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S11.E14: The Vessel


Tara Ariano
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Dean, who hopes to find a weapon powerful enough to defeat Amara, convinces Lucifer to send him back in time to 1944 to the ill-fated submarine mission that sunk the Hand of God. Meanwhile, Lucifer continues his charade with Sam as they wait for Dean's return.
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Well that was 100% awesomesauce.  I'll be back later after a re-watch.

 

But OMG Dean...he's completely broken I think by Cas having said yes to Lucifer.  I'm just really not okay. 

 

Also, what happened to the scene with Sam raising his gun to Cas? Did I miss that?

  • Love 5
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They had to get a Raiders reference in by showing a drawing of people carrying the Ark.  Nice job, the episode had Nazis and a supernatural artifact, you've got to have an Indiana Jones reference.

 

Really hope the Winchesters have done something to protect the Lair of Letters, Castifer can get in any time he wants.

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Good episode but I'm already tired of Lucifer. What was that junk with Crowley?! Ugh. At least the boys know it's not Cas anymore.

I like how Dean and Sam are getting along. It's nice to see them not hiding secrets or just angsting about each other.

The no coffee stuff was fun!

  • Love 5
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Damn, I was wondering when that woman of letters used the weapon and was going all glowy if that was going to be it... I'm surprised she didn't consider that actually.

 

I hope Sam is okay. That couldn't have been good for his health. I was also glad to see he got Lucifer out of there. Good thing to know that the angel repellent sigil works even against archangels.

 

I love pet Crowley, too. I think he'll be smart and do what he needs to do and bide his time. Maybe he'll get some info along the way. Minion demon number 1 and 2 are lucky that Lucifer didn't smite their asses just for fun.

 

I wonder what happened to the sub? Did it just get burned up by the weapon's discharge? I'll have to rewatch to see if there was a clue I missed on that.

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This was a great episode. I liked it all. I was happy Dean finally mentioned Raiders - I thought he would do it in the kitchen though.

I liked how and the timing of Lucifer's reveal. Others have mentioned on this forum that they didn't really see what he was getting out of pretending. So I liked that he brought it up.

Shallow time - Dean in profile at the dock scene looked especially breathtaking.

  • Love 7
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I wanted Sam to figure out Casifer first, but at least he got to get him to leave the men of Letters.

 

The last scene I really liked.  The coffee scene worked.  Loved that boys are still united.

 

I might not have had such a pace problem since I kept fast forwarding through the commercials since I stated a bit late.

 

I would like for the hand to still mean something, but maybe not to show how till a little later.  Thought it was a bit even, not the best but not the worst either.

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It was a good episode. Very suspenseful. There was a strong feeling of despair and inevitability, Claustrophobic for sure. Poor sailors.

I hate what they are doing to Crowley. It's just wrong on so many levels.

Loved the Indiana Jones mention.

Maybe that mark that Delphine had is a requirement for the remaining Ark piece to work?

The boys are definitely gonna have to angel proof the bunker some more.

It always amazes me that the guy that directed freaking Saturday Night Fever is directing episodic tv. I enjoyed this episode a lot.

Edited because despair is a better word than desperate-ness.

Edited by Ferniesfreckles
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Awesome sauce? That was so boring! Dean really didn't do anything and his tender treatment by wartime sailors was stretching credulity.

 

Yes, awesomesauce.

 

I thought Dean was quite brave by going back in time, knowing he could get stuck there. He had to accept their deaths so that the timeline wasn't completely screwed.  He was willing to kill her and would have if not for the depth charge. But everything escalated quickly.

 

I have no problem with how Dean was treated given they already had a female agent on board IMO, so weird shit was going on already. What were they going to do him really? They had a bigger problem with the approaching German ship.  Dean was the least of their problems right then and there.

It was a good episode. Very suspenseful. There was a strong feeling of desperate-ness and inevitability, Claustrophobic for sure. Poor sailors. 

