Recap – “The Real Ghostbusters”
“Well, that’s about all the community theatre I can take,” Dean says. Sam’s unnerved expression is in full agreement. “Yeah, this cannot get any weirder.” There goes Sam opening doors again. The Dean from earlier and the Sam from the Q&A are in full character mode. “Dad said I may have to kill you.” “Kill me, what the Hell does that mean?” “I don’t know.” They leave and Sam and Dean can’t take it anymore. They look at each other and in unison say, “I need a drink.” They quickly head for the bar.
A fake Sam is doing readings with a cardboard EMF reader claiming it’s going nuts. You know, I would have doctored up a walkman myself. Have you not learned from the Star Trek fandom? A woman jumps out in an old dress and announces with a monotone voice she’s mean old Leticia Gore. They buried her in the basement. The guy shoots her with a rubber dart gun and she goes, “Ow, you got me.” He wonders why she didn’t vanish into thin air. Um, yeah.
The guy is on his cell phone resolving to meet up with Dean (geez, how clever) and a real ghost of a boy appears. He begs him to “help us.” Ms. Gore won’t let them have fun. He’s a bit more spooked and then the kid does vanish. Now he’s scared and runs for his life. Once he’s safely around the corner he goes “that was aweso-” and is flung through the air upside down. He’s slammed between the bookcase and the wall several times. The real Leticia Gore shows up, vanishes and he’s let go. Hey dude, you wanted to be Sam. This happens to him all the time.
Sam and Dean are in the bar having their drink. Sam has a beer and Dean is drinking straight whiskey. Dean hits on fake Leticia Gore who’s texting on her phone. “You sure look lovely tonight, especially for a dead chick.” She’s not impressed since she’s heard that line 17 times tonight. “And all from dudes wearing the diver jackets.” Yeah babe, but you’re getting the original here. She catches onto that after looking up and seeing Dean’s smooth glance. She tells him he’s different because he isn’t scared of women. This ties into later, sort of.
Fake tossed around Sam is having a cow over his experience, claiming there was a real ghost. Real Sam and Dean are interested. They try talking to him but he says it isn’t part of the game and he’s getting out of there. They believe him because he’s not good enough of an actor to be acting. You got that right! So, while bearded dude is talking to agents Jagger and Richards, Sam and Dean do the pass real money onto the hotel clerk who tells them the ghost story is real. It really did happen 100 years ago that night for the convention folks wanted authenticity. This all happened in the attic. Of course fake Sam and Dean are listening in, for they want that Sizzler gift card.
Real Sam and Dean check out the attic and their real EMF goes nuts. Sam says there’s no way this ends well and Dean replies, “well it serves them right.” Ooh, bitter much Dean? Fake Sam and Dean investigate and run into the same boy ghost as the other guy. These guys are a little smarter though, despite the trouble staying in character. Fake Dean asks where the body is buried. “We’ll light her up nice and toasty.” Oh, this is so bad. The boy points to a picture on the wall. He disappears and they pull down the picture, which has small handprints all over it. There is an old map there of a cemetery. “Okay, this is the coolest game ever,” fake Sam says breaking character. They let their inner fan boys come out before going back into cool character. In the meantime the real Sam and Dean in the attic see a ghost boy with his head scalped. Why don’t we get to see their inner fan boys?
Becky is drinking her cooler and pining for Sam, who’s nearby on his cell phone. He nods so she licks her palm and blows a kiss to Sam. His “kill me” expression sums it up for all of us. She winks back and poor Chuck is there looking all dejected. Aww, I want to give him a hug. It’s okay Chuck, I go for the dorky losers over the tall sexy guys any day. Sam tells Dean that he found out Leticia Gore killed four boys including her son. She scalped him. “Oh, that’s it, I’m going to deep fry this bitch extra crispy.” Oh, Dean, watch it, you’re becoming a caricature of yourself. Or at least saying lines so others can become caricatures of yourself. Sam also doesn’t know where they’re buried.
They overhear fake Sam and Dean going through their old map. “Right there is the cemetery.” Oh, the bad acting. Sam and Dean come right over and Sam verifies the age of the map and says there is a cemetery on the grounds. Well then, isn’t that where you would have looked first Sam? Dean wants to know where they got it, and fake Dean is surprised they don’t understand the game. “Give me the map Chuckles.” So fake Dean gives the real Dean attitude right back, calling him Chuckles too and then flashes his toy gun. Fake Sam tells him to cool it. A fed up real Dean pulls out his real gun and then the real Sam stops him. “What, they’re freaking annoying!” Oh that’s too good.
Sam goes into diplomatic mode. They all want to find the bones, it just would be faster if they worked together. Fake Sam insists they get the Sizzler gift card. Deal. Plus they get to be Sam and Dean. Oh this isn’t going to go over well. Sure enough, on the way to the cemetery fake Dean calls the real Dean and Sam “Rufus and Bobby” and tells them to hurry up. Oh that’s right, Castiel hasn’t made the books yet.
Loved it, Alice! It’s like watching this episode all over again, with some fine, little comments… talking about fun… Thanks for the beautiful Impala line up… gosh I love that car… as Christmas is approaching: can I have one?
Your Con account is hilarious, and I’m there with you – the cut to Sam and Dean during that scene makes it worthwhile and wonderfully funny. But – do Americans really think Germans talk like that? I haven’t heard that kind of accent before, and I live among Germans (though I am of different origin), for my ears he sounded more French than German (he was annoying nonetheless).
