11.17 Red Meat

Title	Red Meat
Episode #	Season 11, Episode 17
First aired	March 30, 2016
Directed by	Nina Lopez-Corrado
Written by	Robert Berens Andrew Dabb
On IMDB	Red Meat
Outline	After Sam gets shot during a werewolf hunt, Dean takes drastic measures to ensure Sam does not die.
Monster	Werewolves
Timeline
Location(s)	Lebanon, Kansas Grangeville, Idaho
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Synopsis

After hitting a dead end on the Darkness and Lucifer situations, Sam finds a possible case of missing hikers at the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Grangeville, Idaho. Dean doesn't think it's their type of case until Sam mentions a body being found missing its heart. Dean tells Sam to call another hunter and put them on the case, but Sam insists they should do it themselves to clear their heads, and so they travel to the national park to investigate the case of the missing Tilghmans and another couple. When seemingly at a dead end, the local bar keeper Rose tells them about some old cabins where the lost people may be. Sam and Dean find Corbin and Michelle Tilghman, captured and strung up in one of the cabins. The boys fight and kill their werewolf captors. During the fight, Sam is shot by a werewolf. Dean attends to him by removing the bullet and having Sam put pressure on the wound. When Dean attempts to leave the Tilghmans with Sam while he goes for help, Corbin tells him there are more werewolves and the four decide to take their chances in the forest. After they've left the cabin, Rose and her companion arrive. Rose shows disappointment at the pack members who died, as she had given them ample time to prepare for the Winchesters' arrival. She tells the other werewolf that they have been burned and need to clean up the mess and get out of town.

In the woods, the four soon come across a ranger station. While Dean wants to make sure Sam is okay, Corbin insists they keep moving as Michelle is sick and Sam is slowing them down. Dean gets in Corbin's face, but before things can escalate Sam tells Dean to worry about the Tilghmans and come back for him when they are safe. When Dean leaves to gather wood to build a stretcher for Sam so he can get everyone to safety, Corbin takes it upon himself to smother Sam, as he and Michelle will not make it without Dean's help and Dean will not leave Sam behind. As he places his hand over Sam's mouth, Sam notices a bite mark on Corbin's arm, and begins to fight back harder, but is too weak and appears to die. As Dean mourns over Sam, a truck's headlights flash through the windows. While Dean wants to stay and fight the werewolves, Corbin begs for his help, and Dean agrees to take them to safety, making a promise to Sam that he will return.

The trio reach the road and flag down Sheriff Ben Anderson, who takes them to the Urgent Care Center. While giving a statement, Corbin attempts to downplay Michelle's true version of events, with the werewolves. While he is comforting his wife, Dr. Kessler says that she wishes to check him over. Corbin attempts to refuse but Dr. Kessler insists. As she begins her examination, she notices him trying to cover his arm and discovers a nasty bite mark. As she is cleaning the wound, she asks him how he feels and he replies that he feels "good." Later, while checking on his wounds, Corbin notices the bite mark has disappeared and watches the scratch across his chest instantly heal. His eyes suddenly go wolf-like and long claws begin to sprout from his fingers.

Michelle visits a grief-stricken Dean, and as she muses that "death is not the end," Dean decides to try and contact a reaper. With Michelle's help, he takes an overdose of barbiturates, asking her to call a doctor if he dies. When he does, she gets Dr. Kessler, who starts working to revive Dean. Billie the reaper arrives for Dean and tells him that, as she promised, this time she will cast him into the Empty. He begs her not to take Sam, but she informs him that Sam is not dead. Meanwhile, Sam has regained consciousness just as Rose's companion enters the cabin. The man is able to sniff out Sam, who is hiding in the basement. As he goes downstairs and searches for Sam, Sam is able to get the drop on him and stab him in the heart. When Rose enters, she hears a loud crash and goes to investigate. Once she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she is quickly killed by Sam.

After Dr. Kessler resuscitates Dean, and he returns to his body, Sheriff Anderson places Dean under arrest for the theft and consumption of the drugs, as well as for assaulting him earlier. When he demands Dr. Kessler sedate Dean, she refuses, telling him that it could be fatal. Frustrated, Sheriff Anderson tells her to keep an eye on Dean while he calls for backup. Unbeknownst to either Sheriff Anderson or Dr. Kessler, Michelle frees Dean of his restraints. As he is leaving the Urgent Care Center, he gets a call from Sam. Dean tells him where he is at and to get to him as fast as possible. In the hospital, Dr. Kessler hears screams coming from a nearby room; she knocks and asks if everyone is okay. Corbin opens the door, fully transformed into a werewolf, and tells Dr. Kessler "I really am" before attacking and killing her. Hearing Dr. Kessler's scream, Michelle and Sheriff Anderson rush to her. As Michelle checks on Dr. Kessler's prone body, Sheriff Anderson is impaled by Corbin's arm. Corbin then attempts to calm a panicked Michelle, telling her he didn't want this, but she will see how it feels and they can be together forever. Before he can get close to her, Corbin is jumped by Dean. As Corbin gets the upper hand and begins choking Dean, he is suddenly shot in the heart with a silver bullet by Sam, killing him.

