‘Supernatural’ Recap: ‘Despair’

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1518 of ‘Supernatural’.
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Moving at what seems like hundreds of miles on the “Road So Far” from one episode to the next, ‘Despair’ feels painstakingly distant from my recap of the previous week’s 'Unity'… and not just by definition. There’s no getting around the fact that the end is coming, but the emotions brought on by ‘Despair’ have me scarcely knowing where to begin. Though there were some important tidbits thrown in along with the demise of one foe, I’m sure every fan is still reeling from the last act in more ways than one. Throwing in some much needed familiar faces, warm as they were, couldn’t stop the heartache to come, am I right? Therefore – a departure from my often comedic intro – with a heavy heart, I’ll simply say… let’s begin.
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Picking up at The Bunker, Jack (Alexander Calvert), a ticking time bomb, has the entire group in distress. The intense scene is made soft and sad by Jack’s glowing eyes begging them to get away as he manages to say, “Don’t let me hurt you,” between agonizing gasps. **SIGH** As I said in my previous recap: “Someone or something has to intervene, right??” Death (Lisa Berry) appears and stops the implosion by vanquishing Jack to The Empty (Rachel Miner). Wait… what?? Dammit!! That’s not what I meant. Jack voluntarily going out to end Chuck (Rob Benedict) and Amara (Emily Swallow) is one thing, But this?? Roll title card. WOW! Plus, Billie blaming the Winchesters’ because her backstabbing plan didn’t work was absolutely infuriating. Let’s not forget her quid pro quo – God’s Death Book for help, freeing Jack from The Empty. The Empty SHE sent him to! GRRR!! Although, she was right that not much else in the Supernaturalverse could’ve absorbed the “Cosmic TNT” that was Jack. LOL. But still, am I right??

Being the only one that can read Chuck’s Death Book, Billie sees an out in the now modified ending. With a smirk she brings Jack back to The Bunker. Just in time too, as The Empty, post-implosion, is pissed (LOL!) and lays her hands on Jack. WHEW!! The relief is short lived since Billie intends to keep Jack for future use. Hmm… just what did she see in the new ending? DEAN FOR THE WIN uses Death’s own weapon against her, striking her shoulder. HECK YA!! Wounded, Billie disappears… leaving behind Chuck’s Death Book, her scythe AND Jack. NICE! Finding out later that her wound is fatal, is quite literally cold and beautiful at the same time. Makes sense as Dean once used this iconic scythe to end the original Death (Julian Richings) way back in 10.23: 'Brother's Keeper'. Subsequently taking over, Berry’s performance overall has been magnificent and I hate to see her go. You? And her end game to take Dean with her is absolutely epic!! But before we discuss what’s likely to be one of the most devastating AND shocking endings of the entire series, let us first discuss the B-side along with a couple other tidbits.

You’d think all the initial drama with Death would be enough to carry an entire episode, but writer Robert Berens has much more in store. SO MUCH MORE!! Additionally, with this being Richard Speight Jr’s (AKA: The Trickster/Gabriel) 11th and final time in the director's chair for the series, the episode takes on a considerably darker tone than we’ve previously seen with our favorite Trickster. Jack is now powerless. OR… is he?? Because killing that plant in the silo seemed as much of a surprise to him as it was to me, no? And Billie, hell bent on revenge, continues with a part of her original plan to “Restore order,” by making hunters vanish into thin air! Or so we think!!! It’s here that we get to see some of our all-time favorite characters return – Charlie (Felicia Day) and Bobby (Jim Beaver). YES!! Albeit brief and in the form of Apocalypse World/Alternate Universe Charlie and Bobby, it was still great to see them.

