Supernatural – Regarding Dean

By: Stacy Miller

As the episode opens, it is night and a man running for his life. The man is bleeding from his chest. He makes a phone call and tells the person on the other end of the line “You have to get out of there now.” Then, the man touches his bloody hand to a symbol on a tree. We see his pursuer. It is Dean (Jensen Ackles). “You people, you never learn. Always trying to run,” Dean says pointing his gun at the man. The symbol lights up, the man chants something and sends Dean flying through the air. Dean is knocked unconscious. The next morning, Dean wakes up with a rabbit by his side in a wooded area of a park in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He grabs his cell phone from his pocket, but sees it is cracked and broken. Dean approaches a woman pushing a baby coach. She’s startled by his appearance and reaches into her purse. “Just don’t buy a drink,” she says handing Dean a bill then leaves. Dean stops a man jogging and after telling him that he’s not a bum he asks to use the man’s cell phone. He calls Sam who asks where his brother has been. Dean is not so sure, but glancing at his surroundings and noticing a sign for Waldo’s Waffles asks Sam, “How do you feel about waffles?” Sam (Jared Padalecki) meets Dean at Waldo’s and finds his brother enjoying the fluffy, syrup filled goodness. Sam again wants to know what happened to Dean as he left to get some food, plus didn’t answer when Sam tried to call. Dean’s broken phone answers one of the questions. Sam has to remind his brother of the case they were investigating yesterday. And then a young woman (Lindsay Winch) slaps Dean when he doesn’t seem to remember who she is. “Yep, epic night,” Dean says smiling.

Next stop is The Municipal Building of Carroll County Arkansas where Sam and Dean read the autopsy report and look at the evidence in Barry Gilman’s death. Sam finds a hex bag so they’re looking at a witch, but can’t determine a motive. They get into the Impala. Dean seems confused as to which is his car key. Then, he forgets to take Baby out of reverse and backs up instead. Sam thinks that his brother has been drinking too much because of everything they’ve been through recently. He needs to get it together as they have a case and Dean’s wrecked. Dean looks at his brother with a blank expression and asks “Who’s Dean?”

Sam and Dean return to their motel room and Dean insists that he’s fine, even though he forgot his own name. To prove that he’s okay, Sam asks Dean to name all the members of Bon Jovi. The only name Dean can remember is Bon Jovi. He also identifies the lamp as a light stick. Sam knows he needs to get his brother help and calls Rowena (Ruth Connell). The witch has just finished winning her sixth hand of cards (by cheating of course). Sam explains that he thinks Dean has been hexed. “From the neck down is he as smooth as a Ken Doll?” Rowena asks. “What? I don’t know and I’m not checking,” Sam replies. Rowena tells Sam that it appears to be The Oblivion Spell, which wipes memories over time. It is an intricate spell that can only be broken by killing the witch who cast it. After hanging up the phone, Sam discovers Dean has left the room. He finds his brother holding the ice bucket and using his key to open a motel room door, but it’s not their room. Sam explains to Dean that he has been hexed and that they need to kill the witch who placed the spell. So, they have to trace Dean’s steps from yesterday. “What’s the last thing you remember?” Sam asks. “Getting ice,” Dean answers. How are they going to find a witch Dean ran into when he can’t remember things?

The brothers go to Barry Gilman’s office to trace Dean’s steps then look for the burger joint Dean visited. Sam and Dean go to a bar and find the girl who slapped Dean at the waffle place. Dean explains that they are FBI investigating a case and Sam adds that his partner (Dean) was drugged. The brothers look at the security footage and see Dean confronting a man outside the bar. The man flung Dean into a pile of trash by raising his hand. Obviously, the man was a witch. Sam recognizes him from a picture they saw in Barry Gilman’s office. In the alley, Sam finds Dean’s witch killing bullet and has to give his brother “the talk” explaining that monsters are real. Dean is beyond excited and says “Best job ever.” He reasons that they kill monsters and are heroes. Sam and Dean find a tree with witch glyphs. Sam takes a photo to see if Rowena will recognize the glyphs. “Who’s Rowena? That’s a weird name,” Dean says. He finds a body and calls for Sam. It’s the witch and he’s dead…so why isn’t Dean back to normal? After Sam and Dean leave, the dead witch’s siblings find their brother’s body.

Rowena arrives at the Winchesters’ motel room. While he has Dean watching television, Rowena tells Sam that the witch glyphs belong to the Loughlin Family and that the dead witch is Gideon Loughlin. Rowena further explains that the family possesses a power spell book called The Black Grimoire sought after by witches around the world. Rowena adds that with Gideon dead she needs that grimoire to break the spell and if they don’t do it soon, Dean is going to die. Sam tells Dean all about Dean Winchester and promises that they will break the spell. “I’ve seen my brother die, but watching him become not him is far worst,” Sam says to Rowena. In a heartbreaking scene, Dean looks in the bathroom mirror and repeats his name until he finally forgets it. Sam is off to get the grimoire from the Loughlin siblings, but tells Rowena she’s not coming with him. She is to remain in the motel room and watch Dean. Once he finds the grimoire, Sam plans to force the Loughlin siblings to translate the correct spell. When she is alone with Dean, Rowena tells him how he has killed people for the greater good and shares with him some things about herself. Sam gets in the Loughlin’s house, but Boyd Loughlin (Vincent Gale) tosses him across the room while his sister Catronia (Tirra Dent) uses a spell causing Sam’s ears to bleed. Sam screams in pain while Dean and Rowena listen to the entire scene via the speaker on the cell phone.

When next we see Dean, he is in the Impala, but there is a post-it note on the window that reads “Stay.” But, of course, Dean doesn’t listen. He gets out of the car and opens the trunk. Inside, Dean finds several post-it notes directing him to witch killing bullets and the gun to use. Meanwhile, inside the house the Loughlin siblings intend to switch Sam’s soul with Gideon’s. Catronia uses magic to pin Rowena to the wall, but Dean arrives and shoots Catronia with the witch killing bullets. The gunshot distracts Boyd, giving Sam time to break free. They fight but Boyd gets the upper hand. He runs out of the room and Sam runs after him. Dean points his gun towards the stairs from Boyd to Sam. “No, no, no…brother,” Sam says and pointing to Boyd says “Witch.” Dean shoots Boyd dead.

Rowena casts the spell, but Dean teases his brother by pretending not to still remember Sam. Rowena tries to leave with The Black Grimoire, but Sam takes it away. “We owe you one. A small one,” Sam tells Rowena as she leaves in a taxi. He tells Dean how although he was a little envious that Dean was able to forget all they have done, he’s glad to have his brother back.