s13e23 Recap/Reaction
Here there be spoilers. All of them. Really.
The recap started off brilliantly. A couple scenes, then Rowena asks for music, and Wayward Son starts playing.
I had such high hopes for the rest of the episode in that moment.
At least the show crushed them right away instead of letting me hold onto them for 30 or 40 minutes.
So we open with Sam giving the refugees a crash course in current world events while Dean is scouting a werewolf hideout. Because yeah, we've forgotten completely about that whole Figure-Out-How-to-Defeat-Michael thing.
He calls Sam to join him, and the two of them with Cas and Jack attack the werewolves. Jack uses his powers to freeze them while Sam and Dean shoot them with silver bullets. It brings up thoughts of "The family that hunts together, stays together." but who are we kidding. This is the season finale of Supernatural.
The hunt is quick and the boys don't even get dirty. They come back to the bunker and Dean talks about how well Jack did. The brothers talk about the possibility of retirement if Jack can help them defeat all the evil in the world because they deserve it. Yes, they do, but the fact they're talking about in the first five minutes or so of a Supernatural episode guarantees that it's not going to happen.
They head to their bedrooms, and Dean hears Jack having a nightmare. They bond over the fact they both feel guilty over people they couldn't save and again, we're still in the opening minutes, so it's a forgone conclusion that info is going to come into play. Dean gives him a nice pep talk and makes it abundantly clear that Jack is family, so that's also going to be important later.
Bobby wastes zero time making a play for Mary like Dean chasing a cocktail waitress. He says that they don't have archangel grace, so he can't go home but he doesn't really want to anyway. He's been here what, a couple days, and he's ready to leave behind his home and his mission and everything else to walk with Mary in the rain? Seriously? How much more cheesy romcom can we get?
But wait, has it only been a few days? Because he says that everyone is settling into town nicely. He goes on to expound that Ketch, who went into Apocalypse World woefully underequipped to help save his beloved and defeat Lucifer, who apparently became buddies with AU!Charlie and nearly died over there, came back to the bunker and then left to go off and "do Ketch things" without even speaking to Mary?
Meanwhile, Rowena and AU!Charlie, who met like 10 minutes ago, took off on an impromptu road trip through the southwest.
In other words, we brought this whole group of refugees from AU!Land to this world expressly for the purpose of keeping them safe while everyone scoured the bunker library to find a way to defeat Michael, and THREE of the people most likely to be able to find useful information in the archive just up and leave for parts unknown and this is totally cool with everyone?
I realize it's plot reasons, but couldn't we have at least made up something plausible, like they went to collect a spell ingredient with Ketch providing protection and Charlie having to hack the security system?
Until their nice walk is ruined by blood on the pathway. Of course they follow the trail of blood, armed with umbrellas, and find one of the refugees dead. (Later we're going to hear that her skull was crushed. First of all, I work in the medical field, and if her skull was crushed, you would expect her face to be severely bruised, with a lot more bleeding from the nose/mouth. Secondly, if her skull was crushed, there is no way she walked that far up the path and draped herself just perfectly beside the rock in that manner to die.) Bobby informs us that she looks like she was beaten to death even though she really doesn't. Jack angsts over her death, and Sam assures him that it wasn't his fault.
Anyway.
Another of the refugees informs TFW + Jack that Maggie had sneaked out the night before to meet a guy who works at a local gas station. Okay, and you didn't tell anyone that she didn't come back? Jack zaps himself to the gas station, where the Winchesters and Cas arrive just in time to see him choke slamming a convenience store attendant through the drink cooler. Cas gets tossed and Dean shoots Jack to get his attention. It's pretty obvious poor Nate from the Gas'n'Sip didn't kill Maggie so Jack takes off again.
He ends up walking in the woods and thinking about all the people he's accidentally (or not so much) hurt.
TFW tells Nate that they're FBI and those weren't real bullets, and then everything starts shaking and screeching because an angel is arriving. Meanwhile Lucifer interrupts Jack's walk. Quick switchback to TFW at the gas station, where we even get a CC saying "ominous music playing." Michael appears, trashes the gas station, and is about to do TFW great bodily harm until Dean manages to toss burning holy oil between him and them and they drive off in the Impala. Really? He crossed worlds to get them, and he's not even going to try to walk around? Or you know, zap out, since he has wings?
