Supernatural has never made me cry before this one. Sure, I've felt moved, like for WIaWSNB, IMToD, AHBL, NRftW. But I've never cried before. Because in those previous episodes, I knew that Sam and Dean would be alive again. You can't have this show without either one of them, at least in the background. The closest I came to tears in any episode before this one was NRftW. Not because I was worried that Dean would be killed off for good, but I was worried how his sojourn in Hell would affect the character.
This episode made me cry.
I was one of those fans who didn't mind Jo in season 2. Although No Exit is one of the worst episodes of this series, it wasn't due to Jo. It's more due to a squandering of a very creepy, real life serial killer that would have been awesome as a villain for an episode. The problem I had with Jo was, like you, I didn't see her set up as Dean's love interest, but more of a big brother/little sister relationship. The kiss that Dean gives Jo in this episode kind of highlighted my grief. I didn't know the woman that she became. You could see glimpses of it in BUaBS, and, regrettably, she didn't have a big role in GG,Y'all. But you could see that she had grown up. And, in this episode, she went out like a true hunter. The only one of the group who went back for Dean when he was knocked down by a Hellhound. (Which leads me to wonder why the Hellhounds never touched Dean this time.) The kiss on the forehead was acknowledging his little sister-like figure and good friend. The kiss on the lips acknowledged her as a woman that he, sadly, never really got to know.
I teared up during that part.
Ellen's worst fears were realized. And when she chose to die with Jo, that's when I started really crying. I'm not a mother, but I have looked at my Mom's eyes when she was frightened for me, but trying to hold it together. It's not pretty from a child's end, and I can't even begin to imagine the pain and the thoughts from a mother's end--knowing that your child may die. In this case, your child WILL die. I've seen criticisms of Ellen's actions--why would you die with your child? Although I'm not a mother, I can understand the reason why. No parent should have to watch their child die. I was hoping that Ellen and Jo would go out together. Instead, in those final moments, Ellen knew what it was like to see her dead child in her arms. And even still, she was a mother--comforting her dead child.
And I'm tearing up typing this at work, remembering that. Because that was one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen. And it was the most heartbreaking thing that has actually been depicted on Supernatural.
I hope Ellen and Jo's deaths aren't actually in vain. Although the Colt didn't work (my guesses on three of the five beings--God, angels, the Horsemen), but I knew that. Lucifer isn't a demon--he's an angel. A fallen archangel, equivalent of Michael, if you want to believe the lore. But, although it seems like the women's deaths were in vain (Abandon All Hope, ye who enter here...) hopefully they weren't at the end.
Wow. My comment to your awesome analysis is almost as long as the analysis! Sorry about that.
Never apologize for waxing passionate, Kat! (And yours was waaay shorter than mine ... *grin*)
The kiss on the forehead was acknowledging his little sister-like figure and good friend. The kiss on the lips acknowledged her as a woman that he, sadly, never really got to know. Yes. That exactly. Perfectly said.
Like you, I'm not a parent, but I think I can understand Ellen's choice. And it turned out to be a needful one; Jo died before she would have been able to trigger the bombs.
Their deaths were not in vain. Their sacrifice remains with Dean, Sam, and Bobby; those warriors won't let them go for naught. Even though the Colt didn't work - and like you, I wasn't at all surprised that it didn't, whatever the logic behind that turns out to be - Dean was right: the attempt had to be made. Its failure taught them more about their enemy, and not just that he couldn't be killed by the Colt. This time, Sam saw not just Lucifer's persuasiveness, the determined but sympathetic and seductive face he showed before in Free To Be You And Me, but the unvarnished truth of his ugliness, his outright contempt for everyone other than himself. Yes, the confrontation fed Sam's fear of succumbing to him, but it also gave him more reason to resist, to refuse. Know your enemy is one of the principles of Sun Tzu, and we're all studying The Art of War.
You mentioned that Lucifer adjusted his argument for Cas and Sam, appealing to their different points of view and responding to what he viewed as things he had in common with them. If you want to believe what was seen in the time traveling episode (why can't I remember the title of it? It'll come to me when I'm not thinking of it) Lucifer adjusted his argument with Dean as well. Talking to him as a loyal son to his father who never quite approved of him.
