By Emily Cole

Staff Writer

The son of Lucifer, murderous angels, and an apocalyptic alternate universe may sound like, well, the end of the world. But for Sam and Dean Winchester, this is just another day on the job.

Supernatural aired its season 13 premiere on October 12 on the CW, and over 2 million people watched it. The show stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as Sam and Dean Winchester respectively – two brothers who drive across the country in a 1967 Chevy Impala fighting monsters and saving lives.

When the show began the premise was simple: find their father and avenge their mother’s death. In the thirteen years since the pilot, the Winchesters have made friends such as Castiel the angel (Misha Collins,) lost friends such as Charlie Bradbury a nerdy hacker (Felicia Day,) and have fought Heaven, Hell, and everything in between.

The season 13 premiere, entitled “Lost and Found,” picked up right where the season 12 finale left off. The finale left viewers with a number of cliffhangers. The first was the death of friends and ally Castiel. Cas was one of four recurring characters to die in the finale, but as a fan favorite and with the information Collins would be returning in season 13, viewers were anxious to see what was next for Castiel. Unfortunately for Castiel fans, he remained deceased for the entire episode, but this made the episode even better.

Much of the episode was devoted to Dean processing the loss of his best friend. Ackles’ portrayal of grief was raw and emotional, which was particularly powerful as Dean is usually reserved and holds his emotions in.

The most compelling moment in the episode was a solo scene of Dean praying to God, a character actually previously introduced in the show named Chuck. In a rare moment, Dean prayed for Cas’s resurrection and spoke on the loss and sacrifice he had endured. After months of hiatus and several less than outstanding seasons, this scene reminded viewers of the character and show they fell in love with. The scene was powerful and made the episode a great standout chapter of the Winchester’s story.

The plot of the episode was centered on Jack (Alexander Calvert,) the son of human Kelly Kline and angel Lucifer. Though just born in the finale, he is already a teenager, and the episode showed Jack’s first experiences on Earth. Based on the season 12 finale, Jack was expected to be cold and possibly evil. But after some time seeing Jack and his personality, it is clear he is just a confused, sometimes even goofy teenager.

The episode focused on Jack discovering Earth and his powers and played on the theme of good vs. evil, which will most likely be Jack’s main storyline throughout the season. Calvert brings a sense of naivety and adolescence to the all powerful character that makes him almost relatable and only time will tell which side this character will be on.

The final component introduced in the finale was an apocalyptic alternate universe where Lucifer (Mark Pelligrino) himself as well as the resurrected mother of the Winchesters, Mary (Samantha Smith,) have been trapped. Though Sam and Dean are convinced Mary was immediately killed, it is revealed Lucifer has kept her alive for reasons unknown.

They only appeared in the final moments of the episode so it is difficult to review the performance, but they will be prominently featured in the remainder of the season. “Apocalypse World” leaves many opportunities for both new characters as well as characters who have previously died in the regular Supernatural universe. While fans are excited for their favorite characters to reunite with deceased favorite characters, it is also possible for the writers to create gratuitous cameos rather than substantial, logical plots, simply to pander to fans. It will be interesting to see how the writers work this into the plot of the season given the range of storylines it provides.

Between Jack’s compelling plot, Dean’s moving speeches, and Mary’s safety left on yet another cliffhanger, “Lost and Found” delivered everything a successful premiere should. It answered just enough questions to satisfy the audience while introducing many more to keep them intrigued on what the rest of the season has in store. While some may feel Supernatural should have ended many seasons ago, this episode is proof that 13 is anything but unlucky.