Editing Swan Song

{{Infobox Television episode
|Image = Lucifer's Cage.jpg
|Title = Swan Song
|Series = [[Supernatural]]
|Season = [[Season 5|5]]
|Episode = 22
|Airdate = May 13, 2010
|Writer = [[Eric Kripke]] {{c|teleplay}}<br>[[Eric 'Giz' Gewirtz]] {{c|story}}
|Director = [[Steve Boyum]]
|Previous = [[Two Minutes to Midnight]]
|Next = [[Exile on Main Street]]
|Episode list = [[Season 5]]|Caption=[[Sam]] jumps into the cage, taking [[Michael]] with him}}
'''Swan Song''' is the 22nd episode and the season finale of [[Season 5]]. It aired on May 13th, 2010.

==Summary==
{{Summarywarning}}The [[Season 5|entire season]] has been leading up to this showdown between good and evil. With [[the Apocalypse]] looming, [[Sam Winchester|Sam]] and [[Dean Winchester|Dean]] realize they are out of options and make heart-breaking decisions that will change their lives forever. A beloved character is killed.

==Plot==
All out of options, [[Dean Winchester]] reluctantly agrees on letting Sam be the host for Lucifer so that he can jump into [[Lucifer's Cage]]. Remembering what [[Lucifer]] said to Dean in the future, they locate him in Detroit. Sam makes Dean promise that if things go as planned, he will make a life for himself with [[Lisa Braeden]]. After consuming gallons of demon blood, Sam and Dean allow themselves to be caught by demons and brought to Lucifer. After demonstrating his enhanced powers to kill the demons in the room, Sam consents for Lucifer to possess his body.

It is then that Lucifer reveals that he knows that the [[Rings of the Horsemen|Horseman's Rings]] form the keys to his cage, and that he is wary of the boys' plans to trick him inside. Nevertheless, he agrees to possess Sam and let him try to retain control of his body. After Lucifer enters Sam, he is knocked unconscious, and Dean quickly throws the key to the cage on the wall and opens it with a spell. After waking up Sam, he watches him preparing to enter the pit, but instead [[Lucifer]] then reveals that he overpowered Sam in a matter of seconds. He then closes the portal, puts the [[Rings of the Horsemen|key]] into pocket and quickly disappears.

Outside, Dean meets back with [[Bobby Singer|Bobby]] and Castiel, and they observe various natural disasters on television that are occurring around the world. Knowing that Lucifer will try to seek out [[Michael]] for their final battle, they call [[God|Chuck]] to get the exact setting for the fight: Noon at Stull Cemetery in [[Lawrence, Kansas]]. Elsewhere, Lucifer is reveling in his new vessel while addressing Sam, who is still fighting him from the inside. He tells Sam that he only wants the best for him, and even offers to spare Dean after the world is destroyed. In a show of goodwill, he brings several people from Sam's past - including a former teacher of his and a prom date - and tells Sam that they were all possessed by demons working for [[Azazel]] in order to manipulate him. He then offers Sam revenge on them, and then asks him afterwards if he enjoyed it.

Lucifer is seen standing in the cemetery when [[Michael]], who now possesses [[Adam Milligan|Adam]], arrives. While Lucifer tries to dissuade him from fighting, Michael, although he seriously considers it for a moment, regretfully tells him that he must do so because [[God]] wishes it. Before they get underway, Dean, [[Castiel]] and Bobby arrive on scene and Castiel throws a [[wikipedia:Molotov cocktail|Molotov cocktail]] of [[Holy Oil]] on Michael, forcing him to temporarily vanish. Lucifer, outraged at [[Castiel]]'s action, blows him up with a snap of his fingers, then snaps Bobby's neck after he is shot with [http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Supernatural#Single_Action_Army_Artillery_Revolver a revolver]. Dean repeatedly appeals to Sam to overpower [[Lucifer]], who responds by severely beating him until he is barely conscious. However, as he presses Dean against the side of [[the Impala]], ready to deliver another blow, he pauses as he catches sight of a [[wikipedia:Army men|plastic army man]] in the ashtray of one of the doors.

[[File:SamIntoCage.gif|thumb|left|Sam jumps into the cage, taking Michael with him]]
This triggers memories of Sam's childhood and various warm moments with Dean, which allow Sam to finally overpower [[Lucifer]]. He then opens the cage with the Horsemen's rings, when [[Michael]] suddenly returns. He says that he won't let it end the way Sam wants it to and charges at him. Sam, now in control, pulls Michael with him into the cage and the portal closes. [[Castiel]] then reappears and tells Dean he was resurrected by [[God]] and promoted. He then heals Dean and resurrects Bobby.

