by Sarah James WARNING: This review contains spoilers for previous episodes of Supernatural.
“He’s not like us. He believes in things. Let him do what he believes is right.”– RowenaLast week on Supernatural we were treated with a filler episode all about family, and the many struggles that come along with it. In this episode we saw into the conflicts of three families: the Winchesters, Crowley’s family, and Lucifer’s fatherhood. Which may have been a little too much for one episode to handle. The return of Gavin, Crowley’s son who was plucked from the 1800s and dropped into the modern world by Abaddon back in Season 9 was an interesting and unnecessary decision. Gavin was a forgettable character in the first place, and never played a large role in the previous three seasons, so his appearance in the current season just seemed out of place. While it is interesting to see how he reacts to his grandmother, Rowena, he’s also tied into the case that Sam and Dean are solving, which adds to the confusion of the episode’s plot.
However, the return of Mark Pellegrino as Lucifer was an amazing decision and one that long-time fans of the series are sure to love. Pellegrino was the original Lucifer, playing the role first in Season 5, so seeing him return to the role of the first fallen angel is a treat for any fan of the Kripke era. In the mid-season finale, it was assumed that Lucifer had been returned to his impenetrable cage in Hell. Yet, as hinted in last week’s episode, we learn that Lucifer isn’t out of the picture quite yet; Crowley is keeping Lucifer around, wanting payback for the events of Season 11. While this subplot makes sense and is in character for Crowley, just like the inclusion of Gavin, it seemed out of place in this episode. With the birth of Lucifer’s son drawing nearer, this conflict between Crowley and Lucifer isn’t necessary.
Speaking of Lucifer’s son, Kelly Kline returned to the screen in this episode, baby bump and all. After being attacked by two angels trying to prevent the birth of Lucifer’s son, Kelly was saved by Dagon, a Princess of Hell and sister to Ramiel, the antagonist from the previous episode. Dagon’s name was dropped in “Stuck in the Middle (With You),” and her arrival in “Family Feud” as well as her interest in protecting Lucifer’s child adds another obstacle in the Winchester’s path, and it will be fascinating to see the role her character plays for the remainder of the season.
Yet, as cool as it is to see a Princess of Hell, Dagon’s entrance only added another subplot to this already overloaded episode. It felt as if the writers had a lot of explaining and introducing of plot lines thrown into a “monster of the week” style episode, and it was overwhelming. There were basically two stories being told: the Winchester’s and Gavin solving a case, and everyone’s anticipation for Lucifer’s unborn son, with a little bit about Mary working with the British Men of Letters thrown in there. A lot of things were introduced in this episode, and it should be fun to see where the team at Supernatural takes us next.
All Images From: Pixels Talk and TVFanatic
