Supernatural 1:17-18

1:17 HELL HOUSE

Directed by Chris Long. Original Airdate: March 30, 2006.

Watched and Reviewed on May 29, 2011.

Synopsis: Get the hell out of Hell House! Sam and Dean defy a homicidal spirit, but their efforts are encumbered by a pair of goofball paranormal investigators who hope ghostbusting gets them girls.

Just when I thought the show was getting back on track, along comes HELL HOUSE, which derails what the previous episode built up and does nothing to further the main storyline. But you know what? I'm totally fine with that because this episode was a fucking blast. It's probably the most comedic episode yet, and while I've been mostly fonder of the serious episodes thus far, this one really worked thanks to the fun supporting characters and the actors who portrayed them. This is also a smart episode that makes a commentary on the amount of hoaxes in the world of paranormal investigating, and how the hoaxes are fueled by people who are desperate to believe in something - especially if those people have their own websites. In other words, if you get enough people to buy into something, it suddenly becomes real, and in the case of this episode, a murderous ghost is ironically manifested because of a hoax.

HELL HOUSE is the second solid episode in a row, and for completely different reasons than the one that preceded it. As much as I've liked the show thus far, there haven't been any episodes that I'd consider to be re-watchable, but this is one of those rare instances when watching television shows that I come across an episode that I actually plan on revisiting at some point in the future because of how much it stands on its own. One thing about the episode that I found stupid, though, was **SPOILER ALERT** why didn't they just burn the fucking house down in the first place?

Score: 8.5

1:18 SOMETHING WICKED

Directed by Whitney Ransick. Original Airdate: April 6, 2006.

Watched and Reviewed on May 29, 2011.

Synopsis: "Thy angels watch me trough the night, and keep me safe 'til morning light." A little girl's prayers are no match for a shtringa, a powerful witch with terrifying ties to the Winchester brothers' childhoods.

The hunt hits a little close to home for Dean as they track down a witch that sucks the lifeforce out of children when they sleep. Apparently they've been saving the best episodes for last, because I've been utterly impressed with the last three episodes, including this one. SOMETHING WICKED is a Monster of the Week episode (which kinda goes without saying at this point) that follows the familiar structure, but what makes this one stand out from the rest of the bunch is how original and refreshing it is. There's a dark fairy-tale quality to the story, and even some of the visuals reflect that, especially when it comes to the villain. Overall, one of the biggest stand-outs of the first season.

Score: 8.5