 

I hate what they are doing to Crowley. It's just wrong on so many levels. 

Loved the Indiana Jones mention. 

 

Maybe that mark that Delphine had is a requirement for the remaining Ark piece to work? 

The boys are definitely gonna have to angel proof the bunker some more. 

 

It always amazes me that the guy that directed freaking Saturday Night Fever is directing episodic tv.  I enjoyed this episode a lot. 

 

John Badham also directed Blue Thunder and War Games back in the day, so he has an action pedigree. 

 

I didn't mind how Crowley was being treated. He's getting a taste of his own medicine. I did not feel sorry for him in the least little bit. 

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It's interesting that so many of the recent episodes begin in the kitchen of the bunker.  I like it; it subtly emphasizes that they do have a stable place to call home without making a big deal of it.  Just as a small nitpick; I did notice that this week's coffee pot was totally different than the one they had last week.

 

Pretty good episode.  I liked Dean's sincerity when he was talking to the girl and the sailor.  I would've believed him too.  Given the small amount of time they had to work with, I thought they did a good job of bringing the people on the submarine to life enough that it was easy to feel Dean's grief at their deaths.

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It's interesting that so many of the recent episodes begin in the kitchen of the bunker.  I like it; it subtly emphasizes that they do have a stable place to call home without making a big deal of it.  Just as a small nitpick; I did notice that this week's coffee pot was totally different than the one they had last week.

 

Pretty good episode.  I liked Dean's sincerity when he was talking to the girl and the sailor.  I would've believed him too.  Given the small amount of time they had to work with, I thought they did a good job of bringing the people on the submarine to life enough that it was easy to feel Dean's grief at their deaths.

 

I have to also wonder if Dean was affected a bit more given John was a Vietnam veteran and Dean is basically a soldier too and he had to let his fellow soldiers die.

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I didn't mind how Crowley was being treated. He's getting a taste of his own medicine. I did not feel sorry for him in the least little bit. 

 

I was going to say the exact same thing.

 

This is nothing for Crowley anyway. He's a survivor, and if this is what he has to do, he'll do it and use the time to get intel or plan something. Besides, he's got to know it's temporary. Even Lucifer himself telegraphed this with his "once and future king" comment. Lucifer doesn't want that job. That was obvious to me from the scene we saw. He's already bored/fed up/ etc. Lucifer was so bored, he even forgot to kill that demon minion who was being so disrespectful - something which even Crowley wasn't crass enough to be. In my opinion, he half accepts being Lucifer's dog, because he understands/proscribes to the idea of respect. He believes that Lucifer deserves it and is genuinely insulted on Lucifer's behalf that the other demon was disrespectful. He plays his part and bides his time until eventually the "denim clad nightmares" call on him for the intel he's gathered / defeat Lucifer / whatever comes next and eventually he'll get his old job back... maybe with a new appreciation even.

 

Crowley will be just fine. No need to feel sorry for him at all, in my opinion.

 

Edited to add:

Crowley's lucky I'm not Lucifer, because one word: spiders. Big ones. Just sayin'. And he wouldn't be allowed to harm a leg on their fuzzy little bodies either.

Edited by AwesomO4000
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He was a member of the Thule Society, no? They can't be killed. Unless you do burn their body.

Exactly.  Hence the comment about needing to be burned immediately if you want them to stay dead. 

 

This was EPIC IMO.  And FAN-F*CKING-TASTIC.  My initial reasons why I say this:

 

Season Arc critical moments:

1) Cas acknowledged his consent but that he can't thrown Luci out now and BARELY took control to stop him from killing Sam.

2) Luci doesn't want Hell and actually valued Crowley's opinion --- cause he's no dummy

3) Despite those who claim Dean is now useless after last week's discussion with Sam, it's clear that Lucifer knows he isn't. In fact Lucifer understand Dean can't harm Amara but feels the bond will be important.  And he was perfectly willing to kill Sam.  Of course I am confident BOTH brothers are needed -- it's the freakin' premise of the show.

