1.20 Dead Man's Blood
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
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: Vampires? I thought there was no such thing.
Sam: You never even mentioned them, Dad.
Dean: It's a... a vampire fang.
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.
Dean: Kill anything like, supernatural anything?
Sam: Like the demon.
John: Spent it on ammo.
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?
Trivia & References
- 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.
- "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
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.
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