9.10 Road Trip

Title	Road Trip
Episode #	Season 9, Episode 10
First aired	January 14, 2014
Directed by	Robert Singer
Written by	Andrew Dabb
On IMDB	Road Trip
Outline
Monster	Gadreel
Timeline
Location(s)	Lebanon, Kansas Sommerset, Pennsylvania
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Synopsis

Dean burns Kevin's body on the traditional hunter's funeral pyre. He calls Castiel, who arrives dressed again in a suit and trenchcoat. A stricken Dean explains about Gadreel's possession of Sam, and Kevin's death. Dean knows he needs to kill Gadreel, but not how to do it without killing Sam. Castiel suggests there is a way to bypass the angel's mind and get to Sam - but they will need Crowley's help.

Gadreel is backstage at a rock concert. The pop idol Corey is actually possessed by the angel Thaddeus who tortured Gadreel and another angel called Abner while they were imprisoned in Heaven. Gadreel kills him with an angel sword.

At the bunker, Dean and Castiel approach Crowley. Despite not wanting to bargain, Dean sees no alternative and agrees to take Crowley on a trip out of the bunker.

Gadreel meets with Metatron in a bar, where coincidentally the man who was his original vessel works. He reports that he killed Kevin, and Thaddeus, and Metatron gives him his next target. Gadreel is reluctant but Metatron says he demands it as a test of loyalty.

As Gadreel stole the Impala, Dean, Castiel and Crowley walk to where the car Cas stole is parked, having run out of gas before it reached the bunker. On there way to the car, they are spotted by a demon who reports to Abaddon.

Gadreel's next target turns out to be his friend Abner, now living a happy family life. He tells Gadreel that being on Earth is a second chance, and that the most important thing is to go after what you want. Gadreel had been vacillating about killing Abner, but this steels his resolve.

Crowley takes Dean and Castiel to an office that is a cover for NSA surveillance. A demon called Cecily works there, and fills Crowley in on what's been happening since he has been locked in the bunker. She admits Hell is in chaos, and that Abaddon has not yet taken over. She then locates the Impala for Crowley.

Dean, Cas and Crowley track down the Impala - and Gadreel who has killed Abner. They take him captive but he refuses to leave Sam. Crowley begins the painful process of accessing the angel's mind. Unable to bear seeing Sam suffer, Dean walks away, and Cas follows. Dean apologises for sending Castiel away from the bunker and not telling him about Sam and how Gadreel deceived him. Castiel replies that he too trusted Metatron and was deceived into inadvertently helping the expulsion of the angels from heaven.

Crowley has accessed Gadreel's "programming" and is able to make the angel reveal his identity. Castiel is enraged, as he views Gadreel as responsible for everything from the absence of God to the Apocalypse. Gadreel mocks them, saying he cannot be controlled. Crowley offers an alternative - he will possess Sam, and alert Sam to Gadreel's presence, so he can expel the angel.

Over Castiel's protestations, Dean agrees, and gets Castiel to use his power to remove Sam's anti-possession tattoo. Crowley then enters Sam's mind. He convinces Sam that an angel is possessing him, but then Gadreel finds them. A fight ensues but Sam is strong enough and expels Gadreel from his body. Crowley leaves voluntarily.

Gadreel returns to the bar where Metatron is, and repossesses his original vessel.

As Cas and Dean help a weakened Sam, Abaddon arrives, and Crowley tells them to leave. When Abaddon orders the demons with her to kill Crowley they refuse, and Crowley points out she does not yet rule all the demons. Abaddon wants to fight, but Crowley likens their conflict more to an election - whoever wins over the demons will rule hell.

Castiel uses his powers to heal Sam, although he warns it will take more work to fix all the damage he incurred when undertaking the trials. Sam is angry at Dean for lying at him, and for letting an angel posses him, when Sam himself was ready to die. Dean admits he could not let Sam die. He says he will kill Gadreel - but alone. Dean says he sees that everyone around him dies.

Sam tells Dean to go - but as he leaves Sam says that isn't their problem, but doesn't say what is.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Castiel
• Crowley
• Gadreel
• Kevin Tran
• Abaddon
• Metatron
• Abner
• Thaddeus
• Cecily
• Samandiriel (Alfie)
• Muffins

Definitions

• Angel Lore
• Demonology
• Deals and Pacts
• Impala
• Bunker
• Hunter's Funeral Pyre
• Angel Sword
• Tablets
• Enochian
• Prophets
• Goblet of Blood
• Anti-possession symbol
• Tattoos
• Castiel's Pimpmobile

Music

• "The Famous Final Scene" by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band

(plays over Dean's opening montage)

• "The Royal Scene" by dudeROYAL

(plays when Dean, Castiel and Crowely drive off in Castiel's pimpmobile)

Quotes

Cecily: I mean human Castiel - meh. But feathered Castiel - phwoar!

