Recap – “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid”
Bobby denies and Sam and Dean have a “busted!” look on their faces. “Bullcrap,” the sheriff says and hangs up. “So uh, you know Bobby Singer?” Sam says, realizing they aren’t getting out of this one. Dean finds it a fun coincidence. Apparently the sheriff knows Bobby a little too well. “Here’s what I know about Bobby Singer. He’s a menace around here, ass full of drunk and disorderlies and mail fraud, understanding me?” They sheepishly do. Whatever the three of them are planning, it ends now. Sam and Dean completely understand while squirming in their seats. Ooh, I love it when the show brings on tough smart broads.
Sam and Dean are now at Bobby’s house and wondering why he didn’t answer their calls. “I’ve been playing Murderball.” I look up the reference in Google and what do you know. It is a 2005 documentary film about a bunch of paraplegics in Australia that take up full contact Rugby. Oh, that makes sense now. I notice something immediately isn’t right. Bobby’s house is clean and straightened up! Seriously! Plus Bobby looks clean and well groomed. Dean asks if he cleaned and Bobby replies sharply, “What are you, my mother. Bite me!”
Sam wants to know seriously. Bobby claims he’s been working, trying to find a way to stop the Devil. Dean asks if he did”¦of course not. Sam tries to explain there’s a case less than five miles from his house, but I’m too distracted by the wide shot now of this ridiculously clean and straightened up house. Even Dean is looking around perplexed. I bet the set decorators giggled the entire time during set up.
Bobby is shocked they’re talking about the Benny Sutton thing. Bobby checked into it already, it’s nothing. Sam asks about the witness and Bobby can’t believe they’re buying the story from Digger Wells, the town drunk. Sam then asks about the lightning storms, but Bobby claims that’s normal for South Dakota in February. It’s storm season. It is? I thought it would be snow season. Then again, I’m not from THAT part of the Midwest. They ask who did kill Benny Sutton then and Bobby thinks anyone could have done it. He was a “grade A” son of a bitch. “There’s a list of the living a year long that wouldn’t mind putting a cap in his ass.” Sam and Dean reluctantly take his word.
The Impala drives at night and passes by the cemetery. Dean pulls over and I can tell this is stock footage because there’s no passenger. Suddenly, the shot does a close up inside and Sam is there. He wants to know that Dean is doing. Dean says the cemetery is there. Sam is still sticking to what Bobby said but Dean is trusting that good ole fashioned instinct. He knows Bobby has been wrong before. They’ll a peek and hit the road.
They find Clay Thompson’s grave site and the dirt is fresh. They brought shovels? How is that “taking a peek?” Next Sam is deep in the grave digging while Dean takes watch. It’s been a while since we’ve seen that happen. I also notice the unique overhead shot which is cool, but keep in mind, Sam/Jared is 6’4″. That hole is below waist high on him. So in South Dakota, graves are only 3 feet deep? Go figure. That makes it way easier on the boys. There’s a hole in the top of the coffin and opening it up only confirms no body. They know now something’s up.
Sam and Dean next break into a nice house and split up searching. During the suspenseful look around, Dean is attacked by a half dead dude with a baseball bat. He ducks and takes out the guy with one punch. Sam arrives and the guy begs them not to shoot. He tells them the money is in the safe. Sam takes the opportunity to confirm that he’s Clay Thompson and then identifies themselves as FBI. Clay, not missing a beat, realizes this is about Benny. He uses the plea that Benny killed him, he’s supposed to let him get away with that? Wow, how would that stand up in a court of law? Can you convict the undead? Clay will go with them quietly, just don’t wake his kids. Sam and Dean aren’t sure where he’ll go with them. Why jail of course! NOW Dean has to point out the absurdity of this. “Wait a second, you’re Clay Thompson and you died five years ago (yes) and three days ago you climbed out of your grave and killed Benny Sutton (yes). So, you are in fact a dead guy.” He really doesn’t know what he is. Oh yeah, when something bothers Dean, he’s lost control of the situation.
Clay’s wife comes in and says she called 911. Clay tells her it’s okay, they’re the FBI and are there about Benny. Time to go. They walk outside and Dean pulls out his gun ready to cap the dude, but Sam gives him the moral face of objection. “He’s a monster,” Dean defends. Sam was never one to go with the monster thing. “He’s a soccer dad.” Before they decide what to do, the sheriff and her deputy show up. They have their guns pointed at Sam and Dean though. Dean explains they’ve found the murderer. “And?” The sheriff asks. “And?” Dean is not understanding the sheriff’s reaction. “And you’re welcome, for catching the undead killer zombie.”
The sheriff isn’t pleased, lecturing that whatever he is, that doesn’t give him the right to shoot him in the middle of the street. She and the deputy put the cuffs on Sam and Dean. She tells Mr. Thompson he’s free to go and Dean can’t believe it. Mr. Thompson is mad that Dean was going to kill him. “You’re a zombie,” Dean says. “I’m a taxpayer,” Mr. Thompson defends before going inside. No, this is definitely not Dawn of The Dead. Although, it does resemble the offbeat humor of Shaun of The Dead.
