|Infobox=
{{InfoboxEpisode
|image= [[File:Great Escapist promo pic.jpeg|350px]]
|title= The Great Escapist
|episode= Season 8, Episode 21
|director= [[Robert Duncan McNeill]]
|writer= [[Ben Edlund]]
|imdb= [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2734858/?ref_=tt_ep_nx The Great Escapist]
|download=
|outline= [[Castiel]] tries to keep the [[angel tablet]] from [[Naomi]], but is captured by [[Crowley]] who takes the tablet. [[Sam]] and [[Dean]] find [[Metatron]].
|motw= [[Crowley]]<br>[[Naomi]]
|timeline=
|location= Lebanon, Kansas<br> Route 34, Colorado<br> Sante Fe, New Mexico
|prevep= 8.20 Pac-Man Fever
|nextep= 8.22 Clip Show
}}
|Synopsis=
[[Kevin ]] is at work on [[Fizzles' Folly|Garth's boat]], working on work translating the [[Tablets|demon tablet]] when [[Sam ]] and [[Dean ]] arrive, announcing that they have managed to trick [{[Crowley]] out of the other half of the tablet. As they leave the boat, Sam and Dean transform - they are actually demons working under Crowley's direction. The boat is merely a construct of Crowley's to prevent Kevin from realizing he's been kidnapped.
In [[the Bunker]], Dean is concerned about Sam's worsening health. Sam tries to explain to Dean that he's not just sick from the [[trials]], they are transforming him. An email arrives with a video from Kevin - triggered to be sent if he didn't reset the password once a week. In the video a distraught Kevin reveals he's probably taken by Crowley, but he knows he will not reveal what he's translated to him. He also forwards all his translation notes to Sam and Dean.
While reading Kevin's notes from his translation work on the demon tablet , Sam notices a recurring symbol which appears to be [[Metatron]]'s signature. It is familiar to him from a course he took at Stanford on Native American art. It's a petroglyph from a tribe in Colorado called the Two Rivers. As the tribe is supposed to be protected by the Messenger of God, Sam and Dean realize this is where they might find Metatron and head to have a look.
[[Naomi]] is continuing her search for Castiel and the angel tablet. Castiel has been hiding by choosing a different [[Biggerson's]] to go to when the [[angels]] [[Ion]] and [[Esper]] get close, leaving them unable to locate him. Under orders from Naomi they murder everyone in a Santa Fe Biggerson's location to lure him there, except the waitress [[Kara]] whose eyes Ion burns out and gives the message of "You have to stop" to tell Castiel. They catch him, and Naomi arrives.
Ion is sent to search every Biggerson's for the tablet unsuccessfully. When he returns Crowley shows up and shoots Castiel in the gut, Esper in the neck, and Ion in the shoulder with a gun loaded with bullets made from a melted down [[angel blade]]. He tries to shoot Naomi but she disappears. Ion is revealed as an agent of Crowley's and together they teleport with Castiel to Crowley's headquarters. Crowley reveals that he knows where the Angel Tablet is, that he thinks that having realized its proximity protects him from Naomi's control, Cas still has the tablet with him. Crowley reaches inside Castiel's gut and pulls out the tablet.
Kevin has realized the truth of his incarceration and under the pretense of sending them for his half of the tablet, sends the [[demons]] posing as Sam and Dean into a [[devil's trap]].
