The Gamblers is the 11th episode of Season 15. It aired on January 30, 2020.
Summary[]
There was something about being there... It felt pure. This episode summary is an official CW press release. It may contain errors. DO NOT CHANGE! |
Sam and Dean press their luck in a winner-takes-all game of pool. Meanwhile, Castiel hunts down a would-be murderer, but not for reasons one might think.
Plot[]
In Lurlene's, a bar in Alaska, two men play pool. One of the players losses and sweats a lot. The other player, Joey Six, clears the table and the other man, Leonard, begs him for a chance. Joey keeps clearing the table and wins. Two coins on a rack glow and Leonard's coin goes dim, and Leonard mutters in negation and takes his coin. He swings at Joey, but the bouncer grabs his cue and says no fights. He takes Leonard outside, and Leonard begs him for a game. The bouncer tells Leonard that he's out of luck and goes back inside, and Leonard walks off, looking at his coin. He tosses it in the air... and gets run over by a truck.
Castiel arrives at the bunker and calls to the Winchesters. There's no answer, and he finds a note on the table saying they've gone to Alaska.
As Dean and Sam drive through the night, Sam's cell phone chimes. It keeps chiming and Dean suggests that he put in silent mode, then asks about Eileen. Sam says that Eileen is doing fine, Sam wonders if the place they're heading can supercharge their luck, and wonders if that will fix their problem. Dean figures he can't take any more their "normal life" situation Chuck put them in, and Sam warns that the place isn't in the lore. Dean insists that it's got to be there, figuring that Chuck wants them weak because he's coming for them. If they don't figure it out, they're DOA.
The next day, Sheriff Evans in Cushing, OK, calls one of the Winchesters' cell phones and asks for "Agent Wats". Castiel says that Watts is in Alaska and the sheriff explains that they have a homicide and the suspect is Jack. Castiel tells the sheriff that he'll be there.
Dean stops at a diner for food and wakes Sam up. Sam reminds him that they're on a budget, and they go in and ask what they can get for $4.60. The waitress says that all they can get is a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. Sam goes over a map of Alaska and tries to work out where they're heading. Dean asks the waitress what's up the road, and she figures they're pranking her. The brothers assure her they're not and the waitress says that there's an urban legend about a pool hall in the middle of nowhere that is magic. If someone gets there and wins, the winner comes out lucky.
The waitress says that no one ever wins and one of their regulars Leonard, went up there, lost, and had an accident. Once the waitress leaves a call, Dean insists that pool is their game. The waitress tells them that the Impala has a flat.
Evans sends a video of an office where the victim, a local doctor named Sariel, was killed. The video shows Jack coming in and talking to Sariel, and then Jack grabbing him. The signal goes out and Evans says that while the signal was out, Jack killed Sariel. When the signal clears, Jack walks back onto camera and casually eats Sariel's heart that he's holding in his hands.
The Impala's engine gives out as the brothers pull up to an old pool hall at the end of the road. They walk over Leonard's coin lying on the road and go in. Sam warns that they don't have any money to buy in, but Dean says that they'll figure something out. They get water at the bar and Dean tells the bartender, Evie, that they want to get a game. Evie tells the player, Pax, that there's a game for them. She claims that she doesn't remember anyone named Leonard, and Pax leads them to the table and says that they don't' bet with money. He takes out a coin and slides it to them and invites Dean to touch it.
When Dean touches the coin, it glows for a moment. Pax sighs and says that it's not great but not the worst. The glow shows that Dean's luck is about average, and Dean sets the coin on the table, he gets himself a game. If he wins, he'll see his fortune improve. Dean can keep playing but if the coin goes blank, he's out of luck and he's got to leave. Sam asks what the place is and who owns it, and Pax says that he just works there, and they can leave if they want. Dean asks if he can split the luck and Pax says he can do what he wants with it.
Sam talks to Dean privately and warns against the game. Dean says that they need their luck back and he can wipe the floor with Sam when it comes to pool. Sam reluctantly agrees and Dean tells Pax to rack them up.
Castiel goes to Cushing and Sariel's office and searches the place. He finds a long case containing a sword and realizes that it's a Grigori sword.
Jack follows a man holding a similar case, and the man goes into a warehouse.
