Well CERTAIN fans will read something into this that I don’t think is there. I can see Cas feeling like Dean has to know and not wanting to be in the area when Sam finds out that Dean is willing to let Jack die because he doesn’t want to deal with the fallout. Plus, Dean is still viewed by Cas as the “leader” of their little family, so too Dean he goes.

Yeah, I see the logic, but I'm not buying it. To me, it would make more sense (since Cas wanted to stop Jack's plan) to go to Sam first, and enlist him in the search for another way.

I can see that Bille may be manipulative enough to know that they would never put Dean in the Moloch box, but that they had to THINK he would go into it to get another ending, so she had to say that the box was the only way.

Yes, I find that intriguing.

This then brings up the question, did Original Recipe Death KNOW Dean would kill him instead of Sam and show up anyway, because a book said that was the best outcome?

Oooh! Or did he know it was a possibility, but didn't expect it to happen? Or did he just never read the books?

So why would the replacement stone have any power?

One of Bobby’s FBI numbers, which they kept and gave to Jody and maybe Donna so when people check on if they are legit FBI they get confirmation?

That's a lot of handwaving, but I'll accept it. It works.

I find it interesting that Dean wants off the hamster wheel for DEAN, but has zero problem keeping SAM on a Hamster Wheel of Dean's making and telling Sam that he has no choice. It's very typically Dean and I understand why Sam is so mad.

Dammit, I wish I had thought of that!