Supernatural (season 4)

Supernatural Season 4
DVD cover art
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Broadcast
Original channel	The CW
Original run	September 18, 2008 (2008-09-18) – May 14, 2009 (2009-05-14)
Home video release
DVD release date	Region 1: September 1, 2009 Region 2: November 2, 2009 Region 4: January 6, 2010
Season chronology
← Previous Season 3 Next → Season 5

Season four of Supernatural, an American television series, began airing on September 18, 2008. This is the third season to air on the CW television network. Season four regular cast members include Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles.

This season focuses on Sam and Dean continuing to hunt demons, the introduction of a mysterious angel, Castiel (Misha Collins), as well as Sam Winchester's new powers, and Dean's return from Hell and his memory of his time spent there. This season also touches on the brothers' continuing hunt for Lilith, who is trying to release Lucifer on the world.

Episodes

See also: List of Supernatural episodes

In this table, the number in the first column refers to the episode's number within the entire series, whereas the number in the second column indicates the episode's number within that particular season. "U.S. viewers in millions" refers to how many Americans watched the episode live or on the day of broadcast.

№	#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code	U.S. viewers (million)
61	1	"Lazarus Rising"	Kim Manners	Eric Kripke	September 18, 2008 (2008-09-18)	3T7501	3.96[1]
Four months after being dragged to Hell by Lilith's minions, Dean inexplicably wakes up, buried underground in a coffin. He escapes his underground confinement and tries to contact Bobby, when he's suddenly ambushed by an unknown entity. He is reunited with Sam, who is just as surprised at Dean's resurrection as he himself. Together with Bobby, the Winchester brothers find a psychic, Pamela Barnes, to help them discover what pulled Dean out of Hell. Pamela does find out the name of the being, Castiel, but the sight of seeing Castiel burns her eyes out, resulting in her becoming permanently blind. It is also revealed that Sam's psychic abilities have advanced greatly as he now is able to exorcise demons. He also seems to be frequently meeting with Ruby, who has possessed a new host. Sick of being toyed with, Dean decides to summon the thing together with Bobby in order to find out what it wants and prepares a ritual. The ritual succeeds and Castiel appears, an angel of the Lord. He explains that he is responsible for dragging Dean out of Hell and, when Dean asks why he of all people would be worthy of being saved, that God has work for him to do.
62	2	"Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester"	Phil Sgriccia	Story by: Sera Gamble & Lou Bollo Teleplay by: Sera Gamble	September 25, 2008 (2008-09-25)	3T7502	3.18[2]
Bobby asks the Winchester boys for help when fellow hunters of his are being killed off one by one in a most gruesome way. Sam is haunted by FBI Agent Henrickson who died in the explosion caused by Lilith, accusing Sam of failing him. Together with Bobby they find out that they're being haunted by the spirits of the people they couldn't save, which is called "The Rising of the Witnesses", a sign of the upcoming Apocalypse. Meg Masters (Nicki Aycox) and two twin girls also appear and haunt Dean, Sam and Bobby, who perform a ritual to ward off the angry spirits. Later, Castiel appears to Dean in a dream and reveals that "The Rising of the Witnesses" is one of many seals, which are being broken by Lilith in order to bring on the Apocalypse, in which Lucifer will walk the earth.
63	3	"In the Beginning"	Steve Boyum	Jeremy Carver	October 2, 2008 (2008-10-02)	3T7504	3.51[3]
Sam sneaks out of the apartment once again to meet with Ruby. When Castiel appears beside Dean's bed, he transports Dean back in time to the '70s in Lawrence, Kansas. There, he meets a younger John Winchester (Matt Cohen) and Mary Campbell(Amy Gumenick). This family reunion gets bigger when Dean meets his and Sam's grandfather (Mitch Pileggi), who is a hunter and so is his mother. However, there is more to this than Dean had imagined. He discovers Mary was a hunter and had made a desperate deal with Azazel that resulted in his appearance the night she died. There are several allusions to "Back to the Future" in this episode.
64	4	"Metamorphosis"	Kim Manners	Cathryn Humphris	October 9, 2008 (2008-10-09)	3T7505	3.15[4]
After watching Sam harness his powers, Dean angrily confronts him. Dean and Ruby also have a confrontation. Distance and tension is put between the two brothers as Dean realizes his younger brother is manifesting the demonic blood inside him with Ruby's help, and lying to him about it. Sam argues that he is able to save people and exorcise demons at the same time, but Dean reveals to Sam that Castiel has ordered him to stop Sam or else Castiel will, indicating he will kill Sam otherwise. Meanwhile, a hunter asks Sam and Dean for help in a case involving a man who is going through a metamorphosis into a Rugaru—a monstrous creature that consumes human flesh. During the hunt, Sam lashes out on Dean, saying he is tired of how Dean looks at him like a freak. Sam and Dean further separate as the tension increases between them.
65	5	"Monster Movie"	Robert Singer	Ben Edlund	October 16, 2008 (2008-10-16)	3T7503	3.06[5]
