SN 3-14 "Long Distance Call" Review

I liked this episode. It's a typical Supernatural eppy. The boys chase down a demon/spirit/bad thing and get rid of it. Dean's desperation at finding anything that will break his deal with the demon is heart wrenching. He's willing to believe and do anything to get out of his deal. Sam, on the other hand, was more logical; more analytical.

A man paces around a room while lightning and thunder can be seen/heard outside. He seems to be thinking about something. The phone rings and he stares at it for awhile before picking up. A woman’s voice, Linda, asks Ben if he’s thought about it. Ben replies that he can’t, his wife. Linda begs him to come to her. He replies no and hangs up. He finishes a drink. The phone starts ringing again. He picks up and begs Linda to just leave him alone. Linda says that she’s not going to stop. They can be happy together. Ben says that this is crazy. Linda says that she’ll love him forever and asks if he loves her. He replies that he loves her more than anything. He says sorry and hangs up. The phone starts ringing again. He bangs the receiver and yanks the phone from the wall. The phone starts ringing again. Ben takes a gun from the top drawer of his desk. He tells Linda that she wins. He puts the gun below his chin and pulls the trigger. Blood spatters everywhere.

Dean sits on a bench eating and talking on the phone. Sam walks up and Dean throws him a pop/beer can. Sam says that the professor doesn’t know crap. Dean’s not surprised. He tells Sam to pack his stuff they are hitting the road. Bobby called to tell them of a banker guy who killed himself in Ohio. Sam looks surprised that Dean and Bobby were talking about a case. Dean snarks that they were talking about their feelings and their favorite boy bands. Hee. A banker was complaining about an electrical problem for about a week; phone going haywire, computer going on and off. Sam reminds Dean that they are on a case. Dean asks whose. “Yours”, answers Sam. Dean thinks they’ve been chasing their tails talking to every professor, soothsayer, witch, two-bit carniac in the lower 48 and they’ve come up with nothing. Dean adds that they can’t find Bella and the colt and until they find something, he wants to do his job. Sam suggests summoning Ruby. Dean tells him that she can’t help him. Nobody can. Sam looks hurt. He asks if Dean is keeping secrets from him. Dean reminds Sam about who is keeping secrets. Sam starts to walk away and Dean asks what he’s doing. Sam says he’s going to Ohio.


Milan, Ohio: The Impala pulls up to Ben’s house. Ben’s wife, Mrs. Waters, shows dressed-up Sam and Dean where she found her husband. Dean asks her to describe everything she saw. "Besides my dead husband", she sarcastically answers. Sam is quick to say everything else she saw. She says that there was blood everywhere; the phone was ripped from the wall and his favorite scotch on the desk. Sam wonders why the phone was ripped from the wall. Sam goes to check it out. He sees that the last incoming number is SHA333. He signals to Dean who asks whether Ben got any strange phone calls. When Mrs. Waters says no Dean reminds her that withholding evidence is a capital offense. Sam clears his throat. Mrs. Waters adds that a few weeks before Ben got a phone call from a woman named Linda. She says that when she picked up the extension, there was just static on the line. Sam asks if Mrs. Waters asked her husband about Linda. She replies that it didn’t matter as there was no one on the line.

In the hotel room, Dean searches for information on Linda. She and Ben were high school sweethearts. A drunk driver hit them head on. Ben survived, Linda didn’t. Sam guesses that Linda is calling to chat. Dean replies that Linda was cremated so her spirit shouldn’t be floating around. Dean asks about the Ben’s last phone call. Sam replies that the number is a phone number from a century ago. Sam says that they should put a trace on it. Dean wonders how they’re going to trace a number from a hundred years ago.

Sam and Dean visit the phone company. They are introduced to Stew Myers, who’s not into hygiene and into porn. Stew is told give "Mr. Campbell" (Dean) and "Mr. Ramey" (Sam) whatever they need. Stew, feigning ignorance, is trying desperately to get rid of the porn that keeps popping up on his screen. Dean wants to know if it’s bustyasianbeauties.com. Sam shows Stew the caller id number and asks him trace it. Stew says that the number is prehistoric and nobody is using that number. Sam asks him to trace it anyway. Stew snarks that he’ll rearrange his life first. Dean replies that Stewie has six kinds of employee code violations, not to mention the "sickening" porn. Oh, Dean. Dean warns him that when his partner tells him to run the number, he better run the number. Threatening Dean is always a plus. Stewie does as he’s told.


