Previous Episode ————————————————————Next Episode

5.20 – The Devil You Know

Details

5.20 – The Devil You Know

DETAILS

Writers: Ben Edlund
Director: Robert Singer
First aired: Thursday April 29, 2010.

SAM AND DEAN FACE OFF AGAINST THE HORSEMEN — The demon Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard) tells Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) he can help them find the remaining Horsemen rings so they can trap Lucifer. The brothers are doubtful until Crowley leads them to Brady (guest star Eric Johnson), the Handler for Pestilence (guest star Matt Frewer) and Death. However, Brady refuses to give up their locations and sets Pestilence after the Winchesters.

Robert Singer directed the episode written by Ben Edlund.

Recap/Review

RECAP

 

Janet’s Recap

Previouslies…. the stuff from last ep about the rings.

Now…. two guys in lab coats are talking about vaccines and chimpanzees. This janitor comes up to them both and says that he’s running an experiment himself… and he injects one guy with something. Then locks them together into a room. The injected guy goes homicidal and kills the other guy brutally.

Dean/Sam are at a hospital with masks on, posing as CDC… questionning a doctor about the flu going around. Dean asks if any patients are displaying homicidal tendencies. She says it’s just swine flu, are they crazy?

The boys check in with Bobby, they are wondering why Pestilence is infecting people with swine flu when he could be using the croatoan virus.

All of a sudden a visitor appears in the back of the Impala. It’s the guy that gave Dean/Sam the colt, knowing that it wouldn’t really kill Lucifer. Sam tries to take a swing at him.

The guy offers Dean/Sam Pestilence. He’s sorry that friends of the boys got killed as part of that run in with Lucifer. He says that he still wants to kill Lucifer, only problem is that now Lucifer KNOWS he wants to kill him, which makes him soooooo dead. He’s in big trouble, yet he’s risking contacting Dean/Sam right out in the open…. because he wants in on taking down Lucifer.

He’s apparently been spying on Dean/Sam, because he lowjacked them with a magical coin that allows him to hear them. He heard about Gabriel’s plan to kill Lucifer. He wants in big time.

He tells Dean/Sam that they can get to Pestilence through a servant of the Horsemen, who manages their “schedules”

We’re in the lab again. The techs are fighting about the urgency of a swine flu vaccine.

One of the lab guy kills someone, then uses the blood as a ritual to converse with Pestilence and give him a status update. These suits aren’t creepy at all! lol.

*COMMERCIALS*

Dean/Sam and British Demon dude in some kind of barn. The demon wants Dean only to go with him. He doesn’t want Sam tagging along because he doesn’t like Sam and oh yeah, Sam keeps trying to KILL HIM.

The demon threatens to walk…. Dean caves and agrees to go with him alone. Sam’s jaw drops and he looks a little betrayed. Dean shurgs, “what can I say, I believe the guy”

Of course, Sam gets Bobby on the phone and bitches about Dean going off.

Sam asks Bobby about that time that Bobby was possessed, and the demon was trying to make him kill Dean. Bobby took control back and managed to stab himself and rid himself of the demon. Sam wants to know how he did it.

Bobby freaks out when he realizes that it’s because Sam wants to say YES to Lucifer, so that he can walk Lucifer into the CAGE. Bobby tells him that it was one thing for Bobby to million-to-one take control for a SECOND with a lower level demon… but Sam has no chance against Lucifer. Lucifer will take Sam apart.

Dean and the British Demon are at Pestilence’s servants place… the lab…. demon kills the reception guy… and then tells Dean he’s to go upstairs and talk to the guy alone. He’s a scaredy pants. It sounds like he’s looking to set Dean up.

Dean talks to the servant of Pestilence. Dean’s talk ain’t doing anything… the servant is highly pissed at Dean given that he got the other horsemen he looked after killed. He beats our Dean. Kicks him in the ribs over and over, talks about how good beating Dean makes him feel.

*COMMERCIALS*

We return, and a very fake bloodied Dean is trying to run away. He’s in an elevator. He steps out of the elevator back on the main floor, watching his step, just waiting for that guy to come after him. He does. Dean hits the ground. Crowley comes up behind him and beats the servant, putting some magic bag on his head, taking him captive. Dean is saved.

Crowley reveals that it was always his plan to use Dean as bait the way he did…. it worked!

Crowley says that they need to take this servant anywhere but to where Sam is, because the servant/Sam have history. Dean stops the Impala and makes Crowley explain. (We don’t see the explanation)

Crowley and Dean both talk to Sam and tell him he needs to focus and not freak out. Keep his game face on.

Sam realizes that the servant is Brady, possessed. Brady is an old college friend of Sam’s, the guy that introduced him to Jess. Brady was a devil on Sam’s shoulder, sent to torment him as a false friend even way back then. Sam freaks and wants to kill him. Dean reins Sam in.

Brady refuses to talk…. because he knows that whether he releases info to the boys or not… he’s dead one way or another, so he’s not going to help them.

Crowley “Where’s your moose?” (referring to Sam)
Dean “Cooling off” *lounges on couch with beer*

Crowley tells Dean since the demon won’t budge, he’s going to stick his neck out and try something else.

Dean goes into the bathroom for a sec. Sam sticks a chair under the door, locking him in. Dean knows right away and just says in an annoyed voice, “Sam, come on, open the door”

Sam takes a weapon and goes to talk to Brady. Brady reveals exactly when the demon took over Brady. Brady laughs as he talks about how it was all part of the plan to hook Sam up with innocent little Jess, then BRADY torched her on the ceiling, to shock Sam off his safe and sensible law school path. Brady taunts Sam, saying that Jess was baking cookies when he got to her.

Sam starts to cut Brady, who just laughs at it, egging him on. Sam stops himself.