At While Crowley goes to confront Kevin, Ion talks to Castiel about how the same angels have been mind-controlled and memory-wiped for a long time, the real Sam and Dean receive a message from Kevin saying it was apparent he is likely dead was miserable and sending them all frustrated with the situation. Castiel digs the bullet out of his notes on wound and catching Ion by surprise, kills him by shoving the tabletbullet into his eye. Though As they are unable check into a hotel, Sam health begins deteriorating, hearing noises, developing a fever, and having vivid memory flashbacks to figure anything about his childhood. Dean visits a local museum, where the third trial out from curator tells him that the notes, a symbol in them points to an Native American tribe was led by a man who gave them a bounty in Colorado return for their stories. Noticing an old photo features the hotel manager, seemingly unaged, Dean realizes that they think Metatron might may be connected close toMetatron. At Sam and Dean find Metatron in a casinohotel room, they find the tribe surrounded by thousands of books. He is apparently gifted with immortality in exchange for giving Metatron gifts unaware of any of stories the events related to [[Heaven]], or [[Lucifer]] and the [[Apocalypse]] and locate Metatron himselfhasn't even heard of the Winchesters. Metatron He explains that after God he left, Heaven to protect the tablets and himself from the Archangels decided [[archangels]] who want to use them to take over the universe themselves and not wanting . Metatron further explains thatas Sam has passed two of the trials, he left is starting to resonate with the tablets, and cut himself off so completely that with Metatron, allowing him to sense both when he is unaware of who in close proximity. Sam and Dean are angry at him for ignoring all the Winchesters are or that suffering wrought by Heaven and the Archangels are all either trapped or angels and tell him about Kevin Tran who they believe is deadas a result. Sam Metatron decides to catch up on current events and Dean try as a result, decides to convince get involved. Even though Crowley has angel-warding protecting where he is keeping Kevin, as the Scribe of God, Metatron is able to simply erase it and he rescues Kevin as Crowley is strangling him to help them with their taskdeath. Metatron's rescue of Kevin figures out leaves Crowley has captured him burned. Returning to the hotel, Metatron heals Kevin and confronts Crowley who tries talks to kill him as he Dean about what happens next. He is no more use willing to himjoin them now, but Metatron rescues suggests that perhaps closing the gates of Hell might not be a good idea, asking Dean what he is willing to do to achieve it and to consider what will happen when the gates are closed. Kevin who takes wakes up and reveals he has the second half of the demon tablet with him. Kevin and Metatron both reveal the third trialand before Kevin can reveal it, Metatron does: to Sam must cure a demon. At Kevin confirms it and asks who Metatron is. Driving back to the same timeBunker, Castiel hides Dean is seeking reassurance from Sam that when he completes the angels by visiting all the Biggerson's in the country very quicklylast trial, but is eventually caught and Naomi reveals that she has wiped Castiel's memory many times and he has taken part in many atrocities he can't remember. Howeverll be well again, one of but the angels, Ion, betrays them conversation is interrupted as they stop to Crowley who forces Naomi to flee and retrieves avoid hitting a person lying hurt on the angel tablet from Castielroad. It's stomach. After Kevin figures out the truth, Crowley leaves Castiel to Ion who Castiel eventually kills and escapes. He ends up on the road in front of Sam and Dean, badly injured and asks for their help.
|Characters=
* [[Dean Winchester]]
* [[Castiel]]
* [[Metatron]]
* [[Crowley]]
* [[Kevin Tran]]
* [[Naomi]]
* [[Kevin TranMetatron]]* [[Ion]] - angel working for Crowley* [[Esper]] - angel* [[Kara]] - Biggerson's waitress
|Pad_of_Definitions=
* [[The Aliases]]* [[Angel Blade]]* [[Angel-Killing Bullets]]* [[Angel Lore]]* [[Apocalypse]]* [[Archangels]]* [[Biggerson's]]* [[Crowley's Gun]]* [[Demonology]]* [[Devil's trap (symbol)|Devil's Trap]]* [[Fizzles' Folly]]* [[Healing]]* [[Holy Water]]* [[Holy Water in the Face]]* [[Men of Letters Bunker]]
* [[Tablets]]
* [[DemonsTrials]]* [[Angel Lore|Angels]]* [[Angel Sword]]* [[Devil's trap (symbol)|Devil's Trap]]* [[Biggerson's Restaurant]]* [[Crowley's GunWarding Sigils]]
|Music=
*"Spanish Flea" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
:''(plays when the demons call Crowley from the hunters trap; also known as the theme to The Dating Game)''
|Quotes=
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''Crowley:''' So, it's three trials. Three trials and the Winchesters get to lock the door on me. Ha! You. Fake Sam. If you're gonna tip our hand, I'll have to scrub Kevin's short-term memory again. And that's risky, so watch the patois in there.<br>'''Demon Sam:''' Patois?<br>'''Crowley:''' Your slang. Special K, nose to the God-stone, that's the way Dean speaks. Sam is... more basic, more sincere. Remember, I want to two distinct, authentic characterizations... I was born to direct!
