Previously on Supernatural… the boys are back in town.
After surviving the rough pilot process with flying colors, episode two is where a show can truly begin to develop. Season 1, Episode 2 of Supernatural sees the series throw itself completely into its’ early monster of the week format.
In this episode, the Winchester’s find themselves in a sparse area of Colorado, searching for a group of college age campers who have gone missing during a hiking trip. According to Sam’s research, the event ties directly with disappearances which have happened in the area every twenty-three years. It isn’t long before the boys discover they’re on the trail of a “Wendigo”.
The episode is a stellar one for Sam, who’s dealing with a tremendous amount of heavy character turmoil. Padalecki acts his butt off, covering a wide variety of emotional territory in a short period of time. Sam’s fragility (which is a hallmark of the character, especially in the early years) serves to begin the narrative development required to build the brothers’ relationship, which has long been held as a strength of the series.
Midway through the episode, there is a lengthy scene where viewers watch Sam and Dean talk in their dark campsite. There is minimal action, and very little happens visually other than the conversation between the characters. However, even at this early point in the series, it’s easy to tell that Dean would do anything for his brother. They are going to be together through thick and thin. This is Supernatural at its best.
Finally, the episode is very light on effects. Much of the suspense comes from the fear of the unknown. (The monster likes to hide in dark woods and caves). When we finally see the Wendigo, it is little more than a man in a costume before we see the scene plunged into a moment of almost comical special effects. The episode proves to be much scarier the less they show.
Fun Fact: This is the first episode to feature the line: “I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. Saving people. Hunting things. The family business.”
Another Fun Fact: Keep an eye out for a young Alden Ehrenreich as “Ben” in the episode. Disney recently announced the actor (who was roughly 16 years old at this time) to be their new Han Solo.
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