Point of No Return

Point Of No Return is the 18th episode of Season 5. It aired on April 15th, 2010.

Synopsis
Dean begins to think the only way to stop Lucifer is to say yes to Michael, but the angels decide they don't need him anymore. Dean, Sam and Castiel are horrified at the angels' new game plan and take on Zachariah (guest star Kurt Fuller) to prevent an all out war on Earth. Meanwhile, a familiar face returns.

Plot
In a bar, a man wearing a button-down oxford shirt puts some coins into a jukebox and a cheerful old tune from the '50s starts playing. He sits down at the bar and takes a slug of whiskey, commiserating with the guy beside him. "Let me guess," the guy says, "Pink slip?"

"That obvious, huh?" The other guy says, and as the shot widens, we see it's Zachariah (who introduces himself as Zach). The random man in the button down shirt sympathizes with Zachariah's complaint about not being able to close "the deal of the millennium." Zachariah goes on about not being appreciated and the other guy only slightly balks at Zachariah's statement about how hard it is to be "down on the ground, in the mud, nose to nose with you pig-filthy humans.",

Zach asks the man, Stuart, what he'll do next. Stuart offers, "Something to do with the Internet?"

That's when the bar starts shaking, and floods with light. Stuart at first wonders if it's an earthquake and Zachariah, taking another sip of whiskey casually says, "Nah...my boss."

Stuart and the bartender clap their hands to their ears and start screaming as Zachariah stands up, annoyed, and tells the unseen angel he's ready and to get it over with. The windows implode, and the man and the bartender's eyes explode in flames. We don't hear the response, but Zachariah suddenly seems very confused but gets pleased as he says, "Wait, what? Anything, of course, just let me back in. You won't regret it! Thank you! Thank you!"

Zachariah smiles and sighs, very pleased with himself. He finishes his drink and declares, "Back in business, boys!" He strolls out singing "When the Saints Go Marching In," leaving the bartender and the man's bodies behind, their melted faces still smoking.

Elsewhere in a motel, Dean is drinking bourbon, writing a letter and gently packing all of his belongings -- his signature jacket, the keys to the Impala, and his pearl-handled Colt .45, into a box addressed to Bobby. He stares in the mirror for a moment, and is surprised when Sam walks into the room.

Dean asks Sam how he found him. Sam tells him he figured he's going kill himself and deduced the stops on his farewell tour. "How's Lisa doing, anyways?"

Sam asks Dean how he can just give up and walk out. Dean angrily points out Sam has been 'walking out' for most of his life. Sam acknowledges this, but admits that every time he did, he was wrong. Besides, Bobby is working on something.

"You know I'll have to stop you," Sam says. Dean squares off and offers him the chance to try, pointing that this time, Sam's not all hopped up on demon blood. "Yeah, I know," Sam tells him. "But this time I brought help." Castiel appears behind Dean and touches him on the forehead, whisking them back to Bobby's place.

Dean lays on the snark, raining all over Bobby's efforts. He tells them nuclear is the only option they have left to beat the Devil and save a boatload of people.

"But not all of them," Bobby says firmly, cutting him off. "We gotta think of something else."

Dean is angry, saying if Lucifer burns the Earth to a crisp and he could have done something about it, "That's on me."

"You can't give up, son!" Bobby says. Dean stabs him in the heart with: "You're not my father. And you ain't in my shoes."

Bobby's response is to pull out a pistol and a shiny bullet, and stare at it. Dean asks what it is, and Bobby explains it's the round he intends to put through his skull. Every morning he looks at it, but he can't bring himself to do it. Why? Because, he yells, he made Dean a promise he wouldn't give up. (The Curious Case of Dean Winchester).

This display silences the room, until Cass is suddenly crippled by a headache and a flash. Something's happening, he tells the boys, before disappearing.

Cass materializes in a forest and heads over to a clearing where something seems to be coming up from the ground. Suddenly, one of his former brother angels moves to attack him from behind with an angel blade. They struggle but Cass overwhelms him. Another appears, and Cass uses the second angel's blade to run through his first attacker, then takes out the second.



Cass turns back to the moving place in the ground and reaches down, pulling out first a hand, then an entire person. He teleports back to Bobby's and lays the muddy person on the couch. Bobby asks who it is. Dean and Sam look at him shocked. "That's our brother," Sam replies. As Cass and Bobby are surprised to learn this.

Cass doesn't know why he's been raised, but "I know one thing for sure: We need to hide him. Now."

Cass touches Adam and carves Enochian sigils into his ribs in order to hide him from the angels. Adam wakes up with a startle and asks what's happening as Sam and Dean tell him they're his brothers. Adam tells him that he knows, since the angels warned him about Sam and Dean. "Now, where the hell is Zachariah?" he screams.

