Supernatural - S13E3 - Patience

Previously on Supernatural, “The Rising Son”

In another solid outing by long standing Supernatural alum Robert Singer and Robert Berens, “Patience” bridges the past and future of the series while parsing the hazards and uncertainties the hunter’s life has on one’s psyche. Jack is problemo numero uno between Sam and Dean, who are still radically opposed in how they should regard Lucifer’s spawn. Meanwhile, Berens turned back the clock all the way to season one with the reappearance of psychic Missouri Moseley (Loretta Devine), who is tasked with a final mission on this mortal coil to protect her estranged kin from a rapacious wraith.

It may have have been the briefest of reunions yet it was nice to see an ally and friend pop up from the good ol’ days. Sure, it’s been 12 years since Ms. Devine last portrayed Missouri but her presence appearance seemed to put Dean at ease - Moseley was a constant for the Winchesters at the beginning of their careers. Sadly, her reunion with Dean occurred under tragic circumstances; on the outs with Sam yet again, Jody Mills (Kim Rhodes) rode shotgun with Dean to Kansas, determined to sort out the mess for the family’s most trusted friend. It didn’t take long to figure out Missouri’s protege Dede was murdered by a wraith (Jon Cor) who has a taste for psychics. Apparently consuming the brains of the gifted provides one hell of a high, and during their investigation Moseley not only identified her friend’s killer, but saw he’d return for her and kill her family.

Knowing what the future had in store for her son and granddaughter, Missouri withheld knowledge of her inevitable demise from Dean and Jody, knowing her family needed their protection. Moseley’s done all she could for them and if her death could give her friends more time to reach them before the wraith it’s a worthy sacrifice. That’s how it felt in hindsight, however as it occurred in real time it felt like such a downer. Missouri was one of the original survivors; so few of the Winchester allies from season five and earlier have made it this far and after one reference between hundreds of episodes, Missouri is finally back in the flesh… only to be taken out mere minutes after receiving a bear hug from Dean.

Despite this small gripe, Missouri’s passing doesn’t mean she’s gone for good, as her granddaughter Patience Turner (Clark Backo) reconnected somewhat with Moseley during the episode. A latent psychic herself, Patience would rather worry about her calculus homework that deal with visions of her dead grandmother or being stalked by a creature that wants to “milk her brain”. But here we are! While Dean and Jody protect Patience and her father James (Adrian Holmes), the Turners finally laid all the cards on the table about their heritage. Rather than have his daughter experience the chaotic lifestyle of hunters, James completely removed all traces of the life - including Missouri - after the death of his wife. His choice would have been acceptable if he didn’t feed Patience lies about Moseley, who mispredicted her daughter-in-law’s recovery.

Eventually, both father and daughter accepted their inheritance and realized it can be a strength rather than a burden. James remarked how he made sure Patience was never acquainted with hunting because he was exposed to so much peril as child. Dean respected James’ decision however callous because as Winchester affirmed to Patience, it’s a lifestyle filled with pain and heartache. While Jody countered his argument and embraced Patience as a friend and potential ally, Winchester’s comments proved he remains on edge about having to deal with Jack.

The tension in the Bunker was so thick during “Patience” it could have been cut with a machete. Although Dean was focused on his mission for Missouri, his presence and enmity towards Jack continued to linger. His remarks about killing the nephilim at the end of “Rising Son” has echoed in Jack’s mind and made him jumpy about exploring his powers. Sam tried his best to get Jack out of his shell yet the boy consciously chooses to restrain his near-limitless potential, for fear of reaching Asmodeus and Dean’s expectations.

Despite listening to positive declarations by Sam and the recently deceased Kelly Kline on how his lineage does not mean he’s bound for evil, Jack is surprisingly self-aware (for a week-old baby) about the literal hell he could unleash on earth. Overhearing Dean and Sam’s fight about Jack’s worthiness didn’t help matters any, however their row did inspire him to seek out the one person he and his mother trusted completely: with an unconscious desire and a glow of his yellow eyes, Jack reached deep into The Empty and woke the lost soul of Castiel. Everyone’s favorite angel lives! Not that it was ever in doubt. The same cannot be said about the possible sacrifices his adopted son and best friends will make to restore him in their reality.