Ellen Harvelle

Name	Ellen Harville
Actor	Samantha Ferris
Dates	???? - 2009
Location	Harvelle's Roadhouse, Nebraska Heaven
Occupation	Hunter Bar owner
Episode(s)	2.02 Everybody Loves a Clown 2.03 Bloodlust 2.06 No Exit 2.10 Hunted 2.11 Playthings (mentioned) 2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign (mentioned) 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two 4.17 It's a Terrible Life (mentioned) 5.02 Good God, Y'All 5.10 Abandon All Hope... 5.16 Dark Side of the Moon (mentioned) 6.10 Caged Heat (mentioned) 6.17 My Heart Will Go On 7.07 The Mentalists (mentioned)

History

Ellen is a hunter who ran a saloon in Nebraska called Harvelle's Roadhouse, which was frequented by hunters until its destruction by demons. She is the widow of Bill Harvelle, who died on a hunt with John Winchester in 1995, and the mother of Jo. She was an old friend of John Winchester's, having met him at least as early as 1994, but hadn't spoken to him for a long time before his death.

Episodes

2.02 Everybody Loves a Clown

Four months prior to John's death, Ellen leaves a voice-mail message on his phone saying she can help him with the demon he is tracking. As the boys recuperate at Bobby's place, Sam retrieves the message and the boys travel to the Roadhouse. Ellen explains that she knew John and that he "was like family once." While waiting for Ash to analyze John's information on the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Ellen passes on to the boys a case she was "saving for a friend".

Sam speculates as to whether Ellen and John ever "you know," but Dean thinks not. After the boys kills the Rakshasa, they return to the Roadhouse where Ash has set up a computerized demon tracking system. Ellen invites the boys to stay, but they decline and return to Bobby's.

2.03 Bloodlust

After encountering Gordon Walker during a hunt, Sam rings Ellen for information, and she warns him that Gordon Walker is a damn good hunter, but dangerous, comparing Gordon as a hunter to Hannibal Lecter as a psychiatrist.

2.05 Simon Said

Sam and Dean go to the Roadhouse for help after Sam has a vision. After dealing with Andy and his evil twin Ansem, the boys get a call from Ellen and return to the Roadhouse. She indicates she knows the boys are part of something:

"... This isn't just your war, this is war. Now, something big and bad's coming and it's coming fast, and their side holds all the cards. Now, at best all we got is us. Together. No secrets or half-truths here."

2.06 No Exit

Ellen is trying to prevent Jo from hunting on her own, but even though Ellen gives the case to Sam and Dean, Jo sneaks off and joins them. Despite getting Ash to help her cover her tracks, Ellen works out that Jo is in Philadelphia with the Winchesters. When she rings, Dean confesses that Jo has being kidnapped by the spirit of Dr. H.H. Holmes. Ellen flies out to Philly, and, after Jo is rescued, drives back in the Impala with Sam, Dean and Jo in angry silence. Back at the Roadhouse, Ellen finally reveals to Jo that her father was killed while hunting with John Winchester.

2.10 Hunted

As he searches for the other Special Children, Sam seeks help at the Roadhouse. Ellen tells him that after they last met, Jo insisted on continuing hunting, and Ellen said "not under my roof." Ellen explains that she doesn't blame Sam and Dean. Later Gordon reveals someone at the Roadhouse told him about Sam's powers.

2.11 Playthings

At the beginning of the episode, Sam is on the phone with Ellen, trying to get leads on Ava's disappearance from the previous episode. Although she has no information for him on Ava, she does give him and Dean a case on a hotel in Cornwall, Connecticut that turns out to be haunted.

2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign

At the beginning of the episode, Dean is on the phone with Ellen, asking if she has heard from Sam, as Sam has been gone for a week now. Later on, Meg (while possessing Sam) asks Jo what Ellen told her about how Bill died, and after Jo tells her, says that Ellen does not know the truth about Bill's death; Meg claims that the reason John stopped going to the Roadhouse was that he couldn't face Ellen or Jo after having killed Bill to end his suffering when Bill was badly wounded on their hunt together.

2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two

Ellen turns up at Bobby's place, explaining that she was out buying pretzels when demons attacked the Roadhouse, killing everyone and burning it to the ground, however Ellen rescued Ash's research from the safe. Bobby makes her drink a shot of holy water to ensure she isn't possessed. At the Devil's Gate in Wyoming Jake uses his mind powers to get Ellen to point her own gun at her head. After the gate opens, it is Ellen and Bobby who finally close it.

4.17 It's a Terrible Life

Dean Smith says that his mother is named Ellen, his father's name is Bob, and he has a sister named Jo.

5.02 Good God, Y'All

Ellen has been hunting with Jo, when she answers a call for help from Rufus to a town he thinks is under attack from demons. When Sam and Dean arrive she has been separated from Jo and Rufus. She says she didn't know Dean was alive until Rufus told her. When she and Sam go looking for them, and find them, she thinks they have been possessed by demons. Jo calls her a "black-eyed bitch" indicating she thinks Ellen is possessed. After they work out War is tricking them, they try to stop Rufus and Jo. Ellen is about to be killed by one of the townsfolk when Sam cuts off War's ring, and the spell is broken.

5.10 Abandon All Hope...

When Jo, Ellen, Dean and Sam arrive at the town they meet Meg, now in a new body. She is bringing hellhounds to help kill them. When she unleashes them Dean kills one of the dogs, but he is nearly killed until Jo saves him, shooting a dog 3 times, before she is attacked herself and is badly wounded. They take her to a store and barricade themselves with salt. After a while they realize that she isn't going to survive, and they set up explosive devices. Gas tanks, buckets loaded with salt and iron-nails. Ellen doesn't want to leave her daughter, and she sits down with her, crying. Sam and Dean then leave Jo and Ellen to their grim-looking fates. Jo eventually dies from her wounds. Ellen clears the salt line from the door and window to allow the hellhounds come inside the shop. Ellen sets off the explosive devices, killing the hellhounds and herself.

5.16 Dark Side of the Moon

Ash tells Sam and Dean that he hasn't seen Ellen or Jo in Heaven, despite his ability to move around in Heaven and meet other people, including Pamela Barnes.

6.10 Caged Heat

The brothers are captured by Meg, who wants to find Crowley. After Sam suggests that the brothers work with her to kill Crowley, Dean is enraged, pointing out that she killed Ellen and Jo with hellhounds. Sam sways him by assuring him that Meg will be killed once she has helped them.

6.17 My Heart Will Go On

When Balthazar saves the Titanic, he creates an alternate timeline in which Ellen is alive and married to Bobby. Ellen arrives at the salvage yard after a week's hunting with Jo, who is also living, and tries to help Bobby get over Rufus' death. She orders him to shower and to slow down on his drinking. When he tries to get a beer out of the refrigerator, she takes it from him and pours it into the stew she is making. Ellen coordinates between Jo's team of hunters and Sam and Dean as they investigate a rash of strange deaths. Ellen determines that all the victims are descended from people who sailed on the Titanic. When the timeline is restored, Ellen is gone.

7.07 The Mentalists

While investigating the deaths of psychics in Lily Dale, New York, a museum curator grabs Dean and gives him a message from Ellen. He tells Dean that she is concerned about him and says:

"If you don't tell someone how bad it really is, she'll kick your ass from beyond. You have to trust someone again eventually."

Trivia

• Named Ellen because the writers modeled her after the tough but vulnerable characters Ellen Barkin portrays in her films._{S2Com, p.14}
• For more on Ellen's relationship with Jo, Ash and Gordon Walker check out Jo's Blog.