Recap / Supernatural S 02 E 22 All Hell Breaks Loose Part Two

Previous:Supernatural S02 E21 “All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One”
Next:Supernatural S 03 E 01 The Magnificent Seven

Recap of Supernatural
Season 2, Episode 22:

All Hell Breaks Loose, Part Two

That's a devil's gate. A damn door to hell. Come on! We gotta shut that gate!

Sam: I kinda can't believe it, Dean. I mean, our whole lives, everything has been prepping for this and now I...I kinda don't know what to say.

Dean: I do. That was for our mom, you son of a bitch.

Written by Eric Kripke and Michael T Moore.

Directed by Kim Manners.

Airdate: May 17, 2007.

Dean makes a deal with a crossroad demon to bring Sam back from the dead. The Winchesters and other hunters try to stop the Yellow-Eyed Demon from opening a gate to hell in the Red Desert in Wyoming.

---

Sam's dead body lies on a torn bare mattress as sun shines through the windows of the room where Sam had found the Bowie knife in the ghost town of Cold Oak, South Dakota. Dean stands next to Sam's body. Bobby Singer enters the room with a bucket of Sandy's chicken and two bottles of cola. When Bobby urges Dean to eat, Dean says he is fine, and takes a drink from a bottle of whiskey. Bobby gently suggests that it is time to bury Sam's body, but Dean is not ready. Bobby asks Dean to come with him and says he could use Dean's help for the showdown with the Yellow-Eyed Demon, but Dean says he is done and tells Bobby to leave. When Bobby says he does not want to leave Dean alone, Dean shouts at Bobby and shoves him, but ends up apologizing and again asks Bobby to go. Bobby says, "You know where I'll be." Dean remains alone with Sam's body as a tear runs down his cheek.

The Teaser ends with a metal chomping sound, and the Title Sequence plays in a burst of flames.

Jake Talley is sitting by a campfire in front of a tent in the middle of the woods at night. He seems to be nodding off when the Yellow-Eyed Demon appears, and Jake realizes he is dreaming. The Yellow-Eyed Demon congratulates him on being the strongest of the Special Children, even if Jake was not the horse the Yellow-Eyed Demon was betting on. The Yellow-Eyed Demon explains that he needed the strongest for his plans. Jake says the only thing he is going to do is hunt down the Yellow-Eyed Demon and kill him. But when the Yellow-Eyed Demon threatens to make Jake's mother and sister eat their own intestines, Jake responds by saying, "What do you want me to do?"

Dean is still sitting by Sam's body with a candle burning in the corner of the room. Dean tearfully talks about wanting to protect Sam and how he fails everyone he loves. He ends up shouting, "What am I supposed to do?" Next we see the headlights of the Impala, as Dean speeds down a gravel road. Dean stops at a crossroad and puts various items from the weapons locker in the Impala's trunk in a tin tobacco box, including a fake ID with his photo on it. Dean buries the tin box in the center of the crossroad with his hands. After making him wait, the Crossroad Demon appears in a low cut black dress. She realizes Dean is desperate, and rejects his offer of his soul in 10 years for Sam's life. Dean continues to offer less time until his bill comes due while the Crossroad Demon teases him and reminds him of his brother's death and his father's deal. She finally accepts Dean's soul in one year for Sam's life, but reminds Dean that if he tries to weasel out of his part of the deal, Sam drops dead. They kiss, sealing the deal.

Sam wakes up in the candlelit room in Cold Oak as sun streams in through the windows. He examines a red scar over his spine in the mirror as Dean enters the room. Dean crushes Sam in a hug, which causes Sam to wince in pain. When Sam asks what happened, Dean tells him that Bobby patched him up. Sam wants to hunt down Jake, but Dean convinces him to eat something. While they have a breakfast of pizza, fried chicken, and Chinese food, Sam fills Dean in on what happened at Cold Oak and that the Yellow-Eyed Demon only wanted one of the Special Children to survive. Dean says they must have left Sam for dead and thought it was over. When Sam asks Dean if he called the Roadhouse for information, Dean is forced to tell Sam about the fire at the Harvelle Roadhouse and Ash's death. When Dean mentions that Bobby is working on finding out what Ash discovered, Sam wants to take off for Bobby's, even though he is still clearly in pain from the wound in his back. Dean tries to convince Sam to give himself time to heal, but Sam insists, and they drive off in the Impala.

Bobby opens his door at his home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He is shocked to see Sam standing next to Dean, but Bobby plays along when Sam thanks Bobby for patching him up. Bobby tells them about a tidal wave of demonic omens which are all surrounding an area in Southern Wyoming. He asks Sam to look at his findings while he and Dean lug in some books from his truck. Bobby uses this as an excuse to confront Dean, and Dean tells him about the deal he made. Dean begs a tearful Bobby not to tell Sam about the deal, when they hear a crashing noise in the junkyard and hide behind a wrecked car. They grab the intruder who walks by the car, and realize it is Ellen Harvelle. Dean hugs her, relieved that she survived the fire at the Roadhouse.

Back in Bobby's house, Bobby insists that Ellen drinks a shot of Holy Water to prove that she is not a demon. They then asked her how she survived, and she says she was not meant to, but she left on a 15 minute errand to get pretzels. While she was out, Ash called her and told her to look in a hidden safe in the basement before the call was cut off. By the time she returned, the Roadhouse was in sky-high flames and a lot of good people had died. Ellen was able to retrieve a document from the secret basement safe after the fire, and she now pulls it out to show Sam, Bobby, and Dean. It is a map of Wyoming with 5 X's marked over the Red Desert. After doing some research, Bobby realizes that each of the X's on the map represents a frontier church which are connected by iron railroads built by Samuel Colt. These create a pentagram and a massive 100 square mile Devil's Trap. Sam confirms that the demonic omens Bobby had discovered seem to be surrounding this area, suggesting the Devil's Trap remains intact. Dean says the only thing he can find in the center of this Devil's Trap is an old cowboy cemetery. Bobby says a full blooded demon would be unable to cross the boundaries of this trap, which prompts Sam to say, "But I know who could".

Jake stops his car in front of a railway crossing, gets out, and looks around. The Yellow-Eyed Demon appears behind him and tells him that Jake needs to go to a crypt in a cemetery about 50 miles beyond the railroad. The Yellow-Eyed Demon then takes out the Colt, a gun which is said to be capable of killing anything, and tells Jake that the Colt is capable of killing the demon and that the gun is also the key to opening the crypt. He then hands the Colt to Jake, who immediately points the gun at the demon, although his hand shakes. The Yellow-Eyed Demon dares Jake to shoot him and then proceeds to remind Jake that by helping the demon he will be getting an army to command as well as ushering in a new world where Jake and his family will be royalty. Jake lowers the gun.

