No Rest for the Wicked (Supernatural)
Encyclopedia
"No Rest for the Wicked" is the third season finale of the CW
television series Supernatural
. It is the sixteenth episode of the third season
, and is the show's sixtieth episode overall. Written by series creator Eric Kripke
and directed by Kim Manners
, the episode was first broadcast on May 15, 2008. The narrative follows the series' protagonists Sam
(Jared Padalecki
) and Dean Winchester
(Jensen Ackles
)—brothers who travel the continental United States hunting supernatural creatures—as they attempt to save the latter's soul from damnation. Having made a year-long demonic pact in the previous season finale, Dean has just one day left to live. The brothers must track down the demonic overlord Lilith, who holds Dean's contract. Lilith, meanwhile, is entertaining herself by possessing a young girl (Sierra McCormick) and terrorizing her family, a homage to the Twilight Zone
episode "It's a Good Life
".
Marking the final appearance of Katie Cassidy
as the demon Ruby
, the episode was originally intended to feature the return of Samantha Ferris
as recurring character Ellen Harvelle
. The writers initially intended that Sam would save Dean by giving into his demonic abilities, but the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
prevented the development of that storyline throughout the season. Dean is instead killed; the final scene of him in Hell was the "most complicated shot [the] visual effects department has ever done".
The episode received high ratings for the season, and garnered generally positive reviews from critics. The decision to follow through with Dean's Hell-bound contract was praised, as were the performances of Padalecki and Ackles. General consensus was that McCormick was "creepy" as Lilith, but lacked the menace of Fredric Lehne
's Azazel
of the second season
.
(Padalecki) and Dean Winchester
(Ackles) as they travel the continental United States hunting supernatural creatures that pose a threat to society. At times, they are assisted by fellow "hunter" and family friend Bobby Singer
(Jim Beaver
). Their greatest enemies come in the form of demons, corrupted human souls that have escaped from Hell. A cloud of black smoke in their true form, they take possession of human hosts.
Twenty-two years earlier than the series' main storyline, the demonic tyrant Azazel
fed his blood to Sam and other infants, to imbue them with demonic abilities. He gathers them together in the second season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose
" and coerces the young adults into a fight to the death to determine a leader for his demonic army. Sam is killed by the super-strong Jake Talley, but Dean sells his own soul to a crossroads demon in exchange for Sam's resurrection, a contract that leaves Dean with only a year to live. The Winchesters, Bobby, and fellow hunter Ellen Harvelle
kill Jake and Azazel, but are too late to prevent the release of hundreds of demons from Hell.
One of the freed demons is Ruby
(Cassidy), a former witch who claims to oppose the demonic world. She frequently helps the brothers throughout the third season with her demon-killing knife and knowledge of witchcraft, but Dean mistrusts her manipulative nature. As the deadline approaches, the Winchesters learn that Azazel's successor, Lilith, holds the contract to Dean's deal. He now only has one day remaining before he is sent to Hell.
(Ackles) being chased through a forest by a hellhound
; as it mauls him, he awakens from his dream. His brother, Sam
(Padalecki), tells him that Bobby has devised a way to locate Lilith, but unconvinced that it will succeed, Dean suggests he live up the rest of his time. Sam insists that he will be saved, but Dean feigns reassurance as he hallucinates a demonic-looking Sam.
Bobby tracks Lilith to New Harmony, Indiana. Dean does not want to attack unprepared, but he refuses to seek help from Ruby. Sam secretly summons her and asks for her knife, and Ruby tells him that his dormant psychic abilities could easily kill Lilith, whose guard is down as she is on "shore leave". Sam considers the alternative, but Dean shows up and tricks Ruby into a devil's trap—mystical symbols capable of rendering a demon powerless—and the brothers take her knife and leave. Despite Dean's objections, Bobby insists that he accompany them, and draws attention to Dean's hallucinations. With his demise rapidly approaching, Dean has begun "piercing the veil", allowing him to glimpse the demons' true forms.
