"A Very Supernatural Christmas" is the eighth episode of the paranormal drama television series ''
Supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
''s
third season. It was first broadcast on
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
on December 13, 2007. The narrative follows series protagonists Sam (
Jared Padalecki
Jared Tristan Padalecki (born July 19, 1982) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the role of Sam Winchester in the TV series '' Supernatural''. He grew up in Texas and rose to fame in the early 2000s after appearing on the televi ...
) and Dean Winchester (
Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ross Ackles (born March 1, 1978) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Dean Winchester in The WB/The CW, CW dark fantasy drama series ''Supernatural (American TV series), Supernatural'' (2005–2020) and appearing in ...
) as they confront a pair of pagan gods (
Spencer Garrett
Spencer Garrett (born September 19, 1963) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the films ''Air Force One'' (1997), '' 21'' (2008), '' Public Enemies'' (2009), ''All the Way'' (2016), and '' The Front Runner'' (2018).
He is the ...
and
Merrilyn Gann Merrilyn is a feminine given name. It is similar to Merilyn and Marilyn (given name), Marilyn.
List of people with the name
* Merrilyn Gann (born 1963), Canadian actress
* Merrilyn Goos, Australian mathematician
* Merrilyn Rose (born 1955), ...
) who annually take human sacrifices.
Written by
Jeremy Carver
Jeremy Carver is an American television writer and producer. He developed the series '' Being Human'' (2011–2014), ''Frequency'' (2016–2017), and ''Doom Patrol'' (2019–present). Carver was also a writer and producer on the series ''Superna ...
and directed by
J. Miller Tobin
John Miller Tobin (born January 13, 1961) is an American television director and producer. As a director, Tobin has worked on the television series '' Oz'', '' The Agency'', ''Numb3rs'', '' Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'', ''Supernatu ...
, the episode was intended to be "the most violent Christmas special in the history of television". Flashbacks were added to the plot when the main storyline came up short, allowing the writers to expand upon the childhoods of a young Sam (
Colin Ford
Colin Ford (born September 12, 1996) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Josh Wheeler in '' Daybreak'', Joe McAlister in '' Under the Dome'', the voice of Jake on ''Jake and the Never Land Pirates'', Mikey on '' Can You Teach My A ...
) and Dean (
Ridge Canipe
Ridge Canipe (born July 13, 1994) is an American actor. Ridge is best known for his roles in ''Walk the Line'' (in which he played Johnny Cash as a boy), the thriller '' Baby Blues'' in 2008 and the 2005 version of '' Bad News Bears''. He also ...
).
While critics universally praised the flashback sequences and the performances of Ford and Canipe, they had differing opinions of the main storyline.
Plot
As the episode opens, a man visits his grandson for Christmas in Seattle, Washington. He dresses up as
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
, but is pulled up the chimney and slaughtered by a mysterious figure. One year later, Sam (Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Ackles) pose as FBI agents to investigate a disappearance in
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan.
As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, and ...
. The discovery of a bloody tooth in the fireplace leads Sam to suspect that an evil version of Santa—many world lores tell of those who punish the wicked during Christmas—is at work. As the brothers search the town and debate about whether to celebrate Christmas that year—Dean insists while Sam refuses—another man is taken by a Santa-dressed being. Upon investigation the following day, Sam notices that both families have the same wreath over their fireplaces. The wreath is found to be made of meadowsweet, an herb often used in pagan rituals to lure gods to a human sacrifice, which leads Sam to believe that they are dealing with Hold Nickar, the god of the
winter solstice
The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winte ...
. Dean later admits that he wants to celebrate Christmas since it will be his last chance to—his demonic pact with a demon in "
All Hell Breaks Loose, Part Two" only left him with one year to live. Sam responds that he cannot sit around celebrating and pretending that everything is okay while knowing that Dean will not be alive the next Christmas.
Further investigation and research lead the brothers to Edward (Garrett) and Madge Carrigan (Gann), an apparently perfect couple whom Dean later refers to as "
Ozzie and Harriet
''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television, where it ...
"; the makers of the meadowsweet wreaths, the Carrigans lived in Seattle a year prior. Realizing that the couple are actually pagan gods, Sam and Dean break into their home, finding human remains in the basement. However, they are captured by the Carrigans and tied to chairs in the kitchen. The gods reveal that they have been attempting to blend into human society, reducing their annual sacrifices to only a few. They begin preparing Sam and Dean to be sacrificed, but are interrupted by a neighbor at the front door. When the Carrigans return, they find that the brothers have broken free. Knowing that the gods can be killed by evergreen wood, Sam and Dean stab them to death with branches of the Christmas tree. Later on, Dean is surprised to find that Sam has decorated their motel room with Christmas paraphernalia. They exchange gifts, all which were bought from the local gas station, and happily watch a football game on TV.
Throughout the episode, flashbacks depict a young Sam (Ford) and Dean (Canipe) on Christmas Eve of 1991; with their father out on a hunt, the brothers are staying alone in a motel room until he returns. As Sam wraps an object he obtained from
Bobby Singer
Robert Steven Singer is a fictional character in The CW Television Network's horror-drama television series ''Supernatural'' portrayed by Jim Beaver. Named after the show's executive producer, Bobby first appears in the first season finale "Dev ...
as a present for his father, he begins to question Dean about what their father is doing. Although Dean brushes him off, Sam reveals that he has read their father's hunting journal. Dean acquiesces, and confirms that their father hunts monsters. This revelation terrifies Sam, who is afraid that the monsters will come after them. Later that night, Dean wakes Sam up and claims that their father briefly returned and left presents. When Sam's gifts end up being a
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.
