S01.E03: Dead In The Water

[DittyDotDot]

Something, in the lake of a small town, is killing innocent people.

[DittyDotDot]

If Kim Manners had not directed this episode, I don't know if I would have continued with the show. The Pilot was good and the whole concept of the show seemed interesting. Wendigo wasn't a smash hit for me, but still had some elements I liked. Dead In The Water though, really reminds me of why I preferred Sera Gamble to write the myth heavy episodes than the one offs. She has such a tendency to be heavy-handed and almost preachy, that the good things in an episode like this gets lost or forgotten by me. I think what saves this episode is Kim Manners (and possibly Raelle Tucker who Gamble wrote it with.)  Manners had such a way with the camera that I have a hard time disliking any of his episodes. I'm not just talking about the "Manners Close Ups," but the way he would fill the frame from front to back. There's always something going on in the background of his shots. I particularly like the way tends to stack characters three deep in the frame rather than just standing side by side. Sometimes it feels a bit like theater the way he staged and blocked some of his scenes.

 

Let's get my complaints out of the way so I can then end on a positive. I find that I'm already tired of the argument over why they aren't looking for Dad, but instead hunting a random ghost. I also find that I'm already tired of the hot waitress--who is rarely seen in the wild except for their natural habitat known at the CW-- willing to drop their panties at the sight of some hot guy. Jensen sells the scene well, but I remember a hearty sigh when I watched the first time. I also find that the big tough guy having a heart of gold and being good with kids is a really overdone troupe that really doesn't interest me much.  And, I also think the actual case of the week is fairly weak, so overall not one I love re-watching.

 

Also, what's up with that guy sticking his bare arm into the grossest sink full of water? Even if he didn't know the water was evil, use a glove or something dude...that's just unsanitary! Hee!  And, who continues to run the water when the tub is already overflowing with water? Where were the eco-police when they shot this episode? Hee!

 

Anyhoo, onto the things I do find work.  Jensen puts forth a strong performance throughout the episode and, as I already mentioned, Kim Manners's very fine direction. I think this might be the episode where I started to feel like I knew Dean a bit. Not because of his connecting with the kid, but the scene at the beginning where they have the tired argument about how they should be looking for Dad. "You don't think I want to find Dad. I'm the one whose been with him everyday for the past four years while you were off to college going to pep rallies" I think that's when I finally started to see Dean as more than the smart ass and skirt-chasing older brother.

Edited June 8, 2014 by DittyDotDot

[mstaken]

also find that the big tough guy having a heart of gold and being good with kids is a really overdone troupe that really doesn't interest me much.

 

I feel the exact same way. Very cliched and, as with a lot of things on SPN, Dean's bonding with Lucas would have been more effective for me if it were more subtle and less heavyhanded. (I blame the script here, by the way---definitely not the acting!)  

 

She has such a tendency to be heavy-handed and almost preachy, that the good things in an episode like this gets lost or forgotten by me.

 

 

I rarely know who wrote any given episode, but I can almost always identify the Sera Gamble ones, and I don't usually mean that as a compliment :) She does get really anvilicious, mawkish and After School Special-y sometimes, doesn't she?! 

 

I did actually like the mystery/MOtW in this one, but I'm an admitted sucker for storylines that have to do with issues of pent up guilt, long-hidden misdeeds inevitably coming back to (literally!) haunt us, etc. 

 

Mostly, though, it's hard for me to evaluate this one fairly, because you know how there are just some actors for whom you have a visceral, powerful and not always rational dislike?! That's Amy Acker for me---I'm seriously allergic to the poor woman. No matter how good an actress she might be or which role she pops up in, everything about her facial expressions, line deliveries and voice drive me up the proverbial wall.

 

All that said, I don't dislike this one---especially not in comparison to the episodes I dislike from later seasons. It's definitely not a personal favorite, but I'm so sentimentally attached to S1 that even the 'meh' episodes earn a certain amount of affection from me!  

Edited June 8, 2014 by mstaken

[mertensia]

Does anyone go crazy trying to figure out exactly how old the sheriff and the daughter must be? Because third grade is 9 or 10 and it happened thirty years ago so...

