This week’s Supernatural is nothing less than extraordinary. “Baby,” written by Robbie Thompson and directed by Thomas J. Wright, is what showrunner Jeremy Carver calls a “concept episode.” It takes place entirely inside the Impala, which Chuck (Rob Benedict) rightfully termed, “the most important object in pretty much the whole universe” (5×22).
I’ll be honest: When I first heard about the episode, I was nervous. Would the Impala be humanized? Would this be a standard Monster of the Week, which in recent seasons has often meant an insular episode featuring only Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) and his younger brother Sam (Jared Padalecki)? Carver promised that this episode shows us what happens in the “in between” moments, but what would that look like?
In the end, “Baby” is a sophisticated episode, giving us, as I tweeted during the episode, “Continuity. Intertextuality. Team Free Will. Family Bonding. Monsters. Mythology. Baby. Sam, Dean, Cas…” All of these elements artfully combine to yield an episode with a lot of heart, one that exceptionally demonstrates Supernatural’s storytelling potential. (So, no more episodes like “Dark Dynasty” (10×21) ever, okay?)
The episode opens with interior shots of the Impala, the one unceasing constant in the Winchesters’ nomadic lives (except for that brief period when they were on the run from the Leviathans, but let’s not speak of that). We see remnants of their childhood: Legos jammed in the vents, initials carved into the door, a soldier crammed into an ashtray. We also see a blood covered passenger window, a smashed out back window, and Dean, handcuffed and unconscious, lying face down on the back seat.
Cue the title card, and our narrative rewinds to 48 hours earlier. The scene is framed from inside the Impala: Dean’s washing the Impala in the bunker’s garage. Sam comes into the garage and jokes about Dean’s shorts, which are apparently very short and sadly don’t appear onscreen. “It’s a free bunker,” Dean retorts. Sam grabs a sponge and begins washing the other side of the car.
Their conversation shares that they’ve learned nothing else about the Darkness or about Metatron’s whereabouts. Castiel (Misha Collins) is getting better, but he’s still healing. Dean, who refused to allow Cas to heal him at the end of “The Bad Seed,” continues to protest, “I’m a hundred percent.” The obvious injuries Dean had from the fight with Castiel have faded to bruising near his left eye, so some time has passed in their world – enough time that Dean has cabin fever. Sam tells him what he’s discovered: a thin lead on a possible werewolf case in Oregon. Dean jumps at the chance.
On the road, it’s like old times – except that Sam packed smoothies, taking up valuable beer space in the infamous green cooler. Dean’s not happy, but a well-timed phone call from Castiel saves Sam from his brother’s sniping. Dean reprimands Cas for calling, telling him, “You got one job to do, and that’s to heal.” Cas insists that he can help, but Sam reiterates that he should “focus on getting better” and advises their friend to watch Netflix on Sam’s television. After the call ends, Sam asks, “You think [Cas is] going to be okay?” Dean answers, “He just needs some time. We all do.”
It’s evening when Dean parks outside The Roadhouse. Sam eyes the place skeptically, but Dean argues, “Time heals all wounds, Sam, especially good times. What do you say?” Sam declines, opting to find a diner, get food, and do some research. It’s dawn before Dean comes out of the roadhouse. The windows of the car are now rolled down – and Dean’s lack of reaction to this surprised me until I realized he must have assumed Sam was in the car. Dean gets into the driver’s seat. “Mistakes were made,” he says, settling back so that he can sleep.
A blonde woman rises up from the backseat and asks, “Who are you?” Dean’s shocked – yet also proud – that Sam made recreational use of the Impala’s back seat. (We don’t see Sam, and I’m guessing that’s partly because the 6’4” Padalecki doesn’t actually fit back there with another person!) Dean, amused, exits the car, and the scene shifts to them getting back on the road, Sam awkwardly explaining and Dean playing the song “Night Moves.” It’s a funny scene that shows Dean and Sam being brothers – without the secrets or lies that have become such frustratingly overused wedges. They even sing along to Seger.
Dean still gives Sam grief long after the sun’s set. “Digging into the lore. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” But the teasing turns into a serious conversation about what they want from life. Sam asks, “You don’t ever think about something – not marriage, or whatever – but something? You know, with a hunter or somebody who understands the life?” Dean asks, “Have you not heard a single word [Bob Seger’s] been singing about?” It’s clear Dean isn’t going to discuss this further when he tells Sam to get some sleep, which effectively ends the conversation.
Sam wakes to the warbling tune of “Someday Soon.” He asks Dean, “What are you listening to?” But when he opens his eyes, Dean isn’t driving the car: It’s a young John Winchester (Matt Cohen) in a surprise cameo. “You okay, pal? You look a little spooked,” John says. Judging from Sam’s expression, “spooked” is an understatement.
