The Curious Case of Dean Winchester - Recap

A 25-year-old husband, Xavier, comes running into his house past his wife and goes into the bathroom. He looks in the mirror in horror as he ages decades in seconds. His wife hears him collapse scream and comes to investigate, and screams in horror at what she finds.

Sam and dean impersonate CDC agents and talk to the coroner who has Xavier’s body. She points out that he died of old age despite the fact he was 25 years old, and she can’t account for his condition. The brothers call Bobby, who sent them to investigate when he heard about Xavier’s death. Bobby tells them to check things out. When Dean asks about his paralyzed legs, Bobby calls him an idjit and hangs up.

Two men in the area have recently gone missing. The Winchesters talk to the wife of one missing person, Cliff Whitlow. She shows them a photo of her husband and says that Cliff used to work late on Tuesday but otherwise had no outside interests and never went anywhere. Dean pretends to go to the bathroom and checks out Cliff’s desk, and finds receipts for a cheap hotel room. Each visit took place on a Tuesday night at the same hourly room. Dean and Sam go there and hear a scream. They burst in to find a young man in bed with two women. Sam sees the man’s tattoo and realizes it’s the same one the elderly Cliff had in the photo, and realizes that Cliff has managed to lose 50 years off his life. They force him to explain and Cliff tells them that he plays poker with years of his life as the stake. He met the man, Patrick, in a bar and they played until Cliff won. Now he plans to disappear and live a new life. The brothers leave him to it.

Dean calls Bobby and tells him what they’ve discovered, and Bobby tells them there have been legends of a near-immortal magical poker player who bets people their years, and has stocked up centuries of life. He tells them to split up and search for Patrick, but once he hangs up, he grabs his car keys.

Dean finally bribes a bartender to tell him that Patrick is running a game in the back. As Dean goes out there, he finds Bobby coming out. Bobby explains that he found Patrick already. They played… and Bobby lost. He ages before Dean's eyes and Dean insists on helping his friend. He goes in and finds Patrick talking with an older man, who has picked up a young girl. Patrick flirts with the girl, Lia, until Dean interrupts him and threatens to shoot him unless they talk. Patrick meets with him privately but says that Dean can't kill him. He won't restore Bobby's years but offers Dean the chance to get them back by playing poker himself. Bobby tells Dean not to do it but Dean insists. They sit down to play and Patrick enchants the chips. Dean buys in with 50 years, and then turns 25 of them over to cash Bobby out and restore him to his original age. He then starts playing with the remaining 25.

A few hours later, Sam comes back to the hotel with supper and discovers Dean… now 50 years older. Bobby explains what happened and argues with Dean bout how he ignored his wishes and now they're both stuck. Dean admits that he can understand a little of what Bobby is going through, particularly when he discovers he can't discuss cheeseburgers any more. They figure that the chips are responsible and prepare to follow Dean. As they go, Dean tries to flirt with a maid, who tells him that he reminds her of his grandfather.

The three men watch Patrick as he leaves the bar, lets himself get run over, and then casually steals the driver's car. They follow him to an expensive apartment, wait until he leaves, and then go in. The elevator is out so Bobby is forced to stay behind while Sam and Dean take the stairs. Dean eventually gets to the apartment and they search the place. Dean finds Patrick's hidden safe and Sam is forced to open it because of Dean's failing hearing. Inside are the chips, but Patrick and Lia arrive. Lia magically paralyzes them until Patrick assures her that the brothers are harmless. He explains that the chips are misdirection and all of the power rests in him. The only way they can restore Dean is to play him again. He refuses to play Dean, insisting it would be unfair, but offers to play against Sam. Dean refuses to let his brother do so and they leave. As they go, Patrick gives Sam a gift for breaking in, and claps his hands. He refuses to explain what he's done, but Dean realizes that Sam now has the clap.

The next morning, Sam insists that they let him play but Dean and Bobby both refuse. Bobby admits that he's a coward for not ending his life, and that he's no longer a hunter. All he can do is watch as other hunters die fighting against the coming Apocalypse. Dean tells him to forget it and Sam insists there must be some way out of their situation. They return to their motel and find Lia waiting for them. She gives them a reversal spell and assures them that it will undo all the damage that Patrick has caused. Dean and Bobby don't believe it but Lia doesn't care. She considers a locket around her neck and then leaves, telling them they need to cast the spell before she and Patrick leave town.

Patrick is playing an old man, Hesh, and folds rather than take the man's last few years. A grateful Hesh leaves as Sam comes in and notes that Patrick was actually considerate. Patrick insists that he's a nice guy and Sam tells him to deal.

Dean and Bobby need the jawbone of a murderer to cast the reversal spell. They go to a cemetery to find one and Dean unceasingly complains about his aches and pains as he digs. Bobby tells him to suck it up.

As they play, Patrick tries to rattle Sam by boasting of his ability to read his opponents, and then points out that Dean doesn't know Sam is there. He figures they want Sam to stay at the kiddie's table, but agrees with them that Sam is in over his head. Lia arrives and Patrick offers Sam a break. He goes outside to where Dean is waiting for the last spell component, part of Patrick's DNA, and gives him a toothpick that Patrick has been chewing on. Dean tells him to keep playing to stall for time until they can cast the spell.

Back inside, Sam continues playing while Bobby and Dean cast the spell. Nothing happens and inside, Patrick tells Sam that he substituted an unchewed toothpick. He magically chokes Sam but Lia interrupts and tells him that she's the one who gave Sam and the others the reversal spell. When Patrick wonders why, she tells him that he knows and shows him the locket.

Dean and Bobby go back to Patrick's apartment so Dean can go back upstairs and find something that belongs to Patrick that they can use. At the game, bets on a hand and Patrick figures he actually has something. The gambler folds and Sam reveals he had nothing. Patrick is impressed and says that he might be able to turn Sam into a decent player given time. However, he warns that Dean doesn't have time: he'll die within minutes of a heart attack. When Sam tries to get up, Patrick magically forces him to stay and warns that the game isn't over until he says it is.

Dean finds a wine glass belonging to Patrick but collapses of a heart attack. Sam finally bets everything he has and Patrick calls. Patrick reveals he has a full house and prepares to collect the pot. A surprised Sam notices that Lia is crying. He then stops Patrick and shows his all hand: four of a kind. Patrick congratulates him and cheerfully cashes in Dean's years.

Outside, Bobby is wondering what's going on when Dean comes out, restored to his full youth.

Sam leaves and Lia sits down for a game with Patrick. She shows him two photos in her locket, of a baby and an elderly woman. Lia says that she buried her daughter and now she wants to be with her family. Patrick wonders how he can go on without her but Lia assures him that he managed to do so before she met and they fell in love. She calls and loses with a nothing hand, and then starts to age. As she does, she thanks Patrick for releasing her.

At the motel, a surprised Bobby makes sure that Sam actually managed to win. As Sam goes to a clinic to get a booster shot for the clap, Dean apologizes to Bobby for their arguments and says that he won't stand by and let Bobby kill himself. Bobby is like family, and he refuses to lose another family member. Bobby agrees not to kill himself and thanks Dean.

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