15.02 Raising Hell

Title	Raising Hell
Episode #	Season 15, Episode 2
First aired	October 17, 2019
Directed by	Robert Singer
Written by	Brad Buckner Eugenie Ross-Leming
On IMDB	Raising Hell
Outline	Allies, including a long-dead friend, help the Winchesters and Castiel with the Hell ghosts. Meanwhile, Chuck turns to Amara for support.
Monster	Hell Ghosts
Timeline	Two days after 15.01 Back and to the Future
Location(s)	Harlan, Kansas Reno, Nevada
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Synopsis

A woman – Nan – has left the high school where the Harlan townsfolk are taking refuge from what they have been told is a benzene leak to get her daughter's allergy medicine. She meets another resident, Rob, who is just standing in the street and as she nervously starts talking to him, he stabs her repeatedly in the stomach. Rob falls to the ground while an older man's ghost, dressed in 19th century clothes, leaves his body.

At the high school, people are starting to question the benzene leak explanation and word has spread that at least one person has gone missing. Hunters are on patrol in the town and Sam alerts them to keep an eye open for Nan. He then addresses the evacuated people, telling them that they can return to their homes soon, but that everyone needs to stay out of the quarantine zone for safety reasons.

Dean and Belphegor are patrolling the quarantine area. Belphegor tells Dean that the warding won’t last forever and that the ghosts from Hell are much more dangerous than usual ghosts. He notes that a ghost that Dean had just shot with rock salt is Francis Tumblety, better known as Jack the Ripper.

The next morning, the mood becomes more tense in the high school since there is no new information about the leak, and some of the townspeople sneak out to try and find Nan. Meanwhile, in a house in the residential area, some ghosts gather to discuss the situation. The ghost of Francis Tumblety shares the latest information with the crowd and tells everyone that God Himself opened Hell's doors and that they are being held captive by hunters with the demon Belphegor's help. He suggests they assemble all the other ghosts hiding in the area and that sooner or later, they will find a way out. Until then, they want to attack every human they can find.

In the high school, Castiel urges Sam to tell the townsfolk the truth about last night's murder, but Sam's afraid people will panic. Before he can explain his point any further, Rowena arrives. Sam asks if she remembers the soul bomb she created to attack the Darkness a few years back and says he wants that crystal to catch those ghosts, since ghosts are nothing else but souls. Rowena says that it was very hard for her back then to make it and she's unsure if she can do it again. Jules interrupts to tell Sam that they have a problem. Sam meets up with Dean and Belpheghor in the residential area. They find the two people who sneaked out earlier in search of the missing woman. Sam tells them that they need to go back when suddenly ectoplasm begins running down their faces. Francis Tumblety appears and demands the release of all the ghosts. When neither Sam nor Dean react, the spirits possessing the humans starts ripping them apart from the inside. Out of the blue, Arthur Ketch comes down the road, shooting the two people with iron flakes so that the ghosts are forced to leave. Ketch says he was nearby and wants to support the Winchesters.

Back in the evacuation camp, Sam and Dean update Ketch on their plan to catch the souls with a magic crystal made by Rowena. Ketch apologizes to Rowena for when she was held prisoner by the British Men of Letters, where Ketch tortured her but also helped her to escape. Rowena say she has not forgotten. Belphegor enters the room and says that it's all quiet; therefore he assumes the ghosts are up to something. He introduces himself to Ketch, who then tells everyone that he got an assignment from a female demon called Ardat to eliminate Belphegor. Seeing that the demon is not a threat at the moment, Ketch puts this task aside.

In Reno, Amara is enjoying a massage when Chuck turns up, casually smiting her masseuse so He can surprise her. He says He wants to check on her, since they are family, but Amara is skeptical about His sudden visit.

Rowena hands a list to Dean with all the ingredients she needs for her crystal. Dean goes back into the high school office, where Castiel tries to talk to him, telling Dean he's still sorry for what happened with Mary, but Dean just glares at Castiel and tersely tells him "Don't." Dean admits that he's not only angry about Castiel's lack of honesty about Jack, but about the whole situation – being played by Chuck his whole life. He thinks that none of their choices and nothing about their existence was truly real. Castiel disagrees, saying one thing is real – they are.

