For this time, the phantom traveller! Zoiks!
Episode four starts much the same as episodes two and three, with a 'previously, on supernatural' introduction, and a recap of the previous three episodes. After the title credits, we hear a Ukelele song and see a brilliantly blue sea, white sand, palm trees, the ultimate island getaway set up. A man sits up, in front of the scene, dressed in a suit so we know that the picture is just that. He's wiping his mouth, like he's just been sick. He gets up, walks a short distance, and checks that he has his boarding pass.
We then see him go into the bathroom, running a tap and splashing his face with the water. Another man enters the bathroom and asks if the first man is a nervous flier. He asks if it's obvious and the second man starts trying - and failing - to make him feel better by saying the odds of dying in a plane crash are low. The first man says it's reassuring sarcastically as the second man walks away. He turns back to the tap to wash his face some more as we hear whispering and see a cloud of black smoke drift out of the air vent. He notices it, and turns around, as the black smoke drifts into his eyes.
This is the first - and nowhere near the last - time that we see a demon. And I'm intrigued that it went in his eyes, as every other demon I can remember in this show goes in the mouth. Eh, continuity's a bitch.
The scene cuts to inside the cockpit, where the captain and co-captain are preparing for take off. We see one chatting to the flight attendant, who then approaches the passengers as they climb aboard. We see the possessed man getting onto the plane. When the flight attendant wishes him a nice flight, he turns around, his eyes fully blackened, and tells her he's counting on it. This leaves her looking scared and concerned.
More for the black eyes and menacing tone of voice mixed in with creepy smile than for the response, which was kinda reasonable.
We see a shot of a plane flying, and then the interior of the plane, letting us know it's further along into the flight now. The possessed man turns to the woman he's sitting next to and asks how long they've been up in the air. She tells him that it's about forty minutes.
He says time flies, then gets up off his seat. He walks towards the back of the plane, and one of the airlock doors. Another passenger sees him, and double takes, wondering why he's so close to the door. Then he leans over, and pulls the handle around as the other passenger shouts at him. He looks around with his demon eyes before carrying on with the handle. The door flies off, taking him with it, and catching the tail of the plane, sending half of that flying. The plane tilts, everything goes flying, the lights flicker off and the oxygen masks drop down. Everyone's screaming as the plane is in chaos, plummeting towards the ground. The engines rev faster and louder as everyone dons the oxygen masks and brace themselves, and then everything goes black.
Interesting factoid for you nerds and nerdettes out there, we are now at 4:12 in the running time. This episode is fairly short, at 40:25. We have seen slightly more than a tenth of this episode, and minus the first minute of round-ups, we are yet to see Sam and Dean. They come in now, but still. That's three minutes out of 38 (minus round-up and credits) dedicated to the set up. Not judging here, just leaving a fact based on figures for the discerning writers, I guess. Oh and I just watched the next 11 seconds. You don't know it, but I am rewinding and rewatching like, ten times before I carry on. You'll read why in the blue in a second (ten minutes after I wrote this bit).
The camera pans along a bed, showing, from the knee, a man in boxer shorts and a t-shirt, asleep. It's Dean.
Let me rewind those 11 seconds of him again. Because I want to wake up to that. Sucks to be you too, I can't screen cap that bit. I'll just keep it to myself, I guess … correction, I found it on google.
Also
We hear the lock on the door being worked, and the door creaking open, and Dean wakes up straight away. All we can see of the other person is an outline through mottled glass. As they close the door and enter the room, Dean reaches under his pillow and looks around slowly. Before Dean could grab the knife he's hidden there, Sam calls out good morning, holding a coffee and looking perky. Dean asks what time it is, and Sam says it's 5.45. Dean says "In the morning?" and Sam says yeah.
And we see Dean rolling around on the bed. Trying to remind myself I'm recapping right now, and not fantasising, but it's hard. It's so damn hard. Focus, right … yeah right …
Dean asks if Sam slept at all in the night and Sam says he grabbed a couple of hours. Dean promptly calls him a liar, because he got up at 3 am and Sam was watching an infomercial. Dean keeps going on about when Sam last slept, and Sam keeps up his lie of getting regular sleep, but thanks Dean for his concern. Dean tells him it's not about concern, it's about making sure the guy covering his ass is on the ball.
