Supernatural (TV Series) Born Under a Bad Sign (2007) User Reviews

Nice Job Jared

[jbs64 · 8/10 · 9 February 2007]

I really enjoyed this episode about the demon-possessed Sam. It was nice to have a little break from watching Dean's tortured soul while the main focus was upon Sam as we were led to believe he was descending into his dreaded destiny.

At first I thought another "shapeshifter" but the writer was smart enough to quickly address then dismiss that obvious answer. Then I thought, "maybe it's time for Sam to start descending..." But I guess the writer just wanted to tease us a little with that thought as well. Then finally we're told the truth - it's that nasty little demon that originally possessed poor Meg Masters from Season One - what a great idea! It's been mentioned in past episodes that when a demon is exorcised it takes a while before it crawls its way back out of hell to seek revenge. Now we know what Meg's demon has been up to since it was exorcised in Season One Finale (which, by the way, was an excellent finale).

What was especially enjoyable about this episode was Jared's performance. It was strangely entertaining to watch. Jared Padalecki appeared to be having a lot of fun playing this "possessed" character. He wasn't over the top but nasty enough to scare you and at the same time leaving you feeling you wanted to see more...and more...

"My daddy shot your daddy in the head!"

[zombiehigh18 · 10/10 · 5 November 2011]

I love season 2. I think it was the most solid season so far with a well built story arc. The season contains many of my favorite episodes, but this one definitely takes the cake.

This episode was nothing but awesome from the get go, starting from the mystery of what is happening to Sam, to the Sam and Jo conversation and ending with the amazing fight between the protagonists. (and poor Sammy always gets a punch :(.

Jared Padalecki was sure having so much fun doing this episode, he seemed to enjoy it very much and kept swinging smoothly between different personalities with ease and professionalism. The writers have finally decided to give him something more and he completely nailed it. And I always enjoyed seeing him playing the evil guy.(OK I'll shut up now, I think, I'm over reacting). Jensen was on par as always.

OK. Sam is gone missing, Crazy worried Dean is looking for him every where, till he gets a call from Sam telling him his whereabouts. Dean rushes over to find Sam shocked and covered in blood. (I loved it when his only concern was to check on Sam no matter whose blood was that as long as Sammy was OK). Later they are lead to a house, where they find the owner is killed and the surveillance camera shows Sam killing the guy. Furthermore, they learn that he was a hunter. While Sam is still in shock, Dean acts fast to clean up their tracks and wipe out all the evidence. Back in the motel, Sam asks Dean to fulfil his promise and kill him. However Dean strongly refuses, so Sam knocks him out and leaves heading to the bar where Jo is working. He tells her the truth about how her father died and ties her up, when Dean arrives and it is revealed that Sam is actually possessed by a daemon. Yet Sam again manages to escape after shooting Dean in the shoulder. Then he goes to see Bobby, who quickly knows that something is wrong with Sam and traps him in one of the Devil's traps. Later on, it turns out that Meg has been possessing Sam to compel Dean to kill his brother as revenge on both of them.

This episode shows how much Dean is willing to protect his brother, even if he goes dark side and establishes the idea that no matter what Sam does, Dean will always forgive him. It also shows how much pain Dean is still feeling for John's death and his absolute fear over Sam's destiny.

So, Now the boys are having: the FBI on their trail, hunters looking for whoever killed their friend, Daemons trying to get even with them and of course The Yellow Eyed Daemon's plans for Sam.

Yey to writers for bringing Bobby back, it is always good to see him, but I can't say I'm as thrilled with Jo's return. (I have nothing against the girl, I really like her but it seems that the writers are screwing up her character more and more every time she appears).

Applaud for Kripke on this episode, I never get enough watching it. The music score was also wonderful.

