Then...Season 2 Supernatural

*SPOILER ALERT* This is an overview not a review

Season 1 ended with a bang, literally, with a cliffhanger that had us all on the edge of seats waiting for Season 2 to come back. Thankfully with Season 2 done, it is a much better season filled with more comedy and less monster of the week episodes. The first 10 episodes of the season all go towards the central theme of the season and add to the plot of the season.

Last time we saw Sam and Dean they were driving to a hospital when they got hit by a possessed truck driver going full speed. This season picks up immediately there after and we see the truck driver open the Impala's driver's side door and Sam pulls the colt on the possessed man to get him to back off. His actions force the demon to leave the body and presumably calls 911 as they arrive in the next scene escorting the WInchesters to the hospital with Sam being the only one seemingly awake and speaking. Dean wakes up in a hospital bed in surprisingly good health considering, he goes to the receptionist at the front desk asking where his family is but is ignored. He realizes the receptionist isn't ignoring him when he goes back to his hospital bed to see himself attached to machines keeping him alive. Dean then is shocked at the revelation that he is having an out of body experience. Throughout the episode he constantly tries to contact Sam or John by yelling at them or as he so calls it "pulling a Swayze" as he hit's a glass of water and sends it flying. Not only is he not able to speak to his family but he also is wanted by a Reaper who is taking the souls on to the next plane. Dean being the stubborn guy that he is, resists.

He later finds a girl named Tessa yelling at everyone trying to get their attention. He tells her that she is having a out of body experience just like himself, and Dean is surprised to see how okay she is with it and her probable death. Dean feels that you should be able to fight it, while she feels that if it is your time then why fight it. He then comes to find out that Tessa is actually the Reaper that tried to take his soul, she explains to him that if he keeps fighting her that he will become the very thing that he and Sam kill, a vengeful spirit.

Sam, while trying to find ways to help Dean notices that John has suddenly disappeared. He disappeared to the basement of the hospital to before a summoning of the yellow eyed demon. He pleads with the demon and offers up the Colt, and in return the demon saves Dean. The demon balks at the deal saying that he needs to sweeten the pot, as there is still something that he would want even more then the Colt, he wants John's soul and the Colt. John agrees, under one condition, that he is allowed a few minutes alone with his sons before he is taken. The demon agrees.

When Dean is now back in his body, he has no memory of his out of body experience but constantly says to Sam that he has a bad feeling about it all. Minutes later, their father walks in asking for Sam to leave the room so that he can have a minute alone with Dean. Sam begins to start a fight with John, to which John doesn't want any of, and politely asks him to get some coffee. Sam obliges. John apologizes to Dean for the life that he brought Dean into and always having the burden of watching Sam and even himself. He realized his faults as a father and apologized for them before kissing Dean on the forehead and whispering something in his ear which as the viewer you can't hear but you can only see the shear amount of fear displayed on Dean's face after John walks away. John places the Colt on a table in the hallway, and then is found by Sam, and he is dead. The doctors try to bring back John but there is nothing they can do to resuscitate him.

The boys take his body to Bobby's place where they are also repairing the Impala and burn John's body to ensure that no demon can possess him later on. Dean is speechless, and mostly shell shocked for the next few episodes and refuses to open up to Sam about it for awhile. Meanwhile, they keep taking case after case and Sam explains that he is doing it because it is what John would want from them. The boys stay at Bobby's for awhile and are told of a place they should visit called The Roadhouse. It is a bar owned by an old friend of John's, Ellen Harvelle and her daughter Jo. They are hunters just like the Winchesters and the Roadhouse itself is a bar for hunters.

In the third episode, Sam and Dean meet another hunter named Gordon. They run into each other as they both are on the same case which leads to a vampire nest. Sam finds out that they refuse to feed off of humans so that they can manage to live a long and peaceful life, hunter free. Gordon hears this, as does Dean, and doesn't care. They still see the vampires as monsters that need to be dealt with immediately. After the nest leader is forcibly fed Sam's blood by Gordon and refuses it, Dean changes his mind and orders Sam to get her away while he bests Gordon in a fight.

Ellen gives the boys a few jobs here and there to work but for the next few episodes after the premiere it's mostly about Dean struggling with whatever his father told him and keeping it from Sam. Eventually after dealing with a zombie in the fourth episode, Dean lets down his guard and says to Sam:

"I never should have come back Sam, it wasn't natural, and now look whats come of it. I was dead and I should've stayed dead. You wanted to know how I was feeling, well that's it. So tell me, what could you possibly say to make that alright?"

Dean blamed himself for his father's death and that's what effected him the most. The fact that he miraculously recovered, and minutes later the Colt was gone as was his father. It even stops him from hitting on Jo, to which he explains to her, wrong place wrong time.

The boys in the next few episodes cross paths with the spirit of America's first serial killer and another one of the children that the yellow eyed demon visited when they were young. The boys also get in trouble with the law as the murders from the shapeshifter that took Dean's form caught up to them.

