With Abaddon out of the way, the focus on Supernatural turns to Metatron. He's got a zany vibe and though Curtis Armstrong is likeable in the role, he's no Alaina Huffman. His presence isn't commanding. That's part of the hook. From a glance at his appearance and manner, Metatron doesn't exude the “I'm in charge” attitude. He's underhanded and slimy.And I can't wrap my head around what level Metatron is playing on either. He's more powerful than Castiel but not as charged as Castiel was when he was god. He clearly needs an army and supporters to execute his plan – he can't go solo – and Dean seems to think they need the First Blade to kill him. Being the Scribe of God clearly gave him special abilities, but will he get god-like abilities when he goes back to heaven with his chosen angels?
Whatever Metatron wants, it's looking like he's well on his way to succeeding. He played Castiel like an instrument, and the Winchesters weren't much help. In fact, having the Winchesters on his side hindered Castiel in the end. Dean is a loose and particularly dangerous cannon right now, and his Gollum-like attachment to the First Blade isn't helping anyone.
Dean is often petulant and brooding, but he's rarely out and out violent. Not like this. While it's not a good side for him, it is interesting to see Jensen Ackles bring mean Dean to life. Frankly, any time a character acts different on this show (within reason) is refreshing. Plus, I'm relieved the First Blade-Mark of Cain combo is having such an effect on Dean. It should leave scars – physically and mentally – and they should take a while to recover from. Even when/if the Mark of Cain is removed.Between the lies and slashing Gadreel – woo, that was a heart-racing surprise – Dean can't be trusted. You have to wonder what Cas and Sam are going to do about it. If this were the past, they'd take Dean to Bobby's basement and lock him up until they figured out how to fix him. But, they're embroiled in the fight with Metatron. It's an intriguing hurdle they'll have to overcome in the season finale next week, and it does need to be addressed.
Speaking of Gadreel, I'm relieved he's not gone. Tahmoh Penikett is doing a solid job with the role and with more time, maybe he could become a sidekick of sorts to Castiel. It could happen.
He'd have a hard time ever outshining Misha Collins though. Man, it's such great news that he'll be back as a series regular next season. With his new understanding of pop culture, he's funnier than ever. Who else could pull off a line like “Prime numbers can be intimidating?” Almost no one. Collins nails the delivery on his more lighthearted lines, but he also conveys pain really well. Watching his face while Metatron made an offer to his army yanked on my emotions, as did knowing how much Castiel was hurt by the suicide angels (that was not a delicate topic to handle, by the way, but they pulled it off extremely well).
Cas just keeps getting screwed, doesn't he? As much as a happy ending would be nice for the Winchesters after all these years, Castiel deserves one, too. He's so likeable. Even in his darkest moments, you can't help but root for him, and I worry that after being kicked down so much that he'll eventually give up.
Hopefully that won't happen until after Metatron has been defeated. They'll have to pull off something miraculous at this point. The Winchesters don't have a problem with pulling solutions out of their sleeves, but Metatron has been built up so much that he seems unstoppable. He shouldn't be conquered with a convenient plot twist.
Or, maybe they won't rush and cram the big boss fight into the last episode. I'd rather have a cliffhanger and see the Metatron arc played out properly than have it tied up with a big bow next week.
One final note, it was a delight to see Lindsey McKeon back as Tessa. Of course, she ended up dead, but it's surprising she's lasted this long on Supernatural.