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The Best Episodes of Supernatural Season 5

Every episode of Supernatural Season 5 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Supernatural Season 5!

Binge this in 15h 11m•Peaking at 9.7/10

When they were boys, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father raised them to be soldiers. He taught them about the paranormal evil that lives

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Supernatural Season 5 Episode 1 - Sympathy for the Devil
    8.7/10(6150 votes)

    #1 - Sympathy for the Devil

    S5:E1

    Sam, Dean, and Bobby must deal with the aftermath of the Devil's escape from Hell, and receive startling news from the Prophet Chuck.

    Director:Robert Singer
    Writer:Eric Kripke

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  2. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 2 - Good God, Y'All!
    8.6/10(5777 votes)

    #2 - Good God, Y'All!

    S5:E2

    Hunter Rufus Turner calls in Bobby, Sam, and Dean to deal with a demon infestation in his town, but they soon discover the truth is much more horrifying. Meanwhile, Castiel goes to seek the only entity that can defeat Lucifer.

    Director:Philip Sgriccia
    Writer:Sera Gamble

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  3. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 3 - Free to Be You and Me
    8.5/10(5905 votes)

    #3 - Free to Be You and Me

    S5:E3

    Sam decides to stop hunting but has a hard time after he receives a surprise visit. Dean and Castiel try to find the Archangel Raphael in their bid to stop the Apocalypse.

    Director:J. Miller Tobin
    Writer:Jeremy Carver

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  4. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 4 - The End
    9.1/10(6955 votes)

    #4 - The End

    S5:E4

    Dean refuses Sam's efforts to help him battle the Devil, and then wakes up to find himself five years in the future, in a wasteland where Lucifer has begun his endgame by unleashing a virus that transforms humans into zombies.

    Director:Steve Boyum
    Writer:Ben Edlund

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  5. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 5 - Fallen Idols
    7.9/10(5644 votes)

    #5 - Fallen Idols

    S5:E5

    Sam and Dean head to a small town where people are murdered by famous dead icons. However the brothers come to a dead end when two teenagers reveal they saw Paris Hilton kidnap their friend.

    Director:James L. Conway
    Writer:Julie Siege

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  6. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 6 - I Believe the Children Are Our Future
    8.5/10(5700 votes)

    #6 - I Believe the Children Are Our Future

    S5:E6

    Sam and Dean investigate a series of odd murders that strangely resemble fairytales and urban legends. The brothers track down an 11-year-old boy named Jesse and realize that whatever Jesse believes is coming true. Castiel tells Sam and Dean that Jesse is a serious threat and needs to be eliminated.

    Director:Charles Beeson
    Writers:Daniel Loflin, Andrew Dabb

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  7. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 7 - The Curious Case of Dean Winchester
    8.7/10(6158 votes)

    #7 - The Curious Case of Dean Winchester

    S5:E7

    Sam and Dean discover a witch is running a high-stakes poker game where the currency is life years vs. money. Bobby sees the game as a chance to get out of the wheelchair and bets 25 years, but loses. As Bobby begins to age rapidly, Dean steps in to save him but also ends up turning into an old man, leaving Sam holding the bag for their survival.

    Director:Robert Singer
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 8 - Changing Channels
    9.6/10(13174 votes)

    #8 - Changing Channels

    S5:E8

    When Sam and Dean find themselves living their lives on what appear to be TV shows, it makes for a whole new style of reality television and they wonder if the Trickster is to blame. From a sitcom to a soapy hospital drama to a Japanese game show to a crime procedural, each new experience they encounter is more bizarre than the next and they want out. But is the Trickster really the mastermind behind the madness?

    Director:Charles Beeson
    Writer:Jeremy Carver

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  9. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 9 - The Real Ghostbusters
    8.8/10(6266 votes)

    #9 - The Real Ghostbusters

    S5:E9

    Super fan Becky uses Chuck’s phone to trick Sam and Dean into attending a Supernatural fan convention, complete with fans dressed up as Sam and Dean. One of the activities is a live action role playing game, but things quickly turn sour after a real ghost appears on the scene.

    Director:James L. Conway
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 10 - Abandon All Hope...
    9.2/10(7004 votes)

    #10 - Abandon All Hope...

    S5:E10

    Sam, Dean and Castiel track down the Colt and head off to find Lucifer to send him back to Hell. It’s a hunters’ reunion when the crew joins forces with Bobby, Ellen and Jo for what could be their last night on Earth.

    Director:Philip Sgriccia
    Writer:Ben Edlund

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  11. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 11 - Sam, Interrupted
    8.5/10(5707 votes)

    #11 - Sam, Interrupted

    S5:E11

    A former hunter named Martin, who is currently institutionalized, calls Sam and Dean for help investigating a case in the mental hospital. The brothers get themselves admitted as patients to check out the mysterious monster that is attacking the patients, but their incarceration pushes both to the breaking point as they unleash their inner demons against each other.

    Director:James L. Conway
    Writers:Daniel Loflin, Andrew Dabb

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  12. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 12 - Swap Meat
    8.1/10(5398 votes)

    #12 - Swap Meat

    S5:E12

    Gary, a teenage nerd, conjures up a body-switching spell and changes bodies with Sam. Thrilled by his new handsome and built body, Gary (now Sam) investigates a case with Dean and takes advantage of his good looks and age by hitting on women and getting drunk. Meanwhile, Sam is stuck in Gary's teenage body, dealing with intrusive parents and high school.

