The Spear

• Did Dark-Kaia seem to surrender her spear too easily? It’s her primary weapon (as far as we’ve seen) and without it her defenses are significantly limited. Why didn't Michael's monsters get to her before Castiel and Dean did? Did they get there first and make a deal with her? If so, what was the deal?
• What will Dark-Kaia do when she learns that her spear has been destroyed? What will she do when she learns that Jack is now powerless, and Dean lied to her to get her to surrender her spear?
• Dark-Kaia threatened to kill Dean if she didn’t get her spear back. Will she try to make good on that threat?
• When Dean was possessed before, Jack also said that Dean “didn’t matter”, and if killing Dean is the only way to stop Michael, they should do it. Will he try to do that now? If so, will Sam and Castiel be able to stop him?
• Who are the people in the AU that Dark-Kaia wants to protect?
• When will Dean and Sam learn about Castiel’s deal with The Empty? What will they do when they find out? How will they save Castiel? And what will happen to Jack if they break the deal?
• What will happen to Garth now that he’s one of Michael’s monsters? Will Sam and Castiel be able to use Garth’s psychic connection with Michael to track Dean? Can Garth still be trusted?
• With the spear and magic egg both destroyed, how will Sam and Castiel save Dean and defeat Michael? We learned a few episodes ago that Lucifer may be awake in the Empty, and that killing an archangel with an archangel blade (wielded by another archangel) doesn't kill the human vessel. Will that be an option?

• Garth and his wife, Bess, have a daughter now. We met Bess and her family of werewolves in "Sharp Teeth" (season 9)
• Sam called Garth out of retirement and convinced him to go undercover inside Michael’s organization. If something happens to Garth, Sam will likely hold himself responsible
• Mr. Ketch has been looking for the Newton-D-hyperbolic pulse generator (e.g. the magic egg that they used to expel Lucifer from his vessel when he was possessing the president of the United States in"LOTUS") and finally found it with an Hungarian rare weapons collector (Arpad Valko).The Winchesters and Castiel's plan was to use the spear to disable Michael, use angel-warded handcuffs to restrain him, and then use the magic egg to send Michael into the cage
• Jack used the Internet to learn how to pick a lock
• If Dark-Kaia is telling the truth, she came to our world to escape a life of running from monsters in the AU, but she found the same thing here (with Michael’s monsters chasing her). Also, her magic doesn’t work in our world. Now, she wants to return to the AU because there’s someone there she needs to protect
• Dean lied to Dark-Kaia about Jack’s ability to open a rift and help her get back to the AU
• Michael’s plan is to turn or kill every man, woman, and child in Kansas City, Missouri. He apparently tried to destroy Kansas City in the AU, but human resistance fighters stopped his plan from being completely successful. This time, by turning all the humans into his monster army, he expects better results
• Michael plans to keep Jack alive for millennia, until his powers return. Michel surmises that Jack’s loyalty to the Winchesters, Castiel, and humanity will fade over time
• Even though Michael has spent time perfecting his monster-making potion, 1-in-7 monsters still die/explode after drinking it
• If Michael is telling the truth, he left Dean’s vessel the first time because Dean’s devotion to Sam, Castiel, and Jack was causing him to resist possession. This time, Michael plans to crush Dean, keep him buried, and eliminate his bonds to the people in his life. Michael also revealed that he “left a door open” so he could repossess Dean at any time

• This episode makes several references to the 1988 Bruce Willis action movie, "Die Hard", about a New York City police officer who ends up battling a group of ruthless, sophisticated criminals. "Die Hard" is apparently one of Jensen's favorite films. The references to the film include Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" playing during the heroes walk; playing peppy, cheerful Christmas music while violence is happening; the use of a luxurious skyscraper as a crime scene (in Die Hard, the building was named Nakatomi Tower, and in this episode it was named Hitomi Plaza); and the idea of an unlikely underdog hero going up against a sophisticated bad guy with an elaborate plan
• Jack likes Crunch Cookie Crunch -- a fictional (and very sugary) breakfast cereal
• Sam misspoke with he mentioned sending Michael “back into the cage”. This Michael is from the AU and was never in the cage. The script addressed that point later in the episode when Jack told Michael that he is not really his “uncle” because Jack’s true uncle Michael is still in the cage in our universe (with Adam as his vessel)
• Dean was right about the mileage between the bunker (Lebanon, Kansas) and the recycling warehouse near Omaha, Nebraska. It would've taken Dean and Castiel about 3 1/2 hours to drive the 220 miles from Lebanon to Omaha, but Michael's monsters were slightly closer. Kansas City, Missouri is only 200 miles from Omaha (approximately a 3-hour drive). Similarly, Sam and Jack were 6 hours (377 miles) from the shipping distribution center in Joplin, Missouri; but Michael's monsters were closer. Kansas City is 157 miles from Joplin, so the drive would've taken about 2 1/2 hours. Of course, Michael could've arrived there any time he wanted, because of his wings
• Castiel said the name of the recycling center was Carter Lake recycling. Carter Lake is in Nebraska and approximately 10 minutes from downtown Omaha
• The actor who played Brett the vampire in this episode also played one of Crowley's demons in "Goodbye Stranger” (season 8)

• Garth's friend explained that once a monster ingests Michael's potion, the only thing that can be fatal is the “full Ichabod”, meaning beheading. This is a reference to Ichabod Crane, the protagonist in Washington Irving's 1820 novel The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The novel dealt with the Headless Horseman -- a malevolent spirit that preyed on inhabitants of a small town
• Garth's friend also referred to Michael's potion as a "chug jug". This is a reference to the online video game Fortnite, in which virtual players can consume a solution that gives them physical benefits
• Garth commented that a 1-in-7 chance of dying is “Russian Roulette odds”. Russian roulette is a torture/intimidation technique in which a revolver is emptied of all of its bullets except for one. Then, (normally while pointing the gun at the victim) the torturer spins the chamber so the victim doesn't know whether pulling the trigger will release a slug or not. Since traditional revolvers hold 7 bullets, the victim has a 1-in-7 chance of avoiding being shot
• Before Garth drinks Michael's potion, he utters a traditional Irish or Gaelic drinking toast "slainte", which means "health" or "to your health"

• "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" -- by Brenda Lee (plays during the teaser as Michael's monsters are murdering office workers)
• "Jingle Bells" -- by Elizabeth Oei (plays as Sam starts his raid of Michael's lair)
• "Ode to Joy" from Symphony No. 9 in D Minor - by Ludwig van Beethoven (plays during the heroes walk in the parking garage)

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More Season 14 Discussions

EPISODE #10: Nihilism