Sam is preparing special bullets when Castiel comes in and asks if he knows anything on Dean. As he works Sam says that Dean has disabled the lowjack on the Impala and Rowena is their only hope. Castiel worries about the consequences if Rowena uses the Book of the Damned, and Sam says that they don't know. He reminds the angel that the only way to save Cain was to kill him, and he's not going to let Dean become consumed by the Mark based on some guesses about the Book's consequences.
Dean wakes up in his motel room in Superior, Nebraska, and sees that he has a call. He tosses the phone aside and drinks some beer, insisting that he's good.
Later, Dean goes to a crime scene where a Rose McKinley was killed. The sheriff explains that Rose was raised as a good girl and Dean coldly says that her parents let her leave the house looking like a whore. When the sheriff objects, Dean apologizes but dismisses the sheriff as a fool. Another hunter, Rudy, comes over and Dean tells him that he should walk on the vampire case. When Rudy says that he called Dean, Dean tells him to let the real hunters take over. Before Rudy can respond, the sheriff calls over and says Rose's friend Crystal Thorsson is still missing and he's going over to talk with Crystal's parents. He tells Dean and Rudy to sit it out, but Rudy insists on going and walks away.
Sam and Castiel go to the church and Sam tells Rowena that he's loaded his bullets with witch-killing brew. He tells her to cast the spell but Rowena figure that he's bluffing. She says that she wants her freedom and Nayda's Codex, and Sam agrees despite Castiel warning against it.
Dean talks to the McKinleys and ask if they noticed any changes in Rose's behavior. He bluntly tells them that Rose was trying to have intercourse with her killer, and the offended parents insist that there were no relations. Dean says that he can smell the deceit and the beatings, and figures that Rose went out looking for validation. The father Joe starts punching him until Dean draws his gun and asks who did it. Sobbing, Joe says that he doesn't know. Behind Dean, the couple's teenage son, JJ, comes into the house and quickly leaves when he sees Dean is there.
Afterward, Dean is leaving and JJ comes up behind him. Dean draws his gun on JJ, who says there are some guys living out by Cross Creek rehabbing a cabin. He admits that Crystal and Rose knew them, and he blames himself because he took the girls out there in the first place.
At the church, Rowena decodes the Book using the Codex and says they need the Apple from Eden, the Golden Calf, and... her to sacrifice something she loves. Rowena admits that she doesn't love anything, but Castiel is sure that she loves something. He reads her memories and sees her with a Polish boy, Oskar. Rowena says that Oskar's family helped her 300 years ago. Rudy calls Sam and warns that Dean isn't doing well, and agrees to text Sam the details. Sam gives Castiel a strand of Dean's hair and tells him to make the spell work whatever it takes, and then heads for Superior.
At the cabin, one of the vampires is washing off his hands when Dean decapitates him. He then goes in and finds the other vampire, Reggie, holding a knife to Rudy's throat. Crystal is cowering in a corner. Reggie tells Dean to leave, but Dean tells Rudy to walk away because the vampire won't kill him. He starts walking forward, telling Reggie that he doesn't have the guts, and yells at the vampire. Reggie jams the blade into Dean's chest, and Dean decapitates him. He then cuts Crystal free and casually walks out over Rudy's body.
That night at the motel, Dean is washing up and hallucinates seeing a bloody Castiel and then Rudy in the mirror. He tries to ignore the visions but then goes berserk and tears up the motel room.
Sam arrives at the cabin and hears Crystal telling an EMT how Dean let Rudy die. He goes inside and the sheriff asks what is going on.
Castiel goes to a crossroads and summons Crowley, and says that he needs his help curing Dean. Crowley refuses, reminding him that Sam tries to kill him, and Castiel threatens to kill him. The demon calls his bluff and tells him to beg for his help, and Castiel shows him the three ingredients on the list. Crowley looks at the list of ingredients, says that he's in, and teleports away.
Sam is driving through Superior and spots the Impala at the motel. He breaks into Dean's room and finds no sign of his brother, and checks out the torn-up room. A note saying that the Impala is all Sam's is on the bed along with the keys.