When the trio arrive in New Harmony, they discover that Lilith is possessing a young girl (McCormick) and terrorizing her family. Pretending to be their daughter, Lilith kills the family dog when it is "mean" towards her and snaps the grandfather's neck after he seeks help from neighbors. As Bobby blesses a waterline running to the sprinklers of the family's home, Sam and Dean dispatch some of the demons who have taken over the neighborhood. Ruby appears and angrily confronts them, but is stopped short by an oncoming hoard of demons. The three of them run into the house as Bobby activates the sprinklers, creating a barrier of holy water. While Dean takes the girl's father to safety in the basement, Sam and Ruby go upstairs and split up in search of Lilith. Sam finds the possessed girl in her bedroom, and although initially hesitant he prepares to strike until he is stopped by Dean, who reveals that Lilith has left her. As midnight approaches, they take the rest of the family into the basement.
Sam begs Ruby to teach him how to use his abilities, but she tells him that it is too late. Dean accepts his fate as the clock strikes midnight, but runs from the approaching hellhound. The three barricade themselves inside a room, but Dean quickly realizes that Lilith has taken over Ruby's host. Claiming to have sent Ruby "far, far away", Lilith telekinetically pins the brothers down and lets in the hellhound. As Dean is mauled to death, Lilith blasts Sam with white energy from her hand. Horrified to see that it has no effect, she flees her host before Sam can retaliate. A devastated Sam cradles Dean, whose soul is then shown in Hell hanging from a vast landscape of chains and meathooks.
as the demon Ruby
. Dismissed for budgetary reasons, the actress was replaced by Genevieve Cortese
for the fourth season
. The writers intended Samantha Ferris
to return as hunter Ellen Harvelle
, a guest stint Ferris believed would have ended in her character's demise. She ultimately declined the offer because it "could cost [her] money and work". Following the mythological Lilith
's role of "destroyer of children", the demon takes on a child host portrayed by Sierra McCormick. Series writer Sera Gamble
commented that it was an "interesting" choice because it presented Lilith as "creepy and kind of molesty".
. Much of the storyline served as a homage to the Twilight Zone
episode "It's a Good Life
", in which a powerful child terrorizes his town. Although Kripke found it difficult to write many of the episode's scenes, the terrorizing sequences "just came right out" because they were "just so fun".
The writers initially intended that Sam would save Dean from Hell, possibly even before "No Rest for the Wicked", by giving in to his demonic powers and becoming "this fully operational dark force" who would then want to go after Lilith. The battle would have been "much more climactic", with the Winchesters "going to war to save Dean's life". By the middle of the season, however, the writers realized the costs associated with depicting such an engagement and scaled it down. To make matters worse, the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
prevented them from fleshing out Sam's evolving abilities throughout the season, and his entire story arc was pushed back into the fourth season. With Sam's storyline no longer dovetailing with Dean's, the writers "[never had] any doubt in [their] minds" to send Dean to Hell. Kripke disliked that the second season finale "just ended", and he felt that this episode provided a cliffhanger ending that had people "biting their nails". Although the viewers' expectations that Dean would be saved was "reason enough", his imprisonment in Hell also served as a "turning point" for both the character and the series. Kripke commented, "You need huge moves to happen that can cause radical shifts in the characters, that set them off in a new direction. So what happens to Dean in Hell and how Dean gets out become primary concerns of season four."
meets Hellraiser
". The original vision for the final scene would have placed Dean in a "really nasty, bloody slaughterhouse, hanging from meat hooks". Here, Dean would start screaming as shadows fall over him. Discussions between Kripke, Manners, and Hayden led to the decision to present "one epic glimpse" of Hell, though they avoided aspects such as fire and brimstone to focus on more affordable visuals. Much debate went into the appearance of Hell because of its many variations. Though the scene matched with the many versions of "chains and people being ripped apart", art director John Marcynuk felt they should have made it "a little more mysterious and dark". He commented, "My opinion is, the vaguer the better, because you let the imagination take over. People have different fears, and Hell's such a personal torment." In series writer Sera Gamble's opinion, Dean's location is more of the "waiting room"—the place "they stick you before they hand you the sign-in sheet"—a far cry from what he will experience "once he gets into the first chamber of Hell".
The sequence was miserable for Ackles, who spent four hours in make-up having the various hooks and other prosthetics applied. Wired cuffs around his wrists and ankles, as well as a harness around his waist, were used to lift him 13 feet into the air in front of a green screen
. To his discomfort, the harness slipped, causing its buckle to continuously dig into his hip throughout the scene's three or four takes. The actor, who "had tears rolling down [his] face" as he was lowered down, deemed it the most physical pain he has endured for a single shot.
