Supernatural review: Sam declares there will be no more Kings of Hell

Sam annihilates the competition whilst Dean remains under Michael’s control in the season 14 premiere, “Stranger in a Strange Land”.

Season 14 has kicked off with Sam surrounded by a concoction of hunters as he utilizes all his power to find his brother, with Castiel, Mary, Bobby and Jack in the forefront. As our heroes get sidetracked after Castiel gets taken hostage by a demon, Michael uses Dean’s body to appear to a range of different creatures to ask “What do you want?” in the hope of finding one species worth saving and crafting his “better world” for.

First things first, no one can replace Crowley

Despite the fact that Crowley, former King of Hell and part-enemy, part-ally to Sam and Dean, was killed off by Lucifer back in season 12, his memory still remains, a testament for his whopping seven years on the show. Whilst Sam is busy looking for Dean, he discovers Castiel has been kidnapped by new demon on the block, Kipling. With the help of his fellow hunters, a demon showdown ensues, which felt like an opportunity for Sam to roll his eyes and act like he’s got better things to be doing — like looking for his brother.

Although Kipling puts up a convincing argument and takes on the fancy role of being the new King of Hell, a counterfeit replacement of Crowley, Sam sees right through him. Kipling asks for an agreement similar to what the brothers held with Crowley except he wants more. He asks Sam for the safety of his demon followers in exchange for information he holds, with Castiel as leverage. With absolutely no leads on the whereabouts of his brother, Sam desperately needs insider information in order to find Dean, but this time Sam refuses to agree to the corrupted deal.

Whilst Dean has been missing in the past and Sam has gone to terrible and dark lengths to get him back, it looks as though the support from his hunter family has ensured that Sam doesn’t do anything drastic or risky this time. Sam has definitely been through too many mistakes and worked with too many demons to agree to it again, which really shows his maturity and development. As a fight occurs between demons and hunters, Sam is tested but ultimately comes out on top when he kills Kipling.

Sam sternly announces to the remaining demons, with Kipling’s body at his feet, that “There will be no new King of Hell,” and if anyone is up for the role, they would basically have to get Sam’s approval first. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Sam and Dean are seen as undefeated and feared by so many, but this scene really elevates them because the demons scatter at Sam’s words. Even though we have lost Crowley, it’s clear he won’t be replaced any time soon.

Of all the characters to return to the show, did we expect Nick?

After Lucifer’s apparent permanent death last season, did we really predict Lucifer’s vessel to make an appearance in season 14? I sure didn’t.

I think many of us believed that Nick, who was possessed by Lucifer back in season 5, had been killed years ago. However, the character makes an appearance in “Stranger in a Strange Land”, and appears almost completely healthy, aside from having nightmares and healing from a small knife wound. Sam reveals that he suspects the archangel blade used to kill Lucifer was designed not to harm the human body but only to kill the archangel inside the vessel. I am so intrigued by Nick’s role and whether he is going to be useful in season 14. Will we see his journey coming to terms with his past choices, which nearly led to the end of the world? Maybe he’ll join the hunter community. He hasn’t had a “normal” life for over 9 years now, so where else would he go from here?

Jack’s little support network

Something Supernatural has always been brilliant at is the presentation of family and friendship and, since Jack has been drained of all his power, this episode guarantees he has a range of friends he can open to about how he’s feeling and what his purpose is now that he’s human. Bobby is shown being a fatherly figure and trainer, teaching Jack how to punch and encouraging him to keep his spirits high even if he gets knocked down. Castiel then appears as a beacon of hope for Jack as he explains that his powers will regenerate over time along with his grace. This was a surprise for me because I believed Jack’s grace had died along with Lucifer. His powers are a lot stronger than most creatures on the show so this could explain why they might return, but when previous characters have lost their grace, such as Castiel in season 9, it’s never been implied that the power would eventually regenerate.

Regardless, having Castiel give Jack this hope and heartening him, shows how close the two of them still are. Sam also attempts to talk to Jack about his feelings but is cut short by his responsibilities elsewhere. However, the multiple scenes suggest that Jack continues to be accepted and treated as one of the family. I feel Mary is used so well in this episode to keep Sam strong and evoke hope, which Sam then passes onto Castiel and onto Jack. The connections between these characters are tight and intertwined which is really sweet to watch.

Michael’s plan revealed (or at least part of it)

The climax of the episode reveals that Michael has found his species worth saving in the form of a vampire. Will Michael exploit these creatures for his own personal army, potentially making the human race extinct? Maybe Michael believes the monsters are superior to humans and angels. It would be interesting to see the archangel work with a creature that is not usually used massively on the show. Michael might also branch out and work with other monsters like werewolves or shapeshifters. I’ve personally always enjoyed the monsters on Supernatural and I think it’s about time they are given the limelight.

With Sam no closer to finding Dean, I guess we will have to wait until next week to find out more of Michael’s plan.

What did you think of “Stranger in a Strange Land”? Let us know in the comments!