TV Review: ‘Supernatural’–‘The Executioner’s Song’

Supernatural’s “The Executioner’s Song” sets a high bar. Penned by Robert Berens and directed by Phil Sgriccia, the exquisitely wrought episode serves up a delicious helping of angst that, ideally, will propel the rest of the season.

The episode begins at a prison in West Livingston, Texas. Death row inmate Tommy Tolliver (Roman Blomme) futilely taunts a guard making his rounds. After the guard leaves, a man, dressed mostly in black, walks down the yellow line, eliminating the lights as he goes. In the security room, the guards witness the cameras malfunction, and it’s as if the man has disappeared – and he has. Cain (Timothy Omundson) is now inside Tommy’s cell.

Cain introduces himself, “I’ve gone by many names in this life. Father of Murder’s one of them.” His tone is different from the quiet man who shucked his own corn and gathered his own honey; something has happened to Cain. It appears that he either has keen researching skills or he’s intuitive because he points out that while Tommy’s admitted to six murders, “By my count, it’s nine.” He tells the man, “I know you’re a killer, just like me.” Tommy lunges to attack Cain but is easily stopped. Cain asks, “Did I come to punish you or save you? The truth is, Tommy, I’m here to do both.” He stabs Tommy, the point of the blade protruding through his back, and they disappear.

Post title card, the Winchesters arrive at the prison, Dean (Jensen Ackles) navigating through the gates and parking while quizzing Sam (Jared Padalecki) about true crime statistics. Dean didn’t know about this particular “hobby” of Sam’s and argues that “collecting serial killer stats…is an illness.” Considering that Cain just recited Tommy’s stats, this is an interesting comment. The brothers are there in the guise of agents to investigate Tommy’s disappearance. The only evidence is a small pool of blood, and Sam distracts the warden while Dean checks for EMF, but all’s clear. Sam asks about the rumors that Tommy pulled a Houdini; the warden says, “There was some kind of magician on the block, but it wasn’t Tommy.”

In the security room, the faux agents are shown the footage from that night. Though the warden says they couldn’t make out the face of the man on film, Dean’s expression suggests that he knows who the culprit is. He asks the guard to zoom in on the head shot; only Cain’s profile is discernible, but that’s all Dean needs. While Dean’s scrutinizing the image, he holds onto his Marked forearm, which Sam notices even if Dean doesn’t.

In an abandoned school, Castiel’s (Misha Collins) cell phone is lying on a table; it rings with a call from Dean, but Castiel doesn’t answer. He’s interrogating a demon, slicing as needed to get him to talk. Finally, the demon admits that Cain’s been seen “making passes through Bog’s Marsh, one county over.” The demon says he doesn’t know why, that “we keep our distance.” Seemingly satisfied that the demon’s told all he knows, Castiel then kills his captive instead of letting him go.

Meanwhile, Crowley (Mark Sheppard) holds court – sort of. He’s playing a game on a hand-held device while a minion complains, “As a crossroads demon, I have received less credit than I am due for soul collections,” belatedly adding “my king” to his statement. When asked, the demon clarifies that he’s “suggesting I get credit…equal credit for equal work.” Crowley agrees but after a muffled comment from Rowena (Ruth Connell), he asks her, “What would you do?” We learned in “About a Boy” that Rowena’s crimes are considered terrible by a Grand Coven that endorses child-eating (10×13). Here, we get a taste of Rowena’s bloodlust: “I’d cut this puling, pathetic, greed grubbing git in two, literally. And then I’d nail his bloody halves to the doors of the court – a reminder to all not to waste the king’s time. Whiners beget whiners….” Then Rowena turns her advice personal, pointing out this the reasoning behind restricting Fergus’s sweets as a child when he was a bit of a “bloater.” Crowley eyes his mother and then decrees, “Let’s do what she said.” His decision gets him a proud “That’s my boy” from Rowena.

Back in their hunter garb, the Winchesters have stopped along the road; Dean is getting food from a food truck and calling Castiel while Sam stays in the car and researches Tommy. According to Dean, “Cas is still not answering.” Sam’s uncovered that Tommy’s father, Leon, also a convicted felon, has been missing for a week. Dean questions if Cain has a vendetta against the entire family when Castiel returns his call. Dean puts him on speaker.

