Supernatural - S12E7 - Rock Never Dies

Previously on Supernatural, “Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox”

Supernatural - S12E7 - “Rock Never Dies” | Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Mark A. Sheppard, Misha Collins | Writer: Robert Berens | Director: Eduardo Sánchez

Last week, the Winchesters (with the surprisingly adorable duo of Castiel and Crowley) traveled to LaLa Land and put a stop to their old nemesis Lucifer before he gains a few million more fans as Vince Vicente. “Rock Never Dies” essentially left the brothers and their otherworldly pals on the wayside as Lucifer rested on his Vince’s laurels, discovering he didn’t have to do much to gain popularity in the new millennium. Furthermore, loose strings in prevailing story lines between God and Lucifer were tied up and repackaged with an ominous potential for destruction on a global scale. Again.  

Thanks to a pair of bumbling “Satanists”, Lucifer (Rick Springfield) was summoned from the ocean depths and his health partly restored by one of his fossilized feathers. Thanks for setting that all up, ya dumb worshippers! It didn’t take long for Satan to get Vincente’s fading star to shine brilliantly once more after amassing the right kind of morally ambiguous degenerates on his side. You know… agents and managers! Cutesy barbs and jeers about Los Angelinos aside, much could be written about how a person like The Dark Lord himself could prosper in a time like now.

The world was already a fairly impassive place filled with people both longing for a profound connection yet still favoring the safety of an emotionally detached life. Add a fantastical event like the sun dying for a hot second in season eleven and naturally, a lot of folks are going to latch on to anything and anyone substantial to give them purpose or a distraction from it all. Lucifer can sense that humanity is on the precipice - as evidence by forcing one of Vince’s biggest fans to mutilate herself. If she’s willing to do whatever an aging rock star demands, it didn’t take long for Lu to envision going “upwards and onwards” on the social chain.

Though Springfield’s rendition of the Fallen One was going to be a limited engagement, he left an awfully heavy impression on the gang thanks to writer Robert Berens‘ deftness in channeling Lucifer’s longstanding rage for God into a new, more ill-boding endeavor. Although God and the Devil made up in season eleven after centuries of embittered feuding, it seems Lucifer now takes back God’s apology because He yet again abandoned him after reuniting with Amara. What’s an evil angel to do but raze God’s creation to ash. No, not with the old battle-against-Michael-and-start-the-Apocalypse chestnut. This time Lu plans to win the hearts and minds of God’s most cherished creation, we humans, millions at a time. Vince Vicente was merely a test run for Lucifer’s grand scheme. True, it’s motivated by a callow petulance typically seen in five year olds, but the Devil never claimed to be a person of deep restraint.

As Lucifer evaded capture yet again, the Winchesters, Crowley and Cass painfully accepted their old foe’s new, unpredictable agenda could be more effective than his grandiose schemes from seasons past. How this will all gel with the currently downplayed arc involving the Men of Letters is anyone’s guess outside of Supernatural’s writers’ room. If Lucifer succeeds in finding a stronger, more influential host, it wouldn’t be surprising if a reluctant team-up with the impulsive Lady Bevell and her minions occurs. That is if Toni’s ambitiousness to eliminate Sam and Dean doesn’t get the better of her. In any case, Supernatural continues to be pretty damn entertaining after twelve years of wiping all manner of celestial, mythical and arcane creatures off the map.