‘Supernatural’ Recap: ‘Our Father, Who Aren’t in Heaven’

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

A quote heavily spoken throughout the Supernaturalverse is “Family don’t end with blood.” It’s inspired a cast/fans book (Lynn S. Zubernis) of the same name and is almost as popular as “Saving people. Hunting things.” Or, “The Family Business,” which totally makes sense since Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester have gone above and beyond for those they deem family, blood or not. Not to mention, the quote itself originated with our beloved Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver)! Therefore, it also makes sense that after all these years, some of the most popular (and hilarious) memes out there are about the forgotten Winchester half-brother, Adam Milligan (Jake Abel). And in this final season, the writers know addressing this issue is a must, lest they suffer the wrath of fanboys and girls the world over (LOL)! Exactly how they would get there? Well, let’s just say, they’re not some of the best writers out there for nothing. So before you can say Assbutt (LOL!), lets dive in…
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Directed by the huge fandom favorite, Richard Speight Jr. (AKA Gabriel the Archangel), Our Father, Who Aren’t in Heaven feels laced with Trickster magic, am I right? Did the writers create this gem of a tale with Richard’s directing in mind? True or not, this fangirl says YES, because he plays one of the few characters, beyond our trio of heroes, that can relate to the daddy issues sprinkled throughout the episode. Especially from an angelic stand point. No wonder we opened with a “cranky” God (Rob Benedict) at a casino surrounded by dead patrons and staff. Feeding his ego with the slots as he terrorizes a lone surviving cocktail waitress who serves him frilly drinks while fearing for her life. DAMMIT CHUCK!

There are no cameos this time which is ironically perfect since I just remarked in 15.07: ‘Last Call’, how I’ve begun to look for them in every episode… LOL! However, the sheer amount of major character power is remarkable. Donatello the Prophet (Keith Szarabajka), a personal favorite for his weird humor and love of chicken, comes back to decipher the Demon Tablet. An idea presented by Dean (“Boom!”) as a means of finding a way to defeat Chuck. Right now, the normally untouchable God, is in a weakened state. Sam likens this to an Achilles Heel while Dean hilariously misses the reference calling it Chuck’s weak spot (LOL). Despite the humor, the idea to lock God up as he once did to his sister Amara (Emily Swallow) is born and it’s genius!! Miraculously, Donatello finds an annotation from Metatron (Curtis Armstrong). A personal observation of God no less. WHOA! “The Almighty guards his secret fear, but it is always there.” And the writers’ twist? God shared this secret with his favorite, who Cas explains at the time the Demon Tablet was scribed, was Michael. HA!! Diabolically scrumptious, right!?! Donatello upset by the explanation of where Michael is (Same dude, same!), suddenly faints into his chair.

But wait… he’s possessed by Chuck. WOW!! “Prophets speak the word of God. Sometimes indirectly. Sometimes they’re my Bluetooth.” Say what you will about God, His egomaniacal humor is just darn good! All kidding aside, Chuck explains how He usually loves the back and forth process between He and the boys. “Like tennis with monsters,” He, yet again, trivializes the hero’s lives (GRRR) while telling them to let this new idea go. Hmmm, got Him scared, do they?? Considering Chuck threatens not them, but everyone they care about, Jody (Kim Rhodes), Donna (Briana Buckmaster) and Eileen (Shoshannah Stern), I’d say so. That BASTARD!! Talk about an Achilles Heel. No wonder the writers foreshadowed Sam showing up earlier to “save” Eileen on a hunt. It’s painfully obvious at the time as she remarks that he’s worried about her. Sam responds by asking if he’s being too overprotective. “Little bit,” she says! Of course, even with Cas discouraging the pursuit, Sam and Dean are still going to look for Michael. It’s the strongest shot they’ve got and the clock is ticking, both in their world AND ours! They reason that it was Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) and Chuck who told them Michael is insane. Hardly beacons of truth these two, right? Seriously, the writing is just on point here!!

And to begin their search for Michael? A quick trip to Hell where they find that Rowena (Ruth Connell) is the QUEEN! I mean. Of course she is! Have you met Rowena? LOL!! However, Michael’s not in the cage. DUH!! Remember what Belphegor (Alexander Calvert) said about the cage door being opened by Chuck during the rupture? None the less, Rowena, with a commanding scream only she can possess (LOL!), orders her minions to find him. Heck ya!! 

