Supernatural (season 5)

Supernatural
Season 5
DVD cover art
Starring
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 22
Release
Original network The CW
Original release September 10, 2009 –
May 13, 2010
Season chronology

The fifth season of Supernatural, an American dark fantasy television series created by Eric Kripke, premiered September 10, 2009, and concluded on May 13, 2010, on The CW. Season five regular cast members include Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins, who was promoted to series regular this season. After the conclusion of this season, series creator Eric Kripke stepped down as showrunner. The fifth season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on September 7, 2010. The season follows Sam and Dean as they set out to take down Lucifer, whom Sam had inadvertently released from Hell at the end of the previous season.

Mark Pellegrino plays the role of Lucifer. Paris Hilton guest stars in the episode "Fallen Idols", in which she plays Leshi, a god that takes the form of various well-known faces including herself. The season also features the return of Jo and her mother Ellen Harvelle, as well as hunter Rufus Turner, the Trickster and the prophet Chuck Shurley.

Cast

Starring

Special guest star

Guest stars

Episodes

See also: List of Supernatural episodes

In this table, the number in the first column refers to the episode's number within the entire series, whereas the number in the second column indicates the episode's number within that particular season. "U.S. viewers in millions" refers to how many Americans who watched the episode live or on the day of broadcast.

No.
overall		 No. in
season		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod.
code		 U.S. viewers
(millions)
83 1 "Sympathy for the Devil" Robert Singer Eric Kripke September 10, 2009 3X5201 3.40
The Apocalypse has begun. Sam and Dean Winchester go in search of the sword of the archangel Michael, a weapon capable of defeating Lucifer. Zachariah explains that Dean is in fact Michael's "sword" as Michael's destined human vessel. Dean refuses to allow Michael to possess him. Castiel appears and warns Zachariah that the boys are under God's protection. He then hides Sam and Dean from angelic detection and disappears. Meanwhile, Nick, whose family has been slaughtered by a killer, allows himself to be possessed by Lucifer.
84 2 "Good God, Y'All!" Phil Sgriccia Sera Gamble September 17, 2009 3X5202 2.80
Castiel borrows Dean's pendant so that he can locate God, revealing that the angels are hunting him for his betrayal. Bobby sends Sam and Dean to respond to a frantic call from his friend Rufus Turner (Steven Williams), who is in River Pass, Colorado, a town swarming with demons. They meet their old friend Ellen Harvelle (Samantha Ferris), whose daughter Jo has also gone missing. When the three find Jo and Rufus, they appear to be possessed by demons—and strangely, they seem to think Sam, Dean, and Ellen are also possessed. It is later revealed that there are no real demons present, merely illusions brought about by War (Titus Welliver), one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, to trick panicked people into killing each other. By removing War's ring, they are able to defeat the Horseman and end the chaos. Afterwards, Sam and Dean agree to part ways because neither of them trust Sam on the job at the moment.
85 3 "Free to Be You and Me" J. Miller Tobin Jeremy Carver September 24, 2009 3X5203 2.66
Sam receives a visit from his girlfriend Jessica; he tries to have a normal life by settling down and working at a restaurant. Meanwhile, Dean teams up with Castiel to track down the archangel Raphael, as Castiel believes Raphael knows God's location. They manage to lure him out, however Raphael claims that God is dead, suspecting Lucifer raised Castiel from the dead. A group of hunters find Sam and want him to join on a demon hunt, but Sam refuses. The hunters return defeated and hold Sam's restaurant coworker hostage, forcing Sam to tell the truth about his involvement in the Apocalypse. Later, Jessica visits again and its revealed that its really Lucifer masquerading as her; Lucifer reveals that Sam is his one true vessel to end the world in.
86 4 "The End" Steve Boyum Ben Edlund October 1, 2009 3X5204 2.62
Sam calls Dean late at night and wants to team up again in the battle of the Apocalypse, but Dean declines. Dean awakens five years in the future where the Croatoan virus has devastated the world. He learns from Zachariah that it is the result of Dean's refusal to become Michael's vessel. Dean discovers a group of survivors led by his future self, who plans on confronting Lucifer in a final showdown using the Colt. It is also revealed that in that future, Sam has accepted his role as Lucifer's vessel. After killing Future Dean, Lucifer tells Dean that whatever choices Dean will make, he will always end up in the same situation. Zachariah transports Dean back to his present and persuades Dean one more time, but Dean refuses, and Castiel saves Dean from Zachariah's wrath just in time. Dean contacts Sam and they reunite, having realized that they are stronger together after seeing the future.
