Born Under a Bad Sign (Welcome to my Nightmare)
Original Air Date 02/08/2007

Sam has been missing for more than a week, and Dean finds him covered in blood and unable to remember what happened. While they're trying to figure it out, they find a tape that shows Sam killing another hunter in cold blood, making him think his evil side is taking over.

Notes

Writer

Cathryn Humphris

Director

J. Miller Tobin

Guest Stars:

Jim Beaver (Bobby)
Alona Tal (Jo)

Other Guests:

Philip Granger
(Hotel Manager)
Richard Kahan
(Gas Station Clerk)
Vince Murdocco

Filming Locations:

Cannery Row, Steveston

Completely Useless Trivia:

The cannery location used
for Jo's bar, where Dean was shot and fell into the water,
is the same location used in
Route 666.

Sam's cell phone number is
(785) 555-2804

When signing in to the
A-line mobile phone
service webpage to
locate Sam, Dean's login name displays as
Dean J. Mohogoff

Review

This episode is truly a ride to remember, it tugs at the heartstrings and has moments of shock, worry, confusion and brotherly angst. The only thing that is in short supply is the usual dose of humour.

The episode opens with Dean on the phone with Ellen, asking after Sam who has been missing all week. While on the phone the call waiting beeps and the display shows it's Sam's cell. Dean races to Twin Lakes to meet up with his brother only to find him covered with blood and unable to remember any of the events of the past week. Blood on the window latch shows that Sam climbed in the back window, so the two explore the back of the hotel to see if anything is familiar. Sam recognizes a parking garage and finds he has the key in his pocket. Inside is a VW Bug with blood on the wheel and a bowie knife in the back seat covered in thick, sticky blood. There is a pack of menthol cigarettes, which encourages Dean to believe that someone else is responsible. They also find a gas station receipt and decide to investigate. The station attendant reacts with instant anger at seeing Sam, and tells how just yesterday he stole some cigarettes and a bottle of booze, drank some and then threw the bottle at the attendant's head. Dean listens incredulously, repeating "this guy?" after ever sentence until the attendant replies with one of my favourite lines: "What, am I speaking Urdu?" (That line leads me to believe that Cathryn Humphries, like myself, is a fan of the newspaper crosswords, "Urdu" has been a recurring answer for the past several weeks.) With the encouragement of a hefty bribe from Dean, the attendant remembers that Sam drove north after leaving the station. The two boys drive north until Sam recognizes a particular street and tells Dean to turn.

At the end of the private road they find a house with an abundance of security. Motion sensor lights, video cameras and an alarm system (which has been previously disabled) speak to the paranoia of the owner. They find a broken window and enter the house. Inside they find signs of a vicious fight; items broken in several different rooms and pictures askew on the wall. In the back office they find the body of a man. Steve Wandell. Even though he can't remember, Sam knows he's responsible. They find a weapons cupboard and realize that this man was a hunter, and the video surveillance record shows Sam brutally murdering him without any sign of remorse. Sam sits quietly and feels the guilt set in when he finds a letter from Steve's daughter thanking him for the waterproof pajamas in her care package. Dean takes care of things, smashing the surveillance recorder and wiping away the fingerprints.

Back at the hotel Sam confesses that he's been having angry feelings for weeks, and begs Dean to kill him now before it's too late. Dean refuses, saying they'll figure it out but Sam insists. He pushes a gun into Dean's hand, saying he can't fight the evil growing inside him. Dean puts the gun down and says he'd rather die that kill Sam. Sam picks up the gun and says no, he'll live. .live to regret this. As he says the ominous line he knocks Dean out with the butt of the pistol and leaves him lying on the hotel room floor. (They used three camera angles for this shot; poor Jensen, how many times did he have to take that fall to get it right from all angles?) Sam's reversal here is particularly effective, he goes from flashing his soulful puppy-dog eyes and begging for death to an intense and in-control villain in only an eye blink, leaving us to wonder if he's being truthful about his lack of memory. Dean wakes up to the sound of the hotel manager banging on the door and learns that it's past noon and Sam left hours earlier, taking the car. With another hefty bribe he "encourages" the manager to let him use the hotel computer, and with it he activates the GPS in Sam's cell phone. With all that cash in his hands the manager doesn't even notice the flood of lies Dean tells the cell provider; that Sam is his son who snuck out to a Justin Timberlake concert and that he's a diabetic who needs his insulin. The GPS shows Sam is in Duluth, Minnesota.