Dean shouldn't say 'covering my ass' in his sleep gear *bites fist* oh yeah, um, brotherly concern, Dean's scared of … feelings … nope, not working, cannot analyse when Dean in minimum clothing. Could not spell analyse the first time around because of Dean in minimal clothing. Someone slap some concentration into me?
Dean asks Sam if he's still having nightmares about Jessica, and Sam sighs heavily, crossing the room and sitting on the other bed. He admits that yes, he is, as he passes Dean a coffee. Then he says it's not just Jessica, but how the job can get to you. Dean tells him you can't let it. Sam asks if the job never keeps Dean up at night, and Dean shakes his head, saying not really. Sam laughs, and reaches under Dean's pillow, pulling the knife out and holding it up wordlessly. Dean tells him that it's not fear that makes him keep a knife there, but precaution.
Raise of hands, who believes Dean? And who lets him get away with it because he looks damn sexy in this scene? Huh, more for the second. Who'd have thought it.
Dean's phone rings, and he picks up to an air traffic controller called Jerry.
NOOOOOOOOOO! BRING BACK SEXY-POST-BED DEAN!
Ahem, I mean, I am a cool, calm, unbiased recapper, with no desire whatsoever for the characters in this show.
Jerry says Dean and John helped him out a few years before, and Dean responds with the case that they'd worked on. Dean checks that the poltergeist they'd tried to exorcise hadn't come back, and Jerry says no, but there's something else that could be worse. Dean asks what it could be, and Jerry asks to talk in person. The scene then cuts to the Impala driving through the countryside.
On the one hand, I'm able to slightly function as a human being again. On the other hand, no more of Dean's legs and ass hanging out. There's always a cloud to the silver lining, man.
The scene cuts again to the boys at the airbase, where Jerry is thanking them for being so quick in responding. He says he owes them a favour, and explains to Sam that Dean and John really helped him out. Sam says he knows, Dean told him it was a poltergeist. One of the other aviators calls out that they love the movie, and Jerry jokingly yells at him.
Only Supernatural could make jokes like that. They incorporate their own fandom and Wincest at one point, they make a TV show called Supernatural, they do a Looney Toons rip off … they're crazy.
Jerry says if it wasn't for Dean and John, he wouldn't be alive. Dean shoots a smug smile at Sam. Jerry says John had said Sam was at college, and Sam says yes, but he was taking some time off. Jerry tells Sam that John was proud of Sam, he always talked about him. Sam sounds surprised to hear that, and Jerry turns to Dean to tell him that he couldn't get a hold of John. He asks Dean how he is and Dean says he's wrapped up in a job. Jerry says "Well, we're missing the old man, but we get Sam. Even trade, huh?" and they all laugh, before Sam says it's not close by a long shot.
Jerry's a sweetheart, I like him. I know it sounds like watching paint dry, that scene, but since the first few episodes have to establish the situation, they do need to have that kind of exposition, and luckily for fans, there's a little bit more revealed each time. In this instance, the surprise Sam feels when hearing that John was proud of him, as even in the pilot, Sam had mentioned how much his family didn't support his ambitions. And it's more of an even trade than Sam realises, since he was the one who actually turned out like their father, unlike Dean who just wished he could have.
Jerry plays Sam and Dean a CD, telling them to listen because it sounds like it's up their alley. We hear a mayday call, with jet sounds and general confusion in the background, before the noise dies out and we hear an inhuman sound, almost like a growling. Sam and Dean look at each other, while still concentrating on the CD. Jerry explains that the plane left from there, and crashed 200 miles away. It's been blamed on a mechanical failure as the cabin depressurised. Out of the 100 people on board, only seven people survived, including the pilot.
We hear about the pilot, so he's obviously the next go-to person. I realise I'm being a little dry in my descriptions here, I'm sorry. the humour will come soon. For me, anyway. Watch it yourself if you want lols.
We hear that the pilot blames himself for the crash, and he's pretty broken up about the whole thing. Sam asks if Jerry agrees and Jerry says no. Sam then asks for passenger manifests, and a list of survivors, and Dean asks to look at the wreckage. Jerry says the paperwork's not a problem, but the wreckage is on lockdown. Jerry doesn't have the clearance to get in.
But Sam and Dean do. They have a shit tonne of fake IDs. Federal Marshalls, health inspectors, wildlife reserve, you name it, they can make it.
Dean nods slowly and says it's not a problem. We see Sam sitting outside of a Copy Jack store, waiting for Dean, and he emerges with the fake IDs.
