In the seventeenth episode of the ninth season of Supernatural, Sam discovers Abaddon’s plan while Dean copes with the Mark of Cain. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Supernatural.Â
Goddamn, this was a super solid episode, and I think it highlights why some of the episodes this season have rang a little hollow to me. There’s such an attention to detail when it comes to characterization that I’m left feeling fulfilled. We’ve got four complete stories in one episode and this doesn’t feel cluttered. LET’S DISCUSS.
Dean / The Mark of Cain / Crowley
I’m surprised that the show didn’t invoke Dean’s time in Purgatory after it referenced Sam’s time without a soul. I think that informs the intensity of his reaction to the Mark of Cain. We know that Dean derives a thrill from the hunt, and therefore, the combination of the Mark and the First Blade is infectious to him. The show does parallel this journey alongside Crowley’s own addiction issues, which sets up Crowley’s manipulation of Dean.
And regardless of where this story ends up, “Mother’s Little Helper” still gives us a chance to see Dean in a really dark place. It’s admittedly hard to watch at times because he seems to be stuck between an extreme desire for the Blade and a sense of general apathy. That’s not to suggest he doesn’t care about anything, since he clearly wants to end Abaddon as soon as possible. But there were moments here where he seemed dangerously close to… stopping? Hmm, perhaps that’s not quite right. I think he just wants this struggle to end so badly that it consumes him. As he tells Sam here, his obsession is just part of his job. Yet from the outside, it seems like his obsession has nearly destroyed him. He skips out on research to drink in local bar, all while he is tempted by Crowley. It’s a familiar motif, isn’t it? A demon sits on Dean’s shoulder, slowly pushing him towards something he knows is wrong, yet desires more than anything else. The fact that it’s set at a bar (called “The Milton,” no less!) is part of the thematic journey for him, too!
So what exactly does Crowley want from him? I don’t feel like Dean needs any more convincing to kill Abaddon, so Crowley must want something else from this. I was pleased when my suspicion about Crowley’s interest in Dean was confirmed here, but that doesn’t mean I figured out the rest of this. What could Crowley use Dean for? A weapon? For what? As long as Abaddon dies, Crowley remains the King of Hell, right? I’M TOTALLY MISSING SOMETHING HERE.
Sam / Julia / Josie
I mean, I really loved EVERYTHING about this portion of “Mother’s Little Helper.” The mystery was great and resolved satisfactorily; Julia was a GREAT one-shot character; and the “origin” of Abaddon in Josie’s body was a fantastic and unexpected surprise. I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating: all of these stories feel complete. Sure, there’s plenty more to tell, and I know this is not the last I’ll see of Abaddon. But in Julia’s case, this story had to end. Her role here wasn’t just to give Sam the next piece of the puzzle; she had her own story to live out. That’s what we lacked in past episodes. (Cuthbert Sinclair is a great example of that.) This episode is absolutely not the same if you remove Julia and her characterization; they’re vital to the story as a whole.
And really, that’s what made a lot of the earlier seasons so good. Even when we had monster-of-the-week cases, we got much better character studies. But I don’t want to spend too much time thinking of the past because I did enjoy this episode a lot. Julia is part of that, but so is Josie Sands. Both of these women were faced with impossible choices in horrible circumstances, and yet, they both reacted differently. Julia’s haunting guilt over what she chose that day decades ago must have been exacerbated by what Josie chose to do. Josie, aware that Henry Winchester was bound to be possessed, offered herself up to Abaddon in order to spare his life. In the face of evil, Josie was courageous and brave, or at least that’s how Julia viewed it. Within the Supernatural universe, we often see characters sacrifice themselves for those they love.
So how does Julia deal with this same evil? I appreciated that the show did not try to say that all people are foolishly brave at all times because that’s simply unrealistic. Plus, there was an important distinction made here: Josie was prepared to deal with unrepentant evil, while Julia was not. And that doesn’t make Julia a bad person! Yes, she’s been consumed with shame ever since she allowed Abaddon to go, but “Mother’s Little Helper offers her chance to do right again. That doesn’t mean that her guilt is suddenly absolved, of course, and I imagine she’ll go to her grave regretting that she didn’t speak up about Josie’s true identity. That final shot of her as she stares at Sam is just so DISTURBING, y’all, because it’s a hint of the sadness she’ll always live with. But it fits in with the episode as a whole, and that’s important to me. “Mother’s Little Helper” is about how these characters exercise free will in hellish situations. Dean chooses to save Crowley’s life and use the First Blade, no matter the consequences; Josie chose Henry’s life; Julia chose to speak up about what had happened long ago to right her conscience. It’s all part of the fabric of this story about the ongoing struggle to not only beat evil, but to resist it along the way.
So where does Dean fit into all that? Gods, y’all, I’m so worried about whatever it is that Crowley has prepared for him. Why is Dean suddenly “ready?” Ready for what? I DON’T LIKE THIS, MAKE IT STOP.
The video for “Mother’s Little Helper” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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