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Book of the Damned Recap

Jacob Styne and his thug follow Charlie into an alleyway, using a mystic compass to track the item that she's carrying. Charlie ambushes them and takes out the thug, and holds a sword to Jacob's chest. She demands to know who they are, and Jacob says that the Book belongs to his family and she can't possibly understand what it does. As they talk, Charlie notices a distinctive tattoo on Jacob's wrist. He takes advantage of her distraction and manages to knock the sword away, and then grabs his gun. Charlie runs and Jacob shoots her in the side before she can escape.

Castiel is driving through the night with his prisoner, Metatron. Metatron keeps talking about being human and all of his new experiences. Meanwhile, Castiel calls Sam and asks him if he can kill Metatron. Sam suggests that it would be a bad idea and Castiel punches Metatron instead, and then asks Sam if he's found a cure for the Mark. Dean arrives in the bunker's main room and Sam hangs up before Dean sees him. In the car, Metatron realizes that Sam hung up on Castiel, and Castiel punches him again.

At the bunker, Dean tells Sam that Crowley told him that Rowena confirmed that the Mark is a curse. He also remembers to tell Sam that Rowena is Crowley's mother. Charlie calls Dean and tells him that she's wounded, and that she found the Book of the Damned in Spain. She can't translate the Book, but she found notes explaining that it can create or undo any damnation. When Charlie confirms that she's near Des Moines, the Winchesters give her the address of one of Bobby's safehouses.

After finding a lead box to conceal the Book, Sam and Dean head out. Dean sings along with the radio and Sam wonders why he's so cheerful. His brother admits that he's relieved that they finally found a way to remove the Mark, and plans to relax on a beach and take a long vacation once he's cured.

The next day, Castiel feeds Metatron at a restaurant. As Metatron eats waffles and enjoys the sensation of taste for the first time, he asks Castiel if he misses being human. Castiel tells him to shut up and figures that he's stalling, and Metatron admits that he is. His stomach starts grumbling and Metatron says that he needs to use the bathroom. As Castiel takes him there, a trucker watches them and makes sure that he still has his angel-killing dagger.

Sam and Dean arrive at the safehouse, and Charlie tells them that a nun had visions and wrote the Book using her own skin and blood. Dean stares at it, entranced, until Sam snaps him out of it. Dean figures that he shouldn't touch the Book and goes to get their things from the Impala. Once he goes, Sam tells Charlie that they have to find the cure and fast.

As Castiel and Metatron leave the restaurant, the trucker confronts them and draws his blade. He admits that he's a cupid and blames Castiel and Metatron for corrupting Heaven. They fight and the cupid takes Castiel down. As he prepares to kill him, Metatron stabs the cupid in the back and kills him. Surprised, Castiel warns his prisoner that it changes nothing between them.

When Dean comes back, Charlie makes a sketch of the book and he starts checking the Lore. Sam manages to translate the book but tells Charlie that it's gibberish. She figures that it's in code and Dean assures them that they can handle it. Charlie starts to go to work, but Sam suggests that they stick with the notes and puts the Book in the lead box.

Jacob and another thug stop at a nearby convenience store. Once Jacob discovers that he can no longer trace the Book, he tells his thug to send the boys up and down the nearby road and see if anyone saw Charlie.

Metatron leads Castiel to a library but warns that he doesn't know where Castiel's grace is there. Furious, Castiel prods Metatron's injury, and Metatron quickly explains that he had another angel hide it there so that he couldn't reveal its location under torture. He tells Castiel that the angel hid clues in some of Metatron's favorite books. Castiel reluctantly frees Metatron and they start searching through the books. They find one with a riddle, and Metatron says that the answer will lead them to the book that holds Castiel's grace.

At the cabin, Dean finds references to the Styne family. They've been around since the 1800s, and use spells to make money after causing chaos. The Stynes used the Book and lost it a hundred years ago. Dean also discovers that when someone uses the Book, there's a mystical backlash. Dean tells Sam and Charlie that the Book has been calling to the Mark, and the Mark wants him to use the Book for evil. He tells them that they have to destroy the book and find another way to remove the Mark. Sam disagrees but Dean insists that he's not giving up the fight... and reminds Sam that he used to think differently. He goes to take a drive and get some snacks for Charlie, and Sam tells Charlie that there must be a way to fix Dean.

As they search the library, Metatron wonders why Castiel is so determined to save their fellow angels. He points out that they're just a bunch of glowing lights with delusions of grandeur, and asks Castiel what his mission is anymore. Castiel refuses to discuss it… and then collapses in pain as Metatron finishes drawing a ward on the books using the blood from his wound.

Charlie asks Sam what Dean was talking about, and Sam explains how he was willing to kill himself to close the gates of Hell. However, Dean saved him anyway. Charlie realizes that the plans she had for her life has changed and she's a hunter, and Sam admits that he went through the same thing when Dean collected him from college ten years ago. Sam told himself that it would be his last job, but then Jess died and he went on another job... and another, and another. Now he understands that his life is hunting, but he insists that he can't do it without Dean.

At the library, Metatron finds the demon tablet that he hid there, using another riddle. Castiel realizes that the riddles are quotes, and finds the book matching the first quote. Metatron goes back and finds Castiel imbibing his grace, and quickly leaves. Meanwhile, Castiel recovers his powers and the books explode in a burst of heavenly white light.

Dean goes into the convenience store and notices Jacob behind the counter. However, he doesn't see the corpse behind the counter and assumes that Jacob is the clerk. Dean pays Jacob for the food and sees the tattoo on his wrist, and spots the dead clerk in the security mirror. He draws his gun on Jacob, but Jacob's thug grabs him from behind. When the man yanks Dean's arms up, Jacob sees the Mark and realizes that the snacks are for Charlie. He tells Dean that the Book wants to be found and arranged for him to meet Dean, and warns that if Dean uses the Book to remove the Mark then it will cause far more harm than good.

Dean manages to head-butt Jacob and frees himself, and then grabs the man's gun and shoots him in the chest. The man keeps coming and Dean shoots him a half-dozen more times to put him down. Jacob has escaped and Dean tries to call his brother, only to discover that his cell phone was broken in the struggle.

Dean beats Jacob back to the cabin and tells Sam and Charlie that Jacob is on his way. He starts a fire in the fireplace using holy oil and says that can't risk removing the Mark using the Book. Dean tells Sam to burn the book and then two of Jacob's men leap in through the windows. Dean and Charlie kill them while Sam tosses the Book into the fireplace. Jacob charges in and keeps coming even after Dean shoots him. He grabs Sam and chokes him, and Sam drives his knife into Jacob's chest and holds it there until the man dies.

Later, Castiel meets Sam at the bunker. He tells Sam what happened, and Sam assures him that he did the right thing even though Metatron escaped. Charlie comes in and stares at Castiel in awe, and then hugs him. She wonders if he can cure Dean now that he has his grace back, but Castiel admits that he can't. However, he cures her carpal tunnel and her bullet wound. Dean arrives with pizza and Sam signals to Castiel to lie. Castiel claims that Hannah got the location of his grace from Metatron and the latter is still a prisoner, and the group has pizza and beers together.

Later, Sam contacts Rowena and meets her at a diner. He admits that he faked burning the Book, switching it when Jacob charged in. Sam shows it to Rowena and says that he needs her help to translate it so they can remove the Mark. Rowena smiles and says that they should discuss terms.

Written by Gadfly on May 22, 2016

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