Supernatural - The British Invasion - Review

Supernatural “The British Invasion” was written by the team of Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner and was directed by John Showalter. This episode brings the story back to the core season storylines. It was nice to see the return of Eileen Leahy (Shoshannah Stern) and see her grow closer to Sam (Jared Padalecki). It was a bit obvious that we were only going to get some backstory on Mick (Adam Fergus) in preparation of losing him. Clearly, the British Men of Letters is going to be the big bad this season as the psychos like Dr Hess (Gillian Barber) and Ketch (David Haydn-Jones) are the ones truly in charge – and unlikely to be persuaded to the Winchester approach.

The episode opens with a flashback to Young Mick (Spencer Drever) at Kendrick’s and it is absolutely a Harry Potter clone. Mick is preparing to spend his holidays at the school – he clearly has no where else to go and no one who cares about him. The BMoL are his only family.

It’s one of the most horrific teasers in the history of the show as Mick and Timothy (Luke Seybold) are brought into the headmistresses office with plastic put down on the floor to catch the mess. Hess tells them that the organization does important work and they must execute orders without question. One of these boys must kill the other – only one of them will leave the room. Mick is actually dreaming about this – and Hess’s admonition that the code demanded that Timothy die.

Eileen is “facetiming” Sam and Dean (Jensen Ackles) with a lead on Kelly Kline (Courtney Ford) and Dagon (Ali Ahn). I loved how pleased Sam was – and Dean calling him on it being “cute” – and Sam just grinning more. Have we really reached a point in the series where fans could accept that the brothers could have a love interest? Frankly, I think Padalecki and Stern have great chemistry!

Sam suggests contacting Crowley (Mark Sheppard) and Dean shuts him down – and the two are both surprised to find Mick waiting to have a drink with them – and to collect on his second chance. Mick has just found out about Kelly – and Lucifer’s (Mark Pellegrino) baby. Sam and Dean stress that it’s not Kelly’s fault. Mick insists that the code demands that Kelly die. Sam insists that they’re handling it, and Dean suggests that they drink!

Lucifer contacts Dagon to check on his baby. He’s clearly starting to worm his way out from under Crowley’s thumb. Lucifer really disgustingly licks the floor in utter submission. Lucifer tells Crowley that as bad as it is, he can work with Crowley’s rules because it’s still better than being in the cage with drooling, crazy Michael.

Crowley addresses his demons and tries to demonstrate that Lucifer is now under his control. He didn’t just beat the Devil, he tamed him. With is back to Crowley, Lucifer mouths and winks and uses his glowing eyes to indicate that he isn’t really submitting.

Meanwhile, Mick gets a call from Hess. The Nephilim has changed things. They don’t have time to wait for Mick to bring the Winchesters into line. He’s to assimilate them or use Ketch to eliminate them!

Sam finds Dean utterly hungover the next morning – and impressed at Mick’s capacity! Mick tells them not to worry about Mary (Samantha Smith) as she’s with Ketch. Dean asks if he’d want his mother with Ketch, and Mick tells them he never knew his parents. He was on the streets until he picked the pocket of a Men of Letters… rather Oliver Twist, eh?

Kelly insists on seeing a doctor. Dr Turner (Michael Meneer) insists on doing a sonogram. Turner sees something on the sonogram but Dagon – who resisted taking her to see him – whammies him and he simply parrots that “everything look A-ok!” Eileen comes upon Dermot (Eric Mazimpaka), one of Dagon’s demons right after he kills Dr Turner to cover Dagon’s tracks.

Mary and Ketch are on the road together and take out a group of shifters. It’s clear that they are both drawn to each other. Ketch suggests that Mary is drawn to danger – but it almost seems like he’s fascinated by the fact that she gave up hunting.

