| Recap added by Journalbookbinder
Milton, Illinois
A woman comes home from work. Her husband is watching TV. He asks what's for dinner. She tells him it's meatloaf and he says, "Again?". The wife tells him that she wishes he wouldn't criticize her like that, after she's worked so hard all day. He rolls his eyes at her. Without any notice, she picks up a large candlestick and bludgeons her husband to death with it.
Back at the bunker, Dean is pouring over the books spread out in front of him. He looks like he's on a mission. He's looking for clues as to where he and Sam and find Abaddon.
Sam comes in with his duffle bag over his shoulder. He asks Dean if he got any sleep last night, sounding slightly concerned. Dean says no, he didn't sleep. Sam says he guesses that he's driving then. Dean asks where he's driving.
Sam tells him about the case in Milton. He found it online. A first grade teacher bludgeoned her husband to death.Dean doesn't think it's unusual. Just some kind of "regular" crime. Sam thinks it might be a case of possession.
Dean suggests that Sam should go check out this possible case alone. Sam says he wants to find Abaddon too, but they've been going over everything for days and haven't found anything. Dean's afraid they missed something and wants to stay home and keep looking.
Sam thinks hunting would be a better use of their time than staying in the bunker, spinning their wheels. Dean yells back that maybe the don't HAVE time. Sam asks what's wrong with Dean. Dean says, "nothing". Sam points out that ever since Dean killed Magnus, he's been acting sort of obsessed.
Dean says he wants an end to this. He wants to find Abaddon, get the First Blade from Crowley, kill them both, and end it. Dean feels he's not obsessed, just doing his job.
Sam says he's just "checking in" with Dean. Dean says he's fine. Sam leaves, asking Dean to let him know if he finds anything.
Dean barely registers Sam leaving. Once Sam is out of the room, Dean takes out a bottle of whiskey and drinks straight from the bottle.
Sam arrives (in the Impala) in Milton, Illinois. He starts by talking to the local sheriff. The sheriff tells him that the deceased husband wasn't a bad person; wasn't abusive. Sam asks if anything else was weird. The sheriff says no (no sulphur, no black eyes). They go to the jail cell to talk to Karen (the murderer) and find her dead, hanging from a bed sheet. Suicide. Her hands are dripping blood and the walls of the cell are covered with writing.
As the body is wheeled out, the sheriff can't understand it. It seems she did nothing out of the ordinary on the day she murdered her husband; just went to the grocery store.
Back at the bunker....
Dean's phone rings. He picks it up slowly and reads the caller ID; it says "Sam Calling". He's trying to decide whether to answer or not. He finally, reluctantly, answers and puts Sam on speakerphone.
Sam gives Dean all of the details (or lack of details) he's found. He says if nothing else comes up before the next morning, he's heading back to the bunker. He asks Dean if he's made any progress on finding Abaddon. Dean hasn't found anything new. He tells Sam "good luck" and hangs up on him.
In Illinois, Sam looks at his phone and looks a bit hurt and confused that Dean just hung up.
At the bunker, Dean is staring at the empty whiskey bottle and appears to be having flashbacks to when he got the Mark of Cain and when he was last holding the First Blade in Magnus' house. His hand starts to shake a bit; like he wants to hold the Blade again and can't stop thinking about it. He tries to shake it off but it's obvious he's spooked.
Dean goes to make a call, but then thinks better of it and hangs up. He looks like he's going stir crazy so he grabs his coat and leaves the bunker.
In Illinois...
A teenager is walking down the side of the road trying to hitchhike. He's on his phone when a van pulls up and offers him a ride. An older man that the kid recognizes as "Mr. Ritchie" tells him to get in. Once inside, bright light floods the van and the kid screams. The back of the van has worn lettering that says "St. Bonaventure".
Elsewhere...
Sam is getting a salad at the local diner. The teenager (Billy) that we saw hitchhiking, stalks into the room, sits down, and starts eating off a plate of food with his bare hands. The waitress questions his manners and Billy yells back at her not to talk to him like that.
