S05.E22: Swan Song

[DittyDotDot]

Sam and Dean decide to try and trap Lucifer.

 

Eh, seems like a meh end to a five-year plan, but I have to admit, I love the voice-over by Chuck about the Impala--I get all nostalgic every time I hear it. I just wish they stuck the landing better here. And, it's not because I feel Dean got shafted or that I don't believe it was brotherly love that allows Sam to overcome Lucifer or any of the same recycling arguments this episode tends to generate. I just think it takes itself far too seriously in the end and some of the scenes feel too precious in the way they're shot for my taste.

 

Other things that drag it down for me: I find it a shame they chose random unknowns to be the demons that screwed with Sam all his life. Jared played it well, but I think it would've been more impactful if they chosen some one-offs we've seen over the years or just skipped the idea altogether. I'm not sure what the point of killing both Castiel and Bobby just to bring them all back in the end. And, I'm still irritated that Michael-in-an-Adam worked any better than Lucifer-in-a-Nick did. But mostly, I still think the plan was stupid and makes little sense.

 

However, I think both Jensen and Jared make the most of what they were given and put out compelling performances from the first talk they have about Dean letting Sam make his own decision all the way through till the last look Jared gives Dean before he falls into that hole.

• Jensen's highlights for me: the way he plays Dean's uncertainty from the moment they find out Lucifer's in Detroit; his "bad feeling" speech to Sam in the car; the way he can't hardly look at Sam after he drinks the demon blood; and all that accumulates with that amazing moment Lucifer-in-a-Sam disappears and Jensen plays his bewilderment and "what the fuck am I supposed to do now" look. I totally love how he plays that "then he won't die alone" moment. And I love how he summons all his bravado to drive into that cemetery with Def Leppard blaring.
• Jared's highlights for me: The first talk with him perched on the Impala like a little kid waiting for his father's approval; the "go live an apple-pie life" speech (whether I like the idea or not, Jared plays it well); the "take care of these guys" talk to Cass and his goodbye to Bobby; the subtle changes he plays after he downs all that demon blood and the other subtleties after Lucifer takes him over. And, Jared is truly chilling when he's sitting there with the blood of those little devils on his hands and Lucifer says "are we having fun yet?"

 

Other things I liked: Chuck. Need I say more?

[rue721]

Sitting here trying to watch this episode but it's too serious for me. I can't handle it.

 

I love the voice-over by Chuck about the Impala--I get all nostalgic every time I hear it.

 

The VO about the impala cracks me up, because it makes me imagine a srsn bsns VO about our old family car:  "This 1988 Ford Festiva would turn out to be the most important car -- no, the most important object -- in pretty much the whole universe." LOL. Doesn't have the right ring to it.

 

I love Baby, but hate that the episode was framed around the car like that. And so schmaltzy. The thing with the army man catching Lucifer!Sam's eye was my least favorite part. Dean is literally right in front of him, but what reminds Lucifer!Sam of ~brotherly love~ isn't his actual brother, it's an army man in the ashtray? Ok, wtvrs.

 

Why didn't they have Sam and Dean just be the vessels? Why bring Adam into it? I hated how heavy handed the whole God/Michael/Lucifer = John/Dean/Sam thing was, it was heavy-handed to the point of absurdity. But then at the last second, it became John/Adam/Sam anyway? What.

 

YMMV, I know he's super popular, but what even is the point of Chuck? I find him irritating and the whole concept of him writing these books that are prophecies or whatever to be off-putting, so I'm never happy to see him tbh. But in this particular episode, there was *nothing* in his VO that was necessary to the story, so all it added was extra sentimentalism. And the piano music that played whenever he was speaking -- wanted to gauge out my ears.

 

My favorite moment in the whole episode is when the camera pans out at the very end, and there's Sam, standing right outside staring at Lisa and Dean through her living room window. LOL SO CREEPY. I loved that.

 

Oh, embarrassing admission:  every time I hear the intro to the song that Dean's listening to when he drives into the graveyard, I think he's playing this.

Edited January 11, 2015 by rue721

[supposebly]

 

Oh, embarrassing admission:  every time I hear the intro to the song that Dean's listening to when he drives into the graveyard, I think he's playing this.

 

Me too. When it was popular and played on the radio all day long, I was so annoyed with that. That's the first reason I do NOT agree with the song choice here. The second: I always found Def Leppard way too vanilla and hairbandy. Yes, it's a word, deal with it.

[DittyDotDot]

Me too. When it was popular and played on the radio all day long, I was so annoyed with that. That's the first reason I do NOT agree with the song choice here. The second: I always found Def Leppard way too vanilla and hairbandy. Yes, it's a word, deal with it.

 

Heh, I agree with you about Def Leppard being too vanilla, but I have a very weird and irrational attachment to Def Leppard anyway (and I'm not gonna bore you with why today--maybe I'll save it for another day). I agree the song choice was weird. However, I never have associated it with that other song...OMG, now that I've heard it, I can never unhear it now. ::walks away giggling uncontrollably::

[rue721]

OMG, now that I've heard it, I can never unhear it now. ::walks away giggling uncontrollably::

 

Right? And now imagine that song playing as he pulls up in this:

 

 

My head!canon version of that scene.

[Iguana]

Hey my first car was a Ford Festiva. I loved that thing and it was more reliable than anything I've driven since. Not to mention cheap on gas. But I'll be the first to admit that the Impala is much, much cooler.