Dean goes on patrol with Ketch and explains that they are up against Chuck. Since God's existence was more theoretical to the British Men of Letters, Ketch says there is no weapon against Him so far. Dean receives a message that two hunters haven't checked in and are now missing. They look for them in an old factory but are attacked by another ghost until Kevin Tran saves them. Dean is shocked to find out that he was in Hell, when Chuck told them he'd be going to Heaven. Kevin reveals that he was sent to Hell by Chuck – which did give him a "bad boy" reputation, making the other damned souls fear and respect him. Kevin says he can feel the warding fading, and if he can then other ghosts can as well.

Chuck keeps talking to an annoyed Amara about teaming up again as she does yoga, and about leaving the planet and creating a new species. Amara realizes that something's wrong with Chuck, that He is scared and not at full power. He's depending on her support to get away, which amuses her.

In the morning, Sam and Dean are walking the quarantine area again, talking about Kevin's support. They know it might be dangerous for him to team up with them. To their annoyance, Belphegor sneaks up. Sam and Dean want him to do the warding spell again to gain more time, but he says that this is impossible. When hearing about Kevin and the Winchesters' plan to send his soul back to Heaven, the demon explains that no soul from Hell can be sent to Heaven. When the brothers mention their father and Bobby Singer as examples of souls that went from Hell to Heaven, Belphegor says they were exceptions that Chuck made because He used to like Sam and Dean.

In Reno, Chuck is alone in the room, checking His shoulder in a mirror. He carefully touches His wound, which is still painful. In the same moment, Sam feels a sharp pain in his shoulder, but tells a worried Dean he's okay. Meanwhile, the ghosts gather together again. They feel that the warding has become weaker. Francis wants them to find the weakest spot and break through it with their combined power. One ghost reminds them that the hunters know the situation as well, and are working on a plan to stop them. Kevin appears, but since everyone knows about his connection with the Winchesters now, they don't fear him anymore.

Rowena works on her crystal while flirting with Ketch, who helps her speed up her progress with some science. They keep flirting until her phone rings. Dean urges her to finish her work quickly.

As Rowena enters the neighborhood to meet with Sam and Dean, she encounters Tumblety, whom she had a brief liaison with centuries ago in England. He wants her to deliver a message to the Winchesters – they have Kevin and want to talk. Ketch appears and shots him with his gun. Rowena runs away but Ketch is knocked out by Tumblety from behind. When Rowena arrives, she tells them about Ketch and that she's not sure if her crystal works.

Sam and Dean meet with the ghosts in a house. Tumblety wants them to take down the warding or he will devour Kevin. When they refuse his demand, Tumblety sticks his hand into Kevin and begins absorbing him. Rowena and Castiel soon enter from the other side and she catches a few spirits with her crystal while others escape.

Outside of the warding and at its weakest spot, Sam, Dean, Belphegor, Castiel, Rowena, and Kevin watch the ghosts attempting to escape. The demon says that there are about a hundred spirits already and that more are coming as Ketch joins them. Rowena proceeds with her crystal, catching a large number of souls, but she gets knocked out by Ketch, who is possessed by Tumblety. He wants to use the crystal with all the souls to destroy the warding, but is shot by Dean. Rowena takes the crystal again and catches the remaining ghosts, including Tumblety.

Since, for unknown reasons, Castiel can't heal Ketch, he is picked up by an ambulance. After everyone is gone, Belphegor opens the warding so Kevin can get away, having chosen to risk going crazy on earth as an untethered spirit rather than return to being tortured in Hell.

In Reno, Amara leaves Chuck, having no interest in spending time with Him. She notes how she has changed and become the better version of herself, while Chuck remains the same petulant narcissist He always has been. She knows He's weak, so she abandons Him, like He did to her long ago, when He locked her away.

