4.22 Lucifer Rising

Title	Lucifer Rising
Episode #	Season 4, Episode 22
First aired	May 14, 2009
Directed by	Eric Kripke
Written by	Eric Kripke
On IMDB	Lucifer Rising
Outline	As only one seal is left to break, the angels are ready and Dean and Sam are intent on killing Lilith.
Monster	Demons Angels
Timeline	May 13th-14th, 2009
Location(s)	Sioux Falls, South Dakota Ilchester, Maryland Kripke's Hollow, Ohio
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Synopsis

St. Mary's Convent, Ilchester, Maryland - 1972
Azazel possesses a priest at St. Mary's Convent and kills eight nuns in the chapel. Through a dead nun, he is able to speak to Lucifer, who tells him that he needs Lilith to break the 66 Seals that hold him captive. Lucifer tells Azazel he needs to find a very special child.

Present Day
Ruby and Sam stand near a car outside an abandoned house. Sam is upset over the fight with Dean, but when Ruby tells him they can patch things up later, Sam says that there won't be a later, and that he's changed for good.

At Bobby's place, Dean refuses to call Sam. Bobby calls him out on his behavior, and says he is behaving like his father, in failing to reach out to Sam. Bobby then tells Dean he is a better man than his father.

At a hospital, Lilith's minion is stealing a baby for her to consume. Sam arrives and overpowers her. Back at the abandoned house, he tortures and interrogates her, and she tells him Lilith will be at St. Mary's Convent in Ilchester, Maryland at midnight the next night. Ruby tells Sam they need to keep the demon alive so Sam can feed on her blood. The demon withdraws to the recesses of the possessed girl's mind, so Sam is confronted with an innocent human.

Dean finds himself transported to what appears to be a luxurious hotel room - referred to as the Green Room by Zachariah. Zachariah & Castiel appear and Zachariah says they are keeping him safe in preparation for Lilith breaking the final seal. When he is alone, Dean finally calls Sam and leaves a message apologizing for what he said to him.

Sam bundles the possessed girl into the trunk of the car and they head to St. Mary's Convent in Ilchester, Maryland. He considers listening to Dean's voicemail, wondering if Dean was right all along. Two miles from the convent, they stop and Sam listens to Dean's message, but it has been changed - it is now Dean hurling abuse at Sam and rejecting him again. Resigned, Sam orders Ruby to kill the possessed girl so he can drink her blood to prepare to face Lilith.

Dean pleads with Castiel to let him see Sam, but Castiel refuses. When he confronts Zachariah, the angel finally admits that they don't want to stop Lilith from freeing Lucifer and that the upper echelons of the angels want the Apocalypse to happen in order to defeat Hell and bring about Paradise on Earth. He also reveals that Dean's role is to kill Lucifer once he has risen.

Later, Castiel returns and apologizes to Dean for deceiving him. Dean is angry and argues with Castiel, trying to convince him to help Dean and Sam stop the Apocalypse. He initially refuses, but then returns and, cutting himself, draws an angel banishing sigil on the wall with his blood. Zachariah arrives to stop him, Castiel places a bloody hand in the middle of the sigil and Zachariah is sent away. Castiel says he will take Dean to Sam to stop him from killing Lilith - because her death is the final seal.

To find Sam, Castiel and Dean visit Chuck Shurley, who has foreseen that Sam is at the convent. An archangel arrives, and Castiel says he will hold it off before sending Dean directly to the Convent with a touch of his hand.

At the convent, Lilith and her minions have gathered. Sam and Ruby arrive, and Sam easily dispatches all of the demons and pins Lilith to the altar. Ruby sees Dean arrive and closes the chapel door, efficiently locking him out. Sam starts killing Lilith, but hesitates when he hears Dean shout his name outside the door. When he is taunted by Lilith, his eyes turn black and he ignores Dean's shouting, giving in to killing Lilith.

As Lilith's blood forms a spiral on the chapel floor, Ruby reveals to an appalled Sam that Lilith's death was the final seal and that she has been working to free Lucifer all along. She tells Sam he didn't need the demon blood, that the choices he has made all year have helped him tap into his own power.

