I really enjoy this episode. It doesn't offer a lot of answers of give any real resolution, but I'm okay with that. It's just a cool episode with a lot of scary scenes and nice moments between the brothers. "Croatoan" also shows how much pressure Dean is under. His suicidal mind set and questionable decisions are very apparent as the boys try to deal with the demonic virus. Dean also begins to tell Sam the truth about what John whispered to him in "In My Time of Dying" in this episode, but the full reveal will come out in "Hunted." All in all, "Croatoan" isn't vital to the story arc, but you should still give it a chance if you're watching on DVD.
"Craotoan" revolves around Sam getting a vision about Dean shooting someone. He's worried because Dean's been so edgy lately and his visions always have something to do with the Yellow Eyed Demon. He and Dean off to investigate the location of the shooting. It's an isolated Oregon town, where people are acting strangely. The word Croatoan is carved into a telephone pole. Sam points out that the same word was left in a tree after the Roanoke Colony disappeared. (Well, first he had to remind Dean that history class, wasn't the "How Bills Become Laws" segment of "School House Rock.) Then the brothers find the house of the guy that Sam saw Dean shoot in the vision. When they arrive, he's not home and his family is acting crazy. They've attacked the mother, pouring their blood into her wounds. Dean shoots the father, but the other son gets away because Sam can't kill him.
The boys take the woman to the local doctor's office. The entire town is going nuts. Road blocks are set up, keeping people inside the town limits. The phone don't work and the citizens are all attacking each other. They have a demonic virus. The mother is infected, too and Dean shoots her. The only uninfected people left, besides the boys, are a ex-marine Sargent, the doctor, nurse and possibly Dwayne. He shows up after and Dean can't bring himself to shoot him. (After a little guilt tripping from Sam.) Unfortunately, the nurse is infected and she bleeds on Sam. Dean won't let the others hurt his brother, but he tells them to leave in the Impala. But, the infected people have vanished and Sam seems to be immune to the virus. The boys leave town with more questions than answers. Dean begins to tell Sam about John's dying words. Meanwhile, Dwayne turns out to be a demon. He kills the Sarge and communicates with someone, telling them that Sam is immune.
There are some good parts to this episode. I like Dean driving the Impala away from the road block. It looks cool, swerving along the road. And I enjoy the car trip he and the Sarge have to take back to the doctors office, the two of them holding guns on each other. And when the Sarge complains that his neighbor, "Mr. Rogers" tries to kill him, Dean responds, "You got a neighbor named Mr. Rogers?" Sarges reply, "Not anymore," just makes me laugh. And I like the scene where Dwayne arrives at the doctor's office and demands to know where his parents are. Since Dean has killed both his mom and his dad already that day, it's pretty funny when Dean looks at Sam and mutters, "Awkward." I really love brothers talk together after Sam is infected. Dean just sits down across from him and refuses to go. Sam's begging him to leave, but without Sam, Dean doesn't really have anything to live for anyway. He just gives up. Explaining how tired he is and how he doesn't want to go on. He even gives the Impala to the others, which is a huge deal for poor Dean. Then at the end of the episode, he finally breaks down and starts to tell Sam the truth about what John whispered to him in "In My Time of Dying." His speech about how they should just take a break and visit the Grand Canyon is really beautiful. It's a great episode for their relationship.
On the down side, didn't Sam's vision GET someone killed in this episode? If Dean had just shot Dwayne, then the Sarge would still be alive. On the other hand, I'm still not sure if Dean should have killed the infected mother. I understand why he did it, especially since Sam was in the doctors office and Dean's a shoot first and ask questions later kinna guy when it comes to Sammy. But, it seems sort of harsh. It is cute that he looks to Sam for verification that she's one of them before he actually fires, though. Dean trusts Sam's judgment, which is why he doesn't shoot Dwayne. Dean's still spinning out of control, so I just don't know what the right thing to do was. It's complicated. Also, I'm confused about what Sam was being tested for. And was the Yellow Eyed Demon behind it? Doesn't he already know Sam is one of the psychic kids?