It is now nighttime, as Jake walks into the Fossil Butte cemetery. He is greeted by Sam, and Jake is astonished that Sam is alive. Dean, Bobby, and Ellen, then step out from behind gravestones with guns pointed at Jake. Jake uses his newly gained psychokinetic ability to force Ellen to point her own revolver at her temple, while Jake's eyes briefly flash yellow. He then demands that everyone else drops their guns or he will force Ellen to shoot herself in the head. Dean, Bobby, and Sam, reluctantly put their guns on the ground despite Ellen 's command that they shoot Jake instead. Jake then turns toward the crypt, pulls the Colt out of his pocket, and places the barrel of the Colt in a lock surrounded by a Devil's Trap on the door of the crypt. As soon as Jake turns his back on the others, Sam and Bobby grab Ellen and pull the gun away from her head. Jake is shot 4 times in his back as he unlocks the Devil's Gate. He then falls to the ground, and Sam stands over him as Jake pleads for mercy. Sam shoots Jake 3 more times in the chest, and blood splatters Sam's face. Dean pulls the colt from the lock in the crypt, but the portal to Hell has already opened. As Sam, Dean, Ellen, and Bobby, hide behind tombstones, black smoke with bursts of light explode from the crypt with some outlines of figures appearing in the smoke.

Body count:

For this episode = 2 humans and 1 demon. This includes the death of one of the Special Children.

For Season 2 = 59 humans, 4 ghosts, 2 vampires, 1 demon, 1 djinn, 1 rakshasa, 1 shapeshifter, 2 werewolves, and 1 zombie.

For the series so far = At least 201 humans, 15 ghosts, 5 vampires, 2 demons, 2 shapeshifters, 2 werewolves, 1 djinn, 1 god, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 shtriga, 1 wendigo, and 1 zombie.

---

Non-trope items:

• Fridge Items.
• Trivia Items.
• YMMV Items.

---

Tropes appearing in this episode:

• Action Mom: Ellen goes with Sam, Dean, and Bobby to try to stop the Yellow-Eyed Demon and Jake from opening a devil's gate.
• Affectionate Nickname/In-Series Nickname:
  • Dean calls Sam "Sammy" three times in this episode, and both the crossroads demon and the Yellow-Eyed Demon also refer to Sam as "Sammy".
  • The Yellow-Eyed Demon calls Jake "sport" and "buddy boy".
• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Dean's crossroads demon is once again a beautiful, pale-skinned brunette, who is powerful and teasing. Dean seems to have a thing for dark-haired women who want his death, like the crossroads demon, Tessa, his reaper from "In My Time of Dying" (S02, E01), and Carmen Porter, the djinn's creation from "What Is And What Should Never Be" (S02, E20).
• Anachronism Stew: Sam's body is laid out on a bare mattress in Cold Oak. Given the hitching posts, wagon wheels, and Old West appearance of Cold Oak, it appears to be mining town that was abandoned in the 1890s or earlier. Yet instead of Sam lying on a cotton mattress covered in linen as would have been common in the time, he is lying on an upholstered quilted foam mattress, which did not come into common use until the 1930s.
• Ancestral Weapon: Dean now holds and uses the Colt, which his father had received from his mentor, Dan Elkins, in "Dead Man's Blood" (S01, E20). The Yellow-Eyed Demon lampshades this.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: Boys shouldn't play with Daddy's guns.
• And the Adventure Continues: Notable for being the only season finale to end this way.
• And This Is for...: "That was for our mom...you son of a bitch."
• Anger Born of Worry: Bobby is upset about what Dean has done to bring Sammy back.
  Bobby: You stupid ass! What did you do?
• Artistic License – Geography: The cemetery in the center of the Devil's Trap is named Fossil Butte cemetery. Fossil Butte is located in the western part of Wyoming, over 150 miles from the center of the Devil's Trap drawn on the map of Wyoming from the safe. This site was also named after fossils which started to be discovered in the 1890's, making it unlikely that a cemetery founded in the mid-1800's would be named after these fossils.
• Artistic License – Medicine: While Jake certainly has a right to be surprised that Sam would be walking after transection of the thoracic spinal cord, a lesion of the spinal cord at this level should not be lethal unless the person suffered other complications.
• At the Crossroads: Dean goes to a crossroads to summon the crossroads demon again, this time serious about making a Deal with the Devil.
• Autocannibalism: The Yellow-Eyed Demon tells Jake that if he does not obey him, Jake's mother and sister will be forced to eat their own intestines.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: If you're a bad little soldier, well, that dear old mom of yours, that adorable little sister...I'll make certain that they both live long enough to know the chewy taste of their own intestines. [Beat] No, Jake. I'm not bluffing.
• Back from the Dead: Sam is brought back to life perfectly healthy by Dean's Deal with the Devil.
• Badass Army: The Yellow-Eyed Demon promises Jake an army of demons to command.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: You're my leader. You open that crypt, and you will have your army.
• Bad Powers, Bad People: Jake's sudden Face–Heel Turn (or at least transformation from a sympathetic and well-meaning individual to someone who clearly enjoys showing off his new power and making others obey him) happens in tandem with him gaining new, more potent powers.
• Batman Grabs a Gun: Sam and Dean save people by hunting monsters, but they do not kill humans, and Sam is the one who is least comfortable with killing period. He convinces Dean to protect vampires from another hunter in "Bloodlust" (S02, E03) because the vampires are not hurting people, and he refuses to kill Jake despite being pitted against him in a fight to the death in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" (S02, E21). Both brothers are horrified when the human hosts die as a result of killing demons in "Devil's Trap" (S01, Ep22). But in this episode, Sam shoots the human Jake in the back 4 times, and after Jake is lying on the ground pleading for his life, Sam shoots him another 3 times. Dean also kills the human host of the Yellow-Eyed Demon, and instead of regret, Dean gloats over his victory with no thought of the human host.
• Bearer of Bad News: Sam tells Dean about Andy's death and presumably Ava's betrayal. Dean tells Sam about the fire at the Roadhouse and Ash's death.
• Bear Hug: Dean is so relieved to see Sam alive, he squeezes him in an embrace resulting in a pained "owww" from Sam.
• Beauty Contest: The Yellow-Eyed Demon says that being abducted to a ghost town and made to murder people is "all part of the beauty pageant".
• Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Samuel Colt built a 100 square mile Devil's Trap out of frontier churches and railroads in the mid-1800's to seal off a gate to Hell.
  Dean: Samuel Colt— the demon-killing, gunmaking Samuel Colt?
• Benevolent Precursors: Samuel Colt forged a gun capable of killing demons in 1835 and built a massive powerful Demon's Trap to protect the Hell Gate in southern Wyoming.
• Berserker Tears: Dean sits by Sam's body and tearfully discusses his failure to protect his brother. This ends with him yelling "What am I supposed to do?", standing up, and kicking furniture, while tears still fall from his eyes.
• Better Living Through Evil: The Yellow-Eyed Demon offers Jake a better life for his family, as well as an army to command.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: But I'm sure you could get your old job at the factory back. But then, on the other hand, the rest of your life, and your family's, could be money and honey, health and wealth, every day is ice-cream sundae. And all you got to do is this one little thing.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Sam guns down a pleading Jake in cold blood. It's the first time we've seen him kill somebody like that without remorse, and it's also the first time we've seen him kill a human. Dean realizes this, too, and is...unsettled. The YED implies that this is a sign that Sam isn't really Sam anymore.
  Sam: We got to find him, Dean. And I swear I'm gonna tear that son of a bitch apart.
• Big Bad: Continuing from last episode, Azazel coerces Jake into using the Colt to open the Devil's gate, releasing his demon army upon the world. Other than being killed by Dean, his plan goes off without a hitch.
• Big Brother Instinct/Knight Templar Big Brother: Sam's death moves Dean into Knight Templar territory.
  Dean: I always tried to protect you...keep you safe...Dad didn't even have to tell me. It was just always my responsibility, you know? It's like I had one job...I had one job...and I screwed it up. [Beat] I blew it. And for that, I'm sorry.
• The Big Damn Kiss: A dark version to be sure, maybe even a subversion, but Dean lays one epic smooch on the crossroads demon to seal the deal, and she appears to enjoy it for multiple reasons.
• Bigger Is Better: Samuel Colt built a 100 square mile Devil's trap in the desert using frontier churches and iron railroad tracks, while all previous Devil's traps seen in the show had easily fit in one room.
• Blatant Lies: Dean says he's fine. As he's drinking whiskey straight from the bottle.
• Blood from the Mouth: Jake, after he is shot.
• Book Ends: Dean's "We got work to do" at the end of the episode mirrors Sam's "We got work to do" from the pilot.
• Brand X: Bobby brings Dean a bucket of Sandy's Chicken in a yellow bucket with a red logo. He also brought 2 two-liter bottles of Cola.
• Break Them by Talking: The crossroads demon reminds Dean of his guilt over Sam's death and his father's suffering in Hell. She acts as if his soul is of little value saying, "Keep your gutter soul. It's too tarnished, anyway."
• Came Back Wrong: The Yellow-Eyed Demon suggests this may have happened to Sam. Future episodes leave whether he was telling the truth or not a bit ambiguous. Sam says no, but Sam also does a lot of things that Sam wouldn't have done before.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: How certain are you that what you brought back is 100% pure Sam?
• Can't You Read the Sign?: Hundreds of tortured escaping demons fly past the gate of the cemetery which reads "Rest in peace".
• Catapult Nightmare: Sam wakes up from being dead this way.
• Catchphrase:
  • Dean calls the Yellow-Eyed Demon a "son of a bitch" twice in this episode. Sam also calls Jake a "son of a bitch".
