From MadCap's Couch - "Supernatural: Provenance"

Killed my entire family, looked great over the mantle.
2 stars.

Cursed painting!

Spoiler alert!

So, our episode begins with a couple who have just bought a painting at a charity auction.

The people in the painting start moving. The couple arm the security system and are preparing to have sex when they both come up with a terminal case of dead because. . .something?

At a bar, Dean is working his magic on the ladyfolk while Sam looks over John's journal. Dean, in a fit of being a good big brother, tries to get his brother laid. . .but Sam isn't having any of it.

Poor Sammy. Your time will come. And so will Madison Hiyo!

Sam has found a list of deaths in Upstate New York, one that matches several in John's journal. They're far enough apart that no one else seemed to think there was any connection. Dean heads off with not one but two chicks and the next morning Dean is hung to the over. Sam checked the house while he was out - no history of violent deaths or anything that might have caused a vengeful spirit. The house is clean, that meaning that everything was taken out of the house, even the future. Where is it now? Apparently, it was all taken to a charity auction of some description.

Dean shows his ass to the proprietor of the auction house, a Mr. Blake, much to Sam's distress. The two pose as art dealers, though the disguise is pretty paper thin considering this is a charity auction and they look like they walked out from backstage at a Metallica concert. This is helped, however, when Sam uses a bit of that Ivy League school learning to charm Sarah Blake, the daughter of Mr. Blake.

Sarah, the second great love of Sam Winchester's life. More on that later.

Seriously, I don't get this joke.

In any case, Mr. Blake shows up to inform Sam and Dean (again) that they are not on the guest list and need to leave. This, unfortunately, before they can look at the provenances from the painting - basically a certificate of origin for paintings or other art objects. This told to Dean after he and Sam enter a rather swanky-looking motel room that causes them both to go "Huh" for some reason.

I guess because. . .outdated?

Long story short, Sam ends up inviting Sarah to dinner. They have awkward-cute conversation up until Sam gets given the wine list. . .and Sarah breaks the ice by ordering a beer, with Sam following. They talk a bit, Sam talking a bit about his past while Sarah shares hers. Like Sam, Sarah hasn't dated for a while - her mother died about a year ago, which had her draw back from everything. In a parallel to Sam, she's started to come out of that shell a little more. When she asks about why he isn't dating considering he's a rather attractive man, Sam kind of goes silent. A story for another time.

However, offscreen it seems, Sam got the provenances. The names of the owners match up with the names in John's journal. They have the common factor, and break into the auction house to steal the painting (cutting from the frame) and burn it. . .unfortunately, the frame simply "regrows" the painting just as it was before in what is admittedly a pretty cool effect, since we have another thirty minutes left in the episode.

Yeah, sorry, you're not getting out of this that easily, boys.

The next morning, because Dean is a genius, he lost his wallet in the auction house during the heist. The brothers have to go and get it. . .and it's a ruse by Dean to get Sam to meet with Sarah again.

Smooth. Operator.

He bails, leaving Sam and Sarah to talk. She suggests they go out to dinner again, though Sam insists they're leaving today. . .and then sees the painting, completely intact. Also, it creeps Sarah out. Understandable. He returns to tell Dean about it, the pair deciding they need to figure out a way to destroy it. Lore says that the subject of the painting is usually the one who haunts it, so they check with a local history buff. The patriarch of the family in the portrait, Isaiah, killed his entire family and then himself with a straight razor (he was a barber by trade) around the same time that the Titanic sunk. The bodies of the family were all cremated.

The picture is different than the painting, which Sam notes. The painting has changed, which means other things may have changed also. They plan to head back to the auction house, which leads to a confrontation between Sam and Dean about Dean trying to hook him up.

Sarah was not ready for Dean telling her
about the high-speed internet porn.

Dean, ultimately, is hoping Sam won't be so cranky if he hooks up. . .which Sam is less than pleased about. Of course, Dean does admit that he thinks Sarah would be good for Sam. He also brings up Jess, mentioning to Sam that she would want him to be happy.

Ouch.

Sam admits that that is what Jess would want, but that that isn't the main part. He doesn't elaborate, however, and still has to call up Sarah to get to see the painting again. Dean heckling him the whole time, Sam calls her up about the painting to find out that it's already been bought. . .and he asks for the address right away.