Sam - "You've been in there forever."
Dean - "You can't rush perfection."
Sam - "Homeland Security? It's pretty illegal, even for us."
Dean - "Yeah, well, it's something new. You know, people haven't seen it a thousand times. All right, so what do you got?"
Sam - "Well, there's definitely EVP on the cockpit voice recorder."
Dean - "Yeah?"
Sam - "Listen."
*Sam plays the track, warped, on his laptop. We hear a voice say 'no survivors'.*
Dean - "'No survivors'? What's that supposed to mean, there were seven survivors."
Sam - "Got me."
Dean - "So what are you thinking, a haunted flight?"
Sam - "There's a long history of spirits and death omens on planes and ships, like phantom travellers. Or, uh, remember flight four-oh-one?"
Dean - "Right, the one that crashed, and the airline salvaged some of its parts, put it in other planes. And then the spirit of the pilot and the co-pilot haunted those flights."
Sam - "Right."
Dean - "Yup."
Sam - "Maybe we got a similar deal."
They look at their list of survivors and decide to talk to Max Jaffe, third on the list. Dean asks why Sam picked him, and Sam explains that Max was local, and he'd already spoken to Max's mother, who had told them where he was. The scene cuts to a psychiatric hospital, where Sam and Dean are talking to Max, who says he already spoke to Homeland Security. They bluff their way through, saying they've found some new information and need him to answer a few questions.
Max is the man who noticed the possessed man about to open the door.
Sam asks if Max noticed anything weird, and when he asks what they mean, Dean gives examples that he and Sam know are linked to paranormal activity. Max says no, and Dean asks why Max put himself into a psychiatric facility. He says he's stressed from the plane crash, and Dean reiterates that that's why he checked himself into the hospital. Max says he doesn't want to talk anymore. Dean says he thinks Max did see something, and they need to know what. Max refuses to, claiming he was delusional. Dean turns to Sam.
Dean - "He was seeing things."
*Dean rolls his eyes, Sam pulls his bitchface.*
Sam - "It's okay. Then just tell us what you thought you saw, please."
Max tells them about the man he saw, and what we saw in the first scenes. Max says it's impossible because there's about two tonnes of pressure acting on the door. Sam starts asking about the man, trying to narrow down possibilities - did the man appear and disappear, flickering in front of Max, etc. Max calls him nuts and says it was a fellow passenger. Sam and Dean exchange a look, before the scene cuts away.
We then see the Impala pull up in front of another house as Sam explains who it is, and where they were on the plane. George Phelps, 20C. Dean says it doesn't matter how strong you are, or what you've taken, there's no way to open the doors during a flight.
I haven't commented much, again. I'm sat here working out how effective it may be to have emergency exits full stop if it's so impossible to open them. I thought they had a safety, and then a mechanism to make it possible to leave the plane. I guess that must just be for once the plane has come to a stop after crash-landing? Because otherwise they'd be human pudding? Yeah, logic, science and reality are all sparring in my head right now. Lateral thinking can be a bitch.
Sam says if you're human, maybe, but George, the man they're visiting, may be something else. Dean's response is to ask whether the house looks like a creatures lair. Inside the house, they're talking to George's widower and asking about the kind of guy he was. We hear that he was a dentist on the way to a convention, and that he was scared of flying. Sam asks if there was anything strange about George, and the best answer his wife can give is that he suffered from acid reflux.
If you're thinking plot hole, no. Max told Sam and Dean the guy opened the exit, not that he jumped. He was next on their enquiry list because Max had only given those basics. They seem to have accepted pretty easily that George would not have survived opening that door.
Sam - "I mean, it goes without saying, it just doesn't make any sense."
Dean - "Yeah, a middle-aged dentist with an ulcer is not exactly evil personified. You know, what we need to do is get inside that NTSB warehouse, check out the wreckage."
Sam - "Okay, but if we're going to go that route, we'd better look the part."
This is the first time we get to see them in suits. Yum.
The next scene shows Sam and Dean leaving a tailors, with Dean saying he looks like a Blues Brother. Sam says no, he looks more like a seventh grader going to his first dance.
I love how Dean's complaining about wearing a suit. Of course, Sam's fine with it, he was aiming for a career in suits. And I love the banter between them, because Sam does remind Dean at that point that it's for the case and then he stops whining.
They drive to the lock up and show their badges for Homeland Security.
