Supernatural’s “The Vessel,” written by Robert Berens and directed by John Badham, is a testament to just how good this show can be.
The episode opens in Gestapo Headquarters in Nazi-occupied France; the year is 1943. An officer has located an artifact that the Fuhrer wants. His mistress Delphine (the stunning Weronika Rosata) asks to see the artifact. Once she does, she skewers him in the neck with a hat pin before delivering a knife-wound to his stomach. Box in hand, her final words to him are, “The Men of Letters send their regards.”
Post title card, Sam (Jared Padalecki) is researching in the bunker’s kitchen. Dean (Jensen Ackles) comes into the room looking for coffee, but Sam’s consumed half a bag in less than a day. We learn that he’s been researching artifacts believed to contain traces of God’s power. With Lucifer caged – or so the Winchesters think – and God MIA, Sam believes they could use a Hand of God against Amara. The files reveal that Delphine Seydoux – a Woman of Letters – last had the artifact.
In hell, Lucifer (Misha Collins) sits on the throne and plays on a tablet. Much to the demons’ dismay, he has no interest in soul projections; he shows a spark of interest when a demon mentions the Darkness, but there’s no update. We learn that Lucifer’s keeping Crowley (Mark Sheppard) fettered and imprisoned in a kennel.
The Winchesters search the archives for information about Delphine and the Hand of God. While Sam translates a file, Dean drinks a beer, though it’s not even noon; he blames the beer on the lack of coffee, but Dean drinking is typically a sign of his inner turmoil. They learn that Delphine never reached the United States because the submarine she was on, USS Bluefin, sunk en route and was never recovered. Sam writes the artifact off as lost, but Dean has an idea.
The demons have returned with the weaponry from his crypts (8×17), but he’s disappointed in what they deliver. In a delightfully frightful exchange, Lucifer taunts a cowering Crowley. Still, when asked what he’s thinking, the demon answers truthfully: “You’re not strong enough… If you thought you could beat Amara, you’d be taking the fight to her — right now.”
Lucifer pats Crowley: “Good doggy.” He admits, “Maybe defeating Amara was a bit more of a team effort than I led certain people to believe.” His phone rings, and when he sees who’s calling, he orders Crowley, “No barking. It’s show time.” Lucifer takes his seat on the throne and answers in Castiel’s voice: “Hello, Dean.”
In the next scene, Lucifer-as-Castiel is in the bunker, reviewing the research boards that the Winchesters have assembled and offers, “I can get you back there [to 1943].” Sam questions, “without wings? Cas, you can’t even teleport.” Lustiel claims, “Time travel – it’s a whole different system.” Dean supports the idea because the submarine is “a tin can floating in the middle of the ocean doomed to go down.” Dean spares no thought for the human factor in this historic tragedy; it’s simply a “milk run” to obtain the artifact. Dean also insists that he has to be the one: “We can’t risk us both. I’m the least valuable player.” Lustiel gravely promises Sam, “I won’t let him out of my sight.” Sam reluctantly agrees, admonishing his brother to be safe. “When am I not?,” Dean asks. Lustiel claps Dean on the shoulder, just as Castiel has so many times before. “Bon voyage,” Dean says.
The scene shifts abruptly to Dean finding himself on a submarine, Castiel nowhere in sight. In a heartbreaking scene reminiscent of Dean’s introduction to Purgatory (7×23), he calls out in a loud whisper, “Cas?” Some moments later, Dean’s hiding under the berths as the sailors get ready for bed. From his lower vantage point, he spies a sigil on the wall.
Back at the bunker, a sodden Lustiel enters the bunker and walks down the metal stairs, dripping water everywhere. Sam’s shocked to see him, and Lustiel explains, “We made the leap – He got on; I didn’t…I couldn’t make it past the hull.” At first, I thought Lucifer stranded Dean on purpose in order to isolate Sam, but as the episode progresses, that’s not the case.
