E05: Bloody Mary
Sam and Dean fight a vengeful spirit that moves through mirrors to kill people who have secretly killed others.
E07: Hookman
Sam and Dean fight a ‘hookman’, an old-timey pastor’s angry spirit who kills the immoral using hooks and feeding off the anger of the righteous.
Thoughts
So, these are the standalone episodes. In Bloody Mary the spirit is creepy, and the method of traveling through mirrors is creative. I like Hookman as well, mostly because the cold open is so much like the urban legends that used to keep me awake at night. The first urban legend I ever heard was a hook-man story.
Which brings me to some beta-thoughts about the first season as a whole.
Upon first watching Supernatural, I was compelled to keep watching because of its treatment of American mythos. I love stories that are rooted solidly in the awesome fucked-upness (believe me, this is a compliment) that can be American life. I started watching Supernatural while reading American Gods. I love Stephen King, who routinely delves into the dark side of American life. My favorite entertainment is rooted solidly in the American Gothic, the gritty realities of living life in this complicated place.
So even though some of these episodes aren’t the best in television, or even of this series, they are worth watching for the ways that they offer a new twist on some old goodies. Who hasn’t played Bloody Mary at a sleepover? Heard the hook-man stories on a camping trip? Who hasn’t wished that two cool dudes in a classic muscle car could roll up and save them from their worst nightmares?
Under the Old Oak Tree 