The scene shifts to Castiel, who’s in Illinois. When Sam tells him that Tommy’s missing, Cas says that Tommy’s dead. When they ask how he knows, Cas – who’s holding Tommy’s tennis shoe in his hand – dryly responds, “Call it an educated guess.” Castiel drops the shoe and stands, and that’s when we see that he’s standing in the midst of a burial ground littered with freshly dug graves. It’s a chilling scene, accompanied by a haunting breeze that leaves Castiel looking unnerved. Dean’s just asked, “Where are you? We’ll come to you,” but Cas abruptly tells him, “I’ll call you back.” He ends the call – to Dean’s annoyance – and pockets the phone. The angel turns and sees Cain, who delivers a friendly phrase ominously: “Hello, Castiel.” Cain and Castiel seem familiar with one another, and I want the details – like, now.

Cas asks, “What have you done?” Cain answers, “These bodies? Just cleaning up a mess I made a long time ago.” Castiel counters: “Cain, I know what you were, but you’d resisted for so long.” Cain explains that when he took up arms again against Abaddon’s army, “I liked how it felt.” Cas points out a key difference: “Those were demons. These—” He trails off, and Cain, who’s crouched down to pick up a muddy teddy bear, finishes for him: “—Humans. Well. The Mark thirsts for all kinds.” Omundson is so magnetic as Cain that it’s easy to forget that the character is, in fact, the Father of Murder, but the image of Cain cavalierly speaking of killing while holding a victim’s toy reinforces his fearsomeness. (Fewer MOTW and more myth-arc episodes would have also strengthened the overall arc’s crescendo, I think.)

Castiel angrily points out the obvious, “This is a massacre.” Cain agrees and explains what he’s doing: “Yes. And soon, it will be a genocide. My children, my whole poisoned issue, a lot of them out there right now – killers, fighters, thieves – some are more peaceful than others, but they still carry it – the disease. If the Mark wants blood, I’ll give it mine.” Castiel questions, “You’ll kill them all? You were Adam and Eve’s firstborn. Your descendants are legion.” Cain’s nonplussed; “At most I’m culling 1 in 10.” Castiel asks, with some disbelief, “Of everyone?”

Cain says, “I’ve got time.” Then he asks, “How’s Dean, by the way? I hear he did good, took Abaddon down.” The way Cain asks the question and speaks of Dean doing “good” suggests a familial connection there, a point of pride perhaps, in Dean being his descendant. Cas’s concern for Dean is evident in his expression, and Cain picks up on it immediately: “He’s not well.” Cas admits, “Even with the First Blade hidden, Dean is losing his fight against the Mark. If we don’t find a cure…” Cain says, “There is no cure. I’m living proof of that.” He assures the angel, “But don’t worry about Dean. I’ll get to him, in due time.” Up to this point, Castiel, though disapproving of Cain, has attempted reason, but once Dean’s threatened, the angel blade comes out. Cain notices and smirks, “Sorry, Castiel. You’re not on my list.” He disappears, leaving Cas alone among the mass graves.

In hell, Rowena takes a moment to ask Crowley for help against Olivet, a witch who led the charge against Rowena and has come back to the States and, “Now would be an excellent time to strike.” Crowley congratulates her on running a long con but advises her she should wait longer after “uncharacteristic usefulness” before trying to procure favors. Rowena scoffs at Crowley’s accusation of manipulation: “Of course I was manipulating you. I am your mother after all. Manipulation’s who we are.” She asks him if it matters if she had a motive, “We had fun today, didn’t we?” Crowley answers it was “fine,” and Rowena tells him they could do even more if they worked together. But instead of agreeing, Crowley walks off, leaving his mother alone in the hallway.

Castiel has joined the Winchesters at the bunker and told them about his encounter with Cain. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring better news, Dean,” he says. “It’s not your fault, Cas,” Dean responds, though Castiel doesn’t look as if he believes that. It’s interesting to me how much weight is put upon Castiel’s demeanor in this episode; at times, Collins doesn’t have dialogue, but his expressions speak volumes, particularly in the scenes with the brothers, when Dean and Sam are debating their next steps.

