Asylum - Recap

At the Roosevelt Asylum in Rockford, Illinois, two police officers notice that kids have broken in again. The older officer, Daniel Gunderson, explains to the new officer, Lt. Walter Kelly, that the abandoned asylum has a bad reputation, and it's rumored that anyone who sleeps there for the night is driven insane. They discover that whoever broken in used heavy-duty bolt cutters to cut the padlock. The officers split up to search and Gunderson's flashlight goes out, while someone watches him from a nearby door. Meanwhile, Gunderson finds the kids and sends them on their way. Kelly meets him outside and says that he didn't find anything. As they get in the car to go, Kelly's nose bleeds briefly.

At home, Kelly asks if he's still not talking to her, and admits that she was wrong. Kelly ignores her and removes his gun and keys, and then turns and shoots twice.



Sam and Dean check into a motel and Sam checks with several of John's hunter friends, but none of them have seen him. Dean studies their father's journal but can't make anything of it. When Sam suggests they contacts the Feds, Dean insists that John wouldn't want them to bring in the government. Dean's phone rings and he discovers it's a set of coordinates that John texted him from a blocked phone number. The coordinates are for Rockford, Illinois, and Dean finds an article about Kelly's suicide-murder after he and his partner went to the Roosevelt Asylum. The asylum is marked in John's journal, and Dean figures John wants them to go there. He's eager to go, and overrides Sam's objections.

In Rockford, Dean tracks down Gunderson, claims to be a reporter, and asks about Kelly. Sam comes over and picks a fight with Dean, and then offers to buy Gunderson a beer. Sometime later, Sam comes out and tells Dean that according to Gunderson, Kelly was a perfect cop with only minor problems in his marriage. The next morning, the brothers break into the asylum and check out the south win where Kelly went. According to John's journal, three kids broke into the south wing and only one survived. There are chains on the doors, and they wonder if they're intended to keep something in. As they explore, Dean comments on Sam's supposed ESP and can't help making jokes about it. They find a ward with various pieces of equipment for electro-shock and lobotomies. Sam wants to focus on why John isn't there, but Dean insists that John wants them there. When Sam objects, Dean insists that they always follow John's orders. Dean finds a name plate for the chief of staff, Dr. Sanford Ellicott, and figures they have to search the south wing.



Sam goes to see Dr. James Ellicott, a clinical psychologist, and brings up his father, Sanford. He tries to talk about what happened in the south wing, but Ellicott prefers to focus on Sam's problems. Sam admits he's not big on traveling with his brother, and tries to get Ellicott to talk about the asylum. The doctor notes that there was a riot there, but refuses to discuss it further unless Sam tells him his true feelings about his brother.

Outside, Sam tells Dean that the south wing was where they housed the hard-core psychotics, and they rioted in 1964. Some of the bodies were never recovered, including Sanford's. They shut down the asylum, but the bodies were never found. The brothers figure they should head back that night to check it out.

That night, two local teenagers, Gavin and Kat, break into the asylum. Kat is disgusted that Gavin brought her there. When he spots a door, he wants to investigate and goes by himself when Kat refuses to accompany him. As he enters a room, the door closes behind him. Gavin's flashlight goes outside, and he turns to see a shadowy figure that he assumes is Kat enter the room. She steps forward and kisses him... and Gavin hears Kat call for him from down the hallway. He shoves the newcomer away in horror.

Dean and Sam enter the asylum again and confirm there are strong electromagnetic readings. As they proceed inside, they catch a glimpse behind them, but it disappears before they can follow. As they move on, they're unaware that the spirit of one of the patients is lying on the floor. Sam comes face to face with the ghost of an elderly female patient, and Dean dissipates it with a shotgun of rock salt. As they continue, Sam notes that the spirit didn't attack him, and wonders what it did want. They find a room with an overturned bed and hear a noise, and find Kat hiding behind it. They introduce themselves and she explains that Gavin is somewhere in the hospital, and she heard him scream. Kat insists on coming with them to find Gavin,



The brothers split up, and Kat goes with Dean. Sam finds Gavin laying on the floor, and the teenager explains that a girl with a messed up face came toward him. He admits that the girl wasn't trying to hurt him, and tried to whisper something in his ear. However, he ran in terror before he could make out what she was saying.
Dean's flashlight goes out and he tries to light a cigarette lighter. Kat complains that he's hurting her arm, and they look down to realize a ghost has grabbed her. Kat runs into a nearby room and the door slams shut behind her. As he tries to get it open, one of the ghost patients appears behind her... and disappears when she turns. It appears behind her as Sam and Gavin arrive, and Sam tells her that she has to face the spirit, which doesn't want to harm her. Kat is skeptical, but finally faces the ghost, which is heavily disfigured. It leans forward and whispers something in her ear.



The door opens and Kat comes out. She tells them that it whispered room number 137 to her. The brothers tell Sam to get Gavin and Kat out while he looks for Room 137. As they go, Kat asks why anyone would choose a job hunting ghosts, and wonders if Dean is Sam's boss.

Dean gets to Room 137 and starts searching. Meanwhile, Sam discovers that the doors are sealed and there's no way out. he figures that something in the asylum doesn't want them to leave, something other than the patients.

Dean finds a hidden compartment concealing Sanford's patient journal. Inside it are drawings and descriptions of graphic surgical methods.

As Sam looks for a way out, Dean calls and tells him to meet in the basement. Sam confirms that Kat knows how to use his shotgun and gives it to her, and then heads to the basement. His flashlight goes out and a door opens, revealing another medical ward. Sam enters and Sanford grabs him from behind, grasps his head, and tells Sam that he's going to make him all better.



Dean finds Kat and Gavin, and narrowly avoids a blast of rock salt. They explain that Sam got a call from Dean, but Dean insists he didn't call. He tells them to stay put and goes to the basement. Sam is there, and appears to be fine. Dean explains that he found Sanford's log book, which showed that the doctor was working on extreme rage therapy. They got worse until they rioted, and Dean figures Sanford's spirit is doing the same thing, making people homicidal. The log book says there was a hidden chamber, and Dean figures the patients dragged Sanford down there.

The brothers search a room and Dean finds a concealed door. As he tries to open it, Sam aims his shotgun at him as his nose bleeds. He's angry at Dean for giving him orders, and Dean notes that the rock salt won't hurt him. Sam pulls the trigger, blasting him back through the door. He insists that he's normal, and that he's sick of Dean following John's orders without question. Dean gives him his gun and tells him to shoot him if that's how he feels. Sam takes the pistol and aims, and Dean asks if he hates him enough to kill his own brother. Sam pulls the trigger... and discovers that the gun is empty. Dean knocks him down and then unconscious.



Dean searches for Sanford's bones and finally locates a cabinet with a tuft of hair sticking out. He opens it and finds Sanford's mummified body. As he sprinkles it with salt, his flashlight goes out. A trolley moves on its own, slamming into him, and Sanford grabs him and uses the same procedure on him. Dean manages to grab the cigarette lighter, light it, and throw it onto the bones. As they burn, Sanford's ghost collapses into a heap of ash. Sam wakes up, back to normal.



The brothers send Kat and Gavin on their way. Sam apologizes to Dean and insists that he didn't mean what he said. Dean isn't convinced, but says he doesn't want to talk it out.

Back at the motel, Dean is sleeping when his cell phone rings. Sam takes the call and realizes it's their father.

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