How are we gonna Houdini out of this one?

Supernatural – Jus In Bello
Sam and Dean are double-crossed by Bela, who has them arrested, but when Agent Henriksen arrives to take them into custody he discovers they’ve been surrounded by demons intent on killing everyone.

Just another fantastic episode of Supernatural, and a great taste of what's to come as we go into the break. The boys track down Bela, but arrive at her hotel room to find that she has eluded them yet again. She phones them, and when Dean says he believes she will sell the stolen Colt, Bela replies, “You don’t know me at all.” There have been some subtle hints that Bela isn’t 100% bad girl, but so far all her actions have been at odds with that notion. I am not a fan of the character, but I am interested to see how she will develop. Personally I hope she doesn’t come around to the boys’ side. She is an unsentimental, unscrupulous foil to the Winchester boys … and yet they are inexplicably attracted to her (and I don’t just mean physically).

Bela sics FBI Agent Henricksen (the beleaguered agent from “Night Shifter”) on the boys, and they are arrested. When he takes them to the prison in whatever small town they happen to be in, he explains to the sheriff and his men that Sam and Dean are grave-desecrating, Satan-worshiping killers. We always see the relieved reactions of those people Sam and Dean save, but we rarely see the POV of those individuals who can't see the big picture and believe that the Winchesters are monsters.

The FBI deputy director arrives to escort the boys to a maximum-security prison, but it turns out that he’s possessed and he shoots Dean in the shoulder. Sam exorcises the demon and the man’s body collapses, dead. Henricksen’s partner discovers that all the policemen who were outside are dead, then is killed himself. Henricksen takes control of the station, thinking that Sam and Dean are plotting an elaborate escape plan.

Sam coerces frightened secretary Nancy into giving him a towel for Dean’s shoulder, but when she approaches the bars of the cell he attacks her. She manages to escape, and the whole thing is totally confusing for a moment until we realize that he stolen her crucifix. The boys discuss how strange it is that the demons are suddenly coming right for them, as they’ve never done so before. “You think its cause we’re so awesome?”

The sheriff comes to let the boys out so everyone can make a run for it, but Henricksen shoots him point-blank in the head. Holy shit! Turns out Henricksen is possessed, but he doesn’t die when Sam exorcises the demon. I totally did not see that coming. It’s a nice twist, though, because now Henricksen is a believer. “Demons are real. So are ghosts, vampires, werewolves, changelings, and evil clowns who eat people.”



Dean ventures outside to get some weapons from the Impala, and sees a huge cloud of black smoke (read: demon energy) swirling above them. Inside, the gang paints symbols on the floors and lines the doors and windows with salt, creating a stronghold the demons cannot penetrate. Dean and Henricksen bond as they discover they have a lot in common, and at this point I’m thinking that if Henricksen survives he could make a powerful ally for the boys.

Ruby arrives and the boys let her into the building. She tells them that the “new rising power” mentioned in the last episode is named Lilith (as a religious studies major I take some issue with this, but whatever), and that Lilith has sent the army of demons to kill Sam. Dean is furious that Sam has kept the knowledge about Lilith to himself, adding a nice layer of strife. The boys have been getting along so well lately that this is rather refreshing. The relationship between the brothers is always more interesting when there is a level of discontent brewing just below the surface.

Ruby offers to cast a spell that will destroy all demons within a one-mile radius – including herself. She needs the heart of a virtuous person, and the meek secretary is just the ticket. The secretary actually agrees to this, wanting to save everyone, and Sam is down with the plan as well. Dean, however, is flabbergasted and tells Sam there is no way they are going to kill the poor girl. “Stop! Nobody kill any virgins!”



They decide to let the demons in, and fight. As they break the salt barriers there is lots of shouting and shooting. Meanwhile, in another twist I didn’t see coming, the secretary and deputy are hiding on the roof. Once all the demons are inside, they re-salt the doors and windows – although one demon manages to escape while they are doing so. Inside, Henricksen broadcasts a tape of Sam reciting the exorcism ritual through the PA system, and since the demons cannot escape they are all destroyed. As the boys leave, Henricksen says that he will tell everyone they were killed.

Later, a cute little girl shows up asking about Sam and Dean. When the secretary asks her name, the little girl says, “Lilith” and her eyes turn white. White, not black. This must be important.

Back at the hotel, Ruby shows up and turns on the news. The police station has been blown to bits, and everyone inside – that means Henricksen, damn it! – is dead, including “two fugitives.” Ruby gives the boys protective amulets and rails on them for not letting her cast the spell. “Don’t you know how to fight a war? You leave no survivors, so then no one can run to the boss.”