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''IonDean:''' ItAlright, here we go. John Winchester's as if we're famous cure-all kitchen sink stew. There you go. Enough cayenne pepper in every Biggerson's at oncethere to burn your lips off, trapped in a quantum superpostionjust like dad used to make.
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''NaomiSam:''' YouThis isn're the famous spanner in the workst a cold. HonestlyOr a fever, or whatever it is you came off the line with a crack in your chassis're supposed to feed. This is part of it all. Those first two trials... You have never done what you were toldthey're not just things I did. Not completelyThey're doing something to me. You donThey't even die rightre changing me, do you?Dean.
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''Kevin:''' Sam, Dean. I've set up this message with some software on a remote server so it'd send itself to you if I didn't reset it with a command once a week. Which means I didn't reset it this week. And there's only one reason I wouldn't. Which means if you're watching this, then I... then I— I'm dead. I'm dead, you bastards! So screw you, screw God and everybody in between! Crowley must've gotten to me. And the one thing I know is that I won't break this time. Not sure how I know, but— but I do. I've been uploading all my notes, the translations, I'm sending you the links so you can get all of it. You guys are gonna have to try to figure out the rest. I'm sorry. I know it was my job, but I— but I couldn't... I'm sorry.
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''Perry:''' I swear to God, Lance, the guy just disappeared.<br>
'''Lance:''' You on that crack again, Perry?
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''Naomi:''' Ion, tell me that you have good news.<br>
'''Ion:''' He's using a clever tactic. It's a restaurant called Biggerson's. The humans have built hundreds of them, almost exactly alike.<br>
'''Naomi:''' What are you talking about?<br>
'''Ion:''' It's their sameness. Castiel is using it against us. Now, we try to orient ourselves, but it's as if we're in every Biggerson's at once — trapped in a quantum superposition. Now, he chooses which to go to next, that's what's giving him the edge.<br>
'''Naomi:''' You're saying that you can't catch him.<br>
'''Ion:''' There's, there's just so many Biggerson's.<br>
'''Naomi:''' Very well. You say he can't be caught? Then we will simply have to make him stop.
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''Naomi:''' You're the famous spanner in the works. Honestly, I think you came off the line with a crack in your chassis. You have never done what you were told. Not completely. You don't even die right, do you? Where is the angel tablet, Castiel?
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''Sam:''' Hey, you remember when uh... when dad took us to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, on that pack-mule ride?<br>
'''Dean:''' The what?<br>
'''Sam:''' And your, uh... your mule kept farting, just— l-letting go, like, gale force?<br>
'''Dean:''' Dude, you were like, four years old. I barely remember that.<br>
'''Sam:''' You rode a farty donkey.
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''Sam:''' You What, you really haven't heard of us? What kind of angel are you? We, we're — we're the frigging freaking Winchesters!.}}{{TriviaQuote | Text='''Crowley:''' You little prat. Having fun yet?<br>'''Kevin:''' Screw you.<br>'''Crowley:''' Am I seeing this? How did you figure it out?<br>'''Kevin:''' It started when they forgot the secret knock. But really, it— it was the way they acted. I don't think on their best day Sam and Dean would go into town and get me a barbecue dinner, not when there are leftover burritos in the fridge.<br>'''Crowley:''' So... my demons were too polite?<br>'''Kevin:''' Yeah.<br>'''Crowley:''' Well, I'll be a son of a whore.}}{{TriviaQuote | Text='''Metatron:''' I'm not one of them. I'm not an archangel. Really more run-of-the-mill. I worked in the secretarial pool before God chose me to take down the Word. Anyway, he... seemed very worried about his work, what would happen to it when he left, so he had me write down instructions. Then, he was gone. After that, the archangels took over. And they cried, and they wailed. They wanted their father back. I mean, we all did. But then... then they started to scheme. The archangels decided if they couldn't have Dad, they'd take over the universe themselves. But they couldn't do anything that big without the Word of God. So I began to realize, maybe they would realize... they needed me.
}}
{{TriviaQuote | Text=
'''MetatronIon:''' When You soldiers, down in the garrison, at least they let you create storiesbelieve the lie. Upstairs, working for Naomi, working in intelligence, you become gods of tiny intricate dimensions unto themselveswe had no option but to live in the dirt. She never reset me completely. So many worldsI always knew too much, I had to— I had to do my job.
