“No Rest For the Wicked”
–Robin’s Rambles by Robin Vogel
Dean dreams he is running from hellhounds. He awakens just as they catch up to and leap on him. He has fallen asleep on a particularly gruesome photo of a hellhound in a book, and he looks up to Sam’s worried but hopeful face–Bobby’s come up with a way to find Lilith. Only 30 hours to go, notes Dean ruefully, and suggests a Mexico run instead–senoritas, cervesas, donkey show? Sam prefers to NEVER do that, even if they save Dean. Sam sits next to him and promises him he isn’t going to go to hell, “I’m not gonna let you, I swear.” Dean looks at his brother’s face, which distorts in the awful way faces do when a soul is close to going to hell. “Yeah, OK,” says Dean, clearly not believing him.
Bobby’s House – Bobby sets a giant scrying tool in the middle of a map of the USA. He assures them they will know what street Lilith’s on by the time he’s done. He says a bit of Latin and the scrying tool stops on New Harmony, Indiana. Dean doesn’t want to just go in there–they aren’t sure it’s Lilith, and he doesn’t trust Bela. They have no idea how to kill her! Sam wants to get Ruby in on this, but Dean is equally determined to keep her out; Ruby is the Miss Universe of lying skanks–for all we know, she works for Lilith! “Give me another option!” says Sam. “Sam’s right,” chimes in Bobby. “NO, DAMN IT!” yells Dean, “Just no–we are not going to make the same mistakes all over again. If you guys want to save me, find something else.” Bobby leaves to “find something else.” Dean sits down to do more research.
Bobby’s barn – Much as his father did once before with the YED, Sam summons Ruby with ancient magic–a symbol drawn on dirt, candles, Latin. He lights a bowl in the center aflame and Ruby appears, suggesting he could have called her on the phone. “How do you get around so fast?” he asks. “The Superbowl Jetpack,” she answers snarkily. She knows Lilith holds Dean’s contract, but didn’t tell them because they’d have gone in half-cocked and Lilith would have peeled the meat from their pretty faces. “I want your knife,” says Sam. “Now would be the time,” admits Ruby, “Lilith is on shore leave.” When Sam asks what that means, she assures him, “You don’t wanna know.” We still have the hex bags you gave us, he assures her. She refuses them her knife–one little pig-sticker won’t help. Sam reminds her that she lied about being able to save Dean from his deal. “I can’t–but YOU can,” says Ruby. “You’ve got some God-given talent; well, not God-given, but you get the gist.” Sam thought that all ended when Yellow eyes died. “Dormant,” she corrects, “why do you think Lilith is so scared of you? If you wanted, you could wipe her off the map without moving a muscle. You don’t like being different. . .you hate the way Dean looks at you sometimes. . .but suck it up, because we got a lot of ground to cover and not much time. Hate me all you want, but I have NEVER lied to you, Sam. You can save your brother, and I can show you how.” “So that’s you, huh, my slutty little Yoda,” says Dean, joining them. “Charming as ever,” says Ruby sarcastically. “I knew you’d show up,” he says, because I knew Sam wouldn’t listen! Give me that knife and crawl back to whatever slop you cam from.” “Your brother is carrying a bomb inside of him and we’d be stupid not to use it!” she says. Sam intervenes, but Dean says, “She wants you to give in to this demon-psychic thing; she probably wants you to become her own little anti-Christ Superstar.” “All I want is Lilith dead,” insists Ruby, “you wanna save yourself, this is how, you dumb, spineless dick!” He punches her once, she punches him twice. “Hey, Ruby,” says Sam, and she punches him, then kicks him. She and Dean get into a brutal brawl, at the end of which he has taken her demon-killing knife and gotten herself stuck under a Devil’s Trap. “Like I said, I knew you were coming,” gasps Dean, heading upstairs, “come on, Sam.” “Oh, so you’re just too stupid to live, is that what it is?” she asks, pissed. “Fine, you deserve hell, Dean! I wish I could be there to hear the flesh sizzle off your bones! I wish I could be there to hear you SCREAM!” “I wish you’d shut your pie hole, but we don’t always get what we want,” retorts Dean, heading up the steps.
