Episode Details

Supernatural Season 4, Episode 12, Criss Angel Is a Douchebag recap 🪄 (Yes, that's the real title. LA didn't believe it either.) Magicians are dying in Sioux City during magic week, and the boys go undercover at a magic convention full of aging illusionists, card tricks, and one very douchey Criss Angel wannabe, on Denim-wrapped Nightmares, a Supernatural rewatch podcast.

A street magician dies doing a trick that goes horribly wrong, and the boys meet three old-school magicians: Jay (Barry Bostwick), Vernon (Richard Libertini), and Charlie (John Rubinstein), who have been performing together for decades. Jay is still doing real escapes at 60-something, and he's tired of goth-y, leather-clad street magicians like Jeb Dexter getting all the glory. But tarot cards keep turning up at the scenes, and a mysterious young man with a familiar birthmark is lurking around.

Episode Highlights:

• Jeb Dexter, the Criss Angel parody (douchebaggery is his superpower)
• Jay's straitjacket escape, and his feelings about being called the old guy
• Sam's secret love of magic (Dean has questions)
• The boys getting called out by con-artist magicians: we know you're not feds
• Vernon sending Dean to meet the Chief (we hope he picked a good safe word)
• A young stranger with a VERY familiar birthmark (fun fact: John and Michael Rubinstein are real-life father and son!)
• Jay's heartbreaking choice at the end

In the lore segment, we dig into the most unbelievable magic tricks ever performed, from Harry Houdini and his never-before-seen photos to David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear, Penn & Teller, and Dynamo walking across the River Thames. Plus, the real magic legends who likely inspired Jay, Vernon, and Charlie: Jay Marshall, Dai Vernon, and Charlie Miller.

Dean: "What a douchebag."
Sam: "That's Jeb Dexter."
Dean: "I don't even want to know how you know that."
Sam: "He's famous. Kind of."
Dean: "For what?"
Sam: "Douchebaggery."

Your turn, hunters: Is Jeb Dexter the douchiest one-off character in Supernatural? And would YOU take a deal to stay young? Tell us in the Spotify comments, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts (it's how new hunters find us), or send us fan mail. Bonus points for fandom fun facts we missed.

Sources:

• https://supernatural.fandom.com/wiki/Criss_Angel_Is_A_Douchebag
• https://www.history.co.uk/articles/the-most-unbelievable-magic-secrets-ever-performed
• Stuart Smalley - Daily Affirmations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ldAQ6Rh5ZI
• https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2021/03/five-fantastic-unseen-photos-of-houdini.html

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Denim-wrapped Nightmares is a Supernatural rewatch podcast hosted by Berly and LA, breaking down every episode of the Winchester saga with lore deep-dives plus cast and crew interviews. Special thanks to David Fesliyan and Fesliyan Studios.

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