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Episode Guide > Season 3, Episode 12

Supernatural: Jus In Bello

 

Episode Score

 
9.2 Superb
1,076 votes

Your Score

Air Date

Thursday February 21, 2008

Production Code

3T6911

Episode Summary

FBI Agent Henricksen finally captures Sam and Dean, but is caught in the middle when a horde of demons descends on the small-town jail to eliminate the brothers.

Read Full Recap » (warning: possible spoilers!)
  •  
    9 Superb

    Lilith's first appearance hide show

    Once one knows what Lilith's plan was all along, one can't help but feel awe considering how subtle and clever the writers were. For Sam to really believe that he was destined to stop Lucifer's rising by killing Lilith, and - more important - that he was the only one capable of such a feat, Lilith had to go a great length to convince him so, to attentively cover her tracks and dissimulate her real intentions by letting even her minions believe that Sam Winchester must die. So she convinced Bela to stole the Colt and, after Sam and Dean were captured by Agent Henricksen, she sent her hordes laying siege to Monument Police Station, Colorado, to set up the masquerade of her wanting Sam's intestines on a stick (Ruby's words, not mine): if Dean were to be killed, good, since he was bound to hell anyway. The plan is clever and labyrinthine enough to be believable for a demonic entity whose mind is surely twisted and perverted (see "No Rest For The Wicked", 3.16, for confirmation). The episode - thanks to Sera Gamble's script, always witty and rich, and Phil Sgriccia's direction (he is just perfect for direct action-packed episodes) - is incredibly intense and very emotional. Sam's slow but stead change is clever portrayed in his agreement with Ruby's plan (a made-up plan, I'm pretty sure), while Dean - after realizing what his end is going to be - is starting more and more the reveal his deeply human side, his moral compass and his compassion. The end of the episode, with Little Lilith come to the prison, is just plain scary. "Jus in Bello" would have been an awesome end of season (due to the writers' strike), but fortunately for us we still have four episodes to go!

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  •  
    9.3 Superb

    Series classic.. Almost like Croatoan from Season 2 with even MORE intensity. hide show

    What can I say about this episode that hasn't been said? This is an absolute gem of an episode, one that contains a little bit of everything, but most of all, a drive forward on the season plot. Sam and Dean end up getting screwed over once again by Bela, which ultimately leads to Agent Henricksen finding them and arresting them. However, things take an unexpecting turn after a slew of demons raid the prison they're being held, resulting in an epic standoff.

    This episode has great structure, a great plot, and some new questions: Who is Lilith? Based on the final scene of the episode, she's one hell of a villain for the brothers to face. Also, seeing Ruby step up as help for Sam and Dean was interesting. This episode seemed to almost set the following episodes in place.

    There really isn't any criticism to be given about the episode. Twists and turns, good acting and superb writing.. this episode really did have it all.

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  •  
    10 Perfect

    This episode was awesome! hide show

    Jus In Bello is my favourite episode. You would think it would be a bit like Folsom Prison Blues, with it mainly being about the brothers trying to break out, with a spirit or demon tossed into the mix. But it's a hell of a lot different. It's about them unwillingly being taken in, due to being set up by Bela, the jerk who stole the Colt. While they are there, not one, not two, but thirty demons wait for them outside. When Ruby shows up on the scene, she reveals to Dean what Tammi revealed to Sam in Malleus Maleficarum, that there was a new leader rising among the demons that wanted Sam dead.

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  •  
    10 Perfect

    The Virgin. hide show

    This episode was so amazing. I loved this episode. Bella & Ruby were in this episode. Bella sucks! I cannot believe she sold them out. I thought we weren't going to see Bella again but we did. Ruby again livened up the episode with her quirky remarks. Sam & Dean in jail again. I'm glad this is the closing episode with the whole jail sequence. Lillith is introduced. The beginning of the end. I really liked how at the end, everybody died so now the jail sequence is over forever. I can't wait till the next episode. The episode before the writers strike.

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  •  
    9.5 Superb

    The boys are finally captured by the intrepid FBI agent. hide show

    Assault on Pricint 13 meets X-File. An exceptional episode with excellent acting, writing, and plotting. This season is getting better and better every episode. The producers are not batting greater then 500. I will miss one of the actors who is killed in the one of the last scenes. There is a new kid (!) in town, Lilith, and is she a little dickens. The ending was unexpected, which is exactly what the seres needs more of. I can only hope that the series will progress on equal footing with this episode. I do miss Bobby, have him guest more often.

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Episode Cast and Crew

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  • When Henrikson makes the phone call to his boss, he is holding the receiver in his right hand, and taking off his vest with his left. In the close up, he is holding the phone with his left at first, switches to his right and then uses his left hand to (once again) take off the same strap on his vest. []
  • When Jensen says, "You don't poke a bear with a BB gun, it's just gonna make him mad," his lips aren't moving during the second part of that line. []
  • This episode was nominated for a 2008 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series. []
  • Original International Air Dates:
    Australia: March 3, 2008 on Network 10
    Denmark: March 9, 2008 on TV3
    UK: April 13, 2008 on ITV2
    Norway: August 24, 2008 on TVNorge
    Spain: November 10, 2008 on AXN
    Sweden: November 23, 2008 on Kanal 5
    Portugal: January 22, 2009 on RTP 2
    Finland: July 9, 2009 on Sub []
  • Despite being the twelfth episode of the season, this is the first one to feature all four current main characters. []
More Notes
  • Lilith: Excuse me. I'm looking for two boys. They're brothers. One's really tall and one's really cute. []
  • Henricksen: You're right. I screwed up. I underestimated you. I didn't count on you being that smart. But now I'm ready.
    Dean: Ready to lose us again?
    Henricksen: Ready like a court order to keep you in a super-maximum prison in Nevada until trial. Ready like isolation, in a sound-proof window-less cell that between you and me is probably unconstitutional. How's that for ready? Take a good look at Sam. You two will never see each other again. []
  • Henricksen: Shotgun shells full of salt.
    Dean: Whatever works.
    Henricksen: Fighting off monsters with condiments. []
More Quotes

Allusions

  • Henricksen: Think Hannibal Lecter and his half-wit little brother!
    Referencing Anthony Hopkins' cannibal serial killer character from the movie The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and it's various sequels and prequels, based on the novel by Thomas Harris. []
  • Dean: How do we Houdini out of this one?
    Refers to the master escapologist Harry Houdini who is noted for the Chinese Water Torture Cell escape. []
  • Henricksen: I shot the sheriff.
    Dean: But you didn't shoot the deputy.
    Dean was paraphrasing the second line to the song, I Shot the Sheriff in response to Agent Henricksen's statement of fact. The reggae song was written by Bob Marley and covered by classic rocker Eric Clapton. []