The boys ask Adam to tell what he remembers. Adam describes his heaven; it was like his prom and he was making out with a girl. (Dean jokingly asks if he got to third base.) Then, he says, some angels popped out of nowhere and told him he was the chosen vessel, the sword, of "some archangel, " --Michael. Together, they will kill the Devil and save Earth, and when that was done, he would get to see his mother again. This is news to Dean and Sam, but Cass says it makes sense -- Adam is John Winchester's bloodline. Perhaps the angels have decided to cut their losses from Dean and move on to Plan B?

"Maybe they're desperate," Castiel says. " Or maybe they wrongly assumed Dean would be brave enough to withstand them." Dean is offended and snarls back at Cass. Sam insists that after all the angel talk about destiny, this  course of action just doesn't smell right. Amidst the argument, Adam tries to leave but Sam quickly stops him.

Adam asks for one good reason not to leave. Sam says, "because we're blood." Adam angrily says they have no right to say that to him. He declares John Winchester wasn't his father, only a guy who took him to a ball game once a year and his mother is his true family. And, he adds, if he does his job, he'll get to see her again. "So no offense, but she's the one I give a rat's ass about, not you," Adam says. Dean is amused as Sam says if Adam has just one good memory of their father, to please give them more time.

Later, Bobby is researching and Adam sees an opportunity to head out the door. Sam arrives and stops him just before he reaches the door. Adam makes the excuse he's going out for a beer. Sam tells him they have some. They sit down and discuss family matters, specifically, their dad. Sam tries to tell Adam his dad was just trying to protect him, and the one thing worse than seeing John once a year was "seeing him all year." Adam tells him he's full of crap -- he states he would have killed for a dad. It was him, and his mom, and that's it. She worked the graveyard shift at the hospital; He made his own dinners and put himself to bed. "You can say whatever you want about our dad, but the truth is, I would have taken anything," Adam says. Sam says they'd known Adam existed, they would have found him. Adam snarks about maybe jumping into the car and heading out for a family trip to "Wally World." Sam's at a loss. "I'll tell you one thing: with an attitude like that, you'd fit right in around here."

Sam heads down to Bobby's supercharged panic room, guarded by Cass, and visits Dean. Sam asks to let them be alone for a moment. Cass angrily shuts the door.

"Is this really necessary?" Dean asks, and Sam explains he has a house full of flight risks to deal with. Dean says he refuses to let Adam take a bullet for him. Think about all the people that they've gotten killed, Dean says, naming their mom, their dad, Jess, Jo, Ellen.

"I'm tired, man. I'm tired of fighting who I'm supposed to be," Dean says. Sam asks why they can't just stick together. Dean admits to Sam he doesn't believe in him anymore. "I don't know whether it's going to be demon blood, or some other demon chick or what, but I do know they're going to find a way to turn you." He goes on to point out Sam is angry and self-righteous.

"Lucifer is going to wear you to the prom, man. It's just a matter of time," Dean tells him "....And when Satan takes you over, there's got to be somebody there to fight him. And it's not going to be that kid. So it's gotta be me." Stunned, Sam turns and leaves in silence, slamming the door behind him.

Sam, on the verge of tears, returns to Bobby and Cass upstairs. "How's he doing?" Bobby asks. Sam says nothing. "How are you doing?" Bobby still gets no answer.

Cass is suddenly suspicious of how silent it has gotten in the panic room. He goes inside to look for Dean, who is hiding. Dean reveals himself and the Enochian blood sigil on the wall he has prepared. He banishes Cass, who disappears with a flash and a scream. Dean then sneaks out of the room.

Sam quickly catches on to what happened and heads out to find Dean, leaving Bobby to watch Adam...who is dreaming of the park where his mother used to take him on her days off. Zachariah appears. He tells Adam he wasn't where he was supposed to be; he's irritated that the sigil has kept Adam out of his sight. "So let me take a wild guess...Sam and Dean." Busted, Zachariah tries to convince Adam that he can't trust the brothers as they are "psychotically, irrationally, erotically co-dependent on each other."

Adam counters that Dean and Sam said a few things about Zachariah, to which the angel responds when everything goes down, they're not going to care about Adam, they'd rather save each other than save the planet. "They're not your family. Understand?" Zachariah hisses. "Now...you want to see you mom again or not?"

Adam wakes up.

Dean is in town, and finds a street preacher professing the Apocalypse. He steps up to him and identifies himself, telling the man to pray and let the angels know where he is. The man starts in with the first words of the Lord's prayer. Castiel appears. "You pray too loud," he snarls, knocking the man unconscious with a touch. Next, Cass drags Dean down a nearby alley and proceeds to beat him senseless.

