14.10 Nihilism
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| Title | Nihilism |
| Episode # | Season 14, Episode 10 |
| First aired | January 17, 2019 |
| Directed by | Amanda Tapping |
| Written by | Steve Yockey |
| On IMDB | Nihilism |
| Outline | Sam and Castiel travel into Dean's mind to help him regain control while they have Michael captured. Meanwhile, Jack and the hunters from Apocalypse World contend with Michael's monster army descending on the Bunker. |
| Monster | Michael Michael's Monsters |
| Timeline | December 25, 2018 |
| Location(s) | Rocky's Bar Kansas City, Missouri Lebanon, Kansas |
| « Previous Episode | Next Episode » | |
Contents
Synopsis
Rocky’s Bar is the ultimate dive; complete with pool table, jukebox and passed out custodian. There is also a taxidermy Squirrel holding a bottle of Margiekugels beer and a stuffed Moose head sits on one wall, as does Baby’s original number plate. The peace is broken when Pamela Barnes batters her way through the door and out of the storm raging outside. She exclaiming that she managed to get the limes for the house special, before handing them over to the bar owner - Dean.
Dean makes them the house special of a shot of tequila and a beer, and explains that Sam and Cass are away dealing with a Ghoul in Wichita but should be back that night. Their drinks are disturbed as a lawyer enters and offers to buy the bar for what is evidently not the first time. Dean refuses, again, as he’s ‘never had anything so nice’ as Rocky’s. Later, in the office, Pamela asks Dean why he continues to refuse the lawyer and he tells her the bar is his ‘dream’.
Dean is in the stockroom when Pamela calls for help as trouble is coming. A vampire enters the bar and announces that he is seeking revenge for the Winchesters destroying his entire nest. Suddenly the drunken guy at the bar wakes up and is also a vampire. Both vampires are swiftly dispatched and Pamela is left wiping blood of Dean’s face.
Meanwhile, at Hitomi Plaza, Michael is back in control of Dean and has clothed them in his favourite suit.
Using his angelic powers, he causes Sam, Cass and Jack to collapse in pain whilst he monologues on how he watched everything from the door he left in Dean’s mind.
Castiel takes advantage of Michael’s arrogant showing off to distract him so Sam can throw a Holy Oil Molotov Cocktail at him. The fire allows Cass to bound Michael with improved angel cuffs. Although trapped, Michael remains cocky and mocks the Winchesters over the attacks going on in the city – which Maggie confirms via the phone, is about turning others, not killing them - and his cavalry that are trying to break into the Penthouse.
Seeing no alternative, Sam shouts for the Reaper Jessica to beg for assistance. Another Reaper, named Violet, appears instead and explains that the Reapers now work shifts because the Winchesters cause so much trouble. At first Violet refuses to help but then seems to get silent orders from someone, and snaps them all to the bunker
Leaving Michael chained to a pillar the map room, Sam takes Cass and Jack aside and explains that their only hope is to somehow enter the dream world that Michael has trapped Dean in; much like Crowley did to save Sam from Gadreel.
Maggie rings and Sam informs her that they are back at the bunker but asks that the Apocalypse World hunters check Garth is still okay in the trunk of the Impala. However, Maggie replies that the monsters have ceased their assault on Kansas City and are now heading west. Michael goads them about the fact the monsters are coming to the bunker and that one way or another, everyone will die and that last thing Sam will see is Dean’s ‘pretty smile’ as Michael rips Sam apart.
In the library, Sam and Cass are setting up the Men of Letters hoping that it will allow him to enter Dean’s mind and wake him from his dream.
Back in Dean’s mind, the scenes and conversations from Rocky’s continue their never ending loop with only slight alterations. Even so, when Dean mentions Sam and Cass’ Ghoul thing again, he gets ‘serious Déjà vu’.
Meanwhile, Jack is left alone with Michael who takes the opportunity to attempt to break him by saying Jack is meaningless and that to Dean, Jack is nothing but a burden and that he didn’t care when Jack died. Michael goes on to claim that to Sam, Dean and Cass, he’s nothing but a job none of them wanted. His undermining of Jack is interrupted by the arrival of Cass who sends him to help Sam and assures him that Michael is lying.
Having failed at breaking Jack, Michael now turns his attention to undermining Castiel’s faith in himself and in Chuck. He argues that the Apocalypse World, and this world are just Chuck’s failed drafts and that Chuck, being a writer, has just moved on to try again. This realisation, Michael admits, used to make him want to prove he was better than God but now he intends to burn every world until he finds Chuck, and kills him.
