 Mmm. I love Asia. Ooh! That's a hot mug, guys! Hey guys, this is my review for Mystery Spot. This is the 11th episode of Supernatural Season 3. This is probably, if not one of my favorite episodes of the show ever. Now, obviously the idea of taking a Groundhog Day concept and putting it into a TV show isn't something new. Buffy had done it. A few other shows had done it. But I feel that because of how well this episode's written, the means and how the Mystery Spot is working and the consequence slash reason for why it's happening all comes together and makes this episode, one, feel a hell of a lot longer than 44 minutes. Technically speaking, you could list this as a filler episode because in terms of the actual narrative, nothing changes because everything's just reset. However, the consequences and the lessons imposed on Sam are so heavy hitting that we kind of get to see what's going to happen to him leading into Season 4. The episode starts off with the brothers coming to this town which is actually steeped in the harbor. I've actually scouted and worked in this area several times. They're going after this journalist who kind of just disappeared off the face of the earth. They go to this Mystery Spot and Dean is shot and killed. But then Sam wakes up again to the beginning of Tuesday and he slowly starts to realize that he is in a loop. He watches Dean die over and over and over again. And this episode is a great mixture of horror, sadness, and a lot of humor. Especially at a point when Sam has seen Dean die so many times that he is able to say everything that Dean is able to say. He goes through over 100 Tuesdays. I love how well the episode's edited. Not only is it fantastically edited, but it also is on Kim Manners' part in terms of helping that fluidity. He even does the exact same motions with the camera work when he's redoing scenes. Now some would say this is actually in terms of a way of keeping it easy, keeping it consistent, and trying to fill a quota in terms of shooting the same scenes over and over and over again. I actually think that this helps, though. It's not just in terms of saving time. It's also a means in how they are keeping the fluidity of the episode. You're able to remember these moments, not only for what is said, but also for how the camera moves. And I think that's a great attention to detail, as well as keeping your work hours low. Even though I keep forgetting it, not all of this episode takes place in Steve's Den. Even though they walk down the street and they walk through the area so many times, they do go off on a little tangent, especially when Sam figures out who it is, is the trickster. And admittedly, when I watched this episode the first time, and then Sam said that the only person powerful enough to do something like this would be a trickster, a god. And I remember thinking to myself, okay, there's a limit to how much he can do. Maybe he's not exactly letting on to what he is. And then when Dean dies and Sam goes on this rampage, we see him go full fricking broody Batman with him taking out nests, having this efficiency, becoming an efficient killer, and then even killing fake Bobby, which was a woo. When the trickster arrives, all of that anger is gone. He is going full puppy-eyed. This is the most puppy-eyed look that Sam has ever given in the show, I swear, because you can see him begging with his face. Just bring Dean back. Even if it's only for a little bit longer, please bring me back, my brother. And I love that moment in this episode because while Jared has always been kind of up and down with his acting in this show, admittedly, he's not the greatest. He's good in certain places. Other times he's kind of bad, but this one I feel is one of the best episodes for him because he has to show so much range. He has to show himself being varied in all these different situations. We see him going through different emotions in the same situations, whereas Jensen Ackles just gets to kind of act like himself and just do the same thing over again with maybe a mild variancy, whereas Jared had to really change himself up for every single scene in this episode, and I really appreciate that attention to detail and I appreciate that commitment from him in this episode. Something that actually kind of bugs me now that if any of you are re-watching the show and you actually really pay attention to the credits, admittedly, I did not keep track of the names. I would actually try and not do that after a while. I'd actually hold my hand up right here so I couldn't see the credits because if you're watching this episode, you see Richard Spites Jr.'s name in the credits in the opening, so if you knew who that was, you would know that, hey, the trickster's in this episode. Now, admittedly, he hadn't been in the show since Tall Tales back in season two, but it could have spoiled it for a few people in the fall. What I find so interesting about this character, too, is that despite the fact that he was only in four episodes in the first five seasons, he had that much of an impact. He's done more episodes since the first five seasons, obviously, because there's been ten of them, but, again, I just feel that this character had such a massive impact in four episodes of three seasons, technically. I've always been really mad about them bringing him back, but that's another story for another day. If you ever want to go and see my rants, my season 13 episode reviews. But I love how this episode works. I love the humor in it. I love the consequence, the sort of moral action that is being imposed on Sam, what he has to go through, what he is kind of preparing himself for for the end of Dean, even though he's not gone for that long. I still love the impact of it. I love the purpose of this episode. I think that it is one of the most fluid episodes in the entire season and the entire show. There's so much in this one episode, and they're able to make it feel longer than it actually is, but it still feels concise. The most recent example I could kind of compare to this is when Richard Spite Jr. directed his Quentin Tarantino episode. I think it was in season 13 or 12. I remember that episode having a lot in it. And you could feel the length, but that's just how I feel when I watch Quentin Tarantino movies in general. So, in the end, though, my final rating for