Dean goes to an abandoned Mexican bar and casts a ritual summoning. Death appears and Dean shows him the foot that he's set out for him and in return asks Death to kill him. As he enjoys the food, Death points out that Dean has tricked him before. Dean insists that he's not playing games anymore and shows him the Mark, and admits that he can't beat it on his own. Death is surprised that Dean is surrendering, but says that he won't kill him. He explains that the Mark is the First Curse and he can't kill Dean. As for removing it, Death admits that he could. However, he explains that before Creation, there was the Darkness. God and his archangels beat it back in a terrible war, and God locked it away. The Mark serves as lock and key, and God entrusted it to Lucifer. When the Mark asserted its own will, corrupting Lucifer, God banished Lucifer to Hell and Lucifer passed the Mark to Cain. If Death removes the Mark then Dean has to share it with another to keep the Darkness locked. Dean refuses to do it to anyone, and Death offers to relocate him somewhere far away and no danger to anyone else.
As Sam leaves the motel, Dean calls him. Dean admits that he's given up and tells Sam to grab a pen because it's time to say goodbye.
Crowley goes to the diner he likes and kills everyone there except the cook he likes. He paralyzes the cook and tells the man about how Rowena made her way to a Polish family. They took her in and nursed her back to health, surprising Rowena. She grew to love their mortally ill son, Oskar, and Crowley explains that Rowena cured the boy of his illness. Rowena then cast another spell to give the cook—Oskar--immortality.
Sam drives to the bar and goes inside. Dean and Death are waiting, and Dean tells his brother that they need to talk. He explains that there's another way out: Sam's death. They explain how the Mark can't be destroyed, and they know Sam won't rest until Dean is free no matter the cost. Dean says that he'll live with the Mark as long as he knows he will never hurt anyone again. He tells Sam to stop thinking of himself for once, and Death insists that it's for the greater good.
Crowley goes to the church and gives them the first two ingredients. Rowena asks about Oskar, and Crowley says that he's spent his life wondering what he did to deserve a mother that didn't love him. As Rowena starts mixing the first two ingredients, Crowley explains that he realized Rowena was incapable of loving anything. Then she turned up in Hell and Crowley realized that she's incapable of loving him. Rowena insists that she's never loved anything, and Crowley calls Oskar in.
Dean reminds Sam of how Sam once was willing to die for the greater good. Sam insists that his brother is twisting things, but Dean says that evil tracks them and kills everyone in their vicinity. When Sam insists that he and Dean aren't evil, Dean says that he let Rudy die. He reminds Sam of how Sam drove a man to sell his soul, and bullied Charlie into getting herself killed, and says that doing those things were evil. Sam points out that Dean summoned Death to protect him, and figures that means Dean is still a good man. When Dean says that there's no other way, Sam punches him. Nodding in satisfaction, Dean tells him to fight and punches him back.
Rowena insists that it isn't true, and says that it's a new low for Crowley. He says that it's only cruel if she goes through with it.
Dean and Sam fight and Dean soon takes his brother down. Sam says that it's enough, and insists that he'll always say that the real Dean is good. However, he admits that Dean has to be stopped at any cost. He tells Death to do it, and Death hands Dean a scythe and asks him to do the honor. Dean takes the scythe and prepares to kill Sam, telling him to close his eyes. Sam gives Dean photos of Mary and them together, and tells him to use them to find his way back and be good again one day. Death tells Dean that what he's become is a stain on his family's memory, and if he doesn't kill Sam then he will. Dean stares at the photos and then asks Sam to forgive him... and drives the blade into Death. Death dissolves into ash.
As Oskar and Rowena have a touching reunion, Rowena glares at Crowley and says that nobody is hurting anyone. She then stabs Oskar in the neck and drips his blood into her spell bowl and casts the spell.
Dean helps Sam up and figures that he just killed Death.
Glaring at Crowley, Rowena uses Dean's hair to cast the spell. A blast of light shoots out, knocking the three of them down.
The blast of light shoots down through the bar roof and hits Dean in the arm. The Mark glows and then disappears, and the light flashes back up through the ceiling.
At the church, Rowena frees herself and immobilizes Crowley and Castiel. She enchants Castiel into a berserk and sets him on Crowley, and walks out.
Sam assures Dean that everything is good. As they go outside, bolts of lightning slam into the ground around them. Bursts of the Darkness shoot out of the ground where the energy strikes, and forms into one massive cloud. The Winchesters get into the Impala and drive away, but the Impala gets stuck in one of the holes. The Darkness sweeps toward them, and the brothers brace themselves as it sweeps over them.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 6, 2015