RECAP

At a church, a priest is at his desk as the radio plays a news report about the mysterious death of billionaire philanthropist Wallace Parker. The Archbishop comes in and tells the priest to turn off the radio, and says that they should stay focused on the Lord’s work. The priest offers his condolences, pointing out that Parker was one of their biggest donors, and the cardinal walks off. As he goes, the crucifixes on the walls turn upside down and his eyes glow red.

Sam and Dean arrive at the morgue to check on Parker’s corpse. The deputy coroner says that their colleagues are already inside, and the brothers find Crowley and Castiel waiting. Parker’s eyes were burned out, and Castiel explains that Parker was a powerful CEO. The brothers realize that Lucifer occupied Parker’s body and left it, killing him. Crowley warns that Lucifer is working his way up host-wise and is a lot more dangerous, and Castiel agrees.

Later, Sam checks Parker on the Internet and finds a newspaper phot of the Archbishop with Parker. In more recent photos, the cross around the Archbishop’s neck is missing. He cancelled more public appearances that morning, and Sam figures that Lucifer is inside the man.

That night, Sam and Dean drive to the church after no one answers their phone calls. No one responds when they knock, and the front door is unlocked. The power is out, and there is an injured priest on the floor. The priest explains that he saw the Archbishop’s strange behavior, and the senior staff decided to intervene with an exorcism. The brothers find the dead priests and nuns, who attempted the ritual, Continuing their search, they find the Archbishop, his eyes burned out.

A man sits in his bedroom and talk to Lucifer in his head, insisting that together they can bring a true era of spirituality to America. He agrees and the man accepts Lucifer’s guidance, unaware of who he’s dealing with. Lucifer takes over the man’s body and walks up to the window., chuckling. Meanwhile, Lucifer mentally speaks with the man, Jefferson Rooney, who is trapped in his body. Lucifer says that he needs help fine-tuning protocols to deliver all of the goodness that he promised. Jeff explains that they have a fantastic group of aides and will be appearing at fundraisers.

In the next room, a Secret Service agent named Bill hears Jeff apparently talking to himself. He looks in and hears “Jeff” saying that people will need to believe that h

e’s the President of the United States. Lucifer senses the agent and kills him.

Later, Lucifer tells the Secret Service that Bill died when he wasn’t looking. The head agent says that Bill died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage and they don’t see any evidence of foul play. His aide, Kelly Glen, asks if he would like to say a few words to God. Everyone kneels, and Lucifer awkwardly talks about how they need Lucifer. Jeff’s Bible burns his hand, and Lucifer says that they have to continue their work for the country. He finally announces “amen” and everyone joins in. Afterward, Kelly tells Lucifer that he knows the right thing to say and leaves.

Castiel looks at the photos of the dead priests, and Dean figures that they should start with Novel Peace Prize winners.

At the Presidential compound, Lucifer meets with Jeff’s aids. He suggests that they nuke a troublemaking country, and everyone assumes that it’s a joke. Once the others leave, Kelly approaches Lucifer and tells him that he’s way up in the polls. They end up in bed having sex, and Lucifer awkwardly cuddles. Kelly says that it’s kind of exciting keeping their relationship a secret, and wishes that they could make their feelings public. However, she figures that the public might not like it since Jeff is a widower. Kelly figures that his feelings for her are real because everything he does is real, and hopes that someday they’ll be a real couple. When she says that he’d make an amazing father, Lucifer smiles.

The head agent meets with her lord, Crowley, and tells him that there was an unnatural death near the President.

At the bunker, Crowley calls Dean and says that he has big news. Dean lowers the wards to let Crowley in, and he admits that he’s persona non grata in his own palace. He tells them that he knows who Lucifer’s newest vessel is and brings up a photograph of Jeff.

At the compound, Lucifer summons the head of his security detail, Rick Sanchez, and tells him that two mentally unstable individuals plan to assassinate him because they think he’s Satan. Rick insists that Satan is a comic book villain, and Lucifer says that Lucifer is more than that. He tells Rick that they have to handle the matter internally and tells rick to deal with it.

Sam calls Mick but gets his voice mail. He then returns to Dean and Castiel, while Crowley gets Rowena, Castiel warns that they have to extract Lucifer’s essence, and Dean confirms that the President’s party is in the Midwest on a fundraising swing. A hedge fund billionaire, Ron Forester, is hosting the President at his estate outside of Indianapolis.

Rowena’s newest fiancé is preparing to leave, and says that he’s going to heiress Mona Levin. He points out that Rowena’s credentials were unverifiable, and she realizes that he was scamming her. Crowley arrives and the man assumes that he’s the laundry man. When the man tells Rowena to get out, Crowley makes his head explode and Rowena says that it’s the sweetest thing her son has ever done for her.

