10.05 Fan Fiction

Title	Fan Fiction
Episode #	Season 10, Episode 5
First aired	November 11, 2014
Directed by	Phil Sgriccia
Written by	Robbie Thompson
On IMDB	Fan Fiction
Outline	When Dean and Sam investigate the mysterious disappearance of a teacher at an all girls school, they are shocked to find a musical being adapted based on the Carver Edlund Supernatural series.
Monster	Calliope Scarecrow
Timeline
Location(s)	Flint, Michigan (St. Alphonso's Academy)
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Synopsis

Then
A blank computer screen begins typing "Supernatural 'Pilot' created by Eric Kripke."

Now
A young girl sits on a couch on a stage when a prop ghost descends, Maggie and Siobhan enter the room playing Sam and Dean Winchester in the play Supernatural: The Musical. The director, Marie, yells cut and admonishes Siobhan for not wearing the Samulet. Siobhan doesn't like to wear it because it keeps hitting her in the lip. The teacher, Mrs. Chandler, is tired of the drama and decides to end the play. However, as she leaves the auditorium she is attacked and disappears. Marie, who has decided the show must go on, is worried about the title card for the play.

Meanwhile, Dean polishes Baby and then tells Sam that he has found a case regarding a missing teacher. Sam, while skeptical (and worried), agrees to check it out.

The boys arrive at the all girls school and enter the auditorium as that was the last place the teacher was seen. Upon entering, the boys overhear someone saying “Idjits” over and over, and then see Kristen as "Castiel" say “Assbut” and throws a fake Molotov cocktail. On stage, Siobhan as "Dean" sings “The Road So Far.” The boys are flabbergasted. Marie approaches them, hoping they are from the publisher. Sam flashes his fake FBI badge, but then notices that "Sam" and "Dean" are doing the same thing on stage and stops Dean. Sam explains they are investigating the disappearance, but Dean interrupts saying there is no singing in Supernatural. Maeve firmly states that this is Marie's interpretation. Dean scoffs, if there is singing in Supernatural, it would be classic rock. Sam turns the conversation back to the case, and Dean goes to Mrs. Chandler's office with Marie while Sam gets a behind the scenes tour with Maeve.

Dean checks out the props for the play and then questions why "Sam" and "Dean" are standing so close. Marie says they are practicing the B.M. scene – the boy melodrama scene. Dean wants to know why they are standing so close together. “Reasons” responds Marie coyly. “You do know they're brothers?” Dean queries. He then demands they move apart.

Dean and Marie arrive in Mrs. Chandler's office, and Dean asks about the robot head. Marie says it is part of Act II and even though there is no space in Supernatural, Marie says her work is inspired by Carver Edlund's books. Dean calls it what it is: fan fiction. Marie says she wrote her own ending because she didn't like how things were left at the end of "Swan Song," but Dean, who claims to have access to the unpublished works, proceeds to tell her what really happened. Marie laughs at what she calls the worst fan fiction she has ever heard. Dean then sees Siobhan and Kristen, as "Dean" and "Castiel" hugging. Marie says they are a couple in real life, but they do explore Destiel in Act II.

As Sam and Dean leave the auditorium, Sam teases Dean with the possible portmanteau like “Deastiel” and “Samstiel”. They decide there isn't a case and leave the school. Later that evening, Maggie walks out of the play because she believes that if it isn't canon it should not be in the show, and she is going to go the principal about ending the play. As she leaves, she is attacked by the same monster that took Mrs. Chandler, only this time, Marie sees the monster.

Sam and Dean return to the school to investigate the new disappearance. Sam says they found the same flower at both scenes. Then, Marie tells them her story – that she saw a scarecrow take Maggie. Sam and Dean tell them the truth, and while Marie and Maeve don't believe they are the Winchesters, they are willing to accept that monsters are real. Marie then told them about her version of the scarecrow for the play, and they wonder if it is a Tulpa. They decide to burn the scarecrow in the hopes of ending the problem.

