Supernatural Season 5, Episode 20 recap: Crowley offers the Winchesters some help

Crowley returns in Supernatural Season 5, Episode 20, offering the Winchesters some help to take down Pestilence. The big question is whether he can be trusted.

Supernatural Season 5, Episode 20 brought Crowley back as a temporary ally to the Winchester. With the news that the Winchesters needed to collect the rings belonging to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to send Lucifer back to hell, it was a race to complete it before the big showdown.

It’s time to look back at the episode that set the Winchesters on a path to get the final two rings. Here’s your throwback recap of “The Devil You Know.”

On the tail of Pestilence

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The Winchesters turn up at a clinic where people are infected with mild swine flu. It turns out they’re constantly on the tail of Pestilence but have never caught up to him. However, it’s clear in the Niveus Pharmaceuticals lab that Pestilence has been around after a demon injects lab technicians with the Croatoan virus.

When Bobby calls with more omens, the Winchesters head off. Crowley suddenly appears in the Impala, sharing what he knows about the Winchesters’ latest activities. He wants to help, having been in hiding because Lucifer knows he was the one to give the Winchesters the Colt. It also turns out that Crowley had planted a magical coin inside the Impala, making it possible to track everything the Winchesters have said and done.

One of Crowley’s requirements of helping is not to have Sam come along. He doesn’t want to but Dean eventually agrees.

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A flash of the past

The demon who is management at Niveus is Brady, someone from Sam’s past. He’s able to communicate with Pestilence through the Goblet of Blood, who wants to see the virus released as soon as possible to the world.

With Dean as bait, Crowley manages to capture Brady and uses a binding link to prevent the demon from leaving the body. Crowley also knows that Brady was one of Sam’s friends from college.

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Originally, the two had been friend and it was only in Thanksgiving of Sophomore year that Brady was possessed. When he went off the rails, Sam tried to help him. Azazel, worried that Sam was falling off the true path, had Brady introduce Sam and Jess. The plan was always to kill her to get Sam back into hunting.

Sam comes up with a plan

While Crowley and Dean head out to stop the spread of the virus and for the ring, Sam has an idea. What if he could take control of his body while Lucifer is possessing him? Would it be possible? He turns to someone who has taken control: Bobby.

Bobby isn’t going to entertain the idea, admitting that what he did was a million-to-one. Plus, Bobby was possessed by a demon and not an archangel.

It’s not something Sam can think about too much. He finds out about Brady being a demon and is, understandably, angry at the whole situation. Sam has the chance to beat Brady to a pulp but doesn’t kill him. He wouldn’t have the time, anyway. Crowley, who is disappointed that Brady won’t join his side, decides to spread a rumor that Brady and Crowley are working together anyway.

Crowley ends up with a magical coin in his possession and that leads demons (and hellhounds) to their location. Crowley disappears, leaving Dean and Sam to fight off the hellhounds. It turns out Crowley wasn’t just abandoning them, though. Crowley returns with a bigger hellhound to take down the others, giving everyone else a chance to escape.

Now that Brady is forced to work with Crowley and the Winchesters, he reveals where Pestilence is. With that information, Sam kills Brady with the demon-killing knife.

Crowley has an offer for Bobby

Finally, Crowley turns up at Bobby’s house, who is on the phone to Rufus to get Death’s location. Crowley has an offer: he’ll give up Death’s location if Bobby gives up his soul temporarily.

What did you think of Supernatural Season 5, Episode 20? What was your favorite moment? Did you trust Crowley? Did you like the connection to the pilot episode? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Supernatural Season 5 throwbacks continue on SPN Hunters.