Lucifer and Kelly are in bed again, and she says that the two of them together felt different. She thinks that something has changed but can’t identify what. Lucifer kisses and holds her, and says that maybe something has.

As Castiel brings coffee to the brothers, his hands shake and voices call over the angel radio. He tells the Winchesters that there’s a Nephilim has come into being. A Nephilim is the offspring of a human and an angel, but the power of the angel is much greater. They realize that Lucifer is the angel

The brothers and Castiel drive to Indianapolis and Sam calls Crowley to have him find out if the President has a girlfriend. Once he hangs up, he says that Crowley and Rowena will meet them. Meanwhile a police officer spots the Impala and calls it in. The Secret Service pull the Impala over, and Dean tells Castiel to stay in the car while he and Sam handle it. Rick and his men aren’t fooled by the brothers’ fake IDs, and Rick knows who they are. Dean attacks Rick and the other agents attack Sam. the agents finally draw their guns, and Castiel gets out and Dean tells him to stand down.

A car pulls up, and Ketch gets out and fires a grenade into the agents’ SUV. Everyone but Castiel takes cover, and Ketch tells him to wipe the agents’ memories. He asks the Winchesters who they’ve ticked off, and introduces himself.

That night, Ketch explains that Mick sent him to encourage the Winchesters to join the English Men of Letters. He says that Sam called them, and M ick figured that they were in trouble so he sent Ketch. When Dean wonders why they should believe him, Castiel admits that he isn’t lying but the truth is situational. Ketch says that he isn’t an ideologue and the British Men of Letters are eager to collaborate. He shows them they’re advanced monster-hunting weapons. He has an electromagnetic grenade that drives demons from the host body, and Sam asks if it will work on angels.

Later, Dean shows Crowley and Rowena the grenade. Sam figures that they have to get hold of Kelly, the woman that Crowley found out about. He figures that only one of them has a chance of getting into the estate, and everyone looks at Crowley.
At the estate pool. Kelly calls her friend Shelly and says that she’s pregnant. Crowley teleports in, grabs her, and teleports her out. The brothers tell her that Lucifer has possessed Jeff, and she’s understandably skeptical. Kelly admits that Jeff has been acting different recently, and Rowena say that they know Kelly is pregnant with his child. Castiel says that the unborn child is an abomination, and has her place her hand on a Bible. She does so and it bursts into flame at her touch. Kelly says that Lucifer knows that she’s pregnant, and Sam asks for her help.

Lucifer is considering a pardon to Charles Manson when Kelly calls and asks to meet with him. The Secret Service escort Lucifer to a motel and the agents go in to do a quick sweep. Kelly lets them in and the agents find no one else there. When they try to check the next room, Castiel wipes their memories and sends them out to their SUVs.

Lucifer enters the motel room and she says that she can’t have the baby. Lucifer chokes her and insists that she does. Sam comes in and activates the ward, and then sets off the grenade. It goes off, knocking Lucifer back as Dean and the others come in. Rowena casts the spell to remove Lucifer’s essence. Lucifer yells that it isn’t over, and Rowena completes the spell and sends Lucifer’s essence away. Jeff collapses, and Castiel confirms that he’s still alive but won’t remember anything. He takes Kelly out, and the Winchesters realize that they’ve finally got Lucifer.

The agents finally come out of their entrancement and come in. Castiel takes Kelly out via the side door, and the agents arrest the Winchesters for the attempted assassination of the President. Rick and his men arrive as the Winchesters are escorted out in handcuffs and taken away.

Castiel takes Kelly to a diner and she asks for a moment alone. She pretends to go to the bathroom but sneaks out the side. Castiel finally realizes that something is wrong and calls to Kelly through the door, but gets no answer. Meanwhile, Kelly calls a taxi and gets in. She calls Castiel and says that she can feel the baby inside of it and she can’t kill it. Castiel insists that it’s the spawn of Lucifer, but she says that it’s her child and hangs up.

The hummer transporting Sam and Dean heads down the highway.

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GUEST STARS

	Mark Sheppard	…	Crowley (as Mark A. Sheppard)
	Misha Collins	…	Castiel
	Ruth Connell	…	Rowena MacLeod
	David Chisum	…	President Jefferson Rooney / Lucifer
	Courtney Ford	…	Kelly Kline
	Adam Fergus	…	Mick Davies
	David Haydn-Jones	…	Arthur Ketch
	Stephen Lobo	…	Rick Sanchez
	Mark Brandon	…	Louis
	Michael Querin	…	Archbishop
	Eddie Flake	…	Deputy Coroner
	Kathleen Duborg	…	Head Secret Service Agent
	Philip Prajoux	…	Priest

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TRAILER/CLIPS

Trailer

Sneak Peek

MUSIC

“Take Five” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
(playing from Mr. Ketch’s car as he blows up the Secret Service SUV)

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QUOTES

Crowley: Lucifer’s not content with slutting it from one random vessel to the next. He’s moving on to blue chips — celebrities, captains of industry. He just got a lot more dangerous.