...
doll and a sparkly baton, Dean admits that he stole them from a nearby house. Despite this, Sam appreciates what Dean tried to do for him, and gives him the gift meant for their father—the amulet necklace that Dean has worn ever since.
Production
Writing
![Nikolaus krampus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Nikolaus_krampus.jpg)
A fan of Christmas television specials growing up, series creator
Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke (born 1974) is an American writer and television producer. He came to prominence as the creator of the fantasy drama series ''Supernatural'' (2005–2020) which aired on The CW. He served as the showrunner during the first five seasons ...
desired to make "the most violent Christmas special in the history of television". The myth of the anti-Claus—an evil antithesis of Santa who "stuffs his victims in sacks and takes them off to eat them"—became the episode's inspiration. However, the writers were hesitant to establish the creature as an anti-Claus because it would implicate the existence of an actual Santa Claus. To remedy the dilemma, they incorporated the mythology of the pagan god Hold Nickar, who generally is believed to be the precedent of Santa. Kripke proudly noted that the lore is "one of
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officiall ...
most accurate" since most Christmas traditions have pagan origins.
Though the episode itself was penned by Jeremy Carver, the writing staff contributed their ideas to the storyline. Within five minutes of brainstorming, they envisioned three scenes they had to do: the teaser, where a grandfather pretending to be Santa is pulled up the chimney and slaughtered; a boy witnessing the Santa-dressed villain brutally killing his father and then eating one of the cookies for Santa; and the Winchesters killing someone with a Christmas tree.
Flashbacks
The initial draft of the script focused solely on the brothers' attempts to kill the
pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
gods; when the episode came up short, Edlund suggested the addition of flashbacks to Sam and Dean's childhood.
[''Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 3'', p.53] The narrative device provided two revelations: the origins of Dean's necklace, and the "beginning of Sam's estrangement from his father and his indoctrination into the supernatural world". Kripke noted that the staff loves to delve into the Winchesters' childhoods, and deemed it "too good an opportunity to pass up" to be able to depict how Sam "lost his innocence".
Child actor
Ridge Canipe
Ridge Canipe (born July 13, 1994) is an American actor. Ridge is best known for his roles in ''Walk the Line'' (in which he played Johnny Cash as a boy), the thriller '' Baby Blues'' in 2008 and the 2005 version of '' Bad News Bears''. He also ...
reprised his role as a young Dean, while
Colin Ford
Colin Ford (born September 12, 1996) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Josh Wheeler in '' Daybreak'', Joe McAlister in '' Under the Dome'', the voice of Jake on ''Jake and the Never Land Pirates'', Mikey on '' Can You Teach My A ...
made his debut as a young Sam. Ford had not viewed the series prior to his audition, but watched the first season to research his character.
Christmas theme
Principal filming took place in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, and many visuals were influenced by the holiday theme. The "very festive, warm Christmas tones" of the Carrigans' home were intended by set designer Jerry Wanek to create a contrast with the brothers' "little coal-burning old motel".
Diane Widas created the costumes, and had fun making the Carrigans' Christmas sweaters "very campy"; Edward's sweater was originally going to be "over-the-top" with 3D snowmen.
[''Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 3'', p.54] Because
Santa and his elves worked in a "very tired little theme park", the elves were given "ill-fitting" costumes; though new, they were altered to look "shabby". The Santa's "grungy" appearance reflected his drunken state.
Despite the dark storyline, Kripke found it important to maintain the "trappings of ... a really cheery, traditional Christmas special". The spinning "A Special Presentation" title at the beginning of the episode was used by CBS in the 1980s, and Kripke was adamant on including it. Though it was very difficult to find who created and scored it, they eventually received permission.
Keeping to the holiday theme, the episode shied away from the usual rock-heavy soundtrack, and instead featured Christmas songs remade in different styles by composer
Jay Gruska
Jay Gruska (; born April 23, 1952) is an American songwriter and composer best known for his film and television scoring, and for writing hit songs for a variety of artists. He has composed musical scores for dozens of TV dramas, with over 500 ...
.
Effects
Visual effects shots often are produced but ultimately unused, and the episode was no exception. After Madge is killed, the script describes Edward as screaming her name "in all his godlike glory". The visual effects department interpreted this literally, and had him transforming into a tree creature, "all wooden and gnarled". However, it was deemed "a little too on the nose".
Reception
On its initial broadcast, the episode was watched by 3.02 million viewers.
It received mixed reviews from critics. Julie Pyle of
Airlock Alpha "really enjoyed" the "well directed, well written" episode, and "
iggledwith glee in anticipation of each ghastly Christmas nightmare". Although she continued her criticism of the third season's brighter lighting, she deemed it overall "another Christmas tradition to watch every year with our ''
Charlie Brown Christmas'' DVDs". Tina Charles of
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
enjoyed the monster of the week, but was "hooked" on the brothers' storylines. She noted that Ford's casting as a young Sam was "perfect", and felt that Canipe's performance as a young Dean had improved since his previous appearance in the first season. Likewise, Maureen Ryan of the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' called it one of the "gems" of the third season.
However, Karla Peterson of ''
The San Diego Union-Tribune
''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868.
Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...
'' disagreed, and gave the episode a C−. While she enjoyed the flashback sequences and praised Canipe and Ford for their "fierce little performances", Peterson posited that the main storyline "seemed slapped together" and the pacing "felt sluggish". Overall, she found it to be "your basic TV fruitcake—a dense combination of half-baked dialogue and stale storytelling studded with chewy bits of sentimentality".
References
General
#
Specific
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Very Supernatural Christmas
Supernatural (season 3) episodes
2007 American television episodes
American Christmas television episodes
Krampus in popular culture
Television episodes set in Seattle
Television episodes set in Michigan
Television episodes set in Nebraska