My apologies, this is about five or six days too late.  I hope you don't mind re-living an episode from over a week ago!  At least it's better than the one we just saw.

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First episode back from the winter hellatus! Winchesters in a mental hospital is certainly an attention getter. Let's get right to it. 
Since this is a Monster of the Week episode, naturally the opening is going to start with our first red shirt. But first, an unusually long "Then" segment, which tells us that this week's story is a little short on script pages. Let's just blame the budget and move on. 

The location is given right away which is kind of rare. Normally we have to wait for credits or something. It's the Glenwood Springs Psychiatric Hospital in Ketchum, Oklahoma. A file opens and it has a clipping in it about a tragic fire. The tragic fire survivor crazy person is dressed in hospital blue garb in an office talking with an arrogant bastard. I mean psychiatrist. 

Susan, said crazy person, is not taking her medication. She can't, it makes her sleep. That's when the monster will come and get her. The monster killed her roommate. Naturally, the condescending arrogant bastard, I mean doctor doesn't believe a word she's saying. She is a schizophrenic so she must be delusional. She makes her point, even admitting she sees her dead son right behind him. What's really cool is they actually show him there. Nice touch. She knows he isn't real. But the monster, that's real. Does she get anywhere? Duh, of course not or we wouldn't have our bloody ghost story.



Susan's in her room after lights out and time for the terror portion of the show. She watches, quivering in fright, in her locked room as the screws slowly are undone in the vent above. She screams and no one listens, for the nurse dismisses it as "they're starting early tonight." Ah, can't you just feel the love in these places? Susan goes to the door and pounds on the window, pleading for help, but only another mental patient in a nearby room sees her. Since they're locked in their rooms, he can only watch. She gets yanked, and is finally found later on the floor with her wrists slit. Judging by the pool of blood, they didn't get there for a while. Oh, good job guys! You know, that was nice a creepy and all, but that was one really long opening. I should shut up though, for rushing such scenes ruins the purpose of "suspense." Still, we're six minutes in including opening credits and no sign of a Winchester. 

Title credits. Boys should be coming next!

File opens, this time it's for an Edward Van Halen. Paraphrasing the notes, it says that while interviewing Alex Van Halen, the patient's brother, who's definitely psychotic, they figured out Edward was crackers himself. Cue the visual of Sam and Dean sitting on the other side of the desk, blankly staring at the doctor. The arrogant bastard, I mean doctor mentions they were referred to him by a Dr. Babar in Chicago. He's suspicious. "Isn't there a children's book about an elephant named Babar?" Dean calmly answers, "I don't know, I don't have any elephant books." Ha! That's almost word for word out of Fletch. It would have been funnier if they used the actual wording. "It don't know, I don't have any." "Children?" "Elephant books." Still, it's great they worked in that reference! Also, the doctor catches Babar, but not Van Halen? 

Dean goes on, letting the doctor know that Dr. Babar was in over his head with this one. His brother is, and he whistles and does the crazy signal with his finger. Oh, such nice touches in selling the story. The doctor doesn't want to hear from Dean, and starts with Sam, aka Alex. Sam claims he's fine, just a little depressed. Why? Because he started the apocalypse. Hee, a little depressed? This has been tearing him apart for months! Anyway, the doctor is stunned to hear that. So Sam continues to explain.  He killed this demon, Lilith, and accidently freed Lucifer from Hell. "So now he's topside and we're trying to stop him." That is a pretty hilarious story from an outsiders POV, don't you think?  Those clever boys. They just have to tell the truth!

Dean rolls his eyes to show to doctor how crazy he thinks this sounds. I love it when both of them dig into their roles. The arrogant bastard, I mean doctor somehow wants to hear more before admitting the boys. "Who is?" He asks. Sam answers me and him (points to Dean) and an angel. The doctor thinks he's talking about an angel on his shoulder. "No, no, his name's Castiel. He wears a trenchcoat." Wow, this does sound nuts. Speaking of which, the show goes on a two month hiatus and the first two episodes back have no Castiel? Ugh, I'm going through hot angel withdrawal here. 

