 |
 |
 |
 |
Simon Said
Sam has another vision that leads the brothers to Oklahoma,
where they encounter a man who possesses the ability to make anyone do anything
he wants, but there is a sinister element about him that Sam and Dean want
to investigate.
|
|
NotesWriterBen EdlundDirectorTim LacofanoGuest Stars:Gabriel Tigerman (Andy)Elias Toufexis (Webber/Anson Wiems) Eric Keenleyside (Dennis) Blu Mankuma (Dr. Jennings) Chad Lindberg (Ash) Alona Tal (Jo) Samantha Ferris (Ellen) Filming Locations:Delta & LadnerDelta Automotive Massey's Marine Supply Delta Museum and Archives Cleveland Dam Completely useless trivia:Andy's licence plate reads: "RU OBI 1" |
ReviewThe then/now recap leans heavily on Sam's abilities, letting us know that this episode will indeed be about the "special" children. We see Dr. Jennings answer a cell phone call and answer the caller in the affirmative. He then goes into a hardware/sporting goods shop and asks to see a 12-gauge rifle. The shopkeeper knows the doc and is surprised to see him picking up shells and loading a gun knowing that he's a pacifist. He shoots the salesman and then himself, saying "it's all gonna be okay" the whole time. With the echo of the final gunshot ringing in the air, we flip to Sam in some grungy gas station restroom holding his head from the painful vision.Back on the road, Hard Drivin' Man by Sailcat plays on "the rock of Nebraska" radio station while the boys argue about whether or not to go to the Roadhouse to ask Ash about the vision. Sam knows Ash can help, but Dean is worried that other hunters may get the wrong idea and think that Sam is a threat. Sam wins out, and the boys turn up at the bar. I'm happy to say that both boys snub Jo a little, they go straight to Ash to have him check for signs. Poor naked Ash, happily lost in the 80's but getting disturbed at the most inconvenient times! I totally love the look on Dean's face as Ash opens the door au naturale. His wince says he'd rather poke nails into his eyes that see that again. Priceless! Ash runs the searches Sam requests. No demon in Guthrie Oklahoma, but when they check for suspicious house fires they get a hit on Andrew Galagher. While Sam and Ash are occupied, Jo again tries to get some alone time with Dean. Playing Can't Fight this Feeling Anymore by REO Speedwagon on the jukebox, she plays the "I can help I'm a good hunter" card. I can't express how happy it makes me to hear Dean Winchester singing such a chick-flicky overly emo slush rock song with such emotion it almost brings a tear to my eye. (sigh) Then Sam looking shocked and confused and saying "are you kidding me?" Love it, love it, love it! On to Andy's old workplace. The waitress assumes the boys, looking great as always in their suits, are debt collectors. She tells them not to bother looking for Andy because they'll never get any money out of him. "They never do" she says. Webber, busboy at the diner, tells them that Andy is great, he can get you into anything. They assure the two that they're not debt collectors, but lawyers looking to give Andy a sizeable inheritance. She tells them to try Orchard Street where he parks his van with the barbarian queen painted on the side. Trust Dean to totally dig the van. Stonehenge (Spinal Tap) plays, finally giving us our rock fix for the day. It suits the van, somehow. The boys watch as Andy comes out of an apartment building and waves goodbye to a beautiful woman in an upstairs window. Sloppily dressed in sweats and a dragon robe, he doesn't look like he'd be able to get a woman of her calibre. He stops a man on the street and relieves him of his coffee, and says a quick hello to Dr. Jennings, who Sam recognizes from his vision. They split up to follow both men, Sam takes Jennings and Dean takes Andy. Following the shagedelic van much too closely down the road, Dean is spotted by Andy who stops and comes to the window for a chat. He compliments Dean on the car, then asks if he can have it, putting a hint of force behind the words. Without hesitation Dean jumps out and cheerfully hands it over. I love how this happens within seconds of him saying that he just rebuilt it because "you can't let a car like this go." The timing is impeccable, and despite the fact that I knew it was coming, I was still surprised. It's such a shock to see him give it up so willingly when we know how deeply attached he is to the car and how he'd fight for it with his dying breath. It's a real testament to how powerful Andy actually is. Sam, meanwhile, has followed Dr. Jennings to a corner across from the sporting goods store from his vision. The doc stops to take a cell phone call and Sam uses the time to run into the store first and trigger the alarm. Everyone vacates the building and Dr. Jennings opts not to go in. Sam, certain that the doc will be okay now, turns to leave and notices the Impala drive by with Andy behind the wheel. Sam calls to ask Dean about the car and is told about Andy's powers of mind control. Dean chooses to say "he full-on Obi Wan'd me" to explain, which bothered me a lot at first because it's so close after hearing him say the swayze'd line in the premiere episode. I've decided I like that they use the line again, simply because Dean can't remember using it the first time. It's like Sam with the hoodoo mojo line that he repeated after spirit Dean said it to him in the hospital. The words are in his head, but he's not really sure where they came from. With Dean, it leads me to believe that there are remnants of his out-of-body experience that still linger and his mind doesn't know how to process them. Like last week when I said I wondered if his feeling of resignation was due to some trace of his conversation with Tessa, this line may be some shred of memory that his mind chooses to incorporate into his consciousness however it can. I don't know, maybe I'm reading way too much into this line, it's just a TV show after all! While