1.6.10

inspiration: Dante's Observation – He listens well who takes notes.

episode time frame: pre-series

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John had never kept a journal before. He wasn't comfortable talking about himself, his feelings. And after Mary, he needed to talk – he just couldn't.

Kate gave him the journal as a way of working through his emotions. John would have laughed – if he could have at the time – but he was raised better than that and took the journal with a thankful nod.

As time went on, John found that writing down what he learned was the best way for him to remember. He still had trouble communicating – even with his boys – and that journal remained his closest confidant.


1.7.10

inspiration: Disraeli's Second Law – What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens.

episode time frame: season 3 and 4

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Ruby was given five tasks to accomplish.

She knew from the start that Sam would never trust her completely. But really, he only needed to trust her enough.

Also, she needed to keep Sam alive. And, if keeping some low-level demon not privy to the master plan from taking out the boy king helped to build up his trust, she'd call it a win-win.

She'd gotten him to turn on his brother and managed to train him up enough to obliterate Lilith. After all of that, getting Sam to become the consenting vessel for Lucifer would be cake.


1.8.10

inspiration: Clopton's Law – For every credibility gap, there is a gullibility fill.

episode time frame: throughout the series, no spoilers

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Lights wavering? Must be a short. Dean could understand that explanation. Those skittering sounds behind the walls? Insects or rodents are a logical conclusion.

People who don't believe in the un-, super-, or preternatural find all sorts of ways to justify the strangeness around them. That's fine; in fact, faulty electricity and possible infestations were relatively easy to ask about.

But, Dean didn't know what was more disturbing – having to ask normal people about black smoke, sulfuric smells, and objects moving on their own; or the normals who thought they were insane, making idiotic excuses to explain the 'unexplainable' away.


1.9.10

inspiration: Emerson's Third Law – The efforts which we make to escape our destiny only serve to lead us into it.

episode time frame: When the Levee Breaks (4.21) and Lucifer Rising (4.22)

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Finally strong enough for the task, Sam set off to kill Lilith. The fight he and Dean had was horrific, excruciating, but he had to believe he could repair the damage. And destroying Lilith, who had sent his brother to Hell, would go a long way towards that goal.

Lilith, the first demon created by Lucifer, had broken sixty-five out of the sixty-six required seals. She planned to free Lucifer – in fact, she was the only one who could.

And Sam couldn't allow that. To keep the world from ending, Lucifer from rising, he had to kill Lilith.