‘Supernatural’ season 12 episode 21 recap, review: Fan-fave character dies, Mary becomes a killing puppet

“Supernatural” season 12 episode 21 started with the death of a beloved character. “There’s Something About Mary” set the grim tone early on by “pulling off another Charlie” and ending it with hopeless circumstances for everyone.

Recap and spoilers are ahead for the 21^st episode of “Supernatural” season 12. The episode aired Thursday on The CW in the US. It will air Monday on Eleven in Australian.

The episode started with Eileen Leahy (Shoshannah Stern) being chased by hellhounds and ultimately being killed. The hellhound only stopped after Mr Ketch (David Haydn-Jones) used a dog whistle to control it.

Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) was visibly shaken after receiving the tragic news shortly after. He and Dean (Jensen Ackles) found out that Mr Ketch was lying to them when they asked about the whereabouts of their mother, Mary (Samantha Smith). They also learnt that Eileen had been suspecting that the British Men of Letters were spying on her, and this caused the boys to look for hidden devices left by the BMoL in their bunker as well.

Luring the BMoL and Lady Toni Bevell (Elizabeth Blackmore) into a trap, Sam and Dean found out that the group was indeed killing American hunters. They brought Lady Toni to the bunker in a bid to take her as hostage. It turned out that Mr Ketch and other agents were already waiting for them at the bunker.

Sam and Dean were able to overpower the BMoL but a brainwashed Mary’s arrival foiled their early victory. Mr Ketch left the Winchester brothers and Lady Toni in the bunker, which he turned into an airless, waterless prison.

Mary as the BMoL’s unwitting killing machine

The Winchester matriarch was not just a prisoner; she was also the BMoL’s personal killing machine. They drugged and brainwashed her to kill another hunter. When she found out what they’ve been doing to her, she begged Mr Ketch to help her, fooling him for a second to snatch his gun and attempt to commit suicide. Ketch stopped her just in time, but his reaction to Mary desperately asking for help showed that he wasn’t as cold-hearted as his reputation says.

So when Mary sided with Mr Ketch during the BMoL’s standoff with his sons, Sam and Dean were shocked to see their mother easily gave her loyalty to the enemies. Perhaps they knew that something was off with Mary, just as Dean knew that Castiel (Misha Collins), "the Winchesters' love slave," was not himself when Lucifer’s nephilim boosted his angelic powers.

Lucifer is free, Crowley is down

Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino), with the help of a demon, was able to escape and even reverse Crowley’s (Mark Sheppard) control on him. This made Crowley Lucifer’s puppet. Lucifer then killed him with an angel blade without much ado shortly. A dead Crowley was seen being dragged off by demons. It’s worth noting that a big rat was following Crowley’s body, so there’s a really big chance that Crowley transferred to the rat just as Lucifer stabbed his body.

Speaking of Crowley, it was revealed earlier in the episode that he has a longstanding agreement with the British Men of Letters’ Doctor Hess (Gillian Barber). Hess leaves Crowley’s demons alone in the US as long as the latter only targets humans who sell their soul. She made it clear to Crowley, though, that she would not spare his friends, meaning the Winchesters, in their quest to eliminate all American hunters from existence.

‘There’s Something About Mary’ review

The episode was distressing from start to finish. Eileen’s death was an unnecessary tragedy that doesn’t appear to serve any purpose at all other than to upset viewers. Her death can be compared to Charlie Bradbury’s (Felicia Day), which many fans also thought was pointless. Another strong female character, who is beloved by the fandom to boot, had to go in a senseless fashion.

The great thing about this episode is Sam and Dean’s brief slow-mo action scene, in which they subdued the BMoL’s henchmen, including Mr Ketch, who is a heartless trained killer. Other that, it’s a depressing episode to watch.

In case you missed it:

Sam’s line, “Their mum’s on a hunting trip and hasn’t been home in a week,” was a spin on Dean’s “Dad’s on a hunting trip and he hasn’t been home in a few days” in the show’s pilot episode. (Read: ‘Supernatural’ season 12 episode 20 review: Dean defends Castiel, longs for Mary; Sam sleeps)

Castiel is powered by Lucifer’s nephilim, and it doesn’t sound good. There’s this thing about the mixtape as well. (Read: ‘Supernatural’ 12x19 recap and review: ‘The Future’ brings back Castiel but takes him away again)

Crowley may be a casualty by the season’s end. (Read: Fans fear ‘Supernatural’ will kill off Crowley in season 12 finale)