Arthur Ketch

You're a killer, Dean Winchester, and so am I. And if we go too long without something to track or trap or punch or gut, well, things get a bit ugly. Don't they? The Men of Letters keep me busy. They point me in a direction and bang. Off to the races. It's not a bad life. – Mr. Ketch, 12.14 The Raid

History

Mr. Ketch is an agent of the British Men of Letters. Ketch undertakes wet work for the British Men of Letters and is an expert in weapons, both traditional and magical. He is described by Lady Bevell as a psychopath. As they once had a relationship this may have colored her assessment, although he does kill without compunction.

He wears finely tailored suits, and has a distinctive cross tattoo. He usually rides a Norton Commando motorbike.

Episodes

12.01 Keep Calm and Carry On

As Lady Antonia Bevell tells Sam about how the British Men of Letters deal with monsters in the UK, we see Mr. Ketch being brought a recently captured vampire for disposal. As the vampire is laid out and restrained on a table, Mr. Ketch calmly walks to the table and decapitates the vampire. Later when Lady Bevell and Ms. Watt have hit a brick wall with torturing Sam, Ms. Watt suggests they bring Mr. Ketch. However, Lady Bevell is vehemently against bringing him in by stating that she doesn't want "that psychopath anywhere near [her]."

12.02 Mamma Mia

After Mick Davies collects Lady Bevell, the two argue about her failed mission. Toni feels that the Winchesters need to be eliminated. Davies assures her that if it comes down to it, he is prepared for that. He reveals he has sent for Mr. Ketch, who is shown packing cases with various weapons as he prepares to leave the UK.

12.03 The Foundry

While he is not seen, Mr. Ketch's British Norton Commando motorcycle is seen and appreciated by Dean Winchester.

12.04 American Nightmare

"I cleaned up the Winchesters' mess. As suspected, they couldn't finish the job."

While tracking the Winchesters, Mr. Ketch stops to inspect the Impala while the Winchesters are talking with the Peterson family, before driving off on his motorcycle.

When Magda Peterson's bus to California makes a pit stop, Magda steps to use the restroom and is followed in by Mr. Ketch, who attaches a silencer to his pistol. When he enters the restroom, Magda notices the gun in his hand, but before she can scream or do anything, she is shot dead. As Mr. Ketch is leaving the rest area, he receives a phone call from the London Chapterhouse and reports that he "cleaned the Winchesters' mess" and that "as suspected, they couldn't finish the job".

12.08 LOTUS

"U.S. government plates. Elite dogcatcher level. Someone special wants you. Whose hydrant have you lads been tinkling on?"

After Sam, Dean, and Castiel are stopped and held at gun point by the Secret Service. Mr. Ketch drives up to the scene. Casually exiting his car with a grenade launcher, he fires it at the Secret Service's SUV, blowing it up and knocking the agents unconscious. Telling Castiel to wipe their memories, he asks the Winchesters who is after them, noting the government plates on the cars. When Dean demands to know who the hell he is, Mr. Ketch introduces himself as Arthur Ketch, British Men of Letters.

That night, Mr. Ketch explains that his job is to "strongly encourage" the Winchesters' cooperation with the British Men of Letters. He was sent by Mick Davies after Sam called him and hung up, leading Davies to believe that the Winchesters were in trouble. When the boys are leery after dealing with Lady Bevell, Mr. Ketch has Castiel confirm that he's not lying. He shows them his arsenal of weapons, including a hyperbolic pulse generator, a device capable of exorcising a demon from its vessel. Recognizing its potential, Sam asks if it will work on an angel. Intrigued, Mr. Ketch asks what they have gotten themselves into, only to be told by Dean that if the British Men of Letters want to be trusted, they need to trust the Winchesters with the pulse generator, which Mr. Ketch freely gives up.

12.09 First Blood

"Site 94? It’s a government facility, off books. Shadow ops. One of those places that officially doesn’t exist."

