Recap – “In My Time of Dying”
I’ve been dying to do this retro recap for a very long time. This episode gives a recapper so much to work with! My last two were “Salvation” and “Devil’s Trap,” so now it’s time to look at the first season ending/second season beginning, third part of this gripping trilogy. Let’s take a close look at “In My Time of Dying.”
Since this is the season two opener, there’s a nifty season opening classic rock montage that gives a nice summary of season one to Ted Nugent’s “Strangehold.” Growing up in the metropolitan Detroit area, Mr. Nugent’s hometown as well, I listened to that song almost daily for a long time. I got freaking sick of it. Still, it rocks here. It’s a really long jam song and the shortened version in this montage improves it. It goes to prove, too much Ted Nugent is not a good thing.
Alright, so let’s see…where did we leave off with “Devil’s Trap?” Oh, right, NOOOOO!!!!! Not the Impala!!!! Why oh why???? Not the car!!! It’s not fair!!!
Ahem. My totally crushed insides try not to focus on the mangled wreck of once beautiful steel and instead throw concern to the three bloodied and unconscious occupants inside. Priorities, priorities…My God, how’s the Impala going to recover from this???? Kripke wouldn’t kill the car, would he? Right, focus. Evil demon behind the wheel of the semi-truck that plowed into them gets out and goes to the driver side door, then PULLS IT OFF! Nooooo! There I go breaking into horrified sobs again. What did the car do to deserve this? She was so”Β¦not young.
Deep breaths…okay, back to injured Winchesters. Here’s a bonus. “Bad Moon Rising” is still playing, letting us know at least the Impala radio still works. She’s got that going for her at least. Yeah, but you can’t drive a car radio! (Inconsolable sobbing). Okay, okay. Sam wakes up while the demon comes over and preps the colt for firing. Yikes, Sammy looks even worse now that when his face was turned into hamburger last episode. That is one outstanding makeup job, making pretty like that look so bad.
The door drops to the ground (**whimper**) and Sam is pointing the colt right at the trucker demon, looking pretty mean under all that blood and the fact that he’s immobile in the driver’s seat. He tells the demon to get back or he’ll kill him, “swear to God.” Yeah, like the demon is scared. “You won’t. You’re saving that bullet for someone else,” the demons boasts. This is when we learn that Sam is a good bluffer, which comes in handy around season five or so. He cocks the gun and points it with his one working arm. “You want to bet?” Wow, he grew a pair over the summer break. I know, he’s mad about the car.
The demon gives up and goes expelling in the thick cloud of black smoke into the sky. Sam enjoys a small bit of relief by uncocking (is that a word?) the gun and relaxing, while the now un-possessed dude sees the carnage. “Did I do this?” He asks. Yes, you destroyed a freaking priceless 1967 Impala!! You weak bastard! Sam gets out and kicks his ass to the curb. Okay, no. We surmise the guy goes for help while Sam checks on John first. Nope, still out. Then he calls out to Dean. He looks dead. Sam gives a wailing “Dean!” before we fade into the next shot.
This is a Kim Manners directed episode, and I personally think it’s one of the best ones he did for “Supernatural,” possibly his entire career. I’m going to be pointing out in detail his especially great scenes. I really love how this next part opens. The screen fades to white, indicating it’s daylight now. There’s a giant round light in the middle. As the camera slowly focuses, we see it’s a rescue helicopter hovering above. The bright light fades behind the copter and it looks heavenly the way it’s lit up hanging in the sky like that. What a cool effect.
The paramedics have strapped a still unconscious Dean to a backboard and are using terms like “unresponsive” as they rush him to a copter first. John is hauled off next with his own neck brace and he’s out of it too, but they’re not shouting things about him too frantically. Next is Sam on his stretcher and he has a neck brace too for precaution, not to mention the hamburger damage to his face is now covered in gauze, but he’s very much awake. “Tell me if they’re okay!” He demands. He’s told by the paramedic to stay still. You’re telling a hysterical 6′ 4″ ginormo to stay still? Seriously? You’re lucky he doesn’t hulk out on you guys. Sam shouts now, “Are they even alive?!” We’re about to find that out.
There’s a long hospital corridor, and we’re getting the long view thanks to a low shot (I’m serious about raving over the directing. Kim Manners makes me want to be one!). Next thing Dean pops awake. He’s in a hospital bed, but he isn’t attached to any sort of wires or nothing. There’s also no one around. Eerie. He’s in a white t-shirt and blue hospital pants, walking around in bare feet. Ah, the simple pleasures in life. Less layers is always better. Much better.
