Bloody Mary:
There are quite a few scenes here I could choose from but in the end I decided to pick the one that was a standout Sam scene, it gives us insight into who he is – and the secrets he hides so easily – while at the same time allowing us to look inside his private grief:
Sam: Charlie? {Charlie turns around} Your boyfriend’s death…you really should try to forgive yourself. No matter what you did, you probably couldn’t have stopped it. Sometimes bad things just happen.
{Charlie smiles faintly, then turns around to go into the house.}
Dean: {Gently hits Sam} That’s good advice. {They drive off} Hey Sam?
Sam: Yeah?
Dean: Now that this is all over, I want you to tell me what that secret is.
Sam: Look…you’re my brother and I’d die for you, but there are some things I need to keep to myself. {Sam looks out the window and sees Jessica in a white dress on the street corner standing next to a light pole, as they turn the corner she disappears behind the pole, and we don’t see her again.}
Unfortunately it took Sam a long time, 99 episodes in fact, to discover that there just aren’t things he should keep to himself; this is an iconic scene that blows me away each and every time I watch it.
Skin:
Having gotten a moment into some of Sam’s deep pain, at least we the viewers have, here we get something of Dean’s pain and the writers have kept this thread going all the way through to Swan Song. It’s something Sam didn’t really catch onto until Dark Side of the Moon but it was broached here. I don’t say that to burden Sam with guilt, it was a shapeshifter after all saying these things:
SAM: Where is he? Where’s Dean?
SHAPESHIFTER: I wouldn’t worry about him. I’d worry about you.
SAM: Where is he?
SHAPESHIFTER: You don’t really wanna know. (He chuckles.) I swear, the more I learn about you and your family—I thought I came from a bad background.
SAM: What do you mean, learn? (The shapeshifter stops. He grabs his head in pain and grimaces. A quick succession of audio clips from past episodes can be heard. SAM looks at the shapeshifter, confused. The shapeshifter relaxes and looks at SAM.)
SHAPESHIFTER: He’s sure got issues with you. You got to go to college. He had to stay home. I mean, I had to stay home. With Dad. You don’t think I had dreams of my own? But Dad needed me. Where the hell were you?
SAM: Where is my brother? (The shapeshifter leans in close to SAM.)
SHAPESHIFTER: I am your brother. See, deep down, I’m just jealous. You got friends. You could have a life. Me? I know I’m a freak. And sooner or later, everybody’s gonna leave me. (He backs away.)
SAM: What are you talkin’ about?
SHAPESHIFTER: You left. Hell, I did everything Dad asked me to, and he ditched me, too. No explanation, nothin’, just poof. Left me with your sorry ass. But, still, this life? It’s not without its perks. (He laughs.) I meet the nicest people. Like little Becky. You know, Dean would bang her if he had the chance. Let’s see what happens. (He smiles and covers SAM with a sheet.)
Hookman:
I’ll admit, not every episode has a standout scene, so I’ll go with one that shows a bit of that brotherly banter we all love; also, rock salt is introduced.
DEAN: Here you go.
SAM: If it is a spirit, buckshot won’t do much good.
DEAN: Yeah, rock salt. (He hands it to SAM.)
SAM: Huh. Salt being a spirit deterrent. (DEAN takes out a coil of rope and shuts the trunk.)
DEAN: Yeah. It won’t kill ’em. But it’ll slow ’em down. (They start walking towards the trees.)
SAM: That’s pretty good. You and Dad think of this?
DEAN: I told you. You don’t have to be a college graduate to be a genius. (They hear noises among the trees and stop walking. SAM raises his gun and looks around.)
DEAN: (whispering) Over there. Over there. (Sam aims the gun and cocks it. A figure comes out from behind the trees. It is a sheriff.)
SHERIFF: Put the gun down now! Now! Put your hands behind your head.
DEAN: W-w-wait, okay, okay!
SHERRIFF: Now get down on your knees. Come on, do it! On your knees! (They get down.) Now get down on your bellies. Come on, do it!
DEAN: He had the gun! (They lay down.)
The next morning the brothers are free from jail but the banter contines…
DEAN: Saved your ass! Talked the sheriff down to a fine. Dude, I am Matlock.
SAM: But how?
DEAN: I told him you were a dumbass pledge and that we were hazing you.
SAM: What about the shotgun?
DEAN: I said that you were hunting ghosts and the spirits were repelled by rock salt. You know, typical Hell Week prank.
SAM: And he believed you?
DEAN: Well, you look like a dumbass pledge.
Bugs:
Not everything is as it appears, we learned back in The Pilot that Sam went away to college and based on that John told him to stay gone. Sam has been weighted down for four plus years thinking his father is disappointed in him, mad at him; Dean reaches out, plays the peacemaker and shares some knowledge that eased much of Sam’s burdens…not his anger but at least his guilt. I love this scene:
DEAN: Yeah, so with that kid back there…why’d you tell him to just ditch his family like that?