4) Dean had a very powerful experience on that sub.  The willingness of the crew and Dalphine to die because it was the right thing? No hesitation, no doubts.  Just grim acceptance that lives would be lost for the greater good.  It's not that Dean hasn't always understood this and been more than happy to leap into the arms of Death if it saved someone.  No, he GETS personal sacrifice.  But he had to let the sub and crew die.  He had to accept that others dying to help him save the world was the right answer.  That's a bitter pill for Dean.  And he's seen it before, and it still crushed him... but this time was different IMO.  This time, he was prepared to kill Dalphine.  He was accepted the sacrifice was necessary.  The courage of those people needed to be honored and I think Dean GETS that.  Ultimately, I think it will help him accept if Sam or Cas needs to die.  That doesn't mean he will give up easily.  Just that when he TRULY sees no other option, he can accept it.  To not do so would dishonor all who have died in getting them to the point where they have a chance (when they eventually get one... and they WILL get one). So while this may seem like "character development" and not mytharc related --- I feel like this is just another way of showing us how Dean will get to a point in the future to make a decision we didn't think he would. 

 

Character

1) Oh Sam, how I love you with Cas.  He's so Team Destiel.  Friendship or otherwise, Sam knows how important Dean is to Cas and he respects that. 

2) Dean, Dean, Dean.  It hurts to watch you be in denial about Cas.  Is it that you think Cas would never say "yes" to Lucifer because it was wrong or because you think he wouldn't risk dying on you again?  IDK.  But his denial was so absolute.  I need a Team Free Will GROUP HUG.  Like STAT.

3) Cas... okay, so you think Luci can defeat Amara and you were willing to trade your power for his.  But did you know you couldn't kick him out or was this a surprise?

4) Crowley - Oh you'll survive, you Will E. Coyote you. And I agree with the poster above -- he actually respects Lucifer and woe to those disrespectful minions when Crowley is back in charge.

5) Dalphine - What a hero.  I want Supernatural: WWII edition as a comic book or something.  Great characters.

 

Production:

1) Per Jim Micheals, the submarine was a 90 (!) ft set that Wanek & company built just for this episode.  I swear, these guys swing for the fences every time.

2) Gorgeous set decorating. I WANT some of that stuff.  They need to auction it off for charity or something.

3) Excellent sub action scenes.  Movie-class IMO.  John Badham did very well and Nichol Baer again did a great job in editing.  I always like her episodes.

 

Story

1) Bobo Berens remains a favorite, along with Robbie Thompson.  I can't think of a single thing I would change.  I know I generally enjoy the show more than many but I felt like the script was spot on.  Compelling story, epic scope, long-term consequences.  Just marvelous.

 

So...yeah, I'm a fan of this one.

Edited by SueB
  • Love 14
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Ultimately, I think it will help him accept if Sam or Cas needs to die.  That doesn't mean he will give up easily.  Just that when he TRULY sees no other option, he can accept it.

 

This was the exact lesson Dean was made to learn in s5 when he had to stand by and watch as Sam said yes to Lucifer.  I'd rather Dean be involved actively involved in the final fight, anything else is just a repeat of Swan Song.  I didn't like it the first time, I don't need it a 2nd time.

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This was the exact lesson Dean was made to learn in s5 when he had to stand by and watch as Sam said yes to Lucifer. I'd rather Dean be involved actively involved in the final fight, anything else is just a repeat of Swan Song. I didn't like it the first time, I don't need it a 2nd time.

I'm not remotely implying Dean would not be involved. I'm saying that in the heat of the final events, if Sam or Cas' part of the plan is super risky, Dean will have to deal with it.

