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SPN 5.04 The End
There is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible, as the conscience that dwells in the heart of every man.
-- Polybius
I stole this quote from this week’s Criminal Minds -- my shows have got to stop mirroring each other, or analysis bleed will start happening, lol.
Conscience. What is it that separates man from animal? Our ability to choose, to make decisions. Animals are subject to their instincts, and outside the mores of morality because they cannot even comprehend it.
What is the difference between a man and a monster? Conscience. Or lack thereof.
But then where does Fate step into it? Because if our actions and choices are only subject to Fate, then doesn’t that remove the whole conscience issue? Do what is inevitable -- responsibility for the choices made is negated by the cheat that it wasn’t really a choice, after all.
Sorta the question of the hour, really.
Let’s see if I can keep this short and sweet (for me).
Your choices have consequences.
Here’s the thing: the angels - Lucifer included - cannot have it both ways. Zachariah keeps jumping between telling Dean there is no choice, this is what MUST happen. Except when he’s berating Dean for making the wrong choice, because the irritating son of a bitch keeps holding to his own choice.
Lucifer is going for the absolute sell: this is what WILL happen. Must happen, will happen, blah blah blah. Funny how he had to make a choice to directly disobey a Divine directive that ticked him off, smarted his pride, and how he’s choosing to further his disapproval and disobedience to the point of attempting to exterminate his Father’s most beloved creation (according to him). Again - can’t have it both ways. So words cannot express how thrilled I was to finally have someone call him out on his bullshit and name him for the monster that he is. Because if "it’s not what you are, it’s what you do", then attempting to commit genocide of the entire species of the human race over bent-out pride makes a monster in my book. Thank you Dean, for calling it.
You’re not fooling me, you know that? With this sympathy for the devil crap. I know what you are… You’re the same thing, only bigger. The same brand of cockroach I would squash in my own life. An ugly, evil belly-to-the-ground supernatural piece of crap. The only difference between them and you is the size of your ego.
Interesting wording. Lucifer calling humans the monsters, Dean responding by telling Lucifer that he’s the bigger monster - the kind of monster he hunts Every Single Day. Bigger, to be sure, but just one more of the same old, same old. In short, he denies Lucifer any specialness, even in category of opponent. Have I mentioned how much I love this guy?
I know you won’t [stop]. I know you won’t say Yes to Michael either. And I know you won’t kill Sam. Whatever you do, you will always end up here.
On the surface Lucifer has a better handle on Dean than Zachariah. Except for one thing he underestimates. It seems to me that he's counting on Dean continuing to say No to Michael as his own safety net from defeat. Because Dean's just a human, in the end. No special powers of his own, right?
These people count on you, they trust you!
They trust me to kill the Devil and to save the world. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Back to trust. There is a power Lucifer discounts Dean as possessing, which is ironic considering his own modus operadus of persuasion.
People trust him. Count on him. We saw it back in 5.01 when he made that speech in Bobby's hospital room about how the angels and demons can just find another planet, this one is theirs and he'll kick all their butts for messing with the humans. Sure, Bobby called him crazy. But both he and Sam also were comforted by it. Responded to it. In short - he's got influence over those around him. He is also influenced by those around him. Part of that checks and balances thing.
You don’t trust yourself?
Absolutely not.
There we are. And really, it's just one more mirror of the boys. FutureDean is unable to trust. His biggest problem. Going it solo, trusting no one, not completely. Not even himself. Part of Dean’s problem, really, isn’t about not trusting Sam. It’s about doubting himself, in the here and now. Terrified that he’s making the wrong choices, but trying to do what he believes is necessary, regardless. Take this issue and give it five years' growth.
The end result? Both Dean and Sam broken. No longer themselves. Sam apparently broke by giving up the fight and his humanity, saying Yes. Dean broke by giving up his humanity in the name of continuing to fight.
Inevitable? Yeah right. Back to conscience. Throw trust into the mix.
There’s got to be another way.
Yeah, that’s what I thought… I’m begging you, say Yes. But you won’t. ‘Cause I didn’t. Because that’s just not us, is it?
So Dean does the math. If he won't say Yes, because he just can't be false to himself, then what's left?
Divided we fall. Leaving:
Oh, I learned a lesson, alright. Just not the one you wanted to teach.
United we stand.
I just know that we’re all we’ve got. More than that - we keep each other human.
So what do we do now?
We make our own future.
Dean is going to trust that he and Sam can turn their greatest weakness (family) into their greatest strength. Trust that while they've each had their falls from grace in this department, they have learned from their mistakes. Still terrified that this might cost the world everything. But he’s standing as witness to the worst he can become. The worst Sam can become. And he does not want that for either of them. Time to trust his own gut that choice matters and the lifelong tenet that family should stick together. Now he's betting the fate of the world on it.
Just a final note here to say that Jensen Ackles kicked ass playing his duel roles. And thank you TPTB for not going with the cliche of putting FutureDean in very different clothes or hair or the obvious scar to create the distinction between the two Deans. For trusting the performances to speak for themselves. It worked for me. Huzzah. Mmmm.