The Winchester Brothers find themselves at a local Oktoberfest celebration investigating a series of suspicious murders being perpetrated by what locals are describing as monsters from classic 1930's horror movies. They soon discover this is the work of yet another Shapeshifter (portrayed by Todd Stashwick). It is revealed that it is a changling in the end who is obssessed with monster movies.
66	6	"Yellow Fever"	Phil Sgriccia	Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin	October 23, 2008 (2008-10-23)	3T7506	3.25[6]
The boys are lured into a town where a man died of a heart attack, but with none of the usual symptoms. The man died of a ghost sickness which is passed onto Dean. The illness causes a person to experience general anxiety, which progresses into deadly fear. Sam contacts Bobby and finds out from him that the ghost their after is called a Buruburu. Sam and Bobby must find a way to save Dean before his heart stops. The original title for this episode was 'Phobia'. Also, before the credits, there is a special surprise for the fans: an outtake of Jensen Ackles improvisationally air guitaring his way through 'Eye of the Tiger'.
67	7	"It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester"	Charles Beeson	Julie Siege	October 30, 2008 (2008-10-30)	3T7507	3.55[7]
It's a few days before Halloween and Sam and Dean investigate two mysterious deaths in a small town. The brothers find hex bags and deduce a witch is sacrificing people to summon a dangerous demon named Samhain. Castiel arrives in town and tells Sam and Dean the freeing of Samhain is one of the seals that will lead to freeing Lucifer. Castiel brings a specialist angel named Uriel to smite the entire town. The title of this episode is a reference to the Charlie Brown Halloween Special.
68	8	"Wishful Thinking"	Robert Singer	Story by: Ben Edlund & Lou Bollo Teleplay by: Ben Edlund	November 6, 2008 (2008-11-06)	3T7508	3.24[8]
Sam and Dean investigate a small town where the wishing well really works. A teddy bear comes to life, a boy gets super strength, someone wins the lottery, and the town geek gets a hot girlfriend. The brothers realize that while everyone is happy now, the end result will be disastrous. The boys find the cause of the wishes and reverse the magic. Most are happy that the wishes are reversed.
69	9	"I Know What You Did Last Summer"	Charles Beeson	Sera Gamble	November 13, 2008 (2008-11-13)	3T7509	2.94[9]
Ruby heard some demons whisper about a girl in the psychiatric hospital who suddenly became a target for demons, and points Sam and Dean in the direction to protect Anna Milton before Hell gets their hooks into her. After a close encounter with a dangerous demon powerhouse, Alastair, whom Dean remembers from Hell, Sam reveals what happened to him in the months without Dean including having sex with Ruby. Castiel and Uriel appear and the Winchesters realize it has become a fight between Heaven and Hell for the girl. (Part 1 of 2) This is a reference to the Horror/slasher movie of the same name.
70	10	"Heaven and Hell"	J. Miller Tobin	Story by: Trevor Sands Teleplay by: Eric Kripke	November 20, 2008 (2008-11-20)	3T7510	3.34[10]
Dean and Sam figure out why Castiel and his superior/handler, Uriel want Anna Milton dead when the three of them are forced to go on the run, not only from heavenly and vengeful angels, but from Alastair and his demon minions who also try to track down Sam, Dean and Anna. (Part 2 of 2) Sam uses the idea of Ruby's to let the "Big Dogs" (Angels and Demons) fight it out and essentially destroy one another.
71	11	"Family Remains"	Phil Sgriccia	Jeremy Carver	January 15, 2009 (2009-01-15)	3T7511	2.98[11]
Sam and Dean investigate a suspected haunted house with a murderous spirit inside the walls. Complications ensue when a family of five moves in, and the "spirit" turns out to be two very non-supernatural, feral children who are the product of incest and years of abuse, and who are willing to kill to protect their home.
72	12	"Criss Angel Is a Douchebag"	Robert Singer	Julie Siege	January 22, 2009 (2009-01-22)	3T7512	3.06[12]
Sam and Dean attend a magician's convention where it seems that real magic is being performed. However, a magician performs an execution style trick on stage and comes out unscathed while another magician dies at the exact same moment. Has someone turned to the dark arts to revive their failing career? Also, Ruby visits Sam with a proposition.
73	13	"After School Special"	Adam Kane	Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin	January 29, 2009 (2009-01-29)	3T7513	3.56[13]
Sam and Dean discover that a spirit is haunting one of their old high schools. While investigating the haunting Dean and Sam relive their high school experiences through flashbacks. They discover that the spirit was a former classmate of Sam's who he thought was a bully. In reality, it was the bully who had been tormented by jocks and has come back to seek revenge on those who pick on the nerds.
74	14	"Sex and Violence"	Charles Beeson	Cathryn Humphris	February 5, 2009 (2009-02-05)	3T7514	3.37[14]
Sam and Dean enter a small town in Iowa, where three men have inexplicably beaten their wives to death. The guys realize that behind the murders is a Siren, a creature that can take different forms and desperately needs love and compels people to destroy themselves as a show of devotion to it. The Siren eventually puts Sam and Dean under their spell and pits the two brothers against each other in a fight to the death.
