Recap of Supernatural
Season 9, Episode 10:
Road Trip
Directed by Robert Singer.
Airdate: January 14, 2014.
Grieving for Kevin's death and Sam's disappearance—physical and otherwise—Dean calls in Castiel. The two of them have little choice but to ask Crowley's help in getting Sam back. In return Crowley demands a supervised, shackled outing. The three of them visit Cecily, a plant that Crowley has working at the NSA who puts them on the trail of the Impala.
In Sam's body, Gadreel continues through Metatron's hit list. This is easy, even pleasurable, in the case of Thaddeus, an angel who had tortured him in Heaven and who is now occupying a teen pop idol. He has more difficulty with Abner, an old friend and fellow prisoner who tries to convince him that he can still make better choices. Nonetheless, Gadreel still kills Abner and Dean arrives just in time to see Gadreel washing the blood off Sam's hands.
Back in the Men of Letters compound, Dean and Castiel have Gadreel bound, but the angel is defiant in holding onto Sam's body. Castiel can't possess Sam without consent that Gadreel isn't about to give, but Crowley reminds them that demons "can take what [they] want". At Dean's acquiescence, Castiel burns off Sam's anti-possession tattoo and Crowley goes in to tell Sam what has happened and get him to evict Gadreel.
In the aftermath, Abaddon appears to finish off Crowley. He challenges her to an election for Hell's "hearts and minds" and disappears. Elsewhere, Sam expresses anger and disappointment at Dean for lying to him. A shaken Dean resolves to hunt on his own from now on, leaving Sam behind.
Body count:
For this episode = 2 angels, 1 demon, 3 humans, and a dog.
For the series so far = At least 1087 angels, 964 humans (of which 8 were witches), 136 demons, 51 vampires, 49 ghosts, 36 Jefferson Starships, 21 gods, 19 zombies, 10 hellhounds, 7 skinwalkers, 6 changelings, 5 djinn, 5 shapeshifters, 5 werewolves, 4 dogs, 4 ghouls, 4 Leviathan, 4 reapers, 2 Amazons, 2 arachnes, 2 kitsunes, 2 rugarus, 2 Thule, 2 vetalas, 1 cat, 1 crocotta, 1 dragon, 1 fairy, 1 familiar, 1 Khan worm, 1 lamia, the Mother of All, 1 okami, 1 phoenix, 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:
- Battle in the Center of the Mind: In order to break the Lotus-Eater Machine that Sam is under Crowley possesses him and fings Sam inside a recreation of the bunker. Once Gadreel shows up Crowley and Sam have to fight the angel long enough for Sam to evict him from his body.
- Cutting the Knot: When Sam shows some skepticism over being possessed by an angel Crowley shoots him which, since he is inside his own head, doesn't effect him to prove he's telling the truth.
- Demonic Possession: Sam gets both at once since, in addition to being possessed by Gadreel, Crowley also possesses his body in order to help Sam evict his unwanted guest.
- Fangirl: Cecily practically swoons over "feathered" Castiel, calling him Captain Sexy.
- Friendship Moment: Despite Dean's earlier rejection of him, which had devastating physical and emotional consequences for Castiel, he returns to the bunker and just listens to a distraught Dean pour his heart out. Later, Dean and Cas bond over their past mistakes as a distraction from what Crowley is doing to Sam.
- Get Out!: After a lengthy battle, Sam evicts Gadreel from his body using these words.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Gadreel wants to lead the angels back to Heaven no matter the number of people he has to kill. Dean and Crowley reply they are also doing what they have to do.
- Iconic Outfit: Of a sort. Castiel somehow managed to dig up a similar jacket to the tan trench coat that had been his uniform for four and a half seasons, but didn't get around to replacing the tie.
- Just Following Orders: Thaddeus justifies to Gadreel that torturing him was part of his job. However, torturing his friend Abner was "just for fun".
- Lonely Funeral: Dean is the only one at Kevin's burning.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: Gadreel has created a fictitious case inside Sam's brain involving ghouls and cheerleaders.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Corey is an ersatz of Justin Bieber.
- Oh, Crap!: Thaddeus, when he notices that Gadreel has stolen his angel blade
- Playing Both Sides: Cecily on Crowley and Abaddon. The latter is not pleased.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!:Sam: I said. Get. The Hell. Out.
- Real Is Brown: Inverted. It's Sam's Lotus-Eater Machine that has a noticeable brown tint.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Crowley is basically okay with Cecily playing both sides until she knows who the winner is. Abaddon isn't.
- Right Behind Me: Crowley tells Sam he needs to take control and "cast that punk-ass, holy roller, out!" A few seconds later, based on Sam's shocked expression, Crowley realizes that Gadreel is behind him.
- Shout-Out:
- Crowley's new nickname for Sam is "Bullwinkle".
- Crowley dubs Dean and Cas "Laverne & Shirley".
- Surveillance as the Plot Demands: Crowley has a "friend" at the NSA and Abaddon has a demon hausfrau no one even notices.
- Tantrum Throwing: Dean smashes everything around him after Kevin's death.
- Token Evil Teammate: Crowley is a prisoner, is still evil and he claimes to hate the Winchesters. Yet, he proves very helpful in this episode, and he is sincerely upset by Kevin's fate.
- Trust Password: Sam and Dean apparently have an emergency word called "Poughkeepsie". Dean tells Crowley who in turn tells Sam so that he will listen to him.
- Viking Funeral: Standard for hunters. Dean gives one to Kevin.
