RECAP

At a diner, Ketch tells his guest to tell him a story.

5:20 PM

Danny hits on the waitress, Mandy, without any success. Sam, Castiel, Mary, and Wally are there and order, and Mandy flirts with Castiel. Meg’s cellphone rings and she says that a Hunter needs her help. Sam complains about the lack of Internet, and Dean lectures Castiel about hitting on waitresses. Mary finally interrupts and tells them to shut up, and reviews their target’s schedules. Wally explains that their target, a demon, likes to fish and admits that he hasn’t fought demons before. He called them for help and, Mary makes sure everyone is clear on the plan. Mandy comes back and Dean asks her on behalf of Castiel when she gets off.

Later, Mary brings a wounded Castiel in and he clutches at the stomach wound. Outside, Sam fights one of the demons and manages to kill it. The other demon–Ronnie—kills Wally and prepares to kill Sam. However, Dean kills her from behind.

The Wounded Angel

Castiel is sitting in a car listening to a Fundamentalist preacher when the Winchesters arrive.

Earlier

The Winchesters get out and Mary introduces Wally. Castiel joins them and explains that Kelly has disappeared, and Wally realizes that Lucifer’s kid isn’t a joke. They go into the diner and review their plan to take out the demon., and Mary assures Wally that everything will be fine.

That night, the team sets up at the demon’s house. Sam draws a Devil’s Trap and Dean loads Devil’s Trap bullets. Castiel approaches Mary as she comes up from the basement and she claims that she was in the bathroom. Wally on lookout calls Mary and says that the demon is coming back early. They hear him whistling and ready their weapons. The demon walks up the front steps and comes in, and Dean shoots him. The demon ignores the bullets and avoids the Devil’s Trap. Sam stabs it in the side, but it knocks him down and casually pulls the knife out. He seals the doors behind him, locking out Sam and Dean, and then slaps the gun out of Mary’s hands as his eyes turn yellow.

Castiel grabs the demon from behind and tells her to run. As the demon throws Castiel out the window, Harry runs up and tells the Winchesters that two more demons are coming. Dean goes after Castiel while Sam and Wally fight Ronnie and the other demon.

The demon draws a sword and stabs the wounded Castiel with a fishing pike.

Ronnie kills Wally.

Castiel tries to crawl away, and Mary runs over the demon. She takes the angel to a nearby abandoned bar and Castiel says that he can’t heal himself. Sam calls and asks where they are, and Mary gives him their location. Castiel passes out as Mary tells Sam that they’re not okay.

9:05 PM

When Sam and Dean arrive, they tell Mary that Wally is dead. As Dean tends to Castiel, Sam wonders how the demon brushed off everything that threw at him. Mary says that the demon had yellow eyes and Sam wonders what she got them into.

Mother Mary: 11 hours ago – 10:07 AM

Mary drives Wally to the demon’s house and says that she needs help with him. She says that if Sam and Dean think that they’re helping Wally then they won’t ask the wrong questions. Mary has photos of the demons, and Wally asks if she trusts the Men of Letters that she got the photos from. He figures that their offer is too good to be true, and Mary points out that that she’s saved a lot of people since she start working with the Men. However, she doesn’t say that she trusts them.

Later, they go to the diner and Wally talks about the Men of Letters. Dean points out that they killed Sam.

8:23 PM

The group approaches the house and goes inside while Wally stands watch. Inside, Sam asks Mary if she’s okay. She says that she’s fine even though she’s Hunting again, and looks outside. Mary then goes into the house’s basement and uses a piece of Men of Letters equipment to open a hidden vault door. She removes a metal box and confirms that there’s an object inside, and then pockets it. Mary comes up just as Castiel comes in, and she says that she went to the bathroom.

9:03 PM

Mary binds Castiel’s wound and then texts the Men. When she says that the Yellow Eyed Demon was there, her contact says that it was bad intel and tells her to get out before the Demon comes for them. Castiel wakes up and calls to her, just as Sam and Dean arrive. Sam asks where the other demons came from, and Dean checks Castiel’s wound. Castiel says that the demon’s spear was poisoned and he’s dying, but Dean tells his friend that he just needs some to heal normally. He calls Sam and Mary over, and Crowley comes in and says that they’re all going to die.

