PigNaPoke
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OKAY, seeing Dean killed by hellhounds….incredibly painful to watch. Dean waking up in a COFFIN….my absolute real nightmare scenario!!!!! I find the start of this episode very disturbing – the screaming, the panicked panting and scared shitless eyes…and then the tiny space….ugh! At least Sam left Dean the zippo and obviously put him in the cheapest, most flimsy pine box he could make….but when Dean pries the board apart and all the dirt comes pouring in, I get goosebumps and my heart is racing every time!!!
But, YES, best opening 10 minutes of any episode of TV I have ever watched – then or since! Amazing scenery, beautiful camera angles, perfect acting….few words needed. The immediate mystery that is set up by the blast sight and handprint on Dean’s shoulder and the high pitched noise is masterful. We are elated to have Dean back and immediately worry with him about the WHY and HOW!
There is SO MUCH packed into this episode! I do think that this is also one of the best first episodes in the entire series to set up a new season and hint at so much that is to come.
Lot’s to dive into:
Hello single layer Dean!! Yessss, please.
LOVE that Dean even after coming back from Hell goes straight for the skin mags!! HAHA
Bobby is great the way he hangs up on Dean, tests him, sprays him with holy water….all while you can see how badly he WANTS it to be true. It’s very touching to see how much Bobby missed Dean and was messed up by his death by the state he and his house are in.
Best brother hug EVER. SO intensly happy to have each other back! But also right away sad that they start out being back together with a lie…..Dean about Hell and Sam about Ruby and what he’s been up to.
LOVE PAMELA! Such fun and sassy character. Hated that she immediately gets hurt, but I do love that she isn’t scared or backing down in that moment and pushing for the truth.
Question my hubby raised from the side lines: Why didn’t Cas heal Pamela??? Very good question I have no answer for. Maybe even Cas can’t replace organs as the eyes were gone?We also immediately get a sense of what Sam has been up to in Dean’s absence in this episode, even if it’s just a small part of it. We see how earnest he is about saving more people by leaning into his abilities and my first sense at first watch was definitely…uh-oh, what has he gotten himself into?
Best ever new character intro with Castiel! EPIC. And Misha has some of the most beautiful blue eyes!
And after introducing us to the truth that angels exist we are immediately struck with Dean’s customary lack of self-worth. Watching him not believing that he would be worth saving is absolutely heartbreaking.
Great scene between Dean and Cas – lots of growling – Dean’s scathing skepticism countered with Cas’ mater of factness is wonderful to watch.I ADORE early Cas!!!! So pure and slightly alien and absolutely sure in himself. What great character portrayal by Misha. I am glad that Cas was made into a more important part than initially planned!
I also very much admire the writing and production of this episode that starts us of feeling joy to have Dean out of hell and elation at getting the brothers back together and ends with a us sensing pending doom! Sam’s in some type of trouble and Dean isn’t just back from hell but has “work” to do?!
Absolutely marvelous episode I will never get tired watching.
PNP
Every time this episode comes up in my rewatch cycle I cringe and make sure I can watch “Lazarus Rising” right after to soften the blow of Dean dying.
I do like that this season felt so urgent and fast developing because of the writer’s strike. And I’m kinda glad that is was cut short judging by what you say above JBB!! How much MORE awful would it have been for Dean to not to only go to hell at the end but also know that he’s leaving his brother behind who’s now all powered up and dark-side??? I am glad it didn’t play out that way in season 3. It also makes more sense to me that Sam would be driven to embracing the slippery morality of his shenanigans in Season 4 BECAUSE he wasn’t able to save Dean before.
OK, about this episode:
Starting right out with Dean’s dream of being chased by a hell hound was intense. And just when the viewer gets to relax a little after Sam’s “good news” there’s suddenly the horrible death face hallucination and we’re all confused again. It really all drives the point home how tense the situation is for Dean now.At Bobby’s I love that vintage looking apparatus they use to find Lilith. Very cool prop.
I really commend Dean for standing up against summoning Ruby and going down another demon path.
My question: of course Dean knew that Sam wouldn’t listen and summon Ruby anyway, but was it all Dean’s plan laying in wait and provoking her into a fight to filch the knife and then trap her? OR were they in it together but we weren’t shown that part?
