Recap of Supernatural
Season 12, Episode 8:
LOTUS
Written by: Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner
Directed by: Phil Sgriccia
Air date: December 8, 2016
The Winchesters and Castiel have to team up with Crowley and Rowena when Lucifer possesses the President of the United States.
Body Count
For this episode: At least 7 humansFor the series so far: At least 1303 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 in this episode:
- Arrested for Heroism: After the brothers exorcise Lucifer from the body of the President, they are promptly arrested for trying to assassinate the President of the United States of America.
- Body Surf: Lucifer is continuing his search for a strong vessel. He goes through the Archbishop of St. Louis pretty quickly before settling on the president, who is strong enough to contain him.
- Bed Trick: Rooney!Lucifer sleeps with Rooney's lover Kelly without her knowing he's been possessed.
- Big Damn Heroes: The brothers and Castiel are saved from being taken into secret service custody by British Man of Letters, Arthur Ketch, arriving just in time with a grenade launcher.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: We already knew this about them, but it says something about Rowena and Crowley's relationship that she considers him killing her Jerkass fiancé as "the sweetest thing you've ever done for me".
- Call-Back: In the earlier episode where Dean kills Hitler, he was very disappointed that Sam did not let him bring the Grenade Launcher when they raided the Nazi hideout. He can't help but be impressed with Ketch shows up and uses one to rescue them from the government agents.
- Double Standard: Rape, Sci-Fi: Lucifer sleeps with (and impregnates) Kelly Kline while posing as her lover. It's not particularly dwelled upon in the narrative.
- Enemy Mine: Team Free Will works with Crowley and Rowena to try and reseal Lucifer. Mr. Ketch, acting on behalf of the British Men of Letters, also provides some tactical support.
- Good Girls Avoid Abortion: Kelly Kline refuses to abort her unborn child with Lucifer.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Lucifer impregnates President Rooney's staffer, Kelly, with a Nephilim.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: The Winchesters' status as this in the public finally hits its logical extreme, as Rooney!Lucifer convinces his Secret Service agents that they're insane cult members who want to assassinate him.
- Holy Burns Evil: The Winchesters deduce that Lucifer was possessing the Archbishop due to the most recent photo featuring the Archbishop no longer wearing his big cross. Though curiously, he didn't seem to be uncomfortable in the diocese while possessing the archbishop; rather, his presence seemed to make the diocese uncomfortable. Later, when in President Rooney's body, holding a Bible burns him. Also inverted when Kelly Kline, who's pregnant with Lucifer's Nephilim child, touches a Bible. It bursts into flame.
- Idiot Ball: Sam and Dean send everyone else away after Lucifer is banished back to the cage while they stay behind keep watch on the now unconscious President. So when the Secret Service come in, they naturally think that the Winchesters just tried to assassinate him.
- Ludicrous Gibs: Crowley does this to Rowena's "latest fiancé".
- Magitek: The British Men of Letters have been spending years merging science and magic, to find new ways to fight monsters. Examples include a gun that turns the blood of vampires toxic to themselves, and a small egg-shaped device called a hyperbolic pulse generator that is used because "exorcisms are so unreliable."
- Metallicar Syndrome: The agent that does the talking when the Winchesters are pulled over lampshades how conspicuous the Impala is.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Kelly, the staffer, says she feels like something happened the last time she slept with Rooney!Lucifer. Cut to Castiel reacting to a deluge of voices on angel radio discussing a surge in celestial energy, caused by the conception of a Nephilim, one significantly stronger than one associated with typical angels.
- Not Right in the Bed: Laying in bed breathless post-sex Kelly seems to think "Rooney" has been better in bed than usual, but doesn't dwell in it, oblivious to the fact she actually just slept with Lucifer. She later confesses to Sam she feels something's changed about him.
- President Evil: Lucifer, once he takes Rooney as his new vessel. For starters, he's planning on pardoning Charles Manson.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Rooney!Lucifer eyes glow red when he manifests his powers.
- Secret Relationship: President Rooney is in a secret relationship with his staffer Kelly, and they've been keeping it as a secret since not only he's her boss but his wife has died recently.
- Shown Their Work: Perhaps an accident, but Lucifer in the archbishop's body causes the crucifixes in the church to flip upside-down. Upside-down crosses have long been associated with Satanism, but they're actually not, having originated from Saint Peter's martyrdom. Upside-down crucifixes, crosses with a figure of Jesus carved on, are blasphemous.
- Sinister Minister: Lucifer briefly uses an archbishop as a vessel.
- Talking in Bed: Kelly gives Rooney!Lucifer an As You Know talk about their secret relationship in bed after they have been intimate, while they're only wearing Modesty Bedsheets. This exposition is convenient to both Lucifer and the audience.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Castiel notes how Lucifer as the archbishop was extremely vicious in murdering priests and nuns, almost as if he is sending a message.
- Tension-Cutting Laughter: During a briefing with the President's staff, Lucifer mentions he's thinking about lobbing a nuclear missile against Belarus. His staff gets very unnerved before he plays it off as a joke and they all burst into laughter.
