Metamorphosis
Updated 2008-10-10 09:08:48
THEN! Dean goes back to the future and meets his parents when they were but young lovers. YED stands over baby Sam's crib and bleeds into his mouth, causing Sam to turn out rather outsized, but dooming him to a piss poor appetite for the rest of his life. Sam lies, because that's what Winchesters do best -- telling Dean he hasn't been using his powers, while he's been conducting silent exorcisms on the sly. Castiel tells Dean that although they know what Azazel did to Sam, they don't know why, and then he gets serious. "Your brother is headed down a dangerous road, Dean, so stop it. Or we will." Dean glares at Castiel so hard his eyes fall out.
NOW! Last week's episode ended with a "To be continued..." card, so the newcomer might be expecting the second half of a two-parter. The old-timer calls the newcomer a sucker, knowing we'll be lucky to get any continuity at all. Guess what, old-timer; it's your special day! Maybe you should play the lottery, hit a casino, or if you're feeling extra lucky, buy some stock .
At a dingy warehouse, Ruby and Sam hold a demon captive; it is tied to a chair set under a Devil's Trap. Sam wants to know where Lilith is, but his prisoner just says, "Kiss my ass." Sam tells it to watch itself. How would one watch oneself kiss one's ass, never mind actually kiss...oh. Okay. Anyhow, the demon figures it has nothing to lose, probably because it has nothing to lose. "Why, huh? Because you're Sam Winchester -- Mr. Hero, and yet here you are slutting around with some demon. Real hero." Sam tells him to shut his mouth, and I kick him, because I want this cleared up once and for all. Mr. Demon, when you say 'slutting around' are you being figurative, if crude, or is something more going on with those two than backstreet hunting? The demon completely ignores me, damn that thing, and keeps up with the non-specific taunting. "Tell me about all those months without your brother -- about all the things you and this demon bitch do in the dark. Tell me, Hero."
Sam, unlike Ruby, has several facial expressions. She's been holding the impenetrable steady deadly gaze of I Might Be Dead Inside But Who Knows . Our boy, though -- he's flaring and contracting his nostrils, so either he's incensed, or holding in a sneeze. He stretches out his enormous right hand, and the demon is exorcised from its host before we get the dirt. No fair, Sam. Hey, are your silent exorcisms in any way related to silent birth , because they are so different from other exorcisms in this series. When a demon leaves a host under its own steam, or via the exorcism rite found in the Rituale Romanum, it flies upward out of the body at great speed. During your new, improved exorcisms, the hosts appear to have the dry heaves, and the black fog of evil essence descends to the floor, and scorches it. Sam ignores me. He's "busy" or whatever. After it's over, the victim/host collapses; and Ruby smiles. Okay, that's an overstatement. There was definite eye movement, though. Sam almost smiles back, but he's still winded, and it's not like she gave him much to go on. We see something lurking in the shadows of the warehouse. That something is Dean! Sammy's in trouble, now. I ask Dean if he saw that. He doesn't answer, but from the angry look on his face, I'd say that's a yes. Crows caw, a woman screams and the wing-y title card flaps its way onto the screen.
Sam checks the pulse of the host, and smiles at Ruby. When she asks how he feels, Sam says, "Good, no more headaches." I don't know about you Sam, but when I'm doing something sketchy and it gives me headaches, I stop right then and there. Heck, when I'm doing something righteous and it gives me headaches, I stop right then and there. Ditto nausea. Sam brings the host to, and helps him to his feet. Just because he's sneaking around with demons, using demon-given power, doesn't mean he's not considerate.
A door on the other side of the room opens. The host is startled, but it's Sam who ought to be. Big brother's watching, always watching, and he's going to kick Sam's butt if he can lift one of his wee bowed legs up that high. "So... anything you want to tell me, Sam?" Sam starts to stammer out an explanation (EXCUSE) but Dean is too angry (PIG-HEADED) to listen, so he cuts him short and nods toward Ruby, whom he has not seen since she was wearing Katie Cassidy 's meatsuit. "How about this? How about you start with who she is, and what the hell is she doing here?" Ruby opens her mouth -- sort of -- and tells Dean it's good to see him again, which shouldn't narrow it down for him much, since she's now wearing Genevieve Cortese 's meatsuit, and Dean has known a lot of pretty brunettes. Hey! If the show's gone Biblical, I can too.
He looks at her. "Ruby?" He looks at Sam. "Is that Ruby?" Huh. He figured it out. Yeah, granted, Sam's off using his powers with this demonette, which is a clue, but last week it took Dean five times longer to figure out he'd gone back in time 35 years, when he was surrounded by evidence. Dean's deductive powers are about as well defined as Buffy's slayer strength and the capacity of the Starship Enterprise. Dean makes a run for Ruby, grunts, and shoves her up against a warehouse cage. He pulls out her Knife That Can Kill Anything (And Actually Does) to do her in. Sam interferes (SPOIL-SPORT) and disarms Dean. Dean shoves him off, and makes another go at Ruby, but she pins him, and grabs him around the throat. When Sam commands her to stop, she does so immediately, like a good puppy. Dean agrees with me, and since he's spoiling for a way bigger fight than he got, he says, "Well, aren't you an obedient little bitch?" Oh Dean, how quickly you forget .
