(As I mentioned in my post announcing this rewatch project,Β there will be spoilers!)
Season Two, Episode Nine: Croatoan
Image episode summary from Wikipedia:
After Sam has a premonition of Dean killing a defenseless man, the brothers head to Rivergrove, Oregon to investigate. There, Sam notices "CROATOAN" carved into a pole, reminding him of the lost colony of Roanoke. They soon find that all forms of communication have been shut down, and extremely violent townspeople are blocking the roads out. They go to a local doctor's office, where a doctor finds that the blood of the violent people has been infected by a virus containing sulfur, leading Sam to believe his father's theory of Croatoan being a demonic plague. A woman in the office suddenly turns violent and attacks Sam. She infects him with her blood before Dean is able to kill her. Sam tries to kill himself, but Dean stops him. Moments later, it is learned that all of the infected people have suddenly vanished, leaving the town deserted. Sam has his blood tested, and finds out that he was not infected. After the brothers leave town, one of the survivors is revealed to be a demon; it contacts someone to inform him that Sam is immune to the virus, "as expected." After leaving, Dean pulls to the side of the road and finally starts to reveal to Sam what their father told him before dying.
This episode starts in what looks like the middle of a case. Lots of slow motion of Dean loading a gun and entering a room where some guy is tied up to a chair. Chair guy swears something isnβt in him.
There are other people in the room, watching.
Chair guy talking about something is not in him β possession? Dean definitely looks like heβs going to shoot this guy.
Woah, it turns out itβs another of Samβs visions. He wakes up in a motel as Dean is coming back in to the room with beer and snacks.
Then theyβre on the road, following some navigator on the phone. Going to River Grove, Oregon based on Samβs vision. Dean wants to know what Sam saw in his vision. Sam tells him. Dean says Sam’s “weirdo visions” are all connected to the yellow eyed demon.
Dean says he’s sure he had a good reason to shoot the guy in the vision and tells Sam he wouldnβt waste an innocent man. Sam wants to find the guy from his vision and see whatβs what.
They make it to the town from Samβs vision, and it seems like a normal small town, with lots of people everywhere. Sam sees a guy who was in the room during his vision. They approach him and introduce themselves as Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard, US Marshalls.
Sam describes chair guy from his vision, saying theyβre looking for him. His name is Dwayne. Apparently heβs a good kid, keeps his nose clean, etc. Sam and Dean go to find him, and Sam sees the word Croatoan carved into a wooden post. He tells Dean that itβs related to Roanoke, a lost colony. Dean clearly did not pay attention in history class. Haha School House Rock reference.
Sam explains that Roanoke was one of the first English colonies in America from the late 1500s. Everyone disappeared and the only thing left behind was the word Croatoan carved into a tree. No one knows what really happened but everyone disappeared overnight.
Is that whatβs going on here?
Sam wonders what could do something like that, make a town disappear. Dean repeats that Samβs weirdo visions are connected to the demon. Sam suggests calling Bobby or Ellen for help, but there’s no cell signal. Ominous!
They go to a pay phone but the line is dead. Something is definitely going on.
The brothersΒ go to Dwayneβs house; his brother answers the door; Dwayne isnβt home. Says he went on a fishing trip. They speak with his father; his mother is not there but Dwayneβs brother said his parents were home. Dean points out the discrepancy; Dwayneβs father says his mother is out getting groceries and he is not sure when Dwayne is due back from his trip.
Something is up with Dwayne’s brother.Β Sam and Dean notice: βa little too Stepford-yβ.
The brothersΒ creep around back of the house and through the window, see that Dwayneβs mother is tied up to a chair inside. Dad cuts Dwayne’s brother’s arm. Sam and Dean are watching and bust in. Dean shoots the dad when he charges at him; Dwayne’s brother escapes by jumping through a window and runs away.
There is definitely something going on in this town!
Sam and Dean drive Dwayneβs mom to a medical clinic in town. A nurse comes out and calls for the doctor. They were all in Samβs vision. Dean comes in with Dwayne’s father’s (Mr. Tanner) body.
Dwayneβs mother explains that her husband and other son (Jake) did this to her. The doctor asks if she has any idea why they would act this way; the mom says one minute they were her husband and son, and the next, they had the devil in them.
Dean is clearly thinking possession. HeΒ and Sam go to talk β multiple demons? Mass possession? That’s one way to wipe out a town. But Sam points out that they didnβt see any demon smoke or other signs of possession.
Dean says if Sam had taken out the other one (Jake), there would be one less to worry about. Sam says sorry, he hesitated. It was a kid
Dean: βNo, it was an it. Not the best time for a bleeding heart, Samβ. Again, we see how black and white Dean sees the world.
