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Supernatural, Ep. 9.17, “Mother’s Little Helper” reveals more about Abaddon

Supernatural, Ep. 9.17, “Mother’s Little Helper” reveals more about Abaddon
Alaina Huffman

Alaina Huffman

Supernatural, Season 9, Episode 17: “Mother’s Little Helper”
Written by Adam Glass
Directed by Misha Collins
Airs Tuesdays at 9pm (ET) on The CW

The pairing of Dean’s Mark of Cain with the First Blade in last week’s episode of Supernatural resulted in some unexpected side effects for the elder Winchester. The clear rush of power that Dean experienced from holding the Blade was likely to leave him shaky, particularly as Crowley took the Blade himself after the fight with Magnus. This week’s episode sees Dean try to cope with this effect while hunting for Abaddon, in an entertaining episode that fills in the history between the Knight of Hell and the Men of Letters.

Abaddon’s decision to mine souls to create a loyal army of demons is a fascinating idea, and in line with her general nature of taking what she wants by force. More than most, Abaddon is aware of the fickle nature of most of the current demons, many of whom easily betrayed Crowley to follow her. However, if she is successful in building an army of loyal demons, that is likely to tip the scales in her favour enough to cause the remaining demons to defect as well. With Crowley clearly demonstrating he has a plan in mind with regards to Dean, it will be interesting to see how he reacts to this new information about Abaddon’s plans. An army of loyal demons is bound to be a tough obstacle, even for Crowley, and his countermeasures may mean accelerating his plan to kill Abaddon. It will also be intriguing to see whom Abaddon goes after once she has her army. With Dean now in possession of the Mark of Cain, as well as easy access to the First Blade, Abaddon has two threats to be concerned about. If she targets Dean, there’s a good chance Crowley may permanently usurp her in Hell. On the other hand, if she were to target Crowley, there’s a possibility that she would be left vulnerable to an attack by the Winchesters. What course of action she takes, and how the Winchesters and Crowley react, will be worth looking out for.

Jared Padalecki

Jared Padalecki

Sam crossing paths with Julia Wilkinson is also an intriguing aspect of this episode. While the show has previously brought back survivors of supernatural encounters, they have mostly been individuals the Winchesters have personally saved. However, considering the number of Hunters and the large amount of supernatural phenomena that occur, the possibility of encountering people familiar with such things becomes increasingly likely, particularly with the increased presence of both Angels and Demons on earth. Watching how survivors of such encounters cope with the knowledge has always been an interesting avenue for the show to explore, and this week is no different. With the brothers’ revival of the Men of Letters gaining more exposure through the course of the show, it will be interesting to see how others react. It’s very likely that survivors of supernatural encounters would be unwilling to talk to government agents, as the brothers have been posing. However, having the brothers publicise their membership in the Men of Letters, a group with a reputation for dealing with such phenomena, might make others more forthcoming. Even if the survivors have not encountered the Men of Letters like Julia Wilkinson did, continued use of that cover by the Winchesters may help spread the word that they are people who can be contacted with regards to Demons, Angels, or other entities. It will be worth watching to see if the Winchesters decide to go down this route, and how other Hunters react to this if they do.

Overall, this is a compelling episode. The glimpse into the methods of the Men of Letters prior to their massacre is a highlight of the episode, and watching how they work in comparison to how the Winchesters work provides a unique insight. Watching Dean handle his addiction to the First Blade and the power that comes with it is also a fascinating aspect to the episode. With Dean and Sam’s roles effectively reversed at this point, punctuated by Sam driving the Impala alone, the two are in a unique position to empathise with each other, and how their actions differ by walking a mile in the others’ shoes promises to be fascinating. The interactions between Crowley and Dean continue to be fun to watch, and it’s particularly compelling to see Crowley read Dean’s mindset with ease this week. Seeing how Abaddon infiltrated the Men of Letters also provides an intriguing insight into how the Knight of Hell works, and adds another layer of tragedy to the massacre, as one of their members was lost before any of them knew it. It’s somewhat odd, however, that the show has not revisited how the Angels are faring in the midst of this situation, as it’s understandable that Metatron would be nervous about both the Winchesters and Castiel being out of his control, and might take further steps to mitigate the situation. How Dean handles his issues with the Mark of Cain, as well as what Crowley and Abaddon do next, will be worth tuning in for as the season continues.

– Deepayan Sengupta

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