Supernatural Recap S9E22 Stairway to Heaven

Dixon, Missouri. Inside an icecream shop a mother gives an elaborate order, when her son wants the same icecream as a little girl is eating nearby. The mother approaches her, but the little girl is snarky, and the mother takes offense. The girls says she’s an angel, and the mother thinks she’s kidding. A man walks in, headed her way. The little girl tries to warn the mother to leave, but it’s too late.

Dean awakens Sam, its time to play. Something has gone down in Missouri and they rush in to aid castiel. As odd and dorky as Castiel is, he’s the best bet to go against Metatron. Sam isn’t happy that Dean has packed the first blade, but Dean thinks the magic stick should come. Sam wants to only use it on the boss levels, to leave it home otherwise, and Dean leaves it behind.

The boys arrive at the crime scene, but there is no need for them to flash their badges. They’re expecting Agents Spears and Aguilera. Castiel shows them the burnt out human husks and the dead angel. She was one of his, but he thinks the act was horrific even for Metatron.

Metatron tries on Castiel’s look, until Gadriel interrupts him. Gadriel is concerned that they’re losing, that his men turned on him. Metatron points out that he was having a secret meeting that was kind of conspicuous. Gadriel listened to what Castiel has to say, but didn’t plan on changing sides. Metatron doesn’t understand Castiel’s appeal, why he’s so beloved, aliking him to a mentally deficient puppy. Metatron is lovable and funny he laments. He has a plan to win over an ally though, and Gadriel hopes it isn’t dressing up like Castiel.

Castiel takes the boys back to angel head quarters. Josiah was missing from role call. The angels like to hear their names. Sam and Dean get to tracking the missing angel. The angel’s credit card was used in Colorado recently. Another angel comes with some cell phone video, thank goodness for technology. It’s video inside of the ice creamery before the angel blow out. An angel walked in, exposed his carved up chest, and in the name of Castiel drove his own blade into his chest, killing everyone. Dean wants to know what the hell that video was, but Castiel is sure that he never ordered that. Hannah doesn’t think its what they think it is. She backs up the footage. The man was taking out Ester, one of Metatron’s angels. Dean worries about Castiel’s mojo, that the last time he had this much power he killed a whole lot of people. The boys take Castiel aside. He didn’t order this type of suicide bombing. He thinks that the enochian symbol on the angel’s chest focused the energy and Ester was atomized. Dean wants Castiel and his Manson girls to stay out of the investigation, but Castiel refuses, so he gets one giant moose shadow.

Castiel and Sam chit chat in the car. Castiel learns of Abaddon’s death, and mentions that Dean is extra angry. He even admits that for a moment he believed maybe he ordered the angel death squad. He’s not looking to be God though, he just wants to help his people.

Bowling beats out Metatron. Tyrus doesn’t wish to sign on the dotted line, because well, he just doesn’t like Metatron very much. Metatron goes for threatening, and Tyrus finds the hilarity in that. He gives him a chance to talk though, Metatron just has to beat him at bowling.

Sam and Castiel question the gas attendant for Josiah’s trail. Dean speaks with Flagstaff about the angel that went boom. She mocks him, thinking that she’s more help than Dean, accusing him of being little more than a killer. Dean slams the angel to the floor, asking for Orion’s friends. One name rings with familiarity, Tessa, the reaper.

Castiel and Sam find Josiah’s car. Castiel warns that the place is radiating with power, a concentration the likes of which he hasn’t felt since heaven. Sam tries to break down the door with no luck, so Castiel gives it a try, but isn’t any more successful.

Dean catches up with Tessa easily, she missed her shift at the hospital and Dean tracked her with her phone’s GPS. Now that he has her, he isn’t losing her. He handcuffs her to him, and asks about the other name Flagstaff mentioned, Constantine.

Metatron gets his bowling shoes, when a roadblock appears in the form of a young man. With the same enochian symbol on his chest he skewers himself in the name of Castiel. Gadriel moves to shield Metatron from the blast.

All of the windows and doors are sealed, without a way to get in Sam finds. Castiel finds an Enochian symbol with a child’s joke. Why is six afraid of seven? Castiel doesn’t know the answer, overthinking it. Sam solves it with seven eight nine, and the door opens like the door from Lord of the Rings. Sam is surprised at Castiel’s sudden pop culture knowledge.