Sam is on the phone with Dean, Doc Jennings gets another phone call and walks out into the street straight into the path of an oncoming bus. Splat. So much for Dr. Jennings. I find it seriously disturbing that we see his shoe go flying, that makes it just a little too real for me. Also, as much as I hate to say it, the CG guys did a really bad job of the accident. I'm sure everyone knows how much I respect the CG work done on this show, it's some of the highest quality I've ever seen outside of the movie theatres. Because of that, it's an added disappointment to see a bad effect. In this one, when the bus hits the body the arm appears to come out through the side of the bus, making it look as though it was torn off or something. To me, it's distracting and makes the illusion look far too fake. Sorry guys, but my standards are high. On the other hand, most people were probably watching the shoe anyway! Sam is despondent, he thought he had saved the man and feels he could have done more. Andy is also despondent, he knew Dr. Jennings and liked him, so he chooses to go to the diner to see his ex-girlfriend Tracy. He must care for her more than we know. Dean notices the Impala at the side of the road and is relieved to find it. "Sorry baby, I'll never leave you again!" I love the relationship between the man and his car. Probably the only 'healthy' relationship he's ever had! Dean explains that Andy needs to speak his commands out loud, he can't just "twitch his nose". Sam thinks it was him on the other end of the phone call with Jennings, but Dean isn't so sure. He doesn't seem like the killer type. While Andy is otherwise occupied, the boys take the opportunity to check out the shag van, which Dean thinks is magnificent! The disco ball, painted tiger, wall to wall bedding, the perfect make-out vehicle. Dean notes the bong (if you don't know, don't ask), while angelic little Sam points out the books instead. Hegel, Kant Wittgenstein. Heavy reading for a would-be murderer. While they wait for Andy to return, they grab a Mini-Mart snack and talk about the case. Dean recognizes the type and doesn't think Andy could be a murderer. Sam can't get past his initial judgement that since Andy has the power of mind control, he must be the murderer. While they discuss, Andy arrives and demands the truth. Sam is immune to the effects of his ability, but Dean succumbs with ease. He spews the truth like a geyser, unable to stop himself. I love this scene, it's probably my favourite of the whole show! First, we see yet another of Dean's weaknesses. I really appreciate that these boys are flawed, imperfect people. There are too many shows out there with sugary characters and perky perfection at every turn. These boys are the real deal, dark and dirty, they are always scrambling to get by in a world that doesn't understand them. This scene helps drive that point home. Sam takes the conversation in stride, starting to tell Andy their lawyer cover story. He's shocked when Dean starts telling all. When Sam tells him to shut up, he fits in a quick "I'm trying!" between sentences but continues to reveal everything including his hidden fears about Sam and the other people with abilities. When he's done, he puts his hand to his head in a gesture of either pain or frustration, I'm not really sure which. Sam is up and out and after Andy but Dean has to take a minute to recover. Andy tries to get Sam to stop, but he just keeps coming. Sam explains that they're connected, that they both have abilities, and while he's demanding to know about Dr. Jennings he is struck with a hard and painful vision of a woman at a gas station who lights herself on fire and burns alive. Sirens sound behind them and they realize that the vision is coming true immediately. Dean runs to investigate and Sam stays to watch Andy. The woman is indeed dead and Andy can't have done it as he hadn't used his cell phone. While Dean is investigating the fire, Sam explains his visions to Andy, who says death visions are impossible. Sam points out that a lot of people would thing the same about Andy's gift. Holly Beckett, the woman from the fire, gave birth in 1983. It turns out Andy was adopted. The birth records are sealed, but Andy can take care of the security guard. I love the inclusion of the line "these aren't the droids you're looking for". It's a great kick-back to Dean's Obi Wan line from earlier. Of course, I love anything Star Wars so I'm always happy to see lines like this! In the county records office, Sam finds the missing piece of the puzzle. Holly gave birth to twins. Dr. Jennings was her doctor, and he oversaw the adoption. Andy sits in obvious shock, repeating "I have an evil twin" as though that will help make it more believable. They search the DMV records for a photo of his twin brother, Anson Wiems, and find that it's Webber from the diner. I like Dean's line here. "I hate to kick you while you're freaked, but take a look at that." (hands him DMV records) Webber, meanwhile, is asking Tracy about her relationship with Andy. He forces her to tell him everything about their feelings for each other. While driving to confront Webber, Sam has another vision of Tracy jumping from the local dam. Like the last one, this vision is more painful and clear than he's used to. Perhaps because he's in close proximity to Andy, and Andy is linked to Webber? Or maybe his visions are just clearer around other people with abilities. They were pretty clear around Max, too. Then again, it could be because Andy and Webber are double-teaming him. Twice the abilities, twice the pain. What I wouldn't give for a peek inside Kripke's head! Geez man, give us a hint already! Webber explains to Tracy that Andy is family and she's in the way of that. He forces her to undress first, I assume he plans to rape her before he forces her to jump off the dam. But Sam comes to the rescue, smashing the glass and forcing Webber out