I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here is the first episode and season premiere of Season 9

Main

 * Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester
 * Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester
 * Misha Collins as Castiel
 * Julian Richings as Death
 * Tahmoh Penikett as Ezekiel

Special Guest Star

 * Jim Beaver as Bobby Singer

Summary
FALLEN ANGELS — Dean (Jensen Ackles) is frantic after Sam (Jared Padalecki) collapses and the doctor tells Dean his brother won’t make it. Desperate, Dean sends out an all points bulletin via prayer to every angel in the area, asking them to help his brother. In exchange, Dean will owe that angel a favor. Numerous angry angels race to find and kill Dean, but one, Ezekiel (guest star Tahmoh Penikett), gets to him first. Meanwhile, Sam fights for his life and must face some familiar demons to do so. Castiel (Misha Collins) struggles to survive without powers.

Plot
The episode began with a montage of Season 8, with glimpses of thei brothers' various kills and important plot points.

Out on the road, Sam wonders how could humans explain the angels falling as a meteor shower, before Dean reveals they have a larger problem: Sam actually fell into a coma from his injuries in the trials, and they’re currently inside his head. Meanwhile in the real world, Dean learns from a doctor that Sam likely won’t recover, and prays to Castiel for help. When that fails, Dean invites any angel to come assist, offering his help in exchange, as we see several across the country hearing the call.

Inside Sam’s head, Sam struggles to process how to fight his way out of the coma, whether to listen to his hallucination of Dean, or Bobby as the path to freedom. While the trio argues, Castiel wanders down a road in the real world, hearing the faint voice of angels before jumping out of the path of a truck. Seeing that he’s human and bleeding, Castiel accepts the man’s offer for a ride into town. Castiel arrives to a gas station, nearly getting into an altercation with a biker before a young female angel named Hale recognizes him.

Dean mistakes the hospital’s grief counselor for an angel, before realizing that the still-in-his-trunk Crowley might be able to help Sam. Before he can open the trunk however, Dean finds himself accosted by an angel who demands Castiel’s location, until another wounded angel arrives to intervene. Dean manages to impale the aggressive angel in the scuffle, before the other passes out from his injuries in the fall. Dean traps the angel in holy fire until he awakens, identifies himself as Ezekiel, and swears his belief in Dean and Castiel’s cause, ultimately offering to save Sam.

Castiel consoles Hale that life on Earth might not be so bad, leading Hale to propose they start by visiting the Grand Canyon she once created. Meanwhile inside Sam’s head, Sam elects to listen to the Bobby side of his conscious mind, and walks through a lush forest. Bobby reminds Sam that he saved the world on multiple occasions, and should feel entitled to leave things behind once and for all. Meanwhile in reality, Ezekiel begins the healing process as Castiel finally calls Dean to check in. Castiel confirms that Ezekiel can be trusted, but Dean warns Castiel not to place his trust in any fellow angels that might want to harm him. After hanging up, Castiel is surprised by Hale knocking him out with a plank, while Dean begins angel-proofing the hospital room against impending reinforcements.

While Dean begins evacuating the hospital, Castiel awakens on the road to find Hale driving with an angel blade in her lap. Hale quickly blames him for the angels falling, expressing her intent to merge with Castiel’s stronger vessel before her current body deteriorates. Meanwhile in Sam’s mind, Bobby directs him to a cabin that will end his suffering, before a vision of Dean stabs Bobby, and begins attacking Sam to get him to fight back. Sam insists he has nothing left to fight for, dissipating the vision of Dean before entering the cabin to find Death waiting for him.

Dean finds himself badly beaten by the attacking angels, before a moment of inspiration allows him to draw an angel banishing sigil, regardless of where beside Heaven it might take them. Inside the hospital room, Ezekiel reveals that his healing efforts have failed to save Sam, though Dean may not like the possible last-ditch effort of Ezekiel possessing Sam’s body. Dean wonders if Sam would even accept such a solution, to which Ezekiel shows Dean a vision of Sam ready to accept Death’s offer. Elsewhere, Castiel buckles his seatbelt and swerves Hale’s car off the road.

Ezekiel insists to Dean that his possessing Sam would heal both of them, after which he’d promise to leave the body. Acting as a bridge, Ezekiel allows the real Dean to enter Sam’s mind and plead for his brother not to accept Death’s offer, and Sam ultimately agrees, unaware what his “yes” means for Ezekiel. Meanwhile, Castiel awakens from the crash to find Hale’s mangled body outside the car. Hale insists she can ultimately protect Castiel from the other angels who want him dead for his actions in expelling the others from heaven. Castiel refuses her help and she warns him that she would reveal his location to every angel via "angel radio", but Castiel kills her to stay quiet.

In the aftermath of all the chaos, the doctors find Ezekiel’s disoriented vessel alone in the hospital room, while Sam/Ezekiel and Dean make a stealthy getaway. Ezekiel assures Dean that he can slowly heal Sam so long as Sam never finds out about the angel sharing his body, for fear of rejecting it. Ezekiel even offers to wipe Sam’s memory of the entire experience for safety, to which Dean reluctantly agrees. Elsewhere, Castiel enters a laundromat and goes to clean his bloody clothes, but the sight of a vending machine leads him to borrow someone else’s clothing and pay to nourish himself, leaving the trenchcoat behind.

Sam awakens out on the road with Dean, apparently without any memory of the day after the angels fell, and eager to get to work in fixing the mess they’ve made.

Continuity

 * Bobby was last seen in Taxi Driver, this is also the 1st season premiere to feature him since Season 7's Meet The New Boss.
 * Death was last seen in Meet The New Boss.

Quotes
Dean: You're a doctor. You're a--a medical professional. You're trying to tell me that my brother's life is in God's hands? What, is that supposed to be a comfort? Doctor: I'm sorry. Dean: God has nothing to do with this equation at all. Doctor: I didn't mean... Dean: That's not good enough! Dean: Oh, I mean, I stopped, you know, let a few Japanese tourists take some pictures. Nobody got too handsy. Bobby: Just die? All the good you've done, all the people you've saved, all the sacrifices you've made. You saved the world, son. How many people can say that? How many people can say that they have left this godforsaken hunk of dirt that much a better place? What you call dyin', I call leavin' a legacy.
 * Doctor: I'm afraid that's in God's hands now.
 * Dean: Cas, are you there? Sammy's hurt. He's hurt, uh, he's hurt pretty bad. And, um... I know you think that I'm pissed at you. Okay, but I don't care that the angels fell. So whatever you did or didn't do, it doesn't matter. Okay, we'll work it out. Please, man, I need you here.
 * Dean: Anybody ever tell you you hit like an angel?
 * Sam: You've been driving around with me passed out in the passenger's seat for a day?
 * Sam: So what, I just die?