Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes

• Will Sam be able to fix the Colt? And if so, can the Colt kill the nephilim?
• When Sam and Dean were talking about Castiel and trying to figure out his next move, Sam unwrapped the Colt. Is Sam thinking that they might have to use the Colt to kill Castiel if he goes too far?
• Ketch (again) mentions the "old men" who run the British Men of Letters. Who are they? What do they really want in America?
• What does Mary think she needs to "finish" before she can start being a better mother? Is she sincere when she tells Dean and Sam that she loves and misses them?
• Why didn't Sam wake up in the car? Is there something wrong with him? Or is he just tired (this episode takes place after he's been up a few nights in a row doing research).
• Sam noticed the missing-person poster at the same vegan restaurant Tasha had visited. If Tasha was working a case in that town, why didn't she notice that the man on the missing-person poster was staying at the same boarding house where she was staying?

• Jody Mills has an all points bulletin out on Castiel and Kelly.
• Mary now knows that Mick is dead and the British Men of Letters are monitoring Dean, Sam, Garth, Claire, and Eileen.
• When Mary opened her emails, she noticed and read the message from Mick, but left several messages from Dean and one from Sam unopened.
• Mary receives email alerts from Biggerson's.

• This is the 3rd episode of Supernatural directed by Richard Speight, Jr. Richard also directed "Just My Imagination" (season 11), and "Stuck in the Middle With You (season 12). Richard also played the Trickster (and the angel Gabriel) in the series, and he writes, directs, and produces episodes of the television comedy series "Kings of Con".
• The murders in this episode take place at the Mountain Slumber Boarding House in Rock River, Wyoming.
• This episode takes place the day after Castiel killed Dagon and took off with Kelly.
• The drive from Lebanon, Kansas (the bunker) to Rock River, Wyoming would have taken 7 to 8 hours.
• Tasha Banes drives a Smart Fortwo electric car.
• According to Supernatural lore, a "borrower witch" is a witch who gets her powers through a demon deal and therefore serves a demon. A "natural witch" is one who is born with the gift. Rowena, Max, and Tasha are natural witches.
• Linda Darlow, who played the witch in this episode, also played Ezra Moore, Elliot Ness' assistant hunter in "Time after Time" (season 7).
• The writers created several parallels between the Winchester brothers and the Banes twins, including Dean and Max passion for cars and weapons, one sibling being more devoted to the mission than the other, and one sibling making a demon deal to resurrect the other. Similarly, when Sam tells Dean that Tasha Banes is "on a hunting trip and hasn't been home in a week" this is meant to parallel the well-known line from the Pilot when Dean tells Sam "Dad's on a hunting trip, and he hasn't been home in a few days."

• Tasha tells Miss Beverly that she has a "muddy aura". Theoretically, an aura is a type of energy that surrounds living things. It is possibly an electromagnetic field, but some spiritualists believe they can see other people's auras. The aura is also believedto change its color andappearance based on the character of the person it surrounds. A muddy or brown aura might surround a person who is experiencing negative emotions or is terminally ill.
• Dean refers to Castiel's "Super Mario brothers power up". Super Mario Brothers was a Nintendo video game initially released in 1985. In the game, there are several items (such a mushrooms, a heart, or stars) that act as "power ups", giving the game characters enhanced abilities.
• Mr. Ketch tells Mary that the British Men of Letters don't need a "Jimney Cricket". Jimney Cricket is a character from the 1940 Walt Disney animated film "Pinocchio". In the cartoon, Jimney Cricket serves as a conscience to the wooden puppet-boy, Pinocchio. Mr. Ketch likely meant that the British Men of Letters don't need to feel guilty about what they're doing, because they're doing what must be done.
• Mr. Ketch says "the ends do justify the means". This quote is often attributed to Niccolo Machiavelli, from his 16th century book, The Prince. However, the origins of the phrase are uncertain. Nevertheless, the sentiment has been adopted to justify crimes, wars, and abuses in the name of trying to accomplish something positive.
• Mr. Ketch tells Mary that a trip to London to see the elders is not all "pints of Stout and trips to Savile row". Stout is a type of strong, dark beer; and Savile Row is a famous street in central London, known for its upscale shops that feature custom tailoring for men.

• "A Real One" -- by Raphael Lake, Aaron Levy, and Dumi Maraire (plays after Tasha opens the wine bottle)
• "Hush, Little Baby" -- Traditional lullaby, uncertain authorship (Miss Beverly hums it while working on one of her straw dolls)
• "In Peaceful Dreams" -- by Seasick Steve (plays as Max is resurrecting Alicia)

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EPISODE # 21: There's Something About Mary