Supernatural Review: Season 1 Episode 17 "Hell House"

By: Trey Calloway

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding!

           A Sam vs. Dean prank war?! COUNT ME IN! This episode began the Supernatural tradition of the screwball comedy episode that features at least once every season. Hey...we've got to have SOMETHING to balance out all of the angst and tears, right?

Who you gonna call?

         This show may be good at dishing out the feels, but they are also wonderful at keeping the balance of humor and self-aware satire equal to the pain. Every episode has its fair share of laughs (yes, even the ones that make you want to cry) and the entire show sparkles with wit and snark. So now imagine an entire episode devoted to just that. With Ghostbusters puns. And Buffy references. And a prank war. Yeah. Sounds pretty great, doesn't it? Well I am here to tell you that it is great! I have yet to see a SPN humor, satire, or meta episode fail in terms of writing and enjoyment. And it all started here with the tale of Mordechai Murdoch in Hell House.

      One thing I found very interesting about this episode was Mordechai himself - the tulpa. Aside from the hilarity of the thought that a website containing a joke-picture of a sigil could actually have some power (God save us if Vine ever goes there...), there was also the idea of something created and brought into being just because a couple kids were messing around with things they probably shouldn't have and started a rumor. Dean even has a moment where he wonders, "Out of all the things we've hunted...how many existed simply because people believed in them?" Interesting question there, and it ties nicely into SPN's overarching themes of faith and the question of where your belief is. This is what the show does best: tackling deep concepts even in their goofiest episodes. And...LET THE PRANK WAR BEGIN!!!!  

They always put the boys' titles over the most flattering takes imaginable...

       

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- "They say that it lives in the root cellar. It goes after girls. Always girls. It just, strings 'em up." "They say? Who's they? Where'd you hear this crap?" Hmmm. A valid question. I always ask the same question whenever anyone mentions the mysterious 'they' (presumably a bunch of Oxbridge philosophers from the Middle Ages) who think 'they' know everything.

- There's a lot of Blue Oyster Cult played in this episode.

- Well...at least Sam got some sleep. Though, I have to say, I am privately wondering just how many blackmail-worthy pictures of his brother Dean has stored on that phone...

- I also want to hear about these former prank wars that escalated. It must have gotten pretty serious for Dean to put Nair in Sammy's shampoo! (You don't mess with Sam's hair, apparently.)

- "Most of those folk wouldn't know a ghost if it bit them in the Persqueeter!"

- I'll sat this, though, that vintage record store Craig works at is AWESOME!

- "All these freaky symbols; crosses, stars," "Pentagons" "Pentacostals" 

- This episode deserves all praise and homage for one reason: it introduced us to Harry and Ed. Yes Harry and Ed from the 'All About Us' page header. The same guys who tried to fight off Castiel with holy water. The same ones that inspired Dean to leave a dead fish in their backseat. The ones that turned this episode from a good brotherly escapade to a HILARIOUS self-parody and glorious reference-fest. All hail the Dorky Geeks!

- They represent what we would actually probably look like if we were in the Winchesters' place. The fact that they run the site Sam and Dean were mocking earlier only makes it more perfect (especially whenever they totally miss the brothers' sarcasm).

- And when Dean half-mockingly asks them if they've ever actually seen a ghost, we get this little jewel: "Oh. Once. We were, uh...we were investigating this old house and we saw a vase fall right off the table..." "By itself!" "Well, we, we we we didn't actually see it, we heard it. And something like that...it uh...it changes you." I think Dean was sorry he ever asked.

- But being united against the Scooby Duo doesn't stop The Prank War. After Sam messes with Baby's radio stations (bad move, Sammy), Dean retaliates by putting itching powder in Sam's boxers. Heeheehee...

- I can't believe Sam thought he was just having a reaction to their soap. Now granted staying in cheap motels and using THEIR toiletries isn't the wisest course to take if you want to avoid rashes, but if I was in a prank war with my brother and I started itching, interrogating him would be the first thing on my mind.

- That poor girl Mordechai killed! She was given a horrible choice: make out with creepy friend, go into creepy house, exchange spit with dude, get killed by ghost. Huh. I don't know which one I'd pick. Really...ewww! This is why you should always pick 'truth'. You can lie if you have to, you know...

