After 273 episodes, you would think that there is nothing new for the Winchesters to face. But between new characters, new universes, and a new spinoff, Supernatural is as fresh and original as ever, and this mid-season finally was dyno-mite.
The episode opens on Derek, a dreamwalker, who through supernatural powers sees visions of other worlds in his mind and paints vast murals of the scenes. Primarily, he sees “apocalypse world,” where Mary Winchester is still trapped. Jack, who disappeared three episodes prior, finds Derek and wants to use his powers to unknown ends. Jack is acting odd – well, odder than usual – and while his motives seem good, it also seems that he is putting hs goal above the wellbeing of those helping him.
Meanwhile, Sam and Dean have run into every dead end in their search for Jack, so they decide to call up Patience. Patience, the granddaughter of Missouri Moseley, was introduced in episode three of this season as the first step towards the Wayward Sisters spinoff pilot. Patience is brought in this episode as a lead in to the backdoor pilot coming in the next episode. Shortly after leaving Patience a message, the boys receive a call from Jody Mills, another key Wayward player, who has found Jack… because Derek has been found dead.
Jody and Patience mostly have a side plot that is sprinkled in between crucial scenes this episode. However, it is necessary to lead up to the backdoor pilot, “Wayward Sisters,” airing as episode ten of this season on January 18. The pilot will feature Jody and Patience as well as Claire Novak, Alex Jones, Donna Hanscum, and Kaia Nieves, who we’ll get to in a moment. While all we have as of now is some photos, Patience and Kaia quickly set up the tension that will bring these six characters together. Shortly after receiving the message from Dean, Patience has a vision of Jody dying and, despite her fathers protesting, leaves to warn Jody. Her arrival, and Kaia’s premiere, will drive the pilot into action.
Okay, back to the main storyline. The Winchesters are hot on Jack’s tail and, based on the evidence, believe Jack has killed Derek in pursuit of his mission. Jack, on the other hand, has found his was to Kaia, a teenage dreamwalker. Kaia does not seem to dreamwalk as Derek did. Rather than have agency over where she dreamwalks, she can only go to one place, which she calls “The Bad Place.” Her attempts to avoid going here, primarily by using drugs, land her in rehab. This is where Jack finds her and offers to break her out in exchange for her help. However, before he can use her to his ends, he is intercepted by Sam and Dean, but not before Kaia gets in a good kick to the groin.
While Dean is ready to end Jack once and for all, he is given the chance to explain what he has been up to since he disappeared. Rather than tell, Jack uses his powers to show Sam and Dean that their mother is still alive and that a dreamwalker, specifically Kaia, is the key to finding her. While Sam is just relieved to know she is alive, Dean quickly begins to do what he was worried Jack had done – put the ends before the means – to the point where he threatens Kaia at gunpoint. While this seems dark and out of character, we know Dean will do whatever is necessary to save family members – from threatening innocent people to selling his own soul. Though his threats are what get Kaia to come with them, it is Jack’s powers and showing Kaia how her powers can be a gift with proper work.
Sam, Dean, Jack and Kaia make their way to a large boat, almost vessel, but angels are hot on their trail. For a change the angels in this episode seem less like rule-following annoyances and more like a real dangerous threat. While Jack help Kaia prepare to help them find Mary, Sam and Dean try to fortify the ship with warding against the angels. While it holds them off for a short time, the angels quickly surround the boat and begin rhythmically slamming the ground to use their powers to break the warding.
Meanwhile, Kaia begins to dreamwalk and, using Jack’s additional power, is able to break free from “The Bad Place” and we briefly see that in her dreamwalking state, Kaia can see dozens of other universes. This opens the show up to go in many different directions, and I predict this is the direction the show will go in for the remainder of the season, especially considering an animated Scooby Doo-crossover episode is coming.
Kaia is able to focus in on “apocalypse world” and Jack says he can almost create a door there, but before that can happen, everything goes awry. Between the threat of the angels and the stress of the dreamwalking, Kaia lets out a piercing scream that makes the power connection between her and Jack essentially explode, scattering everyone.
Jack is in “apocalypse world” at Mary’s feet. Kaia is somewhere on the side of a road. And Sam and Dean are in the unknown “bad place…” in what looks like a giant dinosaurs footprint.
What happens next is up to the imagination until the show returns from hiatus. From current Wayward Sisters promotion, it seems as though the six fighting females will work together to save Sam and Dean, a situation that has been almost always reversed in the past. Wayward Sisters will premiere on January 18 at 8 p.m. on the CW.
