PigNaPoke
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NOPE, JBB, not the one with the Halloween Candy, but that one (It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester) IS funny!!
PNP
I always thought the was a fun episode but with every rewatch it has gained more relevance to the zeitgeist for me. With everything going on NOW with social media, manipulation of public opinion, herds of sheep running with some screwed up “leader’s” opinion and so on…..this episode seems so ahead of its time.
I also do like the Ghostfacer dudes. They are so charmingly clueless and overconfident. HA. Their weird camper lair is hilarious to me. And of course I LOVED their mantra of “WWBD” (What would Buffy Do) because….YES….I ROCKED that sticker on my car when the show was on!
Of course they are doing the ghost hunting for ALL the wrong reasons and it is super sad that in the later episode that costs their co-worker’s life BUT here I find it amusing and a little bit of a cautionary tale NOT to bite off more that you’re willing to chew…. It’s all about how NOT to do and to leave specialty work to the experts. And that goes for the stupid kids painting the symbols in the house, too.
The case was structured well for me too. I loved that this was something totally new to the Winchesters and they BOTH had to show their smarts and observational skills to figure it all out.
The house was nicely creepy – I mean give me rickety stairs into a dingy basement full of glass jar with highly questionable content any day and I will shudder.
And the MOTEL room was awesome! I would constantly hit my head on the steerhorns but it looked perfect.
Just like you, kate, I LOVED the simple but effective approach Dean took at the end in burning the cabin down. Seemed logical to me.
I really enjoyed the little prank war between the brother’s too – they seemed so young and careless like that – and, hey, first NICE glimpse of a Sam torso. Can’t be mad about that.
“Okay – never ending Supernatural fandom debate. When the guy at the fast good joint hands Dean his food, is he saying “Here you go, gents.” Or “Here you go, Jensen.” I think it’s the latter – mostly because that joint looks a lot like the food truck on the CW’s lot, so the guy handing Dean the food probably sees Jensen every day and just slipped up. We’ve seen that on-lot commissary in behind-the-scenes videos before, right?”
Hi kate38, I always thought “gents” and my subtitles also said “gents”. 🙂
LAAAATE to the party…sorry.
This is such great episode and so so sad to me. The emotional rollercoaster it takes the brothers AND the audience on is impressive.
Love that we finally see John interacting with the boys. Love the exploration of the family drama and dynamic between the three of them.
The monster is wonderfully scary because, really, what’s scarier than something you can’t really see coming and which can inflict THIS much damage in seconds??? Even experienced hunters like John have no real way of defense. I know I’m jumping ahead, but I always thought Sam’s idea with the flare to fight off shadow monsters was pretty genius.
I also very much like this Meg. She is oozing danger and disregard for human life and all that in a very petite package. It’s very effective. I agree with you JBB that her use of the vessels sex appeal is really devious and super creepy.
I agree with both of you on the stretch of writing where it comes to the blood spatter, haha, especially as the symbol Dean magically sees in the dots of gore is a) unfamiliar to him and b) doesn’t even include ALL of the largest splotches of blood. BUT….he’s Dean effin’ Winchester and our super hero. I’m good with that.
I love the little diddy about how they now have to invest money into silly (to Dean) disguises.
You both already said most of what covers my thoughts and feelings about the emotional core of this episode – FAMILY. Sam’s hopefulness at the possibility that THIS could be IT and they could be “done” after this hunt was as emotionally raw as was Dean’s shock and disappointment to hear that Sam was wishing for nothing more than to get back to his college life. And although it makes sense to me at this point in the story that Sam still has some type of wish to have a different life from what he grew up with….I DO agree, Kate, that it was pretty insensitive of him to rub that in Dean’s face here. I don’t actually think he meant that he wants to be away from Dean as much as he doesn’t want to be trapped in the hamsterwheel of hunting and pain and ugliness that often comes with it BUT he should know better and have seen how deeply a statement like that would hurt Dean. (YES, I changed my tune on this a little, kate38!!)
