From MadCap's Couch - Supernatural: "A Very Supernatural Christmas"

"He kept complaining about some woman named Sheila..."

Yep. Yep. Seems like it gets a little closer every year.

At the very least, I can take comfort in the fact that I managed to time things (albeit unintentionally) until at least the week of Thanksgiving this year. But the holidays are upon us, and it's time to see them through the eyes of Sam and Dean Winchester. It's time... for A Very Supernatural Christmas.

Our episode begins not with a recap, but in Seattle, Washington one year ago in the house of a young boy named Stevie. After some holiday banter, his grandfather ends up donning a Santa Claus suit and Stevie is witness to "Santa" putting presents under the tree... before something starts trying to come down the chimney. When Stevie's grandfather gets too close, he gets pulled up into it as Stevie watches and hears his screams as well as a sickening series of cracks... followed by a bloodied boot falling from the chimney.

A year later, Sam and Dean are investigating a murder in Michigan, where a man was murdered in a house while decorating a tree. All the doors are locked and the only people who otherwise have a key are in Florida. Sam found a tooth in the chimney, meaning that the man had been dragged up it. Immediately, Sam is in research mode and after some banter about Dick Van Dyke, has developed a theory: Evil Santa. Specifically, Krampus or other demonic beings that punish wicked children. When Dean thinks that's silly because there is no Santa, Sam drops the lore that Dean was the one who told him that Santa isn't real, which leads to an awkward moment between the brothers.

The two check out a Christmas village where the two victims visited before they were killed. Dean brings up wanting to have a family Christmas like when they were kids, something that Sam refutes as being a happy memory.

Sickeningly sweet, but man does he rock that sweater...

We flashback to their youth, Young Sam wrapping a very special present for John while Dean berates him. Dean does his best to reassure Sam that John will be there, but gets increasingly annoyed at Sam's questions about what John's doing and what his work is. Dean tells Sam that he doesn't want to know the truth, echoing a later confession that Dean will make. When Sam brings up Mary, Dean yells angrily at him and leaves him in the motel room.

Back in the present, Sam and Dean discuss the lore behind the anti-Claus, mentioning that Krampus would smell sweet to lure the kids in. After a horrific pedophile joke at Sam's expense, the boys begin tailing a very obviously drunk Santa. That night, they're having a stakeout and Dean confronts Sam about hating Christmas, wanting to do it right this time. Sam is reluctant, but the two are soon distracted by Drunk Santa looking out of his trailer suspiciously before closing the blinds. They bust in... and possibly one of the funniest things in the show's history occurs as they find Santa drunk off his ass, smoking a bong, and watching porn... and then proceed to sing "Silent Night".

Drunk Santa is blitzed enough to enjoy the boys singing all the wrong words and off-key as they leave.

To contrast the comedy, a young man comes downstairs upon hearing something on the roof and trying to get down into the chimney. Whatever comes out of the fireplace is... not Santa, leaving the child paralyzed with fear as it goes upstairs. While we never clearly see it, just a hand or a foot or the like, it goes upstairs and assaults the boy's parents, dragging the father away in a sack, killing him with a sickening crunch and taking one of the boy's cookies left out for Santa just before leaving.

It's a seriously chilling scene.

The next day, Sam and Dean question the mother and learn of the attack in the night. Sam asks about a wreath over the fireplace, mentioning to Dean later that they'd seen that wreath before at the previous crime scene. A phone call to Bobby tells them that those wreaths are made of meadowsweet, a very powerful herb in Pagan lore that was used for human sacrifice. Sam uses his knowledge of actual history to do a bit of commentary on how much of Christmas... has nothing to do with Christ's birthday. And why did the Pagans sacrifice people?

Mild weather.

...no, really.

When Dean hits on the idea that someone is intentionally giving people the wreaths, they track down the shop where the wreaths are being sold. They get pointed in the direction of Madge Carrigan, who totally not suspiciously gave to the shop owner for free.

Back at the motel, Sam and Dean get back into talking about Christmas and Sam asks Dean why he's so hell-bent on doing Christmas... and that's exactly the reason why. It's Dean's last year, and he'd like to go out on a high note. However, that's the reason why Sam can't... celebrating Christmas while he knows Dean is going to Hell just isn't something he can stomach.

