Quick Reaction: 9x23 Do You Believe in Miracles?
Oh man... okay...
So, standard disclaimer - have watched episode once, while drinking, about an hour ago. Moreover, because the Chicago CW station pre-empted the show, I had to watch it on the Canadian station, which cuts for commercial in different places and sometimes shaves crucial seconds off the show. So, yeah, hopefully I actually saw everything... but still, all quotes will be wrong and I'll remember things out of order. Don't correct me unless it's absolutely crucial to the plot or characters.
Let's just... launch into this.... there's a lot to talk about...
So, we begin where we left off, with Dean slicing my precious Gadreel. Dean's quickly escorted to the dungeon and locked up for his own good. He protests, but Sam is all worried about him. Sam and Cas go back upstairs to discover that Gadreel didn't stick around to die in the bunker, but instead has run off.
They find him not far away dying in a pool of his own blood in the nice tall grass. Personally, I think Gadreel just wanted to die in the open... but we'll get to that. He begs Sam and Cas not to kill him, which breaks my heart, because he obviously figured that Dean's attack was a mutual thing and they consider him un-redeemable. But nope! Cas heals him, even though Gadreel points out that it'll further weaken Cas - who is still living off borrowed grace.
Meanwhile, Dean is throwing up blood in the bunker, which is never a good sign. He summons Crowley, because for some reason he can get passed the bookshelves in that dungeon, but not out of the room, and they keep enough spell ingredients in that storage room for a summoning... great guys, you really planned out that dungeon well (*sarcasm*).
Crowley informs Dean that the Mark of Cain basically kills you once you start killing with it - if you don't KEEP killing with it, then you die. I did like the line "The least best result" or whatever it was. That was amusing. Dean points out that Cain was still alive, and Crowley points out that Cain was a demon, not a human... that human bodies aren't meant to contain that power.
Okay, now a sidenote about TAGGING YOUR SPECULATION. Listen... I know I have the strictest spoiler policy known to man, but guys, when actors give interviews before a finale, you don't just need to tag those interviews as spoilers, you also have to tag you SPECULATION about those interviews as spoilers, because you are SPECULATING ON SPOILERS. Even if you don't NAME the spoilers or quote them, or reference them in anyway. So, people like me, see your speculation, and realize that you've read interviews that allude to things that caused you to HAVE that speculation, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what the spoilers are... especially when you're someone like me who can extrapolate a LOT of information from just a hint of information. It's a gift and a curse. ANYWAY, I was sort of pissed off about it all.... because yeah, basically as soon as Crowley said "but Cain was a demon" I knew that all the stupid goddamn untagged speculation I had seen about the finale was correct and the surprise at the end of the episode was effectively ruined. I have ONE SHOW, ONE SHOW, GUYS! Where I try not to be spoiled, and I CAN'T EVEN HAVE THAT! Ugh.
Anyway, the good news was that Gadreel was still alive....
Sam, Cas, and Gadreel get back to the bunker to discover that Dean's escaped with the First Blade. And then we go to commercial, and I make a joke about how Sam obviously shouldn't leave rooms because the people he wants to stay in those rooms while he's gone disappear! It's like toddlers who haven't learned object permanence yet, except that it's TRUE! I was amused.
We come back from commercial and I realize that everything is awesome, because not only do we continue the awesomeness that is the Sam+Cas team-up, we also have Gadreel in the team too! Sam is on a team with TWO angels, guys!! It's great!! I need someone to write me a fic that goes AU at that point and just has Sam, Cas, and Gadreel having awesome adventures...
We don't go AU at that point though...instead, Gadreel learns about how Dean got the Mark of Cain, and he agrees with Dean that the First Blade is actually their best bet for defeating Metatron... but that they also have to figure out how to cut off Metatron's power source, which is the angel tablet.
Oh, I'm actually forgetting to talk about Metatron. So, while all this is going on. Metatron is up in heaven typing and being interrupted by his super adorable PA. Seriously, that adorable angel loves the Notebook. He's a romantic in a cardigan, and he's all smiley and stuff... and I kind of love him a little. (For the record, I've never seen the Notebook, and I probably wouldn't like it, but I still like adorable cardigan wearing Notebook-fan angels.)
Anywho, Metatron's current game is to get humanity to worship him as God too. He posses as a homeless dude and saves a woman's life after she gets smucked by a car because she walks out into traffic while chatting on her phone. I feel there is a lesson here for all of us. Metatron gives his name as Marv... dude, if Metatron is all about providing a better brand, he should really do research into what constitutes a catchy brand name.