Just an interesting observation... in an observationally interesting way.
Supernatural has never made me cry before this one. Sure, I've felt moved, like for WIaWSNB, IMToD, AHBL, NRftW. But I've never cried before. Because in those previous episodes, I knew that Sam and Dean would be alive again. You can't have this show without either one of them, at least in the background. The closest I came to tears in any episode before this one was NRftW. Not because I was worried that Dean would be killed off for good, but I was worried how his sojourn in Hell would affect the character.
This episode made me cry.
I was one of those fans who didn't mind Jo in season 2. Although No Exit is one of the worst episodes of this series, it wasn't due to Jo. It's more due to a squandering of a very creepy, real life serial killer that would have been awesome as a villain for an episode. The problem I had with Jo was, like you, I didn't see her set up as Dean's love interest, but more of a big brother/little sister relationship. The kiss that Dean gives Jo in this episode kind of highlighted my grief. I didn't know the woman that she became. You could see glimpses of it in BUaBS, and, regrettably, she didn't have a big role in GG,Y'all. But you could see that she had grown up. And, in this episode, she went out like a true hunter. The only one of the group who went back for Dean when he was knocked down by a Hellhound. (Which leads me to wonder why the Hellhounds never touched Dean this time.) The kiss on the forehead was acknowledging his little sister-like figure and good friend. The kiss on the lips acknowledged her as a woman that he, sadly, never really got to know.
I teared up during that part.
Ellen's worst fears were realized. And when she chose to die with Jo, that's when I started really crying. I'm not a mother, but I have looked at my Mom's eyes when she was frightened for me, but trying to hold it together. It's not pretty from a child's end, and I can't even begin to imagine the pain and the thoughts from a mother's end--knowing that your child may die. In this case, your child WILL die. I've seen criticisms of Ellen's actions--why would you die with your child? Although I'm not a mother, I can understand the reason why. No parent should have to watch their child die. I was hoping that Ellen and Jo would go out together. Instead, in those final moments, Ellen knew what it was like to see her dead child in her arms. And even still, she was a mother--comforting her dead child.
And I'm tearing up typing this at work, remembering that. Because that was one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen. And it was the most heartbreaking thing that has actually been depicted on Supernatural.
I hope Ellen and Jo's deaths aren't actually in vain. Although the Colt didn't work (my guesses on three of the five beings--God, angels, the Horsemen), but I knew that. Lucifer isn't a demon--he's an angel. A fallen archangel, equivalent of Michael, if you want to believe the lore. But, although it seems like the women's deaths were in vain (Abandon All Hope, ye who enter here...) hopefully they weren't at the end.
Wow. My comment to your awesome analysis is almost as long as the analysis! Sorry about that.
Kat
Reply
The kiss on the forehead was acknowledging his little sister-like figure and good friend. The kiss on the lips acknowledged her as a woman that he, sadly, never really got to know. Yes. That exactly. Perfectly said.
Like you, I'm not a parent, but I think I can understand Ellen's choice. And it turned out to be a needful one; Jo died before she would have been able to trigger the bombs.
Their deaths were not in vain. Their sacrifice remains with Dean, Sam, and Bobby; those warriors won't let them go for naught. Even though the Colt didn't work - and like you, I wasn't at all surprised that it didn't, whatever the logic behind that turns out to be - Dean was right: the attempt had to be made. Its failure taught them more about their enemy, and not just that he couldn't be killed by the Colt. This time, Sam saw not just Lucifer's persuasiveness, the determined but sympathetic and seductive face he showed before in Free To Be You And Me, but the unvarnished truth of his ugliness, his outright contempt for everyone other than himself. Yes, the confrontation fed Sam's fear of succumbing to him, but it also gave him more reason to resist, to refuse. Know your enemy is one of the principles of Sun Tzu, and we're all studying The Art of War.
Reply
Just an interesting observation... in an observationally interesting way.
Kat
Reply
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