Rewatching 2-12 Nightshifter
It's time again! And I am so psyched. This is one of the most enjoyable episodes ever. Those heartache episodes we have gone through, those took time to really appreciate and love - for me - I tend to avoid pain as much as possible.... But this one has been a favorite from the very beginning.
Let's get started right away.
MUSIC LINK:"Renegade" by Styx (plays when the boys get into the car at the end of the episode in their SWAT outfits)
So we have the same sort of beginning as the Usual Suspects - forward in time to where Dean's face is all over the news.
Then, back to the start - the boys as FBI agents investigating the jewelry store robbery and murder. Dean is working his magic on the girl -
Dean:Yeah. Well, thanks, Frannie, I think that's all I need.
Frannie: Really? Because I've got more. You know, if you wanted to interview me sometime. In private?
Dean:Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a good idea. You're a true patriot, you really are. Why don't you write your number down there for me, that'd be good.
- while Sam talks with the manager - his hair slick and back (getting kind of long aye?!)
Sam:So you never saw the security camera footage yourself, then?
Manager:No. The police, they took all the tapes, first thing.
Then we have another funny scene with Dean complaining about how the cops are doing their jobs and they suck at it - then they are at Ronald's. It seems he was the one who let the friend/shifter in to rob the bank he worked at. Ronald has bright lights at his porch to check for "laser eyes" before letting anyone in.
(Does Ronald remind you of a cranky paranoid old man in Season 7? )
When they go in, they are met with a wall of research, like what they might have put up, except Ron has gone the way of aliens and robots instead of monsters and demons.
I think Dean likes him right away. Especially when Ron shows him the tapes and talks about suspecting that the must have used the sewers. Excellent deductions and research ... except for the Mandroid part.... I think Dean might have actually gone the way of telling Ron the truth. He could have taken it and it would have eased his mind. And maybe that's what he thought Sam would do when he stood up. But, no. Sam completely denies that anything that Ron said is true, that there is no such thing as "mandroids" and the laser eyes are just a camera flare. He's very cold and harsh - probably just trying to disuade Ron and make him believe that there was nothing there.
That's Dean's face while Sam is talking...
In their talk later, Dean tells Sam how surprised he was that Sam would act that way to Ron.
Sam:What are you, pissed at me or something?
Woa! Why so touchy? Dean choosing his words carefully to try to say it nicely -
Dean:Nah, I just think it's a little creepy how good of a Fed you are. I mean, come on, we could have at least thrown the guy a bone. He did some pretty good legwork here.
Sam:Mandroid?
Dean:Except for the mandroid part. I liked him. He's not that different from you or me. People think we're crazy.
Sam:Yeah, except he's not a hunter, Dean. He's just a guy who stumbled onto something real. If he were to go up against this thing he'd get torn apart. Better to stay in the dark, and stay alive.
So this conversation is quite important in my mind. Until now, Sam has not really gone out of his way to lie to people who have sort of suspected the truth. Of course Sam has always wished he could have stayed innocent and felt strongly that it is people's innocence they are protecting by being hunters but in previous instances, he has been the one to say, "you're not crazy." Remember Ava, or Sarah, or well, any other person they've come across who has come in contact with something supernatural. He never lied before. What is with Sam? Which is when we have to go back and remember Playthings (this is why it is important to rewatch all the episodes aye?) and even before that, Hunted. Sam has just found out dad's instructions to Dean, then the YED's supposed plans for him and in Playthings got all drunk and told Dean to please kill him if he ever became something he was not. He also tells Dean in Playthings that he wants to save as many people as possible so that somehow that destiny might be reversed. I can't help but think that Sam's attitude here shows his mixed up feelings after all that. And I think the way Dean handles it kind of shows Dean is feeling the sensitive situation as well. So I wonder... if they HAD told Ron, and then told him they would take care of it, maybe bringing him updates and making sure he felt that he was playing an important role just by giving them the info, maybe he wouldn't have ended up like he did. If Sam hadn't made him feel like Sam thought he was crazy - that no one was listening to him or believing him. I think it is a definite possibility. Do you think maybe the writers are trying to show that despite Sam's wish to "save" as many people as possible, he was maybe trying too hard and it was all backfiring? I mean, Ava. All he wanted to do was keep her safe... and now Ron. VERY interesting.
OK, off the tangent, back to the story.
They go to the bank that seems the next likely target - it's just an educated guess here, they are not sure aye? And we get to see a second uniform on the boys... that of security camera inspectors I guess. They are there to check the cameras for the "laser eyes." This scene is also quite entertaining. Dean enjoying the Okie-dokie by the security guard (oh, that's the one who almost has a heart attack later aye?!) and telling Sam matter-of-factly that if he ends up being the shapeshifter they will put a silver bullet in him...