Ruby reveals that Sam was the only one who could bring back Lucifer, but before she can say why, Dean finally breaks in and rushes forward. Sam holds Ruby as Dean kills her with her own knife.

Suddenly a beam, of light thrusts up from the spiral of Lilith's blood.

Sam and Dean clutch at each other, as Lucifer is freed...

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Bobby Singer
• Ruby
• Castiel
• Zachariah
• Chuck Shurley
• Lilith
• Azazel
• Cindy McLellan
• Father Lehne
• The Nun

Definitions

• Alcohol
• Angel Banishing Sigil
• Angel Lore
• Apocalypse
• Archangel
• Bobby's Hats
• Demon Blood
• Demonology
• Green Room
• Demon Blood
• Devil's Trap
• Lucifer's Cage
• Mythological Arc Timeline
• Ruby's Knife
• Sammy
• Singer Salvage Yard
• The 66 Seals
• Star Wars
• Table of Death
• Telekinesis

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 and 3.16 No Rest for the Wicked)

• "Patty Cake" by Juliana Wimbles

(sung by Cindy McLellan)

Quotes

Sam: I can feel it inside me, Ruby. I've changed... for good. And there's no going back now.

Bobby: You stupid, stupid son of a bitch! Well, boo hoo, I am so sorry your feelings are hurt, princess! Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel good -- bake you an apple pie, maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable! That's why they're family!

Dean: I told him, 'You walk out that door, don't come back', and he walked out anyway. That was his choice!
Bobby: You sound like a whiny brat. No, you sound like your dad. Well, let me tell you something. Your dad was a coward.
Dean: My dad was a lot of things, Bobby, but a coward?

Bobby: He'd rather push Sam away than reach out to him. Well, that don't strike me as brave. You are a better man than your daddy ever was. So you do both of us a favor -- don't be him.

Dean: I wanna know what the game plan is.

Zachariah: Let us worry about that. We want you... focused, relaxed.

Dean: Well, I'm about to be pissed and leaving, so start talkin' chuckles.

Dean: Hey, it's me. Uh... Look, I'll just get right to it. I'm still pissed... and I owe you a serious beatdown. But... I shouldn't have said what I said. You know, I'm not Dad. We're brothers. You know, we're family. And, uh... no matter how bad it gets, that doesn't change. Sammy, I'm sorry.

Ruby: Sorry sister. You're a walking, talking can of whoop-ass.

Azazel: Father, look... I'm not exactly the praying type, but still... I made the sacrifice. I got you a bagful of nuns. So, uh... can you hear me? Can you whisper through the door?

Dead Nun/Lucifer: I'm here, my son.
Azazel: It's so good to hear your voice, Padre. I have been searching for you for so long. You have no idea. The others have lost faith. Dickless heathens. But not me.
Dead Nun/Lucifer: You've done well.
Azazel: So, uh... how do I bust you out?
Dead Nun/Lucifer: Lilith.
Azazel: Lilith? Father, she's... trapped neck-deep in the pit. It won't be easy.
Dead Nun/Lucifer: Lilith. Lilith can break the seals.
Azazel: Yeah, okay. But what do I do?
Dead Nun/Lucifer: You must find me a child. A very special child.

Azazel: What do you mean? What child?

Dean: I need you to take me to see Sam.

Castiel: Why?
Dean: There's something I got to talk to him about.
Castiel: What's that?

Dean: The B.M. I took this morning. What's it to you? Just make it snappy.

Dean: What happens to all the people during your little pissing contest?
Zachariah: Well... you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs. In this case... truckloads of eggs, but you get the picture. Look... it happens. This isn't the first planetary enema we've delivered. Uh, no, Dean. Probably shouldn't try to bash my skull in with that thing. Wouldn't end up too pleasant for you.

Dean: Destiny? Don't give me that "holy" crap. Destiny, God's plan... It's all a bunch of lies, you poor, stupid son of a bitch! It's just a way for your bosses to keep me and keep you in line! You know what's real? People, families -- that's real. And you're gonna watch them all burn?
Castiel: What is so worth saving? I see nothing but pain here. I see inside you. I see your guilt, your anger, confusion. In paradise, all is forgiven. You'll be at peace. Even with Sam.

