Ghosts smash against the barrier, and two Hunters patrol the perimeter. Cal figures that the ghosts are coming faster, and Stevie agrees.
At a cemetery, Sam tells the ghosts are still trying to break down the barrier, and the Hunters are either at the high school or the barrier. Rowena insists that her spell will work as long as she gets as close to the epicenter as possible.
The quartet walks past a hole in the ground that the ghosts are escaping from Hell, and they come to the crypt that the Winchesters and Castiel took refuge in earlier. The group goes inside and Rowena sets up her cell. Something pounds on the door that they've locked, and Rowena begins her incantation.
At the barrier, the ghosts spread in a burst of overlapping energy. Stevie calls Sam to say that the spell is working. A burst of mystical energy knocks Rowena down, and she tells the others that they're all going to die. Rowena asks for a real drink, and Dean produces his flask. Once Rowena has calmed down, Belphegor suggests that they admit that she failed. Rowena says that no magic could work and she felt how close the barrier is to collapsing. She explains that she could feel the anger and hatred of all the spirits, and there are too many for the barrier to hold. Rowena warns that they have hours until the barrier goes, and Dean says that they'll get as many people out as they can. The witch warns that she didn't get there in time to close the gate.
Belphegor walks out and Castiel goes after him. Dean insists that they won't give up, and Sam waves him to silence. Rowena asks for a moment alone to recover. Outside, Belphegor tells Castiel that he's looking for the open hole where it all began. The angel and demon watch as more souls emerge from the hole.
In the crypt, Dean loads up as many weapons as he has. He tells Sam that he's going to go down fighting, and Sam admits that he's out of ideas. Dean says that he's pissed at God and figures that the "Ghostpocalypse" is a sloppy ending. Sam vaguely agrees and goes over to Rowena, who is going through the Book of the Damned tome. She quickly closes it and says that she hasn't found anything.
Belphegor tells Castiel that the hole is a tear from when God stamped his foot and opened up Hell. Castiel wonders why Belphegor was looking for the hole, and they go back to the crypt and the demon tells the others about Lilith's Crook. When Lilith began sending demons off of Earth, she needed the Crook to control her minions when she sent them out of Hell.
The Crook can bring all of Hell's creatures back home. Lilith never needed to use it, and Crowley had other forms of discipline when he took over Hell. Lilith's Chamber is locked and the Crook is inside of it. Once Belphegor sounds the Crook, the spirits return and Rowena seals the hole. Rowena says that she'll use a king of healing spell to heal the rupture Chuck caused. Belphegor says that they'll know when she should seal the hell, and he promises that she'll know. Rowena explains that she'll need an assistant and asks for Sam, and will need someone close to the edge of the rupture to act as a carrier. She warns that the carrier will be unprotected, and Belphegor asks who is coming with him because he's not going to Hell alone. Dean volunteers Castiel, and Castiel figures that he doesn't have a team.
Ketch wakes up in the hospital with an IV in him. The nurse addresses him by name, and the nurse explains that they took the bullets out. Ketch gets up and tells the nurse that he doesn't have time for someone to clear him. A doctor comes in and telekinetically snaps the nurse's neck. Ketch realizes that she's Ardat, and the two of them fight. He knocks Ardat out and grabs a demon-killing blade. When Ardat comes back in and says he failed at finding Belphegor, Ketch attacks her with the blade. Ardat disarms him and figures that Ketch knows where the demon is. He claims that he doesn't know, and Ardat figures that he's protecting his friend. Ardat asks if he'll give them up for any price, and Ketch says that he won't. The demon rips out Ketch's heart and he collapses.
Belphegor and Castiel go to the rupture and Belphegor asks if Castiel has a plan to get out. Castiel says that he'll figure out, and Belphegor notes that the Winchesters didn't seem to think twice about sending Castiel. The angel doesn't respond, and shoves Belphegor into the rupture and then jumps after him.
Stevie brings weapons and spell components from the Impala. The Hunter says that people are restless but they're keeping a lid on it, and Sam tells the Hunters to be armed and ready on the other side of the barrier. Ketch texts and says he's ready to help.
At the hospital, Ardat gets Dean's text response saying that Ketch can join them.
Castiel and Belphegor walk through Hell and don't run into anyone. The angel why Belphegor wants protection, and Belphegor claims that he wanted a friend. Castiel tells him that Sam and Dean don't care about him, and Belphegor asks him what the source of his animosity is. The angel finally says that Belphegor is wearing Jack like a coat and the demon is an abomination.