87 5 "Fallen Idols" James L. Conway Julie Siege October 8, 2009 3X5205 2.47
The reunited Sam and Dean visit Canton, Ohio and investigate a string of very strange murders. A man who has found James Dean's car "Little Bastard" is found dead having crashed into the car windshield. Another man is murdered by someone resembling Abraham Lincoln. Suspecting that the murders are the work of famous ghosts, the brothers discover that the local wax museum curator has been collecting actual artifacts to go along with the wax statues. Although Sam and Dean get rid of the ghosts, the incidents continue when two girls report that their friend was kidnapped by Paris Hilton. They check the bodies again and discover strange seeds that lead them to believe it is the work of Leshii, a pagan god whose forest was cut down in Eastern Europe. Sam and Dean return to the museum to confront Leshii (Paris Hilton), ultimately killing her with an iron axe. Having had trouble trusting Sam throughout these events, Dean agrees to loosen up on his brother.
88 6 "I Believe the Children Are Our Future" Charles Beeson Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin October 15, 2009 3X5206 2.59
In Alliance, Nebraska, people are being killed by practical joke devices such as itching powder and joy buzzers. It turns out that an eleven-year-old boy named Jesse is the reason for all this, as whatever he believes has started to become reality. Sam and Dean discover that Jesse was adopted; his biological mother reveals that she was impregnated by a demon, and that she gave Jesse up for adoption at birth. Castiel tells the Winchesters that Jesse is the Antichrist and that they should kill him before Lucifer uses him. Sam and Dean argue with Jesse's biological mother, each attempting to persuade Jesse to side with them. Jesse exorcises the demon from his mother and agrees to leave with the Winchesters. Pretending he wants to say goodbye to his adoptive parents, he goes upstairs and vanishes into thin air.
89 7 "The Curious Case of Dean Winchester" Robert Singer Story by : Sera Gamble & Jenny Klein
Teleplay by : Sera Gamble		 October 29, 2009 3X5207 2.90
Sam and Dean follow a trail of deaths of people who have mysteriously aged. They discover that a wandering warlock named Patrick has been luring people into playing poker where the stakes are years of life represented by poker chips, and that their friend Bobby has played and lost/aged 25 years. Dean plays Patrick where he buys in with 50 years, redeeming 25 to undo Bobby's aging, but he ultimately loses. Remembering the ritual Patrick cast on the poker chips, Dean and Sam try to steal the chips, but fail. Later, Patrick's accomplice Lia offers them a spell that would cancel the aging effect, but it requires a sample of Patrick's DNA. Sam attempts to challenge Patrick in order to swipe the DNA from Patrick's toothpick but fails as Patrick is aware of the trick. Sam must then play for real as Dean's lifetime runs out. Sam manages to win back Dean's years and Lia, who is depressed at outliving her loved ones, plays Patrick and loses so that she can finally be at peace.
90 8 "Changing Channels" Charles Beeson Jeremy Carver November 5, 2009 3X5208 2.65
While investigating a homicide in Wellington, Ohio that was apparently executed by the Incredible Hulk, Sam and Dean suspect it is the work of the Trickster, but when they go to a warehouse location to try to stake him, they find themselves as characters in a television show, and must survive a sequence of events across different shows including a sexy medical drama, a Japanese game show, a sitcom, and a police procedural, all of which attempt to have the two accept their roles as vessels. They are able to stake the Trickster, but the scenario continues as Sam is transformed into their Impala and has to act like K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider. Dean and Sam lure the Trickster into a burning circle of holy oil as they suspect he is actually an angel. The Trickster reveals that he is actually the archangel Gabriel who fled Heaven long before as he grew tired of watching his brothers fight each other, and wanted Sam and Dean to accept their roles as vessels to end the Apocalypse. Dean still refuses to become a vessel, but before they leave, he frees Gabriel from his trap and accuses him of simply being too afraid to stand up against his own family.
91 9 "The Real Ghostbusters" James L. Conway Story by : Nancy Weiner
Teleplay by : Eric Kripke		 November 12, 2009 3X5209 2.69
Following a text message from Chuck, Sam and Dean arrive at a hotel in Vermilion, Ohio, which is the site for a Supernatural fan convention. They find out that it was their over-enthusiastic fan Becky who sent the message, and have to deal with several Sam and Dean wannabes role-playing in a fictitious ghost hunt. After a convention attendee is seriously injured, the Winchester brothers find out that the hotel houses a real ghost named Leticia Gore, an orphanage caretaker who supposedly killed four children by scalping them. Together with two copycat Winchesters they find Leticia's bones and burn them, however they are later unable to leave the premises, and another attendee is killed. Sam and Dean have Chuck keep the attendees in the convention room while they deal with the three ghost boys who had killed Leticia's son. Afterwards, Becky reveals to Sam that Bela Talbot did not give the Colt to Lilith, but instead gave it to her subordinate, Crowley.