Sam stick up for the waitress, telling Billy to take it easy; she's working hard. Billy says everything is bothering him. He purposely pushes a glass off the table and it breaks on the floor. Sam tells Billy to give it a rest. The waitress says she's going to call his mom to come get him. Billy freaks out and grabs a knife, stabbing the waitress through the hand with it, pinning her hand to the counter. The waitress screams and Sam springs to action, grabbing Billy before he can do more damage to the waitress. Sam knocks Billy out.
Next, Billy is in the jail in a cell. As Sam and the sheriff walk down the row of cells, we see they are all filled with regular people who seem to have gone off the deep end. Some are writing on the walls in their own blood. The sheriff can't figure it out. They don't share anything in common. She sheriff tells Sam that Billy had been hitchhiking and a van picked him up, but that's all he knows.
Sam tries throwing some holy water on Billy and asks what he is. Billy says he's "clear". Clear of everything. Billy says he's doing these things because he wants to and because he can.
Sam calls Dean.
Dean's at a bar. He picks up. He sounds like he really doesn't want to talk to Sam. Sam comments that it took forever for Dean to pick up the phone. Dean tells Sam it's because he's working. He signals the bartender for another beer.
Sam tells him that more people have started acting out. Overly-aggressive and impulsive. Sam says the littlest things set the people off, then says it was kind of like him, when he didn't have a soul. Dean points out that Sam wasn't out of control like this. Sam thinks maybe everyone has a different reaction to being soulless.
Dean asks if it's a crossroads demon. Sam doesn't think so because he can't figure out what good thing is happening in these people's lives as the result of a demon deal. Dean says that was his best idea. Sam says he hopes not, he could really use Dean's help. The phone is silent. Sam asks if Dean's still there. Dean says he heard Sam ask, he just can't leave because he's "getting close" on finding Abaddon. Sam tells Dean to be safe and Dean hangs up.
From behind Dean in the bar, we hear Crowley's voice saying, "You're lying to Sam like he's your wife, which kind of makes me your mistress." Crowley smirks with satisfaction and Dean looks supremely irritated.
Back in Illinois...
Sam is looking through supermarket parking lot surveillance photos. He sees a parked van with Karen getting out of it. While Sam looks at the photos, he hears the sheriff's office front desk clerk talking to an older woman. The woman is saying that it's happening again and the demons are back. The desk clerk obviously thinks she's a crazy old lady and dismisses her.
Sam walks up and invites her to talk to him.
They sit down. The woman's name is Julia Wilkinson. She starts her story, then wonders why Sam is the only one who is taking the time to listen to her and is not phased by her talking about demons. Sam says he's more open-minded than most. She looks at Sam and says, "You're one of them, aren't you?". A Man of Letters. Sam is shocked.
Julia says the Men of Letters came to Milton in 1958. Sam is instantly very interested.
Julia begins her story in a flashback. She says she was very different then. She was a young nun. We see her (in 1958) answer the door to find a young priest (Henry Winchester) and a nun with him (Josie; later Abaddon).
Back in Kansas at the bar, Dean is at the pool table. He racks up the balls with his elbows (perfectly). Crowley is standing next to him. Dean asks Crowley what he wants. Crowley points out that Dean is the one who called him, unless he butt-dialed him. Dean doesn't appear to want to talk to Crowley.
Crowley says as long as he's there, they should chat. Last they talked, the plan was for Dean to find carrot-top. Dean says he's on it. Crowley says that unless Abaddon likes 10 cent wings, stale beer, and the clap, he doubts she's at this bar. He hands Dean the chalk to chalk his pool cue. Dean tells Crowley to go to hell. Crowley says, "if only".
Crowley asks what's going on with Dean because he calls Crowley and hangs up...he wants Abaddon, he doesn't want Abaddon. He wants the blade, he doesn't want the blade. Crowley thinks Dean is stalling.
Crowley asks Dean how he felt when he decapitated Magnus. Dean says not half as good as he'll feel when he takes off Crowley's head. Crowley says he loves it when Dean talks dirty to him. Dean is trying to ignore Crowley and shoot pool, but Crowley picks up the cue ball and stops his game. Crowley tells Dean he thinks that when he held the First Blade, he probably felt powerful and virile and afraid.