As they drive home, [[Castiel]] mentions that with Michael gone, he intends to take charge of Heaven, likely in anarchy without Michael. Dean tells Castiel that if he runs into God to tell him that he's his next target. Castiel remarks that Dean's angry. Dean complains that he hadn't been properly rewarded by God, reminding that Sam's still stuck in the cage. Castiel reminds Dean that he got what he desired - no Paradise or Hell, "Just more of the same." Castiel then disappears. Dean leaves Bobby and heads for Lisa's house where she gladly welcomes him in.

[[File:ChuckDisappearing.gif|thumb|200px|Chuck disappears after completing the manuscript]]
Meanwhile, Chuck, who has been narrating the entire story while writing on his computer, smiles as he brings an end to the story, only to state that "nothing ever really ends, does it?". He then vanishes into thin air with a smile, wearing a white shirt instead of his usual drab clothes.

Outside of Lisa's house, a streetlight outside goes out and Sam is shown standing beneath it, watching Dean through the window.

==Characters==
===Main Cast===
*[[Jared Padalecki]] as [[Sam Winchester]] and [[Lucifer]]
*[[Jensen Ackles]] as [[Dean Winchester]]
*[[Misha Collins]] as [[Castiel]]

===Recurring Cast===
====Guest Stars====
*[[Jim Beaver]] as [[Bobby Singer]]
*[[Jake Abel]] as [[Michael]]
*[[Rob Benedict]] as [[God|Chuck Shurley]]
*[[Cindy Sampson]] as [[Lisa Braeden]]
*[[Nicholas Elia]] as [[Ben Braeden]] {{c|cameo}}

====Co-Stars====
*[[Mark Pellegrino]] as [[Lucifer]] and [[Nick]] {{c|corpse}}
*Anthony Harrison as [[Sal Moriarty]]
*[[Nicolai Guistra]] as young [[Dean Winchester]]

==Featured Supernatural Beings==
*[[Angels]] {{c|[[Castiel]]}}
*[[Archangels]] {{c|[[Michael]] and [[Lucifer]]}}
*[[Demons]]
*[[Primordial Entities|Primordial Entity]] {{c|[[God]], masquerading as Chuck}}
*[[Princes of Hell|Prince of Hell]] {{c|[[Azazel]], flashbacks only}}
*[[Rugaru]] {{c|mentioned only}}
*[[Seraphim|Seraph]] {{c|[[Castiel]], at the end}}

==Continuity==
*[[God]] previously appeared in ''[[The Real Ghostbusters]]''.
*This episode marks the final appearance until [[Season 15]] of [[Adam Milligan]] and [[Michael]].
**Adam is mentioned in [[Appointment In Samarra]] and [[Fan Fiction]].
**An [[Michael (Apocalypse World)|alternate reality version]] of Michael makes an appearance in [[Season 13]].
*Chuck disappearing foreshadows his status as [[God]]. Chuck reveals his true identity in ''[[Don't Call Me Shurley]]''.
*Dean asking Castiel if he was God foreshadows the plot of [[Season 6]].
*This is the second time Castiel has been killed by an archangel. The first time was by [[Raphael]] in [[Lucifer Rising]].
*Dean telling Castiel to let God know he's coming for him, foreshadows the [[Season 14]] finale.
*Chuck said the the Winchesters beat God Himself at his own game, which foreshadows the revelation that Chuck was playing them the whole time. 

==Trivia==
*This episode has the highest user ratings on IMDb of the entire series.<ref>[http://archive.is/2017.05.16-155810/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460681/eprate IMDb - Archive]</ref>
**Out of 6,038 votes, the episode received a 9.7 rating.
*Antagonists: [[Michael]] and [[Lucifer]].
*Bobby dies for the first time onscreen.
*[[Azazel]], [[John Winchester]], [[Meg]], [[Zachariah]] and other characters are seen in Sam's flashbacks.
*This episode was intended to be the series finale. However, due to the ratings,'' Supernatural'' was renewed for a [[Season 6|sixth season]].
**''Swan song ''refers to the finale of something, the final act. In this case, it refers to the last episode of the season, and the final fight before the ending of the Apocalypse.
*Lucifer quotes some lyrics to the famous [[wikipedia:Charlie Daniels|Charlie Daniels]] song [[wikipedia:The Devil Went Down to Georgia|the Devil Went Down to Georgia]] when he tells Sam "A fiddle of gold against your soul says I'm better than you." The real lyric is: "I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul 'cause I think I'm better than you."
*Chuck answering the phone hoping it was "Mistress Magda" might be a reference to [[wikipedia:Mary magdalene|Mary Magdalene]], a Disciple of [[Jesus Christ]] in the New Testament that some believe to be a prostitute or even the wife of Jesus (a theory made famous by the book [[wikipedia:The da vinci code|the Da Vinci Code]] by Dan Brown).
*[[Lucifer]] returns as a [[hallucination]] in [[Season 7]]. He later escapes the Cage in season 11 episode ''[[The Devil in the Details]]''.
*When Lucifer is showing Sam all of the people in his life who were really agents of [[Azazel]] watching over him, he refers to Sam's prom date [[Rachel Nave (demon)|Rachel]]. In ''[[What Is And What Should Never Be]]'', Dean is said to have slept with Sam's prom date Rachel Nave on prom night.
*Dean's line about Sam's hell making his own look like [[wikipedia:Graceland|Graceland]] is a reference to the mansion that [[wikipedia:Elvis Presley|Elvis Presley]] died in.
*Dean's line "I have a bad feeling about this" may be a reference to [[wikipedia:Star wars|Star Wars]], in which the line is repeated many times. Eric Kripke originally pitched the show as "Star Wars in truck Stop America". The series is further referenced in this episode when Dean calls Bobby "Yoda" and Lucifer calls Sam "young Skywalker".
*Chuck states that [[the Impala]] rolled off the assembly line on April 24th, 1967. April 24th is [[Eric Kripke]]'s birthday.
*The name of the Impala's first owner is [[Sal Moriarty]], a reference to Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, the main characters in the novel ''[[wikipedia:On the road|On the Road]]''.
*[[Stull Cemetery]] is a real cemetery near [[Lawrence]], Kansas, where Sam and Dean were born. It has a lot of real-life lore associated with it, including the belief that it could be a [[Devil's Gate|gate to Hell]].
*The tape Dean loads into the cassette deck in the Impala as he drives into Stull Cemetery is labeled with [[Kim Manners]]' signature line "kick it in the ass!"
*It is a 12-hour drive from Detroit, MI to Lawrence, KS.

