Winchester-Journals.net :: Episode 1x14

Episode 1x14 - Nightmare

Vital Statistics

Original Air Date: 7th February 2006
Production Code: 2T6913
Writer: Sera Gamble, Raelle Tucker
Director: Philip Sgriccia

Official Episode Description

Sam has a premonition in which a man is killed, but the murder is made to look like a suicide. Sam convinces Dean that they must investigate the case, but the two are puzzled when they fail to find anything that indicates that the death was supernatural in nature. That is, until they find out that Max, the reclusive son of the first victim, has been using his recently acquired power of telekinesis to kill the family members that once abused him. Sam also discovers Max's mother was killed by the same fiery demon that took his own mom.

Summary

Sam wakes up in the middle of the night having had a nightmare about a man being killed by the fumes from his parked car. He wakes Dean and tells him that he believes it was a premontion - like those he had about Jessica and the people who moved into their old house. Warily, Dean agrees to track down the person Sam saw in his dream but when they get there they find that the man, Jim Miller, died hours earlier (about the same time Sam had the dream) in exactly the same way he did in the dream.

Disguising themselves as priests, Dean and Sam introduce themselves to the family and try to learn a little more about what happened. They check the house for ghost activity but cant find anything. Sam insists it was a murder - he saw how scared Jim was - but there are no clues. Later, while in their motel room, Sam suddenly experiences a vision of Jim's brother, Roger, being killed. The vision, accompanied by an excruciating headache, shows him being decapitated by a window in his apartment. The boys rush over, getting there moments before the event happens but not soon enough to stop it.

They head back to the house to talk to Max, Jim's son. Although he tells Dean and Sam that he had a 'normal' childhood, it's clear he's lying. They head over to the Miller's old neighbourhood to see if anyone remembers them. A neighbour does and reveals that Jim and Roger used to both beat up young Max for years, even breaking his arms at times. Max's stepmother, Alice, stood by and did nothing to stop them. While they are talking, Sam has another vision, this time of Max killing Alice. They rush back to the house and arrive just before he stabs her with a kitchen knife.

Sam thinks he can stop Max by talking to him, as they have certain things in common. While Sam has been having premonitions since before Jessica died, Max has developed telekenisis - he can move things with his mind. Sam believes that this is what is causing them to be linked. He begins talking to Max, convincing him to allow Dean and Alice to go into another room. Max reveals that the beatings had continued up until he finally killed his dad and uncle and he could only finish things by killing Alice too. He also tells Sam how his dad blamed him for the death of his mother - she died in a fire in his nursery, pinned to the ceiling. This realisation shocks Sam and he wants Max to work with him and Dean to find the demon that killed their mothers. They have more in common than he knew before. Max seems to think about it for a while, but suddenly decides that he still needs to kill Alice. Using his telekenisis, he shuts Sam in a closet, barricading it with acabinet.

Sam has another premonition, this time of Max shooting Dean, and it makes him angry and scared enough that he somehow manages to move the cabinet in the same way Max had done - with his mind. He races into the room in time to stop Max killing Dean and Alice, only to watch as the boy turns the gun on himself, commiting suicide.

Afterwards, Dean and Sam are discussing how they could have turned out like Max, had John turned to the alcohol a little more after Mary's death. Sam reveals to Dean that he moved the cabinet by thinking about it and admits he's scared by what is happening. Dean reassures him - while he's there, nothing will happen to Sam.

Deleted Scene

The deleted scene from this episode is almost identical to the one that aired - when Sam has his premonition of Dean being shot. In the deleted version, we actually see Dean get shot in the head, whereas in the aired version, we simply see the blood splatter and the aftermath of the shooting.

Notes

The Demon obviously has an interest in more than just Sam. But are his psychic abilities the reason the Demon attacked him or caused by the Demon attacking him?
Sam's abilities are increasing and he now has a small ability in telekenisis.
Dean appears to be a little scared by Sam's abilities - no matter what he claims.