Dean jumps in, for he's had enough of Sam's crazy story. "The kid's been beating himself up like this for months. The apocalypse wasn't his fault." So now the doctor sees why Dean, aka Edward, might be crazy. Dean goes for the final push. "It was this other demon Ruby. She got him addicted to demon blood. In the end he was practically chugging the stuff." Sam looks ashamed, the doctor looks really disturbed. "My brother's not evil. He was just…high." Oh man, I'm dying here. How these two can tell this story with a straight face is beyond me. "So could you fix him up so we can get back to traveling around the country hunting monsters?" The now rattled doctor calls his assistant and tells her to cancel his lunch. Dean smiles and pats Sam on the arm. Oh yeah, they're in. 

Sure enough, they both are taken into the hospital by a nurse. The doctor wants to keep them under observation for a couple of days. Dean plays the "both?" card. The nurse, who is pure evil under that perky smile, says "Yes sugar, the doctor thinks that would be best." Sam and Dean share a small "it worked" glance, with Dean smiling and Sam fighting back one. The nurse check's Dean's blood pressure and he tries the whole "Nurse Ratchet" stuff. For those of you that are really young, that's the evil nurse in One Flew Over A Cuckoo's Nest. She isn't buying it. Next she's checking Sam and tells him to drop his pants. He's not sure why. She gives up that same malevolent smile while slapping on a rubber glove. I'm not even a man and I'm feeling queasy. Sam's look of disturbance is priceless. 

Dean waits in full blue patient uniform with bothered look and then Sam comes out with his own uniform and look. Notice how Sam's robe is never tied in this episode. Could they not find one big enough to get around him? Aww, don't they look adorable. That blue is a nice change from the olive drab, flannel, and brown colors. "How was your Silkwood shower?" Dean asks. For you young-ins again, there is a scene in the movie Silkwood where the main character, played by Meryl Streep, is basically stripped, held down, and forced into a sterilization shower (since she worked in a nuclear power plant). It involved a lot of harsh scrubbing and probably some violation here and there. Sam says his was okay. "Good water pressure." Oh man, how could he find the positive in that? I guess when you've died all sorts of awful ways, a little violation is nothing. Sam asks Dean about the nurse.  "She was very thorough," Dean answers. Oh, the horrible things these boys go through for the sake of saving people. 


Dean takes a look at all the nuts around and curses Sam for talking him into this. So taking this job was Sam's idea? Well that's a switch. Sam for some reason feels obligated to Martin, who saved their Dad's ass more times than they can count. I'm not buying it. He mentions Martin was a great hunter and Dean emphasizes was, until Albuquerque. Sam dismisses that and tells Dean the other reason, it's better they keep busy. It seems the last few weeks Dean has been worrying Sam. Dean hasn't taken Ellen and Jo's deaths well at all. He shouldn't either. I'm surprised Sam is holding up, but then again, he did live without Dean for four months. That's probably hardened him a little. 

Okay, time to confuse me again. Dean gets defensive, saying he's not going to wallow about it. "You always do this. You just can't keep this crap in." EXCUSE ME? Sam Winchester? The king of evasiveness and internalizing? There he goes throwing those stones in glass houses again. Of course, Dean probably doesn't want to confide in Sam anymore ever since opening up to him in "Heaven and Hell" and "Family Remains" then labeled weak by Sam in "Sex and Violence" and "When The Levee Breaks." Not to mention Sam tried to kill him both those times. That does put a damper on the relationship. "Watch me," Dean says, and I'm thinking that's a fair answer. Opening up hasn't done him any favors. Either way he's headed for doom.

Dean evades the conversation by finding Martin. They come over and he's really surprised to see them. He notices they got big. How long has it been since they've seen this guy? It's been this long and they're going through this trouble? After getting the awkward exchanges of "you look good" out of the way, it's time to talk business. So what are they hunting? Martin isn't sure yet. The hospital has had five deaths in the last four months, suicides supposedly. Of course Martin hasn't exactly seen the creature, but others have had a few glimpses. Not enough to go on. That naturally makes Dean skeptical, especially when he looks at a crazy woman ballroom dancing with herself. Martin swears something is wrong though and Sam believes him.   Did he check the body? Um, no, he doesn't go near bodies anymore. 