*COMMERCIALS*

Dean’s punching at the bathroom door. Sam lets him out.

Crowley comes back, and tells Brady that he got Brady on Lucifer’s shit list… by going out and killing a nest of demons, letting one live…. to go cry to Lucifer about what happened. Crowley says that he told demons that Brady left his post, because Crowley/Brady are LOVERS in league together against Lucifer. LOL. So now, Brady has been added to the list of people that Lucifer wants to torment forever, never letting them have the solice of dying.

So Brady, do you want to talk?

But the advantage doesn’t last. Because Crowley got lojacked himself, with one of those magical coins, and hell hounds have been sic’ed on them.

Crowley abandons them to fight the hell hounds, then he returns with a BIGGER hound of his own and that saves the day.

Brady gives info to Crowley. Crowley says Brady has no reason to lie now does he? Crowley goes off to make use of the intel.

Leaving Brady to Sam/Dean. The boys put a salt ring around Brady. Sam advances on him. Brady taunts him about how it was pretty easy to get to Sam. Sam kills Brady.

*COMMERCIALS*

Bobby is on the phone with Rufus asking for info on Death. No good leads.

Crowley creeps up on Bobby. Bobby pulls a gun on him and shoots. It doesn’t kill him, but it ruins his suit. Crowley talks about a potential lead for Death’s location. Crowley says there’s this spell he knows… which 100% guaranteed could get Death’s location.

Crowley reveals that he needs Bobby to make a wish… and he can give Death’s location. He wants Bobby to trade his SOUL for a wish. Bobby gives him a counter-offer… and takes another shot at Crowley with his handy shotgun.

Crowley says that if he takes Bobby’s soul, he’ll give it back. He says he’s serious about taking down Lucifer. Bobby’s tempted, you can tell.

But the writers want to torment us, because….

*END OF EPISODE*

….. we need to wait until next week.

 

5.20 – The Devil You Know

Gaelic’s review

Hmmmm….

I’m not sure what it is I’m feeling about this one.

I liked it—I like all of them for one reason or another, some reasons greater and more grounded, other reasons just because of the guys (re: Dean), full stop—but it left me with that stopped-reading-in-the-middle-of-a-paragraph feeling, y’know? I really feel like we’re not going to know WHAT to think until we see the finale rock us to a conclusion.

Because amyblair3 reminded me that they might could possibly play the only classic rock we could get this season in the THENs, I watched. This time, though, I don’t think they gave away too much of the actual story. Except for reminding us that the Croatoan virus is still very real and still very much planned to be used by the demons to turn the world into what we saw in 2014.

It also made me ponder how far we’ve come. I mean, Lordy, did it dig into anyone else how friggin’ young Sam looked in the brief clip with Jess from the Pilot? And then seeing the Sam-Of-Now? How the years of war and pain and death have worn on him.

Worn on him and bulked him the hell up. Yowza.

Okay, so…the beginning with the rats and monkeys in the lab and the demon-janitor injecting one of the lab techies with a “vaccine” made at Niveus Pharmaceuticals was kind of transparent to me. Pestilence spreads his mucus and with that the swine flu cases spike (70 cases in a day and a half in Somewhere, Nevada). The country gets scared, doctors call for a vaccine STAT, and ta-da! Niveus comes through! Only…instead of a vaccine for the swine flu, they inject the Croatoan virus and suddenly we have a reenactment of 28 Days Later complete with the red eyes and the ripping of flesh and the spewing of blood and the ewwww!

At least, that’s what I got out of the beginning. That and a grin out of our guys when they walked into the clinic wearing germ masks.

Dean: “I look like the King of Pop. Too soon? Too soon…”

*snicker* Oh, Dean…

When the doctor tells them how many cases of swine flu popped up in the last day and a half, they forget that they aren’t speaking telepathically, apparently, and say something about that being right around the same time the statues started crying—which is a nice aside that there is Much Apocalyptic Weirdness Afoot—and the doc hears them.

Doc: “Did you say…statues were crying?”

Dean: “No! Who would say that?! Crazy people! Which we’re not.”

Sam: hem-haw, deny deny deny (adorable)

Later, in the car, they’re on speaker phone with Bobby saying that it’s the 4th town Pestilence has hit with no discernable pattern. Bobby’s basically like…uh, yeah, head East.

In unison, the guys exclaim, “East?!”

Dean: “Bobby, we’re in West Nevada. Pretty much everything is East.”

Bobby has little sympathy. Heh. I kinda love it a little bit when he goes all gruff uncle on the both of them.

And without warning, Crowley is in the back seat of the car. I jumped, Dean swerves the Impala to the side of the road, and Sam pulls out the Demon Killing Knife to stab Crowley. Pretty much exactly in that order. Crowley, however, blinks out of there and is suddenly knocking on the side window. He wants to chat, you see.

The boys are out of the car with fire in their eyes. Sam lights him up about the Colt and how it very much DIDN’T work to kill Lucifer, then lays into him about how they lost good people on that suicide mission. *pauses a moment to miss Jo and Ellen* Crowley, however is not taking any of the blame for that—saying who they take on the ride is their own business. Well, of course he’s not going to take the blame.

He’s a demon. Hello!

However, he claims that the whole thing with the Colt not working was a mistake and he didn’t know and they’re in this together. Sam’s pretty much ‘my ass we are’ and lunges after him with the knife again (narrowly missing hitting Dean when Crowley blinks out of the way). Dean, interestingly enough, is simply standing there, watching Sam go nuts on this guy, but isn’t saying anything. I found that nicely reassuring; he knows Sam is angry, he allows him to be angry, and what’s more, he knows Sam can take care of himself.