  • The Yellow-Eyed Demon says "Howdy, Jake." twice when he greets Jake. Sam also says "Howdy, Jake." when he sees Jake in the cemetery. "Howdy" is the same greeting the Yellow-Eyed Demon used in Sam's dream in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" (S02, E21)
• Changing Clothes Is a Free Action: Jake is able to find a whole new outfit while camping outside the abandoned ghost town. He has exchanged his ACU for black hooded sweatshirt, tan jacket, jeans, and brown boots. He also has found a tent somehow.
• Children Are Innocent/Constantly Curious: Dean's view of young Sam.
  Dean: You know, when we were little—and you couldn't been more than 5—you just started asking questions. How come we didn't have a mom? Why do we always have to move around? Where'd Dad go when he'd take off for days at a time? I remember I begged you, "Quit asking, Sammy. Man, you don't want to know." I just wanted you to be a kid...just for a little while longer.
• Chirping Crickets: Played Straight. After Dean's determined drive to the crossroads accompanied by guitar riffs, Dean stands and waits for the crossroads demon with only the sound of chirping crickets.
• The Chosen One: The Yellow-Eyed Demon tells Jake he is the only one who can open the crypt and release the army of demons.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: Oh, Jake. It's got to be you. I've been waiting for you for a very long time.
• Clint Squint: Bobby narrows his eyes when he confronts Dean about the deal in the junkyard. This may in part be because he is facing towards the sun.
• Cold Iron: The railway track forming the Devil's Trap was made of iron, instead of the more durable high quality steel now used for railways.
• Compelling Voice: Jake is able to command Ellen to turn her gun on herself.
• Concealment Equals Cover: Our heroes hide behind gravestones as the forces of hell explode from the Devil's Gate.
• Continuity Nod:
  • The Teaser opens in the same room where Sam found the Bowie knife in the trunk, and both Sam and Dean are wearing the same clothes they were wearing in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" (S02, E21). Bobby did take the time to change his clothes and hat.
  • The Yellow-Eyed Demon greets Jake with a "Howdy" twice, which was the same greeting the Yellow-Eyed Demon used in Sam's dream in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" (S02, E21), and likely a nod to the western setting.
  • The part of Dean's soliloquy describing a curious young Sam recalls Sam asking Dean when their father would be home while Dean makes "scabetti-ohs" in "Something Wicked" (S01, E18).
  • Bobby continues to greet his guests with a drink of Holy Water. He makes Ellen drink a shot from his flask in this episode and gave a possessed Sam beer laced with Holy Water in "Born Under A Bad Sign" (S02, Ep14).
  • Jake says "that Ava girl was right" when she talked about the "switches that just flip in your brain" when you open up in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" (S02, E21).
• Crazy-Prepared:
  • Of course Dean has graveyard dirt and the skull of a black cat in the trunk of the Impala.
  • Ash placed a map with notations from his research in a fire proof safe before the demons arrived at the Roadhouse, and he called Ellen to tell her this once he knows he is in trouble.
• Creepy Cemetery: The cowboy cemetery with a gate to Hell.
• Cynicism Catalyst: Dean cannot live with the idea of losing Sam, leading him to the crossroads.
  Dean: [crying] I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. I let Dad down. And now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down, too. How can I? How am I supposed to live with that? What am I supposed to do? Sammy. God.
• Dangerous Deserter: Jake is no longer wearing his army uniform, and the Yellow-Eyed demon reminds Jake that the army will not take him back because he is AWOL.
• Dead Man Writing: Ash left the map, which revealed the large Devil's Trap in Wyoming, in a safe before he died. This information was the reason that the demons burned down the Roadhouse and killed him.
• Deal with the Devil:
  • Dean makes one with the crossroads demon. Sam gets to live, but Dean only has one year left on Earth.
  • Jake makes one with the Yellow-Eyed Demon. Jake will open the Crypt, and in return he will gain a demon army to command and he and his family will be royalty in the new world they create.
• Death Amnesia: Sam remembers dying, but not his death.
  Dean: Well, what do you remember?
  Sam: I—I saw you and Bobby, and...I felt this pain. This sharp pain, like...white-hot, you know, and then you started running at me, and...that's about it.
• Deliberately Monochrome: The Teaser, where we see Sam's dead body, is filmed to appear de-saturated, creating a subdued mood.
• Despair Event Horizon: So wrapped up in his guilt of letting Sam die, in the heat of the moment, Dean rushes off and summons a crossroads demon to get Sam ressurected. And when the demon kept jerking him around, Dean ultimately wound up making a deal that means he dies in one year, not ten.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Dean.
  Dean: Dad brought me back, Bobby. I'm not even supposed to be here. At least this way, something good could come out of it, you know? I—I—It's like my life could mean something!
  Bobby: And it didn't before?!
• Disappears into Light: John's ghost.
• Disapproving Look: Bobby gives Dean a scolding stare—verging on a Death Glare—when Dean turns up with Sam.
  Bobby: Sam. It's good to...see you up and around.
• Doing Research: Once Ellen reveals the map Ash left in the safe, everyone hits the books. Dean researches the area in the middle of the stars, Sam researches the surrounding demon omens, and Bobby finds that there are frontier churches at each of the stars connected by a railroad. This leads to an Info Dump as the characters speculate on the possible reason for this massive Devil's Trap.
• Don't Ask, Just Run: When Bobby says, "Take cover now!", everyone dives behind a tombstone without question.
• Do You Want to Haggle?: Dean and the crossroad demon.
  Crossroad Demon: Fine. [walking away] Make sure you bury Sam before he starts stinking up the joint.
  Dean: [flinches] Wait.
  Crossroad Demon: [softly] It's a fire sale, and everything must go.
• The Dragon: Dean realizes that once Jake is dead, they may now face the Yellow-Eyed Demon.
  Dean: If the demon gave this to Jake... then maybe...
• Dream Walker: The Yellow-Eyed Demon appears to Jake in his dreams.
• Drives Like Crazy: Dean, who had been shown to be heavily drinking, speeds down a gravel road, fishtailing the Impala.
• Drowning My Sorrows: Dean is seen drinking whiskey straight from the bottle after Sam dies.
• Due to the Dead: Bobby mentions that it is time to give Sam a funeral, but Dean is not ready.
  Bobby: Dean...I hate to bring this up, I really do. But don't you think maybe it's time...we bury Sam?
  Dean: No.
  Bobby: We could [sighs] maybe...
  Dean: What? Torch his corpse? Not yet.
• Dumb Muscle: Clearly how the Yellow-Eyed Demon views Jake.
  Jake: I'm—I'm dreaming, aren't I?
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: I got a genius on my hands.
• Escaped from Hell: John climbs out of the gate just in time to stop the Yellow-Eyed Demon from killing Dean.
• Everybody Owns a Ford: While Supernatural tends to use a variety of cars from different manufacturers, this episode features another car from Chevrolet, which joins the Winchester's 1967 Impala. Jake is driving a white Chevrolet Caprice from the 1970's with a South Dakota license plate reading 825 31B.
• Evil Gloating: Apparently, all demons share a love of rubbing it in.
  • The crossroads demon enjoys making Dean wait and reminding him that his whole family is dead.
    Dean: Oh, come on, already. Show your face, you bitch!
    Crossroad Demon: Easy, sugar, you'll wake the neighbors. [eyes flash red] Dean. It is so, so good to see you. [inhales sharply] I mean it. Look at you. Gone and got your family killed. All alone in the world. It's too sweet. Excuse me, you're gonna have to give me a moment. [walks to Dean, face to face, close] Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses.
  • The Yellow-Eyed Demon lets Dean live only long enough to rub Dean's nose in how he's actually done Yellow Eyes a favor in selling his soul for Sam. As with all villains, it turns out to be a mistake.
• Evil Laugh: After Sam tells Jake that he will not make the mistake of letting him live again, Jake breaks into a low sinister laugh. This prompts Dean to say, "What are you smiling at, you little bitch?"
• Eye Lights Out: When the Yellow-Eyed Demon is killed, there is a close up of his face and the yellow fades revealing the normal eyes of his dead host.
• Evil Plan: We finally learn that the Yellow-Eyed Demon wanted the Colt and the Special Children to open the Devil's Gate.
