TV Review: Supernatural Episode 1.20

Thursday, April 20, 2006

From WB: After Daniel Elkins, a vampire hunter (guest star Terence Kelly) and John's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) mentor, is murdered, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are surprised when John himself shows up to solve the case. John discovers the vampires have taken an antique gun, which has the power to kill all supernatural beings. The Winchester family sets out to retrieve the gun from the vampires so they can use it to kill the demon that took Sam and Dean's mother.

My Rating: 4 out of 4

This week's fresh episode titled Dead Man's Blood starts off with a an elderly man in a bar. Things get interesting when an odd group enters the bar causing the man to leave quite quickly. Not fast enough though because the group follows him home. Turns out it is group of vampire's, and the man was a former vampire hunter. He tries to fight them, but they make him their dinner. The brother's end up on the case, and they find the man's journal, one that looks very much like their father's journal.

They investigate the crime scene further, and they find a message from the man in his blood that leads them to a post office box. In the box, they find a letter to a JW. Before they can open it, their father arrives on scene. The man that was killed was John Winchester's mentor, and he came as soon as he heard the news of his death. He opens the letter, and he finds out that his mentor had kept an antique gun. John also tells his sons that the man was killed by vampires. We see the group in action, as they kill a young couple.

The Winchester's join forces to find the vampires. John hears about the young couple as they called 9-1-1. However, when the police arrive, there is no one on scene. Three follow the trail, but things aren't shiny and happy. Their father is a bit rigid and touch, and Sam is the first to say something about how their father treats them when they are working together. Sam and their father argue, and this certainly adds more to the back story of the family. While all this is happening, we see the vampires in their lair. They quickly kill the male of the couple, but it looks like they make the female one of them.

The Winchester's also find the vampire's lair, and their father finally tells them the reason why they are going after this gun. It was a special gun made many years ago that is said to be able to kill any supernatural being, even the demon that has it out for them. With this new knowledge, the brothers go into the vampire hideout with their father. They are all sleeping, and the fun is by the bedside of the leader.

Sam sees the girl of the couple, and Dean finds more victims. When Sam tries to wake the young woman, it turns she is one of them and she alerts the other vamps. The family makes a hasty retreat, but now John tells his sons that once a vampire has your scent, it is for life. He then tells him they need to find a funeral home. While Dean is off looking for one, Sam and their father have a long talk about their relationship.

That night, they go back for the vampires, but the vampires are ready for them. The girlfriend of the leader has Dean, but Sam and their father shoot her with an arrow soaked in dead man's blood, which is poisonous to vampires. They capture her because John knows the leader's mate is more important than any gun. John wants to go for the gun himself, and this causes another argument within the family. John wants the brothers to leave him, and the two aren't so willing to do that. However, John gives him them no choice in the matter.

Sam and Dean go back to the vampires' lair, while their takes the girlfriend to get the gun. John almost succeeds, but the girlfriend gets loose. Luckily for him, his sons didn't listen to him and they soon arrive on scene. The leader captures Sam though leading their father to use one of the bullets to shoot and kill him. Once they have the gun, their father changes his mind, and they decide to go after the demon together.

This was one of the best episodes this season. I am really enjoying the underlying story line of this family and the demon. Each episode tells us a bit more about this family and its dynamic. This episode told us the most about them so far. We only have two episodes left before the end of the season though. Next week, check here to find out what happens next!