Castiel: Ugh. These pictures… The level of violence, it’s completely unnecessary.
Sam: Lucifer doesn’t like being messed with. I guess when the archbishop’s priests figured out he was possessed, they tried to keep it quiet, do an an exorcism. I mean, not that it would’ve worked. Lucifer blew town, but not before he slaughtered the entire staff. So we were on the right trail. Where’s it go now?
Dean: I don’t know. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize? Why don’t we start there?

Sam: Crowley, can we just get the damn news without the drama?
Crowley: Can I get you without the flannel? No. Still, I endure.

Castiel: Something’s happened. Something… Angel radio… There are so many voices.
Dean: What are they saying?
Castiel: There’s been a massive surge in celestial energy. A Nephilim is come into being. It’s the offspring of an angel and a human.
Dean: And that’s big news?
Castiel: Yes, but the power to produce this is immense. It’s much, much greater than a typical angel.
Sam: Lucifer.
Dean: W– Lucifer? I didn’t know he was dating.

Kelly: Who are you people?
Rowena: Well, dear, I’m a witch. He’s an angel.
Crowley: And I’m the King of Hell.
Kelly: Oh, God.
Castiel: No, actually, He left.

Lucifer: This isn’t over, Sam!
Sam: Go to Hell!
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TRIVIA

“LOTUS” is a play on the acronym POTUS (President of the United States), in this case standing for “Lucifer of the United States.”
As Lucifer is walking down the hall in the body of the archbishop, crosses begin turning upside down. An upside down cross, or Cross of St. Peter is actually a Christian symbol; only in the last few decades has it been tied to anti-Christian imagery.
Castiel / Crowley: Agents.
Dean: Okay, this has gotta stop. All right, give me that.
Crowley: Armani!

Armani is an Italian luxury fashion brand known for their suits, shoes, watches, and other accessories.

Castiel: I agree with Agent Zappa.

Reference to musician Frank Zappa.

Dean: Well, we’ll have a look around. If it is Lucifer, we’ll call the rest of the Scooby Gang.

Scooby Gang was the name of the team consisting of Buffy Summers’ friends and colleagues on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This, in turn, was a reference to the meddling kids (and their dog) who solved crimes together on the animated series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and its associated spin-offs, reboots, and movies.

Castiel: Well, at least he’ll be outside of the mansion.
Sam: Yeah, guarded like the Hope Diamond.

The Hope Diamond is one of the most well-known jewels in the world, weighing at 45.52 carats.

Rowena: And what does your heart know about me?
Sugar Daddy: It knows that it’s fond of you. But your credentials were unverifiable. Financial holdings, Royal Ballet, none of it!

The Royal Ballet is one of the largest and most renowned ballet companies in the world. As a child, Ruth Connell was accepted into the Scottish Ballets Vocational Dance Education Scheme, winning the Scottish Junior Ballet Championship and Scottish Senior Ballet Championship at Stage Festivals in Scotland as a teenager.

Sam: Do we have a plan?
Dean: Impeach LOTUS and find Rosemary’s baby.

Impeachment is the process by which Congress removes the president from office, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
Rosemary’s Baby is a 1968 horror movie about a woman who gives birth to the son of Satan.

Sam: I-I didn’t, uh… I hung up.
Mr. Ketch: Yes, you did. Which made Mr. Davies think that you were in trouble. Which you were. So he rings me. Bing, bang, boom, meet Bob, he’s your uncle. Oh, and um, you’re welcome. Hmm?

“Bob’s your uncle” is an English expression for “everything will be fine.”

Mr. Ketch: Mm. The toys are the fun part, hmm? Hyperbolic Pulse Generator. Exorcisms are unreliable. This device emits a force which drives the possessing demon from the vessel.

“Hyperbolic comes from the mathematics principal of hyperbola.

Kelly: Jeff’s been under a lot of stress. He…
Crowley: Wrong. He’s the Devil. Horns, pitchfork, the whole nine.

The whole nine yards is an American colloquial phrase denoting something being done “all the way.”

Lucifer: I grant a full pardon… Hmm… to Charles Manson.

Charles Manson is an American criminal and was the leader of the Manson Family, most famous for orchestrating the brutal murder of actress Sharon Tate and her friends in 1969.

 
The episode aired exactly one month after the U.S. presidential election.
Before this episode the only other time there has been an inverted crucifix in the presence of Lucifer has been in 4.22 Lucifer Rising, when Azazel speaks with Lucifer through the dead nun conduit in the church.
This was the first episode since 4.20 The Rapture that angelic possession has been visualized by a beam of light enveloping a vessel.
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