Previously: The boys hung out in Bobby’s dreams and Bela stole the Colt.
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Mystery Spot
Kirsti: First things first: I have an irrational love for this episode. It manages to be feelsy and really freaking dark and hilarious simultaneously, and it’s just kind of great.
Right, on with the show. We open with a super close up of Sam’s closed eyes. Heat of the Moment by Asia starts playing, and he sits bolt upright in bed at the Motel of the Week. Dean, already dressed, tells Sam that it’s “time to rise and shine, Sammy!” This gives me horrible flashbacks to my teen years when my mother would burst into my room at like 9am on a Saturday and holler “Time for getting up now!” (M: My mom’s Saturday wake-up was the dreaded, “time to clean!” -_-) Sam makes disparaging comments about the song, so Dean promptly turns up the radio and starts lip syncing. What a dork. And totally something I would do to my little brother.
Marines: I hadn’t really bothered to pay attention to the episode description but I do remember that someone mentioned Dean dying a lot this episode. That coupled with the stupid about of detail made me go, “oh. Time loop.” It’s easy to be good at TV when they make it this, well, easy.
K: Truth.
Dean points at a poster on the wall for the day’s special – “Tuesday: pig in a poke“. The waitress comes up, and they order. Once she’s gone, Dean bitches about how this job is totally pointless and they should be looking for Bela. Sam points out that they have no leads and this will give them something to do in the meantime.
He pulls out a bunch of papers, and does his usual infodump: a guy named Dexter Hasselback went missing a week ago. The last place he was seen was the town mystery spot. Here, Sam, have a gold star:
Dean examines a flyer for the mystery spot. The waitress returns with their coffee and a bottle of hot sauce, which falls off the tray and smashes on the floor. Cut to the boys walking down the street as a dog barks. Dean calls bullshit on the legitimacy of said mystery spot, but Sam insists that sometimes they’re legit. Dean bumps into a blonde girl with a stack of papers as Sam starts wibbling about the lore on mystery spots. They pass a couple of moving guys trying and failing to get a huge desk through a door. Sam says they have to investigate, and Dean reluctantly agrees.
That night, they break into the Mystery Spot and start looking around. There’s literally nothing on the EMF and all signs point to it being fake. Just then, the owner bursts in with a shotgun and demands to know what they’re doing there. Dean says they can explain and tries to put his gun down. But the owner’s twitchy and he pulls the trigger. Sam rushes to his brother’s side and watches helplessly and tearfully as Dean dies.
SATAN’S SCREENSAVER!
After the Not Credits, Sam wakes to Heat of the Moment again. He sits up and stares in confusion as Dean once again tells him to rise and shine before turning the music up. Dean gargles loudly again, then asks a spacey Sam if everything’s okay. Sam says he had a weird dream, and Dean asks “Clowns or midgets?“. Okay, but like have you ever had a weird dream that made you feel totally off all day? I have them every few months, and it’s THE WORST. (The first time it happened was like 10 years ago, and I dreamt that Oz from Buffy got hit by a car outside my house and died in my arms, and I spent literally the entire day on the verge of tears. Thanks, brain…) I kind of feel like that’s what Sam’s feeling at this point.
Mari: I’m not that kind of dreamer. The most I’ll get is a lingering feeling or some disorientation when I first wake up, but nothing quite like this. Point: I’d immediately know I was in a time loop.
K: Whereas I, clearly, would not and would bumble through the same day about four times before I twigged.
They head to breakfast, and Sam’s confused when Dean does his “Tuesday: pig in a poke” routine again. Everything unfolds exactly the same, and Sam starts talking about how he’s lived this day before. Dean mentions deja vu, and Sam insists that it’s different. The waitress returns with their coffee, and this time Sam catches the bottle of hot sauce. Dean’s impressed by his reflexes, but Sam does the jaw clench-y thing.
Out on the street, the dog barks, the girl bumps into Dean, and Sam utters the immortal line that does the rounds of Tumblr every fucking week: “Yesterday was Tuesday, right? But today is Tuesday too!“.
Mari: I knew like 2 things about this show coming in and even I’ve seen this make the rounds. Either that or K, you’ve used this gif in a post before.
