Supernatural: Swan Song
My Love is Like a Storybook Story
by Sylvia Bond
Supernatural Episode Review – Season 5, Episode 22
“Swan Song”
Season Five’s final ep opens to the strains of “Carry On My Wayward Son,” by Kansas, which is a good thing, because I think there’d be a fannish uprising if it didn’t happen. The song represents Sam and Dean, their story, and their struggles, and I only associate the song with them. A lot of songs, like “Silent Lucidity” by Queensryche, are that way for me, Show having ruined them for anything else. But a fangirl likes to be ruined now and again, so I’m okay with it.
And I’m very okay with this ep, though I felt a bit maudlin after I watched it the first time, on account of it’s the last ep of the season, and who knows if TPTB will really come through and give us a sixth season. What if this is all there is? In truth, I know there’s a world out there, a real one, but it’s filled with people paying their bills and feeding their fish, and frankly, some weeks, it’s all too much. That’s when I need this, my little treasure that is Show and Sam and Dean Winchester, so I’ll loll here for as long as I can. Luckily, there’s plenty to see.
In the opening scene in MB’s scrap yard, Sam poses on the hood of the Impala like a sleek and self-aware cat, drinking a beer (probably a PBR) and waiting, as the brothers so often do for each other. Dean comes out, grabs himself a PBR from the green Coleman cooler; props to the Props Team for continued use of this silent character. And I like the boys in natural light like this, drinking beer, leaning against the Impala, acting like their scruffy, brotherly selves.
Sam and Dean’s dither is pretty big, because in it Dean says he’s on board with Sam saying yes. He has things to say about Sam being grown up enough to make his own decisions, even though he’s “only little” in Dean’s eyes, and will forever be considered thus, as is the way with big brothers. Dean also indicates that he needs to grow up too, because the time has come, etc.
The conversation is all about them trying to move beyond their familial roles even though that’s impossible. Dean’s making an effort, though, and acknowledges that maybe this time it’s Sam’s turn to save the world. I think (as I always have) that both Sam and Dean would prefer to save the world together (as they have done so many things), but it’s come down to this: Sam let Lucky out, so it’s Sam’s job to lock him back up. Even though both boys have a shared responsibility for the whole thing, Sam’s guilt level is a wee bit higher, so this doesn’t surprise me at all.
Then the story gets dark and dank from there. Sam and the gang drain a few demons for their blood, and it quickly becomes obvious that Sam means to drink it. All. Which, seeing as there are four gallon jugs of coagulating blood is staying a lot. MB and Dean talk about how the apocalypse is soon upon them, but it’s obvious that for all his talk about letting Sam do his thing, Dean still keeps a watchful eye on little brother.
Sam and Dean drive off in the Impala. In the rain. There’s some cool chiaroscuro lighting on rain-dappled faces, and for me it really doesn’t get any better than this. The boys discuss Dean’s bad feelings about their plans, and then Sam talks seriously to Dean, but not about last words of goodbye. It’s not that all the words between them have been said and there’s nothing more to say. It’s that between them they are saying it, and have been saying it, hello, and goodbye, and I love you, every minute of every day. So there’s no point saying it if it’s already being said. I really liked this scene, obviously.
Sam insists that after Sam goes, that Dean go to Lisa’s and have BBQs and football games, the whole works. This is Sam’s dream for himself, of course, but you can tell Sam means it to be something good for Dean. There’s no grandstanding here, no flinging himself upon the barricade in the dramatic second act. For him, this is all there is, his destiny and this quiet moment with the person he loves most in the world, that is to say, Dean. Personally, I think that Sam’s not saving the world, per se, he’s saving the world because in doing that, he can make sure that there’s a Dean in it. His Dean. And that, as they say, is all that she wrote for Sam.
Dean argues that of course he will save Sam, or die trying. He doesn’t promise Sam that he will do what Sam asks about Lisa, however. It’s a bit ironic, of course, that Sam yearns for something he’s never had, and that Dean has had, and doesn’t really yearn for. I mean, if you ask some die hard Deangirls, they might tell you that underneath it all, Dean does want those things, too. It’s just that Dean never espoused settling down, whereas Sam did. You could get a room full of fangirls, of both (or all) varieties, and statistics might split the discussion down the middle, or into thirds, at any rate, there’s no predicting what they’d say. Still, it’s fun to think about.
The gang pulls up in Detroit, Michigan and thusly begins the goodbye scenes. Sam exchanges a hug with MB, who is entirely too choked up about all this for my tastes. And then Sam turns to the Soap Angel, who is appropriately confused about a goodbye handshake, which should be accompanied by well-wishes and manly comments. The Soap Angel doesn’t know this (which is appropriate for a fallen angel), and even when he finds out and tries to lie, he mangles it so badly that Sam is forced to smile and tell him to shut the hell up. For Dean, Sam has no goodbyes, not only because there aren’t any, but because Dean is going with him into the devil’s lair.
I especially liked the bit where Sam stands next to the open trunk of the Impala, and without looking at Dean, asks big brother if he minds not watching him drink the demon blood. Dean of course obliges, but it says to me that Sam is very aware of what he is doing, not only how gross it might be to watch him swallow lumpy, clotted blood, but what it represents, which is the penultimate act in going darkside. Then, when he’s finished, Sam strides from around the back of the Impala, his mouth stained red. The change between the diffident, round-shouldered little brother to this long legged, broad shouldered, hulked out fighting machine happens in a blink, and it is marvelous.
It’s not groovy tunes being in a room with The Prince of Darkness, however, especially since Sam is going to say yes, and Dean will pretty much never see Sam again. Even if he does, Sam will never be the same again, so it’s the end of everything as they know it. However, Mark Pellegrino is again oozing devilish charm as he welcomes the pair. Even though this is the last time Show will probably use him as Lucky, my hat’s off to him for putting his stamp on this iconic character, making him low-key and creepy and dangerous and frankly mesmerizing enough so that you can’t take your eyes off him.
Dean in this scene is pretty as a picture and twice as sweet. Dean is prepared to have Sam say yes, but really, Dean’s in way over his head. And, as in the last few eps, Ackles has Dean being very aware that he’s in a room with pure evil. I love the perplexed, wary expression, and those eyebrows, signaling like the best semaphore, that he wants to get the hell OUT and take Sam with him. Not to mention get them both as far away from the Devil as possible.
Sam, on the other hand, is spitting into the wind, tugging on Superman’s cape, and IN the Devil’s face. His is a scream and dive approach, because if the end is coming, what difference do company manners make? But maybe what gives Sam this nerveless courage is the fact that his faith in Dean is intact and that Dean will rescue him as he always has. I mean, if you’ve grown up knowing your fabulously brave, handsome, and strong big brother will always (always) look out for you, then you would feel at liberty to take on the three biggest bullies on the block. Or think you can take down the Devil.
In this momentous scene, at least two seasons come down to the moment as, with a spit and a snarl, Sam says yes to Lucifer. Yes, to being his meatsuit. And yes, finally, to ending the apocalypse, thank goodness. Because in a way, because of his delay in making up his mind, it’s probably Sam’s fault that the situation on the planet (with the foreclosures, skyrocketing prices, oil spills, and volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and such) has gotten so out of hand, all because Sam wasn’t going to say yes, and Dean wasn’t going to let him. (So it’s Dean’s fault too! Ah, those brothers, they share everything, don’t they?)
There’s a flash of light, and Sam’s on the floor, looking dark and fabulous, and Dean’s wondering what the hell happened, all angsty and messed up. Then, Dean opens the door into hell with the Magic Rings, and there’s brotherly clutching as he helps Sam to his feet. There’s a hellish wind blowing through Sam’s Samhair as Dean encourages him to do what he came to do. All of a sudden, Sam turns and smirks and by GOD, it’s Him. The Devil. He was only fooling when he made Dean help him to his feet, when they were clutching at each other, struggling against the suck from the pit of hell. Only fooling, and oh man, all fooling should be like this, and oh, my god, is Padalecki beautiful here.
Padalecki’s Lucky is purring and smirky and gliding and inky black silk and ashy smoke and just about as marvelous as I have ever seen evil embodied. Part of it is that the Lighting Guys use that glowing filter to light up Padalecki’s skin eggshell white and smooth, making his eyes glitter like diamond fire. And Padalecki plays it like Pellegrino did; Lucky is the Morning Star and he doesn’t have to flair and rant and pitch smoke through his nose nor stamp his cloven hooves to get attention. The Devil needs no announcement; his coming has long been foretold. He simply arrives, simply IS, and that is enough. Add to that the glint in Sam’s eye (there’s a lot of glinty eyes in this ep), the nasty curve of that normally friendly mouth, and is it any wonder so many have fallen for the temptation of evil and sin? No, it is no wonder, not when it is so handsomely wrapped.
Padalecki’s echoes of Mark Pellegrino, plus his own charm, clearly mark the differences between Sam and Sam as Lucky. This contrast is brought about, I believe, by Padalecki’s treatment of Sam in recent eps. But it’s only in retrospect that I can see that he took Sam’s character back to a slightly more inexperienced version of Sam, so that when he switched to this, the cooler, smokier version of himself, it was effective and startling. It’s a testament to Padalecki’s attentiveness to what he’s doing.
After mocking Dean, Lucky pops himself away, leaving Dean in distress that he’s failed miserably in his Prime Directive, and that is looking after Sam. Baby brother has now met his worst only fate of going completely darkside. Is Dean still thinking of The Dad’s injunction of Dean shooting Sam if he can’t save him? I doubt it, because it’s gone far beyond that, in retrospect, simple order.
