Mother's Little Helper

Mother's Little Helper is the 17th episode of Season 9. It aired on March 25th, 2014. Misha Collins directed the episode written by Adam Glass.

Cast
Main
 * Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester
 * Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester

Summary
MISHA COLLINS MAKES HIS DIRECTING DEBUT — Dean struggles with the after effects of the Mark of Cain. Meanwhile, Sam hears about a case where straight-laced people are turning into violent murderers. Sam suspects possession and suggests to Dean that they investigate, but Dean tells him to go without him. While interviewing the local townsfolk, Sam meets an elderly woman named Julia, who tells him the Men of Letters came to town in 1958. Julia tells Sam the story of a young man named Henry Winchester and his female companion, Josie Sands. While Sam is away, Crowley tests Dean.

Plot
In Milton, Illinois, a housewife returns home and becomes inexplicably angry with her husband. She picks up a candlestick and bashes him until he is dead.

Dean, who is suffering from insomnia, is in the library researching when Sam comes in and says that he found a case. However, Dean is obsessed with finding Abaddon and doesn't want to go on a hunt. Sam is worried about Dean's obsession, but he leaves without Dean who then opens a bottle of liquor.

At the police station in Milton, Sam begins his investigation by discovering that the angry housewife has killed herself. He then calls Dean to check in, and he continues to worry about Dean's attitude. After the Boys hang up, Dean flashes back to holding the First Blade and his hand begins to shake.

A young man is hitchhiking when he is picked up by a van. As the van drives away, the young man begins to scream and a bright white light shines out the back.

Sam is eating at diner, when the young man, Bill, comes in and gets angry with the waitress. When Sam intervenes, Bill stabs the waitress forcing Sam to physically restrain him. Later at the police station, Sam finds that a number of people are locked up and acting strange. Sam tests Bill with holy water and then questions him about what he is. Sam calls Dean, who is now in a bar (“The Milton”), to talk about the case, and Sam compares the perps to “Soulless Sam”. Sam again asks for Dean's help, but Dean again declines. After hanging up, Crowley appears behind Dean.

While at the police station, Sam meets Julia Wilkinson who is trying to warn the police about demons. She tells Sam a story about how, in 1958, the Men of Letters came to Milton to investigate a strange occurance.

Flashback to 1958: Henry Winchester and Josie Sands arrive at a convent where Julia is a nun, and they meet with Mother Superior and Sister Agnes who direct Julia to guide Henry and Josie around the convent. While investigating, Henry and Josie discuss their on the job training and Henry's concerns about joining the Men of Letters. He is worried about Millie and John. Henry and Josie discover that the Knights of Hell are involved. Later that night, Julia, who continues to tell her story in the present to Sam, was curious about noises and went to check them out. She is taken hostage by Mother Superior along with several other people. Henry and Josie arrive and start to perform an exorcism but it does not work on Abbadon, who knocks out Henry. Abbadon concludes that Josie and Henry are Men of Letters, and she decides to possess Henry. However, Josie asks Abbadon to possess her instead. Julia watches as Abbadon's smoke flows into Josie. Abbadon vows to destroy the Men of Letters and asks Sister Agnes to continue with their project. Henry awakens and he isn't aware that Abbadon has possessed Josie.

Meanwhile, at the bar, Dean is playing pool and talking with Crowley who thinks Dean is stalling on finding Abaddon. Crowley accuses Dean of being scared of the First Blade, and he irritates Dean by comparing Dean to Cain. Dean claims to be nothing like Cain, but Crowley continues to force the issue. Crowley excuses himself to go to the restroom, and Dean again remembers holding the First Blade. He then notices a young man, who appears to be a hunter, follow Crowley to the Men's room. Dean follows him and stops him.

Then, Dean berates Crowley for his blood addiction. Crowley, in turn, says Dean is a junkie too – he is addicted to the Blade. Dean counters that he just wants to kill Abaddon, no matter what the consequences. Dean leaves, and the young “hunter” appears. Crowley has set up the confrontation to confirm that Dean would save him and that “he is ready”.

During this time, Sam investigates at the convent. Just as he discovers a number of jars with glowing lights in them, a demon arrives, and Sam kills him with the knife. Another demon, Sister Agnes, knocks Sam down, and then tells him that the glowing lights are souls. She laments that it has become more difficult to steal souls, but it is necessary to make an army for Abaddon. She tells Sam that there are other demons doing the same thing. Sam starts chanting the exorcism but Sister Agnes begins choking him so he can no longer speak. Sam pulls out his phone that has a recording of the exorcism and he then tosses the phone across the room. Sister Agnes lets go of Sam and dives for the phone in order to stop the exorcism. Sam kills her with the knife. He then opens the jars and watches as the souls go free to return to their bodies.

The next day, Sam asks Julie why she didn't warn Henry about Abaddon, and Julia admits this was her greatest shame. She flashes back to 1958 where we see Abaddon, as Josie, threaten Julia. Sam assures her that she has helped save lives by telling her story.

Flashback to 1958: Henry and Josie are leaving the convent, and Henry's enthusiasm has been renewed because he understands that what they do saves lives. Meanwhile, Abaddon feels like a whole new person.

Sam returns to the bunker to find Dean researching in the library. Sam also has renewed enthusiasm for the quest to hunt down Abaddon because Abaddon is mining souls to create an army. The Boys sit at separate tables, but they now have a shared mission.

Featured Supernatural Beings

 * Demons

Trivia

 * Henry's wife and John's mother is revealed to be Millie Winchester.

Spoilers
N/A