S03.E08: A Very Supernatural Christmas

[DittyDotDot]

As Christmas approaches, people are disappearing up their chimneys.

 

 

_______________________________________________________

 

 

I adore this episode. I love the kooky gods; I love the creepy Santa's Village; I love Saint Nicotine; I love the horrible caroling; love that Dean wants one last Christmas; and most of all I love that Sam doesn't want to do Christmas because he doesn't want to face the idea that Dean will be gone next year and I love that after he remembers how Dean tried to give him a Christmas as kids, he changes his mind and gives Dean a last Christmas. I also love the presents, they were so perfect. And my usual aversion to flashbacks doesn't hamper my enjoyment of them here. I also think both the wee Winchesters actors did very fine facsimiles of adult Sam and Dean, so overall a very fine episode.

 

I'm sticking with my assertion that the entire art department was doing shrooms throughout S3...they did some whacky sets for this one and my eyes thank them! I was weirdly drawn to the little details of their motel room this time--very Midwestern feeling with the wallpaper that looked almost like rosemaling and there was this giant mural that looked like it came right out of Ducks Unlimited or some such thing. The kooky god's house was also very Christmas-horrible and I loved it!

 

Also, I used to be kind of ambivalent to how Dean ended up with that amulet because it was a present meant for his father and Dean already had so many things that were once John's--music, jacket, car--even though Dean has made them all his own, I was a bit annoyed that he didn't have anything that didn't have some of Dad's fingerprints on it. But this time I took it a bit differently. Wee Sam realized that even though he was intending to give it to his Dad, he didn't deserve it, Dean did. In a certain light, it would seem like this is the one thing that Dean had that was his own. And, I've always believed that it was more important that Dean took value in it anyway.

 

Plus, I'm convinced that Sam dug it out of the trash after Dark Side Of The Moon and has it stowed away somewhere.

 

Damn it, Supernatural, now I've got Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas stuck in my head--which I can't ever hear without thinking of this show now--and I now I also have something stuck in my eye. Stop looking at me like that, it's something in my eye! 😉

[FlickChick]

Ditto, DittyDotDot, to everything you said. This will always be one of my favorite Supernatural episodes. And I love how Colin Ford has continued the role of young Sam and, in my opinion, perfected it.

[mertensia]

This is a wonderful episode from the CBS Special start to the slight skeeviness of Santa's Village to the Gods, especially Madge, who scolds Dean for swearing!, to the ending.

That flashback motel made their current one look homey and welcoming.

[mstaken]

I'm not a fan of flashbacks in general, and this episode doesn't do much to change my mind. Otherwise, though, I totally share the general adoration for this one: it's really funny, really touching, really well paced and really, really rewatchable at any time of year. It's also responsible for making me use the word "fudging" far more than is generally considered normal :) 

[AwesomO4000]

Echoing the love for this episode. I adore Colin Ford's Sam and I think the flashbacks were woven well into the story here. They make a good transition/explanation as to why Sam changed his mind about doing a Christmas for Dean.

 

Wee Sam realized that even though he was intending to give it to his Dad, he didn't deserve it, Dean did.

 

I agree @DittyDotDot, that's the way I saw it also. And Sam remembering that also helped Sam to realize that he wanted to give Dean a Christmas now even though at the same time it broke his heart to do so.

 

Mr. and Mrs. God were fun and creepy/awful at the same time: that poor, adorable, little moppet child was surely :: Bill Cosby voice :: scarred for liiife after seeing his Grandpa taken away and the monster crunching his cookie yet I grinned like an idiot (because I'm evil that way), and that's just the sort of twisted thing I want this show to be.

 

I have a minor quibble with Sam and Dean not referencing, telling someone about the moving, mumbling bag, but I'll forgive that small plot hole.

Edited August 28, 2014 by AwesomO4000

[catrox14]

Well, sweet Peter on a Popsicle Stick!. I have mixed feelings about this episode. Like I like it but I don't LOVE it. And for whatever reasons I never even think about it existing until it's mentioned, which tells me that it really just didnt' resonate with me like others. 