I think they were in it together, otherwise Dean would have been more mad afterwards and Sam would have seemed more chagrinned at being caught, don’t you think?Great brother scene when they are loading their weapons. I love that Sam isn’t giving up trying to convince Dean to at least ask Ruby what she knows or meant and I love that Dean doesn’t give in but they are not fighting here, just stating facts. And having this scene end with “you totally should’ve jammed eye of the tiger right here” is just so perfectly SPN! (AND I love that they actually get to use that song later! HA!)
Also great job on Jared’s part for having Sam pretty much on the edge of tears the entire episode.
Interesting choice to make the colors in the following scenes with Lilith on shore leave all bright and exaggerated. The whole thing about Lilith choosing to possess a child and running a muck is SO disturbing and creepy. Great job on all the actor’s parts especially the kid. Her quick changes from sweet to petulant and downright scary are pretty amazing for a small person.
LOVE LOVE LOVE Bobby! He knows his boys so well! And HELLO genius move with the holy water sprinkler system. Everybody should have that in their yard.
There are SO many iconic one liners in this episode – masterful Kripke at work!
GOD, the last scenes are sooo sooo tough to watch. The last few things Dean tells Sam are so simple and heartfelt and really sum up his core. Keep fighting, respect dad, respect him, respect baby. A simply but beautiful man!
Both Jared and Jensen had to be EXHAUSTED from the physical and emotional acting in this episode. Brilliantly done and because of that too realistic and heartbreaking.
Great job on Katie’s part making Lilith different from Ruby.
As absolutely horrible as it is to watch the make up/ real effect work in this gruesome scene are incredibly well done and the editing makes it all way too real.
Very good episode but not one I like to watch often.
I always really loved this one too.
Especially watching it directly after the “Long Distance Call” episode I find it very interesting that the brother’s flip positions regarding how far they are willing to go to save Dean. I know it’s not a straight comparison but Dean believing and acting on intel from dead John was really not smart and quite desperate and now we have Sam willing to use some odd alchemy/science on Dean that will result on having to go for spare parts later??? BOTH pretty far out on a limb I would say but also making is very clear how much they are clinging to SOME hope that there is still a way out until the very end.
But back to THIS episode: It’s great from the start when the plastic surgeon’s guts fall out of his body. We don’t see anything but a vague blurry something hanging but the nurse screaming her head off is all we need to be terrified.
AH, those were the days that holy water REALLY did a number on demons. It lost some of its potency later.
The actor portraying the doctor in the morgue is fantastic!!! Love his “So you’re cops AND morons” “Please go away”
Also, Dean shoulda totally punched the other witness. He was soooo annoying and arrogant.
Really funny how Sam tells Dean all the gross things while Dean is eating. Pure brat brother move, love it.
I agree with all you said about Doc Benton, JBB! SOOO creepy and great make up. Such great detail between the old parts and newer parts of skin, the glazed over eye etc. The actor is also fantastic.
And I really appreciate that this is an old case of John’s. That’s a fun twist.Although, I like the FACT that the brothers split up to try and find a way to save Dean, the scene where they split is hard to watch for me. Jensen does fantastic (as always) in making clear how surprised and also a little hurt Dean is when Sam refuses to go with him after Bela! There’s also uncertainty and fear in his expression for a moment that read for me as insecurity if HE (Dean) was making the right decision here. All that in the span of a few seconds. But then he immediately switches back into protective brother mode and doesn’t want to leave Sam alone going after Doc Benton. I guess, it’s good to divide and try to conquer, but I am with Dean on not wanting Sam out there without back up. Neither gives in, but they don’t part in anger, which I find important.
Rufus is such awesome addition to the show. I always wished he was in more episodes. His introduction here is PERFECT but MAAAAAN they are killing that bottle of Scotch….
What I love in the drinking scene between them is how you see that Rufus is 100% confident that he is right about everything he says and Dean puts on a tough facade but he’s clinging to every word Rufus says and suddenly seems younger and more rookie like against Rufus’ gravitas. SOOOO GOOOD!I’m really glad we find out some Bela/Abby’s back story here, and it’s an AWFUL one, because it makes all of her previous actions so much more layered and interesting to me. She is a multidimensional character and I feel horrible for her here and until her end. And I respect her immensely for giving up Lilith’s name in the end, effectively paying respect to Dean to give him a chance, and for NOT explaining to Dean why she made her deal and for facing the oncoming hellhounds standing up!
However, I also appreciate that Dean’s sympathy and patience have run out and he’s turning into a single minded killer here. Dean is SCARY like that. There is no more time, there is no more forgiveness, in his mind she’s stolen his way out of his own deal. I really worried that he would shoot Bela but then it’s even more cruel to let her live after he sees the devil’s shoestring over her door and knows that she’s on the same path he is on.
