Tonight's episode opens on death row. Tommy, one of the inmates, is particularly mouthy with a guard when suddenly it's lights out and Cain appears, stabs the inmate, and they both vanish.
Sam and Dean of course hear about the disappearance and head to the jail to investigate. That's when they - or should I say Dean - realize exactly who they are dealing with.
While the boys are searching for Cain on the surface, Crowley is in Hell holding court. His dear old mum is sitting in and likes to pipe in to keep her son from appearing weak (though honestly having your mom tell you what you should be doing doesn't really sound like it would help your reputation as King of Hell). But Rowena has ulterior motives, wanting Crowley to help her get rid of the Grand Coven witch who was out to get her back in the states. Crowley realizes his mother was manipulating him and walks away from mother dearest.
Cas, our wonderful angel friend, stumbles across Cain's burial ground, and across Cain himself. According to Cain, the Mark wants blood, and he's going to give it his own. Basically, he's going around killing his own descendants, whether they're bad people or not, and that Dean is on his list. Don't worry, he's not that far down the list yet, but he'll get there.
Cas gives the Winchesters an update, and Sam finds out Cain's next target. So the plan? Dean's going to kill Cain, but to do that they need the First Blade. So Dean, or as he is known in Crowley's phone contacts, Not Moose, gives the King of Hell a call, lying that he is on Cain's list so that he will bring the Blade to them.
So the boys wait at Cain's target's, a 12 year old boy named Austin, home. When Cain appears, they get Austin to lead him into the barn where a trap lay waiting. Turns out Austin was just an illusion and the real boy was far away and safe and Cain is nicely trapped in one of our demon traps.
The Winchesters, Cas and Crowley gather outside the barn, where the Blade is handed to Dean. With one last smile to Sammy, Dean comes face to face with Cain. With a short chat of the world being a whole lot better from his killings, the two fight for their lives. Dean is doing his best to take down Cain without giving in to the Mark, but Cain quickly realizes it and calls Dean out on it. He also reveals that his big plan was to get Dean to bring him back the First Blade.
Cain gets the Blade from Dean and tells him that he is living his life in reverse; basically, Cain's story began with him killing his brother, and so that's how Dean's will end. According to Cain, he will also kill Crowley and Cas before he turns to kill his Sammy.
And of course, a villain is always best attacked while in the middle of a speech, so Dean used Cain's knife to chop off the hand holding the Blade. Dean gives Cain one last chance to admit that he'll stop killing and that he can stop, but Cain says he will never stop so Dean does what he has to do. He kills Cain.
Dean returns to the group gathered outside and hands the Blade to not Crowley, but Cas. He then admits he was never on Cain's list so he immediately vanishes. Dean then collapses into his brother's arms.
At the bunker, Sam convinces Dean there is hope for him, but Dean just wants to go sleep for "the next four days." Cas asks if he'll be okay but Sam responds "Dean's in trouble."
To wrap up the episode Rowena and Crowley have it out. Rowena says when she found out her son was King of Hell she was so proud, but tells him she's disappointed now. According to her, he is no ruler but is instead the Winchesters' bitch. And then leaving her bags where they leave, she walks out on her son.
The Winchester's will return to The CW on a new night, Wednesday March 18th.
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