Throughout their experiences in ‘Supernatural’, Sam and Dean Winchester have seen the vilest creatures: angels, demons, ghosts, and a horde of monsters taken from cultural myths around the world. And while there are monsters in our world, they are the ones who, from a biological perspective, are only human.

It’s Springdale, Washington and a young girl is doing what teens do in this day and age—taking selfies—when she spots a photo-bombing monster behind her. She tries hiding in the closet but the hideous figure is waiting for her and slashes her throat as the 911 operator is on the other line. Dean quickly gets wind of the case and is about to make his way to Springdale when Sam calls him back. The tension’s still pretty high between the two but they’re able to put it aside and go road-tripping. Their first stop is to speak with Mrs. Miles, the victim’s mother. After talking to the distraught woman, it’s evident the Winchesters aren’t the only ones on the case.

Enter: The Ghostfacers!!

Knowing the ‘Supernaturalist’ amateurs are out of their league, they confront Harry and Ed, the two remaining Ghostfacers, in a café. Dean offers some serious, no-nonsense threats to the two, reminding them they’re way out of their league. Back at the motel, Sam discovers Harry and Ed’s book on the Thin Man. Dean’s still not buying the theory, putting stock in it being a ghost of some sort but Sam’s not as quick to dismiss the Thin Man theory.

Dean’s not buying the Thin Man theories

While Dean’s searching for any deaths in the city that could have created a ghostly entity, the Ghostfacers are revisiting Casey’s room, filming a part of the Thin Man documentary when Ed expresses his doubts about pursuing their pot of gold. Harry’s all in and knows they need to keep going. And that night, the café manager is added to the list of victims. By the time Sam and Dean arrive on the scene the next morning the Ghostfacers are already there. Dean threatens the dynamic duo again but does some rethinking about the Thin Man theory when they all watch the surveillance footage of the murder. Knowing he’s so close to catching the Thin Man, Harry ninja-ups and wants the increasingly doubtful Ed to drop him off in the woods. Sam and Dean continue to research the possibilities when the latter mentioning just how “sick” people can be. There is a moment of shared reminiscing between the two when Ed pays them a visit. He comes clean about making up the Thin Man to keep Harry from leaving Ghostfacers. Ed tries justifying his actions though admits to faking only one case before real ones started popping up. Sam is especially upset about it, reiterating how “secrets ruin relationships,” a reality he’s feeling now. The trio gets on the road and come across Harry, who’s barely escaped his run in with the Thin Man.

While Sam is patching up the excited Harry, Dean takes pix of the tire tracks close to the scene. Harry doesn’t understand why until he and Ed have a chat with Ed coming clean about the entire Thin Man hoax. In truth, it’s quite unbelievable how Ed tries justifying what he did to his best friend and Sam steps in to check on Harry, feeling a kinship with a guy who was lied to by the most important person in his life. “There are things you can forgive and there are things you can’t,” he tells Harry. Dean interrupts the two to relay the info he’s received on the tire treads—belonging to a Geo Metro and guy named Roger. The brothers, accompanied by the Deputy, start to investigate the warehouse when the good deputy KO’s them with a taser.

Ed comes clean with Harry on the Thin Man. Predictably, it does not go well

They wake, cuffed to a chair with Deputy Do-Wrong setting up some film equipment. He admits to being behind the Thin Man murders, with the help of his psychopathic partner, Roger, the busboy from the diner. Roger does all the killing, not caring about the whys of it. He’s ready to cut Dean’s throat when the Ghostfacers arrive on the scene. Though they’re captured, it gives Sam and Dean just enough time to escape. When they come back into the room with the Ghostfacers at gun and knife-point, the Winchesters jump them. Dean takes Roger out, intimately introducing the murderer to his own knife while Harry shoots the deputy before the baddie can take out Ed.

Case solved, Sam is almost surprised at the heinous actions perpetrated by things that weren’t monsters in the traditional sense. “There were just people,” he says but Dean reminds his little brother that “people are sick.” On the Ghostfacers front, it looks like the group is breaking up for good. Harry just can’t get over Ed’s actions, confessing he can’t forgive such selfish actions. It’s a beautiful parallel to Sam and Dean’s current ‘it’s complicated’ relationship and when Harry tells the two as they ride away “you roll with a guy for so many years, you think he’s always gonna be next to you,” the brothers share a sideways glance. The sentiment is something they know all too well.

Things Aren’t Always Supernatural

  • Though “#ThinMan” may be light on furthering the angelic story arc for the season, it’s fun in reintroducing the Ghostfacers (well, two of the remaining quartet) while offering a lot of parallel between the storm currently raging between Sam and Dean. Sam is especially sensitive to it and emotionally connects with Harry after the latter is told of Ed’s betrayal. The bigger difference is, despite the current status of the Winchesters brotherly relationship, Sam recognizes the need to do good and how that can be accomplished at Dean’s side. There’s no doubt they are currently at the “it’s complicated” stage but, with time, maybe Sam will be able to forgive.
  • Every week the Winchesters have to deal with creatures of a supernatural nature. But like Buffy, there can be monstrous deeds performed by normal human beings (though “normal” may not be the right word to describe such vile persons). Despite the usual jargon of “he’s human, therefore I can’t kill him” Dean has no qualms ending Roger’s life. Most of the supernatural creatures they face are riding some form of evil wave but there is no difference between them and someone like Roger. In our reality, there may not be vampires or werewolves running around but there are plenty of monsters out there, which can make this world a lot scarier than the things when see when we tune into the Winchesters every week.