Reaction to 11x23, "Alpha and Omega"
So that wasn't the greatest finale in Show's history, but it was, for the most part, a pretty darn good one. It also had the added advantage of being much more smoothly paced, not to mention including better dialogue and an attention to canon, that the last episode. And, in very rare form for Show, we got actual CLOSURE for a storyline and the characters involved. I honestly don't know how to react to that. Relief? Curiosity? Fleeting joy due to skepticism that we'll ever see it again? Hmm. I think I'll just give it a Mona Lisa smile and move on with this review :)
I loved all the little reconnection vignettes we got throughout the ep--a nice visual theme. Dean and Cas in the Impala (and Dean telling Cas he's their best friend AND brother, d'aww!), Dean and Sam by Mary's grave (Sam giving him an 'out' even though he knew Dean had to say no, Dean detailing his funerary requests and then giving Sam a giant hug after Sam pointed out that Dean, in fact, LOVES chick flicks, hehe), Cas being there for Sam after they believe Dean sacrificed himself and saved the world, and, of course, Chuck and Amara forgiving one another. I absolutely loved--LOVED!!!!--how that final "fight" went down. Dean didn't have to die, didn't have to trick Amara or betray her or even hurt her. He just had to give her a little reality check on family, and honestly, the man is an authority on the subject; he deserves a listen. I also like how he figured out what she saw in him all this time (since Show never bothered to really tell us, or Jensen, for that matter): a companion. Someone who would love her and wouldn't leave her (because he'd be a part of her so he couldn't escape, but meh, details schmetails). And when he called her on it and asked her what she really wanted, since destruction and revenge weren't really doing it for her (again, two topics Dean definitely knows a thing or three about), she realized all she really wanted was for her brother to be her brother again. That scene when they talked about why she got mad at him in the first place, but now she sees that what he created is beautiful and she doesn't want it to go...I got teary-eyed, I did. A single womanly tear definitely fell when the two of them went into the sky, their energies twirling around one another in joy. I hope they send the Winchesters cheesy postcards from their travels :)
So yeah, that was wonderful. Not so wonderful? Shoehorning in a new character to hint at next year's arc. But as I wrote on Twitter last night, it's become a tradition to shove too much stuff into Show's finale every year :-P Honestly, why not wait until the S12 premiere to intro Toni? What difference would it have made whether she showed up now or in October? I guess they wanted to give a cheesy "suspense" over hiatus regarding dear Sammy. But honestly, kids, there's no suspense. She said she wanted to bring the Winchesters in, not kill them, so there's no reason she would have killed Sam now. She shot him in the shoulder or something, count on it and get your sleep :) I will give the idea of the London MoLs being pissed at the Winchesters some credo, however--the idea of humans being the big bad next season intrigues me. Then again, why they didn't step up to help save the world all this time utterly boggles my mind. Can't wait for Dean to call them on that shit >:-D
Pulling the Change of Subject Lever...Mary's back! That is so cool! You think she'll go hunting with the boys? I hope so. I also hope she isn't heartbroken that her boys have been through so much because they're hunters, as she never wanted them to be... I wonder if Mary is here to stay or is just going to be in a few eps? Guess we'll have to wait and see. Damn hiatus...
One last thing: the boys went FINALLY to Waverly Hills! Man I wish that could have been its own episode. The powers that be did their homework though--the set really looked like the place, and the fact that it's haunted up the ass is absolutely true. It was a sanitorium for tuberculosis patients for 50 years--a lot of sick people, a lot neglect, and a LOT a lot of deaths. Poor souls :( If you aren't a paranormal geek like me but are curious about Waverly Hills, go here and over here for more info.
So yeah, pretty good ep. What did you think of it?