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Supernatural Season 4 Episode 4

Metamorphosis

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8.4

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 10/9/08

Sam and Dean find Jack, who is changing into a Rugaru, a flesh-eating demon that preys on humans. Sam and Dean have a disagreement on how to deal with Jack.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (34)

It Doesn't Matter Who You Are, It Matters What You Do

9.0

By opalemeraldcat, Nov 25, 2012

This was a real heart-wrencher (and a nail-biter). I don't think I've ever related so much to one of the freaks/victims before; maybe it was his wife, or Sam. Not only did they deal with secrets Sam had been keeping and ran into an old hunter friend, which I thought was a good, realistic touch (although wouldn't he have heard about Dean dying?), but they also had a great story. Sam has not lost his morality, which I was worrying about in some of the later episodes of season 3, but then we don't know what those months without his brother were like. I want to know more about what Ruby's like these days. I like her character a lot, but being in a new vessel, I feel like I need to relearn her; it doesn't help that she's only ever there to hover around Sam so far.

I don't think the next episode will be one as close to the heart as this, but then, I'm usually wrong. Didn't see this one coming.moreless
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I'll be honest with you... I half expected 'Metamorphosis' to be something of a let down after the giddy highs of the past three weeks.

9.0

By screenagedkicks, Jun 20, 2011

I'll be honest with you... I half expected 'Metamorphosis' to be something of a let down after the giddy highs of the past three weeks. I surveyed the synopsis with minor trepidation: not, you understand, because I expected the episode to be bad, but simply because it seemed to lack the extra ingredient of over-arching narrative significance that the others had. In other words, it looked to be more of a 'stand alone'. Of course, I'm sitting here trying my damnedest to eat my words now (literally, they're on a plate and I'm reaching for them, I really am) because Cathryn Humphries' script (I should've known! It's her!) is bloody marvellous. Sure, this is more a 'supernatural event of the week' instalment and it is not seemingly tied to the '66 seals' that Lilith seems dead set on breaking, but we've all learned by now (or, well, since mid-season two anyway) that Supernatural can do 'fantasy metaphor for character conflict' as well as the best of 'em... well, as well as Buffy the Vampire Slayer at any rate. It's the only one I can think of. Sue me. Anyway, the gentleman unable to control the previously dormant creature inside of him works well as a counterpoint to Sam's current condition and, leading straight in from the cliffhanger ending of last week's episode, 'Metamorphosis' actually explicitly addresses this particular plot point and moves forward with it... which can only be a good thing. The 'supernatural' narrative has its relative merits too: the concept is enjoyably sickening and the sequence in which the poor guy gets his first full human meal is one of the most gruesome, and hence, most freaking awesome, moments in Supernatural history. Not quite the lofty highs of the last three episodes but excellent all the same.moreless
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After last week's "to be continued" I had higher expectation towards this episode. The main story in some way followed the plot but the twist into the rougarou thing spoiled everything a bit.moreless

5.0

By mobilehead, Feb 06, 2011

After last week's "to be continued" I had higher expectation towards this episode. The main story in some way followed the plot but the twist into the rougarou thing spoiled everything a bit. The episode reminded me The X-Files episodes "Hungry" (S07E01) which also tells the story of a human brain hungry thing that morphs into some sort of a creature. Such episodes serve as a lesson for the main characters but every time they are just food for thought and in overall joy there are rather week. "Metamorphosis" is no different. A bit of a shame but let's see how it is progressing... The weakest episode so far.moreless
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While the 'monster of the week' didn't completely satisfied me, the brothers drama makes up for an hour of great TV.

8.5

By Snape83, Sep 12, 2009

After the three wonderful episodes that opened Season Four, 'Metamorphosis' is a necessary episode, dealing with Dean and Sam relationship, and with their unspoken (and sometimes way too spoken) issues. This dramatic tension started in Season Two, when Sam realized he was one of Azazel's Special Children, and heightened in Season Three, when Ruby sneaked in and tried to convince Sam that he was the one capable of saving his brother by destroying Lilith. After Dean's death, it was obvious that the two brothers had to confront this issue, and they do in this episode written (rather smoothly) by Cathrin Humphrys and directed by Kim Manners, here at his last work for the show.

