Supernatural rounds out season 11’s three-episode opening arc with “The Bad Seed.” The episode, written by Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming, is directed by Jensen Ackles, who portrays Dean Winchester.
The episode opens with Rowena (Ruthie Connell) attempting to recruit three witches to leave the crumbling Grand Coven to join her own “Mega Coven.” One witch accuses her of simply looking for protection from “hunter Winchesters”; another taunts that Rowena doesn’t “have the guts or the chops to pull this off.”
Rowena counters that she killed her own son, Crowley (Mark Sheppard), and used an angel to do it. But one of the witches says that a friend made a deal with Crowley just the other day. To make matters worse, the witches call Rowena delusional, and it’s then that she takes action, casting a spell that explodes them into bloody dust. Rowena then screams in frustration because Crowley lives.
After the title card, we once again see Dean’s Darkness flashback. Sam (Jared Padalecki) gets Dean’s attention; he can’t find anyone reporting anything odd the day Amara disappeared. I enjoy any scenes we get of Team Free Will, especially in the bunker, and I appreciate this one. Dean and Sam are researching, and Castiel (Misha Collins) is wrapped in a blanket nearby, seemingly himself mentally, though he looks wan and weary from the spell. That he’s chained reinforces that he’s still a danger.
What’s odd to me about this scene is that there’s so much repetitive information – from the explanation about the Darkness to Dean explaining that Cas is chained because he’s “a bit of a wildcard” under the spell. Huh? Castiel came to the Winchesters for help; he knows he’s a danger. There’s also the moment where Dean uses Cas’s own words (11×2) to describe the spell as “digging deeper.” Sam then explains to Cas that they hoped his “angel wiring” would head off part of the spell –but I’m pretty sure the angel already knows that? Is this all for the audience’s sake? Still, I appreciate the Team Free Will scene and hope we see many more this season.
Meanwhile, Crowley’s minions have found Rowena, and he orders that she be killed. Crowley is occupied with managing Amara’s care and keeping her isolated from any but his influence. Nanny has the young girl watching a translation of Hitler’s Nuremberg speeches. Crowley speaks in a fatherly way, telling her, “I want you to be happy in your new home.” Amara says, “I just want you to save me, from Him.” Him, of course, is God, and Amara remembers that he tricked her and sealed her away. Crowley, ever conniving, asks, “How exactly did he manage that?” But the little girl doesn’t want to talk about it, so he focuses on reassuring her that he is the one who can protect her from that “rascally deity.”
Rowena is out recruiting for her would-be Mega Coven. It’s only when she reveals that she has The Book of the Damned that either witch expresses interest. Just then, Crowley’s minion attacks. He kills one of the witches, but Rowena gets away by bespelling furniture to block the exit after she departs.
Back at the bunker, Dean’s calling Crowley, and he’s annoyed that the demon isn’t answering. Sam points out, “[Crowley’s] a dick. And that’s not breaking news.” Castiel cautions that Crowley’s not going to be inclined to relinquish Rowena to save him; he’s more likely to let the spell run its destructive course.
Sam says that Metatron is also off the grid. Using Castiel’s car’s information, since Metatron stole the car (10×21), to search online databases. It’s a fruitless endeavor, and Sam rants that he can’t find anything involving a “crappy ‘78 Continental Mark 5”. Castiel, offended, asks, “You think its’ crappy?” Sam’s taken aback, and Cas looks to Dean, who offers reassuringly, “Eye of the beholder.” This may be one of my favorite scenes ever.
Sam asks about Metatron’s possible hideouts, but Castiel is fading, and Dean has to repeat the question. Castiel answers but then falls to the floor in what appears to be a seizure. When Castiel regains consciousness, Dean asks, “What’s the date?” Castiel answers, “Earth. Several billion years from the beginning.” It’s such a wonderfully Castiel answer. The spell overwhelmed Castiel, and he blacked out through most of his episode. Cas describes it as feeling like a tomato being pureed. They get him up and into the chair, and Dean wraps a blanket around Castiel.
Let’s repeat that: Dean wraps a blanket around Castiel. I really like typing that sentence. More of this, please, Show.
Castiel mentions that the voices are making him feel worse, and after the brothers’ amusingly alarmed reactions (after all, both of them know what voices can mean from first-hand experience), Castiel clarifies. “It’s angel radio, guys.” The angels are still seeking Castiel and hunting for Metatron too. Sam finds a possible lead, a news story about what transpired at Café Elta in Denver, CO.
