As Season 12 Episode 2 of Supernatural opens, we find Sam in a compromising position, but not in the way you’d expect. “Mamma Mia” gives us drama, action, horror, humor, and a shirtless Sam. What more could we ask for from Supernatural?

So Many Questions

Sam and Lady Antonia seem to have come to some kind of understanding—a very intimate one. Is having sex with Lady Antonia a new form of torture? Well, it is for us. Is Sam betraying his hunter brethren? He asks about British hunters, and she tells him, “They work for us. Tools. They kill; they don’t think.” How we hate her.

Dean and Castiel are still searching for Sam, but Cas hasn’t found any clues despite scouring the Aldrich, Missouri area. All’s not well for Dean either because he’s finding life in the bunker a bit tense now that his mom has returned. Dean confides to his bestie that he and his mom make small talk and act normal, but it’s totally not. Cas advises him not to make things overcomplicated, but we’re not hopeful Dean will heed this advice. Luckily, Mary is eavesdropping, and she gently confronts Dean, assuring him that he doesn’t have to treat her with kid gloves. Mary has her own worries—she doesn’t know how she’ll face Sam after realizing she brought the yellow-eyed demon into his life. She tells Dean, “I started all of this.” So guilt runs in the family. Wonder if lying does too?

Lady Antonia wonders why the American hunters have failed to keep monsters in control. Or something like that. These tight-lipped Brits can be hard to understand. When she begins to suggest someone might be compromised, Sam begins to have dungeon flashes. He manages to pull himself out of what was a spell-induced hallucination. That makes more sense. Now that she has mentally violated Sam, we hate Lady Antonia even more.

Protection

Mary’s been dreaming about John, remembering how funny he was. She tells Dean, “He was a great father.” Uhhh … This awkward family moment is interrupted by Cas’s call. He’s found a powerfully warded barn that’s been rented by a British woman. An evil British woman is more like it. Naturally, Dean is reluctant to have his mom join in the rescue. Dean tells her that he can’t do his job if he’s worried about his mom. Mary tells him she can handle herself. She adds, “Okay, all right. Good talk,” as she walks away. Now we know where Dean gets it.

Back at the dungeon, Lady Antonia is in torture mode. She seems to know everything and nothing all at the same time. She tells Sam, “I would like names and locations of every hunter, the passcodes to each and every Men of Letters database held in the bunker, and then, oh yes, let’s do discuss your relationship with the demon Ruby.”

So many things are wrong with this statement, we don’t even know where to begin. If the British Men of Letters are so amazing why do they need Sam to find American hunters? Hunters don’t actually seem that hard to find. Seems like you could follow some monsters or kill some crops and hunters would naturally show up. And do the British actually think all Americans know each other, or even that all American hunters know each other by name and location? We’re outraged by this generalization. Since Sam and Dean stumbled into the bunker, why would they be any more likely to have a list of passcodes than the British Men of Letters? And finally, what does Ruby have to do with anything? Seems like pure voyeurism. Though we do have a thrilling moment where we wonder if this will create an avenue for the writers to bring Genevieve Padalecki back. OMG!OMG!OMG!

But back to our story. It appears that Sam and Dean aren’t the only ones who prefer to do their own thing. Lady Antonia has disobeyed orders, and fellow Brit Mick is tracking her down. Someone’s in trouble with the home office.

Getting Out

Rowena is having dinner with a man who appears to be a rich mark. Before she can make her move, Crowley shows up. He wants her help with Lucifer. Way to ruin your mom’s date, Crowley! Worst son ever.

In a Cleveland club, we find that aging rock star Vince Vincente (Rick Springfield) hasn’t gotten over the death of his long dead love. His reverie is interrupted by something, or someone, supernatural.

As Dean and Mary drive to meet Cas, they talk about hunting. Mary acknowledges that she was a good hunter, but points out no matter how good they are, hunters all end up the same way. Dean tells Mary hunting took over for both John and him, but that Sam had wanted out and left to go to Stanford.

Mary: “Sam had a chance to get out and he came back?”
Dean: “When dad disappeared Sam and I looked around and something became very clear. The only thing we had in this world, the only thing, aside from this car, was each other.”

Vince has gone back to the hotel to rest, but all the blood, flying books, and flashing TV doesn’t create a restful atmosphere. Then his dead girlfriend shows up. You never know what might happen in Cleveland. But of course it’s Lucifer, there to tempt Vince into inviting him in. Vince acquiesces pretty easily when he learns it will end all his grief. Was it that easy with all the dead vessels he left behind?

Rowena and Crowley are back to their old unhealthy family dynamics. Rowena is trying to locate Lucifer, but she’s not having a lot of luck finding his supremely evil aura. All Rowena wants to do is retire to Boca Raton with rich Ben, but Crowley wants her help to put Lucifer back in the cage. Rowena isn’t interested in getting involved with that nonsense again, so Crowley threatens to kill Ben. Worst son ever.

Castiel is standing outside the Missouri farmhouse when Dean and Mary drive up. None of them seem interested in being very subtle. Maybe they’re hoping that all the residents will be down in the basement where they can’t see an angel standing on the road watching the house or hear the distinctive roar of the Impala. Dean wants to go in alone and looks to bestie Cas for help in keeping Mary out. No subtlety here either.

