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Not since “The Dark Tower” has a writer meeting his creations been as engrossing or as effective.

The episode begins with a bearded, dirty man sleeping on a couch suddenly beset by visions of the Winchesters doing battle. Cut to Sam and Dean – dressed as FBI agents – probing the haunting of a comic book shop. But the comic book clerk does one more on them – he accuses the two brothers as “larping” as pulp heroes Sam and Dean! As it turns out, there’s a series of books entitled “Supernatural” which perfectly mimics the lives of both Sam and Dean through season three!

The credits play in the form of “Supernatural” book covers, complete with luscious drug store quality. Dean even sports a golden Fabio-like look.

Having confiscated the books, the Winchesters are suitably freaked out by the level of detail writer Carver Edlund (possibly a composite of story editor Jeremy Carver and series writer Ben Edlund) includes in each book – with the last, No Rest for the Wicked, detailing Dean’s fall into Hell. They also notice how rabid the small fan base is, and how much they complain (which, to be fair, they do).

Posing as writers, the Winchesters approach the book’s publisher, who remains skeptical of their intentions surrounding “Supernatural.” Eventually, the brothers are able to prove their dedication to all things “Supernatural” by revealing the demon ward tattoos seen in “Jus in Bello.” The publisher is thrilled that they are hardcore fans and even sports a matching tattoo, though her tattoo is in a different place – one the cable TV cameras can’t show.

Carver Edlund – aka Chuck Shurley – pours dissatisfaction over his first draft when the doorbell rings – just as he wrote it. Sam and Dean are at the door, and they are little amused by his writing career. Of course, Chuck initially writes them off as crazed fans, but starts to think otherwise when he sees the weapons in the trunk of the Impala. Then he starts to freak out. “Is this some kind of Misery thing?” he exclaims. But one thing reveals the truth about Sam and Dean to Chuck – their last name. Chuck never included “Winchester” in any of the books.

Unfortunately, Chuck’s first conclusion is that he is hallucinating. His second conclusion is that he’s a god, at which point he apologizes for putting the Winchesters through hell (literally) and even apologizes for the bad writing of past episodes like “Bugs” and “Red Sky at Morning.” The Winchesters insist he is not a god and they are very real. Once they convince him of that, he turns over a new draft after he receives an eerie new vision – one which ends with Sam giving into Lilith, now possessing the body of a sexy Lilith.

After first, Dean tries to circumvent Chuck’s first draft. He tries not fighting with Sam. He tries not ordering a bacon cheeseburger at the restaurant. He tries not getting hit by a mini-van. In short, he tries to do everything Chuck writes about in his first draft. But little by little, Sam adopts a very different attitude – one which embraces confronting Lilith and ending her threat once and for all.

While Dean finds himself walking headlong into every event Chuck predicted despite every intention not to, Sam speaks to Chuck. He asks if Chuck told Dean about his increasingly potent demon blood, but Chuck says he didn’t – in fact, he never even wrote it into the books for fear of making Sam look unsympathetic. “C’mon, Sam,” Chuck says. “Sucking blood? You gotta know that’s wrong.” Sam says his demon blood scares him, but Chuck is quick to remind Sam he keeps coming back to it. Sam claims he is merely trying to help his brother, as Dean did for him. But Chuck asks if that is truly what Sam is doing . . . or if the demon blood makes him feel more in control, something Sam quickly refuses.

After getting nailed by a mini-van, an angry Dean confronts Chuck, demanding to understand how Chuck knows what he knows. Dean grows angrier when Chuck says he doesn’t know, but as Dean slams Chuck against a wall, Castiel appears and reveals the truth – that Chuck is a prophet of the Lord, writing what will one day be known as the Gospels of the Winchesters. Dean can’t believe the shivering, neurotic wreck of a man is a prophet. “You should have seen Luke,” Castiel replies.

Dean tells Sam about Chuck’s prophet status, but tensions flare as Sam refuses to budge from his hotel room. He has accepted Lilith is coming tonight and sees it as the ultimate opportunity for revenge. Dean sees this as a battle Sam can’t hope to win, but Sam calls this refusal cowardice and digs his feet in as he waits for the powerful demon to appear. Dean angrily leaves the hotel room.

In the courtyard, Dean admits he’s out of options and begins praying for help. Castiel appears and tells him prayers are a sign of faith. Dean demands Castiel airlift Sam out of here if that’s what it takes, but Castiel adamantly refuses to interfere with the prophecy. Dean tells Castiel if he doesn’t help now, he shouldn’t bother calling on Dean again. Castiel helps by explaining why he can’t help – because a prophet is tied to an archangel, a fierce warrior angel who will reign wrath down upon anyone or anything which threatens a prophet, including hunters, other angels, and most significantly, say a certain demon. Understanding where Castiel is going with this information, Dean thanks him and sets out to trap Lilith in the same room with Chuck.

Dean enlists a hesitant Chuck, who isn’t the least bit happy about his newfound role in the latest Winchester adventure. But one gun threat later from Dean – who isn’t the least bit afraid to test an archangel – and Chuck is out the door. This comes not a minute too soon, as Lilith is already at the hotel, and offering Sam a tantalizing proposal. If Sam and Dean sacrifice themselves to Lilith, she’ll call off the Apocalypse – after learning she won’t survive the coming events. After failing to exorcise her, Sam begins to give in – but turns on her just as Dean and Chuck arrive. The room begins to shake and light up as Chuck’s guardian begins to assert itself, and Lilith quickly flees.

On the road, Dean muses about Lilith’s offer and asks if Sam ever considered actually taking it. Sam says no, but it’s clear Dean is less ambivalent about sacrificing themselves in order to save the world. Sam, meanwhile, is now more than ever sure Lilith won’t survive the war – even if he has to see to it himself.

Chuck has painful series of visions, awaking to find Zacharias asking if he has seen “it” yet. Realizing the horrible things to come, Chuck sets out to warn Sam and Dean, but Zacharias stops him, and when Chuck declares he’ll kill himself, Zacharias even threatens to pull a Lazarus on the perplexed prophet. Only one road lays open for the prophet Chuck – to write.

This episode takes the meta-fictional elements of Hollywood Babylon and raises them to a whole new level – one exponentially more capable of furthering the show’s mythology. The endless stream of humor, in-jokes and pop culture referencing (at one point Chuck compares writing himself as “prophet” to “M. Knight level douchenes”) make for a hilarious episode. But this episode is equal parts heart and humor, and stands as one of the strongest of the season with a dazzling combination of mythos, hilarity and drama.

I know some fans may not be so gracious when it comes to the joke on complaining, but herein is what makes Supernatural such an addicting and engrossing show: it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It takes chances. In fact, in one full swoop, Supernatural out-Heroes Heroes by doing the opposite and taking plenty of pot shots at itself in the rear view mirror. With only four episodes left, here’s hoping Supernatural can wrap up the season as awesomely as these last three great episodes, which seem to be riding a stairway to heaven.

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