Recap – Exile On Main Street
Dean goes to Samuel and says those Djinn are just watching them. Everybody’s got to clear out. They won’t come in until Sam and Dean are alone. Yeah Samuel, these are big boys, let them handle it. Sam agrees. Samuel agrees, tells them to call when they comes. Oh yeah, that will be easy during a sneak attack. Everyone clears out and Sam and Dean are alone.
Sam is in the kitchen, looking at the board of picture memories. The expression is blank on the outside, but this avid Sam fan is pretending that internally the whole thing is making him cry. I know the real you is there somewhere Sammy! Sam sees Dean pacing in the kitchen and watches him with concern. It’s genuine concern, I swear. “You okay?” He asks. Does he look okay Sam? Dean turns around and gives a nice sarcastic “oh yeah.”
Then he comes clean. “Yeah, no, this is crazy.” He looks like he’s going to cry. “I mean you, Grandpa, whatever brought you back.” Sam acknowledges they don’t want to be found. Dean gets that but still asks the who, what, why. Sam doesn’t know, nor does he seem curious at all to find out. Dean knows a brush off when he hears one and finally asks the question we’ve been dying to know. “Do you remember it?” Sam somewhat nervously asks what. “The cage,” Dean answers. “Yeah,” Sam answers without hesitation. Dean was hoping for more. “You want to?” Sam says no with a scoff. That certainly is different from the pained puppy dog expression.
“If anybody can relate,” Dean says. I don’t know Dean, there’s a huge difference between regular Hell and the cage. At least we think. Who knows, maybe the cage is like a first class airport lounge. “Dean, I don’t want to talk about it. I’m back. I get to breath fresh air, have a beer, hunt with my family, see you again. So why exactly would I want to think about Hell.”
Dean wants to say more but this interesting conversation is cut short by Dean glimpsing at his neighbors in deep trouble. It’s Sid and wife being attacked by Djinns. They fall to the floor and Dean freaks.
Dean runs to get the antidote needles while Sam checks out the carnage. Dean gets ready to take off and Sam stops him. “They’re already dead and you know it!” Dean doesn’t care. “This is happening because of me!” He leaves and does one impressive fence jump outside while Sam gets more antidote of his own. Except a Djinn is right there. Oops. No time to call Grandpa. The tattoos suddenly become visible and he knocks the needles from Sam’s hand. Meanwhile Dean is at Sid’s house and it’s too late. Wife and Sid are white eyed relics. Too bad, I liked Sid. Now we see Sam who is fighting off his Djinn with a floor lamp.
Back to Dean and he’s got big problems of his own. One Djinn grabs him from behind and then the other is right in front of him. It’s Brigette, the waitress from the bar. The tattoos make sense now! She steps on the needle so Djinn antidote is gone. She’s impressed Dean made it the first time and decides to give him a “big fat double dose” this time. Show some mercy lady! He has a kid, sort of. She grabs onto Dean by the chin real tight. “The bad news, it’ll kill you. The good news, at least you’ll go real fast.” You know lady, this guy has a BFF in one powerful angel that resurrects people. He’ll be back and you’ll be in so much trouble!
Back to Sam, who’s playing tug of war with said floor lamp now with the Djinn but avoiding getting touched. He throws the lamp and the Djinn across the room. At Sid’s, Dean’s face gets all veiny black, just like Sam’s did in “When The Levee Breaks.” The VFX guys are reusing software! Not that I have an issue with that, being a Software Engineer and all. It’s practical. Brigette makes their motive clear, “That’s for our father you son of a bitch.” Oh, so they’re the kids of the dead Djinn. That certainly adds a personal element to their poorly plotted act of revenge. Dean’s eyes go white.
Sam again, who’s kind of screwed without a weapon. He comes up with something quick. Wow Sam, suddenly those golf clubs aren’t so funny, are they? They’re multi-purpose! He opens the closet door, grabs himself one of those titanium shaft aluminum drivers and starts swinging. Definitely wouldn’t do well at golf with a swing like that. When it comes to killing though, he’s a master! With several whacks he takes out that Djinn. You know what’s cool about a club like that? It’s still going to be intact for golf. They really are indestructible. Suddenly the other two Djinn are surrounding Sam now, and that one golf club isn’t going to cut it.
Dean has WAY bigger problems. He’s tripping on Djinn poison back at Sid’s. This looks like about ten times worse than an acid trip, but about the same as a demon blood induced hallucinations. Not good and totally freaky. He hallucinations Lisa and Ben coming home, and then the yellow-eyed demon showing up. “Don’t worry about them, worry about me.” Next thing he sees through the window yellow eyes in his kitchen. Oh this is a bad trip.
