14.20 Moriah

Title	Moriah
Episode #	Season 14, Episode 20
First aired	April 25, 2019
Directed by	Philip Sgriccia
Written by	Andrew Dabb
On IMDB	Moriah
Outline	Chuck reappears to help Sam, Dean, and Castiel with the Jack situation.
Monster	Chuck Shurley / God
Timeline	Immediately after 14.19 Jack in the Box
Location(s)	Lebanon, Kansas The Empty
« Previous Episode | Next Episode »

Synopsis

As the Bunker alarms continue to sound, Jack emerges from the Ma'lak Box and uses his powers to throw Sam, Dean, and Castiel into the walls and shelves of the storage room before escaping from the Bunker. Castiel tells them they shouldn't have tricked Jack into the box; Dean tells him he didn't want to, that Jack is just another monster and he would rather have killed him. Castiel storms out in anger, and Sam and Dean try to come up with a plan to find Jack. Dean suggests contacting Rowena to make a "soul bomb" like the one they attempted to use on Amara. Sam agrees but is clearly torn about the decision. Dean explains that while Jack used to be family, he isn't Jack anymore and they have put him down.

Walking down a street, Jack listens to passing conversations and notices everyone is lying. As the voices become too much for Jack, he shouts for them to stop lying. Suddenly, everyone freezes for a few seconds before resuming.

Sam talks to Rowena and while she believes their plan is insane, she agrees to help them. The Winchesters enter the office of Mirror Universe, a facial recognition software company which they hope to use to find Jack. Dean approaches the receptionist and flashes his badge but is unable to lie to her, telling her he's looking for the devil's son and his badge is fake. A fight then breaks out in the workplace when people start telling the truth, and Sam and Dean realize they've walked into a case and Jack is probably responsible.

Meanwhile, Castiel talks to a demon, and requests access to the Cage in Hell to study it. The demon denies his request. Suddenly Chuck appears behind him saying He has arrived because He heard Castiel's prayer, and because Jack has become a problem.

Jack returns to Kelly Kline's parents' house wanting to talk to them, but Mrs. Kline denies his request saying he lied to them, that no one knows who he is, and that they think Kelly is dead. When she accuses Jack of doing something to her daughter, and demands to know what he did to her, Jack yells for her to stop and runs away.

At the Mirror Universe office, Sam is using the software to look for Jack when Castiel and Chuck arrive. Chuck snaps them back to the Bunker and agrees to answer their questions. Sam asks Him where He's been; Chuck says He's been "everywhere and nowhere." He also explains that Amara is currently in Reno, Nevada, and that she has become a fan of keno. Chuck explains that are times where He has to step in -- such as the Apocalypses. Chuck reverses Jack’s effect of removing people’s ability to lie as if it never happened. Chuck then produces a special gun He says can kill Jack -- but will also kill whoever uses it. Castiel says he called Chuck to restore Jack's soul, but Chuck claims He can't, saying that souls are complicated. When Castiel suggests binding him and throwing him in the Cage, Dean stops him, telling him that killing Jack is the only way. Dean tells him to get on board or walk away, prompting him to leave.

When Sam goes to Dean room to talk, Dean insists that he's going to be the one who kills Jack, but Sam tries to remind Dean that they always have a choice. He admits that he's still angry at Jack for what happened to Mary, but they haven't even tried to save him, even after Jack burned off his soul to save them from Michael. Sam blames himself for Jack's soullessness because he was the one who insisted on bringing him back to life using Lily Sunder's Enochian magic. He refuses to let Dean go through with using the gun because he can't lose Dean or Jack, saying he's lost enough.

Sam soon encounters Chuck in the Library playing with the archangel blade. Chuck asks him where it came from and Sam tells Him it came from another world. Sam confronts Him with what Michael told them -- that Chuck creates these other worlds and then abandons them. Chuck denies the accusation -- explaining that this world and the Winchesters are His favorites because they're so interesting. Chuck hints that they need to focus on Jack, making Sam realize that He's scared of Jack. Sam asks if Chuck knows where Jack is, and when Chuck says He does, Sam asks what He's waiting for. Chuck says nothing, as Dean is already gone.

Castiel finds Jack at a cemetery, and they sit down and talk. Jack explains that he thought stopping everyone from lying would make the world a better place he but acknowledges that it didn't work. He then explains that he went to see his grandmother and they argued, but that he ran, leaving her unharmed. Jack tells Castiel he understands that he is there for him because he loves him, and he wants to love him back, but he can't because of his soullessness. Castiel explains that they just need time to help Jack get accustomed to it while he searches for a solution.

