#TBT: Mystery Spot is why I hated Gabriel’s storyline in Supernatural Season 13

When Gabriel returned in Supernatural Season 13, he brought a storyline that irked me a lot. Rewatching Mystery Spot is exactly why I disliked it so much.

Supernatural Season 13 had a couple of storylines that irked me. The biggest was Gabriel’s. As much as I sympathized at the torture he received, it was Sam and Dean’s reaction–well, Sam’s–that irked me. Many know I’m not a big fan of Gabriel, but I was willing to keep an open mind when he returned. It was while rewatching Season 3’s “Mystery Spot” that I was instantly reminded why I hated the Season13 storyline (and Gabriel) so much, though.

“Mystery Spot” sees Sam caught in a time loop ala Groundhog Day. He has to live through his brother’s death over and over again until finally he works out who has done this and he has to go through months without his brother. It’s all fun and games for the Trickster but it’s torturous for Sam Winchester.

We watch Sam spend months just purely hunting the Trickster again. This episode pulls us back to the idea that many hunters only get into the game because of the loss of a loved one. While Sam is killing other creatures and keeping innocent people safe, he has one thing on his mind: revenge.

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This is never brought up in Supernatural Season 13. Just a mention would have been enough. Something like Dean reminding Sam of everything Gabriel made him feel during that time in “Mystery Spot” or Sam mentioning in passing what he felt like going through his brother’s death 100 or more times.

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None of that came up and it felt a little off. This would have been the perfect time for Gabriel to consider apologizing for what he did during this episode. After all, Sam has never had an apology, as Gabriel made it out like he was teaching Sam a lesson; a lesson about moving on and dealing with life without Dean. Sure, that might have been a lesson but was that Groundhog Day torture cycle really worth that?

Maybe I’m just holding a grudge against the Trickster. After all, I know seeing Lucifer’s face and thinking about killing his more serious tormentor would have been on his mind. It’s been 10-12 years (depending on those time jumps, as they sometimes seem to be forgotten) and with everything Sam has been through since, he may have forgotten or just dealt with it. However, something just felt off and it irked me.

What did you think of Gabriel’s storyline in Supernatural Season 13? Does thinking back to “Mystery Spot” affect your view on that storyline? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Supernatural airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.