Warning: Spoiler Alert
This was the episode that season ten of The CW series “Supernatural,” was building for, since the season debut back in October, actually the story’s origin’s began in the middle of season nine. The two men, who are compelled by the brand on their arm to kill, the man that Satan originally gave the mark to, Adam and Eve’s son Cain and the man he bestowed the Mark Of Cain on last season, Dean Winchester. Dean, Sam and Castiel, spent much of this season trying to find the man who killed his brother, in search of a cure for the mark. However when Castiel finally locates him in this episode, Dean realizes his only option’s to take down Cain, or die trying.
We start things off in a maximum correctional facility, deep in the heart of Texas, as one of the guards walk down “Death-Row,” telling the convicts lights out in five minutes. An inmate who’s getting executed in two weeks, Tommy Tolliver, tries to get the guard upset enough to fight him, but the seasoned veteran, just walks away. He returns to the surveillance office, the other guard mentions the hard time Tolliver gave the guard and the other man responds, he tries the same bit every time.
We see a man’s shoes on the closed gate that separates “Death Row,” from the rest of the facility, then suddenly we see his shoes on the other side of the gate. The man’s got black boots, a black-coat and a black dueling pistol that appears under his coat while he walks. Suddenly, Tolliver looks up to see the man in his cell, it’s Cain, although his hair’s far longer than when we met him a year ago.
He greets Tommy and the inmate asks who he is, Cain responds he’s known by many names including the Father Of Death, then says Tolliver’s started his own little massacre. He says Tommy’s convicted of six murders, but by his count he’s killed nine people. Tolliver says Cain’s correct and he responds honesty’s good, then he says I bet you’re wondering whether I’m hear to punish you or save you. He whispers in Tolliver’s ear actually both, shoves a blade in the inmate’s gut, that comes out his back and they both vanish.
In the “Real Down Under,” Crowley talks to a Crossroads Demon, who’s complaining, he’s not getting proper credit for his work, while Crowley’s advisors look on. The King Of Hell asks the Demon if he’s looking for a promotion and he responds the only thing he’s looking for is credit for his work. Crowley’s bored with him and says fine, but Crowley’s mother Rowena, has a different opinion. She says she thinks the demon should get cut in half and the two halves displayed on the doors to the court, so others realize not to bother the King with such petty grievances. Crowley, says go for it.
“THE BOYS,” posing as agents from the Inspector General’s Office, go to the prison to check out Tolliver’s disappearance and the warden shows the surveillance tape just before the inmate vanished. They see a man walking down the corridor and Dean asks them to pause and enlarge the image and he realizes it’s Cain.
Castiel’s searching for Cain and Illinois and calls Dean and Sam, Sammy tells the Angel that Cain took a prisoner out of a “Death-Row,” cell and Castiel looking at a sneaker with the label of the prison on it, says it’s an educated guess but he believes Tolliver’s dead. The camera pans back and we see Cas standing in a valley, covered with freshly dug graves and tells them Cain’s on a killing spree. Dean says give us your location and we’ll meet you there, Castiel senses something odd and says he’ll call back. He looks up and sees Cain, who says hello Castiel.
Cas, asks Cain what he’s done and he responds that he’s cleaning up a mess he should have taken care of long ago. The Angel responds he know what he was, but Cain had resisted the temptation for so long, he replies he had to raise an army when Abaddon was after him and he got the taste back. Castiel says they were demons and he’s killed humans, Cain explains he’s killed whole families, of “his children,” murders, thieves and cheats. His plan’s culling one out of every ten, it’s the least he can do for the planet.
He then asks the Angel how’s Dean, then says he heard he succeeded and took out Abaddon, but Castiel’s facial expression tells Cain what’s going on. He says he’s not doing well is he, well I’ll take care of him very soon. Castiel draws his blade, Cain says sorry Castiel, you’re not on my list and vanishes.
Back in Hell Rowena asks Crowley if he’ll help her take out a witch whose her greatest enemy, the woman she blames for turning the High Council against her. Crowley smirks at his mother and tells her, if she’s going to pull a long con, she should wait longer after she completes the deserving task. Rowena says the two of them need to get out of there, with all the foul smells and spend some time in the real world and while they’re out they can kill the witch. Crowley walks away silently.
