SPN 9.23
SPN 9.23 Do You Believe In Miracles
I thought of angels
Choking on their halos
Get them drunk on rose water
See how dirty I can get them
Pulling out their fragile teeth
And clip their tiny wings
Anything you say can and will be held against you
So only say my name
It will be held against you
If Heaven's grief brings Hell's reign
Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday
For just one yesterday
-- Fall Out Boy, Just One Yesterday
Let's talk about game changers.
It's been nine seasons we have been on this journey with the Winchesters. In that time we have watched Sam and Dean fight monsters of various ilk, be targeted by both demons and angels, they've died and been brought back. They fought Destiny to champion the cause of Free Will. Nothing, ultimately, has ever truly, fully beaten them. And through it all they've kept each other human.
Nine years.
During that time so many things that started out seeming so big became less so, de-mystified into the ordinary. No such thing as miracles, just loyalty, grit and a refusal to quit.
Angels once were pretty scary, powerful creatures. Maybe they still are, but they sure don't seem it right now.
Gadreel: I believe Metatron has found a way to tap into the Angel tablet, harnessing its power to give him powers equivalent to --
Sam: God, right? I mean, that's what this is all about, isn't it? Metatron wants to be God.
Sam: Great, well, that basically makes him unstoppable.
Castiel: Not if we can break the connection between Metatron and the tablet. That would make him just an ordinary Angel.
Just an ordinary angel. Six years ago that was frightening. Now? Just one more item on the ticket in the day and the life of Sam and Dean Winchester.
Castiel: You give our brothers and sisters far too little credit. They will soon learn that you have been playing them.
Metatron: And then? They will do nothing because they are frightened little sheep following my crook wherever it leads. And where I'm taking them, back to our rightful place atop this mountain of human shame and excrement -- when that happens, trust me, they're not gonna care how they got there.
Metatron was a just an ordinary angel. But he devised what seemed to be a foolproof plan. He executed it successfully. All his brothers and sisters, what he put them through to service his own ambitions... Take away their halos, clip their tiny wings. Dirty them up in the name of survival until they are so desperate for a restoration of order that they would set aside what was supposed to be their true mission.
Gadreel: I sat in this hall for thousands of years thinking of nothing but redemption, of reclaiming my good name. I thought of nobody, no cause other than my own.
Castiel: You've been redeemed my friend.
Gadreel: The only thing that matters in the end is the mission: protecting those who would not and cannot protect themselves. The humans. None of us is bigger than that, we will not let our fears, our self absorption prevent us from seeing it through. Not anymore.
What Metatron did not plan on were the few angels who eventually were able to look past their own cause and stand up for the original mission. Redemption for their species, of a sort. At least, the possibility is there. They do have a choice. Free will can lead to many different directions. Castiel knows all about the perils and pitfalls of free will, but he also knows the value of choice. All year, he's been navigating his way through some uncharted territories trying to figure out the best way to help his fallen brothers and sisters without repeating mistakes from the past.
Metatron: You know why you could never quite pull it together, Castiel, why you're sitting here with your Grace slowly burning away and your reputation long extinguished? No curiosity. You didn't read enough. You never learned how to tell a good story.
Castiel: But you did.
Anything you say can and will be held against you. Metatron used that tactic to turn Castiel's army against him. He likes his stories, so much so that he downloaded our world's pop culture into Castiel's noggin, never dreaming Cas could turn it into anything useful. He knew all about Star Wars, felt smug about being able to counter any move Castiel might try. He arrogantly discounted the free will factor. The fact that no one likes being lied to. And... fittingly, perhaps, he did himself in by falling into the classic villian's monologue. Right into an open mike. Can't stop the signal.
Really, he should have known better. I'm sure he's seen Serenity and The Incredibles. Ahh, poetic justice, it feels good. Words have power too, not just tablets and blades. Words can cut both ways.
So. Do you believe in miracles? Heaven's biggest villain since Lucifer just got stopped. Go Team Free Will.
