"Supernatural" Review/Recap: "Blade Runners"

Emily Dunbar ‘17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

“Blade Runners” was the episode of Supernatural that fans have been demanding all season long.
Albeit minimally, this season’s biggest overarching concerns were finally addressed. Ever since the introduction of the First Blade, we’ve been left wondering where it is, whether Crowley (Mark Sheppard) was making any headway in finding it, and how long the Winchesters could keep it a secret from Queen of Hell in-training, Abaddon (Alaina Huffman).
It was a fun throwback to have Sam and Dean (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively) summon a crossroads demon to get Crowley’s whereabouts, though Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s guest-starring role as the demon was tainted with her offensively poor line delivery. The boys find Crowley more vulnerable than he’s ever been, hopped-up on human blood and essentially useless to Winchesters as well as himself. His cheap shots throughout the episode, complaining about being human and an addict, proved funny, though a little heavy-handed. However, the complete 180 we see from him at the end of the episode was fantastic! It felt like we were seeing the old Crowley, the real King of Hell, someone who should actually be feared. While it was fun having him around, it was time for good and evil to go back to their separate corners.

One of the most anticipated moments of season nine has been the introduction of Dean’s own bits of mythology. When Cain (Timothy Omundson) transferred his Mark to Dean this season, there was a swell of excitement from the fans, who demanded more information. Unfortunately, an uproar followed immediately, as the all-powerful, self-destructive-by-Cain’s-recount Mark was missing from the dialogue between the brothers and their buddies for the next few episodes. Finally, in “Blade Runners,” do we get to see how the Mark of Cain affects Dean and what that might mean for him and Sam throughout the rest of the season. The blood-thirsty look we see in Dean’s eyes as he picks up the First Blade is one we’re not unfamiliar with; we’ve seen him eye up vampires and Leviathan in Purgatory with that same steely stare. The First Blade even bares a striking resemblance to the weapon Dean preferred during that year he spent in the in-between! The rest of the season is going to prove to be bumpy for our eldest sibling, and we’re anxious to see how the Mark is going to affect the hunt for Abaddon and the Winchesters’ relationship.
This episode also gave us some more Men of Letters canon, which is something we can’t seem to get enough of, though we’ve been collecting information since season 8. It was refreshing to learn more about how the Men of Letters worked, to see new characters emerge from the past, and to hear more about what Sam and Dean’s grandfather, Henry, had been up to in the bunker in the 50s.

Still no sign or mention of Cas (Misha Collins), which begs the question: What on earth is he doing? The last we heard from him, he was unwillingly gathering the support of many misguided angels looking for a leader. With a situation similar to that of season 6’s trifecta of souls, betrayal, and failure, we can only hope Cas isn’t falling prey to the power-hungry machine that always seems to swallow him up when he doesn’t get help from the Winchesters. It’s very strange that the brothers aren’t wondering about him, and the fans are starting to get suspicious of Collins’ role as a “regular” this season, with his fairly minimal appearances.
It’s unlikely we’ll see much from Cas next week either, since Collins stepped into the role of director. The preview showed us glimpses of brotherly angst, some meaningful conversations, and finally another glimpse of the Queen of Hell-hopeful—in a nun’s habit, no less!
Tune in to the CW next Tuesday at 9pm to see Misha Collin’s directorial debut and Supernatural’s next thrilling installment, “Mother’s Little Helper.”
Overall Episode Grade: A-