. This person has a want that Michael sees as “pure and simple and clean”, this person just wants to eat. The person then smiles, revealing a set of fangs that form over their teeth. 

This wasn’t my favorite season premiere, but this did lay down the groundwork for what looks to be an interesting season. I look forward to seeing what they do with Nick’s character (I’m secretly convinced it is still Lucifer pretending, but we will see as the season develops). Jack’s arc looks like there is room for some great character development before he gets his powers back. And it was definitely fun to see a more serious and no-nonsense side to Sam. I can’t wait to see what Supernatural Season 14 has in store. Carry on.