In Harlan, the spirits keep escaping from Hell. Sam, Dean, Belphegor, Castiel, and Rowena still have no plan on how to stop them, and they watch on as the souls continue to flood into the world.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Castiel
• Chuck Shurley / God
• Kevin Tran
• Rowena
• Amara
• Arthur Ketch
• Jules
• Belphegor
• Francis Tumblety

Definitions

• Alcohol
• British Men of Letters
• Costumes & Disguises
• The Darkness
• Ectoplasm
• The Equalizer
• EMF
• Ghost Possession
• Hell Ghosts
• Healing
• Hunters
• Iron
• Ketch's Weapons Arsenal
• Mark of Cain
• Salt
• Season 15 Callbacks
• Serial Killers
• Soul Catcher
• Spells
• Table of Death
• Teleportation
• Witches

Music

None

Quotes

Dean: Can't believe I've teamed up with a demon again. Think I'd know better by now.
Belphegor: Teaming up with a hunter. I could say the same.

Rowena: Samuel. Castiel. What? A town full of ghosts! Messy even by Winchester standards.

Sam: We're hoping you can help.

Rowena: Can you boys do nothing on your own? Very well. What do you want?

Castiel: You're angry.

Dean: Yes, I am angry. At everything. All of it.
Castiel: All of it?

Dean: This mess -- all the messes. It turns out that we're just hamsters running in a wheel our whole lives. What do we have to show for it, huh? Tell me you don't feel conned. God's been lying to you, Cas, forever. You bought into the biggest scam in history.

Castiel: Even if we didn't know that all of the challenges that we face were born of Chuck's machinations, how would we describe it all? We'd call it "life." Because that's precisely what life is. It's an obstacle course, and maybe Chuck designed the obstacles, but we ran our own race. We made our own moves. And mostly, we did well with that.

Dean: Did we? I'll tell you what we do know. Nothing about our lives is real. Everything that we've lost, everything that we are is because of Chuck. So maybe you can stick your head back in the sand, maybe you can pretend that we actually had a choice. I can't.

Castiel: Dean. You asked, "What about all of this is real?" We are.

Dean: Chuck said He was sending you to Heaven.

Kevin: Yeah, what He said, not what He did.
Ketch: Wait, He lied? For what? Kicks?

Dean: Turns out, God's a dick.

Dean: Kevin's not even supposed to be in Hell, okay, so when this is all over, we're gonna send him up in Heaven where he belongs.

Belphegor: Yeah, yeah, not gonna happen. Souls cast down to Hell? That's the end of it. Heaven can't take 'em.
Dean: That's not true. Our dad made it to Heaven after he was in Hell.
Dean: And Bobby Singer.

Belphegor: So God made an exception. Didn't He used to like you two? Just saying. Without the big guy... them's the rules.

Sam: I'm sorry, Kevin. I wish there was some way to make this right.
Kevin: Me too, but there isn't. And sometimes, you just gotta accept that. Besides, I'm better off than I was, and... I mean, there's a whole world out there.

Dean: Take care, Kev.
Kevin: I love you guys.

Chuck: Amara, we've been all through this. We belong together.

Amara: Yes. Yes, yin, yang, balance of nature. I am willing to coexist with You, brother, in the universe. Just not, you know, anywhere near You.
Chuck: Hey, don't test me. I front the group. You sing backup.
Amara: Oh, really? Because You're "God"?
Chuck: Amara, just--

Amara: Don't. Even on Your best day, You couldn't force my hand. And this is not Your best day. In fact, I don't think You can do much of anything. Ah, a few parlor tricks, perhaps, but You can't leave this world, not without my help. And me? I'm done, Chuck. I've changed. I've adapted. I've become the better me. And You? You are still the same -- petulant, narcissistic. So... I'm leaving You here. Once, long ago, You sealed me away. Now, in a way... I'm doing the same to You. You're trapped, diminished, abandoned. So I guess You got what You've always wanted. You're on Your own.

Rowena: My little toy isn't strong enough to handle all this. We have to find another way. Before it's too late.

Sam: Alright, then that's what we'll do.

Dean: How?

Trivia & References

"Raising Hell" is the title of a 1993 concert video by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.

Belphegor: Well, I mean, that guy you just shot, it's Francis Tumblety.

