13.04 The Big Empty

Title	The Big Empty
Episode #	Season 13, Episode 4
First aired	November 2, 2017
Directed by	John Badham
Written by	Meredith Glynn
On IMDB	The Big Empty
Outline	When patients of a grief counselor begin dying at the hands of deceased loved ones, Sam, Dean, and Jack investigate and are forced to deal with their own unresolved grief. Meanwhile, in the Empty, Castiel learns that he is not alone.
Monster	Shapeshifter
Timeline
Location(s)	Madison, Wisconsin Lebanon, Kansas
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Synopsis

13.04 The Big Empty

In Madison, Wisconsin, Wes Bailey comes home to find his dead wife, Erica, alive in their living room. They embrace and Erica stabs Wes. She leaves the house with the bloody knife.

In the Bunker, Dean has found the Madison case and wants to leave Jack behind while Dean and Sam investigate. Dean says the world is safer if Jack is hidden away. Dean continues to assert that Mary is dead and Sam needs to move on. Sam disagrees and asks Dean to give Jack a chance.

Sam goes to tell Jack they are all going on a hunt. Jack does not want to go and accuses Sam of using him. Sam explains that at Jack’s birth, a door between universes was opened and Mary is trapped on the other side. Sam hopes that Jack can use his powers to save Mary, but even if he can’t, Sam still cares for Jack. Jack is scared of Dean. Sam says that Dean respects effort, so Jack should come along.

They pull up at the house in Madison. Dean and Sam explain ghosts and revenants to Jack. Dean tells Jack to stay in the car while they interview the neighbor. Jack, however, goes into the house. Dean hassles Jack about leaving the car and Sam intercedes by explaining EMF to Jack. There’s no EMF in the house.

At Erica’s grave site, Dean orders Jack to start digging. Sam questions Dean about all the orders and sounding like their Dad. Erica’s body is still in the coffin, so they burn it. Jack wonders about his mother, Kelly, and if she would be a ghost. Sam explains that they burned her body. Dean asserts that anything that burns, stays dead.

Meanwhile, Castiel wanders in a big, black space. A pool of iridescent black goo turns into a double of Cas.

Sam and Dean are at another murder scene: Gloria Simon was killed by her young son, Scotty. No EMF at this scene either. Dean sends Jack to get their lunch. Sam objects that Jack is not their intern and Jack just wants Dean to like him. In looking for connections between the victims, Sam and Dean discover that both victims saw the same therapist, Mia Vallens.

Sam, Dean, and Jack visit Mia’s office, posing as brothers who have recently lost their mother. Mia and Dean butt heads about the value of therapy. Sam and Dean argue about accepting their Mom’s death and Sam storms out of the room. Sam sneaks upstairs to discover shapeshifter remains in the bathroom.

Mia confronts Dean about upsetting Sam and Jack being so obviously scared of Dean. Sam bursts in the room accusing Mia of being a shapeshifter. Mia admits it but says she is helping people get closure with their lost loved ones by seeing them one last time and saying goodbye. Mia is surprised to learn of Wes and Gloria’s deaths; her alibi checks out, too.

Castiel confronts the creature who looks like him. The creature says they are in the place that is before God and Amara, the empty. Angels and demons come here when they die and they sleep. The creature is angry that Cas is awake and therefore, keeping the creature awake. He tortures Cas.

Mia realizes it’s her ex, Buddy, who is probably behind the murders. Buddy is another shifter who enjoys hurting people. Dean and Jack go to check out Mia’s assistant, Tom. Sam stays behind with Mia to review security footage. They discover Mia’s patient, John Driscoll, is the shifter by his retinal flare on the video.

Cas asks the creature to send him back to Earth. The creature shows Cas memories of great pain from Cas’ past. The creature tells Cas he should want to be asleep rather than the failure he was on Earth. Cas stands up to the creature and threatens to keep the Creature awake until they both go insane for eternity.

When Dean and Jack return to Mia’s office, Sam has already left to track down John Driscoll. Jack asks to speak to Mia alone. Jack confesses that Sam and Dean are not his brothers. Jack tells Mia about Kelly. Jack asks Mia for a chance to see her. Mia shifts into Kelly. Jack tells Kelly that his is afraid that he’s not good and that he feels nothing. Mia, as Kelly, tells Jack that it matters what he does, not what he is.

The shifter takes Dean’s form. Shifter Dean enters Mia’s office and strikes Jack. Buddy removes his Dean skin. Buddy and Mia argue while Dean tries to get Jack to use his powers. Sam arrives at Mia’s office just as Buddy prepares to shoot. Jack uses his powers to levitate Buddy, slamming him into a wall and making the bullet hit the door instead of Sam. Sam shoots Buddy.