The visual effects department also found it quite a challenge, often referring to the ten-day process as the "Hell Shot". Initially planned as 12–13 seconds, the shot ended up running 35 seconds, a huge feat to render on high-definition film. They were also required to digitally remove the wires attached to Ackles, and add in chains. Lightning strikes occur throughout the scene, based on practical lightning effects done during the shoot to meet Manners' and cinematographer Serge Ladouceur's demands. This "[slaved the department] into the frequency of the lightning", forcing them to "reverse-engineer the randomness". Because of the vast complications and expenses in presenting Hell to such an extent, future representations are restricted to "very tight angles".
, British Columbia
. The neighborhood scenes were shot in a cul-de-sac of million-dollar homes, and production housed the residents in hotels for two nights to allow for filming. Although the sequence of Sam and Dean looking across the street as the grandfather is killed appears to be shot from inside one of the houses, the actors were actually standing on a two-story scaffolding across the street, looking through fake windows. Shots of them inside the house in the same scene made use of one of the basements.
In addition to the score, the episode followed the series tradition of a rock soundtrack. On their drive to New Harmony, Sam and Dean sing along to Bon Jovi
's "Wanted Dead or Alive
". To mask Ackles' "very impressive singing voice", Kripke asked the actor to sing off-key.
ranking the episode No. 95 in its 2009 list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time". BuddyTV
's Don Williams deemed the finale "absolutely fantastic", and ranked it tenth on his list of the top Supernatural episodes of the first three seasons. Although he "respected the show for having the guts to follow through with [Dean's] deal"—the ending was a "complete jaw-dropper"—he pointed out the previous times the Winchesters have died and were subsequently resurrected. Memorable moments for Williams include Sam and Dean singing "Wanted Dead or Alive", and Dean admitting that his love for Sam is his main weakness. Likewise, TV Guides Tina Charles described the episode as "creepy and suspenseful and funny and sad and just plain awesome", and felt it came close to outdoing the first season finale "Devil's Trap
". Especially praised were the actors' performances. Padalecki "totally stepped up to the plate and knocked one out of the park", and Ackles was "nine kinds of awesome". On the latter, Charles noted, "From acting out Dean's stubborn ways, his inappropriate humor, those crushing looks of despair and doom and Dean's death, the man can play it all." McCormick was described as "creepy", leading to Charles' "huge compliment" of comparing the episode to The Twilight Zone
. For the critic, the "totally unexpected" Bon Jovi sing-along "totally rocked" and has "instantly become a classic". Her main disappointment with the episode, however, was the lack of Sam "going dark side". Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune
listed the episode as one of the "gems" of the third season, and believed it likely to end up as one of her "Favorite 'Supernatural' Episodes of All Time". The San Diego Union-Tribune
s Karla Peterson agreed, giving the episode a grade of A-. Although it "got off to a shaky start with some weirdly paced scenes", it ended up a "finale that wrapped us in sticky threads of old fears, mind-bending new business and one awesome Bon Jovi song".
Brett Love of TV Squad, on the other hand, "[stopped] short of calling [it] an excellent finale". While the deal's payoff was "fantastic"—he was surprised by Dean's death, and looked forward to its implications for the fourth season—Love was slightly disappointed with Lilith. McCormick "impressed" him as Lilith, but he did not find her as "menacing and scary" as Fredric Lehne
's Azazel
. The villain's storyline of terrorizing a family would have made a "great regular episode", but was not epic enough for a finale. Diana Steenbergen of IGN
felt the scenes of Lilith's shore leave briefly "[dragged] the episode down" because the viewers "understood the situation quickly enough". She otherwise liked the episode, and gave it a score of 8.9 out of 10. Steenbergen enjoyed the "first-rate brotherly scenes", and was happy that the series followed through with its promise of sending Dean to Hell, commenting that the related hellhound attack was "one of the scariest things the show has done yet". Like Charles, she applauded the acting, noting that "we feel [Dean's] fear as the deadline approaches". She went on to write that Padalecki's "best moments are in the barely contained rage at his inability to save his brother, and in his grief at losing Dean", while "Lilith and her little girl mannerisms in Ruby's body were far more chilling, and interesting, than Ruby's tough chick persona ever has been".
