Supernatural 10x17 "Inside Man" [Contributor: Deena Edwards]

"Inside Man"

Original Airdate: April 1, 2015

For normal people, a “snow day” is pretty self-explanatory. No school, no work, and of course, there’s actual snow involved. Just sitting back and enjoying having some time to yourself and a break from the real world. But for Sam and Dean, it’s when there’s seemingly no signs of monsters to chase after, and that’s exactly the situation they find themselves in in this episode. “Snow days” are rare for them -- there’s almost always something that needs looking into, research that needs to be done, and people to be saved. Dean decides to hang back at the bunker while Sam heads out to go see a French film in Wichita. Of course, French film is code for “meet up with Castiel behind Dean’s back to speak to Metatron about the Mark of Cain.” Yeah, more lying. This is TOTALLY going to end well.

Bored out of his mind at the bunker with nothing to do, Dean heads to his home away from home, aka, a bar. Though, his fun evening of eating his weight in nachos and hustling college kids out of their hard-earned cash is cut short when Rowena shows up making not one, but two attempts on his life. The first by putting a spell on the three men he was playing pool with, causing them to attack Dean, and the second, casting a spell of her own on him, which fails because he’s being protected by the Mark. Disappointed, she returns to Hell, bruised, bloody, and battered (though, all of this is her own doing, just another act of manipulation), claiming that Dean was the one who did it to her.

Now, most sons would immediately jump to protect their mothers if something like this happened. They would go after Dean and try to kill him themselves. But Crowley being, well, Crowley... it’s not exactly in his nature to be protective of this woman who hovers the title of “mother” over him like a constant threat even though she’s been anything but motherly to him. Instead, he goes to the bar and shares drinks with his favorite squirrel, and they talk. Dean agrees with Rowena’s comment about Crowley having gone soft, and in a way, he definitely has. He’s no longer as intimidating as he once was -- which, I’m not complaining, I love this version just as much as the one who would sooner kill you no questions asked, but it’s something I’m glad they finally actually brought up and took notice of.

“A wise man once told me, ‘Family don’t end in blood.’ But it doesn’t start there, either. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them. Family’s there through the good, bad--- all of it. They got your back even when it hurts. That’s family. That sound like your mother?”

Watching Dean play Dr. Phil to the King of Hell, now, that’s something none of us probably thought we would ever see, but Crowley apparently takes the hunter’s words to heart. He finally takes a stand against his mother, kicking her out of Hell. I doubt this is the last we’ll see of Rowena, but for her sake, I hope it is. It looks like Crowley’s got his “edge” back, and I can’t wait to see how things change now that he’s decided that.

Meanwhile, Sam and Cas’s plan doesn’t go as smoothly as they hope. Hannah refuses to allow Metatron out of his cage in Heaven, and their only other resort is to figure out how to break the angel out. Together, the two track down a man named Oliver Pryce, a self-proclaimed psychic with ties to the Men of Letters, who helps them communicate with a certain someone in Heaven -- their inside man.

We all remember the good ol’ days of Supernatural -- when things got rough, Bobby Singer was always just a phone call away, ready and willing to lend the boys a helping hand, or offer some sound words of Bobby wisdom. Well, as it turns out, even dead, the statement still holds true to our favorite Tori Spelling-loving hunter today.

Oh, Bobby. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that every time the elder hunter is back, it almost feels as if he’s not even been gone at all. He’s the same old Bobby, only now nestled away safely in his own private Heaven with all the alcohol he can ask for and without the all the responsibilities he once had in the real world. He claims he’s rusty, maybe not the guy for the job anymore, but let’s face it. Bobby’s -always- been the guy for the job, and probably always will be. He’s always been the one the brothers go to when they don’t know how to get themselves out of trouble, and it doesn’t take a genius to know that even now he’ll still do whatever it takes to help out his family, no matter the consequence.

“Dean doesn’t know we’re doing this.”

“Well that’s a page right out of the Winchester Playbook, ain’t it?”

Managing to escape his Heaven, Bobby finds the door to Earth and a few moments later Castiel tumbles (oh so gracefully) back into his old home. Together they seek out Heaven’s jail, kidnapping the annoyingly smirk-y Scribe of God we all love to hate. Or in my case, just hate. When he refuses to give up any information, Castiel steals his grace, turning him mortal. After Sam shoots him in the leg and threatens to a second time, Metatron finally agrees to take Castiel to where he’s keeping his own grace.

Sam and Dean meet back up at the bunker, each unaware of what the other has been up to. Lying never leads to anything good when these two are concerned, and like Bobby said in his letter to Sam, going behind Dean’s back about this probably isn’t the best idea.

All in all, this episode was one hundred percent Supernatural gold from start to finish, in my opinion. I know, I know. “Why doesn’t she ever have anything -bad- to say about this show?”  But between Crowley and Rowena’s bickering, Crowley finally standing up for himself, and Bobby being back, well… how could I NOT love it?

“And I know it’s the life; doing a little bad so you can do a lot of good. But sometimes the bad’s real bad, and the good -- it can come at one hell of a price. I ain’t there on the ground, but whatever you do, I know you’ll make the right choice. You’re a good man, Sam Winchester. One of the best. And I’m damn proud of you, son. I was content up here, but getting the call from you. It’s the happiest I’ve been in forever. No matter what it costs. So stay safe, keep fighting, and kick it in the ass. -Bobby.” 

Memorable Moments/Quotes:

• “Oh, please. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.” “You’re my mother. I don’t want to SEE anything. I’ve been to Hell, thanks.” Crowley and Rowena’s bickering this episode was just golden, seriously. I still need a King of Hell and his mother spin-off/sitcom type thing in my life, you guys.
• “I’m a woman. I have desires, needs, and Trent is---” “Trent? You’re dating a… Trent?”
• “He’s so… FIRM.” “Please stop talking.”
• “I’ll break it down.” “Just--- chill.” “What? I’m helping.”
• “Some creep-ass Hobbit lookin’ fella.” Perfect way to describe Metatron, if we’re being honest here.
• “It’s just… good to hear your voice.” Excuse me while I DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS.
• “Remember when this job was just chopping up a fang and throwing back a cold one?” Oh, if only things were that simple now.
• "I’m sorry, did I say ‘nice girl’? I meant evil skank."     "You say that like it's an insult. But nice girls? They’re pathetic. Here’s to evil skanks."
• “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.”
• “He’s Bobby. He can handle anything.” *wades around in ocean of tears at this point*
• “They’re surly. I repeat, the Bobbys are surly.”
• “I know why you’re here, ASStiel.”
• “Stay safe, keep fighting, and kick it in the ass.” RIP, ME.