An older woman, Evelyn, has purchased and put up the painting, and Isaiah takes notice. . .from up on her mantle. Sam and Dean arrive, with Sarah having arrived as well despite Sam insisting that she stay away. They find Evelyn. . .who has been decapitated by Isaiah. The next morning, she arrives at the motel having lied for Sam and Dean to the police, demanding that Sam and Dean explain what in the Hell is going on.

So, they tell her.

She takes it well, seeing that she also so the painting move. Sarah insists on coming with them, to hell with the consequences. Despite Sam's insistence, she refuses to go run and hide.

When she steps out, Dean gives a nod of approval, telling Sam to marry that girl.

When Sam does get married, that'll be much funnier, but more on that much later.

The trio break into Evelyn's house and find the painting. Dean notes that the painting has changed again - the straight razor on the table is open whereas in the picture it's closed. There's also a painting within the painting where they see a crypt with the word "Merchant" written over it. After searching through three graveyards, they find it and break in. They find there are only four urns - one for the mother and each of the kids, but not Isaiah. Sarah also takes note of a doll that belonged to one of Isaiah's daughters, one that eerily looks like her.

Dean goes to check the records while Sam and Sarah have another cute moment where he gets an eyelash out of her eye. They discuss if there is something between them, and they both confirm they have feelings for one another. However, Sam isn't sure this would be a good idea. He's clearly harboring some issues with what happened to Jess, which he does tell Sarah about. 

Also, Sam's first acknowledgement that he's cursed.

Roll your attack, Sam!

Sarah, however, tells Sam that risk is what life is about. When you shut out pain, you shut out everything else, too. Sam insists that he can't feel that pain again, but before any more can come of it, Dean returns with news: Isaiah was buried and he knows where. That night, the brothers dig him up while Sarah uses a flashlight to assist. Sarah notes the boys are uncomfortably comfortable with this, her learning that this is not - in fact - their first rodeo.

After getting him dug up, they salt and burn the corpse as is tradition.

Heading back to Evelyn's, Sam wants to destroy the painting just to be safe. He and Sarah head in, Dean encouraging Sam to make a move, and find that the painting has changed. . .one of the little girls and the razor are gone. The door menacingly closes to lead into a commercial break.

They can't get out and Dean can't get in. Sam and Sarah begin looking for salt or iron while Dean tries to get in. The ghost closes them up in a room and puts on some Drowning Pool. It seems that Isaiah was just trying to warn people about the psycho daughter. With an iron fireplace poker, Sam's able to ward off the ghost, but it's only a temporary fix. Sarah brings up the doll again, mentioning that dolls back then would sometimes be made with the child's hair, which works for remains to burn.

As the ghost girl gets onto Sam and Sarah, Dean breaks into the container holding the doll and burns it just before the ghost can kill Sarah.

The next morning, Dean reveals the final twist. The little girl was the adopted one, adopted because she'd killed her entire birth family in their beds. Isaiah took the blame due to history and his spirit was actually trying to warn everyone. Sarah has the painting burned. Dean takes the cue from Sam and Sarah being awkward and goes to wait in the car. 

Sarah brings up that there is a lesson to be learned from this: they all got through in one piece. Maybe, Sam isn't curse. Maybe, Sam will come and see her.

He won't.

However, after Sam leaves and Sarah closes the doors behind her. . .Sam comes back and knocks, and the two share a kiss. Dean giving Sam a "That's my boy" with the approving big brother nod. He gets into the Impala, as Sam and Sarah enjoy their moment together.

Provenance is a great Sam-focused episode. Sarah was a great little addition to the show that, while it would be a pain to trek back to New York every time they wanted her in an episode (or otherwise finding an excuse to have her show up), was something that brought out something a little different in Sam and could have been a positive influence on him going forward. It's kind of a shame she never showed up after this except way ahead in Season 8.

Spooky child...barbacued!

More on that much, much later.

Next time, we're spinning out into finale territory. Our next episode will introduce a baddie the likes of which we've not yet seen on the show as well as a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig mythos drop. Next time, Dead Man's Blood.

See you there!

Supernatural belongs to Warner Brothers and the CW.

For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.