Family Matters - Recap

Sam wakes up and discovers that Dean has tied him up and summonsed Castiel. He realizes that Castiel is diagnosing him, and Dean tells him to answer every question. Sam admits that he doesn't sleep any more, and finally tells Castiel that he doesn't feel any emotions. Castiel then tells Sam to bite down on a belt and try to relax, and sticks his hand into Sam's chest. When he's done, he tells the brothers that he was unable to find Sam's soul. Castiel says that it must still be in the cage with Lucifer, and there's no way they can get to it.



Sam asks Dean if he plans to keep him tied up for the rest of his life, and Dean doesn't see the problem. Dean isn't even sure if Sam is Sam any more, but Sam insists that he just wants to get right. When Dean still refuses, Sam breaks free and says that they can't hold him, so they need to work together. Dean agrees and Castiel heals Sam. Sam has no memories of what happened before waking up in a field, but does have one suggestion.

The Winchesters go to the Campbell compound, where the hunters are gearing up for a big operation. Christian greets Sam but isn't thrilled to see Dean. The brothers go to see Samuel, who hastily hides a piece of paper. Dean asks Samuel what happened to when he came back, and Castiel appears. Samuel tells them where he came back, and agrees to let Castiel check him. Christian hears Samuel screaming and runs in to investigate, and Samuel tells him that he's fine. Once Christian leaves, Castiel informs them that Samuel's soul is intact, and Samuel realizes what that means for Sam. He admits that he suspected something, and wonders how they get Sam's soul back. Castiel says that he has to leave to deal with the civil war in Heaven, but promises that he'll help them.



Samuel explains that he's preparing for a hunt, and Sam realizes that he's found a lead on the Alpha Vampire. Sam wonders why Samuel didn't call him in, and Dean realizes that Samuel doesn't trust him. When Samuel denies it, Dean insists on coming along, and agrees to follow Samuel's orders because he trusts him. Outside, Dean insists that they can't trust Samuel, and Sam is surprised.

As the hunters prepare, Dean sneaks into Samuel's office. Samuel is out, but Christian comes up behind him. Dean claims that he was going to make a phone call. The two insult each other, but when Christian goes after Lisa, Dean slams him into a wall. Christian warns that accidents happen on hunts, and Dean lets him go and assures him he has his back.



The hunters leave at dawn and go to an old house in the woods. Samuel tells Dean and Gwen to cover their rear and sweep any stragglers. Dean accepts the order but Gwen is unhappy to be stuck with the "reject." As they wait, Gwen apologizes for her comment and admits that she's sick of Samuel being so overly protective. She figures that Samuel thinks of her as his daughter, Mary. A vampire lunges out of the woods and knocks down Gwen, and then attacks Dean. Gwen manages to decapitate it with a machete.

When gunshots echo through the woods, Dean runs off to investigate. He discovers vampires scattered around the house, and realizes it's the same house he saw when he was a vampire and had a telepathic vision from the Alpha vampire. As he approaches the house, Dean sees one of the hunters slammed against an inside window and killed.

They hear gunshots and Dean runs to the house. He spots several hunters dead in the yard, and Dean realizes that the house is the one he saw in his telepathic message when he was infected. He hears a scream and sees one of the vampire's victims at the window. Something yanks her back out of sight. Dean hears the others in the back and goes to investigate, and sees them putting the Alpha Vampire in a van.

Dean goes back to Gwen just as Samuel and the others get there. Samuel wonders if everything went okay, and Gwen doesn't say anything about Dean's absence. As they leave, Samuel tells Dean that they killed the Alpha and burned the body.

As Dean and Sam drive back, Dean asks his brother if anything unusual. When Sam says it didn't, Dean pulls over and tells Sam what he saw. Sam admits that Samuel has been capturing monsters and torturing them for information. He admits that it was his idea not to tell Dean, because he figured Dean would mess it up by shooting first. Dean confirms that Sam hasn't been in on any of the interrogations, and that he doesn't find anything suspicious about their grandfather's activities. He points out that Sam has lost his instinct, and tells Sam that if he is going to work with him, Dean calls the shots.



Sam goes to see Samuel in his office, and tells him that Dean left them. He then asks Samuel to help with the interrogations, but Samuel says that he can't participate until they figure out the soul business. Outside, Sam activates the GPS tracker in Samuel's phone, and then meets with Dean and tells him what he's done. They follow the tracker to a warehouse and watch as Samuel and Christian go inside. The brothers approach the door and discover it's covered in dead man's blood to contain the Alpha Vampire. Breaking in, they avoid Christian and find a series of cells. They watch as Samuel tortures the Alpha Vampire and repeatedly asks where "it" is. The Alpha, unaffected by the torture, refuses to say.



Once Samuel leaves, the Alpha easily detects the Winchesters and invites them to approach. He knows Dean from when he was a vampire, and asks if he enjoyed the thirst for human blood. Dean tortures him in response, and the Alpha insists that they can't hurt him. However, he offers to tell them whatever they want, since he'll soon wade in their blood. When Sam wonders what created it, the Alpha says that it also has a mother. It boasts that it's going to war and has been creating more vampires, and then realizes that Sam has no soul. The Alpha explains that if someone has a soul, they go to Heaven or Hell. When a monster dies, it goes to Purgatory, which is filled with the souls of every monster that ever walked the earth. Sam figures it knows exactly where Purgatory is, and the Alpha says that Samuel does what he's told. Samuel arrives and captures them.



Outside, Dean warns that Samuel is doing something incredibly stupid, and will get everyone killed. Sam tries to make a break for it, but Gwen arrives to stop them.

In his cell, the Alpha Vampire taunts the hunter guarding it into torturing him with electricity. The Alpha manages to rip free of its bonds and kill the hunter. Samuel and the others hear the scream, and he tells Dean and Sam to grab their weapons and help. They find the dead hunter and Samuel says they need to recapture it. Dean says that they need to kill it, and Samuel reluctantly agrees. They split up to search, and Sam, Samuel, and Christian go one way. The Alpha attacks them, breaks Christian's neck, and knocks Samuel away. It then prepares to turn Sam, savoring the possibility of a soulless vampire. However, Christian, his eyes demon-black, injects the Alpha with dead man's blood, knocking it out. As Dean and Gwen arrive, other demons teleport in, and Christian departs with them and the Alpha.



Crowley appears and explains that he had Christian possessed months ago. He tells Samuel to watch out for his investments, and Dean realizes that they've been working together. Crowley explains that he's a developer, and Purgatory is adjacent to Hell. He works with Samuel because the old man knows so much about Alphas. When Dean says it's over, Crowley says that they have to continue cooperating, because he has Sam's soul. Samuel confirms that Crowley pulled them both back, using his power as King of Hell. He can return Sam's soul, or send him back into the cell with Lucifer. Crowley tells them to bring him Alphas, and they'll all win, and then teleports away.



Samuel tells Gwen it's time to go. When she objects, he tells them that they'll continue hunting. When he asks if she trust him, she reluctantly goes to get the van. When Sam questions him, Samuel says that he doesn't know anything about him. He refuses to tell them why he's working with Crowley. Dean threatens to shoot him, and Samuel says to do it if he has to, but he won't harm them... because they're family. Sam is glad to shoot him, but Dean says to let him go. Sam then wonders what they're going to do, and Dean insists that they can't work for a demon. However, Sam says that they have no choice if they want to get his soul back, and they play along until they find a way to kill Crowley. He asks if Dean is with him, but Dean doesn't respond.

Share this article with your friends