This week takes a much-needed break from the dark and dreary Michael storyline to bring us… an actual Halloween story… that takes place ON Halloween.. with the killer ghost of a comic book shop owner possessing his Horror Movie memorabilia! Yes! This Halloween episode not only pays homage to horror movies but we get to see the return of Geeky Dean! (We missed him so much).
We open with a comic book store employee, Stuart; he’s brash, mean, and very very opinionated about his fandoms (not at all an allegory for the amazing family of Supernatural Fans, other fandoms maybe.. but not us). We are then shown just how bad of a person he is when he blatantly steals an action figure (Limited Edition Original Thundercats Panthro still in the box!) from a store shipment and takes it home. Of course, comeuppance comes swiftly and he is viciously attacked by the 6-inch figurine that night. Queue the opening Title.
We start with Dean, who has been in a slump for the past several days; he’s been holed up in his room, avoiding all the ‘strange new people in the bunker’, bingeing horror movies, and eating an unhealthy amount of pizza. Sam (now beardless), tries to get him out of his funk by showing him a video that Stuart posted online describing his being attacked. Of course, it is not the unfortunate and mysterious attack itself that pulls Dean out of his malaise, but rather the fact that it was done by Panthro (ThunderWinchesters…GO!)
The boys stop by the comic book store to investigate while posing as insurance agents (with Dean in a very ridiculous plaid suit). Sam is not really into Halloween but Dean ends up fanboy-ing over EVERYTHING in the store, including a life-sized model of The Hatchet Man, a ‘Jason Vorhees’-type monster from Dean’s favorite Horror Movie franchise (which was created for this episode, BTW. Also, I love it when Dean is obsessively freaking out over things but wants to keep his cool guy image). Stuart is not working that day, but the boys discover that he is very “intense” (read: raging prat) about the things he likes which have to lead to conflicts with others in the past.
They go to Stuart’s mom’s house, which is where he is currently living after being kicked out by his last roommate because of a disagreement about Dubs vs. Subs. Upon interviewing Stuart, he ends up recanting the whole thing; he claims he made it all up and he sends them away. The boys don’t buy his story and end up sticking around until the house is empty; but before they leave, Stuart runs out of the house screaming for help after being attacked by a chainsaw. Dean goes inside to investigate, sees a floating chainsaw in the air, and is nearly struck by it before it impales itself into the wall 5 inches from his face.
At the hospital, they determine that the attacks are most likely caused by a ghost. Dean agrees to keep watch over Stuart while Sam investigates further. However, Sam discovers no EMF in Stuart’s room or on the action figure or chainsaw. Meanwhile, at the Hospital, Stuart’s best friend Dirk hits it off with Dean as they geek out and discuss their favorite horror movies as well as their mutual love for Hatchet Man.
Back at the comic book store, Sam asks Samantha (the store manager and Stuart’s only other friend) if anyone in their lives had recently died. She explains that they had a mentor named Jordan who founded the store and taught them everything about running it until he died of cancer (and then cremated) the year before. Jordan left Samantha and Dirk (a definite parallel to Sam and Dean, BTW) the store, but excluded and fired Stewert because he was stealing (which Jordan was VERY against). Samantha felt bad for Stuart and hired him back after Jordan’s death because of friendship. Sam then checks his EMF reader and sees it goes crazy. Sam tries to get Samantha out of the store, but they are attacked by the life-sized figure of Hatchet Man. Sam is knocked out and Samantha screams as the figure raises its ax to her.
When Sam comes to, he finds Samantha unharmed but they are both locked in the comic book shop because Hatchet Man took the keys and the store is secured like a fortress (Jordan REALLY did not like thieves). Sam mixes up some cleaning supplies to make a makeshift bomb and escape, alerting Samantha that he’s not really an insurance investigator.
They call Dean at the hospital, who is eating chips and bingeing Hatchet Man movies with Dirk. He is more than a little excited that his favorite horror man is coming to them, as he sets up a salt circle around Dirk and Stuart and goes to face the monster mono-a-mono. Of course, things don’t go quite the way he planned as Dirk leaves to confront his dead mentors’ ghost (after just learning from Dean that Ghosts and other Monsters are, in fact, real). A badass standoff (and several Horror Movie tropes) ensue until Hatchet Man starts towards Dirk, who then promptly runs the other way. He meets up with Dean in the morgue and, in true horror movie style (even though it makes no logical sense), we get a jump scare by Hatchet Man jumping up from one of the covered slabs and stating his signature catchphrase “It’s time to slice and dice”. Dean gives the ghost a chance to go into the light. When he refuses, a delighted Dean jumps into action and the fight scene begins.
Meanwhile, Sam and Samantha arrive at the hospital and realize that the object Jordan has been attached to is the keys to the comic book store (which is why Stuart was attacked in his room that later had no EMF). They burst onto the fight scene (after Dirk was a badass, having attacked the possessed Hatchet Man figure) and burn the keys, causing the ghost to go up in flames (and the day is saved!).
During the obligatory BM scene (as the boys are driving back), Dean thanks Sam for getting him out of his Michael funk and Sam admits that the reason he does not like Halloween is because he vomited on a girl he liked while bobbing for apples at a Halloween party. Dean promises he will make Sam’s next Halloween amazing (this, of course, includes couple’s costumes).
Of course, no horror movie homage would be complete without the obligatory scene back at the morgue where an employee finds the de-possessed Hatchet Man figure and his hatchets. The camera pans onto Hatchet Man’s face who says “trick or treat” before the screen fades to black.
I am not a fan of horror at all so this was not my favorite episode and most of the references and easter eggs went over my head. However, I loved the return to the ‘monster of the week’ format and Geeky Dean this episode. It is great seeing him returning to normal (which of course means everything is going to be ripped asunder, but im going to enjoy it while I have it).