Back in the forest, Lucifer tells Jack that Sam is a horrible person who intentionally left Lucifer behind and lied to Jack. He tells Jack that the two of them are not meant to be around humans because they're not compatible. He wants to take Jack off to explore the universe and bond. Lucifer promises to make him a lightsaber and a wookie. Jack is hesitant to leave Sam and Dean, but Lucifer tells them this is their second chance to escape their sins and start over. Jack agrees, but tells Lucifer they need to do something first.
Jack takes Lucifer to the bunker to resurrect Maggie. Mary tells Bobby to call Sam. Bobby gets them on the phone and says "We got a problem." Um wait. The boys haven't called the bunker to warn them Michael is on this side yet? And how far away is this gas station that they're not back yet? I mean, Maggie went out walking, right? When the drove there from the bunker they arrived before Jack could do any real damage to the clerk, remember?
So Lucifer relunctantly raises Maggie, (red flag!) and instantly he and Jack zap out, so they're gone by the time Sam runs in the door. Dean calls Jody to put out an APB on Jack and Lucifer. The question was asked that "Even if we find Lucifer, how are we going to stop him?" That's a good question, but what about Michael?
Sam asks Maggie if she remembers who killed her. She tells them that she never saw his face, but ... we cut away to Lucifer and Jack looking at the stars, which pretty much tells us what we need to know. It also tells us that apparently it is night, because it's completely dark outside. So we've just been piddling around all day while Lucifer and Michael are in this world.
Dean says Jody has nothing, and Cas says angel radio is nothing but static. And then Michael knocks on the front door.
What took him so long? I mean, he has wings and can zap from place to place.
Sam tells Bobby and Mary to take Maggie and run while TFW buys them some time. Michael blasts the door open and floats down from the upper floor like Yondu Poppins while Sam and Dean shoot him. Cas rushes in with an angel blade (not the archangel blade) but Michael flips him over a table. He then proceeds to throw Sam and beat on Dean. He tells our heroes that he made a deal with Lucifer to get here, because Lucifer knew how to open the rift. And now that he's here, Dean will be the first one he kills in this world. He's squeezing the front of Dean's neck and it makes a bone cracking sound, which doesn't make any sense because his hand is nowhere near bone. Dean is still talking and breathing, so it wasn't crushing his windpipe or larynx that made noise. Anyway. Sam makes a quick and desperate prayer to Jack, who zaps back in and throws Michael off Dean. Lucifer follows him in. Jack goes all glowy eyed and twists his hand around, bringing Michael to his knees with blood coming from his eyes and ears. Michael shouts at Lucifer that they had a deal. Lucifer tries to get Jack to stop and leave. Jack is all "Wait, what?" TFW tells Jack that Lucifer told Michael he could have the world as long as he let Lucifer and Jack leave. Sam adds that Lucifer is the one who killed Maggie. Lucifer tries to deny it, but Jack uses powers on him and makes him tell the truth. There's a big dramatic confrontation between Lucifer and Jack, in which Mark Pelligrino delivers some Academy Award level acting. Jack tells Lucifer that he's not his father. It ends with Lucifer slicing Jack's neck with an angel blade and stealing his grace. Lucifer goes to zap out. Jack grabs him, and Sam grabs Jack, so they all three end up gone with Dean screaming "Sammy!"
Dean asks what happened, and Michael says "The Devil just won." except we all know he really didn't because we have Dean Effing Winchester standing there with about 15 minutes left in the episode. Michael tells them that Lucifer could end the entire universe if he wants to, but Michael in his banged up meatsuit is too weak to stop him. And as we all knew was going to happen, Dean offers to become Michael's vessel.
So wait, we have Michael's vessel which was just in a heap on the floor, bleeding from all the orifices we can see. Either that's the vessel's blood, which begs the question why Michael didn't just heal it, or it's archangel blood, which raises the question of how switching vessels is going to help an archangel who's bleeding profusely.
Meanwhile Lucifer had taken Jack and Sam to a beautiful old church. It's going to be a shame to see it destroyed. Lucifer tells them that if one of them kills the other, he will let the survivor leave, but if they refuse he'll kill both of them.