So, Crowley and Dean stop into a burger joint so that Dean can use the wifi and try to track down Metatron. Crowley gives him a hardtime about treating the waitress right, and then reiterates that he kicked the blood habit and he's not getting soft... BUT, we also know from his earlier message scene that I forgot to talk about, that he's not exactly running hell with his usual fervor either and the demons are still antsy about having him as a leader. Furthermore, Crowley gets all existential-crisis about Dean and Sam's lifestyle. It's all rather fishy.
Some of Crowley's goons show up and show him the video of Metatron's miracle, which gives Dean a destination and a lead to check out... (also, who's with me on how absolutely creepy Marv whispering in that girl's ear looked? SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY CREEPY.) BUT, the crucial thing in this scene is that Dean leaves without eating his burger.... causing Crowley to make the "interesting..." face.
Oh hey, when was Dean's line about shower sex? I can't remember now... but DAMN, I loved that line. Shower sex IS complicated. I have only tried to have it once in my life for this reason.. I then concluded that the shower was a foreplay-only zone, no matter what porn tries to tell us.
(Oh my god, guys, I'm so early in the review and I'm so tired...okay, powering through...)
Back to the investigation... Dean makes it to the woman's trailer home to interview her, and Sam is already there! Dean prepares himself for a fight, but Sam actually comes in peace - telling Dean that yes, he's still mad, because Dean stabbed their only help, and Dean points out that Gadreel was the one that took Sam on a joyride and he deserved to be stabbed for that - and Sam points out that, much like Sam's possession, THAT is not Dean's decision to make, because it's SAM that has nightmares about killing Kevin and it's SAM that is suffering all the consequences of Gadreel, and so it's up to SAM whether Gadreel dies for trying to be helpful in the worst way possible or if he deserves a shot at redemption - and Sam's kind of big on redemption, given his own experience.
Anyway, it's good the boys are talking... Sam tells Dean that it turns out Dean's right and the blade IS their best shot, and that Cas and Gadreel, who are Dean's REAL friends (unlike Crowley who Sam assumes is using Dean to his own ends) are both up in heaven trying to help him kill Metatron. Dean sends Crowley away, and Crowley says he's been "Winchester-ed" - which, here, I think means "disguarded when no longer useful" which is what Crowley has been accusing the boys of since 8x01 at least.
Meanwhile, Gadreel and Cas are in a playground... and Cas's big plan is to use the "Wookie" trick from Star Wars IV and have Gadreel walk him into Heaven as a pretend prisoner. And I LOVE LOVE how Cas is so proud of himself when he holds up the cuffs and says "Wookie" - HE IS LEARNING TO APPLY POP CULTURE KNOWLEDGE TO REAL WORLD SCENARIOS... and the only thing I love more than that is Gadreel being like, "I have no idea what you are talking about, brother." BROTHER! Oh god, the feelings I have. I need someone to write me an AU starting at this point where Gadreel and Cas become brothers and go off and be giant dorks together. I love them so much.
Sadly, that doesn't happen... but we'll get to that....
Meanwhile, Metatron is infiltrating the homeless population..., a really surprisingly murderous homeless population.... and when an angel among the homeless calls Metatron out on being a big faking faker with a messiah complex, the homeless people all kill him. Yeah... that's not disturbing at all... NOT AT ALL.
Also, since when are homeless people up on the latest viral videos? I mean, in Canada, a phone with a data-plan is $50/month minimum. You'd think that money could better go towards food and/or shelter. But anyway...
Cas and Gadreel walk into heaven, and at first it looks like everything is going to plan, but sadly, it is not! Instead they are lead into Metatron's office and the office promptly turns into jail cells. Gadreel, quite rightly, freaks the fuck out... and it is sad times forever.
Meanwhile, Dean and Sam arrive at the homeless camp... or, down the road from it. Dean tries to give Sam a goodbye speech, but Sam cuts him off, as is their tradition since S5 at least, where they DON'T give mushy speeches before the boss fight, in the hopes that the other person already knows how they feel. So, instead of whatever speech Dean was going to give Sam, he instead punches Sam unconscious.... tells him that it's not Sam's fight, and then goes in alone.
