Holy Terror

Holy Terror is the 9th episode of Season 9. It aired on December 3, 2013

Summary
AN ANGEL WAR BEGINS — After a massive angel slaughter occurs, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) arrive at the scene to investigate and are surprised to run into Castiel (Misha Collins). While investigating, Castiel is captured and tortured. Meanwhile, Dean questions Ezekiel’s demands and wonders if it might be time to tell Sam the truth.

Plot
In Caribou, Wyoming, a school bus filled with singers from a church glee club pulls up to a bar. The girls go inside and face the bikers, who say that they shouldn't be there. One of the women says that they have just as much right to be there as they do and draws an angel-killing blade. Everyone else draws blades as well and a fight breaks out. After a few minutes, the blood-covered women get back on their bus, start singing, and drive off.

As they drive cross-country, Ezekiel takes over Sam again and tells Dean that Sam is improved and that it shouldn’t take much longer to fully heal him. Dean isn't convinced but tells him to get on with it. The angel admits that he's uncomfortable with Dean taking Sam on any trip investigating a crime relating to angels. Dean points out that if he ignores it then Sam will become suspicious, and Ezekiel admits that he catches an occasional word of what Sam and Dean discusses. The angel releases his control of Sam, who carries on with their conversation about why the angels aren't doing much. He notices a road sign that shows the distance changed from the last sign he saw in a matter of seconds. Dean tries to dismiss it as part of the aftereffects of the trials, but Sam insists that there are times when he has blacked out.

The Winchesters arrive at the bar and the officer tells them that an FBI agent is already there. They go inside and look around, and discover that Castiel is the "FBI agent." He explains that he still has the badge that Dean gave him, and that he heard about the slaughter on the news. The Winchesters point out that he was trying to live a normal human life, but Castiel figures that he needs to get involved if angels are slaughtering each other. The ex-angel explains that the angels in the bikers were butchered, and they figure that a lot of people were responsible. As Castiel goes off, Ezekiel takes over Sam again and Dean notices.

That night, an angel, Malachi, and the glee choir woman meet with a group of Bartholomew's angels. They tell Malachi that Bartholomew is busy with their new followers and Malachi warns that he won't tolerate the disrespect. He complains that Bartholomew tried to grab power and that the only way they can take Heaven back from Metatron is to unite. Malachi insists that Bartholomew meet with him personally, and Bartholomew's "handmaiden" tells him that her leader doesn't negotiate with street thugs. At that, Theo and the choir lady throw angel blades into the handmaiden's two escorts, then Malachi kills her and says, "And so it begins."

Sam, Dean, and Castiel go to a bar and Castiel enjoys his first beer. He asks if it's okay joining them and Sam wonders what he means. Dean jumps into the conversation and asks if Castiel is sure he wants to get involved. Castiel is already drunk and insists that he's a part of it. He explains that Bartholomew wants to reverse Metatron's spell and retake Heaven once his following is large enough. Castiel goes to get another round and Ezekiel takes over Sam again. He asks what Dean is going to do about Castiel, warning that he'll attract every other angel around. Dean demands to know what Ezekiel is afraid of, and the angel admits that he's not on good standing with the other angels because he chose sides.

Castiel comes over and Ezekiel goes outside into the alleyway. Metatron is waiting for him and says that he knows who he really is... and he isn't Ezekiel.

Inside, Castiel asks Dean if Sam knows that Dean told him to leave. Dean finally explains that Sam is in bad condition and that he needs to keep Castiel at a distance to successfully heal Sam.

Metatron asks the angel, Gadreel, why he's claiming to be Ezekiel, and Gadreel says that they say Ezekiel is a good honorable angel... everything they say he isn't. Gadreel insists that the stories about him aren't true, but Metatron points out that he spends thousands of years in Heaven's darkest dungeon. The scribe notes that it broke God's heart to lock him away, but Gadreel failed to prevent evil from entering the Garden. Gadreel wonders what Metatron wants and the scribe says that he was the one who freed him and caused the angels to fall, including the imprisoned ones. Metatron admits that his solitude is getting tedious so he has a new plan: rebuild Heaven with a handpicked few to make it the way that God intended. He wants Gadreel at his side and offers him the chance to regain his reputation.

Later back at the Letters base, Sam wonders what happened to Castiel. Dean claims that Castiel left on his own. Sam has been checking the obituary on the dead bikers and discovered that they were all baptized together as a born-again gang. Dean checks the obituary photo and realizes that they were all wearing Buddy Boyle patches. They realize that the angels possessed them after Boyle did his thing. Sam figures that the bikers were Bartholomew's group, meaning the angels who killed them are even worse.

The choir lady addresses a college bible-study group in Utah and assures them that they are perfect for God's plan. The bodiless angel descend from the sky and take over the bodies of the group. However, Bartholomew's people and kill the group before the angels can take over their bodies, and one of them stabs and kills the choir lady.

The next day, Gadreel secretly meets with Metatron again, who admits that he's never got used to humans and their emotions. Gadreel says that Sam is a mess and Metatron offers to free the angel from all of them. Rather than respond, Gadreel asks if Metatron plans to rule Heaven, and points out that if he does then he will be God. Metatron dismisses his concerns and says that they can have Paradise again.

At his hotel, Castiel prays for the first time, asking for answers to his questions. No one responds and Castiel wonders how humans do it. He turns on the television without success and a woman at the door calls to him to plug it in. An angel, Muriel, is there wearing a deputy's body. When she realizes that she's dealing with Castiel, she tries to leave. He begs her to stay and provide her with some information.