92 10 "Abandon All Hope..." Phil Sgriccia Ben Edlund November 19, 2009 3X5210 2.51
Castiel finds Crowley (Mark A. Sheppard), and the brothers and Jo break into his mansion. To their surprise, Crowley shoots his henchmen and gives Sam and Dean the Colt on the condition that they use it to kill Lucifer, as he believes that eventually Lucifer will kill his demons after he destroys humanity. Sam, Dean, Ellen, Jo and Castiel head to Carthage, Missouri, which appears deserted except that Castiel sees it is full of reapers. When Castiel investigates, Lucifer captures him and tries to persuade him to join his side. Meanwhile, Meg Masters confronts the Winchesters and the Harvelles, sending hellhounds to attack. Jo is mortally wounded and they retreat into a hardware store. Dean confers with Bobby that the reapers are there to wait for their big boss, Death, one of the Four Horsemen. While Jo and Ellen sacrifice themselves to blow up the hellhounds, Dean and Sam confront Lucifer at the battle site where he has sacrificed the remaining townsfolk to his ritual to summon Death. Although Dean shoots Lucifer with the Colt, Lucifer recovers and heals, revealing himself as one of the five beings that the Colt cannot kill. Castiel tricks Meg into getting out of Lucifer's trap and takes the brothers to Bobby as Death rises.
93 11 "Sam, Interrupted" James L. Conway Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin January 21, 2010 3X5211 2.79
A former hunter named Martin, who has been admitted into a mental hospital in Ketchum, Oklahoma, calls Sam and Dean for help with investigating a case. The brothers get themselves admitted as patients to check out the mysterious creature that has been attacking patients and has made their deaths look like suicide. They find out that they are dealing with a wraith, a creature that feeds on human brains and disguises itself as a human. The only way to identify a wraith is through a mirror, which reveals its true form. As the days go by, the Winchesters find themselves hallucinating. After an attempt to kill the hospital's chief of medicine, whom they suspect to be the monster, Sam is locked up and sedated with a heavy dose of tranquilizers. Despite his mind being paralyzed by the tricks the Wraith plays on it, Dean discovers that the wraith is the nurse who administered their tests in the beginning and kills it with a silver-plated letter opener right before she is able to suck Sam's brain dry. The two then flee the mental institution and Sam admits that he has anger issues from everything that has happened.
94 12 "Swap Meat" Robert Singer Story by : Julie Siege & Rebecca Dessertine & Harvey Fedor
Teleplay by : Julie Siege		 January 28, 2010 3X5212 2.65
Gary, a teenage nerd who resides in Housatonic, Massachusetts, uses a body-switching spell to exchange bodies with Sam. Gary meets up with Dean and two start working on a case and kill a ghost together. Meanwhile, Sam is stuck in Gary's body and has to deal with his strict parents and high school. Gary's friends Trevor and Nora reveal that they have made a pact with a demon, who offered them everything they wanted in exchange for Sam and Dean. Trevor summons the demon, who possesses Nora and kills Trevor. The demon goes after Gary and tries to persuade him to meet Lucifer and "answer one little question" with yes, which would let the Devil into his true vessel. Gary and Dean fails exorcise the demon together. Gary reverses the spell and the boys take him home. Sam tells Gary that he should be glad to have a normal life and a family, but when he and Dean get into the car, he states that Gary's life "sucked ass." Dean counters by saying that perhaps they themselves don't know the good things they're missing out on.
95 13 "The Song Remains the Same" Steve Boyum Sera Gamble & Nancy Weiner February 4, 2010 3X5213 2.28
The fallen angel Anna travels back in time to 1978 to stop Mary and John Winchester from conceiving Sam. Without Sam as his vessel, Lucifer won't be able to bring about the end of the world. Castiel and the boys also travel to the past, where Dean reveals to Mary that he and Sam are her sons and that she has to leave John in order to prevent her sons from being born. She reveals that she is already pregnant. Anna and Uriel attack the Winchesters and kill Sam. Just as Anna is about to kill Mary, the Archangel Michael, having possessed John's body, burns Anna to death and banishes Uriel. He reveals that Cain and Abel are the brothers' ancestors and that their destiny as Michael and Lucifer's true vessels has been set since those ancient times. While he loves Lucifer, having practically raised him like Dean did Sam, he feels he has to kill his brother as he is a "good son" and that there is no such thing as free will, that everything is predestined. He resurrects Sam, erases Mary and John's memory, and sends the brothers back to their time.
