14.09 The Spear

Title	The Spear
Episode #	Season 14, Episode 9
First aired	December 13, 2018
Directed by	Amyn Kaderali
Written by	Robert Berens
On IMDB	The Spear
Outline	Sam and Dean enlist Garth to help infiltrate Michael's monster army as a mole. Meanwhile, along with Jack and Castiel, they split up and search for weapons to stop Michael once and for all.
Monster	Michael Michael's Monsters
Timeline	December 24, 2018
Location(s)	Kansas City, Missouri Lebanon, Kansas Joplin, Missouri Omaha, Nebraska
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Synopsis

In Kansas City, Missouri, a man runs out into an office hallway, running from someone. In a panic he pushes the elevator button while looking behind him. He turns to find a man in a Santa hat in front of him. The man grabs him by the neck, revealing his vampire fangs. He looks at the mistletoe above him, feigns going in for a kiss, then twists the mans neck, and disposes of the man's body down the garbage chute. The vampire, Brett, then walks into a room with a woman looking over the city lights, and tells her he killed the last one before he asks her why she chose this building and floor. The woman tells him she likes the view, as her eyes glow blue, revealing herself as Michael. Two people enter into the room, led by the werewolf Melanie who announces them as the last two volunteers. Michael recognizes Garth as a friend of Dean Winchester. Garth maintains he will be loyal to Michael in order to protect his daughter in the coming war.

In the Bunker, Jack is eating cereal in the dark alone as Castiel enters the kitchen and turns on the light. Jack asks Cas not to tell Sam he is eating sugary cereal. Castiel sits in front of Jack and discusses his death and subsequent resurrection, telling Jack it is like a rite of passage, as they've all done it. Jack brings up the deal with the Cosmic Entity and asks why can't he tell Sam and Dean. Cas said he could but it would be a burden for them, and anyway he has to be happy before it will come for him, something his life doesn't see a lot of.

Sam is talking on his phone to Garth, who tells him how they want him to make the change into one of Michael's Monsters. He says his plan is to only pretend to drink the blood/grace mixture and spit it out later, before ending his call due to being called by the other werewolf who came with him. Sam and Dean talk about Garth and the situation he is in. Sam says that he brought Garth out of retirement for this and if anything happens to him he will feel responsible. Dean reminds him that Naomi gave them Michael's location and now they have someone on the inside. He thinks the odds are good. They are soon interrupted by Cas, who alerts them to Ketch having made contact.

In the library, Jack is sitting at the computer talking to Ketch on a video call. He is bragging about his infiltrating of a compound when Sam asks him if he has the egg. Disappointed they don't care for any pleasantries, Ketch tells the group of how he stole the egg from a Hungarian rare weapons collector, and how on his return from Budapest he was met by a group of mercenaries, forcing him to "drop" the egg. He hastens to assure them that it should arrive in Lebanon in two days. When his audience seems angry that he sent it in the mail, Ketch explains he improvised. Sam says he understands, but explains that they need it soon due to planning to attack Michael.

At Hitomi Plaza, Garth is nervously waiting on a couch with another werewolf. The other man tells him of his friend who made the change and is immune to silver now. Melanie walks in with two vials of the blood/grace concoction and hands one to the werewolf, who knocks it back. She hands the other vial to Garth, who hesitates before he drinks it, holding it in his mouth until Michael enters the room, forcing Garth to swallow. Michael sits at a desk and talks to Melanie, telling her about a female seen in Omaha, Nebraska. Garth listens from afar and learns Michael is sending someone there to kill her and destroy the Spear.

Dean and Sam figure out that the packaging facility that will receive the egg they need is in Joplin, Missouri. The facility is closed due to the holiday, necessitating a break-in. Sam receives a call from Garth who tells Sam a recycling plant in Omaha, Nebraska, is where they will find the Spear. Sam asks if he was able to fake them out about making the change; Garth lies and tells him yes as well as telling him of Michael's plan. Sam tells everyone what Michael has planned and that Kansas City will become a blood bath, as he plans on turning the whole town on Christmas day. They pair off -- Cas and Dean to get the Spear, while Jack and Sam go to retrieve the egg. They agree to meet up in Kansas City.