Ruby is pissed. Our clue is that she gives Dean the impenetrable steady deadly gaze of I Might Be Dead Inside But Who Knows . Sam calls out her name, twice, and she snaps out of it. "Ruby, he's hurt," which confuses me, because Dean doesn't seem all that roughed up, but still I think it's sort of sweet of Sam, until I realize he's talking about the former demon host, who, to be fair, does look like he's about to croak. Ruby decides to take the host to the E.R., unless Dean wants to go another round, first. Oh and he does, but not with you, little girl...ish thing. After she's gone, Dean looks at Sam as if to say: You disgust me , and then again as if to say: Plus? You weally HURTED MY WIDDLE FEEWINGS! He walks out leaving Sam there all alone, which seems to aggravate Sam, but he's great at lying and keeping secrets, so you know he's going to boogie down to Billy Idol's cover of his GenX song, " Dancing With Myself ," as soon as he's truly alone. Who am I kidding? Sam is all set to cry to Eric Carmen's " All By Myself ."
To fulfill the "promise" they made by putting a "To be continued..." card at the end of last week's episode, the writers stick Sam at the little table in the Willow Tree Motel, in the same room the boys were occupying last week. When Dean walks in, Sam abandons the book he was poring over and rises to his feet. Dean ignores him and starts packing up to leave. Since the book did not contain this recap, Sam asks Dean what he's doing, but Dean doesn't answer. He then asks Dean if he's leaving, because Sam's powers of deduction are just as keen as Dean's you betcha. Dean continues to pack. "You don't need me. You and Ruby go fight demons," on account of Dean's hurt widdle feelings. Sam tries to get him to stop, so Dean swings around and PUNCHES SAM IN THE FACE. Whoo hoo! Sam straightens up, sniffs, shakes it off and asks Dean if he's satisfied. That's it, Sam? Whatever. I don't think he is satisfied, because DEAN PUNCHES HIM AGAIN! Is this heaven? Hit him again, Dean! Hit him back, Sam! Ooops, my phone is ringing. If it's that dragon... wait, it's a local number. Hello. "Oh no, Cyn, did you see that?" Barnes, is that you? "Yeah. Kripke hates me, doesn't he?" What are you talking about? Didn't you like the punching? I thought you'd be down with the punching." "Oh, I loved the punching but...never mind." "What?" "Just read the forums tonight. And tomorrow. And the next day. And probably the next. This is all I'm going to be reading about for weeks. If you need me, I'll be hiding out in The Office forums. I've got to go. I've got to refill my er...fortify myself." Dial tone. For you readers who don't post in the forums, TWoP Barnes is the Supernatural forum moderator. You know, I really like writing for TWoP, and as one of the new kids on the block, I'm trying to make friends, but some of my co-workers think I'm -- more accessible than I intend to be (and I think some of them drink). At least Barnes isn't a dragon (right? right?).
Sam blots his bloodied lip with the back of a fist and guesses Dean wasn't satisfied after all. What was your first clue, Sammy? Dean says, "Do you even know how far off the reservation you've gone? How far from normal -- from human?" When Sam says he's just exorcising demons, Dean shouts, "With your MIND!" He shakes his head. "What else can you do?" Sam says he can send the demons back to Hell and that it only works with demons. Dean grabs Sam by the front of the shirt and pushes him back some more. "What else can you do?" Maybe, like me, Dean suspects Sam can fly. I mean Ruby took off from the warehouse with the host, I'm assuming in her cute little yellow sports car. Dean left Sam alone and it follows that he took his Baby, i.e. Metallicar, and yet Sam beat him back to the hotel. When Sam protests that he's already told him, Dean says, "And I have every reason in the world to believe that." I know you're being sarcastic, but no, you don't, Dean. Ask if he can fly? Sam starts with a whole spiel about how he should have said something, and when he says how sorry he is, I can't help but think he's mostly sorry he got caught. Sam tries to show Dean his perspective -- he's saving people from possession. Dean screams at him to use The Knife That Can Kill Anything (And Actually Does) but Sam reminds him that victims fall under the category of anything where The Knife That Can Kill Anything (And Actually Does) is concerned. It seems they've both forgotten about the Roman Catholic Rite of exorcism, which ought to be on their minds considering one of them has recently been touched by an actual angel.
Sam says he's saved more people over the last five months than he and Dean can save in a year. Probably not the best approach to take with Dean right now, Sam, or did you forget his hurt widdle feelings? Not to worry. Dean's here to remind you, right now. "Is that what Ruby wants you to think? Kind of like the way she tricked you into using your powers?" Actually Dean -- point of order -- Sam started using his powers by accident, after Lilith set you out as chow for her puppies and was ready to take Sam next. Dean ignores me. I'm going to get a complex. "Slippery slope, brother, just wait and see, 'cause it's going to get darker, and darker, and God knows where it ends." My money's on Number One Observatory Circle . Sam says he's not going to let it go too far, and Dean Van Halen Winchester gets the most bitter look on his face. He turns around and clears off the dresser, knocking a lamp to the floor. I'm all excited for a fight, but that's all there is. Tease. Dean says Sam has already gone too far. "If I didn't know you, I would want to hunt you. And so would other hunters."
