Every weekday through September 12 BuddyTV is counting down the 10 best Supernatural episodes of all time. Come back every day as we unveil the list, and see if your favorite episode made the cut!
Original Air Date: November 15, 2005
Written By: Eric Kripke
Summary: Sam has a vision that the new owners of the Winchesters' childhood home are in great danger. The boys travel back to Lawrence, Kansas for the first time in years, hoping to get some answers about the mysterious force that killed their mother. Upon arrival, they team up with a sassy psychic to face the evil that haunts their old house.
Why It's On The List: I truly love the first few episodes of
Supernatural, with the exception of "Dead in the Water," which I find mind-numbingly dull for reasons beyond my comprehension. If we ever make a list of the 10 worst
Supernatural episodes, that one is going on top for me. That aside, the episodes that kick off the first season are wonderfully creepy and very entertaining. They do a great job at establishing the universe and tone for the series, but I have to admit that I wasn't a lifelong
Supernatural addict until "Home" aired on November 15 of 2005. It's the episode that really tipped me off to all the greatness to come, and I've been insane about the show ever since.
I actually remember the exact moment I knew I was hooked. It wasn't a brotherly bonding scene, or the appearance of John Winchester, or Dean getting choked up when he calls his dad for help. As wonderful as those moments are, the scene that hooked me is the one where an unlucky plumber gets his hand chewed up inside a garbage disposal. I've been a huge horror fan for my entire life, and I've seen numerous scenes where someone sticks their hand inside a disposal only to pull it out at the last possible minute. Such a scene is often used to build false tension, and I expected the same boring trope when the situation played out on
Supernatural. However, Kripke and company actually had the guts to turn the disposal on, and the results were a grisly delight. It's possible that finding joy in such a thing makes me a disturbed individual, but I love it when a show has the smarts to defy my expectations and turn an old cliché on its head.
Of course, a simple garbage disposal trick wouldn't be enough for this episode to make the top 10, so it's a good thing it has a lot more going for it. "Home" feels like the episode that truly kick-started the
Supernatural mythology. We have Sam explaining his visions to Dean (
Jensen Ackles), appearances by John and Mary Winchester, and a trip back to the location where the entire series started. We also have the introduction of Missouri Moseley, played by the awesome Loretta Devine, who is a character I truly love. I long for her to come back and pull her Zelda Rubinstein shtick yet again, but I'm not sure such a thing will ever happen.
The episode has horror and a good dose of mythology, but it's the emotion at its core that truly makes it a classic. It's impossible to forget Dean's impassioned message to his missing father, and John's obvious pain at the end about his inability to contact his sons. You're not sure if you want to slap John Winchester or hug him, and that's partially due to
Jeffrey Dean Morgan's great performance. He only makes a minor appearance here, but it's still unforgettable. I also love the appearance of Mary Winchester, who proves her love for her sons by kicking the ass of a malevolent poltergeist. Her simple "I'm sorry" to Sam (
Jared Padalecki) speaks volumes.
I'm betting that every
Supernatural fan could point out the exact moment they knew they were hooked on the series. I'd actually like to hear your own personal garbage disposal epiphanies below. Whatever your reason for loving the show, there's no denying that "Home" has everything that a
Supernatural addict could ask for. Well, everything except gratuitous nudity, of course. That's what "Hell House" is for.
<< EPISODE #5 | EPISODE #3 >>
What do you think of "Home"?
- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)