In hell, child Amara goes to her mirror and seemingly calls to adult!Amara. It’s this vision of herself that she talks to. a mirror and speaking with her adult reflection, who reminds her, “You must stay fixed on our purpose…As you grow and become stronger, your true destiny will become clear to you. I am what you are becoming. And we are mightier than God.” Crowley abruptly enters the room, and Amara’s other self vanishes, and she tells Crowley nothing about the encounter. For all of his attempts to sequester her, he can’t – Amara is, I dare say, more than the King of Hell can deal with.
The next scene is random but highly amusing. An angel walks into a bar and sees a demon; instead of fighting, they have drinks and commiserate. They discuss how alarms are going off, that “something’s changed – something’s here.” The angel says that after Hannah died (11×2), “heaven’s been a suck sandwich.” The demon complains, “the King’s off doing whatever.” They’re concerned about being expendable, and the demon says, “If management won’t, it’s up to the little people.” They toast to “Power to the people, my friend.” The angel corrects: “Well, not actually people.” “You know what I mean,” the demon retorts.
In Colorado, Dean and Sam, undercover as FBI agents, interview the witch who survived at Café Elta. Sam lays it out, “Any idea why a demon would want to attack three witches?” The woman plays innocent, and she doesn’t seem to recognize the Winchesters, which surprises me. When she tries to leave, Dean intercedes, grabbing her purse and tossing it to Sam. Dean reminds her, “Know that we are the only thing between you and Crowley’s ninjas.” Her purse is full of occult paraphernalia, so she eventually concedes being a witch. Sam asks her to scry, but she resists. She reluctantly agrees and tells them that Rowena is packing a bag.
Crowley’s still trying to get into Amara’s good graces, this time with gifts – specifically, a bloody girl’s dress and a pop-up book, Uncle Hoppity. The King of Hell seems to have forgotten that she was just listening to the Nuremberg speeches. Sure enough, Amara’s unimpressed with the book; she prefers the one from nanny, Dante’s Inferno, in the original Italian.
Amara comments on how this world doesn’t work very well, and Crowley acknowledges, “That whole Big Bang thing is more of a big bust.” Amara promises she’ll “do it better.” After all, “I’ve had a lot of time to think it through.” First, though, the child is hungry. Nanny brings a tray of treats, and Amara hugs her; the moment of apparent affection quickly turns darker, though, as Amara sucks out the demonic soul. Amara annoucnes, “I killed her.” Crowley corrects that that meatsuit had been dead for some time, “The soul inside was keeping it alive.” “Not anymore,” Amara says. She adds, “Thank you, Uncle Crowley.”
The next scene is Rowena, now blonde and acting like Marilyn Monroe, approaching a cab driven by Dean in disguise. She realizes him and throws him against the wall. Right as she’s about to cast a different – worse? – spell, Sam takes her by surprise and slaps on special handcuffs.
On his own at the bunker, though still chained, Castiel is following neatly detailed instructions to search online for Metatron. Mid-search, a pop-up for “Fortune Nookie” comes up. If we go by Show’s canon, then the suggestion is that Dean’s been looking at porn on Sam’s computer again – even though they’ve been in the midst of a crisis for weeks now, so that doesn’t make sense. Castiel watches for a moment as his puzzlement turns to annoyance. (He’s not as annoyed as I am, though. That clip is in really poor taste.) He shuts the laptop and muses, “What could ‘fortune nookie’ be?” Suddenly, the spell affects him again; he has visions of the spell being cast, and he looks worried.
In hell, Crowley watches as Amara consumes another demon. She says, “Every time I take in a soul, I feel how much emptiness there is.” Amara asks, “God made a world where people have to suffer?… why would they want to live in such a world?” Crowley acknowledges, “God’s plan is hideously flawed… we can shape things…where the very air that we breathe would be pure evil.”
Amara questions if Crowley would really be “happy if everyone was evil.” Crowley thinks about it a moment and agrees that “it wouldn’t be much of a challenge.” Amara says, “good, evil, heaven, hell, people – it all seems so unimportant.” Whatever big picture Amara is seeing is not the same one Crowley sees. When the King presses her, she announces, “I’m hungry.” He snaps his fingers for a minion.