The doctor comes in and says she needs coroner and county sheriff. But the phones are all down, even the police radio in Sam and Deanβs car. Not a good sign. The doctor has no idea whatβs happening, and it’s 40 miles to next town. Dean says heβll go and see if he can find help; Sam will stick around and keep them safe.
The doctor asks βSafe from what?β Dean: βWeβll get back to you on thatβ.
Dean drives out of town and finds a car on the road with bullet holes and blood in windshield. Creepy! The windows are broken, and the seats covered in blood (including baby carrier in back).
He picks up a large hunting knife laying on the road beside the car. Good idea.
Back in town, Samβs at the doctorβs office. The doctor looking at some stuff under microscope. SheΒ ells Sam that Dwayneβs dead fatherβs lymphocyte (?) percentage is pretty high; his body was fighting off a viral infection. But she isn’t sure what kind of virus. There are viruses that can cause dementia, but not the kind of violence that has happened.Β Something weird going on with his blood too β there’s a weird residue. If she didnβt know better, sheβd say it was sulphur.
SULPHER = DEMON!Β Sam looks very concerned.
Meanwhile, Deanβs still on the road. He sees more cars blocking the road up ahead. There are a lot of men with guns out there. Dean stays in car and sees that Dwayneβs brother is out there. Dean stops the car and the creepy men with guns all stare at him.
A man appears at Deanβs window and tells him the road is closed: quarantine. He says heΒ doesnβt know what it is but somethingβs going around out there. Dean asks who told him that and the guy replies it was the county sheriff.
Dean asks if sheriff is there and the man says no, he called. Then he asks Dean to get out of car to talk a little. Don’t do it! Dean says no. Phew.
But the man tries to get him out of car again. Dean says no again, and backs up the car quickly. This guy grabs on to Dean/the car!Β The other men start shooting at Dean! Yikes! Dean turns the car around and this guy trying to hold on falls off. Dean gets away. RELIEF.
Back at the doctorβs office, Doc isΒ explaining to Dwayne’s mother about her dead husbandβs blood. Doc wants to know if during the attack, did she have any direct contact with their blood? The doctor wants to take blood sample. Dwayne’s mom, Beverly, attacks doctor and Sam!Β She comes at Sam and he hits her in the head and knocks her out, locking her in a closet.
While Dean isΒ drving through town, he is stopped in the road by same guy they met at the beginning of the episode, with his gun pointed at Deanβs car. He orders him out of car. Now they both have guns pointed at each other. They ask each other if heβs βone of themβ; both say no; both know the other could be lying. That’s quite a predicament.
They put their guns down slowly. The man asks Dean whatβs going on. He tells Dean how hisΒ neighbour, Mr. Rogers, came at him with hatchet and he had to put him down. Itβs happening to everyone.
DeanΒ tells him thereβs no way out of town. The bridge is coveredΒ andΒ heβs going toΒ the doctor’s office. The guy decides to come along, butΒ keeps his gun on Dean whileΒ Dean drives them there.
People at the doctorβs office are getting nervous about whether they all have this virus . The nurse, Pam, wants to find her boyfriend and make sure heβs ok. Sam follows her and says that itβs safer to stay there. Help is coming. Then they hear Dean at the door asking him to open up.
Dean and his new friend, Sarge,Β come in. Dean tells SamΒ the road is blocked. Sam says the doctor thinks itβs virus and he thinks sheβs right – the infected are trying to infect others with blood to blood contact. He tells Dean that the virus leaves traces of sulphur in blood: Β βDemonic germ warfareβ.
Sam did findΒ something about the Roanoke colony in their father’sΒ journal: his theory was that Croatoan was a demonβs name β a demon of plague and pestilence. Dean says why here and now? Sam isn’t sure. Who knows how far this could spread? Sam says they need to get out and warn people.
Then Sarge calls them over and says they canβt just leave her (Dwayneβs mother, Beverley) in there. The longer they wait, the stronger sheβll get. Dean gets his gun ready.
Nurse PamΒ and DocΒ are not happy with the plan to kill Beverley; the boys ask if they can cure it and the doctor says she doesn’t even know what βitβ is. So that’s not looking too promising.
Now everyone is disagreeing on what to do with Beverley.
Dean goes in with his gun drawn. Sheβs curled up in a corner. It turns out Sarge’s name is Mark. Beverley is telling Mark that the others are infected, not her; they’ve locked her up and left her. Sam says heβs sure sheβs one of them. Woah Dean shot her?? Yikes.
