Supernatural: Merry, Gory Christmas!
Sniffle… What, we’re allergic to pine trees. That’s why we look all weepy. It’s certainly not because we’re all swoony and squeeing over a touching, funny and still wickedly funny episode of Supernatural. Nope, it has nothing to do with watching Wee Sam and Wee Dean cement the brotherly bonds a good 16 years ago, or seeing the boys bond as best they knew how in the present day. Nothing like that at all… sniffle, sniffle, sob.
Allergies! Honest!
So, were you similarly, um, allergic at the end of the episode? We loved it, from the opening late-70s-style “Special Presentation” graphics to the final scene of the lights and snow reflecting off the shiny, shiny hood of our beloved Metallicar. And there was so much Supernaturally goodness in between!
First, the Big Bad: We love the idea of a bad, bad Santa dragging screaming victims up the chimney in his big red sack – it’s just so horribly wrong! And the scene where Bad Santa, in his blood-spattered boots, drags his squirming sack down the stairs and looms over the adorable moppet – only to take a cookie? Priceless!
Of course, that wasn’t the real bad Santa – it was a couple of squeaky-clean pagan gods who assimilated (apparently by watching 50s sitcoms and buying every available Christmas tchotchke at the Hallmark store) but still had a taste for human sacrifice. How cool was it that Mrs. Pagan God was Merrilyn Gann, who played Rose Abbott on Everwood? Both of the gods were just so awesomely chipper as they did horrible things to our boys (Oh, the fingernail scene! Aieeeee!) We were almost sorry to see them go.
But the real reason this episode worked so well is because it was all about the boys and their relationship. We got a flashback to the Wee Winchesters Christmas, and saw Wee Dean trying to give Wee Sam a childhood, and Wee Sam reciprocating by giving Dean the present he’d meant for Dad – and it was Dean’s necklace! Perfect! And then, the end, where grown-up Sam tries to give Dean a decent Christmas – since it may be his last? That really had our allergies acting up. (We kind of wish that grown-up Sam had given grown-up Dean a Barbie Doll, though – wouldn’t that have been perfect?)
So what did you think? Were you similarly schmoopy about the episode, or do you prefer less sweetness with your gore? Did the Wee Winchesters float your boat? Did you approve of the gore? And what was Sam really going to say before he backed off and asked Dean if he wanted to watch the game? Oh, BOYS!
Tell us what you think! Vote in our polls, and leave your thoughts in the comments!
Comments
*squeak* i luveddddddddd it ******************drool* ( i did not just do dat) :)
Posted by: Anonymous | January 15, 2008 7:19 PM
Not on the topic of this episode (which I adored) but it is Supernatural related, and I have to ask...
Is there going to be a post about the glaring omission of Supernatural from The CW's spring schedule?
Rerunning Reaper in Supernatural's rightful spot? Dirty pool, CW - not cool at all.
Posted by: kaly | January 5, 2008 10:23 PM
This episode is THE best Christmas gift!
I feel SO MUCH LOVE! My love for these boys... is too big for words! Just like their love for each other...
Thank God - Kripke, his awesome team and The CW for Supernatural! Merry Christmas everyone!
Posted by: Melanie | December 23, 2007 8:08 AM
best fudging ep ever.
Hope the strike would end soon so we can have more of this supernatural goodness.
Posted by: jensen143 | December 21, 2007 10:32 PM
I LOVE THIS Episode. The scene where they sing silent night off key and...WRONG, is HILARIOUS!
Posted by: WinchesterGal | December 20, 2007 5:42 PM
Fudging brilliant...!
I agree, no distractions just the boys & the hunt! Its got to be my best ever... the allergies also caught up with me at the end!
Perfect Christmas story, thanks Kripke!
Posted by: Kathy | December 20, 2007 5:06 AM
I loved this episode(i always do)
(As everone knows) it had everything in it
This show is always great ALWAYS
it is a trulyamazing tv show. im absoulutly amazed at how entertaing this show is. They have humor, drama, fear....very hot guys....
the people who work on this show every week are brillant!!! to come up with something this great is simply amazing. i hope this show will stay on air for a long time,,,,i don't see why it wouldn't
great show great job it was perfect !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
can't wait till january 3rd !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Anonymous | December 18, 2007 4:38 PM
Gosh..I love it so much, I really do. I love how they gave Christmas to each other; Dean's effort to gave little Sammy Christmas, n how Sammy gave his bro Christmas surprise. It was so sweet seeing how close they are. Finally we knew about Dean's necklace..it was from little Sammy! So so cute.
