Supernatural recap: Why does Sam hate Halloween so much?

Supernatural got nostalgic in Season 14, Episode 4. Bringing the 80s horror movies to life, check out what happened in the Halloween special.

This was one of the Supernatural Season 14 episodes that I looked forward to the most. Episode 4, titled “Mint Condition,” brought us everything 80s nostalgia for a Halloween special. Did it live up to expectations? Check out the recap to find out.

Let’s be clear, the show didn’t keep the monster of the week a secret. Even the “Then” focused on spirits, both vengeful and violent, making it clear this should be a spirit.

The monster attacks

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We start off with a guy who owns a comic store, decked out with plenty of horror nostalgia. Freddy Kreuger, Jason Voorhees(who didn’t turn up despite the teasing), and Hatchetman. This guy is a passionate fan (we get that, right?) who knows his stuff and will always argue for his beliefs, but it’s clear his passion could be detrimental to the business.

At home, his toys start coming to life. This is one creepy version of Toy Story.

Meanwhile, Dean is busy…watching Hatchetman and eating pizza. He’s struggling to deal with the strangers in the bunker. However, it’s clear that he’s trying to deal with everything that’s happened and live some sort of normal life. Once he learns one of the Thundercats attacked a guy from a now-beardless Sam, he is totally on the case.

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The Winchesters pretend to be insurance agents to talk to the guy, Stuart. They find his business owner, who shares that Stuart is definitely an acquired taste, and the Winchesters know that this could be a reason for the attack. When they find out he now lives with his mom, they pay him a visit to find out that now claims he made the video up.

What are they dealing with? The first thought is a witch. A spell to bring toys to life would make sense.

Figuring out the monster of the week

While staking out the house, Stuart rushes out covered in blood, crying for help. As Sam helps Stuart, Dean goes into the house and sees the post for Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Sure enough, a chainsaw starts up and is floating in midair before being thrown at Dean. He gets out of the way, but this is certainly their case.

At the hospital, Dean shares that the EMF went off like crazy. This is definitely a ghost but why is it attacking Stuart? Sam heads back to the house to find out.

The place becomes a typical 80s horror movie. The lights don’t work, there’s creepy music (okay, Sam can’t hear that), and there are jump scares around. What he does find is a photo of Stuart and the two people they’d previously seen at the shop, along with another guy. Obviously, he wants to know who the older guy is.

Back at the hospital, Dean starts chatting to one Stuart’s friends, Dirk. They immediately click over their mutual love for horror movies, where we get more of an insight into Dean’s love for movies and Halloween–growing up was lonely and the movies made it better.

Dealing with the spirit

Sam finds out that Jordan was the guy in the photo and the original owner of the business. Once Sam learns that Stuart wasn’t one of those left the business when Jordan died and Samantha hired Stuart back (Jordan had fired him twice), it’s clear who the ghost is and why the ghost is attacking. Jordan isn’t happy that Stuart was hired back and now all three friends are in danger.

Hatchetman comes to life and Sam and Samantha end up trapped in the store with shatterproof glass. When Dean finds out, he couldn’t be more excited. This is his chance to face off against one of his favorite horror killers. However, he does make sure Stuart and Dirk stay safe with a salt circle.

Why is Jordan attacking Stuart now? Well, Stuart is still stealing. Samantha keeps taking money from Stuart’s paychecks, but the ghost hasn’t realized that. To Spirit Jordan, Stuart is still a thief and needs to be stopped. Sam needs to get out to stop the spirit so makes a homemade bomb (in a Scooby Doo lunchbox) to blow up one of the doors.

Of course, Dirk doesn’t listen to Dean’s warning. When Hatchetman/Jordan shows up, Dirk decides to lure him away from Stuart. In this moment, we get more 80s horror nostalgia, as the security guards are too busy watching a horror and eating popcorn instead of watching the security cameras. Dirk runs down the hallways calling for help, just like the girl in the movie.

Fortunately, Sam and Samantha make it to the hospital as Dean and Dirk face off against Hatchetman. Burning Jordan’s Batman keychain, they’re able to destroy the ghost and all victims get to live through an episode. That definitely isn’t anything like the 80s horrors.

Will the case put Dean off the horror movies? Most definitely not!

Sam’s hatred for Halloween

Throughout the episode, Dean wants to find out why Sam hates Halloween. At first, Sam tries to pull it off that every day is like Halloween for them, but that’s clearly not the only reason.

After telling Dean to stop blaming himself for Michael’s actions and that Dean needs to stop hiding in his room, Sam finally admits the truth. We can blame Andrea Howl, a girl Sam had a crush on in 6th Grade. When he went to her Halloween party, they started playing bobbing for apples and Sam threw up all over Andrea.

Of course, a Halloween episode with 80s nostalgia can’t possibly end like a normal Supernatural episode. When a security guard walks into the morgue at the hospital, the lights flicker and he finds the Hatchetman figurine on the floor. We finish with Hatchetman saying “trick or treat.”

What did you think of the 80s nostalgia? Did you spot all the subtle nods to horror? What did you think of Sam’s reasons for hating Halloween? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Supernatural airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.