Back at the Bunker, Dean tells Jack he did good. Jack smiles. Dean brings Sam a beer and they talk about what they said in Mia’s office. Dean apologizes for being difficult and praises Jack for saving them. Sam worries that Dean may be right and that Mary is dead. Dean tells Sam to keep the faith for both of them. Right now, Dean says doesn’t believe in anything.

In a field on Earth, Cas wakes and basks in the sunlight.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Castiel
• Jack Kline
• Cosmic Entity
• Mia Vallens
• Buddy

Definitions

• Alcohol
• Aliases
• Costumes & Disguises
• EMF
• The Empty
• Impala
• Men of Letters Bunker
• Monsters
• Revenant
• Salt
• Sammy
• Shapeshifter
• Silver
• Table of Death
• Unconscious

Music

None

Quotes

Dean: So, what? Does this mean your plan for bringing Mom back isn't working? Because I'll say it again. Mom's dead, Sam. Lucifer ripped out her freakin' heart. Now the sooner you can wrap your head around that, the sooner we can all move on.

Sam: So you're saying you want to move on from Mom?

Dean: Right now I wanna kill some dead guy's dead wife.

Sam: Jack, when you were born, it ripped a hole in reality. Like a -- like a door from this world to another, to a really bad, bad place. So -- so Dean and Cas and I, we closed that door. But our mom, Mary, she's trapped on the other side. If we can get your powers back, maybe we can open the door back up, maybe...

Jack: You wanna save her.
Sam: Yeah. Yeah I do. But, if this doesn't work, if that can't happen, that's okay. Because I do care about you, but I should have told you. I'm sorry, it's a lot.
Jack: Dean can't even look at me. He wants to kill me.

Sam: I won't let that happen. Listen, there's one thing Dean respects, that's effort. So come along, help us out. Let's go be the good guys.

Sam: Dean, what's up with all the orders, you're starting to sound like Dad.

Dean: Is that a bad thing?
Sam: You're saying his drill sergeant act worked with you, but it didn't with me. And that's not the way we're gonna get through to Jack.

Dean: Look, you wanted the kid here, he's here. Alright? But I'm not gonna hold his hand and tuck him in at night, pass. I'm not gonna be his mother and neither are you. And the kid can dig, so I give him that.

Sam: Dean he's not our intern, I told you to keep an eye on him.
Dean: I can see him. He keeps staring at me.

Dean: Alright, well, Mom was great. Now she's dead. What's the deal with catharsis?

Dean: He won't even admit that Mom's dead, won't even admit it. Because if he admits it then it's real, and if it's real then he has to deal with it, and he can't handle that.

Sam: Right because this is so easy for you, huh?
Dean: It's not easy.

Sam: But at least you had a relationship with Mom, I mean, who would she always call? Who did she look to for anything? You had something with her I never had, and now I'm just supposed to accept that I never will have it!?

Castiel: What is this place?

Cosmic Entity: Oh yes, excellent question. You see, before God and Amara, creation, destruction, Heaven, Hell, your precious little Earth... What was there?
Castiel: Nothing.
Cosmic Entity: Yes. That's right. Nothing. Nothing but Empty. And you are soaking in it. Angels and demons, you all come here when you die.
Castiel: Every angel that ever died is here?

Cosmic Entity: Yes. Sleeping an endless peaceful sleep, you know I -- I was sleeping too. Hey, uh, since we're pals, there's something I gotta know, I gotta ask. Hmm, why are you awake? 'Cause fun fact, in all of forever, nothing ever wakes up here. I mean ever, ever. And second fun fact, when you woke up, I woke up and I don't like being awake, so what's up smart guy?

Jack: Sam thinks you were right, that I'm good. He wants me to believe it, and I wanna believe it too. It's just I -- I've hurt people. I didn't mean to, it was an accident, and I know I should feel bad, and I say I feel bad. But most of the time, I mostly -- I don't feel anything. And that's why I think maybe -- maybe I'm a monster.

Mia / Kelly: Jack, it doesn't matter what you are, it matters what you do. And even monsters can do good in this world.
Jack: You really believe that?

Mia / Kelly: I have to. I have to.

Dean: You did good today, Jack.

Sam: What if you're right, about Mom? What if she is dead and I'm just in denial?

Dean: Don't say that.
Sam: What? You've been wanting me to admit that since it happened.

Dean: I know I have, don't say that. I need you to keep the faith, for both of us. Because right now -- right now I don't believe in a damn thing.

Trivia & References

Dean: So what, you ready to ditch Damien? So, what do you wanna do, leave him in a ring of holy oil with some Netflix and a frozen pizza?

Damien refers to Damien Thorn, the son of Satan, who is the main character in The Omen series of films.

Dean: Uh, hell no. What? Adventures in babysitting the Antichrist, no thank you.

Adventures in Babysitting is a 1987 comedy movie.

Sam: Jack? Hey. Clone Wars.

