Supernatural S02 E17 – That’s murder, dude

Previously: A ghost who didn’t know she was a ghost was being torture-haunted. 

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Heart

Kirsti: San Francisco. A pretty young brunette (Madison) is getting drinks with her friends when her boss approaches and says he needs her back at the office because they have a ton of work to do. She calls bullshit. He sheepishly admits it, then begs for a lift. She calmly says she’s already called a cab. He walks away, and Madison and her friends laugh. But she stops when she spots a surly looking dude in a leather jacket staring at her creepily from across the bar. She looks worried. Cut to her walking to her car alone. GIRL, NO. When she gets in her car and drives off, Leather Jacket Stalker follows. Cut to Madison’s office the following morning. She’s making coffee when she spots blood on her boss’ office door. She finds him dead on the desk, chest ripped to shreds.

She drops the coffee pot with a scream, which YUP.

FLAME ON!

After the Not Credits, the boys are at the morgue, claiming to be detectives. They examine Workplace Harassment’s body and ask the medical examiner what killed him. She tells them, off the record, that it looks like a wolf. Sam asks if WH’s heart was missing, and then looks shifty when the medical examiner asks how he knew. He also earns himself a gold star:

At the Motel of the Week, the boys do our regularly scheduled infodump session: this is the first dead dude with no heart, but there’ve been a bunch of heartless dead prostitutes turn up over the past year, and they were all killed near Hunter’s Point around the full moon. Dean squeals with excitement because they haven’t hunted a werewolf since they were kids. Sam’s less thrilled:

They already know how to kill it – a silver bullet to the heart – so there’s no research required. But they still need to work out who the werewolf is, so they decide to go talk to Madison.

At her apartment, the boys introduce themselves as Detectives Landis and Dante (after John Landis and Joe Dante, who both directed werewolf movies) and say they have some follow up questions. She invites them in, and introduces them to her God-bothering neighbour, Glen. God-Bothering Glen leaves awkwardly as the boys start questioning Madison about Workplace Harassment. She says he was nice, but a sleaze when he drank. Sam, glancing at a drooling Dean, says he knows the type.

Dean looks offended, then becomes serious and asks if WH had any enemies. Madison looks awkward as she says that her ex-boyfriend’s been stalking her, convinced that something was going on between her and WH. Oh, and she saw him on the night WH died. And he scares the shit out of her. Outside, the boys decide to go and pay Leather Jacket Stalker a visit, because they’ve followed worse leads. Madison, meanwhile, looks out the window of her apartment to see LJS staring back at her. She gasps and shies away from the window. When she looks again, LJS is gone.

That night, Sam and Dean pick the lock on LJS’ apartment door. As they head inside and discuss where to search for clues, the shot changes to a weirdly coloured and constantly moving one that’s meant to be the werewolf’s point of view. Frankly, it makes me queasy. We switch back to the regular camera in time for the boys to hear a door close behind them, followed by a crash from outside. Dean rushes out to the balcony and sees claw marks all the way to the ground.

On the street below, a policeman hears a crash and goes to investigate. The camera cuts to his viewpoint, showing something moving behind a dumpster. There’s a growl and something pounces at the policeman. Upstairs on the balcony, Sam and Dean hear a shot. Downstairs, they find the policeman’s mangled corpse behind the dumpster. Fade to black.

After the Not Commercial Break, Sam calls 911 as Dean studies the corpse. They agree that LJS is probably their werewolf, and Sam worriedly says that they should check on Madison. At Madison’s, God-Bothering Glen asks what’s going on. The boys tell him to back off, saying to Madison that they should talk privately. Inside, Sam asks if she’s seen LJS around. She admits that he was creepily staring at her earlier. The boys exchange a look, and Dean says one of them should stay with her while the other investigates Leather Jacket Stalker’s workplace.

Madison goes to get them the address, and Dean smugly says that he gets to stay with the hot chick while Sam goes on stake out duty. Sam’s all “bitch, please”, and suggests they should settle things “the old-fashioned way“.

