Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes

This was a great episode, thoroughly enjoyed it. It certainly ranks highly compared to the previous episodes. Nice to see other hunters feature in the episode with a great story line. The Winchesters team up with two young hunters or witches to track down their mother. Similar to how Dean approached Sam all those years ago to go looking for their father. In both cases it worked out horribly and tore families apart. Nice to have a flashback and reference to the first episodes that started it all. We saw a new type of witch and magic that wasn't well known in the supernatural universe. A powerful old witch who wanted to pass on her powers to a new generation. She didn't care who she killed as she already made a deal with a demon. Castiels absence after the explosive end last episode actually worked as there are other things cooking.

Mary also had an interesting time with Ketch as we know he is slowly plotting the end for American Hunters. She grows suspicious of the Men of Letters as Mick is away and Ketch seems to be hiding something. We saw a great fight sequence between her and Ketch.

A very well made episode, I like how the end of the episode resembled the first few moments of it with Mary being tied up in front of Ketch. The only downfall was the female British men of letters agent show up at the end. She never flew with fans to begin with so its no picnic seeing her back. Since we have three episodes left hopefully she will be killed off and that unfriendly headquarters be burned down.

Things are shaping up nicely for a thrilling season finale.

I think the twins were fine it is just that i don't care about them much to be into their story. The problem with the tone of the show is that it isn't dark enough to land the creepy or scary parts like it did before. The whole Bmol thing i just want over with.

I am perplexed by why the writers decided to burn an episode on the Banes twins. They were minor characters in a story about a one-off set of characters. Neither the Winchester nor the audience have a connection to them. Moreover, unlike say the trickster the Banes twins weren't particularly memorable or compelling.

The episode itself is rote; it is yet another devil's bargain because the death of a loved one. It is also some the easy to solve mystery elements in the show's entire run. I supposed the ending is meant to be emotional but I didn't know Tasha Banes enough to care.

"Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes," the twentieth episode of Supernatural's twelfth season, directed by Richard Speight Jr., is a deftly crafted blend of classic monster-of-the-week storytelling and emotionally charged character work. The episode revisits the Banes twins, Max and Alicia, first introduced in "Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox," and places their family at the center of a chilling witch hunt that serves as both a supernatural mystery and a meditation on grief, agency, and the cost of resurrection. The narrative is split between the Banes siblings' desperate search for their missing mother and Mary Winchester's escalating conflict with the British Men of Letters, creating a parallel structure that highlights the different forms of family loyalty and betrayal at play.

The main plot is set in motion when Alicia Banes calls Mary for help after her mother, Tasha, disappears while investigating a case. Sam answers Mary's phone and, after a moment's hesitation, he and Dean agree to help the twins. This callback to the series pilot-"Their mom is on a hunting trip and hasn't been home in a week"-immediately grounds the episode in Supernatural's foundational themes of family and loss. The Winchesters meet up with Max and Alicia in Wyoming, where they discover that Tasha was investigating a string of disappearances linked to a mysterious boarding house and its enigmatic owner.

The investigation quickly takes a dark turn as the group uncovers evidence of witchcraft: strange twig dolls, magical sigils, and unnaturally behaving townsfolk. The visual motif of the twig dolls-creepy, hand-crafted effigies that serve as vessels for both life and control-evokes earlier Supernatural episodes like "Scarecrow," but with a fresh, unsettling twist. The episode's horror elements are heightened by the atmospheric direction, with shadowy interiors, flickering candlelight, and a mounting sense of dread as the hunters realize they are up against a powerful "borrower witch" who sustains herself by transferring her soul and magic into others through these dolls.

The emotional core of the episode centers on Max Banes, whose journey mirrors the Winchesters' own tragic arc. After discovering that the woman posing as Tasha is actually a magically animated twig doll, Max is forced to confront the witch responsible. The confrontation is intense and visually striking: Max's eyes glow purple as he casts a reveal spell on the imposter, and the witch, cornered, offers him a Faustian bargain-her power in exchange for continuing her legacy. When Max refuses, the witch reveals the truth of Tasha's death, forcing both Max and Dean to witness her murder in a psychic vision. The moral dilemma is wrenching: if Max kills the witch, all her creations-including the Tasha doll-will collapse; if he accepts her offer, he risks becoming the very monster he despises.

Kendrick Sampson's performance as Max is a standout, capturing the character's grief, rage, and eventual desperation. The episode's climax sees Max, devastated by the loss of both his mother and his sister (Alicia is killed in the fight), making a fateful choice: he uses the witch's magic to resurrect Alicia as a twig doll, effectively trading his soul for a second chance at family. This act is both a subversion and a tragic echo of the Winchesters' own history with resurrection and loss, raising questions about identity, agency, and the cost of refusing to let go. The final shot of Max driving away with the Alicia doll, both siblings now bound by magic and grief, is haunting and lingers long after the credits roll.

Parallel to the Banes storyline, Mary Winchester's subplot escalates the season's ongoing conflict with the British Men of Letters. Mary, increasingly disillusioned by the organization's ruthlessness, discovers Mick's fate and confronts Mr. Ketch. Their confrontation is brutal and physical, with Mary holding her own in a fight that is both cathartic and unsettling. The tension between Mary's loyalty to her sons and her desire to find meaning in hunting is palpable, and her decision to send a cryptic voicemail to Dean-warning him of the BMoL's duplicity-adds urgency to the season's endgame.

Richard Speight Jr.'s direction is a highlight, balancing suspenseful horror with intimate character moments. The episode's pacing is brisk, with the two storylines intercut to maintain tension and thematic resonance. The cinematography makes excellent use of close-ups and shadow, particularly in the witch's lair and during Max's confrontation, while the editing ensures that the emotional beats land without feeling rushed. The script by Steve Yockey is sharp, with dialogue that is both naturalistic and laden with subtext, especially in the scenes between Max and Dean, and Mary and Ketch.

The supporting cast is uniformly strong. Kara Royster brings pathos to Alicia, especially in her final moments, and Alvina August as Tasha Banes is both warm and formidable, even as a magical construct. The episode's villain, the borrower witch, is refreshingly complex-not merely evil, but driven by a twisted logic of survival and legacy. The interplay between the supernatural and the personal is handled with finesse, making the horror meaningful rather than gratuitous.

If the episode has a flaw, it is that the Banes twins' story, though emotionally resonant, feels somewhat rushed in its final act. The decision to resurrect Alicia as a doll is both shocking and ambiguous, but the consequences of this choice are left largely unexplored, perhaps to be revisited in future episodes. Additionally, some viewers may find the parallels to the Winchesters' own family saga a bit on-the-nose, though the execution is strong enough to make these echoes feel earned rather than derivative.

In conclusion, "Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes" is a standout episode that combines the best elements of Supernatural: atmospheric horror, moral complexity, and deeply felt character drama. By revisiting the Banes twins and placing their tragedy alongside Mary Winchester's crisis of conscience, the episode offers a meditation on the costs of love, loyalty, and the refusal to accept loss. The direction, performances, and writing all contribute to an hour that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, setting the stage for the season's final reckoning with the British Men of Letters and the consequences of choices made in the name of family.

Anyone else notice that the witch was played by the same lady who played Ezra Moore in the episode where Dean goes back in time to meet Elliot Ness? Great actress in both parts, it took me a minute to figure out where I recognized her from and then I realized from the same great tv show!