The Monster at the End of This Book



The Monster at the End of This Book is the 18th episode of Season 4.

Synopsis
Sam and Dean discover that their lives as demon hunters are accurately detailed in a series of "Supernatural" books. They track down the author, who explains that he sees visions of them and turns those images into books.

Summary
A bearded man is sleeping on his couch. Suddenly, he begins to dream about strange things. He sees a motel room sign, a girl, the Impala, and Sam and Dean. While investigating a haunting, a comic shop proprietor assumes Sam and Dean are in a role playing game. He shows them a series of books called "Supernatural" by Carver Edlund.

The boys are shocked to find that the books document their life over the past four years. They discover an online fandom - with both Sam Girls and Dean Girls and 'Slash' fans (much to their disgust).

They track down the book series publisher and she laments that the Supernatural series hasn't sold well, complaining that what people want now is stuff like "Dr. Sexy, MD". She is wary of them until they reveal their extensive 'knowledge' of the characters, and that they even have tattoos like the characters in the books. The publisher reveals the books were written under a pseudonym by Chuck Shurley.

Shurley is astonished to be confronted by his 'creations'. he reveals the stories comes to him in visions. His latest vision has revealed that Lilith will visit Sam, and that they will have a night of "fiery demonic passion". While Sam seems keen to confront Lilith, Dean thinks they should avoid her by doing the opposite of everything Chuck has foreseen.

While hiding out in a motel room surrounded by Hex Bags to hide him from Lilith, Sam asks Chuck if he knows about him drinking Demon Blood, which he does, and he confronts Sam about why he is doing it.

Meanwhile Dean is trying to avoid doing what Chuck foretold, but the events keep coming to pass whatever he does. Dean accuses Chuck of withholding information and attacks him, but is stopped by Castiel who reveals Chuck is a Prophet of God, who is protected by an archangel and that his books will one day be known as the Winchester Gospels.

Dean returns to the motel, to find Sam has burned the hex bags, so that Lilith will find him. Frustrated Dean threatens to leave, but changes his mind and just storms out into the parking lot. Desperate, Dean starts to pray and Castiel appears. Castiel gives Dean information on how to stop Lilith, revealing that Chuck is protected by an archangel who will intervene if Chuck is threatened. By putting Chuck in the same room with Lilith, the archangel would appear and destory the threat.

Dean heads to Chuck's. Dean tells him that he needs to go to the hotel where Lilith is, because he's protected by an archangel and the archangel will kill Lilith. Chuck refuses, saying that this wasn't in his story, and Dean tells him that if he doesn't go Dean will shoot him. Chuck says Dean can't because an angel is protecting him. Dean says they'll just have to see who's the quicker draw. Needless to say, Chuck agrees.

Back at the motel, Sam is found by Lilith, who appears in the form of a blonde woman. She asks where Ruby's dagger is, and Sam tells her its on the nightstand. Lilith goes over to get it, but stops when she gets to the rug. She lifts it up to reveal a devils trap, which she breaks by scratching part off.

She tells him that she'll stop breaking the 66 Seals, along with the entire apocalypse, if Sam and Dean die. Lilith taunts him, saying he's selfish for not trading two lives for over six billion. "Going once, going twice..." Lilith says. Sam seemingly cracks and agrees. Lilith says it'll take a lot more than a kiss to seal a deal like this, but not to worry about the woman's body (who she was possessing) because the woman wanted it badly as well.

Lilith sits on the bed and Sam follows, getting on top of her. She leans down, and Sam suddenly reaches over to the nightstand and grabs Ruby's dagger, trying to stab her with it. He fails and Lilith flips them over, holding the dagger over Sam.

Just as she's about to stab him, Dean and Chuck bust in. Chuck runs in first, and Dean follows. "I am the prophet, Chuck!" Chuck says. Lilith backs off Sam, with the dagger still in her hand. "You're joking," Lilith replies. The motel starts to shake as Lilith walks closer to Chuck. "Oh, its no joke..Chuck here's got an archangel on his shoulder." Dean says. The motel continues to shake and a bright white light appears. The ceiling starts crumbling, and Dean tells her she's about to become a piece of charcoal. Lilith weighs her option as pieces of ceiling continue falling, quickly deciding it's not worth it. She expels from the woman's body.

The woman passes out after Lilith leaves her body and the light fades, too.

Following the confrontation with Lilith, Zachariah appears to Chuck after he has another vision. While it is not revealed what Chuck saw, he wants to warn Sam and Dean, but Zachariah tells him not to. Chuck threatens to kill himself, but Zachariah says they will only bring him back to life. In despair, Chuck asks what he should do. Zachariah replies "Do what you always do. Write".

Featured Supernatural Beings

 * Angels
 * Demons
 * Archangels (not physically seen)

Continuity

 * "Dr. Sexy, MD" also appears in Changing Channels.

Quotes

 * [Sam and Dean Winchester checking out Supernatural fanfiction]
 * Dean: And what's a slash fan?
 * Sam: As in Sam-slash-Dean. Together.
 * Dean: Like 'together' together?
 * Sam: Yeah.
 * [pause]
 * Dean: They do know we're brothers, right?
 * Sam: Doesn't seem to matter.
 * Dean: Aw, come on, that- that's just sick!


 * Chuck: Did you really have to live through the bugs?
 * Dean: Yeah.
 * Chuck: What about the ghost ship?
 * Dean: Yes, that too.
 * Chuck: I am so sorry. I mean, horror is one thing, but to be forced to live bad writing... if I would have known it was real, I would have done another pass.


 * Dean: I'm sitting in a laundromat reading about myself sitting in a laundromat reading about myself, my head hurts.


 * Chuck: I'm a god. A cruel, cruel, capricious god. The things I put you through. The physical beatings alone!


 * Comic Book Shop Guy: You're asking questions like the building's haunted. Like those guys from the books. What are they called? Uh... "Supernatural." Two guys, use fake IDs with rock aliases, hunt down ghosts, demons, vampires. What are their names? Uh... Steve and Dirk? Uh, Sal and Dane?


 * Sam: Sam and Dean?


 * Comic Book Shop Guy: That's it!

Trivia

 * The title of this episode references the Sesame Street book There's A Monster At The End Of This Book. In the book, Grover tries to stop the reader from reaching the end of the book and encountering the monster. On the last page he discovers that the monster is him. Both the episode and book break the fourth wall in this regard.
 * Chuck Shurley's pen name is Carver Edlund, this is a tribute to Supernatural writers Jeremy Carver and Ben Edlund.
 * The woman who plays Karen Giles (Keegan Connor Tracy ) in the episode The Usual Suspects is the same person who plays the publisher Sera Saige in this episode.
 * The Diner in which Dean and Sam eat and discuss in the middle of the episode is called Kripke's Diner. The creator of Supernatural is Eric Kripke.
 * During the scene at the comic shop, there is a poster of a "Clockwork Girl" behind the clerk.

Featured Music
Leave All This Behind - Sonny Ellis