A quarter spins across the floor and gets the attention of a passing seaman, Petey Giraldi (Grant Harvey), who picks up the coin and reads aloud, “1996?” Dean surprises and restrains the guy.
A soaked and annoyed Lustiel explains that someone must have warded the ship and bemoans, “I can’t believe I lost it.” Sam gives him an odd look, and Lustiel corrects, “I mean him…” This scene is both funny and heartbreaking. Sam, who knows that Castiel would be devastated at losing Dean, earnestly reassures his supposed friend: “Don’t worry. We’ll bring him back.” But the more earnest and sincere Sam is, the more obviously annoyed Lucifer becomes.
On the submarine, Dean, now wearing Giraldi’s uniform, works his way through the areas until he finds Delphine. He addresses her by name, so she goes on the defensive, pinning him to the wall and asking, “Who are you?” Giraldi and others burst in at that moment. A search of Dean’s pockets turns up his phone, though they don’t believe that’s what it is. Dean identifies the captain by name: “Captain James Dearborn? My name is Dean Winchester, and I am on a mission from the future….” Dean tells them that a German destroyer will sink the USS Bluefin. Delphine, Dearborn, and Giraldi stare at Dean in disbelief.
The captain finds it easier to believe that Dean’s gone AWOL or is a spy. Delphine, however, believes Dean and argues on his behalf. The captain won’t listen, citing the low odds of an attack this far west. Just then, an officer reports with news of an approaching surface ship.
Dean takes the opportunity to ask Delphine about the sigil. Her Men of Letters mentor taught it to her, believing it would keep her and the artifact safe from supernatural influences. Dean explains the situation to Delphine and, invoking a “Men of Letters to Men of Letters” connection, says that he’s fighting an “end is nigh” war in his own time. He emphasizes that the submarine is going down, but he can take the artifact and use it.
As Dean’s been talking to Delphine, Giraldi has been peppering him with questions. Though Dean demonstrates that he knows history fairly well, he quickly loses patience. When Dean emphasizes the USS Bluefin’s fate, though, Giraldi asks, “Will we all die? Me? The girl? The rest of the crew?” Dean looks down. “I’m just trying to get your story clear,” Giraldi explains. It’s as if in this moment, Dean realizes the impending human loss. After a long, loaded moment, Dean answers honestly: “Yes.”
Delphine tells Dean that because of their Men of Letters connection, she trusts him. Meanwhile, Dearborn orders the submarine to dive in order to avoid the surface ship.
In present-day, Sam discovers the “Spell of Gathering” and believes the new spell can help them retrieve Dean – until he reviews the ingredients, which include the power of an archangel. Clearly annoyed at the limitations of his cover identity, Lucifer offers to try anyway. Sam answers, “We don’t have time for long shots, Cas. Even at full power, you’re not strong enough.” Sam heads back to the bookshelves, but Lustiel opens the book.
Delphine shows Dean the not-so-impressive-looking Hand of God, which was originally part of the Ark of the Covenant. Dean makes a Raiders of the Lost Ark reference, but – of course – no one gets it. Delphine cautions Dean that he can’t touch the artifact bare-handed because it is potent and unstable. “No mortal can survive long with direct contact.” She goes to remove the warding so that Castiel can board the ship.
Giraldi asks Dean when they win the war; he has friends and family serving elsewhere, and even if he’s going to die, he wants “to know what their chances are.” Dean tells him that the Allies win in 1945. “You believe me?,” he asks. “I read a lot of Flash Gordon,” Giraldi answers.
On the bridge, everyone’s ordered to battle stations because the surface ship is closing in. The sailors load the torpedoes and line up for a bow shot, only to realize that the ship is now on top of them. They plunge to the maximum depth and move to silent running. Dean appears nervous, even after the ship levels out.
