8.14 Trial and Error

Title	Trial and Error
Episode #	Season 8, Episode 14
First aired	February 13, 2013
Directed by	Kevin Parks
Written by	Andrew Dabb
On IMDB	Trial and Error
Outline	Sam and Dean visit a ranch to try and find a Hellhound that they need to kill in order to close the gates of Hell.
Monster	Hellhound
Timeline
Location(s)	Lebanon, Kansas Warsaw, Missouri Shoshone, Idaho
[[{{{prevep}}}|« Previous Episode]] | [[{{{nextep}}}|Next Episode »]]

Synopsis

Kevin is on Garth's boat still attempting to translate the demon tablet. He is working day and night - strung out on hot dogs and aspirin – with but a few hours of sleep. Back at the Bunker, Dean begins to “nest” by setting up his own bedroom complete with guns mounted on the wall and an old photo of him and his mother on his desk. Just as Dean serves Sam a burger he's made, Kevin calls.

When Sam and Dean arrive at the boat, Kevin explains that there are trials that must be completed in order to close the gates of Hell. The first trial is the only one Kevin has deciphered so far. It includes bathing in the blood of a Hellhound. Kevin questions how they will find one. Dean explains that when a Crossroads deal is made, it has an expiration that is enforced by Hellhounds. Sam and Dean decide to try and find someone who has made a deal 10 years ago and hopefully be able to find a devil dog. Dean goes for a supply run for Goofer Dust and some real food for Kevin. While he’s gone, Sam counsels Kevin on taking better care of himself. Kevin expresses that he is at the end of his rope and wants this to all be over so that he can go back to his real life.

When Dean returns, Sam tells him about an interesting article he found about the Cassity family in Shoshone, Idaho that struck oil even though it seemed geologically impossible. Before they head out to check out the ranch, Dean asks Kevin to check the tablet for any secrets to killing a Hellhound.

Sam and Dean arrive at the Cassity family ranch. They meet Carl Granville the self-proclaimed trophy husband, and the ranch manager, Ellie, who hires the boys on as ranch hands. They spend their time trying to figure which of the Cassity family made the deal. They suspect Alice Cassity and decide to track her to be sure. While Alice and Carl have dinner on the terrace, howling is heard in the distance. The boys are on surveillance near the barn but within sight. Alice decides to go inspect the noise further confirming the boys’ suspicion. The growling grows closer and something attacks and kills Carl.

The sheriff arrives and blames the death on the re-introduction of wolves to the area. Ellie disagrees and comments that this was no wolf which seems to spark Dean’s interest. The boys discuss what happened and decide to pack it up. As they go back to the barn, Sam runs in to Alice and tries to console her. Alice explains that she is oddly fine. She knows she should be sad, but isn’t. She explains how she and Carl had known each other all of their lives but he went unnoticed by her until Valentine’s Day 2003. Sam then realizes that Carl made a deal, but maybe not the only deal as it doesn’t explain the family striking oil.

Dean suggests summoning a Crossroads Demon to find out who made a deal. Sam explains that he thinks another family member made a deal for the oil. Dean agrees to wait it out for two days. The other family members are returnign to the ranch and Ellie --has been working for the family since she was 15 -- gives Dean the rundown of the family members.

As the Casity's are having a dinner, Sam is assigned to waiting on the family and Dean is working the grill. During dinner, the family discusses the story of a traveling salesman named Crowley who visited before they were rich.

Kevin finds some help for killing the Hellhounds. They can be seen through objects that have been scorched with the holy flames. Dean gets some Holy Oil out of the trunk of the Impala, douses some glasses and set them alight. Meanwhile Noah and Margot Cassity decide to go hunt whatever it is that killed Carl, so Sam goes with them.

Dean, wearing his specialized specs, runs in to Ellie who tries to seduce him with a one night only offer that he turns down. Off in the fields while hunting, Sam separates for a minute from the others to chase the path of the hound but Noah finds him quickly. While going to get Margot, the hell hound has found her first and killed her. Back at the house Dean and Sam explain to the rest of the family what is going on and the family is handcuffed to keep them safe. Goofer dust is sprinkled around the house to try and prevent the hell hounds from getting in. Dean asks Sam to remain inside, to protect him from the trials. Sam protests but gives in as Dean explains how important it is that Sam has a life. Dean looks for the hounds and hears music coming from the Barn so he goes to inspect it. Sam listens to more bickering amongst the family.

Dean finds Ellie in her room and she reveals that she is the one who made the deal with Crowley. Ellie tells Dean what happened years ago and about the deal she made with Crowley after seeing him kiss Margot sealing her own deal. Ellie’s mother had Parkinson’s and she sold her soul for her mother to be healthy. She begins to hallucinate and Dean morphs into a creepy-faced monster. He tries to console her and tells her that she is just seeing things. He encircles her in Goofer dust for protection and goes out to find the hellhound

Alice escapes the house and Sam chases after her. He sees a Hellhound for the first time and sends Alice off to safety. The Hellhound charges Dean and swipes his claw against Dean’s side. Dean falls to the ground and the glasses get knocked off. The Hellhound is closing in on Dean and about to attack. Sam runs up just in time to save Dean and shoots the Hellhound twice. This doesn’t stop it for long. Within moments the Hellhound has Sam on his back on the ground and Sam has him by the throat. Sam stabs and evicerates the Hellhound and the blood of it covers him completely.