Their little conversation is interrupted by that arrogant bastard, I mean the doctor, who thinks it be a good idea they all join the next group therapy session. Except Dean that is. "The relationship you have with your brother seems dangerously co-dependent." I'll say it is!! This is the first guy ever to find that abnormal though. Sam and Dean shrug at each other with a "whatever" and Dean stays behind. 

Group therapy time! I must say, Sam really looks like a fish out of water there. For one, he's so large! Also, he's so pretty. Anyway, the guy who wants to start is the patient that saw poor Susan meet her violent end. He wants to talk about the monster. Arrogant bastard doesn't. Jerk. "It's not good for group." The guy agrees, but has a good point. "You want to know what else isn't good for group? A monster eating all our faces off." He rambles on and the doctor shuts him down with the same eerie line he told Susan before she bought it. "There is no monster." Sam and Martin listen but say nothing. Okay, that scene kind of went nowhere. 

Dean is playing checkers with himself and winning when a hot brunette doctor in a white coat comes over to talk to him. She's Dr. Erica Cartwright and she's been assigned to his case. "You're my shrink? Lucky me," he says with a smile. "And you're my paranoid schizophrenic with narcissistic personality disorder and religious psychosis. Lucky me." Wow, that's quite a diagnosis! Especially the narcissistic personality disorder. That's pretty funny. She takes a seat across from him. He's got questions for her. She's got questions for him. So Dean does the lame "Quid Pro Clo Clarice" line from Silence of The Lambs and even does the little lip quiver (I have no idea what that's called) that Anthony Hopkins is infamous for in that film. I should also mention that I hate Silence of The Lambs references. Its' SO overdone. Why that is and Star Wars isn't I have no idea, but it's cliché. 

She goes first. "How many hours a night do you sleep?" "Three or four, every couple of nights." He's still sane? I get about six hours a night and that's not enough. He asks about the recent suicides there and if she's noticed black smoke, sulfur, anything like that. Nope. She wants to know what that means so Dean tells her the truth. Demon signs, he hunts demons. Of course he's saying this in a teasing sort of way like he wants her to think he's crazy but adorable. He's doing a great job. "How many drinks do you have a week?" Dean counts, again acting flippant, and comes up with over 50. That's actually not bad considering his line of work. His question involves chills or cold spots, but she hasn't noticed. He lets her know, even though she doesn't care, that's a sign of a ghost. So now she really goes for the burning question. "When was the last time you were in a long term relationship?" Dean wants clarification as to how long that is. Two months. "Never," he replies. Now THAT is sad. Even Sam's had one. To think, Sam and John are the only long term relationships he's had. He goes onto his question, have the patients seen anything weird. Yep, all the time. Now this chick really goes for what hurts. "Let's talk about your father." Dean all of a sudden isn't glib anymore.

Now Dean is walking somberly through the hall and Sam runs into him. Sam sees something is bothering him and he asks if he's okay. Dean said he just got something and he's not okay. I swear I've played that back twenty times and I have no freaking idea what he said. Sam thinks it was unusual. Dean wants to know if Sam found something. A patient claims he saw the creature. They'll talk to him in an hour. Dean's eager to talk kill and leave, for this place is giving him the creeps. Aw, what's wrong Dean, too much abnormality for your abnormal life? He just doesn't want to admit he's fitting in. 

In the most normal thing to actually happen to Dean in this place, a gorgeous woman appears behind him, stares at him with those longing eyes and then kisses him, practically shoving her tongue down his throat. Dean of course doesn't resist. Sam watches like either they don't have time for this or that they should get a room. It's hard to interpret his bothered expressions at times.   She says hi and introduces herself as Wendy, then even gives him a butt slap as she leaves. Dean's all smitten, but Sam tactfully reminds him "Dude, you cannot hit that." Dean isn't convinced. 

Sam comes out of the room with some sort of homemade lock pick and they go to the patient's room. Except the guy's screaming and kicking on the door window.  Sam goes to pick the lock but Dean doesn't think he's working fast enough and wants to take over. Sam jumps at him all angry. "Back off Dean!" Ooh, something is amiss. They get the door open and the guy is hanging from the rafter. They're too late, another red shirt.