Finding he is clean... "Looks like Mr. Okie-dokie is Okie-dokie!" (Every time I say those words, I remember this scene!) Dean starting to look for behinds instead of looking for the eyes... but they finally find that the shapeshifter is using the form of the Bank Manager and Sam gets ready to leave, when Dean sees Ron bolting the doors and taking over. Just great...
Dean:Hello Ronald.
As they go to try to reason with Ron, Dean tells Sam to be quiet and let him handle Ron, since Ron probably doesn't like Sam very much at this point... (It's coming back to bite you Sam). I love the way Dean has a hidden silver blade in his sock. They see it go down what... a shredding machine? Tsk.
Ron: I don't like you!!
Sorry, gotta include these too...!
Dean tells Ron to take him as hostage, and they go to the bank manager's office I guess. Ron finds the shed skin of the shapeshifter and when Dean explains what it is, everything clicks with Ron and he puts his complete trust in Dean. He tells Dean how relieved he is to find that he is not crazy. That he was on the right track... "except for the mandroid thing... thank you." He thanks Dean for the truth. But the mistake has already been made. Ron is here and has made a situation which could have been dealt with quietly by Sam and Dean in to a serious mess. When Dean gets Sam out and explains the situation, Sam is angry at Ron. Calls him crazy and is not happy that Dean leaves him with Ron to take care of him. That unhappy face! It's like a little boy being forced to play with a girl for an afternoon...!
Sam: Hi, Ron.
OK, I think I'm going to go back here and mention that I enjoyed the teller telling Sam what a hero Dean is etc. and again, Sam's expressions - I guess he gets that a lot from girls crushing on Dean. His first expressions are kind of ... tolerant. But this face at the end is even more interesting
It kind of shows his worry for the situation so out of control and maybe for Dean who is wanted by the police and FBI and here has been forced into Ron's crazy plan.
As Dean is off finding the shapeshifter, Sam is staying with Ron. Dean finds the dark skinned man dead and stashed in the ceiling and comes back. Mr. Okie-dokie is having what looks like a heart attack and the shapeshifter is insisting they take him out - hoping to get out some how himself. Sam takes the security guard from him and Dean calls the shapeshifter out to "talk," when he is dashed into the wall and the shapeshifter takes off. He goes past Sam and Ron and Ron goes out into the light to try to shoot him and ... We can see Sam shouting "get down!" - but no voice.
Dean and Sam both watch Ron with horror from their separate hiding places.
Then we see that teaser scene again... with Dean at the entrance to the bank. He locks the door behind him again, saying, "We are so screwed." We are not in chronological order here because the next scene is Dean back with Sam behind another wall. Together, panting and trying to figure out what to do.
Sam:Here. Take care of the guard. I'm going after the shifter.
Dean takes the rifle from Ron, telling him, "Sorry, Ron. You did a real good job tracking this thing, you really did. " and heads to the guard and the entrance. (What's a guard with heart problems doing being a guard in the first place? ...)
Meanwhile, the hostages are leaving the vault, thinking I guess that since the bank robber/crazy guy has been shot, they can now be free. Sam catches the teller and several others and leads them back to the vault. He then finds what looks to be the real teller with a slash through her neck, on the floor in one of the offices. He goes to tell Dean.
During this time, Dean is having his little chat with none other than Henriksen - our future beloved and sorely missed FBI agent who is just out to catch Dean. Quite a funny scene as he tells the cop, "There's a monster in that bank, Roberts." Yes, but not the kind of monster you think aye? Anyway, Henriksen says some things about Dean and dad that Dean doesn't like. He also tells him they are coming in for Sam and Dean and they are not averse to killing them. Great.
Sam and Dean then take the supposed shapeshifter (the teller - Sherry) to show it the evidence - good thing they did, instead of just killing her. This is again a hilarious scene - the teller fainting at the sight of her body on the floor! Dean's like, alright, this makes it easy and is about to stab her through the heart when Sam stops him (thank God!)
I guess the shapeshifter had a chance to touch her or something and copy her likeness for that stunt somewhere along the way. When you think about it, falling to the floor out of the locker like that is pretty good acting. Impressive shapeshifter. Wait... I wonder if that's what the shapeshifter did for all those other suicides too, or if those were the actual people killed... Anyway, as soon as it senses that it's in danger, the shapeshifter opens it's eyes and attacks Dean. Sam leaves Dean to it and gets the real teller out of the room where she is eventually picked up by the swat team.
Then we have Sam kicking ass to get them some outfits and Dean getting rid of the shapeshifter...
