Swan Song 

With the Apocalypse looming, Sam and Dean realize they are out of options and make heart-breaking decisions that will change their lives forever.

Director:

Steve Boyum

Writers:

Eric Kripke (created by), Eric Kripke (teleplay by)

Stars:

Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Jared Padalecki	...	Sam Winchester / Lucifer
Jensen Ackles	...	Dean Winchester
Misha Collins	...	Castiel
Jim Beaver	...	Bobby Singer
Jake Abel	...	Michael
Rob Benedict	...	Chuck Shurley
Mark Pellegrino	...	Lucifer
Cindy Sampson	...	Lisa Braeden
Anthony Harrison	...	Sal Moriarty
Nathan Smith	...	Young Sam Winchester
Nicolai Giustra	...	Young Dean Winchester (as Nicolai Lawton-Guistra)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nicki Aycox	...	Meg Masters (archive footage)
Matt Cohen	...	Young John Winchester (archive footage)
Kurt Fuller	...	Zachariah (archive footage)
Shawn Hall	...	Pool Player (archive footage)

Storyline

Going with Dean to Lucifer's place, Sam--expecting to lure the cunning being and trap him with the Four Horsemen's ring--agrees to be His vessel. However, Lucifer is smarter and uses his son's vessel instead to fight against Michael, who is using Adam's vessel. Dean and Chuck discover the place of the final battle--an old cemetery in Lawrence--and Dean heads there in his Impala with Bobby and Castiel. Will they be able to avoid the inevitable?

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Plot Keywords:

falling into a hole | memories | carving initials | blood spattered face | molotov cocktail | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

In one of Chuck's voice-overs, he says the boys would "drive two days for a Jayhawks game." The Jayhawk is the mascot of the University of Kansas. The main campus is located in Lawrence, Kansas.

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Goofs

At the end Castiel says he is returning to Heaven because with Michael in the cage there is chaos up there since no one is left in charge, to which Dean replies "so you're the new sheriff in town eh". However the Archangel Rafael is still alive, so it stands to reason he is in command of Heaven now, which means Castiel would have to fight him for control. Even with the new powers given to him by God, Castiel is no match for an Archangel.

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Quotes

Sam Winchester: ALL RIGHT! WE'RE HERE, YOU SONS OF BITCHES! COME AND GET IT!
[Two demons walk up to Sam and Dean]
Dean Winchester: Hi, guys.
[Referring to Lucifer]
Dean Winchester: Is your father home?

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Connections

References Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

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Soundtracks

Rock of Ages
Written by Joe Elliott, Stephen Clark and Robert John Lange
Performed by Def Leppard

User Reviews

Fitting end to the *first* story for these characters

I know a fair amount of people think the series should have ended with this episode as was the original plan. The episode itself has a couple of frayed aspects that bare this out...Kripke's resurrections of Sam, Cas and Bobby are fairly clumsy. However, the plan was always very loose and I just don't see this as a grand finale. kripke writes it in such a way that feels more like *turning the page* to the next story than as a conclusion to the show.

The episode on its own merit is fantastic hour of television. The farming device of Chuck ends up having a more sinister edge now but it largely works. This could have been the end but I am so glad it wasn't.

Season 5 on the whole:

This is third best season behind the very strong season 3 and the near perfect season 4. The one going storyline is one of the best plotted and well managed over the course of the season. Unfortunately you start to see some of the uneven material that seeps into the later years is present here. This season overall is very strong but it has one of the very worse individual episodes in "Fallen Idols"

Season Score: 10 Average Episode Score: 8.818

Best 3 episodes:

1. Dark Side of the Moon 2. Changing Channels 3. Sam, Interrupted

Worst 3 Episodes

20. Swap Meat 21. Free to Be You and Me (these two are good through)

22. Fallen Idols (which is an abomination unto the lord your god.)

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 2010 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wonderland Sound and Vision, Warner Bros. Television, Supernatural Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1