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Point Of No Return is the 18th episode of Season 5. It aired on April 15th, 2010.

Summary[]

Dean Purgatory Blade.png There was something about being there... It felt pure.

This episode summary is an official CW press release. It may contain errors.
DO NOT CHANGE!

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 (guest star Kurt Fuller) to prevent an all-out war on Earth. Meanwhile, a familiar face returns.

Plot[]

ZachDrink2

In a bar, Stuart puts some coins into a jukebox and a cheerful old tune from the '50s starts playing. He sits down at the bar and takes a slug of whiskey, commiserating with the guy beside him. "Let me guess," Stuart says, "Pink slip?" "That obvious, huh?", says the other guy, the angel Zachariah. Stuart sympathizes with Zachariah's complaint about not being able to get the one Yes to close "the deal of the millennium," and seems only slightly confused when he expresses his disgust with having to work "down on the ground, in the mud, nose to nose with you pig-filthy humans." As they continue to chat, the building begins to shake. Stuart at first thinks it's an earthquake, but Zachariah says, no, it's his boss.

ZachBar4

The bar suddenly fills with white light and the ear-piercing shrill of an angel's true voice as glass shatters. Stuart and the bartender cover their ears screaming, and their eyes are burned from their skulls before they finally expire. As this happens, Zachariah, who'd initially assumed he was about to be smited, has a conversation with the unseen force that results in his reinstatement to his heavenly position, to his profuse gratitude.

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Zach gets his job back.

Exhilarated and unbothered by the gruesome death scene, Zachariah polishes off his drink and cheerily sings "When the Saints Go Marching In" as he smugly walks out of the bar.

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Dean packs some things to leave behind.

Elsewhere, in a motel, Dean cracks open a bottle of whiskey and drinks as he slowly packs his leather jacket, the keys to the Impala, his pearl-handled Colt .45 and a handwritten letter into a box, and addresses it to Bobby. As he pours another drink, a voice says "Sending someone a candy-gram?" Startled Dean turns to find Sam standing in the open doorway.

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Sam tries to change Dean's mind.

He asks how he found him; Sam says he figured he's going to kill himself and deduced the stops on his farewell tour. "How's Lisa doing, anyways?" he asks. Sam says he can't believe that after everything, Dean could let it end by just walking out. Dean deflects by shouting that all Sam's ever done is run away. Sam acknowledges this but admits that every single time he did, he was wrong. He begs Dean to reconsider once more, adding that Bobby is working on something. When Sam fails to specify what, Dean harshly asserts they've got nothing, and Sam knows it. "You know I'll have to stop you," Sam says after a heavy sigh. Dean puts his drink down, squares off and offers him the chance to try, but points out that this time, Sam's "not all hopped up on demon blood" (like the last time they brawled).

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Dean is beamed up against his will.

"Yeah, I know," Sam replies. "But this time I brought help." Castiel appears behind Dean and touches him on the forehead, whisking them back to Bobby's place. At Bobby's, Dean paces like a caged animal. Bobby, Sam and Castiel watch him while he disparages their efforts to come up with alternate solutions. He's resolved that nuclear is the only option they have left because Michael can beat the devil and save a boatload of people.

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Dean fumes as the others search for alternatives.

Bobby says firmly that they have to think of a way to save "everyone". Dean angrily says that's easy for Bobby to say, but if Lucifer burns the whole world down and he could have done something about it, the blame will fall squarely on him. "You can't give up, son!" Bobby pleads. Dean sets his jaw and coldly replies: "You're not my father. And you ain't in my shoes." Bobby looks as though he's been gut-punched, and Sam shoots Dean a look of utter disparagement. Bobby slowly pulls a pistol from the drawer next to him, then takes a shiny bullet out of his breast pocket and stares at it.

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Bobby shows Dean his daily reminder to always keep fighting.

Dean asks what that is, and Bobby explains it's the round he plans to put through his own skull. Every morning he looks it and thinks maybe it's the day, but he can't bring himself to do it. Why? Because, he yells, he made Dean a promise he wouldn't give up. (final scene of The Curious Case of Dean Winchester) That silences the room until Castiel is suddenly struck by a headache and a flash. He gasps Something's happening. Dean asks where, but he whooshes away without answering.

Castiel touches down in a forest and approaches an area of felled trees where something seems to be emerging from the ground.

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Castiel bests an angel assassin.

As he reaches down, he is attacked from behind by an angel blade-wielding angel who is soon joined by another. They struggle, but Cass manages to take them both out, deftly using one angel's blade to kill the other. He returns to the churning spot in the ground and reaches down, pulling out first a hand, then an entire person. He teleports back to Bobby's and deposits the person, who is unconscious and covered in mud, on the couch. Bobby asks who it is; Dean and Sam look at the person, shocked. "That's our brother," Sam replies. The person is the Winchester's formerly dead brother Adam.