K: Entirely possible. Buffy did make a lot of references to it being Tuesday…
Dean calls the whole repeating days thing “dingoes ate my baby crazy“, and I’m going to call crossover shots because I will never EVER be over Oz leaving Sunnydale. (M: Or him fake dying in your arms.) Sam says they need to check out the Mystery Spot, and Dean says they’ll go after closing. Sam gets twitchy and insists that they go immediately. Dean eyerolls a little but agrees. He walks a few paces ahead of Sam, looks the wrong way when he crosses the road, and gets hit by a car, driven by an old guy who we’ve seen at the diner who keeps getting told to “drive safe“. Nice try, old dude. Sam cries as Dean dies. Again.
Heat of the Moment. Everything happens again, except when they get to the diner, Sam tells Dean that he’s stuck in a time loop. Like Groundhog Day. I’m pretty sure there was one summer when that movie got played on TV at least once a week here, which is just plain cruel. (M: …I’ve never seen it.) (K: Be grateful for that.) Dean doesn’t believe him, despite Sam “guessing” what he’s going to say a few times and catching the hot sauce. Dean tells him to calm down, and Sam gets angry. He can’t calm down, because today is the day his brother dies. Dean agrees to look into it.
In the street, Dean says they should check out the Mystery Spot that night. Sam refuses because Dean died there. Dean strides off ahead, and Sam yanks him out of the way of the old dude’s car just in time. Dean realises what this means, and asked if it looked cool, “like in the movies“. Sam gives him bitchface and snaps “You peed yourself“.
The boys head back outside, and Dean rambles about how the Mystery Spot is full of crap. Sam wants to know what’s happening if that’s the case, and Dean suggests that maybe they can break the timeloop if he makes it to midnight. He suggests getting takeout and hiding out in the motel until morning. Sam anxiously agrees. Dean turns and gets two steps before he’s flattened by a falling desk courtesy of the shouty movers the boys have been walking past on the street. It’s very Wile E. Coyote, and Sam just stares in resignation.
Heat of the Moment. Dean tells his brother to rise and shine, but Sam just lies back down in bed. Legit, dude. Legit. Fade to black.
After the Not Commercial Break, we’re back in the diner. Sam fills Dean in, and Dean decides to change things up by ordering his Pig in a Poke with sausage instead of bacon. He insists that he’s not going to die, then promptly chokes to death on a sausage. Heat of the Moment. Dean, shampooing his hair in the shower, demands to know why they can’t go out for breakfast. We cut to Sam in the bedroom, and he yells that Dean will thank him when it’s Wednesday. There’s a yelp and a thud from Dean, who’s slipped in the shower. Heat of the Moment. Dean bites into some takeout food and says “Do these tacos taste funny to you?“. Heat of the Moment. Dean plugs in his razor and gets electrocuted.
Heat of the Moment. Sam’s hacking the Mystery Spot apart with an axe while Dean watches over the owner, who’s duct taped to a chair. Dean tries to persuade Sam to stop, but he insists that he has to find out what’s going on. Dean walks over and tries to stop Sam, and they bicker over the axe off screen. Suddenly, the owner gets splashed with blood and there’s a thud, and the owner tries to scream through his duct tape.
Heat of the Moment. The boys walk into the diner. As they walk to their table, Sam steals the old man who ran Dean over’s keys. There’s a man at the counter eating pancakes and syrup, and he’s more noticeable than in past versions of Tuesday. The waitress comes up to take their order, and Sam snipes that she should put in more time at the archery range because she’s a terrible shot. Once she’s gone, he explains things to Dean. Again. Dean’s surprised by how grumpy Sam is, and Sam says that he’s lived through a hundred Tuesdays, so his grumpiness is legit. He goes on to predict everything that’s going to happen, right down to parroting Dean’s words as he’s saying them.
Dean admits defeat, and Sam says he’s been through every possible Tuesday and can’t find a solution. No matter what he does, Dean dies. Out in the street, Sam continues to predict things – the barking dog, the old man searching in vain for his keys, the girl bumping into Dean. Dean notes that she’s cute, then decides to go after her, something that he hasn’t done in the past hundred Tuesdays. He comes back and informs Sam that she’s giving out missing persons flyers for her father, Dexter Hasselback. Sam chases after her. Dean reaches down to pet the barking dog, aaaaand Heat of the Moment.
At the diner, Dean’s eating while Sam’s on his laptop. In the background, we can see Pancake Guy eating his pancakes. Sam informs his brother that while Dexter Hasselback was listed as a professor in the police report, he was a also a journalist who specialised in debunking supernatural tourist traps. He refers to himself as a “truth warrior” on his blog. Dean says he sounds like a dick, and Sam replies “I’ve read everything the guy’s ever written, and he must have weighed a ton, he was so full of himself.” Dean asks when he’s had time to do all that reading, and Sam looks awkward. In the background, Pancake Guy leaves.