And they are gone, two swat members left naked and tied on the floor in a storage room.
I love Henrikson's face here! Looks like he is damn impressed.
And, now if you want to go back and click on that link again...
Let's get started right away.
MUSIC LINK:"Renegade" by Styx (plays when the boys get into the car at the end of the episode in their SWAT outfits)
So we have the same sort of beginning as the Usual Suspects - forward in time to where Dean's face is all over the news.
Then, back to the start - the boys as FBI agents investigating the jewelry store robbery and murder. Dean is working his magic on the girl -
Dean:Yeah. Well, thanks, Frannie, I think that's all I need.
Frannie: Really? Because I've got more. You know, if you wanted to interview me sometime. In private?
Dean:Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a good idea. You're a true patriot, you really are. Why don't you write your number down there for me, that'd be good.
- while Sam talks with the manager - his hair slick and back (getting kind of long aye?!)
Sam:So you never saw the security camera footage yourself, then?
Manager:No. The police, they took all the tapes, first thing.
Then we have another funny scene with Dean complaining about how the cops are doing their jobs and they suck at it - then they are at Ronald's. It seems he was the one who let the friend/shifter in to rob the bank he worked at. Ronald has bright lights at his porch to check for "laser eyes" before letting anyone in.
(Does Ronald remind you of a cranky paranoid old man in Season 7? )
When they go in, they are met with a wall of research, like what they might have put up, except Ron has gone the way of aliens and robots instead of monsters and demons.
I think Dean likes him right away. Especially when Ron shows him the tapes and talks about suspecting that the must have used the sewers. Excellent deductions and research ... except for the Mandroid part.... I think Dean might have actually gone the way of telling Ron the truth. He could have taken it and it would have eased his mind. And maybe that's what he thought Sam would do when he stood up. But, no. Sam completely denies that anything that Ron said is true, that there is no such thing as "mandroids" and the laser eyes are just a camera flare. He's very cold and harsh - probably just trying to disuade Ron and make him believe that there was nothing there.
That's Dean's face while Sam is talking...
In their talk later, Dean tells Sam how surprised he was that Sam would act that way to Ron.
Sam:What are you, pissed at me or something?
Woa! Why so touchy? Dean choosing his words carefully to try to say it nicely -
Dean:Nah, I just think it's a little creepy how good of a Fed you are. I mean, come on, we could have at least thrown the guy a bone. He did some pretty good legwork here.
Sam:Mandroid?
Dean:Except for the mandroid part. I liked him. He's not that different from you or me. People think we're crazy.
Sam:Yeah, except he's not a hunter, Dean. He's just a guy who stumbled onto something real. If he were to go up against this thing he'd get torn apart. Better to stay in the dark, and stay alive.
So this conversation is quite important in my mind. Until now, Sam has not really gone out of his way to lie to people who have sort of suspected the truth. Of course Sam has always wished he could have stayed innocent and felt strongly that it is people's innocence they are protecting by being hunters but in previous instances, he has been the one to say, "you're not crazy." Remember Ava, or Sarah, or well, any other person they've come across who has come in contact with something supernatural. He never lied before. What is with Sam? Which is when we have to go back and remember Playthings (this is why it is important to rewatch all the episodes aye?) and even before that, Hunted. Sam has just found out dad's instructions to Dean, then the YED's supposed plans for him and in Playthings got all drunk and told Dean to please kill him if he ever became something he was not. He also tells Dean in Playthings that he wants to save as many people as possible so that somehow that destiny might be reversed. I can't help but think that Sam's attitude here shows his mixed up feelings after all that. And I think the way Dean handles it kind of shows Dean is feeling the sensitive situation as well. So I wonder... if they HAD told Ron, and then told him they would take care of it, maybe bringing him updates and making sure he felt that he was playing an important role just by giving them the info, maybe he wouldn't have ended up like he did. If Sam hadn't made him feel like Sam thought he was crazy - that no one was listening to him or believing him. I think it is a definite possibility. Do you think maybe the writers are trying to show that despite Sam's wish to "save" as many people as possible, he was maybe trying too hard and it was all backfiring? I mean, Ava. All he wanted to do was keep her safe... and now Ron. VERY interesting.
OK, off the tangent, back to the story.
They go to the bank that seems the next likely target - it's just an educated guess here, they are not sure aye? And we get to see a second uniform on the boys... that of security camera inspectors I guess. They are there to check the cameras for the "laser eyes." This scene is also quite entertaining. Dean enjoying the Okie-dokie by the security guard (oh, that's the one who almost has a heart attack later aye?!) and telling Sam matter-of-factly that if he ends up being the shapeshifter they will put a silver bullet in him...
