Previously - Death created the Great Wall of Sam, RoboSam killed things, Sam didn't want a soul, Death warned against scratching, Sam scratched by tricking Castiel, Sam emo-ed, Castiel told Dean off, and Dean worried.
One year ago in Bristol, Rhode Island, RoboSam shoots things as Grandpa Creepy looks conflicted or ticked off - hard to tell. Sam's shot but he's on an "escape now, play doctor later " timetable. Unfortunately, a local redshirt cop pulls them over, messing with the plan. He's upset because he can't get the sheriff on the phone. Seeing blood on RoboSam, he insists that they accompany him back to the sheriff's office. However, RoboSam doesn't take direction well and beats Redshirt to a bloody pulp. Grandpa Creepy: "You think there may be calmer ways we could have done all that." You think maybe you should have stopped him instead of looking on. RoboSam could have killed him while you watched. At least put his body in the car instead of leaving him in the middle of the road.
Present day - Sam catches up on last year's celebrity gossip. "Mel Gibson, really took a turn this last year." "Or he's possessed." It's as likely as anything. Bobby has nothing new on the Mother of All and it feels like a supernatural vacation. A little R and R for the Winchesters? Maybe see the Grand Canyon? Dean's skeptical about the quiet with good reason. Sam's phone beeps - coordinates from an unknown number. This never leads to sunny beaches and snorkeling. Nope, it's Rhode Island in winter and 3 women vanishing in thin air. Sam guesses it's a hunter from his RoboSam - The Missing Year days. He says they go; Dean says hold on. "You got mysterious coordinates from a mysterious Mr. X leading to a mysterious town- that doesn't throw up red flags to you." Sam counters that it doesn't change the fact that girls are missing. Dean agrees but "if things get squirrely, we dump out." Sam's fine with that. Yeah right! An argument over the Great Wall of Sam is a-coming. You can feel it in the air.
In Bristol, Sam flashes back to his RoboSam days. Dean notices something's wrong, but Sam says it's nothing. Really? Haven't they learned yet? Lying to each other brings problems and pain, especially to us viewers. The Winchesters need a good communication seminar. They discuss the case over dinner - all the missing are young brunettes but that's all they have in common. Dean hits "the poop deck" - really restaurant people? - so Sam is alone when another young brunette greets him as Agent Roark while her husband looks on jealously. Pretty Adulteress guesses that Roark is back because the disappearances have started AGAIN. Meanwhile, Dean makes eyes at a blond and gets distracted by Sam's picture on the Overeaters Not-So Anonymous wall. Pretty Adulteress asks about Sam's partner, aka Grandpa Creepy and the pieces come together. Dean rejoins them to get Sam out of the conversation, but not before Pretty Adulteress touches him, causing a flashback to the intense bathroom sex they had a year ago. Dean: "She just cougar eyed you." Bwah. That's funny. Plus Dean sounds a bit jealous.
Dean wants to "get the hell out of here." Sam says no. Insert Great Wall vs. Sammy guilt discussion. We're going to need to number them before this season ends to keep them straight. Sam discovers that 5 men went missing a year ago. Shouldn't you have found that in the original research of the missing women? I think your research skills are rusty Sammy. Dean grasps at straws saying that the MO has changed, but Sammy doesn't bite. Obviously the original job was not finished and he has to makes it right. Dean wants to call Bobby - Sam wants to finish it. I want them to get over this phase soon. It makes sense that hunters don't go back to the same town. Too many logistics of remembering the last cover id and a higher chance of jail time. "We have a habit of leaving messes behind." They've got to be running out of places by now. Sam quasi-jokes about walls tumbling down but Dean's not amused. Sam: "What's happening here right now, it's because I messed up somehow in some big way. So every person who gets taken, every person who dies, that's on me. I have to stop it and you'd do the same thing." They both quote John Winchester. They both make valid points. We all know they're staying so moving along.
