Supernatural Recap: “Goodbye Stranger”

by Kimmie Chameleon:

Supernatural Recap: “Goodbye Stranger”
Original Air Date (CW): Wednesday March 20, 2013
Season 8, Episode 17

You may not be able to save the entire world from every single injustice or act of evil, but you can protect the ones you love when faced with danger. Every single person is a gift and if you surround yourself with people who deeply care for you, all you need is to fight for each other’s hopes and dreams. In this episode of Supernatural, Castiel returns and fights to save what he holds dear to his heart, as does Dean.

Lucifer’s Crypts

A peculiar story in the news has grabbed the attention of the Winchesters. Various random odd and completely unrelated deaths have been occurring in the Mid-West. The guys speed over to Lincoln Springs, Missouri to speak with a man whose wife recently died mysteriously by having her internal organs liquefied. He tells Sam and Dean that she had been acting strange recently. He had caught her digging 15 foot deep holes in carefully documented places around town. He thought he was seeing things because he swore that he saw her eyes turn black. When Dean and Sam leave, they realize that a demon had possessed the man’s wife, but they can’t figure out why demons are digging holes, and more importantly, who is killing the demons for them. They take a tip and speak to a lady who was last to see the victim, Ann, alive. She happily tells Sam and Dean that Ann wanted a very old map of the town. The doorbell rings, and when she answers it, three demons are there and try to steal her map. Sam and Dean fight back, and just as Sam is about to get smashed by a demon, Castiel arrives and saves him.

Time for catch-up with Cas, who explains to the boys that he has been hunting demons and trying to find a parchment that will help decode the demon tablet. This is a lie that Castiel has been ordered to tell by Naomi. She has been training Castiel in heaven to locate the secret angel tablet and keep it safe, even if that means killing the Winchesters and people that he loves. The guys buy Castiel’s story and he tells them that Crowley is the demon behind all of this madness. They are looking for Lucifer’s crypts that store the parchment…even though we know that it is really the angel tablet. Cas and the guys interrogate one of the demons who tells them that Crowley has a hostage that has been providing them with tips on the whereabouts of the crypts. Cas rushes straight to the location. They guys can’t keep up with him…even in the Impala.

Meg’s Unicorn

When they arrive, they find that the hostage is Meg. Crowley has been torturing her for a year to get information out of her. She tells them that she had dropped hints to him, to buy herself some time. Meg and Cas have a private and heart-warming conversation about perhaps taking their flirtations to the next level once this whole situation with angels and demons has been settled. She is not privy to the demon tablet, but is able to join forces with the good guys because her heart seems invested in Castiel.

With Meg’s help, they rush to an abandoned building to see if what they seek is in the hidden crypt. Sam and Meg stay outside of the building, simply because Dean does not want Sam to get hurt…and Castiel does not want Meg to get hurt. While outside, Sam and Meg discuss the past year, and although Meg has a million comebacks and snarky remarks, she completely understands why Sam enjoyed being “normal” and in love. She gets a bit emotional herself, caused by her affection for Castiel.

We’re Family

Dean and Castiel locate the crypt, and Cas needs Dean to handle the object because it is warded against angels. This is where the most internal struggle takes place within Castiel. Naomi in heaven is demanding that Castiel kill Dean and confiscate the angel tablet. As Cas perpetually bludgeons Dean, Cas fights against his orders. Dean tearfully pleads with Castiel to fight against what he has been told to do. Bring on the tears…through his bloody face, Dean reminds Cas how much he is needed, and how they are family. This jolts Cas enough to effectively resist his heavenly orders. Dean catches sight of the angel tablet, but Castiel vanishes with it. He must protect it.

Outside, Sam and Meg try in vain to fight off demons and Crowley. Crowley even tells Meg about the demon tablet, which would mean that she would be vanquished forever as well if the trials are completed. Even though Meg is now in the know about the trials now, she still chooses to protect the Winchesters. A fight occurs between Meg and Crowley, and Meg loses. He stabs her with the knife designed to obliterate a demon.

With Sam and Dean on the mend, Dean can’t help but discuss the discovery that Sam has been hiding some sort of illness caused by taking on the trials. Sam promises Dean that he will be forthcoming now. Dean chokes back emotions to tell Sam that even though the weight of the world is on Sam, he will carry him.

Quotable Quotes:

Dean to Sam: “So somebody is killing demons. Wow, that is awesome. I feel like we should send a card or flowers. What kind of flower says ‘Thanks for killing demons’?”

Dean to Sam: “He puts the ‘Ass’ in Cas.”

Meg to Dean: “Aren’t you a little short for a Storm Trooper?”

Castiel to Meg (in reference to their previous kiss): “If you’re referring to the Pizza Man, yes, I remember the Pizza Man. And it’s a good memory.”

Meg to Castiel: “I was bad, you were good, life was easier. Now it’s all so messy. I’m kinda good, which sucks, and you’re kinda bad, which is actually all manner of hot.”

Meg to Sam: “You fell in love with a unicorn. It was beautiful, then sad, then sadder. I laughed, I cried, I puked in my mouth a little.”

Crowley to Sam: “I love it when you get all tough. It touches me right where my bathing suit goes.”

Dean to Sam: “I may not be able to carry the burden that comes along with these trials, but I can carry you.”

Dean to Castiel: “We’re family. We need you. I need you.”

DarkMedia contributing writer Kimmie Chameleon was born and raised with a healthy appreciation for horror and science fiction. She currently covers Supernatural, Ghost Adventures, BBC’s Being Human, Syfy’s Being Human, and Sherlock. When she’s not out ghost hunting with her kids, you can find her stealing a moment to add to her own pieces of fiction. Follow her on Twitter @dvsduo and “friend” her on Facebook.