 

This episode doesn't do much for me, except that I appreciate- of all things- that the town is aware that with the disappearance of the lake, so goes their economy and the town. 

[ElleryAnne]

This is probably the only episode from the first season that I don't rewatch often.  It's not awful, but nothing about it is really outstanding.

 

I usually like sheriffs when they're not evil.  For some reason, the "decent and smart but not as smart as our hero(es)" sheriff is one of my favorite character types. (Bonus points to shows like Teen Wolf, where they're actual individuals.)   So this episode starts off good to me, but goes south.  

 

Also, what's up with that guy sticking his bare arm into the grossest sink full of water? Even if he didn't know the water was evil, use a glove or something dude...that's just unsanitary! Hee! 

 

 

IKR?  Every time I see him do that I flinch.  I'm also creeped out by the bathwater.

 

 

Dean's bonding with Lucas would have been more effective for me if it were more subtle and less heavyhanded.

 

 

Yeah, it doesn't work for me, either.  Although in a future episode,

Something Wicked, I like the way Dean connects with Michael.

 

It does make me laugh, though, when Dean's all about how he loves kids (to impress the girl, and Sam's like, "Name three kids that you even know."  Little brother for the win!

[amazinglybored]

A good character episode with a creepy, good ghost story.

 

 

Does anyone go crazy trying to figure out exactly how old the sheriff and the daughter must be? Because third grade is 9 or 10 and it happened thirty years ago so...

 

No... but I will now. Thanks. Sheriff has her at 16, she has her kid at 16, say the child is 8-ish. It was a hard life living near the haunted lake. That adds up to 39-40 years. Thanks, MTV and TLC!

[SueB]

Thanks amazinglybored for figuring that out. Thanks /sarcasm, meretensia for putting THAT conundrum in my head. I'll go back to blissful ignorance now! J/k

I love this episode. Here's why

- Insight into Dean beyond skirt-chaser. And while it's an overused trope, I thought it was well played. And actually fit the established backstory and character development.

- A very good horror story that had me watching thru my fingers.

- Bro-bonding

- The physicality of the two leads. Tearing down the dock and jumping in. A simple yet effective scene that establishes them as heroes. They showed a natural instinct for doing right. It offsets a lot of their bad habits.

This was the episode that kept me hooked. It used the character's own back stories to inform both the weekly plot and provide more meat on the bones of who they are.

And yes, kudos to Kim Manners directing.

Edited June 10, 2014 by SueB

[supposebly]

 

"Name three kids that you even know."  Little brother for the win!

 

That's the sole reason why the Dean-bonding-with-the kid trope works for me. It wasn't simply because he is a hero with a heart for little kids. It was different from his hitting-on-everything-in-a-skirt persona. It added a layer. Otherwise, it wouldn't have and would simply be an action hero cliche.

[7kstar]

- Insight into Dean beyond skirt-chaser. And while it's an overused trope, I thought it was well played. And actually fit the established backstory and character development.

- A very good horror story that had me watching thru my fingers.

- Bro-bonding

- The physicality of the two leads. Tearing down the dock and jumping in. A simple yet effective scene that establishes them as heroes. They showed a natural instinct for doing right. It offsets a lot of their bad habits.

This was the episode that kept me hooked. It used the character's own back stories to inform both the weekly plot and provide more meat on the bones of who they are.

And yes, kudos to Kim Manners directing.

 

Dean connecting to the kid seemed deeper, because we get a secret that Sam didn't know.  If you explore the Dad's journal it shows one thing that had been well thought out, Dean not talking, how long we never are told, but it makes Dean real instead of a trope.

 

That last scene where the boys save the boys, well it really pulls me in.  I skipped through a lot of the gore but I'm not into that anyway.  I like Acker so she doesn't bother me either.