Marie and Dean head to the boiler room to take care of the scarecrow, and Sam and Maeve continue to research the flower that was found at the scene. After burning the scarecrow, Sam deduces that the monster of the week is Calliope, the Muse. Calliope wants the show to go on, and then she eats the author.

Upon hearing this, Marie panics. Even though Dean doesn't believe in this interpretation of Supernatural, he gives Marie a pep talk, and she agrees to move forward with the show. Since Maggie is missing, Marie will play Sam. Meanwhile, Sam has secured weapons, wooden stakes, to kill Calliope.

Marie, Dean and Sam inspect the cast before the show begins, and Dean finds out that Dean's amulet is called the Samulet. Sam asks about Chuck, but Marie doesn't like including the author in the narrative. She hates the meta episodes, to which Sam and Dean agree. Dean reiterates that he doesn't agree with this version of the story, but he supports Marie's vision, and tells the cast to “kick it in the ass.”

The show begins with “The Road So Far.” The scarecrow appears and attacks Sam. They both disappear before Dean can reach them from the other side of the stage. Sam wakes to find himself locked in the basement with Mrs. Chandler and Maggie. Calliope appears and pins Sam to the wall. She tells Sam that this show was something special because the story's actual inspiration is here. Despite the second act with robots and tentacles, the show has everything: life, death, resurrection, redemption, but above all family, all set to music you can really tap your toe to.

Meanwhile, the show goes on. "Castiel" sings “I'll Just Wait Here Then,” as Dean and Marie wait for the scarecrow to reappear. This is followed with “A Single Man Tear.” Half-way through the song, the scarecrow reappears. Dean attacks him and a fight ensues. As Dean fights the scarecrow on stage, Maggie hits Calliope which allows Sam to grab the wooden stake and stab Calliope. At the same time, after Dean is thrown by the scarecrow, Marie, as "Sam," grabs the wooden stake and stabs the scarecrow. Both Calliope and the scarecrow burst into purple goo. The audience gives a standing ovation. Marie and Siobahn take a bow. Intermission.

Backstage, Dean congratulates Marie on a job well done. He tells Marie to keep writing because he has his version of the story but she also has hers. As Dean turns to leave, Marie admonishes him for throwing away the Samulet, but Dean responds that he doesn't need a symbol to remind him how he feels about his brother. However, Dean takes the fake Samulet that Marie offers, and after an exchange of "Bitch Jerk," Dean joins Sam to watch the last act. A B.M. moment occurs as "Sam" and "Dean" drive off in the Impala proclaiming it is “the two of us against the world.” Sam looks at Dean: “what she said.” The cast, including Adam, sing “Carry On Wayward Son,” as Sam and Dean look wistfully on.

The boys share a meaningful look as Dean hangs the fake Samulet on the rear view mirror, and then they drive off in the Impala. Meanwhile, back in the auditorium someone has claimed the ticket left for the publisher. Marie approaches the man and asks what he thought of the show, Chuck replies “not bad.”

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Chuck Shurley
• Marie
• Maeve
• Calliope
• Scarecrow
• Maggie
• Mrs. Chandler
• Siobhan
• Kristen

Definitions

• Aliases
• Bitch Jerk
• Costumes & Disguises
• Dean's Amulet
• Deities
• Deity Death List
• Destiel
• Devil's Trap
• Impala
• Redemption
• Sam/Castiel
• Sammy
• Samulet
• The Supernatural Books
• Supernatural: The Musical!
• Talking in Unison
• Title Card
• Tulpa
• Unconscious
• Wincest

Music

• "Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot

(playing as Dean is fixing up the Impala)

• "The Road So Far" by Jay Gruska, Tim Pierce & Alyssa Lynch

(sung by Siobhan/"Dean" in the play)

• "I'll Just Wait Here Then" by Jay Gruska, Tim Pierce & Nina Winkler

(sung by Kristen/"Castiel" in the play)

• "A Single Man Tear" by Christopher Lennertz, Cameron Stone, Alyssa Lynch & Katie Sarife