And while I agree it seemed like Dean letting Sam die was a 'character point' in S5, he lived that life for a year. He now knows what it means in reality vice abstract. And he's run away from repeating that reality pretty clearly (Dean to Crowley: 'Hello, have you met me?'). And we've got Billie the Reaper saying that when a Winchester dies he's going to the Empty (which sound almost worse than Hell) rather than the usual bounce back. Now WE know they come back (or the show is ending in a major downer). But our characters do not.

So to be clear -- just because Dean may have a huge character moment at the end of this year does not prevent him from being heavily involved in the action. I expect all three founding members of Team Free Will are going to actively be in the fray.

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I was quite skeptical at first but damn, Misha's portrayal of Lucifer was spot-on in this one ! 

 

Oh, and Sue, as a French guy, just a quick nitpick about your post : it's Delphine, not Dalphine ! ;) 

Otherwise totally agree with your points ! 

 

It's funny though, how Delphine seems to be the go-to name for French women, between that and Orphan Black ! ^^

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misha was great....but i still like the old lucifer don't know his name, except he was on being human, lol)

 

kind of missing something here.  the seal she has on her body....could that have something to do with how to activate the hand?  being it special and all as she described being connected to her life, which is why lucifer can't use the hand?  or was it just a plot device so that there is a way to ward off lucy?

 

either way, would still prefer god finally make an appearance since it would be rather disappointing if amara (god's bad ass sister) to be beat by none other than god himself.......or at least by death.......which i am still upset about.  i think death was one of the more interesting character and to kill him off that easily.....absurd.  the guy who said to possibly pre-date god himself and to one day reap god too gut gutted by his scythe.

 

......hey, maybe death's scythe can kill amara since it seemed to have killed death himself......

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I had to rewatch this to make sure I wasn't hearing things.  Sam mentioned Jules Verne, and Dean said "Who?"  Are we honestly to believe that Dean doesn't know who Jules Verne is?  I find that hard to believe, especially when earlier in the same conversation he said "20,000 leagues", make your free throws Supernatural.

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I had to rewatch this to make sure I wasn't hearing things.  Sam mentioned Jules Verne, and Dean said "Who?"  Are we honestly to believe that Dean doesn't know who Jules Verne is?  I find that hard to believe, especially when earlier in the same conversation he said "20,000 leagues", make your free throws Supernatural.

 

According to Robert Berens on Twitter that was a Jensen ad-lib.

.

But maybe it's possible that Dean knew 20000 Leagues but not who wrote it?  That's one time where someone needed to nix an ad-lib.

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*does happy little jig over the fact that it was Cas's care for Sam that enabled him to break Luci's hold*

I haven't genuinely enjoyed an episode in a bit, but I liked this one. I'm even more worried that Dean won't be proactive in the big showdown (i don't want to see Dean drive to the location to watch everyone else do stuff... again), but this episode kinda rekindled my interest in things.

*still jiggin'*

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I liked the episode (Dean in a uniform!!) but ultimately it seemed pointless. The only difference at the end was that they knew it was Lucifer and not Cas.

 

 

This was my only issue.  I really loved the episode until it was revealed the Hand of God didn't work anymore.  To go through all that trouble and misery--poor Dean having to watch a whole submarine crew die--all to have a hunk of the ark that doesn't work anymore?  I don't get it.  I was yelling at Dean at the very end not to throw the Hand of God into the water because he totally looked like he was about to.  But since he listened to me, I'm hoping it'll still be useful somehow and this wasn't all for naught.

 

But I'm glad they didn't drag out Cas acting weird and no one questioning it.  And I agree that Misha is doing an excellent Mark Pelligrino.  And it's fun watching him switch between Lucifer and Castiel--I almost enjoyed that more than Dean in a sailor uniform.  Almost.

Edited by cassandle
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I didn't mind how Crowley was being treated. He's getting a taste of his own medicine. I did not feel sorry for him in the least little bit.

I hate the visual of a human in chains and being degraded so much it takes me right out of the scene. It's Mark Shepherd I see, not Crowley. 