And somehow, get into the area. The wreckage is laid out with the pieces of shrapnel arranged as they would have been on the plane. Dean pulls out an EMF meter.
Electromagnetic frequencies. Ghosts and demons etc will trigger a response on one of these. Dean's is made from an old cassette tape walkman.
Sam asks what it is, and Dean explains, then Sam says he's well aware what an EMF meter is, but Dean's looks like crap. Dean says he made it, looking proud, and Sam just nods at him, saying he can see that.
Sam can be such an ass. Dean was all proud about making a functioning meter and Sam just put him the hell down. Like, dude, so your brother's not as brainy as you, he's good at making shit, and saving your ass.
The EMF picks up at the emergency exit handle, which is blackened and warped. There's a white powder on it, and Dean scratches at it, asking what it is. Sam says there's one way to find out, and scrapes a piece off into a petri dish, as Dean wipes the powder from his fingers onto Sam's jacket.
That's for insulting his EMF machine, asshole.
As they're scraping it off for evidence, we see two actual Homeland Security agents turn up and present their badges at reception. The guy at the desk asks if one team isn't enough, and they asks what he's talking about. He says he let two guys in, not even five minutes before.
We then see a security team running through the corridors,
I'm pretty sure the one who talks in the scene, by the way, is the guy who comes back as Dean's Siren. I just checked and he's not, but that's uncanny. Also, Jensen's dad is in a couple of episodes. Amazeballs!
Sam and Dean turn around as they hear the commotion, and when the security team burst into the room with the wreckage, they're gone. We see them outside, peering around a metal wall and walking quickly out of the exit, beginning to run as an alarm sounds. Dean throws his suit jacket up on top of the security fencing and they both jump up the gate, clearing it easily and using the jacket to protect their hands. When they're safely out, Dean agrees that the suits do come in handy.
The scene cuts to the pilot, Chuck, sitting in an airport lounge as his friend is trying to talk him into the next flight, saying it's like riding a horse. He's going to be flying a small personal plane to get comfortable again, but looks petrified to be doing so. The friend offers to let him off going, but he says he needs to now, that waiting is worse. His friend makes his way to the plane as Chuck drains the last of his coffee, and the black smoke appears in the air vent again, making it's way to Chuck's face and absorbing into his eyes.
The scene cuts to Sam and Dean, still in their suits, waiting for Jerry to analyse the sample they've given him. He says it's sulphur, and Sam asks if he's sure. He lets Sam look for himself.
Of course Sam could recognise sulphur under a microscope.
Jerry goes off to talk to his men, and Dean is the one who approaches the microscope.
Dean - "Hmm. You know, there's not too many things that leave behind a sulphuric residue."
Sam - "Demonic possession?"
Dean - "It would explain how a mortal man would have the strength to open up an emergency hatch."
Sam - "If the guy was possessed, it's possible."
Dean - "Yeah, but this goes way beyond floating over a bed, or barfing pea soup. I mean, it's one thing to possess a person, but to use him to take down an entire airplane?"
Sam - "You ever heard of something like this before?"
Dean - "Never."
I included this bit of dialogue for the same reason I use a lot of it, because we're establishing canon at the moment. Demons are nasty business, far worse than anything you'll see in a horror film. This demon is possessing one person in order to kill hundreds. Demons enhance abilities, but at a cost to their hosts. And for Sam and Dean - at the moment, anyway - they're rare and nasty to deal with. And to think they used to worry over demons like this … if Dean knew he'd have the King of Hell locked in the trunk of the Impala in a few years time, he'd probably be a little cooler about the situation. Not much, but a little. Why? It'll slip out later *hums Metallica*
On the runway, Chuck approaches his friend, saying he's ready. The change in him is recognisable at once. They head up, and in the air a while later, the friend asks how he's doing. He says he feels great. His friend says he'll be back to jumbo's before he knows it. We hear a repeat of the conversation George had with the woman next to him, asking how long they've been flying. About forty minutes. Time does fly. And Chuck starts to dive-bomb the plane.
This demon needs to change it up a little on the 'I kill people 40-odd minutes into a plane journey' deal. I'm already bored with it.
Chuck knocks the friend out before he can take over the controls, his eyes fully blackened as he dives. Back on the ground, a man is driving a tractor and looks up as he hears the approaching plane. The plane takes out a power line just above the tractor driver's head, and the scene cuts to black.