Cas and Dean arrive at the recycling facility. Dean tells Cas of his intent to kill Michael for what he did to him. In Joplin, Sam has cut the wires for the security system at the mailing facility. Jack asks if he can pick the lock, telling Sam he learned how on the Internet. Back at the recycling plant, Cas and Dean do not see any of Michael's forces in sight, but realize someone is still close by due to the food still being warm.

Jack comes out of the facility with a box. He puts it on top of their car, as Sam notices a black van parked nearby. Sam gets hit from behind, and falls to the ground as Jack is dragged away by two men and put into the van, which drives off. Michael appears in front of Sam with blue glowing eyes, holding the Hyperbolic Pulse Generator in his hand. Sam get out his angel blade and charges towards Michael, but is thrown back into a van. The egg melts in Michael's hand, dripping to the ground. He again pushes Sam back into the van where he lays unconscious.

Garth calls Dean, saying he can't get Sam on the phone. Dean says he can't either. Garth asks about the reinforcements, Dean says there were none. The call ends, and Michael appears in the hallway, telling Garth they have to talk. Dean and Cas think this has all been a setup. They are soon confronted by Dark Kaia, who agrees to give them the Spear if Dean can have Jack open another rift to send her back to her home. She gives him the spear, then disappears as Dean's phone rings. It is Sam, who tells him what happened. Sam gets into his car and heads to Kansas City.

Two werewolves drag Jack into the room with Michael. He demands to know why he is there, why Michael didn't just kill him. Michael speaks of how he destroyed Kansas City in his universe, but not without human resistance. He says he is trying something different this time, using an army of monsters instead of angels. Jack asks why he is telling him all of this. Michael explains how monsters and angels are insects to things like them. He plans to wipe out humanity and seems to think Jack will come around to his way of thinking in a few centuries, once his powers come back.

In the parking garage, Brett the vampire sends out the werewolf, telling him to wait on Michael's orders. Brett notices a blue car parked nearby; as he turns, Sam cuts off his head. In a room at the plaza Melanie sees Brett's decapitated body on surveillance footage. She runs and gets on the elevator. Sam is there, he cuts her head off. Jack is still in the room he was taken. Sam is seen peeking in with his machete. He sees Jack, and cuts his ties. They hear footsteps, and are relieved when Garth enters. The three get off the elevator in the garage. As they discuss their next move, Garth is behind them, doubled over in pain, turning. Jack touches his shoulder and when Garth hits him he tumbles away. Garth tries to fight it but says that Michael is in his head and "he won't let me stop". He grits out an apology before attacking Sam. They struggle, then Sam grabs him from behind. He gets away and tackles Jack, pinning him to the ground. As Garth is sitting on Jack with teeth and claws out, Sam grabs him from behind again and chokes him out.

Garth is placed the trunk of the Impala, tied up and unconscious. They realize now that Michael may have been spying on them through Garth. They discuss their strategy of attack. Cas mentions how his presence will be felt by Michael killing any element of surprise. The four acknowledge that they are walking into a trap. Back in the penthouse, Michael is pouring whiskey in his glass and anxiously sits, waiting for someone. He soon senses Castiel and walks out into the hallway. He finds Cas and beats him to a bloody pulp and drags him into the room, where Sam and Jack are waiting for them. Michael stretches out his arm and flings Jack and Sam to the ground in pain. Dean comes out from a concealed room with the Spear. They fight, but Michael gets the upper hand and disarms Dean. Sam slides him the Spear, allowing Dean to cut Michael's arm. As Dean goes after Michael with it, he becomes disoriented and finds it hard to kill him, and begins seeing flashes of himself as Michael. Suddenly, the female vessel Michael had been possessing falls to the floor and Dean breaks the Spear in half. Dean turns around to the shock of everyone as his eyes glow blue -- he has become possessed by Michael once again. He asks why they didn't question when he gave Dean up so soon and explains that Dean was "squirming" too much. Dean wanted too strongly to get back to his family and so Michael was trying to break him, crush him, disappoint him so completely that he would give up. He says Dean is not squirming now, he is gone. Michael finishes his drink and says a whole army is waiting for his signal. He snaps his fingers.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Castiel
• Jack Kline
• Garth
• Arthur Ketch
• Michael (Apocalypse World)
• Dark Kaia
• Melanie