So, because security at this place is REALLY half-assed, somehow Sam and Dean casually go to the morgue and start examining the body. Don't they even have security cameras around? Sam finds a puncture wound in the neck. He sticks a Q-tip in there and it goes all the way into his skull. Eww. Notice how when Sam sticks that Q-tip in there it comes with squishy sound effects. Somehow, neither Winchester is squicked out by this. Sam sees a bone saw nearby and wants to prod more. So, Dean gets to keep watch. Cue to Dean who only has to hear the sound of the bone saw crunching and he gets queasy. Sam, who's FINALLY over his sickness of blood and gore with bodies, skillfully carves off a perfect cap of the skull. The brain is black and shriveled. Eww. 

Dean hears someone coming. He goes into warn Sam, who's holding a shriveled brain in his hand. While the nurse walks down the hall, Sam calmly puts the skull back on and they get the body back in the drawer. Sam dispenses of the bloody gloves with a nice toss in the trash can a split second before nurse perky walks in. Except she's not very perky. She's thinking they shouldn't be there. Good conclusion! Unable to come up with an excuse, Dean goes and does something that will NEVER EVER have fans think about a popular dessert the same way again. 

Dean drops his pants, showing off the bare legs but nothing else, and he holds his hands up in the air. "Pudding!" he shouts while shaking all around. Damn you CW! You know a full frontal would have gotten you ratings. FCC fines too, but hey, publicity is publicity. No such luck. He pulls his pants back up after the nurse laughs. She'll give them a pass and take them back to their rooms. He goes back to Sam and tells him crazy works, but Sam is way too bothered. I would be if my brother did that in front of me!

Next are drawing of creepy clowns on the wall. Dean jokes if they're original Gacy's. Again, for all you young folks, John Wayne Gacy was a serial killer of young boys in the 70's. His MO? He was a clown. He was known in prison for his eerie clown paintings. So, Martin says, "I painted those." Oops! Sam breaks the awkwardness and gets to the point. What sort of creature sucks brain's dry like that. Martin has a theory and it's scaring the crap out of him. It's a wraith! They crack open skulls and feed on brain juice. Eww. How do they kill it? Silver. Man, considering all these creatures can be killed by silver, I should be keeping some around all the time. However, the catch, which is true of other creatures as well, they can be disguised as humans and spotted in a mirror. It could be anyone. I'm betting that way too perky nurse.  

Sam, whose obviously not thinking, wonders why it's in a mental hospital. Duh, who's going to believe a nut claiming they saw a monster? It's the perfect hunting ground. I worked in a mental health office once. I can honestly tell you, most of the staff were just as nutty if not nuttier than the patients. I think because they live in a state of denial. There's no such thing as monsters my ass. I once asked a friend, deeply struggling with some personal issues, why he became a psychologist. He wanted to prove to himself he wasn't nuts. Psychology can justify anything! (Ignore this Jas, you're just fine!) 

Anyway, Dean is standing by the nurse's station watching people walk by in a mirror. Hot therapist shows up wanting to know what Dean's doing. Dean, in perfectly honest mode, says he's hunting a wraith. She theorizes she could be a monster, but Dean tells her she passes the mirror test. Oh yeah, that sounds so half baked. Therapist goes for more questions. Why does he have to hunt monsters? Why not let someone else do it? "Can't find anybody else that dumb." Sure you can. He's your brother. Dean goes on, pointing out someone has to save people. She asks how many people he has to save. Wow, she's not letting up, is she? Dean gives the answer that we aren't surprised over, but still we wonder how he hasn't gone howling by now.  "All of 'em." 

She's surprised by that and asks him how. Dean doesn't have an answer. She tries again so he tells her. "It's the end of the world, okay? It's a damned biblical apocalypse. And if I don't stop it and save everyone then no one will and we all die." Man, is he setting himself up for a huge failure. She mentions that's horrible. Apocalypse or no apocalypse, monsters or no monsters, that's a crushing weight to have on your shoulders. To feel like six billion lives depend on you? God, how do you get up in the morning?" Dean has no answer other than that's a good question.   The whole conversation is interrupted when that arrogant bastard, I mean the doctor, says hello to only Eddie (there's a clue!). Dean sees a wraith in his reflection. Ruh-ro!