Adam Returns

Adam, returned.

Castiel doesn't know why the angels raised Adam, but knows for sure they need to hide him, immediately. He touches Adam and carves Enochian sigils into his ribs in order to hide him from the angels. The pain wakes Adam and he looks around, confused. He questions who they are as Dean introduce him and Sam as his brothers, to Adam's surprise. Just as Sam starts to give their names, Adam interrupts him by saying he knew since the angels warned him about them. Then he yells "Now where the hell is Zachariah?"

After he's cleaned up, the boys ask Adam what he remembers. Adam describes his heaven: it was like his prom and he was making out with Kristin McGee. (Dean jokingly asks if he got to third base.) Then, he says, some angels popped out of nowhere and told him he was chosen to save the world. When Dean asks how he's meant to do that, he says scoffingly that he and "some archangel" are gonna kill the Devil. Dean asks which archangel, he names Michael. "I'm his, uh, sword or vessel or something, I don't know."

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Adam doubts the boys' plan is better than the angels'.

This sounds insane to Dean and Sam, but Castiel says it makes sense—Adam is John Winchester's bloodline and Sam's brother. It's not the perfect plan, but it's possible, and maybe they're desperate. He adds, with very pointed irritation, that maybe the angels wrongly assumed Dean would be brave enough to withstand them." Offended, Dean shoots a rude suggestion back at him and they scowl at each other briefly.

Sam can't believe that after all the angels' talk about destiny, they suddenly have a 'Plan B'; he doesn't think this new course of action passes the smell test. Uninterested in the conversation and "family reunion," Adam rises to leave and is immediately made aware he is not free to go. Sam tries to convince him the angels are liars, but he rejects this, because, well, they're angles. Sam asks if they've revealed they are going to roast half the planet? Adam says they mentioned that things might get hairy, but reasons that are to be expected since it is the Devil they're dealing with, and he has to be stopped. Sam acknowledges this but says there is another way. When pressed as to what that might be, Sam is at a loss, and Dean sarcastically chimes in that they are working on "the power of love." Sam says he realizes that Adam doesn't know him, but begs that he give him some time to figure out a plan.

Adam asks for one good reason why he should; Sam's responds "Because we're blood." Adam angrily says that Sam has no right to say that to him. He declares that John Winchester was just a guy who took him to a ball game once a year—he never really had a dad. So, they may be blood but his mother is his only family, and if he does his job he'll get to her see again. No offense, he says, but she's the one he gives a rat's ass about, not them. Fair enough, says Sam, but begs that if he has just one good memory of their father, please give them more time.

Later, when Bobby is busy doing research and the boys are not around, Adam sees an opportunity to head out. When Sam busts him just before he reaches the door, Adam claims he was just going out for a beer. Sam says they've got beer here and encourages him to have a seat. Adam says he sees past Sam's "dewy-eyed bromance" pitch and knows he's actually on lockdown. Sam sighs heavily as he gives him a beer and tells him whether or not he believes it, their dad really was trying to protect him from all of this. Adam sarcastically retorts; The monster that ate him obviously didn't get that memo (Jump the Shark). Sam realizes Adam recalled his death, which the latter confirms all too well.

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Sam tries to approach Adam.

When Sam tries to tell Adam the one thing worse than seeing John once a year was "seeing him all year," Adam tells him he's full of crap. His world was just him and his mom; she worked the graveyard shift at the hospital and he made his own dinners and put himself to bed. "You can say whatever you want about our dad," Adam says, "but the truth is, I would have taken anything." Sam wishes he could change the past - if they'd known he existed, they would have found him. Sam starts to offer his ideas for going forward, but Adam interrupts with a snark about them all hopping into the family truckster and heading out to "Wally World." Sam's a little hurt, and at a loss. "I'll tell you one thing," he says, "with an attitude like that, you'd fit right in around here."

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Dean is sequestered in the panic room.

Sam needs to talk to Dean, currently residing in Bobby's panic room, which is being guarded by Castiel. Sam asks Cass to go keep an eye on Adam and he obliges, but only after he and Dean have another rude suggestion-scowl exchange. Castiel angrily slams the door.

"Is this really necessary?" Dean asks. Sam says it's how he's dealing with a house full of flight risks. Now faced with the prospect of Adam taking the Michael bullet for him, Dean is steadfast in his refusal to let him do it. Sam is in total agreement but makes it clear to Dean that he is not letting him do it either. Dean is overwhelmed by the list of people he believes they've gotten killed; their mom, their dad, Jess, Jo, Ellen... Adam will not be among them.

