In Supernatural’s “Soul Survivor,” Dean Winchester is saved once again. Written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming, and directed by Jensen Ackles, the episode opens with a priest blessing the inventory of a hospital’s blood bank as Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki), who’s impersonating a doctor, looks on. It’s a brief scene that leaves me wondering how the “doctor” persuaded the priest to perform the ritual?
Blessed blood in hand, Sam heads back to the bunker, where Demon Dean (Ackles) is tied and cuffed to a chair in the dungeon. It doesn’t seem that much time has passed since the end of “Reichenbach” (10×2), especially since Castiel (Misha Collins) hasn’t arrived yet. But that means that Sam, still injured, somehow managed to wrangle his demonized brother into the bunker and then into the dungeon. How exactly did Sam manage that?
Dean already knows what Sam is planning and makes it clear that he doesn’t want the cure: “Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don’t want to be fixed? Just let me go live my life. I won’t bother you. What do you care?” Dean’s taunt is a callback, in part, to their season nine conflict; Sam parrots back, somewhat incredulously, “What do I care?” He commences with blessing the ground while Dean reminds Sam that the cure might not work: “You know I got a hell of a lot more running through me than just demon juice” Sam continues preparing the syringe, and Dean tries a very human objection: “Sammy, you know I hate shots.” Sam’s response? “I hate demons.” He delivers the first injection, which has an immediate reaction. Dean acts as if he’s in pain and launches into a series of growly, animal-like utterances.
After the title card, the first scene is Hannah (Erica Carroll) and Castiel in the Casmobile. Hannah asks Cas how he is, getting the typical Winchester answer in response: “Fine.” She replies, “You say you’re fine, but you don’t look fine.” This is another example of Hannah’s lack of knowledge about humanity mirroring season four Castiel, and he explains the custom of not commenting on appearance for her just as the Winchesters have done for him.
After a moment’s silence, Hannah adds, “I’m sorry. I just can’t see how Sam Winchester could ask you to drive all this way to help with his brother knowing your condition.” The comment 
makes little sense to me, unless it’s intended as another indication of the angels-trump-humans mindset. After all, in “Black” (10×1), Hannah rousts Castiel from his sickbed to help corral rogue angels, and unlike Sam, whom we learn doesn’t fully understand Cas’s condition, Hannah did and does. I also question how she’s overlooking that Cas gave up an entire army for Dean – after that, his willingness to undertake a road trip regardless of his health should be a given. Rather than get defensive, though, Castiel simply explains, “[Sam] didn’t have to ask. Sam is alone in this, he’s attempting to change Dean from demon to human by the cure of sanctified blood but there’s no guarantee that will work. If it doesn’t, then Dean is gone and the demon must be dealt with.” Cas leaves unspoken the fact that Sam may very well not be able to handle killing Dean in that situation, and it’s clear that nothing will dissuade Cas from being there for his friends, no matter what the outcome.
At the bunker, Sam continues with the cure. While Sam is concerned each time Dean reacts badly, he also isn’t convinced that the demon’s not “just messing” with him. Taking advantage of the brothers’ fraught relationship, demon Dean goes on the verbal attack, claiming that “the lore…hunters…men of letters” is all a “load of crap.” Sam doesn’t believe that Dean thinks this, though his brother promises that this is “the new real me – the me that sees things for what they really are.” He even mocks their “saving people, hunting things” legacy: “Winchesters. Do-gooders. Fighting the natural order. Let me tell you something: Guys like me? We are the natural order. It’s the way things were set up.”
There have been repeated hints to the lengths Sam went to in order to locate Dean, and in “Soul Survivor,” at least part of the story is revealed. Dean gloats, “Crowley told me all about it” and asks, “so which one of us is really the monster?” A flashback tells part of the story: Sam is the one who enabled Lester’s crossroads deal (10×2). Sam had been trying to summon various demons but, on Crowley’s orders, got no response. He met Lester who was complaining about his destroyed 
marriage and desire for revenge against his cheating wife. Sam informs him that revenge is possible and helps him summon a crossroads demon, while Sam hides nearby, waiting to capture it. When Dar (Raquel Riskin) appears, Lester makes the deal and seals it with a kiss before Sam can stop him. The flashback then does provide some of the context missing from the scene in “Black,” where Sam tortures Dar. Now, I’m wondering if her comment about Sam being “one of us” (10×1) refers to him enabling crossroads deals?