Meanwhile, in their motel room, Dean and Sam have made an evidence wall. There are books full of lore spread about the place, and we can hear fast typing. Sam is researching demons. He tells Dean that every religion and culture has lore about demons and demonic possession, but Dean says none of them match what they're looking at. Sam says actually, in Japan, they believe certain demons are behind disasters, either natural or man-made. Dean speculates that the demon has moved with technology and is using planes to up the body count, and Sam wonders how many other planes were caused by this one demon.
Important to note - demons have individual styles. Like Azazel and Lilith, who will come up throughout the next few seasons. Right now, in season 9, Hell is having to decide between Abbadon and her fury, or Crowley and his underhand dealings. That means that certain demons carry out the same rituals over and over. Like holding a woman who is bleeding from her abdomen on the ceiling as the room bursts into flames? Yeah, maybe …
Dean scoffs, and scratches his head. Sam asks what's up and Dean says it's not their normal gig, that demons only exist to destroy and fighting a demon is huge. He wishes John was there, and Sam does too. Dean's phone rings, and he picks up to Jerry, who tells him about Chuck's crash.
I can't get over how nervous Dean is about demons. He and Sam learn in a few seasons time, the ritual needed to exorcise demons from their humans. They try to cure a demon. They don't sweat about demons, but that may be because they get their hands on a pretty bad-ass knife and end up buddy-buddy with an angel. Hard to worry about demons then.
We hear that the plane crashed in a town called Nazareth. Dean's response is "I'll try to ignore the irony in that." Jerry mishears and Dean passes the comment off, promising that he and Sam would be there soon. They drive passed the wreckage to meet Jerry, and after examining some of the wreckage, find more traces of sulphur. Dean notices how both crashes involved Chuck, and wonders if the demon was after him. Sam says if that was the case it would be good news, but both flights crashed after exactly forty minutes. When Jerry asks what that means, Dean explains that it's Biblical numerology, and means death. He uses Noah's ark as the example.
Sam's research shows six other crashes in the past decade that went down at exactly forty minutes. There are no survivors from those crashes, and the only one different is the one from the opening scene. Dean and Sam discuss what was on the recording they had, and they realise that the demon is trying to finish the job, attacking the (now six) survivors.
They're so brilliant at working things out within twenty minutes run time (I'm not being sarcastic, I'm openly fangirling) I love hearing them discuss it, because it's sort of how my brain sounds but voiced by two very hot men.
The boys are driving in the Impala at night, and Sam is making fake calls to the survivors, pretending to be taking a survey for recent travellers on their experience. He hangs up the call he's on, and tells Dean that it makes two people who should be safe as they won't be flying again. Dean says the flight attendant is their wild card. Sam gives some exposition, saying that the attendant, Amanda, would be flying from Indianapolis at eight, according to her sister. It's her first night back. Sam starts worrying that, even with Dean driving, the five hour drive to Indianapolis is too tight and they'll miss her.
Lol, the implication that Dean is a speed freak is brilliant. You and me both, Dean. I almost set my engine on fire tonight, pushing my little Fiesta to 90 on a 70 road. We're meant to be!
Dean tells Sam to call Amanda. He says he's left three messages, she must have turned her phone off. Sam worries that they won't make it and Dean tells him confidently that they will. There's a scene change, where they run into the airport and through the crowds, pushing and shoving as they go. Dean picks up a courtesy phone and asks to be linked through to Amanda's gate.
Amanda approaches the courtesy phone on her gate, and picks up. Dean bluffs that he's a doctor, and her sister, Karen, is there, in pain after a minor car accident. Amanda says that's impossible, she was just talking to Karen on the phone five minutes ago. She demands to know who's calling, asking if he's friends with Vince. Dean gambles and says yes. It turns out, Vince is an ex. After she starts to chew Dean out, he tells her Vince is sorry, and he's a pathetic mess. Amanda, believing this story, tells him to pass on to Vince to call her when she lands. She then hangs up on Dean.
At gate 13, Amanda walks through to the bridge, and the black smoke appears just above the door, but doesn't go into Amanda. Meanwhile, Dean is angry that Amanda hung up on him.
Dean - "Dammit! That was so close!"
Sam - "Alright. It's time for plan B. We're getting on that plane."
Dean - "We-well, just hold on a second."
Sam - "Dean, that plane is leaving, with over a hundred passengers on board, and if we're right, that plane is going to crash."
