Supernatural 1.7: "Hook Man"

Written by John Shiban
Directed by David Jackson

In which Sam and Dean run across an apparent strike by the Hook Man, but when they begin researching the experiences of a young woman, they find an unexpected origin…


I’ll be honest. When I saw the promo for the Hook Man, I was a bit skeptical. I’ve never really taken to that legend, and it felt like an early grab for ratings, given how often it’s been used as a theme over the years. But it didn’t take long for the concept to win me over, because it wasn’t treated like something above and beyond the norm for the Winchester brothers. Instead of a stunt episode, this was a solidly dark tale.

Normally, the hot women on this show are little more than skinny eye candy. Even Amy Acker was tossed out for show, with very little character to work with (leaving aside commentary on her acting). Jane McGregor, on the other hand, blew me away. Her role still wasn’t overly complex, but since her psychology was at the center of the story, Lori and her interaction with Sam was critical to the episode’s success. I’ve never seen this actress before, but I was impressed at how quickly she could turn on the hotness.

Speaking of Sam, I wasn’t nearly as disappointed in his character as I have been in the past. I don’t know what the difference was, exactly, but I found him to be a bit more fleshed out in this episode. I think part of it was his interaction with Lori. He was clearly attracted, but also all too aware of his own personal history. It worked for me, even if it wasn’t the strongest character development in the world.

Oddly, Dean was probably less interesting in this episode than in any previous installment, which is probably due to the focus on Sam. In the previous episode, I noticed that Dean was carrying the episode, despite the focus on Sam and his past history. This time, Sam managed to carry the story forward, and Dean punctuated the story with his personality. Like I said before, I was a little surprised by that.

The Hook Man effects were fairly well done, especially for television, and I really liked how the legend was translated into the world of “Supernatural”. It’s that intersection of regional “history” with the accumulated legendarium that is so appealing. While some might feel that it demystifies the legend, it serves as a simple hook (no pun intended) into the central premise of the series’ mythology: all legends and stories have an origin.

This episode was also laced with lots of continuity nods: the constant references to Sam’s college experience, Dean’s lack thereof, the search for their father, etc. It gave an episode with plenty of stand-alone elements a certain serial mystique. While I usually go for serialized storytelling, this series is working its style well enough to overcome that. This episode is another good example of why.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10