WiC Watches: Supernatural season 15

Supernatural — “Destiny’s Child” — Image Number: SN1513b_0390b.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Genevieve Padalecki as Ruby and Danneel Ackles as Jo — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Episode 1513: “Destiny’s Child”

Another day, another obscure and previously unheard of “weapon” that needs finding. The Winchesters, Castiel and Jack track down the Occultum as part of the next step in Billie’s plan to destroy God, which leads to a soulful ending, pun intended.

“Destiny’s Child” brought back Jared and Jensen’s wives, Genevieve Padalecki and Danneel Ackles, to reprise their roles as the demon Ruby and the angel Anael/self-serving faith healer Sister Jo in an episode that visited Hell, The Empty and the Garden of Eden without breaking a sweat. It addressed the nagging question (that Sam had, I wasn’t too bothered) about Jack’s soullessness, introduced other-world versions of Sam and Dean, featured flashbacks and brought back another familiar face.

Sadly, it’s the last episode that will air for quite some time “due to coronavirus-related production delays.” Eighteen of the 20 episodes have been filmed but “post-production was unable to complete those episodes before mandated work stoppages,” Vulture reported.

It starts on a deceptively normal note, which lasts for all of a few minutes before Sam and Dean are greeted by Savage Garden’s “I Want You” and the most punchable versions of themselves standing in front of a rift in their armory before disappearing back through it moments later. I chuckled and settled in for what I believed would be an episode with double the Winchester fun. I was in for (too) much more.

We learn from Billie, who appears in their bunker without so much as a courtesy call first, that the Winchesters 2.0 were running from their reality as it was being destroyed by Chuck dearest. Once he’s done, they’re next and need to be prepared. This brings her to the next part of her plan for Jack, which is of a more spiritual nature. He needs to find the Occultum — the Latin word for “hidden,” Sam informs us. She explains that it’s sacred, potent and powerful but not a weapon, per se. Sounds almost promising. So where is it? Billie has no idea as it’s been “missing for centuries.”

While Sam pours over books trying to discover its location, Dean sits lost in thought. Thinking about how to find the Occultum? Of course not, what for? He’s thinking they should kill Amara after they kill Chuck to ensure balance. I was admittedly perplexed. One problem at a time, please. Little did I know that “busy and convoluted” would be the name of the episode’s game.

Supernatural — “Destiny’s Child” — Image Number: SN1513b_0211b.jpg — Pictured: Danneel Ackles as Jo — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Castiel receives information that the Occultum was housed in an ancient temple for centuries before it was not “plundered by pirates,” and not “dug up by tomb raiders” or “seized by the King of the Dead and his warlords” — all great guesses though, Dean, you make me smile. According to Cas, it was looted by invading Mongol hordes and traded on the black market. Long story short, the last person who was known to have it was Sister Jo.

They track her down. When asking for it nicely doesn’t appeal to her “philanthropic” nature, they threaten her. She reveals she doesn’t have it anymore but gave it to Ruby. In what we later learn is a false flashback scene, Ruby approaches her with word of a buyer who wants to purchase the object and the promise of a lot of money. She informs them that Ruby hid it in Hell but didn’t have the chance to contact the buyer because that’s when Sam and Dean killed her in season 4 (ah, memories).

I’ve eagerly waited for the wives to return because I’m a puddle of sentimentality and love their close offscreen friendship but Sister Jo and Ruby’s history felt manipulated for the sake of servicing the fans.

Back at the bunker, Jack feasts on what I’d call “the heart attack special”: fried chicken, nachos, pizza, burgers, and Chinese food, in quantities big enough to feed a nation. However, what appears to be a display of gluttony is simply him trying to appreciate being back from the dead and getting “into all that life is: hot, cold, sweet, spicy, funny, scary.” But he confesses to Castiel that, since he lost his soul, he doesn’t feel things the way he used to. He understands emotions, he just doesn’t feel them.

He also acknowledges that his relationship with Sam and especially Dean has changed because of what he did to Mary. While Castiel doesn’t know how long it will take, he believes it’s possible Dean will one day forgive Jack.

When Sam and Dean arrive back home, Castiel shows them a peculiar sight: the Winchesters 2.0, who are wholly unaware of their presence, looking around in confusion and trying to get a cellphone signal. Castiel surmises it’s possible they were trapped between dimensions when Chuck was destroying their world.

As they’re not in any kind of pain, Dean puts the problem on the back burner and shifts his focus to the task of getting to Hell. They relay the information gleaned from Sister Jo to Castiel, who is far more dubious about it and the source it came from. And rightfully so. In Hell, the Winchesters are attacked by three demons who were promised freedom by Sister Jo in exchange for killing them. Fortunately (obviously), they manage to kill their way out of it.