75	15	"Death Takes a Holiday"	Steve Boyum	Jeremy Carver	March 12, 2009 (2009-03-12)	3T7515	2.84[15]
The brothers investigate a town where no one dies because the Reapers are being trapped. With no one left to guide the souls to the afterlife, people survive fatal gunshots, stabbing wounds, etc. Sam and Dean learn that Alastair plans to break one of the 66 seals by killing Reapers and seek the help of psychic Pamela to stop his malicious plan by using astral projection. However, the demons trap them and go after Pamela - and their inert bodies.
76	16	"On the Head of a Pin"	Mike Rohl	Ben Edlund	March 19, 2009 (2009-03-19)	3T7516	3.37[16]
Castiel and Uriel have captured Alastair and ask Dean to use the torturing skills he learned in Hell to extract information from him so they can stop whomever is killing angels. Sam is concerned Dean can’t handle the job but Dean agrees to do it. However, when Alastair reveals some shocking information, Dean's world is shattered. Sam ends up getting Alastair to reveal the demon who is murdering the angels by using his powers. Also, new information is revealed about the angels.
77	17	"It's a Terrible Life"	James L. Conway	Sera Gamble	March 26, 2009 (2009-03-26)	3T7517	3.13[17]
Dean has gone missing. He later awakens to find himself in an alternate reality in which he is a Wall Street Tycoon and Sam is a Tech Manager. Neither of them have memories of their previous lives. Unbeknownst to them, they're surrounded by a haunting that is forcing Dean's co-workers to kill themselves.
78	18	"The Monster at the End of This Book"	Mike Rohl	Story by: Julie Siege & Nancy Weiner Teleplay by: Julie Siege	April 2, 2009 (2009-04-02)	3T7518	3.27[18]
Lilith possesses the body of a dental hygienist and returns to wreak havoc on the Winchesters. Sam and Dean also discover a book entitled Supernatural about two demon hunting brothers named Sam and Dean while investigating a possible haunting at a comic book shop. The shop clerk believes the boys are LARPing the book when they visit. The author of the book turns out to be a prophet.
79	19	"Jump the Shark"	Phil Sgriccia	Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin	April 23, 2009 (2009-04-23)	3T7519	2.70[19]
In Windom, Minnesota, a 19-year-old boy named Adam calls Sam and Dean looking for John Winchester, claiming to be his son. Dean and Sam meet Adam, assuming he's a demon trying to lure them into a trap. However, they find out that John was indeed the boy's father and Adam tells them of his "normal" upbringing, which infuriates Dean. Sam tries to teach Adam stuff about hunting, so that he may defend himself in the future. Dean goes alone to find the thing that is trying to kill Adam. Eventually he gets trapped with no way out. It turns out that Adam was already killed and that the one with Sam is a ghoul. Eventually Adam's mom - a ghoul disguised as her - and Adam - also a ghoul - take Sam captive.
80	20	"The Rapture"	Charles Beeson	Jeremy Carver	April 30, 2009 (2009-04-30)	3T7520	2.95[20]
Castiel appears to Dean in a dream and says he has something important to tell him but that they need to meet somewhere private. Dean and Sam go searching for Castiel but instead find Jimmy, Castiel’s human vessel, who has only a spotty recollection of being an angel. Jimmy wants to return to his family and normal life, but Dean and Sam are concerned about his safety.
81	21	"When the Levee Breaks"	Robert Singer	Sera Gamble	May 7, 2009 (2009-05-07)	3T7521	2.79[21]
Dean and Bobby lock Sam in Bobby’s panic room so he can detox from the demon blood. However, as Bobby sees more seals are being broken he tells Dean they should let Sam out to help them fight the impending Apocalypse. Dean disagrees and goes to Castiel for help. Sam and Dean have a big blowout confrontation.
82	22	"Lucifer Rising"	Eric Kripke	Eric Kripke	May 14, 2009 (2009-05-14)	3T7522	2.89[22]
After leaving Dean, Sam joins Ruby on a final run to kill Lilith. They kidnap Lilith's personal chef who disguises itself as a nurse, stealing newborn babies for Lilith to devour, to question her. Meanwhile, Dean is kidnapped by the angels and brought to a room without any exit where Zachariah explains to him that the angels are not trying to stop the final seal from being broken—in fact, they want to start the Apocalypse, for it will cleanse the earth and bring Paradise. So Dean's task is not stopping the Apocalypse from starting, but ending it once it has. Dean is furious at Castiel for deceiving him, and Castiel reluctantly reveals that Lilith's death will break the final seal and sends Dean to St. Mary's Convent where Sam is just using his powers to kill Lilith. Ruby sees Dean approaching and closes the door telepathically so Dean can't stop Sam. After Sam has killed Lilith, her blood forms some sort of portal on the ground while Ruby reveals that she has been working for Lucifer the entire time, and the only demon who knew of her true allegiance was Lilith. She manipulated Sam into killing Lilith because she knew that Lilith was the final seal. Sam is devastated when he realizes what he has done. Suddenly, Dean smashes the door and stabs Ruby with her own knife, finally killing her for good, as the door to Lucifer's prison begins to open.

