‘Supernatural’ Recap: ‘The Rupture’

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner 

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

Revisit episode 15.02, ‘Raising Hell’, right here.

Over the many years of Supernatural (CW), we’ve seen Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester form alliances with demons and other creatures as a means to an end. Often times this ends in disaster. The biggest example being Ruby (Genevieve Padalecki) in seasons 2-4. Now, as Team Winchester faces yet another apocalypse, this fan has been skeptical from the get that our beloved heroes will yet again reach disaster before grace. So let’s dive in shall we…

In this week’s fight against the Big Bad, ‘The Rupture’, named for the tear in the earth that opened all the doors of Hell, focuses on trying to close this rift for good. For now, the barrier containing the escaped souls is still intact, but weakens with every passing moment. A few Hunters’ under Sam’s command are watching the boundaries while the souls within constantly beat at the perimeters. Simultaneously, Sam, Dean, Castiel (Misha Collins), Belphegor (Alexander Calvert) and Rowena (Ruth Connell) head to where it all begin, the cemetery.

Rowena confidently has a spell in mind to try and reinforce the barrier to buy some time. As they approach, we see souls still randomly escaping the tear which I thought was a nice touch as it makes perfect sense that a few souls here and there would lag behind. Setting up shop in the mausoleum, Rowena is free to cast her spell. However, she has terrible visions of the ghosts and senses strong evil and the spell ceases to work. Dean, always the fighter, wants her to make more soul catchers, but Rowena insists stating, “I’m telling you, it’s over!” Belphegor, having stayed in the background through the majority of this, says Rowena failed. He eventually hastily leaves the crypt making his way to the rupture. Castiel follows. Back in the crypt, Dean is furiously loading ammo and preparing for the worst as he says, “I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let some glorified fanboy get the last word!” Hahaha, God… a fanboy! I love it!! At this point, things seems rather grim. I’m sad for Rowena as she sits on the steps in worry. But wait, she is looking at a specific page in the Book of the Damned. Sam asks if there’s anything useful, but she closes the book and replies, “not a thing.” Hmmm, this can’t be good!

Returning from the ruptures edge, Belphegor has a plan – to retrieve Lilith’s Crook. Wait, what!? Lilith!! Damn, she’s gotta be on the list of the most mentioned demons over the course of the whole series, right?? Apparently, this Crook works similar to any other in tending a flock and its horn will call Hell’s lost creatures back home. Cas says exactly what I’m thinking… ”And why haven’t we heard of this before?” Belphegor explains that demons feared Lilith. The Crook was a failsafe, but her fear kept them in line so she never needed to use it. Now this, I totally believe!! Sealed in Lilith’s chamber, Belphegor proposes retrieving the Crook. Then, as Rowena says, she can perform a healing spell to seal the rupture shut. A spell of her own devising I might add. No Book of the Damned needed. Interesting!! With Sam needed to assist Rowena and Dean the unprotected carrier of the magical delivery device, Belphegor pipes up and says he needs help getting to Lilith’s chamber. Dean volunteers Cas. Huh?? Okay, seriously, Belphegor is up to something!! Plus, this tension between Castiel and Dean is palpable, right??

In a different setting, we see Ketch (David Haydn-Jones) waking up. Yay, he’s okay! A nurse tries to detour him, but he’s determined to leave and help the group. Nice! Suddenly, the doctor who appears in the doorway snaps the nurse’s neck. It’s Ardat (Sharon Taylor)!!! They fight and she tries to force Ketch to give up the group’s location. Then, in a turn I didn’t see coming, she rips Ketch’s heart out. Whaaaaat!! As he falls to the floor, I’m trying to remember exactly when it was I started to like Ketch since he really was a dick in the beginning. With Ketch lying on the floor, Ardat uses his cell phone to text Dean. WTF!! Ketch deserved a better death than this. Especially since all Ardat needed to find the group was Ketch’s phone, not his heart!! Plus, now there’s no chance for a reunion with Rowena! **Sigh**

Back at the rupture, as Belphegor pokes at Castiel’s emotions, Cas pushes him in to shut him up. I giggle as Cas jumps in behind him. Once in Hell, seeing that it’s empty, Cas questions the need for the “protection” that Belphegor claimed he needed. Belphegor, continuing to add salt to Cas’s emotional wounds with his friends, admits that he specifically wanted Castiel’s company. Again, I wonder… this kid is up to something!!! When they reach Lilith’s chamber a demon friend of Belphegor’s, Malfayan (Nevin Burkholder), is pillaging the chamber. Some chummy conversation between the two reveal that Malfayan has the Haxon ring. A rather unique looking thing, I start to wonder if we’ve seen it sometime before. Castiel interrupts by violently killing the demon with his Angel blade. With no memory of this ring, I determine that showing and mentioning it, by name no less, is on purpose and we’re likely see it again before this series is said and done.

Castiel wonders if the Crook has been pillaged as well. However, Belphegor knows exactly where it is. Of course he does!! As it turns out, the box it’s in is warded with Enochian writing. Belphegor explains that Lilith knew no one in Hell could read it and says, “Good thing I brought you.” Ahh, now it makes sense!! Belphegor needs Cas to open the box. It’s obvious to me now that he truly wants the Crook for himself, but for what I wonder! And to add a bit of humor, just reading the incantation doesn’t work – it must be sung! LOL!! Dean waits topside at the rupture wondering where Ketch is. Aww, dammit!! Sam and Rowena are preparing, but a reluctant Sam feels he should be “out there” fighting. Rowena reminds him that magic is fighting and they all must do their parts. I remember that at some point, per Death, Sam is slated to kill Rowena. “Not yet,” I say. 

