Classic Episode Review--Hell House

“Hell House” is another of the episodes on my iPod. Initially I loved the “monster of the week” storyline (and I always love it when ghosts aren’t simply ghosts) but it turned out to launch an arc of its own with the Ghost Facers.

But why is this episode on my iPod so I can watch it over and over?

I love the pranks, of course. I can just imagine young Sam and Dean driving John crazy with such things on the endless road trips of their youth. Can you picture Dean, in particular, sitting still for any extended period of time when he was a kid? Maybe that’s just the teacher in me who can just see that absolutely.

The fumbling paranormal investigators who have never seen a ghost and ask themselves “What would Buffy do?” are hilarious while they’re endearing. I can almost feel the same contempt Dean and Sam feel for their methods, but as someone who has dreams that seem pretty out of this world to normal people, I can relate to their passion for the job. I love how the two amateurs end up instructing Dean and Sam in “It’s a Terrible Life.”

There’s the monster of the week, the tulpa. I loved that it was CREATED by the beliefs of people on the internet. I mean, isn’t that so true? “I saw it on the Internet, it MUST be true!”

And there’s the towel scene.

Is “Hell House” one of your favorite episodes? What do you like best about it?