SEASON RETURN | 'Supernatural' Season 12 - The Road So Far
Demon-hunting duo Sam and Dean Winchester are returning after a mid-season hiatus, with episode nine airing on Thursday January 26 in the US, and Monday January 30 in Australia.
The Winchester brothers have been in the ‘saving people, hunting things’ business for over eleven years now, and their die-hard fans have been with them every step of the way: through multiple character deaths and rebirths; to heaven, purgatory and hell; and dealing with all manner of evil creatures. And they’re not about to stop any time soon, with a thirteenth season now confirmed for 2018.
Before we dive back into Season 12 in the coming days, let’s take a look at what’s happened so far this season.
SPOILER ALERT!
Season 12 welcomes back to life Mary Winchester (Samantha Smith). Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) is understandably thrilled to have his mother back, but spends the next eight episodes behaving awkwardly in her presence. He’s not sure how to help her integrate into a society thirty years after her passing, and Mary is struggling to fit into her grown-up sons’ lives.
In the first two episodes, Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) is held prisoner and tortured by the mysterious Lady Toni Bevell (Elizabeth Blackmore) from the British chapter of the Men of Letters - the society dedicated to the study and regulation of the paranormal. Blackmore – an Australian actress - delivers a very convincing posh English accent, and is equally as convincing playing a psychopath.
The Winchesters, along with Castiel (Misha Collins), Crowley (Mark A. Sheppard) and Rowena (Ruth Cornell), must deal with Lucifer again this season. Lucifer is possessing a new vessel - the aging rocker Vince Vincente - played by Australian musician Rick Springfield. Lucifer sets about killing and hurting people around the country for the fun of it.
Along the way, a few opportunities present themselves for the Winchester boys to do what they do best - hunting the monster of the week. The monsters this season have been fairly standard so far, with ghosts, demons, and an off-grid family who have chained up their young psychic daughter, believing her to be the devil.
Then there’s Episode 5, which features Nazi organisation The Thule, and a resurrected and slightly unhinged Adolf Hitler. As Dean shoots and kills him, viewers can expect references to this event throughout the rest of the season, and probably beyond considering how often Dean has already reminded everyone that he was responsible for Hitler's death.
In Episode 8, Lucifer goes on to possess men of great power, eventually settling in the President of the United States (David Chisum). When he sleeps with the President’s aide and girlfriend Kelly (Courtney Ford), a half-human nephilim is conceived. Luckily, the Winchesters are able to trap and exorcise Lucifer with the help of an artefact from the British Men of Letters, while Rowena banishes him back to the Cage. However, Kelly refuses to terminate the unborn child, and escapes from Castiel before disappearing.
So, where does that leave us for the remainder of Season 12?
Even though Lucifer is out of the picture again, his half-human child is on its way and could create all sorts of problems. With the majority of ‘Supernatural’ viewers being women aged 18-34, a storyline in which the Winchesters hunt down and destroy a baby is unlikely to be on the cards; but what if the child were an innocent half-angel? Perhaps Mary will be given the chance to raise a young family after all.
With regards to the British Men of Letters, it seems clear that Lady Toni is not finished pursuing and dealing with the Winchesters and the American hunter community.
Evidently there appears to be a few more cheesy, ‘filler’ episodes as the mid-season stretch approaches, but new showrunners, writer Andrew Dabb and long-standing producer, Robert Singer, are sure to include plenty more successful elements to keep the fans coming back.
‘Supernatural’ has featured some spectacular special effects and action scenes over its eleven seasons, but it’s the excellent acting and relationship drama between brothers Sam and Dean, as well as Castiel, Crowley and the other occasional characters that keep fans tuning in nearly 250 episodes on.
‘Supernatural’ will air weekly on the CW at 8pm EST from Thursday January 26 in the US. Airing Mondays from January 30 at 9:30pm on Eleven in Australia.
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