In Duluth, Sam finds Jo in a seedy bar. Although the bar is closing for the night, she allows him to stay for a beer. She asks after Dean, but Sam simply says he couldn't make it. When he takes off his jacket, she comments on a Q-shaped burn on his arm, to which he replies that he had a run-in with a hot stove. Sam tries to apologize for his father, saying that he was obsessed with hunting and it consumed him. He goes on to say that he isn't like his father, that she shouldn't hold the past against him. To this, Jo again asks about Dean. Sam tells her Dean is more like John, but then stops when he realizes that she keeps bringing the conversation back to Dean. He asks if she's still carrying a torch for Dean. When her only answer is a huff and a laugh, Sam knows she still cares for Dean. He laughs at this and tells her that Dean thinks of her more as a little sister, and that romance is out of the question. Then he puts his hand on hers, looks her in the eyes and tells her that he's telling her these things because he cares. Putting on his "intense" face, he says "I could be more to you, Jo." She asks him to leave and he agrees, only to turn and grab her by both arms, pinning her against the bar holding her fast. She struggles, but he's much stronger and he smacks her head against the bar, knocking her out. "It didn't have to be this way" he whispers to her unconscious body, "then again, maybe it did." She awakens to find herself tied to a pillar with Sam standing over her. (Very nice choice of music here, Crystal Ship by The Doors) He asks how much she knows about the death of her father, and when she tells him that her dad was killed by a creature their fathers were hunting together, Sam just laughs. He tells her that the creature didn't kill her father, he was only maimed. He was critically injured so John shot him to put him out of his misery. Taunting her, he sings "my daddy shot your daddy in the head!" He then tells her that "like father, like daughter", she's bait. As he ties a gag across her mouth Dean breaks through the door shouting Sam's name. Switching immediately back to poor-little-brother Sammy, he shouts accusingly that he begged Dean to shoot him before, that he isn't able to fight the evil inside him, that his head feels like it's on fire. He tells Dean that if he doesn't kill him, he's going to kill Jo. Dean hesitates, his eyes filled with anguish. He lowers his gun and turns away, saying he won't do it. Sam steps toward him in anger, asking if he's so afraid to be alone that he'd rather let Jo die, but as soon as he's close enough Dean turns and sprays him down with holy water. Sam's eyes flood to pure black, his skin smoking and smoldering painfully. He runs and leaps out the window, and Dean pauses only long enough to untie Jo before following him.

Both boys try to track each other in the dark and cluttered warehouse. Guns drawn, they goad each other into conversation, each hoping to find the other by the sound of their voice. Demon Sam admits that he wanted to push Dean into killing his brother, knowing that the realization of what he had done would be a lingering torture. Now that Dean knows Sam is possessed, Demon Sam has decided to kill all the hunters he can find, starting with Dean. Before Dean can close in on him, Sam leaves through the nearby doorway. Although Dean immediately follows him outside, Sam is nowhere to be seen. Dean looks around hoping to spot him, and walks to the edge of the wharf to see if he's down in the water. He hears something behind him and turns just in time to see Demon Sam raise his gun and fire. Fortunately, he isn't a very good shot, he only hits Dean in the shoulder, but it's enough to send him spinning into the water below. While I like this whole section very much, there are two points that irritate me. First of all, why couldn't Demon Sam shoot Dean through the heart? (Besides the fact that doing so would end the show, of course) Possessed or not, Sam should be just as good a shot as his brother, and Dean would never miss such an easy shot! A stationary target from less than 100 feet away should have been a walk in the park for Sam. The only explanation I have is that perhaps Natural Sam was fighting for control over the demon and managed to throw of the aim a little. My second point is how quickly we learn that Dean isn't dead. Granted, we are left hanging for the duration of the commercial break, but as soon as the show resumes we find Dean alive and well. Okay, not "well" exactly, but with only one superficial hole in him that will only be a minor hindrance to his hunting ability. That being said, I admit that I do appreciate their allowing Dean to be shot. I am often bothered by the uncanny ability both boys have to avoid injury even in the most dire of circumstances. I like to see them get knocked down a peg or two once in awhile. This episode has peg-knocking in spades! Dean really takes a licking. Fortunately for us, he keeps on ticking, and endures it all with grace and a generous dose of his "bite me" attitude.

Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, Dean is injured and in the water, Sam has run off to who-knows-where, and that leaves Jo to wander around looking for them. She dials Dean's cell hoping he'll answer, but only gets the voicemail. Redialing, she hears the faint sound of his rock music ringtone and jumps down into the slough where his motionless body lies. It's a good thing that Dean's cell phone is waterproof, or perhaps he borrowed the waterproof PJ's that Steve Wandell sent his daughter. All I know is that there's no way MY cell would still ring after being submerged like that. At least we get a longer time to listen to the ring; it's clearly not Smoke on the Water like so many people believed but although it's an annoyingly familiar tune, I still can't put my finger on it. I guess I'll have to dig out my old vinyl albums and try to figure it out. Dean had managed to get himself up onto the slough ramp before passing out, and only requires a hand on the shoulder to revive him. Soaking wet and shivering, he walks on shaky legs and leans heavily on Jo as she helps him back to the warm bar. Like any good hunter, she pulls out her trusty first aid kit and digs out the bullet. Grunting in pain and chugging whiskey, he calls Jo a butcher, to which she replies "you're welcome". She takes the opportunity to ask him that, although they usually lie, do demons ever tell the truth? Dean answers yes, if they know it will mess with your head. This is the confirmation she needed that Demon Sam was most likely being truthful about the death of her father, and probably about Dean's feelings for her as well. Another nail of her anger in the Winchester coffin. When the impromptu surgery is finished, Dean threatens to tie her back to the post if she tries to follow him; he needs to deal with Sam on his own. As he leaves he thanks her and tells her he'll call, but he doesn't meet her eyes as he says it. The door closes behind him, and she answers "no you won't" to the empty bar.

Driving down the street in a seriously decrepit and primer-covered car, Dean dials a number on his cell. Before the call is answered, Sam cuts the phone lines of the house then knocks on the door. It's answered by their old friend Bobby, who's surprised but pleased to see Sam. Giving the excuse that he's working a job while Dean is holed up with a blonde and a 6-pack, he follows Bobby into the house, being careful to avoid the Devil's Trap on the ceiling. He takes the beer he's offered, but when he drinks it he doubles over in pain spewing steam out of his mouth. Bobby has laced the beer with holy water, and upon being proved right in his suspicions about Sam, he tells him "don't try to con a con-man" before punching him out. Demon Sam awakens to find himself tied to a chair under the Devil's Trap symbol with Bobby and Dean standing over him. With the usual cockiness we're used to hearing from demons, he taunts Dean about being "back from the dead" again like a cockroach, to which Dean replies "How 'bout I smack that smartass right out of your mouth?" Dousing him with a bucket of holy water, Dean tells Bobby to start he exorcism. As Bobby starts the Latin liturgy, Demon Sam responds as if in pain. Writhing in his chair, he throws his head back and. begins to laugh. He tells Dean that he doesn't care about the yellow-eyed demon's master plan, and that he's learned some new tricks since last time they met. Bowing his head he speaks rapidly in Latin, causing the fire to grow and a wind to blow. Bobby notices the Q-shaped burn mark and tells Dean it's a binding link which locks the demon inside the body. As Demon Sam continues to spout the Latin phrases, the ceiling cracks through the edge of the Devil's Trap, breaking its outer circle. Freed from the power of the symbol, he telepathically throws Bobby and Dean against the walls and breaks the ropes binding his arms. Ignoring Bobby, he advances on Dean, who's shoulder wound has been aggravated by the impact. Demon Sam explains to Dean, while punching him forcefully in the face, that hell is as bad as people imagine, even for demons, and Dean is responsible for sending him back there. Dean realizes it's Meg, to which Demon Sam responds "not anymore, it's Sam now." He then presses his thumb into the bullet wound, and continues on to tell Dean that he saw their Dad in hell, and that he says "howdy". Unable to do anything but groan in pain, Dean has no choice but to listen as Demon Sam tells how all he could think about was escaping once again and coming back to earth to torture Dean slowly. Much like the red-eyed pact demon, Sam points out that nothing he could do would be worse that what Dean does to himself. The guilt over the circumstances surrounding his father's death, and the unspoken fear that he won't be able to save Sam both torture his soul day and night. Demon Sam goes a step further, saying that the Winchester family would have been better off without Dean. Distracted by the enjoyment of his monologue, Demon Sam doesn't notice Bobby creeping up behind him until it's too late. Bobby has a fireplace poker which he presses against the symbol on Sam's arm. This changes the tail of the Q into an X, breaking the link. Screaming in anger and pain, the demon immediately vacates the body of Sam, flying with a whirlwind of black smoke up towards the Devil's Trap symbol, then down and out the chimney. Dean looks his brother in the eye, and says his name with a question, as if asking if it's really him. Sam answers with "did I miss anything", to which Dean's only response is to punch him in the face before falling backwards in pain. While this scene is very well written and expertly performed, it still leaves me with a question: wasn't Demon Meg killed when she was exorcised last season? We saw her cloud of smoke leave the body and disappear in a flash of fire inside the Devil's Trap symbol. Later, when Demon John had the boys pinned against the wall, he told Dean that he had killed both Meg and Tom, the demon's "children". I don't understand why the yellow-eyed demon would have used the word "killed" if Meg was only sent back to hell, not destroyed. It also begs the question, who is the demon possessing Duane? (from Croatoan) Because if that turns out to be Tom, I'll be seriously disappointed.

