Supernatural S04E03
This will pick up the trail of the immortal and immoral Doctor Benton, who is tracking down his descendant, Michael.
Knowing they are a few days behind Michael and Doc Benton, the Hunters head north to the town mentioned in Michael's postcards, Boon, Michigan. The postcards are signed from a "Milan Carillo." This Milan may be someone Michael trusts, or a last-ditch Hail Mary for protection and hiding. Since Boon is tiny with few services, they opt to go to Cadillac, the county seat, along Lake Cadillac. This is still small, at about 10,000 residents, but as the county seat has the regional high school, library, county historical records, local hospital, and other services that might be useful in an investigation.
En route, the Hunters call their families and friends to warn them about corn syrup, especially since Thanksgiving is two days away. This is particularly funny for Dr. Airy's family, as they can afford "real" foods and think he is just coming up with a new diet program. This is not a problem (yet) for Ciaran's relatives in Ireland, and Razik is estranged from his family.
Ciaran is, however, still driving Doctor Benton's stolen Mercedes. Jon Clarke enjoys an Enya free ride for once. The Hunters do a little bit of internet and Lore searching during the drive, scanning the news, weather, and some local history for anything worthwhile to check out later with the team. They find that there was a string of stories from the 1980s about people being attacked and missing organs or body parts, and being rushed to the hospital - they flag this as potential Doctor Benton. In terms of lore, there had been a notorious vampire nest in the area, out in the woods somewhere, but it was taken down during the great vampire purge in their parent's generation, probably by legendary Hunter Daniel Elkins in the 1970's or 1980's (of whom Johns Remington and Winchester would know and have worked with). The Hunters also contemplate how what the doctor did to himself and plans to do with Michael could be mad science or alchemy, but they refrain from hitting up sources that would know more about it, including Zach, who has the alchemical tome of Hans Reudi Von Steffan, Becky and Cassie's antagonist, or the Winchesters, who dealt with Benton last. They complain about cleaning up their messes, but this is honestly the first from Sam or Dean, not John or the forces of Heaven or Hell
Sam and Dean did not know about Castiel and Crowley's agreement to split the power of souls from Purgatory, but it was to stop Raphael from restarting the Apocalypse. Almost everything got back into Purgatory except the Leviathan, so the Leviathan is not Sam or Dean's fault; it's Raphael's RESTARTING THE APOCALYPSE.
In Cadillac, Marcus and Razik go fishing to chat up the locals. Both are successful at fishing and chatting. Marcus' catch, an exceptionally large fish, attracts positive attention from two men, Jimmy Franks and Jerome Norton. Jimmy starts bragging about a legendary catch of his own, which is countered by another local, but Jimmy backs him up because it was the same year as the Dogman, a local cryptid that shows up every decade on the "7" years, and the year his sister Joanne was attacked. Razik presses gently through idle conversation and learns Joanne had her pancreas surgically removed. She survived but the event turned her into a practical diabetic. Marcus asks about a Benton or Denton in the area, and they confirm there was a family that lived outside of Cadillac, towards the woods, which could include Boon. Razik warns the men about corn syrup before departing.
Meanwhile, Airy heads to the hospital and confirms the organ stories from the 1980s, and that they had not experienced any others. Currently, there was some issues of low volume dehydration, which could point to vampires feeding without killing victims. Jon and Scott hit the books in the library and historical records. They confirm that the organ victims were in 1987, and check census records for Boon in 1980 and 1990 to see a residential address for the Benton family.
Ciaran and Aine head to a local brewpub instead, and a woman slides into the booth to flirt with Ciaran, to Aine's annoyance. She introduces herself as Scarlett McLean, and through chat, Ciaran figures out she is a local vampire. Ciaran mentions Benton and she is overtly disgusted by his name. He shares that they are after him and freed David, but David died subsequently. They are looking to protect Michael. Scarlett tears up hearing about David, and says she needs to go to tell his mate, Milan. They exchange phone numbers on napkins, and Scarlett departs.
The Hunters compare notes and decide that they do need more information on Benton. hey start by calling Chuck, who doesn't have too much for them. They consider calling Bobby and ask Chuck for his number, but Chuck shares that Bobby had passed away recently. The hunters are a little shook by the news.
Scott calls Sam Winchester. Sam is happy to talk, but doesn't have much time as he is getting married in a few hours (it sounds like an elopement). Sam shares that they buried Benton in a refrigerator and then in concrete and to try to starve his organs of oxygen, hopefully leading to a slow, eventual death. He thought that the doctor was on his own and no one would come looking. They buried the doctor's notes, a red leather tome, with him. Sam wishes Scott good luck and sounds optimistic, and Scott wishes him congratulations for the upcoming wedding.
Sensing some gaps in the story, Marcus sucks it up and calls Dean Winchester, who recognizes his number. Marcus is suspicious, and Dean explains that they had gotten the numbers from Bobby (so therefore from Chuck) because it was during the apocalypse, and it was just on hand, and asks how Marcus got his since its a two-way street (Chuck, and therefore Bobby). Marcus sends their condolences for Bobby, and asks how he died. Dean shares that he was shot by Dick Roman, and not to worry, they'll get him for it especially. Finally the conversation turns to Benton, and Dean shares that he was very manipulative, trying to offer him immortal life as a way to get out of a demon contract. Benton is extremely good at reading weaknesses and exploiting them, and warns not to let him get talking. He's also tough, needing Dean to stab him in the heart with a knife drenched in chloroform to be knocked out, even temporarily. He suggests that they take a look in his red book for any clues but that it was hard to decipher. Marcus assures Dean that they have someone with a medical background to take a peek. Despite a little bickering and tension, Marcus shares condolences again, and Dean thanks him, sounding touched.