Dr. Flagstaff laments over Dean’s treatment of her. Dean brings in Tessa, and Hannah asks what she’s doing there. Hannah is surprised to hear that Tessa thinks that there is no God, and that Dean wounded her. Hannah stops Dean from taking Tessa in for torturous questioning. They will allow him to question her, but no blade.

Sam asks if Castiel wants to go back, but Castiel isn’t sure he wants to. Sam reads the writing on the walls. Another riddle, and Castiel nearly finds himself beheaded with a Last Crusade trap.

Tessa spills.  When Castiel came to her and he chose her because she was strong. Hannah loses it, and Dean manhandles her out the room. Hannah wonders if it’s the truth, Dean thinks Tessa believes it to be.

Castiel reaches the door that the energy is coming from, hopeful that perhaps they can accomplish their mission without a fight. IF they can find the doorway to heaven then they won’t have to go to war. The room is a cheesy bit of heaven custom built for Castiel. In the corner they find Josiah’s burnt body. Josiah is still alive, barely. He feels played by Castiel, thinks that he’s no longer an angel, and would rather die than be bound to Castiel. Josiah dies in front of Castiel.

Dean goes to Tessa one on one. He has a soft spot for the angel, they had a moment when Dean was dying. Tessa is tired of the screaming, the souls who can no longer get into Heaven since the gates are closed. She can no longer do her job, and she was being driven crazy, longing for death, until Castiel brought the quiet, gave her a reason to die. Dean doesn’t think that it sounds much like Castiel. Tessa counters, with the fact that Castiel rose an army behind his back, has been doing many things out of character. She warns that there are many factions like her, and she refuses to tell him the name so as not to ruin the fun. Dean pulls out the first blade, he’s doing what he has to. She thanks him, welcomes him, and skewers herself on the blade before he realizes her intentions. Hannah and the others come in hearing Tessa’s death, and finds Dean with the blade still in hand.

Castiel and Sam return to find Dean bound and gagged. Dean tells them that Tessa knifed herself, and Sam is upset that Dean brought the first blade. Without Tessa they have nothing, which Dean is well aware of. Hannah interrupts, Metatron is on the phone. Metatron tells him about the angel bomber who failed. Gadriel is wounded and Tyrus is dead. Castiel maintains that he didn’t send anyone, and Metatron doesn’t believe him. Castiel doesn’t lie like Metatron does, but Metatron still sees himself as the savior in the story. He did what he had to, nothing good or evil. Metatron offers a deal. He will take all of Castiel’s angels into his fold, and be their God. He throws more stones, spilling about Castiel’s fading grace. Metatron may not be a good choice, but he’s the best that they have. Hannah asks about Metatron’s words. Castiel admits that what Metatron said about his grace was true, but nothing else is. Hannah and the other angels are filled with doubts, and they ask for a sign of his loyalty, they want Dean punished, ask that he not lose everything over one man. Castiel cannot, and that should prove his morals more than Dean’s death, but it does not. Hannah and the others walk away.

Metatron gets the good news. The first of Castiel’s flock has come over. Gadriel is upset to learn that their elite team were nothing more than brain washed angel bombers. It’s a writing crutch Metatron explains. Castiel is in love with humanity, and he will fall because of it. Metatron sacrificed many good angels to further his gains. He’s set the game to be the victor.

The boys return to the bunker with Castiel in tow. Sam wants to hash it out, and he’s less than pleased to hear Dean’s apology. Dean isn’t apologizing. He wields the blade, and it’s the thing that can kill Metatron, until that happens it’s a Deantatorship, and Sam has to deal with it. Dean checks on Castiel and his fading grace. It may be fading fast, but he hopes it lasts long enough. Castiel sacrificed his entire army for Dean, and that more than anything else proved that he wasn’t behind the bombings. Dean is sure that the three of them can stand against Metatron and come out victorious, they’ve been before. Gadriel drops in on them before Sam can shout out a warning. He’s come to change sides. He’s seen the Metatron’s lies, and has finally become disillusioned by it. Sam isn’t ready to trust him, but Gadriel points out that they’ve all done things that they regret. Dean extends his hand in friendship, and Gadriel takes it, but Dean turns on him like a rabid dog, slashing him across the chest with the first blade before Sam and Castiel can grab him.