Supernatural "Playthings" #2.11 (2007) (TV)

"Wow! This is a lot of dolls. They're nice...They're not super creepy at all.", 6 July 2009

"Playthings" is another solid Supernatural episode. In this one, Sam and Dean take a break from their hunt for the demon to investigate a series of mysterious deaths at an old Connecticut hotel and to put a stop to the hoodoo or haunting or whatever is going on before anyone else is killed. I just love a good ghost story set in a large, rambling house like the Pierpont Inn in this episode. Like I said in another user comment for an episode of Supernatural, one thing that always freaks me out is a ghostly little girl with curls, a dress, and a doll – and "Playthings" has got these in spades. Creepy, cool stuff as far as I'm concerned. The subtle references to The Shining and the unsubtle references to Scooby Doo were both unmistakable and very welcome. And the humor in "Playthings" is often laugh-out-loud funny. From the comments about Sam being a doll collector to Dean wanting to poke Grandma Rose with a stick to Sam and Dean being mistaken for a gay couple, it's as funny as anything I've seen up to this point in Supernatural. My only complaint would be the predictability of much of what happens. I mean, was there anyone who didn't know or couldn't have guessed that Maggie was imaginary? Overall, it's not my favorite episode, but I think a 7/10 is about right.

7/10