On the outskirts of Lebanon, Maggie has gathered the Apocalypse World hunters and together they create a road block so that Michael’s army cannot pass. Her rallying speech is interrupted by the arrival of a black van which stops a little further up the road.After no sign of movement from the black van, the Apocalypse World hunters go to investigate. One of the group, Tiger, realises the van is empty and follows some tracks into the wood without back up despite being called to stop. Maggie and the other’s wait nervously for something to happen but Tiger eventually returns unhurt saying the monsters appear to have headed to the bunker on foot.
As Sam sets up the Men of Letters machine, Jack offers to use some of his power to save Dean if Sam’s plan doesn’t work but Sam refuses as Dean would not want to be saved at the cost of Jack burning off some of his soul. Cas attaches Sam and Michael to the machine then hitches a ride via Sam; leaving Jack behind to ‘pray’ and make sure nobody kills them.
Sam and Cas arrive in the middle of absolutely nothing so Cas begins to scan through Dean’s traumatic memories, such as Hell, hoping to find him. Sam quickly realises that Dean thrives on trauma and in order to keep Dean occupied and under control, Michael would keep him trapped somewhere he was content. Amongst the memories, Sam identifies one he doesn't recognise and tells Cas to take them there.
Dropping into Rocky’s, Dean welcomes them back from the hunt he thinks they’ve been on by offering them a great IPA from Austin. Before they can answer however, Pamela arrives, causing Sam to struggle with staying focused despite the guilt and loss he clearly still feels over her death. Pulling himself together, Sam begins to explain to Dean that he’s trapped in a fantasy by Michael but their conversation keeps being interrupted by the loop moving onto the next false memory. Sam starts to crack the illusion by telling Dean that Pamela was not only blind but also died years before. This causes her to disappear yet Dean is still struggling to believe the truth until Sam remembers to say ‘Poughkeepsie’, causing all of the Dean’s memories to flood back.
A slow handclap announces Michael’s arrival in the bar and, once again, he tries to undermine Sam, Dean and Cas’ faith in one another by saying that Dean said yes to being a vessel because he was so desperate to be rid of the others for good. Despite his attempt to divide and conquer, Cas sees through Michael’s behaviour and concludes that he just hoping to stall until his monsters come to the rescue. Team Free Will calls Michael’s bluff and Dean tackles him. When he is thrown aside, Sam attacks, followed by Cas. Michael taunts them with the fact that even if they do expel him from Dean, he’ll make sure that Dean is nothing more than ‘blood and bone’. This just spurs Dean on to realise that it’s mind and his rules, so with Sam and Cass’ help, they trap Michael in Rocky’s stockroom, making Dean ‘the cage’.
Meanwhile, the AU hunters have arrived at the bunker and prepare to fortify and protect the unconscious Winchesters.In the real world, the monsters have reached the bunker and enter easily as Tiger has been infected and made sure he left the bunker door open when they returned. Panicking, the hunters pointlessly shoot at their attackers but are quickly overwhelmed, causing Jack to use his soul boosted powers to disintegrate Michael’s army.
Maggie debriefs Sam on what happened to the rest of the monsters and Sam thanks her for saving them but she confesses it was Jack who saved everyone using his angel powers.
Sat together in the kitchen, Cass confronts Jack over using his powers and points out that he can’t afford to use up his soul, for his and everyone else’s sake.
Elsewhere, Dean is in his bedroom, trying to drown out the sound of Michael trying to fight his way out of Rocky’s stockroom, when Billie appears. Dean thanks her for breaking the rules and saving them from Hitomi Plaza. Billie however has more pressing news for Dean and describes how every book about his ultimate fate has now changed to say that Dean dies by Michael escaping and burning the world. Every book except the one she leaves with him so that he can decide what to do with the information within.
Characters
- Sam Winchester
- Dean Winchester
- Castiel
- Jack Kline
- Pamela Barnes
- Billie / Death
- Michael (Apocalypse World)
- Maggie (Apocalypse World)
- Smithy
- Violet
Definitions
- Angel Blade
- Angel Cuffs
- Apocalypse World
- Archangel
- Death's Reading Room
- Djinn
- God
- Holy Oil
- Hunters
- Hunter's Lingo
- Kaia's Spear
- Men of Letters Bunker
- Michael's Monsters
- Mind Hacking
- Monsters
- Nephilim
- Reapers
- Rocky's Bar
- Rugaru
- Shapeshifters
- Soul
- Soullessness
- Table of Death
- Teleportation
- Vampires
- Vessel
- Werewolves
Music
- "Searchin' for a Rainbow" by The Marshall Tucker Band
- (playing in Rocky's Bar)
Quotes
Violet: Well, my name's Violet. It's my shift. We have shifts now, because you mess up so, so many things.