DSPanicRm0

Dean's tired.

Sam points out that they did not directly cause any of their deaths, but Dean feels like they might as well have and is body-and-soul tired of fighting who he's supposed to be. Sam doesn't understand why Dean can't stop sacrificing himself "for once" so they could stick together and keep fighting. Dean's reply: he just doesn't believe in Sam anymore. "I don't know whether it's going to be demon blood, or some other demon chick or what, but I do know they're going to find a way to turn you."

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Sam takes one in the feels.

Sam is gutted. "So you're saying I'm not strong enough!?" Dean well knows Sam's strength but thinks he's also angry and self-righteous. "Lucifer is going to wear you to the prom, man. It's just a matter of time." On the verge of tears, Sam cannot believe that Dean, of all people, is saying this to him. Dean really doesn't want to, he says, but he knows when Sam/Lucifer takes over, he is the only one that can fight him. Stunned Sam turns and leaves in silence, slamming the door behind him.

Sam returns upstairs where Bobby and Cass are watching Adam. Bobby asks "How's he doing?" Sam, still teary-eyed, kind of shrugs but doesn't say anything. "How are you doing?" Bobby still gets no answer from bewildered Sam.

CasCastOut2

Dean gives Castiel a dose of his own involuntary transport.

With that, Castiel decides to check on Dean and soon becomes concerned about how silent it has gotten in the panic room. When he peeks in and sees a felled chair, he goes inside. Dean darts out of his hiding place and activates the Enochian angel-banishing blood sigil he's prepared, and Castiel disappears with a flash and a scream. Dean is out and away through the cellar doors.

When Sam realizes what has happened, he heads out to find Dean, leaving Bobby to watch sleeping Adam, who is dreaming of the park where his mother used to take him on her days off looking as though he's waiting for her to arrive. Instead, Zachariah appears and tells Adam she's not coming - not yet.

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Zachariah crashes Adam's dream.

Adam realizes his identity and the latter tells Adam he wasn't where he was supposed to be; he's irritated that the warding has kept Adam out of his sight. "So let me take a wild guess... Sam and Dean." Zachariah tries to convince Adam that he can't trust the boys; and Sam and Dean are "psychotically, irrationally, erotically co-dependent on each other."

Adam counters by stating that Dean and Sam said a few things about him, too. Zachariah starts to become snarly and says when everything goes down, they're not going to care about Adam; they'd sooner save "each other's sweet bacon" than save the planet. "They're not your family. Understand?" Zachariah hisses. "Now... you want to see your mom again or not?" Adam wakes up, wide-eyed.

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Dean gets the street preacher to call for a ride to his appointment.

In town, a street preacher bellowing warnings of the looming Apocalypse is being ignored by passersby. Dean steps up to him and identifies himself, and asks the man if he knows who he is, which he obviously does. He tells the man to pray and let the angels know where he is. As the man falls to his knees and starts in with the first words of the Lord's prayer, Castiel appears next to him. "You pray too loudly," he snarls, knocking the man unconscious with a touch. Next, he drags a surprised Dean by the collar down a nearby alley and starts to thrash him.

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Castiel shows Dean his angry side.

"I REBELLED FOR THIS? So that you could surrender to them?!" he screams. Between blows, Dean attempts to beg for a pause, to no avail. "I gave everything for you, and this is what you give me?!" He slugs Dean until blood drips from his mouth and then hurls him further down the alley. As Dean struggles to get upright, he looks up and sees still furious Castiel is ready to wield his angel blade. "Do it... JUST DO IT!" Castiel considers for a moment, then relents and touches Dean on the shoulder, knocking him out.

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Castiel returns Dean, mostly unsmited.

Back at Bobby's, Sam is fuming after having returned to find Adam has vanished from right in front of Bobby's eyes. Castiel reappears with bloody, unconscious Dean draped across his shoulders and informs the guys that angels must have taken Adam. They wonder how since his ribs were branded; Castiel deduces that Adam must have tipped them off in a dream. "Where would they have taken him?" Sam asks.

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In green room, Adam sits contently partaking from a platterful of cheeseburgers and beer on ice when Zachariah appears, looking very pleased. Adam asks when they get down to business, but Zachariah snidely informs him his services will no longer be required—he's not so much the chosen one as he is a clammy scrap of bait. Adam doesn't understand, so Zachariah clarifies: He's only the illegitimate half-brother of the guy they actually care about. Adam finally realizes his brothers' warning about lying angels was on point. "You son of a bitch," he whispers.