[Dobian]

I thought they hit all the right emotional notes and the finale was full of powerful moments.  Sam having the long flashback as he gains control of his body from Lucifer was terrific.  Dean all beat and bloody and thinking everyone he cared about was now dead.  The whole intro story of the Impala and Sam and Dean having that quiet moment by it in the beginning.  Dean finding that moment of happiness with Lisa in the end.  The whole episode had that epic feel to it.  Favorite season ending of the first five.

Edited April 23, 2016 by Dobian

[sarthaz]

Hey, what's the story behind Eric "Giz" Gerwirtz mysteriously showing up with a story credit on the most important episode of the series?  Who is this guy?

[DittyDotDot]

Perhaps he gave Kripke the idea for some of the specifics of this episode? I don't know... .

[catrox14]

On 1/30/2017 at 11:49 AM, sarthaz said:

Hey, what's the story behind Eric "Giz" Gerwirtz mysteriously showing up with a story credit on the most important episode of the series?  Who is this guy?

I'm just gonna go ahead and blame him for the episode I really hate more than any other. It's not as bad as Bloodlines or Man's Best Friend but I LOATHE Swan Song. I blame this other Eric. It sure would explain a LOT.

[AwesomO4000]

13 hours ago, catrox14 said:

but I LOATHE Swan Song.

But you love "On the Head of A Pin." That episode blames Dean for breaking the first seal, lets Alastair get the better of Dean, and even though Castiel says Dean is the one to stop it, Dean says he's not the right guy, he can't do it - and I believed him at that point too that he didn't think he could - so he has basically given up (and he remains mostly given up on the apocalypse front through the rest of the season). It's one of the (many) reasons I hate that episode.

I guess I just can't see it. "Swan Song" to me shows Dean in a better light where he doesn't give up and actually does something even when everyone else says it's useless rather than give up even when someone else assures him he can do it. Sam is the one to fall in the hole, but he couldn't have done it without Dean - I know there have been arguments of well anyone could've driven the car, etc. etc., but I don't buy that. Besides no else would have. They all gave up. They wouldn't have even joined in later if not for Dean.

I also thought it was time that Sam got to do something good and make up for his mistakes. (Sam killed Alastair and Lilith, but both of those were considered to be bad.) Dean got to kill Azazel and Zachariah, and would go on to defeat many other Big Bads. And it was awesome of Dean to let Sam clean up his own mess even though all he wanted to do was not let Sam do that.

But that's why miles vary, and I do get that, so I don't want to start any arguments. I get that there are other points of view, and I know what they are. I just don't get them... except for those who would rather Sam had nothing or little to do with the heroics of the story just because or to teach him some kind of "lesson." I get those. I just strongly disagree.

We do agree on the if Chuck was God back in "The Monster at the End of This Book," then he's a complete jerk, so it never should have come to this ending in "Swan Song" anyway thing at least.

Edited February 1, 2017 by AwesomO4000

[sarthaz]

I always fanwank that God becomes Chuck at the end of this episode.  Chuck is just a prophet most of the time, but at some point in time God takes over for real.

[AwesomO4000]

And I love that fanwank, @sarthaz.

There's another couple that fanwank that it happened at the end of season 4 - when Castiel got blown up the first time - which I also love. Either one works for me.

Edited February 1, 2017 by AwesomO4000

[auntvi]

8 hours ago, sarthaz said:

I always fanwank that God becomes Chuck at the end of this episode.

When all of a sudden Chuck is in a clean white shirt. And then disappears.

[catrox14]

13 hours ago, AwesomO4000 said:

But you love "On the Head of A Pin."

I can hold both opinions can for different reasons. My beef with Swan Song has little to do with Sam's heroics.

Edited February 1, 2017 by catrox14

[AwesomO4000]

3 hours ago, catrox14 said:

I can hold both opinions can for different reasons.

Fair enough.

3 hours ago, catrox14 said:

My beef with Swan Song has little to do with Sam's heroics.

My apologies. I didn't mean to imply that it did, just that it was a beef for some (TWoP anti-Sam flashbacks.) I generally thought your beef had more to do with Adam being dragged into things, but again, it could be more complicated than that, too, so I was trying to be vague/all encompassing.

I was probably out of line bringing it up anyway. I tend to get protective of "Swan Song" sometimes.

[DeeDee79]

16 hours ago, sarthaz said:

I always fanwank that God becomes Chuck at the end of this episode.  Chuck is just a prophet most of the time, but at some point in time God takes over for real.

This is now my new head canon for Chuck's character. After watching Don't Call Me Shurley I looked at all of his previous eps to see if they were leading in that direction. I was surprised to hear when listening to the commentary for DCMS that it had been decided that Chuck would be revealed as God in season 5 ( or was it 4? ) but they waited until they had the right way to write it in.

[Hanahope]

Season 5 done, and early too.  

This sure did sound like a series finale, till the very end.  And yeah the car memories were a bit schmaltzy, but I could see where seeing his reflection, like when we last saw Sam , and all those memories, gave Sam needed strength 

Quite the shock with Castile blowing up and Bobby's death. So glad to see them back. I presume that since we see Sam again we will also see Adam again at some point.  

So I presume someone making the show is a huge Zeppelin fan.

[DittyDotDot]

35 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

So I presume someone making the show is a huge Zeppelin fan.

Yes. Eric Kripke is a huge Zepplin fan. 

