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Supernatural Un-Book Club: The Benders
As I was sitting down to write my review of The Benders, I got stuck.
I picked this episode because it is one of my favorites of Season 1. It has everything a true Supernatural fan loves: brotherly moments, great one-liners, aliases, creepy-ass monster of the week. Plus, it's set in Hibbing, Minnesota and for this Minnesotan - that is just plain awesome.
But my dilemma remained: What do I focus on? What do I write about? After several viewings of the episode, all I had jotted down in my notes was a bunch of quotes. Page after page of quotes. But I couldn't just list them all out for you folks to read, now could I? I was still stuck.
So then I went back to the basics - what is this whole show about? It's about the relationship between these two brothers. And how does this seemingly stand-alone episode tie into that theme? By separating these brothers and then showcasing their relationship with one another:
Sam's confidence in Dean –
At the beginning, Sam (to Jenkins): My brother's out there looking for me.
At the end: Dean: Don’t ever do that again.Sam: Do what?
Dean: Go missing like that.
Sam: You were worried about me.Dean: All I’m saying is you vanish like that again, I’m not looking for you.
Sam: Sure you won’t.
Sam knows that Dean will do anything for him...no matter what it may cost Dean. It is unwavering...no matter the circumstances.
Dean’s willingness to sacrifice himself for the ones he loves –Dean (to Kathleen): You can take me to jail, but can we please find Sam first?
All Dean wants is to make sure Sam is okay and to find him. He'll do whatever it takes to look out for his little brother.
What else is this show about? At this point, it’s about finding their dad. Even though John isn’t in this episode, his presence is felt through the training his sons went through at a young age. This invaluable training ends up saving Sam’s life. Dean used what his dad taught him to solve Sam’s disappearance, which ends up solving many other disappearances that had plagued this county for generations. This was something that the state patrol wasn’t able to solve, but yet a demon-hunting felon could figure it out. Amazing.
With that, I’m going to mention some of my favorite moments and lines from this episode – feel free to add anything that I may have missed.
1. Details, details, details – I thoroughly enjoyed looking for the Minnesota items in this episode – from the license plates to the patch on the state patrol’s uniforms.
2. Oh how I miss the boys hanging out in bars – the normalcy of it makes me smile.
3. Sam getting nabbed. Seriously. How can a big guy like that get pulled underneath a car so easily?
4. Dean searching frantically for Sam, hollering: Sam! Sam!! Sammy!!! and then finally a quiet Sam as he stands alone in the middle of the road. I just want to give the poor guy a hug.
5. I really enjoyed Kathleen and thought Dean interacted very well with her.
Sam? 2 beers and he’s doing karaoke.
Yeah, Dean, kinda the black sheep of the family. Handsome, though.
Sam’s my responsibility and he’s coming back. I’m bringing him back.
6. Sam’s surprise: I’ll be damned…they’re just people.
7. Don’t *grunt* call me *grunt* Sammy. Poor Jenkins – he doesn’t know that only Dean gets to call him that.
8. Did you catch how hard it was raining when Jenkins tried to make a run for it? This was my first time of really noticing.
9. Mmmm…handcuffs. With a little Ring!Porn tossed in for fun. ![]<img border=](http://community.tvguide.com/images/emoticons/devil.gif) ">
10. This is completely out of character for me, a card carrying DeanGirl – but I absolutely adore how deep and clear Jared’s voice is when he asks Kathleen, You alright? If you never noticed it, I’ll pause this blog while you go listen….
*pause*
*still pausing*
Ok – you’re all back now? Good. What did you think?
11. And then our boys are reunited. Damn it’s good to see you. A brief emotion and then it’s back to the brotherly banter – Dude, they’re just people. And they jumped you? Must be getting rusty there, kiddo.
12. I’ll say it again – Demons I get, people are crazy.
13. Did you notice that creepy-ass music playing in the house, accented by the sound of Pa Bender sharpening his knife? Makes me shudder just thinking about it.
14. Dean’s snarkiness in this episode is spot-on:
I’m going to kick your ass first, and then yours.
