S05.E13: The Song Remains The Same

[DittyDotDot]

Anna goes back to 1978 to kill John and Mary Winchester, in order to stop Sam from ever being born.

I really like this episode, even though it's not without problems. I'll get my two main issues out of the way first. One--Anna does a full 180-turn and I don't really buy it. Two--S5 is the season of "all for naught" and it's really starting to wear on me by this episode.

 

But, I forgive because I love the awkward road trip; Sam getting a moment with John and letting go of a lot of his daddy issues; Dean getting a moment with Mary (tomato rice soup!); and I just love how Sam is so bewildered when standing in front of a young happy version of his parents. That they did perfectly!

[GirlyGeek]

I always like this episode on re-watch, too.  I was blown away by how good the actor who plays young John is when he's possessed by Michael, too.

 

But, I have a thing for AU and time travel eps and so this one's no different.  Love that Sam got to meet this parents and Jared plays it very well.  The scene where he's forgiving his dad is heartbreaking.

 

I do hate the line '6 degrees of heaven bacon' though.  It grates every.single.time.

Anna's about face is jarring, but I guess she spent a lot of time back in 'sunday school' with a bunch of bad angels.  

 

I'm not sure i like the message Show is giving us about free will vs destiny, since it seems that free will really is an illusion on this show.  But I love Team Free Will all the same for trying.  ;)

[rue721]

I always like this episode on re-watch, too.  I was blown away by how good the actor who plays young John is when he's possessed by Michael, too.

 

But, I have a thing for AU and time travel eps and so this one's no different.  Love that Sam got to meet this parents and Jared plays it very well.  The scene where he's forgiving his dad is heartbreaking.

 

I agree, I thought the acting was really great in this episode. Matthew Cohen was especially good as young!John in that convo with Dean about the sigils, imo. And Jared Padalecki freaking *killed* it. When Mary and John open the door and you can see Sam struggling to hold it together, it gets me every time. One of most powerful tearjerker moments in the whole series imo.

[sarthaz]

This episode hits me in the feels as well.  For me, it's when Mary holds her pregnant belly and says, "angels are watching over you."  God, it get me every time.

 

Stellar performances all around.  Cohen and Gumenick kill it.

[AwesomO4000]

I really like this episode, even though it's not without problems. I'll get my two main issues out of the way first. One--Anna does a full 180-turn and I don't really buy it.

 

My fanwank is that angel brainwash tactics must be very persuasive. And there is a small amount of previous canon from the show. Castiel had a similar turn-around after he got taken back for reconditioning. Not only did Castiel set Anna up to get taken in - which is how she got brainwashed in the first place - but he bought into the whole get back on board thing until the eleventh hour and 55 minutes mark when it was too late, and before that letting Sam out of the panic room (even though he knew that was one of the last things Dean would want) and then helping to detain Dean from trying to get Sam back until Sam was too far gone. It took Dean a lot of convincing to turn Cas around... and the angels had Anna in for reconditioning a lot longer than they had Cas.

 

So that's how I fanwank it. To me, what we saw of Anna in this episode was no longer the Anna we knew. She was too damaged and brainwashed by the reconditioning and so was no longer the same character.

[mertensia]

You nailed it,I think, Awesom04000.

Personally I always get a kick out of Sam treating the 1970s as a field trip. "The mustaches alone..."

[DittyDotDot]

So, I was watching this one earlier today and Uriel stood out to me this time. Interesting that Anna told Uriel these were the people who kills him--LIES, LIES, LIES!!!--kinda puts another dimension on how Uriel was not fan of either Sam or Dean, though.

Still don't buy Anna's 180, though.

[sarthaz]

God, this episode breaks my fucking heart every. damn. time.

[Hanahope]

It was sad that Dean and Sam were willing to give up their lives for their parents. And so great that Sam got to meet his mother and see his dad again. 

It did seem a bit off that Anna got so turned around after rebelling so big, much more than Castile did.

[sarthaz]

I was burning through an epic rewatch at record pace until I hit this episode and stalled.  I just couldn't bring myself to watch it.  It's been weeks.

[bettername2come]

The episode that makes me hate Anna, although watching it this time I don't hate her so much. Winchesters are smart enough to call Castiel rather than trust her. Good call. Killing Sam and scattering his cells is at least a solid enough plot. "The answer is still no. Because Sam is my friend." I enjoy watching Castiel's relationship with Sam grow. He cared about Dean right off the bat, but Sam took longer. "I don't understand that reference." Dean always wanting to truly change things for their parents and not being able to. Sam's reaction to meeting his parents - the unshed tears and the clinging to John's hand. Wait, John thinks Samuel died of a heart attack? Weren't he and Deanna very obviously stabbed? I love that Mary's trying to kick them out, but the instant she hears John's in danger, she listens. I like John pulling the "so help me I will turn this car around." I like John Winchester calling out John Winchester. Sam defending John is nice. It kind of sums up John for me - screwed up, misguided, but always trying to protect his family. I get goosebumps when Dean tells Mary who they are. It's the "Hey, Jude" part that pushes me over the edge."You are gonna die and your children will be cursed." Matt Cohen is great as Michael. Team Free Will! "They all say we'll say yes." "I know, it's getting annoying." I like to think Mary subconsciously remembered what happened hence her "Angels are watching over you" despite saying she didn't know they existed earlier in the episode. I hate how right she was. 