[Hanahope]

So after all the demons, angels, gods, Lucifer, where could they go from here?  Guess I'll start finding out tomorrow with S6.

[Wayward Son]

13 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

So after all the demons, angels, gods, Lucifer, where could they go from here?  Guess I'll start finding out tomorrow with S6.

I'm gonna ask in here rather than all episodes so you can avoid spoilers... 

Now that you're done the Kripke Era (Sera Gamble takes over show running duties for 6-7) what are you overall thoughts on the show? Favourite season? Favourite character? Favourite relationships?  Favourite aspects of it? 

[Hanahope]

I think I liked season two the best so far.  The brothers didn't question each other as much, they had more faith in each other.  We got to meet more hunters and there wasn't as much infighting.  I didn't like seeing them so estranged thereafter. 

i really liked Ellen and Jo and was very sad to see them go.  Since no one seems to be dead forever, I'm hopeful to see them again. Some we still see even when they are dead. I also like Bobby a lot, so glad he's still around and will have more stories, like resolving his soul problem.

I thought it strange that everyone believed in demons, but not angels.  I was not surprised that for the most part, angels didn't interfere in most people's lives. 

I did like the overall 5 year story arc.  The pacing was decent, with some 'filler' shows, arc moving shows and fun comedy shows. 

[DittyDotDot]

3 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

I think I liked season two the best so far.  The brothers didn't question each other as much, they had more faith in each other.  We got to meet more hunters and there wasn't as much infighting.  I didn't like seeing them so estranged thereafter. 

S2 is my favorite too. I just think the show works best when they're fighting the good fight together rather than fighting each other. Plus, I think the show started to take itself a bit too seriously at times starting in S3. However, seven seasons later and I'm still watching, so it can't all be bad, right? ;)

[bettername2come]

I love the Impala narration. I love Dean having faith in his brother. I love the brothers making amends for starting the apocalypse. I love that the prophecy of the the person who broke the first seal being the only one to end it comes true in him helping Sam take control of Lucifer. I love the Sam/Bobby hug with Sam calling Bobby "sir." Cas trying to lie as he says goodbye. How have I never noticed that the devil draws a pitchfork in the frost on the window? Nice callback with "I win, then I win." How have we never gotten "Devil Went Down to Georgia" to actually play on this show? The Sam and Lucifer mental conversation is one of Jared Padalecki's finest acting moments. I wish we could get some of the scenes of the guys just road tripping like Chuck references. Jared plays the scene of Lucifer trying to appeal to Michael so well. I really wish we could've seen a version of this scene with Jensen as Michael. Jake Abel's fine, but it just lacks that punch Dean in that place would've had. Stop exploding Castiel like Chunky soup! "Sammy, it's okay. It's okay, I'm here. I'm here! I'm not gonna leave you. I'm not gonna leave you!" Oh, montage that makes me nostalgic for season one and two coloring and happy, floppy haired Sam.  

Chuck as God always bugs me because I flash back to that "cruel, capricious god" comment from last season and get mad at him trying to garner sympathy while actually being a cruel capricious god. Rob Benedict is great. I love how he goes from neurotic writer to suave God in his performance, but I feel some very Dean-like anger at Chuck for how he manipulates events.

And soon I shall be onto season six - the season where my interest in the show began to fade, although never completely or I wouldn't still be here.  

[RulerofallIsurvey]

I remember the first time I watched this being relieved to know this wasn't the series end (since I was watching on Netflix and there were already subsequent seasons.)  I'd have been ticked and severely disappointed if the series had ended like this, even with the creepy glimpse of Sam at the end.  I don't have the hate for this episode that several on this forum seem to have, but I wouldn't put it in my favorites category either.  I just think it was a real downer of an ending for these two guys who'd tried so hard to fight the good fight.  I don't like depressing endings.  

There was a conversation in another thread - maybe it was All Eps - about transporting the demon blood and it going bad.  And how Sam taking the nurse along in Lucifer Rising was Evil, but Sam, Dean, and Cas draining the demons meatsuits (presumably with their human hosts still inside) in this ep is okay.  I don't get it.  The show sure knows how to make the meatsuits sympathetic when it wants to and ignore that detail when it doesn't help the plot.  

What the heck did Sam have against his prom date, I wonder.  Did she stand him up?  Ditch him at the prom?

If Chuck was always God, that bit about him not knowing any other way to short circuit Armageddon other than the rings is bogus.  At least him not knowing what was going to happen was the truth.  

Ugh, I'm going to try to look for things I like in a pretty dark, depressing episode:

• "You're a grown, well overgrown...man."  Dean's gotta get one last pick in on Sam's size.  
• "If this is what you want - Is this really what you want?"  There's that hoping that Sam will say no.
• I like the look on Sam's face when he's standing by the trunk of the impala after they load up the demon blood.  You can tell he's so unsure and scared.
• I like the lighting on Sam and Dean's faces during the conversation in the car.  
• I like how Dean doesn't want to give up.  
• I like the shot of the boys under the starry sky.
• I love how Dean never gives up on Sam.

'Peace' or 'Freedom'.  Hm.  Well, I know what Patrick Henry said.  

[bettername2come]

1 hour ago, RulerofallIsurvey said:

What the heck did Sam have against his prom date, I wonder.  Did she stand him up?  Ditch him at the prom?