Stewie does as he's told. "Holy crap", he exclaimes. He says that he doesn’t know where the number comes from but he can tell them where its been going. Stewie gives Sam a printout of a list of 10 houses that got calls from the same number. When Sam and Dean don’t leave right away, Stewie smugly asks if they’re done because he was sort of busy.

Sam comes out of a fancy rental car and sets the alarm. He walks over to a house and knocks on the door. A man and his young son answer the door. Sam says that he’s with the phone company. He says that they’ve received many complaints from the neighborhood; dropped calls, static, strange voices. The man’s teenage daughter comes to the door. The man says they haven’t had any problems.


Sam heads toward his car. He’s about to go in when the teen tells him that she doesn’t believe he works for a phone company. She asks since when does a phone guy drive a rental or wear a cheap suit. Touché. Sam figures that they are both keeping secrets. The teen asks why Sam asks about strange voices on the phone. Sam replies with a question of his own. He asks if she’d heard something. She replies no. Aside: I have a weakness for JA, but JP’s dimples are so cute. Sam says that he’s been where she is; hearing and seeing things that can’t be explained. He adds that maybe he could have helped out a bit. Sam has the caring, emo look down pat. When Sam starts to get in the car, the teen admits that maybe she’s been talking on the phone with her mother, who’s been dead three years. Sam asks how often she (the mom) calls. The teen says a few times and it started the week before. She thought she was going crazy. Sam assures her that she’s not crazy.

Sam’s phone rings. It’s Dean. He tells Sam about a grandmother who is having phone sex with her husband who died in Korea. Dean adds it rocked his understanding of the word necrophilia. He hangs up the phone and starts to get into the Impala when his phone rings. It’s John Winchester. Dun dun dun.

In the hotel room, Sam asks if Dean really believes it was their dad. Sam asks what the voice sounded like. Dean snarks that he sounded like Oprah. Now that was a dumb question. Dean says that John just said his name and the call dropped out. Sam wonders why their dad would call. Dean doesn’t know but he figures other people are hearing from their loved ones, why can’t they. Sam’s not convinced. Dean is losing it. He asks Sam what he should say if their dad calls again. "Hello?" suggests Sam. Dean is not amused. He grabs his coat and leaves.

Three hours later, Dean comes in as Sam is sitting searching for info on the laptop. He says that he’s found no reason why anything supernatural would be going on here. Dean snarks that he thought a Sanford education and a high school hookup rate of 0.0 would produce better results. "Hilarious", Sam deadpans. Dean says that Sam’s looking in the wrong places. He takes out a pamphlet stating that Columbus, Ohio is the birthplace of Thomas Edison. Sam doesn’t believe what’s in the pamphlet.

Museum: A really annoying guide is showing Sam, Dean and a few other people the museum’s most treasured possession – Thomas Edison’s "Spirit Phone" (she uses quotey fingers). She annoyingly reveals that Thomas Edison was also a devout "occultist" (using quotey fingers again). Dean wonders what’s up with the quotey fingers. Ha! The guide annoyingly says that Edison was convinced he could use it to "communicate" with the "dead" (more quotey fingers). Sam and Dean stay behind when the guide and the other visitors are "walking and walking" away.

Sam takes out the EMF device. It shows nothing. Dean asks what Sam is thinking. Sam replies that it looks like an old pile of junk. Dean notes that it’s not plugged in. Sam replies that it might not work like that. Dean says that the Spirit Phone is the best reason they have for the strange phone calls. Yes, but why did Ben commit suicide? Dean thinks that it might just be their dad.

Later at the hotel, Sam is asleep while Dean stares at his cell while drinking a coffee. The phone rings and Dean takes the phone to the bathroom. He asks if it’s really his dad on the line and the voice answers that it is. Well, what did he expect? No it’s not your dad; April fools? Dean asks how he can be sure and the voice answers that he can’t. It asks how he could sell his soul. When Dean says that he was looking after Sammy like John wanted, the voice says that he never wanted that; Dean is his boy and he loves him. He says that he can’t watch Dean go to hell. He asks if Sam dies if Dean breaks the deal. Dean is momentarily confused. The voice says that he knows a way out. The demon that holds the contract is here now.

The teen, Lanie (as long as it’s not Lana), Sam spoke to types on her computer. She gets a text from SHA33 asking if it’s Lanie. Lanie asks if it’s her mom. Her mom wants to know if Lanie thought the question over. She says that she wants to see Lanie. Lanie types that she went so see her at the cemetery. Her mom types back that it’s not what she meant. When Lanie types that she’s scared, her mother tells her not to be scared because she’s with her (Lanie). The screen goes blank. Lanie can see her reflection in the black monitor. She sees a reflection of her mother behind her. When she turns around spooked, there is nothing there. She backs away from the computer. The monitor starts to display "Come to me" over and over.