(sung by Siobhan/"Dean" & Marie/"Sam" in the play)

• "Carry On Wayward Son" by Jay Gruska, Vivien Amour, Alyssa Lynch, Kelli Ogmundson, Katie Sarife, Rachel Warkentin & Nina Winkler

(sung by the cast of the Supernatural play; also played in 1.21 Salvation, 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two, 3.16 No Rest for the Wicked, 4.22 Lucifer Rising, 5.22 Swan Song, 6.22 The Man Who Knew Too Much, 7.23 Survival of the Fittest, 8.23 Sacrifice and 9.23 Do You Believe in Miracles?)

Quotes

Sam: Dean, there's nothing here to even remotely suggest there's a case.

Dean: There is nothing here to even remotely suggest there isn't a case. Boom.
Sam: C'mon man.

Dean: Sam, out there hunting, it's the only normal I know. We got work to do.

Dean: I'm gonna throw up.
Sam: I mean I gotta say, it's kinda charming. The-the production value, and the... No? No. No. I'm gonna check for EMF, you-you look for, uh cursed objects.

Dean: What are they doing?

Marie: Oh, uh they're rehearsing the "BM" scene.
Dean: The bowel movement scene?
Marie: No, the boy melodrama scene... You know the scene where the boys get together and their driving or leaning against Baby, drinking a beer, sharing their feelings. The two of them alone, but together -- bonded, united, the power of their pain is-
Dean: Why are they standing so close together?
Marie: Reasons.
Dean: You know they're brothers, right.
Marie: Well, duh. But subtext.

Dean: Why don't you take a sub-step back ladies!

Dean: You wrote your own ending, with spaceships.
Marie: And robots, and some ninjas, and then Dean becomes a woman... It's just for a few scenes.

Dean: Alright Shakespeare you know that I can actually tell you what really happened with Sam and Dean. A friend of mine hooked me up with the unpublished-unpublished books. So Sam came back from Hell, but without his soul, and Cas brought in a bunch of Leviathans from Purgatory. They lost Bobby, and then Cas and Dean got stuck in Purgatory, Sam hit a dog. Uh, they met a prophet named Kevin, they lost him too. Then Sam underwent a series of trials, in an attempt to close the Gates of Hell, which nearly cost him his life. And Dean, he became a demon, a Knight of Hell actually.

Marie: Wow.
Dean: Yup.

Marie: That is some of the worst fanfiction I have ever heard. I mean seriously where did your friend find this garbage? And not saying that ours is a masterpiece or anything, but jeez. I'll have to send you some fic links later.

Marie: It's all my fault, if I hadn't written this dumb play none of this would have happened.

Dean: Okay, well first of all, the play's not dumb.
Maeve: I thought you didn't believe in this interpretation.
Dean: Yeah, I don't. Like at all. But you do, okay. And I need you to believe in it with all you got. So we can kill Calliope and save all your friends. Can you do that.

Marie: Yeah. You're right. If Sam and Dean were real, they wouldn't back down from a fight, especially my sweet, brave, selfless Sam. There's nothing he can't do.

Calliope: Supernatural has everything. Life, death, resurrection, redemption -- but above all, family. All set to music you can really tap your toe to. It isn't some meandering piece of genre dreck, it's... epic.

Marie: Dean? You never should've thrown this away.

[hands him the Samulet prop]

Dean: It never really worked. I don't need a symbol to remind me how I feel about my brother.

Siobhan/"Dean": You're right Sammy, out on the road, just the two of us.

Marie/"Sam": The two of us against the world!

Sam: What she said.

Marie: Hi. Thank you so much for coming, I know the second act is a little bit wonky and the first act has some issues, but... what did you think?
Chuck: Not bad.

Trivia & References

The episode title "Fan Fiction" refers to stories written by fans that make use of material provided by a media text. Other creative and transformative fan activities include create art, videos and cosplay. See Fanworks and Fanfiction for more details.

