TV Verdict

It is so satisfying to watch a show totally in its storytelling groove. This season of Supernatural has, simply put, been one of my all-time favorite batch of hour-longs. Kripke and company continue to bring it home with this installment, which acts as both a good-natured shout-out to the fans and a kick-ass propulsion of the season’s arc. Also, excellent Grover reference.

Heaping helping of spoilers beneath.

A routine ghost investigation leads Sam and Dean to a startling discovery: unknown to them, someone has been writing a series of books about their hunting adventures and every book has been on the money to the last detail.

They find the author, a hapless dude named Chuck, and suspect that he’s a psychic. Castiel shows up and informs them that Chuck is actually a Prophet of the Lord and if anyone messes with him a mother-@#$#%&%*#% archangel will descend from heaven and get his smite on.

Chuck foresees Sam engaging in hot demon love with none other than Lilith and the brothers scramble to nullify the prophecy. To no avail of course, because, as Castiel notes, this is the inerrant Word of God, a.k.a. “The Winchester Gospel.”

Sam decides to take on Lilith anyway and while he seems to entertain a proposition to make a deal to stave off the apocalypse, he turns on her at the last second with the old demon-killing knife. Sam and Chuck show up (“I am the prophet Chuck!”) just in time to save Sam from certain death, and Lilith takes off before the archangel opens up a can of heavenly whoop-ass.

The episode ends with Chuck seeing a terrifying vision and warned off from telling the brothers by big-shot angel Zechariah. What fate awaits our heroes? Four more episodes remain to unravel that mystery, but judging by Chuck’s pale expression, it can’t be pleasant.

Anywho, super episode, blending some of the funniest moments all season (“You should have seen Luke”) with big stakes narrative progression. Having Lilith make an appearance was a wise move by the writers, and she actually gives us a glimpse at the endgame. Castiel continues to be a force, and his sideways advice to Dean added another layer to their relationship. And I’ve repeated it ad nauseum, but kudos to the writers for running with the God stuff and making it both provocative and moving. Dean’s prayer in particular springs to mind.

Thursdays can’t come soon enough.