Supernatural theory: Was Nick the man who murdered his family?

Supernatural season 14 isn’t only focusing on the newest angelic threat to the show, archangel Michael, as Lucifer’s human vessel shows some dark motives too.

Previously a human vessel to the most terrifying big bad, Nick recently made a return to the show in the season 14 premiere after Lucifer was finally murdered by Michael last season. It was a massive surprise that Nick was even still alive, having been possessed and controlled by Lucifer for about nine years, but I don’t think anything could have prepared us for what came next.

One sub-plot during this week’s episode followed Nick as he realized that the reason he agreed to be taken over by Lucifer all those years ago was because the devil used Nick’s pain and grief for his wife and child, who were brutally murdered in their home. Nick discovers that the police case investigating his family’s death was never solved and becomes agitated, potentially wanting to focus on something real that happened in his own life rather than all the things Lucifer did while controlling his body.

Castiel begins to notice, through Nick’s anger and irritation, that Nick still shares some mannerisms and traits with Lucifer, implying that Nick’s possession had caused a more psychological impact than they first predicted. The dark morals and corrupted attitude appears to still be hidden deep down inside Nick, but did they originate from Lucifer or from Nick himself?

In a shocking twist, Nick confronts a witness to the break-in at his home. Nick becomes more furious as he questions him, the witness swearing that he doesn’t know who killed his family. In the heat of the moment, or out of passion for his lost wife and child, Nick ends up murdering the witness using the believed same weapon that the criminal used to slaughter his family: a hammer.

Now, we didn’t actually see the scene where Nick kills this man, only the very bloody aftermath of the body, weapon and Nick’s stained clothes as he coolly leaves the scene, therefore maybe it wasn’t Nick after all. Maybe it was Lucifer, still a small part of him inside Nick, influencing his decisions. Even if Lucifer is definitely dead and there is no physical part of his spirit left in Nick, maybe living as him for so long swayed Nick’s own personality and, as a result, blood and slaughter don’t affect him like it should.

Aside from the theory that the murder could have been caused by Lucifer himself, it could also be that the witness was the man who killed Nick’s family and Nick, figuring this out, gets his sweet revenge. Although still a dark idea, Nick getting his own bloody version of justice makes the situation appear as a much more justified killing, and makes Nick seem like not such a terrible character after all.

Although, one theory can be sparked from the weapon Nick used to kill the witness. A hammer was revealed to be used to kill Nick’s wife and child, so it is ironic that Nick also decides to be just as brutal with his murdering. That is unless he already used a hammer to kill someone else. Could Nick have murdered his own family?

This is the moment in the show when the viewer realizes that we don’t actually know much about Nick as a character. His body has been in the show for years, this is true, but who Nick was before Lucifer’s possession we have only assumed was an average man who just happened to have something awful happen to him. The episode where Lucifer first possesses Nick, back in season 5, showed Lucifer tempting Nick by offering him closure on his family’s death. Lucifer manipulates Nick by blaming God for allowing Nick’s wife and child to be killed, and promising that they will get revenge on God together. However, was Lucifer’s words the only reason Nick agreed to let him in?

Being a strong enough vessel to hold Lucifer makes you wonder whether Nick needed to have similar qualities to the angel possessing him. It could be that Nick was already a corrupted and violent human, which is why Lucifer chose him, being a perfect fit for the devil. Nick could have murdered his own family and, between his grief and emotional breakdown, chose to forget the awful event was caused by his own hands, turning to the rest of the world for vengeance.

It’s a valid theory as Nick has now killed another (potentially innocent) human in the last episode, and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to stop there. Maybe he will be a threat to Sam and Dean, or maybe it could reveal something crucial about Lucifer which may help in defeating Michael.

What do you think Nick’s real motives are? Do you think he is the criminal? Let us know in the comments!