And I wonder, what Sammy really going to say to Dean, before he then asked him to watch the game...
Posted by: trya | December 18, 2007 10:32 AM
I think this is my favorite episode of the season so far. I have been waiting since Season 1 for a Christmas episode, and I was not disappointed.
Way to many favorite parts to mention. (And no Ruby or Bela, nice bonus there.)
I loved the final scene, seeing them through the window, and the snow falling on the impala. Nicely done.
Posted by: Casey | December 17, 2007 5:14 PM
Great ep! Love the boys who are playing Sam and Dean as kids. They did a great job! Hope to see more of them
Posted by: lavender | December 17, 2007 12:33 PM
I loved it.
Posted by: Bambi | December 17, 2007 7:16 AM
The best thing about this episode: no bloody girls!
Posted by: Anonymous | December 16, 2007 9:42 PM
What a perfect episode! It harkened back to season 1 with good, old-fashioned urban lore, a scary plot, and best of all, Dean and Sam (and ONLY Dean and Sam) on the case. Loved the gods (Rose!), loved the story and the gore, and most of all, LOVED the brotherly moments, both current and in the flashbacks (little Dean giving his Sammy a Christmas, and little Sammy giving his brother the amulet, aw!).
My only nitpick is the continued dumbing down of Dean for exposition purposes, especially when DEAN is the more experience hunter, and I would imagine, had to do a lot of research himself before Sam came back into the life. And surely Dean (the king of movie/TV trivial knowledge) would have heard of Mary Poppins and Dick Van Dyke, especially if Sam did. They shared a childhood after all. Ahem. So, anyway, if we must learn about the MOTW or plot via dialog between the brothers, let's also harken back to the way it was accomplished during the first season: BOTH boys discussed it back and forth. It wasn't all Sam knowing everything and Dean knowing nothing. Sam was a pre-Law major, not a pre-supernatural/Hunter major so he shouldn't have any more knowledge about the "monsters of the week" than Dean. They *both* know how to use a computer and they *both* have access to John's journal. Just sayin'.
But that's my only nitpick. Everything else about the episode is made of win. And the final scene was perfect beyond belief, with the shot of Dean's amulet as he walked into the motel room, his shock and heartfelt excitement at Sam's Christmas surprise, the super-spiked egg nog, the car freshener Christmas tree, the gas station gifts (and porn!), "Merry Christmas Bro" (= love you) and "You wanna watch the game?" (= love you too), and the pan out to the Impala watching her boys through the window...WOW. Great job by both Jensen and Jared and just a wonderful episode all around!
Posted by: Kay | December 16, 2007 6:45 PM
Well, “I” certainly now believe in Santa and his name is not Kringle but Kripke. And he just delivered one of the best presents possible. In my opinion, this episode brought Supernatural BACK to everything that makes it SN in the first place, back to its roots, so to speak. It's the episode that I have been waiting for all season, since all the others have felt so "off" for me. There have been shining moments in all of them, but they seemed to have lost that special little magic. Maybe it's just me. But this one was the first one this season that I immediately wanted to see again (and again, and again!) It seemed to be the perfect balance of Monster-of-the-Week, urban legends, scares, gore, laughs, and those brotherly moments that brought me to tears. And the best part? the infiltrative virus known at RuBela was nowhere in sight!!! Easily the best episode so far this season, and easily in the all-time top ten list. I can foolishly hope that we will now continue on this wonderful path, but unfortunately I am totally spoiled and therefore know that the virus will be returning.
Posted by: MOUSITSA | December 16, 2007 2:52 AM
this episode was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cant wait till the season come out so i can watch it over n over n over again
Posted by: Jennifer'N'Jared | December 15, 2007 6:20 PM
i have to agree with everyone. this is an episode that'll go down in the books. completely touching and massively hilarious! spread the holiday gore everyone!
luvs
Posted by: krissy | December 15, 2007 5:55 PM
This is by far the best episode of this season and one of the best of the series. Jensen and Jared did a fantastic job, and WeeWinchesters were great. The pagan gods were awesome, the humor, gore and angst, everything was top notch. Kudos to the writer, and a Happy Holidays to all.
