Supernatural/Night Shifter

Night Shifter
Season 2, Episode 12
Airdate	January 25, 2007
Written by	Ben Edlund
Directed by	Philip Sgriccia
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Supernatural — Season Two

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Night Shifter is the twelfth episode of the second season of Supernatural, and the thirty-fourth episode overall.

Guest Stars: Chris Gauthier (Ronald Resnick), Charles Malik Whitfield (Special Agent Henrickson), Georgia Craig (Sherri), Emy Aneke (Sampson)

Plot Overview

Disguised as FBI agents, Sam and Dean follow a trail of peculiar robberies and deaths to Eastern Wisconsin. Their investigation leads them to Nightwatchman Ronald Resnick who confiscated surviellance tapes from one of the incidents and believes the crimes were perpetrated by half-human, half-robot "mandroids". Recognizing the tell-tale lens flare on the eyes that signifies a shape-shifter, the brothers confiscate the tapes and make their way to the bank in which they were taken to find the shape-shifter which has already slipped the skin on film. Disguised as security-system repairmen, they make their way into the bank only to be locked inside by a gun-weilding Ronald who instructs everyone to get into the bank's vault. Dean eventually earn's Ronald's trust enough to try and seek out the shape-shifter. In the process, Ronald gets shot by sharp-shooters accumulating outside and Sam and Dean are forced to take over the situation as the hunt for the shape-shifter continues. FBI Special Agent Henrickson calls in to negotiate and lets the brothers know he's been following their trail and that they are considered wanted fugitives. When the SWAT team enters the bank, Sam knocks out a couple of agents, takes their uniforms and gear, and he and Dean escape to the safety of their Chevy Impala.

Notes

• Episode Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Sam and Dean are officially wanted fugitives at the conclusion of this episode.

Referbacks

• A reference is made to the shape-shifter Sam and Dean took out in the 6th episode of season 1 entitled Skin. In that episode, a shape-shifter took on the guise of Dean and framed him for murder. The death of the shape-shifter led to Dean being declared legally dead. He also revealed some of Dean's deeply buried resentment towards Sam's freedom of their mission (true or not) and tied the brothers up in a sewer.

    Sam: A shape shifter, just like back in St. Louis. Same retinal reaction to video.
    Dean: Eyes flare at the camera. I hate those friggin' things.
    Sam: You think I don't?
    Dean: Yeah, well one didn't turn into you and frame you for murder.

This is not the first time the shape-shifter has been referred back to. It was also mentioned in The Usual Suspects (Episode 7, Season 2) when the brothers were arrested for their involvement in a murder.

• A reference is made to Sam and Dean's "military training" by Special Agent Henrickson. It was also mentioned in the Pilot episode by Sam who said they were "raised like warriors." Their father, John was also a Marine which would explain such training being passed down to his sons. Special Agent Henrickson also calls John Winchester an "ex-Marine" as well as a "real power military suvivalist type."

• Special Agent Henrickson makes a reference to the "Houdini you pulled in Baltimore". This is a reference to The Usual Suspects in which Det. Diana Ballard (played by Linda Blair) let the brothers escape after their assistance in solving a murder.

Trivia

The Show

Music:

• "Renegade" by Styx appears in the final minutes of the show.

Allusions and References

• Star Wars: If you read Sam and Dean's FBI badges they are Special Agents "Luke Skywalker" and "Han Solo" both characters from George Lucas's Star Wars trilogy.

• Bonnie and Clyde: An infamous bank-robbing, criminal duo of the Great Depression era.

Special Agent Henrickson: "...and yes I know about Sam, too. Bonnie to your Clyde."

• Houdini: A famous Hungarian-American magician and escape artist from the early 1900's. He was most known for his shocking and sometimes life-threatening escapes from such things as straight jackets and tanks in which he was submerged under water.

Special Agent Henrickson: "...I know about the Houdini-act you pulled in Baltimore."

Quotes

• Dean: "I like him, he says 'okey-dokey'."

• Dean: "We are so screwed."

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