The Usual Suspects (Supernatural)
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| “The Usual Suspects” | |
|---|---|
| Supernatural episode | |
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| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 7 |
| Guest stars | Linda Blair Jason Gedrick Shannon Powell Andy Stahl Keegan Connor Tracy |
| Written by | Cathryn Humphris |
| Directed by | Mike Rohl |
| Original airdate | November 9, 2006 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "No Exit" | "Crossroad Blues" |
| List of Supernatural episodes | |
"The Usual Suspects" is episode seven of the second season of the television series Supernatural.
[edit] Plot synopsis
Sam and Dean Winchester are being held by the Baltimore police, lead by Detective Peter Sheridan and his partner Diana Ballard, in connection with the mysterious murder of a local lawyer, Tony Giles, and his wife, Karen Giles. Dean was caught at the scene of Karen's murder, and the authorities are shocked to find out about his supposed death and slaying of several people in St. Louis, seen in the episode "Skin."
Ballard begins by questioning Sam about his sudden disappearance from Stanford University, the death of his girlfriend, Jessica, and the death of his father, John Winchester. He avoids her questions before finally telling Ballard (falsely) that Tony Giles was a friend of John's. He states that they found out about Tony's murder and came to offer Karen their support. A flashback reveals that the brothers came to Karen as insurance investigators, where they learned that her husband had a vision of a pale woman with a slit throat at the foot of his bed right before he died.
The questioning continues, and Ballard asks Sam why the brothers were seen entering Tony's office. He says that they went to collect several personal items for Karen. A second flashback shows the Winchester brothers breaking into Tony's office, where they find "danashulps" printed repeatedly on several pieces of paper. While Sam hacks the office computer, Dean returns to Karen's home, only to find Karen dead on the floor—her throat slit—and a print out from a computer printer with "danashulps" in repeating sequence. The two detectives compare notes on the brothers' stories. They match, and Ballard muses that they are holding them on circumstantial evidence.
Dean requests a lawyer, and Jeff Krause arrives to explain Dean's options to him. Dean cuts him off, asking him to look at several anagram permutations of "danashulps." Originally thinking it a name, Krause recognizes the street name Ashland. Dean uses Krause as a proxy to send a note to his brother with the information, and stages a video confession of the murder to allow his brother time to escape. Instead of telling the two detectives what they hope to hear, Dean tells them the truth.
Earlier, Ballard's computer malfunctions, spewing "danashulps" repeatedly on the police report she is typing. After realizing Sam has escaped, Ballard enters the restroom, where all the hot faucets turn on at once. The room steams, the mirrors fog over, and "danashulps" is written on the mirrors by an unseen hand. Then, the spectral form of a pale woman advances on Ballard. She goes to Dean for answers, who sends her to Sam.
Sam has holed up in a local motel, the first in the yellow pages. When Ballard arrives, the two begin working together to uncover the mystery of the pale woman. Sam has Ballard look through photos of missing persons, and she recognizes Claire Becker. Claire was busted twice for selling heroin before disappearing while Ballard and her partner were working the vice unit. The two then head to Ashland, where Claire's ghost appears to Ballard again. Sam discovers her bones behind a bricked in wall, and when a shelf is removed from in front of a window, the light around the letters reads "Ashland Sup" over Claire's resting place.
Ballard recognizes the necklace on Claire's corpse. It's the same necklace her partner, Pete, had given her. Sam realizes that Claire is a death omen, not an angry spirit. Pete was using Claire to sell heroin he stole from evidence, and killed her because she wanted more money. He also killed Tony Giles (who was laundering the money for him) and Karen Giles to cover up his secret. When Ballard tries to track down Pete, she finds out that he is extraditing Dean to St. Louis.
Pete plans to kill Dean, but Sam and Ballard find them before Pete can pull the trigger. Pete confesses his crimes to Ballard, but when he tries to kill Dean, Ballard shoots and kills Pete. As the sun rises, Ballard tells Dean that she can probably get the charges against him in Baltimore dropped, but she cannot explain away the deaths in St. Louis. She lets the brothers go, who walk away together on foot.
[edit] Production notes
- Ballard is played by Linda Blair, who is billed as a Special Guest Star in the episode credits.
- Linda Blair is in The Exorcist, referenced when Dean states that he recognizes Ballard from somewhere and has a craving for "pea soup."
[edit] External links
| S U P E R N A T U R A L | |
|---|---|
| Main | |
| Episode Guide | |
| Main Characters | |
| Dean | Sam | |
| Secondary Characters | |
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Ash | Bobby | Ellen | Gordon | Jo | John | Mary | Meg | Missouri | The Demon |
|
| Show Specific Elements | |
| The Colt | The Impala | Harvelle’s Roadhouse | Singer Salvage Yard | |
| Official Site | |
| Official CW Supernatural page | |