Sam’s discovered that Cain is wiping out entire families and has tracked down Tommy’s estranged son, twelve-year-old Austin Reynolds, to Ohio. According to social media, as of an hour ago, the boy was alive and updating his status. Sam expresses disbelief that Cain would kill a child, but Cas assures that Cain would, and as Dean points out, “It’s a fire sale. Everyone must go.” Dean announces he’s going because the “…kid’s in danger…I’ll do what I have to do. I’ll kill Cain.” The line “I’ll do what I have to” echoes last season’s mantra and continues to serve as Dean’s perennial party line.

In his bedroom, Dean’s taking firearms off the wall and loading his bag when Sam and Cas come into the room. Sam doesn’t accept that Dean “has” to do this, and Castiel looks conflicted, caught between his own desire to protect Dean and his understanding of Dean’s situation. Dean’s resigned, though: “When he gave me the Mark, Cain said this day would come, that after I killed Abaddon I would have to come and put him down… He wasn’t mad then.” From Dean’s perspective, “Cain resisted the mark for a long time. Then I came kicking up trouble about the Blade. I sent him down this path. This is on me.”

Castiel displays a range of emotions (watch 19:07 to :28) as the brothers debate what is and isn’t Dean’s responsibility. I don’t believe that Castiel wants to agree with Dean; I feel certain he would prefer protecting his friend. Castiel remains silent while Sam protests that Dean doesn’t have to be the one to kill Cain, but after Dean says that he must wield the Blade, Cas steps forward, towards Dean. In a moment that reminds me heartbreakingly of the promise Dean extracted in “The Things They Left Behind,” Cas sides with Dean, though he gives Sam a sorrowful look as he says, “Dean’s right.” It’s a fraught moment, and Sam still tries to convince Dean, pointing out, “Win or lose, you may never come back from that fight.” Dean looks at Sam and then Cas before acknowledging, “I know.” And he does; it’s why he asked Castiel to “take him out” if he goes darkside and to not let Sam “get in the way because he’ll try” (10×9).

The storyline then diverts back to Rowena and Crowley. She’s talking strategy to get past Olivet’s security using the Rune of Amaranth. Crowley comments, “Illusion work. Smart.” His phone rings, the display revealing it’s a call from “Not Moose.” Dean tells Crowley that Cain’s “gone dark, and I need the Blade.” Crowley questions why he should give it to him. Dean has an answer: “Because you have as much reason to want Cain off the board as anyone. Cain has a kill list, and you’re on it.” Dean’s face wears his classic “is he buying this” expression, but Crowley can’t see that. Is Crowley touched by the idea that Dean’s sort-of protecting him, too? Or is Crowley solely out for avoiding his own showdown with Cain?

Regardless, the King of Hell says yes when Dean asks, “What do you say Crowley? You in?” Crowley shelves his mother’s plan, telling her, “It’s not happening, not today…Olivet can wait. This can’t.” Rowena disagrees and is seemingly appalled when she sees Crowley retrieve the Blade (Really? All the security in hell and it’s in a cabinet?) She asks if he’s giving it to his “wee pal, the Winchester boy” and questions, “You’d give that to the one person who can harness its power against you?” She’s undeterred by his claim that Cain’s a common enemy and points out that Dean threatens his credibility. Rowena asks, “You honestly believe that they’re your friends, that they care about you?” Crowley slams the door as he leaves.

In Ohio, Castiel is patrolling the property and confirms for Dean and Sam that Austin is in the barn playing basketball. Dean notes that they don’t know when Cain will strike, just that he will. Sam realizes that Dean and Cas are using the boy as bait and says, “I thought this was a rescue mission.” Crowley arrives in the middle of their disagreement, and while Crowley agrees with Sam that he can’t believe what he’s hearing, the demon clarifies that he doesn’t care about the kid, just the risk to “us.” Dean corrects Crowley, “There is no us.” After an awkward moment, Crowley states that because their plan is two-step, he’ll only give Dean the Blade after Cain’s captured. Then he redirects the conversation: “Now, back to this plan of yours.”

