Recap of Supernatural
Season 9, Episode 23
Do You Believe in Miracles?
Metatron Here's a tip - next time, try to be powered by the word of God.
Written by Jeremy Carver.Directed by Thomas J. Wright.
Air Date: May 20, 2014.
Sam and Castiel put Dean in lock-up after he attacks Gadreel. Dean protests that he is their only shot at killing Metatron, and they reluctantly conclude that he's right. At this point Crowley has already freed Dean, and they set off to where Metatron is manifesting himself in Muncie, Indiana. Dean might not have as much of an advantage as he thinks, though.
Body Count:
For this episode: 2 angels and 3 humans.
For the series so far = At least 1109 angels, 1043 humans (of which 8 were witches), 167 demons, 58 vampires, 49 ghosts, 36 Jefferson Starships, 21 gods, 19 zombies, 10 hellhounds, 9 werewolves, 7 skinwalkers, 6 changelings, 6 shapeshifters, 5 djinn, 5 reapers, 4 dogs, 4 ghouls, 4 Leviathan, 2 Amazons, 2 arachnes, 2 kitsunes, 2 rugarus, 2 Thule, 2 vetalas, 1 cat, 1 crocotta, 1 deer, 1 dragon, 1 fairy, 1 familiar, 1 Khan worm, 1 lamia, the Mother of All, 1 okami, 1 phoenix, 1 pishtaco, 1 Purgatory creature, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 shojo, 1 shtriga, 1 siren, 1 Titan, 1 wendigo, 1 whore of Babylon, 1 wicked witch, and 1 wraith.
Tropes
- The Alcoholic: George the homeless guy, apparently.
- All Myths Are True: There's a story that Cain turned into a demon after dying under the influence of the Mark of Cain. Crowley wasn't sure about it, but it turns out to be true.
- Almighty Janitor: Metatron invokes this by dressing up as a homeless man and healing people to gain followers.
- And Then Dean Was A Demon: He's been Not Quite Human for some time, but dying allowed him to fully cross the line.
- Badass Bystander: An angel among the homeless people calls out Metatron as a fraud. It didn't end well for him, but it was still awesome.
- Knowing Metatron, the presence of a holdout angel among this group of homeless is almost certainly why he chose them to grace with his presence in the first place.
- Black Eyes of Evil: The telltale sign that Crowley's suspicions that Dean had become a demon were correct.
- Blood from the Mouth: Dean, due to holding the Mark of Cain and First Blade without killing anything for a while.
- Came Back Wrong: Dean resurrects as a demon.
- Deal with the Devil: Sam immediately attempts to summon Crowley so that he can make him save Dean. Crowley ignores him, as he'd much rather have demon!Dean at his disposal.
- Dramatic Irony: Crowley muses to himself that "[m]aybe miracles do come true"... in that he finally had proof that Dean was in the process of becoming a demon.
- Driven to Suicide: Cain in the story Crowley "forgot" to mention. Killed himself with the First Blade to escape its influence... which turned him into a demon.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Sam hits the scotch after bringing Dean home to die.
- Dying as Yourself: Dean is relieved to be dying because the Blade "was turning me into something I don't wanna be". Too bad for him that dying is the final step in turning him into exactly that.
- Engineered Public Confession: You really shouldn't have made Castiel Genre Savvy, Metatron.
- Eye Awaken: The final shot of the episode is Dean opening his eyes to reveal Black Eyes of Evil, signifying that the Mark of Cain has resurrected him as a demon.
- Exact Words: "When I suggested you take on the Mark of Cain, I didn't know this was going to happen. Not really. I mean, I might not have told you the entire truth. But I never lied. I never lied, Dean."
- Foreshadowing: Dean refusing to eat his cheeseburger was the telltale sign for Crowley about what was happening to Dean...
- The Hero Dies: Subverted. Dean dies courtesy of Metatron but the Mark of Cain brings him back as a demon.
- Heroic Suicide: Gadreel kills himself to give Castiel a chance to get out of angel prison and prove to Hannah that he's doing this for better reasons than his past.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Invoked by Castiel when he states that Metatron learned how to tell a good story, as Castiel uses his new knowledge to trick Metatron into an Engineered Public Confession.
- I Lied: Sam lied about being okay with Dean dying and when he said that he wouldn't have done the same thing Dean did at the beginning of the season.Dean: Ain't that a bitch.
- Locked Out of the Loop: The climax of the episode sees Sam, faced with the prospect of Dean dying, deciding to down a shot of burbon and attempt to summon Crowley to force him to revive Dean. What he doesn't know, however, is that at that same time, Crowley is visiting Dean's corpse in his bedroom, bearing witness to his final transformation into a demon.
- The Needless: Dean is no longer hungry. This is what made Crowley realize that he's turning into a demon.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Metatron gives one to Dean before Castiel breaks the tablet.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Big Eater Dean chooses not to finish his cheeseburger.
- Percussive Prevention: Dean knocks Sam unconscious with one Mark-powered punch to ensure his younger brother doesn't follow him into battle. Sam follows him anyway when he wakes up.
- Person as Verb: "I've been Winchestered".
- Questioning Title?: Not just serving as a Shout-Out to the "Miracle on Ice"
from the 1980 Winter Olympics, the title ties into both Metatron's plot of passing himself off as an Almighty Janitor by performing miracles, and Crowley coming to realize miracles do really exist... in the form of Dean becoming a demon. - "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Given to Metatron by an unnamed angel.Angel: He's a fraud!Metatron: I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, good sir. How can one be a fraud when one offers nothing? A little love, a little hope, the occasional miracle—nothing more.Angel: You know exactly what I mean...Metatron.Metatron: Excuse me?Angel: His name is Metatron. And much as he'd like you to think...he's not one of you. He's an angel. We both are.Metatron: An angel? Okay. Somebody's been drinking out of George's canteen.Angel: So, you deny you're the former Scribe of God...Metatron: Sir.Angel: ...a petty, unliked, unloved angel...Metatron: These people don't want to hear—Angel: ...driven by the relentless pursuit of power and nothing more...Metatron: This has really gone too far.Angel: ...who's already brought the rest of the angels under his iron thumb.
- Redemption Equals Death: Gadreel kills himself to free Castiel and prove to Hannah that they're sincere.
- Trojan Prisoner: How Castiel gets into Heaven, complete with Star Wars Shout-Out. Unfortunately, the angels see through the ruse.
- Villains Never Lie: Crowley, purportedly.Crowley: You have to believe me. When I suggested you take on the Mark of Cain, I didn't know this was going to happen. Not really. I mean, I might not have told you the entire truth. But I never lied. I never lied, Dean. That's important. It's fundamental. But... there is one story about Cain that I might have... forgotten to tell you.
- Wham Shot: Dean's eyes opening, revealing that they've turned black.
- What You Are in the Dark: At the end of the episode, we see Sam faced with the exact same situation Dean was in at the start of the season: his brother is dead. And unlike what he told Dean, he isn't willing to have him die; he goes straight down to the dungeon, where Dean had set up a means to contact Crowley... and kneels.Sam: (chocking back anger) Damn it, Crowley... You got him into this mess. (kneels) You will get him out... or so help me, God. (grabs a box of matches)
- You Would Do the Same for Me: Faced with the prospect of Dean being dead, Sam isn't willing to put his money where is mouth is.