If I tell you, you promise not to make me into an ashtray?
How about it’s not nice to marry your sister?
Eat me…no, wait, you actually might.
So you got sidelined by a 13-year old girl – just saying, you’re getting a little rusty there kiddo.
And so it ends…with the two brothers, together again, walking and talking. Just how I love to see them.
(cross-posted at LJ HERE)
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Apr 1, 2008 9:55 PM
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Did you notice the southern accent this time?
I think all other coherent thoughts were lost when I saw handcuffs.
Wait, I think this was one of the clearest episodes where Kripke and Co. started exploring the whole humans as monsters thing. (Faith would be the first, I think.) This episode is the start of the demons as former humans thing of this season.
(x-posted at LJ)
Cool! You got the pictures in the blog!
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Apr 1, 2008 9:57 PM
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Hi Ocean!
Great job! You hit almost all of my favorites.
A couple I wanted to add:
Deputy Kathleen: And it just got back to me. Says here your badge was stolen. And there is a picture of you.
(shows him a picture of a large black man)
Dean: I lost some weight and I got that Michael Jackson skin disease.
The wind chimes were creepy.
I always get a laugh out of how quick Dean gets out of the handcuffs. Not only does he pick the cuff on his wrist, but he picks the one hooked to the door, all within about 10 seconds.
And I always wince when Kathleen gets clocked with the shovel. Ouch.
I also notice how smooth Jared's voice is when he asks Kathleen if she's okay, so I was happy someone else pointed it out!
You already mentioned this one, but it is my favorite line of the season for some reason:
Sam: So you got sidelined by a 13-year old girl?
Dean: Shut up.
Sam: I'm just saying, getting a little rusty there, kiddo?
Dean: Shut up
Gotta love those brothers.
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Apr 1, 2008 10:46 PM
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Allo Ocean
I like what you did. Good job. So not much to add. Nice how you ended it with a picture of the boys walking together. It made me think this is what I love about this show, the boys talking together, just simply enjoying each other's compagny, without saying it of course. No chick flick !!
If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time Sam goes and disappears on Dean. And as with the other times Sam's been missing, Dean first reaction is panic. Of course, he gets his wits back real fast and does everything to get Sam back. But to me this episode sets the ground rules about Dean reaction to a missing Sam. And we see those actions and/or reactions every time Sam disappears, again and again and again....
Oh and pictures in the blog itself.. Nice.
I have one question for you. What are you trying to do, raise everyone expectations... I have to do one in a few week. Getting nervous and intimidated, you guys all did great blog. You'll all be hard to follow. 
(x-posted at LJ)
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Apr 1, 2008 11:37 PM
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This is one of my favorite season 1 episodes too, Ocean! Loved the blog!
I’ll say it again – Demons I get, people are crazy.
That's one of my all time favorites. It was so fascinating that there was nothing supernatural about this episode, but it was just as creepy if not more so anyway.
Sam: So you got sidelined by a 13-year old girl?
Dean: Shut up.
Sam: I'm just saying, getting a little rusty there, kiddo?
Dean: Shut up
Another laugh out loud moment! I also loved Dean's Eat me…no, wait, you actually might.
And Kathleen rocked, coming out at the end saying the father got shot "trying to escape." You could see it on her face - "THAT was for my brother!"
Love the episode! Thanks for the revisit!
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Apr 2, 2008 1:28 AM
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Handcuffs! FTW!!!!!!! *giggle*
This is a great episode & Pa Bender creeped me right the hell out. *thumbs up, dude*
Scuzzy camper with a bad fanbelt! Jar fulla teeth = EWWWWWW! That green cooler that we see magically show up later in Fresh Blood! Fire poker to the shoulder!
I like Kathleen. She could come back for another episode.
One of my fave (non-snark) Dean quotes from this episode: Look, here’s the thing. When we were young, I pretty much pulled him from a fire. And ever since then, I’ve felt responsible for him. Like it’s my job to keep him safe. I’m just afraid if we don’t find him fast. Please. He’s my family.
