A Very Supernatural Christmas
Original Air Date 12/13/2007

Sam and Dean investigate murders committed by an anti-Santa who pulls his victims up the chimney; and Dean wants to celebrate a traditional Christmas since it will be his last, but Sam refuses, not wanting to accept that Dean won't be around next year.

Notes

Writer

Jeremy Carver

Director

J. Miller Tobin

Guest Stars:

Ridge Canipe
Colin Ford
Spencer Garrett
Merrilyn Gann

Other Guests:

Emily Holmes
Zak Ludwig
Don Mackay
Alex Bruhanski
Dryden Dion
Brandy Heidrick
Connor Levins
Douglas Newell
Victoria Bidewell
Jennifer Copping

Filming Locations:

New Westminster
Maple Ridge

Completely Useless Trivia:

Review

What better way to celebrate a horror genre Christmas than with a nice little tale about Anti-Claus? With a disturbing dichotomy of ominous creatures and Christmas joys, this episode is steeped in contrasts of holiday cheer and stark terror that is sure to cast a cold winter chill on even the happiest of households. So get out the cocoa and light a fire, perhaps a little warmth will keep Anti-Claus at bay.

Our first hint that Christmas Eve will not be a silent night for little Stevie comes when we see Grampa dressed as Santa Claus putting gifts around the tree. No, it's not Grampa's fake beard that does it, but rather the sound of reindeer on the rooftop. An excited Stevie crouches on the stairs and peeks through the banister, watching as the jolly man turns from his bag of presents to look for the source of the clattering in the chimney. Instead of the "real" Santa tumbling down to bring gifts of his own, the red-suited Grampa is hauled up by his ears to meet his terrible fate. Any lingering thoughts that this might be a fluffy little Christmas cheer episode vanish as quickly as the exploding tree ornament that follows, and the sound of sleigh bells contrasting against the howling winter wind only serve to cement the thought.

Skip ahead to the present day in Ypsilanti, Michigan and we hear a remarkably similar story from Mrs. Walsh, wife of the latest victim. Sam finds a tooth in the chimney grate and jumps on the idea of an Anti-Claus, quoting lore that says St. Nick's brother went rogue and now goes around punishing the wicked on Christmas. According to the stories, this evil Santa walks with a limp and smells of sweets. And wouldn't you know it? There's one just like that at Santa's Village! On duty at the "Nearly North Pole", Fake Santa is the perfect candidate for the villain of the piece. With the throaty growl of a lifetime chain-smoker and the spoken innuendo of a child molester, this dirty, limping, beleaguered Santa seems to fit the role. Problem is, when the boys stake out Santa's trailer after hours and hear a woman's terrified scream, they rush in to find that Santa is just a broken-down drunk oblivious to everything but the porn show on TV.

Needing an excuse as to why they broke into his trailer, the would-be carolers break into an absolutely horrible rendition of Silent Night. This ear-melting performance of the beloved song segues into the pristine and perfect boys choir version that lays the foundation for the single most chilling scene of this episode. With this angelic music anchoring the scene, we watch in horror as a cherub-faced child scampers down the stairs at the sound of reindeer on the rooftop. His excitement turns to shock as the creature that emerges from the chimney is not the jolly figure he had been expecting, but a darker, dirtier version that trudges upstairs to take his father from him. There is an underlying message here that plays on our natural fears. Santa is a friendly image, one who brings a full sack of goodies to share, who knows our deepest desires and who is a welcome visitor despite his unconventional means of gaining access to houses worldwide. On the other hand, anti-Santa uses this same means of entry, one left unguarded in anticipation of good things, and brings an empty sack which he uses to take that which is valued more highly than anything else; a beloved father. It's an almost painful experience to watch this creature take the one figure that children trust implicitly and twist it into something horrible, robbing the child of his innocence in a way that does not allow room for recovery. Trust is a fragile concept at best, and to see it abused so freely, and even joyfully if the cookie is any indication, is like extinguishing a candle - a little hope dies along with the flame.

While questioning the wife of the missing man, Sam notices the same wreath he saw hanging on Mrs. Welsh's wall. Checking in with Bobby for advice, Sam reveals that the wreath is likely made with Meadowsweet, which is a powerful attractant for a pagan god, probably Hold Nickar.

All this talk of Christmas encourages Dean to discuss the event with Sam. Dean wants to celebrate this year, with presents and a tree and all the peripheral trimmings. When Sam asks him to explain why he'd want to celebrate now after all the years of ignoring the holiday, Dean reminds him that this is the last year they have together. Sam replies that this is why he can't celebrate. He can't pretend they're a happy family when he knows that Dean's head is under the axe. This is such a gentle brush against what is clearly a deep and painful issue. The way Sam's voice cracks when he says "you'll be dead" shows us that he's fighting to hold it together. Dean, although he doesn't vocalize his answer, appears to be fighting with his own inner desires, both to make things better for Sammy and to enjoy what remains of his life and go out with a bang. The brothers are looking at the issue from opposite sides of the coin; one can only see a bleak future spent alone, while the other can only see the here and now and feels the need to make the most of what life has to offer.