There is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible, as the conscience that dwells in the heart of every man.
-- Polybius
I stole this quote from this week’s Criminal Minds -- my shows have got to stop mirroring each other, or analysis bleed will start happening, lol.
Conscience. What is it that separates man from animal? Our ability to choose, to make decisions. Animals are subject to their instincts, and outside the mores of morality because they cannot even comprehend it.
What is the difference between a man and a monster? Conscience. Or lack thereof.
But then where does Fate step into it? Because if our actions and choices are only subject to Fate, then doesn’t that remove the whole conscience issue? Do what is inevitable -- responsibility for the choices made is negated by the cheat that it wasn’t really a choice, after all.
Sorta the question of the hour, really.
Let’s see if I can keep this short and sweet (for me).
Your choices have consequences.
Here’s the thing: the angels - Lucifer included - cannot have it both ways. Zachariah keeps jumping between telling Dean there is no choice, this is what MUST happen. Except when he’s berating Dean for making the wrong choice, because the irritating son of a bitch keeps holding to his own choice.
Lucifer is going for the absolute sell: this is what WILL happen. Must happen, will happen, blah blah blah. Funny how he had to make a choice to directly disobey a Divine directive that ticked him off, smarted his pride, and how he’s choosing to further his disapproval and disobedience to the point of attempting to exterminate his Father’s most beloved creation (according to him). Again - can’t have it both ways. So words cannot express how thrilled I was to finally have someone call him out on his bullshit and name him for the monster that he is. Because if "it’s not what you are, it’s what you do", then attempting to commit genocide of the entire species of the human race over bent-out pride makes a monster in my book. Thank you Dean, for calling it.
You’re not fooling me, you know that? With this sympathy for the devil crap. I know what you are… You’re the same thing, only bigger. The same brand of cockroach I would squash in my own life. An ugly, evil belly-to-the-ground supernatural piece of crap. The only difference between them and you is the size of your ego.
Interesting wording. Lucifer calling humans the monsters, Dean responding by telling Lucifer that he’s the bigger monster - the kind of monster he hunts Every Single Day. Bigger, to be sure, but just one more of the same old, same old. In short, he denies Lucifer any specialness, even in category of opponent. Have I mentioned how much I love this guy?
I know you won’t [stop]. I know you won’t say Yes to Michael either. And I know you won’t kill Sam. Whatever you do, you will always end up here.
On the surface Lucifer has a better handle on Dean than Zachariah. Except for one thing he underestimates. It seems to me that he's counting on Dean continuing to say No to Michael as his own safety net from defeat. Because Dean's just a human, in the end. No special powers of his own, right?
These people count on you, they trust you!
They trust me to kill the Devil and to save the world. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Back to trust. There is a power Lucifer discounts Dean as possessing, which is ironic considering his own modus operadus of persuasion.
People trust him. Count on him. We saw it back in 5.01 when he made that speech in Bobby's hospital room about how the angels and demons can just find another planet, this one is theirs and he'll kick all their butts for messing with the humans. Sure, Bobby called him crazy. But both he and Sam also were comforted by it. Responded to it. In short - he's got influence over those around him. He is also influenced by those around him. Part of that checks and balances thing.
You don’t trust yourself?
Absolutely not.
There we are. And really, it's just one more mirror of the boys. FutureDean is unable to trust. His biggest problem. Going it solo, trusting no one, not completely. Not even himself. Part of Dean’s problem, really, isn’t about not trusting Sam. It’s about doubting himself, in the here and now. Terrified that he’s making the wrong choices, but trying to do what he believes is necessary, regardless. Take this issue and give it five years' growth.
The end result? Both Dean and Sam broken. No longer themselves. Sam apparently broke by giving up the fight and his humanity, saying Yes. Dean broke by giving up his humanity in the name of continuing to fight.
Inevitable? Yeah right. Back to conscience. Throw trust into the mix.
There’s got to be another way.
Yeah, that’s what I thought… I’m begging you, say Yes. But you won’t. ‘Cause I didn’t. Because that’s just not us, is it?
So Dean does the math. If he won't say Yes, because he just can't be false to himself, then what's left?
Divided we fall. Leaving:
Oh, I learned a lesson, alright. Just not the one you wanted to teach.
United we stand.
I just know that we’re all we’ve got. More than that - we keep each other human.
So what do we do now?
We make our own future.
Dean is going to trust that he and Sam can turn their greatest weakness (family) into their greatest strength. Trust that while they've each had their falls from grace in this department, they have learned from their mistakes. Still terrified that this might cost the world everything. But he’s standing as witness to the worst he can become. The worst Sam can become. And he does not want that for either of them. Time to trust his own gut that choice matters and the lifelong tenet that family should stick together. Now he's betting the fate of the world on it.
Just a final note here to say that Jensen Ackles kicked ass playing his duel roles. And thank you TPTB for not going with the cliche of putting FutureDean in very different clothes or hair or the obvious scar to create the distinction between the two Deans. For trusting the performances to speak for themselves. It worked for me. Huzzah. Mmmm.