Possession

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 15 July 2008]

Sam vanishes and Dean tracks his brother through the cell phone, and finds Sam in a hotel in Twin Lake with amnesia and blood traces. They try to follows the last steps of Sam and they discover that Sam has killed a hunter in his cabin. Sam hits Dean and escapes to Duluth, Minnesota, where he meets and attacks Jo Harvelle. However Dean arrives and saves her but Sam escapes again. Dean finds Sam in South Dakota in the house of Bobby Singer, when they discover that Sam is possessed by a powerful demon.

"Born Under a Bad Sign" is another great episode, with a top-notch performance of Jared Padalecki that changes his behavior many times along the story. I found hilarious the scene when the demon is exorcised and Dean punches Sam on his face. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Nascido Num Signo Ruim" ("Born Under a Bad Sign")

Definitely one of my faves :D

[super_frog16 · 10/10 · 20 March 2007]

I loved this episode soo much!! I thought it was really well done also as who would have guessed that 'Meg' would have made a reappearance! Fantastic episode in my opinion. And may i add a round of applause to Jared's (aka Sam) performance as an evil being demon. His character took a complete 180, and he handled it fantastically! And of course Jensen's acting was on par as usual! He is such an asset to the show and I think his despair was beautifully portrayed! And yay for bringing back Bobby, i love it when he makes an appearance, he is such a fatherly figure for the boys now John is gone, and always pulls through....and doesn't even complain when he gets thrown into a wall by evil demons! Yay for friends like that. Jo was a nice addition also. Although i don't agree with a female hunter essentially tagging along with the boys in every ep, i think that the part she played in this episode was essential and smoothly added. I'm not as opposed to her being in the series as some people, and I really like her, Ash and Ellens roles as and when they appear. yeah anyways, i'm thinking you get my point here, one giant thumbs up to Kripke and his team of writers for this fantastic episode!1! XsarahX

Great guys!

[princess6000 · 10/10 · 13 February 2007]

Awesome! It just keeps getting better. I enjoyed this one and I think the plot was good. It worked well you're led to believe that Sam has started down the path of his destiny.Jared Padalecki did a really good job. The demon was definitely seeing how far Dean would let the whole thing go before he gave in. This whole season there's been one thing or another going on between the brothers. I like the fact the Jo's back. She's mad at the boys which doesn't make sense. What happened to her dad wasn't their fault. Does anyone know if the demon was telling the truth about how Jo's dad died. At the end, when they were in the Impala, Dean made a joke. It was really nice to see a smile it's the first time Dean's smiled this season. Tall Tales does look promising.

Born Under A Bad Sign

[qt_w_booty007 · 10/10 · 10 February 2007]

This episode was by far, IMO, the best of them all. I strongly believe that every episode gets better, but I'll be darned to see them top this one (although I am certain Kripke has more ideas up his sleeve). I don't want to spoil the episode for you, but a basic summary is that Sam pretty much goes on a killing spree and Dean is out to stop him before he hurts others. It is a very complex plot; it is full of conflict (interior and exterior) : Sam vs. himself, Dean vs. Sam, Dean vs. himself, etc. The only thing I didn't like about this episode is that Jo has come back. I'm sorry, some like Jo, but I am not one of them. I'm glad she gets hurt, but I don't want to say too much. Anyways, this episode was absolutely great, and there was humour to lighten the load, so to speak. 10/10

This show had me guessing

[mm-39 · 9/10 · 24 July 2007]

I love watching a story unfold where the viewer is guessing the next plot twist. The anticipation for the conclusion was unbearable! This show is well directed, and acted. The supporting cast was superb. The gas station scene with the clerk was excellent, and Dean's solution of bribery was great. Sam gets a break from being the good guy and plays an evil character. The character twist adds new life to the show. Who was doing the killing? Would Dean kill Sam? The smart guy in the junkyard who solved the problem wraps up the story nicely. 9 out of 10. A fresh new episode. Can hardly wait to buy the second season on DVD which is set to come out on September 11, 2007.

Brotherly love

[MariaLBD · 9/10 · 6 March 2021]

Dean is in full-on big brother mode in this episode. We see his concern and worry for Sam early in the episode and we later see his refusal to hurt Sam, going so far as to say he'd rather die than kill or hurt Sam.