Setting up a soul trade is appalling, but Sam didn’t intend for the deal to actually go through. It was Lester who finished it, so is this truly the act that Demon Dean suggests makes Sam the “monster”? Even though Sam has arguably committed worse transgressions in the past? Or is there still more to be revealed about Sam’s search and perhaps Lester is only a tiny part? When Dean informs Sam that he personally killed Lester, he also comments that Mindy married the “tattooed” guy, but time-wise, how is that possible? Lester wanted Mindy killed to avoid the division of property required by divorce, so either there’s a mistake in the timeline or the passage of time hasn’t been depicted well. (If it’s the latter, then poor Cas has been on the longest roadtrip from North Dakota ever.)
Regardless of timeline confusion, Dean articulates an issue that the Winchesters and Castiel have grappled with for seasons now: “That line that we thought was so clear between us and the things that we hunted ain’t so clear is it?” And after Dean receives yet another injection, he asks a question that makes me wonder who’s speaking – Demon Dean, just Dean, or an amalgamation of the two: “Let me ask you this, Sammy. If this doesn’t work, we both know what you gotta do to me, right? You got the stomach for that, Sam?” Though Sam doesn’t answer, he doesn’t have to. Dean already knows.
The next scene reveals Crowley’s throne room. He learns that Castiel is losing strength, and he comments, “Borrowed grace does have a puny shelf life. Castiel should have read the warning label. Follow him and keep me informed as to his decline.” As in season eight, I’m wondering just where the King of Hell’s knowledge about angelic things comes from. Crowley rose to power fairly recently, and if Cas didn’t know the dangers of borrowed grace, how does Crowley? The mention of Castiel has Crowley reminiscing about Dean, and the images are interesting: a post-coital Dean unashamed of being found in Crowley’s bed, the Jerk/Bitch exchange, the foosball game, and Crowley telling Dean that “together we create the perfect hell.” Crowley’s trip down memory lane is interrupted by a demon 
volunteering to be his new “wingman.” Unfortunately for the demon, he insults Dean when he does: “I can debauch by your side without being a personal embarrassment. You’ll see what I’m worth.” Crowley cocks his eyebrow in that way that always spells trouble, and remarks, “Oh, I can see already,” before snapping his fingers and turning the demon to dust. (And when did Crowley acquire that ability?)
While Crowley holds court, Cas deals with yet another delay on his journey: He and Hannah are lost. Echoing early Castiel again, Hannah complains that cars are “confining and primitive” (5×10). Cas is visibly ill, and Hannah reminds him that they know a solution, but he again refuses the idea of killing another angel or going to Metatron. Hannah grabs Cas’s hand, and Cas looks uncomfortable, but before he has to say anything, Sam calls. Sam’s afraid the blood cure is killing Dean, but Cas reminds him that there’s no other option and that “He’s not your brother, at least not now. You have to be prepared for…” Sam finishes before Cas can: “for killing my brother.” Cas says nothing else about it, only promises to be there soon. Sam says that he’ll leave the entry unlocked and tells Cas to hurry.
In the bunker, Sam rouses an unconscious Dean. When Dean speaks, at first it’s as if Demon Dean and Dean are separate: “There’s no point in trying to bring your brother back…Your guilt-ridden, weight of the world bro has been MIA for quite some time now. But I’m loving the new model. Lean, mean Dean.” Then, though, his phrasing shifts, and he speaks personally to Sam, “You notice I tried to get as far away from you as possible… I chose the King of Hell over you. Maybe I was just tired of babysitting you… my mother would still be alive if it wasn’t for you. It’s your very existence that sucked the life out of my life.” There’s no denying the harshness of what Dean’s saying, and Sam resists listening with, “This isn’t my brother talking.” Dean retorts, “You never had a brother, just an excuse for not manning up. Well guess what, I quit.” In an interesting role reversal, Sam uses the “family is all we’ve ever had” approach, which Dean shrugs off with, “Well then we’ve got nothing.” Even when Sam invokes John Winchester, Dean counters that John brainwashed them. Sam, frustrated but not giving up, delivers another injection: “This is me yanking your lame ass out of the fire. You’re welcome.”
At court, Crowley’s still meting out punishment to Abaddon supporters and other traitors. Bored, he rattles off to one accused, “You’re guilty of something which I won’t tolerate – whatever it was. You are condemned to –” But, here, a minion interrupts. “This is your idea of ruling? We’ve killed 
and tortured for you… tempted and tormented with distinction. And for all this? What’s our reward? A slap in the face.” The minion pulls out a canister of flammable liquid and continues hurling accusations: “You disappear, binge on blood, approach the edge of becoming human. Salt in the wound? You run off with your boytoy Dean Winchester and now he’s running amok and you can’t control him or the kingdom. You’ve squandered our loyalty.” The minion refuses to “live in the hell” that Crowley’s made and sets himself on fire. Crowley watches rather disinterestedly and simply remarks, “Did not see that coming. Huh.”
