At Rocky's Bar, a man lies passed out on the bar. Pamela Barnes comes in and gives Dean the bag of limes he needs to make drinks. He makes tequilas with beer shots and Pamela asks if he's heard from Sam, and he says that he's working a ghoul thing in Wichita with Castiel and should be back that night. A lawyer arrives and says that she has some papers for him to sign when he accepts the offer. Dean says that the bar isn't for sale and the sale isn't going to happen. The lawyer walks out, and Dean and Pamela smile.
Later, Dean is doing the bar paperwork and Pamela comes over and figures that Dean just likes flirting with her. She points out that selling the bar would get him a lot of money, and Dean says that it's his dream. He goes into the cooler to get a case, and Pamela calls him out to say that they have trouble. A vampire comes in and says that Dean and Sam killed his entire nest and he has a score to settle with him. The "drunk" at the bar attacks Dean, and he kicks him down and tosses a shotgun to Pamela. She shoots the supposed drunk, and Dean cuts off both of their heads. She wipes the blood off of Dean's head and he says that he's famous.
Michael, possessing Dean's body, gestures and Sam, Castiel, and Jack collapse. The archangel says that they had no chance of winning, and he saw everything. Now Michael has his perfect weapon and has destroyed the Spear. Castiel tries to get at him and Michael easily grabs him. Sam sets Michael on fire with holy oil, distracting him long enough for Castiel to put the angel-binding manacles on him. Michael says that they can't hold him, and Sam tries to get Dean to return. The archangel says that Dean isn't coming back, and reminds them that his monsters are out in the city building an army.
Maggie calls and tells Sam that she and the Hunters are trying to track down the monsters, but they're getting reports of attacks all over the city. The monsters are trying to infect whoever they encounter. Sam tells her to save as many people as they can while they figure out what to do. He then tells castiel and Jack to take Michael back to the bunker.
Monsters arrive at the door and try to break in. Michael admits that he called them, and and Castiel tries to hold the door. Jack wonders if they're going to die there, and Sam calls to his reaper, Jessica. Another Reaper, Violet, arrives and explains that it's her shift. Sam says that they have to get out and want her physical help. Jack and Castiel can't see her, but Michael can. He says that in his world they locked away Death and enslaved the Reapers. Violet knows about the Rowena thing and reminds Sam that Reapers can't get involved. The Reaper hesitates and then agrees, and they're teleported to the bunker. Violet tells them to have fun and disappears.
The group chain Michael up to a pillar, and Jack suggests that they put Michael in the dungeon. Sam explains that when Gadreel possessed him, he created a fake world inside of his head. Crowley showed Sam how to take control and force his way out, but Crowley is dead. Maggie calls and Sam tells her to get Garth from the trunk of the Impala. She says that the monsters stopped attacking people and are heading west, and Michael points out that they're west of the city. As Castiel and Jack go to barricade the doors, Michael tells Sam that one way or another Sam and the others will die and Michael will rip Sam apart himself.
Later, Sam gets out a Men of Letters device that they used to get inside of people's heads, hoping that he can get Dean to force Michael out.
In the dream bar, the same events repeat over and over. Dean has a feeling of déjà vu.
Jack keeps an eye on Michael, and Michael dismisses Jack as nothing. He assures Jack that he won't offer him a position at his side again, and Jack says that it doesn't matter because Sam and Dean will beat him. Michael tells him that he has Michael under his control and Sam is in over his head, and dismisses Jack as insignificant. The archangel knows how Dean didn't care when Jack died because Jack is just a new burden. Michael says that they don't care about Jack and consider him a job. Castiel sends Jack to help Sam, and tells him not to believe anything that Michael says. Michael can hear them and says that he isn't lying.
Maggie and her Hunters get word that a group of monsters are heading toward them in a black van. She tells the Hunters that Sam needs their help, and the Winchesters gave them all a second chance. The van pulls up and the Hunters prepare to open fire.
Michael says that Castiel is nothing like the Castiel that he knew. He asks why Castiel loves the world so much that he'd risk his life, and says that he's going to burn down that Earth because he can. Michael explains that when he and Lucifer fought in his world, they thought that God would come back and give them answers. Nothing happened, and now that Michael now knows why: God is a writer and like all writers, he churns out draft after draft. Both of their worlds are flawed drafts, and God moves on and tries again because he doesn't care about any of them. Michael thought at first that he'd do it better and be more God than God. But now he just wants to burn every one of his "drafts" until he catches up to God and kills him.
The Hunters surround the van and open the doors, and discover that no one is inside. There are tracks leading away, and one Hunter enters the nearby forest on his own. He comes out and reports that the monsters went around them, and Maggie figures that they're heading to the bunker.