Now, even worse, it has come to the point that Dean must not only allow Sam to go darkside, he must help him do it, and then stand by while Sam destroys himself to save the world and get killed in the process. If Dean, as it appears, is not the one to save the world, his job is almost harder. He is the one who is left behind, the only one who is aware of the cost of that saving, of the sacrifices he and his brother made. After all, I think the “we do what we do, but we don’t talk about it” motto is still firmly in place, in spite of everything else.
Lucky arrives in a dark room, populated with people who might be alive or might be dead. He marches into the light, chest straining at the pearl snap buttons, flexing and bunching various muscles, smiling and prideful, and perfectly at ease. He has what he wants in the way of Sam saying yes, so the world is his oyster.
Lucky strides towards the mirrors at the end of the room. At first I thought he meant to pose and preen, as you imagine the Devil might want to do, wanting an audience for his success. Instead, as he gets closer, as Sam’s soul is caught inside of Lucky, so Sam’s soul can be seen in the mirror.
So, okay, let’s talk about Sam and mirrors. Way back in Season 3, in the ep “Fresh Blood“, I began to notice Show’s use of mirrors, and the placement of Sam in them and wondered at that point, if there was any significance to it, or just some really clever camera work by a bored camera operator.
Since that time, there’s been more scenes like it. I’ll just bring up one that comes freely to mind as an example, and that is “Mystery Spot“. In one scene, Sam comes in and rips off his shirt (GUH), and proceeds to stitch up the rip in his side, without help, and without anesthesia. Any fangirl worth her salt knows the scene I’m talking about. Manliness and first aid aside, a part of this scene was filmed by looking at Sam through the mirror, as if we were to focus on this other version of Sam’s darker, more self-reliant, and scarier self. Whether Show did this originally on purpose, or whether it developed because of fans pointing it out, as I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed, I don’t know. The important thing is the ongoing theme that we are never able to see Sam as a whole, connected person, and, what’s worse, he’s not able to see himself that way.
The differences between the two characters, though played by the same actor, are marked. All the while Lucky is talking to Sam via his reflection in the mirror, some clever person decided that Sam’s face would be presented in broken pieces in the cracked, shadowed mirror, while Lucky’s face would be glowy and intact, with some really close close-ups. Lucky is lit in such a way that you can see every eyelash, every pore, every glint in his eye, every smirk of that lush wide mouth. His Samhair, or in this case, his Luckyhair, curls around darkly from behind his ears, and he’s so full of confidence and swagger that you just want to smack him. That or date him.
In full contrast, is Sam. Sam’s shoulders are rolled, his chin is tucked down. Add that to the fact that the lighting is from above, and you can hardly see any of his features. What’s more, his beautiful Samhair lies flat against his head, so he comes across as a terrified, much younger Sam, out of his depth, and simply freaking out. It’s one thing to think about saying yes, but actually being there inside of Lucky, it’s obvious to see that Sam is scared to death; all the training in the world couldn’t have prepared him enough for this.
Sam and Lucky have a conversation about what Sam needs and wants and is and has, and it’s almost typical bad guy stuff. Except in this case, Lucky knows all of Sam’s buttons and he pushes them one by one. First off is the idea that Sam wasn’t running away from home all those times he ran away from home (which, apparently, wasn’t just the few times that we saw or heard about, but many, other times we, heretofore now, didn’t know about), rather he was running TO home. The Family Winchester was just foster care, and Sam is told that the bottom line is that no one loves him, or, what’s worse, knows him better than Lucky does. His whole life has come down to this moment, and good luck trying to escape fate, kiddo.
Lucky presents Sam with the people who we soon learn stood out in Sam’s history, only not in a good way. Chief among them is Rachel the Prom Date, who, as you might recall, was asked by Sam to the Prom, only she ended up sleeping with Dean. There’s also some reference to what happened with some guy named Doug from that time in East Lansing, Michigan, as well as some teacher who probably gave Sam pure hell. As it turns out, they all were part of the YED’s group, set in place to torment Sam.
Lucky invites Sam to eke revenge and proceeds to do so for him (ripping and tearing off-screen) until here’s a heap of bodies on the floor. Lucky’s hands are covered with blood and he sits on the edge of a stage, looking regal and in charge and exactly like the Prince of Darkness should look, admiring himself and his carnage, just two seconds away from calling for his crown and his scepter and his minions.
Then we see Sam’s reflection in the mirror. He’s a shaking mess, diminished from his broad shouldered mighty striding Sam-ness and spattered with blood. Sam felt he was up to it. He drank nearly four gallons of demon blood but apparently while that was enough to get him invited to the dance, to stay awake and aware, it’s not enough to control Lucky. Facing Lucky must be a bit like facing his worst fears, or, worse, facing the darkest corners of his own soul.
I can’t say enough about this marvelous acting job of Padalecki’s as plays both roles. Sure, go ahead and tell me that duh, that’s what actors do. But seriously, I’ve not seen many opportunities for actors to do what Padalecki is doing here, plus, I’ve not seen any to do it with such verve and confidence, and frankly, all out sexiness. Plus, he’s so devastatingly awesome when he plays evil, his eyes get narrow and sharp, his voice gets low and smoky, and he gets this “I win, so I win” smirk on his face, so you just know he’s loving playing this part.
Dean and the gang are in the street, watching TV monitors in a store window as the apocalypse unfolds across the land. MB makes some teary eyed comment about the end of the world, and I’m like, c’mon people! This isn’t Bobby!! MB is much tougher than that, and should have said something along the lines of, “Guess the Devil’s going to have all our balls filleted for breakfast,” or something equally as brusque and grizzled, to offset Dean’s angst or the Soap Angel’s appropriately flat affect.
Dean, ever on the job, calls Chuck the Prophet to get a location on the final battle between the Archangel Mike and Lucifer. Chuck supplies it, and in spite of the Soap Angel and MB’s protestations, off Dean goes to save his brother, and maybe the world. And seriously, just as saying yes to Lucky was Sam’s destiny, saving Sam is Dean’s destiny, and you can’t have one without the other and neither would I want it.
Stull Cemetery. It’s real and it’s only a few miles from Lawrence, KS. There is a Keep Out/No Trespassing sign, on account of those foolhardy kids who love to sneak in come Halloween night. There are fewer trees than we see here, and Show left out the fact that the fence and gate are chain link and the gate is padlocked, but the idea is the same: it is a desolate and forgotten cemetery that is, according to Wiki (and other sources) an entrance to hell. Also, it’s a known no-flyover zone for the Pope, on account of he’s afraid that the Devil will drag him under by the sharp lapels of his checkered vestments. Naturally, Mike and Lucky would choose it for their encounter.
Tall and graceful, Lucky waits in the cemetery for Mike, who soon shows up and the two of them go at it. They talk about what their Heavenly Father wants from each of them, and what the point of their encounter is. There’s stuff about who The Father loves best, and how Mike is a “good son,” and how Lucky thinks they should think for themselves and not follow orders so blindly.
Show has always placed a heavy focus on family dynamics, particularly sibling rivalry and the pecking order among siblings, so naturally, their conversation eerily echoes the many similar conversations between Sam and Dean over the years. No one likes it much when the Youngest thinks differently than his position in the pecking order allows, and it seems to be no different in Heaven.
The battle between evil and good is an old one. I’m sure that this isn’t the first time that these two have come together to clash swords and cut off each other’s heads because there can be only one. Oh, wait, that’s Highlander, isn’t it, but the idea is the same. Evil will rise and Good must also rise to combat it, otherwise, Evil will take over. And then, everything settles until it’s time to have this particular battle again. And then again and so on, ad infinitum.
But here’s an idea…if Sam is playing Lucky and Adam is Mike (even if it was supposed to be Dean), doesn’t that make The Dad the ideal candidate to represent The Heavenly Father? I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees the parallel there. And, I’ll wager, every single fan of the Show would be willing to contribute at least one dollar to The Brittany Foundation if Jeffrey Dean Morgan could be arranged to be on Show and portray God. After all, he’s played a ghost, so it wouldn’t be a far step at all to have him play another, albeit more significant, supernatural being.
Alternately, and less enjoyably, Show could find a nice bramble and set it on fire to represent the Burning Bush and have some actor with a voice like Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s speaking through it. But I think that Morgan himself, with a five o’clock shadow, scruffy boots and jeans, a ragged flannel shirt, and a glint in his eye would make a much better El Shaddai.
Soon, and in brilliantly iconic style, Dean and The Impala arrive at Stull Cemetery. Appropriately, Dean is not only crashing a party to which he’s not been invited, he’s irreverently playing “Rock of Ages” by Def Leppard, and not on a CD either. No, Dean’s using his good, old fashioned cassette version of the song. And just like Dean used to attempt to umpire the fights between The Dad and Sam, he’s just in time to break up the fight between Mike and Lucky.
While I admire Dean’s verve and style, what I really liked here was the look in Lucky’s eyes as he watches Dean arrive. It was kind of shiny and fond, almost as if he was a little in love with Dean at that moment for having the brass balls to waltz into a heavenly convocation which will surely either end in fire or in ice. (Or, perish the thought, the world will freeze-frame on endless reruns of the Olsen Twins in Full House forever and ever until Jesus comes again). I’m thinking, there’s nothing that the Devil enjoys more than bravado and bad decisions made with style. And Dean’s got both of those, so I can’t blame Lucky for being in love. Or, at the very least, having a huge (albeit momentary) mancrush on Dean.