Bobby’s house – The brothers gather together the equipment they’re going to need. “We’re going to let Ruby rot down there?” asks Sam. “That’s the idea,” says Dean. “What if Ruby’s right and I CAN take down Lilith? Maybe I should at least ask her,” suggests Sam. “You wanted the knife, I got you the knife,” says Dean. “Last time, Lilith snapped her fingers and put 30 demons on our ass, and all we got is one little knife,” points out Sam–“we go in smart or not at all.” “Don’t you see a pattern here?” asks Dean–“Dad’s deal, my deal, now this? Every time one of us is up the creek, the other is beggin’ to sell their soul. Ruby’s just jerkin’ your chain–you know what it’s paved with and where it’s goin’. You’re my weak spot–you are–and I’m yours.” “We’re family,” says Sam. “Those evil sons of bitches know it, too,” adds Dean, “what we’ll do, how far we’ll go, they’re using it against us–we stop being martyrs, stop spreadin’ it for these demons–we take this knife and go after Lilith our way, the way Dad taught us to, and if we go down, we go down swingin’. What do you think?” “I think you totally ought to have been jammin’ ‘Eye of the Tiger’ right there,” says Sam. (Hmm, how ironic, given what we know is going to happen with that song in a future episode!) “Oh, bite me,” says Dean, “I totally rehearsed that speech, too.” They both smile and speculate–Lilith, shore leave–what does a demon do for fun?
Fremont home, Harmony, IN – Grandpa Pat Fremont meets another grandfather at their mailboxes and reports his granddaughter is suffering from a bug going around and is home sick. In shaking hands, Pat passes over a note that says HELP US. Pat enters the house and steps over an elderly dead woman covered with buzzing flies and blood. In the kitchen, a young woman frosts a cake thick with chocolate frosting. “Where is she?” asks Pat fearfully. “Upstairs,” the woman replies, “playing with Freckles.” “We just sit here,” says Pat, “we’re dead!” Another man, the woman’s husband, warns, “Quiet, she’ll hear you!” “It’s her or us,” says Pat. “It’s my baby girl,” the woman says. “Not anymore,” says Pat, “there’s something INSIDE her.” Hearing footsteps, the younger man warns, “Shut your mouth, she’s coming!” A little blond girl joins them, her pink dress covered with blood. When she asks what they were discussing, Pat answers, “Just how much we love you.” “What happened to your dress?” asks Mom. “Freckles was mean to me,” says the child cheerfully. “That’s nice, dear,” says Mom, clearly horrified. Daddy is, too, but when the child asks to be pushed in the swing, he suggests she change her clothes so the neighbors don’t see all that blood. She hugs him, getting blood all over his clothes from her bloody hands Although his wife is shaking her head, he asks, “Sweetie, do you think, after a while, you might. . .let us go?” She steps out of his hug. “WHY?” she asks menacingly, “don’t you wanna be here? Don’t you love me?” “Sure I do!” he assures her. “We all do, honey,” says Mom eagerly, “we all love you SO MUCH!” “Don’t be mean to me, Daddy,” the child warns, “like Freckles, or that mean old babysitter.” Daddy apologizes. “That’s OK, silly,” she says, her mood instantly changing, “now let’s go and play!”
Dean is unable to start the Impala. Bobby knocks at his window to show him the reason–a missing distributor cap. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asks. Both brothers exit the car and face him. “We got the knife,” reports Dean. “And you intend to use it without me,” states Bobby–“Do I look like a ditchable prom date to you?” “This is about me, and Sam,” says Dean, “this isn’t your fight.” “The hell it isn’t!” shouts Bobby–“Family don’t end with blood, boy! Besides, you’re playin’ wounded–tell me, how many hallucinations have ya had so far?” “How did you know?” asks Dean, as even Sam stares at him, perplexed by the question. “Because that’s what happens when you got hellhounds on your butt,” says Bobby, “and because I’m smart.” He hands the distributor cap to Dean. “I’ll follow,” says Bobby, “don’t be stoppin’ to pee every 10 minutes, either!” (Later) Driving down the highway, Sam tries to say something chick flicky, but Dean stops it. “You’re not going to bust out the misty good-bye speech. If this is my last day on earth, I do not want it to be socially awkward.” He turns on the radio. “Bon Jovi?” asks Sam. “Bon Jovi rocks,” proclaims Dean, “on occasion. ‘. . .and I walk the streets with a six-string on my back, I play for keeps, ’cause I might not make it back!'” He hits Sam’s arm, urging him to sing, too. Reluctantly, Sam, a little smile beginning to tug at the corners of his mouth, sings, “‘Oh, yeah!” “‘I’ve seen a million faces and I’ve rocked ’em all’!” sings Dean enthusiastically. Both brothers sing, “‘Cause I’m a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride, and I’m wanted, dead or alive, dead or alive, dead or alive!'” By the end, Sam is the one singing with exuberance; Dean has stopped, the meaning of the words hitting him. The Impala, left taillight out, continues down the road. (Later) A cop chases after the Impala, and Dean knows it’s because of the busted taillight, so he pulls over. His registration says he’s Mr. Hagar, and Dean assures the cop he was going to get that fixed–just as he shoves the car door into him, punches him and sticks the special knife into his throat. Bobby parks his car and runs over. Sam reports Dean’s demon kill. “How did you know?” asks Sam. “I just knew,” says Dean, “I could see his real face under that one!”
