Supernatural Season 4, Episode 3 recap: Dean meets his grandparents
For three years, Supernatural had been about two brothers hunting. In Supernatural Season 4, Episode 3, we finally got to meet more of the family.
Supernatural Season 4, Episode 3 expanded the Winchester brothers’ family tree. We got a trip to the past, thanks to Castiel, and met a Young Mary Campbell and Young John Winchester. Along with that, Dean met his grandparents and finally found out where the names Sam and Dean came from.
The Sam-light episode focused on the reason behind Sam’s powers and the curse set upon him by Azazel. Now it’s a moment that has helped create another world, but this moment became that moment we understood there was far more to come.
Castiel sends Dean to the past
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At the very beginning of Supernatural Season 4, Episode 3, titled “In the Beginning,” Sam goes to meet Ruby while Dean sleeps. It’s the perfect time for Castiel to literally drop in on Dean. With just the words “Stop it,” Castiel sends Dean to the past.
While Dean figures out where (and when) he is, we get a sense of Back to the Future. The use of the diner, the “Hey, Winchester,” and other Easter eggs make it clear the movie this episode was paying homage to.
Dean finds himself in 1973 Lawrence, Kansas. When in a diner, he finds out that he’s chatting to a young John Winchester, who is heading to a car lot to buy a VW van. Dean convinces John to get Baby instead, and we get the start of the Impala becoming a member of the family.
Meanwhile, Dean tries to get some information from John to figure out what he’s there to stop. It’s not like Dean can say too much, but drops enough hints to figure out that John hasn’t smelled sulfur or noticed strange things in the area.
When Dean meets Young Mary, he realizes that she’s a hunter. In fact, she comes from a line of hunters and Samuel Campbell, Dean’s grandfather, doesn’t trust other hunters one bit. Mary’s mother, Deanna, is a little more welcoming.
Learning about Azazel
While in the past, Dean learns about a widow, whose husband suddenly died. Samuel doesn’t want Dean on the case with him, but Dean turns up at the house anyway, forcing Samuel to work with him.
As the widow goes through the story, the widow’s son tells Mary about a deal he made with a yellow-eyed stranger. All the boy wanted was to stop the beatings that took place in the house and the yellow-eyed demon just wanted to come back and collect something in 10 years time. Dean realizes that this yellow-eyed stranger is Azazel.
Armed with that knowledge, Dean decides that he must be back to stop Azazel. That means he needs the Colt, but he also needs to know where Azazel will go next. Fortunately, John’s journal came through time with him and has the information.
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Mary wants to escape the hunter life
Just as Dean is about to leave, he tells Mary that he approves of John. That’s when Mary admits that she hates the hunter life and wants to escape. John is everything a hunter isn’t, which certainly surprising Dean.
Before he leaves, Dean tells Mary not to get out of bed on Nov. 2, 1983. She agrees, although doesn’t understand why Dean is saying this.
This is when Castiel reappears and tells Dean that if Dean stops himself and his brother becoming hunters, all the people they saved will die. This is reminiscent of “What Is and What Should Never Be” but with a slight twist. Instead of just wanting a normal life and his mom back, Dean now doesn’t want either of his parents to die. This is more than just a dream, but a real chance to save them.
Dean is able to steal the Colt from Daniel Elkins and then heads off to kill Azazel. However, Samuel and Mary have interrupted things and Azazel instantly takes a shine to Mary. The demon leaves his meatsuit before Dean can kill him.
Dean finally tells everyone the truth–that he’s from the future and Mary is going to die in 10 years time. Samuel, of course, doesn’t believe him. It does sound like a crazy story after all.
There’s another twist in Supernatural Season 4, Episode 3. Azazel has chosen Samuel has his next host and tells Dean everything that will happen in 10 years. He’ll use demon blood to make his special children. The endgame isn’t to get a leader for his demon army. There’s a bigger plan but before Azazel says anything, he stabs Samuel in the gut and breaks Deanna’s neck. Mary will be left without parents.
Mary makes the deal
With that over, Azazel goes in search of Mary and snaps John’s neck. With John and her parents gone, Mary decides to make the deal to bring John back. After all, Azazel needs John to create Sammy. Azazel even promises that nobody will get hurt as long as he’s not interrupted during the ritual.
They seal the deal and Dean turns up too late to kill Azazel. John is brought back to life, but Samuel is dead.
Castiel appears again and shares that Dean failed to change history. Back in the present day, Castiel explains that really Dean wasn’t to change anything. That was never the plan. Dean needed to learn the full truth about Sammy.
The angels know Azazel had a bigger endgame but don’t know what that is. The angels need Dean to crack that case. If Dean fails to save Sam, the angels will stop him.
What did you think of the trip to the past? How did you feel about the full backstory of the Winchesters and Sammy in Supernatural Season 4, Episode 3? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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