Jump back up to heaven, and we have Hannah talking to Castiel... Castiel trying to tell her the truth, trying to convince her that Gadreel and him are telling the truth - about the suicide bombers, about all of it. Hannah's big mistake here is that she's so focused on Castiel that she dismisses Gadreel completely as a lackey. Gadreel, meanwhile, can't think of anything worse than rotting away in prison for another eternity, so he makes himself into a suicide bomb with the help of some broken stones...and yeah, tells them that the problem with heaven is that they all forgot their primary mission - to protect humanity - and then... yeah... it is sad times forever for me. Oh Gadreel... we could have had it all.
Castiel gets to be like "HANNAH! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK HE JUST BLEW HIMSELF UP FOR A LIE, YOU IDIOT!" And Hannah is like "oh damn, you have a point." And off they go to Metatron's office to try to find the tablet.
Dean has found Metatron already though... and they are chatting. Metatron is all cocky, because he knows Cas and Gadreel are locked up. Dean blames everything that has gone wrong in the past year on Metatron, because if it weren't for the angels falling, then I guess he figures Cas could have healed Sam... or vetted the angel that did... and Kevin wouldn't be dead... and Dean wouldn't have the Mark of Cain that's either going to turn him into a monster or kill him... and Sam would still be his loving brother and whatnot... and yeah., so, Dean attacks, even though Metatron tells him that Cas and Gadreel have failed their mission.
Dean gets a good hit in, and yeah, the fact that Dean can draw blood from angels is pretty cool... but Metatron soon gets the upper-hand and beats Dean to a pulp just as Sam runs into the warehouse... and then Metatron stabs Dean with an angel blade... and the damn channel cuts to commercial! ARG!
When we come back, it's to Dean falling over, and Sam yelling "no" and vaulting over obstacles to get to Dean. Just as all this happens, Cas finds the angel tablet inside Metatron's typewriter, and shatters it.... Sam quickly pulls the angel blade out of Dean (which, I have to say, with my limited medical knowledge, will probably only speed up his death), and goes to stab Metatron, but Metatron disappears before he can.
Sam then starts chanting his "no"s... and yeah...
Metatron arrives in heaven to find Cas cuffed to Metatron's chair. He gloats that Cas has lost... that Cas is a hypocrite, because YES, Metatron wanted to be God, but Cas himself is super selfish because everything he did that year was just to save Dean, even if he cloaked it in the desire to save Heaven... and Metatron accusses him of this, basically just so that he can tell Cas that he failed at EVERYTHING because Dean is dead... and we actually get to see Cas' heartbreak while he tries to keep his face completely neutral and himself on task... because Cas gets Metatron to admit that all the angels are sheep and that Metatron is going to have humanity bowing down to him next...
And Castiel, no doubt also using the pop culture knowledge that Metatron bestowed upon him, has actually pulled the old "you're on speaker" trick and Metatron was broadcasting his evil plan to all of angel kind the whole time. He is quickly arrested and locked away... because, I guess Cas really meant it when he said that he didn't want any more angels to die.
I've gotten ahead of the chronology of the show though - because we also have Sam dragging a dying Dean out of the warehouse. We have Sam telling Dean that he was lying when he said that he'd let Dean die, and Dean finally realizing that Sam really WAS lying... then we have Dean telling Sam that he's proud of them... and then we have Dean dying...
And oh my heart... but can I also just say that I love how CLEAN Sam is in this scene. Dean is absolutely covered in blood, and Sam's just so clean... and I love it... it really echoes where the character's souls are at the moment, I think... as horrifying as that is for Dean fans.
Sam sobbing is sad, but what REALLY breaks my heart is the scene where Sam puts Dean's dead body in Dean's bedroom in the bunker...like... like he's just sleeping or something. Like Sam thought that if he just got him home and into bed, it would all somehow be magically better.
Sam drinks in the dark while they play one of my favourite songs... and then he goes down to the dungeon where Dean's left out all the summoning gear....
Much like Dean blamed Metatron for every single thing that had gone wrong this season, I think Sam blames Crowley... but still very much in the "the person who broke this should fix it" camp, Sam decides to summon Crowley to try to get Dean back.