Dean scoffs.
Crowley tells Dean not to try to scam a scam artist. He's sure Dean is stalling because he's scared.
Back in Illinois, Julia continues her story. She says the man who showed up at the convent was Henry and the woman was named Josie. Sam struggles to understand. Julia says Henry and Josie were there to investigate Sister Mary Katharine who killed two people before jumping from the bell tower. They were posing as investigators from the Catholic church. Julia took them in to see Mother Superior and Sister Agnes.
In the flashback....Henry tries to get the Mother Superior to agree to their investigation a little faster. Sister Agnes says that Sister Julia will show them around wherever they want. Young Julia asks what they'd like to see first. Josie says they want to start with Sister Mary Katharine's room. Julia looks to Henry and ignores Josie. Henry repeats what Josie said and Julia nods.
When Julia is out of earshot, Josie says she hates nuns because of her Catholic school past. She asks Henry why he's all bent out of shape. Henry can't understand why they have to do this; go out in the field. Josie says it's about learning on the job. Josie says this is their last assignment before they become full members. Henry is worried that him wanting to join the Men of Letters might be a selfish endeavor on his part. Josie asks why he thinks it's selfish.
Henry says that if anything were to happen to him, what would become of John and Millie. Josie says they'd be proud to know he answered the call. Henry says his son would be fatherless and his wife would be a widow. He says he doesn't expect Josie to understand because she doesn't have a family. Then he stops in his tracks like he crossed some
sort of line. Josie looks hurt for a second but then quickly brushes it off telling Henry he's a good man and Millie is lucky to have him.
They get to Mary Katharine's room. The walls are covered with writing in blood that the nuns had attempted to clean.
Henry wonders if it's demonic possession. Henry says the writing looks ancient. Josie recognizes it as pre-Enochian.
She says it's a crest of some sort; she reads "knights of hell"? Henry looks worried. Josie asks what it means. Henry says it means trouble.
Back in the present, Sam asks Julia what knights of hell were doing there.
Back in 1958, young Julia is in her room; she says they were not allowed to leave their rooms after 10:00pm. But she hears something in the hallway and goes to check it out. She hears thudding and sees the Mother Superior dragging another nun down the stairs. She sees her black eyes and then turns to hide but is knocked out by Sister Agnes.
Young Julia wakes up in a room with a bunch of other people all tied to chairs and gagged. Another sister with black eyes enters. She takes one of the tied-up women and drags her away. Julia tells Sam she was terrified. She prayed for help, but God didn't answer. Henry and Josie did.
Henry and Josie come into the room throwing holy water on the demon nuns. They recite exorcisms and drive the demons from the bodies of the nuns. Henry and Josie look at each other like they can't quite believe it worked. As the Mother Superior enters the room (young Julia watches from her hiding place), Henry starts the exorcism again, but it doesn't work on her. She throws Henry against the wall.
The Mother Superior says that hunters are always sticking their noses where they don't belong. Josie says they're not hunters. Josie says they are "preceptors". Beholders and chroniclers of all that man doesn't understand. The Mother Superior is skeptical that there is a woman (Josie) amongst the Men of Letters. The demon nun laughs.
Josie tells the Mother Superior demon that she should know what the Men of Letters are capable of. The demon says she knows what they think they're capable of, but maybe she should see for herself. She walks over to Henry laying on the ground and says she thinks she'll "trade up" and possess Henry instead of the nun so that she can study the Men of Letters from the inside; as one of them.
Josie yells for her to stop. Then she tells the demon to take her instead of Henry. Josie argues that she could be more useful to the demon because people underestimate a woman. The demon nun says no, that's not it...she can tell that Josie is offering herself up instead of Henry because she's in love with Henry. By the look on Josie's face, she's right.
The demon Mother Superior tells Josie that Henry loves her too. Josie looks surprised and a little hopeful. The nun crushes that by specifying that Henry loves her "like a sister". Josie looks disappointed, but still asks that Henry be spared and that they take her instead. She gives the nun her permission to possess her.
