At a rest stop they set a trap for the Trickster, but Sampala feels kind of weird when Dean puts things in his trunk.  Dean calls out for the Trickster and he shows up.  Dean orders him to turn Sam back into a person before they agree to let Lucifer and Michael take them over.  He does, but the boys have a trick up their sleeves.  Sam throws a lighter on the ground and a ring of fire forms around the Trickster.
    
It turns out their theory is correct and that the Trickster isn't a Trickster at all.  He' an Angle!  He tries to deny it, but the jig is up.  They go back to the warehouse with the Trickster trapped in the holy fire circle.  He reveals that he's actually Gabriel, the archangel.  He left Heaven, got a face transplant and hid out as a Trickster in his own version of Witness Protection.

Gabriel left because he couldn't stand watching his angel brethren fighting all the time, and now that Lucifer is free and the end is near, he just wants all the fighting to stop, which is why he's pushing for Sam and Dean to accept their roles and get the final battle over with.

Then he gets personal by breaking down what's really happening.  This isn't about the end of the world, it's about two brothers who used to love each other but now are bitter rivals.  It's no coincidence that Sam and Dean are the perfect vessels for Michael and Lucifer.  Gabriel finally explains everything that Supernatural has always been about:

"Michael [aka Dean], the big brother, loyal to an absent father."

"Lucifer [aka Sam], the little brother, rebellious of daddy's plan."

It all makes perfect sense.  They aren't just roles and vessels, Sam and Dean are these two angels, thus making John Winchester God.  It's one of those things that makes so much sense that you're sad you didn't realize it until Gabriel literally described it all.

Gabriel says that this is the unavoidable destiny the Winchesters have been leading up to all along.  It's why Gabriel was always so interested in them, because he knew they were the ultimate players in the battle all along.  It's why he tried to turn them against one another in "Tall Tales" and why he tried to get Sam to stop caring about Dean's death in "Mystery Spot."

Dean still thinks they can stop it, but Gabriel assures them that it is what will happen.  Sam and Dean will accept their roles, fight, and one will kill the other. It's how it has to be.  Man, this new archangel Trickster is a real downer.

Gabriel brings Castiel back from wherever he was, and the three good guys leave.  But Dean is still the hero, so he pulls the fire alarm so the sprinklers put out the circle and let Gabriel go.  First, Dean explains that this wasn't about the final battle, it was about Gabriel being too afraid to stand up to his family.

Cas, Sam and Dean walk outside and, depressed by what they just learned, Dean wishes their lives were just a TV show.  Trust me Dean, if your lives were a TV show, it would be very, very good.


Next week on Supernatural: Things might get a little bit lighter thanks to Sam and Dean getting invited to a Supernatural fan convention.  Then again, we also thought the TV parody episode would be all laughs, so nothing is certain.


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-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)