Ciaran texts Scarlett, asking her to let them know if she sees anyone. She texts back soon after that they have Michael, safe for now. Ciaran asks if she can ask or convince Michael to meet with them. Scarlett confirms and suggests the brewpub again. While everyone is aiming for not having a fight, both the Hunters and the vampires send in a few individual early to the bar to watch out for the meeting. The vampires send two, a buff tanned man named Zain, and Safiyyah, a black woman with long braids. The bar is also hopping with people escaping families or bad Thanksgiving dinners.
Ciaran meets Scarlett outside the brewpub. She is standing outside with Michael and Milan and introduces them. Once in a booth, Ciaran shares the whole story, and asks for any pertinent information that would help get Benton once and for all. Michael agrees to help, a little surprised that someone actually found his breadcrumbs for help. Plans are derailed, however, when Razzik identifies Benton's assistant in his tracksuit, stopping by the bar and heading out. Ciaran and Aine quickly follow the vampires and Michael into their sedan. The plastic surgeon, Charles Henderson, jumps into a white truck, clearly the one Michael mentioned in his notes. Razzik heads out to his motorcycle, Scott and Marcus hop into the 'Cuda, and Jon Clarke attempts to keep up with them in the fugly Aztek as they peel out of the parking lot and hit the country roads.
A chase ensues. The vampires know the roads well while Henderson has never been to the area. Their driver, Zain, has been driving away from the law since Prohibition, and is an excellent driver. Razzik gets a few swings against the truck's windshield, attempting to shatter the windshield. While Scott stays with the truck, Marcus gets off a couple of shots at the tires. Ciaran hangs out of the sedan window, squishing Aine, and gets shots off as well. After some hard curves and a ninety-degree turn before a bridge, the team is a able to pull up alongside the truck and disable it. With Henderson tied up and tossed into the trunk, Marcus searches the truck (its clean) and Scott checks his phone navigation to see two places where he and Benton must be hanging out: their old home location in Boon, and a place out in the woods. The vampires confirm that the location is their nest. They say that two were still there, Jackson and Haley, and they are not answering their phones. The Hunters rush to the nest location, an old barn, while the vampires stay away with Michael. They agree to just keep driving North until further contact.
Before they go, the vampires drop Ciaran at a conveniently placed Irish pub so that he can be picked up. They go to search the Doc's hotel room and find the red leather-bound book. Ciaran puts "The Art of the Deal" in its place.
iry dives into it, and shares how the book is written from a medical perspective 200 years out of date. While what he did is on its own confusing, the language makes it more so. Benton writes about Galvanism and vital energy, making the text really sound like Frankenstein (read, electricity and the motive force of cells). He seems to describe the belief of Dualism, that the material body is its own thing, and the soul is a weightless, immaterial thing. He writes about attempting to tie the soul to the body permanently, thus preventing death. This is his own downfall as the body is not regenerative. Benton's success is his own failure here, and this is why he was experimenting with vampires, who can regenerate and protect their body. They figure that the trauma and extreme emotion Benton inflicted on himself would be tying him to his body. Like other ghosts who have anchors, Benton's soul is anchored to his own body, with his "unfinished business" being his legacy and perfecting this work. This is probably needed besides just destroying his body completely and thoroughly.
The Hunters think that the key to getting Benton to "let go" is to get Michael to say that Benton succeeded, or that he promises to finish his work. They call up Scarlett and speak with Michael, who shares that Benton did succeed with him; he can cut himself and watch it heal. He agrees to try talking to him on the phone. He calls back shortly saying he got him on video to prove it to him, and Benton seemed pleased and even smiled. Michael wished them good luck in taking him out.
The Hunters head to the nest to take out Doc Benton. They park away and approach on foot. Benton seems to have done similar, as no vehicles are near and they know he got the jump on two vampires. Aine goes in who is spotted by Benton. She sees him run off behind sheets and partitions and frees the two vampire hostages. Scott and Ciaran enter, and Ciaran yells out to Benton while the Hunters surround the barn and check for any other doors. Airy plain shotguns the wall, noticing its poor condition. Scott and Ciaran separate slowly, tracking Benton. Marcus eyes him and lines up a shot. Everyone's aim is interrupted as Razzik transforms and Kool-Aid Man's his way through the weekend wall and launches himself at Benton. Although he got Benton, he made a mess that everyone had to clean up. Although they debate creative ways to dispose of Benton, they land on a sound plan: Clarke removes Henderson from the trunk, shoots him, and leaves him in the barn. The Hunters torch the barn to ensure any remnant of Benton is taken care of. While authorities are looking in that direction, they head to the mortuary with Benton's remains. They break in and use the cremation facilities to salt and burn Doctor Benton at the highest temperatures possible. Doctor Benton, the immortal enigma, is no more.
Benton is survived by his descendant, Michael, who may be immortal. He plans to stay with the vampires as his found family. The Hunters, similarly, share the rest of Thanksgiving together.