Sam comes over to Dean and Martin in the hall with three silver plated letter openers. He had to raid three nurses stations. How did he get away with that?  He's so big and pretty, how was he not noticed? Plus, there's that not working security camera issue again.   Their fun is interrupted by Wendy, who shoves her tongue down Sam's throat. He seems to be a little less willing that Dean was. He doesn't kiss back. Oh come on Sammy, lighten up! "I want him now," she says lustfully. "He's larger." Okay, who's teasing the fan girls here! Stop it! Dean shrugs. "You've had worse." Ooh, banzai! Sam only has a bitch face in response and gets back to the case. 

They'll have to get the doc after lights out. Martin protests. He can't do this anymore. I'm certain that's why he called Sam and Dean to begin with. Dean pleads the security will be tight (?????) and they could use the backup. Martin protests. So, how do they convince him? By mentioning Albuquerque?   Oh, good job guys. It doesn't work. He mentions he thought he was invincible once but he was wrong. "Why do you think I checked myself into the Hotel California?" He runs off crying like a little girl. 

Sam and Dean check the office, no arrogant bastard, I mean doctor there. So they separate. This isn't going to go well, I know it. Sam spots the doctor first and hides with the blade sticking straight out. This of course triggers a memory from a weapons discussion I had recent with my Taekwondo Master, so I'll take a few seconds to educate you all. If Sam was holding a regular knife with sharp edges and is a true trained expert, he wouldn't hold the blade like that. He would conceal it by holding it along the forearm pointing up. That way when he attacks he can go straight for the throat. However, this is a letter opener with only a sharp point. It's not an effective weapon for killing because he has to hold it pointing straight out like he does. That creates less opportunity for the blunt and swift strike. That's why when he does attack, he gets the forearm instead and only wounds. Interesting huh? 

The doctor leans backward and Sam takes another swipe in the air, missing. The two orderlies jump him right away and knock the silver letter opener out of his hands. They try to drag Sam away, but Sam punches those two, throws one through a window. Ruh-roh. What is of importance here is Sam is raging big time, exactly like he did when going off on those two hunters in "Free To Be You and Me." He looks freaking scary. After taking out the orderlies he picks up the letter opener, chases the doctor down the hall, tackles him and goes for the kill. As he brings his hand back Martin stops him, pointing out to an out of his head Sam that the arm isn't sizzling. It's not the wraith. Sam comes out of his rage mortified, totally distressed over the idea that he almost killed another innocent. Not good for an already majorly messed up psyche. 



Next scene Sam is seen sitting in bed, staring off into space, not looking quite himself. Dean comes in and asks Sam if he's okay. He's pretty motionless and says he's not okay. "I am...awesome." Oh, so he's stoned out of his gourd.   Dean is kind of pissed, asking if they gave him something. "They gave me everything. It's spectacu lacular." Then he laughs. Oh, how long has it been since we've seen Sammy laugh? I'll take it any way I can get it. Dean mentions he was always a happy drunk. Really? I'd love to see that. More please! 

Sam gets a moment of coherence and mentions to Dean the arrogant bastard, I mean doctor wasn't a wraith. Dean knows. He doesn't understand, he saw it in the mirror. "Or you're seeing things," Sam says with that slur in his voice. "Maybe you're going crazy." Dean denies this, but since Sam's inhibitions are gone in a delightful way, we get to actually hear what he's thinking. "Well, come on, I mean you've been at least half crazy for a long time, since you got back from Hell or since before that even. We're in a mental hospital (laughs), maybe you've finally cracked. Maybe now you are really, for real crazy." The delivery of these lines by Sam is just precious. He needs to get drugged up FAR more often. I do wonder if he really thinks that though. Interesting.

Dean declares he made a mistake. He'll find the thing. So now Sam goes into supportive, "humor my big brother" mode, holding onto Dean's shoulder. "Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. It's okay, hey, hey, look at me. It's okay, because you're my brother and I still luv ya." Dean gives him a nervous smile while Sam gives another serious show of support before grabbing Dean's nose. "Boop!" Bwah! He is out of his mind. Anyone EVER think we'd ever see this from Sam? Sam laughs, Dean really really wants to kill him now. I rewind this scene a few times and rewatch, for it's a Sam fan's dream. 

