Season 1:
Dead in the Water, Faith, Nightmare, and Salvation
Gamble truly helped establish the roots of Sam and Dean’s relationship; particularly in conjunction with their father, John Winchester. Dean’s personality is clearly depicted as the one who has to hold it all together. Dean goes after cases from his unseen dad because it’s the only connection he has with him. He tries to be John because that’s all he knows- take care of Sam and get the job done. That’s it.
Sam is the youngest. He needs to be free. He wants to make his own decisions and mistakes, but he needs to know that his dad’s okay, “People don’t just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them.” –Sam, Dead in the Water
Which leads me to my next point, Gamble is amazing at really foreshadowing and connecting the episode with the arch. Dead in the Water could be brushed off as an out-there case that just distracts viewers from the big picture, but the search for people disappearing in the lake quickly gets the brothers on the same page when Sam links them with their own dad’s disappearance.
As far as foreshadowing goes, this episode really reaches Dean’s “dad” mode. He connects so easily with Lucas when no one else can, and he dives without hesitation into the lake to save him. It gave me chills when Dean said: “I just don’t wanna leave this town until I know that kid’s alright.” And he would do anything for him to talk; partially because they needed Lucas’ testimony to get any further on the case; but also, Dean knew that this kid could only move on if he was able to let out the horror.
I don’t think I need to detail the foreshadowing happening with Dean and Lucas if you know this show even just a little.
Faith is one of my favorite episodes. Maybe it’s because I’m a Christian and was excited to see the religious element brought in; especially since the show’s arching focus is about demons (and later, angels).
At the end of season 1, I watched an interview with Sera Gamble and Kim Manners about Faith, and found out how nervous they were to show it to the producers- because of its controversial nature. The response to that made me that much more excited about the show and the direction it was heading: they all loved bringing in this controversial element. Creator, Eric Kripke even said that he was really excited about the story when he first read the episode.
There is a lack of fear in this show to go too far. It’s not even about taking it too far just because they can, but to explore other questions and create from those questions.
This show addresses the questions that were being brought up by viewers and other crewmembers and then puts a twist one might not expect to see. The writers truly understand what it is to create new life and put it on the screen.
Gamble and Manners mention that they spent hours a day on Google looking for lures and stories. However, they never go along with the tradition of them, they put their own twist on everything: vampires, werewolves, demons, angels, wendigos, shape-shifters, and any other supernatural being displayed in this show.
Faith really heavily foreshadows Dean and Sam’s connection with heaven. When Dean goes back to see the Reverend Roy after he is healed, he asked why he was chosen.
R.R: I didn’t choose you Dean, the Lord did. (This is said when they are in the tent, just before Dean is healed).
I just looked into your heart.
Dean: What did you see…?
R.R: A young man with an important purpose.
Gives me chills just writing it. The first thing that comes to mind is the Archangel Michael in John’s body talking to Dean…
Sam’s ironic connection to angels and demons is also established here. Like I said before, he’s the younger, and he does see things in a different light. Dean will mention when they meet Gordon that their job is to kill anything Supernatural and Sam will argue that it’s killing evil- which doesn’t necessarily describe everything that is Supernatural. Sam is desperate to believe that this is another side to evil.
When he takes Dean to the faith healer, Dean is obviously angered and doesn’t want to go in. Sam can’t understand it, “But if you know there’s evil out there, how can you not believe there’s good out there, too?”-Sam. Dean has the same response most people do, “Because I’ve seen what evil does to good people.”
This episode is chalk-full of profound quotes and moments. I’m not going to get into crazy theological debates on this particular entry. Mostly because I have found that if you just want to argue, neither of us wins and no one listens to the other side. I’m just going to state that I understand why so many people sneer at the word Christian: “God, save us from half the people who think they’re doing God’s work.” –Dean
I’m still going to throw this clip in, because I think it plants a deep seed in Dean’s brain so much he admits to have trouble understanding: http://youtu.be/iru4YSay1To
Next up is Nightmare, which does a lot for Sam’s development. His prophetic dreams become more vivid and, almost, real. The pain is becoming excruciating, and I think that there would have been no other more appropriate title for this episode. It may be obvious, but it doesn’t make it any less true to the story.
The intensity of Sam’s psychic abilities connect him more and more to a Supernatural level, and deepen his need to prove that just because something has the ability to do evil does not mean it will- or he will, “We’re not gonna kill Max…he’s a human.” –Sam
This is where Sam starts making the connection as to why he and Max have special abilities. Azazol. As soon as Sam realizes this connection, he goes overboard on the details with Max. “You and I were chosen,” –Sam; this means that there are other people like them too? This is the beginning of how the boys begin trying to solve the mystery puzzle that leads us to All Hell Breaks Loose Parts I and II.
Salvation is incredible because it’s one of the first episodes where we see John (Jeffery Dean Morgan), Dean and Sam all together. The reality of what they’re all hunting for becomes clear. Dean is after his family and John and Sam are out to avenge Jess (Adrianne Palicki) and Mary (Samantha Smith).
Dean’s frustration with both of them becomes evident, and he begins to realize just how alike they really are; which is later why he realizes the reason John and Sam couldn’t get along. Family quickly surfaces itself as a thematic tool in the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JcNWow8RxI
So, Gamble’s contributions to season one are necessary and begin an incredible journey for the growing television series. The episodes she wrote influence and intensify the root of vengeance and family; but they do so in a way that places an incredible grey area of right and wrong. The psychological roots of the boys and their upbringing will help develop not only their own characters, but the influences in their lives that they don’t even realize as of yet.
Analytically Media 