"I REBELLED FOR THIS?!" Cass screams. "I gave everything for you, and this is what you give me?" He slugs Dean until blood drips out of his mouth and he falls to the ground. Finally, Cass appears ready to wield the angel blade upon Dean. He wearily looks up and pleads, "Do it...just do it!" Cass considers it for a moment, then relents and touches Dean on the shoulder, knocking him out.

Sam has returned to Bobby's, who tells Sam that Adam vanished in front of him. Cass returns with the bloody, unconscious Dean draped across his shoulders and informs the guys that he was the one who beat sense into the latter. He then states the angels must have found Adam from a dream and took him. "To where?" Sam asks.

Cut to...the green room, where Adam is sitting with Zachariah, enjoying a cheeseburger and a beer and belching. Zachariah seems pleased since he and Dean have similar tastes. Adam asks when they get down to business, and Zachariah snidely informs him his services will no longer be required--he's not so much the chosen one as he is a clammy scrap of bait. Adam doesn't understand as Zachariah clarifies: He's only the illegitimate half-brother of the guy they actually care about. Adam finally realizes Zachariah lied. "You son of a bitch," he whispers.

"Hey...how do you think I feel? I'm the one who has to put up with that dumb, slack-jawed look on your face?" Zachariah gloats, grinning cruelly. He goes on to explain the angels didn't have a choice -- the Winchesters' blind spot is family. They don't have any choice but to come and get Adam, and that'll put Dean precisely where they want him. He soon assures Adam he'll get his "severance" -- he'll still see his mother when it's all over.

Adam is not convinced says he won't let him do this, as Zachariah shuts up Adam by making him uncontrollably cough up blood onto the table. "That's better!" the angel says.

Dean awakens, handcuffed to the cot in the panic room. "Word to the wise," Dean says to Sam, "don't piss off the nerd angels."

Sam breaks the bad news: Adam is captive in the heavenly waiting room, heavily guarded, and they have barely a Hail Mary shot at retrieving him. So what are they going to do? Retrieve him, of course. Sam releases Dean from his cuffs.

Dean warns Sam this is putting him precisely where Zachariah wants him, and he'll say yes. "No you won't," Sam says confidently. "When push shoves, you'll make the right call...Because you're still my big brother."

Cass zaps them to an abandoned muffler warehouse in Van Nuys, CA., where "the beautiful room" resides. (And we ponder this for a moment with Dean -- Heaven's waiting room? In Van Nuys?) Cass can't believe Dean was surprised and asks, "Where'd you think it was?"

"I don't know," Dean says. "Jupiter? A blade of grass? But...Van Nuys?" Cass brushes him off. See, Cass can't just zap in, grab Adam, and zap out, because there are at least five angels in there. He tells the boys he'll clear out the angels, then they can go in and grab Adam. Dean points out it's a suicide mission and Cass says, "Maybe...but then I won't have to watch you fail. Sorry Dean...but I don't have the same faith in you that Sam does."

Cass pulls out a box cutter...but, for what purpose? Sam inquires

He heads into the dark warehouse, looking nervous, and sees a dilapidated shed within. Before he can reach the door, however, one of his angelic brethren accosts him, but he quickly kills him with his blade. Then another appears with his own blade..and another, and another. Cass is surrounded. He drops his weapon and asks, "What are you waiting for? C'mon!" The three angels close on him, but Cass rips his shirt open, where we see what he did with the blade: he carved the banishing sigil into his chest. He puts his hand on the sigil, banishing his attackers -- and Cass himself -- in a flash.

Dean opens the door to find Adam slumped over in a corner, and quickly pulls him up. Adam is surprised as Dean tells him their family as Adam tell him it's a trap, but it's too late -- Zachariah zaps into the room. "Dean, did you really think it was going to be that easy?"

"Did you?" Dean asks, as Sam runs up from behind to stab Zachariah...unsuccessfully. Zachariah throws him back and states he should of obeyed his superiors as everything is going as they planned. While saying this, he makes both Sam and Adam hemorrhage from the mouth. Seeing both his brothers in pain, Dean begs for Zachariah to stop hurting them.

"In exchange for what?" Zachariah says.

So Dean agrees. He says yes. Sam is horrified.

Zachariah looks pleased...but then he asks Dean how he can be sure he's not lying.

"Do I look like I'm lying?" Dean replies. Zachariah smiles, and begins an Enochian chant. Sam looks at Dean with shock and disappointment in his eyes as the room starts to shake. Dean smiles and winks at Sam, as a triumphant Zachariah announces Michael is on his way.

"Of course," Dean interrupts, "I have a few conditions." Dean tells him before he says yes, he wants to guarantee the safety of a few people. Zachariah dismissively tells him to make a list. Oh, and one more thing: "Most of all, Michael can't have me until he disintegrates you."