Of course, heaven's grief just might have opened the door to an entirely different danger. What's it really all about?
Metatron: The First Blade. Nasty piece of work, isn't she? Okay, let's say you win, Dean, and I die. What's the world left with then, hmm? A herd of panty-waisted angels and you? Half out of your mind with lord knows what pumping through those veins?
What's this world left with now, after all the manipulation and uncertainties and mistakes made and consequences to be faced?
Metatron: Ah. So Gadreel bites the dust. And the Angel tablet -- arguably the most powerful instrument in the history of the universe -- is in pieces, and for what again? Oh, that's right -- to save Dean Winchester. That was your goal, right? I mean, you draped yourself in the flag of heaven, but ultimately, it was all about saving one human, right? Well, guess what. He's dead, too.
Clearly we have our stated goal for Season 10. Save Dean Winchester. One problem. He's dead.
Dean Winchester. Oh boy, where oh where to begin?
Dean: What the hell is happening to me, you son of a bitch?
We all knew the Mark of Cain was not good news. But at the time, it seemed worth it. Dean was reeling from Kevin's murder and grabbed onto something that seemed it would serve a purpose. Too many Big Bads crowding the table jostling for position and power. Here was an opportunity to start whittling down the enemy.
Cain: I can give you the mark, Dean, if it's what you truly want.
Dean: What are you talking about?
Cain: The mark can be transferred to someone who's worthy.
Dean: You mean a killer like you?
Cain: Yes.
Dean: Can I use it to kill that bitch?
Cain: Yes. But you have to know with the mark comes a great burden. Some would call it a great cost.
Dean: Yeah, well, spare me the warning label. You had me at "kill the bitch".
Cain: Good luck, Dean. You're gonna to need it. (9.11)
Oh Dean. You should have read the warning label. Knight of Hell. Demon, virtually unkillable. So he seemed sympathetic. Almost gentle, even. Retired from the Life. He heard Cain's story. His description of what he once was, used to do.
Dean: Was that some kind of a test?
Cain: I felt connected to you right from the beginning. Kindred spirits, if you will. You and I are very much alike.
Dean: Right. Yeah, except I didn't kill my brother.
Cain: You saved yours. Why?
Dean: Because you never give up on family. Ever. (9.11)
Now, all things considered, I am very curious about this exchange between Cain and Dean, knowing what we know now. Why did Cain give up the Mark to Dean? Crowley knew he wouldn't give it up to just anyone. So there was some quality in Dean specifically that caught Cain's attention and made him believe Dean was "worthy". Knowing the consequences of what he was passing on to this man.
Metatron: The problem with you, Dean, is the cynicism. Always with the cynicism. But most people -- even the real belly crawlers living in filth... Or Brentwood... They don't want to be cynical. They just want something to believe in.
What does Dean believe in? Family, of course. Even when giving up, he doesn't actually give up.
Castiel: Yes, there's more to humanity than survival. You... look for purpose, and you must not be defeated by anger or despair. (9.03)
So, purpose. Keep Sammy safely out of the fight. You had me at kill the bitch. That is something tangible Dean can take a swing at. Take out Abaddon. Hunt down the angel responsible for Kevin's death. Very goal oriented, our Dean Winchester.
Crowley: It wants you to kill. The more you kill, the better you feel. The less you kill, the less better you feel.
Dean: How much less better?
Crowley: One would imagine the least-best better.
Dean: So, dead? Well, Cain had the mark. He didn't die.
Crowley: Cain was a demon. Your body's not strong enough to contain the blade's power.
Dean: What if I got rid of it?
Crowley: You want to get rid of it?
Dean: What I want is Metatron.
Dean asked Tessa what would be a reason to make a person want to kill themselves. Now, maybe, Dean has a better understanding. Suicide run at Metatron, and hope for the best. Maybe they'll get lucky. And if not, well, the world will still have one less danger roaming the streets.
