The writers of Supernatural give a nod to literary writer Tim O’Brien as the next episode is named after O’Brien’s short story collection “The Things They Carried.” O’Brien’s much-honored stories are about the physical and emotional struggles of a platoon of American soldiers in the Vietnam War. On Supernatural, brothers Sam and Dean team up with former US Marine Cole Trenton to investigate a new murder case. They discover that “a Khan worm is infecting men and turning them into killers. Unfortunately, the worm makes its way into Cole.”
Cole Trenton is portrayed by actor Travis Aaron Wade. Wade was a real-life US Marine before he started acting. In the military he became an expert at shooting the M16, an M249 Saw Gunner and took Sniper Courses with STA Special ops. After receiving an Honorable Discharge, Wade went to college and discovered theater. He’s best known for his appearances on criminal dramas including The Closer, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Supernatural airs Wednesdays at 9pm on CW.