“Bundle up out there, alright?” Sam mocks as Dean turns to go. Later that morning, Sam’s sitting uncomfortably at Madison’s kitchen table. She tells him he’s welcome to sit on the sofa, but he insists he’s fine. Madison grabs a laundry basket and starts folding her underwear. Sam rushes to the sofa and looks shifty, probably hiding an awkward boner.

Dean phones. He says Leather Jacket Stalker hasn’t been at work all week, but he’s got a lead to follow up. Madison walks over and turns the TV to a soap opera. Sam looks pained, but she says she never gets to watch her show so he has to suck it up. Cut to the soap opera credits rolling. Sam’s all “HOLY SHIT, THAT WAS AMAZING”, and it’s adorable. He awkwardly asks her why she was dating LJS, seeing as how she’s smart, gorgeous and independent. She says she was too insecure to leave. Until she got mugged, and it made her realise she had to take control of her life. Sam’s impressed. They awkwardly flirt until Dean phones to say that he’s found Leather Jacket Stalker. We cut to Dean, and he’s at a strip club, paying more attention to the strippers than LJS.

Madison says she’s heading to bed. Sam makes an awkward comment about being there if she needs anything. Madison’s all “Uhhhh. Thanks?” and closes the bedroom door. Sam looks like he wants to headdesk. Later, Sam’s watching late night TV, and glancing at Madison’s bedroom door. There’s no movement. Dean’s outside LJS’ place. A light goes on, and Dean pulls his gun. Suddenly, glass smashes and Dean runs into the house. He finds Madison crouched over LJS’ mauled corpse. She’s a werewolf, although possibly an even shittier one than Oz: her eyes have turned bright blue, and she has fangs and long nails. That’s it. She shoves Dean into a wall, and he slices her arm with a silver knife as she rushes past him. Dean passes out.

Madison’s. Dean calls Sam and fills him in. Sam insists Dean’s wrong because Madison’s currently asleep in bed and he’s staring right at her. Which is totally creepy. Dean tells Sam to check her arm for a knife slice. He hangs up, and Sam looks pained. Madison wakes up naked. If I woke up naked and there was a strange dude standing in my bedroom, I sure as shit wouldn’t be all “Huh. Where are my PJs?”. But whatever. Sam spots the knife slice on her arm and walks out, upset. Madison follows, asking where he’s going. “I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you,” Sam replies as he locks the door. Fade to black.

After the Not Commercial Break, Madison’s tied to a chair as Sam holds a gun on her. Madison berates herself for falling for the psycho’s hurt puppy act. Sam tells her to stop playing dumb, but she insists werewolves aren’t real and also WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING. Dean arrives and sasses at Madison. Sam pulls Dean into another room and says he doesn’t think Madison knows what’s happening, suggesting she blacks out and the werewolf takes over. “Like a really hot Incredible Hulk,” Dean grins. DAMMIT, DEAN WINCHESTER. SHE-HULK IS ALREADY A THING.

Ahem. Sam says the wolf probably killed the cop and Leather Jacket Stalker because they looked like threats and also BTW, he can’t kill an innocent girl who has no idea what’s happening to her. He suggests there’s another way – he’s been flipping through the Filofax of Shadows (OH HEY, OLD FRIEND), and Papa Winchester had a theory that if you killed a werewolf’s sire, it severs the wolfy bloodlines. YAY, MAGIC CURE. Dean wants to know when Madison was even bitten, and Sam realises something. He asks Madison when she was mugged and if her mugger bit her. She says it was a month ago in Hunter’s Point, and is shocked he knows about the bite, which is on the back of her neck.

Back in the other room, the boys realise Madison must have been walking through the werewolf’s hunting grounds. Though there’s no guarantee of the werewolf being there, they have to investigate. Sam says he’ll stay with Madison, and Dean asks what he’ll do if she breaks loose. Sam snaps that he’ll kill her, if it comes to that. Dean looks a little sceptical but leaves anyway. Sam tells a crying Madison that he’s trying to help her and if it works the way he hopes, he’ll untie her and let her go. “You’ll live the rest of your life. And I’ll just be a bad memory…” he says tearfully.

