Series 1, Episode 10: Asylum

Just for fun I decided to look online to see when these episodes that I'm now watching were first broadcast and I was shocked to find it was 2005. How have I never been aware of this series until now?? 2005 was also the year that Doctor Who came back so I guess my attention must have been elsewhere. How different my life could have been if I'd followed this show instead....Probably not that much different really. Maybe I wouldn't have learned to knit..

Anyway, this episode is called "Asylum" so I like it already because anything to do with asylums has to be proper creepy. It's a shame I've chosen to watch this episode in the middle of a beautifully sunny Sunday but I was in the mood for another episode right now and experience has told me not to delay such things.

In a brief chat about Sam's developing psychic skills, Dean utters the line "oh whatever. Don't ask, don't tell". The "Don't ask, Don't tell" attitude was used until very recently in the American armed forces to deal with homosexuals joining up. Basically they weren't banned from joining the army but they had to keep their sexuality a secret from the other soldiers. Dean's use of this phrase is a further hint that he is "a gay". 

Sam notices that there are lots of "orbs" within the asylum. I know what orbs are from my many viewings of Most Haunted. Basically they are specks of dust caught in the light...well that's what they ACTUALLY are anyway, but the Most Haunted explanation was that they were the first signs of a ghost's manifestation, despite the fact that no ghost ever actually manifested in the show. I remember one episode where they got ridiculously excited because they saw an orb through the camera which was like a long string I.e it was a piece of someone's hair caught in the light. In fact I'd love it if there was a Supernatural episode where they stumbled upon one of these rubbish reality TV show productions and showed them what real spirits are. A cameo from Derek Acorah would be nice.

Dean and Sam find a young scared girl called Kat in the asylum who has lost her boyfriend. Dean suggests they split up to look for her boyfriend and then has the nerve to have a go at Kat for not paying attention to horror movies! "If someone says somewhere is haunted then you don't go in!" Well I'm sorry Dean but I've seen my fair share of horror movies and while I completely agree with your statement I would also point out that splitting up is also a dumb idea! Especially as he's teamed up with this young girl who will presumably turn out to be already possessed by the evil spirits of the asylum and try to kill him! 

I think I might have misjudged Kat and the spirits. They don't seem to be evil at all. They just want to talk. Aww that's nice. The spirits are directing them to room 137. Maybe that's where all the other spirits are hiding, ready to surprise Dean and Sam with a party and a lovely buffet for all their hard work in defeating evil demons.

Unfortunately it's actually the room of the evil doctor who performed vicious experimental procedures on his patients....not a sausage roll in sight!

That was another really good episode. And another exciting development at the end where it appears that Sam receives a call from his father. He picks up the phone, listens and says "Dad??" I'll be annoyed if the next episode starts with him saying "oh I'm sorry you sounded just like my dad..."