All Hell Breaks Loose (Supernatural)

Infobox Television episode
Title =All Hell Breaks Loose
Series =Supernatural


Caption =
Season =2
Episode =21 & 22
Airdate = Start date|2007|05|10(part 1)
Start date|2007|05|17(part 2)
Production = 221, 222
Writer =Sera Gamble (part 1)
Eric Kripke & Michael T. Moore (story)
Eric Kripke (teleplay) (Part 2)
Director = Robert Singer (Part 1)
Kim Manners (Part 2)
Guests =Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jim Beaver
Samantha Ferris
Aldis Hodge
Katharine Isabelle
Samantha Smith
Gabriel Tigerman
Chad Lindberg
Fredric Lehne
Ona Grauer
Episode list = List of Supernatural episodes
Prev =What Is and What Should Never Be
Next =The Magnificent Seven

"All Hell Breaks Loose" is the 21st and 22nd episodes of the second season of the television series "Supernatural". It is a two part season finale.

Plot Summary

Part 1

Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) and four other "special children" are abducted by the Yellow Eyed Demon, "Azazel" (Fredric Lehne) and taken to Cold Oak, supposedly the most haunted place in America. There, one by one they die from one another's abilities, which is a part of the Demon's plan. Azazel visits Sam, who learns of the demon's plan to single out one "winner" to lead the demon army in the up coming war. Sam, however, refuses to fight, although not everyone has the same level of morality. Jake, another "special child" confronts him for the final showdown. Sam is distracted by Dean (Jensen Ackles) who has managed to find him with Bobby Singer's (Jim Beaver) help, but as a result Sam is stabbed in the back by Jake (Aldis Hodge). Bobby chases after Jake as Sam dies in Dean's arms.

Part 2

Dean makes a deal with the Crossroads demon (Ona Grauer) to save Sam from the resulting catastrophes of the events in Cold Oak in exchange for his soul, with a one year gap between the deal being struck and the debt being collected. After learning of the destruction of the Road House, the brothers, along with Bobby and Ellen (Samantha Ferris) head to a cemetery, where Azazel is attempting to release all hell on earth and finish the human-demon war before it has even begun. Acting as Azazel's agent, Jake uses the Colt to unlock a Devil's Gate, a doorway to hell which had been sealed within a tomb. A rush of demons escape and break the iron lines of the Devil's Trap surrounding the cemetery. After Sam kills Jake, Azazel turns on Dean, but he is stopped by John (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who also escaped through the gate. Dean uses this advantage to kill Azazel with the last bullet from the Colt. Bobby and Ellen manage to close the gates, and Sam promises to try and free Dean from his deal.

Production

There were a number of problems faced by the crew of "Supernatural" in creating "All Hell Breaks Loose." The originally epic script had to be pared down, the locations had to be changed a number of times, notes from television executives had to be endured, and finally the graveyard scene took four days to shoot. [cite web |url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/comicon-2007-supernatural-pane-8794.aspx |title=Comicon 2007: 'Supernatural' Panel and DVD Footage |accessdate=2007-08-27 |format= |work= ] cite news |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20039486,00.html |title=Feeling 'Supernatural' |last=Leigh |first=Karen |work=EW.com |publisher=Entertainment Weekly |accessdate=2008-02-23 ]

Reception

The season finale garnered positive reviews from critics. "TV Guide" found "so much goodness" in the episode, and called Dean's speech to Sam "rip-your-heart-out sad".cite web
url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV-Show-Blog/Supernatural/Hell-Breaks-Loose/800015372
title=Before Hell Breaks Loose...
publisher=TV Guide
accessdate=2008-02-28
last=Charles
first=Bettina] cite web
url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV-Show-Blog/Supernatural/17-2007-Hell/800015466
title=May 17, 2007: All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2
publisher=TV Guide
accessdate=2008-02-27
last=Charles
first=Bettina] The finale has also been described as "terrific"(Sci-fi.com), [cite web
url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw17442.html
title=Supernatural Season-Two DVD
work=SCI FI Weekly
publisher=Scifi.com
accessdate=2008-02-27
last=Huddleston
first=Kathie] "juicy" ("Entertainment Weekly"), and just plain "wow". Of particular interest to critics was the wrapping up the Azazel story arc, described as a "great way to cap off the season" and a "smart move", [cite web |url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/supernaturalseason2.php |title=DVD Reviews: Supernatural: The Complete Second Season |accessdate=2007-12-13 |last=Boris |first=Cynthia |publisher=DVD Verdict] while "TV Squad" said it had a "weight and importance that a good finale should have."cite web |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/05/11/supernatural-all-hell-breaks-loose-part-1/ |title=Supernatural: All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1 |accessdate=2007-08-27 |last=Love |first=Brett |work=TV Squad |publisher=AOL television ] "Movies Online" felt that the writers of "Supernatural" did a brave thing in wrapping up the main storyline, unlike shows such as "Lost" where the story is allowed to become more and more convoluted. They felt this double episode was innovative, and that "everything with the Winchester brothers is constantly changing and getting better." [cite web |url=http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12596.html |title=Supernatural Evolves with Fresh Start and New Hunters |accessdate=2007-08-27 |last=Jerrica |publisher=moviesonline] "TV Squad" further states that in part 2, the show handled Sam's coming back well, though it was apparent he would from part 1. Ona Grauer was "delightful" as the Crossroads demon, coming across as something of a "supernatural used-car salesman."cite web |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/05/18/supernatural-all-hell-breaks-loose-part-2-season-finale/ |title=Supernatural: All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2 (season finale) |accessdate=2007-08-27 |last=Love |first=Brett |work=TV Squad |publisher=AOL television] Frederic Lehne received praise for his portrayal of the Demon Azazel, described as "riveting",cite web |url=http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id=17285 |title=Supernatural: Episode 2.21 - "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One" |accessdate=2007-11-22 |last=Burns |first=Tom |work=Underground Online |publisher=UGO Networks, Inc. ] "great" and "appropriately creepy". Tom Burns of "Underground Online" had previously criticised Supernatural for ruining a surprise ending by giving it away in the show's recap. For part one, he noted that its ending was given away in the CW's preview for the episode which showed Sam stabbed in the back and collapsing into Dean's arms. Burns liked the episode, but did find some fault with it. He felt that part 1 focusing on Sam and part 2 on Dean was a mistake since "Supernatural's strongest asset has always been the chemistry between the leads." Also, the season had set up the question of whether Sam was going to "go evil" and this episode didn't follow through, which Burns described as a "tease." "TV Guide" however called the end "not quite a cliff-hanger, but definitely a jumping-off point for Season 3."

Featured music

* "Foreplay/Long Time" - Boston (Part 1)
*"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas (Part 2)
*"Don't Look Back" - Boston (Part 2)

Quotes

References

External links

* [http://www.tv.com/supernatural/all-hell-breaks-loose-1/episode/1003161/summary.html All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1] at TV.com
* [http://www.tv.com/supernatural/all-hell-breaks-loose-2/episode/1003162/summary.html All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2] at TV.com