Sam: Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh. Shut up. Shut up. Just save your energy, all right? Oh, man. We'll stop the bleeding. We'll -- we'll get you a doctor or -- or I'll find a spell. You're gonna be okay.
Dean: Listen to me. It's better this way. The Mark. It's making me into something I don't want to be.
Sam: Don't worry about the Mark. We'll figure out the Mark later. Just hold on, okay? Get you some help.
Such a familiar refrain. The past has never been more present than all the references to the Winchesters' history. The boy with the demon blood. The instruction to save or kill. The promise to save, because killing was just not an option. Holding a dying brother in your arms. Dealing with a demon if it means saving your brother. Being just a blunt instrument. So many echoes of yesteryear.
Sam: You have to watch out for me, all right? And if I ever... turn into something that I'm not... you have to kill me. (2.11)
Shoe on the other foot, and now Sam is discovering just what Dean's side of the coin truly felt like back then. Maybe even giving him a far deeper empathy for some of the choices Dean has made, both good and bad.
Sam: Sorry, guys. Uh, sorry I'm a little less than eager to hear that our best chance is -- is arming the warhead and hoping it hits the mark. This is not a bomb we're talking about. This is my brother.
Dean: So what? Sacrifice Sam's life, his soul, for the greater good? Is that what you're saying? Times are bad, so let's use Sam as a nuclear warhead? (4.21)
The debate about sacrificing for the greater good continues, and is still as muddy as ever. There is no good answer. Metatron did have to be stopped. Abaddon with her soul-stealing/demon-making plans to beef up her own Army of Hell did need to be stopped. And there was only one known way to get the job done. Playing the numbers game, even at the price of Dean's life and soul, an argument could be made for this sacrifice. Too bad, so sad about the cost. But this is what happens in a time of war. People die. Sacrifices get made.
Dean: No. I'm not giving him demon blood. I won't do it.
Bobby: And if he dies?
Dean: Then at least he dies human! ... I would die for him in a second, but I won't let him do this to himself. I can't. I guess I found my line. I won't let my brother turn into a monster. (4.21)
Sam drew a line earlier this year with Dean. He stated his belief that he wouldn't cross lines to save Dean's life. That he was done with people dying or being hurt because of him. And fair enough. But now that got put to the test, and when looking at his dying brother, he backtracked.
Dean: What happened to you being okay with this?
Sam: I lied.
Dean: Ain't that a bitch.
Emotion trumps logic every single time for the Winchesters. So far, so predictible. Except that Sam's going to be facing a much bigger problem. His brother just became one of the monsters. Not willingly. Thanks to a whole lot of omission on the part of Crowley and Cain. But truly, Dean was willing to die rather than become something he didn't want to be. The kind of killer the Mark wants him to be. He didn't understand the full price he was going to pay for taking on the Mark of Cain.
Cain: Nothing can destroy the Blade, so I threw it to the bottom of the deepest ocean. (9.11)
Dean never thought his humanity would be at risk. Never realized that the Mark was going to do what it had to to get what it wants. Indestructible blade, meet indestructible wielder. Dean's only way out was to give up the Mark, and doing so would sentence that person to the very Fate he would give anything to avoid.
No good choices, no happy outcome possible. If he could trade all his tomorrows for just one chance to turn back the clock...
Death: Wrecking the natural order's not quite such fun when you have to mop up the mess, is it? This is hard for you, Dean. You throw away your life because you've come to assume that it'll bounce right back into your lap. But the human soul is not a rubber ball. It's vulnerable,impermanent, but stronger than you know. And more valuable than you can imagine. (6.11)
Dean has spent his whole life fighting monsters, sacrificing himself if and when necessary, and sure there's been some rule-bending along the way, but this? This time there doesn't appear to be a handy bounce-back. His soul is now bound to the Mark.
So what's been set in motion?
Heaven has a chance to start sorting itself out, but the other end of the spectrum is still in flux.