The movie Rushmore was also an inspiration for the episode according to Thompson, “As soon as I heard it I started thinking about the movie ‘Rushmore’, which is ultimately this one kid [who] puts on these love letters to these movies that he loves. It just felt like a great way to craft a love letter to the show and a love letter [to the fans].” The character Marie's outfit, specifically her red beret and thick glasses, are also reminiscent of Max Fisher's in Rushmore.

Writer Robbie Thompson named the characters in the high school musical cast after people in his wife’s theater group.

The school was named St. Alphonso's Academy and there were posters for a Pancake Breakfast. These were a reference to a Frank Zappa song called "Saint Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast." The idea came from director and Executive Producer Phil Sgricca.

Dean: Ugh, theater kids. Great.

Sam: What? I was a theater kid.
Dean: Barely. You did Our Town, which was cool. But Then you did that crappy musical.
Sam: Oklahoma? Hugh Jackman got cast off of Oklahoma.
Dean: You ran tech, Wolverine.
Sam: Shut up.

It was first mentioned by Dean in 1.16 Shadow that Sam had appeared in a school production of the play Our Town.

Australian actor Hugh Jackman appeared in a West End production of Oklahoma!, which lead to Bryan Singer casting him as Wolverine in X-Men. He has played the role of Wolverine in seven movies and counting.

Sam and Dean use the aliases, "Agents Smith and Smith" (no relation). This is a reference to Die Hard where there are two FBI agents named Johnson and they are also unrelated, saying it in a similar way to Sam and Dean. They previously used these aliases in 7.12 Time After Time.

Dean: If there was singing, you know, and that's a big if. If there was singing, it would be classic rock, and not this Andrew Floyd Weber crap.

Sam: Lloyd Weber.

Andrew Lloyd Weber is an English composer responsible for musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar and Cats. Dean mispronouncing the name was revealed to be an ad-lib by Jensen.

The boys confusion over the term "BM" which Marie describes as meaning "boy melodrama" and not "bowel movement," reflects real life. Robbie Thompson said on Twitter:

"Fun Fact, my 1st day on #Supernatural writers kept referring to 'The B.M.' scene... I was SO confused."

Dean: You know they're brothers, right?

Marie: Well, Duh. But subtext.

Dean's line harks back to his response in 4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book when he and Sam discover the existence of Slash fans on the message boards for the The Supernatural Books.

The robot head in the teachers office may be a reference to Stonehenge Apocalypse - a Syfy movie starring Misha Collins. In the movie, everyone doubts Misha's character because they think he believes there are aliens on the moon. He doesn't, he protests saying "It was a robot head!" The line has become a catchphrase in fandom. Robbie Thompson has also stated that he wants to see robots in Supernatural.

Sam: Destiel? Shouldn't it be Dea-stiel? And what about Sastiel? Samstiel?

In fandom, when two people/characters are paired together in a relationship in fan works, or in a canonical relationship, it's customary to form a portmanteau out of their names. In Supernatural the most popular pairings are between Dean and Castiel (Destiel), and Sam and Dean which is known as Wincest - a mash-up of Winchester and incest. The pairing of Sam and Castiel is known as Sastiel or Sassy.

Sam: Look man -- no EMF, no hex bags. None of their props are remotely hinky. Other than the Charlie Kaufman of it all, I got nothing.

Charlie Kaufman is an American screenwriter and director known for post-modern work often with authorial insertion, in films such as Adaptation and Being John Malkovich.

Maggie: I've been telling you all along Marie, if it's not canon then it shouldn't be in the show. We should have just done The Outsiders like I told you.

The Outsiders is a novel by S.E. Hinton who is a fan of Supernatural and a regular visitor to the set. Another allusion to this book was in 4.13 After School Special where Sam's high school English class was reading and doing classwork based on the novel.

Marie: It's all real: ghosts, angels, demons.

Maeve: I want to believe.

"I Want to Believe" was the tagline for the TV series The X-Files.

Dean: We are what the books call hunters.

Maeve: FBI hunters?
Dean: Yeah.
Maeve: You guys are X-Files.