As they hide the cop’s car (54, where are you?), Bobby explains that because Dean is so close to being heaven’s bitch, he’s able to see other hell’s bitches, or demons inside their human guises, which will be helpful to them in the present situation. Dean’s glad his doomed soul is good for something. Bobby agrees, since Lilith probably has demons stashed all over town. “This is a terrific plan, I’m excited to be a part of it,” says Dean sarcastically. (A line directly out of GHOSTBUSTERS.)
Lilith’s family is celebrating her birthday–again. It’s her birthday everyday! Mom brings that loaded chocolate cake to the table. With pretend enthusiasm, Dad says, “Cake–again.” Lilith asks Grandpa why he asked a neighbor for help. Petrified, he denies doing so. She calls him “a big fat liar” and asks Mom and Dad if they knew about this. Terrified, they say no, abandoning Grandpa to his fate. He begs the adults to do something–“Help me, please!” With a twist of her hand, Lilith breaks his neck. Mom gasps, then quickly covers her mouth. Lilith warns her not to scream–“Screaming makes me mad! Mommy, can I have ice cream with mine?”
From the vacant house across the street, Dean tells Sam and Bobby the little girl is Lilith. The gung-ho night mailman is also a demon, as is Mr. Rogers, the next-door neighbor. It upsets Dean to think of giving a 10 year old girl a Colombian necktie, but Sam reminds him that this isn’t just saving him, but everyone. Bobby agrees.
Lilith’s bedroom – Mom is reading the little demon a bedtime story about a princess named Cleo–for the 27th time. Dean draws the mailman to chase him, and Sam stabs him with the special knife. Bobby has broken into the town water supply, tossed in a rosary, and is saying a Latin blessing over it. Sam pulls the knife out of the neighbor’s chest and wipes the blood on his jacket. Dean drags away the body. Ruby appears and pushes Dean’s face into the fence, threatening to snap his neck like a chicken bone if he doesn’t give back her knife. Sam appears behind her and shows her that he has her knife. “I couldn’t see it before,” says Dean, “but you are one ugly broad!” Ruby demands Sam give back her knife–Dean is dead, and she isn’t letting Sam die, too. “Try and stop me, and I’ll kill you–bitch,” warns Sam. “Give it your best shot,” suggests Ruby. Dean, noting that all the demons are lined up and waiting, advises them to have their little cat-fight later. The three of them run to the front door of Lilith’s house, demons heading after them, as Dean wonders what’s taking Bobby so long. The sprinklers come on at that moment, showering the demons with holy water, preventing them from getting at the Winchesters and Ruby. (Brilliant, Bobby!) The trio enters the house, stepping over the dead babysitter. “Think Lilith knows we’re here?” asks Dean. “Probably,” answers Ruby. Mr. Fremont falls into Dean’s grasp; he covers his mouth. “We’re here to help,” whispers Dean. After learning where Lilith is, he has to punch the poor guy unconscious because he won’t go to the basement and set a salt line without his wife. Sam and Ruby search for Lilith. Sam finds Mom and the little girl on the canopied bed, and he’s just about to stab the child at the mother’s desperate urging, but Dean shows up just in time to tell him the demon is no longer in the girl. (Whew!)