The nun says she actually doesn't need her permission. She's Abaddon, and she takes what she wants. And right now, she wants everything. Black smoke pours from the Mother Superior's mouth into Josie's.
Young Julia sees it all.
Josie's eyes are black. Demon Sister Agnes asks Abaddon (now in Josie's body) if she's going to study the Men of Letters. Abaddon replies that she'll study them for a moment, then she'll destroy them. Demon Sister Agnes asks, "what of all this?" (whatever evil thing they are capturing people for at the convent) and Abaddon tells her to keep it going until she returns, then asks her to play dead. Agnes falls to the floor.
Abaddon pretends to be Josie and goes to revive Henry. She tells him they did it; they stopped the demons. She hugs Henry and we see her give an evil smile over his shoulder.
Back in the present....
Sam asks what Abaddon was doing down there. Julia says she never saw, but whatever was going on at St. Bonaventure, it seems to be happening again. Sam remembers the "St Bonaventure" on the back of the van from the security camera photos. Julia says the convent has been closed for years, but tells Sam where it is.
Back in Kansas...
Crowley is still at the bar talking to Dean. He says he loves this; good and evil "bro-ing" down. Dean tells him to shut his pie hole. Crowley is still insisting Dean is scared and Dean's still insisting that he's not. Crowley says Cain gave Dean his mark for a reason and instead of embracing it as the gift that it is, Dean is sulking and fighting what he really is.
Dean says he's a hunter who only kills for a reason and he's nothing like Cain. Crowley says he saw Dean and Cain together and Dean's delusional if he thinks he's nothing like Cain. Crowley says they're in this together; Dean and Crowley. Crowley gets up and Dean asks where he's going now. Crowley replies he's going to "water the lily" and asks Dean if he'd care to cross streams with him and accompany him to the bathroom which gets a massively fed-up eye roll from Dean.
Dean flashes back to Magnus telling him that the next time holding the blade will be easier; that he'll get used to the feelings that come along with it and even welcome them.
Dean looks down the bar and sees a guy he thinks might be a hunter; he has rosary beads out and he sees the guy reach for a knife as he heads towards the bathroom. Dean follows him.
Dean stops him before he goes into the bathroom. He introduces himself and tells the guy he knows a hunter when he sees one. He tells the guy he doesn't stand a chance with a regular knife up against a demon (Crowley, in the bathroom). The guy sounds like he wants to try anyway. He asks Dean to come with him if he has the nerve. Dean asks if he's ever taken on a demon before. The guy doesn't respond. Dean tells him to trust him; a demon will go
after everyone the guy cares about. The guy looks like he's thinking about it. He says his kid sister doesn't deserve that. He says his name is Jake and shakes Dean's hands. Jake backs off. Dean has just protected Crowley and knocks on the bathroom door telling Crowley they have to go.
In Illinois...
Sam pulls up to the old, abandoned (and apparently a real place) convent. He sees the old van parked up front.
In Kansas...
Dean is outside the bar. Crowley walks up. Dean points out that demons don't have to use the bathroom so the next time Crowley wants to shoot himself up with human blood he should find a better excuse. Dean says he thought Crowley was going to clean up his act. Crowley said he was going to, but decided to embrace his addiction instead.
Crowley tells Dean; it takes a junkie to know a junkie. He thinks Dean is obsessed with getting to touch the Blade again. Dean says he only wants to kill Abaddon and whatever happens with the Blade after that isn't his problem.
Dean says that whatever it takes to kill Abaddon, he's all in. He'll find Abaddon and Crowley will bring the Blade. He's sticking to their original plan. As Dean walks away, Crowley says "it's a date".
Jake the hunter walks up behind Crowley and says that he thought, for a second, that Dean had made him. Crowley tells Jake that Dean has other things on his mind right now. Jake confirms that Dean did exactly what Crowley said he would...he stopped Jake from trying to kill Crowley. Crowley says that now, after proving his loyalty like that, Dean's ready.
Back in Illinois...