They split up. Dean follows up on the women (of course) and Sam heads for the cops. Not a good idea since he will meet people who knew him from last year, but it sure moves the plot along. At Nicole's place, her roommate chats while Dean rummages around. What do you know? It's Agent H. Roark's business card. From a year ago? Hmm. RoboSam questioned Nicole about a missing man in their building and then there was less talking. Their relationship was "loud and athletic." Dean looks…well..odd after this revelation. Suspicious? TMI-ed? Not sure. Meanwhile, Sam parks a stolen station wagon at the police station. That screams bad plan. Of course the whole thing is moot since Redshirt cop arrives at the same time. Nice to see you're still breathing, Redshirt. I wouldn't bet on surviving the next 30 minutes. Sam would be confused except for the RoboSam flashback. No mistaking Sam's reaction - that face has "I'm screwed" written all over it. Redshirt: "Man, you are dumb as a sack of hair. Coming back here after what you did." First off, bwah. Second, huh? Never heard that expression. Sam plays the amnesia card but Redshirt isn't buying. He knows Sam isn't FBI and wants answers on Sheriff Roy Dobbs' disappearance. He helpfully exposits the first scene for those who missed it and then leaves Sam in prison.
Hours later, the Sheriff Roy's wife comes in, asking for explanations. Sam's shocked that she knows his real name and profession. In flashbacks, Sam and Grandpa Creepy explain the supernatural to Roy and her. Sam's a jerk, Roy's awesome, and Grandpa Creepy just sits there. That appears to be his role tonight. Roy's game for the hunt. End of flashback, as Roy's wife asks if the monster or Sam killed her husband. She doesn't buy the amnesia either. "What is this? Days of Our Lives." Good meta here since Jensen Ackles starred on Days. Can't meta always be like this. Sam makes a valid point about avoiding the police if he knew what happened. He wants answers too but can't do it from prison. Roy's wife gets a name, Brenna Dobbs. She lets Sam out of jail. "C'mon. Help me find some rope. If it's going to look like a breakout, you'll need to tie me up." Boy won't you feel bad if he turns out to be a serial killer. Oh wait. He did. That must have been some coffee table conversation they had to make her trust him a year later. Cut to Adulteress's home where she lushes on boxed wine and snarks at her husband. She heads to the Basement of Bad Lighting where nothing ends well. A hand grabs her ankle, careening her down the stairs, but the creepiest part is the insect sounds we in the background. Noooo! No more Bugs. Please? You can't do that to us again.
Thankfully, we're back to a bug-free squatter's house. Well, probably not bug-free but I don't see them so life's good. Sam hears noise and pulls a gun, but with the bad 70's bon bom music in the background we know it's Dean. Screechy violins are the true herald of evil. Dean recaps ("Turns out you two knew each other. Biblically.") and I expect a comment about RoboSam getting more action than Soulful Sam. "I got to say man, you really got around. I mean soulless or not, I'm actually kind of impressed." Not the snark I expected. No pop reference. Still, it got the job done. A police scanner interrupts with Adulteress' vanishing act. Dean checks it out, telling Sam to stay hidden. Smart plan. Too bad he doesn't follow it. Seriously, did you guys learn nothing in the last 2 years? After questioning Adulteress' husband, Dean shares the link with Sam's voice mail. "They all banged the same dude - YOU! It's you, Sam….it's a trap for you." How many did not see that coming? Anyone? Didn't think so. By the way CW, covering Dean's face with a promo for Shedding for the Wedding is never, ever okay. Ever.
At the Dobbs House of Coming Evil, Sam surprises Brenna who adamantly tries to kick him out. She accuses him of kidnapping Debby Harris (Adulteress, I presume) but Sam soft-voices her. It's a jarring contrast to his confession of breaking into the station for last year's case files. They are missing. I wonder if Redshirt Sheriff's brains are missing. He allows Dean, pretend law enforcement, at a crime scene, can't find Fugitive Sam at the police station, and hasn't protected files that may shed light on their current cases. I'd think he'd triple check any outsider pretending to be FBI and increase security. RoboSam really did scramble his noggin. Here's hoping a new sheriff election is in this town's near future. Sammy's earnest voice convinces Brenna to share the files she stole. Again I wonder about Redshirt Sheriff. A new flashback shows Grandpa Creepy pontificating on the difficulties of raising a family while hunting and for once, I don't hate him. He's lost in Mary's birth and the joy she brought her parents. I feel a bit sad for him but then remember that his dead daughter obsession is squicky. Brenna empathizes with hunting hardships but says it's good they have each other. RoboSam describes it as "a business relationship." When she asks about other family, he responds, "Family just slows you down." His look is chilling and while I'm supposed to be shocked by his disregard of Dean, I find myself lamenting the end of RoboSam.
