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The Winchesters’ risky business just got riskier.

The episode lifts off at the hospital, where a depressed Bobby is faced with the very real possibility of not being able to walk again. Sam and Dean discuss ways to cheer him up before being interrupted by a phone call from Castiel. Sam and Dean are now shielded from the view of all angels – even Castiel – meaning he has to go to human lengths to get a hold of the brothers. Bobby demands Castiel heal him, but since Castiel has fallen, he no longer has the ability. The angel does come with one tidbit though – he wants to find God to stop Lucifer.

Dean makes his longstanding qualms with the divine known, at which point Castiel reminds him the high price he has already paid for putting his faith in the Winchesters. Castiel then makes an odd request. He’s looking for a powerful amulet – one which burns hot in God’s presence. Bobby doesn’t have anything like that – but Dean unwittingly wears it around his neck. It seems the mysterious trinket Dean received from Sam as a child serves such a purpose. After Dean reluctantly parts with it, Castiel is on his way. Not long after,
Bobby receives a call from his old hunting buddy Rufus – who is pinned down by demons in a small town in Colorado.

Sam and Dean arrive in Colorado to find the bridge into town is down. Treading in, the Winchesters find the town a post-apocalyptic nightmare. The streets are abandoned and filled with toppled cars. Power lines are cut, and spilled blood is mingled with broken glass. Someone aims a gun at the Winchesters from behind, and the two brothers turn around to see it’s none other than hunter Ellen Harville. After confirming the boys aren’t demons – and berating Dean for not calling her in ages – Ellen takes the Winchesters back to a makeshift sanctuary, where she has gathered the town’s survivors.

The brothers discover demons have completely overrun the town. It started when Rufus arrived in town investigating several omens. Soon, Ellen became involved, hunting with her previously-estranged daughter
Jo. Though separated from Rufus and Jo, Ellen has gathered what survivors she could. Frequent demon attacks have greatly reduced their numbers.

Sam suggests arming the survivors – whose numbers include a priest, a businessman and a veteran – to stand a better chance. On the streets, Sam and Dean split up. Sam finds salt in a grocery store, but is seemingly attacked by two demons. Sam easily dispatches the two, but not before noticing the blood on his knife which so easily fed his powers previously. Fortunately, Dean finds him soon after, and they return to the sanctuary to begin training the survivors. Noting the ease in which Dean handles his weapons, the war veteran asks where Dean served. “Hell,” Dean replies. “Seriously. Hell.”

Sam wistfully tells Dean he wishes he could save more people – though Dean is quick to note Sam drank demon blood in order to procure such power. When Ellen insists on searching for Jo, Dean shows reluctance
in letting Sam help. Sam violently accuses Dean of holding his demon blood addiction against him, causing a scene which Ellen and the other survivors are quick to note.

On the streets, Sam brushes off Ellen’s questions about the growing rift between him and Dean. They notice a chimney smoking in the distance and find a house guarded by demons – strange considering demons don’t actually get cold. Before they can investigate, Sam and Ellen are attacked by a possessed Rufus and Jo. But even more curious, the black-eyed Jo tells Ellen to “get out of her, you black-eyed bitch.” Ellen escapes, but Sam is quickly overpowered.

Waking up surrounded by demons, Sam is surprised when Rufus and Jo attempt to exorcise him. He also sees the businessman standing outside the door, twirling the ring on his finger. Meanwhile, Ellen returns to the sanctuary alone. Between Jo’s words and the chimney smoke, something isn’t adding up. Dean asks what omen Rufus was investigating, and learns it’s all connected to a shooting star and a polluted river. Putting the pieces together, Dean realizes its all in the Book of Revelations.

There were never any demons in Colorado – just the Horseman War.

The business man – revealed to be War himself – talks to Sam, goading him about his so-called righteousness, when really Sam just craves more and more power despite his good intentions. War then pretends to be imperiled, as Jo and Rufus come to his aid – and beat Sam unconscious. War then returns to Ellen’s sanctuary, where he urges the survivors to wipe out the demons once and for all – but Dean and Ellen
are onto him. With a twist of his ring, War causes the other survivors to see Dean and Ellen as demons. The two escape in a fury of gunfire, while both groups of survivors prepare to mount an all-out offensive.

Rufus plants makeshift mines at the house, hoping to slow down any demons by blowing off their limbs, though Jo is quick to remind him she believes her mother is possessed by those same demons. Rufus reassures Jo he’ll do everything possible to make sure her mother is okay. “Unless she comes through that window.” Jo retorts. A couple minutes later, something does come through the window. When the two hunters go to investigate, they are attacked by Ellen and Dean. Ellen is able to convince Jo the truth, while Dean is able to do the same with Rufus (though he requires considerable more hitting.) Dean frees Sam, but just as all the hunters are the same page – the attack begins.

Rufus tries to order the survivors under his command to stand down, but not before the priest is wounded. Ellen helps the priest, only to be attacked by the war veteran – who holds her at knife point. Sam and Dean intercept War, who smugly explains they can’t kill him with a simple knife. But the Winchesters have something else in mind – slicing off his finger to stop the chaos. His fingers severed, War disappears.

In the aftermath of the violence, Sam tells Dean he is right not to trust him. Not only are the urges for demon blood still present, but Sam finally realizes masking his ambition for power with good intentions has only made things worst. He suggests he step away from hunting. Dean quietly agrees – and the two brothers part ways.

Well, I didn’t see that coming. The Winchesters have gone their separate ways before but – Dean’s death notwithstanding – their separation has always been contained within a short amount of time. This move hints at a more prolonged separation, which will probably last at least an episode – not including the time between this episode and the next.

Overall, this episode reminded me most of Season 2’s “Croatoan”, in which a town really was infested with demons. The twist here is that there are no demons. War’s involvement is limited to destroying a bridge here and there and painting black eyes on a few people – a terrifying portrait of human fear and hatred. In truth, War is both wrong and right. When Rufus duck-tapes pipe bombs to the door, he shows he condones a little collateral damage – but at the same time he seems to want to sincerely help Ellen, presenting the conflicting and often contradictory view of humanity I’ve come to love from “Supernatural.”

Fans of the Harvilles will not be disappointed. Ellen in particular shines in this episode, especially in the way she motivates Dean to take charge and figure out War’s identity with spunky self-reliance. Though her role is much smaller, Jo’s pointed rebuke to Rufus shows more caring maturity that was absent in the character’s youthful rebelliousness in previous seasons.

Overall, “Supernatural” continues to walk a tight rope this season – both with Castiel’s determination to find God and Sam and Dean splitting up so early in the game. But “Supernatural” is walking the tight rope masterfully. “Good God Y’All” is an enjoyable, fast-paced episode, enhanced with the inclusion of characters ranging from Ellen and Jo to Rufus and War – who hopefully we’ll see more of in the future.

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