Girl: I would have thought you'd be more relaxed...Having defeated Abaddon.
Crowley: What can I say? I wear my stress.
Girl: You know...With so many demons having rallied back to your side, well, it's only natural that they would look to their...King for some...direction.
Dean: Hell ain't complicated. Your problem ain't Hell, it's you.
Crowley is not a happy camper, not seeming to enjoy being the now unchallenged King of Hell. He's been spending so much time with the Winchesters, he strangely seems to want their company and acceptance. There's a part of him that just wants to bugger off from all the demands and responsibilities of running Hell.
Crowley: So this is what you and Moose do, eh? Crisscross the country searching for evil, order your nitrates, partake of the local attraction.
Dean: Yup.
Crowley: And you never get tired of the rat race? Never get the urge to just bugger off and howl at the moon? Never ask yourself, 'Is this it?' 'Is this all there is?'
Crowley appears to be at a bit of loose ends. Ruling Hell still has him discontented with his lot in life. He seems to prefer hanging out with the enemy, helping the enemy, preferring their company to his own kind. He claims to have kicked the blood habit, but his actions are sending mixed signals.
Crowley: I'll cheer the day when the last bit of humanity leaves me... Feelings. (9.21)
So. Nine years, the Winchesters have kept each other human. Love trumps everything. Feelings are both their greatest weakness and greatest strength.
Crowley: Your brother, bless his soul is summoning me as I speak. Make a deal. Bring you back. It's exactly what I was talking about, wasn't it? It's all become so... expected.
And here's where the game changed. Because this time, the damage is done. Big Brother just became the monster.
Crowley: You have to believe me, when I suggested you take on the Mark of Cain I didn't know this was going to happen. Not really. I mean I might not have told you the entire truth. But I never lied. I never lied Dean. That's important. It's fundamental. But, there is one story about Cain that I might have forgotten to tell you. Apparently he too was willing to accept death rather than becoming the killer the Mark wanted him to be. So he took his own life with the Blade. He died. Except as rumor has it, the Mark never quite let go. You can understand why I never spoke of this. Why set hearts aflutter with mere speculation? It wasn't until you summoned me, no it wasn't truly 'til you left the cheeseburger uneaten... and I began to let myself believe, maybe miracles do come true. Listen to me Dean Winchester, what you're feeling right now is not death, it's life. A new kind of life. Open your eyes Dean, see what I see, feel what I feel. Let's go take a howl at that moon.
Dean just got fast-tracked into demonhood. And because of the circumstances, we have no idea what that means for him. Crowley may be pleased at gaining a Winchester for a new demon buddy, but should he really be so quick to see that as a miracle? Hell's reign might have just gotten a lot more complicated. Again.
Heaven wasn't the only place in a state of disorder, with everyone looking for direction. As for Dean, he just might end up being a whole lot more trouble as a superpowered and indestructible demon than he ever was as a human.
There is so much we don't know. We know demons are capable of feelings. Cain was capable of love. And yes, supposedly there is a cure for demons. But the Mark isn't going to just go away. Is Dean, the Dean Winchester we know and love, truly dead? Can he be a demon and still be Dean? How much of his humanity remains underneath those black eyes? Souls are stronger than we know but not indestructible according to Death. Right now Crowley may be the King of Hell, but Dean is truly King of the Damned.
Dean: Sam listen to me. I made you a promise, in that church. You and me. Come whatever. Well, hell, if this ain't whatever. (9.01)
Hell if this ain't whatever. One thing I do know -- Dean won't be left alone. Sam is clearly not going to give up on his brother, and there is no way I can see him being okay with not looking for a way to help his brother from a fate he does not deserve. Jodi Mills foreshadowed what might be needed from Sam.
Jodi: You don't have to explain. I know. Whatever you want from me, I'll give it. If you want, I'm here. (9.19)
Cain had his Colette. Dean has his Sammy. And whatever the future holds, Sam has already made a promise:
Sam: If this is it, we're gonna do it together.