 

I wonder if Delphine's  sigil carved into her chest and the piece of the ark work together like the Mark of Cain and the First Blade. Without the Mark the First Blade was just a bone.

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According to Robert Berens on Twitter that was a Jensen ad-lib.

.

But maybe it's possible that Dean knew 20000 Leagues but not who wrote it?  That's one time where someone needed to nix an ad-lib.

Yeah, that's an ad-lib that needed to be nixed.

 

It's one of those WTF moments, like Sam not knowing that brothers fought each other in the Civil War, Dean not knowing the story of Prometheus, and the brothers knowing nothing about the haunting of Lizzie Borden's house.

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I listened as close as I could when Cas and Sam were talking, and as far as I could work out Cas WOULD be able to eject Luci, much like any other willing angel host, but wasn't going to because a) only Luci could get Dean back and b) he is still convinced Luci is the only one with even a vague chance of beating Amara. I think if/when Cas changes his mind, Luci will be evicted. My question is, what happens after that? He's free from the cage. So without a host, does his essence go back up to heaven? I'll bet the other angels would love that.

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I hate the visual of a human in chains and being degraded so much it takes me right out of the scene. It's Mark Shepherd I see, not Crowley.

 

 

I didn't like seeing Rowena in a dog collar because yeah she was awful but that bothered me because tiny woman in a dog collar is just bad no matter what.  

 

But Crowley? I had one moment of 'yikes' because of Sheppard playing it so well. But then I remembered. It's fucking Crowley. This is karma. 

Let's revisit some of Crowley's greatest hits

- Crossroads Demon and now King of Hell

- Kidnapped and tortured Kevin (cutting off his finger)

- Had Mama Tran kidnapped and tortured

- Kidnapped and tortured Samandriel

- He had no compunction chaining up his own shitty mother like a dog and he chained up his own demon minions.

- Murdered Sam and Dean's friends

- Nearly murdered Jody

- Aided and abetted turning Dean into a fucking demon. That's pretty much a metaphorical chain of the worst kind. 

 

Yeah, it's funny like I think the show wants me to forget all the horrible things Crowley has done or have sympathy for him because Sheppard is so good in the part. But this? Chaining him up like a dog is the least karmic thing that can happen to him. YMMV

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Cas refused to kick out Luci, because so far as they all know, Luci is the only one who has even a chance of beating Amara. Poor Dean, at the end, not willing to believe Cas would say "Yes" to Lucifer...

I'm assuming that Cas's super-duper made-special-by-God vessel is even better than Sam's meat-suit, which is why Luci figured it was Okie-doke to kill Sam.

I'm also hoping that the HoG needs that special sigil to work, so they actually do have a weapon, they just don't know it. And that special sigil comes in handy to keep Casifer out of the bunker.

I liked the episode. The claustrophobic feel of the submarine. (Question: I thought periscopes were only usable if you were near enough to the surface for the top part to be out in the air? Surely you can't use it underwater?)

My one big big, BIG issue was that the boys didn't figure out it was Casifer-- he revealed himself. Bah. In my head, sam would be suspicious just by the things "Cas" said and the way he said them.

Delphine was awesome. And I'm glad we got so many call-backs to prior episodes -- the Thule, the angel-banishing sigil, more.

And I agree: Crowley is a survivor, and is biding his time. He must be inwardly howling with rage at being forced to wear a Hawaiian shirt and khakis, instead of his nice, tailored suits. Just an extra touch of humiliation in the midst of everything else.

Also in Crowley's greatest hits: snapping Kevin's girlfriend's neck in front of him.

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I listened as close as I could when Cas and Sam were talking, and as far as I could work out Cas WOULD be able to eject Luci, much like any other willing angel host, but wasn't going to because a) only Luci could get Dean back and b) he is still convinced Luci is the only one with even a vague chance of beating Amara. I think if/when Cas changes his mind, Luci will be evicted. My question is, what happens after that? He's free from the cage. So without a host, does his essence go back up to heaven? I'll bet the other angels would love that.