Rowena’s now restrained in the dungeon – already back to her usual hair and attire. Sam goes to get Castiel, and Dean kicks back in a nearby chair, purposely knocking the witch’s bag to the floor. Rowena eyes him and reminds, “You do recall our deal – first I despell the angel, and then I go free.” Dean doesn’t care: “Our deal says whatever I want it to say…You’re going to play by my rules because I have your son on speed dial.” Rowena dares him to call Crowley. “If I’m dead… then your friend with the bent halo? He goes foaming at the mouth mad and dies.” Dean’s expression tightens, and Rowena observes, “Your eyes – so burdened. What happened precisely when I removed the Mark?” Dean’s expression drops. “What new hell has Dean Winchester unleashed upon the world?,” she asks. Before Dean can reply, Sam comes back with the news that Castiel’s gone. Rowena shakes her head at them.
Castiel, now clearly under the spell, is wandering the streets of what I presume is Lebanon. Rowena says she could find Castiel faster than the GPS in his phone, but Sam says that would require releasing her handcuffs, and both brothers refuse to do that. She keeps trying to engage the Winchesters, even asking, “Are we not a team?” The brothers respond with a unified, “No.”
In hell, Crowley appoints the demon who failed to assassinate Rowena at the café as Amara’s new nanny. He tells the demon to inform Amara that they’re cutting back on her “soul food.” The demon would rather not, but Crowley says it’s either that or “roasting on a spit until the end of time.” The demon agrees, “I’ll do my best.” “Good man,” Crowely acknowledges. “And you look wonderful in an apron.”
Still in the Impala, Rowena tries to start a “wee singsong,” but neither Winchester is having it. She takes the opportunity to reveal Sam’s earlier deal to kill Crowley in exchange for removing the Mark of Cain. Rowena mocks the fact that Dean didn’t know, and he’s clearly not happy. She continues to poke at it, arguing that Dean’s thinking, “Your wee pal Castiel wouldn’t be in this pickle if you’d done what you promised. I would’ve had no reason to cast that attack dog spell….” Dean says that’s not his point, though. “Sam knows my point – keyword? Secrets.” Ah, yes, here we go: Secrets The Winchesters Keep From Each Other. Rowena practically cackles at the tension she’s caused. “I’m just glad I got the conversation flowing,” she says. “Family secrets are a specialty of mine.” Before the brothers talk further, Sam gets Dean’s attention: Castiel’s GPS has stopped.
A young woman walks along a dark street, and Castiel – for whatever reason – fixates on her and gives chase. Dean parks the car; he goes one way, Sam and Rowena the other. The girl runs into a building and hides behind some shelving. Castiel tracks her and breaks in the door.
Dean’s seen walking down the sidewalk. He passes a blonde woman and greets her. She responds, “Get a life.” He looks back at her and makes a noise of… upset? Disbelief? I’m not sure how to categorize it. He then walks down the alley to investigate. I really don’t understand this scene or why it’s in the episode. Dean’s searching for his friend who is not only a danger to others right now but could also be in danger himself. There is no way that Dean would seriously hit on someone while trying to find Castiel. Now, he could be covering why he’s obviously investigating the area so late at night, an activity that would look suspicious, or maybe he could be about to ask if she’s seen Castiel. Either of these would be better/more believable than the suggestion that Dean’s crassly flirting while Castiel is in danger. However, the (clearly dubbed) dialogue we hear doesn’t confirm. And, in the end, this scene reads like precious seconds of screen time that could have been used elsewhere.
In the alley, Dean hears a noise and sees the busted door. Inside, Castiel has found the young woman and has his hands around her neck; he’s choking her. Dean finds him and yells, “Cas! – Cas, don’t do this. Okay, this isn’t you; it’s the spell. You can beat this. Cas. Let her go.” Once again, their “more profound bond (6×3)” enables one to break through whatever’s controlling the other’s mind: Castiel listens to Dean, and he lets her go. Dean tells the sobbing young woman to get out of there, and she does; we don’t see her again.
Castiel is staring at his hands, and Dean approaches slowly, his hands out. He says comfortingly, “It’s going to be okay, buddy. Alright?” But it’s not going to be okay – yet. Castiel turns and takes Dean by surprise, throwing him into the shelving. This time, Dean doesn’t fight back as Castiel hits him. We’ve seen their dynamic play out this way before, particularly in “The Prisoner” (10×22) and “Goodbye Stranger” (8×17). Dean’s on the floor, mimicking the position he’s in during the crypt scene in “Goodbye Stranger,” when Rowena delivers an incantation.
