1.11 Scarecrow

A young couple, Vince and Holly, is leaving a cafe, with a send off by a kind husband and wife, Harley and Stacey Jorgeson, and their niece, Emily Jorgeson. Stacey Jorgeson offers them a pie which they gladly accept. Harley Jorgeson has just finished filling up the car with gas, and he and Vince exchange a handshake. Emily notices that Vince has a distinct tattoo on his arm, and compliments him. Harley Jorgeson gives the young couple directions to get back on the interstate.

Once on the road the young couple experiences car troubles, forcing them to pull over. Unfortunately Vince's cell phone also went out. They notice a house nearby they can go to for help, except they have to pass through an orchard to get to it. Holly reluctantly follows Vince. Along the way they notice a Scarecrow tied to a cross. Vince thinks it's freaky, but it scares Holly. Once they pass it, the Scarecrow moves it head and faces them. This frightens Holly, and she asks that they hurry. They hear a rustling, and start to run. Holly loses sight of Vince and notices he is gone. She calls for him a few times, before turning around and running back towards the car, trying to find him. She trips and falls. On the ground, she looks over and finds Vince, dead. She screams several times. The Scarecrow then comes up to Holly, and she tries to escape, screaming, but she shares the same fate.

As in the end of Asylum, Dean's asleep when his cell phone rings. Sam answers the phone to find out that it is his father on the other end. Sam questions his dad if he is okay. John answers by saying he is fine, asking if Sam and Dean are good. Sam asks Dad where he is. Dean wakes up when he hears him say "Dad!" He cannot tell his sons where he is, asking Sam to trust him. Sam deduces that Dad was closer to finding what killed Mom. John confirms it is a demon. Sam asks for confirmation that it is a demon. Dean wants to know what Dad is saying, as he pulls his shirt over his head. Dad expresses sorrow over Jessica. Sam asks more questions, as Dad replying that he cannot be a part of it, while Dean is asking for the phone. John just wants Sam and Dean to stop looking for him, and to take down some names. Sam demands to know what is going on, but John tells him this is bigger than he thinks, that it is not safe. He has given Sam an order, and he expects to be obeyed. Dean grabs the phone, and he starts to take down names at his father's order.

Sam and Dean start to discuss the names of three couples and how each of them were connected. All of them are from different towns, different states, but they went missing on a cross country road trip. They all disappeared around the same area in Indiana during the second week of April. Sam realizes that Dad was sending them to Indiana to go hunting before another couple vanishes. Dean is awed over how much a master Dad is in putting this together, but Sam pulls over and tells Dean that he does not want to go to Indiana. Dad called from a payphone in California - Sacramento - and if Dad is closing in on the demon, they gotta be there to help. Dean argues with Sam, saying how they should follow their dad's order. Sam argues to get revenge, that Dean does not understand how Sam feels. Dean argues that it is not safe; Sam does not understand Dean's blind faith! Sam steps out of the car and takes his backpack, and two duffel bags from the trunk. Dean calls him a selfish bastard, that he only does what he wants, not caring what anyone thinks. Sam replies "this selfish bastard is going to California", and starts to walk away. Dean does not believe Sam is serious, but Sam insists he is. Dean threatens to leave Sam behind, and Sam replies, "That is what I want you to do." Dean calls "Goodbye, Sam", closes the trunk, climbs in, and drives away. Sam watches him leave, before turning around and heading off again.

Dean arrives at Burkittsville, parking beside the town gazebo. He takes out his phone, scrolling through his phonebook until he finds Sam's name. However, instead of calling he shuts his phone and steps outside the Impala. Walking up in front of the Cafe, Dean introduces himself as "John Bonner." The owner, Scotty, was able to identify that name as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Dean was impressed. Dean hands Scotty a missing person posters of Vince and Holly Parker and asks if he has seen them before, claiming they were friends of his that went missing a year ago. Dean had already been to Scottsburg and Salem. Scotty says sorry, that they do not normally get visitors. Dean makes a sarcastic remark about Scotty's smile, and then walks away.