MB and the Soap Angel, aided by the distraction of a marvelously brave and ballsy Dean, arrive in time for the Soap Angel to lob a Molotov cocktail of holy fire at Mike. He disappears in screaming flames. Then, Lucky promptly explodes the Soap Angel into a gabillion bloody globs. Then, when Bobby tries to interfere, Lucky snaps MB’s head right round his neck. So, Magical Bobby is dead, and it’s about damn time.
Meanwhile, Lucky grabs the lapels of Dean’s leather jacket, and for one unholy second I actually thought that there was going to be wall slamming, or at least car slamming, since there is no wall. That or there was going to be kissing. And not the good kind, no, in this case, I thought Lucky was going to deliver a Judas kiss right before Lucky dispatched Dean with unhealthy ease. Because weren’t we foretold that there would be the death of a “beloved character” in this ep? Yeah, sure, MB and the Soap Angel are dead, but they aren’t beloved by me, so at this point, with only Dean and Sam left, I was freaking because with a promise like that, I’m pretty sure Show meant to keep it.
But anyway, while there is no kiss, there is whumpage, and normally I’m on board for that, as you know. Except this time around, what starts as the good kind of whumpage (artistic and heroic and manly and entertaining) quickly turns into the bad kind of whumpage. Lucky goes at Dean and starts talking about snapping bones, and keeps pounding on Dean, and all the while Dean is telling Sam (in horribly well-done broken tones) that he’s not leaving, he’s not going. Frankly, it’s horrible to watch because soon Dean’s face goes from attractively bleeding to a bloody, pulpy mess. I like my whumpage, but this went too far. Or it went appropriately far, if it was (as I think it was) Show’s objective to make this as un-fun and realistic as possible.
So what stops Lucky from killing Dean? Simply put, it is The Impala, which has been, lo these many years, a constant, in fact, the only contestant in Sam and Dean’s life. The sun reflects off the well-loved and highly-polished chrome and into Lucky’s green, green eyes, and it is The Impala and the boys shared history that stops Lucky right in his tracks.
Throughout the ep, the story of The Impala is recounted in a voiceover narrative courtesy of Chuck the Prophet. Show typically doesn’t do voiceovers like this, and while I would normally consider it as clunky as the tacked-on voiceover at the end of “Blast From the Past”, this time I thought it was brilliant and artfully crafted. Because in addition to the fact that Chuck’s voice is nice to listen to, we get background on the boys and an affirmation on the point of the story, and that is, them, their relationship, and their journeys together.
I loved that Show showed us this. Showed us Sam and Dean living in that car. There are some lovely, lovely details of the Wee boys stuffing toys where they ought not to go and carving their initials beneath the padding in the back seat. I loved watching Wee Sam stuffing an army man in the ash tray, and Wee Dean force feeding Legos into the heating vents. (Although, considering their characters, would it have been more appropriate for Wee Sam to be playing with the Legos, somehow being more in keeping with building a home, and Wee Dean to be playing with army men, being more in keeping with being a good soldier? Or were their destinies foretold all along?) Especially nice was the idea that when Dean rebuilt his Best Girl, that he put every rattle, every snap and crackle and pop right back into place.
And then the montage continues, a thousand images and more of brotherly interaction and love and fealty and more love and connection and on and on, like a very satisfying fanvid or fan fiction. A thousand miles to anywhere. A hundred thousand miles to jobs and concerts and motels and stars. All the sleeping and eating and talking (and not talking and stargazing) that went on in that car. Best of all, since the car was home, that the boys were never actually homeless. And then it is the final hug that saves Sam: the slow mo of Dean greeting Sam after Dean has sold his soul to bring Sam back.
The montage of the boys’ history was a storybook story, done from the perspective of someone who really cares about these characters and what happens to them. It was done with love. And, if Season Six doesn’t happen, then at least we have this, an homage to brotherly love and history and shared silences, and the endless two-lane highway that traces its way through the boys lives. Marvelous. Thank you, Show.
Post flashback, Sam comes back in control of his own body, aghast at what he’s done to Dean. Before he soldiers on with what must be done, there is goodbye between the bothers. It wasn’t long enough for me, but then, with imminent torture waiting for Sam in hell, I don’t think it was long enough for the brothers either. But really, there was no goodbye. The boys gulp for air and shake and angst, but it wasn’t enough. Of course, you could say that with the subtle and ever-present undercurrent of love between them, goodbyes that are spoken aloud are unnecessary. Still, I would like to have seen more than a nod of acknowledgement from each of them, which is pretty much all we got. Sam’s going to hell here, to save the frakking world (and Dean), so is a goodbye kiss, or even a touch, too much to ask for?
Sam spreads himself on the wind generated from the mouth of hell (kind of like Apollo in the Star Trek ep “Who Mourns For Adonais?”); he’s ready for his destiny. All of a sudden, Mike arrives and the two of them fall into the pit. Does that mean that Sam’s liable to get out of hell in one piece? Lord, I hope so; I couldn’t stand it if Sam were dead forever. (Even though what’s dead should stay dead is a good motto, it doesn’t, and never should include Sam and Dean.)
The Soap Angel arrives. He’s now been fully reinstated as a real angel, and he proceeds to heal Dean’s wounds, making him beautiful again (whew!), and then he brings MB back to life. I have a tip for Show. If MB’s death was the “death of a beloved character” (which I secretly suspect it was, in spite of my earlier snarky comments), the death of said “beloved character” would be imbued with a whole lot more meaning if said character stayed dead, and I mean dead forever. Otherwise, it ceases to be impactful. At the very least, as Chuck tells us, it’ll be a long time before Dean sees Magical Bobby again, thank goodness.
On his own, Dean drives to Lisa’s. Even though he never promised Sam out loud that he’d do it, I imagine that he still wants to honor Sam in this. Lisa’s pretty magical because (good woman that she is) she senses Dean’s distress. She invites him in, offers him a beer, and then accepts his wordless embrace. He hugs her tight but does not, I note, shed a single tear. But then, when his reason for living and dying and his joy (Sam, Sam, and Sam) has been taken away from him, well, some grief is too deep and painful for tears.
Soon we see Dean at the table, drinking whiskey, no ice, with doleful attentiveness. Outside in the street, a shadowy figure appears, and just as it does, the streetlight fizzles out, which is typical of unearthly arrivals. The figure looks a whole lot like Sam, but, since he doesn’t go right up and knock at the door, I suspect that it is not Sam, but Lucky. Or maybe it is Sam, only he’s hesitant to go break up what looks very much (from the outside) like a Happy Family. (I’ve heard that some fans are taking umbrage with the whole Lisa thing. But seriously, she’s a classy lady and Dean could do far worse. Plus, I have a good feeling that she is merely a way station for Dean, and next season, Sam will come back and the two of them will hit the road once more, saving people, hunting things.)
There is so much I didn’t say and wanted to about this ep, so much that was good and meaningful and that worked. (Not to mention I didn’t talk nearly enough about the Samhair, but it’s a given that it was perfect.) And I still have tons of questions I’d like answered, please. Like, for example, when Sam shows up, is he still Lucky? Will Dean and Lisa stay together long enough to make a baby? Will Jeffrey Dean Morgan ever get back to play The Dad again? And is Chuck the Prophet really God? Did Sam really avert the apocalypse, or will next year bring more of the same? And what would Dean rather have, peace or freedom? Overall, I loved this episode and secretly hope that Show will give Padalecki an opportunity to play Lucky a few more times before he gets killed off, although I think Show is MEAN to make us wait all summer for any of it.
Sylvia Bond is a ten-year technical writing veteran with too many degrees under her belt to count. She lives in Colorado, but does not ski, preferring instead to spend her money and time at the annual Great American Beer Festival, taking road trips across the United States, and reading historical fiction from the comfort of her fluffy green arm chair. She has been involved in fandom since 1993 and been writing fanfic since approximately 1993. What she finds most amazing about fandom (besides the open heartedness of fans and the sheer amount of creativity) is how visible fandom has become. “In my day,” she says, “we had to hide behind P.O. boxes to get fanfic. But nowadays, people wear t-shirts that shout their affiliation and share their shiny toys on the internet.” It’s a wonderful world.
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"And what would Dean rather have–peace or freedom?"
I think Dean would rather have Sam.
I did like this episode. In my head, Sam reappeared under the streetlight, Chuck beamed in, pointed him at Lisa's door, and said "Go get your brother, and decide what you want to do with your lives." And then Sam knocked on the door and there was a big, happy, teary reunion. With Hugs.
What I fear is that season six is going to start four years from now, that Sam will have walked away, leaving Dean to his happy life. He will be hunting, trying to make up for his role in the Apocolypse, but without letting Dean know that he's alive. That Dean will have realized that a dream is a lot easier than reality, and that he and Lisa are fighting (if she hasn't moved out) that moody teenage Ben resents him, and he's drinking more and more whiskey in order to cope. Then Magical Bobby will disappear, and Sam will show up on Dean's doorstep to ask him to return to the hunting life, and we'll be back at season one, only with the boys playing opposite roles.
I don't want that. I want them to be reunited immediately!
But back to the episode. I thought it was brilliant using the Impala's story as the framework. The whole episode was brilliant, and I loved your review!
