5.20 The Devil You Know
Title | The Devil You Know |
Episode # | Season 5, Episode 20 |
First aired | April 29, 2010 |
Directed by | Robert Singer |
Written by | Ben Edlund |
On IMDB | http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1599805/ |
Outline | Crowley offer to help the Winchesters. |
Monster | Brady |
Timeline | two months since the events of 5.10 Abandon All Hope, prob March/April 2010 |
Location(s) | West Nevada |
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Synopsis
At the labs of the Nevius pharmaceutical company, lab technicians are testing a flu vaccine, when a demon disguised as a security guard injects them with the Croatoan virus.
Sam and Dean visit a clinic, but find only people with mild swine flu. They have been chasing Pestilence but are one step behind - a call to Bobby gets them heading east after more omens.
Suddenly Crowley appears in the Impala, he knows the boys are searching for Pestilence and the rings of the Four Horsemen. reluctantly Sam and Dean accompany Crowley to the house where he has been staying. He is in hiding since Lucifer knows he gave the Colt to the Winchesters in an attempt to kill him.
Crowley reveals he had a Magical Coin planted in the Impala and has been tracking and eavesdropping on Sam and Dean. He knows a demon who works for the Horsemen, and thinks they can get him to help them. As they ready to go though, Crowley refuses to let Sam come with them. Dean hesitates, but decides to go with Crowley to get the demon.
The demon is a man known as Brady, who is in management at Nevius, and he communicates with Pestilence through a Goblet of Blood. Pestilence is keen to get the virus released soon.
While Dean and Crowley are out, Sam calls Bobby and asks him how he took control of his body when he was possessed by a Demon in 5.01 Sympathy For The Devil. Sam suggests he wants to try consenting to possession from Lucifer and then try to take control of his body in order to trap him in Lucifer's Cage. Bobby angrily dismisses the idea, saying they had just talked Dean out of consenting to possession by Michael. He also says what he did was a million-to-one, and notes he was possessed by a demon, while Sam would be under control of Lucifer.
Using Dean as bait, Crowley manages to capture Brady. In the Impala he carves a Binding Link into Brady's chest. The binding link will stop the demon leaving its meatsuit - the human it is possessing. Crowley tells Dean not to return to where Sam waits - he and Brady have history. But Dean refuses and returns to the house.
When Sam and Dean confront Brady, he reveals that he was a close college friend of Sam's from Stanford. During his sophomore year, at the Thanksgiving break, he was possessed by a demon. When he came back to school he "went off the rails", partying and dropping out of pre-med. Sam tried to help him.
Brady introduced Sam to Jess. Azazel was concerned that Sam was losing his potential and so Brady introduced Sam to Jess with the plan that her death would drive Sam back to hunting. It was Brady who killed Jess, on Azazel's instructions.
Sam is enraged, but Dean drags him from the room. Crowley takls to Brady, telling him that Lucifer will kill all demons doesn't persuade Brady to betray his masters, so Crowley leaves to work on another plan.
Sam locks Dean in the bathroom, and confronts Brady, but doesn't kill him. Crowley returns - he's killed some demons, spreading the word that he and Brady are "lovers in league against Satan". Brady will now be on Lucifer's hitlist.
Suddenly a Hellhound appears - the demons have tracked him using a Magical Coin. Crowley disappears, and Dean scrambles to hold off the hound. Suddenly Crowley reappears with his own, bigger hellhound. As the hounds battle each other Sam, Dean, and Crowley escape taking Brady with them.
Brady finally reveals Pestilence's whereabouts and then Sam kills him using Ruby's Knife.
Bobby is on the phone with Rufus Turner, trying to find out where Death will be. Crowley appears at Bobby's house and tells Bobby he can give him Death's whereabouts in exchange for Bobby's soul, temporarily. Crowley tells him that it will only be for a short while and that he will give Bobby back his soul.
Characters
Definitions
Music
Quotes
Crowley: After what I did to you? I gave you the Colt!
Sam: Yeah, and you knew it wouldn't work against the Devil!
Crowley: I never!
Dean: [sees guards' corpses on the floor] You killed them?
Dean: Not for me, you son of a bitch!
Crowley: Went over to a demon's nest, had a little massacre. Must be losing my touch, though. Let one of the little toads live. Oops! Also might have given said toad the impression that you left your post last night because you and I are...wait for it... Lovers in League Against Satan. Hello darling. So now death is off the table. Now you get to be on the boss's eternal torment list with little old me.
Crowley: I'm invested. [Hellhound growls] Stay!
Dean: You can control them?!
Dean: All those angels, all those demons, all those sons of bitches, they just don't get it, do they Sammy?
Sam: No they don't, Dean.
Trivia & References
A reference to the late Michael Jackson, and the fact that he was known for wearing surgical masks out in public.
A crying statue is a supernatural religious phenomenon in which a statue begins to weep tears of blood, oil or scented liquids. Weeping statues are most often of the Virgin Mary, and are often followed by claims of Marian apparitions. A statue of the Virgin Mary crying blood was seen in 4.09 I Know What You Did Last Summer.
In British jargon [and in this particular context], fag is slang for a cigarette.
A reference to Pestilence using the character of Sneezy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The story and character of Snow White was previously referred to in 3.05 Bedtime Stories.
This is a direct line from the Spider-Man comic books, TV shows, and movies. It is a phrase of encouragement by Peter Parker's girlfriend/wife Mary Jane Watson. Dean said a variation of this line to Castiel in 5.03 Free To Be You And Me.
In this context [after Dean has been beat up by Brady and after Crowley has knocked Brady out after repeatedly hitting him with a crowbar], this could be a reference to the Stanley Kubrick movie A Clockwork Orange, which is famous for (among other things) this beating scene.
A reference to the cliche that musicians at the Grammys and other awards shows thank God during their acceptance speeches.
Sam, and fans, had assumed that he had killed Jess himself, rather than Brady, albeit on Azazel's instructions. Although the vision of Jess had in 5.03 Free To Be You And Me , Sam had in said "I was dead from the moment we said hello."
Originally the studio bosses wanted Kripke to write Jessica as an ongoing character, but Eric just thought it wouldn't work, and he suggested to kill her off, which they liked. Then the studio urged Kripke to make Jessica an evil demon character, who was planted into Sam's life with purpose, and whose betrayal drives him on the road as he realizes, demons are closer to him than he thought.S1Com, p. 13. The development in this episode revives a version of this idea.Minutiae
The symbol Crowley carves into Brady's chest, appears similar to the one's painted on the walls through Crowley's house. Meg used a similar Binding Link to stay inside Sam. 2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign
URGENT INTERNAL MEMO
Details About the NIVEUS 432 TM Vaccine Distribution Program
PRODUCTION FAILS SHORT OF EXPECTED PRODUCTION