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Context Recap / SupernaturalS13E08TheScorpionAndTheFrog

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1[floatboxright:
2Previous: Recap/SupernaturalS13E07WarOfTheWorlds\
3Next: Recap/SupernaturalS13E09TheBadPlace]
4
5'''[[Recap/{{Supernatural}} Recap]] of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'''''\
6'''Season 13, Episode 8:'''
7
8! The Scorpion And The Frog
9
10Written By: Meredith Glynn
11
12Directed By: Robert Singer
13
14Air date: November 30, 2017
15
16A demon named Bart approaches Sam and Dean with an offer -- steal something from a supernatural collector named Luther Shrike for him, and he gives them a spell to track down Jack.
17!Tropes
18
19* AbandonedWarehouse: Sam and Dean meet Bart's heist crew in one of these.
20* {{Blackmail}}: Despite Bart being willing to give them something they really need, the brothers initially refuse to work with him because historically speaking, teaming up with demons has always gone poorly for them. However, he threatens to give the nephilim locator spell to Asmodeus if they don't help.
21* BlackmailBackfire: The Winchesters are willing to lose the spell in order to kill Bart and free Alice from her demon deal.
22* BloodMagic:
23** The supernaturally enchanted vault requires blood from a specific type of victim.
24** Grab casts a spell that causes Dean's blood to physically lead his body to the vault. HilarityEnsues.
25* TheCollector: Shrike collects rare supernatural artifacts.
26* CrazyPrepared: Shrike has an exorcism memorized, has a devil's trap permanently fashioned into the floor surrounding the entrance of his home, and has his entire home magically warded and booby trapped.
27* CuttingTheKnot: Instead of figuring out the safe path through the poison dart hallway, Sam and Dean simply tie the immortal Shrike to a swivel chair and shove him down the hallway to set off all the booby traps.
28* TheDogBitesBack: Alice, who Bart basically enslaved, is the one who burns his bones and kills him.
29* {{Expy}}: Grab seems to be a supernatural, demonic version of Creator/TomCavanagh's [[Series/TheFlash2014 Harrison Wells]] -- super smart, super capable, and morally ambiguous.
30* FanBoy: Sam is very enthusiastic about Shrike's collection and even accurately discerns that the basilisk tooth Shrike shows him actually came from a Gorgon, to Shrike's displeasure.
31* FishEyeLens: We're shown Sam through Shrike's security camera POV.
32* FlashbackCut: We're shown brief scenes of Dean's time in hell from the season 3 finale.
33* GenreSavvy: Dean doesn't really want to get sucked into Bart's heist scheme.
34--> '''Dean:''' Alright. Well I've seen this movie a thousand times. Some ass hat too fancy to get his hands dirty plans a job, swears it'll all go smooth, and it does until, bang, and everything goes screaming off the rails and bites our asses.
35* GilliganCut:
36-->'''Bart:''' Shrike will never see us coming.\
37'''Demon:''' (talking to Shrike) They're coming.
38* HeistEpisode: Sam and Dean are roped into stealing a trunk for a Crossroad Demon in exchange for a locating spell they desperately need. However, the trunk is hidden inside the supernaturally warded, physically booby-trapped compound of an extremely paranoid occult collector. Paired with Smash, a master safecracker who has been promised the return of her soul in return for her participation, and Grab, a demon who gets them the detailed blue plans and shows them how to counteract the warding, the Winchesters clear the ''Indian Jones''-style maze and obtain their MacGuffin.
39* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Dean and Sam are trying to get through a room booby-trapped by Shrike. He boasts on how it's packed with pressure sensors that will go off and unleash various darts at them. Remembering how Shrike is immortal in the house, the brothers tie him to a cart, push him into the room and let ''him'' set off the traps and take all the darts.
40* HostageForMacGuffin: Bart threatens to kill Alice if the boys don't turn over his bones.
41* IronicFear: Dean, life-long professional monster hunter, is visibly freaked out at the thought of spiders.
42* MeaningfulEcho: When asked why he specifically wanted to work with the Winchesters, Bart echoes Crowley's season 12 sentiments, saying that no matter how impossible something seems, the Winchesters always seem to prevail.
43* NiceJobBreakingItHero: It turns out Shrike is actually a victim, and the object he stole from Bart is the only leverage he has to keep Bart from killing him. Naturally, once the Winchesters steal the bones, Bart murders Shrike.
44* NoOneGetsLeftBehind: Subverted. Facing Shrike, who has a weapon, Smash kicks him and runs for her life, leaving Dean to face him alone.
45* OffWithHisHead: Bart slices Shrike's head clean off after Shrike tells his story.
46* TheOnlyOne: Bart sought out Sam and Dean because access to the vault requires the blood of a man who has been to Hell and back. Sam and Dean have both been to Hell, but Dean specifically '''died''', went to Hell, and was then resurrected.
47* {{Safecracking}}: Alice's speciality.
48* ShoutOut:
49** When Sam mentions the film ''Film/{{Entrapment}}'' as he's discussing how to get across the booby trapped floor, Dean can't decide if he's impressed that Sam watched a movie for Creator/CatherineZetaJones or [[TakeThat disgusted that Sam watched such a low-quality film.]]
50** Dean is pissed to find out the path to the vault is heavily booby trapped and grumbles about not having time for this ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' crap.
51** ''Film/OceansEleven'': When Bart introduces his heist crew, Dean invokes this movie.
52** Dean refers to Smash, a thief with a quirky fashion sense, as Creator/WinonaRyder.
53** Sam introduces himself to Shrike with the alias "John Dortmunder", an unlucky fictional thief created by Donald Westlake.
54* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute:
55** {{Subverted| Trope}} with Barthamus, who looks at the beginning to be the new Crowley: same job, wheedling personality, wary of other demons. But he manages to get himself killed in the space of one episode.
56** Much like Charlie, Alice is a quirky girl of slim build with a specialize skills who helps the boys pull a caper.
57* SwivelChairAntics: Sam and Dean use Shrike, who is nigh-unkillable, strapped to a rolling chair to deploy all his anti-theft measures.
58* ThemedAliases: Bart's heist crew go by the names "Smash" and "Grab"
59-->'''Sam:''' Smash and Grab. Really?\
60'''Smash:''' Not our real names, obviously.\
61'''Dean:''' No kidding.
62* TouchedByVorlons: Shrike received his immortality from a second demon deal and it is dependent on his staying inside his home.
63* TwoHalvesMakeAPlot: Bart only gives the brothers half the spell they need for the tracking spell to locate Jack. He promises the other half when they recover his lost item.
64* UnreliableNarrator: Bart's version of why they're robbing Shrike doesn't hold up once the brothers hear from Shrike himself.
65* WalkAndTalk: Sam and Dean walk through a city block discussing the particulars of the demon they're about to meet.
66* XCalledTheyWantTheirYBack: Dean tells Smash the 90's called and they want their boots back. Particularly funny since Dean's beloved car is from the 60s and all his favorite music is from the 80s.
67* YouAnsweredYourOwnQuestion:

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