Phoenix’s are powerful beings who appear human. They possess the ability to incinerate things through touch and are immune to conventional methods of killing humans. They combust upon death and form a pile of ashes. Their ashes can be used to kill, Eve, the Mother of All.
Characteristics
Powers and Abilities
- Incineration by touch.
- Long lived and impervious to things that would kill a human (gunshot, hanging).
Weaknesses
- Iron
- Can be killed by the Colt.
6.18 Frontierland
Sam and Dean travel back to 1861 to retrieve the ashes from a phoenix that will be shot by the famous hunter Samuel Colt. They arrive just as Elias Finch is hanged, and he “dies” swearing vengeance on the sheriff, judge and deputy. That night Elias rises from his grave. The judge is the first to die, incinerated by Elias’ touch. The sheriff dies soon after in the same fashion, despite shooting Elias several times with his gun. The next day, Elias finds the deputy cowering in a jail cell, protected by Dean.
Elias explains to Dean that he was framed for the murder of his wife. While the couple were visiting the town, the deputy tried to rape Elias’ wife, and when he intervened the deputy shot her and Elias. She died in Elias’ arms however, being a Phoenix, the gunshot didn’t harm him. The deputy then conspired with the Judge and Sheriff and accused Elias of killing his wife. He was unable to escape as he was bound with iron shackles.
He is unable to get to the deputy due to the iron bars surrounding him, so he grabs a gun and shoots the deputy instead. Dean flees and runs into Sam, who has retrieved the Colt from Samuel. Dean and Elias face off in classic cowboy style, resulting in Dean killing Elias. The shot from the Colt causes him to incinerate leaving a pile of ash. The brothers were brought back before they could retrieve the phoenix’s ashes, however, Samuel Colt arranges for a package to be delivered to Sam in 2011, containing the ashes.
6.19 Mommy Dearest
Dean packs the ashes of the phoenix into 5 shotgun cartridges. The contents of one he drinks with an ounce of whiskey, so that when Eve bites him, the blood she ingests is poisoned and kills her.
The Phoenix in Lore
The phoenix is a beautiful, colorful fire-bird found in cultures including Greek, Persian and Chinese. It is very long-lived, and near the end of its life it builds a nest. The bird and the nest then combust, and from the ashes a new phoenix is born. In some few stories the bird can take human form.
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Was in fact the Phoenix. That he was acrimoniously shot by Dean which was a poor move, as I don’t think Dean believed the Phoenix. He just wanted the ashes. The Deputy framed the phoenix for the murder of his wife, and Dean only got to see the Deputies side of things and not his. I thought he was eager to kill the Phoenix for their own gain in getting his ashes. But I guess all ended quite well as the notes reveal as one phoenix dies another is reborn. But is it the same? But I really did feel for this character and thought it could have been handled more sympathetically.
So why did Dean really shot the Phoenix, did Dean really know the full extent of the Phoenix’s story? Was he pulling his trigger too easily and not relying on his gut like the boys often do. Was he more interested in the Phoenix’s ashes, rather than the real story that unfolded. So type away angels and let me know what you thought about the Phoenix. Was he prematurely killed off for a means to an end?
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No I completely agree with your sentiment with the Phoenix. I really did not like to see Dean shot him, but as was mentioned above; Dean was on a mission. This episode I looked forward to since I had heard about it (before it premiered) and told my mother, “If they don’t do some sort of Deadwood ref I am going to hate the writers!” I got my wish!
I am pleased some think on the same lines as me. I got too that Dean was on a mission and whole heatedly understood why he had to shoot the guy. But for me it felt deeper than this. I don’t watch Deadwood, but its nice if you are a lover of that show to hear it mentioned on your other favorite show. So at least you had your wish granted.
I am disappointed that a creature such as a Phoenix got ganked! This type of creature (I don’t see him as a monster) I could have seen being somewhat helpful in some way in the future of the series. I also thought this about Fate (and her two sisters). The moment I saw Dean pick up the Golden Thread I got very happy! But, as for “Frontierland” I have to say that I believed the Phoenix, but at that point in the series Dean wasn’t the Dean we know and love.
