IMTOD is also memorable for John Winchester’s sacrifice of his life to save his son’s and his apology to Dean for turning him into a parentified child at a frighteningly young age.
John to Dean: You’d say, it’s okay, Dad. I should’ve been saying that to you.
He’s right.
It also includes Sam telling Dean, literally, to “keep fighting”, foreshadowing how immensely important that phrase would eventually become to this fandom and these actors.
Everybody Loves A Clown
There are two scenes in this episode that still gave me chills when I rewatched. The opening scene where Sam discovers his father collapsed on the floor, his coffee cup dropping and shattering, as the clock ticks down with the soundtrack and finally stops, is 60 seconds of cinematic genius.
This is also the episode when Dean, who has been repressing his anger and grief while Sam urges him to talk about it, finally loses it. You don’t see it coming, it explodes out of him as violently as the hammer shatters the window of the Impala. It’s a gorgeous, powerful, iconic scene – and it kills me still to see it. The amount of emotion, pain, rage, that Dean was holding back here – it’s palpable, the screen practically quivers with it as we watch. I remember thinking my god, who are these actors? How can they show so much emotion with so few words?