Robin’s Rambles – “Clap Your Hands If You Believe”
Leaving Marion’s, Dean asks, “Is it ON me, I feel like I got the crazy ON me!” “No, you did sit in some glitter, though,” says Sam. “It makes me want to believe in UFO’s again,” says Dean. Sam suggests they can always put the call out to Bobby. Coming upon Brennan outside a dairy, loading up on a lot of cream, they speed to Brennan’s Watchworks.
Watching Brennan unload all the dairy product, Dean says, “You stick with half-and-half, I’ll check the store–and NO hippie chicks.” Walking around to the back of the store, Dean breaks in, takes out his knife and enters. Making clocks in Brennan’s stead are itty bitty men! One sets down a tiny bowl of cream as the others industriously work making watches. Dean quietly closes the door behind him and leaves. “Friggin’ full of Keeblers!” is how Dean reports it to Sam–“it’s like the story with the shoe guy and the elves! You think Brennan made a deal with a bunch of fairies?” Dean looks around to make sure no one is overhearing. “Let me get back to you,” says Sam, back in the same bar as before with Brennan. He sits beside him at the bar. “Leave me alone, orders Brennan.” “Did I ever tell you how beautiful your work is?” asks Sam, “just stunning–what I can’t figure out is, how one man can put out that much product– hell, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you have a bunch of elves workin’ for ya.” Sam’s face goes from genial to dark, and he grabs the other man’s arm. “Except I DO know better, and you have a bunch of elves workin’ for you.” “You’re insane!” insists Brennan. “So, tell me–how does a father decide to trade his son for a bunch of watches?” asks Sam–“I mean, I’m assuming you have a soul, so what’s your excuse?” “You don’t understand, it wasn’t like that,” says Brennan. “Then how was it?” demands Sam.
Walking down the street, Dean looks across and sees the same nasty man in the red ski cap, standing in from of a taxidermy shop, staring evilly at him.
Brennan explains to Sam that he spent 30 years supporting his family making watches, the only thing he knew how to do. He holds up a shaking right hand. “But the Parkinson’s. I was losing my hands. I was losing everything. My grandmother always used to say that they were real, told me all these stories when I was a kid about how to summon them, how to get favors from them.” “So you learned how to work a spell,” surmised Sam. “I mean, honestly, I doubted it would even work,” says Brennan, “I was just desperate, but she lent me this book, so I did the ceremony in my back office two months ago, and this man appeared, said it was a leprechaun. I asked him just to cure my hands. He said he would do even better. Make me more successful than I’d ever been. He told me he’d bring a crew of workers that could save my business, save my name.” “In exchange for?” asks Sam. “Just one little place for them to rest,” says Brennan, “to take of the fruit and fat of the land. I said yes, I wasn’t thinking.” “And the fruit and the fat was,” says Sam. “My first-born,” says Brennan, “not just mine, there have been others–they’re not stopping. They’re not going to stop.” “There’s got to be a way to reverse the spell,” insists Sam. “There is,” says Brennan, “but the book is in a safe in my shop, they won’t let me near it; it’s been a nightmare.” “So you can see the fairies?” asks Sam. “Yes,” nods Brennan.
The red ski capped man is pursuing Dean to very scary music. Dean hides and jumps the man he thinks is chasing him, yelling, “What do you want, you fairy?” as he drags him down. The man’s wife and kids gather around them, along with other disapproving townspeople. Dean realizes that he has mistakenly tackled a little person, a high-ranking family man in this town, and knows he’s in serious trouble.
Rounding the corner, trying to get Dean on the phone, Sam is assuring Brennan that he and Dean will cover him, reverse the ritual. Seeing his brother being placed into a squad car, Sam asks, “Dude, what happened? What am I supposed to do?” “Fight the fairies!” calls Dean, even after he’s in the back of the car. “You fight those fairies! Fight the fairies!!!”
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Jail – The sheriff, baffled, gazes at Dean in his cell, trying to understand what kind of hate crime this was. “It wasn’t a hate crime,” says Dean. “If this guy was a full-size homosexual, would that be OK with you?” asks the lawman. Dean assures him he doesn’t hate any size person, gay or straight. He isn’t gay, says the sheriff, as it happens, but he is the DA of the county, and runs a tight ship. He’s done well for himself, says Dean, considering his–er, the tough economic times–good for him. “Son, you are all kinds of messed up,” says the sheriff, and walks off.