While the 'monster of the week' - the Rougarou - didn't completely convinced me (it was both too obscure and too expository, with few shades of gray to it), the way it served to highlight Sam's inner struggle was certainly spot on and it provided for some really interesting drama between Sam and Dean, recreating a dynamic that reminded me of Season One, where Sam was depicted as the tactful, 'talk-first' type and Dean as the 'direct-approach' kind of guy. It's is really nice, in hindsight, to see how much Sam changes throughout the season the more he gets attached to Ruby, while Dean, on the other hand, dropping the cocky attitude of Season Three, starts to reveal his inner richness and torment. While the resolution of the episode felt to me a bit rushed, I nonetheless liked it and I want to devote a closing thought to Kim Manners: Kim, we will miss you.moreless
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Rev

8.5

By efc91, Feb 09, 2009

Sam and Dean find a man called Jack, who's becoming a Rougarou, a creature which turns from human into a monster that eats human flesh. Sam believes that Jack can learn to control himself, but Dean thinks that the only thing to do is shoot him dead. Dean also discovers Sam is using his psychic powers under Ruby's guidance. Jack eats a hunter but only to protect his pregnant wife which the hunter threatened to kill. Jack's wife is disgusted and scared at what her husband has become and yells at him and runs away. Later Sam and Dean show up and kill Jack. This was probably the worst episode so of the new season. I like the part where Dean and Sam stormed into that womans house it was hilarous. Thought the man eating dude was annoying and Sam and Dean talked for like half hour about the same thing it got pretty boring.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Jared Padalecki	Sam Winchester
Jensen Ackles	Dean Winchester

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Dameon Clarke	Jack Montgomery	Guest Star
Joanne Kelly	Michelle Montgomery	Guest Star
Ron Lea	Travis	Guest Star
Genevieve Cortese Padalecki	Ruby	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- The sign outside the Montgomery house reads "The Montgomery's," with an incorrectly used apostrophe.
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- Trivia: For the first time in many episodes, Sam introduces themselves as Sam and Dean Winchester, as well the Impala's license plate is once again reading the original KAZ 2Y5.
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QUOTES (13)
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- Sam: Our whole family murdered and for what? So Yellow Eyes can get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth.
  Dean: Sam I never said anything about demon blood. You knew about that?
  Sam: Yeah for about a year.
  Dean: A whole year.
  Sam: I should've told you, I'm sorry.
  Dean: You've been saying that a lot lately, Sam.
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- Dean: Travis! See, Sam, told you we should have hid the beer.
  Travis: Smartass.
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- (to Ruby)
  Dean: Well aren't you just an obedient little bitch?
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- Travis: Boys, we got Rugaru on our hands.
  Dean: Rugaru? Is that made up? That sounds made up.
  Travis: They're mean, nasty little suckers. Rotted teeth, wormy skin, the works!
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- Girl: Aahhhh!
  Dean: Wait, Whoa! We're here to save you... I guess.
  Girl: I'm calling the police!
  Sam: We should go.
  Dean: Yeah.
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- Sam: I'm not going to let it go too far.
  Dean: It's already gone too far, Sam. If I didn't know you, I would want to hunt you.
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- Dean: I've seen big weird, little weird, weird with crazy on top. But this guy, come on this guy's boring.
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- Travis: But most of all, they're hungry.
  Dean: Hungry for what?
  Travis: At first for everything. But then, the long pig.
  Dean: "Long pig"?
  Sam: He means human flesh.
  Dean: And that is my word of the day.
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- Dean: You probably feeling your bones moving under your skin, and your appetite's reaching Hungry Hungry Hippo levels. How am I doing so far?
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- Dean: You're hungry, Jack. You're only going to get hungrier.
  Jack: Hungry for what?
  Dean: Long pig. A little Manburger helper, may have crossed your mind already.
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- Travis: What's up with your brother?
  Dean: Don't get me started.
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- Dean: Sam loves research. He does. He keeps it under his mattress right next to his K-Y. It's a sickness. It is.
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- Dean: So, tell me. If it's so terrific, then why'd you lie about it to me? Why did an angel tell me to stop you?
  Sam: What?
  Dean: Cas said that if I don't stop you, he will. See what that means, Sam, that means that God doesn't want you doing this. So you just gonna stand there and tell me that everything is all good?
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NOTES (2)
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- Music: Phillips Theme (Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseBreakers)
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- International Airdates:
  Australia: October 20, 2008 on Channel 10
  Denmark: December 14, 2008 on TV3
  UK: February 8, 2009 on ITV2
  Sweden: April 5, 2009 on Kanal 5
  Norway: April 16, 2009 on FEM
  Portugal: May 11, 2009 on AXN
  Spain: September 21, 2009 on AXN
  Germany: December 7, 2009 on Sky Cinema Hits
  Poland: March 5, 2010 on TVN7
  Czech Republic: June 4, 2010 on Prima COOL
  Finland: May 3, 2011 on Sub
  Slovakia: March 15, 2013 on Markiza
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Dean: You probably feeling your bones moving under your skin, and your appetite's reaching Hungry Hungry Hippo levels. How am I doing so far?
  Hungry Hungry Hippos is a children's board game produced by the Hasbro toy company in which two to four players each operate a small hippopotamus into collecting as many balls as possible in order to win.
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