Supernatural – Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox

By: Stacy Miller

The teaser finds that it is 1980 in Emerson, Manitoba. A young boy is running, but slips on a rock and falls. A creature with sharp teeth picks him up and pins him up against a tree then cuts his face. It is a werewolf. Mary Winchester (Samantha Smith) shoots and kills the werewolf then drives the boy home. The boy tells Mary that his name is Asa Fox (Shaine Jones). She explains that the thing she killed was a werewolf that she has been hunting for a long time, but now she is retiring. “But if you retire, who is going to save people like me?” Asa asks. Mary doesn’t answer. Before she leaves in her Camaro, Asa pulls out his camera and takes a picture of Mary. Asa goes inside his house and tacks the picture of Mary to his bulletin board. A montage of Asa Fox as he grows up and learns all about hunting follows, ending sadly with him hanging from a tree.

On her day off, Jody Mills (Kim Rhodes) is about to settle in and watch something on Netflix. Her television time is interrupted by Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) who just wrapped up a case, but decided to stop and say hi to Jody and the girls. Jody tells them that Alex and Claire are at a Radiohead concert in Omaha for the weekend, but she offers to feed them. “Since the last time we saw you I killed Hitler,” Dean tells Jody proudly. Later as they are watching a click flick, Dean comments on Jody’s selection as he thought she was a “bad ass sheriff chick.” Their conversation is interrupted when Jody receives a telephone call about the death of an old friend of hers, Asa Fox. Sam and Dean recall Ellen talking about Asa Fox back at the Road House, apparently he is known for killing five wendigoes in one night. Jody fondly remembers Asa rolling into town once and trying to convince her that he was an FBI agent named Fox Mulder. Jody is tearful as she tells Sam and Dean how Asa passed through her life every once in a while and how he was a good man. Jody adds that Asa’s wake is tonight and his body will be salted and burned tomorrow. Sam and Dean offer to come with her. “We never go to hunter gatherings outside of ours, dad always said they were trouble,” Sam says. They make the five-hour drive to Canada.

When they enter Asa’s house, Jody is greeted by Lorraine Fox (Laurie Paton), Asa’s mother. Dean meets some of the other hunters in attendance, Randy Bull (Darren E. Scott), Bucky (Mac Brandt) and Elvis (Billy Wickman). Dean learns that there are many stories about the Winchester brothers. In fact, Elvis leaves the room to meet Sam. When Dean mentions about Asa killing five wendigoes, everyone takes a drink of their beers. A wendigo drinking game, only at a hunter’s wake! Meanwhile, Sam is talking with witch twins Max (Kendrick Sampson) and Alicia (Kara Royster). Elvis interrupts the conversation to rudely ask about Sam’s possession by Lucifer. Uncomfortable, Sam leaves the room and finds Dean. They talk about the hunter life, which usually ends sadly. When they return back to the crowd, Bucky is telling a story about Asa, which includes a romance he had with Jody. It seems that Asa was very popular with the ladies. When he goes to get another beer, Bull’s throat is slit.

Sam and Dean are surprised when Mary arrives. They introduce Jody to their mother and Jody excitedly hugs Mary before giving the Winchesters some family time alone. Mary tells Dean that she has been all over and since most of the people she knew are now dead, she thought about Asa and because he was so young when she met him that Mary figured he had to still be alive. Dean is angry that Mary can only text them once a week, but drove all the way there for a dead guy. Her son isn’t the only one angry with her, Lorraine blames Mary for Asa giving up his dream of being an astronaut to become a hunter. But when Sam finds his mother, he reminds Mary that Asa made his choice and saved a lot of lives. Sam comments how Mary continued to hunt in 1980 even after Dean was born. “This life, this job it’s crazy and insane but it’s in our blood,” Sam says. When they go to say goodbye to Asa, Sam and Mary discover Randy dead and tied on the ceiling. Sam urges everyone to leave the house after telling them that Randy is dead. But the house has been warded and they can’t leave. Bucky tells the group that Randy was murdered by the same Crossroads Demon who killed Asa. This demon wanted revenge against Asa for exorcising it back in 1997.

Dean had gone outside and is surprised to see Billie (Lisa Berry). She explains that she was doing her job by reaping a fresh soul inside. Dean rushes immediately to the front door to get back inside, but the house is on a supernatural lockdown. Since she got in to reap that soul, Dean wants Billie to get him in. She tells him that getting him in is a one-time only deal and he will owe her.

The demon possesses Alicia and plans to have more fun by possessing everyone in the house. The hunters pair up to look for anyone else that could be in the house. Elvis is with Lorraine when Dean magically falls through the door. The demon appears inside Elvis. It snaps Elvis’ neck, killing him before Dean exorcises it. Dean and Lorraine join the group. Sam is surprised that Dean is back in the house. He comes up with an idea to lure the demon out. They make a Devil’s Trap and all of them get inside it. And if anyone refuses, they’ll know who the demon is possessing. When Jody tries to convince Sam that the demon is inside Mary and urges him to kill his mother, Sam realizes “Jody, you’re not acting like yourself.” The demon is possessing Jody! “Can’t blame a girl for trying,” the demon laughs, “I had so hoped that you would kill your mom.” The demon taunts the hunters. It has been inside their heads and knows their deepest, darkest secrets. Like the twins who came to see goodbye to their daddy Asa, Lorraine who’d hide her son’s gear and sabotage his jeep to keep him from hunting, Jody who fantasized about a life with Asa and finally Bucky who killed Asa. Mary joins Dean and the demon is exorcised out of Jody. Bucky tells the group how he and Asa were out after the demon, but Asa left his angel blade. Bucky wanted to go back, but Asa called him a coward and wanted to continue. That was when Bucky pushed Asa and he fell and hit his head on a rock. Since everyone knew of Asa’s hatred for the demon, Bucky strung his friend’s body up on a tree to make it look like the demon had murdered Asa. Bucky always liked stories and will now have to live his life with the story being told of his murder of Asa Fox.

In the morning, the dead hunters’ bodies are burned. Lorraine tells Mary she was wrong as Asa did have a family and then goes to meet her grandchildren. Jody tells Mary that Sam and Dean are the best men she’s ever met. Mary knows they aren’t the problem. “I am,” Mary says. Billie arrives and offers Mary the deal of a peaceful, uncomplicated life upstairs. “How will it work? Will you kill me again?” Mary asks. “Reapers don’t kill people. Rules,” Billie answers. For a moment it looks like Mary is considering the offer but then she says, “Well, then you’re just going to have to wait.” “Winchesters,” Billie responds annoyed. “If you change your mind, if any of you change your mind, you know my name.” Then Billie leaves. Although Mary is not ready to come home with her sons yet, she’ll let them buy her breakfast. And you guessed it…it involves bacon. Because Winchesters love bacon, well Dean and Mary anyway.