Sometime later, Sam is watching Austin play ball through the barn window. Dean approaches, and Sam asks, “….If we capture Cain, then what?” In a concise tie-in to last week’s ending scene, and a clarification in case anyone misunderstood what he meant then, Dean says, “You know last week when I said that I would go down swinging when the time came? I meant that. I was at peace with that. I just didn’t realize the time would come so soon – like right now.” He admits to his brother, “I’m scared, Sam.” Dean’s expression reflects the anguish he’s unfortunately dealt with before, most specifically in season three, when he dealt with the ramifications of his crossroads deal. Though Ackles’s portrayal goes a long way in demonstrating Dean’s grief, considering the characters history with hell, torture, and demonhood, I wish there had been more shared to build up this point over the past several episodes.

Presumably an hour or so later, Austin comes out of the barn; a loud noise has him removing his earbuds and calling out, “Someone there?” Cain’s arrived, and he greets the child in a frightening way: “Hello, Austin…I’m here to kill you.” Castiel appears and says, “No, you won’t,” and orders the kid to run. Castiel summons his angel mojo, and his eyes glow blue as he beams a burst a power at Cain. When it does nothing but blow Cain’s hair, Castiel looks surprised. Then, with a small motion, Cain disarms Castiel and, with another, throws him through a fence. He strides past Cas’s crumpled form, side-eyeing the angel.

Sam has taken Austin into the barn and shut its doors, but that doesn’t deter Cain, who simply appears inside. Austin says, “Please don’t.” Cain’s speculatively watching Sam, as if he already knows what’s going on, and he stabs Austin, who disappears in a puff of purple smoke. “Illusion spell,” Cain comments without surprise. “Oh, yeah,” Sam says smugly. “Real Austin is long gone.” Cain notes that the spell is eighteenth century magic, likely the rune of amaranth; it’s obvious that Cain expects Crowley’s involvement, and the King appears, commenting that the spell is “something I picked up from my mother.” Sam actually gives Crowley a small smile when the demon joins him at the door, and I wonder if the demon protecting Austin from being used as live bait will have an effect on their future interactions.

Cain’s not surprised by the deceit, and he’s certainly not afraid, though he knows the same can’t be said for them. “I know you fear me,” he observes. “I can only assume—” Cain toes at the straw, revealing the devil’s trap beneath. “Aw. Clever. Won’t hold me for long, you know.” Sam replies, “Won’t need to.” Crowley and Sam leave the barn, and Cain sees Dean standing outside the door. The two Marked ones share a long look until Sam shuts the barn door. Cain begins surveying the limitations of the trap. But how Cain is being held? Castiel spoke as if the demons were separate from Cain, and we never see his eyes flash black. Dean broke free of the demon traps in the bunker after injections of human blood, but if Cain is demon, then why will the trap only hold him temporarily? What, exactly, is Cain?

Outside the barn, an injured Castiel joins Crowley, Sam, and Dean. When Sam asks if he’s okay, Cas answers like a Winchester, “Fine. It worked?” Now that Cain’s captured, Dean says it’s “my turn.” Sam tells his brother again, “we want to help.” Sam only seems to use the “we” in direct reference to himself and Castiel, not Crowley. Dean turns the offer down, citing that “you’d just be a liability.” “Dean,” Cas interjects. But Dean looks at his friend: “I’d be too worried about what he could to to you—“ Dean then looks at Sam, “Or what I could.” He adds, “Plus, I need you three out here to take out whatever comes out of there, and I’m serious, whatever comes out.” Dean says “you three,” but seems to be solely looking between Sam and Cas, and his ragged breathing underscores how difficult and terrifying all of this is.

Crowley promises, “Happily.” Castiel squares his jaw, and Dean glares at the demon. Is this scene an example of Crowley not quite understanding cues? Or does he understand them all too well? Dean holds his hand out for the Blade, and Crowley asks, “What guarantee do I have that you’ll give [the Blade] back?” The staging is interesting here as the camera shifts and suddenly Dean’s on the left side of the screen, and the other three look closer together. Dean voices the reason that Sam and Cas look fearful, “I survive, and I come out of there, and I don’t give it back? You’ll all have a much bigger problem on your hands.” Crowley’s expression suggests he understands that too, and he hands over the Blade. When Dean takes it in hand, red rivulets begin running up his hand, and Dean seems to exert effort to resist its thrall. Dean smiles at them once more and goes up to the barn.

