Part one: Summary
When the boys get new information about the colt the seek out a demon named Crowley and plan to sneak in and steal it back only to find that Crowley is handing the colt over without a fuss. The Winchesters, along with Jo, Ellen, Bobby and Cas prepare to take the fight to Lucifer with their now equipped kill-all weapon. Carthage ends up being a trap that costs the lives of Jo and Ellen for naught because Lucifer is colt-proof and Cas gets the boys out just in time for Lucifer to raise Death. Back at Bobby’s the brothers silently mourn for their lost friends and their lost hope.
Part two: Review
“Abandon All Hope…” is a very emotionally charged episode that wouldn't have been as successful without the talents of the Supernatural cast. Many of the scenes are punctuated by silent worried faces all around that speak louder than any words and actions that make those words mean a lot more.
First and foremost, “Abandon All Hope…” is the first appearance of the beautiful Mark Sheppard as the equally beautiful Crowley. The audience first sees Crowley making out with a reluctant, old, white banker to make a deal as king of the crossroads, grabbing the viewers’ attention from the get go. Mark shapes his role with his snarky british wit, creating another layer to the entertaining conundrum that is Crowley. The moment that made me fall in love with Crowley is when he willingly gave the colt to the skittish brothers and Sam pulled the trigger on him to witch Crowley’s only reaction is to apologize for the missing bullets and goes to fetch them. He only appears in the first part of the episode, being a minor role in the plot but he garners enough intrigue for future episodes, giving both Mark Sheppard and Crowley a longer life on the show.
On the topic of Marks, Pellegrino’s portrayal of Lucifer successfully balances creepy psychopath with a sympathetic character that makes me want to wear a shirt that says “I love Lucy” while questioning my sanity. On one hand, Lucifer is empathizing with Cas and Sam about their disturbingly similar situations and on the other, he's bathing in the blood of innocents. One of the disturbing (and thus excellently done by Mark) scenes is when Sam asks where the rest of the townspeople went and Lucy guiltily gestures towards the pit and says, “I know, its awful but horsemen are so demanding.” The viewer can never quite get a reading on Lucifer’s character because he can go from a completely logical pawn of situation to a heartless creator who kills his own and says they're “just demons.” Satan may have multiple faces when it comes to meat suits but Mark Pellegrino created the Lucy we all know and love.
Now, the most notable performances of the episode go easily to Ellen and Jo. After a run in with some nasty hellhounds, Jo is mortally wounded and faces the reality of her death when the others try to deny it. Alona Tal does a beautiful job of portraying Jo’s fear without compromising her strength. Her voice is strong when she tells the Winchesters and her mother that they have to prioritize the mission but her eyes are those of a scared little girl who doesn't want to die. Samantha Ferris perfectly encapsulates a mother’s despair when Ellen realizes that she’s going to lose her baby girl. Jo’s voice cracks when she sees her mother’s tears and tells her that this, “is the last chance to treat me like an adult.” After setting up the trap for the hellhounds, Jo tells the others to go and the wordless conversation that Alona and Samantha have is more heartbreaking than anything that could've been said. The brothers get a head start as Ellen pulls her daughter against her shoulder. Jo is getting weaker and tears of pain leak from her eyes when he mother says, “I will always love you baby.” Samantha Ferris’s acting shines when Ellen realizes that Jo is gone before the hellhounds surround them. As she feels a hellhound’s breath against her face she composes herself long enough to spit out, “Go straight back to hell you ugly bitch,” before setting off the bomb.
Though the rest of the actors did a good job on this episode, they were definitely outshone by the aforementioned amazing performances. Most notable is Dean’s last goodbye to Jo. In previous episodes, Dean and Jo always had something more than friendship going on but they always danced around the issue instead of confronting it. This relationship is reemphasized near the beginning of the episode when a p.o.v. shot shows Dean staring at her butt before asking her if she would perhaps be interested in a “last night on earth” fling to which he is denied but when mortality is much more real, Dean reacts differently. He jokes around with his words as usual, saying, “see you on the other side,” but his actions speak more truly to his feelings. He kisses her forehead first, saying that he cares about her beyond any romantic feelings he had and then he kisses her mouth, saying he’s sorry and he wishes things could've been different. Jensen has had scenes in the past where his eyes speak differently than his words and this scene is definitely one where his acting has been excellent in portraying that. Though he was outshone in this particular episode, that aspect of his character portrayal shouldn't be overlooked.
Part three: Questions, problems, concerns
My only problem with the episode is the last scene when Bobby throws the picture they all took near the beginning of the episode into the fire and watches it burn. I feel like, typically, if someone loses loved ones, that last picture is a treasured reminder of those they lost. Especially in Jo and Ellen’s case because they died heroically, and the picture would remind all of them of their courage. Maybe I’m not getting something here but I feel like that scene was tossed in thoughtlessly.
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