Mini Review – “Everybody Loves A Clown”

Everybody Loves a Clown
–Robin’s Rambles
Robin Vogel

Except Sam, who was afraid of Ronald McDonald, as Dean kids him. There is a lot of kidding in this episode, a lot of crying, accusation, the brothers wearing t-shirts and tight jeans, a clown killing parents and devouring them, the introduction of Jo lusting for Dean (at the wrong time) and Ellen, who probably wants to hack of Dean’s penis before anything can happen between Jo and him.

But I digress. It’s a sad scene when the boys burn John’s body, apparently a tradition amongst hunters. Sam is crying hard, lots of tears falling down his face, but Dean’s tears hover, and only one spills down his cheek. Dean lies to Sam—John said nothing to him at the end.

A week later, Dean works under the Impala, restoring the beloved car handed down to him by his father. Sam is on his case—talk to me, let out your grief–but stoicism and sarcasm is Dean’s way…he offers Sam slow dancing, hugging and crying. What about revenge? wonders Sam, aren’t you angry? Even if he was, they have no idea where the demon is, and the Colt is gone, so what can they do? Turns out a woman named Ellen left a message on John’s phone months ago, and Sam thinks they should go check her out. Dean agrees

They borrow a soccer mom type SUV from Bobby and we are introduced to Ellen, Jo, Ash and the Roadhouse, a saloon where hunters can sit, have a drink, clean their guns and exchange information. Ash, who was sleeping on the pool table, his hair all business in front and party in the back, takes John’s huge envelope of info and tells them to return in 51 hours for info on the demon.

Jo and Dean take an immediate liking to each other. She lost her father to a hunting incident, too. Telling her he has 51 hours to kill, Dean is about to suggest. . . “Most guys think the way into my pants is a pizza, a six pack and side one of Led Zep four,” says Jo. Which is exactly what Dean was going to offer, it seems, and he backs down, eying Ellen behind the bar. “Wrong place, wrong time,” says Dean.

Sam and Dean decide to go on a killer clown hunt Ellen has on standby for another hunter. Sam feels this is what Dad would want them to do, drawing a weird reaction from Dean. The killer clown is apparently based at a traveling carnival, so they get jobs there after a hilarious interview in which Dean forces Sam to sit in a clown chair and the man interviewing them urges them to go to school, find a nice girl, get married and have kids. Sam firmly tells the man he doesn’t want that, he wants THIS! When Dean later asks him what he REALLY wants, Sam says he no longer desires schooling, he’s going to keep hunting—it’s what Dad would want.

This is also the episode during which they dither about their respective fears: “Planes crash!” “And apparently, clowns kill!” In their world, they’re both right.

Of course, there are immediate problems once the brothers are on the job – a midget clown stares at Sam, unnerving him; Dean suggests he get her number. Dean pisses off a blind man, then a little person by unintentionally insulting them–“Have you SEEN Mr. Cooper?” “This was just a LITTLE misunderstanding.” Eventually, the brothers end up tailing a family home they know is going to be visited by the murderous clown. They thwart the kill, but the little girl accuses them of shooting her clown. The brothers ditch the SUV, take the plates and walk back, giving them too much talking time. Sam wonders if Dad and Ellen had “a thing.” Dean says no. Sam accuses Dean of not dealing with Dad’s death. “I’M OK!” insists Dean, who launches into a verbal attack on Sam, “this Sudden Dad Obedience is too little, too late.”  Sam argued with him that last day in the hospital! Sam, crying, goes off to call Ellen on his cell. He returns to report they are dealing with a Rakshasa, a Hindu creature that eats human flesh and must be invited in. They sleep on a bed of dead insects, return every 20-30 years to feed and must be killed with a brass knife. Since Cooper looks too much like his father, they think he might just be their culprit.

They return to the carnival at night. Sam slices open Cooper’s bed, but it’s Dean who opens the Blind Man’s trunk, looking for a brass knife, and finds the clown costume. Blind guy disappears right in front of Dean’s eyes and starts throwing knives at him. Sam tells Dean to force the Rakshasa to the Fun House, where he separates them from each other. Sam yanks one of the brass pipes from the organ inside the Fun House. He and Dean manage to find their way back to each other, but the Rakshasa pins Dean to the wall with knives. Using smoke from the pipe organ, Sam is just able to make out the creature’s form and stab him in the heart with the brass pipe. The dead Rakshasa, fallen to the floor, appears. Dean declares, “I hate Fun Houses.”

Back at the Roadhouse, Ellen praises the brothers for a job well done, Dean and Jo agree this isn’t the time or place to start a relationship, Ash informs them the demon isn’t around right now, but he’ll let them know when he is. Ellen offers them beds if they want them; they refuse. Sam confesses to Dean John probably died thinking Sam hated him, and what he’s doing now?–as Dean said, too little, too late–“I miss him, feel guilty as hell, not right at all, but neither are you, Dean.”

Sam walks away, leaving Dean alone with the Impala and a tire iron, which he uses to smash a window, then the car itself, over and over and over. He gets out his fury over John’s death, his own guilt, the secret John told him, Sam’s sorrow and guilt, how much his world sucks, that be thinks, God don’t let it be true, that his father gave up his life for HIM, gave up his life and the Colt in exchange for HIS life, oh, God, he’s 10 times the man I am, how could he do this to me, leave me with his shithole of a world, Dad, how could you do this to me?

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