Sam and Dean are in jail and I call me shallow (like I haven’t been this way before), but there’s something about Winchesters being behind parts that so…hot. Danger vibe maybe? I don’t know, but here’s some gratuitous shots for fun.
Ahh, excuse me? Oh, recap. Fine. Dean asks if the sheriff’s on the take. “Yeah, the zombies are paying her off,” Sam replies. The main door opens and they’re shocked to see Bobby there having a casual conversation with the sheriff. They’re shocked because Bobby and the sheriff don’t like each another. They leave with Bobby, Sam taking the wheelchair pushing duties. It’s because he’s taller. Sam clarifies with Bobby that the sheriff hated him. “She did, until five days ago.” Dean must know what happened five days ago. “The dead started rising all over town.” Oh, that explains things.
Sam and Dean are exasperated that Bobby knew about this. Bobby says yes, so Dean clarifies. “I think what Sam meant to say is, “˜You lied to us?'” There’s that disconnect between Sam and Dean again on lying. Bobby takes control of the wheelchair and pulls authority. He told them there was nothing there, not for them. Dean mentions there are zombies there. “There are zombies, and then there are zombies,” Bobby says. “Come with me.” He leaves and Sam and Dean band together for another confused stare. They’ve been doing a lot of that so far.
Ah, Alice. I love the way you recap an episode.
I mentioned this before somewhere on this site, but I’m gonna do it again. The actress who plays Bobby’s wife is NOT the same actress as Dream a Little Dream of Me, however, she was in a previous episode, namely, In My Time of Dying – she was the nurse, dying on the floor.
She also happened to attend MY high school. Not the same year as me, but I still think it’s cool.
And, I know it was a long time ago, and it wasn’t for very long, but Dean did in face fall in love with someone. He loved Cassie enough to tell her about his life. That’s something. Right?
I just wanted to ask what the “Must be Thursday” quote means. 😀
Alice I love your recaps. Thank you.
The episode where they broke Bobby. This was just so painful to watch, but wasn`t Jim just wonderful in it. I think he broke all our hearts, the scene with the humming in the kitchen, the totally shattered look when he killed his wife again,and then the end!!!
I just loved the scene in the scrap yard with the `zombie invasion` great use of background music there too I thought.
I have to agree with you, I too think that Mr.Edlund was out grossed here (never thought I would type that!) I have eaten through every episode, the maggots in the sandwich, I ate along with Dean through the description of Doc Bentons escapades, but I will never attempt it through our meeting with Ezra, know it`s not real but how they even filmed that God only knows,poor Jared!
I am there with Dany too,suprise suprise , in that I would like to thank you for providing my new screensaver!
Wow, Alice Superb! As for Sam bitch face at Dean eating zombie pie, I always remember when Sam kept Dean from eating food from the Winter pagan gods in AVSC. Like the idea of Sam feeling bad because he just eats salads. That never occured to me. I have be thinking one of two ways, he wants Dean to eat healthier, or he’s afraid their might be some king of nasty stuff in it. Just trying to protect his brother. Either is sweet..
Thanks for the screencap of Dean and the impala! Love it.
Great recap, as usual, Alice! That scene with the Ezra zombie was totally gross, but I for one think you should still include that stuff in your recaps. I mean, it happens in the episode, so it should probably be in there. Maybe just put that stuff in its own paragraph with a warning to skip ahead if you don’t want to read the gross parts?
And poor, poor Bobby. It just killed me when he said that line about “how many times do I gotta kill her?” I really hope he can recover enough to provide support for the boys because I have a feeling they’re going to need it before the end.
And I have to agree with Sablegreen: Dean does lounge very attractively. He must practice leaning up against things.
Looking forward to the Dark Side of the Moon recap!
Love your recaps Alice!
And please don’t cut out the gross. As suggested, just put them in with a warning and they don’t have to be read if not wanted.
Also love the lounging Dean pic. He is a beautiful lounger indeed. 😉
You don’t sound like a romance novel, at all, Alice, this recap is as moving as it gets… Love it,hate it, love the episode, hate the episode, My heart breaks for Bobby.
I will always remember it, though, as the one episode I watched live in L.A.. No one can spoil that for me.
THanks for this, love Jas
Another fine recap (you are the master) but heartbreaking? This episode was a lighthearted, gay romp through verdant meadows pocked with yellow flowers.
Oh, you can’t ever cut out the gross, ever. That would be a crime punishable by forced watching of C-Span. 😀
Down with salads! Up with burgers and fries!
Loved your recap (as per usual, of course) and thought I could clear up the Buffy reference. It’s just like this one, really–Buffy aired on Tuesdays like this airs on Thursdays and, in talking about her little sister, she said, “Dawn’s in trouble. Must be Tuesday.”
Just real quick, I don’t know if it’s been mentioned or not, and it is very late in mentioning this. But I used to live in Sioux Falls, and it’s actually not a small town. It’s the largest in SD (which isn’t saying much), but at least I can say not everyone would know everyone and it’s not too small. About 150,000 people live in Sioux Falls
My favorite line is Dean: What’s that smell? Is that soap??