Sam and Dean walk into a pawnshop and Sam says that they're looking for the really good stuff and Dean flashes a wad of bills. The clerk takes them into the back and shows them his collection of supernatural items for sale. Dean says that they're looking for skull of Sarah Good, who was executed during the witch trials. The clerk gets the skull out of a safe and says that he picked it up at a flea market, and Dean says that it used to belong to Bart Kemp, A Hunter who was cut in half a week ago. The clerk uses a vial of dragon breath to generate a spurt of flame, and takes out a magical blade named Chyrsaor. As he prepares to cut Sam in half, Dean shoots him dead. The brothers check the manifest and Sam suggests that they take it all home with them.
In Lebanon in front of a theater, Eliot tells several girls about the Winchesters and the Impala. Sam and Dean pull up and go into a bar, and Sam goes over the manifest. Outside, Eliot wonders where the Winchesters, Castiel, and Jack come from. One of the girls, Stacy, tells Max that she has to go and will see her later. As Stacy goes, she admires the Impala.
Sam finds an entry on the Bazohu, a pearl that grants wishes. It gives the user what their heart desires, and the brothers notice someone driving off in the Impala. They run out too late, see Eliot watching, and goi over to him. Eliot says that he doesn't want to die, and finally explains that Max is new in town and doesn't know where she lives, and she stole the car.
The Winchesters go to the post office and Sam tries to locate Max. Dean goes in and chats with the woman, Marta, and turns on the charm. Marta finally gives in and says where Dean can find Max's mother. They go to the diner where she works, and she says that she doesn't know where Max is. The cook says that the kids are having a Skip Day and are at an old house outside of town.
At the house, Max brings in the items from the Impala trunk. The girls go to get delivery pizza, and behind them a hand emerges from a cigar box. Meanwhile, Eliot comes in, and starts to tell Max and Stacy about the Winchesters. Stacy says that Eliot isn't supposed to be there and that Max can handle herself.
A boy, Ethan, goes into the bathroom to wash his hands, and notices that the temperature is dropping. Frost forms on the mirror and when the boy cleans it off, he sees a clown in the mirror. The clown chuckles and lunges out of the mirror.
The Winchesters rent a truck and arrive at the house, and discover that the items are gone. Ethan runs out of the house, and a girl chasing him says that Ethan saw a ghost and it tried to kill him. The Winchesters go in flashing their fake FBI badges and get everyone out. They see the cigar box and Sam remembers that it belonged to John Wayne Gacy. The temperature drops and Sam tosses the cigar box into the fireplace and prepares to burn it. The lights flicker and the clown ghost appears.
Eliot has enough of waiting and goes in. Max and Stacy follow him.
The clown tosses Dean across the room, and Sam burns the cigar box. Eliot, Max, and Stacy come in and see the ghost burn up. Sam wits them down and explains that he and Dean hunt things, and most people would go nuts if they knew about the supernatural. Dean tells them not to say anything, and they agree.
Once they drive back to the bunker, Sam finds the pearl and Dean immediately wants to use it. Sam reluctantly agrees and Dean concentrates on what he desires: Michael out of his head. The lights go out and an armed man knocks them down and trains a shotgun on them. When the lights come back on, they realize that it's their father John.
John recognizes his sons and tries to figure out what's going on. He wonders why they've aged, and finally says that it's 2003. Sam tells him that it's 2019, and figures that they summoned him. Dean pours drinks and the brothers tell him what they've been doing for the last 16 years, including time travel. John wishes that he had been there to see it, and Dean tells him that none of it would have happened without him. When he mentions Mary, Sam starts to tell him about Mary. Mary comes in and stares at her husband in shock. They kiss, and Sam and Dean leave them alone.
Out in the hallway, Sam wonders how it happened. Dean figures that his heart's desire was to have John there, and Sam warns that when they mess with time things change. His older brother doesn't want to hear it, and says that he wants one family dinner where they're all together, and walks off.
