Written by Nadia Dardon
This week’s episode of Supernatural picks up right after the end of the previous episode, when Ketch and Dean travel to the Apocalypse World. “Bring ‘em Back Alive” promised to be a very emotional episode, and it surely was with all the flashbacks we had from previous seasons
Apocalypse World
Dean and Ketch go through the rift and arrive in the Apocalypse World in order to save Mary and Jack. When they arrive, Dean takes a moment to figure out if it is the same place he has been before as the Apocalypse World is now completely snowed-in and seeming to lacking in population. As Ketch and Dean walk further, they see some angels executing humans for rebelling against the Archangel Michael. Among that group of humans, we find Charlie Bradbury. Or at least, the Charlie Bradbury from that world. It shocks Dean, who still feels guilty about the death of Charlie from the real world. Ketch and Dean learn then that Charlie has seen Jack and Mary. The angels decide to spare Charlie’s life for that moment and instead take her to one of their camps to question her.
Dean, being emotional about seeing Charlie again, snaps into protective mode immediately and tells Ketch that rescuing Charlie is their number one priority now. Dean claimed it was because she has seen Mary and Jack and could help find them, however, Ketch is unsure of Dean’s reasons behind Charlie’s rescue and keeps asking about the personal history between Dean and Charlie.
Their trip to rescue her is not an easy one, as was to be expected. Dean gets shot with a bullet that has been poisoned, but fortunately, Ketch knows of a remedy as the Men of Letters used to use a similar poison. So when Dean collapses, Ketch manages to make a small concoction to help with the injury. Unfortunately, Dean is not completely healed and refuses to rest for a long time because of his need to save Charlie. In that moment, Dean confesses to Ketch that Charlie used to be like a sister to him and that she was killed while helping them. Dean also confesses that he feels as if he failed her. Ketch, understanding where Dean is coming from, decides that they should keep going and that maybe saving Charlie would wash some of the blood off his own hands.
And so they keep going until they reach the camp where the angels are planning to execute Charlie, since she refused to give them any information. Dean and Ketch arrive just in time and the two of them burst into action, throwing a bomb to cause a distraction and barging in with some angel-killing bullets. After saving her, Dean gets the chance to explain where he comes from to her and how he used to know the Charlie from his world. Ketch and Dean take her to the rift, but Charlie refuses to go through. She says she wants to stay and help her people. Ketch proposes to stay as well, gathering information and try to find Mary and Jack. He tells Dean to go back, gather troops, and then come back. The rift is minutes away from closing when angels appear and start advancing towards them. Dean dashes through the rift while Ketch and Charlie stay behind to fight.
The Bunker
While Dean was gone, Sam took Castiel to see Gabriel to figure a way to help him except they have a hard time getting Gabriel to talk. They are unable to help him since he even refuses to be touched and they start to wonder if maybe Gabriel’s mind is lost forever. However, Gabriel finds a new way to talk to them and writes all over the walls of his room, telling his story since he died. Castiel reads it all to Sam starting with when Lucifer stabbed him back in season 5 and it had been a trick. After everybody thought him dead, Gabriel escaped to Monte Carlo since he no longer owed anything to his family or the humans. But he was captured by Asmodeus and forced to endure years of torture. Gabriel still refuses to talk, though, and Sam tries to snap him out of his present state by giving him a small speech. Sam talks about their similarities regarding their relationship with their family, but then Sam tells Gabriel that his family needs him, that the world needs him, and that he needs him. That seems to do the trick and Gabriel talks backs, his grace shining through his eyes.
Unfortunately, with that show of grace, Asmodeus is able to track down Gabriel. Sam receives a call seconds later from the greater demon, demanding to take back what has been stolen from him. Asmodeus and his demons arrive to the bunker minutes later and even though Sam and Castiel put up a fight, Asmodeus is still too strong. He attempts to take Gabriel back to hell, but the archangel has had enough and he shows his grace to them. His eyes radiate with his angel grace and we catch a glimpse of his wings against the wall before he kills Asmodeus.
Once Gabriel is back, Sam and Castiel explain to him everything that has happened. They tell him that they need him in order to fight Michael from the Apocalypse World, who plans to get to their world and destroy it. Gabriel says he is not much of a team player and refuses to help. Castiel tries to stop him from leaving, saying he can’t turn his back on his father’s creations, but Gabriel shoots back that God turned his own back on his creations before disappearing.
When Dean returns from the Apocalypse World, Sam and Castiel have to explain what happened. They have no archangel and no grace to return to the other world to rescue Mary and Jack. It leaves them all very frustrated to have been so close only for it all to fall apart. Castiel promises Dean they will get Gabriel back, with which Dean responds with a ‘we better’.
In Heaven
This wasn’t the only thing to happen during this episode. While the Winchesters are struggling, Lucifer is having his own issues in heaven as Jo and Lucifer are fighting about his new role. He seems that his job consists of sitting on his throne in heaven and being worshipped. Jo claims that he should be doing something to make Heaven a better place.
She suggests he makes more God-like actions so Lucifer tries to by dressing up in a suit and listening to people’s prayers. The prayers, however, are too pathetic for him and Lucifer decides nothing in the universe is worth his time. He concentrates all of his attention on finding Jack, that way they can use both of their powers to make a new universe. Jo discovers that Lucifer lied about his ability to make new angels and he therefore can’t help heaven, so Jo leaves him.
Final thoughts?
We have seen many characters come back in the Apocalypse World with Bobby and Kevin being alive there, the appearance of Charlie was just another surprise. The producers seem to be taking the most heartbreaking characters the fans have loved and bringing them back in a new way. We can only wait and see what happens in the Apocalypse World. One thing is for sure, if they have to die all over again, it will be a very painful experience. Seeing Gabriel back was also a pleasant surprise. We can only pray the Winchesters and Castiel manage to get him back and Gabriel to agree to help them against Michael from the other world.
The episode was a pleasant one. In my personal opinion, I loved it because of Charlie and Gabriel. Seeing their familiar faces had my heart jumping, although it was also painful with the flashbacks from the previous seasons.
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