The demons wait on the opposite side of the sprinklers. Bobby checks his watch and frets over the time. Dean tells Mrs. Fremont to stay in the basement with her husband and daughter, no matter what they hear. Sam and Ruby search for Lilith, and he asks what he needs to do to learn to save Dean. Ruby tells him it’s too late, Dean appears at his side and gruffly tells him he IS going to let him go to hell. Staring into Sam’s stricken face, Dean says, “I know this is all my fault and I’m sorry, but what you’re doing isn’t going to save me, and it’s only going to kill you.” “Then what am I supposed to do?” asks Sam, teary-eyed. “Keep fightin’,” says Dean. “Take care of my wheels. Remember what Dad taught you. . .remember what I taught you.” Dean grins, tears falling down his face, too. The hour begins to chime midnight. “Sorry, Dean,” says Ruby, “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.” Dean hears a hellhound coming and points it out to Sam. They tear into the parlor and shut the door While Sam and Ruby hold it closed, Dean puts down a line of goofer dust on the floor and window. “Gimmee the knife!” Ruby demands of Sam–“Maybe I can fight it off.” “It’s not Ruby!” cries Dean–It’s Lilith!” She pins Sam to the wall and sends Dean sprawling across the table. “How long have you been in there?” asks Dean. “Not long,” she replies, her eyes going white, “but I like it–it’s all grown up and pretty.” “Where’s Ruby?” asks Sam. “She was a very bad girl,” says Lilith, “so I sent her far far away.” “I should have seen it before,” says Dean, “but you all look alike to me.” “Hello, Sam,” she says, “I’ve wanted to meet you for a very long time.” She grabs his face and forces a kiss on him–“Your lips are soft.” “So you have me,” he says, “now let my brother go.” “Silly goose,” she says, “you wanna bargain, and you have to have something that I want. . .you don’t.” “Is this your plan?” taunts Dean. “Drag me to hell, kill Sam, and then what–you become Queen Bitch?” “I don’t have to answer to Puppy Chow,” she says, and opens the door. “Sic ’em, boys!” The doors open. The invisible hellhounds drag Dean off the table and onto the floor. Sam, still pinned to the floor, watches in horror as Ruby laughs and the dogs tear into a screaming Dean, blood pouring from his body. “Stop it, NO!” shrieks Sam, “NO!” “YES!” exults Lilith, shooting a deadly white light at Sam.
Lilith gazes down at Sam, who cowers on the floor, shielding his face from her deadly attack. He stands. Both of them are shocked that he is still alive. “Back!” she demands, holding out her hand. He steps forward, fury on his face. “I said back!” she says. Sam picks up the special knife. “I don’t think so,” he says, and goes in for the kill. Lilith instantly vacates the body, leaving it dead on the floor. Sam, sobbing, lifts up Dean’s head. “No,” he cries, “Dean. . .” Both eyes are open, and we zoom inside one green orb to see a matrix of wires, lightning and thunder. Caught inside, like a helpless insect in a spider’s web, is Dean, one bloody shoulder tethered to a meat hook. “SOMEBODY HELP ME!” he screams. “SAAAMMMMM! SAAAMMMM!”
1. All of us were sure Sam would find a way to save Dean, but that didn’t happen. How shocked were you that Kripke sent Dean to hell?
2. Was this a fantastic episode or what? I remember sitting and rocking during the entire show, I was so wrought up, then crying, then staring at the TV when it was over. I had to wait ALL SUMMER LONG to find out what was going to happen to Dean?????? NOOOOOOOOOD!
3. Did you cry when Bobby stole the car part to prevent them from leaving without him? Ditchable prom date? Our Bobby? NEVER!
4. How did you feel about seeing Ruby dead on the floor next to Dean? Did you think we’d seen the last of her?
5. What did you think of little Lilith’s shore leave? Imagine having your child possessed by a demon who holds the entire family hostage, kills the family pet, the babysitter, Grandpa, and threatens everyone else? Plus makes you eat cake everyday?
6. I loved the continuity of having Dean seeing Sam’s face turn all ghoulish, like those facing hell in ‘Crossroad Blues.” Creepy!
Great recap Robin!
1. I was a shaking jelly when Dean went to hell.
2. Fantastic indeed! Tore at the heart strings all the way through. What got me most was “Take care of my wheels” and the duet in the car. Hard to take. Kinda ruined my summer or made me wish it away altogether.
3. I didn’t cry then, but I was proud as punch at Bobby for the things he said. Love Bobby!
4. Didn’t know what to think about Ruby dead. Wasn’t sure about whether she was friend or foe back then. And I did like Katie’s portrayal of her and the Ruby vs Dean dynamic.
5. Lilith’s shore leave was a terrifying thing for that poor family and she was truly nasty and eeeeeevilllll!
6. Seeing Sam’s face turn was shocking at the moment and a great continuity from “Crossroad Blues”. And left a feeling of hopelessness behind it. I actually began to be afraid that Kripke would do the unthinkable. 😮
Robin, talking on one of my favourite episodes and one of the most painful ones… wow. Okay, off to your questions:
@1: Actually, I was hoping Kripke would kill Dean, because that seemed to be the only organic possibility here. I was rooting for Sam all along that he should find a solution to save him, and my heart was breaking for him as I (along with him) realized that he was not going to succeed.