of the car. I find it interesting that while Andy uses his mind-push his voice goes all echoey, but when Webber does it, his voice holds the undertones of demon echoes. It sounds like other voices underneath his supporting his power with strength of their own. Freaky. Sam drags him from the car and covers his mouth with duct tape. Andy pulls Tracy out, who is overwhelmingly happy to see him. Andy attacks Webber, kicking him viciously. Webber looks at Tracy who picks up a stick from the road and hits Sam with it, dropping him like a stone. She moves towards Andy who stops her with a mind-push. He asks Webber how he did that with his lips taped, and he admits that with practice they don't need to use their voice, just the power of their mind. Meanwhile, Tracy is climbing the rail to the dam and is poised to jump. Webber points this out to Andy who backs off to save his girlfriend. Webber launches into a speech about how family is everything and the two of them belong together. Andy looks on incredulously, giving the speech of his own: "Are you really this stupid? You learn you have a twin, you call them up! Go out for a drink or something, you don't start killing people!" Webber replies with "I wanted to tell you for so long, but he wouldn't let me. He said I had to wait until the time was right." "Who?" "The man with the yellow eyes" (dun dun DUN!) He killed Holly and Dr. Jennings because they were responsible for splitting them up as infants. At the other end of the dam, Dean sees that things have gone horribly wrong. He has a sniper rifle and takes a bead on Webber, who senses the scrutiny. He turns to face Dean and pushes him to turn the rifle on himself. I suppose the reason he didn't sense the new threat from Andy is because he was focusing on too many other people. It gave Andy the chance to take Sam's gun and use it on his brother. A beautiful cut here from Dean with the rifle under his chin to the sound of a gunshot then to Webber's twitch and subsequent drop to the ground. While I hate to see Dean with a gun to his chin, I have to say I love the look in his eyes here. They're completely emotionless. Unlike Tracy who can't stop crying even when Webber pushes her to stop, Dean shows nothing of what's going on inside his head. He had been focusing only on aiming at Webber, and when he moved the gun to himself, his eyes didn't change their focus, almost as if his arms were moving without his mind telling them what to do. I have to say, Jensen is one of the best actors I've ever had the pleasure of watching. He seems to instinctively know what to do, where to move, how much emotion to allow to let show in his eyes. I wish I knew if that was due to direction or to raw talent. Morning arrives along with the police. Andy pushes the police to make them believe that Webber shot himself. Tracy won't meet his eyes and he knows she'll be afraid of him now that she understands his gift. Sam offers his cell number in case anything comes up, and the boys leave with a thinly veiled threat from Dean. "You be good Andy. Or we'll be back." Sam points out to Dean that Andy turned out to be a killer after all. Dean defends him saying that he was pushed into it. Sam says that under the right circumstances anyone can be forced to kill. Sam seems more afraid than ever to face his fears about the demon and his plans. He's insecure about his own strength to resist and worried that he will one day be forced to kill. Dean tries to put him at ease but doesn't have much luck. Sam reminds him that when Andy forced him to tell the truth, he admitted that he too was afraid that Sam might be right. Dean objects to that comment with a vengeance. He says it doesn't count, it was like being roofied. He goes on to say that he's calling a do-over, to which Sam replies "what are you, seven?" The conversation is interrupted by a phone call from Ellen, who asks them to come to the roadhouse. Once there, she sends Jo out of the room and asks the boys about their hunt. Dean refuses to disclose anything but Ellen pushes, showing a stack of papers from Ash which show the pattern of fires with children on their 6 month birthday. Sam starts to admit the truth but Dean stops him. Ellen launches into a beautiful speech to explain that they need to stick together if they're going to with the war against evil. She's a really great actress, she's totally believable and she brings an air of maturity to the show that I appreciate. Sam explains the history of the people with special abilities and the fires, and points out a break in the pattern: that Webber didn't suffer a fire on his 6 month birthday. This means that there's no way to track the special children; without the fires they have nothing to go on. I would have to say that all in all, this was a good episode but not quite what I was expecting. I had guessed that this would be this season's equivalent of the Hell House episode, both because of it's proximity to hallowe'en, and because it follows the emotionally charged episode last week and would have broken the tension we've felt since the season began. While it was a nice respite from the stress of the first few episodes, it failed to live up to my expectations for the comedy factor. That being said, I still feel that the three scenes of Dean being mind-pushed were brilliant. The first one was a quick snippet to show Andy's power and how easily he wields it. The surprise I felt at how easily Dean hands over the Impala will be hard to top. Then the second time, Andy puts a lot more force behind his words, and not only does Dean have no hope of resisting, but it also causes him physical pain. Finally, when Webber pushes him to take his own life, we know without a shadow of a doubt that Dean will do it. No question, no fight, no resistance. It was brilliantly written and ingeniously acted. As always, kudos to everyone involved in bringing this show to life. You guys are the real heroes. |