 

I mean it has wonderful scenes, and a lovely scene at the end which makes me cry at the very last minute. But other than that and learning that John was not there for Christmas which really wasn't that surprising.  Maybe I just have a cold dead heart now.

Edited August 28, 2014 by catrox14

[AwesomO4000]

  Maybe I just have a cold dead heart now.

 

It can't be as bad as me enjoying the fact that the poor little moppet child was scared half to death.

[FlickChick]

Hey, Awesom04000, I'm totally with you. I love the scenes with the moppet child - one of the highlights of the episode, in fact. It may be because the kid is so good at acting scared! ;)

[catrox14]

Oh I enjoyed that immensely because that kid was GREAT

[supposebly]

I continued my annual Christmas tradition, and watched this pitch-perfect episode before I face the holiday air travel early tomorrow morning. (Well, this and The X-files' How the Ghosts Stole Christmas) What can I say about this that hasn't been said?

 

I'm just glad I never had to watch Santa carry my father in a sack up the chimney. As if I wasn't already very ambivalent about this holiday.

 

Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow....

 

Merry Christmas everybody!

[catrox14]

Sweet Peter on a Popsicle Stick! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[rue721]

Just finished watching. I held out until Sam showed up looking all nervous in front of that big Merry Christmas banner, but I'm not made of stone, so...UGH this is why I never watch this episode, it puts me in a ~mood~ despite itself.

 

Though I love ghost stories around Xmas. It'd be nice if SPN did a scary ass Christmas episode every season, imo.

 

My favorite part was when Maud got on Dean's case for swearing, so he cussed her out using "fudging" instead. I also always laugh at the idea of kid!Dean going into someone's house and stealing wrapped presents. Steal the money and buy the presents, right? Or at least steal things that could be used as presents. And how sad is that little girl going to be when she has no presents under the tree in the morning? Well anyway. That kind of messiness actually added to the charm of it for me, though -- it was all so over-the-top schlocky, but since I love the Winchesters already, I'm ready to go to schlock-ville when the show takes me there.

 

Plus, Colin Ford always knocks it out of the park, imo, so I'm always happy to see him. It's also great how in this episode, kid!Sam is tiny and bright-eyed, and *just* learning about monsters for sure, just as adult!Sam is trying to be all hard and steeling himself to learn about what life's like without his brother.

 

Anyway, Merry Xmas!

[DittyDotDot]

I also always laugh at the idea of kid!Dean going into someone's house and stealing wrapped presents. Steal the money and buy the presents, right? Or at least steal things that could be used as presents. And how sad is that little girl going to be when she has no presents under the tree in the morning? Well anyway. That kind of messiness actually added to the charm of it for me, though -- it was all so over-the-top schlocky, but since I love the Winchesters already, I'm ready to go to schlock-ville when the show takes me there.

 

Heh, kids are irrational and do nonsensical things all the time and think they're being brilliant. One of my nieces has "kid" moments all the time that usually lead to me saying "why didn't you just do ...?" She generally replies with a "Huh, I didn't think of that. Would've been a whole lot easier." She always makes me smile.

 

I just realized I never watch this episode at Christmastime...currently in the middle of S7, but maybe I should time my next re-watch better.

 

Happy Holidays, y'all!

[GirlyGeek]

I continued my annual Christmas tradition, and watched this pitch-perfect episode before I face the holiday air travel early tomorrow morning. (Well, this and The X-files' How the Ghosts Stole Christmas!

Oh my gosh, I do this every year too! Love that xfile. This last year we (my hubby, friend and my 3 kids) watched these while decorating the tree, lol. What can I say, not a traditional Christmas.

So for this ep, I only have pure love! Definitely in my top ten of favorite eps. I cry every damn time, lol. It just kills me.

Love the flashbacks, and Colin Ford IS Sam Winchester. He just is. Great casting and he owns the role. And I can't recall the actors name offhand, but the one playing young Dean does very well, too but

I like the newer, season 10, one a little better... Sorry I wish I had the actors names, lol

The stupid ending just rips my heart out (in a good, something in my eye kind of way)

[GirlyGeek]

Oh ha, the necklace. The first time I saw this episode, I cried like a little girl when it was revealed that Sam gave it to Dean. Like seriously (and I swear, I'm not an emotional person, lol). I *never* had any hard feelings about the necklace and how it was intended for John at first... Never even crossed my mind until I read other fans getting upset about it.

