Recap – “Swap Meat”
Okay, sometimes the mediocre and bad episodes are more fun to recap than the good ones. They’re easier at least. Let’s see if that’s true here or not.
Interesting how there’s no “Now” or “Then” segment. We go straight to a bar and one nice looking older lady is in there having a watered down margarita. There’s this place around the corner from here that does the best “Mango” ritas. They’re so thick you can stand a spoon up in them. One sip and I’m talking in Spanish and I don’t even know the language. In walks in our strapping Sam Winchester and just by the goofy look on his face we can tell he’s out of character. Especially when he says “I would like to purchase some alcohol please.” Then he flashes his ID proudly announcing he’s 26. Is it me are does he seem a lot older than that? The bartender rolls his eyes, not in the mood for the goofy behavior. If it were me, I’d be humoring him. Especially when he orders a banana daiquiri. I’d be all over that! “Wow, what a great choice for a sasquatch like you. It doesn’t threaten your manliness at all! Want some extra fruit with that? Oh, and I’ll make sure you get the purple umbrella.
Here’s a clue this isn’t Sam either, just in case we didn’t pick up on it. “Sam” greets Crystal with a handshake of his left hand. Sam isn’t left handed. Plus he says his name is Gary, which is actually true. “Gary, I don’t want to embarrass you, but you are just a stunning looking man.” Lucky chick. She gets to say in person what we dream of saying to his face every day! The answer though is priceless. With one huge grin he answers, “I know, right?” Then he looks at himself in the mirror and plays with his hair. Man, why couldn’t we see Jared act like Gary through the whole episode. That would have been awesome!
“Gary” gets his frou-frou drink complete with purple umbrella and that has to be one the most ridiculous things we’ve ever seen with Sam Winchester. It’s up there with Dean and his pink band-aids. He talks with Crystal, who’s obviously there to pick up guys. Sadly, this version of Sam hasn’t been schooled in pick up lines. She asks if he’s having a good time. “Like the best night ever.” Oh yeah, the anti-Sam. She wants to make it better and he doesn’t catch on. So she spells it out for him. “With me.” “Gary” gets this goofy grin, figuring out she’s talking about “sex.” She’s actually embarrassed. “Crystal, I would love to have ‘the sex’ with you.” I’m sorry, but I don’t care how gorgeous the man is that I’m trying to pick up. If he uses words “the sex” I’m gone! She suggests they go and the camera pans to the real person inside, a wimpy kid with dark hair. That right there is why I have a problem with this episode. It doesn’t sell the body switch well with Gary in Sam clothes acting like Gary. She compliments him on his jacket. Man lady, you are horny. Gary eats it up and roll credits.
WTF show? I have no idea where you’re going with this.
Thirty six hours earlier in Housatonic, Massachusetts. The oh so pretty Impala pulls into a farm property. What do you know, it’s raining! They’re in the living room with a woman and her family who haven’t seen them since they were young boys. She has cookies and lemonade. Why isn’t Dean chowing down? Oh yeah, that sort of thing is cliche now. Sam admits the last time they saw her was the summer before sixth grade. Man have they changed. She remembers that Sam assigned himself his own reading list and Dean laughs about that before rolling his eyes. We get it, Sam’s a dork.
Sam tells the woman’s daughter her mom was the best babysitter they ever had. You know, that’s not something Sam usually says and I know it’s really him. Mom feels the need to explain. When she was a maid at the “Mayflower” out on the Interstate, John used to pass through town and leave the boys with her while he went off to “work.” Hey, it’s work lady. Really hard work. Fuck with your head hard work. She recalls that one time he didn’t come back for two weeks. “He loved you boys so much.” Sure, but two weeks? That’s half assed parenting love. The daughter, Katie, asks if they know what he did all that time. She said “little Sammy” tried to tell her, but she didn’t believe him, not at first. Sam then fills her in. Their dad was an expert at getting rid and ghosts and so are they. Ghost, demons, monsters, angels, stupid people, you name it babe! No, I only wish he said that.
Dad comes in with suitcase in hand. He believes this ghost crap, that’s for sure. Dean says they have a poltergeist. It started a month after they moved in. Bumps, knocks, scratches on the walls, breaking things, and then it attacked Katie two nights ago. She shows them what the thing did. She has “Murderd Chylde” carved on her stomach??? And they’re still in the house acting all casual about it? Hello, that is the point where I grab the keys and get the fuck out. Call the experts from the hotel. Which BTW how did she find Sam and Dean? Demons and angels can’t find them but she can? Dean assures Katie everything will be fine and tells the family to take a vacation. Yeah, the one they should have taken TWO DAYS ago.