Michael: Oh, please. Sam's in so far over his head, he's drowning. And Dean? Well, I've got Dean under control.
Jack: No. Dean -- he's strong.
Michael: He's a gnat. I'm a god. Who would you bet on?
Jack: You don't know anything about Dean.
Castiel: Tell me. Why do you hate this world enough to burn it to the ground?
Michael: Because I can. Because... me and my brother -- my Lucifer -- when we fought in my world, we thought that God would come back, give us answers -- why He'd gone, what we'd done -- but, instead, do you know what happened? Nothing. No God. Nothing. And now... now that I'm in here -- now I know why. God -- Chuck -- is a writer, and like all writers, He churns out draft after draft. My world? This world? Nothing but failed drafts. And when He realizes that they're flawed, He moves on and tries again.
Castiel: No, that's not how... Why would He do that?
Michael: Because He doesn't care! About you, me -- anything. Now, at first, I thought I'd do it better. Show Him. Be more God than God. But now... I just want to burn every one of His little worlds until I catch up to the old man.
Castiel: And then what?
Sam: And burn off your soul?
Jack: Not all of it.
Castiel: Contentment.
Dean: Get out of my head.
Michael: You don't mean that, Dean, not really. You may lie to them, but, deep down, I know you. I am you. You only tolerate the angel because you think you owe him, because he 'gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition.' Or whatever. But since then, what has he done? Only made mistakes, one after the other. And, Sam -- oh, Sam... You know, Dean was his happiest when you quit hunting, leaving him with your dad, just the two of them. See, deep down, he knows that you will always abandon him, again and again.
Dean: Shut up!
Dean: Then we don't kick him out. We keep him in. It'll hold. My mind, my rules. I got him. I'm the Cage.
Billie: I took a calculated risk. I warned you about the dangers of jumping from world to world. But you ignored me, didn't you?
Trivia & References
- The name of the bar and the moose's head hanging on the wall are a reference to Crowley's nickname for Dean and Sam, which was Squirrel and Moose -- a reference to Rocky the squirrel and Bullwinkle the moose from the cartoon The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends. In fact, "Moose" became so popular with Crowley that it spread to Jared, other cast members, and the fans. (See all its uses in canon here.)
- There is also a stuffed squirrel wearing an aviator's cap and goggles as Rocky does in the cartoon behind the bar, holding a bottle of Margiekugel -- a beer created for the show that features regularly and is named for Production Designer Jerry Wanek's mother.
- "Daphne Loves Fred" can be seen carved inside a heart on the bar in Rocky's. This is a reference to Daphne Blake and Fred Jones from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! who appeared in 13.16 Scoobynatural. Dean has a crush on Daphne and was frustrated by her affection for Fred.
- The wooden monkey behind the bar originally lived on the corner of the bar at Harvelle's Roadhouse. In 2.02 Everybody Loves a Clown when the boys first visit the Roadhouse, Ash is passed out drunk on the pool table, referenced here with the vampire pretending to be passed out at the bar.
- There is an Impala tribute behind the bar including two photos of the Impala and the KAZ 2Y5 license plate.
- There is a "Texan Star" neon sign. Jensen grew up, and still lives, in Texas.
- The bar also features other things Dean loves, including a cassette deck and a pool table.
- There is a neon "Tom's Tequila" sign - a reference to director Thomas J. Wright.
- In the bar office, there is a Busty Asian Beauties calendar and an autographed photo of Canadian actress Kathleen Roberston.
- Cosmic Cowboy IPA, along with the other beers on tap -- Ghost White IPA and Fox Rye Lager -- are beers from Jensen's Family Business Beer Company located in Austin, Texas. The beer coasters also feature the Family Business Beer Co. logo. There is a Family Business Beer Company neon sign on the wall opposite the bar.
Dean: Yeah. Upbeat classics.
Billie: Well, it's the funniest thing, but they've all been rewritten. They all end the same way now -- with the archangel Michael escaping your mind and using you as his vessel to burn down this world.
Dean: All of them?
Billie: All of them. Except one.
- Billie revealing to Dean how his deaths have all been rewritten as the same thing -- Michael escaping and destroying the world -- except for one, is similar to Avengers: Infinity War, where Doctor Strange looks into fourteen million, six hundred and five possible outcomes against Thanos, all of which result in their defeat, except for one.