Meanwhile, in Heaven, Hannah still wants Castiel to be a leader - Castiel still doesn't want to be a leader... Hannah also points out that Castiel is running out of stolen grace, and once he does, he DIES... and Castiel is like "I just want to be an angel again"... and it reminds me so much of End!Cas... because it makes me realize that although I, personally, actually LOVE human!Cas, Cas isn't meant to be human. He's meant to be an angel and it's really the only state in which it's possible for him to be truly happy. He's not Anna. He may have been jealous of her freedom and free will way back in the day, but that doesn't mean that he'd be happy as a human like she had been.
Back to the Bunker... where Crowley is watching Dean...continue to be dead. He tells Dean how Sam is summoning him as they speak, how it's all "expected"... and how Crowley wants Dean to know that he didn't know that this would happen, that he knew more than he let on, but he didn't know everything, and that it's important for Dean to know that Crowley never lied to him... and then he tells Dean that there was a story about how Cain died... and the he puts the blade in Dean's hand and tells Dean to open his eyes.
And we get Demon!Dean.
FIN.
So, again, if it hadn't been for the damned fans not tagging their speculation and those damned interviews at the upfronts, that last shot would have been far more epic for me - I mean, it was still epic, but at that point, I just expected it.... and that wasn't as fun for me.
I know some people are probably pissed off about this storyline, because they really love it when the brothers are a united good force against the forces of evil... but we all watch the show for different reasons. Personally, I'd love a good arc where we actually get to see Sam successfully rescue Dean. Sam KNOWS that Dean wouldn't want this end... Dean told him himself just before he died - that it was better this way because he didn't like what he was becoming. What's more, they know how to cure a demon! Sam nearly cured CROWLEY, so yeah... my hope for S10 is a "Sam saves the day" arc. Furthermore, if Dean's our damsel/baddie, then this might mean more Sam+Cas team-up, which you all know that I love, because I just love how kind of weird and awkward Sam and Cas' dynamic is, because they DON'T have the weird shippable-tension that Dean and Cas have (IMHO).
So, I am suitably intrigued!
It's going to be a long 5 months!
As usual, let me know what you thought in comments... but remember, if you are too negative-nelly, then you have to counter with positive points too!
(I'm a little bit behind in my timelining, but you can probably expect me to post the S9 timeline both here and on the SuperWiki at some point next week. Fair warning though, that they gave me pretty much nothing to work with this year, so the timeline is mostly just how many days long each episode was and where everyone traveled to and not so much full of actual dates.)
So, standard disclaimer - have watched episode once, while drinking, about an hour ago. Moreover, because the Chicago CW station pre-empted the show, I had to watch it on the Canadian station, which cuts for commercial in different places and sometimes shaves crucial seconds off the show. So, yeah, hopefully I actually saw everything... but still, all quotes will be wrong and I'll remember things out of order. Don't correct me unless it's absolutely crucial to the plot or characters.
Let's just... launch into this.... there's a lot to talk about...
So, we begin where we left off, with Dean slicing my precious Gadreel. Dean's quickly escorted to the dungeon and locked up for his own good. He protests, but Sam is all worried about him. Sam and Cas go back upstairs to discover that Gadreel didn't stick around to die in the bunker, but instead has run off.
They find him not far away dying in a pool of his own blood in the nice tall grass. Personally, I think Gadreel just wanted to die in the open... but we'll get to that. He begs Sam and Cas not to kill him, which breaks my heart, because he obviously figured that Dean's attack was a mutual thing and they consider him un-redeemable. But nope! Cas heals him, even though Gadreel points out that it'll further weaken Cas - who is still living off borrowed grace.
Meanwhile, Dean is throwing up blood in the bunker, which is never a good sign. He summons Crowley, because for some reason he can get passed the bookshelves in that dungeon, but not out of the room, and they keep enough spell ingredients in that storage room for a summoning... great guys, you really planned out that dungeon well (*sarcasm*).
Crowley informs Dean that the Mark of Cain basically kills you once you start killing with it - if you don't KEEP killing with it, then you die. I did like the line "The least best result" or whatever it was. That was amusing. Dean points out that Cain was still alive, and Crowley points out that Cain was a demon, not a human... that human bodies aren't meant to contain that power.
