Supernatural: "Jus in Bello" (Episode 312)

This is actually the least of their problems this week.

Big ups to Meg for sitting in for me the last two weeks. I've been on the road for work, so I actually watched the last three of these episodes in a marathon. It's a great way to see the gamut of tones that the episodes in this series can run: from funny to trippy to action-packed to downright scary. And don't worry Meg, I forgive the fangirl cries of “Squee!” after all, how were either of us to know that you were going to be treated to dual Deans and 'shipper dream sequence?

Plot was back in full effect this week though, with old storylines coming to a head, development of new aspects of our season long arc and of course that ending. I was especially pleased to see the CW rerun “Night Shifter” before this episode, not just because it sets up the boys' history with the FBI, but also because it still stands for me as one of the best episodes of this series. I'd much rather watch a good episode like that from the vault than a pop-up video version of last week's Lost.

If you weren't aware, this is the last episode of Supernatural that was shot before the WGA strike caused the show to run out of material, but thankfully for us, the quick resolution of that strike means that this episode won't have to stand as the season finale (it could have though). We should be seeing four “fresh” episodes starting April 24^th.

He's back! (For now)We begin with Dean and Sam bustin' into Bella's abode in search of their stolen Colt (that's the entirety of my TiVo episode synopsis right there!). She's not home and neither is the Winchester's magical mystery gun. The phone rings though and Bella is on the other end from two states away. She cryptically makes it sound like she has other plans for the gun than simply selling it to the highest bidder. The boys aren't going to have the chance to find out what that might be though, because Bella has set them up. The FBI comes marching into the room and before they know it, the boys are down in handcuffs and towering above them with a grin on his face is their old friend Agent Henricksen.

Storm Clouds. Creepy hands. Titles.

In the local podunk sheriff's station, Henricksen dressed down the sheriff for not finding more manpower for him. He releases Otis the Drunk and tells the staff that their about to deal with the most dangerous criminals that they have ever seen; “Hannibal Lecter and his half-wit little brother”. We take long enough to establish that the secretary listening to the proceedings is very religious. The sheriff changes his tune and posts his men at the doors. The fugitives are brought into the room, but its just our grinning Winchester boys (well, boy – Sam doesn't seem to enjoy himself in situations like this).

After some comical stumbling with their joined leg shackles (like the episode of Perfect Strangers where Balki and Cousin Larry get handcuffed (ah, the eighties)) the boys settle down to ponder their situation. Henricksen isn't going to give them opportunities this time. He's on the phone to his superior (Peter Deluise (JUMP!)) discussing how they're going to copter the two of them over to SuperMax. Henricksen can't help but gloat over the boys. Dean keeps up his attitude, but he starts to falter with the layout of Henricksen's plans.

I thought Peter had lost weight!Before they know it, the chopper arrives and it looks like the fate of the Winchesters is sealed. Deluise shows up to escort Henricksen and the boys away, but as he ties Henricksen up with paperwork, he goes to see the boys... alone. I'm already guessing no good. I'm already guessing demon. But I wasn't already guessing that he pulls out a gun and shoots Dean in the shoulder! Sammy moves quick, slamming his arm between the bars, making his shots go wild. An extremely quick exorcism incantation, but the demon cuts Sammy off and flees the body. And then the FBI director is lying on the floor dead and Sammy is holding a gun. Just in time for Henricksen to come rushing in. With no small amount of convincing, they get Henricksen and his men to check the body and see that he wasn't shot. But Henricksen still isn't about to believe this demons and possession nonsense, however he isn't about to let the Winchesters get the better of him again either.

The enforcement crew moves to get Sam and Dean out of there (sounds good to them), but no one is responding on the radio. Henricksen's partner goes outside only to find everyone outside the building dead... deputies, helicopter crew, everyone. Suddenly the helicopter explodes off-screen (budget conscience), but there's at least one dead man that's still moving around and he dispatches Henricksen's partner with haste.

Inside the sheriff is freaking out along with the remaining deputy and Nancy the secretary. Henricksen has to scream some sense into them and make them understand that they're not going outside. There's no escaping. This is a siege. Only its demons and not friends of the Winchesters like Henricksen thinks.

Dean and Sammy try to figure out what to do next both with their present situation and Dean's “awesome” bullet wound. Sam does manage to convince the timid Nancy to bring them a clean towel, but then he scared her to death by attacking her through the cell bars. Dean can't understand it either until Sammy comes up with the crucifix that he stole off of the religious secretary.

