15.11 The Gamblers

Title	The Gamblers
Episode #	Season 15, Episode 11
First aired	January 30, 2020
Directed by	Charles Beeson
Written by	Meredith Glynn Davy Perez
On IMDB	The Gamblers
Outline	As Sam and Dean attempt to restore their luck, Castiel investigates a series of angel murders committed by a resurrected Jack.
Monster	Fortuna Grigori
Timeline
Location(s)	Alaska Lebanon, Kansas Cushing, Oklahoma
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Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Castiel
• Jack Kline
• Evie
• Fortuna
• Joey Six
• Pax

Definitions

• Alcohol
• Aliases
• Angel Blade
• Angel Lore
• Angel Radio
• Angel Sword
• Cameras
• Deities
• Demigods
• The Empty
• Grigori
• Hugs
• Food
• Impala
• Men of Letters Bunker
• Nephilim
• Pie
• Resurrection
• Season 15 Callbacks
• Son of a Bitch
• Table of Death

Music

• "North to Alaska" by Johnny Horton

(playing in the pool hall as Leonard loses the pool game)

Quotes

Sam: Luck? Is that really going to fix our whole problem?

Dean: Well it couldn't hurt. Man, I don't know how much more of this normal life crap i can take. Between the credit cards, the car trouble. The constant freaking heartburn!

Sam: Well, you know if you changed your diet...

Sam: A pool hall that might make you lucky or kill you? It sounds like a demon or a witch!

Dean: Or it could be awesome! It's pool! The game of champions or kings! My game - hell, our game! How many honest to goodness great memories do we have hustling pool?

Sam: Yeah because we had to. To eat!

Sam: We know you're skimming luck off what we won. We want it back.

Dean: Or I kill him.
Fortuna: You probably could. His daddy was human.
Pax: Mom!

Fortuna: I'm sorry baby, I could always make more sons.

Evie: She shut it down.

Dean: Why?
Evie: She said she thought your kind had gone extinct.
Sam: Our kind?

Evie: Heroes. Like the old days. And she gave me a message. "Don't play his game - make him play yours."

Dean: We're back, baby!

Dean: Cas.

Sam: Hey. Everything okay?
Jack: Hello.
Sam: Jack?

Castiel: It's really him.

Jack: Every day I wanted to come home, but I couldn't.

Dean: Why not?
Jack: Because if I don't stay hidden, if I use my powers, my grandfather, He'll know I'm back and He'll try and kill me. Again. He's afraid of me. And that's why we have to wait.
Castiel: Billie kept him hidden in the Empty until Chuck went off-world.
Jack: She let me out when it was safe.
Dean: Safe to what, eat a bunch of angel hearts?

Jack: Safe to do what I have to. The hearts, they were just the beginning. They made me strong, but I-I'm not strong enough. I... if I do exactly what she says, if I follow her plan, then I'll get stronger and... I'll be able to kill God.

Trivia & References

Dean: What can I get for...four sixty?

Waitress: A slice of pie and a cup of coffee?
Dean: Two forks? Dammit, I was hoping for a cheeseburger!
Sam: Dude you can't digest cheese anymore.
Dean: Dude - Lactaid!

Lactaid is a brand of pills containing the enzyme lactase. People who are lactose-intolerant (like poor powered-down Dean) can ingest lactase immediately before a meal containing dairy to avoid unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects.

When Dean opened a case file in the previous spring on Jack, he used the FBI alias "C. Watts". Charlie Watts has been the drummer for the Rolling Stones since 1963. Castiel uses the alias "Agent Lizzo", Lizzo is an American singer-songwriter and rapper. Castiel's use of her name continues his trend of using modern popstars as aliases.

Waitress: Forget it, it sounds nuts.

Dean: Nuts is good. Couple of Mr Freaking Peanuts here.

Mr Peanut was the top hat- and monocle-wearing peanut that was the mascot of the Planters snack food company. Coincidentally, just before the episode aired, a teaser for an upcoming SuperBowl ad suggested that Mr Peanut may die.

Fortuna: When I play someone I get a read on them. And you - you're just a beach read. Sexy - but skimmable.

Dean: Beach read? Lady, I'm Tolstoy!

A beach read is a fun, easy, light novel to read while on vacation. Leo Tolstoy was a 19th-century Russian novelist and philosopher, often cited as one of the greatest novelists of all time.

Fortuna explains that when humans evolved, they first prayed to the "sun, the womb, the rain, and the stars". This made God mad that humans didn't worship Him, but then He decided to create the "gods" - Fortuna cites "Ra, Hera, Anu, and Mixcoatl and all the rest," whom humans would blame when things went wrong. But God got jealous of the epic stories humans told about the gods so now He "hides behind" whichever religion is the most popular.

The name given by the sheriff for the Grigori killed by Jack was Sariel. Sariel is a fallen watcher angel in lore, whose name translates to "Prince of God."

Minutiae

Lynda Boyd, who played Fortuna, previously played Jennifer O'Brien in 8.20 Pac-Man Fever.

Stephen Huszer, who played Pax, previously played Demon #1 in 10.03 Soul Survivor.

Rob Bruner, who played Leonard, previously played Mr. Witherspoon in 2.11 Playthings.

Jason Burkart, who played Vikings Fan, previously played Truck Driver in 8.16 Remember the Titans.

Jensen and Jared did all the pool shots in the episode. Jensen made the scoop jump shot to sink the 8-ball in a single take.

Continuity error: Castiel remembers Tamiel explaining about the angel swords and the Grigori. However, Tamiel told Sam this, not Castiel, who was not even on the property when this conversation occurred.

Fortuna's bar is called "Lurlene's".

Dean once again fails to get his pie after the Impala gets a flat tire.

It's revealed that at some point the previous spring, Dean used one of his FBI aliases to open up a file on Jack, making him wanted by the FBI. The file states that there are multiple charges pending and Jack is to be considered armed and dangerous. Jack is listed as being 5'10", 140 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, no known aliases, and an unknown date of birth.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 15.11 The Gamblers (transcript)

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