‘Supernatural’ Season 15 Episode 17 Recap: “Unity”

Supernatural Season 15 episode 17
Alexander Calvert as Jack, Jensen Ackles as Dean, Jared Padalecki as Sam and Emily Swallow as Amara in ‘Supernatural’ season 15 episode 17 (Photo: Jeff Weddell © 2020 The CW Network, LLC)

It’s about time that The CW’s Supernatural felt like things were getting big in scale, and Season 15 episode 17, “Unity,” certainly reflected that grand feel the final season has so far lacked.

Amara (Emily Swallow) is shown enjoying herself in a pool in Iceland (it’s good to see characters ditch the USA for once and actually see the world) when she sees the sky light up with shooting stars. Chuck is back after destroying all the other universes.

At the Men of Letters HQ, Sam (Jared Padalecki) is giving Dean (Jensen Ackles) the silent treatment for his plan to use Jack’s death to kill Chuck. Dean’s still a giant bag of jerk and becomes more motivated when Amara shows up and tells the brothers to proceed with the plan. Of course, she’s still under the impression that Dean genuinely wants to help her rather than his true plan of killing her.

Sam refuses to leave for Santa Fe, where Amara’s directed them to, because he wants to find another way and save Jack. Dean tries his angry schtick, and when that doesn’t work, outright tells Sam that he doesn’t mind giving up on family because, to him, Jack isn’t family. While he claims he does care somewhat for Jack, he’s not the same for Dean as Sam and Castiel are. That’s too bad, as Jack (Alexander Calvert) walks in and hears it. True to his nature, he doesn’t mind and leaves with Dean.

In a good way of presenting the framing device of the episode, the points of view are separated between the characters. The Amara sequence shows her reuniting with Chuck (Rob Benedict). He reveals he didn’t write the connection Amara feels to Dean and is flabbergasted why she wants to convince him not to destroy his world.

Amara tries to change his mind by taking him to Heaven to see the angels fanboying over Chuck (seriously, what the heck happened to the storyline about Heaven being near destruction due to the lack of angels?). This doesn’t work as Chuck is over being worshipped. Faced with no choice, Amara takes him to the HQ and traps him there with herself until Dean and Jack are done with their mission.

In the Dean sequence, he tries to make excuses to Jack over what he heard but the latter tells him he understands that Dean doesn’t see him as important as his family. In Santa Fe, the two reach their location to find Adam (Alessandro Juliani). Yes, the first human, and the guy turns out to be a hippie who’s been shacking up for 300,000 years or so with his angel girlfriend, Serafina (Carmen Moore).

The last test turns out to be really simple, in that all Jack has to do is identify a crystal that God has touched. He answers correctly that it’s all of them since God created everything. Adam is ecstatic, claiming he’s been plotting Chuck’s demise all this time to get payback for being kicked out of Eden. To complete the ritual, Serafina stabs Adam and rips out his rib. Apparently, this is the ingredient needed to complete Jack into being a living black hole that can suck divine beings like Chuck and Amara into himself.

On the drive back, Dean comes up with a gratitude of sorts where he thanks Jack for his sacrifice because his death will mean Sam and Dean can now be free of Chuck. If the show wanted it to feel genuine the attempt failed because Dean just seemed like he was trying to gain sympathy for his selfish needs.

In the Sam sequence, he’s gotten pretty frustrated by going nowhere and is comforted by Castiel (Misha Collins). The “Destiel” fans can beat it for all I care, Sam and Castiel (Sasstiel?) is a far better combo. They come to the realization that they can talk to Billie and learn if this plan truly is the only way. Remembering Sergei’s mention of a key to Death’s library within the HQ, the two find it so Sam can go and talk to Billie.

When he enters, though, Sam finds a bunch of dead people, who are perhaps Reapers, being killed by the Empty who’s still using Meg’s form. She reveals that Billie’s entire plan is to become the new God and seal everything away in its own realm.

Sam is almost killed by the Empty when the latter figures taking his life will summon Billie who’s been ignoring the Empty. Thinking fast, Sam claims Billie was the one who sent him since she can’t leave Earth. As the Empty can’t go to Earth, it relents and lets Sam take Chuck’s death book so that Billie will honor her promise to the Empty about sending it back to sleep like it wants. When he returns, he realizes Dean has already brought Jack back and the final ritual has already been completed. It’s time for Jack to face Chuck and Amara.

Supernatural Season 15 Episode 17
Jared Padalecki as Sam and Jensen Ackles as Dean in season 15 episode 17 (Photo: Jeff Weddell © 2020 The CW Network, LLC)

Dean, confirming how he’s gone full psycho, goes so far as to beating Sam and being willing to shoot him if he doesn’t move out of the way. Sam tries to reason with him by telling Dean about Billie’s plan, but Dean only cares about killing Chuck so he has no problem with whatever else happens. As for me, I’ve no idea why Castiel doesn’t slap Dean into oblivion with his angelic powers instead of just staring at him while he’s beating Sam up.

During their captivity, Chuck reveals to his sister that Dean’s planning to kill her. He also confesses that all of this was his plan. That’s right, God is omniscient after all and he knew everything the heroes had been planning the whole time. Now, all he wants to see is Dean kill his family. Shocked and hurt, Amara is convinced by her brother to be part of a new creation. Amara lets Chuck absorb her, which empowers him enough to break out of the room.

Dean eventually does budge under the puppy eye stare of Sam’s, agreeing to find another way. Chuck’s angry that another one of his planned endings hasn’t panned out. He admonishes Castiel for being the only version of the many he created that rebelled and didn’t follow orders like he wanted.

Chuck is done with Sam and Dean for always ruining his plans but finds consolation in the fact that Jack is now dying. He then leaves after pointing this out as Jack collapses and seems to be on the verge of exploding.

To be honest, I’m not too shook up by the conclusion since Chuck has claimed several times before that he’s done but comes back – the same way we’ve seen countless times where Dean seems to let go of his incessant rage but reverts to being a jerk again. Still, at least the episode ended on a note that guarantees a continuation and I think this might extend all the way till the finale.