Cain greets his progeny-of-sorts familiarly. “Hello, Dean. At a loss for words, my son? Allow me. This is the part where you tell me it’s not too late, that I can lay down arms, abandon my mission, we don’t have to fight.” Perhaps that was the plan, but now, Dean goes with, “I’ll spare us the formalities. You’re past talking down. Cain, you’re fully mental.” Cain disagrees, arguing, “I’ve finally gotten clear. When I made my bargain with Lucifer, killed Abel, I released a stain upon the earth, a stain deeper and far more lasting than mere precedence.” Dean clarifies, “Your bloodline is tainted, so you say.” “So I know,” Cain says. “…extinguishing them is the least I owe this world. Can you honestly tell me that humanity’s not better off with fewer Tommys… fewer yous?” Dean’s expression here is heartbreaking because this has always been his internal struggle: Does he do enough good to balance out the bad? Is he worth it? (Yes, Dean, a thousand times yes.)

In typical Dean fashion, he doesn’t speculate aloud about his own worth, instead focusing on Austin and questioning Cain’s reasoning on that point. “What about the kid?” Cain has an answer, though: “Could go either way. I prefer to be thorough.” Then Cain asks the important question, “How does it feel, Dean, holding the Blade again?” Dean’s answer here is another oft-repeated bit of dialogue: “It feels like a means to an end.” Dean steps into the circle, and an annoyed-looking Cain says, “Then do it.” And Dean does, taking the first swing in what has to be one of Supernatural’s best fight scenes ever. Cain seems to be toying with Dean, easily deflecting his hits, and he finally comments, “That seems a bit weaker than I would expect from you with the Blade.” Dean hits him. “I think you can do better. Unless –” Dean punches him and staggers away; Cain stands and brushes his hair back before pointing at Dean: “You’re holding back… You think if you hold back just enough you won’t succumb? That you’ll leave this fight the same that you entered?” Cain throws Dean to the floor. “Look to my example, boy. There is no resisting the Mark or the Blade. There is only remission and relapse. “ He throws a punch that knocks Dean to the floor again.

Dean manages to stand, saying, “You told me that this day would come. You told me that I would have to kill you.” “Is that so?,” Cain asks. This time, he uses his power to fling Dean across the room. “I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood my intentions here, Dean. When your pet angel found my burial site, I thought about ending him, about swatting him like a fly. Then I thought about you, your biggest weakness – I noticed the moment I met you – your courage, your reckless bravado. I let him go, knowing that he would report back to you, knowing that you would bring into battle the one thing that could kill me, the one thing I truly want. “ Dean lunges for the Blade, but Cain calls it to his hand, and Dean falls flat. As red rivulets run up Cain’s arm, Cain holds it aloft and says, “Oh, it’s been too long.”

I love this scene, as much for its fierceness as its ambiguity. The Cain who Dean met in season nine would have wanted death; he seemed genuine in his conversation with and admiration of Dean (9×11), but was he? Or has Cain truly suffered a break because he no longer has Collette to temper his rage and the loss of her and Abel is too much for him to bear? I’m not entirely sure what I believe yet, and that’s mainly because of what happens next.

Cain muses, “That old feeling, makes me wonder how I ever had the strength to resist.” Dean’s trying to sneak up on him, but Cain grabs him by the throat. “This may be hard to believe in light of what I’m about to do to you, but I care about you Dean, I truly do. I know I’m doing you a favor. I’m saving you.” Dean asks, “Saving me from what?” Cain’s answer? “From your fate.”