Mary realizes who Crowley is, and says that if he touches her then she’ll kill him. Sam realizes that the demons were Crowley, and Crowley says that Wally was stupid. He says the name Ramiel, and Castiel explains that Ramiel is a Prince of Hell… and will kill all of them. Crowley explains that the Princes are the oldest of the old demons, and they led the war against heaven.

Six Years Ago

Crowley and Ronnie visit Ramiel.

Mr. Crowley

Crowley explains that he’s the King of the Crossroads, and Hell sent him. He offers the Lance of Michael, and Ramiel admires it. The second gift is from Crowley: a box. Ramiel examines the contents and is surprised that Crowley found it. Crowley says that it’s Ramiel’s coronation gift, and he wants Ramiel to be king of Hell. Ramiel is next in line, but Ramiel says that he doesn’t want it and suggests that Crowley take it. Crowley asks about the other Princes, and Ramiel says that all of them except Azrael are happy where they are and aren’t interested. Crowley quickly says that he’ll take the throne, and Ramiel warns him there is one thing. Crowley has to leave the Princes alone and makes sure that everyone else does. If he doesn’t then he will piss the Princes off, and they’ll be pissed at Crowley as well. Crowley immediately accepts.

Now

Crowley says that his demons were there to keep people away from Ramiel. They explain how Castiel got stabbed, and Crowley says that the weapon was the Lance of Michael. It kills everything that it touches, slowly rotting away angels. Dean insists that there’s a cure and they’ll beat it out of Ramiel. Crowley says that they might manage if they had more time, but they don’t. dean tells Crowley to help them or get out, and Crowley teleports away.

9:07 PM

Ramiel approaches the barn, whistling, and the Winchesters prepare to fight. Crowley approaches the Prince and asks what he can do to keep him out of the barn. Ramiel says that he can smell Castiel rotting, and Crowley says that they’re allies, not friends. The Prince doesn’t believe him, but Crowley points out that the Winchesters have stopped every Armageddon and they’re an asset that they can’t afford to lose. Ramiel reminds Crowley about their agreement, and Crowley suggests that they make another deal.

As the Winchesters wait, Ramiel throws Crowley through the barn wall and walks in.

A Real barn Burner

Crowley teleports away.

9:12 PM

The rot spreads across Castiel’s body, and he tells them to go. He thanks them for supporting him and changing him for the better, and says that they’re his family. Castiel admits that he loves all of them and doesn’t want to see them die. He tells them to run while he holds Ramiel off, but they refuse to leave family behind. Sam and Dean call Mary over and say that they’ll hit Ramiel with everything that they’ve got.

Now

Sam lights a circle of holy oil around Ramiel. Ramiel looks casually at the flames, and the Winchesters demand the cure for Castiel. The Prince says that there is no cure, and doesn’t care who they are or why they’re there. He knows about Lucifer’s child, but doesn’t care. Ramiel says that they stole from him, and he cannot abide it. He tells them to give him back what is his or he’ll take it from their bodies, and gives them thirty seconds.

Sam and Dean have no idea what Ramiel is talking about. Time runs out, and Ramiel takes out the Lance and slams it into the ground, extinguishing the flames. The Winchesters attack him and he easily fends off their attacks. However, Sam manages to grab the Lance and stab Ramiel with it. He laughs and then disappears.

Castiel groans in pain, and the Winchesters go to him as he rots away. Crowley wakes up and picks up the discarded Lance, and remembers what Ramiel said about the craftsmanship. He breaks the Lance and a white glow fills the barn. Castiel is healed, and Crowley explains that the magic was in the craftsmanship. The demon says that they’re welcome and teleports away.

As the Winchesters help Castiel to his feet, and the angel wonders what Ramiel means about someone stealing from him. Dean figures that Ramiel was insane and says that they should leave.

