Preternatural – The episode begins with Emmaline Trace (Alison Thornton) foraging in the hills of Kentucky when she encounters a coral snake and senses a bad omen. Her senses are proven correct a few seconds later when she sees a mysterious figure standing at the top of the cliff looking down at her. It’s only seconds later when Velma Bruin (Abby McEnany) is discussing the case with Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley). Although the reward is insignificant, she asks him to take it as a bit of a personal favor. Velma later tells Reenie Greene (Fiona Rene) about growing up under similar circumstances.
Upon arriving in Pryor, Kentucky, Colter’s first task is to meet with Jasper Trace (Connor Price). While there, Colter learns all about Emmaline’s disappearance and Jasper’s recent move from Tennessee to Kentucky for mining work. As a mining safety consultant, the locals not only see him as a threat to their livelihood but as an outsider. This explains the dead animal carcasses being left on his front porch. Upon closer inspection, Colter finds plastic embedded in the latest animal’s pelt.
With the help of Bobby Exley (Eric Graise) and the dates of the animals provided by Jasper, Colter learns that Jim Wheeler (Scott McNeil) is their most likely suspect. This is confirmed minutes later when Colter confronts him on the job. Although Jim denies nothing and is unhelpful, he provides a new angle to the case when he says that his cousin, who works with Emmaline, saw the devil acting through her.
The devil angle is explained as witchcraft during Colter’s next visit with Barbara (Shae-Lynn Pearson) at the Frosty Cone. Barbara is a fresh breath of air compared to Jim, but her supervisor, Tess (Jacki Gunn) is even more unwelcome and attempts to send Colter on his way. After purchasing a cup of black coffee with spit, Colter sneaks behind the counter to briefly question Barbara further. Before Tess can intervene, Colter gets his next lead in Shirley and Travis McCannis (Cameron Fuller). According to Barbara, Travis once confronted Emmaline during a shift because she supposedly stole Shirley’s job.
Despite a brief tussle with Travis, Colter disproves Barbara’s theory when he shows up unannounced at the McCannis’s property. As it turns out, the confrontation was over Emmaline giving Shirley false hope about curing her ovarian cancer. Colter doesn’t appear too shocked with the discovery and even less so when he learns that Shirley is now not only cancer-free but she’s pregnant. Travis claims he owes Emmaline everything. Travis eventually shares Emmaline’s healing concoction with Colter, which provides his next lead.
The mushrooms from Emmaline’s potion lead Colter to a cabin behind Jasper’s property. This is not only the area from the opening scene but Emmaline has obviously been using it. Despite this, Jasper not only claims to know nothing about it but he admits that he is opposed to her practicing healing because he suspects that’s what ultimately led to their parent’s deaths. Colter soon learns about the Drill Clan when he discovers evidence leading to the adjoining property. Colter opts to go alone from there and immediately encounters Ethan (Graham K. Miles). This brief encounter goes just about as well as his earlier encounter with Jim and only piques his curiosity.
Colter’s suspicions are proven true when he sneaks back onto the property and spots Emmaline behind lead away at gunpoint. It doesn’t take him long to locate her inside but she refuses to leave. He doesn’t get very long to convince her due to the arrival of Gideon (Steve Bacic) and Axel Drell (Travis Hammer), who takes her to heal Roy/Big Pop (Roy Campbell). Colter follows and watches from afar but ends up being forced to intervene when the healing goes wrong.
Even though Colter manages to distract the men long enough for Emmaline to escape into the nearby woods. By the time he catches up, she’s destroyed her ankle due to stepping on a crudely made mine. Although at a much slower pace, they manage to make it to an abandoned retail store. When they briefly stop to bandage her ankle, he distracts her with a story about how Dorian/Dory Shaw (Aggie Bell/Melissa Roxburgh) used to curse him and Russell Shaw (Jensen Ackles/Matthew Nelson-Mahood).
It’s only seconds after patching Emmaline’s ankle that the Drill Clan shows up. Even though Colter only has one bullet left, Ethan makes the mistake of splitting from the group, allowing Colter to deal with him quietly. His next encounter doesn’t go nearly as well and leads to him pinned to the wall with an arrow through his stomach. Tally (Jonathan Hawley Purvis) is in the process of finishing him off when Axel orders him to let Colter bleed out. This turns out to be a fatal mistake, as Colter eventually frees himself and uses his last shot to explode a fire extinguisher.
In the chaos of the explosion, Emmaline manages to get Axel’s crossbow and slide it to Colter, who then uses it to shoot Tally. Colter appears to be too injured to capitalize further and Emmaline is too concerned with his condition, which plays in Axel’s favor. He’s getting ready to finish them off when Gideon shows up with the incredible news that Big Pop has recovered. He and Axel briefly debate taking Emmaline with them and likely would have if not for her threatening to curse them.
After an extremely brief stint in the hospital, Colter returns to the Trace property to find it completely abandoned. Despite that, Jasper and Emmaline have left him a reward and restorative potion. The episode ends with Colter calling Dory but not getting through. He leaves a brief message.
Tracker Review
I have to say I enjoyed the quaint nature of the episode. Some of the stereotypes went a bit overboard, especially Jim Wheeler, but I can overlook that. I was really shocked that it didn’t seem as if any of the characters spoke with atrocious Southern accents. Foraging and living off the land is still a huge part of Southern tradition but most of it today is simply a throwback to heritage. I don’t feel that the episode alluded to that but felt it necessary to mention. Other than the constant claim of spotty cell service, I don’t have much else to complain about.
I would imagine cell service would now be available even in the remotest and spotty areas. The plot was uninspiring which has been right on par with the series. I did enjoy learning a bit more about Velma’s past, although I wouldn’t complain if she disappeared. The episode deserves its menial 5 out of 10.
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