Okay, now a sidenote about TAGGING YOUR SPECULATION. Listen... I know I have the strictest spoiler policy known to man, but guys, when actors give interviews before a finale, you don't just need to tag those interviews as spoilers, you also have to tag you SPECULATION about those interviews as spoilers, because you are SPECULATING ON SPOILERS. Even if you don't NAME the spoilers or quote them, or reference them in anyway. So, people like me, see your speculation, and realize that you've read interviews that allude to things that caused you to HAVE that speculation, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what the spoilers are... especially when you're someone like me who can extrapolate a LOT of information from just a hint of information. It's a gift and a curse. ANYWAY, I was sort of pissed off about it all.... because yeah, basically as soon as Crowley said "but Cain was a demon" I knew that all the stupid goddamn untagged speculation I had seen about the finale was correct and the surprise at the end of the episode was effectively ruined. I have ONE SHOW, ONE SHOW, GUYS! Where I try not to be spoiled, and I CAN'T EVEN HAVE THAT! Ugh.
Anyway, the good news was that Gadreel was still alive....
Sam, Cas, and Gadreel get back to the bunker to discover that Dean's escaped with the First Blade. And then we go to commercial, and I make a joke about how Sam obviously shouldn't leave rooms because the people he wants to stay in those rooms while he's gone disappear! It's like toddlers who haven't learned object permanence yet, except that it's TRUE! I was amused.
We come back from commercial and I realize that everything is awesome, because not only do we continue the awesomeness that is the Sam+Cas team-up, we also have Gadreel in the team too! Sam is on a team with TWO angels, guys!! It's great!! I need someone to write me a fic that goes AU at that point and just has Sam, Cas, and Gadreel having awesome adventures...
We don't go AU at that point though...instead, Gadreel learns about how Dean got the Mark of Cain, and he agrees with Dean that the First Blade is actually their best bet for defeating Metatron... but that they also have to figure out how to cut off Metatron's power source, which is the angel tablet.
Oh, I'm actually forgetting to talk about Metatron. So, while all this is going on. Metatron is up in heaven typing and being interrupted by his super adorable PA. Seriously, that adorable angel loves the Notebook. He's a romantic in a cardigan, and he's all smiley and stuff... and I kind of love him a little. (For the record, I've never seen the Notebook, and I probably wouldn't like it, but I still like adorable cardigan wearing Notebook-fan angels.)
Anywho, Metatron's current game is to get humanity to worship him as God too. He posses as a homeless dude and saves a woman's life after she gets smucked by a car because she walks out into traffic while chatting on her phone. I feel there is a lesson here for all of us. Metatron gives his name as Marv... dude, if Metatron is all about providing a better brand, he should really do research into what constitutes a catchy brand name.
So, Crowley and Dean stop into a burger joint so that Dean can use the wifi and try to track down Metatron. Crowley gives him a hardtime about treating the waitress right, and then reiterates that he kicked the blood habit and he's not getting soft... BUT, we also know from his earlier message scene that I forgot to talk about, that he's not exactly running hell with his usual fervor either and the demons are still antsy about having him as a leader. Furthermore, Crowley gets all existential-crisis about Dean and Sam's lifestyle. It's all rather fishy.
Some of Crowley's goons show up and show him the video of Metatron's miracle, which gives Dean a destination and a lead to check out... (also, who's with me on how absolutely creepy Marv whispering in that girl's ear looked? SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY CREEPY.) BUT, the crucial thing in this scene is that Dean leaves without eating his burger.... causing Crowley to make the "interesting..." face.
Oh hey, when was Dean's line about shower sex? I can't remember now... but DAMN, I loved that line. Shower sex IS complicated. I have only tried to have it once in my life for this reason.. I then concluded that the shower was a foreplay-only zone, no matter what porn tries to tell us.
(Oh my god, guys, I'm so early in the review and I'm so tired...okay, powering through...)
Back to the investigation... Dean makes it to the woman's trailer home to interview her, and Sam is already there! Dean prepares himself for a fight, but Sam actually comes in peace - telling Dean that yes, he's still mad, because Dean stabbed their only help, and Dean points out that Gadreel was the one that took Sam on a joyride and he deserved to be stabbed for that - and Sam points out that, much like Sam's possession, THAT is not Dean's decision to make, because it's SAM that has nightmares about killing Kevin and it's SAM that is suffering all the consequences of Gadreel, and so it's up to SAM whether Gadreel dies for trying to be helpful in the worst way possible or if he deserves a shot at redemption - and Sam's kind of big on redemption, given his own experience.
