Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Supernatural episode “Into the Mystic.” If you haven’t watched it yet, hop into the Impala and drive away.

Supernatural dug deep into the overarching season 11 plot in its previous episode, what with Lucifer taking control of Castiel’s body and some new info coming to light about the Darkness. Since we made such progress and since there’s still half a season left, we were due for more of a classic monster hunt this week. The Winchesters didn’t disappoint, spending the episode hunting down a banshee. They even got to do a little salt and burn; it wasn’t necessary, but I never get tired of seeing the brothers go back to their roots.

While the episode focused on the banshee hunt—which I’ll get to in a minute—it still kept the plot threads of Lucifer and the Darkness progressing forward. Sam experienced fallout from his ordeal in the Cage. Thank goodness. Sometimes television series, including Supernatural, forget to address the repercussions of major events, and move on as if nothing substantial had happened. But in this case, Sam was clearly affected. We learned that he didn’t leave the bunker for days (but hey, I don’t leave the house for days and don’t have the excuse of a confrontation with the Devil) and that he’s beating himself up for not searching for Dean in Purgatory. To be a Winchester is to feel guilty about everything. It led to a frank conversation between the brothers, though not the soul-baring kind that we’re all familiar with.

Their chat would have been the ideal time for Dean to open up about Amara, but hey, it’s Dean. He did divulge his weird connection and attraction to the Darkness to Castiel. Of course, Castiel is actually Lucifer. Misha Collins is doing a masterful job of blending Castiel and Lucifer together. He’s amusing when he lets his full Lucifer side show, and Collins still tips his hand to the audience even when he’s pretending Castiel is normal in front of Dean. I have high hopes for Castiel’s current trajectory and am keeping my fingers crossed for them to give the storyline room to breathe.

Back to the topic of the monster hunt: A lead on a case took Dean and Sam to a swank retirement community. They quickly learned about the presence of a banshee, and as often happens, the mythology was inventive. It can’t be easy to keep the monsters and the stories about tracking them feeling fresh after so many years, but they keep coming up with interesting angles.

Though I was initially not thrilled about having another elderly lady drooling all over the boys—not because I don’t see where the ladies are coming from… or because I’m jealous… we’ve just seen it several times in the series already—Mildred (Dee Wallace) was different. Her attraction to Dean was weirdly sweet. She didn’t totally objectify him. Plus, I thought it was kind of her to try to give him advice about enjoying life. It’s almost like she could sense he was vulnerable before the banshee singled Dean out as its target.

Mildred had a history with the otherworldly, so she wasn’t flabbergasted upon learning about Sam and Dean’s real job. It’s always a relief when the brothers don’t have to convince some unsuspecting person that monsters are real. There are only so many ways the reaction can play out, and the series has covered most of them by now. The dynamic of the hunt was also affected and improved by the presence of Eileen (Shoshannah Stern). Like many hunters before her, she got into the business to right a wrong done to her family. Unlike other hunters we’ve seen who were motivated by revenge, Eileen had a cooler head. She was fueled by emotions, but they didn’t control her or make her act irrationally. In fact, it was her unflappability and quick thinking that stopped the banshee from killing Dean. She and Mildred saved the day.

Eileen’s past was intriguing, and she and Sam shared a sort of kinship. On one hand, I hope we see more of her one day, but on the other hand, people who hang out with the Winchesters seem to die in somewhat short order.

Overall, it wasn’t the strongest episode of Supernatural. There weren’t any especially poignant scenes of huge revelations. However, it was damn entertaining and I enjoyed seeing Eileen and Mildred save the Winchesters’ butts.

Random observations:

• It was a fleeting moment, but Sam tossing the beer to Dean was one of those little things that sells the Winchesters’ relationship: a demonstration of how much they’re in tune.
• Sam tucking the retirement community brochure away. Come. On. It melted my heart.
• Castiel/Lucifer’s comment about calling himself Lucifer Ex Machina was hilarious. Supernatural pokes fun at itself. It’s one reason why it’s awesome.

What did you think about this banshee-rrific detour? Head to the comments and let me know your opinion on the episode or come share Winchester gifs with me on Twitter.

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IMAGES: The CW