This next scene gets pretty strange. A woman, the sister of our poor pitiful Jane, doesn’t understand why federal investigators are interested in a suicide. “Well, it’s a new, more caring administration,” Sam says with a smile that tries to be sympathetic, but it’s just plain creepy. Dean looks at a calendar on the wall, and I knew that the year time jump would trip this show up sooner or later. It says October 2010. No, it really should be October 2011. Unless that year was Hell time and really only a month had passed.
Sam presses for the story and the sister tells him what she told the cops. Jane was having a bad day and she did what any sister would do. Then she pulls her hair behind her ear, catching Sam’s attention. She claims she tried to cheer her up. Man, should I waste a “Liar!” on you? It’s usually reserved for a brotherly thing. Sam looks at her all suspicious and his faces through this entire sequence are really freaky. Oh yeah, that calms Dean’s suspicions. She goes on and Sam rolls his head as if he just caught her red handed.
“Do you know what a tell is?” She doesn’t know what he’s going for here. “It’s a poker term, for when you’re bluffing.” Like what she just did with her hair. Then he flat out tells the lady she’s lying. Gee Sam, don’t spare her feelings or anything like that. “Tell us what you did to your sister.” Sam of course is all accusatory like this woman actually pulled the trigger or something. Dean is, well, unsettled. That seems to be his thing anymore. Sam looks at Dean, confused about what’s actually wrong here. Dean in his mind shouts real loud “You’re being a dick Sam!”
However, turns out the smug Sammy stare works just as good as the puppy dog eyes. She confesses. She wanted to say “l love you” but somehow “You’re a burden and should kill yourself” came out instead. Oops! She wondered who would say that. Why you lady. Relax though, we know it’s not your fault. Pay no mind to the self satisfied giant jerk in front of you. He’s a bit crackers these days.
They leave and Sam asks if Dean found anything. Nope, no hexbags, no EMF, no sulfur, the usual crap. Sam found a tuba and an issue of crochet today. Oh, that’s plain evil alright. Might I add here since I haven’t done a hair report in a while that Sam’s got some wild flying thing going with his hair pulled behind the ears. It’s pretty hot. I’ll say, playing a vacant jerk is doing something perfecto with the hair. I’m sorry, what are they talking about here? Right, they suspect Jane was already suicidal and sis just pushed her over the edge. So the mystery is, why in the world did sis open her “big fat mouth in the first place?” Sam thinks that is a good question and takes his place in the car. Dean very uneasily takes his. Try harder Dean, try harder.
Ooh, ooh, I know! Let’s deepen the mystery by showing a scene with a dentist, a needle and a drill! It’ll be so grand! People will just eat that up. It won’t trigger lingering unconscious fears at all. I really don’t want to go into too much detail here since anything involving mishaps with teeth makes me a little squeamish (see my recap of “I Believe The Children Are Our Future” for proof) but I’ll make a couple of statements. First, the hubby right here noticed the woman on the TV and said “It’s the woman on the TV, she’s doing it.” He remembered the TV being on in Biggersons. Of course he was proved right during the scene with Dean in the bar, but man, even I didn’t catch that. Oh, I know why, because I HATE SCENES WITH DENTISTS AND DRILLS.
Also, this is the harshest truth to come out. A man telling another man with a drill that he basically had his way with his young daughter because he knew he wouldn’t get caught and didn’t get caught? Spell or no spell, sorry dude, bloody death by drilling it is. You’re lucky he didn’t slice your head off. That makes up the gratuitous gore requirement of the program, complete with bone chilling sound effects. Hope you liked!
Dean is on the phone with Bobby. Sorry Dean, you can’t kill your brother. He’s been up all night, nothing fits. Bobby wants to know if he’s got anything else to go with. “Yeah, my skin crawls being in the same room with him. You should look that up.” I know what will fix that Dean, go get another beer. Bobby of course belittles Dean’s whining, but Dean is definitely at his wits end. He’s not sure how much more he can take. Bobby goes for the honesty, because he’s awesome. There is a worst case scenario. “What, Satan is my co-pilot, yeah, I know.” Actually, that wouldn’t be too bad. Bobby has a worse one. “Maybe it’s just Sam.” Yeah, Dean, what will you do if that’s the case? Oh wait, we find out. Not good.
Dean doesn’t like that answer, and tells Bobby he has a day and then he’s handling this. Except you aren’t really handling this, are you Dean? It really hurts to see how much this is ripping him apart. Just one look at him all lost, taking the swig of beer, so much is said with so little. It’s these little gems that just get a fan every time. So Dean pulls out the phone and finds Lisa on his contact list. Don’t do it Dean! It’ll just make you feel worse. He so needs a friend right now. Christian’s on his phone list too? I hope to God that’s not Christian Campbell. That would be too weird. He dials, it rings, he hangs up, and the shot of him sitting on the edge of the bed lamenting with the phone is so heart crushing. Oh Dean, no wonder you’re falling apart.
Dean quickly recovers, for Sam comes in saying there was another one. Sam is pretty stoked. Yeah, death by dentist drilling is quite a treat. “Dentist drilled a guy to death.” Dean processes this. “You mean the non sexy kind of drilling, right?” Hee Dean, mind always in the gutter. Sam bets $50 then man is mixed up in all the crazy, but I don’t think Dean’s taking that bet. It’s a bit too obvious. Sam is ready to go talk to him, but Dean is reluctant. He’s going to stay behind and do research instead. Okay, that’s a big red flag right there! Sam certainly thinks it’s suspicious and agrees with some reluctance, giving Dean a few looks to make sure he’s okay. He gives him a “you sure?” and Dean makes the case they’ve got to know what they’re up against. Sam gives another funny look and then goes on his way. Dean lets out a huge sigh of relief over that working. Man this is messed up. Dean does the face grab of despair, knowing he can’t keep this up much longer. That’s alright Dean, I’m not sure I can watch this much longer.