I agree with you 100%, Dean would rather have Sam. Peace and freedom are just additional options, but it wouldn't matter either way if Sam were safe and there with him.
And I like your ending, after the streetlight scene! Of course, everyone is happy in the end, that's the way the best stories go. I certainly hope, as you do, that if they're separated, that they aren't separated for long and that when there is a reunion, NO ONE ELSE IS THERE to get any of their camera time!
Dean and Sam, together. That's what will make me happy!
Wow, I have a feeling you just spoiled the next season for us. I have a feeling that is dead on.
You mean the part where Khek thinks that it will be four years on when next season starts and Sam and Dean will have been APART all that time? Perish the thought! (Though it is a rather angsty one…and I like the way she suggests that Sam will come in to Dean's life to ask him to start hunting again, and their roles are reversed! Clever! The only thing she left out is that MB DIES, alas.)
Sorry! : x
I so didn't understand that freedom or peace speech. Are those two mutually exclusive?
Time gap? Oh noes, that's as bad as time travel! I'm on board with Sam coming back totally confused after the natural time jump of four months. if he wants to let Dean know he's all right he can leave the amulet on the Impala and let Dean choose. I think that would be so Sam. No rehash of season one, please! That would nullify all character growth!
They don't have to be mutually exclusive, but they sometimes are..
It's like the old story about The Dog and The Wolf. Wolf is tired of his "freedom" (tired of starving in the forest) so he asks Dog about moving in. Dog is well fed and well looked after ("peace"), but at the same time, the Wolf can see that he's not free. So instead of taking a place at the hearth with The Dog, Wolf goes back to the forest. Maybe I've mangled it, but here's the link: http://www.bartleby.com/17/1/28.html
the first time I watched this episode, it didn't hit me the way it should have. Guess I was too engrossed in anticipation of how it will end. The second time I saw it…it was so heartbreaking. To even think of how else the show would have ended if this there wasn't a season 6 is even more heartbreaking. May be they would have thrown both Sam & Dean into the pit while trying to take down Michael and Lucifer!
MB should have stayed dead! I understand the angel fixing up Dean but resurrecting Bobby? Guess he has a good role to play in Season 6.
Lisa? She's one brave woman to take in a wanted and a broken man
Sam & Dean sitting on the Impala and stargazing…the whole montage? tore me inside out!
Yeah, that stargazing part, and the whole montage, really, was brilliant and sad and sweet. I loved the idea of it, and that the Impala played a huge part in giving Sam enough time to control Lucifer, not kill Dean, and take the devil down into the pit. Please don't get me started on Magical Bobby…..
I have conflicting feelings about this episode. It was so BEAUTIFUL, a piece of poetry indeed. But on the other hand, it was the saddest thing I watched on screen in a long, long time. I can’t tell what makes more wrecked: Sam’s resignation and calm determination while going to his horrific fate, not wanting Dean to bring him back; Dean having to let his “darling little Sammy” go and help him through it. I don’t know where to start crying, but I’m so PROUD of my boys. Speaking of bravery here is an understatement.
It was sad. It was sadder than sad….they were brave and I'm proud of them too. I just hope that they get the rewards they deserve, on earth, in the here and now, with plenty of motels and diners and stary nights to look at together.
I heard loads of whining because Dean didn’t take a flaming sword and saved the world himself, rather then leave to that “spoiled brat” of a brother he has the glory of making the ultimate sacrifice. Oh, come on! I mean no offence to Dean fans in general but some so-called fans apparently don’t understand their hero. Dean “only” sacrificed his most treasured possession: Sammy. He gave Sammy to the greater good. That was beyond selfless. If this isn’t as much heroic as it can get, then I don’t know what heroism means. Sam made the ultimate sacrifice and saved the humankind, yes, but he only succeeded because Dean was there for him and gave him the necessary strength. It was a team job, accomplished through their brotherly love, and I couldn’t care less about the lack of a grand battle between Michael and Lucifer.
I know what you mean – what means more than a Dean being beaten to a pulp and still trying to let Sam know he's there for him and he's not leaving no matter what. I was just surprised Castiel and Bobby didn't understand why he was heading to the battleground. Of course, he couldn't let his brother face this alone, he couldn't let him die alone. As much as it hurt him he had to be there for Sam.
And his love did reach Sam. I found it interesting in PONR that Dean said the plan they were working on now was the power of love. Truer words were never spoken even if he did say it mockingly. Too bad the other brothers on the battlefield (Lucifer and Michael) couldn't make the brotherly love work for them.
I read an interesting idea that Sam's memories flashing through Lucifer's mind reminded him of a love he felt for his brother weakening him for a second, just long enough for Sam to take control. I think it was a combination of the memories weakening Lucifer while at the same time strengthening Sam. Love can be both a strength and a weakness and I think this scene did an excellent job of demonstrating that.
What a great point you have here. That's exactly it, Dean's sacrifice and Sam's, well, they're different, but not unequal, Sam saves the world from the apocolypse, and DEAN gives up Sam and what sacrifice could be greater?
And for the record, I’ll always remember this episode as Sam’s Song. I mean no offence or sacrilege or whatever but Sam opening his arms in preparation to falling in the pit reminded me of a crucified Jesus Christ which, in turn, reminded me of the cross on his chest at the end of Dark Side of the Moon. Also, I read comments suggesting that the red color surrounding him in that same scene was foreshadowing his shedding blood for the humankind.
Like you, Sylvia, I missed a goodbye scene. Maybe neither could bear it and it could even have weakened their resolve or maybe, like you said, there was nothing they could have said to each other that they hadn’t already said. Anyways, it was their last time together, perhaps forever, and I really think that a word should have been said. It makes me wonder why Dean wanted those 5 five minutes with Sam so desperately. Did he have a tiny hope of saving his brother or it was just that he wanted to say goodbye properly and tell Sam that he would be there until the end? Because he told MB and SA that he wouldn’t let Sam die alone so maybe it was all he meant.
Nice title! Show should have called you first before they named this ep, I'm thinking. And now that you mention the spread of his arms, the Devil did the same gesture in the room, when he was offering up the people for Sam to tear apart….but yeah, it was beautiful.
The goodbye scene…in my head, I rewrote it, so there was more connection there. (Or maybe there is no way they could be more connected than they already are so…) But I still wanted a touch or a kiss or something. (And yes, I think Dean thought he could pull a last minute hail Mary and save Sam.)
Sylvia,
Great review so far. I stopped to comment on your comment amount Dean and whether he yearned for normal like Sam has. I think Dean holds it as a dream, a future, but not really one he will ever have. It is just something that helps to keep him going, the idea of one day having what he once did. However, he's a realist and he realizes he is no longer the person who could be happy in that life. He needs to do what he does to be fulfilled, to think he is giving his all.
Sam may have tried to give Dean what he believes Dean wants underneath it all but I think the Dean in Bugs who said he wasn't right for that suburban life was speaking the truth. Dean did not look happy at the table and Lisa asking if he was fine like that showed me he isn't adjusting well. Hopefully he'll realize that the promise Sam was really asking for was for Dean to go on living and to be as happy as possible doing so. And for Dean the apple pie life while an appealing dream isn't what makes him happy.
Okay, sure, that's valid. I wasn't sure myself whether Sam wanted Dean to make Sam's dream come true for Sam, or whether he honestly felt that Dean would be happy "living the dream." Certainly Dean seems to enjoy homemade BLT's and mowing the lawn and kind of rolling in that kind of life. But would he be happy forever that way? There's all that fanfic out there where Dean secretly yearns for the little cottage with white curtains, and a new fridge and the whole works, and it's very fun to read and contemplate. Then you have the ones where he settles down, but it's only for a month, and he really, really wants to be back on the road again. So my jury is still out on this one, but I like the point you make here.
You know, the only way I can see Dean settling down and enjoying life in the burbs is if he has a job where he's still saving people. A firefighter, or an EMT, or something where he's going all out to save others. However, how is that going to happen when he has no training and no identity? If he let's the world know he's Dean Winchester, he'd be in jail faster than he could blink. And I don't think it's that easy to forge an identity and live like that in one place, with a wife and family nowadays. I could be wrong, but…
I think Dean loves the ideal of a happy family, but I'm not sure he can live it. I think Sam thinks Dean would be able to make it work, but I think that's Sam's dream, living vicarously. They really need to figure out where to go now together, with no preconceptions of what each other wants dragging them down.
I hope they get that chance!
Fireman, yeah, or EMT, those kind of jobs would be perfect for Dean. Maybe he wouldn't have a wife and family, but I can see him in a small town, building a relationship with the community around him.
I agree. Dean may think he wants the picket fence life, just to get away. He's been hinting to quitting since season 2, my gur eeling is that he wanted out to save Sam. But faced with it? No way he'll be content and fulfilled. I think Sam wanted Dean to be safe, but perceived safety in not always happiness. Maybe Sam hasn't understood this yet and was asking the impossible of Dean?
They are still trying to save one another but without each other, those two will never be fulfilled or really saved.
I was ready to leave show after this episode. Until damned Jared Padalecki gave me that face at the end. I have one word for it: haunting. I have no idea what it tells me, have no idea about the emotions behind it and still it mesmerized me enough to be on pins and needles tor September. Damn you Jared Padalecki. You're never letting me off the hook, are you?