The scene between all three Winchesters is BRILLIANTLY written AND acted by all three actors. There is SO MUCH that is NOT said, but which we can read between the lines. I love that. The relief on Dean’s face to see his dad in one piece is completely convincing. Sam’s almost vibrating with tension and you can see that he WANTS to hug his dad and be glad that he’s there but he’s not sure about the welcome. And JDM has the perfect way to come across as both warm and authoritative – it’s impressive. They all three don’t seem to be ACTING, they just ARE the characters. It definitely is what made me fall in love with the show so hard. They are completely believable.
And to have that relief at being together again immediately ripped away again is so heartbreaking all around. But it also serves super well to give us another glimpse into their dynamic – Dean the mediator and sensible one; Sam the hot-headed son who wants to be taken seriously but behaves irrationally; John the “dictator” who won’t accept that his sons are grown up and don’t really need protecting…It’s all right there in just a few moments. AMAZING.
We also had a LOCATION CAMEO as this one was set to play out in HIBBING, MN! 🙂
Hey kate38,
You are always so good at picking up on the cameos! But then , really, under all that filth it was a little hard to tell. HAHA.
PNP
THIS ONE WAS TRULY SCARY to me as well because….MAN….those creepy freaks probably DO exist in reality whereas everything else can be seen as make belief.
YES, humans are the most certainly capable of intense cruelty and callousness about the lives of their fellow humans. We see ourselves as so evolved, but then you just have to watch the news to know that’s a load of huey in many cases.
One of the most intense scenes in this one is in the house when they force Dean to make a choice between Kathleen and Sam to be hunted next! Dean choosing Sam must have been SO SO hard, but understandable as he knows what Sam is capable off and that he had an excellent chance to escape or fight back. But when “Pa” pulls the rug out from under him telling his son to simply shoot Sam in the cage, you can FEEL the panic from Dean. GREAT scene.
Everything inside the house really made my skin crawl. Why do people love to keep trophies? YUCK.
GREAT set design, of course, both in the house and the barn.
And – YES, kate38, WAY TOO SOON!!!!
PNP
HAHAHA, kate38. To me neither are plot armor! Dean effing Winchester SHOULD be able to pick handcuffs with an antenna! And he IS charm personified so, of course, it’s no suprise that he could talk a heterosexual lady cop out of arresting him! HAHAHA. I do think that having something in common with her helped a lot, too.
I would argue to the opposite that if he was protected by plot he wouldn’t have chosen a cop persona at all this time, but maybe shown up as reporter or simply a concerned relative.
But be that as it may….I totally see your point. 🙂
PNP
I often thought the same thing about Roy’s future, kate38.
Everyone else in this one packs up, moves on accepts what is….I would love to know that he will be ok with his fate as well. He is in many ways the victim here.
HIS world gets completely ripped apart for a second time in is life. That’s a lot to process and find peace with.
That said, when Reverend LeGrange said he looked into Dean’s soul and saw a young man with an unfinished mission, I wonder if the reaper was already working towards the events surrounding Armageddon. I also wonder why the reaper would heal Roy of his cancer, but leave him blind. Theories?
I, honestly, always thought that part of Roy’s speech about how he choses people was part of the “tent-revival-circus”. I didn’t take it as truth. Roy seems to genuinely believe what he says, so I give him points for sincerity. I do not think that the REAPER had anything to do with who was being chosen, though. To me it looked like the reaper only got involved when Roy lifted his hands and made the connection like a conduit. Imo it was Dean’s wiseass comment that got him noted and picked that time.
And regarding why the reaper didn’t heal Roy totally I have to say I never thought about it but now that you bring it up I’d say maybe Sue Ann hadn’t perfected her hold over the reaper yet? Maybe something was missing from the ritual? Could have been a misfire.