Brennan and Sam go to the clockmaker’s shop, where all the fairies are zonked out on cream, which acts on them like tequila. Sam’s got a gun. Brennan takes the book from the safe and begins the reverse ritual, speaking in what sounds a lot like Hebrew. Someone shoots Brennan in the heart with an arrow–Wayne Whittaker Jr.! Turns out he’s the leprechaun, and since Brennan went back on his deal, he’s dead. “You weren’t very clear on the terms,” says Sam. “I told him there was a price,” says Wayne, “once we come, we come to stay.” “So you take first-borns,” says Sam, “then what? You just sit back while they cover up the abductions for you with crazy UFO crap, which you help encourage, naturally–nice con. But, your cover’s blown now–WAYNE.” “To who?” asks the leprechaun–“Brennan’s dead. Your brother? he’s marked–been to the ranch–he’s ours now.” “Yeah, there’s me,” says Sam. “But you can only see me if I let you,” points out Wayne, appearing and disappearing as Sam swings around, aiming and re-aiming his gun. “True,” says Sam, “but you’ll have to get near me eventually, “and I have very good reflexes.” “You’re not like the rest of them, are ya?” asks Wayne. “Nope,” says Sam. “I could see that, right off,” says Wayne, “you’re missin’ a certain piece, right in the center, ain’t ya?” “Says who?” asks Sam. “We fairy folk, we’re all about energy,” says Wayne, “and the human soul gives off a perfume–your soul is far away but not completely out of reach.” “That so,” says Sam. “I can get it back for ya,” claims the leprechaun, “for a price.” “That’s adorable,” says Sam, “it’s locked in a box with the devil.” “Your devil, not mine,” says Wayne. “There’s no freakin’ way a leprechaun can do what angels cannot,” insists Sam. “Angels!” laughs Wayne–“oh, please, I’m talkin’ about REAL magic, sonny, from MY side of the fence, our way of gettin’ in back doors!” “So you’re my blue fairy?” says Sam–“you can make me a real boy again?” “If you wish upon a star,” smiles Wayne. “Yeah, I got a wish,” says Sam, and shoots the leprechaun, who reacts, in pain for a moment, and says, “Not a deal-breaker” before disappearing.
In Dean’s cell, he sits, head bowed. Turning, he finds his cellmate is the man with the red ski cap, who pats him on the back, then shoves him against the bars of the cell.
Back in the watchmaker’s shop, Wayne is beating the crap out of Sam, hitting him with a Shillelagh, punching him into tables and against walls.
Red cap fairy (who is an evil fairy) is beating up Dean pretty well, too, but abruptly disappears, leaving him briefly alone in the cell–until he reappears again.
“Come on, Lad,” coaxes Wayne, “you’ve already taken your best shot.” Sam discards the gun and agrees, “I’m done shootin’. So do me a favor, and count this.” He opens a salt round and pours it on the floor. “Damn! Oh, no!” whispers Wayne in consternation, bending down. “Why didn’t I do that earlier,” gasps Sam as the leprechaun drops his Shillelagh, kneels and begins to count the grains of salt, one at a time. This gives Sam plenty of time to read aloud the reversal spell, causing the red-capped man to disappear just as he’s about to smash his foot into Dean’s skull. The tiny watchmakers whoosh into non-existence, followed by Wayne. Spent, Dean drops his head to the cell floor, nose bleeding, lip swelling.
Impala, near the crop circles – Dean offers Sam a beer from their cooler, which he refuses. Seated on top of the Impala, Dean raises his beer bottle. “Here’s to the tiniest DA, he’s droppin’ the charges,” toasts Dean. “Little Big Man,” echoes Sam. “You think Lucky Charms really could’ve returned soul to sender?” asks Dean. “It’s crazy to think,” says Sam, “he did talk a good game, though.” “You said no–why?” asks Dean. “It was a deal,” says Sam, “when’s a deal ever been a good thing?” “I’m just tryin’ to figure out how it works in there,” says Dean, indicating Sam’s head. “Dude, I do still have all my brain cells,” says Sam, “if anything, my brain works better now.” “Just making sure that’s where your head is at,” says Dean, “that you’re not having second thoughts about gettin’ your soul back.” “No,” says Sam. “You’re not, are you?” asks Dean. “No,” says Sam,” but it’s hard to read whether or not his battered face is telling the truth or not.Â
Thank you for your review, who ever wrote it, Robin?, Alice? I don`t know. I had a hard time understanding all of the conservation, specially the brothers. The J`s are so much tuned in in their talk and since Sam is making word caprioles I am lost without the script of their words, specially their scenes with each other, what makes me 100 times more alert because I want to read their state mind WITH each other. I need to know more.