Crowley has enough of the blinking away from Sam’s knife and asks Dean to, “Call your dog off, please.” Dean puts a hand on Sam’s arm and demands Crowley give him a good reason. Crowley says he can give them Pestilence. And suddenly…Dean’s listening. Which Sam cannot believe.

Sam: “Are you actually listening to this?! Are you friggin’ nuts?!”

Dean: “Shut up for a second.”

This is interesting to me. Because it’s the 2nd time Dean has been willing to trust Crowley. The gray area that he’d been so wary of for so long seems to now shadow him at the most interesting times. And even the fact that Crowley had given them the Colt and it had failed miserably doesn’t seem to impact Dean as much as it does Sam. Perhaps he sees the military tactic in the whole “enemy of my enemy is my friend” approach. Perhaps Sam’s being burned so deeply by Ruby (and used and abused by Azazeal) has soured him against any demon being somewhat possibly trustworthy.

But Dean spent 40 years in Hell. I think that would trump any gray area when it comes to trusting demons. What that shows me is how desperate, how thin on options Dean is feeling and how close to the edge of honestly and truly losing it Sam is. He was calm when he had to work on his brother. He figured out how to play that game to bring Dean back to him. When he had to be strong, opaque, he was. But now that Dean’s back with him, Sam’s crumbling. He’s slowly allowing that anger that is constantly humming just under the surface to take hold; it’s curling its claws into his soul and it’s wearing him down. Not to sound unsympathetic, but I find that so interesting. Dean’s strength comes from Sam being with him. Sam’s, it seems, comes when he doesn’t have Dean to depend on.

This is just an observation. No harm, no foul and all that. Don’t stone me. I’m still waiting to see how it all plays out, ultimately.

Anyway…Mark Sheppard reminds me why I dig him, even though he always seems to play bad guys, as Crowley says that he still wants the Devil dead…the only problem is that now the Devil knows it. Dean’s like, we could give a rat’s ass.

Crowley: “They burned down my house! They ATE my tailor!”

Dean does that eye-roll-they-did-what-now-pause. *laugh* I love him. But…you knew that.

Crowley continues to have a hissy fit, then asks them to come with him. Dean’s gives him an awesomely impassible Bruce Willis in Die Hard stare and Crowley ups the ante with “you want the horsemen or not?”

Duh-duh-duhhhhh.

Apparently deciding to go with him, the trio shows up at a run-down abandoned house with random spray-painted markings that apparently mean nothing because all manner of demonage ends up running amuck in it. Crowley is bemoaning the digs of his ‘life on the lamb’ and Dean’s like, yeah, yeah, yeah, out with it already.

Crowley knows about the horsemen because he’s been following the guys–spying on them. Sam calls bullshit because they have hexbags hiding them from demons (they do? How did I miss that?). Crowley says that last time they were with him, he had one of his henchmen bug the Impala with a ‘magic coin.’

*pauses to giggle at Show for a brief moment*

Crowley says he wants ‘in’ – he doesn’t know where Pestilence is, but he knows where they can find the “stable boy” who has their, um, itinerary, per se. All Crowley has to do is, essentially, sell sin to a demon.

And with that, we shift to Niveus Pharmaceutical’s board room where a bunch of suits are getting the riot act read to them by none other than Whitney Fordman! Okay, well, that’s who he was before Smallville killed off Jason Teague and got all manner of ridiculous. Hmm… random thought…wonder if that actor (whose name I can’t remember) and Jensen Ackles discussed their days as Lana’s before and after?

Moving on!

Whitney—er, um, Brady—is back in his office and one of the suits that dared argue back in the board room comes in to apologize and Brady promotes him to a role in communications, asking him if he was ready for the ‘cut-throat’ business of corporate executiveness just before he literally cuts the dude’s throat. Well, he had to have blood for his Demonic Blood Phone, ya’ll! And just like with the original Meg, we hear a one-sided conversation with what is obviously Pestilence by the flies that pop out of the Blood Phone. Seems Ol’ Mr. Snotty isn’t happy with Brady’s ‘best.’ He wants him to “do the best of someone else.”

Heh. Yeah, that’s sounds like a boss I had once.

Back at Crowley’s House Of Shame, the guys are loading up and Sam grumbles that it’s totally insane to listen to Crowley, to which Dean replies that he doesn’t disagree. And then he cocks his gun. Crowley shows up, but announces that Sam’s not coming.

C: “Because I don’t like you. I don’t trust you. And you keep trying to kill me.”

Sam is all, no friggin’ way is this happening without me. Crowley says he’s not asking Sam, he’s asking Dean. Dean just gives him The Stare and Sam’s like, so there. Crowley walks away with a ‘it’s your funeral’ type parting line…and Dean stops him.

Sam turns to face his brother and the expression on Dean’s face does this swift flood of is this right can I trust him what about Sam I can’t just leave him what if this is our only shot can I afford to not go I know I’m going to regret this… He says he’ll go.

Sam’s incredulity at Dean’s decision travels miles across his face. Dean pauses and half-turns, does that tongue-lip dart and without actually looking at Sam says, “What can I say…I believe the guy.”

Sam? Is. Not. Happy. He hangs out at the abandoned house, drinking Jack. Drinking a LOT of Jack. saberivojo ? If you’re reading…I thought of you. Don’t throw things at me. Sam’s on the phone with Bobby recounting what just happened and Bobby, God love him, says, “Maybe it’s time we go crazy.”

Yeah. When nothing you’ve always done is working, you gotta try something else, right? Just…y’know. Within limits. Like NOT what Sam segues to next. He wants to know how Bobby took back control when he was possessed and Meg told him to kill Dean. Bobby is understandably suspicious.

Sam: “Say we can open the cage…what if you guys lead the Devil to the edge…and I jump in.”

He says it with conviction, with heart. Thinking of how Bobby did that one act—shanking himself—to save Dean. All I could do was shake my head as I watched and listened. I mean, Sam himself was possessed. Yes, Meg used a binding link to lock herself into his body, but he has to know how next-to-impossible it is to take control. John did it for a half-second, long enough to save Dean from having his heart ripped from his chest and give Sam a chance to grab the Colt. Bobby did it for a half-second, too, but both of those were demons very much OTHER THAN Satan himself.

Bobby: “Are you idjits trying to kill me? We just got done talking your brother off the ledge and now you’re lining up to say yes??”

Gaelic: THANK YOU!

Sam says he isn’t going to do it unless they all agree…but I have to say I have a bad feeling. I don’t know that they would lay that groundwork this late in the game if they weren’t going to at least try to play that card. Even if Sam ultimately DOESN’T say yes, I think they’re trying to tell us something here about how it’s all going to go down in two weeks.

Either that or toss out a red herring…which I’m very much hoping for. They’ve been fighting so hard, all year, to find another way to defy a destiny that they’ve apparently been groomed for—and we’ve had so many almost-wins and hints of help from the ‘good’ side…I just would very much not like it to end with Sam making a sacrifice of this sort. Even if it were perceivably for the greater good…it would destroy him.

Even if he were able to take control, or somehow get rid of Satan and be in one piece afterward, he would never again be able to be fully human. And that’s my main problem with this whole idea of ‘sacrifice’ and saying yes. These two are our HUMAN heroes. Even if their bodies are returned to them (well, Dean’s body in any case…we haven’t been given any such promise from Lucifer), they would never again be truly human. And I don’t think I like that. I’ll basically decide to accept whatever they end up doing, of course, but any ‘saying yes’-ness from either of them will make me utterly, completely, sad.

Back to Bobby, though.

Bobby: “You can’t do it…what I did was one in a million. With some piss-ant demon. Not the Devil himself. Kid, it’s called possession for a reason.”

Sam: “I’m strong enough.”

Uh-huh. Sure you are, Sam. Who are you trying to convince by downing a gallon of whiskey as you have this conversation? You want to be. You aren’t. And I’m scared for you.

Bobby: “You ain’t.” (SEE??) “He’s gonna find every chink—fear, grief, anger. You’re not exactly Mr. Anger Management. How are you gonna control the Devil when you can’t control yourself?!”

Good point. I don’t know why I can’t really see my way around understanding Sam’s motivations. I do understand his anger—I think it’s justified. But he’s always somewhat foggy to me. *shrugs* Ah, well.

Meanwhile, Dean and Crowley are outside the pharma company, spying. Crowley says that the human shields are in the lobby; the demons are on the 12th floor. Dean’s all, I guess we’ll have to find a way in through the back.

Crowley: “You Winchester’s make everything so complicated.” And POOF.

Dean: Aw, crap.

He peers through the binoculars and sees Crowley behind the desk attendant guy, cutting his throat.

Dean: Crap…crap!!

The front door is open and Dean’s gaping at the two dead people and all the blood. He can’t seem to look away…seemingly shocked—SHOCKED—that Crowley killed him.

*ahem* He’s a demon. Hello!

Crowley puts Dean in an elevator and says he’s not coming with. It’s not safe, y’see, ‘cause there are demons up there. So, our boy is going up to a lair of demonage…alone. Yes, this is a great idea. *shakes head* At least he has the Demon Killing Knife.

Whitney—er, sorry, um BRADY—greets Dean, offers him a chair, they blather a bit about it being the 11th hour and all. And then Dean offers him the deal Crowley told Dean to offer him: the other two horsemen rings. Only, he says Brady has to come with him out of the Batcave to get them.

Brady’s all…yeah, here’s the thing. I could give a crap about the rings—they’re literally no good to him. What he wants? Is retribution. On Dean. BLAMMO! Next thing you know, Dean is flying through the doors of the office, face bloody, gasping for breath. Brady follows him out and starts kicking the ever-lovin’ crap out of him. Okay, after the beating he took from Cas and the way Brady is wailing on him, Dean has to have cracked ribs, internal bleeding, or at least some friggin’ SERIOUS bruising. That? Or he started wearing Kevlar because seriously. OUCH!

And then…right in the middle of the hour, during the commercial break, the CW played that “O’ Death” promo that has been on the web. I knew it was out there—couldn’t really get away from it on Facebook—but I hadn’t watched it yet. I kinda thought it was weird to shove right in the middle of the hour like that. *shrug* But then…the CW doesn’t really make a lot of sense anyway, does it?

Dean, blood running down his face, staggers into the elevator, grimacing and gasping, his whole body tense as he gets down to the lobby. He exits uber-cautiously, looking around and suddenly, Brady is right behind him, continuing the beat-down. *whimper*

Out of nowhere, Crowley shows up, puts a back marked with a devil’s trap over Brady’s head and whacks him in the head—repeatedly—with a crowbar. Yikes! Dean pushes himself painfully to his feet, and it’s amazing to me that lines of pain track down his face—as if he’s actually been kicked in the side. Repeatedly. Dean gasps that Brady didn’t want the rings—he wanted him.

Crowley’s like, yeah, went like clockwork. ‘Cause of course he knew this would happen. He set Dean up—and claimed that Dean’s look of surprise couldn’t have been faked. Dean’s like, you son of a bitch! And his voice wavers a bit with pain and the sting of I should have known better.

Crowley: “That’s what you get working with a demon.”

I’m not even gonna say it…

Back in the Impala, Dean’s wiping the blood from his face and Crowley is carving something in Brady’s chest, locking him inside his “meatsuit.” He says they can’t go back to Sam, because Sam and Brady “have a history.”

Dean = pissed. He pulls over and demands answers. NICE.

Back at the abandoned house, Sam’s waiting. Fidgeting. Anxious. He hears the Impala, peeks out the window, bites his lip, then comes downstairs to face Crowley and asks where Dean is.

Crowley: “For the record, I’m against this.”

I love how Sam is able to literally turn his face into a question mark. It’s an expression uniquely his.

Crowley: “I begged Dean not to come back. We should be miles away from you.”

Basically, Dean told him where he could stick his opinion. Sam’s like heh, that’s what I’m talking about. And I have to agree—I loved the brother unity in this episode. Even if Dean did leave with Crowley, he was leaving on a mission, he wasn’t leaving Sam. And the unity came with a price at the end, but it was still there. And I hope it stays. I really, really hope it stays.

Crowley verbally pokes at Sam some more and tells him to go on and ruin their last, best hope. Sam goes into the other room and sees Dean tying a guy with a bag over his head to a chair sitting in the middle of a devil’s trap.

Dean: “Sam, I need you to stay on-mission. Focused. I’m doing this because I trust you.”

Gaelic: *tiny yay!*

Sam: “Trust me to what?”

Dean removes the bag and Sam’s all, Brady?!

Brady: “Brady hasn’t been Brady since middle of our sophomore year. You had a devil on your shoulder even back there. Now…let it all sink in.”

And sink in it does. Who this person had been to Sam…what he’d shared with this person…the impact this person had on Sam’s life…it all slammed into him in a heartbeat and his eyes shone with it while his face folding inward and he launched at Brady.

Sam: “You introduced me to Jess!”

Dean catches him and holds him back, shoving him into the other room and saying with pitch-perfect Big Brother Bravado, “That’s enough!” Sam wants him to get out of the way, but Dean says that there’s only one way to win, and it ain’t by killing that thing in there. Crowley passes them, saying something snarky that I didn’t catch and Dean focuses on his brother.

Dean: “We need Pestilence to get the Devil. And we need Brady to get Pestilence.”

Sam: “Why? Because Crowley says so? Because we trust him now? Like I trusted Ruby? Or like I trusted Brady back in school?”

Oh, Sammy…you poor kid. You never had a chance, neither of you. He makes a good point, but man, the game has shifted, hasn’t it? It’s almost not even possible to compare demon-trust situations. I mean, Sam trusted Ruby to the outcasting of his brother. This is them trusting a demon together. But even that doesn’t matter, does it? Because they’re both still demons, out for their own agenda’s. And Dean just got his ass handed to him because Crowley used him.

The thing I grab onto is that Dean is keeping his eyes up, focused on the objective: get the rings. Get the rings, trap the devil. Then his brother doesn’t have to die. Then nobody has to say ‘yes.’ Sam’s after the same objective, but like Bobby reminded us, his anger gets the best of him. Someone said once that Sam is proactive, Dean reactive. I agree to an extent. Except when it comes to having a clear mission. When Dean has a clear mission, he’s on it. Even when his emotions kick his legs out from under him. Sam can—and has—lose focus.

Not that I blame him.

Crowley has himself a little sit-down with Brady. He says, “When the Morning Star cleans house, we all get the mop.” Brady’s like, that doesn’t even make sense—he made us. Crowley points out that Luci? Is an angel. They? Are demons. You do the math. But Brady reveals that Lucifer is never going to let Crowley die. His suffering is going to be literally endless. However, Brady knows he is going to die regardless, so he’d rather die on the ‘winning’ side, thank you very much.

Crowley returns to find Dean sitting on a ragged couch drinking a beer and looking worn. He tells him to ‘get bent’ and then reveals that he’s going to go kick open a hive of demons since Brady isn’t giving in.

Crowley: “This whole bloody ring business better work.”

No kidding.

Dean kinda sags back against the couch, then goes in and splashes water on his face. Sam uses that moment to shut his brother in the bathroom and shove a chair under the handle. Part of me couldn’t help but think that if Dean REALLY wanted out of that room, a chair under a knob wouldn’t hold him. But…that could be my hero-worship kicking in. I will say, though, I liked that Dean’s protests included a “Sammy!” ‘Cause that’s just how I roll.

Sam walks into the room where Brady is tied up.

Brady: “Well…here we go. We doing last words? Or…no.”

Sam basically just stares Brady down, lets the demon do the talking while his eyes get smaller and smaller, his breathing gets more rapid and the literal hate in his expression gets darker and darker.

Brady reveals how he returned from Thanksgiving break all ‘messed up’…because it was the “new Brady.” He talked about how Sam spent so much time trying to get him back on the right track (aww…Sammy). That Azazel sent Brady back because they saw they were ‘losing’ Sam to a normal life…and Sam was the favorite, after all. He reveals that he was actually the one to kill Jess. That she was so hurt when he attacked because she thought he was their friend, too.

That is Sam’s final undoing. He goes all Incredible Hulk on the demon and cuts his neck with the Demon Killing Knife, but manages to rein in his fury and back off while Brady just laughs. I wasn’t sure. Was Sam just…testing himself? Trying to prove to himself that he could control his anger? Hmmmm…

Dean’s still pounding on the bathroom door when Sam comes back and is all, “All right, hey, all right. I’ll open it.”

Dean exits in a literal prowl—bow legs, rolling shoulders, furrowed brow, the works. God, I love the way he walks. He demands to know what happened, but Sam’s fine, and Brady’s still alive. And suddenly Crowley’s there.

C: “God, the day I’ve had.”

Dude…this guy cracks me up.

Crowley confronts Brady: “Good news: you’re going to live forever. I just massacred a bunch of demons, but left one toad alive. Told that toad that you left because you and I are Lovers In League Against Satan. Hello, Darling.”

Heh.

C: “Something else we have in common apart from our torrid passion: self preservation. Where is Pestilence?”

And then…howling. Ya’ll? Those freakin’ Hellhounds creep me out. I don’t know if it’s because we saw them rip Dean to pieces…or if it’s because we can’t see them at all…or if it’s because I have a vivid imagination that does unkind things to me if I don’t keep it under control, but yeesh. I shivered when I heard that howl.

Brady, sounding utterly, genuinely scared (and almost human) says, “Oh, God, Crowley.”

Dean: “Was that a Hellhound?”

Incidentally? Dean has actually been KILLED by these things and Brady sounded more scared than he did. To me. Dean just sounded like, seriously??WTF, man?!

Apparently, one of the demons that Crowley killed managed to plant one of those magic coin tracking devices on him. Brady freaks out, telling them he’ll tell them anything if they get him out of there. Crowley flips the coin into Dean’s hand and POOFs out of there.

Sam: “I told you!”

Dean, totally sassy complete with the whooped-de-do lean-back-into-the-air posture: “Oh, well, good for you!”

Brady still wants the hell out. Dean bolts from the room and finds…a big box of table salt?? In abandoned house?? That was being used by a demon??? I’m just going to decide that it was in the supplies they brought (along with the Jack and the beer and the guns) and not sprain something finding the logic there.

Before he can grab the Miracle Box of Salt, though, the invisible Hellhound bursts through the window, sending glass everywhere and knocking the table across the room. Dean ducks the flying glass, then bolts for the other room, pulling the double doors closed and grabbing a shotgun and blasting several rounds toward where he thinks the Hellhound is before bellowing, “SAMMY!” *loves*

Sam is trying to untie Brady and just tosses one word at his brother: “Salt?”

Dean give him A Look – the tight, worried, focused, we got serious trouble, man look — and reloads. Brady continues to plead to get out. Dean shouts at him to Shut Up while he backs away from…nothing. Suddenly, Crowley is there.

Dean: “You’re back?!”

Crowley: “I’m invested.”

And what’s more…he brought his own Hellhound. And it was bigger. I’ll go with it. The invisible hounds go at it, Dean dives out of the way, Sam gets Brady free, and they all run for the Impala with the sound of battling dogs emanating from the house. Whew!

Crowley: “I wager $1,000 my pup wins. Heh!”

He actually says ‘heh’!

Dean rolls his eyes and they peel out. Next thing you know, they’re in an alley, Brady handing a paper with the address/location of Pestilence to Crowley, who hands it to Dean. Brady has his back toward the alley wall. Sam? Is standing, facing Brady, an impassive look on his face, his hip cocked, his hands loose at his side. Dude, he looked Bad. Effin’. Ass. Much better than Evil!Sam. Wiped the floor with angsty!Sam. He looked like the hunter he was. I was impressed in that moment.

Brady tells Crowley that he screwed him for eternity, and Crowley’s like, yeah, I don’t think you’ve got that long. Dean puts down a line of salt on the other side of Sam (behind him) and he and Crowley trade looks of mutual distrust before Crowley POOFs away.

Brady: “What is this?”

Dean: “All these angels…all these demons…all these sons of bitches…they just don’t get it, do they Sammy?”

Sam: “No, they don’t, Dean.”

Dean: “Brady, we’re the ones you should be afraid of.”

Gaelic: *mini-squee at the way those lines rolled out*

Sam approaches Brady with the Demon Killing Knife. Okay, here? I was all manner of mixed emotions. I was like 70% yes mainly because Dean worked with Sam to set this up, and made it possible for his brother to extract his revenge, standing behind him—having his back. I was 20% uh-oh as I worried about what this might mean for Sam and his ever-fragile soul. And I was 10% hmmmm… as I watched Dean and wondered what this might mean for how he saw his brother as he watched Sam with actual pain registering in his eyes as he listened to the demon taunt Sam, watched Sam kill, and heard Sam’s flat reply before he walked to the Impala.

Brady tries his best to get to Sam, asking if this is going to make it all better.

Sam: “It’s a start.”

Brady: “blah, blah, blah…wasn’t all our fault…you’re the one that let us whisper in your ear…we’ve got the same stuff in our veins…deep down you’re just like us…maybe you hate us so much because you hate what you see when you look in the mirror…maybe the only difference between you and a demon is your Hell is right here.”

He could have saved his breath. Sam killed him anyway. And then he backed up, looked down at the empty body, and said in a flat, almost-dead voice, “Interesting theory.”

It’s also true, in a way. Sam’s hell is right here. Because, the way I see it, Sam’s hell is the fact that he was wrong—about himself—and he can’t always control himself and someone else has been in control of him in the past, manipulating him and his surroundings to do their bidding. I think it’s probably one of the main reasons he and his father always butted heads. Sam didn’t like that John was in charge; he didn’t agree with the way John did things and probably thought he could do better.

Where Dean was the ideal soldier, Sam was the ideal revolutionary. And the fact that he has a destiny that is to be the puppet for the ultimate evil?? Gah. Just…yeah. Hell. And while Dean’s self-loathing has been well-documented and spread out for the world to see, Sam’s not that much different. His pride is the mask he wears. He is too proud to let his guard down and expose how much he hates what he’s done and what he’s afraid of becoming. Well, most of the time anyway.

Makes me really, really wonder where they’re going to take these two in the next two episodes. lovinjackson said that she’d heard they end the season at odds. I’ve not read that—mainly because I avoid spoilers like the plague—but I really hope that’s not the case. Because even though Dean had pain in his eyes as he watched his brother extract well-deserved revenge, he was there. With him. He had Sam’s back, just as Sam had Dean’s when he teetered on the Michael-Stupid ledge.