Dean - "I know!"
Sam - "Okay. Then we're getting on the plane. We need to find that demon and exorcise it. Look, I'll get the tickets, you just go get whatever you can out of the trunk, whatever will make it through security. Meet me back here in five minutes. Are you okay?"
Dean - " … no. Not really."
Sam - "Why? What's wrong?"
Dean - "Well, I kind of have this problem with uh-"
Sam - "Flying?"
Dean - "It's never really been an issue until now!"
Sam - "You're joking, right?"
Dean - "Do I look like I'm joking? Why do you think I drive everywhere, Sam?"
Yeah, Dean Winchester is scared of flying. Wait until we find out what Sam's scared of … it's good because it humanises the boys, gives them real flaws, and equally it limits the lore and the action to America. There's only one other trip in an airplane throughout the entire series so far, to find Crowley's human remains, and Dean was a whiny bitch then too. But really, he knows this plane is going to live the biggest fear that those who are scared of flying have. He knows the plane is going to crash. After that, could he really be scared? (shut up Siobhan, you still need to call people, and you've called people before!) Good point, obnoxious voice in my head!
I like how they touch on the importance of airport security. Sam whispers the bit about the plane crashing. They're talking about getting weapons through security successfully, but to prevent a plane crash.
Sam offers to do the Hunt on his own, and Dean says no, because like Sam said, the plane is going to crash. Sam asks if there's a third option where Sam doesn't have to go it alone or drag Dean with him, and Dean whines about it.
The scene cuts to on board the plane, where the pilot's announcements for checks are being broadcast as the camera pans. Dean and Sam are both on the plane, Dean looking through the emergency crash paraphernalia.
What is about to come up got linked on the Sam Winchester Facebook fanpage yesterday. Serendipitous!
Sam - "Just try to relax."
Dean - "Just try to shut up."
We hear the plane rev up, and some clicks and groans to the side, and see Dean wincing and gurning in discomfort. After take off, Dean is humming. Sam listens hard.
Sam - "Are you humming Metallica?"
Dean - "It calms me down."
Sam - "Look man, I get you're nervous alright, but you gotta stay focused."
Dean - "Okay."
Sam - "I mean we got thirty-two minutes and counting to track this thing down, or whoever it's possessing anyway, and perform a full-on exorcism."
Dean - "Yeah, on a crowded plane, that's going to be easy."
Sam - "Just, take it one step at a time, alright?"
Sam starts scanning for who could be possessed, and through Dean's distress, he summarises that someone disturbed or emotionally traumatised would be key, as they have chinks in the armour for the demon to go through. Sam reasons that it's Amanda's first flight after the crash, she might be pretty wound up. They work out which flight attendant is Amanda and Dean offers to go sound her out, find out how she's feeling.
If, like me, you watch this and go 'Dean's going to get possessed, he's emotionally traumatised by flying!' … not this time, doll face. But it is funny that Dean sounds about ready to shit himself and he's offering to find out whether someone else is highly stressed.
Sam asks what happens if she's already possessed, and Dean says there's ways to test that. He pulls out a water bottle and says it's holy water, and Sam says they need to be more subtle. If possessed, she'll flinch at the name of God. But only said in Latin. Dean says he knows. Sam calls him back as he walks off, and tells him the Latin word for God, Christo. Dean tells him he knew, he's not an idiot. As Dean walks to the back of the plane, there's turbulence, and Dean punches a nearby seat.
He makes it to Amanda, explaining he's a nervous flier and it helps to move around. They start talking about being scared of flying, and Amanda says that everyone has fears, and hers aren't going to stop her from living life how she wants to. Dean says Christo, and Amanda asks what he said. He repeats it, and she says she didn't understand, looking confident as she speaks. Dean tells her never mind, and walks back to his seat.
I love Amanda's attitude towards fear. Need to try to employ it more with phones and fireworks. Those evil sons of bitches.
Dean calls Amanda the most well-adjusted person on the planet when he gets back to Sam. Sam checks that he said Christo, and Dean says yes, and there's no way she is possessed or will be possessed, Sam says, so the demon could still be anywhere.
There's more turbulence, and Sam reassures Dean that it's perfectly normal. Dean's response is to snap.
Dean - "Sam, this plane is going to crash, okay, so quit treating me like I'm freaking four."