One Last Thing

Ketch tells Mary that she did well. He insists that they didn’t know Ramiel was a Prince of Hell, and they apologize for the inconvenience. Mary promises to burn the Men of Letters down if anything similar happens again. Ketch says that they made a mistake and apologizes, and then asks to see the item. Mary takes the package out of her pocket and puts it on the table. As he unwraps the Colt, Mary says that there are only five things in Creation that it can’t kill. Ketch assures her that he knows.

In Hell, Crowley calls his minions and tells them to search the house and find him the Colt. Once he hangs up, his prisoner laughs. He says that Sam and Dean don’t care about Crowley, and eventually they’ll come for him. Crowley tells his “dog” to shut his mouth, and the prisoner says that it isn’t his name.

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GUEST STARS

	Jared Padalecki	…	Sam Winchester
	Jensen Ackles	…	Dean Winchester
	Mark Sheppard	…	Crowley (as Mark A. Sheppard)
	Misha Collins	…	Castiel
	Samantha Smith	…	Mary Winchester
	David Haydn-Jones	…	Arthur Ketch
	Donavon Stinson	…	Wally
	Jerry Trimble	…	Ramiel (as Jerry Trimble Jr.)
	Mark Pellegrino	…	Lucifer
	Jennifer Cheon	…	Ronnie
	Donna Benedicto	…	Mandy

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Episode Stills

Episode Screen Captures

TRAILER/CLIPS

Trailer

Tick Tick Tick Promo

Sneak Peek

MUSIC

“Lover Boy” (Instrumental) by Toodlum Barker & Emil Lomax (Extreme Music)
(playing in the diner as the group formulates a plan)

“Walk with a Winner” by Gene McDaniels
(playing while the Winchesters kill the demon)

“La donna è mobile” by Giuseppe Verdi
(whistled by Ramiel as he enters his house and later the barn)

“Not for Me” by Bobby Darin
(playing as Mary and Wally stake out Ramiel)

“Crop Won’t Ever Come” by Robin Loxley & Jay Hawke (Extreme Music)
(playing as Crowley meets with Ramiel six years ago)

“Colt .45 Opening Theme” by Hal Hopper & by Douglas Heyes
(sung by Lucifer in Crowley’s prison cell)

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QUOTES

Wally: Hell. Look, I was just passing through and I heard about some cattle mutilations.
Sam: Classic demon sign.
Wally: I started to dig. A lot of virgins go missing around here, too.
Dean: Classic horny demon sign.

Sam: Wait, Mom? Um… I just wanted to make sure that, um… you’re okay. I mean, I know… you never really wanted this.
Mary: Since when is life about getting what you want?

Sam: We took down the Darkness and the Devil.
Crowley: It took you years to defeat Lucifer, and the power of God to stop the Darkness. Maybe if you had more time, you could manage Ramiel. But right now, in this barn… Hey, I was growing fond of the choir boy, too.

Crowley: I don’t have friends. I make deals with those I can use. Every kingdom needs allies, even Hell.
Ramiel: Allies. Is that what you call three humans with one good liver between them and a busted-up angel?
Crowley: I admit, they don’t sound like much. But every Armageddon, every bloody ‘this is the end of all things,’ a Winchester stopped it. Like it or not, they’re an asset we can’t afford to lose.

Mary: Shut up. Anything like that happens again — anything — and I will burn you down. All of you.
Mr. Ketch: Is that a threat?
Mary: It’s a promise.

TRIVIA

“Stuck in the Middle (With You)” is a reference to the Dylan-esque pop bubble gum favorite of the same name from 1974 by British folk/rock band Stealers Wheel. The song is most famous for its use in Quentin Tarantino’s first feature film, Reservoir Dogs. The episode also pays homage to Tarantino through the use of non-linear storytelling and the use of title cards in scene transitions.