• Evil Sounds Deep: The crossroads demon has a low, sexy voice.
• Evil Wears Black: The Yellow-Eyed Demon wears a black shirt, black jacket, and dark jeans.
• Eye of Newt: When Dean gets to the crossroad, we see him place 6 silver coins, a small dark bottle (presumably containing graveyard dirt), and a small skull (presumably once belonging to a black cat), in a tin tobacco box. He then adds a fake ID with his photo on it in the box, and buries the box at the crossroads. In "Crossroad Blues" (S02, E08), the items placed in the container to summon the demon were a photograph of the summoner, silver coins, graveyard dirt, a black cat bone, and yarrow.
• Family Eye Resemblance: Jake's eyes flash a golden color like the Yellow-Eyed Demon, indicating Jake is now under the demon's control and is one of his children.
• Fascinating Eyebrow: Sam raises his right eyebrow after Jake asks him if he is a tough guy all of sudden.
• Faustian Rebellion: Jake's plan.
  Jake: The only thing I'm gonna do is wake up, hunt you down, and kill you myself.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: You know, others have tried. It's not easy. Trust me, Jake. You want to be a good little soldier here.
• Fighting from the Inside: Ellen tries to resist Jake's command. We see her hand and body shake with this effort and a tic in her face, but she still points the gun at her temple.
• Fire Keeps It Dead: Averted Trope. Dean does not want to burn Sam's body in a traditional hunter's funeral because he has not accepted his death.
• Fog of Doom: Black smoke explodes from the Devil's Gate as the forces of Hell are released.
• Forced into Evil: Jake is coerced into serving the Yellow-Eyed Demon, who threatens to horrifically murder his family if he doesn't. At least at first. He ends up choosing to keep helping the Yellow-Eyed Demon because Yellow Eyes promises that he and his loved ones will reap the reward in the new world he'll create.
• A Form You Are Comfortable With/Like Goes with Like: Once again, when the crossroad demon meets Dean, she takes the form of a beautiful brunette white woman. When Robert Johnson summons the crossroad demon in "Crossroad Blues" (S02, E08), it appears in the vessel of a beautiful black woman.
• Friend or Foe?: When Bobby and Dean hear a crashing noise in the junk yard, they duck behind a car and grab the intruder, who turns out to be Ellen. Dean gives her a relieved hug.
• Geometric Magic:
  • The five frontier churches connected by iron railroads form a 100 square mile Devil's Trap in the shape of a pentagram. We previously saw much smaller Devil's traps in "Devil's Trap" (S01, Ep22), "Crossroad Blues" (S02, E08), and "Born Under A Bad Sign" (S02, Ep14).
  • There is also a smaller Devil's Trap on the crypt surrounding the lock to the Hell Gate.
• Good Colors, Evil Colors: The crossroads demon is in the vessel of a white woman wearing a little black dress. When she first appeared in "Crossroad Blues" (S02, E08), she wore a white dress in the vessel of a black woman, but during her second appearance in that episode she was a white woman alsowearing a black dress.
• Good Is Not Soft: Jake does not believe Sam is willing to kill, as he was unwilling to finish Jake when he had the upperhand in Cold Oak, but Sam is determined not to make that mistake twice.
• A Good Way to Die: Dean tries to convince himself and others that giving his life up for Sam's and going to Hell in a year is the best way he could have hoped to go out. Of course, those with any semblance of sanity (i.e. Bobby and Sam) would strongly disagree.
• Guilt Complex:
  • Dean feels as though he let Sam and John down because he couldn't save them from dying. It gets to the point where he can't bear to live with his failure anymore and makes a Deal with the Devil, trading his life for Sam's just as John did for him.
  Crossroads Demon: So...it's a better deal than your dad ever got. What do you say?
  • Ellen has trouble accepting that she survived the fire at the Roadhouse.
  Ellen: A lot of good people died in there. And I got to live.
• Go Out with a Smile: After he sees that the Yellow-Eyed Demon is finally dead, John's ghost smiles tearfully at his sons as he Disappears into Light.
• Gory Discretion Shot: Sam's face is splattered with blood as well as the door of the crypt when he shoots Jake.
• Handguns: Appropriate for the Western setting.
  • In the cemetery, Dean draws his M1911A1 with a pearl grip. We previously saw Dean use this gun in "Skin" (S01, E06), "Hell House" (S01, E17), "Devil's Trap" (S01, E22), "Bloodlust" (S02, E03), "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" (S02, E04), "Simon Said" (S02, E05), "Croatoan" (S02, E09), "Born Under a Bad Sign" (S02, E14), "Heart" (S02, E17), and "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" (S02, E21). Sam used this gun in "Shadow" (S01, E16) and "Something Wicked" (S01, E18).
  • Sam fires his nickel Taurus PT92AFS with a pearl grip. This gun was last seen when Sam shot Madison in "Heart" (S02, E17). This gun was also seen in "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" (S02, E04), "Simon Said" (S02, E05), "No Exit" (S02, E06), "Croatoan" (S02, E09), and "Hunted" (S02, E10).
• Hell Gate: The Devil's Gate in the crypt opens straight to Hell.
  Ellen: Bobby, what is it?
  Bobby: It's Hell.
• Heroic BSoD: Dean shuts down after Sam's death, no longer caring about saving people or the Yellow-Eyed Demon.
  Bobby: I gotta admit, I could use your help. Something big is going down—end-of-the world big.
  Dean: [yelling] Well, then let it end!
  Bobby: You don't mean that.
  Dean: You don't think so? Huh? You don't think I've given enough? You don't think I've paid enough? I'm done with it. All of it.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Dean does not see his own value.
  Dean: At least this way, something good could come out of it, you know? I—I—It's like my life could mean something.
• Hidden Agenda Villain: The Yellow-Eyed Demon is still not ready to let Jake in on his Evil Plan.
  Jake: Needed me for what?
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: Oh, I got a laundry list of tasty things for you.
• Hollywood Darkness: The scenes in the cemetery are well illuminated despite the fact that it is nighttime with no light source, except for possibly the moon, and at times the flames of Hell.
• Holy Burns Evil: Bobby pours Holy Water from his flask into a shot glass for Ellen to drink. We previously saw Holy Water used against demons in "Salvation" (S01, Ep21), "Devil's Trap" (S01, Ep22), and "Born Under A Bad Sign" (S02, Ep14).
• Holy Ground: The five point of the Devil's Trap are formed by frontier churches.
• Hot as Hell: The crossroads demon calls Dean "sugar" and flirts with him.
• I Can Still Fight!: Sam still grimaces and winces when he moves, but insists on pursuing the Yellow-Eyed Demon.
  Dean: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop, Sam, stop! Damn it. You almost died in there. I mean, what would I've—can't you just take care of yourself for a little bit, huh? Just for a little bit?
  Sam: I'm sorry. No.
• Iconic Outfit:
  • In Cold Oak, Bobby Singer is wearing a trucker's hat with "Eagle" written on the front and a brown bill. This hat was previously seen in "Born Under a Bad Sign" (S02, E14) and "Tall Tales" (S02, E15). Later, at his home, Bobby is wearing a hat with a dark blue front and bill and white sides.
  • Sam and Dean are initially wearing the same clothes they were in the last episode. When they arrive at Bobby's, Sam is wearing a brown plaid shirt, which was previously seen in "Hunted" (S02, E10) and "Tall Tales" (S02, E15). Sam is also wearing a brown T-shirt, jeans, and his green coat. Dean has changed into a black T-shirt, open button-up blue shirt, and his black utility coat.
• Idiot Ball: It takes Sam a lot longer than it should to work out what happened. In all fairness, he's probably a bit distracted by the Yellow-Eyed Demon's opening of the Devil's Gate.
• I Have Your Wife: Jake doesn't want to help the Yellow-Eyed Demon, so Yellow Eyes threatens to have his mother and his sister force-fed their own intestines if he isn't a good little soldier. Jake caves pretty quickly after that.
• Impostor-Exposing Test: Bobby has Ellen drink a shot of Holy Water from his flask.
  Bobby: Just a belt of Holy Water. Shouldn't hurt.
  Ellen: [Swigs down the Holy Water and sets the empty shot glass on the table] Whiskey now, if you don't mind.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: After drinking a shot of Holy Water, Ellen asks for a shot of Whiskey.
• I Need You Stronger: The Yellow-Eyed Demon tells Jake that he needed the strongest of the Special Children for his purposes, and that the events in Cold Oak were intended to cause them to grow stronger and determine who was the strongest.