And I even stopped sentences by sentences to try. My daughter was sitting with me and even with her we couldn`t not fully understand (my english knowledge is not good enough) So I am waiting for your rambles, specially the review of their words, they spoke. There is so much in the words and its important. Specially with Sam nowadays, because we as viewers don`t get a look in his essence (it isn`t there, its only a thinking, physical shell)
…and to nr 6)
Yeah I think Sam equals getting his soul back = not a good thing. He is all logical now no feelings, and Dean is trying but caught in his own pain. SO he can`t deliver the message having a soul is a good thing. Right now Dean has to think about every word what comes into his mind, what he wants to say to Sam, “Samoccio” is feeling no pain, no loss, he thinks of himself he`s feeling well. I don`t know what it needs to make Sam wanting his soul back. Sam wouldn`t even mourn Dean when something would happen to him, so I have no idea for Sam what can drive him to the wants to get his very essence back. Sam can`t get hurt by any words, by any punches and he is not scared of anything. I don`t know how Sam would want to change his mind getting back all the pain and suffering HE HAS ENDURED.
Hello all, I’ve been a long time lurker on this terrific site but thought I’d brave a posting today! I loved this episode, it’s the first one (other than Weekend at B) that I watched again immediately. Laughed so much! Oh, by the way, I think the spell was in Irish – hard to be sure because of the pronunciation but definitely heard the word “Agus” meaning “and” a few times. This season isn’t available over here yet so it’s great to have this site so I can see what other fans are thinking 🙂
Hi Robin
5800 words…you’re amazing Robin. I don’t know where you find the time.
I’m very worried about Sam and Dean’s relationship. I really hate this soulless Sam storyline. However with Dean being Jiminy (parent/teacher) and Sam being Pinocchio (child/student) it made it a little easier to take, even made it more enjoyable.
The issue of Sam having sex, while Dean was missing, did bring out Sam’s lack of concern, but without any emotion I actually understood his reasons. Sam may not feel things on a emotional level but he still feels things on a physical one. So I would imagine he still gets physical urges that he would need to relieve. Plus with the man never being able to sleep, what better way to free up some spare time than with some physical exercise.
I’m not sure about Sam’s Sedona AZ comment, but Dean’s ‘pewterific’ made it sound that maybe Sedona produces pewter or sells a lot of it there.
Not much of a believer in Fairies, however I do like the images of them. As for believing in another existence other than our own, I do. I’m not a fanatic about it, but I do believe.
I loved the X-Files and enjoyed the homage to it, same with Close Encounter. However the micro-waving of the fairy reminded me of Gremlins.
I thought Castiel was going to be in this, but on the second watch I noticed they didn’t have starring Misha Collins, they just showed his name.
I think if Dean wants Sam to get his soul back then he needs to tone down the negativity of having one. However I really do sympathise with Dean with dealing with constant questions and having to explain everything to Sam. He’s going to start getting impatient and just tell Sam to accept things instead of trying to make them appealing.
Q1: I’m going to go with the Stones when they said ‘You can’t always get what you want but if try sometime, you’ll find, you get what you need.’ I needed this episode. (Ooooh, I was in a bad place last week, a bad, bad, place…)
I can’t clap (broken shoulder) and I couldn’t laugh (5.30am viewing and didn’t want to wake the house) but I could smile, a lot. So I did. A lot!
Q2. Honestly, I don’t think so. Despite the constant getting women’s numbers and (very) occasional random hook-ups, I don’t think Dean jumped on everything in sight. His daddy (my John) raised him with more respect for women than that. The few times we’ve seen him with a woman, it’s been more about emotional connection, whereas the few times we’ve seen Sam, it’s been more about raw passion and release.
I think Dean prefers the chase more than the catch. It’s cute, and contrary to what we’d expect from him given his outward behaviour. Many layers does our Dean have.
Oh, and show, even when Sam has his soul back, can you still let him get laid? Please and thanks.