A reference to the FBI agents Mulder and Scully who investigated paranormal and strange activity in The X-Files.

Dean: All right, you get on that. I'm gonna take a shot at burning man.

Burning Man is a week long annual event that takes place in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy.

Marie: Gird your loins, it's horrifying.

To "Gird your loins" is to prepare and strengthen oneself for what is to come.

Dean: We came, we saw, we kicked its...

This is a quote from the movie Ghost Busters.

Dean: Say it one more time, but just a little bit more Arnold, you know, like... It's not a Tulpa.

A reference to an exchange in Kindergarten Cop when Arnold Schwarzenegger who complains of a headache and when a kid says it might be a tumor, and Arnold repeats "It is not a tumor. It is not a tumor!"

Marie: Okay. Let's do this. I understudied Sam... so I used this for my one woman Orphan Black show last year, but it's going to have to work for Sam. Writer, director, actor. I'm gonna Barbara Streisand this bitch.

Orphan Black is a Canadian science fiction series, starring Tatiana Maslany who plays all the major characters who are clones.

Barbra Streisand is a singer and songwriter, author, actress, film producer, and director.

Sam: Wait where's Chuck?

Marie: Oh, I love him I do, but honestly the author inserting themselves into the narrative thing, it's just not my favorite. I kind of hate the meta stories.
Sam & Dean: Me too.

Supernatural has featured a number of Meta Episodes most famously 5.08 Changing Channels and 6.15 The French Mistake, in which Sam and Dean have not fared well.

Dean: Alright listen up girls, you're all here because you love Supernatural.

"Mary": Actually, I was hoping we'd do Wicked.
Dean: Yeah, that would have been easier.

Wicked is a musical based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is an alternate telling of The Wizard of Oz, essentially a transformative work. Writer of this episode Robbie Thompson also wrote 9.04 Slumber Party which was also a retelling of the Oz story.

Dean: I know I have expressed some differences of opinion regarding this particular version of Supernatural. But tonight, is all about Marie's vision, this is Marie's Supernatural. So I want you to get out there and I want you stand as close as she wants you to, and I want you to put as much sub into text as you possibly can. There is no other road, no other way, no day but today.

Maeve: Did he just quote Rent?
Marie: Not enough to get us in trouble.
Dean: Now you get out there and kick it in the ass!

Rent is a musical by Johnathan Larsen. It was adapted for film by Stephen Chbosky who is a friend of Robbie Thompson.

Kick it in the ass! was the catch phrase of Supernatural producer and director Kim Manners, who died in January 2009. It has been used a number of times in the show as a tribute to him.

Marie: Good evening everybody, welcome to our production of Supernatural. Not gonna lie -- it might be a full-on Gallagher show up in this piece. So those of you in the front rows, may want to use the ponchos we provided for you under your seats. You may in fact get wet on this ride.

Gallagher is a comedian who was known for smashing watermelons in his act, which lead to audience members in the first few rows to wear ponchos when attending shows.

Maeve: Okay, we're through the looking glass here people. Start the wendigo set, let's prep the priest costumes, and Sarah get our understudies into hair and make-up.

"Through the looking glass" is an idom used to mean when something is not as it seems. The wendigo was featured in 1.02 Wendigo and the priest costumes were used in 1.14 Nightmare.

Dean refers to Marie as "Little Miss Sunshine," a reference to the perpetually happy chacrter Miss Sunshine from the children's Mr Men adn Little Miss book series. It was also the name of a 2006 movie.

Siobhan/"Dean": Okay, so, you can pop in tomorrow morning.

Kristen/"Castiel": Yes. I'll just -- ...wait here, then.

This exchange of dialogue before the song "I'll Just Wait Here Then" also occurs between Dean and Castiel in the episode 5.04 The End.

The song "A Single Man Tear" refers to Dean Winchester's propensity for crying a Single Perfect Tear. Sera Gamble once said the writers referred to the phenomenon as "A Single Perfect Man-Tear."