PNP
On previous watchings of this episode I always felt “uncomfortable” with Max. For the same reasons you mention, kate38. I was supposed to feel bad, BUT to me he came across as a weak minded murderer.
Only THIS time watching I felt incredibly SAD for him. He was, as a child, trapped in a horrible situation and I can understand that it somehow dealt a blow to his psyche and emotional state that he could not overcome even as an adult.
YES, he could have left as an adult, but without some serious help and therapy he would have never been alright.
THAT made me sad this time around.
However, I still can’t condone any of his actions.The other parts of the episode I liked a lot.
I thought Jared did really well at conveying Sam’s growing anxiety and confusion about his situation and condition. And Jensen did amazing at playing Dean’s put on nonchalance and confidence, when you could also plainly see that Dean was worried. Especially that very last scene where Dean makes a joke about going to Vegas next but then when Sam huffs and walks out Dean’s face changes to a deep concern….SO WELL ACTED!
The back and forth between visions and reality were interesting and are still well done even though no longer surprising, of course. And I will ALWAYS be jarred to see Dean die. Even if it’s just a premonition.
ONE qualm – When Dean says “You have one thing Max never had” it never made sense to me that the writers had Sam conclude he meant JOHN at that point! In my understanding of Sam’s character at that time Sam would have totally gotten Dean’s point and agreed. But….I know….good conflict.
HAHAHA, I agree, kate38!!!
WHAT WAS THAT laser ghost detector thing?!?!? I actually laughed out loud watching it this time. It’s BULKY, it’s very “MacGyver” looking and WHAT in the world was it supposed to do?! Show evil energy? Ghosts? Too funny!
But, HEY, season one….they did threw a bunch of stuff against the wall!On abandoning Sam’s psychic abilities….I always wondered if they put that to the wayside because it would have made Sam somewhat more poerful than Dean and they didn’t want a power imbalance. And my second thought was that they might have decided that they really want the brothers to JUST be human and normal because it made the struggle more real and relatable.
I thought it was an interesting power to have and explore for a little while but ultimately I am glad that they didn’t keep it around.
The ONLY thing I never liked was that the writers made Dean ask “Why didn’t they call the cops” after Cassie’s mom had told them the story about Dorian’s death!
I thought that was STUPID on so many levels.
A) Dean as a mad always forced to live on the edge of the law would understand most why NOT calling the cops was the obvious choice.
B) Dean is NOT stupid! He KNOWS that in the sixties in the South a black man killing a white man no matter how justified would have NEVER resulted in fair treatment!!! I thought that was a disservice to the character of Dean and I didn’t like it
Interesting twist on the lore in this one. In this episode, a ghost/vengeful spirit can’t enter hallowed ground. But that falls by the wayside pretty quickly as the series progresses. Ghosts and demons seem to have no problem whatsoever with holy ground. Eventually, we meet Father Gregory’s ghost (“Houses of the Holy”), who materializes in a church, and Dean and Sam discuss at one point how there’s no point checking for EMF at a cemetery, because there are spirits everywhere (I’m extrapolating from “Highlander” lore, but aren’t cemeteries considered holy ground?). And by season 11 “Paint it Black” a nun’s vengeful spirit is actually haunting a church and killing people. Nothing like rewriting the lore :). I guess it would’ve quickly become inconvenient to maintain that, so they let it go.
And how about the hook man? Wasn’t he attacking them on Holy Ground, too? But maybe the priest’s house isn’t part of church property?
Yeah, I think this was one of those things that they tried but it wasn’t practical to stick with. HAHA
I can totally forgive that, though, as THEY aren’t 100% sure that that is what “killed” the ghost truck either. Maybe there were also spirits of the murdered children and THEY cancelled the evil spirit of the truck out, no matter the holy ground. There could be other explanations why it worked that the Winchester’s might not be aware of.
I couldn’t agree more, kate38!
I LOOOOVE this episode!!
