Supernatural 'Meta Fiction' Review: All the players are coming together

Supernatural returned from its latest Season 9 hiatus with the episode entitled "Meta Fiction" to kick off its final run of episodes to the season finale. With all the major players involved, this was precisely the episode the show needed to set the table for the final stretch.

The nuts and bolts of the episode were nothing too drastic. Sam and Dean captured Gadreel, while Metatron captured Castiel. The latter capture was the more interesting of the two, as Metatron used the guise of the Trickster aka Gabriel (welcome back, Richard Speight Jr.!) to convince Castiel to assume the mantle of leader for the fallen angels.

In Metatron's twisted mind, though, he is the hero of this piece, while Castiel is the villain. His use of the typewriter was a fine callback to Chuck and his work during Seasons 4 and 5 as he composed the Winchester Gospels (though Metatron didn't seem too impressed with Chuck's work). It remains to be seen why exactly Metatron wanted his enemy to rally the troops, but it's clear the Winchesters and Castiel are dealing with a different kind of enemy here. He flat out states, "You can't beat me." No matter what you try, I'll always be a step ahead of you. The situation seems hopeless, but that's when the Winchesters pull a miracle out of you-know-where and save the day.

Castiel also knows about the Mark of Cain, which continued to affect Dean. The elder Winchester dealt with fits of rage as he beat the bejesus out of Gadreel and stared at himself in mirrors. Cass angrily (and somewhat scared, it seemed) asked Dean what he had done when he noticed the Mark of Cain on his arm, so it looks like the storylines are converging as we head to the finish line.

Notes From Dad's Journal:

-       "That was God's problem. He published the first draft." - Metatron

-       How exactly did Metatron know how to put out angel fire and wipe away angel proofing with mere gestures? I recall Sam saying something about his being powered up by the angel tablet, so is that it?

-       Cass now understands every movie, TV show and book reference the other characters could possibly make. This human/angel hybrid Castiel has been truly fascinating to watch, and this should only add another layer to that. We also started to understand some of the effects of his stealing another angel's grace, as Cass can't teleport and "misses his wings." At least, we assume the stolen grace is the reason for this, right?

-       The "Metatron" title logo was cool, but let's not feed this guy's ego any more than it needs to be fed.

-       Curtis Armstrong could have been a horrendous choice for Metatron as he could have been little more than a punchline, but he has infused the character with such malice and deliciously sinister intent that he has proven to be an excellent casting decision.

What did you think of tonight's episode? Let us know in the comments below.