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Hell House is the 17th episode of Season 1. It aired on March 30th, 2006.

Summary[]

Dean Purgatory Blade.png There was something about being there... It felt pure.

This episode summary is an official CW press release. It may contain errors.
DO NOT CHANGE!

Sam and Dean investigate a house haunted by the ghost of Mordecai, a man who killed his six daughters during the 1930s. The brothers discover a website dedicated to the Mordecai legend and realize the town is unknowingly conjuring up the evil spirit through the site.

Plot[]

A group of teenagers in Richardson, Texas, visit a reputedly haunted house, but the thrills turn tragic when they find the body of a girl hanging in the cellar. However, by the time the police arrive, the body is missing.

Sam and Dean, who are engaged in a prank war, decide to investigate and track down Craig Thursten, who relates the legend, told to him by his cousin Dana, of Mordechai Murdoch, a farmer who lived in the house during the 1930s, and who killed his daughters, hanging them in the cellar to spare them from starving to death caused by The Depression.

Sam and Dean visit the house, which has symbols painted from many different origins freshly painted on the walls and floor. While searching the house, the boys run into Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler, paranormal investigators, who run a website called Hell Hound's Lair.

Sam and Dean do some more research, but can't find any evidence to support the legend of Mordechai Murdoch. They are preparing to leave when they hear that the previous night a girl did die in the house – hung from the rafters.

The next night, they return to the house, only to find it cordoned off by the police. They also spot Ed and Harry attempting to infiltrate the house. Dean shouts out, alerting the officers to the HellHounds' presence, who give chase, allowing the Winchesters to get inside. Venturing into the basement, they run into the spirit of Mordechai who chases them from the house and is not slowed by a blast of rock-salt. As they break down the door, they run past Ed and Harry, who capture footage of Mordechai before being apprehended by the police.

Back at their motel, the boys try and work out what is happening. Mordechai's spirit appeared to have slit wrists, which was previously not part of his legend. The story on the Hell Hound's Lair website has also changed.

Dean recognizes one of the symbols painted in the house, and he and Sam return to visit Craig. The symbol is from a Blue Oyster Cult album cover – and Craig works in a record shop. Craig admits that he and his cousin painted the symbols and spread the rumour about Mordechai as a prank.

Sam postulates that Mordechai is a Tulpa – the manifestation of a thought. One of the symbols painted in the house is Tibetan spirit sigil, which assists in concentrating mental energy. Sam thinks that as people view the website, they are willing into reality what they read there.

In order to "kill off" Mordechai, the boys tell Ed and Harry that they have found out that being shot with iron rounds will kill him. They wait for the boys to post it on their website, and enough people view it so that it becomes real.

Sam and Dean return to the house to finish off Mordechai, but Ed and Harry are there and tell them the server crashed, so the new legend will not manifest. As Mordechai attacks them, Dean sets the house on fire, figuring that without that part of the legend Mordechai won't exist.

Sam and Dean farewell Ed and Harry – Sam with a prank call from a Hollywood producer and Dean with a fish in the back of their car. The boys call a halt to their own prank war... for now.

Characters[]

Main Cast[]

Recurring Cast[]

Guest Stars[]

Co-Stars[]

Featured Supernatural Beings[]

Continuity[]

Trivia[]

  • Antagonist: Mordechai Murdoch
  • This is the first episode to air on Thursday Nights on The WB. (Replacing Everwood on Thursday Nights).
  • At the record shop while Craig is telling the story of the hell house Dean is browsing and pulls out a record by Kansas "Point of Know Return", foreshadowing the use of the Kansas song 'Carry on Wayward Son' throughout the series.
  • The names Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spengler are a reference to the characters Winston Zeddmore and Egon Spengler from Ghostbusters. Dean's shout of "Who ya gonna call?" is a popular quote from the same movie.
  • Richardson is a suburb of Dallas and is also the hometown of Dean's actor, Jensen Ackles.

