In which the term “hellatus” takes on a whole new weight.
So. “Supernatural” season finale, yeah? Seasoned hunters know to prepare and we are conditioned at “The Road So Far” to steel ourselves against the inevitable pain. But since few shows do a season finale like this one, I doubt anyone was left unshaken tonight. I think we all knew, deep down in our souls, that this was coming. The foreshadowing was there as far back as season three. But to see it? I’m honestly a bit speechless. And smiley.
The episode started with a nice parallel, a funhouse reflection of seasons past; a brother, out of control, being reality checked and locked away to avoid hurting himself or anyone else. But thanks to the odd coupling that had been developed through the season, a sequestered Dean is able to call on Crowley for an escape. Sam, Cas, and a wounded Gadreel decide to attempt the Heavenly coup sans the feral Dean, but as soon as they conceded his necessity he arrives, Blade in hand and Demon in tow, to save the day. As we’ve seen in many a finale, the brothers have a darkened “ready for this?” moment over The Impala’s open trunk, but as Dean is determined to the bitter end to right what he sees as his own wrongs, Sammy is cold cocked and left to rest while Dean goes to confront Metatron. Meanwhile Cas and Gadreel Wookie their way into Heaven where they must destroy the Angel Tablet in order for the day saving to work. When it’s all said and done, the Pearly Gates are open for business and Winchester life is either in serious upheaval or totally back to normal, depending on your definition of “normal” Winchester life.
I think the gravity of tonight’s event deserves a diversion from my regular format, and I should warn you that a discussion of this episode cannot happen without spoilers. Haven’t seen the finale yet? Haven’t been on tumblr? I advise you to stop here.
Have I ever told you why I watch “Supernatural”? Escapism. Pure and simple. I acknowledge that the show as a whole has some serious issues with representation and dead women, but I am able to set them aside (and for the record, I respect those who don’t). For one hour every week, I get to leave my life and problems and I just watch two handsome dudes fight monsters both metaphoric and real. Erm, ish.. And I revel in the fun of the series – because even when it’s serious, when it’s good it’s still really fun. I have been a little harsh this season, but week to week the quality of the episodes was a bit of a roller coaster. I couldn’t put it together, or find a point, and even the fact that I felt like I needed to try to find those things took away from my fun. But I qualified my complaints with the caveat of the finale. If it gets a neat little bow then you can color me happy.
Well bust out your markers, friends and neighbors. ‘Cause we happy. Abaddon’s existence and cessation felt like a throw away, but it was a light switch. Dean and Crowley felt like a hilarious but contrived one-off episode, but it was foreshadowing at the least and forward plotting at best. Metatron will never be what I consider a formidable Big Bad, but his conversion of the hobos into an angry mob is perhaps the scariest thing I have ever seen on the show. His entire existence allowed the show to do something that it has skirted around far too long. His final speech was a powerful commentary on blind faith, and for a show that has focused on the grey moralities of Angels and Demons, that bold mention has felt implied yet unsung for many season and even though Angels have been bad guys, the actualizing of a Christian deity as contemptuous and deceitful felt like a glaring omission. The brotherly bickering was tedious but, well, no, it was still kind of tedious, though its presence did make the final ten minutes a lot more potent. I enjoyed the metaphor of Dean as Cain throughout the season and fully expected its outcome to be one of redemption, which I got in Dean’s last words. Who cried as nine years of self-loathing, making excuses, forced pseudo-parenting, guilt, and a martyrdom of misinterpreted responsibility erased itself in four words? I thought “I’m proud of us” would release the curse of Cain but with ten minutes left in the finale and a confirmed season ten, I knew that the death of Dean Winchester would not be his end. But how would he return, and what would he be?
We knew. We really did.
Demon!Dean, has arrived, and volumes of demon!kink fan fics have multiplied exponentially. The logistics, if you will, of this would seem to be known: if the show sticks with its own rules, Dean will remain himself. Typically a meat suit houses an altogether different entity, but as Dean never vacated he will remain himself. And we do know demons can be “cured,” so I don’t think any of us anticipate the black eyes to be permanent. Also Demon!Dean might be able to get Adam out of the pit. Just sayin’. The variable in the equation is Crowley’s renewed empathy. Will the demonic duo use their powers for good or evil? Welp, there’s only five months until October, fellow hunters.
My only serious issue with the finale was the marked attention to Castiel’s bond with Dean Winchester. In a setting like this, one giant ass cliffhanger it’s hard to determine if it was fanservice, and I feel like I can only come to a conclusion in five months or so when the issue is either developed or forgotten.
Looking back I still feel like some of the tedium and filler could have been handled better, but I can tell you with certainty that I now look forward to rewatching it all (likely in a weekend binge, I’m not proud). I won’t be reanalyzing flaws, only looking for more clues. But a finale that was this good that also had like four Star Wars references is almost enough to make a gal light a candle at a crossroads.