If I'm remembering correctly, all the people from Sam's past that Lucifer brought in were possessed by demons Azazel sent to make sure Sam was on the track Hell wanted. If I give the devil his due, I'm gonna assume that all those people were still or were repossessed by the demons that had possessed them t the time. But then we know how this show treats the meatsuits.  

[RulerofallIsurvey]

51 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

If I'm remembering correctly, all the people from Sam's past that Lucifer brought in were possessed by demons Azazel sent to make sure Sam was on the track Hell wanted. If I give the devil his due, I'm gonna assume that all those people were still or were repossessed by the demons that had possessed them t the time. But then we know how this show treats the meatsuits.  

Yeah, I know.  And I understand Sam wanting to kill DemonBrady in a previous ep, because he personally killed Jess, but killing all these demons who were just there throughout his life watching him, unless he remembered that they did something to 'guide' him or push him closer to the dark side, which the show didn't show us that they did, seemed a little odd.  I don't know why.  It would have helped if we'd seen a short 'flashback' of the grade school teacher telling him he had a darkness in him after reading a 'what I did over summer vacation' story or the prom date calling him a freak or something, imo.  And I know Lucifer was driving and Lucifer doesn't like demons anyway, so... Maybe Lucifer just thought Sam would want revenge on all those demons, but Sam didn't really.  He just wanted away from them.  

Gotta give props to Crowley as it seems he was the only demon to figure out that Lucifer would kill all the demons after the humans.

One more thing to add: I think Lucifer took control back, just as they were falling into the pit and it was Lucifer, not Sam, who grabbed Michael to drag him in with him.  

[DittyDotDot]

2 hours ago, RulerofallIsurvey said:

I like the look on Sam's face when he's standing by the trunk of the impala after they load up the demon blood.  You can tell he's so unsure and scared.

Not only that, but his not wanting Dean to watch him drink that blood. Nice subtle moment from both of them. And, then how he's a bit more pumped and full of himself when he shuts the trunk... .

7 minutes ago, RulerofallIsurvey said:

Yeah, I know.  And I understand Sam wanting to kill DemonBrady in a previous ep, because he personally killed Jess, but killing all these demons who were just there throughout his life watching him, unless he remembered that they did something to 'guide' him or push him closer to the dark side, which the show didn't show us that they did, seemed a little odd.  

Wasn't that all happening inside Sam's head, though? 

[bettername2come]

24 minutes ago, DittyDotDot said:

Wasn't that all happening inside Sam's head, though? 

I think not. Because we see the moment where Lucifer's looking into the mirror to talk to Sam and Sam looks back with blood on his hands terrified, right? I think it was supposed to be kind of "present" from Lucifer to Sam, getting revenge on demons who'd wronged him. 

[DittyDotDot]

10 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

I think not. Because we see the moment where Lucifer's looking into the mirror to talk to Sam and Sam looks back with blood on his hands terrified, right? I think it was supposed to be kind of "present" from Lucifer to Sam, getting revenge on demons who'd wronged him. 

No, I know it's a "present" from Lucifer, but Lucifer was in control of Sam's body at the time. My feeling is that Lucifer is trying to get Sam angry so he's easier to control, but, at no time did I think Sam was in control of his own body.

ETA: It's not that I don't think Sam wanted to kill them all, I just don't know how it was him if Lucifer is possessing him at the time.

Edited August 6, 2017 by DittyDotDot

[RulerofallIsurvey]

29 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

I think not. Because we see the moment where Lucifer's looking into the mirror to talk to Sam and Sam looks back with blood on his hands terrified, right? I think it was supposed to be kind of "present" from Lucifer to Sam, getting revenge on demons who'd wronged him. 

I agree.  And just previously, Lucifer had told Sam he'd 'take the gag off' so that Sam could talk.

20 minutes ago, DittyDotDot said:

No, I know it's a "present" from Lucifer, but Lucifer was in control of Sam's body at the time. My feeling is that Lucifer is trying to get Sam angry so he's easier to control, but, at no time did I think Sam was in control of his own body.

ETA: It's not that I don't think Sam wanted to kill them all, I just don't know how it was him if Lucifer is possessing him at the time.

As I said, I know Lucifer was driving.  But I wasn't sure if the show was trying to say that Sam also wanted to kill the demons or he didn't.  That whole thing was just really odd to me.  

[bettername2come]

I don't think the show was trying to say Sam wanted it, but that Lucifer thought he did and was trying to get Sam on his side up until the scene in the cemetery. I think Sam's expression afterwards was because humans had died in the process. 

[RulerofallIsurvey]

18 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

Lucifer thought he did and was trying to get Sam on his side up until the scene in the cemetery.

Hm.  Good point about Lucifer trying to get on his side.

19 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

I think Sam's expression afterwards was because humans had died in the process. 

Which is a complete fail, because he didn't seem too concerned about the humans who died in the process when they were bottling up the demon blood earlier.  

[bettername2come]

1 minute ago, RulerofallIsurvey said:

Which is a complete fail, because he didn't seem too concerned about the humans who died in the process when they were bottling up the demon blood earlier.  

Maybe he thought ends justified the means when he thought he could beat Satan, but he didn't and people keep dying and he feels bad? I think I need to stop playing Sam's advocate. 

[DittyDotDot]

1 hour ago, RulerofallIsurvey said:

As I said, I know Lucifer was driving.  But I wasn't sure if the show was trying to say that Sam also wanted to kill the demons or he didn't.  That whole thing was just really odd to me.  