Sam enters the abandoned convent, checking out the dark halls with a flashlight. Sam pulls out his demon knife. In the basement, he finds a rack with glass jars on it. Each jar glows with light. Sam is attacked from behind and turns quickly to stab "Mr. Ritchie" who is a demon. He falls to the floor. Then Sam is thrown to the ground. It's Sister Agnes. She picks up Sam's demon knife. She tells him that the lights in the jars are souls. If you break the jar, the soul will fly right back to its rightful owner.
Sam reasons that after all these years, Agnes is still doing Abaddon's dirty work. Agnes says it's gotten even dirtier; people used to believe in the church. It was easy to find victims then. Now they have to trick people into the van to get their souls. Sam mocks her saying that stealing souls is so noble. He tries to get up but Agnes knocks him back down telling him that stealing souls is winning.
"Winning what?" Sam asks.
Agnes says it's about winning hell's crown. Abaddon isn't going to sit around and wait while the demons take too long trying to choose a side between her and Crowley. Her plan is to make souls into demons to create a demon army loyal only to her. Sam, in pain, struggles to his feet. He points out that the don't have many souls in jars there; at this rate, it might work in a few million years. Agnes tells Sam that they have factories everywhere; she's not the only one. And she wants to take Sam's soul next. Sam starts to recite an exorcism, but Agnes grabs his throat so he can't speak.
Sam takes out his cell phone and activates it. Sam's voice reading an exorcism starts to play out of the phone. Good thing Sam has long arms...he holds the phone away from Agnes as she chokes him and she can't reach it. He throws it away from him as the recorded exorcism plays on.
It appears to be weakening Agnes and she finally has to let go of Sam's throat to crawl towards the phone. She drops the knife as she crawls. She reaches the phone and smashes it before the exorcism is complete. But in that instant, Sam has grabbed Ruby's knife and sinks it into Agnes' back, killing her.
Sam, breathing heavy, heads over to the glowing bottles. He opens one and a ball of light rises up. Sam watches it with reverence as it leaves the room. We see it fly into the jail and back into the body of Billy. He comes to his senses and looks down at his hands in handcuffs, confused.
Another ball of light follows the first and (very beautifully) floats slowly down the hall of the jail and into each person whose soul had been lost. They all look around in confusion.
Next we see Sam leaving the police station with Julia. Sam asks if he can ask her something. Julia responds; not if he's going to ask for a date. She never sees anyone under the age of 65; too much drama. Sam laughs and so does Julia.
Sam asks why Julia didn't warn Henry about Abaddon after she saw what she saw. Julia says she became a nun because she wanted to help people, but they never prepare you for how to act in the face of true evil.
In a flashback, we see Henry and Josie/Abaddon leaving the convent. Abaddon tells the nuns that for the safety of all involved, they need to keep what happened there to themselves. She looks pointedly at Julia. Young Julia says, "of course".
Back in the present, Julia tells Sam that she left the order soon after that because she was ashamed. She had betrayed everyone and herself. It's her greatest shame that she kept that secret about Abaddon and what she saw. Sam tells her that what she shared with him saved lives and he couldn't have done it without her. They tell each other to take care (what, no hug???). Sam leaves and Julia is lost in thought remembering Henry and Josie.
In her memory, Henry and Josie are in the car about to leave. Josie/Abaddon asks if Henry is okay. Henry seems energized. He tells Josie that they saved lives that day. They made a difference. Henry says that their work is a noble calling in spite of the risk. He says he feels like a fool for doubting it. Josie will say only that she feels like a whole new person. As they drive away Abaddon gives an evil look to a scared young Julia.
Back at the bunker...
Dean is still working on finding Abaddon. Sam comes in and grabs a book, dropping it down on another table. Sam sits down an tells Dean he was right. They need to find Abaddon as soon as possible. Sam tells Dean she's mining souls. Dean asks why. Sam says Abaddon is creating an army. Dean takes that in quietly as Sam turns on the light, cracks open a beer, and starts in on doing research. He and Dean are sitting at different tables, but it seems they now
have the same goal.
(The cello music in this one was gorgeous. The direction by Misha Collins was really excellent. It wasn't rushed and we were allowed to really appreciate the beauty and lighting of every scene. Excellent job, Misha!!!!) |
