Review - Supernatural Episode 11x11 "Into the Mystic" - I have a bad feeling about this...

-by sweetondean

Robbie Thompson…he gets us. I feel like he’s become the writing voice of the fandom. Giving us little nuggets of joy; like awesome walking away shots, characters talking about the brothers like we do, as well as the deep brother moments we all love and the powerful conversations we all need. Robbie 100% gets what makes Supernatural the weirdly special, lightning in a bottle show that it is – the Winchester brothers and their relationship.

“Into the Mystic” was fabulous from whoa to go. The many gorgeous moments between Sam and Dean, the introduction of Eileen - a Men of Letters legacy, so cool, the introduction of Mildred – a woman with a great attitude towards life, good advice and excellent taste in men, the completely terrifying moment between Dean and Lustifer (is that what we’re really calling him?!), and a truly frightening monster – that Banshee was the thing nightmares are made of!

Classic Supernatural with everything I love about this show bundled into a ball of scary and feely feels! 

So Dean finally unburdened himself of his deeply troubling secret, his bond with (and apparently hots for) Amara, the Darkness. It was interesting to hear that he feels it goes beyond the bond of the Mark of Cain. Of course, that’s probably more about Amara not being able to be resisted, she said as much, and the bliss she makes him feel when around her, she said that too. Let’s face it bliss ain’t something Dean Winchester is used to in his every day life. I can imagine it's intoxicating.

Intellectually Dean knows it’s absolutely the wrong thing, she needs to die, she’s a really big bad. But every other part of his being is now yearning for her in a way that seems to imitate attraction and possibly love. For Dean it feels confusing and real and scary. For me, it’s freakin’ terrifying quite frankly, I was scared out of my wits to hear him speak like that! I like that we're made to feel almost the same level of confusion and alarm that Dean feels about what this damn bond means. He doesn’t know and neither do we.

But the most horrific thing about this whole revelation is that Dean unwittingly shared this secret with the other really big bad – Lucifer in the form of Castiel. Oh bloody hell! This season is really rachetting up towards something catastrophic! I’m fearful of the cliff-hanger for season 11 already (because we all know 12, though not announced, will be a thing)! 

It’s this weak spot for the Darkness, Dean’s confusion and dismay - his sense of shame about it, his feelings of helplessness, of uncertainty, and his lack of confidence in his ability to overcome Amara’s powerful draw, which opened him right up to the Monster of the Week – the Banshee. The Banshee preys on those who appear vulnerable, and obviously Dean is feeling horribly vulnerable right now.

I understand why Dean told his secret to Cas and not to Sam. For one reason, though Cas is the closest ‘person’ to Dean outside of Sam, Cas is still one step removed. It’s easier to share a deep dark secret with someone outside of your primary relationship; say, with a friend rather than a sibling, to use them as a sounding board, to voice your concerns and have them advise you, or reflect your concerns back at you in a different way; to confide in them, and release some of the stress of holding something back. For Dean to voice to Sam what’s really going on with Amara would risk Sam looking at him with different eyes – like he did with the Mark of Cain, when Dean accused Sam of looking at him like he was a diseased killer puppy. It would risk Sam putting himself in danger to protect Dean – something Dean knows only too well and could not bear. And of course in Dean’s mind, it would risk Sam being disappointed in him. The brothers hate to feel like a disappointment to the other. It’s one of the guilts they perpetually carry. Disappointing their brother, somehow letting them down. Not that I believe Sam would be disappointed in Dean, maybe initially disappointed Dean took so long to share his troubles, but Sam’s disappointment would turn into ferocious protection in about 32 seconds! Which would freak Dean out!

Dean could help but feel ashamed of his feelings, and he's probably got that embarrassment again that he felt about becoming a demon... He doesn’t want to appear weak and vulnerable in front of Sam; of course he doesn’t; especially not after all they went through with the Mark of Cain, not after choosing each other even though that meant releasing the Darkness, only to realise that though Dean was saved he’s still in terrible peril; that’s pretty soul destroying stuff. After everything, Dean’s still not free of the influence of the Mark of Cain and you gotta know, he feels a responsibility that. So telling Cas allows Dean to actually vocalise what’s going on, for himself as much as anything else, before heading down the telling Sam road – which we know will come, even if it’s through a forced hand. 