And I bow to the man for picking up subtle Pellegrino cues for his own Lucifer. It was so striking when you compared to jake Abel's Michael. he too was good but since we've seen very litlle of Michael he really had no change to channel the other actor as Jared did with Mark's performance. Especially the finger to his temple was so Pellegrino's Lucifer. Yet, Jared took over and made Lucifer his own. And yes, evil should not be that awesomely sexy! I'm so with you on that mirror scene, I was breathless at the brilliance of Jared's performance. This time I lack words for it, It was that visceral.
Both actors are splendid and delivered throughout. But there's something about that damned Padalecki that kills me dead. If this man doesn't rise to an A-lister, something is wrong with the world. When's he's on screen, he owns it. This episode was Padalecki's, from the understated goodbyes to the loved ones, to that last Mona-Lisa's smile enigmatic look that still has me wondering who or what was that in the very last, stunningly beautiful frame?
Damn you, Padalecki, you're beautiful!
I did snicker at Kripke-Chuck proclaiming himself God(?) and moaning over fans bitching. That was hilarious and I wanted to pat his head and ask if he perhaps was in the wrong business? That self-insertion was just downright amateurish as a storytelling device.
I guess the Christ references were highly intentional after all, as was the fact that we never quite knew all about Sam, that he was mirrored and partly faced away from the viewer. Sam saved mankind, but as you pointed out, I think all he wanted to save was Dean.
Or, alternately, "Damn you Padalecki, I wish I knew how to quit you!"
Jared Padalecki deserves so many honors in portraying Lucifer in this ep. The first time I saw Sam as evil was in Born Under a Bad Sign, when Sam shot Dean, and then smirked about it, with the wind blowing in his hair. After that is when I became a Samgirl, tried and true. He has such a knack for shifts of expression and voice, and it just sucked me in, especially in that scene. Like I said, it made me want to smack Lucifer, that, or date him. And I'm SO SO SO glad that Padalecki got a chance to shine. He should be give more opportunities, and I'll wager he'll shine even brighter.
Did you think it was Kripke-insertion? I just thought it was the team of writers apologizing in advance for any plot holes. Cause you know we'll find 'em, if they're there.
As to the brothers, they're doing what they have to do (play the roles that destiny has put out for them) to save the world, but ultimately, to save each other.
I always took Chuck as Kripke's avatar. He's the creator (God) who loves meta so yes, to me it was Kripke complaining. Heh.
I want to smack Jared! He keeps me watching this story, full of dropped storylines, plot holes aand not enough Sam just because when given a chance he takes and does unbelievable things. Yes, I'd date and marry Lucifer in a heartbeat, or be his willing slave. What soul? Who needs it when you have a swaggering, confident and lethally sexy being like that. I was rooting for Lucky when he faced off with Michael. Sympathy for the devil. indeed and that was all Jared's doing. Damn him again!
Those last scenes, with Dean telling Sam he wouldn't leave sent chills down my bone because Dean did the hardest thing ever. he accepted Sam totally, darkness and all. I loved Dean like never before in that instance. Dean saved Sam to save the world. And I admit, I had tears in my eyes when Sam closed his and looked terrified and sad but still peaceful. It just broke me. Talk about emotional range in that one short scene alone.
I'm so mad at myself for being this stuck on show because I just know there will not be enough of Sam next season.
Kripke may have done a lot of things that I don't agree with, but one thing he did exactly right: the hiring of those two to play Sam and Dean. Without Jared and Jensen, I would have dropped this show ages ago.
I really enjoyed your review. The only concern I had was that you seem to doubt that season six is actually a sure thing. As far as I've heard, it is. Sera has talked about the plans for season six, and both Jared and Jensen have talked about it. The show has been renewed, so I can't see season six suddenly being off. The one thing I will say is that this episode felt a lot more like a series finale than a season finale. But it's really just like closing the chapter on Book 1. Now we're ready for Book 2.
I personally think that was Sam at the end. If it was Lucifer, it wouldn't work because they're supposed to be wrapping up this whole Apocalypse storyline. If he's Lucifer, wouldn't they just be dragging it into next season? I like to think that God brought Sam back as a reward for doing alright in this whole "text." I suppose we will find out (at least I hope so). I pretty much feel the same way as khek … I don't want to see things play out next season the way she described either.
Certainly everyone seems on board with a Season Six, and I'm hoping there is one. But you never can tell what might happen between now and next fall, so, I'm thinking that Show had to be open to both. (Though it's better for everyone if Sam is saved and Dean saves him!)
As for dragging it to next season, that's what Show does best. Remember the end of Season One, that ended in a car crash? Or how about the end of Season Two, that ended in Dean's Deal? Or Season Three, which ended in Dean going to hell. Show's record is pretty straightforward on that, they end in cliffhangers to bring viewers back.
*hopes with all her might that the CW stays afloat till then* ;D (And I certainly agree with that!)
Point taken. I think the fact that they left it so ambiguous as to what is up with Sam is a little cliffhanger in itself. There are a number of possibilities – It could be Samifer, Ghost!Sam, Angel!Sam, Demon!Sam, just plain 'ol Sam himself, or maybe even NewAndImproved!Sam.
I guess time will tell.
"text" is supposed to be "test"… gah, sorry about that!
No worries. : D
I agreed with you that the episode was great, full of emotions, epic, but I missed the whole thing of Dean servant of God. I mean, killing angels, killing whores… for what? I would expect a little bit of that, Dean saving Sam from the cage due of it, maybe (I didn't wanna Sam in the pit, too sad). Now that part of the mitology showed in season 4 and 5 seems a little gratuitous to me. But, like prophet Chuck say "You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always gonna bitch. There's always gonna be holes". Sorry for my english, it's not my native language.
I think that Dean's role as a servant of God will come into play when he saves Sam from Lucifer…which would happen next season. Fingers crossed!
oh man! one more season of angels, god & lucifer? you know how hard it is for a non-christian fan to keep up…have to keep googling stuff
like the stull cemetary!
Dean wasn't a servant of God, he was a servant of heaven. Big difference in the Supernatural world. Dean was able to kill the fake prophet because he had already decided to say yes. Sam knew it, and that's why he asked Dean if he was going to do something stupid in "99 Problems"
I'm surprised that so many people have missed the basic rift in this episode between how Kripke intended to end the arc and the necessity of setting up the next season for Gamble. I know this is not a popular view, but Dean and Sam were meant to go into that pit together – a la Butch and Sundance (or Thelma and Louise – pick your pop culture icon). And I think we missed a lot by not going there. That said, I'm not totally dissatisfied with how it ended – i think Kripke did a great job, and his words came through Chuck loud and clear – at least for me. I think you have really missed the point about Dean. He really DOES want that life – he's said so on at least two occasions this season – Swap Meat for one. For Dean, it was always repress what he wants and put family first. We are never going to see Dean as servant of God – that storyline is done. And I, for one, do feel cheated by that.
I typically don't listen to the treats and teasers about what is supposed to happen, because, as in this case, what was supposed to happen doesn't always come to fruition. But, if Sam and Dean had gone into the pit together, then, well, Show would have had to build hell, which they've resisted doing until now. And THEN we would get to see Sam and Dean in hell, and going through hellish things and then rescuing themselves, because that's what they do. Surely even Magical Bobby couldn't have rescued them from that! However, I wasn't dissatisfied that Dean was left behind, because that means he's around to save Sam! Adam will have to be sacrificed to the flames, alas.
The ending with Dean and Sam in the pit would have been the ultimate ending – of the series. Just like Butch and Sundance at the end of the movie. It left viewers to fill in what happened…. And Dean having to save Sam basically negates any growth on either of thier parts – so I find that the least acceptable of solutions.
I do agree that the original plan would have had them going down together. And that is what I wanted to see happen, and I was consequently left a tiny, tiny bit cold by this ending. I just like The Boys to save the world, be heroes together. I do understand the need to setup some tension for season 6, however.
How would I like to have seen that final scene? With Dean having said yes to Michael in a last ditch effort — but then it playing out pretty much as it did – they both fight free of their archangels and jump in together – because mark my words – Dean always intended to go in with Sam. If you watch that last scene closely, Dean is trying to go to Sam but is too beaten to get up. – just my opinion…
However, it also solidifies what Dean and Sam have done for each other. When Michael insists he is the good son and Luci says you are a mindless soldier – -doesn't this remind you of S1 Dean and Sam? But Sam has taught Dean to have confidence in himself and think for himself. Michael says to Luci – you haven't changed – you're still selfish etc – again flash back to S1 Sam and Dean and what Dean has taught Sam – that sometimes you have to act for the greater good – you can't just have what you want -
Actually, when Dean told Bobby and Castiel that Sam wouldn’t die alone, it did occur to me that he intended to die with Sam. Chuck’s narration tells us that Dean wanted to die with his ever fiber so we already know that a Samnless world is one where Dean doens’t care to live. If he coldn’t save Sam he would rather die with him. And yes, I did notice that when Sam jumped he made a sudden movement as if wanting to grab Sam. Personally, I like the Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid approach and I bet this was the ending intended by Kripk if the show hadn’t been renewed. I remember that in Free To Be You and Me, we get to see the names listed on Sam’s cell phone. If you pay attention, two of the names were Butcher and Cassidy.
Sorry for being so long winded…
As for next season. I agree with the poster above – we are going to see a re-boot of season one with the roles reversed. Except I don't see Dean's relationship with Lisa being a disaster – how much harder will it be if he is actually happy? Lisa is Gamble's creation, so i think she may be around for a while. For the record, I really, really hate the idea of this re-boot.