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While they wait, we see two interesting developments. First, Rowena, noticing the rift between Dean and Cas, tells them to fix it for fear of regret. Giving hilarious examples, she notes regretting making Napoleon (yes, that one!) “So short,” and dumping Mick Jagger (yes, that one too… LOL!) while telling him he’ll never amount to anything. LOVE IT!! But the one that hits home? She regrets everything with “Dear Fergus,” as in Crowley (Mark Sheppard). WOW!! To hear her admit this is huge!

​Second, while monitoring the spell, Eileen gets a video call from fellow hunter Sue Barrish (Luvia Peterson) asking for help with a vamp nest. She agrees to help if not busy when the time comes. This is obviously more foreshadowing as we later see Sam and Eileen rush to help Sue only to find out she’s Chuck in disguise. I knew something was up!! Another demon or even an Angel doing His dirty work perhaps, but not Chuck himself. NICE!! This part of the story becomes the first of two cliffhangers as the final scene changes back to Dean and Cas who come up against a hunting trip of their own, cliffhanger number two – Purgatory!!

The entire episode is full of surprises, but the biggest ones come when dealing with Michael/Adam. When we first see them, the scene in Hell shifts to an all American diner. The character Adam, having a conversation with himself, or Michael rather, is shown sitting on either side of a booth. Enjoying a cheeseburger and pizza of course!! Ten years without, who wouldn’t want these things… LOL!! And I must say, using a booth to show both sides of these characters having lived with each other for so long, calm and symbiotic, is an excellent way to bring this highly anticipated moment to life. I expected sheer anger, but if you think about it, Michael and Adam have had 10 years (which is likely hundreds by Hell’s standards) to settle. The fact they appear not only at ease, but comfortable with each other, friends even, is simply fantastic. I’m quite impressed with Jake Abel’s acting skills. And later, at the bunker, shifting between characters, though in the same body, he’s not the same personality. His posture, demeanor and overall word structure changes with acting and editing ease. Bravo dude… bravo!! We also get to see just how powerful Michael is when Lilith (Anna Grace Barlow) returns to “fetch” him for God. As she grabs his wrist, Michael’s eyes get that Angelic glow and he smites her with just a look. A LOOK! He then wipes the memories of the obviously befuddled and frightened diner patrons with a few words and a Chuck-like snap of his fingers. Plus, it’s sensing this power that allows Donatello to pick up Michael’s trail. As I said, cohesive! Not to mention, Castiel uses a prayer-like attempt to reach out to Michael only to later trap him with Holy Fire. I definitely didn’t see that coming, You? Cas continues to astonish.

Aside from all this, another “ah-ha” moment includes Michael being seemingly unaware of all that God has done and/or become. Left to rot by the one being he praises the most, he is absolutely dumbfounded when Castiel pushes him to the brink with knowledge of Chuck “The Writer” and events passed. It’s hard to remember that after all this time, both Adam and Michael fell into the pit thinking they were serving a higher purpose. God’s purpose. And with virtually no contact, other than a manipulative Lucifer until the doors swung open, it’s no wonder they question J2M. It’s surprisingly heartbreaking to see the strong and confident Michael drained and saddened. And finally, the family reunion every Adam centered meme in the Supernaturalverse has preyed upon for years finally happens. First, when Michael mocks Sam and Dean for leaving their brother to rot in Hell, Sam says, “We said good-bye because we thought we had to. We were wrong.” Michael then lets Adam out. Totally surprised, Dean says “Michael lets you talk? He lets you be?” Adam explains, having only each other in the cage, they came to an agreement but when asking for an apology, Michael cuts it short. Wait, what?? Then, at the end, after Michael gives Dean and Cas a spell to trap God, he opens the rift to Purgatory and turns to leave. Dean asks if he can speak to Adam. Though Sam isn’t there, Dean, who was actually the most indifferent to Adam to begin with, gets to apologize. Telling Adam he didn’t deserve what happened to him, Adam replies by saying “Since when do we get what we deserve,” then leaves in silence. It’s short, but absolutely touching, right!?! Fade to black…

To close, I’d like to mention a few things. Lilith, though vanquished by Michael, is still God’s minion, right? Will she break free or remain a messenger girl? And what about this Leviathan Blossom? Hmm, it’s the second time this final season Leviathans have been mentioned. The first in 15.04: ‘Atomic Monsters’ which also gave us Benny (Ty Olsson) in Sam’s vision. I assume we’ll see him in Purgatory. With twelve episodes to go, a whole hell of a lot can still happen. The writing is spectacular thus far and the cast and crew promises even more. Not to mention, I expect the pace, fast already, will expedite, so buckle up kids!! Did you agree with Adam’s re-introduction? Predictions? 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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