Good Intentions

• The episode implies that someone's "good intentions" will lead to disaster, but whose? Jack's? Castiel's? The Winchesters'?
• We've heard Dean and Sam say they will accomplish something "whatever it takes" many times, and it has often led to disaster. What will happen this time?
• Will Jack be able to defeat Michael? What will be the consequences if he fails? What will be the consequences if he doesn't fail (i.e. if Michael dies, what other archangel is powerful enough to defeat Lucifer? Gabriel?)
• Can Donatello be saved? If he dies, another prophet will rise, but what constitutes "death" in this case? He already doesn't have a soul, and now he's brain dead.
• Was Castiel wrong for what he did to Donatello?
• Will Cas and the Winchesters be able to find all the ingredients for the spell before it's too late?
• If Castiel does encounter Michael and/or Lucifer, is he powerful enough to defeat either of them?
• Will Bobby ever change his mind and decide that this world needs him more than the alternate universe (AU) does?

• The demon tablet contains a spell that can open a rift between worlds, but the ingredients are very hard to get:
  1. Archangel grace
  2. A fruit from the tree of life
  3. The seal of Solomon
  4. The blood of a most holy man
• The dark forces in the demon tablet can corrupt a prophet. This normally doesn't happen because the human soul acts as a "filter" against the evil. Without his soul, Donatello was overtaken by the evil.
• Michael wants to exterminate humanity in the AU, and march his armies through the rift into our world (presumably to enslave and/or exterminate us)
• Castiel believes he was resurrected to help stop Michael
• Because Castiel and Dean defeated Gog and Magog and took their weapons, they now have swords forged by god
• In the AU, Mary never made her deal. But she also never recovered from her regret and was therefore unable to move on with her life. AU Bobby told Mary that making the demon deal was a better choice
• In the AU, Mary Campbell saved Bobby's life many times
• Angels in the AU initially acted like they were friends of humanity, but then they turned on humans and tried to exterminate them. Colonies of survivors like Bobby's encampment presumably exist in other places
• Bobby in the AU likes his coffee with whiskey, too!
• Bobby feels like he can't leave the AU to come here because without the Winchesters to save humanity in the AU, that world doesn't have anyone else to save them besides Bobby

• In our world, Zachariah (played by actor Kurt Fuller) was killed by Dean in season 5 ("Point of No Return"), but in the AU he survived and continued working for Michael until Jack killed him in this episode
• The demon tablet appeared earlier this season in "Devil's Bargain" after having been out of the story for a while. We last saw it in season 11 "Our Little World" when Castiel gets it back from Metatron. Castiel presumably gave the tablet to the Winchesters
• Jim Beaver's appearances in season 13 have continued one of the longest-running trends in Supernatural. Besides Jensen and Jared themselves, Jim Beaver is the only other actor who has appeared in every season of the show since his character, Bobby Singer, was first introduced in season 1 "Devil's Trap" --despite the fact that Bobby Singer died in season 7 "Death's Door"
• Michael Jonsson, who played "Gog" in this episode also played one of future-Dean's soldiers, Jaeger, in "The End" (season 5)

• The episode's title comes from the old adage "The road to hell is paved with good intentions", meaning it's often someone trying to do what he thinks is the right thing that leads to that person's damnation. The origin of the saying is uncertain, but it has been around since at least the 11th century
• Gog and Magog are mentioned in the Old Testament of the bible, but who they were is not completely clear. According to the book of Genesis, Magog was Noah's grandson. But elsewhere in the bible, Gog and Magog are referred to as rulers or civilizations known for being warriors and conquerors of other people
• Castiel mentions that he didn't think Gog and Magog survived "the flood" referring to Noah's flood. Some ancient writings say there were giants in the world until Noah's flood wiped them all out. In Supernatural lore, Gog and Magog may be two of the giants referred to in these ancient writings
• Dean jokes about Donatello being the "Muppet Professor". The Muppets were puppets created by Jim Henson. They were introduced in the 1960s in the children's television series Sesame Street, but the puppets have also been featured in a separate television series ("The Muppet Show", which ran from 1976 to 1981), and in their own movies.
• One of the ingredients the Winchesters need for the spell is fruit from the "tree of life". According to biblical lore, the tree exists in the Garden of Eden and grows near the Tree of Knowledge. Legend suggests that its fruit has healing properties, as well as having the power to make someone immortal
• Another ingredient for the spell is the Seal of Solomon. According to Jewish tradition, the Seal of Solomon is a type of amulet (or possibly a ring) that gives its bearer the power to command demons and other evil creatures

• None

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More Season 13 Discussions

EPISODE #15: A Most Holy Man