Finding he is clean... "Looks like Mr. Okie-dokie is Okie-dokie!" (Every time I say those words, I remember this scene!) Dean starting to look for behinds instead of looking for the eyes... but they finally find that the shapeshifter is using the form of the Bank Manager and Sam gets ready to leave, when Dean sees Ron bolting the doors and taking over. Just great...
Dean:Hello Ronald.
As they go to try to reason with Ron, Dean tells Sam to be quiet and let him handle Ron, since Ron probably doesn't like Sam very much at this point... (It's coming back to bite you Sam). I love the way Dean has a hidden silver blade in his sock. They see it go down what... a shredding machine? Tsk.
Ron: I don't like you!!
Sorry, gotta include these too...!
Dean tells Ron to take him as hostage, and they go to the bank manager's office I guess. Ron finds the shed skin of the shapeshifter and when Dean explains what it is, everything clicks with Ron and he puts his complete trust in Dean. He tells Dean how relieved he is to find that he is not crazy. That he was on the right track... "except for the mandroid thing... thank you." He thanks Dean for the truth. But the mistake has already been made. Ron is here and has made a situation which could have been dealt with quietly by Sam and Dean in to a serious mess. When Dean gets Sam out and explains the situation, Sam is angry at Ron. Calls him crazy and is not happy that Dean leaves him with Ron to take care of him. That unhappy face! It's like a little boy being forced to play with a girl for an afternoon...!
Sam: Hi, Ron.
OK, I think I'm going to go back here and mention that I enjoyed the teller telling Sam what a hero Dean is etc. and again, Sam's expressions - I guess he gets that a lot from girls crushing on Dean. His first expressions are kind of ... tolerant. But this face at the end is even more interesting
It kind of shows his worry for the situation so out of control and maybe for Dean who is wanted by the police and FBI and here has been forced into Ron's crazy plan.
As Dean is off finding the shapeshifter, Sam is staying with Ron. Dean finds the dark skinned man dead and stashed in the ceiling and comes back. Mr. Okie-dokie is having what looks like a heart attack and the shapeshifter is insisting they take him out - hoping to get out some how himself. Sam takes the security guard from him and Dean calls the shapeshifter out to "talk," when he is dashed into the wall and the shapeshifter takes off. He goes past Sam and Ron and Ron goes out into the light to try to shoot him and ... We can see Sam shouting "get down!" - but no voice.
Dean and Sam both watch Ron with horror from their separate hiding places.
Then we see that teaser scene again... with Dean at the entrance to the bank. He locks the door behind him again, saying, "We are so screwed." We are not in chronological order here because the next scene is Dean back with Sam behind another wall. Together, panting and trying to figure out what to do.
Sam:Here. Take care of the guard. I'm going after the shifter.
Dean takes the rifle from Ron, telling him, "Sorry, Ron. You did a real good job tracking this thing, you really did. " and heads to the guard and the entrance. (What's a guard with heart problems doing being a guard in the first place? ...)
Meanwhile, the hostages are leaving the vault, thinking I guess that since the bank robber/crazy guy has been shot, they can now be free. Sam catches the teller and several others and leads them back to the vault. He then finds what looks to be the real teller with a slash through her neck, on the floor in one of the offices. He goes to tell Dean.
During this time, Dean is having his little chat with none other than Henriksen - our future beloved and sorely missed FBI agent who is just out to catch Dean. Quite a funny scene as he tells the cop, "There's a monster in that bank, Roberts." Yes, but not the kind of monster you think aye? Anyway, Henriksen says some things about Dean and dad that Dean doesn't like. He also tells him they are coming in for Sam and Dean and they are not averse to killing them. Great.
Sam and Dean then take the supposed shapeshifter (the teller - Sherry) to show it the evidence - good thing they did, instead of just killing her. This is again a hilarious scene - the teller fainting at the sight of her body on the floor! Dean's like, alright, this makes it easy and is about to stab her through the heart when Sam stops him (thank God!)
I guess the shapeshifter had a chance to touch her or something and copy her likeness for that stunt somewhere along the way. When you think about it, falling to the floor out of the locker like that is pretty good acting. Impressive shapeshifter. Wait... I wonder if that's what the shapeshifter did for all those other suicides too, or if those were the actual people killed... Anyway, as soon as it senses that it's in danger, the shapeshifter opens it's eyes and attacks Dean. Sam leaves Dean to it and gets the real teller out of the room where she is eventually picked up by the swat team.
Then we have Sam kicking ass to get them some outfits and Dean getting rid of the shapeshifter...
And they are gone, two swat members left naked and tied on the floor in a storage room.
I love Henrikson's face here! Looks like he is damn impressed.
And, now if you want to go back and click on that link again...