Family Matters
Wow! What an explosive episode. It took nearly two weeks to fully digest it. It ties up massive loose ends in the “Supernatural” mythology while creating others. As we saw in “Live Free or Twihard,” Dean began to question whether Sam really “has his back.” Well, we learn in “Family Matters” big time how much Sam doesn’t give jack about his brother! Shocker, right? But the big question is, “Is the person formerly known as Sam really Sam?”
After Dean beats Sam to a bloody pulp in “You Can’t Handle the Truth,” rendering Sam unconscious, Dean calls upon Castiel to find out what’s wrong with Sam. Hold onto your seats, everyone. Sam reveals that he doesn’t sleep ever since he came back from Satan’s prison cell. Shock! Sam also reveals feels no empathy or anger for anyone or anything. Double shock! Finally, Sam reveals that he does feel pain. Ok, he’s still human, right? Not so fast. Castiel psychic fists Sam and uncovers the greatest shock of them all: Sam has no soul and can’t discern between right and wrong! Is Sam’s soul still locked in the cell with Satan? And what about grandpa Samuel?
Well, Dean, Sam and Castiel go to visit Samuel to see if he has a soul. Turns out, he does. Which begs the question, “what in tarnation is going on?” While Castiel takes off to fight some heavenly battles, Dean and Sam tag along with Samuel and his crew to hunt down the alpha vampire (Alpha). Alpha, played by Battlestar Galactica alum Rick Worthy, is captured by the team and kept alive for torture and interrogation. Of course, Alpha loves the shock treatment. He’s such a sadomasochist! He says he’s got all night and can’t wait to suck the marrow out of their bones… .
Alpha reveals that Samuel wants the location of Purgatory for some unknown reason, then he escapes, kills several hunters, and is captured by demon-possessed hunters who teleport him away, thanks to Crowley (Mark Sheppard). Here comes the trifecta shock: Crowley reveals several of Samuel’s crew have been possessed by demons for a long time, and grandpa Samuel has been working for him to gather up all the alpha creatures. OMG, right?
Crowley tells Dean and Sam that he was the one who brought Sam out of Lucifer’s cage but kept his soul. Crowley adds that he calls the shots and they have no choice but to follow his orders, which are to collect more alphas. Of course, Sam wants to kill Samuel for betraying them but Dean lets him go. Samuel tells them that he only works to capture creatures but have no intention to harm the brothers. While the brothers have no choice but to follow Crowley’s orders, Sam assures Dean that Crowley will get his just desserts when they get the chance.
Questions: Is Sam really Sam and is Sam human without a Soul?
All Dogs Go To Heaven
This is an interesting stand-alone episode with a mythology tie-in. Crowley appears before Sam and Dean and reminds them that as long as Sam’s soul is at stake, they work for him. He offers them a deal: an alpha in exchange for Sam’s soul. Crowley then gives them their next assignment, news of a murdered businessman with his chest open and his heart ripped out. The murder is similar to a werewolf attack. But is it a werewolf?
Dean and Sam discover that the second victim was murdered in the same way as the first victim and that Cal Garrigan is the common denominator between the killings. They think they have their man, but then Cal is murdered by his girlfriend’s dog Lucky, which takes Cal off the suspect’s list. Meanwhile, Dean goes to look for more clues, and Sam stakes out Cal’s house.
Sam sees little Lucky transform into a man and follows him out of the house. He then discovers that Lucky is a skin-walker. Sam pursues Lucky in a chase, resulting in Lucky being hit by a car and taken to an animal hospital. Sam and Dean find him at an animal hospital and corner him, wherein Lucky reveals that he cares deeply for his host family but is following orders of his alpha. The orders: bite and convert the family to skin walkers to help create an army. Dean decides that it is better to eliminate the leader of the skin-walker pack than to risk having families turned into skin-walkers.
Lucky eventually turns on his alpha leader, leading Dean and Sam to his den where they kill them all. Lucky is wounded and escapes. Lucky then goes back to his owner’s home to thank her for her kindness. His owner, freaked out and degusted, tells him to leave and never come back.
After the dust settles, Sam admits to Dean that he digs how his hunting skills have improved now that he has no soul, but he would prefer to have his soul back at the end of the day.