My favorite part of the episode: Dean pulling a gun on the Sarge and Dwayne when the threaten to hurt Sam. He's been complaining all episode that Sam needs to be more hard hearted and that the infected people aren't humans but "its." Yet, the second they move towards Sammy, Dean's threatening to kill every one of them. Well, not threatening so much as promising, his, "You make a move on him and you'll be dead before you hit the ground, you understand me?!" seems pretty much like a vow. It's a brilliant scene that shows how willing Dean is to abandon his black/white, good/evil ideas where his little brother is concerned.
"Craotoan" revolves around Sam getting a vision about Dean shooting someone. He's worried because Dean's been so edgy lately and his visions always have something to do with the Yellow Eyed Demon. He and Dean off to investigate the location of the shooting. It's an isolated Oregon town, where people are acting strangely. The word Croatoan is carved into a telephone pole. Sam points out that the same word was left in a tree after the Roanoke Colony disappeared. (Well, first he had to remind Dean that history class, wasn't the "How Bills Become Laws" segment of "School House Rock.) Then the brothers find the house of the guy that Sam saw Dean shoot in the vision. When they arrive, he's not home and his family is acting crazy. They've attacked the mother, pouring their blood into her wounds. Dean shoots the father, but the other son gets away because Sam can't kill him.
The boys take the woman to the local doctor's office. The entire town is going nuts. Road blocks are set up, keeping people inside the town limits. The phone don't work and the citizens are all attacking each other. They have a demonic virus. The mother is infected, too and Dean shoots her. The only uninfected people left, besides the boys, are a ex-marine Sargent, the doctor, nurse and possibly Dwayne. He shows up after and Dean can't bring himself to shoot him. (After a little guilt tripping from Sam.) Unfortunately, the nurse is infected and she bleeds on Sam. Dean won't let the others hurt his brother, but he tells them to leave in the Impala. But, the infected people have vanished and Sam seems to be immune to the virus. The boys leave town with more questions than answers. Dean begins to tell Sam about John's dying words. Meanwhile, Dwayne turns out to be a demon. He kills the Sarge and communicates with someone, telling them that Sam is immune.
There are some good parts to this episode. I like Dean driving the Impala away from the road block. It looks cool, swerving along the road. And I enjoy the car trip he and the Sarge have to take back to the doctors office, the two of them holding guns on each other. And when the Sarge complains that his neighbor, "Mr. Rogers" tries to kill him, Dean responds, "You got a neighbor named Mr. Rogers?" Sarges reply, "Not anymore," just makes me laugh. And I like the scene where Dwayne arrives at the doctor's office and demands to know where his parents are. Since Dean has killed both his mom and his dad already that day, it's pretty funny when Dean looks at Sam and mutters, "Awkward." I really love brothers talk together after Sam is infected. Dean just sits down across from him and refuses to go. Sam's begging him to leave, but without Sam, Dean doesn't really have anything to live for anyway. He just gives up. Explaining how tired he is and how he doesn't want to go on. He even gives the Impala to the others, which is a huge deal for poor Dean. Then at the end of the episode, he finally breaks down and starts to tell Sam the truth about what John whispered to him in "In My Time of Dying." His speech about how they should just take a break and visit the Grand Canyon is really beautiful. It's a great episode for their relationship.
On the down side, didn't Sam's vision GET someone killed in this episode? If Dean had just shot Dwayne, then the Sarge would still be alive. On the other hand, I'm still not sure if Dean should have killed the infected mother. I understand why he did it, especially since Sam was in the doctors office and Dean's a shoot first and ask questions later kinna guy when it comes to Sammy. But, it seems sort of harsh. It is cute that he looks to Sam for verification that she's one of them before he actually fires, though. Dean trusts Sam's judgment, which is why he doesn't shoot Dwayne. Dean's still spinning out of control, so I just don't know what the right thing to do was. It's complicated. Also, I'm confused about what Sam was being tested for. And was the Yellow Eyed Demon behind it? Doesn't he already know Sam is one of the psychic kids?
My favorite part of the episode: Dean pulling a gun on the Sarge and Dwayne when the threaten to hurt Sam. He's been complaining all episode that Sam needs to be more hard hearted and that the infected people aren't humans but "its." Yet, the second they move towards Sammy, Dean's threatening to kill every one of them. Well, not threatening so much as promising, his, "You make a move on him and you'll be dead before you hit the ground, you understand me?!" seems pretty much like a vow. It's a brilliant scene that shows how willing Dean is to abandon his black/white, good/evil ideas where his little brother is concerned.