Zachariah suddenly looks incredulous. Dean points out he's more important to Michael than Zachariah. The angel angrily closes on Dean and grabs him by the collar. "You are nothing but a maggot, inside a worm's ass. Do you know who I am? After I deliver you to Michael?"

"Expendable," Dean replies. Zachariah insists Michael is not going to kill him. Dean tells him, "Maybe not...but I am."

He produces an angel blade from his sleeve and in one quick motion, shoves it through Zachariah's skull, killing the angel. Dean quickly pulls Sam up and moves to get him and Adam out of the quaking (and now, glowing) room.

With Sam's arm slung over his shoulder, Dean gets them out the door, which slams and locks Adam in behind them. Adam screams for their help, and Dean runs back to save Adam, but the doorknob is white-hot. He yells as Adam to hold on, he'll get him out, but it's too late. Adam turns around and looks into the blinding light. From the outside, the room stops glowing. Dean opens the door, but the opulent room is gone. In its place is the interior of the dilapidated shed.

As Dean and Sam drive away, they realize neither Adam nor Cass are okay, "But they'll get them."

Sam tells Dean he saw in Dean's eyes that he was ready to say yes. Sam asked what changed his mind. "Honestly?" Dean answers. "The damndest thing: I mean the world's ending, the walls are coming down on us, I look over at you, and all I could think about was, 'That stupid son of a bitch brought me here.' I just didn't want to let you down."

Sam says he's glad he didn't. Dean apologizes. He tells Sam to him, Sam's always been a snot-nosed kid he's had to watch after. But that's not him anymore. He's now grown up to have faith in Dean. So, Dean says, the least he can do is return the favor.

"So screw destiny," Dean finishes. "Right in the face. I say we take the fight to them, do it our way."

Sam smiles confidently. "Sounds good."

Major Characters

 * Dean Winchester
 * Sam Winchester
 * Castiel
 * Bobby Singer
 * Zachariah

Minor Characters

 * Adam Milligan
 * Michael

Featured Supernatural Beings

 * Archangels (indirectly; presence was made known)
 * Angels

Featured Music
"The Man Upstairs" by Kay Starr

Quotes

 * Stuart: Earthquake?
 * Zachariah: No, my boss.


 * [Castiel beats Dean up in an alleyway]
 * Castiel: (enraged) I REBELLED FOR THIS?! So that you could surrender to them?
 * Dean: (feebly) Cass, please!
 * Castiel: I gave everything for you! And this is what you give to me?!


 * Dean: Cass, not for nothing but the last person who looked at me like that I got laid.


 * Dean: Blow me, Cass.


 * Dean:Screw destiny, right in the face.


 * Zachariah: Michael's not going to kill me!
 * Dean: Maybe not. (draws a hidden Angel Blade) But I am! (stabs Zachariah through the head, killing him)

Trivia

 * Antagonists: Zachariah and Michael
 * This episode has landmark significance as the 100th episode of the series. Also the hotel room Dean chooses to stay in in the beginning of the episode is room 100.
 * In this episode Adam is resurrected from the dead.
 * Ironically, Dean's passing joke about the power of love being their plan to kill the devil is the eventual method that stops Lucifer, seeing as Sam and Dean's love for one another is what allowed Sam to regain control of his body and thrust himself/Lucifer and Michael/Adam into the Cage.
 * Although Zachariah states he has six wings, when he dies he leaves only two wing scorch marks. He may have been exaggerating or trying to intimidate Sam and Dean when he made this claim.
 * Possible error: when Castiel used an Angel banishing sigil, he was also banished. This contradicts Lucifer Rising, in which he banished Zachariah without being banished himself, oddly enough, from the same warehouse. This may somehow be due to the fact that the sigil was carved into his own body.
 * Some time in the first 5 minutes of the episode, Dean is seen signing a box to Robert Singer. Although it is actually addressed to the character Bobby Singer, Robert Singer is a director, writer, and executive producer of Supernatural. Bobby Singer is named after said crewman.
 * Possible error: Zachariah's death at Dean's hands contradicts what Uriel said about only angels being able to kill angels. Uriel may have believed this because only angels had access to Angel Blades, or it was just his arrogance. Also, it's possible that Dean, as Heaven's chosen vessel, has special status though this is contradicted by a homeless man and Claire Novak later being able to kill angels.
 * This episode marks the first time a human, specifically Dean, kills an angel. Dean would later repeat this feat with the Rogue Angel in I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here while Sam has yet to use an angel blade to kill anything but demons.
 * So far, this is the only episode which features Adam alive and as himself.
 * The CW's official summary for this episode misspells Supernatural as Supetrnatural.