}}
{{TriviaQuote | Text=
'''Dean:''' So you have been holed up here, or, or, or in a wigwam, or before that in some cave, listening to stories, reading books?<br>
'''Metatron:''' And it was something to watch. What you brought to His Earth, all the mayhem, the murder. Just the raw, wild invention of God's naked apes... it was mind-blowing. But really... really, it was your storytelling. That is the true flower of free will. At least as you've mastered it so far. When you create stories, you become gods, of tiny, intricate dimensions unto themselves. So many worlds! I have read... as much as it's possible for an angel to read, and I haven't caught up.
}}
{{TriviaQuote | Text=
'''Metatron:''' You really intend on closing the doors of Hell?<br>
'''Dean:''' Seems like the thing to do, don't it?<br>
'''Metatron:''' It's your choice. And that's what this has all been about, the choices your kind make. But you're gonna have to weigh that choice. Ask yourself: what is it going to take to do this, and what will the world be like after it's done?
}}
{{TriviaQuote | Text=
'''Dean:''' Cure a demon. Okay, ignoring the fact that I have no idea what that actually means, if we — if we do this, you get better, right? I mean, you stop trying to cough up a lung, and, and, and bumping into furniture?<br>
'''Sam:''' I feel better, yeah, um, just having a direction to move in.<br>
'''Dean:''' Well, good, cause where we're headed doesn't sound like a picnic.<br>
'''Sam:''' But we're heading somewhere. The end.
}}
|Trivia_References=
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
The title of the epsiode episode is based on the 1963 movie ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057115/?ref_=sr_1 The Great Escape] '' about Allied POWs escaping a German prison camp in World War 2II.
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''NaomiDemon Sam:''' There was that day back in Egypt... not that long agoSo Special K, when we slew every firstborn infant whose door wasn't splashed with lamb's blood. And that was just PRyou keep your nose to the God-stone.<br> :: ''Naomi is referring to the story in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, of when [http://enwww.wikipediaspecialk.orgcom/wiki/Moses#Egypt:_the_Plagues_and_the_Exodus MosesSpecial K] freed the Israelites who were enslaved by the Egyptians. He tried to make is a deal with the Pharoah, brand of cereal and each time he refused to release also the Israelites, God sent a plague. The ninth plague was the murder of all first born sons in Egypt by angels. The angels spared the Isarelite''s child, who they knew by the sign of the door lintel being marked with lamb's blood. the events are commemorated as the Jewish holiday of nickname for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover "Passover"Ketamine Ketamine]a veterinary tranquilizer also used as a party drug.''}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''Demon SamCastiel:''' We were supposed to be their shepherds, not their murderers.'''Naomi:''' So Special KNot always, you keep your nose angel. There was that day, back in Egypt, not so long ago, where we slew every first-born infant whose door wasn't splashed with lamb's blood. And that was just PR.:''Naomi is referring to the godstonestory in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, of when [http://en.<br> :wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses#Egypt:_the_Plagues_and_the_Exodus Moses] freed the Israelites who were enslaved by the Egyptians. He tried to make a deal with the Pharaoh, and each time he refused to release the Israelites, God sent a plague. The ninth plague was the murder of all first born sons in Egypt by [[angels]]. The angels spared the Israelites'children, who they knew by the sign of the door lintel being marked with lamb's blood. The events are commemorated as the Jewish holiday of [http://wwwen.specialkwikipedia.comorg/wiki/ Special KPassover "Passover"] .''}}{{TriviaQuote |Text='''Sam:''' Your, uh... your mule kept farting, just letting go, like, gale force?:''A gale is a brand of cereal strong wind, classified as between 7 and also 10 on the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale Beaufort scale].''}}{{TriviaQuote |Text='''Sam:''' I'm gonna follow the nickname for hotel manager, Dr. Scowley-scowl. He's like a villain from Scooby-Doo.:''[httphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketamine KetamineScooby-Doo Scooby-Doo] is an American cartoon franchise that was first produced in 1969, named after the character of the dog of a veterinary tranquilizer also used group of teenagers. Together they solve supernatural mysteries. Sam might be referring to the particular villain Buck Masters who appeared as the [http://scoobydoo.wikia.com/wiki/Indian_Witch_Doctor The Indian Witch Doctor]. }}{{TriviaQuote |Text='''Dean:''' No, hey, uh, little big man? You should get some rest.:''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065988/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Little Big Man] is the title of a 1970 western starring Dustin Hoffman. It is about a party drugwhite man looking back on his life being raised by Indians.''
