Supernatural season 11, episode 14, “The Vessel,” saw Dean travel back to 1944 for a weapon to defeat Amara.
In this episode, Sam has been doing his research thing and discovers a paper trail from the Men of Letters that lead back to a relic known as the Hand of God that went missing during World War II. It is believed that the Hand, a fragment of the Ark of the Covenant, is imbued with the power of God and the Nazis were hunting it. Delphine, a Woman of Letters, managed to steal it from a Nazi commander. She was returning to the U.S. aboard a submarine with the Hand when the sub was attacked and sank. Its wreckage was never recovered.
Dean suggests they ask Cas to send him back to the ship just before it went down so he can retrieve the Hand. This, of course, involves complications as Castiel is being possessed by Lucifer at the moment.
Dean and ‘Das Boot’
This episode was inspired by epic German war film Das Boot, which took place aboard a German U-Boat. Dean arrives on the sub but Casifer is prevented from joining him by Delphine’s warding aboard the ship. Dean is quickly discovered, but he convinces Delphine that he’s a Man of Letters from the future and that he needs the Hand. Her loyalty to the Men of Letters is strong and she agrees. However, the Nazis find them first and Delphine uses the Hand of God to get Dean out. The American ship still goes down, but the German ship had a huge hole blasted in it, so the Americans went out fighting.
There are some rather sad moments during this story, like the sailors realizing they’re going to die but never wavering in their mission to protect Delphine and the Hand as well as one of the sailors, Petey, asking Dean how long it will be until the Allies win the war because he has loved ones also fighting. When he learns it’ll be years, something cracks in him.
Oh, and the fact that the Hand of God is a one-shot weapon. It sure seems like all those sailors died for nothing if the Hand no longer works — but at least Lucifer doesn’t have it either.
Delphine is also a great addition to this episode. She’s a Woman of Letters, a designation ahead of her time, and she’s highly competent at her job. She is also incredibly brave in that she doesn’t hesitate to help Dean get back to his time with the Hand. She reminds me a bit of Dorothy, who I’d also love to see come back at some point.
Sam and Casifer
Back in the bunker, Sam remains behind since Dean isn’t willing to risk them both on this mission. When Casifer is unable to transport onto the sub, he returns to the bunker. He and Sam spend time looking for a way to bring Dean back from the 1940s. Sam eventually finds a spell, but it’s never been used because it requires the power of an archangel. He gives up, not knowing Castiel is actually Lucifer.
Lucifer, who wants the Hand of God for himself to kill Amara, begins preparing the spell anyway. When Sam interrupts him, he drops his cover. It seems he’s done with Sam now that he has Castiel’s unique vessel, so he prepares to kill Sam. However, Castiel manages to take over his body to stop Lucifer from killing Sam. Cas can’t eject Lucifer and they need him to recover Dean from the past anyway.
Casifer does recover Dean but he prepares to kill the brothers when they’re all back in the bunker. However, Sam manages to draw a banishing sigil on the wall before he can act.
It’s a relief that the charade isn’t lasting any longer, though now the Winchesters have two serious problems to deal with: Amara and the Devil. It took the rings of the Four Horsemen and Sam condemning himself to Hell the last time to lock Lucifer back in his cage, so what will it take this time?
Watch a promo for the next episode
