Let’s Speculate: Supernatural 12.14 “The Raid”
“The Raid,” written by Robert Berens, is a hybrid of myth and monster of the week, with the center of the episode on a vampire case that Mary and Sam pursue. The return of the Alpha Vamp, a popular and fan favorite character from past seasons, punctuates an episode concerned with the political dealings between the Winchester family and the British Men of Letters.
The preview highlights the past vampire stories and the current British Men of Letters arc. The episode begins where it ended last week. Mary asks the brothers to hear her out about working with the British Men of Letters. She explains how what they are doing is helping. Sam asks when she started working with them and she confesses that it was before that case back in the barn with Ramiel. Dean and Sam are angry, but Dean moreso. She says that she knows the cost as she had to burn the hunter, tell his wife. Dean says good.
After the introduction, the episode moves to Mary and Ketch returning to the BMOL headquarters. Mary is alone and we see that the confrontation between the three ends with Dean throwing Mary out, even calling her “Mary” as emphasis. Mary keeps trying to text Dean but we see that he is ignoring her texts. Ketch and Mick are in another part of the headquarters arguing about the mission, which was to get the Winchester brothers on board.
In the present, Dean is trying to find a case to distract himself from the Mary situation. Sam tries to get him to talk about it but Dean is resistant. They argue because Sam suggests they talk to Mary. Dean goes out, leaving Sam in the bunker. Later we see Sam and Mary meet up outside the headquarters of the BMOL and she takes him inside, showing him the operations. The BMOL have assembled a team of hunter experts and have a tech-savvy set up to track vampires and other monsters, but currently they are focused on eradicating the vamps.
At a non-descript house, a young vampire is being nursed to health by an older vampire. He has set up a fortress to protect the survivors. Suddenly, the Alpha Vamp appears.
Back at the bunker, Dean finds that Sam left a note saying he was out and would be back. He goes looking for more to drink but finds all the bottles empty. There’s a knock on the door and Mr. Ketch is there with a bottle! They have a conversation and Dean is resistant to Ketch, even as he explains that Tony was rogue and that the BMOL did not sanction her actions. Finally, Ketch gets up to leave and says he is going after some vampires. Dean’s interest is piqued. They go to the place where the vamps had been holed up, but they find only the young female vampire from before. Ketch beats her but Dean stops him, instead getting the information on the other vamps by asking and promising to kill her quickly.
Back at BMOL headquarters, Mary and Sam are trapped in there as the vampires converge on the place. Mick and the others reveal they don’t have the weapons to defend against the creatures who have breached the compound. Mary tells Mick to get “it.” He comes back with a box and Sam sees that the Colt is there. He asks how she got it and Mary tells him she stole it from Ramiel. Sam appears upset but he gives Mick the recipe to making bullets for the Colt.
As the vampire fight ensues, Mary and Sam find out that Pierce, one of the team, has betrayed them and is helping the Alpha. The Alpha confronts Mick about the somewhat peace they’d had going, that he was living a quiet life until the BMOL started on this American “incursion.” He may stand for his British children being killed, but not the children of America, his home. Mary and Sam sneak in. Mary takes out Pierce while Alpha and Sam face off.
Alpha says that the Colt won’t kill him but Sam knows he’s lying. They do a kind of verbal dance and it looks like Sam is about to sacrifice Mick to the Alpha, when we see that it was a ruse to get the bullet to Sam so he could kill the Alpha, which he does.
In the final minutes, Sam and Dean are reunited. Ketch and Mick exchange not-so-pleasantries. Dean comes to terms with his mother’s decisions while Sam goes to Mick, and says that he will join the BMOL fight.
Kudos to Jared Padalecki on a great performance tonight and to Berens for a solid episode. I always enjoy his episodes. They are often smart reads on the story.
Thoughts, Specs, Reactions, etc.
1. What do you think of Sam’s decision to work with the BMOL?
2. What happens to all the vamps now?
3. Do you think they are setting up Mick to turn on the BMOL? What is Ketch’s angle?
4. Leave other thoughts, feelings, etc. below!
I will be out next week so I’ll see you all on the other side of the hiatus!
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