 

 

That's how I understood it as well.

 

Cas was fighting back against Lucifer to save Sam.  Then he had to use Lucifer to get Dean out of the sub because Cas cannot time travel anymore because of his wings being fried. 

 

IMO Cas won't evict Lucifer unless he knows that Lucifer is going somewhere that he cannot harm humanity. The Cage is the first choice but with Rowena dead, who else can open the cage?  They would need all the Horsemen's Rings again. 

 

If Death was wearing his ring when Dean killed him, then it might have been in his remains on that restaurant floor.  So maybe Dean and Sam thought to snatch it up but I'm guessing they didn't because they were making a bee line out of there. If it was laying amongst Death's remains anyone else could have come and snatched it up.  I'm thinking Billie might have it now. 

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This was my only issue.  I really loved the episode until it was revealed the Hand of God didn't work anymore.  To go through all that trouble and misery--poor Dean having to watch a whole submarine crew die--all to have a hunk of the ark that doesn't work anymore?  I don't get it.  I was yelling at Dean at the very end not to throw the Hand of God into the water because he totally looked like he was about to.  But since he listened to me, I'm hoping it'll still be useful somehow and this wasn't all for naught.

It's entirely possible the thing is still in perfectly good working order and just won't respond to attempts to use it by the freakin' Devil. It is a holy relic, after all.

 

What I'd like to know is exactly who is designing spells to crack angel-proof wards, that require an archangel to power them, if it's not Lucifer himself? How does that work? It's like the Book of the Damned—I'd assumed that the nun who wrote it was inspired by dreams Lucifer himself sent her, but he had to ask Rowena if anyone else could open the Cage, implying that he wasn't the source of that knowledge. Where's all this über-powerful mystic lore that can undo safety measures put in place by God Himself coming from? (I know the real answer is that Carver and the writers are pulling deus ex machinas out of their asses, but they should spare a thought for the origin of this stuff in-setting.)

Edited by Bruinsfan
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IMO Cas won't evict Lucifer unless he knows that Lucifer is going somewhere that he cannot harm humanity. The Cage is the first choice but with Rowena dead, who else can open the cage?  They would need all the Horsemen's Rings again.

 

Don't they still have the hamster?

  • Love 1
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It's entirely possible the thing is still in perfectly good working order and just won't respond to attempts to use it by the freakin' Devil. It is a holy relic, after all.

 

I won't be surprised to find out it's activated by someone who is a real true believer or has trust in God. 

 

I will hate it immensely. I could see them tying it back Sam's belief that God was trying to communicate with him. That Sam showed faith and belief by praying and the moment he touches it when it's desperate times, it lights up and saves the day.

 

So then Dean will feel like shit because since he didn't have faith in God the Hand of God wouldn't have worked anyway. Blah blah blah.

Don't they still have the hamster?

 

I don't think the hamster is strong enough to hold Lucifer LOL. But even so how would you get a hamster to consent. I mean I don't think it even COULD consent LOL

Edited by catrox14
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The hamster, being Olivette, could be restored to her proper shape, and she is strong enough to use the spell Rowena used to open the Cage. After all, she was the head of the Grand Coven, and Rowena couldn't best her without the help of a unit of demons and some illusions...

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The hamster, being Olivette, could be restored to her proper shape, and she is strong enough to use the spell Rowena used to open the Cage. After all, she was the head of the Grand Coven, and Rowena couldn't best her without the help of a unit of demons and some illusions...

 

Oh sorry. I thought it was a joke

 

But how would she be restored when it was Rowena who cast the spell? I figure it was a spell that was never going to be reversible considering Rowena was going to kill her.

 

 

Rowena opened the Cage through a spell created from the Codex and the Book of the Damned. I doubt Olivette would be able to decode both things. I think that's why they killed Rowena was to remove the person that would decode both books.

Edited by catrox14
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