Night. At Hunter’s Point, a prostitute hears animalistic noises and looks worried. At Madison’s apartment, Sam watches the full moon. Suddenly, Madison wolfs out and breaks free. She knocks Sam over but he jumps up, gun drawn. Hunter’s Point. We’re treated to more nausea-causing Werewolf Cam as it chases down the prostitute. Madison’s apartment. She lunges at Sam, but he jumps out of the way and she goes past him into a cupboard. He slams the door behind her and barricades it. Hunter’s Point. The werewolf grabs the prostitute and drags her across the street. “HEY!” Dean yells. The werewolf looks up, and it’s God-Bothering Glen. Dean shoots him in the chest. The prostitute flees. Dean walks over to GBG, who’s covered in blood. After a few seconds, GBG’s fangs retract and he’s human again. Dean watches as he dies.

Madison’s apartment the next morning. It’s totally trashed. Sam stands at Madison’s bedroom door and says “It should be over now. You’ll never see me again.” She looks towards him, but he’s gone. Outside, the boys sit in the Bromobile discussing God-Bothering Glen. Dean changes the subject to Sam’s feelings for Madison and the fact that Sam saved her life. Sam pooh-poohs it just before Madison knocks on the window to tell them they really suck at stealthy stakeouts. Dean somewhat sheepishly tells her they have to be 100% sure she’s not a werewolf before they can leave town, so “we’re…lurking.” She invites them in so they can wait together.

Once inside, she wants to know when they’ll know for sure. Sam says they have to wait until daybreak. We timelapse through the night, then the three of them watch the sun rise. Madison, relieved, gives Sam a giant hug. Dean assesses the situation and leaves with zero subtlety. Sam awkwardly apologises, both for Dean and for tying her to a chair. Madison has no fucks to give and kisses him. That throws us to a sex scene full of odd (but understandable) close-ups of Jared Padalecki’s biceps.

Hours later, we pan across them sleeping in each other’s arms. Then we get a shot of the full moon rising. Sam wakes to find himself alone. He hears a growl and looks around to see Werewolf!Madison crouched in the corner. She leaps out the window and into the night. Fade to black.

After the Not Commercial Break, Sam bursts into the Motel of the Week, and fills Dean in. Dean says they’ll find her. Cut outside, and apparently it’s daytime again???? I am so confused right now. Whatever. Dean says that he’s spoken to Bobby who knew killing her sire wouldn’t work. They don’t have a choice any more. Sam’s upset and starts yelling. He’s interrupted by his phone ringing. It’s Madison, who doesn’t know where she is. He says he’s coming to get her.

Back at Madison’s apartment, Dean tells her there’s no cure and nothing more they can do. Sam chokes up and moves away. Dean says they could try the Oz-in-a-cage route, but she’ll inevitably break out and kill someone, and they can’t take that risk. She cries, but is resigned to her fate. She picks up Dean’s gun and carries it over to Sam, saying that she can’t do it herself and she needs his help. GIRL. That is one hell of a favour to ask a guy you’ve known for five days. Sam tearfully says he’s going to save her, but Madison cries as she says the only way he can save her now is to kill her. He shakes his head.

Dean walks over to them and takes the gun. Sam tearfully heads into the next room. Dean follows, and says he’s sorry. Sam, tears in his eyes, says that Madison’s right and he has to do it.

Sam heads back into Madison. Dean watches his brother go, one manly tear sliding down his cheek. There’s a gunshot, and Dean flinches. Fade to black.

I’m torn about this episode. It’s pretty feelsy. But it’s also kind of stupid. I mean, werewolves are only active at the full moon, but somehow this episode covers a millionty days and Madison’s a werewolf for all of them?? And if she’s human during the day, why does it still take a silver bullet to the heart to kill her? And really, why is so much of this episode about Sam and his feels rather than about the girl that his murder penis kills?? Basically, I have a lot of questions. At least I can finally break out my “death by penis” tag, which was created with Sam Winchester in mind…

 

Next time, the boys head to Hollywood and Dean fanboys a lot. Find out more in Supernatural S02 E18 – Hollywood Babylon.