4x19 Jump the Shark

In “Jump the Shark,” season four episode nineteen of Supernatural, Sam and Dean get a call from someone claiming to be John Winchester’s son. They meet the boy, Adam, and learn that his mom is missing and he has no other family. They learn John treated Adam like a “normal” son, and try to leave him ignorant about hunting until it becomes clear that the creature is after Adam. It is eventually revealed that the real Adam is dead and ghouls have turned into Adam and his mom.

Family has always been a main theme in Supernatural, and this episode emphasizes that. A younger brother appears out of nowhere, and there are mixed reactions. Adam appears to be relieved as he is no longer alone, and Sam doesn’t seem to know what  to do so he treats Adam like a regular victim. Dean’s reactions are the most interesting though. He responds first with suspicion, then jealousy and resentment, and a touch of protectiveness.

Dean’s jealousy is understandable. Since the age of four he has been dragged around the continental United States being taught to kill monsters and take care of his little brother. Suddenly, he learns that not only did his dad have another son, but that he also gave that son a normal, monster-free childhood and took him to baseball games on his birthday. Adam had the innocence that Sam and never had. However, as much as Dean mistrusts Adam at first, testing him with silver and holy water, he becomes protective of him too. He doesn’t want Adam to know about hunting because he knows there’s never really a way out, despite what he says to Sam later in the episode. He also respects John’s decision to keep Adam out of hunting, despite how he might feel about their relationship. Even after Adam learns about hunting Dean still doesn’t want to risk his life. He tells Sam they’re going to take Adam to Bobby’s, then catch the monster, while Sam and Adam are all for using Adam as bait. Using Adam as bait goes against everything Dean stands for – saving people and protecting family.

In contrast to Dean’s instant mistrust, Sam treats Adam like he would any other victim. He slowly warms up throughout the episode – eventually telling Adam about hunting and teaching him how to shoot and clean guns – but doesn’t immediately take on the big brother role. Even when he does seem to want to Adam under his wing with the whole “hunting is life” speech, he still suggests using Adam as bait. This highlights the similarities between John and Sam, which Dean also points out, saying that Sam and John were “practically the same person.” It also serves show Sam in the “monster” light, along with the comment from the ghouls that “his blood doesn’t taste right” due to the demon blood.

Adam, the newest Winchester, is the character that confuses me the most. He puts a lot of faith into his older brothers by immediately believing their explanation about hunting. When questioned about his reaction he simply responds with “you’re my brothers.” While he is actually a ghoul, it still appeals to Sam and Dean’s belief that family is above all else. However, I think writing him into the story was an interesting choice to begin with. Adam does not stick around long – he’s dead before the episode even begins – and then he only appears again because Michael needed a vessel before being killed off again by being thrown into the Cage and left there. Despite John’s best attempts, Adam still inherited the Winchester luck.

In the end, even though Adam is a ghoul and Sam and Dean have been fighting on and off for the whole season, family is still the most important thing. Adam is given a hunter’s funeral, and Dean takes care of his little brother like always. Sam even proposes getting Castiel to bring Adam back from the dead, even though they didn’t actually know the real Adam, because family is family, and with the Winchesters that will never change.