Dean needs to trust Sam will understand, that's a hard place for Dean to get to, especially when he doesn't understand or even trust himself...but he'll get there, he's already on his way.

At the beginning of the episode, we see Sam can’t sleep because he’s being eaten up by what Lucifer showed him, and the guilt he still feels about not looking for Dean when he was in Purgatory. But Sam unburdened himself of this, apologising to Dean for giving up on him.

At the end of the episode, we see it’s Dean who can’t sleep. Dean’s worrying over the whole Darkness thing, worrying over what Mildred said about him pining for someone else, and guilty about covering up and not telling Sam the truth.

Sam and Dean’s guilt and shame bookend this episode. These two.... I never know whether to upside them or hug them!

It was nice to put a great big case closed sign on the Sam not looking for Dean storyline. The moment between the brothers when Sam apologised to Dean, was one of those totally low-key but incredibly powerful moments this show does so well.

Sam: “Give me a sec. I should have looked for you. When you were in Purgatory, I should have turned over every stone, but I didn't, I stopped. And I've never forgiven myself for it.”

And Dean - gosh Dean was even more awesome than usual in this episode, what a beautiful heart this man has – said what we all feel…

Dean: “Well, I have. Hey, that's in the past, man. What's done is done. All that matters now, all that's ever mattered is that we're together, so shut up and drink your beer.” 

“Shut up and drink your beer” is Dean’s way of saying, “I love you”. Sigh.

Sam did look. But he stopped. We know why – a thousand complex and heart wrenching reasons. Dean holds no grudge. It’s in the past, they’ve moved on, they’re in a different space now, very much together…and that’s all that matters. That they’re together. Thanks Robbie…we needed that. And thanks for the gorgeous bedroom shots. I adore any personal moments we get to see of the boys in their home. And in their PJs all tucked in…double thanks! And that was a cool thing to see, they’re both sleeping UNDER the covers now. Not ready to leap up, fully dressed to kill some evil thing at a moments notice. When they sleep, they sleep under the covers. That speaks volumes about what the Bunker has become to them, and where they both find themselves emotionally. There’s a comfort here that comes from feeling secure. I think for the first time in a long time, they feel secure in each other’s love. Oh gosh! 

This was such an awesome brother episode, for the above reasons, but also the little things. From Dean suggesting they make a booking at the Oak Park retirement home, to their hilarious conversation about their Golden Girls fantasies, to Sam saying Dean always has his back – even the way he introduced Dean to Eileen smacked of pride, to the fabulous conversation in the Bunker kitchen, which was like a salve to an old wound for the brothers and the fandom, to Sam’s amazing memory box – with the Oak Park brochure – just in case they live long enough to retire there together. 

Bless Sam Winchester and his memory box of feels. I betcha anything the real amulet is in there – you can see the stage prop one, but is that a little bit of gold at the end of the leather tucked under the photo of young Sam and young Dean? Seems appropriate. Even if it’s only in my mind.

I’ve always believed Sam retrieved the amulet from the garbage bin where Dean tossed it, wiped it down and slid it into his duffle before heading off. In my headcanon, when Sam went to hell, he left his stuff at Bobby’s – including the amulet, and at some point after being soulled back up, he retrieved it, and apparently a few other things he’s been treasuring…like, John’s wedding band (that’s what I’ve decided that ring is), family photos, a green army man and other mementos that have meant something to him throughout his life. UGH. It’s just so touching. Do you remember that Dean also has a box he squirrels (heh) stuff away in? He retrieved the key to Oz from it. I wonder what else he has stashed in there? We know he has a few photos tucked away in his room. Man…these two. They are the squishiest badasses ever! They absolutely kill me. I love them with all I got. CRAPPP I’VE MADE MYSELF CRY!

Ooops! I really kinda just jumped on in there to the brother stuff huh? I can’t resist talking about the Winchesters when given such a golden opportunity!