Me too. No I didn’t see him as a monster strangely. You and me both about Fate, I thought she was one of the best cameo stars we’ve ever had. She was so popular and liked. I am with you too and that I believed the Phoenix, and not the cop.
I have a question that is sorta off topic………have you or anyone else devised a list of the movie and TV connections to this show? lol I have on paper but have not posted it online. I once posted a list of Castiel’s ability’s on another blog when someone said, “Danny from Game of Thrones could kick Castiel’s male model a**!” Just wondering. I think I am up to 15 or so connections that I know of (give or take). Deadwood happens to be one of my other favorite shows and have found 2 actor connections, and 2 refs! lol I am sorta Rain Man with movies, actors, and shows and can REALLY dork off. Supernatural is chuck full of guest stars, connections, and refs! Thank you for letting me derail for a moment there. If you are interested in the list or can point me to one I would love you forever! 😀 I am new at this SPN blog and forum stuff and have found it absolutely addicting! Thank you!
Nope. I’ve not even seen one on the forum to be honest. We cover loads of topics, but not this one. Sadly I don’t watch Game of Thrones either so don’t know of this actor. 😦 Sure I am sure most of us would like to know, so go ahead. It would be interesting to know of those references. I know what you mean, posting can become additive 😉
Thanks for the comments,
love Aunty B xxxxxxx
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Im always seeing SPN actors in other movies. Today we were watching a Along Came A Spider and there was Ellen in a very small part! Don’t remember the actresses name.
Now I always get mixed up with these two actresses Samantha Smith and Samantha Ferris. I believe that Samantha Ferris is Ellen.
Thanks for the comments,
love Aunty B xxxxxxx
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I’ll be honest with you-I’ve seen this episode many times but i never really paid that much attention to his back story! I liked the Samuel Colt story though and loved that heaven’t them the ashes and the colt!
Don’t get me wrong I loved a lot about it, as it was a favorite episode of season 6 and there were not many of those. But as I said to Ikeke and yes if we were to believe his story it was a terrible act the cop bestowed on his wife, and the poor guy was standing up to the cop and protecting his wife. I was just over surprised that Dean sided with the Cop, in the jail cell . In fairness to Dean he may not have known the cops full story. But guess the Phoenix was meant to die all along, and we were not meant to digest the whole story I guess. But it still doesn’t sit well with me. 😦
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Love Aunty B xxxx
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It wasn’t poor writing if the Phoenix story was true. A lot of the times writers fill in a characters back story, not to inform the other people in the story but to inform us, the viewer. We are meant to feel sympathetic to the phoenix and feel sorry that Dean has to kill him and yet we have to accept the phoenix must die because Dean is on a mission.
So in this particular case are we to believe the cop. Why would the phoenix necessarily lie about something as severe as rape. Don’t mean to sound harsh here, but trying to see it from both sides. I couldn’t see a man lye about something as serious as this. I did feel bad about it at the time. I get we are meant to feel sympathetic and it worked as I did feel for the Phoenix’s story. I also got the mission side, and how driven Dean was in getting that job done and for it to be a success. Mission’s come first with Dean, as he always has shot first.
In this case we, the viewers, are meant to be stand ins for hunters, in that presented with such a case, what would we decide to do? Do we get sidetracked by the creature’s mission of vengeance or do we stay on point and accomplish the goal? What would you do as a hunter if presented with this situation?
I must admit, I tend to lean Sam’s way and if someone is telling me a crocked story about another man harming his wife, then I would listen to him. Sam has always got Dean to listen in the past, why would this have been any different. Some times I’ve agreed with the boys and sometimes I haven’t. This time I really did feel for the Phoenix being dueled like that as I felt he didn’t deserve to die.
