Scenes I Love . . .
"Something Wicked" (cont.)
He further explains that shtrigas take on a human disguise when they’re not feeding. “Historically, something innocuous. Could be anything, but it's usually a feeble old woman, which might be how the witches as old crones legend got started.” He says they prefer to feed on children and that they’re “invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man”, but Dean reveals that they’re vulnerable when they feed: “If you catch her when she's eating you can blast her with consecrated wrought iron.” Ahhh... buckshots or rounds I think.” (Ibid.)
Sam is suspicious of Dean’s sudden admission that he recalls more than he claimed to before, but he doesn’t push it. When they identify the hospital as the centre of the shtriga’s attacks, Dean mentions seeing the old woman, but Sam seems less than impressed with the observation:
Until Dean adds the more ominous seeming information:
Superwiki’s trivia section notes that the patient’s room number is an allusion to the classic horror movie, The Shining.
Dean jumps out of his skin when she wakes suddenly and accuses him of stealing her stuff.
And demands that he fix the cross. “I've asked four damn times already!”
The “Supernatural, Then and Now” podcast pooh-poohed the idea that the cross could have been inverted accidentally, and I agree, but I’ve never assumed that it was accidental. An explanation that seems likely to me is that hospital staff placed it that way deliberately as a prank, their sly comment on a patient they found annoying and cantankerous, perhaps?
Apart from the humour in this scene, we get the bonus of seeing Sam still laughing about it afterward. It’s one of the rare occasions when Sam thinks something is “a little bit funny” when Dean doesn’t:
XTERIOR. MOTEL. DAY
The Impala pulls up to the motel parking lot and SAM and DEAN get out.
SAM
(Laughing) "I was sleeping with my peepers open?" Hahahaha.
DEAN
I almost smoked that old girl, I swear. It's not funny!
(Ibid.)
But it seems he has no argument against the boy’s response:
When Michael’s mother emerges from the motel in a state, Dean offers to drive her to the hospital. She demurs, but he insists.
It highlights the shift in attitudes since the mid-2000s that his insistence these days would be seen as harassment rather than chivalry. After all, she has no reason to trust these two strangers.
The expression that was probably generally interpreted as surprise and gratitude when the episode first aired reads just as easily now as doubt and unease.
“We're gonna kill this thing,” he tells Sam in an aside as he moves round the car. “I want it dead, you hear me?” And, by now, Sam is clearly catching on that there’s something very personal about this case.
TBC
.
The next scene is most significant for featuring Sam in his purple dog t-shirt. Of all the clothes Sam wore, this item seemed to especially capture the attention of fandom for some reason. To the point that replicas are available as fan merch. I have one myself 😊
We also get some detailed folklore exposition about the MOTW which, as you know, I always enjoy:
We also get some detailed folklore exposition about the MOTW which, as you know, I always enjoy:
SAM (on laptop) Well, you were right. Heh. It wasn't very easy to find but you were right. Shtriga is a kind of witch.
They're Albanian, but legends about them trace back to Ancient Rome. They feed off spiritus vitae.
DEAN
Spiri-what?
SAM
Vitae. It's Latin, translates to 'breath of life'. Kinda like your life force or essence.
http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/1.18_Something_Wicked_(transcript)
They're Albanian, but legends about them trace back to Ancient Rome. They feed off spiritus vitae.
DEAN
Spiri-what?
SAM
Vitae. It's Latin, translates to 'breath of life'. Kinda like your life force or essence.
http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/1.18_Something_Wicked_(transcript)
He further explains that shtrigas take on a human disguise when they’re not feeding. “Historically, something innocuous. Could be anything, but it's usually a feeble old woman, which might be how the witches as old crones legend got started.” He says they prefer to feed on children and that they’re “invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man”, but Dean reveals that they’re vulnerable when they feed: “If you catch her when she's eating you can blast her with consecrated wrought iron.” Ahhh... buckshots or rounds I think.” (Ibid.)
Sam is suspicious of Dean’s sudden admission that he recalls more than he claimed to before, but he doesn’t push it. When they identify the hospital as the centre of the shtriga’s attacks, Dean mentions seeing the old woman, but Sam seems less than impressed with the observation:
SAM
An old person huh? . . .
In a hospital? Phew. (shaking his head and sniggering) Better call the Coast Guard.
https://supernaturalwiki.com/1.18_Something_Wicked_(transcript)
An old person huh? . . .
In a hospital? Phew. (shaking his head and sniggering) Better call the Coast Guard.
https://supernaturalwiki.com/1.18_Something_Wicked_(transcript)
Until Dean adds the more ominous seeming information:
Superwiki’s trivia section notes that the patient’s room number is an allusion to the classic horror movie, The Shining.
In that movie, the hotel room 237 hosts a number of horrible supernatural occurrences. But ultimately the only supernatural power attributable to this room’s occupant is the ability to sleep with her eyes open 😆
And another minor guest actress demonstrates there are no small roles:
Mary Black gives a brief but highly entertaining performance.
Mary Black gives a brief but highly entertaining performance.
Dean jumps out of his skin when she wakes suddenly and accuses him of stealing her stuff.
And demands that he fix the cross. “I've asked four damn times already!”
The “Supernatural, Then and Now” podcast pooh-poohed the idea that the cross could have been inverted accidentally, and I agree, but I’ve never assumed that it was accidental. An explanation that seems likely to me is that hospital staff placed it that way deliberately as a prank, their sly comment on a patient they found annoying and cantankerous, perhaps?
Apart from the humour in this scene, we get the bonus of seeing Sam still laughing about it afterward. It’s one of the rare occasions when Sam thinks something is “a little bit funny” when Dean doesn’t:
XTERIOR. MOTEL. DAY
The Impala pulls up to the motel parking lot and SAM and DEAN get out.
SAM
(Laughing) "I was sleeping with my peepers open?" Hahahaha.
DEAN
I almost smoked that old girl, I swear. It's not funny!
(Ibid.)
The laughter fades away, however, as the brothers spot Michael sitting outside the motel looking bleak. His little brother, Asher, has fallen victim to the “pneumonia” and he blames himself for not making sure the window was latched.
Dean does his best to give the boy the reassurance he never received himself:
Dean does his best to give the boy the reassurance he never received himself:
But it seems he has no argument against the boy’s response:
When Michael’s mother emerges from the motel in a state, Dean offers to drive her to the hospital. She demurs, but he insists.
It highlights the shift in attitudes since the mid-2000s that his insistence these days would be seen as harassment rather than chivalry. After all, she has no reason to trust these two strangers.
The expression that was probably generally interpreted as surprise and gratitude when the episode first aired reads just as easily now as doubt and unease.
“We're gonna kill this thing,” he tells Sam in an aside as he moves round the car. “I want it dead, you hear me?” And, by now, Sam is clearly catching on that there’s something very personal about this case.
TBC
.
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