Sam nods his head and gets all teary-eyed and explains that since Dean was gone, he had to keep fighting without him and what he's doing works. You know, Sam, you say 'gone' but Dean didn't exactly spend the summer on old Cape Cod. Today, Dean's the smarter brother and asks Sam if his new exorcism exercise is so terrific, why'd he lie about it to him. "Why did an angel tell me to stop you?" Sam's always had faith, so this grabs his attention. Dean tells Sam, "Cas said if I don't stop you, he will. You know what that means, Sam?" Um... that you two are getting awfully cozy with the nicknames? What does he call you, 'D'? "That means that God doesn't want you doing this." Oh, good point. Sam both flares his nostrils and makes his Adam's Apple bob up and down while Dean continues. Ruby should study him on how to appear human. "So are you just going to stand there and tell me everything is all good?" Sam struggles to take it all in, and the phone rings. The call is from someone named Travis, who wants the boys to check out a Jack Montgomery in Carthage, Missouri. They look at one another, tearful and exhausted, and put their lives on hold for the hunt, again. THANK YOU KRIPKE!
We see Montgomery's lovely house in Carthage, Missouri. Inside we see Jack, who looks like the poor woman's John Cusack. We get an extreme close up of him chewing his food and it's wicked gross. Kill him now, boys. His mouth is open and he's chewing as loudly as a flock of second graders with unlimited access to bubble gum and not a teacher in sight. He's really shoveling the food in his face, too. Jack's wife's Michelle is adorable. She just glows as she looks at him. "Jack, are you stoned?" The food's just good and he's starving. He inquires about dessert and when Michelle gets up to get it for him, he also asks, with his mouth full of food, if she's going to eat her steak, even though he just ate two. I'm going to go out on a limb and say whatever's going on with Jack, it involves a voracious appetite. Michelle suggests he might have a tapeworm, but Jack says he's never felt better. Later, we see him shirtless, brushing his teeth. There's a crunching sound and his knees buckle and he supports himself by putting his elbows on the sink and he groans in pain. He tries to push himself up, there's an even louder crunch which brings him to his knees. After a whole-body spasm, we see his spine sort of pop out (but it's no grosser than the eating was, or the fact that we can see the toothpaste bubbles and spittle in his mouth). He cries in pain and it pops out again. When it all subsides, Jack rises to his feet and tries to check his back in the bathroom mirror, which never works well, unless you've got a three-way mirror.
In the dark, Metallicar speeds down the road, bringing her boys to Carthage. Dean must have been using the time to catch Sam up on his trip back in time , because Sam says he can't believe Mom was a hunter. He asks Dean about her -- if she was happy. You can see the love and admiration in Dean's eyes as he describes her: ass kicking; awesome; funny; smart; hopeful, and Dad was, too. His voice trails off as he implies they were happy until Yellow-Eyes targeted them all. Sam's upset. "Our parents, and now we found out our grandparents too. Our whole family murdered and for what? So Yellow-Eyes could get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth?"
Dean realizes Sam's said more than he intended to. "Sam, I never said anything about demon blood. You knew about that?" When Sam admits he's known about it for about a year, Dean is pissed. When Sam doesn't want to go out carousing, Dean is pissed. When Sam douches up the Metallicar, Dean is pissed. Dean is pissed at his brother a lot. I imagine Sam must be numb to it by now, because he misses his chance for a The Best Defense Is A Good Offense sort of response. He should have been up in Dean's face demanding why he didn't tell him -- the person who ingested the demon blood 25 years ago. Instead, he just apologizes and Dean slathers on the guilt about Sam saying he's sorry a lot lately. He gets all bitter with Sam, telling him, "But whatever; if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. It's just fine." I don't belieeeeeeeeeve him. Sam whatevers him right back, because apparently they're nine years old.
Back at Jack's, it must be the next day, because Jack is starving, and wants to know when dinner is. Michelle says it'll be ready in 45 minutes. Outside, Dean and Sam use binoculars to spy on him from their car. At first they see him grab a beer, and can't figure out what sort of unusual activity they're supposed to see, so they're thinking their stakeout is a bust. Jack goes back into the fridge and grabs some chicken and starts shoving it down his throat. He might even eat the bones; I couldn't watch all that closely. Face still covered in chicken grease, he grabs a pack of raw ground beef from the fridge and starts mowing down on that. It's all over his face, and the drippings are all over his shirt. I'm sure Raoul is getting excited, because while it might not meet his gore standard, it does seem like a promise of things to come, but I'm suddenly thinking of going vegan. When Michelle calls to Jack, he tries to get a hold of himself. Outside, Sam tells Dean he thinks that qualifies as weird. Since he's been making the possessed barf out the essence of their tormenters, he ought to know.
