Recap – “Fallen Idols”
They’re interested in Abe Lincoln and James Dean. Doofus mentions there are regulars for them, and Dean asks about the two dead guys. Doofus is worried that will get mention in the article. Doesn’t this guy know ghost stories bring in visitors? He should be playing this. Sam assures him no. Dean mentions how lifelike Lincoln is that he can imagine him moving around. He asks doofus if he’s seen anything like that. Hey, this guy might be a doofus, but he ain’t stupid. “Uh, no.” Sam tries to find out what’s unique about the place. Apparently, they have Abe’s real hat. Dean mentions it’s like his remains and now doofus thinks Dean is on something. They have James Dean’s keychain, Gandhi’s bifocals, FDR’s iron lung, and he’s wearing Fonzie’s leather jacket. “Oh, that’s really cool, ish,” Sam says. Way lighten up Sam! Now you’re playing along. It’s doofus’ attempt to attract the kids, aka Gen Y. With Fonzie’s jacket? That wouldn’t even get Gen X there. Maybe Conan O’Brien, but he would eventually blow it up.
Sam is loading guns with rock salt from the trunk of the Impala, and he’s trying to look inconspicuous. No, there’s nothing suspicious about a very large man loading weapons in the trunk of a classic car at night. Then again, this is Canton I suppose, where nothing seems strange. Sam closes the trunk and enters the motel room, where Dean is talking on the phone. He’s talking about Abraham Lincoln and James Dean to Bobby. “Why go kill crazy? I don’t know, maybe the apocalypse got them all hot and bothered. Yeah well, we all know whose fault that is. Sorry, but it’s true.”
Sam takes offense and slams the door to let Dean know he’s there. Dean hangs up and lets Sam know its Bobby. Sam asks “and…” and Dean says nothing else. “So we’re just going to pretend I didn’t hear what I just heard.” Dean is nonchalant, telling him to pretend or don’t pretend. “This is supposed to be a fresh start Dean.” “Well, this is about as fresh as it gets.” Dean grabs his coat and asks Sam if they’re going or not. Sam pauses to give us one of his trademark angry sighs.
Hmm, I don’t know, but this seems, off. I’m trying to avoid being over-analytical about things, but Dean’s avoidance here isn’t abnormal. He’s avoided talking about the issue before. I’ve read some suggestions where Dean wasn’t talking just about Sam in that statement. He could have been talking about both of them and Sam took that the wrong way. Hey, that’s possible. However, all Dean could have said is “it’s not what you think.” He didn’t though, so I’m taking his behavior to just be some heightened drama for the episode.
Meanwhile, back at the wax museum. You know, after “Mystery Spot,” wouldn’t they have learned their lessons about breaking into museums at night? Dean grabs Lincoln’s hat and tries to be funny. Sure, Sam’s in a pissy mood, but I didn’t laugh at that either. Dean isn’t sure why Sam isn’t having fun with this, Sam just wants to torch the objects and leave. Dean goes off to fetch “East of Eden’s” keychain. Don’t worry, my husband didn’t get the reference either. It’s one of James Dean’s films. I’m wondering why he didn’t say “Giant.” That was a more popular film. I’m also wondering why we didn’t see wax James Dean. I’m assuming they couldn’t get rights to use his likeness.
Sam waits and the creepy score comes on. He stares down Abraham Lincoln, and I’m assuming this is supposed to be the scary part. Like we’re expecting Honest Abe to come to life. Instead, the door slams shut and he gets fog breath. This would have been scarier if he was attacked right away after staring down Abe. After a few seconds of anticipation, his shotgun goes flying and he’s jumped by Gandhi. This part is actually kind of funny, watching that small man take on the Ginormotron. Kind of. Gandhi jumps on his back and grabs him by the neck. Sam slams him against the wall to get him off, and they circle each other before Gandhi manages to grab his neck from behind again. It’s another Sam choking! You know, even though it happens a million times, it never gets old. Nobody does being choked better than Jared.
Dean arrives and takes a few seconds instead of jumping into action to ask Sam if that’s Gandhi. “The dude is squirrely.” He’s also choking your brother to death asshole, do something! Dean notices the wax figure is still there. Sam tries to tell him to get the glasses in between the gasping for air. Just as his eyes roll to the back of his head, Dean burns the glasses and Gandhi disappears. As Sam recovers, Dean looks at him with disgust. “You couldn’t have been a fan of someone cool?”
They’re back at the motel, and I swear it’s the same one they used for “Something Wicked.” Outside anyway. They’re packing. Dean’s ready to go, but Sam isn’t so sure their work is done. He thinks it’s strange Gandhi just vanished. “No screaming, no big flame out, that isn’t the way ghosts usually go.” Dean doesn’t care, he went away. There’s something else bothering Sam. He thinks Gandhi was trying to take a bite out of him. He’s reluctant to tell Dean why that’s odd, since Dean is being very quick with the ridicule. He tells Dean the real Gandhi was a fruitarian, and yes, Dean laughs. We get a Sam bitchface out of that! Oh how I missed those. “Let me get this straight. Your ultimate hero was not only a short man in diapers, but he was also a fruitarian?” Shut up Dean, here him out!