Sam is hitch-hiking and comes across a young woman sitting down on her backpack listening to music through earbuds. Sam taps her shoulder and startles her, jumping up and turning around to face him. Sam apologizes, asking if she needs help, but she is good. He asks where she is headed, but she is not going to tell him. He could be some kind of freak. A man driving a van pulls up beside them asking, "Need a ride?" Both answer "Yeah", although he only took the woman. Sam is surprised she trusts shady van guy, but not him.

Dean walks to Jorgeson Gas Station, asking the same questions to Harley and Stacey Jorgeson as he did with Scotty. He receives the same reply, until the niece, Emily, refreshes her uncle's memory. They were just married, and there for gas, then back to the Interstate. Dean asks for the same directions.

Driving along next to the orchard, the device in the back of the car started to go off. Dean pulls over right where the other couple did. Dean gets out to search the area, and finds the "fugly" Scarecrow. He grabs a nearby ladder which he uses to climb to get a better look at the Scarecrow. He looks at the arm and finds the same tattoo that Vince had, checking it against the picture of the flyer he has. He looks at the Scarecrow again, saying, "Nice tat."

Dean drives back to the Gas Station and is greeted by Emily. Dean asks for her to fill her up, and then asks if she grew up there. Emily lost her parents to a car accident when she was 13, but her uncle and aunt took her in. How nice everyone is in the town, and how the town seems blessed that no one is losing their farm or home. He then asks about the Scarecrow, in the orchard. Emily did not know much about it, only that it is always been there and it creeps her out. Dean notices a red van in the garage and asks whose it was; turns out it is a young couple just driving through town.

Sam arrives at the Bus Station, only to find that the next bus he can catch is tomorrow at 5:05pm. He then takes out his PalmPilot and looks through his phonebook to find Dean's name. He highlights it but the girl he found hitch-hiking before calls out to him, so he shuts his phone off. Apparently things did not work out with the "Shady" guy, who was all hands. They also share the same destination, California. She introduces herself as Meg, and Sam introduces himself. They shake hands.

A young couple, Steve and Pauly, are sitting in the cafe, being offered the apple pie. Dean walks in and starts up conversation. Scotty tries to verbally push Dean away from them. Dean offers to fix their "broken" brake line for free, but Pauly declines, saying the mechanic will have it ready by sundown. Dean tries to warn them of the danger, driving at night, but Steve just says, "Look, we're trying to eat. Okay?" Dean makes a comment about Sam giving them a puppy dog look. The Sheriff arrives to take Dean and drive him out of the town.

Sam and Meg indulge in eating and idle conversation. Meg had to get away from her family; she loves them, and they wanted what was best for her. They just did not care if she wanted it. Because her family said so, she was supposed to sit there and do as she was told. So she went her own way instead. Sam shares a similar situation in terms of Sam's dad and brother, and that is why he is not riding with his brother anymore. They toast to living their own lives.

The Impala is driving back to town. Steve and Pauly's car died at the edge of the orchard. They, too, are walking towards the house on the other side of the orchard. They hear a growling and at first do not see anything. Then the Scarecrow comes striding out from behind some trees, its sickle in its hand. They start running and are almost overtaken by the Scarecrow when Dean steps in front. They stop running, but he tells them to run back to their car. Dean shoots the Scarecrow with his gun, but it only stumbles and continues striding. He shoots again, running back, and shoots again. They all make it back to the Impala, but the Scarecrow disappears.