Dean walks down the hall and runs into therapist chick again. She's back to play devil's advocate and wonders if he's still hunting that wraith. "People are dying," Dean says. She points out people die all the time. Dean isn't in a humoring mood this time, telling her to let him do his job.  He's saving her life. "It's not my life I'm worried about." Dean goes off on her, declaring he's fine. She doesn't buy it and lets him know all this pressure and guilt is killing him. He can't save everybody. Then suddenly, her expression turns vicious. "Hell, these days, you can't save anybody. Dean." He's surprised so she really lets go. "The truth Dean. You got Ellen and Jo killed. You shot Lucifer but you couldn't gank him. You couldn't stop Sam from killing Lilith and oh, yeah, you broke the first seal. All you do is fail. Did you really think that you Dean Winchester, with a GED and a give 'em hell attitude were going to beat the devil? Please, the world is going to burn and there's nothing you can do about it." Ooh, a bit too "on the nose" huh? 

Dean naturally doesn't take this well and demands to know who she is and how she knows this.   A nearby orderly, watching with confusion, tells him to settle down. Dean shouts at the doctor some more so the orderly comes over and repeats his comment. Dean asks him "who is she?" but surprise, there's no one there. The orderly points out there's nobody there. Dean looks at the doctor, who stares him down with eeevilll. "I'm not real Dean. I'm in your head. Because you are going crazy." Ooh, what a twist! She was never real. So all those questions, all that worry, it was all Dean bringing it to the surface? Yikes! That poor boy. The burden of saving the world is really consuming him, isn't it? It's so rare to get a look like this into Dean's head. It's stunning.  He's a mess. 

Now she's gone. He tells the orderly to leave him alone and walks down the hall. A doctor and evil perky nurse are standing there. They look like wraiths in the mirror. Dean lets it go and walks down the hall completely disturbed. He passes two patients. They're wraiths in the mirror too. He tries to go through a door, but it's locked. So, he slides down the wall and cowers in the corner, having a full fledged freak out. That's really cool and all, but somehow off camera he manages to pull it together and get to the common area. Everyone speculate how that happened. 

Sam's turn and his situation isn't much better. If anything, it could be worse. His talk with a doctor is real and it's just as harsh as Dean's hallucination. At least we think it's real. Who knows? While Sam stares out the window being all pensive in his room, that arrogant bastard, I mean the doctor, asks if Sam wanted to see him. Yes, Sam is sorry and feels horrible about what he did. He confesses he thought he was a monster. The doctor knows, but asks why. Sam avoids the question by pointing out he had a moment of clarity. There's no such thing as monsters.   Ah, what a good liar.

The problem is the monster thing isn't what's bothering the doctor. "Monsters are the least of your problems." Sam doesn't understand. "People can learn to live with delusions but the anger I saw in you…you hurt those two men, you were going to kill me. The look in your eyes when you came after me, it's like you were barely even human. Like a man possessed." Ouch, the things that Sam hates hearing about himself. Time to break out the sad puppy dog eyes! The doctor really hits home with Sam. The revelation about his anger crushes him and he admits he knows. Then with those lost puppy eyes, he pleads for another chance. The doctor agrees, but he'll have to go about the hospital under supervision. He leaves Sam with one stinging warning. One more outburst and Sam will be transferred to a facility for those with violent behaviors. They won't be as kind. The thought frightens the crap out of Sam. Me, I want to see that.  

Sam next gets to join Dean in the common area. Dean is sitting there alone, looking kind of out of it. Sam asks him what's wrong. "It's not the demon blood Sam. It never was." Sam is stunned. "The problem was you, it was always you, the lies, your arrogance, the black spot on your soul." Okay, so this is likely a sign that Sam never told Dean what Ruby said after he killed Lilith, about how he didn't need the demon blood. I'm not at all surprised. Another angry patient comes up to Sam. "Now we're gonna die because of you." Now he's surrounded by an angry mob, pushing and shoving him around. 

That's all it takes to light Sam's fuse. He starts swinging. In a pretty cool visual, he's then alone and swiping violently at air. Two orderlies come to restrain him. He punches one but the other gets a good hold and they both grab him. Dean sits by the window cowering, watching the whole thing with nervousness. Sam struggles but they've got him tight. "Leave me alone!" He yells over and over again before being dragged away. Dean stays exactly where he is, questioning what's happening.