At the Cleveland hotel, Vince’s bandmate has arrived. He wants Vince to come to rehearsal, but Lucifer has other plans for his new, well, maybe not-quite-so-new, vessel.

Dean checks out the farmhouse and walks right into a trap. Lady Antonia bundles her new prize into the basement to use as an incentive to get Sam to talk. Sam sees his brother, who he thought was dead. It’s a bit anti-climactic, but how many “I thought you were dead” reunions can these guys have, right? Besides, he may be having one of those with his mom in due course. Once she saves the day, of course.

Crowley sits on his former King of Hell throne, waiting for Lucifer. When the Devil arrives, Crowley suggests that Lucifer take over Heaven instead of Hell, but really he wants Lucifer to stay in Hell, just not on the throne. Rowena uses a handy paralyzing spell and then Crowley throws sulfuric acid in Lucifer’s face. We feel sorry for Vince Vincente for a moment (not the face!), but then remember that he was going to be left eyeless and dead when Lucifer was done anyways.

Much to Sam’s surprise, Lady Antonia brings in Dean. She chains Dean up, who tells her, “I just came by for tea and a beating.” She makes a bunch of threats and then brings up Benny. Again, with the weird bits of knowledge.

Despite Crowley mangling Lucifer’s face in an amazingly horrible way, Rowena’s spell to send him back to the cage doesn’t work.This would be a good time for a backup plan.

Luficer stands and spreads his wings. With much fanfare, he heals his terrifyingly destroyed face, leaving us with mixed feelings. It was a masterpiece of horror, but too disturbing to bear watching for long. Before Lucifer can kill him, Crowley disappears, leaving his mother Rowena in the devil’s grasp.Worst son ever.  Lucifer menacingly tells Rowena, “You spoil that boy.”  Lucifer decides to spare Rowena. Not so she can retire in Florida, but so he can keep this powerful witch as a prisoner.

Sam and Dean have a quick “I thought you were dead,” conversation before Lady Antonia comes back for some more torture. She asks Dean, “Do you know it’s possible to die from pain?” Does she ever stop talking? Is that part of the torture? Before Dean can respond, Mary Winchester shouts at Lady Antonia, “Get away from my boys,” as she stands behind her with a gun. A fight ensues, involving more talking and threats from Lady Antonia, but the Winchesters finally get the upper hand and shut her the hell up.

Well, they appeared to have the upper hand for a moment, anyways, because Mick and Castiel have suddenly appeared in the basement. Did they come together? Mick claims he’s arrived to gather Lady Antonia, who needs to be punished for going rogue. He claims to come in peace, noting that he removed the wards that had kept Castiel out.

Mick: “Now, I reckon he could have taken me down without breaking a sweat, am I right?”
Castiel: “I don’t sweat under any circumstances.”

The Winchesters have passed some kind of test and Mick invites them to collaborate. The Winchesters don’t seem interested. He suggests they take some time to think it over, pointing out, “What do you have to lose, except your worst nightmares?” His offer might be more convincing if the Winchesters hadn’t just gotten the crap beaten out of them by a Lady of Letters.

Coming Home?

Later, the Winchesters have a homecoming at the bunker involving fried chicken and pie. Mary suggests they call the internet to find out as much as they can about the British Men of Letters. It’s a little adorable.

Sam brings his mother tea. He’s pretty awkward. He offers to talk, saying he knows what it’s like to come back and not really fit. Mary just wants to catch up on “mother stuff” and fill in some blanks. Sam offers his dad’s journal to help answer some of her questions, noting that having it, “keeps him with us.” She asks him about leaving hunting and Sam tells her, “Well this is my family. My family hunts. You know, that’s what we do.” Mary doesn’t seem satisfied with this answer, then Sam adds, “Mom, for me, just having you here fills in the biggest blank.” Finally, we get to see a hug between Sam and his mom.

Dean drinks in the kitchen surrounded by family pictures while Mary looks at John’s hunting journal. In his bedroom, Sam stares up at the ceiling. For having been recently reunited, none of the Winchesters seem very happy.

Who is Mr. Ketch?

As they head towards the airport, Mick and Lady Antonia argue. Mick points out the Americans have had their fair share of successes, but Lady Antonio responds, “If our goal is to end the supernatural threat here we need to destroy every obstacle. The Winchesters, these American hunters, they’re no better than the monsters they fail to control. They need to be eliminated.” Whoa, tell us how you really feel, Lady Antonia. She’s making us feel unusually patriotic.

Apparently Mick is not as far from Lady Antonia’s position as it would seem because he has already called in the dreaded Mr. Ketch. We see him in London, packing a weapon-filled case. Apparently Mr. Ketch is the 007 of the supernatural world. Is he the infamous 15th-century executioner Jack Ketch? Is he a witch, monster, man, or something else? Whoever he is, Lady Antonia thinks Mr. Ketch is someone to hate and fear. Let’s see if the Winchesters come to feel the same way.