Supernatural (TV series)/Recap/S05/E01 Sympathy for the Devil

Season 5, Episode 1:

Sympathy For The Devil
Lucifer's prison has been opened by Sam's successful attempt to kill Lilith. As the gate to Hell fully opens, the Winchester brothers are rescued by an unknown force and teleported into a plane, watching in horror the start of the Apocalypse. In an encounter with the prophet Chuck it is revealed that Castiel was blown to pieces by an archangel. When they try to figure out what to do next, they are attacked by their old enemy Meg and a possessed Bobby. The brothers learn that there is a weapon strong enough to defeat the Devil — Michael's Sword. They set off to find it, but instead burst upon Zachariah, who reveals that Dean is in fact Michael's Sword, the human vessel of the Archangel Michael. However, he refuses to provide his mind and body for the angels' plans even when Zachariah threatens to kill Sam and Bobby. As Zachariah begins to torture Sam and Dean, Castiel, miraculously revived, appears and tells him to leave. Meanwhile, Lucifer is trying to convince his own vessel, a man whose family has been slaughtered by a killer, to let him take over his body so he can face God and seek justice.

Tropes

 * Despair Event Horizon: Nick's wife and infant child were killed in what appears to have been a home-invasion. Wanting God to answer for this seems to be his reason for consenting to Lucifer's request
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Jacob seems to have switched heavenly teams since we last saw him
 * Satan Is Good: or so he claims
 * Took a Level In Badass: Before this episode,  is effective a few times but also gets beaten up a lot. Here, he pops up from being presumed dead, kills two   with brutal efficiency, and intimidates freaking Zachariah into running scared.