Mallena’s Musings: As the Glass Shatters – Supernatural’s Bloody Good Scenes, Part One

Some of you might know that I enjoy watching a Winchester bleed, preferably while another family member is nearby.  Now, I don’t consider myself a particularly violent person.  In real life the sight of another person in pain isn’t something I relish.  I avoid confrontation, run away from fights, and abhor bullies.  Most of my favorite scenes on Supernatural, however, seem to contain pain and fear.  Go figure.

Anyways, here are some of my favorite scenes which involve bleeding Winchesters through the years.  I’m not including the times that the brothers hurt each other. I have a harder time with that.  I also won’t be able to include every bloody scene in every season, but my dear readers can add their favorite scenes to the comments section. That’ll be very welcome.

1.15 The Benders

Sam’s in a cage as he fights to stay alive long enough for Dean to save him, or vice versa, which is also great.  Sam shows that while he can be captured, it’s harder to contain or stop him for very long.

1.22 Devil’s Trap

Sam gets pummeled by a demon in a meatsuit and Dean picks him up and helps him to walk straight for a few paces.  Be still my heart.

2.01 In My Time of Dying

Dean in a hospital bed is always a pleasure.  I guess because Dean’s so tough, it’s fascinating to see him helpless.  Dean doesn’t stay in hospital beds for very long, so I enjoy it when I can.  Sam’s hospitalized quite often, but his body’s always so huge in those small beds. Visually, it’s not as satisfying.  Of course, mental hospital beds are excluded from the above comment.

2.10 Hunted

Sam and Dean really need to stop going to Vampire Slayer Gordon’s house for brunch.  They both get attacked and barely survive.  (I love you, Gordon!)

2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One

Who can resist the scene where Dean holds a deeply-stabbed-in-the-back Sam?  My tears flow as Sam’s losing consciousness and Dean struggles to keep him upright and responsive.  Our two boys, in the mud, as one bleeds out on the other’s shoulder is an important moment. Back then, that kind of scene wasn’t something that was supposed to happen. It’s shocking and emotionally raw. 

3.07 Fresh Blood

Vampire Gordon, as he is now, is not a good playmate for Sam and Dean as the blood flows in this episode.  My favorite part is Sam trying to fend off a foe that he can’t see and then taking a sharp and dangerous tool in his hands to defeat Gordon.  Ouch and ouch.

3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas

I’m trying to not only just focus on Sam’s pain, but jeez…Sam just had his fingernail ripped off with pliers.  I had to include this one.  Dean, of course, was right there with him. 

3.11 Mystery Spot

Yes, Sam’s emotional pain is wonderful to witness, but Dean makes every death count in this awesome episode.  Most of the carnage happens off camera, but watching Dean die, over and over, is a delight.

3.16 No Rest for the Wicked

Dean’s terror and pain as he’s mauled and dragged to Hell is horrible to watch.  It’s taken me awhile to be able to watch that scene without screaming myself.  Marvelous, heart wrenching performances from both leads in a brutal fight to the end.

4.01 Lazarus Rising

Finally, we get to the scene (or one of them) that inspired the title of these musings.  Every piece of glass has shattered in that small and easy to rob Gas Mart.  I swear, the owner should just put up a sign that says, “We’re Open, Break & Enter. There’s Money in the Till!”  Anyway, Dean winds up prone on that broken glass.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t even pick up a piece of broken glass without cutting myself, no matter how careful I am, yet – Dean’s lying on it!  I guess every piece of that glass is safety-glass, so there’s very little blood where there should be more.  Grumble.

4.01 I Know What You Did Last Summer

Yes, there’s the epic jumping-out-of-the-chapel-window scene and there’s also a great patching-up-Sam-and-Dean scene.  This is one of those increasingly rare sightings of homestyle doctoring that brings some gruesome realism to Supernatural.  A deep, open wound should not just be shrugged off.  Needle and thread, STAT!

4.19 Jump the Shark

Adam is a great character and I’m glad that we get to see him, but the ghouls digging into Sam’s arms with knives and fingernails is the meat of the episode.  Pun intended.  I know I love Dean’s ineffectual efforts to stop the bleeding – good try, Dean – but, I don’t love the ending where Sam seems just fine instead of in the hospital getting skin grafts.

5.01 Sympathy For the Devil

One of the best Supernatural season openers contains one of the best bloody Supernatural scenes.  Between Sam’s broken legs and missing lungs, then Dean’s stomach cancer – this is one howlingly painful episode.  Don’t hurt my boys, Zachariah! Okay, maybe just hurt them a little more, please.

5.08 Changing Channels

Wonders abound in this fantastic episode, and my favorite painful scene must be when Dean’s stabbed in the back and Sam must operate on him.  What would we do without hospital sets on Supernatural?  The best worst things always seem to happen in a hospital.

5.13 The Song Remains the Same

Now we get to the scene where Sam, like usual, gets the pointy end of the stick/rebar/pipe.  Dean, like usual, gets to watch him die. I love you, Anna, but killing Sam like that was awful!  Do it again!  I guess she can’t, since she’s gone beyond.

5.18 Point of No Return

Oh, my poor bleeding brothers.  Adam and Sam are coughing up blood and won’t last much longer. Dean has an agonizing choice to make. The scenes in that white room with Angel Zach are also among my most cherished.

Okay, I must stop here.  I know, I’m a quitter.  It’s just that there are too many great bloody scenes in season five! They must be remembered and written about, but I can’t keep typing much longer before my own fingers start bleeding.  I’ll continue this article soon, I promise.  Part Two to follow…

—Mallena

Help me out by adding your favorite bloody scenes in Supernatural‘s first five seasons through 5.18! You can just describe the scene if you want, without pictures… but visuals get bonus points! Comments on my choices are also welcome! 

Read more of my musings, including episode reviews and holiday specials, on WFB’s Writers’ Page!