Sam tries to get his point across while Dean keeps mocking. He doesn’t think this is over. Dean admits it was a “weirdly supercharged fruitarian ghost” but it was still a ghost. They’re going. Sam protests. “So first you drag me into town and now you’re dragging me back out.” Dean, still in arrogant jerk mode (??? I don’t get it either) says, “You ain’t steering this boat. Let’s go, chop, chop.” Sam’s buttons were pushed. He tells Dean this isn’t going to work. Dean needs clarification. “Us, you, me together. I thought it could, but it can’t.” Dean points out Sam was the one who wanted back in, and Sam points out Dean was the one who called him back in. Dean admits, “I still think we’ve got some trust building to do.” “How long am I going to be on double secret probation?” Sam asks. For the three of you that are confused, that’s an Animal House reference.
Dean says until he says so. Not the right answer! Sam keeps going with the brutal honesty. “Look, I know what I did, what I’ve done, and I’m trying to climb out of that hole, I am, but you’re not making it easier.” Man, you can say that again! Dean wonders if Sam thinks he should just let him off the hook. Sam says no, he deserves it and even worse. “You’ll never punish me as much as I’m punishing myself. The point is, if we’re going to be a team, you and I, it has to be a two way street.” “So we just go back to the way we were before?” Dean asks. Sam says no. “Because we were never that way before. Before didn’t work. How do you think we got here?”
Dean doesn’t understand, so Sam explains. “Dean, one of the reasons I went off with Ruby (pause), was to get away from you. It made me feel strong, like I wasn’t your kid brother.” “Are you saying this is my fault?” Dean asks, not getting the point. “No, it’s my fault,” explains Sam. “All I’m saying that is if we’re going to do this, we have to do it different. We can’t fall into the same rut.” Dean asks what Sam wants him to do. “You’re going to have to let me grow up for starters.” Dean can’t react to that, for his phone rings. It seems the case isn’t done after all. I’ll react to that. Way to go Sam for finally standing up for yourself! It’s about friggin time. Will it sink in??? I have no idea.
I have to admit, Sam a la Horation Caine was dead-on. The expression, everything. It’s like a young Horatio! 😯 Fantastic, Jared.
I’m wondering if Sam plays out McDreamy in a la Grey’s Anatomy scene? Because of the girl slapping him.
For some – not really strange – reason, I always enjoy Dean rolling down on a car to examine it. Very macho, despite the fact he was scared in this (who wouldn’t be!). Ah, I can see him after the Apocalypse, two-and-a-half kids (in Jared’s words), and working as a mechanic. Makes sense after he was raised from Hell. Maybe Castiel will visit on advice for his Delorean (ha!).
All in all, I was entertained by this episode. Not every one has to be angsty and dark. If it entertains, it’s done its job alright! I experienced a rush of glee at watching Paris Hilton beheaded. Dreams do come true!
I gotta say, I love Dean’s reaction at Sam’s ‘Just the end of the world’, and Sam’s after being drilled ‘where the sun is shining’ (has Dean said something like it? I’m pretty sure he has – it gets me giggling!). I’m so looking forward to the next episodes. And yes, Castiel, you have been missed. It would have been funnier if he had mimicked Horatio, come to think of it. Priceless. Angels and jackpots.
And by the way, it doesn’t look like Sam and Dean watching something burn in the warehouse – it’s more like they have trapped someone with Castiel’s ‘vinaigrette’ – ha! Some angelic spirit, perhaps?
Ok, that was way funnier than the actual thing. Thanks again, Alice, and good luck with the ch53 HD woes. Cute as Sam is in scrubs, you really want your friendly neighborhood medical examiner around if you’re looking for cause of hemorrhage. Maybe they just couldn’t budget another guest. Sorry, I’m a physician, I tend to get OCD about that stuff. And yeah, Sam’s lingering squeamishness doesn’t make a lick of sense at this point (among other things in this ep) but it’s so cute, I forgive them…
I remember that pause, waiting for the Sam Huff. Like thunder after lightning. Wait for it, wait for it, there it is! Also loved the “See Paris Die” in the background of the House of Wax premiere pic, LOL
As for Sam and Dean as doctors– Grey’s or Scrubs? or something else? I’m hoping for Grey’s, Maria, just for a fun dig at the competition…
ok so it wasn’t the best episode they’ve done but i liked sam being the annoying little brother while dean was under the car “do you need a flashlight?” i liked that they finally have their own laptops and finally sam told dean to let him grow up – plus who didn’t love the house of wax crack and seeing paris die, it was the reason i saw house of wax in the first place (yes i saw it – don’t mock).
but the preview had me giggling, although it did give me a mild panic that there was going to be a break. jared’s horatio was spot on, anyone else have the feeling he may have done that more than once? but then who hasn’t, it’s kinda a running joke in our house.
Haha, Bethany, and your running jokes. 😆 Jared is quite a funny guy, so yes, now that you mention it, it makes sense he puts on the shades and does Mr. Jackpot once in a while.
I’m hoping for Grey’s too, Elena!
‘Do you need a flashlight?’ That was so priceless, I don’t know exactly why, but it was. It’s like, you expect something awful to happen, and there is lil’ ol’ Sammy, asking his ol’ bro if he needs a flashlight. And Dean’s ‘Just go’, yes, had me cracking up.