Minutiae
- This refers to the events of 9.10 Road Trip. And much like Sam's dream world created by Gadreel, Sam is also working a ghoul case in Dean's mind, though we are unaware if it also involved cheerleaders.
Sam: It's the, uh, messed up British Men of Letters thing they used to get inside people's heads. I figure if I can get in, maybe I can wake Dean up, get him to fight, you know, to force Michael out.
- The device Sam refers to is the same one Lady Antonia Bevell used to brainwash Mary Winchester and then to get Dean into her head in 12.22 Who We Are to save Mary.
Dean's Trauma:
(0:18) Dean screaming
(0:18-0:28) 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two – Dean's monologue to Sam’s dead body.
- Dean: You know, when we were little, you couldn’t have been more than five, you started asking questions.
(0:20) 3.04 Sin City – Dean is trapped with the demon Casey, and Sam comes to save him, unknowingly accompanied by another demon, father Gil. Father Gil attacks Sam and Bobby.
- Dean: Sammy, down here! The basement caved in!
(0:23) 13.23 Let the Good Times Roll – Micheal reneges on his agreement to let Dean be in the driver’s seat.
- Dean: We had a deal!
(0:24) 3.04 Sin City – see 0:20
- Sam: Hold on, okay? We’re coming.
(0:25) (3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me – confronted by his fears of Hell and all of his insecurities.
- Demon!Dean Vision: You can’t escape me, Dean! You’re gonna die! And this, this is what you’re gonna become!
(0:27- 0:39) 7.10 Death's Door arguing with Sam about Chuck Norris vs Bruce Lee on movie night in one of Bobby’s best memories.
- Dean: I don’t even know you right now! It’s not even a contest.
- Sam: It depends on the criteria.
- Dean: Survival is the only criteria, all right? And when the crap hits the fan, it’s not about who has skill. It’s about who’s the bigger badass.
(0:30) 3.16 No Rest for the Wicked – Dean in Hell.
- Dean: Somebody help me! Sam!
(0:34) 12.23 All Along the Watchtower – Cas getting stabbed by Lucifer.
- Dean: No!
(0:36) 3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me – see 0:25
- Demon!Dean Vision: Your own father didn’t care whether you lived or died.
(0:38) Dean screaming
(0:43) 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two – see 0:18
- Dean: I remember I begged you, quit askin’ Sammy, man, you don’t wanna know.
(0:46-0:57) 3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me – see 0:25 I think almost this whole scene is in there in the background.
- Demon!Dean Vision: What are the things that you want? What are the things that you dream? I mean, your car? That’s Dad’s. Your favorite leather jacket? Dad’s. Your music? Dad’s. Do you even have an original thought?
(0:59) 5.22 Swan Song – Lucifer!Sam beating up Dean.
- Dean: I’m not gonna leave you.
(01:02) 3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me – see 0:25
- Demon!Dean Vision: “Watch out for Sammy. Look out for your little brother, boy!”
(unidentifiable)
(01:15) 2.05 Simon Said – They’re looking through Andy’s van.
- Sam: Hegel, Kant, Wittgenstein? That’s some pretty heavy reading, Dean.
(01:17) 3.10 Dream a Little Dream of Me – see 0:25
- Demon!Dean Vision: All he ever did was boss you around.
(01:20) 1.02 Wendigo – Dean explains to Sam that he thinks John wants them to hunt together because he left them his journal.
- Dean: Y'know, saving people, hunting things, the family business.
Good Memories:
(02:00) 2.19 Folsom Prison Blues – Dean meets Henriksen for the first time after being arrested.
- Dean: I think I’m adorable.
(02:02) 14.04 Mint Condition – Sam tells Dean his puke story.
- Dean: Okay seriously, why? Why do you hate Halloween? What is it, was it the time I, I ate all your Halloween candy?
(02:03) 4.14 Sex and Violence - Dean is excited to work a case that involves strippers.
- Sam: You seem pretty cheery.
- Dean: Strippers, Sammy. Strippers. We’re on an actual case involving strippers. Finally.
(02:09) 6.18 Frontierland – Western episode.
- Dean: I’ll stay here, hook up with the posse. ‘Cause you know me – I’m a posse magnet.
(02:13) 2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part One – the last thing he says to Sam before Sam is taken to the ghost town and is eventually killed.
- Dean: Hey, see if they got any pie!
Dean: What'd you say?
- In 9.10 Road Trip, when Crowley was trying to help free Sam from Gadreel, Dean told Crowley that "Poughkeepsie" is Sam and Dean's distress signal, meaning to drop everything and run. Crowley used it again to warn Dean about Abaddon's trap in 9.21 King of the Damned