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Zachariah informs Adam of his true role in his plan.

"Hey... how do you think I feel? I'm the one who has to put up with that dumb, slack-jawed look on your face?" Zachariah gloats, grinning cruelly. He goes on to explain the angels didn't have a choice—the Winchesters' blind spot is family. The boys won't hesitate to come and rescue Adam, and that places Dean precisely where they want him. Adam stands, angrily declaring he won't let him do this. Zachariah instructs him to pipe down; he'll get his "severance"—he'll still see his mother when it's all over. When Adam expresses disbelief that will even happen, Zachariah drops his façade and shuts him up by making him cough up blood uncontrollably. "That's better!" the angel says with a smile.

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Dean awakes having learned a valuable lesson.

Dean awakens, handcuffed to the cot in the panic room as Sam sits nearby. "Word to the wise," Dean says weakly, "don't piss off the nerd angels." Sam breaks the bad news that the angels have Adam captive in the green room. Per Castiel's re-con, it's being heavily guarded, making a rescue attempt "pretty much a no-shot-in-hell, hail Mary kind of thing." So what are they going to do? Retrieve him, of course. Sam releases Dean from his cuffs, having decided against the opinions of both Bobby and Cass because they can't take it on without him. Dean says Bobby and Cass are right because it's either a trap to get him there to force him to say yes, or it's not a trap and he's going to say yes anyway. He declares "fair warning": he will say yes. "No you won't," Sam says confidently. "When push shoves, you'll make the right call". Dean's confounded: Tables turned, he would (and has) let Sam "rot" in the panic room. Sam sighs and says he guesses he's not that smart, but Dean really wants to know why he's doing it. "Because... you're still my big brother," says Sam.

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The boys prepare to breach "the beautiful room."

The mission begins as Castiel zaps the boys to a derelict industrial property. "Where's the beautiful room?" Dean asks; Cass points to the neglected building. "The beautiful room is in an abandoned muffler factory in Van Nuys, California??" Castiel is curious where he thought it was; "I don't know," Dean says. "Jupiter? A blade of grass? But... Van Nuys?" Sam is still unclear why Castiel can't just whoosh in, grab Adam and "shazam the hell outta there." Because, Cass explains as he removes his tie, there are at least five angels on guard. Their only chance is if he goes in first and clears them out, then the two of them can go in and grab Adam. Dean points out that taking on five angels is a suicide mission. "Maybe it is," Cass replies, "but then I won't have to watch you fail. Sorry Dean, but I don't have the same faith in you that Sam does." A tinge of regret passes over Dean's face. Castiel then pulls a box cutter out of his coat pocket. "What the hell are you gonna do with that? Sam asks.

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Castiel clears the immediate area of angels.

Castiel cautiously enters the darkened warehouse and sees a dilapidated shed in the center of it. Before he can reach the door, one of his angelic brethren accosts him from behind, but Castiel ducks the swipe of his angel blade and kills him with his own. He is soon encircled by four more angles, blades drawn. He drops his weapon and challenges them: "What are you waiting for? C'mon!." As they close in on him, he rips his shirt open to reveal he's used the box cutter to carve an angel-banishing sigil into his chest. When he slams his hand onto the sigil, his attackers and himself are suctioned out of the warehouse amid shrieks and white light.

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Adam seems surprised his brothers came for him.

Listening just outside the warehouse door, the boys recognize the familiar sound of angels being banished and Dean enters. He opens the door of the shed to find Adam doubled over in the corner of the beautiful room and quickly pulls him up. Adam, surprised Dean actually came for him, as Dean replies Adam is family. Adam immediately tells him it's a trap but it's too late—Zachariah zaps into the room. "Dean, please... did you really think it was going to be that easy?"

"Did you?" Dean retorts, as Sam runs up behind Zachariah wielding an angle blade. He turns and blocks him, however, then flings him across the room.

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Dean witnesses his brothers' torture as Zachariah waits for his answer.

He grins as he informs Dean that the one thing he's learned from his dealings with them is patience. With of wave of his hand, Adam collapses and starts throwing up blood profusely. As he goes explaining that he "should have trusted the boss man" and known things would play out perfectly, stating its all as he said. Zachariah declares he and Dean are in the same spot along with Dean's hemorrhaging brothers, as he makes another motion and afflicts Sam as well. Seeing his brothers in pain, Dean finally begs him to stop hurting them.

"In exchange for what?" Zachariah says.