John compliments Dean’s obvious care of the car and of Sam, and he says encouraging things about what they’ve done with their lives. Sam eyes him suspiciously: “This isn’t real.” In a tone and cadence that reminds me eerily of Lucifer (5×3), “John” says, “I never could fool you, could I?”
Sam mentions praying and seeing “something” (the torture scenes that are perhaps memories from the Cage) afterwards. He asks, “Now here you are, whoever you are, whatever you are. What the hell is this?” “John” answers, “Dream, vision, call it what you want. The message is still the same: The Darkness is coming. [long pause] Only you boys can stop it.” Sam asks how, but he’s only given an enigmatic answer: “God helps those who help themselves.”
In an echo of Dean meeting Castiel (4×1) and Sam meeting Billie (11×1), Sam asks, “Who are you?” We don’t hear an answer, though. Sam startles awake to find that Dean’s parked the car and is stretched out in the front seat doing research on the laptop. Dean offers Sam a beer, observing that Sam had been singing the song their mom had loved in his sleep.
The next scene is nothing short of miraculous. The brothers talk, and what’s more, they tell the truth. Specifically, Sam tells Dean about having visions, including the one he just had. He also reveals that the first vision happened after he prayed. This surprises Dean, who asks, “You prayed? When was this?” His skepticism, or maybe it’s shock, surprises me because Dean has a history of praying, though his prayers have almost always been to Castiel.
Here, Sam finally admits that he’d been infected, but “I never went full rabid,” he assures. Dean asks what he prayed about, and Sam says, “I guess I was just looking for answers, you know?” Dean blames the visions on side effects of the infection ”that you failed to tell me about.” Dean also smartly points out that the proverb “John” gave Sam (“God helps those who help themselves”) predates the bible, going back to Aesop.
The conversation about visions parlays into Dean admitting that he dreams about their dad all the time, and he has one specifically recurring dream: Dean is 16, and John is teaching him to drive. He parks, and John says, “Perfect landing, son.” It’s a dream of a normal life, where Dean learned responsibilities when other kids did, rather than, for example, learning to drive when he “was little.” Sam can relate. He says he always dreams about their mom, about having a “normal life” too.
Still, Sam insists that what just happened is more than a dream. Dean questions why a being would use their father’s demeanor. Sam suggests that since the Darkness has communicated with Dean, maybe this is the opposite of the Darkness trying to reach Sam. Dean’s still not convinced; he firmly believes that there’s no larger meaning to what’s going on. This situation is their fight alone: “The Darkness? It’s on us. And no one’s gonna help us, and certainly not God. So we’re going to have to figure this thing out, like we always do. But until then, we hunt. This case for starters.” They call it a night, exchanging “Goodnight, Jerk” and “Goodnight, Bitch.”
They cross into Oregon the next day. There’s a time jump to the brothers mid-investigation, both in their federal agent suits and comparing notes in the car. Dean’s deduced that they’re looking for a “werepire,” and he’s already called Cas to ask him to research. Sam side-eyes the portmanteau and refuses to use it, much to Dean’s disappointment. While Sam is sharing his findings, Deputy Donnelly (aka Deputy Dumbass), who isn’t the “brightest bulb,” stops by the car. The deputy’s surprised when Dean asks for motel recommendations, but he gives one, along with mentioning a good local restaurant, Aunt Mel’s Steak House.
The restaurant requires a leap of faith for Dean, though: It has valet parking. Dean very reluctantly hands his keys over to a young woman named Jessie. As she drives away, we see the brothers turn to walk into the building. Dean’s concern isn’t entirely unwarranted; Jessie picks up a friend, and they take Baby for a joy ride instead of parking the car. Mid-shenanigans, Jesse’s boss calls, and she quickly drops her friend off – disregarding her friend’s concern over losing her purse – and returns the car. Dean eyes the interior suspiciously, but when he doesn’t see anything obviously wrong, he commends her, “Strong work, Jesse,” and passes her a tip.
Sam retrieves the case file and says he wants to speak with the victim’s wife, Lily Markham, while Dean wants to check out the crime scene in person. Dean says he’ll drop Sam off, and the next scene is Dean’s phone, which is lying on the dashboard, ringing while he’s investigating the scene. He hears the phone and answers: It’s Castiel, and he’s learned about Netflix. When asked how he is, Cas answers, “I’m mostly confused. I’m not sure how orange correlates with black in a way that’s new.” Dean tells him to “step away from the Netflix.”