Man, this is going to be a long summer.
I thought of angels
Choking on their halos
Get them drunk on rose water
See how dirty I can get them
Pulling out their fragile teeth
And clip their tiny wings
Anything you say can and will be held against you
So only say my name
It will be held against you
If Heaven's grief brings Hell's reign
Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday
For just one yesterday
-- Fall Out Boy, Just One Yesterday
Let's talk about game changers.
It's been nine seasons we have been on this journey with the Winchesters. In that time we have watched Sam and Dean fight monsters of various ilk, be targeted by both demons and angels, they've died and been brought back. They fought Destiny to champion the cause of Free Will. Nothing, ultimately, has ever truly, fully beaten them. And through it all they've kept each other human.
Nine years.
During that time so many things that started out seeming so big became less so, de-mystified into the ordinary. No such thing as miracles, just loyalty, grit and a refusal to quit.
Angels once were pretty scary, powerful creatures. Maybe they still are, but they sure don't seem it right now.
Gadreel: I believe Metatron has found a way to tap into the Angel tablet, harnessing its power to give him powers equivalent to --
Sam: God, right? I mean, that's what this is all about, isn't it? Metatron wants to be God.
Sam: Great, well, that basically makes him unstoppable.
Castiel: Not if we can break the connection between Metatron and the tablet. That would make him just an ordinary Angel.
Just an ordinary angel. Six years ago that was frightening. Now? Just one more item on the ticket in the day and the life of Sam and Dean Winchester.
Castiel: You give our brothers and sisters far too little credit. They will soon learn that you have been playing them.
Metatron: And then? They will do nothing because they are frightened little sheep following my crook wherever it leads. And where I'm taking them, back to our rightful place atop this mountain of human shame and excrement -- when that happens, trust me, they're not gonna care how they got there.
Metatron was a just an ordinary angel. But he devised what seemed to be a foolproof plan. He executed it successfully. All his brothers and sisters, what he put them through to service his own ambitions... Take away their halos, clip their tiny wings. Dirty them up in the name of survival until they are so desperate for a restoration of order that they would set aside what was supposed to be their true mission.
Gadreel: I sat in this hall for thousands of years thinking of nothing but redemption, of reclaiming my good name. I thought of nobody, no cause other than my own.
Castiel: You've been redeemed my friend.
Gadreel: The only thing that matters in the end is the mission: protecting those who would not and cannot protect themselves. The humans. None of us is bigger than that, we will not let our fears, our self absorption prevent us from seeing it through. Not anymore.
What Metatron did not plan on were the few angels who eventually were able to look past their own cause and stand up for the original mission. Redemption for their species, of a sort. At least, the possibility is there. They do have a choice. Free will can lead to many different directions. Castiel knows all about the perils and pitfalls of free will, but he also knows the value of choice. All year, he's been navigating his way through some uncharted territories trying to figure out the best way to help his fallen brothers and sisters without repeating mistakes from the past.
Metatron: You know why you could never quite pull it together, Castiel, why you're sitting here with your Grace slowly burning away and your reputation long extinguished? No curiosity. You didn't read enough. You never learned how to tell a good story.
Castiel: But you did.
Anything you say can and will be held against you. Metatron used that tactic to turn Castiel's army against him. He likes his stories, so much so that he downloaded our world's pop culture into Castiel's noggin, never dreaming Cas could turn it into anything useful. He knew all about Star Wars, felt smug about being able to counter any move Castiel might try. He arrogantly discounted the free will factor. The fact that no one likes being lied to. And... fittingly, perhaps, he did himself in by falling into the classic villian's monologue. Right into an open mike. Can't stop the signal.
Really, he should have known better. I'm sure he's seen Serenity and The Incredibles. Ahh, poetic justice, it feels good. Words have power too, not just tablets and blades. Words can cut both ways.
So. Do you believe in miracles? Heaven's biggest villain since Lucifer just got stopped. Go Team Free Will.
