Supernatural: Long-Distance Calls
We're getting to the end of the season, and Supernatural seems to be pulling out all the stops. This episode struck just the right balance between scary and poignant, between touching and downright creepy. How do they do it?
The case of the week is pretty eerie - the dead seem to be calling still-living loved ones in one Ohio town, and people aren't dealing well. One guy ends up blowing his brains out after spending too much time on the phone with an insistent - and deceased - high school sweetheart. Dean wants to find out why, but Sam is more interested in working on that other case - you know, the one where we're interviewing everyone we can think of on the face of the planet to get you out of your deal? It's not working, Dean replies - no one can help me, not even Ruby. She told me so herself.
Dean changes his tune when he gets his own seriously long-distance call - it's John, and he says he's got a way to free Dean from his deal. Dean is elated, but Sam is skeptical - how do we know it will work? What are the odds of Dad calling you from beyond the grave? Maybe we should slow down... Dean doesn't want to hear it - this is my last chance, why are you raining on my parade? Gah!
Sam talks to one of the recipients of these mysterious calls from the dead, and discovers the dead are asking their living relatives to do bad, bad things - kill themselves, so they can be with their dead. After Sam finds out one victim's mother typed "Come To Me" over and over again on the computer, he knows what's going on - it's a Crocotta, a scavenger spirit that lures people to a grisly fate by imitating the voices of the dead. Gah!
Unfortunately, Dean is well and truly lured - "John" told him that Lilith is hiding out in a nearby house, and he can perform a permanent exorcism that will save his soul. The nasty beast has used a dead child's voice to tell a grieving father that the man who killed her is waiting at their house. That man? Dean. Uh-oh.
The Crocotta captures Sam after intercepting a call he made to Dean, and Sam gets to watch yet another poor schmuck get stabbed and killed as he's tied up in a chair across from him. Sam must be getting pretty sick of that!
Dean and the father battle, and Dean eventually manages to get him into the Devil's Trap to exorcise him. Of course, Devil's Traps don't work on ordinary people, and Dean realizes he's been duped. Sam manages to kill the Crocotta by impaling his head on a pegboard spike. Ew!
The guys regroup at the hotel room, and the last bit deserves to be quoted in full:
Dean: The only person who can get me out of this [deal] is me.
Sam: And me.
Dean: And me?
Sam: What?
Dean: Deep revelation, having a real moment here, that's what you come back with, and me?
[pause]
Sam: Do you want a poem?
Dean: Moment's gone.... Unbelievable.
And then they sit there, beers in hand on the edge of separate hotel beds, drinking, watching TV, connected but alone. Perfect.
What did you think? Tell us in the comments!
Comments
Hi, I noticed this while reading...
~Unfortunately, Dean is well and truly lured - "John" told him that Lilith is hiding out in a nearby house~
-Using Lilith's name is a pretty big spoiler for those who haven't seen "Time Is On My Side" yet.
- Might want to then delete this comment also.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 9, 2008 8:11 PM
I am a diehard fan, but I'm sorry I feel the same as elusive. I actually found myself being (should I say it) bored. We've got this whole "can Dean be saved" thing going on and it's just not built up as it should be. There was more angst in the selling of the soul then the actual loosing it. My opinion is that we lost some episodes, so let's get straight to the action and forget all the other stuff, we can handle it. I enjoyed the "Ghostfacer" episode but did we need it? What do all of you think? Is it just me?
Posted by: Constance | May 6, 2008 3:49 PM
You know, I feel like a bad fan here but other than some funny and some creepy moments this episode fell flat for me. I expected to be grabbed by the throat and heart completely for the last three eps of the season and this one? Not so much. *shrug* here's hoping for the last two being better.
Posted by: elusive_life_77 | May 5, 2008 12:22 PM
I so wish this had been longer. I would have loved to have seen more of Dean's angst at wanting to believe that John was on the phone and Sam's own concerns at trying to solve the case and watching his brother run around in circles; not wanting to really say anything that could put a complete damper on Dean's hopes for an out.
Overall, though, very good ep and classic Dean/Sam ending.
Posted by: Xayian | May 2, 2008 6:52 PM
Ok, that was one of my favourite episodes of the season 3. It was so great to hear John's voice again. I'd love to se And Dean admitting he's scared of dying and wanted some hope, heartbreaking! And the last scene - priceless and so Supernatural.
Posted by: patrusia | May 2, 2008 12:14 PM