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
television series Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
. It is the sixteenth episode of the third season
Supernatural (season 3)
Season three of Supernatural, an American television series, began airing on October 4, 2007. This is the second season to air on the CW television network...
, and is the show's sixtieth episode overall. Written by series creator Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke is an American television writer, director, and producer. He is best known for creating the television series Supernatural.-Biography:...
and directed by Kim Manners
Kim Manners
Kim Manners was an American television producer, director and child actor best known for his work on The X-Files and Supernatural.-Early life:...
, the episode was first broadcast on May 15, 2008. The narrative follows the series' protagonists Sam
Sam Winchester
Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of The CW Television Network's Supernatural along with his older brother Dean. He is portrayed by Jared Padalecki.-Background:...
(Jared Padalecki
Jared Padalecki
Jared Tristan Padalecki is an American actor. He grew up in Texas and came to fame in the early 2000s after appearing on the television series Gilmore Girls as well as in several Hollywood films, including New York Minute and House of Wax...
) and Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
(Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ross Ackles is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville...
)—brothers who travel the continental United States hunting supernatural creatures—as they attempt to save the latter's soul from damnation. Having made a year-long demonic pact in the previous season finale, Dean has just one day left to live. The brothers must track down the demonic overlord Lilith, who holds Dean's contract. Lilith, meanwhile, is entertaining herself by possessing a young girl (Sierra McCormick) and terrorizing her family, a homage to the Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
episode "It's a Good Life
It's a Good Life (The Twilight Zone)
"It's a Good Life" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It is based on a 1953 short story of the same name by Jerome Bixby.-Synopsis:...
".
Marking the final appearance of Katie Cassidy
Katie Cassidy
Katherine Evelyn Anita "Katie" Cassidy is an American actress who has performed in The CW TV series Melrose Place, Supernatural, Harper's Island, and Gossip Girl, and on the films When a Stranger Calls, Black Christmas, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Taken, Monte Carlo, and has roles in the upcoming...
as the demon Ruby
Ruby (Supernatural)
Ruby is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's Supernatural portrayed by Katie Cassidy and Genevieve Cortese. Created by the writers in order to expand on the characterization of demons within the series, she first appears in the third season, rescuing Sam and Dean Winchester, and...
, the episode was originally intended to feature the return of Samantha Ferris
Samantha Ferris
Samantha Ferris is a Canadian actress and in the mid-1990s was a television reporter for the Bellingham, Washington station KVOS TV-12 and Vancouver's BCTV, where she went by the name Janie Ferris...
as recurring character Ellen Harvelle
Ellen Harvelle
Ellen Harvelle is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's Supernatural portrayed by Samantha Ferris. Introduced in the second season in order to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the hunting world, the "gun-toting, beer-slinging" Ellen brought a "maternal energy" to the...
. The writers initially intended that Sam would save Dean by giving into his demonic abilities, but the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
prevented the development of that storyline throughout the season. Dean is instead killed; the final scene of him in Hell was the "most complicated shot [the] visual effects department has ever done".
The episode received high ratings for the season, and garnered generally positive reviews from critics. The decision to follow through with Dean's Hell-bound contract was praised, as were the performances of Padalecki and Ackles. General consensus was that McCormick was "creepy" as Lilith, but lacked the menace of Fredric Lehne
Fredric Lehne
Fredric Lehne is an actor who has appeared in over 200 films, mini-series, and television shows as well as many stage productions including works by Shakespeare, Molière and Ibsen on Broadway...
's Azazel
Azazel (Supernatural)
Azazel is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural. He serves as the primary antagonist during the first two seasons. A demon, he feeds his blood to infants so that they will grow up to develop demonic abilities. His endgame of using one...
of the second season
Supernatural (season 2)
Season two of Supernatural, an American paranormal drama television series created by Eric Kripke, premiered September 28, 2006, and concluded May 17, 2007, airing 22 episodes. The season focuses on protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester as they track down Azazel, the demon responsible for the...
.
Background
Supernatural follows brothers SamSam Winchester
Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of The CW Television Network's Supernatural along with his older brother Dean. He is portrayed by Jared Padalecki.-Background:...
