History Recap / SupernaturalS01E04PhantomTraveller

Dean [[WhoYouGonnaCall gets a call]] from Jerry Panowski, an air traffic controller that [[Characters/SupernaturalTheWinchesters John]] and Dean had previously helped with a {{poltergeist}}. He tells them about the unexplained plane crash, and they analyze the cockpit voice recorder and hear EVP saying "no survivors". In actuality, 7 of the more than 100 people aboard the plane survived. The Winchester brothers interview a survivor and hear about the strange passenger who opened the door. They then impersonate Homeland Security agents so they can examine the crash debris and find sulfur on the emergency exit door handle.

The only survivor planning to fly is a flight attendant, [[Creator/JaimeRayNewman Amanda Walker]]. After failing to stop her from getting on the plane, the brothers board the plane themselves, despite Dean's fear of flying. [[JustInTime 28 minutes]] into the flight, they realize the co-pilot is possessed. With Amanda's help they bind and gag him and douse him with holy water. Sam starts an exorcism, but once the demon has been forced out of the co-pilot and assumes its smoke form, it posesses the plane itself. Before the demon can crash the plane, Sam finishes the exorcism and sends the demon back to Hell, and the plane is able to return to the airport.

-->'''Mrs Phelps:''' Mm-hm. He was headed to a convention in Denver. Do you know that he was petrified to fly? For him to go like that...

-->'''Mrs Phelps:''' Thirteen years.

-->'''Mrs Phelps:''' Well...uh. ''[long pause]'' He had acid reflux, if that's what you mean.

* DemonicPossession: This is the first episode to feature a demonic possessor, and the first time an exorcism has to be done.

* DemonicPossession

The only survivor planning to fly is a flight attendant, [[Creator/JaimeRayNewman Amanda Walker]]. After failing to stop her from getting on the plane, the brothers board the plane themselves, despite Dean's fear of flying. [[JustInTime 28 minutes]] into the flight, they realize the co-pilot is possessed. With Amanda's help they bind and gag him and douse him with holy water. Sam starts an exorcism, but once the demon has been forced out of the co-pilot and assumes its smoke form, it inhabits the plane. Before the demon can crash the plane, Sam finishes the exorcism and the plane is able to return to the airport.

--->'''Worker:''' ''Film/{{Poltergeist}}''. Man, I loved that movie.

* BadDreams: Sam admits he is still having nightmares about Jessica.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The word "Christo" is never used again. The special effects for demons is also different in future episodes.

** Dean mentions he saw Sam watching a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Foreman George Foreman]] {{infomercial}}.

The only survivor planning to fly is a flight attendant, Amanda Walker. After failing to stop her from getting on the plane, the brothers board the plane themselves, despite Dean's fear of flying. [[JustInTime 28 minutes]] into the flight, they realize the co-pilot is possessed. With Amanda's help they bind and gag him and douse him with holy water. Sam starts an exorcism, but once the demon has been forced out of the co-pilot and assumes its smoke form, it inhabits the plane. Before the demon can crash the plane, Sam finishes the exorcism and the plane is able to return to the airport.

* OurDemonsAreDifferent: The first time we see the Winchester brothers fight a demon.

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Dean doesn't like airplanes.

** While in RealLife a person cannot open an airplane door mid-flight, despite the urban legends about this, it's [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in this case, as it was a demon opening the door. {{Discussed|Trope}} by [[GenreSavvy Max Jaffe]].

-->'''John's voicemail:''' This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son, Dean, at 866-907-3235. He can help.

[[caption-width-right:350:Homeland Security. It’s pretty illegal, even for us.]]

->''' Sam:''' What is that?
->''' Dean:''' It's an EMF meter. It reads electromagnetic frequencies.
->''' Sam:''' Yeah, I know what an EMF meter is. But why does that one look like a busted-up Walkman?
->''' Dean:''' ''[smugly]'' Because that's what I made it out of. It's homemade.
->''' Sam:''' Yeah, I can see that.