On 10/14/2014 at 9:31 AM, DittyDotDot said:

Two--S5 is the season of "all for naught" and it's really starting to wear on me by this episode.

Never is this more true than the time travel episodes, although I love that this show is at least constant in its time travel rules being that way. 

[FlickChick]

@bettername2come, great post. Yes, I always laugh at the "heart attack" line for Mary's father - clearly he was shot or knifed. For as many times as I've watched this episode, I always get a tear in my eye at the end when Mary says to "baby Dean" - "Angels are watching over you".  Knowing what we know, it breaks my heart. And you could be right about something lingering in Mary, that she says that line after not believing in the angels previously.

[DittyDotDot]

On 7/6/2017 at 0:18 AM, bettername2come said:

Wait, John thinks Samuel died of a heart attack? Weren't he and Deanna very obviously stabbed?

Yes, Samuel was stabbed and, I believe, Deanna's neck was snapped. I figure Mary told John Samuel died of a heart attack and didn't give John a chance to view the body. I do wonder if she gave them a hunter's funeral, though?

[RulerofallIsurvey]

I've gotten behind in my rewatch!  I like the opening scene in Dean's dream.  Anna seems amused there at what he dreams about.  Interesting that a few eps ago when Cas appeared to Dean in his dream, it was a fishing scene.  With Anna, it's exotic dancers.  

Aw..it was sweet that Cas lied to Sam about Anna's plan to kill him and scatter his ashes not working to stop Lucifer.  I wonder if only an angel can perform that angel-finding ritual.  Lol - I didn't remember Dean's time-travel advice to Sam, "Bend your knees."  

On 2/27/2016 at 4:37 AM, mertensia said:

Personally I always get a kick out of Sam treating the 1970s as a field trip. "The mustaches alone..."

All I could think when he said that was: Dude, have you seen your sideburns?  You fit right in.  Lol.  

They should have bought that stock in Microsoft (and Apple).  Wouldn't have needed all those credit card scams.  

I love seeing young Mary and John.  Too bad we didn't see more of them.  And I love Sam's reaction to meeting young Mary and John, especially when he's staring at her in the living room and blurts out how beautiful Mary is: a little creepy but so sweet.  I love young John Winchester jumping right in to help with the blood sigils.  Nice moment with Sam and young John.  I know John's memory was wiped, but I wonder if he remembered a little bit of that conversation after Mary died when he was raising and training Sam and Dean like Mary seemed to remember something with the 'angels are watching over you' (another creepy but sweet line, btw.)  

I feel kinda sorry for Anna.  If she got reprogrammed and was sent by Heaven to kill Sam and/or Mary and John so Sam was never born, I wonder why Michael bothered to stop her and kill her.  She got screwed over from both sides.  Michael says 'he doesn't want this' but yet, he fixes things so that he can fight and kill his brother.  Nah, that's not contradictory at all.  

[Commando Cody]

It bugs me every time John runs out of the house without saying that he was leaving. They were all standing right there. 

[Iju]

sam in awe of how beautiful his mother is right in front of him is one of my favorite sam moments. i wonder how i would react seeing my young parents. meanwhile one of my favorite dean moments is when he's standing there admiring and fan-soning his father so hard. both of them being like newborns to the 1970s really showed how young they are even though they are so much more older than me.

cass protecting sam is the best thing ever, my new diet. he only knew him from his blood addiction so he's seeing he's not a bad guy after all ;) his seeing right through anna was epic.

speaking of it was horrible watching her win. honestly i didn't even like her in the first place after she appeared after the angel arc. like...go away. at least that how i felt about it. so i don't care that she's gone.

and forget dean being traumatised seeing his dead brother, WE were traumatised! the more we saw sam lying on the ground the more we were horrified. i'm sorry but if i was dean i would have refused to do a thing until sam was alive.

lastly - FINALLY. JOHN NOT BEING A CRAPPY FATHER IS CANON. LIKE SCREW YOU BOBBY CALLING HIM A COWARD. A COWARD IS SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT SOME THINGS YOU DO.

Edited April 6, 2018 by Iju

[S Cook Productions]

Now that I am finally a poster and not just a lurker, and have today off- I’m going back and reading what ppl have to say about some of my fave eps. Up until this ep, I was a casual Netflix viewer here and there. This is the ep that really got me into Supernatural hardcore. I’ll never forget it, Oct of 2012 is when I watched this ep. After this ep, I was undeniably a rabid part of the supernatural fandom (it doesn’t hurt that Valentine was next, also a fave). This is also the ep that I fell madly in love with Castiel...and the whole Team Free Will and their relationship. 

[The Companion]

I am mad about Anna. The body count for the women of this show has already been high this season. At least Ellen and Jo got a hero death. Anna gets completely ruined. Anna was such a cool character. A fallen angel pushing Castiel to question things. Working outside of the following orders mindset. And for that she gets tortured, turned into a weapon and destroyed. It's unearned. 

The episode had a lot of amazing and heartbreaking moments. I previously speculated that Mary knew about angels. I was partially right. That moment at the end talking to Dean was so amazing and sad. As they have fleshed Mary out into a person, I find myself really liking her. I loved her strength in this episode. I am sad she lost her memory of her sons as men. 

The moments with Sam were amazing, with the caveat that I hate the trope of a time traveler telling someone their feelings about that person, so Sam's discussion of his feelings towards his father wasn't my favorite thing. I can't help feeling awkward for John as he tries to be polite to the oversharing stranger.