It was a risk taking on such delicate subject, but I thought they did it well and realistically. The idea behind the case is innovative and based in the possibility of true events. I thought the writers showed respect and gravitas when it came to the racial crime and the resulting spirit truck was GREAT!
There were some great brother moments in this episode I thought. Sam teasing Dean about being in love. Dean’s one “gimme a second” finger behind his back when he was kissing Cassie and Sam was being obnoxious. Sam at the end asking Dean if he ever thought it was all worth it and Dean NOT answering. The banter during the car chase and final “Honestly, that thought hadn’t occurred to me” line. HA! All great scenes.
I also adore Cassie. A strong woman who knows who she is and what she wants. A realist when it comes to her and Dean’s chances. All make me really respect her. She WOULD have potentially made a great long term love interest for Dean, because she COULD have handled it (and him), but I totally respected that she made the decision not to be the second fiddle to his job responsibilities. THAT showed great strength. Because….have you SEEN that guy?! HAHA.
YES – the sex scene was HOT AS HELL!! I particularly liked that they kept it very even between them. Cassie taking charge at the beginning was hot to me and as it went on, I felt they were nicely matched. I also really appreciated the urgency – representing to me that they had time to make up for – and that they kept staring at each other’s faces intensely – speaking to me of more than a casual hook up. Great camera angles and music, too.
I also thought the direction and visual effects were awesome in this episode.
From the gruesome make up on the Mayor after he was hit by the truck was really well done.
The night time car chase through fog and mist and the driving itself were amazing to watch. The way the truck collided with the Impala and dissolved in the end looked cool.I did feel bad for Jared and Jensen in this episode because they had to deal with some pretty awful WEATHER, though. Filming in freezing rain at night cannot be fun!!!
I thoroughly enjoy this episode every time I watch it.
AGREED, JBB! One of my all time favorites too.
Julie Benz as the terminally ill woman was very touching and compelling. I loved her every since Buffy and Angel as an actress and think she was often underrated.
The episode is such bold shift into something more “real” to me. Calling it “Faith” and then exploring the different ways that word can be interpreted or practiced with very different outcomes was really interesting to me. It’s the first time they really dip their toe into Judeo-Christian religion and the boys own views on the subject.
They also open a window into a whole new level of religious lore in this episode with the introduction of reapers! And I love the twist how faith in a different belief system can bind a powerful creature like this and bend them to your will….but how that is not without consequences.
The reaper is very effective in that he’s so implacable and calm which makes him all the more scary to me.
Interesting and appreciated social commentary on how evil cloaked in religious righteousness is even more evil! Like Dean says: “God save us from half the people who think they’re doing God’s work.”
The beginning always is a SHOCKER to me – CREEPY monster, dingy basement (never a good sign!) and Dean practically dying. AAAHHH, nooo!
Dean’s acceptance that this is probably it for him when he talks to Sam in the hospital still makes me tear up every time. Dean’s faith in Sam to carry on alone….argh….heart wrenching. Sam’s refusal to accept that and his passionate plea to hang on is, I believe, what makes Dean crawl out of bed and drag his ass over to the motel.
LOVE THE LINE : “Well, I’m not gonna die in a hospital where the nurses aren’t even hot.”
The whole discussion about “having to have a little faith” between Sam and Dean is brilliant!! Sam hanging on to faith BECAUSE of the evil in the world and Dean having a lack of faith for the same reason is a really interesting contrast in their world view to me. And I love how from this episode forward it shifts and evolves for both of them. Dean’s slight change of mind at the end of this episode where he tells Layla that he’ll pray for her is very touching.
I love Sam’s determination to go to whatever length necessary to save Dean. Even if it’s unorthodox faith healing. I feel bad for both of them when they find out that it indeed was to good to be true and someone else died to Dean could live. And Dean’s inner conflict over saving Layla’s life over some stranger’s is visceral in Jensen’s performance. SO tough to do the right thing!!
I also really appreciate how the brothers work together in this one after they figure out that there’s a case!
Great episode with serious themes.