Next thing Dean is in Ben’s bed and he can’t move. Yellow eyes is in the doorway and he pushes Lisa against the wall. Guess who’s wearing a white nightgown? Then he has his arm around Ben, reassuring him. Dean tries to give warning but that just results in Lisa sliding up the wall onto the ceiling. Oh poor Dean, you’re never, ever going to be able to escape this horror, are you? Then yellow eyes cuts his wrist and has Ben drink his blood. Very interesting! All his worries and fears about Sam are now being projected on Ben? I guess Sam isn’t his number one priority anymore. That’s a good thing. Dean screams no but that is doing no good.
It just goes from bad to worse. Ben drinks, Lisa says it’s all his fault and her stomach starts getting sliced open on the ceiling. What’s cool about this ceiling though is the blue color with stars. It’s just more decorative than Mary and Jessica’s ordeal. Yellow eyes taunts Dean, essentially saying he’s got plans for Ben and Dean can’t stop it. Then Lisa says again it’s his fault. One more round robin, Ben drinks, Lisa says it’s his fault, yellow eyes says he can’t stop it. Then Lisa bursts into flames. Flash to one tripping Dean on Sid’s floor and I’m not sure why he’s not dead yet.
Sam is still waving the golf club, but he swings and misses so the Djinn takes it right from his hand! You really need to learn golf Sam. What’s cool is the club is still good for golf. I wish I could say the same about Lisa’s table lamp, which Sam smashed in the process. Djinn is ready to touch Sam, but then gets a knife in the back from Grandpa. He tells Sam he’ll handle Brigitte and to go get Dean. Aww, Sam goes without question. He does care about Dean!
Grandpa waves the knife at Brigitte, she backs away, then Parker Lewis sneaks up from behind and…throws a big black bag over her? He restrains her real tight and proclaims he got her. Grandpa assures Brigitte they’re not going to kill her and orders Christian to get her in the van BEFORE THE BOYS GET BACK. Oh Samuel, what are you up to? Then we get one more shot of Grandpa’s shifty eyes before they go way. I knew he was evil! Poor Sammy, duped again. Something is not right.
Great recap, Alice,
Like you, I sorely wanted to see Sam hug Dean back. They did at least two different shots, the one we saw in the episode, and the one that was previewed because in the preview clip it was a wider angle so we saw more of their upper bodies and Sam’s arm did indeed come up and hug Dean back. however, the choice here was much more questionable as to whether or not he did…I go with he didn’t for his posture seems so stiff.
I’m sure the choice was to keep the ambiguity of Sam going more and more in a disturbing way…I’m disturbed.
As for whether or not Bobby and Sam looked guilty at Dean’s rant…I’m going to go with your thoughts that they do look guilty, heads hanging down, not making eye contact.
Twas a great opener, lots of mystery and questions and very few answers…bring on the season of mystery and shadows.
🙂
Alice, I always love your recaps, this is no exception. However, I said so much about this episode already, in my comments and my article, that I’ll just leave it this time with a big Thank you and singing your praises aloud (forgive me). you do such a great job with these – it’s palpable that your heart’s in it.
Cheers! Jas
wow this recap was epic!
I totally agree this whole episode just gave me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, which is the perfect set up for the season without punching us in the face.
This episode made me feel very off kilter like one of those dreams where everything looks the same but you know something’s not right and it’s not until you wake up that you realise what was wrong.
So much screamed “something isn’t right, somethings off, something has changed” can’t wait to see what that is and why.
Bring on Friday…..
Hey Alice,
Love, love, LOVE your recaps! I’ve watched this ep 4 times and your recap made it a 5th time for me.
I was thinking that the beauty of this show is that over the past 5 seasons the writers, cast and crew have all done such a wonderful job of creating this world of Supernatural that we have become so emotionally invested as to physically feel the pain and anguish of our boys (as well as the joy). Why else would the fans respond so passionately, both positively and negatively?
The more I watch this episode, the more I’ve come to appreciate it and love it but the end result is always the same – I’m sooo depressed at the end, just as I’m sure Sera meant for all of us to be! I am very much looking forward to seeing how the questions and mysteries presented here will be answered in future episodes.
On a purely Dean-girl note, Jensen never looked so good – love how his hair is a bit longer and not so military short. And yeah, the beginning was a bit slow but hey, I was enjoying the view every long, drawn out step of the way!
Cheers! Rose
Great recap Alice. Yes, the B&W photography at the beginning was very effective at denoting the past, and I love the new title card. The reflection of the SPN lettering backwards in the glass is very symbolic too. …everything in reverse. Really agreed with your last paragraph, too. Time to get the boys back together and back on the road!