If Dean is with Lisa, I don't think it would be for very long after Sam comes back. Because Sam is coming back. Right? RIGHT?
Again, I find this a bad solution too. Don't get me wrong, I love the brothers together, but if Dean leaves the love of his life for his brother, we might as well all get our tin hats out. What I'm afraid will happen is there will be some threat – whether it's a demon back (spoiler) or Bobby going missing, that will land Sam on Dean's doorstep. My fear is that the writers will then kill off Lisa, thus taking us all the way back to S1… and negating the journey so far.
Oh, I see your point….how about if Sam comes back and Dean leaves Lisa? Or…your point is that Dean's struggles that brought him to Lisa are negated if Show just writes her out, right? But would it be wrong for Show to take the boys back to their roots? I'm keen on them going back to what they do best, saving people hunting things, and while I like Lisa, I wouldn't mind seeing her sacrificed along the way. (Or maybe she could get wise, and tell Dean to take a hike…or even more interesting, he keeps her relationship but goes on the road with Sam. So Sam, who wanted hearth and home, doesn't have it, while Dean does. Hmmmm.)
My problem with Dean and Lisa having a happy life together is…well, reality. They've known each other for a long weekend eleven years ago, a few days two years ago, and a brief meeting a couple weeks ago. What kind of basis is that for a relationship? Especially when Dean is so broken right now? If Lisa is perfect for him, it's because she's not real, or because she's so broken herself that she doesn't mind a guy who is in mourning for his brother, has no job, no life and no way to support himself.
I suppose Sera could make their relationship be the best thing since sliced bread. Maybe four years down the road, they'll have a mini-Sam, a mini-Dean and a mini-Lisa and everything will be roses and happiness. But this is Supernatural, right? If that happens, Lisa will definitely die.
I do think we're going to get a season one re-boot, in one way or another. I just hope it's not as obvious as a direct parallel to either John and Mary or Sam and Jess. But yeah, it could be.
I agree that I enjoyed the episode, more than both my husband his friend who had many more complaints. Padalecki for me I think does very well in some places, and could be better in others. His shift from Sam to demon-blood Sam, was excellent, perfectly done. I also like his Lucifer, I do think he really gets Lucifer and can mimic Mark Pellogrino's Lucifer incredibly well. However, oddly enough, I didn't like his Sam while in the mirror. Don't get me wrong, I adore Sam, I am a Sam girl from day one and all the way (I'm the teddy bear puppy dog eyes type, what can I say), and I really didn't see the Sam I know and love in there as distinctly from Lucifer as I believe Jared could have done. Sam was too stone, there should have been many more emotional shifts during that conversation from Sam, while Lucifer kept his aloof and awesome air. ::shrugs:: I get picky about my Sam, but I've also been an actress, so I also tend to get picky about acting. On the other hand, Jensen never fails to amaze me, why isn't he Capt. America? Really? Why?
I do agree with you that Bobby felt slightly out of sorts. I could be an apologist and say that he hasn't been the same since his wife came back, but I like my gruff Bobby, and I missed him. On the other hand, Jim Beaver by twitter has confirmed he's not going anywhere (sorry Sylvia!).
BTW – love the references to Don't Mess Around with Jim and Guys and Dolls.
Yeah, we were seriously waiting for JDM to show up as God. I still think God should remain unshown, I have no idea what was happening in the last 5 minutes with Sam(?) and Chuck(?) and you know what, I can't even bring my brain to try and guess. I'm just waiting it out.
One final point: we may not all love Lisa, but I think almost every fangirl in existence wanted to be her at the very end, oh. so. badly.
I'm happy with where we are at, I trust Sera Gamble and gang with season 6, and I have a lot of fanfic to catch up on (mostly writing, some reading) to get me through.
I thought Sam was fine, but I felt that there wasn't enough of Sam's reaction in the mirror, we got a blip and that was it. But Sam's Lucifer was amazing, simply amazing.
Why isn't Jensen Captain America? Only the gods know the answer to that one, because I think he would have been great. But maybe he didn't want to get caught up in another franchise? Maybe he wanted to be free to play different types of roles other than the hero? But, with a face like that, he's sort of destined to play sympathetic characters….
Well, lots of MB fans will be pleased to hear that he's going to be back next season, and that's okay, as long as he's GRUFF Bobby and not maudlin Bobby, and definately not Magical Bobby. Still…Show touted the "death of a beloved character" and so, if Bobby's so beloved (as are any of them, depending on which fan you ask) then the whole thing was just a tease and a lie. Fool me once, shame on you, Show.
Hey, you're welcome for the references, they sometimes pop into my head at the oddest moments.
God should show up. They did it on Joan of Arcadia, which was a terrific show that was, sadly, cancelled before it's time. And JDM is the perfect person to play God's meatsuit.
I did't want to be Lisa. I wanted to be…well, I didn't want to be Lisa. I want to be the woman who finds Sam unconscious by the roadside and nurses him back to health before sending him back to his brother. I run a nice little saloon, er, let's make that a coffee shop, and Sam is a big help around the place. But he's got his brother to go to…..
If you need some help nursing Sammy back to health, you can always count on me. Between two we can send him back to his brother faster.
LOL! I can see that…
I loved Jared in this and frankly I dont think he barely put a foot wrong and the mirror scene has someone else stated was electric .Jensen has well .was good.
I am not a fan of time jumps but we will see what happens .I just sit back and see where we go with this.
Padalecki rocked, SO very much. It was a pleasure and a joy to see him make those transformations.
Sylvia
Work has been crazy today so I won't be able to post my comments until later this evening or it may even be tomorrow morning. I am so bummed!
I will be back as soon as I can. But, let me just say this…'My heart is broken'.
Joan
Joan
And yes, Tell me about broken hearts…
I’m looking forward to your famous list.
Thank you!
hey! something occured to me just now. I wasn't able to pinpoint what was off with the last scene with Dean at the dinner table. Now I know. Doesn't Ben look a lot bigger??? He was 8 the last time we know and it's been 2 yrs? He certainly doesn't look like a 10 yr old!!!!!! which means……………
I could not figure out how much time had passed there. I thought, well, Lisa's wearing a different shirt, so maybe it's the next day. But I couldn't pinpoint it to argue about it in my review, so maybe Khek is already right and it's YEARS later.
Don't worry Joan. We'll keep the light on for you.
Thanks!
My posts are at the bottom.
Joan
I'm glad no one really died, I like MB. I don't think we'll be seeing as much of him next year(don't cheer too loudly) and maybe some of Castiel too. Where do I send my donation to bring back Jeffrey Dean Morgan?? I want JDM back also. And for God to use him as his meat suit would be awesome. I'm not sure it's only Sam that is there at the end.. Guess time will tell.
I know you like MB, lots of people do. But Show's promise of "a beloved character dies" has been broken, so what other promises will they break?
I would think that IFwe could get Show and Mr. Morgan to agree, to the arrangment of JDM playing God (or barring that, a really cool flashback with The Dad) that the Brittany Foundation (all breed dog rescue foundation athttp://brittanyfoundation.homestead.com/) would be the perfect place to send those dollars.
I'm pretty sure you are correct about that! : D
I enjoyed your review very much, Sylvia. You bring up many of the things that hit me hard on this one. This episode was sad, and lovely, and tugged on my heartstrings in that way that hurts so much but that I love so well.
There are just a couple of additional things that I would like to mention:
1. On the lighter side, did anyone else stand up and shout "YES" when Lucky quoted from "Devil went Down to Georgia"? That song has actually been in my head for a while now as apropos to the Sam-Lucifer situation. "A fiddle of gold against your soul says I'm better than you," Lucky says with a smirk! Unfortunately for him, in the end Sam *was* "the best that's ever been."
2. Show has three co-stars, not two, and I loved that the third star, aka The Impala, got her time to shine. Dean wasn't the only necessary presence to give Sam the strength to overcome Lucky's influence, or it could have happened when Sam first said "yes" to Lucky earlier in the episode. No, it was the necessary convergence of both Dean and the Impala within Sam/Lucky's orbit for the Good Guys to overpower Ultimate Evil.
3. Was not a fan of the use of "Rock of Ages" here. Just struck me as too corny for the moment. But I do believe it's something that Dean would choose to play!
I thought of you when Bobby came back to life Sylvia…I completley feel your pain! That is one character who I wouldn't mind staying dead. I swear that man is indestructible! I think that it was Sam, and not lucifer outside Lisa's house at the end. Padalecki acts so well, that even though it's the same actor, you can somehow always differentiate between the two characters (sam and lucifer). I can't put my finger on it, but it was just a look in his eye or facial expression or something, that made me sure it was Sam standing there at the end. But who knows, I could be completley wrong! Seriously though, Jareds acting in this episode was nothing short of amazing! I was a bit disappointed that Deans amulet didn't feature in the ep…I know it's such a small detail, but I would have loved Dean to find it in his jacket pocket or something after Sam/Lucifer was gone. It would have been a nice (though very very sad) touch.
And I loved Chucks voice overs about the impala…It really is like the 3rd brother in a way (Not including Adam haha).
I'm not sure how I feel about the prospect of season 6 to be honest…don't get me wrong, I love show as much as ever, but I think in the TV world, it's much better to stop while you're ahead. I don't want supernatural to be dragged on for so long that it loses all it's original integrity. So I'm a bit worried!! But that being said, I am certainly glad that we haven't seen the last of the Winchesters just yet…I just hope we won't be disappointed! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews Sylvia!! I will see you all next season
I have a different impression about that last shot of Jared. I think his acting in this episode in general and in this scene in particular is impressive, yes, precisely because we DON'T know who he is. I believe in my heart that it's Sam checking on his brother but I can't tell for sure. Jared managed to make a Monalisa look (like someone above said) that leaves his true identity open to interpretation. And that's some acting!
