Supernatural 13×12 gave us a love spell, the theft of the Black Grimoire, two witches, and a triple-cross from a familiar redhead
After last week’s suspense-driven outing, Supernatural shifted gears this week by advancing the main story some and bringing Rowena (Ruth Connell) back from the dead. While out on a beer run after attempting to get Sam (Jared Padalecki) out of his slump, Dean (Jensen Ackles) had a run-in with two witches. They immediately cast a love spell on him, as witches are sometimes known to do. The goal? Bring them the Black Grimoire, the powerful spellbook the Winchesters originally obtained from the Loughlin Family.
Before long, it was revealed that Rowena, who met a horrible death at Lucifer’s hand last season, had yet another method for avoiding death. The Winchesters reluctantly teamed up with Rowena to help retrieve the book. She then double-crossed the brothers to obtain the book and then double-crossed the witches who originally stole it. It turned out that Rowena herself was the one who planned the original theft to obtain a spell to protect herself from Lucifer.
While all of that was taking place, Castiel (Misha Collins) and Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) managed to outsmart one of Asmodeus’ demons, destroy the warding on their cells, and escape. Lucifer attempted to stab Castiel in the back (again) but Castiel was prepared for that outcome and stabbed Lucifer with an angel blade.
RELATED | Supernatural Roundtable 13×11 “Breakdown”
“Various & Sundry Villains” initially started with more of a comedic tone as Dean fell victim to a love spell and proceeded to tell Sam about how in love he was. While that part of the episode was humorous, it mainly acted as set up for Rowena’s return. Despite the comedic components, the episode contained a lot of quieter, more serious scenes. Sam and Rowena, in particular, shared a few minutes discussing the horrors that Lucifer had unleashed upon them. Their talk impacted Sam so much that he decided to give Rowena the page from the Black Grimoire to protect herself from Lucifer in the future. Castiel also showed a newfound strength by standing up to Lucifer and learning from his previous mistakes.
Whether you love the character or love to hate her, Rowena usually provides plenty of entertainment along with her double and triple-crosses of the Winchesters and everyone else she crosses (and double-crosses) paths with. Let’s meet this week’s roundtable and get into it!
Rachel (@raelee514) – I’m Rachel and I fangirl.
Ashly (@Proud_Mother85) – My kids are my priority, Supernatural and cast fanatic, music and animal lover
Snowlantern (@sisselauisk) – Swedish translator, TV enthusiast and lifelong nerd.
Tricia (@tricia_16_) – Wayward wife and mother of two who found my people, my passion, and myself through Supernatural and its fandom
Sarah (@mishdestiel) – Writer, reader, student. Cornered by Supernatural eight years ago.
[wp_ad_camp_2]
1. Rowena returned once again in this episode, and they didn’t really bother to explain the exact manner in which she survived. Are you happy she’s back or do think she’s played out as a character?
Rachel (@raelee514): I was unhappy they killed her off off-screen last year. I am thrilled she returned and that her precautions for remaining alive worked again in this case. I absolutely love the character and Ruthie Connell is great.
Ashly (@Proud_Mother85): I really enjoyed having Rowena back! I think there is still quite a bit to her character to explore that hasn’t been explored yet. Plus it would be awesome to see if she really has changed and will join up with Team Free Will.
Snowlantern (@sisselauisk): ALL HAIL ROWENA! I hated how she died. I missed her terribly, and I couldn’t be happier with how she returned. She’s the perfect frenemy to the Winchesters now after Crowley: unpredictable, charming, without empathy for strangers and with shifting goals, reluctantly a bit attached to the boys. I love how she broke her bonds at the end! She’s been chained, shackled, forced to do others’ bidding – Crowley, the Winchesters, Lucifer – but I never want to see a man control her again. She’s funny, sharp, delightful, the spice in Supernatural. It was strangely moving to see her bond with Sam over shared trauma, but ultimately, Rowena is in it for Rowena!
Tricia (@tricia_16_): I think it was implied that she did the same thing she did last time Lucifer “killed her” and used a resurrection spell. I was thrilled she came back! With Crowley out of the picture and Castiel never around, the Winchesters need something else supernatural to help even the playing field with them and all the monsters!
Sarah (@mishdestiel): Rowena was treated very poorly in the last season and it is magnificent to see her rising as the powerful, amazing witch she is. I am very thrilled to have her back and can’t wait to see her on screen more often. She’s so full of potential and given her past plot, having her around can be very interesting…
[wp_ad_camp_2]
2. Sam and Rowena seemed to bond a little over their hatred and fear of Lucifer’s true face and torture under his hand. What did you think of that scene?
