'Supernatural' - Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie

This review may contain spoilers

The second standalone episode in a row; although, they do give lip service to the search for leviathans and amazons. "Plucky" though is wittier and, despite putting Sam through an emotional wringer, way more fun.

An unusual death brings the boys to Wichita, Kan. A man appears to have been killed by a giant Pacific octopus ... with the teeth of a vampire, in a suburban house.

The next night, a man is stabbed through the heart by a unicorn ("Seabiscuit, the impaler"). It turns out that children's restaurant, Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie, encourages children to draw their fears on placemats, then posts many of them on the walls. The children of the dead men had recently been to the restaurant. Also, their particular pictures are missing.

A disturbed employee, Howard (Michael Blackman Beck), has somehow discovered the magical means to target bad parents with their children's worst fears using the fear imbued pictures and a personal item from the parent. When Dean and Sam close in on him, he sends clowns after the coulrophobic Sam. Dean unravels Howard's story; although, not where he learned the spell, then kills him with his own worst fear. Interwoven throughout the episode are pieces of Sam's battle with the mystic evil clowns.

Points Of Interest

1. Instead of the leviathan flavored inky black splatter of this season's usual title card, they've modified this one to include clownish primary colors and sparkles.

2. Frank is checking in with the boys each day on payphones with spy-type challenge and answer identity verification.

3. Paranoia meter: The boys use Agent "Jones" and "Jansen," yet another borrowed vintage muscle car, and a motel room vs. an abandoned house.

4. Dean is germophobic enough to be disturbed by payphones.

5. Frank believes that former child actor Fred Savage is leviathan-possessed.

6. A land roaming vampire octopus is "too weird" for the "Supernatural" universe.

7. The killings are too spread out for a tulpa and too imaginative for an angel.

8. Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie appears to be a slightly modified Koko's Activity Centre, a local children's play centre.

9. Dean would have killed for a giant slinky when he was a kid.

10. After being stalked and vigorously beaten by evil clowns, Sam believes his coulrophobia to be cured ... although he still hates them.

What Worked

Well directed, the episode allows it's many humorous moments to breathe.

The little touches, like the rainbow trail that the unicorn left and the magic sound the clowns made when they were shot, were fun.

Jennifer Spence was fabulous as a sarcastically eloquent children's restaurant shift manager. Describing a parent screaming at their child in public without cause: "full-frontal douchebag."

Sam's repetition of "if it bleeds, you can kill it" to comfort himself when dealing with clowns was adorable.

Dean's moments of connection with Tyler (Jakob Davies) were also particularly nice and Jakob did an excellent job of a range of emotions some adult actors sadly cannot achieve.

We were promised giant killer robots with laser eyes!! OK, we knew they weren't actually going to go there, but it was a nice thought.

What Didn't Work

I admit to being perturbed that they killed Howard without a second thought. Admittedly, the writers framed it so that knowledge alone was his weapon. Thus, he could not be nullified by taking away a magical item or grimoire. Further, from a mundane world view, his crimes were trackless so the authorities could not detain or punish him. Still, it was Dean's hand that cast the components into the fire that killed Howard. There was no "stop the clowns or I will kill you" warning. Was he irredeemable? Maybe. Did he need help? Very much so.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"Supernatural" stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Michael Blackman Beck, Jennifer Spence, Caroline Cave, Jakob Davies, Rob van Meenen, Dagan Nish, Lini Evans, Alissa Skovbye, James O'Sullivan, Caitlin Cromwell, Tristan Jensen, Garvin Cross, Laura Jaszcz, Will Verchere-Gopaulsingh, Eric William Gibson. "Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie" was written by Daniel Loflin and Andrew Dabb, and it was directed by Mike Rohl.

"Supernatural" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.