Sam and Dean wait around for players, and Dean finally starts shooting by himself and then complains that he's rusty. A woman at the bar, Moira, hears him and comes over. She puts her coin in the rack and tells Dean to rack it up. Sam goes to the bar and tells Evie that he's decided not to play. Meanwhile, Dean puts his coin in the rack, and Sam asks Evie what Moira's deal is. Evie says that Moira has been there for a while, and she plays to get her sister out of a coma. Sam asks Evie if she's ever seen anything weird around, and Evie admits that it's unbelievable. She says that most people think that the pool hall is a godsend.
Evie points out various customers who have come to the pool hall in search of a a lucky break. They would accomplish a winning streak but kept playing until their luck ran out. Evie says that they should have walked away and leaves.
Dean wins the game and Moira's luck goes to his coin. She curses when her luck sours.
Jack enters the warehouse and draws a blade. The man he followed grabs him from behind and asks why Jack is following him.
Sam warns Dean that if he keeps playing, he'll lose. Dean figures that they need to maximize their profit and minimize the risk. He suggests that they do a "Fast Eddie" and need to find their "Jackie Gleason". Dean spots Joey and the two are soon playing pool. Everyone watches as Dean keeps making his shots. He misses a shot and Joey takes a shot and misses. He glances over at Moira, and Dean prepares to make the difficult shot. Joey invites him to play double or nothing, and Dean accepts. Dean skips the cue ball over one ball and knocks the other ball in, and the luck transfers from Joey's coin to Dean's.
Joey walks out of the bar, and Dean takes his coin. Outside, Joey sits down, and Sam and Dean join him. Joey looks at his coin and then sits it aside and starts coughing up blood. He says that he's dying of cancer and came there to beat it and wins himself an extra year. Joey lights up a cigarette and continues coughing. The brothers go back inside, and Dean says that they should hit the road. Sam wants some time to figure things out and warns that there's not enough luck in the coin to beat Chuck. Dean agrees to take a ride in the Impala to test his luck.
Castiel meets with Evans and the sheriff says that a transient saw Jack fighting a sword. There is blood on the ground, and Evans says that there's an empty church nearby. As Castiel leaves, he tells Evans that he's going to get answers.
Sam talks with another player who says that he's playing to win a football bet. Evie overhears them and says that no one is going anywhere. Sam wonders if they're all trapped there, and Dean comes in and tells his brother that the Impala didn't make it out of the parking lot before the battery went dead. Sam examines the coin and notes that Dean didn't get Joey's luck. He figures that Fortuna--the Roman goddess of luck, whose face is on the coin--is "skimming" the luck off the top.
The brothers approach Evie, who says that she won't help them. She only warned Sam, so he'd leave and take Dean with him. Evie explains that she came to play and lost and is only alive as long as she keeps working for the pool hall in service of Fortuna, She doesn't know if Fortuna is there and explains that Pax is her son.
The man, Kabaiel, ties Jack up in the church and advises him to heal the wound he inflicted on his stomach. Kabaiel says that he knows what Jack is and asks why he doesn't use his powers to fight back. He takes out a torture blade and tells Jack that he should answer why he's killing Kabaiel's kind so Kabaiel won't hurt him. Kabaiel repeats his question, saying that the Grigori are on the angels' "radio frequency". His brother called to him as Jack killed him, and Kabaiel wonders if Jack killed Sariel to call him out.
Sam approaches Pax at his desk, to ask him a question. As Pax stands, Dean puts an angel blade to his throat, and he and Sam yell to Fortuna that they have her son. Moira approaches the Winchesters, revealing herself to be Fortuna; when Dean asks, she says that Fortuna is only one of her names.
The Winchesters demand for Dean's luck back or they will kill Pax, and Fortuna admits that Pax is half-human so they probably could kill him. Pax is shocked, as his mother half-heartedly apologizes and states she can have more kids. Seeing her callous disregard, Dean releases Pax and demands to play her again. Fortuna says that Dean is a "beach read: sexy but skimmable". She figures Sam could be interesting, and Sam agrees despite Dean's objections. However, he says that he'll play for the lives of everyone in there. Fortuna refuses, saying that if Sam loses then she gets their lives because they threatened her lifestyle and her son. Sam agrees.
Kabaiel cuts Jack's throat but the latter states he can't kill him, something the Grigori realizes, and promises to make Jack suffer for killing the last of his kind and eating his heart. Kabaiel insists that it's more than fair, while Jack argues that Sariel was pretending to be a doctor, feeding on the souls of humans he was supposed to heal. Jack knows that Kabaiel does it as well and especially likes children. Kabaiel grabs his sword and asks who told Jack that, and Jack says Death.