(Padalecki) and Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester
Dean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
(Ackles) as they travel the continental United States hunting supernatural creatures that pose a threat to society. At times, they are assisted by fellow "hunter" and family friend Bobby Singer
Bobby Singer
Robert "Bobby" Singer is a fictional character in The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural portrayed by Jim Beaver. Chosen due to his working relationship with executive producer Robert Singer, Beaver made his initial appearance in the first season finale "Devil's Trap"...
(Jim Beaver
Jim Beaver
James Norman "Jim" Beaver, Jr. is an American stage, film, and television actor, playwright, screenwriter, and film historian...
). Their greatest enemies come in the form of demons, corrupted human souls that have escaped from Hell. A cloud of black smoke in their true form, they take possession of human hosts.
Twenty-two years earlier than the series' main storyline, the demonic tyrant Azazel
Azazel (Supernatural)
Azazel is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural. He serves as the primary antagonist during the first two seasons. A demon, he feeds his blood to infants so that they will grow up to develop demonic abilities. His endgame of using one...
fed his blood to Sam and other infants, to imbue them with demonic abilities. He gathers them together in the second season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose
All Hell Breaks Loose (Supernatural)
"All Hell Breaks Loose" is the joint title for the two-part second season finale of the CW television series Supernatural. It consists of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes of the second season. "Part One" was first broadcast on May 10, 2007, and the second part aired the following week...
" and coerces the young adults into a fight to the death to determine a leader for his demonic army. Sam is killed by the super-strong Jake Talley, but Dean sells his own soul to a crossroads demon in exchange for Sam's resurrection, a contract that leaves Dean with only a year to live. The Winchesters, Bobby, and fellow hunter Ellen Harvelle
Ellen Harvelle
Ellen Harvelle is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's Supernatural portrayed by Samantha Ferris. Introduced in the second season in order to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the hunting world, the "gun-toting, beer-slinging" Ellen brought a "maternal energy" to the...
kill Jake and Azazel, but are too late to prevent the release of hundreds of demons from Hell.
One of the freed demons is Ruby
Ruby (Supernatural)
Ruby is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's Supernatural portrayed by Katie Cassidy and Genevieve Cortese. Created by the writers in order to expand on the characterization of demons within the series, she first appears in the third season, rescuing Sam and Dean Winchester, and...
(Cassidy), a former witch who claims to oppose the demonic world. She frequently helps the brothers throughout the third season with her demon-killing knife and knowledge of witchcraft, but Dean mistrusts her manipulative nature. As the deadline approaches, the Winchesters learn that Azazel's successor, Lilith, holds the contract to Dean's deal. He now only has one day remaining before he is sent to Hell.
Plot
The episode begins with Dean WinchesterDean Winchester
Dean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
(Ackles) being chased through a forest by a hellhound
Hellhound
A hellhound is a supernatural dog, found in folklore. A wide variety of ominous or hellish supernatural dogs occur in mythologies around the world, similar to the ubiquitous dragon...
; as it mauls him, he awakens from his dream. His brother, Sam
Sam Winchester
Samuel "Sam" Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of The CW Television Network's Supernatural along with his older brother Dean. He is portrayed by Jared Padalecki.-Background:...
(Padalecki), tells him that Bobby has devised a way to locate Lilith, but unconvinced that it will succeed, Dean suggests he live up the rest of his time. Sam insists that he will be saved, but Dean feigns reassurance as he hallucinates a demonic-looking Sam.
Bobby tracks Lilith to New Harmony, Indiana. Dean does not want to attack unprepared, but he refuses to seek help from Ruby. Sam secretly summons her and asks for her knife, and Ruby tells him that his dormant psychic abilities could easily kill Lilith, whose guard is down as she is on "shore leave". Sam considers the alternative, but Dean shows up and tricks Ruby into a devil's trap—mystical symbols capable of rendering a demon powerless—and the brothers take her knife and leave. Despite Dean's objections, Bobby insists that he accompany them, and draws attention to Dean's hallucinations. With his demise rapidly approaching, Dean has begun "piercing the veil", allowing him to glimpse the demons' true forms.