"Damn it, Zachariah, stop it, please! I'll do it!" Zachariah mocks him by making him repeat himself. "The answer is 'yes'." Sam calls out to him, horrified. Dean yells at him to call Michael down, but Zachariah is wary that Dean may be lying. "Do I look like I'm lying?" Dean replies. Very pleased with himself, Zachariah smiles and begins an Enochian chant.

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Sam locks eyes with Dean.

Sam stares at Dean with shock and disappointment in his eyes as the room starts to shake. When their eyes meet, Sam is baffled as Dean's anguished expression gives way to a smile and a wink. Zachariah announces Michael is on his way.

"Of course," Dean interrupts, "I have a few conditions." Dean declares before he says yes, he wants to guarantee the safety of a few people. Zachariah dismissively tells him to make a list. Oh, and one more thing: "Most of all, Michael can't have me until he disintegrates you."

Zachariah suddenly looks incredulous. Dean points out he's now more important to Michael than Zachariah.

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Dean finally ends his relationship with Zachariah.

He angrily closes on Dean and grabs him by the collar. "You are nothing but a maggot, inside a worm's ass! Do you know who I am? After I deliver you to Michael?" "Expendable," Dean replies. Zachariah insists Michael is not going to kill him. "Maybe not," Dean growls, "but I am." He produces an angel blade from his sleeve and in one quick motion, shoves it through Zachariah's skull, destroying him just as Michael approaches. Dean makes sure Adam can walk on his own and then quickly pulls Sam up and moves to get him and Adam out of the quaking, glowing room. With Sam's arm slung over his shoulder, Dean gets them out the door, but it slams and locks before Adam can get out.

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Adam meets Michael.

As Adam screams for Dean, he runs back to save him, but the doorknob is white-hot. He yells at Adam to hold on, he'll get him out, but it's too late. Adam turns around and looks calmly into the blinding light. From the outside, Dean sees the glow fade and opens the door, but the opulent room is now just the interior of an abandoned office. As Dean and Sam drive away they discuss Adam and Cass, doubting either are okay, but determined to find them. Sam says he saw in Dean's eyes that he was totally ready to say 'yes' and wants to know what changed his mind "Honestly?" Dean answers. .

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Dean says he owes Sam a favor.

"The damnedest thing: I mean the world's ending, the walls are coming down on us, I look over at you, and all I could think about was, 'That stupid son of a bitch brought me here.' I just didn't want to let you down." Sam says he's glad he didn't. Dean also tenders an apology: as a big brother he has always seen Sam as a snot-nosed kid he's had to keep on the straight and narrow. But, they both know that's not him anymore, and if he's grown up enough to have faith in Dean, the least he can do is return the favor.

"So screw destiny," Dean finishes. "Right in the face. I say we take the fight to them, do it our way." Sam smiles confidently. "Sounds good."

Characters[]

Main Cast[]

Recurring Cast[]

Guest Stars[]

Co-Stars[]

Featured Supernatural Beings[]

Continuity[]

Trivia[]

Errors/Goofs[]

  • When Castiel used an angel banishing sigil, he was also banished. This contradicts Lucifer Rising, in which he banished Zachariah without being banished himself, oddly enough, from the same warehouse.
    • This may somehow be due to the fact that the sigil was carved into his own body.
  • Zachariah's death at Dean's hands contradicts what Uriel said about only angels being able to kill angels.
    • Uriel may have believed this because only angels had access to Angel Blades, or it was just his arrogance. In later seasons, other characters are shown to be able to kill angels as well.
  • Although Zachariah states he has six wings, when he dies he leaves only two wing scorch marks.

Deaths[]

Featured Music[]

  • "The Man Upstairs" by Kay Starr

Quotes[]

  • Stuart: Earthquake?
  • Zachariah: No, my boss.

[Castiel beats Dean up in an alleyway]

  • Castiel: (enraged) I REBELLED FOR THIS?! So that you could surrender to them?
  • Dean: (feebly) Cass, please!
  • Castiel: I gave everything for you! And this is what you give to me?!

  • Dean: Cass, not for nothing but the last person who looked at me like that I got laid.

  • Adam: You came for me?!
  • Dean: Yeah, well you're family.

  • Dean: Blow me, Cass.

  • Dean: Screw destiny, right in the face.

  • Zachariah: Michael's not going to kill me!
  • Dean: Maybe not. [draws a hidden Angel Blade] But I am! [stabs Zachariah through the head, killing him]

International Titles[]

  • German: Kein Weg zurück (No Way Back)
  • Italian: Punto di non ritorno (Point of No Return)
  • Hungarian: Ahonnan nincs visszatérés (From There There's No Return)
  • Polish: Punkt bez powrotu (Point of No Return)

Gallery[]

Promotional Pictures[]

Screenshots[]

External Links[]

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