Anyway, it's good the boys are talking... Sam tells Dean that it turns out Dean's right and the blade IS their best shot, and that Cas and Gadreel, who are Dean's REAL friends (unlike Crowley who Sam assumes is using Dean to his own ends) are both up in heaven trying to help him kill Metatron. Dean sends Crowley away, and Crowley says he's been "Winchester-ed" - which, here, I think means "disguarded when no longer useful" which is what Crowley has been accusing the boys of since 8x01 at least.
Meanwhile, Gadreel and Cas are in a playground... and Cas's big plan is to use the "Wookie" trick from Star Wars IV and have Gadreel walk him into Heaven as a pretend prisoner. And I LOVE LOVE how Cas is so proud of himself when he holds up the cuffs and says "Wookie" - HE IS LEARNING TO APPLY POP CULTURE KNOWLEDGE TO REAL WORLD SCENARIOS... and the only thing I love more than that is Gadreel being like, "I have no idea what you are talking about, brother." BROTHER! Oh god, the feelings I have. I need someone to write me an AU starting at this point where Gadreel and Cas become brothers and go off and be giant dorks together. I love them so much.
Sadly, that doesn't happen... but we'll get to that....
Meanwhile, Metatron is infiltrating the homeless population..., a really surprisingly murderous homeless population.... and when an angel among the homeless calls Metatron out on being a big faking faker with a messiah complex, the homeless people all kill him. Yeah... that's not disturbing at all... NOT AT ALL.
Also, since when are homeless people up on the latest viral videos? I mean, in Canada, a phone with a data-plan is $50/month minimum. You'd think that money could better go towards food and/or shelter. But anyway...
Cas and Gadreel walk into heaven, and at first it looks like everything is going to plan, but sadly, it is not! Instead they are lead into Metatron's office and the office promptly turns into jail cells. Gadreel, quite rightly, freaks the fuck out... and it is sad times forever.
Meanwhile, Dean and Sam arrive at the homeless camp... or, down the road from it. Dean tries to give Sam a goodbye speech, but Sam cuts him off, as is their tradition since S5 at least, where they DON'T give mushy speeches before the boss fight, in the hopes that the other person already knows how they feel. So, instead of whatever speech Dean was going to give Sam, he instead punches Sam unconscious.... tells him that it's not Sam's fight, and then goes in alone.
Jump back up to heaven, and we have Hannah talking to Castiel... Castiel trying to tell her the truth, trying to convince her that Gadreel and him are telling the truth - about the suicide bombers, about all of it. Hannah's big mistake here is that she's so focused on Castiel that she dismisses Gadreel completely as a lackey. Gadreel, meanwhile, can't think of anything worse than rotting away in prison for another eternity, so he makes himself into a suicide bomb with the help of some broken stones...and yeah, tells them that the problem with heaven is that they all forgot their primary mission - to protect humanity - and then... yeah... it is sad times forever for me. Oh Gadreel... we could have had it all.
Castiel gets to be like "HANNAH! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK HE JUST BLEW HIMSELF UP FOR A LIE, YOU IDIOT!" And Hannah is like "oh damn, you have a point." And off they go to Metatron's office to try to find the tablet.
Dean has found Metatron already though... and they are chatting. Metatron is all cocky, because he knows Cas and Gadreel are locked up. Dean blames everything that has gone wrong in the past year on Metatron, because if it weren't for the angels falling, then I guess he figures Cas could have healed Sam... or vetted the angel that did... and Kevin wouldn't be dead... and Dean wouldn't have the Mark of Cain that's either going to turn him into a monster or kill him... and Sam would still be his loving brother and whatnot... and yeah., so, Dean attacks, even though Metatron tells him that Cas and Gadreel have failed their mission.
Dean gets a good hit in, and yeah, the fact that Dean can draw blood from angels is pretty cool... but Metatron soon gets the upper-hand and beats Dean to a pulp just as Sam runs into the warehouse... and then Metatron stabs Dean with an angel blade... and the damn channel cuts to commercial! ARG!
When we come back, it's to Dean falling over, and Sam yelling "no" and vaulting over obstacles to get to Dean. Just as all this happens, Cas finds the angel tablet inside Metatron's typewriter, and shatters it.... Sam quickly pulls the angel blade out of Dean (which, I have to say, with my limited medical knowledge, will probably only speed up his death), and goes to stab Metatron, but Metatron disappears before he can.
Sam then starts chanting his "no"s... and yeah...