When the trio arrive in New Harmony, they discover that Lilith is possessing a young girl (McCormick) and terrorizing her family. Pretending to be their daughter, Lilith kills the family dog when it is "mean" towards her and snaps the grandfather's neck after he seeks help from neighbors. As Bobby blesses a waterline running to the sprinklers of the family's home, Sam and Dean dispatch some of the demons who have taken over the neighborhood. Ruby appears and angrily confronts them, but is stopped short by an oncoming hoard of demons. The three of them run into the house as Bobby activates the sprinklers, creating a barrier of holy water. While Dean takes the girl's father to safety in the basement, Sam and Ruby go upstairs and split up in search of Lilith. Sam finds the possessed girl in her bedroom, and although initially hesitant he prepares to strike until he is stopped by Dean, who reveals that Lilith has left her. As midnight approaches, they take the rest of the family into the basement.
Sam begs Ruby to teach him how to use his abilities, but she tells him that it is too late. Dean accepts his fate as the clock strikes midnight, but runs from the approaching hellhound. The three barricade themselves inside a room, but Dean quickly realizes that Lilith has taken over Ruby's host. Claiming to have sent Ruby "far, far away", Lilith telekinetically pins the brothers down and lets in the hellhound. As Dean is mauled to death, Lilith blasts Sam with white energy from her hand. Horrified to see that it has no effect, she flees her host before Sam can retaliate. A devastated Sam cradles Dean, whose soul is then shown in Hell hanging from a vast landscape of chains and meathooks.
Casting
"No Rest for the Wicked" marked the final appearance of Katie CassidyKatie Cassidy
Katherine Evelyn Anita "Katie" Cassidy is an American actress who has performed in The CW TV series Melrose Place, Supernatural, Harper's Island, and Gossip Girl, and on the films When a Stranger Calls, Black Christmas, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Taken, Monte Carlo, and has roles in the upcoming...
as the demon Ruby
Ruby (Supernatural)
Ruby is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's Supernatural portrayed by Katie Cassidy and Genevieve Cortese. Created by the writers in order to expand on the characterization of demons within the series, she first appears in the third season, rescuing Sam and Dean Winchester, and...
. Dismissed for budgetary reasons, the actress was replaced by Genevieve Cortese
Genevieve Cortese
Genevieve Padalecki is an American actress known for her breakout role on the television series Wildfire as Kris Furillo. She is also known for her recurring role in Supernatural as Ruby. She married Supernatural star Jared Padalecki in 2010.-Biography:Genevieve is of Italian, French and Flemish...
for the fourth season
Supernatural (season 4)
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...
. The writers intended Samantha Ferris
Samantha Ferris
Samantha Ferris is a Canadian actress and in the mid-1990s was a television reporter for the Bellingham, Washington station KVOS TV-12 and Vancouver's BCTV, where she went by the name Janie Ferris...
to return as hunter Ellen Harvelle
Ellen Harvelle
Ellen Harvelle is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's Supernatural portrayed by Samantha Ferris. Introduced in the second season in order to explore a mother-daughter relationship in the hunting world, the "gun-toting, beer-slinging" Ellen brought a "maternal energy" to the...
, a guest stint Ferris believed would have ended in her character's demise. She ultimately declined the offer because it "could cost [her] money and work". Following the mythological Lilith
Lilith
Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
's role of "destroyer of children", the demon takes on a child host portrayed by Sierra McCormick. Series writer Sera Gamble
Sera Gamble
Sera Gamble is an American television writer and producer, best known for her work on The CW series Supernatural.- Early career :Sera Gamble was born Sarah Frieda Liwnicz, but changed her name during college to Sera Gamble. Gamble graduated from the U.C.L.A. school of drama and film...
commented that it was an "interesting" choice because it presented Lilith as "creepy and kind of molesty".
Writing
Originally entitled "No Quarter", the episode was written by series creator Eric KripkeEric Kripke
Eric Kripke is an American television writer, director, and producer. He is best known for creating the television series Supernatural.-Biography:...
. Much of the storyline served as a homage to the Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
episode "It's a Good Life
It's a Good Life (The Twilight Zone)
"It's a Good Life" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It is based on a 1953 short story of the same name by Jerome Bixby.-Synopsis:...
", in which a powerful child terrorizes his town. Although Kripke found it difficult to write many of the episode's scenes, the terrorizing sequences "just came right out" because they were "just so fun".