Errors[]

  • At 9:57 they mention a Sigil of Sulfur, but show a symbol of a cross inside a circle, which resembles a sun cross.
  • Around 26:30 (as Dean is getting coffee) you can hear “go Jensen”
  • Around 34:56 to 34:57, a member of the filming crew is visible in the bottom right corner of the shot. This happens when Dean and Sam shoot the ghost and then split up, leaving the Ghostfacers asking each other: 'did you get him, he's gone'... (http://makeagif.com/CploXU).

Deaths[]

Featured Music[]

  • "Jaded Little Love Song" by Rob Meany and Terramara
  • "Fire Of Unknown Origin" by Blue Oyster Cult
  • "Burnin' For You" by Blue Oyster Cult
  • "Slow Death" by Extreme Music
  • "Anthem" by Extreme Music
  • "Point Of No Return" by Rex Horbart And The Misery Boys
  • "Fast Train Down" by The Waco Brothers
  • "Vicki and Jacky" by Robert Roth

Cultural References[]

Dean: Aw, what's the matter, Sammy? Scared you're going to get a little Nair in your shampoo again, huh?

  • Nair is a popular hair removal product made by Church & Dwight.

Craig: I'm a writer too. I write for my school's lit magazine. Dean: Well, good for you Morrison.

  • A reference to Jim Morrison,  the lead vocalist of the rock band The Doors who was greatly interested and influenced by a wide range of literature during his teen years. He was also friends with writers at the Los Angeles Free Press, for which he advocated until his death in 1971.

Dean: I hate rats.

  • This could be a reference to Harrison Ford's character "Indiana Jones," who has a similar aversion against snakes. Harrison Ford also plays Han Solo in Star Wars, a character Dean has been related to by series producer Eric Kripke.

Ed: No. Would John Edward go? We've lost the cops, let's find our center and get some work done. 

  • John Edward is a psychic medium and was the star of the show Crossing over with John Edward from 1999 to 2004.

Dean: Tell me, Craig, you, uh, you into BOC? Or just scaring the hell outta people. Now, why don't you tell us about the house... Without lying through your ass this time. 

  • BOC stands for Blue Oyster Cult whose hook-and-cross appeared on the episode. The logo itself is tied to the Greek Titan  Kronos.

Ed: This stuff here... This is our ticket to the big time right here. Fame, money, sex. With girls. OK? Be brave. WWBD. What would Buffy do? Huh?

Ed: The power of Christ compels you.

  • A line taken from the 1973 movie The Exorcist.

Quotes[]

(Dean and Sam ask the kids about the haunted house.)
Second Teen Boy: "It was the scariest thing I ever saw in my life, I swear to God!"
Third Teen Boy: "From the moment we walked in. The walls were painted black."
Second Teen Boy: "Red."
Teen Girl: "I think it was blood."
Second Teen Boy: "With all these freaky symbols."
Third Teen Boy: "Crosses and stars and..."
Second Teen Boy: "Pentagons..."
Third Teen Boy: "Pentacostals!"
Teen Girl: "Whatever. I had my eyes closed the whole time."
Second Teen Boy: "But I can damn sure tell you this much, no matter what anybody else says."
Teen Girl: "That poor girl."
Third Teen Boy: "With the black..."
Second Teen Boy: "Blonde..."
Teen Girl: "Red hair, just, just, just hanging there!"
Second Teen Boy: "Kicking!"
Third Teen Boy: "Without even moving!"
Teen Girl: "She was real!"
Second Teen Boy: "It's 100 percent!"
Third Teen Boy: "And kinda hot. Well you know, in a dead sort of way."
Dean: "Okay..."
Sam: "And how did you find out about this place anyway?"
Together: "Craig!"


Dean: (looking at some signs on the walls) "Looks like old man Murdoch was a bit of a tagger during his time:"
Sam: "And after his time too. The reverse cross has been used by Satanists for centuries, but this Sigil of Sulfur didn't show up in San Francisco until the '60s."
Dean: "Huh. That's exactly why you never get laid."


(Sam and Dean find the Hell House guarded by police.)
Sam: "I guess the cops don't want any more kids screwin' around in there."
Dean: "Yeah, but we still gotta get in there."
(They hear loud whispering.)
Dean: "I don't believe it."
(Sam looks and sees Ed and Harry trying to sneak up on the house.)
Dean: "I got an idea." (he throws his voice) "Who ya gonna call?"
(The cops chase the other two so that Sam and Dean can sneak into the house.)