In another of the most horrifying things ever on the show, Mary sleeps with Ketch. Interestingly, she’s taken of the wedding ring she now wears around her neck. However, instead of putting it back on at all, she tucks it into her pocket. Is this simply another step away from John and the life that she tried to have? Ketch remarks that it was totally unexpected and that when he first met her, he was sure he’d have to “put a bullet in her!” Mary looks a bit surprised and taken aback at that but just shrugs it off. She’s more concerned that Ketch not read anything into her having slept with him. It was just sex, she’d not looking for a relationship. Interestingly, Ketch looks a bit sad about that, though he blusters of course not, he’s not built for that kind of thing…

Ketch suggests that she’s taken his advice and made a choice. But Mary tells him that it’s not either or! She told Sam and Dean the same thing. She’s not choosing hunting over them. It doesn’t have to be on or the other. Ketch seems sincere when he says “good for you” to Mary for wanting to have it all.

Hess sends Renny Rawlings (Darren Adams) to check up on Mick.

Dean tries to call Cas (Misha Collins) and gets no answer again. Eileen tells them about Dermot. Sam is impressed that Eileen got Dagon’s phone number before she killed Dermot.

Mick shows up with Renny to meet with Sam, who is with Eileen. Renny recognizes Eileen’s name – the banshee girl – they have a file on her. He very snobbishly comments that neither of them have any formal training and starts preening that he was top of his class at Kendrick’s and Eileen shuts him down with a “nobody cares” which has Sam smirking – and all of us too! Mick has brought the colt as Sam asked. It’s a terrific moment when Sam passes it on to Dean who is thrilled to see it.

Dean picks up Kelly and brings her to the meet with the other four. I loved Dean’s “I don’t care” as Renny tries again to state he graduated top of his class! Kelly says she loves the baby, and Sam promises to try to figure something out. Renny simply wants to kill her, but Dean stops him. Dagon shows up and flings everyone all over the place. Eileen gets the colt but misses Dagon and kills Renny.

Mick is distraught but the code demands that Eileen must die because she killed a Men of Letters. Dean insists that he doesn’t have to. Sam tries to tell him that he’s better than the code. He only has to answer to his own code – he’s better than they are.

Lucifer has a demon (Alex Barima) working on releasing his vessel from the controls Crowley’s put on it. Unfortunately, after the system was “installed” Crowley had the demon who created it killed. Lucifer’s demon promises he can disarm it, but he needs time – and it seems pretty clear he’s lying…

Back at the bunker, Eileen is having trouble dealing with having killed a human. Sam comforts her.

Kelly has lost all of her privileges. Dagon handcuffs her to the bed and tells her that the baby is going to be just fine. He doesn’t need her, and in fact, there’s no hope that she will live through the birth.

Back at the BMoL bunker, Mick finds Ketch and Hess waiting for him. And please tell me why every woman in a position of authority has to be a psycho? Hess tells Mick that hunters are dogs. You give them an order and they obey – there’s a nice little reaction from Ketch at this comment. Hess orders Eileen to be killed according to the code and Sam and Dean to be investigated and if found guilty to also be executed. Mick asks aren’t the hunters always found guilty?

Hess warns Mick to be careful. Mick says he’s never broken a rule the entire time he’s been with the BMoL, and he admits the was shocked at first at how Sam and Dean operate, but they’ve saved a lot of lives. And things made better, not because of the code, but because of Dean and Sam’s sense of what’s right. Hess insists that the code is what separated them from the monsters and creates order. Mick tells Hess that he chooses to do the right thing and barely has the word “thing” out of his mouth before Ketch shoots him in the back of the head. At least he never saw it coming… No words pass between Ketch and Hess. Clearly, this was the plan all along.

Next morning, Dean and Sam wonder if Cas is alright. Both are starting to worry. Eileen has left to go back to Ireland for a while – and that can’t be good to keep her out of the sites of the BMoL.

Hess orders Ketch to exterminate every last one of them – presumably all of the Winchesters. And how will he deal with his feelings for Mary? Things might be easier if she’d really taken his advice to turn her back on her sons…

This was not an especially satisfying episode for me. It felt a bit unfocused with a bit of this storyline and a bit of that. While it was great to see Eileen back, I’m quite disappointed that they simply killed off the one BMoL who was interesting. What did you think of the episode? Do you think Ketch actually does have feelings for Mary which will get him to help them instead of just killing them? Are you disappointed at Mick’s death? Do you want more Eileen? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!