Supernatural – Rock Never Dies

By: Stacy Miller

As the episode opens, two guys are performing a ritual to summon Lucifer (Rick Springfield). They are using Satan Feather, a fossilized rock that contains a feather from Lucifer’s wings that was found in his crypt helps to bring Lucifer there. The Dark Lord repairs his decaying Vince Vincente vessel and after killing one of the guys questions the other about whether he is a typical example of Lucifer’s followers on Earth. The guy responds by telling him that “You can’t be Lucifer, you’re Vince Vincente. My mom loves you. You’re kind of famous.” Bad response as Lucifer kills the guy and repeats “kind of famous.” Yes, the dead guy was totally wrong…he’s Lucifer and he’s VERY famous!

Meanwhile at The Men of Letters bunker, Dean (Jensen Ackles) is playing a word game with Mary (Samantha Smith) via cellphone. It’s cute that their online names are 67impala327 and mothermary1983. Sam (Jared Padalecki) enters the room. He’s been doing research on the British Men of Letters and searching for cases while Dean is playing a game that went out of style five years ago. “I don’t quite think mom is ready for Snapchat,” Dean says. Sam doesn’t think it’s a fair fight because as of a month ago Mary didn’t even know how to work a cellphone. But Mama Winchester proves him wrong, scoring 98 Mega Word points and winning. Sam and Dean’s conversation is interrupted when Dean gets a call from Castiel (Misha Collins). Dean wonders if Castiel and Crowley (Mark Sheppard) still living out their 80’s buddy-cop comedy. Castiel tells Dean to check the news. Vince Vincente is giving a news conference in which he announces that his old band Ladyheart is reuniting. Crowley takes the phone and tells Dean that even though Vincente’s vessel should have been burned out due to Rowena’s spell it isn’t and an aging rock band like Ladyheart getting back together after twenty-six years doesn’t seem like a natural event. It’s obvious that Lucifer is still possessing Vince Vincente. So, it’s off to Los Angeles for Crowley. He’ll see Sam and Dean there.

In the City of Angels, Crowley meets the guy he knows Russell Lemmons (Kadeem Hardison). It seems that Russell works for Crowley getting him souls. Crowley says there’s a certain prestige owning the soul of “a Swift or a Drake,” like those of Ladyheart. Russell finds Vince Vicente making a comeback seems promising.

Dean is driving to Los Angeles. He’s not excited to be going to LA with its traffic, Botox, smell of desperation, the toxic air and the dudes wearing skinny jeans and sunglasses inside (douchebags Dean has always said). The only plus is the yoga pants. Sam is busy listening to his headphones. Dean wonders what is so engrossing for his brother. Sam tells him that it’s an historical podcast on Martin Luther. Dean takes the headphones out of the device and teases Sam about listening to “Hair Rock.” Sam insists that since Lucifer possessed Vince Vincente listening to his music is research. And with that, Sam turns Vincente’s music up louder. Dean, it looks like it’s going to be a long drive!

Meanwhile, Lucifer is learning about the influence of Vince Vincente’s music on fans and comes to a realization that rock isn’t about music. It’s just another reason for people to worship, to adore. “Humans have always been desperate to put someone or something above them. Let’s face it, God ain’t cutting it these days. It takes a Kim Kardashian or whatever Justin Bieber is.” So to Lucifer, rock and religion go hand-in-hand.

Having arrived in Los Angeles, Sam and Dean are talking about vegetable water when Castiel approaches. As Castiel is still wearing his trench coat, Dean teases him that Castiel must be a “third tier agent.” Castiel responds, “At least I don’t look like a lumberjack.” So there, Dean! But Castiel is glad to see Sam and Dean as it gets him away from Crowley and his obsessive talking. But Crowley who enters, says Castiel is kidding as they are inseparable now. Crowley has managed to obtain the key to Vince Vincente’s hotel room and The Four Musketeers search the Rocker God’s room. They find a large amount of rocker biographies. Obviously, Lucifer is doing research.