 

As far as ages, this show has a problem with that all the time, look at Dean in high school and his brother suppose to be in high school, they don't match the correct ages at all.  So I tend to just over look it, it might be because I teach middle school so I have kids playing adults all the time, so I'm use to ignoring it.  See how good I am at BS?  I mean at excuse making?  :)

 

[Mcolleague]

I really loved that initial moment of awkwardness when Dean talked to Lucas in the playground. When Dean first sat down next to him, he first tried the overly cheerful way of talking that adults use when they don't know what to do with kids, and it made sense character-wise with the "name three kids you even know" thing that he hadn't been around a lot of children. Then he kind of drops the act, and talks to Lucas openly/sincerely, and that's how he got through. I thought it felt amazingly real. I do pharmaceutical research at a children's hospital, and when I first started I was completely uncomfortable and unused to kids and totally did that false-happy adult voice thing, so I really loved that moment. A lot of small details like this make the character feel real. JA is amazing.

[SueB]

Then he kind of drops the act, and talks to Lucas openly/sincerely, and that's how he got through. I thought it felt amazingly real.

This. He's best with kids when he treats them like they are intelligent beings who can understand more than most people believe they can. He was capable at their age, he sizes them up and speaks to them not like an adult but like intelligent kids grappling with adult-class issues.

[GirlyGeek]

Just watched this on my re watch.  There are episodes that I can just pop in and enjoy, out of order, but this is not one of them.  I wouldn't normally watch this one.  I can't pinpoint why, really.  Its got a creepy story, I LOVE Amy Acker.  
Its not the anvils, cause I'm honestly dense and it takes me multiple watches sometimes to get that I'm being hit over the head, lol.

On June 9, 2014 at 7:58 PM, SueB said:

I love this episode. Here's why

- Insight into Dean beyond skirt-chaser. And while it's an overused trope, I thought it was well played. And actually fit the established backstory and character development.

- A very good horror story that had me watching thru my fingers.

- Bro-bonding

- The physicality of the two leads. Tearing down the dock and jumping in. A simple yet effective scene that establishes them as heroes. They showed a natural instinct for doing right. It offsets a lot of their bad habits.

I love the way this episode secures both brothers are Big Damn Heroes.  They do what needs to be done.  Like SueB mentioned, that scene is very effective in showing their instincts and abilities.  
But, as I mentioned in Wendigo thread: I don't like the damsel in distress giving the hero the goodbye kiss.  Also, she didn't seem real broken up about her dad...  a little weird.

[SueB]

9 hours ago, GirlyGeek said:

Just watched this on my re watch.  There are episodes that I can just pop in and enjoy, out of order, but this is not one of them.  I wouldn't normally watch this one.  I can't pinpoint why, really.  Its got a creepy story, I LOVE Amy Acker.  
Its not the anvils, cause I'm honestly dense and it takes me multiple watches sometimes to get that I'm being hit over the head, lol.

I love the way this episode secures both brothers are Big Damn Heroes.  They do what needs to be done.  Like SueB mentioned, that scene is very effective in showing their instincts and abilities.  
But, as I mentioned in Wendigo thread: I don't like the damsel in distress giving the hero the goodbye kiss.  Also, she didn't seem real broken up about her dad...  a little weird.

Yes.  And while I still get that X-files vibe, there's a lightness to these two and the BDH moments that feel more like "victories" than the endless sense of "something is out there" of the X-files.  

Re-re-watch notes:

- Man, those are some classic guest actors.  

- The story is relatively "small" and yet reasonably compelling the whole way.  Of course we are just getting to know the boys, but excellent character work this episode.

This is the episode that really hooked me ... because I'm a sucker for Big Damn Heroes. 

Spoilers for S1; John Winchester... comments..

Spoiler

 

WTF John.  First time through I didn't know where we were going with John.  Subsequent rewatches I never really thought about it. But THIS time, all I could think about was the position John put them in.  In the Pilot (which did NOT have closed captioning, dammit) it was hard to hear but SuperWiki to the rescue, this is what John says:

Quote

JOHN
Dean...something big is starting to happen...I need to try and figure out what's going on. It may... Be very careful, Dean. We're all in danger.

