‘Supernatural’ 13x14 recap: Castiel back to his soldier mode in ‘Good Intentions’

“Supernatural” season 13 episode 14 was a strong entry, with Castiel (Misha Collins) going back to his old soldier fighting mode. Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) continue to look for ways to bring back their mum Mary (Samantha Smith) and Jack (Alexander Calvert) in “Good Intentions.”

“Supernatural” 13x14 “Good Intentions” was aired Thursday in the US on The CW. The season is a few episodes behind in Australia, airing on Eleven on Mondays.

Enlisting the help of Donatello (Keith Szarabajka), Sam, Dean and Castiel wait for developments as the soulless prophet tried to translate the demon tablet, hoping there’s something there that could open the door to another universe. But being soulless meant Donatello could easily be corrupted by the tablet.

And corrupted he had been. He had sent Castiel to get the hearts of Gog and Magog (guest stars Michael Jonsson and Andre Tricoteux), which were allegedly key ingredients to open a breach to the other world. Gog and Magog, according to the bible, were prophesised as enemies to be defeated by the messiah. Castiel had heard rumours about them, but he didn’t know they were humans. Dean volunteered to go with Cas, while Sam and Donatello were left in the bunker to prepare the spell.

Dean and Castiel are equally pretty

The adorably gigantic, loincloth-wearing Gog and Magog turned out to be non-humans and therefore didn’t have a heart. So their death was all for naught. They did, however, provided comic relief before they died, calling Dean and Castiel “equally pretty.”

Castiel the soldier

Donatello, after tricking and knocking out Sam, gained powers from the demon tablet. The Winchesters and their angel were able to restrain him, but that only meant they were back to having no way to open the breach again. Castiel wanted to kill the prophet so another prophet, this time with a soul, would emerge, and they would be able to enlist that new prophet’s help. Sam and Dean ruled out killing anyone.

Castiel wouldn’t be deterred, though. He locked out the brothers outside the room to take care of Donatello. But instead of killing him, the angel stripped the spell from Donatello’s mind. As the prophet absorbed a lot of spells, there was a chance that Cas could fry both of them. He came out unscathed, but Donatello became braindead. Cas was able to learn the spell from him, though.

Sam and Dean reprimanded Cas for putting Donatello in that state, but Cas was adamant that the prophet couldn’t be saved anymore as he was already corrupted and therefore dangerous to himself and to others.

Apocalypse world

Meanwhile, in the alternate universe where archangel Michael (Christian Keyes) and Zachariah (Chad Rook) were trying to brainwash Jack into joining them, Jack proved to be a smart six-month-old teen. He was able to tell manipulation from reality. After he and Mary escaped the angels, Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) found them and took them in. But when Bobby found out Jack was a Nephilim, he ordered him out of their camp.

When the angels, led by Zachariah, attacked the camp, Bobby blamed Jack. But again, Jack proved that he was indispensable. He killed Zachariah and all the other angels with his powers, prompting Bobby to be grateful to the little boy wonder.

SPN 13x14 ‘Good Intentions’ review

Why were the angels such jerks? Bobby mentioned that they first thought the angels were on the humans’ side, but after they killed Lucifer, they turned on the humans. But for what purpose? It doesn’t seem to make sense why they suddenly became the villains in the alternate world.

In the Winchesters’ world, the angels were uncompromising and even jerks to humans at times, but only because they were completing a goal or under strict orders. In the alternate world, they had already defeated Lucifer. So what else were they fighting for?

Mary had been blaming herself for all that had happened to her sons when she made a deal with a yellow-eyed demon in their world. But in the apocalyptic world, she was told that she might have done the right thing. Because if she didn’t ask the demon for John’s life, then her sons wouldn’t have been born and the world would also be doomed.

It’s also great to see Castiel in his element. The seraphim had been basically reduced to a weaker angel in the past seasons. Even when the producers claimed they would bring back Castiel’s mojo in season 12, he still wasn’t even near his former fighting form. Cas being resolute and unapologetic was a good start, though. He knew what to do to protect the “people I love,” even if that meant putting a soulless, destructive human into a coma.

Jack again had to win people by saving them. That’s a tall order for a barely one-year-old half-human. And with the way Bobby appeared to foreshadow it, that it was just a matter of time before Jack betrayed them, it seemed that Jack would be heading that way later. It would be hard to blame him if he did. Everyone around him, save for his family, wanted to capture him for their own gain.