Dean and Cas argue about Dean saying yes to Michael, but Dean insists he has no choice because Lucifer has Sam and Jack.
Sam hands Jack the archangel blade, (why did we bring that? wouldn't any old kitchen knife do?) telling him to kill Sam, get his powers back and stop Lucifer. Jack says no, Sam will stop Lucifer. He tells Sam he loves him, and starts to stab himself.
But the moment is interrupted by a blinding light, and then one of the most glorious scenes in the entire history of the series, Dean standing in the church with the most majestic wings we've ever seen.
Sam says "Dean?" and gets a "Heya Sammy." in return to establish that this is Dean with Michael's powers shown up to fight, and not Michael wearing Dean to the prom.
Then it all goes to hell again, with the most ridiculous fight scene we've ever seen, including Lucifer and Michael!Dean jumping at each other like flying squirrels and spinning around in the air. It looks like Lucifer is going to win, but Sam tosses Dean the archangel blade (oh, that's why we have it!) and he kills Lucifer.
Lucifer is laid out in the floor, burnt wings and all. The Winchesters and Jack get less than a minute to celebrate the fact that Lucifer is dead before Michael takes Dean over and disappears, telling Sam "Thanks for the suit."
Bobby and Mary return to the bunker to find Cas sitting alone in the floor.
Dean, dressed in an outfit that would have been high fashion in the 1950s or so, is seen walking down some random crowded city street. His eyes glow blue, and
we get the weirdest zoom in shot in the history of the show to end the season.
I still love this show. Really I do. But could we please get a better writing team? One who 1) watches the show, 2) has some common sense, and 3) asks the actors who have been playing these characters for all these years for some input? Maybe they could make up their minds about stroylines and follow one or two through for the season, instead of throwing a handful on the table and see which ones roll off. Could we get some credible monster of the week hunts amongst and between?
Like I said in my other post, I'm calling a do over on this. I'll be rewriting this episode as soon as I can. This has also spurred me to hurry and finish the season 12 finale rewrite I've been poking around with for a year.
The recap started off brilliantly. A couple scenes, then Rowena asks for music, and Wayward Son starts playing.
I had such high hopes for the rest of the episode in that moment.
At least the show crushed them right away instead of letting me hold onto them for 30 or 40 minutes.
So we open with Sam giving the refugees a crash course in current world events while Dean is scouting a werewolf hideout. Because yeah, we've forgotten completely about that whole Figure-Out-How-to-Defeat-Michael thing.
He calls Sam to join him, and the two of them with Cas and Jack attack the werewolves. Jack uses his powers to freeze them while Sam and Dean shoot them with silver bullets. It brings up thoughts of "The family that hunts together, stays together." but who are we kidding. This is the season finale of Supernatural.
The hunt is quick and the boys don't even get dirty. They come back to the bunker and Dean talks about how well Jack did. The brothers talk about the possibility of retirement if Jack can help them defeat all the evil in the world because they deserve it. Yes, they do, but the fact they're talking about in the first five minutes or so of a Supernatural episode guarantees that it's not going to happen.
They head to their bedrooms, and Dean hears Jack having a nightmare. They bond over the fact they both feel guilty over people they couldn't save and again, we're still in the opening minutes, so it's a forgone conclusion that info is going to come into play. Dean gives him a nice pep talk and makes it abundantly clear that Jack is family, so that's also going to be important later.
Bobby wastes zero time making a play for Mary like Dean chasing a cocktail waitress. He says that they don't have archangel grace, so he can't go home but he doesn't really want to anyway. He's been here what, a couple days, and he's ready to leave behind his home and his mission and everything else to walk with Mary in the rain? Seriously? How much more cheesy romcom can we get?
But wait, has it only been a few days? Because he says that everyone is settling into town nicely. He goes on to expound that Ketch, who went into Apocalypse World woefully underequipped to help save his beloved and defeat Lucifer, who apparently became buddies with AU!Charlie and nearly died over there, came back to the bunker and then left to go off and "do Ketch things" without even speaking to Mary?