Martin is sleeping in his bed, and then he pulls an ice pick on Dean when he wakes him. At least he's being cautious! He tells Dean he looks like hell. Dean feels like it too. Where's Sam? Lockdown. He went nuts. I'll say! If you're gonna lose it, do it big. Dean admits he's going crazy too. Ah, but crazy is the clue. Martin asks what he means, and then wide eyed Dean looks off to the side and freezes. Ooh, he's not playing with a full deck, is he? Martin snaps him out of it and Dean goes back to crazy is the clue. They're going to have kill whatever or end up like a couple of nutbags. No offense to Martin of course. None taken. 

Dean is somehow managing to put the pieces together. "Me and him freaking out on the same day. It's got to be the…" "Monster?" Martin finishes. Suddenly Dean freaks out. "Where, where?" Ha! Jensen is really playing up the crazy. Anyway, Dean gets back to business. What if this thing doesn't feed on the insane?  What if it makes people crazy? Martin thinks it makes sense, even though he's not the most reliable source on what's real. Oh Martin, I think you're way better than most. Dean thinks that they got infected somehow. Then Dean's train of thought derails and he guesses it could be about his dad. Yep, daddy issues are always on the high list of crazy. Martin puts him back on course though, and the next theory is when Wendy kissed them both she could have poisoned them.

They go to Wendy's room, but not very quickly since Dean is trying to avoid all the cracks in the hallway. Given its done in tiles, there are plenty. Crazy Dean is really funny! Put together drugged up Sam and crazy Dean for an episode and I think we'll have something extraordinary! Anyway, they hear a scream. It's seems that Wendy is the next victim instead. That's because evil perky nurse is attacking her. She looks like a wraith in the mirror. Sorry, but this reveal is no shock. I had her pegged pretty early. Dean asks if it's real. She pulls a weird spiky thing out of Wendy's skull and licks it. "Oh, it's real sugar." Oh, she's goin' down!

Now for the obligatory fight scene. After all, every supernatural creature fights with mega overpowering strength. It's in the genes I guess. She knocks Dean and Martin around and then pounds Dean in a fashion reserved usually for Sam.  Martin grabs the silver letter opener and slashes her hand. It sizzles. Oh yeah, monster. She leaves, locking them in. Martin checks on Wendy and somehow with slit wrists and a hole in her head she's still alive. Of course the nurse alerts the orderlies that there are two patients in Wendy's room that attacked her. That gives her the opportunity to go for some more fresh crazy brain. Guess where?

Martin tends to Wendy's wounds and tells Dean he has to go out there and kill the monster. Dean can barely see straight. He isn't sure he can. Martin tells him he has no choice. The guys come in and Martin attacks them both so Dean can get away. He does, but it's hardly swift. He's staggering all over the hallway. Interesting how no one is able to come after him. Is Martin really that strong to hold two guys that long? Where's the security cameras with security team on watch? Oh yeah, we assumed early on those things were broken. Where's the rest of the staff? Oh yeah, they ignore screams. Dean manages to focus and follows the trail of blood.  

Here's a favorite shot of mine, the overhead view of Sam locked in a rubber room strapped to a bed. I know people complained that Sam was tied down yet again, but somehow I never tire of it. Go figure. Nurse enters and Sam asks her to let him go. No, he's far too angry to be out there in the real world. Sadly, that's a true statement. He looks in the mirror and sees it's the wraith. She starts to monologue, since that's a requirement among villains and Sam is a captive audience. She says that "you hunters" don't live up to their rep. They come in there talking tough about killing monsters? That made them easy to spot. She does have a point. Of course Sam struggles against the straps, hoping by some miracle something will pop loose. No such luck. 

The way she infected them, it was a touch during the exam. That makes sense with a nurse. Of course she goes all monstery, talking how the place is her own five star restaurant. After running her finger across Sam's forehead and tasting it (eww) she admits crazy brains are the best. It's all that dopamine and adrenaline and chemicals. Yeah, well adrenaline is certainly something the Winchesters run high on. Sam accuses her of making him that way but no, she only helped. She cranks up what's there. The anger was all him. Hmm, kind of like not needing the demon blood to gank high level demons. The thing Dean probably still doesn't know about. 