As far as Dean’s feeling of protecting Sam being gone, never going to happen. Parents never stop protecting their children and Sam has always been a son to Dean. That makes the hurt of Sam’s not coming to Dean even worst. Sam is Dean’s life, and he will always feel the need to protect Sam, whether he has a second family of not! That’s the old Dean, and I was glad to see it.
The ending scene wasn’t a surprise to me. The impala is for the boys together…it’s their home. Would have preferred Dean didn’t offer it to Sam, but Sam was right not to take it. He needs his brother, not a car. But cold saying he liked his own car better. Hope the impala gets even with him for that!
And I can’t see Dean just leaving Lisa and Ben, after he put them in danger, that’s not something Dean would do. I would have been very disappointed if he had. Sam was right though, the longer Dean says with them the greater the danger they are in, but I would have like to have Sam say, “Okay Dean, how can I help? My fault you are here, I pushed you to them. What can I do to keep them safe?†Instead of “Nice seeing you again Deanâ€. Bad….very bad.
Alice, that was a wonderful recap!
Your love for this show really came through, and your despair at the broken bond of the boys right now. I was left feeling bereft too at the end of the episode. I get that that is what I’m supposed to be feeling right now. After all this is the first episode this season.
I so feel for Dean in his confusion and disbelief that his two most beloved people would deceive him so. How can he ever retrieve the trust he had in them before?
Sam is scaring me a lot right now as I can’t relate to him at all at the moment. I don’t like feeling that way. I want to be angsting after both boys as in the past, but can’t seem to dredge up any empathy for Sammy in that episode. I hope you are right in that his emotions are seething away behind that cold cold facade. I hope he breaks down and lets it all out sooner than later.
Phooey on the Campbells, Gramps included. ( love Mitch Pileggi, but geez!)
Love Lisa and her awesome understanding of her Dean. PLEASE DON’T DIE LISA !
This yellow eyed demon is my favourite demon and it was good to see him in all his glory again.
By the way, what happened to the colt that killed him? Have I forgotten, or was the last time we saw it was when Lucifer flung Dean into a tree trunk. Did Cas take the colt with them when he zapped the boys away? Must be having a memory glitch.
Anyway, Alice your recaps are top notch and I enjoy them immensely. Thank you.
One other point of interest I noticed: When the Djinn gives Dean the deadly double-dose of hallucinogenic poison, she repeats the line Dean said to Yellow Eyes’ corpse at the end of Season 2: “That was for our Mom/Dad, you son of a bitch.”
Just a short note to say that I enjoyed reading this recap. I especially liked your take on concluding scenes in 6.01 🙂
Hi Alice, Elle2, Jasminka and Robin
As always I enjoyed reading all your reviews and recaps.
I love the different perspectives.
I’m afraid my work schedule delayed me from reading and responding to all your articles so I hope its ok to just voice my thoughts on this episode in this one.
I actually liked this episode, it opened the doors to new questions and things to ponder and drive yourself nuts over. A great way to start a new season and new story line, I’m totally hooked.
I can’t wait for the flashback episodes to help explain some of the major questions.
When watching the opening montage, I didn’t get the impression that Dean was unhappy, I mean he wasn’t dancing the light fantastic but he didn’t appear to be just going through the motions. With still having dreams about Sam tells me he is still grieving but he seemed to be contented and adjusted to his new life with Lisa and Ben.
The hug didn’t have me unsettled either. To me Sam’s smile and his little head nod was like it was how he had envisioned his reunion with Dean. Almost like he had played it in his head a thousand times. I think that’s why he commented so quickly on what he expected from Dean, a hug or holy water and why he was so prepared to show him he was real.
Its like he had been waiting for that moment for so long and it was finally happening. I wonder how many times Sam may of secretly checked up on Dean to make sure he was ok.
I really felt for Dean in this episode, so much thrown on him at one time. Finding out Sam was alive and for almost a year, and that Bobby knew as well. Finding out his Grandfather was resurrected and that there was some Campbell’s still kicking. And to put the cherry on top he’s a target for revenge on some super nuked up Djinns.
Just how much can you expect one man to take in a 24hour period?
As for the proverbial question of whether Sam and Bobby should of told Dean that he was alive. It’s one of those no win situations, a two sided coin, that will never satisfy everyone.
Should anyone ever speak or make decisions for anyone else? To take away their right to make there own choice. Does anyone really know what’s best for someone else? Maybe not, but then maybe it all depends on the person and the situation.
