Recap of Supernatural
Season 9, Episode 08:
Rock And A Hard Place
I already miss it.
Written by Jenny Klein.Directed by Johnny MacArthy.
Airdate: November 26, 2013.
Sam and Dean become born-again virgins when Sheriff Jody Mills calls them because people start disappearing from Good Faith Church's chastity group in Hartford, South Dakota.
Body Count:
For this episode = 1 human and 1 god.
For the series so far = At least 1066 angels, 933 humans (of which 8 were witches), 135 demons, 51 vampires, 49 ghosts, 36 Jefferson Starships, 21 gods, 19 zombies, 10 hellhounds, 7 skinwalkers, 6 changelings, 5 djinn, 5 shapeshifters, 5 werewolves, 4 ghouls, 4 Leviathan, 4 reapers, 3 dogs, 2 Amazons, 2 arachnes, 2 kitsunes, 2 rugarus, 2 Thule, 2 vetalas, 1 cat, 1 crocotta, 1 dragon, 1 fairy, 1 familiar, 1 Khan worm, 1 lamia, the Mother of All, 1 okami, 1 phoenix, 1 Purgatory creature, 1 rakshasa, 1 rawhead, 1 shojo, 1 shtriga, 1 siren, 1 Titan, 1 wendigo, 1 whore of Babylon, 1 wicked witch, and 1 wraith.
Tropes:
- Absurdly Spacious Sewer: The victims of Vesta are being kept there.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Helpful and non-judgmental-acting Bonnie is Vesta.
- Break the Cutie: Barb has some of this by the time the Winchesters and Jody rescue the surviving prisoners; it's mentioned that even before being abducted she was pretty guilt-ridden about breaking her chastity vows; after being abducted and trapped in the sewers she gets so crazy with thirst that she starts raking her nails across the wall and drinking her own blood, and then she has to listen to her fiancé talk about sacrificing someone else to buy them time as he seemingly ignores her pleas not to.
- But I Would Really Enjoy It
- Cartwright Curse: Sam's reason for taking the pledge.
- Celeb Crush: Dean admires Suzy from her work as Carmelita in Casa Erotica.
- Classical Mythology: Vesta is the Roman virgin goddess of hearth and home.
- Comic Sutra: The scene with the tacos.
- Continuity Nod:
- Suzy, the chastity counselor, used to work as Carmelita in Casa Erotica. Casa Erotica previously appeared in "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" (S02, E04), "Dream A Little Dream of Me" (S03, E10), "The Monster At The End Of This Book" (S04, E18), and "Hammer of The Gods" (S05, E19).
- Jodi's blind date with Crowley.
- Defiled Forever: Subverted Trope. Sam and Dean become virgins by signing a pledge and praying for forgiveness.
- Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Jody trash-talks a Roman goddess.
- Fire Purifies: Vesta's symbol is a sacred blue fire. Vestal virgins would guard the flames at her temples to keep it from going out.
- Gods Need Prayer Badly: Vesta blames her downfall on that "hippie from Bethlehem".
- Gratuitous Spanish: Dean thinks everything sounds sexier in Spanish.
- Holier Than Thou: Tammy thinks Honor is going to Hell because she is having an affair with the preacher.
- Jerkass Gods: Vesta buries underground any virgins who break their pledges.
- Lust: During the group session, Dean describes how sex can feel good in detail, while the women cross their legs and crush paper in their hands.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: The woman in the teaser is attacked after giving a to-go container of food to a homeless man.
- Noodle Implements: "That scene with the tacos..."
- Once a Season: This isn't the first episode that had the Monster of the Week turn out to be a god angry about no longer worshiped.
- Our Dragons Are Different: Brought up because the last time virgins were being targeted the culprits were dragons, though the monster of the week turns out not to be a dragon.
- Picky People Eater: Vesta only eats the livers of her victims as it is the only part of them still working to purify them.
- Power Glows: The blue light.
- Sex Is Good: Played for Laughs with Dean's less-than-convincing talk on why he gave up the evils of sex. About the only negative he can come up with is that most of his relationships were one-night stands.
- Shout-Out:
- Sheriff Joy Mills compares Vesta to Lindsay Lohan.
- When Ezekiel interrupts Dean's attempt to come clean with Sam he sounds eerily similar to "I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave."
- Speed Sex: One of the victims disappeared after telling their boyfriend it did not count because it lasted less than 30 seconds.
- Unusual Euphemism: Tammy's poem "Sex is a Racket, and God's Ball is in Your Court".
- Villains Never Lie: Dean asks why Sam believes Vesta, and Sam says she had no reason to lie:Sam: Vesta said I was practically dead inside.Dean: Oh, and she's in the circle of trust now?Sam: Why would she lie?
- Virgin Power: Played With. The victims were only targeted when they broke their vows of chastity.
- Vow of Celibacy: Sam and Dean each sign purity pledges promising not to have sex with anyone prior to marriage, which is supposed to re-virginize them. They can barely keep a straight face long enough to sign their names and the lunacy of such a promise, particularly for Dean, is treated as an inside joke between, Sam, Dean and Jodi for the rest of the episode.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Pastor Fred is abducted off-screen before the episodes start, is found malnourished and unable to talk by the others, and then gets taken and devoured by Vesta shortly afterwards.
- Wham Line:"I wouldn't do that, Dean."
- Who You Gonna Call?: Sheriff Jody Mills calls the Winchesters when four people disappear and a witness says they saw someone lift an SUV to abduct a girl.
