Supernatural 4.4 Episode Review: Metamorphosis

The fourth episode of the fourth season of Supernatural aired on the CW on 10/9/08. Dean and Sam track down a man who is transforming into a cannibalistic monster. Warning: my episode review contains plot spoilers.

Metamorphosis is an average episode that is pretty much just filler for the season. It doesn't really progress the "world coming to an end" storyline but does help resolve Sam and Dean's conflict about Sam lies to Dean. Dean discovers in the first part of the episode Sam with Ruby and how they are exorcising demons. Dean is angry that Sam is using his "dark" powers but Sam is happy that he is saving people. Usually the Winchester boys have to kill the host body with a special dagger but Sam can now exorcise the demon without harming the host body. Instead of being happy with this knowledge that they can now save more people, Dean thinks it is wrong because basically God told him to stop Sam through Castiel. Whether Castiel meant Sam exorcising demons or something else that Sam might do in the future remains to be seen. Sam does realize that he is playing a dangerous game by the end of the episode and promises not to use his demon powers anymore.

Travis, a fellow hunter, contacts Sam in help with tracking down and killing a cannibalistic monster. Sam and Dean locate Jack Montgomery, who appears to be just a normal married man. Travis informs him that Jack is slowly turning into a flesh eating monster. Jack's father was a flesh eating monster who killed eight people before Travis killed him. Travis wants to kill Jack before he can do that but Sam wants to give the guy a chance. As long as the guy doesn't eat flesh, he won't change completely. He just has to be able to live with the constant hunger. Travis doesn't think that is possible so he goes after Jack behind Dean and Sam's back.

Jack is fighting the hunger but Travis doesn't care and ties Jack and his wife up. His wife is an innocent but since she is pregnant with Jack's child, Travis has decided to kill her too. Out of anger, Jack kills Travis, eats him, and begins to transform. He does allow his wife to escape and keeps her pregnancy secret from Dean and Sam. Sam tries to help Jack but Jack believes Sam and Dean sent Travis to kill Jack's wife. Sam tries to reason with Jack but ends up killing Jack out of self defense.

Metamorphosis is a pretty good episode but not my favorite. I think Travis made a critical error in threatening Jack. Jack might have been able to control the hunger if given the chance but when his wife was threatened, he snapped. Dean didn't have really any good one liners like he usually does. I give the episode 2 out of 5 stars.