Dean soon arrives at the cemetery with Chuck’s gun. While Castiel tries to defend Jack, Jack pushes him out of the way and kneels before Dean. As Dean levels the gun at Jack's head, Sam arrives and runs to Dean, shouting for him to stop. Jack tells Dean he understands, that he knows what he's done and that he's a monster. Chuck appears next to Sam, who asks Chuck to do something. However, Sam then notices Chuck is smiling and accuses Him of enjoying what's happening. Dean cocks the hammer on the gun. He and Jack stare at each other for a few seconds, but Dean's expression slowly changes from anger to shame. He lowers the gun, pushes the hammer back, and tosses it aside. Chuck angrily tells him to pick it up, that this is not how the story is supposed to end. Dean questions what Chuck means, while Sam accuses Chuck of playing them their entire lives. Chuck tells Dean if he picks up the gun and shoots Jack, he'll bring Mary back, but Dean refuses, saying that Mary would not want him to bring her back at the cost of his life or Jack's life. Sam and Dean continue to argue with Chuck, and when Dean tells Him to go to Hell, Chuck tells Dean, "have it your way", snaps his fingers, and smites Jack. As Chuck begins to walk away, Sam picks up the gun and shoots Him in the shoulder. The hit does not appear to harm Chuck, but causes a bullet wound in Sam's shoulder. Chuck, angry, tells them the story is over and welcomes them to the end.

The sky goes dark. Dean checks on Sam and Castiel, and all look at Jack who is laying on the ground, his eyes burned out. Jack awakens in the Empty before the Cosmic Entity. Billie appears behind him and tells him they need to talk.

Sam, Dean, and Castiel hear rumbling around them, as souls from Hell erupt from a crack in the ground. In other places, a man pulls his car over upon seeing the Woman in White, a mother opens the door to find John Wayne Gacy, and Bloody Mary appears in a young girl's mirror. The Hell ghosts take possession of the buried corpses and begin erupting from the graves around the trio. Sam and Dean grab iron rods from the cemetery fence, while Castiel stands armed with his angel blade, and the three stand back-to-back as the wave of zombies descends on them.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Castiel
• Jack Kline
• Chuck Shurley / God
• Billie / Death
• Cosmic Entity
• Mrs. Kline
• Constance Welch
• Mary Worthington
• John Wayne Gacy

Definitions

• Alcohol
• Angel Blade
• Angel Lore
• Angel Wings
• Archangel Blade
• Bloody Mary
• Castiel's Cars
• Clowns
• The Cosmic Balance
• Costumes & Disguises
• Deals and Pacts
• Death's Scythe
• Demonology
• The Empty
• The Equalizer
• Hell
• Hell Ghosts
• Hugs
• Impala
• Iron
• Ma'lak Box
• Men of Letters Bunker
• Mirror Folklore
• Nephilim
• Possession
• Smiting
• Soul
• Soul Bomb
• Soullessness
• Table of Death
• Telekinesis
• Teleportation
• Woman in White
• Zombies

Music

• "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas

(plays during "The Road So Far" recap of events; 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, 9.23 Do You Believe in Miracles?, 10.23 Brother's Keeper, 11.23 Alpha and Omega, 12.23 All Along the Watchtower and 13.23 Let the Good Times Roll)

• "God Was Never on Your Side" by Motörhead

(plays over the closing montage of spirits from Hell being released)

Quotes

Dean: Sam, I know this isn't easy, okay? He -- I know how much he meant to you. He meant a lot to me. He was family. But this? This is not Jack anymore. He's hurting, he's killing people. This isn't gonna be easy, but we're gonna have to do the hard thing. We're gonna have to do the ugly thing. Ain't like it's the first time, though, right?

Dean: When people can't lie, the Internet gets real quiet. Yeah, guess your life isn't so perfect after all, EightPackMommy.

Sam: What?
Dean: Yeah, she's got this blog. Yeah, you know what? Your kids aren't that cute. And that gluten-free popover looks like crap because there's no gluten in it. You know what I mean? -- I'll stop talking.

Sam: Probably a good plan.

Chuck: You see, this is why people need to lie. It's good. Keeps the peace, you know?

Castiel: Seems like an odd stance for... You.

Chuck: Is it? I'm a writer. Lying's kinda what we do.

Chuck: Listen, you guys know me. I'm hands-off. I built the sandbox -- you play in it. You want to fight Leviathans? Cool. You got that. You want to go up against -- what was it? -- the "British Men of Letters"? Okay. Little weak, but okay. But when things get really bad, like the Apocalypse or the Other Apocalypse, that's when I have to step in.

Chuck: Ugh. Billie. I liked the old Death better. He was all about fried pickles and tickle porn. This new Death -- she's always sticking her scythe where it doesn't belong.

Dean: We don't have a choice, Sam.