Needing help tracking Sam and Dean down, Castiel has Mary take them to meet with Mr. Ketch and Mick Davies, who gladly offer up their services. After Sam and Dean are reunited with Mary and Castiel, they are surprised to learn of Mr. Ketch and Mick's aid in their escape. When Sam mentions that they left survivors, Mr. Ketch is baffled and finds it very unprofessional. While Dean and Sam defend their actions, Mick and Ketch share a nod and depart.

The next morning Mr. Ketch makes his way to Site 94, where he proceeds to kill everyone involved in Sam and Dean's incarceration, ensuring that there is no longer any government threat.

12.12 Stuck in the Middle (With You)

"Oh, yes. I know all about The Colt."

Ketch sits in a diner, mixing sugar in his tea, asking to be told a story. Mary Winchester proceeds to recount her encounter with the Prince of Hell, Ramiel. Mr. Ketch claims ignorance, telling Mary that when the British Men of Letters sent Mary on the mission, they didn't know what Ramiel was, just that he had what they wanted. Mr. Ketch attempts to apologize, but gets chewed out by Mary who promises to burn the British Men of Letters down if anything like that happens again. Apologizing once more, Mr. Ketch asks to see the item Mary procured. Mary pulls out the cloth-wrapped item and sets it on the table in front of Ketch who unwraps it, revealing The Colt. He tells Mary that he knows all about it.

12.13 Family Feud

"You're different when you talk to them. Softer. Weaker. Not an insult, just an observation. But when you hunt, Mary... you're one of the best I've ever seen.Now you might play at being the good mummy, but when you're in the thick of it, nothing but a blade in your hand and blood in the air, that's the real you, the best you."

Mary and Mr Ketch are hunting together. As Mr. Ketch drops Mary off at her motel he asks her about getting a drink, but she declines. Mr. Ketch then brings up Sam and Dean, and suggests Mary "disengage" from them for a bit. He says that working for the Men of Letters is demanding work and must come first above everything else. He calls the Men of Letters his family. Mary refuses the notion, telling him nothing comes before her family. Ketch asks her if she really believes that, noting she is "softer, weaker" around them.

12.14 The Raid

"And whilst I understand that you're not feeling... warmly disposed to me, I wonder, what's your disposition to this incredibly rare, unspeakably expensive bottle of barrel-proof Scotch?"

Ketch turns up at the bunker with a bottle of expensive scotch, which convinces Dean to let him in. Ketch persuades Dean to join him on a vampire hunt, but when they arrive at the nest it is deserted except for one vampire. She tells him the others have gone to "hunt the hunters." Dean and Ketch head to the British Men of Letters base, although by the time they get there the fight is over -- Sam and Mary saved the day.

12.17 The British Invasion

"Well, that was unexpected. But invigorating. I must say, when I first met you I didn't see this coming. My thought at the time was, 'I'll end up shooting this one.' Life is full of surprises."

After a hunt, Mary and Ketch have drinks and sex. Mary makes a point of telling Ketch that the encounter didn't mean anything, as it seems to have had some emotional impact on him. He makes the point that she seems to be separating herself from her family and concentrating on hunting, but she denies this, and thinks she can have both.

At the British Men of Letters base, Dr Hess arrives to shut down the US operation. Mick Davies refuses her orders and while he argues with her, Ketch executes him with a bullet to the head.

12.18 The Memory Remains

"It's clear. Onward. Now remember your orders. By the time we leave, Dr. Hess wants to know everything about our 'friends' the Winchesters -- their allies, their habits. How does Sam get his hair so shiny? How many ratty flannels does Dean own? So work quick, work quiet, and leave no trace. Oh, and apparently, Mick let Sam and Dean get their hands on the bloody Colt. Find it, huh?"

12.20 Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes

"I've been cleaning up after them for months. I took care of those federal agents they stupidly allowed to live. I killed a psychic girl who they thought was... human. Honestly, they're damn sloppy."

Trivia

• There was an executioner in the 1680s named Jack Ketch, appointed by King Charles II, who was renowned for botching his kills.
• Mr. Ketch sports a Celtic cross tattoo on right hand.

See also

• Mr. Ketch's Car
• Mr. Ketch's Motorcycle

Links

• Interview with David Haydn-Jones who plays Mr Ketch by Inquisitr