• Ineffectual Death Threats: Dean knows Bobby doesn't mean it.
  Bobby: I could throttle you!
  Dean: What, and send me downstairs ahead of schedule?
• In the Back:
  • Jake declares he cut clear through Sam's spinal cord.
  • Sam shoots Jake in the back four times.
• Ironic Nickname: Despite the fact that the Yellow-Eyed Demon treats Jake like Dumb Muscle, he refers to Jake as "genius".
• Jacob Marley Apparel: John's spirit is wearing the same clothes he died in back in "In My Time of Dying" (S02, E01). Damn those demons, not letting him change outfits in Hell!
• Jedi Mind Trick: Jake lampshades his development of a Compelling Voice.
  Jake: Once you give in to it, there's all sorts of new Jedi mind tricks you can learn.
• Kiss Diss: The crossroads demon moves forward as if she is going to kiss Dean and seal the deal, bringing back Sam for Dean's soul in five years, which Dean said was his final offer. At the last moment, she stops and says, "Then no deal."
• Kiss of Death: Dean kisses the crossroads demon to seal the deal and in doing so literally signs his death warrant. On the other hand...
• Kiss of Life: ...their kiss could also sort of be considered this, since it brings Sam Back from the Dead.
• The Last Dance: Dean feels he has nothing to lose since he made the deal, and he is determined to kill the Yellow-Eyed Demon.
  Dean: Which is why we gotta find this yellow-eyed son of a bitch. That's why I'm gonna kill him myself. I mean, I got nothing to lose now, right?
• Leave Me Alone!: Bobby does not want to leave Dean alone, but Dean insists.
  Dean: And if you know what's good for you, you'd turn around, and get the hell out of here. [Dean shoves Bobby, shouting] Go! [quieter] I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, just go.
• The Legions of Hell: The Yellow-Eyed Demon's plan includes unleashing an army of demons from Hell.
• Lens Flare: We briefly see some lens flares as Jake collapses after being shot.
• Leonine Contract: The crossroads demon knows that Dean is willing to do anything to have Sam back and she can set the terms. Instead of the typical 10-year contract, she only gives Dean one year before the hellhounds collect.
  Dean: I should send you straight back to Hell.
  Crossroads Demon: Oh, you should. But you won't. And I know why.
• Like Father, Like Son: Lampshaded by the crossroads demon, who knows that Dean is coming to her to sell his soul for his little brother's resurrection, just as John had sold his soul for Dean's.
  Crossroads Demon: Following in Daddy's footsteps. You wanna make a deal. Little Sammy back from the dead, and—let me guess—you're offering up your own soul?
• Limited Wardrobe: Dean is still wearing the same clothes as in the last episode, his blue jacket, red plaid shirt, and a gray Henley.
• Little Black Dress: The crossroads demon is wearing a low-cut black dress with straps.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Dean lets Sam believe he recovered from a bad injury and does not tell him he died, as he does not want Sam to know about his deal. When they arrive at Bobby's, Bobby realizes immediately what Dean did, but plays along in front of Sam until he can get Dean alone and confront him.
• Lost in Transmission: A panicked Ash manages to call Ellen and tells her to look in a secret safe, but he is unable to explain the significance of the map before the call cuts out.
• Magically-Binding Contract: Dean's deal with the crossroads demon.
• A Magic Contract Comes with a Kiss: Dean grabs the the crossroads demon, and they lock lips as she cards her darkly-painted nails through his hair.
• Manipulative Bastard: The Yellow-Eyed Demon persuading Jake into doing his dirty work for him by playing on Jake's love for his family. Likewise, the crossroads demon manipulates Dean into selling his soul for only one more year of life before the bill comes due, rather than the customary ten.
• Manly Tears:
  • We see Dean with blood-shot eyes, quivering bottom lip, and sniffing.
  • Bobby's eyes shine with unshed tears in the junkyard when Dean tells him why he made the deal.
  • John, Sam, and Dean all shed Manly Tears when after Dean kills the yellow eyed Demon.
• Mickey Mousing: "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas punctuates the action during the The Road So Far.
• Mind Control: Jake is revealed to have gained powers similar—if not identical—to Andy's.
• Mirror Scare: Dean and Bobby see a shadow of a figure reflected by the broken windshield in the car they are hiding behind. But this is a Subverted Trope, when the figure turns out to be Ellen.
• Misplaced Vegetation: The desert around the Hell Gate in Wyoming has a lot of grass and a thick forrest with tall fir trees and birch trees.
• Mood Motif: During Dean's soliloquy beside Sam's body we hear the strings rise as he stands, and then the classic music is replaced by driving guitar riffs as Dean speeds the Impala to the crossroads.
• Never Found the Body: Ellen was assumed to be among the dead in the Roadhouse rubble. She turns up in this episode, having narrowly avoided death simply because they ran out of pretzels and she was out getting more in the fifteen minutes the demons came to her bar and burned it to the ground.
• New Era Speech: The Yellow-Eyed Demon gives one of these to Jake.
  Jake: You're talking about the end of the world.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: No, not the end— the beginning... a better world, where your family will be protected. More than that. They'll be royalty. Buddy boy, you have the chance to get in on the ground floor of a thrilling opportunity.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Yellow-Eyed Demon is actually glad that Dean made his Deal with the Devil for Sam, as he likes Sam better than Jake.
• No Communities Were Harmed: Cold Oak, South Dakota is a fictional town, but Sam says that Bobby's place is only a few hours away. Since Bobby lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it seems likely that Cold Oak is in the western part of South Dakota, perhaps in the Badlands or Black Hills.
• No Dead Body Poops: Sam's dead body appears as if he is simply lying there with his eyes closed. Despite the fact he likely died of massive blood loss or respiratory failure, he does not appear pale or cyanotic. There are also no signs of rigor or lividity, despite the fact that Sam has been dead for hours.
• No One Could Survive That!: Jake has no idea how Sam is still alive.
  Jake: Wait... you were dead. I killed you.
  Sam: Yeah? Well next time, finish the job.
  Jake: I did! I cut clean through your spinal cord, man.
• No-Tell Motel: Averted Trope. This is the 13th episode of Supernatural where we do not see the boys at a cheap motel.
• Not Hyperbole: Jake was not really thinking when he threatens a demon.
  Jake: Go to hell.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: Been there. Done that.
• Not Too Dead to Save the Day: John saves Dean and enables the Yellow-Eyed Demon to be killed.
• The Nth Doctor: For this episode, the crossroads demon is played by Ona Grauer instead of Jeannette Sousa, who played the same crossroads demon in "Crossroad Blues" (S02, E08).
• Nutritional Nightmare: Sam and Dean's breakfast is made up of a bucket of fried chicken, a box of pizza, containers of Chinese food, four liters of cola, and a bottle of whiskey.
• Oh, Crap!: Once the crypt opens, Bobby, Ellen, and the Winchesters have this reaction.
  • When the Yellow-Eyed Demon sees that Dean has the colt and a clear shot, his eyes widen in horror. Upon being shot, he dies with an expression of shock and horror on his face.
• One Bullet Left: Of the 13 bullets made by Samuel Colt, 5 are left in the case when Elkins opens it. One of these is used to kill Luther in "Dead Man's Blood" (S01, E20) and another is used in "Salvation" (S01,E21) by Sam shooting at the Yellow-Eyed Demon in the nursery. During "Devil's Trap" (S01, E22), one bullet is used to kill the demon Tom and the penultimate bullet is used to shoot a possessed John in the leg. The last bullet is used in this episode to kill the Yellow-Eyed Demon for good.
• Only Mostly Dead: Dean tells Sam that he was badly injured, but Bobby patched him up.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Dean says he is not hungry when Bobby urges him to eat.
• Pants-Positive Safety: Jake pulls the Colt out of the pocket of his pants.
• Papa Wolf: John Winchester fights his way out of hell past an army of demons to protect his sons.
• Percussive Therapy: Dean offers the chance to punch him as a way for Bobby to take out his anger, as long as Bobby does not tell Sam about the deal. The is an Averted Trope, as Dean's offer makes Bobby cry and hold Dean's chin.