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Sandwiched between the immeasurable storylines are tender moments that made me smile as well as tear up in pain, Dean apologizing to Sam was much needed closure considering he held Sam at gunpoint in the previous episode. Additionally, Cas’ fatherly heart-to-heart with Jack wasn’t just for Jack. WE NEEDED IT TOO!! Plus, observing Charlie in a cute and happy moment with her girlfriend Stevie (Tori Katongo) was awesome!! Conversely, witnessing Sam’s texts with Eileen (Shoshanna Stern) drop off as she too disappears was absolutely heartbreaking. Not to mention, watching an entire group of hunters, including their children, prepare, only to see them fade away was gut wrenching, am I right?? I mean… Donna (Briana Buckmaster)! NOT DONNA!!! All this still says nothing for the final scenes!
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If confronting Death on her own turf AND with her own blade seems like a hail mary strategy, that’s because it is!! Turns out, Billie’s not the one making people vanish. Lest we forget, Chuck is still the TRUE Big Bad of this story. HIS story!! As for Billie? Well, having Dean and Cas attack her in her own library inspires her to seek one last wish before dying – TO KILL DEAN!! They run back to The Bunker, but it’s too late. Death appears!! Her speech is MAGNIFICENT as she starts to crush Dean’s heart from within. NO!!! “It’s you Dean. It’s always been you. Death defying. Rule breaking. You are everything I lived to set right. To put down. To tame. You are human disorder incarnate” HOLY COW!! Cas supports Dean as they race through The Bunker halls. Billie calmly follows them and chillingly slides the end of her scythe along the tile walls. YIKES!! Everything is hurried and still at the same time. You know… the way it feels when the serial killer peacefully pursues their frantic prey! “Don’t you think it’s finally time? Time for the sweet release of Death?” Billie calmly says. I scream: “Absolutely NOT!!” Cas ushers Dean into an archival room and immediately grabs Dean’s knife from his back pocket. Carving into his own hand, Cas uses his blood to make a sigil on the door. As it lights up, the magic takes hold and Death’s grip on Dean’s heart ceases. WHEW!!! Death begins a slow, steady pound on the door, releasing her own magic with every impact. Now what??

Dean begins to “Despair” and blames himself for leading them into yet another trap. Cas looks on with sadness as the background sigil lights up with every pound of Billie’s fist. Again, I start to think: “Someone or something has to intervene, right??” Knowing it was Chuck all along, Dean says: “Everybody’s gonna die Cas. Everybody!” My all too familiar phrase, “DAMMIT CHUCK!!”, escapes my lips… LOL! As Dean says he’s sorry, Cas’ furrowed brow begins to change. He explains there’s one thing Billie’s afraid of. Wait!! What is he talking about?? As he tells how he traded his life for Jack’s, it dawns on me. THE EMPTY!!! OMC! NOOOO!! I can’t hear this. I won’t!! Cas continues and it becomes all too clear that… that… he’s going to die! But wait… he has to be truly happy for The Empty to come. How is Berens going to make this moment, of true despair, happy? I didn’t realize that up until this moment, Dean didn’t even know about Cas’ deal with The Empty. Not surprising, but definitely interesting, no? Cas, with watery eyes continues. His tears grow stronger with every word. So do mine! He tells Dean how he’s changed because of him. How his love for everything and everyone changed. Before his final good-bye, he confesses to a now teary eyed Dean too, “I love you.” And just like that, going off the meta charts, the story changes to include the longtime fanfiction shipping better known as #Destiel. I mean. MIND OFFICIALLY BLOWN!!! Castiel’s true happiness, something he’s been trying to understand and figure out since long before making the deal (us too, I might add!!), is now crystal clear. WOW!! Castiel knows who he is now and it’s beautiful! The black gooey portal to The Empty begins to open. At the same time, Billie’s pounding has broken through the warding as the archival door flies open. Dean begs him not to do this. Same, Dean! SAME!! Cas grabs Dean’s shoulder, for what I’m sure Destiel fans hoped would be a kiss, and hoists Dean across the room. As Dean grabs his wits, a visible blood soaked handprint is seen on the part of his shoulder where Cas tossed him. This mimics the scar left when Cas originally raised Dean from hell way back in 4.01: 'Lazarus Rising'. NO WAY!!! Billie approaches from behind while we get another throwback from 4.01 – the moment Castiel first revealed his Angelic nature!! The Empty swallows a calm and visibly happy Cas (AWWW!!), as the pitch black branches create somewhat of a parallel unfurling of Cas’ wings from all those years ago. NICE!! In one fell swoop, The Empty takes both Cas and Billie. WOW!!! Castiel is gone! **SIGH** By the end, Sam and Jack are left wondering what’s happening while we, the viewers, see that average people, not just hunters, have disappeared as well. WHOA!! Finally, Dean, distraught over Cas, is unable to answer Sam’s call - fade to black.

HOLY COW what an episode!! We have no answers as to how or if ANY of these characters will be saved. Especially if The Empty has anything to say about it. Not to mention humans in general. With only two episodes left, the end is truly nigh! Tell me… what did you think about this episode? Do you agree with the writers making Destiel, Canon? And what’s up with Jack’s powers? Let me know in the comments below or reach out to me @obi_juanita on Twitter. Until next time… GO TEAM FREE WILL!!

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