Let’s Speculate: Supernatural 13.22 “Exodus”
Now:
The show begins where it ended last week in the AU rebel camp. Sam walks toward Mary and hugs her, but Dean hangs back, seeming a bit stunned still: “What happened?” “That’s what I do,” says Lucifer, disarmingly with what he thinks passes for a cute, innocent smile. “I gave Sammy an extra life.” When he sees Gabriel, he calls him a hot mess. Then he lays eyes on what he’s wanted all along – his son Jack – but when he greets him, Dean explodes with anger, telling him to shut up. Cas also Lucifer to stay away from Jack. Lucifer asks, “Don’t you think it’s his choice” about whether or not Jack should get to know his father, but Cas replies quickly and fiercely, “No!” Mary and Sam stand silent, watching the drama, while Jack is listening to Lucifer who first tries to excuse himself, but then can’t help bragging “I’m powerful, dangerous, ruthless!” He backpedals quickly by adding that that’s just in the best way, of course! Dean demands that Gabriel kill Lucifer. Jack yells, “Stop it!” and disappears.
“SUPERNATURAL” – followed by the title of the epidode: “Exodus.”
“Great!” exclaims Dean, annoyed. Gabe goes to try to locate Jack. Lucifer tells his unsympathetic audience, “You need me! I can defeat Michael,” but they don’t trust him. Cas puts the warded handcuffs on him, assuming that since he was so drained back in the bunker that the manacles should be enough to hold him. Sam wonders if the rift has closed, but Lucifer says they have 31 hours. Quickly, we glimpse Rowena in the bunker with her spell book and the glowing grace in a bowl. Then we’re back in Alt World where Sam sets his watch.
After all the drama, Sam and Dean finally have a moment where they’re alone. The first thing Sam says is “Sorry.” “Are you ok?” asks Dean. When Sam says he is, Dean replies, “Then you got nothing to apologize for.” They step in for a hug, but, typically, they don’t meet each other’s eyes when they separate, as if embarrassed at showing affection. They don’t make eye contact until they start talking business: “What do we do about Lucifer?” “I’ll handle it,” Sam states. “OK,” responds Dean.
Jack is sitting alone, mind filled with images of his mother from the video reassuring him of her love and affirming him if he is curious about his father. She is warm, caring, and sad, but wise as she says, “You are who you chose to be,” Jack thinks of Sam’s mentoring, his concern and his warnings, and remembers the way he misused his power and hurt people. He thinks of Kevin’s suicide.
Mary is loading a gun as Cas walks by escorting Lucifer. The latter smiles at Mary as he passes, then pokes his head in closely: “Miss me?” She punches him in the face. Sam and Dean want to find Jack and get back to their world, but Mary tells them that she’s not going back. She has fought with these people; she respects them and can’t abandon them. “They need me,” says Mary. “WE need you,” Dean tells her.
Jack suddenly appears where Cas and Lucifer are. Cas is very opposed to Jack interacting with Lucifer and warns him of his wickedness and duplicity, but Jack wants to listen.
Dean tells Mary that they never walk away, but sometimes they should have because sometimes you just can’t win, but Sam expresses his understanding of Mary’s desire; however, he has another idea: why don’t they just bring ALL her people back through the rift? Is this even a possibility? How many can they get through? Mary says it’s about 25 people.
Right away, Jack earnestly asks his father, “Why does everyone hate you?” Lucifer calls it fake news and then blames the humans for being so flawed and gullible. He also says that he’s been locked in the Cage for eons: how could he have been responsible for so much evil? Plus, Dad (God) only locked him up because he told the truth. Cas is standing by; Lucifer looks like he’s winning this discussion. “I just want the opportunity to get better,” Lucifer declares.
Cas tells Sam and Dean that Jack is with Lucifer. Jack wants to know what his grandfather is like. Lucifer tells him that he is part of the most famous and powerful family ever. Sam and Dean approach and Dean is irate that Lucifer is conversing with, and potentially converting, the powerful nephilim, but Jack wants to know what his dad is like. “WE are your family!” claims Cas, but Jack reiterates his desire to know his father. Lucifer smiles smugly.