Dean is at the laptop when Sam walks into the hotel room. He says that Lanie’s mom’s ghost really spooked Lanie out. Dean says that their dad is right. The demon really is here. He hands Sam some printouts. Dean says that the electrical storms are demonic omens. They’ve been following them for the past two weeks. Sam says that he doesn’t remember any lightning storms. Dean sarcastically replies that he doesn’t remember that Sam studied meteorology as a kid. Dean is sure that the demon’s been tailing him using some poor dude’s body. Sam doesn’t look convinced. He asks why the demon would be following Dean. Dean thinks it’s because he’s big game. His ass is too sweet to let out of sight. Yep, it makes sense... What? It does. Fine. It doesn’t.

When Sam is not convinced, Dean gets upset. Sam is suspicious of their dad giving them an exorcism that kills demons. Dean says that he looked it up. It’s a 15th century exorcism. Sam replies that he looked it up too and so did Bobby. It’s definitely an exorcism but there is no evidence that it can kill a demon. Dean replies that there is no evidence it can’t either. Dean thinks that John may have picked up a few tricks in Hell. Sam says that he wants to be sure. He doesn’t understand what is going on. Ben committed suicide and Lanie is scared. Dean angrily says that civvies are supposed to be freaked out by ghosts. Sam looks defeated. He asks if their dad told Dean where to find the demon. Dean yells that he’s waiting on the call. Sam quietly says that he told Lanie he’d check up on her. Dean sarcastically says that he’ll be here getting ready to save his life. Sam starts to walk away. Dean angrily says that for months they’ve been trying to break the deal, now their dad is about to give the address and Sam can’t accept it. Dean adds that their dad is dead and Sam is still butting heads with him. Sam says that they’ve got nothing. Dean is going on blind faith. Dean yells that that’s all he’s got. Sam begs Dean to wait until he gets back and leaves. Dean sits and waits at the kitchenette table. The first time I saw this, I was angry at Dean for being so gullible but, on re-watch, I felt bad for him. I realized that he’s so desperate to get out of his deal that he’s willing to try anything. On re-watch I thought why don’t the boys switch phones. Sam should hear static if the call is meant for Dean just like Mrs. Waters heard static when Linda was talking to her husband.

Lanie’s House: Sam asks if Lanie told her father about her communication with her mother. Lanie says that she doesn’t want to bother him at work; and he wouldn’t believe her anyway. He’d put her into therapy. Sam asks what Lanie’s mother said. Lanie explains that her mother wanted to see her so she went to the cemetery. But nothing happened. Then her mom asked her to do bad things.

Cut to Lanie’s brother, Simon, playing with a toy car. His toy phone rings. It’s his mother. He says that he wants to see her and asks her where she is.

Dean is still sitting at the kitchenette table. The phone rings. Dean picks up and asks where the demon is.

Back to Lanie and Sam: Sam pleads for Lanie to tell him what her mom asked her to do. Lanie crying says that her mom asked her to take all of her dad’s sleeping pills. Sam asks if Lanie’s mom wanted her to kill herself. Lanie tearfully nods her head and wonders why her mom would want her to do that; just so she could come to her. Sam perks up. He asks how Lanie’s mother said it exactly. Lanie says her mom said “Come to me” a million times. "Lanie, that’s not you mother", replies Sam.

Dean stops his Impala in front of a house and takes out his gear.

Sam tells Lanie not to answer the phone, touch the computer or do anything unless he says to. Lanie notices that Simon’s disappeared.

Dean walks into the house and yells hello. There is no answer.

Simon crosses the street oblivious to any cars or trucks.

Dean prepares himself for the demon. He spray paints the demon trap on the floor.


A man in a truck is distracted as he’s driving. Simon is in his path. He notices too late to stop. Sam comes out of nowhere and grabs Simon. The idiot in the truck doesn’t slow down or stop.

Sam, back in his car, calls Dean. He says that it’s not dad it’s a Croccata. It’s a kind of scavenger that mimics loved ones and says come to me. It lures a person to the dark and swallows their soul. Eww. Dean asks if those things live in filth. When Sam says yes, he reminds him of the flies at the phone company.

Sam saunters into the phone company. It looks deserted. He spies Stew sitting at his desk. He is momentarily distracted. When he looks back, Stew’s gone. Sam runs back to the parking lot. Stew is heading toward his car. He calls Dean to let him know where he is. As Stew unlocks his door, Sam sneaks up with a knife and holds him down on the car. Sam tells him that he knows who he is and he knows how to kill him. Stew looks scared and confused. He says that if they are overcharging for call waiting he can fix it. He begs Sam not to kill him. Sam looks unsure. His boss, Clark, appears behind Sam and knocks him unconscious with a bat. Stew is happy to see Clark until he uses the bat on him.

