Supernatural - S12E8 - LOTUS

Tweet

Previously on Supernatural, “Rock Never Dies”

Supernatural - S12E8 - “LOTUS” | Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Mark A. Sheppard, Misha Collins, Ruth Connell | Writer: Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner | Director: Philip Sgriccia

The race to contain Lucifer might have concluded this week (keyword: might), just as the Dark Lord found himself a body he couldn’t refuse - and shifted his plans once more to effectively destroy God’s favored creation. Everyone was on hand to put the wayward angel back in his cage and for a moment, almost everything worked out. Almost.

Before Lucifer found his way inside the blue ribbon meatsack on this planet, he briefly inhabited the body of a respected archbishop that was a trusted spiritual adviser for our dear President. It’s one thing to have the ear of the most powerful man on the planet, but if you can possess him… why the hell not? We’re introduced to President Jefferson Rooney (David Chisum) in the midst of his evening prayers, asking for the guidance and strength to lead the nation to a new age of prosperity and whatnot. Naturally, Rooney invites Lucifer inside him, believing him to be God’s will. Oh buddy… are you so wrong.

Say what you will about the Dark One, the way Lucifer is written this season has provided a lot of wry humor, especially when it comes to learning about the nuances and contrarian attitudes of humankind. As Vince Vincente, he learned celebrity is the new religion. As President Rooney, he discovered a mere title is enough to wield one’s authority over others. Everyone noticed slight changes in Jefferson’s docile persona and Lucifer tested his new underlings early on, which a quick barb about using nukes over diplomacy. Although he brushed it off as a joke, Lucifer took notice that his staff spend a few seconds contemplating whether a nuclear strike should be put on the table. It may have taken a couple bodies but Satan definitely found his goldilocks.

Even though Lucifer was getting cozy in his new form, he knew Sam and Dean would never stop to send him back to Hell. Luckily for Lu, he now has the Secret Service, the armed forces and every intelligence agency at his disposal. The Winchesters knew they’d never have a better chance at exorcising Lucifer than now and still never came close to Rooney thanks to the head of his presidential detail, Rick Sanchez (Stephen Lobo). As fate would have it, the Men of Letters actually made good in their assist and finally made the brothers aware of their spy, the supremely dapper Arthur Ketch (David Haydn-Jones).

Two parts James Bond and one part Bullet-tooth Tony, Mr. Ketch exuded what could be mistaken as an air of sophistication. Yet any of his compatriots that live “the life” could recognize underneath Arthur’s smarm and custom tailored clothing was a true blue killer. The Men of Letters put the bloodshed on hold for the moment and gave the Winchesters another chance to embrace a partnership with Ketch hocking shiny advanced weaponry. After acquiring a device that significantly increases their chances for success, Sam and Dean called in the rest of the squad to draw up a plan to stomp the Devil into the dirt.

If being the leader of the free world wasn’t enough incentive, Lucifer had a bit of fun with President Rooney’s aide/secret mistress, Kelly Kline (Courtney Ford). It wasn’t too surprising that a supposedly devout, god-fearing administration had some sordid, hypocritical skeletons in its closet. Rooney isn’t the first man in power to have an extramarital affair and Kline won’t be the last young woman attracted to the influence and authority of the office. Kelly realized she’d never be Mrs. Rooney and live a charmed life of Waterford crystal and dinners with foreign dignitaries. Nevertheless, Kline will take what she can get from “Jefferson”. While immersed in the post-coital glow of their first romp, Kelly let slip that she’d love to have children. The thought of siring a heir hadn’t crossed Lucifer’s mind until that very moment and after he flashed that devious smile, we knew his side-piece and devoted bible-thumper was going to be in all kinds of trouble.

It didn’t take much time at all for Lucifer to transfer his “celestial essence” into Kelly, as Castiel succinctly put it. Apparently when an angel has sex with intent to procreate, all of Heaven feels intense pain. In other words, they literally make Baby Jesus cry. Kelly appeared shocked yet a little too reserved about her sudden pregnancy but it really traumatized her once she learned who was the real father and what grows inside her. A human-angel hybrid - nephilim - may seem like you hit the baby jackpot yet they are considered the ultimate disgrace in the eyes of Heaven. Even after she was convinced that her boo was Satan in disguise, Kelly couldn’t come to terms with eliminating her child despite the high probability it could rain unholy destruction upon the earth and other realms.

Yes, we know. It’s her body, her choice. But C’MON! We don’t need another threat of apocalyptic magnitude!

For a winter finale, “LOTUS” was everything you expected from Supernatural and a little bit more. After a decade of killing pretty much every evil thing on earth twice over and saving humanity a handful of times, some story lines can easily be perceived as old hat. Lucifer’s frequent jumping through bodies was an entertaining distraction but now we finally may have the Winchesters in a situation that could irrevocably alter their operation. Though Dean and Sam were successful in saving the President from Lucifer - with the combined efforts of Rowena’s magic and Ketch’s weapon - and forced the Fallen One back into his cage, the Secret Service believe them to be enemies of the State and whisked them away to parts unknown.

Surely they’ll be some kind of intrigue involved in Sam and Dean’s planned escape with unlikely alliances made between Cas, Crowley and Rowena and the Men of Letters. On the other hand, if the MoL are as influential as they claim to be, they could use the Winchesters’ arrest as leverage to conscript them into their service. Time will only tell and we’ve plenty until the next episode, which airs January 26!