Line #25 Recap/SupernaturalS04E04Metamorphosis


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4
5	'''[[Recap/{{Supernatural}} Recap]] of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'''''\
6	'''Season 4, Episode 4:'''
7
8	!Metamorphosis
9
10	->'''Sam:''' You've got this dark pit inside of you, I know, believe me. I know. But that doesn't mean you have to fall into it. You don't have to be a monster... It doesn't matter what you are, it only matters what you do. It's your choice.
11	->'''Jack:''' Have you seen me lately?
12	->'''Sam:''' It doesn't matter what you are. It only matters what you do. It's your choice.
13
14	Written by Cathryn Humphris.
15
16	Directed by Kim Manners.
17
18	Air Date: October 9, 2008.
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20	Dean catches Sam in the act of using his powers, exorcising a demon with his mind. He's not overly thrilled about this, but before they can have a big fallout, Sam's phone rings. It's Travis, another hunter, who wants help tracking down a rugaru in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage,_Missouri Carthage, Missouri]]. Rugarus look like normal people until they get really hungry and eventually turn to cannibalism. It's genetic. Travis killed this rugaru's dad, but lost the kid, Jack Montgomery.
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22	The Winchesters have different ideas on how to deal with it. Sam reckons they can't kill him until he gives them reason to-- innocent until proven guilty and all that. Dean reckons they should deal with the problem before the body count piles up. Meanwhile, Travis discovers that Jack's wife is pregnant, which means the cycle is gonna start all over again. He attempts to burn them both and get it over with. Doesn't work out too well for him. Jack eats him and goes full-on monster mode.
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24	Sam and Dean arrive, and he manages to lock Sam in a closet and stares at unconscious Dean, trying not to eat him. Just as he is giving in, Sam bursts out and burns him alive. KillItWithFire indeed. Dean is duly grateful, and later manages to say that though he doesn't have demon blood, he'll be there for Sam.
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26	!!Body count
27	For this episode = 1 human and 1 rugaru.
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29	For the series so far = At least 268 humans (of which 3 were witches), 14 demons, 24 ghosts, 10 vampires, 6 changelings, 3 gods, 2 shapeshifters, 2 werewolves, 1 crocotta, 1 djinn, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 shtriga, 1 wendigo, 1 zombie, 1 rugaru, and 1 dog.
30
31	!Tropes
32	---------
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34	* BigEater: Jack, the rugaru.
35	* BodyHorror: One of the signs of Jack turning is his bones painfully shifting and moving of their own accord under his skin.
36	* HeroicWillpower: Jack tries hard to resist the urge to kill and eat Dean. His hunger eventually begins to overcome his control, but it lasts long enough for Sam to break out of the closet and kill him just before he succumbs to the hunger.
37	* HeroicSacrifice: Jack succumbs to his Rugaru nature willingly to protect his wife and unborn child from Travis.
38	* HorrorHunger: Jack tries very, ''very'' hard not to eat humans. He actually does a remarkable job of it, until Travis threatens to burn his pregnant wife. Alive.
39	* ICanExplain: Sam says this when Dean finds out Sam's using his psychic powers.
40	* ImAHumanitarian
41	* INeverSaidItWasPoison
42	-->'''Sam:''' It's just, our parents. And now we find out our grandparents too? Our whole family murdered, and for what? So Yellow Eyes could get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth?
43	-->'''Dean:''' Sam, I never said anything about demon blood.
44	* InternalReveal: Dean finds out about Sam using his psychic powers to exorcise demons and that Sam has known for a while about Azazel bleeding into his mouth as a baby. He's not pleased to find out that Sam kept both things from him.
45	* KillItWithFire: The only way to stop a rugaru.
46	* KarmicDeath: Travis spends a lot of time goading Jack to turn and attack him, which Jack actually keeps under wraps very well despite some near slip-ups. However, when Travis eventually escalates to kidnapping him, his wife and unborn child with the intent of burning them all alive. Jack then proceeds to give in willingly to his monstrous nature, breaks his bonds and kills him in short order.
47	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Jack's doing well at not eating human flesh until Travis chains Jack up with his wife and threatens to burn them both alive. Even then he barely manages to keep it together... then Travis informs Jack that his wife is pregnant.
48	* TheNicknamer: Dean refers to Castiel as Cas for the first time, indicating their growing closeness.
49	* PapaWolf: The event that leads Jack to fully turn is when Travis ties them up with plans on killing both of them. He begs him to kill him but let his wife go, but after Travis reveals that she is pregnant possibly with another potential Rugaru, he goes berserk, breaks free and takes a chunk out of his throat.
50	* PlotParallel: It's easy to see why Sam is defending Jack and desperately wants to believe that someone born as a "monster" can have the willpower to resist their dark urges. While Jack struggles with craving human flesh, Sam is still afraid of turning into whatever Azazel had intended and wants to believe that using his demon blood powers does not make him a bad person. By the end of the episode, Jack has succumbed to his rugaru nature and needs to be killed. So both Sam and the viewer are left wondering what that says about the demon blood issue... By the end of the season, we will see that [[spoiler:Sam doesn't have the willpower to refrain from using his powers, either. Which causes a ''lot'' of damage.]]
51	* ThePowerOfLove
52	* TheSecretOfLongPorkPies: Referenced in the episode when Travis explains what Rugarus eat and why they need to be killed.
53	* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Jack tries very hard to suppress the proclivities of his monstrous side and to live as a normal human. However, Travis refuses to believe this can be done and continually goads Jack. When Travis kidnaps and threatens Jack's wife and unborn child, Jack decides to show Travis how truly monstrous he can be.
54	* TragicMonster: Jack. Even though he's a monster, it's hard NOT to feel sorry for the guy.
55	* WellIntentionedExtremist: Travis who wants to kill Jack even though he hasn't done anything yet since he's seen how much of a monster Travis' father was and believes that he made a mistake in letting Jack live as a baby. He eventually decides to kill Jack and his wife who his carrying his unborn baby by noting that he likely wont be around in another twenty years to stop Jack's child.

Context Recap / SupernaturalS04E04Metamorphosis