Sam and Dean enter their motel room in Carthage, which has the exact same table they had at the Willow Tree, only this time, Travis is sitting at it, drinking one of their beers. Dean teases that he knew they should have hidden the beer, and Travis calls him a smartass. I say, "So I take it you two have met?" On this show, think of heretofore unknown hunters that turn out to be great friends not only of John's but also Sam and Dean, as a bottomless well of retroactive continuity . It helps you wave it all away with your hands and move forward. So, Travis is an old hunter and friend of the Winchesters. The boys reckon they haven't seen him in 10 years. He remarks on Sam's extraordinary height and asks him if he's still a Mathlete . Oh c'mon, Kripke. Sam was a Mathlete and Dean hasn't tormented him about it over the past four years? Travis comments on how the boys have grown up, and says John would have been proud of them sticking together they way they have. Awkward. Dean grins and bears it. "Yeah, we're as thick as thieves." Then he decides to Drive Home A Big Brotherly Lesson, "Nothing more important than family." Uncomfortable.
Travis has a broken arm, which is why he requested the boys' help on this case. The boys update him on Jack's eating habits. Travis explains that Jack is a Rugaru , which Dean thinks sounds made up, but if it is, we can't blame the writers, unless they created that Wiki entry. I'm using the spelling from the episode description, not the closed captioning or the primary spelling in Wikipedia, mostly because it's simpler, but also because it's closest to Subaru , and Subaru's jingle has been haunting me since I read the program descriptions. What makes a Rugaru a Rugaru? Well, good ole boy Travis is here to tell us. "They're mean nasty little suckers. Rotted teeth, wormy skin, the works." They start out human (or human looking) and then they go through some sort of metamorphosis (Sam gets to say the episode title). Hearing impaired people, remember last week when I told you the closed captioning lies? They're up to it again, but this time in your favor. There's a whole line in the closed captioning that wasn't spoken on the show: "About age 30, they start changing -- bones shift around, animal instinct kicks in. They're hungry." As the captioners feed secret messages to the hearing impaired, we see Jack casing his fridge and Michelle preparing supper. She cuts her finger, which bleeds pretty badly. Cut to Travis who says (aloud and in the caption), "But most of all they're hungry." At first, they want to eat everything, but eventually they want the long pig . Dean is confused. "Long pig?" And I'm dizzy, because we're back to Sam being the smart brother, as he explains that means human flesh. Dean ponders it and smiles. "And that is my word of the day." I guess we know what makes a Rugaru a Rugaru, now. As Travis explains how fast the craving for human flesh comes on our beastie, the camera cuts to Michelle running water over her bleeding finger. Jack looks kind of like the lesser members of the Fellowship, whenever they spotted the precious. Michelle wants him to take her to get stitches, but he says he's got to go, and runs out. Monster or not, I would not want to come back to her, after leaving her there bleeding.
Back at the motel, Travis explains that one bite is all it takes and the person's eyes, teeth and skin all turn -- they're a monster forever. Dean wants to know how Travis caught onto Jack, since he's still a walking, talking human. It runs in the family and Travis killed Jack's father back in 1978, after he mangled eight bodies. The guy used to be a dentist who drove a Cadillac and had a pregnant trophy wife. Oh my word, I think that's my dentist. I am so not surprised. Travis tells the boys that the wife put the baby up for adoption, and he was lost in the system before he found out. Sam knows secrets and lies when he hears them. "You mean to tell me you couldn't find someone?" Travis's face goes all soft. He's not sure he wanted to. He didn't have the heart to hunt down some poor kid. He waited to make sure he had the right man. So, wait. Now he's not only called my dentist's wife a trophy wife; he's impugning her fidelity? She's a dentist too, you sexist. He ignores me, as he confirms he has the right man and takes a swig of his beer. Jack totally ought to eat you alive, Travis, for talking about my dentist's wife...er...Jack's biological mother like that.
Jack is at a bar, eating the place clean of peanuts. I buy the house a round because just this far into the episode Sam and Dean have already heard about a creature right out of the annals of folklore; gone on a road trip to investigate it -- together; and they've done some research, and surveillance. If we're lucky children, they may actually hunt it before the episode is through. This is exactly like that show Supernatural . I love it. Oh, sorry. Back to Jack. We see a shot of blood cells coursing through veins. We cut to Jack's memory of Michelle's bloody finger, then the blood cells, then Michelle's bloody finger. Jack empties his drink and orders another nicely enough, but while the bartender is pouring, Jack gets snotty as he asks for more peanuts. He catches sight of himself in the mirror behind the bar and breathes heavily. I don't want to go there. Down at the end of the bar, some loud mouth is trying to pick up a woman who's way out of his league and he's refusing to get the hint that she's not interested. Jack's rearing to go at it with someone. "Hey douche bag, she doesn't want to talk to you." Thanks, Jack. I was wondering what to call the other guy. DB it is. When DB makes like he couldn't hear Jack, Jack makes his approach. "I said she doesn't want to talk to you, you fat. sweaty. dick. Now leave her alone." Okay, Jack, I suppose the D in DB can stand for Dick . DB is a pretty big guy, and he asks Jack if he really wants to do this. Jack makes it known he's in a Bring-It kind of mood, so DB swings at Jack, who grabs his fist and bends it completely freaking back! Ew. I mean completely. There are snapping sounds. There is BONE sticking out the bottom and oh my... ring ring . Hello? " GOOOOOOOOORE! " Oh, Raoul. Hi. " GOOOOOOOOORE! " Yes, I know, I'm just writing about it. "Well, I was afraid you'd be so shocked by the appalling language that you might miss it, and gore like that is not to be missed." Okay, Raoul. "Did you happen to mention the fabulous bit of bone sticking out of the bottom?" I did, dear. I've gotta go, now. Give my love to Demian, please. Sorry, everyone. DB cries in pain and horror and Jack hotfoots it out of the bar before he's caught by the METAL TEETH CHOMP!
