Leylin Vixen's Quick Draw Recap - The Raid

The Raid

Opening words

Wow! How cool was this episode? It had suspense, emotional impact and a drive to a very deep and speculative story. Where this season is heading? Many speculate that we will have some HUGE surprises coming our way. So, will they be as usual that we will be yelling on our TV screen while cursing the writers even though we love them? Will the SPN fandom be a pile of goo after the finale? I will not lie. Like Han Solo said: “I have a bad feeling about this” is an understatement. I am pretty sure the kick to our gut is coming but from where and how is still a mystery.

But for now, let’s get on with the show!  

Details

Title: The Raid

Episode:  12.14

First aired: March 2, 2017

Directed by: John MacCarthy

Written by: Robert Berens

Monster: Vampires, Alpha Vampire

Timeline: Three days after 12.13 Family Feud

Location(s): Lebanon, Kansas; Wichita, Kansas

Story

We pick up where we were left off last week, the emotional talk with Mary and her boys. Dean is pretty angry and hurt and Sam agrees with him. Mary chose her side and she is sent out of the door while Dean calls her just “Mary” and not mom - even Sam says she should go. The boys cut her off and she ends up with the British Men of Letters but she is so alone there. She and Ketch have been taking care of vamps with an AVD, Anti-Vampire Device.

Ketch says to Mick that Mary is enough for them and that they don’t need the brothers. Mick disagrees because the old men want them aboard. Mick is a pencil pusher and Ketch is the man that takes care of the dirty work. There is something that makes me like Mr. Ketch even though he is a rude psychopath. I guess I have a soft spot for bad guys. It is clear though that Mick and Ketch don’t see eye to eye on things. 

Dean on the other hand is not giving Mary any slack when Sam starts to waver a little bit and suggests to him that they should hear her out. Dean on the other hand is desperate to find a case and punch something. He takes his annoyance out on Sam and tells him he should pick a side. Then he leaves to do the second best which for him is to have few drinks. Mary uses Dean’s old tactic to get Sam to meet her claiming it is urgent and so he goes to see his mother. They meet at the temporary BMOL base and Sam remains distant and unturned even when Mary gives him her speech of a better life and killing all the monsters. Sam says he chose this life and it is his life now but Mary presses on. She wants her boys to have a real life and her boys just want a simple thing, her to be in their life.

Mary gives Sam the tour and the BMOL just as they are having a briefing to kill all the vampires in the Midwest. Only 11 of those buggers are left. It is not that simple though. The BMOL has stepped on the toes of a pretty big prey. The vampires that are left and hiding are greeted by none other than the Alpha Vamp and he has his own plans.

At the same time Dean has come back to the bunker and he is visited by Mr. Ketch who brings him a peace offering of a very expensive bottle of scotch. He talks about how great BMOL is for both of them because Dean is a killer too. Dean is very sceptical but when Ketch suggests he joins him to kill some vamps he takes the bait. Like we heard earlier he wanted to punch some stuff. Although things are not that simple when they head to the hotel the vamps are nowhere to be seen. Ketch finds one from the basement and sadistically hits her a few times. The brutality doesn’t sit with Dean and he stops it. He promises her a swift death and they find out that the hunted are hunting the hunters. 

And truly the vamps are actually attacking the BMOL base and unfortunately Sam and Mary are still there. The whole base goes into a lock down. The only ones that can fight are Sam, Mary and a hunter from Baton Rouge named Pierce. It seems the BMOL there are just lovers not fighters. Also they have pretty huge weapon shortage. Mary Tells Mick to get something and it is revealed that it is the Colt. Sam broke my heart in this moment and how amazing Jared’s acting was. I think a lot of things went through his mind at the same time; their past, the guns history, Mary’s real betrayal and everything that gun means to them. Mary even admits that she stole the Colt from Ramiel. 

But the Colt has no bullets so Mary and Mick try a long shot - Sam knows how to make them. Bobby Singer made the recipe, and Mary knew about him from John's Journal. Sam and Mary head out to take care of the vamps while the BMOL start to make the bullets. Pierce heads out with Mary but it seems they have a traitor on the inside as he knocks Mary out. He lets the Alpha in who comes face to face with Mick. The Alpha has not cared about the BMOL until they came overseas and started messing with his home.

Sam and Mary return just in time and Sam threatens the Alpha with the Colt. The elder vampire tries to suggest he is one of the five things that the weapon can’t kill and Sam calls him on his BS. Sam asks the Alpha to let him and Mary go and he will give them the Brits. Mick attacks Sam and gives him a bullet and while Mary attacks the Alpha Sam loads the gun. They tricked the monster. Sam fires a bullet into the Alpha’s head. After all these years, the Alpha is finally dead.

