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poorreputation · 5 years

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SPN 1X02 Wendigo Retrospective Meta

Tagging: @emblue-sparks @metafest @verobatto-angelxhunter @evvvissticante @dea-stiel @sudo-apt-get-destiel @wildligia

Summary (via IMDB) Sam and Dean make a stop at Blackwater Ridge and end up helping a young woman and her brother find their other brother, who mysteriously disappeared, while on a camping trip, in the woods.

Teleplay by: Eric Kripke

Story by: Ron Milbauer and Terri Hughes Burton

Directed by: David Nutter

Post under the cut:

Episode Notes:

Our first Then-Now segment.

November 2, 1983- This, combined with Jess' tragic death, establishes it's been 22 years between the Winchester's lives being ruined by fires. The Pilot, oddly enough, didn't make the significance of the dates clear. I chock it up to the Pilot having so many drafts. that some plot relevant stuff got lost in the shuffle.

And, now our title card has sound! The first time we see SPN's logo, it's completely silent. Again, constant tweaks between episodes.

Blackwater Ridge

Lost Creek, Colorado

We open on 3 people camping, as one dude calls his sister Haley to deliver exposition.

Of course they're being hunted in the woods, as the camera gives us a monster's eye view.

Haley's brother (still nameless) is reading when one of his friends is attacked. Now, knowing this production crew, there must be some significance to the book he's reading-

-it's Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Who, in this book, wrote of the Hero's Journey.

I- I'm, I can't, Kripke, no. It's only episode 2, slow down. Please. You're getting ahead of yourself.

Gary's fucked. Bye, Gary.

Palo Alto, California

Confirmed, Jess died on 11/2.

Sam expresses grief, and then regret, in not telling Jess the truth, as we're treated to a bad jump scare that only got me the first time.

Dean offering to let Sam drive, to get his mind off of things, asking how Sam's doing. Doesn't buy it when Sam shrugs it off.

To find Jess' killer, they have to find John, who is nowhere to be found.

Connecting the dots already between Mary and Jess.

Blackwater Ridge

Lost Creek, Colorado

A bunch of abandoned gold and silver mines, hmmm...

Haley sounds like a worried older sibling. I'm sure Dean can relate.

Sam assumes Dean wants to get in Haley's pants, while Sam just wants to find John as quickly as possible. Dean notes his brother's change in attitude to "shoot first and ask questions later".

Tommy's his name. Tommy Collins. Alright.

Oof, Haley's really the older sibling. Looks like there's a 2nd brother, too, that she's cooking for. Reminds me of flashbacks of younger Dean, providing for Sam. Haley's very observant, as well, asking for ID and noting Dean's unusual car.

Parents gone, only "two brothers and me", not "us three". Call it clunky writing, or call it Haley identifying herself not as her sibling's equal, but as the one in charge.

Dean connecting with Haley on her urgent need to find Tommy, "I think I know how you feel." At first, one would think he's just referring to John, but everything we've seen thus far from Haley screams as someone searching for a little sibling/feeling parental.

Haley shows Sam and Dean Tommy's last message (recorded on his fucking flip phone. Tommy would be the kind of person to use a go-pro or a selfie stick). Every 23 years. Alright, first off, I love how cryptic the Pilot was about the monster reveal, while here it's just 'Wendigo' in the title. Second, the similarity between the Wendigo and what John's ultimately hunting: a creature killing every 20 or so years. Maybe the slight difference of 22 years vs. 23 made John leave. Or, he figured out it was a Wendigo, and dumped the case on his kids without any heads-up.

Sam and Dean interview a Wendigo survivor from '59, someone who was so young when it happened, no one believed him. It all got swept under the rug as a Grizzly attack.

A little detail I'm noticing now; the Wendigo is vulnerable to fire, that's why it left the kid in '59 alive. The boy had fallen asleep in front of the cabin fireplace. And earlier, the Wendigo, just before killing Tommy's friend, hesitated at the sight of the campfire.

Sam and Dean figuring out the creature has to be corporeal, ruling out spirits and demons as potential culprits, means John probably knew, too. Knowing John's looking for the Yellow Eyed Demon this whole time...

Sam wants to tell Haley the truth to keep her from going into the woods, and Dean counters with this:

Dean: "Her brother's missing, Sam. She's not gonna just sit this out."

To further my point from before; the focus is on the worry a guardian would have for a dependent. Dean sees John as the man with all the answers. Dean relates to Haley not because his worries over John are equal to Haley's about Tommy, but because he's probably fretted over Sam the same way. An alternative, and equally valid point, though, would be Dean sympathizing with Haley over losing 'Family', as I brought up in 1X01, when Dean insists to Sam he's not only a Hunter, deep down, but a Winchester.

Sam: "Finding Dad's not enough? Now we gotta babysit, too?" (at the idea of Haley coming with them on the Hunt). The glare Dean gives in response to this shows how much Sam is missing the point.

The guy Haley hired is just trying to do his job. I used to be annoyed with him, but with this rewatch, I'm more annoyed at Dean. Dean's the one who insists they can't tell anyone their secret, and yet they (Sam and Dean) could've benefited from cooperating with Haley's group. It makes Dean come across as an arrogant know-it-all who dismisses the help of an expert despite being on such unfamiliar terrain.

We catch up with Tommy, who sees his friend get eaten. That's gonna need some therapy.