Sam, Dean, and Mary are walking down a road through the woods, leading the small group of human survivors and warriors. Mary tells them to take it easy on Jack; he’s experienced war and lost people he cared about. Sam thinks about how, with Lucifer, Gabriel, Castiel, and Jack, they have enough power to take out Michael, but Jack is a wild card still. “Jack won’t go dark side,” reassures Mary. Cas worries that Gabriel is late from scouting the way ahead, but suddenly he reappears, running toward them. “Angels!!!” he yells, but there’s no time to prepare. A group of six or eight angels is directly behind him. They face off against the humans, who resolutely aim their weapons at their powerful adversaries, but humans aren’t really a match for angels. The angels are ready to annihilate them when they suddenly disappear into wispy puffs of smoke which disintegrate into the air. The Winchesters turn to see Lucifer, one arm upraised, fingers having just snapped together. The warded handcuffs dangle, broken, from his wrist, until, with a simple shake, he makes them glow and disappear. “I knew they wouldn’t work in this world,” says Lucifer. He’d let them bind him, knowing he could break free at any time if necessary. “You’re welcome!” he states humorously and arrogantly when no one says anything. “See? Team player!”
Ruined cars and a Singer Salvage Sign, but they’re not in Sioux Falls anymore. South Dakota is too cold, says Alt!Bobby. He tells them that Ketch joined Charlie in hunting down an angelic hit squad and says that their idea of taking Mary’s rebel fighters into their world is a dumb idea.
Lucifer is still talking to Jack. When he brings up Michael, Jack says that Michael tortured him. Lucifer sees Gabriel and introduces Jack to his uncle whom he calls the class clown. Gabriel is about to mention the last time the two archangels met, but Lucifer cuts him off. Gabriel challenges Lucifer’s whitewashed version of himself: “You were not a victim!” he says. “That was just your excuse.”
Ketch and Charlie find three angels escorting a prisoner with a hood over his head. The angels were telling him that he’s about to be executed for treason, but the humans plan to free him. When Charlie approaches him and pulls the bag from his head, however, it’s not a human. It’s an angel who holds a blade to her throat and tells Ketch to surrender. Their rescue mission has ended up with them captured.
Three leaders of the rebellion are sitting in chairs facing Mary, Dean, and Sam who’ve been explaining their plan, but the survivors mock the idea of a magic door into a fairy tale world where everything is nice; they do not want to follow Sam and Dean. Dean is pragmatic – “You’re losing!” — but Sam has some incentives – “We have the greatest collection of lore and supernatural weaponry in our world. You could even the odds.” “You could come back and win,” adds Dean. “We ARE you,” Sam affirms, wanting them to see that the Winchesters understand their desperate situation. Mary has been showing her confidence in her sons, standing beside them with a calm look on her face. Suddenly, Bobby enters with the news that Charlie and Ketch were captured by the angels. How did this happen? Who gave them the intel that sent them on this FUBAR mission?
Ketch is chained to the ceiling, being beat on and interrogated. He’s bloody and in pain but still defiant. Charlie is nearby, tied to a chair; she’s helpless, defiant but also scared. When questioned about where the rebel camp is located, Ketch responds with the names of places in Monopoly. The angel, though, has a backup plan: they’ve called in an expert in these matters. A vehicle pulls up and the master interrogator enters: it’s AU Castiel. tight lips twitching strangely.
A man with a bruised face is shoved into a chair. He’s human, and Sam, Dean, and Bobby are questioning him. They think he set up Charlie to be captured, but he isn’t talking. Dean nods, and Castiel steps up behind the man. His eyes glow blue as he grabs the sides of the man’s head. The prisoner yells in agony until Cas lets him go. “Wanna try that again?” says Dean.
Lucifer and Gabriel are guarding the human camp; Lucifer is annoyed. Guard duty isn’t particularly heroic. Gabriel questions, “Do you really think Jack will bond with you?” Lucifer thinks he will, but Gabe says he won’t; he’ll see who Lucifer really is. “I’ve changed!” promises Lucifer, but Gabriel challenges him: “You can’t change! You can’t empathize or love! You live to be worshipped . . . or feared! Humans are innocent and beautiful. You couldn’t stand that Dad loved them more than the angels. Dad said you were evil. You were like a cancer. He had to lock you up before you infected humanity, but it was too late. And it’s too late for you now.” Lucifer doesn’t reply; could his eyes possibly look teary? He turns away, and a tear does balance on his eye lash before sliding down his face.
AU Cas, looking like a creepy Gestapo agent with his gloves, long trench coat, strange accent, and twitching lips, slowly walks around Charlie, thoroughly intimidating her with his calm threats. He’ll take over her mind until her mind is gone. He places his hands on her face and she screams, but he’s interrupted by a sound. An angel guard goes outside to find an angel dead on the ground. Jack steps out and blasts this angel too. The Winchesters burst into the shack, rapidly overpowering and killing the angels. Light shoots from their eyes and mouths as they’re impaled with angel blades. Dean releases Ketch who says it’s nice that Dean is finally saving HIM while Sam unties Charlie. He can’t help but hug her, and she smiles awkwardly. Sam realizes that he only THINKS he knows her; this is Alt World Charlie, and he steps back with an apology, but she is understanding. Cas has captured Alt!Cas. “We are the same,” says the creepy angel. “We are,” agrees our Castiel right before stabbing him.
