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Supernatural: The Benders

Dean: "Demons, I get. People are crazy."

This is what you get when you cross Deliverance with the weird incestuous family in that classic X-Files episode.

Whoever scouted the locations did a superb job. That farm looked completely whack, exactly like twisted multi-generational serial killers should live there. The house itself, with the human body part souvenirs and saws, was a shudder-fest, almost a parody of horror. And Missy, the murderous little girl, was exceptionally creepy.

As scary as this one was, there were a few things that didn't scan. Why didn't Dean give the imprisoned Sam and Kathleen something to use as a weapon before going to look for the key? (At least Sam had his trusty bracket.) And if they only hunted twice a year, as Pappy Crazykiller said, why did they have two cages? And why did they take Sam when they already had Jenkins?

When Dean was tortured into choosing which prisoner should be hunted to death, he chose Sam. His love for his brother must have been competing like crazy with his natural chivalry. Yes, Dean knew that Sam was able to take care of himself, but Kathleen was a cop, after all. I liked Kathleen. She gave Dean a break, over and over, and I don't think it was just his big puppy-dog eyes, or the loss of her own brother. I liked that she killed Pappy in cold blood, too, because he deserved it.

A cop now knows Dean is alive. But I don't think she'll be telling anyone. Let's hope so, anyway.

Bits and pieces:

— On Kathleen's computer: "Samuel Winchester. Born May 2, 1983. Lawrence, Kansas. 6'4", 180-190 lbs., brown, brown." "Dean Winchester. Born January 24, 1979, Lawrence, Kansas. Died March 7, 2006, St. Louis, Missouri. 6'4", 175 lbs brown, green." Sorry, but they can't both be six four.

— Dean said, "I'll be damned" about one thing. Sam said the same thing not five minutes later about another thing.

— This week, we visited Hibbing, Minnesota, the missing persons capital of the state. Or it used to be. Dean and Sam masqueraded as Minnesota state police, and Dean as Officer Gregory Washington.

Quotes:

Kathleen: "Does your cousin have a drinking problem?"
Dean: "Sam? Two beers, and he's doing karaoke."

Jenkins: "They're a bunch of psycho hillbilly rednecks if you ask me, looking for love in all the wrong places." Jenkins also mentioned "Ned Beatty time." He was referring to the character who was raped by murderous rednecks in the movie Deliverance.

Dean: "Look, Officer, I'm going to press my luck."
Kathleen: "Your luck is so pressed."

Pappy: "Are you a cop?"
Dean: "If I tell you, do you promise not to make me into an ashtray?"

Sam: "So you got sidelined by a thirteen-year-old girl, huh?"
Dean: "Shut up."

How to rate this one? It was definitely edge-of-your-seat, but it's not the type of episode you savor and re-watch, either. Does that make it two stars?

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

11 comments:

  1. I liked to rewatch this one. I thought it was very well done. But I always thought Sam's eyes well green! Or at least hazel!

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  2. I like Kathleen and I liked that she killed that guy in cold blood. But I don´t know, there´s something missing here.

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  3. Can you believe there is actually a website called CelebHeights.com??!? According to that font of all wisdom, Jensen is 6'0''' and Jared is, indeed 6'4''.

    Wasn't crazy about this episode, but continue to love the interaction between the boys.

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  4. "Can you believe there is actually a website called CelebHeights.com??!? According to that font of all wisdom, Jensen is 6'0''' and Jared is, indeed 6'4''."

    Can you believe you watch grown men pretend to be demon hunters and don't think that's even more bizarre :)

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  5. The Most Dangerous Game thing's been done to death but the farmhouse was, as you said, spectacularly creepy. The human bones wind chime thing? The jar full of teeth? Shivers...

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  6. Seen this premise a couple of times before...never been creeped/grossed out quite so much by it, though. Maybe it was just because this time it was actually happening to characters I care very much about, or maybe the Kitchen Of Cannibalism was just a bit too gory to watch during dinner, but this one properly messed with my head while I was watching.

    I didn't pick up on the incest thing the first time around, though. Thanks for pointing that out (note the sarcasm). As if they couldn't get any more messed up!

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  7. I am making my way through Supernatural from the beginning finally, after having in on my to-do list for over a year.
    So far I have really enjoyed it, but I have to say for monster hunters, Sam and Dean can be a little clueless... or maybe overconfident?
    Either way, it really pulls me out of the story when they go off on their own carelessly. I just don't think they would unless it was intentional.

    I mean, they are sitting there in the bar, talking about how people outside alone are disappearing at night... and then Sam goes outside. Alone. At night.

    The first time I noticed it was in the earlier episode w the haunted mental institution - Dean went off on his own... and then Sam did... and at some point in there, Dean says to the girl "Hey, you watch horror movies? Pay attention to them." LOL - should have taken his own advice :)

    All in all, though, I am really enjoying the show. Even Bugs I enjoyed to an extent...

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  8. Nonei, if you didn't dislike "Bugs", you're going to love the rest of this series. :)

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  9. Yes, wandering off by yourself seems like a really bad idea, but they keep on doing it! Liked how, for once, the police followed protocol and discovered that Dean was lying.

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  10. I'm currently watching season 11 and The Benders is still the scariest episode for me. Demons I get, people are crazy.

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  11. That little girl was really good at portraying this remorseless evilness, without overdoing it like most little girls do

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