Supernatural S4E4: Metamorphosis

“If I didn’t know you, I would hunt you.”

“Metamorphosis” was chock-full of the brotherly strife, and you know how I love that. However, it was also WAY too heavy handed with the parallels between the MOTW and “I’ve-got-demon-blood-in-me”-Sam, which therefore lessened its appeal.

We open with Sam & Ruby interrogating a demon, who taunts Sam about the fact that he’s sleeping with a demon. What is this kid thinking? I can only imagine that human-demon sex has dire consequences. Dean busts up the party, and the brothers fight. Not just with words, but with fists. Awesome! Dean learns that Sam has known about the fact that the YED bled into his mouth for a year, but has kept it from him. The boys are not happy with each other.

Meanwhile, a guy named Jack (who looks like Data from Star Trek) is really hungry. Hunter & family friend Travis calls the brothers for help. He tells them John would be proud of them for sticking together. He also tells them Jack is a “rougaru,” a creature that is human until age 30. At that point, he begins to change into a monster. Once the rougaru takes his first bite of human flesh, it’s all downhill from there. Sam does some research and learns there are rougaru who have resisted the change. Travis and Dean don’t buy it.

The scenes involving Travis are interesting because 99% of the shots cut off some portion of his face. My dim memory of college film class tells me that this is done on purpose, to subtly convey the possibility of Travis’ sinister nature. It’s kind of distracting, though.



Sam and Dean fight some more. Sam is mad that Dean treats him as if he doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong. Dean asks if he does know the difference. Poor little Sammy has demon blood in him and he can’t get clean. All he can do is try to make something good come of it, so he uses his powers to exorcise demons.

The brothers tell Jack what he will become, and try to convince him to fight it. That night, Jack manages to not kill a woman. Yay Jack! However, Travis tricks him by breaking into his house and tying his wife Michelle up. When Jack arrives, Travis gets him too. And it turns out Michelle is pregnant. Travis won’t allow another rougaru to be born into the world. Jack summons super-strength to break his bonds, and rips Travis’ throat out. But he’s not all gone, because he allows Michelle to escape. The rougaru line lives on!

When the brothers arrive, Jack attacks. Sam tries to talk sense into him, saying that it’s not what you are, it’s what you do. But it’s too late, and Sam is forced to kill the poor man. Later, he tells Dean that he’s done using his powers. Dean thanks him, but Sam says he’s not doing it for his brother. He’s doing it for himself. It would be so amazing if the brothers actually had to go up against each other in the end. Every season I’ve been hoping that’s where the show will go (he thinks so too) and perhaps we’re finally right. I envision some incredible battle between good and evil, with Dean on one side and Sam on the other. Wouldn’t that be freaking awesome?!?!