In episode 8, "Crossroad Blues", brings in a vital piece to the Supernatural series, Crossroad demons. Crossroad demons are demons that you can make a deal with for fame, a girl, health, anything you could want but in return that demon gets your soul in a certain number of years. This episode the Winchesters hear of a town where someone complained about a big black dog harassing them, they check it out only to find out that people in the town have been making deals with a crossroad demon and now the demon has been coming back to collect. The episode also introduces hellhounds, savage beasts from hell that are invisible to humans. Dean takes it upon himself to go after the crossroad demon and tricks it into walking into a devil's trap. In exchange for the demon's freedom, it releases the last person in town from its deal. Before the demon vanishes, it taunts Dean about the deal his father made and how he is suffering in hell.

In the next episode, "Croatoan", it starts with Sam having a premonition of Dean killing a defenseless man in Riversgrove, Oregon and head there to investigate. Upon arriving, Sam notices "CROATOAN" carved into a pole explaining to Dean how it was the only thing left behind in the missing colony of Roanoke. Dean tries to contact Bobby but his cell wont work and neither does Sam's, they try the nearest pay phone which also doesn't work. They also notice that there is an increase in violence within the town and that the violent townspeople are blocking the roads out of town.They go to a local doctor's office and realize that the infected people have a virus within them that contains sulfur leading Sam to believe his father's theory that Croatoan is a demonic plaque. A woman in the office suddenly becomes violent and attacks Sam, in the process she also infects him before Dean kills her. Sam tries to kill himself, but Dean stops him and explains how tired he is of this thankless job. Moments later, they realize the town is free of all the infected people as they all vanished leaving the town deserted. Sam has his blood tested and finds out that he was not infected, shortly there after the brothers leave town. A few of the other survivors skip town together, one of them being a demon contacts someone informing them that the virus worked and that Sam was immune to it.

In the 10th episode, Hunted, Dean reveals to Sam that before their father died he told him something. John said that Dean would have to save Sam and that if he didn't, he would have to kill him. Sam searches for other psychic children like him and Ash, a technical guru that works at the Roadhouse, tells him of a man that fits the bill named Scott Carey but was murdered. Sam heads to the town anyways and meets a woman named Ava Wilson who has visions just like he. Ava tells Sam that she has had visions of Sam dying and also had a vision of Scott's death. The two visit Scott's psychiatrist and steal his file, upon reading the file Sam reads that Scott had conversations with the yellow eyed demon about the plans he had for the psychic children like himself. Yellow Eyes had been building an army of these psychic children for a looming war. The vampire hunter Gordon learns of the yellow eyed demon's war and of his psychic children and plans to kill them all, even Sam. As Sam is in a hotel room with Ava going through Scott's files, Gordon is across the street on a roof with a sniper rifle about to take a shot on Sam before Dean stops him, Dean however gets beat in a fight and Gordon takes him as a prisoner. Sam goes to save him in an old abandoned home and avoids explosive traps set by Gordon, thanks to Ava's visions. Sam saves Dean and the two run out of the house with Gordon pursuing them. Sam tells Dean to get down into a ditch, and the two look up to see Gordon getting arrested thanks to an anonymous call from Sam. The brothers later go visit Ava, but find her fiance dead and traces of sulfur, signs of a demonic abduction.

The first ten episodes of the season were all great, then the next ten are for the most part monster of the week episodes. A few of the episodes you are let in on the mental state that Sam and Dean are in. One episode Sam gets drunk because of how distraught he is over Ava being abducted by demons. Over the next ten episodes the brothers face off against vengeful spirits, a djinn (a genie of Arab folklore), and shapeshifters which lead to more trouble with law as a FBI officer by the name of Henriksen is on their trail. In the episode "Born Under a Bad Sign", Sam is possessed by the same demon that possessed Meg Masters in season one. Jared Padalecki the actor that plays Sam, does a very good job of being a bad guy in this episode. The rest of the next few episodes the brothers fight off some more vengeful spirits, the even fight a Pagan trickster, and eventually come across paths with a werewolf in the episode "Heart". "Heart" is one of the better monster of the week episodes of the entire series thus far as it a very emotional charged episode with a tear-jerking ending.

