Supernatural: Heat of the Moment
What an episode! It was a great blend of over-the-top black humor and seriously grim, heart-rending consequences. It was a tightrope walk the whole time, and we think the writers, actors, director -- everybody -- pulled it off brilliantly.
The brothers are investigating a disappearance at a Mystery Spot -- you know, the kind of crappy tourist-trap attraction that leaves you feeling slightly nauseous and thoroughly fleeced. They're ready to write off the case when Dean is shot and killed. Oh, no!
Then Sam wakes up. And it's the same day. Sam takes it as a gift, but then? Dean dies. Again. And Sam keeps waking up, it keeps being the same Tuesday, and Dean keeps dying.
We feel sort of guilty about this, but after a while, all the Dean deaths just got funny. Come on, being flattened by furniture? Eating a bad taco? Trying to befriend the wrong dog? Hysterical! And we got the impression that Jensen was enjoying the heck out of the opportunity to make a good-looking corpse in Looney-Toons-type scenarios over and over again.
Even funnier was Sam's reactions. He went from panicked to pissed to stoic to over it all. The scene where he mirrored the insults Dean was flinging at him had us in stitches.
Sam finally figures out what's going on: One of the patrons in the diner they visit every morning is the Trickster, the one they thought they dispatched in Tall Tales. When Sam corners him, the Trickster agrees to break them out of their time warp. Then it's Wednesday, and Dean dies, for real this time. There's no waking up and taking the day back.
Sam is devastated, and pretty much turns into his dad - driven, relentless, obsessed, willing to do anything to track down the thing that killed his family and ended his life. It turns out Dean was the only thing keeping him human, keeping him at all balanced. You thought Gordon was psycho? He had nothing on Sam.
We find out how far Sam is willing to go when Bobby tells him they can summon the Trickster -- but they'll need about a gallon of fresh human blood. Sam doesn't even blink an eye -- he's willing to drag an innocent in and slaughter him to get Dean back. Bobby won't let him do it - he offers himself instead. Sam stakes him, thinking he's the Trickster. For a few panic-inducing seconds, it looks like he's wrong... and then the Trickster appears again.
This whole horrible exercise has been trying to teach Sam a lesson: Dean will die, and Sam can't fall into the cycle of sacrifice. He's worth quoting: "This obsession to save Dean, the way you two keep sacrificing yourselves for each other? Nothing good comes out of it. Just blood and pain. Dean's your weakness. The bad guys know it too. It's going to be the death of you, Sam. Sometimes, you've just got to let people go."
But Sam doesn't care -- just bring Dean back! The Trickster gives up and sends Sam back to the day Dean died. Sam prevents that final death, and the boys move on. But it looks like Sam is turning the experience over in his mind. Will he learn his lesson, or is it too late?
What did you think? Tell us in the comments!
Comments
when dean died for real i nearly cried, and im a guy, cause i have an older brother and we're pretty much exactly like sam and dean. my brother used to insist that I looked just like sam at some points. anyway, it was sad cause i imagined myself holding my dying brother. very depressing.
Posted by: kelby | March 4, 2008 9:22 PM
This episode was awesome! The first time Dean died, I went "Oh my god. This can't be!" and I thought I'd find Sam hunting down the brother's killer (like what he did towards the end) but it turned out Sam just woke up to another Tuesday. There were just so many surprises in there.
But when Dean "really died", it broke my heart to see Sam so devastated. Seems like we need to prepare ourselves for more heartbreaking scenes soon.
Posted by: Jasmine | March 4, 2008 2:13 AM
THis was the BEST ep this season. Jareds acting abilities hav def improved! and that unscripted impromptu hug at the end was just PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
why is this not the most highly rated how out there?
Posted by: christina morejon | March 2, 2008 5:17 PM
i only have one thing to say....THE HUG!!! i loved it!!!! <33
Posted by: Emily | February 26, 2008 2:34 PM
I can't say enough about this episode. I was traumatized the first time through because killing Dean over and over was too graphic for me to take time and time again. I thought it was going to be light hearted, but Sam's reactions and Dean's believability pulled me in too far. The second time through it got a bit easier and I could actually laugh at a few of the death scenes (especially the shower and taco). I loved the first Wednesday and the hug on the second Wednesday... I just loved the whole episode. Great job Kripke, J & J, writers, etc. Thank You for making this the best show on TV!
Posted by: Debbie C | February 23, 2008 4:29 PM
Good episode. I especially enjoyed Jensen's performance. The guy has a real knack for physical comedy and he has such wonderful comedic timing. He was definitely best part of the episode for me. He was just so charming and funny, well, when he wasn't getting run over by a car or choking on a sausage (although Jensen is good at "dying" too!).
I loved all of the scenes in the diner. Sam trying to convince Dean about what was going on, and Dean just trusting and supporting him. Jensen and Jared were terrific on those scenes. Those two have such great chemistry together. And you can definitely see why Sam would be so lost and depressed without him. It was great to see the old charming, silly, sweet, and funny Dean back in top form!
I'm not really sure about the second half of the episode, after Dean really dies and Sam becomes so cold and ruthless. That part seemed a bit disjointed and "off" somehow. I did like seeing the Trickster again, however.
And yay! for the hug at the end. Love those boys!!
Posted by: Kay | February 18, 2008 6:36 PM
love eps like this when the two of them get to show off their acting skills, and have fun
Posted by: lavender | February 17, 2008 10:34 AM
This episode was one of the best yet. It just filled every part of what this show is.