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''SamDemon Dean:''' HeyAwesome. Uh, you remember when Dad took us to what's the bottom of the Grand Canyon on that pack mule ride and your mule kept farting, just letting go like gale force10-20?'''Dean:''' Dude, you were like four years old. I barely remember that. ::''Dean had obviously forgotten about that trip years previously when in [[2.09 Croatoan]] he said 10-20 is police radio code for "Yeah, you know, all this driving back and forth across country, you know I've never been to what is the Grand Canyonlocation?"''
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
'''Fake Demon Sam:''' You used to read to me, um, when I was little, I— I mean, really little, from that— from that old, uh... Classics Illustrated comic book. You remember that?<br>'''Dean:''' OkayNo.<br>'''Sam:''' Knights of the Round Table. Had all of King Arthur's knights, whats and they were all on the 10-20quest for the Holy Grail. And I remember looking at this picture of Sir Galahad, and, and, and he was kneeling, and— and light streaming over his face, and— I remember... thinking, uh, I could never go on a quest like that. Because I'm not clean. I mean, I w— I was just a little kid. You think... maybe I knew?I mean, deep down, that— I had... demon blood in me, and about the evil of it, and that I'm— wasn't pure?:''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classics_Illustrated Classics Illustrated] was a series which adapted literary classics into comic books. It was published from 1931 to 1971. [http://www.tkinter.smig.net/ClassicsIllustrated/list.htm Issue 108 was Knights of the Round Table].''}}{{TriviaQuote |Text= '''Crowley:''' You know what? I've already won. I have the angel tablet, you little smudge. And I got deals and plans up the jacksie.:''[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jacksie Jacksie] is cockney rhyming slang for ass, arse, backside, etc...''}}
::''10-20 is police radio code for "what |Minutiae={{TriviaQuote |Text= The motel Sam and Dean find Metatron at is called the location?"''Two Rivers Motel.
}}
{{TriviaQuote |Text=
[[Sam]] remembers an old memory where [[John]] took the boys to the Grand Canyon, where Dean rode a "farty donkey." However in [[2.09 Croatoan]] Dean tells Sam: :'''SamDean:''' You used to read to me when I was littleYeah, you know, all this driving back and forth across country, you know I mean really little, from that old Classics Illustrated comic book... Knights of 've never been to the Round Table.<br><br>Grand Canyon?''::''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classics_Illustrated Classics Illustrated] was a series which adapted literary classics into comic books. It was published from 1931 Though it can be interpreted that Dean, as well as Sam, were too young to 1971. [http://www.tkinter.smig.net/ClassicsIllustrated/list.htm Issue 108 was Knights of the Round Table]remember.''}}|Minutiae={{TriviaQuote |Text=The motel is called the Two Rivers Motel.
}}
|Sides_Scripts_Transcripts=
* [[8.21 The Great Escapist (transcript)]]
|Promotion=
* [http://supernaturalwiki.tumblr.com/post/47004296435/airdates-titles-and-writers-for-the-last-5-episodes-of Episode airdate air date and title]
* [http://www.ksitetv.com/supernatural/supernatural-8-21-the-great-escapist-description/21418 Episode synopsis]
* [http://tvline.com/2013/04/12/supernatural-season-8-spoilers-photos-metatron-new-angel/ Casting information for new characters]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7ylSe9sZKYg Promo vid]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5boOe6HHMrU Sneak Peek]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nXHjX6hTzo CHCH Promo]* [http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mediablvd/2013/05/05/winchester-radio-the-great-escapist-w-osric-chau Winchester Radio's podcast for this episode with special guest Osric Chau]
}}
[[Category:Canon]][[Category:Episodes|0821]][[Category:Season 8]]