Mystery Spot is a 7 out of 7, of course. It's such a fucking good episode. It's one of the best ones the show ever did in terms of its concept, in terms of its execution. So I asked you guys last time to give me your comments about what you thought about this episode, so I'm going to read some off now. Mystery Spot. From what I can remember, it shows how Sam really needs his brother. Him killing Bobby is doing whatever it takes to bring him back. This is my favorite Gabriel appearance in this series. One thing I know people would still like to know is what Sam did during those six-month time skip. Definitely my favorite time loop episode in all media. Lastly, let's not forget the two music tracks in the episode, Heat of the Moment and Back in Time. That is possibly one aspect of the episode I kind of wish they maybe could have delved into a little bit more. Was Sam's kind of turned into this superhero Batman guy and just brooding? He's brooding so much in this kind of skip of time. The message still comes across pretty clear. I think you mean to say the next episode is Mystery Spot. Anyways, I loved Mystery Spot. It was able to mix humor and drama really well. This and the X-Files have two of my favorite time loop episodes in TV shows. Yeah, I don't know why I made that mistake. Maybe I was tired, but yeah, Justin Bellow is not yet. But that is also another episode I like. Mystery Spot is incredibly funny and horribly tragic. Props to Jared Padalecki's acting as his sanity decreases into very reminiscent of John being obsessed with the LOIs after his wife died. No matter how many times I know Bobby is an illusion, it still gives me a shock and factor when Sam stabs him behind in the back and it turns out to be a trick. Admittedly throughout the entire show, we always hear everybody talking about how Sam and Dean are each other's weaknesses and to some effect, the weaknesses to some effect. But it works really well that Gabriel is their messenger of important lessons they need to learn. It's my second favorite episode of the season by far. And the funny thing is when the show would continue past season five, they would kind of dirty this, they would bastardize it. Dean living with Casey and the kid, that was like, okay, that's kind of believable. But then Sam, I think when Dean went to Purgatory, Sam was just like, meh, whatever. I think they've even made the comment that that was like some of the dumbest writing they ever did. Mystery Spot, my second favorite episode after what is and what should never be really great episode as well. I think this episode finds the perfect blend of comedy and drama and it was an episode that really convinced me that the trickster was my favorite character outside of the brothers. Yeah, Richard Spide Jr. is a really good character. This wasn't my first introduction to him. My first introduction to him was in Band of Brothers. And he kind of played a similar sort of like trickster, kind of jokingly character. So I thought that he took that very serious but still comedic role and he brought it over into this show and made it his own. Jeremy, thanks for sharing your healthcare experience. I'm so glad you are healthy. Unfortunately cancer is all too common these days. Mystery Spot is so good. I have nothing out of the conversation. That is true. Speaking of which, actually I hit my 30th birthday and the reason why I say that is because there was a point in time where I actually didn't think I was going to get here. I thought that maybe something might happen and who knows, it might. But I started a little charity, well those Facebook charity things. But if you guys have a chance and you want to donate to Cancer Society, whether up here in Canada or in the states or wherever around the world that would be greatly appreciated because there are people who have gone through a lot far, far, far worse than I and to help those people out is extremely appreciated. Who doesn't love Mystery Spot? It borrows inspiration from Groundhog Day. The trickster is behind it and Dean kills a bunch. And Dean dies a bunch of times. It's a perfect episode. Also I wish I set my alarm with Asia Heap for the moment when I first saw this episode when it aired. It's not until later on that I thought of it. I also, why did Gabriel care so much? We all know why he cares so much. But after re-watching it, I kind of realized like why is he so persistent in trying to teach Sam this lesson? He's a God. Later revealed to be an archangel. Why would he care about humans besides messing with them? And this is obviously something that I've kind of wondered myself and I am curious. I am very curious as to whether Kripke knew this story angle all the way back here. Admittedly Season 3, they didn't have an idea, a clear idea of what they were going to do because they didn't know if the show would make it through the writer strike. They had some ideas, but this is the most long-reaching thing of this entire season, if anything I would say. Considering what he is in Season 5. Because he doesn't appear again in Season 4. And those are the comments you guys gave me about Mystery Spot, sorry for the person who gave me the comment about Justin Bellow. I will read that off when I do the next episode. Which, conveniently enough, is the next one. So make sure to give me your guys' comments about what you like about Justin Bellow and I'll make sure to say those off in the next episode review. Well then, thank you guys for having watched me for the last little while. This is, like, birthday message or whatever. But thank you guys for watching me up until this point. I'm looking forward to continuing on. My next goal now is to make it 40. And then the goal after that is to make it to 65 because then I can get seniors discounted in the movie theaters if they still exist. Anyways guys, I hope you enjoyed this video. If you did, leave a like. And if you're interested in more, subscribe. Otherwise, I'll see you guys next time. It's been a while, but I'm happy to say the click is finally getting back together in an all-new movie thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. But we are still asking for your support. To see any and all updates about the upcoming Undergrads movie, be sure to check out and like the Bring Back Undergrads Facebook page. And with any luck, we'll see you guys soon.