Recap of Supernatural
Season 1, Episode 21:
Salvation
It starts in Arizona, then New Jersey, California. Houses burned down to the ground. It's going after families, just like it went after us.
Dean: [to Sam] I mean it. If hunting this demon means you getting yourself killed—then I hope we never find the damn thing.
Written by Sera Gamble and Raelle Tucker.
Directed by Robert Singer.
Airdate: April 27, 2006.
John Winchester has tracked the demon to Salvation, Iowa
. He and his sons are determined to kill the demon and save the mother of a six-month-old infant.
Sam, Dean, and John make plans to kill the demon who killed Mary Winchester after tracking his movements to Salvation, Iowa, where they think he will target another mother of a six-month-old child. Sam has a premonition that gives them a chance to save the Holt family from the same tragedy the Winchesters suffered. But before they have a chance to confront the demon, Meg starts murdering the Winchesters' friends and allies and demands that they turn over the Colt if they want her to stop. John agrees to meet Meg in Lincoln, leaving his sons to deal with the demon using the real Colt. John tries to pass off another antique gun as the Colt, but Meg's associate, Tom, shoots her and reveals that the gun is a fake, and John is captured. Sam and Dean are able to rescue the mother and the infant Rosie Holt, but the Yellow-Eyed Demon escapes.
Body count:
For this episode = 2 humans (both hunters and close friends of the Winchesters).For the series so far = At least 140 humans; 11 ghosts; 3 vampires; 1 god; 1 rawhead; 1 shapeshifter; 1 shtriga; 1 wendigo.
Tropes appearing in this episode:
- All Up to You:John: Been waiting a long time for this fight. Now it's here, I'm not gonna be in it. It's up to you boys now. It's your fight, you finish this. You finish what I started. Understand? [hands Dean the Colt]
- And Your Little Dog, Too!:Meg: Oh, John, please, mind your blood pressure. So, this is the thing. We're going to keep doing what we're doing. And your friends, anyone who has ever helped you, gave you shelter, anyone you ever loved. They'll all die unless you give us that gun.
- Badass Preacher: Pastor Jim Murphy.
- Big Bad: Azazel, Meg, and Tom, with the former targeting another child for his plans and almost killing her mother, and the latter two killing friends of John to obtain the Colt.
- Black Eyes of Evil: Meg.
- Break the Fake: When John hands over the Colt, the other demon shoots Meg with it to prove that it's a fake.
- Confessional: Meg pretends to ask for forgiveness from Pastor Jim in the teaser.Meg: Well, I've lied...a lot. I've stolen. I've lusted. And the other day I met this man—a nice guy, you know? And we had a really good chat...sort of like this. [pause] Then I slit his throat and ripped his heart out through his chest. [blinks; her eyes go black] Does that make me a bad person?
- Continuity Nod:
- This is the third appearance of the deer's head, previously seen at the Escanabe Motel in Saginaw, Michigan in "Nightmare" (S01, E14) and at Kugel's Keg in Hibbing, Minnesota in "The Benders" (S01, E15).
- We see the Dell Inspiron laptop sporting the logo for Cove Bikes. The laptop was previously seen in "Hook Man" (S01, E07), "Asylum" (S01, E10), "Faith" (S01, E12), "Hell House" (S01, E17), "Provenance" (S01, E19), and "Dead Man's Blood" (S01, E20).
- Dean mentions the messages that they left on John's voicemail in "Home" (S01, E09) and "Faith" (S01, E12).
- Sam mentions that the last time they saw Meg, in "Shadow" (S01, E16), she fell out of a window.
- Death Seeker: Strangely enough, it is Dean who argues there is something Worth Living For: family.
- John:John: I just...I just need to buy a few hours, that's all.
- Sam:Dean: No! It's burning to the ground; it's suicide.Sam: I don't care!Dean: I do!
- John:
- Devil in Disguise: The Winchesters discover that Meg is a demon.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: While hearing "Carry On Wayward Son" over the Road So Far isn't out of place for this show, hearing it in an episode that isn't the Season Finale is.
- Also the Winchesters seem unsure whether or not Meg herself is a demon or if she is merely possessed by one. Though we soon find out it's the latter, all other demons we see need to possess a human to appear as anything other than black smoke.
- Justified, as this is the first time they have to deal with this sort of thing.
- Also the Winchesters seem unsure whether or not Meg herself is a demon or if she is merely possessed by one. Though we soon find out it's the latter, all other demons we see need to possess a human to appear as anything other than black smoke.
-
Edited for Syndication: "Carry On Wayward Son" is removed from The Road So Far section of this episode on Netflix. - Electromagnetic Demons: Static on the radio and flickering lights before the Yellow-Eyed Demon arrives.