Later, Sam and Dean are still trapped inside their cage like rats in a... yeah. They know they're sitting ducks for these attacking demons and Dean can't quite figure out why they're all coming right for them. It's not long before the sheriff wanders in and demands that the boys leave now, but its not the sheriff who's possessed now, but Henricksen, as we find out when he shoots the sheriff (but not the deputy).

Good for what ails yaThe boys wrestle possessed Henricksen into their makeshift holy water toilet, dunking his head in and chanting while he comes up steaming. He proclaims that “they're already coming” a moment before the demon evacuates his body. The deputy and Nancy now believe fully having watched all this transpire... and Henricksen is now seeing the light as well. And with that, Henricksen turns to the Winchesters to figure out they all survive.

New meaning to "good ink"The group prepares the building for a siege with binding symbols spray-painted on the floor and road salt sprinkled on the windowsills and doorframes. Dean makes a dash for his car in the impound lot for something necessary, but he almost doesn't make it back before the tidal wave of demon smoke floods over the building. The preparations hold, but the smoke covers the building like an avalanche until suddenly it subsides. Turns out Dean went to get talismans for the civilians to ward off possession. Sam and Dean? Tattoos on their chests. How long have they had those? “Not long enough.”

Zombie movie? What zombie movie?Before long, the entire town shows up outside, fully possessed. Deputy Fife goes to a window to look outside and we notice the break he makes in the salt. That can't be good. Dean and Henricksen do some bonding over fighting monsters with condiments and they realize that they have a lot in common. Henricksen actually laments not being able to do more good in his position and thinks he's been wasting his life not fighting the good fight like Dean.

You can keep your Bella.Like clockwork, the window breaks where the deputy broke the line of salt, but Eric Kripke ain't goin' out like that! It's not what you think, because the demon who has broken through the chink in their armor is none other than... Ruby. The boys still have to break the binding seal for the ever-charming beauty.

Dean learns very quickly that Sam has been keeping the challenger from the west a secret. This is the one that's gunning for them, and her name is Lilith (first wife of Adam – thanks to my English PhD earning fiancée). They really did let out some of the oldie, but baddies. They break it to Ruby that the Colt got stolen and she is not pleased. She has one other plan though.

Ruby knows a spell that will vaporize every demon in a one mile radius, including herself. Sucks, but no big deal, except that Ruby needs the heart of a person of virtue. They need a virgin and lo and behold, Nancy the religious secretary is. But no one is letting it go down like that... except Nancy. She wants to save her friends outside, saving them from the possession.

Dean has a different plan though. It's not a good one, but it is, in fact, a plan. He wants to throw open the doors... and fight. Pure and simple. Ruby is not having any of it though and she waltzes right out through the horde of demons waiting outside.

Boomstick.What follows feels more like scenes from a 28 Days Later movie than a CW series, and that is not a bad thing. The show posted excellent ratings overnight to boot. The shutter speed is cranked up and the metal music is rocking. The demons come running in and the boys and Henricksen start putting them down with shots of rock salt, splashes of holy water and plain ol' fisticuffs. It seems that they're going to be overwhelmed, but then we find the deputy and the newly horny Nancy on the roof about to execute the real plan. They jump I hear this is what the Roman feasts looked like...down and salt the outside of the doors and windows trapping the demons inside. Well, except for one that squeezes past Nancy, but makes no move except to run away. Inside, Henricksen cranks up a recording of Sammy's exorcism incantations over the loudspeaker. Bing, bam, boom – one massive exorcism in one fell swoop. The demons are gone and the townspeople are saved. Henricksen tells the boys that he's going to kill the Winchesters – they were blown up in the chopper. All's well that ends well.

The face of evil?Until later... a small girl shows up and chats with Nancy, telling her how she's looking for two boys. One's really tall and one's really cute. What's her name? Lilith. Her eyes go white and in a flash of white and a scream, they're all gone. Gone!

At the podunk motel (the set redressed for the fifteenth time – natch), Ruby shows up and tells the boys to pop on the news. The TV reports that the best that they can tell is that there was a gas explosion, claiming the lives of everyone inside, those lost in the demon attack, the sheriff, the deputy, Nancy, Henricksen and even the boys are believed dead. Ruby knows that it had to be Lilith and she gives the boys talismans to throw her off their trail... for now. But she's pissed, she could have kept the body count low so next time, they better listen to her. The boys are stunned, they can't believe that a CW show is going this awesomely dark either.

NEXT WEEK: Not until April! But I need more now!

Yeah, the face of evil.