Throwback Thursday - Supernatural - Devil's Trap - 11-Year Anniversary

Throwback Thursday, a weekly article in which we look back at our favorite TV episodes from over the years.

It never ceases to astound me how Supernatural debuted in 2000 and freaking 5. So much has happened in this world over that time period. I mean in America alone there have been three presidents one of whom, the first black president ever, spent the full 8-year term in office, and despite all this change, Supernatural has remained the one constant, at least in this reviewer's life.

So, it seems right to pay tribute to the season one finale, 'Devil's Trap,' which aired exactly 11 years ago today with episode 20 of season 12 set to air later tonight. Mindblowing.

'Devil's Trap' was a very strong finale, but in comparison to the next several finale's that follow, this one is often overlooked. Its strength though lies in the relationship between John Winchester and sons, Sam and Dean.

The episode sees the brother's rescuing their dad from Meg and her brother. There was not anything eventful that happened like the rise of Lucifer or Dean going to hell or the death of a big bad, but there was a certain intimacy that helped make the finale memorable.

First off, Devil's Trap' cannot be talked about without mentioning the introduction of fan favourite and future surrogate father, Bobbie. Jim Beaver makes this character instantly likeable. We see a tough, gruff, wise, and resourceful hunter who has quite the dry humour. His role in the finale was minimal, but the scenes with him introduced us to a character that would become a fan favourite for many seasons to come.

Through Bobby, we also learn a lot of crucial information about demons in the episode, important to know for the rest of the series, such as the use of a devil trap to contain and stop a demon in its tracks and how possession works. The latter raises some profound emotional moments as we are reminded that Meg, for example, is really just a helpless human being taken over by a demon, a fact that is far often overlooked.

After the brothers capture Meg, seeing Dean hit her is at times uncomfortable to watch. There are some heavy emotional beats in this sequence - we see the toll that dealing with a demon has on the brothers. When do they draw the line? Family and defeating the demon inside is a priority, but how far are they willing to go in damaging the human vessel?

Jensen Ackles as Dean expresses this moral conundrum very convincingly later on in 'Devil's Trap' when he questions his actions and the fact that he did not flinch when killing these demonically possessed, but innocent human beings. This would go on to become a recurring theme throughout the series. Dean is often compared to a cold blooded killer who's actions are justified by the fact that he is saving the world one demon at a time. However, the fact remains that Dean, and even his brother, do not flinch when killing, and that is the bottom line - a very emotional one that is first explored in this finale.

Why the brothers do what they do is because of family, and this episode in particular was strong in its exploration of this theme. While future finales focus on the strong brotherly bond between Sam and Dean, this first one adds papa Winchester into the mix.

We know the brothers will do anything to save their dad and the self-sacrifice they are willing to make for him is profound. When he gets possessed by Azazel some very tense moments follow. They can't kill their dad, but it is their one big oppurtunity to kill the yellow-eyed demon. Watching Dean beg for his life as his possessed dad tortures him is affecting.

Also, poor Sam at the end of this sequence, who is caught between his brother, urging him not to shoot dad, and his father, who is egging him on to end it now. The younger Winchester brother really comes into his own. As John says, like him, Sam can get pretty obsessed, it is Dean who keeps the family together. And yet, Sam makes the decision to choose family over killing the demon that murdered his mom. The entire scene was distressing to watch and that speaks to how well they developed these characters throughout the first season.

The timing is actually right to talk about Jeffrey Dean Morgan in this episode. Over this past year we saw Morgan bring the character of Negan in the The Walking Dead to life. The character is quite the dynamic antagonist and it's no surprise they cast Morgan, you just have to go back ten years and watch 'Devil's Trap.'

Morgan completely owned the role as the sadistic, menacing, and viciously sarcastic yellow-eyed demon. His line, "how would you feel if I killed your family? Oh, that's right, I did" is straight out of Negan's mouth. All that is missing is Lucille, though as Dean said earlier this season, dad's favourite weapon was a barbed wire bat.

Eventually though the demon leaves John and Morgan goes back to playing good guy Papa Winchester, in which he is equally strong at portraying. This would lead to a cliffhanger that is, similiar to the finale, overshadowed by future cliffhangers, but in isolation was quite a tense one. A demon in a semi rams into the Winchesters on the road. Poor Baby! We are then left to wonder the fate of Sam and Dean and their dad.

At that time there was uncertainty as to whether Supernatural would be renewed for a second season. As we all know, it did in fact get renewed, and then for a third, fourth, fifth, and many more seasons thereafter. 'Devil's Trap' was unique in that it wasn't an eventful one, but intimate nonetheless. Papa Winchester added a nice dynamic to the first season, he really did help the brother's grow not only on a narrative standpoint, but also on us. It's funny that eleven years later, Mama Winchester is finally introduced. Everything feels like it is going full circle, hopefully fans get at least one more small appearance by Jeffrey Dean Morgan in future episodes. For now, happy 11-year anniversary for 'Devil's Trap' and cheers to the longevity of Supernatural.

Rating: 9/10