Of course, heaven's grief just might have opened the door to an entirely different danger. What's it really all about?
Metatron: The First Blade. Nasty piece of work, isn't she? Okay, let's say you win, Dean, and I die. What's the world left with then, hmm? A herd of panty-waisted angels and you? Half out of your mind with lord knows what pumping through those veins?
What's this world left with now, after all the manipulation and uncertainties and mistakes made and consequences to be faced?
Metatron: Ah. So Gadreel bites the dust. And the Angel tablet -- arguably the most powerful instrument in the history of the universe -- is in pieces, and for what again? Oh, that's right -- to save Dean Winchester. That was your goal, right? I mean, you draped yourself in the flag of heaven, but ultimately, it was all about saving one human, right? Well, guess what. He's dead, too.
Clearly we have our stated goal for Season 10. Save Dean Winchester. One problem. He's dead.
Dean Winchester. Oh boy, where oh where to begin?
Dean: What the hell is happening to me, you son of a bitch?
We all knew the Mark of Cain was not good news. But at the time, it seemed worth it. Dean was reeling from Kevin's murder and grabbed onto something that seemed it would serve a purpose. Too many Big Bads crowding the table jostling for position and power. Here was an opportunity to start whittling down the enemy.
Cain: I can give you the mark, Dean, if it's what you truly want.
Dean: What are you talking about?
Cain: The mark can be transferred to someone who's worthy.
Dean: You mean a killer like you?
Cain: Yes.
Dean: Can I use it to kill that bitch?
Cain: Yes. But you have to know with the mark comes a great burden. Some would call it a great cost.
Dean: Yeah, well, spare me the warning label. You had me at "kill the bitch".
Cain: Good luck, Dean. You're gonna to need it. (9.11)
Oh Dean. You should have read the warning label. Knight of Hell. Demon, virtually unkillable. So he seemed sympathetic. Almost gentle, even. Retired from the Life. He heard Cain's story. His description of what he once was, used to do.
Dean: Was that some kind of a test?
Cain: I felt connected to you right from the beginning. Kindred spirits, if you will. You and I are very much alike.
Dean: Right. Yeah, except I didn't kill my brother.
Cain: You saved yours. Why?
Dean: Because you never give up on family. Ever. (9.11)
Now, all things considered, I am very curious about this exchange between Cain and Dean, knowing what we know now. Why did Cain give up the Mark to Dean? Crowley knew he wouldn't give it up to just anyone. So there was some quality in Dean specifically that caught Cain's attention and made him believe Dean was "worthy". Knowing the consequences of what he was passing on to this man.
Metatron: The problem with you, Dean, is the cynicism. Always with the cynicism. But most people -- even the real belly crawlers living in filth... Or Brentwood... They don't want to be cynical. They just want something to believe in.
What does Dean believe in? Family, of course. Even when giving up, he doesn't actually give up.
Castiel: Yes, there's more to humanity than survival. You... look for purpose, and you must not be defeated by anger or despair. (9.03)
So, purpose. Keep Sammy safely out of the fight. You had me at kill the bitch. That is something tangible Dean can take a swing at. Take out Abaddon. Hunt down the angel responsible for Kevin's death. Very goal oriented, our Dean Winchester.
Crowley: It wants you to kill. The more you kill, the better you feel. The less you kill, the less better you feel.
Dean: How much less better?
Crowley: One would imagine the least-best better.
Dean: So, dead? Well, Cain had the mark. He didn't die.
Crowley: Cain was a demon. Your body's not strong enough to contain the blade's power.
Dean: What if I got rid of it?
Crowley: You want to get rid of it?
Dean: What I want is Metatron.
Dean asked Tessa what would be a reason to make a person want to kill themselves. Now, maybe, Dean has a better understanding. Suicide run at Metatron, and hope for the best. Maybe they'll get lucky. And if not, well, the world will still have one less danger roaming the streets.