I admit to being puzzled by that flickering light but at the same time I have trouble believing that he's still under Lucifer's control. If so, it means he didn't find his redemption and his sacrifice was for nothing. But then we'll have to wait and see, right?
Count me with those who are mourning the Amulet! I was hugely disappointed by its omission. I was so sure that Sam would return it to Dean before dying! But there's always a Season 6, so who knows?
I share you feelings about Season 6. I'm so excited and so relieved to know that the boys will still be there in September but at the same time I'm a little scared to be disappointed. Anyways, I keep hope. I trust Sera Gamble, probably my favorite writer, and I like the idea of a more intimate and small-scaled show. My season 1 and 2 DVDs are still the most watched. I have a special love for Season 2, easily my favorite. I also heard that Season 6 will focus on the brothers's relationship and on saving a loved one. Sounds fine to me, as long as the loved one is either Dean or Sam, and NOT Bobby, Lisa or Ben.
I agree, season 2 is still by far my favourite! In fact it's probably my favourite season of any TV series, ever. Which is saying something haha! You're right, Sera Gamble is a great writer so at least it's in good hands…although she has made some decisions that I haven't been completly happy with, for example Sam sleeping with Ruby last season haha…but let's be honest, I was probably just jealous
Ohh I really hope the loved one is Sam or Dean as well….it definitely won't be Bobby -I am utterly convinced that he cannot die. That man somehow survives everything, much to my disappointment!
Sylvia! Another great job on this one. I was out of town, so I couldn't comment this morning.
There were things I loved about this episode. Sam's transition from our Sam to hulk!Sam after the blood was one of them. Jared's portrayal of Lucifer in the mirror scene was another. I was actually sad to see Pellegrino's Lucifer go; he played that part so well. The tears in Dean's eyes and the look on his face after the first attempt to trap Lucifer went bad were heartbreaking and perfect. I loved the attention the Impala got, though the fact that none of it really mattered in the end, besides the green army man, cheapened that attention somewhat. I loved the way Dean kept telling Sam he was there, that Dean and the Impala are what gave Sam the strength to overpower Lucifer.
I hated the fact that they brought Bobby and Castiel back. Death means nothing on this show any more. I despised the whole possibility of Chuck being God, and all of the complaining that he did about endings and fans. That, to me, was Kripke talking. Suck it, Kripke. If endings are so damned hard don't start writing the story in the first place. And those fans you love to bitch about so much, they're the only reason your show made it this far. How about a little appreciation instead of all the snark?
And above all else I hated the ending. I hated the fact that we didn't see enough of Dean's grief over Sam's death. There were mournful looks, and sure, he looked depressed. But where are the tears? Up to this point in this season, Dean's been a veritable waterworks. He's cried more in the past two seasons than he ever has, but not when Sam voluntarily jumped into Hell? Oooookay. As you pointed out, Dean didn't promise to do what Sam asked. So what was he doing at Lisa's? I think he was there because he wanted to be there, in addition to Sam saying that's what he wanted for Dean. No matter what the reasoning behind it was, I hated it. And no matter what he promised Sam, or how upset he might be on the inside, I'm just…really pissed at Dean for going to Lisa, and for not even giving us a "Sammy" or a little bit of crying or anything.
It also bugs me that Kripke didn't write this one himself, yet spent so much of it having Chuck complain about how hard it is to write things. Really Kripke? Apparently it's so hard you couldn't even do it. The whole thing just seemed like it was a whole hour of Kripke patting himself on the back for all of his hard work, which makes me very, very glad he won't be around next season.
"He's cried more in the past two seasons than he ever has, but not when Sam voluntarily jumped into Hell?"
Dean had tears as he knelt on the ground after Sam disappeared into the hole. Bloody and beaten to a pulp. He looks up at Cas and asks (hopes) that he's God. I mean, I hope you're not suggesting that Dean was other than completely devastated in that moment because then I'd have to think we're watching entirely different shows. I didn't need to hear Dean cry "Sammy" in that moment… I felt it was evident how Dean felt.
"As you pointed out, Dean didn't promise to do what Sam asked. So what was he doing at Lisa's? I think he was there because he wanted to be there"
Well you certainly have the right to believe what you want, but the show's actual *canon* tells us otherwise:
As our narrator informed us —
"Dean didn't want Cas to save him. Every part of him, every fiber he's got, wants to die or find a way to bring Sam back. But he isn't gonna do either, because he made a PROMISE."
Dean looks absolutely devastated as he appears on Lisa's doorstep. He can barely speak. Why? Has he been crying so hard he lost his voice? And the show tells us, Dean just wants to die. But he's honoring his promise to Sam because it's the only thing he can do. He's going to attempt "normal" because that's what Sam wanted him to do.
Both brothers sacrificed their life in this episode. And for Dean, his life was Sam. And he made a promise.
"Dean had tears as he knelt on the ground after Sam disappeared into the hole. Bloody and beaten to a pulp. He looks up at Cas and asks (hopes) that he's God. I mean, I hope you're not suggesting that Dean was other than completely devastated in that moment because then I'd have to think we're watching entirely different shows."
Actually if you'll go back and look at that scene, and the screencaps, again, Dean did not have tears in his eyes. There are some particularly clear caps of his good eye as he looked up when Castiel appeared and nary a tear in sight. Nowhere in anything I wrote did I say that Dean wasn't suffering. All I said was that I would have preferred to see that suffering shown in a more literal, or dramatic way, as has been Dean's method of grieving in the past, rather than what we got. And that's the point here.
"I didn't need to hear Dean cry "Sammy" in that moment… I felt it was evident how Dean felt. "
YOU didn't need it. I did. That doesn't make me wrong and you right. It's called a difference of opinion.
I never said Dean should have brought Sam back. Though I think it would have been nice if Dean had at least ASKED Castiel if he could bring Sam back, after Castiel resurrected Bobby. But what I meant by saying Dean wanted to be there was that it wasn't Sam's ideal of the apple pie life being forced onto an unwilling Dean. He wanted that normal life too, Dean did. Not at the price it came at, sure, but he wanted it. He never would have gone back to Lisa before if he didn't have a desire for that life.
I really wish Show had given us a time frame too, on how much time passed between Sam's death and Dean's sitting down for that family dinner with Lisa and Ben. We finally saw how wrecked Sam was after Dean died, and I honestly couldn't have seen him being capable of anything like that for a very long time after Dean died even if he promised, not as destroyed as he was. It could have been months before Dean made his way to Lisa's, but Show made it seem like he went there straight from Bobby's. That seems a little fast to me, but again, since Show didn't tell us how long it was, we can't say for sure.
As you rather condescendingly said yourself, I have a right to believe what I want. And what I believe at the moment is that Dean didn't show his grief the way he has before, or in a satisfying way for me.
Hi, Whisky, I’m glad you stopped by I missed your posts yesterday.
You’re right about Mark Pellegrino. The man rocks. In my opinion, he was greatly underused. We could have had more of him and less of Paris Hilton, for example, not to mention that we really didn’t need TWO Bobby-centered episodes. Anyways, sad as I was to see him go, Jared was so fantastic in the role that I was OK with that. The boy really should play evil more often.
You’re not alone in your trouble with Dean’s reaction. I know that many people feel the same. I admit to wanting more signs of grief myself. Who will ever forget AHBL?
Later on, Chuck confirms that the answer was yes so he had a promise to keep, and he intended to keep it even if every fiber of him wanted to die or look for Sam. I think that he’s trying too hard to be strong to be able to honor Sam’s last wish (not his own) and that is love too. Besides, at least to me, he looked clearly at the verge of breakdown when he got at Lisa’s door. I’m sure that tears came then, only we weren’t allowed to seen them.
That said, however, I confess that I’m not exactly happy with this Lisa affair. I can live with that if Season 6 shows us a Dean that is struggling against grief. But if we’re shown a well-adjusted and happy Dean, who has no place for a resurrected (??) Sam anymore, then I’ll be pissed.
I'm sorry, I noticed that part of my message disappeared so maybe it's not very clear. This site does weird things sometimes.
Sylvia
)
Thanks for leaving the light on for me!
I don’t even know where to begin but here are my lists. Please bear with me…this will take some time.
I am still trying to wrap my head around this one.
One word
1). Brutal
2). Devastating
3). Bloody
4). Astonishing
5). Family
6). Connections
7). Questioning
8). Contemplating
9). Dither
10). Sadness
11). Loneliness
12). Goodbye
13). Brotherhood
14). Broken
15). Narration
16). Bonds
17). Growth
18). Healing
19). History
20). Sacrifice
21). Acceptance
cont.
cont…
More than one word
1). Letting go
)
)
2). Character growth
3). Chevy Impala
4). Team Free Will
5). Devastating Choices
6). No easy answers
7). No way out
8). Gut Wrenching
9). Family bonds
10). Unwanted Destiny
11). Overgrown Man
12). Sam Hair
13). Bone Crushing Brutality
14). Character Driven
15). Dual roles
My favorite quotes
“You got what you asked for Dean. No paradise, no hell, just more of the same. I mean it Dean, what would you rather have? Peace or freedom?"