The final two episodes of the season is a two part season finale titled "All Hell Breaks Loose". The first part starts with Sam being abducted and waking up in an old abandoned town. Also in town is Ava Wilson, Andy Gallagher and two newcomers Jake Talley and Lily. Dean calls Bobby for help and the two head to the Roadhouse but find it burnt to the ground with no sign of Ellen but find Ash's body burnt. Sam tries to find a way to reach Dean and decides to use Andy's mind control abilities, he hands Andy a receipt that Dean signed off on and with that Andy was able to telepathically send Dean images of the town which was enough for he and Bobby to find out where Sam was. That night Sam falls asleep and is visited by the yellow eyed demon in his sleep. Yellow eye's explains that he brought together all of his psychic children together to fight each other to the death and the last one standing would be the one to lead his army of demons. He also reveals to Sam why he killed Jessica and his mother and shows Sam the source of the psychic children's powers. When the children are babies he would visit them at night and feed them his own demonic blood. Meanwhile, Ava had been using her now much more advanced powers to summon an Acheri demon to kill Lily and Andy. When she is found out by Sam, she explains to him that she had been in the town ever since she went missing and she had been killing off all the other children systematically. She begins to set the demon out on Sam and before she can Jake sneaks up behind her and breaks her neck causing the demon to flee. Jake attacks Sam as he tells Sam that he was also visited by the yellow eyed demon and believes that he can get the upper hand on him. Sam pleads with him that they should work together to overthrow the yellow eyed demon but Jake doesn't believe that he can trust Sam. Sam eventually gets the upper hand on Jake and knocks him unconscious. However, Sam is then distracted as he hears Dean calling to him. The two begin to walk to each other but Jake regains consciousness and fatally stabs Sam in the back. Bobby chases after Jake while Dean holds onto Sam, and dies in Dean's arms.

In the 2nd part of the season finale, it starts with Dean being completely broken, and furious at himself for not being able to help his younger brother. Bobby explains to him that he has to get his head right as the end of the world is upon them to which Dean yells, "Then let it end!" He explains to Bobby that he has given more then enough to the job and lost more then his fair share. Bobby leaves Dean alone, and shortly after Dean leaves to sell his soul to a Crossroads demon in exchange for the resurrection of Sam. In return the demon grants Dean one year before his bill is up. Sam and Dean go to Bobby's place, and Bobby takes Dean outside to question him on why he brought back Sam especially after all of his talk on how "what's dead should stay dead" over the past year. Dean explains he couldn't let his younger brother die. The two then hear someone in Bobby's junkyard and find Ellen. She gives them a Wyoming map that Ash had left in the Roadhouse safe. Research reveals that Samuel Colt, the creator of the Colt gun, created a giant devil's trap using iron railway lines. At the center of the trap is an old cowboy cemetery which the yellow eyed demon sends Jake to. The hunters are there to meet him but Jake subdues them all as his powers are enhanced since he gave into them. He takes the Colt gun that was given to him by the yellow eyed demon and uses it as a key to open a mausoleum. Sam then shoots Jake in the beg and shoots him a few more times as Jake lies on the ground begging for mercy. As the doors open, they realize that it is a Devil's Gate, a doorway to hell. A rush of demons breakout and break the iron railway lines of the trap allowing the yellow eyed demon to enter. As Ellen and Bobby try to close the Gate, Sam and Dean take the Colt as they confront the yellow eyed demon. However the yellow eyed demon subdues them and takes the gun. He takes a moment to taunt Dean questioning him on what he brought back is "one hundred percent pure Sam". As the yellow eyed demon prepares to kill the Winchesters, the soul of John breaks out of hell and manages to surprise the yellow eyed demon. In that moment Dean takes the Colt and uses it to kill the yellow eyed demon. As Bobby and Ellen close the Gate, John's spirit moves on and Sam is told about the deal Dean made. Sam promises to Dean that they will find a way to save his soul.

The seasons first 10 episodes are all fantastic, with only one monster of the week episode, and the following ten episodes are a bit weak but good for monster of the week episodes. The monster of the week episodes in this season also have slightly more of a comedic tone, most notably in the episode "Tall Tales" that features the trickster. The most refreshing thing about this season is that it answers the questions about what Sam is, most shows at this time would have held that answer off a few more seasons. The revelation of what he is and what is in store for him and Dean sets up the next season very well making it a fairly darker season in tone with higher stakes.

Jared Padalecki does a very good job in the role of Sam and the annoying Sam of last season is gone. One gripe with his character from season one was that he was fairly whiny which didn't allow the audience to connect with him the way that they should. Padalecki also shows great range when he is possessed by the demon that possessed Meg Masters in the previous season. For proof here you go:

Jensen Ackles also shows how good of an actor he is in this season. He struggles with the fact that he knows that he shouldn't be alive and then when he is the reason that Sam was killed it cripples him to the point where he goes against everything he stands for. Most notably making a deal with a demon, and bringing back the dead. In the monster of the week episodes he also shows a comedic side of himself that is very surprising to see and also becomes one of the better aspects of the show.

Looking back at this season it is one of the most important seasons in the entire mythology of the series. This season still ranks as one of the best of the series but due to the heavy amount of consecutive monster of the week episodes it ranks as the third best season thus far. The deal that Dean makes sets up the next season making it a very grim one especially with Dean unsure if what he brought back is after all one hundred percent pure Sam as yellow eyes said. The release of the demons from the Devil's Gate also raises the stakes of next season.