Sam: Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh. Shut up. Shut up. Just save your energy, all right? Oh, man. We'll stop the bleeding. We'll -- we'll get you a doctor or -- or I'll find a spell. You're gonna be okay.
Dean: Listen to me. It's better this way. The Mark. It's making me into something I don't want to be.
Sam: Don't worry about the Mark. We'll figure out the Mark later. Just hold on, okay? Get you some help.
Such a familiar refrain. The past has never been more present than all the references to the Winchesters' history. The boy with the demon blood. The instruction to save or kill. The promise to save, because killing was just not an option. Holding a dying brother in your arms. Dealing with a demon if it means saving your brother. Being just a blunt instrument. So many echoes of yesteryear.
Sam: You have to watch out for me, all right? And if I ever... turn into something that I'm not... you have to kill me. (2.11)
Shoe on the other foot, and now Sam is discovering just what Dean's side of the coin truly felt like back then. Maybe even giving him a far deeper empathy for some of the choices Dean has made, both good and bad.
Sam: Sorry, guys. Uh, sorry I'm a little less than eager to hear that our best chance is -- is arming the warhead and hoping it hits the mark. This is not a bomb we're talking about. This is my brother.
Dean: So what? Sacrifice Sam's life, his soul, for the greater good? Is that what you're saying? Times are bad, so let's use Sam as a nuclear warhead? (4.21)
The debate about sacrificing for the greater good continues, and is still as muddy as ever. There is no good answer. Metatron did have to be stopped. Abaddon with her soul-stealing/demon-making plans to beef up her own Army of Hell did need to be stopped. And there was only one known way to get the job done. Playing the numbers game, even at the price of Dean's life and soul, an argument could be made for this sacrifice. Too bad, so sad about the cost. But this is what happens in a time of war. People die. Sacrifices get made.
Dean: No. I'm not giving him demon blood. I won't do it.
Bobby: And if he dies?
Dean: Then at least he dies human! ... I would die for him in a second, but I won't let him do this to himself. I can't. I guess I found my line. I won't let my brother turn into a monster. (4.21)
Sam drew a line earlier this year with Dean. He stated his belief that he wouldn't cross lines to save Dean's life. That he was done with people dying or being hurt because of him. And fair enough. But now that got put to the test, and when looking at his dying brother, he backtracked.
Dean: What happened to you being okay with this?
Sam: I lied.
Dean: Ain't that a bitch.
Emotion trumps logic every single time for the Winchesters. So far, so predictible. Except that Sam's going to be facing a much bigger problem. His brother just became one of the monsters. Not willingly. Thanks to a whole lot of omission on the part of Crowley and Cain. But truly, Dean was willing to die rather than become something he didn't want to be. The kind of killer the Mark wants him to be. He didn't understand the full price he was going to pay for taking on the Mark of Cain.
Cain: Nothing can destroy the Blade, so I threw it to the bottom of the deepest ocean. (9.11)
Dean never thought his humanity would be at risk. Never realized that the Mark was going to do what it had to to get what it wants. Indestructible blade, meet indestructible wielder. Dean's only way out was to give up the Mark, and doing so would sentence that person to the very Fate he would give anything to avoid.
No good choices, no happy outcome possible. If he could trade all his tomorrows for just one chance to turn back the clock...
Death: Wrecking the natural order's not quite such fun when you have to mop up the mess, is it? This is hard for you, Dean. You throw away your life because you've come to assume that it'll bounce right back into your lap. But the human soul is not a rubber ball. It's vulnerable,impermanent, but stronger than you know. And more valuable than you can imagine. (6.11)
Dean has spent his whole life fighting monsters, sacrificing himself if and when necessary, and sure there's been some rule-bending along the way, but this? This time there doesn't appear to be a handy bounce-back. His soul is now bound to the Mark.
So what's been set in motion?
Heaven has a chance to start sorting itself out, but the other end of the spectrum is still in flux.
Girl: I would have thought you'd be more relaxed...Having defeated Abaddon.