- Evil Plan: While we still do not understand the details, it is clear that the demons are organized and working towards a specific goal. This contrasts with the first description of demons in "Phantom Traveler" (S01, E04) as Always Chaotic Evil doing things For the Evulz.
- Expecting Someone Taller:Meg: I can see where your boys get their good looks. Though, I must admit, considering what they say about you, I thought you'd be...taller.
- Fakin' MacGuffin
- Gas Leak Cover-Up: Contemplated by the boys to get the Holts out of the house where they know the Yellow-Eyed Demon will be. Dismissed and lampshaded in the process:Sam: Maybe we could tell 'em there's a gas leak. Might get 'em out of the house for a few hours.Dean: Yeah, and how many times has that actually worked for us?Sam: Yeah. [thinks some more] We could always tell 'em the truth.[skeptical pause]Dean and Sam: Nah.
- Holy Burns Evil: Rosary and a blessing converts the water in the tanks at the warehouse into holy water, which burns demons like acid.
- Hollywood Apocrypha: The sign seen as they enter Salvation says "Are you ready for Judgement Day? JW 2:27". This book and verse do not actually exist in The Bible.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: Dean and Sam stay in Iowa to protect the Holt family while John goes to Nebraska to confront Meg.
- Major Injury Underreaction: Meg's reaction to getting shot with the Colt? Get mad. Justified—she's a demon and the Colt's a fake.Meg: You shot me! I can't believe you just shot me!
- Meaningful Name: The fictional town of Salvation.Pastor Jim: I like to say salvation was created for sinners.
- Mind over Matter: A standard demon power.
- John is flung against the wall and then slides up the wall under the power of Meg's associate.
- Monica Holt is also flung against the wall and slides up the wall to the ceiling.
- No One Could Survive That!:Sam: Last time I saw you, you fell out of a window.Meg: Yeah, no thanks to you. That really hurt my feelings, by the way.Sam: Just your feelings? That was a seven-story drop.
- One Bullet Left: Of the 13 bullets made by Samuel Colt, 5 are left in the case when Elkins opens it. One of these is used to kill Luther in "Dead Man's Blood" (S01, E20) and another is used in this episode when Sam shoots at the Yellow-Eyed Demon in the nursery.
- Outrun the Fireball: The nursery at the Holt home.
- Poor Communication Kills: John finds out about Sam's visions and is upset they hadn't told him, but Dean doesn't let him get away with this.John: Alright, something like this starts happening to your brother, you pick up the phone and you call me.Dean: Call you? Are you kidding me? Dad, I called you from Lawrence, alright? Sam called you when I was dying. I mean, getting you on the phone—I got a better chance of winning the lottery.
- Portent of Doom: Conveniently, there are clues before the fires caused by the demon.
- Demons Kill Cattle: Cattle deaths.
- Ghostly Chill: Temperature fluctuations.
- A Storm Is Coming: Electrical storms.
- Pstandard Psychic Pstance: Sam grabs his head in pain when the visions come.
- Recurring Riff: "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas plays for the first time during the The Road So Far. It will play during future Season Finales and is the closest thing Supernatural has to a Theme Song.
- Seeking Sanctuary: Averted Trope, as Meg has no problems entering the church despite it being hallowed ground.
- Shooting Superman: Justified Trope, as this was meant to prove this was not the legendary Colt, but it still made Meg angry.Meg: You shot me! I can't believe you just shot me!
- Shout-Out:
- The books in John's motel room include: Butler's Igloo Killinek, Serling's Air Force One Is Haunted, and Steel's Secrets.
- The location Meg selects to meet John, Wabash and Lake, is an exit point in The Matrix.
- The books in John's motel room include: Butler's Igloo Killinek
- Slashed Throat
- Supernatural Gold Eyes: The demon has shining yellow eyes in the nursery, unlike the black eyes we have seen with other demons.
- This Means War!:Meg: You hear that? That's the sound of your friend dying. Now let's try this again. We know you have the gun, John, word travels fast. So as far as we're concerned, you just declared war. And this is what war looks like. It has casualties.
- Title Drop:Pastor Jim: I like to say salvation was created for sinners.
- Trap Is the Only Option: John meeting Meg at the warehouse alone.
- Wall of Weapons:
- Pastor Jim has an armory in the church.
- Caleb has an even more extensive collection in his home.
- John's truck.
- The lid of the Impala's hidden arsenal.
- Would You Like to Hear How They Died?: When on the phone with John, Meg describes how Jim choked on his own blood, and then lets John hear how that sounds when she kills Caleb in exactly the same way.
