S02.E08: Crossroad Blues

[DittyDotDot]

When two professionals die after claiming to be haunted, Sam and Dean investigate a local bar and discover a demon has been making people's dreams come true in exchange for their souls.

[DittyDotDot]

I have to start this one off with an apology to Sera Gamble...this is by far one of the most layered episodes they've managed to produce and I don't feel at all like I'm being preached at. They way she handles blame, responsibility, consequences and guilt in this episode is really striking...way to go Sera and sorry I was so quick to judge you! I still stand by my statement that Sera does tend to get preachy, but I'll give her this one. I actually didn't know it was written by Gamble till I looked it up for the air date to start the topic--it just doesn't feel like one of her early episodes--that's a compliment, by the way.

 

Anyway, I always need a bit of time to think about this episode, there's so much more there than people making deals to become famous. Firstly, I love how they handle the guy that summoned the demon. It's a really nice discussion of how every choice you make has consequences, not only for you but they also effect other people. Those other people would not have ever had the opportunity to sell themselves if the first guy didn't summon the demon, but in the end they sold themselves anyway...really layered stuff here.

 

I also love the way it ties to what's going on with Sam and Dean. They both had an feeling that John did something like this, but now it was confirmed. And I love the scene where Dean's telling that guy that he didn't do it for his wife, but for himself...so much going on there and Sam's reactions to the whole thing is heartbreaking. It does have me wishing that Kim Manners had directed it though, I think he would have staged that scene with all three in the frame--Evan in the front in profile, Dean looking straight on at him talking at mid-distance and then Sam out of focus in the background--that way we could have gotten all the reactions without having to cut up the shots. I realize it's a minor quibble, but I can't help it.

 

I also think all the stuff with Dean and the Crossroads Demon is extremely layered. They did an excellent job not telegraphing that Dean was trying to trap the demon while he was acting all hurt over what the demon was saying, but then he was actually hurt by what the demon was saying...really good stuff and nicely played once again Mr. Ackles...nicely played.

 

The only thing I find distracting about the episode is the Robert Johnson stuff. It's really well shot and acted--Johnson's demon is all sorts of awesome and there's something about that actress that I love, (she also played Lori's roommate back in Hookman). However, it really doesn't seem to fit with the episode proper...not exactly anyway. It just feels like they wanted to do an episode about Robert Johnson, but couldn't figure a way to make it work in universe so they dropped in these scenes in-order to use some Robert Johnson songs...I am a huge lover of Robert Johnson's music though, so I'll take it.

[catrox14]

I hate this episode because they introduced the Crossroads Demon and deals and then everything goes to shit from then until now. 

 

I keed. Great episode so much happening.  Dean Latinating....I'll be in my bunk.

[GirlyGeek]

Love it. Great solid episode, not too heavy handed (who am I kidding... I am so dense I sometimes miss anvils completely, which from what other viewers tell me is probably good with SPN)

And while, yes, this ep introduces the crossroad demons which leads to hi jinx later on, I loved seeing Dean struggle with the choice his dad made and having to decide what choice he would make. He was smartDean too,which is always great, setting two traps and effectively luring the demon and getting what he wanted.

Deans spiral is shown well here as it escalates and that's always an interesting plot in my book.

  Great episode so much happening.  Dean Latinating....I'll be in my bunk.

Ha ha, ill be in my bunk. I like you already. I'm gonna fit in here nicely ;)

[Dobian]

I like episodes that directly invoke real legends, like the one about Robert Johnson and the Roanoke colony in the next episode.

[sarthaz]

Really like this episode too.  Classic legend and complex undertones.  Plus Jeannette Sousa is my second favorite Crossroads Demon.  She's really good here.  And "that doctor lady" is creepy AF when she's losing her shit over the hellhounds.  Great casting there.  Although, I can't unsee Gunner Lawless as the architect's friend. :)

[bettername2come]

On 1/3/2017 at 11:52 AM, sarthaz said:

 Although, I can't unsee Gunner Lawless as the architect's friend. :)

I was too busy going "Julian from iZombie!" to even recognize him from other Supernatural performances. But apparently he was also in "All Dogs Go to Heaven" in season 6.

"We know a little about a lot of things. Just enough to make us dangerous." - Such a classic Dean line.

They really do a good job of making it clear why people make such a terrible decision. The artist guy and the guy who saves his wife - I like how they're accepting of the choice they made. Hellhounds may be the creepiest thing this show has ever used.

I wish Dean's crossroads demon could come back as another character. They looked good together. Although things never go well for Dean and brunettes in black dresses.

I forgot this was the episode that first used the "Soon" preview. Such a pleasant surprise.

[sarthaz]

11 hours ago, bettername2come said:

I forgot this was the episode that first used the "Soon" preview. Such a pleasant surprise.

Oh man, I hated the "soon" previews.  On re-watch, it's even worse, particularly this one where we get a "soon" for Croatoan, and then Croatoan itself begins with a flash-forward, so we see a bunch of stuff twice, and then to make it worse, we have to actually watch Croatoan, which I've come to realize is just a terrible episode. :)

[Iju]

when the man turned to talk to his wife and her face went all horror-y, that actually scared me. again i underrated how scary SN can be. and i actually mean SCARED, i swooped under the covers .and was shaking, my heart beating fast. i'm so glad i watched it in the morning, i would have been so scared before bed.

also, dean's snap about "You know, I'd like a warning before I'm violated by demon tongue" kinda set me off. sam has had two attempted rapes, dean has wracked up one and has had one sexual harassment as well (forced kissing, before this episode). i mean yes, it's not only their lives but their morality (or whatever you want to call it) that is on the line here, naturally there are some nasty monsters they hunt that will try to do that to them. the thing is for me i think it is just pushed on the boys and they move on about it, whereas if a woman was in the same situation they would make it in a much more dark light and even make it affect her in later episodes for a while. dean was kidding yes, but he was also having some truth in it. he said it, he at least needed to be prepared. is a demon going to ask your permission before kissing you? i don't think so. but the point for me is that the plot just flings these rapes and harassment at them way too much for my liking that they would just brush it off so easily.

[The Companion]

A MySpace sighting! Before this, I watched Veronica Mars and it was like a time capsule. Supernatural is much less so (some fashion trends, the old cell phones, etc. being exceptions), but the Myspace callout really dated the episode.

On 7/11/2014 at 11:12 AM, DittyDotDot said:

I have to start this one off with an apology to Sera Gamble...this is by far one of the most layered episodes they've managed to produce and I don't feel at all like I'm being preached at. They way she handles blame, responsibility, consequences and guilt in this episode is really striking...way to go Sera and sorry I was so quick to judge you! I still stand by my statement that Sera does tend to get preachy, but I'll give her this one. I actually didn't know it was written by Gamble till I looked it up for the air date to start the topic--it just doesn't feel like one of her early episodes--that's a compliment, by the way.

Well, she and I are currently in a one-sided fight over certain decisions made with regard to the Magicians, so she is getting a lot of mean thoughts from me. 

On 1/3/2017 at 10:52 AM, sarthaz said:

Really like this episode too.  Classic legend and complex undertones.  Plus Jeannette Sousa is my second favorite Crossroads Demon.  She's really good here.  And "that doctor lady" is creepy AF when she's losing her shit over the hellhounds.  Great casting there.  Although, I can't unsee Gunner Lawless as the architect's friend. 🙂

I really liked her. She was substantially better than Meg. 

I enjoyed this episode. It sounds like we get a lot more of it later? But at least here, I thought it was well executed. Also, as a lawyer, I appreciate a well written contract. 😂