Sadism (a.k.a. “Upping the Stakes”): The Heart of Every Drama

[bowtrunckle]

I’ve had a primitive incarnation of this meta, which was supposed to be the twin of this meta, festering on my hard drive for years.  Because we’re encroaching on the end of yet another season, I thought it would be fun to dust it off and finish it.  The original premise (from early S3 … doh!) was about upping the stakes in fiction and how SPN does

Comments

[ficwriter1966]

My GOODNESS, you put a lot of thinky-thoughts into that! Very, very interesting

[bowtrunckle]

there may be some unfinished business of a minor variety, but no cliffhanger. No Samifer walking around when we go to black.

No cliffhanger might be a nice respite, but, at the same time, leaving the boys in dire straits makes for awesome season premiers *points at 2x01 and 4x01*. I'm conflicted on how I'd like to see this season end, so I'm just going to sit back and enjoy whatever happens (and then probably go supersonic fangirl). ;)

Would locking Lucifer back up but then having to deal with the ramifications of what it cost to do that be considered "winding up the Apocalypse storyline"? Because I have no doubt the boys will do just that, but I guess my definition of "ramifications" extends to Sam and/or Dean still being stuck in a cliffhanger-like situation when we fade to black. OK, I guess I just figured out what kind of ending my inner drama queen really does want now. Heh.

My guess?That's an imaginative guess! Writers always have the more creative solutions! The Impala should play a role in saving the world--it would

[fannishliss]

Nice work!

I can totally see how Sam going into the Pit would satisfy that cycle you describe so well. But... Sam has kind of already faced his own evil. I think when he fell to Ruby he saw what he was capable of, for only the best intentions.

I could also see Dean sacrificing himself again.... but Michael already has Adam.

I don't know! I'm on tenterhooks.

I'm also really psyched about a season six that helps the boys find out who they really are without all this Destiny hanging over them. :D

[bowtrunckle]

Sam has kind of already faced his own evil.

Yes, definitely. But I think this time around Sam would be coming at it from a completely different perspective. Last season, his was at a place of self-righteousness and anger (with good intentions). Now he's at a place of humility ("I'm the least of all of you" 5x21) and determination. And for him to find redemption and forgive himself, he's got to go back to that dark place within himself again. Only this time he'll win. I think it's the outcome that's important, not so much the recycling of the circumstances.

I could also see Dean sacrificing himself again.... but Michael already has Adam. This is where I think Kripke is keeping his big gasp-inducing trick/reveal for the finale. The boys have got to get some sort of reversal of fortune *sometime* on Thursday. I'm not saying that something/someone is going to solve the entire Lucifer problem for them (how cheap would that be?), but something has got to happen to tip the scales in their direction so the boys can then take the

[monicawoe]

Sam’s greatest fear that’s been cultivated since S1 is giving into the darkness inside of him and becoming the “Boy King” and the prophesized leader of a demon army. Dean greatest fear that’s been made glaringly apparent since S1 is failing at his job of “keep Sam safe” and losing his family. It would make for the ultimate climax, then if the writers make Sam become Lucifer’s vessel and if they take away the last of Dean’s family. Not only does this ratchet up the stakes to sky-high levels by putting absolutely EVERYTHING on the line, but both boys’ fears can easily come to fruition with a single, efficient plot twist, with one little word: Sam saying, “Yes.” And that, folks, is how you bring 5 years of storytelling to teeter on the head of a pin while simultaneously fueling the launch of the next season! \o/

Personally, I'd love this as the end of the season. Oddly, I'm actually worried about the possibility of there not being a cliffhanger. Since season 5 is wrapping up the original arc I'm worried that this season's finale

[bowtrunckle]

I'm actually worried about the possibility of there not being a cliffhanger.

Part of me feels this way, too. I love the tension (even though I'll probably scream at my TV). Cliffhangers always make great season premieres. The one time we got a non-cliffhanger finale (2x22), the next season premiere was a little flat. I also think nail-biting cliffhangers get the creative juices flowing, and from a completely selfish fangirl perspective, I'll take as much of crazy-exciting fic during the summer hiatus as I can get. :)

[su_darklily]

One thing I learned about SPN's upping of the stakes is that while the writers will definitely take the plot to its most extreme possibility, each season outdoing the previous, in the following season, they allow themselves a relatively easy out by use of sacrificial gambit

[bowtrunckle]

the plot & motivation tigers were gorgeous!

Thank you! That was a fun meta to write. It's always interesting to look at past meta and if any predictions held through subsequent seasons. I think that the small amount of predictive stuff in there was vague enough (and wasn't too surprising) that it held up through subsequent seasons.

by use of sacrificial gambit

Yes, wonderful point about the Winchester gambit! It's ironic that even though the Winchesters purport to love each other so much that they'll do "anything" (including sacrifice themselves to "save" the other), they fail to realize the how much they're hurting the ones they're trying to save by their leaving them (dying).

Your mention of Mary sacrificing unborn Sam to save John in 4x03 just made me realize that that could possibly be seen by Sam as a great betrayal. Not only was virtually motherless and doesn't have any of his own memories of Mary, his mother essentially bartered his life away. O_o Talk about self-worth issues.

Sam finally moves from being the

[bowtrunckle]

Bobby, Castiel and Adam have been added as possible sacrifices because someone(s)is going to pay.

For a while my favorite S6 goal was "save Bobby". Crowley does have his soul hostage and demons do lie. ;)

...is to have Adam back to temporarily 'replace' the missing Winchester until the resolution in s6.

I love this idea! Even though he's half a Winchester, he's still half a Winchester!

Return of Jesse, the anti-Christ. There's just no way to justify having introduced this character unless he gets to pop in at the end.

I agree. I still have a hard time with that episode. I felt like introducing Jesse created an easy way to tie up the Apocalypse without affording Sam and Dean active roles. Jesse swooping in and doing *something* could be provide a really unsatisfying end. But conversely, Jesse not showing up all just makes me frown at that episode even harder.

was she dead or was she [Meg] just locked down?She was still screaming when the scene ended, so it's debatable what actually happened to her (if she died or not).

[su_darklily]

Heeey, I always run out of room when I try to reply half the time but I didn't even think of using 2 replies. duh. lol

[amonitrate]

yes, i totally agree about the pattern of the season finales. And it will be interesting to see how this one fits the pattern!

[bowtrunckle]

I'm curious to see how much of this holds up, too. Only one more day until we'll see!

Gorgeous icon, BTW.