==Deaths==
*[[Blood Source Demons]] 
*[[Lucifer's Guards]]
*Lucifer's Guard's vessels 
*[[Nick]] {{c|[[Family Feud|later]] [[resurrection|resurrected]]}}
*Numerous unnamed people {{c|mentioned only}}
*[[Castiel]] {{c|[[resurrection|resurrected]]}}
*[[Jimmy Novak]]
*[[Bobby Singer]] {{c|[[resurrection|resurrected]]}}

==Featured Music==
*"Rock Of Ages" by Def Leppard
*"[[Carry On Wayward Son]]" by Kansas

==Gallery==
===Behind the Scenes===
<gallery type="slideshow" position="center" widths="320">
5x22 BTS.png
</gallery>

==Quotes==
''[Seeing Castiel snoring in the back seat of the Impala]''
*'''Dean:''' Aww, ain't he a little angel.
*'''Sam:''' Dean, angels don't sleep.
----
*'''Lucifer''': What if it's not my fault?
*'''Michael''': What's that supposed to mean?
*'''Lucifer''': Think about it. Dad made everything. Which means, he made me who I am! God wanted the Devil!
*'''Michael''': What's your point?
*'''Lucifer''': So why? We're going to kill each other. And for what? One of Dad's little tests? And we don't even know the answer. We're brothers. Let's just walk off the chessboard.
*'''Michael''': ''[seems to consider it]'' I'm sorry. I can't do that. I'm a good son, and I have my orders.
*'''Lucifer''': You don't have to follow them.
*'''Michael''': What? You think I'm going to rebel? I'm not like you.
*'''Lucifer''': Please, Michael.
*'''Michael''': No, you haven't changed a bit, little brother. Always blaming everyone but yourself. We were together, we were happy, and then you betrayed me, all of us, and you made our Father leave!
*'''Lucifer''': No one makes Dad do anything! He is doing this ''to us''!
*'''Michael''': You're a monster, Lucifer, and I have to kill you.
*'''Lucifer''': If that's how it's going to be... then I'd like to see you try.
----
*'''Castiel:''' Hey, [[Assbutt]]!
----
*'''Lucifer''': Castiel, did you just molotov Michael with holy fire?
*'''Castiel''': ''[looking worried]'' Uh... no?
*'''Lucifer:''' No one dicks with Michael, but me.
''[Lucifer explodes Cass with a snap of his fingers. Dean looks on in shock.]''
----
*'''Dean:''' Your Hell's gonna make mine look like Graceland.
----
*'''Lucifer''': You win, you jump in the hole. If I win... well then, I win. So what do you say, Sammy? A wrestling match inside your noggin'. A fiddle of gold against your soul says I'm better than youuu!
----
*'''Dean:''' Cass, are you God?
*'''Castiel:''' That's a nice compliment, but no.
----
'''Chuck/God''': No doubt; endings are hard. But then again... nothing ever really ends, does it?
==International Titles==
*'''German: '''Schwanenlied ''(Swan Song)''
*'''Hungarian: '''Hattyúdal ''(Swan's song)''
*'''Polish:''' Łabędzi śpiew ''(Swan's Singing)''
==References==
{{reflist}}

== External Links ==

* [https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/05/14/supernatural-swan-song-review Supernatural: "Swan Song" Review] IGN.com
* [https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/05/22/supernatural-season-5-review Supernatural: Season 5 Review] IGN.com

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