At the base, Kevin continue going over the tablet and tells Dean that Metatron made an attempt to keep some of the words hidden from prophets. Sam comes back and Dean tells him that there's been another angel attack in Utah. The report says that the choir lady was stabbed but didn't have her eyes burn out, and that a witness reporter her at the biker bar. They figure that she and her people killed Bartholomew's people, and they attacked her back. Dean tells Kevin that they're running out of time.

Castiel tells Muriel how Metatron tricked him, and she reluctantly believes him. He insists that neither one of them want a part of the fanatics, and he prayed in the hope that the militants would dismiss him as a mere human. Muriel admits that Malachi the anarchist is leading the rebellion against Bartholomew, and both sides are rounding up the neutrals who don't pledge loyalty. Each side wants to overthrow Metatron and rule Heaven. Before Castiel can pursue the matter, Malachi and his bodyguard Theo break in.

Later, Malachi takes Castiel and Muriel to his base and tortures them. He admits that they were following Muriel and Castiel was an unexpected bonus. Castiel insists that he doesn't know how to reverse Metatron's spell, but Malachi doesn't believe him. Theo picks up a blade and starts cutting Castiel again. When he's done, Malachi says that he'll start working on Muriel next. He assures Castiel that he has no intention of touching her, and has Theo kill her with an angel blade. Disgusted, Castiel wonders what they've become and Malachi tells him that he's following Castiel's example. Malachi explains that a host of angels died in the Fall, including Ezekiel. When Castiel still refuses to speak, Malachi leaves him in Theo's hands.

Once they're alone, Theo gives Castiel one last chance to speak. Castiel asks for a quick death... and Theo says that he wants Castiel to ask Metatron to raise him to Heaven. He swears allegiance to Metatron, telling Castiel that Malachi is crazy and he did what he had to. Theo is sure that no one will survive the war and offers to convince Metatron to restore Castiel's grace. Castiel plays along, claiming that he has a working relationship with Metatron. Castiel finally agrees and Theo frees him, and Castiel grabs an angel-killing blade and slices his throat, breathing in his grace as it's released. As Theo is turned into a human, Castiel becomes an angel again and kills him, burning out his eyes.

Malachi returns a short time later and realizes what's happened when he sees Theo's corpse.

Dean asks Kevin where Sam is, and Kevin says that he's gone out again. As Kevin wanders off, Castiel calls Dean and tells him that Malachi is the leader. He admits that he had to become a barbarian to escape, just like the other angels, and tells Dean that he got some of his powers back. Dean wonders if he's okay with that and Castiel says that if there's going to be a war then he needs to be ready. Castiel then tells Dean that Ezekiel was killed in the Fall.

Once he hangs up on Castiel, Dean wakes Kevin up and says that he needs a spell to power down an angel inside of a human host body. Dean comes up with a story to explain why he wants the spell, to help possessed humans, and tells him to go to work.

Gadreel meets with Metatron again and agrees to join him as his second-in-command. Metatron assures him that Heaven will be restored along with Gadreel's reputation as its greatest hero. However, first he needs Gadreel to prove his loyalty by killing their enemies. When Gadreel says that it isn't who he is, Metatron hands him a piece of paper with a name on it and tells him to decide.

Kevin finishes the ritual and creates an "ignition" sigil, and tells Dean that it will kick in once his blood touches it. He asks what is really going on, but Dean asks him to trust him. Dean then goes to get Sam, who has come back, and invites him to talk in the store room. Once they're inside, Dean activates the sigil and tells Sam that they can talk privately. He explains that he made a deal with an angel to save Sam, tricking Sam into letting him in. Sam is furious that Dean took over, and Dean tells him that they can argue it out later. He explains that an imposter is in Sam's body and tells his brother to dump him now that he's well enough. Sam hesitates and then punches Dean unconscious, and then walks out.

Kevin is going over his notes when Sam comes in. He tells Kevin not to worry about Dean and then grabs his head. Dean runs in just as Gadreel lets Kevin's corpse drop to the ground and then pins Dean to the wall. The angel says that Sam is gone and that he overheard Dean and Kevin talking earlier about the sigil. Gadreel altered the sigil so Dean wouldn't know, and insists that killing Kevin is for the best. The angel insists that he did what he had to and puts the paper with Kevin's name on the Prophet's corpse. Gadreel looks at Dean for a moment and then walks out, releasing his grip. Dean, crying, calls to Kevin but gets no response.

Characters

 * Sam Winchester / Gadreel
 * Dean Winchester
 * Castiel
 * Kevin Tran
 * Metatron
 * Malachi

Featured Supernatural Being(s)

 * Angels

Featured Music

 * This Little Light of Mine 
 * Bad Luck by Social Distortion

Continuity

 * As of this episode, Castiel has taken the grace of another angel and has restored his abilities.
 * Malachi reminds Castiel of the slaughter he caused in Heaven when he consumed the souls of Purgatory.

Trivia

 * This episode marks Season 9's mid-season finale.
 * Metatron makes his first appearance since the season 8 finale, "Sacrifice"
 * Castiel, once again, has acquired a new outfit. This time, his outfit consists of a tuxedo, a white dress shirt, and a striped tie.
 * This episode reveals that the angel inside of Sam is not really Ezekiel, but an angel named Gadreel, who was responsible for protecting The Garden of Eden from evil.
 * Kevin Tran is killed in this episode, which means a new Prophet will be born.