(Funny side note: OF COURSE the Winchesters would use Sex Dolls as decoys. LOL.)The show down with Doc Benton is also really good, if short. UUUUGH, the taping the eyes open thing is really really scary and creepy. SO SMART of Dean to come up with the Chlorophorm soaked knife. I always found it interesting that they didn’t BURN the Doc’s book but simply buried it on top of the fridge.
YUP – a REALLY GREAT episode and although there is a LOT happening it never feels fragmented or rushed.
PNP
Funny enough, this is an episode I didn’t remember as being very exciting or interesting, but I found it more entertaining this time around that on previous watchings.
I always had a hard time with Dean’s simple willingness to believe that it IS John on the phone and to be willing to go kill a guy with no real proof behind it. And that he runs off when Sam begged him to wait until he gets back. However, this time around his desperation of wanting to find ANY way out is much more viceral to me, but it’s still rubbing me the wrong way as “not Dean”. I am glad that he quickly came to see that he made a mistake though when the person is clearly not a demon.
I did like the beginning of the episode and the way it slowly unraveled what was actually going on and the sad, dark truth behind humanity “being so connected, yet never so alone” and therefore easier to get to and scam. Some of the details don’t make sense to me, though. HOW is the Crocatta targeting the victims? How does it conveniently get to Sam’s phone just in time when he needs to be lured to the phone company, using Dean’s voice.
There are some fun moments in the episode, like Dean giving the disgusting phone company guy porn site advice. I thought the scene where Sam suggests to say “Hello” when Dean asked what he should say when John called again was hilarious, sad but funny. OMGS the tour guide in the museum is SOOO FUNNY to me because I have experienced guides like that. HA!
There are a few times in scenes when Sam and Dean are interviewing witnesses where they REALLY are deep into non verbal communication with each other and I LOVE that. Both as characters AND as actors their ability to convey exactly what needs to be “said” in a scene without words astounds and excites me every time it’s on display….even all these years later. They BOTH are great at it.
I enjoy that Sam is pretty gentle with Dean through out this episode (even when Dean is angry at him for opposing him) knowing that they’re coming up on the deadline and Dean is scared. AS IS SAM. Yes, Dean is the one going to Hell, but it’s not easy on Sam either. Between the guilt he feels of having his brother sacrifice himself for Sam and the worry of being alone and the fear for Dean of where he’s going….UGH…so hard to watch for both of them.
GREAT “beat up” makeup in the final scene. The bruising looks so real it’s easy to believe.
And that final scene KILLS me every time. Dean showing real vulnerability here and Sam being just supportive. Both on the verge of tears WITHOUT it getting away from them. MASTERFUL! And the pivot back to a gallows humor with the “and me” is BRILLIANT.
Case might have been so so but we gain a bunch of deeper insight again into their inner thoughts and workings with some stellar acting….so it’s a good episode nevertheless.
On a positive note – YAY – RETRO STAR ROOM DIVIDER!!!! And I have to say….looking at this again now – YOUR’S is soooo much better, JBB!!
MAN, Hendriksen is an a-hole. Yeah, yeah, I know…tough FBI man blah blah. He doesn’t have to be so condescending to the local cops though.
I do appreciate him coming around after experiencing possession himself. Kinda hard to argue with that one. And by the end of this episode I was finally in a place where I would have liked to see him back at some point, now that he knew the truth. Oh well….
I very much enjoyed the scene between Dean and Hendriksen when he complains about his boring job and they discover that they really are pretty much alike and in the same boat. You could see the respect for each other growing between them during that talk.The episode is intense. From Bela’s betrayal to the arrest to Dean being shot to being under siege in the police station to the revelation of Ruby that Sam knew about Lilith to Sam’s apparent acceptance of sacrificing an innocent life. The pace is fast and the mood ominous and claustrophobic.
I thought it’s really low of Bela to alert the FBI!! Even for her. They are all existing and acting outside the law, she should pay them a little “professional” respect and keep it between them.
I do love that Dean keeps his humor even in these dire circumstances. His little quips and his funny astonishment about Nancy being a virgin are very much Dean.
The special effects of the demon cloud swooping in and “breaking” against the walls of the building is cool.