Itβs dark out now; Mark can see out the windows that there are others gathering out there. Creepy.
Sam is cleaning a blade; Dean is prepping a gun. Theyβre getting ready for a showdown. Sam is also making concerned face at Dean.
The brothersΒ hear glass break β nurse Pam dropped the blood vials and says she wants to leave. Dean says they canβt because those ‘things’ are everywhere.
Sam tells Dean that Pam’s right – they have to get out of there. More infected could be coming.
Mark says if they stay where they are, theyβre easy targets β most people around here have guns. Unless Sam and DeanΒ have explosivesβ¦Sam says they could make some. Heβs so smart!
Oh no theyΒ hear someone at the door wanting in β but itβs Dwayne! He comes in and Mark locks the door behind him. This is they guy they’ve been looking for!
Dean asks Sam if thatβs the guy he kills (in Samβs vision) and Sam says yes.
Dwayne wants to know who else is in there. Dean goes over to him and asks the doctor to examine Dwayne. Mark asks Dwayne where heβs been, and he says he was on a fishing trip and got back this afternoon. And then he saw someone getting cut up by townsfolk and he ran away and has been hiding in the woods. Hmm.
Of course Dwayne wants to know if anyone has seen his parents.
Dean: βAwkwardβ β hahahaha!
Ooh Dwayne is bleeding. Everyone seems concerned. He says it must have happened when he tripped and ran. Dean tells Mark to tie Dwayne up with rope. The doctor mentions Beverleyβs name, saying it took 3 hours for the virus to incubate, so there’s no way of knowing yet from a blood test if Dwayne is one of ‘them’.
Sam tells Dean his vision is happening and that Dean canβt kill Dwayne because they donβt know if heβs infected or not. Dean is convinced that he is infected and doesnβt want to take a chance of him infecting someone else.
SamΒ says theyβre supposed to struggle with whether to kill someone or not; he’s upset that Dean doesnβt care. Apparently Dean isnβt acting like himself, heβs acting like one of those things out there.
DeanΒ pushes Sam around and locks him in the room! Sam yells at Dean not to do itΒ but Dean loadsΒ his gun and goes into the room with Dwayne, just like inΒ Samβs vision!
DwayneΒ swears itβs not in him.Β Dean says Dwayne’s not him but Dwayne tells Dean toΒ ask the doctor. But the doctor says she isnβt sure. She can’t tell.
Dean gets ready to shoot Dwayne, saying heβs got no choice. He’s about to pull the trigger but then stops. He can’t do it. Phew! That was intense
Then we see Sam making explosives and Dean is in there with him. The doctor comes and says itβs been over 4 hours and Dwayneβs blood is clean; she doesnβt think heβs infected. She’d like to untie him. Sam says sure.
Sam: βYou know Iβm gonna ask you why.β
Sean: βYeah I know.β
Sam: βSo why? Why didnβt you do it?β
Dean: βWe need more alcohol.β (for the explosives) β Classic Dean, avoiding the question.
Sam goes into next room to get alcohol and asks nurse Pam how sheβs holding up. βGood. Itβll all be over soonβ. She closes the door. SUSPICIOUS!
Nurse Pam locks the door and tells Sam sheβs been waiting for this, to get Sam alone. She attacks him! The others rush to the room but Pam cuts Sam and then herself. Dean busts in and shoots her. Is it too late?? Is Sam infected??
Mark tells Dean she bled on Sam, heβs got the virus, and wonβt let Dean go to him.
NOW WHAT DEAN?? You were so eager to kill the other infected but we canβt do that to Sam, of course.
The doctorΒ checks Sam over again at Deanβs insistence and Mark is upset. The docΒ asks Sam if Pam’sΒ blood entered his wound. Mark says of course it did and Dean says we donβt know that for sure.
Now everyone’sΒ fighting over what to do, throwing Deanβs words and actions in his face. Sam says to give him the gun and heβll off himself. Heβs not going to become one of those things. Dean threatens everyone who says to kill Sam.
Dean gives Mark his car keys and tells them to get out, to take the car, take the explosives and weapons. Dwayne and Mark should go. Dean will stay behind with Sam. Sam says no, this is Dean’s only chance. He shouldΒ go with them.
Mark agrees and tells Dean to come with them,Β but he sees the resolve in Deanβs eyes. βItβs your funeralβ. Mark and Dwayne leave and the doctor says sheβs sorry, then thanks the bros: βThanks for everything, Marshallsβ. Dean tells her theyβre not really marshalls, haha.
Then the doctor leaves too. Dean locks himself in the room with Sam. Sam has sad face.
