Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester

'''Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester''' is the 2nd episode of Season 4. It aired on September 25, 2008.



Summary
Sam, Dean and Bobby must deal with people they failed to save in the past, as a seal is broken.

Full synopsis
A woman, Olivia, is sleeping on her couch with the TV on when it suddenly starts to flicker, and she wakes up. She realizes she can see her breath is so cold, so she jumps up and runs for her closet. Inside she has a whole arsenal, she's obviously a hunter. As she does, her phone rings; her answering machine picks up "Hi it’s Olivia – leave a message." Bobby’s voice says "Olivia can you call me back? I've got something big." She ignores it and picks up an EMF meter, it immediately begins humming. She grabs a gun and loads it, then heads back into the other room. Suddenly a man appears behind her, she whirls around and looks at him. "You..." she says, shocked. She shoots him and he disappears, and she quickly puts a line of salt in the doorway, but he appears right outside the salt, staring at her. "I'm sorry," she says desperately, standing up. "I'm so sorry.' She turns around and sees another person, this time a woman. The woman thrusts her hand forward and Olivia screams.

At Bobby's house, Dean and Sam are arguing over whether Castiel could really be an angel when Bobby's research turns up the information that only an angel can rescue someone from Hell. Dean is uncomfortable with the idea that God has a special interest in him. They agree to research angels, with Dean sending Sam out to get him some pie. While he’s out Ruby appears, and tells Sam that she is nervous about angels being around, and that she is going to make herself scarce for a while. She tells him he should be afraid too.

When Sam returns, sans pie, Bobby tells Sam that they are heading out to check on a hunter friend of his, Olivia Lowry, who he has been calling about angels, but that she isn't answering. They find Olivia dead, ripped apart, seemingly by a spirit. Bobby and the boys split up and go to check on other hunters in the area, only to find them all dead. On the way back to Bobby's, the boys stop at a gas station. Dean is asleep in the car while Sam goes to the bathroom. There he is confronted by the ghost of Special Agent Victor Henriksen, who blames Sam and Dean for his death, before attacking Sam. During the assault Dean enters, and saves Sam by blasting Henriksen with rock salt.

At home, Bobby is confronted by the spirits of two young girls, who accuse him of failing to save them from the 'monster' that killed them. They capture him and hold him in a wrecked car in his salvage yard while they torment him.

Sam and Dean return, then split up to try to find Bobby. Dean is confronted by the spirit of Meg Masters. She tells him how she was a college student when she was possessed, and that she was 'awake' during her possession, and witnessed much horror. As she beats and kicks Dean, Meg also tells him how her disappearance had a terrible effect on her younger sister, who killed herself after Meg was found dead. Dean manages to shoot a chandelier made of iron which falls on the spirit, dispelling her.

Meanwhile Sam has found and rescued Bobby. Bobby leads Sam and Dean to a safe room in his house. It is a cylindrical room, completed lined in iron coated in salt to keep spirits from entering. In the roof is a large extraction fan, below which is a grill with metal work in the shape of a Devil's Trap. The room has a bed, and appears well-stocked with supplies and equipment.

Sam and Dean have seen a brand on the spirits, which, according to Bobby's research, identifies them as Witnesses whose appearance heralds the coming of the Apocalypse. Bobby finds a spell that will send the spirits to rest, but they need an open fire for it. They leave the sanctuary of Bobby's Panic Room and return to the library, and on the way encounter the spirit of Ronald Reznick, who charges Sam and Dean with being responsible for his death, before Bobby shoots him with salt.

Once in the library, Bobby starts preparing for the spell, and sends Sam upstairs to get a hex box, and Dean to the kitchen for ingredients for the spell. Sam is confronted by Meg, who is outraged that he is working with Ruby, knowing that she is possessing an innocent girl as Meg herself was possessed. Sam dispels her with a salt blast. Meanwhile in the kitchen, Henriksen appears to Dean. He tells him how Lilith tortured everyone in the police station, including flaying Nancy alive. He attacks Dean, but Sam arrives in time to save him.

Sam and Dean retreat to the library and protect Bobby as the Witnesses reappear and attack. Just as Meg is about to rip Bobby's heart out, he completes the spell with Dean's help, and the spirits vanish.

That night Castiel appears to Dean in a dream. He tells Dean that Lilith cast a spell that released the Witnesses. He explains that this is the first of the 66 Seals that, if all broken, will release Lucifer, and this is why Angels have returned to Earth. When Dean protests that they didn't come to help them deal with the Witnesses, Castiel says that the armies of Heaven have bigger concerns. He also says that some of the Angels died in battle that week and that Dean should show him more respect if he doesn't want to be thrown back into Hell.

The next morning, Dean asks Sam if he believes in the Devil.

Featured Supernatural Beings

 * Ghosts
 * Angels
 * Demons

Continuity

 * They discuss Dean's visit with Castiel and whether or not he is an angel.
 * The human Meg Masters was last seen in Devil's Trap.
 * Victor Henriksen was last seen in Jus In Bello.
 * Ronald Reznick was last seen in Nightshifter.

Goofs, Bloopers & Continuity Errors

 * The iron chandelier Dean shot from the ceiling was circular, so since it came down directly on Meg Masters, she, as a ghost, should have remained trapped in its center until the spell was broken. Instead, she was still able move about freely and bedevil Bobby and the brothers.

Pop-Culture References

 * References the book "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" by Judy Blume.
 * References the film, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", with Bobby's line being nearly Identical to Tuco's: "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk".

Featured Music

 * "Lonely is the Night" by Billy Squier

Quotes

 * Dean: I'm trying to come up with a theory here, okay, work with me.
 * Sam: Dean, we have a theory!
 * Dean: Yeah, one with a little less fairy dust on it, please!


 * Dean: I thought angels were supposed to be guardians. Fluffy wings, halos, you know...Michael Landon. Not dicks.