The phoenix story wasn’t meant for Dean because he doesn’t need to know it. Its not important to the story or accomplishing Dean’s goal. The phoenix back story is meant to make US think about what its like to be a hunter and kill things that might not in fact be evil or be kind of grey. Like Amy or Lenore, the phoenix is another one of those characters where you must make a bold decision of life or death and which one you choose informs the kind of person you are.
This was what I was also thinking back to about other cases where Dean has let people go, but this time he never really took the guys side or even out rightly listened. If Sam was there he would have. I got it was a bold decision to have to make, but I just would have liked it better if Dean had listened to the his back story a bit more sympathetically as a criminal act had been dished out by a man of the law.
Judging from your response you are kind hearted and justice oriented. 🙂 Would you have let go of your mission to get the phoenix ashes in order to help him meet out justice to his wife’s killers? If so then like Sam you’re more interested in fairness then in fulfilling some mission. Seeing that justice gets done takes precedent.
Thank you I am. That’s why I felt strongly about this episode as much as I loved it the whole western feel, it just left a bad taste in my mouth. I really wanted Dean to believe in him, and think about it that bit more. I guess the mission would have failed if he were on my watch 😦
But I’m the opposite. Like Dean I would stay on mission and not allow my mission to be stopped by his story so I’m more mission or goal oriented in that when I’m pointed in a direction I stay pointed in that direction until some extraordinary circumstance stops me.
So how do we feel about the woman in this case, that he should have left well alone and not continued on his quest to see the copper get justice. I really did feel for that women even though us as a viewer never got to see her, and get to know her. It was like she didn’t matter, like she was just tossed aside. Sorry about being down beat, but it was a woman who was in trouble, who suffered by someone who would normally protect her from harm. I don’t think the writers thought this one through as sometimes I get the feeling women on this show get a poor deal. I just wished that Dean would have taken a bit more notice and not be overly mission oriented, and trigger happy. But then we wouldn’t have had a story. So sadly I am on the opposite side tonight 😦
Thanks for the comments
Love Aunty B xxxx
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Actually as far as Deans actions he didn’t seem all that broken up about the phoenix killing the men who harmed his wife and framed him.Dean was even willing to use the one guy as bait which I thought was a good idea.
But you’re right if Sam had been present and heard the story the episode would have gone differently. Sam would have argued to at least let the phoenix live even though that would have jeopardized their mission.
Thanks for being understanding I wasn’t sure how you’d take it 😉 I just I guess overly felt for the guy, and that was a weakness. I sometimes get the feeling that Dean doesn’t always think things through as well as he sometimes should. He is gun hoe which in some ways Sam has tamed him. I love Dean for his get up and go, but when I see a woman’s life in danger I just felt he could have at least listened. 😉
Thanks for the comments
Love Aunty B xxxx
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Dean was on a mission to retrieve the phoenix’s ashes. He had one goal and one goal only, so whether the Phoenix was telling the truth or not was irrelevant to Dean. Remember, this Dean had not yet developed the ability to see grey that Sam has always had about the things they hunt. It is not surprising given what Dean experienced up until this point that he would be so concentrated on finding a way to kill Eve. The phoenix rises from its own ashes so if they were delivered to Sam over years later, then the revival did not take place.( It happens much quicker in Harry Potter) Again, not that it was handled poorly because it was a weapon to use against Eve and that was the main arc. It just could have been explained better. but such are the limits of 42 minutes screen time. The flashback to Frontier Land was fun from Dean’s wardrobe, to the bar scene, to Sam stepping into authenticity. SPN does weaving of history rather well over all.
Thanks for agreeing with me about being handled better. 😉 I also get what your saying about Dean and that it was a mission to gank EVE. But I just felt sorry for the poor sod, that the sheriff raped his wife and he was just standing up for her and protecting her. He was doing his husbandly duty in fending off the nasty sheriff. Whom in turn did another dirty trick in framing him besides raping the woman. It was just sad 😦 And Dean decides to stand by the Sheriff. Poor writing in one way.
Thanks for the comments
Love Aunty B xxxx
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