Crowley: Your phallus on wheels just ran a red light in Somerset, Pennsylvania ten minutes ago.

Gadreel: I have Sam locked away in a dream right now. As far as he's concerned you're working a case. Something to do with ghouls and cheerleaders.

Sam: Did I kill Kevin?
Crowley: No, you didn't. He did. You need to take control Sam, blow it up, and cast that punk ass holy roller out!

Dean: So you saying we're both a couple of dumbasses?
Castiel: I prefer the word trusting. Less dumb. Less ass.

Dean: This doesn't make us square. I see you again...
Crowley: I'm dead. Yes, I know. I love you too.

Crowley: The demons have a choice. Take orders from the world's angriest ginger, and that's saying something. Or join my team where everyone gets a say, a virgin, and all the entrails they can eat.

Dean: Alright, let me hear it.

Sam: What do you want me to say? I’m pissed? Okay I am, I’m pissed. You lied to me - again.
Dean: I didn't have a choice.
Sam: I was ready to die Dean.
Dean: I know. But I wouldn't let you, because that’s not in me.
Sam: So what, you decide to trick me into being possessed by some...psycho angel?
Dean: He saved your life.
Sam: So what. I was willing to die. And now...Kevin.
Dean: No, that is not on you. Kevin’s blood is on my hands. And that ain’t ever getting clean. I’ll burn for that. I will. But I’ll find Gadreel and I will end that son of a bitch. But I’ll do it alone.
Sam: What’s that supposed to mean?
Dean: Come on man, can’t you see, I’m poison. People get close to me they get killed, or worse. I tell myself I help more people than I hurt and I tell myself that I’m doing it all for the right reasons and I believe that. But I can’t -- I won’t drag anyone anybody into the muck with me - not anymore.
Sam: Go. I’m not going to stop you. But don’t go thinking that’s the problem because it’s not.
Dean: What’s that supposed to mean?

Sam: Just go.

Trivia & References

Live tweets from the cast and crew during the episode's West Coast Broadcast.

Dean burns Kevin's body on the traditional Hunter's Funeral Pyre.

Castiel: Do you remember Alfie?

Alfie was the name of the vessel of the angel Samandriel

Crowley: Go get Moose, Squirrel.

Two of Crowley's favourite Nicknames for Sam and Dean, referring to the cartoon duo of Bullwinkle (the moose) and Rocky (a squirrel).

Metatron: I filpped a switch upstair and now Kevin is gone there will be no more prophets.

Lore on prophets said that when one dies another one will be called. Metatron has stopped this.

Metatron:: Gadreel, we are writing our own epic story here. Sometimes, to make that work, you have to kill your darlings.

Author William Faulkner once said "In writing, you must kill all your darlings." Also a possible meta reference to the Supernatural writers killing Kevin.

While Castiel has regained his angelic powers after stealing Theo's grace, his wings are still broken and he cannot teleport.

Crowley: The three amigos ride again.

Three Amigos was a 1986 western comedy starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short.

Crowley: Laverne! Shirley! Get in here.

Laverne and Shirley was a 1970s sitcom about two roommates who worked in a Milwaukee Brewery.

Crowley: Pinhead's out cold, but watch this.

Pinhead is the main antagonist of the Hellraiser film series.

Crowley: Because Dean's sent me, Bullwinkle, the real Dean. I'll make this quick -- you've been possessed by an angel. He's got you packed away in some dusty corner of your own mind, and I'm here to break you out.

Bullwinkle is an anthropomorphic moose, and one of the main characters of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

Crowley shoots Sam to prove to him that he's dreaming. In the movie Inception, when a character dies in a dream (done by gunshot) they wake up from the dream (Arthur) or fall into limbo (Saito and Robert Fischer).

Minutiae

The demon Cecily is named after Jeremy Carver's assistant, Cecily Schaefer.

Dan Payne who appears as Abner protrayed Cesar Divine in Divine: The Series

"Poughkeepsie" is Sam and Dean's code for "drop everything and run."

The car Castiel has stolen has the licence plate IA B2676.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 9.10 Road Trip (transcript)

Promotion

• Official Synopsis via KsiteTV
• Promo trailer
• Promo pics
• Sneak peek scene
• CHCH promo clip
• Promo for episodes 9.10-12
• Winchester Radio Podcast for 'Road Trip'

Countdown videos! This all contained a spoiler scene

• Five days by Jared
• Four days by Jensen
• Three days by Misha
• Two days by Jared
• One day by Mark Sheppard