Dean walks through the corridor not seeing anyone and calls out for Sam and Dad. Now the long view of the corridor is from the top. Love it! There’s a view of a staircase from the bottom and this staircase is iconic. It’s been in so many Vancouver based shows and was even in season one’s “Scarecrow” I believe. The shot is off angle, which is our clue that something is amiss. It closes in slowly on Dean as he moves down the stairs, still off angle from the bottom up. The giant windows behind him light up the scene just perfectly, as if he’s in a different realm. So perfect!
What an utterly fantastic review Alice!! I especially loved your utter concern regarding the car !! You have your priorities straight indeed. You made me cry from laughing! Long live the Impala!
Kim Manners directing was phenomenal and heart rending indeed. He really knew how to pull off those emotional moments and could convey the brothers feelings with no dialogue like no other. Wish he was still with us.
This episode was very special indeed. (the no layered look was much appreciated by these eyes in the shallow end of the pool). Sam’s love for his big brother really came through and contrasts so much with RoboSam’s soulless
attitude which hurts like hell to see.
Alice I always love to read your reviews especially the retro ones. You are right that some things just have a different perspective if you look at it with the knowledge of now 6 and a half seasons.
I extremly enjoy how you describe your feelings while watching it and all those snarky comments. Keep bringing those retro recaps on.
Great recap, Alice! This is one of my fave episodes, too. Love the camera work. Love how all three say so much with expressions, even when there are no lines. Come to think of it, these two could pull off an entire episode, I think, with no dialogue at all, but this one did stand out. Makes me want to go watch it again… now.
My goodness – I really thought I was over crying through this episode but just your review made me bawl like a baby.
I mean, who could get past the wrecked and battered, broken body of the shows main hero?
Hopefully we’ll get a retro-review showing how that hot guy got all sweaty putting my heroic baby back together again!
Oh yeah, the rest of that show was pretty heart wrenching too .. I mean someone died right? Not just my car huh?
-RIP Kim Manners –
Thanks for the review though I’m already on Prozac due to the @$@! postponement till NEXT Friday πΏ
Once again Alice, you come thru with a great recap of a great episode.
‘Not the Impala’. π π
‘Kripke wouldn’t kill the car, would he?’ π Well, since we now know that he has killed Sam and Dean numerous times, then the ‘death’ of the Impala shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. And like her boys, she returns badder than ever. π
Sam was ‘mad about the car’, silly me, I thought he was protecting his brother and his father. Thank you for opening up my eyes to the truth. π
The good old days when Sam and Dean LOVED EACH OTHER. Please Sera and Co, now that Sam has his soul back, can we get some brotherly love?
please please please with sugar on top.
Whatever happened to Sam’s abilities?? All he had later on were demon exorcisms with his magic hand and nose bleeds. π
I loved the scene where John and Sam are talking. John lies to Sam about not knowing about the YED plans for Sam and the other ‘special children’, and Ghost!Dean calls ‘bulls**t’.
Then there is the scene where Bobby is talking about the Impala, but Sam is thinking about Dean. Poor Impala, poor Dean, poor Sammy.
Is it just me or was Bobby reacting more as a father to Sam then John? John’s priority was more geared towards the YED then it was towards Dean. Okay, he did get Dean’s health back, but then he just puts this great amount of stress on Dean with his ‘order’ to kill Sam. So he does a ‘good’ thing (so to speak) by trading his life for his son, but then he does a really f**ked up thing, by putting this weight on his son’s (very broad) shoulders.
‘Sam Winchester open arms of annoyance’ π Also seen when he (and us) finally learn what John whispered in Dean’s ear. How about calling them the ‘Sam Winchester open arms of being pissed off’?
Even as a ghost, Dean has to mediate between his brother and father.
Another one of my favorite scenes, is when Dean saves himself from the reaper while Sam watches. Even though he is near death, Dean still tries to reassure his baby brother that he is not going anyway. Then Sam is like ‘Dean is that you’. Sera this is what I am talking about: BROTHERLY LOVE.
