The Thing

• Was Asmodeus right? Has Mr. Ketch done so much wrong that he can't be redeemed? Is Mr. Ketch trying to be redeemed?
• Why didn't Gabriel escape on his own? Isn't an archangel (even a handcuffed one) more powerful than a demon?
• Asmodeus has powers that Lucifer didn't give him when he created him. Has Asmodeus gained his additional abilities from injecting archangel grace? What will happen to the demon when he suddenly can't get his injections?
• Is Mr. Ketch really safer in the alternate universe where Asmodeus can't find him?
• Is Gabriel safe in the bunker if Asmodeus realizes he's missing? Can Sam protect Gabriel -- especially if Dean isn't there to help?

• The bunker has an archive room that we've never seen before
• Asmodeus seems to have an addiction to archangel grace, much like Crowley developed an addiction to human blood
• The Men of Letters have at least 9 Chapter houses. Chapter house #1 is in Jamestown, Virginia; and #7 is in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. We also learned of chapter houses in St. Louis, Missouri and Missoula, Montana in season 10 "The Werther Project"

• Dean and Sam took Sandy to Krispy's Diner
• Supernatural has dealt several times with various types of addiction, including Sam's demon blood addiction, Crowley's addiction to human blood, and Dean's (sort of) addiction to violence when he had the Mark of Cain (in the sense that if Dean didn't kill often enough, the Mark would sicken and kill him)
• When Sam sees Gabriel alive, he utters that they saw the archangel die. However, in "Hammer of the Gods" (Season 5), Gabriel holds Lucifer at bay until the Winchesters and Kali (Gabriel's goddess ex-girlfriend) escape, so the Winchesters never actually see the fight in which.Lucifer kill Gabriel
• Yokoth and Glythor aren't actual pagan gods

• According to the Old Testament in the Christian bible, King Solomon was one of the great kings of ancient Israel. There have been rumors for centuries about a hidden collection of priceless artifacts (including the Ark of the Covenant) that are thought to be part of a great treasure that belonged to Solomon
• The state of Israel was founded in 1948. When the Men of Letters found Solomon's treasure in 1917, the area was part of Palestine
• The episode's title "The Thing" may refer to the 1951 film "The Thing from Another World" and the 1982 remake "The Thing". The horror films were both about an alien life form that could imitate humans and hide among us until it kills (and/or reproduces)
• Dean jokes about the Seal of Solomon being like "kryptonite" because the Men of Letters recorded that the stone was "of the cosmos". In the DC Comics' "Superman" comic book series and films, kryptonite stones are from Superman's original planet of Krypton
• For this episode, the concept of opening a portal into an alternate universe inhabited by tentacled monsters may have had its origins in the horror novels of H.P. Lovecraft (1890 - 1937), which dealt with similar monsters. Lovecraft's writings have been mentioned before on the show, in season 6 ("Let it Bleed")
• Asmodeus' demon guards appeared to be watching cat video memes, a YouTube and social media phenomenon in which people record videos of cats dressed in costumes, and insert humorous captions before posting the videos online
• "Stuffies" are a New England dish consisting of a breaded clam cake served on a half shell
• During the prohibition (1920 - 1933) a "speakeasy" was a secret bar -- usually a private residence or club -- where people could obtain alcohol
• Dean comments that the Men of Letters "Buffalo Billed" Sandy when they kidnapped her. He was referring to a fictional serial killer, Buffalo Bill, from the 1991 horror-suspense film "Silence of the Lambs". In the film, the serial killer abducted women, killed them, and used their skin to make things. The original "Buffalo Bill Cody" (1846 - 1917) was many things, including a bison hunter who likely traded bison hides for profit
• Marco and Ophelia tell Sam that their great-grandfather, Diego Avila went crazy "Jim Jones style" when he created a cult of followers and opened another dimension to create a utopia. This refers to the Reverend Jim Jones of the Peoples' Temple church. Jones told his followers that they would build a Utopian.society in Jonestown, Guyana, but he eventually orchestrated a mass suicide among his devotees in 1978
• Dean comments that Yokoth's tragic love story is like a "Hallmark movie". The Hallmark television channel is known for broadcasting sad/tragic romantic films
• Dean has commented before about his enjoyment of various types of pornography; this may be the first time the show has lightly dealt with the tentacled variety
• Dean comments to Sandy/Yokoth about a kinky "Gatekeeper-Keymaster" thing" referring to a plot element from the 1984 comedy film "Ghostbusters" in which one supernatural creature (the gatekeeper) must perform a ceremony to bring the other creature (the keymaster) into this world
• Dean jokes that he came very close to having an "inter-dimensional" booty call. A "booty call" is a phone call -- especially in the middle of the night -- in which one person invites the other over to have sex

• "Better Luck Next time" -- by Jay Ramsey (plays on the jukebox in the diner)

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EPISODE #18: BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE