Supernatural Hiatus Hunting: 4.16, On The Head of a Pin
Sam becomes the torturer, and gets the truth out of Alastair by just cupping his hand. Alastair doesn’t know who’s killing the angels. Sam clenches his fist next, inflicting more pain on Alastair in hopes of getting more. Man, it would have been good to know up front Sam could do this, huh Castiel? Might have saved you and Dean both some strife. Alastair sticks to his story, it’s not them. Sam makes a tighter fist, so Alastair comes back with some very convincing reasoning. If Lilith could kill an angel, she wouldn’t kill seven angels, she’d kill hundreds of them. Thousands. Castiel can’t believe what he’s hearing, not only because demons aren’t involved, but because Sam is doing this so easily. He has a reason to be worried.
Sam believes Alastair and releases the chokehold. Alastair takes delight in egging on another Winchester, challenging Sam to send him back to Hell if he can. Oh man, you’re gonna regret that. “I’m stronger than that now,” Sam announces with malevolent smile. “Now I can kill.” The camera cuts to Castiel’s horrified reaction as Sam flattens out his hand and goes for the kill. It’s brilliant.
Sam closes his eyes, and Alastair sputters like Azazel did when Dean shot him with the colt. Sam’s face twists in all sorts of psychotic ways, and it’s very obvious he’s enjoying this. Cool! Disturbingly cool, but cool! Alastair’s host corpse falls to the ground, a stunned look frozen on his face. Castiel looks at Sam like “WTF?” and Sam sheepishly looks back, communicating with one look, “Oh, you noticed that huh?” Hello, guys? Dean wounded on the floor? Remember?
Just when we weren’t shocked enough, the scene changes to a hospital room, and the rapid fire drama and angst here is killing me! Stop, I need to catch my breath! Dean’s on a respirator and judging by the nodes on his skull he’s in a coma. Sam’s by his side, looking at one sorry looking Dean and the monitors with worry. Aww, he cares. Castiel shows in the doorway, and Sam’s worry changes to anger. He chases Castiel in the hallway.
“Get in there and heal him. Miracle, now!” Castiel claims he can’t, so Sam goes off on him, mentioning how he and Uriel did this to Dean because they can’t keep a simple devil’s trap. Castiel insists he doesn’t know what happened. Sam makes clear how all of this was pointless. The demons aren’t doing this. Castiel isn’t sure, but Sam very much is. He insists Alastair wasn’t lying. Sam briskly walks away to get back to Dean, and Castiel is left in the hallway wondering what the hell is going on. You fucked up, that’s what.
So that takes us through the rest of the sordid tale of angel intrigue and betrayal. Uriel is on a park bench praying while Castiel stands next to him completely lost. Uriel comes out of his “revelation” an d says their brothers and sisters are dying and their superiors want them to stop hunting the demon responsible. Castiel lets Uriel know that Sam Winchester says the demons aren’t doing this. You should listen to him guys, Sam’s got that whole demon blood connection thing going for him.
Uriel wants to know what could it be. Castiel theorizes the garrison is being punished by the will of Heaven because they’re losing the war. He thinks their Father isn’t giving the orders anymore. “Maybe there is something wrong.”You think Cas? Is it possible you’re getting that because Anna told you? Uriel angrily leaves, refusing to be a sitting duck. Castiel sits on the bench at the playground alone, looking like a sitting duck, one who also looks like he lost his best friend. The only thing that could go worse for him right now is if a woman shows up and beats him with her purse because he looks like a creepy pedophile that hangs out at playgrounds in broad daylight. Lucky for him, that doesn’t happen.
Castiel stands outside a gorgeous house on a hill under a street light and summons Anna. Good idea, for you could use a little rogue angel mojo right now. Anna appears and I don’t know why she doesn’t jump him over those lost puppy dog eyes right now. He’s irresistible, and needy! He tells Anna he’s considering disobedience. “Good,”she says. “No, it isn’t,”he replies upset. For the first time I feel” Ooh, he doesn’t know what he feels. It’s Commander Data! She isn’t reassuring by telling him it gets worse and choosing his own course of action is terrifying. She touches him and he looks ashamed, so she realizes he still thinks lowly of her. He’s there, isn’t he? You need to lighten up a bit Anna.
Castiel tells her he doesn’t know what to do. “Please tell me what to do.” Man, how can my heart be breaking so much for an almighty angel? He’s really like a child, isn’t he? “Like the old days?” She says. “No. I’m sorry, it’s time to think for yourself.”She flies away, he looks down in sorrow, and then suddenly, he starts thinking for himself! You go Cas! He gets that “ah ha!” look in his eyes and stares at the faucet on a nearby drinking fountain.
Castiel is back at the warehouse and inspects the trap. He finds the breach, and turns off the faucet with his mind. I must learn to do that. Uriel arrives, and Castiel actually finds irony in the moment. “Strange how a leaky pipe can undo the work of angels and we ourselves are supposed to be the agents of fate.” Wow, that’s deep. Uriel credits Alastair for being powerful, and Castiel claims no demon could undo that trap. He takes Uriel down memory lane about how they’ve been friends a long time, fought together for eternity, are brothers, blah, blah, you’re a fucking jerk Uriel. Okay, he didn’t say that, but I would have. He asks Uriel to tell him the truth. Oh come on Cas, didn’t you learn what the truth did to Dean? “The truth is, the only thing that can kill an angel,”an angel killing dagger comes out of Uriel’s sleeve, “is another angel.”
Despite the fact that Castiel’s suspicions were right, he’s still stunned. Then he gets angry, confirming Uriel broke the devil’s trap and sent Alastair after Dean. “Alastair should never have been taken alive. Really inconvenient Cas. Yes I did turn the screw a little. Alastair should have killed Dean and escaped and you should have gone on happily scapegoating the demons.” That’s the trouble with diabolical plans Uriel, someone always gets wise. Cas might be naive, but he’s not an idiot. “For the murders of our kin?”Castiel asks. Uriel admits his work is conversion because they’ve played this waiting game for too long. Castiel remains true to“their father” but Uriel isn’t even sure he exists. “He stopped being that, if he ever was, from the moment he created them, humanity. Those vagrants. Those whining, puking lava.” Yeah, well right back at ya Uriel.
Castiel wants to know if Uriel wants to convert him. Yep. Together they can be powerful enough to raise their brother Lucifer. Uriel still remembers how strong and beautiful he was, and how he was punished for not bowing to humanity. “Lucifer isn’t God.” Castiel says. “God isn’t God anymore,” Uriel counters. Man, talk about a crisis of faith. Mine are never this bad. Castiel wants to know if Uriel was going to kill the whole garrison. “I only killed the ones who said no.” He pleads Castiel to join him. “Help me spread the word. Help me bring on the apocalypse. All you have to do is be unafraid.” Castiel looks at him with those doubting eyes, and admits, “For the first time in a long time, I am.” Then he reaches back and punches Uriel through a brick wall! That’s a good answer!
Uriel gets up and the two angels begin pounding the crap out of each other. It rocks. Uriel throws Castiel through an air duct and Castiel gets up in one really graceful move and comes back for more. He punches Uriel, but Uriel comes back with a lead pipe, and that does the damage. Now I know how to take out an angel. Castiel is on his knees, realizing he’s been bested, but he won’t waiver. “You can’t win Uriel. I still serve God.” Uriel doesn’t like hearing that. “There is no will” /punch/ “no wrath” /punch/ “no God” Squish?
That angel killing blade goes right through Uriel’s throat, and it’s Anna delivering the blow. “Maybe, maybe not, but there’s still me.” She removes the blade, Uriel falls to the floor, and Anna and Castiel both watch as he bursts into a white light. The camera goes for the aerial shot and shows a dead Uriel, and the imprint of angel wings on the warehouse floor. Awesome! Best angel death ever, and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Castiel and Anna share a sorrowful glance, and fade to commercial.
Back at the hospital, and Dean is looking much better. Still bad of course, but at least he’s breathing on his own and out of that coma thing. Castiel is at his side. “You alright?” “No thanks to you,” a rough voiced Dean says. You know, he sounds like the kind of guy who’s had a tube down his throat and has been beaten to a pulp. “You need to be more careful,” Castiel warns. “You need to learn how to manage a damn devil’s trap.” Dean counters. Man, these Winchesters aren’t going to let you live that down, are they Cas?