I know some people had difficulty finding the deaths funny and I just have to say this. I found the first death, second death and final death extremely heart breaking. Not only because of Sam's reaction but because they were so seriously believable. But honestly, the reason I couldn't help laughing at the others is because they just weren't believable half the time. I mean, choking on a sausage? Slipping in the shower? There is actually very little chance that would kill him given the right medical attention.
I don't care that this was the case since the Trickster could easily do what he wants, but because it was impossible to take such deaths seriously I just couldn't help laughing at the montage.
The drama in this episode was SO well done. Jared did an amazing job putting across Sam's heartache, not to mention just how tired he was.
And may I just say the Trickster is an awesome semi-villain. I think he doesn't really view himself that way (even though he kills people because he can) but his motivations behind putting Sam through this were interesting even if you wanted to throttle him for it. It's funny that he referred to everyone else as the 'bad guys'.
The images of Sam without Dean were probably the most heart-breaking thing about the whole episode and it's a sad glimpse of the potential future.
On that level as well as many others this episode did exactly as I think the creators intended. To raise the stakes even higher regarding Dean's impending death.
Oh, and the hug! After all that it was a perfect moment for one.
Way to go one and all!
Posted by: Hannah | February 17, 2008 5:37 AM
I loved the episode! It was the best of the season!
Posted by: Colby | February 16, 2008 8:36 AM
simply stunning episode...jared was fantastic and heartbreaking
one more episode that reminds me that it,s one of the best things on tv
Posted by: tina | February 16, 2008 8:35 AM
Jared is made of awesome!!! And this episode was the best from the third season.
Posted by: Denisse | February 15, 2008 8:36 PM
the first time dean died broke my heart, but the second,third time made me laugh hysterically.
jensen did an awesome job as being the bigger person and take the hits, and jared did an awesome job of being psyco!*this two need an emmy* now all i ask for is for dean to take of his shirt while he's dancing now that will get him a grammy*faints*
Posted by: Anonymous | February 15, 2008 7:36 PM
Awesome episode...It was freaking brilliant Kripke...Beautiful work done by Jared and Jensen..
I know Dean dying over and over...It was suppoae to be funny but still made me sad...enough said I cannot imagine this show without Dean..just impossible..Love Dean so much...
Posted by: zunaira | February 15, 2008 6:37 PM
This was the best episode ever... I have to say it was well done on so many fronts: humour, emotion, action, drama, everything.
Way to go Kripke... way to go!
Posted by: Anneabell | February 15, 2008 5:53 PM
This was a fantastic episode. Dean's first death was sad, but I couldn't help laughing at the ones to follow. I loved the way it was done.
There was a great balance between the humour and the angst. I loved how they showed Sam at the end, on his own. It was heartbreaking.
I've watched this one a few times already.
Posted by: Casey | February 15, 2008 5:40 PM
Ok - I must say that I love anything Supernatural and would never doubt the brilliant MrK.
That being said - watching this episode was not funny to me, merely painful! Watching Dean die many times over and then watching Sam forced to live with the consequences did not make me laugh (although the gargling bit and the brothers bickering at the table did earn a big smile) it had my heart beating out of my chest in horror.
To me, this did not seem like a funny filler episode. To me, this seemed like a scarily accurate and downright terrifying premonition of what may happen!
Posted by: Perky | February 15, 2008 2:42 PM
does anyone else think the Bunny costome was a reference to Donnie Darko?
Posted by: arlesquin | February 15, 2008 1:09 PM
Although it WAS very hard to go through Dean's first death I must admit I was having fun trying to guess what the next method of his demise would be.
Elusive - I like your thought(mainly because Dean MUST be saved)and as the Trickster wasn't killed in this ep. either it has been left open for his return. As to how to entice him, haven't a clue, but the show's wonderful writing staff can figure that out ;-).
Jared's entire performance was excellent and Jensen acting like a goofball - priceless!
Ciao, A
Posted by: scorpio-1311 | February 15, 2008 1:09 PM
KUDOS!! This episode was awesome! Jared was unbelieveable in this one! I had so many favorite moments - the moring routine, the whole same-time talking in the diner, THE HUG!!!!!, the whole BADASS!SAM!!! I cried tears of joy and sadness.
Posted by: Linda | February 15, 2008 1:04 PM
My favorite death is the implied "Death by Furry - a BUNNY Furry"
Posted by: Kat | February 15, 2008 12:21 PM
Full of laughs and tears! It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Love this show!
Posted by: Amy | February 15, 2008 10:42 AM
It was a great episode yay! But, Dean not being able 2 be saved is really breaking my heart.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 15, 2008 9:43 AM
The many deaths of Dean was pretty funny as they kept piling up but Sam's initial reaction to it hurt my heart.
And Oh Gods! Dean's head bobbing thing was great!
Then when Sam turns cold I think my blood started running the same way...jeez that was intense.
I was completely blindsided by the trickster showing up again. You see him and then it breaks for commercial and I was like, "Ah crap."
When the episode ended I just sat there for a few minutes trying to absorb it all. I'm still processing actually...but here's the thought that keeps circulating the most: If the trickster is a god or at least a demi-god doesn't HE have the power to break Dean's contract? I can't imagine what the boys would have to do to get him to do it but I'm betting power wise he could do it. What's everybody else's thoughts on it?
Posted by: elusive_life_77 | February 15, 2008 9:37 AM
This episode was fantastic!Jared Padalecki was outstanding!Well done to all concerned.
Posted by: mags | February 15, 2008 9:25 AM