In honor of the most brilliant The Big Bang Theory, whenever I find a plot hole in this episode (and there are many) you’ll see the code word. The code word is Bazinga!! So, for that last paragraph we get Bazinga! Bazgina!
Now, they’re at the Patriot Burger Diner. Dean is getting the food and serving it to him is the loser from the first scene in the most ridiculous fast food uniform I’ve ever seen. Why do people do that to their employees? Isn’t minimum wage insulting enough? The white belt alone would get their asses kicked. Forget the funny hat. Gary serves Dean the bacon burger turbo, large chili cheese fries, and a “health quake salad shake?” Dean is embarrassed, admitting it’s not his. Okay, first thing, remember the glory days when Sam was never spotted eating? Considering his boring affinity with salads, I say bring that gag back. It was far more interesting. Second, why isn’t Dean 300 lbs by now? He eats nothing but bacon cheeseburgers and fries, drinks a lot, spends most days in the car, and I don’t see them doing calisthenics in the motel room. Maybe he gets on the treadmill every morning and we don’t see it.
Dean gets to the table with the food and Sam throws on that dressing and shakes it like he’s starving. Dean is disturbed. “Oh you shake it up baby.” Sam rolls his eyes and continues. Dean mentions that poltergeist aside, their old babysitter looks pretty good. Sam dismisses that. “Hey dude, don’t tell me you still got the hots for our babysitter.” Geez Sam, didn’t you notice that her attention was mostly on you? I didn’t think so. Dean brought that up as a bigger point. She’s doing good with husband and kid and they’re hanging tough over their “Amityville” issue. No, they’re acting completely stupid with just like those folks in Amityville.
Great review! I laughed as much here as I did when when Sam was telling Gary’s dad to cram it (or whatever he said).
I too wish that we had seen Jared as Sam doing the scenes with Dean and the lady at the bar…that first scene was GREAT and it’s sad we didn’t see more of Jared’s comedy acting! (no matter what Jared says, he is good at comedy!!)
I have to say, for me, this ep just pushed Bugs out of the number one spot for worst episode! Sooooo many holes in the plot I actually cringed in a couple of spots. And like you, I think they really missed the boat with not having Jared portray Gary in his body. Every time Dean or anybody for that matter looked DOWN at Sam it was just so wrong.
I watched it again this afternoon but it was actually worse because I kept picking out more holes in the plot. Seriously, enough with the sophomoric scripts!
I haven’t seen The Song Remains The Same yet since we don’t get it until Wed in Canada on Space but I hear it’s miles better! Here’s hoping…
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Great recap. All the goofy face Sam pics are awesome. I did enjoy this episode. Honestly I don’t really care about plot holes in this type of episode. If it was one of the big myth (or whatever you want to call it) like this weeks I would but this was just entertainment. I did wonder why Dean wasn’t checking his phone but that was really the only one that jumped out at me besides Sam sounding like Sam on the phone. Maybe I was just missing Castiel too much to notice the others. lol I do agree that there wasn’t nearly enough Sam as Gary in it. He was hilarious.
Oh, Alice, that’s a load of rich, creamery butter. Randal hates when people talk in the third person.
When watching this, I noticed the holes (the worst for me: The Yes tied to body alone? Oh, Plato), but the funny parts, even if awkwardly done in spots, made me chuckle enough to suspend even more disbelief. Now that they’re listed out, all I’m going to notice in the future are the plot holes. So yeah, thanks. 😎
Re: black smoke. What’s funny is that we didn’t see any way back in Devil’s Trap when the mailman (I think it was a mailman) got possessed in the crowd, then zapped a fireman. It’s Kripke’s fault!
Teenage wasteland: to be an advocate in a devilish sort of way, the Winchesters were fighting monsters whereas Gary’s dad looks like a CPA.