Castiel explains what he meant. He tells Dean Uriel is dead because of disobedience. He was working against them. Dean isn’t exactly shocked, and has another thing in mind. “Is it true? Did I break the first seal? Did I start all this?” “Yes,” Castiel confesses. It is at that exact moment that we can pinpoint when Dean’s heart rips in two. (Simpson’s reference).
Castiel explains that when they found out about Lilith’s plan, they laid siege to Hell trying to get to him. Dean is too upset to hear it all. “So I started the apocalypse?” Castiel finishes his story. “We were too late.” “Why didn’t you just leave me there then?” Dean asks and man is he broken. “It’s not blame that falls on you Dean. It’s fate.” Dean’s lip quivers, and Castiel goes on. “The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it. You have to stop it.” “Lucifer?” Dean asks, a tear rolling down his cheek now. “The apocalypse? What does that mean?” Castiel doesn’t answer, and Dean knows this angel’s patterns by now. “Hey, don’t you go disappearing on me you son of a bitch. What does that mean?” Castiel doesn’t know. “Bull!” Dean replies. “Dean, they don’t tell me much. I know our fate rests with you.” “Then you guys are screwed,” a now very distressed Dean says. “I can’t do it Cas. It’s too big. Alastair was right. I’m not all here, I’m not strong enough. I guess I’m not the man either of our dads wanted me to be. Find someone else. It’s not me.” Castiel looks somber, Dean lets more tears fall, and fade to credits.
Damn You Ben Edlund! How could you leave poor Dean a heaping mess like that? Couldn’t we have at least gotten thirty seconds of Sam coming in and trying to kick Castiel’s ass for making his brother cry? Nah, I’m kidding, it was perfect. Thanks for the classic! It was awesome. If this is episode 16, what do you guys have planned for the finale? Don’t tell me. I need to make sure all my heart medication is refilled before that happens.
We got so many answers, but now we have way more questions. What is Anna’s purpose? Why is she protecting Castiel, even though he shuns her all the time? Does Sam know Dean broke the first seal? Does Dean know exactly what Sam did to Alastair? How is Castiel going to respond to Sam’s new powers of doom? Is the poor angel going to have to go rogue now since he doesn’t know which angels in his garrison have been corrupted? I see a coming of age happening for dear Cas. For Dean too. As for Sam, he’s crashing and burning. Can’t wait to see it all play out!
Wow – even looking at back at this episode all those years later it still takes an emotional bite doesn’t it? Back then in the first viewing, I remember being absolutely raw and wrecked – particularly after the closing. What a devastatingly awesome episode. Between Sam, Dean and Cas – who wasn’t spinning?
Look-Back Questions of Week:
1) Favourite moment of the episode?
2) What was more devastating moment: Dean’s realization that he broke the first seal or his declaration to Cas that he wasn’t the man either father wanted him to be (with tears!)?
3) Did Ruby know Dean was the first seal all along?
4) Where does this episode rank for you?
This is in my top 10 best episodes of Supernatural. It was so well acted by every single actor in it. each character showed their power, so the writing was great. Dean made me cry in both instances that you mentioned but I think when he was torturing Alaister and realized that he had broken the first seal-that was so potent. that is the scene that gets me every time I watch this episode.
It is an interesting idea that Ruby knew Deans role in this-she must have knew. She worked pretty hard to get him on her side or, if that failed, to get him “dead”. She was with them at the finale of season 3, she saw Dean go down via hell hounds, she was working with Lilith, so I say Yes, she knew Deans role.
This was an excellent and intense episode in a season full of great episodes. Christopher Heyerdahl and JA really knocked it out of the park in their scenes together. Then we have Sam chugging demon blood from Ruby’s arm; that was shocking but kind of made sense when you thought about why Sam’s mojo waxed and waned over time. Some of the parts with Uriel and Castiel dragged a little bit. Loved the look of shock and horror on Castiels face when he saw Sam tossing around Alastair like a rag doll, then killing him. Then, the juxtaposition of Sam – brutally taking out Alastair, then in the next scene being the worried brother sitting by Dean’s hospital bed.
One thing I wasn’t clear on – when angry Moose demanded that Castiel heal Dean, and Castiel refused, was it because he couldn’t or was he under orders not to?