Cain asks, “Has it never occurred to you, have you never mused upon the fact that you’re living my life in reverse? My story began when I killed my brother and that’s where your story inevitably will end.” Dean denies this: “No, never.” Cain shrugs off Dean’s protests. “It’s called the Mark of Cain for a reason,” and he outlines what awaits Dean if he lives: “First – first, you’d kill Crowley. There’d be some strange mixed feelings on that one, but you’d have your reason, you’d get it done, no remorse. And then you’d kill the angel Castiel – now that one, that I suspect would hurt something awful.” Cain drops on top of Dean, who’s battered and on the floor. He holds the First Blade to Dean’s neck and continues: “And then, then would come the murder that you’d never survive, the one that would finally turn you into as much of a savage as it did me…Your brother Sam. The only thing standing between you and that destiny is this Blade. You’re welcome, my son.”

Despite being told that if he lives, his fate includes killing the two people who love him and dragged him back from the edge of darkness (9×7), Dean fights back when Cain raises his arm to plunge in the Blade; retrieving Cain’s spare knife, Dean, in a Star Wars-esque move, chops off Cain’s hand. Shocked, Cain falls off of Dean, holding his bleeding arm. Dean gets up and retrieves the First Blade. Battered and bloody, Dean practically pleads with Cain, “Tell me I don’t have to do this. Tell me that you’ll stop. Tell me that you can stop.” Dean’s desperate, but Cain denies him even a scrap of hope.

Cain answers, “I will never stop.” The Father of Murder waits as Dean walks behind him. Dean looks broken; Cain bows his head. After a long moment, Dean raises the Blade and yells; the camera zooms out here, and we see Cain, head still bowed, waiting on the blow. He looks as if he’s praying. Dean brings the Blade down, and there’s a squelchy sound, as if the First Blade goes into Cain’s flesh – but there is no light, and no body is shown. However, thunder echoes in the distance as Dean retracts the Blade, and perhaps that will prove to be a concrete sign of Cain’s death.

Dean leaves the barn, walking down the stairs to where Sam, Cas, and Crowley are waiting. I would have loved seeing their reactions as Dean and Cain fought; though they couldn’t see anything, they must have heard the yelling, breaking, and crashing. Dean looks exhausted and worn, and Sam, Crowley, and Cas are standing in that order, as if they’re not quite sure what they’re dealing with yet. Sam asks, “Dean?” Then, Crowley says, “Dean – Blade?” and holds out his hand. Castiel remains conspicuously silent and wary. Dean looks down at his shaking right hand, which still holds the bloody Blade. He walks towards Crowley, who appears apprehensive until Dean flips the Blade handle up. Dean watches Cas as he walks, and though the hunter comes to a stop in front of the King of Hell, instead of handing him the Blade, he hands it off to the angel. After Cas takes the Blade, he moves to stand beside Dean.

Crowley accuses Dean of lying, and Dean doesn’t dispute it. Instead, he makes it worse, revealing, “It’s not the first time today. Cain’s list? You weren’t on it.” Castiel watches the conversation between Dean and Crowley carefully; this is another moment where he has no dialogue, but Cas’s expressions are telling. Then Crowley simply disappears. Dean starts to say something to his brother but instead collapses. Sam catches him, and reassures his brother, saying, “Hey, you did it.” Dean looks up at the barn, where Cain’s body presumably remains, and Dean’s expression leaves me questioning what happened after Dean stabbed Cain. Did he truly kill him? Or did something else happen? What does that expression mean?

Back in hell, Rowena’s waiting for Crowley’s return. I wonder if she cast another eavesdropping spell because she seems to already know what’s happened. Regardless, Rowena’s ready for this confrontation. Her bags are packed, and she’s ostensibly waiting to leave, though Crowley calls her on this being “another petty manipulation.” He asks her outright, “What do you want from me?” Rowena tearfully shares her pride in him becoming King of Hell all on his own, but says that she’s disappointed by his actions, that it’s heartbreaking to see “what a colossal numbnut” he’s becoming. She says, “You’re no king – not anymore. You’re their bitch.” His mother stalks off but leaves her bags behind. Will Crowley take his mother’s words to heart? Will he accept Dean’s rejection this time?