The next morning Dean, driving, and Sam, at the Bus Station, speak on the phone. Dean describes the incident with the scarecrow and speculates that the couples (fattened up by the locals) are annual fertility sacrifices to a pagan god. Dean explains he is on his way to a local community college to talk with the professor, since he does not have his trusty, sidekick, geek boy to do all the research. Sam says if Dean is hinting that he needs Sam's help, which Dean quickly responds that he is not hinting anything. Dean starts to get emotional with him, and he kind of apologizes; Sam responds he's sorry too. Dean tells Sam that he was right, to live his own life, to go after what he wants and that he stands up to Dad. He admires Sam, and is proud of him. Dean hangs up after telling Sam to call him after he found Dad. Meg wakes up, and wonders who Sam was just talking with. He tells her that it was his brother, and that he had just said "Goodbye."

Dean asks about the local lore on pagan idolatry, possibly imported by immigrants. Professor answers the ancestors of Burkittsville were Northern Europeans, who would have Norse gods. There are hundreds of Norse gods and goddesses, the Professor explains as he pulls out a book and starts to flip through it. Dean is only interested in one that might live in an orchard. As the pages are flipped Dean notices a scarecrow on a post surrounded by farmers in a field. He starts to read up on it. It is called Vanir, of protection and prosperity, with worshippers offering human sacrifice of one male and one female. They derive their power from a sacred tree, so Dean speculates torching the tree would kill one. He thanks the professor and heads out... where the sheriff renders him unconscious with the butt of his rifle.

There is a meeting with all the people included in the ritual. They all have mixed emotions on their next sacrifice, and how the Vanir is angry with them and the sacrifice must be made. Dean has to die, but Harley is questioning the wisdom of Emily being sacrificed. It becomes clear that the Jorgesons are going to use Emily for the female sacrifice, when they toss her down into the cellar with Dean. Emily, scared and ignorant, wants to know why her Aunt and Uncle are doing this. Stacey answers, "For the common good." They shut the door.

Back at the bus station, Sam gets worried when Dean does not answer his phone that he might be in trouble. Despite Meg encouraging him to come with her to California, Sam decides to go after Dean, because he is family.

Dean tries to hit the door to get out, but to no avail. He realizes that Emily has no knowledge of the Scarecrow and explains how they are being sacrificed. He also questions her if she knows about a "special tree." Emily tells Dean of the First Tree, an apple tree brought over by the first immigrants and revered by the town. The locals show up to take them to the orchard, and tie them up to trees near the Scarecrow. Emily pleas to be let free and questions why they are doing this. They want her to know it was for the town. Dean accuses the sheriff, but the townspeople remain stubborn and leave them for the Scarecrow. Emily asks Dean if he has a plan. He says, "I'm working on it." Time passed, and Dean and Emily were still tied up. Dean still said "I'm working on it" when she asked what the plan was again. They hear a rustling and think it is the Scarecrow but turns it out to be Sam. Sam releases Dean and they look over to find the Scarecrow is gone. The three of them run off through the orchard, planning to come back in the morning, but the locals intercept them. They surround Sam, Dean and Emily. Emily begs Stacey and Harley to let them go. The aunt and uncle promise it will be over quickly and for Emily to let the Scarecrow take her, but they are interrupted when the scarecrow kills Harley, and grabs Stacey, taking them both. The townspeople run off, and the brothers and Emily get clear.

The next day Sam, Dean, and Emily go to find the First Tree, inscribed with runes. Sam pours gasoline over it, and Dean prepares to torch it. Emily insists on setting it on fire herself, knowing it will kill the town, and it goes up in flames. The boys take Emily to the bus station; she is heading to Boston. Dean offers to drop Sam somewhere, but Sam tells him he has decided to stay with him, and that they should stick together. Dean gives a snarky response. Sam says, "You should be kissing my ass. You were dead meat, dude." Dean claims he had a plan, and they climb into the Impala.

Meg is hitch-hiking again with some guy in a van and tells the driver to pull over, that she has to make a call. She pulls out a silver goblet, cuts his throat with a knife, and catches the blood in the cup. After making an incantation over the goblet, she speaks to someone, saying she could have stopped Sam or even taken them both. She receives a silent explanation and responds, "Yes - yes, father," clearly indicating that the Winchesters are known to them.