Supernatural season 10, episode 16, “Paint It Black,” aired tonight. Read our recap and discuss the episode with fellow fans.
This week, the Winchester brothers hunt a spirit at a church in Massachusetts while Rowena faces off against Olivette, the leader of the Grand Coven.
Going to confession
Sam and Dean’s hunt is a fairly straightforward ghost hunt. They come into town after a couple of locals killed themselves in grisly manners. When they arrive in town, they discover a woman had killed her husband but has no memory of doing so. The Winchesters discover all the victims were members of the same Catholic Church, so they focus their energies there.
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In the process, Dean confesses to a priest that he doesn’t want to die; there are many things he still wants to do in his life.
It turns out that a violent spirit has come into the church with some belongings; she was the model for a painter in the sixteenth century, and she fell in love with him. He refused her advances by saying he was in love with his art, only she discovered he had a lover. She came upon them one night and murdered him. She’s now killing men who were unfaithful to their partners.
Dean distracts the spirit while Sam discovers her weakness — that she had the painter mix her blood and bone into his paint. He burns the painting, which dispatches the spirit.
He also reminds Dean that he said to burn the journal, but Sam found the way to kill the spirit in there. In other words, Sam helped Dean by going against his wishes. It’s a not so subtle parallel to their situation with the Mark of Cain.
Rowena vs. Olivette
Meanwhile, Crowley has Olivette, leader of the Grand Coven, captured. Rowena wants to be allowed to practice magic again, but Olivette isn’t hearing it. However, over the course of the interrogation, Olivette reveals that the Grand Coven has nearly been wiped from existence due to the work of the Men of Letters. The Men of Letters also has most of the Grand Coven’s relics and power sources scattered across secret bunkers.
The two surviving Men of Letters? Sam and Dean Winchester. Finally, Rowena’s arc is being connected to Sam and Dean.
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After taking a page from Buffy and turning Olivette into a rodent, Rowena broaches the subject with Crowley. He confirms that Sam and Dean are Men of Letters but says his relationship with them is his business and he won’t kill them.
Rowena agrees — a bit too readily — and goes off.
The broment
The episode closes with the brothers in the Impala, though Sam is driving — without looking at the road — for some reason.
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Sam tries to encourage Dean to talk to him about what he’s going through and reiterates that he’s not giving up. Dean agrees not to give up, but he’s hardly convincing.
Watch a promo for next week’s episode