Crowley: What can I say? I wear my stress.
Girl: You know...With so many demons having rallied back to your side, well, it's only natural that they would look to their...King for some...direction.
Dean: Hell ain't complicated. Your problem ain't Hell, it's you.
Crowley is not a happy camper, not seeming to enjoy being the now unchallenged King of Hell. He's been spending so much time with the Winchesters, he strangely seems to want their company and acceptance. There's a part of him that just wants to bugger off from all the demands and responsibilities of running Hell.
Crowley: So this is what you and Moose do, eh? Crisscross the country searching for evil, order your nitrates, partake of the local attraction.
Dean: Yup.
Crowley: And you never get tired of the rat race? Never get the urge to just bugger off and howl at the moon? Never ask yourself, 'Is this it?' 'Is this all there is?'
Crowley appears to be at a bit of loose ends. Ruling Hell still has him discontented with his lot in life. He seems to prefer hanging out with the enemy, helping the enemy, preferring their company to his own kind. He claims to have kicked the blood habit, but his actions are sending mixed signals.
Crowley: I'll cheer the day when the last bit of humanity leaves me... Feelings. (9.21)
So. Nine years, the Winchesters have kept each other human. Love trumps everything. Feelings are both their greatest weakness and greatest strength.
Crowley: Your brother, bless his soul is summoning me as I speak. Make a deal. Bring you back. It's exactly what I was talking about, wasn't it? It's all become so... expected.
And here's where the game changed. Because this time, the damage is done. Big Brother just became the monster.
Crowley: You have to believe me, when I suggested you take on the Mark of Cain I didn't know this was going to happen. Not really. I mean I might not have told you the entire truth. But I never lied. I never lied Dean. That's important. It's fundamental. But, there is one story about Cain that I might have forgotten to tell you. Apparently he too was willing to accept death rather than becoming the killer the Mark wanted him to be. So he took his own life with the Blade. He died. Except as rumor has it, the Mark never quite let go. You can understand why I never spoke of this. Why set hearts aflutter with mere speculation? It wasn't until you summoned me, no it wasn't truly 'til you left the cheeseburger uneaten... and I began to let myself believe, maybe miracles do come true. Listen to me Dean Winchester, what you're feeling right now is not death, it's life. A new kind of life. Open your eyes Dean, see what I see, feel what I feel. Let's go take a howl at that moon.
Dean just got fast-tracked into demonhood. And because of the circumstances, we have no idea what that means for him. Crowley may be pleased at gaining a Winchester for a new demon buddy, but should he really be so quick to see that as a miracle? Hell's reign might have just gotten a lot more complicated. Again.
Heaven wasn't the only place in a state of disorder, with everyone looking for direction. As for Dean, he just might end up being a whole lot more trouble as a superpowered and indestructible demon than he ever was as a human.
There is so much we don't know. We know demons are capable of feelings. Cain was capable of love. And yes, supposedly there is a cure for demons. But the Mark isn't going to just go away. Is Dean, the Dean Winchester we know and love, truly dead? Can he be a demon and still be Dean? How much of his humanity remains underneath those black eyes? Souls are stronger than we know but not indestructible according to Death. Right now Crowley may be the King of Hell, but Dean is truly King of the Damned.
Dean: Sam listen to me. I made you a promise, in that church. You and me. Come whatever. Well, hell, if this ain't whatever. (9.01)
Hell if this ain't whatever. One thing I do know -- Dean won't be left alone. Sam is clearly not going to give up on his brother, and there is no way I can see him being okay with not looking for a way to help his brother from a fate he does not deserve. Jodi Mills foreshadowed what might be needed from Sam.
Jodi: You don't have to explain. I know. Whatever you want from me, I'll give it. If you want, I'm here. (9.19)
Cain had his Colette. Dean has his Sammy. And whatever the future holds, Sam has already made a promise:
Sam: If this is it, we're gonna do it together.
Man, this is going to be a long summer.