5.09 The Real Ghostbusters

Title	The Real Ghostbusters
Episode #	Season 5, Episode 9
First aired	November 12, 2009
Directed by	James L. Conway
Written by	Teleplay: Eric Kripke Story: Nancy Weiner
On IMDB	The Real Ghostbusters
Outline	Sam and Dean find real ghosts when Becky invites them to a Supernatural Convention.
Monster	Ghosts
Timeline	2009
Location(s)	Vermilion, Ohio
[[{{{prevep}}}|« Previous Episode]] | [[{{{nextep}}}|Next Episode »]]

Synopsis

Following a text message from Chuck, Sam and Dean arrive at a hotel, which is the site for a Supernatural fan convention. They find out that it was their over-enthusiastic fan Becky Rosen who sent the message, and have to deal with several Sam and Dean wannabes participating in a fictitious ghost hunt.

After a convention attendee is seriously injured by real ghosts, the Winchester brothers start researching and find out that there's a real ghost haunting the hotel, whose name is Leticia Gore. Gore, who supposedly killed four children by scalping them, was the orphanage caretaker. Together with two copycat Winchesters, Demian and Barnes, they set out to find Leticia's bones to salt and burn them.

When accomplishing their task they accidentally set the ghosts of the boys free. They find out that in fact the three boys killed Leticia's son and that only the caretaker was able to keep them under control. With Leticia gone the ghosts lock all participants in the hotel and wreak havoc on them. Sam and Dean ask Chuck to keep everyone in the auditorium while they deal with the ghosts, using an actress/Hooters waitress to assume the role of Leticia Gore in order to control the children's ghosts.

However, the plan fails when her cell phone rings, identifying her as a human. The ghosts attack Sam and Dean, but are destroyed by Demian and Barnes, who were able to salt and burn the children's bones just in time.

Upon leaving the hotel, Demain and Barnes give Dean a pep-talk about why being Sam and Dean isn't so bad and don't believe him when he introduces himself as the real Dean. Becky turns her obsession to Chuck and reveals to Sam that in Chuck's book Time Is on My Side, Bela didn't give the Colt to Lilith, she gave it to a demon named Crowley, giving Sam and Dean their first real lead on the Colt.

Characters

• Sam Winchester
• Dean Winchester
• Chuck
• Becky Rosen
• Demian and Barnes
• Leticia Gore
• Ghost Children

Definitions

• Alcohol
• Television Without Pity
• Sam Girls
• Wincest
• Meta Episodes
• The Colt
• The Supernatural Books
• John's Journal
• LARP

Music

• "Topsy Turvy" by The Bughouse Five

(plays when Sam and Dean enter the hotel and see everyone in costume)

• "Trouble Baby" by The Bughouse Five

(plays when Sam and Dean talk to Chuck about not publishing the books)

• "Whiskey" by Swank

(plays when Dean and Sam are having drinks and the guy comes in and tells them about the ghost)

• "Ain't Got Nobody" by Hound Dog Taylor

(plays when Sam and Dean talk to Damien and Barnes after they face the ghost, then try to leave the hotel)

• "Ring-a-Ling" by Miss Eighty 6

(the fake Leticia Gore's ringtone)

Quotes

Becky: Sam!? You made it!

Sam: Ooh... uh... Becky? Right?
Becky: Oh. You remembered. You've been thinking about me.
Sam: I uh...

Becky: It's okay. I can't get you out of my head either.

Sam + Dean: See what?
Becky: Ooh my god, I love it when they talk at the same time!

Con Manager: Welcome to the first annual Supernatural convention. Ah... At 3:45 in the Magnolia Room, we have the panel 'Frightened Little Boy, the Secret Life of Dean.' And at 4:30, there is the 'Homo-erotic Subtext of Supernatural.' Oh! And of course the big hunt starts at 7pm sharp!

Demian: Yeah, well you're the chuckles... chuckles. [shows toy gun on his belt] Besides, Dean don't listen to no one.

Barnes: Dean, cool it.
Dean: [starts to show the real gun on his belt]
Sam: Dean.

Dean: What? They're freaking annoying.

Chuck: How do you feel about angels? Let me tell you, they're not really as lame as you think.

Dean: No, I'm not a fan, okay. Not fans. In fact, I think the Dean and Sam story sucks. It is not fun, it's not entertaining. It is a river of crap that would send most people howling to the nuthouse! So you listen to me. Their pain is not for your amusement. I mean, you think they enjoy being treated like-like circus freaks?

Demian: Ahh, I don't think they care. Because they're fictional characters.
Dean: Oh, they care. Believe me, they care a lot!

Sam: He uh... He takes the story really seriously.

Dean: Hey, Chuck. Good luck with the, uh, Supernatural books...and screw you very much.

Host: (to Chuck) Fans of yours?

Chuck: Hmm. I'd say no.

Ghost: Why did you send my mommy away?
Dean: Uh... Maybe because of the high and tight she gave you? Huh? How about some thanks? I'm just saying a little gratitude might be nice once in a while.

Dean: Maybe that guy was right. Maybe we should put this thing on a bungee.

Demian: I'm not sure you get what the story's about.