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With the “voice of an Angel” (LOL), the box opens and just as Castiel is about to hand Belphegor the Crook, Ardat appears sending Castiel flying across the room, knocking him unconscious. He wakes in time to save Belphegor, but not before Ardat tells him that Belphegor wants to rule Hell. She says she’s been watching him for centuries – “bowing and scraping to Lilith and Crowley, all of them, just waiting for his chance.” Whoa!!! Just as she’s about to reveal what Belphegor really is… YES!!... he kills her with the Angel blade. NOOOOOO!!! Cas questions Belphegor. He tells Cas he should go and with force, flings Castiel out of the Chamber. OMChuck, what is happening??? And just like that, as any typical bad guy does, Belphegor reveals his plans. It isn’t just Hell he wants. It’s everything! As in, earth, Heaven and Hell. A God of sorts, as he states, “great timing, right? Because I heard there was a vacancy.” WOW!!! He reveals that the horn is also a siphon that will draw the power of every evil soul in Hell INTO himself. Holy crap!!! Castiel rationalizes and says that Belphegor’s been playing them all along and with a glimmer in his eye and a snide smile on his lips, Belphegor says, “I couldn’ta done it withoutcha.” I KNEW IT!!! I knew he was playing them, but writer Robert Berens still surprises me with the overall true plan. NICE!!
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Belphegor blows the horn and the souls began to fly towards Hell. Things start to happen rather fast now. Topside knows the time is near. Dean braces himself as Rowena and Sam begin the spell. Castiel fights towards the force of the souls flying into Belphegor. He eventually makes it and takes Belphegor down. He begins beating him profusely. YES! Belphegor pretends to be the real Jack, but Cas doesn’t fall for it. He smites Belphegor harder than I’ve ever seen before as his body shrivels to a skeleton and dust. The Crook is apparently rendered useless in the process. In the meantime, the spell topside has made the magic weapon live. Dean throws it in, but as the earth starts to crumble around the rupture, Rowena knows something is wrong, and so do I!! NOOOO. Not yet!!! NOT YET!!! Sam and Dean share a call, something isn’t right! Rowena takes a knife and digs into her shoulder. What is she doing?? IT HAS TO BE SAM, RIGHT?!? She pulls out her last resurrection sachet. “Won’t need that where I’m going,” she says. My eyes are welling up!! Telling Sam that magic can do and contain anything, Rowena has one last spell… HER! Ahhh, the spell from The Book of Damned from earlier! Only two ingredients – her blood and final breath. I can’t!!! I just can’t! Sam, in just as much denial as I am, fights what’s happening. Shifting between scenes, we see Dean and Cas argue about what happened in Hell while Rowena and Sam debate the inevitable. As my mind starts to catch up with what my eyes are seeing, I’m full of emotion… fear, sadness, confusion and pain. A close embrace, Sam still coming to terms, fights it. For a moment it almost seems as if he’s going to pull back. Suddenly, with tears in both their eyes, he says no then hugs her as he plunges the knife in her belly. I’m speechless!! Before twisting the knife in deeper herself, Rowena lifts Sam’s chin and says, “That’s my boy.” **SIGH**

Outside, as Rowena walks towards the rift sacrificing herself, the souls rush into her. I knew self-sacrifice might happen but still, I cannot believe what I’m watching. I don’t want her to die. My heart is pounding!!! She says “good-bye boys” and falls in. The rupture closes and my heart breaks. Everyone’s hearts break!!
 
Back at the bunker, Dean comes to Sam’s room and asks how he’s holding up. As he and I both wipe a tear, they discuss the townspeople, Ketch, and how they beat an apocalypse once again. Dean tells Sam that he had no choice and even though he knows that, and I know it too, it still hurts!!

The final scene shows Castiel and Dean. They argue. I’m still sad from the previous scenes and seeing these two fight is even more heartbreaking. Castiel admits his powers are failing and that trying to talk to Dean over and over has been fruitless because Dean still blames him for Mary’s death. “Yep,” I say in sad agreeance. As he turns to leave, Dean asks where he’s going. Cas looks back and says, “Jack’s dead. Chuck’s gone. You and Sam have each other. I think it’s time for me to move on.” With that, he quietly leaves. Dean doesn’t say a word… fade out!! Okay, I’m crying all over again.

The end was truly near and Team Winchester, still not having learned from previous flubs, and really having no other choice, decided to put their faith in Belphegor… a demon! The outcome, though basically achieved, cost two lives and splintered Dean and Castiel’s relationship even more than it already was. I wonder, was it worth it? To save the entire planet from being ravaged by angry, blood thirsty souls from Hell, sadly, the only answer I have, is the same as Rowena’s when Sam tries to deny that she must die – Unequivocally, yes!!

What’s your take on The Rupture? How about Ketch and Rowena’s deaths? Or Dean and Castiel’s relationship, or lack thereof? 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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