Supernatural S04E22 - Lucifer Rising (2009)

Review

After their confrontation in the previous episode the Winchester Bros have gone their separate ways, once again, apparently that story line never gets old. Anyways Dean gets a kick in the arse from Bobby who tells him that family aren't meant to be easy. Dean is prepared to go find Sam only he gets sideswiped by the heavenly host who want to keep him on ice during the whole Lucifer engagement thing Sam is about to find out about. As expected Ruby has been lying and Sam will be the one who breaks the last seal on Lucifer's prison, just knew all that demon blood couldn't be good for him!

Dean is confronted by Castiel and Zachariah who offer him beer, burgers, and Ginger and Mary Anne from Gilligan's Island season two to help wait out the apocalypse, Dean previously had pledged himself to heaven. The older Winchester Bro manages to convince Castiel that they at least have to try and stop Sam, Castiel decides enough is enough and goes against orders, transporting Dean and himself to Chuck Surley's apartment to try and discover where Sam is going to confront Lilith. Sam believes he needs to kill the demon to avoid all hell breaking loose, and has tracked her to the abandoned St Mary's Convent. Can Dean get to the Convent in time to stop Sam unleashing Lucifer or are we really in for the big bad next season?

I actually quite dug the intro to this episode which involved demonic activity and a slaughterhouse fill of Nuns. We learn that St Mary's Convent, located in Ilchester Maryland, is one of the gateways to Lucifer's prison via a Priest who is possessed, didn't you need some dramatic personal issues for that to happen? - who proceeds to brutally murder a chapel fill of Nuns. The scene is kept on the creepy side, has some humour, but also delivers pretty a brutal ending with a flood of blood under the shut and locked chapel door. This single desecrated room is the final focus of the season as first Sam and Ruby and then Dean arrive to try and avert Lucifer being set free, though of course Ruby has manipulated the situation to achieve that freedom for his Satanic Master.

The prologue also skillfully ties in about everything that has happened since season one with the demon Azazel, the yellowed eyed one, being tasked with finding "the one".

Dean gets a kick in the arse from Bobby and told to toughen up, but before he can go make amends with Sam Dean is whisked off to some heavenly green room fill of light, art, burgers, and beers. Not entirely sure if this is Dean's version of Heaven truth be told. Anyways the telling point here is that Castiel finally goes against orders and defies his superior Zachariah. Previously Castiel had been stopped seconds before disclosing something to Dean and I'm left with the impression that Ruby isn't the only being the Winchesters shouldn't be trusting. The Angels have their own agenda, which Castiel may or may not know about, but the trench coated one has clearly had enough and is going "fallen Angel" in defying his orders from above, guess he could hang with Anna now as they are both off the Angelic program and doing their own dance. Thus far Supernatural has hinted, if not downright stated, that Angels are not noted for their freedom of decision making, something reserved for humans apparently. Thought it was a cool touch that Castiel and Dean touched bases with Chuck to discover where Sam was confronting Lilith, Chuck still writing the books and ordering hookers by the boat load as he has full knowledge of the pending apocalypse.

Have the Producers gone with a Hail Mary with Lucifer, or will the Big Bad have a couple of seasons of romping

Meanwhile Sam is hanging with Ruby trying to decipher where Lilith maybe hanging out, the duo napped Lilith's "chef" Cindy McKellan and apply some heavy torture to get the location. While Sam has some idea of letting Cindy back into the wild he is quickly persuaded that he is going to need that demon juice to take on his nemesis in a head to head clash. Ruby's hold over Sam and his blinkered view of how to avert the apocalypse is thus confirmed, in most other outings Sam would be a tragic figure who brings about destruction through good intentions, in the Supernatural universe however there is always the chance of redemption, assuming your surname is Winchester. Must admit Sam's final confrontation with Lilith, a demon he has been tracking for two seasons now, is somewhat anti-climactic.

Surprisingly Lucifer Rising is one episode that you are going to want to watch till after the end credits, a little treat there folks. As stated previously during our chats on the season four episodes I'm somewhat disappointed in how low down the priority list the actual protecting of the seals have been for the Winchesters, but sure as hell (no pun intended) season five has been set up nicely. Say what you will about Supernatural but they sure do know how to do a cliff hanger season ending, the Winchesters at the edge of Lucifer's open prison, in the horror world you don't reach Nirvana that often, Supernatural just did that with no apparent sweat being spilled. If you get the feeling I'm fanging for season five then you would be right! Bring that bad boy on Bro, I'll get some popcorn happening.

Director Eric Kripke, one of the Supernatural heavy hitters, sure did turn on an episode that had me grinning from ear to ear. I don't often take time out of my overreaching reviews to remark on the directing in any given episode but Kripke made every post a winner in this one. From the fade ins for each Winchester Bro, through the look of triumph on Ruby's face, to the nerve jangling final scene Kripke is right across the requirements and delivers an episode that is a joy to watch.

Running out of space here but has anyone given thought to the fact that ultimately the Winchesters and the forces of good have been defeated this season? They strove, when they could be bothered, to stop Lucifer from escaping his prison but ultimately failed. The Winchesters, Bobby, Anna, and finally Castiel proved no match for the demonic elements and surprisingly the Angelic host when it came to averting the approaching apocalypse. Clearly you can't fight City Hall, but the Winchesters and their support group sure will have their work cut out next session in battling the embodiment of ultimate evil, now just a thought, something to saviour over the off season, but what is the Heavenly Host's ultimate end play and what part are the Winchesters expected to play in it?

On the mullet rock front, and I know this is the only reason y'all are reading the reviews, we only get a reprise of Kansas' Carry On My Wayward Son, a sort of default theme song for the Winchester Bros. Where was some Black Sabbath or a certain classic Rolling Stones number?

I had a hoot and a holler with this episode, Lucifer Rising for mine is arguably the best episode of season four, come at me Bro, making the call right here! There was plenty going down, a few cool twists to the tale, and I have to say some gross out ideas. I for one don't want much more from a tellie episode and am now waiting, somewhat impatiently, on the beginning of season five. The Winchesters proved unable to stop the start of the apocalypse, they are now facing their greatest challenge ever, season five looks set to rock the house down!