Recap of Supernatural
Season 12, Episode 7:
Rock Never Dies
Written by: Robert Berens
Directed by: Eduardo Sánchez
Air date: December 1, 2016
Lucifer realizes that as rock star Vince Vincente, he can get his fans to do whatever he wants. Thrilled with this power, Lucifer arranges to play a secret VIP concert in order to kill all of them. Sam, Dean, Castiel, and Crowley enter the underbelly of the music industry to try to stop him.
Body Count:
For this episode: 7 humans
For the series so far: At least 1296 humans (of which 19 were witches), 1126 angels (2 of which were archangels), 188 demons, 71 vampires, 59 ghosts, 36 Jefferson Starships, 22 gods, 19 zombies, 17 werewolves, 10 hellhounds, 8 Bisaan, 7 shapeshifters, 7 skinwalkers, 6 changelings, 5 djinn, 5 reapers, 4 dogs, 4 ghouls, 4 Leviathan, 3 Khan Worms, 3 Thule, 2 Amazons, 2 arachnes, 2 kitsunes, 2 rugarus, 2 vetalas, 2 zannas, 1 banshee, 1 cat, 1 crocotta, Death, 1 deer, 1 dragon, 1 fairy, 1 familiar, 1 lamia, The Mother of All, 1 nachzehrer, 1 okami, 1 phoenix, 1 pishtaco, 1 Purgatory creature, 1 qarin, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 shojo, 1 shtriga, 1 siren, 1 soul eater, 1 Titan, 1 wendigo, the Whore of Babylon, 1 wicked witch, and 1 wraith
Tropes
- Bavarian Fire Drill: When Sam and Dean are trying to evacuate the concert, they first pull the fire alarm, but Lucifer drowns it out with his intro music, so Dean goes to the Mundane Solution and fires his gun in the air. That does it.
- Bittersweet Ending: As Dean pointed out; they stopped Lucifer and saved the crowd. However, Sam pointed out that they still failed to save Vince Vincete and that their war against Lucifer is gradually becoming a hopeless cause as more innocents will die by his hands. All the Winchesters are doing is delaying the inevitable.
- Brick Joke: Dean isn't impressed at first when Sam is helping himself to some cucumber water in the music record office. Later, he has some himself.Sam: Seriously?Dean: Shut up.
- Continuity Nod: Loads. For example, Dean remembers that the last time they were in Hollywood was about ten years ago, hunting a vengeful spirit.
- "Cavemen vs. Astronauts" Debate: Sam and Dean's argument over the actual quality of Vince Vincente's music continues.
- Facial Horror: During his Motive Rant, Lucifer's borrowed face slowly rots away, culminating when he vacates the body and we get a lovely shot of Vince's face collapsing inwards like a rotted pumpkin.
- For the Evulz: Lucifer's new main motivation.Lucifer: Because it's fun. Because I can.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: At one point during his Words with Friends game, Dean's tiles spell out LUCIFER.
- Hair Metal: Ladyheart is this kind of band, and is explicitly referred to as such multiple times.
- I Just Want to Be Loved: Apparently Lucifer's secondary goal.
- Motive Rant: Lucifer goes on one when confronted by Dean and Sam. It turns out this time around he has no motive, save for random violence for the fun of it.Lucifer: I'm not especially interested in His opinion. Dear old Dad, He finally apologized for abandoning me and what's the very next thing He does?! He ditches me. And you, too, by the way. And rides off into the sunset with Auntie Amara. He needed my help, and He'd say anything to get it. His words, your words, they mean nothing. Don't you get it? This is all meaningless. Heaven. Hell. This world. If it ever meant anything that moment is past. Nothing down here but a bunch of hopeless distraction addicts, so filled with emptiness, so desperate to fill up the void... They don't mind being served another stale rerun of a rerun of a rerun. You know what my plan is? I don't have one. I'm just gonna keep on smashing Daddy's already broken toys, and make you watch.
- Punctuated Pounding: Lucifer to Castiel and Crowley. At the same time.
- Right Behind Me: Castiel complains about having had to put up with Crowley for weeks, only for him to walk up behind him.
- Running Gag: Once again, Castiel calls an archangel "ass-butt".
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Vince/Lucifer's PR agent leaves as soon he made someone stab his throat with a pen."I quit."
- Suicidal Cosmic Temper Tantrum: It's clear Lucifer is deeply hurting over the feeling of being abandoned by God again after helping him fight Amara, so he's taking out all his built up rage on anything and everything. He doesn't even care about heaven or hell anymore.
- Take That!:Lucifer: You need a Kim Kardashian, you need a... whatever Justin Bieber is...
- The episode as a whole seem like a combined jab at how far musical quality has declined and the media obsessed culture of The New '10s.
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: Lucifer is in tears during his rant about how pointless existence has become for him and his desire to cause as much damage as possible being his only remaining motivation.