Metatron arrives in heaven to find Cas cuffed to Metatron's chair. He gloats that Cas has lost... that Cas is a hypocrite, because YES, Metatron wanted to be God, but Cas himself is super selfish because everything he did that year was just to save Dean, even if he cloaked it in the desire to save Heaven... and Metatron accusses him of this, basically just so that he can tell Cas that he failed at EVERYTHING because Dean is dead... and we actually get to see Cas' heartbreak while he tries to keep his face completely neutral and himself on task... because Cas gets Metatron to admit that all the angels are sheep and that Metatron is going to have humanity bowing down to him next...
And Castiel, no doubt also using the pop culture knowledge that Metatron bestowed upon him, has actually pulled the old "you're on speaker" trick and Metatron was broadcasting his evil plan to all of angel kind the whole time. He is quickly arrested and locked away... because, I guess Cas really meant it when he said that he didn't want any more angels to die.
I've gotten ahead of the chronology of the show though - because we also have Sam dragging a dying Dean out of the warehouse. We have Sam telling Dean that he was lying when he said that he'd let Dean die, and Dean finally realizing that Sam really WAS lying... then we have Dean telling Sam that he's proud of them... and then we have Dean dying...
And oh my heart... but can I also just say that I love how CLEAN Sam is in this scene. Dean is absolutely covered in blood, and Sam's just so clean... and I love it... it really echoes where the character's souls are at the moment, I think... as horrifying as that is for Dean fans.
Sam sobbing is sad, but what REALLY breaks my heart is the scene where Sam puts Dean's dead body in Dean's bedroom in the bunker...like... like he's just sleeping or something. Like Sam thought that if he just got him home and into bed, it would all somehow be magically better.
Sam drinks in the dark while they play one of my favourite songs... and then he goes down to the dungeon where Dean's left out all the summoning gear....
Much like Dean blamed Metatron for every single thing that had gone wrong this season, I think Sam blames Crowley... but still very much in the "the person who broke this should fix it" camp, Sam decides to summon Crowley to try to get Dean back.
Meanwhile, in Heaven, Hannah still wants Castiel to be a leader - Castiel still doesn't want to be a leader... Hannah also points out that Castiel is running out of stolen grace, and once he does, he DIES... and Castiel is like "I just want to be an angel again"... and it reminds me so much of End!Cas... because it makes me realize that although I, personally, actually LOVE human!Cas, Cas isn't meant to be human. He's meant to be an angel and it's really the only state in which it's possible for him to be truly happy. He's not Anna. He may have been jealous of her freedom and free will way back in the day, but that doesn't mean that he'd be happy as a human like she had been.
Back to the Bunker... where Crowley is watching Dean...continue to be dead. He tells Dean how Sam is summoning him as they speak, how it's all "expected"... and how Crowley wants Dean to know that he didn't know that this would happen, that he knew more than he let on, but he didn't know everything, and that it's important for Dean to know that Crowley never lied to him... and then he tells Dean that there was a story about how Cain died... and the he puts the blade in Dean's hand and tells Dean to open his eyes.
And we get Demon!Dean.
FIN.
So, again, if it hadn't been for the damned fans not tagging their speculation and those damned interviews at the upfronts, that last shot would have been far more epic for me - I mean, it was still epic, but at that point, I just expected it.... and that wasn't as fun for me.
I know some people are probably pissed off about this storyline, because they really love it when the brothers are a united good force against the forces of evil... but we all watch the show for different reasons. Personally, I'd love a good arc where we actually get to see Sam successfully rescue Dean. Sam KNOWS that Dean wouldn't want this end... Dean told him himself just before he died - that it was better this way because he didn't like what he was becoming. What's more, they know how to cure a demon! Sam nearly cured CROWLEY, so yeah... my hope for S10 is a "Sam saves the day" arc. Furthermore, if Dean's our damsel/baddie, then this might mean more Sam+Cas team-up, which you all know that I love, because I just love how kind of weird and awkward Sam and Cas' dynamic is, because they DON'T have the weird shippable-tension that Dean and Cas have (IMHO).
So, I am suitably intrigued!
It's going to be a long 5 months!
As usual, let me know what you thought in comments... but remember, if you are too negative-nelly, then you have to counter with positive points too!
(I'm a little bit behind in my timelining, but you can probably expect me to post the S9 timeline both here and on the SuperWiki at some point next week. Fair warning though, that they gave me pretty much nothing to work with this year, so the timeline is mostly just how many days long each episode was and where everyone traveled to and not so much full of actual dates.)