See You In October
So, erm... I was keeping my Saturday free so I can write a massive Supernatural season finale review full of tears, or squee, or rage, or all of the above but... I'm stragenly underwhelmed. To me it feels like the entire episode was so focused on ther oh so surprising cliffhanger (not) that they kinda forgot to have a finale.
It's fine though, it's nice to go into the long hiatus a little more relaxed for a change - I don't think this has ever happened with Supernatural before - and the finale did one thing right: It brought us to an amazing starting point, full of potential, for Jeremy Carver to take over.
And there are still a few things I want to talk about:
"They're gone. The entire Garrison is dead. If there is anyone left at all, they are in hiding."
I had to stop the episode because I was missing the rest of the scene being too busy sobbing Inias's name. I'm not even kidding. This was the one scene that had me truly emotional. Because I lost another beloved character, this time with just one sentence and without as much as his name being mentioned (unless he is in hiding. Please, please, Inias, be in hiding). Because just when I thought he still had family, Castiel lost everyone. Yes, there are other Garrisons, but these were his closest brothers and sisters. Because Castiel obviously kept the connection up, probably found some reassurance in feeling his brothers, went looking for them when he couldn't hear them anymore, and found that they are all gone. Because Castiel can't even mourn them properly in his current state, so his grief just piles up with everything else he is still suppressing. You can see and hear how much it affects him even when he doesn't let the emotions reach the surface.
And because Show just throws this massive thing out there in a single line. It's just angels right. It's not like they matter...
"I can't help. You understand? I can't! I destroyed everything. And I will destroy everything again. Can we please just leave it at that."
I knew this moment from the promo already, so it didn't affect me quite as bad as it would have otherwise. I think this is exactly what Misha was talking about at AECon3 when he said that Castiel surpresses his pain and guilt because he can't deal with it. And I honestly don't know when Dean will learn when pressing on about it, and blaming him over and over, and telling him that it's his mess is not helping anyone.
"Nobody cares that you're broken."
This is right up there with 'I don't care what you call him just kill him now', and a few other things Dean has been throwing at Cas this season. There is being angry, and unable to just forgive - I get that - and there is downright cruel and... I don't even know what to call it. And this is the reason why "a note of forgiveness", like Cas puts it, just doesn't cut it and doesn't magically make everything okay again. It's a good start. But it isn't more than that, and it certainly isn't enough anymore. Not after everything Cas already put into trying to fix things and all the times Dean just threw it right back into his face, and used him, and then pushed him away again. It's Dean's turn, and I'm still waiting for something I can count as an apology from his side at the very least.
But yes, Cas helped on his own terms, that's important. Dean obviously did call him (when he was covered in bees) but he also let him go again. And Dean showed some... acceptance. So, yes, good path, Dean, but you still have a very, very long way to go.
Bobby... well, that was anticlimactic. But seeing how they burned the flask in the middle of the episode and then just moved on, and considering we didn't see Bobby's spirit burn, I have a feeling this wasn't the last we saw of him. Then again, that's what I thought when we didn't see Balthazar's wings. Weird though, that they seemed so certain that he'll just move on. That's not what I was getting from Tessa or his Reaper. They always made it sound more like: You don't go to Heaven right away, you never go.
Crowley: Can I just say that I love my demon when he outsmarts everyone? Finally it seems like he might be THE threat next season, because he was smart, and he was patient, and now it payed off. I kinda wanted to high five him at the end of the episode.
Baby: Did they bring her back just so Meg could drive her through a freaking sign-board? Not okay. She didn't look too damaged though.
The cliffhanger: Not much if a surprise, was it? I'm strangely unconcerned about Dean and Cas. Yes, there are tons of monster souls down there. It's dangerous and it's going to be exhausting. But Cas seems to be in full possession of his powers, and I'm sure even when he doesn't want to fight he still has both, a survival instinct and an insinct to keep his charge safe. I don't like that he ended up in such a mess again so soon, but I think he'll be able to manage. For the first time in a long time I really believe that there is a chance Castiel will be okay.
I'm just wondering what happens when you die in Purgatory?
I felt more for Sam, who doesn't know what exactly happened to Dean and Cas, and who is pretty much alone now, with all those Leviathans running wild and Crowley setting up to take over the world. I guess he can call Jodie and Garth. But that's about it, and it would mean dragging them into this. When Sera said that she wanted to isolate the boys, this is about what I expected.
Angels going to Purgatory when they die doesn't make sense to me, but with all the rumours about characters who may return next season, I'm starting to wonder if the writers will go there anyway. Bobby, too then, maybe. Vengeful spirits in Purgatory doesn't make less sense than angels at least. If anyone can make this work, it's Jeremy Carver. But I'm just... if everyone goes somewhere - Heaven, Hell, Purgatory - and we know where everyone ends up, then there truly is no death anymore on Supernatural. There is just getting stuck in extremely unpleasant places and hoping that someone out there cares enough to find a way to get you out (poor Adam...). I'm not sure that's very good for the show. But since we had to learn the hard way that there a way worse things than death, who knows?
And just the thought of Castiel finding Balthazar in Purgatory...what if Purgatory does to angels what Hell does to humans? Okay, now I'm worried. I don't think I want to think about this scenario too much.