Ruby: And it is written that the first demon shall be the last seal. And you bust her open. Now guess who's coming to dinner.

Sam: Oh, my god.

Ruby: Guess again... You don't even know how hard this was! All the demons out for my head. No one knew. I was the best of those sons of bitches! The most loyal! Not even Alastair knew! Only Lilith! Yeah, I'm sure you're a little angry right now, but, I mean, come on, Sam! Even you have to admit -- I'm -- I'm awesome!

Dean: Sammy, let's go.
Sam: Dean... he's coming.

Trivia & References

Lucifer Rising is a short film dealing with occult, made in 1972.

There is a St. Mary's College in Ilchester, Maryland, known as the Hell House. "There is a legend about a priest who, in a fit of insanity, hanged five young girls facing one another around a pentagram, and then shot himself. People believe the building is haunted by the girls. Sometimes at night you can still hear their tortured screams, and there is a cold spot at the top of the huge stairs."¹

Dean: Well, how 'bout this? The suite life of Zach and Cas. It's a... never mind. So, what is this? Where the hell am I?

Dean is making an allusion to the Disney Channel Show The Suite Life of Zach and Cody about troublesome twin boys who live in a hotel. Kim Rhodes, who plays Sheriff Jody Mills, starred on the show as Carey Martin from 2005 to 2008.

When Dean first enters the Green Room, the paintings on the wall are bright, pastoral scenes. Later when Dean confronts Zachariah, they are dark surreal scenes of Hell. More information on the artwork in the Green Room.

The Green Room (the name given to the the room performers wait in before appearing on stage or TV), visually references the room in which Dave wakes up in the final segment of 2001: A Space Odyssey which is called "Jupiter and The Infinite Beyond" and which represents some realm beyond the mortal.

Zachariah offers Dean the following while he is being held in preparation for the Apocalypse: beer, burgers (his favorite, that he had when he was 11 from a seaside shack in Delaware), and Ginger from season two of Gilligan's Island (the first season broadcast in color) and Mary-Ann.

Dean: Let's... bail on the holodeck, okay?

A reference to the holodeck in various Star Trek series, which was a virtual reality recreational room.

Dean: That's an impressive score. That's... that's right up there with the Washington Generals.

Reference to the losing streak of the Washington Generals, the team that always lost in the staged exhibition matches against the Harlem Globetrotters.

Demon Nurse: What, no Devil's Trap?

Sam: I don't need one.
Demon Nurse: Look at you -- all 'roided up. It's like A-Rod and Madonna over here.

The demon is referencing baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez (whom in the past has admitted to steroid use) and singer/songwriter Madonna. In 2008, Madonna was rumored to be having an affair with him, though she directly denied the allegations.

Ruby: Because we've got to take her with us. This is the final run on the Death Star and you need more juice than I've got.

A reference to the final battle in Star Wars.

The title of the article that Sam finds online, "The Bellows of St. Mary's" references the 1945 film The Bells of St. Mary's, starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman.

According to the article Sam finds online, the priest possessed by Azazel at St. Mary's Convent was named Father Dominic Lehne. The name refers to actor Frederic Lehne who plays Azazel in episodes 2.01 In My Time of Dying, 2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part One and 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two and who is perhaps the actor most related with the part.

Zachariah: Sam, Sam, Sam. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.

Zachariah apparently watched The Brady Bunch, where middle daughter Jan often complained about the attention her older sister got by saying: "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia."

When Zachariah tells Dean in the Green Room his destiny is to kill Lucifer he stands in front of a painting of the Archangel Michael killing Lucifer. The painting is Saint Michel terrassant le Dragon by 15th century Flemish painter Josse Lieferinxe.
In 2.13 Houses of the Holy, Sam notices a similar painting of Michael killing Lucifer in the Church they visit (this version by the renaissance painter Raphael). Father Reynolds tells him: "That's right. The archangel Michael, with the flaming sword. The fighter of demons, holy force against evil."

