Supernatural 'Bad Boys' Review: A Look At Dean Winchester's Childhood

Supernatural delivered yet another standalone episode in Season 9 on Tuesday night but instead of talking dogs or wicked witches, the show calmed down and we got another glimpse into Dean Winchester's past. Nine years into the show and we're still learning things about the main characters.

Long story short: Dean got arrested when he was 16 after he tried to steal some food for Sam and got sent to a boys' home. The owner, Sonny, took him in and they bonded. Flash forward to the present day, and Sonny needs Dean's help to get rid of a ghost that's haunting the home.

This episode did two things very well: it added another layer to a character after eight-plus seasons, and it took a familiar Supernatural story (a ghost is killing people) and managed to find a way to make it feel fresh. Those are no easy tasks for a show in its ninth season, but Supernatural manages to find a way to do it week after week.

It was interesting to see 16-year-old Dean get a break from the hunting life and, furthermore, actually enjoy it. His meeting a cute girl had more than a little something to do with that, but the thought of a Dean Winchester who won wrestling trophies and went to prom is so contrary to the character we've come to know in the last eight years. Yet somehow, it fit into his history and his personality. And the fact that Dean left the home and a normal life to be with his little brother again made even more sense given his devotion to Sammy.

As for the ghost story, it was pretty obvious from the get-go that little Timmy had something to do with what was going on, but the show kept things fresh by having his deceased mother, who had saved him in a car accident, as the source of the killings. Every time the Winchesters thought they gotten rid of the ghost, it remained present and lashed out at everyone around it. And the Winchesters found yet another way to vanquish a ghost: have the person to whom its attached tell them to move on and get out.

"Bad Boys" stripped away all the chaos on Supernatural (angels, demons, Men of Letters, etc.) and delivered an emotional and intimate episode that focused almost solely on the Winchester brothers. Episodes like this one are always welcome to remind us where they came from, but hopefully a heavy mythology episode is coming soon.

Notes from Dad's Journal:

-       Whenever Sam and Dean salt and burn a body in the first 15-20 minutes of the episode, they've NEVER solved the case. It's a Supernatural rule.

-       Dylan Everett did a great job as 16-year-old Dean. He nailed the character's mannerisms and infused enough of Jensen Ackles' trademarks to make the young version of Dean feel consistent with the character we know.

-       How many different actors have played Dean now? Five? There's Regular Dean, Young Dean, 16-year-old Dean, 18-year-old Dean and Old Dean. AM I missing any?

-       D-Dog!

-       We should see Dean teaching little kids how to live more often. Kung-Fu grip!