Since he left his journal in the room, John clearly expected Dean to show up.  And if you stop and think about it, John's plan was to send Dean (at least) on a hunt away from wherever HE was going.  Interestingly enough, however, Tommy wasn't in trouble yet (Wendigo) until AFTER Jessica's death (because Dean said the boys hung out for a week and Tommy had only be radio silent for 3 days when they get there). So John sent them based on two people going missing in April. That's six months before he called Dean.  So, I'm guessing he suspected a Wendigo but put it on the back burner (because the two people timed with a 23 year cycle he figured it was real but maybe he felt he just needed to get there before winter... IDK).  Anyway, he sends Dean on a legit case PRESUMING Dean would first solve the Woman In White and then go to the coordinates next.  But notice... he doesn't give them ANYTHING else for the next case.  Now, by the time they get done with the Wendigo, John HAS to know Jessica was killed by the Demon on account of Sam.  And he probably WATCHED Sam get in the car with Dean and drive off. So his response is SILENCE?!  I mean, WTF John?  He needed to leave Dean another voicemail but maybe he was afraid Dean would pick up and he'd somehow get dragged in to what John was doing. IDK.  But he just left the boys flapping in the breeze after those first two cases.  From a show perspective it's the standard "we can't work on the season long thing so let's take care of MOTW" but at least they provide more explainers now.  Still, watching this from the rearview mirror POV,, I'm stunned at how John just cut them loose and how Dean just kept truckin' on.  Sam was bothered by it but Dean was like "situation normal, wait & see" mode.  John pisses me off.  

 

[DittyDotDot]

@SueB, John pisses me off--but in a good way--more now in re-watches than he did the first time around, too. There's so much there when you scratch beneath the surface.

ETA: Why I say a good way is that John is a very complex character. I actually really like John even though he pisses me off a great deal of time. I understand why he did the things he did. I truly believe he did the best he could as a parent, it's just his best wasn't all that great considering his head wasn't in the right space for parenting. But, he was a good hunter and I believe he always had his next job lined up before finishing his current one. So yeah, I think he sent Dean to take care of his next couple jobs and then it was up to them after that.

Edited June 6, 2016 by DittyDotDot

[GirlyGeek]

I'm always trying to explain this (even though I know it was a story necessity to have John gone).  I love the John Winchester character.

I will unapologetically give him the benefit of the doubt in S1/S2:  

Spoiler

i.e.: his Pilot voicemail was the catalyst for Dean getting Sam at college.  John knew the YED was going after Sam (no clue it was going after Jess), he'd found out information about Sam ("I've known for a while now"), and he needed the boys to be working together while he figured out the YEDs plan.  He left his journal and a trail.
I will always believe he was trying to protect them both.  Yes, the John character suffered at the hands of writing and 'necessary plot devices' (and, in later years, writers really demonized him more, despite the fact that the man we saw on screen was not all bad).

56 minutes ago, SueB said:

So his response is SILENCE?!  I mean, WTF John?  He needed to leave Dean another voicemail but maybe he was afraid Dean would pick up and he'd somehow get dragged in to what John was doing. IDK.  But he just left the boys flapping in the breeze after those first two cases.  From a show perspective it's the standard "we can't work on the season long thing so let's take care of MOTW" but at least they provide more explainers now.  Still, watching this from the rearview mirror POV,, I'm stunned at how John just cut them loose and how Dean just kept truckin' on.  Sam was bothered by it but Dean was like "situation normal, wait & see" mode.  John pisses me off.  

 

However, it was around the time of Wendigo/Dead in the Water that John changed his voicemail to direct people to call Dean.  So, in my mind, the breadcrumb trail *away* from John and the YED, would continue without John having to contact (and endanger even more) Dean and Sam.

Yes, I give John all the benefit of the doubt  ;)  I'm weird like that

[SueB]

Ah excellent point on the voicemail.... leaves that cryptically here....

[catrox14]

13 hours ago, GirlyGeek said:

lso, she didn't seem real broken up about her dad...  a little weird.

I think given that she found out her dad had been responsible for killing a little boy....maybe she's feeling a little like welp, maybe Dad got what he deserved.

S11 parallels
 

Spoiler

 

S1 :  Sam "We're not gonna be able to save everybody"
S11: Sam "We have to save ALL the people"     

 

[MysteryGuest]

On June 6, 2016 at 2:00 AM, GirlyGeek said:

Also, she didn't seem real broken up about her dad...  a little weird.

I think her reaction would have been different had her son not almost drowned due to her father's actions.  I think she was so relieved to get him back safely, that her father's death sort of paled on comparison.  I'm sure she was upset, but it could have been so much worse.