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1.13 – Route 666
1.13 – Route 666
DETAILS
Writers: Eugenie Ross-Leming, Brad Buckner
Director: Paul Shapiro
First aired: Tuesday January 31, 2006
Dean (Jensen Ackles) is contacted by his first love Cassie (Megalyn Echikunwoke), an African-America girl, who asks him to come to Mississippi to investigate a string of racially motivated murders. Each murder is linked to a mysterious truck that seems to have no driver and leave no tracks. Sam (Jared Padalecki) is stunned to see this new side of his brother as Dean struggles to come to grips with the residual feelings he has for Cassie.
The episode was written by Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner and directed by Paul Shapiro.
RECAP
The mystery
A black man driving on a deserted road in Missouri is suddenly menaced by a huge black truck, which smashes into him. It disappears. The man keeps driving – and the truck is back, now in front of him. He tries to escape, but the truck keeps smashing into him, eventually running him off the road in a spectacular crash. The truck disappears.
The past calls
When Cassie, an “old friend,” calls Dean for help, he knows it must be serious – he never thought he’d hear from her again. Her father, Martin, died mysteriously, and his was just the first death involving a crushed car that had no evidence of another vehicle involved – no tire tracks, no skid marks, nothing. Martin had mentioned seeing a black truck following him, but hadn’t said anything about a driver. Sam fishes for information, and Dean eventually admits that he and Cassie dated. What’s more, Dean told her about their secret work. Sam is incredulous. Cassie grills the mayor about the string of what seem to be racially motivated murders, but the mayor thinks she’s being hysterical. He’s offended when she implies he’d be more worried if the victims were white. I’m the last person you should label as racist, he says – just ask your mother. But her mother doesn’t want to talk about it.
Monster truck
The guys hear about a string of murders in the 1960s. All the victims were black men, and justice wasn’t exactly colorblind back then. The police didn’t do anything about it. There were rumors that the killer drove a big black truck. The guys theorize that the truck absorbed the evil spirit of the killer, and now it’s on the road again. What woke it up?
Lost loves
Sam keeps poking at Dean — Cassie’s great! Interesting how you never look at each other at the same time…. Dean finally admits that yes, they were in love, and Cassie dumped him. He doesn’t want to talk about it. While Sam does some research, Dean tries to get more information out of Cassie. About that truck…oh, and by the way, why did she dump him? Cassie says she thought he was nuts when he told her about monster hunting, and that it was some story to get out of the relationship. The yell at each other, then kiss. They fall into bed. Apparently, the love hasn’t died.
Past crimes
The truck runs down the mayor on a piece of property he’d just bought. He’s the first white man killed by the truck, so the guys figure there must be something more than just a racist ghost. Later, the truck appears at Cassie’s house, roaring around outside. Cassie’s mom finally tells them the story: In the 60s, she dated Cyrus Dorian, the scion of a wealthy white family that owned the town. She was also dating Martin in secret, since interracial romances were dangerous then. Cyrus found out, and went nuts. He burned down the church Cassie’s parents intended to get married in, killing several children. Then he started hunting down black men. One night he caught Cassie’s father, but Martin fought back, killing Cyrus. Martin and two of his friends hid the truck and the body in the swamp. They mayor had been a police deputy at the time – he figured out the crime, but said nothing, as he knew a black man killing a white man would never get a fair trial. Then, 40 years later, the mayor bought the Dorian property and razed the old house. That woke Cyrus’ ghost – and it was not happy.
Put to rest
The guys try to exorcize Cyrus’ ghost by burning his body. No good – enough of his spirit is fused with the truck that the ghost truck comes roaring at them. Dean jumps in the car to lure the ghost truck away. Sam directs Dean to a ruin on the deserted road, then tells Dean to stay right there. When the truck sees that Dean isn’t moving, it charges at him – then disintegrates into dust. Dean was directly in front of the burned church. Sam figured the hallowed ground of the church would destroy the ghost — probably. “What if you were wrong?” Dean demands. “Huh. Honestly that thought didn’t occur to me,” Sam replies.
The aftermath
Cassie thanks Dean for his help, but she’s a realist – she doesn’t see how things can work out between them. “I’ve seen stranger things happen,” Dean replies. Cassie says goodbye. “I’ll see you Cassie,” Dean replies. As they drive away, Sam tries to have a sensitive conversation about the work and losing love, but Dean just smirks and goes to sleep.