Anyway, underwhelmed by the episode, but very much looking forward to what Jeremy Carver plans on doing with this, and very glad that they set it up for both Castiel and Crowley to be major players again next season.
It's fine though, it's nice to go into the long hiatus a little more relaxed for a change - I don't think this has ever happened with Supernatural before - and the finale did one thing right: It brought us to an amazing starting point, full of potential, for Jeremy Carver to take over.
And there are still a few things I want to talk about:
"They're gone. The entire Garrison is dead. If there is anyone left at all, they are in hiding."
I had to stop the episode because I was missing the rest of the scene being too busy sobbing Inias's name. I'm not even kidding. This was the one scene that had me truly emotional. Because I lost another beloved character, this time with just one sentence and without as much as his name being mentioned (unless he is in hiding. Please, please, Inias, be in hiding). Because just when I thought he still had family, Castiel lost everyone. Yes, there are other Garrisons, but these were his closest brothers and sisters. Because Castiel obviously kept the connection up, probably found some reassurance in feeling his brothers, went looking for them when he couldn't hear them anymore, and found that they are all gone. Because Castiel can't even mourn them properly in his current state, so his grief just piles up with everything else he is still suppressing. You can see and hear how much it affects him even when he doesn't let the emotions reach the surface.
And because Show just throws this massive thing out there in a single line. It's just angels right. It's not like they matter...
"I can't help. You understand? I can't! I destroyed everything. And I will destroy everything again. Can we please just leave it at that."
I knew this moment from the promo already, so it didn't affect me quite as bad as it would have otherwise. I think this is exactly what Misha was talking about at AECon3 when he said that Castiel surpresses his pain and guilt because he can't deal with it. And I honestly don't know when Dean will learn when pressing on about it, and blaming him over and over, and telling him that it's his mess is not helping anyone.
"Nobody cares that you're broken."
This is right up there with 'I don't care what you call him just kill him now', and a few other things Dean has been throwing at Cas this season. There is being angry, and unable to just forgive - I get that - and there is downright cruel and... I don't even know what to call it. And this is the reason why "a note of forgiveness", like Cas puts it, just doesn't cut it and doesn't magically make everything okay again. It's a good start. But it isn't more than that, and it certainly isn't enough anymore. Not after everything Cas already put into trying to fix things and all the times Dean just threw it right back into his face, and used him, and then pushed him away again. It's Dean's turn, and I'm still waiting for something I can count as an apology from his side at the very least.
But yes, Cas helped on his own terms, that's important. Dean obviously did call him (when he was covered in bees) but he also let him go again. And Dean showed some... acceptance. So, yes, good path, Dean, but you still have a very, very long way to go.
Bobby... well, that was anticlimactic. But seeing how they burned the flask in the middle of the episode and then just moved on, and considering we didn't see Bobby's spirit burn, I have a feeling this wasn't the last we saw of him. Then again, that's what I thought when we didn't see Balthazar's wings. Weird though, that they seemed so certain that he'll just move on. That's not what I was getting from Tessa or his Reaper. They always made it sound more like: You don't go to Heaven right away, you never go.
Crowley: Can I just say that I love my demon when he outsmarts everyone? Finally it seems like he might be THE threat next season, because he was smart, and he was patient, and now it payed off. I kinda wanted to high five him at the end of the episode.
Baby: Did they bring her back just so Meg could drive her through a freaking sign-board? Not okay. She didn't look too damaged though.
The cliffhanger: Not much if a surprise, was it? I'm strangely unconcerned about Dean and Cas. Yes, there are tons of monster souls down there. It's dangerous and it's going to be exhausting. But Cas seems to be in full possession of his powers, and I'm sure even when he doesn't want to fight he still has both, a survival instinct and an insinct to keep his charge safe. I don't like that he ended up in such a mess again so soon, but I think he'll be able to manage. For the first time in a long time I really believe that there is a chance Castiel will be okay.
I'm just wondering what happens when you die in Purgatory?
I felt more for Sam, who doesn't know what exactly happened to Dean and Cas, and who is pretty much alone now, with all those Leviathans running wild and Crowley setting up to take over the world. I guess he can call Jodie and Garth. But that's about it, and it would mean dragging them into this. When Sera said that she wanted to isolate the boys, this is about what I expected.
Angels going to Purgatory when they die doesn't make sense to me, but with all the rumours about characters who may return next season, I'm starting to wonder if the writers will go there anyway. Bobby, too then, maybe. Vengeful spirits in Purgatory doesn't make less sense than angels at least. If anyone can make this work, it's Jeremy Carver. But I'm just... if everyone goes somewhere - Heaven, Hell, Purgatory - and we know where everyone ends up, then there truly is no death anymore on Supernatural. There is just getting stuck in extremely unpleasant places and hoping that someone out there cares enough to find a way to get you out (poor Adam...). I'm not sure that's very good for the show. But since we had to learn the hard way that there a way worse things than death, who knows?
And just the thought of Castiel finding Balthazar in Purgatory...what if Purgatory does to angels what Hell does to humans? Okay, now I'm worried. I don't think I want to think about this scenario too much.
Anyway, underwhelmed by the episode, but very much looking forward to what Jeremy Carver plans on doing with this, and very glad that they set it up for both Castiel and Crowley to be major players again next season.