Supernatural - S10E12 - About a Boy
Previously on Supernatural, ‘There’s No Place Like Home’
We begin this week’s episode with loser of the week, JP, getting thrown out of a bar for, what else, owing money. As he’s getting into his car he’s approached by a stranger (guest star Mark Acheson), when he grabs a talisman, emits a flash of light causing JP and the stranger to disappear, leaving his sizzling clothes behind. All of this is witnessed by a homeless man.
Dean is going through various books looking for lore on how to get rid of the Mark of Cain. Sam comes in and suggests they follow the case from the bar. Dean, who hasn’t left the bunker in a week, doesn’t want to go because he’s worried about what he would do with the mark. Sam says reading the same book is not going to help and he believes Dean needs to get back in the game. Dean tells him he believed in the Easter Bunny until he was 12 so what does he know, but eventually concedes and agrees to take on the case.
In front of the bar where JP was abducted, the boys question the random homeless man who tells them what happened. He also divulges that it smelled like flowers and he theorizes, much to the chagrin of the boys, that JP, like himself, was abducted by aliens. Dean is reluctant to separate from Sam, but eventually agrees to question the locals. While at the bar he strikes up a conversation with Tina, who he finds out is sort of a kindred spirit as they share stories about their crappy childhood over drinks. As he’s talking to Sam, Dean notices a strange man following Tina out of the bar. Dean follows in time to hear Tina scream. He approaches, sees her sizzling clothes, and is waylaid by the strange man with the Talisman who clutches it in a blinding white flash. Dean wakes up in a locked room but when he looks in a mirror discovers he’s 14-years-old (guest star Dylan Everett).
Through a hole in the wall he sees a girl, who turns out to be Tina, Teen Dean tries to get her to calm down but Teen Tina points out that she’s now a tween, he looks like a One Direction reject, and they’re stuck in a freaky serial killer basement. They also notice that JP’s teen avatar is there, but he’s quickly taken away by the strange man.
Sam goes to the bar looking for Dean and when he calls his cell he sees the bartender answer Dean’s phone in Dean’s jacket. After slamming his head on the counter the bartender tells Sam that he found Dean’s coat out by the dumpster.
Teen Dean eventually figures out a way to get out, but before he can leave, the strange man starts opening the door. Teen Tina tells him to go and starts to scream to distract the man from going into Dean’s room which allows him to escape. Dean shows up at Sam’s and all he needs to hear is “Hiya, Sammy” before he deduces it’s 14-year-old Dean. Teen Dean quickly recants how he came to look like Bieber. Sam wants more answers, but Teen Dean tells him that he has no grass in the infield and a girl is about to die so he has no time for answers.
While driving, Sam says this is weird, even for them. Teen Dean says the strangest part is that there was a Taylor Swift song on the bus ride over and he liked the song a lot. *shudder* Sam says he found some yarrow flower which means they are probably dealing with a witch. Teen Dean brings up the one upside which is, the Mark of Cain is gone. Teen Dean suggests he stay that way to beat the Mark, but Sam is reluctant. Teen Dean Figures if it’s a choice between the Mark of Cain and being a teen he would take being a teen, He says he wants to take his virgin liver for a test drive to which Sam responds he can’t drink for 7 years. Teen Dean doesn’t find it funny.
When they get to the house Dean finds a windows but Sam says he’s too big to fit through it. Teen Dean comments that’s probably the first time Sam has ever had to say that, but Sam counters that a guy wearing underoos shouldn’t talk. Teen Dean concedes and enters the window while Sam looks for another way in. While inside, Teen Dean is grabbed by the strange man, but Sam pistol whips him from behind. The strange man, who turns out to be Hansel (Yes, that Hansel) says the Evil Witch has been making them do terrible things for centuries, when they tried to escape the witch tortured Hansel and made him eat Gretel’s heart. Hansel makes a deal to give Teen Dean the cure to turn back to his proper age if they all take out the Evil Witch.
The Evil Witch (guest star Lesley Nicol) is preparing to cook Teen Tina when Hansel and the boys arrive. The witch says she never made Hansel do anything before he betrays and disarms them. Teen Dean stalls the Evil Witch by discussing the difference in taste between European and American kids.
Sam uses the distraction and attacks the Evil Witch, but is quickly knocked down. Teen Dean is pummeled by Hansel who’s too strong for him, but not before Teen Dean takes the talisman and turns himself normal again. Dean stabs Hansel then shoves the talisman into the Evil Witch’s mouth and stuffs her into the oven that she’s been using to cook kids for centuries.
The boys tells Teen Tina that the talisman was destroyed in the oven, but Teen Tina tells them her adult life was shit to begin with and she looks at this as a second chance. Dean shows Sam that the Mark is back. Sam understands that he had to pull a Dean Winchester to save everyone. Sam considers it a win for now. As they leave,Taylor Swift is playing on the radio, and Dean realizes that he likes her as an adult as well and they drive off.
Thoughts
This was a filler episode with some amusing moments in the Big/Going on 30 plotline. The witch mentioned the coven sent her to look for Rowena so it looks like the coven is going to play a more prominent role in the future episodes, especially with Rowena gaining Crowley’s trust. Looks like the boys could be caught in a war between the coven and hell.