Castiel has called with information: A creature that feeds on blood and hearts. Again, Dean tries to sell the term “werepire.” Cas doesn’t answer, instead launching into the lore. We see a Sherriff’s vehicle arrive, and Dean tells Cas to hang on, but the angel clearly doesn’t hear. Cas is still detailing the lore, and the phone is lying back on the dash, while Dean greets the deputy at the rear of the car.
“Deputy Dumbass” attacks Dean. It’s during the fight that Castiel acknowledges Dean’s wittiness: “Maybe it is your so-called werepire…” but Dean will never know that he got someone else to say it. Castiel hears loud noises, and he calls for Dean repeatedly, his voice getting increasingly frantic.
A battered Dean gets into the car. “It turns out I did shoot the deputy,” he tells Castiel, in a fun throwback to “Jus in Bello” (3×12). He shares that the deputy was a werepire and that silver bullets worked. Castiel is trying to explain, but Dean isn’t fully listening, distracted by the deputy seemingly resurrecting. Dean retrieves his machete from the trunk and chops off the deputy’s head.
Dean finally hears Cas say it’s not what he’s been calling a “werepire.” “I’m starting to get that,” he says, unloading bullets into the body. Dean then empties the cooler, dumps out the ice, and puts the head in it. Back in the car, he takes a photo of the still-alive head’s fangs. “Smile, asshat,” he says. Castiel has been silent this entire time, and I assumed the call had ended. Dean, though, knows better. “Alright, Cas, you there?,” he asks. Castiel answers immediately, “Of course. What’s going on?” (Who else thought of the “I’ll just wait here then” song from “Fan Fiction” (9×5) at this moment?)
Dean confirms that silver slows the monster down and sends Cas the picture of the fangs. After they disconnect, Dean sees notifications from Sam; he immediately calls his brother and learns that Sam was jumped also when he came upon two of the monsters attacking Lily. Sam took her to a nearby house and sends Dean that address.
The next scene picks up after Dean’s reached Sam. Lily is unconscious in the back seat, beside the green cooler. Castiel calls with news: They’re hunting a ghoul and vampire-like creature, which Dean immediately christens a “ghoulpire.” Lore says that putting a copper coin in the monster’s mouth and cutting off its head will kill it. Once the pack leader’s dead, all those turned may revert to normal. Sam points out they need pre-1982 pennies, in order to have coins that are 95 percent copper. They thank Castiel for his help, and when neither brother has any pennies, Dean stops at a gas station for change. Sam goes in.
While Sam is still in the store, Lily gains consciousness. Dean asks her questions, but she doesn’t seem to know anything. When the cooler makes noises, she opens it and is appalled by the contents. Dean moves the cooler to the trunk, and as he’s coming back around to the driver’s seat, Lily’s demeanor changes. Once Dean’s back in the car, Lily asks, “Your family – you’ll do anything for them…?” They both look towards the store, where Sam can be seen flirting with the cashier through the window.
“Absolutely,” Dean answers. “Well – but not if it costs too much.” He sort of chuckles, but I think this particular lesson about limits is one that both Winchesters have learned the hard way, and I wonder where this idea will go in season 11. Lily disagrees with his caveat: “No. You do everything for them. Everything else is meaningless. But I did it wrong. Now I’ve ruined everything.” Dean reassures her that this situation isn’t her fault, but Lily seems inconsolable. “I put my family at risk. They were right to attack me. But I know how to make it right.”
When Lily attacks Dean, it’s suddenly clear who she’s calling family and who she’s decided to protect. She beats Dean pretty soundly, seemingly into unconsciousness, and then jumps into the driver’s seat. Sam hears the Impala crank and looks up from his conversation; when he sees Lily behind the wheel, he comes out running, gun drawn. She speeds away, though Sam does shoot out the back window. Once back at the site where Dean left the Maker’s body, Lily handcuffs the hunter, leaving him in the backseat. We’re now back to the opening scene.
Dean’s slowly rousing, and he hears Lily singing over and over, “I can make this right.” He looks up and sees her on the ground, the alpha’s body stretched across her legs. She’s apparently reattached his head. When Dean wakes again, they’re on the highway. He feigns unconsciousness, but the maker, who’s now driving his car, grabs his jacket and pulls him upright. They talk bluntly, addressing that the deputy is pack alpha, and Dean is a hunter.
It turns out that Lily is the one who killed her husband because he didn’t want to be turned. Those “who don’t join are food,” she says, but she didn’t bury him properly, and his body was discovered. Deputy Alpha reassures her, “It’s my fault…you weren’t trained right.” In the past month, he’s turned 16 people because he needs “an army to fight the Darkness.” Dean asks what can stop the Darkness. “There’s nothing hunters or any human can do about it,” the deputy says.
While they’ve been talking, Dean has found a hairpin that the waitress lost after her night with Sam. He uses it to pick his handcuffs, while the deputy gloats that he’s already sent Sam into a trap by using Dean’s phone to send texts. The alpha has plans to turn Sam, but Dean has to die. He tells Dean not to worry, “I’m an every part of the buffalo kind of guy.” (The vampires in “Hibbing 911” (10×8) had the same philosophy.)
The ever-resourceful Dean gets free of his handcuffs and attacks the man. The Impala drives into road construction barriers – no crews around, thankfully. This time, when Dean comes to, he’s alone in the car. He picks up his bloody machete, only to drop it when he sees the valet’s friend’s lost Hello Kitty purse. He digs through it until he finds a coin purse; there are pennies inside.
While Dean’s been searching, the deputy, who’d been flung through the windshield, makes his way to Dean. As he attacks Dean, Lily, who’d been unconscious in the front floorboard, wakes and joins in. She manages to bite Dean on the side of his neck. Dean flings her off, and he manages to hold the Alpha down in the seat long enough to shove the pennies in his mouth. Dean then pulls the monster out of the car and slams the back driver’s side door repeatedly until he chops off the monster’s head. When he looks down at it lying in the rear floorboard, this time, the head is truly dead. Dean then looks around his car – which is a total disaster – and murmurs, “Oh, Baby, I’m so sorry.”
Lily wakes and seems horrified by her actions. She tells Dean that they turned her kids and begs him to help. Of course, he tells her to get in the car. He does give her the side-eye a couple of times – understandable considering the bleeding bite on his neck and his banged up face – but he doesn’t say anything except “hang on.” The Impala won’t crank at first; when Dean finally gets the engine going, he kisses his hand and presses it to the dash.
Dean pulls up near some ramshackle buildings, where Sam is standing with two young children. Lily jumps out of the car, and the children run to her. Dean helps Sam to the car, scoffing, “probably nothing,” in reference to their thinking that this wouldn’t be a real hunt.
Sam says that all the monsters turned back, and he also knows what the deputy was doing. “Even the monsters are scared,” Sam says. Dean’s facial expression during this exchange is interesting – I’d describe it as stricken – and I hope we’ll see more of whatever internal strife he’s experiencing later. Dean responds with his usual “give ‘em hell attitude” (5×1): “Well, let ‘em be. You and I? We’re going to end this thing now.” With a painful laugh, Sam asks if they can wait a day. Dean agrees.
Dean assures Sam, “We’ll get Cas to fix you up.” Sam is battered, but so is Dean. Sam has a condition: “Only if he fixes you up too.” This time, Dean doesn’t argue; he just says, “Okay, mom. Let’s go home.” Sam responds, “You know what? We are home.” Dean doesn’t say anything here, which makes me wonder: Since they found the bunker in season eight, Dean’s nested there, and he has his own room for the first time in his life, so my reading is that the bunker actually is Dean’s home. However, that clearly doesn’t change the pivotal importance Baby has. If Sam truly sees her as home now, yet Dean’s concept of home has expanded, then I think this shows how the brothers can be on the same page in some ways yet differ significantly in others. And that’s okay.
It takes a moment for Dean to get Baby to crank, and when she does, he praises her with, “There’s my girl.” He turns on the radio, throws a hand up to the survivors, and drives away to the tune of “Night Moves.”
This episode has everything – from family bonding to true, heartfelt humor to awesome action sequences. Dean and Sam are shown behaving like brothers again, and Castiel is clearly part of their family. I love that even though we don’t see him, Cas also plays an important role, one that helps sustain the Team Free Will dynamic that’s regrettably shortchanged all too often. The monster is different and creepy, and Lily’s situation sets up a conversation about family dynamics and shifting allegiances. Baby is shown in all her glory – and then she’s shown nearly demolished, proving yet again that no matter what state she’s in, her significance remains consistent. I do wonder how long it will take Dean to restore her (again) and whether we’ll see any of that process. Maybe he’ll wear the short shorts again?
“Baby” is the kind of episode that restores fans hopes and dreams in a show that’s been a part of their lives for over a decade. If Supernatural sustains this caliber of writing, directing, and acting, who knows how much longer the show could go on? Who knows how the audience might grow? As much as I’ve loved some season nine and ten episodes, I don’t think I’ve felt this enthralled with the show since the glory days of season eight – and I really enjoy feeling this way.
Next week, the Winchesters confront the legend of Lizzie Borden in “Thin Lizzie.” Will the episode live up to the precedent set by “Baby”? We’ll find out soon. Supernatural airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on the CW Network.