96 14 "My Bloody Valentine" Mike Rohl Ben Edlund February 11, 2010 3X5215 2.51
When couples start killing and eating each other, the brothers investigate and find angelic marks on the victims' hearts. Castiel asks Cupid about the strange incidents, but the angel of love says the killings are not his work. After examining another victim's body, Sam finds himself in possession of a demon's briefcase containing a human soul. Soon, people start dying from binge eating or alcohol poisoning, which leads them to believe that one of the Four Horsemen, Famine, is behind the deaths. Castiel states that Famine harvests the souls of the people he killed and consumes them. Dean and Castiel set out to face Famine and cut off the finger on which he wears the ring containing his power.
97 15 "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" John F. Showalter Jeremy Carver March 25, 2010 3X5214 2.95
Sam and Dean investigate Bobby's hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota where the dead are rising from the grave, but instead of attacking humans, they are happily reuniting with their families. The brothers turn to Bobby for help, but he tells them not to worry about it and to leave town. Suspicious, Dean investigates further and comes face to face with Bobby's dead wife Karen, who seems to have no memory of what has happened to her. Soon the zombies start to become evil, killing and eating their loved ones. The brothers urge Bobby to kill Karen before she does the same. Bobby says that as soon as she turns evil, he will take care of it. Shortly after, his wife shows signs of becoming a flesh-eating zombie; before having Bobby kill her again, Karen reveals that she remembers her demonic possession and death. As Dean and Bobby prepare to head out to fight the zombies, Bobby's salvage yard is swarmed with them and Dean and Bobby end up trapped. They are rescued by Sam and local sheriff Jody Mills, who found out the horrifying truth after her son killed her husband.
98 16 "Dark Side of the Moon" Jeff Woolnough Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin April 1, 2010 3X5216 2.40
Ambushed by angry hunters, Sam and Dean are killed and sent to Heaven. Castiel explains that Zachariah is searching for them and they must find the angel Joshua, in the Garden at the end of the road through heaven. Zachariah finds the brothers and begins to torture Dean, saying that he is sick of being condemned by his fellow angels because he cannot handle "one little human." Joshua stops him and takes the Winchesters to the Garden. Joshua tells Dean that God will not help them, as He does not feel the Apocalypse is his problem. Joshua resurrects them with their memories intact. Castiel curses God and gives Dean his amulet back, stating that it is useless now. As the brothers leave the motel, Dean throws his amulet into the trash can, leaving faith at the door.
99 17 "99 Problems" Charles Beeson Julie Siege April 8, 2010 3X5217 2.78
Sam and Dean are cornered by demons, but saved at the last minute by Rob and his townspeople, who are aware of the Apocalypse and have been training to fight and kill demons. The brothers meet Pastor Gideon and his daughter Leah. Leah begins telling the locals that they are "Chosen" to win the Apocalypse, but to do so must get rid of "sinners" among them. The brothers learn that Leah has been replaced by the Whore of Babylon, a creature from Hell that emerges during the Apocalypse and tries to condemn as many people as possible to eternal punishment in Hell by tricking them into committing Deadly Sins. She can only be killed with a wooden stake from a tree in Babylon, wielded by a true servant of Heaven. They halt the Whore just before she and her "Chosen" can burn the "sinner" townspeople to death. The Pastor is knocked out and the Whore begins battling Dean, but he manages to stake her, proving that he is a true servant of Heaven.
100 18 "Point of No Return" Phil Sgriccia Jeremy Carver April 15, 2010 3X5218 2.45
Before Dean can go to say yes to Michael, Sam and Castiel capture him and lock him in Bobby's panic room while the angels resurrect their deceased half-brother Adam, supposedly to be Michael's new vessel. While Sam attempts to talk Adam out of it, Dean banishes Castiel and escapes; he is recaptured before the angels can find him, but Zachariah is able to get Adam. Sam releases Dean to help in the rescue mission, expressing faith in his brother while Zachariah reveals Adam's resurrection was a trap for Dean. Castiel banishes four angels and himself to let the Winchesters reach Adam before Zachariah tortures Sam and Adam to finally get Dean to say yes. Suddenly changing his mind, Dean demands that Michael kill Zachariah as his first condition before killing Zachariah himself with a hidden angel blade when the angel gets into his face. As Michael descends, the three brothers flee but Adam is trapped inside. When Dean enters the room moments later, the room holding Adam has disappeared. Dean apologizes to Sam for his decision.