The camera shifts to Sam, who’s holding a gun to Rowena’s head. She pauses her spell. “Do I need to remind you these are witch-killing bullets?,” Sam asks. “Finish it.” “Yes, yes, alright,” Rowena says before finishing the incantation. They watch rapt as Castiel falls to the ground, in what appears again to be a seizure. Dean’s by his side and calling his name – and the day will never come when Dean’s voice breaking as he calls out for Cas doesn’t break my heart (see “I’m No Angel” 9×3 for another example). Cas falls onto his side, and Dean cradles his face with one hand, lifting it off the floor. “C’mon,” Dean says. Castiel does open his eyes and is 
unfocused for a moment, but then he sees Dean’s face. Dean helps him sit up and winds up cradling Castiel’s face with both hands, making the moment appear even more intimate. (Is this scene the reason for the awkward and ill-timed hetero-flirting moments before?)
Sam and Rowena are watching the touching (pun intended) scene, but then Sam looks down – at the cuffs in his hand, maybe? For whatever reason, Rowena’s clearly been waiting for this moment. She throws Sam against the wall and drops the security gate down, creating a divider between herself and the Winchesters. She tells Dean, “I’m sure you had every intention of honoring our deal. But why take chances?” With that, Rowena’s gone.
We’re treated to one more scene of Team Free Will in the bunker. Sam brings his brother a beer; Dean’s facing away from the table, one elbow propped and holding an ice pack to his head. Castiel says, “Dean, I – There aren’t words –” Dean interrupts him and turns to speak directly to him; his face is swollen and bruised. “You’re right, Cas. There are no words – You were under a spell. It’s fine.” But this is Dean and Cas, and the conversation doesn’t end just there. Castiel is feeling guilty because he thinks he’s the reason they lost Rowena (Nevermind that he’s a large part of the reason they were looking for Rowena. But whatever.) Sam points out that they have the codex, so all’s not lost. They discuss the Darkness, and Castiel says that he can fix Dean’s injuries. But Dean refuses. “It’s fine,” he says. The two share a loaded look, and Dean adds, “Besides, I had it coming.” Collins plays Castiel’s expressions so well here; Ackles does the same with Dean. Though Cas is obviously not okay with Dean’s decision, he doesn’t press. While Dean and Castiel are amazingly honest with one another much of the time, it’s rarely with an audience, and Sam is sitting right there. Dean covers his face with the ice pack, and Castiel takes his seat. Sam looks between the two, concern on his face, but doesn’t say anything. The scene ends there, leaving me wondering 1) Does Sam even know what Dean’s referring to? and 2) Will Dean and Cas pick this conversation up in a later episode, since so much is still unsaid?
Crowley’s walking through the halls of hell, reading through a list. Nanny II is dead and lying in the doorway of Amara’s room. She’s had another growth spurt, and now appears to be a young teenager. As always, she declares that she’s hungry. If Amara continues consuming souls, will they make her more powerful? Is she running off of soul-power? Could the souls she’s consuming overpower her, as the Purgatory souls did to Castiel in seasons 6 and 7? 
What happens if she consumes the soul of the person who carried the Mark of Cain, which can lock her away? Could Dean destroy her from the inside out? Could Castiel? For that matter, can she even consume an angel’s grace? And what will happen when/if she does?
Of course, if the Darkness is obliterated, what does that mean for this world? Will losing that pre-creation chaos change things fundamentally? It’s really interesting that Amara seems to exist and operate outside of binary classifications. She sees nothing evil about consuming the nanny who’d been kind to her: She was hungry, so she ate. What will her version of the universe – if she evolves that far – look like?
I’m glad that Ackles directed this episode because his familiarity with the characters and respect for their dynamics really shines through. Without his careful attention, I’m afraid the disjointed script would seem even more so. As it is, there are random bits that aren’t directly connected to the episode’s larger narrative (the offensive porn bit; the angel & demon bar scene; the woman on the street). I actually love little inside looks like the bar scene, and maybe that one will become more relevant in future episodes, but here, it feels more random than insightful. I also wanted to see more of Sam, Dean, and Castiel, frankly, and I would have loved if the suspense of Castiel breaking free had been ramped up and if we’d seen more of his decline. How did he get from sitting at the table, appearing okay, to wandering the streets of Lebanon in an attack dog haze? All this said, pacing is almost always an issue with Ross-Lemming and Buckner scripts, and the direction makes or breaks the episode. In this case, Ackles definitely makes it better.
I like many of the possibilities that have been set up in these first three episodes, and I hope we’ll see good things from season 11. This week’s episode takes us inside Dean’s beloved Impala, “Baby.” Supernatural airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on the CW Network.