    Director:Robert Singer
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 13 - The Song Remains the Same
    9.0/10(6299 votes)

    #13 - The Song Remains the Same

    S5:E13

    The angels send Anna back in time to kill John and Mary Winchester before they can conceive Sam knowing that if Sam was never born then Lucifer won't be able to use him as his vessel. Castiel sends Sam and Dean back to 1978 so they can stop Anna, and the two brothers are reunited with their parents. Mary recognizes Dean as a hunter since he visited her in the past once before but tries to keep the truth from John.

    Director:Steve Boyum
    Writers:Sera Gamble, Nancy Weiner

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  14. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 14 - My Bloody Valentine
    8.8/10(5955 votes)

    #14 - My Bloody Valentine

    S5:E14

    Castiel helps Sam and Dean hunt down Cupid on Valentine's Day after townspeople start to kill each other for love. However, after Cupid tells them he's innocent, they discover Famine, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, has arrived in town.

    Director:Mike Rohl
    Writer:Ben Edlund

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  15. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 15 - Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
    8.4/10(5177 votes)

    #15 - Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

    S5:E15

    Sam and Dean investigate Bobby's home town where the dead are rising from the grave but instead of attacking humans, they are happily reuniting with their families. The brothers turn to Bobby for help but he tells them not to worry about it and to leave town. Suspicious, Dean investigates and comes face to face with Bobby's dead wife, who has no memory of what happened to her. Once the zombies start turning evil, the boys tell Bobby he has to kill his wife but he refuses.

    Director:John F. Showalter
    Writer:Jeremy Carver

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  16. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 16 - Dark Side of the Moon
    8.7/10(5857 votes)

    #16 - Dark Side of the Moon

    S5:E16

    Ambushed by angry hunters, Sam and Dean are shot and killed. When they wake up in heaven, Castiel tells them that they need to find an angel named Joshua, who talks directly with God. But he also has a warning, Zachariah is searching for them.

    Director:Jeff Woolnough
    Writers:Daniel Loflin, Andrew Dabb

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  17. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 17 - 99 Problems
    8.3/10(5348 votes)

    #17 - 99 Problems

    S5:E17

    Sam and Dean are outnumbered by demons, but are saved at the last minute by Rob and his townspeople, who are aware of the Apocalypse, and have been training to fight and kill demons. The small town is very religious and Sam and Dean meet Pastor Gideon, who introduces them to his daughter Leah, whom he claims is a prophet. Leah tells the townspeople they must obey her orders if they want a spot in Heaven but when she starts turning the townspeople against each other in the name of the Lord, the brothers realize they must kill her.

    Director:Charles Beeson
    Writer:Julie Siege

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  18. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 18 - Point of No Return
    8.8/10(5755 votes)

    #18 - Point of No Return

    S5:E18

    Dean begins to think the only way to stop Lucifer is to say yes to Michael, but the angels decide they don't need him anymore. Dean, Sam, and Castiel are horrified at the angels' new game plan and take on Zachariah to prevent an all out war on Earth. Meanwhile, a familiar face returns.

    Director:Philip Sgriccia
    Writer:Jeremy Carver

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  19. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 19 - Hammer of the Gods
    9.0/10(6526 votes)

    #19 - Hammer of the Gods

    S5:E19

    Sam and Dean are kidnapped by a group of gods, including Kali, Ganesh, and Baldur and held hostage in a small hotel. The gods want to use Sam and Dean as bargaining chips to stop the Apocalypse, but Gabriel shows up and warns them that if Lucifer finds them he will kill them all. Unfortunately, one of the gods turns on the rest and Lucifer appears.

    Director:Rick Bota
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 20 - The Devil You Know
    8.6/10(5117 votes)

    #20 - The Devil You Know

    S5:E20

    The demon Crowley tells Sam and Dean he can help them find the remaining Horsemen rings so they can trap Lucifer. The brothers are doubtful until Crowley leads them to Brady, the Handler for Pestilence and Death. However, Brady refuses to give up their locations and sets Pestilence after the Winchesters.

    Director:Robert Singer
    Writer:Ben Edlund

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  21. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 21 - Two Minutes to Midnight
    9.2/10(6596 votes)

    #21 - Two Minutes to Midnight

    S5:E21

    Crowley tells Bobby he will give him the location of Death, the fourth horseman, in exchange for his soul. Knowing Sam and Dean need that fourth ring to stop the Apocalypse, Bobby reluctantly agrees. Sam and Dean confront Pestilence, but he unleashes a deadly virus upon them, so Castiel must intervene on their behalf. Dean has a meeting with Death to discuss Lucifer, and an unholy alliance is formed at a very high price for Dean.

    Director:Philip Sgriccia
    Writer:Sera Gamble

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  22. Supernatural Season 5 Episode 22 - Swan Song
    9.7/10(14094 votes)

    #22 - Swan Song

    S5:E22

    The showdown between good and evil is at hand. With the Apocalypse looming, Sam and Dean realize they are out of options and make heart-breaking decisions that will change their lives forever. A beloved character faces death.

    Director:Robert Singer
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 5 Ratings Summary

"Sympathy for the Devil" is the best rated episode of "Supernatural" season 5. It scored 8.7/10 based on 6150 votes. Directed by Robert Singer and written by Eric Kripke, it aired on 9/10/2009. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Good God, Y'All!".