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Yes, you read the title right – but don’t let it fool you. Behind the illusion lies a taunt tale of mystery and immortality.

The episode begins by introducing us to Jay (Barry Bostwick), an old, washed-out magician trying to perform a card trick to a waitress in a bar. He trips through the steps of the trick time and time again – and it doesn’t help that he’s heckled the whole way through by fellow magician Vance. Leavving the bar, Jay watches Jared Dexter perform – a brazen young magician fueled by equal parts eyeliner and pyrotechnics. And yes, he’s a complete douche bag, Jay agrees, along with his two friends – Vernon and Charlie, both veteran magicians themselves. But Jay is somewhat inspired by Jared and decides to pull a brazen act of his own – one that involves being strapped to a table with several sharp swords suspended above. As Charlie lights the fuse, Jay leaves little time for escape, as the swords collapse on his body. Yet Jay emerges unscathed – while Vance dies in a back alley of puncture wounds halfway across town.

The Winchesters arrive on the scene and see Jared Dexter perform a card trick disguised a demonic possession. Dean is openly disgusted, and while Sam concedes Jared is certainly a douche bag, he defends the practice of escape artistry. Dean remembers Sam was interested in learning magician’s tricks when he was a kid, and doesn’t hesitate to remind him. They talk to Vance’s assistant, who has less than flattering things to say about her boss, who stole frequently from other magicians and made enemies with everyone in the business. But she did find one thing out of place – a tarot card in his pocket, even though Vance despised card tricks with a passion.

Jay, meanwhile, is walking on air after his escape, despite Charlie expressing more than his fair share of concern. Jay is able to pull an ace from a deck of cards at will, but Charlie reminds him “You’re still missing the ace of hearts.” – hinting something might not be right with Jay. But Jay will hear none of it and decides to do an even more dangerous stunt – one even Houdini refused. Jared interviews Jay the next day, but the arrogant magician only goes through the motions – even butchering Jay’s name. Posing as an FBI agent, Dean speaks to Vernon and Charlie about the tarot card. Vernon refers him to “the Chief” – someone downtown who deals in tarot card. Dean goes to the address and asked for the Chief, but is surprised – and not too happy – when a big whip-wielding, leather-clad man tells him “he’s going to get it” and asks him for his safe word!

At the hotel room, Sam receives a visit from Ruby. The demon is more than a little agitated by the state of the world – Lilith has broken thirty-four seals and the angels appear to be losing. But though Sam is willing the exorcise demons psychically, Ruby wants Sam to take it to the mysterious next level – something Sam utterly refuses to do.

Back at the club, Sam meets up with the flustered Dean, and the two of them confront Charlie and Vernon, who looked right through their fake FBI badges. Dean then introduces themselves as amateur magicians, just as Jay begins his trick. Once again, Jay hangs seconds away from death – with a tight noose around his neck – but he escapes without a scratch. Jared Dexter isn’t so lucky – he is found hanging from his hotel room.

Sam and Dean have a conversation about where they see themselves when they are Jay’s age. Dean is positive they will both be dead by then (for real this time), but Sam, prompted by Ruby’s visit, is desperate for hope. When Sam realizes Jay’s trick isn’t humanly possible, the Winchesters burst into Jay’s room the next day, guns drawn. Jay says he doesn’t know what they are talking about; magic obviously isn’t real. Wondering why Jay isn’t putting up more of a fight, Sam and Dean tie him up while they discuss their options. Not surprisingly, Jay escapes and calls the police – leading the Winchesters’ arrest.

That night, Jay performs the same trick he performed in the beginning. Once again, the swords seemingly clamp down on his body, and once again, Jay emerges unscathed – but this time it’s Charlie who pays the price, dead with twelve holes in his chest. Jay drops the charges against the Winchesters, now fully willing to listen to their theory. There’s only one suspect left by now – Vernon – who used to perform with tarot cards back in the day.

Jay calls Vernon, who leaves to meet him at the club, while the Winchesters search his hotel room. At the club, Jay accuses Vernon of killing Charlie – something he vehemently denies. But as it turns out, Vernon didn’t do it, as a familiar-looking young man takes the stage. In Vernon’s room, the Winchesters find a poster of a younger Charlie performing magic with tarot card. Sure enough, the young man Jay and Vernon now face is Charlie, who has faked his death and has learned the secret of immortality – taught to him by none other than P.T. Barnum.

Charlie offers Jay and Vernon the chance to be like him – young again and immortal. Vernon seems to seriously consider the offer, but by now Jay is far too mindful of the price. The Winchesters arrive on the scene, but are no match for Charlie’s magical abilities – and soon both find themselves in death traps. But it is Jay who beats Charlie, stabbing himself in the gut with a deck full of tarot cards in his pocket, which transfers the wound to Charlie, killing him.

The next day, the Winchesters try to thank Jay for what he did, but Jay is crestfallen and bitter about Charlie’s death. Vernon won’t speak with him and Jay even tells the waitress to throw away his magic cards. After seeing such evil ruin yet another life, Sam tells Dean he’s going for a walk – and then tells Ruby he’s in and willing to take his abilities to the ominous next step.

Overall, this was a pretty solid episode. The magical background is yet another example of Supernatural doing what it does best – this week rubbing shoulders with background steeped in Houdini and P.T. Barnum. Though the execution wasn’t as funny as the title would lead us to believe (and I still wanted to see more made up of Dean’s encounter with the Chief), the subplot pushed Sam’s mytharc far further along than any of the previous episodes. What is this next step Ruby is talking about? Why is Sam so opposed by it, and how will Dean react when he discovers his brother is keeping yet another secret from him? We’ll just have to wait and watch to find out!

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