Supernatural Review: The Foundry (Season 12 Episode 3)

Why, Mary? Why do you break our hearts?

Just as quickly as she appeared, Mary leaves Supernatural.

For now, at least.

On Supernatural Season 12 Episode 3, we get a break from the already tiresome British Men of Letters in favor of the first monster-of-the-week story of the season.

The monster resonates deeply with Mary, who is having a hard time acquainting herself with the changing world, despite her kick-ass new makeover. For a woman who was away for decades, damn, she jumps right into current style!

It makes perfect sense that a monster who is gathering children and connecting them to his soul would hit so close to Mary, given that she experienced something quite similar first hand with good ol’ Yellow Eyes way back in the day.

Many things about her current circumstances seem to pile onto her as she works the case, until she ultimately decides that she can’t pretend that those years which happened without her, the ones she missed out on while she was in Heaven, aren’t breaking her heart.

What I find to be most poignant about her view of Heaven was that she describes being there with John and the boys – time stood still for her in the great beyond. She lived there, suspended in her own reality, with the things and people she loved most.

That’s the life she wanted, and maybe still wants.

It must be so jarring to suddenly be alive, discovering that your husband is dead, and that you missed 30 or so years of your sons’ lives.

Mary’s inability to cope with it, at least for now, feels realistic. But based on the reactions of her sons, who undoubtedly feel confused and abandoned, she won’t be gone for very long.

Sam has waited his entire life to get to know his mother. Dean was basking in the glow of family chicken dinners with pie. There’s no way they’ll LET her stay away for very long.

Besides that, those pesky British Men of Letters are still around, and Mary will most likely have a part to play with them – even if that role is bait of some sort, as I suspect it will be.

Elsewhere in the hour, Castiel and Crowley are FBI Agents in search of Lucifer. I enjoy watching them interact when they aren’t adversaries – they have great banter and chemistry.

Rowena, though, takes the award for MVP of the episode, decaying Lucifer and sending him off to the unknown. Does this mean we don’t get to see Rick Springfield anymore? If so, that’s a shame. He brought a great vibe to the role, one that I had hoped I would get to enjoy for a longer period of time.

But this also make me wonder: will he vessel-hop all season? That will get old very quickly. I don’t want Lucifer to be watered down to whatever guest star they can get for the week. It doesn’t work for the character, and again, it cheapens the fear of Lucifer.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: if Lucifer is going to be a regular recurring character alongside the Winchesters, it’s a choice that the writers need to be very careful with. The more we see and know Lucifer, the less afraid we are when we see him. His role doesn’t mean as much if we know him well.

Lucifer is 100% more effective when he looms in the shadows, when he’s spoken about in fear, and when he pops up occasionally to remind us why the Winchesters fear him.

Supernatural is on a hot streak, coming out of the gates with three great episodes for viewers.

Let’s hope that it wasn’t all because of Mary.

What did you think of this episode of Supernatural? Are you sad to see Mary go, and do you think she’ll be back? Should Crowley and Castiel keep working together? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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

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