At Madge Carrigan's house, the maker of the meadowsweet wreaths, the boys find a house virtually dripping with the syrupy sweetness of Christmas overload. Figures of snowmen and Santa on the lawn along with a full size poinsettia-filled sleigh and greenery on every surface imaginable, the house looks like the victim of an evergreen explosion. Only it's not evergreen, it's Vervain. The Carrigan's seem nice enough though, with cheerful faces and a merry attitude, they answer the boys' questions and offer them home baking to boot. Dean, of course, is willing to eat anything within arms reach despite the fact that it might have been made by an ancient pagan god, but Sam is more cautious and stops him before he can partake of the possibly tainted treat. The two break in later that night and find that the Christmas bounty is even more abundant inside the house. Bobby shared that the Hold Nickar god can be killed with an evergreen stake. Good thing he still doesn't know that the trickster Loki was immune to the stake that was supposed to kill him. Poor Bobby would be forever second-guessing himself if he ever found out that a stick of wood might not murder an immortal god. Despite the fact that the Hold Nickar takes his victims during the night, Sam and Dean break in armed with sharpened sticks of evergreen wood with the intention of putting an end to the holiday abductions. In the basement they find the remains of the victims, all neatly cut into chunks by an assortment of blood-covered carpentry saws. Nothing miters a rib bone better than a good quality table saw. It's a good thing Mr. Rogers doesn't live in this neighborhood; one simple wreath purchase and he wouldn't have felt it was such a beautiful day. Needless to say, the boys are caught by Mr. & Mrs. Christmas and find themselves tied to chairs amongst the kitchens baked goods.

The Carrigan's overly cheery demeanor again emphasizes the deep contrasts of the story. They're almost gleeful as they prepare Dean and Sam for consumption, the wholesome June Cleaver kitchen setting making a macabre backdrop for the preparation ritual. As usual, Dean is full of smart remarks, egged on by the jocularity of the Carrigans. When Madge comments on his bad language and encourages him to substitute "fudge" when he feels the need to swear, he responds with one of my favourite lines of the episode; "if you fudging touch me again I'll fudging kill you!" (Said with fully heated anger of course, because the contrast of humour and fury only adds to the dual nature of the episode.) They've already pulled one of Sam's fingernails out by the roots, now they're on to one of Dean's teeth. Before they can wrestle it free the doorbell rings, giving a glimmer of hope and allowing Dean to ask (with a mouthful of wrench) if they're going to get that? They do, and when they come back a few seconds later both chairs are empty. As usual, the boys only need a second to escape, and even without the stakes they brought they can bring down two pagan gods in a matter of minutes. It's fortunate that the Carrigans keep the one thing that can kill them close at hand in the form of a giant Christmas tree in the living room. One sturdy branch to the chest and they're goners.

All bandaged up and back at the hotel, Sam orchestrates an impromptu Christmas celebration for his brother. With a tiny tree and well-spiked eggnog, the boys exchange gifts bought at a nearby gas station, showing us how thoroughly lacking they are in holiday know-how. (Although the evergreen car deodorizers is a very nice touch for tree ornaments) But it's the thought that counts, and this will prove to be another meaningful moment that will bond the relationship between the brothers. The beginnings of this relationship have been shown to us in pieces throughout the episode in the form of flashbacks to a long-ago Christmas when Sam first learned the truth about their lives as hunters. Dean had clearly done his best to shield Sam from the tragedy of their past and had tried to provide as close to a normal life as he could. It wasn't enough though, Sam had too many questions without adequate explanations, and it finally became too much to ignore. With Dean making promises he couldn't possibly deliver, like having their father home for Christmas that evening, and Sam asking questions that couldn't be answered without robbing him of his innocence, things finally came to a head. When Dean stormed out on the mention of their mother, Sam took the opportunity to read John's journal. On Dean's return the boys were able to discuss the situation, with Dean explaining that John was like a superhero protecting the world from danger. Every word praised their father, even though Dean knew there was little chance he would make it home on such an important night. Trying to make Christmas better for Sammy, Dean broke into a house down the street and stole some gifts. When he woke Sam on Christmas morning he lied and said John had been there during the night and brought presents. Little did he know that the gifts he stole were for girls. But even then, Sam was a trooper. Although disappointed in their father, he held a great deal of respect for Dean, and opted to give the gift he had for John to his brother instead. This is a pivotal point for Sam. There's a tangible moment where he appears to put aside the hero worship he once felt for his father. This respect is transferred to his big brother, who has clearly earned it by filling the role of primary caregiver and by always putting Sam's needs above his own. The gift of the necklace, which Dean still wears to this day, will always be a symbol of this love and respect. This has also got to be the moment that Sam started acting up and fighting with John. With the blind faith gone, he can't help but see the flaws in his father's parenting and being the person he is, he can't help but push every issue to it's breaking point. It took Dean decades longer to put aside that blind faith, but once there he and Sam were able to forge a bond that's stronger than ever before. Perhaps this simple hotel holiday will soften the pain from so many lost Christmases. With a little work (and the recovery of the deed to Dean's soul) they may even be able to begin a new era of holiday traditions that will continue to erase the scars from their abnormal childhood. Maybe one day they'll even let us know what makes Dean's necklace "real special".

A Very Supernatural Christmas Original Air Date 12/13/2007