Alice,
Great recap as usual.
So much about this episode has already been said, so I won’t reiterate.
The thing about Cas finding the boys. He doesn’t show up unless they call (pray) to him. Maybe they are invisible to angel eyes unless they go shouting angel names.
Dean has shown like for animals (rabbits!) but not Yorkies. And Sam did have that dog during his run away time. Equal like maybe? Well, not now Sam, but Sammy Sam.
Thank you ever so much for referring to Sam’s shirt as skimpy! Though I believe it unfair that in this show, that is what we get to call skimpy. *shallow sigh*. And I agree that the tub should have been full of hot, steamy water….*more shallow sighing* The pic you put up to mention Sam’s hair? Great, but I couldn’t stop looking at Dean! The expression on his face…heh.
Thanks again for the recap!
Hey Alice,
I am pretty sure our lovely Goddess is driving a 1960’s Jaguar XKE otherwise known as an E-Type (possibly a 1962 in specific). 😀
Also, I was thinking. If Sam’s logic chip was working, he would have realized playing the sympathy card (especially with no soul/emotion) would not work on Dean. Not this time.
A more honest answer from Sam would have been more along the lines of “I probably need help, but since I’m such a good hunter I don’t know if I want help.” I think Dean would have believed that over the unconvincing “I need help.”
Friday is almost here! I have my fingers crossed for more answers cause Sam really does need help.
Don’t hot dogs come with onions and tomato sauce … That’s two of your five-a-day right there! Also mustard is sort of plant based, at least in theory …
I think it’s cunning the way Souless Sam has inverted all the little things that used to define the character. His hair is perfect, he eats proper Man Food, he has actual sex, he’s altogether free from the ravages of guilt … He has become James Bond. Yuk. Bring back the old shaggy, finnicky, embarressed one that we know and love! ( but lets have a bit more angst and bondage first, because we’re worth it … ) 😉
Good recap Alice. Loved the calendar as 2010 too. Don’t need to be reminded that they kept the boys apart for a year.
Dean did resist his first impulse, which was to kill Sam. That was evident when he put the knife down. But there was no way Sammy would get off scot free. Sam’s plea for Dean to feel sorry for him saved Sam. Maybe Dean still has some brotherly bond with Sam, although after what Sam did, it can’t be much. As to the severity, you don’t poke a hornet’s nest with a stick and expect not to get stung! How Sam could have thought his brother was not going to unload on him I don’t know. Sam lost his feelings not his intelligence. Sam really should have really spent more time in having that beer with Dean!
Maybe after a year of lying to people and getting away with it, he thought it would work here too. It was a while before I believed Sammy was really telling the truth this time. And I have to wonder why he waited until he actually was caught red-handed before he told Dean the truth. Sam is lucky Dean didn’t kill him.
Chuckle, Alice, I too am an American made…or, well, Canadian made, American made…..OH you know what I mean, gal. I grew up in a 66 Cutlass Supreme.
However, I had a number of friends who were European car nuts so I learned my exotics too. 🙂
And hey, guessing is good – think of it this way, you were right that it was a European car!!
One of the things that bothers me the most about that episode was Bobby’s reveal that Dean is his favourite. I’d always have thought that Sam and Bobby had more in common, and Bobby seems to understand Sam, so I was kinda hoping….
Seriously though, is Sam anyones favourite? Makes me sad.
Also, the eating tongue thing? Wrong, on so many fecking levels. The dentist thing…. wrong. Anything to do with teeth, wrong….
Out of interest, what questions would people have asked Sam and Dean had they been in that situation?
Well, I’m glad that I’m not the only one to notice that Sam is no one’s favorite. Bobby, Castiel, Ellen, Jo, everyone prefers Dean. And as if it wasn’t obvious enough, now they have the characters say it aloud. I didn’t think Bobby’s words were funny. I was sad to hear them. I wish Samuel was “good” so he could make a connection with Sam rather than Dean, for a change.
In this case, don’t forget that Bobby’s words were inspired by a Goddess out to have folks committ suicide so she could eat them. Do NOT take Bobby’s words as TRUTH. He may have spoken the truth in that moment, but moments change.
To me, even what Dean said under the curse of truth was not!truth. There was an element of truth to it but it was truth pulled by Veritas with one goal in mind – to hurt someone else.
And if it makes anyone feel any better, BOTH boys are my favourite. 😀
Great recap Alice,
I think this episode should have been called ‘Somebody give Dean a Hug, He needs One’. 🙂
Goddess spells should have a declaimer on them:’side effects include suicide and becoming lunch’. 😆
You are right, when you side with the MOTW and not one of the starring characters there is a problem. 😆
Remember in ‘Time is on my side’, Sam told Dean that they were already on a case ‘Dean’s deal’, This episode Bobby tells Dean, that the case he is on is ‘Sam’.
I think that Sam (in the form of Colin Ford) is standing in the cage with Lucifer and Micheal/Adam, and he is holding on to Dean’s amulet, waiting for his big brother to come and get him. But that is just me. 😀
I just thought of something, when did Lisa ever see Sam and Dean together? In ‘the kids are alright’, she never saw Sam, in ’99 problems’, Dean was there alone. How does she know what kind of relationship they have or had? IMO she is just a jealous ‘female dog’.
I promise that this will be my last Lisa bashing. 😛