- Gotta feel a bit bad for her friends, though. They thought it was a funny dare, they never meant to get her killed. Little tip for you all, if you're actually dumb enough to do something like this - if you hear something crash you get out of there as fast as you can. Don't worry about putting your back to a wall or investigating (especially if you're a girl...double especially if you're blond) just get out and get far away.

- Dean has just a bit too much fun using Harry and Ed to lure the cops away...

 

- I am now obliged, by the Third Law of References, to include this video:

- Anyway, they break into the house and start scurrying about (there's one nasty camera angle that shows us a garland of dried chicken feet) before the cops come back. Poor Dean still can't remember what the Blue Oyster Cult logo on the wall was. To be fair, I didn't either until I looked it up. (I am ashamed of myself...)

- Dean's line about rats makes me think of Indy and his "Snakes...why did it have to be snakes?!" line from Raiders of the Lost Arc. Given what show this is, I'm absolutely sure that was on purpose.

- And even on a mission, Dean can't resist a bit of tomfoolery...

- D'you think those jars of ick were from Mordechai's day? Or did Dana and Craig just mix up some scummy water and food dye?

- Either way, it looks disgusting. And considering some of the things we've seen on this show, that's saying something!

- Dean sobers up pretty fast, though, whenever ol' Mordechai shows up. For all that he jokes around and plays the annoying elder sibling (Hey...it's in our contracts!) he does take his job seriously.

- The contrasts between Sam and Dean and Harry and Ed are priceless. Besides...it gave us this gem:

- Sam and Dean's motel room (complete with stuffed armadillos and cattle horns) is absolutely hilarious. I've never been to Texas...but surely that was a little bit overkill! Methinks the production crew have a LOT of fun coming up with these different décors...

- I have little sympathy for Craig. Even I know that you don't mess about with symbols from theology and mythology textbooks!

- "Everything just took on a life of its own." 

'Cause you're a bad person, Deano!

- Dean is initially a bit skeptical of Sam's Tulpa theory (Though, to be fair, he was pretty busy laughing at Sam's...discomfort.)

- I kinda laughed whenever Sam figured out that having a picture of a particular symbol on the website that people would stare at as they thought about Mordechai was what concentrated the beliefs and made the ghost come to life. We should try it. Let's bring the Tooth Fairy to life. I think my mother still has my baby teeth somewhere...maybe I could make a bit of money off of that.

- Okay. So I'm kidding (kind of), but I will say that this whole concept sounds very out there and Doctor Whooey (ha!) at first. they do a fairly good job of explaining it, though, and are self-aware enough to poke fun at their own ridiculousness. And really. How much stranger is a Tulpa than a werewolf? Not much. You just hear about the latter more often.

- Congratulations to Supernatural for making their first direct Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference. I want this one on a teeshirt!

- The thing that makes it funny is that Ed then says, "I don't know, man, she's stronger than me!" I have to agree with you, buddy, she's stronger than a lot of people. One of the perks of being the Slayer, y'know.

- I can't believe Harry and Ed fell for Sam and Dean's PAINFULLY OBVIOUS reverse psychology ploy. I was laughing and groaning and shaking my head throughout the entire thing. Gosh!

- It makes me laugh that they even have the pink plastic flamingos in their 'lawn', though.

- Sam gets back at Dean for the itches by super-gluing his hand to a beer bottle. 

- The ultimate solution (that isn't really a solution) Sam and Dean come up with is to just burn down the old Murdoch house because the legend says that Mordechai haunted it and, as a result, he can't leave and will cease to exist. They don't know if it'll work, but figure that it will have to do for now.

- The episode ends with one last prank barrage (this time aimed at Harry and Ed) and the brothers calling a truce that'll be for the next 100 miles or so.

         Hell House is an outrageously fun episode. It's creepy, it's scary, it's hilarious, it's surprisingly touching. Yeah. It's always nice to have episodes where we're reminded that Sam and Dean really are just a couple of brothers who happen to hunt ghosts for a non-living. (That was a terrible pun. I'm sorry.) It's nice to see them kick back and have some fun. The Prank War is funny as is their rivalry with the Hellhounds guys. The episode has some great atmosphere too, with a Scooby-worthy stereotypical haunted house and some legitimately frightening jump scares. It's funny, it's scary, it has a deep edge, and is great fun to watch again and again. Helll House is a 5/5.




What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?