Ruby is great in this episode as well. I love her matter of factness about her “solution” to the problem by killing a virgin. HA. I remember that I was wondering at the time why she would come to help them in the first place. Even if they had the colt, that would have been ONE gun against a large group of demons and most likely not enough. And then suggesting that she would be willing to kill herself to save them? What’s the motivation?
Most disturbing in the episode to me is the way Sam seemed to be willing to go with Ruby’s plan. The argument between him and Dean about it really threw me off. I guess we are still supposed to wonder if Sam is really Sam? It struck me as very un-Sam-like that he so quickly considered killing one person in order to save the group outside especially as they weren’t even sure if the meatsuits of the group would be ok to live after the demons would get blown out of them. There was no guaranteed win here. It seemed off to me.
Longest exorcism ever….but excellent idea!
I wish Sam or Dean would have spoken up against Ruby at the very end though! Dean’s plan WAS the better one and saved way more people than it killed. Yes, Lilith killed everyone in the station, but it was “only” three people not half a dozen as the rest had been dead before the fight even started. Just taking a verbal beating from Ruby at the end was a little off character for me.
Aside from that though it was a good episode.
PNP
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Yes, JBB, you know me well.
My all time favorite episode. It. Is. Perfect. (to me).
Great case.
Great humor.
Great drama.
Great brother moments.What else is there to ask for?
Jensen is amazing at maintaining Dean’s funny and lighthearted side while Jared is amazing at portraying how Sam slowly erodes into a darker and darker mindset. That juxtaposition drives the emotional roller coaster all through the episode. Dean doesn’t know any better and has a pretty good day (Hey, he seemed to have had sex the night before judging by the bra he finds while looking for his gun – GREAT scene) while Sam is so desperate to stop the never-ending nightmare.
Only Supernatural can make it funny to have a main character dying so many times in so many different ways! I mean…REALLY? Tacos, sausage, dog, car, electrocution, axed, shot, PIANO? Just hilarious. And still you feel horrible for Sam every time it happens.
The idea for the case and the similarities to “Groundhog Day” are great fun, of course, but I love how Sam does NOT try to better himself or become “more” like the Bill Murray character in the movie because he may live more than 100 Tuesdays through this hell but his focus never shifts away from trying to figure out how to prevent Dean from dying! Poor guy!
I still remember the first time I watched the episode and getting to the point where Sam figures out that the culprit is the Trickster and I looked at my clock thinking….”NOW WHAT”? Well….oh boy….the shock when Dean dies again and the absolute heartbreak on Sam’s face when he doesn’t just wake up again is still an almost physical memory for me. (However, I do wish they had found a better position for the guys on the ground. Dean so awkwardly on his side and Sam all crouched over is just a bit tortured looking.)
And I absolutely appreciate (can’t say love because it is so cruel) how the episode turns so dark and ominous thereafter. The idea that this is foreshadowing what Sam will become once Dean goes to hell is so upsetting to me. Jared does an excellent job bringing this first version of Robo-Sam to life. Doing nothing but focusing on working and finding the Trickster – either for pay back or with a tiny spark of hope that Dean is still “retrievable” is scary and sad. Especially as it culminates in his apparent sacrifice of Bobby for Dean – or at least a chance to get the Trickster back. All of a sudden you start wondering if Dean was right to worry that Sam is not “all Sam” and you are scared for Sam’s fate.
And the PERFECTION of that completely heartbreaking hug at the end!!!! WOW!!! Both Jared and Jensen are just incredible in that moment. Sam’s relief and Dean’s confusion and worry all so crystal clear on their faces. It gives me chills every time I see it.
But the most heartbreaking is the last look Sam gives the room. A mix of resignation and loathing. So effective.
YES, it has everything for me and I am standing on my choice for my favorite.
ONE question I always had is – WHAT was Gabriel’s real motivation for messing with Sam like this? Of course at the time we all thought….ok….the Trickster was just having some fun and trying to teach Sam a lesson…but as we now know he is Gabriel…what was the point? Did he at that point already know more about Sam and Dean’s possible roles in a possible apocalypse? But Dean hadn’t even BEEN to hell yet and there wasn’t any telling if he would break the first seal. So why else would he have a vested interest to teach Sam to let go?
Anyhow, that question doesn’t deter me from loving the episode.
PNP
YES, this was always a sleeper episode to me. I keep forgetting how good it really is and then is hits me in the face watching it again.
I agree with everything you say, JBB!
First time we see one of the guys play two versions of themselves and Jensen knocks it out of the park. I have the same thought as you, it is really hard to tell after a few camera pans which Dean is which. Is it “our” Dean beating himself up or the evil version trying to break him down? And I flinch every time when the shot comes. Still shocking but so well done!
