Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid - Recap

In a graveyard in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a corpse frees itself from the tomb of Clay James Thompson.

Benny Sutton is watching TV at home when he hears someone at the door. He goes to investigate but no one is there. When Benny returns to watching TV, the door smashes open. Benny gets up and locks it, and then turns to discover Thompson's animated corpse. It lunges forward and starts choking him.

Later, Sam and Dean arrive in town and try to call Bobby, who lives outside town. When they get no response, they have no choice but to investigate on their own. They meet with a local man, Digger, who describes how he saw Thompson visit Benny's home and then found Benny dead. Digger insists it was Thompson, despite the fact he died five years ago, and explains that Benny killed Thompson five years ago in a supposed "hunting accident." Sheriff Jody Mills comes in and introduces herself, and the brothers identify themselves as FBI agents. She wonders why they believe in dead men and demands to talk to their supervisor. Sam gives her a fake number for Bobby, but Mills recognizes his voice. She tells the brothers that Bobby is considered a menace and a con artist, and tells them that whatever they're planning ends now.



Dean and Sam go to see Bobby and ask why he hasn't been returning their calls, and notice that he's been cleaning. Bobby says that he's been trying to figure out a way to defeat Lucifer. When they ask why he isn't interested in Benny's murder, Bobby says he already checked it out and didn't find anything unusual and Digger is a drunk, and Benny had plenty of living enemy.

As the brothers drive out of town, they go past the graveyard and Dean suggests that they investigate in case Bobby is wrong. They dig up Thompson's coffin and discover that its inhabitant clawed his way out.



The brothers go to the home of Clay Thompson and look around. Someone suddenly attacks Dean: Thompson. They easily subdue him and he explains that he killed Benny because the man shot him in the back. Thompson admits he doesn't know if he's dead or not, but agrees to go with them once they claim they're FBI agents. His wife Hannah comes in but Thompson tells her not to worry. Outside, Dean prepares to shoot Thompson, figuring he's a monster. Sam insists that he's apparently harmless. Before they can decide, Sheriff Mills and her deputy arrive. Dean insists that Thompson is a zombie, but she arrests them, insisting they have no right to shoot Thompson.

In jail, the brothers wonder if the sheriff is on the take. Bobby comes in and arranges for their release, and explains that five days ago, the dead started rising from their graves. However, he insists that there's nothing there for them. Bobby takes them back to his house and introduces them to his dead wife, Karen.

After Karen makes them breakfast, the brothers talk to Bobby. He explains that he's tested her every way he knows, but there's no indication of a supernatural presence. Further, he had her cremated but she's back, whole and unharmed. Bobby buried her ashes in the graveyard, the same graveyard where 15-20 other people have been resurrected, including the sheriff's little boy. The only explanation he has is from the Bible: Revelations, talking about the Pale Horseman, Death. Dean insists that it can't be good and they have to dispose of her, but Bobby explains that Karen doesn't remember being possessed or dying. They hear her humming in the kitchen as she cooks, and he admits that he never thought he'd hear her again. Bobby wonders if the dead rising during the Apocalypse is good, but Dean asks what he would do if he were them. Bobby understands, but begs them to let Karen be.



At the diner, the brothers admit they're not sure what to do. Sam goes to do some research while Dean watches Bobby's house. Karen comes out to talk to him and apologizes for startling him. She invites him in for lunch and won't take no for an answer.

Sam goes to Sheriff Mills' house and sees her and her husband reading to their son.

Dean has one of the several pies that Karen has baked, and brings up the fact that she's dead. Karen admits that she knows Dean doesn't trust her, and she knows Bobby is a hunter who hunts things like her. She explains that she remembers how she died, possessed by a demon, and she knows how guilty Bobby feels about having to kill her. However, she refuses to bring him pain by admitting to him that she remembers.



Sam goes to another house visited by a dead person, Ezra Jones, and breaks in when he doesn't get an answer. Ezra is lying on a couch, gagging and badly cut up. She beckons Sam over and he reluctantly approaches. When he gets close enough, she attacks him. As he falls to the ground, Sam spots her husband's half-eaten corpse nearby. The dead woman attacks him and he just manages to shoot her in the head, killing her once and for all.

That night, Sam and Dean tell Bobby what happened. He explains that Ezra was the first one to come back, and was nutty in life. Dean points out she wasn't a cannibal when she was alive, and apologizes for what Bobby has to do. He draws his gun and tells them to leave, insisting that he'll deal with Karen if she turns. As they drive away, Dean is angry that Bobby turned against them but Sam sympathizes. He warns Dean that if he goes back, Bobby will shoot him. Dean says he'll make sure Bobby doesn't see him, and Sam leaves to help the rest of the town, starting with Sheriff Mills.

Sheriff Mills is tending to her son Owen, who is ill with a high fever. They call the doctor, and her husband Shawn takes some soup in to the boy.

Bobby discovers that Karen has collapsed with a high fever. She insists that it's nothing and she just needs something to eat.

Sheriff Mills hears a commotion and goes to investigate. She finds Owen eating Shawn. The boy advances on her... and Sam arrives to get her out of the house. She insists it isn't her son, and Sam tries to get her to focus so she can help the town. Sheriff Mills gets it together and starts working with Sam to get everyone to the jail. Sam then goes inside to dispose of Owen.
Sheriff Mills waits outside and hears a single gunshot.



Bobby tends to Karen, who is still hungry. She realizes that she's turning, and he considers his nearby gun. Karen tells him to kill her, but he refuses. She then tells him that she remembers how he killed her when she was possessed. Further, Karen tells him that there was someone at her grave when she came back, a thin man, and he told her to give Bobby a message.

Dean breaks into the house and hears a gunshot. He runs to find Bobby, who is standing over Karen's corpse.

At the jail, Sam and Sheriff Mills arm the townsfolk and tell them to shoot anyone they see who is supposed to be dead, and aim for the head. One man notes that Bobby is the town drunk.

In the scrap yard, Bobby insists on going with Dean. As they prepare to leave in the van, Dean hears something approaching. He goes to investigate and Clay Thompson attacks him. Dean knocks him off and tries to get his gun, but Clay grapples with him. Meanwhile, Bobby shoots another attacking corpse while two more close in. Dean manages to dispose of his attacker and arrives just in time to save Bobby.



They're forced to retreat back into the house as more zombies attack. They're low on ammo, which is in the van. Bobby starts to explain why the zombies are all there, but the creatures break through the windows. Both men run out of ammo and they retreat into a closet. The zombies get the door open and start to overwhelm Dean and Bobby, but Sam and Sheriff Mills arrive just in time to kill them for good.



Later, the brothers and Sheriff Mills burn the corpses at the graveyard. None of the papers believe the reports from the traumatized townspeople, and Mills admits that she's not doing well herself. Bobby is burning Karen separately. He apologizes for losing his head, and Dean notes that at least he got to spend five days with Karen. Bobby says that makes things even worse, and wonders how many more times he'll have to kill her. He then tells them the message that Death passed on: that anyone who helps Sam and Dean will suffer. When Sam wonders if he'll be all right, Bobby just looks at him.



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