GUEST STARS
 Megalyn Echikunwoke as Cassie Robinson imdb.com | gallery |
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Michael Busswood Unkown imdb.com | gallery |
Ron Robinson Unkown imdb.com | gallery |
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IMAGE GALLERY
Official Episode Stills:
Episode Screen Caps:
Full Episode Screen Caps Gallery
MUSIC
“Walk Away” by Joe Walsh and The James Gang
“She Brings Me Love” by Bad Company
“Can’t Find my Way Home” by Blind Faith
QUOTES
Sam: Where are you going?
Dean: I’m going for a little ride.
Sam: What?
Dean: I’m gonna lead that thing away. (pointing to the truck) That rusted piece of crap, you’ve gotta burn it.
Sam: How the hell am I supposed to burn a truck, Dean?
Dean: I don’t know. Figure something out.
Dean: Don’t leave the house.
Cassie: Don’t go getting all authoritative on me, I hate it.
Dean: Don’t leave the house, please?
Sam: (over a cellphone) Where are you?
Dean: I’m in the middle of nowhere with a killer truck on my ass!
Sam: You mean you dated someone? For more than one night?
Dean: Am I speaking a language you’re not getting here?
Cassie: We should fight more often.
Dean: Absolutely.
Cassie: (laughs) Actually, we were always pretty good at fighting.
Dean: Mm.
Cassie: (about the sex) This we were good at. It’s all the other stuff….not so much.
Sam: And you think this vanishing truck ran him off the road?
Cassie: (embarrassed) Oh, when you say it aloud like that.
Cassie: The guy I’m with, the guy I’m hoping might be in my future, tells me he professionally pops ghosts.
Dean: That’s not the words I used.
Cassie: And that he has to leave to go work with his father.
Dean: I did.
Sam: You told her. You told her? The secret? Our big family rule number one, we do what we do, and we shut up about it. For a year and a half I do nothing but lie to Jessica, and you go out with this chick in Ohio a couple of times and you tell her everything? (Dean still says nothing) Dean!
Dean: Yeah, looks like it
Cassie: Whenever we get, what’s the word, “close,” anywhere in the neighborhood of emotional vulnerability, you back off or make some joke or find any way to shut the door.
Dean: (laughs) That’s hilarious. See, I’m not the one who took that big final door and slammed it behind me. I’m not the one who took the key and buried it.
Cassie: Are we done with that metaphor?
Sam: I figured maybe that would get rid of it.
Dean: Maybe?! Maybe?!? What if you were wrong?
Sam: Honestly that thought hadn’t occured to me.
Dean: (mimicking Sam) “Well that honestly didn’t occur to me.” I’m gonna kill him.
Sam: By old friend you mean…
Dean: Friend that’s not new.
Sam: Yeah, thanks.
Sam: (talking about Dean and Cassie) What’s interesting is that you guys never really look at each other at the same time. You look at her when she’s not looking. She checks you out when you look away. It’s just an interesting observation, in a, you know, observationally interesting way.
Sam: I’m guessing you guys were working things out.
Dean: We’ll be working things out when we’re 90.
Sam: Occasionally I miss boring.
Dean: So this killer truck…
Sam: I miss conversations that didn’t start with “this killer truck.”
Sam: So burning the body had no effect on that thing?
Dean: Sure it did – now it’s really pissed.
TRIVIA
When the flashback showed the three black guys pushing the truck into the swamp, they were pushing from the back of the truck so it went in front first, but when they pull it out of the swamp, it is facing out, as if it were pushed in backwards.
There is no way Sam and Dean could have attached the chain to the submerged truck without getting wet themselves. However, both are completely dry.
When Cassie’s mom is revealing her story, the camera pans to show Cassie and Dean. Cassie’s mom is taking a drink from her tea, but we can still hear her talking.
When Cassie and Dean were kissing goodbye, her hand was on his neck. But when the camera immediately pans in, her hand was not on his neck anymore.
When Sam is telling Dean how to lure the truck to a precise spot, one instruction is to drive exactly 0.7 miles. When Deam first looks at the odometer, it reads 70098.3. When he stops, it reads 70100.6. That’s more than 0.7 miles!
ALLUSIONS
Sam: Yeah, kinda like that theatre in Illinois.
Most likely referring to The Lincoln Square Theatre in Decatur, Illinois. The theatre tells a story about One-armed Red. He is said to be the ghost of stagehand who was killed tragically during a performance. It’s also said that apparitions have been reported since the theatre was burned and partly rebuilt in March 1960.
Title
In the Bible the number 666 refers to the Beast, also known as the Antichrist.
Title
This also refers to Route 66, a road that goes across America. There also was a Route 666 in the Four Corner area of the U.S, but its name was changed to Route 491 in 2003.
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