I love the origin of the necklace. I'm my mind, Sam realized that his dad didn't deserve it, that Dean was always there for him. Also, I think Sam realized that many of the reasons he may have thought his dad deserved the gift, were really because Dean covered for John to save Sam's feelings/protect him. I imagine the boys may have had an adversarial childhood at times- it's hard to be 'parented' by an older sibling and creates drama and resentments. I think Sam saw through that in these flashbacks.

I grew up parenting my siblings, and it definitely made problems for us as adults, so I get it.

[sarthaz]

I adore this episode.

...

Damn it, Supernatural, now I've got Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas stuck in my head--which I can't ever hear without thinking of this show now--and I now I also have something stuck in my eye. Stop looking at me like that, it's something in my eye! ;)

 

I dropped by to post those same words.  I adore this episode.  There's also something in my eye.  Must be dust in the air.

[GirlyGeek]

So, I dropped off the planet during this whole rewatch!  I was posting on every single episode in season 1, lol but then got too busy.
then I would read earlier comments in the episode threads and find myself nodding and saying "oh my gosh, I so agree!  who wrote this post?"
... and then realize it was me.  I wrote it the LAST time I did a re-watch  ha ha

Anyways, I'm still watching, slowly but surely, and just finished this episode last night.  Still one of my all time favorites.  Love little Sam- best actor for Sam in the whole series and love how the actor really gets Sam.  I do like young Dean as well, but felt his delivery was very off/OOC during the "don't you ever talk about mom!" yelling.  I just find it hard to believe that, at the age these two boys are at, they don't ever talk about their mom... or that its such a sore point for Dean that he screams at Sam about it..?  just seemed off to me.

BUT, everything else works for me 100%.  Creepy Santa, the hilarious gods, using Fudge as a swear word, and Sam not wanting to talk about or celebrate Christmas because of Dean's deal :(  And the end scene = heartbreaking.

I would love to see more of the boys celebrating birthdays and holidays.  I mean, would it kill them to put a tiny tree up in the bunker?!

[sarthaz]

I started my Christmas with this episode.  Laying in bed about 12:30 am and unable to sleep, so I pulled it up and celebrated with the Winchesters.  After countless rewatches, this is emerging as one of my Top 5 favorites.

[FlickChick]

5 hours ago, sarthaz said:

I started my Christmas with this episode.  Laying in bed about 12:30 am and unable to sleep, so I pulled it up and celebrated with the Winchesters.  After countless rewatches, this is emerging as one of my Top 5 favorites.

Mine as well! It really has everything all wrapped up in a perfect episode.

[catrox14]

I watched it on Christmas Eve after It's a Wonderful Life

[auntvi]

I made my daughter watch it with me on Christmas Eve. It's definitely one of my favorites, except for the part with the fingernail. We both had to look away.

[FlickChick]

19 hours ago, auntvi said:

I made my daughter watch it with me on Christmas Eve. It's definitely one of my favorites, except for the part with the fingernail. We both had to look away.

LOL. There are three scenes in Supernatural that I can't watch. The fingernail scene, shifterDean shedding his skin, and the man with his hand in the disposal in "Home". I am a wuss!

[sarthaz]

2 hours ago, FlickChick said:

LOL. There are three scenes in Supernatural that I can't watch. The fingernail scene, shifterDean shedding his skin, and the man with his hand in the disposal in "Home". I am a wuss!

I'm cool with the fingernail, but Malleus Maleficarum?  Nope nope nope!

[Katy M]

On ‎8‎/‎28‎/‎2014 at 2:09 AM, AwesomO4000 said:

 

I have a minor quibble with Sam and Dean not referencing, telling someone about the moving, mumbling bag, but I'll forgive that small plot hole.

We don't know what they did after they killed Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  they could very well have gone back down to the basement. I found the whole mumbling bag thing to be odd anyway.  Why didn't they eat him first? Why hadn't they eaten him already?  It had been at least a day assuming the last victim we knew about was the last victim.