Dean [[WhoYouGonnaCall gets a call]] from Jerry Panowski, an air traffic controller, that [[Characters/SupernaturalTheWinchesters John Winchester]] and Dean had previously helped with a {{poltergeist}}. He tells them about the unexplained plane crash, and they analyze the cockpit voice recorder and hear EVP saying, "No survivors". In actuality, 7 of the more than 100 people aboard the plane survived. The Winchester brothers interview a survivor and hear about the strange passenger who opened the door. They then impersonate Homeland Security agents so they can examine the crash debris and find sulfur on the airplane door.

The only survivor planning to fly is a flight attendant, Amanda Walker. After failing to stop her from getting on the plane, the brothers board the plane themselves, despite Dean's fear of flying. [[JustInTime 28 minutes]] into the flight, they realize the co-pilot is possessed. With Amanda's help they bind and gag him and douse him with holy water. Sam starts an exorcism, but once the demon has been forced out of the co-pilot and assumes it smoke form, it inhabits the plane. Before the demon can crash the plane, Sam finishes the exorcism and the plane is able to return to the airport.

Jerry Panowski thanks Sam and Dean for what they did, and Dean asks him how he got his number. Jerry explains that John Winchester's voice-mail message [[PassingTheTorch says to call Dean]] for emergencies.

-->''[Sam tilts his head]''

-->'''John's voice mail:''' This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son, Dean, at 866-907-3235. He can help.

** The planes crash after 40 minutes, which Dean explains as biblical numerology and that the number equals death. The number 40 is used 98 times in the Bible. It usually marks the end of a stage (40 days of flooding, 40 years in the dessert, Jesus' 40 day fast in the desert), and not literal death, but more of a rebirth. However, 40 does correspond to the thirteenth Hebraic letter, mem, and to the Arcane 13 of the Tarot, the Death.

** While in RealLife a person cannot open an airplane door mid-flight, despite the urban legends about this, this is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in this case, as it was a demon opening the door. {{Discussed|Trope}} by [[GenreSavvy Max Jaffey]].
** The stories surrounding [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_401 Flight 401]] are [[DiscussedTrope compared]] to the crash of United Britannia flight 2485 in this episode.

* VillainsNeverLie: Before being exorcised, the demon claims knowing what happened to Jessica. Dean tries to reassure Sam by saying that demons always lie, but...

-->''' Sam:''' What is that?
-->''' Dean:''' It's an EMF meter. It reads electromagnetic frequencies.
-->''' Sam:''' Yeah, I know what an EMF meter is. But why does that one look like a busted-up Walkman?
-->''' Dean:''' ''[smugly]'' Because that's what I made it out of. It's homemade.
-->''' Sam:''' Yeah, I can see that.

-->'''Max:''' There was...this-—man. And, uh, he had these...eyes-—these, uh...black eyes. And I saw him-—or I ''thought'' I saw him...

* CanisLatinicus[=/=]AncientGrome: Christo is not Latin for "God" but Greek for "The Anointed One" (as in the title "Christ"). Moreover, it should be "Christus" or "Christe".

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The word "Christo" is never used again. The special effect for the demon is also different in future episodes.

* FakeOutOpening: The beach landscape, complete with Hawaiian music, before our traveler lifts his head and the jet roars, which make us realize the scene is in an airport.

-->'''John's voice mail message:''' This is John Winchester. I can’t be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son, Dean at 866-907-3235. He can help.

* HolyBurnsEvil: First use of Holy Water in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''.

-->'''Worker:''' ''Film/{{Poltergeist}}''. Man, I loved that movie.
-->'''Jerry:''' Hey, nobody's talking to you. Keep walking.