Personally, I think the Devil is just trying to distract Sam so he's easier to keep locked away--and, I don't think those little devils are actually real, but something Lucifer created as real in Sam's head. Not that it makes the visual of all that blood on Sam's hands any better, but I think it's a sort of hallucination Lucifer is creating.

As to whether Sam wants to kill those little devils or not, I'd guess it's both yes and no, but I also think there's a lot of things going on with Sam right then that's fueling his anger. I'm sure he's pissed to learn some of these people who he thought were his friends along the way, weren't friends at all. But, also remember Sam is hopped up on all that demon blood which gives him a sort of roid rage along with his already being angry that Lucifer has him gagged. 

Edited August 6, 2017 by DittyDotDot

[CluelessDrifter]

On 8/5/2017 at 10:01 PM, RulerofallIsurvey said:

There was a conversation in another thread - maybe it was All Eps - about transporting the demon blood and it going bad.  And how Sam taking the nurse along in Lucifer Rising was Evil, but Sam, Dean, and Cas draining the demons meatsuits (presumably with their human hosts still inside) in this ep is okay.  I don't get it.  The show sure knows how to make the meatsuits sympathetic when it wants to and ignore that detail when it doesn't help the plot.  

I think you're absolutely right about how our perceptions are toyed with as far as meatsuits are concerned.  Demon blood, I would imagine, has anticoagulation properties, or Sam wouldn't have been able to keep it in a flask, so it's not for those reasons that Sam brings the nurse along in Lucifer Rising, which would imply a pragmatic reasoning to it.  I always thought it was an attempt by Sam to buy himself time before doing it, either hoping that the demon would resurface or another plan would present itself.  Ruby says it's not anything he hasn't done before, so why was this time any different?  If Ruby is telling me something is okay, because Sam has done it in the past, while Sam is hesitating, because he knows it's different, then I'm going to go with Sam knowing it's more wrong than all the other times he's gotten demon blood.  

And we know that there can be varying levels of awareness for possession victims, like Meg Masters was aware of what was happening for some of it.  Jesse's Mom seemed to be aware of what was happening through most of it.  Jeffrey in Repo Man was at least awake and present enough to learn how to kill, something he'd wanted to do for a long time.  Unless it's said outright, we don't really know where any meatsuit falls on that spectrum, but with the nurse, the demon is the one that went to 'sleep,' and when the nurse 'wakes up,' she has no idea where she is or what's happening, which tells me that she was 'asleep' until that point and would have been none the wiser to her impending death.  Not only is she aware of what's happening after the demon goes to sleep, but she's actually begging for help, pleading to be let go, and is the one who is fully awake and aware of the blood slowly draining out of her.  

Contrast that with the demons in Swan Song that are drained.  We see the gallons of blood, but not the actual demons, so for all we know, Cas helped Sam find some meatsuits that were already dead, and that's where they got the demon blood.  It takes the issue of the morality surrounding the use of those meatsuits out of the equation, except that it really doesn't, because it's not said outright that they were already dead and is totally left up to the viewer to decide what they think TFW did in that situation.

Edited August 7, 2017 by CluelessDrifter

[Iju]

long post so i'm putting in spoilers. spent like an hour and a half (at least) writing it.

oh man…i wasn’t expecting this. none of us were. i was already feeling nervous from the very first second of the episode. nonono. this was too fast. too soon. i shouldn’t have binged. i was looking for every reason on earth to not finish this episode but i had none.

okay, before i actually talk about the show, i need you to understand something really fast. it’s important, and it will be brought up again eventually. so please keep this in the back of your head while you read on.
okay, a long time ago when my parents would order out, their names, not exactly being traditional, would be hard to understand and pronounce, so now whenever they order anything they always use the simple name sam. remember this.

okay:

first, let’s talk about what the show opened with. sam’s plan. a crazy, stupid, impossible plan. but still, because the winchesters are the winchesters, we all sat in the room and had total faith in them. they would kick the devil back to his spot and ride of into the street like they always did. 

then sam goes in and tries to trick satan; gets found out immediately. my heart beats frantically and i’m so panicky right now i can’t even look at the screen.  satan takes over his mind and body and we can’t understand it. why didn’t sam just take him over? he’s strong enough right, right? when lucifer twisted dean into beliving it was sam my mother actually left the room. she didn’t see dean all ready to break out in tears and go crazy. when i told her she said it was better she didn’t see.

just when i thought did his best performance of the season in the end, he outdoes himself once again. he could freaking teach classes on what he did….i must admit i haven’t seen much like that. how he not only made a convincing lucifer but made him so disgusting to be talking out of sam’s mouth at the same time. i don’t know how he did it. it’s been said before many times that jared does a fantastic sam, but he does “unsams” spectacularly well.

anyway-

dean doesn’t let lucifer phase him and wants to go to sam. bobby and cass tell him how stupid that is before he yells “BUT IT’S SAM!” yeah. sure. that didn’t make us all clutch our chests. 

samtan goes up to meet michael. no-one is saying anything but i know everyone is thinking that there still is a way to save sam. we are all holding our breath.

dean interrupts. all of us yell for some reason, as if dean can ward off a demon and an angel. mother sighs “I love Dean…” and for some crazy reason we are sam, we believe our big brother is here, he is coming, he will save the day. everything is alright. somehow, it will be. it will.