“Big Kahuna” is just visible as one of the specials listed on Mr. Ketch’s placemat in the very first scene, a reference to Big Kahuna Burger, a fictional fast-food chain that appears in many of Tarantino’s movies, including Reservoir Dogs.

 
The opening scene of the hunters sitting in the diner is a reference to the opening scene to Reservoir Dogs. Watch the scene here. Here the diner is called Raul’s Diner.

 
Castiel spending the majority of the episode bleeding from a gut wound in an abandoned barn is a reference to the character Freddy Newandyke / Mr. Orange from Reservoir Dogs, who spends the majority of the film bleeding to death in an abandoned warehouse after being shot in the gut.

 
Castiel’s title card for the episode, “The Wounded Angel,” may be a reference to the 1903 painting of the same name by Finnish symbolist painter Hugo Simberg.

 
The scene of the hunters walking down the alley in slow motion is a reference to the opening credits to Reservoir Dogs.

 
Dean: All right, ramblers, let’s get rambling.

A line of dialogue used in the Tarantino films Reservoir Dogs and From Dusk till Dawn.

Mary’s title card for the episode refers to her as “Mother Mary,” a reference to the lyric in the Beatles song “Let It Be.”

 
The painting Mary finds the safe behind in Ramiel’s basement is titled Victory of St. Michael, by Raphael, 16th century.

 
The glowing light coming from lock box when Mary opens it is a reference to the MacGuffin from Pulp Fiction, itself a reference to the glowing briefcase from the 1955 film Kiss Me Deadly.

 
Ramiel whistling “La donna è mobile” throughout the episode can be seen as a reference to the character Elle Driver from Kill Bill whistling “Twisted Nerve” in Volume 1.

 
When Mary texts the British Men of Letters about Ramiel having yellow eyes, the name she has them listed under in her phone is “Hobbits.”

 
Dean: W-what the hell is a Prince of… Hell?
Crowley: The oldest of the old demons. The first generation after Lilith. Lucifer turned them himself, before the oceans drank Atlantis.

Throughout the centuries occultists and theologians have written books detailing the hierarchy of Hell. Francis Barrett’s book The Magus or Celestial Intelligencer lists Beelzebub, Pythius, Belial, Asmodeus, Satan, Merihem, Abaddon, Astaroth and Mammon as Princes of Hell. The Book of Abramelin and The Satanic Bible only list four demons as princes: Lucifer, Leviathan, Satan and Belial.
Atlantis is an ancient fictional island, believed to have sunk into the Atlantic ocean.

Crowley’s title card for the episode refers to him as “Mr. Crowley,” referencing the Ozzy Osbourne song of the same name.

 
The episode includes a scene with the Winchesters and Ramiel in a Mexican standoff, a staple of Quentin Tarantino’s films.
Crowley presents Ramiel with the Colt, referencing the fact that Dean left the Colt behind after Lucifer knocked him away in 5.10 Abandon All Hope….

Crowley had peach-fuzz when he came to visit Ramiel between season 5 and season 6, but he didn’t start to grow out his beard until season 7.

 
At around the 10m 30s mark, Sam tells Dean to go to look after Mary and Cas, and he and Wally will take on the demons. Dean takes off around the back of the house but we don’t see him again until he rejoins Sam after Wally is killed. This was because Jensen had to miss some filming as he flew to Austin for the birth of his twins.

 
Ramiel shares a similar death to his sibling Azazel. Both were pierced through the heart with a mystical weapon — Ramiel with the Lance of Michael, and Azazel with the Colt.

 
Ketch: Hello, beautiful.
Mary: My father used to tell me stories about this thing. You know there’s only five things in all creation it can’t kill?
Ketch: Oh, yes. I know all about the Colt.

Dean said “Hello, beautiful” to the Colt in 6.18 Frontierland. Mary telling Mr. Ketch that Samuel used to tell her stories about the Colt calls back to Samuel telling Dean he would tell Mary bedtime stories about it in 4.03 In the Beginning. Lucifer mentioned that there is only five things in all of Creation that the gun cannot kill in 5.10 Abandon All Hope.

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