SUPERNATURAL – Yellow Fever

Okay, I don’t know if it’s even possible to contain all of the amazing moments of this episode within one modest review, so please forgive if I leave out one of your favourites. I know the scene (okay, it’s not technically a “scene”) that everyone can’t wait to discuss, as it was hands-down probably the best moment of Supernatural ever to air on television, but we’ll do as the show did, and save it for last. This week was another kick-ass episode in what is proving to be the strongest season of the show yet, and considering how great the first three were, that is a gigantic accomplishment. Kudos to everyone involved with this show – you have managed to prove that a series can last a while and only get fresher and more solid as time goes on.This week begins with the guys investigating the suspicious heart attacks of three young, healthy men. While investigating the deaths and getting up close and personal with one of the corpses, Dean becomes infected with a virus while Sam remains healthy. The duo discovers that it seems to spread to a certain type of person who is particularly vulnerable to infection. What type of person, you ask? Well, that would be dicks. Dean was none too happy to realize that his fear mongering and bullying ways had led him to this fate. Via phone calls with Bobby and their own research the boys determine that they’re dealing with a ghost sickness (great line delivery from Dean: “I don’t even know what that is”) and that the clock is ticking on Dean’s life – again.

An angry ghost causes this particular illness, and it infects its victims and causes them to become increasingly afraid until their hearts ultimately give out, roughly 48 hours from initial infection. The ghost is that of a very large and scary-looking, but also sweet and kitten-loving man named Luther who was gruesomely killed by the jealous husband of a female co-worker on whom he had a crush. His ghost haunts the abandoned lumber mill where he had worked and the episode starts when, some twenty years after his death, he infects the man who killed him. The disease ultimately kills the man, but not before he had spread it to a few friends, including his BFF, the town sheriff who had looked the other way when Luther was murdered. You could sense something was wrong with the sheriff from the get go, as he was coughing and using hand sanitizer like it was going out of style. Dean also became increasingly edgy throughout the course of the hour, to the point where I was starting to feel pretty anxious myself. They really managed to impart a twitchy, jumpy feeling that was catching to the viewer.

When Sam and Dean were chatting in their motel room, Dean, becoming increasingly erratic, suddenly coughed up a woodchip into the bathroom sink. Miraculously, this leads Sam to realize exactly what needs to be done. I can tell you right now that if I coughed up a woodchip out of the blue, it would never, ever occur to me to drive down to an abandoned lumber mill with an EMF detector and a couple of rifles – those Winchesters always know what to do! While searching through the mill, they come across a locker that clearly has something alive inside of it. When Sam pops the door open a cute little kitty jumps out and Dean screams a scream so bloodcurdling and so lady-like that I had to rewind about three times. I was doubled over laughing and it looked like Jensen Ackles was having a hard time keeping a straight face as well. I love SN for giving us moments of pure joy like this.

Sam and Dean had a great discussion where the now completely paranoid Dean goes on about how crazy their lives are and how insane they must be to live the way that they do (all true). After all, they search out things that want to kill them…or eat them. Bobby eventually showed up (yay!) to help the boys out and he and Sam came up with a great/terrible plan to save Dean. Sam and Bobby leave Dean in the motel while they go to execute the plan and Dean suffers some serious hallucinations and anxiety while alone and nearing the end of his 48-hour time limit. We learn via a hallucination of Lillith that Dean remembers every moment of hell and that the 4 months were like 40 years in hell-time. We also see one of his biggest fears come true as he has a vision of Sam with yellow eyes trying to strangle him and saying that he should return to hell (it was pretty chilling to see Sam in that form, no?).

Luckily the plan works in the nick of time and Dean does not perish (c’mon – did anyone really think he would?). At the end we see Dean and Sam talking about what Dean saw in what could have been his last moments. As Dean considers relaying the story he catches a glimpse of Sam and his eyes quickly flash yellow. Dean quickly comes up with visions of a roomful of howler monkeys to satisfy Sam’s curiosity, but oh my god, what the hell is going on?? They are clearly setting us up with small bits of information throughout the season in preparation for the big dramatic climax at the end and these little clues are reeling me right in. I cannot wait to see how it all plays out, but in the meantime I am a very happy camper to have some really fun situations and episodes to enjoy. Speaking of which…

The moment that has got to be the favourite moment of the episode, which wasn’t technically part of the episode – Jensen Ackles rocked out to about half of Eye of the Tiger while slithering around on the Impala and acting like he was filming a video in 1987. He had near-perfect lip-syching skills and he appeared to take it so seriously that you couldn’t help but smile ear-to-ear while watching it (it was a nice touch that we could hear audio of the crew laughing the whole while). I think I rewound this moment about five times – I could not stop laughing. Brilliant move, Mr. Ackles; the leg-guitar was an inspired touch. Now, how do us fans get to work on this show??

What were your favourite moments and lines of the night? Is there anyone who didn’t love the lip-synching at the end? What are your theories on the yellow eye flash?? Next week is an episode centered on Halloween, and if you’ve seen “A Very Supernatural Christmas” from season 3, you know that nobody does a holiday episode like this show does. I’ll see you back here next Friday to discuss!

— posted by Nicole

Nicole is a lawyer by day and will be GMMR’s resident Supernatural and Privileged expert this year. She lives just outside of Toronto, and as such, you’ll have to forgive Canadian spellings and maybe the occasional “eh” when they pop up in her reviews. Nicole is still in mourning over the loss of Arrested Development and desperately hoping that the movie happens soon. While she’s a lover of music and movies, television is near and dear to her heart and she’s really excited to be a part of the GMMR team!