Not in a million years did I think Supernatural would answer as many questions as it did in this week’s episode, “Family Matters.” We found out what’s wrong with Sam, what Samuel’s plan is, who’s pulling his strings, who brought Sam and Samuel back and what happened to Sam’s soul. As for all my theories, it turns out I was completely wrong and overly ambitious.

But who cares, because any storyline that includes a lot more of Mark Sheppard as Crowley is great in my book.

What’s Wrong With Sam?

Cas does a quick diagnosis to find out that Sam never sleeps and feels nothing because he has no soul. If giving up my soul meant I’d never sleep and I’d look like Sam, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Why Is Samuel Collecting Alphas?

Samuel, who does have a soul, tracks down the Alpha Vampire and kidnaps him for an enhanced interrogation. He’s looking for the location of Purgatory, the place where all the dead vampires and other monsters go. The Alpha Vampire also reveals that, even though he’s the first of his kind, he has a Mother.

My theory was that God created the Alphas, but since I still think Chuck Shurley is God and he’s not a woman, I must be wrong.

Who Brought Sam and Samuel Back?

After the Alpha Vampire breaks loose and kills Christian we learn that Christian is actually being possessed by a demon. And then things get really interesting when Crowley shows up. He reveals that becoming King of Hell came with increased power and that he brought Sam and Samuel back because he wants to find Purgatory so he can expand his empire.

Why Is Sam’s Soul Missing?

When Crowley brought Sam back, he kept his soul so that he’d have a bargaining chip to ensure that Sam would be willing to work for him to collect Alphas to find Purgatory. It’s still a mystery what Crowley’s bargaining chip with Samuel is, but it has to be big since he’s willing to work for a demon.

In the end, we’re left with Sam and Dean agreeing to work for Crowley, which is a very unnatural and strange relationship. After all the work Bobby put into getting out of Crowley’s deal, it seems you can’t keep a good Crossroads Demon down.

(Image courtesy of the CW)

John Kubicek

Senior Writer, BuddyTV

John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire DiariesSupernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.