I felt my own heart pounding in my chest, watching the nurses and doctors work frantically to save my brother’s life. The sound of the heart monitor was deafening and I could barely even hear my own thoughts over the noise. I’d never felt so helpless, like there was absolutely nothing I could possibly do to stop this from happening. Then the guilt set in.. what if it could’ve all been prevented? What if.. I had done something– anything different, would we still be here? I felt numb, in a daze of sorts. I felt so lost at this moment.. So lost in the lack of sound and scene. What was happening to me? Eric Kripke and Kim Manners have written and directed a heart-wrenching, anxiety-inducing episode within their already enthralling universe of Supernatural. (2005) This series intertwines suspense, horror and drama all into one storyline between just two brothers and their acquaintances along the way. Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) make their way through the world.. ‘Saving people, hunting things,’ their “family business.” Which consists of going around the country and on rare occasions even the world, fighting supernatural beings and protecting civilians from things that go bump in the night.  “In My Time of Dying” is the riveting, tear jerking pilot of the second season from Eric Kripke’s Supernatural. It is certainly an episode with an enticing storyline, as well as one with deep, unspoken emotion to make your heart ache with a dull sensation of sorrow.

In Season 2, Episode 1 titled “In My Time of Dying” we find Dean Winchester in fatal condition after a semi-trailer truck v. car wreck located in Shiloh County, Missouri. His brother Sam and his father John (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) are left alive and now with the task to put their differences aside and bring Dean back from being trapped within the veil. Although Dean swore he’d fight and never give up on this life as well as saying that this battle could not be fought without him, when met with a reaper holding the name of “Tessa” he begins to rethink this decision. 

The reason why the storyline is so captivating is due to the emotional depth of the characters and the high stakes of the plot. This particular episode is a game changer because it starts to delve into the complex relationships between the members of the Winchester family (mainly Sam, Dean and John) and the lengths they will go to protect each other. Sam is willing to do whatever it takes to save his brother’s life, even using an “Ouija Board” (A spiritual board and planchette used to speak to ghosts beyond the veil) to communicate with Dean to figure out how to save him. Their father then makes the ultimate sacrifice to keep Dean alive and fighting, despite the odds. The characters confront major grief and loss, as well as the fear of losing each other in the process.

The emotions “In My Time of Dying" are raw and intense, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats. The emotions are extremely palpable from the very beginning. The episode also explores the complicated relationship between John and his sons, and the emotions that come with that. The flashbacks to their past are poignant and bittersweet, highlighting the love and loyalty that they have for each other. For example, in Season 1, “Salvation” Sam and Dean are actively trying to save a family from a demon that John has been hunting for years now. Once John shows up unexpectedly, he and Sam find themselves caught in a heated argument about John’s hunting obsession and neglect. Sam is accusing John of not caring and only using Dean to further his agenda and John is insisting how he’s just “trying to protect them” while Sam storms out and Dean continues to hunt the demon with John.  Overall, the emotions are definitely what make this episode so powerful, and it’s a strong testament to the show’s writing and acting that they are able to convey such complex emotions so effectively. 

“In My Time of Dying” is undeniably an episode filled with intense passion and admiration. This story is one that will certainly draw you in, wanting more of it. Supernatural is with no doubt an excellent choice for those who love to dabble in the genres of fear and fantasy with raw emotion intertwined in the mix. If truth be told, these two brothers will definitely grow on you.