Sam finds John in the main room alone. John says that Mary went to get the ingredients for her Winchester Surprise, and admits that he screwed up a lot with Sam. Sam tells him that it's okay, but John asks for the truth. His son tells him that the fight between them before he went off to college was a lifetime ago. Sam admits that John did some messed-up things, but he doesn't think about their fights: he thinks about how John died and how he never got to say goodbye. John apologizes and Sam says that he's sorry as well but John did his best for them and that's enough.
Mary gives Dean the list of ingredients to go get. Sam approaches Dean and tells him that he's right and asks if he wants some company. The brothers drive to the store in Lebanon and they split up get the food and the boost. The bartender Jackson doesn't know Dean, even though Dean remembers coming in plenty of times.
As Sam leaves the store, he sees Max and calls her by name. She doesn't recognize him and figures that he's a weirdo. When Sam goes by the post office, Marta closes the window drapes in his face. Sam continues on and sees a wanted posted for Dean. He goes over to Sam, who has found the new Sam's web page where he does web talks, works as a college professor, and loves kale. Sam explains about the wanted poster, and figures that they created a temporal paradox. Their timeline is changing to the new timeline, and if they don't fix it then they become their other selves. Sam wonders what else changed.
Castiel meets with Zachariah in an alley. Zachariah tells Castiel to follow him and they go into a restaurant. The head angel tells the waitress who has been messing with time, saying that they're not fond of them in Heaven. He explains that Lebanon has always been muddy to them. Eliot, Max, and Stacy are at a nearby table and watch, and Zachariah says that they're going to tell them what's going on or Castiel will kill them all. The lights explode and Castiel's wings appear.
Out in the street, Sam and Dean see the light from Castiel revealing himself. They run into the diner and Zachariah recognizes them. he says that they had big plans for them and then John disappeared, and realizes that they're the ones messing with time. Castiel doesn't recognize them, and Zachariah tells him to kill the brothers. He attacks them and Castiel tosses Dean away while Zachariah telekinetically chokes Sam and asks what he did.
Dean continues fighting Castiel, and Sam manages to lure Zachariah in close enough to kill him with his angel-killing knife. He swings at Castiel, who avoids the blow and knocks him back. Castiel then beats Sam and goes back to Dean, choking him. Dean mutters to him to stop, and when the angel doesn't Sam sends Castiel back to Heaven with a rune.
Back at the bunker, Dean tells John about the temporal paradox. He explains that if John doesn't go back then Sam never gets back into life and Mary is never resurrected. John says that it's not even a choice between him and Mary, and asks if Mary knows.
Sam tells Mary the same thing, and explains that if they destroy the pearl then everything will go back to normal and John won't remember anything. Mary cries and says that she can't. The timer goes off on the meal, and John hears Dean and tells him to give Mary a hand. John says that his fight was supposed to end with Azrael, and now Dean is a grown man and he'd proud of him. He hoped that eventually Dean would have a peaceful life and a family, and Dean says that he has a family. John wonders what's next, and John says that they eat.
The family sit down at the table for dinner, and no one says anything at first. John finally says that they can either think about what's coming or be grateful for the time they have together. He kisses Mary's hand and says that he chooses grateful, and thanks whatever brought them together. The others join him and they share a toast, and then eat and laugh.
After the meal, the brothers wash the dishes and Sam says that it doesn't feel fair that they have to send John back. Dean says that he used to think it would be nice if John remembered what happened in the past. He explains that he blamed John and Mary for everything they've been through, and he's good with who they are because their lives are theirs and he's too old to want to change that.
John and Mary take each other's hands, and John tells her that he misses her. Mary feels the same, and they kiss. John tells Sam and Dean to take care of each other, and Dean says that it was good to see him. Crying, John says that he's proud of them, hugs them, and says that he loves them. Sam then destroys the pearl and John disappears.
In Lebanon, everything reverts to normal as the timeline resets.
Eliot talks to Max and Stacy about what happened earlier.
Castiel arrives in the bunker and asks what happened. Dean says that's a story.
In 2003, John wakes up in the Impala. Dean calls and John says that he was sleeping and had a good dream, and is heading back.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 8, 2019