4.12 Criss Angel Is a Douchebag
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| Title | Family Remains |
| Episode # | Season 4, Episode 12 |
| First aired | January 22, 2009 |
| Directed by | Robert Singer |
| Written by | Julie Siege |
| On IMDB | http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1222598/ |
| Outline | Magicians are dying and Sam and Dean try and find out if real magic is being used. |
| Monster | Humans |
| Timeline | |
| Location(s) | Sioux City, Iowa |
| [[{{{prevep}}}|« Previous Episode]] | [[{{{nextep}}}|Next Episode »]] | |
Contents
Synopsis
It's Magic Week in Sioux City, and Jay, a magician, sits in a bar amusing the waitress with card tricks. A younger magician, Patrick Vance, heckles him, calling him washed up. Later Jay and his friends Charlie and Vernon sit in a theater watching another flashy young magician called Jeb Dexter go through his paces. They bemoan that their day is passed and Jay is increasingly depressed. He announces that he intends to undertake the "Table of Death" trick that night - what he doesn't share is that he intends to die during the trick.
That night on stage, as Jay lies bound under a rack of steel spikes about to descend, his death seems certain. The spikes fall but the curtain is parted to reveal Jay alive and well. Meanwhile, as he is leaving a bar, Patrick Vance falls to ground dead, blood oozing from a dozen puncture wounds.
Sam and Dean arrive to investigate. Sam reveals a knowledge of the world of magicians gained during a phase when he was 13. Speaking to his assistant, they find that Patrick Vance had a tarot card, the Ten of Swords, on him when he died. Dean questions Charlie and Vernon to no avail. They send Dean off to speak to someone called the Chief that they say once crossed Patrick. One arriving at the address, Dean finds he's been had - the Chief is a gay leather master.
Sam is doing research at the hotel when Ruby arrives. She accuses Sam of wasting time while The 66 Seals are being broken. She tells him that the angels are losing the battle. Thirty-four of the seals have been broken. Sam says that he doesn't know where the seals are or how to stop them from being broken. Ruby counters that he needs to go after the source of the problem - Lilith. Sam refuses and Ruby leaves.
That night Jay attempts another death-defying act - the Executioner which involves escaping from a strait-jacket before being hung by a noose. As Jay struggles to escape, we see a noose of rope 'come to life' and hang Jeb Dexter from the ceiling fan in his hotel room. Just as the noose tightens on stage, Jay is freed.
Sam and Dean confer, postulating that Jay is using black magic to regain his old glory. Sam asks Dean if he thinks they will grow old, but Dean says that their life 'ends bloody or sad'. Sam asks if Dean wouldn't want to do something if they could end the demon war. Dean is suspicious that Sam isn't telling him everything but Sam denies it.
Back at the theatre, they find out that Jeb Dexter is dead He also had a Tarot card on him. They confront Jay but he has them arrested.
Jay admits to Charlie that he doesn't know how he is performing the feats, and wonders if he should stop, but Charlie urges him on, saying how happy he is to see Jay on top again.
That night, Jay performs the Table of Death again. He succeeds again but backstage Charlieis dead, punctured through the chest.
Jay has the boys released from jail, and asks for their help. They go to Vernon's room to search for clues. They find an old poster of a young Charlie as a magician called The Great Dessertini.
On stage Jay confronts Vernon who denies any knowledge of what is happening, but then a young man arrives - it's Charlie and he is young again.
Charlie reveals he once worked with P.T. Barnum, who gave him a powerful grimoire that contained a spell for immortality - the enchanted pack of Tarot cards. He offers eternal life to Vernon and Jay - although it means Sam and Dean will have to die. However Jay pickpockets Charlie's deck of cards, leaving one with Charlie, and then stabs himself, killing Charlie.
Afterward, Sam and Dean meet Jay at the bar. He is depressed - his best friend is dead and Vernon has left. Dean tells him he did the right thing but Jay finds no comfort in that and leaves. Dean suggest to Sam that they have a beer, but Sam says he wants to go for a walk. Outside Ruby arrives and Sam gets in the car with her. He says he's in. Ruby asks why he changed his mind and he says Sam says that he doesn't want to be hunting monsters when he's an old man.
Characters
- Sam Winchester
- Dean Winchester
- Ruby
- Jay
- Jeb Dexter
- Vernon
- Charlie
- Patrick Vance
- Vance's Assistant
- Chief
Definitions
Music
Quotes
Sam: That's Jeb Dexter.
Dean: I don't even want to know how you know that.
Sam: He's famous, kind of.
Ruby: I should be asking you the same thing.
Sam: I'm working a job.
Ruby: The whole world's about to be engulfed in hellfire, and you're here in Magictown, U.S.A.
Dean: There's been a misunderstanding. I, uh, think I've been had.
Dean: No. I think we'll be dead. For good. Why, do you want to end up like... like Travis? Or Gordon, maybe?
Sam: There's Bobby.
Dean: Oh yeah, there's a poster child for growing old gracefully.
Sam: Maybe we'll be different, Dean.
Trivia & References
Dean is quoting from the Who song My Generation
Cocoon was a 1985 film featuring Steve Guttenberg where alien cocoons impart youth to residents of a retirement home.
Minutiae
Sides, Scripts & Transcripts
Promotion
- Title and casting for 4.12 from Buddy TV
- Promo stills at supernatural.tv