Dean's playing with his blow torch (not a euphemism). Jack's found the only way to kill a Rugaru is with fire. Dean says, "Well that's going to be horrible." Does it bring back memories of the pit, sweetie, or just your idyllic childhood? Sam walks in with papers in hand. He announces he's done some research on Rugarus, and then has to pussy foot around that fact, because Travis is in danger of getting his widdle feelings hurt. Dean backs Sam up, like any brother would. "Sam loves research. He does. He keeps it under his mattress, right next to his K-Y." Google it, yourselves. Sam says he's found some stories about people with the Rugaru gene who start to turn, but never take the final step. Dean says, "So go vegan, stay human?" Sam tells him that's basically it, except they have to eat a lot of raw meat. And Sam's no longer the smart brother, unless the meaning of vegan has changed drastically since I mentioned it a couple of scenes back. He starts to say they just can't eat humans, when Dean comes over all proud of himself and tries out his new vocabulary word, "long pig." I wonder if Demian will be referring to Dean as "short pig" in future recaps. There's the phone. The caller ID says it's Barnes. Hello? "Demian better not call Dean "short pig" in upcoming recaps, unless he wants to start moderating again." Okee dokee, Julie. Gotta go. Bye. Did she just read my mind, or Demian's? Travis scoffs -- at Sam, not Barnes. Every Rugaru he's ever seen or heard of has taken that first bite. Sam says that doesn't mean Jack will. He endures a lot of mockery from Travis as he explains they should talk to Jack, let him know what's going on with himself and give him a chance to fight it. After listening to more mockery, Sam gets all het up, and proclaims they're not going to kill Jack unless he does something to get killed for. Reasonable. He storms off. Not so reasonable. Over-identify much, Sammy? When Travis asks Dean what's up with his brother, Dean says, "Don't get me started." Well yeah, no, because then he'd want to hunt Sam, Dean, and I don't think Travis seems like the kind of guy to ask questions then shoot, or heck, even shoot first and ask questions later. He's all shoot now, shoot later (or perhaps Eats, Shoots & Leaves ; Lynn Truss would string me up, wouldn't she, Angel?).
Michelle Montgomery is in her kitchen in a short, pretty white nightgown, pouring water from her kettle into a mug. Jack sneaks up on her, scares her, and then says he's sorry he didn't mean to sneak up on her. Liar. Her finger is all bandaged up. Jack sees it and asks how she's feeling. Since actions speak louder than words, she empties the kettle of boiling water on his low-rent John Cusackian face which, I'm sorry, looks older than 30, runs outside to Dean, who whisks her away in Metallicar, and they go off to make incredibly pretty babies together, who are decidedly not Rugarus, and even if they are, Dean always has his Zippo handy. All right well no, but if she were smart, that's what would have happened. Instead, she tells him she's feeling pissed, because she had to drive herself to the hospital last night and was there until 2:00. Jack's sorry. He saw her blood, got "dizzy" (STARVING) and had to get out. Michelle says he could have called; she left him a bunch of messages. His phone died. He couldn't find a pay phone. The dog ate his homework. But he is sorry. Sorry I'm late. There was this big problem... and I'm late because of it. He promises it'll never happen again, especially since he has a wife as stunning as she. And Michelle? She accepts this. Me, I'd be thinking he was doing drugs. They enter the playful banter portion of our program, and she teases that he's still not out of trouble. She wants a diamond and she's thinking Kobe-sized , because nothing says love like getting a diamond from your husband who at best cheated on you. Jack and Michelle smooch and he lifts her up onto the counter. As he kisses her neck, she asks what's gotten into him. Later on, Michelle, you'll want to ask that question of yourself. He's getting amorous, but he's also playing a little rough. Michelle asks him to slow down, but he ignores her pleas. He starts to bite her neck and she pushes him off, calls him a son of a bitch and asks him what the hell is wrong with him. He says he doesn't know and takes off, again. He's confusing his libido with hunger, Michelle. Is that a guy thing? I usually confuse fatigue with hunger, myself. I'd have a snack right now, but I know what has to come eventually, and I'd rather not have a full stomach.
In Metallicar on the way to the Montgomery's, Dean tells Sam he's good with having a chat with their suspected Rugaru. "I just want to know if push comes, you're gonna shove." Sam is now over-identifying with Jack so strongly that he can't keep focused on the fact that Dean's willing to talk -- that he just wants to know what to do if talking doesn't work. He gets on Dean about calling Jack 'this guy', reminds him he has a wife, and blah blah blah. He's so obvious, even Dean sees it, and accuses him of letting his emotions get in the way. When Sam comes over all obtuse, Dean spells it out for him. "You know, nice dude -- but he's got something evil inside of him. Something in his blood. Maybe you can relate?" Meeee-ow.
