6.15 The French Mistake
Title | The French Mistake |
Episode # | Season 6, Episode 15 |
First aired | February 25, 2011 |
Directed by | Charles Beeson |
Written by | Ben Edlund |
On IMDB | http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1627712/ |
Outline | Sam and Dean find themselves on the set of the TV Show Supernatural, with an angelic hitman after them. |
Monster | Raphael Virgil |
Timeline | |
Location(s) | Vancouver, BC, Canada |
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Contents
Synopsis
Dean and Sam are doing research at Bobby's House when Balthazar appears. He says that Raphael is aiming to kill all of Castiel's allies and affiliates so he gives them a key and sends them to an alternate reality to keep them out of harm's way. Supposedly, the key opens a door where he has stored the stolen Angelic Weapons of Heaven, which will help Castiel to retain control in Heaven.
When they appear in the alternate reality, Sam and Dean find themselves on the set of "Supernatural"- a show that appears to be about their lives and where everyone mistakes them for the actors Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. They try to contact Castiel, but instead encounter Misha Collins, who plays Castiel on the TV Show. Taking refuge in Jensen's luxurious trailer, they do some research about Jensen and Jared, and Dean is horrified to learn that Jensen was on Days of Our Lives. Dean suggests they try doing the same spell Balthazar did in order to get them back to their own reality.
Discouraged that there are no 'real' saints' bones or other items they need on the set of Bobby's house, Sam and Dean have the actors' driver, Clif Kosterman, take them to Jared's place, which turns out to be a large ostentatious mansion with a tanning bed in the living room and an alpaca in the backyard. Sam and Dean are shocked when Ruby - or rather the actress who plays her - appears and kisses Sam, who she believes to be her husband, Jared. After Genevieve Padalecki heads out to a charity function for the International Otter Adoption Fund, Sam and Dean go online and purchase some saints' bones for rush delivery using Jared's credit cards (they max out at least one). Dean then spends the night on Jared's couch, while Sam alternates between surfing the internet for signs of the supernatural activity and sleeping with Genevieve.
The next morning, Clif drives them to the airport to pick up the rush delivery before taking them back to the set. They have to try and act in a scene which ends badly after many takes, but in between takes, they try and do the spell. When nothing happens, they come to the conclusion that in this reality there is no real supernatural, no magic.
Back on set, the angel hitman Virgil appears and tries to vanquish Dean with his angel powers. He, too, is devoid of powers in this reality, so Sam and Dean are able to take him in a fight and start pummeling him on the set of the Dragon's hideout from Like A Virgin. The rest of the crew intervenes, however, and during the resulting scuffle Virgil pickpockets the key Balthazar gave Sam before running away.
The crew of the show is now suspicious because "Jared" and "Jensen" are behaving out of character. Normally they don't speak to each other, they came in with a mysterious package (the saint's bones) which the crew believes are either drugs or black market organs, and now they've beaten up what everyone thinks is an extra. Director Bob Singer calls showrunner Sera Gamble and suggests that they get Eric Kripke to come to Vancouver and talk to them. Sera reluctantly agrees, although Kripke is sequestered in a cabin writing the script for "Octocobra." Meanwhile, Virgil takes Misha hostage and kills him so he can use his blood to contact Raphael.
Bob confronts Sam and Dean, and they drop the pretense of being Jared and Jensen and tell him that they quit. Dean says that at least in their world they make a difference. They then go back to Jared's house and learn from Genevieve that Misha is dead, so they go to the scene. A witness states that the killer was speaking to "Raphael," and they learn from the relayed conversation that Virgil is trying to get back to their reality. While they wait for him on the set, Dean suggests to Sam that maybe if they get stuck in this reality, Sam's life would be better. But Sam disagrees because back in their world they do matter, and he doesn't like that in this world they aren't even brothers.
Virgil returns on set just as Kripke arrives to speak to them, and the angel goes on a killing spree, killing Eric Kripke, Bob Singer, Kevin Parks, and Lou Bollo before Sam and Dean manage to knock him out and get the key. Just as Sam has the key in hand, Raphael activates the nearby gate between the worlds, and they land back in their own reality.
Raphael - now in a female vessel -demands the key, but Balthazar arrives and reveals that the key and Sam and Dean's journey was all a ruse to distract Raphael. She threatens them, but Castiel arrives and reveals that he now has all the Angelic Weapons. He threatens to kill Raphael, and she leaves. Castiel then returns Sam and Dean to Bobby's house, promising to reveal more of what is happening in Heaven soon.
Characters
- Sam Winchester
- Dean Winchester
- Castiel
- Balthazar
- Raphael
- Virgil The Angel Hitman
- Jensen Ackles
- Jared Padalecki
- Misha Collins
- Genevieve Padalecki
- Bob Singer - Producer and Director
- Serge Ladouceur - Director of Photograhy
- Sera Gamble - Showrunner
- Eric Kripke - Creator
- Clif Kosterman - Driver
- Jim Michaels - Producer
- Kevin Parks - Assistant Director
Definitions
- The French Mistake pop-up trivia - transcribed from the Blu-ray
- Meta Episodes
- Misha on Twitter
- Twitter - the Supernatural fandom on Twitter
- Angelic Weapons
- Blue Steel
- Jsquared
- Goblet of blood
Music
Quotes
Balthazar: You did, twice. Good for you.
