TV Review: Supernatural Episode 1.12

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

FROM WB: While battling a demon, Dean (Jensen Ackles) is electrocuted, resulting in permanent damage to his heart and leaving him with only a couple of months to live. A despondent Sam (Jared Padalecki) searches desperately for a way to save his brother and believes he may have found an answer through a preacher who claims to heal the incurable. However, Dean and Sam discover that the preacher is getting help from the Grim Reaper who is trading one life for another he feels is less worthy.

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Supernatural comes to us tonight with a fresh scary episode called Faith in which a reaper comes calling. After Dean is electrocuted while working with Sam to battle a demon, Sam is told the incident caused Dean to have a massive heart attack that damages his heart. The doctor gives Dean only weeks to live. It was odd seeing Dean in such a sick state. Sam immediately begins to work on finding a cure for his brother. He puts a call into their father, and even calls all his father's contacts in his journal. When Dean shows up on his hotel room doorstep after having checked himself out, Sam thinks he has a cure, and he takes his brother to Nebraska.

Dean thinks Sam has found him medical means to cure him, but Sam takes him to a faith healers tent. Dean is skeptical, and he says as much, but it appears Dam has enough faith for them both. The service begins, and Dean is chosen by the healer to be healed. He is successful, but in the split second after he wakes up Dean sees an old man next to the healer. This immediately gets his mind working.

After visiting a doctor, Dean discovers he has been healed, but he also learns the day before a young man died of a heart attack. This raises suspicions in the brothers, and they decide to investigate. Dean returns to the healer to talk and learn more, and Sam goes to find out about the young man that died. He discovers the young man the same exact moment that Dean was healed.

The two brothers talk, and they deduce that a reaper is taking a life for a life, with Roy the faith healer's help. They figure they have to stop him, but Sam won't kill the man. That would make them no better than he is. While all this is happening, Dean finds himself developing an attachment for a young woman with a brain tumor also looking to be healed. In fact, she is chosen next, but Dean has to stop her healing in order to stop another man being killed. The healer will not be deterred. He plans a private session for the young woman that night. Dean also finds it isn't the healer that is bringing the reaper into town. It turns out to be the healer's wife that is using spells and black magic to summon the reaper.

Once she is discovered, her next choice to be taken by the reaper in exchange for the young woman is Dean. What she has given, she can just as easily take away. That night, the repeat does call coming for Dean, but Sam is able to stop the reaper when he rips the amulet used in the woman's spell and breaks it. This sets the reaper after the woman that had been summoning it, and she dies of a stroke. This doesn't allow the young woman to be healed. Sam's quick actions do save his brother though, and they prepare to leave town. However, before they do Dean must say good-bye to the young woman, whose life he knows will end shortly, barring a miracle happening.

I loved this episode of Supernatural. Dean is such a tough guy. It was nice to see him a bit weaker, and it also allowed Sam the ability to take the lead. This is mostly left for Dean to do since he is the older of the two brothers. Dean is also growing as a character, and I love the character development we see each week as the series progresses. The two brothers are getting closer and closer as each week passes. No preview followed tonight's episode, so I guess that means no new episode next week. I'm sure the brothers will be back soon.