Q3. I can’t (so I won’t!) Sorry, I’ve no clue. Seemed like there were a lot of ‘in’ jokes in this episode.
Q4. Like I said, I’m a Mulder. I’d rather believe and be proved wrong than not believe.
Where I live, there are two fairy rings nearby. They’re basically patches of land (inside in these huge fields) where the ground is more raised and shaded and this is where the fairies live (well, before they all emigrated because of the recession!) It’s meant to be wicked bad luck to disturb them so people don’t. The farmers cordon off that small patch of land and plant around it, they won’t plough over it because they won’t ‘risk’ it. It’s amazing to see these huge, bare fields after they’ve been cut and there’s one large clump of tall, dark grass just popping out of the middle of it. (There’s also a set of ‘wishing stones’ there which is kinda cool.)
I won’t even walk over them; I’d always go around. Might be crap but better safe than sorry, eh?
Q5. I don’t watch a lot of TV. I tend to pick one show and stick to it. X-Files first, then Lost (before it got all Dallas dream sequencey) and now SPN. I loved the X-Files reference because I got them but I am occasionally confused about other popular culture references. I’d to look up ‘Dexter’…
Q6. I don’t think Dean is in the best place to try to coax Sam into getting his soul back, to be honest. Would you want a manic depressive trying to talk you down off a ledge? Dean is barely holding things together himself; he can’t take the responsibility of Sam’s soul on top of that.
In relation to Sam changing his mind; I don’t quite understand why Sam said last week that he wanted his soul back. Logically, why would he want it? Is he basing it on memories or on what he actually wants or on what he thinks Dean wants? Does he want his soul back because he believes Castiel over Crowley and thinks his soul is still in the Pit and that Lucifer might use it?
I’m assuming Sam has spent a good bit of time thinking about it and could he come up with justification for wanting his soul back? What’s it brought him so far? Pain, misery, loss, suffering and betrayal. Having no soul has made him into what Dean and John always wanted him to be, the consummate hunter. Bobby thinks it, Sam thinks it, Samuel thinks it. Why would he want to lose that and exchange it for suffering? Honestly, if I were Sam and I had the whole loss of soul thing going on, I’d be boxing that fecking thing up and sending it off to the middle of nowhere, no return address.
In relation to the end scene, Sam’s lying. Dean knows Sam’s lying. Sam knows that Dean knows he’s lying. So in a very warped sense, they have an honest relationship (ok, it’s a stretch, but still….)
I was just thinking, it has to be confusing as hell for Sam right now. He comes back from the Pit, basically clueless, and has to create a mask to let him function in society. He’s dishonest with Dean because he feels that’s what Dean wants, Dean tells him to be honest, which he is, then Sam realises that Dean probably liked him better when he was dishonest and then Dean encourages him to be dishonest. I mean, wtf??? These two need to have Jasminka on speed-dial.
It seem’s as if running into cornfields is the modern day equivalent of running up the stairs. Honest to God, if I ever find myself in the middle of a cornfield there’s going to be a big Tim shaped hole right throughtout the corn where I leg it out of them (I’m also not too big on probing…)
I’m still laughing at the nipples comment. Ongoing commentary in Dean’s head: ‘Oh crap, they’re back, there’ll be probing, and I don’t have my gun and there’ll be probing. Holy crap if the fourth encounter if probing, WHAT’S THE FIFTH ENCOUNTER??? Oh Jesus, there’s going to be worse than probing! Need gun to prevent fate worse than probing…. whoa, are those nipples?’ Dean, you make me laugh!
I need to rewatch, again. Thanks, Robin.
I loved the episode and I loved the review. This was LOL funny. Sam’s lack of soul wasn’t grating for me. Also, if Dean ever stops hunting he should never even consider going into sales.
At first I thought the “pig in shoes” remark was due to censorship and I couldn’t figure out why they didn’t go with mud, even though that wouldn’t be close enough to the normal version. Later I realized it was a hint as to what Wayne was. After all elves and shoemakers go together in fairy tales.
I did think that the fairy that Dean microwaved was Nipples. They were very clear that she was naked, so that made sense.