cass, wonderful adorable cass, arrives with his best insult of the season: “assbutt”. we see him arrive with bobby. the gang is here. it’s going to really be okay. michael is gone and all dean has to do it make sam come to the surface again.

before he is imploded everywhere. bobby stands in complete shock as we all scream, and shriek again as bobby’s neck snaps. no no no no no. how is this supposed to end happy? this doesn’t make any sense.

dean is thrown against the car and beaten to, well, hell. all the while he keeps the same, gentle tone. “Sam, it’s okay. It’s okay. I’m here. I’m here. I’m not gonna leave you. I’m not gonna leave you.” my little brother is cuddled in the corner, staring silently. me and my mother are clutching each other.

samtan accidentally looks in the glimmer of the car. a million heartbreaking flashbacks ensue. even though we know, and have seen evidence of the 13th season for ourselves, we cannot help but believe this is the end. the series end here. the room quiets until sam finally reaches the top, “It’s okay, Dean. It’s gonna be okay. I’ve got him.” can we just talk about for one second on sam’s first reaction to the top of his mind and soul is reassuring his brother, telling him not to worry?

sam and dean are looking at each other. dean stares and blinks wordlessly. we don’t know wtf is going on. we just don’t want sam to go away. there has to be another way. but when sam disappears under the ground and dean’s shoulders sag, so do ours.

cass is back, so is bobby. do we care? maybe. a little bit. i don’t know. no-one is talking. cass is talking to dean in the car but the conversation might as well be muted. no-one is really caring about that either. “You really suck at goodbyes, you know that?” that hurt me. 

dean finds a way to drag himself to lisa’s house. it’s only then when he is barely, barely holding in his soul talking to her that we accept sam isn’t coming back. it’s such a tough, horrible pill to swallow, regardless of sam’s appearance at the end.

———-

so what did we all think? my brother, my sister and i think it is unfair. it’s too horrible for the heart to take. it’s angering, tantrum inducing and tantamount depressing.
but it is beautiful. hard as it is, it does wrap up everything in a bow. we finally understand what the fans have said so many times. i knew, from as early as season two, that no matter what happened, the story was going to end with sam, because the entire franchise quite literally began with him. i was right. 

my brother goes on to talk about the utter perfection jensen did when dean talked to lisa. that perfect, perfect perfect voice break and hardly-holding-it-together expression he made. he possibly loves that the most. and i’m not even going to get started on the OST that played during the time.

my mother? she’s quit. she’s calls fowl. she doesn’t like it at all. she wants sam back, she doesn’t like that the show begins with the two brothers pairing up again and ends with one being alone forever. 

after the show, she asked us to make her some coffee in her coffee cup she brought home from starbucks. my sister brings it to her but right on the cup, in permanent black marker, reads “sam” (i hope you guys remember my earlier story). my littlest brother notices it and almost cries. it was the least any of us needed at such a time. sometimes, we order for our mother and father and we use the name they always use. now i don’t think any of us can bear to use it, let alone speak it. we’ll have to use a different name.

anyone find us being overdramatic? perhaps. after all, all we have to do it simply go to the next episode. but it will forever be different. my brother says in his mind and his heart, he is convinced season 5 is canon, and anything else further is not. “It’s literally fanfiction”, he says. he could look at the rest of the seasons for all he cares, sam and dean aren’t together anymore. the ending is perfect. no-one can understand just how much he loves it.

my littlest brother is stuck between this weird emptiness he feels inside; he wants to cry for sam but because there are more seasons and he’s alive, he doesn’t.

myself? i’ll keep watching of course. but i wonder if i will be like my family members. i wonder if i just won’t quite be the same. i don’t know. i’ll never know until i see the next episode.

that’s all. if you aren’t snoring by this point then i wish you congratulations and sorry for this novel you have just read. 

P.S. i hope dean eventually wears the necklace again.

[The Companion]

So, I complained heartily and I still don't love how we got here, but I really liked this episode. I loved the brother moments and particularly Sam making Dean promise he would go have a life. I also loved the fact that you had another moment of brotherly trust and faith. And I didn't mind the impala as a symbol. It is already an embodiment of the guys. 

There was obviously some great work by both actors. Jared played well against Jared and JA was amazing, as always. 

I didn't love the demon blood, especially after such a huge deal was made when Sam killed the innocent woman to get blood last season. Also, there were some parts that crossed into cheesy, but it was a pretty good finale and I was satisfied overall.

[Katy M]

18 hours ago, The Companion said:

I didn't love the demon blood, especially after such a huge deal was made when Sam killed the innocent woman to get blood last season. Also, there were some parts that crossed into cheesy, but it was a pretty good finale and I was satisfied overall.

Storywise it also didn't seem to serve much of a purpose.  Sam was only on demon blood 5 or 10 minutes before he was possessed.  And then he was in Hell, so detox wasn't really a point, nor future addiction because where's he going to get demon blood in the cage.  

Which makes me wonder, do demons not in vessels have blood?  They're just black smoke.  Where would the blood be?  What makes the vessel's blood demon instead of human?  So many questions.  So few answers.

[The Companion]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

Storywise it also didn't seem to serve much of a purpose.  Sam was only on demon blood 5 or 10 minutes before he was possessed.  And then he was in Hell, so detox wasn't really a point, nor future addiction because where's he going to get demon blood in the cage.  

Which makes me wonder, do demons not in vessels have blood?  They're just black smoke.  Where would the blood be?  What makes the vessel's blood demon instead of human?  So many questions.  So few answers.

