Sunday, November 02, 2008

Supernatural Book Report: Season Two

Sometimes the strongest book is the first one, but in this "series", season two stands out for many reasons. The season begins with the aftermath of the Impala being hit by a semi and all three Winchesters injured. The audience quickly learns that Dean is on the edge of dying, trying to fight off a reaper that has come to call at the hospital. Sam tries his best to reach Dean's spirit on the other side, all while angrily arguing with his father whom he thinks is doing nothing to save Dean. This episode begins a season of secrets and deals. John gives his life and the colt to the YED in exchange for Dean being allowed to live.



As the season progresses, Dean is filled with guilt over being allowed to live, loosing his father and holding onto a secret so painful it starts to eat away at him. The two brothers argue over how to grieve and what jobs they should take. They fight off vampires and learn that not everything supernatural is neccessarily evil. They are arrested and Dean is nearly murdered by a corrupt police officer, and then they learn humans can be bigger monsters sometimes.

All along the way they start learning more about the cryptic information the YED gave to them while possessing their father. He called Sam one of his psychic children and said he had plans for him. This is worrisome to both brothers, but for different reasons. Dean expresses his fears in "Simon Said" when forced by another psychic kid to tell the truth, he expresses concern that he doesn't really know what is going on and he hopes Sam doesn't turn into a killer.

Sam is wondering what exactly the plans are and why his power is always realted to another psychic kid or a demon. Croatoan doesn't provide and answer to those questions, but it does show that if Sam were to go evil Dean would kill if neccessary, but he would kill himself also. Croatoan was about a demon virus that turned people evil. Sam was immune, and the audience learns it was all a test. After this crisis the brothers have a heart to heart talk and Dean spills the secret that has been eating at him for months. Before John died, he told Dean if he couldn't save Sam he'd have to kill him.

Sam doesn't take this too well and in the next episode heads off on his own for answers. He meets up with Ava, who has the same power of psychic dreams as he does. They don't learn much about thier powers or how it relates to the demon, but they come under the attack of Gordon, a righteous hunter who considers Sam a threat. Seems that some demons have talked and they have named Sam a potential supernatural threat. Gordon kidnaps Dean to bait Sam. Sam is careful, and is able to rescue Dean. There are a few oppurtunities for Sam to kill Gordon, but he proves himself honorable and gets Gordon arrested.

The brothers are united and fight ghosts and a shapeshifter over the next few episodes. Then Sam disappears. When Dean finds him it appears Sam has turned evil and killed another hunter. Sam begs Dean to kill him, but Dean can not. Even when Dean tracks Sam to Minnesota where Sam has attacked and bound fellow hunter Jo, Dean can not kill his brother. Dean knows why Sam is acting so strange, he douses him with holy water and it burns. Sam is possessed. "Born under a bad sign" was yet another test for Dean in regards to how he would deal with his brothers turn to evil. In the end, Sam is freed, but not without the knowledge of what the darkside might do to him.

Before we reach the end of the season the writers through in two powerful episodes that do tie to the main mytharc and the beliefs of the Winchester brothers. The first was "Heart" in which Sam and Dean investigate a werewolf only to discover it is the woman Sam has a crush on. Sam finally let's down his geek guard and has sex with Madison only to discover the monster in her can never be controlled. She does not have free will, she will always be a killer. Madison begs Sam to be the one to end her life, and he tearfully does this, knowing full well it could be his own destiny.

"What is and Never Should Be" is about Dean's experience in a dream world created by a Djinn. Dean's world consists of happiness he never had. His mother is alive, he has a house, a girlfriend who is a nurse, Sam is in law school, engaged to Jessica. Dean is very happy in his dream, but he comes to realize it is not normal and he must break free. He must leave this world because what he does saves people, and he is needed.

"All Hell Breaks Loose" was the season finale. Since the boys never found the YED, it came for them. Sam mysteriously disappears and wakes to ifnd himself in some sort of ghost town in South Dakota with four other psychic kids his same age. They have been brought there for a demonic celebrity death match. Only one will walk out alive. In the lcimatic end to part one, Sam and the other remaining "kid" Jake fight. Jake is seemingly unconscious, but as Sam walks towards Dean and Bobby we see Jake sneak up behind and stab Sam in the back, killing him.

Part II begins with Dean tearfully talking to Sam's corpse, telling him how he tried to watch out for him. Dean is desparate to have his brother back. He summons a crossroads demon and makes a deal. One yearleft on earth and then he will go to Hell, but Sam gets to live.

The now awakened Sam and Dean travel with Bobby to Wyoming to find the devil's gate and hopefully to stop Jake from opeing it and unleashing demons upon the earth. They locate Jake and in an opportune moment wrathful Sammy loads Jakes' body with a clip of bullets. This begins cold, ruthless Sam which we will see again in season 3 and 4.

The YED is there, advancing on Dean and Sam. Dean has the colt now and is preparred to send his mother's killer away to nothingness. The gate is still opened and demons are flying out at all speeds. One escapee is John Winchester who is able to wrestle with YED long enough that Dean shoots the fatal bullet and gets the revenge he's wanted for a long time. John's spirit disappears in a flash of light and they manage to close the gate.

In the end, Sam knows that he died, and that Dean only has one year left. Sam has come so far from the college student who wanted normal. He's discovered he has a demon inspired power, that he was fed demon blood as a baby and that he is part of the demon's plans. He has been arrested, and he is a fugitive from justice. He has died, and been resurected by his brother's sacrifice. Now he needs answers about his own destiny, and answers over how to save Dean. there is no turning back for Sam Winchester. He puts the past to rest and moves on.

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