Unfinished Business

• Was Gabriel lying about whether revenge made him feel better?
• Will Gabriel keep his word and help the Winchesters?
• Was Loki right about Gabriel? Will he end up dying for nothing?
• What will Jack do now? Will he still try to go after Michael?
• Was Sam's statement prophetic? Will he and Dean die together in the season 13 finale?

• According to one of the rebels in the AU, the apocalypse battle there has been going on for 8 years, which would mean it happened at the same time the season 5 apocalypse would have happened in this world
• Michael promised Kevin Tran that he'd get to see his mother in heaven if he obeyed Michael's orders
• Dean and Sam put the demi-god's body into a car crusher to destroy it instead of burning a body like they normally do
• Unless Kevin Tran was lying, there's a place "South of the wall" where the wall between worlds is thin. Michael plans to lead his armies there so they can pass through into this world
• Centuries ago, Gabriel wanted to flee heaven and the fighting between his brothers, and go into hiding. He found Loki, who was being held prisoner by his father, Odin, and freed him. Loki agreed to let Gabriel assume his appearance and identity (as the Trickster) if Gabriel agreed to renounce his family's violence and not participate in it.
• Gabriel kept his promise to Loki until he decided to fight Lucifer in season 5 ("Hammer of the Gods"). During that episode, Odin was killed. Loki blamed Gabriel for Odin's death, and also for breaking his word. So, after helping Gabriel hide in Monte Carlo for a period of time, Loki and his sons kidnapped Gabriel and sold him to Asmodeus to punish him
• According to Gabriel, Asmodeus tortured him every day for years

• This is the 5th episode of Supernatural directed by Richard Speight, Jr. Speight also directed "Just My Imagination", "Stuck in the Middle with You", "Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes", and "War of the Worlds". This is the first time Richard has directed a Supernatural episode in which he also played two of the main characters (Gabriel and Loki)
• The Trickster historically has a sweet tooth. In this episode, Loki is seen eating candy, which suggests that the lore was right about that detail
• Several references were made to the season 5 episode "Hammer of the Gods". The elevator music that played when Dean, Sam and Gabriel were on their way to kill Loki was also playing in the lobby of the Elysium Hotel in "Hammer of the Gods". Also, when Loki reveals that he holds Gabriel responsible for Odin's death, that death (at the hands of Lucifer) happened in the same episode
• Dean, Sam and Gabriel briefly mention "Casa Erotica 13", the fictional porno film that Gabriel used to get is hidden message to the Winchesters at the end of "Hammer of the Gods"
• Sandy Robson, the actor who played Fenrir in this episode, also played Redd, a demon, in season 6 "The Man Who Would Be King"
• Michael Adamthwaite, the actor who played Narfi in this episode, also played a security guard at Roman Enterprises in season 7 "The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo"
• We learned in season 2 "Houses of the Holy" that Dean likes Magic Fingers beds. The bed in this episode would've been even better, because no coins were required to activate it
• In the AU, Jack announced to Mary that he killed the angel Balthazar. In our world, Balthazar was killed by Castiel in season 6 "The Man Who Knew Too Much"
• The sigil carved into Kevin's chest has been used previously by angels to detonate themselves and kill other angels. We saw this weapon used in season 9 "Stairway to Heaven" by an angel, and by Tessa the reaper. We also saw it used by Gadreel in "Do You Believe in Miracles", but this is the first time we've seen it used by someone who was not an angel or reaper
• This is the first time we've seen Jack's wings

• In Judeo-Christian lore, the archangel Gabriel plays a trumpet. The kazoo Gabriel was playing in this episode could have been a spoof of that. It could also have been a nod to the Supernatural convention attendees, who have seen Richard Speight, Jr. and other cast members play kazoos during the evening concert that occurs at each convention
• Several elements of this episode are nods to the Quentin Tarantino films "Kill Bill" (volume 1, 2003 and volume 2, 2004) in which an assassin played by Uma Thurman seeks revenge against the people who wronged her. These elements include Gabriel's kill list, his elaborate plan to kill his enemies, the special swords he used to kill each demi-god, the spaghetti western music that plays during some of the scenes, and Dean's reference to "Uma" (i.e. actress Uma Thurman, who stars in the Kill Bill films) when he asks Gabriel about the plan
• Richard Speight, Jr. also alluded heavily to several Quentin Tarantino films in "Stuck in the Middle With You" (season 12), which he directed
• According to Norse mythology, Loki has six children. Narfi, Sleipnir (an 8-legged horse ridden by Odin), and Fenrir (a giant wolf) have a sister named Hel, a brother named Jornungandr (a giant snake), and another brother named Vali
• According to Norse mythology, Gabriel was telling the truth about Loki. Loki's constant mischief had become an annoyance to the other gods, so they plotted to harm him. Loki ran away and hid for a time, but was eventually caught. His father, Odin, and the other gods bound him to a rock inside a cave and positioned a venomous snake above him to drip poison into his face. According to the lore, the snake venom caused Loki to convulse, which was the believers' explanation for earthquakes
• Gabriel complained that he could sense Rowena's tracking spell, and it tasted like Haggis. Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish consisting of sheep's stomach stuffed with other sheep organs (heart, liver, and lungs), oats, onions and spices
• According to Michael's map, there is a wall between the United States and Mexico, and Michael was leading his armies "South of the wall" to a place where the wall between worlds is thin and crossing into our world would be easier. During the 2016 US presidential campaign, candidate Trump made building a wall separating the US from Mexico a key campaign promise. The show may be suggesting that Trump won the 2016 election and built the wall. However, if the apocalypse started during season 5, the US, Mexico, and the rest of the world would have been in ruin by 2016, so it's unlikely that the elections that year would have taken place
• Gabriel teased Dean and Sam, declining to join their "band of merry men". He was alluding to the fictional hero Robin Hood, and his followers who were called Merry Men
• Gabriel jokes with Dean and Sam, mentioning the amount of personal lubricant in the "SFV"; this alludes to California's San Fernando Valley, an important venue in the adult film industry

• None

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EPISODE #21: BEAT THE DEVIL