Anyhooooo! I adored both the new characters introduced in “Into the Mystic”. Mildred was such a breath of fresh air and a wonderful spirit. Her taking a fancy to Dean was completely understandable! I loved it when she took him by the hand and led him to the other room to watch the sunset with her. Dean, bless his heart, looked a bit out of his depth for a second there, but settled in next to her to enjoy the moment. They’d both travelled the land helping people, even if in different capacities. Mildred had known when it was time to hang up her microphone and take time to smell the roses, she followed her heart and it was lovely to hear her give that advice to Dean (don’t follow it to Amara though, ‘k?).

I think Dean is following his heart. As long as he’s with Sam, as long as he has his family and friends around him, he’s okay. I remember back to that beautiful “Behind Blue Eyes” scene, with Charlie and Cas and Sam all sitting around Dean at the table – and Dean just beaming, because everyone he loved was with him. Regardless of the horror boiling away inside him at that moment, he had his friends and family with him, and that’s all that matters to Dean. That’s all that’s ever mattered. And I think he could go on hunting forever, if he knew Sam was always going to be there with him. It gives him purpose and a weird kind of peace – the helping people, as long as his brother is by his side. But it was nice to hear someone remind Dean to take a moment to think about what he wants, and what truly makes him happy. Maybe that’s another place that “All that matters now, all that's ever mattered is that we're together” came from, that conversation with Mildred. 

I loved Mildred. Her character was confident and smart and funny, happy where she was at her point in life. I loved that she saw no problem at all with flirting with Dean. She read him well. Dean could flirt with a chair and make it blush! She was totally endearing. Dee Wallace was wonderful. I’ve been a fan of hers for years. E.T., The Frighteners – my god she’s great in The Frighteners. I think I need to watch that again! *goes and gets DVD*.

Eileen was also a wonderful addition to the story and our cast of fabulous guest actors. And the fact that Robbie made her a Men of Letters Legacy blew my mind! That was so cool! I wonder how many more are out there, and I wonder how many more have stumbled into hunting? She had a lot in common with both the boys, particularly Sam, having lost her mother as a baby – well she lost both her parents. Like the brothers her sad history led her to hunting, a monster killed her family, the monster they were all hunting here. Eileen was trained from an early age by the hunter that took her in, she’s never known a different way of life. Her upbringing mirrored Sam and Dean’s, and that was a wonderful layer that gave the friendship that quickly developed between her and Sam an extra depth. I think Sam’s failed attempt to sign for her sealed the deal. 

She kicked a hell of a lot of ass did Eileen, and her deafness made not a jot of difference to who she was or what she did, it was just a part of her. I liked that too…that her deafness was not seen as a hindrance or handicap. And it also gave us a couple of pretty funny sign language scenes between Mildred and Eileen as they bonded over the Banshee predicament. Honestly, Mildred is all of us! What a couple of wonderful new characters Robbie gave us here. 

“Into the Mystic” left me feeling so happy. It was definitely a feel good episode. But it also left me with this impending sense of dread…that actually, Supernatural gives me quite a lot to be honest! Lucifer knowing about Dean’s secret bond to Amara is not good news. He’s a psychotic, slippery one, and he’s going to use that information to his advantage and surely to Dean’s disadvantage…to lure Amara maybe, using Dean as bait? Oh god! (By the way I’m starting to notice how Dean primarily says Amara, when Sam primarily says, the Darkness). 

Misha’s Lucifer is somehow creepier and scarier than Mark Pellegrino’s Lucifer, and I think that’s because Lucifer is now in Castiel’s vessel and that just looks and feels all wrong. Knowing that he’s faking everything to get intel, tricking the boys into sharing things with him, because they think he’s Cas. Wandering around the bunker when they aren't there, getting into their stuff. It's creepy and unnerving. That sly smile? Ewwwww! Cas doesn’t smile! It’s icky and scary and I really don’t like it! But you know what, I do like it because it’s icky and scary! Oh Supernatural and your weird double edged emotions!

I think we need to make sure Robbie is bonded to Supernatural for the rest of its run! Can we Mark of Cain him to it or something? Because his episodes are so lovely…

Into the Mystic was another example of what makes this show so special. From the writing to the VFX to the amazing guest cast to our incredibly talent lead actors. It’s just all so damn special! Gah!

I leave you with these stupidly adorable behind the scenes photos.

Until next week!

-sweetondean