“The only thing you're going to see out there is Michael killing your brother." "Then I'm not going to let him die alone."
"It's OK, it's OK, I'm here. I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to leave you."
"It's OK Dean. It's going to be OK. I've got him."
“So what’s it all add up to? It’s hard to say, but me, I’d say this WAS a test. For Sam and Dean. And I think they did all right. Up against good, evil, angels, devils, destiny and God Himself. They made their own choice. They chose family”.
cont….
continued….
Observations
The season finale absolutely devastated me. My heart dropped when I heard ‘Carry On My Wayward Son’. I got a lump in my throat when Sam and Dean were discussing his plan in the junkyard. I felt sick to my stomach when Lucifer taunted Sam and Dean in the abandoned house. And I cried several times throughout the episode. I even cried several times after the show aired. Having Chuck narrate the story was fitting and including the Impala was a stroke of genius. We have all felt the Impala was the third major character. Having ‘her’ be a part of the story and having ‘her’ play a role in helping Sam gain control of Lucifer was so unbelievably perfect that I just sat back and smiled through my tears. I loved learning more about the car and how it connected Sam and Dean to their past and helped strengthen their bond as brothers. The flashbacks really impacted me and I noticed the scenes were from Season 1 and Season 2. How fitting it was that the final flashback was Dean hugging Sam in the Season Finale from Season 2. He remembered the sacrifice Dean made for him and he was able to break free of the strangle hold Lucifer had on him. In the end, Dean kept his promise to Sam and we saw Sam!
I don’t know what that really means but I have come to realize that even death can’t break the remarkable connection the Winchester brothers have.
Conclusion
This episode was gloomy, cruel, bleak and downright depressing. However, I felt the episode was exactly as it needed to be. I have heard from other people that they were expecting more because this episode was about the Apocalypse. But, you know what? I couldn’t disagree more. I thought it was perfect. Supernatural has never been ‘grandiose’ or ‘overwrought’ or ‘ostentatious’ or ‘flamboyant’. This show has always been the one that ‘flew under the radar’ and it built its foundation on quiet, modest moments. Overall this season has been inconsistent but it delivered many moments of pure beauty and extraordinary character growth. Sam finally understood how much Dean truly loved him and how much family meant to him. He never realized what his leaving did to Dean. Dean has always defined himself by his family and the roles he held within his family. Finally letting go of some of those constraints he was able to mature and ultimately let Sam grow-up. This season we saw the brother’s part ways..heal their rifts….and make peace with themselves which helped reinforce and fortify their relationship which was tested but ultimately ended up being more powerful than before.
This show has always been about family and in the end they chose family. They made their own choices and ultimately saved the world in the process. It honestly doesn’t matter if you are a ‘Sam Girl’ or a “Dean Girl’ or a fan of both. What matters is what this ‘little gem of a show’ means to us. Sam and Dean are two breathtakingly gorgeous men who are flawed, complex and unflinchingly real people who have made us laugh and cry. I welcomed both of them into my ‘little’ world without knowing what to expect and this show just turned my world upside down. I stumbled across this wonderful modest show five years ago, by chance, and my life will never, ever be the same.
Take care.
Joan
PS. I will miss hanging out here this summer! But, I am looking forward to next fall. I hope you have a wonderful summer, Sylvia.
Hello Sylvia,
Nice review. I did enjoy this episode for the most part. It was quite emotional with a little bit of cheese thrown in for good measure. Hee. I appreciated the focus on the brothers, although I’m not sure why Kripke decided to jettison Dean’s role in the mytharc entirely and replace him with Adam? Oh well. I’ll just have to settle for only one brother as the main player in the show’s mythology while the other plays more of a supporting role. *sigh*
“The conversation is all about them trying to move beyond their familial roles even though that’s impossible. Dean’s making an effort, though, and acknowledges that maybe this time it’s Sam’s turn to save the world.”
I loved this conversation! I’m glad Dean again acknowledged Sam’s independence and once again told him that he had faith in him. Dean has been trying very hard to break out of his family role and I’m glad to see them have this conversation while leaning on the Impala… foreshadowing the big moment! I did enjoy the flashback moments and the inclusion of the Impala as an integral part of their relationship.
“Dean argues that of course he will save Sam, or die trying. He doesn’t promise Sam that he will do what Sam asks about Lisa, however.”
Dean DID promise Sam as Chuck states at the end of the episode. We didn’t see the reveal in this scene because they wanted it to be a surprise at the end. But yeah, Chuck definitely said that, even though Dean wanted to go after Sam with every fiber of his being, he made a promise to Sam. I loved this scene as well and we got another great brother moment in the Impala!
“Sam exchanges a hug with MB, who is entirely too choked up about all this for my tastes. And then Sam turns to the Soap Angel, who is appropriately confused about a goodbye handshake, which should be accompanied by well-wishes and manly comments.”
Yeah, I was not impressed with MB in this episode at all, especially when both he and Cas gave up on TFW after Sam became Lucifer. But I though Cas will kind of cute in his attempt to say goodbye though (and he kept looking to Dean for guidance, LOL!). I really didn’t like Sam having to drink gallons of demon blood though. Ew! I truly hope that was the last time he has to do it.
“Dean is prepared to have Sam say yes, but really, Dean’s in way over his head.”
Yeah, that seems to be the theme with Dean, doesn’t it? It’s especially apparent in this episode. Dean is only human and in way over his head, surrounded by all of these super powered beings. I thought Mark was a fantastic Lucifer. And of course I knew their plan wasn’t going to work at that point since we still have half of the episode left!
“The differences between the two characters, though played by the same actor, are marked. All the while Lucky is talking to Sam via his reflection in the mirror, some clever person decided that Sam’s face would be presented in broken pieces in the cracked, shadowed mirror, while Lucky’s face would be glowy and intact, with some really close close-ups.”
Yes, I thought the direction was very effective in showing us the contrast between Lucifer and Sam in that scene.
[to be continued...]
[part 2]
“But here’s an idea…if Sam is playing Lucky and Adam is Mike (even if it was supposed to be Dean), doesn’t that make The Dad the ideal candidate to represent The Heavenly Father?”
Oh yes, it would have been wonderful to get JDM back … I like that idea! Of course Dean is still the odd man out, with Sam as Lucifer and Adam taking his place as Michael. And of course Michael makes it clear to Dean – “You’re not part of this story.” Heh. Yeah, we get it Kripke.
“Lucky goes at Dean and starts talking about snapping bones, and keeps pounding on Dean, and all the while Dean is telling Sam (in horribly well-done broken tones) that he’s not leaving, he’s not going. Frankly, it’s horrible to watch because soon Dean’s face goes from attractively bleeding to a bloody, pulpy mess.”
Oh man, Ackles KILLED me the way he delivered that line! Oh my. Yeah, that beat-down was brutal. But again, what would we expect. Dean is in way over his head and he knows it. And you know, while I do like the idea that the Impala played such a significant role in the lives of the boys and in this episode, I would have enjoyed it even more if it was DEAN himself that Sam responded to. Looking into Dean’s eyes and seeing how broken and beaten Dean was, yet still pleading with Sam that he wouldn’t leave him. I would have thought THAT is what would have moved Sam to gain control. Or maybe even if the amulet was laying in the backseat instead of Sam’s toy soldier? I don’t know. It was a bit of a letdown for me. The montage was very effective though. And poor Sam (and Adam too) now trapped in the cage. *sniff*
I really would have preferred it if MB stayed dead (sorry Jim!). Oh well. And Cas coming back was kind of a surprise because I thought he would have stayed dead as well. Probably the most effective scene for me personally was when Dean knelt on the ground in shock and sadness (praying to God?) over Sam. My heart broke for him. He was gutted. But then when he asked Cas, through teary eyes and with a broken yet hopeful voice, “are you God?” my heart shattered into a million pieces. Oh, Dean. And you’re right Dean, Cas does suck at goodbyes!
“Even though he never promised Sam out loud that he’d do it,”
Oh sure he did, just not on camera (to keep the surprise ending intact). But yeah, Chuck/Kripke/God told us that he did: “… but Dean made a promise.” I really don’t understand why some fans are so reluctant to allow for this? Chuck/Kripke/God told us that Dean wanted to nothing but to find Sam or put a bullet in his head… but Dean made a PROMISE to Sam. And so he’s honoring that promise by doing as Sam told him to do — go to Lisa and live a normal life. Both brothers made the ultimate sacrifice: Sam by choosing to honor his family and take down Lucifer and Dean by choosing to honor his family and following through with his promise to Sam.
I hope that it is really Sam there in that final shot. And Dean didn’t look like he was handling his new family life well at all. And to think, we have another season of angst to look forward to next season! I don't know if my heart can take it but I look forward to it anyway.
Thanks Andrea! I really wanted to comment yesterday morning but I just couldn't manage it. I got here as fast as I could.
Pelligrino was awesome, and you're very right, we could have used a lot more of him, and less stunt casting and Bobby. I would LOVE to see Jared take a role, movie or TV, where he played a real, non-supernatural bad guy. He could do it so well.
Exactly! We've seen Dean grieve before, and what he did here doesn't fit with his normal reaction. It just wasn't enough for me. He reacted more to Bobby's death than he did to Sam's at the time. I didn't want a whole lot from Dean, just a more typical, for him, grieving reaction. Some tears and such. Other than when he got angry at Castiel in the car, he didn't even mention Sam or what happened.