Alt!Bobby is happy they have a win. “Real proud of you boys!” he says. He mentions their “idjit” plan but surprises them by saying that the other humans have voted and they all want to go to the Winchesters world. “We have a good feeling about you two.”
But Sam and Dean are real people, not superheroes. “How can we do this?” Sam quietly asks his brother. “I have no idea,” responds Dean, but then he notices an old bus, overgrown with vines. Lucifer turns the ignition, giving Dean, who’s under the hood, a thumbs up. They have an hour and 57 minutes to get back to the rift before it closes. Lucifer will drive the bus with Castiel watching him. They’re all ready to go, but Jack starts to walk away. He wants to kill Michael. Sam says they’ll seal off this world; Michael will be trapped, but Jack says that Michael deserves to be punished. Lucifer, who’s gotten off the bus, tells him to listen to Sam. It’s not easy to take out Michael. They can regroup and return to fight another day. “My father makes a valid point,” Jack says sincerely. “My father!” Lucifer mouths triumphantly behind his back.
The humans head off toward the rift, Dean, Sam, and Gabriel leading the way in a jeep while the bus follows with Lucifer driving and Cas standing next to him. Mary sits at the open door at the back with a gun while Bobby guards the side door. When they arrive at the rift, it’s just a sliver. It’s closing. Sam tells them to run. In the bunker, Rowena is wearily reciting the spell to hold the rift open. Ketch enters, then Jack. Sam holds Lucifer back. Mary, Bobby, Charlie, and Cas cross, then the rebel fighters. Sam and Dean are still in Alt World with Lucifer and Gabriel when an incoming angel bomb arches through the sky toward them. The rebels still on the Alt side of the rift are hurled through the air. With a crack of thunder, an ominous figure arises, black wings spread. Michael has arrived.
Lucifer’s eyes glow red as he attacks Michael. The powerful angels first hurls bolts of power at each other, then rush together with a clash of angel blades and swinging fists. Lucifer falls. Michael notices Gabriel. Michael’s surprised. “Go!” Gabriel tells the Winchesters. “Don’t!’ exclaims Sam but Gabriel says he’s not running this time.
There’s a swift battle. Michael hits Gabriel. Gabriel strikes back. Then Michael’s blade pierces Gabriel. “Go!” Sam tells Dean, who steps through the portal. Sam turns back. “How did you think this was going to end?” he tells Lucifer. Grabbing him by the throat, he shoves Lucifer back then dashes through the rift which closes before Lucifer can enter. Lucifer is alone with Michael.
Mary is passing out beer. The bunker is full of her friends. Sam commends Rowena, “You did it!” “You owe me!” she responds with a smile. Jack sits alone, looking pensive. Dean tells Cas, “We owe Gabe everything.” “Lucifer?” wonders Cas. “Sam handled it,” Dean tells him. Bobby addresses the group: “We made it! Don’t get soft. We’ll get ready, then go home and set our people free [like Moses in the book of Exodus in the Bible]. Don’t forget those who didn’t make it.” They raise a glass to the memory of their fallen comrades, then Bobby toasts Sam and Dean and says, “Welcome to the family.” But someone is isolated, sad, and alone – Jack sits by himself, not interacting with anyone.
Gabriel’s body lies on the ground, wings etched out on either side of him. Michael and Lucifer are conferring; Lucifer can open the rift and get Michael into the other world, then Lucifer can get his son and Michael will get . . . everything else. “Are we agreed?” asks Michael. Lucifer doesn’t answer. His face looks sad.
I have lots of questions tonight:
- Finally, a bro hug? Did you like it?
- How long have Mary and Jack been in Alt World? How do you feel about Mary’s declaration of remaining in Alt World with the people she’d bonded with?
- Did you feel that Dean showed confidence in Sam in this episode?
- What did you think of Gabe’s passionate defense of humanity?
- Were you scared that Sam would be left behind when Dean stepped through the rift first?
- Which family bonds will Jack choose?
- Is Gabriel right? Is Lucifer unable to change, unable to love? Do you want a redeemed Lucifer or do you prefer evil Satan?
Only one episode to go!
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