9.17 Mother's Little Helper

Title	Mother's Little Helper
Episode #	Season 9, Episode 17
First aired	March 25, 2014
Directed by	Misha Collins
Written by	Adam Glass
On IMDB	Mother's Little Helper
Outline	While Dean hunts Abaddon, Sam checks out a case of apparent demonic possession and learns about a similar case in 1958 investigated by Men of Letters -- Henry Winchester and Josie Sands.
Monster	Demons
Timeline
Location(s)	Milton, Illinois Lebanon, Kansas
[[{{{prevep}}}|« Previous Episode]] | [[{{{nextep}}}|Next Episode »]]

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Crowley
• Abaddon
• Henry Winchester
• Josie Sands
• Julia Wilkinson
• Sister Agnes
• Jake
• Billy

Definitions

• The Bunker
• Demonology
• Demon Smoke
• Crossroads Demon
• Exorcism
• The First Blade
• Knights of Hell
• Mark of Cain
• Men of Letters
• RoboSam
• Ruby's Knife
• Souls

Music

• "It's Not Too Late" by The Bughouse 5

(playing in the diner Sam is eating at)

• "Love, Dance and Sing" by Electric Banana (De Wolfe Music Library)

(playing in the bar when Dean and Sam are talking about the case)

• "Plastic Princess" by David Alan Tomlinson & Gary Alan Jones (Extreme Music)

(plays while Dean is shooting pool)

• "You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt

(playing while Crowley talks with Dean at the bar)

• "Grey Skies" by Electric Banana (De Wolfe Music Library)

(plays while Dean talks Jake out of going after Crowley)

Quotes

Sam: What's up with you?

Dean: Nothing.
Sam: Yeah? See, because ever since you killed Magnus, you've been acting... sort of... obsessed.

Dean: Well, maybe because I want an end to all this. Maybe because if we find Abaddon, then Crowley ponies up the First Blade, and we kill her and him both. So, what you call being "obsessed," I call doing my job.

Crowley: You're lying to Sam like he's your wife. Which kinda makes me your mistress.

Julia: I'm an ex-nun sweetie. Complicated is my middle name.

Dean: Demons don't take leaks, next time you want to shoot up why don't you find a better excuse.

Abaddon: You hunters are always sticking your noses in where they don't belong.

Josie: Hunters? Please.
Abaddon: Then what are you? Quickly, dear, before this one pays for your stubbornness!
Josie: We are preceptors... Beholders, chroniclers of all that which man does not understand.
Abaddon: A woman amongst the Men of Letters?
Josie: Yes.

Abaddon: Well, ain't that a blast.

Abaddon: I'm trading up from this bag of bones to Mr. Dreamy here. Then I can study your kind real close.

Sam: You know, um, can I ask you something?
Julia: If it's for a date, sorry. I never see anyone under 65. Too much drama.

Julia: I had betrayed our flock, God, myself. It was and still is my greatest shame.

Sam: Well, what you shared with me saved lives, and I couldn't have done that with out you. Take care

Julia: You too Sam.

Henry: This -- our work... it's a noble calling, isn't it? I mean, yes, there's risk, but, gosh. I feel the fool for doubting it for even a second.

Sam: You were right.

Dean: About what? Sam: Finding Abaddon ASAP. She's mining souls. Dean: Why?

Sam: To create an army.

Trivia & References

"Mother's Little Helper" is a track from the Rolling Stone's 1966 album Aftermath. In the '60s the sedative Valium was known as "mother's little helper" due to its popularity amongst women.

Before the episode Misha answered questions on the official Supernatural Facebook page. Over 25,000 questions were posted! Here are his answers to some of them.

Live tweets from the East Coast broadcast of the episode.
Live tweets from the West Coast broadcast of the episode including Misha, Orlando Jones, Mark Sheppard and William Shatner!

Sam travels to Milton, Illinois to investigate the case. Dean is seen at the Milton drinking and playing pool, suggesting he may have followed Sam.

Sam's FBI alias Leiter is a reference to the James Bond character Felix Leiter.

Crowley: Actually, long as I'm here, last time we chitchatted we agreed you were going to line up Carrot Top.

Carrot Top is a famous prop comic, most noticeable for his tuft of red hair.

Crowley: I’m going to go water the lily. Care to cross streams?

"Cross streams" may be a reference to the Ghostbusters films, in which crossing the streams of the proton packs could have catastrophic results.

Crowley: Of course he saved me. We're besties... and now he's ready.

Besties is a slang term for best friend.

Sister Julia Wilkinson is named after the Supernatural Wiki admin, Jules Wilkinson.

Minutiae

The episode marked Misha's directorial debut. He joins Jensen Ackles, Jerry Wanek, Kevin Parks, Serge Ladouceur and Johnny MacCarthy as a member of the cast and crew of the show who has also directed.

It is revealed that Henry's wife and John's mother was named Millie.

It is a seven hour drive from Lebanon, Kansas to Milton, Illinois.

Henry and Abaddon are seen leaving in a black 1956 Imperial Limousine.

In 8.22 Clip Show, Abaddon says that she learned about Josie Sands from Father Max Thompson, and decided to use her to infiltrate the Men of Letters. In this episode her initial encounter with Josie appears to be unplanned. Though Abaddon is aware of the Men of Letters, inferring that the episode takes place after her encounter with Father Max Thompson. This is supported by the fact that Henry and Josie indicate they are close to initiation.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 9.17 Mother's Little Helper (transcript)

Promotion

• Episode Synopsis by ksitetv
• Promo Pics
• Promo
• Sneak peek
• CHCH promo
• Misha talks about his directorial debut and whats to come for Cas with HuffPost
• Interview with Sweatpants and Coffee
• Official behind the scene pics of Misha directing
• Misha with a group of nuns by Alaina Huffman