Supernatural season 14 premiere review: Stranger in a Strange Land

In Supernatural’s Season 14 premiere we see Sam and crew on their continued search for Dean. We also get an idea of Michael’s plan for the world.

Supernatural is back, and we’ve started things off on a good note. We spent this first episode laying the foundation for the first part of the season. We have learned what Sam has been up to, how Jack is dealing with his powers, how the Apocalypse World people have been fitting in, and Michael’s plans, kind of.

Let’s take a deep dive into this week’s episode.

“What do you want?”

The first shot of the season is a very swoon-worthy shot of a bearded Sam speeding down the road in Baby. However, we don’t stick with him for very long. We immediately move to Michael. Who has kept the pageboy hat, which is a very good choice. Very good.

He’s visiting a man named Jamil Hamad, who is Muslim and is praying.  Michael asks Jamil a question he’s been apparently asking everyone in the three weeks since he’s been on our Earth. “What do you want?” Jamil answers he wants peace and love.

Michael just shakes his head and calls him a liar. He says no one has answered him the way he wants, and he doesn’t think the humans are worth saving. When Jamil asks what Michael wants, he answers he just wants a better world.

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“Life’s a little different”

Back in the bunker, we have a team of hunters working together, which is something we haven’t seen on the show. We did have a bit of this back in earlier seasons with The Roadhouse, but not to this extent. People are prepping weapons, and healing others.

Sam returns and gets an update about where people are. And we see our “save Dean” chess pieces being laid. Sam just returned from Atlanta, Ketch is in London, and Cas is in Detroit. We also learn that it’s been three weeks since the smackdown with Lucifer.

Mary is very optimistic about finding Dean. Sam immediately takes the role of leader, giving people assignments to go stop a band of vampires. He asks about Jack.

We flash to Jack training with Bobby. They are boxing, but Jack immediately gets knocked down. He’s frustrated without his powers, but Bobby is kind and he tells Jack that he will get used to it. Life’s a little bit different now, but eventually, Jack will learn, and it will be fine.

“Very Hallmark Channel”

Oh, hello, Sister Jo. Jo is back on Earth doing her healing thing for money at a church. When she exits, she runs into Michael. And let me tell you, I may have fangirled a bit seeing Danneel and Jensen in their first Season 14 scene together on the show.

Jo asks how Michael got into Dean’s body, Michael asks Jo the question he’s been asking everybody. Jo answers back sarcastically, and Michael laughs. He tells her what she really wants is to have a family and be essentially human. He says that he wants to help the angel problem (remember the one from last season that is causing Heaven to collapse?), but if all the angels are weak and fallen like Jo, then he doesn’t know if they’re worth saving.

“He’s awake”

Sam goes into Jack’s room to give him a heartfelt talk, but they are quickly interrupted by Mary. Someone is awake, and no Mary hasn’t gone in to check on him. Sam pauses at the door, and he slowly opens it to reveal…Lucifer!

But not really! It’s Nick! Remember Nick? Lucifer’s vessel?

The poor guy has been to Hell and back, literally, but here he is, alive! Nick is confused about why he’s alive, but Lucifer is dead. And Sam speculates it has something to do with the Archangel Blade.

Sam asks if Michael told Lucifer anything about his plans and if Nick remembers anything. Nick just remembers Michael saying that this time he’s going to do it right.

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“I’m the boy who’s got your angel”

Cas has tried a different approach to finding Dean. He’s called a demon. Of course, this turns out just as well as you could expect. Cas is ambushed and captured. The demon calls Sam to come and get Cas.

Sam knows he’s walking into a trap, so he takes Bobby, Maggie, Mary, and Jack. Yes, Jack isn’t ready for an all-out demon fight, but Jack needs to start feeling a bit normal. On the drive to the trap, Sam tires of Mary’s optimism and let’s her know it. Bobby and Jack also have a nice chat where Bobby tells him he’s got his back.

Back at the Motown Meats, the demon is chatting up Castiel. He’s telling Cas about how after 600 years, someone finally asked him what he wanted. And he finally came to the answer. He wanted everything.

This is probably a good sign that the person who talked to this new demon was Michael. Just guessing here.

“You are my Beyonce”

Sam arrives at the meeting place and the demon introduces himself as Kipley, or Kip for short. He immediately shows that his fellow demons have caught Jack and Maggie and that he’s not pleased that Sam didn’t do what he was asked.

He wants to make a deal. He wants to be King of Hell, and not only that, he wants the Crowley deal.  Sam laughs, and says, no. There will be no deal.

And that’s when the best shot scene of the night happens. Mary and Bobby burst into the room, guns blazing. The fight scene is amazingly choreographed and amazingly shot. The use of the selective slow motion gives the scene a cinematic feel. Jack tries to fight, but he’s knocked down almost immediately. The fight ends with Sam killing Kip (that was shortlived) and declaring that there will never be a new King of Hell.

“We have a problem”

In the regroup, Sam and Cas are talking about how Sam would do anything to find Dean. Bobby and Mary are sharing a drink, and then Cas goes and finds Jack. Jack is upset about how useless he is without his powers and how he has nothing.

Cas tells him he doesn’t have nothing; he has his family. And they will fight Michael and get Dean back because “that’s what we do.”

Sam’s phone rings with an unknown caller. It’s Jo. She tells him they have a problem. And that problem seems to be Michael is recruiting monsters to be on his team, because their wants are pure and uncomplicated.

Performer of the week

Supernatural Season 14’s first performer of the week is Jared Padalecki. He did such a great job tonight. Sam has had to step up to be the leader, but also he’s suffering the loss of his brother. Padalecki did a great job balancing these feelings.

While he is playing strong and being the leader, you can see the utter exhaustion Sam is feeling from burning the candle at both ends. He is upset and missing his brother, but you don’t see that explicitly.

When Sam has to go in and talk to Nick, who wears the face of Lucifer, Jared is so good at showing the mixed feelings Sam must be feeling. To be healing and treating the person who has done unspeakable things to you must be heart-wrenching and confusing. Jared plays that well. Last season was Jensen’s season. After this episode, I’m thinking that this might be Jared’s.

So, SPN Family, what did you think of last night’s premiere? Was it everything you were hoping for? Did you hope Kip would stick around just a little bit longer? Let us know in the comments below.

Supernatural airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW