The episode begins with Dean wandering through the park after he hears a woman scream for help. He then comes upon his mother, Mary, in her white nightgown, the same as she looked on the night she died in Sam's nursery. When Dean attempts to convince Mary that he is her son, she replies with "My Dean is four years old", after knocking him onto the ground. Dean then recites everything he knows about his mother and her relationship with John, until Mary releases her grip, realizing the Dean really is her son. Mary and Dean then sit down on a bench in the park, where Dean talks to her about all she has missed in the years she has been gone.
DEAN: Are you.. are you really real?
MARY: Where am I? who the hell are you?
DEAN: I'm.. Dean. Winchester. I'm your son.
MARY: No, my Dean is four years old.
DEAN: I was when you died.
This scene is particularly heartbreaking, as Mary begins to realize how many years of her sons lives she has missed. I was happy that this conversation between Mary and Dean was shown, as it becomes the starting point for Mary's relationship with her sons. The scene itself is visually stunning, as Dean and his mother sit together on the park bench as the sun rises. As a fan of the show, this was exactly how I had imagined Dean's meeting with his mother would go.
When Dean returns to the bunker with his mother he discovers the blood on the floor and realizes that Sam has been kidnapped. Dean sweeps the bunker, while Mary stays in the main room and encounters an injured Castiel. He demands to know who she is and what has become of Sam. Of course, Mary instantly questions Castiel's motives and points her gun at him. Dean then rushes in and assures his mother that Castiel is a friend, not an enemy. He explains that Castiel is an angel, much to his mother's shock. When Dean asks Castiel where his brother is, he explains that he and Sam had just returned to the bunker when a woman used a sigil to blast him from the bunker.
Dean immediately launches into action, desperate to find a way to get his brother back. Dean and Castiel lead Mary to the bunker, where they plan on taking the Impala and tracking down the car that made off with Sam. The 1967 Chevy Impala carries great symbolism in the Supernatural world. In many ways, it is like an extra character on the show, providing a sense of comfort and stability to the Winchesters. The history of the Impala is explained in finale of Season 5, "Swan Song", in Chuck's monologue. John acquired the Impala from a used car store in 1973 and then entrusted her to Dean. In Season 11's episode "Baby", Sam describes the Impala as a 'home' for him and his brother. Mary's reaction to seeing the Impala in the garage of the bunker is emotional as we see her recall memories of her and her family. Clearly, she regards the Impala as 'home' too.
After, the woman who shot Sam is shown knocking at the front door of a veterinarians house. She requests his help in patching up Sam's injury, and offers him a large sum of money for doing so. We also see the woman talking with her children on the phone. I thought this was an interesting inclusion, placing an emphasis on the humanity of the woman who the audience is instantly tempted to hate. Much of the focus of this season is on how humans themselves are the worst monsters. In further episodes we should expect to see this topic explored.
The woman introduces herself to Sam as Toni Bevell from the British Men of Letters. Sam is immediately hostile, and threatens to murder Toni once he breaks free. Toni does not seem alarmed by Sam's threats but instead discusses how the British Men of Letters have been watching the Winchesters for many years. Sam questions why the London Chapterhouse wasn't concerned when the fate of the entire planet was at stake, and Toni answers by saying that superiors in the organization simply didn't want to get involved. This reason isn't satisfying to Sam or the audience, however we can hope that the absence of the British Men of Letters up until this point will be explained further on in the season.
When Toni nonchalantly states that she simply wants to ask him questions, and is not interested in harming him, Sam asks her why she didn't do so in the first place. She insists that Sam didn't give her a choice in the matter and that he is dangerous- to others and himself. Toni tells him that the ways of the British Men of Letter's are much more efficient than that of the American hunters. She describes how every location is warded and as such every monsters is immediately identified and killed. She cites an absence of monster-related deaths in Britain since 1965 (which seems like a blatant exaggeration, all things considered). She offers Sam an ultimatum- either he answers her questions and he can walk free, or she will torture him as a method of making him answer. To this, Sam replies with, "You can ask me any kind of question you want, and the answer will always be the same. Screw you." Toni then proceeds to turn on a shower head above Sam, drenching him with cold water. He is later tortured with a blow-torch by Toni's assistant. Despite this, Sam still refuses to provide her with the information she requests. Trying to convince him to talk, Toni belittles Sam and his achievements as a hunter saying:What do you imagine is happening here? Do you think you're being brave, that you're the hero of this story? Well, you're no hero, Sam. You're just bad at your job.
After discovering that no amount of physical pain will incite Sam to talk, Toni requests that they try to 'break his mind'. She injects Sam will a drug that causes him to hallucinate. This scene was difficult to watch, as Sam's visions begin to become more self-loathing and suicidal in nature. I am sure this must have been an equally difficult scene for Jared Padalecki to film, as he personally struggles with depression. Later, while Toni is watching Sam react to the drug, we see him smash a mirror and then take a piece of glass and slit his throat. This tricks the audience into thinking that Sam has killed himself, and that perhaps Toni's antics have been bit too successful. However, this is a trick on Sam's part and he attacks her as he tries to escape. Even though Sam declared that he would kill Toni, he spares her when the opportunity comes. This should prove to Toni that Sam is not as dangerous as she thinks. It is true that he is physically capable of harming others if he wishes- but in reality, his mercy and good conscience do not allow him to do so, even when his own life may be at stake.
Meanwhile, we see Crowley trailing behind two 'low-level' demons who are cleaning up after Lucifer, by disposing of his burnt-through vessels. This is a hint at a larger plot of Season 12- Lucifer is hunting for a vessel that can contain him. In addition, there are several instances of Mary struggling to adapt to the changes of the 21st century. When Dean is hacking the traffic cameras to see what vehicle Sam was taken in, Mary says in awe, "Is that a computer?" I felt that it was realistic that these issues were brought forth, instead of ignoring them, as it would have been easy to do so.
Much of the conflict in this episode felt artificial. The animosity between Toni and Sam could have easily been resolved if either party had made an honest attempt. It is baffling as to why Sam is more frequently the brother that is placed in situations where he is tortured- perhaps the writers view him as a sympathetic character? It is interesting to note that Sam's torture scenes were originally written as more violent in nature. Both Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles discuss this at a recent Supernatural Convention.
Overall, Jared Padalecki steals the spotlight in this episode. As usual, "Keep Calm and Carry On" is proof of how Supernatural itself has carried on and is still going strong in its 12th season.
Details
Episode Writer: Andrew Dabb
Episode Director: Phil Sgriccia
Air Date: October 13 2016
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