Cast

The fourth season features two major roles with star billing. The show continues to chronicle the lives of two brothers who travel across the United States fighting against demons. Jensen Ackles stars as demon hunter Dean Winchester. Jared Padalecki portrays Sam Winchester, brother to Dean and fellow demon hunter.

The show always features guest stars. Jim Beaver returns as Bobby Singer,^[23] a fellow hunter who acts as a mentor/surrogate father to the Winchester brothers. Genevieve Cortese portrays demon Ruby, who is possessing a new human body following season three cast member Katie Cassidy's departure from the show.^[24]

Nicki Aycox, who portrayed the Meg Masters demon in the first season, returns to portray the ghost of the human Meg Masters, whose body had been possessed by the demon.

Also returning to the show for brief appearances are: FBI agent Victor Henricksen, Ronald Reznick, John Winchester, Mary Winchester, and demons Lilith and Azazel. Actress Keegan Connor Tracy also returned to the show to portray publisher Sera Siege in The Monster at the End of this Book, although this is a different role than she played in season two, when she had the part of Karen Giles in The Usual Suspects.^[25]

New characters include:

Castiel, Pamela, Uriel, Anna, Alastair, Zachariah, and Chuck.

References

1. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-09-23. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=092308_03. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
2. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-09-30. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=093008_04. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
3. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-10-07. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=100708_06. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
4. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-10-14. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=101408_07. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
5. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-10-21. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=102108_03. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
6. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-10-28. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=102808_03. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
7. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-11-04. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=110408_05. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
8. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-11-11. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=111108_04. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
9. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-11-18. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=111808_03. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
10. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2008-11-25. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=112508_05. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
11. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2009-01-21. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=012109_07. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
12. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2009-01-27. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=012709_06. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
13. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2009-02-03. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=020309_06. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
14. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2009-02-10. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=021009_05. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
15. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2009-03-17. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=031709_07. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
16. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2009-03-24. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=032409_04. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
17. ^ Robert Seidman (2009-03-31). "Top CW Primetime Shows, March 23-29, 2009". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/03/31/top-cw-primetime-shows-march-23-29-2009/15598. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
18. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. 2009-04-07. http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=040709_06. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
19. ^ Robert Seidman (2009-05-02). "Top CW Primetime Shows, April 20-26, 2009". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/04/28/top-cw-primetime-shows-april-20-26-2009/17580. Retrieved 2009-05-02. 
20. ^ Robert Seidman (2009-05-06). "Top CW Primetime Shows, April 27 - May 3, 2009". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/06/top-cw-primetime-shows-april-27-may-3-2009/18174. Retrieved 2009-05-12. 
21. ^ Robert Seidman (2009-05-12). "Top CW Primetime Shows, May 4 - 10, 2009". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/12/top-cw-primetime-shows-may-4-10-2009/18551. Retrieved 2009-05-12. 
22. ^ Robert Seidman (2009-05-19). "Top CW Primetime Shows, May 11 - 17, 2009". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/19/top-cw-primetime-shows-may-11-17-2009/19087. Retrieved 2009-05-20. 
23. ^ "Lazarus Rising". Eric Kripke (writer) & Kim Manners (director). Supernatural. The CW. 2008-09-18. No. 1, season 4.
24. ^ "No Rest For The Wicked". Eric Kripke (writer) & Kim Manners (director). Supernatural. The CW. 2008-05-15. No. 16, season 3.
25. ^ "Keegan Connor Tracy". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0870535/. Retrieved 6 August 2009. 

External links

• Official website
• List of Supernatural episodes at the Internet Movie Database
• List of Supernatural season 4 episodes at TV.com
• Supernatural at epguides.com