4.20 The Rapture

Title	The Rapture
Episode #	Season 4, Episode 20
First aired	April 30, 2009
Directed by	Charles Beeson
Written by	teleplay: Jeremy Carver
On IMDB	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1222607/
Outline	Castiel is ordered back to Heaven leaving his vessel to rediscover his life
Monster	Demons
Timeline
Location(s)	Pontiac, Illinois
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Synopsis

Dean is sitting on a jetty fishing. A peaceful scene. Castiel appears, and says he has something important to tell Dean. Dean realises he is dreaming. Castiel warns him that even in his mind, someone may be listening, and gives Dean an address at which to meet him.

When Dean and Sam arrive at an old factory site, it is obvious a violent fight has occured, and when they see symbols similar to the ones Anna used in 4.10 Heaven And Hell to banish Castiel and Uriel. They find Jimmy Novak there - the man who has been Castiel's vessel.

While eating his first meal in a month, Jimmy tells Sam and Dean about being possessed, and how his only desire is to return to his wife and daughter.

In flashback we see how Jimmy, an observant Christian, was contacted by Castiel. He demonstrated his existence by perfroming miracles, such as protecting Jimmy, while he plunged his hand into boiling water. Jimmy's wife Amelia Novak fears he is mentally unbalanced and pleads with him to seek treatment. he refuses, and ofers himself to Castiel's service, which is when Castiel posseses him.

Back in the present, Sam lays out the facts of why Jimmy, needs to stay with them - because demons will be after him and he will only draw them to his family. However that night, when Sam leaves the motel room to consume the last of the Demon Blood he is carrying in a flask, Jimmy slips away. Sam calls Ruby. desperate for more blood, but she doesn't answer his calls.

Sma and Dean take off to find Jimmy, and Anna visits them to warn that demons will indeed be pursuing Jimmy, as he may know the important information Castiel was going to tell Dean.

Jimmy arrives home, to a cool welcome from his wife, who hasn't seen him for a year. She lets him stay for a meal with her and their daughter Claire. During the meal a neighbor, Roger arrrives and reveals himself as a demon. Dean and Sam turn up in time to rescue the family, although Sam is unable to use his weakened powers to exorcise any of the demons.

Jimmy accepts that he must separate from his family, and Dean and Sam steal a car for Amelia and Claire to leave in. Shortly after, Jimmy gets a call that his family has been captured by demons.

Jimmy and the Winchesters travel to where the demons are holding the Novak's. Jimmy pleads to the heavens for Castiel not to abandon him, but he and the boys are captured by the demons, one of whom is possessing Amelia.

One of the demons shoots Jimmy in th egut, and at that moment, Castiel possesses Claire, who starts to kill the demons. Sam and Dean join in the fight, and Sam takes the opportunity to cut one of the demon's and drink her blood. He uses his powers to exorcise the demon possessing Amelia.

As Jimmy lays dying, Castiel, still possessing Claire, comforts him. Castiel tells Jimmy that Claire is like her father - something in her blood makes her special, and he ill use her as his vessel. Jimmy pleads with Castiel to possess him, despite Castiel's warnings that it will be painful and that he will never die or age. Castiel accedes to his wishes.

As Castiel leaves, Dean asks him what it was he wanted to tell him, but Castiel rebuffs him, saying he doesn't serve man...or Dean.

Back on the road, Sam waits for a response from Dean about the revelation of his blood drinking. Dean seems weary and won't ttalk about it. Sam gets a call from Bobby saying he needs to see them - unbeknonst to him aranged by Dean. They get to Bobby's place, and he pretends to show them something in his panic room, but it is a ruse to trap Sam in there.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Castiel
• Jimmy Novak
• Amelia Novak
• Claire Novak
• Anna Milton
• Bobby Singer
• Ruby

Definitions

• Angel Lore
• Demon Blood
• Demonology
• Bobby's Panic Room
• The Meaning of Episode Titles

Music

While there was no music used during the opening scene, the closed captions read,"Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Green River' playing," and then the opening lyrics were quoted:

Well, take me back down where cool water flows,

Let me remember things I love...

Quotes

Anna: You let Jimmy get away?
Dean: (about Sam) Talk to Ginormo here.

Dean: What were you doing, anyway?

Sam: I was getting a Coke.

Dean: Was it a refreshing Coke?

Sam:You have to come with us.

Jimmy:How long? And don't give me that "cross that bridge when we get to it" crap. Sam: Don't you get it? Forever. The demons will never stop. You can never be with your family. So, you either get as far away from them as possible. Or you put a bullet in your head, And that's how you keep your family safe. But there's no getting out and there's no going home.

Dean: Don't sugarcoat it, Sam.

Dean: Cas, hold up. What were you going to tell me?
Castiel: I learned my lesson while I was away, Dean. I serve Heaven, I don't serve Man. And I certainly don't serve you.

Trivia & References

The title of the episode refers to the rapture, which is a term used to describe the events surrouinding the second coming of Christ.

The name Jimmy Novak may be a potmanteau of Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak who starred together in the Hitchock movie Vertigo, which is about a woman who is not whom she appears to be.
There is also a real Jimmy Novak who is a Chicago radio host who used to run a segment called "4:20 Hit of the Day".

Jimmy Novak is from Pontiac, Illinois - the town near where Dean was buried and came back to life in 4.01 Lazarus Rising

It was during the filming that Misha, Jared and Jensen got up to some mischeif on location, according to an interview Misha did with Buddy TV:

We went and shot at an abandoned warehouse last week, and Jared, Jensen and I did get scolded for breaking some windows.” In Collins' defense, he did mention that the windows were asking for it.

Minutiae

The episode ended with the words "Soon" followed by a series of clips from the final two epsiodes of the season.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 4.20 The Rapture (transcript)
• The 9 page story breakdown (aka network treatment) of the script

Promotion

• Promo pics at Buddy Tv
• Two teaser clips from the CW Source
• Promo clip from Space TV