2.12 Nightshifter

Title	Nightshifter
Episode #	Season 2, Episode 12
First aired	January 25, 2007
Directed by	Philip Sgriccia
Written by	Ben Edlund
On IMDB	http://imdb.com/title/tt0942145/
Outline	Sam and Dean investigate a string of robberies with a disturbing pattern: In each incident, a trusted employee holds up a bank and then commits suicide.
Monster	Shapeshifters
Timeline	September 10th, 2006
Location(s)	City Bank Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Synopsis

Sam and Dean investigate a series of crimes and suicides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wherein people are behaving out of character in stealing from their place of business and then committing suicide shortly thereafter. During their investigation, they come across Ronald "Ron" Reznick, a victim who has conspiracy theories about "Mandroids". His amateur research reveals to Sam and Dean that the perpetrator of these crimes is in fact a Shapeshifters, as previously seen in 1.06 Skin.

Plotting out the path of the shapeshifter in accordance with the city's sewers, Sam and Dean pinpoint the next place of attack - City Bank Milwaukee - and pose as security techs in order to view security camera footage and locate the undercover shapshifter.

They are interrupted when Ron Reznick comes into the bank, chaining the door closed behind him and brandishing a gun. Convincing Ron that he believes him, Dean helps Ron lock everyone in the bank into the vault and helps him seek out the shapeshifter.

Unfortunately, the shapeshifter has already changed appearance by this stage, and the tension of the episode is increased as it changes appearance multiple times, Sam, Dean and Ron attempting to track it down in order to kill it. Ron is shot and killed by a police sniper while in pursuit of the shapeshifter.

Meanwhile, outside the police are stationed, and manage to see Dean's face as he leads an ailing hostage out to an ambulance. Once Dean has been identified, the FBI come in, and it's revealed that an Agent has been tracking the Winchesters for some time, and knows some details about their history and childhood.

SWAT teams infiltrate the building while Dean fights and finally kills the shapeshifter. Sam and Dean escape the building by stealing and wearing SWAT team uniforms.

Characters

• Dean Winchester
• Sam Winchester
• Ronald Resnick
• Sherri
• Special Agent Victor Henriksen (FBI agent)
• Lieutenant Robarts

Definitions

• Mandroid ^PoD
• Terminator 2 ^PoD
• Morph ^PoD
• See also PoD from 1.06 Skin: Skinwalker, Werewolves, Doppelganger.
• Shapeshifters

Music

• Styx - Renegade (closing scene)

Quotes

Dean: [impersonating FBI agent] Well, thanks Franny. I think that's all I need.

Franny: Really? I mean... 'cause I got more... you know, if you wanted to interview me.... Sometime... In private

Dean: Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a good idea. You're a true patriot. Why don't you write your number down there for me?

Dean: I like him. He says "okey dokey."

Sam: What if he's the shifter?

Dean: We follow him home, put a silver bullet in his chest.

Ronald: I knew it, as soon as you two left. You aren't FBI. Who are you? Who are you working for, huh? The Men in Black? You working for the Mandroid?
Sam: We're not working for the Mandroid!

Dean: Ron! Out of the light!... [laughs]

Dean: Ron's game plan was a bad plan, I mean it was a bit of a crazy plan, but right now crazy is the only game in town, OK?

Henricksen: Well, you're not the typical suspect, are you, Dean? I want you and Sam out here, unarmed, or we come in. And yes, I know about Sam, too. Bonnie to your Clyde.

Henricksen: I know about your dad.

Dean: You don't know crap about my dad.
Henricksen: Ex-marine, raised his kids on the road, cheap motels, backwood cabins, real paramilitary-survivalist type. I just can't get a handle on what type of wacko he was. White supremacist, Timothy McVeigh? Tomato, tomahto.

Dean: You got no right, talking about my dad like that. He was a hero.

Dean: We are so screwed.

Trivia & References

Sam's fake FBI ID signed as 'Han Solo'

The "He's the Bonnie to your Clyde" line was originally in the script for The Usual Suspects, but never made it to the final cut.

Both IMDB and the Official Site spell the title of this episode "Night Shifter"

Ronald brandishes Fortean Times, on which the cover story is an article on Cyberman, a reference to the popular television series Doctor Who.

"He's the Bonnie to your Clyde" - "Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow' were notorious robbers and criminals who traveled the central United States during the Great Depression."

Sam's FBI ID names him as 'Han Solo', a Star Wars reference.

Dean's FBI ID names him as either 'Jack Bauer' from 24 or 'Jack Ryan' who is a fictional character created by the novelist Tom Clancy.

Ron likens his theory of Mandroids to those in Terminator 2.

Dean: You weren't exactly a smooth criminal about this, Ron.
A reference to the Michael Jackson song of the same name.

Dean: Just let me do the talking. I don't think he likes you very much, Agent Johnson.
A possible reference to the FBI agents in Die Hard.

Officer: to Detective Another Day in Paradise.
Another Day in Paradise is a 1989 song by Phil Collins.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 2.12 Nightshifter (transcript)

Promotion

• Episode Stills
• Episode Promo: 2.12 Nightshifter
• Cut You Down. A promo clip set to Johnny Cash's "Cut you Down" was released over the Christmas hiatus in the lead-up to the screening of 2.10 Hunted on January 11, 2007. Produced in black and white, and set to the Johnny Cash's "Cut you down", it contained scenes from upcoming episodes 2.10 Hunted, 2.11 Playthings, 2.12 Nightshifter and 2.13 Houses of the Holy. In June 2007, this promo won two awards at the annual Promax/BDA Promotion and Marketing Awards : a gold award for Use of Library Music for a Promos and a silver for Drama Program Promotion.
• Video showing how the special effects in this episode were done