-->'''Dean:''' Man, I look like one of the Blues Brothers.
-->'''Sam:''' No, you don't. You look more like a...seventh-grader at his first dance.
** Dean hums [[Music/{{Metallica}} Metallica's]] "Some Kind of Monster" while freaked out about flying:
-->'''Sam:''' Are you humming Metallica?
-->'''Dean:''' It calms me down.
** Dean tells the flight attendant he doesn't have time for the whole [[Series/TheXFiles the truth is out there]] speech right now.

** While in RealLife a person cannot open an airplane door mid-flight, despite the urban legends about this, this is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in this case as it was a demon and not a person opening the door, as is [[DiscussedTrope discussed]] by [[GenreSavvy Max Jaffey]].

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Dean doesn't like airplanes.

!Non-trope items:
* [[Fridge/SupernaturalS01E04PhantomTraveller Fridge Items.]]
* [[Trivia/SupernaturalS01E04PhantomTraveller Trivia Items.]]
* [[YMMV/SupernaturalS01E04PhantomTraveller Other YMMV Items.]]

------------

* DeggansRule: Failed.

* TheBechdelTest: Failed.

'''Season 1, Episode 4''':

'''[[Recap/{{Supernatural}} Recap]] of Series/{{Supernatural}}'''\\

-->''' Dean:''' (smugly) Because that's what I made it out of. It's homemade.

For the series so far = At least 105 humans; 3 ghosts; and 1 wendigo.

-->'''Max:''' There was...this—man. And, uh, he had these...eyes—these, uh...black eyes. And I saw him—or I thought I saw him...

-->[Sam tilts his head.]

* CanisLatinicus / AncientGrome: Christo is not Latin for "God" but Greek for "The Anointed One" (as in the title "Christ"). Moreover, it should be "Christus" or "Christe".

-->'''Mrs Phelps:''' Well...uh. [long pause] He had acid reflux, if that's what you mean.
-->[Dean and Sam look ay each other and leave the house]

-->'''Dean:''' A middle-aged dentist with an ulcer is not exactly evil personified
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The word Christo is never used again. The special effect for the demon is also different from furture episodes.
* ElectromagneticGhosts: EVP on the cockpit voice recorder saying, "No survivors."
* FakeOutOpening: The beach landscape complete with Hawaiian music, before our traveler lifts his head and the jet roar, which make us realize the scene is in an airport.

-->'''Worker:''' Film/{{Poltergeist}}. Man, I loved that movie.

** After buying a suit to look like a Homeland Security Agent, Dean says he looks like one of Film/TheBluesBrothers, but Sam [[DeadpanSnarker reassures]] him.

** Dean hums [[{{Metallica}} Metallica's]] "Some Kind of Monster" while freaked out about flying.

** Dean tells the flight attendant he doesn't have time for the whole [[TheXFiles the truth is out there]] speech right now.
* SuperSmoke: The demon, when he's not possessing someone. Apparently, even in this form it can threaten a plane to crash.
* ThemedAliases: Dean claims to be Dr. [[{{Metallica}} James Hetfield]].

** While in RealLife a person can not open an airplane door in flight, despite the urban legends about this, this is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in this case as it was a demon and not a person opening the door, as is [[DiscussedTrope discussed]] by [[GenreSavvy Max Jaffey]].

For this episode = [[spoiler: At least 95 humans]].

* ThrowItIn: The line "Poltergeist? I love this movie".

!Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV) items:

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Brian Markinson who played Jerry Panowski, also played Jordan Durham in ''Series/{{Caprica}}'', and Dr. Sam Carr in ''DarkAngel''.

* ThrowItIn: The line "Poltergeis? I love this movie".

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The word Christo is never used again. The special effect for the demon is also different from furthers episodes.

* FridgeLogic:
** Why does Jerry Panowski, an air traffic controller, have a microscope in his office, and why do the brothers take him the substance from the airplane door to analyze, instead of a scientist?
** What did looking at the sulfur under the microscope tell them they already didn't know? It's not as if this would tell them it's melting/boiling point, solubility, or molecular weight, and we could already see it was yellow powder.