Definitions

• Alcohol
• Angel Blade
• Archangel
• Balls
• Cameras
• Clairsentience
• Grace
• Healing
• Hunters
• Hyperbolic Pulse Generator
• Impala
• Kaia's Spear
• Men of Letters Bunker
• Mercury Cougar Eliminator
• Michael's Monsters
• Monsters
• Possession
• Table of Death
• Telekinesis
• Teleportation
• Unconscious
• Vampires
• Vessel
• Werewolves

Music

• "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee

(plays over the teaser as Brett kills a man)

• "Jingle Bells" by Elisabeth Oei

(playing in the parking garage as Sam kills the monsters and Michael forces Garth to attack Sam and Jack)

• "Ode to Joy - Symphony No. 9 in D Minor 'Choral' (Xmas Mix)" by Lorne Balfe, Russell Emanuel & Steve Kofsky (Extreme Music)

(playing as Sam, Dean, Cas, and Jack prepare to attack Michael)

Quotes

Castiel: Jack. If you can't sleep, that's understandable, given recent events.

Jack: You mean dying and coming back to life.

Castiel: Yeah, we've all been through it. It's something of a rite of passage around here.

Jack: Cas. The deal you made... why can't Sam and Dean know?

Castiel: They can. I just don't want them to. They don't need that burden. You don't need that burden.
Jack: Of course I do. You did that for me.

Castiel: You know, the Empty said that it wouldn't come for me until I had finally given myself permission to be happy, but with everything we have going on, with -- with Michael still out there, I don't see that happening anytime soon. This life may be a lot of things, but it's rarely happy.

Garth: Look, Sam, I knew this was a risky one. Besides, I'll just pull the old fake-swallow-and-spit-it-out-later cough-syrup trick.

Sam: What?
Garth: Used to work on my Mom.
Sam: Garth--

Garth: Well, most of the time.

Dean: Listen to me. Michael conned me. Kept me trapped and drowning inside my own body. Now, when you and Sam were possessed by Lucifer, I -- I thought I understood, but I didn't, not really. So, yeah, if we get a chance to trap him, I'll take that, but I won't be truly happy until he is dead and I kill him. And now I have a chance to do that, so, yeah, I'm good. Let's go.

Dean: Look, we didn't come to fight you for it. I came to ask.

Dark Kaia: You should know by now I won't give it up.

Dean: Well, then, you should just kill me. There are people that I care about -- my family -- and they're in danger. Michael, the one who tortured me, the one who tortured you -- he's gonna hurt them and kill them. And then, worse. Thousands will die. And the only thing in this world that will stop him is the spear in your hands. So if you're not gonna give it to me, kill me.

Dark Kaia: I came here to escape a life of running from monsters. But here, it's no different, not for me. Michael's monsters haven't stopped hunting me. At least over there, I understood things -- the world, my place in it. The magic I used to get here, magic from my home -- it doesn't work here. To get back, I need help.

Jack: Why am I here? Why didn't you just kill me?
Michael: In your present, powerless condition? Why would I bother? Are you familiar with Kansas City -- the people, the terrain? Back in my world, I enlisted a garrison to invade it. We leveled it. Death from above. But there was human resistance. Things got messy. I'm trying something different this time -- an insurgency from within. My monster army turning every last man, woman, and child -- a wave of transformation. Vampires or werewolves -- it won't matter which. Everyone they turn will be mine. No muss, no fuss.

Jack: My uncle's in the Cage. And you -- you're not family.