Dean starts sizing up the guide Haley hired, Roy, and Dean's doing the whole "Well, has anything ever hunted you back?" shtick. Right as Roy saves Dean's ass from a bear trap.

After Haley confronts Dean (who up to this point has just been giving Roy a hard time), he tells her part of the truth; he and Sam are really brothers, and they're looking for their father. Telling Haley this is the "most honest I've (Dean) been with a woman. Ever."

M&Ms as provisions. Of course, Dean. Only a 26 year old can get away with that.

Roy calls the group over to Tommy's campsite, which is wrecked.

Haley finds Tommy's phone. It must seem like any chance of getting in touch with her brother is gone for good. Dean comes up and assures her Tommy could still be alive. I'm sure Dean's felt this many times with John, especially now.

The Wendigo mimics a man's voice, lures everyone away, and takes the distraction as an opportunity to destroy/steal the group's supplies.

Putting it all together, Sam figures out it's a Wendigo. He tries to talk the group into going back to the cars, not giving the whole truth, and Roy's, rightfully, fed up. Think of it from Roy's perspective; these two actual babies come waltzing in, clearly lying about their government job, almost getting themselves caught in a bear trap, Sam and Dean must seem like a couple of walking disasters.

Poor Roy. Your greatest crime has been using logic.

Now, thiiis, referring to the Wendigo as not only a Hunter, but the perfect Hunter.

Dean: "Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy." Dean, you were pulling that shit with Roy, first. "Well, has anything ever hunted you back?" Having all the answers doesn't make you any less of a douche.

Sam and Dean come to the conclusion John has probably never set foot in Lost Creek. I still stand by the idea John checked it out, and then ruled it out. Sam and Dean have so little to go off of, in finding John, they're grasping at straws.

"Saving people, hunting things. The family business." Connecting what the Winchesters do as Hunters, and the Wendigo itself is the perfect Hunter. More on that, later...

Why doesn't John just call, play it to them straight? Because Sam won't listen to John, but he will listen to Dean, who's bought John's philosophy hook, line and sinker. And, John's so obsessed with revenge he sees nothing wrong with this.

The Wendigo once again tries to trick the group.

Bye, Roy.

It's the next day, and everyone left tries to regroup.

Sam and Dean fill Haley and her remaining brother in on Wendigos. Since the only instance of people being up in Lost Creek were miners, I'm guessing the Wendigo was a worker who got lost/trapped in a tunnel collapse with only their fellow miners to keep them company. And fed.

So, Wendigos are creatures who were once people, but give in to cannibalism. They then develop an insatiable hunger, but never turn wild; they're still very much Human.

Hi, Roy. Nice to see you're still hanging around.

Dean and Haley have been kidnapped, who could have ever seen this coming?

Dean's trail of M&Ms leads Sam and Haley's brother to an abandoned mine. Sam and the brother fall through the floor, finding the Wendigo's kitchen. They find Dean, Haley, as well as Tommy.

Dean volunteering himself as bait is tragically typical.

For once, Sam has to look up (at the Wendigo).

Okay, real quick, I appreciate the time and energy it took to make the Wendigo costume. For obvious budgetary reasons, SPN relies on monsters that conveniently look Human, so it's a real treat for the baddie to actually look monstrous.

Haley: "Must you cheapen the moment?" ladies, gents and distinguished individuals, this is Dean propositioning someone without saying a word and using only his facial expressions. People are gonna get confused over the next 14 seasons over Dean not verbalizing he wants to fuck, but I'm happy to say he's been doing it from the start. Bonus points is that Haley instead gives Dean a kiss on the cheek, which seems to fluster Dean, implying he wasn't actually expecting her to respond. Almost like Dean's putting up a front, or something.

Sam takes Dean up on his offer to drive, how sweet.

Post Episode Meta/Notes:

(These were all written during the episode, so if the flow feels weird, that's why. I just want to try sticking meta related stuff at the end)

(After Sam and Dean realize John was never in Lost Creek) Another thing, though, is this shows a similarity between John and Sam; with a 'bigger' hunt in mind, they're willing to let 'smaller' cases pass by. Call it selfish (it kinda is) call it what you will. Now, look at Dean. He may be arrogant, yes, but he can step into someone else's shoes and understand they need help. Haley's just gonna blunder into the Wendigo's clutches, otherwise. This is an example of, despite the separation of time, John and Sam have a lot in common.

(After going into the origins of the Wendigo) A person gives up their Humanity to become the perfect Hunter, but is forever consumed by hunger... for flesh, or revenge?

(After Dean and Haley get kidnapped) OH WAIT I'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG.

Roy is a stand-in for John. Older Hunter that's been at it for as long as Sam's been alive, acting condescendingly towards the younger Hunters, undermining their ability. Dean's giving Roy a hard time because he can't and won't say the same to John's face.

After that whole speech from Dean about all John knows being in his journal, and having that book bestowed upon him and Sam, it started to click for me.

That’s my take on 1X02 Wendigo! Thank you for reading, share your thoughts, and let me know if you wanna be tagged in my next meta on older Supernatural episodes! And, if you’re interested in more content about this particular episode, I have a post on both it and 14X16 Don’t Go in the Woods!

https://poorreputation.tumblr.com/post/183625991916/spn-14x16-dont-go-in-the-woods-meta?is_related_post=1

#SPN #S1 #1X02 #Wendigo #Meta #writers #writing

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