I find it interesting that in Weekend at Bobby’s the CRD that Bobby captured called Crowley “Lucky the Leprechaun”. At the time it was taken as her being ignorant of the fact that Crowley was supposed to be Scottish, but Leprechauns are from Ireland. Now I’m wondering is Crowley is not your average demon. He became very powerful, very quickly for a man who didn’t wish for power, fame or wealth, but only for 3 inches. I’m probably wrong, but I find that 2 mentions of Leprechauns and the knowledge that they can possibly get into Hell by other means interesting.
Finally, I wonder about Dean being “marked” and Wayne saying “he belongs to us now”. My impression of belonging to the Faye is that getting out of that situation is harder than just having them disappear for a while.
Great review, Robin!
Maybe I can clear up at least one thing that seems to be puzzling everyone: Sedona is known as a center for new-age-type tourism. It was the site of a “Harmonic Convergence” gathering, and supposedly has a number of power vortices in the red rocks around the area. I have no idea about “pewterific,” unless pewter has some power like crystals (I have seen a lot of pewter figurines in tourist shops.)
I think Dean was exclaiming that the little bright light had nipples, not calling a name (he was, it appeared, astonished at the finding.)
And it took me a while to figure out that (maybe) the red-capped figure following Dean was a garden gnome! (Considering how anvilicious the show tends to be, they can also sometimes be *too* subtle…)
And, while the episode didn’t make me clap my hands, it did make me giggle throughout, and laugh out loud all the way through the commercial break after the microwave “incident,” so I call that a win!
That’s “nipples,” Robin. Dean was noticing that “Tinkerbell” had nipples. (Probably the first thing I’d notice as well.)
I got pretty well all the references except the red cap guy so I googled it and here’s what I found…
“A Red Cap or Redcap, also known as a powrie or dunter, is a type of malevolent murderous dwarf, goblin, elf or fairy found in Border Folklore.”
Those Supernatural writers really do their research, don’t they? 😉
I want to thank everyone for their input. I honestly wasn’t able to tell whether Dean was saying “nipples” or “nibbles”, and just tossed a coin and laded on nibbles. (Imagine how funny it would have sounded if I’d written “I landed on nipples?) When Dean told Sam she had nipples, that should have clued me in. (Robin knocks side of her head with side of her hand for not catching the obvious.)
There was SO MUCH in this ep! Brother stuff, fairy stuff, honors to CLOSE ENCOUNTERS and X-FILES, soul stuff, sex stuff, angst, humor–I really had a tough time keeping up with it all!
Yes, SPN writers do their research, which forces ME to do some, and I HATED research in high school and college, damn it!
Love,
Robin
Long-time reader, first-time poster:
Percysowner brings up an interesting point – in some stories Fairyland is equated with Purgatory albeit in the more traditional religious sense as Heaven’s waiting-room as opposed an all-purpose monster’s afterlife as it seems to be in Supernatural this season. In the Scottish Ballad “Thomas the Rhymer”, for example, the way to fairyland is said to lay betwixt the roads to Righteousness (Heaven) and Wickedness (Hell).
In another Scottish Ballad “Tam-Lin” the Faery Queen is said to pay a tithe of a single mortal soul to Hell every seven years. This is significant because, as I mentioned earlier, according to traditional Christianity only those with mortal sins unrepented go to Hell while Heaven is reserved for Saints and martyrs with all others being consigned to wait in purgatory until Judgment Day…
I don’t know if we’ll be seeing Wayne or his kind again, but it does make you think doesn’t it?
First time poster! I enjoyed this episode so much, Dean was really hilarious! It’s great to have a bit of comic relief in between serious episodes
I think the spell was in Irish, definitely heard ‘agus’ and ‘seo’ at the end of the spell. Then again, I might be wrong, pronunciation might be a bit off too (like ‘Samhain’ in the halloween episode).
I really liked the fact there was no ‘Irish’ accent for the Leprauchan because it’s always done awfully (like ‘top of the morning’ awful) so well done to SN on that!
Agree with Yume about RoboSam’s initial sincerity about wanting his soul back; being a “robo”, Sam is responding to his programing (memory) that he should go back being the original Sam, and he’s imprinted on Dean so he’s doing what Dean wants, which is getting his brother back. However, given that Dean is doing a very piss-poor job of selling the soul idea (suffering and “wussified dew-eye crap”) RoboSam’s logic is gradually taking over the original programing and it’s little wonder that two episodes later the new!Sam has become a separate individual to the original Sam.
Sedona, Arizona has become something of a new-Age tourist spot so I think that’s where Sam’s insult came from.