SAM: Just, uh…I know what the kid’s goin’ through.
DEAN: How ’bout tellin’ him to respect his old man, how’s that for advice?
SAM: Dean, come on. [They stop walking.] This isn’t about his old man. You think I didn’t respect Dad. That’s what this is about.
DEAN: Just forget it, all right. Sorry I brought it up.
SAM: I respected him. But no matter what I did, it was never good enough.
DEAN: So what are you saying that Dad was disappointed in you?
SAM: Was? Is; always has been.
DEAN: Why would you think that?
SAM: Because I didn’t wanna bowhunt or hustle pool — because I wanted to go to school and live my life, which, to our whacked-out family, made me the freak.
DEAN: Yeah, you were kind of like the blonde chick in The Munsters.
SAM: Dean, you know what most dads are when their kids score a full ride? Proud. Most dads don’t toss their kids out of the house.
DEAN: I remember that fight. In fact, I seem to recall a few choice phrases comin’ out of your mouth.
SAM: You know, truth is, when we finally do find Dad…I don’t know if he’s even gonna wanna see me.
DEAN: Sam, Dad was never disappointed in you. Never. He was scared.
SAM: What are you talkin’ about?
DEAN: He was afraid of what could’ve happened to you if he wasn’t around. But even when you two weren’t talkin’…he used to swing by Stanford whenever he could. [SAM’S smirk fades.] Keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe.
SAM: What?
DEAN: Yeah.
SAM: Why didn’t you tell me any of that?
DEAN: Well, it’s a two-way street, dude. You could’ve picked up the phone. [SAM stares at him sadly.]
There it is folks, part one of this three-part look into Season 1. Hope you’re enjoying a little glimpse into each episode through one moment out of many.
This is awesome. Great job. I look forward to the next installments.
This is great elle2. Thanks.
I like all of these episodes (even Bugs) for the insight into the brothers relationship with each other and with their dad.
I’m always disappointed to hear that most fans do not like Wendigo. I LOVE that episode! That conversation you quoted just gets to me and I can understand Dean and his motivations. I can see him as the hero I love that far back at the beginning of the series. It shows the great depth that is in him and I love that he wants to save others from the pain his family has endured. In my round robin viewing I always look forward to this episode.
Whatever monster or evil thing is portrayed, it is only the catalyst that serves to illuminate what the Winchesters are all about (at least for me) and there is always something in even the least admired episodes that gives me that insight.
Looking forward to more of this elle2. Thanks again!
Hi, Tigershire and Bevie,
Tigershire, thanks for the comment…btw, I’m absolutely loving the crossword puzzles and word searches. I got all but 4 on the Season 2 and I’m still thinking on those remaining ones and I’m in process on the musical one…awesomel!
Bevie,
Like you I love Wendigo, it’s so comfy and it is one of my comfort episodes. I like the idea of the boys in the woods, no computers to assist and it’s light-hearted (in a death is stalking us sort of way) and like you, it really helped set Dean’s character as to someone who helps people. It’s nice to go back and watch him there when things didn’t weigh so heavily but it also shows to some extent why he took the burden of the whole planet onto himself later on.
Glad you’re enjoying it.
Hi Elle2
This is awesome. I was really intrigued by the concept of this so before I read what your picks, I went through the list of titles for Season 1 and scribbled down the first scene that came to my mind.
For Wendigo, Skin and Bugs I picked the same scenes as you.
However for the Pilot I thought of the confrontation between Dean and Sam on the bridge.
Dead in the water – the scene between Sam and Andrea after she nearly drowned in the bathtub.
Phantom Traveller – the scene on the plane when Sam tells Dean he needs to calm down.
Bloody Mary – the scene in the car when Sam offers to summon Mary as he knows she will come for him. Dean then pulls over the car to confront Sam about his dreams and guilt.
Hookman – Sam and Dean climbing the poll to sneak into Lori’s dorm room after her roommate is killed. Dean’s expression while being lookout and watching the co-eds is priceless.
Hi, Karen,
I’m glad you had so much fun with this. I love the scenes you chose, the one with Sam and Dean on the bridge in Pilot gets me every time and to see it reversed in Salvation is really a nice tough.
I too like the scenes you’ve chosen, Sam with Andrea and the sun rising through the window, Sam clamming up when Dean tries to get him to spill his grief and guilt and Dean offering to let Sam take a swing at him for Jessica’s death, and the fun of the brothers climbing up into the dorm room…Dean missing that Sam is already part way up and then scrambling to help him and ‘pretend’ he was involved and Phantom Traveller gives us the usually unflappable Dean unable to contain himself with his fear of flying…priceless.
Thanks for having fun…can’t wait to see what else you’ve chosen.