"Supernatural" 7.01 Recap: Meet the New Boss

Last season on Supernatural, angel Castiel in his bid to win the war against fellow angel Raphael, joined hands with Crowley, the keeper of Purgatory. He managed to suck all the souls into himself, making him all-powerful. Unfortunately, Castiel also destroyed the wall Death had built in Sam’s head to protect his mind from the tortures and memories of his time in Hell... and those two seasons on The Gilmore Girls.

But the unpleasant memories were too strong and Sam started freaking. Meanwhile, Castiel banished Crowley, killed Rapha and proclaimed Himself the New God.

So he's kinda full of himself these days....

The New Boss

Season 7 kicks off with a revisit to that old warehouse where the Winchester brothers, Bobby Singer, Castiel and his inflated Godly ego left us last year. Castiel, knowing they aren’t a threat anymore (and there wouldn't be much of a show without them), lets his "favorite pets" live.

After warning Sam and Dean to lay low, he goes on a very ironic One-Man Crusade through America's bible belt. This episode gave us one of the best descriptions of "God" ever: "No beard, no robe. He was young and Sexy. He had a raincoat."

Okay, Castiel is turning into my favorite God as we speak.

Finally, he managed to massacre the entire campaign staff of a Republican Senator by the name of Michelle Bachmann Walker. Which - literally - was probably overkill.

Something's wrong with Castiel, he blacked out and doesn't remember this murder spree at all. (More on that later.)

Somewhere in between killing Priests and Republican senators, Castiel also manages to track down Crowley.  He proposes a deal reinstating Crowley as the keeper of Purgatory, but keeping the souls for himself.

I like the dazzling Mark Sheppard in general, but his first appearance this season, rocking a just-out-of-bed look, drinking Scotch and listening to Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Boots are Made for Walking’ (my Kryptonite), blew me away. I love the interactions between Crowley and Cas. The way Crowley treats Castiel, like an ill-mannered bully would treat his gentle Giant victim. But the dynamics have now changed; Giant is no longer gentle and bully is scared.

"You like to bend them right over. Don’t you?"

Hallucinations and Death

Back at the headquarters (read Bobby’s house), the Winchester brothers have their own set of problems. Sam tried to keep his head together, in the aftermath of the Wall collapse, but now he lapsing into episodes of torture between momentary periods of sanity. Dean doesn't notice at first. He's preoccupied with fixing his Impala, drinking beer and watching Asian cartoon porn, i.e. being the usual Dean.

After news reports of all the Acts of Castiel God all over the "world" (read U.S.), the hunters finally decide to call on Death, to kill God. A quick question to drunk Crowley, "You really want Cas running the universe?" is enough to persuade him to give up the spell to bind Death.

Armed with Crowley’s spell, the brothers go in search of Fulgurite, an ingredient essential for the spell, a.k.a. Crystallized Act of God (it’s lightning striking the sand at a right angle, which melts the sand causing it to harden into glass crystal), the same thing that Josh Lucas gave Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama.

"Act of God, Crystallized forever"

Turns out once you have the melted sand thingy, invoking Death is pretty easy. A few strange markings and incantations, and voila! Death is bound.

"Death is our bitch"

Apparently, Death is a grumpy old man who loves fried pickle chips. He tells them that in addition to all those souls, Castiel has managed to gulp down some Leviathans, the fearsome beasts of Purgatory, older than Angels themselves.

Well, that's one way to get your fiber.

Death basically tells the Winchesters to screw themselves, but he does warn them that their only hope lies in convincing Cas to return everything back to Purgatory. Lets hope he hasn't cut the tags and still has the original receipt.