Dean: That so?
Demian: In real life, he sells stereo equipment. I fix copiers. Our lives suck. But Sam and Dean. To wake up every morning and save the world. To have a brother who would die for you. Well, who wouldn't want that?

Dean: Well, maybe you've got a point.

Barnes: Oh, well... We met online. Supernatural chat room.

Dean: Oh... Well, must be nice to get out of your parents basement, make some friends.
Demian: We're more then friends. *takes Barnes' hand* We're partners.
Dean: Oh.. Well, howdy partners.

Barnes: howdy.

Becky: Look, Sam, I'm not gonna lie. We had undeniable chemistry. But like a monkey on the sun, it was too hot to live. It can't go on. Chuck and I, we found each other. My yin to his proud yang...and well, the heart wants what the heart wants. I'm so, so sorry.

Chuck: Yeah, Sam. You know, sorry. (Sam nods)
Becky: Will you be all right?

Sam: (Sighs) Honestly, I don't know. I'll just have to find a way to keep living, I guess.

Sam: Oh, hey, Chuck, look. If you really wanna publish more books, I guess that's okay with us.

Chuck: Wow, really?
Sam: No, not really. We have guns and we'll find you.

Chuck: Okay, okay. No more books.

Trivia & References

The title of the episode refers to a 1980s animated TV show based on the movie Ghost Busters.

In reality the first Supernatural Con held was WinchesterCon in Nashville in October 2006 attended by 200 fans. Asylum 2007 was the first Convention attended by actors.

LARPing stands for Live Action Role Playing.

Gore Orphanage is the site of a number of local ghost stories and legends in Ohio (Kripke's home state).

In the DVD commentary for 4.03 In the Beginning, Kripke talks about how Sam and Dean always seem to be dropping their guns, knives etc... at crucial moments.

Jared and Jensen always say to us like the joke is they always say to me and Bob, “Why don’t Sam and Dean have bungee cords on their wrists?”
For the amount of times that guns and knives are knocked out of their hands. Here’s a good game, count how many times Sam and Dean lose their weapon and the reason we do it is a really important blocking reason, they’d be stupid to walk in unarmed but we still have to put them in enough danger for the bad guy to monologue or to feel like they’re in danger before someone else unexpectedly walks in with the weapon that the other person dropped.

Demian and Barnes - the fans LARPing Dean and Sam respectively - are the names of the re-cappers and moderators on the Supernatural forums at Television Without Pity

Chuck: The way I look at it, it's really not jumping the shark if you never come back down.

A reference to the phrase "Jumping the Shark" a reference to the gimmicks used by a show in its death throes. See 4.19 Jump the Shark for why Kripke called an episode after this trope.

"Hookman": Yeah, how original. Supernatural bringing in more creepy children. Sigh.

Creepy children, the evil innocents, are a stock character in horror movies, In Supernatural creepy children include Peter Sweeney in 1.03 Dead in the Water, Missy Bender in 1.15 The Benders, Melanie Merchant in 1.19 Provenance, Maggie Thompson in 2.11 Playthings, the Changelings in 3.02 The Kids Are Alright, the Girl in the Wall and her brother in 4.11 Family Remains, Jesse in 5.06 I Believe the Children Are Our Future and Lilith in 3.12 Jus in Bello, 3.16 No Rest for the Wicked, and 4.06 Yellow Fever.

When Dean gets angry with the fans for not taking the "story" of Sam and Dean seriously, it could be seen as a reference to the phenomenon of serious business, used generally on the internet but in fandom to refer to fans who take matters related to their fandom in a uber serious, humorless manner (aka Fandom is srs bsns). Dean's reaction would in fandom would be termed a "flounce". This behavior is often mocked - see the fan vids Downfall.

Dean: Just give her the puppy dog thing, okay?

Fans have long referred to Sam's Puppy Dog Eyes - the pleading look he gives someone, frequently Dean, when he wants something.

The episode aired the night before the start of the Salute to Supernatural Chicago 2009.

The hotel in which the Convention is held is Stanley Park Pavilion

The fans who use the aliases "Agents Lennon and McCartney" and "Agents Jagger and Richards" during the LARPing game are references to Beatles singer/songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. The episodes Time Is on My Side and Sympathy for the Devil are named after Rolling Stones songs.

After seeing the ghosts of the three children while wandering the hotel, Fritz/Hookman shouts (off camera) "Gott in Himmel!" This is German, and means "God in Heaven!"

While walking to the graveyard, Demian and Barnes re-enact a scene from 1.10 Asylum where Sam criticizes Dean for being too obedient and deferential to their dad. The original scene was featured in the recap of previous episodes at the beginning of this episode.

A show of how into character Demian was, look at the similarities in language between him and Dean in separate scenes:

Demian: Where's the body buried, kid? We'll light her up nice and toasty.

Dean: That's it. I'm going to deep fry this bitch extra crispy.

Sides, Scripts & Transcripts

• 5.09 The Real Ghostbusters (transcript)

Promotion

• Producer McG comments on the episode
• Casting call
• Episode Synopsis
• Promo pics
• Promo clip
• Second teaser clip