Yes, exactly. The demon blood served no logical purpose. I assumed the properties of blood change during possession. Certainly bodily functions and capabilities do. However, we haven't really gotten much explanation.

[ahrtee]

11 minutes ago, The Companion said:

Yes, exactly. The demon blood served no logical purpose. I assumed the properties of blood change during possession. Certainly bodily functions and capabilities do. However, we haven't really gotten much explanation.

I'd guess it would have to, or else they'd negate the whole demon blood storyline from day 1.  Why else would just a few drops of blood from Azazel taint Sam for life?  Even if he was a prince of hell, Azazel was still wearing a meatsuit at the time.  

[The Companion]

11 minutes ago, ahrtee said:

I'd guess it would have to, or else they'd negate the whole demon blood storyline from day 1.  Why else would just a few drops of blood from Azazel taint Sam for life?  Even if he was a prince of hell, Azazel was still wearing a meatsuit at the time.  

I have been wondering the same. Why does the drop last so much longer (even if it was a lot compared to baby mass). 

[ahrtee]

2 minutes ago, The Companion said:

I have been wondering the same. Why does the drop last so much longer (even if it was a lot compared to baby mass). 

I'd guess we can say it's because he was more powerful than run-of-the-mill demon minions.  Plus, he was on a Mission From (his god) Lucifer, so maybe he got an extra jolt of power through the crack in the cage.  We can conjecture/fanwank anything for most of the WTF moments throughout the show.  😊 

[gonzosgirrl]

7 minutes ago, The Companion said:

I have been wondering the same. Why does the drop last so much longer (even if it was a lot compared to baby mass). 

I don't think we're meant to believe that those few drops of blood stayed in his system for 25+ years, I believe the blood changed him (and all the special kids) fundamentally. Even after God (apparently) burned it out of his system when he zapped them to the plane in Lucifer Rising, he remained affected/tempted by it later in S5.

(spoilery)

Spoiler

It seems that going to the cage finally cured him of it, since re-made Sam wasn't affected by it in S6. I guess if you have no soul, demon blood wouldn't be able to twist it, and he is never tempted by it again going forward.

It's probably a good thing, since Soulless Sam probably would have had Demons-on-tap because it would have made him a stronger, better hunter, which is all he cared about.

Edited December 10, 2019 by gonzosgirrl
spoiler tags

[Bergamot]

1 hour ago, ahrtee said:

I'd guess it would have to, or else they'd negate the whole demon blood storyline from day 1.  Why else would just a few drops of blood from Azazel taint Sam for life?  Even if he was a prince of hell, Azazel was still wearing a meatsuit at the time.  

Back then, it seemed to me at first that claiming a few drops of blood dripped on this tongue would turn Sam into a demon, was like saying that dripping a few drops of ketchup on his tongue would turn him into a tomato. But I came to think the idea is that even though we see manifestations of these things in the normal physical world, they actually exist only in the supernatural realm.

So when someone turns regular water into holy water, it doesn't actually change the physical composition of the water. It burns a demon because of its effects in the supernatural realm. And when Meg used a "blood phone" to talk to her father, the blood was not physically altered into something that could transmit a conversation like radio waves. The sacrifice triggered a spell that allowed communication in the supernatural world.

I could be wrong but that's the way I have always thought about it.

[AwesomO4000]

3 hours ago, The Companion said:

Yes, exactly. The demon blood served no logical purpose.

5 hours ago, Katy M said:

Storywise it also didn't seem to serve much of a purpose. 

Actually for me, storywise is the only purpose it did serve... as in it was plotonium. (For the Too Long: Didn't Read crowd, please skip to the bottom for a summary.)

The writers wanted the story to go a certain way: Sam in the cage, because he said "yes" to Lucifer, but they also wanted the plot wrinkle of Lucifer knowing about the rings and not being taken by surprise (for whatever reason). So then there becomes a little dilemma. All season long they've had Sam recovering from his addiction, culminating in "My Bloody Valentine" with Sam rejecting the blood power (and power in general) and they also had Sam learning the error of his ways concerning his arrogance and his rage problems...

So if Lucifer knows about the rings, and there is no "surprise factor," and therefore Dean isn't going to agree to go along with the plan anymore because of that, how could the writers justify Sam saying "yes" to Lucifer and going against his word to Dean without undoing all of the progress Sam had made? Because that theoretically could be a huge stumbling block to overcome. Easy answer: Sam has to drink demon blood in order to take on Lucifer (for whatever plotonium reason). Now Sam saying "yes" to Lucifer despite Lucifer's knowing about the rings makes sense, because demon blood influenced Sam becomes over-confident and his arrogance is enhanced - and for me Jared made that change visible as soon as he finished with the blood-drinking and said "Let's go." I could see Sam's entire demeanor change.

There is an added bonus drama factor of demon-blood enhanced Sam being more prone to rage, so that makes for good conflict between him and Lucifer also, so win - win. As movie critic Roger Ebert once said about how he imagined the writing process went on behind the scenes when the plot of Star Trek IV was hashed out, I suspect that the writers coming up with the demon blood thing was cause for a few cigarettes to be smoked in the afterglow. ...Because then there could still be all of their plot twists and turns plus a bit of an excuse for Sam to say "yes" while not entirely undoing all of the progress Sam made and / or having at least some of the fans legitimately ask "why the hell did Sam still go along with the plan and say "yes" to Lucifer" (after they found out Lucifer knew about the rings and opening the cage)?

