Supernatural: One Story Ends, Another Begins
This was a bit of a controversial season finale here at CW Source Central. Some of us thought it was awesome, perfect, exactly what the doctor ordered. Others were disappointed — there was none of the jaw-dropping surprise that hit us last year, no semi-creaming-the-Metallicar moment. They wanted something more. What did you think?
One thing we all agreed on – good Lord, everyone involved in the show can act rings around most other people on TV. Dean’s monologue to Sam’s chalk-white corpse? Oof. That still stings. Bobby taking Dean outside and tearing him a new one for making a deal? Absolutely perfect. Sam’s steely resolve as he shot Jake, the look on his face as he pulled the trigger again and again? Chilling. And that last scene, the boys by the Metallicar, contemplating the demon mop-up they have to look forward to? We cheered. The Winchesters will be hitting the road, and taking down demons again. What’s not to love?
And oh, we were so glad to see the Yellow-Eyed Demon chomp his way through all the scenery he had access to. He’s such a snarky little schmuck, and so gleeful when he’s warping minds and corrupting souls. We were almost – almost – sorry to see him go. Will you miss him? But that moment when John clawed his way out of hell and grabbed the demon, giving Dean the opportunity to grab the Colt and take a shot? We cheered. Oh, boys… we’re so glad that particular chapter is over for you.
Plus, Ellen’s alive – hooray! She’s always been our favorite of the roadhouse crew, and we would have been seriously bummed if she’d perished in the flames. How fabulous was her turn at the bar with Bobby? Yes, we loved that Bobby made her slam a shot of holy water before he’d trust her, but we loved her request for whiskey even more. You just can’t keep a tough broad like Ellen down. Which is why we were seriously freaked when Jake made her turn the gun on herself – we’ve seen far too many of the characters we love die in the last couple of episodes.
And then there’s John. Ah, John, it was good to see you again – but what, did you have laryngitis? Could they not pay you enough to actually speak a few lines? Or did demons take out your tongue while you were roasting in hell? Most of us are happy you seemed to go to a better place after you were done helping the boys – although the die-hard John antagonists are still harrumphing a bit that he got off easy. Ah, well, you can’t please everyone.
Speaking of which — here’s where we start arguing: What do you think of Dean making a deal with the Crossroads Demon to bring Sam back? We all agree it was in character for Dean — he’d do absolutely anything for his brother, including things he’d condemned other people for doing. But some of us are disappointed that the writers let him go through with it. There was a moment, when the Crossroads Demon was walking away, that we thought she wasn’t actually gong to let Dean go through with it — that he’d try what he always did, sacrificing himself, giving up everything, and that now, finally, it wouldn’t work. Then he’d have to realize (1) maybe self-sacrifice wasn’t all he was good for, and (2) there are other ways to save people than to give up himself. Some of us think the writers missed an opportunity, that they took a predictable route. Others think that assessment was too harsh – what else could Dean do? Sam’s corpse was probably starting to get a little stinky, and Dean needed to do something right now. He did what it took, and he had to, because his family was his whole world. With Sam gone, he had nothing left.
But whichever side we came down on, we all have to admit we’re thrilled with the direction the show seems to be going in for season three. The boys will be hitting the road again, trying to round up the hundreds of demons who escaped from hell. Plus, Sam will be trying to figure out how to save Dean form his deal – and we’re not sure Dean is going to want to be saved. That should lead to some rather delicious tension between the boys.
So what did you think? Were you cheering every time Bobby opened his mouth – or even shot Dean a withering stare? Did you applaud the return of Ellen? Will you sort of miss the Yellow-Eyed Demon? Do you think Sam came back different, wrong… evil? Was his relish at killing Jake a sign of his descent into wrongness, or understandable, considering Jake killed him first? And what are you going to do all summer without new Supernatural episodes to look forward to every Thursday?
Actually, we can help a bit with that last one – we’ll be keeping up our Supernatural features until new episodes return. We’ll have fan art recommendations, quizzes, games, behind-the-scenes stories and all sorts of other goodness to get your through. Remember, share your fan art recommendations and anything else with us at cwsource@gmail.com, and keep coming back over the summer for more Supernatural joy!