I really want them to keep that. In a way…I kinda need them to keep that.

And that brings us to Bobby. And my poor, bruised heart. Crowley visits just as Bobby is hanging up with Rufus (nice reminder that not EVERYONE out there that we knew/know is dead). They have an interesting exchange that makes me grin. The best being the moment Crowley tells Bobby he doesn’t know where Death is.

Bobby: “Then get off my property before I blast you so full of rock salt you crap margaritas.”

BWAHH!!! Oh, that’s priceless! *love*

Crowley says he knows a spell…but, well, it’s a bit embarrassing…because, you see he can get the location of Death, but…what it’s going to cost is…

Bobby’s soul.

Bobby’s counter is to blast Crowley with a shotgun.

C: “OW! Bloody hell!” LOL!

Crowley says he’ll give Bobby his soul back. It’s just a temporary loan. Just needs it to get the location of Death. The camera fades out on Bobby’s face as he is obviously considering the offer.

And you totally know he’s going to do it. Are you kidding? I mean, he’s run the gamut of sacrifice—paralyzing himself to save Dean, wanting to die, promising he won’t, suffering through the 2nd mercy-killing of his wife, searching searching searching for ways to stop this, to save the only family he has left. The only thing he has to live for is helping the boys find a way to stop the end of the world without dying themselves in the process. Losing either of them (again) would destroy Bobby.

That’s pretty much it for him. And if he can get them the location of the last ring by letting Crowley ‘borrow’ his soul? Yeah, he’s thinking about it. The question is…can he trust Crowley? He seems earnest enough about stopping the Devil, and he’s willing to protect his investment in Sam and Dean…but does that extend to Bobby?

*is worried* I reallllllyyyy wonder if Bobby’s going to make it out of this.

And I did watch the previews. And the dude that plays Death? Creeptastic, man. Seriously, those miss-matched eyes? Yipe. I wonder, though, is that it for Pestilence? One five minute snot montage and an address and now they only need Death’s ring? Hmmmm…. Guess we’ll find out in a week!

The countdown is on…

Thank you.

 

Guest Stars

GUEST STARS

Jim Beaver Jim Beaver Bobby Singer
Mark Sheppard Mark Sheppard Crowley (as Mark A. Sheppard)
Eric Johnson Eric Johnson Brady
Carmen Moore Carmen Moore Doctor
Stephen Park Stephen Park Mitchell
William J. Phillips William J. Phillips Convenience Store Clerk (as William Phillips)
Mark Ghanimé Mark Ghanimé Dr. Drake (as Mark Ghanime)
Chris Shields Chris Shields Dr. Keller
Rocky Anderson Rocky Anderson Janitor Demon
Gallery

IMAGE GALLERY

Episode Stills

Episode Screen Captures

 

 

Videos

TRAILER/CLIPS

CW Promo 01CW Promo 02Space Promo
Clip 01Clip 02Clip 03

 

 

Music

MUSIC

No music in this episode.

Quotes

QUOTES

Crowley: Fancy a fag and a chat? You’re upset. We should discuss it. Not here, but–
Sam: You want to talk? After what you did to us?
Crowley: After what I — what I did to you?! I gave you the Colt!
Sam: Yeah, and you knew it wouldn’t work against the Devil!
Crowley: I never!
Sam: You set us up. We lost people on that suicide run — good people!
Crowley: Who you take on the ride is your own business! Look, everything is still the same. W-we’re all still in this together.

 

Crowley: Shut up, the both of you! Look… I swear… I thought the Colt would work. It’s an honest mistake. It’s all part of the learning process. But nothing’s changed. I still want the Devil dead. Well… one thing’s changed. Now the devil knows that I want him dead. Which, by the way, makes me the most buggered son in all of creation.
Dean: Holy crap. We don’t care.
Crowley: They burnt down my house! They ate my tailor! Two months under a rock, like a bloody salamander! Every demon on Hell and Earth’s got his eyes out for me! And yet… Here I am… Last place I should be — in the road, talking to Sam and Dean Winchester, under a friggin’ spotlight! [destroys street light] So come with me. Please. Do you want the Horsemen rings or not? Yes, I know all about that. Shall we?

 

Crowley: God. The day I’ve had. Good news. You’re going to live forever.
Brady: What did you do?
Crowley: Went over to a demons’ nest — had a little massacre. Must be losing my touch, though — Let one of the little toads live. Oops. Also might have given said toad the impression that you left your post last night because you and I are, wait for it, lovers in league against Satan.

 

Dean: All those angels, all those demons, all those sons of bitches — They just don’t get it, do they, Sammy?
Sam: No, they don’t, Dean.
Dean: You see, Brady… We’re the ones you should be afraid of.

 

Trivia

TRIVIA

The episode title refers to the saying “better the devil you know than the one you don’t” which means that it is better to go with a familiar if imperfect choice, than an unknown one. It is also the name of an album by the band Heaven and Hell which is made up of members of Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath. 4.10 Heaven and Hell was also the name of an episode in season 4. There is also a dance pop track called “Better the Devil You Know” by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue.

 

 

Dean: Hey, check it out. I look like the King of Pop.

A reference to the late Michael Jackson, and the fact that he was known for wearing surgical masks out in public.

 

Dean: That’s the same time those statues started crying.

A crying statue is a supernatural religious phenomenon in which a statue begins to weep tears of blood, oil or scented liquids. Weeping statues are most often of the Virgin Mary, and are often followed by claims of Marian apparitions. A statue of the Virgin Mary crying blood was seen in 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer.

 

 

Crowley: Well, now… I don’t know where pestilence is… Per Se. But I do know the demon who does. He’s what you might call the horsemen’s stable boy. He handles their itineraries, their personal needs. He’s who you want — believe me. He’ll tell us where Sneezy’s at.

