4.21 When the Levee Breaks

Title	When the Levee Breaks
Episode #	Season 4, Episode 21
First aired	May 7, 2009
Directed by	Robert Singer
Written by	Sera Gamble
On IMDB	When the Levee Breaks
Outline	Dean and Bobby try to break Sam of his demon blood addiction.
Monster	Sam Winchester
Timeline
Location(s)	Sioux Falls, South Dakota Jamestown, North Dakota Elk River, Minnesota Cold Spring, Minnesota
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Synopsis

Dean and Bobby lock Sam in Bobby's panic room, in order to help him withdraw from the effects of the demon blood. Sam starts to hallucinate — first he imagines he is being tortured by Alastair. Next he is visited by his fourteen-year old self who accuses him of abandoning his hope of being normal, and brings up his guilt of Jess' death.

Meanwhile, Rufus Turner calls Bobby with news of more of the 66 Seals being broken. Bobby challenges Dean about whether they are doing the right thing, and whether they should let Sam go after Lilith to stop the Apocalypse.

Still in Bobby's panic room, Sam sees his mother, who says she understands what he is doing and gives him support.

Dean calls on Castiel, who tells Dean that Sam could kill Lilith, but that consuming that much demon blood would make him inhuman. Castiel says Dean can be the one to stop the Apocalypse, rather than Sam, and asks if Dean will do it. Dean agrees and swears fealty and obedience to God and the angels.

Sam starts experiencing more extreme symptoms — he is being flung around the panic room, so Dean and Bobby handcuff him to the bed. After they leave, Sam imagines Dean is taunting him and calling him a monster. At the same time the real Dean tells Bobby he would rather see Sam die than turn into a monster.

That night Castiel comes and uses his powers to release Sam's bonds and open the door to the panic room. Sam slips out, but is confronted by Bobby, who doesn't have the heart to shoot him. Sam knocks him out, steals a car and escapes.

Anna visits Castiel, and confronts him over his actions, but he says he is acting on orders, and she is taken captive by other angels.

Sam meets up with Ruby, and drinks more of her blood. Ruby tells Sam there are only two or three seals left to be broken. She says only "Lucifer's first" can break the final seal — and that is Lilith. This renews Sam's desire to kill Lilith. She says she has a lead on a demon close to Lilith, who is nearby.

As they prepare to leave, Dean arrives and tries to kill Ruby, but Sam stops him. Sam and Dean start to argue over what they should do, and things get more heated and bitter until Dean calls Sam a monster, and Sam hits him. They fight until Sam knocks Dean down and nearly strangles him.

As he turns to leave, Dean admonishes him with the same words John Winchester used so many years ago — that if Sam leaves, he should never come back.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Bobby Singer
• Castiel
• Ruby
• Anna
• Mary Winchester
• Alastair
• Rufus Turner

Definitions

• The 66 Seals
• Devil's Trap
• Angel Lore
• Demon Blood
• Demonology
• Bobby's Panic Room
• The Meaning of Episode Titles

Music

None

Quotes

Dean: How long's this going to go on?
Bobby: Hang on, let me look it up in my demon detox manual. Oh wait. No one ever wrote one. No telling how long it will take. Or even if Sam will survive this.

Sam: (to his younger self) I'm sorry, I am, but life doesn't turn out the way you thought when you were fourteen years old. We were never going to be normal. We were never going to get away. Grow up.

Mary: Yes our family is cursed. But you, you have the power to turn it into a gift.

Sam: For revenge?
Mary: No, for justice.
Sam: What's in me, Mom....

Mary: It's evil and you know it.

Dean: Cut the crap, you were going to tell me something.

Castiel: Nothing of import.

Dean: (to Castiel) You got ass-reamed in Heaven, but it's "not of import?"

Bobby: Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but you willingly signed up to be the angels' bitch?
I'm sorry — you prefer "sucker"?

Sam: Did you bust me out of that room?
Ruby: How could I, Sam? The whole thing's engineered to bite me in the ass.

Trivia & References

The episode title, "When the Levee Breaks" is a 1929 blues song, covered by Led Zeppelin in 1971.
See also the Meaning of Episode Titles.

Dean: They come on like shady politicians from Planet Vulcan.

Dean is referring to Star Trek's Spock's planet of origin, and comparing Castiel to the Vulcans' lack of emotional display.

Minutiae

The seals Rufus Turner reports being broken are: ten species extinct in Key West, fishing crew of fifteen goes blind in Alaska, and a teacher in New York kills 66 students, all in one day.

Sam abandons the car he steals from Bobby in Jamestown, North Dakota. He then steals a car which he abandons near Elk River. Dean finally finds Sam in Cold Spring.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 4.21 When the Levee Breaks (transcript)

Promotion

• Episode Promo: 4.21 When the Levee Breaks
• SOON clips
• Extended clip from TV Guide