[DittyDotDot]

3 hours ago, Katy M said:

We don't know what they did after they killed Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  they could very well have gone back down to the basement. I found the whole mumbling bag thing to be odd anyway.  Why didn't they eat him first? Why hadn't they eaten him already?  It had been at least a day assuming the last victim we knew about was the last victim.

They love a good ritual and with the neighbors keeping them busy with Jenga and caroling, when's a pagan god gonna find the time? ;)

[Diane]

How can a single episode make me cringe, laugh and cry all in about 40 minutes.  I love, love, love this episode.  I swear there must be a lot of dust in my office this morning, that's all I am saying.

[bettername2come]

Poor Grandpa in the opening. Such a sweet old man. Man, I love the way Jared says "lore." His drawl comes out so strongly on it. And when Jensen says "Baby." The terrible caroling is great and I absolutely lose it at "round the table" with Sam pulling Dean out of the trailer.

The scene of the adorable curly haired child watching Santa drag away Daddy in a bag makes me think it's a miracle we haven't heard of any child actors who've been scarred by their guest appearances on Supernatural.

This is the only episode with my favorite mini!Sam and my favorite mini!Dean together. Colin Ford is amazing. And I love the fact that young Sammy calls Bobby "Uncle Bobby." Young Dean nails that misplaced faith in John and protectiveness of Sam. Really, these are the finest Sam and Dean flashbacks of the series.

Dammit, Sam, Jesus's birthday is in the spring not the fall! I'm not supposed to be smarter than you!

Madge should be in more stuff. I loved her on Everwood and she's even better here. Sam has to stop Dean from literally taking candy from strangers. "Fudge." Now that I think about it, is that in here because of the "A Christmas Story" reference. The fingernail scene is gross. Thank God, they don't get the tooth.  Love the ending, especially since hearing that Dean's reaction to the eggnog is because he actually got alcoholic eggnog in that scene. I love that the Impala is included in the final shot of the episode. She looks so pretty with the lights reflecting and the snow.

I want another Christmas episode. And now that I think about it...

Spoiler

How could they not give us a Sam's first Christmas with Mom episode? Sam could've been all excited and they could've played it off as the opposite of this one. I think I'll be writing a fanfic in December.

I will forever love the episode for giving us this moment.

[Katy M]

9 hours ago, bettername2come said:

Dammit, Sam, Jesus's birthday is in the spring not the fall! I'm not supposed to be smarter than you!

nobody knows when Jesus was born.  Some scholars think it was in the because Zacharias was most likely doing his temple duty in June, so John the Baptist would most likely have been born in March, and Jesus should have been born about 6 months after him, so Septemberish.

[Pondlass1]

I'd  like both a Christmas and a Halloween episode for season 13.  But not holding out much hope.

Sam's nail removal was way more cringe worthy than all of Lady Tony's tortures.

[FlickChick]

8 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

I'd  like both a Christmas and a Halloween episode for season 13.  But not holding out much hope.

Sam's nail removal was way more cringe worthy than all of Lady Tony's tortures.

Cannot watch it to this day! I always close my eyes in that scene - along with the eye gouging in "Time is on My Side" and a few other gems. LOL

[Katy M]

19 minutes ago, FlickChick said:

Cannot watch it to this day! I always close my eyes in that scene - along with the eye gouging in "Time is on My Side" and a few other gems. LOL

I don't watch those two scenes or the buzzsaw scene from The Kids are Alright.  Apparently Season 3 was quite heavy on the gruesome.

Also, I can't watch the  barbed wire scene in Fresh Blood. 

Edited June 11, 2017 by Katy M

[sarthaz]

This episode is about to air on TNT.  I'm not crying; you're crying.

[FlickChick]

8 hours ago, sarthaz said:

This episode is about to air on TNT.  I'm not crying; you're crying.

Recorded it and will watch closer to Christmas! I watch it every year and never tire of it. And no, I won't have a tear at all. ;)

[The Companion]

This episode was fudging fantastic. KidDean and KidSam were heartbreaking and so sweet. It reinforces the conclusion I came to in Bedtime Stories. Dean didn't get fairy tales. He wasn't watching the kid's movie with Sam. He missed that experience, instead becoming a caretaker. The Christmas celebration was sweet and very them. 

