Review

Dean breaks into a Sam and Ruby session where Sam is using his mind to exorcise a demon from some random dude. A major confrontation between the Bros ensues which is curtailed by Sam receiving a call from a Hunter named Travis. Seems Travis is busted up some and needs help hunting a Rugaru. Dean thinks it's a made up word but Sam gets the good oil on the creature. It remains human till it takes its first munch on someone then it turns into a grotesque creature of nightmares. However, as Sam's research indicates, if the Rugaru doesn't take that first bite then it remains outwardly human, though with one hell of an appetite for raw meat.

Travis is sure the creature is going to turn and forces the issue much to the distaste of Sam who believes the human in question, Jack Montgomery, should be given a chance to avoid his urges. The only thing that can kill a Rugaru is fire, will the Winchesters be hitting the barbeque switch or can Montgomery control his primordial desires?

Surprisingly writer Cathryn Humphris didn't simply make up the Rugaru idea, as Dean would have us believe, but drags it snarling and bitting from Native American mythology. The episode pretty much follows the myth, and I guess the Rugaru is sort of an off spring of the Wendigo featured in season one episode two. I'm putting that under things I learnt today while not wasting time watching television shows.

Metamorphosis throws Dean and the viewer directly into the conflicts Sam is suffering through this season. Sam needs to believe Jack Montgomery can hold his internal demon at bay as Sam is still coming to terms with having demon blood and perhaps being inherently evil himself. He has to believe he is doing the right thing and that the souls he is saving, in record numbers apparently, are on the good side of the balance sheet regardless of the method he uses to save those souls. Dean, Castiel, and apparently God choose to differ on that assumption. What might be clouding Sam's judgement is an almost drug like state of euphoria he gets into when he is exorcising demons. To carry the analogy forward a tad more, his pusher, Ruby, isn't far away and is urging Sam to greater effort. I'm in the Dean camp, you can never trust a demon, Ruby has another agenda that isn't apparent at this stage.

Very solid episode that explores the conflicts Sam is facing

Where this episode really kicks hard however is that in simple terms Sam is right about Jack Montgomery, the dude has urges but is fighting them. Travis has condemned Jack out of hand, based on prior experience admittedly, but this does turn the tables on normal Supernatural content. Here the monster is the victim and the Hunter is the villain, exactly who is the monster therefore? Every now and then this idea percolates to the surface of a Supernatural episode which makes me think that at some stage down the line it's going to be a major season arc.

While Sam is fighting for his humanity, and is projecting that conflict on the current hunt, Dean is perhaps learning that time did indeed flow while he was downstairs. While Sam is clearly off the planet trusting Rugby there's no doubt he needed an edge fighting solo against the forces of darkness. There's a feeling late in this episode that Dean comes to terms somewhat with Sam's situation which presents an interesting dilemma for the elder Winchester Brother, if he doesn't turn Sam from his infatuation with strange powers then Castiel has promised the Angels will. Can Dean trust Sam to do the right thing, as Sam claims he is going to do at the end of the episode, or will Sam be seduced by the dark side in a craving for the power?

In terms of the overall mythology of Supernatural we are in interesting territory. During seasons one and two Sam was Azazel's bitch, the boy who would lead the demonic army, however with that danger averted somewhat during season three Sam seemed to have got beyond the "am I destined to be evil" thing. Last week we learnt Azazel has a more wide reaching plan, one the Angels can't even decipher, which seems to revolve around Sam Winchester. So in essence we have returned to where we were a couple of seasons ago, though at this stage it remains unclear what the "big bad" is. Is Sam destined to commit some heinous act or can Dean divert him from his destiny? Once again I'll reiterate, I simply don't trust Ruby and am itching to find out what her end game might be.

Good to see Kim Manners back in the Director's chair and focusing in on what he does best, adding the background and building the seasonal plot arcs while delivering a damned good episode. I'm nearly always happy to see Manners name in the credits; it means we are going to get a well constructed episode that doesn't get bogged down or allows the pace to drift. Metamorphosis is no exception with Manners showing a firm hand behind the camera.

Just when I think the Producers have got the mullet rock, uhmm, rocking they hit me with a down turn in the music quantity and quality. This episode we only get "Phillip's Theme" by Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, and while I was thankful at least for this tune I was also left wondering why they can't simply have three plus tracks per episode. Come on Supernatural a lonely nation turns its ears to you, does that even make sense?

Great episode that not only delivered a new monster, but hit the dramatic elements, and to top this sundae with a cherry some of the conflicts Sam has been facing while Dean was in the pit. I was pleased to see writer Cathryn Humphris once again exploring what being a monster means and it was great to see Kim Manners knocking off another solid episode to the no doubted delight of Supernatural fans everywhere. Will Sam keep his word and not use his powers? I'm not a believer, the Kids has a hankering that won't be denied.