Supernatural (TV Series) After School Special (2009) User Reviews

Compliment to the writers!

[PrivateBozz · 9/10 · 31 January 2009]

I don't write reviews often, but this Supernatural episode, 'After School Special' was the episode I was missing the whole time without even knowing. So I have to say a few words about it.

The insights the many flashbacks allow us add a lot to the characters and the show as a whole. Finally we see exactly what life the brothers had to lead, what it did to them as teenagers, how it affected their everyday life and social contacts. These insights bring the show to a new level. To see these things, to get to the more human aspect - this was long overdue. And it was done so well! This is Supernatural at its best, this is Supernatural how it can be if done by the right people with the right motivation.

I also want to compliment the two actors who played the young Winchesters, Colin Ford (Sam) and Brock Kelly (Dean). If they hadn't succeeded in doing quite an impressive job this whole episode would have backfired. But they did.

My highlight of this episode is the controversial scene, in which Dean yells at the other students that he's a hero. I never expected this almost piteous behavior, and though I know that there's a lot of people who find it out of character, I want to thank the writers for showing us an 'uncool' layer of Deans personality. It makes the character so much more real to me, and going into this direction takes a lot of guts.

So, a big THANK YOU to Eric Kripke and the writers Andrew Dabb and Daniel Loflin. I hope those two get a lot of opportunities to show us more of their skills.

The cutest episode ever!!!1

[sad-eyed-angel · 10/10 · 1 February 2009]

Cute usually isn't a word used to describe Supernatural, but that's what this episode ultimately was. It combined the drama, the funny, the flashbacks into something that was really fun to watch. While this isn't the first episode to show flashbacks, it's the first that have them in flashbacks as teenagers. Brock Kelly, who played teenage Dean was absolutely perfect, from making out with a hot blonde in a supply closet to, after a kid picks on Sam, "i'm gonna rip his lungs out." Colin Ford, who plays younger Sam, has played younger Sam before and plays up his shyness, wanting to do what's right perfectly. This episode is hysterical in another aspect because since Sam and Dean's case is at their old high school, triggering all these wonderful flashbacks, Sam takes a job as a janitor and Dean takes a job as a gym teacher. That enough would be hysterical, seeing Dean in his little red shorts and barking out "take a lap!" to making the kids play dodge ball. He tells Sam "With this whistle I'm their God". It still has the drama of hunting down the ghost and Sam feeling guilty about it being his fault the ghost turned out the way he died. Overall, this is one of the best episodes in Season 4.

Kids Can Be Vicious

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 7 June 2010]

Dean and Sam travel to Fairfax, Indiana, to investigate a murder case in the Truman High School where the teenager killer April Dawkins claims to be possessed in the moment she killed her schoolmate Taylor. While the Winchester brothers check the school and follow a wrong lead, they recall through flashbacks of their past in the same high-school. In 1997, Dean flirted with the sexy Amanda Heckerling and Sam befriended the bullied Barry Cook and defended him against the bully Dirk MacGregor.

"After School Special" is a nice and funny episode of Supernatural. The story of the young Dean and Sam helps to build both characters and the theme bullying could not be more updated. The actors Collin Ford and Brock Kelly have good performances and give credibility to the youthfulness of the Winchester brothers. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Especial: Depois da Escola" ("Special: After School")

Kids are brutal

[shwetafabm · 9/10 · 12 June 2020]

The underlaying message was great, done well. The lives of the guys when young was shown and the casting was impeccable It had its funny moments with Dean too. I love the ghosts in spn, i wasn't completely into this one but it was fine. The only little problem i have with almost all the spn episodes is the fight scene, it just doesn't thrill me at times.

The first 10 of the season!

[mm-39 · 10/10 · 31 January 2009]

After School Special is a great episode. The theme of high school, and how people do not fit is real life. Many people get emotionally mauled in high school. Funny, my work place is like that. An angry spirit haunts a school, which the Winchesters once attended. Two plots twisted together. One with the brothers past, which is the cause of the vengeful spirit in the present. Well done from the beginning to the end. Supernatural's back in high gear, like the series first two seasons. I give After School Special a 10 out of 10. A hint about the show Dean wears his welcome out as always, while Sam blends in. Great character development! I love the part where Dean is the old school gym coach. Did they really ban dodge ball from school?

The self-awareness of the writing helps

[CubsandCulture · 10/10 · 8 March 2020]

This could have been a really cloying and preachy episode but that the writers did things like title it After School Special and make Sam the bully help sell the premise and them. As it is the episode ends up being a good message wrapped in a very entertaining hour of TV that has the requisite melodrama and thrills of Supernatural. Oh and this episode has Jensen in short shorts. so win win all around.

Back to school

[zombiehigh18 · 8/10 · 26 November 2011]

It's been a very long time since we had those old "salt and burn" Supernatural moments. Though some would think Supernatural writers are running out of ideas as they spend less time concentrating on the myth arc, the boys role in Armageddon and the breaking of the 66 seals, This episode had more insights in the boys lives, their backgrounds as well as its effect on their future calls than we might think.