Sam wakes up tied to a chair. Do I see I see a pattern here? Sam’s always waking up tied to a chair. Stew is also tied to a chair. He whimpers to Clark that he’s sorry. Clark hovers around Stew holding a knife. Stew says that Clark’s not a killer. There’s a good man inside him. Clark asks Sammy if he (Clark) is a good man. Sam asks Clark to let him go. Clark answers that he would except he’s only had a salad for lunch and he’s starving. Sam yells no as Clark stabs Stew. Sam watches as Clark open his mouth revealing the ugliest, longest, yellowest teeth. He draws Stew’s soul out and swallows it. Okay it was gross just typing that. Yuck! Why does Clark need teeth? He doesn’t use them?

Sam realizes that Clark led him here. Clark replies that he makes some calls and he takes some calls. Clark says that he had Sam fooled with all the Edison phone crap. Clark goes to the phone exchange box and puts his hands on it. Sam asks what he’s doing. He says that he’s killing Dean or maybe another guy.

A guy puts his coat on in a locker room. His cell phone rings. It’s his daughter; his dead daughter. She says that she had to call because she knows who killed her. She adds that the man who killed her is at the house now. The man wants to kill him too.


Clark takes the knife out of Stew’s chest. He wheels Stew away. Clark explains that once he made Sam and Dean as hunters it was easy. He found Dean’s number, Sam’s number, e-mails, voicemails, everything. He says that people believe that the stuff just gets erased, but it doesn’t. Sam works furiously to free himself. He says that Dean is not going to fall for this; he’s not going to kill the guy. Clark replies that the guy will kill him.

Dean waits in the house while a car comes up the driveway. Dean opens a bottle of holy water (I guess). When the guy fails to come in, Dean starts to walk around. The guy opens the back door, aims a rifle at Dean and shoots. While he’s reloading Dean rushes at him. They beat each other and kick each other...

Clark tells Sam that technology makes things easier. Clark says that he used to hide for days, weeks whispering to people to draw them into the night. But they had community, they looked out for each other, and he’d be lucky to eat one or two souls a year. If he can live off of one or two meals a year why has he turned into such a glutton? Does he enjoy eating so much? Sam continues to work at freeing himself. Clark says that now when he’s hungry (all the time?) all he does is make a phone call. He says that everyone is so connected yet so alone (deep). It’s funny how when it’s Sam’s turn to be eaten, killed, whatever, the demon, spirit, whatever stops to explain everything to him.

Clark opens his mouth wide. Er, shouldn’t he kill Sam first? Sam tackles him and the knife goes flying. Clark pushes Sam away and picks up the knife...

Dean, meanwhile, gets the guy’s gun away from him. They guy is on lying the devil’s trap. The guy looks down at the floor and asks what that is. Dean replies it’s his funeral and starts the exorcism. The guy walks over the trap and yells if Dean did this to his daughter too. Dean quickly realizes that something is wrong. The guy grabs him...

Sam grabs the hand with the knife. They struggle until Clark is skewered in the neck by a hook in the wall.

The guy pushes Dean to the floor. He yells that she was nine years old. Dean tries to tell him that he didn’t. He grabs the guy’s rifle and hits him away. Dean holds the rifle pointed at him. He tells him that he didn’t kill his daughter. When the guy asks what Dean is doing here, Dean replies that he doesn’t know.



Dean holds a wet cloth to his face. Sam walks in sporting matching scrapes and bruises. They really are brothers! Dean says that they improved Sam’s face. Sam replies right back at you. Dean looks in the mirror and shrugs. They sit each on a bed. Sam says that he’s sorry it wasn’t dad. Dean replies that he gave Sam a hard time on this one. Dean says that Sam was right. He wanted to believe so badly that there was a way out of this. He’s staring at the barrel with this. Hell, forever. Dean admits that he’s scared. Sam replies that he knows. Dean says it was the last act of a desperate man. There’s nothing wrong with having hope, Sam replies. Dean says hope give him nothing. He can’t expect their dad to show up with some miracle at the last minute. He can’t expect anyone to because the only person who can get him out of this is him. "And me", Sam adds. Dean breaks the moment. He mocks Sam’s "and me". Sam asks if Dean wants a poem. Dean replies the moment’s gone. He turns on the television and hands Sam a beer. Aww. I love those guys.