The rock star life is more fun than being the devil, as we learn in season 12 episode seven of Supernatural. Last we saw Lucifer, his Vince Vicente vessel was quickly burning up thanks to a spell by Rowena before she sent him to the bottom of the ocean. But that would only keep him away for so long and the fallen angel has definitely returned!
It begins as we see two young guys in black robes around a table, trying to conjure Lucifer with a rock. One of the men breaks out into laughter, feeling the whole thing is ridiculous. His friend attempts to convince him that it isn’t crazy to try, that the rock contains a feather from Lucifer himself. Well, he was right because Lucifer (Rick Springfield) shows up, still in Vince’s body but not looking so great. He immediately kills the non-believer and tells the other that the rock had called him, not their ceremony. Taking the item, Lucifer is able to restore his vessel, at least for a while. The remaining young man recognizes the meat suit now, telling him he’s “kind of famous” just before the devil kills him too. The statement clearly puts an idea in Lucifer’s mind though.
At the bunker, Sam (Jared Padalecki) finds Dean (Jensen Ackles) playing a game on his cell phone with Mary, wherever she may be. They receive a call from Castiel (Misha Collins), who doesn’t seem to be enjoying Crowley’s company, and tells them to look at a live news broadcast featuring Vince. He’s putting the band, Ladyheart, back together and announces that they have a new contract with a major record label. The guys aren’t absolutely sure it’s Lucifer, but Crowley (Mark Sheppard) doesn’t think a sudden contract for a washed-up band could be anything but a less-than-holy deal.
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise when Crowley’s next step is to visit a man at the record label who signed the contract, one the former crossroads demon obviously knows well. The man is glad to see him, offering him some new talent with souls “ripe for the taking.” Yet Crowley is more interested in the deal with Vince at the moment. During the discussion we realize that the man has no idea he was working with the devil, telling Crowley that Vince came to him with a great pitch and he decided to go for it, feeling that the rocker seemed renewed and energized.
Meanwhile the Winchesters are making the drive to Los Angeles, and Dean is clearly sharing how he feels about the city. His complaints continue in detail until he realizes that Sam isn’t listening. The younger brother claims to be listening to a podcast, but Dean pulls the earbuds out of the jack, finding out that he’s actually listening to Ladyheart. Dean’s disgust backfires when Sam makes him listen to the hair metal for the rest of the drive.
In L.A., Lucifer as Vince is getting the rock star treatment and loving it. He’s basking in the attention and adulation, although when his friend and bandmate, Tommy, says they should start recording some music, Lucifer refuses. Instead, he lectures Tommy that music is not the real reason people love them. It’s an excuse to worship, to adore. Tommy isn’t happy but doesn’t exactly want to be thrown through another door like before, or worse.
Also now in the city, Dean and Sam meet up with Castiel where there is no doubt that Crowley is driving the angel crazy. Before he can elaborate, Crowley shows up with the news that yes, Lucifer is in Vince’s body as they suspected. The four search where Lucifer has been staying, first finding he’s been studying famous rock stars and then finding a human tooth pulled out by the root. Ewwww!
Later, we find Vince talking to a fan who has been hanging around him and we quickly notice the woman is missing a tooth. With his encouragement, Roseleen (Crystal Allen) tells him how much she loves him, that she’s been infatuated since she was very young and saw Ladyheart on TV. He asks her what she would do for him to which she replies, “anything.” He then asks her if she’ll bleed and gives her a knife, she hesitates but does start cutting her chest as the scene ends.
Next we’re taken to our group hunting Lucifer at the hospital, finding out what happened to the girl. It turns out she carved Vince’s name into her chest and lost a lot of blood but will be all right. Sam and Dean question Roseleen, asking if Vince had forced her to cut herself up. She insists that he didn’t have to force her, and says she did it to show him how much she cares and to make him happy. She’s also sure he had a good reason, although has no clue what the reason would be, and turns frantic that she needs to get back to him, to get to the show.
The show she’s referring to is then explained to Lucifer by the band’s manager. It’s meant to be an exclusive event for the most diehard of Ladyheart’s fans. However, Lucifer wants a different crowd…new fans, new blood. The manager tries to tell him that she doesn’t think it’ll work because music fans nowadays are not profitable. Yet he insists, and she’s intimidated enough to go along with his wishes.
Still at the hospital, the Winchesters meet back up with Crowley and Castiel to discuss the conversation with Roseleen. Crowley enlightens the rest of the group that Lucifer was testing the girl’s devotion, and states being worshipped is intoxicating. This is probably why he decided to stay in the rock star instead of going after Heaven or Hell. They want to bring Rowena into the mix, knowing they are outgunned without her help. Yet they also know she won’t show until they have Lucifer cornered.