Cas stops at a gas station to refuel, and he takes the opportunity to talk to Hannah. “This road we’re on, it’s dangerous. We can’t afford to lose our way.” Hannah apologizes about the map, and Cas tries again. “No detours of any kind,” he emphasizes. She realizes that he’s speaking in metaphors and asks him to be clear. Finally, he is: “This mission – It’s everything… Getting to Dean, hunting these rogues… we need total focus…I’ve been around humans long enough to see how easily distractions occur.” “Distractions,” Hannah repeats. Castiel adds, “Emotions, feelings –they’re dangerous temptations…I’m trying to keep our priorities clear.” Hannah assures him that she’s clear on her priorities, as well as his. She then enters the store and discovers the clerk has been killed by an angel. Cas finishes refueling and comes in to pay, but Adina is holding Hannah at knifepoint. An argument ensues and Adina throws Hannah into shelving, somehow immobilizing the angel. (Hannah’s grace isn’t fading, so why doesn’t she heal instantly?) Adina then attacks Castiel, throwing him through the glass door.
While Sam waits on Cas’s arrival and continues dealing with Dean’s aggression, he revisits his brother’s bedroom, taking stock of the books, papers, porn, and a piece of pie that – amazingly – hasn’t molded. The room is messy, indicative of Dean’s state of mind the last time he was there, but seeing his brother’s stuff seems to reassure Sam. He picks up the pie, presumably to trash it, and discovers family photos in a notebook. I appreciate the intended sentiment, but the repurposed behind-the-scenes pictures lessened the impact for me. I’d have preferred just seeing the image of Mary that Dean set so carefully on his desk when he first moved in (8×14).
Adina has left a battered Castiel near-unconscious in the dirt; he blearily registers that Crowley has 
arrived when the demon greets him with his typical snark: “Hey champ. Look at you. Talk about roadkill.” The scene shifts briefly to the bunker, where Sam has just discovered that Dean has escaped, before it returns to Adina and Hannah, who are fighting in the store. Hannah refuses to accept responsibility for Daniel’s death, claiming that he and Adina had killed an angel; “you had to answer for it.” I find this reasoning odd, considering that hours earlier, Hannah was encouraging Castiel to kill an angel for its grace. Adina doesn’t buy Hannah’s logic, arguing that they “wanted nothing but to be left alone.” She’s also crying, which makes me wonder about how angels are adapting after their exposure to humanity?
Crowley surprises Adina from behind, slicing her neck, stealing her grace, and stabbing her as he mutters, “Why can’t you people just sit on clouds and play harps like you’re supposed to?” Hannah, bloody and wounded, stares at the King of Hell, but she doesn’t seem to recognize him, and he essentially ignores her. Meanwhile, Sam wishes his brother would ignore him, but demon Dean is stalking Sam through the bunker in a delightfully chilling sequence. Sam retrieves the electrical room’s keys while Dean’s in the kitchen looking for a weapon; he first picks up a cleaver, but decides on a hammer instead. The weapon’s symbolism immediately brought to mind Dean and Cas’s season four conversation about being a “hammer” (4×7). I really love how Ackles portrays Demon Dean in this sequence, and I wish we’d seen more.
At the gas station, Crowley attempts to feed the grace to Cas, but the fading angel pushes the demon’s hand away. Crowley acknowledges that it’s Adina’s grace, but rationalizes, “Your hands are clean. Much as it pains me to say this, you’re useless to me, dead.” Crowley shrugs off Cas’s hand and releases the grace. (Speaking of, how can Crowley be so close to raw grace?) Crowley announces that Cas owes him, and when Cas asks why Crowley helped him, the demon claims it’s “Purely business. Since you’re five miles away from the Winchester’s clubhouse, I can only surmise that Dean has become a handful. Having him as a demon has caused me nothing but grief. Fix the problem.” Cas cautions that fixing the problem could mean killing Dean, but Crowley scoffs, “I’m not sentimental.” I don’t believe him, and I want to know exactly how many pictures of Dean are on his phone. Cas doesn’t look like he believes him either.
Meanwhile, as Dean searches for Sam, he loudly explains that the blood injections made him human enough that he could escape the cuffs and trap; when he discovers that Sam has already taken the keys to the electrical room, he knows exactly where to go. Sam appears to have finally realized just how dangerous Demon Dean is, though he manages to lock his brother in the room. He pleads, “I know you’re still in there somewhere. Just let me finish the treatments.” Sam can’t break through to Dean, though: “You act like I want to be cured. Personally, I like the disease.” Sam cautions that if Dean won’t stop, he’ll have to use the knife; “I won’t have a choice.”