Dean holds an ice bag against his battered face as they sit at Bobby's recovering from their ordeal. Bobby asks if they've ever heard of a hunter named Steve Wandell, but Dean says no. Bobby confirms that some of Steve's hunter friends are searching for his killer and they won't stop or listen to reason. Taking his cue, Dean says it's time to go and rises to leave, telling Sam that he better remember where he parked the car. Bobby stops them, giving them each a charm to fend off possession and telling them to be careful. Sam flashes him an unspoken thank you before leaving, knowing that Bobby has already guessed the truth behind Steve's death.

In the car, Sam rides silently. Dean asks if he's okay, and getting no response he asks with an impish grin "is that you in there?" Sam confesses that he was awake for part of the time and that he watched as his own hands took the life of Steve Wandell. That he saw the light go out of his eyes. He goes on to say that he would have killed Jo as well, and even so Dean wouldn't shoot him. Sam feels that Dean is unwilling or perhaps unable to do what needs to be done, but Dean has a different definition of the dilemma. He reminds Sam, with passion simmering below the surface, that John told him he'd have to kill Sam only if he couldn't save him. He goes on to say "if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to save you." Interesting how Dean has REO Speedwagon's I'm Back on the Road Again playing in the deck, I thought he hated REO? Maybe Jo has more influence on him than we know!?!

While I enjoyed this episode immensely, I have to ask why? Why are they giving so many season 1 nemeses a second go-round? First it was a vampire clan, then black-eyed demon Duane, then Gordon again, then a shape-shifter, now Meg. I don't mind the occasional repeat creature, but this seems to be so many all packed together in back-to-back episodes. At least I can take comfort in the fact that they're giving each repeat villain a completely new spin. It's nice to have the opportunity (occasionally!) to revisit an interesting creature and explore it a little further. I'm also bothered by the fact that Sam was able to be possessed. In Phantom Traveler we were told that to be possessed a person needed to have some sort of chink in the armor, like an addiction or intense fear. I suppose Sam has the worry of his evil destiny to provide a weak point for demons to enter, but on the other hand, Sam knows so much about demons, I would think that he'd have measures in place to protect himself from possession. At least now he has the charm to protect him. I wonder if he'll put it on a necklace like Dean's amulet? I also wonder if Dean will add the charm to his necklace, or just keep it in a pocket. And what of Meg? Will she find another hapless victim to possess and return to torment Dean? Will she again be our end of season arch nemesis, or will that honour fall to Duane? Or will she be satisfied with the knowledge that Dean torments himself far more severely than she could ever do, so she'll wander off to create havoc in someone else's life? Then there's Steve's hunter friends to watch out for. Will Dean have to kill them to stop them from hurting Sam? And what about the politician and his hooker friend from the motel? Will he, knowing that Dean has seen his face, come after him to keep him from talking to the wrong people? Is his career worth the trouble? Okay, I'm getting silly now. It's late so I'll leave it with this closing thought. What is it that keeps us coming back for more of this show? Is it simply the esthetics of two hot guys in a bitchin' car? Is it the excitement of the chase? The brotherly angst? The suspense? Fear? The escape from reality into this world where good always wins, even if good is only as good as Dean Winchester's slightly tarnished and tilted halo? Is it the talent of the cast, and I'll be the first to say that the acting was particularly good in this episode, especially from Jared who I tend to peg as the weak link since I'm so awed by Jensen's acting prowess. So what is it? I would have to say that for me it's the way these two brothers handle the day-to-day problems that we all deal with; the way a sibling can get on ones nerves, and the way one would do anything for them when that same sibling is in trouble and needs help. I appreciate the absolute devotion the brothers have for each other, and that they're willing to defend that relationship with the same ferocity with which they fight evil. This episode was an expression of that unconditional devotion the brothers feel. Dean in particular would crawl through thorns to the ends of the earth if it meant protecting his brother, and that was clearly demonstrated by his willingness to put his life on the line to expel the demon from Sam without damaging his brother in the process. I can't wait to see how the remainder of the season plays out, knowing that Sam and his destiny will be a big part of the story. As always, kudos to the cast and crew for a job well done. I can't even complain about the CGFX today, both the eyes and the demon smoke were extremely well done! Not to mention the way Demon Sam's head seemed to flick around a little after the Devil's Trap was broken, and the neat little flash of golden light as the ceiling crack broke through the symbol. Very well done!

Born Under a Bad Sign (Welcome to my Nightmare) Original Air Date 02/08/2007