Jack: The computer said I'd like it. I do like Ashoka, kinda hate Anakin.
Sam: Uh, that's probably for the best... Never mind.

Clone Wars is an animated series set in the Star Wars universe that ran from 2008-2014. Ashoka Tona is a Jedi who trains under Anakin Skywalker. Anakin, of course, goes Dark Side and becomes Darth Vader.

Jack: Agent Bonham, Agent Seger, Special Agent Anderson? These are you?

Sam: Yeah. Sometimes.

John Bonham was the drummer for the British rock band Led Zeppelin. Bob Seger is an American singer-songwriter; his hits include "Night Moves', which featured in a Sam-Dean singalong scene in 11.04 Baby. "Anderson" may refer to Ian Anderson, flautist and lead singer of Jethro Tull, or possibly Jon Anderson, former lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes.

Sam: When a person dies and their soul can't move on-

Dean: They're called ghosts. And hanging around makes them go Looney Tunes. They go crazy.

Looney Tunes were cartoons by Warner Brothers that ran from the 1930s to the 1960s. As "looney" is slang for "lunatic" the phrase became slang for someone having a mental illness.

Sam: Alright I don't get it. I mean a ghost that won't show up on EMF? Doesn't make any sense.

Dean: Yeah, well, what does these days? You know, I mean we got portals to apocalyptic words, we've got shapeshifting demons. Dealing with a whole new set of tiddlywinks. I say we just, do what we do.

Tiddlywinks is a game where players try and flip flat discs into a container.

Dean: 'And now that I've achieved catharsis, I can truly see the program works.' 'The program'? Come on, man. She's one Kool-Aid away from Jonestown.

Dean is referring to the Kool-Aid poisoned with cyanide that members of the People's Temple were made to drink during the Jonestown massacre.

Dean: So, let's say that Hannibal chick is a medium, right? She's talking to spirits, she pisses them off somehow. A ghost shows up, notches a kill and takes off.

A reference to cannibalistic psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter.

Sam: Follow my lead.

Dean: Yeah, and doctor's gonna eat our liver with fava beans and a bottle of chianti.

"Fava beans and a bottle of chanti" is a reference to this famous scene from The Silence of the Lambs.

Dean: Listen Mr. Spock, you speak when I tell you to speak.

Spock is one of the most iconic characters from the Star Trek series.

Castiel: What are you?

Cosmic Entity: Oh, I'm just your friendly neighborhood cosmic entity.

A play on Spider-Man's nickname of being known as, "Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

The Cosmic Entity's supposed horrific true visage as well as his state of being in a deathlike sleep, bear some similarities with the Great Old Ones of H.P. Lovecraft's writings. Specifically the ruler of the Outer Gods, Azathoth, also known as the "Blind Idiot God", who slumbers outside of creation and dreams of the Universe. The Entity's black viscous form also bears similarity to Magnum Innominandum, the Nameless Mist.

Castiel: Why do you look like me?

Cosmic Entity: Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes. I show up in my real form and you freak out, rip out your own eyes, etc... that would be embarrassing for the both of us.

An element of author H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos is that if a person were to lay eyes upon a member of the Great Old Ones, the sight would drive them mad.

Cosmic Entity: I have tip-toed through all your tulips, your memories, your little feelings. Yes. I know what you hate, I know who you love, what you fear. There is nothing for you back there. No. Here, let me show you.

A reference to the 1929 song, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips".

Mia: You're -- you're a...

Buddy: What? A monster? Well, so are you, and it's about time you embraced that. So I'm not gonna kill those boys, you are. You end them, or you die. Courtesy of Tweedledee's silver bullets.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum are fictional identical twin brothers from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Minutiae

Rukiya Bernard, who played Mia Vallens, previously played Camille Thibideaux in 7.07 The Mentalists.

Matt Hamilton, who played Wes Bailey, previously played Sheriff Pat in 9.12 Sharp Teeth.

Kayla Deorksen, who played Erica Bailey, previously played LARP Maid in 5.09 The Real Ghostbusters.

Janet Glassford, who played Bailey's Neighbor, previously played Librarian in 7.03 The Girl Next Door.

John Emmet Tracy, who played Tom, previously played Mercury in 5.19 Hammer of the Gods.

Mia / Kelly: Jack, it doesn't matter what you are, it matters what you do.

Sam used the same line in 4.04 Metamorphosis when he tried to reason with a rugaru who ironically is also named Jack.

When Castiel wakes up in the field at the end of the episode, he is wearing his original outfit (long trench coat, blue tie) from seasons 4 - 8, instead of his more recent outfit (short trench coat, striped tie) which he was wearing in the Empty.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 13.04 The Big Empty (transcript)

Promotion

• Synopsis and Promo Photos
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLM2NnNELs8&list=PL6A7D019D023E7717 TRailer