Going back to one of their old schools on a seemingly simple ghost hunt job, Sam and Dean walk down the memory lane and take us back to their teenage years. Dean was Dean, a play boy, rebellious to authorities, having troubles with commitment, overprotective of his brother and wearing his bad boy persona to cover his inner insecurities and struggles in a crazy world. On the other hand we see how much Sam has changed, Back in his young years he was still the boy who craved the normal safe life he always wanted, he had nobody in the world to talk to except Dean, who clearly has no problem with the life, so Sam expresses his feelings about his life and his desires in a werewolf story, not caring what the teacher might think. (strange how Sam is the one who is always pushing his brother to talk about his issues when he is really the one holding back his emotions, refusing to share it with anyone) Young Sam is not happy with is life, he doesn't want to be constantly moving around the country, he doesn't want to be a freak and is not willing to defend himself against the school's bully. While now Sam clearly still not happy with his life, seems to be more accepting of his destiny but still wants a way out, a way to end all this craziness, a way to find peace.

Away from the good writing and the brilliant directing of the episode, I really enjoyed the casting of this one.Colin Ford and Brock Kelly as young Sam and Dean respectively were an amazing choice. Brock Kelly as young Dean, with his handsome bad boy persona, wearing his necklace and the leather jacket ,was great and what can I say about Colin Ford, the boy sells it easy as being young Sam with the same shyness and brooding looks. However I wished Jeffrey Dean Morgan could make even a slight appearance to this episode, he was surely missed.

Favourite moments, where can I start:

1- Dean reluctant to go back to the school where his shield was first broken like a hundred years ago. He hated that school, not for what happened to Sam as he claimed but for what happened to him unbeknown to Sam, which leads us to the most memorable "I'm a hero" scene. It's good to see a different side of Dean, to see how he would react when ripped off of his cool persona shield, to see him struggling with his self worth.

2- It's nice to see the boys posing in a regular job away from their usual aliases. Cool it is to see college boy Sam getting a job as a janitor while Dean as a substitute coach, in shorts!!!!! (I thought he didn't do shorts, see season one's "Wendigo"). Again Dean finds no trouble fitting in a new surrounding, finding fun out of every situation (Going to Hell or not Dean is still Dean)

3- When Dean and Amanda were in the closet, she asked him "don't you miss your daddy?", the look on young Dean's face and his silent answer gave me goosebumps. I felt extra sad for the way they were forced to live, on their own having nobody but each other.

4- Sam sitting in the Impala sad for having to burn the bones of a friend he couldn't save, while Dean is comforting him telling him it is not his fault.

5- Young Dean furious about the kid who took a beat on Sam was nice (Which mirrors current Dean's same attitude to the ghost hurting his brother), It was also cute to see Dean talking to his brother about his relationship with Amanda rather than to someone his age, simply because Dean's only friend is Sam.

6- Young Sam with the teacher scene vs Current Sam's parallel one with him. What can I say about that?

7- Sam trying to reach out to dirk, stressing that he is not evil (Clearly Sam is still struggling with his fate yet not talking about it) While Dean stands in the background just listening to is brother. But did it get better for you Sam?!

Fun!

[lkm1900 · 9/10 · 11 May 2020]

Glad to be back to an episode that isn't about the angel/demon story arc.

Into the Arms of Righteous Anger

[ttapola · 7/10 · 30 July 2011]

So, an episode where the case of the week takes the Winchesters to one of their old schools? With promises of revelations about their teenage years? A lot of potential there. And the pre-title sequence sets the Monster-of-the-Week as something that seems to be after vengeance against bullies, a subject that many people can relate to. The success of the episode, however, rests on not just how interesting the past and the present story lines are – it depends on how meaningful the connection between them is.

The past gives us rather good insight on why Sam was not in the family business at the start of Season 1 and why Dean is, well, Dean. And the casting of young Sam and young Dean is excellent. Colin Ford and Brock Kelly should not go unemployed as actors. However, the fact that Dean Morgan doesn't appear at all, *even* briefly, whether he was available or not, does really hamper the sequences set in the past.

The present gives us a pretty brutal case and the writers have been creative when coming up with the monster too. Most monsters in Supernatural the viewer cannot relate to, but you may find yourself actually rooting for this monster. Also, the Winchesters' cover roles are funny, and a welcome change to their most common roles as FBI agents with names of rock/hard rock/metal musicians. Finally, there needs to be a reason why the monster has not become active *until* now, and the writers come up with a plausible reason that follows the rules established by the series.

The connection between the past and the present is meaningful in more ways than one. It fleshes out Sam and Dean, but also shows us how one *really* should consider the repercussions of one's actions – they might have a *much* longer and larger effect than one might at first think. The problem is, this is a lesson familiar from so many movies and TV shows that it really does not offer anything new. Also, the pacing of the episode as a whole is not that great and the climax comes too soon. So, this is a good, 7/10, episode but not a great one.