Of course, seeing how calm Tessa is with her ‘being a spirit’, we can tell that she is acting for Dean’s benefit. She is trying to get his defenses down, but he realizes that she is too calm. Smart!Ghost!Dean. π π
Alice, I loved the Ouija board scene. π π BROTHERLY LOVE.
Just a thought: Whatever happened to John’s journal??
When Young!John cuts his palm in ‘Song remains the Same’, I think it was a callback to John cutting his palm in this episode.
All the foreshadowing that is in this one episode:
Sam telling his father to go to Hell. We come to find out that all the Winchester men will go to Hell.
The doctor telling Dean that he has an angel watching over him. Hello Castiel. Also, what Mary told her oldest son.
What we thought was the first deal with YED, was really the second. Mary f**ked up the natural order by making a deal to bring John back to life. Funny, that the character that didn’t live past the pilot (she didn’t even make it to the first commercial break), is the reason that we are all here.
If Mary hadn’t made that first deal, think of the possiblities. Would she had continued hunting? Maybe joining up with Bobby and/or Rufus? Then again what about the fight between Lucifer and Michael, would that had occured without Sam and Dean Winchester?
You have to love the ‘what ifs’.
Anyway, Alice great recap. I loved it so much that now I am going to get my season 2 DVD and relive this wonderful episode. Thank you. π
So, I take it you like this episode then? I love it, but for some reason it never makes my top ten. Not that it isn’t good, it’s just this show is a riches of good! Okay, here’s a slight spoiler just for you (and anyone else who bothers to read these comments). John’s journal makes an appearance in the next episode, 6.12. A key appearance.
Great recap!
“Sam pulls out from the backseat his season one Dell laptop with the awesome symbol”. Yes, the symbol that is in the background of the an awesome site “the winchester family business” π
“You know the truth, right? About Sammy and the other children?Γ’β¬Β John Γ’β¬ΕYeah, IΓ’β¬β’ve known for a while.Γ’β¬Β You bastard! Tell your children! Tell me! Oh right, we figure it out 21 episodes later.”…. hehe one of the longest time we have had to wait for an answer is in episode: Home, when Mary said to Sam: “Sorry”, and we didn’t know why she said that until season 4, 4.03 “In the beginning” .
wow awesome episode and awesome recap
Awesome review Alice! Oh, the woes (tears, angst and non-verbal communication)of the Winchesters! Oh,the imperilled Impala! Oh, the single layers!!!
This is one of my all-time faves. There is just so much there. It really is a brilliant combination of writing, acting and directing.
I find that I can’t help but compare this episode to Appointment in Samarra. They are so tied together (at least in my mind).
There is the continuing chemistry of Dean and Tessa. And really, if she was human, they’d make a great pair! They’re very similar. They’re both dedicated to their jobs, in part because they believe they are doing work that, although unpleasant at times (okay, many times)needs to be done. They’re both feisty, smart and strong, but also full of compassion and empathy. And I think Tessa really likes Dean, for all he keeps messing up the natural order. That’s why she alternates between being so gentle with him, and so frustrated by him. He’s The One That Gets/Got Away. That’s a phrase we often use to describe the romantic loves we should have kept in our lives.
Both episodes also have as part of the storyline, the idea of trying to repair something that is battered and broken. In AIS the battered and broken things are Sam, Sam’s soul and Robo!Sam. In IMTOD, it’s Dean and Dean’s body. Interesting, in both cases the goal is to reunite soul to body. In IMTOD, without his soul, Dean will die. In AIS, restoring Sam’s soul could kill him.
Also, both episodes look at the issue of love and sacrifice. In AIS, Dean is willing to wear Death’s ring for a day in order to get Sam’s soul back. He’s not sure what the cost will be to him personally, but he’s willing to pay it, whatever it is. In IMTOD, John sacrifices his soul to save Dean, although I don’t think that’s what he originally had in mind, when he summoned the Yellow-Eyed Demon.
I have also always thought it intriguing that the writers chose to make Dean’s line “You haven’t called a soul for help”. Dean could have said “you haven’t called anyone” but it doesn’t carry the same weight. He meant something very definite when he talked about calling a soul for help. Perhaps foreshadowing the power of souls?
In fact IMTOD really highlights the soul and how it defines us, and acts our moral compass. It’s Dean’s soul that is walking around while his body lies in a coma. And Dean’s soul is very much HIM. He still wants to protect his family; still acts as a mediator between his Dad and Sam; still continues to hunt and fight in every way he can; and is still heartbreakingly funny and snarky, tragic and vulnerable.
