Soul Survivor

• Is Dean really back to his old self? Will the Mark of Cain continue to affect him?
• How will Dean get rid of the Mark? Can Sam help him?
• How long will Cas' "borrowed" grace sustain him?
• Where did Rowena come from and what does she want?
• Sam did cross a line. Will encouraging someone to sell their soul come back to haunt him?
• Why didn't Sam use his own blood for the cleansing ritual, as he did with Crowley?
• Why was the last part of the ritual -- the "bloody fist sandwich" and the chant "lustra" -- left out?

• Sam persuaded Lester into selling his soul so he could get his hands on a crossroads demon to try to find Dean.
• The demon purification ritual was much harder on Dean than on Crowley - because of the Mark of Cain perhaps?
• Crowley needs Cas alive and well.
• Despite Crowley's statement that he's not "sentimental" about Dean, he daydreams about their time together and seems to miss him.
• Dean keeps a few family photos hidden in his room. Considering their location (in a notebook) he likely looks at them from time to time.

• This episode marks Jensen Ackles' fourth time in the Supernatural director's chair. His other episodes are "Weekend at Bobby's" (season 6), "The Girl Next Door" (season 7), and "Heartache" (season 8).
• Sam got the blessed blood from St. Agatha's Hospital.
• Mark Sheppards son, Max, makes a brief appearance as one of the demons in Crowley's throne room.
• Despite the facts that Castiel crashed the car in the previous episode, and Hannah does not need to sleep, Castiel is driving again in this episode.
• When Hannah his driving, they pull over at the abandoned "Star Brite Drive In" to check the map and find their way. The visual effects crew inserted that deteriorating sign as a backdrop.
• The fight with Edina happens at "Lil' Levi's" gas station. This is a nod to Jensen's nephew, Levi.
• When DemonDean looks through the kitchen drawer for a weapon, the script called for him to choose the meat cleaver, but Jensen protested and got his way -- choosing the claw hammer instead.
• Dean asks Cas if Sam "wants a divorce"; the Winchesters have joked before about being like a married couple.

• When DemonDean is taunting Sam, he says Sam was trying to "get a 20" on him and Crowley. This refers to a shortened version of "10-20" -- a code from a communication system used by truckers. 10-20 indicates a specific location or a person or object.
• A "wing man" is a friend that someone might bring with him to a bar to help increase the chances of picking up a woman.
• Self-immolation is a form of protest in some cultures.
• The scene when DemonDean breaks through the door with a hammer is a nod to the Steven King book (and movie) "The Shining".

• "Shot Full of Heartache" -- by Peter Malick and Amyl Justin (plays at the bar when Sam is talking to Lester)

See below for the discussion thread for this episode.

EPISODE 1004: PAPER MOON