With the knowledge that there was a show, the group splits up to try and find the location of the concert. Castiel goes to the bandmate while Crowley goes to the guy at the record label. Dean and Sam pose as potential clients and go to Vince’s manager. They all strike out, as no one wants to risk the success of Ladyheart’s comeback, despite a supposed threat to people’s safety.
That night, Vince, Tommy, the band manager, and the guy from the record label pull up to a club named Meteor for the show in a limousine. The manager is excited by all the social media buzz this secret reunion is causing. But when Tommy comments that they don’t have any new music to play, the record label executive is not thrilled and confronts Vince, stating he took a chance on them and Vince had better not let him down. If only he knew this was really Lucifer he was threatening because the man is then forced to stab himself in the throat with a pen the devil had gifted to him earlier. The other two are horrified, not that Lucifer cares, as he gets out of the limo and begins showing off for his crowd of fans. Though he does notice his vessel beginning to burn up again as he enters the club. The manager gets out of the limo too and promptly quits, walking away.
Inside the building, preparations for the Ladyheart concert are well underway. Tommy, disturbed by the scene in the vehicle, texts Castiel the location of the concert, giving them the information they so desperately needed. They immediately head that way although none of them are all that confident about what they can do against Lucifer. Dean grabs some Enochian handcuffs, although they doubt they will hold him for long. Cas says he’ll go first, willing to sacrifice himself to at least buy them some time. Crowley agrees to help Cas in order to increase the time the Winchesters will have.
Lucifer enters the dressing room, killing the two members of the band we don’t really know anything about before turning on Tommy and saying that he is going solo. Castiel is able to stop him from killing the man at that moment, only to be knocked to the floor. Before Lucifer can do anything else to our angel, Crowley shows his face, distracting his nemesis. The demon throws Lucifer against the wall, says he means nothing to the kids out there, and that they won’t willingly spill their blood for him to which Lucifer replies that regardless, being Vince is easier, better. While everyone’s attention is elsewhere, Tommy makes to escape but Lucifer kills him before he can get out before beginning to beat the living hell out of the angel and the demon.
During the time all this is going on backstage, Dean and Sam are in the waiting crowd. Dean tries to get everyone out by saying he smells smoke and then by making a scene. He’s in the process of getting escorted out by security when Sam pulls the fire alarm. People begin to leave, but Lucifer hears the sound and pauses his assault, using his powers to stop the alarm. Knocking Crowley out cold, he then tells Cas to stick around for the after-party and heads out to the stage.
Greeting his cheering fans, Lucifer promises them a unique show and tells them it might get messy. Not willing to let whatever plan Lucifer has go any further, Dean pulls out his gun and fires it into the air. This has the desired effect as the entire crowd rushes for the doors. Lucifer attempts to stop them from leaving by forcing the doors to close, but Sam is able to hold them open just long enough for everyone, other than the Winchesters, to escape.
Castiel makes a timely return at that moment to smack Lucifer in the face with a guitar, throwing him back into the drumset, and giving us his classic insult of, “Hey assbutt!” So many years after he originally said it to Lucifer, it’s still funny. Anyway, this gives Dean the opportunity to get the handcuffs on him. Unfortunately, Lucifer is immediately able to burn them off of himself.
That plan having failed dismally, our guys try to appeal to him, asking about God after he and Lucifer had made a sort of peace. Yet we see that Lucifer still has some daddy issues. Truly, his father did leave again soon after that peace was found. Lucifer states all of it; Earth, Heaven, and Hell…It’s all meaningless, the same thing over and over. He doesn’t have a plan right now, all he wants is to destroy his father’s creations. Throughout his rant, we see the vessel burning more and more. Pointing this out, Dean follows with the tragic words, “Rock is dead.” Knowing he won’t last much longer in the meatsuit, Lucifer leaves the body, disappearing. For now, at least.
Shortly thereafter, the four men, including a very beaten Crowley, pack up. Dean comments that they didn’t get Lucifer but did save a crowd of people and calls it a win. Sam feels differently though, bringing up the fact that Vince is now dead, a man that meant a lot to many people and Lucifer destroyed that. A Lucifer with a plan was bad enough but this one that had completely gone off the rails is even scarier. There’s no choice for any of them but to agree, making their need to find Lucifer and get him caged back up stronger than ever. The question is, how much damage will Lucifer be able to do before they figure out how to stop him?