The beginning with Sam drinking alone and Dean calling him out on it is a nice brother scene! Showing Sam’s mindset and desperation at being unable to save Dean and it really doing a number on him. And the scene at the end when Dean admits that he doesn’t want to die and Sam promising that they will find a way is really good as well because even though the say all the right words the heavy mood stays and it feels like the walls are closing in on them because they don’t have any clue how to make it happen!!
The scene with Lisa is truly heart breaking to me. The simplicity of what Dean wishes for is so sweet and sad. And seems so unachievable at this point.
The glimpse at Bobby’s hunter origin story is really intense as well. I love how it’s so confusing at the beginning which is made even more impactful once you find out what it was you were seeing.
The episode is also visually super interesting to me. That scene where the wallpapered hallway turns into the woods. Or the difference between inside Bobby’s house and when Sam steps outside into the perfectly sunny day.
Yeah, I also agree that Sam’s sex dream about Bela was STUPID. It made no sense in its abruptness and they never mention again that he’s turned on by her later. As you said – totally against Sam’s normal behaviour. It seemed like a forces scene to lighten the mood of the otherwise heavy episode.
Nice to see Bela again, though, and OF COURSE she found another way to really mess with them AND steal from them. I do appreciate her smarts and fearlessness, though. But I am also happy that Dean really puts down the law at the end. I think she completely lost all chance at getting their help with THIS incident. Screwed herself in the end.
I also appreciate that it’s SAM who figures out how to break the cycle and overpower Jeremy with his OWN fear! SMART!
GREAT episode!
I agree, it’s an EXCELLENT episode! I agree with all your high points, JBB!
MAN, the guys got WET in the beginning of the episode when they leave the house of the first victim! Crappy weather in Vancouver and it’s POURING so hard in the shot that you can actually see them getting drenched. Of course, then their jackets are magically dry when they get into the car. HAHA.
I thought the episode highlights very interestingly how powerless Sam and Dean are against witches – or at least against the witch powered magic. And I always thought that this might be part of the reason why Dean hates them so much. He even says it here – the ARE human, so the conundrum of killing them is much more complicated than hunting and taking down a true supernatural monster. Still, they have to do SOMETHING as the witches are killing other humans. It’s another interesting dip into grey areas of hunting.
I like that in the end Sam and Dean do NOT kill any of the misguided human “witches” but that it is the demon who takes care of it.
I love the choice the writers made that these “Stepford witches” magic themselves raffle wins, craft career advancements and herb garden success! It’s SO pedestrian and mundane and I find it very funny. Especially in contrast to the nastiness some of the spells require and cause.
The building tension between Sam and Dean in this episode is also really well done. It’s so heart breaking that Sam thinks that he has to become more like Dean in order to be able to keep on fighting after Dean is gone! Between the acceptance that he feels he can’t stop Dean’s trip to hell and the admittance that he doesn’t think he’s tough enough to go on alone without Dean AND without help from Ruby just makes my heart ache. And Dean being so harshly (and rightly) against Sam working with Ruby but then seemingly accepting that he won’t be there much longer to protect Sam is equally painful. SO MUCH of that is playing out silently through Jensen’s exquisite non-verbal acting both in the conversation with Sam and then with Ruby.
Some really great scenes. We really get a sense of his sinking feeling and real terror as he understands more and more of what’s to come for him in hell. It’s chilling.I really enjoyed the actress’ performance who played the witch-demon! Nice bitchy, annoying, neighbor and then such cold and scary dominance over the entire set of people in the room. Well done.
WHAT a great episode! I always enjoyed this one and am looking forward to it each time on my rewatch cycle.
Really the ONLY thing I don’t enjoy is the VERY heavy-handed parallel they try to draw between Gordon and Dean. It’s just so unnecessary.
But everything else is so well done.
There are layers and layers of tragedy in this episode and SO MUCH DEATH. And most of them caused their demise themselves! All those girls being snatched from the club scene – sad, but that’s what you get for taking drugs from a stranger! (Shout out to another Buffy alumni with Mercedes McNab aka Harmony!! She does naive victim well.) Kubirc the sad, Jesus-loving fool…..he shoulda known better…he’s a hunter! Gordon…tragic end to a tough road, but then….well, Karma’s a bitch, man, and she bit you on the….butt. He’s got a really compelling character arc, though! Trying to revenge his sister’s turning by becoming the ultimate killer to be turned himself….brilliant. Bela, grapsing at straws. Of course we don’t know that yet, but there is obviously something going on and I appreciate the glimpses of desperation we get from her actions and expressions – unfortunately she’s also digging her own grave and cutting off sympathy from the only people who MIGHT have been able to and most probably were willing to help her. Dean and Sam’s growing tense apprehension at what’s to come for Dean.
