As far as season openers/pilot episodes go -- you don't get much more brilliant than this. Oodles of suspense within the opening scene; after all, what can go wrong? It's a tranquil night (the silence before the storm), a mother checks on her baby. Moments before the ensuing horror torments a father turning up to see his beloved wife burn. You'd be forgiven for thinking you've seen the opening moments of a horror movie. And you wouldn't be wrong since that's exactly what the creator of Supernatural Eric Kripke intended. To make a tiny horror movie within each episode. Underpinned with lots of atmosphere, action and heart-wrenching dialogue.
This is how violently the adventures - that's too ordinary a word to use - how the anguish, of two brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) and their sad life eeked at us to keep tuning in for every second of their tales.
Following the events of that fateful night in Lawrence, Kansas, their home town; the action moves forward to focus on Sam, now grown up and attending Stanford. Living a normal life, studying law (and it doesn't get more normal than that, some might add, even boring!) with a loving girlfriend, Jessica (Adrienne Palicki). Listen out for Sam's phrase to describe his life without Jess, he'd "crash and burn." His family life is not exactly "The Brady's." Referring to The Brady Bunch.
Cue "long-ish, lost" brother, Dean. The eldest and not exactly the brains of the outfit. But he's cute and has a roving eye for the ladies! I won't go into the fans' debate of which one is more hotter than the other, suffice to say, I like Jared, but I always liked Jensen from way back! And I'm not afraid to admit it either!
Dean's on a mission to coax Sam to accompany him on his search for Dad, aka John Winchester (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who's missing. He does act surprised at the life and style (ha) Sam's chosen over their demon hunting and all things supernatural. Okay, I added the style part in reference to Sam's shirts!
Lots of funny lines about Dad not reassuring Sam of the "monster" under Sam's bed when he was little and he shouldn't be afraid of the dark. As expected Dean tells him these very things do exist and they need to be afraid of. You see, unlike the rest of us, they know from first hand experience bad things: ghosties, ghoulies and evil is very real.
That was another aspect of this show that I personally loved -- not only the legends; monsters, the two leads, but how the two had so much chemistry and knew how to act off each other. So not only did we drool over our fave brothers, but we could understand their pain and suffering. Sam wanted out of the hunting life and all its baggage, but Dean -- the warrior -- had to continue, it was the only thing he knew how to do. Not only out of loyalty to Dad, but he felt it a kind of duty too. Now he needs and wants Sam's help in tracking Dad and knowing he's safe.
The critics and cynics have asked why Dean didn't search for Dad alone. Yes he could have done that, but this was his family, their family, all they had left in the entire world. Dean believed Sam would join him too not only out of worry but love. Even if in round-about fashion, he wanted Sam to hunt with him full-time. As Dean rightly asserts, he doesn't want to do this alone. Sam reluctantly agrees, as long as he's back by Monday for his law school interview.
Dad's been missing three weeks, his last sighting in Jericho, California, where Dad was investigating the disappearances of men on a lonely stretch of highway. Dean managed to slow down the voice on Dad's voicemail and a woman's voice could be heard saying, "I can never go home."
In Jericho itself, a woman dressed in white hitchhikes and asks the man to take her home, at the end of Breckenridge Road. He obliges, since no redblooded male can refuse a cool chick in plunging neckline dress, and she seduces him before attacking him on the bridge.
Sam discovers Dean's collection of music cassettes, heavy metal, rock, but the MP4 revolution hasn't hit him yet. Loved the way Dean calls Sam "Sammy" and gets away with it. Hey, big brothers get away with a whole lot more. Which Sam hates, "Sammy's a chubby 12 year old."
From his vast collection of fake IDs, he pulls one out for themselves when they roll over to ingratiate themselves into the investigation. Another appealing moment of the show, a fake ID moment. There's also Supernatural's homage to the X-Files, namely, Mulder and Scully as Dean comments "Agent Mulder, Agent Scully" when passing the FBI agent.
They chance upon the missing man's girlfriend in town and Sam notices her Pentagram necklace. "Penta meaning protection against evil." Dean sarcastically thanks him for that line of info... don't see you doing any better Dean! As I said Sam is clearly the brains, Dean's just there for the brawn, looking good, using guns and getting laid!
They piece together a local legend about a woman who was murdered and she haunts the highway, picking up male hitchhikers, who subsequently disappear. When Sam researches this on his trusty computer, he comes across Constance Welch (Sarah Shahi). She killed herself by jumping from the bridge, after she murdered her two children in the bath, chancing upon her husband's affair.
Dean picks the wrong time to discuss, or rather bring up, Sam's chosen career path and future life with Jess. I hate to say it, but at first glance, it appears Dean jinxed Sam's future happiness when he said this. He hasn't been honest with Jess in not telling her about the "things he's done. What they've hunted." Dean: "sooner or later, you're gonna have to face up to who you really are...one of us." Some of the best scenes are when they argue, man had me glued for hours! As Sam didn't know Mom (Samantha Smith) doesn't mean he can be disrespectful to her, when Sam tells Dean she's gone and won't be back. Dean berates him for this, don't ever say that again.
Dean notices Constance jump from the bridge. Next minute she's driving his beloved Impala. Woe betide the man or woman who comes between Dean and his beloved Impala. The other love of his life, or you could say, the love of his life. Sam has his computer and Dean his car. She drives towards them and they have to jump to avoid being run over. So Dean ends up smelling like a toilet!
They find clippings of Dad's research in his motel, containing important leads and clues on this case and in another of my favourite bits, Sam calls Dean a "jerk" and Dean returns the compliment by referring to him as "bitch." That's brotherly love for you. No, it's not a bad comment but their "catchphrase-y," insult moment!
The cops move in on the motel and Dean is arrested as he gives Sam the heads up, "Five-O." Dean's a suspect and he rightly points out he wasn't old enough when the first victim vanished, being only 3. He uses a paperclip to escape his cuffs. Strangely, no MacGyver moment was mentioned here!
Sam questions Constance's husband (Steve Railsback) admitting he knows about "the woman in white" also known as "the weeping woman."
Sam also gets his own experience with the woman in white when she turns up in the Impala, wanting him to take her home. But he plays a trump card; you see, he's never been unfaithful, so she can't kill him. That's what you think Sam. He has the bright idea to drive her to her house. Sam: "I am taking you home." Where she's attacked by her dead children. She vanishes with them, leaving behind a pool of water. Sam gets the first kissing scene in this episode. As well as the first sad scene too.
Sam doesn't want to continue hunting and looking for Dad. As he returns, he gets the fright of his life, being too young to see Mom die, he sees Jess in flames on the ceiling. Dean breaks down the door to save Sam from the fire. In what seems to be events from that night in Kansas. Dad gave Sam to Dean to look after back then too. That was my reference in the beginning to Sam uttering the words how he'd "crash and burn" without her. Alas, it's Sam who witnesses the burning of Jess. Sure enough, it gets him riled to find what or who did this.
After an exceptional start to the series, the ending was a bit of a let down, as the death of Jess appeared the only way to get Sam back into the fight. My only qualm, but I can't hold that gripe for long!
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