@2: fantastic? No, it was supercalifragilistic….
@3: ‘Family don’t end with blood!’ That’s the Bobby I love. And he voiced the one sentence I determine my family by. Because my family has no blood bounds anymore after fate struck a few times, but I have a great family of friends. Bobby would just fit well into the picture.
@4: I thought Ruby would come back. And she did, albeit in a different meat suit. I was more curious, though, to find out why Sam was immune to Lilith’s demon ray gun thing.
@5: Kids just freak me out in movies like this. I’d probably spend my days hanging over the toilet with so much cake.
@6: Yep, I’m all with you. That was great. And a nice double twist, as we were left guessing just a little – was it only a hallucination or did Dean see something real there? You know, with Sammy’s demon blood and all…
Thanks for twisting our minds again, Robin, wuv Jas
So that was one of my favorite episodes ever (in the history of tv shows). Great recap for a great episode. As for the questions – which were spot on:
a) All of us were sure Sam would find a way to save Dean, but that didn’t happen. How shocked were you that Kripke sent Dean to hell?
I was not 100% sure, truth be told, that Sam would be the one to save Dean. However, I was quite sure Dean would come back. I mean, the show is not about two brothers, or the supernatural world (don’t let the title confuse you). It is about the relationships of the characters, with the Dean – Sam bond on center. So of course Dean was coming back. The moment one of them is gone, it means that the show has come to an end. I think that this episode was the best conclusion to the deal that Dean did with the crossroad demon. It was rather unexpected (his death, i mean) but still realistic, made us cry our eyes out, provided an opening for new plot twists and character development (don’t we love that?) and so on … And the fact that Sam could not figure out a way to save Dean is actually a good thing. I mean, we fans forget sometimes that these characters are humans after all. They may be smart, brave, kind-hearted and motivated, but they got their limits. Sometimes, the situation or opponents may be too much for them. Sometimes they are going to fail. Sam failed, it could have been Dean failing Sam in another situation. And that’s fine, cause these boys really try – and that is the most you could ever ask from anybody.
b) Was this a fantastic episode or what? I remember sitting and rocking during the entire show, I was so wrought up, then crying, then staring at the TV when it was over. I had to wait ALL SUMMER LONG to find out what was going to happen to Dean?????? NOOOOOOOOOD!
Unfortunately, I made use of youtube and the fact that I started picking up the series in december 2015. So it took very little time – like 5 minutes or so – to see a resurrected Dean. But in no way did that made the feelings any less intense. Both jensen’s and jared’s acting was mind blowing. And bobby is not a slacker neither – but I’ll get back to it later 😉
c) Did you cry when Bobby stole the car part to prevent them from leaving without him? Ditchable prom date? Our Bobby? NEVER!
It was somewhere between crying, smiling like an idjit and lmfao with the ‘ditchable prom date’ line. My made up name may be Deanna Winchester and I may be a fan of 50% of the characters in Supernatural (Dean on top), but there is no other guy in there with a heart more pure than Bobby. He’s an amazing person that had little to no joy in his life besides that of fighting or caring for others (his boys in particular). I mean, who else in the world would ever do that besides Bobby Singer?
d) How did you feel about seeing Ruby dead on the floor next to Dean? Did you think we’d seen the last of her?
It’s Supernatural – you never really know. To be honest, the old Ruby was really fun to be around, but somehow less likable as a character than the new Ruby. Im not trying to make a comparison between the actresses here. Just saying that Genevieve portrayed Ruby in such a way that we grew to care for her (despite the discovery that she was a b*** working with lilith), while the old Ruby, badass and all, was still someone I would not care if she died. She will be missed, but not mourned.
e) What did you think of little Lilith’s shore leave? Imagine having your child possessed by a demon who holds the entire family hostage, kills the family pet, the babysitter, Grandpa, and threatens everyone else? Plus makes you eat cake everyday?
Wouldn’t mind the cake 😀 But that was a hell of a creepy child. I feel bad for the child’s family, and the child too. That girl is going to need some serious therapy. But Grandpa was someone I particularly was said about. He seemed like the only one able to somewhat pull his shit together – and there he dies anyway. The worst part was the look in his face to the parents, right after being killed. I guess fear makes us do terrible things after all.
Anyway, season 11 is about to come to an end and Supernatural has yet to disappoint me. Hope nobody screws it up in the last season, cause this one is close to being the best show I’ve ever seen.