There’s also something niggling in my mind about the parallels between Tessa reminding Dean several times in IMTOD that he’s living on borrowed time, while in AIS she’s teaching him what happens when you screw around with the natural order.
But I don’t think it’s really Dean’s fault that he threw such a wrench in the works. In both Faith, and IMTOD he was saved by the agency of others. In Faith, it was Sam, Roy LeGrange and the spell binding the Reaper. In IMTOD, it was John’s deal with the Yellow-Eyed Demon. I think it’s significant (although I’m not sure why yet) that in both cases, Dean was willing to die naturally, but that option was taken away from him.
So, I’m musing, as I’m wont to do, could there be another Dean Winchester soul sacrifice coming this season? We know souls are powerful. We know the natural order is out of whack. We know Death has told Dean to take living, and dying more seriously. We know Sam’s soul served to stave off the Apocalypse. Perhaps Dean’s soul will be necessary to re-set the natural order, and to wipe out his debt of borrowed time.
Probably not, but fun to ponder.
I’m back from rewatching this wonderful episode, and I have a crazy thought:
Did the YED and John seal the deal with a kiss?
π π π π π π π
awwwwh, Alice, this is one of my all time favourites! I know every scene by now, every word the characters say… I don’t know how often I’ve watched this. And it still manages to make me reach for tissues. Bloody episode!
I couldn’t possibly say which scene is my favourite here, but I’ll go with John’s good-bye speech to Dean… *chokes*.
“watching” it again through your eyes was a huge pleasure. Thanks for this retro-recap!
Love Jas
P.S.: It’s a joy to see the comment section back in its pretty. Great job, lady of the site! π
Hi Alice
I just love this episode, itΓ’β¬β’s in with my top 10 favourites.
I remember watching this when it first aired and being literally glued to the TV. I felt so fortunate that this had landed on one of my nights off so I didnΓ’β¬β’t have to resort to recording it on my then Γ’β¬ΛTape Eating VCRΓ’β¬β’ player.
Ahhh Alice,
I have waited for this since a Sunday night ages and ages ago when you made a rare visit to CBOX to talk about an idea you had for writing some retro-recaps and which episodes to chose.
This is a very special for me as it was my first one. I had not seen any Tv for at least a couple of years and had just started to watch again, I bought the Season 2 Part One in a second hand shop, all I knew about the show was a distant memory of a glimpse of a trailer featuring Echo and the Bunnymens` `The Killing Moon`, and remembered thinking , `that looks interesting`, boy was I right!!
By the end of this episode I was totally and utterly hooked and have never looked back or waivered in my passion for the show.
It is one I return to again and again and it`s interesting to try and remember how different that first viewing felt. The biggest difference, I would guess, is that I had no idea just what that truck was hitting, and I do not mean our much loved boys here. Who would ever have thought you can care so much about a car! I do remember finding the episode very moving even having no investment in the story or knowledge of the characters. That also changed, and how, and now it tears me up knowing all the wheels that were set in motion here, and the implications of that whispered sentence in Deans` ear.
I am there with Dmakdavis in that I got all misty just reading your recap, how many TV shows could do that to you ?
Thank you Ju
In German Free TV aired the Epi after one and a half year break (almost two). But I was stucked from the beginning. The road so far helped to remember. It was soooo sad to watch Sam and Dean losing John. And it keept me wondering what John told Dean!
Great Review
Such a great episode! Ugh, but that 1st summer Hellatus was horrible, worrying not only about all 3 Winchester men but also the Impala. Honestly, I really was worried most about the car!
The emotional impact of this one was so powerful too. I was in tears just reading your review & remembering all those scenes, especially knowing all that has come since then.
Alice, I am new here and have watched this episode recently (try yesterday). “Watching” it through your eyes made it all the more entertaining.
When I first watched this episode, I too went absolutely bezerk when the Impala got smashed. It rbought tears to my eyes thinking about how that could be my baby someday. π I hope I’m not in her when it happens. That sounds dirty… Eeek.
This episode doesn’t make my all time faves list either and it’s the same reason as yours but I am rethinking that stance after reading your recap.
I also realize how much I miss the Sam and Dean relationship and am happy to hear that it is more than likely coming back.
On a personal note, thank you for providing a place for fangirls to come and hang out with each other. It means a lot.