Rachel: Sam’s lost his way. He’s finally hit the point his optimistic/keep going forward way of facing things has stopped working. His plan for saving Mary fell apart and now he’s falling apart. I LOVED that they remembered he was tortured by Lucifer, I loved that brought up that he never dealt with that pain or spoken about it. And that it still bothers him and right now he’s really low. Connected with Rowena re: that similar fear was amazing, it was an intense scene. Loved it and hoping we see more of Sam’s struggles written this well. (Shout to Steve Yockey the writer of tonight’s episode.)
Ashly: I thought it was good to hear Sam talk about his experience with Lucifer a little, especially since he and Rowena have that in common now, also was heartbreaking knowing what he’s constantly having to deal with since being in the Cage. We haven’t gotten to learn a whole lot about it, minus little glimpses here and there. I understand why Sam doesn’t talk about it, it’s gotta be painful to relive even if he did willingly jump into the hole. At the same time, I think he needs to talk about it to relieve some of the weight he has on his chest.
Snowlantern: Such an unexpected, lovely scene. It makes a lot of sense that they would have an understanding that others can’t share, in their similar Lucifer traumas. Jared and Ruth played that perfectly, with sensitivity and emotion and a bit of humor, while still preserving the animosity and distrust which will probably never go away between the two characters. The scene was a restful bit of very human interaction amidst all the supernatural drama. And it gave a glimpse into what’s going on with Sam. We need to know what he’s struggling with.
Tricia: I’m one of many I saw who were really happy for another chance for Sam to talk about his feelings. It’s a Winchester family trait to keep everything buried, but talking about it is really the only way to deal with it. I was really surprised by the topic of Lucifer’s “true face” and I’m definitely wondering if that’s going to become more significant as time goes on.
Sarah: The bonding moment between Sam and Rowena was a very powerful scene. Despite sometimes being the most sensitive and emotional brother, Sam doesn’t often talk about what happened to him and Lucifer, so I enjoyed it a lot. In addition, seeing this weak, vulnerable side of Rowena and the fact that she has fears and concerns was very precious to me as well.
[wp_ad_camp_2]
3. This episode finally brought back Castiel and Lucifer and they temporarily teamed up to escape from Asmodeus. Were you happy to see Castiel learn from his previous mistake by not turning his back on Lucifer?
Rachel: I’ve missed Castiel. His whole attitude toward Lucifer was amazing. I’m thrilled he tried to kill him, that he won’t fall for any act from Lucifer. That he has learned his lesson. Cas was his snarky best tonight in his dealings with Lucifer, showing they can never be teammates. He only worked with him enough to get himself free.
Ashly: Loved the Cas/Luci team up and it is good to see Cas learn from his past mistakes as well as try not to make new mistakes. I would like to see them team up again, although it may be awhile while Team Free Will tries to figure out how to save Jack and Mary, and Lucifer works on a way to restore his powers and stop AU Michael.
Snowlantern: PERFECTION. The Cas and Lucifer scenes were fantastic, these two strong actors played off each other like nobody’s business. Cas the masterful strategist is back. He manipulated and maneuvered both Lucifer and the demon guard exactly where he wanted them. He seems to have new strength and confidence after coming back from the Empty. Cas ultimately killing Lucifer and refusing to be fooled or used again was an extremely satisfying moment. He strategically teamed up with him as long as it served his purpose, but never for a second did he let Lucifer get to him.
Tricia: I am here for “finally brought back Castiel!” haha I am sure Castiel fans everywhere were just as excited as I was when Castiel stabbed Lucifer. Even knowing that he wasn’t going to die, it felt SO GOOD to see Cas stand up to him! I was also surprised to see him smite a demon! When’s the last time we saw that!?
Sarah: Happy?! I was walking on air! Castiel is such a strong, powerful and intelligent character. I adore when he’s written properly and given the right credibility. It was very pleasant to watch him using his powers again and finally retaliating some of the things Lucifer did to him. Cas definitely learned how to deal with Lucifer and I can see him being an important problem solver in the future. All I can do is hope that the writers also see him that way.
[wp_ad_camp_2]
4. The witches Jennie and Jamie were initially set up as the main antagonists in the episode but Rowena ended up being the main antagonist. Would you have liked to see the two witches developed more or were you satisfied with how they were used to reintroduce Rowena?
