Angered, Jack releases enough power to fling the Winchesters at the wall.

Titled “Lost and Found,” the premiere gave viewers both the loss and set the stage for some of the potential discoveries Sam and Dean might face as the season progresses. The brothers are no strangers to loss. Yet, with Mary, Castiel and Crowley gone, their allies have disappeared. Grief, though, must take a back burner to the pressing concern. A nude Jack is roaming around town.

Series newcomer Alexander Calvert is tasked with leading viewers on the initial path of discovery for his character. The build up for much of the later part of Season 12 when the Nephilim plot came to the forefront involved the half human, half angel being all powerful and that humanity would be at its mercy. However, what we saw tonight with Jack was that his advanced growth didn’t mask an almost childlike innocence. Wearing clothes and eating candy were new adventures for him. In addition, Jack wasn’t able to control his burgeoning powers so his confusion is heightened. What he isn’t confused about is his quest to find Castiel who he has apparently formulated a bond with via his communication with his mother Kelly while in the womb. Jack explained to Sam that Castiel is his father as well as his protector. Further, Jack’s incredible command of the English language is also courtesy of his mother while his accelerated growth is a means of protecting himself from the forces working against him.

Sam and Dean have different approaches about Jack. Sam sees Jack as a kid and I think Sam is more than willing to stand in loco parentis as a benefactor to protect and help Jack perhaps understand his powers and use them for good. We know that Jack caused the time and space rift that created the alternate universe so Sam’s rationale appears to be that Jack may be instrumental getting Mary back.

In contrast, Dean seems to be less willing to subscribe to a nurture theory. Dean views Jack as a monster, evil by virtue of Jack’s pedigree as Satan’s spawn. I suspect that this fundamental difference in outlook will be a continuing source of contention for the brothers.

The premiere also saw Dean seeking for divine intervention by praying to Chuck to bring back Mary, Castiel and Crowley. This is a big step for Dean who has always been leery where faith is concerned.

“Lost and Found” only gave us a brief glimpse of the apocalyptic world. We saw Mary trying to flee Lucifer. Rather than kill her, Lucifer menacingly tells her that he needs her.

 Meanwhile, Sam and Dean are tracking the escaped Spawn of Satan. But the Winchester brothers view on Jack differ: Sam sees him as a scared kid, while Dean thinks him evil. But he’s Dean, who’s credo is “You’re evil until you prove otherwise.”

After initially thinking the strange guy is higher than a kite, Clark and Jack are soon bonding like teens over candy bars.  I guess Angels LOVE chocolate. Remember Gabriel (Richard Speight, Jr.) a.k.a The Trickster?

Sam and Dean’s search for Jack leads them to the Pirate food joint where a worker is telling a girl they don’t serve fries.  She really wants fries.  We learn she is Miriam (Carlena Britch).  But don’t ignore her as she’ll play a bigger role later in the episode.  When she first appeared, I thought of Ruby (Genevieve Padalecki) because of the dark hair and french fry affinity. Could she be a demon? Close but wrong species. Miriam turns out to be an angel and she and her other angel pals are after Jack!

After posing an FBI agent and phoning the local badge (Clark’s sheriff mom), Sam and Dean find Jack at the police station but end up in jail themselves.  In a surprising twist, Dean tells Sheriff Christine Barker (Andrea Menard) the truth: About hunting monsters and Jack being a Nephilim, the son of a human and angel.  I was confused that he gave his name as Dean Winchester. Did the writers forget that Sam and Dean Winchester are presumed dead? They were known as killers who went on a cross country murder spree back in 2011 after being framed by shape shifting Leviathans. This was odd to me, but I’ll go with it.  Sam spends his time being bars getting to know Jack. Lucifer’s son explains that he learned how to speak English from his mother Kelly (Courtney Ford) and that she told him Castiel was his father and that the angel would protect him. She also told him that the world was a dangerous place and he had to grow up fast, thus skipping the terrible twos and going straight to confused teen. When Miriam and her angel cronies attack Sam and Jack in the jail cell, we learn that angel blades can’t kill Jack.  Dean agrees with Sam that the safest place for Jack is the Men of Letters bunker.

But returning home, they have to sadly say goodbye to Castiel. Sam suggests that they pray and ask God to bring their friend back.  Dean tells his little brother praying won’t work because God isn’t listening.  We see Dean prayed and asked Chuck to restore Castiel’s life. He also prayed for his mom and even Crowley.  Dean’s emotions ran the gamut of anger, desperation and pleading. In the end, Kelly and Castiel are given a hunter’s funeral (their bodies burned on a pyre) and Sam tells Jack the words you say.  I like that Sam is basically taken over the part of Jack’s guardian. Padalecki and Calvert already have a comfort in each other’s acting styles which play well onscreen. Looking forward to seeing the Sam/Jack relationship developing as Season 13 progresses.

In the episode’s closing moments, we see Mary (Samantha Smith) and Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) in the Alternate Earth. Lucifer taunts that he could kill Mary anytime but decides that he may keep her alive. How will Mary fare on this new world with the Devil? Stay tuned…Season 13 is just getting started!