The writers initially intended that Sam would save Dean from Hell, possibly even before "No Rest for the Wicked", by giving in to his demonic powers and becoming "this fully operational dark force" who would then want to go after Lilith. The battle would have been "much more climactic", with the Winchesters "going to war to save Dean's life". By the middle of the season, however, the writers realized the costs associated with depicting such an engagement and scaled it down. To make matters worse, the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
prevented them from fleshing out Sam's evolving abilities throughout the season, and his entire story arc was pushed back into the fourth season. With Sam's storyline no longer dovetailing with Dean's, the writers "[never had] any doubt in [their] minds" to send Dean to Hell. Kripke disliked that the second season finale "just ended", and he felt that this episode provided a cliffhanger ending that had people "biting their nails". Although the viewers' expectations that Dean would be saved was "reason enough", his imprisonment in Hell also served as a "turning point" for both the character and the series. Kripke commented, "You need huge moves to happen that can cause radical shifts in the characters, that set them off in a new direction. So what happens to Dean in Hell and how Dean gets out become primary concerns of season four."
Hell
The episode's final moments linger on Dean "meat-hooked in the center of what looks like a thousand mile spiderweb of rusty chains", a scene Kripke described as "M. C. EscherM. C. Escher
Maurits Cornelis Escher , usually referred to as M. C. Escher , was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints...
meets Hellraiser
Hellraiser
Hellraiser is a 1987 British and American horror film based upon the novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Hellraiser explores themes of sadomasochism and morality under duress and fear. The film spawned a series of sequels...
". The original vision for the final scene would have placed Dean in a "really nasty, bloody slaughterhouse, hanging from meat hooks". Here, Dean would start screaming as shadows fall over him. Discussions between Kripke, Manners, and Hayden led to the decision to present "one epic glimpse" of Hell, though they avoided aspects such as fire and brimstone to focus on more affordable visuals. Much debate went into the appearance of Hell because of its many variations. Though the scene matched with the many versions of "chains and people being ripped apart", art director John Marcynuk felt they should have made it "a little more mysterious and dark". He commented, "My opinion is, the vaguer the better, because you let the imagination take over. People have different fears, and Hell's such a personal torment." In series writer Sera Gamble's opinion, Dean's location is more of the "waiting room"—the place "they stick you before they hand you the sign-in sheet"—a far cry from what he will experience "once he gets into the first chamber of Hell".
The sequence was miserable for Ackles, who spent four hours in make-up having the various hooks and other prosthetics applied. Wired cuffs around his wrists and ankles, as well as a harness around his waist, were used to lift him 13 feet into the air in front of a green screen
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
. To his discomfort, the harness slipped, causing its buckle to continuously dig into his hip throughout the scene's three or four takes. The actor, who "had tears rolling down [his] face" as he was lowered down, deemed it the most physical pain he has endured for a single shot.
The visual effects department also found it quite a challenge, often referring to the ten-day process as the "Hell Shot". Initially planned as 12–13 seconds, the shot ended up running 35 seconds, a huge feat to render on high-definition film. They were also required to digitally remove the wires attached to Ackles, and add in chains. Lightning strikes occur throughout the scene, based on practical lightning effects done during the shoot to meet Manners' and cinematographer Serge Ladouceur's demands. This "[slaved the department] into the frequency of the lightning", forcing them to "reverse-engineer the randomness". Because of the vast complications and expenses in presenting Hell to such an extent, future representations are restricted to "very tight angles".
Filming
Principal photography took place in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The neighborhood scenes were shot in a cul-de-sac of million-dollar homes, and production housed the residents in hotels for two nights to allow for filming. Although the sequence of Sam and Dean looking across the street as the grandfather is killed appears to be shot from inside one of the houses, the actors were actually standing on a two-story scaffolding across the street, looking through fake windows. Shots of them inside the house in the same scene made use of one of the basements.