  Dean: You can't tell him. You take a shot at me, whatever you got to do, but please don't tell him.

• Place of Protection: No demon, even the Yellow-Eyed Demon, can cross the borders of Samuel Colt's massive Devil's Trap.
  Bobby: This thing's so powerful, you'd practically need an A-bomb to destroy it. No way a full-blood demon gets across.
• Plot Coupon: When John gave the Yellow-Eyed Demon the Colt in "In My Time of Dying" (S02, E01), John was handing over the key to the Hell Gate.
• Portent of Doom:
  • Dean argues that a lack of omens means they have time to let Sam heal.
    Dean: Sam, oceans aren't boiling, okay? Frogs aren't raining from the sky. Let's get you your strength back first.
  • Bobby found a cluster of omens surrounding a spot in Wyoming.
    Bobby: Demonic omens...like a frickin' tidal wave. Cattle deaths. Lightning storms. They skyrocketed from out of nowhere.
• Power is Sexy: The crossroads demon claims to find Dean pathetic.
  Crossroads Demon: First of all, quit groveling. Needy guys are such a turnoff.
• Put Down Your Gun and Step Away: Jake uses his new Mind Control powers to threaten to make Ellen shoot herself if Sam, Dean, and Bobby don't lower their weapons. They do.
  Jake: Everybody, put your guns down. Except you, sweetheart.
• Puppy-Dog Eyes: When Dean tells Sam about the fire at the Roadhouse, Sam's eyes become large and shine with unshed tears. Sam wants to drive to Bobby's to find out what Ash was working on. Dean tries to convince Sam that he needs to heal, but ends up giving into Sam's big-eyed insistence.
• Psychic-Assisted Suicide: Jake threatens to make Ellen shoot herself in the head.
  Jake: Hey Lady, do me a favor. Put that gun to your head.
• Rack Focus: When Jake points the Colt at the Yellow-Eyed Demon, the focus starts on Jake's face and switches to the barrel of the gun, which shakes in Jake's hand. The focus is then on Jake pulling back the hammer of the gun and finally back on Jake's face as he lowers the gun.
• Ragnarök Proofing: A 100 square mile Devil's Trap built from an iron railway and five churches was built over 140 years ago, and it is still intact. It has been maintained from corrosion, vandalism, and even the forces of Hell by some unknown force.
• Real Men Hate Affection: When Bobby tries to convince Dean his life has value and he should not have made the deal, Bobby grabs Dean by his collar and shoves Dean. However, as Bobby becomes more emotional, he puts his hand on Dean's cheek and holds him.
• Recurring Riff: "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas plays during the The Road So Far section of this episode. It previously played during the recap on "Salvation" (S01, E21). It will play during future Season Finales and is the closest thing Supernatural has to a Theme Song.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: The crossroads demon's eyes burn red after she arrives. Unlike the Yellow-Eyed Demon, not only her irises, but also her sclerae change colors.
• Red Right Hand: In case the audience was uncertain whether Jake was really on the side of evil, his irises glow yellow when he forces Ellen to point her gun at her own head.
• Revealing Hug: When Dean hugs Sam, Sam's face contorts in pain due to his injury, while, unseen to Sam, Dean's eyes shine with unshed tears.
• Revenge Before Reason: Sam wants to hunt down Jake and take on the Yellow-Eyed Demon as soon as he is resurrected. Dean convinces him to eat something and give himself some time to recover.
• Revolvers Are Just Better:
  • The Colt is a modified Colt Paterson 1836.
  • Ellen draws a Taurus Model 66 in the cemetery.
• Sadly Mythtaken: The actual Devil's Gate in Wyoming is in the central part of the state and is a gorge which served as a landmark on the Oregon trail. A story told by the Shoshone and Arapaho describes a large beast in Sweetwater Valley who was surrounded by warriors firing arrows at him from the ravines. The beast used one of his enormous tusks to tear a gap in the mountain range and escaped. The name Devil's Gate is said to originate from this legend.
• Scars Are Forever: When Sam comes back from the dead, his internal life-threatening injuries are gone and he seems well, but he has a healed, rough, red scar from his mid-thoracic region to upper lumbar region and a little soreness over the scar. This is the only reminder of a fatal stab wound inflected with Super-Strength only one day prior.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: Samuel Colt had locked the Hell Gate inside a massive Devil's Trap.
• Series Fauxnale: The show had yet to be renewed by the time this episode originally aired, so, despite a few lingering threads, it would have served as an overall serviceable finale had the CW chosen not to continue it.
• Shoot the Hostage: Defied: When Ellen is forced to point her gun at her own head, she tries to convince the others to just kill Jake anyway and risk her losing her life in the process. The others, however, don't go for it; they stand down like Jake tells them to.
  Ellen: Shoot him.
  Jake: You'll be mopping up skull before you get a shot off.
• Shoot Out the Lock: This trope is played with by actually making the key to the lock be a gun.
• Shout-Out:
  • The Yellow-Eyed Demon compares Jake's murderous victory to winning American Idol.
  • When Sam wants to hunt Jake down in the woods, Dean says, "Easy, Van Damme."
  • The Yellow-Eyed Demon tells Jake to "Be all you can be."
  • Jake calls his new abilities Jedi mind tricks.
• Single Tear: When Bobby leaves Dean with Sam's body, there is a close-up on Dean as a tear runs down his right cheek.
• Smash Cut: A close-up of Dean and the crossroads demon kissing abruptly cuts to a close-up of Sam sitting up and opening his eyes, no longer dead due to Dean's deal.
• Smug Snake: The Yellow-Eyed Demon delivers almost all of his lines with a sarcastic confidence and even winks at Jake after the Yellow-Eyed Demon convinces Jake to use the Colt to unlock the Crypt, which is punctuated by the demon saying "Attababy".
• So Proud of You: Although he didn't say a word, it is clear that John is very proud of his sons before he ascends to heaven.
• Spoiler Title: Despite the hunters' efforts, hundreds of demons break out of Hell.
• Spreading Disaster Map Graphic: Bobby's map of demonic omens reveals an untouched region surrounded by a "tidal wave" of omens in the Wyoming desert.
• Spot the Imposter: Bobby still makes his visitors drink holy water.
• Stealth Hi/Bye: The Yellow-Eyed Demon just appears in the middle of the road behind Jake.
• Stealth Cigarette Commercial: Dean buries the items in an antique box for American Tobacco Company's Oriental Mix. We can read off the tin that this is a "high grade tobacco" and "a fine tobacco for the pipe". Dean pulled the cat's skull out of a Senator Virginia Cut Plug Smoking Tobacco tin, which is "specially adapted for pipe use".
• Stock Sound Effects: The creaking metal gate of the cemetery.
• Stuff Blowing Up: When the Devil's Gate open, black smoke explodes in a cloud covering the landscape with lightning and streaks of light.
• Supernatural Gold Eyes: The Yellow-Eyed Demon, of course, but also Jake at the cemetery.
• Survivor's Guilt:
  • Dean still feels guilty over his dad's Heroic Sacrifice for him, which is a factor in following in Daddy's footsteps and selling his soul after Sam dies.
  • Bobby points out that Sam is going to suffer from this when he realizes Dean made the deal.
  Bobby: How is your brother gonna feel when he knows you're going to hell? How'd you feel when you knew your dad went for you?