While Sam is receiving care, Dean and Michelle talk; Dean attempts to console her and tell her things will eventually get back to normal. Michelle muses that after seeing the man she loved die, nothing can be the same. Some time later Sam is discharged from the hospital. As they are about to leave, Sam asks Dean what he did when he thought he was dead. Dean at first jokes, but Sam asks for a real answer. Dean simply tells him he knew Sam wasn't dead before the two finally drive off.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Billie
• Corbin Tilghman
• Michelle Tilghman
• Dr. Kessler
• Sheriff Ben Anderson
• Rose

Definitions

• Alcohol
• Costumes & Disguises
• Drugs
• The Empty
• I Did What I Had to Do
• Impala
• Law Enforcement Officers
• Men of Letters Bunker
• Monsters
• Reapers
• Resurrection
• Sam & Dean's Arrests
• Sammy
• Silver
• Silver Bullets
• Single Perfect Tear
• Table of Death
• Unconscious
• Werewolves

Music

• "A. (I'm A) Road Runner B. Road Runner's 'G' Jam" by Humble Pie

(playing in the bar as Sam and Dean question Rose about the missing hikers)

Quotes

Dean: Okay, there we go. There we go. Look at that, huh? Hey! Well, you know what? We're gonna keep that one. That one's gonna be a little memento. We'll laugh about it some other time.

Dean: I'm gonna come back for you, okay? I promise.

Sam: This could be like camping. It could be fun.

Dean: Yeah, which part? Hmm? Freezing our nuts off in the middle of the woods on a thin lead?

Sam: Yeah, that part.

Michelle: I-I just wanted to see how you were doing... and to tell you th... I'm sorry. You saved our lives and... well my Mom used to say, um, I didn't believe her then, but I-I think I do now. She used to say, 'death -- it's not the end.'

Michelle: Dean? What are you doing?

Dean: I need to, I need to talk to a -- well, I wouldn't call it a friend, more like a... scary, crazy death machine. Werewolves aren't the only monsters out there.
Michelle: How exactly do you talk to an evil, scary death machine?

Dean: Easy. I die.

Dean: Okay. After I do this, go get the doc and tell her to, um, tell her to bring me back if she can. If not, no hard feelings, okay?

Michelle: You don't have to do this.

Dean: Yeah, I do.

Dean: You know the Darkness is out there, and the world is gonna burn. And once she gets started, that's the end of everything, including you. Sam's the only one who can stop it.

Billie: How's that?

Dean: ...

Michelle: How's your brother?
Dean: Doc says that, um... Well, when Corbin choked him, um, Sam's body went into shock, and his breathing and his heartbeat slowed down to almost nothing. So he was, uh, he was just mostly dead. But he'll be okay.

Michelle: He did it for me.

Dean: Michelle, this gonna be very hard. But you will be okay. And eventually, eventually you'll get back to normal.

Michelle: No I won't. They said I could leave... an hour ago. But where am I even supposed to go? After everything we survived together... I watched the man I love die. There's no normal after that.

Sam: Hey so, what did you do? When you thought I was dead? What did you do?

Dean: Thought about redecorating your room, you know. putting in a Jacuzzi, a nice disco ball, really class up the joint.
Sam: Right. Seriously?
Dean: What I, uh, I knew you weren't dead.
Sam: Right.

Dean: I knew.

Trivia & References

Dean: Look, if you don't... If you wanna leave, I get it. But if you wanna help me, I'm looking for pretty much anything with barbital in the name.

Barbital was the first commercially available barbiturate -- a class of drugs used for sedation and anesthesia.

Dean: What's with the freeze frame?

Billie: Just savoring this. Though I have to say of all the ways I thought you'd go: heart attack, some fang, choking on a burger while binge-watching Charles in Charge.
Dean: Well, that was peak Baio.

Scott Baio is an American actor who had a run of success in sitcoms including Happy Days, the spin off Joanie loves Chachi and Charles in Charge.

Billie: That's what I thought. It's cute though You pretending to save Sam for the greater good, when we both know you're doing it for you. You can't lose him. But even if Sammy could win the title bout, the answer would still be 'no.' The answer will always be 'no.' Game's over Dean. No more second chances. No more extra lives. Time to say bye-bye to Luigi, Mario.

Luigi and Mario are brothers who star in the Mario series of video games. Luigi is Mario's younger, taller, thinner twin brother. Jared and Genevieve once dressed as the brothers for Halloween.

Dean: Doc says that, um... Well, when Corbin choked him, um, Sam's body went into shock, and his breathing and his heartbeat slowed down to almost nothing. So he was, uh, he was just mostly dead. But he'll be okay.

This might be a reference to The Princess Bride. Miracle Max says to Inigo Montoya, "Turns out your friend here is only mostly dead," and then proceeds to revive Westley.

Minutiae

Live tweets and Facebook live streams from cast and crew during the broadcast of "Red Meat."

Blair Penner, who played Corbin Tilghman, previously played Lance Stanley in 8.06 Southern Comfort.

Toby Levins, who played Sheriff Ben Anderson, previously played the hunter Mackey in 7.17 The Born-Again Identity.

Eileen Pedde, who played Dr. Kessler, previously played Mrs. Frankle in 5.12 Swap Meat.

Ryan Jefferson Booth, who played Rose's werewolf companion, previously played the Supermarket Manager in 6.02 Two and a Half Men.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 11.17 Red Meat (transcript)
• Red Meat Script (Production Draft)
• Red Meat Prep Memo (Salmon)

Promotion

• Synopsis via SpoilerTV
• Photos via KSiteTV
• Promo
• Sneak Peek