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Apr 2, 2008 9:23 AM
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Great job, Ocean! I LOVE The Benders!!
Jessica Steen is my all-time favorite guest gal. If there was one we could bring back just by wishing it so, for me, it would be Deputy Kathleen-tough, smart, competent, but with a softness and humanity underneath that she cannot deny(and conveys so wonderfully with that beautifully, beautifully expressive face!) especially in the face of her male counterpart-Dean Winchester.
"Look, here’s the thing. When we were young, I pretty much pulled him from a fire. And ever since then, I’ve felt responsible for him. Like it’s my job to keep him safe. I’m just afraid if we don’t find him fast. Please. He’s my family."
Yeah, Rap, in an episode that made Jensen Ackles the King of Snark and One-liners to me, still, this is the one I remember most.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time Sam goes and disappears on Dean. And as with the other times Sam's been missing, Dean first reaction is panic. Of course, he gets his wits back real fast and does everything to get Sam back. But to me this episode sets the ground rules about Dean reaction to a missing Sam. And we see those actions and/or reactions every time Sam disappears, again and again and again...."
I love this observation, FrenchLady. That barely suppressed panic-we saw it in Home, too, when the poltergeist took Sam-my heart races right along with Dean's-wonderful, wonderful acting.
Favorite Fangirl Moment and one of my Favorite Favorites of the entire series?-Dean stretching, stretching, stretching(GUHHHHHHHHH!!!!!)...to get that little antenna to unlock the HANDCUFFS!!!">">
Wish I knew how to do a pic, but I think we all pretty much have that one engraved in our memories, anyway!
Thanks so much, Ocean! I have to go re-watch this one right now! Peace!
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Apr 2, 2008 9:58 AM
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One more thought I wanted to add. The Benders, to me, was one of the CREEPIEST episodes of the entire series. Psychotic Rednecks took on a whole new level of terror for me after watching Deliverance and the Ned Beatty reference was enough right there to make me quake in my boots. The Bender Family SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME.
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Apr 2, 2008 10:46 AM
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Whimsy: Cool! You got the pictures in the blog!
I'm awfully talented like that. 
Hi Tana!! LOL at the Michael Jackson quote! I had that down in my notes, but then didn't include it here...
I always get a laugh out of how quick Dean gets out of the handcuffs. Not only does he pick the cuff on his wrist, but he picks the one hooked to the door, all within about 10 seconds.
LOL! I thought about that too...like, why didn't he start with the other hand first????
Hey Frenchie: I responded over in LJ...and I'm short on time otherwise I would repeat here. LOL!
Oh and pictures in the blog itself.. Nice.
Thanks!!! I thought I'd try it and see how it worked...
Ok - I have to get some work done, but I'll be back to respond to the rest of the comments!
Thanks all for stopping by!!!!
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Apr 2, 2008 1:50 PM
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Ocean- great job considering you were stuck. Benders is one of my favorite season one eps. It's also the first episode my hubby sat down and watched with me... and he's still watching.
The set was just amazing, all those jars of stuff and dirty broken things everywhere. I read somewhere that the windchime was supposed to be made from the bones of Missy's mother.
I love how Dean probably would have kicked all of their butts if he wasn't clocked by Pa Bender.
I love how even though Sam was locked in a cage and didn't know where he was, he didn't freek out.
I love the smiles the boys give eachother when they first see eachother again. Beautiful!
and it had Dean in handcuffs!
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Apr 2, 2008 3:07 PM
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Hi Ocean! I'm still working on the Convention pictures (I've had a breakthrough and think I can get them all up by tonight).
I'll be back to comment later!
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Apr 2, 2008 7:20 PM
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Hey Ocean! The benders is one of my favorite S1 episodes and the one episode that completely creeps me out. It also contains one of Dean's most powerful lines which Jensen delivered flawlessly: "if you hurt my brother, I WILL KILL YOU ALL."
On Sam's part in the episode: I loved that there was not an iota of doubt in Sam's mind that Dean has the intelligence and skill to find him.