Delphine returns and bares the sigil on her chest. She hands Dean a knife and tells him to kill her. Giraldi protests, and Dean does too. Delphine insists: “It’s spellbound to my blood, to my heart. Its power lives and dies with me. Do it.” Though Dean seems reluctant, he’s slowly pressing the knife’s tip into her skin when the submarine is hit.
In the bunker, Lustiel is mixing the ingredients for the spell. He rejects Sam’s worries that “you could get hurt,” retorting, “…My strength may surprise you.” Sam recalls when a weakened Castiel used Bobby’s soul to boost his power and retrieve the brothers from the Wild West (6×18). Sam offers his own soul to help Castiel wield the spell safely. “That isn’t necessary,” Lustiel says. “It’s worth the risk,” Sam says. “Cas, Dean needs our help.” Sam is so earnest here: “I trust you.”
Sam’s taken aback when “Castiel” begins laughing. Lustiel says, “I don’t need you anymore. I mean, Dean’s the one with the link to Amara. Why am I even trying to save you? Maybe it’s because you’re like the girl who kept turning me down at the prom.“ Lustiel pushes Sam against the wall and says that he’ll touch Sam’s soul. He’ll blast through the submarine’s warding and retrieve Dean and the Hand of God. And when Dean returns, and finds the room “decorated with your guts, I will tell him the truth, Sam.” Lucifer drops into Castiel’s voice register before practicing, “Dean, he knew the risks. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Lucifer,” Sam breathes. “In the flesh,” Satan answers before digging his hand into Sam’s chest. The younger Winchester screams in agony. Lucifer’s intended evisceration of Sam stops when his vessel’s hand releases Sam’s soul. Sam falls to the floor, and Lucifer says, “Hello, Castiel.” This scene is, by far, one of Supernatural’s most memorable as Collins’s switches between Lucifer, Lucifer-pretending-to-be-Castiel, and Castiel. His performance is a tour de force, and I hope that season 11 continues to exhibit his range.
In the past, the Germans want to speak to Delphine, so she and Dean are brought to the bridge. The German officer she killed in the opening scene isn’t dead after all. He’s Thull (8×13) and his body must be burned to ensure death. The Germans offer a choice: relinquish Delphine and the artifact and be privileged Prisoners of War or protect Delphine and die. They’re given three minutes to surrender.
Delphine insists that the Germans can’t have the cargo. Dearborn answers that their orders are to protect her; they won’t consider surrendering. Dean, no longer viewing this as a doomed milk run, wants to help and offers to use the Hand of God to save them. Delphine says no: “We are supposed to die; let us do it with a purpose.” She’s going to get Dean home (by destroying the blood-bound warding) and deliver Dearborn and his crew their first German ship.
Sam regains consciousness as Castiel falls to the floor. “Cas – why?,” Sam asks. “I wanted to be of service to the fight and only Lucifer can beat her,” Castiel answers. “You chose this? You have to fight, Cas. Eject him, now,” Sam orders. Castiel refuses; it’s taking all his strength to keep Lucifer from killing Sam. Castiel says that they need Lucifer, but Sam says no: “We’ll find another way to stop Amara.” Castiel shakes his head: “We need him to save Dean.” “You can’t time travel,” Sam realizes. “Only Lucifer can,” Castiel confirms.
On the submarine, time is running out. Delphine takes the Hand of God in her bare hands and activates it. The relic falls near Dean, who wraps it up in a cloth and watches, awe-struck as Delphine erupts into a blast of light. Castiel (Collins’s facial expressions strike me as Cas-like here) appears behind Dean; he drops his hand on Dean’s shoulder, and the two disappear.
In the bunker, Dean and the angel – whose expression is now clearly Lucifer-like – reappear. Dean’s looking towards the vessel he recognizes as his friend, clearly about to say something, when he catches sight of Sam, who’s still on the floor. Sam points and yells, “Dean, that’s not Cas!” With Lucifer’s hand still on his shoulder, Dean turns towards the angel in disbelief. Lucifer smiles and shrugs, “Cat’s out.”