  • Ellen is shell-shocked by the sudden deaths of all her hunter friends and customers, including goofy, lovable Ash. Lucky for her that Jo had already moved out or Ellen might have just curled up and died of grief.
• Swiss-Army Gun: The Colt also works as a key to unlock the Crypt.
• Sympathy for the Hero: The crossroads demon says this is why she will make a deal with Dean.
  Crossroads Demon: Look...look, I shouldn't be doing this. I could get in a lot of trouble. But what can I say? I got a blind spot for you, Dean. You're like a...puppy. You're just too fun to play with.
• Talk About That Thing: Bobby asks Sam to looks at his map of demonic omens and then asks Dean to help him lug in some books from his truck. He wants to speak to Dean alone about Sam's resurrection.
• Talking in Your Dreams: Happens when Jake dozes off in front of a campfire and has a dream where the Yellow-Eyed Demon is sitting with him and talking to him. Since Jake is the unexpected winner of the Special Children's "competition", the demon congratulates him and then starts giving him orders, threatening him if he doesn't obey.
• Talking to the Dead: After Bobby leaves him alone, Dean talks to Sam's corpse while tearing up, and gives the most soul-crushing speech imaginable.
• "Take That!" Kiss: The crossroads demon continues to taunt Dean about losing his brother and his father. When she says "What do you say?", Dean answers her with a kiss, sealing the deal.
• Terms of Endangerment: Jake calls Ellen "sweetheart".
• Themed Aliases: The photo Dean buries is on a fake ID for an Agent Dean Ford of the U.S. Wildlife Service, which was previously used in "Dead In The Water" (S01, E03). During that episode, Dean introduced his brother and himself as Agent Hamill and Agent Ford, which was a departure from the typical guitarist/rock-star aliases, and was the start of many shout-outs to Star Wars. Eric Kripke has said Sam and Dean are based on Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
• This Cannot Be!: Jake is shocked to see Sam alive.
  Jake: You can't be alive. You can't be.
• Totally Radical: The Yellow-Eyed Demon tends to use outdated slang, such as "sport", "buddy boy", and "attababy". This may be because he is older than he looks.
• Turn Out Like His Father: Bobby wishes Dean was not as much like John as he is.
  Bobby: What is it with you Winchesters, huh? You, your dad. You're both just itching to throw yourselves down the pit.
• Underestimating Badassery: Jake does not believe Sam is willing to kill him.
  Jake: What, you a tough guy all of a sudden? What are you gonna do— kill me?
• Understatement: Dean sums up Sam's return from the dead for Bobby:
  Dean: Well, Sam's better.
• The Un Favourite: The Yellow-Eyed Demon lets Jake know that he was not his favorite among his Special Children.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: Well, congratulations, Jake. You're it—last man standing. The American Idol. I have to admit, you weren't the horse I was bettin' on, but, still, I gotta give it to ya.
• Unnecessary Combat Roll: Dean does a somersault in the air before diving behind a tombstone as the Devil's Gate opens.
• Unexplained Recovery: Sam should have known that even if Bobby could "patch up" his wound, his wound should not have completely healed leaving only a scar in one day. Sam's shoulder, which was dislocated when he was fighting Jake, also seems completely healed, and his clothes also seemed to heal unexpectedly with no blood stains or tears.
• Unluckily Lucky: Ellen survives the fire at the Roadhouse because of "dumb luck", but she lost her home, business, and many of her friends.
• Urban Legend: The stories surrounding the Devil's Gate Dam in Pasadena, which some believe may be a portal to Hell, may have served as an inspiration for this episode. These stories have been fed by the disappearance of children and the nearby mansion of Jack Parson, a rocket scientist and admirer of Aleister Crowley.
• Vancouver Doubling: Shot at various locations in British Columbia.
• Villains Act, Heroes React: This episode deals with Dean's reaction to Jake killing Sam and then the rest of our heroes trying to foil the Yellow-Eyed Demon's plan to open the Devil's Gate.
• Villains Never Lie: When Jake says that Sam should not be alive because Jake cut clear through Sam's spine, Sam seems to have a moment of doubt, Dean can't meet Sam's gaze, and Bobby quickly changes the subject.
• Villains Want Mercy: Once Jake is lying on the ground with Sam aiming his gun at him to finish him off, Jake says, "Please... don't. Please."
• Visionary Villain: The Yellow-Eyed Demon, who truly believes in his cause.
• Visual Pun: The action during the The Road So Far provides multiple examples when paired with the lyrics of "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas.
  • Sam is shown carrying two children during the line "carry on, my wayward son".
  • Sam and Dean are seen salting and burning Nurse Glockner's body as "lay your weary head to rest" plays.
  • During "but I flew too high", Sam is shown flying through the air from Jake's punch.
  • As we hear "I hear the voices when I'm dreaming", we see the scenes of the Yellow-Eyed Demon talking to Sam in his dream.
  • Finally, as Dean cradles Sam with Sam's head on Dean's shoulder, we hear "lay your weary head to rest", and as "don't you cry no more" plays, a tear runs down Dean's cheek.
• Weird West: The climax is in a cowboy graveyard in the middle of a giant devil's trap, which was built out of railroad tracks by Samuel Colt with five churches at the points of the star.
• What Is Going On?: After Dean hugs Sam, Sam asks, "Dean...what happened to me?" This leads Dean to to tell Sam that Bobby patched him up after "that kid" stabbed him in the back. Sam explains what happened to the Special Children at Cold Oak and that the Yellow-Eyed Demon only wanted one of them to survive. Dean tells Sam that the Roadhouse was burnt to the ground by demons, killing Ash and many other hunters.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • Bobby to Dean after he realizes Dean made a deal.
  • Bobby and then Dean give Sam a questioning look after he repeatedly shoots Jake, but Sam does not acknowledge this and just wipes Jake's blood off his face.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Bobby tries to convince Dean that his life has value.
  Bobby: Have you got that low of an opinion of yourself? Are you that screwed in the head?!
• You Are Too Late: Jake still opens the Devil's Gate before Sam shoots him. Dean pulls the colt out of the lock in the crypt, but not before the portal is opened.
• You Are Worth Hell: Dean is willing to spend eternity in hell for his brother.
• You Can Always Tell a Liar: Dean is usually a Consummate Liar, but when he first sees Bobby, he can't meet Bobby's eyes.
• You Killed My Father: Dean kills the Yellow-Eyed Demon, getting revenge for the death of their mother and father.
• Your Days Are Numbered: Dean is doomed to be dragged to Hell in one year if he wants Sam to stay alive.
  Crossroads Demon: And because I'm such a saint, I'll give you one year, and one year only. But here's the thing. If you try and welch or weasel your way out, then the deal is off. Sam drops dead. He's back to rotten meat in no time.
• You Wouldn't Shoot Me: The Yellow-Eyed Demon tells Jake that the Colt is the only gun that can kill the demon. The Yellow-Eyed Demon places the gun to his temple, hands the gun to Jake, and taunts Jake.
  Yellow-Eyed Demon: Oh, my. I'm shocked at this unforeseen turn of events. Go ahead, Jake. Squeeze that trigger. Be all you can be. This'll all be over. Your life can go back to normal.

---