Rachel: They were set up well enough, shown to be two truly evil witches with only caring about themselves. I didn’t really need to know more about them, I figured Rowena may have sent them in. Who I care about is Rowena so I’m glad she was the true focus of the storyline.
Ashly: I like how they were introduced and am happy how they were played out but at the same time, I think we could’ve learned a little more about them, more they could have told us about their past.
Snowlantern: Jamie and Jennie were pretty flat characters. They could have been more interesting and real, even if they were only there to serve a specific purpose. The one real moment they had, when Jamie talked about being the big sister, in my opinion, helped establish them as mirrors for the Winchesters. They ended up killing each other, as a dark reminder of where codependency to the exclusion of all others can lead. But this is where Sam and Dean used to be, not where they are now – they do let other people into their lives.
Tricia: I was happy with the way they were used to reintroduce Rowena. Honestly, this show already has so many fantastic recurring characters that they could use more of, I’m never really pleased when people who will only ever be in one episode get so much air time. The witches definitely made me laugh and they played their part well. I just didn’t want to see more of them.
Sarah: Since I’m not a big fan of witches that aren’t Rowena, I found it good that Jennie and Jamie are not staying and weren’t too developed into the plot. I enjoyed how things played out because the moves and events that brought Rowena back were classic, interesting and very suitable to her.
[wp_ad_camp_2]
5. Dean was briefly put under the spell of Jennie and Jamie but that part of the plot was resolved relatively quickly. Would you have liked to see that play out more than it did?
Rachel: Thank goodness it didn’t play out longer than that. It was a good hook. A good small distraction/way to steal the book. It was good for some laughs but if it’d played out any longer than it did it would’ve been annoying and stopped being funny given consent issues at play in love spells.
Ashly: Honestly, I like that Dean being under the love spell ended relatively quick since Sam knew to look for the hex bag to burn and free his brother, it was also a nice way to bring back Rowena but it could have also been fun to play it out a little more as well as funny to see how Jensen could play it out.
Snowlantern: I was relieved that the whole episode was not about the love spell. It was good for some comedy between Sam and Dean, but there were a lot of other places it could have gone that would have been awful or at best cringe-worthy. Ideally, of course, it should have been used to highlight who Dean really loves, which is narratively the only thing that makes sense for using a love spell in a story. But I had no expectations of seeing that, so I was glad that the love spell part of the episode was resolved quickly.
Tricia: Nah. Not really. There was some fantastic comedic moments between Sam and Dean with the love spell on Dean, but I’m glad it didn’t drag out anymore. When it comes to physical affection between two people when one of them is under a love spell, it always gives me the creeps because it’s not exactly consensual. I’m glad we weren’t exposed to more of that.
Sarah: Not really… I was actually quite pleased that the spell was ended quickly. I don’t trust Supernatural with that kind of plot and stories anymore because they have a history of using scenarios of non and dubious consent between characters, and that’s not something you play with. Therefore, out of fear and trepidation, I was glad it was over as soon as it started.
[wp_ad_camp_2]
6. One of the themes of the episode seemed to be about finding or resurrecting mothers. While Jennie and Jamie weren’t particularly nice women, do you think Sam and Dean should have tried to do more get through to them given the loss of their own mother?
Rachel: No. Rowena used them by using them wanting their mother alive but beyond that, they weren’t the real focus. Rowena’s revenge/pain at being murdered by Lucifer/used by Lucifer was the point, which tied into Sam’s loss of Mary and his own past trauma with Lucifer. That was the real emotional center and I loved how that played out.
Ashly: Even if Sam and Dean did try to get through to Jennie and Jaime through mother loss, I don’t think they could have. The sisters were already set in their ways.
Snowlantern: Jennie and Jamie were sociopathic enslavers and mass murderers. I have no problem with the Winchesters going straight for the kill in their case. They were dark mirrors of what Sam and Dean COULD have become, ruthlessly sacrificing everyone else for their unhealthy bond, uncaring who they hurt to bring their mom back. They needed to die so that Sam and Dean can be free of that specter, that way of being.
Tricia: Again, I’m going to have to say no. As a viewer, I didn’t care about the witches’ mother, and I wouldn’t have cared to see Sam and Dean try to help them through that loss either. The whole zombie thing was a little out there for me, too.