I loved the overly cheery, anti profanity pagan gods. This was a fairly gory (the red suit got its color from blood, brutal and horror filled episodes (that fingernail!!!). But it still managed to be funny and enjoyable. 

[Katy M]

49 minutes ago, The Companion said:

But it still managed to be funny and enjoyable. 

This is the episode that hooked me. It's probably like the third episode I saw.  I didn't care too much for the first two.  Especially Fresh Blood with the gory scene.  I mean think about taking that episode out of context where you don't really know any of the characters or back story and it's a bit offputting.  But, this episode, with its Christmas flashbacks and Young Sam and Dean, and the crazy Santa couple and the sweet scene at the end.  Yeah, this is what started it all.

[The Companion]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

This is the episode that hooked me. It's probably like the third episode I saw.  I didn't care too much for the first two.  Especially Fresh Blood with the gory scene.  I mean think about taking that episode out of context where you don't really know any of the characters or back story and it's a bit offputting.  But, this episode, with its Christmas flashbacks and Young Sam and Dean, and the crazy Santa couple and the sweet scene at the end.  Yeah, this is what started it all.

I can see how this one would hook you! It's a great one

[DeeDee79]

2 hours ago, The Companion said:

I loved the overly cheery, anti profanity pagan gods.

I loved how cheery and cheesy they were! "Sweet Peter on a popsicle stick" still makes me chuckle when I rewatch 😄

[Nick24]

I love this episode into pieces! I'll be rewatching this one every Christmas!

I like the setting. Done with care. Christmas trees, gifts, wreaths, etc.

That was creepy. Those pagan gods were really scary. The actors really pulled it. I felt very uncomfortable in their presence. 

Dean. Oh, Dean. He wanted to get some new good memories so badly, to experience that Christmas differently. The way Dean looked at Sam while suggesting celebrating Christmas, especially after Sam's ''I can't". There was so much hope in his eyes and.. idk realizing his fate I guess? Oh, Jensen, how much he can say and what strong feelings he can raise inside me just with his eyes. And how genuinely happy Dean looked at the end when he had gotten Christmas and those gifts. But that was bitter kind of happiness. He was just trying to feel and enjoy every moment of it, because he thought there would be no next time.

Sam. Yes, Sam didn't want to celebrate Christmas at first, but I can understand that. His brother was definitely going to die and go to Hell. That was really hard for Sam to celebrate anything and pretend that it was OK. But I'm glad that he changed his mind, honored Dean's wish and gave him Christmas. 

Great episode. I love the final scene and especially the final shot. You just can feel how little they needed to experience some joy and how much of life they'd lost.

On a shallow note, would it have hurt the writers to keep Dean/Sam relationship that way?!

Edited July 21, 2022 by Nick24

[FlickChick]

On 7/21/2022 at 3:20 AM, Nick24 said:

On a shallow note, would it have hurt the writers to keep Dean/Sam relationship that way?!

Apparently. However, this of course was written/aired in the writers' strike-shortened season. Originally, Sam was supposed to follow Ruby's plan in the season, but they didn't have enough episodes to show it. Sam was going to save Dean from hell by finding/killing Lilith. And then I imagine that Dean was going to actively try to save Sam in S4 from Ruby's clutches. No angels; no Cas. But after Kripke left in S5, SamlovingSera took over, so things started to change.

[Nick24]

8 hours ago, FlickChick said:

Apparently. 

This is sad. I don't mind angst in small doses, but at some point it became so annoying with no actual meaning - just angst for the sake of angst.

8 hours ago, FlickChick said:

However, this of course was written/aired in the writers' strike-shortened season. 

We really got lucky with that strike. SPN needed another strike during Dabb's tenure to get rid of him.

8 hours ago, FlickChick said:

 No angels; no Cas. 

Spoiler

First I was confused with introducing angels. I hadn't seen that coming. But I really liked it. That was logical. Unfortunately in latter seasons there were no meaningful differences between angels and demons. 

8 hours ago, FlickChick said:

But after Kripke left in S5, SamlovingSera took over, so things started to change.

At least Sera didn't seem to hate Dean/JA unlike the last bastard showrunner.