Castiel arrives at the Men Of Letters headquarters and Sam starts tracing Tolliver’s relatives on his laptop, Tommy’s dad Leon Tolliver, also a career criminal has been missing for a week, but he appears to be the inmate’s only relative. That moment of relief, quickly vanishes when they realize Tommy had an illegitimate son, Austin Reynolds, now 12-years-old and living in Ohio, with his mother. Castiel quickly informs Sam and Dean, that Austin just being a child doesn’t matter to Cain. Dean says then it’s settled, I’ll do what I have to do. We’ll track him down to Ohio and I’ll kill Cain.
Dean calls Crowley on his cellphone and we see the King Of Hell’s listening to Rowena’s plan to take out her rival. His phone rings and the display reads “Not Moose,” he asks Dean what’s going on and Dean says Cain’s back and he needs the First Blade. Crowley asks why he should help Dean and Winchester responds, Cain’s got a list and Crowley’s on it, he’ll text the King Of Hell the address. Although Rowena gives him a chewing out over working with the Winchesters, Crowley grabs the First Blade and heads to Ohio.
Sam, Dean and Castiel arrive and Austin’s playing basketball in the barn. Sam says they should get Austin out of the area and out of danger, but Dean and Cas stress they need the boy as bait to attract Cain. We hear another voice saying the boy should be moved, it’s Crowley who just arrived. Dean asks for the First Blade and the King Of Hell says that he thinks Dean’s pals would agree that Crowley shouldn’t give it to him until Cain arrives.
The man who was the first human being to kill another arrives just as Austin leaves the barn to head back to his house. He hears a gate swing open and the boy asks who’s there, when he sees Cain who says Hello Austin. The boy asks what he wants and Cain says he’s here to kill him, suddenly Sam appears and he and Austin head into the barn. Cain comes in soon after and heads straight for the boy who says please don’t, Cain plunges a knife into the boy’s abdomen and he disappears in a cloud of multi-colored smoke.
Cain realizes it was an illusionary spell, says an 18th Century trick and Crowley enters and says he got it from his mother. Sam tells Cain to look down and they’ve got him caught in a demon’s circle, he says it won’t take long for him to break free and Sam replies that’s okay, the door slides open quickly and Cain see’s Dean.
Crowley gives Dean the First Blade and asks what assurance he has that he’ll get it back? Dean responds, if he survives and he won’t give it back, then Crowley’s really got problems. He says when it’s over he wants them to carry the loser out, he doesn’t seem fearful if he’s the one who dies.
Winchester walks into the barn, holding the First Blade, with Cain still trapped in the circle, Dean remains silent, and Cain asks if a cat’s got his tongue. Then he says this is the part when you ask me if there’s anyway we can avoid this, anyway Cain will stop so Dean doesn’t have to kill him. Winchester replies, he’s past the formalities and won’t attempt to talk him down, because Cain’s gone mental. His opponent responds he believes he’s never seen things more clearly.
Dean steps into the ring and Cain knocks him down three times, then he says that Winchester’s holding back, afraid that the mark will consume him if he gives into it. He knocks the blade out of Dean’s hand and then wins the scramble to recover it. He tells Winchester he’s saving him from his fate, then says that Dean’s living Cain’s life in reverse. First he’ll kill Crowley, he’ll have mixed feelings but will find a way to justify it. Then he’ll kill the Angel and he’ll feel terrible about that. Then he’ll kill Sam and go full-out loony, he raises the blade to stab Dean and Dean grabs a metal blade cutting Cain’s hand holding the knife, off and it falls to the floor as blood spurts from the remainder of Cain’s arm.
Dean grabs the First Blade then literally begs to Cain, for him to tell Dean he doesn’t have to kill him, that he’ll stop his killing spree. Cain defiantly says he’ll never stop and Dean kills him. He walks downstairs and Crowley tells Dean to give him the blade back, he gives it to Castiel instead. The King Of Hell says Dean lied to him, Winchester responds it’s the second time that day he’s lied to him, he wasn’t on Cain’s list. Crowley vanishes.
Back at the Men Of Letters headquarters, Castiel, Dean and Sam are talking. Sam tells his brother he did great and if he can do what he did to Cain and not get consumed by the Mark Of Cain, he’s beating the problem. Dean weakly smiles and says he’s going to bed for the next four days. When he leaves the Angel asks Sam how Dean’s doing and the younger Winchester says he’s in trouble Cas.
The Story Continues on Wednesday March 18, at 9:00 pm on The CW.