Sam tells him to calm down, and Dean says "Dude, stow the touchy-feely, self-help, yoga crap, you're not helping!" and Sam sits closer, telling Dean "Listen to me, if you're panicked, you're wide open to demonic possession so you need to calm yourself down, right now." Dean gulps, and tries to breath deeply. When Sam is satisfied, he goes straight back down to business, opening a book and telling Dean about an exorcism he's found that he thinks might work. It works in two parts, the first part drawing the demon out and making the demon more powerful as it manifests - which panics Dean again - until Sam says that the second part returns the demon to Hell.
Dean says they need to find it, and goes towards the back of the plane with his EMF meter, turning it on and running it as he walks slowly along the walkway, scanning each passenger sitting down. He pauses at a man, but passes him off almost immediately. He gets near the front of the plane, and Sam grabs him on the shoulder roughly, making him jump. Sam wants to know the results of the EMF. Sam says there's fifteen minutes left, maybe they missed someone? Dean wonders if it's not on the plane, and Sam asks if he really believes that.
The EMF picks up at that point, and Dean realises that the demon's in the cockpit as the co-pilot walks out. Dean stares at him, and Sam asks what's up. Dean just mutters Christo, and the co-pilot stops for a second, turning around with demon eyes. Dean and Sam look panicked, as the co-pilot returns to the cockpit, locking the door.
They walk back to Amanda, Sam saying she's not going to believe it and Dean reminding him that there's now twelve minutes left. Amanda says hi when they get to the back, and Sam draws the curtains as Dean starts to try and explain what's happening.
Amanda - "Um, okay, what can I do for you?"
Dean - "Alright, this is gonna sound nuts, but we just don't have time for the whole 'the truth is out there' speech-"
Sam - "Alright, look, we know you were on flight twenty-four eighty-five."
Amanda - "Who are you guys?"
sam - "Now, we've spoken to some of the other survivors. We know something brought down that plane and it wasn't mechanical failure."
Dean - "We need your help, because we need to stop it happening again. Here, now."
Amanda - "I'm sorry. I'm-I'm very busy. I have to go-"
Dean - "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second. I'm not going to hurt you, okay? But listen to me. Um, the pilot from twenty-four eight-five, Chuck Lambert? He's dead."
Amanda - "Wait, what? What, Chuck is dead?"
Sam and Dean have to talk fast sometimes, to get people on board with their heroics. Sometimes, this does not go well for the person they are trying to convince. This is not one of those times.
Dean explains how Chuck died, and asks Amanda if she thinks it's strange that there's been two plane crashes with Chuck in two months? Sam explains that there was something wrong with the other flight, and maybe Amanda sensed it, or not, but the same thing is on that flight. Dean begs her to believe them. Amanda mentions George's eyes and Sam says that's what they're referring to. They ask her to bring the co-pilot to the back of the plane. She asks why and Dean says there's no time. She asks how and Sam says she needs to do whatever it takes.
Sam's asking for a lot, isn't he? But he has those puppy dogs, so he will win *shakes a fist at Jared Padalecki's innocent, cute little eyes*.
Amanda says she could lose her job, and Dean says she'll lose more if she doesn't try. She agrees and makes her way to the cockpit. They watch from behind the curtain as Amanda knocks on the cockpit door and the co-pilot comes out, talking to her. They open the journal to the right page for the ritual, pulling out the equipment they managed to smuggle on board. The co-pilot asks what the problem is and Dean punches him in the face, slamming him to the floor and duct-taping his mouth. Amanda cries out that they said they'd be talking to him, and Dean says they are. Sam sprays the holy water over his chest, and his skin starts to burn, taking pieces of the shirt with it.
Amanda starts to panic and Sam sends her outside, asking her to remain calm when she is out there. Sam also asks her not to let anyone in.
Sam sounds desperate, and Amanda sounds panicked. I'm willing to bet she thinks Dean and Sam are smooth talking terrorists at this point.
Dean punches the co-pilot again and tells Sam to hurry up, because Dean can't hold him much longer. Sam starts reciting, in latin, the ritual they found, as the co-pilot writhes and steams from under Dean, who is straddling him. The co-pilot manages to slap the holy water away, and then punches Dean back, attacking Sam afterwards. Dean jumps back on the co-pilot, and Sam resumes the ritual, pages of the journal surrounding them. The co-pilot manages to rip off the duct tape, grabs Sam by the collar and says in a demonic voice "I know what happened to your girlfriend."