Sam twitches his nose and I wonder if he's got powers like Samantha Stephens, which makes me want to see the Winchesters take on Endora (she'd kick their asses). "Stop the car." Dean is puzzled so Sam clarifies. "Stop the car or I will." Hmmmm. Dean pulls off the road and both guys get out of the car. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT! Sam says, "You want to know why I've been lying to you, Dean? Because of crap like this." Damn it, they're just going to bicker. Dean wants to know what Sam means. "The way you talk to me. The way you look at me -- like I'm a freak." Well you are 75 feet tall, Sam, and make the possessed vomit out their possessors. Not hardly normal. "Or even worse, like I'm an idiot -- like I don't know the difference between right and wrong." Eh, sometimes that's you; sometimes it's big brother. Dean wonders if Sam does know the difference, because he's been sort of dark-side, lately. Sam tells Dean he has no idea what he's going through, and that does it. Sam, I generally find you ridiculously sympathetic, but every time you talk about what you've been going through, I want to get a ladder, climb it, and whack you upside your ginormous head, because your brother spent the summer in actual Hell. You should have just skipped that part and gone on to what you're going to say right after Dean booms at you to enlighten him. That's your cue. Go ahead. "I've got demon blood in me, Dean. This disease pumping through my veins and I can't ever rip it out or scrub it clean. I'm a whole new level of freak. I'm just trying to take this curse and make something good out of it, because I have to." Dean realizes this isn't the time to tell Sam to stow the touchy-feely self-help yoga crap (bitch), so he changes the subject back to talking to 'this guy' and when Sam harrumphs at him, he says, "I mean Jack, okay?"
A distracted Jack is in the garden, watering one plant to death. I hope Michelle locked him out of the house. Sam and Dean approach, and Sam, who got a hairdo on the car ride over and now looks like a (very pretty) rent boy, introduces himself and his brother. Using their real names! Get me the smelling salts, Myrtle. The boys give Jack a rundown of the symptoms, but he can't wrap his mind around the fact that he's a Rugaru. He can wrap his teeth around it, though. Sam goes on to explain Sam's "real" father was a Rugaru and passed it onto him. Yes, he said "real." No, Mr. Sensitive didn't have the presence of mind to say biological . Dean tries to break through Jack's already well-honed sense of denial. "You're hungry Jack and you're just going to get hungrier." Jack asks what for, which ought to answer his doubts right there. Dean says, "Long pig," because he loves that term so much, but then he embellishes. "You know, a little man-burger helper. May have crossed your mind already." Jack denies this, but being a lying liar who lies to two professional LYING LIARS WHO LIE is futile. Sam encourages Jack to face it and fight it off. Dean lets Jack know how hard it's going to be, but that he's got to, or... Jack asks, "Or what." Sam says, "You feed once and it's all over. And then we'll have to stop you." Ladies and gentlemen, I think Sammy just turned a corner. Regardless, his answer makes Jack angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry. "Stop me? My dad, did uh... somebody stop him?" When Sam confirms this, Jack orders them off his property and arouses the attention of a neighbor, whom we'll never again see, so I don't know why I just mentioned him. Sam and Dean finally take the hint and leave, and Dean tells Sam, "Good talk." These boys are so bitchy this week. It's more delicious than man-burger helper.
That night, Jack sits on a city bench, listening to desperate cell phone voice mail messages from Michelle. He looks up at the apartment building across the street and spies an attractive woman getting undressed... in front of her window. Did she not have a mother? A grandmother? Neighbors? What the heck, lady. Draw the blinds, close the curtains or something. Oh, she heard me. Hi, lady. You're the first one this episode. Thank you for acknowledging I exist. Now look out, or you're going to get the inside scoop on what makes a Rugaru a Rugaru. Jack's hungry. Or sexually aroused. We already know he can't discern the difference. He heads towards the woman's fire escape. Lucky for her Sam and Dean are sitting in Baby, watching his every move. They grab their blow torches and head out, while Jack scales the fire escape like it's kindergarten-sized monkey bars. They lose sight of him, so they head inside the building, which is conveniently free of either conventional locks or those buzzer contraptions. Jack's appeteaser is just in her black bra and panties, now. Oops, there goes the bra. Perched on her terrace, he watches her from behind. She slips on her nightshirt and shuts off the light. This gives Jack a look at his own reflection. He gasps, "No, no" and turns away. Meanwhile, our intrepid heroes bust down the appeteaser's door and scare the life out of her. She screams. Dean says, "Wait! Wuuh, we're here. To save you. I guess." From the other room, the appeteaser screams that she's calling the police. Sam points out they should go, and Dean agrees. They exit, then Dean comes back to shut the door, with a Cheshire Cat grin on his face. Who's going to fix that busted up doorframe, Mr. Considerate?
Jack arrives home, looking like he's a new man. He calls for Michelle, but she doesn't answer. He seems happy, confident, and in control. "Hey babe, you here?" He finds Michelle gagged and tied to a chair in the living room. She tries to move the chair and squeals (like a long pig -- you be the judge). A man's arm reaches out from behind, and chloroforms him, so he doesn't have to feel the pain of the METAL TEETH CHOMP!