Souled Sammy pops out of his flashback by Brenna's files only to get flashes while perusing the evidence. He picks up a cobwebby thing and we get Grandpa Creepy at the seafood bar and Arachne as the MOTW. Please don't be giant spiders. I can't take giant spiders. (From here until the end, I watch with one hand over my eyes and one grabbing the pillow. I'm seriously freaked here. If a man-eating spider appears on screen, I might be in the fetal position for days. YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME SERA.) Samuel's plan to kill it: "I guess we just go at it until something sticks." How did you stay alive for so long? Sam's plan to find it: Use Sheriff Dobbs as bait in the park. How did you get anyone to work with you? My plan for surviving this episode: Close my eyes when I see cobwebs or hear imminent doom music. Why am I still watching? Oh yeah, because this show is awesome even when I'm freaked and a little ho-hum about the episode so far. Sam's freaked by the flashbacks and goes to leave, but Brenna gets weepy about Sheriff Roy. Empathy Sam appears again as the sad melody of love lost plays us out of the scene. Or not. Sam's phone finally rings, hours later, warning him of the Sam trap. We've got cobwebs and intense music and I'm out of here. Spider vision and insect sounds hasten my exit. I'm still freaked recapping this and I know how it ends. A hand reaches for Sam's shoulder and while my head says Dean, my heart and nervous system don't get the message. I jump again. As Dean takes Sam back to Squatter Villa, creepy bug eyes end the scene. I am too busy looking around for spiders to notice. Jwwaahhh! Thank goodness that's over.
Dean summarizes for those too traumatized to focus. "We know that this is a monster with opposable thumbs and unlimited text messaging and we know that it wants to kill you specifically. Does that about cover it?" No Dean. Not even close. Although I would laugh about this comment if I unburied my head from the pillow. Sam remembers it's an Arachne and Dean freaks out about the Great Wall. I want Death to give me a Great Wall to prevent me from ever remembering that I saw Tarantulas the Deadly Cargo when I was 8. When the tarantulas ate the pilot's face off, part of my sanity died. Truly freaking traumatizing! But you don't want to hear about my phobias, so back to the Great Wall vs. Sammy guilt discussion - part..are we on 4 or 5 now? Dean says they're leaving; Sam says no. Dean: "We are not the only hunters on the planet. Ok. We can call Bobby. He and Rufus could come and wrap this up." Sam knows the answers are lost in his brain and tries to look at a file. Dean big brother's it out of his hands. "I don' think you get the risk here Sam..You get that every time you scratch that wall that you are playing Russian roulette." Sam: "Dean I get you're worried. Ok. And I know what you think is going to happen, but you know what, it will or it won't. Look, I'm starting to think that I might have done some bad stuff here Dean. And so I don't care if it's dangerous; I have to set things right. Cuz I've got a freaking soul now and it won't let me just walk away. I'm staying here and I need you to back me up." Checkmate. Like Dean would leave Sam alone in a place he's being hunted. Dean caves. "Well, let's Memento this thing shall we." Great scene from both! It sucks when you can see both sides.
For some reason, they recap the clues again. I might be goosebumped in terror but I'm not deficient. I understand the plot. The black and white flashbacks are very effective though. What the heck! Freaky white and black eyeball. A little warning people. More cobwebs. Aww Dean, thanks for asking if I'm okay. I'm not. Back at Flashback Seafood Bar, RoboSam lures Sheriff Roy to the park although Gramps is skeptical. RoboSam rationalizes that he's too young and Grandpa Creepy is too old, so that leaves the sheriff. Sucks to be the middle of this Goldilocks equation. Samuel is fine with the bait thing, but he wants Roy in on the plan. RoboSam thinks he won't give an Oscar-worthy performance if he knows. Being a complete ***** is not how Grandpa Creepy is "used to doing things." I guess he's a quick learner because he did the same thing to his grandsons a year later. Thanks RoboSam for your impressive teaching skills. Sam calls the plan "hunting of the future" but it sounds more like a sociopath manifesto. Gramps would rather be anywhere else. Right there with you on that!
