Supernatural Station

Dream a Little Dream of Me

Supernatural Season 3, episode #10.
Airdate: Thursday Feb 7, 2008.
Written by Sera Gamble & Cathryn Humphris.
Directed By Steve Boyum.

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• Synopsis: Click here to read the episode summary.

  Dean gets a call from a doctor in Pittsburgh about Bobby who is hospitalized and in a coma. The Winchesters drive to the hospital where they learn that the doctor is stumped about what caused Bobby’s state. After some investigation, they find that Bobby’s coma is being induced by someone capable of manipulating dreams. To save Bobby, the brothers take a powerful dreamwalking herb that they acquire from Bella. With it they enter Bobby’s dreams where Dean finds Bobby being tortured by guilt over killing his possessed wife. There, Sam also encounters another dreamwalker, the person responsible for Bobby’s condition. Dean manages to persuade Bobby to wake up, pulling all three them from his nightmare.

  From his hospital bed, Bobby admits that he became a victim of the dreamwalker because he foolishly accepted beer from one of the subjects in an experimental dream study. Dean too admits that he accepted a beer from Jeremy while interviewing him. Dean is forced to stay awake for two days trying to avoid a dream-based attack. Finally exhausted, he pulls over the Impala and decides to risk sleeping. Sam insists on accompanying him into his dreams despite Dean’s protests.

  In Dean’s dream, the brothers get separated. Dean ends up facing his worst nightmare, himself, and Sam is confronted by Jeremy and impaled to the ground in a crucification like manner. But Sam has also acquired dreamwalking ability from using the herb and he turns the table on the dreamwalker. Sam summons Jeremy’s worst nightmare, his abusive father. This distracts him, causing Sam’s release. Sam then attacks and kills Jeremy, ending Dean’s nightmare.

  Later, the brothers learn from Bobby that Bella had lied to them about her reason for helping them. Suspecting the worst, they check the motel room safe and discover that the demon-killing colt has been stolen. An angry Dean declares that he is going to hunt Bella down. The End.

• Praises: Now this is more like it. At last, a great episode of Supernatural with some laughs, some angst (from Dean), and some fighting. There was even a little classic rock thrown in. The only thing missing was some good scary moments. The acting was top notch, the story was even better, and the special effects pretty good. I found myself really enjoying some parts. I got a good laugh over the scene where Sam wakes up from an erotic dream about Bella and has to stay seated when she walks into the room. Jared is such a natural at physical comedy and he plays the embarrassed, awkward geek so well. Dean also elicited a laugh from me when he asked Sam if he was dreaming about Angelina Jolie and, when Sam said no, asked if it was Brad Pitt. But this episode was no comedy. It included a touching scene between Dean and a nightmare-distracted Bobby: when Dean blurted out “you’re like a father to me” and that immediately snapped Bobby out of his nightmare trance. This episode made me realize that Dean and Bobby are much closer than I thought, though neither will ever demonstrate that outwardly. When Sam turned the tables on Jeremy in Dean’s dream, that came a little too easily and too powerfully for just a first effort, and that made it scary. As Bobby brought up, this may be a sign of Sam’s demon-linked abilities resurfacing. This episode also had hidden subtleties just for us fans. The symbolism of Sam being pinned to the ground in a crucification like manner was notable. Is this a hint that Sam believes he is what Gordon thinks, the anti-christ? I hope not. This episode was a welcome reminder of why I love Supernatural so much.

• Nags: I can't believe Dean still thinks his daddy didn't love him, that his daddy actually preferred Sam. The man gave his life for Dean…come on! If that doesn't prove that he was loved, then nothing can. There is something about the scene between Dean and demon-Dean that just did not gel with me. Maybe it was how hard he was on his Dad…the Dean we know worshiped his father. I honestly can't see him expressing hatred for him even in his subconscious. I hope Kripke isn't planning to change Dean's personality too much. Dean's capacity to love others more than he loves himself is what makes him a true hero. His willingness to sacrifice himself to save a complete stranger like he actually did in season one's “Nightmare”, is why we we fans adore him. Dean must remain the humble man he is (with the exception of his looks, that is) to remain a hero.

• My Rating: Great episode. 4 out of 5 stars.

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