Lucifer flings Dean across the room. The devil monologues, “I feel a burden lifted… donning this Cas mask, this grim face of angelic constipation just… ugh. And teaming up with you two? I mean, I thought you boys were insufferable as mortal enemies, but working with you – oh, that’s the soul crusher.”
Sam, still on the floor, manages to cut his hand behind his back. While Lucifer’s distracted with pinning Dean to the wall and unwrapping the relic, Sam surreptitiously draws a sigil on the column closest to him. Lucifer, angry after realizing that the relic has “kicked,” is coming for Dean with murder writ in his expression when Sam activates the sigil and expels him. Their relief – such as it is – is overwhelmed by all that just occurred. Sam looks stunned and Dean shattered.
Ackles is excellent at emoting heartbreak and anguish, and the episode segues from this scene to the Winchesters on a ruined dock. Dean sits with the dead relic in hand, staring out over the water with a forlorn expression; Sam meanders a bit, but comes to sit beside his brother. Canonically, Dean often resists talking about feelings, and here, Sam lets him lead the discussion by simply opening with, “So.”
Dean responds, “So. Cas?” “What do we do?,” Sam asks. Dean’s plan is direct: “What else? We hunt Lucifer, trap the bastard, and save Cas.” He’s teary-eyed and looks as if he’s about to cry. Sam, who is not as emotional, cautions that Castiel “may not come back willingly.” Dean becomes more visibly distressed when Sam reminds him that Castiel chose to be possessed, and Dean refuses to believe that’s what happened: “Not possible.”
Sam sighs and asks about what happened on the submarine, but Dean doesn’t want to talk about it. “I was just a witness,” he says, and the weight of what he saw shows in his expression. He doesn’t want to talk about it, though: “Story for another day.” Sam starts to walk off when Dean asks what happened to the German ship. Sam says it went down – “a giant hole ripped through the entire thing… it burned, and sank.” Sam claps his grieving brother on the shoulder as he leaves the dock. Now that he knows Delphine successfully took down the ship, Dean half-smiles as he looks down at the defunct relic. The final, haunting shot is Dean sitting alone on the dock.
I think Dean’s use of the term “witness” is significant, especially when compared to Sam telling Lucifer that he’s willing to watch – to witness – people, even those he loves, die (11×10). In the dock scene, Sam’s rational speculation that saving Castiel may not be possible seems a pre-emptive distancing from the gutting emotion of his friend’s potential fate; he seems prepared to “witness” if that is all Castiel wants. Dean, on the other hand, cannot bear standing by; the destruction of the USS Bluefin weighs on him, and Castiel’s possession hits him hard. I see this as likely (and expected) foreshadowing that Dean will not stand by, no matter what Castiel says.
The emphasis on Dean’s witnessing the fate of the USS Bluefin also speaks to a point that’s sometimes been lost in recent seasons: the human cost. Dean takes on the time travel excursion proclaiming it a “milk run” and without regard for the individual lives lost. But after he’s interacted with some of the crew and realizes these are people, he’s willing to give up his life if it will save theirs. This is a far cry from the perspective that led him to kill Death in order to save Sam without considering repercussions (10×23). Though his experiences in recent years, particularly while bearing the Mark of Cain, may have hardened Dean in some ways, the man we see in this episode is the hero figure I love. So, I wonder how far Dean will go to save Castiel; if the human cost is too great, will Dean back down? Or will he sacrifice himself instead? Is this what the season is leading up to? I’d rather not see any member of Team Free Will give up his life, but so long as we eventually get our heroes back and intact, I’ll (perhaps grumpily) deal with whatever angst the writers dole out.
The next episode, “Beyond the Mat,” seems to be a traditional Monster of the Week installment, which after the stunning “The Vessel” may seem an abrupt segue in the season’s narrative. Per the preview, Lucifer and Crowley at least make an appearance, so I’m hoping there will be some myth-arc development too. Supernatural airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on the CW Network.