Sam tells DeanΒ not to do this, to get out. Dean says no way. Sam asks Dean to give him his gun and leave; Dean says no. Sam says this is the dumbest thing heβs ever done.
Dean: βI donβt know about that. Remember that waitress in Tampa?β Haha oh Dean.
Sam says heβs sick, itβs over for him, but it doesnβt have to be for Dean. He can keep going.
Dean: βWho says I want to?β Heβs tired. Tired of this job, this life, this weight on his shoulders.Β Dean tells Sam that it isnβt about their dad. Part of it is, butβ¦then theyβre interrupted by a noice. The doctor has comeΒ back. She tells Sam and Dean to come see this. Dean leaves Sam thereΒ and goesΒ outside to see that the whole town is empty. There’s no one around. Mark, Sam, Dean, the doctor, and Dwayne are all thatβs left. The doctor tells them, βThereβs no one. Not anywhere. Theyβve all just vanished.β
The boys look again at the word Croatoan carved into the post.
Later with everyone back at the clinic, the doctor tells Sam itβs been 5 hours and his blood is still clean. He dodged a bullet!
Sam doesnβt understand. He was exposed. How can he be clean? The doctor doesnβt have answers and looks at something in her microscope, saying when compared with the Tanner samplesβ¦then she stops. Now the Tanner blood has no trace of virus, sulphur, anything out of the ordinary.
The nextΒ morning, Mark and Dwayne are loading up truck and getting out of there. The Doctor says sheβs going to next town to get authorities.
Sam and Dean talk to doctor, who says Sam will be fine. There are no signs of infection. She goes back inside while Mark and Dwayne drive off.
Sam has no clue how he turned out ok. Dean: βI swear, Iβm gonna lose sleep over this one. Why here, why now? Where the hell did everybody go? Itβs not like they just frigginβ melted.β
Sam asks why he was immune. Dean says that’s a good question. He’s starting to feel like this is the one that got away.
Sam and DeanΒ get in the car and drive off. We then see Mark and Dwayne driving in the truck. Dwayne asks Mark to pull over up ahead, which he does.
Dwayne says heβs gotta make a call. Mark tells him thereβs no phone out there but Dwayne says heβs got it covered. Then he slits Markβs throat! Oh no! Dwayne collects the blood in a bowl and uses it to communicate with someone: βItβs over, youβll be pleased. I donβt think any more tests are necessary. The Winchester boy β definitely immune as expected. Yes, of course. Nothing left behind.β
Then he has demon eyes!!
We cut to lovely daytime scene with Sam and Dean sitting on a fence by a river, with the leaves fallingβ¦beautiful! They’re drinking some beer, having a chat.
Sam: βSo last night. Want to tell me what the hell you were talking about?β
Dean: βWhat do you mean?β
Sam: βWhat do I mean? I mean you said you were tired of the job and that it wasnβt just because of Dad.β
Dean: βForget it.β
Sam: βNo I canβt. No wayβ
Dean: βCome on man, I thought we were both gonna die. You canβt hold that over me.β
Sam: βNo, no no no. You canβt pull that crap with me, man. Youβre talking.β
Dean: βWhat if I donβt?β
Sam: βThen I guess Iβll just have to keep asking until you do.β
Dean: βI donβt know, man. Just think maybe we oughtaβ¦visit the Grand Canyon.β
Sam: βWhat??β
Dean: βYou know, all this driving back and forth across the country, you know Iβve never been to the Grand Canyon? Or we could go to TJ. Or Hollywood, see if we can bang Lindsay Lohan.β
Sam: βYouβre not making any sense.β
Dean: βI just think we should take a break from all this. Why do we gotta get stuck with all this responsibility; why canβt we live life a little bit?β
Sam: βWhy are you saying all this?β Dean walks away. βNo no no no Dean, youβre my brother, alright? So whatever weight youβre carrying, let me help a little bit.β
Dean: βI canβt. I promised.β
Sam: βWho?β
Dean: βDad.β
Sam: βWhat are you talking about?β
Dean: βRight before Dad died, he told me something. Told me something about you.β
Sean: βWhat? Dean, what did he tell you?β
AND THEN THE EPISODE IS OVER!!!!!!!!!! HOLY SUSPENSE!
Overall thoughts:
I love that they tied what seemed to be a MOTW episode into the bigger storyline with the demon. And also, I really liked this episode even as a MOTW one. The idea of everyone turning on each other and then the whole town just vanishing is very creepy and cool.
Also I love the Sam and DeanΒ scene at the end, with Dean seemingly about to tell Sam what their father said to himΒ before he died. Talk about leaving us in suspense!
Lore:
-Demon; demonic plague??