Holy shit, guys! A demon knows what happened to Jess! Will Sam end the ritual to see what the demon knows, or will he continue it because fuck demons?
The demon tells Sam "She must have died screaming. Even now, she's burning." and Dean punches him in the face again, screaming at Sam to continue the ritual and save everyone on the plane. Sam sneers at the demon, and continues where he left off. He finishes the first part, and helps Dean to pin the demon down, as the demon kicks the journal down the aisle of the plane, outside of the curtain. The demonic smoke pours out of the co-pilot, manifesting in the air. The smoke drifts into another vent, and into the plane. The plane starts to plummet as Sam goes running for the journal, knocking Dean against the emergency hatch.
Still would.
The lights all flicker out and the other passengers are panicking as the plane banks in the air. Sam struggles through the aisle and under seats and manages after a few attempts to grab the journal. Through all the chaos in the cabin, he starts reciting the second part of the ritual. As the plane free-falls, lightning strikes the plane, at the exact moment that Sam finishes reciting the ritual. The plane rights itself, the lights come on, and all emergency signals cease. Everyone looks relieved, and Sam and Dean share a look, Dean shaking his head at Sam as they do so.
I think he's saying 'we're never getting on a fucking plane again' in that head shake.
Back on the ground, they're being escorted off the plane, at gate 13 again. There are paramedics there, and police asking for information on what happened in the air. The co-pilot is the one answering, saying all he remembered was leaving the airport to get on the plane, and then it went blank. Amanda's given a cover story to protect Sam and Dean, who are standing to the side, watching her interview with the officer. She mouths 'thank you' at them, and they nod before deciding to leave.
Dean is the one to ask Sam if he's okay, and Sam stops him walking, saying it knew about Jessica. Dean tries to explain it away, that demons can read minds and play on weaknesses. They lie. Sam says 'yeah' but doesn't look like he agrees, and Dean walks out to the car park.
I don't think Dean was disrespecting Sam by walking away, but he knows he can't convince Sam of something that I'm not sure he even believes. I think this is a good scene to have two minutes before the end of the episode, because now it's adding another layer to the storyline. They're not just Hunting, or looking for John, now they want to get to the bottom of Jessica's killer, and how demons might filter into that storyline. Is it all connected? We'll find out (unless you're a fan, then you obviously know).
I also like that, despite Dean being traumatised by planes and living through his biggest fear, his first thought is how Sam was handling that nugget of information. Once again, Dean is putting Sam first. Sam won't ever acknowledge that. And they'll never truly understand each other's reactions to what happened on that plane.
The boys catch up with Jerry, who says no one else knows exactly what they did. But he does, and he's grateful. He tells them John would be proud and shakes their hands, before walking back to the aircraft hanger, and the boys make their way to the Impala. Dean calls out to Jerry before he disappears, asking how Jerry even got his number, anyway, since he hasn't had his cell for long, and Jerry says John gave it to him. They asked how, and Jerry says when he called John, Dean's number was left on the answer message, and people should call him. The boys share a look, Dean's thoughtful and Sam's emotional.
Because Dean is thinking how they're finally stepping into Daddy's shoes, and Sam's thinking he's a manipulative bastard. I actually agree more with Sam. Some people from the convention Facebook group have rationalised his behaviour based on John growing up in the 50's, fighting in 'nam and then losing Mary but to me, that should have made Dean and Sam all the more precious. And as kick ass as Dean and Sam are, it bums me out that this has always been their life, it's not just from these four episodes, but all of Sam's life. No wonder he's so angry, he still doesn't have a say in how his life will go.
But then again, that's Mary's fault, not Johns …
Sam tells Dean it doesn't make any sense, he's called and called John, and the number's out of service. Dean calls, and gets the answer phone message straight away, and they both press their ears against the phone to listen. "This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son Dean, 785-555-0179. He can help."
For the first couple of seasons, fans could call that number and listen to a message left by Jensen Ackles. Wish I'd been a fan back then!
They climb into the Impala, Sam choking back tears, and put Nazareth in their rear view mirror.
So, see you guys in about a week, where I terrify myself with the worst episode for me. I'm not even going to name it, I'm that suspicious of it. I'm only going to put it in the title. When I write She or Her capitalised mid-sentence … know I'm talking about the spectre in the mirrors.
Fuck, that's going to be hard.
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