1.20 Dead Man's Blood

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1-20 Dead Man's Blood.jpg
Title Dead Man's Blood
Episode # Season 1, Episode 20
First aired April 20, 2006
Directed by Tony Wharmby
Written by Cathryn Humphris
John Shiban
On IMDB Dead Man's Blood
Outline Sam and Dean meet up with John to hunt vampires as they investigate the death of a fellow hunter.
Monster Vampires
Timeline
Location(s) Manning, Colorado
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Synopsis

An old man, Daniel Elkins, sits scribbling in his journal and drinking whiskey in a bar in Manning, Colorado. A group of people enter and catch Elkins’ attention. After leaving the bar in a hurry, Elkins is confronted by the woman leading the group he saw earlier. To defend himself, Elkins attempts to load an old 5-shot Colt. However, after a struggle he is murdered.

In a diner somewhere in Nebraska Sam and Dean are looking over news stories for a job, when they read about Elkins' death. Dean recognizes the name from John's journal and they head west. Arriving at Elkins' cabin, the boys find it ransacked and in chaos, but in the darkness, they are being watched. Amongst the wreckage Dean finds not only a journal a lot like their father's, but also a message: a combination to a post office box. A mail drop, just the way their father does it.

Opening the post office box they find a letter addressed to "J.W." They are startled by the surprise appearance of John Winchester, their father. Reading the letter, he realizes that Elkins had been holding out on him about a legendary gun, a Colt made in 1835. Questioning the boys he realizes that whatever attacked Elkins has taken the gun. He tells them it's vampires, and they will hunt them together.

As Sam and Dean sleep, John listens to a police scanner. He hears of an abandoned car left by a young couple after making a 911 call. Rousing the boys, they take off to investigate. Sam questions John, but John just asks Sam to follow him. When they reach the location of the abandoned car, Sam is bridling at John’s dominating attitude and is constantly questioning his father's orders. Dean is frustrated by the recurring old arguments that drove the family apart.

Meanwhile, back at the vampire nest, Kate presents her gifts taken from Elkins to her mate, Luther. Horrified that she killed the old man, even if it was to avenge his family, he states, “Revenge isn’t worth much if you end up dead.” He then recognizes the gun. Another confrontation between Sam and John exposes the still-seething anger between them. However, during their tracking of the vampire family, John tells them about vampires and that they can only be killed by beheading. After a moment, he reluctantly shares with them the details of what makes the Colt so special and why he needs it. Supposedly, it can kill anything. If this is true, it could be the key to killing the Demon and avenging Mary.

While working together to attack the nest and look for the Colt, they are discovered before John can grab the gun, and end up running for their lives. John has an alternative plan and orders Dean to a funeral home to obtain dead man's blood, a poison to vampires. While he's gone, Sam and John talk, mending fences in the process. They use the dead man's blood to catch Kate in order to draw out Luther. John’s plan is to trade her for the Colt. Once again the Winchesters clash over John’s intent to exclude the boys from his final game plan, insisting they leave, to keep them safe. While Luther and his vampires discover John and Kate and parley for the Colt, Sam and Dean invade the nest, killing the vampire left on watch and freeing the captives.

John’s plan is foiled and he is knocked out by Luther. However, before Luther can kill him, Sam and Dean attack, having ignored their father's orders to stay away. They take down two of the remaining vampires. They distract Luther and John, grabbing the Colt, kills Luther by shooting him in the head. The gun works. It can kill supernatural beings with a bullet. Kate and Jenny flee for their lives. Finally seeing the sense of the boys' argument, John agrees that now they have the Colt they will hunt the Demon together.

Characters

Definitions

Music

  • "The House Is Rockin'" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
(plays when Elkins is in the bar studying his journal)
  • "Searching for the Truth" by Brian Keith Nutter
(plays when Sam and Dean are at the diner looking for a job)
  • "Trailer Trash" (Instrumental) by 88 Crash (MasterSource)
(plays when John tells Sam and Dean about vampires)
  • "Strange Face of Love" by Tito & Tarantula
(plays while the vampires are partying at their place)

Netflix

  • "Everybody There was Drinking Martinis But Me" byHillbilly Hellcats
(plays when Elkins is in the bar studying his journal)
  • "Searching for the Truth" by Brian Keith Nutter
(plays when Sam and Dean are at the diner looking for a job)
  • "Trailer Trash" (Instrumental) by 88 Crash (MasterSource)
(plays when John tells Sam and Dean about vampires)
  • "Walk On Tall" by Boo Boo Davis
(plays while the vampires are partying at their place)

Quotes

Sam: Hey, there's salt over here. Right beside the door.

Dean: You mean protection against demon salt, or 'oops I spilled the popcorn' salt.
Sam: It's clearly a ring. You think this guy Elkins was a player?

Dean: Definitely.
John: They were what Daniel Elkins killed best: Vampires.

Dean: Vampires? I thought there was no such thing.
Sam: You never even mentioned them, Dad.

John: I thought they were extinct. I thought Elkins and -- and others had wiped them out. I was wrong.
John: Most vampire lore is crap. A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them, and neither will a stake to the heart. But the bloodlust, that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive. They were once people, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late.
John: I found this.