Travis has Jack bound to a conveniently located living room column. He wakes, and sees his wife still bound, gagged and seated before an identical and equally convenient column. Travis appears between the two of them. Jack says they'll stay calm and give Travis anything he wants. He can just take it and go. Travis apologizes for how things are turning out as he removes the gag from Michelle's mouth, and says, "You've already met some friends of mine, two brothers." Jack says, "They said if I..." he looks at Michelle, not wanting to disclose his horrible secret to her. "I haven't hurt... anybody." Travis acknowledges this, but says eventually Jack would because they always do, and that he's doing Jack a favor. Michelle wants to know what Travis is talking about. Travis instructs Jack to tell Michelle the truth, but Jack just wants Travis to let Michelle go, because she's not a part of this. Travis begs to differ. He asks Michelle to tell her husband what she told him. Michelle says, "I said, 'Don't hurt me, because I'm pregnant'." Wouldn't it be a hoot if she lied about that? Seriously, if some older man who seemed cordial and kind enough (if you overlook the gagging, binding, and intent to burn people alive) broke into my home with a blow torch, looking for my husband, I might consider working him that way, if I had the presence of mind. In the end I'd decide against it though, because I know if I lied, I'd end up like Michelle, whom I actually do believe is pregnant. Travis tells Jack, "Now you see the mess we're in. I won't be around in another 30 years; this has got to end now. I know you don't believe me, but I'd give anything not to have to do this." Oh Travis, didn't you ever watch Buffy for research purposes? Be careful what you wish for, you old coot.
While Travis pours gasoline around the room, helpfully providing something for me to nitpick a few minutes from now, Jack pleads for Michelle's life, but Travis will not be moved. Jack struggles to break free from his cuffs. We see the same shots of blood cells traveling through veins. These alternate with Jack's flashbacks to tender moments with Michelle. I think this means Sam was right -- that some Rugarus might be able to control themselves. Don't get me wrong, Jack's not going to, but that could well be because Travis has backed him into a corner. After all, it isn't Jack's hunger that helps him muster the strength to break free, but his love for his wife. Between that and his appearance when he first arrived home, I'm putting a point down in Sam's column. Sorry, Travis. Jack's not sorry though; he frees himself and lunges for Travis. Travis fights back. He's a scrapper. He even whacks Jack with his cast. Jack grabs it and snaps it, and Travis's arm, clear in two. My phone rings. Caller ID says, "Chicago," so I'm not answering, and I'm turning down the volume on my machine. Jack's on top of Travis now, and he's holding his head to the floor. Eyes wide and wild, he tears back Travis's shirt, and descends upon his bare, vulnerable neck. Jack lifts his head. His chin is bathed in Travis's blood. It drips from his lips. His eyes are half shut. He chews Travis's flesh. WITH HIS MOUTH OPEN. My phone rings, again. Whatever. Michelle can't believe what she's seeing. Travis is still clinging to life, but not for long, because Jack's had a taste now, and he's going back for more. Crunch. When he unlatches from Travis's he spins his head quickly to look at his wife. She gasps. He hears her heart beat loudly, as she tries to breathe. He looks at her the way a curious puppy might consider someone, crouches down, and... unbinds her. She springs back from him and yells, "Stay away from me." Jack speaks her name, but she flees in terror and screeches away in her car. One can but hope she makes the office of a good geneticist her first stop. With Michelle gone, Jack tries to collect himself, but when he looks back down at Travis's corpse, he realizes there's plenty of good eating there. It's probably extra tender too, because of the beer.
The Winchesters arrive at the Montgomery's house, and Dean spots Travis's pick-up truck across the street. Sam says, "That stupid son of a bitch." They head in and survey the damage -- furniture all a-tumble, and a huge blood stain in the middle of the carpet. A trail of blood leads behind the couch, where there's a little bit of flesh left, that our intrepid heroes swiftly identify as Travis, or what's left of him. Sam turns to Dean, "Guess you were right about Jack." Actually, Sam... Wait. Jack's just jumped Dean from behind. He knocks him down and knocks him out cold. Sam tries to light his blow torch but Jack grabs him and knocks him out with it and DUN! METAL TEETH CHOMP RWAAAAAR OR SOMETHING!!!
Sam wakes up in the closet, which would not surprise Dean, were he awake. His nose is bloody, and he has a big, bloody mark on his forehead, but he looks otherwise fine. He tries the door, but it's locked. He calls out for Dean. Jack really looks like a monster now. His skin has changed. Bloody faced and near tears, he yells back, "Dean can't come to the phone right now." Hee. Sam pounds on the door. "Jack, if you hurt him, I swear to God..." Jack tells him to calm down, and that his brother's alive but he'll only stay that way if Sam calms down. Sam tries to talk him into letting him out so they can talk. Jack's attitude is one of thanks but no thanks, considering what you and your buddies have driven me to. Sam doesn't know the extent of Travis's actions, so Jack explains. "You sent your friend here. He tried to burn my wife alive." Sam says, "What? Why?" and Jack realizes Sam doesn't know that Michelle's pregnant with his little Rugaru Sprog. He's sure not going to spill the beans, so he lies. "He didn't say. I guess psychopaths don't have to explain themselves." Liar.