Michael: Well, not literally, no. Our connection, our relation is more a matter of scale... of power. Haven't you learned yet? In this reality, monsters, humans, even angels -- they are insects, atoms compared to us. But you -- you're just a child, a mere infant. For you, the past two years -- the entirety of your existence -- feel like eons. You don't even know what time is. But you will. Real time, the time that makes mountains, that wipes out species. You'll see it all... with me.
Jack: No.

Michael: Year by year, century by century, and as your power returns and grows, we'll only become more alike. Oh, I know. Your loyalty to Castiel, the Winchesters, the rest of humanity? It will fade. And so will the minor differences -- angel armies versus monster armies, this Kansas City or that Kansas City, one world from another -- they'll fade, too.

Dean: So zero element of surprise.

Sam: Walking right into a trap.
Castiel: Which is set by a full-powered archangel.

Dean: Impossible odds. Feels like home. Let's do it.

Michael: When I gave up Dean, you didn't think to question it, to ask why? Dean was... resisting me. He was too attached to you, to all of you. He wouldn't stop squirming -- to get out, to get back. So I left.. but not without leaving the door open just a crack.

Castiel: Why wait?

Michael: To break him, to crush and disappoint him so completely that, this time, he'll be nice and quiet for a change -- buried. And he is. He's gone. And now I have a whole army out there, waiting, ready for my command. Ready for this.

Trivia & References

The central plot of the episode has many elements that parallel the action movie Die Hard. In the movie, the villain and their henchman seize an office tower called the Nakatomi Plaza (named Hitomi Plaza in the episode), with the villain taking up residence in the penthouse, and it is up to the hero to stop their evil plan. "Ode to Joy," which plays as Cas, Sam, Dean, and Jack do their "heroes' walk" as they go off to meet Michael, also features prominently on the Die Hard soundtrack. Both the movie and the episode feature popular Christmas songs as well. Like the movie, the episode is set around Christmas and Die Hard is considered a popular Christmas movie. Dean is also a fan of the movie, quoting from or referencing it on a number of occasions including in 2.18 Hollywood Babylon, 6.18 Frontierland, and 13.06 Tombstone.

Jack: Did you take the decoder ring out of the box?

Castiel: Maybe. The secret password is 'cookie-tacular.'

In America, breakfast cereal manufacturers sometimes include toys as part of their marketing to children. A decoder ring usually implements a simple cipher that maps letters to numbers, with a spinning wheel containing the letters and an outer ring containing the numbers (or vice versa). The word or phrase decoded is usually related to the product. In Jack's case he is eating "Krunch Cookie Crunch" and the code word is "Cookie-tacular."

Werewolf Bro: Buddy of mine, he "made the change". Says he's immune to silver now. Pretty cool, right? The only thing that can take him down now is the Full Ichabod. Khhht! Says he's never felt so great. Called archangel grace, the ultimate power up -- A real Chug Jug... Dude, "Fortnite".

"Full Ichabod" is a reference to Ichabod Crane from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, who faced off with the Headless Horseman. Sam previously compared Garth's physical appearance to Ichabod Crane in 9.12 Sharp Teeth.

In the online video game Fortnite, the Chug Jug is a health item that takes 15 seconds to consume and grants the player full health and full shield.

Michael snapping his fingers, presumably to call his monster army, could be seen as a reference to "the Snapture" from Avengers: Infinity War, in which the antagonist, Thanos, snapped his fingers, causing half of all living creatures in the universe to be killed.

Minutiae

Original score by Jay Gruska.

Alex Rose, who played Brett the Vampire, previously played Crowley's Demon in 8.17 Goodbye Stranger.

Ted Cole, who played Partygoer, previously played Coroner in 5.03 Free to Be You and Me.

Like Raphael, the Apocalypse World Michael takes on a female vessel after losing his original male one.

We learn that Garth and Bess Myers have had a child -- an unnamed daughter.

Castiel notes that the Impala's tape deck is broken and Dean is unable to listen to his music while driving.

Jack reveals that he can now pick locks after teaching himself the skill using the Internet.

Sam drives a blue 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator which fans dubbed "Blue Baby"" due to its similarity to the Impala, aka Baby.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 14.09 The Spear (transcript)

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