Music
The episode's synthesized orchestral score was written by Jay Gruska, who especially enjoyed working on the episode due to his friendship with an actor from "It's a Good Life". The music, however, was not influenced by The Twilight Zone, as Gruska prefers to base his scores on an episode's visuals. The terrorizing scenes thus featured child sounds such as the high register of a toy piano, which used a "low approach underneath it" to make it "absolutely sinister".In addition to the score, the episode followed the series tradition of a rock soundtrack. On their drive to New Harmony, Sam and Dean sing along to Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
's "Wanted Dead or Alive
Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi song)
-Music Video:The video for the song is black and white and features footage from the band's massive 1986-1987 world tour, including shots from Chicago's UIC Pavilion, Rochester, Minnesota's Mayo Civic Center, Denver, Colorado's McNichols Arena, Pittsburgh, PA F. Pitt Tunnel and Pittsburgh Skyline...
". To mask Ackles' "very impressive singing voice", Kripke asked the actor to sing off-key.
Reception
On its initial broadcast, the episode was watched by 2.998 million viewers. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
ranking the episode No. 95 in its 2009 list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time". BuddyTV
BuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
's Don Williams deemed the finale "absolutely fantastic", and ranked it tenth on his list of the top Supernatural episodes of the first three seasons. Although he "respected the show for having the guts to follow through with [Dean's] deal"—the ending was a "complete jaw-dropper"—he pointed out the previous times the Winchesters have died and were subsequently resurrected. Memorable moments for Williams include Sam and Dean singing "Wanted Dead or Alive", and Dean admitting that his love for Sam is his main weakness. Likewise, TV Guides Tina Charles described the episode as "creepy and suspenseful and funny and sad and just plain awesome", and felt it came close to outdoing the first season finale "Devil's Trap
Devil's Trap
"Devil's Trap" is the twenty-second episode of the paranormal drama television series Supernaturals first season. It is the season finale, and was first broadcast on The WB on May 4, 2006...
". Especially praised were the actors' performances. Padalecki "totally stepped up to the plate and knocked one out of the park", and Ackles was "nine kinds of awesome". On the latter, Charles noted, "From acting out Dean's stubborn ways, his inappropriate humor, those crushing looks of despair and doom and Dean's death, the man can play it all." McCormick was described as "creepy", leading to Charles' "huge compliment" of comparing the episode to The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
. For the critic, the "totally unexpected" Bon Jovi sing-along "totally rocked" and has "instantly become a classic". Her main disappointment with the episode, however, was the lack of Sam "going dark side". Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
listed the episode as one of the "gems" of the third season, and believed it likely to end up as one of her "Favorite 'Supernatural' Episodes of All Time". The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
s Karla Peterson agreed, giving the episode a grade of A-. Although it "got off to a shaky start with some weirdly paced scenes", it ended up a "finale that wrapped us in sticky threads of old fears, mind-bending new business and one awesome Bon Jovi song".
Brett Love of TV Squad, on the other hand, "[stopped] short of calling [it] an excellent finale". While the deal's payoff was "fantastic"—he was surprised by Dean's death, and looked forward to its implications for the fourth season—Love was slightly disappointed with Lilith. McCormick "impressed" him as Lilith, but he did not find her as "menacing and scary" as Fredric Lehne
Fredric Lehne
Fredric Lehne is an actor who has appeared in over 200 films, mini-series, and television shows as well as many stage productions including works by Shakespeare, Molière and Ibsen on Broadway...
's Azazel
Azazel (Supernatural)
Azazel is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series Supernatural. He serves as the primary antagonist during the first two seasons. A demon, he feeds his blood to infants so that they will grow up to develop demonic abilities. His endgame of using one...
. The villain's storyline of terrorizing a family would have made a "great regular episode", but was not epic enough for a finale. Diana Steenbergen of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
felt the scenes of Lilith's shore leave briefly "[dragged] the episode down" because the viewers "understood the situation quickly enough". She otherwise liked the episode, and gave it a score of 8.9 out of 10. Steenbergen enjoyed the "first-rate brotherly scenes", and was happy that the series followed through with its promise of sending Dean to Hell, commenting that the related hellhound attack was "one of the scariest things the show has done yet". Like Charles, she applauded the acting, noting that "we feel [Dean's] fear as the deadline approaches". She went on to write that Padalecki's "best moments are in the barely contained rage at his inability to save his brother, and in his grief at losing Dean", while "Lilith and her little girl mannerisms in Ruby's body were far more chilling, and interesting, than Ruby's tough chick persona ever has been".