As Sam attempts to pick the closet lock with a coat hanger, he tries to talk Jack down. He assures him that he and Dean never would have hurt his wife. While Sam talks, Jack crawls over to a still unconscious Dean. He reaches out his already bloody fingers, wipes up Dean's blood with them, and licks it off. My phone rings again. I ignore it, again. Jack moans about how hungry he is. I guess he's a Dean Girl, too. Sam tells him not to do this. Jack bemoans the fact that he can never see his family again and starts ranting about how the Winchesters and Travis made Jack into "this" which from the side now looks a lot less like a knock-off Cusack, and much more like a bloody, bumpy, discolored David Arquette, don't you think? Sam points out that nobody's making Jack kill him and Dean, and then he puts on the therapist hat left behind in that closet, by someone thoughtful, no doubt. "You've got this dark pit inside of you. I know. Believe me, I know. But that doesn't mean you have to fall into it. You don't have to be a monster." Jack just laughs. "Have you seen me, lately?" Sam keeps giving his pep talk to Jack -- to himself. "It doesn't matter what you are. It only matters what you do. It's your choice." He goes back to work, rather loudly, on picking the lock. Luckily for him, Jack hears Dean's heart pounding. He groans as if in pain, then considers Dean as if he's Prime Rib. See? Dean Girl. He gets in so close that Dean's There's-A-Boy-Wanting-Me sensors snap into overdrive, and do their best to wake him up. The voice in his head says, "Dammit Dean, if you're going to go XY, save it for a Clooney or a Pitt. You're too pretty for a mussed up, low-rent Cusack Arquette."
As Jack gets ever closer to Dean, Sam breaks out of the closet, blow torch in hand. Sam looks on him with pity, perhaps hoping against hope that it's not too late, but alas, it is. In slow motion, Jack charges for Sam, who lights him up like a Christmas tree. Dean comes to just in time to see this, and looks on in horror, and with no small amount of sympathy for his brave brother. Sam looks back. He's disgusted, he's resigned, and he's looking for approval in Dean's eyes. DUN! Actually, DUN DUN DUN! While we go to commercial, I'll note that nitpick I teased earlier. Travis doused a good portion of that room in gasoline. A lot more than Jack should have caught fire. Dean and Sam should have been running for their lives, not contemplating the meaning of their lives and their life's work.
In Metallicar, Dean and Sam speed off into the night. The closed captioning people are still trying to atone for their lies last week, so they give their readers some lyrics to Jethro Tull's, " A New Day Yesterday ," even though we don't hear the song in the episode. They spell the band's last name Tul , but I'm not picking, because I know exactly how tired I am right now, and that's a surefire way for me to guarantee I'll make the most embarrassing typos in the world. Dean tells Sam that he did the right thing, because Jack was a monster and there was no going back. He then adds, "Sam, I want to tell you I'm sorry. I've been kind of hard on you lately." Sam cuts him off. "Don't worry about it, Dean." The closed captioning of the lyrics reads: And we had so (sic) fun . Dean tries to continue the conversation, explaining to Sam that his psychic thing scares the crap out of him. Sam says, "Dean, if it's all the same, I'd really rather not talk about it." Dean tries to make light of the fact that Sam is the one who doesn't want to talk this time, but Sam won't play along. "There's nothing more to say. I can't keep explaining myself to you. I can't make you understand." This angers Dean. "Well why don't you try?" Sam says he can't, because this blood isn't in Dean the way it's in him. It's just something he has to deal with. Dean says, "Not alone."
In a gorgeous shot, Sam stares at his reflection in the passenger side window, that shows just how alone he must feel. He says, "Anyway, it doesn't matter. These powers -- it's playing with fire. I'm done with them." Lyrics: Oh, I had to leave today. Sam says, "I'm done with everything." He never takes his eyes off himself. He never turns to his brother. Dean looks over at the back of Sam's head, appearing not quite convinced, but hopeful enough to play along. "Really? Well that's a relief. Thank you." Sam finally turns away from his reflection. "Don't thank me. I'm not doing it for you, or the angels, or for anybody. This is my choice." Sam and Dean look toward one another, but I can't help but wonder if they can really see each other, or themselves. Their eyes return to the dark road ahead.
The people who caption the episode must have taken pity on the poor viewer who was hoping for a lighter ending to an old-fashioned Monster of the Week episode. Their parting interpretation of the lyrics: It was a new dayesterday, butt's an old D now. Butt's an old D now, indeed, my friends. I hope you've learned that much, at least. D , huh? I wonder if that's a secret message from Cas.
Next week looks black and white and blue all over, as the Winchesters encounter some class movie monsters. It'll take them 30 years to catch up with that Montgomery kid. They've got to keep busy, somehow.
Demian is the Supernatural Recapper, and he's generally accompanied by his faithful, if imaginary, gay dragon companion, Raoul. Cindy McLennan is just the substitute. She and Raoul got off to a rough start, so she mostly goes it alone, or tries to anyhow. You can e-mail her at CynthiaMcLennan[at]gmail.com.
Read the infamous Supernatural forums , and get the latest TV news .