And the research continues as Lucifer is asking a Vince Vincente follower Roseleen (Crystal Allen) to tell him what Vince Vincente means to her. To Roseleen, Vince Vincente is everything and she’d do anything for him. And anything means carving Vince Vicente’s name in her chest because Lucifer wants her to bleed…a lot.

Sam and Dean go to the hospital to question Roseleen. Sam asks whether Vince forced her to do this to herself. Roseleen insists that she wanted to make Vince happy. She has to leave though in order to get to the show because she has to see Vince.

Meanwhile, Lucifer is talking about the lottery to win tickets to Vince Vincente’s show. He doesn’t care about Vince Vincente’s current fans since they already love him. “Religion, Twitter, Celebrity…they’re all the same. You’re not gaining followers, you’re losing them.” Lucifer wants new followers, he wants fresh blood.

Crowley explains to Sam and Dean that what Lucifer had that woman do to herself was about devotion – something he knows as being King of Hell. Once you gain their loyalty, they will do anything for you. Later, while Castiel is questioning Tommy (Woody Jeffreys) about Vince’s show, Sam and Dean pretend to be rockers (Sam plays keyboard and Dean is on drums and guitar) to talk with Vince Vincente’s rep (Sandy Sidhu). And at that point, I totally forgot about Lucifer as I was focusing on how great it was seeing Sam and Dean in leather. They were totally rocking the rocker look. The rep even had to comment that she took the meeting with them because of their hotness. But she refuses to disclose the location of Vince’s show. At that same moment, Crowley is demanding that Russell tell him where the show is or else. And despite their leather hotness, Vince’s rep also refuses to give Sam and Dean the show location.

In the limo on the way to the show, Lucifer kills Russell when the record label head threatens to take it all back from the aging rocker after learning Vince didn’t show up for rehearsal and there is no new music. Yes Russell, rock is a deadly business!

Tommy ends up telling Castiel the location of the show. Castiel takes Enochian handcuffs and tells Sam and Dean he will buy three minutes for them. “Make that four,” Crowley adds as he is helping, too.

Inside, Lucifer as Vince tells Tommy that he’s decided to cut the dead weight. “I’m going solo.” But before Lucifer can snaps his fingers and kill Tommy, Castiel comes to the rescue. Unfortunately, Lucifer flings him to the floor. “Did you bring the rest of The Little Rascals?” Lucifer asks. “No, just me,” Crowley answers. Lucifer was tired of being the Devil with all its Judeo Christian baggage. But being Vince Vincente is different. Vince Vincente is famous and everybody loves him. So,n after killing Tommy and punching Castiel, Lucifer gives Crowley a guitar beat down.

Dean tries to get the civilians out, but gets grabbed by the bouncer so Sam pulls the fire alarm. When Lucifer hears the fire alarm, he decides it’s time to start the show. Sam manages to get the people out by holding the door open despite Lucifer using his power to close it. But all the civilians get to safety so Lucifer deals with the meddling Winchesters. Dean puts the Enochian handcuffs on Lucifer, but he easily breaks free. “Hey Assbutt,” Castiel (nice shout out to Season 5 finale) says to Lucifer, hitting him with music equipment. But Castiel still gets tossed across the room by Lucifer. Sam reminds Lucifer that he forgave God and what would God think? Lucifer doesn’t care about God’s opinion. After all, his father left him to ride off in the sunset with Auntie Amara. So, now he’s going to smash God’s already broken toys (humanity) and make them watch. Dean quickly points out that the only thing breaking is Lucifer’s vessel. “What can I say? Kicking your ass took a lot out of me,” adds Lucifer. “Onward and upward.” And with that, Lucifer exits Vince Vincente’s body leaving the rocker a dead husk on the stage floor.

Sam, Dean, Castiel and Crowley gather outside. Dean says he’s counting it as a win because they saved a crowd of people. But Sam disagrees because Vince Vincente is still dead. “He was still a person and he means something to a lot of people. Lucifer just took all that and snuffed it all out. Lucifer was bad enough when he had a plan, a motive. Now he’s just having fun.” Sam thinks this is their fault because they let Lucifer out. “We’re not winning, we’re just losing slow,” he says. But Dean assures that they will stop Lucifer. “It’s what we do man.”