Sam and Dean make a Hex Bag for Ellie and have her leave town, as long as Crowley can’t find her. Sam argues that even when Ellie dies, her soul will still go to hell. Dean retorts that her soul is safe if Hell is shut down. Dean says the incantation but it does not work. Sam wants to do the spell and continue the trials. The boys argue with Sam pleading for Dean’s trust and support. Reluctantly Dean concedes and agrees to let Sam complete the trials. As Sam reads the spell, his arm begins to glow. It hits him harder than he expects but he tries his best to conceal that from Dean.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Kevin Tran
• Carl Granville
• Ellie
• Alice Cassity
• Cindy Cassity
• Margot Cassity
• Noah Cassity
• Crowley
• Garth

Definitions

• Hell
• Hellhound
• Ruby's Knife
• Goofer Dust
• Tablets
• Trials
• The Bunker
• Deals and Pacts
• Gates of Hell
• Hellhound Glasses
• Fizzles' Folly
• The Veil

Music

• "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy

(plays while Carl and Alice are having dinner)

• "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls

(plays when Dean walks in on Ellie's last night "celebration")

The records in Dean's room include:

• Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
• Howard McGhee, Vol. 2
• Nat King Cole Sings for Two in Love

Quotes

Dean: I haven't had my own room... ever. I'm making this awesome. I've got my kickass vinyl. I've got this killer mattress. Memory foam--it remembers me! And it's clean, too. There's no funky smell. There's no creepy motel stains.

Dean: The kid needs to eat something that's not ground up hooves and pig's anuses. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Ellie: And, well, her last album was a bunch of holiday songs for dogs. My favorites were "Jingle Bark Rock" and "Don't Pee on This Tree: Happy Arbor Day."

Dean: So she's the Devil?

Ellie: Pretty much.

Dean: We’ve been down roads like this before, man. With Yellow Eyes, Lucifer, Dick Frigging Roman. We both know where this ends; one of us dies. Or worse.

Sam: So you just up and decided it's going to be you.

Dean: I’m a grunt, Sam. You’re not. You’ve always been the brains of this operation. And you told me yourself, you see a way out. You see a light at the end of this ugly ass tunnel. I don’t. But I tell you what I do know, is that I’m going to die with a gun in my hand. Because that’s what I have waiting for me, that’s all I have waiting for me. I want you to get out. I want you to have a life, become a Man of Letters, whatever. You with a wife and kids and grandkids, living until you’re fat and bald and chugging Viagara. That is my perfect ending and it’s the only one I’m gonna get. So I’m gonna do these trials and I’m gonna do them alone. End of story.

Sam: Closing the gates. It's a suicide mission for you. I want to slam hell shut too, okay? But I want to survive it. I want to live. And so should you. You have friends up here, family. Hell you've even got your own room now. You were right, 'kay. I see light at the end of this tunnel and I’m sorry you don’t. I am. But it’s there. And if you come with me, I can take you to it.

Dean: Sam, Be smart.

Sam: I am. And so are you. You’re not a grunt, Dean, you’re a genius. When it comes to lore...you’re the best damn hunter I’ve ever seen. Better than me, better than dad. I believe in you, Dean, so please, please, believe in me too.

Trivia & References

This was the directorial debut of First Assistant Director Kevin Parks.

The Bunker is in Lebanon Kansas, which is about a six hour drive from where Kevin is on Garth's boat in Warsaw, Missouri.

Kevin compares the trials that must be undergone to close the gates of Hell, as similar to those Hercules went through. Later, Sam and Dean clean the stables at the Cassity's farm. One of the labours of Hercules was to clean the Augean stables in a day.

The hot dogs Kevin was eating were actually raw tofu dogs source.

Dean's demonic look when Ellie is hallucinating is very reminiscent of how the deadites look in Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead.

Dean: Let's go visit the Beverly Hillbillies.

The Beverly Hillbillies is a television series that aired from 1962 to 1971 about a family that discovers oil on their land and becomes rich, much like the Cassity's.

Minutiae

This episode was the first to actually show what a hellhound looks like.

Carl Granville sold his soul for Alice Cassity's love.

Ellie sold her soul for her mother's well-being.

It isn't stated explicitly what Margo Cassity sold her soul for, but by process of elimination it can be inferred that it was her deal that led to the family's oil wealth. It might also be inferred by her father's comment about her being fat when she hooked up with Carl that she sold her soul to be thin.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 8.14 Trial and Error (transcript)

Promotion

• Supernatural From Script to Screen: First Assistant Director Kevin Parks talks about directing the episode.
• Official Synopsis
• Promo pics from ksitetv
• Promo clip
• Sneak peek
• CHCH Promo
• Jeremy Carver introduces the episode
• Jared talks about the episode and whats to come for Sam (spoilers for future eps)
• Winchester Radio podcast with director Kevin Parks