Supernatural Season 14, Episode 10 review: Nihilism

Supernatural is back, and this week Sam and Cas deal with the Michael problem. Also, Billie makes an appearance with some grave news for our characters.

Well, we’re finally back after a very long Hellatus, and Supernatural definitely didn’t disappoint last night. We came back with a bang, and added more mysteries to our plate by the end of the episode.

So, let’s not hesitate. Let’s just jump right in.

Just beware, there are spoilers in this post.

“What can I say, I’m famous.”

Our cold open is Dean in a bar. In fact, it’s his bar. And his waitress is Pamela! Remember her? From Season 4?

She went blind after seeing Cas’ true form? She’s back and in Dean’s bar. We move between scenes quickly and culminate with a vampire killing. This is all very obviously a dream that Dean is living in as he’s tucked away while Michael is in control of his body.

More from Supernatural

• Jensen Ackles and The Winchesters cast kick off #SaveTheWinchesters campaign
• Will The Winchesters be saved? (Can Supernatural fans save the prequel?)
• Did The Winchesters get renewed? (Is The Winchesters season 2 happening?)
• Is a new episode of The Winchesters on tonight? (March 14, 2023)
• The Winchesters Season1 finale explained: Did it connect to Supernatural?

Later, we come back to the bar scene and realize that Dean is living the same scene in a loop. More on that later.

“You think these can hold me?”

Back in Kansas City, we pick right up where we left off last. Michael has just taken over Dean’s body, and his monsters are going to turn everyone in Kansas City. However, Team Freewill 2.0, or what’s left of it, have come prepared.

They throw holy fire on Michael and then cuff him with angel cuffs. They have caught Michael. Which, again, just seems way too easy.

Then, because the writers know we’re all thinking this is way too easy, supercharged monsters storm the tower, and trap our crew in the office. Out of desperation, Sam remembers something most of the viewers probably have already forgotten: there’s a reaper watching out for them.

So in comes Violet, since the reapers have shifts apparently. Sam and Dean making Death work overtime.

Violet insists that she can’t help, but then, she helps. They’re back in the bunker.

Watch your favorite shows on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

“Tonight everybody dies.”

In the bunker, Sam talks to Maggie and the rest of the hunters. The monsters have left Kansas City, and are heading toward Lebanon and the bunker. The hunters vow to protect the bunker.

Sam and Cas begin talking about how to save Dean when Sam remembers when he was possessed by Gadreel. Crowley went into his mind and gave him the tools to fight his way out. With the sad, sad reminder of Crowley being dead, Sam knows they have a way to get into Dean’s mind.

“Because I can.”

Michael is chained in the bunker, and constantly reminding everyone that he is there and that he has opinions. Poor Jack has to listen to Michael taunt him and tell him that Sam, Dean, and Cas don’t love him, that he’s just a “job” to them. Which has got to be hard for Jack to hear, but hopefully he doesn’t believe an ounce of what Michael is saying, Cas just sacrificed his life for Jack’s.

And then Cas sat down and questioned Michael about his motivation. Why does he want to burn down the world? And that’s when we hear Michael’s theory about God.

Chuck is a writer, and all of these different worlds are different drafts, and when God learns the drafts are flawed, he abandons them. So Michael wants to go chasing after God throughout all the different worlds, and then kill him.

This whole exchange really makes me wonder: are we going to see God this season? Is it going to take Chuck’s interference to take down Michael once and for all? I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

“Cool Science Project”

Sam has everything set up and with the instructions of “don’t let anything kill us” to Jack, he and Cas go into Michael/Dean’s mind. Cas is convinced once they’re inside Dean’s mind that Michael is keeping him inside a traumatic memory.

But, Sam realizes that to keep him content, Michael will have housed Dean in one of his good memories. And it’s easy to find him because Sam knows a false memory when he hears it.

Once in the bar memory, Sam and Cas try really hard to break Dean out of the loop. And nothing seems to be working. Except when Sam pulls out all the stops. He uses their code word: “Poughkeepsie” and everything comes flooding back to Dean. He remembers everything.

“I’m the cage”

Michael shows up in the dream now, and he’s doing everything in his power to create doubts in everyone’s minds. But Dean isn’t having any of it. They realize that Michael is stalling.

Back at the bunker, the monsters breach the bunker and everything looks pretty terrible. Until Jack pulls on the magic used to save his life and destroys the monsters.

Back in the dream, there is a hand to hand combat, and even without his powers, Michael is still wiping the floor with Sam, Dean, and Cas. And that’s when Dean has the brilliant idea to lock Michael in the refrigerator in the bar. Essentially making his mind the cage, and answering the question about what is banging on that door in the mid-season trailer.

“It’s just you.”

Back at the bunker, Maggie tells Sam that the monsters just went their separate ways. But I’m guessing we’ll see them again.

Cas lectures Jack about using the magic. About how if he uses it he will lose his soul. Jack promises that he won’t do it again, which really means, we’ll see it happen again before the season is over.

And finally, we see Dean staring into the mirror in his room, telling himself it’s just him as he listens to Michael trying to break out of the fridge. And that’s when Billie makes an appearance.

Billie reminds us of the reading room. And all the books telling all the different ways Dean would die. Well, they’re all the same now, telling that Michael is going to break out of his mind and use his body to burn the world down.

Except for one. She shows it to Dean, and he wonders what he’s supposed to do with it. And we’re all wondering what in the world it says.

Performer of the Week

Jensen Ackles. He jumped between Michael and Dean effortlessly. He even had to act against himself.

Giving Ackles the chance to play Michael has been a really good choice, it’s really given focus to the man’s acting ability. We knew he was talented, but this is some Emmy level abilities right here. I’m loving every second of it.

And let’s not lose focus on that last scene. The one where he’s listening to Michael try to break out, and the unshed tears in his eyes? Masterful.

What did you think of the episode? How long is Michael going to stay trapped in Dean’s mind? How long before Jack uses his powers again? More importantly, what’s in that book?! Please let us know in the comments below.

Supernatural airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW