Supernatural - S12E13 - Family Feud

Previously on Supernatural, “Stuck in the Middle (With You)”

After returning from its winter break, Supernatural has been on a hot streak with their latest episodes. The alternating and equally expansive scale of Lucifer and the Men of Letters’ storylines have taken a backseat to solid, intimate characterization among the leads. The current vibe in the latest crop of episodes harkens back to the show’s earlier days (it probably doesn’t hurt that multiple references are made from events in the first six seasons), however it’s not a stroll down memory lane for sentimentality’s sake. When it comes to the eternal fight between good and evil, everything comes full circle. For each lead their past indiscretions are coming back to not only haunt them, but irrevocably turn their already tenuous relationships into full on dumpster fires.

In this episode’s case, Crowley’s time-displaced son Gavin (Theo Devaney) returned and was tasked with the awful burden of saving a handful of souls by facing his own death. Thanks to Abbadon (Alaina Huffman) and her shenanigans with the continuum back in season nine, Gavin’s paramour Fiona (Christine Gavin-Bartlett) believed he abandoned her, causing her to board The Star, the merchant vessel destined to sink along the Massachusetts coast. Unfortunately, her brutal experiences aboard The Star tied her to the wreckage and she ultimately became a vengeful spirit.

Honorable man that he is, Gavin had no qualms about leaving the 21st century, especially once he’s promised the warm embrace of his beloved. While this narrative is fairly straightforward in “Family Feud” much of the derision is attributed to Crowley’s petulance towards Rowena. The pair appeared to be on the mend throughout season twelve but once Gavin - the only good thing Fergus has in his life - is imperiled by his own grandmother, any hope for reconciliation is totaled.

Rowena even admits matter-of-factly that she turned against her son because Crowley forced her hand in sacrificing a young man she cared for centuries ago. Blood may be thicker than water on most occasions, but it’s apparently trumped by a woman’s scorn. Now that Rowena has assured Crowley knows the profound heartache he’s caused for his mother and countless others, it wouldn’t be too surprising if this the moment that swings the King of Hell back to a genuine heel. now that he’s restored Lucifer in his favorite form (Mark Pellegrino).

In the meantime, Mary keeps digging herself into a deeper hole. Yet again spending time with Mr. Ketch, Mama Winchester is fine tuning her skills while testing new weapons on a few test subjects. Her character seems to be in more disarray than usual: Mary has no real clue what to do with herself outside of Heaven. “I don’t want to hunt. This world is weird. Everyone looks at the rectangular piece of plastic in their hands. Fine, I’ll hunt! I like your accent, don’t tell my kids!” Eventually she comes clean to her boys and of course they do not like the idea of their mother commiserating with the people who tortured them. Cue the scowls and yelling matches.

The only people that got along famously in “Family Feud” is the elusive (and super pregnant) Kelly Kline (Courtney Ford) and her newfound guardian Dagon (Ali Ahn), the Princess of Hell. Thanks for her demon godmother, Kelly is safe from practically any celestial incursion - and the dogged pursuits of the Winchesters. As mentioned by her “brother” Ramiel last week, Dagon has a vested interest in the nephilim, who’s nearly ready to make his debut on planet earth. Seeing as Lucifer is able to sense his son’s presence and communicate with Dagon in some fashion under Crowley’s “protection”, it’s clear the chains that were manufactured to emulate the powers of Lucifer’s Cage aren’t working as well as Fergus believes.

Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse for the gang, they’re beginning to turn on one another and leave caution to the wind. In this case, caution is in the form of the spawn of Satan who almost assuredly could finish what God and Amara started last season.