Dean is, of course, always the big brother and there's always a simmering level of protectiveness towards Sam throughout the series but we really see it in the forefront in this episode. The relationship beyween the brothers is the backbone of the show and episodes like this that highlight it really shine.

As an added treat, we get to see another side of Jared Padalecki's acting skills in this episode.

Where is Sam

[shwetafabm · 9/10 · 28 May 2020]

The show goes a little too much into will sam go bad but its still a thrilling episode

Something's up with Sam.

[snwbatz · 8/10 · 3 June 2022]

Unlike Roadkill the twist in this episode doesn't destroy it. It actually makes it better because rewatching it and noticing how different Sam is acting and knowing that he's possessed by Meg makes it more fun.

Okay. Not as good as some make out

[gladys64 · 6/10 · 30 June 2020]

Found this episode quite dull. Yes the acting was superb as always. But getting a little bored of the sam/demon story line. I much prefer the stand alone episodes that have a good beginning. Middle and end. This just isn't holding me. And I agree. Jo adds a little extra dimension and it's good having a female hunter.

A true waste of an idea

[CubsandCulture · 7/10 · 14 September 2019]

This is the episode where I most differ from the received view. As delightful as it is to see Padalecki turn in a menacing performance much of the script ends up being a narrative cheat. The 1st act is nothing but a mindgame pulled on Dean and the brothers' melodrama rings false once you see the solution in the plot. The confrontation in the motel room is deprived of meaning once you realize Dean was always in the right anyway. Apart from that this is one of the least scary episodes back when the show was still trying to be a horror show and some of the Sam is evil now touches, i.e. smoking, is the work of a hack writer.

I don't get enough from the fan service implicit in the Sam-Jo scene for this to be much more than a wasted opportunity.

Not the best

[devif · 7/10 · 9 February 2007]

I was slightly disappointed at the tameness of this particular episode. It was still a brilliant Winchester take, but it lacked the Winchester touch. There are one of these in every season of just about any show you watch, so i am relieved that we got that over and done with. This episode did have its perks, though. When Sam realized that he checked in as Richard Sambora, just about everyone smiled. Dean was on Justin Timberlake this time, and yes, that IS a long way to go for a Jusin concert. I must say, the plot-work was pretty darn good, and while this episode was not quite my taste, is still brought back Jo, one of everyone's favorite (Epecially Mine!)characters. Whatever happens, guys, Im rooting for you! (Did anyone else see the teaser at the end? Tall Tales looks Promising)

Could Have Been Better

[jfarsadi · 7/10 · 15 February 2007]

I was surprised and elated to see the return of Jo Harvelle in this intriguing episode. Sam gone bad was an interesting thing to watch as well. The episode definitely took a few turns that I didn't anticipate and therefore kept my interest.

That being said, the last we see of Jo in this episode may be the last we see of her character and that is a mistake. She and Dean had some great chemistry (go Alona Tal!) despite what other people said and it was so refreshing to see a female hunter character on the show.

I really like Dean and Sam. The acting is good (especially by Jensen Ackles who plays Dean) and the brothers relationship is an interesting one. However, the show would increase in depth and dimension by adding an exciting female hunter to the duo who could mix things up--both by challenging gender stereotypes and with possible romantic entanglements that could play out over more than a single episode. I mean these guys are heterosexual after all!

The writers may have been going in this direction earlier in the season with the introduction of mother and daughter, Ellen and Jo Harvelle in episode #2, but they seemed to have backed out after episode #6, No Exit, and my interest in the show has been deteriorating slowly since then.

I agree the mythological arch of Season 2 has been a little silly. There's very little suspense in the idea that Sam may be a devil child because then Dean would either have to waste him or Sam would become the very thing Dean hunts and neither possibility is likely or desirable. Sam must be saved and that's that. I really hope the show comes back to it's senses and returns to the fabulous idea of adding some new, important, female hunter/s into the mix.