Dean: Who?
Belphegor: Uh, Jack the Ripper.
Dean: Cool.

Jack the Ripper was a serial killer active from 1888 to 1891 in Whitechapel and Spitalfields, London, England. While his identity has never been discovered, Francis Tumblety, an Irish-American medical quack, was one of the suspects put forward as possibly being Jack the Ripper.

The decor of Amara's ostentatious hotel room featuring a mural of the Taj Mahal, references the hotel known as the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. It was billed as "the world's largest, most flamboyant casino." It was said to be connected to organized crime and was fined for violating money laundering laws. It closed in 2016.

Chuck: So, how about the "Game of Thrones" ending? Pretty great, right?

The final season of Game of Thrones was greeted with lukewarm responses from fans and critics alike for its rushed nature and what some called an unsatisfying final episode. At Comic-Con 2019, Andrew Dabb joked about Supernatural's finale by saying, “If you thought Game of Thrones was bad, just wait.”

Dean: This is quite the list of ingredients. Hope you got an Amazon account.

Rowena: Prime.

Amazon Prime is a subscription service that offers free 1-2 day delivery on all items purchased through Amazon's online store.

Rowena: Francis Tumblety! You're an unfaithful dog.

Tumblety: Oh? And you're Mary Poppins?

Mary Poppins is the protagonist of the book series of the same name, created by Australian-British writer P.L. Travers. Tumblety uses Poppins's name here to invoke the idea of a good person (in this case sarcastically). This reference can be seen as a slight anachronism, as the first Mary Poppins book was not published until 1933, a decade after Tumblety's death in 1903.

Tumblety tells Rowena that he can be found at "5879 Maple". This may be a reference to "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Minutiae

Filming Locations: Map of known filming locations

Andrew Baker, who played Rob, previously played Demon #1 in 9.11 First Born.

Todd Thomson, who played Dave, previously played Richard Keel in 3.02 The Kids Are Alright and Jolene's Husband in 6.11 Appointment in Samarra.

The woman killed in the teaser, Nan, is named after Nan Gorecki, who is married to EP and Production Designer Jerry Wanek.

Castiel: You made a crystalline device... a bomb.

Rowena: You want to blow up the ghosts?
Sam: No. No. No, no. But the "bomb" was powered by souls. Souls that were sucked into it.

Castiel and Sam are referencing the then unnamed soul catcher that appeared in 11.23 Alpha and Omega.

Ketch's reaction to tasting the American beer Dean hands him, and Rowena's refusal to even try it, is a dig at American beers tasting more bland than what is served in the UK. Mick Davies had a similar reaction to trying American beer in 12.16 Ladies Drink Free. These characters have also previously stated their preferences for expensive Scotch.

Ketch met Rowena when she was captured by the British Men of Letters, and arranged her escape in exchange for the charm of magic she used to allow her to resurrect herself. He was searching for Rowena in 13.07 War of the Worlds and shared a knowing look with her at the end of 13.22 Exodus, but this episode marks the first time Ketch and Rowena have actually interacted on-screen in an episode.

Chuck had previously revealed in 14.20 Moriah that Amara was in Reno, Nevada, and that she was a fan of the game keno. While Amara has gone to Reno to enjoy the many casinos, it also was in Reno on August 19, 1975 that John and Mary Winchester got married.

Belphegor: So God made an exception. Didn't he used to like you two? Just saying. Without the big guy... them's the rules.

While the revelation about souls from Hell not being allowed entrance into Heaven can be seen as a retcon. In 5.16 Dark Side of the Moon, Joshua tells the Winchesters that God had granted them salvation in Heaven after their deaths.

Francis Tumblety attempted to absorb Kevin's spirit; the last time this act among ghosts had been seen was with Whitman Van Ness in 7.19 Of Grave Importance.

Behind-the-scenes photo during filming of "Raising Hell".

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 15.02 Raising Hell (transcript)
• Raising Hell script (Pink Draft)
• Raising Hell script (Yellow Pages only)
• Raising Hell script (Green Pages only)

Promotion

• Synopsis & Photos
• Promo