Ketch and Dean arrive when all is done and Mick doesn’t give Ketch a warm welcome. Ketch takes Pierce away and Dean tries to mend fences a bit with Mary. Dean is not on board with the BMOL yet but Sam takes the step. It seems killing the Alpha meant a lot to him and it should. He was a very memorable nemesis. Sam says he will try to make Dean see it their way but he is not yet there. I can’t wait for Dean find out about the Colt. That should be interesting.

Characters

It was glorious to see Dean and Sam show and tell their side of the story about Mary being brought back. Dean is not a person that wears his emotions on his sleeve so it is nice for him to let it out. And he did know how to hurt Mary to make his point. I gasped when he called her Mary and not Mom. Sam is also hurt and confused but he is willing to hear her out. We also see Mary’s hurt when she notices what she caused even if she had good intentions. It was lovely Winchester drama in my book and deep look into these characters.

We also got a good insights to the British Men of Letters Serena Colman and Alton Morehead and especially Mick and Mr. Ketch. The surprise was the sleazy traitor Pierce Moncrieff which we did not see coming. I loved the actor in Battlestar Galactica. They do try to do good although we know their methods are questionable. And I am suspicious about them still. I feel there is an ulterior motive hidden behind them. Mick has not killed anything and most of the BMOL seem to be analysts not fighters. Mr. Ketch on the other hand seems frustrated a bit about his workplace and yes… He is still a psychopath in my book but a rather delicious one.  

Now, how amazing was Rick Worthy as the Alpha Vampire? He always had such a presence and figure. I am really sorry he is gone but his death had a great meaning. His demise was the big push for Sam to join the BMOL. His sendoff was also epic with his memorable lines and of course bad-ass Sam Winchester. What poetic justice it was that Sam could use the gun against him? Truly brilliant. Thou shall be missed, Alpha.

Here is the full list of characters:

Mary Winchester

Mick Davies

Mr. Ketch

Alpha Vampire

Pierce Moncrieff

Alton Morehead

Serena Colman

Set design

We had the familiar bunker at the start with the command table and the small parts of the abandoned vampire hideout. Those were not the main attraction though. That was actually the temporary BMOL warehouse compound. Even though it was “low-budget Mission: Impossible vibe”d container base it was pretty cool. It also reminded me a lot about Resident Evil, the first movie hive, so there were those horror vibes present. I have written a few times that I like archaeology and vintage things but I am ALSO a tech girl. It would be cool if my office would be like that without the zombie apocalypse vibe though.

How Mission: Impossible was that hand print scanner, or every other spy movie! Although I would not like those close quarters to my fellow workers, but Mick’s office would work. I also think the container base aspect was well, what’s the word, convenient and easy to transport. It also reminded me about Lethal Weapon 2 and also A-Team. I liked them both. Still all the monitors, screens and gadgets did not save them from the vampire attack.    

Props

The most meaningful props were again the Colt and also the interesting vampire pesticide capsule. The capsule continues the interesting gadgets of the BMOL but it is not the one that I was interested the most. Guess how surprised I was that the Colt actually returned? Usually the show brings something like that back and then forgets it ever happened, *cough* The Samulet *cough*. It is an annoying thing for us fans, which a casual viewer doesn’t even notice or understand. So yes, I was surprised the Colt was back and we even found out how the bullets are made again. Also Bobby was mentioned that also made the Colt’s second return special but the icing on the cake was how Sam shot the Alpha Vampire with it. The scene mirrored Dean’s shooting of Azazel. Both epic to be honest.  

Music

Well, this was another episode where we had no songs with lyrics. So, I picked up a part from the lyrics of Bat Out Of Hell by Meat Loaf. Dean said it best: "I was with him when we heard this place was under attack. We drove like a bat out of hell."

"Like a bat out of hell

I'll be gone when the morning comes.

When the night is over

Like a bat out of hell

I'll be gone-gone-gone.

Like a bat out of hell

I'll be gone when the morning comes.

But when the day is done, and the sun goes down,

And the moonlight's shining through,

Then like a sinner before the gates of heaven,

I'll come crawling on back to you.

I'm gonna hit the highway like a battering ram

On a silver black phantom bike.

When the metal is hot and the engine is hungry,

And we're all about to see the light.

Nothing ever grows in this rotting old hole.

And everything is stunted and lost.

And nothing really rocks

And nothing really rolls

And nothing's ever worth the cost.”

Here is the short +/- rundown for The Raid: 

+ The Alpha vamp

+ Mr. Ketch (Sorry, I have a soft spot for bad guys)

+ The Colt

+ Dean & Ketch, dynamic duo

+ Bobby Singer mentioned (Too soon!)

+ and Rufus

+ Great story

+ Was this all a set up?

+ Berens is one of my favourite writers

- BMOL suck in combat

- The Alpha Vamp was killed

-/+ Mary Winchester 

-/+ Sam's plan?

 Sam F***ing Winchester

Now the road leads to episode 15!

-Leylin

References: http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/ , http://www.azlyrics.com & http://www.homeofthenutty.com/

To read sweetondean's review click here