Supernatural Review: O Brother Where Art Thou? (Season 11 Episode 9)

Yes, it’s a twist that everyone (and their mothers) were able to see coming.

Everyone but me, apparently, because I am ever the optimist, and I believed the writers when they promised us a big change this season on Supernatural.

Right from the Season 11 Episode 1, we’ve been told that the brothers are changing their ways. The stories are changing. The stakes are changing. The Brother A saves Brother B formula is changing.

Yet, here we are, at the mid-season finale, with “O Brother Where Art Though” and it feels as though we’re right back in that same comfortable position that we always inevitably go back to.

The sender of Sam’s visions isn’t God after all. Our old friend Lucifer (and wonderful returning guest star Mark Pellegrino) reveals that it’s been him answering Sam’s prayers all season. Lucifer may have helped God lock away Amara once before, but this time around, I’m not convinced Lucifer has any interest in Amara. He’s much more keen now about using Sam as a vessel to walk to earth again. When Sam refuses, he ends up locked in the cage with Lucifer, once again.

Longtime Supernatural fans know that we’ve already seen this story. Much of Seasons 4 and 5 are devoted to Lucifer’s plan to use Sam as his vessel, a plan which was ultimately thwarted. (Spoiler alert?) Am I a glutton for punishment for hoping that this new story with Lucifer will be different, or will this play out like an old VHS that’s being rewound?

I want to trust the writers, because they’re giving us such fantastic material this season. But I can’t shake my disappointment that we are right back in a Brother A saves Brother B story.

Speaking of Brother A, as Sam is making nice with Lucifer, Dean is spending some quality time with the Darkness (who doesn’t appear to need a bra…but that’s a rant for another day.)

My biggest head scratcher of “O Brother Where Art Though” happens early on, when Crowley tells Rowena that Amara is God’s sister and that time is urgent. If time is truly so sensitive on this, then why have Sam and Dean embarked on, not one but, TWO filler episodes before doing anything with this information? Not that I’m complaining, it’s just a head scratcher.

Amara’s totally grown up, a real (bra-less) woman now, and she’s got quite a score to settle with her brother, who doesn’t seem interested in her arrival at all. But Dean, now, he IS interested. What starts out as a regular hot dog run ends in Dean hitting the ignore button on Sam’s call in favor of some sweet smooches with Amara. (Which he enjoys, but does pull away from, so there’s that.)

Amara’s obsession with Dean is actually quite fascinating to me. Dean Winchester never has difficulty catching the eyes of ladies, but Amara is a lovesick little girl where Dean is concerned. According to the Darkness, it’s because of their bond over the Mark and that he is the first thing she laid eyes on after being freed. Their destiny. Dean’s destiny is linked to so many stories that I’ve lost track, to be honest.

How will Amara’s destined love for Dean play out? I’d like to think that this is going to go the direction of a scorned woman story, with Dean refusing her. He DID make an attempt to stab her, something that I didn’t think would be possible, seeing as how they cannot harm one another. But she does have a way of pulling him in, captivating his senses, and rendering him useless.

Who else  is useless in “O Brother Where Art Though?” That honor goes to resident angel, Castiel, who we don’t even see during the hour. It seems implausible that he wouldn’t have an opinion on how to proceed with Lucifer, or that he wouldn’t have been part of the Angel charge against Amara. His name wasn’t even mentioned, so where was he? We’ve not seen him since Season 11 Episode 6, so one can only assume that he’s back to bingeing television on Netflix.

Let’s hope he’s enjoying Jessica Jones, like the rest of us.

I can’t begin to speculate on what happens next on Supernatural. Obviously, Dean needs to rescue Sam. He’ll have to fight off his lovesick and powerful lady Amara first, most likely. Hopefully, we’ll get to see Dean step up and do SOMETHING. I can’t shake the feeling that Dean feels absent this season, emotionally. I’ve long speculated this to be a product of the Mark and the Darkness, but I do want to see some confirmation on that.

With Sam locked up, maybe Dean will need to have a heart to heart with his BFF Cas, and get him away from his long running Netflix and Chill session.

But what will happen to Sam when exposed to Lucifer for another span of time? Lucifer plays mind tricks that Sam cannot fight (i.e. how Sam ended up in the cage to begin with.) Lucifer can torture Sam physically and mentally. Sam is the strongest character we’ve seen this season, so to have him undergo anything to weaken him would be quite upsetting.

And where is God in all of this? Does he not see his sister destroying people and towns? Is he not concerned about her sudden appearance because he assumes the Winchesters will handle it? (Come on Chuck, that’s not fair.) Or is this season not about Light vs. Dark, but in fact, a season where the two strongest evils showdown against one another? Where would the writers of Supernatural even go from there?

What do you think? Where are we headed moving into the second season of Supernatural? What about God? Will we see him, or does this season feel like it’s headed in an epic evil vs. evil showdown? Sound off below!

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Supernatural airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.