We get another flashback, Young Dean bringing Young Sam back some totally healthy and appropriate food for a growing boy. Young Sam pulls out John's journal, having read it. Young Dean is absolutely incensed... but relents and tells Sam at least some of the truth: John hunters monsters, which are real in spite of what Sam has been told. Sam shows some worry that the monsters might get John, but Dean attempts to assuage his fears. The monsters may have gotten Mary, but they aren't going to get John or them... and Dean promises that John will be there for Christmas. Young Sam, distraught, elects to get some shut eye. Young Dean, though trying to comfort his brother, seems to feel the hollowness in his own words as well.

"We assimilated..."

Back in the present, Sam and Dean show up at the Carrigans'. Madge and her husband Edward are the very picture of a husband-wife couple from the 1950s. After looking into it, Sam finds that they only moved to Michigan in January - last year, they were in Seattle. Later on, they break into the house and under the Christmas veneer they find Baby's First Pagan Ritual Sacrifice Altar set up in the basement. Further in, the boys find a victim in a sack... and Madge and Edward ready to spring, knocking Dean out and capturing Sam. A movement of Sam's flashlight showing the true, decayed form of the two.

Sam and Dean are tied back to back Last Crusade-style and get confronted by the pagan gods. Madge and Edward mention how they were once getting sacrifices left and right and now can barely eek out a living. The two, being big on the rituals, take some blood from the boys and a fingernail from Sam (big eww!) but are interrupted from going full on with their ritual and taking one of Dean's teeth by a nosy neighbor ringing the doorbell.

After some fruitcake squashing, the two return to find that Sam and Dean have escaped and have locked them in the kitchen. Luckily, the pair manage to hold the two off long enough to put the Christmas tree with its real evergreen wood to use as a weapon. After a bit of struggle, Sam kills Madge and Dean puts Edward down, ending their threat.

In the past, Young Sam awakens to find that John has indeed not come for Christmas as he promised in spite of a deception by Dean. Also, Dean stole a tree and some presents just because he wanted to be sure that Sam had a good Christmas... in spite of the presents all being for a chick. We see Dean's faith in John as he insists to Sam that John is alive. However, Young Sam chooses to put his faith in his brother, giving him the gift that he had meant for John. The present? A very familiar necklace that Dean has worn now for three seasons. Young Dean slips it on, and we cut to Dean in the present, walking in with it around his neck.

I have no joke here, this is just heartwarming.

In the motel room, Sam has decorated and he and Dean share some eggnog while Sam avoids answering Dean's question as to why he changed his mind. The two exchange presents, Dean having gotten Sam nudie mags and shaving cream while Sam got Dean a bottle of motor oil and a candy bar. The two have a genuinely heartwarming moment, more poignant knowing what is to come. Sam tries to say something... but ends up asking Dean if he wants to watch the game, the two settling in to do just that, the two sharing eggnog and a smile as we end on a shot pulling away from the motel window... with snow beginning to fall on the Impala.

A Very Supernatural Christmas is a great episode. The flashback episodes with the two brothers have been some of my favorites through the series, and this is no exception. The juxtaposition of Sam's first Christmas upon learning that monsters were real and Dean's last Christmas while he is (for all he knows) still on the path to Hell makes for a heartwarming, hilarious, and bittersweet time. The younger Sam and Dean - played by Colin Ford and Ridge Canipe, respectively - deserve special praise as they are both insanely believable as younger versions of Jared and Jensen. They are, out of all the flashbacks, probably the best duo for both in the show and have this natural, almost flawless chemistry about them that just really, really clicks for me.

Also of note are Sam's explanations of how certain Pagan traditions were co-opted by Christianity and seeing how the rise of Christianity has had an effect on the Pagan Gods... something that I'm sure we'll be seeing more of as we go further into the show.

With the end of this episode, we are officially halfway through Season 3! Next time, we get back into the plot... sort of. We're getting Desperate Housewives by way of The Craft, as Sam and Dean investigate a suburb where witchery is indeed afoot... and something that is very personal to a certain demon that they've come to... tolerate.

Be there, as the Malleus Maleficarum comes swinging down on the Winchester Brothers!

...oh, hey, that's a thing from that other thing I'm doing!

Anyway, be there!