Sam still struggles but gets nowhere. "You build your own house, I give you the legos." Sam is actually listening to her with belief. She pops the spike out of her arm, ready for some Sammy seething brain juice. Eww. This is the predictable moment where Dean busts in to rescue Sam, but he can barely stand straight. Evil bitch knows this and with her trademark smirk taunts, "Do you really think this is going to end well for you kiddo?" Does she mean right now or later? It's interesting how Dean is told that from time to time.   Dean answers no and pulls out the letter opener. "But I'm crazy, what the Hell?" They fight, and fight, and fight and fight and fight (thank you Itchy and Scratchy) but power monster prevails, holding Dean against the wall and putting out her spike thing. So Dean…breaks it off? That's how you thwart the infamous wraith monster? Oookkaaayyy.

Blood spurts out and she goes back screaming. Dean in his totally incoherent and wobbly state somehow picks up the letter opener and does a direct hit to the heart. Sam lays there strapped to the bed watching all this like a damsel in distress. Suddenly everything goes back to normal for Dean. "Are you still crazy?" Sam asks. "Not anymore than usual." Sam is actually relieved by that. Dean starts to undo the straps and the security alarm goes off. Now? It took them long enough.   Granted, I know little about inpatient mental hospitals, and this facility isn't exactly a place for dangerous offenders, but wouldn't the rubber room lockdown wing be heavily secured? Shouldn't guards or orderlies be swarming by now? How did Dean get in undetected? I know, must suspend believability and call this the lamest mental hospital ever.


Final scene, and it's really short. The script was several pages fewer this week. Sam and Dean run from the facility and out to a nearby field where the Impala sits. Good thing no one noticed it there and had it towed away. Dean makes a crack about Tom Cruise being right, shrinks suck.  Yeah, because Tom Cruise is so well balanced. Sam stops behind the Impala, and he's not good. It's the emotional fallout of being crazy! I know I hate it when my mind is poisoned by a wraith, I go nuts, then recover after she's dead with plenty of emotional baggage. It ruins my grove. 

Anyway, it's open for debate if Sam during that troubled look considered going back, but I think he did. It was only for a split second though. He says the wraith was right. Dean says she wasn't and she's dead.  He's ready to get out of there and go have a drink, or twelve. "Most of the time I can hide it, but I am angry. I'm mad at everything. I used to be mad at you and dad and then Lilith, now it's Lucifer and I make excuses. I blame Ruby or the demon blood but it's not their fault. It's not them, it's me. It's inside me. I'm mad all the time and I don't know why."

Dean is trying very hard not to lose it himself and let Sam finish. Once Sam gets it out though, once Sam for the first time in a VERY long time opens up to Dean about what's going on inside, Dean gives the absolute worst advice on the planet. "Stop it. Stop it. So what if you are? What are you gonna do, you going to take a leave of absence? You gonna to say yes to Lucifer? What?" Sam says of course not but Dean won't let Sam finish. "Exactly. And its exactly what you're go to do. You're going to take all that crap and you're gonna to bury it. You're gonna forget about it. Because that's how we keep going. It's how we don't end up like Martin. Are you with me?"

Sam looks like a puppy that's getting scolded. Or worse, having his ass beat with a newspaper. He withdraws and sulks. So Dean asks again. "Come on man, are you with me?" Sam answers he's is, but he isn't convinced. He just doesn't know what else to do. Hmm, this does seem like a dangerously co-dependent relationship, doesn't it? Dean declares they get the hell out of there and gets in the car. Sam reluctantly follows and looks very disturbed. What do you know, I feel disturbed. The Impala drives away and roll credits. 

Okay, so, Sam finally has a breakthrough years in the making and Dean shuts him down. And he actually listens to Dean and goes with him. How interesting would it have been if he started crying and went off on his own way? No, the image of going off on this own and starting the apocalypse is still too raw. Poor Sammy, he's so messed up and has no one to help him. For some reason, this ending crushed me. NOT a happy ending, that's for sure. I theorize now Sam says yes to Lucifer just because he doesn't give a crap about anything anymore. "Go ahead, end the world, kill Dean, it just doesn't matter. I'm done." 

That's a recap!