'Supernatural' Review: "The Devil in the Details"

January 30, 2016

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Jacqueline Gualtieri ’18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki in the Supernatural episode "The Devil in the Details." Photo Credit: The CW — Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki in the Supernatural episode “The Devil in the Details.” Photo Credit: The CW

If there’s one thing to take away from this episode of Supernatural, it’s that our boys are still our boys, until the very end. Even if they veer off the courses we expect from them, even if they do things we may not like, the underlying lesson of the series has been, and always will be, about being a family.
It’s been a long wait for fans, last seeing Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) trapped in the cage with Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino). Much of the episode relied upon that storyline of Lucifer trying to get Sam to say yes once again so that he can wear Sam’s “meat suit.” There’s a different element to this question though, which plays out in the way that it’s asked. There’s no trickery and there are no threats anymore. It’s just Lucifer, showing Sam who he used to be. The hero that wanted to save people, the guy that once stopped the apocalypse. He shows him the way that he’s changed throughout the seasons. In Lucifer’s eyes, Sam changed the moment he stopped looking for Dean in purgatory. He became docile, willing to live some normal life with a girlfriend and a dog. He stopped thinking about what was for the greater good. If you think about it, it’s hard to disagree with Lucifer’s point and you know things have gotten bad when Lucifer starts making sense.

Misha Collins and Mark Pellegrino in the Supernatural episode "The Devil in the Details." Photo Credit: The CW — Misha Collins and Mark Pellegrino in the Supernatural episode “The Devil in the Details.” Photo Credit: The CW

The flashbacks culminate in Sam and Lucifer facing off in the cage, where Sam sort of proves Lucifer’s point one more time in saying no to him. Although it’s our understanding at this moment that the devil would be the only person who could stop Amara (Emily Swallow). When the fighting becomes more physical, his older brother, Dean (Jensen Ackles), comes to save the day, just like always. Whether Sam knew it or not, his big brother has always been there to protect him and he wasn’t going to stop now. But he didn’t come alone. He came in with Castiel (Misha Collins), with Cas running to fight his own big brother while Dean helps his little one.
When a spell commences, courtesy of Rowena (Ruth Connell) and Crowley (Mark Sheppard), Lucifer seems gone for good, but that would be far too easy. It seemed someone said yes; it just wasn’t Sam. When Cas appears at the end of the episode, he’s no longer Cas.
How many characters has Misha played on this show? There’s Jimmy, Cas, Emanuel, the Leviathan, himself, and now he’s set to play Lucifer. This direction is a strange and seemingly random departure from everything that has happened this season. There’s nothing that led up to this. As a twist, the writers did a pretty good job because it’s pretty hard to have seen any of this coming. At this point in the season, though, the fact that it’s so random is a little disconcerting. It’s hard to think of a one-hundred percent plot at the moment. Is Amara the enemy? Is Lucifer going to become the bigger enemy?

Jensen Ackles, Mark Sheppard and Ruth Connell in the Supernatural episode "The Devil in the Details." Photo Credit: The CW — Jensen Ackles, Mark Sheppard and Ruth Connell in the Supernatural episode “The Devil in the Details.” Photo Credit: The CW

There’s another issue that was sort of resolved in this episode, but it was resolved in a very unsatisfying way. Anybody remember Michael? Or the meat suit he was wearing, the boys’ half brother Adam (Jake Abel)? As far as we understand he’s just been hanging out in the pit. Just getting tortured for centuries at this point. Some fan theories for this season included the question of Michael’s return, since Lucifer returned. But Lucifer seemingly just wiped that theory away with the simple statement that he was just hanging out in some corner of the cage, having already have lost his mind and become completely useless. It’s a rather disappointing ending for once great character (or rather two formerly great characters).
For all the confusion in this episode, there is a little hope and mainly that hope is in the form of Misha showing off his acting chops in a way he really deserves. If anybody can get this season on track, it’s him.