The whole episode feels tight and intense and laden with doom. It’s really well done.Dixon was probably the only character I wasn’t too concerned with. Yeah, his family was slaughtered, but judging by the photograph he shows Gordon that was in the 1880s…so, sorry, but get over it, dude.
The danger to Sam and Dean from Gordon seems very real and visceral. The guy’s so determined and relentless, being supercharged on top of that amplifies Gordon’s potential for violence to the umpth degree. It is very effective.
The cat and mouse scene in the warehouse when Sam is blind and we see through Gordon’s eyes is really creepy and intense and puts me right in Sam’s shoes. Very cool lighting and camera movement. And Sam SLOOOOWLY cutting Gordon’s head of with razor wire was probably the most gruesome and visually disgusting death of a character on the show.
I wish they would have kept the REALLY intense take-over of monster desires for a freshly minted vampire the same over the years like they did here for Gordon. By the time Dean get’s almost turned in Season 6 most of the rules have changed and he is able to control his urges so much more, it’s not as scary. HERE, Gordon’s inability to hold back from killing humans and completing his transformation considering he was such disciplined human is so much sadder and more interesting than when Dean get’s bit.
I don’t mind that Dean immediately experiences all of the symptons WITHOUT having had a blood-on-blood exchange, but here Gordon and Lucy only get the full side effects after they turn completely, so it’s not consistent.
Bela is such a bitch and so ruthless in this episode, but – again – I clearly had the impression that there was something else and huge going on with her because her words and expressions were just not matching for me. And she had no real reason to call back and do Dean and Sam a favor after betraying them to Gordon, but she did it anyway. Of course, in hindsight, the parallel between Bela and Dean’s situation (being cocky in the face of inevitable doom) is so much more real to me and so much less openly obvious and I respect that!
And then there is THE Sam and Dean scene where Sam begs for Dean to just be his brother again and to me that is one of my favorite scenes in Season 3!! There is so much info in that little scene – a glimpse at their past; a clear understanding of Sam’s hero worship for Dean; a view of how Dean softens at Sam’s distress and always puts him first – it’s wonderful and SO well acted.
PNP
I watch this episode every year around Christmas Time and sometimes again at some point during the year….just because it’s PERFECT.
So much to love about this one. Most of all I admire the balance this one has between the unique current case and the deeper insight we gain into the Winchester’s childhood! And we really get a LOT of new info in this one.
Great lore! What faun detour from Santa to evil Santa to Santa’s shady brother to Pagan Gods. Great costuming with the filthy suit and awesome set design with the gory lair for the “monster”. The way it collects victims and then dismembers them in the basement is truly scary.
ALL stellar guest actors in this one as well! The pagan god couple has some of the funniest lines and delivers them in such amazing way it really is a treat to watch. I mean….the scene in the kitchen is just phenomenal!
And I always love the flash back episodes because the fill in gaps and give us yet more appreciation for what the brothers have been through together and how their relationship cemented more and more because of it.
It’s really sad and touching but also understandable that the Winchesters have such different memories of past Christmases. Another glimpse at young Dean’s desperate mission to keep Sam innocent and protected from the horrors in the world – even if he has to get a little rough and bark at Sam! It seems to me though that once Dean tells Sam about monsters and their dad it’s like a weight is lifted off him a little bit because he is no longer alone in the knowledge. (Really good job by both young actors!) I love how young Dean then tries to soften the blow of a new reality for Sam by stealing gifts for him! Even if they go totally awry, the thought and effort is so so sweet! Of course it’s heartbreaking at the same time that he does all that to cover for John….but I’m sure John tried to get back to them for Christmas (cough cough…crappy move, dad!).
Finding out where the amulet came from is one of my favorite EVER reveals on the entire run of the show. The care and love that shows from little Sam who clearly understands who is the most important person in his life and the stunned appreciation from Dean and what it means to him is just beautiful!!!
The shot from young Dean wearing the amulet to the now Dean coming through the door at the end of the episode is so emotional and gorgeously done it always makes me tear up.