Maggie uses a copy of Homer's Odyssey to brain Calliope. Calliope was said to be Homer's muse when he wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey.

When Calliope is killed, her body blows up into purple goo. Purple is said to be a color that encourages creativity, which is appropriate as she is a muse.

The Samulet is a term coined by fandom for Dean's amulet, given to a teenage Dean by an 8-year-old Sam in 3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas. It was very important to Dean, who wore it always until he discarded it in 5.16 Dark Side of the Moon. Many fans were upset by this as they saw it as symbolizing the boys relationship, and have constantly requested its return.

The actress in the musical doesn't want to wear the amulet as she says it keeps hitting her lip. This is what Jensen said in Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 5

"The thing was heavy... it's a solid piece of brass. I would forget to change it out with the rubberized one every now and again when I was doing stunts and I've lost chips of my teeth from the horns hitting my mouth. After four seasons of wearing it around my neck I was glad to get rid of it."

The appearance of Adam Milligan in the final song is a nod to the on-going intense concern among some fans about the fact that the character is never mentioned, and was left trapped in Hell by his half-brothers Sam and Dean.

Minutiae

Tweets from the West Coast broadcast and from the East and Central broadcasts by the cast and crew. #Supernatural200thEpisode, #200thEPICsodeSPN, #chucklives and Holy Chuck all trended during the episode's airing on Twitter.

Thompson co-wrote one song with Christopher Lennertz and two with Jay Gruska for the episode. This is only the second episode Gruska and Lennertz have worked on together, the first being 7.12 Time After Time. Songs from the episode can be purchased via this link.

The title card consists of a light bulb sign for the play, followed by a montage of all the title cards ever used (with the exception of the title cards for 4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book, 5.08 Changing Channels, the standard season 7 title card and clown title card from 7.14 Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie) ending on the season 10 card.

John DeSantis, who appeared uncredited as the Scarecrow, previously played Freeman Daggett in 3.13 Ghostfacers and the Golem in 8.13 Everybody Hates Hitler.

Like in 1.01 Pilot and 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two, one of the Winchesters tosses a gun into the trunk of the Impala and states "we've got work to do." However, unlike those times, it's not at the end of the episode but near the beginning.

Aside from the actual musical itself, there are a number of references within the episode to the show, fandom, and the fact that this is the 200th episode of Supernatural.

• References to the 200th episode: The boys are staying at the Route 200 Motel in room 200. There is a $2.00 pancake breakfast advertised at the school.
• Dean's hair is blonde. It is often described thus in fan fiction and its color is a topic of debate in fandom. See Dean's Hair.
• Sam hastily puts his badge away and gets Dean to do the same when he notices the "Sam and Dean" on stage also have fake FBI badges.
• Dean and Marie both remark that "Carry On Wayward Son" is a "classic."
• Dean breaks the fourth wall and gives an annoyed look to the camera after learning about Destiel.
• Before the musical starts Dean turns Kristen/"Cas"'s tie around, as Castiel always has his tie on back to front.
• The musical staging uses "poor man's process" (PMP) just like the real show does. PMP describes techniques such as moving lights past a stationary car, or rocking the car back and forth to simulate a moving car.

"Fan Fiction" is one of only three episodes in the shows history along with 1.06 Skin & 2.20 What Is and What Should Never Be where the only death is that of the monster of the week.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 10.05 Fan Fiction (transcript)

Promotion

• Plot Spoilers by Hypable
• Character Spoilers from TVLine
• Promo Pics from SupernaturalFansOnline
• Promo Pics from KSiteTV
• Promo
• Extended Promo
• Sneak Peek
• Sneak Peek from Variety
• Spoilers from EW
• Interview with Robbie Thompson with Danielle Turchiano
• Interview with Jeremy Carver with Danielle Turchiano
• Interview with Cast and Crew via IGN
• Inside the Official, Bromantic 200th Episode Celebration by TVLine
• Jared, Jensenband Robbie Tease the 200th Episode with ScreenFad
• Robbie on writing the return of Chuck by EOnline