Posted by: hermitme | December 15, 2007 5:16 PM
This is the PERFECT episode to show why (a) Supernatural is THE best show on TV, (b) our boys ROCK and (c) Kripke is GOD! From the "A Special Presentation" intro to the exploding ornament to the ending scene with Metallicar reflecting the Christmas lights and everything in between! I especially LOVED the boys caroling (or trying to) and the revealation (finally) of where Dean's necklace came from (and yes I was completely tearful watching that as it was the defining moment that showed just how close the bond between these brothers is!) Rock on and God bless Jared, Jensen, Kripke and, well, God Bless us, everyone! XO :)
Posted by: Cheryl | December 15, 2007 2:04 PM
I Love this episode, thanks. Now just give the Writers a raise so we can have our shows BACK!
Posted by: Kat | December 15, 2007 9:11 AM
This episode is second only to "In My Time of Dying" as my favorite episode of Supernatural. When did Jared Padalecki become such a powerful, moving young actor? He had me in tears. I don't cry over shows.
Posted by: burgundy12 | December 15, 2007 1:10 AM
That was a wonderfully executed christmas episode of Supernatural, it was heartfelt and humorous, yet gory and disturbing. I absolutely loved it!
The bong pulling santa, carolling winchesters, a reference to my favorite holiday movie A Christmas Story ("fudge"), the use of the retro CBS Special Presentation: so many things to note in this episode.
The terribly frightened kid that sarah mentioned: you know, the one that watched pagen "santa" drag his dad down the stair while in a bag, then slowly crept up to the kid. Just when I thought "are they really going to have 'santa' kill a child?!" bad santa took a cookie. Whew.
Guess it wouldn't be christmas in Supernaturalland if sam and dean weren't tortured - physically. (mental torture is the norm). The fingernail...ewww cringe, poor sammy...then when the pagen god went over to dean for the tooth...omg I wanted to close my eyes but couldn't cuz they were frozen open, I may have been in shock...then the doorbell rang and Dean gave us some humor as a breather. What an intense scene that was.
The flashback scenes...those kids did a fabulous job. Dean really tried to maintain Sam’s innocence as long as possible.
We finally know where Deans necklace came from and why it is dear to him. But of course, knowing Sam got it from Bobby to give to John….there’s more to this story that we have to wait for. Hope we don't have to wait too long.
At the end, as much as it pains him to "celebrate" Dean's "last" christmas, Sam gives Dean the christmas he wants- gas station presents and all. Can't go into to much here...i'm also allergic to this kind of stuff ;-)
diandean: I agree about this having the potential to be a classic. Now if only the CW could get CBS to air it...
Happy Holidays!
Posted by: jas | December 14, 2007 8:07 PM
Thank you, SPN, for the perfect Christmas gift! I've been kinda disappointed this season, but this episode? Possibly the best ever.
The brothers together - snarking, bonding, hunting. Wee!chesters. A great hunt with entertaining bad guys. No distractions from the brothers and the hunt. These are a few of my favorite things. :)
Way to go SPN!
Posted by: lynn | December 14, 2007 7:37 PM
I love that now we know where the necklace is from!!!! How awesome is Dean that he's been wearing it all these years! I love those boys.
Posted by: Shannon | December 14, 2007 5:51 PM
Loved the episode. Scaried and cute, heartbreaken at same time...
Loved the brotherly love moments.
Perfect, Kripke... Perfect!
Please, save Dean soon...
Posted by: Shaula | December 14, 2007 5:12 PM
I loved everything!
Posted by: Linda | December 14, 2007 2:54 PM
This is destined to be a classic Christmas special. What a great Christmas gift from Kripke and Company. This was the season's best show so far. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good fright.
Posted by: Diandean | December 14, 2007 11:57 AM
It was nice and also touching
Posted by: Lili | December 14, 2007 9:37 AM
From the cute animated title to the perfect mix of aww, gore and squirm moments this was truly a fudging SUPER-natural Christmas!
Wishing Everyone a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!
Ciao, from snowy Toronto
Posted by: scorpio1311 | December 14, 2007 9:31 AM