There are many references to “choice” in this episode, and Demon Dean has made it clear that he has reveled in not agonizing over “choice.” He tells Sam, “I know which [choice] you’ll make… But see, here’s the thing. I’m lucky. Hell, I’m blessed. Because there’s just enough demon left in me to kill you – ain’t no choice at all.” With that, Sam runs as Dean breaks through the door; the oldest Winchester pauses a moment to fix his hair before continuing after his brother, bellowing, “C’mon Sammy…I’m tired of playing. Let’s finish this game.”
Sam narrowly avoids what would surely have been a fatal blow to the head when Dean sneaks up behind him. Sam holds Ruby’s knife to Dean’s throat, and Dean lets go of the hammer. He taunts Sam, “Well, look at you. Do it. It’s all you.” For a second, I wondered if the “real” Dean did want Sam to kill him – but then I remembered Cole. The memory of killing Dean would torture Sam, though I’m also guessing that Dean wouldn’t stay dead because of the Mark. Sam hesitates; Dean’s eyes flash black, and he lunges. But he miraculously doesn’t reach Sam because, suddenly, Cas is there, arms wrapped securely around Dean’s chest and holding him fast. Cas says, “It’s over. Dean, it’s over.” Cas’s eyes shine with grace light while Dean screams and yells, so some amount of angelic energy is being expended to quell Dean’s demon. I really love the phenomenal image of angeled-up Cas restraining demon-ed Dean.
In the next scene, an unconscious Dean receives another injection as Sam and Cas watch. Sam questions what they’re doing because even after all the human blood, “Dean didn’t want to be cured, didn’t want to be human.” Castiel offers a unique and needed perspective here, and his comments expose his own struggle with human emotions. “Well, I see his point,” he acknowledges. “You know, only humans can feel real joy but also such profound pain. This is easier.” Sam gives Cas a meaningful look but before he can say anything else, Dean begins to rouse. Sam holds the holy water at the ready, and Dean looks up, his eyes black. It’s a chilling sight.
But then his eyes clear to their usual shade of fanfiction green. Dean looks back and forth at Cas and Sam, observing, “You look worried, fellas.” Dean’s expression changes as he takes in the enormity of what’s going on. I do hope that as Dean deals with the aftermath of his walk on the demonic side, he doesn’t become completely mired in guilt (again). A short time later, Cas is in the research room, idly flipping through a book when Sam reports, “[Dean's] a little out of it but better… this whole thing, the blood cure, all of it, really wrecked him.” Sam’s comments about the situation seem off to me; isn’t it to be expected that Dean’s not quite himself? And isn’t he likely more wrecked over the demon part than the blood cure? It quickly becomes clear, though, that Sam is also “wrecked,” and he’s not dealing with the situation in his usual way.
Cas points out that “one problem is solved” but “sooner or later [The Mark of Cain is] going to be an issue.” Normally, Sam would be thinking about contingency plans and/or talking out what’s happened, but this time, he employs Dean’s coping mechanisms: “One battle at a time… I’m going to go grab my brother some cholesterol – and then I’m going to get drunk.” With that, Sam heads out for burgers and (I’m hoping) pie, leaving Cas to look after Dean, who is in his room perusing the same photographs Sam found earlier. When Cas knocks at the door, Dean hides the pictures before answering.
Their conversation is really interesting because, after being the one to explain the human conventions surrounding “I’m fine” to Hannah, here, Cas is the one who doesn’t follow them. However, I think that Cas does so purposefully in order to help set Dean at ease. After all, Castiel has already clearly voiced that not being human is easier than dealing with pain – and these two carry reservoirs of pain and know that about each other. Plus, there’s the whole, grace-hugging the demon out of Dean that just happened, so there are a lot of emotions under the surface for both of them. First, Cas observes bluntly, “You look terrible.” Dean, as always, rolls his eyes and retorts, “It wouldn’t kill you to lie every now and again…” Cas attempts an awkward explanation that ends in Dean’s classic, “Forget it.” He walks over to Cas: “You, on the other hand – looking good. Are you back?” Cas says yes, “at least temporarily,” and offers a brief and disjointed explanation about Crowley and the “female in the car” that only leaves Dean looking confused.