A reference to Pestilence using the character of Sneezy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The story and character of Snow White were previously referred to in 3.05 Bedtime Stories.

 

 

The drug company Brady works for is called Niveus Pharmaceuticals. Niveus is a Latin word and means white or snowy.

 
Crowley: Go get ’em, tiger.

This is a direct line from the Spider-Man comic books, TV shows and movies. It is a phrase of encouragement by Peter Parker’s girlfriend/wife Mary Jane Watson. Dean said a variation of this line to Castiel in 5.03 Free to Be You and Me.

 

Dean: Not here. But you want them, you’ll come with me — nice and civil — we’ll get out of your little Batcave here, and we’ll discuss a transaction.

The Batcave is the secret base of operations for Batman.

 

 

Brady is similar to Patrick Bateman, the lead character in the novel and movie American Psycho, although there are no references to the character, novel or movie in the episode.

 
Crowley: Your ignorance and misinformation — I mean, completely authentic. You can’t fake that. What? I-it went like clockwork.

Something going like clockwork is an idiom for when something goes according to plan. It may also be a subtle reference to A Clockwork Orange, which is famous for (among other things) this beating scene.

 

 

Crowley: I’ve done more with less. Let’s just say when they’re getting their Grammys, they shouldn’t all be thanking God. It’s worth it, Bobby. Think.

A reference to the cliche that musicians at the Grammys and other awards shows thank God during their acceptance speeches. Crowley is obviously implying some of them sold their souls to him as part of a deal.

 

 

The cashier that got infected by Pestilence in the closing scene 5.19 Hammer of the Gods appears in this episode in the ER.

 
A poster in the opening sequence is for “Herpexia,” a medicine which is made by Niveus Pharmaceuticals to help prevent the spread of genital herpes. In 5.08 Changing Channels Sam is forced to make a commercial for Herpexia.

 
During the drug company board meeting, Brady is holding a copy of the same newspaper and the same front page story shown being read by the store clerk in the closing scene of 5.19 Hammer of the Gods.

 
Before his meeting with Mitchell, Brady is reading a memo on his laptop which we briefly see onscreen. Including spelling errors, it reads:

URGENT INTERNAL MEMO
Details About the NIVEUS 432 TM Vaccine Distribution Program
PRODUCTION FALLS SHORT OF EXPECTED PRODUCTION

Initial supplies have been prioritized for distribution to the selected health care providers who have favored status to Nevius International. It has also been prioritized for Preferred Status Insurance Companies with direct investment roles associated with Nevius International and its associates. Niveus believes this targeted distribution approach, using providers who are associated with Nevius, is the most effective way to ensure the fiscal stability of Nevius International.

 
Crowley: This bit of carving will tie our friend here down. No zapping off, locked in the meat suit. An important part of our bargaining strategy.

The symbol Crowley carves into Brady’s chest appears similar to the ones painted on the walls throughout Crowley’s house. Meg used a similar binding link to stay inside Sam in 2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign.

 

 

It is revealed in this episode that Brady killed Jess. In 2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part One. Azazel had revealed to Sam that he was responsible for Jess’ death” “The cost of doing business, I’m afraid. I mean, sweet little Jessica –- she just had to die. You were all set to marry that little blonde thing, become a tax lawyer with two kids, a beer gut, and a little McMansion in the suburbs. I needed you sharp on the road, honing your skills. Your gifts.”

 

Sam, and fans, had assumed that Azazel had killed Jess himself, rather than Brady on Azazel’s instructions. Although the vision of Jess Sam had in 5.03 Free to Be You and Me said “I was dead from the moment we said hello.”

 
Originally the network execs wanted Kripke to write Jessica as an ongoing character, but Eric just thought it wouldn’t work, and he suggested to kill her off, which they liked. Then the studio urged Kripke to make Jessica an evil demon character, who was planted into Sam’s life with purpose, and whose betrayal drives him on the road as he realizes, demons are closer to him than he thought.S1Com, p. 13. The development in this episode revives a version of this idea.’

 

 

Crowley reveals his meatsuit is a “moderately successful literary agent out of New York.”

Superwiki

Episode Schedule

Thu, Oct 10 15.01 - Back and to the Future - Season Premiere
Thu, Oc 17 15.02 - Raising Hell
Thu, Oct 24 15.03 - The Rupture
Thu, Nov 7 15.04 - Atomic Monsters
Thu, Nov 14 15.05 - Proverbs 17:3
Thu, Nov 21 15.06 - Golden Time
Thu, Dec 05 15.07 - Last Call
Thu, Dec 12 15.08 - Our Father, Who Aren’t In Heaven
Thu, Jan 16 2020 15.09 - The Trap
Thu, Jan 23 2020 15.10 - The Heroes' Journey
Thu, Jan 30 2020 15.11 - The Gamblers
Mon, March 16 2020 15.12 - Galaxy Brain
Mon, March 23 2020 15.13 - Destiny's Child
Thu, Oct 08 2020 15.14 - Last Holiday
Thu, Oct 15 2020 15.15 - Gimme Shelter
Thu, Oct 22 2020 15.16 - Drag Me Away (From You)
Thu, Oct 29 2020 15.17 - Unity
Thu, Nov 05 2020 15.18 - Despair
Thu, Nov 12 2020 15.19 - Inherit the Earth
Thu, Nov 19 2020 15.20 - Carry On - Series Finale

* This Schedule might change as new info come.

SFO on Tumblr

    https://supernaturalfansonline.tumblr.com/post/184422707480

SFO on Twitter

Support SFO & DFN

Show your support for the site/forum and become a Bronze, a Silver or a Gold member who has some privileges.

Our Affiliation