Dean chuckles, and says that it’s just desserts that the dick vanished trying to debunk a mystery spot. They go to leave, and the just desserts comment makes Sam realise that Pancake Guy had strawberry syrup instead of maple syrup. Dean insists that it’s a free country, but Sam says nothing at the diner ever changes except him.
Mari: This is kind of awkward. I mean, with how blatant they’ve made all of the other background details, to then hinge the whole thing on some syrup no one noticed? Or maybe I just didn’t notice? I don’t know. It was a strange thing.
K: They had to give the zoomy cameraman SOMETHING to do in this episode, Mari. And clearly syrup was the best they could come up with.
Heat of the Moment. Sam sits up in surprise. At the diner, Pancake Guy has maple syrup again. Sam watches him as Dean eats. Dean asks for details about the Groundhog Day routine, and Sam snaps at him to eat his breakfast. Pancake Guy leaves, and the boys follow. In an alley, Sam slams him up against a wall and puts a wooden stake to his throat. Pancake Guy begs for his life as Sam says that it took him a while, but he’s worked out who Pancake Guy is. Dean shifts awkwardly as Sam says that the MO – taking down pompous jerks – was the give away. He insists that Pancake Guy is a Trickster.
Pancake Guy is all “No, you’re wrong” until Sam says that they’ve killed a Trickster before. Then he morphs into the Trickster that we know and love, and grins. The boys stare in shock on account of they thought he was dead. “Actually, bucko? You didn’t,” he smirks. Fade to black.
After the Not Commercial Break, Sam asks why the Trickster’s doing this. The Trickster replies that it’s payback for them trying to kill him. Also, he’s trying to teach Sam a lesson: no matter what he does, he can’t save his brother. Sam snaps that if he kills the Trickster, everything will be over. The Trickster replies that he’ll end it – tomorrow, Sam will wake up and it’ll be Wednesday. If he’s lying, they’ll find him at the diner as usual. Sam thinks for a second, and decides that it’s easier just to kill him. The Trickster’s all “Nah”, and he snaps his fingers.
We get a close up of Sam’s eyes as usual. Except this time, the song playing on the radio is Huey Lewis and the News’ “Back in Time”. It’s Wednesday. Dean gripes about the music, but Sam says happily that it’s the most beautiful song he’s ever heard. Dean looks grossed out, and asks how many Tuesdays Sam had. Sam replies that he lost count. He asks Dean what he remembers, and it’s just that Sam was kind of spaced out, and then they ran into the Trickster, and then he woke up.
Sam announces that they’re leaving town immediately, no stopping for breakfast. Dean sulks. Down in the parking lot, Dean loads his stuff into the boot of the Bromobile. Someone comes up behind him, and he thinks it’s Sam, but it’s a guy named Cal that we’ve seen at the diner throughout, unable to afford even a cup of coffee. He points a gun at Dean and demands his wallet. Dean tries to talk him down. We cut to Sam in the motel room, and there’s a gun shot. Sam’s head snaps around and he shouts his brother’s name. He sprints down to the car park and tearfully hugs his brother’s bloody corpse. He squeezes his eyes shut, waiting to wake up again, but nothing happens. There’s no waking up this time. Fade to black.
After the Not Commercial Break, it’s six months later and Sam’s Bromobiling his way across the country. We’re treated to a montage of badassery – Sam hunting solo, drinking heavily, patching himself up from cuts and gunshot wounds. He’s totally methodical and detached about everything. He’s turned into the good little soldier that Papa Winchester always wanted him to be. Over the top of the montage, we get Bobby leaving Sam a series of voicemails, praising his work, asking him to call, and begging him not to become obsessed over the Trickster. Sam, obviously, has a murder wall of Trickster related articles and research. The final voicemail simply says “Sam? I found him.”
Cut to Bobby kneeling alone at the Mystery Spot and setting up a spell when Sam walks in. Bobby rushes over and hugs him, but Sam doesn’t react. He wants to know why they’re there. Bobby says it’s the last place they know the Trickster worked his magic, and he’s found a summoning ritual. But to do it, they need a person worth of fresh blood. Tonight’s their only chance for fifty years.