The two celestials come to a door to Lilith's chamber, and Castiel draws his blade and opens it. They go in and discover that someone has ransacked the place. A demon, Malfayan, steps out and Belphegor asks what he's doing. Castiel grabs Malfayan and Belphegor confirms that his fellow demon doesn't have the Crook. The angel kills Malfayan and Belphegor finds a casket sealed with Enochian runes and no latch. The runes are a song of praise to Lucifer, and an incantation to open the box. Castiel is the only one who can read the runes, and the angel recites the incantation. Nothing happens, and Belphegor suggests that the verses need to be sung. Castiel starts singing.
Dean goes to the rupture and sets up nearby, and waits for Ketch.
Rowena tells Sam to focus on helping her, and assures him that Dean is doing his part and it's time for Sam to do his. Sam starts reading the spell.
Dean looks at the mystical bag with the "bomb" that he has to drop into the rupture.
The casket opens and Castiel takes out the Crook. Belphegor tells him to head out while he uses the Crook, but as he starts to hand it over Ardat arrives and telekinetically slams him against a wall, knocking him out. Ardat figures that Belphegor is looking for power, knocks him down, and puts a blade to his throat. Castiel recovers and attacks her, and the two of them fight. Ardat says that Belphegor wants to rule Hel and has been bowing and scraping to Lilith and Crowley for centuries.
Belphegor kills Ardat from behind, and Castiel asks Belphegor if it's true. The demon shoves Castiel out the door and says that the Crook is a siphon and he can suck all the demons and spirits back into him. With that power he'll be a god. Castiel realizes that Belphegor has been playing them all along, and blows the crook.
In the crypt, Sam and Rowena hear the Crook and the structure shakes.
Dean watches as the ghosts are pulled back into Hell. They flow into the Crook as Castiel watches.
Rowena and Sam cast the spell to heal the rupture. Sam hesitates for a moment and then continues.
The "bomb" that Dean is holding glows with mystical power, and he tosses it into the rupture. it explodes and the rupture starts to collapse.
Castiel makes his way through the mystical power, grabs Belphegor, and punches him unconscious.
Sam, Rowena, and Dean wonder what happened once the Crook stopped blowing.
Castiel beats Belphegor, and Jack speaks up, saying that it's him and begging Castiel to stop. After a moment, Castiel smites Jack's body, destroying Belphegor, and reducing the body and the Crook to ash.
The rupture continues collapsing, and Dean calls Sam to tell him that something doesn't feel right. Rowena drives a knife into her shoulder and pulls her last resurrection sachet out. She says that she won't need it where she's going, and tells Sam that the Crook was Sam's only shot but not hers. Rowena says that she can suck up the sells if she pays the price, and the spell necessary draws its power from the caster. All she needs is her own still-coursing blood, and the other is her final breath. Her body will break down eventually and the spirits will be released in Hell where they belong. Rowena tells Sam that he's the one who needs to kill her and holds out the knife.
Castiel returns and Dean wonders what happened.
Rowena says that Death's books show that Sam is her killer. Sam refuses to stab her, but Rowena tells him that she can't do it on her own.
Castiel explains that he killed Belphegor and the Crook was destroyed.
Rowena tells Sam that there isn't another way, and she believes in prophecy. She gives Sam the knife and tries to force it into her chest. Sam hesitates and Rowena says that they've grown fond of each other, and asks him if he'll let the word die because of her.
Dean wonders what Castiel was thinking.
Sam mutters no and then stabs Rowena. He steps back and Rowena tells him, "That's my boy." She grabs the knife handle and twists,, then pulls it out.
The souls emerge from the rupture and enter Rowena's body as she walks to the hole. She turns to Sam, smiles, and says goodbye to all of them, and then lets herself fall into the rupture. Rowena plummets into Hell, and the rupture closes behind her.
Later back at the bunker, Dean visits Sam in his room to ask how he's holding up. He reports that he talked to Stevie and Harlan is good. Dean says that they found Ketch dead and figures a demon was responsible. He tells Sam that they beat God's apocalypse, and Sam didn't have a choice except to kill Rowena. Sam tells Dean that he knows.
Later, Dean is drinking. Castiel asks how Sam is, and Dean tells him that his brother isn't great. When the angel offers his condolences, Dean asks why Castiel didn't stick to the plan. Castiel tells him that the plan changed and something went wrong, and Dean asks why the something is always Castiel. The angel says that Dean used to trust him and now he can barely look at him, and he's tried to talk to Dean over and over about how his powers are failing. Castiel figures that Dean still blames him for Mary, and Dean nods in agreement. The angel tells Dean that it's time for him to move on, and leaves the bunker.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 25, 2019