Wendigo - a new color?

Wendigo – Episode 2   Written by Eric Kripke.

MOW : Wendigo (monster that developed from person who resorts to cannibalism repeatedly)

Scariness factor:  the Wendigo is more scary because you can’t see him at first.  Plus shock from nightmare scene.

Sam and Dean whump factor: Very beaten up Dean with suppressed groaning, recovering enough to heroically kill the evil SOB. His cloth jacket is shredded – more justification for the leather one he usually wears.

Opening: starts with “what happened before” and “22 years ago” flashback, ending with last scene of previous episode.  Sam and Dean looking at the weapons in the trunk of the Impala as Sam says      “We’ve got work to do”.

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Plot summary:

Campers – 2 tents in woods. One guy goes out for a “call of nature”, hears rustling, then growling, than a loud growl then the guys in the tents hear a scream. One looks out, gets pulled out, screams. Other one turns off light in his tent and zips it shut, sees shadowy growling shape outside.  Claws rip thru tent. Pretty scary unknown.

Cut to Sam taking flowers to Jessica’s grave, bending down to put them on the headstone, and an arm reaches up out of the dirt and grabs his arm.  Ack! Sam jerks awake in the Impala –another nightmare.

Dean actually offers to let him drive. Sam “look, you’re worried about me, and I get it. But I’m perfectly ok.” 

They discuss –find dad first. What killed Jessica is what killed their mom, and it is showing up after 22 years –they need to find their dad to find the thing that killed Jessica.

They head off to coordinates that were in their Dad’s journal “Dean 34 -111”

Ask some questions, find the sister and brother of one of the missing campers. She’s worried cause he hasn’t checked in via his satellite phone for 3 days.  She’s hired a guide to go look for him. Sam and Dean show up and go along, pretending to be park rangers (fake ID), not very convincingly.

They find the campsite, tents torn to shreds and bloody.  Hear a call “help me” but it’s trying to lure them out. The boys figure out it is a Wendigo and Sam explains the legend. They try to talk the others into going back because it is so dangerous, but the sister won’t give up. So they set up camp.

Technical knowledge: Sam and Dean surround the camp with Anasazi symbols drawn in the dirt, which Dean says it can’t cross.

Series development and Sam and Dean character development:

Sam loses his temper arguing with the guide the sister hired, Roy. That night, Sam and Dean talk near the campfire:

Dean “No, you’re not fine. You’re like a powderkeg.  I’m supposed to be the belligerent one, remember”

Sam “Dad’s not here. We know that – he would have left us a message, a sign. Right?”

Dean – “You’re probably right. I don’t think dad’s ever been to lost creek.”

Sam. “Then let’s get these people back to town, go find dad. Why are we still even here?”

Dean  holds out the journal: “This is why. This book. This is dad’s single most valuable possession. Everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he’s passed it on to us.. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business.”

Sam “that makes no sense – why doesn’t he just call us?  Why doesn’t he just tell us what he wants, tell us where he is? “

Dean “ the way I see it, dad’s given us a job and I intend to do it.”

Sam.”.no I got to find Dad. I’ve got to find Jessica’s killer. It’s the only thing I can think about it. ”

Dean “Ok,all right, Sam,  we’ll find him, I promise. Listen to me, You’ve got to prepare yourself. The search could take a while.  And all that anger – you can’t keep it burning over the long haul.  It will kill you. You got to have patience, man“

Sam “how do you do it? How does dad do it?

Dean  “For one, man, I figure, our family’s so screwed to hell.  Maybe we can help some others – makes it a little more bearable.   I’ll tell you what else helps –killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly  can.”

Then Wendigo tries to draw them out. The “guide” with them shoots, and then leaves the circle. Sam and Dean follow but it gets Roy, the guide.

They follow the trail. Then it grabs Dean and the sister. Dean leaves a trail of M and M’s which Sam and the other brother follow. They find the “meat locker” and cut down Dean, the sister, and her brother who is still alive.  They find some flair guns in the packs it has carried and put there, and try to sneak out. Dean kills the Wendigo with the flair gun.

Outside the ranger station, an ambulance prepares to cart off the brother to the hospital as the other brother and Sam lie to the rangers about a BIG grizzly. 

Dean says goodbye to the sister.  Firmly establishes Dean as a skirtchaser.  Sister says “so really, I don’t know how to thank you” and Dean gives her the smiling leer.   She grins and says “Must you cheapen the moment?”  and he grins back “Yeah!”

Off the family go in the ambulance.

Saved: 2

Closing:  some classic moments....

Iconic leaning on the hood of the Impala and talking over the hunt.

 Dean says “Man, I hate camping”  Sam “Me too.”

Dean “ Sam, you know we’re going to find dad, right?”

Sam “yeah.  But in the meantime – I’m driving”   Dean tosses him the keys. They do the doublemint twins bit opening the doors and getting in the car in sync.

Iconic closing scene.off on the road in the Impala driving towards the camera