Cut to Sam, who’s in Frontierland. A very wet one. The cell phone doesn’t work, so that plan’s shot. Sam hears a noise, turns the corner, and it’s Andy! Easily one of my favorite characters because no one has a healthier perspective on life. He proves it when the last thing he remembers was his fourth bong load.
Sam suddenly realizes Dean might be dead. Gee, how long did that take? My brother would have been the first thing on my mind. A woman screams from a shed, and it’s Ava. After seeing Andy, we saw that one coming. It’s a psychic kids family reunion. She’s at her flaky best, but there’s no time for that, for we meet this week's potential red shirts, Jake and Lily. Awkward introductions abound, and Sam adds to the strangeness by saying the word “demon”. Come on Sam, how about breaking the ice a bit more? Right here is one of the first things that derails this episode. Jake and Lily are both terrible casting choices, and the bad acting doesn’t help their mediocre lines. It really makes me appreciate all Jensen and Jared do with nothing.
Dean and Bobby are on the case, so why not call Ash? He’s so smart. For the record, I didn’t mind the roadhouse in season two. I think it was used too often, but I liked Ellen and Ash and how in "Hunted" someone from there ratted out Sam to Gordon. By this episode though, a torching didn’t bother me one bit. It was time for it to go. I was sad that Ash went with it, but we saw that coming a mile away when he nervously told Dean he couldn’t talk over the phone. This scene gives us a great Dean line: “We’re looking at a three thousand mile haystack here.” Only three thousand? Demons don’t hang in Canada and Mexico?
Back to the wild west, and Sam explains what’s going on. As expected, everyone thinks he’s nuts. Sam manages to effectively prove his point though by taking a page from the Dean Winchester school of badass and obliterating an Acheri with an iron poker in one full swing. That’s a way to make an impression. While Andy freaks out over “demons are real”, Sam reveals they’re in the legendary deserted ghost town of Cold Oak, South Dakota. I’m with Lily, time to get the hell out of Dodge. An attempted escape by all probably would have made this story more interesting. Lily tells us her sob story about killing her girlfriend by touching her, and I wondered why she didn’t touch herself too. That would have ended that story.
Article comments
1 - Elle
First, I have to again express my love of your reviews! I clap my hands with glee when I see a new review.
I agree with your assessment of this episode - the subpar supporting acting detracted from the episode but the end....there are no words. Reading your review has made me want to go back and watch the episode again - if for nothing else than just for the Jensen parts - he's brilliant and could probably create chemistry with a cardboard box. I too first saw this episode on DVD (thank goodness! - I also saw the season 1 finale on DVD and I just about died in the 6 hours I had to leave my DVD player and go to work before finding out what happened in season two, which, fortunatly, was on hand) and I can't imagine having to wait until a new season to see how it resolved itself. All in all, Part 2 was my favourite, as I said - Jensen fan here. I can't wait to read your review!!!
2 - LindsayW
First, thank you very much for the Support Supernatural plug.
Second, thank you for a fantastic, balanced review. I cannot wait to read your next one!
3 - vichi
Indeed, I agree with you about this episode. I just saw AHBL 1 and 2 and I love the ending part of the first episode and adore the first half part of the second. Jensen never cesse to amaze me.I am a Dean fan all the way but I have to say that I love Sammy too and I cried when he died.
Can't wait to read your next review and hope you have the time to do one for IMTOD too.