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Apr 2, 2008 8:29 PM
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I'm back!
Since I loaned out my S1 DVD  , I'm going to have to do this from memory.
Ocean, great job!! I loved the way you approached this. How this episode fits into the theme of the show and the season. And how awesome is the dialogue in this one?
I’ll share the thing that gets me each time in this epi. One of the creepy family (I don’t remember which one) asks Dean if they should hunt the boy or the girl. You see the struggle in Dean’s face. It goes completely against his grain to put Sam in any kind of danger, but he knows that Sam is better equipped to handle himself. Finally he tells them to hunt Sam hoping and trusting that Sam will be resourceful enough to survive.
Interesting parallel. Here are two families that live outside the societal norm. Two families that have honed certain hunting skills in their “boys”. And yet such different outcomes.
(Cross posted at LJ)
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Apr 3, 2008 2:27 AM
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Coug! Thanks for visiting my revist - LOL!!!
It was so fascinating that there was nothing supernatural about this episode, but it was just as creepy if not more so anyway.
I know!!! I still have a hard time watching it at night, by myself. (Yes, I am a bit of a wuss.)
And Kathleen rocked, coming out at the end saying the father got shot "trying to escape."
I loved Kathleen and would be happy to see her return!!!
Rap: Jar fulla teeth = EWWWWWW!
That was just nasty, along with the pictures...
That green cooler that we see magically show up later in Fresh Blood!
LOL!!! You're right! I forgot about that when I was rewatching!
Arafel!!! Hi! *waves*
If there was one we could bring back just by wishing it so, for me, it would be Deputy Kathleen-tough, smart, competent, but with a softness and humanity underneath that she cannot deny(and conveys so wonderfully with that beautifully, beautifully expressive face!) especially in the face of her male counterpart-Dean Winchester.
Wow! What an excellent description of Kathleen. I just loved her. And she is one guest star that I wouldn't mind seeing Dean hook up with...LOL - did I really just say that??
Favorite Fangirl Moment and one of my Favorite Favorites of the entire series?-Dean stretching, stretching, stretching(GUHHHHHHHHH!!!!!)...to get that little antenna to unlock the HANDCUFFS!!!">">
Wish I knew how to do a pic, but I think we all pretty much have that one engraved in our memories, anyway!
How about if I do the pic for you???
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Apr 3, 2008 5:10 PM
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Arafel: Psychotic Rednecks took on a whole new level of terror for me after watching Deliverance and the Ned Beatty reference was enough right there to make me quake in my boots.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Now I know what the Ned Beatty reference is all about! I've never seen Deliverance and so I had it in my notes to ask about it, but then I didn't.
Brit:
The set was just amazing, all those jars of stuff and dirty broken things everywhere. I read somewhere that the windchime was supposed to be made from the bones of Missy's mother.
I agree - I think the set is what makes this episode so creepy. The set designers deserve an award for this one!
I love how even though Sam was locked in a cage and didn't know where he was, he didn't freek out.
You're so right - he was just calm and collected and focused on getting out. It was like he didn't consider what would be waiting for him when he got out, he just knew that he had a better chance if he got out.
Hi Jaspa!! *waves*
It also contains one of Dean's most powerful lines which Jensen delivered flawlessly: "if you hurt my brother, I WILL KILL YOU ALL."
OMG - how could I have missed that line!?!?!??!?! *hangs head in shame* You are so right - it is definitely one of Dean's most powerful lines.
On Sam's part in the episode: I loved that there was not an iota of doubt in Sam's mind that Dean has the intelligence and skill to find him.
You're exactly right. He knew Dean would be looking for him and would find him. Their confidence in each other just continues to amaze me.
Hey Panns! I know I responded to you on LJ, but just wanted to reiterate how excellent this analysis is:
Interesting parallel. Here are two families that live outside the societal norm. Two families that have honed certain hunting skills in their “boys”. And yet such different outcomes.
You are one smart goat.
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Apr 3, 2008 5:21 PM
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