Castiel arrives and Kabaiel attacks him. After a short fight, Castiel manages to kill the Grigori. Castiel unties Jack and hugs him.
Sam and Fortuna play pool and Sam makes the first round of shots. She asks why Sam needs the luck so bad, and the Winchesters explain that they need it against Chuck. Fortuna initially believed they are joking until Dean describes God and she realizes they are telling the truth. She takes her shots and explains that humans created gods... sort of. Humans prayed to the elements and Chuck was furious. As she continues making shots, Fortuna says that God birthed the lesser gods. She misses a shot and says that Chuck created the lesser gods to take the blame for humanity's misfortunes. Most gods survive on whatever worship they can get, with some forgetting the truth of their origins but Fortuna is old and holds a grudge. Sam makes his shots, and Dean says that they're going to fight Chuck and go down swinging if they lose.
Sam makes the winning shot and Fortuna realizes that he kept her talking and distracted. She suggests that they play again for the luck of all of the demigods she helped. They play double or nothing, and Dean points out that's how Joey died. Sam agrees as long as Fortuna releases everyone in the bar instead of giving them extra luck. When Fortuna insists that she's not keeping them, Sam tells her that she has to give back the luck she stole and close up shop. Fortuna says that the people in the bar are "losers", and the Winchesters tell her that they matter to them.
Fortuna agrees and they play again. Not missing a shot, she sinks all her pool balls and wins the game, and asks the brothers what they thought would happen. Dean tells her that they had to try, and Fortuna leaves them, saying they were stupid. The Winchesters leave and Sam figures their bad luck will kill them on their own. As they plan to circle back and kill Fortuna, Evie and the other customers come out. Evie explains that Fortuna shut down the bar because of them. She thought that heroes had gone extinct, and instructed Evie to tell the Winchesters not to play Chuck's game, but to make Chuck play theirs. Evie holds out their coin, and Sam takes it. With that, Evie leaves. The coin glows in Sam's hand, giving him his luck back. Dean takes it and regains his luck, and the two brothers get in the Impala. It starts up and Dean says that they're back.
The Winchesters return to the bunker and Dean discovers their luck doesn't extend to lottery tickets. Sam points out the rest of their luck is back, and Dean complains that Fortuna didn't give them any extra. Castiel appears and reveals Jack, resurrected and returned, and Castiel says that it's really Jack. Sam hugs Jack, then Dean approaches him and looks in Jack's eyes to make sure he's him.
Everyone drinks, and Jack explains what he's been doing. Jack tells the Winchesters that he wanted to come home but couldn't because if he uses his powers, Chuck will know he's back and try to kill him again. He explains that Chuck is afraid of him, and that's why they had to wait. Castiel explains that Billie kept Jack hidden in the Empty until Chuck went off-world. Jack explains that the hearts didn't make him strong enough, but he'll get strong enough to kill Chuck if he follows Billie's plan. [1]
Characters[]
Main Cast[]
- Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester
- Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester
- Misha Collins as Castiel
- Alexander Calvert as Jack Kline
Recurring Cast[]
Co-Stars[]
- Lynda Boyd as Fortuna
- Hanneke Talbot as Evie
- Brent Stait as Pool Hall Player
- Stephen Huszar as Pax
- Jason Burkart as Vikings Fan
- Ashley Roxburgh as Waitress
- Rob Bruner as Leonard
- Ryan Hesp as Kabaiel
- Lalo Espejo as Joey Six
- Kahlil Ashanti as Sheriff Jeb Evans
Featured Supernatural Beings[]
- Deities (Fortuna; Ra, Anu, Hera, Mixcoatl, mentioned only)
- Demigods (Pax; Hercules, Gilgamesh and Cú Chulainn mentioned only)
- Demons (mentioned only)
- Grigori (Sariel, Kabaiel; Tamiel, flashback only)
- Nephilim (Jack Kline)
- Primordial Entities (God, mentioned only)
- Reaper (Billie, mentioned only)
- Seraph (Castiel)
- Werewolf (Garth Fitzgerald IV, mentioned only)
- Witches (mentioned only)
Continuity[]
- Castiel previously appeared in The Trap.
- Jack was previously seen in The Trap.
- Grigori were last seen in Angel Heart.
- Angel Swords were last seen in Don't You Forget About Me.
- Deities were last seen in Ouroboros.
Trivia[]
- This is the first time Davy Perez and Meredith Glynn collaborated to write an episode.