Sam: Of course, we do. Don't we always? I mean, isn't that the point of everything we've ever done, that we always have a choice?
Dean: He killed our mom.
Sam: I get it. I was mad, too. Or you know what? Hell, I'm still mad. And a part of me wants Jack dead. It really does. But, Dean, we haven't even tried to save him.
Dean: Okay. You heard him, right? He actually blamed Mom for what happened.
Sam: He doesn't have a soul!
Dean: And whose fault is that?

Sam: Mine! I'm the one who brought him back, and I brought him back because he's family! And then he came back and he burned his soul off to save us! You and me! And now what? You... Now you -- you want my permission? You want me to say I'm cool with losing him and losing you all at once? 'Cause I can't do that. I won't say that, 'cause I... No. I've already lost too much.

Sam: Do You watch us? When You're not here, are -- are you... watching us?
Chuck: Yeah. I mean, you're my favorite show.

Sam: He's saying He's been playing us. This whole time.

Chuck: Come on.
Sam: Our entire lives. Mom, Dad -- everything. This is all you because you wrote it all, right? Because -- Because what? Because we're your favorite show? Because we're part of your story?
Chuck: Okay, Dean, no offense, but your brother is stupid and crazy. And that kid is still dangerous. So pick up the gun. Pick it up... pull the trigger... and I'll bring her back. Your mom.
Dean: No. No. My mom was my hero. And I miss her, and I will miss her every second of my life, but she would not want this. And it's not like You even really care. 'Cause Sam's right. The Apocalypse, the first go-around, with Lucifer and Michael -- You knew everything that was going on, so why the games, Chuck, huh? Why don't you just snap your fingers and end it?!
Chuck: Look, I--
Sam: And every other bad thing we've been killing, been dying over -- where were you? Just sitting back and watching us suffer so we can do this over and over and over again -- fighting, losing people we love? When does it end? Tell me.
Chuck: Dean, don't do this.

Dean: No, we're done talking. 'Cause this -- this isn't just a story. It's our lives! So God or no God, you go to Hell.

Chuck: Fine! That's the way you want it? Story's over. Welcome to The End.

Jack: What's happening?
Billie: Yeah, about that... We should talk.

Trivia & References

Moriah is the mountainous region in the Book of Genesis where Abraham was to sacrifice his son Isaac to God.

Dean: Nerds.

Sam: Takes one to know one.
Dean: What?
Sam: You. Come on, man. You're always calling me a geek, but you know every word to every Led Zeppelin song -- backwards and forwards -- you can discuss in detail every major rock drummer between '67 and '84, and... You watch "Jeopardy!" every night.
Dean: Okay. All right, yeah. But I'm nothing like these, you know, gaggle of Zuckerbergs.

Mark Zuckerberg is a tech entrepreneur who co-founded Facebook.

Sam: Mirror Universe builds facial-recognition software. They've got contracts with -- with basically every law-enforcement agency on the planet.

In the Star Trek series, the Mirror Universe is one where people are the opposite versions of themselves.

Man #1: Hey. I'm sleeping with your wife.

Man #2: I know. Kind of into it.

A reference to the fetish known as cuckoldry or "wife watching."

Dean: Tell me who your favorite singer is.

Sam: What?
Dean: You... Look, I know you say it's Elvis, but we both know that's crap, so tell me who your favorite singer is.
Sam: Well, it's like you said. It's Celine Dion. I mean Celine Dion. It's Celi-- Dean, every time I try and say "Elvis," it comes out --
Dean: The sad, horrible truth.

We have previously known little of Sam's musical tastes except that a song by Jason Manns was playing on his iPod in 4.01 Lazarus Rising, and his enjoyment of '80s hair bands such as Bon Jovi and Vince Vincente and Ladyheart. This is the first time we hear that he claims rocker Elvis Presley as his favorite singer. Celine Dion is a Canadian singer. Her song "My Heart Will Go On" featured in the episode of the same name. Ironically, Television Without Pity coined Celine Demon as a nickname for Azazel.

Newscaster: In what was supposed to be a speech on farming subsidies, the President instead spent more than two hours disclosing his entire tax history, deep ties to Russia and North Korea, and a quote "demon deal" he made with someone named Crowley.

A reference to current events of 2019 with President Donald Trump, who was also referenced by Sam in 13.23 Let the Good Times Roll. While unable to lie, President Trump apparently reveals the truth about his contested tax returns, his ties to foreign powers, and that he made a deal with Crowley.

Woman: I am the stapler queen.

This character is a shoutout to the movie Office Space, in which worker Milton is obsessed with his red Swingline stapler (one of which the Stapler Queen can be seen with) which people keep stealing. Trivia: the stapler in the movie was a black one painted red. It became such a cult item that Swingline produced a red stapler as part of its line.