Dean: It's a... a vampire fang.

John: Not fangs, teeth. The second set descends when they attack.
Dean: 'Vampires nest in groups of eight to ten. Smaller packs are sent to hunt for food. Victims are taken to the nest where the pack keeps them alive, bleeding them for days or weeks.' I wonder if that's what happened to that 911 couple?
Dean: Son of a bitch. So they're really not afraid of the sun?

John: Ahh, direct sunlight hurts like a nasty sunburn. The only way to kill 'em is by beheading. And yeah, they sleep during the day -- doesn't mean they won't wake up.
Dean: So I guess walking right in's not our best option.

John: Actually, that's the plan.
John: Back in 1835, when Halley's comet was overhead, the same night those men died at the Alamo. They say Samuel Colt made a gun. A special gun. He made it for a hunter, a man like us only on horseback. Story goes he made thirteen bullets, and this hunter used the gun a half dozen times before he disappeared, the gun along with him. And somehow Daniel got his hands on it. They say... they say this gun can kill anything.

Dean: Kill anything like, supernatural anything?
Sam: Like the demon.

John: Yeah, the demon. Ever since I picked up its trail I've been looking for a way to destroy that thing. Find the gun -- we may have it.
John: You gotta understand something. After your mother passed all I saw was evil, everywhere. And all I cared about was keeping you boys alive. I wanted you... prepared. Ready. Except somewhere along the line I... uh... I stopped being your father and I... I became your, your drill sergeant. So when you said that you wanted to go away to school, all I could think about, my only thought was, that you were gonna be alone. Vulnerable. Sammy, it just... it never occurred to me what you wanted. I just couldn't accept the fact that you and me -- We're just different.
Sam: Hey Dad? Whatever happened to that college fund?
John: Spent it on ammo.
John: So boys.

Sam: Yes sir.
John: You ignored a direct order back there.
Sam: Yes sir.
Dean: Yeah but we saved your ass.
John: You're right.
Dean: I am?

John: It scares the hell out of me. You two are all I've got. But I guess we are stronger as a family. So...we go after this damn thing. Together.

Trivia & References

Dean: Sounds more like That's Incredible than Twilight Zone.
That’s Incredible! was a 1980s TV show featuring freaks, stunts and shoddy re-enactments of paranormal events. The Twilight Zone was a 1960s TV series (bought back in several incarnations) crossing horror, thriller and science fiction genres to tell short stand-alone stories usually with a killer twist. The original series, in particular, was notable for using these genres to subtly examine current social and political issues.
Man at the Bar: Thought they caught the Unabomber.
"Unabomber" was the name given to Ted Kaczynski, who during the years between 1978 and 1995 planted or mailed numerous homemade bombs, killing three people and injuring twenty-three others before his arrest on April 3, 1996.

Minutiae

Filming Locations: Stanley Park. Map of known filming locations.
Christine Chatelain, who played Jenny, also played Dr. Ellen Piccolo in 5.08 Changing Channels.
Terence Kelly, who played Daniel Elkins, also played a Doctor in 3.15 Time Is on My Side.
While filming the episode, tourists spotted a "sniper" in Stanley Park, and the police locked down the park. The crew, who had waited for over an hour, later learned that the "sniper" was a Supernatural crew member with an aluminum briefcase that resembled a rifle case.S1Com, p. 104
The Season 1 Official Companion has a "copy" of the letter Daniel Elkins left for John:
John
If you are reading this, I'm already dead. I don't know who's more stubborn between us, but, well, you know. It's a damn shame to have to say goodbye this way. But if you knew the truth of it, you'd probably have killed me yourself. You see, old friend, I've got the colt. Least I HAD it - can't right say who or what might have it now. Check my safe, the combination's one you can remember - 3-8-2-11. If it ain't there, just follow the trail of my blood. I really do pray you get the gun. And put a silver bullet right between that bastard's yellow eyes.S1Com,p.107
The number to the safe, of course, is a take on Mary's date of death 11-2-83.
When Kate orders "Jack all 'round and leave the bottle," the bartender grabs a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red.
Daniel's phone number, according to John's journal is 970-555-0156. Two other names are listed on the same page: K Johnson and T Bradford.
Daniel apparently had something to do with the death of the vampire Luther's family.
Luther is about 170 years old.
It seems some herbs can confuse a vampire's sense of smell. John tells Dean to toss saffron, skunk's cabbage and trillium onto the fire to block their scent and also the scent of the vampire they captured from the other vampires in her nest. He also tells him to dust their clothes with the ashes to stand a chance of not being detected. The brothers use this tactic again in 3.07 Fresh Blood, when they are trying to hide from Gordon.
The vampires in this episode drive classic muscle cars. They have a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray C2 and a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

Promotion



Episode Meta

  • SPN Heavy Meta Season One Meta Index
  • Bond, Silvia. 2007. Enter the Gods: "Dead Man's Blood" Season 1, Episode 20. Pink Raygun, December 12; archive link
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