- Lynda Boyd previously appeared on the show as Jennifer O'Brien in Pac-Man Fever.
- Dean once again doesn't get to eat his pie after the Impala gets a flat tire.
- Fortuna reveals that deities were actually created by God to take the blame when something went wrong and because they made for epic stories. However, God's ego could only handle that for so long and "now he's happy to hide behind whatever religion has the best syndication deal."
- It's also revealed that most deities have forgotten the truth of their creation.
- Its revealed that at some point the previous spring, Dean used one of his FBI aliases to open a file on Jack, making him wanted by the FBI. The file states that there are multiple charges pending and Jack is to be considered armed and dangerous. Jack is listed as being 5'10, 140 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, no known aliases and an unknown date of birth.
- This was presumably done during one of Sam and Dean's searches for Jack, possibly after he disappeared when Mary was killed given the timing.
- The Winchesters regain their luck thanks to Fortuna.
- While much of the Winchesters skills such as lock-picking came from the increased luck God gave them, it's shown in this episode that their skill at pool really is something that they're good at on their own.
- Although Naomi stated in Season 13 that only a dozen angels were left, several Grigori were present on Earth.
- It is possible that Heaven is still unaware of their continued existence.
- Castiel once again makes the mistake of showing his FBI badge upside down, but he quickly corrects the mistake.
- This is the fourth time a deity is not killed by the end of the episode.
- The first time was in Hammer of the Gods, with Kali, who was actually saved by the brothers.
- The second time is in My Heart Will Go On with Atropos, who was never directly interacted with by the brothers.
- The third was in Defending Your Life with Osiris, who was only left incapacitated.
- The fourth and fifth were in The Thing with Yokoth and Glythur, who were banished.
- The sixth was in Byzantium, with Anubis, who was left to continue his job.
- Jack has been resurrected by Billie to get stronger to kill God.
- Jack was hidden in The Empty until God left Earth at which point it was safe for him to return.
- Jack consumed angel hearts as part of Billie's plan for him to get strong enough to kill God.
- The Grigori have been wiped out by Jack with the last one being killed by Castiel. The last Grigori specifically stated that Jack killed the last of his kind and consumed their hearts.
- Sam and Dean mention the cursed Rabbit's Foot from Bad Day at Black Rock.
- Jensen and Jared did all the pool shots in the episode. Jensen made the scoop jump shot to sink the 8-ball in a single take.
- Though the Grigori that tortures Jack is unnamed in the episode itself, closed captions identify him as Kabaiel when he speaks with Jack.
- It is implied that there may be a way to kill God without disrupting the rule of nature that declares that both God and the Darkness must exist (or not exist) in order for reality to exist, as there is a very little chance that Billie, in her position as the "balance force", wants to end reality.
- Its later revealed that the plan is actually to kill both God and the Darkness to avoid this problem and that Billie wants to take over herself once they are dead.
- Jack Kline is the first known being to be killed by God to come back to life.
- Ashley Roxburgh, who played the waitress in this episode, is one of the sisters of actress Melissa Roxburgh.
Quotes[]
- Joey Six: What did you say your name was again?
- Dean: Well, my name's Dean Winchester. And I'm gonna kick your ass.
- Fortuna: So, why do you need this luck so bad? Girlfriend problems? Liver failure?
- Sam: Accursed by God.
- Fortuna: Life's a bitch, then you die.
- Dean: The God... literally cursed us.
- Fortuna: You've met?
- Dean: Yeah. Little guy, squirrelly as hell.
- Fortuna: Yeah, that's him. Well, welcome to the club.
- Fortuna: What is with you and these losers?! They're nothing! They don't matter!
- Sam: They matter to me.
- Dean: They matter to us.
- Evie: She... She shut it down.
- Sam: What?!
- Dean: Why?
- Evie: Because of you. She said she thought your kind had gone extinct.
- Sam: Our kind?
- Evie: Heroes.
- Evie: And she gave me a message. She said, "Don't play his game. Make him play yours."
Goofs[]
- Castiel remembers Tamiel explaining about the Grigori and their Angel Swords. However, Tamiel told Sam this, not Castiel.
Deaths[]
- Leonard
- Sariel
- Sariel's vessel
- Joey Six
- Multiple unnamed Grigori (mentioned only)
- Kabaiel
- Kabaiel's vessel
Gallery[]
Behind the Scenes[]
TBA.
Promotional Pictures[]
Videos[]
References[]
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Removed plot I got from another site to add it later with the reference because the editor is glitched.