Supernatural — “Destiny’s Child” — Image Number: SN1513a_0049b.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Misha Collins as Castiel and Alexander Calvert as Jack — Photo: Jeff Weddell/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Meanwhile, Castiel’s suspicions lead him to formulate a plan of his own. With Jack’s help, he visits The Empty to talk to Ruby. All the trip requires is Jack almost killing him by siphoning and containing most of his life force in a whiskey flask. I really need one of those, they’re so versatile. Jack’s under instructions to give him one hour and then bring him back.

In The Empty, Castiel calls out for Ruby but comes face to face with Meg (Rachel Miner), or should we say, The Empty taking Meg’s form. She/it is in an alliance with Death, and allows Castiel to speak to Ruby. Then we see events as they really transpired. Sister Jo is the one who contacted her to make a deal. She’d wanted them to hide from the apocalypse in the safest place possible: the Occultum. Ruby agrees to give Castiel the location on condition that he uses his connections to try to get her out of The Empty — apparently, she’s not enjoying the sorrow and despair that play on a constant loop. Sounds like my average Sunday evening. He agrees and she whispers the location to him.

Sam and Dean return from Hell to find Castiel close to death (as per his request) and demand Jack bring him back, which he manages to do just as The Empty begins to vigorously torture Castiel for kicks. Dean reproaches Castiel’s dangerous actions but relents when he learns of his success. Now, all that’s left to do is find and retrieve the Occultum.

Only, at this point it suddenly dawns on them that Chuck may check in to see what they’re up to, or rather, the writers realized the Winchesters 2.0 were still stuck between dimensions in the bunker and they had to find a use for them. Dean guesses Chuck will likely expect to find them at the bunker and proposes using Sam and Dean 2.0 to hold down the fort while they head out.

Another spell and rift later and they’re standing opposite their rich, spoiled counterparts who don’t really drink beer, have a great relationship with John — who also went through the rift, but they got separated — have their own plane and get paid to hunt monsters worldwide. Dean 2.0 was still likable but Sam 2.0’s only redeeming quality was his refusal to part with his man-bun. Now more than ever, I’m absolutely smug in my certainty that Jeffrey Dean Morgan will return for the final season. However, it will most likely be as John from another world, whereas I’m hoping for the original.

The Winchesters, Castiel and Jack head to the church where Ruby hid the Occultum and are nearly attacked by hellhounds but they manage to get to safety inside. Following Ruby’s instructions, they locate the Occultum — a spherical object with an Enochian passage carved on it that means, “In order to be in the Occultum, the Occultum must be in you.”

While hellhounds try to break into the church and Dean complains that Sister Jo and Ruby want them dead, Jack swallows the Occultum, having correctly taken the message literally. Moments later, he disappears in a ball of light and is transported to The Garden of Eden, which looks like a well-kept backyard. After conversing with a cryptic child about the history and nature of The Garden, a snake talks to him telepathically, asking, “Who are you really? Who are you meant to be?” Jack experiences a number of flashbacks that overwhelm him with emotion.

Back at the church, a ball of light floats in, drawing everyone’s attention. Sam is flung to the floor as the hellhounds force open the church doors but as they’re about to attack, the ball of light grows, pulsates, blasts them away and disappears, revealing Jack on the floor.

The Winchesters 2.0, who had stayed behind to drink beer and sit in front of a computer screen for the sake of authenticity, had begun to see the merits of Sam and Dean’s life. When Dean tries to send them on their way, Dean 2.0 suggests they all live together. “Like a club,” adds Sam 2.0. Dean suggests Brazil instead and has to make a concerted effort to restrain himself when he learns they drove Baby.

The episode concludes with a weeping Jack apologizing and begging for forgiveness for killing Mary! Having your soul back will do that to you.

“Destiny’s Child” ambitiously tried to mesh an excessive number of plots together and introduced too many new ideas to fully succeed. At the end of the day, however, Jack got his soul back, edging them a step closer to defeating God  — the episode was sacrificed for the sake of advancing the greater narrative.

Super highlights

• When Dean talks about killing both Chuck and Amara to maintain the balance, the question of who will take over comes up. I’m spitballing, but what if the roles fall to Sam and Dean? Their ultimate destiny? Don’t quote me on that but also, you heard it here first.
• Castiel may still make good on his promise to Ruby to help free her from The Empty. I hope so as I’d like to see an awkward Sam/Ruby reunion.

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