Balthazar: Raphael is after us all.
Dean: I don't think so.
Sam: Running?
Bob: Ha! Right! You answer the hate mail.
Sam: Well, according to the interviewer, not very many people do.
Dean: Also, what? Now you're Polish? Is any of this making any sense to you?
Dean: (in a very deep voice) We need to get all three of that crap.
Sam: What?
Dean: That's how he does it.
Jim: You know, I'm not sure Jared and Jensen... know who she is, strictly speaking. She's, you know, new. No offense.
Sera: Right.
Dean: Yeah, but here you got a pretty good life. I mean, back home, the hits been coming since you were 6 months old. You gotta admit, being a bazillionaire married to Ruby? The whole package? There's no contest.
Sam: No, you know, you were right. We just don't mean the same thing here. I mean, we're not even brothers here, man.
Sam: Yeah, but hey: at least we're talking.
Trivia & References
- 2.20 What Is and What Should Never Be – under the influence of Djinn poison, Dean experiences what life may have been like if Mary, his mother, had never been killed.
- 4.17 It's A Terrible Life – The angel Zachariah places Dean into a reality where he and Sam are not brothers, and Dean is a corporate executive, in order to prove to him that hunting is in his blood.
- 5.04 The End – Zachariah sends Dean to a possible version of 2014, where the Apocalypse has happened, in order to convince him to become Michael’s Vessel
- 5.08 Changing Channels – The Trickster, revealed to be the Archangel Gabriel, traps Dean and Sam in an endless series of TV shows and ads, to try and teach them the lesson that they must “play their part” and fulfil the destiny Heaven has laid out for them.
A play on the phrase "mother's little helper," which originated with the 1966 Rolling Stones song of the same name. It referred to drugs such as Valium that women used to help them cope with life.
Bob: Ha! Right! You answer the hate mail.
When references are made to events in real life like this it is referred to as Lampshade Hanging. Another example is Sam mentioning that not many people watch the show, and of course Misha's tweeting.Bizarro World is a planet from the DC comics universe, where everything is the opposite of how things are on Earth, and it is inhabited by "bizarro" versions of characters including Superman.
Punk'd is an American hidden camera/practical joke television series that first aired on MTV in 2003 and was produced and hosted by Ashton Kutcher. Being "punk'd" referred to being the victim of such a prank.
Dean: That's it, Toto.
Dean is holding up a copy of the Supernatural: Official Magazine - Issue #11 from August 2009. Blue Steel is a signature modeling pose of Derek Zoolander, first referenced by Dean in 2.19 Folsom Prison Blues, and demonstrated by Jared and Jensen on every gag reel, and at numerous conventions.
A running gag during the episode is the fact that in this universe, Jared and Jensen are not on speaking terms. In real life, they are good friends as evidenced by the fact that they were groomsman at each other's weddings in 2010.
Supernatural is filmed in Vancouver, Canada. (Except for the Pilot which was filmed in L.A.)
Jay-Z is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America.
Dean: (opening it to reveal a tanning bed) George Hamilton Dracula!
It is not known whether they have adopted any otters or own an alpaca.
Genevieve: Yes, I remember all of those... from last season. On your show.
The real Bob Singer was a producer on the '90s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman which starred Dean Cain as Superman/Clark Kent. Other Supernatural crew who worked on the series include Phil Sgriccia, Jim Michaels and composer Jay Gruska.
Dean is quoting the John Lennon song "Imagine."
The words: #Misha, #metamadness and #kripke all made it into the top ten Trending Topics as the episode went to air.
Bob: He sold Octocobra? Mother of God they'll buy anything
Sam: You're kidding? So the character in the show - Bobby Singer...
Dean: What kind of a douchebag names a character after himself?
Sam: Oh that's not right!
'Variety' is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine.
A reference to the Aerosmith song of the same name.
This is a reference to the Bible verse Matthew 26:52, which describes a disciple (identified in the Gospel of John as Peter) drawing a sword to defend against the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and then being rebuked by Jesus, who tells him to sheath the weapon. The verse reads: Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Minutiae
Sides, Scripts & Transcripts
Promotion
- Episode title
- Plot and casting spoiler from Ausiello
- Spoilers from Entertainment Weekly
- Casting and character spoilers from IMDB via SpoilerTV
- Pic from @HeyJude012
- Official Synopsis
- Character spoiler from LA Con
- Promotional stills
- Preview clip
- Webclip
- Episode recced in La Times source
- Advanced review from Eonline
- Advance review from Staying in with Vlada
- Sera Gambles talks about the episode with TV Guide
- Interview with Jared about the episode