(after seeing Mordechai)
Ed: "Sweet Lord..."
Harry: "...of the Rings."


Dean: "This whole damn job's bugging me. I thought the legend said that Mordechai only goes after chicks."
Sam: "It does."
Dean: "All right. I mean that explains why he went after you. But why me?"
Sam: "Hilarious."


Dean: "You know, I couldn't figure out what that symbol was, and then I realized that it doesn't mean anything. It's a logo for Blue Öyster Cult. So tell me, Craig, you uh, you into BÖC? Or just scaring the hell outta people?"


Dean: "Okay, wait a second. You're trying to tell me that just because people believe in Mordechai, he's real?"
Sam: "I don't know, maybe."
Dean: "People believe in Santa Claus, how come I'm not getting hooked up every Christmas?"
Sam: "Because you're a bad person."


(after Dean put itching powder in Sam's shorts and Sam was scratching the whole time)
Sam: "Man, I think I'm allergic to our soap or something."
(Dean laughs and starts to walk away.)
Sam: "You did this?"
(Dean laughs again.)
Sam: "You're a friggin' jerk!"
Dean: "Oh yeah!"


Harry: "No, no, no. No, forget it. I'm not - I'm not going back in there again."
Ed: "Harry, look at me. Right here. Okay? You are a ghost hunter. Okay?"
Harry: (freaked) "I know but, Ed, I've never actually seen a real ghost before, like a real ghost! An apparition!"
Ed: "This stuff right here, this is our ticket to the big time. Fame, money, sex. With girls. Okay? Be brave. Okay, W.W.B.D. What would Buffy do? Huh?"
Harry: "What would Buffy do. I know, but Ed, she's stronger than me."
Ed: "It's OK."
(Sam and Dean knock on their door, Harry almost freaks out.)


(Dean pulls the string on a novelty toy, making it cackle.)
Sam: "If you pull that string one more time, I'm gonna kill you."
(Dean pulls it again, laughs; Sam glares.)
Dean: "C'mon man, you need more laughter in your life. You know, you're way too tense."


(Dean taps his beer bottle against Sam's and takes a drink; Sam smirks. Dean tries to put the bottle down and finds that it's glued to his hand. Sam laughs.)
Dean: "You didn't."
(Sam holds up a bottle of superglue, grinning.)
Sam: "Oh, I did."
(Sam keeps laughing and pulls the string on the novelty toy, making it cackle again.)


Dean: "I barely have any skin left on my palm."
Sam: "I ain't touching that line with a 10-foot pole."


Dean: "Look, if Mordechai can't leave the house and we can't kill him? We improvise."
(Dean flicks a lighter, tosses it through the door onto the lighter fluid he had spread around; they run as the house goes up in flames.)
Sam: "That's your solution? Burn the whole damn place to the ground?"
Dean: "Well no one'll go in anymore. I mean look, Mordechai can't haunt a house if there's no house to haunt. It's fast and dirty but it works."
Sam: "What if the legend changes again and Mordechai is allowed to leave the house?"
Dean: "Well, then we'll just have to come back."
Sam: "Kind of makes you wonder. Of all the things we hunted, how many existed just because people believed in them?"


Sam: "I have a confession to make."
Dean: "What's that?"
Sam: "I was the one who called them and told them I was a producer."
(both laugh)
Dean: "Well I'm the one who put the dead fish in their back seat."
(both laugh again)
Sam: "Truce?"
Dean: "Yeah, truce. At least for the next 100 miles."

International Titles[]

  • Finnish: Helvetin talo (Hell’s House)
  • Brazil: A Casa do Inferno (The Hell House)
  • French: À force de volonté (By force of will)
  • German: Spukhaus (Haunted House)
  • Italian: La Casa Infernale (The Infernal House)
  • Polish: Piekielny Dom (Hell House)
  • Spanish: Casa Infernal (Hell House)
  • Hungarian: Pokoltanya (Hell House)

External Links[]

Navigational[]

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