Sam-tini?! Really? Oh dear… I’m feeling sick…
It’s great how they throw in the differences to the LARPing fans, as they are mostly geeks, insecure boys, I liked the girl’s line ‘you’re not afraid of women’, damn straight he isn’t. I’ve never really understood why some guys get afraid of a pretty woman, but I’d have to be a man to get that, I suppose. I missed that suave look on Dean’s face, he didn’t have much time to put it on lately… give me some more flirting Dean…
‘I like fake Dean. He’s demented but not delusional’, have I ever mentioned I love your use of wordplay and alliteration? Great job!
I agree with you – we should enjoy the light stuff before the ‘major downers’ kick in. I still hope for the occasional fun episode, come on who could stand twelve heavy chapters, I’m going to run out of Kleenex. I do hope to see Jensen and Jared in comedies; their timing is indeed impeccable, as their body language comes so organically. Rolling on the floor? Yep. Really liked this episode. Really liked fakeSam and fakeDean and that they became the true heroes of this episode while being sweet and simply good guys.
Hey, first days of the hiatus have already passed – this will be going fast… and January 21st will be here sooner than we think…
;-), Jas
I feel i should point out that Barnes on TWOP is actually a woman pamela barnes i believe. Read Demians review of this episode his outrage is amusing!
Alice you just made my day!
Great recap (6 pages, yey!) as usually, I felt like I was seeing the episode all over again. And the comments you add are wonderful, you manage to get me laughing every time!
Great screencaps too, the boys faces during the all episode were really priceless, and the Impalas!
I’m pathetic, I was determined not to spoil myself but it’s all gone to pot in spectacular fashion now … :roll::
I’m looking on it as a taster for the real thing!
Alice I like your recap. I liked the episode too. It had a happy ending, which is rare in Season 5 – even an ep like Changing Channels didn’t have one.
I thought the Leticia Gore actress’s comment on the 17 fake Deans was that they were all wearing “MacGyver” jackets, and that this was a nod to Jared’s Young MacGyver pilot.
I hope Mr Winchester Family Business doesn’t get as far as page 3 on this one!
I remember the episode being quite comical, but this really brought it back (an apocalypse is a powerful thing, no?)
At least they didn’t use a first/last name combo. Geddy and Lee? Angus and Young? I bet Neil Peart and the estate of Bon Scott were quite pissed.
I absolutely loved Chuck’s answers, so matter-of-fact. He really doesn’t want this gig but given that Sam and Dean are living it, sympathy’s a bit harder to come by and I can, er, sympathize. Of course, by the end, fake Dean sets him straight.
Hey, Jasminka, most of us guys don’t look like Jensen or Jared, thus, dorky loser neuroses. 😎 And, yes, that was a stereotypical German as done by an American (you should check out the SNL Hanz and Franz sketches for even more), but yeah, I can see how that would come across as almost French.
I think the ultimate lesson of this episode is that, show runners, *always* hire an obsessed fan to nitpick continuity and offer helpful suggestions.
Great recap Alice. Thanks for the line of impalas and Dean’s smile at the end. Also all of Sam’s bitch faces and the gun-shooting-throat-slashing shot. Your right, they should do comedy.
I also noticed fake Dean was wearing the real amulet the first time I saw it. I was screaming at the TV, Dean GRAB IT! Kripke could have gotten a fake amulet too! I didn’t need to see someone else wearing it! 🙁 Here I’ll say DAMN YOU KRIPKE!
In the end, when Sam and Dean were both being…er…scalped….Sam called to Dean for help. That was something the s4 Sam would not have done, but the Sam of seasons past would. Again an indication that the brotherly bond is as strong as ever. I felt bad that Dean didn’t jump up and help his brother, and when the next shot showed Dean, I thought he was going have a surge of adrenalin, dissipate his ghost, and get to his brother…but instead the fake duo came through. Which was cool to see also. But what else could you expect, after all…. THEY HAD THE REAL AMULET……OF COURSE they are going to be heroes… how could they NOT be! Kripke, give that back to Dean!!!! 👿
Fun recap Alice!
I too would like Dean to get his amulet back. But where have his ring and bracelet gone to? Did Cas take them too? LOL. Did Jensen just forget to put them on for the last couple of episodes? How will he open his beer?
I did enjoy this episode and kudos to fakeDean and fakeSam to being real heroes. Becky is annoying, but then she is supposed to be so I’m OK with that. Poor Chuck! How is he going to put food on his table now?
Perhaps the archangel will provide for him.
yes hilary love sam dean
Alice I love your recaps!! They always find a way to make me laugh 😀
Jensen and Jared’s faces throughout this episode where hysterical and I’m so glad you put pics of them in here 😀
Fake Dean and Sam really grew on me too throughout this episode. Especially at the end when fake Dean gave real Dean the little speech and then totally freaked Dean out by admitting that fake Sam was really his partner lol hahaa. Really great episode this one I think.
Hi Randal, I took a glimpse at the Hand and Franz clips (those I could look at, unfortunately some videos are not available to us not living in the US) you mentioned – hilarious, really, not exactly representative, though, as the imitate Schwarzenegger, right? Oh dear, the man comes from an Austrian region called the Steiermark, I believe, and the dialect there is (for my ears, sorry Arnold) on of the most annoying in Austria… Any Austrians out there, don’t kill me – I adore Vienna a lot! Lived there for a while, studied there for a while. Absolutely loved it…
Oooops, Jas