Supernatural 9x07 "Bad Boys"

Movember Josh Brolin?

You know, I probably would've loved tonight's episode a few seasons ago. Maybe more than a few. But it felt weird to have a flashback to a different young Dean... again. There have been so many young Deans and only a couple young Sams. And this young Dean is a bit hard to reconcile with the one from After School Special.

Honestly, this felt like something I could've read in a fanfic story. There are so many of those that deal with the WeeChesters that are stories that could've technically happened but were never mentioned in the show, and this really seemed like one of those to me. Not that it was bad or anything, just kind of odd.

Anyway, on to the recap. An old dude gets killed by a rogue tractor in a barn, and Dean gets a call about it, because this barn just happens to be on the property of Sonny's Home for Boys, where Dean just happened to spend two months back when he was sixteen, which he just happened to never have told Sam about despite their many hours together in the Impala. Okay!

Teen Dean looking a lot like young River Phoenix.

The brothers come to check out what's going on, and think it's a pretty open and shut case. There was some murder back in the day that the old dude was involved in, yada yada, they go burn some bones. But no, oh no, it is not yet over, no sir! Because that is only 18 minutes into the episode, puh-lease. Anyway, the warden lady ends up getting murdered in much more gruesome way, in my opinion, suffocated to death in the bath with the shower curtain.

Meanwhile, we get some flashback story. You see, Dean ended up at Sonny's Home for Boys when he was sixteen because he was looking after Sam, who was hungry, but they didn't have any food, and they didn't have any money, because Dean lost a hand of cards or something. So he went to steal some food and got caught. John was pissed because he lost the money, so decided to let him stay and sent Sam off to Bobby's in the meantime. So, young Dean actually starts to enjoy his time there. He meets a pretty lass and has what we presume to be his first kiss. His grades are up. He's even on the wrestling team. And he's wondering if maybe the hunting life isn't what he wants after all, which is pretty much the antithesis of everything Dean we've ever seen. Dean's going to take his young lady friend, Robin, to the school dance, but of course that's when Papa Winchester shows up, so he cannot, alas. Sonny says he'll fight for him to stay, but of course Dean sees little Sam there in the car, and no way would he ever leave him to grow up without him around. See ya, Robin!

Dean could never leave little Sam, no sir.

Back in the present, Dean runs into Robin again, who's still living there in town. She pretends to not remember him, but of course she is lying, because this is Dean Winchester here, you don't forget him. She manages to get herself into some mortal danger along the way, so gets to see what really took Dean from taking her to that dance so many moons ago.

Well, just what are we talking about? I've barely spoken of the case of the week, because honestly it's a bit boring. I'm sure it's some lesson about whatever, but yawn. Basically, this little kid Timmy has his dead mom's ghost attached to him, going around killing anyone she views as a threat. She's going to do the same thing to Sam and Dean, so Dean tells Timmy he has to tell her that he's okay and she can let go and move on. This works a charm, actually, and burny-face magee turns back into her regular pretty self in a nice bit of digital wizardry and poofs into wherever it is good dead people go now that Heaven is closed. Hmm. Is Heaven closed in that way, or just closed to angels? Food for thought!

There's also the patented Impala end of episode brother chat, which we haven't seen much of in a while. I remember when they were having those nearly every episode. Basically there was some kind of lesson about doing what you have to for people you love, a la the angel possession. Only it seemed like Dean should've been learning that maybe he should've let Sam go for once. Yeah, right.

Random Thoughts:

- Whoa, scenes from the early seasons in the previously! So young!

- One thing that always bothers me with casting young people is when their eyes are completely different colors. I always, always notice. I get that it's supposed to be more about their acting and whatever, but it always bothers me. That being said, Dylan Everett was actually probably the best young Dean we've had.

- Why didn't the old dude just step to his right when the big tractor was coming for him? He had plenty of room, which we see when Dean is in there later. It never makes sense when people just back up and don't step to the side.

- I was actually surprised they went there with the kid getting his arm chopped in the lawnmower. I was thinking to myself, no way are they going to do that, but they totally did.

- I actually like the idea of more flashback episodes, but I don't know that they particularly work when they don't have both Sam and Dean together. I figure it's a casting thing since everyone loved Colin Ford so much as Sam and he's too old now, but this is the story of Sam and Dean, and they were particularly close-knit as kids. Anyway.

Quotes:

Dean: And everybody's okay with heading out to the Catskills...
Sam: I'm everybody.

Robin: So this is the family business.
Dean: Told you it was boring.

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