Sam tinkers with the machine, and Jack suggests that there's something he can do if it doesn't work. He wonders if he can do more by burning off some of his soul. Sam tells him that Dean wouldn't want to be saved that way, and Jack warns him that he doesn't know what he's walking into. After considering, Sam admits that it'll probably be worse for Dean trapped in his own mind this time.
Once Sam is finished, Castiel hooks Michael up to the machine. Sam and Castiel prepare to go into Dean's mind, and Sam tells Jack to make sure no one kills them. Michael says that in Dean's mind they're all his. Castiel and Sam enter Dean's mind and find themselves in a black void. Sam wonders where Dean is, and they hear Dean screaming for help. Castiel senses the trauma in Dean's mind, and tells Sam that he has to wade through all of Dean's most terrible memories. Sam figures that Michael would give Dean contentment because he thrives on trauma. Castiel looks through Dean's good memories and they "hear" Dean saying that he won't sell the bar.
Sam and Castiel find themselves in the bar, and Dean greets them. Pamela comes in and Sam stares at her, shocked since she was killed by a demon. Sam tells Michael that none of it is real, including Pamela, and Castiel says that it was all created to distract Dean. Dean doesn't remember anything, and Sam tells him about Michael. Dean and Pamela disappear.
Things repeat for Dean and everything "resets". Sam wonders what is going on, and then the vampires attack. Things reset and Dean and Pamela don't remember fighting the vampires. Sam tells Dean that he's stuck in a loop and Michael is possessing him, and Pamela says that Dean should be able to control things. She jokingly tells Dean to get her a shot with her brain, and Sam tells Dean that they were there when Pamela was blinded. Dean has a memory of Pamela being blinded, and Pamela says that she's been blinded for a while because of Castiel.
Sam says that Pamela is not just blind but dead, and Pamela disappears. Dean insists that it's his life, and Castiel begs him to remember because the people in his real life need him to come back. Sam says their "drop everything and run" code word, "Poughkeepsie", and Dean remembers everything that Michael has done while possessing his body. He tells Sam and Castiel that he remembers everything, and Michael appears in the bar and applauds.
Dean tells Michael to get out of his head, and Michael says that he knows that deep down, Dean only tolerate the angel because he thinks Castiel raised him from Perdition. As for Sam, Dean was his happiest when Sam quit hunting. Michael says that they're a weight around Dean's neck and he was desperate to get away from them, and Dean tells him to shut his mouth. Castiel realizes that Michael is stalking.
In the bunker, Maggie and the Hunters run in and see Sam and the others hooked up to Michael. The group barricade the door and Maggie asks Jack if he's ready.
Sam realizes that Michael is stalling, and Michael says that he doesn't need his monsters. Dean tells him to snap his fingers and nuke them, and Castiel realizes that he can't because they're all just mental projections and the same. Michael says that he doesn't need his powers, and Dean tells him to prove it and attacks him. Michael knocks Dean out, and then fights Sam and Castiel, knocking them both to the floor.
Jack hears the monsters pounding on the door, and Jack figures that they won't be able to get through the war. The Hunter that went into the woods, Tiger, says that Maggie should have locked the door instead and knocks her out. The monsters come in, ignoring the Hunter's bullets and overwhelming them. Jack is the last one standing, and unleashes a burst of energy disintegrating he monsters as Maggie looks on. Gasping, Jack staggers and falls back.
Michael tells the trio that even if they could force him out, he'd leave behind a dead Dean. Dean says that they'll keep him in, open the walk-in freezer door, and together they throw Michael inside and bolt the door. Furious, Michael pounds on the door but Dean says that it's his mind and his rules and the door will hold because he's the Cage.
Back in the real world, Maggie tells Sam that they'll clean up the place and the monster have gone their separate ways once Michael was locked away. Sam thanks her for everything, and she says that it was Jack and she didn't know he could still do angel stuff.
Castiel talks to Jack and warns him that the magic burns off Jack's soul. Jack says that the monsters would have killed him, and Castiel explains that he's seen what the absence of a soul does and it's about Jack staying Jack. Jack nods in agreement and says that it won't happen again.
Dean stands in his room and says that it's just him, and "feels" Michael pounding on the door. Michael screams and Dean insists that it's just him, and Michael continues pounding. Billie appears and Dean thanks her for having Violet assist them. He points out that she broke the rules by saving them, and Billie complains that he ignored her about jumping from world to world. Dean insists that it was worth it, and Billie tells him that all of the books except one describing how Dean dies have been rewritten so they end with Michael escaping and burning down the world with Dean of his vessel. Billie hands the one book to Dean, and he opens and reads it. He stares at Billie and wonders what he's supposed to do with it, and she tells him that it's up to him before disappearing.
Written by Gadfly on Jan 18, 2019