Violet provides a recap of Season 9 Episode 5 of Supernatural, titled Dog Dean Afternoon, where Dean mind melds with a dog, then begins acting one! Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts on the episode.
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Supernatural, Season 9 Episode 5: Dog Dean Afternoon Recap Overview
Need a quick Supernatural episode recap of Season 9 Episode 5: Dog Dean Afternoon? Here is a summary of events for the episode. Each event is linked to the more detailed Supernatural episode recap for Dog Dean Afternoon if you need more information!
- Sam and Dean go out on the road to investigate the mysterious death of a taxidermist, who was crushed to death
- Sam and Dean question the founders of a local animal rights group, and conclude they were sprayed in eyes with venom. Meanwhile, the killer eats a cat at an animal shelter, then kills the front desk clerk with his cat-like claws.
- Sam and Dean visit the animal shelter and realize the taxidermist’s dog was at both crime scenes. Kevin provides a spell which allows Dean to talk to the dog.
- Dean starts acting like a dog, and discovers he can talk to all animals. They go back to the animal shelter so Dean can question the animals, and find out that the killer is a chef at a local restaurant.
- Sam and Dean sneak into the restaurant and see that the chef has been using a spell which allows him to gain the power of the animal whose organ he ingests. They split up to find the chef, who attacks Sam. Ezekiel heals Sam, then the chef knocks him out to eat him.
- Dean and Chef Leo fight, Dean gets tied up, and sniffs out Leo’s cancer. Leo eats a wolf heart as Dean breaks free. Before wolf Leo is able to attack Dean, the dogs from the shelter attack Leo first.
Supernatural Episode Recap: Dog Dean Afternoon, the Details
On the Road Again
Season 9 Episode 5 of Supernatural, titled Dog Dean Afternoon, begins at a taxidermist’s shop. A man wearing a cowboy hat and who has a snake-like tongue attacks the taxidermist, chokes him, and kills him. Meanwhile, the taxidermist’s dog is barking the whole time.
Back at the bunker, Kevin is recovering from a hangover, so we don’t see him this episode. Despite Dean’s reservations, Sam insists on going out on the road to investigate the death of the taxidermist, who was crushed to death.
Sam and Dean show up at the taxidermist’s shop, where “Die Scum” is written in red outside, with a small symbol inside one of the letters. While Sam takes a look around, Dean questions Dave Stevens, the guy who found the body, who comes in twice a week to collect the entrails. However, the entrail bins were unusually empty. Nothing else is missing from the shop. Dean reports his findings to Sam, and Sam says he wasn’t able to find a hex bag.
S.N.A.R.T.
At the motel, Sam discovers that the symbol belongs to a local animal rights group, S.N.A.R.T. (Showing No Animal Rough Treatment). They go to a vegan bakery and question the sunglasses-wearing workers, Olivia and Dylan, who are the founders of S.N.A.R.T. They say they didn’t kill the taxidermist, but admit to spray painting the message, saying they just wanted to spook him. However, upon tagging the shop, they heard a hissing noise, and then someone sprayed them in the eyes with mace, which is why they’re wearing sunglasses inside.
Upon returning to the motel, Sam discovers that Olivia and Dylan’s eye damage was not caused by mace. They conclude that venom was the cause, and that they’re dealing with some sort of snake monster. They call Kevin to do some research.
At the local animal shelter, the cowboy hat man slips the front desk clerk $100 and goes to where the animals are being held. The taxidermist’s dog is one of the animals caged there. He takes a few cats out of the cages and places them in a bag. The front desk clerk hears some commotion, and goes to the back area just in time to see the man swallow one of the cats whole. His eyes turn cat-like, and his fingers grow claws, then he kills the clerk.
Mind Meld
Sam and Dean visit the animal shelter, and think now they’re dealing with a “killer kitty.” They realize that the taxidermist’s dog is there, and has been at both crime scenes, but rule him out as a suspect. Dean discovers that the dog barks when he sees someone wearing a cowboy hat. They think maybe the dog is a witness, and call Kevin to find out out to speak with a dog.
They take the dog back to the motel, and Sam prepares the potion for a human-animal “mind meld.” Dean volunteers to drink it, then speaks the magic words. At first they don’t think it worked, but then the dog tells Dean to change the radio station, which causes Dean to argue with him. Dean questions the dog, who tells him that the guy who killed the taxidermist was wearing a cowboy hat, but he couldn’t see much during the cat murder. However, he could smell him. Meanwhile, Dean subconsciously plays fetch with Sam, retrieving a balled up piece of trash every time Sam tries to throw it away. Then the mailman comes, and the dog starts barking at him, as Dean bangs on the window and yells at him. They realize the spell worked a little too well.
Side Effects
After a phone call to Kevin, Sam reports that there are side effects to the spell: when you mind meld with an animal, it’s possible to start exhibiting some of its behavior. Kevin also doesn’t know how long the spell will last.