Chuck: Okay, look. I get it. All right, I'm the deus from the machina, and you have questions. So, great. Go.

Deus Ex Machina literally translates as "God in the machine" and refers to a narrative device whereby there is an unexpected, and often contrived, resolution to a plot.

Sam: Yeah, like Dean said, where have You been?

Chuck: It's hard to explain. Um... everywhere and nowhere, to the edge of the universe and beyond. And I saw Springsteen on Broadway. Man's a genius.
Dean: What about Amara?
Chuck: She's been with me. Yeah, it's been nice reconnecting after the whole "trying to murder me and end all existence" thing.
Castiel: Where is she now?
Chuck: Reno. Turns out she loves Keno.

Springsteen on Broadway was a concert residency by rock songwriter and musician Bruce Springsteen from October 2017 to December 2018.

Keno is a lottery-like gambling game. Reno is a town in Nevada, USA, known for its casinos.

While Chuck is tuning the radio to different stations:

Reporter: ...rioting in the streets as the Dow drops nearly 15,000 points.
German Woman: The Purge is real!
Spanish Woman: Stay in your homes. I repeat! It’s too dangerous!
Mandarin Woman: The State is a lie!
British Woman: And it's been confirmed -- the Queen of England is, in fact, a lizard.

The Dow or Dow Jones Industrial Average, is a stock index that tracks 30 publicly-owned companies.

The Purge refers to a film and TV franchise, based on the premise that in the near future, once a year all crime including murder will be legal for 24 hours.

The fourth reporter appears to be talking about the State Council of the People's Republic of China.

There is a popular conspiracy theory that many well-known public figures are, in fact, lizard people in disguise.

Castiel: What is that?

Chuck: I'm thinking of calling it... the Equalizer! Or... the Hammurabi. No? All right, cool. That's cool. Cool.

The Equalizer is a television series about a retired intelligence agent who uses his skills to help those in need. Hammurabi was the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty, reigning from 1792 to 1750, BCE. He is known for codifying laws with an emphasis on the physical punishment of perpetrators of crimes, rather than the compensation of victims.

When Castiel walks back to Jack, the gravestone of Ezekial Gallows is seen. Ezekial Gallows was one of two ghosts that appeared in Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins. The gravestone was used previously on the set of Coolsville Cemetery.

Chuck: Lookit, the -- the -- the gathering storm, the gun, the -- the father killing his own son. This is Abraham and Isaac. This is epic!

The story of Abraham and Isaac is from the Hebrew Bible and features in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions. In the biblical narrative, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Moriah. Abraham undertakes to do the deed, but is interrupted by an Angel. He then sees a ram caught in a bush and sacrifices it instead.

The climactic ending where the souls emerge from Hell and resume terrorizing people is reminiscent of the climactic scene from Ghost Busters where the Ecto Containment System is deactivated under the orders of EPA lawyer Walter Peck and the ghosts emerge from the Ghostbusters' headquarters to terrorize New York City.

Minutiae

Original score by Christopher Lennertz.

The opening of the episode mirrors the opening of 13.01 Lost and Found. In both episodes Sam tries to calm Jack, while Dean wants him dead. Jack also stands with glowing eyes and unleashes his power, sending the Winchesters flying into a wall before escaping.

Travis Turner, who played Short Guy, previously played Joe Silver in 6.19 Mommy Dearest.

Brandyn Eddy, who played Break Room Man, previously played an uncredited Pitching Demon in 10.14 The Executioner's Song.

Like in the previous episode, Dean attempts to use the alias "Special Agent Lemmy Kilmister" on the Mirror Universe receptionist, but he is unable to lie.

Chuck: You're welcome. Look, the point is the kid did all that with two words. What's next? He sneezes and -- whoops -- there goes India? I don't know. Maybe. But this is bad -- like Me level bad.

In 13.02 The Rising Son, Dean similarly suggested Jack sneezing could bring about death.

The song "God Was Never on Your Side" by Motörhead was used at Comic-Con 2018 over the sizzle reel for Season 14. Originally the episode was scripted to end with another Motörhead, "Hellraiser".

"Moriah" marks the third season finale where a door to Hell is opened in a cemetery following 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two and 5.22 Swan Song. The confrontation in the cemetery also recalls the climactic scene in "All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two" where Dean aims a magical gun at an enemy.

The camera zooming in to Jack's burned-out eye and revealing him in the Empty is similar to the reveal of Dean in Hell at the end of 3.16 No Rest for the Wicked.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 14.20 Moriah (transcript)
• Moriah Script (Cherry Pages)

Promotion

• Synopsis
• Promo
• Sneak Peek