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Folsom Prison Blues
Sam and Dean fulfill an obligation that means they must place themselves voluntarily in prison to find a murderous wraith, but the situation turns out to be much tougher than expected.
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NotesWriterJohn ShibanDirectorMike RohlGuest Stars:Charles Malik Whitfield (Henriksen)Bridget Ann White (Mara Daniels) Jeff Kober (Randall) Garwin Sanford (Deacon) Other Guests:Kurt EvansRobert Parent Andee Frizzell Alistair Abell Steven Cree Molison (Lucas) Clif Kosterman Chris Nowland Byron Lucas Filming Locations:Riverview |
ReviewI hate to say it, but I really didn't like this episode. Not that there was anything wrong with it, it was fine. There was just nothing about it to set it apart. The boys went in, did their work, and came back out. No problems, no catches in their plans, no 11th hour catastrophes. It was just. fine. Not to say that it wasn't scary. Watching the workmen opening up the unused cell block was a sufficiently creepy way to set the tone for the episode. The gust of wind and the temperature drop let us know what was coming without having to say anything, and the wind movement in the hallway gave an almost tangible feel to the spirit. And when the spirit took the first victim, it was just the right mix of disturbing and scary, with a generous dose of wth? As they have often said, it's infinitely more frightening when the attacker is unseen, particularly when whatever it is makes a toughened prison guard squeal in fear.Agent Henricksen's arrival gives Dean a few moments pause, but he'd never let it show. I have to say, Henricksen was much better in Night Shifter. He seemed to be one step ahead and just a touch smarter than everyone else, but in this episode he comes across as a simple -and dare I say one dimensional- bully. Inside the prison, I'm happy to see that they found someone taller than Sam to share his cell. With his background and training, Sam has no reason to fear his fellow inmates. Giving him an imposing cell mate who isn't articulate and mostly just stares is the one thing that would bother him, especially since he's such a social person. Sam wears prison like an ill-fitting suit. He's uncomfortable, out of place, and altogether too nice to fit in. Dean, on the other hand, takes to prison like a duck to water. He plays the other inmates in every way possible. His body language and attitude are completely believable and he never for a second lets them see weakness in his eyes. The only time he shows his true self is to his brother. The down side of this is that his trademark snark is mostly absent and sorely missed. While I agree that it's necessary to hide his playful side to maintain the illusion of the hard-as-nails convict, I can't help but wish for a little more of the Dean we know and love. Their lawyer, Mara Daniels, isn't as polished as I would like. Granted, she's only a public defender, which probably means she's just getting started in her career. I think she's meant to come across as the sympathetic friend, but instead she seems like a pushover. She allows Henricksen to treat her like a child, and she allows Dean to sweet-talk her into doing his bidding. I would prefer to see a stronger woman on screen, particularly since she's a lawyer; her intelligence alone should be enough to make her demand respect. Randall, on the other hand, is excellent in his role as a defeated lifer. He knows the rules and accepts his life as it is, knowing there's little he can do to change things. He doesn't get a lot of screen time, but in my opinion he's the richest character in this episode. Then there's Tiny. He doesn't say much, but he still commands the screen. The quintessential convict, he's a tattooed heavyweight bruiser of a man. Watching Dean purposely taunt him to provoke a fight is torture, knowing that even with his superior fighting skills he'll end up getting squashed by this giant of a man. And he almost does. The first punch is hard enough to crack bones, although I'm sure Dean will be back to his attractive self next week, and although he lands a number of solid punches, Dean does little to damage the man. As expected, the guards do nothing to stop the fight until one of their own is endangered. Even then, it's less to stop the fight than it is to even the score. I find it amusing that Dean lamented the failed "bonding moment" when he was locked in solitary with Lucas, but in the infirmary when Tiny opens up to talk about his self esteem issues, Dean gives his "kill me now" look. It's also interesting that the spirit seems drawn to Dean. Is his history more violent than these criminals? Can she not see past the violence and recognize the honourable intentions? Apparently not. Fortunately for Dean, he's never alone when she appears, both times there has been another convict nearby to distract her. Lucky she came after dinner so the salt shaker is still accessible. Too bad Dean didn't have the presence of mind to tell Tiny to get his own salt shaker ready. When Sam and Dean start bickering in the exercise yard, it's almost believable. Having seen them disagree before we can see that the hostility they display has roots in reality. Fortunately, it's just a ploy to get pulled from the yard and taken to a nice private bathroom for a little discipline. Sam does a great job of looking nervous in front of the second guard, almost as though he's about to cry. It's a good thing he's getting out soon, any longer and he'll end up as someone's boy toy. Dean looks like he's trying to be tough but shows fear underneath, which is the perfect sell to the guard, who has been asked to leave to give Deacon some privacy to "handle this alone". As soon as the guard is gone we see that Deacon is the friend they came to help. All his bullying earlier in the episode was just a show for the other guards. Friend or not, Dean still gets a great deal of pleasure from delivering his knockout punch. After all, people have to believe that Deacon was jumped, right? A token 10 seconds of screen time for Metallicar, just enough to let us hear her purr. Two episodes without her already, and next week she won't be herself. I don't know what we're going to do! I will give Shiban credit for these last few minutes of the episode. It's delightfully stressful to watch Sam and Dean in the graveyard digging up the body while the police and Henricksen are pulling up to the cemetery gate. The pressure intensifies as Deacon is attacked by the spirit. Since Sam and Dean don't know that these things are happening, they don't realize there's a time crunch. They dig in a leisurely fashion, with Dean watching as Sam does the work. Even as they pour the salt and light the fire, they take their time. They have no idea that Deacon is in mortal danger and that the police are infiltrating the cemetery. But for once, luck is on their side. The flames engulf the spirit before she can finish the job and Deacon is saved. As the boys leave the graveyard we find that their lawyer has lied to Henricksen, sending him to the wrong cemetery. Perhaps she's not such a pushover after all. Henricksen is left empty handed once again, and the boys drive away knowing that they have to be beyond careful now that they're escaped felons. As I said at the beginning, this episode was fair, not fantastic. I get the feeling that this was a "filler" episode, thrown in to give us time to get ready for the big three that will end the season with a bang. I suppose there's nothing wrong with that, but I hold this show to a very high standard and this episode simply doesn't make the cut. In my estimation, Folsom Prison Blues and Playthings are in a tie for the dubious honour of being the "Bugs" episode of season 2. I think this one will win (lose?) out in the end just because Playthings had the creepy doll factor. And yes, I realize by saying that I've set events into motion that will guarantee this episode is re-run more than any other throughout the long summer ahead, and for that I truly and humbly apologize. |