They hide in the bushes while the sheriff nervously waits. Out of everyone in this episode, I feel most for him. He tried to be noble and protect his town only to be shafted by the "good guys" and turned into monster kibble. Yikes! Everything's tense and multi-perspective when a woman leaps from a tree and grabs the sheriff. What? I have the same look on my face as Sammy in the non-flashback. They vanish. Samuel wants to look but RoboSam rigged Roy's cell with GPS tracking. Very clever, yet very, very despicable. Grandpa Creepy realizes he got played too, as RoboSam planned to follow Spider-Woman to her nest. Backup plan? Yeah right! Grandpa calls Roy a redshirt (ha!) and spider bait (not even funny). GC: "You're about as cold as they come, you know that?" RoboSam's not phased, but Grandpa Creepy's over his head. I would feel for him except he could have called the sheriff or yelled out to him while they were waiting. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing and all that. Still, Grandpa Creepy's the most sympathetic he's ever been. More cobwebs - yuck! People encased in cobwebs - even worse. They appear dead but I saw Seven so I'm not shocked when they start breathing. I am shocked it took them so long to find Roy if they had his coordinates. Did you stop for dinner?
It's Arachne, who thankfully doesn't look like a spider. Except for extreme facial veinyness and weird eyeballs, she's normal. I'm the biggest wuss for getting terrified about giant spiders. Not that I want giant spiders mind you. They can stay safely enclosed in the section of HP 2 that I never, ever watch. Arachne goes for RoboSam but Grandpa Creepy shoots at her. She's not effected but RoboSam's shot. I wonder if it's accidental or payback for being a complete douche. Regardless, Arachne goes for Grandpa Creepy next only to be beheaded by RoboSam. GC: "Well I guess decapitation works." Grandpa wants a hospital but RoboSam says it's too late. He talks brown recluse (thanks) and calls the victims "dead men walking." Roy pleads but RoboSam calls him a hero before shooting them all in quick succession. He doesn't even give modern medicine a chance. I hate this RoboSam side and I hate Grandpa Creepy for not protesting. It sucks out loud. RoboSam and Grandpa Creepy torch the place before leaving town.
Back at the Dobbs residence, a noise sounds and I am not at all shocked to see Sheriff Roy, Spider-Man. Brenna's not so lucky. Roy's burned and scabby and spidered out. When Sam calls Brenna, he knows something's wrong. He says back door but Dean notices the light in the shed. "My Spidey senses are tingling." Brenna tearfully asks if what Sam did to Roy was true. Aww, honey. I feel for you. Spider-Roy throws Dean and choke holds Sam. It's like season 1 all over again. Love that. Not so crazy about the spider web blanket though. Spider-Roy and RoboSam do a villain-hero chat while Dean grabs a piece of glass and covertly rips through the cobwebs. Um..Spider-Roy, you have far bigger problems than a jealous fit over Sam and your wife. He exposits Arachne's breeding (gross) and how his spider senses kept the bullet and burning from killing him. We finish the villain "how I did it" speech and learn the missing women are now spiderized too, which may be Sam's fate if Dean doesn't saw faster. This whole thing reminds me of the Shadows Meg scene - minus the skankiness. Dean rushes Spider-Roy while Brenna de-cobwebs Sam, who then decapitates Roy. At the risk of ticking off half the fandom, it would be nice if Dean killed something too, preferably while not being Death. Brenna and others sad face. She's not ready to accept Sam's apology and closes the door in his face. Not your fault Sam, but you did get off lucky with her.
Back at Squatter's Villa, Sam emos while Dean tries to comfort him. Dean claims nothing from the previous year was Sam. No dice; Sam's in full-on guilt angst mode. "Let's be crystal clear, ok. It was me." I feel emotional breakdown coming but Dean saves the day. "I'm just trying to make you feel better. Don't be a b***" Sam says he's fine; Dean sees the glass half-full; Sam half-empty….and SPLAT! Sam's down for the count in a seizure. What the hell! The wall's already cracking. This CANNOT be good. Sam's on fire….in hell…screaming. Where did that come from? I'd say the Winchesters are royally screwed. Here's to an intense ride.
In the end this episode can be summed up like Dean's reaction to RoboSam's sex life. Not the snark I expected. No huge emo angst scene. Still, it got the job done. Without my utter terror about giant spiders, it was a ho-hum episode. Right until the last minute. This is the kind of shock I expected with the Mother reveal last week and it was sorely needed in this episode. I'm want the Great Wall of Sam to stay safely intact and to see them mess with it so quickly completely shocked me.
Next week - Evil mannequins and the return of Lisa and Ben. Guess which one excites me but leaves me terrified too.
Screencaps by
Supernatural Friends Online.
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