Sam says coldly that they should go find a person to kill and turns to leave. “You break my heart, kid…” Bobby says. He says that he’s not going to let Sam murder an innocent, and Sam gets pissy at being dragged half way across the country. Bobby says it was the only way Sam would see him, and he thought Sam would back down from killing someone. But no. He pulls a knife out of his bag, and says that if Sam wants his brother back, the sacrificial lamb has to be Bobby. Sam’s shocked, but Bobby says he’s old and the boys are like family to him, so if anyone has to die, it’s going to be him.
Sam takes the knife, and Bobby nods approvingly. He kneels in the circle and tells Sam to make it fast. Sam, standing behind Bobby, puts the knife away and pulls out a wooden stake. He stakes Bobby, and leans in close as the tip of the stake pokes out of Bobby’s chest. He whispers that he only did this because it’s not really Bobby. Bobby falls to the floor dead, and Sam looks at the body expectantly. Nothing happens. “Bobby? Bobby!” he shouts in horror. Suddenly the corpse fades away, and the stake goes flying across the room into the Trickster’s hand.
Sam turns to face him, and the Trickster snarks that anyone who thought Dean was the dysfunctional sibling hadn’t seen Sam with a weapon. Sam demands that the Trickster bring Dean back. The Trickster’s all “LOL NOPE”. Sam begs him to take them back to that Wednesday. He promises that they won’t try to find the Trickster again. The Trickster says that he’s been trying to teach Sam a lesson – his obsession with saving Dean is totally unhealthy, and all that comes out of it is blood and pain. Uh, yeah. That’s why I created a “this level of codependency isn’t healthy” tag.
Mari: I DON’T BELIEVE YOU, TRICKSTER. I don’t get what the Trickster is even trying to do, but teaching Sam a valuable lesson is probably not the thing.
K: I think this is one of those things that makes more sense when you can see the future. I’m not sure if they’d already made certain decisions about the Trickster’s character and where things were going or not, but yeah. Future seeing makes sense out of the weirdness.
He says that Dean is Sam’s weakness, and the bad guys know it. It’ll kill Sam if he doesn’t let go. “He’s my brother,” Sam says tearfully. The Trickster headdesks a little, and then announces that this whole thing stopped being fun months ago. Sam looks confused, and the Trickster snaps his fingers. Sam wakes to the dulcet strains of Huey Lewis. “What, you gonna sleep all day?” Dean asks. Sam stares at the clock radio, which says that it’s Wednesday, then he jumps out of bed and hugs his brother tight.
Sam says they’re leaving, without breakfast. Dean tries to go pack the car, but Sam insists he’s not going anywhere alone. Dean asks if Sam’s okay, and Sam replies that he had a weird dream. Standing in the doorway, Dean smirks and says “Clowns or midgets?“. Sam looks up as his brother grins, and gives a shaky half-smile. Dean walks out the door and Sam follows, stopping to stare back into the motel room. Fade to black.
I really love this episode. Yes, it’s got the totally slapstick element of Dean’s repeated deaths, particularly in the montage section. But it’s also got a hearty dose of feels. Though it’s easy to joke about the Winchesters and their codependency issues, it’s painful to see what Sam becomes without his brother. The Trickster is a great character, who operates in a moral grey zone. In some ways, he’s very much a villain – killing people in horrible ways to take them down a peg or two. But he’s also trying to make Sam see the futility of his actions. In his own twisted way, he’s trying to help. So yeah. I love this episode.
Mari: I mean, love is a strong word. I’ve already mentioned that I’m having issues connecting to/caring about the Winchesters, but apart from that, I would call this episode relatively good. Once you introduce a time-loop episode, there is a built in trope-iness that comes with it. This episode didn’t do enough for me, just in terms of not being another time-loop thing. HOWEVER, I will say that they did a pretty swell thing by killing Dean over and over in this episode. I don’t know if you’ve heard but Dean is dying! They may have mentioned it a gabazillion times. By actually killing Dean in this episode, it becomes a show, don’t tell thing. Instead of sitting there and talking about their manpain, we see a dead Dean and a messed up Sam and that’s pretty cool.
And now we have a gif about Tuesdays for all time.
K: Which good, because Tuesdays are the worst.
Next time on Supernatural: The hunt for Bela leads to the return of Henriksen in S03 E12 – Jus in Bello.
I'm a 30-something librarian and I still live with my parents because I'm super broke. Leader of Team Heartless Cow. I have an inexplicable love for 90s television, eat too much chocolate, and read more than is good for me.
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
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