101 19 "Hammer of the Gods" Rick Bota Story by : David Reed
Teleplay by : Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin		 April 22, 2010 3X5219 2.82
Sam and Dean end up in Muncie, Indiana, at a hotel run by pagan gods from various cultures, who want to use the boys as bargaining chips to stop the Apocalypse. The brothers make a deal: if the gods release the guests they have trapped in the hotel, the Winchesters will help the gods kill Lucifer. Dean leads the hostages outside and stumbles upon a very much alive Gabriel, who tells Dean he can't kill Lucifer because he's his brother. Lucifer is summoned by Mercury. He arrives and kills Mercury, and all of the other gods except Kali. Gabriel shows up to help the brothers and sends them away. As he faces Lucifer for the first time in centuries, Gabriel tells him he's not loyal to him or Michael, but to humans, because they're always willing to forgive. As Gabriel makes his move, Lucifer kills him. Dean and Sam watch a movie Gabriel gave to them, in which the archangel explains to them that they can't kill Lucifer, but they can trap him back in Hell. All they need are the four rings that belong to the Horsemen to do this. As Dean and Sam set out to find them, Pestilence is revealed to be on Earth spreading disease.
102 20 "The Devil You Know" Robert Singer Ben Edlund April 29, 2010 3X5220 2.38
As the Winchesters search for Pestilence, they are approached by Crowley who offers to help them find the Horseman through his demon handler Brady; though reluctant to trust the demon, they agree. While Dean is gone, Sam starts considering the idea of allowing Lucifer to possess him in order to force the Devil back into the Cage. Dean and Crowley are able to capture Brady who is supervising testing of the Croatoan virus; Brady is revealed to be possessing a friend of Sam's from Stanford and is the one who murdered his girlfriend Jessica Moore on Azazel's orders in order to force Sam back into hunting. Despite Brady's taunts, Sam is able to restrain himself from taking revenge and when the demon refuses to break, Crowley purposefully reveals their position to demons; following a hellhound attack, held off by Crowley's own hellhound, Brady gives up Pestilence's location. Sam kills Brady and gets his revenge for Jessica's murder while Crowley approaches Bobby Singer with a way to find Death that will require Bobby to sell his soul to the demon.
103 21 "Two Minutes to Midnight" Phil Sgriccia Sera Gamble May 6, 2010 3X5221 2.53
Dean and Sam go after Pestilence and nearly die from a hailstorm of diseases. Castiel cuts off the Horseman's finger and takes the ring, but not before Pestilence tells them that "it's too late". Upon rejoining with Bobby, the brothers learn how Bobby sold his soul to Crowley in exchange for the location of the most powerful of the Four Horsemen, Death. Sam, Castiel, and Bobby, head out in order to find and contain the Croatoan virus. At the shipping warehouse, the three are able to contain the virus and shoot those who have been infected by it. Meanwhile, Dean goes with Crowley to find Death and get the last ring. Death and Dean meet in a Chicago pizza parlor, littered with the bodies of customers and staff. Death offers to give Dean his ring on the condition that he allow Sam saying yes to Lucifer so they can lure him into the trap. Dean agrees, receiving the ring and instructions on how to use all four of them to trap Lucifer.
104 22 "Swan Song" Steve Boyum Story by : Eric Gewirtz
Teleplay by : Eric Kripke		 May 13, 2010 3X5222 2.84
Sam and Dean confront Lucifer and Sam offers himself as a vessel, hoping that he can overcome Lucifer's control. Lucifer is too strong, and Sam disappears in his body. Meanwhile, Dean learns from Chuck the time and location of the final battle between Michael and Lucifer. The following day at the battleground, Lucifer tries to talk Michael out of fighting, but he refuses. Castiel interrupts the fight by banishing Michael with holy fire. Lucifer kills Castiel and snaps Bobby's neck when he shoots him. He then starts brutally beating Dean, but stops when he notices an old army man of Sam's inside the Impala. Sam remembers his life growing up with Dean and manages to take control of his body. He uses the rings to reopen the door to the cage and prepares to jump inside. Michael tries to stop him, but he too is pulled into the pit while grappling with Sam. Castiel, resurrected as a more powerful angel, heals Dean and brings Bobby back to life. He returns to Heaven, hoping to bring order now that Michael is gone. Dean returns to Lisa.

Reception

The fifth season received critical acclaim, and is widely regarded as one of the show's best seasons. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 90% approval rating for Supernatural's fifth season, with an average rating of 7.83/10 based on 10 reviews. The critics consensus reads, "Supernatural continues to benefit from its charismatic leads and a solid script, creating a story that is almost supernaturally addictive."

Controversy

The episode "Hammer of the Gods" was controversial among Indian and Hindu audiences, as it depicted Kali and Ganesh in a negative light.