Sam and Dean go back to the shelter and bring the dog. As they head to the car, Dean discovers that he can hear all animals, and gets into an argument with a pigeon that poops on his car. When they get to the shelter, Dean insists on bringing the dog inside rather than leave him in the car. However, Dean gets distracted by a female poodle. Inside the shelter, Dean questions the dogs. One claims to have seen everything, but demands payment: a belly rub by Sam. The dog tells Dean about the cat the killer ate, and that the sack he put the other cats in had “Avant Garde Cuisine” written on it. It’s a cafe on Main Street — no dogs allowed. But before they head over, Dean releases all the dogs.
Avant Garde Cuisine
Sam and Dean sneak in the back entrance of the restaurant. They find a picture of the guy with the cowboy hat. While looking around, Dean hears voices, which turn out to be rats who are terrified about the chef eating them. They tell Dean to look in the refrigerator, where he finds all sorts of animal parts. Sam finds a spell book, with a spell that allows you to temporarily gain the power of the animal whose organ you ingest. The mice explain that they have collapsible spines. Sam discovers notecards which show that he has been mixing ingredients.
Just then they hear a sound and investigate. They find a guy cooking in the kitchen, because the chef is having a private event. Sam and Dean pretend to be health inspectors, and shut down the kitchen. Dean checks out the front to look for the chef, while Sam takes the back. After Sam passes him by, Chef Leo reveals that he was camouflaged by the pattern of the wall, as he had eaten a chameleon. He scratches Sam in the neck with his cat claws, and Sam begins to pass out. But just then, Ezekiel takes over and heals Sam’s wounds, then allows Sam to take over again. Chef Leo wants to know he he did that, and what Sam is. He knocks Sam out, and prepares to eat him.
The Dogs Save the Day
Dean sneaks up behind Chef Leo in the kitchen, but the chef smells him because he smells like dog. Dean shoots at Leo, but Leo is able to dodge the bullet, Matrix-style, and throws his butcher knife at Dean. They begin to fight, but Leo is able to tie Dean up. Dean sniffs out that Leo has cancer, and that’s why he is doing this. Leo tries to figure out what he needs to eat to take Dean down. As he speaks the magic words and eats a wolf heart, Dean is able to break free and attacks Leo from behind. But then Leo starts growing wolf teeth, and Dean runs outside. Leo follows, and Dean calls for the pack of dogs he released from the shelter, who attack Leo. Dean goes back inside to check on Sam, who is not responding. Neither is Ezekiel. Finally, Sam wakes up.
Dean brings the taxidermist’s dog to be adopted by Olivia and Dylan from the vegan bakery. The dog confesses that he barfed in Dean’s back seat. Just as the dog is about to reveal the real reason dogs were put here, the spell wears off.
Sam wonders why Leo would ask what he was. Dean tries to play it off as the guy being crazy, but Sam doesn’t seem so sure.
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 9 Episode 5 of Supernatural: Dog Dean Afternoon
I was a little disappointed by this episode, which is sad, because I was so excited about it last week. As I mentioned before, these one-off stories which stray from the overarching storyline are usually my favorite. Unfortunately, this one didn’t really do it for me. I don’t know what it was, maybe it was just a little too silly. I wasn’t a very big fan of the voices that they used on all the animals either. There were some funny parts, and it’s nice to step away from the norm, especially when it comes to Dean, who usually has the same consistent personality (unlike Sam, who has been soulless and is now also Ezekiel). But I guess I found the episode a bit too corny. My favorite part of the episode was actually the intro, where a montage was shown of all the silly one-off episodes throughout the seasons.
The storyline itself was alright, though it’s kind of annoying when shows make up lame excuses as to why a certain character isn’t around. It was also a neat throwback to send the boys out on the road again to investigate a case, just like in the old days. By the end of the episode, it was back to business, with Dean still trying to cover up Ezekiel’s presence, and Sam getting more and more suspicious. How long until he figures it out, and what will happen then? Only time will tell!
Josh’s Thoughts: Supernatural, Season 9 Episode 5: Dog Dean Afternoon
This week’s Supernatural felt like another “throw-away” episode again, which is inevitable when there are 20+ episode seasons. But the good thing with Supernatural, is these tend to be some of the better episodes of Supernatural. Unfortunately, as I discussed last week, the Wizard of Oz episode wasn’t my favorite. This one, on the other hand, was much better. Although I had hoped to have Dean turn into an actual dog, him being a dog in human form was pretty funny.
The story was a little “meh” to me, but thankfully the humor outweighed that problem for me. There was one fairly big story point this episode however, which was when Sam is scratched pretty gravely across his neck. We can see that when Zeke takes over, he heals it, but even after, when Sam reverts back to himself, he is still weak. Now did Zeke not help further because he was also weak? Or more so because Zeke was trying to hide himself within Sam still? Hard to say, I think. We know that Zeke has been telling Dean that when he uses his powers, he may have to stay in Sam longer to heal them both.
I am wondering when Sam starts to realize there is more to him than just himself. He has to start suspecting something as these events start to compile more and more.
Scenes from Supernatural, Season 9 Episode 6: Heaven Can’t Wait
Here are scenes from the next Supernatural episode, titled Heaven Can’t Wait:
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