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Recap of Supernatural
Season 4, Episode 11
Family Remains
Dean: What kind of ghost messes with a man's wheels?
Written by Jeremy Carver.
Directed by Phil Sgriccia.
Air Date: January 15, 2009.
Sam and Dean investigate the appearance of a young female murderous spirit inside the walls of a suspected haunted house in Stratton, Nebraska. Complications ensue when a family of five moves in, and the "spirit" turns out to be two very non-supernatural, feral children who are the product of incest and years of abuse, and who are willing to kill to protect their home.
Body count
For this episode = 4 humans and 1 dog.For the series so far = At least 289 humans (of which 5 were witches), 21 demons, 25 ghosts, 10 vampires, 6 changelings, 3 gods, 3 shapeshifters, 2 werewolves, 1 crocotta, 1 djinn, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 shtriga, 1 wendigo, 3 zombies, 1 rugaru, and 2 dogs.
Tropes
- Bavarian Fire Drill: Mr. Stanwyk (Sam) and Mr. Babar (Dean), county code enforcement.
- Continuity Nod: The rescue in the walls is very reminiscent of "No Exit" (S02, E06).
- Cassandra Truth: The father was right. She wasn't a ghost.
- Chekhov's Gun: The hidden dumbwaiter.
- Day Hurts Dark-Adjusted Eyes
- Didn't See That Coming: Sam and Dean assume that the presence in the house is a ghost, but it turns out to be feral humans giving the brothers the scare of their lives when the "ghost" breaks the salt circle to attack them.
- Gas Leak Cover-Up: The boys try the asbestos-and-a-gas-leak variation. Unfortunately, Ted's "built enough homes" to know how to identify each of these and knows that neither is a problem in the house.Brian: We had the building inspected last week. Is there a problem?Sam: Asbestos in the walls, a gas leak—yeah, I'd say we got a problem.Susan: Asbestos? Meaning what?Sam: Meaning until this house is up to code, it's uninhabitable.Brian: Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're saying we can't stay here?Dean: It's a health hazard. You don't want to.
- Humans Are the Real Monsters
- Innate Night Vision: A non-superpowered example.
- Mundanger: Nothing supernatural here, just feral kids.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Dean even says he was far worse in Hell than the wild twins.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Dean doesn't eat a burger.
- Papa Wolf: The father of the newly-arrived family. When the feral girl broke down the door to the shed and was threatening his wife and daughter, he dragged her out by her legs and beat her to death with his bare hands.
- Parental Incest: What the twins were the product of.
- Tragic Monster: The twins. Dean feels nothing but the deepest sympathy for them.
- Wham Line: "Her brother."
