2x12 Once Upon a Time
Sam and Dean get a phone call from Bobby that leads them to Dearborn, MI to investigate a mysterious series of fires. Their first stop is Bobby’s contact in town who’s been keeping an eye on the situation. While there Rachel arrives and she and Dean have an argument that shows that both of them have similar hunches about what the fires mean, though Sam is not in the loop. Sam calms everyone down and convinces them to get some sleep and look at it fresh in the morning.
Early the next day Sam knocks on the door of Rachel’s motel room and they have a discussion about what she thinks is going on. She tells him about how her family died. She flashes back to a childhood holiday at her grandmother’s house that includes an argument between her parents about how her grandmother treats her grandchildren and how that’s affected by her racism. Rachel’s mom declares that she won’t let her children be treated that way and they can’t visit their grandmother anymore. Rachel’s dad agrees.
Back in the present Rachel explains that her grandmother caused the earlier fire and she thinks Grandma is up to her old tricks. They decide that Sam will go see what he can learn from the cops while Dean and Rachel stake out Grandma’s house and, in Sam’s words, work out their issues like adults.
During the stake-out in the Impala Dean and Rachel reminisce about childhood memories and get over what had been bothering them, though their conflict is not explained. While there they see a woman leaving Grandma’s house who Dean remembers from a newspaper photo. They follow her to her house and question her. She turns out to be Rachel’s cousin and her responses are cagey and suspicious.
They meet up with Sam in a diner and go over what he discovered. They pick up a connection between all of the deaths and Rachel’s cousin’s family. Rachel flashes back to after her family’s death. She’s living with her grandmother and Bobby Singer arrives, in the guise of a federal agent, to question Grandma. His line of questioning leads Rachel to giving him a sheaf of papers she found in Grandma’s room. Bobby confronts Grandma and she breaks down with guilt. Bobby leaves and Rachel follows. She gets in his car and goes with him.
In the present another fire has occurred. When they arrive at the site they find Rachel’s cousin who they confront. She explains that she’s had her own suspicions about the fires and takes them to Grandma’s house. There they all confront Grandma and Rachel’s aunt. It turns out that it wasn’t Grandma; it was Aunt punishing people who hurt her family. Sam and Dean leave and Rachel has a final conversation with her family. She leaves and doesn’t look back.
In the Impala driving away she has one last flashback of herself playing with her brothers until her parents announce that it’s bedtime. The episode ends with a fire catching in the playroom.
Quotes
Rachel: I thought we said we weren't going to do this unless we were really going to do this.
Dean: Yeah, well, I said I was really going to do this. You're the one who couldn't trust me.
Rachel (to her grandmother): I forgive you. I can't come back here, but I do forgive you. I hope that's enough.
Rachel (to her aunt): I have a family. It's just not here anymore.
SuperPretendWiki entry
2x14 Born Under a Bad Sign
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