Supernatural review: Jack’s condition is revealed and is proved critical

The gang unites to try and save Jack from his mysterious illness. Meanwhile, a separate sub-plot may reveal something even more sinister is afoot.

Last night’s episode of Supernatural titled “Unhuman Nature” did not feel like only 40 minutes long. The story was jam-packed with narrative and different storylines, and had heaps of emotion from all of the characters. We got to see that Rowena still has a passionate hatred towards anything to do with Lucifer, we got to see Sam, Dean and Castiel being protective over Jack, and that Dean may potentially be going through some issues of his own. Also, with the return of Nick, we are given a bigger insight into his twisted mind and his connection with Lucifer, which might be leading to something even more menacing.

After Jack collapsed in the last episode, the boys try everything to find out what is wrong with him. Castiel can’t heal him, and the hospital doesn’t understand what is causing his sickness. Eventually Rowena, after some persuasion, discovers Jack’s body is deteriorating because he no longer has his grace and his cells are “gobbling each other up” because they are in chaos. Jack, in a critical condition, decides to leave the bunker with Dean and experience as much as he can before he dies. Jack has some beautiful lines in this episode about being special, and spending time with the people you love. Dean becomes the main surrogate father when he lets Jack drive his car, and shows him how to fish. As well as the dialogue, there are some amazing shots of the Impala, and the river where the boys fish, as well as including loads of other locations that make the episode feel dense and rich.

The episode cuts around seamlessly and includes so much story in a short amount of time whilst still maintaining that connection between the viewer and the characters. During Jack and Dean’s road trip, Castiel visits a Shaman for a cure. When Jack grows even weaker after the Shaman’s spell, Castiel is angry and threatens the Shaman for giving him an experimental incantation. This shows how desperate and reckless Castiel has become since Jack fell ill, indicating the big impact Jack has left on the boys. The Shaman’s archetypal vague spiritual character was very interesting and I hope he returns to the show in the future.

Castiel and Sam have a heart-breaking conversation in this episode where they refer to Jack as their son, which was sweet. All three boys are shown to be agitated when they see Jack in pain. They become impatient at the hospital, and restless as they wait to find out Jack’s diagnosis, and I think it perfectly shows how difficult the boys cope with not being completely in control, as well as how strong their connection is with Jack. Sam explains they have lost people before, but Jack feels completely different because their connection is more intense. The episode concludes with the gang realizing that there is nothing more they can do for Jack as he is reaching his final moments. Despite wanting Jack to pass away in peace, the boys are likely to continue frantically searching for a way to save him in the next episode.

On top of all this happening, Dean is clearly experiencing something unusual inside of his own head. There are two instances in the episode where Dean finds his vision blurring as he phases out of concentration. As there are more important things happening in the group at the moment as everyone is focusing on Jack’s recovery, Dean chooses to ignore these strange occurrences and keeps it a secret from Sam and Castiel. The instances of losing focus will most probably have something to do with the Archangel Michael. It was definitely an intriguing hint of what is to come in the season.

As well as the incredible return of Rowena who everybody loves, the episode suggests another previously deceased character might be resurrected. Nick’s storyline in this episode, which develops completely independently from the rest of the action, was chilling and in-depth. After Nick, the previous vessel to Lucifer, sets out to find the person responsible for killing his wife and baby, he commits horrific and gory murders on pretty much anyone involved in the incident. There is also one amazing scene where Nick approaches a woman with the intention of killing her, but resists the temptation. Here, we see the internal battle Nick is going through. Nick has clearly been impacted by Lucifer’s possession of him, and feels good after killing. However, he also tries to fight the desire for blood and cries after murdering the man who was possessed by a demon the night it killed his family.

He obviously feels remorse and guilt for his crimes, but doesn’t feel he can resist the urge to kill. In a deep pit of despair, Nick ends up praying to Lucifer, wishing for the Archangel to possess him again and take away all his sorrow and human feelings. This leads to Lucifer awakening in the afterlife. This means the devil might return to the show, but he needs to escape from The Empty first and possess Nick once again.

What do you think about Lucifer being resurrected? Let us know in the comments!