The episode’s final scene occurs in the bunker’s kitchen. Dean, battered and bruised, is drinking coffee, and Ackle’s achingly conveys Dean’s broken-ness. Sam comes in and pours himself some coffee. Somewhat nervously, he says, “What you did back there? It was incredible.” He sits across from Dean and adds hopefully, “If you can do that without losing yourself, that’s cause for hope even without a cure.” Dean huffs a small laugh and responds ambivalently, “Yeah, maybe.” Just then, Cas enters the room; he looks at Sam first, then Dean – and this seems significant to me. Does Cas suspect, or even know, that Dean is changed from his encounter with Cain? Dean asks where the Blade is, and Cas answers, “Somewhere safe.” Dean nods, “Good.”

Dean excuses himself to “go sleep for about four days.” Sam responds, “Of course,” and smiles reassuringly as his brother walks away. Cas also gives him a soft look, and Dean clasps Cas’s shoulder as he walks past his friend. Is Dean grounding himself or reassuring Castiel or both? When Dean steps out of the kitchen, he has an odd expression that I can’t decipher – does Dean know he’s changed and is trying to hide it? Or is he simply shattered and unable to deal with their concern? Either way, Castiel turns and watches as Dean walks away before turning back to Sam. I presume Cas hid the Blade elsewhere and has only just arrived at the bunker because otherwise his subsequent question makes no sense: “How is he?” Cas seems to already have his thoughts on the matter but wants Sam’s gauge of the situation; Sam, teary-eyed, answers, “Cas, Dean’s in trouble.”

I love myth-arc episodes, and “The Executioner’s Song” is definitely at the top of my “favorites” list for season ten. Ackles particularly delivers Dean’s anguish and fear well in this episode, and Padalecki shows Sam’s concern believably. Much of Collins’s portrayal lies in physical nuance, and he expresses the angel’s emotions poignantly,  while Sheppard and Connell are their usual wonderfully snarky selves. I have so many questions, though: Cain repeatedly calls Dean “son,” so will the “son” assume (willingly or no) the “father’s” title? Has he already? If not, what will it mean for Dean to continue as the Marked “Son of Murder”? Will Castiel’s energy rebound from what he expended against Cain? Will his dwindling grace-refill, courtesy of Crowely (and a gift I doubt the King will offer again), become a factor before season’s end? And what about the extreme measures Sam supposedly went to in the lapse between seasons nine and ten – will they come back to haunt him?

Cain explicitly says that Dean is living is life in reverse, making Crowley his Abaddon, Castiel his Collette, and Sam his Abel. If Dean fulfills Fate, then he’ll be a savage murderer, haunted by the deaths of Cas and especially Sam, for the rest of his days. That’s a bleak picture, but luckily, these guys have torn the book up before, and they’ll do it again…but how exactly will this unfold? I envision Sam and Cas working together, as they did earlier this season, to bring Dean down if/when he (again) goes darkside, but what choices will the two have to make to get there? And will all three survive? (Note to Show: They’d better.)

As for Crowley, despite his exhibitions of human responses, like offering an illusion spell that keeps Austin out of danger and appearing hurt after Dean’s rejection, his advice to Rowena about how to play a “long con” seems pointed. Is Rowena even the one running the real con here? Does Crowley know that witchcraft can control Demon!Dean? Their partnership went kaput before because Crowley couldn’t control Dean – what would happen if he could? Even in this excellent episode, the hell storyline feels a bit disjointed, particularly regarding Rowena’s machinations against Olivet, so if there’s not a significant intersection, I’m rather at a loss as to how it will proceed. Since Crowley’s introduction, I’ve always loved to hate the character, and it’s difficult for me to view him as a sympathetic character, despite his friendly-ish behaviors at times. I really want to see all the Crowley and Rowena potential come to evilly lovely fruition, but we’re moving into the last third of the season. Will it happen? Or will Sam simply connect Cain’s comment about eighteenth-century magic and foster (much more tenuous) storyline intersections that way?

However the various storylines unfold, “The Executioner’s Song” bequeathed a haunting narrative that will have fandom speculating madly over the upcoming mini-hellatus. New episodes of Supernatural return March 18, 2015, when the show makes its permanent move to Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on the CW network. In the meantime, what did you think of the episode and what are your speculations about the season’s direction? Share in the comments below.