Winchester-Journals.net :: Episode 1x15

Episode 1x15 - The Benders

Vital Statistics

Original Air Date: 14th February 2006
Production Code: 2T6914
Writer: John Shiban
Director: Peter Ellis

Official Episode Description

Sam and Dean head to Minnesota where a young boy witnesses a man vanish into thin air. Upon searching for clues, Sam is abducted by what he assumes is a supernatural being, and Dean is left to search frantically for his brother. However, both are stunned when they realize the kidnappers are human, and using the captives as human prey for a twisted hunting expedition.

Summary

A young boy is watching TV when he hears the sounds of a "monster" coming from outside. He peers through the window only to see one of their neighbours being dragged under a car. Despite telling the police what he has seen, no-one believes him until two State Troopers (Sam and Dean in another of their disguises) talk to him. After talking to the boy, they head back to a bar and discuss what they were told. Not sure what to think, they head out, Sam leaving first. By the time Dean gets outside, Sam is gone.

He reports Sam as missing to the local police, dealing with a female officer called Kathleen. She agrees to help to look for Sam. Dean, who is claiming to be Sam's cousin and a State Police Officer, asks her to get the traffic camera footage for him to look at. Reluctantly, she agrees, and they take a look.

There is no sign of Sam on the camera footage, but they do identify a rusty old can with brand new plates - indicating that they may be stolen. Dean hears an old van drive past and realises that the monster noises that the young boy had heard could well have been from a vehicle. Perhaps it wasn't a monster that took Sam or the boy's neighbour.

Meanwhile, Sam finds himself in a metal cage, alongside the young boy's neighbour. When his captors come in, Sam is shocked to discover that they are people - not creatures or demons or monsters.

Kathleen runs a background check on Dean while they head out looking for the van. His fake ID comes back as having been stolen from another Police officer. She asks him why she shouldn't just arrest him then and there. He explains that he feels responsible for Sam and has to do everything he can to get him back safely. If she wants to arrest him afterwards, he's okay with that - just let him find Sam first.

Sam is trying to find a way to escape the cage when they unlock. The other man is keen to get out of there, despite Sam's warning that it could be a trap. Sure enough, he runs off and is caught by two of the men who held them captive. They kill him with spears.

Kathleen agrees to help Dean find Sam, mainly as her brother went missing three years earlier and she feels guilty for not beingable to help him. She tricksDean into handcuffs and leaves him cuffed to the police car while she goes into the house they've found. She is attacked by the same men who captured Sam and ends up in a cage alongside him. Having picked his way out of the cuffs, Dean finds Sam and Kathleen, but is unable to open the cages. He heads into the house, where he discovers that the family kidnap people and then simply hunt them down like animals for fun. He gets caught by the family and they torture him, intending togo kill Sam and Kathleen, but Sam manages to fight back when the cage door is opened. Sam goes to help Dean, while Kathleen holds the gun on the guy who tried to kill them. The boys hear a gunshot and Kathleen reveals that the suspect was shot trying to escape. They dont believe her, but dont blame her.

Grateful for what they have done, she allows Dean and Sam time to leave before she calls in for backup.

Notes

We see a computer screen with details of Dean and Sam. Thanks to the death of the shapeshifter who looked like Dean (Episode 1x06 - Skin), Dean Winchester is listed as being deceased. Both boys are shown as being 6'4", despite the fact that Jensen (who plays Dean) is clearly shorter than Jared. Click on the thumbnail to see the full size image from the computer.
This is the only episode with no supernatural beings, although it is popularly counted as one of the most frightening episodes.
Dean proves again that he can pick handcuff locks without much of a problem.
The Benders were named after a family of serial killers who became known as the Bloody Benders. The episode could possibly indicate that this family are descendants of the Bloody Benders.

Cultural References

Godzilla vs. Mothra
Released in 1992, this film is one of the many in the Godzilla franchise, which feature a giant dinosaur. Mothra is a giant Moth-like creature.
"He likes the remake."
Dean is referring to the Godzilla movie that was released in 1998 and features Matthew Broderick.
"These traffic cams take an image every three seconds as part of the AMBER alert program."
In the United States and Canada, an AMBER Alert is a notification to the general public, by various media outlets, that a confirmed abduction of a child has happened.
"I lost weight. And I got that Michael Jackson skin disease..."
When Dean is shown a picture of the officer who's badge he's stolen, he has to explain why he doesn't resemble the large black guy on the screen....
"Ned Beatty time, man."
Jenkins is referring to the Ned Beatty film Deliverance in which Ned Beatty's character is raped by another man while being held captive.