In “Supernatural Season 1 Episode 6” titled “Skin”, Sam and Dean Winchester find themselves plunged into a chilling case in St. Louis. When Zach, Sam’s old college friend’s brother, is accused of a heinous crime he insists he didn’t commit, the Winchester brothers embark on a harrowing journey.
The root of the mystery? A malicious shapeshifter impersonating innocent people to carry out its dark deeds. Things reach a fevered pitch in “Supernatural Season 1 Episode 6” when the shapeshifter takes on the appearance of Dean, sparking a deadly game of cat and mouse.
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Plot for Supernatural Season 1 Episode 6
Upon receiving word from his Stanford acquaintance, Becky, Sam persuades Dean to accompany him to St. Louis in “Supernatural Season 1 Episode 6”. There, they unravel the tragic story of Zach discovering his girlfriend, Emily, lifeless. Despite Becky’s alibi for Zach, security footage hints at something supernatural: an inexplicable gleam in Zach’s eyes.
As they delve deeper into this episode, a second, eerily similar crime surfaces. The duo’s detective work points to a shapeshifter’s handiwork. A chilling chase in the city’s sewers culminates in a shocking twist: the shapeshifter assumes Dean’s identity, using his memories against Sam and others, including Becky.
The climax of sees the real Dean and Sam confront the creature in its various guises, one of which is a mirror image of Dean. As the story winds down, the falsely accused Zach is freed, and the brothers leave town. However, Dean can’t help but quip about the oddity of missing his own supposed funeral.
Characters
Main Cast
- Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester
- Jensen Ackles in a dual role as Dean Winchester and the Serial Killer Shapeshifter
Recurring Cast & Co-Stars
- Amy Grabow as Rebecca Warren and her shapeshifter doppelganger
- Alex Holtz portraying Zach Warren and his shapeshifter counterpart
- Anita Brown as Lindsey
- Peter Shindoka taking on the role of Alex and the shapeshifting menace
Featured Supernatural Beings
- Skinwalkers (mentioned only)
- Shapeshifter (The Serial Killer Shapeshifter)
- Tulpas and Werewolves (referenced)
Continuity
“Supernatural Season 1 Episode 6” kickstarts a series theme of the Winchester brothers evading law enforcement, a motif revisited in episodes like “Nightshifter”, “The Usual Suspects”, and “Jus In Bello”.
Trivia
- Anita Brown, playing Lindsey in “Supernatural Season 1 Episode 6”, reappears in “Wishful Thinking” as Hope Lynn Casey.
- This episode’s director, Robert Duncan McNeill, also helmed a CW series episode with Jensen Ackles, titled “Instant Karma!”.
- Jared Padalecki cites “Skin” as the most spine-chilling episode of Supernatural.
Errors
Several continuity and factual errors emerge in this episode, from mismatched narrative dates to overlooked prop details during pivotal action sequences.
Deaths
The episode concludes with the demise of the Serial Killer Shapeshifter, the central antagonist whose actions catalyzed the entire episode’s events.