Answer: demon blood changed the stakes, made Sam overconfident, prone to rage, want revenge again, etc. etc. Otherwise having Sam just say "yes" out of the blue would have undone an entire season of Sam's character development and made the point of the story arc somewhat moot - as in why would we watch and care about Sam's plot arc if he wasn't going to learn from his mistakes?

But the plot cruel fate made it so Sam had to go there again - i.e. demon blood - and that could explain some of Sam's seemingly bad decision to say "yes" to Lucifer.

Summary: So long story short, that's my explanation for why Sam had to drink demon blood: plotonium so Sam would still say "yes" to Lucifer when it made almost no sense for him to do so based on their previously already crazy plan.

[The Companion]

30 minutes ago, AwesomO4000 said:

Actually for me, storywise is the only purpose it did serve... as in it was plotonium. (For the Too Long: Didn't Read crowd, please skip to the bottom for a summary.)

The writers wanted the story to go a certain way: Sam in the cage, because he said "yes" to Lucifer, but they also wanted the plot wrinkle of Lucifer knowing about the rings and not being taken by surprise (for whatever reason). So then there becomes a little dilemma. All season long they've had Sam recovering from his addiction, culminating in "My Bloody Valentine" with Sam rejecting the blood power (and power in general) and they also had Sam learning the error of his ways concerning his arrogance and his rage problems...

So if Lucifer knows about the rings, and there is no "surprise factor," and therefore Dean isn't going to agree to go along with the plan anymore because of that, how could the writers justify Sam saying "yes" to Lucifer and going against his word to Dean without undoing all of the progress Sam had made? Because that theoretically could be a huge stumbling block to overcome. Easy answer: Sam has to drink demon blood in order to take on Lucifer (for whatever plotonium reason). Now Sam saying "yes" to Lucifer despite Lucifer's knowing about the rings makes sense, because demon blood influenced Sam becomes over-confident and his arrogance is enhanced - and for me Jared made that change visible as soon as he finished with the blood-drinking and said "Let's go." I could see Sam's entire demeanor change.

There is an added bonus drama factor of demon-blood enhanced Sam being more prone to rage, so that makes for good conflict between him and Lucifer also, so win - win. As movie critic Roger Ebert once said about how he imagined the writing process went on behind the scenes when the plot of Star Trek IV was hashed out, I suspect that the writers coming up with the demon blood thing was cause for a few cigarettes to be smoked in the afterglow. ...Because then there could still be all of their plot twists and turns plus a bit of an excuse for Sam to say "yes" while not entirely undoing all of the progress Sam made and / or having at least some of the fans legitimately ask "why the hell did Sam still go along with the plan and say "yes" to Lucifer" (after they found out Lucifer knew about the rings and opening the cage)?

Answer: demon blood changed the stakes, made Sam overconfident, prone to rage, want revenge again, etc. etc. Otherwise having Sam just say "yes" out of the blue would have undone an entire season of Sam's character development and made the point of the story arc somewhat moot - as in why would we watch and care about Sam's plot arc if he wasn't going to learn from his mistakes?

But the plot cruel fate made it so Sam had to go there again - i.e. demon blood - and that could explain some of Sam's seemingly bad decision to say "yes" to Lucifer.

Summary: So long story short, that's my explanation for why Sam had to drink demon blood: plotonium so Sam would still say "yes" to Lucifer when it made almost no sense for him to do so based on their previously already crazy plan.

I love the term plutonium and think this makes sense. 

[MagnusHex]

I kinda dig this episode tbh, probably because I kept my expectations low. It's a CW show, so the plot-holes, the lackluster Lucifer battle, and even the deus ex machina that made everyone alive again, I kinda just accepted them because I still had a good time for its runtime. Dean's earnest desire to stay with Sam till death as he's beating him to crap, Chuck's whole monologue about the car AND, more importantly, Sam and Dean's journey together, and finally, that Wayward Son playing in the episode recap, all of which made for a pretty standard but enjoyable episode. I really didn't expect to hear that wonderful song again during the recap while seeing Sam and Dean's entire journey so far, but I'm glad I did. What a way to open the final episode, and what a way to end it. It truly felt like the end of a journey when Dean visited Lisa again, leaving his hunting life behind.

And to be honest, I kinda wish it ended there. I know there are still questions unanswered, but I like my endings with ambiguity, especially with this kind of ambiguity where enough can be interpreted from the visuals while the rest is left to our imagination.

Also appropriately, I finished Buffy about half a year ago, and this reminds me of its season 5 finale, which has a very similar "you're back!" kinda of narrative going into season 6. I'm guessing Supernatural S6 will be dealing with that kind of storyline as well. From what I heard about Sam and Dean's post-season 5 bickering though, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to that. I mean, Sam and Dean have pretty much reached the peaks of their character arcs - Sam learning to fight his bloodlust even against Satan himself, Dean learning to embrace a family life - so to regress that kind of character growth for more bickering drama... yeah, makes me kinda worried. Ah well.

Edited January 2, 2023 by MagnusHex

[MAK]

16 hours ago, MagnusHex said:

yeah, makes me kinda worried. Ah well.

I watched it all and don't regret it, but, some people say to stop watching at this point if you're satisfied.

[CluelessDrifter]

So, how are people feeling about this episode now with time from both it and the series finale?