Supernatural 2:4-7

2:4 CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS

Directed by Kim Manners. Original Airdate: October 19, 2006.

Watched and Reviewed on May 31, 2011.

Synopsis: A corpse with a black thumb: When the Winchester brothers visit a cemetery to pay their respects to their murdered mother, they find a nearby grave with an eerie power to kill all the life around it.

This episode kinda reminded me of the movie DEADGIRL, except obviously not as vulgar or mean-spirited. Some dude resurrects a chick he was in love with and soon realizes that he has a crazy zombie bitch on his hands, and thus the brothers get involved, and the rest kinda goes without saying. Underneath the zombie-girl plot, the episode marks the third part of a trilogy in which Dean goes through a personal transition following the events of the season opener. He's almost reached a breaking point because of a certain event that took place, and episodes 2-4 show the different stages of this "process". Both the zombie plot and Dean's sub-plot are interesting, but the episode as a whole is a little underwhelming. I also had minor issues with the actress who played the zombie chick; she's fine, but there's something about her that I wasn't sold on.

Score: 6.5

2:5 SIMON SAID

Directed by Tim Iacofano. Original Airdate: October 26, 2006.

Watched and Reviewed on June 1, 2011.

Synopsis: "Hello?" Mysterious cell phone messages turn law-abiding citizens into killing machines. The brothers' investigation leads them to an easy-going slacker who shares Sam's psychic abilities.

This one has a slight comedic tone because of a certain character involved in this episode's hunt. The brothers attempt to track down a young man who supposedly uses mind control to manipulate people into committing heinous acts. Sam is immune to the mind control, whereas Dean is vulnerable, which results in some surprisingly funny moments given the nature of the episode. Great soundtrack in this one, too. A pretty well-done episode, technically, and well-acted, but not very memorable.

Score: 7.5

2:6 NO EXIT

Directed by Kim Manners. Original Airdate: November 2, 2006.

Watched and Reviewed on June 3, 2011.

Synopsis: Sam and Dean have a problem: The ghost of America's first-known serial killer, back for more gore. And they have another problem: Jo, who follows them on their hunt despite her mother's objections.

In this one, Sam and Dean hunt a ghost that has a thing for young blonde women. While the hunt is what the episode revolves around, as usual, it isn't the primary focus of the episode and only acts as a means to develop a recurring character, which, in turn, leads to some revelations in regards to Sam and Dean's father. The episode is OK, but nothing memorable. I like that they're developing recurring characters, which is something the first season lacked, but whether or not they stay recurring is another story. Their involvement certainly adds a little something extra to the overall storyline.

Score: 6

2:7 THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Directed by Mike Rohl. Original Airdate: November 9, 2006.

Watched and Reviewed on June 3, 2011.

Synopsis: Baltimore cops arrest the obvious suspect in the grisly murders of a lawyer and his wife: Dean, caught with blood on his hands and a history of being on the spot when people die violently.

Guest starring Linda Blair! This is a really weird episode in that a past investigation is recounted through Dean as he sits in an interrogation room as a suspect for murder. Yes, Dean's under arrest and being questioned by detectives regarding the death of a woman involved in a ghost hunt, as well as the death of a woman in an episode from the first season (SKIN), which was actually the work of a shape-shifter who took on Dean's appearance. This episode had an interesting idea behind it, but it's sort of a missed opportunity. You'd think that Dean getting arrested at the end of the episode leading up to this would make for great cliffhanger, but instead they decided to just skip that and start this episode with him under arrest. The whole thing just seems really random and awkward. The cops play a big part in this one, and it's sort of a police procedural CSI-style episode but with a ghost story twist. In keeping with the trend of the second season, this is unfortunately another forgettable episode. What a disappointing season so far.

Score: 6