Um.
I have so many different emotions about this episode racing through me.
Okay, so first of all, I missed the beginning and just watched it to know what little I missed (the guy who played Badger as Crawley was fantastic). There were so many great things about the scene at Bobby's--Castiel knocking back shots with Ellen, Sam hitting Dean with the puppy dog eyes, Bobby insisting on a photo, and Jo telling Dean she would be spending her last night on earth with self respect. I wish that the show had kept Jo and Ellen on as regularly as Bobby, because that photo just looked and felt right.
The apocalyspe feel of this episode, as everyone keeps pointing out, was dead on. Very scary and believable. Lucifer was fantastic. Cas continues to wow me.
...And of course, Jo and Ellen dying.
Good God. I've NEVER cried so hard during a Supernatural episode before, not even when Sammy died in the season two finale, or when Dean did at the end of season three. I don't know if it's because I'm exhausted and had an awful day, but I could not stop bawling. Blake had no idea what to do with me.
I just...fucking hell. Jo had grown into everything I KNEW she could be, everything that we could have seen over these past two years if people had given her a chance. She was strong and beautiful and a total badass, and she went out with a bang. Ellen did, too. They both broke my heart.
And God, the kiss. How ironic that I've been secretly rooting for a Dean/Jo kiss since the moment she walked on screen and it took her dying to get one. I hate that.
I'm so frustrated, right now, Kripke. Yes, these are believable, in-character deaths. Yes, it was probably one of the most touching, emotional scenes you've given us yet. Yes, Dean finally realized how fantastic Jo is, and that kiss was beautiful and the whole thing was powerful and Dean staring at the photograph in the fire was heartbreaking, but for God's sake. Is there a female character out there who will not be dead, evil, or disfigured by the time you're through with her?
This is bullshit. If I wasn't so invested in Sam and Dean, this would be enough to make me stop watching. I know it's not realistic to expect everyone could have made it, but hell, even if just Ellen or just Jo had...
I can't help but look at the body count, here. The series starts off with Mary burned alive on the ceiling, followed by Jessica, followed by Meg and Madison, followed by Bela and Ruby and Pamela, and now Jo and Ellen? At the end of the episode, every male character was left standing (or, in Bobby's case, sitting). We've had one truly signficant male death (and no, I don't really count Dean and Sam--they came back, after all). It's just frustrating as a female viewer. I want to see strong women characters on my televison screen. Yes, I even want them there with my boys.
*sigh* I really did like this episode. That's the depressing part. I was totally gripped the entire time, and even though I wanted to turn off the TV after Ellen (bad-assedly, as anyone will attest to) detonated the bomb, I kept watching. I will keep watching, right until the bitter end.
God. It should be illegal for a TV show to affect me this much. I know it's a combination of things, but still. Come on.