A couple of chuckles but basically crap. The brothers switching bodies would be funnier and involve fewer weedy spotties and their toast rack torsos clogging up the screen … Enough of the fluff, now bring on the gloom, doom and buckets of blood. We’re here for the Apocalypse, not Sam and Dean’s Bogus Journeys! :roll::
Bazinga’? – you rock, woman! Loved this! The way you pointed out the holes (yeah, unfortunately there were some, but, hey what the hell?) made me die from laughter, so here’s a ghost talking to you (no, no, don’t send them after me… moment of thought…. Oh, do send them after me!)
Don’t mind me, I’m dead tired, that biz trip I had to take was exhausting. I’m not good at professional politics and small talk…
This episode was fun, nevertheless (and just like you I would have loved to see Jared in that scene with wannabe-domina). I loved how Jared played with his handsome appearance here, making a nice fool of himself. Loved that.
Thanks for an ever fun-to-read recap and the screencaps!!!
Cheers, Jas
Randal… watched Kate & Leopold a bit much?
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Alice, I agree that Sammy looks older than his 26, but in a positive way. I mean, he looks more manly than ever. Can you believe that the lanky and cute college boy from Season 1 turned into this “stunning looking man”? Dean was manly from the beginning, but it’s as though “darling little Sammy” just grew up.
Here I am, being very shallow again. I apologize to the gentlemen on this board. 😉
Hi Alice
Loved the recap…all the Bazinga’s had me laughing.
Although this episode could have been better, ok a lot better, it still had some good moments. I could be wrong,but I get the feeling you took great enjoyment in being able to use “Bazinga” as many times as you did.:lol:
I’m starting to think that maybe Julie Siege really doesn’t know or understand Sam and Dean’s characters as well as she should. I found both this and Fallen Idol had some real continuity issues.
Funny Recap Alice. Thank you for not completely blowing this one away. I liked it, but I know many didn’t.
Yea…the episode has holes, but it was so funny they can be overlooked. And when people are looking to be uplifted from a show, ‘holes’ get pushed to the background. I much prefer this episode over the sad ones we’ve seen lately. The fans need some light stuff once in a while. Maybe they just wanted the fun stuff and really didn’t care much about continuity. Really I laughed so much at some of the Sam/Gary parts I was crying! I really LOVED Gary backing the impala in to the can. I laughed so hard!!! It would have been fun to see Jared in that scene instead of Gary…AND of course the bedroom scene
The sad part is that a lot of those ‘holes’ could have been addressed easily in the script and without much extra dialog. Yea…the throwing away of ALL cell phones was a story flaw…in fact Gary even through away John’s phone from the glove compartment. SO BAD!!! I guess we can hope the boys went back and recovered them. So much is done off screen in the series because of the low budget
As for Sam going to school as Gary, I didn’t know others thought that weird. Gary was the only link he had so I can see why has would have to follow Gary’s life. No other choice. And as for teenagers being that moronic…..I REALLY hope not.
As for Dean, I think at first he just let some things go because he is more into his own sympathy world right now. He is still reeling from the guilt of Jo and Ellen and feeling very sorry about everything. But when he did realize it, I agree with you, he REALLY needs his brother to play the little brother role right now. (No matter how old Sam is, and no matter that they both agree Dean needs to let Sam do his thing, to Dean, Sam will always be a ‘little’ brother, and I really wish Sam would play that role for Dean for a while, it would really help his brother cope, and that, in turn, would help Sam) So it was nice for him to have his brother like he wanted for a while and he just let it go…and that was disturbing to me. In their world, that kind of indulgence can be dangerous, and indeed it turned into that.
I also found it disturbing when Dean was being beaten by Nora!demon that he looked to Gary. He already knew it wasn’t his brother, but, I think, that just brought back to Dean the reality, that the fun he had with this ‘Sam’ wasn’t real, and how much he missed.
Wow! I really agree with what Sablegreen said. Especially about Sam being Dean’s little brother again for a while. It looked like Dean really enjoyed for a while having his little brother back even if it wasn’t him. I thought Dean was really hoping that Sam was really Sam there for a bit.
I enjoyed the episode for what it was and the only thing I would have changed would have been for Jared to have played the part of Gary. I keep thinking how much fun that would have been to see.
I am also one of those “It didn’t suck” -people. Kinda for the same reasons that Sablegreen above pointed out. It was a really funny eppie and the plot holes didn’t bother me, ’cause I was enjoying myself. Bugs is a perfect example of a eppie that doesn’t work (for me atleast) in practically any level ’cause the whole package was ruined. This one had a few hiccups but that won’t stop me watching it again 🙂