Recap / Supernatural S 03 E 09 Malleus Maleficarum

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Recap of Supernatural
Season 3, Episode 9:

Malleus Maleficarum

Ruby: The answer is yes, by the way.

Dean: I'm sorry?

Ruby: Yes, the same thing will happen to you. It might take centuries, but sooner or later Hell will burn away your humanity. Every Hell-bound soul, every one, turns into something else. Turns you into us. So yeah. Yeah, you can count on it.

Written by Ben Edlund.

Directed by Robert Singer.

Airdate: January 31, 2008.

Sam and Dean investigate a series of deaths in Sturbridge, Massachusetts that turn out to be caused by a coven of witches. It is revealed that one of the witches is actually the demon to whom they sold their souls. Ruby shows up, and they use her knife to kill the demon.

Body count

For this episode = 5 humans (of which 3 were witches) and 1 demon.

For the series so far = At least 235 humans (of which 3 were witches), 17 ghosts, 9 demons, 10 vampires, 6 changelings, 3 gods, 2 shapeshifters, 2 werewolves, 1 djinn, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 shtriga, 1 wendigo, and 1 zombie.

Tropes

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• Almighty Janitor: The demon possessing Tammi has the standard Black Eyes of Evil, but is frightening powerful.
• And Then John Was a Zombie: Ruby tells demon-hunter Dean that he will eventually turn into a demon in Hell.
• Ax-Crazy: Amanda.
• Beware the Quiet Ones: Oft-silent Tammi is the one who's actually possessed. She gets chattier after The Reveal.
• Big Damn Heroes: Ruby, twice.
  Sam: Dean, if she wants us dead, all she has to do is stop saving our lives.
• Black Chick Dies First: Janet, the only black person in the episode, dies horribly in the teaser.
• Black Eyes of Evil: Standard demon Reveal and accessory.
• Blood from the Mouth: The coven seems to like this trope. Tammi, Dean, and Janet cough up blood (and other things) as the result of a spell.
• Boyish Short Hair: Janet and Tammi.
• Bullet Dodges You: Tammi stops a bullet from the new Colt.
• Continuity Nod: When he's arguing with Dean over Ruby, Sam brings up Casey, that demon chick in Ohio that Dean didn't want dead.
• The Corrupter: The demon possessing Tammi turns a group of innocent women into witches and damns their souls to Hell, just like it did to Ruby in the 1300s.
• Crocodile Tears: The demon possessing Tammi acts genuinely frightened when Sam singles her out, before sighing and dropping the act.
• Deal with the Devil: The witches sold their souls to get their powers.
• The Dog Bites Back: Elizabeth turns Tammi's own black magic against her. Not for long, but it buys Dean some time.
• Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Ruby is obviously embarrassed by having her past as a human tortured into a demon in Hell revealed to the brothers. "Go."
• Evil Is Not a Toy: The coven turned to magic to improve their lives. They're horrified to learn that they damned themselves in the process, and the only member that isn't killed by the demon they contracted with is possessed by her instead.
• Fake Defector: Ruby pretends that she's led Sam and Dean to her old teacher as a gift, then tries to stab her with her knife. Said teacher didn't buy it.
• Faux Affably Evil: The demon controlling the coven.
• Force Feeding: Ruby saves Dean's life from a curse by making him drink a potion; Dean complains that it tastes like ass.
• Get Out!: Ruby glares at the brothers, black eyes and all, and orders them to leave when they learn a secret about her and drag their feet about leaving.
• Girl on Girl Is Hot: Even though he thinks Ruby's evil, Dean still seems intrigued when she tries to seduce Tammi.
• Hell-Bent for Leather: Referenced. According to Ruby, Hell isn't like that.
• Hidden Villain: Tammi.
• If I Can't Have You…: After killing Janet, Amanda targets Paul for ending their affair.
• It's All About Me/Lack of Empathy: Renee on the deaths caused by their "book club".
  Renee: Amanda killed herself, yes. And yes, she killed Janet. Awful, awful business of course, but that's all over now. And think about what Book Club has gotten us, hmm?
• It Tastes Like Feet : Dean complains about the potion Ruby feeds him tastes likeass.
• Literary Allusion Title: The Latin Language title, roughly translating to "a hammer with which to beat evil", comes from a treatise on witchcraft by Renaissance German cleric Heinrich Kramer.
• Meaningful Name: Amanda Burns: "Amanda" means "love" and "Burns" as in "burn the witch".
• Mind over Matter: One of Tammi's power's, notably stopping a bullet from the Colt in midair, something no other character has done before or since.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: Amanda killing Janet (Paul's wife) in a very disturbing way in the teaser.
• My Species Doth Protest Too Much:
  Dean: Ruby, why do you want us to win?
  Ruby: [laughs quietly] Isn't it obvious? I'm not like them. I—I don't know why. I wish I was, but I'm not. I remember what it's like.
  Dean: What what's like?
  Ruby: Being human.
• Neck Snap: Tammi kills Renee when she gets tired of her babbling.
• No Name Given: The demon possessing Tammi is not named in the episode, but the official companion for Season 3 lists it as Astaroth.
• Not Himself: Dean finally voices his worries that this is the case with Sam, who has become uncharacteristically ruthless about killing humans and sympathetic monsters since he was brought Back from the Dead by a demon in "All Hell Breaks Loose, Part Two" (S02, E22). Sam explains that he is just trying to be more like Dean to prepare for having to fight alone after Dean leaves.
• No, You: Immediately after Dean complains about the potion from Ruby:
  Ruby: It's called witchcraft, short bus. (leaves)
  Dean: (clearly struggling for a better response) You're the short bus... short bus.
• Really 700 Years Old: Ruby was around "back when the Plague was big". This is nothing compared to Astaroth (Tammi) who was already a prominent demon back when Ruby was still human.
• Self-Deprecation: "Witches are whores."
• Shout-Out: To Abbott and Costello.
• Sympathy for the Devil: Sam and Dean both have a non-verbal moment towards Ruby at the end of the episode. Dean even seems to soften up a little towards her.
• Take That!: The witches seem to be one towards Charmed. In the German dub of the episode, they were even voiced by the same people who did the German dubs for the Halliwell sisters.
• They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: Sam points out to Dean that this is the trouble with finding witches.
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: Pointedly averted by Sam, much to Dean's surprise. It's another clue that Sam isn't exactly who he used to be.
  Sam: They're working black magic too, Dean. They need to be stopped.
  Dean: "Stopped", like stopped? They're human, Sam.
  Sam: They're murderers.
• The Tooth Hurts: Janet dies after all of her teeth are cursed to fall out.
• Villainous Rescue: Ruby, the demon, saves Dean, the Hunter, even after he tried to kill her earlier in the episode.
• Was Once a Man: Turns out, all demons used to be human, and Hell stripped them of their humanity.
• Wicked Witch: Not necessarily. Although one of the coven did kill someone, the rest didn't seem that bad. They only used witchcraft for personal gain and were horrified to realize they had sold their souls to an actual demon. One of them—Elizabeth—even helps distract and kill the demon, although it costs her her life.
• With Great Power Comes Great Perks: These witches are definitely not of the opinion that Personal Gain Hurts. Until it's revealed that they've sold their souls for it and will go to Hell.
• Wham Line: "Pretty mortifying, I guess. She was one of mine. I turned her out a long, long time ago. Ruby here was a witch. Of course, that was when you were human."
• Woman Scorned: Amanda is going after the Duttons because married-man Paul didn't want to keep cheating on his wife with her.

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