'Supernatural' Season 15 Episode 14 Review: Secrets of Men of Letters bunker revealed in fun-filled episode
One-liners, brother-bonding, hunting with packed lunches, and a very merry Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and... you get the idea. Definitely veering toward the lighter tone of things, the episode also links to one that was aired a very long time ago, back in Season 3, titled 'A Very Supernatural Christmas', which showed how the boys' holidays, spent in poky little motels, have been a tad depressing, all their lives.
This is why this episode feels like a long overdue and delayed gratification of all their 'missed' holidays, with all the decorations, food, and fun. It all starts when things start breaking down in the 1950s bunker and Dean impulsively hits the 'Reset' button on the bunker's control panel.
This reset then releases the bunker's resident wood nymph, Mrs. Butters, who had put herself on stand-by mode after the Men of Letters did not return after saying they were going for a ritual. In the 'previously' segment, we are shown exactly which ritual she is talking about -- the one where Abaddon killed every last one of them.
Sam and Dean have to break it to her that her 'family', the Men of Letters, died a very long time ago and now it is just them. And oh, it's 2020. After a brief grief-stricken breakdown, Mrs. Butters shows the boys just what she can do. Turns out her magic allows the bunker to function at full capacity and activates all its bells and whistles like the monster radar (that alerts them to monster threats in the vicinity) and an interdimensional telescope that allows them to peer into the multiverse.
It is almost as if the show is trying to make up for how it has never really utilized the bunker space to its full potential. We have seen bits and bobs (like the telescope for instance) in the background so many times, but we have never explored these props because Sam and Dean never have, beyond what they have needed immediately.
For the first time, we see the bunker function to its full potential, after Mrs. Butters imparts her womanly, or should we say, nymphly-touch. A routine set in -- the monster radar blares, after which Mrs. Butters gives them the exact coordinates and what to expect. They go out to hunt with Mrs. Butters' wholesome packed lunches and return triumphantly after each assignment. The motherly wood nymph is their Miss Moneypenny and Q, all rolled into one.
Sam and Dean behave like giddy schoolboys and are so fun to watch as they delight in someone taking care of them for a change. There is also some brother bonding on these hunts as they discuss Jack's state of mind. Sam faintly judges Dean's terrible take on mental health and trauma -- like always.
After coming back from their first 'monster radar' hunt, they see Mrs. Butters has decked up the whole place with Christmas lights and a gigantic decorated tree after which Dean says, very decidedly, "we're keeping her." And so follows easy, uncomplicated hunting sprees (just like old times) interspersed with holiday celebrations, right from Fourth of July to Haloween to Thanksgiving and endless snacks.
It feels too good to be true and in true 'Supernatural' style, it is. The problem is Mrs. Butters's antipathy to Jack, who might be the son of Lucifer, but is also Sam, Dean, and Castiel's adopted son. Mrs. Butters, who narrows her eyes at him, saying 'What are you?" the first time she meets him, knows he is a "monster". (Foreshadowing anyone?) But she extends him a pass because Sam and Dean vouch for him.
But soon after, she thinks they are only being nice to him because he is so powerful and their nice act is to keep him restricted (and contained) to the bunker. So she weakens him with smoothies, to a point that she can push him over with one finger so that Sam and Dean can kill him.
Sam and Dean are aghast by this turn of events and Dean mutters, "you had to go Nurse Ratched on us". His mournful look at the last cheese sandwich he'll ever get from her is hilarious. When they try to trap her, she thinks Jack has 'infected' them and turns on them as well. All this confusion could have been solved if they just called on Castiel to make a quick drop by and use his angelic charm on her. But the boys do it the hard way, as usual.
They finally do get Mrs. Butters to see the error of her ways and pack her off to the woods where she came from by the end of the episode. But not before she has tortured poor Sammy, and nearly killed Jack. Her departure also means the bunker goes back to its 'stand by' mode, which makes us wonder if having a reformed Mrs. Butters could have been an ally like Rowena. Team Free Will ain't looking too strong and Jack even wonders aloud if he is ready. But as Dean tells him, he is their only hope to 'save the world'. Let the end times roll.
'Supernatural' Season 15 Episode 15 will air on Thursday, October 15, on The CW.