Meanwhile, Rowena and AU!Charlie, who met like 10 minutes ago, took off on an impromptu road trip through the southwest.
In other words, we brought this whole group of refugees from AU!Land to this world expressly for the purpose of keeping them safe while everyone scoured the bunker library to find a way to defeat Michael, and THREE of the people most likely to be able to find useful information in the archive just up and leave for parts unknown and this is totally cool with everyone?
I realize it's plot reasons, but couldn't we have at least made up something plausible, like they went to collect a spell ingredient with Ketch providing protection and Charlie having to hack the security system?
Until their nice walk is ruined by blood on the pathway. Of course they follow the trail of blood, armed with umbrellas, and find one of the refugees dead. (Later we're going to hear that her skull was crushed. First of all, I work in the medical field, and if her skull was crushed, you would expect her face to be severely bruised, with a lot more bleeding from the nose/mouth. Secondly, if her skull was crushed, there is no way she walked that far up the path and draped herself just perfectly beside the rock in that manner to die.) Bobby informs us that she looks like she was beaten to death even though she really doesn't. Jack angsts over her death, and Sam assures him that it wasn't his fault.
Anyway.
Another of the refugees informs TFW + Jack that Maggie had sneaked out the night before to meet a guy who works at a local gas station. Okay, and you didn't tell anyone that she didn't come back? Jack zaps himself to the gas station, where the Winchesters and Cas arrive just in time to see him choke slamming a convenience store attendant through the drink cooler. Cas gets tossed and Dean shoots Jack to get his attention. It's pretty obvious poor Nate from the Gas'n'Sip didn't kill Maggie so Jack takes off again.
He ends up walking in the woods and thinking about all the people he's accidentally (or not so much) hurt.
TFW tells Nate that they're FBI and those weren't real bullets, and then everything starts shaking and screeching because an angel is arriving. Meanwhile Lucifer interrupts Jack's walk. Quick switchback to TFW at the gas station, where we even get a CC saying "ominous music playing." Michael appears, trashes the gas station, and is about to do TFW great bodily harm until Dean manages to toss burning holy oil between him and them and they drive off in the Impala. Really? He crossed worlds to get them, and he's not even going to try to walk around? Or you know, zap out, since he has wings?
Back in the forest, Lucifer tells Jack that Sam is a horrible person who intentionally left Lucifer behind and lied to Jack. He tells Jack that the two of them are not meant to be around humans because they're not compatible. He wants to take Jack off to explore the universe and bond. Lucifer promises to make him a lightsaber and a wookie. Jack is hesitant to leave Sam and Dean, but Lucifer tells them this is their second chance to escape their sins and start over. Jack agrees, but tells Lucifer they need to do something first.
Jack takes Lucifer to the bunker to resurrect Maggie. Mary tells Bobby to call Sam. Bobby gets them on the phone and says "We got a problem." Um wait. The boys haven't called the bunker to warn them Michael is on this side yet? And how far away is this gas station that they're not back yet? I mean, Maggie went out walking, right? When the drove there from the bunker they arrived before Jack could do any real damage to the clerk, remember?
So Lucifer relunctantly raises Maggie, (red flag!) and instantly he and Jack zap out, so they're gone by the time Sam runs in the door. Dean calls Jody to put out an APB on Jack and Lucifer. The question was asked that "Even if we find Lucifer, how are we going to stop him?" That's a good question, but what about Michael?
Sam asks Maggie if she remembers who killed her. She tells them that she never saw his face, but ... we cut away to Lucifer and Jack looking at the stars, which pretty much tells us what we need to know. It also tells us that apparently it is night, because it's completely dark outside. So we've just been piddling around all day while Lucifer and Michael are in this world.
Dean says Jody has nothing, and Cas says angel radio is nothing but static. And then Michael knocks on the front door.
What took him so long? I mean, he has wings and can zap from place to place.
Sam tells Bobby and Mary to take Maggie and run while TFW buys them some time. Michael blasts the door open and floats down from the upper floor like Yondu Poppins while Sam and Dean shoot him. Cas rushes in with an angel blade (not the archangel blade) but Michael flips him over a table. He then proceeds to throw Sam and beat on Dean. He tells our heroes that he made a deal with Lucifer to get here, because Lucifer knew how to open the rift. And now that he's here, Dean will be the first one he kills in this world. He's squeezing the front of Dean's neck and it makes a bone cracking sound, which doesn't make any sense because his hand is nowhere near bone. Dean is still talking and breathing, so it wasn't crushing his windpipe or larynx that made noise. Anyway. Sam makes a quick and desperate prayer to Jack, who zaps back in and throws Michael off Dean. Lucifer follows him in. Jack goes all glowy eyed and twists his hand around, bringing Michael to his knees with blood coming from his eyes and ears. Michael shouts at Lucifer that they had a deal. Lucifer tries to get Jack to stop and leave. Jack is all "Wait, what?" TFW tells Jack that Lucifer told Michael he could have the world as long as he let Lucifer and Jack leave. Sam adds that Lucifer is the one who killed Maggie. Lucifer tries to deny it, but Jack uses powers on him and makes him tell the truth. There's a big dramatic confrontation between Lucifer and Jack, in which Mark Pelligrino delivers some Academy Award level acting. Jack tells Lucifer that he's not his father. It ends with Lucifer slicing Jack's neck with an angel blade and stealing his grace. Lucifer goes to zap out. Jack grabs him, and Sam grabs Jack, so they all three end up gone with Dean screaming "Sammy!"
Dean asks what happened, and Michael says "The Devil just won." except we all know he really didn't because we have Dean Effing Winchester standing there with about 15 minutes left in the episode. Michael tells them that Lucifer could end the entire universe if he wants to, but Michael in his banged up meatsuit is too weak to stop him. And as we all knew was going to happen, Dean offers to become Michael's vessel.
So wait, we have Michael's vessel which was just in a heap on the floor, bleeding from all the orifices we can see. Either that's the vessel's blood, which begs the question why Michael didn't just heal it, or it's archangel blood, which raises the question of how switching vessels is going to help an archangel who's bleeding profusely.
Meanwhile Lucifer had taken Jack and Sam to a beautiful old church. It's going to be a shame to see it destroyed. Lucifer tells them that if one of them kills the other, he will let the survivor leave, but if they refuse he'll kill both of them.
Dean and Cas argue about Dean saying yes to Michael, but Dean insists he has no choice because Lucifer has Sam and Jack.
Sam hands Jack the archangel blade, (why did we bring that? wouldn't any old kitchen knife do?) telling him to kill Sam, get his powers back and stop Lucifer. Jack says no, Sam will stop Lucifer. He tells Sam he loves him, and starts to stab himself.
But the moment is interrupted by a blinding light, and then one of the most glorious scenes in the entire history of the series, Dean standing in the church with the most majestic wings we've ever seen.
Sam says "Dean?" and gets a "Heya Sammy." in return to establish that this is Dean with Michael's powers shown up to fight, and not Michael wearing Dean to the prom.
Then it all goes to hell again, with the most ridiculous fight scene we've ever seen, including Lucifer and Michael!Dean jumping at each other like flying squirrels and spinning around in the air. It looks like Lucifer is going to win, but Sam tosses Dean the archangel blade (oh, that's why we have it!) and he kills Lucifer.
Lucifer is laid out in the floor, burnt wings and all. The Winchesters and Jack get less than a minute to celebrate the fact that Lucifer is dead before Michael takes Dean over and disappears, telling Sam "Thanks for the suit."
Bobby and Mary return to the bunker to find Cas sitting alone in the floor.
Dean, dressed in an outfit that would have been high fashion in the 1950s or so, is seen walking down some random crowded city street. His eyes glow blue, and
we get the weirdest zoom in shot in the history of the show to end the season.
I still love this show. Really I do. But could we please get a better writing team? One who 1) watches the show, 2) has some common sense, and 3) asks the actors who have been playing these characters for all these years for some input? Maybe they could make up their minds about stroylines and follow one or two through for the season, instead of throwing a handful on the table and see which ones roll off. Could we get some credible monster of the week hunts amongst and between?
Like I said in my other post, I'm calling a do over on this. I'll be rewriting this episode as soon as I can. This has also spurred me to hurry and finish the season 12 finale rewrite I've been poking around with for a year.