Sarah: To be honest I don’t think it would work, especially because the circumstances are different between them all. Dean and Sam know that their mom is alive so that’s why they want to bring her back. Jennie and Jamie were just not accepting that their mother was dead, and they used magic to bring her back, which isn’t nice at all. The girls were hurt, bitter and powerfully boosted by a book, so no nice words would change their minds.
[wp_ad_camp_2]
7. Sam gave Rowena a page from the Black Grimoire because he felt bad for and briefly connected with her. She then used the page to cast some sort of spell on herself. What do you think that spell did to her? Do you think she might be one of the big bads this season?
Rachel: Rowena got insight into Sam’s pain/trauma and insistently used it to get what she needed. I loved that, honestly. She’s a great foil for them and now she seems to be more powerful than ever ‒ and I need more details about that binding she took off herself, it was no simple thing, that was badass. I definitely believe she may just be the real baddie of the season (and hopefully going forward).
Ashly: I think she did as she said and cast the protection spell on herself and will be a big asset in getting rid of Lucifer. I don’t want her to become one of the big bads this season, but once Lucifer is gone it is possible she could be. She’s capable of anything.
Snowlantern: She mentioned earlier in the episode that the Grand Coven had cast a bonding spell on her, inhibiting certain aspects of her magic, and she needed the Grimoire spell to break it. And that’s what she did at the end. Her Latin incantation said something about liberating her voice, she made a cut in her throat, and the bonding spell came out and enveloped her – and then she broke the magical bonds. She has access to all of her power now. I don’t think she’ll be a big bad, I believe that will be Michael and maybe Asmodeus.
Tricia: I felt like it was pretty obvious the spell released the bit of magic she said was bound earlier. I don’t think it’s going to make her more evil. In fact, I’m hoping it’s going to make her strong enough to be able to help when it’s time for Team Free Will 2.0 to take on Lucifer and/or Michael again. We don’t need another Big Bad this season! Do not want.
Sarah: Sincerely, I have no idea! I would dare to say (given how pleased she seemed to be with the results of the spell) that it is something that increased her powers and lowered the effects of her emotions. After all, that’s what she wanted: to not be bothered by the feelings and memories of Lucifer. I don’t think she’ll be a “big bad.” Actually, I believe she will end up saving them all and that would be incredibly marvelous!
[wp_ad_camp_2]
Final Verdict: With Rowena’s resurrection and Castiel and Lucifer escaping from Asmodeus’ cells, “Various & Sundry Villains” was an entertaining mix of the serious and comedic
“Various & Sundry Villains” initially appeared like it would primarily be comedic in nature but Rowena’s return quickly caused the episode to shift tones. Rowena’s return and subsequent plotting were at the heart of the episode. Ruth Connell was in top form once again and likely has tremendous fun playing the character. It consistently shines through in every scene. Despite the usual Rowena double and triple-crosses, “Various & Sundry Villains” showed us another side of Rowena that we rarely see. She’s terrified of Lucifer’s true face and is desperate to protect herself against him. Having Rowena and Sam connect through their shared experiences with Lucifer’s not-so-light-touch and hideous face was a nice and somewhat unexpected development. It also showed that Rowena still has human fears and emotions even if she’s capable of some truly horrendous things. Sam giving Rowena, a fellow victim of Lucifer, the page from the spellbook to protect herself was a nice touch.
The development with Castiel and Lucifer, while a smaller part of the episode, was also well-handled. Castiel managed to avoid making the same mistake with Lucifer and found multiple ways to annoy and infuriate him. To top all of that off, Castiel stabbed him with an angel blade. Castiel’s return from the Empty appears to have given him a newfound confidence. It’s a good look on Cas.
RELATED | The Magicians Roundtable 3×03 “The Losses of Magic”
While Rowena’s return brought everything we’ve come to expect from the character, the two witches that played a major role in her scheme lacked depth. Both actresses did well with what they were given, but their characters didn’t stand out particularly well. The characters served their purpose and injected some twisted humor into the story. But that’s about all they added. The zombie version of the witches’ mother, while humorous, felt a bit out of place and a little too cartoony.
Whenever Rowena returns to Supernatural, we’re pretty much guaranteed to get an entertaining ride with lots of one-liners and interaction between Rowena and the brothers. “Various & Sundry Villains” absolutely delivered that, added more layers to Rowena, and gave her some sort of magical upgrade. What kind of upgrade? We’ll have to wait and find out.