Dean doesn’t seem to doubt where he stands with Cas and thanks him “for stepping in” when he did (“and saving Sam’s life” is unspoken but clear). But he’s insecure about his brother and quips about Sam wanting a divorce, reinforcing that Dean no longer assumes that family bonds are permanent, directly contradicting earlier beliefs (see “Tall Tales” 2×15 for one example). As he’s done so many times before, Castiel attempts to assure Dean: “[Demon Dean] wasn’t really you. Certainly wasn’t all you.” If anyone understands how complicated Dean Winchester is, it’s the angel that gripped him tight and raised him from Perdition (4×1), but still, Dean resists Cas’s comforting words.
Cas reasons with him: “Dean, you two have been through so much. Look, you’re brothers. It’ll take a lot more than trying to kill Sam with a hammer to make him want to walk away.” Dean actually seems to listen –whether he truly believes it yet or not – and responds, “You realize how screwed up our lives are that that even makes sense? [insert pause] I’m glad you’re here, man.” Cas smiles, and his expressions are so very human in this scene that I suspect he exerted quite a bit of his newly-borrowed mojo to de-demonize Dean. All told, this is a touching moment, and while at first I was disappointed by the lack of Demon Dean and Castiel interaction (I was kind of hoping for a smackdown of epic proportions), I really appreciate this scene.
Then, it seems that Cas attempts to protect Dean as Dean tried to protect him at the end of “Heaven Can’t Wait” (9×6). Cas suggests, “Maybe you should take some time before you get back to work, allow yourself to heal…Heaven and hell seem reasonably back in order. It’s quiet out there.” Cas leaves the room before Dean can answer, and the eldest Winchester is left looking a little lost, as if he’s not quite sure what to do next. I feel for Dean here as I did for Cas last season, but I think that this is Cas’s way of giving Dean a rest from the pain and worry that, as a human, Dean can’t avoid. Cas is very aware that both he and Dean are living on borrowed time, so I fully expect that Cas has added “neutralize the Mark of Cain” to his “to-do-before-new-grace-runs-out” list.
The final scene, a teaser for an upcoming arc, reveals that all is not quiet out there. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a woman (presumably Rowena) sits by the fire in a very Masterpiece Theatre-type of scene with bodies of hotel workers pinned to the ceiling directly above her. But was an entire scene necessary to establish that trouble is coming? Personally, I’d have preferred the episode end with Dean alone in his room, grappling with his re-acquired humanity.
There’s a lot of good in “Soul Survivor.” Ackles’s careful direction works well, and the pacing issues that have plagued past Ross-Leming and Buckner episodes aren’t as glaring, though I find the 
incongruous timeline references distracting. I am hoping there’s more to the rogue angel aspect than is currently known because unless Cas is trying to protect humanity from angels (and vice versa) before he dies, I don’t understand that storyline as it’s contrary to everything Cas has fought for. I’m also curious to see how Crowley’s situation develops. Now that he’s forcibly saved Castiel, he’s changed the game board even more – How can Crowley achieve the “perfect hell” if his “boytoy” is human? And how will his minions react to him saving Castiel?
As for the Winchesters, Sam shut down conversation with Cas and avoided it entirely with Dean (assuming he carried through on his intention to get drunk), so I expect that we’ll have some brotherly bonding while issues are, at least temporarily, ignored. But when those issues are discussed, will Dean and Sam actually resolve anything? How is Dean going to deal with life post-demonhood? When will the Mark of Cain rear its ugly head? And when will Team Free Will be reunited? Hopefully we’ll get answers to some of these questions soon.
Next week sees a return to the Monster-of-the-Week format with “Paper Moon.” Supernatural airs on Tuesdays at 9:00 ET on the CW network.
Other notes:
- I love it when Sam corrects Lester’s pronunciation.
- Since Dar held Lester’s deal, if Sam killed her, wouldn’t that cancel the agreement? So did Sam allow Dar to live? Or has Crowley simply re-arranged the routing of crossroads deals?
- Adina says that she’s been tracking Hannah and Cas for days. This is another confusing time reference because unless my estimate’s off, (and tell me if it is) it’s been maybe a week since “Black” concluded (10×1).
- Adina’s comment about heaven is odd. Is she saying that Hannah’s remaking heaven? (In which case, again, what are the latter’s motivations with the rogues and Castiel?) Or is it simply an issue of phrasing?
- It’s interesting to think about Crowley’s comments in “Black” regarding “midwifing” Dean back to life; in a sense, he “midwifes” Castiel here, too. Will these parallels continue? How
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much power does Crowley actually hold over Dean and Cas now? And how does he plan to exert that power? - It makes sense that only Sam and Cas were involved in saving Dean, but why in the world did the storyline leave Hannah in the car during that scene? There were other options – she could’ve gone to a diner, a movie, the public library, etc.
What was your reading of “Soul Survivor?” Share your thoughts in the comments.