If Sam had knocked on Dean’s door, right after being resurrected, told him he didn’t know who or why he was brought back, told him he was going to continue to hunt. Would Dean have even given Lisa and the apple pie life a chance? Is there any doubt that Dean wouldn’t of gone with him, even if Sam had protested against it.
And I’m sure making that decision wasn’t an easy one for Sam. I can’t help but think of the look on Sam’s face at the end of Swan Song. To me looking sad and longing. Torn between either reuniting with his brother or letting his brother go to live his own life. I’m sure seeing Dean with a family, living the dream that he once sought to have, must of crushed him inside. How could he possibly take that away from Dean after everything he had done for him. I can’t help but wonder if that is when he went to Bobby. Needing a friendly face and reassurance he was making the right choice. As it was they both agreed to not let Dean know. But I have to agree they both looked pretty guilt ridden when Dean expressed his side of the whole situation. With both there heads looking down and not even able to look at Dean.
As for the Campbell’s I have many issues with them, but I’ll only comment on two for now. First of all they didn’t seem very bright. They have been hunting all their lives, but yet it took Dean(who is suppose to be the rusty one) to suggest the necessary plans to take down the Djinn’s. To me with there experience they should have at least been on the same level as Dean.
Second is how did Sam and Samuel meet? How did they fall into each others paths? Since they had never met each other before, for Sam to believe him and trust who he and who the others were, has me very unsettled and curious. Just how bad was Sam’s state of mind.
And the ending, wow talk about having your heartstrings being torn at.
There is so much pain and grief between these two.
Dean deciding to stay with Lisa and Ben instead of going with Sam and offering the Impala as the last gesture that he was done hunting and Sam rejecting it for that very reason.
And Sam accepting Dean’s decision in a mature and almost professional manner.
To me though, I believe it was killing him. If he didn’t behave that way, he would of fallen apart.
Uneasy is good, instant hugs would only ruin a month or so of potential angst, you crazy fangirls. 🙂
Well, at least we’ll probably have some kind of tie-in at last with the whole stupid ‘Azazel killed all of your mom’s relatives to cover stuff up ’cause nothing doesn’t attract attention like an entire family butchered, no, heaven would never notice that.” D in covert ops, man.
Alice,
I enjoy your recaps. You seem to say the same things that I am yelling at the tv.
I do not trust the Campbells, since when do the good guys take prisoners? 😕 Reminds me of the Initiative from Buffy, and we all know how well that turned out. 😈
I think Sam didn’t really think that Dean would commit to his promise to connect with Lisa and Ben. So, now he is back in Dean’s life, he thought that Dean would just come back to him no questions asked, but that is not the case. Dean wants to, but he now feels a connection to Lisa and Ben that he cannot walk away from, even for Sam. Poor Dean, his is torn between his two ‘families’. :cry::
But, we have to have faith in Sara, that the trio of Sam, Dean and Impala, will soon be on the road again soon. 😀 (with visits from a certain angel).
As usual, Alice, I really enjoyed your recap. Except for the part where you CALLED ME OUT!! The power, it goes to your head!
So instead of posting thinky-thoughts about the episode, I’ll just explain now why I am so anti-Ford and you can judge for yourself if the reasons are valid.
First, when I was growing up, we had two Chevy station wagons that I loved, loved, loved. One was silver and the other was blue with wood paneling. They lasted forever and really got the crap beat out of them. I even took the blue woody wagon to college my freshman year it was so reliable. But when the silver finally broke down, my dad got a Ford Taurus SHO. It was fun for a while because it was powerful and a manual and all that, so it was great to ride in and my dad liked driving it. That is, when he actually COULD drive it. That car broke down so often it was ridiculous. So he had to use my car instead, a Chevy at the time, because his was always in the shop, and I was left carless in high school. Not cool!
Second, my first car was a Chevy Cavalier that we got for $700. It never broke down even though my brother and I drove the hell out of that thing. I loved that car.
Third, in my high school, all the rich kids got Mustangs for their 16th birthdays, and we’re talking the late ’90s ones that are really ugly. So having a Ford Mustang was really a status symbol and a way to make the kids whose parents couldn’t afford one feel even worse about themselves. That’s high school for you.
Fourth, I personally think Chevy has way more cool muscle cars than Ford does. I don’t like the Mustang at all, for reasons mentioned above, and my favorite muscle car is a ’69 or ’70 SS Chevelle, like Bobby’s but not as junked out. Go, Chevy muscle cars!
Lastly, I’m from Cleveland, and we don’t like anything so heavily associated with the dreaded state of Michigan! Go Bucks!