This episode opens with Michael nonchalantly experimenting on people by combining their blood with some Angel grace. All the experiments fail and the victims end up being burned out – smiting style. Apparently unconcerned about the big neon sign that a pile of bodies with their eyes burned out will bring, he leaves a major crime scene in Duluth, Minnesota that draws the attention of Team Free Will (that’s not suspicious at all). Sam, Mary, and Bobby go to investigate while Castiel is left behind to watch over Nick and Jack (because somebody has to).

Castiel brings a distraught Nick (formerly Lucifer) some food and Nick can’t remember why he would let something like Lucifer possess him. Trying to make him feel better, Castiel tells him that he was in a lot of pain after his family was murdered. This triggers Nick’s memories of that night and he breaks down in tears as everything that lead up to his possession comes cascading back (looks like my ‘Nick is still Lucifer’ theory may have been premature).

Meanwhile, the other half of the team is hard at work trying to find out exactly what happened to the murder victims. After examining the bodies its revealed that they aren’t human at all but an eviscerated nest of vampires. There is also a humorous scene of Bobby briefly forgetting how to FBI, but back to the plot.

 

Back at the bunker, Jack is doing research on how long it takes angel grace to replenish (“anywhere from a few months to 100 years”). Castiel has no answer for him but they share a sweet moment where Castiel tells him about the time in season 8 when he lost his grace and had to rely on Sam and Dean, and most importantly, himself to get through it.

I have to admit I’m having troubles remembering the details for this next scene because Jenson was in a Tuxedo… Jenson was in a tuxedo… (Did I mention Jenson was in a tuxedo?) and yeah there was something about Dean fighting to get out of Michael’s control via a conversation with a reflection in a mirror, but come on… priorities. 😉

 

After being updated about the bodies, Castiel looks back in on Nick who is frantically doing research into his family’s death. It is to no avail though, as it is a cold case.  When Castiel goes to comfort him, Nick makes a very Lucifer-like snapping gesture to get him to stop. This leads Castiel to believe that there may be some residual influence of Lucifer still inside Nick (Okay so my theory may still be partially valid!). Nick doesn’t want to hear it and he storms off.

Mother, Son, and Uncle Bobby continue their search for answers by breaking down the door of a woman who came to identify the bodies but then disappeared before the coroner could get more information. She turns out to be a vamp that miraculously escaped the massacre of her nest and can conveniently tell them where Michael is, in exchange for not being beheaded by Team Free Will.

Meanwhile, in the continuing adventures of sexy Jensen in a Tuxedo… Michael is wooing a lady over wine. The romance is ruined, though, when she reveals herself to be a werewolf and attacks him. Let’s just say the fight doesn’t go the way she thinks it will, as the prey was actually the predator. Thankfully for her, Michael just wants to have a chat with her boss.

Back at the bucker, Nick is still spiraling into obsession over his time as Lucifer’s vessel. Castiel is trying to relate with Nick and tells him the tale of the possession (and eventual death) of Jimmy Novak (the body Castiel is currently in). This is the last straw for Nick and he calls Castiel a ‘body snatcher like Lucifer’ before leaving the bunker (I honestly have no clue why Castiel thought THAT would calm him down. How did he think that was going to go? ‘Oh, you know how you were possessed for several years as a slave to whatever the being inside of you wanted? Well, guess what? I’m doing that to someone else.  Look at how much we have in common!’ I mean come on!).

The scene of Michael’s meeting with the head Werewolf was completely forgettable and essentially boiled down to… Micheal and the monsters of the world are going to enslave humanity and become the dominant species (with Michael as their new God). Michael’s experiments have finally born fruit and he tells the werewolf that he can turn them into a super race.

Now onto what is probably THE best scene Supernatural has put out in a while (If you don’t have your tissues handy I would grab them because … all the ugly tears). Jack reaches out to his maternal grandparents to connect with the person he is without his powers.  He tells them he was a ‘friend’ of their daughter’s from work (They have no idea that she is dead and Jack can’t bear to tell them). Jack tells his mother’s parents that Kelly had the baby, was a great mother and that her son loves her very much. Honestly, Alex’s acting in this scene is just so on point and I just can’t handle all of these emotions… and… (*tissue*) moving on.

Dramatic cut to the vamp girl from earlier packing frantically as Michael appears in her room. The archangel reveals that the whole thing was a trap for the Hunters and that she was the bait (Really? I had no Idea! This is brand new information! It’s not like he made it SUPER obvious for our hunters to find him *GLARING SARCASM*). Michael kills her noting that ‘once the trap is sprung, there is no need for bait anymore’.

Back at the bunker, Castiel confronts Jack about the risks of his familial visit. Jack informs Castiel that he did not reveal anything about Kelly’s death or who he really was and Castiel responds with one of my favorite supernatural quotes to date… “There are worse ways to be human than to be kind.” Jack changes the conversation to the others and their pursuit of Michael. Castiel tells him they are close and Jack pushes his concern. Wants to be sure Michael is stopped no matter the cost, even if it means Dean’s life (Yikes!).

Cut to Nick’s old street where Nick is meeting with his former neighbor, the one witness who claimed to have seen someone enter his house the night his family was murdered but then ended up recanting his statement. When he is unable to get the information he wants, Nick goes full-on psycho and murders his old neighbor (Yeah not looking so great for Nick right now, but looking really good for Mark staying on this season!).

In the final scene, we see Mary, Bobby, and Sam closing in on Michael’s hideout. They are ambushed by the new super werewolves that are invulnerable to silver (what?!). After the pack is taken down via beheading (which still works, BTW) Dean Winchester comes stumbling down the hallway claiming that Michael has left his body and he doesn’t know why.

This was a really deep episode. Between Nick and Jack, it was 90% angst and I loved it! All of the actors got a chance to shine and while predictable, I am hooked on this storyline.  Although, if our heroes buy the fact Michael would just abandon his perfect vessel for no reason… well… I will start throwing things.  All in all a great episode. ^_^