And the repeat show of now adult Sam’s appreciation for Dean by giving him a Christmas (complete with PERFECT wonky tree and gas station gifts) even though Sam finds it really painful is equally lovely.
As sad as the occasion is in the context of the season and Dean’s impending death…it is a feel good episode for me!
SPN CHRISTMAS in ALL of it’s forms is just plainly THE BEST!!!
PNP
I COMPLETELY agree, JBB. I love everything about this episode from the lore to the humor to the special effects.
The actual case is definitely terrifying – the idea to drown on dry land is awful to think about. I also enjoyed the back story and given reason for the ghost murders. Having a ghost punish other people for causing harm to their relatives is very interesting. Yes, it’s a vengeful spirit, but it kills for a just cause. That’s another gray area right there.
It also throws a new light on Bela and her possible back story and I really loved how everyone’s assumptions about that were most definitely wrong. Love the misdirect to what we find out later.
I, too, adore Bela! She can certainly match Dean in snark but at the same time she is the exact opposite of Sam and Dean in my view – she is selfish and ruthless and embracing life and the luxuries her very questionable profession affords her. I find her endlessly entertaining and intriguing as a counterpoint to the Winchester’s way to think and act. I enjoy how that throws them off repeatedly.
And Lauren Cohen is just so damn good bringing her to life as well. She has the ability – like Jensen – to play that perfect mix between steely self-confidence and underlying vulnerability that is wonderful to watch. You can see clearly that Bela has more to her than just the devil may care attitude and money hunger! Especially when she has to come ask the Winchesters for help after seeing that ghost ship and Dean really going to town on her for the perceived reason!
I would have loved to keep her around longer and run into the Winchesters every once in a while – as sometimes ally and sometimes enemy. Much like Crowley was to the boys later – with his own agenda, kinda smitten with them and occasionally helpful.
There was that blog write up years ago about the scene where Dean descends the stairs and Bela makes that perfect comment about “angry sex” and the resulting few seconds of Dean’s ever changing expressions. It went through them all second by second and had the most perfect way to analyze Jensen’s incredible talent of non-verbal communication. I can never watch that scene and NOT think of that article.
Then there is an extra on the DVD set about that special effect where the ghost brothers splash through each other and how proud the special effects team was about that. It’s great!
The party at the History Museum with ALL of its parts is just awesome! From Sam and Dean in tuxes, to Dean’s gum debacle, Sam’s date (who WOULDN’T want to enjoy a little Sam at that age???), the Dean and Bela adventure upstairs (especially the look of the security guard when he thinks Bela is busy with a different dude when Dean returns), the creepy hand – so much to love.
I also really appreciate that Bela at the end PAYS the Winchesters!!! It is VERY “her” to not be able to simply thank the boys, but PAY them. Money is her motivator, her security blanker – so paying them is really a big compliment, because it’s a decent thing to do and she doesn’t do many decent things. LOL.
She is NOT a admirable person but she is a GREAT character!
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HAHA, ok, I am the opposite on this one from you guys. I always loved this episode and that hasn’t changed in many re-watchings.
I grew up with these fairy tales – the REAL ones….the ones with murder and mayhem and slaughtered little pigs and cut off toes and poisoned and eaten children…the OG horror stories! Yes, my father read them to us as bedtime stories….haha – stellar parenting, I guess?
Anyhow, I love real original fairy tales and fables and this episode was a really clever twist on many of those stories. The idea that a sad, poor ghost child finally goes mad or vengeful and lashes out to be heard
by using the stories her dad read her was really interesting to me.I liked the brotherly banter all through out showcasing Sam’s book smarts and Dean’s snark about this “useless” info. Of course, I wish they hadn’t gone the “can you be more gay” route and found a different expression in that moment, but the overall idea that Sam actually knows fairytales and Dean only knows porn versions of the stories was hilarious to me.
I did feel a little hit over the head with the “let it go” parallel in the story to Sam and Dean’s situation, but I forgive it because I do like everything else about the episode.
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NOPE, sorry to say….still not a favorite.
I figured out (with your help, guys) that I feel uncomfortable and sad with this one because it’s the first time Dean actually shows that he’s way more concerned about hell than he’s let on so far. Jensen is so darn good at showing the subtle signs of terror Dean is experiencing that it gets totally under my skin.
Yes, the scene in the cellar is great and we get a lot of new info out of it, but the rest of the story in this episode just doesn’t interest me, so the cellar scene stands sadly alone.
