These reviews are getting harder and harder for me to right. I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS.
Okay, so right off the bat: I love Sam and Dean’s relationship so much. And no, I do not ship Wincest. Don’t even make me go down that road. ANYWAY. I love their unbelievable bond of brotherhood. And it really is closer than brotherhood, sometimes. At this point, they’re all they’ve got. Their father cares for them, but when you get down to it, it’s Dean and Sam, traveling together, taking care of each other, and that has to be enough. Just the pure fact that Sam can sense Dean’s anger and his presence in the room is so telling. They can feel each other even when the other isn’t around. They’re just that close. When Sam is screaming in the beginning, begging to know whether his father and brother are all right, I almost cried.
I think this episode was really eye-opening for Dean where his father is concerned. He wasn’t necessarily right in what he was thinking about his dad, but he still allowed himself to doubt, which he hasn’t done until recently. That speech when his father is staring at his comatose body just about broke my heart:
“You haven’t called a soul for help. You haven’t even tried. Aren’t you gonna do anything? Aren’t you even gonna say anything? I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked me. Everything! I’ve given everything I’ve ever had! And you’re just gonna sit there and watch me die? What the hell kind of father are you?”
Augh. So sad.
A couple things writing/filming-wise (something I don’t go into very much): Supernatural doesn’t get creative with shots a lot of the time, or else I don’t notice, but I adored the shot of Dean walking down the stairs in the very beginning of the episode. The camera is very low to the ground and angled in a very distinct way, and it gives the viewer this very off-center feeling, like something is wrong. It’s very indicative of the mood of the moment and the way Dean is feeling. ALSO, I love the parallel between Dean and the Impala and Sam’s insistence that they tow her back to Bobby’s. If there’s one working part, they can’t give up. I can picture Sam giving that exact same speech to Dean’s doctor.
I flinched when Sam told John to go to hell. By the end of this episode, he’ll be there.
I was actually so mad at Tessa and how she manipulated Dean. He helps people and he was tricked into pitying her. The funny thing about Tessa (and reapers in general) is that I think she’s right. Death is nothing to fear if it’s the right time. I don’t think Death is bad, and I don’t think reapers are bad. But Tessa is wrong about Dean. It’s not his time. He has a job to do, a destiny set down by God himself that supersedes angels and demons and the Four Horseman of the Fucking Apocalypse. She can’t take him now. (First time disagreeing with Dean ever... MARK IT: There is such thing as an honorable death.)
One of my absolute favorite images of the series happens in this episode when Sam is using the Ouija Board to communicate with Dean. They’re sitting together on the floor, cross-legged, like little kids, trying to communicate without speaking. And it’s working. They’re moving that little marker together. It’s silly considering that Ouija Boards are small potatoes compared to what they usually deal with, but it’s sweet and it speaks volumes about how close they are.
Another line that broke my heart: “You can’t go away, not now. We were just starting to be brothers again.” GOD, SAMMY. You can’t just say things like that! I would like my heart intact, thanks very much!
And, of course, we get to see Azazel for the first time (technically second, but the first time we couldn’t see his face). Nothing too special about their conversation, except for that I smirked when Azazel said that Dean wasn’t much of a threat. I love in season six when Crowley makes a comment about people consistently underestimating the Winchesters. That’s right, bitch. DO NOT think that Dean won’t kick your ass to next Tuesday if you mess with his family.
This last little bit of John we see is very confusing for me. I’ve spent a lot of energy really hating him, but it’s difficult for me to do so in this moment. He’s giving his life for his son, going to hell to save Dean. The speech he gives Dean right before he dies is so important; Dean needed to know it to continue fighting the fight. But in NO WAY to I approve of what he whispers to Dean. He is basically telling him to give up once Sam goes dark side. John, of all people, should know that 1) there’s always hope. There’s always something to be done. Nobody is lost forever. Also, 2) Dean could NOT bring himself to kill Sam. Just the opposite: he will do anything to bring him back to life. It’s mean and stupid of John to ask that of Dean.
When the doctor says, “You have some kind of angel watching over you,” I laughed out loud. It’s such a common phrase, but it’s so prophetic. CASTIEL IS ON HIS WAY.
Interesting biblical tidbit: John dies at 10:41am. This is Matthew 10:41-- "Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward." Don't know if that means anything, but I think it's cool anyway.
Favorite line of this episode (and the one moment of humor we get): “Dude, I full on Swayze-d that mother.”
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