I can’t believe it’s already time for the season 7 titles! This season went by way too quickly for me. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this series, I plan to go through each episode title and explain the pop culture references in each. Some I already knew and some are a surprise to me. As always, please let me know if I missed anything. I’ve been known to overlooks some references in the past. So here’s the first half of season 7. Enjoy!

7.1 “Meet the New Boss”



I think we all remember this episode well. It’s when our good friend Castiel assumes his self-proclaimed title as the new God.

This was a tricky title to figure out. But here’s my best guess: “meet the new boss” is a line in the song "Won’t Get Fooled Again" by The Who. The title of the song seems to fit this episode pretty well though. As do some of the lyrics.

We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgment of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
And I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again

7.2 “Hello, Cruel World”



This is the episode where the leviathan take to the water systems possessing people who drink it. It is also the episode with Sam’s first big Lucifer-induced meltdown and the now famous “stone number one” scene. (A season seven favorite of mine). Because of Sam’s nearly suicidal actions, I’m inclined to think this title was taken from the book Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks and Other Outlaws. Seems to fit, doesn’t it? Especially since Sam has always seen himself as a freak. I did not know about this book until doing the research for this article, but I imagine that those who did were nervous about the suicide foreshadowing!

7.3 “The Girl Next Door”



It’s safe to say we’re all familiar with this episode. After all, it was the root of much of the drama among fans this season. If you don’t remember, this is the episode in which we meet an old friend of Sam’s, Amy, who is actually a kitsune, a monster who removes the pituitary gland in the brain as nourishment. It is revealed in the episode that Amy actually killed her mother to save Sam. And then a few other things happen that I don’t want to get into...

Googling this title gave me hits for two very different movies. I think I can safely rule out the one about a teenager who falls in love with the porn star who moves in next door. Any objections? But the other movie could work. The movie is actually based on a Jack Ketchum novel of the same name. It’s a very disturbing story about a a young boy, David, who befriends Megan, a new girl in town that he later finds is a victim of terrible abuse from her mother figure. The story is told as a flashback of David’s childhood and ends with him killing Megan’s mother and Megan dying herself as a result of the abuse. It’s a little bit of a stretch, but I can see some connections. What do you all think?

7.4 “Defending Your Life”



In this episode, we meet the Egyptian god Osiris who puts Dean on trial after sensing his guilt. Dean is the poster child for guilty consciences.

This episode seems to be taken from the 1991 fantasy-comedy of the same name. The film is about a man who is forced to  justify his lifelong fears and insecurities after he dies.

7.5 “Shut Up, Dr. Phil”



This was the episode about the two scorned lovers that happened to both be witches. The title of this episode seems to be taken from a scene toward the end of the episode where Sam and Dean’s are forced to channel their inner Dr. Phil to save their own lives and to save a town from further distruction. Their marriage-counselor moment was also a nice parallel look at Sam and Dean’s relationship at that point in the season.


7.6 “Slash Fiction”



In this episode, there are two leviathans impersonating Sam and Dean and going on a killing spree, making Sam and Dean into national news.

Now, I think any Supernatural fan knows the term "slash fiction." But for anyone who doesn’t, prepare to have your mind blown. Slash fiction is a genre of fan fiction that depicts romantic or sexual relationships between characters of the same sex. In the world of Supernatural these stories often depict incestuous behavior that has been coined “wincest”. Now, if there is another reference that I am missing here, let me know.

7.7 “The Mentalists”



In this episode, Sam and Dean investigate a series of murders in the town of Lily Dale, which is considered to be the most psychic town in America.

Well, this one is easy. This title is taken from the CBS procedural The Mentalist. The series is about a psychic who becomes a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation and helps solve crimes.

7.8 “Season 7, Time for a Wedding!”



Although the title makes this pretty obvious, this is the episode in which Sam marries super-fan Becky. This is also the episode where we meet Garth for the first time.

Garth: “You Dean? I thought you’d be…taller.”

I don’t think there’s any reference to go along with this title. I think it’s just a funny little nod at the fact that the show has been on for seven seasons and there hasn’t been a wedding. That’s actually fairly uncommon when you think about it. Weddings are a classic season finale cliche. Am I missing an obvious reference here?

7.9 “How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters”



In this episode, Sam, Dean and Bobby hunt what they think is a jersey devil but actually turns out to be a man in a Turducken Slammer-induced high. The zombie like side effect is the result of an additive Dick Roman has had added to the sandwich.

Bobby: “A bunch of birds shoved up inside each other, you shouldn’t play God like that.”

This title is a play on the self-help book "How to Win Friends and Influence People." The book is all about how to win people over and make them think like you. Dick Roman could have written this book himself.

7.10 “Death’s Door”



In this seriously awesome episode, Bobby is trapped in a coma and is being followed through his worst memories by a reaper.

Death’s door is a common idiom meaning being very close to death as Bobby was in the course of this episode. When researching this title, I also came across a reference to death’s door in the game World of Warcraft. Since I don’t speak this language, here’s a direct quote from the World of Warcraft Wiki.

“Death's Door is located between Jagged Ridge to the west and Vekhaar Stand to the east in southeastern Blade's Edge Mountains. It is the location of one of the four dimensional gateways which Magtheridon used to bring demons from the Twisting Nether under his control.”

Any players out there that can give any insight into this reference in relation to this episode?

7.11 “Adventures in Babysitting”



In this episode, Sam and Dean are distracted from their hunt for Dick Roman by a girl named Krissy. She is a hunter’s daughter, and her father has gone missing.

Krissy: “What century is this? No-one fist bumps anymore.”
Dean: “C'mon. Give it up!”
Krissy: “You're a dweeb.”

This episode title is taken from the 1987 movie of the same name. The movie revolves around a girl, Chris, who agrees to babysit after her boyfriend stands her up. As she settles down for the evening she gets a call from her friend Brenda who frantically asks to be picked up from a train station in downtown Chicago. Various shenanigans ensue.

So there is part one of season 7. Did I miss anything? Were you surprised by any references? Can someone please explain World of Warcraft to me?

See you soon with part two!