I do enjoy the bits between Sam and Ruby quite a bit, though. They have a nice tension between them that is refreshingly NOT sexual. Ruby is intriguing as a character and well played by the actress. However, the info Sam finds out about Mary’s friends being systematically killed was a total throw away as nothing ever happens with that info or do I remember that incorrectly?
Anyhow. There were some very good parts and scenes in the episode but as a whole it left me bored.
Sorry.
OOOH, soo late to the party…
I always have and will love this episode because of Lisa and Ben and what that story line reveals about Dean’s secret desire for a family life.
It isn’t a perfect episode. I agree with the criticism that some of the “changeling children are creepy and violent” theme is a bit overdone in parts or too much time spent on the rattling of the bathroom door etc. But I do believe that it helps making the complete desperation and loneliness of the mother clear and let’s me believe that she’s driven to the brink of drowning the monster child that is clearly NOT her daughter anymore and no one will believe her.
Kate, I honestly think she doesn’t have any “what’s after” clue. She’s just at the end of her rope and scared out of her wits to a point that she makes a snap decision.YES, JBB, in my heart and mind Ben IS DEAN’S as well!! And I thought A LOT about all that over the years.
To me Lisa either was quick to lie about actually taking a DNA test at all OR she knows Ben is Dean’s but isn’t about to throw that at the guy she had an amazing weekend with 8 years ago and who pops up out of nowhere for who knows what reason or how long. Dean JUST showed back up….Lisa is in the middle of a party, it’s not the place or time to say something about it right there, IF she knows. What would that accomplish? I don’t have the feeling that Dean revealed much about his personal life to Lisa during the fun weekend (not like he did in the months with Cassie) so Lisa couldn’t know at that moment that Dean would take a responsibility like that seriously. All a reveal like that would do at that point is make her and Ben vulnerable to Dean’s whim. Maybe Dean would want parental rights, maybe he turns out to be an asshole (thinking in Lisa’s POV here). She tells him later that she’s had a thing for “bad boys” ergo putting him into that category as well. I completely understand that she doesn’t tell Dean in this episode that Ben is his IF she actually knows. After all, Dean leaves again at the end of the episode, and Lisa just found out about his real “job” and what danger he has to deal with on a regular basis. So, again, what would it mean or change for her to tell him right there. I LOVE that Dean says that he would have been proud to be Ben’s dad. Lisa shyly suggests for Dean to stick around and she seems really disappointed when he declines (well, who wouldn’t be….lol).
Then later, he moves in and lives with them for a year and she has a much better look at the REAL Dean, but he’s a MESS at the time, so again, what difference would it make to add to the huge burden on his shoulders? She sees his commitment to their family and I think she would no wanted to put that extra pressure on Dean of “needing to care”. I do believe that she would have eventually told him, OR she simply didn’t know and Dean showed his love for them in every way he can. Then it all crashes down and he makes that horribly sad decision to leave them behind (which I am still incredibly torn about)….so really, it’s just all been bad timing with them. However, I am do very happy for BOTH of them that they at least have the little time they do spend together as it clearly means/meant a lot to them both (and Ben).OK – sorry to go on and on…..
I also love all the funny parts of this episode. Jensen’s physical comedy is SO on point in this one!! The way he moves away from the ladies after their creepy flirting in the yard. The way he reacts to Ben and stumbles back towards the house when he’s suspecting Ben might be his son. It’s all perfect.
Regarding the other story in this episode. I agree with both of your assessments. I love the way the Sam and Ruby story develops. We are constantly left guessing if she is on his side or playing him. The little bits of info she feeds him and the carrot she dangles seem such a great help, but then the reveal of her being a demon puts it all in question again. Playing again on the theme that there are so many grey areas in this world it makes Sam’s struggle really relatable.
Kate, I always wondered about the usefulness of the info about all of Mary’s friends being killed systematically. WHY? What was the point of that story line? Why would they kill all of Mary’s acquaintances? To keep John without help? I don’t know. It seemed like a throwaway story line to me and I didn’t like that. Am I missing something?
So, there, that’s my two cents. 🙂
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WHOOHOO!! WE ARE BACK, BABY!!!!
Can’t wait to get back to watching and discussing!
Honestly this one always fills me with apprehension when it comes up on my rewatch loop and I don’t know why. I always think “Ugh, I don’t like this one.” But at the end I don’t hate it…..
So, this time around I will try to figure out what it is that fills me with dislike when I think of it.
Here we go….
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