Sam: So they're not really the Hallmark card version that everybody thinks? They're fierce, right? Vigilant?

Father Reynolds: Well, I like to think of them as more loving than wrathful; but yes, a lot of Scripture paints angels as God's warriors.

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, the glory of the Lord shone down upon them, and they were terrified." Luke. Two nine.

Michael is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition. He is most known as a leader of the armies of God against Lucifer.

Zachariah: Lucifer. You're going to stop Lucifer. You're our own little Russell Crowe, complete with surly attitude. And when it's over... and when you've won... your rewards will be... unimaginable. Peace, happiness... two virgins and seventy sluts. Trust me -- one day, we'll look back on this and laugh.

Zachariah is referring to Russell Crowe's character Maximus Decimus Meridius in the film Gladiator, who wins in a gladiator's duel against the corrupt Emperor Commodus. Parallels include: Dean being favoured by God (Lucifer's "Father"), like Maximus was favoured by Marcus Aurelius, Commodus' father; Lucifer and Commodus' betrayals of their fathers, and Dean and Maximus seeking revenge for the death of their families. Zachariah alludes that Dean will eventually win against Lucifer like Maximus won against Commodus.

In Muslim belief, a martyr is promised 72 virgins after his death if he dies as a warrior.

Dean: You can take your peace... and shove it up your lily-white ass. 'Cause I'll take the pain and the guilt. I'll even take Sam as is. It's a lot better than being some Stepford bitch in paradise. This is simple, Cas! No more crap about being a good soldier. There is a right and there is a wrong here, and you know it.

"Stepford" references The Stepford Wives the 1972 satirical novel about a community filled with submissive housewives that may be robots created by their husbands.

Ruby: No. It wasn't the blood. It was you... and your choices. I just gave you the options, and you chose the right path every time. You didn't need the feather to fly, you had it in you the whole time, Dumbo! I know it's hard to see it now... but this is a miracle. So long coming. Everything Azazel did, and Lilith did. Just to get you here. And you were the only one who could do it.

In the 1941 animated Disney movie Dumbo, the eponymous elephant discovers he can fly with the help of his friend Timothy, the mouse, who helps him get the confidence by giving him a "magic feather." When he drops the feather, Timothy reveals the ruse, and Dumbo discovers it was his own ability all along. At Comic Con 2010, Kripke explained that the phrase referred to the series of decisions Sam had made, that resulted in Lucifer being freed.

Ruby: And it is written that the first demon shall be the last seal. And you bust her open. Now guess who's coming to dinner.

Possibly an allusion to the 1967 movie Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

Minutiae

Artine Brown, who played Night Watchman, also played Maurice the rogue reaper in 9.03 I'm No Angel.

Darren Dolynski, who played Lilith's Demon, also played Captain James Deerborn in 11.14 The Vessel.

As Lucifer rises at the end of the episode, the white light grows in intensity until it whites out the screen, a reverse of every other episode which ends with a fade to black.

At Comic-Con 2009, Kripke refused to elucidate on whether it was Zachariah or Ruby who changed Dean's voicemail message to Sam.

Early on, Castiel is often portrayed as having little understanding of humanity. However in this episode he tells Dean, "You can't reach him Dean. You're outside your coverage zone." when Dean tries to call Sam from the angels Green Room. This suggests Castiel already has some knowledge of how cell phones work.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 4.22 Lucifer Rising (transcript)

Promotion

• Stills
• Promo

Episode Meta

• 4.22 Lucifer Rising: If There’s Anything Worth Dying For, This Is It by bardicvoice (May 2009); archive link, spn-heavymeta
• Bond, Silvia. 2009. The Last Temptation of Whatshisname: "Lucifer Rising" Season 4, Episode 22. Pink Raygun, May 19; archive link
• Chan, Suzette. 2009. Supernatural Talk: Tarts talk about Lucifer Rising. Sequential Tart, June 22; archive link
• Hero of Love - Supernatural - 4.22 "Lucifer Rising" by horusguard76 (May 2009); archive link, spnematography